Month: March 2024

Question: Are pageants worth competing in?

Dear readers,

Extravagant gowns. Public speaking skills. Interviews in front of panelists. Ninety-second talents. Performances. A better you. Welcome to the world of pageantry. 

Before I entered the pageant world, all I knew about these competitions came from the movie “Miss Congeniality” and the TV show “Toddlers and Tiaras.” From watching both of these, I gathered that pageants were toxic, damaging and a complete joke. 

How could any parent justify enrolling their child in a pageant that teaches them that physical appearance is the sole measure of worth and that falling short of victory means they lack value? Or worse, who would compete in pageants if people knew they were potentially dangerous as shown in the plot of “Miss Congeniality?”

Well, like the famous quote, “You can’t believe everything you see on TV,” this is no exception. There is way more to pageants than what meets the eye. Since entering the pageant world, everything negative I thought I knew about pageants is long gone.

Last semester I competed in Miss Utah Tech University, a scholarship competition¹ part of the Miss America Organization. What led me on this journey was a desire to be more confident and be an example for my little sister and future daughters. Not to mention, a shot at representing Utah Tech and competing in Miss Utah seemed pretty amazing to me. 

As I experienced this opportunity, I found that it was anything but toxic and damaging. In fact, it taught me more about who I am and who I want to be. It taught me how important sisterhood and connections are throughout college. Most importantly, it taught me how to be confident on a stage, in an interview room and throughout everyday life.

These scholarship competitions can be scary. I know a big thing that made me hesitate to participate was performing a talent because, at the time, I felt I had none. I didn’t grow up dancing, singing or playing an instrument, which made up for about 80% of the talents everyone else was doing. 

What I did grow up doing was speaking in various leadership roles within the community, school and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This was a talent that I found to be extremely useful as I entered the scholarship competition because I was able to share a motivational speech as my talent. Everyone has a talent. Some may need to think outside the box for ideas on how to showcase their talent, but don’t let this scare you. 

Another thing that can draw people away from competing is public speaking skills. Most pageants require public speaking for different areas of the competition. For example, Miss Utah Tech had an onstage question and interview portion that required participants to think on the spot to answer questions professionally while still exemplifying their personalities. 

As someone who has learned to love public speaking, this experience improved my social skills as I now feel comfortable speaking to audiences due to the immense amount of preparation that came from this pageant. 

One of the biggest things I struggled with during Miss Utah Tech was constantly comparing myself and competing with the other participants. This is something that many participants will face at least once throughout their pageant journey, but remember, the only person you are competing with is who you were yesterday. No one is better than you, and you are not better than anyone else, so let this ring true as you compete to become a better you. 

If you’re considering entering a scholarship competition or pageant, I strongly encourage you to take the leap because it’s an experience you won’t regret. The benefits of participating in an event like this are numerous and will give you confidence while leading you to the road to success. 

There are many ways to get involved in the pageant world at Utah Tech. Some of these opportunities include:

• Miss Utah Tech University
• Miss Native Utah Tech
• Mr. Trailblazer
• International Royalty
• Trailblazer Queen

There are even more scholarship competitions located around the community including Miss Southern Utah, Miss Greater Zion, Miss Washington County, Miss Red Rock and more. Many of the current titleholders of these competitions are students from Utah Tech, so if they can do it, you can too.

If you would rather learn more about pageants before competing, there are many ways you can still get involved. After participating in Miss Utah Tech, I was a judges chair for Miss Native and a panelist for Mr. Trailblazer. Both experiences gave me an inside look at what it takes to compete and what is looked at when scoring the contestants.

As I am currently on the road to competing in Trailblazer Queen April 9, I know that my prior experience with competing at Miss Utah Tech has prepared me for this exciting journey ahead. I may not win the crown, sash and scholarship, but I have already won something far greater–a lifetime of unforgettable memories, personal growth and confidence. You can win this too. 

Sincerely, 

Angel Wood

If you are seeking advice on something, message me on Instagram at @angel.utahtech.

1. The Miss American Organization prefers to use the words “scholarship completion” rather than “pageant” due to the negative connotation that can come from pageantry. These words can be used interchangeably. ↩︎

As an avid watcher of “The Crown,” I have declared myself an expert on the British Royal Family. When Princess Kate went missing, I knew something was up.

Kensington Palace released a statement Jan. 17 saying that Princess Kate was in the hospital due to a planned abdominal surgery and would take time to recover until Easter.

Then, the royal couple posted a picture of Kate and her kids for Mother’s Day March 10.

The controversy didn’t start until the photo went viral. The photo was photoshopped, and many believe it was generated by artificial intelligence. Instagram blocked the photo, stating that the photo was altered.

This image shocked the world when it was released, sparking conspiracy theories and even memes from the photo. Everyone has been talking about this photo, and it’s how I learned of Kate’s absence.

Based on numerous videos and analysis of the photo, I see no evidence of this being a real photo. AI is incredibly realistic these days.

Then, the Associated Press and other organizations ordered a mandatory kill order due to the photo being altered, stating that all editors needed to take the photo down from any published stories.

Once all of this happened, the internet took this and ran with it. Creating endless theories and memes, Kate was the only thing I saw on my Instagram.

Theories around Kate’s absence became more wild as the days dragged on. Yet one thing is for certain: fans just wanted to know she was OK.

I found it strange that nobody in the British Royal Family had even bothered to squash these rumors, until her recent cancer diagnosis.

Princess Kate finally addressed all of our fears and confirmed that she had extensive abdominal surgery, and it was revealed that she has a very early stage of cancer.

While I am relieved that she isn’t dead or badly beaten as some theories suggested, cancer is still a massive diagnosis. It’s incredibly unfortunate that both the king and his daughter-in-law have cancer.

Once she announced her cancer diagnosis, the conspiracy theories and endless memes almost instantly turned into hate toward people who created outlandish theories.

These same people also shamed the media for forcing Kate to announce her diagnosis, claiming that she was forced to clear her name and tell us what was really going on in order to disperse obsessive fans.

There were four prominent theories I saw in the media, but regardless of whether they were right or not, there were unethical issues with these theories.

Theory One: The Royal family murdered her, just like Diana back in 1997.

This theory was created due to the massive conspiracy around Princess Diana’s death, claiming that Kate was also murdered because Prince William was cheating on her.

It’s not proven that the family murdered Princess Diana, but her death is a conspiracy theory that far too many people believe.

Princess Diana was married to King Charles when she tragically died in a car accident in 1997. It’s widely known that the king was having an affair with the now Queen Camilla.

If “The Crown” taught me anything, it’s that he couldn’t marry Camilla unless Diana died. If the royal family murdered Kate, then the prince must have had a very similar cheating scandal.

The biggest argument made for this theory is that like his father, Prince William also had an affair with another woman.

One scandalous rumor going around is that his mistress was Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Hanbury has since squashed this rumor and is incredibly upset by the allegations.

If the Prince wanted to marry the Marchioness, what if he pulled a King Charles and just made Kate go away? With the cover of an abdominal surgery, something could go wrong and nobody would question her sudden disappearance.

This theory is wild, and I can only see it hurting all three people involved. Diana’s death was tragic, and the whole world felt her loss.

The fact is that involving two influential families could be damaging to Kate, especially if people talk about her as “the new Diana.”

Theory Two: Kate Middleton suffered a mental breakdown.

This theory was largely created by Popapologists, a popular podcast that has a 31-part mini-series on Instagram about their many theories on Kate’s situation. They update this mini-series multiple times daily, claiming that this theory is very close to the truth.

In part 26, they tell viewers that they have someone inside the castle who claims the princess suffered a major breakdown and no longer cooperates with the “rules” of the royal family.

In “The Crown,” viewers learn that image is the top priority for this family. They are the face of the British empire, and they can not tarnish that image.

The argument here is that as they keep Kate out of the public eye, she can’t act out and cause any more scandals, which was similar to the infamous Meghan and Harry interview with Oprah. Nobody liked the royal family after that.

Mental illness is nothing to joke about, and while Meghan Markle and Prince Harry truly suffered from the responsibility of being in such a spotlight with so many expectations, nobody could blame Kate for struggling to stay afloat. I know I couldn’t do it.

Except that Kate is OK. She takes her job as Princess of Wales very seriously and is loved by all. That’s why people took her absence so hard, but it doesn’t make it OK to shame her for taking time to rest after her surgery by claiming she’s mentally ill.

Theory Three: Her face was badly injured and can’t be seen in public.

Possibly the worst theory of all is that Prince William abused Kate, based on evidence from Prince Harry’s book.

In Prince Harry’s recent book, “The Spare,” he claims that his brother knocked him to the floor in a heated altercation. He writes, “[William] grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and…knocked me to the floor.”

Harry’s rocky relationship with his family is nothing but infamous, yet this account claims that William has a dark side. It pains me to write that some believe he hurt Kate and that’s why she was in the hospital.

People claim that her face was so badly injured, she couldn’t be seen in public.

The evidence for this theory is based on numerous viral photos of Princess Kate. One photo features Kate in her car, except the photo is so low quality that many feel it’s set up.

Just to put it in perspective, those on the left are recent pap pics of Kate Middleton driving a car.

That pic on the right is allegedly her sitting in a car today.

The difference in image quality is not an accident.

It is THAT grainy to cover something: scars or a double ? https://t.co/YwllCiuX5n pic.twitter.com/hBzKbdGIck

— Phantom (@effoff1988) March 4, 2024

When fans demanded a higher-quality image of Kate, we were given another photo of her in her car. This time, however, we only saw half of her face.

This morning's photo of Kate "breaking cover" (barely appearing in profile in a very dark car). Pretty sure this won't put the public's mind at ease. pic.twitter.com/WejMELq5Sg

— Kristen Meinzer (@kristenmeinzer) March 11, 2024

Popapologists argue that this second image is very similar to another image of Kate, and this one is photoshopped.

With the shadow of the hat and the similar profiles, it makes a compelling argument. The grainy photos and shady images are the perfect equation for scandal.

Theory Four: Kate’s abdominal surgery is a fake cover story as the timeline doesn’t add up.

In a recent video, Kate and William were spotted at a farmers market. Kate is seen carrying a bag of goods. Regardless of her diagnosis, I still believe this video is fake. Nothing about it sits right with me.

If she had abdominal surgery, how could she carry that bag? I know after my abdominal surgery, I couldn’t vacuum for months, let alone carry a bag like this.

This is the theory that I believed the most. I found it hard to believe that William would let his healing wife carry bags at a farmers market.

But after the announcement Kate made, this is the only video I just can’t wrap my mind around.

Remember the palace’s statement I mentioned? She was set to be in recovery until Easter, but then she suffered complications and had to push back the day she could return to work to July.

Now, we know that these complications were actually cancer treatment, but my confusion still stands. It just doesn’t sit right with me.

It’s also worth mentioning that this video was recorded by TMZ, a widely known news organization infamous for its unethical reporting. So it’s entirely possible that this video was fabricated to try and quiet the endless talk about Kate.

When Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash, TMZ couldn’t help but publish their story before the Bryant family even knew of the death. And this isn’t the only unethical thing they’ve done. There’s just far too much to share.

Considering TMZ’s infamous reporting, I would put money on them creating a fake video just to create more talk around Kate—or quiet the endless media reporting theories about her.

What went wrong with Princess Kate and the media?

The British Royal Family unfortunately lives under the spotlight and can’t avoid the media.

When Kate stepped out of her royal duties, it made sense why people lost their minds. It wasn’t like Kate to just vanish like that.

Many ethical boundaries were crossed, from Instagram and TikTok to media reporting. People simply did not care about creating conspiracy theories about her. Many people were quick to blame the media for forcing Kate to announce her diagnosis, and maybe they did.

It’s awful that so many people harassed this family and created so much negative talk about them. I find it incredibly alarming how fast opinions change on social media.

From loving the prince and princess to hating on them, and then back to loving them and shaming those who hated them–they’re the ones who were just talking about her absence.

But one thing is for certain; when people on the internet group together and create a mob mentality, nothing else matters but the views.

The mystery of Kate is such a compelling story, and I sense a new season of “The Crown” coming very shortly. 

I truly hope that Princess Kate makes a full recovery and gets better soon and that the internet can finally relax knowing she is safe at home.

With Kate’s announcement, I hope the media gives her and her family time to heal and make a safe recovery. These people are real people too, and they deserve as much privacy as anybody else.

As the spring semester creeps closer to an end, graduation is amongst students. For some, this might be a time of celebration. Yet, for many college graduates, this milestone also ushers in a wave of fear and uncertainty.

For the last four years, these students have had regular routines in their lives. For most, the day-to-day life included going to class, working and hanging out with friends. This routine is disturbed by the need for job-searching and trying to build a successful career, and on top of that, there is the looming threat of endless possibilities and the real world.

To all the seniors or upcoming seniors, know that you’re not the only person feeling this stress and uncertainty as we get closer to graduation. This might not be the easiest time, but some practices can help make it go a little bit smoother as you transition into the next portion of your life.

While I’m currently a junior in college, I am starting to feel the stress and anxiety that comes with being a senior as it will be me next year. I am already receiving the question, “What do you plan to do after you graduate?” This question is not making me feel more excited for my senior year but rather more anxious.

From talking to my peers or scrolling online, I found that a lot of the anxiety college seniors feel is due to the fear of the unknown once they walk across the stage with their degree in hand. Will they continue their education and get a higher degree? Will they move across the country? Or will they find a job that goes along with their degree?

A lot of this worry stems from needing to make money after graduation. According to Education Data, 54.2% of students have debt from their graduate schools. Graduates need to find a job to pay off their loans, while also needing an income to survive. Most jobs hiring are in industries where college graduates don’t want to continue working, like restaurants or daycares.

However, it’s important to realize that the ideal job might not be the job found right after graduation, and it could take a couple of months to be hired. Within six months of graduating, about 86% of college graduates find a job. The employment rate in 2022 for people 25-34 years old was about 80% and increased to 87% for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Despite all of the fears and anxieties floating around your head, know that you’re not the only college graduate feeling this way. Around 35% of graduates are feeling the same way as you, so you’re not alone. There are so many possibilities once you walk across that stage, which can be intimidating. At the same time, there is beauty in the unknown.

There are endless routes where life can take you, and this is something that needs to be embraced. In order to do so, build a support network of friends, family and peers that will support you on your journey. These people can provide you with motivation while also having your back through your struggles. Find the people in your life that will help take away the pressures that are felt by college graduates.

To ease some of the stresses, start looking for a job or internship now. Don’t wait until after graduation. This can be done by visiting the app Handshake or the Career Services Center. Starting early can allow you to plan your future out ahead of time and also show employers you’re enthusiastic about working.

On top of that, don’t let the pressures of graduating college deprive you of what could be your final college moments. Enjoy life and make those memories because they could help you through any possible struggles in the future.

Walk across that stage in a couple of months proud of what you have accomplished and excited for the unknown future ahead of you. Embrace the period of transition after college and blaze the trail ahead of you.

The “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” was just passed by the House of Representatives with an overwhelming 352-65 votes. 

It is better known as the bill that would effectively ban TikTok in America or force the parent company ByteDance to sell TikTok to another company. 

When you boil this bill down, it is censorship. It gives the president the power to determine whether any app or web hosting platform is a national security threat and gives him the ability to ban it.

President Joe Biden said he would sign the bill if it came across his desk and force TikTok to be banned or force them to sell.

The premise behind the bill is completely absurd. The bill sets out to ban TikTok solely because the app is owned by a “foreign adversary,” namely the People’s Republic of China.

One of the main reasons cited by several politicians as to why this bill is needed is to protect the personal data of citizens. The other is because the platform uses algorithms to show videos to users that could influence the views of users, especially in the upcoming presidential election. 

This is a concern that is not unique to TikTok. They are problems that every social media platform faces. 

Every platform deals with the personal data of citizens, and Facebook and other American platforms have had several scandals when it comes to the personal data of its users. Due to security breaches and leaks, Facebook has had information stolen and leaked from over 2 billion users’ accounts.

Facebook has also undoubtedly and indisputably impacted elections before. They have driven some people to vote who otherwise would not have, which is admirable, but the platform has also spread fake news and targeted posts, which have influenced votes as well. 

So, where do we draw the line? Do we draw the line at a non-American company that is potentially doing the same thing that other social media platforms in America are doing? 

The answer that our government gave us is “yes,” but it is not right. 

There is no reason to believe that TikTok is any worse than any other American-owned social media platform, and banning TikTok would affect millions of Americans. 

I enjoy watching TikTok sometimes. Losing TikTok would not be devastating or life-changing in my life by any means, but it definitely sets a dangerous precedent. Where do we draw the line?

The government having the ability to unilaterally censor one of the largest social media platforms in the world from the entire country is concerning.

CEO of TikTok Shou Zi Chew said in a video on the platform that TikTok being banned would put more than 300,000 American jobs at risk. 

TikTok helps small businesses and creators that use the platform for their livelihood. Both will be affected in a major way. Countless small businesses have been able to stay open through post-COVID times because of TikTok. 

Creators have also been able to make a living off of TikTok through the creator fund, which allows them to be paid for eligible videos that they make. 

The last thing that needs to be added about this bill is that has an extremely America-centric view of the world. The bill sets out to make TikTok sell itself, but why would ByteDance even consider selling the platform simply because America is planning on banning it?

TikTok has over one billion active users every month. Just less than 150 million of those active users are in the United States. 

If the bill is passed, it makes no sense for the platform to sell itself because America doesn’t have anywhere close to the majority of the platform’s active monthly users. It only has around 15% of the platform’s monthly active users.

The TikTok ban makes no sense, and it is just an overreaction by American policymakers who are scared that the biggest social media platform is no longer American-owned. 

Call and let the politicians that represent you in Washington D.C. know how you feel about this bill.

The Utah Tech University fight song doesn’t bring what we need to the game. The fight song is just a shortened version of the school song. I like it as a school song, but it does not fit the atmosphere of a football or basketball game.

When the basketball game is close and intense, the students need a song that will carry that energy. The fight song that plays in the next time out needs to encourage our team to intimidate the opposing team and keep the energy up.

The fight song is too slow to build up the hype it so badly wants to have. It wants to be similar to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana or “We Will Rock You” by Queen. However, it’s a school fight song, not a popular rock song.

A fight song is supposed to be upbeat and encourage students to dance and cheer for their team. However, the Utah Tech fight song is too slow compared to other fight songs. Utah Tech’s fight song is around 80 beats per minute, while Southern Utah’s fight song is around 130 bpm, and Weber State’s fight song is around 150 bpm.

Also, Utah Tech’s fight song is almost half the tempo of other schools and it is too long. The song is a minute and 11 seconds long, whereas SUU’s fight song is 35 seconds long, and Weber State’s fight song is 52 seconds long. 

The tempo isn’t the only issue the Utah Tech fight song has. The voicing and the instruments aren’t supporting what the Stampede needs to stay energetic in the game. The Stampede supports the team’s morale by giving them encouragement and energy throughout the game.

Most fight songs are usually played by the school’s pep band or marching band. The instrumentation of the Utah Tech fight song should be the same as a marching band. A marching band has around 15 different instruments in it. The Utah Tech fight song only has drums, vocals and a guitar that sometimes plays, which gives the feeling of a middle school rock band that doesn’t have all of its members for the talent show.

Due to the lack of instrumentation, the impact is lacking. It’s like a single choir member compared to the full choir singing. The full choir can build tension, build emotions, get loud and quiet and fill whatever space they are in. A single choir member can only show their skill and can’t build tension.

A fight song has to have power and it needs to have meaning. The meaning comes from the lyrics within the fight song.

Most fight song lyrics have a call to action and something relating to their mascot. Utah Tech’s fight song is boring lyrically with no fun rhythms to sing to. The fight song explains what a Trailblazer is but does not encourage the athletes or the student body to keep fighting for victory. A school fight song is supposed to be encouraging, intimidating, fun to sing and full of school spirit.

The Utah Tech fight song is called the “Trailblazers Fight Song” but doesn’t represent or mention Brooks the Bison, the Trailblazer that we want to be, in any way. Brooks is the mascot and the one to represent Utah Tech. It’s called a fight song because both schools are fighting for victory. So, how would Brooks fight the opposing team? Brooks would be charging horns first into the opposing team and not flinching from any attacks. We should be stomping the other team. We should be blazing the path to victory instead of blazing a trail to who knows where.

SUU’s lyrics are powerful and related to the Thunderbird mascot. The call to action is related to the Thunderbird, with lyrics like “echo through the sky” and “till the Thunder Roars.”

The most powerful lyrics that Utah Tech has in their fight song are “Cause fate reserved this land for the brave” and “Tread this dirt and you’re never the same.” The lyrics are very lackluster compared to SUU’s fight song. The “Oh’s” in the Utah Tech fight song are lazy writing. No other school fight song sings a vowel; instead, they have cheers or chants.

The tempo, lyrics and instruments are all problems within the song, but what are others saying about the Utah Tech fight song?

“I guess blazin’ trails truly is all they know,” said users from the forum called eGriz.com. “This must be part of the rebranding from Dixie State to Utah Tech, but what third-rate marketing firm thought that was a good idea, and who signed off on it? Really atrocious.”

Another user said, “Swear this was the type of public domain music that you’d find on video editing programs in the early 2000s… would have been titled like ‘hype music’ or ‘up-tempo sports instrumental.’”

When the Utah Tech team loses a game, the song feels like rubbing salt in the wounds of the athletes instead of bringing their spirits back up.

How can we call ourselves Trailblazers if we haven’t even started blazing our own trail? If our rivals are chanting about school spirit and victory, why can’t we?

Spread the word. We need an actual fight song, not half of a school song. We need a fight song that would boost morale at games and bring back the school spirit and pride we are missing.