2025 was a very eventful year. The students at NS took a survey to show the most important events of the year to them.

1 Death of President Russell M. Nelson

According to the survey, the most important story of 2025 was the passing away of LDS Prophet, President Nelson. Nelson passed away on September 27, 2025. He was the seventeenth president of the church, and served from the year 2018 until his passing last year. He was a well renowned heart surgeon and was loved by many. His passing marked a turning point for the teenagers that followed his teachings and those who are active members of the LDS church. President Dallin H. Oaks was sustained as the prophet after Nelson’s passing.

2 Death of Charlie Kirk

The second most important story was the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed on September 10, 2025. Kirk’s death impacted the students at NS, many of whom looked up to him. Many students and people in the community listened to his inspirational political speeches. His assasination shifted the dynamic in politics, creating awareness around violence but also increased polarity. 

3 Mass Shootings

Mass shootings were the third ranked story of 2025. According to WBAL-TV 11 News, there were 406 mass shootings in 2025. There were 360 deaths, and about 1,840 were injured because of the shootings. omnilert.com believes there were around 233 school shootings in K-12 schools. Like the Charlie Kirk assassination, these events have increased tension and safety concerns.

4 Girls Volleyball Undefeated Championship Season

NS students believe girls volleyball taking home the state championship is the fourth most important. The team had a perfect season with the score of 32-0. The last time they won state was 2009. The NS students are proud of their volleyball team and had the largest student section at the state tournament.

5 ICE Actions

In 2025, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) increased the detention numbers by about 75% according to the American Immigration Council. It was the deadliest year in two decades for detainees, which resulted in 32 deaths. Daily arrests reached over 500-700 in some areas around the spring and summer. Surges in ICE raids in major US cities created conflict and protests across the country.

6 Trumps Second Term

The sixth most important story of the year to the NS students was Donald Trump beginning his second term of presidency for the US. This event sparked conversations around NS because of the controversial opinions surrounding him. Some were thrilled, and others disappointed. Since he was re-elected, he has implemented various changes to the US.

7 AI

As the seventh ranked story of 2025, AI has become a big influence on our lives. One of the ways this has been seen is in our school systems. It changes the way students learn, and makes them more likely to cheat or have artificial intelligence do their homework. A lot of teachers at NS worry about students using AI to do their work for them. As AI develops, schools will need to develop a balance between the benefits and the challenges.

8 Holder Named Assistant Principal

At NS getting a new vice principal was a big deal for 2025. Jeff Ericksen, the middle school principal, retired in December. This caused a chain of events to run throughout the district. Ryan Syme, the former vice principal of NS, transferred to the middle school to become the principal there. Bryan Holder, a former science teacher at NS, decided to fill Syme’s position as the vice principal.

9 Unified Basketball Takes State

Another huge event of 2025, the ninth ranked story, was the NS unified basketball team winning the state tournament. “Unified” basketball, otherwise known as special olympics, is for individuals with disabilities and combines them with other students without disabilities, to form friendship and inclusive teams. The NS unified basketball team’s state victory was an unforgettable moment for the players and the peers around them.

10 School Cell Phone Ban in Utah

The final story of 2025 to be discussed was the Utah phone ban. KUTV wrote about how the Utah lawmakers introduced a new “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban. Many schools used to be less strict, and allow phones during passing times and during lunch. But it's not only having cell phones in class that people are worried about. Governor and NS alumnus Spencer Cox believes social learning is also important, and that needs to happen in and outside the classroom

Picture of Ridley's grocery story

Terrel’s says goodbye to Sanpete County

By Tanner Mickel • March 17, 2026
Terrel’s has been an icon and community loved landmark for many years. Now that Terrel’s is being sold to Ridley’s Family Markets, the community is searching for answers on what comes next. Although some might not like the idea of Terrel’s being sold, the old management thought that it was time to sell while Terrel Seely was still here. “The owner is getting older and you know, it was just time, to make sure that, that transition happened while he was still alive,” Blake Rosenlof said. The arrangements for the sale were finished before the original owner passed away. Seely passed away last week. While some are worried about changes, the purchase of Terrel’s and the five other stores previously owned by Seely will bring opportunities for many involved in the store. “What Ridley’s actually wants us to do is help incorporate what we're doing here,” Jared Mecham said, “cause now Ridley’s has 30 stores … They're a bigger company now. And so they actually want our help from the bakery standpoint of getting some of our products into their bakeries and in all 30 stores. So they don't want to change what we're doing, because we're one of the best bakeries in the state of Utah.” Many Terrel's employees are optimistic about this new opportunity. Ridley’s wants to keep the family friendly and supportive environment that Seely has built. The employees believe that it is going to be good for the business and just a good thing overall. “I think it will be a good change for most of the employees. And hopefully for the community as well," Rosenlof said. Terrel’s is going to begin the change and transfer over starting in the beginning of April, and it is planned to be a slow change. Terrel’s is planned to stay open throughout the entire process. Small changes will begin to start one by one, starting with things like the bags and milk. “I think it's gonna take some time to adjust to,” senior Quincy Benson said, “especially because Terrel's means a lot to the community. It's a place where a lot of people shop and it's been such a staple, but especially because Terrel Seely, everyone knows him, we love him.” They are not certain when the name will officially change. And though the name is going to be changed, Ridley’s still wants to keep the atmosphere and family supported environment. They plan to keep all the same staff and traditions and carry on what Seely has built. “One thing that Terrel has always let me do is, they let me bring my little kids in here to work, just to teach them how to work…,” Mecham said. “They've all worked here, and Terrel's allowed that. Most companies would never let you bring your kids to work. So I talked to the Ridley’s owners, they say the same thing, that we don't want that to change, we value teaching kids how to work.”

Ai kort

By Kortney Mitchell • March 17, 2026
A group chat filled with teenagers from all across the globe bonding over common interests. These people, who in any other circumstance would have never met, become best friends because they decided to play the same online games. With growing worldwide access to the internet, it has become common for teenagers and young adults to have online friendships. These connections can mean a lot to a person. “The relationships I have online are closer to my heart than those in real life,” junior Brittlyn Church said. With a generation who has been online their entire lives, online friendships are less taboo than ever. The results from a NS Times survey showed that 47 percent of students have had an online relationship, whether that be platonic or romantic. These relationships can have similar benefits to in-person friendships. “I feel like I am a lot more confident around people that aren’t seeing me face to face constantly. It's just easy to talk to them about something,” Church said. While there are some benefits, the biggest concern around online and AI relations is the increased number of social issues and lawsuits. ABC News and BBC News have both covered issues involving AI users replacing human contact with AI. “My concern is that, much like how pornography is pyrite of intimacy, I worry that these AI relationships will be pyrite for actual human connection,” behavioral health teacher Sterling Whipple said. “And people chase them because it feels good in the short term, but it leaves them unfulfilled in the long term.” According to the Britannica, the first AI chatbot was created in 1966 as a test to see if a computer could gain sentience. The responses given were often jumbled but it gave a baseline to work off of. With AI advancements, chatbots can now respond in real time to any conversation or prompt that the user puts in. These bots can have pre-set personalities or even mimic celebrities or fictional characters when given the right directions. “At some points it did kind of feel like they were more of a real person when I was talking to them, like a real funny person,” junior Nolun Neilsen said. “Then I realized, ‘Oh yeah, this is just a computer. This is just a bunch of other things compiled together to create this.’” Even with how realistic AI has gotten, there are still bugs that make it feel like exactly what it is, a computer trying to be a human. “I feel like just a real human experience will always be better,” Nielsen said. “I don't think it's ever gonna get quite as perfect because it's always better to just talk to someone in person and that feels more real.” The essential need for human connection is why these new developments with AI and online relationships should be taken seriously. “AI needs to be taken seriously,” Whipple said. “The effects on the human mind need to be taken seriously. I just hope that doesn't push us too far into a knee-jerk fear response, a panic response, because I think there's a lot of potential for good as well. But on young minds, we have to be really careful because they are so easily shaped.”

Speech and debate places 2 at region

By Jennifer Solis • March 17, 2026
On Feb. 21 the NS speech and debate team placed 2nd at region with 88 points. “I was very proud of our team,” advisor Alex Bailey said. “This was the first year where we've had enough people or a large enough team to be more competitive.” Juniors Andrew Madsen and Hannah Holbrook placed 1st in public forum, senior Katie Jones placed 1st in Informative Speaking, senior Ethan Mendicino placed 1st in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking, Holbrook placed 2nd in National Extemporaneous Speaking, Wyatt Bills placed 2nd in Student Congress, Jazmin Solis and Sage Ivory tied for 2nd in Interpretive Performance, and Bills placed 3rd in Original Oratory. Preparing for region took a lot of practice, preparation, and effort from the team. In the weeks leading up to the competition, students dedicated time after school on Thursdays working on their speeches, practicing their performances, and making improvements. The advisors gave feedback to ensure that students could be ready to compete at region. The regional competition was a great experience for the team, as it allowed students to challenge themselves, learn from other competitors, and reflect on how hard they had come during the season. Competing against other schools gave the team the opportunity to see new performances and see what they can change so that they could do better moving forward. “Speech and debate provides a lot of positive opportunities, and I have learned a lot about myself through speech and debate,” Madsen said. “I think anyone who does speech and debate discovers something new about themselves.” The regional competition involved four schools from across the area, and because of this students knew they would face experienced competitors that required them to step up and practice harder. The team felt both nervous and excited to see how the region would turn out. “For me, [competing] is pretty easy just because I've been doing it for four years,” Jones said. “But when I started out, it was terrifying.” The team felt confident in their performance, even if they didn’t take first. “I feel good, but it's always a tough competition every year,” Ivory said. “Sometimes you can do really good at region and then there's just a school that'll just wipe you out.” Despite challenges that come with the events, most members tend to look on the positive side and see this as an opportunity to learn. Preparation helped these competitors feel more confident when it came to competing. Many students found that placing in region gave them a great sense of joy and showed the effort that they put in throughout the season. “I'm just so proud of everything they've all individually accomplished, and then what they've accomplished as a team as well,” Bailey said. “No matter how we do at state, I feel like we've already won to some extent.” As the season begins to come to an end, the speech and debate team is now preparing to move on to the state competition, bringing with them months of practice, dedication and the hope that all of their hard work will help them perform well. “My hopes for state is that myself and my teammates will have a successful weekend,” Bills said. "I hope that all the hard work we have put in this year pays off and hope that we can take home a lot of medals this year.”