Story by Laura Qualey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Story By Montana Peterson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Story by Joape Pela

Captain of America’s Rugby Team

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

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

Story by: L. Wylie Shepard 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eligible participants are:

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

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

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

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

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

Story By Montana Peterson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Story by: Brenda Mandujano

On Monday morning Jim Fisher, a professor of communication, spoke to students about the fine lines between morality and ethics. The lecture given to a news writing class had students thinking of the reality of the journalistic world.

“He was straightforward and had a very honest opinion of how journalism can be,” said Morgan Heath.

Examples that everyone can relate to were used to show “journalism ethics is almost always about ‘to publish or not to publish, to broadcast or not to broadcast,” as Fisher stated.

Fisher discussed the four guidelines of the Society of Professional Journalists: seek the truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently and be accountable. He went into depth to have students think about what they write and how to write it.

Elysia Yuen, who attended the lecture, stated, “Ethics is a really fine line. Sometimes it is hard to define; it is dependent mostly on what situation you are in and the possible outcome.”

Journalists are given information and take important facts to pull together a story to report. “There is not right or wrong, it is a decision to be made, you do not seek to hurt anyone,” said Fisher. Fisher emphasized that knowing the truth means it must be reported. How a journalist reports it must also be a process, which is thought wisely. Just “be careful in journalism because what you report could go off and hurt somebody,” said Fisher.

Story by Kent Ava

The future of the United States economy and its relative fate for survival during a major financial slump caused in part by ineffective approaches and mishandled stimulus money was discussed on Oct.26th by Floyd Norris, chief financial correspondent for The New York Times at the Marriott Library Gould Auditorium.

Norris emphasized that a paradigm shift was necessary to get the economy moving again and governments moving away from Andrew Mellon’s philosophy of letting things work themselves out on its own.

Andrew Mellon, Secretary of the Treasury during the 1920s, in which his viewpoint of a intervening government during the stock market crash and tumbling economy was, “keep your hands off and let things work out by themselves,” an ill-fated approach that plagued the economy for years, according to Norris.

According to Mellon, the product of being poor was their [poor people’s]own fault and  financial ruin was a direct result of their incompetency, only to be replaced by the superiority of the elite and wealthy.

“The real point here to me is that we used to take for granted that the government should try to improve the economy and there were things they could do,” Norris said.

Norris also referenced Herman Cain, former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, who said about his approach to one’s wealth, “Don’t blame Wall street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a good job and you’re not rich, blame yourself,” reaffirming the attitude that it’s the fault of the poor for being poor.

Bryce Bagley, a mass communication major, said that the forum gave a relative perspective into today’s failing economic situation.

“It was somewhat refreshing to get a professional opinion of the relevance to the economy’s potential future and possible bounce back,” said Bagley.

He also said that it provided a unique view to the market that he soon will be working in and a better understanding on how to prepare for his future.

“This gives me a whole lot to consider when it comes down to the state of the economy and how it will affect me and my family,” said Bagley.

Norris said that he would like to see an attitude of pragmatism rather than ideology when it came to an economic stimulus to get the most growth.

“I’d like to see shorter-term stimulus. It needs to be carefully targeted to do good,” Norris said. “If we are going to have stimulus, it should have the most economic bang for their buck.”

Morgan Heath, a senior in mass communications, said that she agreed with Norris’ proposal for a short-term stimulus and its goal to maximize its worth.

“I can see how a short-term stimulus can be effective, because it focuses on economic demands now rather than later,” said Heath.

“It seems to be the analysis that ‘because stimulus doesn’t work, we shouldn’t try it,’ ” Norris said.

He compared the situation to a student who studies for a test, does poorly and then concludes that he or she should no longer study for tests.

Norris concluded with the idea of reestablishing hope in the government’s financial system and its job to allocate capital wisely.

“Its[stimulus]role is to help the real economy function and grow and not be supported by bailouts,” said Norris.

Norris’ lecture was part of the University of Utah’s 15^th annual Rocco C. and Marion S. Siciliano Forum hosted by the Hinckley Institute of Politics.

Story by Morgan Heath

The University of Utah Department of Mechanical Engineering and ABLE Pilot have come together to hold trainings for people with spinal cord injuries to learn to paraglide. The training will be held in Sun Valley, Idaho this weekend; five veterans with spinal cord injuries will be the first to test out the paragliders.

Mark Gaskill, from ABLE Pilot, will direct the training and has developed the overall paragliding training program. Gaskill said, “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.” Gaskill initially came to the U. of U. team with the idea to develop an adaptive flight chair.

The adaptive flight chair or the Phoenix 1.5 was developed by four M.E. undergraduate students: Bryon Densley, Chris Graves, Travis Smith and Ben Davidson. All four students graduated with bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering in the spring of 2010, but Densley is continuing to work on the Phoenix project for his master’s degree research.

The training for the five SCI Veterans will begin on Friday and will continue until Monday at the training camp in Sun Valley. The first day will consist of the veterans learning about paragliding the days following will learn how the paraglider works and its functions. The veterans will take several tandem flights with certified instructors and fly solo by Monday.

For more info visit the website @ http://ablepilot.com/

Story by Megan Hulet

In journalism, there is a fine line between morals and ethics.

On Oct. 3, 2011, a professor spoke to communication students at the University of Utah explaining the importance of morals and ethics in writing.

Jim Fisher, an Associate Professor Lecturer said, “Morals are things that institutions set out as laws.  Ethics is the process of making decisions.”

Fisher went over some strategies to consider when dealing with morals and ethics.  They include: Situation (choices), community values, classic principles and loyalty.  He asked, “Who are we loyal to?  Our paycheck?”  Realizing the motives behind writing and the purpose in writing is important.

Fisher gave four points to follow as a code of ethics: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently and be accountable.
Fisher said, “Minimize harm is a wonderful concept in American journalism.  It doesn’t say ‘do no harm.’ Minimize harm.”

Lyndsay Frehner said, “the lecture made me feel somewhat uncomfortable because it made me reevaluate my values and what I would do.”

Another student who was in attendance, Kylee Mecham, said this concerning Fisher, “I liked the way he could show both sides of the argument well.”

Article by Meish Roundy

The Natural History Museum of Utah opened its doors to the public Friday at the Rio Tinto Center. While the museum features 10 galleries celebrating everything from Utah’s diverse landscape to its people, the building itself as described by Todd Schliemann, the design architect for the structure, “symbolizes the beauty and magnitude of the state’s unique landscapes.”

Beginning construction in 2005 it has taken six years to build the large 51,000 square foot museum. Schliemann said regarding the building’s size that “it has no scale. It could be a very small rock outcrop or it could be fifty stories tall. Until you’re a person in it, you don’t know how big it is.”

Some of the other architectural highlights include:

• A fourth floor terrace with indoor- outdoor interpretive space enabling visitors to directly experience weather and atmosphere.
• A three-story tall glass case called the Collections Wall, which highlights more than 500 objects from various research collections.
• A solar paneled roof that provides 25 percent of the energy needed to power the museum.
• The knowledge that more than 25 of the buildings structural materials were made from recycled sources and that 75 percent of the buildings construction waste was recycled.

The museum is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has an admittance fee of 9 dollars for an adult and between 6 and 7 dollars for a youth. The museum will be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. (

Story by Justin Bailey

A recent poll published by the Pew Research Center indicates that Americans, regardless of political affiliation, are becoming increasingly distrustful of the media.
When asked how they felt about accuracy and honesty in the media, several students at the University of Utah corroborated that cynicism while offering helpful tips on how to wade through the biased muck that can be prevalent in today’s news stories.
Garrett Hanson, a sophomore communication major who identified himself as a Republican, said that he thought, with regard to the major news media, “they all have an agenda.” He felt that their credibility was severely compromised by the fact that, to a certain extent, they simply report what they choose, in the manner they choose.
“They’re always taking things out of context to make the people they don’t like look bad,” stated Garrett.
Another student, Erin June, a senior studying political science, had a very similar opinion. “I feel like all the major news channels have bais,” she stated, “so it’s hard to tell who is telling the truth.” Erin went on to say that, in an effort to combat bias in the media, getting your news from online sources is a useful tactic. “That’s why you have to turn to the internet,” she said.
James Heiner, a junior and self-identified Democrat, had a less cynical view of how the news is reported, but still conceded that there is a definite bias. “I feel that they will inherently have a bias, but I take that into consideration when making decisions,” he stated. James followed that statement with something of a disclaimer, “They have good information because they have resources and are closer to the situation… I’m not (just going to) go ask somebody off the street (what’s going on in the world.)”

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