UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | February 09, 2025

Women take the field in annual Powder Puff game

Football is traditionally played by men on campus, but for one night during homecoming, it becomes a female sport in an annual event called Powder Puff. Powder Puff has been around since the ’70s at Utah Tech University.

It hasn’t always been a part of Homecoming Week, but in recent years, the event has become a tradition. In this event, there are two female teams, one sophomore-junior and the other senior-freshman, competing in flag football with the university’s football players coaching on the sidelines.

“It’s about women empowerment with girls playing a traditional guy’s sport. It shows us that we can do that too,” Kelsey Paterson, a sophomore elementary education major from Eastvale, California, said.

The stands were full of students cheering the women on. There were some wearing red in support of the senior-freshman team, others in white rooting for the junior-sophomore team, and even more wearing neither color with eyes fixated on the field.

“It brings everyone together. Everyone’s cheering even if they don’t know who they’re cheering for. It’s a good environment,” Stockton Walker, a sophomore business major from Lyman, Wyoming, said.

Before preparation for the competition began, the participants and coaches were strangers. They were given only two days to learn each other and the game.

Macy Beck, a senior recreation and sports management major from Las Vegas, said: “It was so fun. I loved being able to practice with everyone, get to know new friends and come out here and play. It’s not something you get to do every day.”

The sophomore-junior team won 13-0. Each touchdown throughout the game merited loud screaming and clapping. The excitement afterward was visible as the women on both teams hugged and congratulated each other.

Beck competed last year and won, so it was time for other students to get their turn, such as first-time player Whitney Hurt, a sophomore general education major from Draper.

“It was obviously awesome to win. It gives you this big aura around you,” Hurt said. “But it was fun because I didn’t know any of these girls and then we came together as a team and won.”

The competition wasn’t like the usual sports games on campus because there was no prize for the winner, and it did not affect Utah Tech’s athletic rankings. The women were playing for fun.

“I don’t think we get enough chances like this to play for fun. It’s [sports] always a big competition,” Beck said.

Homecoming Week is full of activities meant to bring people together and foster a sense of school spirit. Between the alumni coming back and the students coming to campus activities, it allows students to form new connections. This activity brought people together through the cheering in the crowd, and the teams and coaches who were able to meet each other and grow together as a team.

DOVE Center increases campus presence

The DOVE Center is now open three days a week on Utah Tech University’s campus, offering advocacy support for domestic violence and sexual assault. 

Previously available one day a week, a representative is now available to see in-person Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon in the Testing Center as well as Fridays, same time, at the Browning Learning Resource Center room 106. 

The reasoning behind opening more days a week is to bring awareness to the fact that DOVE is an available resource and to see how the wider range of days works for students and their schedules. The two locations are also to see where the center is being utilized. 

Hailey Henstrom, rape and sexual assault education advocate for DOVE, is the representative that will be on campus during the three days. She offers advocacy to students, staff and faculty. 

Henstrom’s outlined advocacy includes: 

“Sometimes people remain in unsafe situations, whether they can’t leave or they don’t want to leave yet,” Henstrom said. “And so just figuring out, if you’re going to stay in this situation, that’s OK, that’s your choice. You know your situation best. But how can we prepare you to be as safe as possible in that situation?”

Advocacy is not legal advice, medical advice or therapy. Henstrom said when individuals ask what they should do, DOVE advocacy representatives can’t tell them what to do but can direct people to resources who are qualified to help more intensely. 

As the DOVE representative on campus, Henstrom is offering educational presentations about sexual assault, domestic violence and DOVE resources. She can go into classrooms and even clubs to talk about these.  

She also distinguishes the myths surrounding sexual assault and violence. With social norms and stigmas associating these solely with women, Henstrom said sexual assault and domestic violence doesn’t discriminate against gender, age, disability, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. 

“It’s really an issue of power and control, and it can happen to anyone,” she said. “And so if I want students to know one thing, is that regardless of who you are or what your background is, you are welcome at the DOVE Center and we believe you, we want to help you and you deserve to get those resources.”

From the first days fall semester to Thanksgiving break is called the “red zone” — where there is a spike of sexual assaults on college campuses, accounting for 50% of sexual assaults seen in one academic year. Henstrom said this is another reason why DOVE is crucial on campus.

Brenda Medrano, student resource coordinator, is the DOVE Center liaison on campus. This means she is in charge of working with that partnership with DOVE and ensuring students know what the center is and how to access their resources. 

Medrano also makes sure students understand the center is an organization outside of campus, meaning DOVE doesn’t report to the university. 

“Sometimes students feel more safe doing that first before working with our Title IX office,” Medrano said. “But we always give them the option of the resources on campus. But also, it’s important for our students to know the outside resources.”

DOVE works with TItle IX and the dean of students when needed, but as an entity outside the university, the nonprofit isn’t bound to the same restrictions that university employees are bound to, like mandatory reporting. 

Henstrom said: “Sometimes, especially on campus, people are intimidated by making a report to the police or to Title IX, and it’s a very confusing system for a lot of people. So we can talk through what that looks like for that person, and then they can make a more informed decision.”

Hazel Sainsbury, director of equity compliance and Title IX coordinator, said students can also reach out to the Office of Equity Compliance and Title IX for federal protections.

She said, “It’s important that as a university community we take ownership of keeping our environment safe by speaking up and championing our values when we know of someone who is not being treated with dignity and respect.”

Moving forward, the hope is that DOVE will have a more centralized location on campus to become even more accessible to students. 

To schedule an appointment on campus or view more resources, visit the DOVE Center website. Walk-ins are also welcome during the designated hours at the Testing Center and Browning. The domestic violence 24/7 helpline is 800-799-7233.

“If a student is not ready to talk about their experience, it’s not my role or any other applicant’s role to make them,” Henstrom said. “Really, it’s their experience. It’s their journey, and they need to talk about it whenever they’re comfortable. And if you want to talk about it, this is a space where that information won’t be shared. We’re not here to judge you. We are going to believe you.”

Trail continues to crumble: Trailblazers defeated by Abilene Christian Wildcats

Despite their highest-scoring game of the season, Utah Tech University fell to Abilene Christian University 55-30 at Greater Zion Stadium.

While the game got out of hand for Utah Tech in the second half, the first half was largely competitive as Abilene Christian led 27-16 going into the break. After both teams were forced to punt on their opening drives, Utah Tech running back Chris Street opened the scoring on a seven-yard rushing touchdown.

Abilene Christian responded with a touchdown of their own on their next drive; a 76-yard pass from Maverick McIvor to Blayne Taylor. Following a Utah Tech punt on their next drive, Abilene Christian scored on a 53-yard rushing touchdown by Sam Hicks as Abilene Christian closed the quarter leading 14-7.

Going into the second quarter, both teams exchanged field goals on their opening drives. Abilene Christian extended their lead to 20-10 following another field goal. Utah Tech was able to move the ball on their next drive but missed a 41-yard field goal.

Sam Hicks then scored again for Abilene Christian on a 35-yard run. Utah Tech then drove down the field with 27 seconds remaining in the half, scoring on a 32-yard pass from Reggie Graff to Eric Olsen to close the gap to 27-16. 

“That first half, there was a lot of examples of that lack of execution,” Utah Tech head coach Lance Anderson said. “Not finishing plays and some of the plays that Abilene Christian made were a lack of execution on our part.”

Abilene Christian began to take over the game in the second half, scoring touchdowns on three of their first four drives, while Utah Tech was forced to punt and later had a fumble that resulted in a scoop-and-score for Abilene Christian. Abilene Christian was able to have big plays throughout the game as they extended their lead to 41-16 by the end of the third quarter. 

“The defense struggled tonight, even when the offense had a much better game,” Preston Affleck, a junior business management major from Riverton, said. 

To start the fourth quarter, Sam Hicks scored again for Abilene Christian on an eight-yard rushing touchdown, and Chris Wright returned a Utah Tech fumble for an Abilene Christian touchdown. Utah Tech bounced back with a touchdown on their next drive as quarterback Reggie Graff scored for Utah Tech on a nine-yard rushing touchdown.

After Utah Tech forced an Abilene Christian punt, Trailblazers running back Bretton Stone scored on a 10-yard rush with three minutes remaining — the last score of the game.

Utah Tech had their best game offensively of the season, scoring a season high 30 points. Quarterback Reggie Graff led the Trailblazers in passing with 231 yards and a touchdown while also leading the team in rushing with 79 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Maverick McIvor led Abilene Christian’s air attack with 286 yards passing and two touchdowns on 33 attempts. Sam Hicks led Abilene Christian’s attack on the ground, rushing for 203 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. 

As Utah Tech prepares to travel on the road, some students would like to see better support from the student section to give Utah Tech a true home-field advantage.

“I would love to see more support from the student section,” Zachary Moore, a sophomore general education major from St. George, said. “It was lacking energy and a lot of people left after the first quarter.”

Following their first conference game of the season, Utah Tech falls to 0-5. The Trailblazers will look to get their first win of the season as they head on the road to play the University of North Alabama Oct. 5. 

Community, students unite at Homecoming carnival, car show

The shine off of polished vintage cars and the sound of carnival games surrounded Utah Tech University as it hosted its annual carnival and car show. 

Through the school’s Homecoming Week, Utah Tech had the opportunity to boost student spirit on campus while connecting with the St. George community.

“One thing I love that Utah Tech does is that there’s always something going on, and I think that helps to bring the community together,” Gavin Glasgow, a junior finance major from Little Rock, Arkansas, said.

While some activities are geared more toward students, this event was aimed at both students and the community, which was clear from the attendance at the carnival. 

I was surprised to less students and more families here,” Easton Brooks, a sophomore secondary education major from Herriman, said. “I think intermingling the students and the people outside the campus allows outsiders to meet the students and get familiar with them, and the campus is great for everyone.”

The carnival featured various activities that gave different options for everyone in attendance. Utah Tech students ran many of the booths, which had games such as the ring toss, Plinko and Skee-Ball. Several of the different booths also had a variety of carnival snacks such as snow cones, churros, popcorn and cotton candy. Several different food trucks like the Corn Dog Company were also serving food near the booths. 

Along with the carnival, a car show also took place along with it. The car show featured a variety of different vintage cars that allowed those with only a surface-level interest, along with car experts, to enjoy it and learn more.

“I just love cars and everything about them; the way they sound, the way they’re built, just everything about them,” Aiden Ezziyara, a freshman electrical engineering major from Salt Lake City, said. 

The car show also showed how many people in the St. George community have a shared interest in cars, which made it a great place to have a car show. 

“There’s a lot of people down in St. George that have cars and that like cars,” car show participant Roger Beutler said. ”Then, of course, down here you can have them out almost all year anyway. I just think that this is a great place for car shows, similar to how Vegas is.”

Beutler’s interest in car shows started through his interest in Mustangs when he got his first one and has continued to now, where he has six Mustangs. Stories such as this demonstrate how events like a car show can introduce people to cars and help that interest grow. From Mustangs to Hellcats and Bel Airs, there was something for everyone to get interested in cars, learn more about them and the culture surrounding them.

Through activities that bring together both students and people outside the campus, Utah Tech continued to build a welcoming community.

OPINION | Homecoming is still relevant

Homecoming Week has been around for a long time here at Utah Tech University. While it might feel a bit overrated at times, there’s no denying its importance to campus culture.

Homecoming Week is the one week where students, alumni and staff are supposed to come together to celebrate school pride. But with today’s students juggling different priorities, it’s fair to ask: Is Homecoming still relevant, or are we just holding onto something that doesn’t quite fit anymore?

For a lot of students, especially freshmen and those looking for ways to connect, Homecoming can be their first real taste of school spirit. It’s a way to feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself, something that’s been happening for decades before you arrived and will continue long after you graduate.

I remember my first Homecoming Week at Utah Tech so vividly. The energy on campus was so electric. I was taken back by how many events and celebrations were going on. For someone new to campus, it was the perfect way for me to be social and bond with my roommates and classmates. It wasn’t so much about the specific events but the shared experience of being with fellow students, celebrating together.

So, is Homecoming a little overrated? Sure, the events may not have the same pull they once did, and the hype doesn’t always match reality. But it’s still a core part of campus culture that helps bring students and alumni together. 

There’s a lot to be said for tradition. Traditions like Homecoming Week or certain campus events, like dew pong and Miss Utah Tech, provide students with a sense of belonging, creating memorable experiences that last well beyond graduation.

Homecoming has always been a way to connect students with the school’s history, foster a sense of community and get alumni back on campus. It gives everyone a reason to come together and show some pride for Utah Tech. That connection to history is something special. It’s a moment to recognize the journey the university has been on and the role students, past and present, have played in shaping it.

But if I’m being honest, not everyone buys into it the same way anymore. Events like the parade, football game and carnival don’t seem to draw the crowds like they once did. A lot of students skip out on the festivities, and those who do attend may not be as enthusiastic as previous generations. 

It can feel like Homecoming is stuck in the past, not really reflecting what students today are excited about or value. Students are more focused on academics, jobs or other personal pursuits, and the traditional Homecoming events don’t always align with their interests or schedules. I find myself every year wanting to go to the campus events but having to work or prioritize school work.

At the same time, that doesn’t mean Homecoming should just be tossed aside. Even if the excitement isn’t as high as it once was, it still has an important place on campus. Homecoming represents something bigger than just individual events; it’s a chance to build a sense of belonging and tradition.

This week unites students, alumni and staff, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie essential to the college experience. It allows for the celebration of shared experiences and rekindling of friendships, reminding everyone of their vibrant community.

By honoring the tradition that is Homecoming, we can ensure it continues to nurture school pride and strengthen bonds for years to come.

OPINION | Witches: trend or reality?

Every fall, the girls who believe themselves witches come out of hiding and accept their true selves. These modern witches have increasingly become more trendy, resulting in an obsession with zodiac astrology, crystals, taro cards, spells and more.

Modern witches have become an aesthetic people could embrace; Vogue wrote that this aesthetic is called witchcore. The modern witch aesthetic is wearing monochrome smocking or tulle, natural chunky knit with a lace collar and flowy, feminine hair by day; by night witchcore becomes darker with black lace and boots.

Embarrassingly, I fell prey to the phenomenon of modern witches in high school; I was already strange, and this trend fueled that. I mean, I collected rocks I found on hikes until I discovered crystals.

Crystals started everything for me; I used to believe wholeheartedly they had supernatural powers.

For example, on the first date with my boyfriend, I asked him if he wanted to see my rock collection. God bless him because he listened to me rant about every crystal I owned and what they could do. Somehow, four years later, we’re still together despite my oh-so-endearing quirks.

This belief system was so bad that after dating for a few weeks, I put a rose quartz crystal under the driver’s seat in his truck. I was fully convinced this was why he fell in love with me. I did this because I learned in a TikTok that putting the “love” crystal underneath his seat would intensify any feelings he had for me.

Trust me, I know it’s insane, and I can promise that I’m no longer gullible to the compelling spiritual videos online.

I still have crystals in my home, but only because they are pretty to look at. They were also incredibly expensive. Eventually, I finally found some form of reason and decided I probably wasn’t a witch, and it was just a popular trend teenage me was susceptible to.

Surprisingly, I am not the worst example of this trend, some people are much worse.

This trend dates back thousands of years, and one infamous example of witches was during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692.

Historically, witches have a bad reputation. Nobody knows where witches came from, and early records of witch-hunting date back to 4,000 years ago.

It is mostly a Western ideology that witches are inherently a sign of the devil, but in other cultures, witches are not evil. In Japan, for example, witches usually have a familiar or magical pet that grants them power. While in Korea, witches rely on spells to influence others. In Russia, a witch is called a Baba Yaga or babka and is synonymous with an old wise woman.

The modern witch can also be an intersection of the occult supernaturalmystical, magical beliefs, practices or phenomena — and the natural world. In this specific intersection, some witches will offer up plants and flowers to a spiritual altar for a goddess.

I never classified myself as a nature witch, but I do remember cleansing my crystals by placing them outside during a full moon, or worse, collecting rainwater and cleansing it under the moon. I cannot for the life of me figure out why I did that.

I found many different resources for the people who truly believe they are witches. There’s an online course via Zoom called “Ways into Witchcraft” by Rebecca Beattie to teach people how to accept their heritage and become witches. Beattie has an entire website with a myriad of classes aspiring witches can join.

I also listened to a podcast, “A Common Craft,” to learn the fascinating archetype of witches and witchcraft. This inspiring podcast was interesting, to say the least. It included storytelling, witch songs and the history of witches with evidence from “The Little Mermaid,” the Disney movie about the princess mermaid.

There really is something for everyone.

WikiHow also has a guide to becoming a witch, only 15 parts too, and very easy to digest. They said to be a successful witch, you need a wand (moon-charged stick), mortar and pestle, a book of shadows, herbs, mineral spirit and salt. This easy-to-read guide summarizes everything there is to know about witchcraft, making it simple and easy to understand so everyone can become a witch.

All jokes aside, this trend historically resurfaces every few years, and The Conversation claims this is because young people often search for spirituality and turn to witchcraft. This is because teens are inspired by TV shows and literature; TikTok’s witchcraft cottage-core aesthetic also reflects design trends.

To this day, I still don’t know where I somehow decided I was a witch. Maybe it was the books I was reading, or maybe it was TikTok that transfixed me.

The witch phenomenon has been fascinating to me ever since I went through my phase, which renders the question: where do we draw the line, and what’s the difference between someone being a full-fledged witch, and someone who may enjoy things that are similar to this pagan spirituality?

In a subreddit called “TrueUnpopularOpinion,” one redditor has some strong opinions about this. This person claims, “The worse thing is that this new internet-driven ‘witch’ trend is eroding our society’s ability to differentiate the truth from fiction at a massive scale.”

Despite this person’s joyful grammatical errors, they sparked a lively debate with at least 500 other people that defined the line between hobby and religion.

One person said, “We are just having fun, just like any other religion or group like big foot fans or UFO/alien believers. I love the aesthetic, nature and the things others come up with.”

If you see anyone who claims they’re a witch do these two things: one, send them to me so I can ask them literally everything they believe in; and two, ask them if it’s only something they embrace during the autumnal seasons.

The history of the witch is truly fascinating, and it proves that this isn’t a new trend. The modern witch may be a new aesthetic, but witches have been around for far longer than we could possibly know.

Maybe I’m being too judgmental about witches, and it is just something fun that brings people together. But there are absolutely people who may take this too far, and they have for thousands of years. I can’t discount this spirituality because the only true evidence I have of magic is in the books I read, and maybe there is magic out there that we’re just too blind to see.

OPINION | Voting polls should be on every college campus

It’s the time of the season, or so the saying goes, when we are all ambushed by unskippable political ads, family discussions at the dinner table and those annoying spam texts from “Jen, your local party representative.” But have you noticed that none of these ever tells you how to get up and vote?

Voting is a fundamental part of our democracy. Compared to 2020, when the voting rate among college students reached 66%, the 2022 primaries fell short at 46%. This might have a lot to do with a common fallacy that only presidential elections influence your life. 

So how do we get these numbers up? We need to promote poll volunteers, register voters on campus and keep people informed about voter registration laws for college students. Most people do not know that you only need to live in a place for 30 days before election day to register to vote. 

We need to promote resources like Headcount, which is an amazing, user-friendly resource that allows people to check their registration no matter what state they reside in. It allows for full registration and volunteer opportunities at public events like concerts and live shows all over the country.

Though public outreach at events like a Green Day concert or other public shows would be a good way to register a few voters, it would be more beneficial for these groups to be on college campuses. If there was a Voter Registration Week on campus this would be easily attainable. Even a schoolwide event on National Voter Registration Day would be a valuable resource for students to educate themselves.

As much as I would like to take credit for this idea, I am not the only one to think voting needs to be taken more seriously on campuses. There are many nonpartisan organizations and foundations that agree having polling stations on campuses not only will increase the percentage of voters in each state, but also show how serious universities are about student voting. 

Finding a poll near you is the easy part, but managing how to get there is not. Less than 50% of college students have cars and without the freedom of transportation, not only are your chances of voting slim, but the closest poll is over three miles away or a 50-minute walk. This would not be a concern if polls were on campus. 

Harvard Kennedy Institute of Politics has reported 53% of young Americans said they would be voting in the upcoming election. I predict that if college students had more education available to them on the topic and the university promoted registration, this number would go up superseding 75%.

All in all, better access to voter registration and information is pertinent, not just for the upcoming election, but for every election after. Every person has the right to vote but not every person has access to the same resources to vote. Colleges need to support students’ constitutional right to vote by providing polls to be on campuses all over the country.

Register to vote at headcount.org and check your state’s voter registration requirements.

Alyssia Johnston crowned Miss Utah Tech 2024

The stage lights come up, shining on 19 young women competing to become the next Miss Utah Tech University. Each has come to win with a cause they are fighting for and hours of preparation.

The Miss Utah Tech pageant has been around since 1951 and has become a yearly Homecoming Week tradition.

“These women are advancing a message of empowerment through their efforts in communication, talent and their own unique community service initiatives as part of a Miss America organization that celebrates a new era of progressiveness, inclusiveness and service and success for women,” Sarah Boysun, Miss Dixie State 2014, said.

There are five key aspects of the pageant are called pillars. They include service, style, scholarship, success and sisterhood. These pillars factor into the events the women compete in. The first four are represented as the four points on the Miss America crown. After a woman completes her service, she joins the sisterhood of “forever queens.”

To become the next Miss Utah Tech, one needs to score well throughout the phases of competition.

  • First, before the pageant, contestants enter a 10-minute interview with the judges for 30% of their overall score.
  • To begin the pageant, each woman is asked a question on stage. This accounts for 10% of their score.
  • The next phase is relatively new to the competition. It is the health and fitness section where the contestants talk about the ways they keep healthy and model exercise wear. This segment is worth 20% of their score.
  • Then comes the talent section, which is 20%. Contestants demonstrate a talent they possess. Talents this year included singing, dancing, sign language, acting, writing and more.
  • The last segment is the evening gown competition. Contestants show off a dress they would wear on the red carpet. This accounts for the last 20%.

The competition demonstrates the service, style and success pillars of the pageant. These pillars are furthered through their time as Miss Utah Tech. The scholarship awarded to the winner is included in the fourth pillar. This year the scholarship was awarded differently.

“We are changing how our scholarship is awarded. So, instead of receiving a full tuition scholarship waiver, which doesn’t necessarily stack on top of academic scholarships, they receive a $2,000 cash prize,” Morgan Olson, executive director of the pageant and 2019, 2020 Miss Dixie State, said.

This is not the only change made this year.

Olson said, “This year, we started a new tradition of presenting our outgoing queen with a crown box to be able to remember the year.”

Marie Sewell, Miss Utah Tech 2024, was given the crown box this year as the first ever Miss Utah Tech to receive one.

“This year has been one of the most transformative years of my life. I never thought I would learn so much about myself or witness the growth I experienced in the process,” Sewell said. “I only wish I could hug my 18-year-old self and tell her that her dreams are possible and that she is enough.”

Sewell passed her crown to Alyssia Johnston, a senior marketing major from Pocatello, Idaho. Johnston’s community service initiative is giving children in poverty the ability to succeed in sports. It is called “The Monthly Move Project.”

“It gives children in poverty the opportunity to succeed in athletics that they may never have been able to do in the first place,” Johnston said.

Johnston had competed in the pageants before and served as royalty. She’s seen many friends become Miss Utah Tech, and now it is her turn.

The fifth pillar is sisterhood. Many past winners or “forever queens” were present in the audience during the pageant. Several of them won in the ’60s and ’70s. One of Utah Tech’s traditions is recognizing these “forever queens.” This year they had portraits of all the past queens on display in the Eccles Building lobby. Each year they also do a social with the alumni that attend as well.

Olson said: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to remember that while this organization may be small, we are mighty. It’s good to be able to connect with these older alumni and be able to acknowledge and appreciate the changes that not only Utah Tech University has gone through, but also the Miss America Opportunity.”

Misinformation during an election cycle

This story is published as part of U.S. Democracy Day and the Utah College Media Collaborative, a cross-campus project bringing together emerging journalists from Salt Lake Community College, the University of Utah, Utah State University and Utah Tech University.

As contentions rise this election season, college students have found themselves inundated with political messaging on all corners of the internet. Social media feeds and news coverage constantly flow information to students and the public alike.

With the stream of information comes an increase of misinformation; a problem we are seeing this election cycle.

Geoff Allen, assistant professor of political science at Utah Tech, said: “These influencer accounts sit at the center of a larger network of people with similar ideologies, and then misinformation begins to spread rapidly within that ideological network… Once these stories start to get shared by large, well-connected accounts, it can be nearly impossible to get people to change their mind on what they have read.”

Misinformation, or the spread of incorrect or misleading information, has become part of modern politics. In the age of social media, Pew Research found that 28% of adults say that social media is important for helping them keep up with political news. But 64% of adults also say that social media has been bad for democracy.

Students who rely on social media to get their information on politics are likely to get content that is not fact-checked and/or has the content creators’ spin on it. Where there is no oversight on what can and cannot be posted on social media, misinformation can be shared or even added to.

Rhiannon Bent, assistant professor of communications and departmental chair, said: “You might be in the business of spreading information, but you may be in the business of entertaining, and those sometimes can be at odds with each other. And I don’t know if people take the time to differentiate between the two. Who is actually here to entertain or who’s here to actually spread facts? What are people’s credentials on talking about specific issues?”

Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Twitter have been places for discourse and misinformation. Algorithms designed to boost engagement often amplify sensationalized content that includes unverified information.

Dr. Kellie Marin, assistant professor of media and rhetoric, said: “Algorithms on social media create echo chambers of information coming from people and companies we selectively follow. If we are encountering information we likely already agree on, we are more likely to share it even when the information may not be correct.”

During election cycles, there is an uptick in misinformation being shared across platforms, both by people and politicians who are looking to get more votes and by other countries who are interfering with the election.

Bent said: “If we look in a bubble about what a certain politician has done in their tenure in politics, we can’t look at that singularly; we have to see all of the other elements and what other elements of government are helping or hindering their policy initiative.”

False news or misleading information spreads faster than factual content and reaches more people. For college students, misinformation can impact how they understand critical issues. Inaccurate portrayals of candidates and their platforms can impact voters and undermine the elections. It can also discourage voter turnout and impact election results.

Allen said: “Rather than seeing misinformation in the United States as a persuasion tool, it is better to see it as a mobilization tool. Most misinformation plays on beliefs already held by people and then gives them false information confirming those beliefs. Those individuals may become more likely to vote, creating disparities in turnout.”

Colleges and universities can play a role in teaching students to develop their critical thinking skills so that they can navigate the digital landscape and misinformation when they encounter it.

Students can utilize their skills such as:

  • Source checking: Verifying the credibility of the source and the account that is sharing the information, such as news organizations, who have a team of fact checkers that can double check sources is crucial.
  • Being wary of emotional language: Misinformation relies on emotional language to either appeal to their audience or even fear monger to gain traction within the algorithm. If a post has language that invokes a strong emotional response, you’ll want to double check its sources and facts.
  • Fact checking: Much like source checking, fact checking an article and debunking a claim can help with combating misinformation during an election year.
  • Pause before sharing: Ultimately, we are responsible for what we share. Instead of reposting a video with a hot take or an article with a sensationalized headline, stop and verify the information before sharing.

“This may seem time consuming, but during election season it is even more imperative to civic engagement and our democracy,” Marin said.

As the election cycle continues, students should be aware of the content they consume and share. Misinformation won’t be going away any time soon, but by understanding what misinformation is and developing media literacy, students can contribute to a more informed election season.

Bent said: “If you are consuming information, you have to do these things…. We just have to be responsible for the information that we are consuming.”

Rainey Facer reported and wrote this story as a journalism student with Utah Tech University’s Sun News Daily. Her article is published as part of the Utah College Media Collaborative, a statewide project in partnership with Amplify Utah.

Harris’s appeal to Gen Z might not outweigh the ‘iron law’ of voter behavior

Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign has garnered enthusiasm among young people, but that enthusiasm translating into voter participation remains to be seen.

By: Alina Walker

This story is published as part of U.S. Democracy Day and the Utah College Media Collaborative, a cross-campus project bringing together emerging journalists from Salt Lake Community College, the University of Utah, Utah State University and Utah Tech University.

Vice President Kamala Harris is wrapping up her “brat summer,” and Election Day is quickly approaching. Since President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July, Harris has made her mark on this election by embracing her youth and doing her best to connect with young voters. According to a recent U.S. News poll, 43% of young people agreed that they were more likely to vote in the election now that Harris is the Democratic candidate.

However, young voters didn’t just fall out of a coconut tree. They exist within the context of what came before them.

Phillip Singer, associate professor in the political science department at the University of Utah, said young people tend to have the lowest voter turnout of all age groups and that Harris’s efforts may not have as big of an impact as we expect.

What’s the Appeal?

“I think [low enthusiasm about the election was] a product of a former president running against the incumbent,” Singer said. “But, over the last three to four months with the Harris campaign, you see this remarkable shift in public polling on likely voters.”

Singer referred to a USA Today poll showing that likely voters aged 18-34 shifted from supporting Trump by 11 points to supporting Harris by 13 points, a 24-point swing. He attributed this shift to Harris’s ability to appeal to young voters in various ways.

Singer said Harris appeals to young voters because they tend to be more democratic than the older generations.

report by Pew Research Center found that 66% of voters aged 18-24 associate more closely with the Democratic Party, compared with the 34% who align with the GOP.

Singer added that Harris’s presence on social media and pop culture has played a large role in her appeal to young voters. Harris’s TikTok account @KamalaHQ uses the platform’s most popular trends to spread the word about her campaign. The account has gained 4.3 million followers since its creation in August.

Harris has also been supported on social media by several celebrities such as John Legend, Charli XCX, George Clooney and Ariana Grande. Additionally, Taylor Swift endorsed Harris on her Instagram after the debate on Sept. 9. According to CBS, 405,999 users visited vote.gov the following day.

Singer said that Harris’s use of pop culture in her campaign to appeal to young voters isn’t new. As an example, he gave the Rock the Vote campaign, which aired in 1990 on MTV and aimed to empower young people to exercise their right to vote.

The “Iron Law”

According to the 2020 voter census, 51.4% of voters aged 18-24 voted in the 2020 election, the lowest turnout among all age groups. Singer described young people choosing not to vote as the “iron law” of voter behavior.

“It will be interesting to see whether we have an outlier in voter participation in November,” Singer said. “My impression is that the use of social media, especially TikTok, has been really impactful in increasing awareness and enthusiasm … What there’s less evidence of is whether that will translate into actually casting a ballot.”

Joe O’Malley, a 19-year-old business student at the U, said he doesn’t see much about politics on his social media. However, even if he did, he still doesn’t intend to vote in the upcoming election.

“I really don’t think that my vote matters that much,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley added that he would be more involved and motivated to vote if candidates were more honest and open about their policy plans on social media.

On the other hand, Kara Iverson, a 19-year-old materials science and engineering student at the U, still sees the value in voting. She said that even though she isn’t on TikTok and doesn’t see posts from either candidate very often, she knows that her vote matters.

“I’m registered to vote, and I think I’m going to,” Iverson said.

Voter Turnout

To combat low voter turnout, many states have implemented systems that make voting more accessible for those who may not be able to vote in person, don’t know where to register, don’t know how to vote or feel like they can’t take the time to do so.

According to the Movement Advancement Project, 24 states have implemented some type of automatic voter registration. Additionally, eight states have implemented all-mail voting. Information on Utah’s voter registration policies and how to vote can be found here.

“My grandfatherly advice would be to get registered; get registered early,” Singer said. “And I want to emphasize that to students, our voices matter. Study the issues, study the candidates and take the time to vote.” 

Alina Walker reported and wrote this story as a journalism student with The Daily Utah Chronicle at the University of Utah. Her article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

[email protected]

@Alina_Walkerr