Rosemary Roller

“Love” is a tennis term that refers to a score of zero, but for Allie Mackay, it’s so much more than that.

Mackay has spent the last two years on her high school’s tennis team, and her love of the game has done nothing but grow over the last five years.

Mackay, a junior at Alta High School in Sandy, didn’t have a life-long passion for the sport. Rather, her passion for tennis culminated over a few years, and really picked up in the past two or three.

“I wasn’t very serious and didn’t even like it that much,” said Mackay, continuing to explain how she didn’t anticipate being a high school athlete. “My friend was the one who convinced me to take lessons and then later try out.”

Although it took a push, Mackay hasn’t regretted her decision, and loves the friends she has made through the sport and how it’s helped her self esteem.

Mackay spent her sophomore year on Alta’s X team, a group of alternates, and moved on to play second doubles on the junior varsity team this past year.

The summer before her sophomore year, Mackay took group lessons four times a week and credits that “very generous” coach for her ability to make the team.

“[He] did it for free as long as I had good grades,” explained Mackay.

Though those grades appear to come easy to Mackay, finding the balance between school, the tennis team and a social life is no easy feat.

Mackay’s sister Lindsay Mackay is proud of her sister’s dedication and has seen Mackay’s ability to balance school and tennis firsthand, stating “she’s a straight A student. Always has been.”

Mackay maintained a 4.0 GPA while taking advanced courses, but expressed that she was always scrambling to get things finished and found it difficult to achieve the perfect balance.

“My social life was limited to school and tennis. I would talk to my friends at school and then talk to my tennis friends. I rarely had time to make plans with friends.”

Alta’s coach Camille Baird reflected this struggle, stating that balancing everything is one of the hardest parts about being a student athlete. However, in her opinion, Mackay is “pretty balanced.”

The balancing act has certainly paid off. Mackay has noted multiple instances when she was able to come back in a tough game.

Baird’s statistics show that Mackay and her partner played 6 qualifying games and were 3-3 overall. Despite the scores, Baird noted that Mackay’s biggest athletic hurdle lies in strategy and having a good mental game when playing those difficult teams.

Overall, Mackay’s passion has grown, and Baird has also seen her confidence grow over the course of her career on the tennis team.

Even though Mackay has had to deal with what her sister refers to as “politics that come with the team,” she has still shown that the love of the sport and a tenacity for success can take you far.

“I am working very hard this winter to do my very best next season. I intend to play varsity and have a good season.”

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Rosemary Roller

We’ve all heard the fact: goldfish have a startlingly short attention span. However, humans may no longer be as superior to the household pet as they once thought. According to a study by Microsoft, the human attention span was only eight seconds by 2013, one second shorter than a that of a goldfish.

Contrary to popular belief, digital media isn’t the one “killing attention span,” says Microsoft. The increase of media consumption and the digital lifestyle has reduced focus time, but the ability to process that information has actually increased.

This is great news for multimedia journalism, given the shift it has been making, and will likely continue to make, over the coming years.

While newspapers are heading online, shorter content in multimedia journalism is on its way in, gearing up for an imminent takeover as a source of news. Popular social media sites have already contributed to this switch.

“The attention span is getting shorter,” noted Sheena McFarland, adjunct professor of Communication at the University of Utah. It’s “not long-form video anymore.”

Vine and Twitter are bigger than ever, constantly spewing information in short clips. Vine allows users to create 6-second video loops and Twitter limits users to 140 characters per tweet.

According to a study conducted by Pew Research Center, in 2015, 63 percent of Twitter users say they get their news from the social media site, an increase of 11 percent from 2013.

Information is constantly being condensed into shorter, easier-to-consume forms. News providers have attempted to keep up by contributing additional forms of media to their pieces. No longer will readers see a page-long story; instead, the audiences get a shorter story, complete with a video, photo gallery, or both.

Journalism now consists of a wide array of media, and it can be hard to stay up-to-date.

“The most obvious challenge facing anyone setting out to provide instruction in multimedia journalism is that of the rapidly changing nature of the technologies and their social use,” notes Garrett Managhan in his review of Multimedia Journalism: A Practical Guide.

This digital environment is driving multimedia journalism, explains Jennifer Napier-Pearce, multimedia journalist and host of Trib Talk at the Salt Lake Tribune. “It provides possibilities for experience [and] storytelling.”

Additionally, she notes that audiences now have expectations because of the digital environment, and journalists have a greater responsibility.

“Journalism is more competitive than ever,” Napier-Pearce said.

Napier-Pearce expressed that, in addition to shorter stories, journalists also have shorter deadlines, varied presentations, smaller newsrooms and have to refer to broadcast-style writing. Journalists now have to be the producer, reporter, writer, editor and “know lots about lots.” Further, they can’t be shy about technology.

It appears that there are clear effects on society and how information is gathered as a result of this digital landscape. There’s no telling exactly where it will go next, but everyone can rest assured knowing that there will always be an influx of information at all times. Humans may be reduced to mere goldfish, but they have the world at their fingertips…literally.

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By: Tina Sissoko

Many parents send their children to countries like United States for a better life and better education. Many parents send their children to countries like United States for a better life and better education. While students find success, they also have had to confront challenges in a new country where they barely speak the language or hardly know anybody.

A research done by Utah State University on the diversity in Utah tells us that Utah is increasingly becoming more and more diverse. Additionally, Utah has a high fertility rate, which has contributed to a 29.6% growth in population during the past decade. The article also some statistic with the population growth of Utah in number, it stated “The population of the state of Utah is 2,316,256 according to the US 2002 census update. Of that number 224,304 are Hispanic, 21,574 are Black, 32,886 are American Indian, 42,144 are Asian American and 18,012 are Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander.”

When Fatoumata Batourou moved here, it was a big cultural shock. Batourou came to the United States when she was only 17. She is originally from Mali. Her parents sent her to Utah to go to college. “When I first moved here, it was really weird, I didn’t speak that good of English and being one of the only black folks in the school was overwhelming,” Batourou said.

She had to attend an English learning school in Provo, Utah called ELC for her first year in the states. Since her parents sent her to attend school, Batourou felt that she couldn’t make any mistakes; she felt she had to grow up quicker than the average teen.

Batourou spent five years in Provo. While living there, she ran into incidents she had never experienced before.

“Living in Mali, everyone looks alike, at least race-wise. Going to BYU as a Black Muslim girl, you get all types of stares and someone actually came up to me one day saying that I am not supposed to be here,” Batourou said. “That day, I cried my eyes out. I wanted to go back home the very next day.”

Batourou now works Goldman Sachs as an accountant and is loving every aspect of it.

“I am glad that I didn’t give up when things got hard,” she said. “Now I am working for one of the top companies in the country and both of my parents are very proud of me.”

“Things like this rarely happened on our campus to my knowledge” said Jason Bradley, a BYU alumnus and a great friend to Batourou. “When she told me that story, I felt ashamed of my own race. Some people are very closed-minded and don’t think about what their words may do to someone,” Said Bradley.

Bradley has always been curious about other cultures, seeing the new international students coming to his school was very exciting and he loved every bit of it.

“I loved the different perceptions the international students brought to the school. I think that it helps us see beyond the norm and expend our horizons a little bit,” Bradley said. “It’s not the international students alone but even the people that came from a different city within the U.S. I think even businesses benefit from the growth.”

Pamela Perlich, a University of Utah demographer, wrote an article about the demographic changes in the state of Utah. In her article, she states that the United States as a whole has had a large amount of immigrants over the past 30 days. Utah especially has become a “New Gateway” as she states. The reason behind this is that most immigrants come and work in construction, landscaping, hospitality and manufacturing. Perlich also mentions that “Immigrants are also concentrated in the highest-level scientific and technical occupations in the state, especially at colleges and universities. Policy changes, such as refugee resettlement, have brought immigrants from many new origins, such as Africa. Finally, the LDS Church, which is headquartered in Utah, has become increasingly international in scope and outreach, and this has attracted people as well.”

Jessica Torres a server at P.F Chang restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City is very excited about the growing population in Salt Lake City.

“Since we are in kind of in the middle of the big work places, we get a lot people that come in for lunch even after they get off of work,” Torres said. “They usually leave a big tip, which makes my job a little more enjoyable.”

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Rosemary Roller

Students in Utah schools receive one semester of health education in middle school and one semester in high school; however, some Utahns say this isn’t enough and parents should be more involved in sex education curriculum.

The debate over abstinence-only or abstinence-plus sex education versus comprehensive sex education is a touchy topic nationally. Utah’s abstinence-based education plan has been seen by some educators and Utah State Board of Education members to have benefits, but they still say that students would benefit even more from some adjustments.

Currently, under Utah State Law 53A-13-101 and Utah State Board of Education rule R277-474, students are taught information regarding “sexual abstinence before marriage and fidelity after marriage,” communicable diseases including sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS, and parents must give consent before students receive any education regarding contraception and/or condoms. All information must be medically accurate.

Additionally, instructors may not teach about “the intricacies of intercourse, sexual stimulation, or erotic behavior,” and they may not advocate homosexuality, sexual activity outside of a marriage, or encourage the use of contraceptives. However, teachers may respond to questions posed by students regarding information about sexuality in order to provide accurate information and correct misleading comments made by other students.

According to Kristine Page, a health teacher at Churchill Junior High in Granite School District, the health class curriculum for seventh and eighth grade students covers the benefits of abstinence, anatomy, STDs, the stages of pregnancy and the challenges of teen pregnancy, “physical, mental, social, and emotional changes” that students go through during life, as well as various other topics regarding their health.

Page says that the biggest benefit to abstinence-based sex education is that students gain an understanding that it’s OK to be abstinent. “Peer pressure can make it seem like abstinence is not acceptable.”

Before students are able to participate in these courses, they must have a parent consent form signed and turned in to their instructor. Parents also have the option to opt their student out of the sexual education course if they prefer their student did not receive this information in school.

In the article “Going Too Far? Sex, Sin and Social Policy,” Susan Rose says that there is no empirical data to support the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs. Additionally, she writes that data on comprehensive sex education has many benefits, including “[postponing] initiation of sexual intercourse” and reducing teenage pregnancy rates.

While there are strong opinions on both sides, parental inclusion is often seen as an important asset to sex education.

While the parental consent form lets parents know where they can get more information about the curriculum, Dixie Allen, a Utah State Board of Education member for District 12, says schools need to be upfront with the parents and let them know why their students are being educated and what they are going to learn.

Current sex education policies, she said, are “a little bit convoluted and not really clear.”

She says that the schools and the school boards need to do a better job of informing parents of what the curriculum is and allow them to give feedback; they have experienced many of the topics discussed and can give feedback that the educators may not have thought about.

Board member Linda Hansen from District 3 agrees that parents should be educated. Additionally, Hansen mentioned that the districts in Utah are diverse, and in her own district there are schools that are more liberal and some are more conservative. In her opinion, it’s better for local school boards to be able to make the choice to teach what they decide for their area.

Page says that, because each school has their own demographic, there should be a collaboration from parents, teachers, administration, community leaders, and state guidelines to decide what will be the most beneficial to the students in each particular school. While it would be nice for a one-size-fits-all approach to sex education policies, that is not beneficial for the wide array of demographics in the state.

Page suggests that schools should be allowed to offer an advanced health class to cover additional topics since only two semesters of health education are required over the course of junior and high school.

“There is not enough time to cover all the areas needed in health to the depth that they should be; that includes sexual health,” Page said, adding the advanced health class would “provide the opportunity for choice. I am of the opinion we learn better if we have choices.”
Additionally, she says that parents will have the most influence over their children, and age appropriate discussion on the topic can begin in their homes even before elementary school.

“I think teenagers deserve as much information as they can get,” said Hannah Montague, a current student at the University of Utah who attended high school in Canyons School District.
Montague said Utah schools should “prioritize a more in-depth approach to sex ed” and that her education made her have uncomfortable feelings about sex. She mostly got information on the topic from third-party sources such as the Internet and her family.

“Information isn’t a bad thing, and proper tools can just help teenagers encounter sex safely,” said Montague. “I think [my peers and I] were educated because we had our families and the Internet to answer random questions we might have had, which lead to smart decisions.”

While these sources can be beneficial, information from other sources may or may not be reliable, according to Page.

Based on her experience, Montague says that sex education in Utah should be more thorough regarding sex in general, but especially on the topics of STDs and healthy relationships. She defines educating teenagers on how to treat each other in a sexual environment as “wildly important” and advocates for teenagers to be taught how to realize when unhealthy relationships are growing.

More information on Utah’s Administrative Code Rule R277-424 regarding sex education policies can be found at http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r277/r277-474.htm.

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Rosemary Roller

While solving a fake mystery may sound like a fun afternoon activity to the average citizen, it’s no game for the Salt Lake City Police Department. A call from one citizen claiming there was a robbery in progress quickly turned a calm, sunny September day into a mad dash to get to The Gateway Mall’s Mystery Escape Room.

Officers received a report of a robbery in progress at the mall on September 23rd claiming the perpetrator had a gun in hand and citizens had their hands up. Officer Matthew Cook explained that he assumed it was most likely a retail theft and that those calls often come in as robberies. This routine reporting to the mall turned south quick once it became clear that weapons were involved.

According to Cook, about 20 cops reported to the mall. They soon realized they had been called specifically to the local Mystery Escape Room, a live entertainment show where visitors go through a staged room and have to solve a preplanned mystery.

According to the Mystery Escape Room’s website, “the objective is to solve and follow the clues to find a way out of the room before time runs out.” In this interactive experience, participants enter a room and have to solve the clues they are presented with. Actors are a part of the interactive experience, as well.

These sorts of mystery escape rooms have become popular worldwide; however, Gateway’s location is the first in the state of Utah, and has only been open for less than a year.

The Mystery Escape Room’s owner Les Pardew explained that their current feature story has a “terrorist” that herds participants at gunpoint, complete with ski mask and toy gun, into a room with a bomb on the door. The participants are meant to be a decoy for police while the terrorist goes and places another bomb somewhere in Salt Lake City. The participants are supposed to have all the information they need about the terrorist in the room and the goal is to piece together the clues and inform police on the other side of the door what they need to know in order to stop the terrorist.

A routine day for the Mystery Escape Room employees was flipped around when a passerby looked in the window and saw the masked actor with a gun in the air.

Following protocol, the police entered the building to make sure it was secure. “It was kind of scary,” Pardew explained. He came outside to several policemen out front with assault rifles. According to Pardew, they were herded to the side and questioned while the team went inside the building.

Pardew’s son David, the Gateway location’s manager, was inside when the police entered. He remarked that when the police ordered everyone to come out of the room with their hands up, they initially didn’t think it was the actual police department. He had to enter the room or participants and inform the group that the actual authorities were there, and no, they weren’t being pranked.

Both the police and the Mystery Escape Room employees went back to work once it became clear that there was no robbery or real danger present.

Although the Mystery Escape Room is going to continue to produce this show through its run, they now have signage indicating that there is a theatrical event in progress in order to avoid another startling visit from the police.

For those interested in experiencing the Mystery Escape Room with less real-life police excitement and more staged suspense, you can find more information at http://www.mysteryescaperoom.com.

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Police officer: It’s time to talk about the good

By: Hailey Fernelius                                                             

A lot of the press surrounding police officer shootings these days is creating an uneasy feeling of whether or not law enforcement is actually keeping people safe. Lieutenant Alex Davis of the Layton Police Department (LPD) reminds the people that the duty of an officer is to “make the community safer because of the actions we take.”

Despite all of the negative news surrounding police officers, there are still people that want to pursue this career, such as Landon Roach. “I have always wanted to be a police officer… I believe what they are doing is necessary and those who are in the police force now, more than ever, are trying to do the right thing.” Roach is currently a student at Weber State University and plans on enrolling in the police academy as soon as he has a degree.

When Roach was asked why he wanted to be an officer, he responded, “Ever since I was in the military, I have felt this overbearing feeling to help those in need.” He believes that everyone should have a chance to obtain happiness and knows that police officers are in a position to help.

For Davis this means the little things. Right now, the male members of the LPD are growing out their beards to help buy clothing for local schools. It is a $20 buy-in for every month an officer participates, and all of the proceeds are going to help children in need of warm winter clothing.

A local story produced by “Good 4 Utah,” recognized Officer Cody Miskin for helping a lady change her flat tire.

Some things Davis has noticed the LPD officers doing on a day-to-day basis, include helping an elderly person by mowing their lawn, or helping them cross the street. Davis added that recently, he helped an elderly man locate the VIN number on his car.  Another thing Davis wants the people to know is that most people don’t realize that officers will sometimes just walk the streets and talk to people. He says this is a great way for them to share their knowledge with the public about staying safe. It is all about the community and the connections officers can make with the people, he said.

However, not just anyone can handle this type of job. Davis explained that one of the hardest things about this job is handling crimes involving innocent people and not being able to provide justice. Roach shares this concern.

“I expect being placed into situations that may be very uncomfortable and even dangerous,” Roach said.

Davis stated that this job comes with a great deal of stress that most people don’t realize. He shares that it can be emotionally difficult to see the cruelty that people are capable of. He has to put on his uniform, and step out the door each day, not knowing if he will come home that night. “Sometimes I try to protect my family by not telling them what happened that day,” Davis said.

Not only do they encounter cruelty of people and their actions on a weekly basis, but Davis explains that police officers also have the added stress of being liable for taking away people’s freedom.

Will Ferrell tweeted, “Kinda funny how the colors red, white and blue represent freedom… until they are flashing behind you”. This statement has been circling social media ever since.  A common misconception associated with routine traffic stops is that they occur because an officer is trying to create revenue. Davis wants to clear the air by letting the people know that their enforcement is not tied to revenue.

Police officers have many duties that they participate in, all of which encompass Davis’ belief that the “Community [is] safer because of actions we take.”

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The fine art of fitness

By: Hailey Fernelius

Fitness is a finicky thing. It is not always the same for everybody. Some go to a traditional gym and work on strength training with machines that target certain muscles. Some take dance classes, some swim. The list goes on and on. All forms of exercise should be considered equal.

Megan Retzko and Abigail Harris take pole dancing classes. Retzko started taking classes five years ago in Ogden, Utah. She started six months before she competed in Miss Utah USA.

“I needed to switch up my routine fast to get the results I desired for competition weekend,” Retzko said.

At her studio she is able to take aerial (pole, hoop, hammock, silks, and ropes), flexibility, core training, chair dancing, ballet and booty popping classes. She continues to participate in pole fitness.

“Five years later, I have the body I have longed for and the strength I never imagined possible,” Retzko said.

Retzko’s father, Kennedy Retzko, understands that this is her hobby, as well as her fitness routine, but cautions her.

“You are on a pole that represents a penis, and you are a woman spinning on that with your legs spread. Women may look at that as strength, beauty, and flexibility, but men are looking at you as a symbol.”

She reassures him by letting him know that she is not interested in competing or showing her talents for a profit. She does this because she feels muscles engaging that she didn’t even know she had. In one trip to the gym, she could focus on arms or legs, but with one trip to the studio, she can engage all muscles and feel her strength building.

For Harris, it is a different story. She started taking classes in July of 2013. One of her close friends told her that it was a great way to get fit while also having fun. Her husband, mom, and step-dad were all hesitant. They would make comments like, “Oh you’re going to stripper class?”

They didn’t derail her.

The more she showed her support for pole fitness, and the more she could see the fast results of this type of fitness, her family and friends stopped their comments and became curious about how they could get involved.

Harris is proud of the strength she has gained, and just like most people, she wanted to share her progress with family and friends, so she posted photos on social media. However, she has had several of her photos flagged on social media sites. When pole dancing, you wear very little clothing.

“We wear sports bras and short shorts because it helps with grip,” Harris said.

Neither Retzko nor Harris ever plan on making a profit from their hobby, and they are both amazed at the results they have gained.

“After two years of poling, I am now a size five, have gained 30 pounds of muscle and have lost an equal 30 pounds of fat,” says Harris, who was a size 9 before she started taking classes.

Christie Washburn sees it from a different perspective. Washburn has been a stripper —she refers to herself as a female entertainer — for more than 16 years and believes that entertaining and pole dancing/fitness are the same thing.

“They are both a beautiful expression of the female body and sexuality,” Washburn said. She has both taken and taught pole dancing classes.

Retkzo sees pole fitness as something she does for yourself.

“I dance for myself, not to get anything out of it but feeling good,” Retzko said.

She said she is often asked if she is training to be a stripper. She doesn’t take offense at the question, and gives the same reply, “No, I am training to be Miss Universe.”

Harris agrees that pole dancing and entertaining are the same in that they are both performed on the pole, but she sees them differently.

“Pole fitness is an art, making beautiful shapes with your body.”

She notes that she has been called a stripper jokingly, “but I feel that the more studios that open, the less it becomes such a taboo sport.”

Washburn has been judged for her profession by “ignorant people,” she said.

“Being in the sexually oriented business was my decision, and one I am thankful I made. For me entertaining is a beautiful expression of being an incredible, phenomenal woman. I love myself and feel empowered whether I am entertaining or I am vacuuming.”

And that is what it is all about, loving yourself, Retzko said.

“It’s not all sexy,” she said.

Her skin gets bruised from hitting against the pole. When she climbs to the top and then slides down with the pole in-between her legs, it makes an awful noise, but “nothing is more motivating than getting to the top of that pole,” she said, continuing by saying that everyone can learn the art of pole fitness.

Retzko says some of the common mistakes people make when first starting to pole dance is choice of clothing, wearing lotion, and shaving before they go. All of these things can prevent a person from being able to grip the pole. She doesn’t want this to discourage those interested in the sport. She has seen women and men of all ages from 10 to late 40s participating in this kind of fitness.

“Your goals are whatever you want them to be, which is what is so great about these classes,” Retzko said.

Washburn says that even if someone doesn’t want to pursue pole-dancing professionally like she does, she says women should take the fitness classes.

“I believe it encourages confidence, high self-esteem and inner love of one’s self.”

This is something they can all agree on.

“Yes! Anyone can pole dance. It doesn’t matter what shape you are in, how strong you are or any other excuse not to try,” Harris Said.

Retzko thinks anyone with even a romote interest should give it a try.

“I recommend pole fitness to everyone, even guys,” Retzko said. “Its great fitness, and It’s fun.

Some places in Salt Lake City that offer these classes are La Bombe Pole Fitness, Bella Me Pole Fitness, Studio Soiree, and Cirque Asylum. Pricing varies depending on how many visits you choose or the type of membership you want.

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