South Jordan Journal | December 2021

December 2021 | Vol. 8 Iss. 12

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LOCAL ‘PRINCESS’ TEACHES FRIENDSHIP, INCLUSION AND AFFIRMATION

By Karmel Harper | k.harper@mycityjournals.com

W

hen South Jordan’s Cindy Chia, who is Malaysian Chinese, took her then 2-year-old daughter, Maya, to Disney On Ice last year, Maya was upset that the show did not include Mulan, the Chinese heroine who saves her country.

“So I lodged a complaint to Disney and I was still not hopeful.

But surprisingly this year there was a whole segment for Mulan!

Maya was so thrilled! My mom and I were in tears because it’s very rare that we get represented in such a big production like that,” Chia said.

Although heroines of color were rare in the early decades of Disney, recently more and more productions feature strong women of various ethnicities. As more of these princesses of color have become popular, the demand for character actors to play them has also increased, which is why Allegra-Bree Moreno stays quite busy appearing at various events and parties as Princess Jasmine, Raya, and Moana, among other characters.

With an extensive background in musical theater, acting, and modeling, Moreno began her “princess” career in March of 2021 when she answered a casting call for the role of Jasmine. While Jasmine was rarely booked at the time, once Moreno took over the role, Jasmine bookings increased significantly, a testament not only to her talent of playing the role well, but also her gift for connecting with children. From there, her roles expanded to Moana, Elena of Avalor, and Raya. In addition to Disney characters, Moreno also plays villains, super heroes, and science fiction characters. Most of Continued page 9 Moreno’s Princess Jasmine revives the classic 1990s character for a new generation. (Photo by Luminosity Photography.)

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American Heritage welcomes the holidays with Winterfest

By Rachel Aubrey | r.aubrey@mycityjournals.com

A

merican Heritage of South Jordan hosted Winterfest on Nov. 5 from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Sponsored by the parent association, Winterfest featured games, crafts, vendors and food trucks for families and community members. Also in attendance were Santa and Mrs. Claus, who were available for picture taking with eager attendees.

The event was organized in part to raise funds for the school, and has typically been held earlier in the fall season. This year, president of the parent association, Amy Atkinson, said she wanted to create a “Hallmark” holiday experience, a jump-start to the holiday season.

“Once the lights came on, it gave you that holiday feel,” Atkinson said.

In addition to vendors, a silent auction was held with items such as gift baskets filled with toys and novelties all the way up to ornately decorated Christmas trees.

Upon entry, participants could purchase a punch card for $10 that would allow the recipient to participate in activities such as face painting, holiday picture frame decorating, cookie decorating, s’more making, a movie and popcorn, and fishing for prizes game in which the fishing hook was cast and was reeled up to reveal a prize. Atkinson said she borrowed the idea of the punch card system from Cornbelly’s in Lehi. Attached to the punch card was a clear plastic bag for the kids to hold their creations in.

“The parent association at our school is great at getting things together,” AH Board member Scotti Hansen said.

Hansen, the curriculum director on campus, works closely with the National Honor Society officers at AH. Her students were in charge of helping participants with the popular nerf gun shoot, s’mores making and face painting.

“The kids worked really hard and stayed

ournals

Left: Santa and Mrs. Claus added additional holiday magic to Winterfest and were available throughout the event for picture taking (Photo courtesy of American Heritage).

Right: Students of American Heritage helped to paint faces which only cost participants one stamp of their punch card (Photo courtesy of American Heritage).

the whole time, and kept to their job,” Hansen said.

There were donuts, cookies and hot chocolate available for a small fee and if that wasn’t enough, an abundance of food trucks for all the different taste buds. Shoppers could enjoy bites from Fry me to the Moon, Waffle Love, South of the Border Tacos, World’s Best Corn Dogs, Strippin’ Dippin’ Chicken and Senor Obleas, while they shopped the vendors available.

Some of the vendors included local business owners such as Michelle Manwaring of Wild Ginger, who creates customized gift

baskets. Artic Crunch offered their freezedried treats in all the flavors and varieties such as Skittles, Starburts, and the ever-popular FatBoy ice cream sandwiches, all freeze dried and ready to be given as a sweet gift.

One of the vendors was local business owner Michelle Manwaring of Wild Ginger, who provided seven baskets for the silent auction. Manwaring, also a parent of a fifth grader at AHSJ, said she is encouraged by the parent association and all the volunteer efforts that school provides.

“Each family is asked to volunteer for 20 hours for each school year,” Manwaring

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said. “Parent involvement is key to making the school run.”

Wild Ginger is known to create custom gift baskets as well as flax pax, a pillow filled with flax seed that can be microwaved and used to put against sore muscles.

The money raised from Winterfest will be put to good use as the school’s dance team anticipates a trip to Hawaii to perform at Pearl Harbor. Atkinson, who is in her first year as president of the parent association, said she is gearing up for another winter time festival next year, and already proposed the potential date to the administration.l

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Aspen Elementary students get hands-on approach to learning robotics, STEM activities

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

W

hen Aspen Elementary student Ryan Shith attended his STEM class, he was in control of a dash robot.

“I can make it go forward and backward,” said the fourth-grade student who likes to fix his own bike and may want an engineering career when he’s older. “I’ve never done this before, but it’s pretty easy and fun.”

Fourth-grader Kanyon Niehaus raced his robot against a classmate.

“The robot can talk, blink and smile besides move and change colors,” he said.

Other students took turns controlling the robots on iPads as they followed lines, curves, under table legs, through arches made by their classmates and Principal Suzie Williams, and whatever course the students and their STEM coordinator Sharon Smith created.

“I absolutely have the coolest job,” said Smith, who after retiring from her human resources position, heard the new school was looking for staff and asked how she could help. “I’m having so much fun with the kids. This has given me a chance to learn. Every idea for me is a new idea and the students are excited to learn.”

On a regular rotation, Smith, who co-teaches with Rebecca Najera, checks out one of 49 different tools from robots to creative links through Jordan School District. Robots total 918 and then, 120 iPads to use to run them, said District STEM and computer science consultant Kami Taylor.

“We’ve spent about $300,000 on

the robots and iPads in the last two years,” said Taylor. By the District having the supply, it saves on resources and allows schools to have more variety than if they were to only purchase one or two STEM tools. “When kids from last year are seeing robots again this year, they have that retention on how to use them. Now, they’re pushing it further and engaging, trying new things.”

The funding for the STEM tools comes from three grants, state computing partnership and computer science grants as well as an Adobe grant for technology, she said.

Before the school year begins, Taylor trained STEM coordinators for weeks showing them how to use the resources.

“I’ve brought in those teaching, like Sharon, to learn how to use the tools so they will actually enjoy it with their kids. I’ve really made a concerted effort to get these resources into the elementary schools to make sure that every single student in Jordan has access to this technology,” Taylor said, adding that the STEM coordinators continue to meet monthly and have shared ideas on the Canvas online learning platform.

Taylor said that the first few times students look at activities, such as robots, they will learn how to make it work, put it together or make it go along a straight line.

“Then, we will collectively keep them moving forward. By the time they get to fifth and sixth grades, they are doing real coding and not just moving a robot around, but actually impacting

and problem-solving,” she said. “Right now, we have 28 elementaries that are participating, but my goal is to have all 43 on the rotation. I’m also training our middle school and high school teachers to offer a more rigorous, robust curriculum.”

At Aspen, students rotate into the STEM classroom for 45 minutes.

“We’ll be doing some hands-on experiences, building a catapult, erecting a bridge out of popsicle sticks and pasta, making a roller coaster model, creating the best paper-tube towers and doing all sorts of creative play and engineering and even programming this fall,” Smith said. “It’s a fun learning format for kids and we have the attitude that ‘you can do it’ and ‘we don’t give up, but we try again’ in our STEM classroom.”

While currently students were working on challenges with dash robots, Kanyon said, “We’ve done some other fun things too. I liked having a playing a banana like a piano,” a reference to using a Makey-Makey, an electronic STEM kit that allows kids to connect everyday objects to a circuit board that is then connected to a computer..

“Or using a potato to make electricity,” Ryan added remembering how the vegetable battery helped produce energy.

Williams, their principal, appreciates this hands-on STEM learning.

“They’re learning about technology, robotics, and programming and coding,” she said. “This is what makes school fun.” l

Left: Aspen Elementary STEM coordinator Sharon Smith and students have fun while trying out dash robots, one of 49 different STEM tools available from Jordan School District. Right: Aspen Elementary students create obstacles for dash robots, which are controlled by their classmates using iPads. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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December 2021 | Page 5

Salt Lake County giving residents opportunity test out lifeguarding

By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

S

alt Lake County Parks and Recreation is hosting a “Just-Try-It: Lifeguarding” for those ages 14 and up from 3 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the Dimple Dell Recreation Center (10670 S. 1000 East) in Sandy.

“Being a lifeguard was something I always wanted to do and, as a teen, my dreams came true when I was hired by Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation,” said Amber Milne, recreation manager at Fairmont Aquatic Center, in a press release. “I worked as a lifeguard during high school and while in college. Now, 20 years later, I’ve made a career out of doing what I love while serving the community.”

The parks and recreation department held the same two-hour event on Nov. 20 at the Northwest Recreation Center in Salt Lake City. It’s aimed to give anyone interested the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be a lifeguard.

According the press release, individuals will “try lifeguard skills and activities, shadow a lifeguard, talk with lifeguards and management about the duties and responsibilities of the position, play some pool games, and apply for a great and fun job.”

It is part of the county’s efforts to fill lifeguard positions through employment benefits described as “paid training, flexible hours, great coworkers, professional development,

Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation is hosting a “Just-Try-It: Lifeguarding” for those ages 14 and up. (File photo courtesy Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center)

and pay up to $16/hour depending on experience, position, and shift. Hired individuals will work at recreation centers throughout the county.”

Parks and Recreation is also offering surge pay to cover harder-to-fill shifts, Monday

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This comes after a summer when the county was also facing a shortage in lifeguards.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a

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Individuals interested in applying for a lifeguard or swim instructor position may apply at bit.ly/slcoguard. l

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S outh Jordan City Journal

Mayor Ramsey wins second term, two incumbent councilmen run unopposed

By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

T

he dais at South Jordan City Council meetings will look familiar in 2022 as all three incumbents return after winning re-election in November.

While Councilmen Don Shelton and Jason McGuire ran unopposed, Mayor Dawn Ramsey defeated her challenger, Stone Fonua, winning 92% of the vote.

Ramsey summed up her feelings on winning another four years in office with one word: humbling.

“I appreciate the trust that our residents are placing in me and the rest of our city council to try to represent them the very best we can,” Ramsey told the South Jordan Journal. “I appreciate the overwhelming level of support.

So many, many people reached out offering, expressing their support, and it means more than people will ever know.”

Ramsey was quick to credit those around her at every level for the large margin of victory, noting voters saw the great efforts from people who work for the city—whether it was her, the council, city staff or residents.

“It’s because I’m surrounded by good people who work really hard,” she said. “That’s why South Jordan is so awesome.”

From the past four years Ramsey highlighted various successes both her and the city enjoyed such as the over $100 million they’ve obtained in infrastructure funding, saving Mulligans, and finishing the 10400 South and Bangerter interchange.

“It’s taken a lot of effort by everyone at the city, but I’m proud of the role I’ve played,” she said.

South Jordan was also the first city in Utah to receive the Ethical Leadership in Government award. The city will also own 50% of the in-development Bingham Creek Regional Park.

“Making sure that, as we continue to grow, we have lots of beautiful, plentiful open space with trails and connectivity,” Ramsey said. “That’s really important and something I intend to continue working hard on the next four years.”

Ramsey also pointed to the prescient water reuse pilot project they started a few years ago that looks at ways for the city to not be dependent on buying all its water. A project for which city leadership even received an award from then-Gov. Gary Herbert.

“We’re really trying to look down the line to ensure that the residents of South Jordan have the water that they need and for generations to come,” she said.

Perhaps most importantly, the mayor serves on multiple boards, commissions and committees, ensuring South Jordan has “a seat at every table” where decisions are made that affect the city.

“That was one of the things I promised four years ago was to make sure South Jordan

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

(Left to right) Jason McGuire, Dawn Ramsey and Don Shelton were all re-elected in the November election.

(Photo courtesy South Jordan City)

had a seat at every table, and we do,” Ramsey said, noting those seats aren’t automatic, “they had to be earned.”

Ramsey serves as president of the Jordan Education Foundation, is the representative for local government on the Utah Economic Opportunities Commission and was recently selected by her peers to be the president of the Utah League of Cities and Towns. And those are just a few.

“It’s all to do what I can to bring opportunities to South Jordan,” Ramsey said.

Though Ramsey is “very proud” of what the city’s accomplished over the last four years, her unyielding energy means she has a healthy list of goals for term No. 2. Some of which means continuing to build on the foundations established since 2017.

Whether that’s creating and maintaining open space, developing the water program or working with the Larry H. Miller group on the town center planned for Daybreak.

“That’s really high on the priority list too,” she said of the town center. “Because if we can get that right, that will be a significant amenity in a significant area that can benefit all of us in the city in big ways.”

Funding for infrastructure is also one of Ramsey’s major priorities, notably transportation to extend Mountain View Corridor to eventually widen that road as well as Bacchus Highway along with finishing the 9800 South interchange.

“There are so many big things that we’re working on and I appreciate the chance to keep working on them because I’d like to be here to see them to completion,” she said.

As for a third term? Ramsey hasn’t given it much thought, too concentrated on the future of South Jordan.

“All of my long-term vision is focused on what this city will look like in the future and the best things we can plan and imple-

ment so that we stay ahead of the growth,” she said when asked about a third term. “I haven’t even thought about that yet.”

District 3 Councilman Don Shelton will enter his third term running unopposed for the first time after successful campaigns in 2013, defeating the incumbent Brian Butters, and 2017, defeating challenger Julie Holbrook.

Shelton noted while running unopposed was “far less stressful” than past campaigns, it also “felt wrong.”

“While I appreciate that things are going well in South Jordan, I also believe a contested campaign can bring issues to the surface that helps make the city better,” he said.

Shelton is part of a seasoned council with every councilmember either entering their second term or having served at least two terms. For Shelton, his previous two terms has taught him “how to get things done at the city level and how to influence things at the county and state level.”

“I appreciate the collaboration needed to bring about positive outcomes for our current and future residents,” said Shelton, whose district covers the northwest/western portion of the city.

Councilman Jason McGuire also ran unopposed, winning a second term after his victory in 2017 when he fought off Sandra Kay Kirkendoll in District 5, the centrally-located portion of the city.

McGuire, along with Shelton and Ramsey make up a body of elected officials who had four years together, and will serve another four years.

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, and it’s definitely we, not just me,” Ramsey said. “I’m proud of the role I’ve played. It’s been more work than anyone will ever know, I’ve given it the best of what I have to offer and I’m proud of what that’s turned into.” l

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ICYMI: Google fiber coming to South Jordan

By City Journals staff

G

oogle is coming to a street near you.

The South Jordan City Council passed a resolution in early October that will allow Google Fiber to install network facilities in the city.

“We’re excited to have another internet provider here in South Jordan,” said Mayor Dawn Ramsey in a press release. “Our residents and businesses have asked for more choices, and our City Council is happy to do its part to make that happen.”

Starting in 2022, Google Fiber Utah will begin installing fiber along roads throughout South Jordan.

“We’re continuing to grow our network across the Wasatch Front,” said Jacob Brace, Google Fiber Government and Community Affairs Manager, in the press release. “We look forward to connecting South Jordan residents to fast, reliable internet and expect to start offering service in some areas in early 2022.”

Google Fiber began creating their buildout plan and planned to notify residents and businesses before work begins in their area and when broadband internet service would be available.

“Google Fiber will work to reduce the disruption and impact to our residents by using smaller trenches,” said South Jordan

City Public Information Officer Rachael Van Cleave.

In order to implement Google Fiber in the city, a fiber ring needs to be placed around the city, one of the company’s main build accomplishments. Part of the process includes identifying where utilities and telecom lines are located to not disrupt existing lines.

Brace told the City Journals in 2016 that working with a city and its residents is essential to minimize construction impact on the area’s infrastructure.

“It’s a partnership to coordinate the efforts so we can come in as quickly as possible, building out a quality network with the least amount of construction,” Brace said at the time.

The South Jordan announcement makes it just the next city in line to get Google Fiber this year after South Salt Lake, Taylorsville and Sandy all announced the hi-speed internet provider would begin installation soon.

South Salt Lake was part of the extension process as Google Fiber started in Salt Lake City, before moving onto Millcreek in 2020. Provo was the first city to receive Google Fiber.

As for South Jordan, city officials will release more updates as they become available. l

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S outh Jordan City Journal

Continued from front page her bookings come from word-of-mouth recommendations.

Chia, who recently moved from Herriman to Daybreak, celebrated her daughter Maya’s 3rd birthday by inviting Moreno to play Moana. Moreno, as Moana, paddle-boarded across Oquirrh Lake to greet an excited group of tots in front of Chia’s new home. Chia said Moreno “was patient, caring, and engaging to make sure my daughter had the best 3rd birthday.”

“It makes me feel good that they had a great experience with how we have been trained, the costuming we use, the wig quality, how we handle ourselves at a party and how we interact with children. A lot of people think it’s just dress up and cosplay. But when you have to be fully immersed in the role, it’s an entirely different skill because you have to create magic for the kids,” Moreno said.

As a person of mixed race including Cuban, West African/ Haitian, Chinese, Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, British, Scandinavian, and Filipino, Moreno and the three character companies she works for are passionate and proactive about representation and transcendent casting, the practice of casting people of color in traditionally white-cast roles. Moreno has had opportunities to play Belle and Cinderella, giving children the experience of interacting with favorite princesses who look like them.

“In this industry there are a lot of problems with colorism and racism and I have been fortunate to have found a community of people who do really care about these issues and strive to understand and become educated,” Moreno said.

When Moreno first started playing Jasmine she experienced the previous “white-washing” of Jasmine at a birthday party when one of the little girls showed her a Jasmine doll.

“She held her doll next to me and she said, ‘I didn’t know you really were brown. You are so pretty,’” Moreno said.

Moreno’s personal experience as a minority and a child

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

who was bullied growing up has given her the dedication to empower children who feel “othered” and seek belonging. When she first arrives at an event, she seeks the outliers and shy kids who feel like they don’t fit in.

“I recognize them because that was me. I approach them first before I interact with the other kids and I try to talk to them, relate to them, and personally invite them to join in. The child thinks, ‘Wow, Jasmine thought I was cool enough to talk to and be her friend.’ When it’s a kid that talks to you, well cool, you have made a new friend. When it’s another adult, you think they have to do that. But when it’s your HERO right in front of you, it gives you confidence for the rest of your life. I want to give them at least one memory that builds them up to draw on - especially when they need it the most,” Moreno said.

And indeed, there is power in that. In a time when the Department of Justice recently delivered a scathing report about racism in the Davis School District followed by a 10-year-old North Salt Lake child taking her own life due to bullying because of her autism and skin color, teaching simple kindness and acceptance is more important than ever before. Perhaps what we truly need are more princesses and more super heroes to literally save lives.

“I always tell kids when they’re down on themselves...I’ll ask, ‘Are you royal too?’ Of course they will first answer ‘No.’ But then I ask, ‘Are you loyal to your friends and family? Are you kind? Are you brave?’ Are you a good friend? Do you stand up for those who need help?’ And when they can answer ‘yes,’ they realize, ‘I AM royal. I can make a difference,’” Moreno said, But Moreno said we don’t have to be dressed up in tiaras and capes to lift children up. We just need to accept and love them exactly as they are. If you would like to hire Moreno for your next party or event, visit www.charactersandcrowns.com, www.characterbooking.com, or www.

Moreno’s Raya, the Southeast Asian warrior from “Raya and the Last Dragon,” appeals to her Filipino heritage.( Photo by Ashley’s Flashy Photos.)

yourfairygodmotherutah.com. Moreno also volunteers as Wonder Woman with the Legacy Initiative Cosplay organization which sends super heroes to children’s hospitals and other events for hope and healing. l

December 2021 | Page 9

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Hats are just the tip of the iceberg of new school dress code

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

F

or the first time in decades, Jordan School District’s dress code has been updated. Specific lists of prohibited clothing and ambiguous language such as “wellgroomed” and “modest” have been removed from the policy wording. The new policy gives more autonomy to school administrators to make specific decisions for their own student bodies. Included is a graphic that simplifies standards so that students, parents and administrators can easily identify if an outfit is compliant and how to adjust it if it is not.

A district committee, headed by Student Services Director Travis This graphic illustrates general dress standards for Jordan School District Hamblin, spent over a students. (Photo courtesy of Jordan School District.) year reviewing school dress code policies from around the country. The things that supersede how a kid’s dressed.” pandemic delayed the process, but finally, afJordan Board of Education President ter receiving substantial feedback from par- Tracy Miller said the catalyst for the upents, students and educators, the new policy date of the policy was to make it more was approved Oct. 26 and went into effect gender neutral and more culturally sensiimmediately. tive. The dress code is part of the Student The next day, students responded to the Code of Conduct policy, which has also news by wearing hats and flipping their hood- been revised to remove the zero-tolerance ies onto their heads, since the new policy no responses and punitive consequences for longer prohibits hats. Extreme hairstyles, student behavior, including dress code viincluding hair color, are also no longer spe- olations. cifically prohibited. Some of the specific ex“What we sought to do is avoid preclusions listed in the old code, which was scriptive enforcement to focus on learning written in 1974, were from the post-Viet- and relationships and to reduce out-of-class nam era and based on the cultural norms of time,” Hamblin said. The new policy prothe majority culture. vides greater flexibility by not specifically “The policy was written back when listing types of clothing not allowed or reeverybody dressed a whole lot differently quiring specific measurements of clothing. than how they dress now,” said Yan’tu BarBarber believes it will take time for adber, District Diversity and Culture Special- ministrators to decide what works best for ist and member of the Jordan Ethnic Ad- their student body and then ensure consistent visory Committee. He said the old policy enforcement among staff members. was problematic for students who wore, “The enforcement of it will ultimately for example, baggy pants or a “Boyz in the indicate if it’s a better policy or not,” Barber Hood” movie T-shirt which was acceptable said. “If some of our kids of different cultural within their culture but cause for being re- backgrounds are still getting dress code [viomoved from class at school. lations], maybe at a higher clip, or for some“We don’t want our kids being sent thing that is maybe pertaining to their culture, down on dress code infractions when it’s then that would be more informative for us to not even a dress code infraction,’’ Barber see if the dress code is really being as effecsaid. He said when he was a teacher, he was tive as the new policy is written.” not worried about what a kid was wearing.

The Jordan Ethnic Advisory Committee “I’m not worried about that, I’m wor- is currently trying to revise the graduation ried about if the kid is sitting in the class- dress code to allow graduates to wear culturroom, that they’re getting the content that al decorations, such as leis and national flags, I’m teaching,” he said. “Those are the during their graduation ceremony. l

S outh Jordan City Journal

Students from the afternoon classes show off their designs. (Photo courtesy of Shannon Mechling.)

Tech students are so talented, it’s scary

S

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

tudents impressed their peers, instructors and judges at Jordan Academy of Technology and Careers annual hair and nail design competition. Held Oct. 28, the theme was “Fall Fantasy.” Students teamed up to style models as characters such as Edward Scissorhands, Cruella DeVille, evil clowns and autumn fairies, using the techniques and design skills they’ve learned in their nail tech, hair design and barbering classes at JATC. Nail tech instructor Shannon Mechling said nail designers participate in industry competitions regularly as a way to get noticed. “The way to get known is to go outside the parameters,” Mechling said, so she encourages her students to be as creative as they can be.

“It’s a lot of pressure for them but it pushes them outside of their box of comfort,” she said. “I just think it’s a lot of fun.”

The theme was broad enough that some groups chose to style characters from Halloween movies while others interpreted the theme with characters such as an autumn fairy or Medusa.

Angeles Garcia, a senior at Copper Hills High School, was inspired by the Day of the Dead holiday, which she loves celebrating with her family each year. Her team created a model with candy skull make-up and hair styled with braids, victory rolls and colorful flowers. Garcia used meaningful designs on the nails, including a sculpted cross necklace.

Logan Carpenter created patterns on her model’s nails inspired by the patchwork dress of Sally and other characters from the movie “Nightmare Before Christmas.”

“You can do anything on nails,” Carpenter said. She used the 3D sculpting techniques she’d recently learned in class. “It was

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

fun to learn and see it come to life,” she said.

Hair design and barbering instructor Dacia Peterson proudly watched her students creatively apply the skills they’ve learned in class—up-dos, hair additives and special occasion design techniques.

Addi Perry, Cambria Young and Emma Harmon worked together to create Medusa, using bobby pins, hairspray, wire and teasing techniques to create a wild head of snakes on Harmon’s head.

“They told us the bigger the better, so we thought of all the characters with big hair,” Young said.

Most of the students in the competition are in their first semester of classes, only onefourth of the way through their programs.

Barbering and hair design students acquire 1,200 hours of experience in the two year program, which prepares them for state board testing.

Nail and hair students practice their skills on each other during class. After school, their services are available to the public by appointment. To schedule nail services, call 801-412-1325 or 801-412-1316. For hair salon services, call 801-412-1311.

Riverton High School CTE coordinator Gayle Whitefield said the classes offered at the two JATC campuses prepare students for careers right out of high school, many of which are in high demand. She wants students and parents to know that there are a lot of good jobs that don’t require a degree. She said that many of the JATC classes are a great fit for students who learn best through handson experiences or are curious about their career options.

“It opens doors to careers that they may not be aware of,” Whitefield said. l

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Former NBA coach hosts basketball camp

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

Former NBA coach Barry Hecker has been hosting basketball camps for more than 40 years. (Catherine Garrett/City Journals)

U

tah native Barry Hecker, who coached in the NBA for more than two decades, continues to teach the game of basketball to young players. During the winter holidays, he will host a camp Dec. 27-29 from 9-11 a.m. at the Sandy Recreation Center, located at 440 E. 8680 South for boys and girls in grades fourth through seventh.

“These camps are all about the basic fundamentals of basketball,” Hecker said.

“We focus on quality fundamental instruction, we work hard with a lot of discipline and structure and we have a lot of fun. When these kids walk out of there, they know they’ve been taught and improved.”

The cost of the camp is $75. Registrations are open online by visiting www.sandy. utah.gov/registration and clicking on “Activity Registration.”

The veteran coach, who lives in Murray, said the values he has learned from his basketball coaching journey—beginning at Oxon Hill High School in Maryland and spanning through Salt Lake Community College and stints with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies—are invaluable. Being able to share those principles of hard work, teamwork, unselfishness and persistence, along with the physical skills of the game itself, with others thrills him.

“I don’t care who I coach or when I coach,” Hecker, who has worked with current Jazz players Mike Conley and Rudy Gay, said. “I simply enjoy teaching the game. It’s great to see a smile on someone’s face as they experience success. If you help somebody, you’ll be somebody.”

Hecker has conducted clinics all over the world for more than 40 years, including many since his retirement from coaching

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

in the NBA. He said he particularly enjoys working with the youth.

“If you teach skills, that leads to confidence and that confidence can allow anyone to do anything they want,” he said. “I

have more fun with young kids than with the pros. In the NBA, you have guys who are making millions and they don’t listen.

These kids are making nothing and they’ll listen to you.” l

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801.254.5974 December 2021 | Page 13

WJ officials researching potential petting zoo at Veterans Memorial Park

By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

A

petting zoo could potentially set up its hay barrels at Veterans Memorial Park in West Jordan.

After a majority of the West Jordan City Council signaled interest, city staff were directed to research a petting zoo’s feasibility.

The idea, initially brought forward in August and revisited in October, comes from Councilman David Pack, who suggested a discussion about changing city code to allow farm animals for a petting zoo at the city’s primary park.

Pack pointed out during an October work

meeting that The Farm at Gardner Village is moving, and would like to keep the amenity in the city.

“This is a good draw for our city and community,” he said. “And I’d hate to lose this 501(c)(3) animal rescue. It seems like this blends well with the historical nature of West Jordan.”

Pack added the city could use more amenities, and having this farm located near the West Jordan Historical Museum (located just off 7800 South on the north side of the park) could be “a destination draw” that could “revi-

talize this area to safeguard our history.”

“It’s recreational, it’s educational, it’s history,” Pack said. “It’d be a good draw for families in our city, and also out of our city, to come learn more about West Jordan. Hopefully that in turn breeds more growth. Seems like a win-win.”

Councilmembers were interested and liked the idea, but the —along with city staff— had questions about liability, protection for the animals, costs, who is responsible for those costs, odors and proximity to major roadways among other things.

Assistant City Attorney Duncan Murray said because it’s public property, it brings multiple issues into effect.

“There’s a lot more issues at play here than even the ones brought up tonight that we’d have to analyze first for you as a council to make a fully informed decision,” Murray said.

City officials also noted the corner of the park in question sees many Pokemon Go players congregate, making it one of the highest visited areas of the park.

The Farm at Gardner Village’s owner, Russ Murdock (but commonly known as Farmer Gil), assured city officials there is federal grant funding available for facilities and would have security on site 24/7 and fencing around the property. Many of their animals are rescued, and Murdock wants to keep them from falling into bad situations, he said.

Murdock explained their rent doubled last year and are looking for more space. “West Jordan’s been good to us; we’d like to stay here and be part of this community,” Murdock said.

Museum officials said the area to the east of their building is utilized for pumpkin walks in the fall and during baseball season, parking becomes an issue.

For Councilman Kelvin Green, who likes the petting-zoo idea, the issue helps address a wider problem he would like to see fixed: the city’s facility use policy.

Green said they have events going on city property such as parks and parking lots regularly that aren’t addressed in the city’s policies.

“I’m suggesting the facility use piece of this is actually a bigger issue we need to address holistically, not just for a potential petting zoo,” he said.

Councilman Chris McConnehey said he initially felt a petting zoo didn’t fit but noted side attractions in other cities around the country he’s seen and feels it could work. He also has reserverations but wanted staff to research further.

“We need to be very careful and very thoughtful about what we’re doing and the way we do it,” he said.

But Pack expressed concern about the process, wanting to respect zoning and ordinances but worried how long it could take.

“If we follow our normal protocol, it’ll be a year or two until we make a decision,” Pack said, later adding, “Whenever we talk about something it takes forever. I’m trying to expedite the process, not circumvent necessary protocol, but I’d like to see some sort of streamline and get things done. I don’t think Farmer Gil has a year for us to deliberate.”

Pack wanted to direct staff to start facilitating it happen, rather simply a study.

McConnehey said he needed his questions resolved to be supportive.

“Without answers to those questions, I don’t feel like I’m doing my responsibility as a councilmember with responsibility for the tax funds we’ve received from the residents, potentially expending those or potentially putting them at risk without knowing the answer to some of those questions,” he said.

McConnehey also voiced concern about “crafting policy for a specific person” noting city officials would still need to follow a request-for-proposal (RFP) process. He also suggested Murdock may want to retire at some point so future considerations need to be examined.

“We need to make sure this is not done on a spur of the moment,” he said.

“That doesn’t have long-term implications well-considered. Because once something goes in, it’s not going to change.” l

Goats are among the animals at The Farm at Gardner Village, which intends to move from its current location.

(Photo courtesy Pixabay)

Page 14 | December 2021

S outh Jordan City Journal

Resident’s account of Pearl Harbor attack keeps history alive

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

S

even-year-old Virginia was skipping alongside her four-year-old sister, Betsy.

Her six-month-old sister Dixie was being carried by her mother, Catherine.

They stopped close to the dock near where her father, a physician, had just finished his overnight shift and was about to disembark on the gangplank. It was unusual for him to work that shift, but they planned to join him that Sunday morning with the picnic basket they packed for breakfast.

He waved to them from the USS Honolulu, just seconds before a low-flying aircraft flew over the harbor. Then, the loudest noise Virginia had ever heard exploded near them.

It was a 550-pound bomb that hit the Naval Station dock 20 feet from where the cruiser was moored.

“It was so loud, terribly loud,” she recalls. “At first, we didn’t see them (the planes) until the bombs started dropping.”

With the smoke from the bombs, Virginia could no longer see her father, who had returned to the ship.

“He realized before we did what was happening,” she said. “My mother was busy corralling three of us, but the bombs were coming, and she realized we had to go someplace. The planes were low enough we could see the pilots’ faces and see the red circles (marking of the Empire of Japan) on the planes.”

Virginia, her sisters and mother made it along the Southeast Lock to the Hickam officers’ club, which was being shelled as well.

They then hurried and hid underneath a bandstand in a park near the dock.

“They were shooting or shelling anybody who’s walking or in cars and was trying to leave so we had to hide,” she remembered.

That was Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941 — 80 years ago.

At the docks, more than 150 U.S. Pacific fleet ships and service craft were anchored at 8 a.m. when Virginia Wood Harris had arrived just before the first wave of nearly 200 Japanese torpedo planes, bombers and fighters. A second wave dropped additional bombs 30 minutes later. It has been documented that by late morning, 19 ships were damaged or sunk, having been destroyed by the Japanese bombers.

Her father’s ship suffered hull damage and extensive flooding from a bomb that hit and created a 17-by-15-foot hole in the dock.

Before that day, Harris enjoyed riding her bike, putting together puzzles, reading animal stories, singing songs about rainbows and playing with friends in the neighborhood, which was about 20 miles away from the base. She attended second grade at Punahou, the same private school which former President Barrack Obama later attended.

“We went barefoot at school — I don’t know why,” she said. “My parents were big on education. They were both college grad-

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

South Jordan resident Virginia Wood Harris looks back at photos and articles about the strike on Pearl Harbor 80 years ago when as she was a girl living on the island of Oahu and stood near the naval dock at the beginning of the bombing. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

uates. (Her mother was a librarian before she was married.) I never went to a military school. I always went to a public school or if they didn’t think it was good enough, I went to a private school.”

Oahu was a tropical, lush utopia, with a gentle climate and sugar cane and pineapple plantations back then, Virginia said. What she remembered most was the sparkling water and beautiful beaches.

“It was paradise. They couldn’t keep me out of the water,” she said.

Harris was shielded from the fact World War II was going on — until that surprise attack.

In an instant, her years of innocence ended.

While scores of youngsters may have witnessed the attack that killed 11 children under the age of 16, Harris may have been amongst the closest.

“I was right there, and I knew right then what was going on,” she said. “I remember I kept saying, ‘Are we going to die?’ You could hear the noise and that was what was so scary. It was the noise, a horrible noise, and then to see that smash where it landed.

The bombs were dropping on the ships, and we were right near it. We were so scared.”

Virginia, Betsy and Dixie huddled against their mother for hours. Servicemen, who also took shelter there from the shelling, were shocked to see them.

“There were all the sailors; they were trying to get to their ships. The shore patrol from the Navy came by and said (to my mother), ‘What the hell are you doing here?’”

she said.

The family car, which they drove to pick up her father for that special breakfast, was turned over to a medical corpsman so it could be used as an ambulance. A chaplain later came by after the bombing and took them home.

“I don’t remember looking back at the ships. We were trying to get out of there,” she said, adding that although they were aware that the servicemen were in danger, they were still scared for their own lives.

Their home was intact, but it wasn’t the same.

“We had some Japanese ladies helping with the house who left and never came back.

They left on their own because honestly any Japanese then were suspect,” she said, adding that they ended up having some other women stay at their home.

The next day, Virginia remembers listening to the radio when President Franklin D. Roosevelt said Dec. 7 would be “a date which will live in infamy.” An hour later, Congress passed a formal declaration of war against the Empire of Japan, which officially brought the U.S. into World War II. Her father returned home a week later, not knowing his family’s fate until then.

“He said he chose ‘the wrong day for the picnic,’” Harris recalled. Other than that, “he never discussed what he did.”

She didn’t return to school, as it was cancelled after the attack that had crippled the United States’ naval and air strength in the Pacific.

“Everything was shut down with the bat-

tle, everything, because they were afraid that we were going to have another round. Everything sort of stopped for a couple months,” Harris said. “Everybody was just scared. I remember blackouts every night because we were afraid the Japanese were coming back.”

Within two months, she, along with her sisters and mother, were evacuated to San Francisco. But that, too, wasn’t without incident.

“We were sitting on a convoy and one night, they were afraid the Japanese subs were trailing. So, they took everyone on the deck, in case they had to abandon the ship,” she said, adding that thankfully that didn’t happen.

Her father, and the family beagle, Benny, arrived five months later on the restored USS Honolulu.

“Not many people can bring a dog back on a warship,” she remembered.

The family moved several more times and Virginia ended her junior and senior years of high school at a private school in London, where she traveled and saw firsthand the reconstruction from the war.

Her father, Capt. John P. Wood, who served both at the Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital and then on the USS Honolulu, led a “long and distinguished service,” according to a letter he received from the secretary of the U.S. Navy upon his retirement in 1957.

The letter said that he “set standards of performance that will be most difficult to emulate.”

The Navy secretary wished him many years of health and happiness, which were not to happen. Wood had studied radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital at a time when radiation protection measures were unknown and died of cancer at age 61, soon after his retirement.

Virginia followed in her father’s footsteps and studied at Baylor University, his alma mater. She married and became a teacher, working in education for 39 years, joining her family’s tradition of teachers and doctors.

Through the years, Virginia Wood Harris has shared her story with her family and others, emphasizing the importance of learning from it.

While Harris has no plans to return to Pearl Harbor this month for the commemoration, she did take her family back in 2013, the first time she had returned since she left after the bombing, to visit her grandson who was stationed there on a submarine.

Harris showed her family around the base as well as her neighborhood and school, which still had her name in its records. The officers’ club and bandstand were no longer there, but they walked the now repaired dock and visited the USS Arizona Memorial — and she relived the day when she saw first-hand the attacks that brought the United States into World War II. l

December 2021 | Page 15

Students collect hundreds of tents for Haitians

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

H

erriman High business students are making the world a better place, one project at a time.

One team of students, Ashinti St Clair, Clark Fiedler and Sofia Ampudia Arroyo, collected 387 tents and two large boxes of soap and flip flops to send to Haiti. It was St Clair’s idea to help Haitians after an earthquake hit the country this summer.

The natural disaster hit home for the Haitian native because she experienced the same thing herself, living in a parking lot for a year after the 2011 earthquake damaged her home. Now living in South Jordan, she reached out to every organization she could find but struggled to find one who would accept donations. Even after she decided to make it her business class project, she and her teammates struggled to get the project off the ground. Even their teacher was doubtful they would have much success.

It was a slow start and they were about to abandon their project but it eventually began to gain traction. The students worked hard to promote their project, setting up an Amazon Wishlist, selling cotton candy, and flooding the community with donation QR codes. They secured a partnership with the owner of Cucina Deli,

Herriman High business students Grace Hymas and Challyze Cotubay host a panel of local business owners. (Photo courtesy of Julianna Wing.)

who ran a promotion for customers who donated tents to the student’s project. They caught the attention of the media and the students were interviewed by local news-

papers, T.V. news reporters and radio stations.

The students reached out to countless organizations on every platform they

could access and, finally, “like finding a needle in a haystack,” they found the Haitiain Health Foundation, who could ship the donations to Haiti.

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S outh Jordan City Journal 10/20/2021 12:18:52 PM

They were surprised by people’s generosity and by how big the project grew as they applied the marketing skills they’d learned in their business classes.

“It’s about how you can get people to understand where you’re coming from and how you get your idea out there,” Fiedler said.

His teammates said Fiedler is a natural salesman.

“He convinced seven people to buy tents on the spot,” St Clair said.

“If he’s not a salesman, he’s wasting his life,” Ampudia said.

Working on the project helped all three students realize how much they enjoy marketing, planning events, and making and maintaining business relationships.

“This project helped me realize that I really, really enjoy it,” Ampudia said. “I’m just so excited for the future, knowing that I can do this for a living.”

Other groups of HHS students applied their business skills to develop projects such as creating an app, and designing and executing a marketing strategy for a new local coffee shop.

Grace Hymas, Savannah Linton and Erika Bond teamed up with three community nonprofits to pilot Clever Coping, a weekly class for teens who struggle with suicide ideation or have experienced trauma to learn coping skills through art.

Hymas also worked with Challyze

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Cotubay on a project to organize a cookie bake-off as part of Homecoming Week.

They invited ten local business owners to be the judges and then to talk to business students about branding, a key detail of entrepreneurship, Hymas said.

Hymas was inspired by the business owners who started their companies with little more than an idea.

“It’s cool to see how simple ideas and small things can become such big and impactful businesses,” she said.

Students will prepare a paper and an oral presentation documenting their projects to compete in state and regional FBLA competitions in 2022.

The students credit their business teacher, Rickee Stewart, for being a big support to their projects, even though, as with the tent collection project, she didn’t think it would be successful.

“We come to her with an idea and she tells us ‘it is a terrible idea, but you can still try it’ or she says ‘it’s a great idea and here’s what you can do to make it better,’” St Clair said. “She still let us try, even though she thought it was a bad idea, and we learned from it.”

Stewart has been the catalyst for some incredible projects in the past, including collecting thousands of coats for the homeless through her wedding registry and helping her students do a similar project a few years later. l

Ashinti St Clair, Clark Fiedler and Sofia Ampudia Arroyo kick off a partnership with Cucina Deli. (Photo courtesy of Julianna Wing.)

December 2021 | Page 17

Run so someday they can: Rudolph Run 5K to support children amputees Run so that someday they can! Charity run.

Registration comes with a pair of socks. Part of proceeds go to help buy prosthetic legs for children amputees that are in poverty.

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

H

ey Rudolph!

Grab Blitzen and Dasher to join other walkers and runners in the Reindeer Run, a 5K run that will support underprivileged children needing prosthetics as well as Bingham High FCCLA’s program.

Bingham’s race, which encourages participants to “run so that someday they can,” will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 4 at East Riverfront Park along the Jordan River Trail. Runners, walkers, strollers and dogs are welcome to participate. The race includes chipped timing and registered participants will receive a pair of socks.

Registration is $25 and can be found on the school website.

Bingham’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America program is supporting the statewide FCCLA effort to raise funds for children in third world countries needing medical assistance through a partnership with We Help Two. According to We Help Two’s website, 80% of amputees do not have access or are financially able to pay for a new limb; and 90% of children needing prosthetics in developing countries do not attend school. We

Help Two has partnerships with MEND, Legs4Africa and Orthopedic Training Centre: Ghana to provide them the opportunity to have a prosthetic with hopes of returning to school.

“Basically, for every 90 runners, they will provide a child with a prosthetic leg,” club adviser Janae Dunn said. “They also will donate a pair of socks locally to a child in need.”

About half of the registration goes to help “Socks for Legs,” and the remaining is earmarked to help pay for travel expenses for Bingham FCCLA students, she said.

FCCLA students will take part in a variety of competitions, including nine students who are organizing this run, which Dunn hopes will turn into an annual event. Those top contest finishers at state in late March will advance to nationals in San Diego in July.

For those who wish to just purchase socks for children needing prosthetics or want to make a donation to Bingham’s FCCLA, contact Dunn through the school website. l

Bingham FCCLA Charity 5K

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Page 18 | December 2021

or Hansen’s Disease in Hawaii. They strongly considered and finally accepted geographical isolation as a major means of controlling and limiting the increase of the disease.

They were likely influenced by Protestant leaders who quoted Leviticus 13:46 in the Bible which states “he (the leper) is unclean; he shall dwell alone; without (or outside) the camp shall his habitation be.” The biblical Israelites believed that isolating those with the disease would help keep it from spreading. Some Protestant leaders in Hawaii in the 1860s hoped that isolating those with Hansen’s Disease would do the same in their country. And eventually, the isolation began.

The small peninsula on the north side of Molokai called Kalaupapa became the place selected for isolation in 1866.

The disease in the Hawaiian Islands became known as MA’ HO’OK’AWALE which means “The Separating Sickness” in the Hawaiian language. It received this name because this disease separated family members when one or more were sent to the colony. People of all ages sent to Kalaupapa in the early years were never allowed to leave the colony once they arrived. Visits of family members to those at the colony were often infrequent if they occurred at all. Touching or hugging was not allowed.

Some family members chose never to visit because they felt the disease was a disgrace

Saturday, Dec 4, 2021 East river front park

Register using this QR code or go to this website: https://www.binghamminers.org/apps/pages/index.jsp? uREC_ID=192598&type=d&pREC_ID=2270495

The Separating Sickness MA’ HO’OK’AWALE I retired not long ago after teaching at three universities in the United States on marriage and family. During my career, I read several books and professional articles on these topics.

There was one particular book, however, that gave me the greatest insights on the importance of marriage in society. That book was “The Separating Sickness” written by Ted Gugelyk and Milton Bloombaum and published in 1979 in Hawaii.

The book includes a series of interviews conducted with men and women at Kalaupapa, a leper colony on a small peninsula on the north side of Molokai, Hawaii. (After 1873, the word “leper” was discouraged in preference to “Hansen’s Disease” named after a Norwegian doctor, Gerhard Armauer Hansen who made important discoveries about the disease.)

The residents interviewed by Gugelyk and Bloombaum told of their initial shock and feelings of abandonment after being sent to the colony. They also described how they felt being separated from family members, sometimes permanently, and other loved ones which often included a spouse. Some of the older people interviewed had been at the colony for several decades.

In the 1860s the Hawaiian government leaders and health officials became aware of a large number of residents with leprosy

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or even a plague or curse derived from some concepts also implied in the book of Leviticus. Many patients sent to the colony never saw family members again.

Many Hawaiians often stated the consequences of the family separations caused by the disease were worse than the disease itself. But it was the impact of the disease on married couples that received my greatest attention. Many were forced to separate but not because they stopped loving or caring for each other. It was because of the government law or edict of isolation. When a Hawaiian husband or wife was diagnosed with the disease and ordered to go to Kalaupapa, the remaining partner had a difficult decision to make.

He or she could remain at home and be granted an automatic divorce by the government. Or, they could choose to go with the diseased spouse and become a Kokua (or helper). By doing so the Kokua would also experience the same isolation and separation from family members and friends. The term MA’ HO’OK’AWALE or “The Separating Sickness had real meaning to those having to make the decision to stay behind or go to Kalaupapa as a Kokua and even anticipated dying there with their spouse.

There were approximately 8000 people eventually buried at Kalaupapa which included some family members who had chosen

to be a Kokua to their partner who had the disease. On April 1, 1946, a Tsunami, or excessively high ocean waves, struck the peninsula and destroyed most of the grave markers at the colony. Today, only about 1200 gravesites are currently identified with headstones or markers. But among those identified are many married couples who died there and are buried side by side by their spouse.

The exact numbers of Hawaiian spouses who stayed behind and were granted a divorce, and those who chose to go to the colony as a Kokua are not currently known.

But I have become impressed with the significant number of spouses who did choose to go. I later learned of four married couples who celebrated fifty years of marriage, their Golden Wedding Anniversary, at Kalaupapa.

They lived in the small community of just a few square miles for most, if not all, of their fifty years of marriage.

When couples marry today there are usually statements of commitment by the bride and groom in the ceremony. They include such words as “for better or worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, or staying together during good times and bad” which almost all married couples experience.

Perhaps we could also add one more statement of commitment to our current wedding ceremonies: “I would be willing to go with you to Kalaupapa.”

S outh Jordan City Journal

South Jordan sophomore runner best in state

By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com

J

uan Diego Catholic High School sophomore Ethan Stevens won the 3A state girls cross country individual title in a time of 19:28 Oct. 27 at the Regional Athletic Complex, coming in nearly four seconds faster than Carbon’s Beverly Lancaster.

“I had envisioned Ethan’s race and it happened just as I had seen it. It was mind blowing and I was just going crazy,” said head coach Joe Elliott. “Of all the thousands of kids that lace up their shoes, very few get to end the season with a gold medal. It is so rare and it was pretty awesome.”

“It felt good to win,” Stevens said. “I was really happy with my performance.”

Stevens was in fourth place in the race at the first and second mile markers before beginning to pass the leaders, including Lancaster in the final 100 meters.

“I just started thinking of how I wanted to be able to accomplish winning state and that seemed to be enough in sprinting at the end,” Stevens said.

“Ethan had been getting better and better as the season progressed and is such a great runner. I knew there was a shot, especially since there was no clear favorite,” Elliott said.

The Region 15 champion led the girls team to an eighth place finish as a squad. Oth-

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

er placers at state were sophomores Isabelle Pickers, Allie Sloan, Maude Poirier, Olivia Young, freshman Domiona Marine and junior Nicole Merhi.

Growing up, Stevens said tag was a favorite game and then running became the sport of choice by middle school. “It’s definitely a hard, painful sport and there have been times where I hated it, but it is very validating,” Stevens said.

The sophomore from South Jordan said, “Running has shown me that I’m way more competitive than I thought and that I can definitely work harder than I thought I could to reach my goals.”

The JDCHS boys team also placed eighth at state behind junior Patrick Reilly’s 19th-place individual finish. Also competing in the Soaring Eagle team lineup at state was sophomore Gabe Woods, freshman Shepherd Foy, sophomore Hobie Hodlmair, sophomore Curran Madden, senior Emmy Martinez and sophomore Connor Orges.

“It was a dog fight every day for the boys and they made each other better throughout the course of the season,” Elliott said.

Elliott said that the more than 40 runners on his team showed up every day competing against themselves and each other to produce a “special team” and a “special year.”

JDCHS sophomore Ethan Stevens won the 3A state girls cross country title Oct. 27 at the Regional Athletic Complex in Rose Park. (Photos courtesy Ethan Stevens)

“Toward the second half of the season, I could see that this young and talented group was really good, from the fastest to slowest and they did the best with what they had,” he said. “It wasn’t any magic workouts I’m producing. This is just a bunch of kids who

worked hard and pushed each other all year to improve. It’s startling how much ground we’ve covered this year in a season of growth. And, we’ve got a lot of kids coming back next year who are already wanting to work and get better for next year.” l

December 2021 | Page 19

Bingham volleyball fights valiantly at state, falters in quarters to rival No. 1 seed Copper Hills

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

S

ometimes, good things in life don’t come easy. But don’t tell that to the Bingham Miners volleyball team—because they breezed through the first two rounds of the 2021 Class 6A state championships.

The Miners did not get a bye in the first round of the 6A state tournament. But, it turns out they didn’t need one Nov. 2 as they rolled over the 24-seed Westlake in three straight sets, 25-13, 25-19 and 25-10, setting up a second round showdown with a region acquaintance, West Jordan, on Nov. 4.

This match against the No. 8 seed and region foe West Jordan on Court 1 was fierce from the outset at Utah Valley University, the site of this year’s state championships.

As the No. 9 seed in the tournament, the Miners may have benefited from playing right away at state, because they walked on the court that Thursday afternoon at Utah Valley University and trounced West Jordan in a three-set sweep, 25-22, 25-15 and 25-17.

The Miners and their region rivals were knotted up at 10 in the first set, but then Bingham stormed ahead, scoring the next three points to take a 13-10 lead.

The Miners would surge ahead even further, as their always rowdy student section chanted “Let’s Go Bingham-clap-clap, clap-

clap-clap!” with every point gained, pushing the Miners to a 15-11 lead. As has been the case in both previous matches between the two schools, however, West Jordan fought back tying it at 20-20 before the Miners pulled away to take the first set win, 25-22.

The second set, however, was not as competitive for West Jordan in a 25-15 loss that was one-sided from start to finish for the Miners.

The third set was like the first set for the first few points, a back-and-forth tussle. But the Miners took advantage of some defensive errors on the part of West Jordan, and rode to a 25-17 victory in the third and deciding set.

In the quarterfinals that were played just three hours later, the Miners drew another region foe from the city of West Jordan, longtime rival Copper Hills, the No. 1 seed and odds-on favorite to win the whole shebang.

In Bingham’s first set against rival Copper Hills on Court 2 at UVU, it looked much like the first set did back in The Pit a week earlier—back-and-forth between the two schools. Knotted up at 15, Copper Hills surged ahead after the break to lead, 20-18.

With chants of “Overrated!” raining down from the Bingham faithful who made the 45-minute trek south to the UVU cam-

pus, the No. 9 seeded Miners scored the next five points to take a 23-20 lead. Despite some amazing crosscourt kills from the top seed in Class 6A that came from the middle row the Miners hung on for a 25-21 first set win.

The second set was much like the first, as the two rivals traded points until Copper Hills went on a run en route to a 20-14 advantage—the Miners’ largest deficit thus far at the state tournament. Copper Hills would go on to take the second set, 25-19, also marking the first time at this year’s state tourney that the Miners lost a set.

The third set was a slugfest, featuring no fewer than 22 lead changes before Copper Hills finally broke the will of these gritty Miners and won, 29-27.

The fourth set began with another knock-down-drag-out epic battle toward the first 10 points—one which gave the Miners a 10-7 lead.

But Copper Hills did what a No. 1 seed can do; the rivals went on a tear in which they scored eight straight points, handing Levani Key digs out a serve. (Justin Adams/City Journals) Bingham a 3-sets-to-1 loss, 25-21, 19-25, 27The Miners, who finished the season at 29 and 15-25. That sent the Miners into the consolation round season of this year’s state 19-15 overall will say goodbye to five sechampionships where their 2021 season end- niors, but return about two-thirds of their roster for next year. l ed in a sweep and loss against Skyridge.

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S outh Jordan City Journal

Miners place eighth in girls state tennis tournament

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

I

n what was a competitive field this year, the Bingham girls tennis team cracked the top 10 at the Class 6A state girls tennis tournament, held Sept. 30 and Oct. 2 at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.

The Miners compiled four points during the two-day affair, with its first singles, second singles and both doubles teams each getting a point. Skyridge captured the 6A crown with 20 points. Bingham tied Davis for eighth place and was just two points behind Weber, the seventh-place finisher.

Bingham senior Avery Pack, the first singles competitor for the team, entered the tournament with a perfect 12-0 mark. In the first round, she swept her opponent from Kearns 6-1, 6-0. In the quarterfinals, things got tougher as Pack took on Shannon Anderson from Farmington. Pack suffered her first loss of the season 6-4, 6-2.

In second singles, the Miners also got a player through to the quarterfinals. Olivia Dabo, a senior who also went 12-0 during the regular season, breezed by Corner Canyon’s Sierra Strong 6-1, 6-0. Her quarterfinals match was a marathon contest with Elle Ferguson of Davis.

The two battled in close fashion, with Dabo falling 7-6 (3), 6-3.

The doubles teams fought hard at state as well, reaching the quarterfinals. Jacey Robins and Kaitlyn Oniki both seniors, defeated their opponents from Hunter in round one 6-0, 6-2.

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

In the quarterfinals, their season came to an end with a 7-5, 6-3 defeat to a pair from Lone Peak.

Robins and Oniki had gone 10-3 during the regular season.

At second doubles, seniors Hallie Jack and Hannah Yeates, runners-up in Region 3, had a challenging first-round matchup with a pair from Pleasant Grove. The Miners emerged victorious in a hard-fought three-set contest, 6-2, 0-6, 7-5.

That pitted Jack and Yeates against a tandem from Farmington. Again, the match went three sets. Unfortunately, for Bingham, this one went the other way, with Jack and Yeates falling a bit short, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

Third singles player Allyson Tanner, also a senior, lost in her first-round match to Lone Peak’s Kylie Willardson 6-2, 6-4. Tanner had gone 10-3 during the season and was the third-seeded player from Region 3.

Bingham’s efforts earned the team nearly the same result as last season when the Miners placed seventh. In 2019, the team ended up placing sixth.

The last time the Miners were outside the top eight teams at state was in 2018 when they were ninth.

The returning Bingham players will now focus on preparing for the 2022 season by participating in club tournaments. The 2022 campaign will get underway next August with the Miners look to replace several key players from this year’s squad. l

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December 2021 | Page 21

A place of remembrance opens to honor Utah veterans

By Darrell Kirby | d.kirby@mycityjournals.com

J

oe Day ran his right hand along several names imprinted on the Memorial Wall of the new Utah Veterans Memorial in West Valley City on a cool, cloudy Veterans Day in November.

An Army veteran from 1990 to 2013 during which he trained Afghan troops from 2006-07, he stood in silence as he looked at the names of some comrades he served with in Afghanistan, including some who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to America. “It’s wonderful to see them memorialized like this,” Day said. “It brings back a flood of memories, and I’m just proud that they sacrificed and served the way that they did.”

A ceremony was held on Nov. 11 to officially open the Utah Veterans Memorial.

What was three acres of vacant land south of the Utah Cultural Celebration just six months ago is now a monument of remembrance for about 2,900 Utahns who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces in military conflicts from World War I to the Global War on Terror that started in the 1990s.

Highlighted by the 75-foot-long, 8-foot high Memorial Wall, the plaza is surrounded

by U.S flags and those of each branch of the military. Twenty-nine benches representing each of Utah’s counties are placed around the site to allow for visitors to take the time to re-

The Memorial Wall contains the names of 2,900 Utahns killed while serving in the United States Armed Forces. (Darrell Kirby/City Journals)

member the service of the men and women who went to war and never made it back or those who returned with physical and mental scars.

The idea of a Utah Veterans Memorial was largely spearheaded by West Valley City Mayor and Air Force veteran Ron Bigelow. He gauged the interest of several cities in Salt Lake

County before it was determined that West Valley City was the best place for it. Addressing a crowd of veterans, state and local government officials, and U.S. Reps. Burgess Owens and Chris Stewart of Utah, Bigelow said that while other Utah cities and towns have places to recognize veterans and war dead from those local communities, the new memorial in West

Valley City has a broader focus. “We wanted to (honor) all of the veterans from the state of Utah who had lost their lives in combat.”

Bigelow praised the fundraising efforts that resulted in the $1.3 million in mainly private and business donations to finish the first part of what is planned to be a three-phased project over the next few years as additional

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S outh Jordan City Journal

money is raised. “We’re going to move from this to building a pavilion for groups to gather, we’re going to put monuments up for different conflicts, and eventually we’ll have a building where veterans can congregate, where we can have occasional exhibits to remember the role that those who preserve our freedoms have played in our country.”

Rich Beaudoin of West Valley City joined with dozens of other people in strolling the grounds of the plaza and looking at the long list of names on the memorial wall. He served 26 years in the Navy. “I think this is an awesome tribute. I hope a lot of people can come and see this.”

When asked what feelings came to mind as he scanned the names, Beaudoin choked back tears. “Sacrifice of the families,” he replied. “Each one of these names impacts the timeline of the world. Maybe they could have been the father of a couple of doctors who cured something.”

Day said visiting the memorial wall was worth it. “It’s going to mean the world to a lot of veterans and to a lot of families that can come here and remember their loved ones.”

“We hope it will be a place of contemplation to help us never forget the debt we owe to them (veterans) for preserving our freedoms and the very lives we live today,” Bigelow concluded.

The memorial was designed by EDA Architects and built by Okland Construction of Salt Lake City. l

Army veteran Joe Day pauses at the Utah Veterans Memorial Wall to remember comrades who died while serving in America’s military conflicts. (Darrell Kirby/City Journals)

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December 2021 | Page 23

As Utah’s Unemployment Rate Hits Record Low, Lack of Labor Lingers

By Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank Senior Economist Utah’s unemployment rate hit the lowest level ever recorded in October. The Utah Department of Workforce Services’ most recent jobs report, released in November, shows that only 2.2% of the state’s workers are unemployed and actively looking for work. This historic low comes only 18 months after the state’s unemployment rate reached a record high of 10.4% in April 2020 at the onset of the pandemic.

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Utah Unemployment Rate at Record Low 13.0% 12.0% 11.0% 10.0% 9.0% 8.0% 7.0% 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% October 2.0% 2021 1.0% 2.2% 0.0% 1/1/00 1/1/02 1/1/04 1/1/06 1/1/08 1/1/10 1/1/12 1/1/14 1/1/16 1/1/18 1/1/20 Source: Utah Department of Workforce Statistics

2 to 1. Many residents who dropped out of the workforce during the pandemic have not returned. Even so, the labor force participation rate – an estimate of what percent of the state’s population is working or looking for a job – is the fifth highest in the nation. Labor force participation remained steady from September to October at 67.9%, though still below the 68.6% of two years ago in October 2019.

The very tight labor market continues to cause wage pressure. Nationally, average hourly earnings were 4.9% higher in

October, compared to one year ago. This wage inflation, which is a welcome trend for workers, is placing more strain on employers, who are facing both the labor shortage and continued supply chain struggles.

Despite these challenges, Utah’s economy – and the U.S. economy – continue to improve and recover. More people are returning to work as the latest wave of the delta variant of the Coronavirus subsides, vaccination rates increase, and the impact of enhanced unemployment benefits ends. l

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S outh Jordan City Journal

Bingham football season ends in quarters almost pulling off Lone Peak upset

By Brian Shaw | b.shaw@mycityjournals.com

L

one Peak gave the Bingham football team all the chances in the world to pull off the upset in the 6A state quarterfinal. But, the Miners couldn’t capitalize on several Lone Peak turnovers and lost, 21-14, to the eventual state champions.

The Miners were in this game from the outset, getting a huge boost from an interception by senior Semisi Latu early in the first quarter.

They then chewed up the clock, keeping the ball away from a potent Lone Peak offense while churning out ground yardage to run out the first quarter.

Things got even better for the Miners, who were on the road in this third round state tournament. Looking at a fourth down, their punter was roughed by a Lone Peak player, resulting in an automatic first down.

But the Miners were unable to do anything with the great field position, missing a field goal attempt that kept the game scoreless through one quarter on a picture-perfect Friday night in scenic Alpine.

As the second quarter got underway, the Miners defense again stepped up big, forcing a three-and-out on Lone Peak. They marched right back down the field, using a punishing running game to chunk out yardage.

In the first half alone, the Miners had

over 150 yards rushing from senior Saia Lomu and their dual threat junior quarterback Dallen Martinez. That ground-game dominance led to a 21-yard sprint for a touchdown from Martinez with 7:34 left in the first half, giving Bingham a 7-0 lead after the PAT from Chamberlain.

The Miners got even more help from Lone Peak on their next drive on a fourth down-and-1 from the LP 34 when the home team moved early, a false-start penalty that forced Lone Peak to punt the ball back to Bingham.

The Miners then tried going into their bag of tricks late in the first half.

Facing a fourth-and-4 from the Lone Peak 44, the Miners went for it and fell just short, hurtling a long pass into the waiting arms of senior Maddax Peck that he bobbled and dropped, turning the ball over on downs with 1:43 remaining before halftime.

Lone Peak then showed how dangerous it can be on offense, taking the ball 56 yards to paydirt in just 1:03 to knot the game up at 7-7.

As the second half got underway, Lone Peak took a page out of Bingham’s book and had a sustained scoring drive that culminated in a touchdown, dealing the Miners their first deficit of the game at 7-14.

One minute later, disaster again struck the Miners when senior Saia Lomu fumbled the pitch from Martinez and Lone Peak scooped the ball up and ran it into the end zone for a touchdown, putting Bingham’s deficit at 7-21 with 5:33 left in the third.

Again facing another tough fourth down call, the Miners rolled the dice once more when they got the ball back. This time, however, the gamble paid off, as Martinez ripped a slant into the hands of senior Gage Sundloff for first down yardage into Lone Peak territory.

The next play found the senior running back Lomu plunging into the end zone for a 3-yard score giving visiting Bingham some life as it trailed 14-21 with 51 seconds left to play in the third.

Then Bingham really got a lifeline when Lone Peak, who it seemed was effortlessly driving for a score, had a pass intended for a receiver that was intercepted in the Miners end zone by senior Tyson Stidham for a touchback.

On the Miners’ first possession after the Lone Peak turnover, Martinez rolled right from marauding defenders and found his reliable receiver Sendoff wide open 30 yards down the right sideline for a first down.

Inside Lone Peak territory, however, the

Miners couldn’t find more of their ground game that worked so well in the first half, forcing Bingham to have to go to almost exclusively to the air.

Facing third down and long with just under six minutes to go in the game, the Miners were saved by a pass interference call on Lone Peak that resulted in an automatic first down—then were helped even more by a late hit on a Bingham player on the next play, putting the Miners inside the Lone Peak 15-yard line.

A incomplete pass and holding call, however, put Bingham in a tough spot at third-and-long, a first down which Martinez and his teammates were unable to get. That stalled drive led to a field goal attempt by senior Nate Chamberlain that was blocked.

With just four minutes to play, Bingham needed another turnover to give its offense a chance and continue its season; over the course of this state 6A quarterfinal, the Miners kept themselves within striking distance by capitalizing on several Lone Peak turnovers and penalties.

In the end though, Lone Peak was able to run out the clock and escape with a win over the Miners, who finished their season at 7-5 overall and were one play away from pulling off a monumental upset on the road.l

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December 2021 | Page 25

Best-selling author uses fantastical imagination to guide students into good reading, writing

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

N

ew York Times best-selling author Brandon Mull admits he has to do hard things.

“When a character dies, it kills me,” he said. “I’ve put so much into developing the character, but if the story needs it, I have to do it.”

Mull has recently been touring middle schools and upper-level elementary schools that allow assemblies in conjunction with the Oct. 26 release of “Dragonwatch: Return of the Dragon Slayers.” In Sandy, he stopped at Union and Eastmont middle schools and in South Jordan, Elk Ridge Middle School and Eastmont Elementary.

At the assemblies, which he provides schools for free, he interweaves his background, his writing and some examples of other popular authors in this age group, with writing tips and experiences for his mostly pre-teen and young teen audience.

“He’s very engaging and personable,” Union Middle librarian Elaine Zhang said.

“He made them laugh; he helped them understand the importance of creativity and imagination.”

Union Middle eighth-grader Senya

Walker added she appreciated that he was relatable, not “that far away person” as he autographed his books and took a number of selfies with students at schools.

The assembly opens with Mull sharing about his personal background from what he was like growing up to photos of the family dog. He also includes an embarrassing moment of falling downstairs and some goofy pictures of himself. His children embrace their dad’s imagination, Mull said, and even showed a clip of them helping with the video releases of his book.

Mull then moves into the series of books he’s written: the five-book “Fablehaven” series; “Pingo;” “Smarter than a Monster: A Survival Guide;” “Candy Shop War;” three-book “Beyonders” series; fivebook “Five Kingdoms” series; and now the fifth and final book of the “Dragonwatch” series. He also coordinated the series “Spirit Animals” with other well-known authors.

Mull has had 17 bestsellers on the New York Times list.

Of the best known is “Fablehaven,” which took Mull, then age 30, five months to write. It is published in more than 30 lan-

guages, and he has traveled as far as Singapore to promote it. He has visited more than 2,000 schools promoting his young readers’ fantasy books.

“I wished I had these kinds of books when I was a kid,” he told students, saying they could strengthen their imaginations by reading more and watching movies or television less and practicing their creativity through various means such as dance or art.

Mull demonstrated with students how they could share the same experience through “The Imagination Game,” an opportunity for three students to come up on stage and share creative ideas for a passageway into another world, or what it smelled like, or what was happening in it.

For example, at Union Middle, students entered through a dark spooky alley where at Elk Ridge, a student suggested an entry through a toilet. At Elk Ridge, it smelled like cotton candy, but at Eastmont, it smelled “like my brother’s bed.” Apple juice was raining down at one school while

dragons were on trees at another.

Together, at each school, “you made up a world you never heard of before. You get the details and descriptions and suddenly, this whole room full of people can talk to me about it, what it looks like and smells like because some ideas have been introduced to our minds. This is my job as a writer; I’m trying with details and descriptions to bring people to life. Imagination can take you places,” he said.

Union Middle eighth-grader Emily Whipple, appreciated this interaction, saying she better understood when students were helping imagine their own world with him on stage.

Within a story, readers can imagine the characters based on the descriptions and while they may look differently than another reader’s vision, neither is wrong, whereas actors who portray the characters on film eliminate the need for imagination, he said.

Eastmont librarian Sonya Miles appreciated Mull’s point that it was important for

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After giving a presentation to Elk Ridge Middle students, young adult author Brandon Mull answered questions, posed for photos and signed autographs. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Page 26 | December 2021

S outh Jordan City Journal

students to see and understand that writing process firsthand.

“It was very inspiring for student to learn how to use their imagination and creative process,” she said. “He said it’s important to them to pay attention to how other authors set up their stories as a way to learn how to become successful in coming up with your own world, not having one be given to you if you were watching something. This helps your brain develop and is more active as you imagine characters and a setting. Reading helps brain growth and development and is so impactful.”

Sometimes, though, Mull admits writing doesn’t come easy.

“I’ve always loved to daydream. I’ve always loved to write stories. I’ve always liked to read a good story, but sometimes the stories in my mind seem really awesome, but it was frustrating when I first tried to write my stories down. It takes time and effort to communicate the stuff I see in my head,” he

said, adding that his first novel attempt has never been published.

Then, he shared with students his “four secrets to becoming an author.” He advised them to be good observers; exercise their imaginations; read a lot and pay attention to how authors tell their stories; and then write their stories and share them with others.

Elk Ridge eighth-grader Sophia Scott was one of those who were called up onto stage, who said it was both exciting and nerve-wracking, but she was grateful to be chosen. She said she admires Mull and his writing and found the experience helpful in learning how to become a better writer.

Writing, Mull said, is both a pleasure and work.

“It’s a mix of fun and hard, but it’s something I love to do and feel fortunate I can do,” he said. “It takes time to be good at it, to develop the craft, just like any other profession.” l

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New York Times best-selling author Brandon Mull talks to students about his new book at Elk Ridge Middle School. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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Beloved ballet returns to Capitol Theatre for the holidays

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com

B

allet West’s most popular show and annual tradition, “The Nutcracker,” returns to the Capitol Theatre for live performances Dec. 4-26. It’s been two years since the holiday ballet was performed for a live audience, since COVID-19 shuttered entertainment venues in 2020.

Audiences are eager to get back to live ballet as more than 13,000 tickets have already been sold and this year’s performance of “The Nutcracker” is expected to bring in the highest level of sales in 25 years.

“Following the successful production of ‘Dracula,’ where many performances were sold out, demand for ‘The Nutcracker’ is expected to be high,” said Adam Sklute, Ballet West artistic director, in a media release. “We encourage all ‘Nutcracker’ fans to purchase tickets early so they have a seat and don’t miss out.”

Made possible through support from The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, the $3 million production is a classic ballet in two acts based on the fairy tale by E.T.A. Hoffmann. The iconic score

by Tchaikovsky will be performed live, featuring the Ballet West Orchestra.

Choreographed by Ballet West founder Willam Christensen, “The Nutcracker” has evening performances at 7 p.m., matinees

Artists of Ballet West perform in “The Nutcracker” at Capitol Theatre. (Photo courtesy of Beau Pearson)

at 2 p.m., and a special holiday matinee on Christmas Eve at noon.

Immediately following each matinee (except Dec. 24), Ballet West hosts a Sugar Plum Party where young audience members can join the Sugar Plum Fairy and other favorite characters from the ballet for a special treat.

“Each year, hundreds of Utah children from across the Wasatch Front audition for the opportunity to perform in Ballet West’s ‘The Nutcracker,’ with just over 100 children being selected for the coveted roles,” Sklute said. “The story tells of a Christmas party at which little Clara, daughter of the house, receives the gift of a nutcracker from

her mysterious uncle, Herr Drosselmeyer.

After the party, she falls asleep and dreams of snow castles, sugarplums, and her nutcracker, which has turned into a handsome prince.”

Ticket prices range from $25 to $104 and are available at BalletWest.org or 801869-6900. l

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Bingham High’s speech and debate team lives its motto, ready to help one another work hard to win

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

B

ingham High speech and debate team has a motto.

“Think like a champion; work like an underdog; behave like a friend.”

“We say it every day in class,” senior Audrey Fisher said.

It has guided the team for years, including this season as the team is off to a strong start. After its first two tournaments, the team amassed three first-place wins, two second places, two third, a fourth and one finalist.

Both tournaments have been in-person, a welcome change after the online tournaments students competed in last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think we’re off to a great start because people are motivated to get back into a regular tournament schedule,” Audrey said. “We have a lot of new people this year, which is really great. We are all wanting to help each other and to help the novices learn.”

Junior Ethan Foster said competing online last year was his first experience with debate.

“I learned the basics of how to do debate,” he said. “It made me more motivated to do well in person because it has a different feeling to it. I like the competitive side of debate. I like to strategize better and improve right there and then figure out what I’m going to do to win that round. I wanted to take debate club not only to improve my debate skills, but to find those good conversations that you generally don’t get to have in a normal class.”

Audrey, who chose speech over debate because she likes being able to prepare and work individually, said that last fall, debate was held live virtually whereas speech events were pre-recorded and she could keep polishing it until she was happy to submit it.

“I think that’s the part that made it so difficult –last year it was learning how to memorize your speech without getting it completely perfect because you can like re-record it,” she said, adding that at the end of last year, speeches became live over Zoom. “So, then you had to have your speech memorized, and that may have helped people transition into [in-person] this year where you can’t just restart when you mess up.”

Audrey also said the online tournaments focused more on quality of the video from its sound to any distractions in the background. She also learned that her posters were too light, which made it difficult for online judges to see.

Despite having online tournaments, the Miners, who took second in region last year, had five compete at state: as a soph-

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The Bingham Miners speech and debate team started off its season, competing well at Westlake High Thunderdome tournament. (Photo courtesy of Bingham High debate team)

omore last year, Ella Wallace won original oratory; Audrey finished fourth in oratory; junior Caitlyn Le placed sixth in national exempt; and Ethan was seventh in national exempt.

They also had students compete at nationals including junior Maliyah Hutchinson in dramatic interpretation and Audrey in informative speaking.

The Miners are led by new head coach Victoria Regan, previously their assistant coach, and new assistant coach Mariah Andreason. With more students competing this year, a third debate and speech class section was added to accommodate the 50-member team. They also hold afterschool practices.

Two years ago, the Miners’ team consisted of 12 members.

“Last year, we did a lot of recruiting down at the middle school and we would go and help at their debate class,” Audrey said.

Those team members, they hope, will help them in this year’s competition. Some veteran debaters, such as Audrey, are enrolled in more than one class so “with my general knowledge, I am able to help people understand basic concepts and team them with what I’ve learned over the few

tournaments.”

That includes researching, rewriting speeches, constructing arguments for and against issues and other preparation the Miners will need for the six tournaments per semester, including region, state and national qualifiers.

“We’re going to try to win region (and) our aim is to place at state in the top four,” she said, adding they want to improve from the top eight in recent years. “This year, we’re determined to win. We want to get things done and we are wanting to be the best of the best.”

Miners’ results from the Westlake High Thunderdome tournament include senior Maliyah Hutchinson, first place in dramatic interpretation; junior Andrew Shackelford tied first place with junior Elizabeth Tanner in impromptu speaking; senior Audrey Fisher, second place in both original oratory and informative speaking; Andrew and senior Griffin Hill, third place in policy debate; junior Ethan Foster and junior Leslie Kinsey, fourth place in public forum.

At the Viking Clash at Viewmont High School, Audrey tookfirst place in informative speaking and third place in original oratory and sophomore Vayomi Carter was a novice finalist in informative speaking. l

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Blame the supply chain, but it’s not just dried fruit running low; it’s patience, compassion and the ability to be a nice human being. If you’re on TikTok, along with videos of flying reindeer and holiday proposals, you’ll see flight attendants being punched, teachers yelling at students, customers throwing coffee at baristas and whales capsizing kayaks. Even whales have had enough.

You’d think being isolated last year would make us happier to interact with fellow humans this holiday season, but it seems to be the opposite. Social distancing and isolation has taken our stress levels to nuclear proportions. We’re reacting like the Tasmanian Devil, whirling ourselves off a cartoon cliff.

News programs broadcast warnings about packages stolen from porches and backseats, felons posing as Salvation Army bell-ringers and spiteful elves spying on children and reporting back to Santa.

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destroying the planet. Maybe since wind power is a sustainable coal alternative, Santa can bring naughty people a stiff, gusty breeze.

We’re living in a heightened state of fear, and fear is the opposite of what we should feel this time of year. This season of love and light and joy has been co-opted by those who would divide us. The farther apart we get, the less we are able to see each other.

Here’s an idea. What if we put all talk of politics on hold for December? That would be one month of no talking heads and finger-pointing and dire social media memes. What if we vowed to share only positive stories and heartwarming videos, and ban all holiday music featuring Alvin

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Whether it’s Democrats, Republicans, Big Bird, mask mandates, cancel culture or fruitcake, our division is growing. Any day, I’m expecting leaflets to be flung out of helicopters explaining how the COVID vaccine is turning us into carnivorous, zombie dinosaurs. Aren’t you tired of it all?

Remember when Christmas meant acts of service and goodwill to all mankind? What can you do to return to love this holiday season? Maybe less judgement and more connection. Maybe less yelling and more listening. Maybe it’s taking a plate of homemade cookies to a neighbor. Maybe it’s building a bridge instead of a wall. Maybe it's apologizing and swallowing our inflated egos.

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By Karmel Harper | k.harper@mycityjournals.com

W

hen South Jordan’s Cindy Chia, who is Malaysian Chinese, took her then 2-year-old daughter, Maya, to Disney On Ice last year, Maya was upset that the show did not include Mulan, the Chinese heroine who saves her country.

“So I lodged a complaint to Disney and I was still not hopeful.

But surprisingly this year there was a whole segment for Mulan!

Maya was so thrilled! My mom and I were in tears because it’s very rare that we get represented in such a big production like that,” Chia said.

Although heroines of color were rare in the early decades of Disney, recently more and more productions feature strong women of various ethnicities. As more of these princesses of color have become popular, the demand for character actors to play them has also increased, which is why Allegra-Bree Moreno stays quite busy appearing at various events and parties as Princess Jasmine, Raya, and Moana, among other characters.

With an extensive background in musical theater, acting, and modeling, Moreno began her “princess” career in March of 2021 when she answered a casting call for the role of Jasmine. While Jasmine was rarely booked at the time, once Moreno took over the role, Jasmine bookings increased significantly, a testament not only to her talent of playing the role well, but also her gift for connecting with children. From there, her roles expanded to Moana, Elena of Avalor, and Raya. In addition to Disney characters, Moreno also plays villains, super heroes, and science fiction characters. Most of Continued page 9 Moreno’s Princess Jasmine revives the classic 1990s character for a new generation. (Photo by Luminosity Photography.)

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