As a lover of writing and art, Intan is currently working on her Communications major at the University of Utah and is also pursuing a Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in graphic design.
Twitter: IAZ_OnThePrize
Profile story: On war’s front line
Enterprise story: Unrest in peace: An interview with the crew behind award-winning film “Peace Officer”
“We are all broken, that’s how the light gets in.” — Ernest Hemingway
By Mike Haglund
Ever wonder what it is like to be an editor in the Big Apple? David Haglund is an online literary editor for The New Yorker, a graduate of the University of Chicago, who then moved on to study at Oxford University. For over a decade he has been writing and editing for several different outlets. Before his current job at The New Yorker, he worked for Slate Magazine as the senior editor. David, who happens to be my cousin, was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to let me interview him about what it’s like being a big time editor.
What made you want to get into journalism?
David: I always enjoyed reading and writing. In college, I came to really enjoy criticism — writing about books and, later, movies. After I started writing reviews, I began interviewing people from time to time, another part of the job that I’ve come to like.
How did you get to your current position with The New Yorker?
David: My first editing job was with a small literary magazine that came out twice a year. I was the managing editor. While I was there I wrote book reviews for other publications, and every few months I would write a piece for the online magazine Slate, usually about movies. Eventually, a job opened up at Slate running their culture blog — a mix of writing and editing short pieces about movies, TV, music, and so on. I did that for three and a half years before a job with The New Yorker’s website opened up. A friend from Slate told me about the job and put in a good word for me.
Who has been your favorite person you’ve interviewed and why?
David: My favorite story of those I’ve written is about the basketball player Delonte West. I had been a fan of Delonte’s since he was drafted by the Boston Celtics, and I knew that he had struggled with mental health issues. I wanted both to write about Delonte and to better understand how professional sports leagues address mental illness. I first spoke to Delonte in a minor league locker room in Dallas, just for a few minutes. Later we spoke on the phone for about an hour when he was in China playing for a team there. It took another several months before he finally agreed to an interview in person. I spent the afternoon at his house in Maryland and we talked for a long time. I felt as though I had come to understand his point of view, and had also learned something about the larger issues he had dealt with and that his teams faced. It was a very hard story to write but I was happy with it.
Describe your typical day in your current job.
David: I get into the office around 9:45 and try to plan my day — figure out which stories I need to edit, which stories are supposed to be published that day, who I need to email or speak with in person. After that I spend most of the day editing stories and answering emails, with occasional meetings, usually about story ideas or about job candidates when there are positions to fill. Often I’ll have coffee or lunch with a writer or with another editor at the magazine. And I read a lot — to see what other magazines are publishing, to keep up with what we’re publishing, and to find writers who might write for us.
What are some struggles you now face as the literary editor?
David: The biggest struggle for me is finding enough time in the work day. I spend a lot of time on each story I edit, and it can be a challenge to keep up — I usually publish a couple of stories a day on the website, and occasionally write stories myself or do stories for The New Yorker’s weekly radio show. Every story can get better with more time, more editing, more revision — and so figuring out when a piece is good enough is a challenge, too. Sometimes you know something’s good, but often you want to keep working on it, to make it at least a little bit better.
What is your favorite part about being an editor?
David: My favorite part is finishing a story that both the writer and I are happy with — and then publishing it, and seeing readers enjoy it, too. I like helping good writers get recognition, and furthering their careers. I’m especially glad when writers I’ve edited are happy with the stories we’ve worked on together — when they think that I’ve helped make their stories better, and are proud of them. That’s a good feeling.
I am very hung 
over right now. First thing about me, I love to frequent Twilite Bar. Last night I went to said bar. I lost my mail key. It is probably in the booth where I drank that stranger’s forgotten Long Island.
I have a podcast/website. It is called Localmotive. On this website/podcast I travel the country interviewing bands, artist, businesses, and such.
I draw cartoons. My cartoons are displayed on instagram, tumblr, and it’s own website. @happybutton_ (Instagram).
I also model for local vintage shops and promote them on my website and other things. I have a Youtube channel called Pinata TV. On this channel I get together with other comedians and we educate the masses about Latin American culture.
I’m in a band called Dream Slut. I play guitar and sing about boys with my band mate Jessica, who is also my roommate.I also have another site where I make neon lights. It is called Neon Bite. Haha, get it? I also make custom Pinatas on this site.
I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah but have lived most of my life away from the mountains. My childhood years were spent in the rolling hills of New Hampshire, the awkward adolescent stage of my life was lived in the beautiful bay area of California, and the years proceeding my entry into college I found myself in the small country of Uruguay, just south of Brazil. My interests have changed almost as drastically over the years as has my location. My desired profession changed from wanting to be a dentist, to a professional tennis player, to a Hollywood producer. I’ve now come full circle and I find myself back in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah desperately trying to figure out what to do with my life before it costs me too much in tuition.
Currently an international studies and communications major at the University of Utah. I made my first “magazine” when I was five years old and almost 20 years later I now run a mental health blog. An outdoor-enthusiast and adventure-seeker, I want to use my writing skills as a means of telling people what I discover throughout my journeys.
I am a second year student at the University of Utah. Originally from Oklahoma, I moved to Utah four years ago and fell in love with the mountains. I am double majoring in Strategic Communications and Gender Studies, hoping to go into law school for social justice and human rights.
I hope you enjoy my story!
Let’s see here, I suppose I’m a simple guy that has a mission in life to help as many people as I can. I have had many experiences that gave me understanding and new knowledge to change lives. My brother and I created Life Decided to help people who are stuck, stagnate or unhappy because of habit, perspective or lack of knowledge. I am from Utah with a story similar to most but unique in every way. I could write for hours about it but for now look in to Life Decided and see for yourself. Life Begins When It’s Decided.
be happy.
By Zach Dugdale
As I drove towards the Salt Lake City International Airport, which is neighbors with the KRCL 90.9 FM station, Devon Russell’s song “Jah Will See” blasted through my car’s speakers. The sound of Reggae music is what I have come accustomed to hearing on Saturday afternoon at 4 o’clock after discovering the radio show Smile Jamaica many years ago. Almost every Saturday from 4 to 6 o’clock, I listen to the Jamaican roots reggae and mutant dub spun by Robert Nelson, the host of Smile Jamaica. Driving down the freeway at 75 miles per hour, it became very surreal to me that I was on my way to interview the very deejay who plays music that brings joy to not only me, but hundreds of others who tune in to the show.
Robert and I had exchanged multiple emails after I approached him about an interview. He had seemed excited about the idea, and I, being a huge fan of the show, was even more so. I pulled into the back parking lot of the studio, and Robert let me in the back door while Rita Marley’s “The Beauty of God’s Plan” played for all of those fortunate enough to be listening to 90.9 FM. Robert greeted me with a warm smile and a firm handshake, and then led me into the studio.
In the studio, piled around the multiple turn-tables, CD and cassette players, and microphones were hundreds of vinyl and CD recordings of reggae and dub music. Robert is one of the very few radio deejays who only uses CDs, vinyl records, and cassette tapes to play all of the music on his show, claiming that the enriched personal musical experience is well worth the extra work. As he hurriedly readied the CD containing the next track he was going to play, Robert told me of his vast collection of reggae music, which includes about 20,000 records and CDs. His collection comes mostly from Southern California and Las Vegas, and is constantly growing.
Growing up in a small town in Montana, Robert was not exposed to reggae until he moved to Salt Lake City in 1986 to attend the University of Utah, from which he received a degree in Middle Eastern Studies. After moving to Salt Lake, he heard Smile Jamaica on his radio and has been captivated by reggae since. He first became involved at KRCL by volunteering to be an early morning host of a reggae program, and when Jon, the deejay of Smile Jamaica previous to Robert, left, he asked Robert if he would like to take over the show.
Robert continued to tell me about the history of the show while everything from Bunny Wailer to Peter Tosh played in the background. Originally called Dreadlock Holiday after an old rock song, the show has been playing on KRCL since 1980, and was originally at 1 o’clock on Saturdays, but moved to the time slot it keeps today around 1990. The first deejay of the show was a woman named Margie, who was succeeded by Myron, then followed by John, who finally gave Robert control of the show in 1986 . Since then, Robert has not only been the volunteer deejay of Smile Jamaica, but has previously hosted Radio Active, a left wing politics talk show, and is a Librarian at the University of Utah’s Marriott Library doing sound editing and managing the Digital Scholarship Lab’s audio studio.
Robert concluded the interview by speaking about the changing role of broadcast in the face of digital media. I asked Robert his thoughts on how technological advances such as the internet have influenced broadcast, to which he responded, “It’s helped me because I’ve made it a focus of branching out the show…Here’s a way to get your show out there.” Although Robert does not use any streaming or digital music services to play his show, he records all of his shows and uploads them, commercial free and with a playlist, to the internet. By utilizing digital media to further the station’s reach, Robert has helped people from all over the world, even as far as Japan, listen to his signature “all killer, no filler” Reggae music show. Robert loves to share his music collection with all who will listen, and through his utilization of the internet to help the show grow, he continues to spread positivity and good music.
I’m a Freshman at the University of Utah studying Communications. My goal is to become a Sports Journalist/Broadcaster. I’m also apart of a sorority here at the University of Utah! Go Utes!
What the testers really think about all of the testing
A sorority talking about a big issue on college campuses: Domestic violence
“You can treat more people by teaching,” Dr. Laurence Meyer, the Chief of Research at the Salt Lake City, V.A. Hospital, told me as we sat down in his office to discuss the new clinical testing for a new type of prosthetic implanted into veteran soldiers. The inspired music major at the University of San Diego ended up finalizing his college career with a Biochemistry degree.
Planning on going into graduate school for his biochemistry major, “I ended up not liking the bio-chem group quite as much,” so he applied for medical school. He was, unfortunately, not accepted. “So, I lateraled over and got my Ph.D. in Genetics,” at UC Davis, “and then went back and went to medical school. So that was after I had been working for four years, and went back for five years for my Ph.D.”
His primary focus was on genetic research. This led Dr. Meyer to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he practiced internal medicine, clinical genetics, and melanoma research, along with other dermatology research (specifically into geriatrics “because old people get skin cancer”) for approximately eleven years.
“In some way, I’ve always been doing medical genomics,” says Dr. Meyer. Research allows us to make great findings and “treat more people, have fewer side effects, have therapies that work on a higher percentage of people, [and] address the people who don’t have a therapy for them.” Dr. Meyer claims that research allows more benefits to the people because it furthers medical practices, while at the same time moving simultaneously along with ever-changing medical advances. Dr. Meyer also says that, “you know, it’s fun!”
“When I came here eleven-ish years ago, almost twelve years ago now, there was an on-going bone and joint research lab, and they were largely researching the attachment of artificial joints to existing bone,” Dr. Meyer said.
At the time, this was a fairly new idea for medicinal practices. Dr. Meyer estimates around eight to ten years ago “a guy in Sweden started doing some of these and was getting initially horrible infections . . . and then it was getting better, but not good . . . and another group in Germany started doing research on it too.”
These new prosthetic are called Percutaneous Osseointegrated Prosthetics, or POPs. Unlike the socket-fit prosthetic limbs, the POPs are implanted into the remaining femur bone, thus allowing the patient to receive more feeling within the new leg and less chance of tissue deterioration. This prosthesis implantation requires two surgeries, first to place the fixture into the femoral bone, and then to install the attachment for the artificial leg/limb.
Dr. Meyer says that within the next year or two, the goal is to have around ten veterans implanted with a new prosthetic leg. Depending on those results, he is hoping to have spread the clinical testing to other hospitals for more access to the public. He says that there is more than just spreading the medicine and knowledge, but also teaching and re-teaching surgeons on how to properly insert the new attachment.
Dr. Meyer reminds me how rewarding medicine can be, and how quickly ideas can come to life and change people’s lives. “You see somebody in the clinic, you talk to them, and you help them, and that happens every once in a while, not as often as you’d like, but it does happen – but you get this very immediate gratification.”
“We started doing research on it almost ten years ago. So I have a very small part of this,” Dr. Meyer states. “There are orthopedists, and researchers in orthopedics, biomedical engineers, microbiologists, dermatologists, physiologists, P.M.R. physicians, rehab specialists, material specialists, and probably people from other domains,” who have all helped Dr. Meyer and his personal team of researchers to help begin the clinical testing for veterans with upper leg amputations.
He says what is really amazing is watching these two veterans with the new leg implantation start walking. “You can see them tear up as they take their first steps with their new leg.”
Dr. Meyer says, “A mere bump or a little nudge, and the veterans are able to feel their new leg move.” It’s truly amazing what medicine can do; all it takes is that one step forward.
By INTAN ZAKRI
“I asked him if he wanted to come back with me to my studio so that we [could] have a fight,” artist Yoshua Okón said about a policeman he just met. “And then we took it from there.”
Blending reality, documentation and fantasy is a challenge that Okón seeks to overcome via multimedia art. By addressing unpleasant themes with instances of humor, he invites viewers to reflect on mainstream culture. Wanting each member of his audience to be “an active spectator,” Okón emphasized, “Humor I think can be great because once you’re laughing you are implicated. In a way you are already inside of the piece.”
Okón was born in 1970 in Mexico City where he currently resides. After receiving his BFA in 1994 from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, he received his MFA from UCLA eight years later. His work has appeared in nearly hundreds of exhibitions for the past 20 years in countries across the globe including Brazil, Germany, Japan and more.
In 1999 while roaming the streets of his youth, camera in hand and no notion of what to film, he came across the aforementioned police officer. When they were in Okón’s studio with the camera rolling, they had their “fight” — a verbal exchange of harsh yet comical insults that highlighted the city’s social issues. “Since there’s no script,” Okón said, “what happened was, in many ways, the unpredictable.” Okón arranged multiple similarly staged pieces featuring other officers, incorporating the video performances in an exhibition titled Oríllese a la Orilla, which roughly translates to “pull over.”
The installation, like many of Okón’s works, was comprised of multichannel projections, immersing the viewer in screens and speakers. Since the beginning of his career, he regarded video as a physical medium, one the viewer must build a relationship with. “I’m interested in creating environments that kind of surround you,” he said, opposing the idea of his spectators “passively watching from a distance.”
Another example of his multichannel work is a 2011 piece filmed in Los Angeles. Having just read the book The Art of Political Murder by Francisco Goldman, the United States invasion of Guatemala was still fresh in his mind. It then occurred to Okón that the Guatemalan Civil War was closer to home than he realized, recalling the time he met a local Home Depot worker who had fought in the same war. With the employee’s help, Okón gathered a group of ex-military men who had also done combat in the civil war, directing them to perform a reenactment in the parking lot of a Home Depot.
Titled Octopus, the looped 18-minute long footage referenced the nickname of the United Fruit Company who had their hands on many corporate interests such as land, ports and railroads during the war. Throughout the video, 14 men of Mayan descent crawled on their bellies, held up imaginary rifles and crouched in their armored vehicles (shopping carts).
Although adept in their roles, Okón noted, “To me the real subjects of this piece are not them but the customers around them” as nearly every passerby ignored the performers, even when they played dead. “That became a very good metaphor for their invisibility.”
The sequel to Octopus, currently on display at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art until April 30, also relates to historical events. Named Oracle, it references a small town in Arizona where the largest-yet protest against the immigration of unaccompanied minors from Central America occurred.
Installation view of Oracle at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
The multichannel installation contains a scene where nine Central American children have their backs to the camera, singing a modified U.S. marine hymn that instead narrates the history of the U.S. invading Central America, the key reason for the mass migration north. In contrast, other scenes feature members of the AZ Border Defenders reenacting the protest, holding bright yellow signs that read “Stop Invasion.” Consequently, the piece portrays multiple views on the immigration debate where Okón aims to raise awareness of the topic by giving every side a voice — even if the sides are at war.
“We live in a very violent society but we have the illusion that it’s not violent,” Okón said. “It’s kind of this far removed violence. The clothing that we’re wearing is made by slaves but it’s so far away that we don’t see it. … We are completely desensitized because it’s not happening right here.”
See more of Yoshua Okón’s work: http://yoshuaokon.com/
Bio
Jake Glissmeyer is a student at the University of Utah. He is currently an aspiring to be a broadcast journalist with hopes of being a lead anchor on SportsCenter. He loves anything sports but specifically basketball, having been coached by his dad in his younger years and playing on the varsity team at Juan Diego Catholic High School.
Jake enjoys the warm weather, is a meat and potatoes guy and loves music with a good beat, memorable lyrics and that’s fun to dance to. He also plays the cello and has been doing so for 15 years,
Dangerboy
By: Riley Nielsen
“If I wasn’t in radio, I’d be jobless” said Patrick Essex also known as Dangerboy from 97.1zht-The Morning Zoo. Essex and I met for lunch at Hoppers Bar and Grill in Cottonwood Heights on Friday March 18. I arrived stressed out because of how late I was. Not five minutes, not 10 minutes but 25 minutes late.
Sitting down in front of Essex was a relief, especially because of his easy-going, happy and patient demeanor. He was excited to help in any way he could. His cheerful attitude and upbeat tone of voice synced well with me. We hit it off immediately. I began by asking the simple questions about his background.
Essex is a Utah native who attended Taylorsville High School. He is happily married with a son and two dogs to keep them company. His family is everything to him. We shared a love for family and ‘big mean-looking’ dogs. Essex spoke in a very confident voice that projected nicely his fun and energetic personality.
I was having a good time from the beginning. His unique voice mixed with a clear and articulate way of speaking drew me in close to his stories. Although he preferred to speak softly because of his unique voice, he is reserved in public. He expressed his “keep to myself” personality is who he is really, he enjoys his privacy.
I noticed how polite and welcoming he was to the server each time she came to the table. Essex ordered a juicy burger and I was persuaded to order their famous fish n’ chips. I had great food and great company. I was curious to know a lot about this Dangerboy character I hear every morning. He is the same person both on and off the air.
I asked him how he got into radio, his answer was short and sweet, “I accidentally got into it,” Essex said. I didn’t know how that was possible. He then explained how he had to write a paper in school about what his hopes and dreams were. “I had none” he told me, “but I always loved radio, so I went with that.” You can say it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
His senior year in high school he went to a radio station to look for a job. He started out at the bottom of the line but stayed there ever since. He never left that radio station that was then 94.9 and is now 97.1zht. His description of what it’s really like to be in radio surprised me. “It’s not all that it’s talked up to be” Essex said. It’s full of long hours and difficult situations.
He did get a laugh about the homeless people that would come into the building and on the floor because the door didn’t ever lock. I did hear things that I didn’t know, but sort of expected from this industry. Let’s just say there is a ‘dark side’ of radio.
Essex couldn’t be happier at The Morning Zoo. He lit up when he talked about how perfect it is for him. I didn’t hear one negative thing about his co-workers, boss, or anything. He believes radio is meant for him “I would be unemployed if I got fired today, I wouldn’t know where to go or what to do” said Essex.
I had to know his favorite and least favorite part about radio. I remember distinctly how he smiled about how great it is to see the positive impact he has on people. He gave some examples of people who recognize his voice and express the happiness and strength he has given them because of the show.
Essex seemed so content with the idea of him changing someone’s life even if it’s just a few hours in the morning. The biggest struggle for him is doing the ad lib radio ads they are required to have for their sponsors. Not much to say about what is the most difficult part about his job. Essex loves every bit of it. It’s safe to say I walked away from that interview a little less-stressed and a little bit happier. I and many others agree that Patrick Essex is meant for radio.
By Bianca Velasquez
Gross! A zine written by only girls and non-binaries that empower them to break social barriers and strive for progression in their community? Pee-ew! Elaine Sayer and Chloe Monson, what are you thinking? You think this is going to work, that people will listen? Hell yeah you do.
A brain baby from The Creative Collective, SLC Pink, (originally known as Girl Germs) has sprouted and is growing wild. Zines usually cover music, art, and other “cool” features. Which is great, but I think we are hungry for something else. Something that summons whispered opinions. Something that reads the writing on the wall. This is why SLC Pink is just that. They explain “Truth is, girls suck at being supportive. It’s about time that changed, and we hope to help do it.” Yes, this quote is great but are you wondering how a zine will do that? The purpose of SLC Pink is to bring girls and non-binary (someone who is not exclusively male or female) together in a celebration of their work, whatever it is. Now your questions should be, why hasn’t anyone done this sooner?
The two bad asses spearheading this are the previously mentioned Elaine Sayer and Chloe Monson. Their main project The Creative Collective was admired and promoted on City Weekly a couple months ago. This article talks about them as individuals but also highlights their campaign “I support you” which is the base for SLC Pink. This I love. Someone is stepping up and calling us out, calling us out as artists and as human beings. SLC Pink is exclaiming the unspoken truth that we need to have each other’s backs. This is an overdue movement but it is in fact moving, and moving fast.
I’ve been following Elaine Sayer’s work ever since my Kilby Court days. Back when I would hang out in that stupid burnt red booth selling tickets trying to refrain from frostbite on cold winter nights. I would poke out my phone from the bottom of my huge overzealous jacket and scroll through her page. What I would find are strong, empowering quotes about every day struggles that riddle our youth. These aren’t the big whiney tumblr quotes about unrequited love, no, I was drawn to hers because these were glowing with honesty. At that age (18/19) honesty is unfortunately rare. You are so consumed by discovering your identity that honesty is your last option. Honesty sneaks out at night like a hungry rat on your forever regrettable drunken nights. You don’t display it on social media for everyone to see. Elaine did that. I will forever admire her for it.
I love Elaine’s little side project called Poems On Places. Where she writes a poem, then nestles it into an envelope with a note saying “Take this poem: If you’re, just barely, getting over a tough heartache.” She embeds these in locations around town for soft hearts who need them. After a seemingly educational time in LA, Elaine came back to SLC and her creativity, combined with the talents of Chloe Monson, exploded into The Creative Collective. This led to SLC Pink.
I have admired Chloe from afar, but I never took the time to really check her out until I started participating in SLC Pink. Though I have seen her artwork circulating the internet prior to knowing she was the creator. Chloe is a very talented embroiderer, stitching expressive female faces
onto a canvas like a story teller with a needle. She also tells stories through her illustrations, both very concentrated in feminine energy.
Edition 1 of SLC Pink is called “Girl Power”. It will be released this spring on May 1st. They will be hosting this release at Kilby Court. An all ages venue that I had previously mentioned hating. I don’t hate it, I just have spent way too many cold nights there accompanied by a broken heater. Anyway, there will be all girl bands playing like Ana Hardy, Sally Yoo, and Big Baby. I had the chance to include my cartoons and an article for this one, so I am extra excited. Can’t wait to see what the other talented ladies bring to the community, pink, warm table.
By Jake Glissmeyer
City councilman Chris McCandless resides at a comfortable abode near the southwestern portion of Sandy, Utah. When I arrive to interview him, it is a crisp cool evening; not quite cold enough for a jacket, but also not shorts and tank top weather. His front porch is not particularly decorated with anything save it be one piece of unique furniture; an original Snowbird ski lift, converted into a bench for sitting on. The councilman is wearing a plaid shirt, green cargo pants, and sandals along with a watch and glasses; not your typical politician ensemble you might expect. After exchanging pleasantries, he opens his office and releases his energetic yellow lab, named Charlie. I make the mistake of engaging Charlie early. This pup wants to play fetch and tug of war and he makes it difficult and distracting to carry on a conversation with McCandless.
Before McCandless and I start to chat, we look out his large floor to ceiling windows overlooking his backyard. In his backyard we see a fountain trickling down to a small pond containing a few fish and some ducks. As we make ourselves comfortable he reminisces of the past ski season, boasting in the fact he’s skied for each of the past 52 years.
Early on there are several things apparent; McCandless is happy to oblige with this interview. He’s sarcastic but soft-spoken; he’s genuine, long winded and loves to go on tangents. One of his tangents I found myself captivated with was a religious experience he told of climbing Mt. Orizaba and how he, through divine warnings, was prepared and able to save the lives of 2 fellow climbers and himself. McCandless is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, something he holds dear that certainly influences the way he governs himself as a representative of the people.
When he got his start in the political world he describes how there weren’t many obstacles and that he almost fell into it. He was basically appointed to his councilman position; because of this he only needed 4 votes to win. In a subsequent councilman election he ran unopposed. We shared a laugh as he wanted his unopposed campaign slogan to be “Chris McCandless: the ONLY choice.” Since then he has run another election unopposed but when he has had competition he makes sure to play by the rules and not do anything to degrade his or his opponent’s character.
McCandless expresses some difficulties of a councilman, “You gotta make decisions that are really unpopular,” he continues with the fact that his paycheck is rather slim compared to the real estate development he used to do. Clearly, he does what he does not for the money or the fame or popular vote; his motives are more selfless. “I’m running to help our community,” he states quietly but with passion.
McCandless wishes that those running in the presidential election would have similar motives. He detests that the nominees verbally tear each other down, bend the truth and attack each other rather than policy and change. In contrast and as stated earlier, he prides himself on running a clean race and never verbally tear down his opponent. Truly motivated by service rather than for personal gain we can see how genuine Chris McCandless truly is.
As a councilman, McCandless and the other councilors approve the mayor’s budget and then pass laws and ordinances in the city for things like the fire department, police department, parks and recreation, lighting, roads and so on. He continues and says the $100 million budget that Sandy City is allotted, comes from property taxes, franchise taxes, public utilities, and gas taxes among a few others.
When asked what an ordinary person may not discover simply by googling his name he chuckled and replied, “I’m pretty much ADD and crazy.” But he also remarked that you wouldn’t find or even be able to measure his level of commitment and obligation to serve the people that elected him. He certainly feels the weight of this solemn duty of representing the people of Sandy as a city councilman.
Story by: Monique Morrison
Imagine spending everyday of your entire life doing the one thing that you love most. Then, when you set out to accomplish one of the most exciting adventures of your career everything gets wiped away from you in a matter of seconds. This is essentially what happened to Jim Harris.
Harris is a professional photographer, a mountaineer, an educator and an all-around outdoor enthusiast. He has shot expeditions everywhere from the mountains in Alaska to the Himalayas, has worked for for National Geographic and has been on the cover of Powder magazine. He started as a mountain guide, taking people on tours through some of the most extreme regions in North America. At first, photography was just a hobby, but with the creation of his blog “Perpetual Weekend”, his photos gained immense popularity.
Perhaps Harris’ most challenging and memorable expedition yet was in November 2014, when he and two other men set off on a 30-day journey through the ice caps of Patagonia, Chile. The trip was sponsored by Polartec, a fabric manufacturer, who asked Harris to test out their new outerwear, while skiing and rafting.
Just before the expedition, Harris was testing out the kite that would help him traverse this 330-mile journey. As soon as he clipped into the kite, a sudden gust of wind scooped him up and launched his body about three feet. After slamming into the ground and bouncing a few times Harris was knocked out. When he came to he quickly realized he had no feeling in his legs and was paralyzed from the waist down.
Discouraged and disoriented, Harris’ expedition crew rushed for help. A few days after the accident, he was flown to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where his broken back and neck were operated on.
After the operation it was still unclear whether Harris would ever gain his mobility back; he just had to wait and see if his nerves would start firing again It wasn’t until a month after surgery he saw his first glimmer hope. Harris remembers sitting in his hospital bed, mentally screaming at his legs to move when finally his big toe bent about one centimeter. This was his first sign of recovery, and after that everything began to go uphill.
Harris says “the loss of being able to use my body in the way I used to still feels like its temporary,” — and sure enough, it is. Today, about one year and four months after the accident, Harris is back on skis, riding mountain bikes and going for trail-runs. So how did he get here?
Harris was in the hospital for a total of seven months, and bedridden for five months before he was able to walk again. Prior to the accident Harris spent about three months a year travelling and shooting expeditions, so being pent up in a hospital was quite a different experience.
However, Harris says he is treating his recovery like he would any expedition — he sets goals, looks to the future with hope and views obstacles as opportunities for progress.
Exactly one year after his accident, Harris was back on the ski slopes. At first he was confined to the bunny hills but everyday saw major progress. He looked to the outdoors as an opportunity for recovery and soon began cross-country skiing. He would time himself going up the mountain as a way to measure progress and was improving his time by 15 seconds each week.
Though Harris is back in the mountains and gaining mobility he knows he is not as strong as he used to be. He says that even if he isn’t ever the athlete that he once was, being able to go outside and reconnect with everything he loves is enough to make him happy.
In hindsight, Harris still doesn’t know why he, of all the people who suffer spinal injuries, was able to gain his mobility back. But he looks at this as accident not as something to be mourned, but as another adventure. Health is now the focus of his journey and healing gives him something more to work towards.
By: Lexie Humphrey
Katie Romney, a loquacious disk jockey from Cottonwood Heights, Utah, has tapped into Washington D. C’s number one “top 40” radio station and is there to stay.
At five AM on the dot, Tuesday through Friday, Romney reports to the iHeartRadio building located in the heart of West Valley, Utah. There she works as one of three hosts on The Kane Show. A show that talks about the hottest topics, celebrity gossip, and highlights new music artists. The Kane Show can be found on Hot 99.5 a station which is owned by iHeartRadio and is broadcasted in Washington D.C, New Jersey, and other parts of Virginia.
Romney has been involved in the radio business for eleven years. Ten of which working as substitute host for the local and iconic show, The Morning Zoo, on 97.1 ZHT. Thus being the start of Romney’s fascination for the business. “I fell in love with the fact that we were good friends simply talking about what’s hot now and hundreds of people wanted to tune in and listen.”
Having found her passion, Romney has worked on The Kane Show for little over a year and describes it as a “…whole different ball game,” due to its unique approach for host set-up. The Kane Show involves three different DJ’s all of whom live in three different states. One in Miami, one in Washington D.C, and one in Salt Lake City. According to Romney Hot 99.5 is not the first nor last station to have this kind of set-up.
“…with the technology we have, it’s easy [to] chat and connect with someone miles away. Listeners think we are all in the same room all the time, and it totally sounds that way…it’s just a matter of getting the hang of it.”
Getting the hang of it is right. Romney recalls her first week working on the show left no room for error. “At five in the morning nobody’s ears are fully awake…during my first day on the show I think I said ‘wait what’ about a hundred times, and [as] a radio DJ that’s a huge no-no.” However, Romney has since quickly caught on and has also embraced the other obstacles that occur while on-air.
With each DJ stationed in a different state, the trio has gotten creative with their communication strategies.
“You can’t give hand signals or eyebrow gestures to one another, it’s just you, the microphone, and a couple of ornery techies near you…you lose that face to face interaction.”
The only time the three DJ’s communicate off-air is via Instant Messaging during the show and privately through their microphones during a song break. This calls for some sharp listening and some quick thinking.
As mentioned earlier, The Kane Show reviews an array of present-day hot topics. When asked how she prepares for each show, Romney chuckled and replied, “I haven’t prepped since I got out of college…There is such thing as over prep, trust me, it comes out dry and unnatural.”
This is true. When tuning into the show you can hear the natural flow of the conversation. A vast amount of the topics addressed, stem from random tangents brought on by Romney or the other hosts.
Romney brings a very delightful and colorful vibe to the show, along with her contagious giggle and witty comments. She tends to help guide the flow of the show to ensure that listeners remain engaged. When asked what it takes to be an effective and intriguing DJ, Romney responded that you need to be outgoing, always up to date, and able to take criticism well. She also went on to say that one cannot be someone their not while working in the radio field. “You’re pretty much on one giant phone call that last for hours, pretty hard to fake who you are for that long.”
Anyone can tune in on just about any radio station across the nation. With the help of iHeartRadio, which happens to be the owner of both Hot 99.5 and 97.1 ZHT, it’s easy to tune in to The Kane Show and hear Katie Romney in her natural habit.
By: Rachel Roach
On February 23, 2016 Nadine Wimmer, of KSL 5 News, presented a story called, “Too much testing? How high-stakes testing impacts our children.” This story got me interested in this topic and made me wonder if our students really are being tested too much. I then wondered if the testers who are actually administering the tests think that students are being tested too much.
I interviewed Lin Hooper, a tester in the Salt Lake City School District, on her thoughts about the testing she administers to kids from Kindergarten to 12th grade. I first asked her if she thinks the tests that she is giving are beneficial to the student themselves. She responded, “The only benefit is really for the teachers and parents. The tests we administer show the child’s proficiency level in reading and the use and understanding of the English language.” It was interesting that she thinks that the tests don’t even benefit the children at all, that it only benefits the parents and teachers. Don’t you think that the tests that children are taking should help them in some way? To be better readers, to feel more confident while reading, or just to enjoy reading in and of itself?
“Shortening the length of the English language test would be beneficial because they would not burn out and give up so readily. Also on that test (WIDA), if they only had to take the parts of the test the[y] didn’t pass the year before instead of having to take the entire test again would be much more motivating to them,” Hooper said happily. Also, shortening this test would allow the testing to go much faster. This would make it so kids would be in class more often rather than sitting at a table taking a test they don’t even care about. Hooper says that most of the kids that take these tests, WIDA and Dibles, just aren’t that interested in the outcome.
Another test, called Dibles, is one that you have to take multiple times a year, but why should you have to take it more than once or twice if you have passed it? Hooper agrees that if you pass it once or twice, you shouldn’t have to take it the multiple other times during the school year. This would clear up so much time for teachers, allowing them to actually teach instead of having to prep their students for a test that they have taken so many times already. It’s frustrating for the testers too. They have to test all of the kids in a school multiple times when most of them have already passed the test. If Hooper could it have her way she would reduce the amount of tests that students take.
“The tests are mandated by people who have never taught or been in classroom other than as children. There are so many factors that go into a child’s success at school and testing only shows the results of a small number of them.”
In reality, how many of the people who make these tests were ever teachers or worked in a school? Most likely that number is very low. How can they make a good test for the students to take if they don’t understand how the school works? They need to have inside knowledge to create a test that will benefit the students learning and also be time efficient.
Overall, Hooper thinks that if they have less testing kids will actually enjoy learning more. “I would most assuredly reduce the number and kinds of tests given. Maybe then students could love to learn instead of learn to test!” So how do we get our schools to go back to this concept of having their students love to learn instead of learn how to test? Maybe we should take Hooper’s advice of having teachers make the tests that students take since they do have an inside look on how students learn.
Hooper loves when she sees students do better on a test than they did the time before. Seeing them succeed is very rewarding, but she would love it if all of the testing would be reduced in the Salt Lake City school districts. It has come to the point that it is too much, even for the testers themselves.
About me:
I graduated from Cottonwood High School in 2009. Growing up I played all kinds of sports, but once I got to high school, I found my true passion: water polo. I played for 3 years in high school, then played just one year at the University of Utah. I realized I wasn’t cut out to play at a higher level, so I began coaching. My high school didn’t have it’s own water polo team – I played with an East, Highland hybrid team – so me and one of my teammates at the U did some recruiting and started the Cottonwood Water Polo program back up. I have been coaching there ever since. I love my job, and love working with kids. In 2014 I was nominated for the Eastern Conference Girls Coach of the Year, and in 2015 I was awarded Utah State Coach of the Year.
I took a break from school for a few years after my Freshman year to work, and began attending the University of Utah once again in Fall of 2013. It has taken me several semesters to find what I’m really interested in studying. After meeting with my academic advisor, she suggested I look into the Communications department. I have really enjoyed the classes I’ve taken, and am set to graduate Spring 2017 with a degree in Strategic Communications.
Stories I’ve written:
Social Media
By Matt Leavitt
“When you cry like a baby, nobody makes fun of you because everybody’s been there.” explained Ed, a cancer patient fighting stage four melanoma. He was referring to the support group that he found in the Cancer Wellness House.
Just a few blocks east of downtown Salt Lake sits a beautiful old house nestled below the foothills of the Wasatch Front. This pretty, but ordinary looking house is home to an organization that plays a very important role in the lives of many local Salt Lake residents. The Cancer Wellness House (CWH) is a non-profit organization that, according to its mission statement, strives “to support people living with cancer and their families in a homelike setting.”
The Cancer Wellness house was organized in 1997 after their first fundraiser “Survivors at the Summit,” now an annual tradition at the snowbird ski resort. This event along with the other fundraisers and volunteer efforts help maintain this system of support which provides many free services to cancer patients and their families. These services include activities like socials for cancer patients, group therapy sessions, yoga classes, meditation, wellness counseling, acupuncture, massages, and more. Terri Goldstein, former director of the CWH stated, “What’s really unique about some of these activities is that they’re scientifically proven to help people with cancer have better outcomes.”
Kendra Baum, the current executive director of the CWH, spoke of what makes the organization unique. “Creating a home-like setting is one of our favorite aspects of Cancer Wellness House. We operate out of two homes across the street from Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. Each home is decorated in a warm inviting way and creates a feeling of serenity and peace. The staff works very hard to make sure that everyone who comes to CWH feels welcome.”
In its 20 years of existence the CWH hasn’t grown immensely, but rather has kept its services very intimate and personal. In this they have been very successful. The level of trust that is built between the cancer fighters and the personnel at CWH has allowed them to plant the seed of hope and the will to fight on.
Ingrid, a previous beneficiary of the services of CWH, explained that “…when the other patients tell you as they are struggling what they are going through, you can be supportive for each other and that way you have the hope that you can do it too.”
Most of the CWH’s patrons have been referred by their doctors and clinics due to the tireless effort of the staff at CWH to spread the word about their free services to medical providers. Baum explained that most patients are from Salt Lake City, but the CWH has spread its reach to residents of Davis, Tooele, Utah and Weber counties. Currently, the CWH is also providing services to two patients from outside the state of Utah who travel to the Huntsman Cancer Institute for their treatments.
While the services offered by the CWH are specifically geared towards cancer patients, the patrons aren’t the only ones who are affected. Baum stated that “lives are changed every day by the services provided at the CWH … I have had the opportunity to work with other interns and it is incredible to see the change in them from when they start to when they finish. It would seem that those who work at CWH gain a greater respect for life and remembering to honor the simple things around them.” She continued , “It also teaches us about gratitude. We work with a lot of volunteers from the community and we also see how this changes their lives for the better. They recognized quickly that these homes are truly filled with love and compassion.”
Cancer Wellness House extends an invitation for all those who currently find themselves in the fight against cancer to come and participate in their program of healing and support, as well as for all who have the capacity to contribute to do so through either time or donations. More information can be found on their website at http://www.cancerwellness.org.
by Misty Packer
Deb Bilbao is the business consultant at the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Women’s Business Center. She counsels start-ups, pre-startups and expanding businesses on critical areas including business planning, finance, marketing, sales, management, operations and government procurement. Although Bilbao works for the Women’s Business Center, her clientele is about 20% male. She believes anyone can be an entrepreneur and no one has to go at it alone.
Bilbao was a middle school math teacher before transitioning into a substitute teacher for East High in Salt Lake City. While at East High, she saw a posting to work in the Women’s Business Center at the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce and immediately began her career as a business consultant and has been in this career for two years. When asked what an average day for her looked like, she responded with, “I don’t have average days.” Bilbao continued by saying that no two days are the same and each day she has a combination of things to do, which includes speaking to new clients, returning clients, speaking at meetings or conferences. She happily remarked, “I get challenged every day.”
As a business consultant, Bilbao works with a diverse crowd of entrepreneurs. Her job allows her to help a successful business that’s looking to expand, or simply talk to someone about their idea. She mentioned that a vast majority of her clients work out of their homes, but she also has clients with commercial locations. Bilbao asserted that she can help anyone start a business anywhere.
Let’s say a p wants to open a business. Bilbao explains that the first thing an entrepreneur would need to do is see what free resources, such as the Department of Workforce Services or partners of the Women’s Resource Center such as Downtown Alliance or Utah Small Business Coalition, are available to them thanks to federal tax dollars. The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce is a bigger, more popular free resource as the Women’s Business Center provides free unlimited business counseling. Sometimes the Women’s Business Center will have a weekly networking or training event that are also free and fun to visit so that anyone can learn more. If there isn’t an event anytime soon, an entrepreneur can get in contact with Bilbao by going to the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce’s website and clicking the “Partners” tab. The first blue square icon that will show up is the Women’s Business Center. Through that medium, an entrepreneur will be able to get in contact with Bilbao and her entire team.
An appointment with Bilbao can be about anything. Her main focus is to point an entrepreneur in the right direction even if that involves contacting other resources such as the Department of Health or Agriculture if they want to start a food business. She can talk to an entrepreneur about renting a commercial space or what they need to do to work out of their home. She can talk about loans, restrictions and licenses. She will walk them through the process of getting a license in Utah, facilitate business planning and teach better cash flow maintenance and projections. An entrepreneur can visit Bilbao for an accountability session, a session that is basically a progress update, whenever they need to and she can help them at whatever step of the process they’re at.
Although Bilbao will do the best she can, sometimes entrepreneurs need to go in a different direction. “[Entrepreneurs] deserve to have the best assistance they can get, even if that’s not us,” she said. Bilbao emphasizes that all she wants to do is help an entrepreneur start their dream. She is very passionate about her job and how she is able to “help people start, run and grow their dreams every single day.”
“Anybody can be an entrepreneur,” Bilbao said. “Anybody can do this. But you don’t have to do it alone.”
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By: Maxwell Johnson
It is often said that getting lost in nature is the best way to promote self-discovery; if that’s the case then local business owner Jean-Michel Arrigona must know himself perfectly. At an early age, Jean-Michel began gathering different specimens from the fields of France and Germany where he grew up and putting them in small organized jars and boxes, all of which would be labeled and positioned in their proper place in his room. “Not a lot has changed from then to now,” he says with a laugh. Jean-Michel is still filling showrooms with various specimens from across the world, only this time the natural beauty of these deceased creatures are for everyone to enjoy.
It’s hard to imagine that a showroom of this quality wouldn’t be located in the thick of the 7th arrondissement, much like notorious Parisian taxidermy shop Deyrolle. Instead, it is located in South Salt Lake City next to a Barbecue joint.
“This one is named Titanus giganteus,” Jean-Michel states as he points to a giant beetle in a frame hanging on the wall of his shop. “Can you even imagine if you lived where this did? What if he were to fly into you while you were riding your bike down the street?” Gathering the specimen was something that he used to do himself, but after establishing relationships with different gatherers around the world, he now requests the different species from them.
Jean-Michel doesn’t just collect these creatures, he poses them to make them look like they did when they were alive. He makes sure that none of the natural color and detail is lost while he relaxes the joints and prepares them for his gallery.
In an interview for VideoWest with Doug Fabrizio, Jean-Michel expresses his admiration for the intricate detail of his work by saying, “there is an appreciation for this natural thing, this product of nature that has evolved into this perfect little machine.”
For many, Natur showroom is the place to find naturally stunning pieces of art: a giant alligator skull for your man cave or a cluster of exquisite blue butterflies to hang on your wall. Natur also provides the opportunity to face your fears. “Most people are comfortable and fully involved in getting up close and studying the insects, and then there are those that walk into the showroom and won’t take another step. Over time I have met several people who started with a simple step into the store, and are now able to get closer to the creatures that truly frighten them, to the point where they’re okay with it. It is so cool to be apart of something like that,” Jean-Michel sincerely says.
After being open for business for the past three years, Jean-Michel has proven that there is definitely a market for the art that he is creating by breathing new life into these expired organisms.
When asked what he is currently working on and what can we expect from Natur showroom in the future, Jean-Michel replied, “I don’t think I have even scratched the surface of what is out there. When I think of all of the different species and subspecies of just a butterfly; it can become a little overwhelming.” In addition to the creatures that he poses, mounts and frames, he also houses a variety of living creepy crawlers that he allows visitors to look at and even hold, if cradling a tarantula is on your bucket list. He intends to aquire more live specimens for visitors of the showroom to enjoy. “I’m thinking about adding a few snakes to the family, even though my wife is terribly frightened of them,” says Jean-Michel as he pleasantly shakes his head.
A trip to Natur showroom offers the visitor a marvelous peek into the natural world around them. Jean-Michel’s love for the natural world is infectious, and it’s hard not to catch the bug when you spend time in his store – no pun intended. As you stroll the showroom, past the ornately framed insects and the shelves lined with gemstones, you can’t help but feel that Jean-Michel has given second life to these organisms. At the end of the day, Jean-Michel is a lucky man to have the chance to do what he loves, and we, as customers, observers, and travelers through his cave of wonders, are lucky to be able to take it all in.
Story by Daniel Tate
As 2015 draws to a close, the issue of illegal immigration is once again making headlines thanks to GOP candidate Donald Trump. Since officially announcing his presidential campaign in June, Trump has made it very clear that one of his biggest selling points is a promise to deport all 11 million undocumented immigrants, including their U.S.-born children. But what does this mean for those immigrants whom Trump plans to eject from the United States? How can they keep the American dream alive when it appears so many are against them?
Luis Castro is a 29-year-old male who lives in Magna, Utah. He is married with three kids. He drives a nice Ford truck and works hard to provide for his family. He enjoys watching football with friends on Sunday and loves to barbeque.
From the outside looking in, he appears to be what most would consider a hard working American. However there is one factor that may prevent some U.S. citizens from calling him an all-American.
In 1990 Castro’s parents left Mexico to start what they hoped would be a better life for their children. For the next couple of years his parents worked seven days a week to save up enough money to bring their children to their new home. Finally in 1992 the Castro children began migrating from Mexico to the U.S., but the journey was not so easy.
“They were unable to get me a visa, so my dad and I actually tried crossing here illegally, but we didn’t make it across so we got sent back,” says Castro as he recalls the first time his parents attempted to bring him into the U.S.. After being sent back to Mexico, Castro says it took about three to four months for his parents to obtain the correct documentation. Although his parents were able to get documentation for him, his brothers and sisters were not so lucky. By the end of 1995 the whole family was now living in Salt Lake City, but only Luis was living here legally.
Although the fear is alive in these immigrants’ recent numbers show that deportation is actually down. President Barack Obama administration has deported fewer immigrants over the past 12 months than at any time since 2006, according to internal figures obtained by The Associated Press (Caldwell, Alicia. “U.S. Deportation Rates hit A 10-Year Low.” Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 06 Oct. 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2015.). When presented with this statistic Castro smiled and said “that’s great,” but he went on to say he hopes more can be done to secure a safe and fear free life for those living in the U.S. illegally.
It’s now been over 20 years since Castro and his brothers and sisters made the move from Mexico to Salt Lake City. He says his all of his family members are now legal citizens and proud to call the U.S. home. Unfortunately though there citizenship has not stopped harassment from some people. He recalled a time the family was out to eat and they were speaking Spanish to each other and he could overhear people saying “why can’t they all just learn English already?” Castro says negativity like this does not upset him or anyone in his family though because they all actually do speak perfect English and thus the joke is on those who think small minded and talk down on them without knowing the whole story
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us.” Quotes like this from Trump have enraged many in the Hispanic community, but to Castro its words like this that make him want to be a better man. He believes Trump is just saying these hateful words to get attention from the media and does not believe Trump has any chance of being the next president of the United States. “He’s driving a wedge between himself and probably the second largest population in the U.S. So he is actually hurting himself by saying these hurtful things,” says Castro.
When asked if he feels his life so far could be titled under the umbrella of living the American dream he laughed and said “well I guess so.” He went on to say that he is happy, his family is happy and to him that is the American dream, being truly happy.
by Mack Christian Culp
Everyone needs a place to call home. Even birds need a nest. And for the first time in the post-World War II era, the United Nations reports world-wide refugees have exceeded 50 million people. The European refugee crisis mostly consists of Syrians. Propelled by fear and desperation, 50 million refugees have faced one hurdle after another.These men, women, and children have been forced to leave their homes to escape persecution, and war. Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, the United States, and many other countries have closed their borders or imposed travel restrictions on these refugees. The unwanted people of Europe.
The unwanted people of Salt Lake City, Utah may include, but are not limited to: gays, men, women, those over 29, coffee drinkers, non-skier/snowboarders, non-Mormons, and people with low incomes. Yes, each of those have been linked to restrictions placed on housing applicants in the Salt Lake Valley in the last month.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that nearly half of renters in the Salt Lake valley are living on the edge of homelessness and financial disaster. The struggle to lay claim to some small corner of space is something we expect to see in crises abroad, but not exactly in our hometowns.
I’ve scoured listings for apartments online this past year, looking for decent affordable housing close to school at the University of Utah. To my surprise, I didn’t fit the criteria for most renters. It may have been unintentional at the time, but now it has provided me with an insider’s view on the subject of the displaced in the Salt Lake Valley. Renting out rooms for a few months here, a few months there.
According to the online listing service ApartmentList, 25.6 percent of the Salt Lake City’s tenants fork over between 30 cents and 50 cents of every dollar they earn on monthly rent, and another 23.1 percent are severely cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than half their earnings to rent apartments or houses.
The burden of paying for an overpriced apartment or home to live is one thing, but navigating the internet and it’s listings is another quest altogether. No laws bar these relationships between renters and landlords formed on the dark web. So let’s go there.
“I have to be very careful about what I say. You don’t want to discriminate against anyone,” said Melina Dibble, a certified leasing agent in Salt Lake City. “Because we are managed by a property management company our laws are a little intense. Private owners do their own thing.”
Your rights may be overlooked if you decide to look for affordable options not provided by pricey property management companies like Dibble’s. PM companies are required to allow all people to apply for housing because of fair housing laws from the federal government. But it’ll cost you. It’s often less expensive to rent from homeowners directly. These landlords can pick and choose the characteristics of their ideal renter; by things like age, sex, or religion.
“People who own homes looking to fill a room have specific wants and needs … you might feel like you’re being discriminated against, [because] how are you going to find a place?” said Dibble.
Being the gatekeeper of refugees, or the displaced enables you to open or close the door to whom you wish. Being as ethnocentric as you please is accepted here in Salt Lake City. Take a look at listings on KSL.com, Craigslist, or any other site.
Two listings for a one-bedroom apartment from KSL.com:
1107 E Michigan Ave., · Salt Lake City, UT
Available December 1st. Looking for someone between ages 22-30, college students and LDS standards. No drinking alcohol or coffee or smoking/drugs allowed in house or property. Must be Clean and respectful. Must be responsible. No Drama.
1443 w 1335 s near freeway · Salt Lake City, UT
Student & working? Private room; $350 includes all Utilities/HS internet/ Washer-Dryer/Eveything! Please read: Private Room is UNFURNISHED. bathroom-kitchen etc are shared. ONE PERSON IN ROOM ONLY/no couples or shared. Looking for MALE roomate. LDS/Christian standards a must. No smoking; respectful, honest, no drugs or alcohol foul-dirty language etc. – Nice, clean and quiet place to live, I am Interested in renting to student who works and needs a CLEAN, QUIET, and SAFE place to live. … foul odors free; very important. Person interested must be responsible. Must be over 18 years.
These are just a few examples of the hyper-similar string of listings I found in my extensive search for a nest in the past year. Strapped for money like so many other young aspiring adults in the Salt Lake Valley, I felt like this string of listings were my only option. Although, Salt Lake Mayor, Ralph Becker has outlined an initiative for 5,000 additional affordable apartment options in the next five years, his plan won’t help people in my situation. “Private” landlords still freely discriminate protected classes and other marginalized groups and that’s not going to change anytime soon that I can see.
Story by Caitlin Jones
Photo by Miguel Rodriguez
It’s two days after Halloween, but there is still fear in the air. There is darkness all around you. The door you push creeks open and you walk through to see the fenced boarder of a cornfield path. The crickets are loud and the lights are limited. Glancing up you see the three scarecrows looking down at you, the first and second both have a sic
kle. Waiting for the first to move you dodge under it or run past it before something can happen. Little do you know that that this scarecrow is only stuffed. As for me, I am the second scarecrow and I am very much alive. Perched up on a post stuffed with hay, I am ready for my first victims. All of you loud and scattered, I aim for the middle of the group. “AHHHHHH” the sound triggers as I lung off the sound pedal. I swing out with my sickle barley missing the tops my victim’s heads. I hear the screams of men and when I look down you are all struggling to get off of the floor as fast as you can.
The University of Utah’s football team came through Nightmare on 13th haunted house as a team bonding practice outside of our public hours. In exchange, they offered to give us free tickets to the upcoming game. Mike Henry, the owner, agreed. This meant that he needed to get a cast together for that night and being costume girl I had no choice I had to be there, but I made a compromise with our cast director, Jimmy Dilly. He would put me in my favorite role: Scarecrow.
Regarding the football game tickets that we got in return, I had no interest… until the team walked through the cornfield. I watched all these big muscular men walk up to the fence of the cornfield like they could handle anything but as soon as they saw the first scarecrow they would hide behind each other or push someone else to go first. I thought to myself after the night was over “if these so called men were screaming and running for their lives in a haunted house then I need to see what they are like on the field.” I took the ticket and waited for November 28th to come. I had never been to a football game and since I am a U student, I thought I should get a little school spirit. I didn’t know much about the game before going and I wasn’t one to go research the rules of football before the game, I would wait and learn from watching.
On game day, Nov 28th I woke up to snow on the ground. It was going to be a cold and snowy day without any sun. I questioned myself about really going to the game or staying home and keeping warm. No, I had to go and my Nightmare family wanted me to go. The game was at 12:30 in the afternoon and the temperature was only around 29 degrees. None of us Nightmare kids were ready to see snow and I am sure most everyone had thought about bailing out on the game.
When we got to the game every one was bundled up and still freezing. This game was going to be rough. It was cold and we were on frozen bleachers. The game started then two minutes later it stopped. I was confused “why are they stopping the game?” I asked my friend next to me.
“It’s the first down,” he told me with a look of pure amusement on his face.
This was going to be a long and confusing game for me, not only was I freezing but I was also asking questions about downs, offside and holding. There is even a rule about the helmets. This was all new to me.
In the first quarter we got our first touchdown. Everyone went wild and I joined the crowd, (later asking questions.) I had noticed by this time that the players weren’t affected by the cold. They were tough and fought through the game; they weren’t scared. It was something I hadn’t seen at the haunt.
By the end of the third quarter the score was 20 to 7 and things were looking good for Utah. Everyone in the stadium was hopeful and those who were freezing were hiding in the bathroom. Five minutes to the end of the game, Colorado made their last touchdown with a good field goal. The game ended 20 to 14. The Utes had won and I had watched my first football game.
U NewsWriting 