1. The Calling of a Prophet

A new page of history unfolded for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this year with the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley and the calling of the new prophet, President Thomas S. Monson.

President Hinckley passed away peacefully in his home on Jan. 27, surrounded by his family. He left a lasting legacy that included temples, the conference center and unending optimism.

Following President Hinckley's passing, Thomas S. Monson, the senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was ordained as the new president of the church. President Monson called Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf to serve as counselors in the First Presidency. All members of the church sustained these new officers in a solemn assembly during April General Conference.

2. Romney for President

The 2008 presidential race has been characterized by a diverse group of candidates, and Mitt Romney was no exception.

Hopes were high through the beginning of the state primaries, and many BYU students that supported Romney believed that a "Mormon" could indeed be elected president of the United States. But when Romney won only 175 delegates on Super Tuesday, he pulled out of the race, stating that his continuing would "make it easier for Sen. [Hillary] Clinton or [Barack] Obama to win."

Many BYU students were disappointed but hope that Romney will make another bid for office in 2012.

"The religious question will be well behind him and he will have this campaign and its exposure to build on," said Steve Stakland, an administrative assistant for the Romney Regional Finance Office, as quoted in a recent Daily Universe article.

3. Tragedy Strikes BYU

BYU has seen its share of tragedy this school year, but through it all the campus and community pulled together.

When Camille Cleverly disappeared in September, campus and community volunteers spread the word and helped trained search-and-rescue teams comb the surrounding areas for any sign of her or her bike. Cleverly's body was found Sept. 9 at the base of a cliff near Bridal Veil Falls.

At a memorial service attended by 1,500 students, Cleverly's family thanked everyone who had joined in the search, and encouraged them to learn from the tragedy.

"I want you students to be happy," said Cleverly's mother, as quoted in a September Daily Universe article. "Don't put yourselves at risk. Life is precious."

In January the campus community again mourned the loss of one of their fellow students. Rebecca Blazzard, an art history major from La Grange, Calif., was killed when a car failed to stop at a crosswalk on University Avenue and struck her. Blazzard's fiancé described her as an "angel" who always tried to make other people happy.

4. A Winning Season

True Blue BYU football fans were not disappointed this year.

After finishing the season undefeated in conference play for the second year in a row, the Cougars went on to beat UCLA 17-16 in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl. Nationally, the team ranked 14th in the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll; this was BYU's highest ranking since 1996.

"Our national ranking is the next piece of evidence that links this program to the glory and prominence it once knew," said BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall, in a BYU Athletic Communications article. "This recognition gives us a tremendous amount of momentum for being able to accomplish our future goals."

5. Parking

Parking around BYU always seems to be a headache, and this year was no exception. The Provo City Municipal Council passed multiple parking-permit programs that affect residents and students living south of campus.

Residents were concerned about the safety of their children, property damage and obstructed views while backing out of their driveways, according to a January Daily Universe article. Currently permits are required to park on the street during night hours. Provo City Council members said they know these measures did not fully fix the problem, and they plan to continue working on it. In the meantime, students with cars are still in a bind.

"I like to play, but if I ever get home past midnight there is nowhere to park at my complex," said Mike Infanger, a student living at King Henry. "There is a parking lot by Seven Peaks, but there have been a lot of break-ins there. My number one requirement for my next apartment is guaranteed parking."

6. Social Work Protests

BYU decided to discontinue the undergraduate social work major this year, though many people protested it.

"It is so sad that BYU decided to close the undergraduate social work program," said Kim Money, a BYU alumni and former professor of social work at the University of South Carolina. "Social work is a professional degree, and other majors can't get you as far without going to graduate school."

Administration of the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences said that the objectives met by the social work program could also be met in other majors such as psychology and sociology, and that this change would help students in the long run. Efforts will now be fully geared to improving the masters of social work program, according to a recent Daily Universe article.

7. BYU Basketball

This year highlighted one of the best-ever seasons for BYU men's basketball. The team was ranked 24th going into the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the tourney for the fifth time in eight years.

Their 27-8 record was the second best in BYU program history; their 25-6 overall regular-season record was the best in program history.

"This is a championship team," said Cougar coach Dave Rose, in a BYU Athletic Communications article. "This group has embraced the word team better than any other team I've been around. These players are all great players with great talent that sacrifice everything for the good of the team."

8. Burma Monks

When Burmese citizens, including many Buddhist monks, were beaten in the streets for protesting, BYU students responded with protests of their own.

Students wore red in honor of the monks, signed petitions and held signs to show that they did not support the actions of Burma's government. Over 3,000 signatures were gathered.

"For me, one big reason is that in 1988 during a democracy march [in Burma], 3,000 people were massacred," said Tristan Call, BYU Amnesty International president, as quoted in a past Daily Universe article. "Hopefully, if Burma feels people are watching, we can stop that from happening again."

9. Writers' Strike

When its contract came up for negotiation in November, the Writer's Guild of America went on strike.

The guild could not agree with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on the issues of DVD residuals, new media and jurisdiction over reality and animation. The strike lasted for 100 days, and according to an NPR report cost the economy of Los Angeles an estimated $1.5 billion.

An agreement was finally agreed upon in February, but BYU students had mixed reactions to the strike and its outcome. Some students believed that the writers were in the right and deserved to be paid more, while others were upset that the strike halted new episodes of their favorite television shows, according to a recent Daily Universe article.

10. Ratings

For the first time ever at BYU, students will now be able to view responses to student rating questions, providing them with an opportunity to make more informed decisions about classes and professors.

Results will be available May 1 to those students who completed their class ratings for winter semester. The four questions students can view include the amount learned, the value of the materials and activities, the intellectual skills developed and interest shown by the professor toward the students.

Copyright Brigham Young University 16 Apr 2008