For years BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe’s over-the-top Halloween costumes—Abraham Lincoln, Voldemort, and today’s Rafiki from The Lion King—have been a closely guarded secret (but no longer)

Drum roll, please. This year Tom Holmoe is Yoda! The BYU athletic director’s over-the-top costumes never disappoint. “I play with it,” he said in this behind-the-scenes video after revealing the realistic Rafiki conjured up by his Halloween dream team last year. “I think it’s a blast. I’m just a kid at heart on Halloween.” Watch the fun video reveal on BYU Sports Nation. And, if you dare, check out more of this year’s clever campus costumes as they appear in BYU’s Instagram reel or this spooky Facebook photo gallery.

For years BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe’s over-the-top costumes—Abraham Lincoln, Voldemort, and today’s Rafiki from The Lion King—have been a closely guarded secret. And, until now, so has been the team and process that make it happen. Take a peek behind the curtain and, at the end of the video, enjoy a time-lapse of makeup artist Jennine Hollingshaus conjuring Holmoe’s 2021 costume.

Spooky season is back, and this year’s campus costumes do not disappoint. From scary monsters to cartoon and film characters, see how students and faculty celebrated Halloween this year in this clever and creepy photo gallery.

The effect of megafires on the Utah ecosystem has been alarming, according to new research from BYU scientists. In fact, the Pole Creek megafire in 2018 prompted a 2,000-fold increase in sediment erosion, making Utah streams look more like chocolate milk than water. BYU researchers also say there’s more to the story.

Four years ago, Cosmo and the BYU Cougarettes went viral with their dance on the football field. Here’s a new set of moves to add add some variety to your playlist: 2021’s “Bird Walk” routine, performed during a fall football timeout. Also check out this recent video of the Cougarettes’ USA gold-medal routine.

When George Martinez was in high school, the thought of attending BYU was somewhat of a distant dream—his parents, who immigrated to Utah from Mexico, never had the opportunity to attend college. But thanks to a full-ride scholarship from the Utah Jazz, Martinez is starting a new family tradition in higher education.

“This is the time; this is the place,” said Rev. Dr. Andrew Teal, a chaplain and fellow at Pembroke College, in his BYU forum address this week. It is time, he said, to “build each other up in truth and love—not saying brittlely, ‘This is all I am; don’t ask me to change’ but saying, ‘Whoever I am, whoever you are, we are the Lord’s. Together, let us grow into the full stature of Christ.’” You can read a summary, enjoy a highlight reel, or view the full address.

With a goal to raise $64,000 (one dollar for every seat in the LaVell Edwards Stadium), BYU and UVU are partnering to lead this year’s Valley United Against Hunger Food Drive starting Nov. 6. For every dollar donated, you can feed a family of four for a day. Also, you can donate your registration fee for the virtual Y Run and be entered to win cool prizes.

Skateboarding has taught Xan Marcucci a thing or two about balance—a useful lesson as she combines her love of skating with raising her daughter, Ellie. Marcucci is one of the subjects of Skaterhood, an award-winning BYU capstone film exploring resilience from the perspective of mothers who skateboard.