Elena Castro, Author at BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Notes From the Editor: Journalism & The Church

Elena Castro — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 20:28:30 +0000

Meet the editor in chief of the Church News and learn about her vigor for the field of journalism The Church News headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah is a “living record of the restoration” of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Like any organization, there is a leader at the helm looking over everything, getting things approved and keeping projects in motion. So who is it at the Church News? None other than one of BYU’s own: Sarah Jane Weaver, a graduate of the School of Communications’ journalism program. Even as a little girl, Weaver said that journalism was always the goal. “I declared my major before I went to BYU and I never changed it,” said Weaver. After decades of being in the business, the editor is still just as in love with journalism now as she’s always been. “I love the profession. I love everything about it. It connects people to their world, to their government, to their church, to their families.” Weaver never wavered. What she never expected, however, was the opportunity to report on the leaders of the LDS Church and see how they carried themselves and a global religion. “Early on, I wanted to be a political reporter. I did the Washington Seminar and did an internship with the Deseret News Washington Bureau,” said Weaver. It was through the Washington Seminar that she was able to meet editors at the Deseret News who would later suggest she apply for a position at the Church News. “Once I went to work at Church News, I felt very strongly about its mission and I really wanted to amplify the voices of prophets and apostles,” she said. “I loved the Church and I enjoyed telling stories about the lives of church members and all the good they do around the world.” Weaver has loved telling stories about the Church’s humanitarian efforts, as well as Church education, welfare services and temple dedications. “Suddenly, I was seeing this really beautiful picture of the Church unfold and that was very fulfilling to me to be able to be a part of telling that story for other Church members,” said the editor. She began her Church News career in 1995 and has had the unique opportunity to cover the Church under the leadership of three different prophets. Presidents Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson and Russell M. Nelson. “People say, ‘What’s it like to travel with the Prophet?’ I say, ‘I don’t travel with the Prophet, I follow him.’ It is a really profound privilege to observe prophets with the people,” she said. Weaver describes her job as no different than any other member of the Church. “We do, however, get to view the Church from a very unique perspective. I always call it, ‘the Church News window,’” she said. “There’s access that we have because of our job because we have a charge to amplify the words of prophets and apostles and to connect them to Latter-day Saints. And that is a beautiful view.” In a world that now presents news and information vastly different than how it did in the early aughts of 1995, the BYU alum has seen the role of journalism in the past and is still firm in her convictions about the importance of news today. “The industry is just as important now as it was then. In fact, it’s more important because people are desperate for information and they need to get it from a credible source,” said Weaver. “Information is empowering. It helps [people] make better decisions.” Weaver has navigated the two spheres of religious and world news through the Church News organization. “It is a great blessing to write about something that you care about and I cannot think of a greater cause in this whole world than the cause of Jesus Christ and the church he established,” she said. Even 26 years later, Weaver is still so grateful for the career life has given her. “Every day I wake up and pinch myself. I think, ‘How did this happen? How did I get the opportunity to write about something that I care about so much?”

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What is the PR Intelligence Lab? Q&A with Lab Manager Michael Burke Breaks it Down

Elena Castro — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 17:40:42 +0000

Take a look inside the Public Relations Intelligence Lab and meet the new manager: Michael Burke Last summer, the School of Communications announced that the Public Relations department would open up a new student lab and evolve the former lab known as Y Digital. Y Digital Agency was a full-service, student-run digital marketing lab where students worked with real, paying clients on actual digital marketing problems. The new lab is now called the PR Intelligence Lab and has a different mission. The PR department brought in Michael Burke, a PR professional with over two decades of experience and an advanced degree in data analytic is to run the lab going forward. Q: What initiated the change from Y Digital to the now PR Intelligence Lab? Michael Burke: There’s really not been a whole lot of data informing most of what’s done in public relations. The PR Intelligence Lab is an initial move towards the practice of big data analytics and public relations to demonstrate what organizations can do in terms of communications campaign development. The PR Intelligence lab will be working to push that forward. We’re focused on providing real-world experiences with the students, so the students are working with real companies and organizations to address communication challenges using data. Q: What is it that you do as the lab manager? Michael Burke: I work with the students to guide them through all the projects. The lab will be doing its own research as well outside of client projects. I have a background in both PR and in data science. I’m spearheading a lot of training here. The idea is to develop a new generation of data-savvy PR professionals. We have courses that we’re teaching on the different media monitoring platforms, and we are also analyzing data and spreadsheets. We’re working to help the students to understand many forms of data, including SEO, which has traditionally been thought of as a marketing discipline, but we’re approaching it from a PR point of view. Q: Can you explain in a nutshell what public relations and data sciences are for someone who might not be familiar with them? Michael Burke: Yeah, I think it’s essentially how an organization relates to the public and sometimes how different publics relate to each other. It’s also how different organizations relate to each other. People basically communicate and socialize [in] one of two ways: either just as individuals or as organizations. That’s really what public relations is; it’s the study and practice of how organizations relate to different audiences that are important to them. Q: The press release announcement of the PR shift said “The lab will be integrated more closely into PR curriculum and the lab manager will support client projects connected to classes, as well as running client projects that are not part of class.” How has that been going this fall? Michael Burke: There’s a learning curve, but the faculty has really been incredible in their support and enthusiasm for this project. I think everybody really put their heart and soul into this brainchild. It’s been great working closely with the professors on the process they’re doing in class. In some cases, they are projects that are carried out by the class and we come in and support them with different data analytics functions. Q: You are an industry hire to BYU. How did you get involved and come to get this position? Michael Burke: I have been working in PR in the Los Angeles and San Francisco area for almost two decades. I got into data analytics because I was working in Silicon Valley. I had been working with a lot of data-focused clients, so I had developed an interest in data storage and analytics. At one point, I decided I didn’t want to just promote what these data companies were doing, I wanted to actually be a part of it. I started graduate work in data science and earned a master’s degree in data science. I realized then that data science had not been applied to PR, so I started applying data science to PR in ways that really no one had ever done before. Along the way, I was fortunate to connect with Dr. Pamela Brubaker. We started a dialogue, and she called me up a few months ago. [The PR department] basically said, ‘We want to talk to you about something.’ I just assumed that maybe they wanted some advice on a new course or something. I had no idea they would be talking to me about a position, but I was very enthusiastic about it from the moment I heard about it. I love the mission of this department and on top of that, to have this unique opportunity to focus on something that I’m uniquely passionate about. Q: What have you learned so far in your first semester? Michael Burke: The students are really going to be the source of a lot of creativity and ideas here. We’re here to guide them, but they’re the ones who really are going to be figuring out what are the right questions to be asking. I’ve learned that BYU has got some great, great faculty here. Q: As a seasoned PR professional, what is your piece of advice to students launching in PR? Michael Burke: Take advantage of the real-world opportunities and don’t be picky. You probably won’t have that luxury when you get out into the real profession. You’ll be lucky if you’re passionate about 20% of the clients that you work with. For the rest of the clients, you will have to figure out things that are interesting about them. It really is kind of a rare thing to find someone who is data-savvy and has any sort of concept of how to apply basic marketing analytics to public relations. Those students are going to really stand out most. You’re often reporting to a marketing executive and a lot of times we speak very different languages. But if you can come in and you can speak the language of a marketing executive but understand the PR worldview; if you can talk frequently about Google Analytics and about SEO, you’re going to stand head and shoulders above other applicants. I promise you that. Learn more about the Public Relations [...]

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Extra! Extra! Read All About the New DU Magazine

Elena Castro — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 17:17:33 +0000

65 years after its editorial debut, the Daily Universe is entering a new phase The Daily Universe, or simply known as The Universe, has been a BYU journalism staple since 1956. Over the course of six decades, the publication has had many different looks and countless student contributors. The weekly paper was once a daily operation with new issues being printed Monday through Friday. In 2012, the daily paper transitioned into a once-a-week only issue. Now at the start of a new decade, the paper has reverted back to a former construct and undergone a bit of a facelift as well. No longer a weekly publication, The Daily Universe newspaper is now The Daily Universe magazine. This is not the first time the DU has appeared in magazine form. There were magazine-style issues in the early aughts of the publication before it officially landed on the newspaper format. Still on newspaper loose-leaf, the magazine is now a once-a-month issue boasting longer features, Q&As and more deliberate visual arts to accompany each piece. The features in the magazine will serve as more evergreen pieces with the ability to stay relevant for longer. For more “happening now” media, the institution’s website will still be able to provide day-to-day content for readers. Editor in Chief Emma Gadeski says this change allows students to become more informed before working on a story. “This will help students to find databases or research articles and really learn about a topic before starting on it. I think having that research element will serve as a strong backbone for bigger stories,” she said. When asked what has changed between the magazine and the paper, Gadeski said, “There’s definitely more of a graphic and visual element in the magazine. The paper had a very set template that we would plug stuff into. Now with the magazine, I feel it’s a little more flexible.” Communications professor and magazine overseer Ed Carter echoed the sentiments of the editor in chief when he said, “I think the ‘magazine’ is really a metaphor or vehicle for teaching good research skills, critical thinking, effective writing, professional ethics and using appropriate technology to deliver important messages to an audience.” Carter explained that the change from paper to magazine was brought on by wanting to bring more benefit to students as well as serve the campus community better. “There is a lot of academic research about the potential for magazines to contribute to community-building in various ways and I think we want to play a positive role on campus,” he said. How will students adapt from writing quicker stories for a weekly newspaper to more long-form pieces for a monthly magazine? Carter said that he tells his students they should relish the newspaper experience and use what they learned to aid in the cultivation of their journalism growth going forward. For students who are interested in being part of the Daily Universe team, the staff turns over yearly and the advisement faculty are always looking for enthusiastic and dedicated new students to get involved. “Most of them are students in the journalism program,” said Carter, “and thus far interest in the program has remained steady and strong for many years.”

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A Transfer Student Advocate: Athena Davis

Elena Castro — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 16:05:21 +0000

A transfer student from UNLV, Davis is making inclusive strides for the future of dance transfers Considering herself a “super senior,” Athena Davis has taken the long way to get to where she is today. A contemporary dance major, president of the Dance Major Student Representatives Council (DMSR) and choreographer for the DancEnsemble choreography team, it stands as a reason to ask: Who is Athena Davis? Like many BYU students, Davis’ road to becoming a BYU Cougar was unconventional. Completing both freshman and sophomore years in her home state’s University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she had zero intentions of “bleeding blue.” In high school she studied fashion in hopes that she would attend the Fashion Institute in California after graduation, though she ultimately decided to attend her local university. She was a Vegas girl enjoying life as a Rebel pursuing a degree in dance while working as a costume seamstress for a theatre. This would all change, however, when her mother suggested she try some classes out at BYU through the school’s visiting student program, just to experience something other than what she’d always known. Davis joined the visiting student program and took an ASL class and a Beginning Contemporary Dance class during the summer to get her feet wet. “I took contemporary dance because it fit my schedule well and I just wanted to see what the dance department was like. I wasn’t even considering transferring and anytime someone suggested that I was offended. I would say, ‘No! My school is UNLV, I’m just here visiting. I’m never going to go to BYU.’ And then I ended up falling in love with it,” said Davis. She returned to UNLV to finish out her sophomore year and started to work on the transfer process – which was not easy. Once at BYU, Davis decided to continue to major in dance. “I noticed how people who graduated from the BYU dance department have a lot more opportunities than what I’ve seen people at home do. I’ve found people appreciate dance for what it is. I thought if I graduated from BYU, I would have more skills to be able to take to professional companies,” she said. Coming into a new university as a transfer student, Davis noticed a disconnect between how she was treated versus her peers. “People kept treating me like a freshman, but I had two years under my belt,” said Davis. People would suggest taking part in freshman performances, but Davis didn’t want to be further linked with the younger students when she already had half a college degree’s worth of experience to build on. Davis took her frustrations to her advisor and asked why there were no resources for transfer students within the Department of Dance. Over the course of two years, Davis has been able to build up her for-the-students resume and now acts as a link between faculty and pupils. Beneath the DMSR presidential position, Davis has student committees dedicated to mentorship, community outreach and activities. She added that the Department of Dance also has representatives from each area of dance. “There’s a BFA, BA and Dance Ed rep. It’s just to make sure that everyone in the department feels seen and heard.” Department of Dance PR Coordinator Erin McClellan had this to say about the senior: “Athena cares deeply about her fellow dance majors – especially those younger [than her] and those who’ve transferred to BYU. She has made it a personal goal to make sure all dance majors feel informed, included and excited to be dancing at BYU.” Davis is expected to graduate with her BA in dance with an emphasis in contemporary this coming April. She hopes to start teaching in a studio and to also place on a performing team. She is considering getting her master’s and teaching at the university level down the road.

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Ballet Dancer Ana Brooks on Everything She Does in 24 Hours

Elena Castro — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 21:24:53 +0000

A guide on everything a dance major does in a day: with Ana Brooks On stage, ballet dancers gracefully glide with ease beneath the lights. But what does it take for a dancer to reach this level of artistry? We interviewed dance major Ana Brooks to find out what a day in her shoes looks like. Name: Ana Brooks (/ǎːna/ – “Awnah”) Major: Dance BFA Emphasis: Ballet with some contemporary Expected graduation: August 2022 Q: As a dancer, what time do you wake up on a typical morning? A: Usually I get up around 7 am and I’m out the door by 7:30 because class starts at 8. Q: Do you usually have breakfast in the morning or are you just out the door? A: I usually meal-prep breakfast, but it varies on how much I’ve prepared. Sometimes it’s just a granola bar morning. Other times I can make egg muffins, but it changes week to week. Q: What’s your first class of the day? A: Ballet Technique. It’s usually an hour and a half to two hours. After Technique, there is rehearsal until about noon. Q: Do you do anything to prepare for the first class of the day? A: I’ll try to do a little bit of warming up, some conditioning and stretching. Q: Do you prefer ballet or contemporary? A: Ballet is my first love. I really value ballet as the foundation of my technique. But I came to BYU’s dance program specifically because I could have the best of both worlds. I don’t prefer one over the other, I love them both for different reasons. Q: What’s after Ballet Technique and rehearsal? A: I have dance major classes this semester. I go straight from rehearsal to Music for Dancers and then to Advanced Choreography and then after that, I have an hour and a half of Contemporary Technique. Q: When do you usually have lunch? A: Usually once my class block is done, but I like to have snacks in between. Q: What do you usually snack on? A: Whatever I can get my hands on. Lots of trail mix, applesauce, things I can easily take with me on the go. Q: Do you choreograph on Ballet Showcase? A: Yes. Q: Do you think every dancer can choreograph or do you think there’s a specific skill set for dancers who choreograph? A: I think there’s a common misconception, especially among ballet dancers. In a lot of intense schools growing up, sometimes your teachers or the institution you’re at will put forth the notion that you’re the dancer and you have to do as they say. So a lot of ballet dancers think they can’t choreograph, but really, anybody can choreograph. Q: What is homework like as a dance major? A: It varies a lot by class. For a lot of my choreography classes, for example, I’ll be expected to come to class with a minute or two of choreography prepared. There can also be a lot of writing, actually. Q: What time do you usually go to bed? A: I usually try to be in bed asleep by 10:30. Q: Have you always been an early-to-bed, early riser type of person? A: No, I was not an early bed person for a long time. It’s nicer because I don’t have things in the evenings anymore in comparison to the last few months. I usually get home at 3 and start homework ASAP so that I can be in bed by that time. I noticed that I get injured a lot more easily and I fatigue a lot [more quickly] if I’m not getting a lot of sleep. – After graduation, Brooks hopes to dance for a few years with a ballet company. She is currently preparing for the 2022 season auditions. After her dancing years come to a close, Brooks has entertained the thought of grad school for genetic counseling.

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“All In” Podcast Host Gives 2021 Beckham Lecture

Elena Castro — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 20:19:42 +0000

School of Communications alum Morgan Jones guest speaks at the annual Beckham alumni lecture and shares about her career and the role God has played in it Just shy of her 10 years as a BYU communications graduate, alum Morgan Jones was asked back to give the annual Beckham alumni lecture put on by the School of Communications. Jones has worked with the Deseret News, LDS Living Magazine, Deseret Book and now acts as the voice behind the popular LDS Living podcast “All In.” Communications students and faculty alike welcomed the guest speaker and former student back with open arms on Friday, October 8. Students were invited to a pre-event networking breakfast with Jones’ lecture to follow. Jones opened with an experience she had when she was 15 years old. “I read a quote by Mother Teresa that said, ‘I am but a little pencil in God’s hands. He does the writing, the pencil has only to allow itself to be used.’ From then on, that quote gave me a vision for my life.” Jones continued to say that she knew she wanted her life to be used by God. She empathized with students by saying, “You want your professional pursuits to in some way fulfill a specific mission that God has in store for you, but it feels difficult to have a vision for what that looks like.” Jones’ key message to communication career hopefuls was to turn your life, professional pursuits and all, over to God so that He can utilize you and guide the path. The lecture was structured in five principles by which Jones hoped the students could find helpful. The first, “Take all the opportunities.” Jones shared how she became the first student to intern for professor and author Jeff Benedict at Southern Virginia University. After her stint interning, she was introduced to the CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers, Scott O’Neal and his wife, Lisa. She recounted how her professor who connected her to the O’Neal’s said, “I think that you and Lisa will be best friends.” Jones didn’t find that believable as she was a recent grad at the time. But now, years later, Jones considers Lisa to be one of her best friends. She has found great strength and belief in herself through her relationship with the O’Neals. Secondly, “Your future employer will be hiring all that you have ever been.” Jones used this principle to caution students to be mindful of their social media presence. Detailing the story of a job interview past, the employer had Jones’ Facebook page pulled up on his computer as she interviewed. She also encourages students to refresh themselves on Elder Jeffery R. Holland’s talk, “Don’t Check Your Religion at the Door.” “This is so important because we have to be ready and worthy for when an opportunity presents itself. President Henry B. Eyring said, ‘Part of the tragedy you must avoid is to discover too late that you missed an opportunity to prepare for a future only God could see for you,’” quoted Jones. Her third point was, “Bring all your strengths and all your weaknesses, God can use all of it.” Jones said members of the Church can turn to their patriarchal blessings to understand more of the strengths they’ve been given. “We have to look for where our gifts meet our passions and where those two things are aligned. That’s where we can see an opportunity [where] God might be able to use us,” said Jones. “I think that it’s so important that we set goals and have dreams, but we involve God in those dreams.” Jone’s fourth principle was, “Give all of your life to Him.” She opened this section with a quote by Ezra Taft Benson. “Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can…” She used this part to make the point that if people can give their whole lives to God, He will give them the opportunities to course-correct their lives into directions they never saw possible. Jones closed her principles with her fifth point: “Stand back and wonder of all God can do in a life.” Jones said if the audience got anything out of her lecture, she hopes it’s this: “I hope that you walk away knowing that God needs people who are willing to play big… When we’re willing to turn our lives over to Him, He can make so much more out of our lives than we ever could.”

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“Won’t You Come to the Creamery?” IFDE’s Collaboration with FME Brings Campus Landmarks to Life

Elena Castro — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 19:41:43 +0000

When Jeanette Geslison was rehearsing IFDE’s American Western, her husband changed the lyrics to the song – and before they knew it, they were filming at BYU’s famous Creamery July 3, 2021 marked the drop of the International Folk Dance Ensemble’s (IFDE) new music video titled “Boot Kickin’.” The YouTube video shows off the group’s American Western dance style. Though the film was initially created to highlight the dancers and their performance, it wasn’t the only thing to pay attention to. If you listen closely to the song, you might hear some familiar buzzwords: “Say, the Creamery stays open until midnight / And flutternutter is my favorite delight / And peanut butter trail’s alright / Let’s head over to the JFSB / Or the ESC Observatory…” Did he just say the Creamery? Flutternutter? JFSB? You aren’t mistaken, those are in fact the correct lyrics to the song “Crave Ice-Cream.” In an interview with IFDE’s artistic director Jeanette Geslison and her husband Mark Geslison, artistic director over Folk Music Ensemble, the duo shared how their husband-wife collaboration led to a new song and a very late night. IFDE has been performing their American Western for a number of years. A top contender for international dance festivals, the group likes to showcase American heritage when performing abroad. To enter their dances into international festivals, the routines must be accompanied by live music. The Mountain Strings Band, a group within the Folk Music Ensemble, provides the live music for this IFDE performance. The dance routine already had a song to which it was choreographed. However, the song was under copyright. To prevent having to pay a copyright fine and in an effort to make the song lyrics more cohesive to BYU values and standards, Mark took the bones of the track and restructured the music to create a new piece. When it came to rewriting the music, Mark said it took all but a few hours. “Students just started throwing some words around and somebody said the word ice cream. I thought, ‘Well that’s fun,’” he said. “I asked some of my students what their favorite flavors are. They started mentioning some of them and I was thinking, ‘I can create some rhymes with these flavors and bring the flavors into it,’” said Mark. Luckily, the choreography of the dance didn’t have to change. The dancers now perform to an all-original composition made exclusively for the BYU version of IFDE’s “Boot Kickin’.” Due to the lack of performance opportunities brought on by the 2020 pandemic, Jeanette made it her mission to create more dance films for her dancers to have that performance experience. With the filming of the dance already in mind and the new Creamery-inspired lyrics already written, ideas for shooting locations began to brew. “Mark was actually the one that said we should film this at the Creamery and I thought, ‘Well yes, of course! We have to film it at the Creamery,’” said Jeanette. “We also wanted to have a secondary place to shoot because it’s always nice to have location variety on a film. We felt that a rodeo was a great environment.” Arrangements were made to film at the Creamery on Ninth as well as the Lehi Round-Up Rodeo grounds. “I contacted the Creamery and they let us come at midnight. We filmed all night long from midnight till seven in the morning. That was the only option because, you know, they’re open during the daytime, so that was it,” said Jeanette. Jeanette commented that she was worried she wouldn’t be able to stay awake for so long, but with adrenaline pumping through everyone’s veins, she said it turned out to be pretty easy. Though very specific to the campus culture of BYU, Jeanette hopes the video can have a larger impact. “I hope it will create some awareness about Brigham Young University and the fact that we have a thriving dance and music program here,” she said. Keep an eye out for more IDFE dance films to come. Later this semester viewers can expect to see a traditional hoedown as well as a performance inspired by Tibetan culture. To see “Boot Kickin’” and to keep an eye out for their new videos, visit their YouTube channel. To see videos by the Mountain Strings Band, visit their YouTube channel here.

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Theatre Ballet and Contemporary Dance Theatre to Perform in Latter-day Saints Arts Concert

Elena Castro — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 18:36:43 +0000

BYU Dance companies Theatre Ballet and Contemporary Dance Theatre to perform in Center for Latter-day Saint Arts Concert: VISION VISION: An Evening of Dance explores the moving body as a source of creation, revelation and imagination through a broad range of choreographic works brought to life on the stage. Originally slated for the 2020 Center for Latter-day Saint Arts Bicentennial Celebration of the First Vision in New York City, the VISION concert has been moved to a local venue: Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City. The Center for Latter-day Saint Arts is a non-profit organization based in New York that promotes understanding of Latter-day Saint art in the context of the broader art world. The concert will feature 11 works by LDS choreographers, each chosen from a national selection process. Four of said selected artists are from within the BYU Dance family: Rachel Barker, Shayla Bott, Adam Dyer and Keely Song Glenn. Two dance companies under Bott and Song, respectively, are set to perform in the concert. Song, director over Contemporary Dance Threatre, said that the dance department’s mission statement is to integrate body, mind and spirit. “As a company, we strive for this endeavor. It’s a great honor that we have the chance to be able to perform and converge this identity into our dances and be able to witness this in others,” she said. Theatre Ballet will be performing a work titled “Weaker.” Weaker is a contemporary ballet and although the ballet is abstract, there’s a thread running through the ballet concerning women’s work. “The piece is not about how women interface with society in our culture as they learn to wear many different hats, the abstract movement vocabulary was created with this purpose in mind and it, therefore, has a deeper meaning than just shapes and positions to those dancing the work,” said Bott. Marin Roper, the faculty member overseeing the concert, believes that this is a historic moment. “This is the first time a concert of choreographers identifying as [Latter-day Saints] has been produced at a professional level. This group of dynamic and accomplished dance artists are excited to present their work together for the first time on the same stage,” she said. Roper added, “We are thrilled that the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts is taking this figurative ‘leap’ to amplify voices and visions of Latter-day Saint choreographers. ‘VISION: An Evening of Dance,’ will showcase the myriad of ways dance artists move through the intersection of art and belief.” Altogether, the concert includes a cast of 70, with companies traveling from four different states to participate. The show will be on September 24 at 7:30 p.m at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $10 for students and seniors. Patrons can purchase tickets online here.

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Multiple BEA Awards for Journalism Students

Elena Castro — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 18:44:06 +0000

BYU students continue to show their media brilliance in the 2021 season of the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) awards by bringing home multiple awards. Congratulations to these students on their hard work and well-deserved recognitions. Television Short Feature Reporting 2nd Place: Joseph Carson; “The Chosen” Television Hard News Reporting 1st Place (tie): Joseph Carson; “Corona Water Treatment Plan” 3rd Place: Sariah Farmer; “Super Tuesday” Television News Anchor 3rd Place: Joseph Carson; 2020 News Anchor Reel – Joseph Carson Award of Excellence: Blake O’Rullian; 2020 Sportsline Anchor Reel – Blake O’Rullian Television Weathercaster 1st Place: Danielle Hallows; 2020 Weather Reel – Danielle Hallows TV News Magazine 3rd Place: Joseph Carson, Emma Benson, Karani Namunyu and Halston Robinson; “Adjusting to COVID-19 Documentary”

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Two College Anchors Find Their Way to the Same Anchor Desk 12 Years Later

Elena Castro — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 18:18:53 +0000

From college to KUTV 2News, these two journalists have come up together through their careers of broadcast journalism When they graduated from the broadcast journalism program in 2009, Mallory Minster (now Moore) and Daniel Woodruff didn’t know that their careers would be intertwined throughout the course of their lives. On June 27, 2021, twelve years after anchoring together on BYU’s then broadcast journalism program, BYU Daily News, Moore and Woodruff found themselves once again side-by-side at the anchor desk. This time with a higher rank and viewing platform. Today they are paid television journalists working for Utah’s CBS affiliate, KUTV 2News. “This was our first time working together since we graduated. We’ve gone our separate ways, but we’ve definitely kept in contact over the years,” Moore said. Contemplating on his years at the Y, Woodruff revealed that he thinks about his time there “quite a bit.” “It shaped my career,” he said. “It was very helpful in preparing me for the real world. We were able to do stories, we were able to be players in the media market. I was at press conferences with reporters from all the local stations. So coming into the field of journalism, I didn’t feel at all unprepared.” Over the course of their careers, it hasn’t been all studio lights and teleprompters. Both Moore and Woodruff have had their stints outside the broadcast market, taking time to explore other career options and enjoy family life. Mallory Minster Moore Moore (then Minster) was driven to succeed. The summer following graduation, she got an offer to be the main nighttime anchor for a small station in North Dakota. Determined to be a reporter, Moore decided to move 1035 miles away and go for it. It wasn’t three months before Moore decided this might not be for her. She broke her contract and returned to Utah. Her news director said she’d never work in news again. Back home in the beehive state, Moore found work producing for KSL’s lifestyle show. She produced for a year and half before moving out of state with her husband. With motherhood waiting in the wings, Moore always knew what her priorities were. “Our perspective was that we want to focus on his career. If we can make it work where I could work too, obviously that’s ideal, but I always wanted to have the option,” Moore said. Since having kids, Moore has been on the inside and outside of the business. “People say it’s so hard to get back into it once you’ve left, but I just knew that my focus was my family and if it’s gonna work out, it’s gonna work out. And it’s always worked out along the way, but it hasn’t been the conventional way of doing it,” she said. Moore built up her resume by working in both the Ohio and Phoenix markets. Eventually, her family made it back to Utah. She was able to snag a gig filling in for another Salt Lake station during their morning broadcast. However, not long after, she got a message she did not expect. “The news director here [at KUTV] texted me and said, ‘Could you come talk to us about opportunities?’ I was so shocked and surprised,” Moore recalled. Moore was at channel 5 for a month before making the jump to channel 2. Daniel Woodruff After graduation in April, life took Woodruff to Indiana, where he was a one-man-band reporter for two years. This led to a three-year run as a primary anchor in Wisconsin. In 2014, Woodruff saw an opportunity to move his family back to Utah. Being a northern Utah native, the position of reporter and fill-in anchor at KUTV 2News in Salt Lake City felt like the perfect fit for him. Woodruff was at the station just shy of four years before he got another opportunity to explore. He accepted a position doing public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “During that time I had some great experiences, but ultimately, I missed news,” he said. Turns out, Woodruff had been missed in his absence and was able to make a comeback to channel 2. Woodruff loved the idea of being part of the community he grew up in and raising his family with that hometown feel. The reporter doesn’t rule out the potential of a higher market someday, but ultimately says that this is where his family is grounded. “I have those moments where it’s tempting and I think, ‘Wow, that would be fun. And who knows what the future will hold,” he said. Woodruff commented that it was easier to move around to different markets when his children were younger. But now they’ve settled in and their kids have established friendships, schools and extracurricular activities. “As an adult, that’s what makes life what it is,” he said. “It’s harder to think about uprooting and just jumping to the next thing. Plus, KUTV has given me great opportunities and experiences. I have been able to report all over the country and even internationally,” said Woodruff. Old Friends Reunite It was during Woodruff’s time with the Church that Moore made her KUTV debut. When word circled that the former reporter would be returning, the station was abuzz. “Everyone told me, ‘You’re going to love Daniel!’ and I said, ‘Oh, I’ve known him longer than you have,’” Moore recounted with a smile. Both journalists have had tremendous success in the industry, from college to present day. Both were recipients of the Arch Madsen scholarship and completed internships in Washington D.C. and New York respectively, Woodruff with CNN and Moore with NBC’s The Today Show. Reflecting on their time in broadcasting, they had some advice to journalism students: “Whatever your career goals are, don’t feel like you have to do it by the book. Give yourself some space to figure it out along the way and if you get into a spot where it doesn’t feel right, you can always make your way back,” said Moore. Woodruff chimed in with, “Know why you want to do it because journalism is not easy. It’s fun, it’s rewarding, it’s exhilarating, it’s front and center, but it’s not easy. Know why you want to do it and have that philosophy guide you. Allow yourself to enjoy the journey and to adapt [...]

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