Religious Freedom vs. Equal Rights, The Hijab in the United States, Is college for Everyone?

Guest: Shapri LoMaglio, Vice President for Government and External Relations, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, Washington, D.C. A week ago, Canada’s Supreme Court issued a major ruling that is expected to having rippling effects across North America. The case involves a private Christian university in Vancouver called Trinity Western, which planned to open a law school, but has been stymied by the regional law society’s refusal to give accreditation. The reason is that the law society objects to Trinity Western’s mandatory code of conduct for students and employees which prohibits extramarital sex and does not recognize gay marriage. The law society says that discriminates against LGBT people. Canada’s Supreme Court agreed. Faith-based institutions across the US and Canada were watching this case closely.

Guest: Loren Marks, PhD, Professor of Family Life, Brigham Young University The traditional Muslim headscarf, called the hijab, is often misunderstood, which is why New York resident Nazma Khan started World Hijab Day five years ago. From that sprung the 30-day Hijab Challenge during the month of Ramadan – which just concluded. Women of different faiths from all over the world wore the hijab in a show of solidarity. Part of the American Families of Faith survey project here at BYU has included interviews with devout American Muslim women about why they wear the hijab.

Guest: Alex Bernadotte, MA, Founder and CEO of “Beyond 12” A college education remains one of the best ways for a young person to rise out of poverty. But how committed are we, really, to the idea that every child should have a chance at college? And is it enough just to get kids to college? Students from disadvantage background – especially those who are the first to go to college in their families – are far more likely to drop out before college graduation.

Guests: Cheryl Haggard, Founding Parent of “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep”; Cliff Lawson, Volunteer Photographer One of the hardest things parents hope they never have to face, is the death of a child. When a baby is stillborn, or dies soon after birth, that grief is complicated by the fact that there was never really time to make memories.  A nonprofit called, “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” connects grieving parents with volunteer professional photographers to help parents preserve those fleeting last moments with a child.   Click here to learn more about “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.”

Guest: Aviva Patz, Deputy Editor, Reader’s Digest Online Some of us can't resist those stories on our social media feeds offering simple tricks to make everyday life better. If you love a good “life hack,” the new Reader’s Digest book of tricks for “Avoiding Everyday Disasters” is for you. How not to go blind from staring at a computer screen. How to reheat leftovers so they actually taste good. How to score a good parking spot in a crowded lot. How to wash a window without leaving streaks. How to chop an onion without tears.

Guest: Kelsey Nixon, Chef, Author of “Kitchen Confidence” Before Kelsey Nixon had her own show on the Cooking Channel, she was a BYU student making cooking videos about quick meals for college students. Then she was a contestant on season 4 of Food Network Star. She didn’t win, but she did impress chef judge Bobby Flay enough to get her own show anyway – “Kelsey’s Essentials” on the Cooking Channel. Then came her cookbook “Kitchen Confidence” and then another Cooking Channel show called “Kelsey’s Homemade.”