Author Archives: comm5775

Running Renews Life

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Story by Megan Hulet
The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is their ability to act.
In high school, Jimmy Haws was not the popular jock, nor was he the bookworm.  Haws said, “I was the crazy kid, the class clown.”
Dan Lopez, a good friend of Haws since elementary school said, “Jimmy is a good hard worker.  He likes to laugh and always cracks jokes.  He is a little crazy. “
Haws struggled with weight issues during his teen years and said classmates often made fun of him.  He said, “I was pretty much the butt of every joke.  I tried to laugh about it…I knew those kids just wanted to look good in front of their friends.”
Haws wasn’t happy with his life.  He said, “I felt like crap every day.” He recounted a story of when he first started to change his life around. “I remember coming home every day from school feeling so tired and fatigued.  Just walking was tiresome.  I kept thinking to myself, ‘Man, I wish I were fit.’’’
“One day I decided I would start running.  I picked a route and would run a little ways and each day I would go farther than the day before.”  The training process was grueling, but Haws said that it was nice to come home each day from a run feeling so tired, but he felt like he had accomplished something great and wanted more.
Haws started running in 2005. He got into running triathlons by 2006.  Haws said, “I saw my brother do a triathlon and I just thought that was cool.  Then I did one and became addicted.”
Haws has competed in dozens of races since he first started.  Some of the races include:  Salt Lake Marathon/10K/5k, Icebreaker Triathlon, Turkey Trot, Freedom Half Marathon, Red Rock Half Marathon, Utah Lake Century Epic Race (111 miles of biking) and the Utah Valley marathon.
One of the great motivators for Haws to start running was his brother. He said, “I looked up to my older brother a lot.  He was a super athlete and smart at everything.  He helped me strengthen myself.”

Although running is a very prominent part in Haw’s life, there is a great deal more to him.  Haws is very involved in the community, where he is part of the Big Brother’s program.
Haws has even shared his love of running with his ‘little brother.’ They both ran together in the Butch Cassidy 10K run.  When asked what the main thing was that he has taken from the Big Brother program he said, “It has taught me how valuable kids are.  How they grow, how they look up to you and the example you need to be for them.”
Jessica Rex, a good friend of Haws said, “Jimmy is a hard worker.  He is very sincere and he cares about people.  He would do anything for anyone.”
Haws is also a family man.  He lives at home where he takes care of his mom and sister.  Haws said, “I am trying to help out with the family now that dad is gone.  It has helped me to realize the importance of family.”
Mary Haws, his sister, said, “He is basically amazing.  I look up to him so much.”
Haws said, “Never hold back.  Strive for excellence.  Never think that you’re mediocre.  Never stop.  Life is a struggle and it is going to be hard.  Improve every day and always look forward to the next day and think of things you can do better.”

LeConte Stewart Show Inspires, Enlightens

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Story by Justin Bailey

LeConte Stewart’s granddaughter stopped midsentence, overcome by emotion. More than two decades after her grandfather’s passing, she still has a tendency to tear up when talking about him and his work.
Standing in a semi-secluded corner of the Utah Museum of Fine Art, where an exhibit devoted to the artwork of Stewart entitled “LeConte Stewart: Depression Era Art” is displayed, it’s easy to see how she could feel a twinge of nostalgia.
The largest-ever exhibition of Stewart’s work, the show was put together by the UMFA in conjunction with the LDS Church History Museum.
Suzie Sutherland is Stewart’s granddaughter. She went to see the exhibit in part because she knows a show of this magnitude was something that never would have happened if LeConte were still alive. “He was sort-of quirky… People were always trying to put together big shows for his work, but (he would just tell them) to ‘Go to hell!’ He was always telling people to go to hell.” Sutherland said with a laugh.
This social clumsiness is seemingly common to gifted artists. Sutherland called it the “artist temperament.” Fine artists tend to speak to people through their work, rather than with their words. “He was kind-of crusty, but he felt really deeply about people, and you could tell,” said Sutherland.
Looking at Stewart’s work, you can see the social change he was trying to effect. His paintings, etchings, and drawings are depictions of everyday life during the great depression, a time when almost everyone was struggling mightily just to survive. It’s a poignant aesthetic given the state of today’s national economy.
Referring to a painting of an old shop, forced to close it’s doors due to the depression, Karen Kone, an attendee of the exhibit said, “there may not be boarded up windows today like there was back then, but it’s that same feeling. (It makes you wonder if) people are still out there riding the rails.”
That type of nostalgia may not seem very uplifting, but it can still work to inspire hope. “He always smelled like turpentine,” said Sutherland, “As soon as I walked into the room and smelled the turpentine, I could tell ‘grandpa’s been here.’” He was always working, creating; trying to show people what was going on in the world. It’s a tribute to the core American values that got the nation through its worst economic downturn in history. As show attendee Mike Mabey said, “Hard work, perseverance, struggle and triumph; that’s what being alive is all about.”
22 years after his death, LeConte Stewart’s voice is still being heard. Not in a sound bite or a quote, but through the statements made in his artwork.
Standing in the middle of the museum, surrounded by her grandfather’s paintings and drawings, with tears beginning to well in her eyes, Sutherland said, “I can still feel his presence…”

“LeConte Stewart: Depression Era Art” is on display now and runs through January 15. For more information visit umfa.utah.edu or call the museum at 801-581-7332.

K-UTE Coming out and Faces Opposition

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Story by Sean Gustafson

Five local bands, one comedian, and two entire tables of radio merchandise appeared for one night this past Friday for the first ever Holiday Bash, a benefit concert for Operation Chimney Drop.

K-UTE Student Radio and Salt Lake Head Start teamed up to raise money and presents for needy children in the local area sponsored the concert.

The concert was originally meant to be at the Heritage Center located at the University of Utah campus, but it was relocated to the Officer’s Club on Fort Douglas Boulevard due to frustrating circumstances brought on by the Heritage Center.

Anna Anderson, the station manager at K-UTE Student radio said that the station had booked the concert two months ago with the Heritage Center but hours before the concert the Heritage Center decided to not allow the event to go on.

Anderson continued by saying that the station wanted to use the Heritage Center out of convenience for the people planning on attending. The Heritage Center would also be a centralized location for people around campus.

As of now it is unclear on the reason for the Heritage Center’s sudden change of mind on the benefit concert.

After the concert was booked at the Officer’s Club, a massive wave of emails, social media messages, and texts went out to inform people of the change of location.

Despite the chaos of changing venues, people stilled showed up to hear the bands play and donate gifts for the children from Operation Chimney Drop. According to an email describing the official results from Holiday Bash, there was 146 dollars raised in “cash donations.” Despite the loss of “foot traffic” because of the confusion there were over 70 people who attended the event.

The K-UTE has been no stranger to seeing difficulties after the 2007 controversy over a sex hotline being aired. In addition to the controversy, a series of vandalism broke out as well. This caused the entire station to be taken off the air.

Even with the station’s return the following year, K-UTE faces problems like rebuilding trust and regaining listenership in addition to possible budget cost.

To counter these difficulties, K-UTE has produced many PowerPoint advertisements that can be seen on the plasma screens found on campus at the A. Ray Olpin Union building and other buildings around campus.

K-UTE has also begun sponsoring free concerts for University Utah students, the first being the 2011 fall break. This was done with the hope of raising awareness of the station and the changes the station has made since its return.

Students were asked about their thoughts on the station and if there were any additional changes they, as listeners, would like to see. A majority of the students who were asked knew that the station existed but not much beyond that.

David McCall, a junior studying entertainment and game design said he it would be great to know “what’s going on [at the] school today.”

In addition to McCall’s statement, Valerie Martin and Rebecca Edwards, seniors studying biology said they would like to hear about opportunities on campus and school gossip.

For further information on K-UTE or their events, check out their homepage http://www.kuteradio.org/

New Conference Provides New Challenges for the Lady Ute’s

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Story by Rachel Thomas

After winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament last year, the University of Utah’s women’s basketball team faces new challenges and obstacles upon entering the Pac-12.
Utah finished their last season with an 18-17 record, but came back from the losses to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada. After finishing last season with such a large win, the Pac-12 coaches picked the women’s basketball team to finish sixth out of 12 teams, according to the Deseret News.
Utah’s depth chart is growing because of new recruits wanting to be a part of the PAC-12. Four of the team’s starters have scored over 30 points in a single game during their careers, according to the Deseret News.  One of those starters is Janita Badon. Badon enters the 2011 season as a fourth-year starter at point guard, and was chosen as last year’s Mountain West Conference Tournament’s MVP.
The team has yet to play any in-conference home games, but Badon said, “Going off of playing the PAC-12 teams last year, they’re really strong and tall! I think the way they defend will be very different from the Mountain West Conference. The Pac-12 teams play zone defense rather than man.”
According to Badon, the workouts have also changed. The team has begun focusing more on strengthening their legs and becoming stronger, both physically and mentally.
Badon said, “I most enjoy being a part of the Pac-12 because we’re now a part of a well-known conference, not just athletically, but academically as well. One major conflict is the fact we are the “newbies,” but at the same time it can also be a positive, because we have the opportunity to do something really special in the Pac-12.”
Not only have the teams changed, but the marketing aspects of the games have changed as well. New promotions have been created to build hype for the team.
Courtney Gramse, who is the Spirit Coordinator and works directly with the marketing directors said, “To build excitement the marketing team have started a Facebook and Twitter pages that have a lot of updates on them so that the fans know things first hand. They do a lot more promotions involving giveaways which gives people more incentive to come.”
The public is welcome to all of the games. To get more families and children to attend the games, the marketing department has created a “kid zone,” which according to Gramse is full of interactive activities and games.
The crowds at the University of Utah’s women’s games aren’t as large as other sports, but the band provides entertainment and music for all other attendees.
Ryan Kelleher, a student at the University of Utah that has attended every home game over the past 3 years, said, “It’s still too early to tell any major differences yet because we haven’t had any Pac-12 home games, but the coaches have gotten a little more intense and have started pushing the girls a little harder to prepare them for the new teams. I think the crowd will grow being in a power house conference rather than being in a moderate conference. Crowds will grow not only in women’s basketball, but in all sports at Utah.”
For further information on the University of Utah’s women’s basketball team visit,
http://www.utahutes.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/utah-w-bskbl-body.html.

Northern Utah Left to Clean up the Remins from Last Week’s Storm

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Story by Kaitlyn Christensen

With winds reaching 102 mph Wednesday night, thousands were left without power and property damage in Northern Utah.
The results of the storm have been devastating for residents. Power lines and trees were blown over leaving damage to properties and residences without power for almost 48 hours.
“Thursday morning was a huge surprise for my family and me. Our fence blew away like a parachute and the part of our fence that happened to not be blown away was toppled on by our neighbor’s tree. It was a very frustrating experience, we were without power for most of Thursday and now that we have to repair the fence,” said Ashley Eppich about her experience with Wednesday’s storm.
In a statement, Orrin Hatch said, “I want to extend my compassion to Utahans’ who have been impacted by today’s significant wind storm.  It is always disheartening to witness the havoc Mother Nature can wreak on buildings, homes, cars and other personal belongings and my heart goes out to those who now face major repairs and structural damage.”
Residents of Northern Utah came together over the weekend to clean up the results of Wednesday’s storm.
On Sunday many volunteers donated their time and equipment to help all residents remove debris and repair damage to help get their town back to normal.
“It was a miraculous sight to see the community coming together to help one another in this time of need. What would have taken two months ended up taking eight hours on Sunday,” said Kaysville Mayor Steve Hiatt.
Many LDS Churches canceled their services on Sunday to have members volunteer their time to help with the clean up.
Not only did citizens offer their manpower and time, but also the Utah National Guard and many privately owned businesses offered equipment, machinery and manpower to help get the community back on track.
“Luckily, my next door neighbor owns his own landscaping company, he and his crew used their trucks and equipment to help me clean up my yard and anyone else who was in need of help. People I didn’t know were helping me make repairs to my fence and patio. It is great to see people come together in a time like this,” said Ryan Ludlow.
All of the debris cleaned up left residents numerous piles of waste to remove.
“It was an enormous amount of waste,” said Hiatt.
Many cities had set aside temporary landfill for its residents to remove any green waste or other materials.
In Kaysville, between 100-150 volunteer trucks were lined up to drop off the waste that they had collected.
These temporary landfills were temporary closed on Monday to begin the “recovery operations” of moving all of the collected debris from the temporary landfill to the real landfill.
Those who were not removing debris and repairing damage were passing out drinks and food.
“Our community came through, as Utahans, we know how to put others before ourselves,” said Hiatt.

Occupy Wall Street Gains Momentum

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Story By: Katie Andrus

Occupy Wall Street Gains Momentum

            “We are the 99 percent!”

This saying has gained a lot of traction over the past two months as the Occupy Wall Street movements have been expanding out of New York’s financial district in Manhattan and into local cities and neighborhoods across the United States.

Salt Lake City has its own Occupy movement that stands strong with the thousands of other demonstrators across the United States. Even after conflicts with police, eviction from headquarters and treacherous weather the movement is still gathering ground and more followers are joining as each day progresses.

According to http://occupywallstreet.org the Occupy movement has gained substantial ground for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons being that many people are becoming ever more unsettled with the growing amount of wealth that CEOs and large corporations, also known as the top 1 percent of earners, are acquiring. At the same time families across the U.S. are struggling to make ends meet.

“For me one of the major issues is  (the) growing income inequality in the United States. While the top 1 percent of earners have seen their share of wealth and real income skyrocket over the last 30 years, real wages for the middle class have stagnated, “ said Charles Benard, an avid follower and participant of the Occupy Salt Lake movement.

Frank Wood, a man who grew up in U.S. during the ‘50s and ‘60s, talks about a time in which the U.S. was a model to the rest of the world.  This model “was a meld of our own social programs and capitalism,” suggested Wood.

It is the failure of this American model that calls for people such as Wood to defend the country. “I just can’t go to the grave thinking I haven’t done everything possible to leave this country the way my folks left it to me.”

When looking at the official Occupy Wall Street webpage one can see that Occupy Wall Street is a “people powered” movement that is aimed at “fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations.”

“The top combined 1 percent of wealth holders in the United States has more wealth than the bottom 90 percent. This consolidation of wealth at the top is what is responsible for dropping wages, unemployment and many problems we see in our economy including the ongoing disappearance of the middle class,” said   Jesse Fruthwithe an Occupy Wall Street supporter, who helped organize Occupy SLC.

As the movements have expanded over hundreds of cities, many protesters have been faced with conflict and frustration. Such issues have caused Americans to wonder if this movement will continue until change is made.

Abbie Minkler, a participant in the Occupy movement stated, “We are here until the end.  The American people have had enough. It’s time to take our country back!  It is not just the people in New York who are sick and tired of the 1 percent who are filthy rich and are getting richer off of the poor and middle class here in America and around the world.”

Save The Earth

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Story by Lyndsay Frehner

Everyday there are approximately 130 million phones that are thrown away.  In five hours, one million plastic cups are used on airline flights.  Every hour, roughly 2.4 million pounds of plastic are flowing from rivers into the oceans of the world.
In a recent lecture at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts on Dec. 1, 2011, Chris Jordan presented photographs on the impacts of mass consumption.
Jordan showed many pictures depicting the large volumes of waste that humans produce every day.  There is absolutely now boundary to how much people actually throw away.  “Where is the Grand Canyon of our waste?” said Jordan.
The amount of garbage that is thrown away is innumerable.  As human beings,  “we can only comprehend small numbers,” said Jordan.
Resulting from all the waste that is produced there is a toll on the environment and its surrounding areas.
Midway Island is one of the places that have been affected.  Midway Island is out in the Pacific Ocean and thousands of miles from the closest land.  One of the native birds is the albatross.  These albatrosses, however, are dying.
For the albatross, their main food source is fish from the ocean.  Unfortunately they can’t differentiate between plastic and fish.  This causes the birds to eat what the humans throw away.  With the plastic inside their stomachs, they slowly die of starvation or dehydration.
These birds are dying because of human waste.  Humans use multiple objects such as: plastic, cell phones, paper bags, toothbrushes, lighters and even cars.  When thrown away, the objects get put into the garbage or even into a river or the street.  The problem with throwing garbage into water sources is that it will eventually end up in the ocean.
Jordan has begun documenting these effects on Midway Island.  From one of his personal experiences, Jordan witnessed a small bird slowly dying.  It was hard for him to not feel sorry for the creature.  How could one not feel sympathetic?
As a mentor to Jordan, Terry Tempest Williams said,  “You never get over grief.  You need to learn to embrace it and come to love it.”  This was in response to his question on how to cope with the effects humans are having upon the small habitat of Midway Island.
“If we’re terrified of grief, we’re terrified of silence,” said Williams.  One must learn to feel sorrow for their actions, but not be afraid to speak out.  There are changes that need to be made.
Hannah Culbertson, certified nursing assistant, said “Pretty soon the future generations will be blaming their president for this problem when it’s really our fault right now.  We know how to change, but we’re not doing it.”
Jordan has documented these dying and decaying birds so as to help the citizens of the world become more aware of what is going on.  There is an intense need for change.
“Think about the relationship between the one and the world.  I really don’t make a difference because I’m one in seven million,” said Jordan.  There is nothing more disappointing than seeing the effects of a decision and knowing there isn’t much to do.
“How do we bare the truths of the times we live in?” asked Jordan.  As a society, working together is an integral part of saving the earth and its inhabitants.  Recycle the 2.4 million pounds of plastic instead of watching it float away to the ocean.
For more information on these bodies of work or Chris Jordan, please visit http://www.chrisjordan.com.

College Football Players Weigh in on Life as a Student-Athlete

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Story by: Chris Washington

Every Saturday, from the beginning of September all the way until early December, millions of Americans attend college football games. Millions of others, who don’t make it to the games, watch them on television. However, the difficulties that these student-athletes face while attempting to juggle two full-time jobs is often ignored.

An average workday for a collegiate football player is typically not considered luxurious. After a six-o-clock conditioning session, a player will generally have to attend approximately three hours of classes. However, it isn’t necessarily the classes that give players a tough time; it is the fact that the player must fit the conditioning, along with the classes, into their schedule before one-o-clock, at which point they would be preparing for another 4 hours of practice and meetings.

A general defense, and common misconception that is often attributed to student-athletes, especially football players, is the idea that athletes live like kings on campus. Chandler Johnson, a wide receiver for the University of Utah football team, didn’t agree with that.

“People always think that professors just hand out passing grades and that athletes drive nice cars and have plenty of money, but in all reality that couldn’t be more false”, Johnson said.

According to Johnson, not only do many professors treat athletes in a stricter manner, due to the perception that football players might be expecting unearned grades, but a lot of players have less money than regular students.

Johnson elaborated by saying, “Most students have time to get a job when they are short on cash, but we don’t even have time to get jobs, so we basically just have to live off of the $910 scholarship check that we get every month.”

Sam Brenner, an offensive guard for the Utah Utes, believed that things like weight demands can make it even harder to live comfortably off of the $910 monthly check.

“We are expected to weigh a certain amount every week, some players are told to gain like 50 or 60 pounds, so we pretty much have to spend around 300 dollars of our money every month on food. If you add rent and things like that into the equation, before you know it your whole check is gone”, explained Brenner.

Things like this are often not thought about when millions of people are enjoying their favorite team’s triumphs on the field.

Fortunately it is possible to gain perspective from both the student-athlete’s side, as well as the experiences of the regular students on campus.

“I’m not sure what life is like for football players, but I would imagine it is probably not that great other than when they are playing in games and signing autographs”, said Liz Anderson, a student at the University of Utah.

Anderson went on to explain how she has time to go to school full-time and also work as much as she needs to.

Despite Universities bringing in millions of dollars on the player’s behalf, athletes everywhere often struggle, both mentally and financially.

Although life can be very difficult for a college football player, it is a life that each player signed up for completely of his own free will.

The good news is that life is not all frowns for these guys. There are numerous benefits to playing football at such an elite level. Sam Brenner explained how gratifying the life of a college football player can be, by saying,

“Even though there are times when it’s hard, at the end of the day I am doing what I dreamed of as a child. That’s all that really matters to me.”

With the possibility of college players being paid to play in the future, people like Sam Brenner might be the last of a dying breed.

NPR Pledge Drive Drastically Affected by the Economy

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By: Callie Mendenhall

How the economy is doing affects most everything in the United States and the National Public Radio (NPR) pledge drive is no exception. When the economy is in a recession so is the pledge drive by affecting it through listener and corporate support.

A pledge drive is an extended period of fundraising activities for public broadcasting stations to increase contributors for their station. Pledge drives are used so the station can receive the majority of their funding. Local NPR stations are known for their enthusiastic and persuasive pledge drives, but pledge drives funding can quickly dwindle when the economy is in a downfall, as any NPR employee knows.

“The pledge drive is an event we have where listeners and companies give back to the station for what we do for them all year. Listeners and companies donate money and or gifts to the station to insure we can pay for everything because it is where we receive most of our funding.”  Said Rebecca McInroy, Producer for KUT— local Austin, Texas NPR station.

Other funding “..come from foundations, and business support, what we call program underwriting,” According to John Greene, General Manager of KUER.

The NPR pledge drives are a “special time when I feel good about giving money to the station that I absolutely love to listen to on my way to work.” Said avid KUER listener, James Meisinger.

Although many NPR listeners feel that they should give back during the pledge drives, it’s hard when the economy isn’t booming which causes the pledge drive to be drastically affected.

Tristin Tabish, Program Director of KUER, said, “Our fund drives are affected by the economy in two major ways: listener and corporate support. The economy affects the pledge drive as it affects every other aspect of society – consumers have to make priorities about their purchases. Philanthropy tends to be an area that is perceived as a “luxury” and so people will either give less to their favorite charities, focus on a single organization or choose not to contribute at all.”

Pledge drives may be perceived as luxuries as Tabish vocalized, but that doesn’t mean that the NPR stations reduce the need for funding when the economy is down. NPR stations need more money every year due to the increase in living prices which means that stations can’t afford to lose any funding no matter how bad the economy may be doing.

According to Tabish, instead of lowering their pledge drive goal they instead, “..have to work harder at being consistent with our message, and tell our listeners exactly why we need their support and where their contributions are going. We try to connect with our most loyal donors to give what they can, so we send e-solicitations and direct mail to give them as many opportunities as they can to give.”

NPR pledge drives are no different than any other aspect of life. It’s a simple fact, when the economy is low so is the funding that stations receive during their pledge drives.

Jordan High Celebrates Native American Culture Through Art

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by Meish Roundy

Utah’s Jordan High School, under the direction of the Center for Documentary Expression and Art, celebrated the completion of a Native American mural named “Sacred Images” Tuesday, Nov. 29 in Jordan High’s commons. Karen Sterling, the director of student advocacy and access from Jordan High, hopes the mural will “give all students the opportunity to have a greater awareness and appreciation of Native American history.”
The unveiling began with a Native American prayer said in Shoshoni and translated later into English by Rupert Steele.  Steele expressed thanks in his prayer that the “mural accomplishes school unity.”
Beginning two months ago, the project was overseen by resident artist Lee Madrid, under the direction of the Center for Documentary Expression and Art with cooperation from Canyons School District.
Madrid initially took students on a sacred images field trip to southern Utah to look at Native American art. The 10 students, which later became 15 students, were also taught after school about common Native American symbols in art.
Madrid was impressed with Jordan High’s students saying that, “they were open to the mural and the images flowed. The (mural’s) stories are touching, deep; full of cultural forgiveness, death, personal growth and economic struggles.”
Remarking on the night’s unveiling Madrid said. “I have only happy memories; except that it’s over.”
The painting includes a dream catcher, a Native American woman praying and an Indian chief but it also includes other symbols such as the American flag, piano sheet music, the Salt Lake City Latter-day Saint temple, and the artists’ faces gathered around a campfire.
Meghan Asbell, one of the student artists from Jordan High School, speaking about the mural said:  “At first we based the art on Native American tradition and then it grew into something else. Something that’s ours.”
Each of the student artists at the event signed the back of the mural twice: Once with their given name and a second time with a Native American handprint.
Leslie Kelen, head financer of the project and president of the Center for Documentary Expression and Art, said about the painting. “We share these images with young people to remind them we all come from the same stalk.”   He explained that the “sacred (Native American) images extend knowledge of ancient families.” and that “(The mural) reclaims and reuses ancient images of those that loved and died in Utah.”
Closing remarks and the prayer were offered by Steve Todachiny.  He expressed thanks for the tree in the center of the mural and described the tree’s multiple meanings in the Native American Culture. “ The tree is a foundation. Leaves change and represent the cycle of life.  It represents our protection and feeds us.”
The unveiling also included a Native American performing group called “Princess and Singers” along with refreshments.
The mural will hang in the Student Service Center in Utah’s Jordan High School.

Bell Ringers Brave Cold For Donations

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Story By: Kade Sybrowsky

Armed with nothing but a tiny bell and a red tin kettle. Salvation Army bell ringers are out in full force again this holiday season. Receiving spare change donations anywhere from grocery stores to malls.

Bell ringers got their start in the United States with Captain Joseph McFee back in 1891. Mcfee wanted to raise money to feed the poor in San Francisco. He put out a red kettle and a sign that said, “Keep the Pot Boiling.” McFee raised enough money to feed the poor that Christmas and the holiday tradition was born.

Drew Jones, Janet Harris and Malcom Wells are bell ringers that will be out ringing this holiday season. Braving the wintery and cold conditions to receive valuable donations for the Salvation Army.

Jones, 43, originally from California, bell rings in front of the Harmons grocery store on thirteenth east near thirty-third south. This will be his third holiday season of bell ringing in Utah.

“I do it because I enjoy being around people,” Jones Said. “I just wanted to help out in some way…it’s not a lot but still its something.”

For the most part Jones enjoys his job. He doesn’t like to be out in the cold but believes that the cause is worth his body being frozen for hours on end.

“Its freaking cold…(but) seeing the best in people even though its just spare change can mean a lot to other people,” said Jones.

One of those people was Janet Harris, in her fourth year as a bell ringer. She currently bell rings in front of a Wal-Mart store in Murray. She has received first hand the benefits of what these donations can do for someone and that is why she bell rings.

“The salvation army helped me out so I just wanted to help them out,” Harris said. “Everyone likes to give back especially this time of year so it’s nice.”

Harris does not plan on being a bell ringer for life but has enjoyed her time doing it. She like Jones is not particularly fond of the cold because her hands get so cold but doesn’t mind to sacrifice for the cause

After ten years of bell ringing Wells, 53, likes to think he is use to the cold by now. He currently bell rings in front of the Smiths Marketplace in Millcreek.

“I have done it for about ten years and every year I say I am not going to do it the next, but I always end up back here,” Wells said.

Wells, unlike the other bell ringers, gets paid for his duties of bell ringing. Although most bell ringers are volunteers there are some that get paid right around minimum wage.

“I got nothing else to do. I thought I might as well make a little more Christmas money for my family,” said wells.

Whether getting paid or just volunteering, Wells, Harris and Jones are all in aggreeance that seeing the holiday spirit and the good in people makes the job worth doing.

“I love seeing the spirit of the season in everyone,” said wells

The Salvation Army is hoping to capture this spirit during the holiday season by receiving donations.  To donate simply put spare change in the red kettle donate where bell ringers are located or visit http://www.salvationarmyutah.org/ to fill the online red kettle or to volunteer time.

Cyprus Basketball’s Future Looks Promising

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Story by Marquis Newman

Cyprus Basketball’s Future Looks Promising

The 2011-2012 Cyprus boys basketball team has had a slow start to the season starting 0-3, but their future potential looks promising. This is due to a strong group of upcoming sophomores and the leadership of a talented junior, Connor Squire.

The Cyprus Pirates have struggled early in the season, losing to Jordan, West, and long time region rival Granger. This slow start hasn’t come as a shock due to the fact that the Pirates have no starters returning from last season. “It’s going to take a while for these kids to get the feel,” said head coach Robb Collins while discussing his team’s slow start.

Collins believes that his team will be ready to compete when it becomes time to start region play.

“We’re becoming more aware and getting a better understanding of my philosophy as a coach… we’ve got our work cut out for us, but if we focus on team chemistry and work together we can still be successful and go to the state tournament,” said Collins.

Part of Cyprus’s struggles this season is that they do not yet have a third scoring threat. Squire, point guard for the team, is averaging 16.67 points per game and senior forward Austin Henriod contributes by scoring 8.33 points per game, but after those two players Cyprus doesn’t have anybody else averaging more than 6 points. Defenses are able to game plan around stopping Henriod and Squire, and the rest of the team is not taking advantage of their opportunities.

Squire has played very well in the pirates’ first three games. Squire is the tenth leading scorer in 4A and has made 7 threes over that three game span. Squire said he believes “we can be a good team…if we play physical this year we can make [the state tournament].”

Squire has found that leading a team isn’t easy, especially as a junior. “The seniors sometimes don’t respect what I have to say… It’s a struggle to become a leader, all you can do is lead by example and not become frustrated when people screw up,” said Squire.

Squire has worked hard over the summer to make himself a better player, and it is obvious by his play on the court. “I realized what I needed to do to make myself better and I tried not to take any days off,” said Squire.

The coaching staff feels very optimistic about the future of this team with the emergence of what Collins calls “a very talented and athletic sophomore class.”

Point guard Josh Jackson and forward Parker Loutensock lead the sophomore group, both have played extensive varsity minutes this season.  Collins said that both sophomores are “recognizing that they can be big contributors to our team and are working very hard to get better in practice.”

“I think with the upcoming sophomores Cyprus has potential to be a good program,” said Tre Smith, the Cyprus Sophomore coach, former Cyprus player and former University of Utah basketball player.

Smith believes that if the sophomore group prioritizes school and basketball they will be pretty good. “We made the state tournament in 2010 with a really good group of kids and I see the same potential with our younger kids…I’m very excited to see what the future holds,” said Smith.

Fantasy Football: A Positive Influence on Fans

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Story by Alex Goff

Fantasy Football has become a huge part of today’s National Football League and it’s a great way for fans to become more involved with the NFL, even if there is no professional team in your state or hometown.

Chris Andrews, a fantasy football help line employee said, “Fantasy football gives everyone a chance to enjoy the NFL, it doesn’t matter how big of a fan you are because it’s not solely about the game, it’s about managing a team and playing against your friends or co–workers.”

Even people who don’t enjoy watching the sport can still participate.  Marquis Newman, a fantasy football expert and owner of five fantasy teams, said, “You don’t have to be the most knowledgeable football guru to know who the star players are, you just draft them and then hope you get lucky and they have a big year.”

The popularity of fantasy football has become so high that even ESPN has tailored some of their programs to appeal to the masses.  There are fantasy update shows such as fantasy football live that give viewers tips and hints about which players to start or bench.

Fantasy football has gotten to be such a big part of the NFL that people are even joining money leagues, where you have to pay to play and the winner of the league takes home a certain amount of money.  Newman said that he felt it was even more competitive when he thought of the money he could win.

Newman said, “It makes me want to watch every game, especially the ones where my big time players are playing.”

Colton Seely, a pharmacist in the state of Arizona and someone who had little knowledge of football before playing fantasy is now a statistics expert.  Seely said, “It’s almost like it’s not even about the football for me anymore, it’s like I’m playing a different game against my friends and it becomes much more enjoyable to watch the games.”

Andrews felt that people who play fantasy football are more prone to want to go to a live game, and he estimates that 50 percent of his calls are related to finding tickets for fans.  “People just want to go to games, it doesn’t matter if they like the team they’re watching or not, it matters that they’re watching their starting quarterback or their star running back,” Andrews said.

Fans in places like Utah who don’t have a professional team have been left out in a way.  There has never been an NFL team in Utah.  “That’s why I love it [fantasy football] so much, it helps me connect to teams more and really become a fan of specific NFL teams that before I really didn’t care for,” Newman said.

“I’m gonna do fantasy football every year, I look forward to playing when fall comes around and it’s fun to go out to a bar with a group of friends just to watch all the games,” Seely said.

Fantasy football has had a positive influence on fans so far because it helps everyone relate to the sport, anyone can sign up to play and you don’t need much knowledge of how football works, besides who the good players are.

Students from all over the world choose the University of Utah

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Story by Max Lennardt

“The University of Utah is a well known institution within the academic world. We are the only Research 1 University in the state of Utah. The University of Utah is also ranked among the top 25 public U.S. Research Universities and No. 82 in the world for academics,” said Moana Hansen, a graduate advisor in the mechanical engineering department, on the topic why so many international students choose the University of Utah.
There is a total of 2,097 international students from 91 different countries at the University of Utah. Most of them come from China, Korea, and India.
“There is an emerging middle class in these Asian countries, but not enough good institutions for the need for good education. Especially in Korea, it is prestige to have a degree from the United States,” said Sabine Klahr, the director of the international center.
According to a 2010 academic ranking of world universities in China, the University of Utah is ranked No. 47 in the U.S. and No. 82 in the world.
“The rankings definitely speak volumes, and these are aspects that prospective international applicants consider when selecting a University. International students are also attracted to the low cost of attendance compared to other universities, which can provide for a better quality of life. Quality of life can be attributed to the weather, affordable housing, transportation, outdoor recreation, and many other factors,” said Hansen.
The majority of the international students study business, science or mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineering is especially popular since the University of Utah is ranked No. 67 in the nation according to a 2011 U.S. News and World Report, which is highly attractive for students from all over the world.
International students are interested in specific research areas that the Department of Mechanical Engineering has to offer such as: Robotics and controls, thermal fluids and energy systems, design, ergonomics and manufacturing systems and solid mechanics.
”International students are also aware of our faculty members, who carry a strong reputation within the academic community for their innovation and contributions to research. Overall, our faculty, research and funding really set us apart from other institutions,” said Hansen.
According to Klahr, all the international students contribute to global development, diversity and internationalize the campus. “International students are really important for diversity reasons. I believe the U.S needs to be more connected. Other countries are more open, and the U.S. needs to be more diverse and is still to isolated,” said Klahr.
Klahr grew up in Germany and lived all over the United States before she moved took the position as the international director at the University of Utah.
“All students can learn from another. American students have the chance to learn about different cultures, and the international students have the opportunity to experience the American way of live,” added Klahr.
There are 10 international clubs on campus like the Chinese, Japanese, African or Muslim student association, and the cross culture club, where Americans and international students meet and can learn from each other.
Most of the international students are degree-seeking students. “The majority of students are not exchange students. Most come for a degree and are with us for the long haul,” said Julie Scott, the office manager in the international office. A data sheet, presented from the international office showed that there are around 1,000 master or PhD seeking international students and around 1,300 undergrads.
”Eighty percent of the international applicants were admitted to the PhD program while 20 percent were admitted to the master’s program”, said Hansen.            Some International students even decide to stay and work in the U.S. for a 1-year period in their field of study. “Those in a STEM major (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) can qualify for an additional 17 months of employment. If the employers love these employees, they can hire them on an H-1B visa, and some can eventually qualify for a Green Card,” said Scott.

Come and Star Gaze

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Story by,

Mitch Waite
Every Wednesday, the Department of Physics & Astronomy, at the University of Utah, hosts a weekly star party at the South Physics Observatory.

The star party is an outreach project to help participants gain and spread knowledge about the solar system.  The Department of Physics & Astronomy has expert students who assist visitors in viewing the stars.  The South Physics Observatory is the only one of its kind in Salt Lake City.

“Our primary goal when we [U. of U. physics students] decided to host the start party was to reach out to people who want to learn more about astronomy, but don’t know how or where to start,” said Paul Ricketts, currently a student at the University of Utah, who is in charge of the star gazing every Wednesday night.

When asked about the number of participants, Ricketts stated “We are still reaching out to visitors; we still have plenty of room in the observatory if that’s what you’re asking.  However, those that come are amazed by what they see, and are anxious to return the following week.”

Visitors for the star gazing can come for free, and the agenda each night is to look at the stars.  Cierra Blair is another physics student at the University of Utah who educates and assists at the parties.  Blair said “Initially we wanted to implement some kind of an agenda or educational curriculum to give every night at the star party, but we began to notice that we would get new visitors whose needs and knowledge was different from others.”

Blair further mentioned that setting an agenda each night became difficult.  The current plan for the star party is to invite visitors to come with questions about the solar system and astronomy in general.  “We set up the telescopes on certain spots in the sky and wait for people to come ready to ask and learn about certain aspects of the cosmos,” said Ricketts.

Located on the University of Utah campus, the South Physics Observatory has been in use for more than 50 years.  According to the observatory’s website, it was built on the roof of the South Physics building in 1976.  In 2001, The Willard L. Eccles Foundation donated funds to purchase new telescopes, cameras, a spectrograph, and other items for the observatory, which is now on the roof of the South Physics building.

On any given night, there are four to six telescopes set up in the observatory for looking through.  The observatory can fit anywhere from 20 to 30 people in it.  Ricketts mentions that he still hopes that they can reach the maximum amount of occupants for the observatory before the last party on December 14th.

The star party, hosted by the Physics & Astronomy Department of the University of Utah, is an opportunity to go and gain knowledge about the solar system.  In the South Physics Observatory, physics students are eager to educate and instruct participants on functions of the universe.  It is an outreach project that many of the U. of U. physics student’s hope will continue into the future and help the Physics & Astronomy Department gain more support.

The Rise of The Audience

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By: Callie Mendenhall

 “Journalists are increasingly becoming the audience and the audience is increasingly becoming the journalist,” said Matthew LaPlante on Thursday, October 26. KUER’s own Radio West was recorded in the Hinkley Institute of Politics and the topic of the show was how journalism is shifting and how it’s affecting the audience. Doug Fabrizio hosted the show alond side the panel of four others: Matthew Ingram, a senior writer at GigaOM.com; Holly Mullen, a writer and former reporter; Matthew LaPlante, a journalism instructor at Utah Sate; and Holly Richardson, a member of the Utah House of Representatives and an active blogger.

The way citizens receive information is changing. Journalism used to be an article about every event, but now even Jeff Jarvis, an American journalist, is saying, “Today an article is no longer needed for every event.” What that means is now piece of information or journalism might be a tweet or a Facebook status instead of a well-written and edited news article. News is now on a 24-hour cycle and it can no longer be an industry where news and stories are only updates every morning when the paper comes out. If a person wants information about anything they are able to get on the Internet and find it out. Ingram said, “We are turning the Internet into a small town where everyone knows everything.”

Because everyone knows everything, journalists have had to change the way that they interact with their audience by making news a process and not a product.

“The relationship between journalist and the audience was fundamentally disconnected”, said Ingram with the concurrence of Mullen and Richardson. Before the wave of social media, a story was written and then unless a journalist got a letter from a citizen it was done. Now when a journalist writes a story, they get an immense amount of feedback within minutes from their readers. This change has made the journalists more accountable for their information put out. Kate VanWagoner, a senior communication major at the University of Utah said she believes that, “Journalism has reached a new level of efficiency.”

Social media is still a work in progress and therefore is still having many hiccups and discussions along the way. With Facebook and Twitter anyone can be a journalist, but discussed in the show is, is it necessary to be a card-carrying journalist anymore?  Richarson who had no college training to be a journalist said she feels a person doesn’t have to have the training of a college degree because a person can simply teach themselves. Mullen, on the other side, said she believes that having a degree and learning techniques in college in order to write is extremely important and society will never lose the appreciation for it. Traditional journalists or card-carrying journalists will always have a place in journalism, but now so do citizen journalists.

Citizen journalists report information to citizens every day because the traditional journalist can even submit a story on the same event and that is how journalism is changing.  Citizen journalists are everywhere and continue to grow everyday.

When the panel of guests were asked how to be a citizen journalist the answer was to be interesting, relevant, factual and above all seek the truth and report it.

Emily Dunn, a junior communication major at the University of Utah said, I would consider myself a citizen journalist, but I’m still taking the appropriate steps in order to get an education to learn everything that I possibly can.”

Journalism is an ever-changing industry and LaPlante put it best that we are democratizing the system of journalism by having the audience become the journalist and the journalists become the audience.

The Changes in Modern Journalism

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Story by Rachel Maughan

Journalism is no longer owned and controlled by powerful people, it is owned by everyone. Last week at the University of Utah Doug Fabrizio from KUER radio hosted a live broadcast discussion on the subject of what journalism is becoming in modern times. Students from the university attended the event. Guests on the show included Matt Ingram, Holly Mullen, Matt Leplante and Holly Richardson who all have experience in reporting or blogging.
“Journalists are increasingly becoming the audience and the audience is increasingly becoming the journalist,” Leplante stated. One of the main focuses of the discussion was about citizen journalism, which is when common people even with no journalism training can make news.
“How do you become a citizen journalist?” Fabrizio said, “Be meaningful, be relevant and be accurate.”
Richardson, a member of the Utah Legislature, calls herself “a conservative social media journalist.” She has no official training in journalism but has her own blog and tweets the news herself. She says her news travels fast and in one tweet has received over 6,500 responses from different people.
“The Internet is turning into a small town,” Richardson said, “everyone knows your business and we largely volunteer away our privacy.”
Ingram had a similar view as Richardson. He said that people don’t need to have specific training to do journalism. One of the issues was that citizen journalists, due to their lack of knowledge about the laws of journalism, will be susceptible to libel cases. People may miswrite stories because of emotional responses. Ingram said that libel law will evolve due to the fact that anyone can respond and share the news.
Mullen said that libel and privacy issues are essential to teach in journalism school.
Leplante and Mullen both said that education in journalism is very important. They both saw the importance that journalists be taught news ethics and values.
The changes in journalism are also affecting jobs. Some people think that newspapers, magazines, radio and television journalism will cease to exist due to citizen journalism and the Internet.
“For people who want to go into journalism, they didn’t address how new media is affecting jobs. Is new media discouraging or encouraging for new journalists?” said Nic Smith, a journalism student at the University of Utah.
“You can’t run with the wolves when you pee like a puppy,” Mullen said referring to the pace of journalism. She talked about how it takes people with a lot of drive to survive in the social media world.
“I think that the traditional media is something that our generation needs to understand even though we weren’t really a part of it,” said Molly Wheeler, a political science major.
Journalism is changing. Internet sites such as Twitter and Facebook are becoming popular places for people to get their daily news. Though the Internet may seem to be taking over, there is still room for news articles and reporters.
At the discussion, they talked about writing news stories and some of the things to consider. Self editing is important and something to be aware of. Also, every angle and opinion transforms the story. News writing is an ongoing process.
“A story doesn’t have to be a beginning, middle and end, but ongoing,” said Fabrizio. Journalism will always be around. People want to know what’s going on around them and what it means. Citizen journalism is growing, but the speakers also assured that there will still be a place for writers in the future.
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Spinal Chord Veterans Learn to Paraglide

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Story by Rachel Maughan
A Sun Valley program helps veterans and disabled persons paraglide.

SUN VALLEY, IDAHO – This weekend, five veterans with spinal chord injuries got the opportunity to paraglide.

The veterans had their training with ABLE pilot, an organization that helps disabled people have the chance to paraglide.

Training for the SCI veterans started Friday and went to Monday. They learned how to operate an adaptive flight chair at the Sun Valley Camp. Starting Friday, the veterans learned how to operate a paraglider and how to function as a pilot. Next, they gained experience by flying 3 feet above the ground, and took practice flights with instructors. By Monday the veterans were flying solo.

The veterans had the option of flying in two chairs, the Phoenix 1.0 and the Phoenix 1.5.  Under the direction of Don Bloswick, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Utah, four mechanical engineering students at the University of Utah made these chairs.

Mark Gaskill is a trained solo tandem pilot from ABLE pilot. He started paragliding on the University of Utah team. Gaskill now trains people how to paraglide and has created a paragliding program for persons with disabilities.  He also trained the veterans this past weekend.

“ABLE Pilot is an organization committed to getting people with spinal chord injuries, amputations and neuromuscular diseases safely into the air, piloting and flying with the minimum amount of assistance,” said Gaskill.

To learn more about ABLE Pilot and their service to disabled persons, visit http://ablepilot.com/.
(Words: 236)

The NBA Lockouts Impact on Salt Lake City Businesses

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By Steven Blomquist

The NBA Lockouts Impact on Salt Lake City Businesses

The labor disagreement between the NBA and its players not only put the NBA season in jeopardy, but also raised concern in many small market areas about potential decline in revenue.
“The NBA lockout is not only affecting the players on the court but Salt Lake City businesses who rely on the Jazz fans for business” said local business and Jazz fan Mark Maybee.
Energy Solutions Arena can hold more than 19,911 fans. With the great influx of people coming downtown, many come early on game night to go to local restaurants, shop at stores and ride TRAX. All of which will see the effects.
Vincent V. Fonua, who has worked for the downtown Crown Burger for 3 years, said, “Crown burger and other restaurants will be for sure be affected by no Jazz season. It’s a usually are busiest part of the year.”
“Around 5 p.m. for about 2 hours we get a major rush,” right before the game starts around the corner from the arena. “It is great business for us. We do very well during Jazz season,” Fonua added.
“I have been a Jazz fan all my life. Going to games is a tradition I have with my brothers. We would always go Crown Burger to eat before the games and since the lockout I haven’t been to there,” said Jazz fan Mike Plant.
It’s not only the restaurants who suffer; it’s all those who rely on people coming downtown for games to make their business go.
Torry Austin, a local cab driver, said, “It’s not just restaurants that are seeing the effects. It’s parking revenue, it’s transportation revenues, it’s taxi cab rides.” Austin who has been a cab driver for over 20 years said, “Jazz season really allows me to make ends meet through the winter.”
Salt Lake is not the only city that has seen the effects of the lockout on the local economy. Fourteen other small market cities such as the Indianapolis, Memphis and Portland have also seen effects.
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker was one of 14 mayors in October who sent an open letter to league owners and players pleading their case for a season to take place for the sake of the local economies.
“It has created a huge strain,” Becker said. “I’m sure there are people who these part-time jobs at the arena make a difference in their ability to make end’s meet.” He added, “There are going to be economic casualties.”
On Nov. 26, the NBA and its players agreed on terms of a new collective bargain agreement. After missing all the preseason games and first 6 weeks of 2011-2012 play has been slated to start on Dec. 25.
While the NBA players celebrate their new deal they are not the only ones jumping for joy.  Local businesses also celebrate the end of the lockout, with the hope to make up for the lost profits

Being a Firefighter is Not an Easy Job

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By: Laurie Carlson

“If you are a person who says you are going to do something you do it. Being a firefighter definitely takes some devotion to the job. One of the biggest parts of the job is having integrity,” said Chris Wood B-shift fire captain of South Salt Lake station 43.

 
A firefighter is someone who is dedicated and perseveres when things are at their toughest point.

 
“To be a good firefighter you need to be able to work as a team, know your job well and know your teammates jobs’ well. You need to be eager to learn and continue to move forward with education throughout your career. “

 
“We put others before ourselves but keep our own safety first. It falls on the captain to send us home safe,” said Israel Estares, a firefighter who works on Wood’s crew.
The day-to-day job of a firefighter is never the same.

 
“We train, we shop, we cook, workout, as well as give tours and do inspections.  We eat and – hopefully – sleep.  We get called to everything.  We could be called to a cat in a tree, to sick people, to fires.  That’s the fun of the job when the siren goes off it could be anything,” said Jared Christensen, a firefighter who works on Wood’s crew.

 
They could be back in five minutes or they might not ever come back.

 
“You could go pick up a drunk man off the street and 10 minutes later you could be holding a dead baby.  You could be so far into a fire you can’t even see your hands.  In a 24 hour period I have run from 1 to 47 calls.  You just never know,” said Jared Christensen.

 
Wood has been a firefighter for 15 years and has been fire captain for 8 years.

 
“The first time I talked to him I knew that he was very knowledgeable about his career and what he does as a captain,” said Jennifer Christensen Granite Technical Institute (GTI) Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) teacher who works with Wood.

 
Wood not only works at the fire station as captain but he also helps students at the GTI gain more insight from a firefighter point of view.

 
Jennifer Christensen said, “Chris has helped with my EMT classes in setting up their ride alongs and working with them so they know what is expected. Chris stands out as a captain because he works well with everyone and cares about the people he works with.”

 

.
Estares went on to say, “Our captain is just like anyone, he has strengths and weaknesses just like you and I. The strengths I see in Captain Wood are his ability to communicate with anyone in any situation professionally. “

 
Wood also has good common sense. He leads by example and would never ask anyone to do something he wouldn’t do himself.

 
Jared Christensen said, “Chris is one who always has our back and our best interest in mind.”

 
“Chris is one who I know takes care of the people that he works with. I know that if anything were to happen to any of them that they would be okay and Chris would do everything in his power to make sure that they were safe,” said Jennifer Christensen.

 
One of the jobs of a fire captain is to make sure they have training with their crew. Wood schedules trainings for his crew on every shift they have.

 
“We train so that we make safe, smart, stressful decisions while performing a high risk job,” said Estares.

 
Some of the things they do every day to make sure they and everyone around them are safe are always checking the trucks and the gear.

 
One situation that happened to the crew where they could have died was when they were in a house doing a search for people.

 
“It got to the point where it was super smoky so much so you couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face,” said Jared Christensen.

 
They were searching and Jared Christensen was the second guy on the hose line. The guy in front was holding the nozzle and the third guy was pushing hose to them.

 
“We were going down the hallway and right as I leaned forward to sound the floor with an ax, me and the guy in front fell through the floor where the whole basement was on fire,“ said Jared Christensen

 
They then started screaming to the third guy on the hose line who luckily was a big dude so he was able to pull them up back through the hole in the floor.  By that point the two of them were completely disoriented and followed the hose line out.

 
“We didn’t even know we were outside yet when we were actually on the driveway,” said Jared Christensen

 
“Wood has a very close relationship with his crew members and has a very strong devotion to his career choice.  He has backed them up and supported them on thousands of calls,” said Jennifer Christensen.

Students Gain a Glimpse into the State of the US Economy

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Story by Sean Gustafson

“There is no way out of this crisis,” Floyd Norris told students at the University of Utah on Oct. 26, 2011, when talking about the current condition of the United States’ economy; clarifying his statement Norris, the chief financial columnist for the New York Times, continued by stating, “at least not simply.”

Norris began his lecture by comparing the current U.S. economy with previous economic hard times and some of the lessons that have came about from those time periods.

“One of the things I [have] learned [in school] was that it was never really consented what caused the Great Depression.”  Norris continued with because there wasn’t that consensus, it played a major role for what has been going wrong recently.

Norris continued because there wasn’t this consensus on what lead to the Great Depression and later recessions, people didn’t understand the economy. People would continue to spend more than they could afford, banks made poor loans choices and all together people were and still are ignorant to financial matters.

Expanding on this, Norris added, “A lot of the suffering we are undergoing now… was brought about by people who bought homes they should have never purchased and paid more than they could have afford.” People, not understanding beyond the basics of finances and debt, foolishly feel victims to the plague of credit-debt that still haunts many today.

When asked for further clarification on these matters, Norris responded with “I think people assume… a well operating economic and financial system; and if you assume it you won’t pay any attention to it.”

Another point Norris spoke about was that “when credit is easy, it’s a lot of fun.”
Expanding on that statement, student Laurie Carlson said, “If you don’t have credit than you can’t get anywhere.” Carlson continued by expressing with good credit one can buy the houses they want, get their dream car, and receive better loan rates.

When asked about whether or not they understood the topics discussed at the lecture, a lot of the students attending had expressed they had known either very little about finance and the economy or nothing at all beforehand. “I didn’t understand a lot of the technical terms.” said student Halley Hamman.

Despite the swimming in this sea of confusion, there were students who still found the lecture benefitting. Some students took this event as an eye-opening opportunity, such as student Marquis Newman, who expressed because he had a hard time following the lecture he believed he “should learn more about finances.”

Neela Pack, the Student Body President for the University of Utah, said that she felt the lecture was “supper successful.” It got student to think on matters that they wouldn’t normally think about. Pack added that the students were lucky to have such an “esteemed and well respected journalist” talking on such matters.

At the conclusion of the lecture Norris, expressed his optimism for the future when he stated that he believed the economy “will come around.” Norris exclaimed that there were problems before, and there will continue to be problems.

After illustrating the example of Steve Jobs and all he has done, Norris concluded, “this [market of ours] is an amazing system to produce stories like that.”   [539]

Natural History Museum of Utah Opened Offering Educational Opportunities

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Story by Makaylee Pettit

The new Natural History Museum of Utah opened last Friday in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range. It has 10 new galleries, which include three learning labs, providing further education.

 
Design architect for the building, Todd Schliemann, spent several years studying the geography of Utah prior to construction. He wanted to, “symbolize the beauty and magnitude of the state’s unique landscapes.”

 
The building followed Schliemann’s vision. It sits on the shores of the ancient Lake Bonneville, and has views of the Rocky Mountains and the Salt Lake Valley.

 
Director of public relations for the NHMU, Patti Carpenter, said, “ I think we put together a great museum in a great location.

 
There are 10 different galleries: Utah Sky and View Terrace, Native Voices, Land, Life, First Peoples, Lake, Past Worlds, Utah Futures, Rio Tinto Center and Our Backyard. Each one portrays a unique theme but also emphasizes interpretive links to other areas of science.
Three of the galleries are learning labs, which are going to be used for school and public programming. The labs, Embedded in the Life, Past Worlds and First Peoples galleries, are in prime locations and utilize surroundings to provide further learning opportunities.

 

 
Museum exhibit director Becky Menlove said, “The opportunities for kids to explore science here are endless. What we’ve tried to do throughout the museum is to create very interdisciplinary exhibits so that you’re not learning about rocks at a particular time, but also about plants, about paleontology, about hydrology and all the forces that go together because that’s really how we learn when we’re out in nature ourselves.”

 
The museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On Wednesdays it stays open until 9:00 p.m. The prices are $6.00 for children, $7.00 for youth, $9.00 for adults, $7,00 for seniors and children two and under are free.

My Resume

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Chris Washington

 

650 West South Temple        SLC, UT 84104

Cwash37@gmail.com            (801) 682-7769

 

Education:

University of Utah

Fall of 2009 – Present

GPA – 3.0

Northridge High School – Layton, Utah 2006-2009

 

Employment History:

Worked at the Northwest Recreation Center     2011

Worked at Loni DeLand Law Office    2011 – Present

 

Volunteer Experience and Campus Involvement:

Played football for the University of Utah     2009 – 2011

Member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) 2010 – Present

 

Achievements/Awards:

Lettered in three sports in high school

All-state football player in high school

Full athletic scholarship to the University of Utah

 

The Immigration Issue Moved One Step Forward With Utah’s Senate Bill 138

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Story by Makaylee Pettit
Melinda Lyon, a student at Utah State University said she was heart broken when she renewed her license last July. She witnessed a Hispanic man yelling at a worker because his wife had no way of showing more identification.

 
“His wife was bawling and the front desk lady was almost in tears. They had to be asked to leave by security,” said Lyon.

 
This year a bill was proposed to eliminate driving privilege cards as an attempt to aid in the issue of immigration. This resulted in more requirements making the cards harder to obtain.

 
Utah allows three types of driver licenses to be obtained: one for citizens, one for legal non-citizens and one for illegal aliens. In February of 2011, Sen. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George set out to eliminate the latter of the three by proposing Senate Bill 138.

 
He argued that illegal aliens are allowed to present documentation that could too easily be forged, allowing the creation of false identity.

 
SB-138 did pass, but with a substitution made by Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, who was the original author of the law that authorized the driving privilege card in 2005. The substitution added the requirement of fingerprinting to obtain a card instead of eliminating it.

 
Urquhart was disappointed with the result and feels changes still need to be made. In a blog post he said, “That’s not what I think we should do, but it is a step forward.”

 
He also said, “Right now, the Utah Legislature is battling out several approaches to the illegal immigration issue. With the varying approaches we’re considering, we’ve probably managed to tick off every citizen in the State.”

 
Urquhart said at the end of the day much of what they are doing is challenged and overturned by the federal government because immigration is their job.

 
Resident of Hurricane, Utah, Mike Hinkleman, agreed with Urquhart and said he was surprised to discover that Utah of all places is issuing drivers licenses to undocumented aliens.

 
Hinkleman said this was driver license division’s clerk response when asked if illegal aliens could obtain a license, “…Don’t you think it’s better for them to be driving with a license then with no license?” They have to provide evidence that they paid taxes in Utah.

 
Hinkleman questions how many illegal aliens pay any tax to any governmental agency or state. He said the practice makes Utah look stupid and wants it to be stopped because it’s dangerous.

 
Though it’s not his desired result Urquhart himself said, the new requirement is a step forward in the immigration issue. When the application and fingerprints are completed they are sent to the Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security to check for felonies.

 

Nanette Rolfe, director of public safety, told the Salt Lake Tribune in the article, “Undocumented Utah drivers to be fingerprinted,” by David Montero, that as long as an individual is upholding the law there is no reason to be afraid of the fingerprinting.

Resume for Steven Blomquist

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Steven Blomquist

1896 Longview Drive    blomquist31@gmail.com
SLC, UT 84124    (801) 277-1981

Education:
Salt Lake Community College
Fall of 2006 and again in the spring and fall of 2009
University of Utah    Spring of 2010 – Present
GPA – 3.0
Olympus High School – Salt Lake City, Utah    2004-2006

Employment History:
Worked for the Bicycle Center in sales and building bikes 2000-present

Volunteer Experience and Campus Involvement:
County delegate in 2006 and again in 2010
Member of the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity
Volunteer Church Representative – Toronto, Canada 2006-2008
Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Under Tad R. Callister

Achievements/Awards:
Played Lacrosse in High School
Played Football in High School
Eagle Scout    2002