Category Archives: Instructors

Can a Mormon be a feminist?

Posted on by

Story and photos by MEGAN CHRISTINE

When members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are excommunicated, they are stripped of their membership, much of their personal identity, and the chance to see their loved ones in heaven after death.

This is what happened to Margaret Toscano, 69, when she wrote and spoke about issues regarding women’s place in the Mormon church and related topics such as the priesthood.

Many people like Toscano have been raising their voices against the inequities they feel women experience in the Mormon church, whether that be through research and writing or making small changes in their home churches.

Toscano conducted research as an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University on church history and found that “the women that received their temple endowments through Joseph Smith all knew that they had priesthood.” Toscano believes that in the 1800s, Smith ordained women with the priesthood through religious ordinances called temple endowments.

According to the Mormon church, the temple endowments are considered “a gift from God whereby He bestows sacred blessings upon you.” Today, these gifts do not include priesthood.

The priesthood is a power given to males in the Mormon church. It is believed to be “the eternal power and authority of our Heavenly Father.” Through the priesthood, various ordinances can be administered, such as baby blessing, baptisms, temple marriages, and more. For many leadership positions in the Mormon church, it is a requirement to hold the priesthood. This excludes women from these positions.

“If there’s going to be any equality for women, then you have to question the notion of priesthood,” Toscano said.

To Toscano, women need to be granted the priesthood again in order to be equal to men in the church. She has found that church leaders disagree with this.

Toscano spoke out about her beliefs and church leaders claimed she was in opposition to the teachings of the church. She was summoned to a religious court, conducted by local church leaders. She was told that she could either denounce everything she had written, apologize for the testimonies she had destroyed, and never speak out on these issues again, or be excommunicated. She chose the latter.

Marjorie Smith, 35, and Joseph Peterson, 35, are a married couple located in Salt Lake City who have similar views to Toscano. Smith is a member of the Aspiring Mormon Women group on Facebook.

Smith views the priesthood as an “entry between you and God.” To her, it seems unfair that women have to go through another person just to achieve that connection.

Peterson agreed. He has the ability to give his son and wife blessings when they are sick, but realized that when he is sick he cannot receive this same blessing from his wife.

“As rooted in selfishness as that was, it was a light switch that opened my eyes to a lot of other things. Women are not visible in this church,” Peterson said.

Smith and Peterson made the decision together to give their son a baby blessing after he was born. Smith felt excluded from this important moment, because according to church doctrine “only worthy men who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood may participate in naming and blessing children.”

Peterson included Smith by naming her as a blessing giver by stating that the act was “our blessing to you.” This small but meaningful act received positive feedback from fellow churchgoers.

Smith also taught lessons to young women in the church. She had to teach lessons on the law of chastity, which “prohibits all sexual relations outside marriage.” While teaching, Smith reconstructed these values to be moral instead of religious. She also taught the importance of education whenever possible. Smith avoided the subject of marriage, which is often the focus of many of these lessons.

Small steps can be taken to further the feminist movement in the Mormon church. Smith and Peterson believe visibility for women is crucial. Smith also values hands-on fathers and hopes the church will honor women’s need for education and women’s skills by utilizing them.

“If we mean what we say about women, they need to be visible,” Peterson said. “It’s that sort of over-syrupy, benevolent praise that is used as a tool to keep the structure the same and to defend the status quo.”

Peterson is referring to a 2018 article by Salt Lake Tribune reporter Peggy Fletcher Stack. While interviewing the new all-male leadership about women’s roles in the church, Russell M. Nelson began by saying “We love ’em.” Leadership continued to praise women as mothers and daughters, but did not mention steps the church is making toward gender equality or “even hint at the word ‘feminist.’”

Similarly, Toscano said that feminism in the Mormon church comes in waves, and at the end of each wave a woman is excommunicated to subdue the movement. In the 1970s, it was Sonia Johnson, Equal Rights Amendment advocate. In the 1990s, it was Toscano herself. In 2014, it was Kate Kelly, co-founder of Ordain Women.

Toscano firmly believes that the movement will resurface again soon. “You can’t keep women down.”

 

Prof. Margaret Toscano in her office at the University of Utah.
A book titled Explorations in Mormon Theology, written by Prof. Margaret Toscano and her husband, Paul Toscano.
Women and Authority by Maxine Hanks, another book in Prof. Toscano’s library. It is about women’s views on feminist theology and women’s issues in the 1800s.
Voices for Equality, a book advocating for women to be ordained that is in Prof. Toscano’s collection.
Pedestals & Podiums, a book written by Dr. Martha Bradley on the history of Mormon feminism. It includes topics like the Equal Rights Amendment and creation of the Relief Society.

Erin Marie Sleater

Posted on by

MY STORY: 

MY BLOG: 

I have never been as passionate about an organization as I am when it comes to Girls on the Run Utah, so it was a clear choice to highlight the organization in my enterprise story. The nonprofit has been close to my heart for years, and it is important to me others are able to learn about the work it does and how to become part of it themselves.

I was able to get in touch with Executive Director Heidi Moreton as well as Marissa Ulibarri, who served as a coach through the program. Both provided me great information to utilize throughout my story. Understanding Girls on the Run Utah’s vision, as well as having the best sources for my story, made it easy for me to gather and use all the information with ease, creating an informative and effective story for my audience. I watched my writing style and the flow of my piece improve through each and every draft produced. Additionally, gaining important feedback from others was immensely helpful throughout the process.

Completing this story resulted in a greater appreciation for what the organization stands for and everything that is done behind the scenes, giving me a better understanding and becoming so much more proud of the work it does. I am truly lucky to have gotten such insight into GOTR and attempt to shine a light on it. I can only hope by publishing my story this organization will touch more individuals, continue to grow and succeed, and truly change lives.

ABOUT ME: 

Erin Sleater is currently a sophomore at the University of Utah pursuing a strategic communication degree. Though born and raised in Utah, she has an immense passion for traveling.

Erin is a proud member of both Her Campus Utah and Alpha Phi sorority on campus. She serves as the director of media and marketing for Her Campus Utah, and hopes to continue a career through social media marketing as she is happiest when showcasing her creativity.

IMG_1728 3.jpg

Arts Pass benefits University of Utah students, staff, faculty

Posted on by

Story and photos by MADELEINE M. PORTER

The University of Utah Arts Pass provides funding to programs, enables students to be in touch with their creativity, and gives the U community the ability to explore beyond their comfort zones.

The Arts Pass is “open to all students and faculty members at the U and includes screenings, performances, concerts, and exhibitions.” It is programmed into a person’s campus identification card, and permits them to attend some fine-arts events at a discounted rate and others free of charge.

When Bryan West Kilpatrick was in his second year of college, 2012, the Arts Pass was released. “It gives students access to discounts and anything in the performing arts, including the Pioneer Theatre which is the only professional theater on a Pac-12 campus,” Kilpatrick said in a phone interview. He is a logistics manager for the West Coast and was a theater major for four years.

Discounts are  particularly beneficial to U students. Many are on a college budget and don’t want to spend money on entertainment.

Some students still refrain from going to a wide array of the fine-arts events available, for the fear of having to attend alone. After speaking with multiple students, this fear is a driving factor as to why they do not attend.

Ali Lorenz is a dance major in the School of Dance, which is part of the College of Fine Arts. “It can be really intimidating to attend events, especially in the arts. That is a very unfamiliar field for a lot of people,” Lorenz said.

Pioneer Theatre Company advertises that “current University of Utah students may take advantage of student discounts through the Student Arts Pass to attend performances at discounted rates. With a valid University of Utah UCard, students may receive up to two tickets.”

Students with a valid UCard receive two discounted tickets per performance. Two tickets is intended to inspire students to involve their peers in the arts. Immersing themselves in a field that may be unfamiliar is a challenge that can be overcome.

Kilpatrick added, “There are some shows and exhibits that I wouldn’t end up going to because I didn’t want to attend alone.”

The fear of attending alone affects the number of attendees at the many different productions available. Lorenz noticed this very early on in her experience within her modern dance productions.

“The Arts Pass in our (modern dance) community is so blatantly obvious because we use it to attend productions required for class,” Lorenz said. “However, there is a gap between us, students in the College of Fine Arts, and the rest of the University as a whole.”

The University of Utah has an array of different fields that students are involved in. Students can enjoy the fine arts at a discounted rate while the Arts Pass is still available to them.

Saige Miller, a double major in communication and sociology, believes that fine arts are crucial in any form of education.

“The fine arts are a prerequisite to many different branches of education. You need creative writing or fine arts in engineering or in STEM education. I think it is so central to learning and people should want to learn more about it,” Miller said.

Kilpatrick also commented on the importance of fine arts. “If you are in a major that doesn’t do anything artistic or creative, it is still nice to go explore something out of your comfort zone. We have some pretty amazing student-run shows that are going on and some are even produced by students.”

Not only does the Arts Pass give students the opportunity to explore different types of fine arts but it also aids in the funding that is given to the College of Fine Arts.

The Arts Pass helps the College of Fine Arts keep track of how many students tickets have been used each year, which helps the budget manager determine the budget amount for the semester.

Lorenz said that when the modern dance program merged with the ballet program in summer 2017, it also merged the two separate budgets. Cole Adams, her production class professor, explained that the Arts Pass affects the amount of funding each program receives.

“We get funding through the Arts Pass based on how many students are using the Arts Pass. The budget manager for that year looks at the amount of students who have used the pass. The greater the number of attendees the more funding our program receives because that means people are interested and want to keep attending,” Lorenz said.

The funds that are available to the College of Fine Arts are used for the resources it takes to produce the event.

University of Utah students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in many different forms of fine arts. Attending events helps the College of Fine Arts’ budget grow so more intricate shows can be produced.

The entrance to Kingsbury Hall.
Ticket office at Kingsbury Hall.
The entrance to Pioneer Theatre.
The many different events the School of Music particpates in.
The reporter’s UCard in front of President’s Circle, where Kingsbury Hall is located.
Utah Museum of Fine Arts sign with the museum in the background.

 

All Rhoads lead to the Olympics

Posted on by

Story and photos by JOSEPH PARKER

It’s February in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Twenty-three-year-old ski jumper Will Rhoads sits on top of the hill, waiting for the right moment to begin his descent down the ramp. The cold, crisp breeze brushes his face as he prepares himself for the moment he has dreamed about since he first began ski jumping. After a decade of training and competition, Rhoads has finally earned his opportunity to compete for a spot on the podium at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Rhoads’ exposure to the Olympics began at a young age when his family moved from Concord, New Hampshire, to Park City, Utah. Rhoads’ father, David, had accepted a job with the Olympic Organizing Committee for the 2002 Salt Lake City games. Unbeknownst to Rhoads at the time, this cross-country move was the first step toward his professional career as a ski jumper.

“I kind of got into the sport by accident,” Rhoads said in a phone interview from Norway while preparing for the final competition of the ski jumping season. “My friend, Colton Kissell, started doing it. I was 5 or 6 years old at the time and he was, like, ‘Hey, I tried this thing called ski jumping, it’s super sweet, you’ve got to try it,’ and we were best friends at the time, so I was like, ‘OK.’”

After his first exposure to the sport, Rhoads was hooked. He began building his skill set at the Utah Olympic Park, located just a short drive from his home in Park City. The Olympic Park had been renovated for the 2002 Olympic Games and provided Rhoads an upper hand to improve his skills on state-of-the-art facilities.

Rhoads continued to progress in the sport throughout his youth, but his career really began to take off as he entered his teenage years. “Growing up, I was always pretty competitive,” Rhoads said. “It wasn’t until I was 12 or so that I realized [ski jumping] was something I could be good at, and that I wanted to be a World Cup-level, or potentially, Olympian ski jumper.”

At the age of 12, Rhoads began working on his professional ski jumping career with guidance from his coach and long-time role model, Clint Jones. “Growing up, [Clint] was the guy I was watching on TV,” Rhoads said. “I wanted to emulate as much of him as I could.”

Throughout his 17-year professional career, Jones was a member of seven World Championship teams and represented the United States during the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. After retiring from competition, Jones began coaching the club team in Park City and would later serve as Rhoads’ head coach on the national ski jumping team. Currently Jones serves as team director for USA Nordic.

“Ski jumping is a pretty unique thing,” Jones said during a phone interview. “We’re looking for guys that are tall and skinny. You also need to have a pretty high strength-to-weight ratio, and most importantly is coordination and athleticism.” Rhoads stands 6-feet-3-inches tall and competes at a weight of 140 pounds, making him a perfect candidate for a sport where genetics play a crucial role in an athlete’s ability.

“Will is a pretty thin guy, but at the same time he’s powerful in the legs and has broad shoulders, which definitely helps him fly through the air,” said Jones. With guidance from his coach, Rhoads began making a name for himself throughout the United States ski jumping community.

After being named to the national ski jumping team, Rhoads was truly able to fly. He has won the Men’s Large Hill U.S. National Championship consecutively since 2015. In addition to his national titles, he has placed top-10 in numerous FIS Cups (International Ski Federation). Rhoads was also a member of the ski jumping team that won the 2015 Junior World Championship in Falun, Sweden. Aside from his official titles and medals, Rhoads became a member of the “200 Club” after jumping 201 meters in Slovenia at the Planica World Cup finals.

However, pursuing a professional athletic career is not always glory and fame; it comes with a few caveats.

During his adolescent years, Rhoads was unable to participate in other sports because so much of his time was dedicated to ski jumping. The time he spent in foreign countries, either for training or competition, kept him away from family and friends for extended periods. Despite the hardships that accompanied his sport, Rhoads has always kept his chin up and mind focused on the next challenge.

After 11 years of hard work, training and competition, Rhoads received the news he had long anticipated. While awaiting a Skype call from the U.S. Olympic Committee, Rhoads received a notification on his phone. He had been tagged in a post by the U.S. Ski Team, congratulating him on being officially named to the Olympic Team.

“To be honest, it was a little anti-climactic to learn I had made the Olympic team via Instagram, but I’ll take it. To see that I had actually made the team was really cool,” he said.

Christine Rhoads, the mother of Will Rhoads, was beyond ecstatic about her son’s Olympic status. “We always knew he could make it,” she said. “He worked so hard to get [to the Olympics] … as a mother there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing your child accomplish their dream.”

Unfortunately, Rhoads did not do as well as he hoped on the Olympic stage. During a qualifying jump, the winds shifted, which caused him to lose valuable distance. As a result, Rhoads placed 51st out of a total 56 competitors in the men’s individual large hill competition. Regardless of his performance, Rhoads takes pride knowing he was finally able to fulfil his long-time dream of competing at the Olympics in the sport to which he had dedicated so much of his life.

As the old saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” Rhoads is approaching the age where he may need to leave professional jumping behind in order to pursue a life-long career.

Rhoads said he desires to continue working in an athletic environment. He has considered the idea of becoming a physical therapist or even a doctor, specializing in sports medicine. His former coach, Clint Jones, hopes Rhoads will return to the U.S. Nordic Team as a coach himself, helping to inspire and train the next generation of Olympic ski jumpers.

Rhoads smiles in front of the American flag displayed in the judges box at the top of the K120 hill.
Rhoads sits on the bar which serves as the starting point for ski jumpers on the K120 hill.
Roads stands with his old skis at the bottom of the K120 hill at the Utah Olympic Park.
Rhoads giving two thumbs up next to a poster of himself mid-jump.
Rhoads sporting one of the many branded articles of clothing given to the 2018 Olympic athletes.
Rhoads stands with his old jumping skis in the equipment room where he spent much of his youth.
Rhoads sitting on the starting bar, looking down the ramp of the K120.
The view from the judges box located at the top of the K120.

 

 

 

Charles Buck

Posted on by

MY STORY:

PortraitMY BLOG:

For my enterprise story I wanted to write about the struggles behind building a brand, since college students quickly have to develop a successful strategy for marketing themselves. I wanted to focus on something more abstract than branding a product, and looked for a story about the successful strategy behind branding a person or organization.

Deb Peterson, the chief development officer of The Leonardo, offered me the opportunity to see the unique challenge of branding the museum. She offered great insight behind their strategy and the challenges they face, and explained some of the brand partnerships they’ve established.

The Leonardo currently hosts an exhibit featuring LEGO, and I was able to interview Mariann Asanuma, a LEGO master builder, who travels the world, marketing herself as the “first freelance female master builder.” She brought great insight into how LEGO has used the LEGO movies to reinvigorate the brand with a younger generation, and showed me how her social media presence helped build her personal brand.

The main obstacle that I encountered was trying to find the right sources, and gain access to them in the given timeframe. I quickly learned that in any large organization only a few key people developed the brand strategy, and they usually had pretty hectic schedules. I was able to engage with Deb Peterson through professional connections, and she was then able to get me access to any information I needed.

At the end I had a lot of great information about The Leonardo and the challenges of building its brand. The hard part was to distill the information to stay within the boundaries of the story. The Leonardo, LEGO, and the strategies behind branding are all great topics, and when writing about them collectively I had to focus on the common threads in order to not dilute the story.

The biggest lesson I learned was to always ask myself if I’m still focused on the original story, and what can be added or taken away to clarify the message for my readers.

ABOUT ME:

I hope to turn my passion for communication into a career focused on brand strategy. I have a great appreciation for the science behind verbal and visual communication, and I’m passionately interested in how social media ties into this field.

Before coming to the University of Utah I spent some time in the military, and worked in Iraq as a political and foreign influence analyst for the 101st Airborne Division. The work was fascinating and sparked my interest in professional communication and brand strategy.

I’m currently a sophomore student at the U, with a double major in business and strategic communication. When not in class or at work I spend my time at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute where I love working with startup companies on their brand identities.

During the next few years I intend to develop my ability to elegantly tell the stories that fascinate me and tie into the industries that I’m focused on, hopefully in ways that reward and fascinate my audience.

Joseph Parker

Posted on by

IMG_2902MY STORY:

MY BLOG:

When initially told about our enterprise story, I was unsure of what I would write about. I thought about the project for a while. My biggest concern was choosing a subject for which sources would be difficult to locate. It was just a few days before our story pitches were due that I decided to write about my friend, Will Rhoads. I had known Rhoads since I was 13 or 14 but had never really gotten in-depth details about his ski jumping career. I wanted to use this project as an opportunity to get to know my friend even better than I had before.

Sources were relatively easy to get in touch with. Rhoads would be my primary source and getting in contact with him was as simple as sending a text message to him. I told him about the project outline and he said that he would be honored to help me out. While I was interviewing Rhoads, he mentioned several other sources for me to explore, one being his former coach and the other being his mother. Since Rhoads knew these two people very well, it was easy for me to reach out and get in touch with them for interviews.

I believe these were the best sources for my story because they were all closely involved with Rhoads and his development in the sport. My primary source, Will Rhoads, was a phenomenal source because the story revolves around him. He is the Olympian and was able to provide firsthand information about his life. My second source, Clint Jones, was another great source because he was the one who shaped Rhoads throughout his youth. Jones had known Rhoads for years and was able to provide insight not many people were privy to. My third source was Rhoads’ mother, Christine. She was able to provide a parent’s point of view in regard to Rhoads’ early developments and struggles in the sport.

I only faced one real obstacle while writing this story, which was timing. When the project was initially assigned, and we needed to begin exploring options, Rhoads was already in South Korea preparing for the Olympics. I was unable to know whether I could write my story about him until a week or so before our first significant due date for the project. Even after I was able to conduct the interview with him, I still needed pictures for the story. After the Olympics, Rhoads needed to travel to Norway to finish the regular ski jumping season. I wasn’t able to meet with him in person to get my story pictures until three days prior to our publishing date. Even though our timing was tight, Rhoads and I were able to complete everything necessary in order to complete my story.

During the interview process I was provided a lot of information. In order to write my story, I decided to write a spotlight on Rhoads and his athletic career rather than focusing on one highlight in particular. Because I was interviewing people directly associated with Rhoads, there were times I was provided with three different perspectives of the same event. It was interesting to see how Rhoads viewed a particular moment of his career as compared to his mother or former coach.

The writing process proved to be somewhat difficult for me. I had never written a journalistic article before which made the transition to AP style a challenge. The only extensive writing I had done were scholastic essays about topics that could be easily researched online. Writing an article and needing to do primary research along with interviews proved to be a new and unique experience. I learned that with practice, like most things, AP style becomes easier. I would say that I am still far from proficient, but I am learning more and more with every passing assignment.

Unfortunately for the readers of my article, there are many hilarious details that I was unable to include in my story. Because I have known Rhoads for so long, there were things he disclosed to me during interviews that needed to remain off the record. Because I was a friend of his, he was able to “be real with me” in a way that he typically couldn’t with a professional reporter. Out of respect to my friend, I am leaving these details out of my story and blog.

Not much surprised me while writing this story. The only thing that surprised me was listening to the lengths competitors are willing to go to in order to maintain their competition weight. I am a foodie and could not imagine having to restrict my diet to the bare minimum in order to maintain a certain body weight.

In conclusion I would say that this article was a good way for me to be introduced to journalistic writing. I was able to cover a story that was interesting and provided me an opportunity to learn even more about a good friend. If anyone out there ever gets the chance to meet Will Rhoads, I would suggest getting to know him as best as you can. He is a unique individual with an incredible charisma and bright sense of humor. I am happy to call him one of my good friends.

ABOUT ME:

“This is your captain speaking. I want to thank you for choosing to fly with us today.”

I have dreamed of saying that sentence for as long as I can remember.

I have always wanted to be an airline pilot. Both my mother and father worked for Delta Airlines and I was fortunate enough to fly for free most of my life. Because of this, I have been able to travel the world and experience things I otherwise would have only been exposed to through BBC or Discovery Channel documentaries. It is my passion for travel and fear of remaining stagnant that fuels my desire to one day fly for a living.

Ever since I was young, I have found enjoyment at altitude. Looking out the window and seeing a sea of clouds, or city lights against an otherwise dark earth brings a sense of peace over me. I have always felt “at home” in the sky. Being able to fly for free has given me the opportunity to visit places like Rome, Paris, Kenya, South Africa and Australia just to name a few. The idea of making a career out of travel is what I find appealing. I cannot imagine spending my life working in the same office, with the same people, at the same location nearly every day until I retire. I want every day at work to have the potential of showing me something new.

Currently, I am finishing my junior year at the University of Utah. Throughout my time at the U, I have gained innumerable experiences and lifelong friendships. I am expecting to graduate in the spring of 2019 with a major in strategic communication. I have always had an interest in videography and hope to work in the field of marketing until I am able to establish myself as a commercial airline pilot.

I am eager to finish my education at the University of Utah so that I can start down the road to a career as an aviation professional.

It’s all about the bread: the history and legacy of the Village Baker

Posted on by

Story and gallery by SPENCER GRAY

Worth McCleery, founder of the Village Baker, has been serving his famous homemade bread to locals for almost 25 years.

“People would travel from all over the valley,” McCleery said in an interview. “Word spread quickly about the bread we were making, and others just had to give it a try.”

The Village Baker has seen tremendous growth over the last few years. McCleery had his main location in West Jordan for almost 15 years before he decided to franchise.

The Village Baker is a place that people go to not just for the sandwiches, pizza and dessert, but also for the environment and feeling they get when they walk through the door.

Keenan Burnett, current manager at the original location in West Jordan, discussed what exactly the Village Baker brand means to him.

“Family, tradition and hard work,” Burnett said. “We’re all friends there, which allows us to have more of a positive environment.”

The Village Baker has been a family-run business from the beginning. McCleery hired a lot of his siblings to work at his original store to maintain that brand of love and family strong in his store.

But since the opening of the store located in West Jordan in 1994, McCleery and his crew soon outgrew their shell.

“Lunch rushes were crazy all day, every day before we opened the dining area in the original location,” McCleery said.

So in 2013, McCleery and his team finally decided to franchise their bakery, opening their second store in Sandy.

Since then, McCleery has opened three more stores in Lehi, Herriman and downtown Salt Lake City to meet their customers’ needs for their well-known bread.

Jordan Watko, general manager of the new Salt Lake City store located at 111 Main St., has been with the Village Baker since the original location in West Jordan.

“I grew up eating at the Village Baker. So for me, the Village Baker brand means family. It’s for families by families,” Watko said.

“I don’t know if anything has really changed since the original location,” Watko said. “But I think it’s not about what’s changed, but more so how do you consistently replicate what the original location did so well.”

With their slogan being, “It’s the Bread,” it’s no wonder why so many people find themselves as another one of their daily customers.

However, with the popularity that comes with the Village Baker’s bread also comes the responsibility to keep their recipe consistent across all franchise stores.

The Village Baker bakes its special, homemade honey bread fresh every morning. Thick slices are used for sandwiches. The bread also is sold by the loaf, attracting flocks of repeat customers daily.

Watko said customers’ favorite bread is honey white, followed closely by honey whole wheat and two types of cinnamon-flavored bread that are baked only on Friday and Saturday. With 13 different flavors, customers definitely have their favorites.

“It’s comfort food,” Watko said about the bread. “At its core, its grandma’s recipe. People love the bread because it’s a good balance between wholesome and nourishment, but at the same time it’s like cheat day.”

When asked about the repeat customers at the original location, Burnett said, “Oh yeah. I usually see my regulars almost every day. They might skip a day or so, but a lot of them I see at least four to five times a week.”

With so many people in love with the brand and the bread, it was scary for McCleery to franchise his stores because it opened the door for that brand to lose its reputation and taste.

“When you know that your customers are depending on your food to taste the same and offer the same experience at all locations, it was a challenge for a small mom and pop store like ours,” Watko said.

In order to provide the same experience to all customers across all locations, it requires the brand to stay consistent as well.

“Our brand represents years of hard work, with a lot of great people demanding a quality experience and taste,” McCleery said.

As far as the future of the Village Baker and their bread goes, McCleery has high hopes for his family-branded bakery.

“I imagine in 10 years, the Village Baker will have grown to more than 20 new stores across multiple states,” McCleery said.

The bread before it is sliced and served to the many fans of its homemade taste.
Customers love the Village Baker’s Chicken Alfredo pizza, making it the best-selling pizza.
The Village Baker will bag its bread to give its customers the chance to take the homemade taste back to their own home.
One of the newest stores in downtown Salt Lake City, offering a beautiful modern design with a multilevel experience.
The outside of their first franchised location in Sandy.
The original location where it all started. After renovation, the Village Baker decided to remodel, adding seating for a dine-in experience for their customers.
A fan favorite – turkey cranberry on wheat bread. Customers often compare it to Thanksgiving dinner.

Madeleine M. Porter

Posted on by

MY STORY:

MY BLOG:

News writing is much different from what I had originally expected. I thought it was only about crime, new technology, and the weather channel. I have come to find out that news has to be a story that people want to read and feel they should share with friends and family. The audience wants to gain knowledge in an entertaining light which comes from the style of writing presented.

This style of writing was hard for me to master at first. I had a difficult time trying to find a balance between entertainment and factual evidence. I usually separate the two realms into research papers and writing for popular culture however, I found a way to combine the two for this article.

My first step was to do research on my broad topic of the different advantages of the UCard that is given to faculty staff and students of the University of Utah. After finding there are so many different advantages I narrowed my topic down to the Arts Pass developed by the College of Fine Arts. By researching more into the different aspects of the Arts Pass, I found that I had a great topic to write about.

This research also gave me more insight into how I wanted to shape my article, who I wanted to interview, and how I wanted the outcome to look. However, because I already had an idea of my direction it was hard to conduct my interviews without bias.

During my interviews I was very surprised because even though they all started with the same questions, they all ended with different outcomes. I interviewed people who were both younger and older than I and who are from different majors within the U. This was my favorite part because I was able to learn more about their involvement with the Fine Arts which was much different from my involvement. I liked their different opinions because even though they were different I found their interviews enhanced my story only further.

Overall, this article was very challenging to me because I had to learn many new rules, tactics, and themes. Although incorporating different opinions became difficult at times, I found that I flourished in figuring out a new organizational pattern. This class has taught me to incorporate entertainment with factual evidence to make my article exciting and intriguing for my audience to read.

ABOUT ME:

Blog PhotoRESIZEDWriting was not my original passion in 2014 when I first began at the University of Utah. I wanted to become a physical therapist because I love being able to work with all types of people. However, after a few failed science classes I knew it was time to search for a field of studies that I felt confident in.

I took a few different communication courses to broaden my studies and found that I flourished in the studies of people. The ability to communicate with people and learn to build mutually beneficial relationships excites me. Expanding further beyond person-to-person experiences resulted in my newfound passion for writing and rhetoric.

One of my strongest attributes comes from the vast subjects of my writing pieces I hope to one day publish. I believe that moving from Palos Verdes Estates, California, to Salt Lake City broadened my horizons into learning more about myself and the new community where I now reside. It has also greatly influenced what I choose to write about.

Most of my writings this semester have been closely related to the many writing courses I am enrolled in. From creative storytelling to news writing I have only found room to improve. I found a passion in telling my own life stories because they are personable and true.

These personal stories help me communicate to my audience in hopes of finding a common ground to become relatable. I want my audience to know that I am a person just like them with passions and fears. But, I overcome my fears through research and find passion in my writings as a result of hard work and dedication.

Joseph Coles

Posted on by

Since he was four years old, Joseph Coles has had a passion for sports and writing. In the mornings, Joseph would wake up, make a bowl of cereal and read the sports section. Now 21, Joseph is a writer for the Deseret News and has worked at the News since 2016, covering sporting events ranging from Utah Jazz games, to Utah gymnastics, to the Salt Lake Bees, to rodeos. Joseph is majoring in Communications, with an emphasis in journalism at the University of Utah. He has written for The Daily Utah Chronicle, the Deseret News and various sports blogs. You can follow him on Twitter at @JoeAColes.

Enterprise story

LinkedIn

K9bAIwRB_400x400

Reflections on Beekeepers’ Association story

Posted on by

Post by HENRY ALLEN

The Beekeepers’ Association story wasn’t my first choice; initially, I had planned to write an article about the University of Utah’s scholarships for competitive video gaming. The video gaming article didn’t pan out well – I found myself completely uninterested in the topic. During one of my writing session for the article, I ended up calling my dad to take a break, and happened to mention some of the activities I’d done with the Beekeeping Association. My dad suggested switching my topic to something involving the Association, which ended up being a much more interesting topic. There had been articles written on the club before, but none that shaped up like mine.

Locating sources wasn’t a problem because I was already part of the Beekeeping Association – contacting Quaid (the student president of the club) and Ms. Sybul (the faculty adviser) for interviews was fairly simple and seemed like a no-brainer. For my third interview, I picked a fellow member of the club (Leota) who happened to be at a club event I attended.

Quaid and Ms. Sybul were the obvious interview choices because they’re the most knowledgeable members of the club and organize everything it does. They were able to answer pretty much any question I could come up with, and their answers actually held weight because the president and adviser can speak on behalf of the club. Interviewing Leota felt right because I wanted a few quotes from a regular member of the club who was relatively new, which allowed me to get a new member’s perspective.

I didn’t encounter any noteworthy obstacles while gathering information for the story. Frankly, the hardest part was writing it all together within the word limit. After I wrote my first draft, I had to go back and trim a bit of fat. It was pretty tricky to keep the article condensed, yet engaging and informative. I did encounter an ethical dilemma: it was difficult to prevent the story from becoming an advertising piece for the club. One example is a sentence I had to cut where I talked about where the Association sold its honey and lip balm – the club member part of me wanted to include it, but it always came off as an advertisement.

Deciding my focus came easily – I wanted to write an article about the club process, but with more emphasis on the club aspect; most of the other articles focused only on the bees. “Making sense” of the information wasn’t difficult because I took a chronological approach – I discussed information and events in the order that I’d experienced them as a new member of the club.

The writing process came quickly once I’d gathered all my interviews, assets, and information. My main issue was writing something that sounded good – I’m my biggest critic.

I did have one paragraph I had to take out of the story, where I described the honey extraction process – I ended up converting portions of it to captions on pictures, but it would be fun to write out a detailed description of the process on the blog.

Frankly, I was most surprised by my own interest in the story. I had expected the interviews and writing to be a slog, but I ended up enjoying the process immensely and found that I had too much to say about the subject.

Henry Allen

Posted on by

About Me

pasted image 0

My name is Henry Allen and I am a Political Science and Communications double major studying at the University of Utah. I was born in Anchorage, Alaska and shortly thereafter moved to Hawaii, where I grew up on the island of Oahu in the town of Kailua. My experiences on the island shaped the person I am today – the island lifestyle is decisively different from the “mainland” United States mindset, and I like to think it allows me to approach life from an alternative direction. My dad has been an avid outdoors-man his whole life, so I grew up camping, kayaking, and hiking throughout the U.S. (albeit begrudgingly at times) with him, my mom, and my brother. It was that outdoorsy lifestyle that led me to attend the U, which my dad also attended in the 1970s. I spend most days chained to a keyboard, but I always try to find some time for the outdoors.

My Enterprise Story can be found here.

My reflection on the Enterprise Story process can be found here.

My LinkedIn profile can be found here.

Kindergarten: the new first grade

Posted on by

Story and slideshow by JACKSON CALDWELL

The start of anything can seem overwhelming. No matter the age or experience, new environments can be hard to grasp. Kindergarten is the first step in the ladder of education. In kindergarten students are expected to sit, listen and learn from a teacher, which is a new experience for them. Not only are students learning the essential skills of math and literacy, they are learning how to be a student for the first time.

However, not all students participate in kindergarten. In the state of Utah, students are not required by law to attend the grade of kindergarten. By having students in first grade without any skills or knowledge learned in kindergarten, it creates an uneven starting point for students.

Unless Utah legislation makes changes to the state’s education system, this imbalance of students skills will remain. Although the change is the decision of the legislature, the teachers in Utah are the ones facing the problem firsthand.

Laralynn Caldwell, a kindergarten teacher currently at Farnsworth Elementary in Granite School District, has been teaching for four years in both charter and public education schools. When speaking of her time in education she made it clear that kindergarten is necessary.

“Kindergarteners are now learning the foundational concepts of math and literacy that were taught years ago in first grade,” Caldwell said. “When a first-grade teacher gets a student that did not attend kindergarten, it is detrimental to their whole class. The teacher takes time away from other students to train and teach a student with no educational background.”

Caldwell said the problem is not having a clear starting point for students. “For all other grades expectations are clear for where a student needs to be at the beginning of the year. But there is no real reference point for kindergarten.” Kindergarten teachers are overwhelmed teaching students who have little to no skills at the beginning of the year, and preparing them to be ready for first grade by the end of the year. This sets children behind before they have started grade school.

Utah does have some requirements for kindergarten. Every district in Utah is required to offer at least a half-day option and assess every kindergartener at the beginning and end of the year. However, this started in 2017 as a statewide assessment and is still being developed to understand what students should know before they start kindergarten.

By using a standardized statewide test, educators and lawmakers will start to see real data that will validate this change for mandatory kindergarten. By making kindergarten regulated and required, the Utah Board of Education will have more data to understand how kindergarten impacts a student’s future education.

The success rate for students who complete kindergarten goes far beyond education. Heather Taylor is a parent with a daughter currently in first grade. Taylor sees kindergarten as more than naptime and coloring.

“Kindergarteners are expected to learn at least 50 words, all their letters and sounds and count to 100 by the end of the year,” she said. Taylor was impressed with her child’s ability to work and communicate with other students. “Although some things can be taught at home, her ability to see other points of view and work as a team are both something she excels at because she attended kindergarten.”

Taylor is not the only parent who feels this way. Another parent interviewed spoke of the difference between her two children. She wished to remain anonymous because her son started first grade without attending kindergarten, whereas her daughter did.

“My first child I kept home during his kindergarten year,” she said. “The next year it was a struggle every morning to get him to go to first grade.” But the experience was much different transitioning to first grade with her daughter. “When my second child started first grade after kindergarten, she was ready for the longer hours, schedule and being away from mom.”

When students start school, there is a transition period where separation is difficult. However, the skills learned in kindergarten help students have a positive outlook on their education. The growth of the student can be seen by both parents and teachers. Emotional needs are also addressed in this important grade.

Erica Hibbard is the social worker at Farnsworth Elementary. She expressed the positive outcomes she has seen. A social worker’s job in a school is to oversee the child’s well-being in the classroom and at home. Hibbard works with students from kindergarten to the sixth grade.

“Students who attend kindergarten are more equipped for the first grade because they have learned how to emotionally self-regulate,” Hibbard said. She has seen the effects that starting school earlier has had on students she works with. “Kindergarten provides the first building blocks for students to engage in problem-solving, cooperation and other social-emotional skills.”

Daily class schedule for kindergarten.
Tablet center that the kids learn to use Ipads in class.
Mrs. Caldwell’s wall of words in kindergarten.
Letter center helps student to learn letters and sounds.

Christian Gonzalez

Posted on by

About Me

My name is Chrinew (1 of 1)-4stian Gonzalez I am currently a student at the University of Utah, majoring in Strategic Communications with a minor in Spanish. I received my A.S. in General Studies from Salt Lake Community College. I have been employed full time with Lexington Law Firm for over five years and currently hold a position in  operations.

As I have developed my career I have gained a passion for supporting the Latin community and working with organizations such as “Communidades Unidas” a non-profit that supports Utah Latinos. My family immigrated from Mexico in the early 90’s.

Upon completion of my undergraduate degree I plan to continue my career by attending graduate school in the pursuit of an MBA. Furthermore, I plan to explore career opportunities with organizations that support our communities and strive to influence positive change within them.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-gonzalez-4422a6104/

https://unewswriting.wordpress.com/2017/12/04/reflection

https://unewswriting.wordpress.com/2017/12/04/day-of-the-dead-celebrating-and-remembering-our-dead

 

 

Natalie Mumm

Posted on by

IMG_2470

Born and raised in Southern California, I moved to Utah in 2015 to pursue a Communication degree, focusing on the Strategic Communication sequence, with a minor in Arts and Technology at the University of Utah. I am a part of the Delta Gamma Sorority, which allows me to involve myself with the community, and the campus, in various volunteer opportunities. After graduation, my goal is to work as a social media manager for a company.

Through the course of the Arts and Technology minor, I have taken Intro to Digital Photography. This class is what initially introduced me to The Salt Lake Gallery Stroll. An assignment allowed students to attend the event, and visit a minimum of two galleries. Talking with an artist or representative of the gallery, as well as documenting your attendance with various photos was required.

I found The Salt Lake Gallery Stroll to be very amusing. I carried a goal to introduce the event to college students and young adults through my story. Hoping to enlighten individuals, and increase attendance at future gallery strolls.

Enterprise Story

Reflection Blog

 

Reflection Blog- Natalie Mumm

Posted on by

I developed my story, “Salt Lake Gallery Stroll aids making art obtainable” through the introduction of the event from one of my photography professor at the University of Utah. An assignment for the class allowed me to not only attend the event but find interest in the event as well, then leading me to indulge in the event and cover it for a news writing story. I located various sources by simply further educating myself on the event, and finding the best galleries participating, and visited them. Looking for young adults, I spoke to individuals attending, individuals working, and even artists to share their thoughts and opinions on the gallery stroll. Younger individuals were the best sources for my story because the stories purpose was to educate and encourage people to attend the event with enthusiasm about the art culture, which younger generations may lack.

Fortunately, no large obstacles, ethical issues, or moral dilemmas occurred, and the progression of the story was successful. The information obtained was easy to make sense of, as it was all information about the event, and encouraging words through interviews, making it simple to decide to focus on the encouragement of art to the public community.

The writing process become more of an exciting, rather than mandatory feeling, because of the personal interest I found in the event, and my desire to share it with those who read my article. As I took the route of my story to persuade readers to attend, another route, or story that would be entertaining would be a feature story on a, or multiple specific galleries or artists, because of how diverse and indulging they all are. However, my story was not the place for in depth biographies on artists and their galleries, I hope my story interests and persuades readers enough to go discover those said artists and galleries themselves.

Bio

Enterprise Story

Reflections on Campus Carry

Posted on by

By Alyssa Gum

SALT LAKE CITY— In the past few years, gun control has been a hot topic. With multiple events in the recent news involving mass shootings, I think this is an important idea to talk about. We, as consumers, see a lot of opinions about this issue but not a lot of facts. I found sources by finding relevant organizations to the campus carry debate (Students for Gun Free Schools and Students for Concealed Carry) and interviewing representatives from those organizations. I also decided to interview a student at The University of Utah to bring all of this back to home. I tried to make sense of all of the different information by comparing what the people I interviewed had to say to relevant statistics and studies. It was difficult to present both sides of this argument fairly and to make this as concise as possible, because it is such a broad topic. I interviewed Spencer Eiting, who is a student at The University of Utah who has his concealed carry permit. He talked about how he works at the university hospital and how he saw people come in who were victims of violent crimes. With this experience, he decided to research violent crime statistics in Utah. This, combined with threats from mentally unstable patients, caused him to want to obtain his concealed carry permit. I also found it interesting that although he does carry a concealed firearm to his classes most days, he thinks it is too easy to obtain a concealed carry permit in Utah. Many people who you talk to on the subject have a strong view one way or another, but he seemed to have a very moderate view.

Enterprise Story

Alyssa Gum

Posted on by

About Me

seniorpic2

I am a sophomore at the University of Utah currently pursuing a major in Communications, with an emphasis in Strategic Communications, as well as a minor in Political Science.  I was previously Miss Teen Ohio United States, and I am now a writer for Her Campus Utah. I enjoy outdoor activities, cooking, volunteering, traveling, and writing. I am a passionate advocate for mental health and suicide prevention.

After graduation, I plan on starting my own business. I hope to inspire more women to enter into leadership positions or become their own bosses. To learn more about me, you can add me on Linkedin. 

My Stories:

Concealed Carry on College Campuses

Reflections on Campus Carry

Reflections on Illuminate

Posted on by

by Eylül Yel

I came across Illuminate while checking out upcoming events in Salt Lake City. It intrigued me because it was the first time an event like this was going to take place in Utah.

Once I decided that I will write an event story about Illuminate, I visited the Utah Arts Alliance website where I found in depth information about the event and the producers of the event including their contact information.

I conducted an interview with the producer of the event  to find out more information before attending the event. The interview helped me find out more about how the event was created, where he got the idea from and the obstacles he has faced along the way.

I attended the event on Nov. 10 and saw all the artwork in action. During the event, I had the chance of meeting employees from the Utah Arts Alliance as well as artists who showcased their work. I was able to talk to some of the participating artists and learn more about their craft and how they decided to participate in the event.

I conducted another interview with the executive producer after the festival to get his thought on how the event went and what his future plans are regarding Illuminate to include in my story.

While writing the final draft of the story, I used much of the information I have gathered during my interview with the producer before the event, then I put together my observations and notes from the event and included them in the story. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience to write this event story.

Seeing Salt Lake City through light art and technology

Eylül Yel

Posted on by

Version 2

Eylül Yel

Eylül Yel is a sophomore at the University of Utah. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication and minoring in International Studies. Eylül currently works at the University of Utah UKids East Village as a classroom assistant.

 

Eylül is the program director for one of the Bennion Center’s student directed programs, ESL Guadalupe, where she also volunteers as an English tutor for adults with immigrant English status. She volunteers for TEDx University of Utah as the event manager in an effort to help put together a TED Talk at the University of Utah in the upcoming semester.

 

Eylül can speak English and Turkish fluently and is currently learning Spanish. She has a strong grasp on Microsoft Office. Her interests include photography and cooking.

 

Eylül plans on graduating in 2020 and hopes to attend graduate school to further extend her knowledge within her field of studies. She is passionate about advertising and public relations and  would like to work in a related field in the future.

LinkedIn Profile

Seeing Salt Lake City through light art and technology

Illuminate Reflection Blog

 

Refection Blog – Tiffany Huyette

Posted on by

By Tiffany Huyette

In the beginning of pitching ideas for my enterprise story, I knew I wanted my story to be centered around athletics because that is where much of my knowledge and passion are found. I knew it would be easier to invest myself in a topic that I knew a lot about or had the motivation to learn more about, so I decided to write about UYSA. Growing up in Utah Youth Soccer was beneficial in teaching me life skills and in helping me learn to deal with adversity.

Upon gathering information for my story from previous coaches and the Utah Youth Soccer website, I was able to get in touch with individuals from the admin side of UYSA, and then eventually able to go to the new UYSA headquarters and interview a few different people. I reconnected with a previous soccer trainer who had coached girls and worked on the administrative side of UYSA.

I started my interviews asking each person their job title and how they had gotten to their current position. I asked about previous jobs and positions, and about their families. I went further into depth on the benefits of sports for adolescence. After the interviews, I reviewed my notes and was able to create a story. The best source for my story ended up being the man who had trained my team and other girls teams, and who also worked in administration for UYSA.

The struggles I faced were mostly in getting interviews and keeping my story to the word limit. How could I include the details I wanted and the details I needed, while also identifying the material I needed to take out? All while telling a story, intriguing readers, and fitting within the word limit.

I chose the focus of my story when I listened to my interviews and decided what would be interesting to readers of all types, and what wouldn’t be interesting. I also really wanted to tell a good story, so I had to find a point of view where I could story tell, while still being able to keep inline with my story topic. The writing process was lengthy, and the story ended up extensively exceeding the word limit. I then had to delete any parts that were not necessary, or that did not point back to the story pitch. It was a process of writing a story that would be both interesting and informative to readers, while at the same time telling a story well. I learned that I am much more of a story writer than a news writer but that it is beneficial to add brevity to whatever I’m writing.

Looking back, I am very surprised with where my story ended up going. It ended up being a feature story about a specific person and an organization. I learned much about UYSA through my interview with Bruce but also about Bruce as a person. I was able to attain life wisdom as well as coaching wisdom for young athletes and the parents of athletes.

For my story click here.

 

Reflections on Tinder

Posted on by

Annie Ricks

When I began thinking about story ideas, I knew from the get go that I wanted to write about something relevant in today’s society and something that I would enjoy reading. The idea of Tinder had been in my head for quite some time because I have been intrigued by its popularity in today’s society. Most everyone has used Tinder before or at least heard of it so I figured it would be a topic worth writing about. This topic of online dating apps comes up in many of my daily conversations with all types of people I meet, whether they have had negative or positive experiences with the app. Everyone has either has been or knows someone who has been successful on Tinder; however, everyone also knows someone who has had a bad experience with this app.

When I decided to write about Tinder, the first person who came to mind was my sorority sister, Erin. She has the best Tinder success story and she is very open when talking about it. She was very eager to be interviewed and was full of interesting comments about how she and her boyfriend met and how their relationship has evolved. I was surprised to learn how many people have had odd or funny encounters on Tinder. There were far more funny stories than creepy ones. I was also surprised that most individuals said they use Tinder just out of boredom or for a confidence boost, most aren’t even looking to date. The Tinder craze we see in our modern world doesn’t seem to stop growing however this raises concern for the safety of those engaging in the app. Many studies have shown that a rise in STD rates could be linked to the rise in online-dating users. Could this mean that the amount of online-dating users will start to decrease or will this craze keep on spiraling out of control? To read more about Tinder and this issue, click here.

Annie Ricks

Posted on by

About Annie: Annie Ricks is a Junior at the University of Utah currently studying Strategic Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations. She has a love for writing and planning, hence why her choice of career is a corporate level event planner. Her goal is to one day work for Vogue as an event planner but in the meantime is hoping to complete a PR internship somewhere on the East Coast. She has a passion for meeting new people, learning, and immersing herself in other cultures. So much that she lived in London for 4 months in 2017 and discovered that traveling is one of the most rewarding gifts you can offer yourself. In the summer of 2015, she travelled to Ecuador with Choice Humanitarian where she worked in less fortunate schools and visited local families. She is the Director of Philanthropy for her sorority and works closely with the Make a Wish Foundation. In fact, in the Fall 2017 semester, she helped raise $9,000 for the Make a Wish Foundation. Annie was also one of 35 collegiate women chosen to attend the Fall 2017 Flagship Session of the Nancy Walton Laurie Leadership Institute of Chi Omega where she was trained on how to be a resilient individual in the workplace, the home, and the community. She loves to give back wherever possible and she has a zest for life and making connections with people.

To read a sample of Annie’s writing, click here. To read her reflection blog, click here.

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

 

Zane Law

Posted on by

zane

Originally from Newport Beach, CA, I decided to leave home and pursue a college degree. I am a third year student at the University of Utah, majoring in Strategic Communications. I currently maintain a GPA above 3.5 and plan to graduate in the Spring of 2019, heading into the field of marketing/advertising. This field has always held my interest because analyzing and appealing to the minds of consumers has felt like a game to me. I have enjoyed finding different ways to sell clothes online, pawn off my crappy lemonade as a kid, and make/sell stickers, so pursuing this on a more professional scale seemed like the right fit. Work should be something I enjoy, and I plan on doing just that!

While I do not mean to write for a career, I am still proud of the content I have produced thus far. Besides the Greek life piece, my portfolio contains a marketing campaign pitch that was accepted and used by All Seasons Resort Lodging, an article that analyses the top-grossing Korean film and its relationship to Japanese-South Korean tensions, and a story about college athletes’ battle for compensation.

In my free time I enjoy all things sports. I do not know whether I am proud of or disappointed in the fact that I have only missed the viewing of one NFL game this 2017 season. I was the running back at University High School in Irvine, CA, so football is a passion of mine. I also ran two years of track and was named MVP both years. I was extremely disappointed when I discovered that the U does not have a collegiate team. These two high school teams have shown me what teamwork and perseverance are, so using those in the workplace is something I look forward to.

Fraternities are a valuable resource for many college men

Reflection Blog

LinkedIn Profile

 

 

Tiffany Huyette

Posted on by

Ice cream tiff

I am a Sophomore at the University of Utah. I am also a U employee, working for a family practice clinic full of nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, physicians, and resident physicians. For a while I had my heart set on becoming a dietitian, that dream has since changed, and I am settled as an undeclared student for now.

I was born and raised in Utah. For the longest time, I wanted to get out of Utah, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve begun to appreciate the mountains that are our backyard and the fall leaves that turn burnt orange.

I attended Jordan High School and grew up playing soccer. After playing soccer for 13 years and following a semester of college soccer, I gave up the soccer dream, and now play for fun in coed leagues. I enjoy distance running and pushing my mental barriers. Most days you can find me in a coffee shop, coffee in hand, doing homework or chatting with a friend. Other times you may find me in a nook somewhere, reading a novel of some sort. Gilmore Girls is my favorite TV series, and brownies and ice-cream are my go to dessert.

If your interested in reading my story click here.

If your interested in reading the reflections on my story click here.

For my LinkedIn profile click here.

Zane Law- Reflection Blog

Posted on by

The development of my story came about in a wave of ideas. I was, at first, stuck with only statistics. The data was a large amount that was both for and against the Greek system on college campuses. The statistics outlined things such as graduation rates, GPA within the system and outside of the system, numbers on rape, alcoholism, and more. I had put all of the information into my first draft, but was told to hold back on the information that I did not enjoy reporting. I had previously thought this to be bias and was trying to remove all side-taking from my writing, but was made aware that as long as I was not blatantly trying to promote Greek life, I was fine to report upon the positives. Telling of the benefits and stories of Greek life and its members was acceptable if the information was all factual and written clearly. It was still difficult to report on the information without being biased, as I was a Greek member for two years, but I believe the way I positioned my interview quotes and statistical information was fair.

I then had to plan my attack on the interview process. My sources were among the University of Utah’s most involved Greek members, being able to show what the system is truly capable of. The IFC President, the YAF President, and a fraternity social chair were all very different positions, but all positions that they said would help them in the future. Whether it be on resumes or using the connections they made during their terms, they said their time spent was extremely valuable to them. That seemed like enough to warrant an interview. The YAF President stood out to me most, as he had just accomplished a feat that made Salt Lake City headlines. He was able to invite, with the help of alumni, Ben Shapiro to the U’s campus. This was a true testament to what fraternities and alumni support can accomplish.

During this process I truly learned to plan ahead before stepping into an interview. After my meetings with a few of the folks I was left wanting to ask o many more questions. If I had better prepared, then I could have gotten some additional information for my article. I also learned that having friends and family review your work is a priceless tool. They were able to make suggestions that I would not have thought to include. Never be afraid to ask others to read your things, kids!

Fraternities are a valuable resource for many college men

Zane Law- Bio