Secrets of the Travel Office Snowflakes Revealed

When I worked at the BYU Travel Office, we solved all your travel needs.  We also cut snowflakes.

And by cutting snowflakes, we came across something divine.  

Michelangelo saw the angel in the marble and carved to set him free.  

We saw snowflakes in our paper and cut to set them free.

Sometimes the snowflake was Rudolph.

Sometimes the snowflake was a cowboy.  Complete with cacti, lasso, and wagon wheel.

Sometimes it was a pirate ship with skull and crossbones and a compass rose.

Sometimes the snowflake  was as simple as a poinsettia.

Sometimes it was as intricate as Martin Luther King, Jr. having a dream next to the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

But it always started like this:

The secret was in the fold, really.  And today, I'd like to share the secret with you.

Step 1: Fold corner #1 up so that it touches #2.

Step 2: Cut on the dotted line.

Step 3: You now have a triangle.  Have the longest side of the triangle closest to you.

Step 4: Fold your triangle in half.

Step 4: This is the step where the faint of heart stumble.  Stick with me.  You want to fold the triangle into thirds.  Estimate the size of the third by partly folding one side in front, while folding the opposite side in back.  It should look like a mini-accordion.  You might need to refold it a few times until the thirds fold evenly, so do not crease the folds until you know for sure the front and back folds are as close as you can get to being the same size.

Step 5: Then cut off the bunny ears.

Step 6: Wait to see a snowflake, then cut to set it free.  

It might be a holly wreath...

Or a downhill skier....

Or the Eiffel Tower...

Or a menorah with some dreidels and the Star of David...

If you can't hear a snowflake trying to break free, you can always follow these patterns:

1. MLK, Jr.     2. Rudolph    3. Pirate Ship     4. Poinsettia     5. Downhill Skier     6. Holly Wreath

But no matter how you cut it, whether it's by pattern or design, I promise that you will always come across something divine.

And if you don't, just call the BYU Travel Office.  They can solve all your snowflake (and travel) needs.

First Day of School

Photo by A. Kitchen

Today was my first day of school.  Well, it was my 20th first day of school, technically.  I finally started my teacher observations!

I loved every minute of it.  But my favorite part, as always, was meeting the students and trying to get a grasp on their names.

I was at a table working with some little first graders: Y'ze (male), Ibn (male), Samiyah (female), and 3 Devons (all male).  While I was silently debating how to pronounce Y'ze, Samiyah started yelling that she wanted her eraser back from Devon #2.  Y'ze turned to me and said, "When a woman wants her stuff, you better give it to her.  Am I right?  When a woman wants something you have to give it to her?"  I said, "Well, that would be a very polite thing to do."

A minute later, someone called Y'ze's name.  They pronounced it Wise.  I should have known.