Ira Glass, of "This American Life" fame, has visited Utah a bunch of times. His visit to Payson High School on Jan. 27, however, was a first.

Payson High is spotlighted on the next episode of "This American Life," which premieres this weekend on public radio. The episode focuses on the topic of grand gestures — a subject that’s been familiar to Payson High’s students for decades now. As part of a larger tradition within the Utah and Idaho region, Payson High students ask each other to school dances in elaborate (and sometimes shocking) ways. Going big has become the standard, and that phenomenon is gradually spreading to high schools in other states.

In the newest episode of the “What Say Ye?” podcast, we spoke with Payson High students, as well as Mr. Glass himself, about his recent visit, and what listeners can expect on the next “This American Life.”