When I was first found out that our beat for Intermediate Reporting was the LGBTQ community, I had split feelings. With the election coming up and many states wavering between legalizing gay marriage, I was afraid that writing about this beat would be like beating a dead horse.
The second part of me was really enthusiastic about our beat because I had just attended a protest against Chick-fil-A, in support of my openly gay hair dresser. It was the first indication that lack of equality involves a lot more than just marriage, which led to me to my first story.
I was raised in Decatur, Ill., and moved to Bountiful, Utah, four years ago, so I was fortunate to have been exposed to many different viewpoints. Not having a particularly strong stance either way really allowed me to write my stories objectively.
Professor Kimberley Mangun taught me to analyze any and all topics from many different angles and the AP stylebook is a journalist’s bible.
It is such a broad issue that there was no shortage of original material for me to write.
Our first guest speaker was Brandie Balken, director of Equality Utah. She gave me a new perspective on the wide-ranging difficulties that the LGBT community faces. Balken talked about adoption, work and survivor benefits, visitation rights and many of the other struggles that are faced in Utah.
The first person I interviewed was Jessica Finnegan, a mother of five who is in a lesbian relationship. I was surprised to find out that marriage rights aren’t her No. 1 priority. She is much more concerned about being able to see her partner or her kids if they are hospitalized, or simple things like picking up her son from school or taking her children to the doctor.
The topic of my enterprise story was inspired by my first story. It’s a topic I feel is widely ignored: How do children fare when being raised by same-sex parents?
After conducting interviews and much research, it furthered my belief that everyone deserves equality.
One advantage I found in writing on a single beat was being able to really immerse myself in the topic. For each of my stories I was able to sink my teeth into them because I had done so much research for prior stories.
Overall, I am more confident than ever that I would like to be on the broadcast television side of things and I walk away from this class with a new respect for journalists.
ABOUT ME:
I am a junior at the University of Utah. I am pursuing a degree in mass communication with an emphasis in journalism.
I am starting a sports-reporting internship at local news station KSL in January 2013.
I plan to move to Los Angeles after I graduate to pursue my modeling and broadcast career.
My long-term goal is to become a sports broadcaster for a major news network.
My dream is to be the host of College GameDay on ESPN.
Attending my first day at the University of Utah was intimidating in itself but walking into intermediate reporting with Dr. Mangun and hearing our beat for the semester was the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, I felt way over my head.
Coming from a significantly sheltered home and community I was very uncomfortable knowing I was about to be shoved from my comfort zone and into the “real world.”
Well, that is exactly what it did. I was pulled from my sheltered box, educated on something I wasn’t sure I wanted to be educated on and learned for myself. I learned a lot about the community, the individuals and the trials they face.
Being from Utah I thought the only real battle the LGBT community was fighting was the legalization of gay marriage.
Yet, that is just the tip of the iceberg. While gay marriage is still important, gay and lesbian individuals just want to be equal. Equality is it. To be recognized as a couple to see their significant other in hospital without paperwork, to receive their partner’s benefits, things you and I may take for granted but will cost a same-sex couple thousands of dollars in lawyer fees to obtain.
There is a gap, there is too much hatred and there is not enough effort to understand. This is on both sides, might I add. Through education I’ve become more conscious of equality efforts or issues in Utah and around the country. I have become more comfortable with stepping outside of my “comfort zone” to educate myself on topics I may initially feel uncomfortable with. Frankly, it is part of life, it is part of the job, and at the end of the day I still know who I am, I still know and value my beliefs.
Education is key, if we take the time to put down our walls as a society, though we may not agree on everything, there would be a lot more harmony and a lot less hate.
ABOUT ME:
I am in my first year of my bachelor’s degree in communication at the University of Utah. I received my Associate of Science degree at USU-Eastern in Price, Utah.
I’ve been dancing since I was 3, so it’s safe to say it’s always been a passion of mine. The way I expressed myself had always been through dancing, until I discovered writing. My interest in writing was sparked during my junior year of high school when I took a creative-writing class. I loved the freedom to be creative and express myself in a way I’d never practiced before. This led me to journalism and through that desire I received a communication department scholarship at USU-Eastern.
I wrote for The Eagle newspaper my first semester. I realized I didn’t like the assigned structure and rules of news writing; it didn’t let me show my personality. I wanted to continue being me, showcasing my personality as an individual and expressing creativity.
I’ve always liked being on camera, and as a child I was referred to as the “ham” of the family. So, I have looked into the TV aspect of journalism. I researched multiple jobs in the field and finally I came to the lifestyles aspect and fell in love. I watched multiple talk shows, researched the field and knew that’s where I belonged. It would allow me to explore the things I was interested in, show my personality and be creative.
My goals in the future are to obtain my degree in broadcast journalism and continue my work at KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, where I want to earn a spot on Studio 5, the lifestyles program.
As a novice writer fairly new to the journalism major, this course was difficult for me, not only because the longest news piece I had ever written before this class was about 400 words long and for an Introduction to News Writing class, but also because the topic was something I had never even thought about reporting on.
The LGBT community is a diverse and colorful group of people that frankly, I didn’t think existed in Utah. Reporting on the LGBT beat this semester was challenging, but also eye opening to the climate in Utah regarding the LGBT community, as well as its presence here.
From University of Utah Pride Week in October to Cyber Slut’s bingo parties to adoption and legal issues to media representation of gays and lesbians, there has been no shortage of material to research and report on. I have learned new things about myself as well as the community I live in.
That being said I believe my future career leads not to writing but to some sort of speaking. I have found that I can get my ideas across much easier when I’m telling someone face to face. As news director of KUTE student radio I really enjoy interviewing people on air and making a personal connection from them to my audience. I have enjoyed the practice this course gave me in writing because I have become, literally, 100 times better than I was when I came to this class, which is a scary thought.
I have become more aware of some of the issues and problems faced by the LGBT community of Utah, such as adoption rights, right to medical power of attorney, job security and bullying. I think that working on a specific beat during the entire semester was a great opportunity to really be able to delve into the subject and have the stories build on one another, not necessarily in content, but in my personal knowledge that I relied on while writing.
Having finished this course I can now proudly claim the title of “Intermediate Reporter.” While this was sometimes a course in the basics of writing, as well as the more intricate ins and outs, it taught me time and again that one of the most important aspects of your writing is connecting to your community and to your audience. After all without an audience, who are we?
ABOUT ME:
I am a communicator with a passion for telling stories. I believe that everyone, everywhere has some sort of story to tell, whether it be long or short, visual or written, happy, sad, funny, moving or encouraging. I am working toward a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and hope to someday have my own talk show telling people’s stories for others to hear. I believe in focusing on the good in life and helping others find it too.
Covering the LGBTQ beat opened my eyes, not because I was surprised at the difficulties that faced the community, but at the privileges I have that some people do not. In a way, I am an outsider. I am a young, white, able-bodied, straight, gender-conforming male. I do not have to worry about censoring something about myself in order to fit in. In talking with Hispanic gay immigrants, I found out that they do have to modify their identities in different communities. They worry about being seen as too Hispanic in the gay community and being seen as too gay in the Hispanic community. It shocked me. I have never had to check any part of my personality, and I realized that it was because I am not a member of a group that has been marginalized. Imagine being told by loved ones or by society that an aspect of who you are is wrong or evil. That is essentially what some in the LGBTQ community go through.
I have learned so much about this beat from my short time reporting on it. I think when most heterosexual people see LGBTQ people they see the stereotypical gay couple who has been portrayed on shows like “Modern Family.” While this is an aspect of a relationship, it is only a segment of life. The LGBTQ community covers so many different areas and people. It is just as diverse as any other group. There isn’t one opinion on issues like gay marriage in the gay community, just as there would be in any other. I may be an outsider looking in on the community, but I’ve learned that I am an ally.
ABOUT ME:
I have lived in Utah my entire life. I grew up in both West Jordan and Taylorsville. The idea of becoming a journalist is a relatively new ambition that I am cultivating. I originally wanted to become a physical therapist but I found that the path I was taking was not fulfilling me. I took a hard look at myself and realized a little over a year ago that I wanted to become a sports broadcast journalist. I couldn’t have made a better choice. While I am still trying to get involved in sports specifically, I have discovered that all types of journalism interest me.
I currently work as a news DJ for K-UTE, which is the college radio station for the University of Utah. I also want to start writing for the U’s school newspaper, the Daily Utah Chronicle, in Spring 2013. I want to see my work published in print because seeing my stories online has been exciting and I want to be able to bring a copy of the paper to my family and friends and show them that I am a journalist.
After I graduate in Summer 2013 I want to start down my career path by getting an internship at a sports radio station and move my way up until I can become a DJ with my own show. I also want to explore print, television and online journalism as well. I do want to attend graduate school too. I want to attend Northwestern University and participate in the Medill Graduate Journalism Program. The reason being is that some of my favorite sports broadcasters, Mike Greenberg and Michael Wilbon, both attended Northwestern. The idea of getting paid to talk about sports on any level and through any medium is my dream.
Drag queens are fabulous, but what makes them fabulous? Is it the sequined clothes, the big hair or the bright makeup? Maybe it’s the person behind the layers of foundation and eye shadow, the man behind the woman.
Püre at Club Sound on Friday night lights up with a main and weekly attraction, the drag queen show. Local celebrities, like the one and only Nova Starr, lip sync to pop music and spout choreographed dance moves.
Coming from the “House of Starr,” Nova pushed her way through the ranks of “salty gossip” (otherwise, known as the gay Salt Lake City gossip) and accomplished Salt Lake stardom. Adorned in bright makeup, a curly blond wig, and tight fitting clothes designed to hug the curves on Nova’s voluptuous figure, Nova adores busting out on stage with performances full of surprises However, her quest to change the minds of Salt Lake City citizens and to make an art form out of dressing in drag proved a tedious and frustrating task.
Nova moved to Salt Lake to chase the dream of becoming a costume designer at the Utah Opera Company. Perfecting her skills in costume design, Nova carried her talent her drag persona. A personality filled with expensive styling practices.
Now without the money to make costumes, style hair and live the performer lifestyle, Nova has decided to follow her dreams on tour. A path that was introduced after Nova was named in two books: 100 of the Most Influential Gay Entertainers and the Official Drag Handbook.
However, not wanting to disappoint her fans, Nova does her best to perform in Salt Lake City once a month. “Honey! As a drag performer, you spend hundreds of dollars on clothes and style. Yet, at Püre, I would only get paid $50 a night to perform once a week. That just doesn’t cut it.” Nova said.
Despite such societal stipulations, Nova, with her drag presence, created a niche for yearning drag queens, a niche that offered self-expression and a place to call home.
Like Nova, many other aspiring drag queens have experienced turmoil within the Salt Lake community whether it is the Salt Lake community in nightlife, gay-life or churchlife.
This home, this “House of Starr,” gave community fame to on-the-spur performers, like Paris Starr. It also inspired art admirers, like Vienna Starr. Vienna Starr, real name, Justin Carter, is known in the real world simply as Justy. He is on hiatus from drag queen life. He gave several reasons.
Stomping into his friend’s bungalow in Salt Lake City’s Sugar House neighborhood, Justy walked through the living room and straight into the kitchen. Pulling out a bottle of Danish vodka, he was ready to pour out his heart and the alcohol.
Like many others who perform in drag, Justy was attracted to the idea of acting as someone else. “It was very easy as to introduce myself as Vienna, get to know these people and then, hang out with them as a boy later… To do drag made social life a lot easier,” said Justy, after sipping from his signature drink, “a touch of class,” a concoction made from vodka, orange juice and tonic water.
It is easy to imagine Vienna’s popularity at Püre. Standing at six feet and dressed top to bottom in stylish couture clothes, Vienna pulled in attention from all corners of the club. Living drag made Justy’s life better in many ways, he said. Coming from Utah County, a predominantly LDS and politically conservative area, Justy hid himself and his homosexuality from the world.
Not coming “out of the closet” until he was 19, Justy thrust himself into the gay world and a new mode of self-expression. This representation of self and sexuality was delayed. Especially, when glancing upon Justy’s peers.
Now 22-years-old, Justy feels that he lived and still is living through, what he calls high school the sequel. To him, high school the sequel arouses gays to experience common adolescent issues. Experiences that his school friends thrust through in their teenage years. For instance, Justy, for the first time, went on his first “real” date, faced peer pressure involving drugs and made attempts to rebel against his family and the LDS lifestyle. Justy’s acceptance of his homosexuality, prompted him to jump over life’s hurdles at an older age and for him to find a place of acceptance.
This form of discovery can be seen in many young gay adults in Salt Lake City. Hoping to belong to a place where they are fully accepted, several of them have found solace at Püre. To some, Püre is a place to call home. It was and sometimes still is the House of Starr.
The documentary, Paris is Burning, produced more than 20 years ago, displayed the meaning of a “House” and it’s importance to the gay world. Nova made the point to prove the film’s presence. “A house is a group of gay people that comes together as a family… in Utah’s community, many people need a house or a family,” she said.
People like Justy found a new home. They also found a place to showcase their spectacular talents. Nova and others from the Starr family agree that drag is much more than dressing as a woman. It’s about expressing yourself as a person capable of achieving a dreamlike existence. “To be honest, drag is an extension on what I do best,” Nova said.
Though he found a family and attention, Justy experienced negativity in the world of “dragdom.” Skipping experiences as the “true” Justy when in his former years, Justy lived his newfound personality in younger and exuberant ways. These young ways presented many problems for him in the drag culture, problems existing in almost every high school setting.
Like Nova, Justy experienced a lack of appreciation both in and out of the drag queen circle. Justy lived in just one of the many subcultures within the gay community. Such subcultures hold places in a caste system structure. “It’s just like the movie ‘Mean Girls,’ girls, but it’s mean boys,” Justy said.
Speaking in young adult terms, drag queens are the most unpopular group within the gay circles. “Drag queens are at the bottom of the food chain, being at the bottom of the chain means you can’t get dates,” Justy said while browsing through the messages stored in his phone’s inbox.
Perhaps, people classify drag queens as social scum because they play the role of an alter ego. To a lot of the gay population, drag queens are characters that hide behind a mask, or in drag queen terms, layers of makeup. in spite of the existent profiling, Nova argues that dressing drag is an expansion of John Carter, her given name.
To Nova, most everyone adopts a role to play, whether it is on or off stage. “Drag Queens say, you’re born naked and everything else is drag. For instance, every gay man dresses drag, whether it’s a gym bunny with his shirt off or a twink wearing tight jeans (both are groups found in the gay community),” Nova said. Nova attempts to advertise her definition of drag, hoping that all people will find a connection to her personal lifestyle.
To Justy and Nova, many Utahns hold no respect for what drag queens do. Nova wants people to know that dressing drag has been around for centuries and has surfaced in several cultures around the world. When talking about drag, Nova always mentions its history.
The word “drag” was used during the Elizabethan period to describe acclaimed actors who performed the roles of women in plays. “It makes you think about the bedroom scene in Romeo and Juliet a little bit differently,” Nova quipped.
Dressing drag is still a shock to much of the world. By choosing the drag queen lifestyle, Nova and Justy lived with many forms of discrimination. With Nova on tour and selling jewelry that has received attention from famous drag queen reality TV star RuPaul and Justy pursuing other areas of interest, one question remains: What will happen to the drag queen culture in Salt Lake City?
Said Nova: “Drag in Utah will evolve, though it may take longer to catch up with more liberal areas.”
Through the course of this semester I have gained a deeper appreciation for news reporting and writing. I am realizing that all the aspects I have been taught during my schooling here at the University of Utah come together to create the perfect storm. I wasn’t so sure as to why I was learning certain styles or techniques until now. Ahha! It all just clicked! I have gained a stronger sense of confidence regarding my ability to write. At the same time, I continue to be challenged and humbled as I read and learn from the professionals in the field.
Reflecting upon the topics we wrote on this semester, they were all new to me. This sparked new interest and knowledge in the fact that I can write about topics even if I haven’t covered them before. It has been extremely beneficial for me to have to write about something I originally knew nothing about. I learned how to research without becoming biased to one side or another, and to take the research and turn it into an avenue for questions and further learning. We were lucky to hear from Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. We also heard from Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank. I had no previous knowledge regarding these two individuals or what exactly their jobs entailed. I was able to listen to them and be inspired to write.
It is fascinating what progress can be made while being stretched in new directions. Journalism is far from a “comfortable” career. With new topics, fast paces, and technological advancements the journalism career is not one to stand still in. I have learned and relearned the inevitable, that what you put into your work is what you get out of it. The success is absolutely affected by the amount of work put in. I am excited and anxious to continue writing and see where it takes me.
ABOUT ME:
My name is Blakely Bowers. I am 24 years old. I am majoring in journalism at the University of Utah. I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. I have been married for about three years. We have lived in Washington D.C.,and spent the last year in New York City, where I have been interning for an entertainment company while simultaneously on a self-guided “foodie’s tour of the city.” I enjoy putting the many thoughts racing through my brain into writing. Journalism is my creative outlet. I hope to influence those who read my stories. Whether it simply be the awareness of the topics, or the writing itself, I hope others can take something away from my stories.
Cell phones have become the norm for people across the world. A 2011 study by the Pew Research Center in 2011, determined 83 percent of American adults own some version of a cell phone, and 94 percent of young adults ages 18 to 29 own cell phones. The numbers have been steadily increasing for the past decade. Pew Research
Cell phones have an enormous impact on all aspects of daily life. Some are good and some are bad. But constant use of cell phones seems to beg the question: Are we addicted to these handy little devices?
Cell phone owners are becoming younger and younger. Middle school and even elementary school students now carry cell phones. “ Everyone at my school has a cell phone. Duh. Most of us have had them for a few years now,” said Anne Earl, a seventh grader at Evergreen Junior High in Salt Lake County. When asked what she most uses the phone for, she replied, “Well usually just texting my friends and taking pictures, but my mom calls me and I call her to check in and stuff.”
At such a young age these children have access to practically anything, right at their fingertips. They can surf the Web on mobile devices, take photos and send text messages to their friends. A Utah company, Net Nanny, provides a customizable content filter that can be easily installed on a mobile device. Net Nanny
Parents, who frequently fret about the power their kids have with cell phones, can select what can and cannot be accessed from the specific mobile device. Access to specific photos, sites, or just plain old Web surfing during school hours, can be blocked from children.
Teachers now have rules regarding cell phones use during class time, but how easy is it to enforce them? “ I can tell when students are using their phones because they are obviously looking down at their crotch. These phones are preventing them from learning and really paying attention in class. How do you talk to someone who’s writing a message at the same time? You don’t,” said Linda Clapir, a resource teacher at Salt Lake County’s Skyline High School.
Cell phones affect the way we learn and the way we live. The ability to communicate with those far or near within a matter of seconds is convenient. We have the ability to share videos, pictures and text messages, all while sitting in a meeting or even inside a quiet library. The timeliness is convenient for business people.
Cell phones have played major roles in crisis or emergency situations. When stranded on a road with car trouble, a cell phone is more than helpful. In some cases, experts have said it is even a deterrent to would-be attackers if a woman just pretends to be on her phone.
But is it possible the phones offer too much of a good thing?
Seniors have some differing opinions on this topic.
“There are times when cell phones are OK, and then there are times when they aren’t. These young people need to learn respect for one another. It’s ruining our society when we don’t have to communicate face to face. We shut each other out and become clueless to existing humans,” said Mary Milliner, 80, of Salt Lake City.
“I have a new smart phone and I am learning how to use it,” said Mary’s husband, Shirm Milliner, 79. “I am enjoying learning something new and having to get involved in this new day and age. I do not use this phone when I should be interacting with other people.”
Shirm is learning how to e-mail and read numerous different news sites from his Android phone. This keeps him in touch with the up and coming, which he views as important to keep his brain functioning in the aging process.
Cell phones have a huge impact on our safety on the roads. “Distracted driving due to cell phone use is much more prevalent than anyone realizes,” said Cottonwood Heights Police Sgt. Scott Peck. Peck has been a police officer for more than 30 years, and has witnessed the transition from simply driving– to driving while distracted by cell phone use.
“The biggest mistake people make is believing they can text and drive at the same time. It is the worst form of distracted driving because you are not even looking up. Your head is literally down, leaving no view. I could give 20 to 25 tickets per day just for distracted driving” Peck said.
Peck reserves his major criticism for mothers who talk, text and drive. “Moms have a million things going on in their head, while trying to keep track of kids, schedules, etc., feeling like they need to talk and get things done at that exact moment, even if they are driving.”
Utah laws regarding phone use while driving are fairly vague and pale in comparison to some other states. Utah drivers have it easy compared to California, for instance. Talking or texting while driving can result in a $299 ticket. Hands-free devices are permitted.
So, are we addicted?
The way we socialize has changed immensely since the boom in cell phones. We no longer have to communicate face to face. Regardless, research shows that 13 percent of cell phone owners pretended to be using their phone in order to avoid interacting with the people around them. Pew Research
This impacts the way we learn to communicate with others, giving an easy way out of uncomfortable or challenging social situations.
Text messaging and picture taking are the top ways Americans use their cell phones. More than 73 percent of owners use their phones these ways, which helps to account for the rise in text messaging taking over actual conversation. Some people feel this type of electronic talk is more efficient. Some people feel we are simply growing more anti-social. So, are we addicted?
New York City was experiencing unseasonably warm weather in February, but it was even hotter inside Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks were scorching, and it had nothing to do with climate change.
There was a new phenomenon about to go global: Linsanity.
Jeremy Lin, the undrafted Harvard graduate, helped propel the Knicks to a seven-game win streak, which included a 99-88 win over the Utah Jazz where Lin had 28 points and 8 assists.
It is the feel-good sports story of the year – a story with ups and downs, highs and lows, even laughter. But as with any fairytale, there is an ugly side to the saga.
Lin is only the fourth Asian-American to ever play in the NBA and much focus has been on his Taiwanese ancestry.
As Lin’s profile rose in the media, something unexpected also crept into the spotlight – America’s casual use of racist jokes involving Asian stereotypes.
During a game broadcasted on the Madison Square Garden Network, a camera zoomed in on an audience member holding up a homemade sign that had Lin’s face and an open fortune cookie with the words, “The Knicks Good Fortune.”
On the night Lin scored a career high 38 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, FoxSports.com writer, Jason Whitlock, tweeted, “Some lucky lady in NYC is gonna feel a couple inches of pain tonight.”
Whitlock later issued an apology. Fox Sports did not reprimand him.
“I think it’s part of the whole ‘model minority’ stereotype,” Sugiyama said. “People openly mock Asians because they’re seen as less vocal. They won’t fight back.”
A “Saturday Night Live” skit, which aired on Feb. 20, perfectly illustrates general American attitudes toward using certain racial stereotypes publicly, Sugiyama said.
In the short clip, three sportscasters are sitting around dishing out racially tinged puns as they discuss Lin. But when a fourth commentator makes similar remarks directed towards an African-American player, the others scold him for his comments.
The issue Lin’s race and how the media treats it came to a head when ESPN published the headline “Chink in the Armor” for a story that questioned Lin’s abilities after the Knicks lost a game, breaking their win streak.
The story headline was published on ESPN’s mobile site and was pulled about a half-hour later.
Generally speaking, the phrase “chink in the armor” has no racial implications. But many found it to be in poor taste when used in reference to the on-court performance of an Asian-American athlete. ESPN ultimately fired Anthony Federico, the copy editor who posted the headline.
“I think the phrase was probably used inadvertently,” said Michelle Crowson, a graduate student and instructor of Asian-American Studies at the U. “But to say it was just a mere mistake is a bit too optimistic.”
While she is not a sports fan in general, the story of Lin has captivated Crowson like so many others. For her, it is not about Lin’s underdog story. She’s more interested in how Lin’s story is exposing and dispelling Asian stereotypes in the mainstream media.
“Following it all as it unfolds in the media has been so fascinating for me,” Crowson said.
There is a distinct difference in how the mainstream media portrays Asian stereotype depending on gender, she said.
“Asian females are seen as submissive,” Crowson said. “Other times they use their sexuality to their advantage – the dragon lady.
“Asian guys are generally shown as nerds. They’re not good at sports,” Crowson said. “They’re also shown as being asexual. They’re rarely the romantic lead.”
Lin has broken some of these Asian male stereotypes by simply having made it to the NBA.
“In our society, athletes are seen as the physical ideal. They have a certain romantic or sexual aura to them,” Crowson said. “He’s become sort of a sex symbol. I don’t think Asian American men have had a role model like that. Lin’s impact on the mainstream is incredibly powerful.”
For Derek Leo, a freshman at the U and a student of Crowson’s, Lin is someone who young Asian-Americans like himself can look up to.
“He’s like the ideal. He’s smart and athletic,” Leo said. “Not only can he play ball but he graduated from Harvard, too.”
Leo is a second-generation Chinese-American. Both of his parents immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong.
His family settled in Tooele, a town of 30,000 in Utah’s west desert, where they have owned and operated a restaurant for the past 40 years.
“I was one of like three Asians in my graduating class.” Leo said. “It’s not very diverse out there. But it’s not really something I’ve thought about until recently.”
Leo considers himself an athletic person. He does not recall having any Asian-American athletes to look up to as role models when he was growing up.
He was familiar with Michael Chang, the former Chinese-American tennis player who holds the record for being the youngest to win the French Open. Chang was 17 when he beat Stefan Edberg in the final match at Roland-Garros in 1989.
And Leo knows about Michelle Kwan, a Chinese-American figure skater who has won two Olympic medals and she’s a five-time figure skating world champion.
But Leo doesn’t care for tennis or figure skating. While he recognizes that these Asian-American athletes have accomplished great feats in their respective sports, Leo is an NBA fan.
Even though he roots for the Boston Celtics, he still has vested interest in Lin’s success, which he believes will be short-lived.
“Honestly, I think Linsanity will die down and he’ll wash up,” Leo said. “I mean it already kind of has.”
On March 31, it was announced that Lin would undergo knee surgery, which would sideline him for the rest of the season.
“When I read that news, I was so bummed out that my shoulders just dropped,” Leo said.
Utes Baseball Overmatched Midway Through Season
Story and Photos by Jason Nowa
The inaugural year in the Pacific-12 Conference (Voices of Utah) for the University of Utah athletics has been one of transition and struggle.
When the university switched athletic leagues last year, the big story was all about difficulty– how challenging the change would be, and how tough it would be for the Utes to switch to new surroundings, higher pressures and a notch up in the quality of competition.
Critics and fans alike suggested the sport to take the biggest hit would be baseball. The baseball program was thrown into one of the best conferences in the country.
Warm climate states, including California and Arizona, have six Pac-12 member teams, and that warm weather certainly helps, giving teams a chance to play year-round.
The Baseball America preseason Top 25 rankings had five Pac-12 teams ranked to being the year. All five of those preseason ranked teams are currently still ranked in the Top 25 midway through the season.
One new addition from the Pac-12 to those rankings is the University of Oregon, currently ranked at 22 in the nation.
The others are University of Arizona at number four, UCLA number five, Stanford number six, Oregon State number 20, and Arizona State number 24.
A historic win for the Utes came when they swept a doubleheader on March 16 against USC for its first Pac-12 victories.
Their worst loss of the season so far came on March 30 at home against UCLA 16-0. The Utes have had two separate six-game losing streaks through the season and have won more than one game only once.
“This first half of our season hasn’t gone as we wanted, but we can only move forward and plan for the next game. The past is the past,” junior catcher Parker Morin said.
The team had only one home game through the first 22 games to start the season. They went 1-8 through their last home stand.
The team heads back on the road playing at California-Berkley before returning to Salt Lake City for a quick home stand starting on April 24.
The Utes are currently the only Pac-12 team with an overall losing record halfway through the season.
Pitching has been a problem this year. The team has only two starting pitchers who have thrown over 17 innings. Juniors Joe Pond and Brock Duke are the most consistent starters.
Pond is 2-5 in eight starts with an ERA of 5.62 in 40 innings. Duke is 2-1 in six starts while posting a 3.35 era in 40.1 innings. Duke has 25 strikeouts to 14 walks while Pond leads the team with 32 strikeouts and has 20 walks.
The team’s most reliable relief pitcher has been Mitch Watrous, who has pitched 24 innings posting a 2.25 ERA, lowest on the team with the most appearances.
Closer Tyler Wagner has been very shaky through the first half of the year. He has pitched 20 innings with a 4.87 ERA. Wagner on April 3 gave up five earned runs in the 9th inning of a devastating 9-6 loss to rival BYU.
“Our team needs better quality starts from myself along with our other pitchers so that our offense doesn’t have such big deficits to try and overcome,” said Junior starting pitcher Joe Pond.
The most valuable player through the first half of the season has been catcher Morin. Morin leads the team with a .347 batting average, 41 hits, and 22 RBIs. Morin as a catcher also has the duty of controlling the pitchers and knowing their strengths.
Short stop James Brooks, who is a returning starting senior from Melbourne, Australia, has been equally as consistent as Morin to help lead the offense. Brooks is batting .301 with six home runs and 18 RBIs in 37 hits. These two have held the team afloat offensively.
The two biggest disappointments offensively have been sophomore third baseman Trey Nielsen, and senior outfielder Shaun Cooper. Nielsen dominated Mountain West Conference pitching last year as he was honored as a Louisville Freshman All-American. Nielsen was one of the big threats in the lineup as he had nine home runs with 41 RBIs on the year. Nielsen’s production has tailed off considerably this year with a .233 batting average, no home runs, and only eight RBIs through 30 games that he has started.
When asked how the transition has been for the team to the Pac-12 conference Nielsen said, “It’s been a struggle. We are facing multiple future major league players on each team now as opposed to maybe one or none from any team we faced in the Mountain West last year. This Pac-12 league is the best in America.”
Cooper was picked as a preseason Louisville All-American slugger after the fabulous season he had last year with a .332 batting average, eight home runs, 43 RBIs in 67 hits. This year Cooper is only batting .205 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in 24 hits.
All the lost production from a potent offense a year ago could stem from the loss of two-time All-American first baseman C.J. Cron (Voices of Utah) to the major leagues. Cron became Utah’s first-ever, first-round draftee when he was selected 17th overall in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Opposing pitchers feared Cron, and often walked him.
The Utes finished in second place in the Mountain West conference last year with an overall record of 28-19.
The competition from switching leagues is a dramatic increase but it makes a team much different after losing two players to the major leagues in the same year.
Pitcher Rick Anton also was drafted a year ago. Anton was selected in the eighth round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Being on the team last year was awesome; we were so good with C.J. and Rick. And they made everyone else better on the team. It’s tough without them. We’ve had to find new leaders to look to and find that one guy to rally around,” said shortstop Brooks.
The Ute baseball (Voices of Utah) team is currently sitting in 10th place out of 11 participating schools, with only University of Colorado not having a baseball team.
Overall the Utes are 10-25, while 4-8 in conference play as of April 10. They are 1-9 at home, 7-13 on the road, and 2-3 at neural field sites. There are 21 games left in the season to try and improve their record.
At age five, fearless in the places where most people outside of gymnastics would crumble like a game of Jenga gone wrong, stood Stephanie McAllister. Today with a full-ride gymnastics scholarship to the University of Utah, she is competing against some of the greatest gymnasts in the nation outside of the Olympics.
When McAllister was younger, she was involved in soccer, cheer, dance, pewee baseball, and figure skating, but gymnastics wasn’t always a sure route for her. “Once I got into gymnastics I was good at it but I wasn’t sure if that’s what I wanted to do,” McAllister said.
As McAllister got older her coaches reassured her that she had talent, but going further in her sport it would require her commitment to hard work and attention to certain skills. With the passion and desire to be great, and only at the age of five most would be impressed by the goals she had set for herself. “Stephanie was always the child that wanted to try new things, or planned do things,” said Jenny McAllister, Stephanie’s mother. “As I got into gym I had goals of working my way up through the levels as fast as I could,” McAllister said.
In gymnastics, the levels range from one to 10, but once you get to level 10 most of the competitors are home-schooled and their lives are basically living at the gym, but you would think a teenager would love to be out playing with their friends, this isn’t the case if these athletes choose this route. Now at the age 21, McAllister, the Indiana native has found a comfort in Utah where she has spent the last four years of her life.
Knowing she wanted to go to college, McAllister worked her way up through the levels quickly, limiting herself to level 10, being the highest before becoming elite and being eligible to compete for the Olympics. Like Nastia Liukin, McAllister did not want to become a professional and miss out on the opportunity to become a part of an institution where she would make great friends and form relationships with people she would always remember. “ I always take pictures and my friends make fun of me because every opportunity I have I get my camera out,” McAllister said.
“I didn’t want to exceed level 10 because I didn’t want to give up my life like some other girls,” McAllister said. “Most girls give up the most important times of their lives just to end up in the same place as I am today.” She added that most coaches like the gymnast coming out of level 10 because they are not as burnt out as others and they didn’t give up everything just to train. Only six people get chosen to compete in the U.S. Olympics, so is it really worth giving up and missing out on things in your teenage years just to end up in the same predicament as the rest of your competition?
Today Stephanie McAllister has perfected a gymnastics move on the uneven bars, which is her biggest strength named after herself, “the McAllister.” She performs the move by doing a reverse gripped hand-stand on the high bar into a front spin and back to a hand-stand flipping her grip and down into a hanging position. “To be able to have a move named after you, you need to perform it at a national meet with it never being done before,” she said.
“ I am exceptionally proud of my daughter and where she is in life right now, enjoying every moment, and must I add– a soon to be college graduate,” said Jenny McAllister.
Many people have looked up to McAllister over her years spent at the University, one being freshman Kailah Delaney. “Stephanie has taught me a lot about being a college athlete and juggling my studies,” Delaney said. Many times student-athletes think sports are the reasons they ended up where they are but that isn’t the foundation of what your future is made of. “ It is good to have someone to look up to when your young because not everyone knows the right things to do, but she has helped me a lot,” Delaney said.
Over the past four years the University of Utah is proud to have gained such a talented, caring person to help their team make its 37th consecutive National Championship appearance possible, she will be missed when the Red Rocks take the Huntsman Arena next year.
Photo credits: Left to right- By:Lewis Walker, By:Lewis Walker,By:Taner Pasamehmetoglu (The Daily Utah Chronicle)
During a game broadcasted on the Madison Square Garden Network, a camera zoomed in on an audience member holding up a homemade sign that had Lin’s face and an open fortune cookie with the words, “The Knicks Good Fortune.”
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