Northern Corridor debate
Month: April 2026
Dixie Power Kite Festival
ALSO ON SUN NEWS DAILY
Energy drinks
Utah Tech seniors preparing for graduation
SPORTS EDITORIAL | Sports matter: More than a game, a shared community
As both members of the sports section are preparing to graduate, we wanted to share the lessons we’ve learned as part of Sun News and the importance of covering sports as a whole.
Spencer Rodak — sports writer
Sports have always mattered. I’ve known that for many years. But it wasn’t until this past year that I was really able to experience it in a way I hadn’t before.
It’s easy to think of sports as just games, scores, wins or losses. This year, however, through my hands-on experience for Sun News Daily, as the sports director for 91.3 Radio Blaze, and through my senior project, I saw something different. Attending nearly 120 games in a school year will do that.
Sports aren’t just played or watched; they are shared.
Covering games for Sun News continued my appreciation for the storytelling side of sports. After the game has ended and most people have gone home, the work is just getting started. Interviewing players and coaches, checking stats, and writing recaps and game stories show that there is more to a game than meets the eye.
It’s not just about who won or lost, but about the momentum swings, emotions and moments of individual and team brilliance that come with them.
Doing my best to capture that through my writing made me realize how important those details can be in telling the story.
There’s also a different kind of energy when you’re on a broadcast, as I was many times this past year as sports director.
A big moment occurs, and I’m not just watching it; I’m responsible for bringing it to life for those listening. In those times, you realize people aren’t tuning in for the outcome; they’re tuning in to feel something. Tension, excitement, even disappointment. But through it, sports give us reason to connect, even if we’ve never met.
That idea became even clearer as I launched Southern Utah Gameday, and it eventually became my senior project. Building a platform dedicated to covering collegiate sports in southern Utah showed me that there is a real audience for these stories. People care about their teams, athletes and communities. They want to be connected around common themes, and sports provide that connection point.
What really makes sports matter isn’t just what happens on the field of competition; it’s everything around it. It’s the stories that often go unnoticed, or the fans who show up, listen or support from afar. It’s the shared identity formed around a team or a school.
In a world where people are being pulled every which way, sports still find a way to bring them together.
Over the past year, I was able to tell the stories of local sports. Through that experience, it became clear that sports matter because they create something bigger than the game itself: a community.
Curtis Keddington — sports editor
Growing up, sports have always been a part of my life. I played nearly every sport growing up, and my parents often saw me watching ESPN instead of cartoons before school.
Prior to joining Sun News, I knew the importance of sports journalism from afar. After all, it was the reason I was able to stay up to date with my favorite teams and players while hearing all the breaking news.
After being the sports editor for the past two years, I have been able to see the personal impact that sports have on everyone involved.
Through the interviews I have conducted with players, coaches and students, I have been able to see how sports change people.
The impact sports have goes way beyond just the X’s and O’s on the field.
While covering the football team, I spoke to many students about the impact that the team and sports on campus have on people who aren’t directly involved.
Sports help bring together in ways that few others can. In a time with increasing tension over a variety of issues, sports are still one of the few things that connect people to a common goal.
I saw this again recently when both covering and rooting for our men’s basketball team, which was making a run towards the NCAA tournament. Those who went to the games to support the team forgot about all other issues or problems going on to support UT. I was able to see students rally around the teams on campus regardless of what else was going on.
This is why sports coverage is so crucial. While it may not cover as pressing worldwide issues as the news, it helps people regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs.
I’ve seen the impact that sports have had as both a fan, and for the campus as a whole as a journalist.
Through my time with Sun News, I have been able to not only grow my writing skills, but I have also been able to witness the impact sports have on the community and everyone involved.
Without my experiences with Sun News, I wouldn’t truly understand the positive impact that sports can have on entire communities. For the players and coaches, the journey to the goal unites them while the rest of the campus stands behind them in support.
If we forget the importance of sports journalism, we will forget about one of the few things that people can relate to and bond over, regardless of anything else.
Game day guide: Trailblazers’ weekly rundown
As the school year nears its end, three Utah Tech University sports teams are also nearing the end of their respective seasons.
Women’s golf finished the season at the Western Athletic Conference Championships, while baseball and softball continue WAC play with conference tournaments around the corner.
Baseball
Utah Tech wrapped up a four-game stretch with mixed results, highlighted by a road win at Brigham Young University before a competitive series at California Baptist University.
The Trailblazers opened the week with a 9-4 victory over BYU, extending their win streak to five games.
Utah Tech jumped out early, scoring three runs in the first and four more in the second to take control. Kyle McDaniel sparked the offense with a leadoff double, while Hudson Manwaring and Ryan Kroepel contributed key plays in the opening frame. Miller Durham added a three-run home run in the second inning to push the lead to 7-0.
On the mound, David Sheppard held the Cougars in check early, while Ethan Gardner and Easton Brooks combined for five scoreless innings out of the bullpen to secure the win.
“You can’t talk about tonight without talking about our last week,” head coach Chris Pfatenhauer said postgame. “Had six games in seven days against some pretty good clubs, and to come out of that 5-1 is impressive for our guys.”
The momentum stalled April 24 as UT fell 7-3 to California Baptist. Ty Johnsen and McDaniel each drove in runs, while Bryan Martinez added an RBI double late. Petey Soto Jr. extended his hitting streak to 15 games, but the Trailblazers were unable to keep pace after the Lancers pulled ahead with a four-run middle stretch.
Utah Tech responded April 25 with a dominant 10-1 win, bouncing back behind strong pitching and a productive offense. The Trailblazers controlled the game throughout to even the series.
However, the weekend ended on a tough note as Utah Tech was shut out 6-0 in the April 26 finale, unable to generate offense against strong California Baptist pitching.
With the 2-2 week, the Trailblazers now sit at 28-16 overall and 6-3 in WAC play.
Up next, UT returns home to battle the University of Nevada, Las Vegas April 28, before hosting a three-game conference series vs. Tarleton State University May 1-3.
Softball
Utah Tech dropped all three games in its WAC road series at Tarleton State University, beginning with an April 24 doubleheader and concluding with an April 25 shutout.
In Game 1 of the doubleheader, the Trailblazers fell 2-1 in a pitcher’s duel. Lakaiya-Braessia Kahahawai-Kekona provided the lone run with a home run, while Sauren Garton delivered a strong complete game effort, allowing just two runs on three hits across six innings.
Game 2 saw more offense from Utah Tech, but the Trailblazers dropped an 8-3 decision. Kahahawai-Kekona stayed productive with multiple hits and an RBI, while Kennedy Embrey and Sadie Phillips also recorded two hits each. Kinley Pappas added her team-leading 18th double, but a big inning from Tarleton State proved to be the difference.
In the April 25 finale, Utah Tech was shut out 11-0. The Texans scored early and often, including a four-run first inning and a six-run third to put the game out of reach. The Trailblazers were limited offensively and unable to respond.
Following the winless week, UT’s record is now 16-31 overall and 3-12 in WAC play. The Trailblazers have lost their last seven games.
Utah Tech will now take on Abilene Christian University in the final series of the regular season at home, May 1-2.
Sitting tied at the bottom of the WAC standings with ACU, the sixth and final conference tournament bid will be up for grabs in the series.
Women’s golf
Playing the final edition of the WAC Women’s Golf Championships, Utah Tech secured a fifth place finish at The Clubs of Stonebridge Ranch Hills Course in McKinney, Texas.
The Trailblazers compiled a team score of plus-56, while four UT golfers recorded top-20 finishes.
Senior Jane Olson was the top finisher for the Trailblazers, carding a score of plus-13 to finish in a tie for 14th place.
You can find the remainder of the Utah Tech Athletics schedule here.
Inside look at Sun News at Noon
ALSO ON SUN NEWS DAILY
UTSA Clubs Banquet
Students receive awards at the 2026 Utah Tech Student Association Clubs Banquet. Video reporter Zach Conrad interviews the leaders of ASL Club and Be the Light Club, which both won awards for their impact on students.
Utah Tech Ballroom Dance Company shines in ‘Motion’ showcase
A night of applause and sparkles lit up the Dolores Dore Eccles Fine Arts Center’s mainstage as Utah Tech University’s Ballroom Dance Company performed its showcase.
Performing ballroom and Latin dances, dancers were able to showcase their talent to the crowd in a variety of dances in their performance, “Motion,” held April 23 and 24. Hurricane Recreation Center’s dancers, as well as Utah Tech’s Youth Ballroom Company, joined Utah Tech’s ballroom, adding a variety of ages to the performance.
Lights bounced off colorful costumes as dancers performed traditional ballroom and Latin dances such as sambas, waltzes and paso dobles, as well as other dance styles ranging from hip-hop to western polkas.
Spaced in between performances were videos introducing the current dancers as they shared their favorite thing about being part of the dance company.
Arya Jenkins, a master’s student in technical writing and digital rhetoric from St. George, is a first-year member with the ballroom company. Jenkins was raised in Saudi Arabia, where ballroom dancing wasn’t big.
“Being able to be on a collegiate dance ballroom team is something I never knew I could do,” Jenkins said. “It’s just so cool to finally be able to accomplish that and be on stage with my best friends.”
With lifts and tricks, ballroom dancing requires trust and connection. These dancers have been able to grow friendships that they will hold with them for the rest of their lives.
Johana Florian, a senior dance major from St. George, is also a first-year member with the ballroom company. Florian and Jenkins are best friends and have been able to experience being with the company together.
“It’s really rewarding to be able to work as a team,” Florian said. “To perform to the best of our abilities and to share that moment with each other and with our families and friends.”
Amy Randall is one of the ballroom dance company’s co-directors and has worked for the company for many years.
“I’m so proud of them [the company],” Randall said. “They’ve worked so hard, and it’s a lot of early mornings and a lot of hard work, a lot of hours. I’m just really proud of the show that they put on.”
A promotional video for the company shared the message they hope to spread: “Be kind, stay healthy, keep your body strong.” The ballroom company hopes to show students that movement isn’t just a performance, but a way to develop confidence and teamwork.
The company doesn’t just perform, but also travels to various locations to be ambassadors for Utah Tech. From Brazil to Canada, the ballroom company shares culture and promotes excitement for higher education.
With the end of the school year, some company members will be retiring their dance shoes with Utah Tech’s company as they step into a new spotlight.
“We’re going to miss them but we hope that they’ll come back,” Randall said. “We’ve had several alumni here tonight and it’s always fun to see them come and visit with us and be excited for the current team.”
For more information on Utah Tech’s Ballroom Dance Company events and tryouts, their Instagram is @utahtechballroom.
Lavender Graduation blooms with celebration, resilience, safe spaces
Lavender spirals hung from the trees, floral decorations floated overhead and the neighborhood cat greeted guests as they gathered for Lavender Graduation April 25.
Utah Tech University’s LGBTQSO Club, in partnership with Encircle St. George, hosted Lavender Graduation to celebrate and honor LGBTQIA+ students and allies.
Twelve graduates were recognized in person with cords and stoles, with more honored who couldn’t attend. The Encircle house was decked out in all things lavender — from table runners and plates to soft pops of the light purple in the butterfly decor — as faculty, staff, students, friends and loved ones gathered for the ceremony.
Project Rainbow also donated $500 to help provide stoles for graduates. Along with their cords and stoles, each graduate received a lavender-themed goodie bag with hand cream, chapstick, little bundles of lavender and even a tiny duck wearing a graduation cap.
Lavender roots and meaning
Mason Britton, a senior history major from Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and president of the LGBTQSO, said Lavender Graduation began in the mid ‘90s at the University of Michigan.
“It was basically meant to provide a safe space for frequently marginalized students. It wasn’t just exclusive to LGBTQIA+ students,” Britton said. “Over the years, I think the LGBTQ+ community has kind of adopted it as their own, but one thing we wanted to do this year was open it up to anyone, and so we encouraged everyone to sign up if they were a graduating senior, especially allies too, because historically it has included allies.”
The name itself, Lavender Graduation, is a way of claiming a once-used slur.
“Historically, lavender has kind of been a slur toward queer people,” Britton said. “Betty Friedan, who wrote ‘The Feminine Mystique,’ she used to call lesbians ‘lavender menaces.’ So it’s one of those words that has kind of been reclaimed over time and given a positive connotation.”
Ceremony centered on safe spaces in uncertain times
Sammy Bateman, assistant program coordinator at Encircle, opened the ceremony with remarks and said: “Throughout my role, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the strength, resilience and joy within our community every day. And today, that joy feels especially powerful.”
Bateman acknowledged that living in southern Utah can sometimes feel challenging because spaces weren’t built with LGBTQIA+ individuals in mind.
“You’ve carved your own paths, built community and created belonging, not just for yourselves, but for those who will come after you,” they said. “You deserve to take up space, to be celebrated and to live a life that feels true to who you are. The world needs exactly what you bring.”
Britton, also graduating and receiving his lavender cord, thanked Utah Tech faculty who attended, as well as his fellow graduates.
“The love I have felt as president of LGBTQSO this year has been unmatched,” he said. “And unlike anything I have ever felt before, I can only hope to carry this love with me, as I continue my journey through life and higher education… I stand here today in a world I do not always recognize, and yet I see change. I see it in every single one of us.”
Graduates then walked to the front as their names were read, where LGBTQSO presidency members placed stoles and lavender cords around their necks. The stoles were purple and featured pride flag colors.
Following the ceremony, a lavender-colored table runner displayed croissants with Nutella, peanut butter and jelly, along with cookies, strawberries, grapes and blueberries. Graduates and attendees stayed to visit with friends, make friendship bracelets and create homemade buttons.
Graduates feeling seen, safe and celebrated
Isabella Berentsen, a senior history major from Las Vegas, compared the feeling of love she felt at Lavender Graduation to an LGBTQSO Drag Show.
“You know when it’s over, and all the people in the crowd are getting to talk to the drag queens, and you can just feel the love in the room?” Berentsen explained. “That’s what this felt like to me. It’s like you can just feel all of the love and all of the hope and all of the joy and all of the relief that it’s over. And all the celebrating and being together with people who care.”
She also addressed her gratitude for space spaces, like Encircle and the LGBTQSO.
“With the way that the country is going, it is literally becoming physically and mentally dangerous to be a queer person,” Berentsen said. “Safe spaces that are so community-oriented are becoming more and more important, not only as safety for us, but also as outreach to people.”
“We had a party out in public, and nobody died, and it was beautiful, and it was wonderful,” she added. “And there were people who passed by, and nobody thought anything of it. It shouldn’t have to be a big deal, but it is because it’s not safe anymore.”
Alice Ferrari Shea, a senior psychology major from Brazil, said Lavender Graduation made her feel special.
“I especially like how Sammy mentioned that we go through extra challenges, added challenges that people that are either heterosexual or cisgender don’t really go through, and we have to jump through extra hoops,” she said. “So it feels really amazing to have that celebrated.”
