Laughter, clapping and jazz music floated from the Hyrum Manwaring Center on Feb. 28 as students shared stories written in introductory communication classes.
Students shared a broad range of stories, from stealing to dating.
“I feel like everybody is very eager to tell horror stories about dating at BYU-Idaho and how other people are terrible,” said Iride Gonzales, a senior studying communication. “Even though some of those stories might be true, I think it’s good to highlight the good. I had a positive experience, and I thought it was worth talking about.”
Students in introductory classes were assigned to write a narrative and a few were selected to be read at The Yarn, an event that happens on campus each semester.
Stephen Henderson is a professor in the communication department and the person who started The Yarn.
“The event started years ago,” Henderson said. “It was just between my two classes that I taught because I just wanted them to hear each others’ work, and then I realized that we could make it something more departmental, so now it incorporates all of the introductory writing classes in our major. It’s just a fun way for them to get together and hear each others’ stories.”
It’s been a few years since the first Yarn. While things have changed a little bit, the goal of sharing stories has stayed the same.
“I was surprised by it,” said Jacob Stafford, a senior studying political science. “I didn’t think there’d be as many people here as there was. I was pleasantly surprised.”
Logan Little, a participant in the event, shared a story from his childhood in which he believed one of his siblings was being kidnapped.
“It took me off guard and made me think,” Little said. “He threw me through a loop.”
At the end of the event, attendees were given the opportunity to vote on their favorite stories, placing Logan Little first.
Attendees were also given raffle tickets and awarded prizes throughout the event.
A jazz band made up of BYU-Idaho students played music throughout the event.
Many podcasts share narratives similar to those at The Yarn.
For those interested in attending The Yarn in the future, watch for posters with information.