The University of Utah has launched a program called “The Dignity Index” that rates how statements sound during political or social disagreement on an eight-point scale. 

Formally announced in October, according to The Daily Utah Chronicle, the Index is expected to cost $400,000 every year for equipment as well as personnel for the program. 

According to the University of Utah, the Index is an “eight-point scale that measures how people talk to each other when they disagree—ranging from ONE, which shows total contempt for the other side, to EIGHT, which shows dignity to everyone, no matter what.”

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Tami Pyfer, chief external affairs officer and co-creator of the Dignity Index, said on a university page that the program was started “as a pilot to establish the validity of the Dignity Index itself has grown into an initiative with touch points in 25 states.”

The partnership between the University of Utah and Project UNITE, a nonprofit which created The Dignity Index, initially began in 2022 when the University of Utah used the Index “to use the Dignity Index to score political speech in Utah’s congressional mid-term elections.”

A “youth edition” of The Dignity Index talks about “building skills for dignified disagreement” and also scores speech on an eight-point scale, with a one being, “We have to hurt those people; they deserve it,” a four progressing to, “We’re better than those people; they don’t really belong,” and an eight being, “Each one of us is precious and irreplaceable, so we should treat each other with dignity, no matter what.” 

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According to Meghan Monroe, senior program associate of K-12 Education at Project UNITE, which created The Dignity Index, the youth edition of the Dignity Index “can be applied to the programs and practices already happening in schools, like those promoting Active Listening and Empathy, which encourage open dialogue where everyone – educators, students, and parents – feels heard, affirming the dignity of each person.”

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She also said it can be used in “Restorative Practices, which help rebuild relationships and address conflicts with dignity, compassion, and understanding; and Inclusive Resources, which recognize the diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds students bring to school.” 

Natalie Gochnour, director of the Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the university “prioritizes dignity. As stated in our core values, ‘We care deeply about our students, patients, society and world, and recognize the inherent dignity of all people.’ In addition to dignity, we simultaneously affirm the bedrock value of freedom of expression and the pursuit of truth as fundamental and non-negotiable rights on campus and in the community.”

Gochnour added, “Together, these three ideals – the inherent worth of all people, the pursuit of truth, and right to express opinions and ideas — create an environment for speech to flourish and society to prosper.”

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“We often pair these ideals together because too often, contempt – the opposite of dignity – suppresses speech and learning. When people experience contempt, they often self-censor, or worse, bite back with even more disdain,” Gochnour said. “When people self-censor or fall into a spiral of contempt, communication falters. People eventually stop talking, listening, and learning. Without communication, problems worsen; civil society suffers. There’s a better way and the University of Utah stands ready to lead out. The Dignity Initiative is a privately funded endeavor at the University of Utah to reduce contempt and inspire free speech. In partnership with UNITE, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the U prepares research on dignity scholarship, shares insights on dignity practices, and pioneers a tool known as the Dignity Index to measure how we treat each other when we disagree.” 

Gochnour also said that participation is “entirely voluntary.”

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Alan Wong, the new supervisor for District four in San Francisco, has publicly expressed his support for reopening the Great Highway to vehicles on weekdays. This statement comes amid ongoing debates surrounding the highway’s conversion into a park last spring, which was met with mixed reactions from the community.

The Great Highway was transformed into a public park earlier this year, a change that many residents have embraced, while some local neighbors have pushed back. Joel Engardio, the former supervisor who supported this conversion through Measure K, was recalled this year, highlighting the division among constituents in District four.

Wong, who was appointed as supervisor following Engardio’s recall, filed paperwork to run for the elected position on the board. His term is set to last until January 2027, during which he aims to solidify his platform around reopening the Great Highway.

In his statement, Wong emphasized, “I believe my values align with a majority of Sunset residents who support reopening the Great Highway to cars on weekdays. As a result, I am prepared to be one of four supervisors needed to sponsor a ballot initiative to restore that compromise.” This suggests Wong’s intent to address community concerns head-on while building a wider consensus.

Prior to its conversion, the Great Highway allowed vehicles during the week and served as a park on weekends, a compromise Wong supports restoring. He aims to return to this model in response to feedback from local constituents.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.

On the first of Bo Nix’s four touchdown passes against Green Bay, he did what he does more frequently than any quarterback in football.

Nix escaped from the pocket and took off running. He moved up and to the left before hitting Michael Bandy for a 20-yard catch-and-scamper.

The next three touchdowns, though, are where the Broncos offense can dream about a deep postseason run or even more.

Nix, operating from the gun, delivered strikes of all shapes and sizes and did so with clean footwork in the pocket.

He identified coverage, took a short, one-step drop and fired a perfectly placed low ball to Lil’Jordan Humphrey. Then a three-step drop to get the ball up and down with beautiful pace and timing to Courtland Sutton one-on-one up the right sideline.

Nix polished off the fourth touchdown when he five-step dropped, hitched up in the pocket twice and uncorked a rocket up the seam for Troy Franklin on a motion and route concept the Broncos have made hay on most of the year.

The Packers game represented a breakout as Nix completed 23 of 34 passes for 302 yards and the four touchdowns, but his game’s been heating up more broadly over the past month.

He had an efficient day in a much different style against Las Vegas, completing 31 of 38 passes and engineering three battering-ram touchdown drives. He threw for 616 yards in the two weeks before that in wins over Washington and Kansas City.

In those four games, Nix has completed 69.5% of his passes for 282.5 yards per game and thrown five touchdowns and an interception. Before that stretch, he completed 60.9% and averaged 212 yards per game.

What’s changed? Start from the ground up.

“I think his footwork has got a lot better,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said Thursday. “And the way he handles himself in the pocket, trusting the protection. We’ve talked about it all year and the last four games he’s done a really good job of that.

“He’s moving when he needs to and he’s hanging in there when he needs to.”

Head coach Sean Payton earlier this season said the quarterbacks get some specific footwork drilling done during a normal game week but not a ton. They’ll work a particular concept or drop between periods, but for the most part, the work is plan-specific.

Nix, though, has been working on his own pocket presence in his own ways in recent weeks.

“I think he’s probably one of the best … at learning from mistakes, and looking in the mirror and seeing what his weaknesses are,” tight end Evan Engram told The Post.

“He’s sitting in there, he’s trusting the protection, he’s letting it rip. And that’s something that he saw. And he worked on. And like – I can’t say how hard that is. I’ve never done it in my life. You’ve got freakin’ monsters rushing you, every play. And credit to the O-line, too.

The staff also appears to be doing a better job of helping get Nix into good rhythm. Part of that is by playing more frequently from under center. The touchdowns outlined above came out of shotgun, but one commonly held belief is that playing from under center helps keep footwork clean because a quarterback is forced to do it coming back from the center.