St. George Musical Theater’s ‘Emma the Musical’
Month: March 2026
Final Four set: Michigan, Arizona, Illinois, UConn surge through Elite Eight thrillers
As the NCAA men’s basketball tournament heads toward its conclusion, the University of Michigan, the University of Arizona, the University of Illinois and the University of Connecticut all punched their tickets to the Final Four in Indianapolis.
As we approach the Final Four matchups between Arizona and Michigan, along with UConn and Illinois, let’s take a look at how each team won in the Elite Eight.
In the Elite Eight, Michigan was able to take down the Tennessee Volunteers, Arizona took down Purdue, Illinois came out on top over Iowa and UConn took down Duke thanks to some late-game heroics.
Michigan vs. Tennessee
The Wolverines showcased their offensive firepower in a 95-62 win over the Volunteers. Forward
Yaxel Lendeborg led the way for Michigan with 27 points on 10-19 shooting.
“When this group got together… we all wanted to make it to the national championship and win,” Lendeborg said in an interview with ESPN. “We worked tirelessly on making sure that our mental is right, not just physical, and we all trust each other. We all play hard for each other.”
Head coach Dusty May now leads Michigan to the Final Four in only his second season at the helm for the Wolverines. In the win over Tennessee, Michigan also extended its single-season record wins total with 35.
“We have a sign in our locker that [reads] ‘April Habits,’ and from Day 1, we challenged these guys to develop championship-level habits that would allow us to win a Big Ten championship, and would also allow us to turn the calendar from March until April,” May said. “Now we’ve put ourselves in position to do that.”
Michigan now will face fellow No. 1 seed Arizona in the semifinals April 4.
Purdue vs. Arizona
Arizona prevailed 79-64 over Purdue after making a second-half comeback. After trailing 38-31 at the end of the first half, the Wildcats outscored the Boilermakers 48-26 in the second half.
“I said, ‘Guys, the coaching staff and I are going to leave right now,'” head coach Tommy Lloyd said in an interview with ESPN. “‘You guys got a few minutes to talk amongst yourselves and kind of figure this deal out, and let’s go kick their ass in the second half.'”
Arizona’s top freshmen, Brayden Burries, Ivan Kharchenkov and Koa Peat combined for 52 points in the biggest moment of their young careers.
The Wildcats now head back to the Final Four for the first time since 2001 and extended their single-season record wins total to 36.
Illinois vs. Iowa
Illinois also got back to the Final Four for the first time in 21 years after beating Iowa 71-59.
“It’s better than I dreamt it would ever be,” head coach Brad Underwood said. “Thirty-nine years in the business, and that’s all I’m going to say about my side of this. This is about these guys.”
Freshman guard Keaton Wagler had 25 points in the win. Illinois also controlled the paint as they outscored Iowa 40-12 in the paint and out-rebounded them 38-21.
Duke vs. UConn
UConn pulled off a last-second 73-72 win over Duke to complete a comeback. After trailing 44-29 at halftime, the Huskies began to claw back into the game in the second half.
Even after the comeback, it looked like it was going to come up short as Duke led 72-70 with five seconds left in the game. However, Braylon Mullins deflected a pass that the Huskies were able to recover. Mullins ended up back with the ball and nailed a three from 35 feet away to give UConn the win.
“It just felt like the window where you’ve just got to let March Madness take over,” head coach Dan Hurley said. “March magic.”
UConn will now face Illinois April 4 in the Final Four.
Hundreds gather in St. George for nationwide ‘No Kings’ protest
St. George saw its own gathering, with hundreds of protesters gathering in Vernon Worthen Park to engage in an afternoon of live music renditions, speeches and street side demonstrations.
In a showing of distaste for the Trump presidency, millions of Americans nationwide gathered in their respective cities March 28 in a day of protest.
Attendees held signs all throughout the park, most of which focused on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and deportation.
Amidst the increased presence of ICE around the nation, the No Kings organization has stated on their website: “President Trump has doubled down. His administration is sending masked agents into our streets, terrorizing our communities. They are targeting immigrant families, profiling, arresting, and detaining people without warrants.”
Deportation was a major motivator for many attendees to attend. One in particular is Jorge Pineda, secretary of the Washington County Democrats and co-founder of Manos Amigas Utah.
Pineda expressed the importance of the protest to him, saying: “My father was deported in July by ICE. No Kings is just as much ‘no ICE’ as it is ‘no billionaires.’”
Other attendees shared similar empathy for undocumented immigrants as Pineda. “I graduated [high school] with 60% of my graduating class being here undocumented,” said Crystal Hanza, a Utah Tech University senior psychology major from Orange County, California. “Their families impacted my life in such a positive way… that’s who I’m fighting for today.”
During the event, there were organized chants that opposed the current administration, as well as some calling for unity. One chant that lasted throughout the entire gathering was, “No hate, no fear, everyone is welcome here.”
The organizer of the event was TogetherWorks, who describe themselves as a “nonprofit made up of people from Southern Utah who believe democracy should listen to all of us.”
Outside of organizing speakers and organizations in attendance, TogetherWorks also supplied water, Liquid I.V. and snacks to everybody in attendance.
Even with the goal of giving people the opportunity to utilize their First Amendment rights, organizers prioritized safety.
“Each time we organize a rally or protest, we coordinate with the St. George Police Department to maximize safety,” said Jillyn Stevens, founder and treasurer of TogetherWorks. “We have a large safety team trained in de-escalation and crowd management techniques, as well as a first aid station with medical professionals to address minor health issues.”
Speakers at the event spoke on a variety of topics. One speaker was a member of the leadership team at the League of Women Voters, Washington County branch, Rebecca Winsor.
“This is a country of the people, by the people and for the people,” she said. “When our elected representatives are behaving in ways contrary to the will of the people, it becomes the people’s duty and responsibility to remind them they serve at the behest and pleasure of the people.”
Amidst the protesting, TogetherWorks Chair Lysa McCaroll made one thing clear: “I would like to see us get away from the polarization in our society, the fear of ‘the other.’ We all care about the same things: healthcare, housing, education, the economy. We might have different ideas on how we achieve these goals, but that’s OK. What isn’t OK is believing only some people are entitled to a decent life.”
Spring slump
Dinner with the Dean
ALSO ON SUN NEWS DAILY
Golden hour and good company: Photo Club hosts street photography shoot
On March 25 in downtown Santa Clara, Utah Tech University’s Photo Club gathered around sunset at Frei’s Market to hold a street photography event. Around 10 participants gathered, some for photography and others to model.
The group headed west on Santa Clara Drive before stopping around Heritage Square to take photos under the golden light of the St. George sunset. Many of the photos were of models surrounded by the old-timey infrastructure of downtown Santa Clara, combining modern fashion with a rural background.
The Utah Tech Photo Club was founded two years ago by current Utah Tech senior and club president Lukas Hassell. Every Wednesday at 6:15 p.m., the club meets at a selected location before going on a photo walk.
“We trade off between doing photo shoots and other team building activities like playing board games… we do astro shoots, that’s a fan favorite of the club,” said Hannah Nielsen, club treasurer and sophomore nursing major from Salt Lake City.
Attendees debated over whether they could truly define the walk as street photography.
“I think it is street photography unless you’re posing them, because most of it is candid,” said Anneli Rasi-Koskinen, club member and freshman art major from Riverton. “Most of the pictures I got are just people hanging around… If I’m standing there posing somebody, then I would call that more of a portrait.”
Others argued that it simply wasn’t street photography when a model was used. “I would say anything that doesn’t have a model in it could be considered street photography for this photo shoot,” Nielsen said. “We’re trying to make it work the best we can.”
Many of the photographers gather inspiration from popular photographers; a couple of the names brought up were Vivian Maier and Billy Dinh.
The club treasurer, and freshman general studies major from San Diego, Riley Seare, had a bit of a different answer, claiming his amateur self was his biggest inspiration.
“The photos that inspire me the most are the horrible photos that I’ve taken in the past,” he said. “My goal with photography is to improve upon myself, so what inspires me is amateur me.”
About an hour into the walk, everybody made their way to Swiss Pioneer Memorial Park, where the last of the photos were taken before the sun fully set behind the mountains. Many clubs would have ended the event there, but the night was far from over.
The Photo Club prioritizes connecting with each other, and after the sun went down, everybody stopped taking photos and hung out at the park for another couple of hours. Some participants played tag on the playground, while others sat and talked.
“People love the social events that we do, whether it’s board games or movie night,” Seare said. “I definitely would love to get more people out to the actual shoots, but we do try to do other things. We are a group of friends, that’s the core of it.”
Some members mentioned newfound skills that were learned through attending Photo Club events.
“It’s really hard when you’re trying to figure it out on your own,” said Ellie Jarvis, social media manager and junior art major from Spanish Fork. “I never would have learned film if it wasn’t for the community I have, both in Photo Club and at school.”
No matter the skill level, the photo club encourages students to come and attend, whether it’s for modeling, photography or just hanging out.
“We would love to have you. It’s always a good time, no matter what we’re doing,” Nielsen said. “It doesn’t matter what you know and what you don’t know. You’ll have a good time.”
Taste Around the World serves up culture, community, cuisine
Cultures, clubs, food and fun combined at Utah Tech University’s Encampment Mall for the annual Taste Around the World event.
Every spring, the Utah Tech Student Association invites clubs on campus to make and share foods from various countries.
Upon arrival, students were given a punch card with six slots that allowed them to try dishes from six booths. The club leaders would mark the cards once the students received their food to ensure there was enough to go around, but many booths ran out of food quickly because of the large turnout.
Many countries were represented, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Tonga, Mexico and Peru. UT’s Black Student Union and the Indigenous Student Organization represented their respective cultures and regions — the BSU served banana pudding for the southern U.S., and the ISO served fry bread, a historically-significant Native American dish made by frying bread in oil.
“[Fry bread] has history with the Native American people being oppressed and only having resources to make [it],” said Malia Delmar, ISO vice president and sophomore criminal justice major from Page, Arizona. “I think it represents the resilience of the Native American people, which is really beautiful.”
Tennis club president Andrew Romanchenko, a junior art major from Krasnoyarsk, Russia, shared a non-alcoholic version of Pimm’s, a fruit-based gin that was served at the first-ever Wimbledon Championship in London in 1877.
“Pimm’s is originally an alcoholic drink. Obviously, ours isn’t,” Romanchenko said. “We used some substitutes, but Pimm’s is basically more of a juice mixed with a few vegetables and lots of fruits.”
Other non-cultural clubs and organizations were present, including UT’s Healthy Trailblazers Coalition and the Tri Alpha Honor Society, which hosts events for first-generation college students.
The coalition handed out the Smeed Smoothie, which was an acai, banana and mixed-berry smoothie created by university president Shane Smeed. They handed out recipe cards that had the president’s picture and a quote from him regarding the drink.
“This is my favorite smoothie because acai berries are superfruits packed with antioxidants,” the card read. “They support heart health by improving cholesterol levels and provide essential nutrients like calcium and vitamin A. Most important, it tastes great!”
Tri Alpha shared root beer and cream soda floats, which is a treat they provide at each club activity. Club president Samantha Vincent, a senior psychology major from Woods Cross, shared that she wanted to interact with the campus community and other clubs by participating.
“I think most cultures revolve around food, whether we like it or not,” Vincent said. “What food you bring says a lot about you and your culture.”
Many booths shared Utah-specific dishes, including green pear-flavored Jello and a special trail mix meant to represent southern Utah. Local St. George staples, Papa’s Got Jerk and Nick the Greek, also had booths sharing food from their restaurants.
“I always like coming to this event every year just because it’s all the cultures, because we have international students too,” said attendee Erin Wortham, a senior English major from Henderson, Nevada. “We incorporate all of their cultural food, their drinks.”
Food and sharing meals are about togetherness in Wortham’s family, and she said sharing that with others is an intimate experience.
“Food is what brings people together,” Romanchenko said. “And that’s what sparks conversations as well… I think maybe it’s even culturally the most united thing in the world.”
OPINION | Hollywood’s reboot era lacks soul, creativity, original ideas
There is no shortage of reboots on streaming platforms these days. “Hannah Montana,” “Phineas and Ferb,” “Ocean’s 8” and “Fuller House” — are we really already out of ideas? It seems like Hollywood’s pouring all their time, money and resources into cash-grab productions.
And honestly, we’re falling for it.
Reboots are topping the charts, filling theaters and making bank. Despite this, ratings are in the drain. Where nostalgia should be bringing in higher profits and encouraging more reboots, at least according to executives, it just isn’t.
The issue isn’t that we don’t want reboots, but we don’t want soulless ones. Modern reboots over rely on references to the original media and expect viewers to have previous knowledge of the media. A predetermined fictional world shouldn’t produce such boring, unoriginal and frankly horrendous remakes.
Fanfiction is a great example of reboots, or retellings, done right. In many cases, authors see a need to explore something in a piece of original media, such as the backstory of a character or a historical moment, and decide to remake the story with fresh characters and ideas.
Thousands of people read these stories every day, follow along for updates and fondly recall these retellings — sometimes more so than the original media. For many famous shows and movies, their fandoms are what push them to stardom, not the original piece.
The lesson is that the soul of the work must survive the remake. Reboots that fail aren’t flawed because they revisit old media, or we wouldn’t have live-action remakes of old cartoons topping charts. They fail because they aren’t targeting anyone who hasn’t already enjoyed the media.
The first fanfiction I ever read was from a movie I’d never even seen. I didn’t know the characters, I couldn’t describe the plot, and I didn’t know what changes the author had made. But I loved it. Every night, I would spend hours reading the fanfiction and becoming engrossed in the world. The media stood on its own.
Now, cheap references to original shows, such as in “Fuller House” where every episode had at least five references to the 1987 series, don’t make for good audience retention. They feel overdone, boring and take up way too much runtime. New reboots aren’t trying to create a new audience or discover something new, they’re soulless imitations of the original media created to get your attention and money.
I would never be able to pick up one of these remakes and call myself a fan of the story — there isn’t a story to enjoy. I don’t want to watch a watered-down version of their favorite movies, nor do I want a reference-jammed series of flashbacks and empty jokes. I crave originality and creativity, and that absolutely can be done in a way that feels nostalgic.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t good adaptations out there. A few examples of successful reboots are “Strawberry Shortcake,” “My Little Pony” and “Spiderman.” Each of these series has been through a minimum of three reboots, each targeting a new audience while amending issues with the previous iterations.
They succeeded because the goal wasn’t to keep the same audience — particularly in the case of “Strawberry Shortcake” and “My Little Pony” — but to develop a new community of dedicated supporters.
Much like fanfiction, these reboots sought to fill in a gap where the original media or latest reboot couldn’t, which made them and their originals cornerstones of our culture. They stand on their own and spark honest debate around which version was better.
On the other side, we have failed reboots such as “Teen Titans Go!” “Oceans 8,” “Ghostbusters” (2016) and “Hellboy” (2019). Fans of the original series found these remakes shallow and inconsiderate of the original media, while new audiences were repulsed by bad storytelling and confusing references. Neither side was happy enough to make a case for the new media, and they never could have been.
Growing up, I adored the series “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” The show took one of my favorite early childhood movie series and added new characters, interesting plots and fun visuals that worked for the modern audience. The fandom exploded in support. While I don’t enjoy this show now, I’m grateful that the creators took the time to actually improve upon the original media — to understand it and what made it special for kids like me.
Unfortunately for us, nostalgia sells, and it sells well. Most shows don’t need a creative plot or interesting characters to get us into theaters or paying for streaming services; they just need us to be curious enough.
When times are as unpredictable as they are today, it can be easy to fall prey to nostalgia. There’s no shame in throwing on an old “Barbie” movie and taking comfort in your childhood Pokémon game. Just be careful when giving new reboots your attention. Not every one has our favorite pieces of media, or us, at heart.
OPINION | Taylor Frankie Paul scandal proves fame shouldn’t shield accountability
The controversy around Taylor Frankie Paul‘s video canceling “The Bachelorette” is an example of how people in the public eye need to be held responsible for their actions.
Paul is a Utah influencer who stars in the reality show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” After season 4 aired, a video of her fighting with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, surfaced on the internet right before her season of “The Bachelorette” was supposed to air. In the video, Paul was seen throwing barstools at Mortensen.
Paul was charged with domestic violence and aggravated assault March 2023. Later that year in August, Paul entered a plea in abeyance, which required her to get evaluations, complete recommended treatments and not violate any laws above a traffic violation. Paul should’ve faced a more severe consequence than a plea in abeyance, especially after seeing the released video.
After this, Paul still continued to have a platform with “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” The controversy is not shocking since the pilot episode consists of her getting arrested. It’s just shocking the extent to which the altercation involved her daughter.
Paul always produced controversy and drama during the “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” and off the show on social media. Even before the video of the altercation surfaced online, Paul was already in hot water after season 4 premiered and viewers saw her self-destructive tendencies. The night before she left for “The Bachelorette,” Paul slept with Mortensen, potentially ruining the opportunity she was given to be the bachelorette.
Paul and Mortensen equally create a bad cycle. There’s toxicity on both sides, but they can’t stay away from each other. Of course all forms of abuse are terrible, whether it’s emotional or physical. No one deserves either, but when clear evidence comes out, people should be held accountable and punished.
Just because someone is famous doesn’t mean they should get a pass. Everyone should be held equally accountable, but that’s something the justice system is flawed with.
People in the public eye shouldn’t have leeway when it comes to laws and regulations. They should always be held accountable as much as anyone else.
There are so many people in the public eye who have committed crimes, whether it’s actors, musicians or politicians. Why do people with fame go unscathed when ordinary people have to face the consequences of their actions?
ABC needs to be careful in a situation like this because it can negatively affect its reputation. Airing Paul’s season can make it seem like they’re promoting her behavior. Yes, the company has lost money from deciding not to air the season, but in the long run, it could affect their overall image and cause them to lose viewers. ABC even faced backlash for picking Paul to be the bachelorette in September 2025.
On March 13, Paul made a post on Instagram talking about how hard it is to be in the public eye. In the post Paul mentioned how she hopes to help people by sharing her story. Someone like Paul should not be a role model for others after the track record she has had these past few years. This type of behavior shouldn’t be glorified or aimed for by others.
Paul starring in “The Bachelorette” would’ve received mixed opinions whether the season aired or not. With controversy comes consequences, and more people in the public eye should deserve the same treatment as anyone else convicted of assault.
OPINION | Gen Z needs to learn how to handle conflict in dating, end ghosting
As a little girl, I imagined having a fairy tale love story and finding a guy who would sweep me off my feet. In reality, dating rarely looks like that.
Dating in the real world is nothing like the movies. It revolves around dating apps, Snapchat and talking stages. When things do not work out, people often get ghosted.
Ghosting, simply put, means suddenly cutting off communication with someone and avoiding them altogether.
Our generation needs to learn how to handle discomfort and conflict. Ghosting does not make life easier, especially when you still have to see that person in class or on campus. It only makes things more awkward, which is why communication matters.
Ghosting culture has become common among Generation Z. Instead of having awkward conversations, many people choose to ignore the other person.
I am not innocent in this, either. I have ghosted people because it felt like the easiest option. I did not want to explain why I did not think things were going to work after one date. It felt too awkward to say, “I think you’re great, but I do not like the way you hold yourself.” So instead, I said nothing at all.
Being the ghoster is easy. You do not have to deal with an uncomfortable conversation. But being the person who gets ghosted is painful.
After experiencing being ghosted, it made me rethink ghosting. Ghosting can be situational-based; it is OK to ghost someone when they are being creepy, but talking every day and having meaningful conversations requires an explanation.
From personal experience, being ghosted can have a real emotional impact. I was once set up on a double date and started spending time with a guy regularly. We talked often, and he seemed interested in me, even though neither of us had clearly said how we felt. Then one day, I never heard from him again with no explanation.
It made me feel like there was something wrong with me because he was too uncomfortable to say to my face. I spent nights talking with friends, replaying every interaction and trying to figure out where I had gone wrong. I reread our texts, wondering whether I had misread something or had come across too strong.
Sometimes I still think about that situation because if there is something I need to work on, I would have wanted to know. It makes me think that if one person could leave without explanation, why wouldn’t the next person?
There is nothing wrong with not feeling a connection with someone. That is the point of dating: meeting new people, going on dates and figuring out if you are compatible.
Ghosting burns that bridge. You cannot talk to the person again without it feeling awkward. If you communicate, it may only be uncomfortable for a few days. Ghosting can make it awkward for much longer.
Modern dating has made ghosting easier. People meet through dating apps or by sliding into someone’s direct messages. Real connections can feel harder to build. Gen Z has become more hesitant to have real conversations. Through a phone, it is easier to handle rejection — all it takes is an unfollow and a message to someone new.
Communication helps build healthy relationships and personal growth. It is essential to talk about how you are feeling, especially in college. This is the time to learn who you are, who you want to be and the type of people you want to surround yourself with.
As a little girl, I imagined a fairy tale kind of love. Now I realize it is not about grand gestures or perfect moments — it is about something much simpler. It is about honesty, even when it is uncomfortable. Because real connections are not ruined by awkward conversations.