‘Do For Yourself’ vs. Record Labels

Posted on April 10, 2012 by comm5775

Bands debate whether a label will help or hinder their fate

By JULIANNA CLAY

Many national and local bands are faced with whether signing a label is synonymous with success or if there are other alternatives. Quite a number of local bands have discovered that their goals can be accomplished independently.
Many in the music industry feel that what once was provided by a label can now be provided by themselves. However, even though the divide between signed and unsigned bands essentially no longer exists, many musicians are still undecided.
Do publishers, booking agents, management, sound engineers, producers and labels determine an artist’s success? According to Matt Winegar, a sound engineer, owner and producer of his own local studio in Salt Lake, Secret Sidewalk Recording Studio, labels are slowly on the verge of extinction.
He elaborated by saying that the rules have simply changed and aren’t what they once were. Local and unsigned bands have access to the same resources as larger, signed bands. They can fund and produce the same quality of an album that previously only labels could. They utilize smaller budgets and find new ways to create revenue, which is a concept lost on big labels.
“These days the lure of a label deal is not what it once was. In fact, many artists have figured out how these deals heavily favor the label and at times are detrimental to the natural arc of a bands career,”Winegar states.
Winegar has been in the business for years and has worked with big names like Primus, Coheed and Cambria and local superstar, Royal Bliss who has been on and is currently off of a major label.
Royal Bliss who started in 1998, has experienced firsthand how flawed the label system really is, but also how local bands can have a fairytale ending. They recently independently released, Waiting Out the Storm and cracked iTunes top ten on the rock charts.
After signing with Capitol in 2005, Royal Bliss members spent six months unaware they’d been dropped when the company merged with Virgin in 2008. Disappointed and dissatisfied they chose a smaller label, Merovingian records, in 2010, believing that they would be more personally invested. Unfortunately, they found that in spite of their preferences both the management and the recording company wanted to control the musical direction of the group.
“They wanted us to sound more like Nickelback or Papa Roach. We would write and send the material in and they would say they didn’t like it. They wanted someone else to write for us. All any of the labels did was give us money to cut an album and then put an official stamp on our work,” Richards said.
Royal Bliss divorced its label and management, resulting in lawsuits. In the end, Royal Bliss was able to completely sever ties. The band still owns the rights to all of its music, created its own record label, Air Castle Records, acquired new management, a booking agent and most recently a publisher.
Richards describes Royal Bliss’s experience as disillusioning, “A label should technically work with a band like a well-oiled machine. One band they actually work with will make it big. However, what about the other 20 bands you never hear of that were signed and have nothing to show for it? It’s because of that, that labels either have the ability to take your career and run with it or ruin it.”
The Suicycles and King Niko, are examples of local unsigned bands, that share similar experiences and sentiments.
The Suicycles, have only been around for over a year, but have already toured out of state and played some of Utah’s premier shows like, X96’s Big Ass Show, Utah Arts Fest, and Blue Harvest Moon Festival in Ogden. They have also released two EPs, and a full-length album, with another in the works. Producer, sound engineer and owner of Kitefishing Studios, Camden Chamberlain is their lead singer and front-man.
“I’ve always liked tracking all of it myself. I essentially consider myself a label. Plus building the studio was to make sure that I never had to rely on a label to go record. Everything a label can do or provide we provide for ourselves.”
Chamberlain employs what he calls the, “do for yourself” method. “Yes, it’s a new and scary concept and the chances of success are a bit lower, but it’s definitely a lot more rewarding. Why rely on other people in life in general if you can help it?” Chamberlain asks.
Winner of last year’s City Weekly Music Awards King Niko, also has no management, publisher, booking agent, or label. Front-man Ransom Wydner believes that the music industry is changing, but aren’t quite there yet. He indicates that bands like Radiohead and Royal Bliss had time with major labels to build their brands first.
Wydner talks about King Nikos experience with labels, “Warner Brothers is the label we have spent the most time with, but they’re not interested in what labels call ‘Artist Development.’ They want a pre-packaged hit album and a band to go with it.”
All three bands and Winegar agree that record labels are first and foremost a business whose main focus is to make money. Of course, like all investments the money comes with strings attached. Wydner puts it best when he says, “They don’t have anyone’s best interests at heart. They’re a heartless machine of capitalism. That’s not a good or a bad thing it’s just the way it is. The main point I’m trying to make is that even though the major labels are bureaucratic vestiges they still have a role to play in the industry and we still need them as musicians. There are a few exceptions and yes I would love to see something come up and replace them, but that hasn’t happened yet.”
Labels, particularly major labels, are still the biggest bully on the playground, but smaller bands are starting to think for themselves.  Perhaps the right formula for success is using a label to build a fan base before going independent.
A trend has been started. With CD sales diminishing worldwide, major labels are losing their appeal and death grip on artists’ creativity and freedoms. Where one has succeeded there will be more, if bands like Royal Bliss continue to pave the way. The ‘do for yourself’ music revolution is just beginning.

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Tricia Oliphant

Posted on April 8, 2012 by comm5775

Photo by Thomas Oliphant

My Stories:

My Blog:

Six years ago I moved to Salt Lake City to go to school. Every aspect of my life was focused around being a university student and, although I resided in Salt Lake City, I didn’t really live in Salt Lake City. I found myself caught up in day-to-day student life and ignorant of the world around me. Upon enrolling in this class, I decided I wanted to broaden my horizons and discover the city in which I had been living for years.

As I began to plan and report for my first stories, I quickly realized that the only way to discover a city is to talk to its people–to connect on a personal level with those who make up the community. As I have  interacted with the Salt Lake community in reporting for each of my stories, I have realized that Salt Lake City is rich with history, diversity and culture.

For my first story I visited the mental health court in Utah’s Third District Court. I admit I was nervous to go to mental health court for several reasons. I felt very ignorant of and inexperienced with the mentally ill.  Furthermore, prior to that experience, I had never been to any kind of court and therefore did not know what to expect. In spite of these fears, I attended and had an eye-opening experience.

At mental health court, I saw the mentally ill as normal, everyday people seeking help to regain control of themselves and their lives. I witnessed a judge who showed concern and compassion for each individual standing if front of her. What impacted me most was a mother who pleaded for her bipolar son. Attending mental health court helped knock down the “me and them” barrier that existed before when I thought of the mentally ill. I was able to better connect and even relate to those attending as we all have our personal struggles. Furthermore, I was able to witness Salt Lake City caring for its mentally ill.

The next couple of stories I wrote were about the Occupy Salt Lake movement and One World Cafe. Reporting for both of these stories allowed me to interact with several of the poorer, homeless citizens of Salt Lake who are trying to make a difference. I was inspired by their selfless vision of taking care of one another (including the homeless) and changing Salt Lake City. I was humbled by their kindness and enjoyed speaking with them and hearing their side of things. I will never forget the people I spoke with and the lessons they taught me while reporting for these stories.

My last story focused on the opening of the City Creek Center. I was intrigued by the City Creek Center and wanted to write a story on it because I felt that the center would change downtown Salt Lake City forever. I enjoyed talking with people about their opinions and views of the center and enjoyed experiencing it for myself.

Reporting for each of my stories has allowed me to see different sides of Salt Lake City. I am grateful to the people who opened up and allowed me to hear their stories.

About Me:

 My name is Tricia Oliphant and I am a senior at the University of Utah. I am studying Atmospheric Sciences with aspirations of becoming a broadcast meteorologist. I graduated from George Washington High School in Charleston, W. Va., in 2006.  Since high school, I have lived in Utah except for an 18-month period when I lived in Spain as a full-time missionary.

I am fascinated by planes and weather.  I interned at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., during the summers of 2007 and 2008 where my fascination was amplified.

I am currently enrolled in a journalism class at the U in order to help me as a broadcast meteorologist.  I have been told by other broadcast meteorologists that it is important to have good reporting skills when working in any position in the broadcast industry.  I hope that the stories I write for this journalism class will help the residents of Salt Lake City become more aware of their community.

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Field of dreams: Sometimes a triple is a great shot

Posted on April 5, 2012 by comm5775

by LEWIS WALKER

What if you got paid to do what you love and have grown up doing your whole life? This is the life of Keenyn Walker, who by the age of 20 was drafted twice before signing a contract to play professionally in major league baseball.

“I thought he was crazy not to leave once he was selected out of high school. Not many people are that blessed,” said Jeff Myaer, head baseball coach at Judge Memorial High School in Salt Lake City.

Of all the odds and breaks in life, Walker has been blessed with his share.

Walker who is currently a part of the Chicago White Sox farm league in the Single-A organization is stationed in Kannapolis, N.C. playing for the Intimidators. His journey before making it there may have been a whirlwind to most folks.

As a senior at Judge Memorial, Walker was drafted by the Chicago Cubs, but he turned down that deal and moved on, choosing instead to attend Central Arizona College( CAC) in Coolidge, Ariz., one of the powerhouses for college baseball. After his freshman year at CAC, Walker was drafted again, this time by the Phillies. “It was crazy when I was in high school and got drafted, but then again just a year later is humbling,” Walker said.

Denying the offers from the big league left Walker, a center fielder, wondering if he would get another chance. “After my freshman year of college was over and I turned down another chance to play baseball, my dreams kind of became a blur,” he said. “I didn’t think anyone else would draft me again because I had turned down two teams already.”

Some doubted Walker might get another chance at his dream. “I was drafted when I was in college. I know how hard it is to have that opportunity come your way, but three times is out of this world,” Myaer said.

With many people watching from the outside, few stood strong in his corner, Walker said. Except for one. “My mom has been a huge part in this whole journey,” he said. “When I doubted myself she had the right words to put me back on track to complete what I had set out to do a long time ago.”

“Keenyn is someone who just loves to play baseball,” said his mother, Lori Walker, of Salt Lake City. “In baseball you have ups and downs that come easily and it can transfer over to life as well.”

June 6, 2011 is a day Walker will always remember. “That day I was just at home with my family watching the draft,” he said. “Teams just kept calling me and saying they may take me at this pick,” he said. Nervously walking around waiting for his name to be announced, Walker continuously ate snacks to calm his nerves, as well as talking and joking with the few family members who were present.

“It was a family thing,” Walker said.

After all the hoping and waiting, Walker’s blurry dreams have finally become a reality. Now 21, he was selected as the first overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft for the Chicago White Sox.

“I wake up and I feel like it’s a dream,” Walker said over the phone while training in Phoenix. Being a professional athlete comes with a lot of responsibility, as well as temptations.  “I have more money than my mother does now,” said Walker, laughing. But his mother thinks he’s doing just fine.

“I am proud of the decisions he made. Even though they were hard to make, he made the correct ones,” said Lori Walker. “It is crazy seeing my son become something he has wanted to become his whole life.”

“My schedule has been hectic, kind of,” Walker said. He wakes at 8 a.m., goes for a run and then heads to batting practice. He does interviews between ball games. There seems to be an endless number of items to autograph, such as rookie cards, helmets and photos. “Each day I sign about 500 items for people I don’t even know,” Walker said.

“I am so fortunate and blessed to be where I am right now,” Walker said. “This is so crazy. It still hasn’t hit me yet, even though I have already played six minor league games, moved my way up to the single A organization, and now in spring training.”

Although the process to the big leagues is a long bumpy road, things seem to be falling in place for Walker. “I guess the third time is a luck charm,” he said.

Photo credits: Clockwise from top left, Megan Wallo: Keenyn Walker: Central Arizona College, Athletics: Jim Shipman.

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Same game, different treatment? Title IX questions still linger in Utah athletics

Posted on April 5, 2012 by comm5775

by: Zachary Arthur

Cheyenne Wilson, a freshman small forward on the University of Utah women’s basketball team, gets frustrated with inequity on the court. “If I go to the gym on my own wanting to shoot and there are men’s players wanting to shoot, they basically kick me off or I have to wait until they are done.”

The 2012 U basketball season showed people that the women’s team had a better season than the men’s team. The treatment of the two programs shows that although the women’s team might be better, the men’s team is treated like they are better.

The women’s team went 16-16 and made the Women’s NIT, a postseason invitational tournament. The men’s team went 6-25 and failed to make any of three postseason invitational tournaments that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) offers.

The women’s team has had one player transfer in two years. In contrast, 11 players members of the men’s team moved to other programs.

All signs point to the women’s team running a better basketball program, but they don’t get the same treatment as the men’s team in several areas.

Forty years have passed since Title IX went into effect, a federal law that mandated equal treatment between men and women in high school and college athletics, but it looks like there might still be some differences.

Division One sports programs are federally funded meaning they fall under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 which states:

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

Title IX ensures that both men’s and women’s athletic programs are treated equally and receive the same opportunities. This is the real issue when it comes to the U’s student basketball programs.

Wilson talked about inequalities in getting gym time, but it also goes to the weight room. “Lifting is another issue I have experienced. Lifting at the same time as the men just does not happen, but they seem to be in there quite a bit more than us which makes me think.

Rachel Messer, a junior shooting guard on the women’s basketball team, shares the same frustration. Messer said, “It is just unfortunate because the only difference between the two teams is that one of the teams is made up of men and the other team is made up of women,” Messer said.

Another issue that Wilson brought up was that the two teams were not promoted on an equal level.

Media promotion matters in a game of fan numbers, like NCAA athletics. Some critics say the typical lack of fans in the stands at the women’s games has everything to do with poor advertising.

The men’s games saw around 7,000 people at every home game and the team went 6-9 for season.

By contrast, the women’s games filled 10 to 15 percent of the Huntsman Center for home games. Last season the women’s team went 12-4 at home. The women’s team plays better at home, but the lack of screaming fans in the stands seems to suggest otherwise.

This is where media exposure becomes so important. The more media coverage a team receives, the more people across Utah will get to see what the team has to offer. Could this be the fundamental reason as to why some think the men’s team getting more publicity is wrong?

Nate Cordova, a member of a men’s team that practices against the women, chalks up greater press coverage of the men’s team as the reason for stronger fan support.

“The women get no advertising. I mean the men are garbage but like you go to their games, you always hear about them. Their advertising is way more publicized than the women, but the women are actually kind of good and the men suck so that’s interesting.”

Whether they are television commercials, signs around campus, or most importantly newspaper ads and articles, the men’s team is getting the majority of the media.

Cordova suggested that maybe the difference in male and female physical abilities is the reason for such wide gaps in fan interest and attendance.. “The [women’s] team brings us in to practice against them because we are bigger, faster and stronger than them and it helps prepare them for games. The men’s team does not need to bring anybody in because they are already very athletic and maybe that is why people like to watch them”.

Changing how a group of people are treated has been something this country has battled for hundreds of years. The lingering concerns over athletic inequities under Title IX could be evidence that this battle has yet to be won.

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Jason Nowa

Posted on April 5, 2012 by comm5775

Ute Basketball a Story of Struggle

By Jason Nowa

The University of Utah Utes’ 2011-2012 men’s basketball (Voices of Utah) team has completed the most atrocious season in their history. This season marked the Utes first 20-loss season as they tumbled to an uninspiring record of 6-25. They finished 11th overall in their first season as a member of the Pac-12 Conference.

“This season was rough, no way around it, but from where we started we saw improvement throughout the rest of the season.” said junior forward Dijon Farr.

The Utes packaged numerous transfers together to make a team, as eight players left the team last year following Coach Jim Boylen’s exit.

Coach Larry Krystkowiak (Voices of Utah) spun the best team available to him, and though it was a struggle from the start, many team members felt they competed hard in the second half of the season after a distraction in the locker room was resolved.

The team’s best player, senior Josh “Jiggy” Watkins was dismissed from the team January18, due to violation of team rules and constant struggles in the classroom. Watkins was the team’s leading scorer and with assists, with 15.6 points per game and 4.8 assists in only 16 games. The loss of Watkins occurred mid-season, and set the Utes back even more.

A season of few ups but mostly downs hit phenomenal proportions when the Utes suffered a 40- point setback at the University of Colorado on New Year’s Eve. Then the worst loss in the program’s 104 years occurred in the regular season finale, when the Utes lost by 46 points at the University of Oregon.

The Utes’ best victory of the season was at home, against Stanford, which finished in the middle of the pack in the Pac 12. The first conference victory was a January 5 home win against Washington State, 62-60 in overtime. The Utes finished 3-15 in their inaugural season in the Pac 12.

Jason Washburn was the team’s pleasant surprise player of the year as he broke out with 11.4 points per game. The junior center led the team after the dismissal of Watkins, with 6.2 rebounds per game. Washburn was a big fill-in player after starting center David Foster’s injury sidelined him for the season.

Some close to the team say it’s hard to put a team together on the fly and expect to win as the Utes did, especially after so many players left the squad. Krystkowiak has to get a few years of his own recruits to determine the tenor of his success or failure.

The Utes finished their season with a loss in the Pac 12 Tournament to conference champion Colorado, which upset UNLV in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Utes heading into next season will look to schedule more home games at the beginning of the year. This past season the Utes had only six non-conference home games far less than most Pac 12 teams. With a young team, home games scheduled for early in the season can be a great confidence boost. Team managers expect to overhaul the roster as numerous new players come in and some older player will likely transfer out.

“This year was a bad year for our team but coming back next year we hope to get our team situated and turn this thing around,” said junior guard Cedric Martin.

Expect Martin, and Farr to return next year. Kareem Storey, and Chris Hines are among four players who have been granted their release of scholarship to transfer. Center David Foster, nursing his broken foot, is recovering and should be ready for next season team managers mentioned.

Foster was the 2009 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year as he led to a school record in blocked shots. Coping wit his injury, he said, took its toll. “It was tough to see and watch the guys all year long, but I’m on the road to recovery and look to really help our team become better next season.”

Hines, who at times during the season was the most explosive player on the team, mentioned that the Utes might surprise every team in the conference next season despite the fact that he is transferring.

There might be two new suspected starters in the lineup next year with redshirt transfer guards Aaron Dotson from LSU and Glen Dean from Eastern Washington University. Both started at their previous schools and are expected to be significant upgrades from this year’s starters.

Contrary to what pessimists believe, Utes basketball (Voices of Utah) could be on the upswing. With fall just around the corner, the roster will be set soon and practice will begin. With a healthy Foster and some transfer players coming in, the team could kick into gear. Returning players will bring experience and wisdom and Krystkowiak has every reason to feel upbeat.

“We are looking forward to next season and get everybody together to prove how good this team really can be,” said redshirt transfer guard Aaron Dotson.

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Utah’s Abbott smashes records, leaves as a role model

Posted on April 5, 2012 by comm5775

by MCKENZIE DEAN

University of Utah’s Alyssa Abbott, 22, nears her final season for the Running’ Utes as one of Utah’s finest women’s distance runners.

Abbot began as a sprinter in high school. It was her coach at Galena High School in Reno, Nev., who inspired her to pick up distance running. It helped motivate her in school as she developed a great balance between academics and running.

With no college scholarships offers coming her way and her telephone silent Abbott stayed positive and began dialing numbers.

A phone call to Kyle Kepler, the U’s head women’s track and field/cross country coach, allowed her to become a Runnin’ Ute.

“Alyssa’s greatest attribute from a coach’s point of view is how self-motivated she is.  I know that she does all the little things to get better on a daily basis. As a coach you have to have athletes who want success more than you want it for them because they ultimately hold all the cards,” Kepler said.

With Abbott’s motivation, desire to achieve her goals and a solid training schedule; she was well on her way toward a successful college career.

During her freshman year she received daily doses of what college distance running was all about. Abbott led the team as top finisher in both the conference and regional meets in cross-country. Competing in the 800-meter run, Abbott received an invitation to compete at the U.S. Junior Championships at the end of the 2009 outdoor season.

“After my first year I knew then I was a distance runner. I have developed such a strong love and passion for it.  I decided to move up the distance I was running and compete in the 1500-meter for the next season,” said Abbott.

Moving to the 1500-meter played in her favor. She was an NCAA regional qualifier in that event and the 800-meter for outdoor track in the 2008 season. Abbott went on to claim a spot in the NCAA national championship for cross-country, with a ninth-place overall finish at the regional championships.

“Going to nationals was a very exciting and fun experience. It was great to compete against the top girls in the nation I had read about. It really motivated me even more after that,” Abbott said.

During the next few seasons she was struck with multiple injuries and surgeries on her knees and feet that set her back.

“Alyssa has been a warrior.  She has fought through adversity with chronic injuries, but has never given up or complained,” said Mary Bowman, Associate Athletic Director at the U.

With her outstanding running career and an award–winning past outdoor track season, she is just as successful academically. Abbott has earned multiple conference student-athlete awards, academic all-conference honors and has been named to ESPN magazine’s Academic All-District Team.

“She has had success as a student athlete on the track as well as in the classroom. I will miss her contagious smile,” Bowman said.

Abbott will receive a degree in exercise sports science in May. She is currently interning at a senior center, and helping patients increase their physical activity. Still waiting to hear back on to where her new life will take her, Abbott’s leadership and success on the field will continue to carry over to new paths.

Again struggling with an injury, this time rehabbing a ligament in her knee, Abbot puts on a Utah uniform in her last season as a Ute. Her success continues to build throughout this spring season.

“She will graduate as one of the University of Utah’s most successful female track and cross country athletes as both a student and an athlete,” Kepler said.

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Pushing the envelope: college students set out to bring back handwritten letters

Posted on April 5, 2012 by comm5775

By KATIE HARRINGTON

In between cadaver labs and illustration classes, Carly Bartel — a biomedical illustration student at the Cleveland Institute of Art — sits on the floor of her Cleveland apartment with glue sticks, National Geographic magazines, cardstock, scissors and gel pens surrounding her.

She thumbs through the magazines to find photographs to collage and looks through books to find inspirational quotations.

Bartel, a 21-year-old Salt Lake City native, is making mail.

Carly Bartel explores Cleveland for an afternoon. Photo courtesy of Carly Bartel

“I think it’s sad that no one sends letters anymore because it’s so much more personal than a text message or an e-mail,” Bartel said. “People really appreciate when you take the time to say hello, or thank you or I miss you.”

Bartel and her friends at school started making mail last year as a way to revitalize the tradition of sending handwritten letters.

One autumn day, Bartel said, she opened her mailbox and a fancy and decorated envelope was sitting in the otherwise empty slot.

“I was just so excited,” Bartel said. “The envelope was hand-crafted and the note really spoke to me.”

Amber Esner, a 22-year-old illustration student at Cleveland Institute of Art, sent Bartel that piece of mail.

Esner said she started making mail because she was growing tired of impersonal communication that lacks any creativity.

“We e-mail, we send messages on Facebook, we text. But I think every time someone opens the mailbox and sees something beautiful waiting for them, they’re reminded that creativity and thoughtfulness really do matter,” Bartel said. “That’s something Amber and I are trying to remind everyone.”

In an age of digitized communication, the dying art of letter writing is not only being noticed at a Cleveland art school, but also in the guts of one of our government’s oldest agencies. As our society becomes increasingly engulfed by instant and impersonal communication, there are those who desperately crave the opposite.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) announced last November that it ended the fiscal year more than $5 billion in debt. Their year-end loss would have neared $10.6 billion had Congress not postponed a mandated payment of $5.5 billion to pre-fund retiree health benefits, the agency said.

“The continuing and inevitable electronic migration of first-class mail, which provides approximately 49 percent of our revenue, underscores the need to streamline our infrastructure and make changes to our business model,” said Joe Corbett, the agency’s Chief Financial Officer.

USPS reported in 2010 that its first-class mail volume was 78.2 billion pieces, compared to a reported 103.7 billion pieces in 2001. Similarly, 574,000 people were employed by USPS in 2010 compared to the 775,903 people employed in 2001—a number that steadily declines each year.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that overall mail volume decreased by 20 percent between 2006 and 2010, and that the agency expects to lose another 150 billion pieces by the year 2020.

“It’s easy for me to see that the mail system in this country is being undermined by our constant obsession to socially network or virtually connect,” Bartel said. “I think about how often I sent a text message or how much time I spend on Facebook. Having a relationship with someone via the Internet is so impersonal. It’s not really you communicating, it’s that virtual idea of you.”

Last fall, Esner created a book called “How To Send Mail” as a way to remind people that they can—and should—communicate personally.

The book went through the process of what types of paper one can use, how to build envelopes, what to include inside, and how to write something meaningful, Esner said.

The book was featured at an art gallery near the Cleveland Insitute of Art campus.  Hundreds of people saw the book on display and one of the college’s trustees purchased the book for her personal collection, Bartel said.

Bartel and Esner are not alone in calling out the current generation’s impersonal communication habits.

Stephen Elliot, creator and editor of the online culture magazine The Rumpus.net, launched a print subscription last month called “Letters in the Mail”. Elliot said subscribers receive a letter nearly every week from well-known authors like Dave Eggers and Janet Fitch.

“Think of it as the letters you used to get from your creative friends, before this whole internet/email thing,” Elliot wrote on the site. The letters are circulating to hundreds of mailboxes around the country, Elliot said.

Bartel said she hopes that mail making and letter writing will catch on around the country.

“Making this mail has kind of been a chain reaction. You realize how great it is getting something so thoughtful, and you want to send something back, and to other people. A bunch of us are doing it at school now. I hope this trend spreads outside the art scene here, and into communities everywhere.”

Hannah Harrington-Dunn, 16, received a letter from Bartel in the mail in early March.

The envelope was made of brown cardstock and a bird was perched next to the address. The card inside had green stitching on the cover that read “I love you” and the note inside donned Bartel’s elegant and swoopy handwriting.

“I was having a hard week,” Harrington-Dunn said. “But then I saw this pretty little piece of mail and I was just so content. I started tearing up when I read it and now I just want to save it forever.”

That kind of reaction makes all of her time creating the mail absolutely worth it, Bartel said.

“I feel so much more connected with those whom I care about. It’s my handwriting, and my time spent, and it’s a piece of myself that I give to someone else in order to say ‘I love you’.”

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From Mexico to Utah, a man gave his family freedom

Posted on March 29, 2012 by comm5775

A life buried to create another

LEWIS WALKER

What is a human being with no true place to call home? And what would it feel like to be abandoned by your own country and risk your life to create a better life for yourself.

“My job is not to be popular, It’s to do what’s right,” said Salt Lake City Police Chief, Chris Burbank. Utah, being one of the highest cities that hold refugees makes it a vulnerable situation for discrimination and racial profiling because they are not from this country, or state for that matter. “People are unaware of the rights they have in this country,” said Burbank.

Efron is a 45-year-old custodian at a Salt Lake County recreation center. He has seen and experienced many things in his life before crossing the border into a country that offered him a much healthier lifestyle. “Thirty years ago I was in Mexico where I was born, and had many horrible things happen to me and my family,” said Efron, whose name is being withheld to protect his identity. He said, at one point he had to sell cocaine to support his family after his mother was killed because of the troubles his father brought to the family. Wanting a much better life, Efron ran away from his home, trying desperately to cross the border and transform his life.

In January 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, there were nearly 11 million unauthorized residents living in the 50 states, which were approximately the same as 2009, but less than 11.8 million in 2007.

“The first time I tried to cross over to the U.S. I was 15, but I didn’t make it very far and bad things happened to me,” Efron said. In 2010 there were 0.7 million unauthorized citizens in the U.S. that were 18 and younger, which is where Efron would have been if he made it the first time. Instead many years later, when he finally made it to the U.S. he joined the highest amount of Immigrants from the DHS source of 2.3 million men of the age’s 25-34-years old.

“Discrimination and racial profiling is not the way to solve this problem,” Burbank said. “The number one goal is to protect the constitutional right of every individual.”  Burbank was very into protecting the individual rights of people as he talked to a journalism class at the University of Utah.

Efron, although has admitted to doing a lot of illegal things just to gain possession of a green card and become a citizen of the United States, would not trade any of the hardship he went through to get to this point of time in his life. “Now that I have made it to a better place, I do not look back at all,” said Efron. Happy to have finally buried his past and created a better one for his children, Efron is happy where his hard work and faith has landed him. “I gave my children freedom that I didn’t have, I had to force myself out of fear to allow them to have a life they can enjoy and I am happy with that,” Efron said.

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Millions spent in Utah state prison for illegal immigrants.

Posted on March 29, 2012 by comm5775

Utah illegal immigration issue in the works                                                                                                                                   by MCKENZIE DEAN

With the issue of illegal immigration vastly growing, Utah is taking action to make a better situation out of a sticky one for every person that resides in the Beehive State.

As of most recent, Bloomberg Business Week, reported in its Feb. 23 issue, the state of Utah spends eight million dollars a year to keep nearly 300 illegal immigrants in prison. In addition, the state spends $55 million on undocumented children’s education.

Like Utah, the rest of America continues to pay costs associated with illegal immigration, as courts and the federal government continue to wrestle with the issue.

In 1994, Congress’ established the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). With good intentions, the government established a trilateral trade bloc among the United States, Canada and Mexico. Since its creation, some critics argue, NAFTA has backfired and developed into a large contributor towards illegal immigration.

“Ninety percent of trade that happened through the agreement were drugs. In addition, it lowered the amount of patrolling between the borders, allowing many undocumented people to come to the U.S,” said Scott Haskell, West Jordan Utah Police force. “It is an agreement that backfired on us and has been a large contributor towards the mass amount of illegal immigrants living in America currently.”

That in mind, the government allowed more than intended to effect America and the issue of illegal immigration to vastly grow.

Here within the state of Utah, it has been an issue that has caught national attention. A Utah law in which police were required to verify immigration status of victims of a felony, is actually violating the United States Constitution.

“Racial Profiling is committed too much and we need to allow it not to happen,” said Salt Lake City Chief Chris Burbank. “A different tone needs to be set.”

Simply asking undocumented immigrants for personal information interferes with how the government pursues its priorities in federal law enforcement.

With the knowledge that there is no way to completely stop illegal immigration, there are numerous ways the judicial system can improve the situation, some say.

“Working to become legal is the biggest and best step that immigrants can do. The ability to earn a work visa will also prevent enforcement issues from continuing as much as they do,” said Rick Marshall, Nye County, Nev., Assistant Sheriff.

Nye County, which is located in rural Nevada, has taken positive steps toward addressing illegal immigration.

A woman in the county had entered the United States illegally.  While she was growing up, her parents worked to gain legal status. She had earned her work visa, become a U.S citizen and later graduated from the Nye County Police Academy to join the Nye County Sheriff’s police force with Marshall.

Situations like these are what need to occur more often. People are not aware of their right and things to do in order to gain citizenship, noted Marshall.

“There is definitely a need for more understanding towards every citizen here,” Burbank said. “It would be a failure of our system if we allow a person to become victimized without their own understanding of what is to be justifiably right.”

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Salt Lake City police chief, Utah representatives combat new immigration laws

Posted on March 29, 2012 by comm5775

by JAVAN RIVERA

What would you say if you saw the police carting off your neighbor? His only crime is that he hasn’t waded through the years of paperwork and processing in order to obtain legal citizenship in the U.S. What about a friend who gets pulled over and asked for immigration papers or proof of citizenship solely because of her skin color? Would you step up and say something then? Or by then would it already be too late?

These are the questions Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank is asking, as he fires yet another salvo in the ever increasing debate over illegal immigration in the state of Utah.

Burbank, whose infamously lenient take on illegal immigration has earned him the nickname “Sanctuary Burbank,” from opponents, said that the current proposed “solutions” for illegal immigration in Utah represent a serious threat to the civil liberties of U.S. citizens and could actually increase the crime rate of Utah should they be enacted.

“These are ridiculous laws,” Burbank said of proposed immigration laws similar to those passed in Arizona.

Arizona’s SB 1070 require police officers to actively check immigration status during legal stops, and require all aliens, legal or otherwise, to carry proper documentation of their citizenship at all times. Failure to do so could result in a misdemeanor charge.

“Any time we as a society can say one segment of our population—because of who they are, what they look like, the language they speak—is more engaged in criminal behavior [as a result]. Well that’s as racist and biased as anything I’ve ever heard,” Burbank said.

Burbank said that he believes by creating laws that target illegal immigrants, Utah will create significant problems for the community on two levels—crime increase, and the all too slippery slope of racial profiling.

“You actually increase crime when you enforce these kinds of laws,” Burbank said.

He cited the formation of the Italian Mafia as an example of racially specific profiling leading to increased crime, saying that due to the shunning of the Italian people on the East Coast, they began to look to each other for support and eventually turned to crime as an alternative to pursuing legal jobs outside of their own community.

One of Burbank’s main concerns with the proposed laws, is that the threatened deportation of illegal immigrants increases the likelihood those immigrants won’t feel comfortable reporting crimes to the police for fear of calling deportation down on themselves.

“When we have a segment of society that turns their back or says ‘We’re not going to interact with the police,’” Burbank said. “Well, the criminal element thrives.”

The other great threat Burbank believes these laws represent is that of selective racial profiling.

“We are a very effective form of oppression,” Burbank said of the dangers associated with racial profiling. “Those things [profiling] are wrong and it’s my job to prevent that from happening in my profession. I will not allow my officers to be involved in that behavior.”

Burbank isn’t the only one interested in seeing Utah’s illegal immigration status solved through non-aggressive legislation. State Rep. Rebecca Edwards, R-North Salt Lake, also stated concerns similar to Burbank’s regarding an increase in crime, should these laws be enacted.

“I think that [Burbank’s view] is probably true,” Edwards said. “I’ve talked to people in law enforcement who believe that it [immigration laws] would drive people who might report crime underground.”

Not only did Edwards express concerns regarding a possible increase in crime, but also the potentially disastrous effect such laws could have on Utah’s economy, citing the numerous illegal immigrants who help maintain Utah’s farmland.

“They [immigration laws] in the end are not realistic because of the devastation to the economy and tearing families apart,” Edwards said. “If people are going to be here anyway, let’s help them to be responsible.”

Of course not everyone is satisfied with Utah’s current policies on illegal immigration such as HB116, which passed last year, allowing illegal immigrants who fulfill certain requirements to obtain jobs and in-state tuition at Utah’s public colleges and universities.

State Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo, is particularly adamant about the problems that illegal immigration is causing for those waiting to immigrate to the U.S. legally.

“By us tolerating illegal immigration, we are hurting those who are waiting up to 20 years for legal immigration,” Herrod said. “Where is the compassion for those who are waiting in line? Nobody is talking about those individuals.”

Herrod, who has a number of legal immigrants in his family, including his wife, a native of Russia, supports the proposed laws that would crack down on illegal immigration. He believes that by acting as what he calls a “sanctuary state,” Utah is hurting legal immigrants as much as, if not more than, the illegals who come into the state.

“As a sanctuary state, what we’re saying is that we love illegal immigrants more than we do legal immigrants,” Herrod said. “That’s, to me, simply warped.”

With the gulf of opinion regarding illegal immigration widening with each new approach, there is at least one thing both sides of the issue agree on—obtaining legal citizenship should be easier.

“We ought to be about making the process of legal immigration easier,” Rep. Edwards said. “Right now it’s onerous, expensive, and time-consuming.”

In the end, it’s hard to say which side of the argument is correct, or if a proper solution can ever truly be enacted. According to Edwards, the problem can merely be managed and will ultimately be solved only if the government gets involved at a federal level.

“States are attempting to solve this in their own ways, but in the end it’s a federal problem,” Edwards said. “We can deal with people once they’re here in our state, but the issue of immigration is a federal one.”

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