By: Shane Bryan

Photo by: Shane Bryan

I felt the need to write, “Biking into the Future with Bike Utah,” because it was a topic that I cared a great deal about. Coming from a small town on the East Coast and moving to Salt Lake opened my eyes for the need of safe ways for people to travel via bicycle. Where I come from, there were no such thing as commuting by bike so I was never exposed to all the things required to do so safely. I personally never wanted to ride on the roads with cars, however, in the last few years I have grown increasingly confident due to the infrastructure around Utah’s cities.

I decided to write this piece to educate both cyclists and car drivers that riding bikes is a form of transportation as well as to shed light on the work organizations do to put infrastructure in place to make it a safe environment for everyone. I contacted Bike Utah, an advocacy group for cycling, to understand how they help educate cyclists as well as take part in advancing cities and towns to better promote bicycle riding. After I spoke to one of the organizers of Bike Utah, I sought out a cyclist using one of the bike paths to see his opinion of the current bike lanes, traffic patterns and maybe what he does to stay safe on the road.  Lastly, I wanted to end the piece with some tips for people who commute or plan to commute by bike, and present ideas that could help them stay safe on their daily ride.

I hope this piece shows that bicycle commuting can be awesome, safe and rewarding if done right. People opposed to sharing the road with cyclists hopefully can see that bike riders are not lawless and abide by rules of the road. With the current and  future improving infrastructure, bikes and cars will be able to peacefully co-exist. 

By Nicholas Gruet

SALT LAKE CITY – College students normally don’t have a lot of money, and what money they do make goes straight to paying for college tuition. With a side hustle, students can make the money to go out and enjoy themselves during college.

Introducing the world of reselling — fashion, hype, and trendy products — the “side hustle.” It may sound silly at first, but the people doing it, known as “hypebeasts,” are smart, savvy, and can talk a customer into buying almost anything. It is so simple that kids from high school are making thousands of dollars a month reselling trendy items.

Initially, it wasn’t all about Supreme, Bape, Yeezy’s, and all of those other trendy brands that have taken over the reselling business. Air Jordan sneakers were among the first products to resell. Why? Because Jordan changed the game of basketball and brought a new swagger to the game. He was fly and tons of people wanted to be like him … like Mike. Over time Jordan grew into a lifestyle and eventually into a business. Demand for Jordan sneakers was at an all-time high. Every time there was a new pair 

White cement retro 4 Jordan’s. One of the most coveted shoes on the market.

 that dropped everyone had to have them. There was a limited supply at each store, so they would tend to sell out fast. Some recognized an opportunity in the demand and began selling the sneakers for three times their original price. Why would anyone buy those sneakers for that outrageous price? These shoes represented a lifestyle that brought a community of people together. They represented memories and in some cases, they determined whether or not you had some extra cash.

See, many people couldn’t afford to buy shoes or even buy them for the resale price, but because they were so special, people saved up to make sure they could grab a pair of fresh Jordan’s.

 Mike O’Brien has first-hand experience with reselling and is a manager at a sneaker store named Finish Line. For O’Brien, sneakers have been a way of life. They are what makes him happy and what he likes to spend his money on. Sneakers are a big part of who he is and has grown to be.

Mike O’Brien holding a pair of Space Jam retro 11 Jordan’s.

“When I was little I loved the game of basketball,” says O’Brien. “Jordan was like my idol and I wanted to be like him. I always thought the shoes were cool looking and I wanted to have every single pair.”

As he grew up, he saw the opportunity at a young age to make a little money with his passion for sneakers.

“I used to camp out all night back in high school for a pair of some fresh Jordan’s,” he says. “It didn’t matter if it was a school night or if I had a test the next morning if there was some fresh Jordan’s about to drop then you already know I was going to be there.”

Today, reselling has shifted more to the fashion side of things. With brands like Supreme, Bape, Off-White, and many more, these companies are creating products that are desirable to people. The hype of these products and what it means to own them, drives the resale price sky high. Especially when these companies team up with a high fashion brands like Louis Vuitton — those resale prices are insane, and the profits, impressive. 

Supreme x Louis Vuitton backpack.

Just like a business, it takes dedication and time to build credibility as a reseller. It requires a clientele, research to avoid wasteful products that won’t resell at a high value, and some finesse. Finesse, is perhaps the most important of them all — the skill to use words in a way that convinces people to buy, what to buy and who to buy from. Jack Zhang, is interested in fashion and has become a successful local reseller.

Jack Zhang

“Fashion is one of my passions. I love looking and feeling fresh with some of the most exclusive clothing items on the market,” say Zhang. “Once I learned more about the business of reselling I was hooked. Buying these hyped up products and selling them for double, triple, and sometimes even quadruple the price is something you can’t pass up.”

The side hustle is easy; show up, buy it, and then resell it once all of the items have sold out. Soon there could be a nice little cash flow. Sometimes, a patient buyer who holds onto items for a year or so can make even more money. With Supreme products, a buyer who purchased 25 percent of the 149 items released in a year could pocket a profit of $10,000. Now that, is some serious cash, especially for a side hustle.

Reflection Blog

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My Story: Poor air quality continues to be an issue for residents of Salt Lake City

My Blog: Trevor Hofer-Blog

About Me: Trevor Hofer was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Trevor is a student at the University of Utah. He is currently studying at the College of Humanities he is majoring in Strategic Communications and as well will be minoring in Business Administration. His goal after college is to pursue a career in marketing. Some of Trevor’s hobbies and activities that he enjoys participating in are photography, watching and playing sports.

 LinkedIn

Clara Welch

I spent a full year volunteering 10 hours a week with homeless and low-income populations at the University Hospital and Fourth Street Clinic. The concerns, realities, and needs of these people became very real to me. Trying to figure out a story for this project was hard and I went through a few ideas for it. This idea wasn’t even one of the two stories I pitched earlier in the semester. The idea came from another student. When she was talking about her idea to look at Operation Rio Grande, it hit me that I have a lot of personal experiences and feelings towards the things going on.

Figuring out that this is what I wanted to write about was easy, but it was hard to know what direction I wanted to go. My research began with learning more about Operation Rio Grande. Utah actually has done some things in the past that have brought national recognition when it comes to helping homeless. One of those thing is “housing first”, which I talk about in the article. Then I needed to get my interviews done, but was still unsure the direction.

My interviews were all exactly what I needed. The questions asked were general questions, but the conversations went to places that formed my story for me. It reminded me of the things that I had learned when I volunteered with these people that I came to really know.

Sitting down to write Curing homelessness with a focus on the individual, the ideas came once I had everything that I needed. It’s a cause that means a lot to me and ideas that I believe are most important in everything that you do.

MY BLOG: 

For my enterprise story, I chose to write about the University of Utah Alumni Association after becoming more involved over the course of the past semester. As I became more involved, I was exposed to a plethora of opportunities and resources for current students that I had no idea about, so I thought I’d share some of the things I’d found.

Since the Alumni Association is located right on campus and part of the University of Utah, it was very easy to find sources from the office. I feel like when people already work for the U, they feel the need to give back and help students further their education. As for finding alumni sources, I just asked friends if they knew anybody that could help me out, which turned out successful. I feel that these were the best sources for my story because they demonstrate each step of the transition from student to alumni.

After gathering information, I tried to put it in perspective to write a story that the audience would be interested in. As a current student, I felt as though other students would be most intere

sted in the AlumniFire program, since we all have the constant fear of finding a job looming over our heads.

While writing this story, I really saw how tight knit the University of Utah community is and how students and alumni are constantly willing to help each other out. It’s been really cool to be a part of something so much bigger than myself.

MY STORY

ABOUT KATE PEKURI

I have to deal with parking issues most days when I come to the University of Utah. I park my car on campus because I have to be at work immediately after class. I have small daily annoyances when it comes to parking at the U. This is what sparked my interest in parking.

My sources were easy to find. My first interview was Alma Allred, who is the Executive Director of Commuter Services. He was easy to schedule an interview with, I made contact with his secretary and scheduled a meeting within the week. My other interviews were found by walking around parking lots and asking people if I could talk to them. The insight I received varied from someone with parking concerns to someone on staff who never worries about parking because he comes to campus very early.

What surprised me personally was that employees of Commuter Services have to pay for their own parking. No employees of the University of Utah receives free parking. This surprised me because before starting my story on parking, I believed that faculty is allowed to park for free. Also, Commuter Services receives no money from student fees or from the state. The department is run purely on money collected from parket permits and tickets.  

At first I believed parking to be sort of a dull subject. As I compiled my interviews and wrote my story it became apparent that there are many interesting aspects when it comes to parking.

MY STORY

The Aftermath of passing Proposition 2 in Utah

By Araceli Haslam

I decided to write this story on Proposition 2 because I found it fascinating that in such a conservative state medical marijuana made it onto the ballot. I chose the topic before it passed, thinking it wouldn’t pass. My story was going to be about how it made it onto the ballot and what might influence people to vote yes or no. However, when it was voted in and the aftermath with the compromise bill and the lawsuit, I chose to follow that story. From there, I was introduced to my sources who are both educated and close to the topic and they taught me things about Prop 2 that I didn’t initially know. Their opinions were polar opposites, which allowed me to eliminate biases.

This story took a good amount of research on my part. I wanted to understand Prop 2 and the compromise bill in full effect so I could productively report on the topics. I also wanted my readers to understand both bills so I chose to summarize them through a timelined structure, which allowed me to feed into what is happening today.

The main thing I struggled with writing this story was avoiding biases because I feel strongly about my political opinions and have a hard time not expressing them. I’m still slightly worried that there are some biases. Even though this was the hardest part, it was also my favorite part because I haven’t written a non argumentative paper in my entire college career. I enjoyed the challenge and change.

By Kate Pekuri

SALT LAKE CITY–The University of Utah boasts nearly 280,000 alumni, and the Alumni Association has the massive task of managing this group of people. On their website, the Alumni Association claims they are “dedicated to forging and preserving lifelong relationships with alumni, students and the community.” Through their efforts, they work to create a sense of loyalty to the U, give to philanthropy, as well as be a central hub of campus activity. 

This past year, the Alumni House has undergone a complete renovation, resulting in the opening of the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House. The building features ballrooms, meeting rooms, and beautiful outdoor spaces, located at the center of campus. It is often used as an activity hub, always hosting different organizations’ events. Anyone can reserve a room in the Alumni House, from a club meeting to a wedding.

Despite being a brand-new building, students often have no interaction with the Alumni House aside from picking up their MUSS passes. The Alumni Association has numerous leadership opportunities for University students such as the Student Alumni Board and the MUSS Board. The MUSS Board even has their own room in the new building complete with couches and ping pong tables where members of the board can spend their free time between classes. Students can also reap the benefits of the Alumni Association. Here, students can forge connections with professionals within the Alumni Association as well as build their own resumes.

University of Utah Alumni Zac Williams served time in many organizations during his time at the U. This included ASUU, Inter-Fraternal Council, and the MUSS Board. He was also a part of homecoming royalty in 2016. “It’s been a huge part in shaping the leader I am today,” says Williams. Not only did he gain leadership skills and professional connections, but he was also a recipient of one of the Alumni Association scholarships. Williams is now in graduate school at the Southern California Institute of Architecture studying for his Masters of Architecture after receiving his undergraduate degree at the U.

One of the associations main incentives is to connect U Alumni with current U students. The main avenue of doing this is known as AlumniFire. This is a grassroots network where current students can connect with young alumni in order to find jobs, internships, or just get career advice. Karen Ashton, Manager of Marketing and Membership at the Alumni Association, is a member of AlumniFire as a mentor. Ashton says she is a believer in AlumniFire because “I can put in as little or as much time as I’d like, I can look at a couple resumes or do a full-blown mock interview with a student.” Campaigns such as this one reinforce the Alumni Association’s mission to connect students with young alumni in a natural, simple way and gives mentors a sense of making a difference.

If alumni would rather not give up their time, there are currently eight different scholarship funds they can donate toward. These scholarships are awarded to students achievement based as well as need based.

Kelsy Patrick, a University of Utah graduate in Anthropology with a health emphasis, landed a job in the healthcare field with the help of alumni. “I would not have the job I do right now if it weren’t for the connections the University has brought me” says Patrick. She explains the loyalty of the University’s alumni and their inherent desire to give back. Patrick now works at the Granger Medical Clinic while applying to Physicians Assistant schools. With the help of alumni, she now looks forward to giving back to future students.

Like many organizations on campus, the resources are there just waiting to be used. As students, it is imperative for the college experience to get out and seek new opportunities as well as focus on creating a future beyond college. The resources of the Alumni Association are just a few of thousands of resources provided to students by the University.  The University of Utah Alumni Association aids students in seeing beyond the diploma and promoting lifelong Ute pride amongst its graduates.

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ABOUT KATE PEKURI

CBD Oil bottled for medical use. CBD Oil was legal in Utah before Proposition 2 . Taken on January 1, 2018. (420 LightGuide)

By Araceli Haslam

SALT LAKE CITY––During the 2018 midterm elections, Utahns voted “yes” on Proposition 2. Despite a five year effort to put the bill on the ballot, however, critics of proposition 2 expressed concerns with the initiative and  began the process of a legislative solution. On December 3, a compromise bill prepared by the Office of Governor Gary Herbert and legislative leaders is expected pass in a special session of the Utah Legislature. Now, Rocky Anderson, a former mayor of Salt Lake City, has threatened to file a lawsuit to stop the compromise bill from passing.

Prior to the election, the Utah legislature passed a bill to allow for legalized possession and use of THC/CBD oil for patients suffering from intractable epilepsy. The bill didn’t include a provision for patients to acquire the drug in the State of Utah, however, until the legislature passed HB197, which authorized the regulated sale of CBD oil.

During the 2018 legislative session, the Right to Try bill — which grants access to marijuana for terminally ill patients expected to live no more than six months — was passed. HB197 calls for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food to begin growing marijuana in Utah by January 1, 2019. The marijuana may be sold to research institutions or terminally ill patients. 

Proposition 2 is a broader bill, which makes medical marijuana available to more patients in Utah. The bill allows patients 18 and over with epilepsy, cancer, chronic pain, Crohn’s disease, autism, PTSD, Multiple Sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease and ALS, access to medical marijuana with a physician’s recommendation. If a patient doesn’t have one of the listed diseases they must provide evidence to a five-member board of physicians that indicates their need for medical marijuana. Under Proposition 2, the marijuana will be grown by un-taxed private facilities.

The compromise bill calls for patients under 21 years old to obtain approval from their doctor and a state appointed-panel of medical professionals, according to a report from KSL news.

Walt Plumb Jr., a local land developer and opponent of Proposition 2, expressed his concern that younger patients might have access to marijuana. “We know that someone’s brain hasn’t developed until the age of 25,” says Plumb. “We restrict tobacco use, we restrict alcohol use. It just seems insane to me that all of a sudden we would let someone as young as 18 years old go into these dispensaries and try and cure these illnesses.”  

May 5, 2015 Legal marijuana growing in greenhouses in Minnesota. This shows what medical marijuana could look like growing in Utah. (Glenn Stubbe/ Star Tribune via The Salt Lake Tribune)

The compromise bill will further regulate the growth and distribution of the marijuana. “One of the problems with the substitute is you get rid of the privately-owned businesses,” said former Utah Legislator Steve Urquhart. Without private businesses the state will be in charge of running drugs, which is a violation of federal law. “It’s one thing to say ‘okay citizens if you do this, we the state won’t prosecute you.’ It’s a much different thing for the state to tell our state employees to deal drugs in violation of federal law.”

Rocky Anderson, the former mayor of Salt Lake City, has introduced yet another twist into the medical marijuana saga, threatening a lawsuit. According to Deseret News, the complaint is based upon the involvement of the Church Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in crafting the compromise bill. Urquhart maintains that Marty Stephens, Director of Community and Government Relations for the LDS Church, sent an email initiating the drafting of a compromise bill. 

Utah State Capitol where Propostion 2 will be implemented or replaced by the compromise bill. Taken on May 22, 2008. (Soupstance/ Flickr)

Recently, Speaker of the House Greg Hughes sat down with the anti-Prop 2 side — the LDS Church and the Utah Medical Association — and the pro-Prop 2 side — the Utah Patients Coalition (who got Prop 2 on the ballot) and the Libertas Institute — to draft the compromise bill on common ground. All parties agreed to support the compromise bill, according to Deseret News. However, Urquhart believes that the church being represented in these private government negotiations, raises suspicions of the church’s influence over the new bill.  

In the wake of the agreement, Anderson sent out letters to each party involved informing them of his intent to sue if the compromise bill is pursued. Anderson’s letter claims that the church’s involvement in creating the bill violates the constitution, according to a Deseret News Report. “The Mormon Church is controlling the issue,” says Urquhart. “The Mormon Church is telling them through speakers what they’re going to pass.”

Subsequently, the Church issued a statement in response to the pending lawsuit.  “Broad community engagement was the reason a workable, beneficial and safer medical cannabis program was put together at the direction of state leadership. We stand behind and look forward to the safe, responsible and compassionate solution that will be considered by the state Legislature.” The Church reiterated that it is allowed to have political standpoints, and that their involvement comes from a place of concern for the Utah populous, the Deseret News reported. 

Anderson told the Deseret News that the lawsuit’s goal would be “stopping the session, stopping any move toward gutting the initiative.”

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