Category Archives: Student-Journalists

Reflection Blog- Natalie Mumm

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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

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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

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About Me

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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

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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

Tinder: Is it helping or hurting our dating culture?

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Tinder: Is it helping or hurting our dating culture?

Story by Annie Ricks

SALT LAKE CITY — Tinder: an app where you can find a husband, a hookup, or a way to kill time by simply swiping right. This dating app fad has skyrocketed in the last few years. When a group of young college women were asked their reasons for using the app, responses varied from “boredom”, to “as a confidence booster”, “desperation”, or “as a rebound”. Maybe this increase is due to a lack of traditional dating methods, or perhaps it is our technology-crazed generation which drives people to online dating. In a growing app culture- our lives revolve around our phones- it is unsurprising that we have resorted to online dating to meet “significant others”.

Erin Wyness, 21, is a student at the University of Utah, and shared her method for “mastering the app”. After her multi-year relationship ended, Erin joined Tinder to pass time and to meet new people. If she got a “match” and the conversation was interesting, she would suggest they meet in person. “I feel like you can talk to people online forever and not really understand what they are really like in person,” she says “I did all this to avoid doing that whole hookup thing. I could nip it in the butt right away if we met in a coffee shop or somewhere public and I knew right away if it wasn’t worth my time.” Erin wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, she says, “but I also was not looking for a one-night stand.” After going on several Tinder dates Erin matched with Mike, a 24-year-old University of Utah graduate.  He messaged her first and they had an instant connection. They went out for coffee that same evening and ended up spending the night together. Since their first date last October, Erin and Mike have been together everyday and 10 months ago they moved in together. “I remember feeling really comfortable with Mike, we stayed up all night talking and we had a lot in common.”

Erin’s Tinder success story is shared by 20 percent of current, committed relationships that began online but what does that mean for the rest of Tinder users? 60 percent of female Tinder users say they are looking for a match yet how do we explain the remaining rise in online dating over the past years?

Perhaps the increase in Tinder usage is due to a hookup culture we have created as a society. Before online dating, people would either meet through their pool of interaction, which could mean their peers, their coworkers, those they meet at a bar/club, or even those whom they could be setup with. However, with the app, their pool of options has expanded to hundreds of people within a 10-mile radius.

Coincidentally, the upsurge of users on Tinder, about 50 million, has coincided with a precipitous rise in STD’s. “Some experts have pointed to the ‘Tinder effect’, the idea that online hookup sites are making casual anonymous sex easier and more common than it used to be,” says The Sun, a UK based Newspaper. A Tinder use can rack up several Tinder dates a week, according to one article from eHarmony, “33 percent of women who use online dating websites say they have sex on the first online dating encounter.”

On a state by state basis, the correlation between online dating and increased STD transmission is shocking. “In Utah, huge increases in the number of gonorrhea diagnoses since 2011 — 700 percent for women, nearly 300 percent for men — have been at least partly blamed on apps like Tinder. Apps make casual, anonymous encounters easier, and it’s almost impossible to find partners again afterward — meaning that it can be harder to track down others who have an STD and help them get treatment,” says Lynn Beltran, an epidemiology supervisor in the Salt Lake County Health Department.

In 2015, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation put up billboards throughout California encouraging Grinder and Tinder users to go get checked for STD’s. Angered, Tinder sent a cease and desist letter to AHF, demanding an end to the campaign. Although they did not appreciate those billboards, they did add a special feature to their app: a locator for STD testing.

Could that be a step in the right direction? Perhaps. But what are some of the other ways we can ensure safety? Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts said that, “Access to testing and treatment, along with education about STD prevention, are the best ways to ensure that people stay healthy and safe. Unfortunately, too many barriers stand in the way of health care and education, especially for young people”. Perhaps the popularity of these dating apps has finally drawn attention to the vitality of health care resources and education necessary to inform individuals of these dangers. It is unacceptable for online dating to have this much negative feedback and it is alarming that many young people don’t understand the problems that our hookup culture has brought about in recent years. Whether or not online dating has proved successful in one’s life, it has presented far more concerns than it has benefits.

To read the author’s reflection blog, click here.

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Interviewees: Annie Crandall and Taylor Lenci. Image taken on Monday, November 6, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Graphic displaying percentage of Tinder users by age. Image was found in the public domain.

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Tinder dating app logo. Image was found in the public domain.

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Billboard produced by the AHF encouraging Tinder users to get checked for STD’s. Image found in the public domain.

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Interviewees: Cameron Aragon and Chloe Garner. Image taken on Monday, November 6, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Interviewees: Eliza Larsen and Haley Southwick. Image taken on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Interviewees: Kira Wachter, Katy Hymas, and Sophia King. Image taken on Monday, November 6, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Interviewees: Olivia Webb and Sarah Terry. Image taken on Monday, November 6, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Erin Wyness and her boyfriend Mike. Image taken on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Group of Interviewees. Image taken on Monday, November 6, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Day of the Dead, celebrating and remembering our dead

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IMG_9221Story By: CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ

West Valley City, Utah -The Utah Multicultural Center hosted its 4th annual Día de Los Muertos celebration on Saturday, October 28, 2017. The festivities included traditional Mexican dances and a large variety of family-friendly activities such as skull-face painting and a dress-up contest. There was also a specific area where visitors could observe altars created in remembrance of loved ones who had passed away. “We want to make sure we don’t forget all of the good things our loved ones did while they were alive, day of the dead is way to let their stories live on through our generations,” said Francisco Perez, an attendee of the event. The event highlighted various aspects of Mexican culture and served to represent loved ones who have passed away by remembering the lives they lived.

Although this celebration was held on Oct. 28, 2017, the actual dates for the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico are November 1-2. Beatriz Aguilera, now a 71-year-old woman, has been visiting the cemetery for el Día de Muertos, going as far back as she can remember. For Aguilera, it has become less a celebration and more a day of remembrance.IMG_9226 She still retains the vivid memories of her past when she would visit her great grandfather’s grave at age ten. “I remember helping my grandma prepare a table filled with things that were my grandpa Chema’s. At the center of the table we would always place portrait of them from their wedding,” said Aguilera. She recalls waking up early to help her grandmother prepare her dead grandfathers favorite food, along with pan de muerto (a spanish bread). “After preparing food all morning, we would use my grandmother’s finest silverware and carefully place the food on the altar along with belongings that represented the wonderful life he lived. It seemed as if for that night we were expecting him to join us for dinner,” Aguilera explained. As the years pass, the traditions of this holiday allow her to remember both of her grandparents, her older brother who passed away at a young age, and her mother who died a few years ago. Every November 2, she travels to the cemetery with her children and grandchildren to spend time with all of those who have passed on. Aguilera and her family use this day to celebrate the life of their loved ones and remember the legacy they left behind.

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Many of the altars at the Utah Multicultural celebration were similarly decorated. They use flowers, candles, food, and short paragraphs describing the lives of each individual on display for all to see. Also showcased on the altars were statues of the Virgin Mary, who it is said watched over the graves and protect the spirits of the deceased as they travel through the after life.IMG_9222 Many of the items displayed on the altars may only seem relevant to the individual but one thing we can learn about this celebration is that nearly every object holds a symbolic meaning.

The flower “cempasúchil”IMG_9462 or in English, the marigold, is known for its powerful scent and vivid bright yellow color. There is much speculation regarding the purpose of this flower. However, the common belief derives from the ancient Aztecs, who believed the bright yellow represented the sun, and that the flower could guide the deceased in the dark using its petals. Today the flower is used to decorate graves, with its bright color, as well as to guide the spirits of the deceased toward their families during the night.

The previously mentioned pan de muerto or in English, “bread of the dead” represents the human skull. It contains four intersecting protrusions that are shaped liked bones. They are said to represent the four corners of the universe. The circular shape of the bread represents the never-ending cycle between life and death. Finally, one thing you will notice at almost every cemetery when celebrating the Day of the

Dead is a very strong odor.IMG_9463 Copal, a resin made from tropical trees, fill the air with its strong aroma when it burns. “The smell is said to guide the spirits of the dead to their altars and purify them of any evil,” said Javier Peña, a local dancer familiar with Aztec traditions.IMG_9464

Peña explained that although many who attend the Day of the Dead celebration are not familiar with the symbolic meanings, he said, the most important thing to remember and celebrate our dead. “We want our children to remember the importance of our Mexican heritage and, although we no longer live in Mexico, remembering our ancestors is as equally important to us as the relationships we have with the living.” said Francisco’s wife, Fatima Perez. IMG_9223Both have been celebrating this holiday since they were children. The knowledge they have of their ancestors has helped them live better lives, said the Perezes.  Overall, Dia de Los Muertos is a day is to remember loved ones and the lives they lived, and the festival was designed as a celebration of life more so than one of death.

https://unewswriting.wordpress.com/2017/12/04/christian-gonzalez

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

 

 

Eylül Yel

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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.

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Seeing Salt Lake City through light art and technology

Illuminate Reflection Blog

 

Seeing Salt Lake City through light art and technology

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By Eylül Yel

SALT LAKE CITY – Illuminate, Utah’s first light art projection and technology festival, took place on November 10 and 11 in downtown Salt Lake City.

 

According to the Utah Arts Alliance website, the free event for Utahns combines light art and technology. Artists presented their artwork by using the city’s architecture as a blank canvas for their projections. The purpose was to create a citywide museum that would illuminate Salt Lake City’s history and culture through art.

 

Illuminate used projection mapping – a technology to project light on any 3D object instead of merely using a flat screen. Projection mapping offers a new medium for artists to present their artwork. Illuminate is the first to use the technology in Utah.

 

“I have been wanting to create an event like this in Salt Lake City for a few years as I have been observing light art festivals all around the globe.” said Derek Dyer, executive director of the Utah Arts Alliance and the producer of Illuminate. Dyer said that he had a few challenges along the way that prevented him from making Illuminate happen. Initially it was difficult gathering enough artists in Utah to create an event this big. Dyer started approaching artists during the Urban Arts Festival and eventually got enough participants.

Dyer’s next challenge was funding, but over the years technology has evolved and became more affordable and accessible. “Luckily, a lot of our artists have agreed to work under budget.” said Rio Wimmer, an employee for the Utah Arts Alliance. She explained that they have received a grant from the city and were also grateful for all the sponsors that helped them put the festival together. Of the twenty two sponsors, Mountain View Staging, the company responsible for setting up the technology and electricity for the event,  and Meru Interactive, which created the Illuminate AR app for the festival, were particularly helpful Wimmer said.

 

A big part of the Illuminate’s innovation , is an app called Illuminate AR said Dyer. Illuminate AR allowed everyone to interact with different artworks during the event using their phone.The app made it possible for participants to view additional artwork during the festival available only to those who use the app. The app also provided additional information on the artwork and it’s creator. Although the app was useful and provided an in depth information on the artworks showcased at the festival, unfortunately, during the event, the app proved difficult to navigate and had a technical bugs that prevented users from scanning markers on certain art pieces.

 

There were a variety of different activities for children in the Clark Planetarium, Discovery Gateway and Utah Film Center where kids could witness educational demonstrations. A separate part of the festival was held indoors at the Gateway. The Light Lounge, the largest part of the festival, participants met artists and learned more about the events creation. Several artists displayed their artwork and were available to visit with the public.

 

Two offsite locations were in an alleyway between the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and Abravanel Hall and on Regent Street behind the Eccles Theater. The alleyway between the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and Abravanel Hall showcased a demonstration regarding the short animation file, .gif, asking the question “what is contemporary art”. According to the Utah Arts Alliance, .gifs may have not been considered art in the past but now a combination of traditional color theory, the aesthetics of painting, and the use fractal mathematics make it possible for .gifs to be seen as art. The Eccles Theater was used project artwork on and there were food trucks and a DJ booth on site.

 

The Utah Arts Alliance website called Illuminate a festival where “artists working with technology and using light as their medium will use the city as their canvas and create projection mapped artwork, light art displays and exhibits for the community to enjoy and experience a first of its kind experience”. However, the initial Illuminate only used two buildings and it was only a small portion of the festival.

 

Illuminate was different than any other art festival Utahns have ever witnessed in the state. It was innovative and interactive. It was a good opportunity to see unique artworks by artists who use light and technology as their medium.

 

Though Utah Arts Alliance is a reputable organisation that organizes the majority of the art festivals in Utah, it was their first time creating a light art festival. Getting an event set up that involved this much power and technology was new to them. “There were little issues here and there, but overall we think the event was a success.” said Dyer on an interview after the event. “We were really pleased with the turnout, over twelve thousand people attended the festival.” said Dyer. According to Dyer, Illuminate will become an annual festival in Utah. He said that they will start contacting artists from an earlier date for next year in order to get more artists and artwork involved to expand the festival.

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More pictures can be found: Assets

Reflection Blog

Refection Blog – Tiffany Huyette

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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

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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

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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.

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Zane Law

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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

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Tiffany Huyette

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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

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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

Meredith Searight

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Meredith Searight is a sophomore at the University of Utah and is majoring in Strategic Communications. She currently works at the University of Utah Campus Store as a retail specialist. She has served as a sales associate for Monkees Boutique of Houston, was a social media and design assistant for Memorial Designs, and was a design assistant for The Owen Group Design Firm. Her primary interests include dance, swimming, snow skiing, photography, art, volunteering, interior design and graphic design.

Ms. Searight is a member of Delta Gamma, a fraternity at the University of Utah since September 2017. She is involved with their chapter’s philanthropy Friends for Sight and is certified to do vision screenings and to test for glaucoma with a tonometer. She dedicates her time generously to her local community and has even flown to Houston, TX to volunteer at the Hurricane Harvey relief shelters. When she’s not volunteering, she’s a student at the U and has a 3.6 GPA and is on the dean’s list.

Meredith Searight’s is certified in Adobe InDesign and has a strong understanding in the use of Photoshop and Illustrator; Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. She has a passion for sports and hopes to work in sports marketing and communications. She is particularly interested in working for snowboarding and ski companies. Ms. Searight has a strong work ethic, works well individually or in a team, is extremely well organized, and very creative. Meredith Searight plans on graduating in the year 2021 and will be off to accomplish great things in her career.

Enterprise Story
Reflection Questions

Zane Law- Enterprise Story

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Fraternities are a valuable resource for many college men
Story by ZANE LAW

SALT LAKE CITY— College campuses across North America are hosts to hundreds of men’s fraternities. These fraternities are seen by many as misogynistic and cruel, while others view them as places to build character, a resume, and a social network. With over 6,000 chapter houses and millions of Greek members across North America, the benefits outweigh the negative image for the many joining the Greek system.

For generations, fraternities have been linked to the cultivation and development of successful men. Forty three of the United States’ 50 largest companies are run by fraternity men, with 85 percent of all Fortune 500 companies having a fraternity member CEO. According to the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Greek men also account for all but two United States presidents born since the formation of the first fraternity in 1825, 76 percent of all U.S. Congressmen and U.S. Senators, and all of the Apollo 11 astronauts.

University of Utah’s Interfraternity Council President, James Morrell, explained why he thinks this is far from coincidence. Morrell says Greek life has helped him in three core areas: networking, leadership, and academics. The people he has met through his fraternity, “have served as an invaluable resource in my life, helping me further my career options and improve my academics,” he says. A current member of Beta Theta Pi at the U, Morell says several alumni remain actively involved. Through alumni he has received several job opportunities and plenty of guidance.

Dillon Clark, recruitment chair of Phi Delta Theta and president of the Young Americans for Freedom organization at the U, also praised his relationships with alumni. While Clark has received internship opportunities from active alumni, he credited one event in particular to the help of his older “Phis”. “I would not have been able to bring Ben Shapiro to the U without the help of alumni,” he says. The Ben Shapiro event that Clark hosted in Salt Lake City received significant media attention and hundreds of attendees. With donations from alumni that believed in his efforts, Clark was able to pool together the tens of thousands of dollars needed for the event.

Both Clark’s and Morrell’s achievements are significant in terms of resume-building, but are only a few of the things that they believe their organizations can help people achieve. Both are happy that they have support from their fellow Greeks and feel as though these people and opportunities give them an edge.

Fraternities help to hone interpersonal skills, time management, and team-building techniques, but are expensive and are not financially accessible to many. According to USA Today, the average cost per semester in a fraternity is $605, not including additional costs such as fines for absences, tardies, and other penalties. A national survey taken in 2014 by the Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics indicated that fraternity members are more likely to graduate on time, however, potentially saving thousands of dollars on tuition. Staff members at the U’s Fraternity and Sorority Life office even reported that that in 2016, 80 percent of all Greek life students had gone on to graduate, whereas 57 percent of non-Greek students had been able to do the same. Graduating at a faster rate translates to less tuition money spent, therefore negating much, if not all, of the per semester costs.

The North-American Interfraternity Conference also reports slightly higher Greek GPA’s than their non-Greek counterparts. Many fraternities and sororities require a minimum GPA to join and remain an active member, with chapters on the U’s campus requiring anywhere from 2.5 to 3.0. Fraternities even gather alumni donations to fund tutoring and “Chegg” accounts. Chegg is an online resource to help students with homework, rent textbooks, offers tutoring, and helps to identify scholarship and internship opportunities.

While such resources and encouragement are important, others benefit purely from having an organization that keeps them in check. “Our scholarship chairman is really on us about getting our big assignments in on time, constantly reminding us in meeting,” says Elliot Ansari, a third-year member of the Greek system. He and his fraternity brothers feel obligated to perform academically because one of their fraternity’s founding principles is “Sound Learning.”

Although personal development and social network expansion compose a large part of the good arising from Greek organizations, Greek members also participate in community service and philanthropic events. In the academic year of 2013-2014 alone, the North-American Interfraternity Conference reported four million hours of community service contributed by fraternity men. Making blankets for the homeless, writing letters to military personnel, and sorting goods at the local food bank are some of the events that the U’s fraternities and sororities do together, knocking out good deeds and creating fun memories with each other.

In terms of philanthropy, most fraternities “have two events per year and the money raised goes to a charity organization of our choice,” says Elliot Ansari. The University of Utah’s Sigma Chi chapter frequently makes the news, with the Huntsman Cancer Institute’s website praising them for raising $66,806.65 during the 2015/2016 school year.

 

To see the author’s thought process whilst writing this piece click here

For more about the author click here

 

Reflection Blog- Meredith Searight

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While writing my enterprise story I developed my ideas by thinking of things that I’m passionate about that I knew were in Salt Lake City. When I was thinking of ideas I came across an article published in the Daily Utah Chronicle that sparked my interest. The article was about the lack of diversity in the Greek community at the University of Utah, so I started brainstorming based off of the topic of diversity in the U’s Greek system.

I located my sources by contacting the president of Delta Gamma who I knew would be a great starting point for gathering information. The Delta Gamma president was very helpful and sent me the contact list of the presidents on Greek row at the U. I was able to contact all of them and the majority of the presidents were very helpful in giving me information. I also contacted the Director of Sorority and Fraternity Life who was very helpful due to the fact she runs the whole Greek system at the U.

While writing my story, I did encounter one obstacle when trying to get all the sororities and fraternity’s presidents to email me back. In an effort to solve this problem, I simply just emailed a reminder to the presidents to try to gather more surveys. In order to make sense of all the information that I gathered, I set up my surveys in a certain format that fit the way I wanted to write my story. As for my writing process, at first it was a mess, but after getting guidance from my professor I was steered on the right path. I also learned that I do better when I narrow in my ideas for my article before I start writing.

By organizing my article in such a constructive way, I was able to get all the details I needed into the article. I was surprised to find out how respectful and welcoming the Greek system really is. I thought for sure I would hear one or two incidents of discrimination in the chapters but I never did. Overall I find myself more drawn to editorial writing after completing this assignment. I just had to struggle the whole time while writing not to stray to creating an editorial piece.

 

 Enterprise Story

Enterprise story reflection blog

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By Allison Oligschlaeger

When I set out to write my enterprise story, I set out to learn something. I didn’t want to write a story that I knew the ending to — I wanted to discover new truths through my reporting. As such, my list of potential topics looked more like a list of questions. I considered covering the snafu between the Salt Lake City Police Department and University Hospital nurse Alex Wubbels, but worried that local and national media had already canvassed the issue; I put out feelers for a story on the Antifa movement in Utah but struggled to find sources willing to go on record. Ultimately, the biggest unanswered question left on my list was, why have I seen so many new vegan restaurants popping up in Salt Lake City lately?

Just to be clear, I’m not a vegan — I’m not even a vegetarian. But I am curious to a fault. I thought this story posed a great opportunity to get nosey with local business owners (and eat some delicious food while I was at it). I chose four vegan establishments to interview, including two that have opened in the last month and two that have been slinging veggies since 2012.

The biggest ethical challenge I faced was balancing the business’s perspectives with outside insight. As my news writing professor pointed out, business owners are unlikely to tell media professionals if or when business is slow, and I wanted to make sure they weren’t overstating the success of the vegan trend. In hopes of mitigating this I reached out to the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce, who directed me to the Downtown Alliance. I’m not sure that their media spokesperson did much to mitigate the business owners’ enthusiasm — they gave a glowing comment on the growth of the vegan dining industry and how great it is for SLC — but I feel better knowing that an outside source could corroborate their claims.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this foray into business reporting and appreciated the opportunity to ask questions about a personal curiosity. I think entering the reporting process without many preconceived positions on the topic allowed me to be open to many possible explanations and truths, and I hope it reduced the bias in my reporting. Best of all, I’ve found my new favorite dessert at the dairy-free bakery Cinnaholic!

Allison Oligschlaeger

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Allison Oligschlaeger is a freelance journalist and Communications student at the University of Utah. They began their newswriting career in high school with a weekly column for the “Teen’s Ink” section of The Davis County Clipper. Allison’s work has since appeared in The Deseret News, Salt Lake City Weekly and The Daily Utah Chronicle. They received a regional Mark of Excellence award from the Society of Professional Journalists for their coverage of the University of Utah fight song debate in 2014. Allison enjoys skiing, personal nonfiction and all things peanut butter.

You can read Allison’s enterprise story on the growth of Salt Lake City’s vegan dining scene here, their reflections on the writing process here, and their linkedin bio here.

The University of Utah’s Greek system welcomes students from all walks of life.

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Story by MEREDITH SEARIGHT

SALT LAKE CITY — The last few years have been marred by racial issues, divisions, and strain in the United States. These concerns have extended to the Greek system at the University of Utah, where a lack of diversity that has been characterized as racial bias.

Here at the University of Utah, only 5 percent of the student body are members of the Greek community, which is approximately 1,500 out of 31,592 students. The nature of a small Greek system which lacks diversity has raised some concern, which Colby Judd, the president of Delta Sigma Phi, recognizes. “It is challenging to help members from diverse backgrounds feel comfortable in the Greek system,” he says, adding that there have been issues in the past where members have left due to a lack of diversity in the chapter. Judd, along with the rest of the chapter understands that changes need to be made, and has arranged for members of the Bennion Center to speak to them about diversity and equality.

Jess Turuc, Director of Sorority and Fraternity Life at the U has worked at three other collegiate institutions prior to Utah. This is the first school that she’s worked in that requires their students to take a diversity class, she says. “Essentially, this is the University of Utah and we are a very white institution. Not by choice, but by proximity and where we are,” says Turuc. She has not experienced any issues with regards to diversity in the Greek community at the U and finds the students in the community to be “respectful, mature, friendly, and accepting of all students from every culture and race.” Moreover, Turuc says that diversity is welcomed, and the Greek Council has partnered in the past with the Center for Ethnic Student Affairs on campus to learn more about what it can do to grow and improve the Greek experience for ethnic students.

According to Forbes Magazine’s “America’s Top Colleges,” the University of Utah is 68 percent white, 10 percent Hispanic, 8 percent non-resident aliens, 5 percent Asian, and 9 percent “other.” Colter Merritt, the Sigma Phi Epsilon president and a senior at the U, is well aware of these statistics. “This means that the Greek Community, although seeking a diverse population, struggles to generate a diverse base of recruits each year because we simply don’t have a large enough pool of non-white students to recruit.”

When you are given such a massive white population it can be difficult to recruit the smaller percentages that aren’t white, Merritt says. When Sigma Phi Epsilon does their recruiting, they aren’t looking for or seeking out diversity, rather, the “objective is to get the best possible members based off of values, academic achievement, community involvement, etc.,” he continues.

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University of Utah Delta Gamma house taken on Monday, November 13, 2017, in Salt Lake City, UT (Photo by Meredith Searight) Greek Slideshow

Quin Martz, the president of Delta Gamma says that she and her chapter have sought to promote diversity and reduce bias. “Delta Gamma fosters an environment of inclusivity and openness. Our sisterhood is made up of women from all walks of life” she says. Everyone has a different background and a different story. We recruit members based on the values of our sisterhood. We are accepting of all women in our chapter, of all individuals on Greek Row and at the University.” Along with Delta Gamma’s open and accepting members and recruiting process, the U’s Greek community also includes a Multicultural Community. “The Greek community is made up of the Panhellenic Council, Interfraternal Council, and the Multicultural Greek Community,” says Martz. “These councils work together to bond in brotherhood and sisterhood, and to set goals to improve each semester. Delta Gamma has partnered with Multicultural organizations for Greek Week for many years, and we always have so much fun celebrating the Greek Community and participating in healthy competition. When we come together, we can accomplish great things.”

According to Turuc, in a time of such negativity with issues regarding race on Utah’s campus, the U’s Greek system has managed to not let it bleed over to their community. When it comes to the chapter of Chi Omega at the U their ethnic makeup consists of, 110 Caucasian’s, three Hispanic’s, three African American’s, five Asian’s, and 11 members that identify as other. “Diversity allows us to have multiple perspectives and use them to enrich our peers around us. It makes us more accepting and communicative”, says Kira Wachter, president of Chi Omega. Even with a predominately white chapter, their president makes strides to grow their member’s perceptions of life. Amidst all the racial issues, division, and strain in the United States; the University of Utah’s Greek system strives in both the words they speak and in their deeds to be a safe, welcoming, and accepting place for anyone who wants to join.

Reflection Questions

 

Lori Kunz

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MY STORY:

MY BLOG:

My story on Rescue Animals Needing Transportation (RANT) found me. I was scrolling through Facebook one morning waiting for the train. A childhood friend had posted about a new animal rescue organization she had founded. After reading her post, I knew that my story had to be about her and her foundation.

The sources for my story came with the organization. It couldn’t have worked out more perfectly.

The founder was the best source for my story. Her passion was inspirational and I wanted to communicate that in my story. I hope that everyone who reads my story will find value in it.

I fortunately did not encounter many obstacles that affected the story.

After many, many drafts and reading and re-reading my story, I started to see a flow of how the information should be written and told.

The writing process was slow at first. It gained momentum and flowed out of me. I learned that when I put my energy into writing it turns out to be something I can be proud of.

There was more detail than the story had room for.

I was surprised that after the first interview, the other two were easy. I wasn’t personally invested and I didn’t have to be. The story wasn’t about me. The story was about them and their passion for animal rescue transportation. I had to tell it in a way that they would make them proud.

ABOUT ME:

Lori Kunz has worked in real estate for over 25 years. She began working in residential mortgage. After a divorce she raised her daughter and found that working in residential and commercial mortgage provided her with a stable salary and benefits.

After her daughter was grown and had moved out, Lori made the decision to go back to school for a Bachelor of Science in Communication. Previously she graduated from Snow College with an associate degree.

Today she is employed at a commercial mortgage company and is a junior at the University of Utah as a part-time student. She hopes to graduate in 2020.

Zach Davis

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MY STORY: 

MY BLOG:Zach Davis

When it comes to developing ideas for a story I begin with thinking about what would interest me. Once I’ve narrowed it down to a few things that interest me I will go over those ideas and look into if there are sources that I could actually speak to or not.

Locating sources can be a challenge so I usually try to find something that is more publicly available so I can speak to sources directly instead of being funneled through their public relations department.

The best sources for my story were ultimately my family in regards to the subject I wrote about “The Mormon mission experience.” They were able to provide me information far beyond the scope of what I even thought I would be able to get.

That led to an issue when I was in the process of writing I realized that I had an overabundance of material, which caused me to have an extensive article written. I decided to focus more on the life in the mission aspect when writing my story as that was most interesting to me. So, I just figured if it was interesting to me it’d be interesting to readers who have no idea what a mission even is.

Luckily when writing my story, I was able to avoid any ethical or moral dilemmas as my story was more like a slice of life narrative and not some nitty gritty hard-hitting scandal.

There’s nothing from this story that I would include in my blog as I feel that I’ve told it adequately and to the best of my knowledge.

I was surprised by how much I don’t enjoy news writing. I am more of an advertising or public relations person so news writing just doesn’t interest me like at all.

ABOUT ME:

As a child my mother would always read to me, which sparked my love for the written word as well as the spoken word. Throughout middle school and high school, I always knew that I wanted to do something in regards to business and the public’s perception of a company.

When I graduated from Cottonwood High School in the spring of 2012 I decided to take a break from school and live in the real world. In the fall of 2013 I started taking classes at Salt Lake Community College in pursuit of an associate of science degree.

After receiving my AS in General Studies at the end of the Spring 2016 semester I transferred to the University of Utah.

I considered the many majors open to me: business administration, strategic communication, journalism, accounting and marketing. After a semester of uncertainty, I decided that I wanted to major in strategic communication.

Strategic communication interested me the most as it deals with advertising and public relations and how to compile data to best reach people and alter their views of things whether it be a product, company or person.

Once I finish at the U, I will use my superior creativity to go into advertising to create new and exciting things for the masses to love.

Parker Schlaf

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MY STORY:

MY BLOG:

After finishing my first day in my first communication class, I was nervous. I had never taken a class that required me to pitch a story to my peers, interview sources for my story and then post my story on a website where anybody could potentially read it. I was intimidated to say the least.

After taking a leisurely stroll around the University of Utah’s campus I found myself drawn to something familiar.

Tony Caputo opened his U campus location in 2008 and ever since it’s been a major success. I have only known about Caputo’s for a few years now, but even then I know how authentic and fresh everything is. I then wondered how many people knew that there was a Caputo’s location on the U’s campus. I wrote my enterprise story on  the Caputo’s location on the U’s campus. I highlighted the restaurant and also gave brief background detail on Caputo and his ever growing business.

I knew that the employees at the campus location were very friendly and approachable making them possible sources. I also wanted to have a few customer sources as well to be able to get a few perspectives on the company and the food.

Knowing I could interview my roommate, Sam Fox, who is an avid Caputo’s customer, and Joelle Bleiman, who has come with me to Caputo’s before, I only had to get in contact with one of the employees. Making the connection with somebody I have never met made me nervous. I was going to have to ask a complete stranger how he liked his job as well as other semi-personal questions.

I decided to go in one day near closing to see if I could talk with one of the employees. Sean Rorke, one of the leading employees there, was very happy to chat with me. The other employee who was working was not interested in answering any questions.

Even though I was nervous going into this class and developing my enterprise story, I successfully accomplished everything I was worried about and more.  

ABOUT ME:

After spending most of my childhood in Las Vegas, Nevada, I moved to the Ogden Valley in 2011 with my family. And after graduating high school in 2015 I then moved to the Salt Lake Valley to attend college.

I am a third-year student at the University of Utah studying strategic communication and hoping to be graduating in the next two years. I love the U and can’t wait to continue on with my degree.

I am an avid skier and snowboarder and I love nothing more than spending my days exploring around the Wasatch Mountains finding new places to hike and ski.

I am not positive on where my life will take me, but I know that I am doing the things I love and progressing in the right directions.

Rachel Beus

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MY STORY: 

MY BLOG:

As a member of the organization Alpha Chi Omega, our philanthropy is domestic violence awareness and prevention. I am no stranger to the epidemic that is domestic violence and how the problem is particularly startling in the state of Utah. The members of Alpha Chi Omega work closely with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition raising money for it to support our cause.

In order to locate sources to interview I asked our vice president of philanthropy for contacts at the UDVC and I also interviewed her for my enterprise story. My sources were the best for my story because they had the knowledge and expertise to answer my questions. Chris Davies was able to answer my logistical and financial questions, being the associate director, and Samantha Candland, being volunteer coordinator, was able to answer any questions I had about how to get involved with the UDVC and volunteer opportunities. Mackenzie Turner helped me bridge the gap between Alpha Chi Omega and I was able to ask her questions about what we do to support the UDVC. I got a lot of information from my three sources so it was a little bit difficult to narrow down my focus. I ended up just explaining what the UDVC is, what it does and how Alpha Chi Omega is connected to them.

The writing process was very interesting and challenging at the same time. It really pushed me outside of my comfort zone not just as a writer but as a person as well. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed going out and interviewing people and then writing a story on what they told me. When I was interviewing Candland, she told me about her experience and what led her to the UDVC that included required volunteer work for her sociology class she was taking.

ABOUT ME: 

You could say that I’m a little bit of a free spirit. I don’t like being tied down and find myself easily bored. I seem to always be looking for the next thing to catch my eye and obsess over. I think my indecisive nature may be the reason why I can’t seem to stick with any one thing.

When I started at the University of Utah I was determined to become a surgeon but my first biology class definitely showed me that science is not my calling. I then moved to becoming a history major headed for law school. Again something still just didn’t feel right. So I began to really search and find what I was passionate about.

During the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college I rediscovered an old passion of mine. Writing had always been a big part of my life. I grew up loving to read and watch stories and I wanted to be able to create my own stories.

In college, I joined the  University of Utah’s Her Campus chapter. Writing for a collegiate magazine showed me how much I really enjoy writing. I started thinking that this could be the passion that I wanted to be my career. I had always considered becoming a journalist but never really pursued it. So with shaking hands and hope for the future, I changed my major one more time.

I am now a junior at the University of Utah currently studying communication in the journalism sequence with a minor in history. I hope to become a foreign correspondent and novelist in the not so distant future.

Taylor Lines

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MY STORY:

MY BLOG:

Music has always been my passion. As a kid, I would pore through my parents’ record collection and find music that spoke to me. I grew up playing guitar and writing songs any chance I could get. This love of music transitioned into adulthood as I found myself a musician deeply rooted in the Salt Lake City music scene.

For my enterprise story, I decided to take my love of music and my experience as a woman inside the industry and broaden the scope. I found local artists who are female or who played side by side with women and wrote about their experiences in music.

The hardest part of writing this piece was taking myself out of the equation. Because it is something I am so passionate about and rooted in, I have an emotional tie to the subject matter. News writing demands you are objective which proved to be difficult at times.

Interviewing people about their gendered experience in music helped me remove my own bias by immersing myself in their stories. The focus for my story came through the interview process. I knew I wanted to talk about females in local music but the focus of the piece relied on what my interviewees told me. Marny, Gui and Ben, the three musicians I had the opportunity to interview, gave me incredible insight. They were open, honest and had a lot to say about their experiences in music.

After interviewing and researching the inequalities in the music industry on a national level, the story became easier to write. The biggest challenge I faced during the writing process was formatting the story in a way that flowed well and prompted a greater impact for the reader.

The enterprise story was a challenge but ultimately made me a better writer, giving me experience producing a personal story in a news format. I enjoyed focusing on something that matters to me while also growing as a communicator.

ABOUT ME:

I am currently a strategic communication major at the University of Utah, graduating in the fall of 2018. I plan on pursuing a career in music after graduation, whether that be performing or using my communication degree to work in the music industry. I attended Portland State University my freshman year and recently returned from an internship in San Francisco. These experiences helped me grow as a person and student, finding my passion for learning as well as traveling. Although I think the West Coast is a dreamy place and hope to relocate to the East Coast after graduation, I have a deep love for Salt Lake, the place I call home.