The Law & Justice Team. Front row, left to right: Frances Moody, Blakely Bowers, McKenzie Dean, Billy Yang, Katie Harrington. Back row, left to right: Julianna Clay, Jason Nowa, Zachary Arthur, Javan Rivera, Todd Patton, Lewis Walker. Photo by Holly Mullen

Intermediate reporting students in Holly Mullen’s course covered the Law & Justice beat during spring semester 2012. Their wide-ranging stories focused on topics including: a day inside Utah’s Third District Mental Health Court; racial profiling; illegal immigration concerns from Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank; identity theft and others. One Salt Lake City resident is addressing illegal immigration by working to build economic bridges with Monterrey, Mexico. And the topic of immigration still rankles many Utah legislators. One student illustrated what it takes to be a cop, while another examined issues surrounding therapeutic justice in Utah’s largest district court.

In the second half of the semester, the class shifted its focus to feature reporting and writing. The students chose two topics with a local angle (in and around Salt Lake City) and ran with it. Subjects included a look at Real Salt Lake’s devoted fan base; the charm of SuAn Chow’s mobile Chow Truck; gender inequity in university athletics; the rebirth of old-fashioned letter writing and a profile on a local teen who’s made it to the “bigs” — major league baseball. Other story topics included a profile on the University of Utah’s top female distance runner, the increasing problem of obesity among college students and the unique public art at Salt Lake County’s TRAX stops. In the category of “slice of life,” one student examined the drag queen scene in Salt Lake City.

Student-journalists included: Zachary Arthur; Frances Moody; Katie Harrington; Julianna Clay; Jason Nowa; McKenzie Dean; Tricia Oliphant; Blakely Bowers; Lewis Walker; Todd Patton; Javan Rivera; and Billy Yang.

Find links to their stories and read their blogs and bios by clicking on a name above, or by selecting Blogs & Bios from the drop-down box, at left. Stories also can be located by clicking on a Tag or selecting a topic such as Education from the Categories box.

Multimedia storytelling (best viewed in full-screen mode, and use the slideshow controls, rather than the green buttons that appear on the screen):

• Share a look at public art at TRAX stations around the  Salt Lake Valley, and hear commuters’ comments.
• Hear some public opinion about Title IX, and its impact on U. of U. athletics.
• Take a photo tour of the opening day of City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
• Learn of cutting-edge research into Salt Lake City’s winter inversion problem.
• View a slideshow of the Chow Truck and its lunch specials on location at the Gallivan Center.