Category Archives: Student-Journalists

The Changing of the Guard

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The evolution of technology is changing the roles of journalism

Story by Elizabeth Briggs

As a cop mercilessly pepper sprays a peaceful protestor at the Occupy Wall Street movement, a passerby films what will soon become a YouTube phenomenon. Exposing how quickly a police officer overstepped his boundaries, an average person recorded a newsworthy video with a mediocre camera phone.

Today, not only do people want their news and want it fast, they also want to participate and report for the news. Martin Tolchin coined this new media trend as civilian journalism at the University of Utah’s 15th annual Siciliano Forum.

The colossal impact of new technology has left many to think that the future of journalism is dead. Despite the significant decrease of newspaper readership, Tolchin, drawing on experience as the founder of The Hill newspaper and Politico and over 40 years with the New York Times has an optimistic view about journalism’s fate.

In a time where print journalism is struggling to earn a profit, Tolchin keeps what some deem an eccentric outlook. He spoke about how before online media, mainstream print media was the gatekeeper of information, publishing only the things it reasoned newsworthy. Pronouncing the end of an era, Tolchin expressed an undeniable enthusiasm to the challenge online social media has incurred to this role of authority. Unlike twenty years ago, journalists now look to the Internet, in order to find leads from the common citizen.

Tolchin is a fan of the upcoming civilian journalism and likes how technological advancements have brought new opportunities. He added to this saying, “At each stage of technology, people can begin to deliver more information and access it easier. Until now, information has never been greater needed and essential to democracy.”

However, with the abundance of information and media, Tolchin mentioned how American’s attention has shifted from hard to sensational news, outlining how priorities have changed. In one of his very few discouraging remarks he said, “I think that if you surveyed, Americans would better identify a liquor company than a news organization.”  Cody Salrin, a student at Utah said, “ I think that even with the new wealth of information, people need to work harder to be informed.”

While it is great that social media has allowed people to express their opinions and expose political scandals, people have stopped checking credibility and rushed to conclusions based on illegitimate evidence.

Nick Dunn, the political reporter for the Daily Utah Chronicle, added to this conflict saying, “The fact that citizens cannot discern good journalism from bad journalism is one of the biggest problems with our society. It means that people do not know how to consume good information, which is important when going into the voting booth.”

So instead of succumbing to Kim Kardashian’s divorce drama this week, empower the mind with global information and the things that will actually affect America’s future. Make a difference in the voting booth by being an active and participatory citizen. Pay attention to the things happening in the world, partake in the news and make the decisions that count.

Should I Write Or Is It Wrong?

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Story by Avery Mills

As a journalist, the question of ethics usually comes down to one simple question: “to publish or not to publish.”

This was the message that Jim Fisher, a professor in the University of Utah’s communication department, had for the Intro to News Writing class during a lecture on ethics Monday morning.

“Ethics is a decision making process that depends on circumstances,” Fisher said, adding that ethical choices can only be measured “against ourselves” and not a “law book or moral code.”

Amongst other things, Fisher talked about the journalists’ ethics code and told several stories about this time working at the Salt Lake Tribune, bringing some ‘real world’ experience into the classroom setting.

“The most important thing I took away is you have to cover all of your bases,” Megan Combe said after the lecture, “basically just make your ethical decisions using the ethical guideline.

As Fisher pointed out, these choices may not be as easy as people think. “When you are making a decision, it’s not between right or wrong, but several good choices,” Fisher said.

Kourtney Mather, in response to some of the more difficult scenarios presented by Fisher, said, “It’s not always easy to report certain stories. Sometimes you have to make a decision whether to protect someone or report the truth.”

In Pursuit of the Perfect Spaghetti Sauce: The Nature of Choice and Happiness

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Story by Laura Qualey

Many consumers rarely take a second thought to wonder why one product may have so many variations. Malcolm Gladwell, a New Yorker staff writer, popular blogger and author of four books, has been known to expose the understanding of many things that often remain unknown to the public. What was exposed today? The story of one man’s pursuit to change the way the food industry approaches creating foods that will please the general public.

Gladwell retold the story of renowned psychophysicist Howard Moskowitz this morning and his major contribution to the food industry: the reinvention of spaghetti sauce.

Moskowitz, throughout his career had been approached by companies who asked him to help create a better (or different) product to satisfy their customers.

Moskowitz shattered the assumption that asking a consumer what he or she prefers is the best path to creating a great product. After conducting experiments with perplexing data, Moskowitz discovered that the best way to make the consumers happy was to “group data into clusters.” Gladwell concluded that Moskowitz saved Campbell’s by grouping people’s taste preferences into three categories: plain, spicy and chunky.

After Moskowitz advised Campbell’s to create three new Prego sauces to satisfy its customers, it was reported that over ten years Campbell’s made $600 million in profits off the extra chunky sauce alone. Gladwell’s main point during his presentation: “When we pursue universal principles in food, we don’t just make an error, we do ourselves a disservice.” In short, embracing the diversity of human beings finds a sure way to happiness.

Breaking Through Universals to Experience Variability

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Story by Spencer Peters

Malcolm Gladwell’s speech on the American pursuit to discover the perfect spaghetti sauce transcends the food industry but makes a larger argument about the nature of choice and happiness.
What message Gladwell argued for was not meant to revolve around spaghetti sauce and the specific flavor that we enjoy the most but was to express the movement from search for universals to the understanding of variability. He described this movement as “the great revolution in science of the last 10, 15 years.”
The person he accredited much credit to was to a psychophysicist named Howard Moskowitz, who helped people realize the true importance of horizontal segmentation. He helped people realize that everything exists on this horizontal plane.
He described this plane as having no hierarchy between the different types of spaghetti sauce or mustard offered in stores. There is no good or bad, perfect or imperfect. There are only different types of mustard or other foods that suit different types of people.
Through the use of variability, society can now rid itself of the preconceived notion of how things ought to be and experiment with finding happiness through the use of variety.
Gladwell described this theory as, “the Platonic dish,” where people were afraid to challenge what was thought to be the ideal way that something ought to be.  Being able to have a variety in everyday life can help find the greatest level of pleasure or happiness.

A Panel Debate Defines the Change in Journalism

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Story by Sarah Vaughn

Members of the panel at the Hinckley Institute Forum shared the stage in the Hinckley Caucus room at the University of Utah; discussing the issues of journalism and political reporting in the 21st century on Friday. Members of the panel were Matt Canham, a member of the Salt Lake Tribune’s Washington Bureau, where he has covered congress; Bush and Obama administration.  Also present was John Daley, a reporter for the Deseret News and KSL and a former social studies teacher. The final member of the panel was Susan Tolchin, a professor in the school of Public Policy at  George Mason University.
The panel discussed the state of political reporting and how it has significantly changed over the years.  Social media is the new concept that is being used as main source of communication, which has put damper on print media.
“ Traditional roles in new media has changed and has impacted journalism,” said Matt Canham.  He furthered discussed the lack of boundaries that is evident, between the media and personal lives of citizens. Tolchin sees political reporting in this era in a different light,
“ The state of political reporting is great,” said Tolchin. However, she discussed later on that the media reveals the horrible things of the government and some reporters are not checking the facts anymore.
“Loved the pointers they gave and made me want to read more print media. The panel motivated me in the selection in what I read and to be more informed about the government,” said Ashtin Miller, a political science student. The panel encouraged the audience to read more print media and get involved with the issues of journalism and politics.
People today rely more on social media to receive information and to express their thoughts on issues through sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. Kylee Mecham, a senior at the University of Utah said, “I want to read more newspapers and be more informed. I rely too much on social media and especially Facebook.”

John Daley spoke on the worst of times and the best of times of journalism. Daley explained to the audience that there are fewer people in the newsroom, fewer people to report on issues, and go deeper into stories. However, the best of journalism now is more resources are available to get information and we can get information out faster to the audience. “I found Daley’s points on the times of journalism interesting and I didn’t know that print media was struggling in that way,” said Laura Qualey, a University of Utah student.

The panel left the audience pondering about the revolution of print media and the impact that social media is currently having on society. An society should not abandon the old for the new because both can co-exist.

The Hinckley Institute was established in 1956 through the Noble foundation and Robert H. Hinckley. It serves as a teaching for students for practical politics and to engage university students in the political process.

A Unique View of Utah’s History

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Story by: L. Wylie Shepard

After six years in the making, the Natural History Museum of Utah has opened the Rio Tinto Center, an entirely new building that features ten permanent galleries dedicated to Utah’s history. On opening day, Nov. 18, 2011, admission was free for all museum visitors, allowing anyone to experience the new exhibitions.

Becky Menlove, the exhibit director for the Natural History Museum of Utah, explained that their goal was to “create very interdisciplinary exhibits.”

The creators did not want each exhibit to focus solely on one part of nature, but instead to combine multiple “forces” of nature such as rocks, plants, paleontology and hydrology in order to promote multifaceted learning within each exhibit.

The three-story center is focused around its ten galleries: Utah Sky and View Terrace, Native Voices, Life, Land, First Peoples, Lake Past Worlds, Utah Futures, Minerals and Our Backyard, which focus on “Utah’s history, artifacts and objects from every county in the state,” according to a museum press release.

The Rio Tinto Center utilized recycled resources for more than 25 percent of its overall structure and included “green” features such as radiant heating and cooling.  The Museum was also designed with room to expand to over the next 50 years.

Todd Schliemann, the design architect for the building, said he hoped to “symbolize the beauty and magnitude of the state’s unique landscapes.”

Schliemann said he was excited about the space he has created, stating that the “space is beginning to lift you up and getting you ready to learn, to receive information.”

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and features four days in 2012 with free admission: Jan. 9, April 9, July 9 and Sept. 22.

911 Emergency Call Not Really Important?

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Story by Joape Pela

 

911 Emergency Call Not Really Important?
Salt Lake City- A woman called 911 early this morning at 2 a.m. about a young gentlemen who appeared to be beaten up and naked outside on the streets.
A woman called 911 early this morning at 2 a.m. about a young gentlemen who appeared to be beaten up and naked outside on the streets. The dispatcher sent out a squad car to check up on the 911 calls. The woman who called 911 witnessed the young looking male being molested by an adult male and flagged down a squad car to let the officer know what is going on. The officer clearly see’s the young man bleeding and beaten with his “boyfriend”. The officer figured it was ok let them go and didn’t take the woman’s name or her niece and daughters name as well for the report. The woman called back to ask to see why she wasn’t questioned about the boy who looked to be a miner. The officer assured her that he was an adult with his boyfriend. The woman was very skeptical about the police officers judgment. The “boyfriend” of the beaten young male turned out to be Jeffery Dahmer who later killed the young man who was 14 years of age. Dahmer confessed to 17 other murders and two police officer was suspended with pay.

Beyond the Call of Duty

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Two citizens help to apprehend suspects in attempted bank robbery

Story by Megan Combe

Two bank couriers are being hailed as heroes after they aided in the arrest of three suspects in a bank robbery. Dennis Boushie, of Festus, Mo., and Willie Moore, of St. Louis, Mo., went “beyond the call of duty,” said Capt. Ed Kemp of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. “They acted more like police officers than private citizens or bank couriers.”

According to the police report, a man entered the Boatman’s Bank of Pevely, Mo., and demanded, “Give me the money or else!” After the suspect took off with the cash in hand, Boushie and Moore decided to take action. Boushie chased the suspect on foot, while Moore hopped in a bank van to pursue the getaway car.

When later asked why he persued the suspects without a second thought, Boushie answered that it was “just common sense.”

Boushie then helped police identify the vehicle, which was found after a police dispatch was put out. The suspects were traveling northbound on I-55 when police pulled them over and searched the vehicle. Thousands of dollars were found in the suspect’s car, as well as stuffed down the pants of the female suspect, according to Capt. Kemp.

The three suspects are being held in jail at Pevely and have been booked on suspicion of drug possession.

Local Businesses Brace For Lockout Fallout

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Story by: Chris Springsteen

Local Downtown Salt Lake businesses and restaurants are struggling and it’s not just because of America’s economic problems.
The NBA will miss the first month and a half of the season because of the NBA lockout. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has been settled but the question of the restaurants’ survival still remains. Downtown Salt Lake restaurants that usually flourish around this time of year are struggling to make ends meet. Because of this lockout some businesses have even had to reduce workloads because the lack of customers coming into their establishments.
As Susan Shrum, general manager at Thaifoon restaurant, puts it, “I employ 55 people. It impacts everybody from the prep crew to line cooks to waiters to bartenders.”
The NBA and the players association locked out the league on July 1, 2011. The league was locked out (much like the NFL) because the owners and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) couldn’t agree on a deal that both sides thought was fair.
The problem the two sides had agreeing on a deal was the BRI (Basketball Related Income). According to ESPN, the players had 57% of the share last year and the owners wanted them to take as low as 47% in the new deal.
Some of the small market owners (including the Jazz) claimed they were losing money every year and were operating in the red. The Salt Lake Tribune caught up with Greg Miller, current owner of the Jazz and son of first Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller, and he said, “(We) will lose quite a bit of money this season (when asked about it at the end of last year).”
The Utah Jazz is very important for downtown restaurants and bars to be successful in Salt Lake City. Most stores have substantial gains in customers and profit during winter compared to summer. This is directly related to Utah Jazz home games.
Jan Thompson, assistant general manager at Iggy’s Sports Grill, described what her restaurant will be losing from the month and a half long lockout, “We fill up every home game and that’s at all [five] of our locations. Downtown we get the pre- and postgame crowds and a few others who want to watch the games. All the other locations draw big crowds just to watch the Jazz.”
Brady Lambert, supervisor at Ben and Jerry’s, can’t emphasis enough how important the Jazz games are to them, “Our sales almost double on Jazz nights.”
Just recently though, the two sides reached an agreement that will put an end to the lockout on Dec. 9, 2011. This is a breaking development for Salt Lake businesses and will no doubt relieve some of the concerns they had going into a potentially dreary winter. But will this new agreement be able to save some of the failing Salt Lake businesses?
According to the Deseret News, probably but the lost time of November and most of December will no doubt take its toll on local businesses. Hopefully their won’t have to be any businesses or restaurants shut down because of this lost time. The good news is come that Christmas day in December the NBA schedule kicks off and businesses should see the crowds start piling up once again.

Jacob W. Maxwell

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Photo by Elizabeth Heaton

MY STORIES:

MY BLOG:

The problem I’ve noticed as a graduating student at the University of Utah is that colleges are academic cocoons. When is it the right time for us to leave the safety of the campus and flutter our wings in the cutthroat job market? In my senior year of college, teachers, peers and guidance counselors have turned into sales people for continuing education. For my slice of life article I decided that I would profile a recent graduate and how he was faring in the job market.

I found a recent graduate named Chris Jex at Brewvies, a cinema pub that I frequent. At that point he was very happy to have found a job one week prior to his graduation. He seemed to be very disheartened at the point of our first interview because he was working the same type of job that he had quit a few years back to concentrate on school.

An ironic twist to my story came when the subject of my profile, who works for local sports merchandise retailer Fanzz, described his absolute displeasure with professional sports.
He said, “I feel that organized sports are beneficial for society’s leisure but are also examples of our society’s misplaced priorities. When things like education, civil engagement take a back burner to an athlete snatching a rubber ball in the air I feel there is something wrong.”

I asked Chris why, then, did he take the job?

He was afraid that if he didn’t start working that he would start to get behind on living expenses and student loan debt. So he bit the bullet and took the best available job. I avoided talking about his initial dislike toward the industry he now works in because it started to detract from the story.

I also had to scrap an interview with Chris’ roommate Brad because it was based on taking an ironic angle to my story that I let go of to write a more clear and concise story. He did compare Chris working for Fanzz to Nick Naylor, a character in “Thank You for Smoking” who lobbies for major tobacco companies. Brad feels that Naylor’s famous quote, “everyone’s got a mortgage to pay,” is the reason Chris keeps going with his job.

With the three ideas I came up with for my enterprise story, I decided to focus my story on a mandate Brewvies Cinema Pub put in place to have its employees cover up their tattoos. When it came time to write the story, the mandate dissolved due to public pressure. However, when I was talking to Andrew Murphy, the pub’s manager, about the tattoo mandate, I found another story to write about.

Murphy talked about a fine that the pub received during the summer of 2011 for showing an R-rated film because it violated a state statute. When the story broke, it quickly received national attention. After a lengthy conversation, I asked him if he would be willing to go on record.

He agreed and gave me an exclusive into Brewvies’ take on the fine and the possible slippery slope that the precedence set by the violation could have in the future.

This happened so fast that I wasn’t sure where I was going with the story. I realized that my enterprise story could go multiple directions so I let my interviewees determine the direction I took it in.

I emailed Francine Giani, interim director of the DABC, to get her comments. She had taken over the DABC after the fine was given to clean the agency up after an audit revealed alleged illegal activity and extensive mismanagement of resources.

She gave a statement describing why the DABC went after Brewvies and cited the law it allegedly violated.

I found both her statement and the law she cited interesting because it looked like the DABC may have violated Brewvies’ First Amendment rights.

David Vergobbi, my third interview, agreed.  He said that any R-rated film falls under protected speech and Brewvies has grounds to fight the violation.

I learned that when writing about heated issues concerning education and alcoholic beverage control, it was difficult to keep my opinion out of the stories.

Also, in putting together these stories, I learned to keep my ear open during the development process for different angles to take my stories in.

ABOUT ME:

Jacob “Jake” Maxwell is currently attending the University of Utah pursuing a Bachelor of Science in strategic communication. He plans to graduate in August 2012.

Maxwell always understood that his life’s journey would include higher education. Originally entering college as a political science major, his plans changed after taking an introduction to communication course at Salt Lake Community College from Philip Anoske, an instructor originally from Africa who taught an English speaking communication course using his third language. He also taught Maxwell that everyone has different ways of communicating and that by becoming aware of these factors; it would help us to become better communicators. Maxwell decided to take the challenge and learn how to be a better communicator.

Maxwell is a 2010 graduate of Salt Lake Community College with an Associate of Science in speech communications and graduated from Hillcrest High School in Midvale, Utah.

He is a windshield technician for Rock Doc Chip Repair LLC. in Salt Lake City.

Tolerance lets us live together

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By Morgan Powell

Intolerance: Lack of toleration; unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect contrary opinions or beliefs, persons of different races or backgrounds, etc.        — Dictionary.com

The other day I was just minding my own business, walking to my cubicle at work with my hands warm from the steaming brewed cup of joe I was holding. I was just about to flick on the light above my desk when my coworker (we’ll call her Susan) said with such disgust in her voice “Is that coffee?”
My heart thudded frantically as I tried to force an excuse from my lips. I could say it was herbal tea, but the scent was pouring from the lid. It could have been hot chocolate, but the culprit lingered on my lips. All that I could manage was a meek and simple, “yes.”
You see, Susan is a Latter-day Saint, a Mormon. As am I. I was baptized last summer and found faith in the religion. I have had coffee my whole life and grew up in a loving family that drank coffee too. Well, one of church’s guidelines, as you could call them, is the Word of Wisdom, a doctrine in which followers of the faith should not ingest of harmful things or hurt their bodies, coffee being one of those poisons.
Now, why in the hell do you care about me, my religious preference, my warm cup of coffee or my co-worker Susan? Well, you don’t. But you might care about what I’m saying next.
All I could do in those few fateful seconds when “yes” slipped out of my mouth was feel ashamed. But why should I feel ashamed? I wasn’t a murderer, I didn’t hurt, connive, or insult anybody. The reason for my own emotional reaction was because of somebody else’s intolerance for my personal lifestyle.
Intolerance isn’t just found in the LDS religion – it is found in all religions, in all countries, states, cities, neighborhoods and homes. It is found when people are killed for reasons of hatred, when somebody is turned away because of race or gender, when religious people (and non-religious people) clash over personal beliefs, when others are bashed for their sexual preference, or even when a political candidate is attacked for expressing personal opinions.
My good friend and I were discussing this over a lunch break a few days after the incident. She brought up what I believe is the most vital point of all. “Why is it that, when one person strongly believes in something, they feel that it’s their right to police others? Why are they so intolerant?”
It seems to me that the policing of others is something that is so common in our society that’s it’s almost commonplace. We all police others and show blatant intolerance, whether it is a situation I have already mentioned or one much more miniscule, like judging people because of their clothing, their size, the amount of money they make, their standing in church or their intelligence. Maybe even by their drink of choice.
Since that day I have kept this feeling of injustice in my back pocket – until now. I realize how much harm and sadness is brewed by the intolerance of others, and by the intolerance of my own doing.  I am going to start having a more open mind, not always offering my opinion on something I don’t like, not flipping off the driver who cuts me off, not getting mad when someone makes a remark about my clothing, and maybe, just maybe, by understanding somebody else’s point of view. Instead of getting riled up about my morning brew, I’ll just smile and say “yes.”

A Brave New Media World

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By: Chris Springsteen
Three well-respected journalists and professors navigated the delicate balance between traditional political journalism and the advent of new media.
Matt Canham (journalist from SL Tribune), Susan Tolchin (professor at George Mason University) and John Daley (reporter at KSL-TV) led an interesting discussion titled “Who Watches Government?” and how new media have changed our culture in terms of political media coverage.
The three experts unanimously agreed that journalism is definitely different than it was just 10 years ago. They all also recognized that this isn’t necessarily bad or good, just different.
Canham was resolute in remarking that, “journalism is in complete flux right now.” The traditional roles have changed and the boundaries blurred.
Daley commented, “It’s the best of times and the worst of times . . . It’s a challenging time to be a journalist because news rooms are cut in half. And because of this we are all doing more work.” But Daley acknowledged, “It’s great how you can get any info you want instantly whenever you want.”
Tolchin added that everybody is now a photojournalist, making the people the best watchdog over the government.
Moderator Bryan Schott followed up Tolchin’s observation with an interesting question, “Then, who is responsible for keeping the media honest and correct?”
Canham responded with, “It is your (referring to us the readers) job to tell a journalist if something is wrong in their article.” He remarked that if the error is not pointed out then the story is archived and consequently becomes the bible truth. The issue for journalists is less time and resources coupled with faster work. The formula makes for a reduction in fact checking and less time to reflect back on impartiality before the stories are released.
Reasonably, this dialogue led to a compelling question, “What is the most important characteristic of writing about politics?”
Moderator Schott asked if “horse race politics” was a legitimate way to cover political races or is it a disservice to not focus entirely on matters of policy.
The TV reporter, Daley, believed it to be a disservice adding that “the people you elect have enormous power to shape lives” and that can be overshadowed by the horse race reporting. Conversely, policy stories are boring and a reporter can’t be repetitive. He felt that for the non-specialized general public outlets the horse race, unfortunately, does dominate.
The political journalist Canham was quick to dismiss that they mostly write about “horse race politics” and stated that, “horse race politics are overblown.” Instead, he offered his perspective that he covers the political races over such a long span of time and that he can only write about their political views for a couple of columns before it becomes repetitive adding that the rest of the year they simply have to write about the race. Canham argued that there used to be less choice for the public but now media outlets have to compete to survive. They are no longer just competing against the other local papers but now against the World Wide Web.
Professor Tolchin had a candid outlook in that there is a direct correlation between money and politics. She added, “A person’s character is his fate.” She said she feels it is important the people are aware who the person is who will be leading the country. As was the case with John Edwards, for example, the exposure of his crime was an important public issue that needed to be revealed.
Kyle Lamb, a student who attended the event from another university, was asked what he thought of this and he stated, “I didn’t care about how the race was going but cared more about the political views of the candidates.” He added, “ I can’t control who is voting for who.”
In the most compelling debate of the forum, the experts discussed the impact of the Internet’s search engines on media coverage. It was agreed that that the day of the newspaper was on the decline citing that people are more and more relying on their search engines to deliver the news in the way they want to receive it. Unfortunately, many times the biggest viral news of the day can be insignificant. Because culture is changing so quickly, Daly implied that it’s a free-for-all where the Internet spreads it and the story just can’t be contained.
The three speakers concluded the forum and Daley capped the talk off the best by saying, ”There is more money in politics than ever before and less watchdogs.” The abundance of money and the fact that there are fewer traditional reporters to investigate will continue to lead to unethical behavior and mischief on the part of our political parties. The public, as part of the new media watchdogs, will need to do their part to keep the balance.
Toby Sutherland, an attendee at the event, stated, “I think Daley nailed it by that last statement, that there are problems and there needs to be more watchdogs.”

Handicapped Veterans Learn to Fly

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By: Chris Springsteen

Five SCI veterans take to the air using adaptive chair
SUN VALLEY, Idaho- Five spinal cord injured (SCI) veterans will learn to paraglide this weekend in Sun Valley, Idaho, using an adaptive flight chair.
Don Bloswick, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Utah, headed a four-man undergraduate team that built the two flight chairs.
Bloswick’s students built the two chairs, the Phoenix 1.0 and the Phoenix 1.5, as part of their senior capstone course.

Mark Gaskill, an ABLE Pilot teacher, will be training the SCI veterans this weekend.
Gaskill is a certified solo and tandem pilot that has been working in the paragliding for disabled persons field for several years. Gaskill has a specific training program, called ABLE Pilot, that he designed for disabled persons and was the person who initially pitched the idea to the U. of U. for an adaptive flight chair.
“Able Pilot is an organization committed to getting people with spinal cord injuries, amputations, and neuromuscular diseases safely into the air, piloting, and flying with the minimum amount of assistance,” proudly stated Gaskill.

Ernie Butler, a former US Air Force Special Operations Pararescueman, had his legs taken from him 16 years ago and the ABLE Pilot program has given him the chance to fly again.
Even though Butler has continued to do other sports his passion still remains with parachuting. He became an ABLE Pilot to help SCI veterans get back what ABLE Pilot gave him.

Training will begin Friday, Sept. 23 and conclude on Monday, Sept. 26. To learn more about ABLE pilot you can visit: http://ablepilot.com/.

Justin Bailey

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MY STORIES:

MY RESUME:

Justin Thomas Bailey
2465 S. Filmore St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84106
801-487-8324

Education:
University of Utah
Junior
Major: Strategic Communication

Highland High School
Graduated 2005
Score of 4 out of a possible 5 on Visual Arts AP exam

Experience:
Pressman – Exposure Graphics

Ran and maintained an HP Indigo digital printing press, occasionally worked in Quark laying out and editing files in preparation for sending them to the press to be printed.
Spring 2006 – Spring 2008

Pressman’s assistant/delivery driver – Digital Color

Assisted the pressman in running and maintaining a four-color offset printing press as well as a two-color offset press, delivered finished products to customers.
Fall 2004 – Fall 2005

References available upon request.

ABOUT ME:

My name is Justin Bailey and I am a strategic communication major at the University of Utah.

I began my college career in the Department of Fine Arts with no specific emphasis of study. After much deliberation I came to the realization that, between my artistic talent and writing skills, graphic design would be a good fit for me. This turned out to be true in the sense that graphic design fit my skill set well, but due to a combination of my own pride and circumstances outside my control, I decided to change course. With a still unshaken passion for graphic design, as well as a penchant for creativity, I came to the conclusion that advertising was an area where I could excel, with the hope that I could still get involved with the graphic design aspect, should that be asked of me.

So that is where I stand today: A determined young man who is still searching for his true niche.

Megan Hulet

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MY STORIES:

MY RESUME:

Megan Hulet
Lehi, UT. 84043
hulet23@yahoo.com

Education
University of Utah                                                                                           2010-Present
Bachelors of Science in Nursing

Snow College                                                                                                2008-2010
Associates of Science

Work
Nanny                                                                                                           2010-Present
Child care for two children, ages 8 and 10.
Pick kids up from school each day, help with homework, take the kids to any         activities they have that day, feed them dinner.

CNA at Beaver Valley Hospital                                                                      2008-2010
Provide basic care to patients. Take vital signs, help with bathing and bathroom needs, clean wounds, deliver food trays and perform EKGs.

Skills
CPR Certified
Play Piano
Microsoft Word
WPM: 55-60
Power-point
Microsoft Excel

References
Jenny Hulet
Student at Utah Valley University

Lad Tanner
Tanner Financial
640-3400

Carla Evans
Nursing Supervisor at Beaver Valley Hospital
435-438-7100

ABOUT ME:

I was born in Dunedin, Fl., and shortly after moved with my family to Southern Utah, where we have lived ever since.  I am the fourth child out of five.  I graduated from Parowan High School in 2008 and continued my education that fall at Snow College.

After receiving my associate’s from Snow College, I transferred to the University of Utah where I am currently in my third semester.

I am a pre-nursing major, but I wanted to explore a few different options just in case nursing wasn’t what I really wanted to do, which is why I am taking some communication classes.  These classes have taught me how important and effective communication is.  I really feel that this will greatly help me in the health care field and in my everyday life.

In my spare time I love doing anything associated with sports.  Some of my favorites are basketball, volleyball, and softball.  I also love reading good books and spending lots of time with my family and friends.

Katie Andrus

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MY STORIES:

MY RESUMES:

 Katherine Leigh Andrus.
(801) 244-4446

EDUCATION 

Bachelor of Science                                                                              December   2012
University of Utah
Major:  Political Science

High School Diploma                                                                                                2008
Olympus High School
Graduated with a 3.8 GPA

CERTIFICATES                      International Relations Certificate                          2012

EXPERIENCE

Peters|Scofield                                                                                            2008- Present
Receptionist/File Clerk. My duties included answering phones, handling correspondence and filing away documents. I helped prepared binders and other materials to help lawyers prep for trial as well as handle any further needs of lawyers such as scanning and coping documents.

Olympus High Softball                                                                                2008-Present
Assistant Coach. As a coach I work with high school  girls on a daily basis to help them further develop their softball skills. I lead by example and try to be involved in each girls life as I have been given the opportunity to help the girls become better well rounded and responsible young women.

ACTIVITIES: 

Volunteer International Refugee Center: Family Mentor
Volunteer Boy and Girls Club
Volunteer Wasatch Human Society
Volunteer High Roads for Humanity
Played Softball all four years of High school
Modeled for W Talent.

REFERENCES:        Available upon request

ABOUT ME:

Ever since a young age I have always been interested in the world of news. I grew up in a family that listens to NPR and watches the morning and evening news every day.  To be more to the point,  it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that I know a lot about what is happening in the world today both locally and globally.

I am currently a senior at the University of Utah majoring in political science and plan to graduate from the U of U in 2012. Furthermore, I hope to attend law school sometime in the future in the hopes of one day becoming a lawyer.

I am also very involved with the International Refugee Center that is dedicated to resettling refugees to new homes in the greater Salt Lake Valley. With this organization I have the chance to meet weekly with a family from Iraq, hoping to show them the wonderful life that America can provide. This opportunity along with my experience overseas has helped me to become a more culturally rounded person.

Similarly, I am a very dedicated hard worker who strives to be the best at whatever I do. I am also a very caring and compassionate person who strives to help and care for anyone when they are in need.  I love adventures and I have always been willing to try new things and I can’t wait to see what the future has to hold.

Makaylee Pettit

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MY STORIES:

MY RESUME:

MAKAYLEE PETTIT
makaylee@mac.com

OBJECTIVE:
I have great communication skills and work well in a variety of environments. I would be a great asset to your company.

WORK EXPERIENCE:
•    July 2009 – September 2009, April 2011- August 2011  (summer job):
Ruby River Steak House – hostess
•    March 2011-April 2011
Prosper Learning- sales
•    June 2006- June 2008 (summer job):
American Distribution Centers Inc. – secretary

EDUCATION:  UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY – September 2009 – April 2011
University of Utah- August 2011- Present

SKILLS:  Excellent people skills
Strong computer and technology skills
Works well with others
Excellent phone skills
Self starter and dependable

ABOUT ME: 

When I was 9-years-old I saw the movie, “The Wedding Planner.” It was that day my cliché childhood dream of becoming a professional ballerina instantly switched to becoming an event planner. I began planning events for my family, friends and neighborhood, routinely taking flyers to everyone announcing what events would be taking place in my backyard.

Twelve years later I am a junior at the University of Utah studying strategic communication. I still have the same dream and cannot wait for graduation so I can jump into my career. In the mean time I’m constantly planning parties, wedding showers and baby showers.

Kylee Mecham

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MY STORIES:

MY RESUME:

Kylee Mecham

Education

•    University of Utah, B.A in Mass Communications expected December 2012
In the process of completing a Communications major and a French minor

•    College of Charleston, Associate of Arts, August 2010 – June 2011

•    Wando High School, August 2003 – June 2007

Work Experience

•    Banana Republic – Sales Associate, September 2010 –May 2011
Assisted customers, in-charge of closing responsibilities, assisted at the cash register

•    Claire’s – Third Key Holder, January 2010 – July 2010
Opened and closed store, over-saw customer service, ran the cash register, completed piercings, helped with merchandise placement and shipment

•    Victoria Secrets – Sales Associate, January 2009 – May 2009
Assisted Customers, performed cashier duties, in charge of closing cleaning procedures

•    Tapio School of Dance and Gymnastics – After-School Counselor, August 2006 – May 2007, August 2008 – May 2009
Responsible for pick of children from different schools, Supervised all children (30-50 kids), Over-saw homework, Assisted coaches in both dance and gymnastics classes

Skills

•    Leadership skills, Willingness to learn, Excellent Communication skills, Adaptability

Awards

•    National Honors Society, August 2005 – June 2006 and August 2006 – June 2007

References Available Upon Request

ABOUT ME:

I am a mass communication major with a minor in French, set to graduate from the University of Utah in December of 2012.  This is my third year.  I spent my first two years at the College of Charleston, in South Carolina, where I received my Associate of Arts.  After graduation, I hope to find a job in public relations or advertising, as long as I am working close to the public.

U.S., China need not be rivals

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By Holly Ammon

Who’s afraid of a little Eastern country with a population of 1.5 billion people?
News story after news story in America shows China in a negative light. They’re communists, they don’t have freedom of speech, their pollution is out of control, they force their children to attend 12 hours a day of school, they’re still foolishly using “Eastern medicine”… The only good news that is shown is their booming business economy, encouraging US businesses to trade with the Chinese. Why are we ganging up on them? There are countless good things about the Chinese that is little seen in the American press.
The Chinese sacrifice. My friend Rui works 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and the last I talked to her, her last day off was three months ago to visit her 3 year old son, who is currently living in a suburb of Beijing with his grandparents. Rui is doing this all for him. She and her husband barely make enough money to cover all their bills. The kind of selfless dedication her work schedule requires is rarely seen in the US. Rui, like most Chinese, doesn’t even have the privilege of using diapers. If every infant in China wore disposable diapers, the landfills would be full in one day. The willingness of the Chinese to sacrifice as an individual to benefit the whole is admirable; that’s something that Congress could learn a thing or two about.
Each time I visited her at the Pearl Market, she had the biggest smile on her face. She was happy. In most Americans’ eyes, her life would be completely undesirable.
Yet when the Chinese aren’t happy, they do something about it. During my time in China, the government changed a policy in one of the major parts of Beijing that negatively affected all of the taxi drivers in the city. Since they have no freedom of speech, you might think the taxi drivers accepted the new policy and moved on. Wrong! All of the taxi drivers parked their cars on the city’s biggest highway, making a barricade so that no one could get in or out of their city until the government nullified the policy. Within 48 hours it was reversed.
There are countless things I love about China. The people I met are hardworking, helpful, passionate, educated and happy. They are forward-thinking. Instead of wasting their time arguing about whether global warming exists or not, they implement “green” technology, something that the US invented.
China and the US are neck and neck to be the world’s economic leader. If Americans embraced the Chinese as their long-lost brother who they may not always understand, maybe things would be better. China could, in turn, work on branding themselves in a new way so that the world sees all the positive things they have to offer.
We are completely different from each other. It’s a good thing. Let’s embrace it.

Rachel Maughan

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MY STORIES:

MY RESUME:

SKILLS: I work well with people and by myself. I am organized, outgoing and friendly. I make friends easily. I can work Word, Excell and Powerpoint. I am almost fluent in Spanish.

EMPLOYMENT:

  • Lifeguard at Salt Lake City Sports Complex from May 2009 to September 2011.
  • Scrubber at IFreedom direct from November 2011 to present.

EDUCATION:

  • East High School
  • Salt Lake Community College
  • University of Utah

ABOUT ME:

My name is Rachel Maughan. I was born in Texas, but have lived in Utah my whole life. I attended East High School. I gradutated half a year early and went to SLCC for one sememster. Now, I am a freshman at the University of Utah. I am studying mass communication and journalism. I am especially interested in Brodcast Journalism.  When I grow up I know I want to be a newscaster.

Mitchell Talbot Waite

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MY STORIES:

MY RESUME:

Mitchell Waite
804 E 2075 S
Bountiful, UT 84010
elchaparrito1@gmail.com
Phone: 801-809-0830

Objective:
•    My scholarly pursuits in life are many.  The most far-reaching goal I have for myself is to earn a degree in MASS communications.
•    I relish the task of writing and doing it in many different genres and settings.
•    I love to take on tasks or projects and find my abilities properly tested at the college level.
•    I’m constantly seeking new challenges and love to take a wide variety of classes.
•    I can meet deadlines and organize and prioritize my tasks to ensure that they get done in the most efficient way.
•    Another strength that I have is the ability to go above and beyond the call of duty and I am very influential in my classes.  I love to help and work with other students.  Writing is an art form and helping others discover that is what I do well.
•    I have a knack for easily communicating and interacting with other people.
•    I manage myself well in problem solving situations and am always eager to help team members in similar situations.
•    Knowledge and success are very important to me.

Experience:
2002    – 2005  Hampton Inn  Woodscross, UT
While working for the Hampton inn, my job experience up to that point was limited. However, through my time there I was able to develop the ability to communicate with customers and not stress in problem solving settings.  Another important job I had was to tend the front desk and help guests with any needs they had.  Many times these needs led me to go above and beyond and ensure quality customer service in a hotel setting.

2005 – 2008   Farmers Insurance  Salt Lake City, UT
Customer Service Rep
The most important task I had during my tenure with Farmers Insurance was ensuring that customers understood the comparing prices of other insurance companies and what they could do to save on money with our insurance company.  I learned to be patient with the customer, especially while helping them try to understand unfamiliar terms and complex policies.  Farmers insurance really taught me how to speak in a way that made even the most difficult information could be understood.

2006 – 2008 LDS Church New Jersey

2008 – Present

Usana Health Sciences
I have been working at Usana Health Sciences for about three years now.  They have trained me in many facilities, and I currently work as a Distributor Service Spanish trainer within the company.  My education has grown immensely at Usana since they offer a tuition reimbursement program; this service has allowed me the liberty of pursuing my education.

I help out and train the Spanish Usana distributors so I continue to sharpen my skills of the language.  Even in my current position I have been involved in a lot of critical writing situations that I have handled very well.  It has expanded my ability to write and communicate, especially pertaining to all things Usana.  I have been given many opportunities to polish my skill and passion of writing.

Missionary
For two years I provided service to my church and moved to New Jersey to assist the Spanish community there.  While engaging in this volunteer work, I learned to be selfless and help people who were in dismal situations.  Also I was able to learn the Spanish language which has proven useful while working for Usana.  I have in turn been able to utilize these skills in my professional life since returning in 2008.

ABOUT ME:

I am currently a sophomore at the University of Utah.  I am 24 and a communication student.  I transferred to the U. of U. in August 2011 from Salt Lake Community College in order to further study communication.

My experience in communication has been a positive one thus far.  I am gaining more and more knowledge in the subject.

I am open to new ideas and people and when put to a task, can accomplish it with the up most efficiency.  I want to expand my education and become the best at what I do.  I am always seeking ways to set new goals and surpass new horizons.

Callie Mendenhall

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MY STORIES:

 

MY RESUME:
OBJECTIVE
Seeking a position that will allow me to gain experience through working with others and increasing my communication and social skills.

QUALIFICATIONS
Outgoing and positive attitude
Experienced with Microsoft Word
Proficient in communicating with people of diverse backgrounds and income levels
Fast learner and extremely interested in communications
Hard worker
Organized
Proactive
Punctual/Dependable
EXPERIENCE
Nanny- Employed by Rebecca McInroy                                                         2008-2009
Caring for child‘s basic needs, management of daily schedule, coordinating play dates,  light cleaning, responsible for laundry, and cooking.
Nanny-Employed by Prissy Yanko                                                               Summer 2010
Caring for child’s basic needs, management of daily schedule, responsible for transportation for     all activities, coordinating play dates, taught creative arts and crafts, responsible for     entertainment, light cleaning, light laundry, and cooking.
Office Assistant-employed by Westwood High School                                 2008, 2009
Filing, organization of peers attendance, responsible for making appointments, in charge of  phone calls and faxes, transcript responsibilities.
Social Media Intern-Employed by KUT                                                       Summer 2011
Intern with the Austin Texas local NPR station as a social media intern. In charge of creating a strong presence in the social networking and working with the KUT website.
Hostess-employed by Sea Salt                                                           March 2011-Present
Supervises and coordinates activities of dining room personnel to provide fast and courteous service to patrons: Schedules dining reservations and arranges parties or special services for diners.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Service for Sight-SLC, UT                                                                                2009-2011
Volunteered in an effort to help underprivileged people have their eyes checked for sight and glaucoma
Brown Santa-Austin, TX                                                                                    2007-2009
Volunteered during the holidays to wrap presents for underprivileged families
EDUCATION
Westwood High School, Austin, Texas                                                              2005-2009
Honor Roll                                                                                                        2005-2009

University of Utah, SLC, Utah                                                                         2009-Present
Majoring in Mass Communications: Emphasis in Strategic Communication Sequence
Minor in Business
Deans List                                                                                    Spring 2009, Fall 2010
Public relations: Delta Gamma Sorority
Marketing through apparel
President: Delta Gamma Sorority
In charge of all aspects of the organization

ABOUT ME:
My name is Callie Mendenhall and I am a 20-year-old junior at the University of Utah studying mass communication. I am set to graduate in the spring of 2013 and then go on to hopefully work for a PR agency. I grew up in the suburbs of Austin, Texas, with two older brothers and one younger. I moved to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah in 2009 and have loved my time here.

Chris Washington

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MY STORIES:

MY RESUME:

Resume for Chris Washington

ABOUT ME:

I am a 20-year-old student at the University of Utah. I am currently studying mass communication. I came to the university on an athletic scholarship for football, but due to injury, I can no longer play.

During my time in college, I have learned to enjoy the academic process and greatly look forward to finding a career after college. While I am still working on developing a solid base of work experience, I am confident that my intelligence and work ethic will lead me towards success in any field.

Max Lennardt

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MY STORIES:

MY RESUME:

Work experience:

3 Month internship Exper Consult
2 Month internship Technologie Zentrum Dortmund

School: Graduated from high shool in Germany in 2006 and from U.S. high school in 2007
College: Weber State and University of Utah

ABOUT ME:

I am a 22-year-old male communication (PR) senior student at the University of Utah. I am an international student from Germany. After my studies I will go back to Germany.

My hobbies are to DJ and to produce techno music, soccer and meeting friends.

Elysia Yuen

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MY STORIES:

MY RESUME:
Elysia Yuen
3688 Buckeroo Cir. Magna, UT 84044
Home: (801) 250-4448    Cell: (801) 860-6729
Email: elysiayuen@gmail.com

EDUCATION
University of Utah, SLC, UT
Expected Graduation December 2012
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications
Salt Lake Community College, SLC,UT Dec 2007
Associate of Science in General Studies, GPA: 3.88

SKILLS
Microsoft Office: Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher
Type 70 Words Per Minute
Adobe Reader, Photoshop
Strong Interpersonal & Customer Service Skills

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
International Student Ambassador University of Utah, SLC, UT
Aug 2011 – present
SLCCSA Board Member, SLC, UT
Aug 2006-May 2008
(Salt Lake Community College Student Association)
Duties: Implement and organize Public Relations Program to
design multi-media projects for student organizations,
provide technical resources for other team members,
advertise for community educational activities
SLCC Constitution Revision Representative, SLC, UT
March 2008-April 2008
Duties: Propose amendments for government elections and student
organizations
Computer Synergy Club Vice President, SLC, UT
Sept 2007-May 2008
Duties: Organize program to provide computer tutoring for students

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Global Health Scholars Participant and Volunteer
Sept 2009-present
Utah Legal Services Family Law Clinic Volunteer, SLC, UT
Sept 2008-Dec 2008
Duties: Oversee event details and instructions
Salt Lake Community College, SLC, UT
Aug 2006-Jan 2008
Student Government Leadership Conference Participant
NASCO Conference Participant, San Francisco, CA
Oct 2007
National Association for Student Clubs and Organizations for
organization management, activism, and diverse relations
Utah Cultural Celebration Volunteer, SLC, UT
Jan 2008-April 2008
Duties: Assist in implementing community events

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Missionary
July 2009-Feb 2011
University of Utah College of Social and Behavioral Science Honor Roll
2008-2009
University of Utah Honors Student
2008
BACCHUS Network Certificate, Denver, CO                             
Sept 2007
(Certified Peer Educator Program for Leadership & Communication)
President’s List Salt Lake Community College Honor Roll      
2006-2008

WORK EXPERIENCE
Concession Stand Lead, Levy Restaurants, Sandy, UT                  
June 2011 – present
Computer Sales Representative, University Bookstore, SLC, UT          
Aug 2008-June 2009
Receptionist, Physician Office, SLC, UT                 
May 2008-Aug 2008
Office Specialist, Thayne Center, SLC, UT                      
Sept 2007-May 2008
Community School Teacher, Salt Lake City School District, SLC, UT     
Jan 2007-Sept 2007
Customer Service Agent, Alorica Inc., Magna, UT                    
Aug 2006-Nov 2006

ABOUT ME:

I am working towards a Bachelor of Art in mass communication at the University of Utah and am pursuing a career in the public relations sector.  My ambition is to work for a non-profit organization after graduation in December 2012.

Being an outgoing and friendly person has enabled me to work independently and in a team environment to accomplish tasks in an organizational manner. Evidence of these skills are portrayed by obtaining an Associate of Science degree, serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, consistently gaining honors recognition for academics and being involved with student government, the Global Health Scholars at the U. of U., the Girl Scouts of Utah and various community organizations.

I will be writing for ‘Lessons’ magazine for the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at the U.