Humanities Radio Presents: Comm 3540

Speaker 1 (00:02): This is the U should be for You, a podcast about University of Utah students and how things on campus affect them. I'm your host for this episode, Mia Hershey, and we'll be talking about the muss. If you attend a University of Utah football game, you'll probably notice the group of 7,000 screaming students. The U student section named the muss is something that the university and its students are very proud of. So how does the muss and its energy affect the students on campus? Some students love going to football but don't attend other sports. Some students feel that the MUS is overcrowded and scary at times. Others are disappointed by the price and limited number of football passes. So how does the university and its students navigate these issues? To start, we'll hear Caitlin, who wanted to interview someone who would know the muss very well. 

Speaker 2 (00:51): Today we are talking with Irena Weed, the president of the University of Utah Student section. Irena is a senior at the U and has been involved with the muss since her freshman year. In this interview, we are talking about what it takes and why it's so exciting to be a part of the Mighty Utah student section. What got you into being the president of the Muss and on the board? So 

Speaker 3 (01:13): I've been a Utah sports fan my whole life. I grew up going to football games. We had season tickets. I grew up going to basketball games and when I started here I started in 2020 and we didn't have football. It was covid and all that. And so I was really interested in getting involved and I knew sports was something I was really interested in. So I applied for the board and I made it on the board and I already made all these different changes. I started giving back to something I love so much and then that helped me to grow and apply for more leadership positions within that organization. 

Speaker 2 (01:48): So what is your job as the president? What are your requirements? What do you have to do? 

Speaker 3 (01:53): Yeah, so a lot of it is overseeing the board, making sure that everyone fulfills their requirements, but it's also being a good leader, creating new rules and establishing new policies within the moss to create a better overall muss. Why is the muss so exciting, you think? I think it's the best atmosphere in college football, college basketball. It's the best place to be as a student. It's one of the reasons I even came to the U. I knew it would be such a fun experience and it got even better throughout the years and while I was here, we won the student section of the year award. This month actually, we're in the running for student section of the month, so you can vote Taco Bell, whatever. It is fun, but it really has impacted my experience at the U and I think it's my favorite thing to do in my free time. 

Speaker 2 (02:52): Why are tickets so coveted? Why are people wanting these tickets in your opinion?

Speaker 3 (02:56): It's, we're a good team. We have a great history. I mean, I was alive when we had both undefeated seasons as a football team. I went to the Sugar Bowl when we played there and we we're getting better and better over the years. We're joining a new conference and then also with that is that we have a limited number of seats. We can't really give you more because there's only a limited number. So people want the seats. People want to be there. People want to be in this crazy fun atmosphere. 

Speaker 2 (03:32): Walk me through the preparations of the musts. When does it start? When are you kind of going through this whole process and everything that goes into it? Ticketing or just what you do and ticketing, musts, shirts, everything like that. Walk me through it. If I'm going to be your next president or this new person on the board, I want you to walk me through everything that you do. 

Speaker 3 (03:59): Let's see. Everything is kind of a hard overall. Tell me what's most important. So our board runs January to January. That way we can prepare for the football season, which is the biggest one. So we have the most tickets without having a brand new board in the middle of the right before the season. So in January we work with our, what we call Olympic sports. That's all the other sports with gymnastics, basketball, all of that. We designed shirts. We had designed those probably, well, we had just finished ours I think. So we do those fall before print, those get those all ready for next year. And then we start preparations early spring for our football season. So we'll start prepping for when we want to do registration. So we will plan tabling dates and those kind of things just to get the word out there and figure out when we can handle that kind of volume, meet with people both for ticket office and other people like that. 

Speaker 3 (04:58): So that's early spring. We did that I think April, and then this year we sold out record timing within hours where last year I think we sold out middle of the summer. So it's like, yeah, crazy amount of volume, crazy amount of people really wanting to be there. I don't know if you've seen the crowd, but it's been insane. It's been crazy. So a lot of that too is we're also meeting with security. We're meeting with everyone who goes into what makes the student experience. So we're meeting with the athletic marketing people. We meet with the coaches at times. We meet with what people want us to be there and do. So that's kind of what our spring is mostly preparations. We also have other, we have baseball, we have softball, we have lacrosse that starts early spring. So those sports we focus on, but because there's less attendance, it's not as daunting and not as big of a task. 

Speaker 3 (05:52): But a lot of our requirements for the board is to be there. We require certain games, but we also want people to want to be there. Those are the best board members, the people who show up to games. So that's that. Oh, we also have basketball goes into March as well. Summer is our big prep time. So while everyone's out of school, we're in there making sure all the seating is correct. We make sure that we have prep for distribution. So that would be the days we give out the lanyards, the shirts and how we want to message those kinds of things. What we're going to advertise for that. We also plan for all of our tailgates. So we start that planning. We don't know the times until oftentimes we go, but sometimes we know the times before. So we kind of plan what we want. If the tailgate is going to have to be an early tailgate is what we're want to do. We're going to work with our caterers. Hey, they're going to give us breakfast burritos that we do in early tailgate, so let's plan that in advance, meet with our people. 

Speaker 3 (06:53): And so when we plan that, and then as we're in the middle of football season, everything is planned for football season, we shift our gears into working on our basketball. So they start November, and so we kind of work on, we're doing something new this year, try and create more hype for our basketball team, especially going into the big 12. It's a big conference, especially with basketball, so we've been working on some new things with that. I'm really trying to figure out how we're going to push getting attendance to those games. I'm a huge fan of women's basketball and now people go to that, but they're a really good team and I remember when I first interviewed for the board, they were like, what do you want to happen? I was like, I really want people to go to women's basketball because I've gone before and I was the only person there. And now you go and it's hundreds of people, so it's in the must, not even just the whole stadium. So it's really awesome to see those kind of impacts change. 

Speaker 2 (07:49): What inspired you to take on the role of president and what are your main goals for the student section this year? 

Speaker 3 (07:55): I just wanted to give back, honestly. It is the best experience I've had is being in the muss, working with the muss board, and I think that I wanted to take that position because I thought that I could do the job and give back to people. Also, it's not just me. I'm supportive of two other vice presidents and then we have other committees. And so a lot of people think, oh, she's the president, she does everything. But really it's like I'm supportive with all of these other people and they are what makes the board where the board is, especially because continuation, I'm graduating this semester, so after someone is going to take over as president in January and they're going to do a great job, they have been prepared. They've been working on all this stuff. So yeah. 

Speaker 2 (08:41): Where are you guys the must board you during these games? What are you guys doing? Are you fully enthralled in the game and just having fun? Are you doing stuff behind the scenes that we don't know, but you're doing a lot to contribute to 

Speaker 3 (08:53): That make of both? So we try to do a mixture of we want the board members to enjoy the game. We want them to because they love the game, that's why they're there. But we also know there's a lot of things that do go on behind the scenes. So I'm just trying to think of for basketball, for example, we do things like we're giving out the shirts. We did scanning incentives this last year for basketball. So if you showed up to a certain number of games, we gave out prices. We had lunch with the coach, we did swag. We'd also some other things and we had to scan your student IDs and during the second half of the game so people wouldn't leave early. So we did that and we'd have people run through the crowd Also, everyone in the MU is usually spread out. They want to sit with their friends up higher or whatever. So it's really awesome to see that everyone is contributing to the MU as a whole and they aren't just sitting there enjoying. They're also doing things in the moment too. 

Speaker 2 (09:53): How have you dealt with overcrowding in the football student section this year and last year? What are your concerns, your solutions? Just kind of talk about it. 

Speaker 3 (10:03): Yeah, so I think one thing is we really want to have the must be the craziest, the most fun soon section, but we also want it to be safe. We want people to have a good time there. And so it is this balance of having safety measures and funds. So one thing that we've done the past several years, as long as I've been here is for the lower 15 rows, we do wristbands, have security guards check those that only those people there should be there. Also with that we have the lanyards. Those lanyards help indicate a visual way where people should be sitting or standing. No one's sitting at the game. So those are some of the major measures. There's other things that go into it and that we've met about, but those are the big things we do. As far as security within the stadium, 

Speaker 2 (10:53): Have you seen any backlash on social media about it or any just kind of problems with students that you wish you could address to them? 

Speaker 3 (11:04): Yeah, I mean, so we do a survey every year and we always get comments. We get comments both ways. We get comments where it is overcrowded and there's too many people in this area and people are like, it's not crowded enough. People are, it's empty, whatever. So it's really hard to balance those comments. I think people need to understand that we're doing the best we can and we're only, we're a group of students, and so it's hard for us to control the entire crowd because board's like 25 to 30 people and the homeless is 7,000 whatever students, and so it, it's not easy task. And so we do our best to try to help everyone is what we do. 

Speaker 2 (11:48): What work or thought through when you guys are posting on social media or the marketing, what goes into that? What are you hoping that people get by looking at these Instagram posts you guys are doing or what kind of goes into all that marketing process? 

Speaker 3 (12:04): So we have our own marketing committee within the board. So it's a couple students who are really focused on marketing, and then we also have a team working with them in the alumni house. All of them work together to create what they do. They kind of want it to be really focused on the student voice, getting students the information they need to do the fun things in the must get 'em to know all the information. So I think that's kind of our mindset behind it. That makes sense? 

Speaker 2 (12:36): No, that makes sense for sure. Okay. Do you feel like our student section represents the school? 

Speaker 3 (12:45): Yeah, so I think it's very interesting to me because I know our student population is over 30,000 and so we can only have a certain percentage, but do you think it represents a fair amount of what the student population is when you've done our survey? It actually is pretty even about the demographics that we see across campus. So it means that we know we have a pretty representative survey, and I do think sometimes though it is skewed, A lot of times more men typically are the sports fans, but I don't think that's necessarily the case in the muss. I think that it's actually pretty diverse. I think it's a place where everyone can feel included. I think back when I was a sophomore, my first year in the muss, I had friend, a friend of friends who had never gone to football games before and they didn't really know, I don't really want to go, and they're like, no, we should get tickets. 

Speaker 3 (13:40): You're going to have a fun time. And I go there and she was like, wow, this is crazy. The energy is really what brings the game. You don't have to know anything about sports. And so I think it bridges some of those gaps in knowledge or previous excitement about it. I know from Utah, I've always been a Utah fan. That's not the case anymore. We have a lot of out-of-state students. A lot of people don't even know that our football team is even as good as it is. And I think just getting people to know what it's like. 

Speaker 2 (14:15): What attitude do you think the fans give off when they're in the muss? 

Speaker 3 (14:19): I think they're excited. I think the muss really helps to bring the energy in the whole stadium. I mean, the whole section is up standing the whole time. I mean, the only times they get break is half time, maybe a quarter breaks if it's crazy, but I think it brings the energy and I think when the muss is rowdy, the rest of the stadium is rowdy. So I think it's really fun and we keep track of how many fall starts we get every game and we've tracked it on the front just to show how much our impact goes on the actual teams. And I think that's the biggest thing that we can do as a student section is impact and help those teams. 

Speaker 2 (14:58): Going on with that. How do you think that kind of go more onto that positive excitement from the fans? Have you seen that personally affect how our team does? 

Speaker 3 (15:09): Yeah, yeah. I think with the mus, as long as I've known, the MUS is started in 2002, so the year after I was born. So it's been around as long as I've known and I've always been able to see it and witness it, but I've seen it a lot more in our smaller sports and see that impact is crazy because you can see such a dramatic impact. I remember, so one of my favorite games, going back to women's basketball, it's one of my favorites. I love all the sports. Not saying that I have favorites, but it's just kind of like my little baby. And I remember it was two years ago, we played Oklahoma here and they were ranked one of our biggest opponents at the time, and we beat them so badly and everyone, the whole muss was crowded, everyone was really into it and you could see our team reacting and looking at us and people on the bench were like, wow, look how cool, how crowded it is. 

Speaker 3 (16:04): And after games, especially with basketball, they come over and give us high fives. I remember even during one of the men's basketball games, I think it was after we beat Arizona, which was huge, they were number 14 in the country. The coach came up into the MU and we're like, oh, he's here now. And we're like, wow. They really do appreciate us and we've seen all the praise we get from them. And it is not just what I do or what the board does, it's what everyone does to bring more people there and to bring more energy. 

Speaker 2 (16:35): And tell me a little bit more about Must After Dark, what does it mean to be in a football or outside and the lights just go down and it's like everyone's so excited for night games. Why do you think everyone's so excited for night 

Speaker 3 (16:48): Games? It's great. Well, because last year the only night game we had was a Thursday game, which wasn't really a night game. It was like 5:00 PM The thing about night games is there's no sun rise, it's not hot, it's great weather, and you can just get out there and go crazy. Everyone is there. Everyone's there on time, no one's late, no one has without the whole stadium, they'll have their kids' football game or whatever. Everyone's there, everyone's in their seat. Everyone's there just to watch that game. And so you get all that energy just bundled off in this crazy, I mean, with dark mode specifically, those games go crazy because those are always what the, bring the huge energy to the whole game. 

Speaker 2 (17:35): Yeah. Guys, if you can give us a little piece of, are you guys working on anything to make anything better, new improvements, new? Anything that the must and the student section and the students in the University of Utah should be excited for? 

Speaker 3 (17:49): So we're always working on things to improve. I think one thing that I've learned is there's some things that you keep the same because they work well and then they always add improvements and make things better. You can always make things better. I'm trying to think of anything specifically. It's kind of hard to think of on the moment. I mean, you can really look forward to what we're doing this basketball season. We've been working with athletics to come up with some cool themes. We're creating a new membership experience for basketball to get people into the game more and to create a bigger fan base. So we're really excited about that. 

Speaker 2 (18:25): Yeah, okay. We're so excited for it. And then what do you think, you talk about how our student section is so crazy, we win all the time or we've won best student section and everything. What does our student section have that other colleges and universities with these high ranking teams? 

Speaker 3 (18:46): Yeah, so I think it is interesting because we have, compared to the other teams or student sections that win student section of the year award, they're much bigger student sections. They're bigger number wise universities, and we're a smaller school. We have less overall fans around the country and it is growing. I will say that because the muss run through alumni and we see through the alumni association how much impact we have on the whole country. But what we have seen is that I think one thing that we really bring together is our idea of family. I think when you're in the muss, when you're at the University of Utah, you're family. You're not just a fan. You're part of the experience and I think that's something that really brings the whole community together. Okay. I have two more 

Speaker 2 (19:36): Questions for you. Perfect. One is, I know you kind of talked about some of your experiences in the musts, but do you have a favorite memory, something you think about that was so crazy and just so exciting? 

Speaker 3 (19:48): Yeah, so every board meeting we start with someone's favorite Utah moment. It's one of the ways we get people excited about what we're doing. So I think my favorite is the Oklahoma game, one of my favorites. Let's see if I can dig deeper for another one for you so you can have another example. One we talk about a lot is, so when we played Oregon, Brit Cubbies punt return, that game was the loudest I've ever heard it. It was a crazy game or the USC game. Was it two years ago? Yeah, two years ago. I remember I was sitting next to my friend and it was that two point conversion, and me and my friend were like, I'm too stressed, so I'm like, please hold my head. I'm so stressed. And we won and it was crazy and I had never seen how excited I was in that moment. I feel like there's too many memories I have with it. It was really embodied my entire student experience and my entire time at the University of Utah. 

Speaker 2 (20:56): Okay, last question. Looking ahead, what legacy do you hope to leave as president of the student section and how do you envision its growth and in the coming years? 

Speaker 3 (21:06): Oh gosh. I feel like it's hard. I don't want to be like, oh, nothing that we've done the most is exclusively from me. It's all the whole board. It's all the whole students. I think one thing I've really been excited about that we have done is our impact in our smaller sports especially. And the thing about basketball is it used to be much bigger, much bigger than football even it was the biggest sport attended in the nineties. That is so before anyone was even born at the U. But we really wanted to, we had some really good years and then we haven't been as good and then we're getting much, much better. We're getting better over the years, and so I think we've been really been able to pull in more students and get the stadium much bigger because when students show up, everyone shows up. If students don't show up, no one shows up. So that impact on basketball, women's basketball, soccer, even. We've had some really good attendance at soccer and they've been doing really well with that. Volleyball, all of those smaller sports, especially after covid, the year after, there was not very much attendance at games for good reason, and we've been able to bring a lot of stuff back even bigger than it was before. So that's what I think my impact has been and the contributions that I have made onto the board and less in total. 

Speaker 1 (22:32): As Irena explained, there's a lot that goes into the musts and creating the energy. Students love. They have to try and keep the student section safe and happy while managing overcrowding. They also manage spreading the word about upcoming sporting events, but how do average students feel about the muss? I sat down with my peers and we talked about our personal experiences with the muss and sports on campus. So I am Mia and I'm the host for this episode, and we're just going to have a really quick conversation with our group members. If you could just introduce yourselves really quick. 

Speaker 2 (23:03): I'm Caitlin, a student at the University of Utah, and I am a must pass holder. 

Speaker 4 (23:09): I'm Ethan. I'm a student at the University of Utah, and I had a football must pass freshman year and have participated in other sporting events through the mos. 

Speaker 1 (23:22): So my personal experience with, I dunno about for you guys with sports here at the university is kind of non-existent. I've never attended an sporting event in person, however, I do watch pretty much every game at home football game. I do love the football games. But what's your guys' personal experience with attending in-person events or watching on tv? How much of a fan are you and what's your experience with must related stuff? 

Speaker 2 (23:55): So I go to every football game that's just in season right now, so I just tend to focus on football, but I love to go to the basketball games. Last year I went to a bunch of the women's basketball games. They're really good. Not so much the men's, but I love also going to the gymnastic meets. So all my must pass includes all those. Other than that, I think my football, my sports are limited to football and basketball. I really just enjoy those two the most. But yeah, I go to every football game. I have been a youths fan since I was 10. My parents were, so it's just kind of ingrained in me. So we would watch it all the time. And then being able to come here for college, my freshman year I knew that I wanted to get a must pass, so I got one not really knowing because you go to your high school football games and you're like, oh, this is fun. But going to my first game, it was so crazy and it was just like, oh my gosh, I am getting this every year. So I usually go to every game that I can and it is just the best experience. And then being able to just go during the week to those basketball games or whenever's happening is super nice because that includes everything with the must pass. So it's just so fun supporting your team. 

Speaker 4 (25:17): I had a must pass for the football games my freshman year. I went to two games and it was insane. I can certainly see why some people liked it. It was not for me. I enjoy football as a sport and as the intricacies of the sport, and I could not really enjoy that in the student section. It was just so crazy and so crowded. I know this might put me on the wrong side of some sports fans, but I do not like booing the refs. Occasionally they'll make a bad call and I'll be like, that was awful, but generally I don't like participating in that and that felt like what 80% of the student section was. And so after freshman year, I decided not to get that and just watch football from the comfort and the quiet of my own home. I do go to other sporting events though. 

Speaker 4 (26:16): I love volleyball. I love going to volleyball. Basketball as well is super fun. And I have been to a couple of women's soccer games and I just really enjoy watching the sports. But the thing that I've noticed is that the must is vastly, vastly different from sport to sport. There is no mus section that is the football section. There's no mus section, the volleyball section. It's varies wildly from sport to sport. And so some I enjoy sitting in more than others. I enjoy going to the muss at soccer. I enjoy going to the muss. I enjoy going to the muss basketball, but then I try to stay away from the muss at volleyball. I try to stay away from the muss at football. And so it is interesting, the muss takes on a different personality and different vibe from sport to sport. There's not, in my experience, been one overarching identity really. 

Speaker 4 (27:16): Even that identity doesn't even span of I'm a Utah fan because the football has much more of a vibe of like I'm just here to yell and scream and have a good time. They're obviously still rooting for our football team, but the vibe is much different from volleyball where it's like I am here to support volleyball and I will bring a sign specifically for a volleyball player and they'll see it because we're sitting two rows away and that has a very different vibe from basketball where that just loudness and the fun gets ramped up again and it's just wildly different from sports and sport. And I think that that is fascinating. 

Speaker 1 (28:02): Yeah, I think that obviously it's really cool that we get to go that all of our sporting events for students are free except for football. That's something that a lot of people really enjoy. And I think it's interesting because for how much people talk about the fact that that's so cool and that they enjoy that there's still this really big lack of attendance between sports and the football being so crazy and so chaotic and so big. And then you obviously still have a lot of that energy for different sports, but it's just so interesting and to see that even though they try really hard to incentivize people to come, I think in the interview they mentioned having different incentives of you can win things, you can do whatever. And it's like, I don't know. I personally have never heard of any of that, but I also know that I'm not super involved in those circles. So I'm just curious. I don't know how much of that is reaching their target audience of finding people to come because I had no idea that those things existed. I don't know about you guys. 

Speaker 2 (29:12): No. I think my first major focus was football. I was like, okay, we have to buy this pass with my friends. We had to buy this. And then once that season ended, that's when my eyes opened up to like, oh, I miss it. And then I'm like, I can just go experience it somewhere else. And then you go to a basketball game, you're like, oh my gosh, this is not the same. But you wish it was, you wish that there were more people there. You wish that it had that same energy, not in the way of what's kind of crazy and the negative energy you also get from football fans. But I feel like I always go to those sports games and I'm like, come on. I try to bring as many friends as I can, but at some point it's just kind of like, and it's crazy too. 

Speaker 2 (29:59): We have really good teams outside of football. We have a great gymnastics team. We have a great women's basketball team. Our volleyball team is doing really well this year. And so to have all these really good elements and everyone's just focused single on our football team. We kind of mentioned it in the interview with talking with Irena, but because our football team is kind of doing not so hot this year, people are going to look for that achievement somewhere else and that's going to bring more eyes to other ones. I think we've already started having more people at the women's basketball games, which is super exciting, especially because our head coach is literally going pro and that's news. But I think getting more attention on that is super important for our school and for our school spirit, for our student section, 

Speaker 4 (30:53): I didn't know that the Muss was an actual organization for the first long while at the university. I definitely thought it was just a designated section that they would tape security would tape up at the beginning of the game and then just sit there if you want to be a part of the muss. So I did not realize that it was an organization. I did not realize that there were designated people within that organization actively planning how to grow, how to advertise. And I don't know if that is a reflection of the muss or of me probably somewhere in the middle, but it wasn't until I started going to basketball and they started having taco night for the first 50 students who show up. It wasn't until I started doing that, I think that was basketball. It might've been volleyball, but it wasn't until I started doing that that I realized, oh, this is more than just a haphazard student section that people just randomly show up to. Yeah, 

Speaker 1 (32:03): I think it's interesting. I will admit that even just in this conversation and hearing you guys talk about it, I am not feeling more likely to not football, but I'm feeling more likely to go to one of the other sports. I do also really enjoy basketball, and I'm like, why have I not been going to the, especially women's basketball. I love women's basketball. And so just in having a conversation with you guys about that, I'm already like, oh, I want to try and do that. I only have a year and a half left here and I'm like, I'd like to attend some games. That'd be fun. So I think what 

Speaker 4 (32:35): I was just last year was so much fun watching Alyssa who's now on the what, Minnesota Lynx. Is that it? 

Speaker 1 (32:43): I don't know. Yeah, I think it's the Lynx, the Lyx. 

Speaker 4 (32:46): It was so much fun last year. Had a great time. 

Speaker 1 (32:49): Yeah, I think that kind of what I'm learning in this is I guess a big takeaway is just getting involved in following things. Obviously that's not that they can only do so much as marketing to get it out there. You also have to be willing to look for it. But it also helps that I'm getting more into it as the years go on into my schooling. Because when I started out, I didn't think I'd be a fan of football at all, and now I am. So I think that's kind of just a me thing. I'm slowly getting more into it, but I do think that hearing you guys talk about it and hearing that is making me want to go more. So more of that I think would help with attendance. I don't know how they would do that. I'm not 

Speaker 2 (33:37): Sure. I think that's funny that you mentioned that because as someone who's had friends who are super into sports like I am, and we go, we have our other friends who start to either feel left out or they're like, what are you so excited about? It is literally two guys tackling each other. We don't have to be this excited. And I feel like the past three years of just growing those friendships, you also see them being more interested and you're like, well just come to a game. And I remember this is a really unique experience. My one friend won't say names, but you go for the party, you go for the tailgate. And she was kind of that person where it's either you go for the football game or you go for the party and you go for the experience, or you can be both as well. 

Speaker 2 (34:19): But I feel like those are the two reasons to go. And she would go for the tailgate and to come, and then she would leave by the first quarter and we're like, why are you leaving? It's just getting good. And then she went to the freshman year, the USC game that was home. And that is a crazy game to even talk about, but it was so exciting. You're there for the whole game. You don't know what's going to happen next. And you're just sitting there and you're sat and you're watching it. And so her being at this game, it was so cool to see her follow the football game and see her like, wait, what's the first down? And you get to explain that and you get to share why you're so loyal to this team, to the players who are on it. I dunno about anyone else, but I am a big follower of Utes in the NFL. 

Speaker 2 (35:05): I don't really care for the NFL, it's not as fun for me to watch. But as a student section who saw Dalton Kincaid, he's on the bills right now. Watching him play and score touchdowns, you're like, that's our man. Or Tyler Huntley, he was the quarterback a while ago. He's going to, I think he might be injured, but he's in Miami right now. And you're sitting there, you're watching all these really good players, finally make it where you are and you're like, we saw them. We saw them grow. Which is where I think the loyalty comes from as a student section, as a Utah fan, honestly. So I think even seeing it where we're talking about, what's her name? Minnesota. 

Speaker 4 (35:49): Oh, Alyssa Ey. 

Speaker 2 (35:50): Yeah. You're seeing all these people just go farther into their sports career and it just makes you more, I don't know, it just makes you feel so good inside one, that's my team. They're doing great. Two, you're just so happy for your team to be recognized. And so that's a big why, a big reason why I do love football and the sports and the student section there experiencing it. And as you said, next season's my last season going to the muss, and it's so devastating. Like I'll probably get to go to a couple more games in my lifetime, but you're like, this is it. This is so exciting. It's 

Speaker 4 (36:33): The last time you paid 65, 

Speaker 2 (36:34): It was 80. But yeah, no, they've been going up. And that's a big problem too with some of the student sections is now that it's more coveted, our past three, two years, not this year, we were doing so good. And everyone's like, well, I want to see that. I want to be there and we want to see this happen again. So the must when I got it my freshman year, the ticket, it was $60 and I got it in July. It was crazy. I didn't, I was like, oh, well, I got it. I think it was the last ones to get it. And then this next year it was like, okay, get it in April. Okay, got it in April, right on the dot. And then this year it sold out in a matter of minutes. And it's insane. But you also see that at the student section where there's this overcrowded ness. 

Speaker 2 (37:23): You're all the way at the top. There's some of these people who are like, are these sports fans? Or are they just drunk? Stumbling up these stairs, taking a spot away from someone who really wants to watch the football game. So there's some controversy with that where, yes, these tickets are so coveted, but now are the must people giving us a little too much leeway of how many tickets they're allowing people to have, which is kind of sad to say, because you want everyone to have tickets. You don't want anyone to have to pay these $80 for five games, five home games, which I did and not regretted, but it's still a lot. And you're still a student. You're like, this was free back in the day. So I don't know. But definitely I think there's a problem with overselling and overcrowding at the games now. 

Speaker 1 (38:11): Yeah, I think that's an important topic that they need to focus on more is that every year our student population is getting bigger. And every year, as far as I know, the must is staying the same size. And that's part of the reason that I feel like they're increasing the prices, this supply and demand, obviously. And it's like, yeah, it's understandable. It's a really popular event and it's still cheaper than it would be if you want to just get a normal ticket or whatever. But then you question, okay, but as a school, we want to be able to support it. If I did want to go to a game, I wouldn't be able to unless I got the must pass early on. And at that point, I don't know if I'd want to commit to that. And so there is a question of availability to people who really want to do it, and the overcrowding obviously being an issue, even with all of these things that they're doing to limit that. As someone who goes, you're still feeling like it's overcrowded and it's like maybe not always safe or whatever. And so I just feel like there's all these issues popping up and maybe they're newer because of the fact that we're getting a larger in class size, but I think that's definitely something that they need to look into going into the future as a university. 

Speaker 4 (39:27): So reoccurring trend that's popping up instead of increasing spaces, the university just loves 

Speaker 1 (39:34): Price, increase price. Yeah. They're like, we'll just stop people from wanting it by making it more expensive instead of Yeah. 

Speaker 1 (39:39): Yeah. I think that that's a universally felt thing for a lot of these students. The muss is something that many students love. This is clear by the positive stories shared on today's episode, but there are still some issues that lie within the student section. Some sports get very little attendance compared to others and have different energy levels. Students also feel the football must can be overcrowded, yet the university student body grows every year. So how will the U make room for these increased numbers or will they be able to at all? Like Ethan mentioned, at the end of our conversation, many feel that instead of making room for more students, the university just continues to increase prices. This feeling also applies to the issue of parking, which we'll be discussing in our next episode. Thank you so much for listening, and join us next episode to hear more about the student experience of finding a parking spot on campus. And remember the you should be for you.

Speaker 1 (00:00): Today's podcast will be a flash the you episode, which means we've cut down on the normal runtime. Enjoy today's episode on parking. 

Speaker 2 (00:09): The You should be for you. The you should be for you. The You should be for you. The You should be for you. You. 

Speaker 3 (00:24): In recent statements, the University of Utah has said that they would like to turn away from being a commuter school. They've started a few projects to add more housing and social areas for students on campus. However, there are many students that are frustrated with the school for neglecting their current commuter students, feeling like the school's getting rid of parking without thinking about the current student body, 

Speaker 4 (00:43): I do think that the university is not prioritizing their current students, but instead planning for the future students, 

Speaker 2 (00:51): Them doing that is just making it more difficult for people who still commute. 

Speaker 5 (00:56): I think that because we're a university and not just a college, you can't just ignore the population of students that needs to park and drive on campus. Specifically, 

Speaker 3 (01:08): The University of Utah had an enrollment size of 35,236 students in 2023. That's more people than the population of five different state capitals in the us. Even with the university's added housing over the last couple of years, only about 70% of students lived on campus last year. This leaves a whopping 83% of students living off campus and having to commute in some way. Oftentimes, commuters are choosing to drive. A survey done by the university showed that around 47% of participants commute by car, the university recently destroyed the collared dorms parking lot, which had 350 spots. This renewed already existing frustrations within the students. They're tired of constantly increasing price of parking passes, the closing of lots for events and expensive housing. Most of all, many students feel that parking affects their learning in some way. I talk to Ashley Ello, a third year parks, recreation and tourism major about her experience with parking. 

Speaker 4 (02:08): I drive to school every day and I drive from Mill Creek. It's about a 15 minute drive with traffic. It's sometimes 20 to 30 minutes. 

Speaker 3 (02:18): Ashley has felt the change in parking on campus when it comes to getting to her classes. 

Speaker 4 (02:24): It takes me a lot longer to find parking if I even can, and so I'm definitely late to class if I'm even going at all. And then even today I was about 10 minutes late to class and I ended up having to pay for parking because there just wasn't any available. 

Speaker 3 (02:41): This feeling is shared by many students. Margaret call a third year geoscience major also has to park on campus, 

Speaker 5 (02:48): So I currently live in Davis County just slightly north of Salt Lake City, and I commute every day by car. 

Speaker 3 (02:55): Margaret comes to campus pretty early to avoid issues with parking, 

Speaker 5 (03:00): But I have noticed that when I used to be able to get here at eight 30 and find a spot, I now have to get here at 7 45 and it just keeps getting earlier. 

Speaker 3 (03:09): Ashley and Margaret both said they feel like the lack of parking also affects their physical and mental health. Ashley walks from the stadium lot near the bottom of campus to the top part of campus most days. She used to be able to park closer to her classes and has felt a physical change from this. 

Speaker 4 (03:25): So a lot of the parking lots that the U has on campus are even still a 10 or 15 minute walk away from classes, and I used to play sports in high school. I have existing shin splints and having to do all this walking uphills upstairs and not on the greatest roads and sidewalks has kind of brought my injury back and worsened it a little bit. 

Speaker 3 (03:52): Ashley was even wearing a medical boot when I met up with her. Margaret has felt a much more mental toll from her parking. 

Speaker 5 (03:58): I think the main thing has added. It's added a lot of stress. I live 30 minutes away and I do take a full credit class schedule, but I also work and I have a dog that relies on me at home, so it definitely adds a sign significant amount of stress in the amount of planning that has to go into my day. 

Speaker 3 (04:17): Even students that walk to class like Live Inman, a third year, anthropology and Health Society, a policy major feel that the parking situation is unfair to students. 

Speaker 2 (04:27): I think they need a lot more parking spots. I think parking can be really difficult even when I don't do it often, but when I do, I think it's really difficult. 

Speaker 3 (04:35): Liv used to live on campus with a car and brings up a good point. 

Speaker 2 (04:40): I would go get groceries or something or I'd just go out in my car and then I'd come back and I'd have to drive around for 30 minutes trying to find a spot. 

Speaker 3 (04:50): Even some of the people who do live on campus still have cars and now no lot to park in. This issue is one of the many related to the use plan of making their campus less commuter based. The university has put forward a plan to add 5,000 more beds to campus. This seems helpful, but that's only 14% of the student body. Not to mention the price of living on campus. 

Speaker 2 (05:13): I don't think it's reasonable to say they're not a commuter campus when living on campus is so expensive and people are already struggling to pay for just tuition. 

Speaker 4 (05:24): I've obviously looked into student housing so that I don't have to commute, but off-campus apartments are usually much cheaper than on-campus ones and then you have to pay for meal plans. Even housing parking is really difficult to find 

Speaker 3 (05:39): And many people don't think Utah's public transit system is good enough to support commuting as it is. Students feel that the university needs to add more parking, stop increasing the price of already expensive parking passes and update the Utah Transit system in order to accommodate all of the commuters. Everyone interviewed seemed to feel the same way about the University of Utah's ambitious projects. The goal of having a more interactive and social campus seems great, but the process is making current students suffer. It impacts parking to the point that students who drive are late for classes and sometimes don't go to them at all. How can the university continue on this path when students' ability to learn is being affected 

Speaker 1 (06:23): As an experiment and to give real time commentary and feedback? I attempted to find parking on campus myself. As I drove around most of campus. I started to sense a theme, first one, and there was nothing and there is nothing, still nothing jam packed. There was nothing over here, nothing. Excluding the parking garage next to the business building, which had a line reaching the street. I checked all the major parking spots on campus and there was virtually no available parking, certainly not enough empty space that anyone would be confident finding a spot. There are places on campus such as the Union or President's Circle that weren't full, but it's because they require a pay by the hour parking system, not permits. U permits, which are available to students and faculty are the permits that most individuals use. They cost $345 for an academic year or 1 75 a semester. 

Speaker 1 (07:17): Parking by the hour is $3 an hour at the union or $30 for the day. Both options are extremely expensive, and for someone regularly attending the university, that price can get out of hand after a little under an hour of driving around and not finding anything. I gave my closing thoughts as I headed back home without a parking spot. It's not a very friendly system. The most effective way at changing behavior is not to punish that behavior. The most effective way is to give better alternatives where using the original thing is no longer feasible because of how much easier the other system is. And so obviously if you want to get rid of cars, you don't make more parking. Right? But that can't be your only solution. You have to also improve other aspects like public transportation and more bus routes, but that is something that's out of the university's hands. They can't exactly just make a new track system, and so then the only thing that is in their hands is parking. And if they just cut parking or don't add more parking and just raise the rates, that's not doing anything except punishing the people who need to park. That really isn't going to change a whole lot. It might deter a few, but I have not talked to anyone who's like, yeah, I can't find parking, so I moved to an entirely different apartment that had closer access to tracks. That's not how it works. 

Speaker 1 (09:04): It just becomes harder and more difficult and more frustrating, and it impacts the student's ability to learn and be on campus and enjoy because the university is not offering any solutions. It's just making it more challenging, and that's the real problem, that if you don't offer solutions, then you're not really going to get anywhere. You're just going to make it more frustrating to be a student at the University of Utah. It is not a secret that parking has become a problem on campus. If you ask students what the most pressing issue is in regards to students' wellbeing, parking is sure to be high on that list. And while there are certainly ways to alleviate that pressure, the university has been insistent that it wants to solve this issue by changing something else entirely. Housing, as the campus attempts to shift away from being a commuter school, parking isn't the only thing that's changing. Join us next time for our episode all about University of Utah Housing.

Speaker 1 (00:01): My name is Caitlin. I'm hosting today's episode of our podcast, the U Should Be For U, and today we're talking about academic advising at the U. With my team Ethan, Mia and l and Ethan will be starting us off by talking with multiple students and their experiences with advising. 

Speaker 2 (00:17): Academic advising is inescapable for students at the University of Utah. Nearly everyone will meet an advisor at some point during their academic career. Freshman orientation is where most people get their first and sometimes only interaction, but mandatory meetings and general confusion about scheduling will often force students into a meeting with an advisor later on. But what does that look like? What is it supposed to look like? Is academic advising a well of untapped potential? Is it just a safety net for students who can't keep up in the world of academia or is it a niche tool that's only helpful for a select few? Most importantly though, how does the you make academic advising for you? 

Speaker 3 (00:57): The U should be for you, 

Speaker 1 (01:00): The U should be for you, the U should be for you, the U should be for you, be for you.

Speaker 4 (01:03): I haven't really had many interactions with advisors. This is Ben, a freshman at the University of Utah. 

Speaker 2 (01:15): Since I've gotten to college, I've had one two minute meeting with my advisor and he didn't advise me of too much. They didn't look at my schedule. I was a mandatory meeting. I logged on, didn't look at my schedule. They asked if I was feeling good. I didn't know what to ask, so I said yes, and then Zoom call ended. 

Speaker 4 (01:42): His experience is unfortunately not uncommon. Even worse though, is what Ben says. Towards the end of the interview, 

Speaker 2 (01:48): I've kind of done all of what I believe their job should be on my own. 

Speaker 4 (01:54): What do you think an advisor's job is? 

Speaker 2 (01:58): I think that an advisor's job is to guide students academically their schedules, what classes they should be taking, classes of necessity, this is what I want to pursue, this is my major, this is my minor, and then for them to outline those courses for you. 

Speaker 2 (02:18): Again, Ben's idea of what an academic advisor is is not abnormal, but it's also not the whole picture. How many times have you met with your advisor? 

Speaker 5 (02:28): Usually I'll meet once a semester, sometimes twice if there's a change I want to make or ask them some questions about classes and whatnot. This is Kyler, a junior at the U. I've had good experiences with academic advising. They work with me and my ideas and plans of what I have, what I want to accomplish in school. 

Speaker 2 (02:51): I also have had a generally positive experience with an academic advisor and views on how helpful or even life-changing they are will drastically between students, but there are some similarities. What is your ideal academic advising appointment? 

Speaker 5 (03:07): Pretty much them explaining what's going on with your schedule right now, if there's any changes or if it's just like it's the same plan that you formulated a year ago, stuff like that. Both ends of the 

Speaker 2 (03:21): Spectrum seem to agree on the basic role of an academic advisor. They're supposed to help make class schedules and inform you about the classes necessary for your degree. The university advising website seems to agree with this as not only is it filled to the brim with helpful messages such as how can we help or shoot us an email. The website also describes the various ways the advisors can well advise. The list includes degree tracking, graduation requirements, transfer credits, and registration holds. No one we talk to for the podcast mentioned pre-professional advising as something they go to an advisor for and yet that's listed on their website. This may seem like a significant point of failure, but it's not the most worrying trend to emerge about advising. There's another thing Ben and Kyler both agree on. Do you think you would have fallen behind academically without an advisor to guide you? 

Speaker 5 (04:14): I myself don't think I would've fallen behind academically. According to the Student Voice 

Speaker 2 (04:21): Survey, which pulled data from more than 120 higher education institutes, just 55% of respondents say they've gotten advice from an advisor. The poll would consider fundamental. This isn't just an individual student level, it's significantly bigger. Skyler not to be confused with Kyler is in a similar boat when it comes to lackluster advising. It just sucks. I feel like there's so much more help that I could have had. In your personal opinion, why do you think there is such a disparity between people who get a lot of help from advisors and then people who just have experiences that aren't helpful at all? I think it's just the advisors communication. 

Speaker 2 (05:12): So what's the missing link between students with positive advising experience and those who haven't? Effective and direct communication. Students want to know what classes to take, when to take them, and if there's anything barring that from happening. Students want to be advised by their advisors and they want that advice to be succinct and to the point. We can find the information we need by digging through transcript audits, pouring over class schedules and talking to other students in our majors and we should do that, but it shouldn't be the only way to get that information, especially when there are advisors who advertise themselves as the one-stop shop for those kinds of questions. 

Speaker 3 (05:48): I wanted to talk to someone who was employed by the university and involved with advising. So I talked to Emily Argyle, the program manager for advisor training and development.

Speaker 6 (05:57): Lot of what I do here at the university is look at the big picture of what advising looks like and what skills do advisors need in order to guide students across that pathway to graduation. There's so many elements of school, I believe in the modern world that are non-academic, and so the challenges for advisors include staying up to date on not only the program and curriculum changes, being an expert in whatever that specific degree area is, but additionally understanding what it's like for students to live in the modern world. You're a 360 degree person and school is only one aspect that any student's dealing with at any time. 

Speaker 3 (06:43): First, I asked Emily to explain to me what the job of an advisor is in her own words. 

Speaker 6 (06:50): I think the job of an advisor is to meet a student wherever they come in. Students come in in a lot of different entry points. Some are really traditional first year students, plenty of other students are transferring or even coming from an international background. So an advisor will kind of meet with you to understand your goals and then help you make sense of how to get where you're trying to go. A degree may be the main component most students are here for, but plenty of people choose the specific institution because of the research background that it has or the opportunities because maybe the school close to home could get you to that associate's degree level, but maybe they don't have the program that you're looking for, right? Sometimes coming to that larger flagship institution will give you more expanded opportunities into whether it's the content you're trying to get to, the subject matter or the people and the network and the exposure and the opportunity and so understanding, okay, what is this important to the student? And then step-by-step, where are you now? Where are you trying to go? And then any informational pieces that would be critical to the student while also just being a friendly and supportive person to answer questions. College is super hard. Nobody can do it right on their own. Life is a group effort. So I think the advisor, yep. We'll walk you through your pathway into your goals, but we'll also kind of translate school for you and answer whatever you need answered. 

Speaker 3 (08:24): Since Emily works on training advisors, I wanted to know what she thought makes a good advisor. 

Speaker 6 (08:30): Things I think that make people enjoy advising are, I think people who are natural helpers are people who naturally want to celebrate the development of other people. I think that a lot of people carry this strength, and I see it all the time in advising where there is just a genuine fulfillment that comes from connection and helping and seeing people become bigger than they were when you first met them. I think anyone who coaches has that element as well. I think that advisors honestly do well when they come from really diverse backgrounds. I think it's really helpful to students to see an array of advisors coming from all of these different backgrounds because there is no one right way and you can change your life literally at any moment and you can decide at any time that now's my time to come back, now's my time to pick that up, now's my time to make a change. And so I think that being open-minded, not being perfect and being willing to listen to the person in front of you and collaborate with them to help them achieve what they're trying to, those are the things I'm really looking for in an advisor 

Speaker 3 (09:44): To compare. I also asked Emily to describe what she thinks a student looks for in an advisor. What students feel make an advisor. Good. 

Speaker 6 (09:55): When students are looking for advisors, I think sometimes they're looking for an identity marker of some kind. So students may be looking for advisors who are similar to them. Maybe they're, maybe they share a racial or ethnic background, maybe they are LGBTQ plus, right? Maybe there is some kind of identity marker that the student feels the advisor has that makes them comfortable or makes them feel like they could open up in this way because that person will be understanding of where they're coming from. I think the other thing that students are looking for or students that may have connected with me who at first thought, well, this advisor's nothing like me, maybe we don't have anything in common. I think that what transcends that is just the literal caring. Caring about that person as an individual and really listening, not kind of listening, not listening with an agenda like, well, I know your major, so I'm just going to get all this ready while you're talking, right? 

Speaker 6 (10:55): Because I think that what I find, it's funny, I want to answer your question with the reverse answer because what I find is that students are pretty open, but the second a student feels dismissed, the second a student feels misunderstood, the second a student feels talked over and not listened to, you're out as an advisor and you've lost it. And so I think that some ways, I'm not sure what students are looking for, I'm making my own guesses right now, but I do know without a doubt that if a student's feeling dismissed, they're going to have a negative experience. 

Speaker 3 (11:32): Now advisors obviously have to help a large amount of students with different needs and personalities. I asked Emily how as a department advisors train and prepare to meet all these differing needs. 

Speaker 6 (11:45): That is interesting question. I work in what's called the Navigate Hub for exploring students. So it is one of the departments that doesn't actually serve any college major. It is serve all but none at the same time. And so I believe that some of that is good training and onboarding, getting advisors when they first get hired into a place of understanding who are the students that come to the U because while everyone is unique, there are certain kind of magnets for students that would make them want to come here. Or we could look at our population and we can take a couple of different slices and say, oh, for example, a lot of the students at the University of Utah come from Utah. So we know that we have a local population and some of those local values and things are going to be represented in the student population. 

Speaker 6 (12:39): But I think also there's ways that any professional can do what I would call clearing and say, take a breath before you move into the next thing. Be prepared for that. You don't understand what's coming through your door, but taking a moment for me that could be 30 seconds of intention setting to say, okay, last student's out, my notes are done. Okay, ready for the next student. What's their unit? Checking my notes and giving myself that pause between meeting with students for me reminds me that the information I'm saying I may have said a hundred times before, but it's new to this person in front of me. And when I take the time to remind myself that this is new information for the person in front of me, I notice it just kind of puts me at ease and makes me a little softer of I don't know what's coming. 

Speaker 6 (13:32): So I'm going to be more receptive, more open, more listening for the cues that the student's going to give me to help me usually not tell them what to do, but ask them the next question to kind of generate for them, oh, this is what my next step is, right? I can't tell anyone how to get their college degree or what to do, but when we sit there and we're open and receptive, we can sort of see what you're trying to get to maybe ask you the question you need someone to ask you so that you can work through that next challenge. 

Speaker 3 (14:04): Meeting a student's needs is obviously important, but I was curious how advisors might measure how good of a job they're doing at that. What kind of metric do they have to measure success? 

Speaker 6 (14:14): I would say each advising program has its own learning outcomes and sort of metrics that they want to be measured by Measurements of success are things like how many students make an appointment, how many students do the appointment and show up and you complete it and you move that student forward. So a lot of the metric is like, are we meeting the needs of our students? All students that we have, we know for example, early college students have some holds that are tied to the academic calendar. So are you engaging with your students? Are your students completing the outcomes for them? And those appointments on time are students reporting that their needs are getting met in their appointments? I mean, a lot of it is based on ensuring that student needs are taken care of in a timely way and to a satisfactory degree. But advisors also are delivering bad news constantly. 

Speaker 6 (15:16): They are telling people no, or they might be the person who tells you your notice of academic suspension. And so while satisfaction from the student is super important, it is definitely not the only measure because we always want to take into consideration that being the representative of the university also comes with things that might be perceived as negative by the students. So a lot of the success measures are making sure that you're contacting your students, that your students are completing those milestones that you set out for them. And if there's a huge gap there, we would say why. And then we kind of do an investigation to see what's going on. Why aren't students being met with and contacted? 

Speaker 3 (16:00): Obviously advisors want to make sure everyone is successful, but are there certain groups they advertise to more? 

Speaker 6 (16:08): For the exploring students unit, I would say we would be the place where a lot of prospective students are coming. So there are different units and support services on campus for different demographics of students who may have particular needs or particular identities that could even be just transfer students. There are a lot of organizations for transfer students and opportunities designed just for those students who didn't come into the U at their first year. So we don't have necessarily target populations that we're reaching. And I also say this in light of House Bill 2 6 1, there are certain things that are still discussed live as this just rolled out this summer, so I'm not even sure, right? I'm not hearing those conversations about targeted special student populations in the same way I was two semesters ago. It has changed the conversation dramatically. So in the exploring care unit, we would be with people who are not yet admitted to the U might come and ask questions and they might come to our info sessions, they might work with the pre-professional team if they're thinking about law school or med school or pharmacy school or dentist school, and they're not quite there yet. 

Speaker 6 (17:27): I would say these are the students that we uniquely kind of make ourselves available to in order to get students transitioned over if they use the right place for them. 

Speaker 3 (17:37): Ultimately, advisors are employed by the university. So I ask Emily how one balances the needs of students and the needs of the university as an institution? 

Speaker 6 (17:47): Yeah, I would say this is the one thing I am actively working on and actively trying to figure out in real time. What's lucky for me is that the needs of the institution tend to be the needs of advising for me. So I do feel like my projects are aligned generally with the advising work that I'm doing on and highly informed by that. For me, I do something called day theming. So I have student days, and again, I don't work in a college, and so I understand this is not true for all advisors, but I have active appointment days where I can really devote myself to going into the backend of student records, looking at transcripts, making exceptions, getting, I really review thoroughly student records before meeting with any student for the first time because we're meeting for the first time and we're going to be jumping right into conversation that is so hard on behalf of the student. 

Speaker 6 (18:51): I think about all the bravery and just how much you have to lay on the table, no matter what mood you're in, no matter what day you've had because this person doesn't know you, and you might have had to tell this story to a lot of people and things like that. So I'm trying to do my best to fully separate myself when I can to having project time and student time so that I don't feel distracted in the back of my mind when I'm listening to a student that would cause me to not listen to them, maybe making them feel dismissed. And so for me, I like to just be two feet into the moment. And for me, that really comes down to time management and planning. 

Speaker 3 (19:36): Emily herself had mentioned that students may walk away from advising appointments, not happy during our interview, so I was curious what she thought made students walk away from advising upset or confused. 

Speaker 6 (19:48): The challenges of a conversation could come from anywhere. Sometimes it's the subject matter, maybe the subject matter is uncomfortable for the student, maybe the subject matter is close to the heart of the advisor, and it makes them kind of uncomfortable even if they're not talking about that out loud. If you have that really close experience, sometimes it's like, Ooh, that's a hot stove, and it can kind of make the mood or the tension or the feeling the tone of the room can change. I think that a challenge could be between the advisor and the student. I think it could be a literal misunderstanding that is happening. There could be some kind of personality conflict between the advisor and the student for any reason. Sometimes the student is mad at the institution because of the policy, the deadline. It's definitely not fair all the time to everyone, absolutely not. 

Speaker 6 (20:47): And so that's really frustrating, and in that moment, the advisor's a proxy for the school. And then there's also things that could be going on outside for the student. I think about students who are just having a season of life that's particularly hard and it can feel like every door you go to is closed, even if that may or may not be the message that you're hearing, but sometimes things are feeling like they're not working out. And so in those moments, I think that's when those moments of misunderstanding, the moment of feeling dismissed, whether on purpose or an accident, it can be a sigh. It can be a look. It could be something nonverbal that can make the student say, oh, this person's annoyed at me, or this person when it's like, maybe it's just after lunch and that person had a huge lunch and they're soulful and they're like, oh, I ate too much. But it can be translated so differently. And so for me, what I know is that challenges exist in so many conversations, both written and verbal, where those challenges lie. I think that's the part that's hard to pin down. I don't always know what is most common. 

Speaker 3 (22:00): To wrap things up, I wanted to know what she would recommend students do if they did walk away from an advising appointment, unhappy or frustrated. 

Speaker 6 (22:09): I would absolutely recommend just meeting with a new advisor. I think that it can be really easy to say, oh, that didn't go well. I don't actually want to do that again. But I would recommend if anyone was willing to listen to give it another shot, give another person another shot. There are a lot of different offices students may contact, so while your advisor might be the first point of contact, you might find that, you know what? I'm going to try a student success coach because maybe you can ask your advisor those things about class sequencing, but you are more comfortable with your student success coach and the coaching environment's so exciting, so empowering. It really can make you feel like you're on a path and you're getting things done. You've got that special person in your corner. It could be a class mentor, a TEA, anyone that you connect with. 

Speaker 6 (23:05): I would say try and connect with someone that feels like you do have an established connection with them so that you can vent your frustration, let it all out. A lot of times people will give you a relating story of, oh my gosh, absolutely. Get that validation that you need of, gosh, I'm so sorry it went that way. They give you blatantly wrong information. Maybe that happens for sure, and maybe it wasn't on purpose, but it's very, I think, worthwhile to reach out to. People are going to validate you have your back, make you feel like, oh, that sucked, but it's normal. Other people have gone through this too. And then, yeah, reach out to another advisor, ask around who do you meet with? And if there's any kind of challenge, I don't see why anyone in that advising department wouldn't be willing to talk with you and discuss about how you would get to meet with another person. 

Speaker 1 (24:00): Hi, I'm Caitlin. I'm here with two of my group members. I'm the host of this episode and we are going to be talking about advising. 

Speaker 2 (24:07): My name's Ethan. I'm an English major, so I've dealt with the humanities advisors. 

Speaker 3 (24:13): My name's Mia. I'm a film and media arts major, so I am in the fine arts advising. 

Speaker 2 (24:21): The humanities majors just lost the advisor that was doing, I don't know what his scope was, but I know he was doing English for sure, and he was phenomenal. Absolutely loved him. I would go in, he would say, okay, looks like your transcript is missing these four credits. You should take these four credits with these great teachers. Is there anything else you want to talk about? You go, yeah, maybe I'm thinking about this minor. Okay, great. Why don't take this class? And then that was it. We walked out. I had a full schedule. I would make the slight changes on my own, but really I didn't have to if I didn't want to, I didn't have to stress about my schedule. I knew that my advisor was there. I knew that he cared and that he was knowledgeable and very much so for my freshman year. He basically did all the legwork for me, and it was so helpful and gave me the confidence to start taking my schedule in my own hands a little bit in a way that would've been significantly more stressful if I was starting at ground level instead of having that already built up for me. 

Speaker 3 (25:35): So I am the fine arts advising department. I started out, so I transferred pretty late into that major, and so I was already kind of behind, and it took me a while. I talked to a few advisors and my first two advisor that I talked to in my experience with them was a little bit more on the negative side. I walked away with kind of more questions than answers. There's a thing that I have to do for allied hours, but when you go onto your degree audit, it doesn't tell you what classes. You have to basically declare it with your advisor. And I went to discuss that with them and they told me, oh, you just have to do classes that aren't film but are related to film in some way. And I walked away going, oh, okay, cool. And I took some classes speaking. 

Speaker 3 (26:26): That was it. Found out when I got to my advisor that I currently go to, who I really enjoy and who does a great job and I feel like always gives me all the information I need. She told me that it actually needed to have some sort of theme and that they had to be cohesive in some way, which I had no idea. And I had already taken a couple classes that were harder to thematically tie together. And so I was very frustrated with that. And I think there was a lot that I didn't learn from the first two, but again, there was fortunately quite a few options and I just kind of circled through each of them until I found my current advisor. And she's always clear and concise, straight to the point, very flexible, and I feel like does a great job of communicating with me what I need. 

Speaker 3 (27:12): I also had an experience in the biology because I was a biology major when I first started, and I'll say that was a totally different experience. I think because it's larger, it's less personal. I literally walked in and I was like, oh, hey. And he looked at my classes, he's like, you're taking these classes? And I went, yep. And he goes, okay, that's good. I'll check you off for your mandatory advising appointment. And then I walked out and I think that's probably the worst experience I've had because I was like, I didn't even realize how much an advisor can help you, because that was my first experience with an advisor. I thought that was all they did is just got rid of your mandatory advising hold and that was it. So I think that a lot of people share that experience of having one really bad advisor at first and thinking that's all what they are like, which is unfortunate, but also understandable because you're learning through experience. 

Speaker 1 (28:01): I think too, with the mandatory advising hold, it's in place. So you go and talk to your advisors, and I feel like every time I've always done it, it's been the same thing where it's like five minutes, how are you feeling? Oh, I think I'm good. Yeah, you have classes. Okay, bye. Have a great day. Do you need anything else? Which I don't want to put too much. Not all advisors are like that, but I feel like a lot of my advisors have, I'll just pick and choose some random ones from the humanities department or the communications department. And if sometimes when you're starting off as a freshman, you don't even know you need help or you don't even know what to do. So you also feel like, well, I have classes. I feel like I'm fine. And then my freshman year was terrible. I had these weird classes that I didn't really want to take, but I had a late appointment to signing up for classes that I didn't know that that was what I was going to get when signing up with orientation. 

Speaker 1 (29:01): The advising was like, well, these will fit, I guess. And I'm like, okay. So I feel like I'm paying all this money to go to college and have these advisors there, but I didn't get the classes I really wanted as a gen ed where it's like, oh, you can finally pick and choose which history you want to learn. And I ended up with econ history and I'm like, I really don't care about that as a communications major. But that being said, I did have a good experience with one of my advisors last year when I was having trouble with a teacher in my grade, and he was great. He honestly sat there. He let me vent for 15 minutes about it because he knows that it's a stressful position. He told me everything he could do. He sent me to two people that would've helped me if I got a bad grade. 

Speaker 1 (29:54): And my GPA dropped. He had things set up for me, and he had so many links and access ways to just make it better that I had to do. And it's not that he could do it for me, he just set me up with it, which was all he could do, which was super nice of him. And he checked in with me at the end of the semester again, seeing how I was feeling, which was really, really good. And I think that we have those advisors like that at the U where it's like they're perfect. They're amazing. Kind of what Ethan was saying, you have this really great person, or sometimes you can end up with a biology advisor who has to deal with hundreds and hundreds of students, but it's not that personal connection where you feel like you can be like, okay, I'm struggling. I dunno what classes I should take. I don't even know if I want to be in this major because you have that anxiety, I think for some students. 

Speaker 3 (30:46): Yeah, I think there's also an expectation for, as you get into colleges that have larger student populations, I think there's this expectation to come into it knowing certain amounts of information. You know what I mean? I think that for in biology, they just expect you to kind of be on top of it and know you can have questions about certain things, but you should already know those things exist, if that makes sense. My allied hours say that was for a biology degree. They would expect you to know that already and just come to them with clarifying questions rather than the experience of going into an advisor and having them walk through everything that you need, which I feel like is sometimes not understood or students. That's a huge misunderstanding, I think, and a huge downfall for a lot of students is because they go into it expecting the advisor to run them through everything, and the advisor goes into it, kind of expecting them to have a general idea. And so I think maybe that's a lot of the times where there's some disconnect, especially for those larger colleges. 

Speaker 2 (31:50): The reoccurring theme that I have found when talking about advisors and what people look for is information. People just want the information. This was mentioned in the audio story, but we have the ability to find everything. Most of these things aren't hidden. They're just difficult to find because we don't know what we're looking for. You don't go to an advisor because you already know everything. You go to an advisor because you don't know everything. And the best advising experiences are when that advisor is like, okay, I understand what you don't know and I'm going to provide you that information. It's not like, Hey, I want you to do everything for me. I want you to tell everything to me. And so that's what I've found is the cohesive link between good and bad advising appointments and advisors is that good advisors give you the information that you want, and bad advisors already assume that you have that information. 

Speaker 2 (32:49): That's the difference between the five minute and the sit down of, okay, what classes is one is, okay, I'm assuming you're coming into this already, having your schedule planned out. I'm just going to give you the good, good to go versus you're coming into this and I'm going to assume that you need advising, and so I'm going to advise you on that and let you know what you need, if you're on the right track or not. What steps can you take for that success? And the advisor doesn't need to walk those steps for me, but it's incredibly helpful when it's laid out. 

Speaker 1 (33:24): That is a wrap for today's episode. Thank you for listening. And we hope that this information helps students and advisors during their academic career.

Speaker 1 (00:01): Amid an increasingly divided political landscape. The 2024 US presidential election is being called one of the most contentious in history. Candidates have consistently targeted each other's character and political records. Further contributing to polarization. In this podcast, fellow journalism student Noah app, pelo and I will tap into our unique access to students to capture the campus pulse. A closer look at how young voters are feeling about this pivotal election. She's a Marxist. 

Speaker 2 (00:31): Everybody knows she's a Marxist. Her father's a Marxist professor in economics, and he taught her well. 

Speaker 3 (00:40): Tonight you're going to hear from the same old, tired playbook, a bunch of lies, grievances, and name calling. 

Speaker 2 (00:50): She goes down as the worst vice president in the history of our country, 

Speaker 3 (00:56): Wants to be a dictator on day one according to himself. 

Speaker 2 (01:01): And that means we have Kamala. I think she's going to be better. She's so bad, so pathetic. 

Speaker 3 (01:11): Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression 

Speaker 4 (01:18): Former president Donald Trump was reportedly shot at during a Pennsylvania rally earlier today. Take a look at what happened. 

Speaker 5 (01:35): Polling shows Harris and Trump locked at a tight race. A New York Times poll found Trump leading Harris by one percentage point. 

Speaker 1 (01:48): Now let's hear some anonymous University of Utah students' perspectives on this upcoming election. According to a Pew research poll, the economy, immigration, and violent crime are the leading issues concerning Trump supporters. 

Speaker 2 (02:02): We have inflation like very few people have ever seen before, probably the worst in our nation's history in Springfield. They're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats, they're eating the pets of the people that live there, millions of people let in and all over the world. Crime is down all over the world except here. 

Speaker 1 (02:27): But what do students think about these issues? 

Speaker 6 (02:31): I currently support the Trump campaign because I feel like my economic beliefs and policies in which I support align most with that policy. And that is typically the area in which I am most concerned about. 

Speaker 7 (02:46): A policy I support from the Republican party is that of reduced taxes for the working class people. 

Speaker 1 (02:55): According to the Pew Research poll referred to earlier, Americans generally believe the economy is in better hands with Trump, but not everyone feels that way. 

Speaker 8 (03:05): She plans on growing small businesses and investing in entrepreneurs. I think she has a tax credit of $50,000 up from $5,000 for early stage startups, which I do think would be helpful. And I do believe that growing business is the way to overcome the deficit. And I mean we have to have better economic growth. We need to create opportunities for people who are willing to risk and do that work. 

Speaker 6 (03:34): The policy I support the most is securing the southern border specifically because we've seen a rapid increase in illegal aliens within the country, which in turn is affecting the American workforce. And on top of that, we're seeing crime from illegal aliens at an all time high, specifically in sex trafficking, child trafficking. 

Speaker 9 (03:59): I don't like what's going on with the southern border in immigration. I don't like how expensive living is, and I think that he could do a better job fixing it considering Biden and Harris were in office the past four years and it got really out of hand with them. 

Speaker 8 (04:21): So for Trump, I oppose his mass deportation. I think it's stupid. I think that scapegoating immigrants is something that you do when you're trying to create fear. And I think that we do not have a lack of jobs at the lower wages. We actually have a lack of workers. 

Speaker 1 (04:44): Another hot button issue for voters is abortion 

Speaker 7 (04:47): When I oppose from the Republican party is that of the anti-abortion agenda. They're pushing and criminalizing abortion. 

Speaker 1 (05:02): This is Matthew Burbank, he's a political science professor at the University of Utah. I sat down to have a conversation with them about the current state of American politics and our elections. Why do you think this election has been so controversial? 

Speaker 5 (05:17): I think primarily because really two events. One is of course the ongoing saga of Donald Trump and his candidacy, which as we know after the 2020 election, he left office but did so rather grudgingly and in fact was working apparently very hard to maintain his position as president. And so that raised a lot of questions for a lot of people. And when he then decided to run again for the Republican nomination, although there were certainly people who opposed him, he got that nomination fairly handily. And so it raises real questions about what's the nature of the Republican party? What's the future of the Republican party? So some of that controversy has to do with Donald Trump and his approach to politics and the way that he has campaigned. And so that's part of it. I think the other part of it is that the Democratic party also did something quite unusual, which is to say they had their regular primary party, primary process, they selected their candidate, the incumbent president Joe Biden, after a sort of very bad debate performance, essentially he announced that he was no longer going to be the candidate for the nomination. Of course this was after the process was over. And so that's a very unusual circumstance. We don't typically have another candidate stepping in. Of course it was his vice president, somebody that he was already on the ticket that would've been running with him. But still that was a big change. And so from both political parties perspectives, I think there's been an awful lot of things that are controversial about this election. 

Speaker 1 (07:19): Alright, and speaking of the parties, do you think compared to the last 50 years or so, voters are more or less loyal to their political parties? And why do you think that is? 

Speaker 5 (07:31): I think what we see right now is a fairly high level both of identification with political parties. So individuals identifying themselves as a Democrat or as a Republican. And also fairly strong attachment to, so one of the things that we often look at when we look at political parties after an election is we look to see how strongly people identify with a political party and then what that means in terms of their voting behavior. And typically what we see is that people who have the strongest level of party attachment. So if I say I'm a Republican and I'm a strong Republican, it's pretty likely that I'm going to vote for the Republican presidential candidate. The question there is how high is that? And what we've seen on the democratic side and the Republican side is pretty high levels of attachment and voting for their candidates around the 95, 90 6%, which again, in American politics that's fairly high ordinarily when even when they're fairly strongly attached, you don't get quite that much buy-in to the candidate. 

Speaker 5 (08:46): And so what we're seeing at the moment I think is fairly high levels of attachment and fairly strong loyalty to those candidates. Now part of that, one of the things that has also gone on in more recent elections roughly post 2000 elections is that much of that is not so much a positive loyalty to the political party as it is a negative partisanship on the other side. So Republicans look at Democrats and say, that party's bad. I may not like everything about my party, but I think that party's worse and Democrats do the same thing from their perspective. And so again, we're seeing this kind of strong levels of attachment and as a result of their voting behavior, but it's also being driven very heavily in negative ways. 

Speaker 1 (09:36): Do you think voters sort of care more or less about what the actual policies are coming from the candidates? Do you think that's what they're paying attention to as opposed to what you were sort of saying before? 

Speaker 5 (09:47): It's never been true about American elections. That policy has been the most important thing in terms of elections. There are times when particular issues are extremely important. If we think about, for example, 1968 election and the question about the Vietnam War, that really was something that that policy issue really was driving a lot about what happened in that election. There have been other examples like that, but that's the exception, not the general rule. I think what we're seeing now is policy is in fact probably less important to most voters, that really what they're doing is they're using policy positions as a justification for the decision they've already made. That is to say that if I'm a Republican, I may not agree with all of the positions that Donald Trump has taken, but I'm going to say I like his stand on taxes or I like his stand on regulation, or I'd like his stand on trade as a way to justify the fact that I've already made a decision that I want to vote for him. So those are the kinds of things that are, again, not uncommon in American politics. But I think right now the reality is party loyalty and candidate image are driving this process much more than public policy positions are. 

Speaker 1 (11:13): So how long have you been a poli-sci professor? 

Speaker 5 (11:17): I started teaching at another university in 1992, and then I moved here in 1994. So I have been teaching political science classes since 1994 at this campus, 1992 more generally. 

Speaker 1 (11:33): So do you think that students are more or less politically informed now than when you started? 

Speaker 5 (11:41): I think probably overall the level of information is about the same. I think what you see with students that you also see in the general public is that some students are extremely well-informed. They know a lot about the election, the campaigns, their own positions. They're very, very knowledgeable. That's not the best bulk of students, but there are some who are very much that way. Most students I say are reasonably well-informed. Again, these are generally people who are attentive to the news, they're attentive to public events, they kind of know what's going on. That is if you were to have a conversation with them about, say, the election right now, they could talk quite knowledgeably about what's going on. And then there, of course, there are some students who it's, and again this is true for the general public as well, who are hardly paying attention, interested. 

Speaker 5 (12:41): It doesn't matter to them very much one way or the other. They may or may not ever vote, but the presidential election and all the news and all this is really sort of background noise to them that's not what they're focused on. There are lots of other things to keep people busy in their everyday lives, and so they don't pay a whole lot of attention to that. The difference with students, of course is again, generally students at this university and most other universities are more attentive. That is, they are more aware of the news and the events in part just because you're at a university, people are aware of this, they're talking about it. And so it's a little harder to ignore it as you might if you were farming in Iowa or working in a suburb of Dallas or something. So it is given the nature of university environments that often gives students a reason to kind of keep track of things and know what's going on. 

Speaker 1 (13:43): What would you say your biggest gripe with our current American political landscape is right now? 

Speaker 5 (13:49): Number one. Number one, not the whole list. Okay. You do one or two. I mean there are a lot of things that are problematic. The couple of things that would seem to me to be kind of most problematic at present, one would be sort of the extent of gerrymandering. So that lots of congressional elections really are not very competitive, and it's not because necessarily simply because of how good the candidate is, they're often not competitive because of the way the district has been drawn. And to me, I think that's problematic because I think what that means is we have a lot of people who go off to Congress having won an election, but really never having been taxed very much in terms of how hard it was to get elected. As long as they got the nomination, they pretty much had secured the general election because of the way their district was drawn. 

Speaker 5 (14:51): That to me, I think is a problem. Obviously that doesn't apply to the presidential level, but for members of Congress, that's one of the things I think that is really problematic. And part of that is just a change in technology. It's becomes so much easier to draw maps that are very precise. We have more information about voters and their habits, and we have a mapping software that's much better than it has ever been. And as a result of that, parties and state legislatures, for example, spend a lot of time drawing these very kind of precise maps. So I think that level of gerrymandering has clearly become a bit of a problem in the sense that we don't have as many competitive elections as we ought to have simply because we've sort of, again, the cliche here is that politicians are picking their voters as opposed to voters picking the politicians. 

Speaker 5 (15:44): So that's one thing. I think the other thing that I think is worth thinking about is the electoral college itself. So for example, right now when we look at the presidential election, we're really focused on seven states, and these are the swing states and they're the swing states that have enough electoral college votes to make a difference in terms of the two party strategies. So both candidates are spending all of their time in Pennsylvania or North Carolina or Wisconsin or Michigan because they know that those are the votes that matter. Right? That's a bit problematic because if you are in North Dakota, if you are in Colorado, or if you are in Connecticut or you are in South Carolina, why is it that the candidates never come and campaign in your area? Why don't they run ads in your area? Why don't they come and make a pitch for why you should vote for them? 

Speaker 5 (16:43): And the reality is because much of the nature of the electoral college means that candidates really, there's no benefit to them for doing so. It is problematic in the sense that what that means is national elections are largely focused in just a few states now. One of the things that's happened over time is that the nature of those states have changed. It used to be that for example, Ohio and Florida were big states that everybody competed for. Now, virtually nobody campaigns in Florida, they're campaigning in Pennsylvania. But that's something I think that is, it's always a bit of a problem because what it does in practice is it means lots of people in lots of other places are not really having any chance to interact with the candidates, ask questions, be a part of the campaign in a way that would be meaningful. And so I think that's problematic as well. 

Speaker 1 (17:38): All right. This might be a tougher question. What do you find most encouraging about our current American political landscape? 

Speaker 5 (17:45): I think the thing that I think is most encouraging is that lots of people are very interested in the outcome. If it were the case that you looked at the two candidates and you just simply said, it doesn't matter who wins, it's completely irrelevant to me. It's completely irrelevant to anybody I know who cares. That's clearly a worse democratic system than the one that we have now. It may be the case that there are some people who are a little too invested in the outcome of this. Again, the current campaign rhetoric is not really very helpful in the sense of saying, if I win, everything will be great, and if the other side wins, everything will be absolutely terrible. First off, it's not true. And secondly, it is not really very helpful in terms of how you should be appealing to candidates. So that is a bit of a problem. But I do think one of the outcomes of high levels of polarization, which is again this kind of sense of strong levels of attach to political parties, is that people are indeed invested. There are lots of people in the United States today who feel like it really does matter who they vote for and which candidate wins. And again, I think in a basic democratic sense, that's a good thing. 

Speaker 1 (19:13): If you had to give one message to voters who are getting caught up in the divisiveness of this election, what would you tell 'em sort of on a personal level? 

Speaker 5 (19:22): I think on a personal level, what I would say is not to get overly caught up in the rhetoric of the campaign. As I just said, candidates on both sides are saying things that essentially are our side wins. Everything will be great if the other side wins, it'll be terrible. It is true that the outcome of campaigns matter, and it's important and we should pay attention to it. But it's also probably not true that if the Democrats win that things will be absolutely terrible. If Republicans win that everything, there will be no democracy left. That's probably, again, that's clearly sort of the rhetoric of the campaign. And I think for most voters, they have an intuitive sense that that's true anyway, that they don't really expect those kinds of things to happen the day after the election. And I think that's largely right. Again, emotionally, people get invested in one side or the other, and they may be disappointed or elated as a result of the campaign. 

Speaker 5 (20:34): But I think the important thing to recognize there is that, again, presidents are not all powerful. They don't have magic wand, right? They're political leaders and what they're doing is trying lead all of us collectively. And that's always going to be a process in which some people are going to be happy with it, some people are going to be dissatisfied with it, but rarely is it the case that the leader is so important that everything else hinges on that. And certainly that's never been true in the United States. We've had good presidents, we've had bad presidents, we've had good Supreme Courts, we've had bad Supreme Courts, we've had good members of Congress and bad members of Congress. And again, it's not the case that any one of them has really ever been guiding light for all of us, or alternatively the worst possible thing in the whole world. 

Speaker 5 (21:31): And I guess what I would say is that put aside some of the campaign rhetoric and recognize that it is important to vote and it is important to make that decision because the consequences are very real, but they're probably not, in the vast majority of cases, existential. So the question of who wins and who loses is not going to depend upon, for example, Kamala Harris wins. That doesn't mean every Republican is out of a job on the day after. That's just not the way it works. Never has, never will. And again, similarly for Republicans. So I think the thing that people need to keep in mind is that yes, it's important, yes, it matters, but it doesn't matter in the way that some candidates might lead you to believe. 

Speaker 10 (22:19): This interview was conducted with Mikey Miller, a law student at Cornell University. We sat down with Mikey to hear his thoughts on the controversial and divisive nature of this year's election. Mikey, thanks so much for joining me. First question, why do you think this election is so controversial? 

Speaker 11 (22:35): Why do I think this election is so controversial? There is a couple of reasons. I think one of them stems from this is Trump's third election, and I think that makes it a little more controversial. I also think that the way that the last election kind of got overturned with January 6th is super controversial. And then I also think since I am in law school, I'll just slant these questions a little to the law Trump's recent Supreme Court appointees. He appointed three in his last term, which swung the Republican vote on the court to six to three now. And they've had a lot of really controversial decisions starting with the Dobbs case that a lot of people are upset about. And then recently they had a new case called Rahimi and Bruin, and basically that means that the gun laws are much more strict. You can't pass a gun law unless it was around during the time of the founding. 

Speaker 11 (23:30): You have to have an analogous law. So I think that combination, a lot of people are really anxious about because if Trump does get elected, people are theorizing that one of the justices will step down, justice Thomas or Justice Alito, and he'll be able to appoint one or two more. And he's been on record saying his appointees aren't far right enough, so he wants to put even more conservative people in. And I think that scares a lot of people. And then on the flip side, if Kamala wins, then I think the justices will stay and maybe one of the liberal justices will come down because it's life term. So whoever gets to a point has quite a bit of power. So I think those three reasons caused a lot of controversy in this election 

Speaker 10 (24:15): Compared to recent elections. Are voters more or less loyal to their political parties? 

Speaker 11 (24:20): So I will say I didn't follow politics too often. I'd say I probably started with Trump's first election, but just going off of people that I talked to, I think people are a lot more loyal. I think you kind of see that there's really not that many swing states anymore. I think it's like Pennsylvania is the biggest one, and then Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, but there's really not that many. And so I think people are really starting to hone in on their political party and trying to stand their ideological grounds. I think a lot of people are really set in their ways now, and I think, I know we'll maybe talk about social media more in the future, but I think that really hammers people into these roads. So I think that people are more loyal to their political parties, I would say, compared to past elections. 

Speaker 11 (25:08): And that's just my feel on it. More people are set in their ways. I think especially Trump does play into that role. I think he has somewhat of a cult following. Colt is kind of a weird word, and I wouldn't go that far, but his MAGA supporters are really ride or die for him. And I think social media just kind of sets people in their ways because it gives a lot of people a platform. And so it also gets a lot of misleading information. So if somebody has a policy stance, they'll take the most egregious or farthest take of it. And people kind of just see that and they're like, oh, this is what I should follow, or this guy Ben Shapiro said this. This is how I am. All of that kind of balls together. And I think people's find their groups on social media and stick with those groups a lot more. 

Speaker 10 (25:58): Do you think there is more or less voter education in this election compared to past years? 

Speaker 11 (26:03): I think there is more education just because information is so much more accessible. But I also think with that, a lot of misinformation is a lot more there. So I think it's kind of an interesting question if people are actually more educated. And then what I was saying and what we talked about earlier about people being so loyal to their political parties is I don't think people really look at the other side at all anymore. So they might be more educated on Trump's policies and tax reforms and stuff like that compared to Kamala's policies, but they will just assume that the left has these cookie cutter policies or they'll assume the right has these cookie cutter policies. So I don't think they're really informed the intricacies of it. And I think that is also true for your party. I think people have broad ideas, but not really looking into, oh, what does this actually mean 

Speaker 10 (26:53): Compared to previous elections. Do you think people know more or less about the candidate's policy? 

Speaker 11 (26:59): I'm sure the websites and all of that marketing is still promoting a lot of policies, but I think all the rhetoric from when Trump and Biden were in the race, I think it was very personal. I mean, that first debate that they had was kind of a nightmare, talking about each other's golf swings and stuff like that. And then I think with Kamala, it's kind of just developed into this personal attack. I really don't think people are voting on policies really as much anymore. I mean, I know some people try to say that they're voting on policies, but I think really rarely that is, and only a couple of issues I think are very divisive. I know people in law school that refuse to vote for Trump, even though they like all of his policies, but just because he's pro-life and they're very pro-choice. So I think certain policies people kind of know, but not really tax policies, immigration reform, education reform, stuff like that. 

Speaker 10 (27:55): Why do you think abortion is being used as such a hot topic in this election? 

Speaker 11 (28:00): Abortion brings up, people feel so strongly for it because a lot of religious views and then just bodily autonomy. And I think the reason it's being brought up so much this election is because of that do case. Because I think when abortion was a fundamental right to someone's body, that was in the 1980s, I think in this case called Roe versus Wade is where it was kind of laid out that women do have a fundamental right to their bodies. But now since it's kind of changed with Dobbs and now that's kind of up in the air, what happened is they said, oh, the Constitution doesn't guarantee it, but your state can. So right now they're kind of looking about, oh, what are states doing differently? I mean, Alabama I know just said that fertilized eggs are considered human life, so very state by state. And then the other very scary thing is it's been theorized that they could do a federal abortion ban using something called the Commerce Clause in the Constitution, which is basically, if it affects interstate commerce, it'll be constitutional. And that's a super broad sweeping law. It's almost how every federal law is passed. So I think this new election, people are really voting on that because if Congress were to make a federal abortion ban, Trump would sign it, I'm assuming, and then Kamala wouldn't sign it. So I think it's such a really interesting topic because I think there's merits on both sides, but it's very divisive, especially in this election. 

Speaker 10 (29:38): What are some of the most contentious elections you can remember and how do they compare to 2024? 

Speaker 11 (29:43): Ever since Trump has really gotten into office, it's just been more and more contentious. I think he's kind of really shooken up the political landscape, especially now since our very last election ended with the January 6th riots ended on such a weird, no, I would say that I think this one has to be more contentious because who knows what's going to happen at the end of this one. So I think that's kind of weird. So I think that's, as long as Trump is there, I think he'll get more and more contentious. I mean, if he wins, then he's out. If he loses, he's probably done. But we'll see. 

Speaker 10 (30:19): To what extent do you think polarization is driven by the media versus personal ideological divides? 

Speaker 11 (30:25): Yeah, so I think that polarization is something that's really interesting, especially nowadays and especially being at law school because people have very rooted beliefs, and I think law students generally think they're really smart. I don't think that's necessarily the case, but I think a lot of people do. And when you talk to older people, they're like, oh, it didn't used to be this way. It was a lot more reading the table. And I don't know how much that is true and how much it is just nostalgia looking back the old days. But I really do think a lot of polarization is driven by the media. I mean, I think it's a fun game that you can do where you can just see a recent event like the Trump assassination, and when Fox published it, it was like, oh my God, president Trump got shot. And then the first storyline from CNN was loud bang at the Trump rally. We don't really know what happened. So it's just each fox and CNN and then the other news sources, they vary so much on each topic that I think it just has to lead to polarization. 

Speaker 10 (31:30): Judging by your experience going through undergrad and now as a law student, how politically informed would you say the average undergrad student is as compared to a law student or a general population? 

Speaker 11 (31:41): The average undergrad, I mean, there's outliers in different political groups, but I don't think a lot of average undergrads are usually thinking about politics as much. Or if they are, it's not. They have policy ideas and stuff like that that is maybe more well-informed than the average person. But I think compared to a law student, it gets a little bit different. I think law students aren't necessarily more involved in politics, I would say probably more on average, but I think you understand the inner workings of the legal system so much more. A lot of people really hated the Supreme Court case that would talk about Trump's immunity, and I know a lot of people were like, oh my God, the president can just go out on the sidewalk and shoot someone now, and that'd be okay. But I think once you start reading the cases and you understand more of how the justices get to that decision, you're more okay with it, I would say. 

Speaker 11 (32:36): And you kind of just understand a little bit more. And then another big thing that you learn in law school is about the separation of powers. So the judicial branch, in theory isn't the one that's supposed to be making big laws. They're supposed to safeguard the constitution and push that to the legislator. So I think that there's inner workings of the government that undergrad students don't really get, which I think is totally fair. I don't think you have to get those to be an informed voter, but I would say that you just kind of understand more. 

Speaker 10 (33:08): Do you think that college students are more educated now than they were 10 years ago? 

Speaker 11 (33:12): Yeah, I would have to think that college students are more educated probably than a decade ago, just because there's so much information out there. And I know so many college students get really into politics and they have their favorite thing. I mean, it's their first kind of time outside the house. Maybe they get to disagree with their parents more. So you're trying to figure that out. And I think politics does really captivate a lot of undergraduate students, especially also because they might be learning about different things in class, meeting different people with different views. And I think that just does as information and technology and diversity gets more, you get more and more viewpoints. So I do think that it is more likely that they are more educated now. 

Speaker 10 (33:54): What is your biggest gripe with our current political landscape? 

Speaker 11 (33:58): My biggest gripe with the current political landscape is one, just on a broad level how divisive it is. I think you can no longer really talk to people about politics. They feel so strongly certain ways, but I think on a more narrow level, I think our education system is pretty poorly ran right now. I think to me, education is such a big deal. I think it's the most fundamental thing that the government can provide, and just public school funding is terrible. The schools are overrun. I don't really believe in a teacher union, but maybe that's the best way. But regardless, teachers are getting underpaid. So I think that's one place that I'd like to see candidates focusing in more, but it's not really a hot button issue, so they don't really do it 

Speaker 10 (34:44): Well. It seems Trump has become incredibly good at not really talking about topics that are the most pressing, but talking about topics that are going to drive the most voters to the polls. For him, 

Speaker 11 (34:55): He has kind of shifted the debate to stuff that really gets the Republicans behind him, so guns, taxes, and abortion. So I think you're right. He really does know how to motivate a mover or a movement, but I do think it kind of does push things that are needed to the wayside. 

Speaker 10 (35:16): What do you find most encouraging about our current political landscape? 

Speaker 11 (35:19): I think to me, the most encouraging part is I do think that when Trump was in office, he elected the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is controversial, but I do think it did stimulate the economy well, it allowed people to, it incentivized investing in business quite a bit through capitalization, and I think that's really important to have. So I do think that is encouraging, but I think on the whole, I'm not super encouraged. 

Speaker 10 (35:54): What would you say to a young undergrad voter who is looking to become informed on who really aligns with them? 

Speaker 11 (36:02): It's really hard. Kind of what we were talking about earlier with the different media spins it so harsh Republican or Democrat, and this is something that I've had a lot of struggles with, but I think if you want to learn more about politics, the best thing you can do is just try to consume as much media as you can and then also be very open-minded about what you're consuming and why does this person think that way? And I think talking with other people really is really helpful. They might not know their views or they might feel very strongly because of certain reasons. So I think the best thing to do is just try to figure out and then figure out what your values are, which is extremely hard, especially for young voters and something I don't have at all. Well, more so than when I was younger, but not as much as most people I would say do. But I think just figuring out what's important to you through your experiences and then realizing what other people have gone through, I think is the most important. 

Speaker 1 (37:02): Thanks for tuning into this episode of The Campus Polls. I hope you gained valuable insight into student perspectives and the US election process. A big thank you to Matthew Burbank and Mikey Miller for sharing their expertise with us. Be sure to join us for episode two where we dive into students' reactions to the election results.

Speaker 1 (00:00): Welcome to the Campus Pulse, where we capture the heartbeat of student reactions to the 2024 election. In our second episode titled Echoes of Change, student Voices on the 2024 election, we delve into the diverse opinions and emotions at this pivotal moment in history evokes on campus. Join us as we explore how today's decisions are shaping the leaders of tomorrow. As always, the names of students will not be included. We hope you enjoy. 

Speaker 2 (00:25): Let's be honest, it was a terrible night last night. It was a terrible night for nato, for the truth and democracy and decency, and it was a terrible night for everyone who voted against him. And guess what? It was a bad night for everyone who voted for him too. You just don't realize it yet. 

Speaker 3 (00:44): Kamala Harris is a woman of color in an interracial marriage running as a woman to be the head of state, that is something a lot of Americans are not ready to deal with. 

Speaker 4 (00:56): Tens of millions of Americans, our friends, our neighbors, our family members voted for Donald Trump. We disagree with him. I know we all do at this table, but they are good, decent people who are patriots and love this country. 

Speaker 3 (01:08): I think that we've got to be honest, among Hispanic men and black men, there's a lot of misogyny. 

Speaker 1 (01:15): The following is a supporter of Kamala Harris. She'll be sharing her thoughts and reactions to the election as well as her hopes for the future. First question, when did you find out about the results of the election? Did you stay up or did you find out the next day? 

Speaker 5 (01:32): I had been watching it for most of the night. I went to bed pretty late, but it was kind of something I went to bed knowing what the outcome was going to be, 

Speaker 1 (01:44): What was kind of that emotional reaction the night before and the next morning when it was set in stone? I 

Speaker 5 (01:49): Think that there was kind of a sense of denial. For me, I felt pretty upset because I found that who did win is someone I really don't align with for a multitude of reasons. And I think one of the biggest things that caused this kind of disbelief is just the language and the hate speech that he has normalized over these past couple months, years, whatever it be. I guess he always has done these things, and I think there was a sense of denial that our president is someone who speaks so freely against different minority groups and speaks out in ways that can harm so many different groups in our country. 

Speaker 1 (02:39): Right. So my next question, obviously you kind of went into this a little bit, but it's just were you surprised by the outcome? Now you said you were kind of in a state of disbelief. Were you surprised that America would vote for Trump over Kamala? 

Speaker 5 (02:56): I think yes and no. I think there was of course a sense of disbelief because to me it was such a clear distinction between this race was kind of a unique one because a lot of people felt so personally tied to one candidate or another, I think more so than the past. To me, it felt kind of like voting for the lesser of two evils. I mean, I do align with Kamala's political views to some extent, but she's by no means my first choice as the democratic candidate. However, I felt like leading up to the election, I felt so sure that other people agreed with me. I guess I felt so sure that the majority of people would see Donald Trump's behavior and find that as something that's unacceptable for our president. But I guess as the election results started to come in, I did kind of have this realization that's been talked about after the fact, which is that the Democratic Party kind of failed a huge group of Americans that was largely responsible for Donald Trump's election right now in our current economy with such high inflation, things like that. 

Speaker 5 (04:20): While I personally believe that Donald Trump won't help those things, I think he used a lot of tactics to kind of convince the working class people that he would be the better candidate for them in terms of our economic state. And I think that really resonated with a lot of people, and that's something that Kamala really missed the mark on, and just the Democratic party in general. So yes, I was surprised and had this kind of disbelief, but I also realized pretty early on, even just as I was watching the election and state after state was going red and Kamala was doing worse and worse than Democratic nominees before her had in each city, county, state, whatever it be, I kind of realized this truth that is the Democratic Party really failed the majority of working class, even uneducated people in this election. And that was, I think, a large reason why Donald Trump was able to win. 

Speaker 1 (05:26): Right. So you said that you obviously you felt like you were choosing the lesser of two evils, but you still do align more with Kamala. What were the biggest policy issues that you were concerned with during this election? Did they have to do with the economy? Was a lot of people have said the Supreme Court abortion. What was it for you that really made this election maybe a bigger deal 

Speaker 5 (05:57): As a college student? To be just super honest, the economy feels less personally important, which maybe isn't great to say, but it's just something that personally affects me less than, let's say the topic of a woman's right to choose an abortion. That's something I've always been really passionate about, and I think that's something that's, I view really as a super important issue when I'm voting. I think another big one is the climate change. Climate crisis. That was something I felt I was definitely picking Kamala for her ability to validate that where I feel like Donald Trump, I mean currently he's elected a cabinet member in charge of the environmental and what is that commission? I don't know what it's called, who is a climate crisis denier. 

Speaker 5 (06:57): So I think that's kind of exhibit A, but yeah, say the climate abortion in terms of things I thought Kamala did poorly. I would've really liked to vote for a candidate who I feel like would successfully address the genocide happening in Palestine right now. And I think the Biden Harris administration has really failed the Palestinian people in that way, and they've been kind of complacent in this genocide. And I think that was another reason maybe that Kamala didn't do as well, is that there were some people who felt like they couldn't support someone who had explicitly not supported their people. I mean, I would come back and argue that Donald Trump would be worse for the issue, but I do sympathize in the fact that they have really failed on this issue, and it was hard to support someone who was so it seems like willingly supported this horrible historical event. So that's something that I had a really kind of moral dilemma with supporting Kamala on. But I think her support and other issues, abortion, the climate change, even in terms of the economy, I think her support of social services and stuff is really important. 

Speaker 5 (08:23): Yeah, 

Speaker 1 (08:23): Right. Awesome. Did you feel like the media covered the election fairly? Not the election itself, but I guess I would say just all the campaigning following up. 

Speaker 5 (08:36): I think yes and no. I actually was kind of talking to my friends about some of this because we all kind of shared in this disbelief that Donald Trump won, but there were for sure people who were equally in disbelief that Kamala got any support. Donald Trump supporters who were like, how is this woman rising to the challenge, I suppose? I think a problem in just media in general is the confirmation biases it allows, and just in terms of myself leading up to the election, I saw so many things of why we can't vote for Donald Trump, why we need Kamala Harris as our president. So many things where I think that created this sense in my head of like, alright, everyone's in the same boat as me. You guys are going to vote for and she'll be our president. I really felt this kind of sureness that she would win, and I think Donald Trump supporters felt the same thing. And I think in that sense, the media failed just because it's so tailored right now, especially with so many people getting news from social media, having such tailored feeds, such personalized feeds makes it impossible almost to see anything from the other side if you're not actively seeking that out. So I think that was kind of a failure, but in terms of the actual election coverage and what I saw leading up, I felt like I was pretty well-informed leading up to the election. But once again, that was something I kind of sought out. So yeah. 

Speaker 1 (10:21): Right. 

Speaker 5 (10:21): Yes. 

Speaker 1 (10:22): You definitely have to look for education right now or unbiased, 

Speaker 5 (10:25): Definitely 

Speaker 1 (10:26): Education. 

Speaker 5 (10:26): Yeah, it was so hard filling out my ballot. It was mail-in looking up everyone, I don't know, learning about. There's so many different people to vote for. There were some people I just had to be looking up right then and there, and it was hard to find a lot of information on a lot of people, and they were people being elected for important roles where I was like, Ooh, I wish I could find this easily and feel like this is accurate information. 

Speaker 1 (10:56): It would be so nice if there was somewhere where we could look up everybody and it just had facts, facts about their career, their decisions, how they voted. 

Speaker 5 (11:05): That'd be super cool. 

Speaker 1 (11:07): Right. That'd be awesome. 

Speaker 5 (11:08): It seems insane that there isn't, 

Speaker 1 (11:11): Right? Yeah, I know it does. There is for Utah has it for judges, 

Speaker 5 (11:16): For 

Speaker 1 (11:16): Judges, you can go see their decisions. 

Speaker 5 (11:19): There's some things that I don't know, some sites with certain information that's helpful, but there's no kind of catchall, if you will. 

Speaker 1 (11:30): Right. Yeah. Okay. Well, last question for you. This is a two-parter, so you might not have an answer for the first part, but is there any optimism or is there anything that you think the Trump administration is going to do well in the next four years? If not, what are the things that you're most concerned about? 

Speaker 5 (11:52): I think that there aren't, to be honest, very many, it's really hard to find a silver lining of this whole situation because to me, it feels like there's a president in office who is a hateful person who is actively trying to take away rights. I mean, we've even learned in my business law class that the Roe v Wade being overturned was completely under Trump's policies, and he was kind of the driving force for that to happen. And that was the first time in American history that rights have been granted and then take it away from the American people. And this just kind of feels like twisting that knife a little, if you will. I think one silver lining I have tried to look for is that a lot of people, a lot of Democrats who voted for Trump, their argument was that we live in a really corrupt just political economy in general, and the way politicians just can be in office for their position and a point, I mean, I think it feels funny saying this now with the actual outcome, but I think beforehand people were thinking the way, it's just politicians friends up for these huge positions or politicians using their office position just to get rich and have personal benefits, which I kind of agree with. 

Speaker 5 (13:27): I do think we have a lot of flaws in the way our government is ran currently. So I think a lot of people were kind of hoping that Donald Trump could shake things up because he is such a unique presidential candidate. He breaks the mold in so many ways, I would argue are negative. But still, I think any change is kind of good. And I think that there is still some silver lining in the sense that even though he is, I think going to kind of implement some harmful change, there is a talk around a need for change. And I think he was kind of the catalyst for that. So I hope that in the future it sets us up for a really good candidate in office and real change to the way our government runs and works. And I think at least for sure, there'll be some change into the Democratic party and the way they run and campaign and how they focus their efforts because like I said, I think they really miss the mark with the majority of Americans, which are just the working class people. And I think that's something that I feel like the democratic values are really for. So it's kind of insane to me how poorly they did with that demographic. And I think at the very least, this whole election will be a huge catalyst for change in the way the Democratic party approaches different issues or approaches a campaign in the future in a way that will more accurately benefit the working class people, which I think is important. 

Speaker 1 (15:13): Thanks for joining us on the podcast today and sharing your views. 

Speaker 6 (15:17): And the person we are now betting on to change all of it is Donald Trump, a man who did two almost impossible things. He won the American presidency twice and he drove a casino into the ground. What will the future hold now that America has just decided that we're going to F around and find out 

Speaker 7 (15:42): Those falling behind financially went for Trump by 63%. 70% of Americans said America is on the wrong track and they want something 

Speaker 8 (15:52): So is. 

Speaker 7 (15:53): This is a total rejection in every way. And the areas and the demographics that Donald Trump didn't win, he gained massively. She did not outperform Biden in a single state, I 

Speaker 8 (16:04): Will be fighting for you and with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America. 

Speaker 1 (16:22): Next, we'll hear from a supporter of Donald Trump and their reaction. 

Speaker 9 (16:26): What was your initial emotional reaction to the election results? 

Speaker 10 (16:32): I was pretty stoked about the whole thing. Honestly, kind of expected it to go that way. After you started to watch the election map, I feel like it was pretty known early on that that was going to be the result of the election, and I just cracked a beer with my roommate. 

Speaker 9 (16:51): So you weren't surprised by the outcome? 

Speaker 10 (16:54): Not necessarily. I feel like pretty early on, even though the media kind of pushed it away after it all happened, Trump won the election. The second he got shot in the ear, stood up and started chanting win, win, win. I felt like that was a pretty strong moment. 

Speaker 9 (17:19): Alright. All right. So you talked about the media coverage. Would you characterize election coverage by the media? As fair 

Speaker 10 (17:29): In personal experience, I use YouTube TV to watch a lot of my stuff, and I feel like a lot of the options that were given to me, at least personally on YouTube TV were a bit biased depending on the channel you went on. Obviously there's the bias one way or another because every news station's pretty biased in their own sense. But I would say it swung a lot more towards the democratic side it seemed like with many of the news channels, other than the obvious ones in terms of just watching the election and the live election stuff, the debates were a whole kind of different story too, I guess. 

Speaker 9 (18:21): Yeah. Do you think the debates were fair? 

Speaker 10 (18:23): I like to think they were fair. I mean, obviously everybody's going to have bias on that, but I would say it swung a little bit towards the democratic side, which I feel like is to be a little bit expected. And Democrats will probably say the opposite, just how it goes in politics. But yeah. 

Speaker 9 (18:43): What do you think Kamala could have done better to weigh undecided voters in her campaign? What do you think she sort of missed? 

Speaker 10 (18:53): I think it's not necessarily what she missed, but when she was vice president in the White House or the White House, she wasn't really, people got to see what she did as the VP and how she ran, and I just don't think a lot of people agreed with how she ran that office. 

Speaker 9 (19:13): And finally, what are you most optimistic about for Trump's presidency? 

Speaker 10 (19:19): Honestly, closed borders. Because if you don't really have a country, if you have open borders and you're just letting tons of migrants in and there's no foundation to a country if you let everybody in, and I think it'll be better to see that be better for job markets, better for the economy, and hopefully better for America as a whole. And hopefully we'll see if he can end a lot of the wars going on in the world. 

Speaker 1 (19:49): The following is a reflection between myself and my co-host Malcolm, on what we heard and felt during the interviews with the Trump and Kamala supporters. So throughout this episode, we've had the opportunity to interview different supporters of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and see their reactions to the election. For myself, I interviewed a young woman who is a supporter of Kamala, and for you, you interviewed two Donald Trump supporters with three Donald Trump supporters. It was interesting to hear her perspective about the election and kind of hear a lot of the emotions that she cited after the election, feeling surprised, and also just kind of an initial disbelief of just not believing that Trump won because she felt so sure before the election Kamala won. But before I get into a little bit of what she said about that, how did the people that you talked with, how did they feel about the results? What was their reaction like the day after? 

Speaker 11 (20:55): Well, I think anytime you win a game, if you're on a team or you're a fan of a team, you say that, oh, I knew we were going to win the whole time. And that certainly was true. When I interviewed the Trump supporters, they claimed to not be surprised at all. One of 'em even referenced a bet that he made on Trump. He got 'em for minus one 40, I believe, and he said that Camelo was at plus one 10, which means that Trump was the sort of heavy favorite on that particular gambling site. But I'm not surprised to hear that the person you talked to was surprised. I mean, doing the sort of research for it, the polling numbers weren't even close to what the result was, and Trump had a very small lead and most of the polls going into it, but I'm not surprised that people were surprised. 

Speaker 1 (21:45): For me at least it felt so up in the air. But at the same time, I really thought that the Democrats had just campaigned well after the fact. It's easy to look back and say, oh, they failed their campaigning. They didn't do as well as Trump. But leading up, I kind of viewed it. I think maybe just because of the adults in my life that I was talking to that were shaping the way I thought probably most Americans were thinking. But yeah, I was thinking that most Americans were going to vote for Kamala out of fear of another term of Donald Trump, and that's kind of what fear is. A lot of what my interview had, I actually cut some of the minutes at the end where we just talked about all the things that she was afraid of happening in the next few years, and most of it was just concerns with immigration policy, but also an overall concern for American culture in society to become more homophobic or more racist or more just discriminatory. Did the Trump supporters cite any concerns? Were you able to get them to cite any concerns about Trump's election? 

Speaker 11 (22:55): The ones I talked to did not cite any concerns. They were pretty optimistic and excited about it, which makes sense. If you're really a staunch supporter of someone, you sort of might blindly support 'em a little bit like a fan would of a team, which might not necessarily be ideal, but it makes sense to me. I would say that a lot of the Democrats in the media landscape are citing racism and misogyny as reasons that Kamala got just underperformed Biden pretty much across the board. There's certainly an idea to that. If you ask a Republican or you ask or you listen to the Republican media, they will not be saying that. They'll claiming that Kamala didn't understand the people of America. She didn't understand the Democratic party, didn't understand what the people really wanted, what the people were really caring about, and they have this idea that she sort of ran the campaign on being happy and joy and just sort smiling and maybe campaigning against her opponent instead of campaigning for her policy and really explaining how she would be best fit to be the President of the United States. That also goes into how she was selected a lot. The people I talked to certainly were not on board with the Democrats, not sort running a primary and just being like, okay, biden's out. Well, Cam's in. Not only do they think that probably wasn't the right decision, they think that that introduced a lot of skepticism and cynicism about the election process as a whole. And I think that rubbed Americans the wrong way, certainly. 

Speaker 1 (24:48): Yeah, I think you're right. I think there's always just something in Americans, whenever we feel like there's unfairness in something, it kind of turns us off. I think that's also a big reason of why Hillary underperformed in 2016. A lot of Americans and a lot of Democrats, I think, felt frustrated with the Democratic Party for what they did to Bernie Sanders by making it practically impossible for him to compete in the primary. And yeah, I think that the same sentiment was around this year, especially with moderates where maybe they don't identify as a Democrat or a Republican, but they often vote Democrat. That group of people, when they see the Democrats not allowing a fair primary, I think that turns them off certainly from voting or a Democrat or voting at all. 

Speaker 11 (25:34): And we saw that with, certainly with RFK this year. I mean, you saw that he had a very good amount of support, and he wasn't sniffed at to get the Democratic nominee, which he was campaigning for. He wanted to get the Democratic nominee. Guess what happens? He ends up endorsing Trump. That's a huge boost. I mean, he was getting 10% of the poll before he dropped out of the race or something like that, maybe even more. And that had an enormous impact on the election, certainly. 

Speaker 1 (26:06): Right? Yeah. I want to talk about Donald Trump and what the Trump supporters are excited for in this upcoming election with his cabinet or with the promises that he's made. But first, I wanted to touch on media coverage. A little bit of the election. In my interview, the student I interviewed, she said that she felt like overall media coverage was pretty fair to both candidates, but what she felt upset about was how much of an echo chamber she realized she was in after the fact. She felt she was so certain that Kamala was going to win because of her social media feed, because of all of her friends social media feeds, and how they just all reinforced the idea that, okay, Trump is the wrong candidate, Kamala is the right candidate, and we're all going to vote for her 

Speaker 8 (26:57): On 

Speaker 1 (26:57): November 4th, and she's going to win. And she kind of sided how she would guess that Trump supporters felt the same way that they were all super sure that Trump was going to win because of the echo chambers that social media creates. And I think that those echo chambers, I mean, obviously we've seen how dangerous they are for us, and they've made our politics more contentious. They've made it so people I have always, 

Speaker 11 (27:21): They've ruined Thanksgiving dinners around the country. 

Speaker 1 (27:24): Right? Exactly. Exactly. Thanksgiving dinners have always been ruined by politics. I'm guessing probably even back in the 18 hundreds, but I don't know if it's to the point of where older sisters are leaving Thanksgiving dinner like aunts or storming out, throwing stuffing at grandpa, and I think that that is what happened this year. 

Speaker 11 (27:42): Well, I mean the Trump supporters talking about the media, I think they have a fair, or the two that I talked to have a fairly realistic view on if you want to have live in a Republican echo chamber, that is extremely accessible, not only with, okay, I'll tune into Fox News. It's like what you see on your social media. Your algorithm picks up like, oh, this is what this person likes. And what they really do, which I have a bit of an issue with, is they won't just show you, oh, this person's a Republican. He'll, like all this Republican content. We'll just give him this Republican news media content. They give you extremes on the other side that it's just meant to piss you off. I mean, no other, it's essentially troll liberal accounts that are just saying the most outlandish stuff, and then people have this huge reaction and then they think, oh, the other side is evil. The other side, they all think this crazy thing. This is what they're being preached, and it's just not realistic, and it's just total internet brain. But I am hopeful that our generation is, we've been around the internet for long enough that we understand when that's happening, and that's the vibe that I got from the supporters I interviewed certainly. 

Speaker 1 (29:05): Right. Yeah. I feel like we're definitely on the verge of an internet enlightenment where especially just with our generation, where there's going to be a rising number of people who are relatively intelligent that have grown up with technology and that now kind of understand all of the frauds and scams and manipulation that corporations proliferate onto the youth right now through social media. Certainly. Yeah. I hope that in future elections, maybe social media has less influence, but the kind of sad reality is I think that it'll continue to have more and more influence, and people will look to their social media feeds more and more every election to see clips that reinforce their beliefs so that they feel confident about who they've already decided to vote for because of what the tribe that they've assigned themselves to tells them originally. It just seems like people need somewhere to belong so badly. They want to choose either left or, and then once they're in that group, they don't even think, they just kind of latch onto whatever the group is saying, and then they find their beliefs after the fact. 

Speaker 11 (30:20): And that's a big point that Matthew Burbank, the professor I interviewed for the first episode was making, there is a lot of identity politics going around where you are a fan of Donald Trump, and then the policy comes after you're a fan of Kamala, you're a fan of the Democratic Party, and then her policy comes after that and you shape your priorities around what she is. You're hungry for what she's feeding you, basically, which has always been true, as Burbank said, but it gets exaggerated when we really focus on this sort of tribal identity politics, and then that contributes to this divide that we're talking about that I think we should avoid. 

Speaker 1 (31:09): Right, right. It's interesting. It seems like most people want to avoid it when you ask them about it, but most people don't really want to avoid it in reality because they're still going to unfollow their friends on social media if they post something that offends them. They're not going to be willing to have a conversation that could possibly upset them because the other person might be ignorant or even just have an idea or a political belief that doesn't align with theirs. But one thing I wanted to circle back to before we finish, I talked with the Kamala supporter about some of the things that she was hopeful for with Trump's election, and really it was just hope that the Democratic party will fix itself, hope that this is kind of a call to action for them to find new candidates, to find new processes, and to really try to serve the middle class in the next election. What were the Trump supporters hopes for the next four years? What are the key issues maybe that they cited about what they really think Trump's going to fix? 

Speaker 11 (32:12): Well, the number one and number two that they both said was immigration and the economy. I believe that that is really what their priority is, and they're truly optimistic about Trump addressing that. Those two issues. And those are the two issues that through our research, we found most Trump supporters, that's their top two issues. That being said, I didn't feel like they, it kind of felt like they were fed, the immigrants are bad. This is the biggest issue. They sort of gave me sort of these talking points that you hear consistently throughout the media and through social media, certainly about how you can't have a country without borders and not necessarily citing real data that they may have found on their own. And I think that is consistent throughout most of America. People have jobs, people are in school, people are doing all of these things. They don't really have time to independently research all of this and really formulate their own opinions, which is why I think it's as important as it's ever been to provide unbiased coverage of these events, these political 

Speaker 1 (33:41): Events. It's a lot easier to allow yourself to be propagandized than to seek out education 

Speaker 1 (33:49): Because you just passively listen. If you just want to sit back and passively listen, you will have someone feed you beliefs that you can kind of purport and feel good about. But if you want to find your own, it takes effort. And realistically, it's not something that I'm putting in effort to, and I don't think a lot, I think most college students are not putting in effort to try to figure out political views. And almost for myself and for some of the people who we interviewed before the election who weren't voting, it almost just seems hopeless. It almost seems like why even educate if both options are going to be so poor every time? 

Speaker 11 (34:28): I mean, I agree with that. As Matthew Burbank was saying to me, the divisiveness of this election is certainly not unique to this election, but it feels like it has been ramping up really since he decided, I think Obama McCain is when it really started ramping up as far as divisiveness. And I think at the end of the day, it comes down to looking at the other side as the enemy as opposed to your neighbors who have come to their own opinions, who in a very similar process that you've come to your opinions, it's people look at 'em like they're a whole different species of, they're not human beings, and I think people should look at the similarities in the people that they're characterizing as their enemies. 

Speaker 1 (35:24): Yeah, I would agree. I think that's a really nice thought to end on actually. Malcolm, thanks so much for joining me for this little breakdown of the interviews. Thanks for listening to episode two of The Campus Pulse. We hope you enjoyed it.

Speaker 1 (00:03): Hey guys, I'm your co-host, Parley Scott. 

Speaker 2 (00:06): Hey everybody. My name's Quinn Dial. I'm your co-host.

Speaker 3 (00:09): Hi  Y'all. I'm Ella Haas and I'm your Co-host. 

Speaker 4 (00:11): Hey, what's up? It's Toa Peres and I'm your cohost and Welcome to College Life Scripted. 

Speaker 1 (00:24): So we're just four college girls and this is honestly the first time in our lives that's been unscripted. That's why we're calling our podcast College Life Unscripted. Our podcast episodes are going to be all about college life, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Our first podcast episode is about love and heartbreak, and let me tell you, college is full of love and sometimes even more heartbreak. Let's bounce to Quinn as she talks about others' experiences on love and heartbreak. 

Speaker 5 (00:55): Hi, my name is Laura Hanson. I have been in love for almost seven years now, which is crazy. 

Speaker 6 (01:02): I am Genevieve Rounds. I Am in Love.

Speaker 7 (01:06): Yes, my name's Margaret Larman. I am a clinical mental health counseling intern at United Counseling and a second year graduate student at Northwestern University. I think love is the deepest form of emotional connection that we have with another human being, a connection. That's the closest connection that we get to another person's understanding and experience in the world. 

Speaker 2 (01:35): World. I find that love and heartbreak are like best friends. They coexist in this world and you can't have one without the other. Love is always going to end in heartbreak regardless of the situation. It's inevitable and it's a crucial part to being a human being in this world. Love is found anywhere and everywhere we look in our lives, art, music, nature, movies like The Notebook, which I think is a great representation of love because it shows all the parts that take place while being in love, being in a relationship and going through heartbreak with somebody. 

Speaker 7 (02:20): Arrogant, son of a bitch. Would you just stay with me? Stay with you. What for? Look at us. We're already fighting. 

Speaker 5 (02:28): Well, that's what we do. We fight. You tell me when I'm being an arrogant son of a bitch and I tell you, when you're being a pain in the ass, which you are 99% of the time, 

Speaker 2 (02:39): Love can be and is such an emotional thing where it feels like it consumes you at times. And I feel like the best way to describe how to deal with all these emotions would be 

Speaker 7 (02:56): When we choose to experience an emotion at its fullest intensity for a period of time. We are no longer putting it down in the trash can to a point where the trash can's going to overflow. So as we sit through that emotion, it lessens and that intensity decreases. And over time, emotions become easier and becomes something that we can more easily move through. 

Speaker 2 (03:28): Love is such a beautiful thing and it is so universal, yet at the same time, such an individual experience on how we perceive love and define it. What makes love strong and passionate, and how are you able to maneuver through the good and the bad with somebody that you love? 

Speaker 6 (03:52): You make up for my faults, I make up for your faults type thing and we work on this together. Partnership. Collaboration. Honestly, that is truly for something to work. You both have to be in it the same amount. And I think that that's a big indicator of love is that you are willing to work on this thing with another person. 

Speaker 5 (04:18): I would say selflessness is love. When you love someone, you put them first and you put their feelings and wants and needs before yours. I love the motto. Actions speak louder than words because I truly feel like love is something that you show. 

Speaker 2 (04:36): I feel like one thing that isn't talked about too much is someone in love while also being in a long distance relationship. How does it affect them? And 

Speaker 5 (04:50): Long distance is very hard, but also very rewarding. Communication is really all we. We don't have the ability to see each other every day and talk in person and drive to one another's house and spend all day together. We just do not have that luxury. And so communicating is really key because my wants and needs can't be filled by a hug or by cuddling, by being bought dinner or being bought flowers. 

Speaker 2 (05:25): The most important thing for me and I feel most would agree with is trust in a relationship. 

Speaker 6 (05:33): I feel like me personally especially, that's just a non-negotiable for me. If I can't trust you, then you question everything. It doesn't work it unless you can have that honesty and trust another person. 

Speaker 2 (05:49): Trust is what makes the foundation strong, especially when there is distance. In Laura's case, 

Speaker 5 (05:57): Like I said earlier, communication is key. When we're in a situation where we aren't apart and I can't be there with him, it's nice to hear, Hey, I'm doing this and I'm with these people, not in a controlling way, but in a way of reassurance where him letting me know, Hey, I am out with friends, but I'm not going to do anything to put you in an uncomfortable position. 

Speaker 2 (06:22): Why won't you leave me alone? You won't go away. Rory, what do you want? 

Speaker 4 (06:26): I don't know. I just want to see you talk to you. Come with me. What? Come with me. No, no, no, no. Don't say no just to make me stop talking or make me go away. Only say no if you really don't want to be with me. 

Speaker 2 (06:42): No love will end. There is that time and place. When the love ends, it fades or it betrays you and now you're stuck in heartbreak. And recently I broke up with my boyfriend of three years and in the end I got to choose myself and I feel more like me than I have I in a really long time. Yet the process of it all was shattering. It felt like my world was never going to be the same and ending it with somebody that I had and have so much love for heartbreak definitely leaves a mark on you. It doesn't define who you are, but it'll always be a part of you. It's its own grieving process. Just like love heartbreak is such an individual experience, whether you're breaking up with somebody or your partner broke up with you. And then we have to start learning how to live after that. How are we able to cope with these overwhelming overflowing feelings? 

Speaker 7 (07:55): Cry. Try not to limit the amount of pain you are allowing yourself to express. Every emotion that occurs throughout the process of grief is normal. And the more acceptance you can have and full expression of that emotion, the less intense it's going to be. And thus over time there will be a point where there is no longer a need to cry. 

Speaker 2 (08:26): There are many challenges that we're going to face in the midst of a heartbreak for our generation. Social media is probably the worst when it comes to trying to heal through a heartbreak 

Speaker 6 (08:39): Social media in it. Are you kidding me? Then if you see pictures or you hear about this person or this is what their new boyfriend or girlfriend looks like and it is awful. It's awful and I honestly wouldn't wish it on anyone. 

Speaker 2 (09:00): It can feel so brutal to see them and then you're contemplating whether or not you should block them or unfollow them. And it's a disgusting mess that you can never find the right answer for. And there will be a time when you're ready where you feel like putting yourself out there again 

Speaker 6 (09:18): And you find someone else and it never feels like you will. It literally won't. Or you're like, oh, I will, but I'll never get over this person. But you will you once again, the love is deceiving you and it will get better and you will start to notice. And I think that's the main thing too, is that the progress through a breakup is not linear. And I learned that 

Speaker 2 (09:43): Love is evolving every day and we need to be able to regain the strength, our strength and build up that love for ourselves before giving it to someone else. 

Speaker 7 (09:53): I think love is buying a new dress. You have to make sure that it gives you the support in the places that you need. You have to make sure that it fits, you feel good in it. You have a sense of confidence and it's safe. You know that you are going to impress others in this love. And it is love in the sense that you feel like the truest version of yourself. It is a true expression of your creativity, who you are as a person. You're choosing to wear it because you know that it's something that you love and you have to try a bunch of dresses on. 

Speaker 2 (10:39): You are the most important person in this scenario, which I do not think is selfish at all. It's your life, your healing and learning and processing so many things at a time, but it'll make you better for it and it'll make you appreciate love and see it in such a different way than you knew before. And that's what is so powerful about all of this. We get to experience love and heartbreak and I don't think people recognize that that is such a luxury. 

Speaker 1 (11:20): I think it's very important to understand the different perspectives when it comes to love and heartbreak. And Ella wanted to dive even deeper. She had the pleasure of interviewing a friend of hers, Trinity Whitfield who is an F-S-L-P-H-E, and she got a talk with Trinity about what she teaches to hundreds of students about love, relationships and heartbreak. 

Speaker 8 (11:41): My name's Trinity. I am 21. I'm a psychology major. I'm also doing a chemistry minor and I'm currently on a pre-med track. 

Speaker 3 (11:49): Explain what you gave a presentation on in the research you had to do to present it. 

Speaker 8 (11:53): So I currently work at the Center for Campus Wellness. My official job title is a fraternity and sorority life peer health educator. We like to call ourself just FSL PhDs makes everything so much simpler. When I first got the job, I was interviewed about why I wanted to make an impact on Greek Row and its effect and relationship with the University of Utah. And that presentation I think just really nails in my whole goal. So the presentation I gave was called Safe Greeks 1 0 1 and basically we taught them safe drinking habits, safer party culture topics about consent and kind of just everything that goes along with stereotypical Greek life, I would say on many college campuses. But then we also went into a much deeper talk about what they hold as values and how they see those values impacting the University of Utah. 

Speaker 3 (12:57): Can you share your personal definition of love and how it has evolved during your college years here at the U? 

Speaker 8 (13:03): I would say my personal definition of love has definitely changed a lot since the age of 16 versus now. And it's grown a lot more as I've hit college and kind of how I see others interacting with significant others and how I see my family itself interacting with the people that they love and my personal definition of love, whether it's family, whether it's a significant other, whether it's a friend, I would say it's someone that you wouldn't wish harm on ever. And for me it kind of goes along with doing everything in my own capabilities to prevent harm from happening to them. And it's just this deep sense of caring that I have and in me and in my soul. I kind of feel like all of my friends and everything, I think of them as family and that's the love that I have between them. 

Speaker 8 (14:04): And I grew up with a great sense of love in an amazing household and my siblings and my parents both really helped me set a good example for what I want in a relationship and what I should expect from a significant other or what I should expect from friends and what I should give in return. And so I think during my high school years it was kind of still gathering the information and seeing it play out. And in my college years it's kind of been seeing how I can put it into action and accepting what I want and not accepting anything less. 

Speaker 3 (14:41): What role do you think communication plays in maintaining a healthy relationship? 

Speaker 8 (14:46): Communication plays a big role in any sort of relationship that whether it would be healthy or unhealthy, it's all based on communication and I think that also comes down to a sense of trust. You can't really trust someone if you don't communicate well with them. And that all comes down to how you interact with someone, how they interact with you and everything that goes along with it. It all comes down to kind of what you're willing to hear and what you're willing to say. The hard conversations need to happen, whether they're awkward, whether they are uncomfortable, whether someone is angry and you're speaking in a moment of frustration. I'm always a big advocate for never going to or never going to bed mad. I still go to bed mad, but I'm very adamant in not letting it affect my relationships in a negative way just because I've seen firsthand you get in a fight and the next day someone isn't there to apologize to. And so that's always been one of my big things. And communication really helps guide that. You have to be able to use your words and talk from what you want to say and figure out what you want to say in your own head to be able to voice it out loud. And there will be things said that aren't going to be taken as you meant them to. And that's always just a way of learning how the other person communicates. And I think that can be what determines a healthy relationship or not. 

Speaker 3 (16:18): As you showed us in your presentation, it mentions the importance of mutual consent. How do you define consent in a relationship? 

Speaker 8 (16:24): During the presentation, we had a slide that had a definition of consent on it and it read. Consent is an enthusiastic, mutual, voluntary and retractable agreement. And trying to read this in front of a hundred little brand new FSL members each night was definitely, the first time was kind of, I dunno, awkward, which I thought was always very weird. I was talking about the importance of consent and how to not make it awkward, and I was standing up there feeling awkward talking about it. And so I definitely grew comfortable in talking about it more. And I think that's played a big role in how I would define consent. And like it said in the definition that we used, consent is a retractable agreement. At any point in time you can take it away, either person can take it away. And it's always very important to ask what each person is comfortable with in any circumstance, whether it's going out or staying in or if it is in a romantic situation. 

Speaker 8 (17:38): Checking in each step of the way is very, very important. And also making sure that the person is in the right state of mind, whether that is a sober state of mind or an emotionally correct state of mind, those both play a huge role in how consent can be altered. And then also just making the conversation less awkward itself plays a big role into how consent is viewed because it's always viewed as, can I have sex with you, check yes or no. And that part always makes consent seem so scary and intimidating. But in reality, one of the most defining moments of any relationship 

Speaker 3 (18:21): Experiencing heartbreak shaped your views on relationships. 

Speaker 8 (18:24): I would say there are always different types of heartbreak. There's always the first love or the first person that maybe you think you loved. And when I had my first relationship at 16, I thought this guy was amazing. I really liked him. And then all of a sudden it was like we were sitting there watching a movie and I was like, I don't really like this anymore. And so I was the one to cut it off and I didn't really experience anything with that. It was always kind of a sense of weirdness to not be talking to someone. And then I went through a long-term relationship where I dated someone for two years and I think I knew it was over at the nine month mark maybe. And so I continued to date him for over a year after that point. And it was just like I thought things would get better when I went to college. 

Speaker 8 (19:19): I was moving closer to him. That's not why I chose the college I chose. I love the U. I chose the U for my personal reasons, that was just an added perk. But I definitely think after that relationship ended, it made me think more inwards about what I wanted from a relationship and how I wanted to be treated and kind of what I wanted to experience from life and have a partner by my side four. And so I think experiencing heartbreak really shapes your view on every aspect of it. It really shapes kind of what you want, what you don't want. And I went through a period where I was single for nine months, maybe 10 months after. And during that time I still prioritized friends, family, I went on dates, I went on probably a hundred first dates and I never went on a second date just because I was trying to meet more people. And during that time it also really shaped kind of what I was looking for. I saw traits in people that I didn't like. I saw traits in people that I really did and that kind of shaped what I want. And I think from that I really learned how to value myself more. And because I know what I want, I'm able to go into a relationship more knowing or more knowledgeable 

Speaker 3 (20:45): Strategies. Do you think effective for coping with a heartbreak? 

Speaker 8 (20:49): For me, it was kind of weird, just I think I'd known for a long time that this relationship was over before it ended. And especially towards the end, I was really trying to fight for it to keep going. And at one point I realized it just wasn't going to, and it was a mutual decision at that time. It wasn't working out, but I laid in bed the next day all day, rotting, crying all day, and we were still talking at that time. And so I was just like, every time I would get a text message, it would just remind me of it and I would just start crying again. And then I had to get up and get ready for class. And as I was getting ready for class, the fire alarm went out or went off. So I ended up going to class looking like a hot mess. 

Speaker 8 (21:38): I think one of the best strategies that are effective for coping with Heartbreak is if you can, I think zero contact is a great way, especially for the first little bit while you're trying to adjust just because it's basically getting a text message or trying to talk to them is just ripping that scar open again. And I know for a lot of people, if you have kids, that isn't the option. But I went zero contact and then from there I was really able to focus on myself and I prioritized the stuff that was most important to me. So I spent a lot of time doing schoolwork. I spent a lot of time hanging out with friends. And then I also spent a lot of time picking up hobbies that I hadn't had time to do in a while. So I spent a lot of time reading and coloring. 

Speaker 8 (22:34): It was mostly just trying to find the stuff that I enjoy doing and I really put myself out there and was adamant on doing stuff on my own for a little bit. If I wanted to go see a movie and none of my friends could go, I would go see the movie by myself just because I think that really helps you grow as a person and it really unlocks the sense of independence within you and it kind of also just makes everything seem less intense. If you're able to do this on your own, then you really don't need someone else to go and do this with you. And that kind of makes the heartbreak a little bit easier to cope with. 

Speaker 3 (23:13): In your opinion, can Heartbreak teach valuable lessons about love? And if so, what are some of those lessons? 

Speaker 8 (23:19): Yeah, I mean, as I already talked about, I think heartbreak, it teaches you how to look within yourself and prioritize what you want to do. And one thing that I learned as I entered a new relationship was to not stop prioritizing the stuff that I wanted to do. If they wanted to do it with me, great. If they didn't, that's also fine. It is a little bit of give and take. You do have to sacrifice some stuff. Sometimes events line up over the top of each other. You're not able to go to both things at once. In those senses or in those cases. I think it's really important to kind of decide what the most important one is to you, whether it's going to an event that your partner was already planning on going to or if it's going to an event that you were already planning on going to. 

Speaker 8 (24:14): And I think just realizing how everything was handled in a previous relationship gives you kind of an insight and it's a little light bulb moment or all of a sudden everything is just so clear and the fog is gone, and you can really look back and see what decisions were made, how things were handled, what went right, what went wrong. And that kind of just allows you to pick and choose. I don't want to seem like, I don't really know how to say it, but you're not picking and choosing certain aspects in a person. If you end up loving someone, you end up loving someone, not only because of all of the things they do for you, love them because they also have these flaws. You love them in spite of their flaws. And so I think some of the biggest lessons that Heartbreak can teach you is kind of just to prioritize yourself as well as learning how to jump into a new relationship. Everything's always kind of scary, but it teaches you different aspects of how you want to be treated, how to treat another person, and then also just really kind of figuring out what works best communication wise, and how everything is going to play out in the end. No one really knows, but I think if you open yourself up and give yourself fully to a new relationship or to any type of love, then you're really going to learn and grow as a person, whether it ends in heartbreak or not. 

Speaker 1 (25:54): Thank you, Trinity, for taking the time to talk to us. That was so awesome to hear from you. 

Speaker 4 (25:58): And thank you guys for listening to our first episode. Check out the next episode next week on our social media for mental health and we'll see you guys next week. Bye. Okay, cute. Okay.

Speaker 1 (00:02): Welcome back to College Life unscripted. I'm Quin, your co-host. In today's episode, we're going to be touching on the topic of mental health. I think that mental health is so important to discuss, especially as we enter this unscripted phase of our lives. Now we're going to hear from our co-host Ella as she talks about others' experiences with their mental health. 

Speaker 2 (00:27): My name is Valerie Burkhart. I'm a junior and I am majoring in psychology. 

Speaker 3 (00:32): My name's Caden Carpenter. I'm a junior baseball player at the University of Utah. 

Speaker 4 (00:36): My name is Naomi Harmon. I go to the University of Utah and I'm a psych major. 

Speaker 2 (00:42): I feel like among my peers, mental health is very positive, at least with my friends. With my close friends, I try to only keep people that are positive for me and be like I surround myself mostly with people like that. 

Speaker 3 (00:57): So coming into college, I had previously dealt with a little bit of depression, anxiety from my senior year of high school. Coming into college, it was a very positive environment. I also had resources provided by the baseball team to meet with a mental health specialist. Started my freshman year. I meet with them once a week, and it's been one of the best things for me. It's a way for me to talk about it and just work through different problems that I deal with, and it's just been a really positive experience for me 

Speaker 4 (01:24): This year. I have definitely learned a lot and faced a lot of challenges mentally and just learned how to overcome it and just kind of take natural ways to reduce it. We 

Speaker 5 (01:33): Then asked these students to explain any challenges they may have had with their mental Health.

Speaker 4 (01:37): So I had to take a gap year because of residency, so I kind of cheated the system and waited a year, got residency, and then started school challenge living by myself for a little bit right off the bat, but I think it was really worth it. 

Speaker 3 (01:50): So learning how to balance all the different aspects of my life with baseball, social, faith, friends, all of the academics have been a pretty long journey for me. My freshman and sophomore year of college, I was very baseball oriented and was all about how to improve my baseball ability, but I've learned that I've had to create different aspects of my life, like my social life and my faith that allows me to have balance within my baseball life. And so part of that has been leaning on people that I surround myself with, so teammates, friends, family, the mental coach that I work with. And in doing so, I've been able to find a lot of peace and change. A couple things that have helped lead me to a happier and stress-free lifestyle 

Speaker 2 (02:35): With my family. I felt I honestly am still not that open with them about my mental health. It's a very hard conversation to have, but I feel like my friends definitely help a lot with any sort of stigma I'm feeling at home with my family rather than here where I'm surrounded by them. Longer away, they're my family, I don't know. But 

Speaker 5 (03:00): Lastly, we ask these students if they had any advice they'd like to give to other college students about mental health. 

Speaker 3 (03:05): I think the number one thing that I try and project and bread as far as making mental health more of an aware, not awareness, but just bringing awareness to that topic as a student athlete is just talking about it more and normalizing it and understand, especially being a male, I think providing the message that it's okay to show emotion and talk about it. Just have honest and vulnerable conversations with your friends and family and mentors and think doing so in the clubhouse and on the weekends and just in obviously the right setting has allowed our team to create a closer bond and create a strong culture of just brotherhood and family, something that's really helped us and just being very vulnerable with each other. 

Speaker 4 (03:51): I think the most important thing is just making time for yourself and focusing on yourself in times like that, but then also branching out and really getting yourself out there and meeting new people. I found that that's the biggest thing for me, is just creating my own life here rather than relying on others. 

Speaker 2 (04:06): My advice to future or current students is to confide in your friends, and it's also very valid, but to feel scared to confide in your closest friends, but if they're really close to you, then they're going to be there for you. So yeah, 

Speaker 1 (04:32): I know that I was able to relate to some of these mental health stories, and I hope you guys were able to take something from it as well. Now we're going to be hearing from our co-host, Dorie and Asia Washington mental health therapist. 

Speaker 6 (04:46): Hello everyone. I'm here today with Asia Washington. Can you please introduce yourself to our listeners, please? 

Speaker 7 (04:54): My name is Asia Washington. I am a mental health therapist at the Center for Health and Counseling at Salt Lake Community College. I'm an LCSW, licensed Clinical Social Worker. 

Speaker 6 (05:06): Okay, so one of the first questions I want to ask you today is what are some coping strategies that you would recommend students for managing academic pressures? 

Speaker 7 (05:19): I think it's managing your time, managing your course load, and other responsibilities you may have. So I'm really thinking about how many classes you want to take. Also, if you're working a job or you have other responsibilities at home with family that you need to take care of. Balancing all of that. Simple things like getting enough rest, eating nutritious meals, even exercise, making sure your basic needs are taken care of can make a big difference. 

Speaker 6 (05:52): And with that, what are some of resources or student services that are for students struggling with mental health? 

Speaker 7 (06:00): Obviously we have the Center for Health and Counseling, so we have mental health therapists here. We have health promotion, goes out and does workshops, presentations. We have our medical team and provides a whole host of services for lots of different medical positions, including medication for mental health. We also have massage therapists that are a part of our center, so we have a lot of stuff here. It could be here at the Center for Health and Counseling where you get mental health care, but it could be a referral for some people. If you need psychological testing, that's something we can talk about for people with A DHD, autism Learning Disabilities, getting connected to accessibility and disability services is always a good idea. If you need accommodations in class, all that stuff can help you through college so that you're not struggling and you're not stressed out. 

Speaker 6 (06:58): What are some ways to take care of your mental health as a student? 

Speaker 7 (07:02): So I mean, everyone has mental health. It's kind of whether we're doing well with our mental health or we're doing badly with our mental health. It does depend on the person. Kind of depends on what you're struggling with. I think, again, getting help if you need it, having some awareness about what you need or what's going on with you is the first step. And definitely having support. It's not just having a therapist that's having friends, having community people you trust, people you can talk to and rely on. 

Speaker 6 (07:37): And finally, any tips you would recommend students on how they could communicate with their mental health, with their professors or peers? 

Speaker 7 (07:47): So I mean, I think you have to decide how much you want to tell people. I mean, you don't have to tell them everything, but if you know you're missing class or you're missing assignments, having a good relationship and good rapport with professors helps getting extensions or asking to turn in assignments later. Just I could be going in for open office hours and getting maybe tutoring, some advice. Things like that can help. I think with your peers, it might be a little easier to talk about mental health just because they might be going through something similar to what you're going through. Again, you have to be careful about how much you tell people. We don't want to traumatize other people with our stories, but I think it is good to feel validated and feel like you have community and that you're not alone. And you'd be surprised how many people feel the same way. 

Speaker 1 (08:50): Thank you, Asia, for your professional advice when it comes to mental health and making awareness. 

Speaker 5 (08:55): If you or a friend is struggling with any mental health at the University of Utah, the phone number you can reach out for the crisis line is 5 8 1 6 8 2 6. And if you are not a part of the University of Utah, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a free line to use nationwide. All you have to do is call or text nine, eight eight with any mental health issues you may be having. 

Speaker 2 (09:16): Make sure to check out our socials and our next podcast episode about friendship and social life on a college campus. 

Speaker 1 (09:23): All right, everyone. That's all that we have for this week's episode on mental health. Thanks so much from your co-hosts, Quin Parley, Scott Ella. Ha.

Speaker 1 (00:04): Hello everyone. Welcome back to College Life unscripted. I am your co-host Ella. In today's episode, we will be talking about friendship and social life. As we know, life is unscripted and so is navigating friendships and social life. While in college, let's go to our co-host Parley to hear more about different people's stories with friendship and social life. 

Speaker 2 (00:31): Friendships are such a special thing. I know that my best relationships in my life now are my friendships. Whether I met them eight years ago or just a few months ago, you know, found your people when you find that connection. 

Speaker 3 (00:45): My name's Kate Duffin. I'm 25 years old. I think I'm in my sixth year of school technically. I'm a graphic design major and I'm at slick South campus. Something that's always been really important to me is just commonalities, and it doesn't necessarily mean in some of the more obvious ways, common hobbies are fun, but I also like people that share similar morals and interests and standards of life. But at the same time, I am drawn to all walks of life, so I've never really necessarily turned away people that are different than me. I like staying on my toes, but I think as far as people that are closest to me, I like some kind of basis of common ground for sure, but I do think it's really important to keep people of very different backgrounds and things like that in your life. 

Speaker 4 (01:42): Yeah. Madison Chesky, I'm a psychology major and I'm a senior at the U consideration. People who are down for quality time, people who are freaky, fun and goofy, and friends who have similar interests than me and friends who don't. I'm excited to experience new things with the friends. 

Speaker 2 (02:02): It can be hard to make friends in a new place. College is already a confusing and foreign place and there is this stress to find the right group and get involved while also still doing well in school. 

Speaker 3 (02:16): Well, I mean, I don't really have a ton of people at my school that I'm friends with, but those people are just people in my degree, and so we just will work on projects together and message each other online. And I've met a couple of people that I've become closer to through the program, and that's just mostly out of, we're all going to be in the same career path, so I think it's important to maintain those, but as far as keeping my friendships going outside of my college life and how to maintain that balance, just getting your priorities straight, making sure your shit's done so you can we swear on this? Yeah. Okay, cool. Just making sure your shit's done so you can actually spend time the people you love and you care about and just getting your priorities straight. In general, I value friendships so much. It's probably one of the most important things to me in this life, so I just make sure to make time for people that I care about 

Speaker 4 (03:15): That by making sure I'm intentional about creating time for my friends and not just allowing school to be the main point of my life, but being conscious about making sure that I show care and check in with all my friends too. I try to designate maybe a day or two a week where I tell myself I can do something social as a little reward for doing my homework, or it's cool to make study sessions a social hang too, go to a coffee shop with my friends and do homework. I like that too. 

Speaker 2 (03:43): Getting involved on campus and having that social life can be tricky. It's intimidating to put yourself out there and join groups and meet new people. It sometimes just feels too hard to really involve yourself. 

Speaker 3 (03:57): Yeah, I think that particularly the community college is like south campus. I don't think it's very well ran, honestly. I spent some time up at Utah State University and so the comparison between a community college, let alone their secondary location versus a state run college has been really interesting. There's high schoolers on campus with me, and so I feel like I don't even want to be there half the time. I feel very odd being on campus and I don't think that they really do activities. I mean, sometimes there's free food. 

Speaker 4 (04:39): I've only been at the U for a little while and honestly I didn't put a bunch of effort into getting involved, but I think it's kind of hard at this point and in my school experience to get involved with clubs and groups because almost done with school, so it's difficult. As a senior, 

Speaker 2 (04:55): I often wonder what advice I would give to freshmen, me about my friendships and social life while in college and sometimes I honestly wish I could do it, and I know I'm not alone in this feeling. 

Speaker 3 (05:10): I would tell my younger self to have higher standards. I put up with so many assholes, especially men. I think I just wanted male friendships for the first time in my life. High school was a weird time where I didn't really have any and close ones, and so I think I just put up with people who wanted to party and who didn't care about me as a person and spent a lot of days crying, developed a lot of really shitty habits, but also at the same time have higher standards, but also let loose and have fun with it. At the same time. 

Speaker 3 (05:55): I think I was really just stressed and nervous about meeting people, but something that I have always appreciated about college is that people just want to make friends. You could start conversations with strangers and they are almost always really nice about it on campuses specifically, just because it's probably one of the only times in our lives that we're all there coming from different places, starting fresh and wanting to make connection, and you don't really get experiences like that in life outside of college. So just making the most of it and just really going for it. 

Speaker 4 (06:30): I would say be open to meeting whoever you can whenever you can. Be open to new experiences with new people, and don't be afraid to put yourself out there. 

Speaker 2 (06:43): Sierra Stratton and I have been friends for almost nine years. Our friendship is such a special thing and there's no one that I feel most connected to in this world. We've gone through a lot together in our life, and I'm actually excited for us to go through more and if anyone needed advice about college life and maintaining good friendships, I would definitely go to her. 

Speaker 4 (07:05): What would we tell little freshmen coming into the U? 

Speaker 5 (07:11): I don't know. Probably. I think the biggest thing with starting school, especially college, it's scary. 

Speaker 2 (07:20): Yeah, you're leaving home for the first time. Most people are, 

Speaker 5 (07:24): I wish, looking back at my college experience, I would've just like fake it till you make it. Figure out a way to grow confidence within yourself and confidence in who you are and what you're capable of, and everything falls into place for you, and I think when you have confidence about your skills up until this point in your life and what you're capable of learning, still going to school, I think you just walk through college with a different mindset. It's a little easier and keep be open-minded to what could come to you in school and the experiences you have yet to have. You just learn so much about yourself in college 

Speaker 2 (08:14): And it changes constantly 

Speaker 5 (08:16): And it's constantly changing and you don't ever know what to expect, but just take everything with an open mind. Another thing that I wish I would've told myself is enjoy being in school. Enjoy it because eventually, even if you have to change your major and you have to do extra years in school, which most people do, that's very common. It eventually ends and you don't have these resources to your education anymore, and then you have to get into the real world. So also the real world and careers are not going anywhere. 

Speaker 2 (08:49): No, they'll be there. 

Speaker 5 (08:50): They're going to be there when you graduate, so if you need to spend more time in school for you, love to do, do it, or something you're passionate about, just do it. Once you leave, it's hard to go back. It was hard to go back. For us, it really was. We were out for three years and then we had to relearn how to be students and relearn the groove of school and what we wanted to do, and just learn who you are, explore who you are, and then when you graduate, it's time to be 

Speaker 2 (09:16): Real. If we weren't happy, we would change 

Speaker 5 (09:19): Things, but the one thing that is going to be constant is our friendship. True. So that's nice. You're kind of stuck with me. I fear there's no, oh, no, no. Please. No, please. No. Please don't be my roommate forever. Eight years. That was way too long. I know. Eight years. Light work. Light work. I blinked and it's been eight years, 80 more to go at least. At least 80, and then 90. And the Infinity. Infinity. 

Speaker 1 (09:47): Thank you Parley and friends for the insight on how friendships and social life is for you. Now we're going to hear from our co-host Quinn and her friend Sid. 

Speaker 6 (09:59): Hi. Welcome to College Life unscripted, and if you wouldn't mind introducing yourself. 

Speaker 7 (10:06): I'm Sid. I'm 21. I go to the University of Utah and I'm studying civil engineering. 

Speaker 6 (10:13): So Sid, today I want to talk a little bit about friendships and social life, and I guess the first question that I would ask you is what true friendship means to you and how has your understanding of it changed over time? 

Speaker 7 (10:29): I think that true friendship is surrounding yourself with people that make you feel good about yourself and allow you to be a version of yourself that you're really proud of, but also an authentic version of yourself. It's definitely changed a lot over time. I think that when I was younger, I really liked the appearance of friendships and I liked accumulating friends, and I didn't put enough effort into forming true bonds, I suppose. And as I've gotten older, that just sounds ridiculous to me. What is the point? 

Speaker 6 (11:21): How do your closest friendships influence your sense of identity or self-worth? 

Speaker 7 (11:28): That is a great question. Years ago I heard, I don't know if it's a quote or what it is, but I just heard that you are an accumulation of the seven people that you spend the most time with, and I just feel so excited that those seven people in my life are some of the greatest people I know, and it would be an honor to be a little bit more like each of them on a different hand though I do feel like I struggle with individuality in that sense. I think there's a lot of group think going on, so sometimes I do think that I am like, oh, who would I be if it weren't for these folks? 

Speaker 6 (12:14): Can you describe a moment when a friend significantly impacted your life, and this could be negative or positive. 

Speaker 7 (12:22): Okay. There's one scenario I think that comes to mind. I got out of a long-term relationship earlier this year and the way that so many of my female friends just rallied around me, even though I think that I had kind of put our friendships on the back burner. Yeah, I mean, just being able to crash on friends' couches and process all the emotions around that and be able to do that in a safe space and feel heard and supported, but also to be met with honesty. I think that I had a lot of good examples of how to support a friend in that situation.

Speaker 6 (13:06): Do you think the party phase is necessary in college? 

Speaker 7 (13:16): For some people, yes. For some people, no. I think that balance is one of my highest priorities in life in general, but oftentimes I think it takes swinging fully to one side or the other to be able to actually meet in the middle and find that balance. And that's not even with substance use either. I think that there's so much to be said about finding what your social battery is or finding what kinds of people make you feel good and what kind of people don't make you feel good, and how you really actually want to spend your time.  

Speaker 6 (14:00): How do you navigate different social circles? 

Speaker 7 (14:04): That is a good question. How do I navigate different social circles? 

Speaker 6 (14:08): Do you feel that you're your most authentic self with everybody, or do you feel that it's natural to morph into a different social setting or because you're around this person and you put a mask on, essentially, but just to feel included? 

Speaker 7 (14:28): Yeah, I am definitely guilty of that. I think that my primary group, I'm fully myself with them, but there is, especially with new groups of people, it is so natural to just want to be included and accepted, and I don't think it's necessarily putting on a, but I think it's more of extracting a certain flavor of yourself to feel included, and I don't think that that's ingenuine necessarily, but it's not sustainable. 

Speaker 6 (15:08): Have you ever felt left out or out of place at a party? 

Speaker 7 (15:12):Yes. 

Speaker 6 (15:13): How did you handle that? I think I left. 

Speaker 8 (15:28): What else do you do? Oh, no, I was uncomfortable, so I left. 

Speaker 7 (15:39): If I don't just leave, I feel like I always have one or two safe people, even if I am feeling a little bit left out, and so I'll attach myself to their hip and just insert myself into whatever they're doing. 

Speaker 6 (15:59): How do you navigate friendships that no longer feel reciprocal or balanced? 

Speaker 7 (16:07): I think that when I don't feel like I am being met with support and intention, I think that I'm the kind of person that I'm like, okay, we're done. It is not worth the effort for me. And so oftentimes if I don't feel like I am being prioritized, it's quite easy for me to just stop prioritizing that person as well. 

Speaker 6 (16:38): Have you ever felt betrayed by a friend? 

Speaker 7 (16:43): Yes. 

Speaker 6 (16:45): How did your experience affect your ability to trust them and to then trust other friendships? 

Speaker 7 (16:55): In my scenario, I think it was almost reaffirming sentiments that I already had towards this person, so it was almost validating in an odd backwards way, but I don't think that because I could recognize that this person was not someone that I was stoked to have in my circle to begin with, it hasn't really affected the way that I trust and interact with the people that are in my circle currently. I don't think it's had longstanding effects on new relationships. 

Speaker 6 (17:40): When it comes to friendships, what role does forgiveness play? Are there things that you find hard to forgive in a friend? 

Speaker 7 (17:56): That is a good question. I am just so blessed with the most wonderful friends around me that I don't feel like I have been faced with a situation where I've really had to grapple with forgiving someone. That being said, I think forgiveness is integral. I mean, I think that when you have folks around you that love you and support you and vice versa, we're all human and we all make mistakes, and I think forgiveness is so key, and especially the communication aspect of it, of being able to talk openly and honestly with each other about being hurt, accepting that someone did something wrong, accepting that actions have consequences. I don't know. I think forgiveness is key, but also I think that our gut leads us in the right direction. And sometimes you're not obliged to forgive people. 

Speaker 6 (19:09): To end off this interview, what do you think people should do in order to become a good friend?

Speaker 7 (19:18): I think speaking up. I think when you have someone that you care about so deeply, tell them, and if there's something that you admire about your friends, tell them. And if there's something that you want to do with your friends, tell them. I think that having that open communication, it feels really good to receive, but it also feels really good to give it out and know that you're not keeping anything to yourself and you're presenting with the most authentic version of what you're feeling, and the people that are right for you will receive that and reciprocate it, and then you just get a whole big bundle of joy. 

Speaker 6 (20:05): Well, thank you, Sid, for letting me interview you and talking about friendships and social life. I appreciate you coming on. 

Speaker 7 (20:12): Yeah, thank you for having me. 

Speaker 1 (20:15): Thank you, Sid, for your insight on what friendships should look and feel like. 

Speaker 7 (20:21): Thanks everyone for tuning into this week's episode. Make sure to check our social media for next week's episode on the Reality Check of College Life. 

Speaker 8 (20:29): Bye bye.

Speaker 1 (00:00): Hello everyone and welcome back to College Life unscripted. I'm your co-host Ella. In this episode, we're talking about reality checks, the reality that came in and knocked you off your feet about college. We all had that picture perfect idea of what college was going to look like, whether it was that amazing roommate, the class schedule that aligned perfectly, or even the idea of that one party that could change your life. But as we all know, life is not perfect. So in this episode, we wanted to talk about the events that checked us into the real world of college. Now let's hear from our co-host Ella and her friends about the reality checks in their unscripted lives. 

Speaker 2 (00:38): Hello, my name is Mia Rosas and I am a second year here at the University of Utah. 

Speaker 3 (00:46): Hello, my name is Daisy and I'm a sophomore here at the U. 

Speaker 4 (00:50): My name's Jordan Ton. I'm a senior and I'm a transfer student. So I've been at the U for two years now. 

Speaker 5 (00:59): I find it quite unique how the reality checks of everybody's college life can be so similar and different at the same time. Reality checks about college life can be good or bad, but it all depends on the individual's unique experience. Regardless, we are all here for a reason. 

Speaker 2 (01:19): Something that made me come to the U was that I originally am from a small town in Wyoming and there is only one four year college in Wyoming, the University of Wyoming, and I just really did not want to go to that. I wanted to branch out and go somewhere that nobody has before in my family. And I also love the city. I love Salt Lake City, and I think it's a great place to be. 

Speaker 4 (01:47): So the school I went to previously was more of a small town kind of vibe, and I was just wanting more of a city experience and wanted to go to a bigger school, but still be in Utah and close to home. And I just found that the University of Utah had that here. For me, 

Speaker 3 (02:08): Something that made me want to come to the University of Utah was how diverse it was and how many options there were for me to learn and grow. I really want to be a nurse, and I heard that the University of Utah had one of the best nursing schools, at least in Utah, but probably in the west. And I know that it has some of the best resources around. 

Speaker 5 (02:27): Everybody has a different reason to come to the University of Utah. My reason being is wanting to be closer to home, but sometimes we have a reality check of things we might not have expected from the University of Utah. 

Speaker 2 (02:41): One thing I didn't expect about the U was how diverse this student population would be In my first year, and even this year, I have met a lot of people who are from all around the world and even a lot of people who come from all around the United States as well. And I definitely was surprised coming to the university and meeting such a wide array of people and different cultures. And I think that is really great about the university as well. 

Speaker 4 (03:17): One thing I didn't expect is how many activities and things that are constantly going on. I thought because it was a bigger school and had a bigger population, that there would be less events because there's so many students, it would cost more money for the school, but there's actually a lot. It's either the same amount or even more than the previous school I went to. So that was really surprising. 

Speaker 3 (03:43): One thing that I didn't expect about the U was being able to know so many people in such a big school. This has helped me get out of my shell and has helped me so much in regard to networking. 

Speaker 5 (03:56): Even though it's a good thing or a bad thing that you didn't expect from the University of Utah, there is always a reason why you stay. My favorite reason being is getting involved and the different opportunities to network and meeting new people. What's your favorite thing about the University of Utah? 

Speaker 2 (04:14): My favorite thing about the U is definitely all the opportunities that it has to offer. I love being in a sorority. I love being in Greek life. I love joining different clubs around the community, and I just think especially Salt Lake City in general is just a really great place. There's lots of opportunities here, especially for me being an artist. It's a very welcoming art community and I really enjoy that about it as well. 

Speaker 4 (04:47): My favorite thing about the U is either all of the resources that are available here or just the environment and the friends that I've made. My last school had two sororities, but this school had some more, so I ended up joining a sorority here, and that has been a really big plus to my college experience. I think it really upped the game. 

Speaker 3 (05:16): My favorite thing about the University of Utah is how open it is to change an improvement. Going back to what I said about diversity, I think that the U does a great job implementing diversity and using everybody's strengths to make a better school. 

Speaker 5 (05:32): With that, the reality checks of college life is a mix of excitement, independence, and challenges. It's a time to explore your interests and making new friendships as well as developing critical life skills. 

Speaker 1 (05:51): Thank you Della and friends for bringing the realities of college to life. Next up, we have our co-host Parley speaking to a fellow Ute who has had plenty of experience not only with her reality, but helping others as well with theirs. 

Speaker 6 (06:05): The reality of college can hit all of us when we first start. For some of us, it's the first time we're leaving home and we have to start being independent in taking care of ourselves. It can be tricky to navigate, but I do think eventually we do figure it out. But just in case you haven't figured it out yet or you're having a harder time adjusting to college life, I thought we could talk to a fellow U student about her time at the U so far. So this is Lucy Christensen who is a student advocate for the Wellness Center. 

Speaker 7 (06:35): What has been the best part of College for you? 

Speaker 7 (06:37): The best part of college is honestly the people. I love getting to know people and you meet everyone from all over the country and you meet some people you would never expect to be friends with, and then they became your best friends. And it's so random one. My friends yesterday was like, how did we even become friends? How did we meet? But it's the smallest chance. And then you become friends. 

Speaker 6 (06:58): Yeah. You just get close. Yeah, really close. Trauma bond. 

Speaker 7 (07:01): Yeah. 

Speaker 6 (07:02): What do you think has been the hardest part of college for you so far? 

Speaker 7 (07:05): The hardest part was probably just being away from my family. I'm sure it was that way for you too. Yeah. It's just weird to adapt and then you're kind of on your own completely. I was excited thrown into it.

Speaker 6 (07:18):

Yeah, exactly. No one really tells you the downsides. It's only the upsides. Yeah. How Fun it can be and wait, there's actually some sad parts too. 

Speaker 7 (07:21): Yeah. 

Speaker 6 (07:23): What do you think has been the most surprising thing for you since coming to the U? 

Speaker 7 (07:27): I love how supportive the campus is. I didn't really understand how that would work, but I love my coworkers, my bosses. I love the people that are around me and especially the professors. What about you? 

Speaker 6 (07:39): Definitely, probably how nice everyone is really. I feel like at first you're kind of like, oh, nervous about introducing yourself or getting to know people, but then you then figure out that everyone's genuinely very nice, especially when you're first meeting someone. So I feel like everyone's in the same boat. It's kind of funny. What has been or who has been the most helpful to you in college? 

Speaker 7 (08:05): Probably my boss. Her name is Beth. She works at the Financial Wellness center and she's a mentor for me. She's so nice. We became friends pretty fast, and I was applying to grad school a little while ago, and she's been along the whole ride with me and she's just an inspiration, I guess. 

Speaker 6 (08:21): So what do you do at your job? 

Speaker 7 (08:23): I run their social media, so on Instagram. Oh, cool. And then I also am trying to get certified as a financial educator, so pretty much everything they don't do is what I cover. 

Speaker 6 (08:33):

You help out on that stuff. That's so fun. Do you work? 

Speaker 6 (08:34): Yeah. I work at a restaurant, kind of like a bar restaurant. They're the ninth and ninth, if you know where that is.

Speaker 7 (08:42): Yeah, I've heard of that one. 

Speaker 6 (08:43): Yeah, it's really fun. That's cool. So cool. I guess it's easy to make friends on campus, but I feel like the friends I've made are from work. Oh, really? Just kind of A lot of them don't go to school or some are students and you just see each other so often. And I know when I first got to the UI was like, it feels like everyone already has their friends and stuff, which isn't necessarily true, but it feels like that. It looks like that. It makes me a little more nervous to be like, they already have their friends, they don't want to make new ones, but it's really not true like that. Yeah, no, not at all. So how did you make friends in college when you first got here? Did you know anyone? 

Speaker 7 (09:27): No. I'm the only from my high school and I'm from Idaho, so it's not even that far away, but it was really hard at the beginning. I didn't expect it to be that difficult, but I became best friends with my roommates, and there's two of them, and we are still friends today. It's just no one talks about how hard it is or how different it is. High school, you're going to school every day with the same people, but here you're constantly meeting new people, so people from orientation are no longer relevant in your life. Totally. It's just weird how people come in and out.

Speaker 6 (09:54): I thought the same thing, especially I would get really close with a friend in one of my classes and then seriously never see them again. It felt like. Exactly. I'm like, oh, we're all just on our own paths, doing our own things, meeting new people, it's really fast. 

Speaker 7 (10:09): You kind of have to pick who you really want there and then stick with them. 

Speaker 6 (10:12): You have to really bond or really get to know people. And it can be hard during class to do that.

Speaker 7 (10:17): Most of my friends are not from classes whatsoever. I didn't expect that. I thought most of my friends would come from classes, but for sure that's 

Speaker 6 (10:25): What my first thought was, would be like, oh yeah, I'll just meet him in class and we'll just all hang out outside of class. 

Speaker 7 (10:32): No, the second it's time to go, everyone runs. They're like, I have to go actually.

Speaker 6 (10:35): Yeah, Exactly. So you got close with your roommates though. Did you live on campus? 

Speaker 7 (10:39): Yeah, I lived at Sage Point. Do you know where that is? I don't. Oh, it's on upper campus. It's why the fort? So not too far though. Oh, that's good. The honors floor. So it was a ghost town. No one existed. Really. We lived by 10 boys and not a single one we ever saw. Really? That's so funny. 

Speaker 6 (10:54): It was sad, but yeah, you're like, okay, no one lives here. 

Speaker 7 (10:57): Yeah. Did you live on campus? 

Speaker 6 (10:58): I didn't. I was a transfer student, so I transferred my junior year. And so I've lived off campus my whole time here, which is nice. But I feel like I didn't really get the college experience and everything. Definitely from seeing things going on campus or just being here when everything's going on, I felt like I was kind of a person that would go to class and then be like, Hey, I'm done. I guess I know 

Speaker 7 (11:25): Just you can hang out with them. What are you going to do? 

Speaker 6 (11:27): Study? 

Speaker 7 (11:27): So I agree. Yeah. 

Speaker 6 (11:30): That's funny though. A ghost town. Wow. Was it just that you just never saw them? They just weren't ever home. 

Speaker 7 (11:36): The honors kids just don't leave their rooms, 

Speaker 6 (11:38): Really. They're just studying 

Speaker 7 (11:39): At least the guys. So I don't know. 

Speaker 6 (11:41): That's so funny. Reckon I'm surprised. Have you found a good way to get involved and be social on campus? Are you not really worried about that? 

Speaker 7 (11:53): Yeah, I am actually very involved. Apparently at the u, I don't know if other schools are like this, but there's lots of programs you can get scholarships for. Oh, cool. And since my parents aren't paying for college, I was like, I need the money. 

Speaker 7 (12:03): So have you heard of them? Oh, they have a student leadership program. They give money away too. And then the career success, they have a scholarship program. So I'm really in a lot of scholarship programs and then I make friends there too.

Speaker 6 (12:19): That's cool.

Speaker 7 (12:26): Yeah, I'm very Involved.

Speaker 6: Is that kind of why you did doing student advocate stuff too? There scholarships through there? 

Speaker 7 (12:26):No, it's just a job I get paid. 

Speaker 6 (12:28): Okay. 

Speaker 7 (12:28): Bi monthly. But it's definitely, I have had opportunities where I get certifications or different things, or that is where I find out about scholarships. 

Speaker 6 (12:37): Oh, that's nice.

Speaker 7 (12:37): So it's kind of fun. I have a connection on campus. You don't really know the value of following every U account until I have their account, so I follow everything. You just scroll through and you're like, oh, there's a scholarship, there's this. Yeah, 

Speaker 6 (12:49): We didn't think about that at all. It it's so helpful. Yeah, that would be cool. Especially I always feel like when I have thought about scholarships, it feels like it's too late to, but they probably post deadlines and everything like that.

Speaker 7 (13:02): Everything's on Instagram. It's so nice. 

Speaker 6 (13:04): So you do have a job, obviously. How do you balance that with school? What's it Some advice on how to work but still stay on top of your schoolwork? 

Speaker 7 (13:14): So I definitely recommend an on-campus job just because they're way more flexible with you. And I can do homework while I'm working. 

Speaker 6 (13:20): Yeah, that's nice.

Speaker 7 (13:21): Which is Nice, but if that's not an option, I would say find a job you love because then you're going to make it a priority instead of skipping work because you don't want to go. And I love my job. Absolutely love it. I don't dread going to work. 

Speaker 6 (13:32): That's good. That's lucky. 

Speaker 7 (13:34): Yeah, no, it does exist. I didn't think it did. 

Speaker 6 (13:36): And I used to dread going to work. I used to work at a gym and it was just awful. 

Speaker 7 (13:39): Yeah, it feels like a waste of your time. 

Speaker 6 (13:41): Exactly. All there is for the money. And now I'm like, no, I actually have a purpose of why there. So honestly, just find a job you love. They do exist. They're just hard to come by. They just to come by seriously. 

Speaker 6 (13:52): Well, we kind of talked about scholarships and what's some places that to find them for incoming freshmen.

Speaker 7 (14:00): So almost every major of some form or the college has a scholars program. So I'm a humanities scholars and they've given me quite a lot of money. So if you're, I know business scholars, have you heard of them before? 

Speaker 6 (14:12): Yeah. 

Speaker 7 (14:13): Yeah. So depending on what college you're a part of, I would definitely look and see if they have a scholars program and then they have, or first gen scholars, they have lots of money and then they also have people you can meet. 

Speaker 6 (14:23): Oh, cool. So if you're interested in something, there's probably a leadership opportunity and then that helps your resume, but also gives you money. 

Speaker 7 (14:30): Yeah, that's true. It helps the resume. 

Speaker 7 (14:31): Lasan has a lot of money and then to give to students, and then so does your college if you're in a scholars program. 

Speaker 6 (14:37): Oh, that's cool. Yeah, so that's true. You could just go to your advisors and stuff. 

Speaker 7 (14:41): Yeah, they have a lot of department scholarships, especially if you're declared.

Speaker 6 (14:45): Yeah, Exactly. That's really cool. Did you get the four Utah one? 

Speaker 7 (14:49): Yeah. 

Speaker 6 (14:50): Okay. That one is good. 

Speaker 7 (14:51): Yeah, I heard about that one when I first came in. There was a lot of transfer ones too. If you're a transfer student, they're cool about that, which is nice. 

Speaker 6 (15:02): But yeah, it can just be tricky when you're a freshman, it's just where do you even look? It's so overwhelming. You're still trying to figure out your classes and everything. 

Speaker 7 (15:12): If there's something in particular about you that makes you different, there's going to be a scholarship out there. Even if there's not anything, there's still scholarships. So you just have to look at views portal. You'll find something.

Speaker 6 (15:22): Oh yeah, that place. Oh, how I've been there a lot. I cried lot. I've done a lot, lot of sadness, all of it. It's gone through a lot with me. That portal. What do you think has been your ultimate reality check in college so far? 

Speaker 7 (15:38): No one told me this. My high school is a little underfunded, so I can't say I had the best education. And then I joined honors, and that was kind of a mistake, but right away, 

Speaker 7 (15:46): But it was just a lot of reading. No one tells you how much reading you're going to do in college and at least what's your major? Oh, journalism. Journalism. Yeah. Did you do a lot of reading too? 

Speaker 6 (15:54): I did a lot in my gen ed stuff, and now I'm more in my major, so it's more fun. But my first gen ed stuff, when I'm not interested, it's like 

Speaker 7 (16:03): It just drives a, yeah. So there's a lot of reading in my major since I'm a humanities student, but probably just start reading books in high school so you can get used to reading.

Speaker 6 (16:11): Do you not feel like you got that training before? 

Speaker 7 (16:15): No, I didn't read. You're so busy in high school and college. You don't read books unless you're forced to. So you kind of lose how you do that. And then when you have to read pages of A PDF, it's not fun. So probably just read more and learn how to take notes would definitely be, 

Speaker 6 (16:28): Yeah, that would be huge. 

Speaker 7 (16:30): Yeah. Yeah. I feel like people just expect college to just be an older high school experience. And I did not, no one teaches me that like that at all. No. College is going to be a lot harder.

Speaker 6 (16:42): But how, please explain how so can that It's Going to be harder because you're on your own. No, it's because I need to note, take and study. Completely different. 

Speaker 7 (16:47): Exactly. It's just hard. It's so different, especially with math classes or anything like that. They're not the same high school. So I know I had a couple math classes, like gen ed stuff, and I was like, I'm so glad I'm not going into this. I cannot do it. 

Speaker 6 (17:01): My history class compared to politics, to the Middle East, the professor, she had an exam and it was kind of sad because I got all of everything, but I got a 57 on it out of a hundred, and I was like, oh, who next to me got nineties? It was because I didn't do things by her definition.

Speaker 7 (17:18): So that's another thing. Everything has to come from course material. Yeah, every professor's different. Exactly. You need to cater almost to their opinion. Oh, wow. And I just didn't know that it was kind of a mistake, but I could retake it and I got a 91. That's good. So I do understand it.

Speaker 6 (17:32): So just, you're like, I just didn't, wrong thing. 

Speaker 7 (17:34): Yeah, exactly. 

Speaker 6 (17:35): Oh, wow. That'd be so scary though. That happened to you?

Speaker 7 (17:36): Yeah. Well, I had a class where she just had a lot of stuff in the syllabus, and it was my first time here, and I just was, again, just assumed I knew how to, and I knew how to write essays, how I did in high school, and then same thing. And mine wasn't a test, it was like an essay, but it was like all this stuff marked wrong. And I was like, I feel like I knew what I was talking about. And she was like, but the formatting was wrong, or Blah, blah, Blah. And I was like, oh my God, I don't know anything. You can read the rubric, but it's not what they're necessarily looking for at all.

Speaker 6 (18:10): Yeah, that's so scary though. What is your best advice for incoming freshmen? What do you wish someone had told you before you started college? 

Speaker 7 (18:22): If you live on campus, I would get ready to walk a lot because the U is so spread out. It is, you don't realize that until you live here and you start walking everywhere. I was walking freshman year before I figured out the shuttles and everything. I was walking like six to eight miles a day. 

Speaker 6 (18:36):

And that's not sustainable after a while, especially in the heat. So get ready to walk, figure the shuttles out really fast, because we have some good ones on campus too. They go around the campus, they go into the city, everything.

Speaker 7 (18:47): Yeah. No, figure out UTA, the campus shuttles, but probably just get ready to work hard. Everyone's here to learn and don't be intimidated when someone, you perceive them as better than you because you have no idea what their background is. They could actually be very educated in that background, and maybe you're not comparing you to them. It just seems unfair. So 

Speaker 6 (19:06): Totally. Everyone's different. Everyone's so different. Kind of have to fake it till you make it, 

Speaker 7 (19:10): Honestly. Exactly. Yeah. No, it's just you have to really get ready to, you have to figure out who you are, and you have to focus on yourself because you can't compare yourself to others, 

Speaker 6 (19:19): Which this is also a really good place to do that as well, because you think, but this is a lot of time, first time people out of their parents' house and Yeah, 

Speaker 7 (19:29): Exactly. 

Speaker 6 (19:30): Taking care of themselves, and you learn a lot about yourself. It's really hard. 

Speaker 7 (19:33): It's really hard.

Speaker 6 (19:34): It's really hard. 

Speaker 7 (19:35): Yeah. No, you have to figure out the kind of person you want to be and start going in that direction. 

Speaker 6 (19:39): Yeah, exactly. 

Speaker 7 (19:40): It's not easy at all. 

Speaker 6 (19:41): Yeah. Well, what's been the most positive impact on your life here? 

Speaker 7 (19:45): Probably just the amount of scholarship money I've received. It's made coming here be a dream because this semester I got paid to come to school and that's amazing. And I'm out of state. I was crying over it for days because I was so happy. But just making sure that the opportunity you have and being grateful for it, but then also doing the best. 

Speaker 6 (20:06): Yeah. 

Speaker 7 (20:06): There's so many people that don't get the same opportunity, so if you want to make a difference, then still work hard. Yeah, definitely work hard so you can help other people. What about you? What's the biggest positive thing you've had? 

Speaker 6 (20:16): I think honestly, the connections I've made here, whether it's, I mean, I've made some really good friends, but honestly I've made some really good connections with professors who I really trust and I really think have my back. And also I can put on resumes as references in my field, which goes a long way. I think making connections in college is so, so important. It really is. 

Speaker 7 (20:44): And everyone says how your best friends are going to come from college, but they don't talk about the references you're going to get or the networking opportunities 

Speaker 6 (20:50): Seriously. Things you didn't even know about, jobs you didn't even know about come from these places. They really do, which is a really cool thing. Yeah. Well, that's it. Thank you so much. Of course. Thank you. This is our little reality check. I love it. 

Speaker 1 (21:09): Thank you, Lucy, for your insight on all of the realities of college. Thank you guys for tuning into this season of college life unscripted.

Speaker 3 (21:15): Keep up to date with our socials to see when our next season of our unscripted lives is released. Bye. Love you. Love you.

Speaker 1 (00:08): Welcome to the Game Day, the podcast where we bring University of Utah sports to life. Rather, you're cheering from the stands or catching the action from home. We're here to give you the stories behind the scores from behind the scene, insights to unforgettable fan experiences. This is your all access pass to the heartbeat of Utah Athletics. I'm your host, Dakota Lopez, and for our very first episode, we are diving into the pride of the Wasatch Front, Utah football, known for its powerhouse performances, iconic red out games, and diehard fans. The youth are more than a team, they're a culture. Today we are breaking down what makes Game Day at Rice Uncle Stadium. So electric, chatting with people who work behind the scenes to bring the magic to life and hearing firsthand from fans and their most memorable moments in the stands. So rather you're a seasoned fan or just during the fall of the youths, get ready for an inside look at Utah football straight from the people who live it every day, 

Speaker 2 (01:16): Ut a, 

Speaker 3 (01:32): Because it's always a fun experience to be in that crowd. 

Speaker 4 (01:35): Loud, definitely loud, a little crazy too perhaps. 

Speaker 5 (01:42): Also, I think the environment of the stadium is one of the best environments like I've ever been in a football game. 

Speaker 6 (01:48): Game day. These two words elicit the smell of hot dogs and popcorn, the sound of the marching band and the screaming of the Mighty Utah student section. For fans and players alike, game Day represents the culmination of weeks of hard work, both in the classroom and on the Gridiron. 

Speaker 3 (02:06): All right. Hi there. My name is Terry Harker. I'm a sophomore at the University of Utah studying information systems, and I'm a big Utah football fan. What's game day for me? It's just very high energy. I tend to sleep in lot, so I get up and then I eat breakfast, and then it's pretty much all I'm thinking about is the football game for as much as I can. 

Speaker 5 (02:27): Hello, my name is Denny. I'm a senior here at the University of Utah from Stockton, California. So I was on the must border for about a year and a half. Game day here at the University of Utah is one of the best atmospheres, especially the must tailgates. They're great. If you're a student, you haven 'em, been to one of them, and if you have a must pass, you should definitely go. But if you don't, then all the other tailgates like the Smiths tailgate is great. I think the environment is just really good, not only for students but for the community as well. Just to have the team to rally around 

Speaker 4 (02:53): Jono Jenkins, J-O-N-O-J-E-N-K-E-N-S, and I am a sports broadcaster. We start running things on the screens for all the fans that have started to fill into the stadium. And once the game's underway, just sort of shooting stuff, switching between the cameras, 

Speaker 6 (03:15): Rice Eccles Stadium, the home of the Mighty Utes is the epitome of the modern day coliseum. Thousands of fans flock to Rice Eccles on game day exhilarated at the prospect of new memories, experiences, and epic highlights, especially in the muss, 

Speaker 4 (03:31): In the energy of the muss was super fun. It was a night game. People were a little extra rowdy. Unfortunately it was the Arizona game, so we did lose people. Got a little less rowdy near the end, but just the atmosphere of the stadium and sort of getting to be there. Super fun. If you don't like hearing loss, maybe bring some earbuds or noise canceling headphones or something, but otherwise, it's always a fun experience, even if the team loses, at least for the first three quarters, people are hype enough. 

Speaker 3 (04:17): The crowd here is phenomenal, so that keeps you coming back just because it's always a fun experience to be in that crowd. Just the venue itself, the Rice Cycle Stadium is very great too. It's a great stadium, it's comfortable, lots of good seating and stuff. 

Speaker 5 (04:32): Oh, I think the Muss is one of the coolest student organizations there is not only on the University of Utah, but in the entire nation. I think basically what they stand for is going crazy at football games. I love football, so it's just natural decision to join the muss because if I'm going to go to football games, I'm going to want to be in the loudest part of this stadium. 

Speaker 6 (04:52): Although the Utes first season in the Big 12 hasn't been phenomenal, Utah fans are unrelenting. Both the players and the fans are feeling the growing pains of entering a new conference, new Year, new season, new football. The 2024 season has held some serious challenges already. The Utah fans are not known to give up easily. 

Speaker 5 (05:13): Well, obviously I'm pretty sad with the results of the last two games, but I think it's unfortunate how our season has ended twice because Cam Rising got injured, but injuries happen. I think Camera Rising is very talented and hopefully maybe he's eligible for another year maybe. But I think overall Utah Football has done a great job. I hope to continue to watch them do great, especially at the BYU game, if nothing else. If we win the BYU game, I consider it a successful season 

Speaker 3 (05:42): This season with Utah Football. I've been a little frustrated because I feel like some of our scheme decisions have been holding us back. What makes me want to keep coming back as a fan would be just the fact that I know the team has so much potential when they're succeeding. It's very, very fun to watch because the team has a lot of energy. You can tell that the teammates, they all care a lot about each other and the success of the team. It's a great group. Even when they're losing, they don't like point fingers. It's very high energy. Like I've said, the crowd here is phenomenal, so that keeps coming back just because it's always a fun experience to be in that crowd. 

Speaker 6 (06:21): From the energy of the fans to the hard work of the sports broadcasters. Game Day is a culmination of hard work and support from everyone involved. It's safe to say that both the Utes and the Muss came to play in the Big 12, and Utah is getting ready to change the course of college football forever. This is Luke Creel reporting. 

Speaker 1 (06:43): What an incredible way to show the passion and dedication that encompasses game day at Rice Cycle Stadium. But what happens behind the scenes on game day and how does that elevate University of Utah football to the next level? To answer those questions, Robbie Pearson was able to sit down for an inside look with Zach Blaine. 

Speaker 7 (07:05): My name is Zach Blaine and I am the director of broadcast production here at the University of Utah, specifically within the athletic department. And my role here the last four years has been to oversee all of our in-venue production and live streams at all of our venues. So that includes Rice Cycle Stadium for football and some lacrosse games. It includes the Huntsman Center, which we do men's basketball, women's basketball, volleyball and gymnastics in. And we don't have any boards over at some other venues, but those would be youth field where we play soccer and some lacrosse as well as the dump key family softball complex where we play softball obviously, and then as well as Smith's ballpark in downtown Salt Lake, which is where our baseball team has been playing. 

Speaker 8 (08:06): So for this interview today specifically, we're looking at football and essentially being able to create that game day experience for both fans and players. So looking at football, what would you say some of the things done by yourself and the team have been made to enhance the game day experience for all those attending at the stadium? 

Speaker 7 (08:25): Yeah, I would say first off, Utah football has been quite good over the last decade plus ever since we've had Coach Kyle Whittingham here, and a lot of our success is due to his ability to coach a good football team. That being said, there's a lot that we do on the production side to really enhance our fans experience and enhance the performance of the team, frankly. And Rice Cycle Stadium with the architecture of the facility allows us to take the energy and the stadium and the noise and really contain it within the field of play, which makes it a very hard place to play in terms of enhancing the game day experience. Our team has to deal with all aspects of production, and it's not just limited to what we are operating on the video board. 

Speaker 7 (09:34): We consider what the band does during timeouts. We consider what our audio team plays in between plays or during TV timeouts. We consider what our cheer team does during those TV timeouts. We also have to consider our sponsorship obligations, which is a huge part of what we do, and frankly, most of our visual elements that we put on the board are supported by our sponsorship. So things that I've done by myself, it's hard to say that I've done anything by myself. Live production is always a team effort. There's not just one person making the shots. Even me sitting in the director's chair and calling cameras and coordinating replays and coordinating when we need to do a third down make noise meter, those are things I make the calls on, but it's more of a team decision between our marketing and promotional staff at the stadium as well as our production people here in the control room. 

Speaker 7 (10:47): So specific things that we've done to really enhance the game day experience, I think it's really capitalizing on traditions and the big tradition we have at the University of Utah is our third down jump is when our student section, the muss gets super loud and pumped on third down, and we're able to really drive that with a lot of visual elements that we put on our video board and our LEDs and we can show the must jumping and really creates that electric game day experience that most Utah fans and alumni have come to know over the last 10 to 15 years. And I think that's one of the big things that we've done to really enhance our game day experience is to capitalize on the must and their third down. I would say on top of that, we've really looked to be able to give our fans the opportunity to be on the jumbotron, whether it's just the dance cam or a loudest fan or a Jersey cam. Those are all I would say, enhanced game day experience elements that we've looked to provide at Rice cycles. 

Speaker 8 (12:00): Awesome. And so you mentioned the third down jump being one thing that gets the fans into the game, but skipping ahead here to one of the questions within your control, so the jumbotron and the cameras, what one of those elements have you seen over the years being one of the most effective ways to get the crowd into the game? 

Speaker 7 (12:20): Yeah, I mean I would say obviously every third Dan, we have that scenario where there we have these elements to support the third down jump, and most fans know it by now, so they're going to get loud on third down. But I would say stuff that isn't related to third down, we make an effort. Certain parts of the game, whether it's our defense is coming out and we need a big stop or there's a minute left in the game and we need the crowd to get really loud in a one possession game, I think a lot of that can be driven by our noise meters and our audio team who find the right elements to spark the crowd to get loud. In years past, we've tried little pump-up videos and different assets that we feel will spark our crowd, and I think fans that know football are going to really help us in those moments. 

Speaker 7 (13:41): They know that they have to get loud and there's not a ton that we have to do sometimes to be able to make them get loud. We can certainly steer them in the right direction and remind them where we are in the game so that they do get loud. And that's hence every once in a while we need to remind them it is third down or even if they don't get on a third down and they go for fourth down, well, we need to continue the noise that we have on third down and continue making them loud and forth. So yeah, I think that's the gist of it, is really just using the crowd and making sure they stay informed as to where the scenarios are in the game to keep the energy high. 

Speaker 8 (14:24): Definitely. So you've been working both the board show and now you've moved over to doing television side for a few years now. Can you recall within your memory, has there been one moment working football where both you and the team have been able to essentially revive the crowd and get them pumped up, maybe the team's down a bit and you raise their motivation? Or has there been that one moment where you've been like, yeah, this kind of was partially our effort? 

Speaker 7 (14:56): Yeah, I would say, I think I want to say it was two years ago when we had USC come to the University of Utah. It was a huge game. It was a national broadcast on Fox and USC came in as a very high team. We were obviously already good ourselves, but this was kind of the make or break for both Utah's and USC season. So there was a lot of times during the third and fourth quarter where the crowd really needed to make its presence known and they had a talented quarterback and Caleb Williams at the time that our musts and our fan base knew that we needed to rattle in order to win the game. And there were several moments in that game where we were able to capitalize on the energy within the stadium. And again, we're fortunate to have such a great fan base at such a loud fan base. 

Speaker 7 (15:59): So in moments like that, there's not a tremendous amount we have to do, but we kind of just allow, we are provided the opportunity to make our crowd take that one step further. And I think we did our best to prolong our noise meters and prolong our third down jumps and really incentivize our crowd to create false starts and delay of games. And if I recall correctly, we beat USC in overtime, and I remember after the game, Caleb Williams was notoriously said that Utah was one of his least favorite places to play. I think that had been the second time that he had played there after we beat them in overtime. But we had I think beaten him prior. So for us as a staff to see a, he now plays on the Chicago Bears for a NFL quarterback to distinctly remember how hard it was to play Utah and how much he dreaded it. I think that's a specific moment that is relevant to today just to, because I think that Caleb Williams quote was relatively recent for him to remember that from two years ago is notable and makes us proud as a production staff. 

Speaker 8 (17:31): Awesome. So obviously we're talking about the highs of being able to get the crowd pumped into it, but over the years, have there been some challenges that you and the team have encountered? One trying to reach the crowd? 

Speaker 7 (17:45): Well, I'll give one brief funny note on a challenge with our crowd is when I first came here in 2020, we didn't have a crowd. 

Speaker 2 (17:57): Oh, wow. 

Speaker 7 (17:58): So it was middle of Covid football had just started up was I think November of 20 I. And one of my first responsibilities when I relocated to Utah was to maintain the student athlete experience of fans being in the stands without fans being in the stands. And that was a significant challenge. We ended up just getting banked footage of fans on a playlist and we would play that on our jumbotron and we would've piped in crowd noise and when it was third down, we would bump our music. But that was just a very unique challenge, I would say. 

Speaker 7 (18:40): Apart from that, when we do have fans of the stands, as I've said, we've been fortunate to have a good football team over the last decade and as long as I've been here. But we have those moments where we are losing in games and there's only so much you can do from a production standpoint to maintain that atmosphere when maybe you're down 10 to 20 points and the game is more or less out of reach. So what we try to do in those scenarios is we still want to create a fun atmosphere and a game day experience. So a lot of it has to do with keeping the fans engaged, putting 'em on a jumbotron and hoping that fans want to continue to stay in their seats. So yeah. 

Speaker 8 (19:32): Is there one thing that you would want to ask of the home crowd here at Utah to possibly be able to, I guess, enhance that game day experience? Like maybe getting off their phones every once in a while or is there that one thing that kind of peeves you off that you wish you could just tell the crowd, Hey guys, 

Speaker 7 (19:53): Obviously staying off your phones is one thing, really taking in the atmosphere of a game day, but people are going to be on their phones no matter what these days. We can hope that we do enough from a visual standpoint to engage our fans with our board show experience, but the reality is we can't do that for everybody. I would say the only real thing that I would say to some fans is the willingness to stay for the whole game. And a lot of people sometimes have obligations, games go late, but there's a lot of times where games stay close and the crowd is needed for all four quarters. 

Speaker 7 (20:40): We've had a luxury of a very good football team who sometimes can create a lopsided victory, so fans will leave by the end of the third quarter. We try to encourage our fans to stay for four quarters and we try to create enough content that they want to stay, but ultimately fans are going to make decisions that they do. And I know Coach Whittingham and a lot of our football team really would encourage our fans to stay for four quarters and games can turn on a dime and you just don't know when you're going to need that crowd. So that would be the only thing that I would say is encouraging fans to stay for four quarters. And I think our football team puts out a good enough product year in year out that they've earned the respect of our fans to stay. 

Speaker 8 (21:31): And I guess just a follow up question after that, and it might not be entirely in your realm to be able to a hundred percent truthfully answer this, but do you believe that the crowd can directly connect to the team to help them play better in a sense? 

Speaker 7 (21:47): Yeah, I do. I think something that we try to do and on top of doing our noise meters and doing our third down jump is showing our student athletes on the fields pump up the crowd that directly engages. We're directly engaging our student athletes with our fans by showing them on the video board. So I would say that's a big element of ours, be able to really connect the team with our fan base and show that we show our student athletes pumping up the crowd, it's coming directly from the team and they need it. That's a unique opportunity you have with a board show is to be able to connect the team with a fan base. If you don't have a video board at a stadium and you just have to look down below to see that a really engaged fan will already know that they have to get loud, but maybe the average fan doesn't know and sees that a linebacker on defense is telling the crowd to get pumped up our board show experience and showing that allows that average fan to get engaged. 

Speaker 8 (23:06): Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being able to take time and have this interview with me. I always end my interviews by asking just one final question. Is there anything else that you would like to add on top of this that I haven't covered? 

Speaker 7 (23:19): No, I think every board show and production crew takes a unique approach to how they engage with fans, and I think we've been able to build off of traditions that have been around for the last decade or so with our program, and we're proud of the traditions we have, and we're proud of being able to keep those traditions alive. And on top of that, I would say we are optimistic that we can create new traditions in the years to come to really make the University of Utah home game experience unlike any other in the country. 

Speaker 1 (24:04): Big thank you to Zach and Robbie for that insightful conversation, giving us a behind the scenes look at what it takes to make game day at Rice Cycle Stadium possible. I want to echo a key point Zach made as fans, let's really do our best to stay all four quarters. It is so important for the team to see our support no matter what. With that in mind, Luke, Robbie, Natalie and I were able to sit down and share our thoughts on this football season so far. Let's dive in. 

Speaker 9 (24:35): All right, so let's go around and talk about our favorite part about football and the atmosphere. So Robbie, do you want to start? 

Speaker 8 (24:42): I mean, yeah, football for college sports is one of the biggest. If you think of college, you think college football and I mean, yeah, you essentially go to this giant stadium, the crowd is amped up, hyped, and just I feel like college football has an experience like no other. 

Speaker 9 (25:01): Yeah, Natalie, 

Speaker 10 (25:02): Well, I've lived in Utah my whole life and have been going to football games since I was nine days old. My dad loves to tell that story, and so it's always been a part of my growing up and coming to school here. And I've been able to see as the team has gotten better and better, I've been able to see the way that the stadium has filled up. We've always had good attendance, but the last couple years especially has been just crazy with the way that so many students come. When I was a freshman, the must, I bought my must pass for football when I think it was July that I bought it, they still hadn't sold out. And then this year the must tickets sold out in three hours. So it's been really fun to see the way that the students have come together to support the team and yeah, I think it's just so fun to go to football games and cheer. So 

Speaker 9 (25:56): Sweet. Okay, cool. Luke, do you have any other thoughts on college football? 

Speaker 6 (26:01): Yeah, no, absolutely. So I actually, I transferred from a school in California, Pepperdine that doesn't have a football team. We just had basketball and one of the main reasons for transferring to the U was football. I mean, come on, one of the most dominant teams I would say in college football history, just super interesting, super interesting that just a team this far out west too just has such a competitive kind of ethos and spirit around it with the moss especially. And yeah, it's been a very exciting thing to witness. 

Speaker 9 (26:36): Cool. I have a very similar story to Natalie, my dad, right When I came out of the hospital, I went to a football game and then an R, the RSL game. So my dad's huge in the muts and atmosphere. My parents were both at the U in 2001 when the muss was created, so they're huge atmosphere for the U. And then we moved away to Minnesota and still when they played Michigan, we went out there whenever they played a team with Ben 10, our radius of us, we would travel and see the U. So I love the University of Utah Avenue. I think for all of us going into this episode, we were so excited, at least I was so excited to talk about our football team and talk about this upcoming season and the new conference and all these things. We have the rivalry, the Holy wars back, all of these things, and now we're four and six overall and six and one in the conference, which I was not expecting at all. Cam got hurt again, don't have our certain quarterback that everyone was looking forward to going through so many rotations with our offensive line and everything. And so I just want to ask anyone can chime in, what's your opinion on that overall? I dunno, do you want to start Natalie? 

Speaker 10 (27:45): Sure. I definitely think it's been very interesting to see the irony of the preseason expectations being flipped because when the U joined the big 12, it was kind of just assumed. Everyone just kind of assumed, oh, well they're better than the Y. The Y is going to be at the bottom of the big 12, the is going to be at the top. All of the preseason polls and rankings had us winning the Big 12 and it wasn't even a question. Sometimes these rankings are debated and it's like, well, for the big 12 preseason basketball rankings, there's a few teams that got first place votes, but it was not even a question. We were just going to be good and the Y was going to be bad. So to see the Y be nine and one and us have this less than stellar season, it's just been interesting because it's so unexpected. 

Speaker 10 (28:41): But I do think it's almost been fun in a way just because it kind of shows who the true fans are. After a few losses we saw, I saw a lot of people on social media just ripping on the U and it's like, guys, are you really that flimsy of a fan that you can't handle a losing season? And I am really interested to see on the muss board. And so we do a lot with tailgates and trying to get students to games. And so I think it will be really interesting to see how many students are at the Iowa State game and at the Iowa State tailgate because it is the last home game of the season. And so this just kind of shows who the real fans are of football, not just the Fairweather fans. So I think that's one thing that's really interested me. 

Speaker 9 (29:26): Cool. Luke, Robbie, any other thoughts? 

Speaker 6 (29:29): I'll just go real quick just to build off Lisa, Natalie. Yeah, I almost bet a hundred dollars for the youths to win our conference. I was this close to pulling the trigger and being like, there is no way we are not going to dominate this conference. I mean, look at it. And then BYU, I knew they had that quarterback, but I was like, they ain't going to be nothing. So I think, like you said, I'm also a Patriots fan, so you got to be, if you're a true fan, you're there in the ups and the downs. And I think a lot of people, especially with the, I think water bottle incident at the game and just us turning on our own team is like, guys, we have to be able to handle losses. If you're a real fan, you don't give up on your team when they're down. 

Speaker 10 (30:14): What was the water bottle incident? 

Speaker 6 (30:17): Yeah, no, I just heard reports of our own team being hit with water bottles from fans, different items and stuff being thrown at our own team, which is just unacceptable first and foremost. I understand you're upset, but this is your team, this is your school, these are your people. So I think it's completely unreasonable to do something like that. 

Speaker 9 (30:41): Robbie, any thoughts on the season? 

Speaker 8 (30:43): I mean on the season, one of the games that kind of made me have that scare factor of like, oh, this isn't what I expected was I believe the Arizona game when they traveled to us, their plane broke down, they arrived somewhat late and they still beat us. And I feel like at that point I was kind of like, this isn't, how are we losing to a team that has their plane breakdown and they're all in shambles and all this, but I guess building on earlier point, the fans are a part of the team. In that case, we can either help bring the team's morale up or we can help bring their morale down. I mean, we also can give them fines that could potentially impact their season and essentially it's up to the fans to also, I guess play the game. It's up to everyone in the stadium to play their part and encourage our team to win, especially with throwing water bottles and doing all that. It's a shame to see. 

Speaker 10 (31:46): Building on that though, Robbie, I do think that we can give some credit for the fans at the BYU game, in my opinion. We were really awesome and I think we did a good job of boosting a team up. So it's not like we're all bad. There have been some good things too. Of 

Speaker 8 (32:02): Course. No, definitely. 

Speaker 9 (32:04): Let's talk about the BYU game, the topic. I feel like everyone's been waiting for going in. I feel like that whole week I think there was a change on campus going into that game. Everyone was just in suspense. We wanted it so badly everyone, and you could see that throughout the whole week. I know just everyone trying to get tickets at last minute, sneaking in all the things. I want to talk about the must because they were just a key contributor. Natalie on the muss board. What are your thoughts on how the student section was that game? 

Speaker 10 (32:44): Oh, I was so proud. I was so proud. I pretty close to the field and so I like to turn around and look up and see how many students are there for all the games. And I always look up in the second half and it's like people are trickling out. But for the Y game, it was a packed student section the whole time people were starting to move down. They wanted to rush the field if we won, so we were being squished down in the front. So the MUS was great. I just felt like I've been to rise cycles for a lot of football games and I've never felt that kind of energy before in the student section, so I thought it was awesome. 

Speaker 9 (33:21): I agree. The last time I felt remotely similar to this was when we played USC, but it was way bigger than that. And I was closer to the field than I was in the USC game and I was like, I've never felt like this before. I got there probably 30 minutes before the game started and I still couldn't, we're struggling to find a seat. It was crazy. I don't know. Luke, did you go to the game or did you watch it? Do you know? 

Speaker 6 (33:48): I woke up the next day to see the recap and everyone freaking out online about the controversial call that was made. I'm not going to speak on that. I'm going to keep it bipartisan. But yeah, no, it was a very interesting game to see the recap of and I'll leave it at that. 

Speaker 9 (34:07): Yeah, I bet. I think that's crazy. I was so proud of the school. Every single drive that BYU had, it was just so loud I couldn't even hear my own thoughts. It was crazy how much power all the fans had over them was so extraordinary to see and just see just us hype up. Our defense was crazy and a huge part of that was everything going on behind the scenes. Robbie, I know you worked that game, how is that going? 

Speaker 8 (34:40): Yeah, we have an entire team in the control room working. I believe we have a team of probably 10 to 12 people on football games working together to essentially create that. It's called the board show, essentially the jumbotron, the giant screen. We're controlling that and we're essentially trying to get the fans involved with the game, either doing Flex Cam, doing the competitions that happen on the court. We're essentially in control of showing that to the entire stadium. And when it came time to the end of that game, when BYU kicked that last field goal, I believe it was that entire, we have an environment in the control room where we're involved, we're watching the game, we're hyped, we're obviously at that point winning. And then as soon as that kick happened, the entire control room fell silent. And it was kind of a shame because obviously you don't like to lose a home game, you want to be able to win at home, but we kept trying to keep the fans involved in the game and the MUS was a huge part of that. We have a roaming camera is what it's called. And essentially we have someone go into the crowd and they're right in front of the face of these fans and shooting the camera and those are the best fan shots that we can get. And it's always super fun to work these football games, but it's a shame to see us lose at home. But at the same time, I feel like everyone at Rice Cycle Stadium that day had a good time. 

Speaker 9 (36:07): I had the best time even those crucial what last 10 minutes that last quarter. So we had them on what the two yard line in that area and you could just tell they were overwhelmed with the noise of the stadium. That North End zone was insanely loud, the musk was screaming and that we sacked our quarterback, their B Y's quarterback. And unfortunately we had that critical, that holding call, the controversial call that everyone is talking about. And then they had those last few drives and then that 44 yard field goal I want to talk about and if anyone has any opinions on Coach Wit's comments and then as well as our athletic director and what we think if they showed class they didn't. Does anyone have thoughts on that at all? 

Speaker 8 (37:05): I mean when it came time to, I believe the director after the game had a few choice words to the ref I think is what I saw. And I understand getting heated at the moment. Obviously we just lost a rivalry game that's massive, but at the same time you kind of have to think you are a representative of Utah. If we're giving that kind of example, then the students in the muss are going to follow that example, which I mean maybe if some people saw that he was yelling at the ref, maybe they thought it was okay to throw water bottles. So I understand getting heated in the moment of the game, but you also have to think about the bigger picture. So 

Speaker 10 (37:44): Yeah, Natalie, I mean I think at the end of the day a lot of people are getting mad at the call or they were getting mad at the call, but you can't blame the game on the refs. We had a whole second half to score and we didn't. And then even after the holding call, they still marched all the way down the field and scored a field goal. So at the end of the day, was the call bad maybe? Yeah. I don't know if I support it necessarily, but it's not like we didn't have other things in our control that we could have done to win the game. So I don't think Mark Harlan's comments were necessary, but I do think Whit was great. He's always classy and I think he was understandably upset, but he wasn't out of line with anything he did. 

Speaker 9 (38:34): Yeah. Luke, I know you didn't want to talk about it. Yeah, 

Speaker 6 (38:37): No, I'll hop into it. I think Natalie and Robert are completely right. I grew up playing contact sports my whole life and it's like you can't play for the call as much as you want to as you think is something might be unfair or just out of line with how it's being refered. At the end of the day, you cannot play for the call. You have to play your best football. And for us to not, we didn't score that entire second half, right? That's unacceptable for a team that is trying to be dominant in their conference, to not score in the entire second half is just, you can't blame that on the refs. At the end of the day, you came out there, you performed your best, but that was the call and that was the ruling. So you got to deal with it and it sucks, but we're going to get past it. 

Speaker 9 (39:27): Yeah, we are going to get past it. We got our last home game coming up against Iowa State. I feel like we have it in us. If the must shows up like they did for all of our fans show up like they did against BYU, I really feel like we have it in us. I think the U needs to end this last home game for our fans. On a high note, what are you guys looking forward to? Natalie, with the muss and everything, are you hoping students show up, show out, especially with Thanksgiving break right around the corner? Are we hoping? How full do you think we're going to get the stadium? 

Speaker 10 (40:01): Ooh, that's a good question. I'm always an optimist, so I think that'll have a good crowd. We have at the must tailgate, we're giving away hats. We have hot chocolate, we have donuts, we have burgers. So hopefully that entices some hungry college kids to come. I don't know. I think it'll be good, but I always think that it'll be good. I always think we're going to win. So yeah, I'm excited still for the Iowa State game. 

Speaker 8 (40:28): Robbie, are you working that game? 

Speaker 8 (40:29): I am working that game again, yes. 

Speaker 10 (40:31): What are you looking forward to? 

Speaker 8 (40:32): I mean, I'm obviously looking forward to the game. It's always so fun working football games, but if I have something I'd want to say to the fans is if you see a camera near you, go hype. We need the environment in the stadium. We need you guys screaming in the camera. We always love to see it. Everyone loves to see it on the jumbotron, so let's have a good game. 

Speaker 9 (40:51): Luke, are you planning on going to the game? 

Speaker 6 (40:53): Yes, I'll do my best to be there. There's something about it when a team is literally down and you want to see them get back up. I'm all for that. Like I said, I'm a Patriots fan, we suck. Utah is not in that situation at all. This is just a bounce back season, I feel like. Yeah, it's a new conference and some things are shaky, but at the end of the day, things are looking up for the better. We got this young kid, what it was, first couple games playing college football, give the kids some time, he's going to figure it out. We're going to pull it together for next season. And I just want to echo what Robbie said. I mean, Jono hooked me up, put me on the jumbo trial. I was like, Jono, and he threw me up. And just, if you're going to the game, just be loud. Just be aggressive and keep that energy going. 

Speaker 1 (41:44): And that's a wrap on this episode of the Game Day. I want to give a huge shout out to everyone who made these interviews possible to Luke, Robbie and Natalie for sharing their insights and making such a great conversation. Before we go, let's talk about Iowa State. We play Iowa State this Saturday at 5:30 PM Not only is this the last home game of the 2024 season, but this is also our senior night. Make sure to show up early and give those boys the support and recognition that they deserve. Next time on this podcast, we'll be switching gears to highlight Utah Soccer. We'll dive into their first incredible season in the Big 12, hear from players and explore what makes this team and this atmosphere so dynamic. Until then, thanks for tuning in and as always, go use.

Speaker 1 (00:09):

Hello and welcome to the Game Day, the podcast where we bring University of Utah Sports to life. I'm your host Robbie Pearson, and along with Dakota Lopez, Luke Creel, and Natalie Newton. This is episode two, Utah Soccer. In our previous episode, we covered the sport of football and what the game day experience was like on campus and at Rice Cycle Stadium. Now we move slightly more north to the Ute soccer field where the University of Utah's women's soccer team plays within the crowd. There are many groups working together to enhance both the crowd and team's game day experience. Natalie Newton shares more 

Speaker 2 (00:47):

Sports need athletes to compete. That's a given, but what can't be overlooked is the fans. Having a big crowd is huge for a team. It gives 'em home court advantage. So at colleges, getting students to games to cheer on their school is a big focus. I love Utah Soccer. Woo. Oh man. The way Utah Women's Soccer just plays 

Speaker 1 (01:07):

The Game is great and it's Inspiring.

Speaker 4 (01:10):

I'm here to do the smoke effect, so when we get a goal, I get to smoke while everybody, it's pretty fun actually. If you ever have an opportunity, I'd say come down and enjoy. Something I really love about Utah Soccer is the gray camo kits. I think they're really cool and I wish 

Speaker 2 (01:29):

That we wore them a little more. That was the sound of University of Utah students at a Utah women's soccer game. These students came to support the team, but also to get a free t-shirt as part of a promotion the team was running. This is a tale as old as time. Every college in America knows that the weight of their students' hearts is through free stuff, preferably clothing or food. So what makes Utah Soccer and their t-shirt special? I talk to members of the student section leadership to find out the University of Utah student section is called the Muss, which stands for the Mighty Utah Student Section, and their governing body is the Muss board. Sophia Flowers is the vice president. She gave me insight into the main elements of what the student soccer t-shirt looks like. We are always sponsored by Big Daddy's Pizza, every must appreciation, and it's always a black t-shirt Every year, the Utah Women's Soccer Team collaborates with the muss board committees to create a t-shirt for students. The shirts are handed out for free at one of the soccer games every year, and they call it Must Appreciation Night. Zachary Peterson is the board's Olympic sports chair and says the shirts are a great way to engage with students. 

Speaker 5 (02:43):

This is my second year on the board and with my position, I work with basically every sport that is in football to get students to come to their games and to build a fun environment for them. 

Speaker 2 (02:55):

This year, the Olympic Sports Committee collaborated with the marketing to come up with the soccer shirt. Sydney Donovan oversees marketing. She says they wanted to create something that would both interest students and get them to the game. 

Speaker 6 (03:08):

Me and my committee members who are awesome, they will all brainstorm ideas and then combine ideas to see what works with what we want the image to be for that specific branding of that game. I think that that's the main goal. Obviously as the muss, it's the student section, so it's focused on the students. So a big part of the designs were like if they would like it, how to tie it into a theme that can maybe promote, oh, this is special, I should get to this type of vibe. Just things like that I think are things that we shoot for at least on the student front for sure. 

Speaker 2 (03:44):

The final product of the shirt was an outline of the state of Utah filled with red and white camo. On top of that, camo was the muss logo and a banner with the words Utah soccer. 

Speaker 5 (03:54):

This year we designed a really cool camo with the state outline with the muss, and it's always a fun process. We like to give the marketing people a lot of leeway in their design. I mean, they are the experts, but I feel like we like to do a lot of trendy what we feel like the students are going to, because at the end of the day, it's an incentive to try to get people to come to those games and to have a buy-in and feel like they're a part of the atmosphere. 

Speaker 2 (04:23):

Natalie Vickers is also on the committee. She says they also needed to design the shirt specifically for soccer fans. 

Speaker 4 (04:29):

I think incorporating this, the sports specifically into the shirt is important. So for soccer, incorporating a soccer ball maybe or something that highlights the soccer team here in a good way. So after all that planning and thought, how did it affect student engagement? So many students came, it was great, and I think that's kind of an incentive almost making a shirt and telling people, Hey, there's going to be a hundred free shirts, and they'll see the design. They're like, this is cool, but then they have to stay for the game there and they might as well. So actually when a lot of people came to get the shirt, they stayed and cheered on the soccer team and it was great. 

Speaker 5 (05:07):

It was as a bunch of freshman students were moving into their dorms and we had way too many people, much more people than we thought would be there, and the security was overwhelmed because all these students were trying to get in for the game and for the shirts, and it was just an overwhelmingly positive experience and we got a lot of people to come to that game. 

Speaker 2 (05:31):

I just keep getting. And how did it affect the game itself? Utah Soccer won against Arizona One to Zero. I'm Natalie Newton reporting 

Speaker 1 (05:45):

With the crowd giving their full support to the team. The players have to show that their efforts are having an impact. Dakota Lopez had the opportunity to sit down with Katie oca, the team's senior Ford, and go over how she herself prepares for upcoming matches in creating her own game day experience. 

Speaker 7 (06:02):

So I'll just start with the first question. What does your typical game day routine look like? 

Speaker 8 (06:09):

So it depends on whether we're home or traveling and what time the game's at, but usually on Thursdays we'll play at 7:00 PM and then Sundays is at 12 or one. And on the 7:00 PM games, it's actually a really long day because we don't have anything till three 15. So you wake up and then you wait till then. And then we have our scout and our pre-game meal, which is where we just, obviously we eat our meal and then we go over basically what the other team's strategy is, how we're going to combat that and how we're going to play and who's starting and all those things. And then that is always three and a half hours before the game. So then we go do whatever treatment and stuff before the game get ready, however we individually want to, and then we all go hang out in the locker room for another hour and a half. We have so much time. We have kind of sounds funny dancing routines almost. So we listen to certain songs and we all kind of have different things we do during the song. We're kind of superstitious, so we do everything the same every time. And then we all walk out at the same time. Our field is kind of far away from our locker room, so we all walk there and then yeah, we start warmup and then game time. 

Speaker 7 (07:32):

Do you specifically have a ritual or a favorite super system that you've just continually done throughout your career? 

Speaker 8 (07:41):

I used to be really superstitious actually, and it annoyed me because there were all these things I had to do, and then I kind of got to a certain point where they were becoming more of annoyances than things that were maybe helpful. I braid my hair the same every game. I do two little braids into a ponytail and that I like doing. I wouldn't know if it's really superstition, but it keeps my hair out of my face and I like how it looks. Oh, if we get to order from a breakfast place, I always get pancakes every time. 

Speaker 7 (08:19):

Nice. Are there specific songs that always play in the locker room that just help get everybody on the same mindset? 

Speaker 8 (08:26):

Yeah, so we play again last four. We play a bunch of random music and then the last four songs or maybe three are always screened by Usher and then Hotel Room Service, very random song choices and then shots by MFAO and Shots is the one where we all have a certain dance to almost all of the lyrics. We all know it by heart. We do. It's so fun and it's like, yeah, we have everyone, all the recruits who come and watch this are like wow, because it's very interesting. But yeah, those are our main ones. 

Speaker 7 (09:06):

What is the team dynamic on game day or certain leadership roles that are filled by certain players? How does that work out on game day? 

Speaker 8 (09:15):

Yeah, so I mean we have captains, but to be honest, everyone just kind does their best to, everyone's a little bit different. So again, when we're doing, we're all kind of on our own a little bit. We're all together, but doing whatever we want until we start doing those ritual songs, I guess. And then we kind of all come together, we're all in the locker room. A lot of people before that do hair and stuff, but then again, we're all there. And I would say there's certain people who are always up dancing and they're the ones getting everyone else up, so that helps the vibes and stuff stay high. Again, we have captains, but we're all pretty much like family is a weird word for leadership, but we're all kind of just, we bounce off each other and stuff. And then we do have one girl who tends to give the pre-game speech before each games, and she's one of our captains just to get everyone hyped. But other than that, we all try to bring our own energy and the energy we want to put out there and then we all bounce off each other. 

Speaker 7 (10:18):

You're on the field when it comes to the fans, how well does the school kind of travel to see you guys? Or is it family? 

Speaker 8 (10:28):

Yeah, traveling is family for sure. I don't think that would be, again, it's a lot for families to come and then to have random fans would be a lot. But yeah, we actually do. We just played last weekend, or actually yesterday in Kansas, and we had not as many fans as them, but family made up a huge group. We have some people from Kansas, so they brought everyone they know so that we could have a bunch of numbers in red. But yeah, usually away games is just family. And then home games, obviously whoever wants to come, but we usually get pretty decent crowd. 

Speaker 7 (11:02):

The games are so fun. From a fan perspective, how does the fan's energy affect the performance on the field? 

Speaker 8 (11:09):

I think it helps a lot. I think if you get into a big tackle or do something good, obviously you and yourself and your team are all like, let's go hype. But if you then hear a big roar from the crowd, that just helps so much. And again, obviously we're very self-motivated, like you kind of have to be, but to get that extra umph from somewhere else is always very useful and very helpful. 

Speaker 7 (11:36):

Is it cool seeing young girls at the game just so excited to be there? 

Speaker 8 (11:42):

Yeah, it really is. And our ball girls and stuff, we're always so excited. They're always a little nervous. It's like we're trying to make conversation with them and they're nervous, but you can tell how excited they are. And then we just recently, two games ago, did autographs and you don't really realize how much you mean when I grew up in Seattle and I always would go to the UDub games and I remember the players being my whole life. And again, when you're in the other shoes, you don't always necessarily really think about how much we do mean to these young girls who maybe want to do the same thing we're doing. But then you think back to how you felt when you were younger and you're like, wow, this really does make an impact. So I think the things autographs really help you realize. They just get so excited to have your name on a piece of paper, which is just crazy to me. But yeah. 

Speaker 7 (12:36):

Are there any memorable moments where you're at a game and just something happened and maybe the fans kind of surprised you with reaction or they supported you guys in a way you probably hadn't seen before? 

Speaker 8 (12:50):

Yeah. One that comes to mind is last year when we played BYU, we got blown out and we were really excited. It should have been a much closer game than it was, and we felt we definitely could have beat them. And then things just happened in sports and it just did not go our way at all that day. But we did get a PK and we scored the pk and we were, I think at this point already losing maybe five zero, and the fans were still so loud and they were so excited that we got a goal. They were really behind us. They were probably more excited than us at that point. We were like, whatever. We're glad we scored, but we're so frustrated at the rest of the game. So yeah, that's one of the most memorable moments. I was like, oh, come on. If they're here watching us and they're excited, we got to buy into that a little bit. 

Speaker 7 (13:43):

Are there any things outside of family friends that go to the game, particularly the muss, how is the dynamic with the muss and the team? How does the Muss support you guys? 

Speaker 8 (13:55):

Yeah, I think the muss is huge for us. They're always is a big crowd from the muss there. And that's so nice to see because again, our families are not expected to come, but most of them do show up most of the time. And so when you see that fan base of your peers coming to the games, that's really special. And they do things besides just cheer for us. I mean, they do so much for us. They get other people to come to our games. We always make a shirt collab with them. And then I know we have drummers and I think they might be from the Muss, I'm not sure. But again, they just bring the atmosphere up so much and they always will do chance and stuff and that we can always hear on the field. So yeah, I think the muss plays a huge role in our overall team support. 

Speaker 7 (14:44):

Is there anything that maybe that you or the team want to see more of in the future? Terms of turnout support or just 

Speaker 8 (14:55):

I think we do get a lot of support, but I mean, I think sometimes, again, it's also, as I say, usually on Sundays we get less students and stuff. But also, I mean, everyone has family things to do on Sundays and stuff, so that's so understandable. It's not like we, again, Thursdays are usually bigger turnouts on campus. It's a night game. It's fun under the lights. So it's not that we expect any more people to come on Sundays, but that's always cool when we do see people show up, we know that it's more of you're really choosing to go out of your way to come. I know that sometimes when we go to other fields, we get heckled pretty aggressively, so maybe the fans could come with some spice and dig up some dirt on the other team. You would not believe the things that we get yelled at at other fields. But again, I mean I think our community is a pretty nice one, so it's kind of hard to ask for that because some of these places that they just have more of a culture of maybe not being so nice to everyone. So I dunno, that's kind of like a maybe 50 50 probably shouldn't do, but sometimes it's fun. 

Speaker 7 (16:14):

What's the turnout like at BYU when you guys are at BYU for? 

Speaker 8 (16:20):

Yeah, I would say we get a good amount of fans. Again, it's hard for me to know if it's all family or not because also a lot of people on our team are from Utah, and so it's extended family friends. And again, it's also hard because BYU has one of the highest turnout rates in the entire country, so there's a lot of blue when we're there. Definitely last game, we just played them a few weeks ago, they give us when we get tickets for each game. And those tickets were all, of course, on the far side in the corner, you could see that whole group were red right there. And that was super awesome. And again, it's kind of a far drive, so we really support or appreciate all the support we get, especially at the weight games. And sorry, at a field like that where the other team is so loud, it's really nice to have some people backing us too. 

Speaker 7 (17:19):

Thank you so much, Katie. 

Speaker 8 (17:21):

Yeah, of course. 

Speaker 1 (17:27):

It's better. Alright, so we're now talking about soccer. Last episode we talked about football. Today we're talking about soccer. So I just want to start by asking, have any of you guys been able to go to a Utah soccer game? 

Speaker 2 (17:41):

Yes, I've been to a couple this season. They've been awesome. 

Speaker 3 (17:45):

Nice. 

Speaker 2 (17:45):

Yeah, I've been to a few of the season as well. 

Speaker 3 (17:48):

Luke? No, but my girlfriend is an avid supporter and she tells me all about it. So 

Speaker 1 (17:54):

Obviously with soccer we're talking about the game day experience. One major factor of soccer is that it's outdoors. You have, you're at the will of the weather, I guess. So when Dakota and Natalie, when you guys went to a game, can you describe what the weather was like when you guys went? Was it sunny? Was it cloudy, windy, rainy? What was it like? 

Speaker 7 (18:19):

One game I went to was actually nice and sunny. It was the most perfect weather ever. So I got lucky. But the last game I went to, it was, it was windy, it was cold, and it was pretty windy. I remember trying to get audio and I tried to listen to it back and all I could hear was just the wind brushing through. So that was kind of difficult. And it did affect just watching the game. At least I noticed because I grew up playing soccer my whole life and just watching any three balls or anything, they were just getting caught up by the wind. So for me it was like I always paid attention to that. That changes the play of the game. But I was just bundled up and my coat wasn't dressed warm enough. The wind was kind of obnoxious factor. Yeah, 

Speaker 2 (19:04):

Yeah. I went to one this year that was perfect weather. There was this beautiful sunset because behind our soccer field you can kind of see Salt Lake and then the mountains. So it's a really stunning backdrop. And so that was really fun. And I think they won pretty handily. I want to say they won two to zero maybe, but then I went to one last year where it was sleeting rain. It was so cold, I was bundled up in my, we were all just bundled up and not having the best time. So I think the weather has plays a huge role in soccer. 

Speaker 1 (19:40):

So I mean, Luke, you haven't been to a game per se, but do you have anything else to add on weather for stalker? 

Speaker 3 (19:46):

Yes, I saw some early pictures of them playing and just the sunset over the field and also kind of the atmosphere around it. I got to hear some of it from natural sound and it does seem like a lot of fun. Yeah, I'm wishing I wouldn't. 

Speaker 1 (20:04):

So with a lot of the sports here at University of Utah, we play them either in ride cycle stadium with football or we go to the Huntsman Center for volleyball, basketball, gymnastics. And one major factor of the game day experience, or at least to what I can see is the fan interaction with the game. We have the jumbotron where people can, they see themselves on the screen, they have these promotions, all this going on to include the fan. But with soccer, all you really have is the announcer. So how do you feel that impacts one's experience of watching soccer? You feel kind of isolated now? 

Speaker 7 (20:41):

For me, I don't know. Again, I love watching soccer. I think I could watch with the sound off in a different language. I don't care. I think soccer doesn't need much such a beautiful game. And I feel like the U has a lot. I mean, you have the view, the stadiums, their field is in a beautiful spot. You have the drummers that they have the Musks, everyone just cheering them on throughout the game. And then you have the announcer. They have all these contributing factors that just build into this tight little community that's different than rice cycles and the Huntsman. And I think that's what makes it so, I don't know, in my opinion, cooler and better. It's such a smaller atmosphere, I feel like a lot, I see almost the same people there when I go. So yeah, I think there's more contributing factors that if you keep going you'll see more of. That's just my opinion. 

Speaker 1 (21:41):

Anyone else have anything to add on that? 

Speaker 2 (21:44):

Yeah, I think it's definitely different. Soccer is definitely a different sport to watch at the U versus these other ones in football and in basketball you have the jumbotron and you also have a circular stadiums. You can kind of see, can gauge fan reactions across from you, if that makes sense. And in soccer, you just have the bleachers on the one side and the benches across from you. So you're a little more in tune with just what's going on in the game. I feel like because you're not really watching the other fans. You have the people that are right next to you, but you don't have a board to watch flex cams on or replays on. You're just watching the game. So I think that kind of goes to Dakota's point. It's just kind of beautiful and you just are watching and you have this backdrop behind you. And I just think it's different. It's two different environments. 

Speaker 1 (22:38):

Yeah, definitely. Another point I want to bring up is the food and the concessions that you can get available at soccer. So when I've gone, I've usually been working the games, but I'm able to go and see the concessions that they have. They usually have at least I think two food trucks. And then they also have a little shop that's inside. It's in the wall of the softball stadium right next to each other. So when both Natalie and Dakota, when you guys have gone to the games, have you gone to the concession stands? Have you been able to get any of the food there? 

Speaker 7 (23:11):

I have. I always go to pretzel. I always think about Donna sucker for a pretzel and teased up. So I always get a pretzel when I take my husband. He loves, we went, it was really nice and pretty, but it was hot. We didn't bring water with us and they were out of the free water that they give out. So we got frozen lemonade thing or whatever. We were just sharing that. But that's what I like. I just love a good pretzel. And I think soccer, pretzel just go hand in hand. So that's what I've done. And I think concessions are a huge part of sports and they deserve more credit in my opinion. So yeah, 

Speaker 2 (23:51):

The MUS board did, or for muss appreciation night for soccer this year we gave out shirts and then we also gave out concession vouchers. 

Speaker 1 (24:00):

Nice. 

Speaker 2 (24:01):

And there the food trucks were a little bit more on the pricey side. So there was one thing that you could get that was free with the voucher. So everyone had that. It was hilarious. All the students across the stadium were all eating. I think we were all eating pot stickers or something. That was the only thing we could get for free. So yeah, I am a big fan. 

Speaker 1 (24:20):

And then Luke, if you had a food that you would want to see at a soccer game, like you sit down, you're watching the game, what is your one two go food that you would want to have? 

Speaker 3 (24:31):

I'd have to agree with the CO here. I think the pretzels and the food pretzel in its form and its taste. It's just the perfect concession food. So I want to echo that. 

Speaker 1 (24:42):

Awesome. So looking at the team itself, we have, I might say her name wrong here, one of the Fords on the team and her herself, she has scored 10 goals for the team this season. And essentially I want to talk about the idea of the star player on the team for football. For the longest time we had, why am I now blanking on his name? Someone help me here. Quarterback, quarterback, quarterback. 

Speaker 2 (25:08):

Tyler Huntley. 

Speaker 1 (25:09):

Nope. Camera rising. Camera rising. Thank you. Sorry, I 

Speaker 2 (25:12):

Forgot camera Rising's name. 

Speaker 1 (25:14):

Give me a break here. Sorry. Blinking. So let me restate that. Obviously for football, we have had camera rising for multiple years. A lot of people saw him as that star player for soccer, Katusi having 10 goals. How do you feel the role of a star player brings to the fan experience having someone to back essentially 

Speaker 7 (25:36):

Here I'll go. Okay. Again, I feel like I have such a different perspective because I'm going to look at her. The one she's got the most assist from, which I think is Katie oca. She's an amazing midfielder for the U, and she supports Kaci so much in all of those goals. But I think it is so huge and soccer especially, you have that one player who have Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, men's side and mba, Namar, Ronaldo, Messi. Those are your ones, your players that anyone will go to see. And I think it helps so much because in soccer, it's just like, I feel like the team doesn't matter as much as the player. You could have a really crappy team, but you could still have that one player that's caring and trying so hard to do. I feel like even now with I guess real Madrid, it's just like, oh, they've lost blah, blah, blah. But I mean, you have I MBA and you have Vinny Jr. And all 

Speaker 1 (26:42):

These things. Bellingham now on top 

Speaker 7 (26:43):

Of that, him on top of, she's like, that's what people care about and that's what brings in the viewership. So I really think that especially at soccer, the one player really does a lot to bring in that team, especially with the U, because the U is really good. I'll give them the credit, but it's just, especially in the Big 12 conference when you're growing up against teams like BYU and all those things, the team themselves, I feel like bring in the viewership, but I feel like the U, it's individual players that are what brings in that viewership. 

Speaker 1 (27:17):

Awesome. Anything else to add? 

Speaker 2 (27:20):

I think Dakota's spot on. 

Speaker 1 (27:21):

Awesome. So the last point I want talk about here is the game itself of soccer. I mean with football, with volleyball, with basketball, you have action constantly happening. You have points being scored, you have plays being made. With soccer, you have 45 minutes of straight play. But usually with soccer games you don't have too many goals. Usually you can see some games go zero, zero. One of the games that I saw for women's soccer went zero. Zero. How does that impact a person viewing the game? I mean, you want to see action constantly happening. And some often say that soccer is a boring sport. What do you guys have to say about that? Anyone who wants to jump in. 

Speaker 3 (28:03):

I'll kick it off. 

Speaker 1 (28:04):

Alright. 

Speaker 3 (28:05):

Yeah. I've never been a lifelong fan of soccer, but I respect it. I wouldn't say it's inherently boring. I see where people are coming from when they say that, but I think soccer's just one of those sports. And so opportunity-based when it comes to scoring that it makes those moments of scoring even more exciting and important. I think that's something that people need to realize. Yeah, 

Speaker 7 (28:32):

The games I went to the season, we tied all of them. We tied. So I stayed the whole game hoping there were so many opportunities for both teams to score just they never got through. But I stayed the whole time. I think, yeah, sometimes you just have those boring games, especially when you're just talking. I think the last game I go to is versus Oklahoma State, and we were so evenly matched. I think for me, that's what's confusing I think for boredom versus just like, no, these teams are just so good that they're just evenly matched and none of them just can break through that back line. But I think you just, I don't know. I again played it my whole life. I think that soccer can be, the movement is what keeps me going. And I think the U has such a beautiful movement with the ball that that's what keeps me there. 

Speaker 7 (29:36):

And so I think maybe the fans just got to change their perspective on watching the game. But what's cool for me is the fan atmosphere at the games. That's what I thought was so cool. All of these cute little girls that are obsessed with this team are cheering as loud as they can. And we have teams, we have people pulling 'em together and cheering like, let's go Utah. And the drummers are so cool to watch, bring the rhythm back to the game when these girls need it. So yeah, I guess just the movement, the atmosphere is what keeps me there. And I'm sure that team just appreciates it so much that we're there through the whole team, even if it's a loss of win, even a tie. So yeah. Nice. 

Speaker 1 (30:20):

Anything to add, Natalie? 

Speaker 2 (30:22):

I agree. I've never really been a big soccer watcher, but I think it just depends. I remember this kid in high school who was really into soccer, thought that basketball was boring, they scored too much. So I think it just depends on what you like to watch. But yeah. 

Speaker 1 (30:41):

Awesome. So usually at this point we would talk about the next game coming up, but I think from what I saw, unfortunately the women's soccer team has lost in their playoffs game. I believe the first game was a lost to Colorado Boulder, I'd like to say. So unfortunately, no upcoming games, but the soccer seasons happen at the beginning of the fall semester. So to anyone who wants to go see a soccer game now, look forward to next year. So yeah, that's all for this episode. Next episode will be episode three out of four, which will be covering volleyball at the University of Utah in the game day experience that takes place within the John m Huntsman Center. As always, thank you so much for listening and I'll see you in the next episode. This has been your host, Robbie Pearson, signing off.

Speaker 1 (00:08):

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Game Day, the podcast where we bring Utah sports to life. I'm your host Natalie Newton, and this week we'll be taking a look at Utah Volleyball. Thes have had a stellar season so far under the leadership of head coach Beth Lanier, who's in her 35th season coaching at Utah. They've been ranked as high as 20th in the nation this season and have had big wins against number 17 TCU number 18. Baylor and number 21 BYU. Utah has the potential to make a deep postseason run this year. The Utes are led by the play of outside hitter, Lauren Jardine, defensive specialist, Camry, Bailey, and middle blocker Emery. Sat Emery has had an especially big impact. She regularly leads the team in kills and blocks and is a key piece of the puzzle. Our reporter, Luke Crell, sat down with Emory to learn more about her as a player, the culture of the team and the foundation they built in the spring to get to where they are now. 

Speaker 2 (01:06):

Hi, I'm Luke Creel and I'm here with Emory Satwa, a middle blocker for the Utes volleyball team. She transferred from Idaho State University in 2023 and has already proved to be a force to be reckoned with on the court recording a total 112 blocks and averaging 2.14 kills per set totaling 216 kills for her first season with the youths. This season, she looks to be even more of a force to be reckoned with. What is your favorite part about being on the volleyball team here at the U? 

Speaker 3 (01:38):

I think just the team culture. I feel like volleyball comes first, which obviously volleyball is super important, but I think that teams who have a deeper connection, who get to know each other, you're willing to work harder, do more for your teammates, and so I think that we just all have really close relationships. That's just what's led us to having this season being a lot more successful than we have used in the past. So yeah. 

Speaker 2 (02:08):

Right on. What were the main reasons for transferring to Utah? 

Speaker 3 (02:12):

Yeah, I think just wanting to one, be closer to home. My family's all here. I have three younger siblings and they're also playing sports, so it's been really cool to be able to come back and to watch all their games and just be able to go to family dinners. And then also I just wanted to play at the highest level that I could, and so Idaho State is, it's a great school and a good program, but definitely not a power, I guess power forward school now. So I think just being able to come here so I could push myself, I just really wanted to be able to compete at a high level. 

Speaker 2 (02:51):

If you have anything to add, what do you think makes Utah volleyball team so dominant this year? 

Speaker 3 (02:57):

I think that we trained really hard in the spring on there was a lot of, I feel like last year there was a lot of big things that we needed to work on and we had a lot of injuries, and so I think that this year we ought to really hone in the spring we worked a lot on our art passing and serving, and so I think we just created a really strong foundation so that way that this year during practice and stuff, we don't need to worry about, oh, our passing is a mess, which is so we can't get good sets. Everything's out of system. I think until we go to strong foundation and that now we're just working on fine tuning the little things to make sure that we peak hopefully at the end of the season this year. 

Speaker 2 (03:40):

How is the culture of the team 

Speaker 3 (03:42):

This year? A big word that we've been focusing on is selfless because obviously volleyball team isn't the biggest team. We only have 17 people, six people start, but I mean probably nine or 10 people consistently play. And so I think that just, it's hard when you get to this level and then if you're not playing, and I think everyone has just done a really good job of accepting their role, whether that's cheering on the bench or being ready to go in or starting and playing the whole game. I think everyone's done a really good job of just still competing in practice, but also just being happy for your teammates and wanting the best for the team. And even on the court, I think a lot of people have taken upon themselves to not try and go win the game themselves, give whatever the team needs in that game or in that moment. I think we've just done a really good job about being selfless and not letting ourselves and our egos get in front of the outcome we want. 

Speaker 2 (04:43):

What is it like preparing for game day mainly in the days coming up to it? 

Speaker 3 (04:47):

Yeah, I think typically, obviously our schedule this year is kind of crazy. Last year we played Friday, Sunday every single week. And this year our games are a little bit all over the place, so our preparation early in the week coming up to game day is a little bit different, but typically we usually have a really hard practice if we have a few days before a game and then just leading up to it, I feel like we usually get a few quick lifts in that I call them prepping lifts, so it's nothing too heavy, but just trying to get your joints and everything feeling good again. And then the practice before game day I feel like is usually we work a lot on defending the offense of whatever team we're playing, so we have some practice players and stuff simulate other players that are key to the other team's offense, and then we just con in on that. 

Speaker 3 (05:43):

But before that, we honestly, we have a lot of montages that we watch on the other team, and so we do a lot of video on the outside, but then in practice before that last practice, before game day is just focusing on ourselves, figuring out whatever we need to do, what we think our strengths and offense will work against their team. And then on game day, everyone just likes to have fun before, just trust that we prepared enough during the week and also not getting too stressed out about it. We know that we did the work that we needed to and that we can just, our team, we love to dance before games in the locker room. I think everyone just likes to loosen up and feel not super stressed out about the game. 

Speaker 2 (06:28):

Do you have a pre-game ritual? I know you said dancing, but specifically to you. 

Speaker 3 (06:32):

Yeah, I feel like our game day schedule is pretty structured and so I guess it kind of depends a little bit on the time of the game that we have. As a middle, we have survey pass or passing reps. I don't play a lot of back row, and so I usually don't do a ton in those pregame stuff. I feel like honestly, usually I'm just messing around on game days. Sometimes me and the other middles we'll do setting. We don't set but we just like to set. It's always fun to do something outside of your position. And then once we get into the locker room, there's me and two other players where we call ourselves the entertainment committee. We have a lot of committees on our team and this is the only one that wasn't assigned by the coaches, so we usually will start a line dance, any type of dance circle just to loosen people up. 

Speaker 3 (07:30):

We always do whoever wants to participate. We do a pregame prayer circle, which has been really cool. And then we also have, I have this thing called teammate motivation where we just go through, you go by Jersey number and then so just we start at one and then you just give a quote or a talk or something that you just feel like is important for that game that everyone needs to try to remember and to motivate them. And then we also do a word slash phrase of the game to just kind of pick everything that we want to put into this game and try and get it down into a word or a phrase that we can remind ourselves throughout the game. Yeah, I don't think I do anything specific personally, but just I feel like we have as a team, have a lot of pre-game rituals. 

Speaker 2 (08:19):

What's your mindset during the game? 

Speaker 3 (08:22):

I think this year I've really been focused on trying to be external. I wouldn't say I'm a super loud player in the past, my coaches have told me I need to work on cheering more for myself especially, but also for my teammates. I think that I tended to get a little bit quiet if I was getting frustrated, but I've been working really hard this year to keep everything external, not get quiet and just keep giving to my team. Yeah, I think also just I think trying to be unfazed, focusing on the outcome of what I'm doing or what my teammates are doing or what the other team is doing, but just keep working no matter what the circumstances are. So if the other team wants to look at our team or me, it's like nothing has changed the whole game. Whether we're winning or losing, we're cheering just as hard or playing just as hard. 

Speaker 2 (09:18):

How's the audience? Do they bring energy? Do you ever get nervous about the crowd? 

Speaker 3 (09:22):

I think there's a few schools who always pull a good crowd. We just played at BYU this last week and they're, their fans are, I think especially for a rivalry game. They sold out their gym and yeah, it was crazy. But I think I personally enjoy playing in big crowds. I think that with the volleyball being a very high energy sport, you have to really give a lot. It makes it a little bit easier when the crowd is doing some of that for you. Yeah, but definitely there's a few crowds who have some student sections who like to taunt and say some not very nice things while you're playing, which I personally, I feel like I don't really, I kind of just hear noise while I'm playing. I don't really hear anything people specifically are saying. Yeah, I don't think it's really been an issue for me. 

Speaker 3 (10:12):

I will say sometimes when we have a Sunday game at home and the Huntsman's a really big gym, we are probably not going to fill it up ever. But on Sunday when there's not really anybody there, you definitely, I have to give a lot as your team to keep the energy up and not let it get quiet. I think that honestly, the crowd is a big benefit. You can just take what you need from it and leave the rest, even if it's away at a different school. But if not, then your bench is the one who's having to give that energy and be loud. 

Speaker 2 (10:44):

What should people know about Utah volleyball? How can we be better fans? 

Speaker 3 (10:50):

One, I think just coming to games. Yeah, I feel like we get quite a few fans, but it doesn't look very full just because of how big our arena is. I would say the, for Utah fans, that's probably the biggest thing. Utah volleyball hasn't had the best reputation in the past few. Not that we've done anything bad, but just we haven't had very good seasons the past probably two, three years. And so I can see why it would be a little bit hard to come and support a team who was losing and not doing very good. But yeah, I think this year kind of returned it around a little bit, and so I think just coming out to support would be great. 

Speaker 1 (11:33):

The volleyball team plays the biggest role in the action every game night, but as Sat said, the crowd plays a part as well. Our reporter, Robbie Pearson took a look at all the groups working in the Huntsman Center on Game Night that make the experience better for both the players and the fans. 

Speaker 4 (11:50):

It's the crossroads of the west. Welcome to beautiful Salt Lake City, where tonight inside the Huntsman Center, two of the hottest teams in the country clash in conference play. While a lot of focus for those covering and watching sports lies within the physical play, such as the games and players themselves, there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes. The DJ who plays the music, the crew that runs the cameras, the marketing team that does the in-house promotions, there are many aspects behind putting on a college level game and creating that game day experience that many people don't know too much about. 

Speaker 4 (12:29):

Within the John m Huntsman Center, the arena at the University of Utah campus where the women's volleyball team plays, there are many teams at work behind the scenes to create the game day experience for both fans and players alike. The game day experience for volleyball games can be seen starting even before fans begin to enter the arena with aspects such as promotions, ticket sales, and parking, all affecting how someone experiences the game. One of the two major teams working to enhance the experience of those. Watching the volleyball games is the marketing team aiming to boost fan engagement upon entering the arena and watching the game. Fans can see many of the marketing teams efforts in full force events such as the t-shirt toss, student competitions on the court, social media, shoutouts, sponsorship, promotions, and much more. All aim to get the crowd involved and engaged in one way or another. 

Speaker 4 (13:19):

Other events while not directly connected to the marketing team, also aim to enhance fan engagement and boost morale within the arena, such as the dance team, cheerleading team, and the band working together with the marketing team. Another major team at play when creating the volleyball game day experience is known as the board show led by directors Eric Dyer and Zach Blaine. While the marketing team controls a lot of the physical aspects, this team works on the digital creation within the John m Huntsman Center. With jobs such as controlling the LEDs, playing replays on the jumbotron, and showing camera shots of both fans and players, the board show is responsible for a lot of fan engagement. Ken and John, a sophomore studying finance and accounting at the University of Utah has been able to work several events under the roof of the John m Huntsman Center, working as a camera operator for the board show. John has been able to see all of the elements produced by his team, such as various fan cams and competitions recalling the events he had worked on. John noted that the jumbotron was a major factor in hyping up the crowd the most. 

Speaker 5 (14:21):

I'd say like the jumbotron kind of, especially when they do the fan cam, when they record all the fans. I feel like that gets really, gets people really hyped, especially little kids, and that really builds an environment in the stadium, and I think that's really cool. 

Speaker 4 (14:37):

It can be said that college level game day experiences are in a different league than those hosted by lower level sports, such as those hosted in high school. Given that a lot of high school level games don't have a screen, most of the time only having a scoreboard, a lot of the game day experience relies on how well the team plays and the on-field aspects such as cheerleaders and pep bands. By having the extra funding and production aspects such as cameras and the jumbotron, along with efforts being made behind the scenes, the difference between high school and college level sports are clear. Cory Pearson, a substitute teacher for the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, had the opportunity around two years ago to witness a home victory for Utah volleyball within the John m Huntsman Center. Being from out of town and raising two kids, Pearson had attended several high school level sports events where only the sport was being played. Pearson noted that the change to a college level game day experience was much higher quality, enhancing her overall experience. 

Speaker 6 (15:32):

I would just say the quality of the equipment, the quality of the production, it was very professional. It was very like being at a professional sport. It was very impressive. 

Speaker 4 (15:46):

It's not just the behind the scenes teams that create the environment within the John m Huntsman Center, the volleyball team is also responsible for putting on a good show, but the reactions they show after every major point, the pregame show they host, or the dances, the substitutes do on the side. The Utah volleyball team finds a lot of ways to entertain the crowd along with their high rating and being ranked now 20th in the nation. Fans can expect to experience a good event every time they enter the arena. Sean Stetson, a University of Utah student and a beat reporter of the university Utah volleyball team for the Daily Utah Chronicle has been able to witness many home games within the walls of the John m Huntsman Center when looking into the multiple game day experiences he has had as a fan within the seats of the crowd. Stetson recalled a time when he had witnessed the crowd work in unison with the players to raise the mood of the arena during a high stakes game against TCU. 

Speaker 7 (16:40):

Well, definitely the TCU game, the crowd after each set, we were just getting this momentum and this build, and it was a top ranked team, so there was more people and just you could feel the atmosphere just palpable and how crazy it was. Cameron Kilo surfing for the sweep overpass, and there it's 

Speaker 4 (17:03):

Sat break out, the Brus, Utah sweeps tcu. The game day experience for Utah volleyball is unlike any other. With efforts being made by several different teams and players alike fans get to experience that full college level game day experience anytime they enter the John m Huntsman Center. This has been Robbie Pearson signing off. 

Speaker 1 (17:28):

The volleyball team feeds off of the crowd, the marketing team and the broadcast crew to play well in the Huntsman Center. Luke Creel, Robbie Pearson and Dakota Lopez joined me to talk about Utah volleyball, the crowd's impact and what they've noticed about this season that's made it special. Welcome back. This episode, we were talking about volleyball and I thought we'd start with Dakota. You were telling me earlier about your experiences with volleyball growing up. Do you want to talk about those? 

Speaker 8 (17:59):

Sure. Yeah. Love and hate relationship. I was just too short when we played it in school, so I never really liked the sport, but growing up, one of the girls that babysat me growing up, Chelsea Bradley, her dad is Sean Bradley who played for BYU and then the Mavericks, but she played for both Portland and Washington State. But when she played for Washington State, it was my freshman year here at the U, so whenever she came, I would just always go to a game to watch her, not the U. And then I had another girl growing up. She played for Oregon, and so when we were as well in the pack, I was always watching her and going to those games. So it was always so fun and supporting people, even if it wasn't the U, but it was so fun watching them play and watching an idol that I grew up with that was a big role model for me. Play a college sport is always so cool. So yeah. 

Speaker 1 (18:52):

Yeah, that's awesome. And have you been going to Utah volleyball games since you've been a student here? 

Speaker 8 (18:56):

Took a break for a while, but this past year or so I did. I've gone to a few games this season, which has been really fun and it's such a cool atmosphere. It's so cool how tall the girls are and how much strength they have to play like this. We're so good. So yeah, it's been really fun to go. 

Speaker 1 (19:12):

Robbie, Luke, what about you guys? Have you been to any games? 

Speaker 4 (19:14):

I mean, I can start. I've been to a ton of games here at the U due to me working, but I've also been as a bystander just watching some of the games. And one thing I will say in Vegas, when I was in high school, our volleyball team, no one went to their games and me included, I didn't really follow volleyball. So me coming here to the U and finally seeing some of these now college level volleyball games, it was like, oh wow, the sport is really fun to watch. I'm going to be a bit of a weep here, but I did watch a volleyball anime when I was growing up 

Speaker 1 (19:48):

A weep. Did you just say weep? Yeah, 

Speaker 4 (19:51):

I'll stand by it, but that's so funny. I did watch a volleyball anime called hiq, and it got me hooked on volleyball, I'll say it, and I started playing volleyball. You can laugh at me all you want. I think it was a really good show, and volleyball is a really cool sport. So yeah. 

Speaker 3 (20:08):

What about you, Luke? 

Speaker 2 (20:10):

I've been to a couple games, but I grew up playing volleyball. I'm from San Diego. It's a big thing. I started as a middle blocker in high school, and then when everyone got taller and I stayed the same height, I got switched to outside and opposite hitter. So I'd say I have a good knowledge of the game. 

Speaker 1 (20:25):

That's awesome. Robbie, you alluded to working. Do you want to tell us a little bit about what your job is and then how you think that has affected you seeing volleyball? 

Speaker 4 (20:36):

So yeah, a lot of me working volleyball has been doing a camera operator. The position I am in is usually the replay camera, so I'm not the game camera that you see on the drum, John while they're playing, but usually when they show the replays and the closeup hits the slow motions, that camera work is usually one of mine. So being able to do those closeup shots and seeing these reactions of the team getting hype after every kill block they're getting together in a huddle screaming, definitely. That has been one of the biggest wow factors for me getting into volleyball as well, just being able to see, I guess, the team morale of Utah volleyball and essentially, yeah, that's what I guess further solidified my desire to keep either playing or watching volleyball. So yeah. 

Speaker 1 (21:22):

How do you think that the crowd affects the game? 

Speaker 4 (21:26):

Oh, the crowd definitely has an impact on the game after every kill, it's part of the team's responsibility and the fan's responsibility to bring up the morale in the arena. So definitely it's two heads of the same coin, I guess is a good saying there. But the fans have such a major influence, I believe there's a tradition, I think it's blocks. I think they build a U out of Lego blocks every time that the team gets a block. And it's kind of fun seeing that start going up and taller. They just make it out like the shape of a U and just I guess the fun things that the crowd does to interact with the team. I definitely think that there's a close connection between the team and the fans. 

Speaker 1 (22:10):

Yeah, I love that. The U volleyball team is really good this year. Right now we're ranked number 20th. We just came off a road trip where we beat Houston three to zero and then UCF three to two last week. So we're now 21 and five in our overall season record. And then 11 and four in conference. We're third in the Big 12. And a big contributor to this team has been Emory sat. She had 11 kills in five blocks in the game against Houston. And Luke, you talked to her. How do you think that she has contributed to this team? 

Speaker 2 (22:42):

Oh my goodness. I think it's just an immense change. I mean, if we look at last season of this season, she was very humble when I talked to her. Very nice person, and she would never say this, I don't know, but she has been one of the key factors to changing not only morale, but also physical change on this team of getting the energy up, getting those blocks, getting those kills. I mean, it's just, like I said, it's kind of one of those things where it's going to be a defining moment. Having her transfer to Utah for women's volleyball here at the U, I mean, she's just a killer. There's no other way to say it. She is getting those kills and getting those blocks. 

Speaker 1 (23:30):

Yeah. She talked about in your guys' interview, she talked about being external. Kind of take us through that. What do you think that she meant by that and how do you think that's helped contribute to the team? 

Speaker 2 (23:39):

Yeah, no external. I think it's just about what she said about their rituals, how they like to dance, how they like to hang out outside of practice and all that. And also just keeping that same energy on the court. They're a family, plain and simple. They're a family. They treat the game that way. They treat their lives that way, and it's just been a really cool thing to kind of keep track and keep updates on. It's been cool. 

Speaker 1 (24:06):

Yeah, I love that. I've watched a lot of volleyball games as well, and you can always see them dancing in their warmups. We love to get shots of them dancing on the jumbotron. They're always dancing, they're always having a good time. How do you guys think that that helps them when games? Because it kind of feels counterintuitive. Oh, you're dancing before a game, you're not being intense, but how do you guys think that that actually helps them? Dakota want to start? 

Speaker 8 (24:29):

I feel like it lets out, at least for me. I feel like I was the same way when I played sports. It was just like my coach let us kind of do our own things for a standard moment minutes through our warmup. And then once it hit a certain time, it was like, okay, let's get in this mindset. I feel like it kind of lets almost as silliness out or any of what they're feeling out giddiness or whatever out. And then it's just like, okay, now it's time to focus. And it kind of just helps 'em all get be together and kind of be on the same page at the same time. And I just feel like, at least for me, when I did stuff like that, it was just like, oh my gosh, this sport is fun. And watching them, oh my gosh, they're having so much fun. And if you love your sport that much and you're having so fun, you're going to be good. So I think that's when I watched 'em. I remember I showed up early to a game and I'm watching 'em dance around and not goof around, but they're just having so much fun. They're just sisters, and I think it's so fun. I was like, wow, they are so tight knit that they will just have fun dance around, and then when the time comes to just dominate, they're already at the same time. 

Speaker 4 (25:38):

Yeah. 

Speaker 1 (25:40):

Robbie, Luke, anything else? Add, 

Speaker 4 (25:41):

I mean, something I wanted to add, this could just be me personally, but I play soccer, different sport, but before a game, I usually start getting really nervous. When I played for my high school when I was on varsity for my last year, I got very nervous before games. And I feel like doing something simple as hanging out as a team and doing fun stuff like dancing, I feel like that can just get you in the mindset of instead of thinking about the stressful environment of the game, you're just having fun. And one of the main things about sports is to have fun. And if you're having fun, you're going to show your skills through that. So I definitely feel like it probably releases a lot of nerves before games. 

Speaker 1 (26:21):

Yeah, that's a really great point. It's helpful to loosen up and you play better when you're looser, which is so funny because when you get nervous, you get tighter, and then you don't play as well, but you're nervous about wanting to play well. And so yeah, I think that's some great insights. The volleyball team plays at home this week. They play West Virginia on Thursday and Cincinnati on Sunday, so I'll be there. I don't know if I'll see you guys there, but it should be good. I'm really excited to see where they go this season, where they go in the postseason. Does anyone have any closing thoughts? 

Speaker 2 (26:52):

Come to games? People need to come to games. It is plain and simple. This is a team that is dominant in their conference, in their sport, and people need to respect that. I think I love football, but we got to redirect to, I mean, this is a phenomenal team. This is a phenomenal season. They're winning exponentially. Their wins exponentially are greater than their losses. And it'd be really cool to see more people show up. And I know that's something that Emory was kind of talking about too, was we're doing a great job, we're working really hard. We'd love to see more love. 

Speaker 4 (27:27):

If I could just add something on top of that, if we have more fans in the arena, I guess the greater chance of the fans affecting the other team. I mean, when you have the other team doing these serves, if our entire must section and the entire arena is screaming, it's going to be hard for them to focus and get good serves off. So if we can have more people in the arena, we could possibly help the team get some more points. So yeah, 

Speaker 8 (27:53):

They deserve to go dancing, so they as much people that can be there as possible. They're so fun to watch. I don't really love volleyball, but they're so fun to watch. They're so good. So I really think people need to show up, show out, especially I feel like there are schools that kind of know their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to sports and they go support those dominant ones. I feel like they do. It's just football and it's just gymnastics and it's just levels out. And so it's just like, let's show up, show out, especially our women's sports. Let's go support them when they're dominating, as well as our volleyball team is. 

Speaker 1 (28:35):

Thanks for listening to us today to talk about Utah volleyball. Tune in next time for a discussion of the basketball programs at the U and how they're transitioning to the Big 12.

Speaker 1 (00:00):

Welcome to Game Day, the podcast where we bring Utah sports to life. I'm your host, Lou Creel. In this episode, we bring you all the deeds on Utah basketball, both men's and women's. First up, Dakota. Lopez has the scoop on the state of Utah basketball. It's past accomplishments and what we can do as fans to support our Utes. 

Speaker 2 (00:29):

Utah men's basketball has seen many changes throughout the decades from the heights of an NCAA Championship victory in 1944 and multiple final four appearances to its early dominance in the Mountain West Conference and its transition into a more competitive PAC 12 conference. Throughout it all, Utah has produced numerous NBA talents and has fostered an incredibly passionate fan base. Now as a team prepares to compete in the Big 12. I spoke with students to hear what they're most excited about for this new chapter. 

Speaker 3 (00:58):

Well, I'm looking forward to this new up and coming season. I think it's really exciting that we're in a new conference, but I'm definitely excited to see how the freshmen are this year if they come out to the games. I'm hoping more of my friends make it to games. 

Speaker 4 (01:10):

I'm really excited for this upcoming season. I always love the energy that comes with Utah Athletics and basketball is no exception. I'm excited, especially now that we're in a new conference. I'm excited to see how we perform and how the Utes are able to do this season. In the new conference, 

Speaker 2 (01:28):

When it was announced that the University of Utah was joining the Big 12 conference, every Ute fan was excited. This meant that the competition on every athletic level was getting bigger and better, and the same goes for basketball. We'll be joining the Big 12 conference, which is one of the best basketball conferences in the country. Yeah, we'll be playing teams that we played last year in the PAC 12, like Arizona and Arizona State, but we'll be adding on bigger teams like Baylor, BYU and Kansas. So the men's basketball team is going to change how they look at this conference and how they look at this season and just like them, the Musk is going to be doing the same thing, pivoting how they look when it comes to student engagement and supporting our team on the court. I was able to speak to Sophia Flowers, one of the vice presidents for the muss, and she was able to speak with me about her thoughts on this upcoming season. 

Speaker 5 (02:29):

Victor, big tool, basketball, mainly the bedside is extremely competitive. A lot of those teams end up in the tournament, specifically like Kansas. Huge, huge tool that we get to play. So I'm hoping to with the new conference, because if you're playing some random small G three school for pre-season, no one's going to go that. But if you're playing, for example, when we were in the pack, if we were playing USC or Oregon, those were bigger games. BYU will be a good one. That would be big considering now. So it's really pushing hard on those super competitive, high quality levels of basketball because not only are we going to be playing at a higher level, but the other teams that we're playing at a higher level. So we're kind of using that to our advantage to get students there. 

Speaker 2 (03:16):

So what is the muscle's goal this season and what are their plans to execute them? Was able to share with me some insight on what they're planning on this season and what works well for them. 

Speaker 5 (03:27):

I would say the main goal is really just to fill our student section and get people to the games, whether that's through incentives or food, but also just kidding people that are going to be those lifetime Utah fans. You want them to come back, so not in game stuff. Cheers those giveaways. Halftime or the game itself, things like that. We really like to partner with athletics, so whenever they have big things going, we really try to push it to get those newer fans to, because we already know our A guys are going to be there. If I could pick one game, we fill it entirely with BBYU at home just because that rivalry is super intense. 

Speaker 2 (04:17):

Sophia was also able to share with me that they'll be having some new incentives coming out this season for some of the games, so make sure to go check out the MU's Instagram for more details. I'm so excited for this upcoming basketball season. I'm so excited to see what they will bring to the big 12. So make sure and go support our running Utes. This is Dakota Lopez signing off. 

Speaker 1 (04:41):

Next up, Natalie Newton brings the heat with an interview with a student manager for the Utes men's basketball team giving us an inside look at how the Utes prepare for game day. 

Speaker 6 (04:53):

The men's basketball team at the U takes a lot of different people to keep it running. One important group is the student managers. I talked to one of them, Benjamin Ter, to find out what exactly being a manager for the basketball team is like. 

Speaker 7 (05:05):

My name is Benjamin Golter from Rockton, Illinois. Moved out to Utah five years ago, so I'm in my fifth year finishing up my electrical engineering degree at the U. Always loved basketball growing up. Played through high school, just east sleep and breathed basketball. So I knew I'd love to get involved if I could when I went to school or went off to college. So my freshman year was the covid year. Everything was online, so it was really hard to get involved that year with anything. But then my sophomore year, Craig Smith got hired. We got a new coaching staff, so I reached out to them and got a position in August of my sophomore year as a manager. They offered me a position and didn't really know what I was getting into. They gave me a little bit of an overview, but just kind of took any opportunity to get involved that I could. 

Speaker 7 (06:11):

So accepted that. Did that for two years, had some great experiences, loved it. Met aton of cool people, just being around the team every day, getting to learn a lot about college sports, college basketball, logistics of it, what all goes into it. It was really cool, especially, I mean, I was always a fan of college basketball growing up, and then to be on the inside of it, working with those guys and on the bench on game days and at practices and doing drills with the players. It was just really cool. And so I did that for two years. Then school just busied me up and it wasn't really something that I could sustain anymore, just from a time standpoint. Had great experiences. Like I said, I wish I could still do it, but just kind of too busy now. But yeah. 

Speaker 6 (07:10):

What's the time commitment for a basketball manager? 

Speaker 7 (07:13):

Yeah, so it's really dependent on just what kind of day it is. So during the season it'll be like three, four, sometimes five hours a day and show up to practice an hour before everyone else, get things set up, make sure everything's in order, make sure we have enough towels, make sure we have enough basketballs to make sure that the Gatorade's working, stuff like that. Just make sure everything's going to run smoothly. Then be there through our practice while the team's got film, studied, all that. So that'll be anywhere from two, three, sometimes closer to four hours depending on how the season's going and all that stuff. And then, yeah, during that time we're running around helping with drills, doing whatever the coaches need us to, whatever the players need us to, just making life as easy as it can be for them so that they can just worry about basketball or preparing for the opponent rather than other stuff that they shouldn't have to worry about. 

Speaker 7 (08:18):

Then after practice, just make sure everything's in order, make sure if a coach needs something, he's got it, whatever it might be. So that's during the season and that starts, you're allowed to officially start practicing six weeks before the first game of the year, so that's end of September is when you can start. Official practices games start. Then the beginning of November, so next week here we got the first real games and then that'll go, I mean my two years, it went through the middle of March through the Pac 12 tournament. We never made the NCAA tournament or the NIT while I was a manager, so kind of ended the season earlier than some other programs. And then after March when the season ends, there's a few weeks where everyone takes a break, there's no workouts or anything, no practices lifting or anything. So everyone gets a nice little break for a few weeks and then beginning to middle of April, the guys who are coming back for the following year or who aren't transferring or what have you, they'll start to have workouts again with the coaches to start preparing. That goes till about the middle of May. Then after that it's summer workouts and a lot of managers aren't around in the summer because they're off at home or doing internships, so maybe not a ton of time commitment then. But yeah, during the season, I'd say about three to five hours a day. 

Speaker 6 (09:48):

Take me through, if you will, a typical game day as a basketball manager. 

Speaker 7 (09:55):

So game days are definitely always the funnest days. The staff would always hold a morning shoot around the day of a game, so around five to six hours before tip off, so sometimes I guess early afternoon shoot around. So that'll go about an hour, just over an hour typically where, I mean the mayor's allowed to show up an hour prior to that, get that all set up down in the Huntsman Center or if we're on the road in whatever arena we're in and bring basketballs, make sure we have plenty of those, make sure we get some music going, make sure that it's what Coach Smith likes, all that stuff. So we'll do that. Have shoot around. Pre-game meal is after shoot around, so I'll have that, and then after that, typically get an hour or two or downtime free time before you can go back to your dorm or go home, whatever, relax, lounge around, watch tv. 

Speaker 7 (10:55):

Then everyone has to be back two hours before the game starts. You get back to the Huntsman Center or if we're on the road where whatever arena we're in, some players like to shoot around early before the game, some not so much. Then about an hour before the game, the strength and conditioning coach takes him through an exercise to get them stretched, get them loose, so make sure that he's got all his resistance spans and whatnot and help him collect those. Once that's done, then after that he'll rebound the players a little bit more as they shoot around and get ready and then about 12 minutes left, they'll go back into the locker room. Coach Smith will talk to them one more time and then make sure that everyone's in the locker room, make sure that Coach Smith is able to get in there and just get everyone ready and everything runs smoothly. 

Speaker 7 (11:55):

The players will come out, finish warming up, the game will start. Managers are behind the bench whenever a player comes out, give 'em a Gatorade and a towel timeouts, make sure that we carry the chairs out onto the court so that Coach Smith has his chair and then there's five chairs facing that chair for the five guys on the court. And then everyone will stand around that and then after the timeouts carry those back, one manager will have to grab the stats to give to all the coaching staff during the timeouts so they know who's having a good night, who's not, just how the game's going and all that. And then after that we'll have a post game meal, which sometimes we'll have to go out during the game and meet the whoever from Cafe or from raising canes or something to let them in, get the food set up so that everyone can eat after the game and the game will end. We just make sure everything gets put back. If we're in the practice facility the next day or in the Huntsman Center, we'll take the basketballs to wherever we have practice the next day and then half an hour after game time, we're free to go home. So that's kind of a day in the life of a manager on game day. 

Speaker 6 (13:17):

That sounds like a long day. 

Speaker 7 (13:18):

Yeah, it is a lot. Especially if you have class in between and making it work sometimes, so it is a lot. 

Speaker 6 (13:26):

What were some of your favorite moments as a basketball manager? 

Speaker 7 (13:30):

My favorite was definitely my second year doing it. So my junior year we played Arizona when they were number four in the country, they were undefeated. It was the first PAC 12 game of the year and we beat them in the Huntsman Center. It was a really, really cool thing because they were looking really good. People thought they might win the national championship that year. It was just a really good team. They killed us the year before. So yeah, I'd say definitely celebrating that one was my favorite. 

Speaker 6 (14:03):

I remember that one. That was awesome. 

Speaker 7 (14:05):

Yeah, that was a really fun time. 

Speaker 6 (14:08):

Who were your favorite guys to hang around? 

Speaker 7 (14:10):

Yeah, so my best friend was probably, he was only around my first year, but Lazar, he's from Serbia, plays at UCLA now. I got involved with the program when he had come over from Serbia and he had never been to America before. He didn't know anyone here and I was just getting involved with the team, so we kind of became friends. He kind of needed someone to talk to and whatnot, and I was looking for people to get to know, so Lazar was probably my best friend. We had another guy, Marco Anthony, he was around the two years I was there. Super nice guy. Prior to coming to Utah, he was at Utah State and before that he won the national championship with Virginia, so he has a ton of great experiences that he can share in college basketball, saw a lot of cool things, and so he was a really nice down to earth dude. And then another good friend was Gabe Matson, actually. We grew up in the same area, knew a lot of the same people and he's kind of like a hippie, I guess. Most people kind of see him with the long hair and the tattoos, and he kind of gives that vibe, but super nice dude and down to earth and yeah, I'd say those three guys were my best friends. 

Speaker 6 (15:40):

Okay. Last question. What do you think of Utah being in the Big 12 this year with some basketball powerhouses? How do you think we're going to do? 

Speaker 7 (15:48):

Yeah, I mean, I'm excited to see how we do. It's definitely a step up from the PAC 12. There's no doubt about that. You have some great programs in the Big 12. I think five teams ranked in the top 10 to start the season, so got to learn a lot about ourselves, but it's exciting. Then you really get a feel of who we are as a team. And I feel, I mean, I really love the staff coach Smith and everyone I got to know while I was with the team there, they're really great basketball mines and they know the game and they're great people too, so I know that they'll be able to bring in the right people to make sure we're competitive. Yeah, I mean, I'm just excited. I know that there's not really high expectations for the team, but you never know what can happen. It's nice that we have a pretty new team. It seems like a lot of transfers, a lot of guys left from last year, so maybe expectations aren't high because people just don't know what we are, and there's a chance we could be a good team. It's just exciting to have all these great programs that are going to come to town and play the youths, and we can really see how we match up. So it'll be, I'm excited. 

Speaker 1 (17:05):

Wow. From prepping the stadium to hosting team dinners, student managers are an integral part to making basketball game day a success. To conclude, we have a conversation with Robbie Pearson, Natalie Newton to Co Lopez and myself encompassing Utah. Basketball's outstanding starts to their seasons, our amazing coaches, and the atmosphere of the Huntsman on game day. All right, and women's basketball. I want to hear about it. Natalie, how about you kick us off with women's basketball? 

Speaker 6 (17:37):

Oh, I'm so stoked. I'm so excited. I played basketball my whole life. Wait, I'm still alive. I have played basketball my whole life, and I grew up going to these games and watching the women play, so I've always been a huge fan, and they've been really good The last few seasons. Went to the tournament last year, they played in this really great conference. The PAC 12 has a history of being a really great women's basketball conference, and so this season should be so good for them. I'm so excited. We have Deanna Kins back from injury, and we have this new conference that will be, I think so interesting to play in, and they have showed signs of dominance so far. Was anyone else at the game last night against McNee? What was the final score? 

Speaker 8 (18:20):

Oh, we absolutely destroyed them. It was like 101 hundred 18 to 50. 

Speaker 6 (18:25):

Okay. Yeah, 

Speaker 8 (18:26):

It was a slaughterhouse. 

Speaker 6 (18:28):

Yeah, so I think I'm so excited. I think that the team has some great chemistry they've built. I think Lynn Roberts is a great head coach, so I'm stoked. I think it's going to be a great year. 

Speaker 1 (18:37):

Good, good. I want to hear more because you just addressed three of my talking points, so you have a lot of information. Natalie, I need to know, Robbie, what do you know about women's basketball here? 

Speaker 8 (18:47):

I'm not as invested in the basketball team as other sports would be. I don't know a lot of their names, but I have worked quite a few women's basketball games, both for here at the university and back when we were in Pac 12, I used to be able to sit down and just watch the games. That was part of my job was setting up and then just being able to watch the game. So definitely it's always fun to watch women's basketball play. I mean, a lot of people, I guess this could just be my thought, but a lot of people have a massive following for men's basketball and not so much for women's basketball, but they're good. It was definitely fun to see that. We have a good women's basketball team here that we can support, and it's so fun to watch their games. I mean, last night when I was working the game, we scored how many? Three pointers. 

Speaker 6 (19:42):

Oh gosh, 

Speaker 8 (19:42):

A lot. So many. So many. 

Speaker 6 (19:44):

Yeah. Threes for threes all over the place. 

Speaker 8 (19:46):

But yeah, the ability of the team is just so fun to get behind, and it's always a pleasure to go watch their games. 

Speaker 1 (19:53):

Absolutely. I think we're seeing a common theme of dominant Utah women's sports that need more love. Yeah, definitely love to hear that go. 

Speaker 2 (20:02):

I did go to the game on Monday. That was super cool. I didn't say the whole time, just I had to work. But even last year watching them, they're so fun to watch. I love our women's basketball team. I definitely am just huge women's sports supporter here at the U, and I just love watching the more popularity and I hope they gain more, especially entering this new season. But yeah, we looked so good. That's three pointers. Everything that everyone's talked about, they look, look really good. 

Speaker 1 (20:35):

Good. Great. And I think this would be a good segue to talk about the men's basketball season. So what do we feel about that? 

Speaker 6 (20:44):

I definitely think it will be interesting. It's funny, the switching of conferences is very different for men and women. The big 12 going from the PAC 12 to the Big 12 for women was kind of a downgrade because the PAC 12 is so good and the big 12 is not as good, but for the men, this is going to be a challenge, more of a challenge than the PAC 12 was because the Big 12 is so good at basketball programs like Kansas and Texas Tech and our men's team is going to do their best for sure. But I just think it will be interesting to see. I think have, I think we're doing better than I thought we would this year, watching the team. I'm excited. I think we have some great players. I think we have some great new guys, and I like Craig Smith. I like the coach, so I think it'll be a good year. 

Speaker 1 (21:38):

Right on. That's great. Robbie, do 

Speaker 8 (21:39):

You have any thoughts? Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I'm pretty sure last year did we lose Brandon Carlson? We did. We did. Yeah. So he was one of the star players on the men's basketball team. I mean, you had, or at least they were giving out posters at the PHC where it was literally the windmill dunk that he had. I don't know against what team, but I thought it was BYU that he did that against. 

Speaker 6 (22:03):

I don't remember. 

Speaker 8 (22:03):

I don't remember. But anyways, he was definitely one of the star players on the team. And when I have seen some of the men's basketball games so far that they've played, we have a decent amount of players now that we can start backing behind. I believe number zero, I forget his name. Someone could help me out here little. No, he has white hair, almost 

Speaker 6 (22:32):

White hair. Interesting. Oh, hunter 

Speaker 8 (22:33):

Erickson. Hunter Erickson. Thank you. Hunter Erickson, definitely seeing some of what he can do is amazing, and I'm looking forward to the season. I feel like this could be, or at least in my thought, it could be a shock if we can see our team do well in this new conference, it would be amazing. It would be a huge back game for the next year after that. 

Speaker 1 (22:57):

Right. That's good. Cody, any thoughts? 

Speaker 2 (23:00):

Yeah, this season is going to be a challenge. One of the best basketball conferences in the country, the teams that were playing heavy hitters, and I really hope that people, I mean, when we played Arizona last year, that stadium was packed. Maybe it was just to see Arizona play, but 

Speaker 2 (23:18):

That stadium was packed. So I'm really hoping when we play teams like Kansas, even BYU, I really hope that we can just fill that stadium and support our boys. It's just, yeah, I'm hoping entering this conference and changing the way that we play and look at basketball again, I'm really hoping we get that team that we were a basketball school before we were a football school, and I'm really hoping that we can get back to being a basketball school again and being in tournaments like we were. But I'm really excited for this new competition for to play. 

Speaker 1 (23:52):

Absolutely. Thank you for the insights. I think, like you said, we were a basketball school first and foremost, so I think it's important that we try and get back to that train that we were on in history, but all right guys. I guess next I'm going to ask about just overall the atmosphere of the Huntsman Center. What is it like, I know for Robbie and Natalie especially, I'd love your insight. What's it like? How's the energy? How are the people? 

Speaker 6 (24:19):

I think that when the stadium is full or the arena is full, you can tell last year, I dunno if anyone went to the BYU game at home, it's 

Speaker 1 (24:28):

Crazy. 

Speaker 6 (24:29):

It was awesome. All the way up to the upper bowl was totally packed, and when Utah fans show up, they really show up and they really support. It's not like a lackluster crowd. So I think that that is where the focus maybe needs to be is just getting fans to the game. Once they get to the game, they're good. So we need to really fill that lower bowl especially. And if we can get people in the upper bowl, that's great too. But yeah, I think the crowd at the Huntsman is always great, 

Speaker 8 (25:00):

And there's so many plays in men's basketball that can absolutely hype up the arena. I mean, whenever you see a massive dunk happen, you get out of your seat sometimes. It's so fun to see those. And if we're able to get fans into the arena, another major thing that our must section especially likes to do is have these signs up and whenever the opposing team is taking their free throws, they go absolutely crazy and they hold up these signs and if someone misses a free throw, it's like you let the whole team, those chants is just so fun to see for a fan perspective. And also just working the games. It's so fun to see fans hyping up this team, even if we're going into this new conference and if we're not going to do that, well, I would love to see our must section and the stadiums not stadium arena. I would love to see it just keep being packed. The fans are so, so important for the team. 

Speaker 3 (26:08):

So true. 

Speaker 2 (26:10):

Yeah. I love going to the Huntsman. I think it's such a fun atmosphere. When I was younger, my dad would take me to basketball games all the time, and I thought I had magical powers. Whenever I'd be like, let's go you talk, they would score. 

Speaker 2 (26:25):

And I still think that of that till this day you have, thinking back to a five-year-old Dakota of thinking she had that much power over a play or something. I think if all of our fans had that mindset, we could be so unstoppable. We might not have the best season or whatever, but showing up and supporting them is so huge. And that atmosphere has always been so fun. Even when we play smaller teams, just the community is so tight knit in the muss, the same people are going to show up that usually show up and you just gain these friendships within at least the student section. And even season ticket holders that I know that have always gone to those games, they have so much fun. Everybody knows everyone. And I think that's so fun to see within a bigger, not a bigger sport community, but just a college community, not a high school community, which is really fun to see. That's 

Speaker 8 (27:29):

Been right on. I do have a quick question. Just it popped into my head, and Natalie, you might know there's always this, at least one recognizable muss student who is at the very front in the Huntsman Center and he has this long beard. 

Speaker 6 (27:45):

Oh yeah. 

Speaker 8 (27:45):

Do you possibly know him? Every time I've worked a basketball game, he's always there and he's always yelling at the other team during free throws. He's always hyping it up. It, it's always so fun to see. And yeah, sorry, that was just a point that I wanted to make. Do you possibly know who he is? 

Speaker 6 (28:04):

Yeah, so that's a guy, he's part of what they call Craig's crew. There's these four, I think there's four of guys who are at all the men's basketball games and Craig's the head coach, and so he's one of them. So that's why he's everywhere. They also, I think, are the shirtless guys at the football games. 

Speaker 8 (28:21):

Yes, yes, 

Speaker 6 (28:22):

Definitely. So they're pig fans 

Speaker 8 (28:24):

And they write Utah on their 

Speaker 6 (28:26):

Their chest. Yeah, naked chests. So yeah, that's Craig's crew. 

Speaker 1 (28:30):

All right, cool. Craig's crew. That's funny. Wasn't high school musical film at the Huntsman part. 

Speaker 6 (28:36):

It was, yeah. 

Speaker 1 (28:37):

So I bet some that energy still lingers there. When you said magic, I was like, I think there's still probably some high school musical magic. Zach got Ron left down there. And I guess on the topic of Craig's crew, just going to want to get a few insights on the head coaches, both Craig Smith and Lynn Roberts. If you guys had any insight, any praise, I'd love to hear it. 

Speaker 6 (29:01):

Alan. I have high praise for Lynn Roberts. I am the biggest Lynn Roberts fan. I think she's done amazing things for this program. They weren't always the best, but she's built it into something really special. I think she has a real talent for identifying and developing players. We just had Alyssa Pealy drafted to the WNBA, she played for Lynn, and then some of these other girls, Gianna napkins and Quiera. I think that Lynn has a real, real talent when it comes to developing players and identifying them early on. So I really love Lynn and the team that she's built. I can talk about Craig too. Do you want me to talk about Craig? 

Speaker 1 (29:38):

For sure. Yeah, 

Speaker 6 (29:39):

Craig, the jury's still out on Craig. I think he has some things to prove still, but I am excited to see what he can do. Talked to him a few times and he seems like a very nice guy. So I think that he has potential as well. Just like the men's basketball team. I think the men's basketball team is a lot of unknowns. I think there's a lot of question marks there, so I'm interested to see what the answers are this season. 

Speaker 8 (30:10):

If I could just say something quickly. I don't know too much about the coaches themselves and the way they coach and train the team, but something that I've seen at basketball both men's and women's, is how close the coach is to the team. If a major point happens, you can see the entire bench and the coach getting absolutely hype. It's so fun seeing that. And sometimes I think I saw this, I sometimes even see the coaches high fiving the players on their way back to the other side. It's so fun to see the involvement the coaches have during the game. I mean, when you have sports like football, you can't really hear the coach as much when in the stadium, but I feel like in the Huntsman you can definitely feel the coach's presence during the game. And I think that's just something that's so cool about basketball. 

Speaker 2 (31:04):

What I like about both of them is they love this school so much, 

Speaker 2 (31:07):

Especially when Craig was hired. I remember seeing so much about him being so excited to be at the U and I was just like, wow, that's so refreshing. I feel like I hadn't seen that much media put out whenever, and I feel like it's been forever since any sport at the, you've hired a new coach. But I was like, wow, this is really refreshing. He's so excited to be here. He's so excited to help in whatever way he can for this program. And yeah, I agree. There's so, so much unknowns with the men's program, but at least I know that he loves this school. He wants us to show up, he wants us to support his team and everything. And same with Lynn. She loves this school. Even watching everything that happened with the NCAA tournament last year with them, it was just like she loved and protected her players so much and she wanted to protect our school and what we stand for and make it so known throughout that tournament and everything that they had to endure. She loves her players and I agree. It's their family and they're just like they mom and dad, and it's just so fun to watch that they really genuinely care for these kids that they play. 

Speaker 1 (32:14):

Amazing. I love hearing it. I guess to end on a final question would be both these teams are off to strong starts. There's nothing to be concerned of as of yet when it comes to the season, although it's going to be tough for men's and women's respectably, and I just want to hear how important is it that people make it out to these games and cause that trouble for those free throws to go wrong for the other team? How do we get that energy up? 

Speaker 8 (32:44):

I mean, right now where we're at, as you said season started off, well, if we keep showing up to the games and we keep giving this mood and environment in the arena, hopefully we can continue this train. We don't want to just abandon the team when they're on a hot streak. That's one of the worst things you can do. So I feel like right now if we're on this victory train, we should definitely be showing up. 

Speaker 6 (33:13):

Yeah, I think fans are huge. I think that it's kind of been the theme of this podcast, I feel like is how much the crowd affects the game and how important it is to have people show up. And it's also fun. You're in college, go to your teams games, this is the time to do it. You get in for free and you're with all your friends and your peers. So I think people need to show up. 

Speaker 2 (33:40):

We play huge teams at home this season, at least for men's. I don't know who we play at home in conference play for women's. We play Texas Tech, we play Kansas and BYU at home. That's crazy that we play those teams and yeah, we'll play other teams away. I think we play Arizona Way and Houston. I was looking at, we play away, but we need to show up for our boys and our girls in this huge conference. Even the women's team at BYU, they usually have a good streak too. So if we can show up, I know it's the rivalry game, but we need to show up for these games and just keep supporting and keep supporting. It's so important. I know they mean in one of my wards at church, I was in one with all the basketball teams and they would just be like, guys come, just show up, please, whatever. And I was like, okay. And it's so fun to go, even if you don't really, I don't even know them that well, and I still would. And I was like, I know that guy. Pay attention to who's around you go support them. It means the world to them. Yeah. 

Speaker 1 (34:45):

Awesome. Well, thank you guys. Any closing remarks? Go. Thank you so much guys. I appreciate it. Join us next week for some more updates on Utah Athletics, and as always, thanks for listening.

Speaker 1 (00:02):

Welcome to Gooped and Gabbed. I'm Mason Meir, and for this week's episode, we're going to dive into the controversy surrounding Blake Lively and her role in the new movie. It Ends With Us. I am here with 

Speaker 2 (00:18):

Lane Karlberg. 

Speaker 1 (00:19):

Okay. To start things off, have you read the book? Have you seen the movie? What context do you have? 

Speaker 2 (00:24):

I've only watched the movie, so I have no idea what it's meant to be based off of, but I got the gist after seeing it 

Speaker 1 (00:32):

First. Let's go into some historical controversy. Blake has kind of gotten away with a lot because she's kind of like the popular it girl. She's been like that diva that usually just gets away with stuff because she's pretty and powerful and she's married to a famous person and she's like a npo baby. 

Speaker 2 (00:51):

She's a nipple baby. 

Speaker 1 (00:52):

Yeah. Okay. I have something to say about that. So she's a nipple baby. Her sister was in a bunch of stuff and her parents are all actors as well, and so her whole family was already an acting family. I think her sister's name's Rob. Her sister's name is Robin Lively, and she was kind of one of those really, really popular actors or actresses I guess I should say, in the 1980s. And so she's a full NPO baby. Entirely 

Speaker 2 (01:19):

NPO baby. I knew her from Gossip Girl and then didn't see her for a while, and then I know everybody's obsessed with her and Ryan Reynolds. 

Speaker 1 (01:26):

Yes. Well, for the Gossip Girl, the drama behind that of why people have been like, Hmm, maybe she's not nice, maybe she's not a good person, is that no one from the entire cast of Seven Seasons Gossip Girl is a long show, seven Seasons worth, and no one follows her. 

Speaker 2 (01:42):

Oh, I knew she has beef with the girl. Her name is Leighton. 

Speaker 1 (01:46):

Yes. 

Speaker 2 (01:47):

Who played, 

Speaker 1 (01:47):

She's beef with her. She's beef with everyone. She's beef with the entire cast. No one and the rest of them all follow each other. And so that was kind of the people's first tipping point of like, okay, maybe she's not nice and maybe we shouldn't think she's this sweetheart because she's branding her as a sweetheart and usually those people aren't nice if that's your brand. And so she had a lot of controversy behind it, the actual cast, but going into the NPO baby stuff with the actual Gossip Girl cast, she can't act, but the roles that she goes into are usually the roles of the rich, pretty famous girl that's super powerful and super mean, and so people just think that she's not acting. That's the drama, which is why there's so much drama with the current show because it ends with us. She didn't portray the character, which we'll get into, but I want to go through some other controversy really quick. So she got married on a plantation. Did you hear about that? 

Speaker 2 (02:41):

Wait, what? 

Speaker 1 (02:42):

She got married on a plantation. She got married on a actual historical plantation where people were enslaved. She thought it was pretty. 

Speaker 2 (02:50):

Oh, 

Speaker 1 (02:51):

She was like, it was on my Pinterest boards. What am I supposed to do and not get married there? Yeah, you think you wouldn't drama on every set she's in. We talked about Gossip Girl, we talked about, well, we're going to talk about ends with us, but during the Me Too movement, she was saying very kind things about Harvey Weinstein. Do you know who Harvey Weinstein is? 

Speaker 2 (03:11):

I know he's the one that touched actors. 

Speaker 1 (03:16):

Yeah, so he was one of the beginning points of the Me Too movement when people were like, oh yeah, he touched me too. He was creepy to me too. Yeah, he was one of the pivotal people when everything came out, she was like, I never had any issues with him. He's really nice. Instead of being like, that's creepy, she, well, this is what's I don't understand about Colleen Hoover and the director's choice with casting her is she said that it was hard to believe the victims of Harvey Weinstein because they didn't come out sooner, which is like 

Speaker 2 (03:44):

Lively or 

Speaker 1 (03:46):

Blake Lively said that about all the victims. So she was like, yeah, it's hard to believe them because they took so long to come forward, which is class a gaslighting of a victim and survivor's experience. 

Speaker 2 (03:59):

Crazy thing to say also because crazy 

Speaker 1 (04:02):

Thing to say, 

Speaker 2 (04:03):

Now she's being like, oh, victims, they don't matter. 

Speaker 1 (04:07):

Yes. What? Seriously, another controversy, the mean interviews that she's done. Did you see that one clip the interview that made me want to quit my job? 

Speaker 2 (04:18):

Is it with that woman that just had the miscarriage? 

Speaker 1 (04:20):

Yes. 

Speaker 2 (04:21):

Okay, 

Speaker 1 (04:21):

So in this interview, which we'll roll a clip, but in this interview she's talking to this interviewer who is really sweet. She's a really nice lady, and Blake lightly just announced that she's pregnant and she says, congrats on your bump. And Blake gladly looks at her and says, congrats on your bump. And this lady just had a miscarriage and has had infertility issues her entire life. First of all, congrats on your little bump. 

Speaker 3 (04:43):

Congrats on your little bump. 

Speaker 1 (04:45):

What about my bump? What mean girl, that's just mean girl stuff. And the most recent interview that she did about the film, they were asking her about if someone came up to you and wanted to talk to you about the impact that the film had on you, what would you say? And she said, what did they want my number? Do you want my address? I try to be creepy. Instead of being like, oh, I'm happy to help you work through your domestic violence issues like she made it about her. 

Speaker 4 (05:12):

I'm going to jump into this end. Blake, I'm going to start with you. Most of us, if we're lucky enough to run into a celebrity in public, we only have a few moments to maybe speak with you guys, but for people who see this movie who are late to the topics of this movie on a deeply personal level, they're really going to want to talk to you. This movie is going to affect people and they're going to want to tell you about their lives. So if someone understands the themes of this movie comes across you in public and they want to really talk to you, what's the best way for them to be able to talk to you about this? How would you recommend they go about it? 

Speaker 3 (05:41):

Asking for my address or my phone number or my location share. I could just location share you and then we could, I'm just curious. Social security number. I'm a Virgo, so I'm like, are we talking 

Speaker 2 (05:54):

Logistics? Are we talking emotionally? Now? She's a symbol basically for this community. She portrayed a character that was in this type of relationship, so it's like obviously people are going to find comfort in her because they're like, oh, I relate to that. I went through something similar 

Speaker 1 (06:12):

A hundred percent. And that's the whole point of what the book and the movie trying to do is they were trying to help identify the easy ways that you could fall into domestic violence and seeing someone that was able to get out of it and break the cycle and find resonance with that and instead she's been this, it's so drama. Okay. Kennedy was able to get ahold of the owner of a social media account that talks about a lot of drama and controversy, and she has some good background information about the Blake Lively controversy. 

Speaker 5 (06:40):

One of the most anticipated movies of the 2024 Summer not only brought an award-winning books to life, but also a sweeping controversy that took over the internet. It ends with us, is a story created by author Colleen Hoover about a florist Lily Bloom who falls in love with a neurosurgeon named Ryle. Their relationship soon turns into a violence targeted approach that relates to the abuse she saw between her parents while growing up breaking the cycle. A childhood friend named Atlas Reappears in her life, Justin Baldoni, who is known for his role in Jane the Virgin, which aired on the CW directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Hoover's book alongside the film producer Blake Lively, known from the cws Gossip Girl. The book grasped the interest of readers because it is a sensitive topic that does not get portrayed in the media in the ways that survivors would want it to. 

Speaker 5 (07:40):

Since the book gave a chance to really show what a domestic violence relationship can be and how the victim can feel while being in it, the expectation for the movie was pretty high. Instead of promoting this movie in a sensible manner, though lively playing the main character of Lily Bloom took the opportunity to promote her hair. Caroline call the film a chance for a fun night with friends and dismiss questions about the domestic violence message in the movie, which immediately turned to the long awaiting fans to feel like she was not taking the movie as seriously as she should have, which also makes it feel like she did not care about the tone of the film or the book hearing from someone who had read the book and avoided seeing the movie because of the bad press it was receiving. University of Utah, senior Carmel Rugal talks about her stance on Blake Lively's portrayal. 

Speaker 6 (08:33):

I've seen Justin Baldon act and I feel like he can do the zero to a hundred anger really, really well. I've seen him, Jane the Virgin, but honestly, I feel like Blake Lively is kind of, I Blake lively as much as the next person, but I feel like she is kind of like a Kevin Hart, Dwayne the Rock Johnson, she's this Blake Lively actor. She plays her characters well, but it's because her characters are kind of to each other. Yeah, I just don't feel like she played that she would've played that very, very well. She wouldn't have been my go-to actress. Maybe she did read the book and she only got to before he actually first pushed her or something. I just don't feel like she really understood kind of what she was supposed to be portraying. 

Speaker 7 (09:13):

Do you think you'll still end up watching the movie just to see how it is or is it kind of like a Oh, I don't really care to see it as much as I did when I heard about it. 

Speaker 6 (09:25):

I definitely am not as excited to watch it for the same reasons, but I think I'll watch it just to, I hate to say it, but there's just some of you watch where you're like, I've heard this is so bad, I want to laugh at this. When you read a book, you want to see the movie. Just to kind of see how, I guess their take on it is I'd probably still watch it just for other reasons. 

Speaker 7 (09:48):

Yeah, I think it's different kind of comparing to Bridger Tin. People read the books and they have this really good idea of how it would play out in a movie or a show sense, and then when they transform it and it's so perfectly done and it matches the book really well, it's like, okay, this is great. It's almost your imagination is brought to life which people love. So now that this book had that and it had the opportunity to bring it to life and it kind of failed it a little bit, I feel like that's a really good reason to just kind of be like, I don't want to ruin the book for me anymore. 

Speaker 6 (10:28):

Yeah, I agree. 

Speaker 5 (10:34):

DUIs a popular source for all things. Pop culture also offered their stance on this movie and its press from an insider field. Since DUIs is entirely anonymous, we got emailed answers for further thoughts on the situation at hand. When asked, how do you feel about the situation of Blake Lively and her promotion for this movie about domestic violence from a more involved side of Hollywood? Their reply said There seemed to be two ideas about how the movie was to be marketed. That seemed to be part of the reason for the divide between Justin Baldon and the rest of the cast, and one could assume that that is part of the reason why he did not participate in press with the rest of the cast. So we asked Lively involved on the creative side of the movie as well. Do you think her involvement with that hindered how she actually viewed the making of the movie, which they replied? No, I just think she had a specific creative vision and Justin had a different creative vision, and finally we asked, we are sure that you get so many questions about celebrities, but what was your opinion on the movie? And they responded, I liked the movie, however, I thought it was odd how at the end they made rile seem so remorseful and Lily sympathetic to him that I found myself feeling bad for him. Then I was like, why am I sympathizing with an abuser? 

Speaker 1 (11:52):

Okay, let's talk the actual structure. It ends with us. The original book was written by Colleen Hoover. It follows a main character named Lily Bloom, who is a young woman who's trying to move to Boston and open a flower shop. She meets the other main character while Kincaid, who's a super dreamy, sexy neurosurgeon, and they fall in love and they're obsessed with each other. 

Speaker 2 (12:14):

So she's in her early twenties, right? 

Speaker 1 (12:16):

Yes. 

Speaker 2 (12:17):

Okay, and he's a doctor? 

Speaker 1 (12:19):

Yes. 

Speaker 2 (12:19):

So that means there's already a large age gap. 

Speaker 1 (12:22):

Very large. She's like early twenties, probably our age, like 23 ish. And then he's like some 

Speaker 2 (12:27):

Doctors, they're 

Speaker 1 (12:28):

Old. He's a surgeon, and so to be a neurosurgeon you have to be 

Speaker 2 (12:33):

40, 35 

Speaker 1 (12:36):

To 40, and that's if you were hustling and you got every single match and everything. Oh, okay. Already a large age gap here, which is kind of icky. So Ry the neurosurgeon, they fall in love and he ends up showing these really scary glimpses of abusive behavior and he's like, oh, I'm so sorry. That was so unlike me. But she starts to realize, oh, this is very much like him. This is my reality now. And she learns how to walk away even though she had just found out that she's pregnant and she has this great life. Her best friend is this guy's sister, and so it's just really, really involved and she learned how to go away and that's the whole point of the book is it could be the worst situation, but if these warning signs are showing you have to walk away, it's going to get worse. 

Speaker 2 (13:21):

And 

Speaker 1 (13:22):

She even has all these back flashes, is that the word? 

Speaker 2 (13:25):

Flashbacks? Flashbacks, Backes, 

Speaker 1 (13:27):

Backlashes. She even has all these flashbacks to her childhood where her mom was being heavily abused by her dad and almost all of that was cut from the movie. Do you remember any of those? 

Speaker 2 (13:40):

Yeah, so the movie, I was a little confused at first because it starts off with her dad's funeral and she's like, I can't say anything nice about him. And I'm like, 

Speaker 4 (13:49):

Why? 

Speaker 2 (13:50):

Literally why? And then it literally just shows one scene of him on top of her mom, and I assume he's assaulting her, but other than that, and then it shows another flashback where he beats the shit out of the guy she's seeing. But other than that, I don't think there was much reference to it, 

Speaker 1 (14:08):

Which is so drama because in the book she has a journal and the entirety of the journal is just her experiences with her dad abusing her mom and her having to watch it. And so they completely missed the mark on that, which that's one of the biggest controversies of the movie. Is that Justin Bald? Do you know who he is? 

Speaker 2 (14:26):

Yes. 

Speaker 1 (14:26):

Yeah, he's the guy. Yeah, he's the dreamy plastic surgeon or neurosurgeon, I guess. 

Speaker 2 (14:31):

I love him in real life. 

Speaker 1 (14:32):

Yeah, he's a really good guy in real life. Do you know that he wrote two books about domestic violence years ago he wrote, let me see what the names are. He wrote, man Enough, undefining My Masculinity, and then a children's book called Boys will Be Human Trying to Deconstruct. The Boys will Be Boys Narrative 

Speaker 2 (14:47):

Genius, 

Speaker 1 (14:47):

Super great. 

Speaker 2 (14:48):

I saw him in Jane the Virgin when that first came out. 

Speaker 1 (14:51):

Yeah, that's the start I think. 

Speaker 2 (14:52):

Yeah. And then I would see him, he would do podcasts every now and then where he was referencing, not referencing, but just talking about these things and I'm like, you seem like a good person. 

Speaker 1 (15:03):

He's been out spoken forever. He's had books, he's had interviews in his bio. When he got cast as the part, not even when the movie was playing, he changed his bio to the link for domestic violence crisis help a good guy. And he's the director as well. Did you know that? 

Speaker 2 (15:20):

Okay. Yeah, 

Speaker 1 (15:20):

He's the director and he is the main lead role, and his whole goal was to keep it as to the book as possible because the book was really well structured. It had all the things that you needed about the context about the actual abuse, the sneaky ways that it'll start manifesting while you're vulnerable and believing that this person is a good person to you and you want to see the best in people. It shows all of that so well. But then Lively, going back to that Nepo baby entitlement, she ruined it. She said in one of her interviews on the red carpet before it ends with us that she feels insecure because she can't mold herself into any role and she needs creative freedom over a character so she can make it how she wants it to be because she can't act. 

Speaker 2 (16:08):

Yeah, I don't like that. 

Speaker 1 (16:09):

No, imagine having to change the entirety of a character because you don't know how to act and trying to make it so it makes more sense for you. 

Speaker 2 (16:18):

She shouldn't be casted in those roles then 

Speaker 1 (16:20):

Bingo, she's not an actress, she's a nepo baby, and so that's the whole problem. But with all of her different casts and all of her roles has been pegged as kind of like the diva brat 

Speaker 6 (16:31):

Who 

Speaker 1 (16:32):

Basically, if there's a problem or she doesn't like something or she doesn't like someone, she'll get them kicked off, she'll get them fired, she'll have the script changed, and at some point Brian Reynolds came into the picture and decided to get his little wormy hands on everything and change the film. 

Speaker 2 (16:47):

Did he really? 

Speaker 1 (16:47):

Yes. Ryan Reynolds changed a lot of the script. There's multiple scenes that he rewrote because apparently during all of this, guess who got really buddy-buddy with Colleen Hoover, the infamous couple, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. 

Speaker 2 (17:02):

And 

Speaker 1 (17:02):

So they got really close as friends during out all of this, and Ryan was like, Hey, allegedly. He said, Hey, you kind of need to change this. I think this would be better this way. I think Blake can handle this role better this way, and got his hands on it and changed a lot of the script. That beginning scene where they're kind of getting to meet each other on the rooftop or whatever, the book is very, very, very different in the way that it structures it. The entire scene was changed and the entire time was trying to say, guys, this is not the book you were doing. DV a disservice. The victims of domestic violence deserve to have a narrative and they didn't care because they were trying to do, what is it called, the Barbie Oppenheimer word? What is that? The combo 

Speaker 2 (17:52):

Heimer 

Speaker 1 (17:52):

Heimer. They tried to do something like that. They came out the same day. 

Speaker 2 (17:55):

Okay. 

Speaker 1 (17:55):

Yeah, so Ryan Reynolds movie and Blake Wiley's movie, they were kind of coming out similar timelines. They wanted both of them to be the biggest B office, so they got involved in each other's movies. 

Speaker 2 (18:06):

Okay. I remember during a red carpet, Blake Lively pointed at the Deadpool Wolverine poster or whatever it is. 

Speaker 1 (18:14):

So they were trying to make it so they were both publicizing each other's movies because they did brand deals involved with it. It's all about the money at the end of the day. So Blake, did you hear about her haircare brand and all of the stuff that she tried to do during I 

Speaker 2 (18:28):

Didn't know she had it until I saw a bunch of stuff on social media during the press tour and also the hair didn't look good. 

Speaker 1 (18:38):

Okay, so that's GOs because it's a bad product, it's not good, and so that's the gossip first and foremost, but the fact that you heard about it on a press tour for a domestic violence movie is crazy. That's actually crazy. And that's one of the things that she's gotten a lot of heat for is she has done so much to bring in her haircare and to promote her hairline. A lot of people that have come up about the movie that didn't read the book said that the way that Blake was structuring all of the press, they thought it was just going to be like a fun little rom-com with the girls. 

Speaker 2 (19:15):

I also thought that too until I watched the movie because all the things I saw about it just made it seem like it was going to be a romantic movie. 

Speaker 3 (19:25):

Hello, Blake Lively here, Colleen Hoover and it ends with us is in theaters now. So grab your friends, wear your florals and head out to see it. 

Speaker 1 (19:33):

By the way, the wardrobe situation, she did all of it. None of the wardrobe was how the girl dressed in the book 

Speaker 2 (19:41):

Really, 

Speaker 1 (19:41):

But she wanted to wear her clothes. Those are her clothes 

Speaker 2 (19:46):

They gave remember, oh, was it like 20 18, 20 19 or those wearing those cow print, oh God, pastels 

Speaker 4 (19:53):

Kind 

Speaker 2 (19:54):

Of things. It was like, why are we mixing those patterns together? They don't look good. That's what he was giving. 

Speaker 1 (19:58):

It was trying too hard. They were trying to almost bring back the 2000 twelves, which no one should bring back the 2000 twelves. 

Speaker 2 (20:05):

It was trying to make her I'm different and it's like why 

Speaker 1 (20:09):

She was trying too hard. And that's the whole thing is she tries too hard with how nice she is and she tries too hard with her clothes and her roles because she's a fraud. And I'll stand by that. You can see the craziest juxtaposition of Justin Baldon and having books written about domestic violence, having his whole entire Instagram page be about resources for women having interviews for the past 10 years being an active part of the Me Too movement, and after weeks and weeks of promoting her haircare line, she finally did one singular post. It was an Instagram story about one to four women being impacted by violence and then having the hotline number and then moved on from it. 

Speaker 2 (20:51):

As a woman personally, seeing the way she's acted towards this whole topic, especially since it is a man or woman couple, it's something that a lot of people women have experience with sadly, and so it kind of hurts just because not any big name movies or actors that do films that represent this specific topic. And so it kind of hurts to see the way she's acting about it as a woman that plays the character 

Speaker 1 (21:21):

Well, just shows how to touch. She is, I can't imagine having a really incredible position to be part of something that was meant to take awareness and bring it to something that is really dangerous and that so many people experience and then just make a joke out of it. Make a joke out of it. Talk about your haircare line. That sucks. It's not even go, if you're going to take away from awareness, then at least make it good. At least make it a product that people want. 

Speaker 2 (21:48):

She use it during the movie. 

Speaker 1 (21:49):

Yes, she used it during the movie. It's not good. 

Speaker 2 (21:53):

Her hair looked really dry. 

Speaker 1 (21:55):

It did. And I agree and I fear that you're right. I fear that this was not a good look on her or anyone. No. What's bad news? You had the experience to be able to talk to the Domestic Violence Coalition, right? 

Speaker 2 (22:13):

Yes. 

Speaker 1 (22:13):

Okay, let's roll that. 

Speaker 2 (22:16):

Today I had the privilege of talking to Annie Kushima, who works with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition as well as a gender professor here at the University of Huge Hospital. 

Speaker 8 (22:30):

Yes. I'm Dr. Annie Abel Fukushima. I'm Associate Dean of Undergraduate studies. I'm a professor in ethnic studies. I have been doing research on racialized and gender-based violence for gender over 20 years. And so I've been involved. I started off doing grassroots organizing a long time ago and since then also went to graduate school, studied issues of human trafficking, got domestic violence certified, also worked a lot with different community organizations, and now I'm on the board of the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition as well as, so I teach on these topics. So I think a lot about it and surprisingly, hopefully what comes through in the interview is I'm fairly optimistic even though it is a heavy topic. 

Speaker 2 (23:18):

So this movie mainly deals with intimate partner violence. Could you explain what that is in domestic violence? 

Speaker 8 (23:25):

Yeah, so intimate partner violence is oftentimes when people are in a relationship and they might be experiencing psychological or physical or emotional abuse from their partner. And we use the word the phrase intimate partner violence because we know that a partner can be same sex, could be heterosexual couples, it could be a variety of relationships, but it really is specifically about when people are in a relationship that is intimate, that means they might be lovers to married the whole range of intimacies when they have. 

Speaker 2 (24:02):

Yeah. Why do you think it is so difficult for people to leave these abusive relationships? 

Speaker 8 (24:09):

So when I was working and I used to do crisis response even for human trafficking and a range of other more severe, which is really tied to domestic violence because people oftentimes will be in intimate partnership with the very people that are trafficking them. But we also see this in domestic violence, and I remember we used to say that generally it oftentimes would take people up to seven times to try to leave. And the reason why we would have this average number was that it's not easy leaving somebody that you think you really love and actually there are real feelings of love. There really is lots of things that are bound up in it. That could be it. There's also other things that if you are cohabiting with your partner that there may be housing or finances that are tied or other things like a pet or children, other things that really keep you connected to that person, even friendships. 

Speaker 8 (25:06):

So oftentimes people are in a relationship with somebody who is really deeply interconnected with their friendship network. So there's a whole wide range of reasons why people might have difficulties leaving. And I guess one of the things that I've always contended with is not so much the difficulty. We know it's difficult making decisions like that for a variety of reasons. We know that people may lead, but go back to the very abusive relationship that they left. And we used to see that also in shelters where, and this is older now, policies and shelters have shifted quite a bit, but a long time ago, and I'm talking like 20 years ago, there used to be policies around confidential locations of shelters as well as no phone policies. And it wasn't to isolate survivors, but also to prevent perpetrators from finding them and then endangering the other residents. 

Speaker 8 (26:03):

It wasn't about not wanting people to have the autonomy to go back to relationships that they're choosing to go back to. But yeah, so there's a variety of reasons that people I think have difficulties leaving those relationships. They also, there's a lot of, especially the emotion and the psychological aspect of things is that, so they used to call it the cycles of violence. Maybe you've read about that is that's also what ties people to staying because they easily remember more so things when they're good and that kind of captures a person emotionally and mentally to imagine that possibly things could get better. So those kinds of dynamics really are, I think also what makes it difficult for people to leave is because yes, they may be experiencing severity of violence, but they also are experiencing these moments when things are good. And it's not to minimize that, 

Speaker 2 (27:02):

As I mentioned, Lily watched her mom be abused when she was younger. Is it common for people who witnessed this in their adolescence to either become an abuser themselves or become a victim in the future? 

Speaker 8 (27:17):

So I doing domestic violence certification training, one of the things that you learn is we all have the capacity to abuse. And I think that's an important thing to remember because I think that I don't want to perpetuate stereotypes that because people are victims, they become abusers or abused again, we live in a society where we actually, we as humans have that capacity to abuse another human being, whatever our histories are. But what the research shows is that when somebody survives violence early on in their early childhood, they're more likely to have other experiences in their life course. And so it is actually pretty common for people because they may have poor coping mechanisms. The trauma that they've experienced may actually for a healthy person who's grown up in healthy relationships, they may not see the red flags that other people are seeing or they may normalize the red flags. 

Speaker 8 (28:15):

And so that's kind of, I think part of the reasons why we might see people who are survivors of abuse, continue of child abuse from a wide range, you name it, continue to experience other forms of abuse in their life. The other part of your question where it's like, do people become perpetrators while that's actually part of the complex dynamics of domestic violence is that there is a stereotype that there is a abuser and then abused. But what we know is that oftentimes that to survive abusive dynamics is that survivors who might be not the primary abuser may participate in acts that might come across as abusing the other person as part of their survival because that is their dynamic. That is their unhealthy dynamic of psychological emotional abuse. So for example, they may themselves participate in name calling and all of that, but what we get at is, I think what's important is that oftentimes there are, we call primary abuser because there's somebody who has more of the psychological, emotional and physical power over the other person. 

Speaker 8 (29:30):

And I think that's what makes it sometimes confusing because women also have the capacity to abuse. And so I know that there are dynamics where people will see that, in example, not all relationships are heterosexual, but if they are heterosexual, sometimes abuser is the woman, the primary abuser is the woman. And so I think we don't want to lock ourselves in the stereotypes that it's men who abuse women, but that we all have the capacity to do that. And that it just depends on our commitments to healthy dynamics or our participation in unhealthy dynamics and how we move forward from that. Because all relationships have unhealthy dynamics that might emerge, but does it make every single relationship intimate partner violence? It might not necessarily fall into that threshold if the couple can really work through the unhealthy communication styles that they have, but when it becomes chronic and really a dynamic that the couple is clearly not escaping out of is when we're like, this is internet partner violence, whether it's psychological, emotional or physical, which working with survivors of violence is that people always think the physical abuse is the most traumatic for survivors. 

Speaker 8 (30:42):

But actually when I've worked with a lot of survivors, it was more about the emotional and psychological because you couldn't see it. Others couldn't necessarily see it. They were experiencing that and they felt very isolated. But when you see somebody with a black eye or something like that or some physical injury, it makes it, I think to other people more perceptible that something happened to that person. It's hard to imagine, and especially if they might have perceptions of the other person as being a nice person or a good person to imagine what is true, which is not their job to imagine that, but it makes it harder for survivors to talk about it. 

Speaker 2 (31:20):

So in the movie one of Lily's friends takes notice to the abuse, it is a physical sighting. And so as an outsider looking into a relationship and you notice that there are signs of an abuse, what is the best route to go to bring up to getting support for them? 

Speaker 8 (31:43):

We don't want to assume that everything is abuse. One of my friends has a medical condition that might impact where they might have bruising or physical things that happened to them. And I remember they looked like they had black eye. So I was like, I was like, how are you doing today? I was like, I just wanted to check in on you because I noticed. And they were like, oh, they're like, Annie, that's so sweet. You're so funny. They're like, actually, I'm fine. I'm just really tired and my medical condition is just flaring up right now. So on the positive side, I just reinforced from my friend that I was there to support them, that I really care about them, I noticed them and all of those things. And so I think it really starts with an invitation to see if a person is willing to share and talk about things, but we may not always have the capacity to hold that for our friends. 

Speaker 8 (32:40):

So I also don't want to put out a message that we should be therapists to our friends. It really is just trying our best to be present and being a good friend and being somebody who can resource them. If they do share things then that are troubling, it might be doing a soft connection to reminding them that there are therapy services available or connecting them to a hotline where somebody might be able to talk to them or visiting a website and I'm making that available to them. Or even offering if they wanted to walk or talk or have somebody there while they made a call that you would be willing to be there if they want that, if they don't, giving them the autonomy to have choice. So that's I think one of the hardest things is supporting folks through that choice and really leaving it to them and all of that. 

Speaker 8 (33:31):

And so that's what I would recommend or the steps is you give them options. And I think that's why it's really hard for survivors to leave abusive situations because also the fact is that if we really care about people being autonomous, having choice is that we really do have to honor the fact that sometimes they may continue to stay in an unhealthy dynamic for a really long time. And the fact is that we are not rescuers. We cannot rescue our friends from their situation. They have to make the choice to leave it. And that makes it really hard. It's different when you are dealing with children who are dependents of their parents or an elder when it comes to full autonomous adult who doesn't have maybe living with a disability and all of that where we have to maybe think differently about the support systems we surround them with. 

Speaker 8 (34:24):

Because what we also know is people who live with a disability are more likely to experience abuse in their life course than non-disabled people. So, or people who aren't living with a disability. So yeah, it's all complicated. And so I guess I would say is know what your resources are, connect people to those resources, be there to listen to them. And then also if they want you there when they're connecting with those resources offer to be there, but also know they may not want you there. Yeah, it's all really, yeah, and I think that's the hardest thing because I've had even colleagues who are professors who really want to handhold people through that. And I've had moments where I want to do that too, because you feel so much responsibility and fear about what will happen. And we all make, I think maybe not always the best decisions in those moments. 

Speaker 8 (35:17):

And so I think that at the end of the day, it is not our fault that this is happening. It is the fact that that perpetrator is perpetrating that abuse. They are the one who is responsible, and our responsibility is all we can do is put a hand out and hope that the person will connect, but you can't wrench a out of the situation. They will go back and it may even more so solidify them even more so with that person or create further isolation. And so I think that what we know is that rescue tactics of pulling people out of situations just don't work. And so it really is more about listening, giving people choice and trying to understand when they feel like they don't have choice, how we can support them in finding those options because it's complicated. So anyways, it's a long answer to that. 

Speaker 2 (36:14):

So my last few questions are about after the movie, the press releases afterwards, after the movie, Blake Lively during promotions, she mainly talk about her haircare line that she used during the movie or make humorous comments about the domestic violence itself and people reaching out to her specifically. And so many believe that she was not a good representation for this kind of movie and for a situation that tends to get swept under the rug. Do you think that's a fair assessment to make and the actors hold a responsibility for these characters that they play in these sensitive ice topic movies? 

Speaker 8 (37:01):

I see that's complicated because I think that we have so much expectations of our icons. We have expectations, but I think what I'm hearing, I don't know all the controversy around that, but what I'm hearing is that at the end of the day, what the audiences are reminded is lively as a person and is choosing to not be super connected to the roles that she is an actor is playing. And she's making a choice to do that. And the question becomes, well, how did she study for it then? How did she actually prepare and did she appropriately prepare? I'm not sure. I don't know where maybe, and you don't know. I guess one of the things on the other end is that, is Lively also a survivor who is trying to distance yourself from a situation? We don't know. The chances of many of us going through some form of violence in our lives is more likely than not. 

Speaker 8 (37:56):

And so I don't know. So I guess on the side of empathy, and I guess that's something I try to always hold in being a scholar activist, is that you just, I don't like to reproduce the us versus them kind of discourse because it is so much easier to do that, which is the strategies that we're seeing much more common nowadays. And also I think people think of what they hold us everyone to a standard that actually none of us can live up to. And so maybe Lively did fail her audiences, and that's something that she will have to contend with. And what's more important is not so much who lively is as a person, I think lively is irrelevant, right? It's the character that she portrayed that is more important. So the question becomes, did the character she portray actually, and so is the writers, was the writing good was, and I don't know how it went. 

Speaker 8 (38:54):

Was it very graphic? I know there's some criticisms when that happens too, is if it's too graphic or it doesn't get at people's lives beyond the abuse or it doesn't really do justice to how difficult it is to get. So I don't really know the ins and outs. So that would be something for you to think through is did the film itself though, regardless of who Lively is, do the character of which represents a representation of real people's lives, did do them justice? Who is missing? Who could we not see in this character, this specific character that don't get represented that we know? It's much more complicated. It already seems based on the quick look ahead of it is it's a heterosexual couple. And so you don't get to see that there's other kinds of couplings that happen in intimate partner violence. You also don't get to see that. 

Speaker 8 (39:50):

I think for a generation that may be making different kinds of decisions about their dating and all of that, it may not have represented a younger generation accurately or the way that they might feel seen. I'm not sure. And so those are kinds of the questions I think that can be asked racially, was it dynamic? Probably not. Lively is white. And so I don't know, but maybe it's a comment, I don't know. It's not to say we can't have white people represented. So those are just questions I would say I would focus more on the character and the narrative that gets disseminated there. At the end of the day, lively is an actor and do I care that much personally about Lively? I don't really care that much about Lively. I care more about what gets represented. And maybe that was still missing and it was easier in this kind of discourse it sounds like, to hang on the limitations on Lively, but did the writers also do a good do People's Lives Justice? I don't know. 

Speaker 8 (40:50):

So I guess it's like me kind of avoiding it. I don't really know Lively, and I don't care about Lively. I'm like, but I do know people's lives and I do know representation is important as far as issues. And I think that oftentimes we do need more discussions about it. So did it create discussion at minimum? So that's a win in itself, but there's still more to be done and better representation always. I have not watched any film in general on violence and thought this is the best representation. I've always had my criticisms of every single film. And I think part of it is because nothing that can really do justice in whether it's a five minute clip to two hour movie, there's nothing that can do justice to the complexities that survivors experience. There just isn't. So there's always going to be love. 

Speaker 2 (41:44):

Okay. And then as my final question, what are some resources that are here in Utah for people? 

Speaker 8 (41:50):

So I obviously love the Utah Domestic Funds Coalition. They have a coalition of different services from, yeah, sorry, the lights go off, but from services to a range of services for families to individuals across the state from different parts, from rural to a more urban environment. And so I think that folks should visit their website and visit their link line if they do have concerns. There's also the National Coalition against Domestic Violence. If you come from out of state and you go home to other states and you can find other services and resources there, there's also the National Network to End Domestic violence, which is also a really big organizing conference body as well. And so I would say that if folks really want to do the work, they might consider attending some of these conferences since they do. They do educate us about the different ways that different organizations, people and across the country and even globally are trying to address domestic violence. 

Speaker 8 (42:54):

And I just think there's such core organization. Then there's also more specific, if you're interested in Asian American specific, A-P-I-G-B-V, gender-based violence, so Asian Pacific Islander, gender-based violence. So there's specific stuff too that people can find if they're looking for it. And so yeah, there's lots of resources. So I would say if you want to find resources on domestic violence, we're in a time actually where there's a lot of resources. It's just a matter of trying to connect folks. And I think it goes back to your first question, which is it's not about whether or not there are resources, it's about people. Are they in a place where they can take that step to connect to resources? And I think the one thing I was talking with, oh, a woman the other night about that, there's not enough shelters though. And I do think that housing, we're in a housing crisis across the country. And so when you think about just people who aren't experiencing violence or having a hard time finding housing, and then you add on that people who are in abusive dynamics, even more so, right? Difficult. So I think, oh, that's one thing where it's like, I think we could use more resources. I know that wasn't your question, but I'm like housing is the next where we need more resources. But if you want to connect to an organization, there's plenty. 

Speaker 2 (44:14):

Domestic violence encompasses all violence. This is why representation in all ways is important, which raises the question of whether this movie and book are valid or do they only show a little portion of what this world is. So when you can, it is important to be aware and willing to put out a helping hand when you're capable of lending one. 

Speaker 1 (44:35):

Alright, thank you so much for tuning into this week's episode of Goup and Gagged, where we got the opportunity to talk about Blake Lively and the questionable ways that she was able to portray domestic violence survivors during her movie. It ends with us. I wanted to take a moment really quick at the end of our show to bring up some resources that you guys can use if you know someone or are experiencing any type of domestic violence. The number for the domestic violence hotline, the national one is 8 0 0 7 9 9 7 2 3 3. Again, thank you so much for listening. My name is Mason Muir, and I hope that you take a second to really ponder what it means to be representative of a group that deserves to have a voice. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (00:02):

Welcome to Captain Gagged where we talk about pop culture hot topics. This episode now verse then is talking about the secret lives of Mormon wives, including clips straight from the show, interviews from people amongst the church, and a good talk between Kennedy, Ava, and Gage. A new reality TV show has now hit streaming services and is local here in Utah. The show Secret Lives of Mormon wives focuses on modern day Mormon wives and what their day-to-day lives are. Now, where is it these women came from? What made them choose to start in this new reality TV show and more importantly, what qualifies them for a TV show to learn? All of this one needs to look at where their story begins, and that starts with what is known as mom Talk. 

Speaker 2 (00:56):

In the Mormon shirts, drinking alcohol is not allowed, but even though Mormons don't drink, we like to party. So soda is the Mormon version of coffee because we're not supposed to have coffee or tea, so then Mormons have tons of soda. 

Speaker 3 (01:16):

The Secret Lives of Mormon wives is categorized as a reality show portraying the lives of these women in their day-to-day as members of the church of Latter-Day Saints. But does this really represent the lives that real Mormon wives live every day? I asked a couple members of the church what they thought about how the show represents their faith and what they thought about it, but 

Speaker 4 (01:35):

We are not the wives that have been represented in this show, so if we would act like them, we wouldn't be worse to go to the temple for example, or to participate with a second, we wouldn't wear those clothes. We wouldn't go to such parties. You cannot become a Mormon if you only get that test. You need to live your standards. 

Speaker 5 (02:01):

They're using the word Mormon and they're putting it in Salt Lake because it's a headline grabber. It's going to have people watch because a lot of people think that members of the church are weird. 

Speaker 3 (02:11):

It's clear that the actions taken by the women in the show do not represent the Mormon church for the most part. According to the people that I talk to, it takes more than just being a practicing Mormon to actually be a true member of the church in many of their eyes. 

Speaker 5 (02:26):

She may be active in the sense that she goes to church and whatever, but she is not a temple recommend holding member, and all you have to do is look at their outfits to know that 

Speaker 3 (02:37):

I asked this lady what she thought about how the show made the church look to outsiders, 

Speaker 5 (02:42):

And they would watch the show and think that it's okay to drink and swear and none of them are wearing appropriate clothing for the temple, and so it's going to completely give the wrong vibe and information. 

Speaker 3 (02:58):

I also talked to a couple missionaries who couldn't be recorded due to the fact that they were actively on a mission and couldn't do active interviews, and they mostly disclosed to me that while they do find some form of entertainment in the show, it really is just that a reality show. This one girl was telling me about how her family thinks it's really funny and they all sit down to watch it, but that it's entertaining because of how skewed and how far it is from the actual reality of a lot of Mormon families since the show clearly doesn't represent the values and the lives of actual Mormon wives. I talked to a young Mormon wife at the BYU campus who told me about her story and how she feels about being in love and being married at such a young age. 

Speaker 6 (03:44):

Met my husband when I was 18 years old right after I graduated high school and we met and we dated for an entire year before we got sealed in the temple and we're in a really happy marriage. We immediately knew that we wanted to get married and it felt like a blessing from God to me. I don't think age is that big of a factor in LDS marriages, I think, and when your faith is strong and both of your guys' relationship than it's meant to be. 

Speaker 3 (04:15):

After visiting both the Temple and the BYU campus, I made the overall conclusion that the secret lives of Mormon wives is just entertainment value. And while there are some aspects of the LDS faith interwoven in their, most people who are close to the church or who are members of the church pretty much think it's baloney. They don't represent any of the values of the church. They don't show what it means to be a Mormon and they don't show what it means to be a Mormon wife. Typically, the younger people that I talk to did enjoy watching the show, probably just not for the same reasons that somebody who was unfamiliar with the church would, but nevertheless, 

Speaker 5 (04:59):

In actuality, none of these women represent because I can tell you right now the secret lives of actual Mormon wives would be incredibly boring. It would be this, it would be doing a church calling. It would be raising a family. It would be having a mundane job. It would be having a house that's not whatever these women's houses look like. That's not the norm, but that's boring. Exactly. They don't want to see anybody trying to do their church calling or cleaning the building because it's their family's turn or whatever. Running your kids back and forth to soccer games or school or whatever, that's boring. That's not what they want to see. They want to see whatever these people 

Speaker 1 (05:47):

Are portraying. We don't drink alcohol or do drugs, and so it's kind of our Vice. Whitney and I did ketamine. 

Speaker 7 (05:58):

Have you heard of the show Secret Lives of Mormon Wives? 

Speaker 8 (06:01):

Yes, I have. 

Speaker 7 (06:03):

What were your thoughts on it? 

Speaker 8 (06:05):

Well, it's reality tv, so it's something which is entertaining and a little crazy. 

Speaker 7 (06:16):

Now you've written a book about more modern LDS women. Do you believe that this show helps show the culture and kind of how Mormon women are supposed to act in a way? 

Speaker 8 (06:33):

No, of course it doesn't do that. It works against that. I mean, the LDS church actually issued a statement saying that its members don't behave like that, so it's silly in that regards. It's about sex and it's about conflict between people and it's about pretty clothes, so it's really nothing much to do with real LDS people. There is a overlay, there's a bit of a conversation in the background supposedly, that these women are trying to show that Mormon women can have pretty bodies and have good homes and nice houses and participate in American culture, a modern in that their religion does influence that. So there is a little bit an edge there, but I think that that's certainly not the main thrust of the show. 

Speaker 7 (07:35):

So you would say that if people who weren't from Utah didn't know a ton about the religion and its culture, they shouldn't take this show as a way to learn about it if they actually want to get the correct information? 

Speaker 8 (07:49):

No. This is not a show that will teach you anything about any kind of religion except for maybe the religion of consumerism. 

Speaker 7 (07:57):

Now, do you think shows like this can be damaging to religions that they're supposed to be representing if they aren't shown in a correct manner? 

Speaker 8 (08:08):

I don't think anybody would say that this show is set up to represent religion. I don't think that that's the gold of the producers or the actors, so that's not what they would have in mind. I think what it does in general is just to show the superficiality of religion, and in that way, that's not surprising. People are going to come at a religion with that idea that they're not going to need a TV show to tell them that They'll have that idea already in their head, and so they don't need a television show. This is just confirming their biases, confirming what they already think about religion, which is that it's somewhat hypocritical. 

Speaker 7 (08:54):

Now, if the goal of a TV series or any sort of media like that was to inform the public about a certain religion or religious culture if it was done correctly, do you believe that could be a beneficial way to learn about it if you're an outsider, or should they just go strictly to the books, the experts, the people who actually are in the religion? 

Speaker 8 (09:16):

No, I think it's possible to make an entertaining and engaging television show or television series that's fair to our religion and that discusses their beliefs and their ideas and has compelling human interest stories to draw you in a interesting and complicated way. I think the right kind of documentary or maybe even the right kind of fictional storytelling can do that, but that's not the point of this TV series. They're not trying to teach you about real latter Day saints. They're trying to provide a kind of licentious and salacious and controversial perspective on modern life. 

Speaker 7 (10:09):

So just having the name Secret Lives of Mormon wives you think is just to pull an audience in to be like, oh, this is, I want to know more about Mormons. And 

Speaker 8 (10:18):

I don't think people would be fooled to thinking that they're going to learn more about Mormons. I think that they see Mormons as being a somewhat strange and bizarre religion and that probably they have a stereotype that Mormons are very conservative and very pure and don't drink and are uptight and in general, not hip and not modern. And so when they're confronted with swinging women wearing low cut dresses and having a lot of cosmetic surgery, it's this shock value. It's like, oh, they actually have a life which is not the one that we think, and that's where the secret part comes. It's not the life that is the stereotype of the Clean Cut. Mormon, 

Speaker 7 (11:19):

Thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you. 

Speaker 1 (11:28):

I was able to sit down with Ava and G to find out their feelings on the show after they did their interviews with members of the church. 

Speaker 7 (11:36):

You'd think from the title Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, it'd be like a view on kind of Mormonism and how people who follow the religion kind of act. But from the clips I've seen and the people I know that actually grew up in the religion, it's not anything. It is very much a reality TV show and they just all happen to be Mormons. So it's like, oh yeah, that could be their little quirk. They all are Mormons, so they don't swear that drink copious amounts of soda, but nothing else really. But 

Speaker 1 (12:09):

I think that was their way to get people to watch this show too. I know a lot of people have been like, oh, have you heard how Utah runs with the Mormons and what Mormons do? They're very interested in it. And so I think when these women came on and started making videos and they were like, oh, we're Mormon wives, it grew attention to them and then they were like, oh, this would be good for a reality TV show title. People are already going to watch it like, well, I want to learn more about what you guys do. You guys know who Taylor, Frankie Paul is the main girl. 

Speaker 1 (12:42):

She was on my for you page a lot, but I didn't process, oh, she lives in Harriman. That's 30 minutes away from us and anything like that. And then when she got arrested, which was February of 2023, I remember being like, what just happened? And so when I watched the show and it was like the first episode showed all of them getting together and then she got arrested and then the second episode was a super big time jump, and now she's seven months pregnant. I looked it up and apparently they shot the first episode. It had to have been December of 2022, January of 2023, she got arrested February 8th, something like that. 

Speaker 3 (13:25):

God damn 

Speaker 1 (13:26):

Of 2023. She pleaded guilty in March and then seven months pregnant, and then that one Whitney girl comes back from Hawaii, the one that made the RSV video with her baby. Oh my God. Yeah. She's the RSV mom. 

Speaker 9 (13:42):

Two weeks after I had given birth, Connor took Liam to our pediatrician. The doctor is testing his oxygen levels and the doctor's like, these are scarcely low. You need to take him to the emergency room right now. So Connor rushes Liam to the emergency room the first couple of days where bit scary, but then he was getting better, and so I'm thinking, let's do something fun. And I made a video. People felt that I was using my child's sickness for clout and for attention, 

Speaker 1 (14:16):

And then they had to have just finished filming pretty recently too, because Taylor had her baby in June or July. So this was very, made all the episodes, hurry and put them together. Didn't even really make a trailer for it. They just made a TikTok to promote it, and then the show released two weeks later. 

Speaker 3 (14:38):

Yeah, clearly it worked. It was successful. I like the RSV baby thing is so crazy. Oh my 

Speaker 1 (14:44):

God. And her husband cheating on her on Tinder. She just had her baby this week too. 

Speaker 3 (14:50):

That's crazy. 

Speaker 3 (14:52):

I think, I can't remember which ones it were, but I came into work a couple weeks ago and I was just like, what's happening, blah, blah. I was just talking to my coworker and she was like, oh, two of the women from Secret Lives and women wives just rented out the entire place for four hours and they just left. I think that shows like this, you don't really realize how close they are to you. You know what I mean? You were saying they're in Harriman, they live 30 minutes away. These are real people and they're really close. 

Speaker 1 (15:23):

It kind of freaks me out a little bit. I was talking the girl that does my nails, we were talking about it. She was like, oh, I'm friends with Macy's sister. Mason's friends with her sister too. So I was like, okay, weird. Then a client next to me was like, oh, my daughter used to go get her hair done by Jesse, and I've driven by Jesse's salon when I go to Provo all the time. So I was like, okay. Another weird connection talking to other friends and they're like, oh yeah, we went to high school with Jen's husband. We know where he lives. We know where the family lives. And I'm like, this is so weird. 

Speaker 7 (15:58):

A group of people that got famous really fast and Hulu or H whoever is on Hulu, right? 

Speaker 1 (16:06):

Yeah. 

Speaker 7 (16:06):

Hulu is like, we have to capitalize off this. And so they're not actual celebrities and you forget that because they're on TV and on social media and stuff. So you're like, oh yeah, there's people that live pretty much where we live. So it's a small world kind of, but also it just shows that anybody can get famous for, 

Speaker 3 (16:29):

There's a very specific Utah influencer look, and I feel like it's definitely inspired by some of the Mormon influencers or mom talk or whatever, but you know how sometimes you can just look at somebody and be like, I know you're from Utah, 

Speaker 1 (16:44):

And all the comments are like, this is 

Speaker 3 (16:46):

Utah. This is Utah. I know this is Utah. And it's like, I love it. Honestly, I think it's really cute. I love the Utah look. I think it's just crazy how that kind of style and stuff developed. 

Speaker 1 (16:57):

People know how to pick out Utah influencers obviously because the Utah girls, 

Speaker 3 (17:01):

The Utah girls, 

Speaker 1 (17:02):

But they were like, oh, Utah has a very distinct fashion taste, which everyone knows, but apparently the rest of the country sees it as We are very behind in fashion. Yeah, we are very tail end of any fashion trends that are going on, and I would not have thought that until somebody said it. I was like, I feel like we're pretty in tune with everybody. 

Speaker 3 (17:26):

Utah fits are kind of really fire. 

Speaker 7 (17:30):

I might be biased, but I feel 

Speaker 3 (17:31):

Like 

Speaker 7 (17:32):

I like Utah fashion. 

Speaker 3 (17:33):

Am I thinking I'm thinking of barrel jeans, sambas, maybe a tight shirt, camo arc. TerraX hat, low 

Speaker 1 (17:42):

Key. Okay. Back to mom talk. Oh, I just found out that all these moms, okay, so there was an original mom talk and Taylor, Frankie Paul, the one, the girl that started it, she was in it. She was running this group, completely different women. Those were the swingers. That was the whole swinger scandal. 

Speaker 3 (18:00):

Yeah, I forgot about that. 

Speaker 1 (18:01):

So that's where that came from. So then they wanted to make a show off of it after all this stuff happened and it gained all this traction, but none of the women wanted to do it with her. They did not want to be on the show. So they casted other moms and that's how they met. So this group that we're watching on Secret Lives of Moron Wives were not the original mom talk. They kind of met when the show started filming. So I fell down this lore. Okay, I know so much about this show. I got too obsessed with it. That's also kind of connected to the real house wives of Salt Lake City too. There's a girl on the show, her name's Demi, and her husband is 20 years older than her. Super attractive, by the way. His ex-wife is one of the real housewives of Salt Lake City, 

Speaker 3 (18:49):

And he's one of the Mormon wives 

Speaker 1 (18:51):

Husband right now. Yeah, he has a type. So it's all connected now. And I guess I saw this article the other day too, where I guess Taylor, Frankie Paul was like, yeah, they asked me to be on the Real Housewives of Salt Lake, and everyone in the comments was like, you would not survive. That is high, rich Salt Lake City. You guys are just TikTok famous. 

Speaker 3 (19:12):

You are a mom talk. Who is the target audience for this show? 

Speaker 1 (19:17):

I think anybody that's not in Utah, 

Speaker 3 (19:19):

That's what I was like. I feel like making a show like a C and it's set in Utah, you would think that it would really appeal 

Speaker 10 (19:26):

To 

Speaker 3 (19:26):

A lot of people in Utah. And I think that it does too, but their marketing and stuff, I think it really does appeal to people who are out of state and they don't know anything and they'll see these crazy clips and be like, oh my God, is this what Utah Utah's? Like? 

Speaker 1 (19:41):

Maybe the show would appeal to more people in more of subdivisions if they went into more topics that they could have used, if that makes sense. Because in the show, they really only talked about Taylor, Frankie Paul's arrest and how she grew from it. Also, if we didn't know she got arrested for domestic violence with her now boyfriend, 

Speaker 3 (20:03):

I don't think I knew that. 

Speaker 1 (20:04):

Oh my gosh. Okay, swinger scandal. She was married to this guy, I don't remember his name. So they were married, swinger scandal, whole thing came out. She cheated on him, actually got with the guy something to that extent, and so they got divorced and she has two kids with him. So then this guy, I guess reached out to her on Instagram, his name's Dakota hit it off. They started dating the show. You don't see it too much, but the girls will talk about it how very toxic relationship. He's super manipulative, super narcissistic, all this stuff. So they find out that Taylor's pregnant in the first episode and she goes through like, yeah, I don't know this baby. I don't even know if I'm going to be able to carry it, things like that. Then they get into a dispute. One night, I guess this was before they knew if she was really pregnant or not, but she was drinking, so she was drunk, apparently started swinging at him. Apparently he was locking her in the garage in her body cam video. So then they both got arrested and she got charged for domestic violence because the neighbor called them. And so then she pleaded guilty. I don't think she did any prison time, but she had to do parole. 

Speaker 3 (21:24):

That's insane. 

Speaker 1 (21:25):

And then she still stayed with that guy and ended up having a baby with him, 

Speaker 1 (21:29):

Which she did have a redemption from the first episode. She was very, I learned that was so embarrassing. I don't want to go through that again. I don't want to put my life on like that. So the show focused around that, and then it focused around the drama between Taylor and Whitney, RSV Mom, who wanted to be the leader of mom talk. So then I focused on their drama, and then it focused on everyone hating Whitney, and they all turned on everyone, and they were like, why are you doing this? It was stupid. It focused on Jen's super narcissistic husband, which he is crazy. You guys should watch that episode. They went to a strip club, a male strip club in Vegas for one of their birthdays. And keep in mind, this was a surprise. Only one of the moms knew that they were doing this. She planned it, and the one that planned, there's three of 'em that actually has healthy relationships with their husbands and their husbands were like, okay, go have fun, whatever. But this girl, her name's Jen and her husband Zach, she told him, oh, we ended up at Chippendales, the male strip club, 

Speaker 1 (22:32):

And he flipped it, showed her phone. People were stopping the episode to read it long paragraphs, and he was just like, I don't love you anymore. You're a terrible mom. I can't have a woman like this in my life. Meanwhile, she gave him $2,500 to go gamble because he doesn't have any money. 

Speaker 3 (22:53):

Yeah, 

Speaker 1 (22:54):

Yeah. So this was the drama that it focused on. But then after the show came out, there's another mom on there, her name's Layla. She didn't get a lot of screen time. She got baptized at 16 or 17, but they didn't really talk about it. And I feel like that would've been something that would attract more Utahans to watch it to be like, oh, this girl didn't grow up in the church. Why did she want to go into the church? 

Speaker 3 (23:18):

Also as a person that's half black in a church that historically they didn't allow people of color to join a church until what? The seventies. 

Speaker 1 (23:29):

And then also being divorced so young while also newly a member into the church. So I feel like maybe if her story got a little bit more screen time, more localized audience would've watched it. And then there's also another girl, her name's Macy, and she got pregnant, 18 by her boyfriend. It meant he died in a car crash. So she has talked about it on TikTok now because somebody found out about it and asked her about it, and she was like, yeah, we got in a fight. He had called me and left a voicemail or a text. It was a text phone and was like, I'm so sorry. I want to be in your life. I love you. And she was like, yeah, the text just stopped. And then his parents called me and told me he died in the car crash. That's 

Speaker 3 (24:15):

Horrible. 

Speaker 1 (24:16):

That's 

Speaker 3 (24:17):

So sad. 

Speaker 1 (24:17):

And we did not hear any of this on the show at all. 

Speaker 3 (24:21):

Why do you think she chose not to? 

Speaker 1 (24:23):

I guess she talked about it and the producers just didn't really want to hear about it. 

Speaker 3 (24:28):

It's messed up. 

Speaker 1 (24:30):

So all these women have more stories that can attract a bigger audience rather than just people that are like, oh, what is it like being a Mormon wife in Utah? 

Speaker 3 (24:40):

Yeah. 

Speaker 1 (24:41):

Not even with them. Nara Smith too. The one that cooks everything. 

Speaker 3 (24:44):

Nora, lucky Smith, 

Speaker 1 (24:46):

Oh my God, she's a Mormon wife in Utah. She's considered a trad wife. I think people just want to hear those stories. They think that's how everyone in Utah is eyes. 

Speaker 7 (25:00):

And especially, there's probably people who only know of it from the swinging thing, and they're like, well, Mormons don't swing. So what is this about? And then the show's just classic reality. TV 

Speaker 1 (25:15):

Secret. Lives of Mormon wives shows what the modern Mormon wife looks like and is what is now being displayed for the world. But is this correct for what Mormon wives should base their lives on and should these women be after showing their side compared to what circled the media originally? Thank you for tuning in to Gab and Gagged where we talk about pop culture, hot topics. I want to extend a special thank you to Gage and Abel for sitting down with me and talking about now verse then the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Tune in next week for episode two, talking about a book turned movie that was supposed to take the audience by storm, but instead had a major let down.

Speaker 1 (00:00):

Hello, my name is Gage Vte and welcome back to Gooped and Gabb. On today's episode, we're talking about love and love triangles within the pop culture world and the extent to which fans in shrewd on the personal lives of celebrities. With an audio story from Laying Karlberg, an interview from Dr. Avery Holton Dunn by Ava Honigman. In a conversation between Kennedy Stapley and myself, stay tuned. A Love Triangle between Sean Mendez, Camilla Keo, and everyone's favorite pop star, Sabrina Carpenter helps us set the stage for our conversations around intrusion to the personal lives of many celebrities. For more, here's l Karlberg, 

Speaker 2 (00:45):

Sabrina Carpenter, and Camilla Keo. Shawn Menez. I want to follow where 

Speaker 3 (01:07):

She goes. I think about her and she knows it. 

Speaker 2 (01:13):

I want to let her take control. Our musical artists who all performed at this most recent VMAs, beyond their musical popularity, many also find high interest in their personal lives. Back in 20 22, 20 23, these three artists became a hot topic within the media surrounding their romantic love triangle. The romantic endeavors were highly documented by that of the paparazzi and numerous media outlets. This then raises the question of if their relationships were accurately portrayed or did the media influence these relationships in any way? My name is Lane Karlberg and welcome to Gab and Gagged. Today I was able to interview three different individuals on the topic of public relationships and having this personal aspect of anyone's life on display from millions to see 

Speaker 4 (02:13):

Hi Habiba, and I'm a student at University of Utah. My name's Sierra and I'm a sophomore at the U. Hi, my name's Jenna. 

Speaker 2 (02:20):

Celebrities are always having their lives on display for the public. The privacy that most people have is taken away, and this also expands the romantic lives. Because of this, it can put a strain on a relationship or even twist a relationship into something. It's not. I think that paparazzi 

Speaker 3 (02:36):

Plays a huge role in celebrity relationships because I feel like they're always haunted down. They can't really go anywhere in peace. They can't go to a restaurant they want to go to because paparazzi is always going to be there and they can never really show their affection in public and show their love for each other in public because paparazzi always going to take, they always want a big story, and that's what their job is. So at Loki, I feel like paparazzi, that's their job to get the inside scoop, but that's also invasion of privacy to those people. I feel like sometimes paparazzi forget that these are also real people with real human feelings who have real lives and they just don't see them as humans. And I feel like that's something that paparazzi should also work on. Realize that these are real human beings and they, they're also the main cause of a lot of celebrity relationships as well, because especially if a celebrity's dating somebody who's just a normal person, a lot of times they can't really handle that because prop is just too crazy. They're insane. 

Speaker 4 (03:50):

I definitely think there is some impact on their relationships because of the public eye on them. The first person that comes to mind for me is Hozier because I love Hozier. And so I was just thinking about how he went out of his way to keep his relationship very private, and the only reason people found out about it was because of breadcrumbs. And so when they did finally figure out who he was dating, he went onto his girlfriend's Instagram page and went to the comments was like, Hey, please get off my girlfriend's page. Why are you commenting about me? There's a reason that we are not public because of stuff like this. If you could refrain from doing that, that'd be solay. So I definitely think there's a big impact on the public eye, on people's relationships 

Speaker 2 (04:34):

Beyond preexisting relationships being forced to be in the light of the public. There are also times where the media influences these relationships and curates them from thin air. 

Speaker 5 (04:44):

I feel like a lot of celebrities kind of feel pressured to just get into relationships with the people that they're rumored to be in one with, especially co-stars, I feel like are typically, they spend so much time together and the media kind of just makes it seem like, oh, they play love interests. They have to be dating in real life to have that kind of chemistry. And I feel like that really pushes, and a lot of the time it does end up, they are dating, but I feel like they're only doing it from the pressure of the fans and the media 

Speaker 2 (05:22):

Being a celebrity. Your life is being constantly put on display for the masses. So these personal intimate relationships are also at risk of being nitpicked by the media. Are these celebrity relationships as star crossed as they are portrayed to be or not? My name is Lean Berg. Thank you for listening. 

Speaker 1 (05:45):

As you can see, social media and the pop culture press can be problems for celebrities. While the saying goes, no press is bad press, it can still impact celebrities and their pr. Here is Ava Homan sitting down with Dr. Avery Holton to discuss the toll that social media and the spread of information can have on people. 

Speaker 6 (06:05):

What is your name and occupation? 

Speaker 7 (06:07):

Sure. Avery Holton. It's A-V-E-R-Y-H-O-L-T-O-N, and I'm chair of the Department of Communication at the University of Utah. 

Speaker 6 (06:14):

As a media or PR worker, what are your duties to both your clients or the public? 

Speaker 7 (06:21):

Well, I'm chair of the Department of Communication, and we are a large department, so we service well over a thousand students. We have more than 60 faculty and staff, and part of my responsibility is to make sure that I'm here to help not only support them and what their visions are for happiness and success, but also to make sure that we're amplifying their research or their teaching and putting the right kinds of technology into their hands and the right kind of training if those assist them with their research or teaching as well. 

Speaker 6 (06:59):

What does a day in the life of someone who does your job, what does that typically look like? 

Speaker 7 (07:07):

This job has a lot of moving parts. So again, we are a large department in some cases almost as large as other colleges on campus. So the job itself varies day to day, but a lot of what I do is ensuring the successful growth and functionality of the department within the College of Humanities. So making sure that the experiences for our undergraduate students are serving them well in what they want to do and also what their vision of success is, doing the same for our graduate students and then assisting our faculty and staff in finding ways to make that happen. So if that's curriculum, budget, retaining faculty and staff, just making sure that the operations side of the department flow really well. And I'm also a researcher, so part of what I do is keep up with trends in social media, not always stories and content, but trends in social media and digital platforms and wellbeing on those platforms, how we collectively can treat one another better, how we can combat misinformation, how we can work alongside or with ai, those new and emerging technologies. So each day I'm also doing those things as I sort of navigate through all the rest of the work. 

Speaker 6 (08:36):

What would you say your favorite or kind of most rewarding research that you've done? 

Speaker 7 (08:46):

What would you say? I really think the most rewarding so far has been illuminating the forms of harassment journalists, other media workers face on social and digital media, and then amplifying conversations about what it means to have wellbeing in digital and social media. So what organizations and employers can do to help their employees find less precarious spaces online, but also to feel better or more supported in those spaces because we know that the data show these spaces, again, social media and digital media have become just more toxic in some ways and less protective of people working in those spaces. But they also have really positive impacts too. They help us connect with one another and they give us information. They help us pass time, they help us connect with the news. So for me, the biggest reward is listening to people who and acknowledging their experiences and what they faced in these settings as they try to do work and how it impacts not only their professional life but their personal life, and then trying to develop and publish research that can have a positive impact on policies or digital media literacy and things like that so that we have a more holistic approach to helping people's wellbeing in these spaces. 

Speaker 7 (10:18):

And it's not just an individual, it's not just an organization, it's not just a policy, but the approach is holistic to support their wellbeing in the spaces so that they're not burned out or that they don't experience catastrophic emotional or mental health crises, or that when they do, they have support systems to go to. 

Speaker 6 (10:39):

Nice. Kind of building onto that, what inspired you to join the field or what are some common misconceptions about working in your field? 

Speaker 7 (10:52):

I started working with social media in 2003 or four when blogging was becoming popular. So blogging still exists in long form storytelling, but blogging itself turned into microblogging, which itself turned into social media like Twitter and those spaces over a 20 year period. So very fast, but the space when I got involved was relatively unknown, and in 2010 or 11, I was using Facebook and MySpace and different iterations of what has become Twitter or Spotify or these other things, and just trying to understand the impact they would have on people through communication and trying to have a lens, like a crystal ball as to what those impacts might be. So in 2004, the narrative was, this is all great, it's going to connect us to information in 2011 and 12, a little more leery of what does this mean? What about and access to data and information. 

Speaker 7 (11:56):

And now we're in a space where privacy is still a major concern, but also things like authenticity, mental health and wellbeing, social support networks, those things are a much bigger part of social media conversations. So I've been inspired mostly by the people in these spaces, and particularly the resiliency of younger generations and what they can tell us in these spaces. So trying to understand how, for example, 18 to 24 year olds use these spaces to connect or why privacy may not be valued the same way as it was a generation ago, or what security looks like. Really trying to understand that and then bring that into light so that we can learn lessons from it and help one another. I think some misconceptions just in general about social media, that social media itself is bad. I wouldn't agree with that. I do think that creators of social media and algorithms behind social media can be negative or have a negative image, and there are ways that they're working on fixing that. 

Speaker 7 (13:03):

I also think that a misconception of this job in particular is that I'm just always on social media, but in fact, two of my books are about disconnecting doing this healthily and how you can give yourself breaks and breathers and why it's important to still have interpersonal connections or to set your phone down and go enjoy a concert or go enjoy a movie or show why those are important. Because constantly when I tell people, oh, I'm a professor of social media, they immediately think I'm either solving social media problems, which I'm not doing. I'm just trying to illuminate voices to help solve those problems, or that I'm just always on TikTok or Snapchat or Instagram and I'm really not right. I mean, I'm on them, but I've really dialed back what I post in those spaces and then how I use them. So I use LinkedIn for professional information. I use TikTok more as a voyeur. I just watch what's going on. I don't really post that much. I use Twitter as an information connective tool with other colleagues, and then Instagram is more private for me. I don't really use Snapchat other than for class lessons. So yeah, that's about, 

Speaker 6 (14:17):

Oh, perfect. So you say that a lot of your job is kind of like that crystal ball looking into the future trying to see how technology and social media develops and you want to illuminate those voices also starting in 2003 with social media and how much it's changed since now, do you predict that your job will look different in another 10 to 15 years? 

Speaker 7 (14:42):

Oh, for sure. I feel like for anyone engaging with social or digital media or media of any kind, things look different day to day, right? A great example is TikTok. So pre covid, not many people are using TikTok post Covid. It's the most popular social media platform now, and that includes for things like news creation, information sharing alongside of entertainment, and we've moved past this sort of meme or gift culture and into communication in these platforms that really matters and has significance in community building and how we see ourselves and how we cast ourselves. So day-to-day, of course, I think some of the immediate impacts that we will start to feel our regulation of social media platform. So we see it already with a tightening of TikTok and data control there. We see it with some age restrictions either being lifted or adjusted through meta, so Instagram and Facebook, and we're going to start seeing it more with the algorithmic data that we've already kind of given away when we've joined these platforms. 

Speaker 7 (15:49):

So less about targeting ads and content and more about abilities to use AI and algorithmic data to potentially help us in some ways maybe identify through voice recognition or imaging like something about our health or our environment or to help us a day to day, but also potentially some negative things like siloing our messages and only giving us particular messages so that we start to change our ideologies to match whatever some larger entity thinks. So AI and algorithmic changes are going to come even more swiftly, and they really are. There's an undercurrent of AI where we've moved past just chat GPT and this narrative that this will be the end of English language or common language or chat. GT is only used to create plagiarism or plagiaristic pieces, and it's the end of original idea. We've moved past that narrative in some ways and into how can AI be used and in social media spaces, it already is being used in some ways, for example, to identify and shut down harassment, so harassing users or content to identify and shut down bots and spam, those things that flooded the 2016 and 2020 election, for example, they slowed down that pace has slowed down in 2024, so we're seeing some of those changes. 

Speaker 7 (17:17):

I think what's cool about being engaged in an industry that uses or centers on social media and digital media is that kind of constant change. There's always something changing. There's always something to explore. There's always something new to consider. And I think what we have to do, or what I challenge myself and other people in the space to do is to remember the people in those spaces. So we're not just metrics and numbers or algorithmic data, but we're all individual people trying to make sense of the world, and we're doing some of that at least through these social media spaces. 

Speaker 6 (17:54):

I think that your position, I would consider, at least for somebody like me who's studying in the college of communications or humanities, your position would be considered sought after, and clearly you've been working for a long time now. What would you say to some student who would look up to you and look up to your work and decide that that's kind of something that they would want to do one day considering it as such a constantly changing field? 

Speaker 7 (18:21):

Yeah, somewhat. I just said that constant change, it can be really fun. It can be challenging, but fun, especially if you have the resources and support like I do here at the university. Research itself gives us an opportunity to slow things down and look at data or talk to people or use any sort of methodology to either bear out a theory or to help us understand and make sense of trends or occurrences that are happening. And in many cases now to point out negative trends to point out, for example, and misinformation, and it's spread deep fakes and where they're coming from and how they're made to articulate the impact that those can have, not just on the way that we communicate with each other and see each other, but real life like how we vote or how we feel or what we purchase. That part is really interesting and will continue to be for a long time. 

Speaker 7 (19:19):

I also think that somebody who's thinking about becoming a social media or digital media researcher or even being involved in that field in any way has a real opportunity to stay at the cutting edge or help define the cutting edge of what that research looks like, and in some cases, what the platforms themselves might look like. So many of these platforms, Twitter amongst them, started out as something completely different. They started out as either music only platforms or sharing only platforms, or in Twitter's case, just daily update platforms, what somebody's eating for launch, and they've turned into major content platforms and information sharing and calling out misinformation and developing public images and influencing and all those sorts of things. So you have the ability to sit back in some ways and have a 30,000 foot view of everything that's going on at once, but also to be on the bottom floor and see things as they emerge and grow, and in some cases try to predict what will happen or what good will come of this, or what challenges will we face with these changes in social media platforms and digital media platforms. 

Speaker 6 (20:29):

Nice. Do you have any final thoughts, any words of advice or just something that you'd want to say to people listening about your field or your work or your research? 

Speaker 7 (20:41):

No, I think it's really important if you're looking at social, digital media, even if you are resistant to them, to at least engage with them in some way so you understand what they are. So that's something that I talk with parents about often before you make a decision on how to control or set up protective barriers for your kids to make sure that you've tried out Facebook or you've tried out Candy Crush or you've tried out Twitter, whatever it is, so that you understand that space and then to check in with one another. And I think that that applies not just to parents and their kids, but with one another family and friends to ask, how are you doing? And occasionally to ask, how are you using this social media space or how is it impacting you? It gives us an opportunity to stop and think like, wow, okay, Snapchat is really just helping me connect with my friends, and that's great, but Instagram's making me create this persona of myself that I just don't agree with. 

Speaker 7 (21:39):

And then on Facebook, I'm getting into fights with people. You can slow things down and make decisions, but sometimes we have to be reminded to check in with one another or to check in on ourselves and look at that space. I would also say that younger generations, so right now, students who are in high school and early college students have a real opportunity to change and shape the way that we think about and use digital and social media to tell us what's wrong with these spaces, but to also tell us what's right so that investments can be made to improve upon those challenges and to also grow the areas that are really benefiting those populations because not only are those populations next sort of the future, if you will, but they're beyond that. They have the capability to show and tell us what we should be doing or to see around the corner, to see around the bend and help us understand what's coming and to be better prepared for the positives and negatives of those future changes. 

Speaker 1 (22:54):

Hello, my name is Gage Ver State and I'm joined here with 

Speaker 8 (22:58):

Kennedy Staley. 

Speaker 1 (22:59):

And today we're talking about love, specifically celebrity love, but what I want to talk about is celebrity relationships, whether it pertains to these three or in general, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey, everyone and their mom knows about that and 

Speaker 9 (23:19):

Kidding 

Speaker 1 (23:20):

Has opinions on it. How does celebrity relationships make you feel? Do you care or is it kind of Honestly, who cares? 

Speaker 8 (23:31):

I care to an extent of like, oh, that's cool. Zendaya and Tom Holland, they're a pretty big one. You could obviously see their chemistry when they would do press tours for Spider-Man, that one's cool. And it's like, oh, I love them together. They're a cute couple, but I feel like some people get too obsessed with 

Speaker 1 (23:51):

It. Oh yeah, for sure. 

Speaker 8 (23:55):

I don't know if you heard when the whole Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey thing, they had a PR thing come out last month saying that they were going to break up on September 28th, something like that. A PR paper got released and Swifties were going crazy. They were like, they can't break up. They're my whole life, all this stuff. It's almost like that's too obsessed. They're people. They're in a relationship. They can break up whenever they want to break up. 

Speaker 1 (24:23):

It is always interesting how, I guess if it was your best friend or something, you'd care and have a say on who they date. But I don't think if two a rando you have class with breaks up with their partner, you're not going to be like, I'm Team Kennedy. I'm team blah, blah, blah. 

Speaker 8 (24:43):

They got me in the divorce. 

Speaker 1 (24:45):

Yeah, I always see it, and it does make me laugh when people genuinely start hating other celebrities because they broke up. And sometimes if they're a bad person, you could be like, oh, that's a bad person. Even if it wasn't abusive, you could be like, oh, they didn't treat them like a human being should be treated 

Speaker 8 (25:08):

Unless the public doesn't know these celebrities personally, we were saying, we really don't know what's going on in the relationship. We're seeing what they're sharing with us, so why do people think they have a say in it? 

Speaker 1 (25:24):

And people way overanalyze things way too much. Kind of back on the Taylor Swift, Travis Kelsey thing. I saw people speculating. It might've been from this PR thing you were talking about, which I'd never heard of, but they're speculating that they're going through a rough patch or broke up because she wasn't at a football game when it's like, Hey, not only are they both famous, they're both professionals at the highest level of what they do who are traveling all the time, Hertz for concerts. I think the air tour is still going on. I feel like it's never ending, and football season is starting. So Travis Kelsey's back and forth across the country every week, it's not possible for them to him to be at every concert and her to be at every game. 

Speaker 8 (26:14):

That was with the Super Bowl she perform in Japan the day before or something, and people were like, oh my God, is she going to make it in time? I can't believe she's going to miss her boyfriend's biggest game of the year. And she has a job too. She's doing her thing as well. 

Speaker 1 (26:30):

That's why I think it could also be damaging all the speculation stuff is it doesn't let people live and feel these feelings and grieve if it's a relationship that's fallen apart, that they were truly in love other people do. Because a spotlight, even going back to the Sean Mendez one, I don't know if you saw, but recently he's talked about his sexuality and how he is not sure what he is yet. This is all speculation, but there's a chance that everyone being on him about who he's dating could cause him to feel like he had to say this before he was ready or he was ready before. But because of all this like, oh, dating Camille Cabilla, blah, blah, blah, dating Sabrina Carpenter, blah, blah, blah. He's too afraid to say anything, which can be harmful, especially if people do want to come out and say, oh, this is how I feel 

Speaker 9 (27:30):

Because 

Speaker 1 (27:30):

Of the pressure. They don't want to because afraid of whatever or feel like they have to soon, or 

Speaker 8 (27:38):

I think that heavily goes into people like celebrities, especially having to address their sexuality. I think it's really, I can see both sides. I can see their fans kind of connecting with them on a deeper level, and they're like, oh, my favorite artist just came out, and it kind of lets them be shown to. I feel like that's so much pressure on the celebrity though, because some of them don't want to come out yet. Sometimes that's a part of their life. They want to keep secret, and that's totally up to them. And how you were saying how the pressure maybe got to Shawn Menez to address it. It reminded me of when Billie Eilish got outed by Vogue, I think two years ago, and she has came out multiple times since then, been like, I regret saying anything. I didn't think they were going to publish that part. I told them I hadn't talked about it yet, and she gets a lot of hate and just, she has talked about her pressure so much from it, and just having to address your sexuality, having to address your relationship because of your fans, that's a lot. It's insane. Lets 

Speaker 1 (28:49):

People feel human emotions, let people feel love and have crushes on people. 

Speaker 8 (28:58):

I think it's really hard for them paparazzi wise too, because there's a lot of celebrities that have partners and the public knows nothing about them, which is fantastic, and it's great, and it's really impressive that they can do that. But now with internet, social media, I feel like it's really hard for celebrities to be dating somebody, have them meet their friends, meet their family. Not put it out publicly, but somebody will still find it out and 

Speaker 1 (29:28):

Tell 

Speaker 8 (29:29):

Out them, I guess, 

Speaker 1 (29:31):

Because this argument that people are famous, not so much to this case, but a lot of people are digging on Chapel Rone like, I didn't want to be this famous. I wanted to be a niche. Lesbians love me. That's what I wanted to be. But now she's ginormous. People are like, well, that's what you get for being famous, which to an extent I get, if you want to be a singer, whatever, a professional sport player, there is levels and precedents of like, oh, you're going to be famous, is what you're going to have to deal with. But when it comes to personal things like relationships, I think there should be a line there where it's like, it's one thing if your new album, a song gets leaked from it. It's like, oh, you're a musician. People want to hear your music. If somehow someone gets a hold of it and gets released, it sucks, but whatever. But who you are going on dates with and want to spend the time that's not in the limelight with you should have that opportunity and not have to worry about people asking you questions, speculating, especially if that other person is another celebrity who's also trying to just have some peace in a life that they probably don't get it being a celebrity, especially the ones we've been talking about where it's mega pop stars like Taylor Swift, and 

Speaker 8 (31:04):

I think that's why a lot of celebrities pull a Hannah Montana type thing too, like Chapel Barone, and she's like, yeah, chapel Barones like my stage name. She's my performer, blah, blah, blah. But then I'm still Kaylee. I still have my own life. I hang out with my family. I do this, this, and this. And I think a lot of them do that for that reason, to try to keep it separate and be like my own dating life, my family life, my stage life. And the public does not respect that very well. They're like, well, you chose to be famous. This comes with it. It's like, okay, well, I'm choosing to keep things private. Why don't, it kind of feels like they don't get a choice a lot of the time. 

Speaker 1 (31:44):

Yeah, because even the people who do try to keep their family and stuff, private people are weird. So they'll be like, well, why are you keeping things private? Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And it's like when you're famous, you have to deal with a lot of things. And for like we've said several times now, there is the precedent of that is to be expected. But I do think that especially now in this social media culture that we've built, it's just getting worse and worse. And I'd hope that because a lot of people that I talk to that RH feel the same way, but I feel like we're the ones perpetrating it. So it's like I hope that weird cross section of, we have to stop this, but we're the ones doing it. We're the ones doing this loses, and we need to stop this. So when people who are our age and younger, even though a lot of people our age aren't famous, but the people younger than us, they can still have fame, especially if they're good at stuff, music, acting, sports, whatever, and still be able to break up with their girlfriend and go through it. Like I would breaking up with my girlfriend and not, 

Speaker 8 (33:05):

I couldn't even imagine. Breakups are hard regardless. It sucks. I could not imagine being a celebrity grieving that relationship that might've just ended and then having a whole platform trying to speculate what went wrong and who's in the wrong and making sad edits about their time together. That is insane. We're still people talking about this too, how we said at the beginning, people are too invested in these relationships. I think that shows in everyday life too. I feel like the people that allow themselves to get too obsessed with relationships struggle in their relationships too. They're going to be like, well, my celebrity couple, they never fight. They're always happy, they're always smiling in pictures, but you can't do that. That's still being obsessed with them. That's still making them kind of take over your life too. I feel like there's both ends of society becoming too obsessed with a couple because they see only their perfect attributes in their relationship and then going to their relationship and being like, well, we're never going to be like this couple. That's so unhealthy for everybody, 

Speaker 1 (34:18):

Just how social media in general, especially stuff like Instagram will be like, man, my life sucks. Look at all these things. All these people do. It's literally just the highlights unless you follow someone's spam page. But usually then it's just 

Speaker 8 (34:34):

Friends them personally. 

Speaker 1 (34:36):

Yeah, you're really good friends with them. So last week 

Speaker 9 (34:40):

They 

Speaker 1 (34:40):

Were stressing over this had a bad week. Oh, at this time they're a bit depressed, but you don't see that. You just see this vacation they went on or all of this fun little, this is what I did for the last month. You don't see it. And that's only made even bigger when you're a celebrity. And I'd imagine a lot of them probably put on these fronts to make it seem like they're chill and their relationship's going good if it's not or they're doing good when they're not. And it's just a big problem that we have that even before social media. But I think now with social media, not to make it social media bad, but these things can be damaging to those who take it in and those who are the ones that it's about the celebrities and stuff of no one can be their true selves, I feel like. And then it's only, as I said, amplified when you're a celebrity and you have more than just your few hundred, maybe if you're kind of popular on Instagram, a few thousand followers, but they have tens, hundreds of thousands if not millions of people watching their move. Way too much parasocial 

Speaker 8 (36:04):

Relationships 

Speaker 1 (36:05):

Being built that people need to realize, Hey, these people, even if they're good people do not know who you are. Therefore, they do not care about you or your happiness, so you should not have it depend on them. 

Speaker 8 (36:18):

Wait, one more that's like that though, is Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, they got divorced in 2003 and he got with Angelina Jolie got married or whatever. It's 20, 24. And anytime that they're seen together or they're at a gala, they're not even together, but they're there as attendees. People go crazy for it. And they're like, what if they're getting back together? What if they've been dating? What if they get married again? It's like they're both very big actors. They're going to be at this event together. 

Speaker 1 (36:52):

If you dated someone that was in the same field as you, you're going to probably run into them at events, whether you're an actor or you dated someone. That's the same major as you happen to have a class together a year after you break up, it's going to happen. 

Speaker 8 (37:07):

You live around the corner from 'em, you're going to see 'em. 

Speaker 1 (37:10):

You see, same at the grocery store. You see when you're shopping at Trader Joe's, it's good 

Speaker 8 (37:14):

Deal. It doesn't mean you're getting good deal back together because you saw them just like, okay. 

Speaker 1 (37:18):

Yeah. Or even when people do that and they'd be like, oh, look, they're having a conversation. 

Speaker 8 (37:25):

Cool. 

Speaker 1 (37:25):

You can talk to whoever you want at an event. 

Speaker 8 (37:29):

Literally, 

Speaker 1 (37:30):

Truly does not mean anything. 

Speaker 8 (37:34):

Probably just catching up like, Hey, how have you been? Doesn't mean they're going to make out in the corner after that conversation. 

Speaker 1 (37:41):

Imagine after 20 years, at least with that example, they're probably chill now. They can have conversations like the adults that they are and not have it be a big deal. And even if it was something more than that, hey, who cares? 

Speaker 8 (37:59):

Good for them. 

Speaker 1 (38:00):

Unless it's like your mom or your friend, your aunt who cares, who Jennifer Aniston is dating and talking to, 

Speaker 8 (38:09):

Literally at the end of the day, these are just people. We're people, celebrities or people whoopy do. Why are we putting so much into their relationships as people who don't even know them? 

Speaker 1 (38:23):

And there you have it, celebrity love. Remember whether it's Sabrina Carpenter, Shawn Mendez, Camia Keo, Travis Kelsey, Taylor Swift. These people are humans too. And we as consumers of media need to remember this and try to let them live their personal lives with some semblance of normality to them, regardless of who they're dating or their status. I've been your host, gage Riste. Thank you for joining us today on Goup and Gabb. Tell next time.

 

Speaker 1 (00:00):

Hi, my name is Ava Honigman. My name is Mason, and we are here today talking about Tricia Peda is a name that may be very familiar to you or very unknown to you. I'd say her name is pretty well known, probably because she's so controversial. There's a whole list of things that could be talked about like her Lord. Her Lord is very extensive. It goes very for a more cohesive introduction onto who Trisha Peda is and kind of what she does. We have gage out in the field talking to people, asking them what they know about her, and kind of just introducing her lore. 

Speaker 2 (00:40):

Tricia Pettis, if you have been able to stay relevant and viral for as long as she has in today's new internet age, 

Speaker 3 (00:46):

I have heard of Tricia Pettis. Yes, I feel like she's pretty frequently going viral on the internet, so that's about all I have seen of her. I don't seek it out, but comes to me. 

Speaker 4 (00:57):

She's kind of just in my cultural consciousness as someone who's on the internet. I haven't ever followed her, but I just happen to know things about her. 

Speaker 2 (01:07):

Even fewer have had as many controversies as peus from religion, 

Speaker 5 (01:12):

But I was so obsessed with Donny Osmond. I was so obsessed and I wanted to marry him, so I was really fascinated. So like I said, when the Sister Wise came, I was like, oh my God, let me look into more into this religion. I really liked that aspect of it 

Speaker 2 (01:23):

To culture. Married with gender identity. 

Speaker 6 (01:32):

So do I think I'm transgender? Yes, a thousand percent do I identify with my natural born gender, a thousand percent. 

Speaker 2 (01:40):

She's been in music videos for Eminem and Amy Winehouse and on shows like My Strange Addiction and Ellen, but she has made her fame and money from social media, most notably being her YouTube channel. It has received almost 1 billion views since first being created in 2006. Through all of this, patas seems to always find herself at the center of a controversy, and yet again on the verge of being canceled for many, including those who are a part of the communities, allies of the communities who experts on the communities. Petita appears to be superficial and not take these very important topics seriously. 

Speaker 7 (02:14):

Well, I think it just parallels contemporary culture. I mean, we are in a culture that's a throwaway culture. We use something for a short period of time and goes out of fashion and we throw it away. 

Speaker 2 (02:29):

Professor Colleen McDonal, a history and religions professor at the University of Utah compares her perceived fakeness to one, changing their clothes. 

Speaker 7 (02:37):

Religion in the way that you're describing it for her seems more like an outfit, like a piece of clothing. And on Wednesday you wear long pants and on Thursday you wear a miniskirt, and on Sunday you spend the day in your pajamas, and so you are always changing. Well, if you think of religion like fashion, then that's what she's doing. But most people don't think of religion like a fashion. Most people think of religion as being something more deep. 

Speaker 2 (03:10):

Her viral antics for many seem to come from a place of ignorance and lack of education, rather than taking the time to educate herself on topics that are incredibly personal, serious for many millions of people throughout the world, she makes claims about them. Without having the knowledge to make said claims. 

Speaker 4 (03:27):

I think people in general should be very aware of what they put out in the world and the effects that it might have. I also think generally we just need as a population to have a little bit more media literacy and be able to see the things, see people who we like doing things and not take that to mean that we should also do them. 

Speaker 3 (03:46):

I don't know what's better if I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt that she is smarter than she is. I honestly think it's just blatant ignorance. I feel like one reason Tricia Pettis frequently goes viral is her lack of education, and so I can definitely see Ave Reality in which she has little education about something, but claims something on the internet. And a young viewer takes that fact because they look up to her in the other cool things that she does. 

Speaker 2 (04:24):

Senior youth student, Hannah not only believes that PE toss needs to be more thoughtful of what she posts, especially due to her younger audience, but anyone that has online influence should take the time to educate themselves on topics that they speak about online. 

Speaker 3 (04:38):

I think you have to be careful, especially with young demographics. I think what I know of Treasure Petta is she has this very feminine presence, I guess, things like that. And so I think young girls, I could definitely see a reality in which young women are attracted to her energy and stuff like that. So I think the lack of education that Tricia Pettis has and her presence online can definitely be a poor influence, especially on young girls. So I think if you have any sort of fame or influence on the world, obviously I think anyone who has influence should take the time to educate themselves before they say anything. I mean, anyone with or without influence should be doing this rather than just taking what they see on the internet as fact. I think she should be taking more time to educate herself, but I also think I don't see a reality in which this happens just because she makes her money from going viral on the internet, and 90% of the time she's going viral on the internet for saying something Uneducated 

Speaker 2 (05:49):

Fellow student at the u Lucy believes that people should be able to explore things about themselves, but it should be done respectfully and not for attention. 

Speaker 4 (05:59):

I mean, everyone has a right to do their own. I think the problem with her jumping around to a bunch of different religions and doing some of the stuff she has done is that it's for attention. And so I think when you play with things like that that are really, really important to people because you want their attention, then that's where the problem lies. Yeah, I think she has a responsibility to be more respectful in general 

Speaker 2 (06:29):

As Penitas continues to find herself under fire. For her controversial actions, she manages to keep her career afloat and gain more and more fans and exposure. But will this trend continue? Will Pittas finally have a controversy? She cannot shake off and get canceled? This is Gage Riste reporting. 

Speaker 8 (06:50):

Her Lord is crazy. She's been on every type of TV show. I think she was someone for Stan Lee, the Marvel guy at some point. 

Speaker 1 (06:58):

She's been in everything. She was in Eminem's music video. She's been in America's Got Talent. Yeah. Isn't she Big Brother? She 

Speaker 8 (07:06):

Did a Wrigley's World record for speed reading. 

Speaker 1 (07:11):

She actually that just because, oh my God, I totally forgot about that. Trish like fish. 

Speaker 8 (07:18):

Trish like fish. 

Speaker 1 (07:19):

That's like her line. So yes, obviously very popular. I feel like people, you kind of either love or hate her. 

Speaker 8 (07:28):

Yes, 

Speaker 1 (07:29):

She's definitely, I don't know. Me personally, I obviously think that she's had her qualms and I think that she's had her issues, but I'd say in the end I like her. I think that her character development was good. I think she's in a good place now with her husband and her kids, and I am very happy for her because she wasn't always this stable and aware. Clearly. I feel 

Speaker 8 (07:54):

Like she's one of those people that a lot of people with controversy, I feel like it's because they're either really mean or ignorant, but I think that what saves her is that she's kind and ignorant. I think that she truly a 

Speaker 1 (08:05):

Nice person. 

Speaker 8 (08:06):

She's so ignorant, but I truly think that when I look at her and the things that she does, and the apologies that she does, and maybe I'm just naive, but I really feel like she's being genuine when she apologizes and just genuinely is just not stupid, but you know what I'm saying. 

Speaker 1 (08:22):

I know. I agree completely. I think I also think it's part of her brand and her image is she's just kind of like, what? What's happening? Blonde Bimbo core, which I 

Speaker 8 (08:32):

Love. She's the bimbo Divo of the 

Speaker 1 (08:33):

World. She is the bimbo diva of the world, and I love her for that. And I don't think I agree with you. I don't think that her intentions are ever to hurt people or be mean. I think that she likes to poke fun. Was it her and Shane Dawson when she was in her trance? Oh, was Shane Dawson or was that Zach Aron? 

Speaker 8 (08:54):

Well, she was Okay, I remember this one. So she was in her Shane Dawson era, which if you guys dunno who Shane Dawson is probably for the better. He's not a good person. That's one that I truly think is just a bad guy. But she was exploring her gender identity and she had done a music video. She likes to do music videos a lot. She has everything. No, and she did a whole, the whole, I'm not going to stop video her. It was high school musical two, and she did a full music video of it dressed as Troy Bolton, and she felt very gender affirmed by the experience, but she had claimed that she was trans, but she wasn't because she still identified as a woman. 

Speaker 1 (09:34):

What was that line? She was like, do I identify as transgender? A thousand percent, yes. Do I identify with the gender that I was assigned at birth also a thousand percent. Yes. Yes. And it's like, okay. 

Speaker 8 (09:47):

It was like props to her. Were trying to understand herself better, but that's just gender fluid. That's not trans. And that's where she gets so much backlash. Exactly. I think she just tries to go about these topics, but with just genuine intent of this is what I'm experiencing, but she doesn't do her research, and if she is doing her research, then whoever's doing it with her is not doing it right. 

Speaker 1 (10:10):

I don't know what kind of sources they're looking at, but I don't know. It might just be the wrong ones. Yeah, she does kind of have a history of, I wouldn't say taking things that aren't hers, but I think that she somehow finds herself in a lot of different spaces where it's like, oh, Trish, what are you doing here? I am pretty sure she still identifies as somewhat LGBT Trans. I think she's still got some of that, but I think the main thing is her religion and her religious beliefs, the iconic video. I think this has less to do with religion and more to do with culture. But the Married with a Donkey, that one 

Speaker 8 (10:59):

Did you dress? It was a Pharaoh, 

Speaker 1 (11:01):

Yeah. Made 

Speaker 8 (11:01):

Fun of it 

Speaker 1 (11:01):

Pretty much. And she was props offensive. We will delete later. I never deleted that. Never deleted. It became one of the most viewed videos of hers ever. But her husband being Jewish too and her raising her kids like that, I'm kind of trying to just gather up in my mind all the incidents is because there're so, there've just been so many, Trish, instantly you can't keep track of them all, 

Speaker 8 (11:26):

Especially with the Jewish stuff. I honestly, I have a little bit of a bone to pick with that one because she used to be on that podcast called Frenemies with Ethan Klein. It's Ethan Klein. That's his name, right? 

Speaker 1 (11:36):

Oh my God. Frenemies. I love her. 

Speaker 8 (11:37):

I loved Frenemies friend Mies. But the thing about that podcast is it really set her up for a lot of really bad controversies. She had one episode where she was talking about her just Judaism in general, and she was like, oh, are you Jewish and your mom's side, your dad's side? Because in Jewish culture, one of them is more valid than the other. 

Speaker 1 (12:00):

If your mom is Jewish, you are Jewish, and if your dad isn't is, but your mom isn't, you're not considered Jewish. 

Speaker 8 (12:06):

And she was like, okay, then you're not even Jewish when she's not Jewish, but she claims to be Jewish because she's married to someone that's Jewish. I'm like, babe, you can't pick and choose when you get to exclude or include people from spaces that you're not even a part of. 

Speaker 1 (12:18):

And Ethan Klein is 

Speaker 8 (12:20):

Actually Jewish, 

Speaker 1 (12:21):

Actually Jewish and 

Speaker 8 (12:22):

His wife is actually Jewish. So their children are, and I don't agree with that whole actually Jewish thing in general, but if we're going off of her metrics, the people she's talking to are the ones that are more valid than she is. 

Speaker 1 (12:36):

And I think that, yeah, the mom, it's become a lot more open in recent years because of the, that's kind of an orthodox belief. Typically it's become more open in years. But at the end of the day, if it was between the two, between Tricia Peda and Ethan Klein, I feel like he's got a lot more room to speak on that kind of stuff than she does. Tricia is no stranger to controversy when it comes to both religious and cultural appropriation. In this interview, Mason talks to a high priest of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to discuss religious appreciation versus religious appropriation. 

Speaker 8 (13:20):

My name is Mason Me, and today I have the privilege of speaking with a high priest from the LDS church. Would you like to take a second to introduce yourself? 

Speaker 9 (13:27):

Sure. My name's John, actually, not a high priest. I'm actually a high councilman, which is every organized religion has positions, callings that they have, and a high councilman, just as a guy that helps a larger group of people, probably close to 3000 in guidance of where we're all trying to go as a church and as people, and it's a great opportunity. 

Speaker 8 (13:54):

That's amazing. Thank you for that clarification. I appreciate that. Now onto the main topic of today, we're going to be talking about someone named Tricia Pedi. Do you know anything about her? 

Speaker 9 (14:03):

Never heard of Tricia Pedi. 

Speaker 8 (14:06):

That's okay. No worries. So Tricia pedi is an internet identity. She loves to entertain. She's been on YouTube forever and she makes a lot of videos on TikTok. Tricia has been consistently accused of being offensive and appropriating many cultures and religions throughout her career. That's kind of why we're here right now. How would you define religious appropriation and how does it differ from appreciation or interfaith dialogue? 

Speaker 9 (14:30):

I mean, you think about what is sacred to each one of us in whatever things are part of our personal beliefs and the appropriation of Mormonism or Church of Jesus Christ Latter Saints is that there are very important sacred things that are chosen by that group that are always open for discussion, but in a very sacred conversation. And from an appreciation standpoint, I mean, there's so many ways that someone could be a part of that community without even really having to be a part of that community. 

Speaker 8 (15:02):

Why do you think religious appropriation has become such a sensitive issue in today's culture? 

Speaker 9 (15:07):

I just think that the core values that each one of us have inside of us and what we become a part of, things that are super sacred. If you find yourself in a way that you are hurting a person because of something that they believe in so deeply, that is a diamond to them, it's lines in the sand that people almost can't get over. 

Speaker 8 (15:31):

Okay. So I did show you a podcast segment prior to our interview. It's a segment on Tricia Patti's old show called Frenemies 

Speaker 6 (15:38):

Episode, Mormon underwear, grilled cheese muck, bang and trivia pop culture edition. 

Speaker 8 (15:42):

So we're going to put on Mormon underwear, Mormon's rightest back if we can do that. I have a feeling, I 

Speaker 6 (15:47):

Think it's okay if we're appreciating and not appropriating. 

Speaker 9 (15:50):

How 

Speaker 8 (15:50):

Did you feel after watching this video? 

Speaker 9 (15:52):

Sometimes the naiveness of people is what actually is the hurt. You think about the fun play that's out right now that is so popular in the world, the Book of Mormon, and when you watch that, if you watch it and you're trying to just appreciate it, actually has a ton of great humor in it and very funny and people love it, but you think about what it does is it's very hurtful to members of the church that believe that missionary work and the gospel is so much more than that and so much more of an impact on people's lives. Her setting herself up to be in what she would just think of as fun pajamas and sit and be able to eat food with her friends and giggle and laugh about that we're in Mormon underwear or Jesus jumpers or whatever people like to call 'em. That's not what that is. That's a sacred piece of clothing to remind those that wear them, the power of their body and the influence that those clothing are supposed to remind them of on what kind of person they're supposed to be to the community. 

Speaker 8 (16:59):

How does the LDS church approach instances where public figures like Tricia pedi have engaged with or depicted aspects of the faith that are inaccurate? 

Speaker 9 (17:09):

I think that the church, because of how conservative it is, it's first reaction would be to say nothing. It's reaction when it's pushed to the wall is probably to say something more passive aggressive. They just say that they would almost say it in a nature that you would be offended on the other side. So the church has a real challenge because there are so many topics in the world right now that are sensitive to so many communities and the church doesn't necessarily have the answers. 

Speaker 8 (17:44):

How should someone who is genuinely curious about the LDS faith approach learning about it without crossing that line of appropriation? 

Speaker 9 (17:51):

Well, first I'd ask myself, what made you curious in the first place? Is it because they meet every Sunday for hours? Is it that they have kids that are on missions knocking on doors that the list goes on and on, and whatever those are, if you approached them in a way of appreciating to understand and wanted to walk the walk with them, then that's different. I know that when I look at other groups, if I was going to go be with a Catholic organization and go celebrate what they are, I would quietly approach their cathedrals with humility and go in there and try to soak in the power of what's being shared in there. 

Speaker 8 (18:34):

Well, thank you so much for coming and talking to me today. I appreciate your time. Do you have any last thoughts or anything that you have to say? 

Speaker 9 (18:41):

It's amazing to me how our world is developed into such black and white when there's so much interest in the middle, and appreciation could be done in any type of conversation, respect, belief. It just matters mostly that you understand who and what you're talking to and you've done the homework to be able to think through how it could affect that person if you did it wrongly. 

Speaker 8 (19:17):

Perfect. And on that note, we'll end this interview. This is Mason reporting. Thank you for joining us today. I feel like a lot of it was bordering fetishization as well. She would only date Jewish guys for a really long time and only found them to be attractive. That's crazy. Whatever, do your thing. But at the same time, it's that thing about inclusion and exclusion. She's really hyper inclusive for so many environments and people and cultures. And then for other ones, she's really not fair 

Speaker 1 (19:47):

At all. Yeah, no, I don't know. And she gets these hyper fixations for short periods of time and literally it's kind of like, it's been crazy to watch throughout the years, 

Speaker 8 (19:58):

Which is why I think she's had so few controversies recently is on frenemies. I dunno if you remember this, but at the beginning she talks pretty vulnerably about her mental health struggles. I think it was BPD that she has. 

Speaker 1 (20:11):

She does. 

Speaker 8 (20:12):

Yeah, she does have BPD. I think she had some other things as well, but that's one that I remember her mentioning, and that's something that I really struggle with the Frenemies podcast is no one was really being very kind to her about her disabilities and they were exacerbating them. Like Trish talked about things, 

Speaker 1 (20:29):

Making fun of them a little bit. And 

Speaker 8 (20:31):

Trish spoke about stuff that was like, Hey, this is something that's really triggering for me. If you see me escalating, can you please help me deescalate? Being very aware. And that's why the podcast ended up being done 

Speaker 1 (20:44):

Falling apart. 

Speaker 8 (20:44):

Yeah, because they kind of push each other in really negative way, but I think that's why she has such little controversy right now is I think that she's gotten the help that she needs and she has an amazing supportive husband and kids, and she's gotten her mental health now that I think that that really might've been the biggest culprit is she was just a person trying to learn how to understand the way that her brain works. 

Speaker 1 (21:07):

I agree. And when you're placed in the limelight like that, obviously she's got from 

Speaker 8 (21:12):

A young age, she was there from 

Speaker 1 (21:12):

A very young age, and she's, I don't know, just being in those kinds of spaces as the kind of woman that she is. I don't know. I feel for her, because it's mental health and struggles like that, that is so hard to deal with just period. But in a space where you're constantly being watched by people constantly being served and people can comment on and critique every behavior. Obviously she chooses what to upload and what to not upload and her behavior. But I don't know. I just feel like that definitely if it were me, that would've sent me deeper into the spiral. 

Speaker 8 (21:52):

Well, there's just no grace. I think about my high school experiences, and I grew up in a very conservative household, very LDS, and I'm one of the queerest people you ever meet. I am married to a man. That's 

Speaker 1 (22:05):

Always how it ends up. 

Speaker 8 (22:07):

Yes. I think about the things that I believe because of my environment and my family and those generational ideas that just don't leave until you challenge them. 

Speaker 10 (22:18):

And 

Speaker 8 (22:18):

It makes me sad because I think that without the grace that I've had, I wasn't in an influential position of any sort. I was able to learn things for myself. I don't think this is the same thing, but you know about the Brook Shefield stuff with T Mojo. Yeah. I think it's a really extreme version of that, where that was her narrative was she grew up in a very conservative environment, and those were the beliefs that she was taught. And then she challenged them and worked through them, which I don't know, I dunno how much I believe in it. They were some pretty messed up things. 

Speaker 1 (22:48):

She was talking about also when you talk, she was, what, 16 when she was making those tweets? I think Brooke was in college. Oh, yeah. See, there you go. See, that's what I'm saying is I 

Speaker 8 (22:59):

Think it's a different situation, that lack of grace and being in a public eye, I am fearful for what I would've said that was ignorant when I hadn't challenged those ideologies 

Speaker 1 (23:09):

Yet. Oh, same. I also grew up very conservative, household queerness, blah, blah, blah. But oh my God, if you had gotten a handle on some of the things that I would've said or believed in middle school just because they weren't my beliefs, they were my parents, my family's beliefs, it's horrible. 

Speaker 8 (23:26):

Oh yeah. I remember the first time that Trump went for president. My family was conservative. I was like 15 or 14. I was like, true. I was like, 

Speaker 1 (23:33):

Yes, Mago. Yes. And 

Speaker 8 (23:35):

Then I took 20 minutes later when I learned critical thinking skills and I was like, Jesus 

Speaker 1 (23:38):

Christ. Absolutely not. I just think my funniest arc was literally being in middle school, totally queer gender and being a Republican because I was literally, there's a picture of me and I'm literally standing in front of, I had an American flag in my room, and oh 

Speaker 8 (23:58):

God, 

Speaker 1 (23:58):

It's a picture of me. Oh, you were a 

Speaker 8 (23:59):

Publican 

Speaker 1 (24:00):

Going like this with the dog filter on Snapchat and a snapback hat babes and hair like buzz. It's like the cows coming from inside the house. The closet is 

Speaker 8 (24:12):

Glass, the closet is clear glass, and for some reason the glass is covered with American 

Speaker 1 (24:16):

Product. Why is it a patriotic closet? I don't understand. 

Speaker 8 (24:21):

Well, I think that's a very Tricia Pettis thing. I know is a lot of her stuff, her life was glass. I can't imagine that. 

Speaker 1 (24:28):

I can't either. Do you remember her trolls breakdown? Oh my God. Where that was an old video and she posted about, I need to rewatch her for the full context, but she was just posting about, I don't know if it was how much she loved the trolls or if she was having some kind of spiritual awakening from them, but that was, I think, one of the first Tricia Peda videos I'd ever seen. 

Speaker 8 (24:51):

The one that sticks out to me the most when I think about growing up with Tricia Peda, because we really did grow up with her. We watched her grow up and we were doing the same. And I remember her being in that one kitchen that she used to do all of her videos in. You know what I'm talking about, that tiny house kitchen? Yeah. She just made the worst. She'd 

Speaker 1 (25:07):

Put that camera up there and she'd go all, and 

Speaker 8 (25:09):

She went, she did one cover of Shallow From the Stars Born. Did you watch that one? I don't think so. Everyone who's listening to this needs to watch it. And she puppy. Seriously. 

Speaker 1 (25:17):

Okay. It's her clip. 

Speaker 8 (25:18):

Yeah, it's her clip. But I remember her talking about how she was like, I truly don't think that good things are for me, and from my experiences, the way that people have treated me, the way that my body has been exploited, the way that I've been viewed as just like an object. It just seeing her be so vulnerable about the ways that her spotlight has just completely destroyed her as a person. It's one of the most devastating things I've ever watched. 

Speaker 1 (25:47):

It's heartbreaking. It's actually, it's so fucking sad. And she thought she'd never have kids or a partner because she wasn't. She was like, it's not meant for me. I'm not. 

Speaker 8 (25:57):

Yeah. You know exactly about what I'm about. The video is so devastating, and I watched it juxtaposing her current environment with a home and children and a partner who loves her and builds sets for her little 

Speaker 1 (26:08):

Tavr, their wedding. 

Speaker 8 (26:09):

Beautiful. It's exactly what they needed. And it just makes me want to cry. I'm like, I'm such a Tristan because I see her as a person first and then a celebrity second. 

Speaker 1 (26:18):

Exactly. And I feel like that's kind of, her brand kind of makes it easy to do that. But more so only in recent years, because I think that you look at her back then, and you look at her now, and I genuinely believe that she herself didn't think that she would ever be able to change. I don't think she ever thought she'd be able to get to this point. So the people were watching her didn't really either. 

Speaker 8 (26:39):

Well, her mental health stuff was debilitating. I've never even watching it in front of me. When was going to therapy for years, and she was trying to vocalize what her needs were and them just being completely ran over. And then she reacted awfully. And of course that part is omitted. And then she's labeled as the psycho, which I'm like, first off, that's not even a fair word to use in general, but you see people take advantage of her. And then having a family member, a brother-in-law take advantage of you. What are you supposed to do when fame is involved? People just for some reason, they believe that they have a right to exploit you. 

Speaker 1 (27:15):

Exactly. And write about it. And I feel like with people like Trisha, specifically women, it's so easy and they're so often just written off as crazy or like, oh my God, this bitch is crazy. Have you seen all the shit that she's done? Blah, blah, blah. And it's almost like, and people think she's stupid. She's 

Speaker 8 (27:37):

Genius. She's a genius. You cannot be the number one speed reader in the world and not be 

Speaker 1 (27:43):

Articulate. But she did that whole performance in front of everyone. They were laughing with her. 

Speaker 8 (27:49):

This blonde bimbo is so smart. 

Speaker 1 (27:52):

Yeah. Oh my God. She's making a fool out of herself on national television. Yeah. 

Speaker 8 (27:56):

No, she's smart. She just has not been in environments that are conducive to that. When people tell you, you're an idiot for your whole life, you're 

Speaker 1 (28:02):

Going to start to believe it. 

Speaker 8 (28:04):

Yes. And she's been having that since day one. 

Speaker 1 (28:07):

I know. It's so sad. People are so quick to write her off and just so quick to be like, this is so stupid. She doesn't know what she's talking about. But I think that, yeah, it does really go to show. It's honestly hope Core. It is her story. It's so Hope Core. She was like, I'll never have kids. I'll never be able to love somebody. I think her big thing was like, nobody will ever love me. I'm unlovable. And you fast forward a couple years, and it's not just finding love, but she truly, and again, we're talking about a celebrity. This is a parasocial relationship. We don't know her. But I think that it's really, I do. Exactly. I feel like I do too. And it's really easy to see parts of yourself in people that, and the journey. And the main thing about Trisha is she's so relatable sometimes, and 

Speaker 8 (28:58):

She's so 

Speaker 1 (28:58):

Honest. And I think 

Speaker 8 (28:59):

That's why she gets so much backlash too, is because first off, she's never had any PR training. We can tell. 

Speaker 1 (29:04):

No filter, 

Speaker 8 (29:05):

No, whatsoever. Because of the honesty. I feel. That's why we feel like we know her, and that's why we feel like we understand her is because we see her unfiltered. 

Speaker 1 (29:13):

The good and the 

Speaker 8 (29:14):

Bad. Yes. And people like to really hold onto the bad because I think there are a lot of people that are evil and awful and dishonest, and then they have controversy. And I think that they should be held accountable and that maybe this is a hot take. This can be the hottest take in the entire world. But I feel like when it comes to Tricia, I've never seen her once hurt someone and not feel awful for it and not try to make amends. 

Speaker 1 (29:38):

And 

Speaker 8 (29:39):

That me is 

Speaker 1 (29:39):

Human. She always takes accountability. And she's always very insightful and very thoughtful about the situation. She doesn't have evil intentions at all. She's just, she's kind of 

Speaker 8 (29:54):

Oblivious. 

Speaker 1 (29:54):

She is kind of oblivious. It's on brand. 

Speaker 8 (29:57):

I had the opportunity to interview a religious professional, and that's going to be in this podcast. And we talked about something that she said that was pretty messed up about the Mormon church and something that I could see as being insanely offensive. But then I look back about Trish's character and I think, okay, I really don't think that she understands the gravity, what she's saying right here. But then where also is that line of you need to be held accountable when you're hurting, actively hurting people. I dunno how she walks the line. I don't know how I support her walking it, but it's complicated. 

Speaker 1 (30:31):

It is complicated. And I think that, yeah, her relationship with all those kinds of things, it gets to her point. It's like, oh, well, she doesn't really know what she's saying, but she's a grown woman. And I think that that's also, people love to infantalize mental illness be like, oh, she's not in her right mind. She doesn't know what she's talking about. And it's like, no, she's a grown woman. She's very smart. She understands. But again, I also don't think that she would've understood the gravity of the situation of a lot of things that she says. But 

Speaker 8 (31:00):

I think it's that concept of understanding versus justification where we can understand what is contributing to her mental health state, the environments that she's in, the pressure that she has from being where she's at. But we also can't justify of like, okay, when people are hurt, there needs to be accountability and there needs to be something. And that's why I think she gets away with stuff is because she takes it. She takes accountability every time does. So what more could you ask for someone when you can just see their humanity shining through? 

Speaker 1 (31:29):

Exactly. And that's what, yes, she's always been. She's always, that's the thing is she doesn't really seem like a celebrity. She just kind of seems like, I think that at the end of the day, there's always a reason, but the reason's not always an excuse. I think that Tricia is a very likable and honest, I don't even know if I'd call her a celebrity, just 

Speaker 8 (31:52):

Influencer, 

Speaker 1 (31:53):

Influencer, public figure. I think that a lot of people have a lot of different opinions on her, but at the end of the day, she's always been consistent. And she does always take accountability for her actions and what she messes up. 

Speaker 8 (32:08):

Totally moral of the story here. When you mess up, apologize, take accountability. There's only so much that humidity can span. You have to actively contribute to and take responsibility. 

Speaker 1 (32:21):

Exactly. Just be an adult. 

Speaker 8 (32:22):

Be an adult. 

Speaker 1 (32:23):

Seriously.

Speaker 1 (00:00):

Welcome to this week's episode of Gooped and Gabbed. My name is Lane Karlberg and I'm really excited to talk about today's episode because this is a topic that I've had a weird fixation on recently and I really wish I didn't because it's kind of a sensitive topic. It's something that kind of hurts my stomach when I think about it. So just as a forewarning, if you have a weak stomach, one could say like me, just be worn in advance. Today we will be talking about Sean Combs, also known as P Diddy. Now, Sean Combs is a music producer who was really famous back in the early two thousands and nineties. Well, I guess he is still pretty famous. I just don't feel like I hear his name as much until recently with his arrest back then was very well known in the music industry, and he's worked with artists such as Jay-Z and Beyonce. 

Speaker 1 (01:04):

He's friends with them. He's also known for his beef with 50 cent, who with this what we were about to talk about, 50 cent is coming out with a documentary, which I believe is going to be aired on Netflix, purely about Diddy and everything that he's done, everything that's going on with that, which I truly find fascinating, like imagine having such hardcore beef with someone where you have to make a documentary about all the evidence that you've collected about them. Up until this point, I can't even imagine it truly. Now, thankfully, Mason was able to talk to a few students at the University of Utah to see if they know who P Diddy is or anything about this case as well as he was capable of talking to a parent, which will help give some insight as a parent's point of view to relate to a later topic that I will be addressing in this podcast episode about just protection of your child, considering a lot of what P Diddy does and his incident does involve children or people who are now adults, but back when they were involved with him were children. Now this is based on speculation and videos of his interactions with young or younger artists, and so I'm going to give Mason the opportunity to share that with you. All 

Speaker 2 (02:42):

Months after Sean Didi Combs was charged with sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, a federal grand jury is hearing from more witnesses as the criminal investigation into the disgrace. Mogul continues. 

Speaker 3 (02:54):

P Diddy, also known as Sean Combs, is currently facing serious legal troubles that have made him a hot topic in the media. He has been indicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and other crimes related to the alleged exploitation of women. There are many theories about Diddy concerning other famous stars such as Justin Bieber Usher and Michael Jackson. 

Speaker 4 (03:15):

The Justin Bieber case was really sad, and I just want to know where the heck were his parents during all of it. 

Speaker 3 (03:21):

The entertainment industry has long been criticized for its handling of power dynamics where influential figures have been accused of exploiting their position. PD D's case brings up larger issues about the culture of silence that existed for decades shielding powerful figures from accountability. P Diddy is not alone in this. 

Speaker 2 (03:39):

The witness who reportedly hasn't filed any suits against combs and is not claiming to be a victim of him says he has information and evidence about sexual abuse and other misconduct by combs, some of which allegedly involve celebrities. 

Speaker 3 (03:53):

These allegations also bring to light the lasting impact on each victim. Many of the women involved in cases like this often suffer from trauma that lasts a lifetime, and it can take years before they feel safe enough to come forward. This raises important questions about how society protects vulnerable individuals and industries like entertainment or power is very unevenly distributed in an attempt to gain more understanding about coverage. Concerning Diddy, I spoke with two randomly selected students outside of the University of Utah Marriott Library. My first interviewee is named Keaton, and when I asked him who Diddy was, his response was, I've heard of his name, but I don't know what he does or who he is when it comes to this situation. Diddy has had a lot of backlash for some really messed up things that he's done concerning a lot of illegal activity, sex trafficking, drug trafficking, et cetera. Do you think that when it becomes to that level that the news should get involved? Yeah, I feel like the news could get involved. Obviously, he should get taken care of if those things are actually happening. My next interviewee was named Maddie. She was a little shy, so her answers were short, but one thing that she did mention after I explained what happened concerning PDD was, 

Speaker 4 (05:05):

Yeah, that's insane. I had no idea. 

Speaker 3 (05:07):

Since a lot of victims in the PD DD case are children, I wanted to get a parent's perspective. I asked a good friend's mom, Shannon, if she'd ever heard of PDD. 

Speaker 4 (05:16):

Yes, I have. I know that he's a terrible person and that he is a predator and prays on the children in the music industry and also just whoever, I guess in the music industry. 

Speaker 3 (05:34):

Shannon says it's tricky for the public to know what's real and what's not when they hear these types of allegations. 

Speaker 4 (05:41):

The scary thing about past how people act or how they have acted in the past is everyone can put on a good show for everybody else and look the part and do everything they want to do to look like this great person. But that's the scary part is behind the scenes, you just don't know their character. So when something comes up like that, like something serious, then you kind of have to stop and think, whoa, okay, what is going on here with this person? Because I know a lot of narcissists in my life and they all look fantastic and great and like the neatest people on the planet to everyone else, but sometimes the truth is about them is a lot darker because they can hide it. 

Speaker 3 (06:34):

Shannon says it's important for celebrities to be held accountable for their actions. 

Speaker 4 (06:38):

I think it's super important because essentially these celebrities are role models to people, I think especially the youth. So it is important for them to take accountability and show up and talk about whatever it is that's happening. 

Speaker 3 (06:55):

She also believes parent involvement could have prevented the grooming these child victims experienced. 

Speaker 4 (07:01):

I don't understand the mindset of parents of child stars. A lot of them, it's coming out. A ton of kids have been groomed, and I don't understand where these parents were, if they were naive, if they worried more about, oh, our kid's going to make us a lot of money, and that's all that mattered, and they didn't care. I just don't understand it. As a mother myself, I was very protective of my children and there's no way I would've ever let that happen. 

Speaker 3 (07:37):

Shannon says, the music industry is also to blame for not holding celebrities accountable. 

Speaker 4 (07:44):

I think they try to cover it up, and maybe that's because a lot of them are involved in the stuff that goes on in the entertainment industry, but I think a lot of people get away with things. 

Speaker 3 (07:57):

The controversy behind p Diddy is complex and multifaceted. If you haven't taken a deep dive yet, I hope this audio story has given you the inspiration to start looking, but for now, Diddy is stuck behind bars until he goes to trial. 

Speaker 1 (08:19):

So to start off, let's talk about what started this uproar, what brought people's attention back to P Diddy in noticing his abusive behaviors? So there was this video that rose from surveillance video from a hotel of P Diddy in a towel dragging and grabbing his ex-girlfriend by the hair, beating her and dragging her back to the hotel room. Now, sadly, there's no audio for this incident, but Diddy did record a apology video, one could say, I mean, that's what he called it. But when you watch the video and you see his face, it doesn't feel as though there is remorse in his eyes like he says there is. It just seems like he's trying to cover his tracks. Just make sure people see him as an apologetic man. 

Speaker 5 (09:18):

My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I'm disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now. 

Speaker 1 (09:35):

Now, thankfully, him and his ex-girlfriend are no longer together, but this kind of did bring awareness to people thinking he's kind of a sus dude, right? And then later on, Pete did his home, got raided out of nowhere. 

Speaker 3 (09:54):

Breaking news was federal agents swarmed the homes of one of the biggest names in rap and entertainment, 

Speaker 4 (09:59):

Breaking news, music mogul, Diddy's mansions raided by Homeland Security. 

Speaker 2 (10:04):

I never in a million years expected to see that mansion with that level of raid activity. 

Speaker 1 (10:09):

Now, when the police entered the house, they had swat. They had a bunch of people coming in to search his house. P Diddy was not home, but his two sons were, so they were under arrest or taken into custody, and when they searched his home, they found numerous firearms, sex, toys. What people find to be the most funny part is thousands of bottles of baby oil, which I'm going to be honest, I don't even entirely know what you use baby oil for as a grown man, but clearly not good, not a good thing. So this led to p Diddy being arrested, and because of this incident, people began talking about what activities P Diddy has been getting up to, and this brought back into light, his big famous white out parties where a bunch of celebrities, politicians, royals, would come to these parties and there's film of these parties, photos taken. 

Speaker 1 (11:19):

There's a giant guest list that came out. Now, before I do continue with this topic, I would like to say it has not been confirmed as to who would stay for the second portion of these parties. There is just a list of the entire guest list, but not who would stay after. Now, it is said that around one to 2:00 AM these white out parties. These atmospheres would change and it wouldn't change from a fun lighthearted kind of vibe. It was more of a heavy feeling came across the room like something bad was going to happen. There is a recording of Diddy stating that you should let your kids leave because kids would be invited to these white out parties as well, but basically stating that your kids should leave. My kids aren't here. I'm not in charge. If your kids get taken away from you, which already sets an ominous tone, 

Speaker 6 (12:21):

Kids have like an hour left. So get extra comfortable kids because after that, y'all got to go. It's a wrap for y'all because this thing turns into something that when y'all get older, don't one come to. Okay, so let's just start to get our groove on a little bit. Then an hour, we put the kids away. It's all good. 

Speaker 1 (12:42):

Now, it speculated that after, at this point, p Diddy would change the vibe of the party and it would become more of what he made the term of a freak off. Now, I am not trying to shame anyone's sexuality. You should feel free to do as you please, but this wasn't exploring your sexuality. This is sex trafficking, sexual assault, rape. During these parties, celebrities would be present, minors would be present, and what would happen is Diddy would bring prostitutes from across state lines, which is one of the reasons why he was arrested and bring them in. And basically whoever's at the party, you can use them as you please. They, I don't care what happens to them, you can do whatever you want to them. And the main, first of all, prostitution and trafficking individuals is a crime, but most of the time these would be minors and these would be children around the ages of 10 to 12. 

Speaker 1 (13:56):

Now, these were also usually children who were of color, mainly African-American and young boys. Now, what they would do is they would put these children on display on these tables and pretty much just say, do whatever you want to them. I don't really care. Do what you want to them, they for your leisure, that is disgusting. That is terrifying. As a parent, one should be scared, one should be just grossed out by this concept of what he would do to these children. He is truly a monster for what he would do to them. Another portion of this is he would also use these parties as a way to gain power over other celebrities and other individuals at these parties. 

Speaker 1 (14:53):

In drinks, he would roofy numerous celebrities and force 'em into situations that were unfavorable or do things to them that were unfavorable and record them and use them as blackmail in order to get them to do as he pleases. Now, there have been numerous incidences where celebrities or in music, film, anything they have referenced p Diddy and or alluded to him. Now, I would like to talk about two specific incidences that may correlate with him. Now, the first one would be the song Fuel by Eminem, where he directly talks about sexual assault and rape, and at the end of the song he says P Diddy. And this is meant to reference P Diddy himself. I'll play that clip for you now. 

Speaker 7 (15:55):

I'm like an R-A-P-E-R got so many essays, essays, essays. Wait, he didn't just spell the word Rapper and leave out P Diddy. Yep, p, rest in Peace. Biggie Pac. Both of y'all said P. Trying to with him because he might put a hit on me like 

Speaker 1 (16:10):

Eminem is one of those few artists that have made statements or alluded to P Diddy not being a great person, such as 50 cent has done and has not attended one of P Diddy's parties in the past. And he took this opportunity. He has referenced P Diddy in numerous songs in the past. If you listen to any of his songs, this is just the most clear example that Diddy has control and may have played a role in the deaths or disappearance of many artists in this industry. And another example I would like to bring up is of Jay Cole with his song She Knows. Now, something I would like to bring up in this song, in the background, throughout the whole thing, you can hear a runaway, which I found interesting to add. And this song, the Clip, I'm going to play references just like the death of these numerous artists that all kind of died in the same way. And this is meant to help reference the power that P Diddy had in this industry and the control he had 

Speaker 7 (17:22):

Only bad thing is they. 

Speaker 1 (17:32):

Now, these are all very famous artists, very well-known people in the music industry during their time alive. And something I would like to add that I referenced before is that p Diddy is very big friends with Beyonce and Jay-Z, and it is believed that these deaths all correlate with the three of them, that they may have had a hand in them. And this is all speculation. None of this has been confirmed, but it can be seen that way because it has also been shown. I'll play some clips of a lot of artists thanking Beyonce when they get artist music, song, anything at these award shows, any awards that she was up for when they get it instead of her, they tend to thank her. 

Speaker 7 (18:25):

Best of my life is Beyonce in this album. Can we appreciate that? All us artists here, we fucking adore you. You are our 

Speaker 8 (18:33):

Light, and I love you. I always have, and I always Beyonce and I started out around the same time and just like all of her fans, I fell in love with her the first time I saw her from her singing to dancing to Acting, she can do it all. She's a triple threat. And one of the most talented people I've ever seen, the Grammy goes to Lizzo for about 

Speaker 7 (19:05):

Beyonce. 

Speaker 1 (19:12):

You changed my life. It's kind of weird. I know Beyonce and Jay-Z aren't P Diddy, but they're a close knit group. They're the main three. And this is just to help show the control that P Diddy had and the kind of abuse or impact he had on these musical artists in this field because the people he surrounded himself were people of power, people who decided who won, who moved forward, and how all of them are connected. But it is seen that Diddy is the main villain, the main antagonist in all of this. Now, one celebrity who is speculated to have had this done to him is Justin Bieber. Justin Bieber is a very famous musical artist who has gone to a P Diddy party when he was a minor, which to begin with is a concern. He shouldn't be invited to these when it is a grownup event. And there's even a video of an interview of after the fact, after a incident with p Diddy where he is talking to Justin Bieber. And Justin Bieber looks very uncomfortable in the video, and p Diddy is asking him about just seeing each other again that they don't hang out the way they used to. Well, as a child, you don't want to hang out with a full grown man. You want to hang out with people your age 

Speaker 5 (20:57):

Starting to act different, huh? You ain't been calling me and hanging out the way we used to hang out. 

Speaker 7 (21:03):

Well, I mean you try to get in contact with me through all my partners and whatnot. 

Speaker 1 (21:10):

When Justin Bieber entered the industry, he was around the age of 14, I believe, and he had to move to la. His parents didn't come with him and he needed to get custody of someone, had to have custody of him. And it is known that P Diddy tried to get that custody, but he failed. He did not get that custody. Usher. On the other hand, he did get the custody. Usher is also a very famous, well-known musical artist in the music industry. Now, a little background on Usher though, when he was a child, he also got into the music industry and his guardian was Diddy. So he experienced life living with him and understands what it's like to live with Diddy. Usher came up with the term flavor camp. The premise of it is just to describe his time as a child artist or a young artist living with a man in the industry and basically being taught what it's like to be in the music industry. There is a video of Usher stating that he would never let his children experience flavor camp. 

Speaker 9 (22:19):

You're a dad now, would you ever send your kid to Puffy camp? Hell no. See, 

Speaker 1 (22:24):

It is believed that during this time, usher became a victim of Diddy and he used him in an unspeakable manner. But it is true that most of the time when a victim grows out of age or is no longer favorable towards their abuser or they just want to be out of the situation, they go off and find themselves a replacement. And that is believed to be what was done to Justin Bieber. Usher had custody of Justin Bieber, and for a portion of time, usher gave P Diddy 48 hours of custody. They recorded it or recorded parts of it. And there is a portion of the video video that is kind of unnerving uncomfortable of the things that Diddy says to Justin. 

Speaker 5 (23:23):

Right now he's having 48 hours with Diddy, him and his boy. They're having the times of their lives like where we hanging out and what we doing? We can't really disclose, but it's definitely a 15 year old's dream. 

Speaker 1 (23:40):

Clearly there are signs when you look at Justin Pee in the future from these events, not currently. Currently he seems relatively happy and as though he's looking out for these other younger artists now when he didn't have 'em, which he does state in a song called Lonely that he was lonely. The song is referencing this time period in his life. 

Speaker 7 (24:04):

Everybody knows my past now. My house was always made of class, and maybe that's the price you pay for the money and fame at an early age. And everybody saw me sick 

Speaker 1 (24:19):

And it felt like no one gave it the lines directly explain how he thought these people cared about him, but they didn't. They were using him and abusing him, and he is trying to find a way to protect these younger kids, but protecting them in a way he wasn't protected. And this can also be seen in the music video, yummy in it, there is references to him as a child and basically his innocence being taken away such as the cherry representation photo of him on a plate where it says Yummy underneath is him as a child. The references throughout the video is numerous. I urge you to watch it, to see it for yourself. Take what I've said into consideration when you're watching it. Now, Kennedy was able to talk to Shane Carter, a psych nurse practitioner about relevance to usher Justin Bieber about just trauma responses and alternatives or helpful outlets to individuals that experience this form of abuse. 

Speaker 10 (25:31):

Can you just tell me a little bit about what you see in the adult life after traumatic events have happened, how they deal with it or anything that can come up? 

Speaker 9 (25:43):

So I'm actually a veteran also. So we see a lot of PTSD and there's so many different types of PTSD with the trauma. We see trauma responses that take all shapes, forms and sizes and stuff. And this can go from physical abuse. That's usually one of the easier ones to actually deal with because the brain, when the assault happens, it registers the assault. But then emotional and sexual assaults are much, much more complicated and harder to deal with, especially if the victim was perpetrated against and victimized before the age of 26 because their brain's not fully functional or developed at that point. And they kind of a lot of times suppress the assault and try to make excuses by why it happened, and they usually don't deal with it. So we kind of really push them to get into therapy and stuff. And sometimes medications used to help them while they're in therapy or when they're dealing with traumatic events. 

Speaker 10 (26:35):

Mentored Usher when he was younger and upcoming in his music. And it came out that there was a little bit of sexual assault trauma, things that P Diddy would do to Usher. So then when Usher started to mentor Justin Bieber, he kind of took what happened to him and started doing it to Justin Bieber. Is that kind of a 

Speaker 9 (26:57):

Grooming? Happens quite a bit. And a lot of times you'll see it's cyclic that when you see molestations and stuff, a lot of times the perpetrator was molested also. I've done my hours in the prison in Salt Lake when I was a student, and there's many, many patients that I've seen there that when you start hearing their stories and stuff and you find out that they weren't only the perpetrator, but they were actually the victim at one point also and they were perpetrated 

Speaker 10 (27:29):

Against. 

Speaker 9 (27:30):

And so I think it's very cyclic in that yes, 

Speaker 10 (27:34):

There has to be somebody to break that cycle obviously, but is that 

Speaker 9 (27:38):

Absolutely 

Speaker 10 (27:38):

Still somebody to, that's still a trauma response, to be able to break that cycle and be able to put a stop to it for the people coming up as well, if you could just give them a little bit of advice or maybe something to ease them to go get help or anything related in that field, what would you tell them? 

Speaker 9 (27:59):

I would tell 'em to not be afraid and to go get help. It is confidential and that there's plenty of resources out there. If people knew how it would help them, I believe a lot more of 'em would go and get seen and have the resources, use the resources that are available. I mean, we have a national hotline now for suicidal awareness and stuff, and it's not great. It's 9, 8, 8, but it's national and it's something that's in place now for resources for people who are feeling that they're overwhelmed and they might do something horrible, make a permanent decision on a temporary problem. 

Speaker 9 (28:40):

And so I'm just glad that it's getting a little more, what would you say, exposure. So people can take action on it. In the VA population, in the military and stuff, we had a veteran kill themselves every 20 minutes, I'm sorry, committing suicide. And it's like that hire is unacceptable. I mean one's too many, but we have the resources that we can help people. I think that they just need to know that there's resources available to them. When people are starting to talk about issues that they see, I'm glad they're talking about it and it's not being swept under the rug and it's not being glamorized. It's being, Hey, you know what? This is a sickness. This is stuff we can stomp out. This is stuff we can fix. There's resources here available to help people. And I think that the stars that actually put themselves out there and show their vulnerability make a huge difference for people who are watching them. 

Speaker 1 (29:41):

And that's why a lot of these artists, it seems as though when P Diddy gets interested in them, they go through these dramatic changes. Like Justin Bieber went through his rugged fade, got all those tattoos, grew that beard, got a drug problem. It's believed, that's why Wonder Direction may have gotten their tattoos and start growing facial hair to see more manly and so on with numerous other artists because p Diddy would do what he could to get either roofie them or get whatever information he had on them to blackmail them and to have some form of control over them and abuse them in numerous ways. Now, this doesn't only apply to male artists, but also female artists. Lady Gaga has said in a interview that she had a producer once ask her to take her clothes off, and if she didn't, he would ruin her career. She never says who it is, but it's under speculation that this may have been Diddy because he was a producer at the time. A producer said 

Speaker 11 (30:42):

To me, take your clothes off. And I said, no. And I left and they told me they were going to burn all my music, and they didn't stop. They didn't stop asking me. And then I just frozen. I don't even remember 

Speaker 1 (31:18):

Now. All of this is horrifying. And all this came out while P Diddy was arrested and after his house got first raided. Now there was a second raid, not swat, but police came into his house again and searched his home. While they were searching his home, they had found that things had been moved, things had been altered in his home then previously. So what they did was they moved his bed and moved the carpet under his bed because this was the area that it seemed tampered with. And when they did, so they found a tunnel, a really big tunnel. And so the police officers went down and they started walking it. And as they were walking, they found children's clothes. They found just numerous clothes littered across the hallways, and this is believed to be how he trafficked those individuals into his home. And all of his terrible acts were done through these tunnels. 

Speaker 1 (32:32):

And as the police went further in, they found a giant widespread area. And in this area, they found hallways leading to different directions. And then they also found, I want to say five to six, around that range of locked rooms that the police could not get into. At this point, they were like, I can't move any further. There isn't enough of us to search. So the police calls and swap. They're like, Hey, homies, we found something very disturbing in p Diddy's home. We need backup. And so SWAT came. They got more agents down there. They went down these hallways and they found these hallways connected to other houses in the areas such as the Playboy Mansion, so on, and Kim concerning. So then these homes got raided and surrounded by SWAT as well, and they got searched. Now, this is awfully disturbing. First of all, he had hallways going to other people's homes, and also he had locked rooms. 

Speaker 1 (33:48):

What was he keeping in those rooms? That's what I would like to know. But that is what they found in his home when they raided it. And p Diddy is still currently in custody and he's currently still being charged with racketeering, sex trafficking, transferring of prostitutes, things like that. Now, no celebrities have come out and fully made a statement about these incidences themselves, but this is all the evidence that has been found against Diddy, and it is also believed that Justin Bieber is going to come out because he is a focus. He is the main victim that many are bringing attention to because there are so many clear signs. He's believed to be coming out with a documentary at some point of describing his experience in the music industry, his life here in this industry, and him as a child specifically. I know today's topic was of kind of sensitive topics, not kind of, they are sensitive topics, and I hope it came across that I truly do care about these victims and the events that are transpiring. And I urge you to try to stay updated, try to stay connected to what is going on in the world, even if it is pop culture now. Thank you for joining us for Gup and Gabbed on behalf of Mason Myers, Ava Homan, Ken Staley G verse stage. Thank you for listening and I hope you have a great rest of your day.