Story by Lacy Jamison

This year businesses around the valley took extra measures in preparing for chaotic Black Friday crowds through special employee organization and tight product management.

 
Small businesses like Bath & Body Works and large enterprises like Costco were highly affected by the Black Friday rush. These businesses had to make special preparations in being organized for such a hectic day.

 
“We hired a shuttle for employees to take so the parking lot was available for our members. Extra help is scheduled on the front end and by major sales, which are the busiest areas during these days,” said Sean Hancock, the produce supervisor of Murray’s Costco.

 
A lot of this preparation also went into ensuring that employees were efficient in their roles.

 
“Our all-store meeting was the big key in preparing our associates for Black Friday. We made sure they knew what their roles would be almost two weeks early. We also put new employees with core employees to ensure the day would go smoothly,” said Mclinn Ebert, the store manager of South Towne’s Bath & Body Works.

 
Businesses around the valley felt the rush as lines wrapped around their stores. Many employees often expect to encounter these high volume demands, but do not expect certain types of businesses to be encountering the same thing.

 
For example, most people do not realize that even banks had to take special measures in making sure their day would run smoothly.

 
“We had to up our security and lower the amount of money in our vaults. People are more desperate on Black Friday so there are more robberies,” said Ashley Azarow, a teller at Holiday’s US Bank.

 
Another serious issue that businesses had to account for was a higher demand for products. Larger crowds brought a larger demand for having enough products to accommodate the customers’ needs. Costco gauged how much product to order from the previous year’s sales.

 
“All items that are on coupon are ordered from our buying office in bulk and distributed amongst all warehouses according to projected sales, based off sales of similar items the previous year. When the product arrives at our warehouse, we stage them on our receiving dock and pull it to the merchandising floor as needed,” said Hancock.

 
Bank businesses were even forced to prepare for a higher demand of money use due to its aesthetic appeal.

 
“We ordered new money from the Federal Reserves. People don’t want old money around Christmas and like new money better,” said Azarow.

 
Most of the businesses around the valley struggled with this product issue.

 
“The most unsuccessful part of Black Friday was not having enough of the products that people wanted,” said Cristine Seabury, a co-manager at South Towne’s Bath & Body Works.

 
Another prominent issue that sparked some Black Friday woes among businesses was that some of them lacked sales in certain areas. Black Friday is an important day to sell products in bulk since it is so close to Christmas, but according to some businesses, not all products are always the most popular.

 
“My position [at Costco] is produce supervisor. My role during Black Friday changes a little from maintaining my area to maintaining high sales in my area, due to the fact that sales are extremely low for food items because it is after Thanksgiving and people are interested in what we call hard products, not food products,” said Hancock.

 
Other businesses were completely dead on Black Friday because people did not know their services were even available. This happened frequently to a lot of the banks around the valley.

 
“We [US Bank] ended up being very slow. People thought we were closed, like it was a federal holiday,” said Azarow.

 
To ensure that their day was successful, it was also common that most businesses around the valley set sales goals to take advantage of the busy day. Most set goals at how much money they wanted to make in the period they were open that day, and at how many products they wanted to see leave their stores.

 
With Costco being the large enterprise that it is, most of the individual stores around the valley were able to set very high goals for the day.

 
“This year, we [Costco] fell a little short of our goal. We were predicting sales to go beyond one million for the day. We still came close with about $987,000 in sales. Overall, the day ran smoothly and we had no problems,” said Hancock.

 
Smaller businesses were able to set goals more fitting to their volume size and traffic running in and out of the store.

 
“Our [Bath & Body Works] goal was to make $130,000 and get all 833 of our V.I.P. bags sold by 6:00 p.m. We sold all the bags but fell a little short at $110,000,” said Ebert.

 
When the businesses interviewed were asked if their special preparations paid off in maintaining good business on Black Friday, most responded that they were successful due to organization, advanced preparation and informed associates.

 
“All efforts were successful because we [Costco] were prepared and are familiar with what is needed to get done in order to keep everything running smoothly,” said Hancock.

 
Seabury attributed her store’s success to, “Months of planning, organization and a great team.”

 
Even slower businesses like the banks were happy they had been prepared for the chaotic day.

 
“The new money was a big success. So was the extra security-we [US Bank] had less of a chance of being robbed,” said Azarow. (919)

Story by: Brenda Mandujano

Thanksgiving dinner is ready and set on the table at 2 p.m.; shoes are waiting by the door. The biggest deals of the year are here and stores open as early as 8 p.m. Thanksgiving day. Big box stores means big discounts. The store with the biggest discounts brings in the biggest crowd.

On Black Friday no one has in mind that buying locally means keeping close to home. Andrew Velasco, a black Friday shopper said, “I’d prefer to buy local, but many times smaller companies can’t afford to drop the prices as much as big box stores.”

Many local stores realize they cannot compete with discounts like gap.com. They offered their online customers 60 percent off the total purchase, plus free shipping on orders over $50, on this year’s Black Friday sale.

Other great deals this year were Walmart, with $5 pajamas for kids and pants for women, and JcPenney, offering up to 60 percent discounts on all items.

Claudia Sanchez said, “I love shopping and getting the best deals. Who can pass up a deal like this.” Sanchez feels that big stores can bring in the most savings, after all that is what she’s led to believe with dozens of websites following big box store deals.

Jeremy Reid, All the Rage Boutique owner, said, “It is difficult to compete on price because of the volume that I purchase compared to the volume that big stores purchase. We are lucky to purchase 6-12 of each item, where big box retailers are purchasing thousands of pieces per item.”

People believe that as a small independent retailer, lower prices are expected and what most consumers don’t understand is that they actually pay more for their product. This is the reason why smaller businesses have trouble keeping up with huge deals. They buy their items at higher prices because of the quantity they purchase and the room they have left to make a profit is small.

Smaller businesses however still need to bring in customers. They do what they can to offer the best deals their store can offer even if some profit is lost. All The Rage also does not advertise, other than connecting with customers through Facebook. Not having a budget to advertise is another obstacle that small businesses have to over come to bring in the most customers.

All the Rage Boutique, opened their second store in Utah, just days before Black Friday. They have been connecting with their customers, via Facebook offering deals and auctions to get their attention.

For Black Friday, All the Rage offered their customers up to a 35 percent discount starting at 5 am at their new location in Gardner Village, located on 1100 West 7800 South in West Jordan.

When asked what Reid would change for next years black Friday, he stated, “next year I may offer a few more Doorbuster only deals or ‘free’ items to the first customers. Our sales were up from last year so next year we will build upon what we accomplished this year.”

Story by Connor Wallace

With the induction of seven man rugby into the Olympics, public interest for the sport has gone up rather quickly.  In most other countries rugby is one of the more popular sports, especially in Europe, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, South Africa and Australia.  In fact, rugby spawned football, which is better known in the U.S.

However popular the sport may be in other distant countries, it’s lacking attention in the U.S., but changes are occurring rapidly at the local level.  Utah has a strong rugby base and it continues to grow.

A person who has never seen a rugby game before would most likely be confused with the rules and even the simplest aspects of the game.  Rugby is a sport that combines the endurance that a soccer player would need, the strength that a football player would require and the strategy that would be found in chess.  Explaining the details of the game would require a novel, and there are many out there.  An easy way to explain it is that it’s football without pads, a timeout is only taken for an injury or for a penalty, passing the ball forward is prohibited and the players wear short shorts.

The increase in popularity and change in public reception of rugby isn’t any more apparent than in Utah.  Rugby’s popularity in Utah is in large part due to the large Polynesian population in Utah.  Rugby is one of the more popular sports in their culture.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau 4% of all the native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders that live in the U.S., live in Utah; this is just behind Hawaii and California.

Utah has the most successful high school rugby team in the nation, two of the best collegiate club teams, the youngest rugby player to ever have played in the Rugby World Cup lives in Utah and a number of other players who come from Utah have suited up to play for the U.S.A. Eagles, America’s national rugby team.  With this type of success at all levels in Utah, rugby will continue to flourish.

Highland Rugby Club is by far one of the best high school rugby teams to have played.  In the club’s 32 year history it has won 19 national championships.  The club’s success was even made into the movie, “Forever Strong.”  Highland has brought attention to rugby not only in Utah but also around all of the U.S.  Highland, however, is not the only impressive rugby team in the state.  United Rugby Club is another powerhouse rugby team in Utah, and the state championship usually comes down to Highland and United.

Former United and University of Utah rugby player Bryce Jenkins had this to say about his experience with rugby, “I had been a long time fan of the sport, and when I got the opportunity to play I took it.  Playing football in the fall, rugby was the perfect sport to play to become a better athlete with an opposing season to football.”

An individual going from playing football to rugby isn’t very uncommon; however going from rugby to football is uncommon, but this is the story of Thretton Palamo. Palamo’s family is originally from Samoa, but he was born in California.  His father played for Samoa’s national team, and his brothers both played for the U.S. Sevens rugby team.  He originally came to Utah to play rugby for the University of Utah, and after two impressive seasons he received a scholarship to play for the university’s football team.

Arguably his most impressive accomplishment is that he was the youngest player to ever play for a national team in the Rugby World Cup.  He made his first appearance when he was just 19 years old.  If he is as successful on the football field as he has been on the rugby pitch, then the University of Utah is in for a treat.

Two of the most successful collegiate rugby teams in the U.S. both reside in Utah.  BYU and the University of Utah are at the top of the collegiate rankings every year.  The Utes finished in the final four last spring, and BYU finished their season in the national championship game against the University of California Berkley where they lost a tightly contested game.

Current University of Utah rugby coach, and former U.S.A. Eagle Blake Burdette believes that rugby’s future is at the collegiate level.  “The future is bright. With the announcement of having rugby in the Olympics, is huge for our sport. I would imagine that you will see more and more universities embracing the sport because of the Olympic inclusion. If rugby is going to continue to grow, it has to be at the grassroots level and at the universities.”

Reiterating what Burdette said, success at the lower levels in rugby will continue on into the upper levels.  This is portrayed well by Jason Pye.  Jason Pye began playing rugby when he was a senior in high school.  With such little time to learn the game, he went on to play for the University of Utah, U.S.A. Eagles 15-man team and started for the Eagles seven-man team.

Pye thinks that the future of rugby resides with the success of the game in the Olympics.  “I think rugby 7’s will be a major sport in America in the next 5-10 years due to the acceptance of the game into the 2016 Olympics.  In 20 years, who knows? I can only dream about its success.”

The success of rugby in the U.S. has progressed leaps and bounds in such a short amount of time.  The advancing popularity of rugby in Utah is a microcosm of the growth that is taking place within the United States.  Rugby has the potential to become one of the most popular sports in America, not just in distant countries.

Story by Morgan Heath

“The second the clock struck twelve; I could feel the floors shaking from the massive crowd running into the mall. Needless to say I was a little scared,” says Bridgette Boyland an employee at South Towne Mall.

When it comes to the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday is known for being a rush. This year South Towne Mall again opened it’s door to the public at midnight and remained opened till nine o’clock the next day.

Mall employees arrived earlier before the doors opened to get ready for the serious Black Friday shoppers.

Andrea Mena an employee for Journey’s arrived an hour early. ”This is a big day for shoppers, but it’s also a big day for me to make some serious money,” Mena explains.

Some of the retailer’s biggest deals of the year are displayed on Black Friday. It’s the day that people stand out in line fighting the cold and anxiously wait to get that good deal. Once the shoppers are inside the game is on; but is all this waiting and fighting for the good deal worth it in the end?

Hannah Campanzano is an expert in the art of Black Friday shopping and argues it’s not for the good deal is what attracts her to the sales. As she waited outside of South Towne mall before midnight with her friends, Campanzano explains the waiting and anticipation you get from Black Friday is what makes it worthwhile. “It’s a fun tradition to kick off Christmas and the holiday season. I do it for the excitement and while I’m at it get a good deal on something new for myself.”

The second the doors opened at South Towne was filled with all ages running from store to store. Flyers were handed out to let shoppers know every deal in every store. The foot traffic was heavy but somehow stayed in control. Corey Ellett is the head of security at South Towne Mall had only good things to say about Black Friday. “This year’s Black Friday turn out was no different than the last few years. It went smoothly which is what we hoped for. I have no complaints.”

Liz Attkinson, another security guard at South Towne was new to the Black Friday scene but was pleasantly surprised.

“I have never shopped on Black Friday, I don’t even leave my house. It was crazy to work it though. I actually had a lot of fun,” says Attkinson.

For those who frequently shop at South Towne mall on the average day agree with Attkinson first statement of never leaving the house on Black Friday.  Andrea Swensen frequently shops at Express and Victoria’s Secret at South Towne avoids the Black Friday holiday rush.

“I hate it. I hate crowds I’ve never shopped on Black Friday and would never get up early to stand in line to save a few bucks,” says Swenson.

Regardless, of what many may think about Black Friday it seemed to be a success at South Towne mall. Ellett, head of security did mention however they do not know the exact number of the Black Friday’s turn out, but will know by mid January.

Story By: Megan Combe

A group of students and faculty from the University of Utah gathered on Oct. 26 to hear one man’s opinion on what is wrong with the American economy. The speaker, Floyd Norris, is the chief financial correspondent for The New York Times. The message that Norris gave to his audience was one that has been repeated often: “There is no way out of this crisis.”

Norris communicated four specific points that he believes to be crucial to reviving the American economy:
 
•    The banks need to take responsibility for their actions.  The government, as Norris explained, cannot continue to bail out the banks based upon the banker’s speculation, as this was what led to the economic downturn in 2008.
 
•    Norris explained that the debt overhang is one of the largest factors that has kept our economy from correctly functioning.  “The debt that we have is insane and extremely tricky,” said Norris.

•    Norris expressed his self-proclaimed “idealistic” hope that one day, people would be willing to pay higher taxes if it would benefit the country. “Presumably,” said Norris, “it is a better idea to fire teachers than to increase taxes to provide what used to be the most basic of public services.”

•    Norris believes that “inflation could help” the current economic situation. Since the United States is over 14 trillion dollars in debt, some economists believe that inflation would lead make the dollar worth less, and would subsequently lead to the United States owing less money to the creditors. Norris described this as “a minority view that is held by some of the best economists.”

•    Norris quoted Herman Cain in saying, “Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks; if you aren’t rich, blame yourself.” He went on to explain that Andrew Mellon, the Secretary of the Treasury under President Herbert Hoover, first expressed the attitude that if someone was poor, and wiped out from the depression, it was their own fault. Mellon and Hoover both held the attitude that “enterprising people would pick up the slack from the less confident people,” as Norris put it. This attitude has never disappeared, and Norris believes that people need to be rid of this attitude to fix the financial issues at hand.

The audience had a mixed reaction to Norris’s thoughts on how to heal the American economy. Abbie Owens, a student at the University of Utah, said: “Norris did not bring anything new to the table. He expressed the same concerns about the economy that many people do, but did not present any tactical or inventive solutions. Anyone who is familiar with business and economics should have been embarrassed for him.”

McCall Cottle, also a U. of U. student, said that “Norris didn’t strike me as a incredible speaker, but I thought that his points were valuable. I enjoyed this forum very much.”

Norris also writes a weekly column for the financial section in The New York Times. He currently lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. with his wife and son.

Story by Morgan Heath

“There is a feeling of the duty of government to get there own spending down somehow that would restore confidence to the rest of us.” – said Floyd Norris, New York Times chief financial correspondent Floyd Norris went back in time to explain modern day financial economical complications. He opened his Wednesday lecture by talking of Andrew Mellon who was the Economic Secretary of Treasury who was known for being a very influential man in American history; While in office for twelve years “it was said that three presidents worked under him,” Norris said as he then explained the history of the stock market crash in 1929.

Norris said that the Great Depression has a lot to do with recent economy complications. Almost as if the American people didn’t learn the first economical crisis; or maybe we didn’t really known what really happened from the beginning. Norris explained, “ We never really reach a consensus of what happened and is why we failed again. After it started if the authorities knew what to do a lot of unnecessary suffering could have been avoided.”

While speaking of Mellon, Norris compared the Mellon’s ideology of “government should keep its hand off and let things work themselves out –liquidate labor liquidate stocks. Liquidate the farmers, liquidate real estate.” While still on the topic of Mellon’s ideology Norris spoke about another influential man. Herman Cain a Republican Candidate this election. A recent quote given by Cain with talks of the economy Cain replied,“ Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a good job you’re not rich blame yourself!” This goes back to what Norris argues in the first place stating maybe the American people didn’t learn from the previous mistake of the first economical crisis.

Kent Ava, a U of U senior studying strategic communication was pleased with the lecture.“ I felt the forum provided a personal insight on how the fix on the economy will play out in the near future.”

Another University of Utah student Sean Gustafson studying news journalism questioned Norris and asked the question “Why should college students be concerned about the economy-why bother?” Norris replied explaining the importance the economy does have to providing more jobs and after leaving the university students will want a job. “I think people assume in that sometimes assume a well operating economic and a financial system and if assume it you don’t pay attention to it and that is what was happening a few years ago and then it blew up. -Obviously there is no real need to worry about the economy if you have happened to have somehow found a good career and where you can get a job now.“ Said Norris. Norris ended the question with acknowledging that 91 percent of Americans are now working.

Story By Avery Mills

With the conclusion of their first regular season in the PAC-12, a new chapter has begun for University of Utah football.

In the summer of 2010, rumors began floating throughout the Salt Lake Valley that the PAC-10 was talking about expansion and the University of Utah was being considered. Message boards, chat rooms and social media sites were full of anxious fans as the rumor mill churned and they waited for an official word.

“It was always that way out there, pie in the sky possibility,” Ben Bagley, host of 1320 KFAN’s Powerhouse, recalled of the possibility of an invite to a BCS conference for Utah. “So when it started to look more and more real… the excitement began to boil.”

On June 16, 2010, it was officially announced that both the University of Utah and the University of Colorado had been extended, and then shortly after accepted, invitations to join the newly formed PAC-12 beginning the 2011 season.

“Given everything that was going on with conference realignment leading up to Utah’s invitation to the PAC-12, the initial reaction was one of relief,” said Patrick Sheltra, author of the book ‘100 Things Utes Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die.’ “But in the big picture, there was a tremendous amount of pride and excitement on my end.”

Utah first had to finish their final season in the Mountain West conference before they were able to call the PAC-12 home. With a head coach who is notorious within the media world for his refusal to look ahead past that week’s game, fans and media alike had to wait to talk about the changes coming for Utah until after the 2010 season was over.

“In the press conference after the BYU game someone goes ‘so Kyle, the regular season is now over, can we talk PAC-12?’” Bagley recalled. “And without missing a beat Coach goes, ‘I guess we can, go ahead,’ and that’s how it started.”

The off-season brought a lot of change to Utah. Not only were they in a new conference, but there were also new additions to the coaching staff. Norm Chow was brought in as offensive coordinator along with offensive line coach Tim Davis.

“Those hires legitimized the coaching staff,” Bagley said. “Once you brought those guys in… it became a PAC-12 coaching staff.”

Once the season began, it was anything but a smooth transition for Utah. They lost their first PAC-12 game at USC with a missed field goal that could have tied up the game and taken it into overtime.

They didn’t fare any better at home, losing the next two games against University of Washington and Arizona State, losing starting quarterback Jordan Wynn in the process to a shoulder injury. Their conference record was then brought to 0-4 with a loss to the University of California.

These events had many critics saying that schools like Utah, those who were in the top tier of their non-AQ conference, couldn’t handle the week in, week out grind that came along with a BCS conference.

“We always knew (Utah) belonged,” said Nancy Lewis, a Utah fan and long-time football season ticket holder. “However, we also knew it was going to be a rebuilding year. Once we lost Jordan Wynn, we knew it would be that much more difficult to win games, but we never once doubted that we belonged there.”

So with a Division II quarterback, who only ended up at Utah after his original choice of school cut their football program, and a junior college transfer running back who became the main feature of the offense, the team managed to turn things around, winning their next 4 games.

“The two snow games, vs. UCLA and at Washington State. Those are images that few who were there will ever forget,” Sheltra noted as his favorite moments of the season. “Utah won both games, the first against the eventual South representative in the title game, the second in overtime in a blizzard, makes those memories even more indelible.”

The Utes couldn’t hold onto their winning streak at the end, losing at home to Colorado, and barely missing out on the opportunity to play in the inaugural PAC-12 Championship game at Oregon the following week. However, there was no denying the fact that Utah was now a part of the world of big-time college football.

“I’m a huge college football fan… and I always hated the fact that I missed all the good games by going to watch Utah and Wyoming, who is just a horrible team. Now it feels like I’m watching college football,” Bagley said, when asked what the best part of covering a PAC-12 team was. “Going to these stadiums and watching these teams that I grew up watching on TV, it’s just wow.”

The future looks bright for Utah Football as they move forward on their new journey. Despite the sometimes rocky road that was endured during the inaugural PAC-12 season, Ute fans can’t wait to see what lies ahead.

“I’ve been to the Sugar and Fiesta bowls, so I joke around about wanting to wake up to the smell of roses one time in January,” Sheltra said, “But the prospect of one legitimate national title run in my lifetime is enough to keep me afloat during 7-5 (or worse) seasons. Being in the PAC-12 means you can dream big like that.”

Story By: Megan Combe

While Small Business Saturday is growing in popularity and gaining support from businesses and the public, it has a long way to go before it makes a large impact on small businesses across America.

American Express OPEN, a division of American Express that caters to small businesses, began the idea for Small Business Saturday in 2010. It falls on the day after Black Friday, and two days prior to Cyber Monday, which is one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.
While many large businesses rely on Black Friday to make up their losses from the rest of the year, the idea of Small Business Saturday is not to have major sales; it is to get people into the small business community who normally wouldn’t be there.

According to Shelly Simpson of Apt. 202, a boutique in the 9th and 9th district of downtown Salt Lake City, it helps small businesses “bring in clients that (they) could potentially keep year round.”

The idea has grown steadily and quickly. American Express has a Facebook page dedicated to the event, and has accumulated over 2.5 million “likes” in the past two years.

“Social media and other online outlets seem to have been huge for small businesses in general, especially on Small Business Saturday,” said Carlee Beyer, a self-proclaimed “small business shopaholic.” Beyer said that she “enjoyed finding new mom and pop stores around the Salt Lake Valley.”

In October 2011, American Express and Civic Economics published their findings in a study of market trends in “The American Express OPEN Independent Retail Index.” It examined the successes of small businesses in 15 major U.S. cities over a twenty year time period. The research concluded that close to half of all retail shopping and approximately 64 percent of eating and drinking establishments take place at small businesses.

This year, American Express teamed up with other large-names such as Google, Twitter, and YourBuzz, to create a free online toolkit for small business owners. The kit included:

•    $100 in free Facebook advertising to the first 10,000 business owners who signed up.

•    A downloadable display for business owners to advertise with, and customizable email templates to help raise awareness.

•    A “Follow” button for small business websites, that enables those who visit the website to follow the small businesses twitter posts.

•    A tool to create free, professional online videos about a small business, powered by Google and American Express.

•    $100 credit for LinkedIn ads and $100 in Facebook advertising credits for up to 6,500 business owners, powered by YourBuzz.

This online toolkit was created in an attempt to help small businesses attract an even larger crowd than the year prior. According to studies conducted by American Express, business owners saw a 28 percent increase in sales on the first Small Business Saturday in 2010, when compared to the same day in 2009. Many small businesses in the Salt Lake Valley agreed that while Small Business Saturday is helpful in bringing in new clientele, it does not bolster sales as significantly as they hope it one day may.

Simpson expressed that the community and business location are often key to success in small businesses. “(Small Business Saturday) brought in a lot of new business, but it also brought in a lot of our regular customers who really wanted to show that they were supporting their favorite small businesses.”

Pauline Sargetakis, Owner of Precocious K Boutique in the Sugarhouse area of Salt Lake City, expressed similar ideas. “It’s better if a lot of small businesses ban together. I think this neighborhood will do it in the next couple of years; we are just barely creating our business district.”

With all of the changes that have been made in the past two years to promote Small Business Saturday, business owners hope that it will soon become a staple in the Thanksgiving weekend shopping experience.

Story by Kent Ava

SALT LAKE CITY—The rash of recent accidents that involve taking UTA TRAX has raised some serious questions on safety and whether or not it’s a lifesaver or a life taker.  According to Utah Transit Authority’s mission statement, its purpose is to “enable individuals to pursue a fuller life with greater ease and convenience.” These accidents according to experts are due to the lack of patience and carelessness of others.

Deseret News reports according to UTA, there have been 11 accidents involving TRAX, including five fatalities — the most since light rail began in Utah — and six that resulted in injuries in 2011 so far.

A recent Deseret News article compared accident rates among similar-sized light-rail systems across the U.S. and found that Utah ranks high in the number of accidents.

Sheena McFarland, justice writer for the Salt Lake Tribune, who has covered numerous reports in regards to the string of accidents, said safety simply comes down to patience and awareness in and around the TRAX.

McFarland said, about the recent accidents,” I’m trying to figure out why people are suddenly making really poor choices around the TRAX. Are they overly comfortable and confident because the trains have been around for so long?”

McFarland suggests typical safety rules like: staying behind yellow lines on platforms, not crossing in front of trains or going underneath cross-arms.

“Getting too comfortable with them [TRAX] is a terrible idea, as is thinking you can beat a racing, oncoming train. Have they become too accustomed to the general warnings about trains?” said McFarland.

In effort to promote and maintain safety in and around the TRAX, UTA has launched a new safety campaign “Operation Lifesaver: Train for Safety.” The advertising campaign was aimed to increase awareness around train platforms and crossings.

“We have the best safety devices [available] in the system right now and we are asking people to obey those devices and systems to keep them safe,” said UTA General Manager Michael Allegra.

Allegra says, recent incidents involving vehicles at crossings and pedestrians near TRAX platforms prompted the new campaign. Similar to the way distracted driving has become an issue with drivers on roadways, people becoming distracted around trains has also developed into a serious concern.

Derrick Klarr, TRAX operator said, accidents affect not only the families of the victims, but the operators also when such tragedy happens and can be prevented by paying attention to safety devices like cross-arms and signs.

“I’ve been fortunate that I haven’t been involved in a fatality, but we’ve had our share of operators that have and some take weeks of counseling before they get back in the seat, and some never return,” said Klarr.

Klarr explains, “we [train] are on fixed rails and have all required safety devices in place, and then some. However, people seem to ignore or just don’t care about these devices and choose to go around them putting themselves at harm.”

Despite such accidents UTA TRAX continues to promote and encourage safety with future expansions into Draper City and the Salt Lake City Airport. This is part of the “Front Lines 2015” project.

For more information on TRAX safety and Operation Lifesaver visit:                                  http://www.rideuta.com/mc/?page=TRAX-TRAXSafety and http://oli.org/

Story by: Elizabeth Briggs

It is the moment that every skier dreads, the moment when the mountain abruptly becomes alive. Not only is Utah famous for having “the greatest snow on earth,” but also for its frequent and dangerous avalanches.

The recent death of professional skier Jamie Pierre, who died when he triggered an avalanche while skiing at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, is an example of Utah’s dangerous terrain.

“ I filmed with Pierre, and this is devastating,” said Todd Ligare, a professional big mountain skier for Teton Gravity Research (TGR). “ There were a lot of weird circumstances about that day that could have been avoided, all of the signs were there. I think that it is a reminder that familiarity is a track, it is a comfort level that leads skiers to make questionable decisions” said Ligare.

Tony Daffern, author of, “Backcountry Avalanche Safety: Skiers, Climbers, Boarders, Snowshoers,” said, “…(avalanches) catch and very often kill the unwary who literally trigger their own destiny when they venture onto unsafe snow slopes in a moment of inattention or ignorance.”

With more people venturing into the backcountry annually, the amount of deaths inflicted by avalanches has increased exponentially. According to the Utah Avalanche Center, in the last five years alone, avalanches killed 27 people in Utah.

With Pierre’s passing, it is a reminder that these deaths do not account for just uneducated skiers. Even experienced professional skiers make mistakes and with lives on the line, it is important to be avalanche educated.

In a fifteen-minute online tutorial, the Utah Avalanche Center has introduced a minimal education program titled, “Know Before You Go.” Going over the basics of avalanche safety, the program suggests calling the avalanche report center for regular avalanche advisories. Secondly, check the terrain for recent avalanches; the best clues for avalanches are other avalanches. Stay off of collapsing and cracking snow on steep slopes, these sounds are cues that the snow is extremely unstable. Lastly recall the recent weather, avalanches happen with rapid changes such as wind, warming, melting, new snow and rain.

Bruce Temper, the director for the Utah Avalanche Center says that when a slide occurs “ try heading straight down the hill to build up speed, then angle off the side of the moving slab.”

“ If you speak to experienced professionals, they will tell you go into lines with options and knowing that it could slide. Always have an alternative line planned because if danger arises, your pre-thoughts will subconsciously surface and you have a greater chance of making it out alive, “ said Ligare who suggests to always ski with someone who has more knowledge about the backcountry and more experience to ensure safety.

So this holiday season, if plans of adventuring into the backcountry are in the forecast, take the time to get avalanche educated. Courses are available year round with the most recent being Friday, December 9, 2011 at 6:00 pm through Utah Mountain Adventures (801-550-3986) in Salt Lake City. For Christmas ask for useful gifts such as a beacon, shovel, probe, and most importantly education so as not to become another avalanche statistic.

Story by Laura Qualey

It’s Monday morning, pull into any of the campus student parking lots anytime after 9:40am, and commuters are quickly greeted by circling cars dog fighting for parking spots. Cars follow students through the lot hoping for a spot to open up. Drivers turn aggressive and dangerously zip around the lots in search of a space. Unfortunately the morning classes between 9:00am and 12:00pm have proven to be the worst time to find parking for many students allover campus, according to Commuter Services.

Elizabeth Briggs, a U. of U. communications major said, “I refuse to buy a pass because past experiences have made me reluctant to trust that I’ll find parking when I need it. I walk at least 15 minutes from where I park (off campus) just to avoid the parking disaster.”

According to the State, the University of Utah is a commuter school; meaning most of its students commute to campus from other areas around Salt Lake City, and only a small portion of the overall enrollment live on campus.

With so many students commuting to campus everyday, and most vehicles carrying only one student, it’s no wonder campus parking is becoming increasingly more difficult to come by. With the construction of new facilities around campus, parking is being reduced around every corner.

Katelyn Hansen, a junior, commutes from West Jordan every day. “Parking is a disaster and the limited parking that does exist is being replaced with brand new buildings. Those funds should be used to build a parking structure.” Hansen said.

According to the University’s Campus Construction Impacts Department, there are at least seven current construction projects going on around campus, including a new honors housing facility located just below Mario Capecchi Dr. and the USTAR project (a science center) that has been built neighboring the Hyper parking lot.

Along with the reduction of available parking space, the price for purchasing a U parking permit for full year has been rising steadily over the past few years and has now risen to 140$. Which has deterred many students from purchasing a pass.

“Why should I spend 140$ on a pass for which I can never find parking, when I could pay nothing and park farther away for free?” Said Brian Grier, an exercise science senior at the U. of U.  Grier said he usually parks in the parking lot just north of the Merrill Engineering Building, but lately many spots are being roped off or taken by construction vehicles, which are parked there when not in use.

(Brian Grier took this photo of the MEB parking lot on the morning of Nov. 17th)   

The website for commuter services lists parking as a “scarce commodity.” Janet Shaw, an aging and exercise professor on campus, believes the reason for the recent reduction in parking and increase in campus construction means that the University of Utah is hoping to in the future greatly eliminate most on campus parking. “In the next 10 years I think the campus will only accessible by students through Trax, UTA Bus lines, or on foot.” Shaw said.

With parking becoming a blatant problem on campus, and no immediate solution in sight, Commuter Services suggest that students plan to arrive early for classes in order to ensure parking, and begin to arrange for alternate ways of travel.

For more info on campus parking visit: www.commuterservices.utah.edu

Story By Montana Peterson

Local musicians came together in support of the Utah Food Bank’s fight against hunger on Thursday, Dec. 1, at Salt Lake City’s Sorensen Unity Center.

The Can Jam, a benefit concert put on by University of Utah students, was created with the goal to unite the community of Salt Lake City while providing food for the hungry.  All proceeds from the concert were donated to the Utah Food Bank.  The Can Jam raised over $400 in donations and 150 cans for the Utah Food Bank.

Four local bands preformed for the benefit concert. The bands that performed were: Eric Brough, Kyley Jean, 48 Hours and Daisy and the Moonshines.

“I’m excited with the turn out,” said Rhett Hansen, a band member of Daisy and the Moonshines. “I’m glad I could do my part in supporting the [Utah] Food Bank this holiday.”

The Can Jam was able to attract the attention of more than just those who attended. The students who put on the event lined up sponsorships from local companies for door prizes, including: Alta, Park City Ski resort, Rockstar, Flowrider, IFly and IRock.

“I can’t believe how much support the community has given us. This has been a great project to work on,” said Kyle Harmon, a student of the University of Utah and part of the Can Jam team.

Although the community backed the event, it was not all smooth sailing.
“We had a lot of last minute difficulties to work through,” said Erin Miller, a student of the University of Utah and leader of the Can Jam team. “It has been a busy night, but it is all coming together great.”

Last minute complications arose when a windstorm knocked out the power to the planned venue two hours before doors were supposed to open.  However, they were able to find a back up venue provided by the Sorensen Unity Center.

“The venue turned out great. The Sorenson Center has been so supportive in giving us this venue last minute,” said Chase de Jong, a student of the University of Utah and part of the Can Jam team.

The night was complicated even further when one of the planned solo artist could no longer perform.   The Can Jam team was left to find a back up artist to cover the time slot.  Kyley Jean was able to step in and perform for the benefit concert in place of the cancelled artist.

Despite the complications, the Can Jam team persevered and put on their event successfully.

“Everything worked out fantastic, all of our bands preformed amazingly. The audience really seemed to really enjoy it,” said Jenny Reichhold, a student of the University of Utah and part of the Can Jam team.

The Can Jam team members were not the only ones satisfied by the finished product: Those in attendance enjoyed themselves as well.

“Tonight was really great. All the bands were really fun,” Sean Colvin, an attendant of the can jam concert. “Hearing the bands live was even better that I expected.“

Story by Joape Pela

Captain of America’s Rugby Team

SALT LAKE CITY- University of Utah student Thretton Palamo will play and captain USA’s rugby team in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics.

Thretton Palamo was raised to play rugby. The Palamo family has produced great rugby players. All the way up to Thretton’s father, his two brothers and now it’s Threttons’ turn.
Palamo was influenced heavily by his father and two brothers to play rugby.
At the age of 16 Palamo began to play with a local club team San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby Club.
After six months of playing Palamo was invited to play for his native country of Samoa.
A year later Palamo then went on to play for the USA rugby team when he was 18 and played in the rugby world cup in 2007.
In 2008 is when Palamo’s rugby career went mainstream in France playing professionally for Top 14 club Biarritts.
After playing one year professionally Palamo decided to hang up his rugby boots and pursue his education at the University of Utah.
“I wanted to go back to school to further my education. I knew it would be tough to play professionally and get an education at the same time. I did it because I didn’t want to be an old man walking around a college campus haha!,” said Palamo.
Palamo also says, “I know that I can still play rugby for Utah. Their head coach Blake Burdette was my teammate when I played for the US rugby team. So ill be able to keep my rugby skills sharp while I am going to school.”
According to head coach Blake Burdette Palamo is one who is perfect for the captain spot for the USA rugby team in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“I think its great to have Palamo with us here at Utah. He is a great player with a great work ethic on and off the field. This is what makes him a great leader because he demands respect with his play on the field and he is an awesome person to get to know off the field,” said Burdette.
Mote Houma a current teammate of Palamo at Utah said, “I love playing with Thretton because it’s like having a coach on the field with us and he really helps the team play well together.”
In October of 2009 the sport of rugby was voted back into the Olympics.
This sparked the popularity of rugby in the US because the last time USA competed in the Olympics for rugby was in 1924.
The US rugby team played heavily favored France in the Championship Gold medal game and came out victorious over France with a score of 17-3.
Now with rugby reintroduced into the 2016 Rio games Palamo and the USA rugby team will be defending a gold medal.
“I am really excited to be able to play in the Olympics as well as defend Americas gold medal. This is a once in a life time experience for me and I will lead my team as best as I can.” said Palamo.
Palamo will continue his studies as well as play rugby and football for the Utah Utes until it is time to play in the 2016 Rio games.

Story by: L. Wylie Shepard 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Despite existing treatments, 25 percent of stroke survivors will experience a recurrent stroke or associated heart attack within four years of their initial episode.

A decade-long clinical trial known as IRIS, Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke, is testing a new approach to preventing recurrent strokes and heart attacks. IRIS began after research validated evidence linking insulin resistance, a common medical condition, to stroke.

“Now that this connection has been made we can only continue to move forward,” said Ann Toctt, a study coordinator at the University of Utah’s Stroke Center, “Every new piece of information opens doors to create connections and save lives.”

Stroke is a disease caused by blockages in blood vessels that supply the brain with oxygen. Researchers believe that insulin resistance is responsible for these blockages. Nearly half of all stroke patients are found to have insulin resistance following their initial stroke.

IRIS intends to prove that Pioglitazone, or PIO, a small white pill commonly prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes, is effective in the prevention of recurrent strokes and heart attacks. Researchers hypothesize that Pioglitazone could reduce this risk by 20 percent in non-diabetic patients. PIO functions by maintaining healthy insulin and blood sugar levels that support smooth flow through blood vessels, therefore helping to prevent blockages that cause strokes.

A patient who recently completed the second phase of the trial explained, “there were very few possible side effects,”—minimal weight gain and leg swelling are listed on the trial’s website—“so I had no reason not to take a chance and now its been almost six years since my last stroke.”

Recent clinical studies found that Pioglitazone reduced strokes and heart attacks in diabetics who received PIO instead of a placebo. Scientists anticipate that non-diabetic patients who have insulin resistance will experience similar effects.

According to the IRIS Trial website, between 2005 and 2015, IRIS will enroll 3000 patients from health organizations worldwide. Participants are currently being accepted into the third and final phase of the trial.

Eligible participants are:

• 40 years or older
• Non-diabetic
• Recovering from a stroke within the last 6 months
• Insulin resistant (determined by blood test)
• Able to take PIO daily for up to 4 years

Once enrolled, each participant is randomly assigned to Pioglitazone or a placebo, neither the patient or their healthcare provider is aware of which medication was administered until after the conclusion of the study.

Patients will stay on their medication for approximately four years. Once a year, participants will need to schedule a follow-up appointment and a blood test to continually monitor levels of insulin resistance.

“The third phase is the last phase but it’s no different than the first two. It’s an opportunity for anyone who has recently suffered a stroke to never experience one again,” said Jennifer Majersik, M.D., the principal investigator at Utah’s Stroke Center.

The University of Utah’s Clinical Neurosciences Center is the only IRIS provider in the greater Salt Lake area and is currently accepting eligible participants. For more information, contact the CNC at (801) 585-7575 or visit iristrial.org. [554]

Story By Montana Peterson

Floyd Norris addressed the issues concerning the American economy to students at the University of Utah on Wednesday, Oct 26, in the Marriot Library’s Gould Auditorium.

Norris is the chief financial correspondent of The New York Times and The International Herald Tribune.

He was invited to speak as a part of the Hinckley Institute of Politics Siciliano Forum.  This year’s weeklong series of forums is dedicated to “The Future of Journalism.”

Norris talked about Andrew Mellon, a U.S. Treasury secretary in the 1920s, who advised the government to refrain from interfering in the economy. His beliefs are closely related to some politicians of the present.

“Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself,” said Norris quoting Herman Cain, a presidential candidate who shares Mellon’s view.

“Never mind if there are fewer jobs than there are people, ” said Norris mockingly.  “Jobs will magically appear.”

Norris noted that job creation should not be the only concern of the government.
“We used to take for granted that the government should try to improve the economy – that there were things they could do,” said Norris.

Norris rejoiced that people are starting to slowly withdraw from the idea that the government should refrain from interfering in the economy.

“There are signs that at least some governments are backing away from the Mellon philosophy,” said Norris.

The government’s only job isn’t to fight against inflation but to preserve financial stability as well, informed Norris.  While this might be the government’s job, polls suggest that Americans don’t trust their government to fulfill its duties.

According to Norris, the percentage of Americans that trust the government is down to 10 percent, beating the previous all time low of 17 percent in 2008.

“The American people might respond if we can develop an advocate of joint sacrifice,” said Norris

Until the Iraq War, the U.S. had never fought a war without raising taxes to pay for it, stated Norris.  The people wrongfully believe that the U.S. can fight a war at no cost.

“Presumably, it is a better idea to fire teachers than to increases taxes to provide what used to be the most basic of necessities,” said Norris
Students are told to go to college only to emerge with large debts and no jobs available to them, articulated Norris.

“This is a very real concern,” said Scott Stuart, a University of Utah student about to embark on law school. “It made my decision to go to law school easier when I knew there were no jobs waiting for me with my current degree.”

The economy is still a long way from being fixed.  Norris suggested that stability is going to take at least seven years, from the start of the crisis, to occur.

“A lot of his lecture went over my head,” said Julie Burggraf, a University of Utah student. “I’m not an economics major so I don’t follow this enough. His use of humor and analogies made everything easier to understand.”

“I found his lecture to be quite entertaining considering the subject matter,” said Zoey Bridges, another University of Utah student in attendance.

For more information regarding the Hinckley Institute of Politics Siciliano Forum and the rest of the week’s speakers, visit: http://www.hinckley.utah.edu/.

The long anticipated wait for the opening of City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City is finally in the home stretch. The wait is down to a mere three months until the March grand opening, which will mark a new phase for Salt Lake City economy and its development as a major metropolitan area.
Announced in October of 2006 by the Church of Latter-Day Saints, City Creek Center, will offer over 800,000 square feet of shopping, restaurants and office space over 23-acres in downtown Salt Lake.
In addition, there is an underground parking garage offering 56-hundred parking stalls which has already been open to the public and the residents in the four residential towers which were a focal point of this massive project.
Chase Carpenter, City Creek condominium owner, said, “Having seen this project evolve over the past five years, it’s exciting to see it come together in its final stages.”
To help live up to expectations, Taubman Centers Inc. announced, via press release on Sept.  13, 2011, the first 20 retailers moving into the 800,000 square foot structure – all of whom are new to the market. Along with anchor stores Macy’s and Nordstrom, the shopping center will be opening nationally recognized names, such as Coach, Brooks Brothers and Tiffany & Co.
There are also a slew of unique features on the project, including a fully retractable glass roof, a sky bridge over Main Street and a re-creation of City Creek, the snow-fed stream that once flowed through the city.
Current Nordstrom employee, Ashlin Gunn, said, “They really are pulling out all of the stops to make this new location special…there is a lot of excitement in the air for the potential this new store will bring.”
One interesting fact that stands out significantly about City Creek it’s the only major shopping mall to open in the United States next year, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Being able to build through a recession, high unemployment rates, and a diminishing housing market can seem like a daunting task, but not for the LDS Church.
No loans were taken out, nor was any public money sought. The $1.5 billion budget for the development was generated through church-affiliated businesses and years of putting reserves aside, which allowed them to build through a recession, according to Dale Bills, spokesman for City Creek Reserve Inc.
Assistant Dean at the David Eccles School of Business, Brad Vierig, said, “It’s simply amazing what they were able to put together during the recession…City Creek is going to have an extremely positive effect on the Salt Lake City and Utah economy.”
Hundreds of jobs have already been created for construction workers and developers with another 2,000 on the way once the project is completely finished., according to Linda Wardell, retail general manager for the project.  City Creek is estimated to contribute $1 million a day for the local economy.
City Creek Center is only the first piece of the puzzle for the future of Salt Lake City living and the visions of its metropolitan future. The LDS Church and the Salt Lake government have created their “Downtown Rising Project.”
Downtown Rising is a concept that was introduced in 2006 as a way to build off of the success of the 2002 Winter Olympics and the idea of turning Salt Lake into a “global community.”
In addition to City Creek Center, developers have drawn up plans for various other community buildings, including a Global Exchange Place, Performing Arts Center, Public Market and a Metropolitan Sports and Fitness Center. All of these projects are highly dependent if City Creek lives up to its vaunted hype.
March 22, 2012 will mark the official and highly anticipated grand opening of the new City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City. Approximately 80 stores and restaurants will be opening their doors to the public. It will mark the dawn of a new economic era for all of Utah.  (660)