MY STORIES:

• Chili Beak, adding some spice to the community
• Body Buddies, a Salt Lake City fitness company, changes lives
• Food trucks serving up a crowd in Salt Lake City

MY BLOG:

I’m awkward, and I embrace it. The thought of having to interview random local businesses and create stories out of them was not at all a skill that I thought I would have. I always wanted to go into the field of broadcast journalism and spend more time in front of the camera. However, as I began to work within the local business beat, I found that this was a comfort zone for myself. I love hearing people’s success stories, so this was the perfect opportunity to delve deeper into figuring out what makes these small businesses successful.

The research that I had to put into gathering all of the information to create an ethical story was a challenge. But it was worth the constant effort to put together a strong storyline. Although I may have felt a little uncomfortable interviewing someone I had never met before, I felt that I was able to create a new camaraderie with these people. As a reporter you are there to get to know the person on a personal level so that you can make your story as reliable as possible, and not just spit out facts.

My favorite part about each of my pieces was the quotes that I took directly from the interview with the owner of the featured business. It made the piece much more personable, which appeals to the reader. Reporting on this community made me much more aware of the struggles that people have to go through when running a small business, whether that be marketing or money related. It was amazing to hear that the majority of the owners of the small businesses originally had no intentions of running a small business. However, they created their business through things that they were passionate about, whether that be food or fitness.

Photo taken by S.McClure Photography

I am passionate about the success of social media. Seeing how each of these businesses successfully implemented social media into promotion and marketing showed how social media create a multitude of new opportunities for businesses. This beat certainly helped my confidence skills in becoming a journalist and a reporter.

ABOUT ME:

I never imagined myself as pursuing the field of journalism. In fact, I came to the University of Utah from Philadelphia in hopes of getting a degree in atmospheric sciences. As an adolescent, you would find me spending my Saturday mornings sitting on the couch watching The Weather Channel as opposed to Saturday morning cartoons. However, my dreams and aspirations to become a meteorologist were crushed when I was faced with the difficulties of calculus and differential equations. By no means was I a math person. But there was one talent that I did have, and that was video production and journalism. I was ready to pursue my newly designated career path, and achieve a BS in Communication at the University of Utah.

In summer of 2014, I spent five weeks trekking through the Himalayan Mountains with 11 other students from the University of Utah, producing a documentary for the organization Nepal SEEDS. This organization constructs environmentally sustainable energy sources for remote villages along the Himalayan foothills. Following their journey, and interviewing a large variety of people, was a turning point in sparking my interest in video production and journalism.

I recently was one of the cast members on the MTV reality show, “Virgin Territory,” where I was able to experience the production process firsthand. I found being around the production crew and seeing how the show was put together to be more enjoyable than being a cast member on the show. It allowed me to really see that this was the field that I could see myself pursuing.

When not in the classroom, you can find me hiking and mountain biking on all of the trails that are available right in our backyard here in Salt Lake City. I am also the president of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity at the University of Utah, building better men with the values of culture, harmony and friendship.

I hope to one day work for a major media company or news station working with a field production crew. I would like to see the work I helped produce come to life on the television screen for viewers to enjoy.

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MY STORIES:

• Ski ‘N See not bothered by lack of snow
• The Pie Pizzeria, a hole in the wall that happens to serve some of the best pizza in town
• The H may be a mystery, but Hires is not

MY BLOG:

In this class I learned a lot about how to be more of a professional reporter. First off I learned a lot about citing sources and why it’s so important. Most college papers require research on the Internet because let’s face it no one knows everything. Eventually you’re going to need to look up something and once in a while you’re going to find something you really like and want to use in your paper. But you can’t just paraphrase it and call it as your own because in reality, it’s not your own. You’re just using a source and you have to give that person credit because they are the ones who said it first. There have been times where I have struggled with this and I have had to learn that not everything I put down on paper is my own even if I change stuff slightly. I’ve learned to really focus on my research and give everyone credit who has stuff that I want to use.

The local business beat has taught me how much people from Utah love their local food. Coming from a place like Portland, Ore., where local restaurants are a huge thing, I’ve really appreciated how frequently the people here in Salt Lake City go to local places. The two restaurants I wrote about have very friendly atmospheres and the owners have really wanted to make it an experience for their customers, and not just a place to eat. The places I covered gave me a sense of pride to go to school here because it shows me the residents here really want to help each other and feel like they have a duty to each other to make each community great.

I have enjoyed my reporting and my time in this class and I hope to continue to grow as writer. The class has taught me to never be satisfied with my drafts and always strive to be better. I can’t wait to apply what I’ve learned in the class to some real-life experiences.

ABOUT ME:

I am 21-year-old junior from Portland, Ore., currently a communication major at the University in Utah. I decided to become a communication major because I’ve wanted to be a sports broadcaster ever since I was a young boy. I used to run around the backyard pretending I was the biggest names in sports and commentating everything I did to the whole neighborhood.

I have always been the only kid on the block who used to listen to sports talk shows as well as nearly every single game on the radio. I used to fall asleep to the voices of Brian Wheeler (Blazers play-by-play) and John Canzano (sports talk show host) because sports were the only thing I wanted to think about before bed. Plus most of the games went past my bedtime and this was the only way I could hear the ending without my parents getting mad at me.

I first started playing hockey when I was 5 years old and did that for 7 years up until middle school. I switched from hockey to diving in the middle of my seventh-grade year because I was too small for hockey and had a natural knack for flipping and twisting in the air. After a major injury while making contact with the diving board I decided to start swimming in high school and quickly improved enough to receive an athletic scholarship to the U.

In high school I got the opportunity to write for the Portland paper, the Oregonian, covering high school football and basketball games once or twice a week. Fortunately the editors liked the majority of my stories and most of them ended up not only being published online but in the actual paper version.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned that to be a sports journalist, or journalist of any kind, you have to dig deeper than just the field of play. Sports goes so far beyond the actual event because of how many things need to happen to make it work. You have to start at the top of an organization and work your way down and figure out what makes that team or individual click. That’s why I love the sports world. It can be so fragile and unpredictable and every day there is another twist and turn. I’ve been saying it for years, sports is the best reality TV because it is so unpredictable.

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MY STORIES:

• Roy coffee shop stays in business by focusing on customers
• Roy pharmacy prescribes customer care
• Roy City gets “facelift” in hope of growth

MY BLOG:

Feeling a bit uneasy, I walked into my first day of Voices of Utah in room 2940 in the Language and Communication building on the University of Utah campus. I had sat through several broadcast classes but never a substantial writing class where my work would be published. To be quite honest, I was terrified. I knew how to speak to others and how to operate an interview but I never learned to output those interviews into words.

From interview after interview, I found myself learning more and more about the community I live in, the way people react differently, the passion of journalism and myself. I learned that I am able to pay great attention to the detail, whether it’s in someone’s face or the room we are sitting in. Each interview I was a part of has prepared me for a better future by knowing how to ask questions, notice the small things and especially how to prepare and present myself.

Beat reporting has shaped my views on the journalism world, in that it becomes useful to become an expert in a certain topic that interests you. Having local business as a beat was a learning experience as well as an interesting experience. I never had realized what these local businesses are going through day-by-day. I gained a whole new respect for these different businesses as well as a love for beat reporting. I know that beat reporting in sports is going to be the perfect fit for me after this experience. I love sports and I love to talk about them. Being an expert in sports is my perfect match.

I learned to love the art of writing, but my heart still lies in the hand of the broadcast journalism world. I might add, however, this writing class strengthened my passion for telling a story and giving the community the information that they deserve. With the different writing styles, tips and tricks I now feel that I know how to tell a story through print in a creative way that shows a story rather than simply tells it. That uneasy feeling I had the first day of class has transformed into the feeling of hopefulness, confidence, reliability and independence.

Thank you to Professor Mangun and my classmates for taking the time to teach me so many valuable tricks. I have the upmost respect for every single one of you and I will always value the opportunities that I have had through the Voices of Utah journey.

ABOUT ME: 

It took a bomb threat my senior year of high school for me to realize that my life was meant to be in the world of journalism. As student body president at Roy High School in my hometown of Roy, Utah, I got a call that I needed to be at the school in 20 minutes ready to speak to every news agency in the state. I had to be the voice of Roy High School for the entire world. Standing in front of those very cameras, I found my calling for journalism. It was a rush of adrenaline flowing through my veins, watching the camera man run from different locations to get a variety of shots and hearing the reporter ask questions to get to the very bottom of the story. The chaotic experience made me want to dive in and explore this new world.

Knowing that I was born a Ute, I was excited to begin my journey at the University of Utah in 2012. Now a senior, I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds and am ready to take on any obstacle placed in my pathway. I will graduate from The U in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.

Since I was a young child, I have loved making people smile — I’ve always believed that it was my way of putting my personal mark on this large world filled with 7 billion individuals. I quickly found I would have more opportunities to make people smile through the journalism route by specializing in sports and feature stories. I believe that journalists are the voice of the rest of the world and have the opportunity to impact so many lives.

I love spending time with family, dancing, making memories and watching every single Utah Jazz basketball game­ — because once a Jazz fan, always a Jazz fan. I look forward to the possibility of a career in sports journalism. (Fingers crossed it’s a career with the Utah Jazz.) “You have to believe in yourself before anyone else.” – Julie Arthur (AKA my mom) These are words I live by and I know that with my heart and dedication I can put forth the effort in accomplishing my dreams as a journalist.

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MY STORIES:

• Take a chance and dance
• Homelessness does not mean hopelessness
• Webster agrees, the definition of beautiful is YOU

MY BLOG:

At the beginning of the semester I found myself wanting to write about topics that I was familiar with. It made me feel comfortable and I knew it would be the safe way to go. Kimberley Mangun pushed us to go out into the community and discover a story that will take us out of our comfort zones.

I did just that. One day I was driving around downtown Salt Lake City and was searching for inspiration for the local business beat. I drove past a sweet and frail looking old man holding up a cardboard sign that read, “65 year old vet, homeless and disabled, please help, god bless and thank you!” I thought about how many times I see the homeless and keep driving and don’t look back, but this time was different. I pulled over in a parking lot, grabbed my pad of paper, pen and a few dollars. I approached the man, Francis Reeding, and started conversing. Reeding was timid at first but it didn’t take him long to open up to me. He gave me the impression he was starving for interaction and for someone to have sympathy for him. Interviewing Reeding was one of my highlights this semester and it was the inspiration I needed.

From that point, I researched the biggest homeless shelter in Utah, The Road Home, and interviewed the development director. When I drove up to The Road Home it was a little overwhelming. There were numerous homeless men, women and families surrounding the premises. It was my first time inside a homeless shelter and it’s a memory I will never forget. They gave me a tour of the sleeping quarters, kitchen, donation section and the children’s play room. The shelter has concrete walls, concrete floors, rows and rows of bunk beds, and it is packed with people. I thought to myself, “How could people live like this?” Then I kicked myself because it’s places like the Road Home that get people off of the street and into shelter with food to eat and a bed to sleep in. A lot of the people were very friendly and wanting to converse. It was a humbling experience and I have a new respect and understanding for homeless shelter employees and the homeless.

This experience validated why I have a passion for reporting and interviewing people. It helped me realize that there are so many stories to be told right here in our community. Also, I’m braver than I thought and I’m confident I can cover stories from diverse groups of people. Everyone goes through the roller coaster of life and it would be silly to limit myself to my own path and not learn about others. There’s so much to learn from the people in our communities, and all it takes is for someone to ask. I can’t wait for the next adventure!

ABOUT ME:

Shannon is the name, and my mom named me after the woman in the movie “Far and Away.” I was born and raised in Southern California and made my way to Utah right after I graduated high school in 2011. I wanted to live on my own, start fresh, and have a change of pace. I thought Utah would be a great place for me to start a new chapter in my life as an official adult.

I was involved in acting and dance throughout my childhood and I have always loved being in front of the camera. Broadcasting became an interest of mine my junior year of high school because I was an anchor for the morning announcements called, “Canyon High On-Air.” I don’t mean to brag, but I was a hit on our little news show. That’s when I knew I wanted to major in communication, broadcasting and journalism.

I started attending the University of Utah in 2013 and the more courses I take, and experience I get, the more I fall in love with this major. My mom is an enormous influence in my life and she always tells me, “Remember who you are and what you stand for.” That is important in reporting and journalism because I am my own brand and I need to represent someone I can be proud of. I’m taking steps in the right direction by interning for the morning talk show “Good Things Utah” and discovering what my next move will be! Everyone says television is a tough industry. But someone has to make it, so why can’t that someone be me?

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MY STORIES:

• Unique, local restaurants bring cultural value to Utah
• Guitar maker Ryan Thorell builds custom, hand-crafted instruments
• High Uintahs Taxidermy brings memories back to life

MY BLOG: Finding a voice

Entering into my second semester of a communication degree at the University of Utah, I still had the misconception that people don’t like talking to reporters and journalists.

However, as I interviewed and reported on small-business owners throughout the semester, I have learned that individuals generally like to talk about themselves and their passions. I guess I shouldn’t have found this so surprising, since I was essentially providing free publicity for their business.

Although I was surprised to find that people were enthusiastic to take time out of their busy schedules. Even more surprising to me was their willingness to work with my schedule.

Until this semester I hadn’t realized how much time it takes to interview people and gather information for a story. I spent hours talking to these small-business owners trying to learn the complexities of their business, art and craft.

For my first story, “Unique, local restaurants bring cultural value to Utah,” I spoke to Jake Garn, the owner of Corbin’s Grille, as well as Jimbo Snarr, the executive chef. I wanted to see why they had a passion for small local restaurants. While briefly talking to Snarr on the phone I learned that he would be offering a cooking demonstration that was open to the public. I asked if I could attend and he said he would be happy to have me there.

Prior to this, I have never taken culinary classes and I had never been to a cooking demonstration, which would probably explain my inability to prepare an edible meal.

Walking into Corbin’s Grille on a sunny Saturday afternoon for the cooking demonstration, I was unsure what to expect.

I didn’t know if we were going to aid in the cooking process or if we were just going to watch. More importantly, since I was hungry, I wondered if we would get to try the food. I imagined we would all get a sample once the food was done.

However, while Snarr was showing us how to expertly prepare the king salmon, I was unaware that he was having the kitchen prepare that same dish for each person at the demonstration. Once the delectable dinner-sized looking salmon was placed in front of me, I began to wonder the cost of the cooking demonstration. Surely it wouldn’t be free.

At the end of the demonstration I was surprised when the server brought me the check. It had a total of $0.00. I asked the Chef, “Is this right?” To which he replied, “Yeah, I thought I’d take care of you since you are doing a story about our restaurant.” Although unintentional, I felt as if I was taking a bribe to write a story about the restaurant where he worked. Since it felt ethically wrong, I respectfully told him that I should pay for the demonstration and meal just like everyone else and he accepted.

Going to the demonstration and conducting an interview with Snarr took about three hours, to my surprise. Later in the semester as I interviewed other business owners for two more stories, I found that this was the approximate amount of time it took to complete the first interview.

It wasn’t particularly the interview itself that took a lot of time. Rather, it was trying to understand what the owners did for a living and how they excelled at their craft.

However, after spending all that time learning the basics of their craft, I was astonished at how little of that information I used in my stories. I had to learn almost every aspect of what they did so that I could understand it and write about it. Yet for fear of confusing readers by making the story to complex, I left out a lot of details.

While their craft and passion is an important part, as a journalist if I tried to focus too much on the details, I found that my stories lacked focus.

Therefore, I discovered that writing was more about the individuals than their business and the idiosyncrasies of what they actually do.

As a beat reporter covering small local business, I represented those people through my stories. Through my experience I was able to focus on things that interested me. Although, that may not always be the case in my journalism career, for now I know that I have begun to create a name for myself.

At the same time I have also given those small-business owners another opportunity for their opinions and their voice to be heard.

ABOUT ME:

Music has always been a big part of my life.

One of the first memories I can recall as a little boy was asking my dad how to whistle. Over time I became very good at hearing the nuances in sound, both natural and man-made, and imitating them.

Photo take by James Cluff at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah.

In addition, I also played the violin in middle school. However, unlike whistling, practicing the violin requires the presence of a physical instrument, so I never became all that good. Since I was naturally talented at creating pitch and sound with the use of my lips and tongue, one might assume that I am also a skilled singer.

This, however, was a realization that I hadn’t come to until four years ago. Growing into my adulthood I started listening to and enjoying country music. It is through country music that I found my voice and recognized my natural ability to sing. The distinct sound of country vocals not only suits my voice but also speaks to my character, since I am an avid hunter and outdoorsman.

It is my dream to make a career by singing country music, but why should I limit my vocal talents to singing.

Working in customer service, I have learned that people enjoy the low tone and clear quality of my baritone voice and they like listening to me talk. Many individuals have commented, “You have a great radio voice and you should do something with it.”

I am here to do just that.

I believe majoring in broadcast journalism is the best way for me to get my voice out there and learn the skills necessary for a vocal career. Whether I find a career working as a radio host, journalist, or country singer, one thing remains clear.

I will find a way to make my voice heard.

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MY STORIES:

• Maeberry Vintage collaborates with local artists through Instagram
• Two Salt Lake City artists comtemplate expansion
• anne b designs creates employment for Utah refugees and immigrants

MY BLOG: My last undergraduate semester has been a rollercoaster of self-discovery. As an International Studies major, I wanted to challenge myself by taking classes outside of my field of study. Voices of Utah was one of those classes.

Lacking any previous journalism or reporting experience, I admit I was intimidated at first. But, I had a passion for photography and story telling that I wanted to explore and skills I wanted to improve.

I quickly discovered my love for service journalism and feature writing. Above all, I want to educate my readers. I want them to know they are powerful, and I want to help them find resources they can use to harness that power.

I initially wanted to cover a beat more related to my field of interest, global health, so I was uneasy about delving into the world of small business. I was surprised at how many connections I was able to make between the two.

Sarah Burroughs was one of the first individuals I found in my search for story ideas. I found her on Instagram, where I was already following her through my own photography account. Before this class, I didn’t even realize the immensity of the small-business community in Utah, and how connected I already was with that community.

After visiting her website to do some initial background research, I discovered a unique aspect of her designer bag-making business: Her only seamstress employees were refugees. Already involved with the refugee community myself, I was excited at the possibility of making a connection with my small-business beat.

I wanted to write a piece that might help other small-business owners interested in employing refugees. Perhaps learning from Burroughs’s situation and being exposed to the resources available would inspire other entrepreneurs to take this step. As I learned more about Burroughs and her experiences, it was difficult for me to stay objective in my writing. I wanted this to be a positive piece, but I learned that employing refugees has its fair share of tribulations.

Additionally, I learned how difficult it is to interview some non-native English speakers. Even though Maroufa (Burroughs’s employee) and I were able to have a conversation, it was hard for me to pick out any usable quotes for the story. Clearly, in order to be objective, this piece needed to include the diverse stories and points of view of all parties involved, not only the native English speakers. I greatly underestimated how difficult this would be.

I know I still have so much to learn. The obstacles and ethical dilemmas I faced in this class are only a taste of what I’ll experience in my lifelong journey. I hope that I will continue to push myself outside my comfort zone, strive for excellence, seize opportunities and take risks. I don’t know what the rest of my life has in store for me, but I know the storytelling skills I gained from these experiences will stay with me wherever I go.

ABOUT ME: I am a 20-year-old graduate of the University of Utah, class of 2015, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies, emphasis in Global Health, and a Spanish minor. Delving into the pre-med track as a college freshman, I quickly discovered medicine wasn’t for me. Rather, preventative care and public health captured my imagination and I’ve been hooked ever since. I seek to understand the world around me. Through that understanding, I want to share what I see and experience with others. Communication is key in just about everything I do.

Being a good listener is extremely important in public health, whether you’re trying to discover the root cause of a disease or simply trying to hear someone’s story. But being a good communicator is equally important, as it’s our job to share these stories and scientific findings in order to affect policy and improve our communities. I love being able to connect my passions with one another. With my photography business, Skye High Photography (soon to be rebranded as megan skye photography), I have consistently worked on improving my storytelling skills. This has included sharing the peculiarities of the lives in my community, and those I visit, with others around the world. I’m constantly thirsty for education. I love to learn about diverse topics, including visual art, and challenge myself to burst through my comfort zone.

I have enjoyed serving the global community through several campus organizations and nonprofits during my undergraduate career. A small part of this has included traveling to Peru twice with Youthlinc, supervising Real Life, an after-school program for teenage refugees and immigrants, and serving in the Nkoile community of Kenya for three weeks.

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MY STORIES: 

• Retro Betty, a boutique that keeps vintage alive in Salt Lake City
• Local singer-songwriter Emily Bea uncovers hidden talent after soccer injury
• Steadman’s Fine Jewelry is proud of its family legacy

MY BLOG:

I held the title of Miss Murray 2014. Photo by Michael Scott Photography.

My news writing experience began in the intro to journalism class during my sophomore year at Murray High School. I had not even produced a half semester’s worth of stories when my teacher, Jodi Butler, extended the invitation to join the journalism staff as a writer for the school paper, The Voice.

I accepted with no hesitation.

I believe at the time I had found “My calling.” I thrived in my newfound world of reporting and quickly worked my way up to senior editor. I also wrote my own monthly column.

Those three years of being a writer and editor for The Voice influenced my decision to pursue journalism as my career.

When I began my Communication degree, with an emphasis in journalism, I pictured myself only in the area of writing. That’s all I had ever known and I was good at it.

Along the way my journalism path developed and led into my final career decision, broadcast journalism. I have always considered myself lucky for having discovered at 16 years old what I wanted to pursue my degree in.

Though, through my four years of college I have chosen a slightly different path than my high school self would have imagined, broadcast journalism, I still never forgot my love for writing.

Being a journalist for Voices of Utah my senior year of college gave that back to me.

I was thrilled to learn that our beat was reporting on small businesses in Utah. Everything from choosing topics, to gathering sources, to the editing process, gave me that rush again that was a little different from the groove of broadcast journalism I was molded in.

The first thing I realized was that the list of small-business ideas I had initially thought of, were none that I chose. And I was OK with that. I had come up with higher-level ideas and I was excited to step out of my comfort zone to discover the story behind them.

That was the part I enjoyed most, the freedom I had to choose how to report on those businesses. As I will never forget learning through my years of journalism training, people relate to people. And that’s exactly how I began each story.

Since my first story, “Retro Betty, a boutique that keeps vintage alive in Salt Lake City,” was, well, my first story, it was a lot about featuring the business and what it sold and where the merchandise came from. But it did not shy from first telling the story of how Retro Betty came to be, from the owner Amanda Parrish.

I received a wonderful response from Parrish and the community. People wrote in comments on my Facebook page that they had never heard of Retro Betty and were excited to check it out. I recognized my job as a reporter. It was to show and tell my audience not only about the business itself, but the people surrounding it.

My second resulted in a profile piece, “Local singer-songwriter Emily Bea, uncovers hidden talent after soccer injury.” This article was one that I allowed myself to write deeply on. From the stories and details Bea gave me in our interview, how could I not tell the world such an inspiring story. I was telling the world her life and her journey to becoming a singer-songwriter. Getting permission to do something personal like that was a privilege that I took seriously.

I especially learned the power of social media through this story. Just within the first 24 hours of publishing to Voices of Utah, it had already received 462 Facebook shares from the website. I took that as a great reward.

My final story, “The history of Steadman’s Jewelry continues on to the fourth generation of family for more than a century,” allowed me to dive into the personal, profile aspect too. Once again, I ran with it, turning out great results of the history of a 111-year-old, fourth generation, family business. One of the best parts about my final story was that I was able to film and create a visual story to accompany the written one.

With these three stories I was grateful to my Voices of Utah editor and professor, Kimberley Mangun, for guiding me through the revision process, or as she embedded in me, the “Re, dash, vision.” I was fortunate to learn more than editing my story only once and fixing minor AP style details. It was much greater than that and I am thankful for being encouraged to go back and gather more specific details and step away from my story to gain a better understanding as to what would be most beneficial to it in the end.

Through the entire process of writing for Voices of Utah, I confirmed how much I sincerely enjoy interviewing people, listening to their stories and reporting them truthfully and accurately to the world. It is an opportunity that not many people have, on top of the chance to write in depth about it, and one that I am very thankful to have had on a college level.

My journey as a journalist has come full circle, just as I prepare to graduate from the University of Utah in May 2015. I fell in love with print journalism, discovered an even greater passion for broadcast journalism, developed my storytelling skills as a Voices of Utah reporter and now, I’m ready to embark on my career in the news industry.

ABOUT ME:

I am a 22-year-old graduate from the University of Utah, class of 2015. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Communication with an emphasis in journalism.

In the fall of 2014, I joined NewsBreak, the University of Utah student news station, as a reporter. It is a show produced by students, for students and each week a show is produced and aired on KUED, Channel 9. In 2014 I held the positions of producer, reporter, anchor, journalist and videographer. And in 2015, I held the positions of director, technical director, floor director, web director, audio director and videographer. I was also in the advanced video course where I produced and filmed longer documentary/profile-style videos.

In addition to my achievements in my college education, I have enjoyed serving my community as Miss Murray 2014. Since passing on my title I have continued to implement my platform, “Hope for Alzheimer’s,” as an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Association, Utah Chapter. I love spending time with my family, nannying, dancing, oil painting and hiking.

The writer in me will also always believe in journaling every single day. I encourage others to do the same, even if it is one line a day. Because at the end of this life there is no one who can tell about your adventures, memories, experiences and write your story better than yourself.

“Journalism is hard. Always be true to yourself and to the people who are listening to the story you are telling.” — Char Gray, my Mom.

Through my journey as a journalist, I am proud to say that I have always and will always remember my Mom’s words and strive to achieve nothing less.

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MY STORIES:

• Ugurt, a delicacy designed for U
• Swim Utah offers athletes opportunities to train and master elite skills 
• University of Utah professor and chef collaborate and create ways to spice up their nutrition class

MY BLOG:

I appreciate all of what Dr. Kim Mangun has taught me in the Voices of Utah this semester.

I learned so much from the small-business beat. I learned that business men and women can come from all walks of life. It is an interesting topic to cover because you can find so much within a story idea to expand on. Reporting about small local businesses has increased my understanding of not only the business community, but of the Salt Lake community as well. Being from a small rural town in Indiana, I was not exposed to small businesses that much growing up. It was hard for folks to keep small businesses open when the population is 3,000 people spread out among hundreds and thousands of acres of farmland. However, once I moved to Utah, not only did I notice how diverse of a city Salt Lake is, but I also noticed how business friendly it is. It is inspiring to see so many people pursuing their dreams and creating products that the public actually takes time to purchase.

I also learned that it is impossible to be perfect in the world of journalism. There are always going to be people out there criticizing my work. It is one of those things that constantly motivate me to improve my skills. Dr. Mangun is one of those persons who have always had a positive influence on my writing and given me constructive feedback on my assignments.

Voices of Utah was indeed not the easiest class I took this semester. Although it was fun, it was by far one of the most difficult classes I have ever taken so far, mainly because the structure of the class represents a real-life news publication and requires a lot of time and effort outside of class. I found myself prioritizing this class over others because journalism is something I am truly passionate about, so doing all the research and interviews didn’t bother me. At first I was annoyed because I felt overwhelmed with balancing 18 credits; however, the routine settled in and it became easier to balance all my work. This class has a very rewarding characteristic to it, because not only was I working hard for a good grade, but I got to physically see my published articles on a website viewed by people all over the world.

ABOUT ME: 

My name is Sydney Michele Bull, currently 21 years old, born on Nov. 15, 1993, in the small city of Fort Wayne, Ind. I am proud of where I come from, but I love living in the West. Salt Lake City has been a wonderful place so far for furthering my education and also learning more about myself. I am a third-year undergraduate student athlete at the University of Utah, double majoring in Mass  Communication with an emphasis in journalism and Parks Recreation and Tourism with an emphasis in Community Recreation and Sports Management.

As an athlete I have been surrounded by sports basically my whole life. I am currently a member of the University Swim and Dive team and plan to graduate in May 2017. I have been swimming since I was 9 years old and have been through quite a journey, if I say so myself. I have tried other sports and hobbies but nothing beats the feeling of the water and the chlorine-infested adventure that comes with it. Little did I know it was going to be the most challenging yet rewarding experience I would ever endure in my entire life.

Moving to Utah was a huge life-changing experience and every day I admire what God has me doing with my life. College has been a wild roller coaster for me these past three years. I have been blessed with so many opportunities and have had so much fun along the way. But I have also faced many challenges that have molded me into the brave, hardworking and persistent person I am today.

In spring 2014 I was blindsided by an almost career-ending injury. I broke my neck and upper back after landing on my head and crushing nine vertebrae in my spine (C4-T5) during a careless trampoline accident. In the hospital the doctors saw that my joints were shifted forward in my spine, which created a lot of potential problems with my stability. Later they found that I was only 2 millimeters away from damaging my spinal cord and becoming a quadriplegic. After all the doubt and denial I faced during the injury I bounced back and recovered a lot faster than the doctors expected. I had to redshirt a season of swimming and take a medical leave of absence during the fall semester, but I came back to Utah and never gave up on my sport or education. I think that is one of the qualities that I have that make me so cut out for journalism because it can be a difficult field to work in. It can be stressful and overwhelming, especially when people are constantly criticizing you on your pieces.

Writing for Voices of Utah has been a very challenging, fun and rewarding experience. I love sports, it is a huge part of my life, which is why I want to someday work as a reporter for ESPN, Fox Sports or NFL Network. I always admired sports broadcasters and I would love to interview and cover stories about other athletes just like me. Dr. Mangun is very passionate about this class and she’s taught me a lot of new things about the world of journalism that I will probably remember for the rest of my life. I appreciate what this class has taught me and even though I might not be an award-winning journalist yet, I will work as hard as I can to be the best I can be.

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MY STORIES:

• Social media makes or breaks small businesses
• How dreams fuel small businesses’ futures
• Gamers ‘press start’ in the video game industry

MY BLOG:

The Voices of Utah (Comm 3660) course that I took in the spring of 2015 at the University of Utah taught me a lot about what it means to be a journalist. This course really forced me to sink or swim in the wide, scary world of reporting. It didn’t talk about theory or tactics. Instead, I learned by covering my beat.

It made me act like a reporter.

For the first time, I interviewed total strangers and had to boldly ask them for information they don’t generally share with random people off the streets. This was the most educational and fun part for me. It built up my confidence and made me realize that other people are just as nervous to talk to a fledgling reporter as I am to talk to them. This made me relax and caused me to be braver to follow my curiosity to the end of the story.

I liked the small-business beat because it gave me so much freedom to do what I wanted with a story. I didn’t feel constrained or bored with a topic I couldn’t escape from. Rather, I could learn about the many aspects of a small-business owner and their organization. Whether it was economic, personal, or just a slice of life story, I was happy to explore the world of small businesses.

I have definitely learned a lot about myself as a writer and journalist. I feel confident in my people skills and now after this class, even when I feel nervous or uncomfortable, I am able to push through and ask the hard questions. But, I know my writing style still has a long way to go.

I think that any writer who thinks their writing style is as good as it will ever be is just building a cage around themselves. Even when I’m a wrinkled old coot sitting in my rocking chair, or if I really make it, a cushy armchair, I know I will want to keep growing as a writer. This class was the first step in a long journey, one I am definitely ready for.

ABOUT ME:

I have heard it said that you can tell a lot about a person from the hobbies they fill their time with. For myself, that hobby would be playing video games. If by hobby, you mean a rabid love bordering on obsession, this would certainly describe me and the person I have grown into after years of indulging in this pastime.

Ever since my 4-year-old self tottered in to find my father playing Donkey Kong Country 2 on the Super Nintendo, I have been enthralled by video games.

No doubt my father smiled as my tiny mouth was slack in awe and wonder as he controlled two courageous chimps, risking life and limb to rescue their loveable pal Donkey Kong. However, I would hazard a guess that the novelty lost its luster, as my high-pitched wails echoed through the house each time he lost a life. Rather than risking a coronary every time a virtual misstep caused another bout of my inhuman howling, he wisely decided to offer me the controller.

I think that this moment really did change my life forever, as cliché as it sounds. Not only did it expose me to the thrills of the many worlds created by video games, it also let me, an incurably shy kid who could never work up the guts to talk to other kids, find a hobby that made me many friends throughout my life. Video games cemented me into a fairly exclusive community of fellow “nerds” that, according to most other people, stared at the idiot box all day frying our brain cells.

But, hey, it was the ’90s.

Nowadays, people are coming to realize how wonderful, artistic and creative the medium of video games can be. Or at the very least, the shrewder folks are realizing how much money is funneled into the video game industry each year. I’m incredibly glad to see the hobby I love so much receive more and more attention from someone other than my fellow childhood nerds.

This love of gaming has not diminished as I gently decompose into a college graduate. Although I feel ancient in comparison to the younger generation of gamers who have begun springing up, I also feel great anticipation for what wonders the video game industry will achieve next.

This anticipation and enduring love for games has pushed me toward my dream career. I hope to one day write for a game review magazine, like Game Informer, which I religiously pore over every month. I hope that my writing prose will continue to improve so I can be on the front lines of the video game frontier. I want to play my heart out, experiencing everything the industry has to offer and giving some expert advice to those unsure about what games to buy or bypass.

In my childhood, people would no doubt sneer at my devotion to what is, at the end of the day, just a game. But I know that as technology improves and the interest in games increases, game developers will create stories and experiences that will monumentally affect all those who play them. This wonderful feeling that comes from immersing myself in a fascinating story or world is the greatest power video games have.

Although some may scoff at video games as nothing more than a waste of time, they have improved my life and imagination, as well as helped along the creation of the smart, handsome and incredibly humble goofball that is Alex Harrington.

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MY STORIES:

• Emeritus Salt Lake focuses on building relationships with residents
• AARP classes can make older drivers smarter and give discounts too
• My ride-along with Meals on Wheels

MY BLOG:

Since becoming a sports writer, it has sometimes become a difficult transition to write about anything else. So when I found out that our beat was Aging, I panicked. In reality, I shouldn’t have.

I enjoy the feeling I get in my gut when I’m assigned a difficult school project because professors don’t give you assignments and projects if they don’t think you can achieve it. I didn’t know very much about aging at all at the beginning of the semester and I learned way more than I thought I would.

Having never thought about it before, I was shocked at the language I was forced to use while discussing aging-related issues. In particular the word “senior” should be used with sensitivity when reporting. Some of the vocabulary I was using wasn’t acceptable and I stumbled plenty of times through the semester trying to change it so it was polite.

My reporting took me all over the Salt Lake Valley when I went for my ride-along for Meals on Wheels. Places I didn’t even know were there. It made me realize that the aging problem is much bigger than was explained by our guest speakers. I was amazed by just how many houses we stopped at. It seemed like it was every other house in a matter of a few hours.

This beat reporting has given me a better outlook on professionalism in general. I’m so comfortable when writing about sports that I don’t view it as a job. I just think it’s fun. There aren’t that many funny aspects about the Aging beat. I was forced to get serious while reporting.

This community is growing. Aging adults are growing in numbers and while I was reporting, I figured that there are plenty of houses I pass every day where older adults live. My reporting became more sensitive throughout the semester. You have to be sensitive to adults’ feelings and emotions. It made me a better reporter as a whole.

What did I learn about myself? Well, that list could go on forever. I learned that when I don’t know too much about a certain subject, I jump right into the deep water to see what I can find. Phone calls, emails and random visits are a great way to do this. It can be very awkward, but it will be useful to you by the end of your work. In the world of journalism, you’ve got to be comfortable with cold-calling and unscheduled interactions.

ABOUT ME:

I didn’t want to become a writer until I was a freshman in college. I remember it like it was yesterday: was assigned a research paper, like all the other freshmen, and I got nervous. I’ve always had trouble writing about topics that I didn’t pick myself. Luckily for me, my professor let me choose my topic. The paper was sports related and I took a month to complete it. One full month of constant searching and browsing until I found what I wanted. That entire month made me realize that when I want to write about something, the work that I put in isn’t work to me. It almost feels like second nature.

Coming to the University of Utah has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. They’ve got a great communication program and strong professors who really take the time to teach the little steps instead of skipping over them. I learn something new every day. Of course, there is plenty of stress that comes along with a journalism degree. Plenty of phone calls and interviews with people you’ve never met before can be awkward. But if this is what you want to do the rest of your life, you’ve got to be willing to take the leap.

Currently, I work at the Daily Utah Chronicle as a sports writer and I will probably be working there until my scheduled graduation in spring 2016. It’s been a great experience writing sports. Before that, I wrote news and that is one reason I feel that news came so much easier this semester. I’ve learned to branch outside of my comfort zone in order to capture great news. I hope that my interest will continue to grow and that I will succeed not only as a student, but also as a journalist as well.

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