Category: News

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.

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.

A 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.

a.walker@dailyutahchronicle.com

@Alina_Walkerr

Mental health is a real problem in today’s society. One in five adults experience it, and one in 20 experience serious mental illness. Suicide is a leading cause of death.

In response to this, the Booth Wellness Center hosted a Connection and Belonging Week Sept. 16-17. Students were invited to attend events on those two days to foster connections and create a sense of belonging on campus.

“We do surveys every year and we found that a lot of our students are struggling with poor mental health, feelings of anxiety, feelings of depression, lack of connection and loneliness,” Jamy Dahle, director of counseling and health promotion services, said.

The activities provide students with opportunities to meet other students. There was a Question, Persuade, Refer suicide and prevention training, a Pancakes with a Pal event and an “Inside Out” movie night. There were also smaller events during the day such as messages of hope wall, chalk art and handing out semi-colon temporary tattoos.

“I think events like this can be an opportunity to invite people. It’s easier than a serious, talking event,” Shoko Domoto, freshman music major from Osaka, Japan, said.

Many people experience suicidal thoughts, and is oftentimes in conjunction with feeling lonely.

Kiesha Naisbitt, Seasons Health and Rehab employee, said: “I think when you have somebody to rely on then it makes it easier to want to make them proud. You want to be there for them. You want to live for them.”

The Booth Wellness Center has several resources available for students struggling with mental health.

Dahle said: “I want our student population to know that there’s nothing too small or too big to reach out for help. I think sometimes we get in our head saying, ‘It’s not that big of a deal,’ or the opposite where you don’t dare tell anybody because they won’t know what to do. Wherever you are on the spectrum, there is help for you.”

Free counseling is offered through the center. There are scheduled appointments one can make and there is an option for emergency walk-ins. To make an appointment, students can call 435-652-7755. They also can help students connect with institutions off campus through their insurance or reduced cost clinics. Safe UT is also a resource where students can talk to an online professionals or find help for a friend or roommate.

If a student is seriously contemplating suicide, there is a hospital nearby that they can check themselves into for up to 23 hours. They can leave once they feel stabilized and are given a care plan. There is another free option in Hurricane, which offers similar services including overnight stays.

“We want students to know we exist and are here for them,” Dahle said. “We want to talk about it and be open about it so those individuals struggling know there’s help for them and that they can access that help.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and suicidal thoughts, call the mental health crisis line at 988.

The Sundance Film Festival, long rooted in Park City, has been a significant event for Utah’s filmmaking community. With the possibility of the festival relocating, students and alumni from Utah Tech University’s film program are contemplating the potential impact on their careers.

Robert Redford played a key role in moving the Sundance Film Festival from Salt Lake City to Park City in 1981. After getting involved with the festival, he wanted to create a space where independent filmmakers could thrive away from the influence of Hollywood. By relocating it near his Sundance Mountain Resort, Redford fostered an environment that emphasized creative freedom, helping the festival grow into a premier event for independent cinema worldwide.

For many filmmakers in Utah, Sundance provides visibility and a platform to showcase their work. Local filmmakers, especially those just starting, have relied on the festival’s proximity to network with industry professionals. Some worry that if Sundance moves, this exposure may be lost.

Jeff Jarvis, dean of the College of the Arts, said: “The biggest challenge might be visibility. Sundance is a big player in the industry. Perhaps, if Sundance moves away, film will be less important, which would be challenging for our students.”

Some believe Sundance plays a key role in Utah’s film culture. Filmmakers express concern that if Sundance were to leave Park City, it could reduce opportunities for local talent.

Loren Zoltan, a sophomore digital film major from St. George, said: “Sundance makes Utah film culture feel alive. Besides New York or LA, Utah is slowly becoming another beacon state for the film industry. Submitting and being featured in Sundance is a common dream for filmmakers and inspires many. Sundance in Utah is important to fledgling filmmakers.”

The film program has established strong industry connections outside Sundance, including partnerships with productions like Kevin Costner’s “Horizon” series, which premiered at Cannes and Venice. Utah Tech is expanding its local industry ties with the upcoming film studio, Territory Studios, near the St. George Regional Airport, further reducing its reliance on Sundance. 

For Utah Tech alumni involved with Sundance, the move might pose some logistical challenges, especially if they relied on the festival for networking and showcasing their work.

Zoltan said, “I think Sundance is a more known and professional festival, so I do think the removal of Sundance would take away a lot of opportunities from Utah filmmakers.”

The potential relocation of Sundance may be more symbolic than practical. While it could make it harder for local filmmakers to attend the festival in person, the submission process will remain largely digital.

Karman Wilson, assistant dean of professional arts, said: “Films are made, produced and edited literally everywhere. The Sundance Film Festival, like any other film festival, does most of its business digitally. Filmmakers will still make films and submit them regardless of its location.”

Wilson said the digital age has made filmmaking a global endeavor, reducing the importance of physical location for festivals like Sundance. With most submissions and business done online, filmmakers can still gain recognition regardless of where the festival is held. This shift in accessibility ensures that Utah Tech’s film program can focus on fostering industry connections beyond local events.

Sundance’s potential move raises concerns but may not significantly impact Utah Tech students or alumni. The film program continues to build connections, and Utah’s filmmakers are already part of a global network. As the industry evolves, they are well-positioned to succeed, whether Sundance remains local or moves elsewhere.

The Hinckley Institute of Politics and Sutherland Institute kicked off their 2024 Congressional Series with a conversation with Congressman Burgess Owens, where he discussed education policy.

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.

The Hinckley Institute of Politics and Sutherland Institute kicked off their 2024 Congressional Series on Tuesday with a conversation with Congressman Burgess Owens, where he discussed his views on DEI, the value of a four-year education and K-12 policy.

Education Policy at the College Level

Owens spoke on H.B. 261 and DEI regulations in response to an audience member who pointed out “a discrepancy” between his views on “state control” and his opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion.

In response, Owens shared his memories of being the third Black student to attend the University of Miami. 

“The minute we go back to judging each other based on skin color, our religion, maybe our southern character, we’re headed down a dark and hideous path,” he said. 

Owens added that the free market could decide DEI.

“If an institution wants to teach DEI, that is fine,” he said. “[They] just won’t have the federal funding. If the free market says that’s the way to go, I will venture not too many people will put their kids in a school like that.” 

During the discussion, Christine Cooke Fairbanks, the education policy fellow at the Sutherland Institute and conversation moderator, asked if college was still worth attending.

Owens said students leave college with debts they can never repay, and their return on investment is typically poor. 

“That’s why we have the College Reduction Act,” he said.

The College Cost Reduction Act was proposed in January 2024. According to the American Council on Education, it’s a comprehensive bill that aims to overhaul the student loan process and restrain college costs.

K-12 Education Policy

Owens discussed the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), a proposed solution to the declining quality of education since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Districts in D.C. and Baltimore [have] zero proficiency in math … it’s not that they’re not talented enough to do it. They’re not being taught,” Owens said.

Owens added the ECCA will allow Congress to create a scholarship-granting organization (SGO). Those who invest in this SGO can receive a 1% tax credit. These investments will allow any child or parent to choose where the child goes to school without drawing funding from the school districts.

According to Invest in Education, ECCA grants scholarships to students that allow them to attend schools that meet their educational needs as determined by their parents.

Fairbanks asked Owens how Congress intends to “empower and equip” parents involved in their child’s education.

“We have been putting something together called the Parents Bill of Rights,” Owens said.

According to the bill summary, the Parents Bill of Rights “clarifies that parents have a right to know what is happening in their child’s school and maintain the right to make decisions about their child’s education.”

Owens explained that parents should have the right to know if their child is being taught something that goes against their core values, to know if there is violence in the school system and to protect their child’s privacy. 

“There’s no one who loves their kids more than their parents,” Owens said. “We all know that.”

Elle Crossley 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.

a.walker@dailyutahchronicle.com

@Alina_Walkerr

Moore praised the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and said Congress should renew its individual tax cuts expiring in 2025. He also discussed cutting deficit spending and student loan debt.

By: Josi Hinds

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.

“It’s the boring stuff that really, really matters,” Congressman Blake Moore said to an audience of University of Utah students, locals and U staff on Wednesday.

Moore shared his thoughts on economic policies, student loan debt and why tax law makes this year’s election so important, as part of the Sutherland Institute’s Congressional Series.

2024 Election Stakes

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed in 2017, made several sweeping changes to the U.S. tax code. In addition to permanently cutting the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, the act included several tax cuts for individuals. These individual tax provisions, however, will expire at the end of 2025. 

“[The partial expiration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is] why this election cycle is quite important,” Moore said. “And my frustration is that you don’t hear that in the national discourse. You don’t hear that from either presidential candidate right now talking about these particular key policies.”

Moore hopes this election will result in a unified government, where Congress and the White House are run under one party. That would give lawmakers the opportunity to reconcile budgets and build “a really solid re-up of the 2017 tax bill.” 

“But what Republicans don’t engage on enough is sticking together and being a team. If we’re a team, we can accomplish more,” he said. “We have to accomplish something when we’re in the majority. We’ve got to govern, or we won’t get a chance to govern for much longer.”

Welfare Spending 

Moore suggested cutting wasteful spending and changing the way the government funds Social Security and Medicare to hone in on the national debt.

“Our debt is far different than it was in 2017, far worse, obviously,” Moore said, arguing that cutting deficit spending as much as possible should be a priority. Currently, the U.S. is operating with a debt of $1.5 trillion. 

Moore said that there are several ways the U.S. could cut wasteful spending in efforts to reduce the national deficit. 

“There’s lots of waste in our federal government,” he said. “Before you even address Social Security, Medicare, there’s still tons of waste that exists out there. So, we want to be able to go after that.” 

Moore explained the two different spending “buckets” the federal government operates with, known as discretionary and mandatory spending.

Discretionary spending is appropriated annually as part of the yearly budget process. Lawmakers also vote to approve this spending. Mandatory spending is dictated by prior law and is not voted on or altered by lawmakers. 

Welfare programs like Social Security and Medicare are funded by mandatory spending. 

However, Moore said that funding for these programs should shift. He argued that allowing lawmakers to vote and alter the financing of these programs would help control their growth and reduce inflation. 

“If you don’t give lawmakers an opportunity to actually roll their sleeves up and get involved in these programs, they are going to grow out of control,” Moore said. “When I say out of control, I mean their growth rate is going to increase significantly, especially with an aging population. We need the ability to go actually after that.”

The more money the government allocates to these programs, especially as these programs grow in size, the more inflation rises as a consequence, Moore added. 

“If we actually lowered what we were doing, I think that overall the economy would settle in and things wouldn’t cost as much,” he said. 

What to Cut, What to Keep

When asked what should be changed about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Moore suggested reducing deficit spending and creating a program for “opportunity zones.” 

“There are communities in every state in the country that are underserved,” Moore said. “They have not had proper investment into them … Well, what opportunity zones are is an investment structure that will encourage development.”

Moore mentioned an investment project in Anacostia, D.C., as an example of successfully developing underinvested areas. 

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act contains several things worth keeping, Moore said. He pointed to FDII, a program meant to encourage U.S.-based multinational companies to invest more in the U.S. 

He also praised the lower corporate tax rate while admitting it is a “hot button issue.” 

“We saw real wage growth take place after that. Companies had the opportunity to invest more in the things that helped grow their business, and a big, big part of that is labor force.”

College Students and Taxes

“This matters because you will be entering the workforce,” Moore said. “You might already have a job, you might be doing some, but you’ll be entering the workforce soon. And the decisions we make now will have a profound impact on you all.”

Moore said students should not be worried about taking on student loan debt.

“Don’t be scared of that … be smart about it. Work your tail off. Work as hard as you can. Value that education,” he said. “Help limit that deficit as much as you can. But you’re investing in yourself, so that’s okay.”

Moore pointed out a bill Congress passed in 2022 called Secure 2.0.

The Secure 2.0 program was built to help people facing student loan debt, Moore explained. The bill outlines that whenever an employee makes a payment on their student loan, the company can match that payment and put it towards a 401(k). 

“Companies want to do it,” Moore said. “Employees should love that, and it should be a really great thing that your company will offer, and you will start saving for your own retirement five, six years sooner than you otherwise would have.”

Josi Hinds 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.

j.hinds@dailyutahchronicle.com

@JosiHinds

Maloy advocated for finding a balance between federal and state jurisdiction. She also discussed guidance letters and federal land use.

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.

Federalism is the name of the game, and Rep. Celeste Maloy reminded Utahns why during her conversation at the Sutherland Institute’s 2024 Congressional Series last Wednesday.

Maloy sat down with University of Utah students, locals and U staff on Sept. 4 to discuss her thoughts on the federal government’s influence on state and local policy. She covered land use, the Chevron decision, guidance letters, environmental regulation and the importance of transparency in congress.

“I think transparency and accountability are key in government,” Maloy said. “I think a lot of that transparency is actually baked in, but you have to know where to look and what you’re looking for, and so, that really isn’t transparency.”

Balancing Federal and State Jurisdiction

Maloy said the government’s main function is to protect the freedom of individuals. She explained that more often than not, people are not consuming news at the local level, and instead have a tendency to focus on issues at the federal level. In reality, she added,  state, county and city governments are just as important. 

To ensure that the balance between federal and state jurisdiction is maintained, Maloy introduced the Full Responsibility and Expedited Enforcement (FREE) Act in June. The FREE Act requires government agencies to evaluate its permits and assess if they are appropriate for permit by rule. Permit by rule is a process by which gas and oil sources are regulated.

Maloy said this act is meant to streamline the permitting process, but it has not yet moved past being introduced in the legislature. 

Additionally, Maloy said she believes that overturning the Chevron decision will help maintain the balance.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, the Supreme Court’s 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council states that if federal legislation is ambiguous, courts must refer to an agency’s interpretation of the legislation. This holds true even if a court disagrees with an agency’s interpretation. 

“In the 40 years since [the decision], that deference has gotten broader and broader to where I would say the agencies are often interpreting their authority to be clearly in violation of what Congress said,” Maloy said. 

Maloy explained that in her opinion, states do most things better. 

“With a lot of the hot-button political issues, part of the reason they are so hot is because we’re trying to solve them at a federal level when it would make more sense for states to make decisions,” Maloy said. “States are much better at figuring out a solution that works for their state.” 

Federal Policy Decisions

The conversation’s moderator, William C. Duncan, the Sutherland Institute’s constitutional law and religious freedom fellow, asked Maloy about the role of guidance letters in Congress. Guidance letters offer the public information on legislation by explaining its effects. They can also outline interpretations of legislation. 

Maloy said she believes guidance letters are “infringing on the idea of federalism.” 

She explained the solution to issues surrounding guidance letters begins with the language Congress uses in a bill. Ensuring that the intended message within a bill is clear to understand would eliminate the need for guidance letters.

“I think we owe it to the court and the agencies to be really clear, and we don’t have to be tricky about it, we can be really open about it,” Maloy said.

Federal Land Use 

When Duncan asked about land use, Maloy touched on Utah filing a landmark public lands lawsuit against the U.S. Supreme Court. The lawsuit asks the Court to address whether the federal government can hold on to unappropriated lands indefinitely. In Utah, approximately 18.5 million acres of land is unappropriated. This land is currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management. 

Maloy said that the 18.5 million acres in question are managed for grazing, mining and hiking. She explained that land in national parks is not included in the lawsuit.

“I don’t know what the court’s going to decide, but I do think it’s better that local voices are involved in those conversations,” Maloy said.

Maloy also brought up permitting challenges surrounding land use. She said the federal government is inefficient when it comes to permitting because the states typically have deadlines they are required to make a decision by. However, the federal government rarely has these deadlines. At the federal level, the permitting process can take years, which costs taxpayers.

Maloy gave the Northern Corridor in Washington County as an example. The road has been on the county’s transportation plan for more than 20 years. It requires federal permits because it goes through federal land.

“There are people in federal agencies that just don’t think you should have a road there, and so they don’t issue the permits,” Maloy said.  

The Omnibus Public Land Act of 2009 instructed the BLM to consider giving Washington County a right of way to address the Northern Corridor’s future. However, permits were not granted. Taxpayers continued to pay for the county to keep working on obtaining permits until January 2021, when the highway was approved.

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.

a.walker@dailyutahchronicle.com

@Alina_Walkerr

After H.B. 261 shut down several resource centers on campus, faculty, staff and students have worked to create new inclusive and safe spaces for U of U’s campus community.

By: Kate Keith

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.

On Jul. 1 of this year, the U closed several student resource centers. The shutdown of these centers was due to the anti-DEI bill H.B. 261, otherwise known as the “Equal Opportunities Initiative.” In response, students, faculty and staff at the U have pushed back and organized safe spaces of their own.

Response from the Academic Community

One of these groups is the Queer Alliance For Faculty and Staff (QUAFFS). QUAFFS is an official faculty affinity group under the U’s Office of Faculty, and has been up and running since Jan. 2023.

Lisa G. Aspinwall, professor of psychology and QUAFFS point person, spoke on how her perception of what the group would be doing changed in recent months.

“So originally, I thought this would be just a nice way to have coffee with people,” Aspinwall said. “When we thought about our mission statement, we included things like advocacy and consultation with the university about important events, but I thought we would be a social organization. It became clear to me over the many events of last year and this summer that we needed to take a more active role.”

Aspinwall added she works with the Disability Advocacy & Research Network (DARN) in addition to QUAFFS to fight back against H.B. 261.

“I realized that I had been spending all of my time doing advocacy out at national meetings to try to make our field a more welcoming and supportive place, but I had not been doing that locally on campus,” Aspinwall said. “I thought, ‘wait a minute, I do this for people I see once a year. We all think it’s great when I go home, and I never hear from them again. Maybe I should be more involved on my campus.’”

Aspinwall made a point to discuss how this isn’t a one-party issue. She wanted students to know that this is an issue for all underrepresented groups on campus.

“Many students have memberships across multiple of these groups. It’s not like, ‘here are the queer people and here’s everybody else,”’ Aspinwall said. “That’s just not what the reality is, and that’s not what our approach is. It’s not what students, faculty, or staff are. We are all concerned, and we are all working together to provide the opportunity for community building, networking, social events, having fun and making friends, all the things that the centers did that they can’t do anymore. There’s nothing in H.B. 261 that would have outlawed that.”

Student Pride Center

Another organization, fully run by student volunteers, is the Student Pride Center. This center is running out of the Marriott Library. It’s open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Student Pride Center is also administratively and financially separate from the U.

Ien Zielinski, the founder and executive director of the Student Pride Center, discussed the center’s mission to support and advocate for LGBTQ students, faculty and staff.

“Our main goal is to support and advocate [for] and connect LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff on campus,” Zielinski said. “All of our volunteers are trained in reporting situations of discrimination and harassment, walking people through the reporting process, and connecting people to resources, both on and off campus.”

This organization is built up of students, for the students, with a mission built around advocacy and inclusivity.

“A lot of our work surrounds building a more inclusive environment, advocating [to] university administration and thus the Utah Legislature at large,” Zielinski said. “We do partner events with the Utah Pride Center, our parent chapter, as well as other LGBTQ+ student organizations around campus.”

The Student Pride Center is having a kickoff celebration on Sept. 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. While the celebration’s location has not been released, Zielinski hopes to host it in Presidents’ Circle.

Independently Organized LGBTQ+ Pool Party

In the past, the LGBT Resource Center used to throw a pool party to kick off the fall semester. This year, a group of students have banded together to put on their own version of the pool party. Dylan Alden, a current undergraduate studying history, is organizing an LGBTQ+ Pool Party for students, staff and faculty. The party will be on Sept. 14 in the Student Life Center from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

“There are several groups, faculty, staff and students who are independently working and, in some cases, are making some really important partnerships to co-sponsor events to have fair and welcoming events that we all deserve,” Aspinwall said.

Kate Keith 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.

k.keith@dailyutahchronicle.com

@_katekeith