Amplify Utah supports and facilitates dynamic journalistic storytelling to celebrate diverse points of view. By partnering with traditional media, we cultivate an environment that encourages stories be shared widely and made easily accessible for our communities to read, hear, watch and engage.
At a Utah debate tournament, teen refugees find their voices and build their confidence
12-15-2025 By Elle Crossley
Developing the skills to argue intelligently allows refugee students to ‘leave the label to the side,’ an organizer said.
11-05-2025 By Vanessa Hudson
From photojournalist to public servant: Bruin alum Jesse Valdez aims for mayoral seat
10-21-2025 By Pearl Ashton
'I think we deserve to start telling our own narrative rather than let others do it for us.'
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Old-timey music plays in the background as a housewife in a dress greets her clean-cut husband in a 1950s-style kitchen.
As they sit down at the kitchen table, the husband falls into a coughing fit, and a narrator pops up in the background: “What Johnny doesn’t know is that he’s contracted polio. It only takes one person infected with the polio virus to bring disease into your home.”
The film — created by students at Spy Hop Productions’ Kahlert Youth Media Arts Center — serves as an allegory for vaccinations in the time of COVID-19, while also reminding the public of diseases that nearly have been eradicated through immunizations over the decades.
“Vaccines were safe back then; they are safer now,” the video concludes. “Vaccines are the world’s biggest asset against disease.”
More than $74,000 from the CDC Foundation — a private, nonprofit organization that partners with the private sector to promote public health — funded Spy Hop students’ production of the film, posters and an interactive video game.
To share the students’ work locally, Spy Hop partnered with the Salt Lake County Health Department, which plans to share the film, posters and game via social media, community partners and at local outreach events.
“In public health communications, we see art as a tool that helps us turn information and hard data into narratives and images,” said department spokesman Gabriel Moreno. “This is significant because we can leverage arts and digital media to create a common language ... to reach and engage our audiences.”
With $2.5 million in national funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC Foundation provided grants to 30 arts organizations nationwide to build COVID-19 and influenza vaccine confidence in their communities.
“This tool is especially important to us in public health communications when trying to increase COVID vaccine confidence and uptake,” Moreno said.
Students completed the projects as part of Spy Hop’s “Vax to the Max” project. With the help of professional mentors, the students worked in different areas — film, music, audio, graphic design and game design — and were able to gain experience within their respective media spaces.
Students in charge of the PSA video, for example, filmed on location in the basement of a Sandy hotel. They had one day to shoot, which forced them to work efficiently.
“It was a really tight space,” said audio student Soraya Wainwright, who recorded sound during filming. “Having 20 people in one tiny room was super, super busy. It was crazy but really fun.”
As the video’s script went through changes, the film students said, the idea came up to center on the 1950s and polio. The concept originally was to feature a brief flashback to the ‘50s, but they decided to expand it to draw parallels with a virus that primarily afflicted older generations.
“We had to figure things out on the fly,” said student Ceci Davis, a casting producer on the film.
Students from Spy Hop’s audio and music program also wrote the film’s score, making the project collaborative across Spy Hop’s disciplines.
“We listened to ‘50s music and then ... came up with different melodies and beats,” Wainwright said. “We recorded the guitar, drums and piano all in-studio.”
Design students illustrated the graphic poster, with William Wainwright, Soraya’s brother, coding a desktop video game from the ground up using the Unity game engine. The game, published on the game-hosting site itch.io, allows players to act as a vaccine antibody and neutralize pathogens in their way.
As of July 7, 62% of Utahns were fully vaccinated and 29% had received a booster, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
“I hope [our work] can provide people with more education,” film student Abigail Tello said.
Spy Hop — at 208 W. Harvey Milk Blvd. (900 South), Salt Lake City — will showcase the film, poster and video game Saturday, July 16, at its monthly block party, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Spy Hop will also provide food and beverages, as well as free vaccinations and testing.
Cristian Martinez wrote this story as a journalism student at Salt Lake Community College. It is published as part of a collaborative including nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune.
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We also request organizations include the following text either at the beginning or end of the story text :This story is jointly published by nonprofits Amplify Utah and [Your Media Organization's Name] to elevate diverse perspectives in local media through emerging journalism. Cristian Martinez wrote this story as a journalism student at Salt Lake Community College. For more stories from Amplify Utah, visit amplifyutah.org/use-our-work.
As students headed back to campuses this fall, many carried the weight of the last 18 months on top of the stresses that come with a new academic year.
Talking through these issues with a licensed therapist early, mental health experts recommend, could stave off more serious issues for students as responsibilities increase over the semester.
A recent survey by Inside Higher Ed found 65% of the college participants rated their mental health as “fair to poor” but only 15% are seeking help through services provided by their schools.
“Therapy ... is still surrounded with much stigma,” explained Claudia Cioni, a clinical mental health counselor at the Center for Health and Counseling at Salt Lake Community College.
Cioni said clients often wait to seek therapy until they are emotionally overwhelmed, which she says is “like being in the middle of a tornado…you only see things swirling around and don’t have perspective of what is outside.”
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed hinders good solution seeking, Cioni said.
“The mind-brain has mechanisms to protect us from being overwhelmed and it starts by reducing its own capacities, like cell phones when they go into emergency functioning – close apps to continue operating but minimally,” she said.
Anxiety and depression can make it harder to learn, retain and reproduce information, which can make school and work more difficult.
And COVID-19, she noted, has put many in survival mode: “We go [to therapy] when much of living is compromised and many areas of our lives are damaged already, unfortunately; and this condition makes healing longer and painful.”
“Therapy ... is still surrounded with much stigma,” explained Claudia Cioni, a clinical mental health counselor at the Center for Health and Counseling at Salt Lake Community College.
Reasons for not seeking therapy include a lack of access, the stigma with respect to mental health and the financial burden.
“I’ve always hesitated to seek out counseling because of cost,” said SLCC nursing student Tamra Rachol. “Unfortunately, that only compounded my issues and I found unhealthy ways to cope with the stress in my life.”
Rachol took advantage of the services provided by the Center for Health and Counseling at Salt Lake Community College during the pandemic.
“Now that we’re back on campus, sessions are just $15, anywhere else it can run you $80 to $150 an hour. I’m so grateful SLCC offers this service for a price I can afford,” said Rachol, noting that she has prioritized taking care of her mental health.
Colleges and universities in Utah offer students low-cost sessions with licensed providers to help with issues including anxiety, depression, grief, sexual trauma and medication management. The fee at SLCC, for example, covers a one-hour session, and students experiencing financial hardships can apply for a fee waiver. Insurance is not necessarily required.
SLCC alum Eric Jensen, who transferred to the University of Utah last year, appreciated the accessibility of counseling services.
“For me, knowing that the counseling center was there...got me in the door,” Jensen said. “I think a lot of students don’t use it because they are hesitant about how it works … all the same rules apply, it’s all confidential, nothing goes to the school from the counselor.”
Jensen said seeing a therapist at SLCC helped influence his behaviors elsewhere and noted that going to therapy becomes like any skill, “the more you do it, the more you kind of get out of it.”
Jensen credits the sessions at SLCC for helping him identify some of his struggles and learning strategies to get through them.
“College is stressful. Students have a lot going on…and having someone to run those things by and someone to talk to was just really helpful,” Jensen said.
Since leaving SLCC, Jensen has continued therapy through an independent counselor.
Rachol thinks the expertise a therapist offers will always have a place in her life.
“It provides a perspective that I can’t find anywhere else,” she said. “The counseling center has helped me work through past trauma. They have given me the tools I need in order to cope with my anxiety and triggers. Not only do I see a difference but so does my family.”
Amie Schaeffer wrote this story as a journalism student at Salt Lake Community College. It is published as part of a collaborative including nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune.
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We also request organizations include the following text either at the beginning or end of the story text :This story is jointly published by nonprofits Amplify Utah and [Your Media Organization's Name] to elevate diverse perspectives in local media through emerging journalism. Amie Schaeffer wrote this story as a journalism student at Salt Lake Community College. For more stories from Amplify Utah, visit amplifyutah.org/use-our-work.
Since 2021, Salt Lake Community College’s Queer Student Association and the Gender and Sexuality Student Resource Center have worked together to host a Lavender Graduation for queer graduates — until this year.
The Lavender Graduation ceremony takes place on numerous college campuses each year to honor LGBTQ+ students and allies. However, when the GSSRC started promoting its event, they were told to stop.
Peter Moosman, the GSSRC coordinator, shared some of the reasons and frustrations that led to the cancellation.
“HB 261 happened. HB 261 banned exclusive things. [The bill] even mentioned graduation celebrations, you know, really targeting,” Moosman said. “So, with the Gender and Sexuality Student Resource Center pivoting … from an LGBT resource center [and] a women’s resource center … to a resource center for all students through the lens of gender and sexuality, we figured we could pivot our [Lavender Graduation] to a GSSRC grad, and that would satisfy HB 261, allowing us to still host our event.”
HB 261, the “Equal Opportunity Initiatives” bill sponsored by Rep. Katy Hall, R-South Ogden, “prohibits an institution of higher education, the public education system, and a government employer from taking certain actions in engaging in discriminatory practices.”
Moosman said the “Dear Colleague Letter” — a letter from the Department of Education and the presidential administration for education — states that any event, program, or resource exclusively catering to a specific race is deemed discriminatory and prohibited by law. Moosman argued that because the letter specifically discussed race, it shouldn’t have applied to the GSSRC.
The center mentioned that the Division of Student Affairs streamlined all small graduation celebrations but thought that the GSSRC would be justified in moving forward with their Lavender Graduation, since it differed from the DOSA event on May 2.
“[Lavender Graduation] was more intimate and connective, and we still felt that part of this national tradition. Part of the GSSRC’s tradition was holding this [event], and so we wanted to continue to do that,” said Moosman.
The last SLCC Lavender Graduation was held on April 24, 2024, in the Student Forum on the South City Campus. Food was provided and games were held in the courtyard. Recent legislation caused the cancellation of the ceremony for 2025. (Michael Nelson)
Kathie Campbell, the associate vice president for Student Success at SLCC, said that due to restrictions, the college wanted to pool resources and hold a combined celebration that involved all clubs.
“We really felt compelled, based on the law, to say, ‘Now we really need to get everybody under this umbrella,’” said Campbell.
Marjorie Wilson, co-president of QSA and a biology major, said that the celebrations can still be held without them being identity-based.
“There is the further complication that HB 261 will mean that the school can’t be spending money on identity-based graduation ceremonies,” said Wilson. “I think celebrations should be fine.”
Wilson wanted to adapt the language of the ceremony name to keep the graduation. The Lavender Graduation was going to be renamed to the GSSRC graduation to comply with the bill.
“We thought about how we make changes to language we use in a way that can … just provide clarity for people who are curious, and not as informed, and looking in from the outside — that this is a center that truly is, and always has been, welcoming to all students. It’s for everyone. Everyone has a gender. Everyone has a sexuality,” said Wilson.
Kai Lyon, co-president of QSA and an environmental science major, believes Lavender Graduations are part of a larger context regarding queer history.
“I think it’s really important as a historical celebration — teaching people about this type of [circumstance], and how we have been oppressed in the past, and how we need to remember ways that we can show each other support without necessarily breaking the rules,” shared Lyon. “That’s really what angers me, because it feels really like they’re saying, ‘even though you’re not breaking the rules, you can’t do that.’”
Wilson felt the sudden cancellation added unnecessary stress to students.
“It’s up to students to say, ‘Hey, wait, like, whoa, hold the reins. Let’s talk about this. Let’s see if this is necessary. Let’s see if this makes sense. Let’s see if this is supporting students,’” said Wilson.
Though everyone is adapting to the changes that bills and regulations have placed on higher education, the disconnect in communication has left students frustrated. Wilson argued for a communication model where students are involved sooner, before discussions happen and to gather feedback.
Campbell said the immediate response required from colleges regarding the new laws caused some disconnect with the messaging to the student leaders.
“We should have at least said, ‘Hey, this also impacts this.’ It should have [happened], right? We’re here for students. That’s why we do what we do,” said Campbell. “Our intent never was to cancel anything. We never want to cancel celebrating student success.”
Lyon expressed frustration over the disconnect.
“People above make these decisions without ever asking … and expecting us to put in the work to fix it,” said Lyon. “I just feel like the communication is often too little, too late.”
In an Instagram post, the QSA shared how SLCC’s Student Affairs canceled smaller graduations in favor of a single “combined” celebration, which doesn’t allow for personal plans and aspects that smaller celebrations can.
The QSA started a student-led email campaign to petition for the allowance of smaller cohort graduations. The club also opened a survey to hear from fellow students about the issue, letting students submit responses anonymously.
Wilson said some of the survey responses have already shown that smaller graduations motivate students to finish school.
“I am already hearing from students that these ceremonies help them to stay in school and help them to even conceptualize that they can really do college and be a graduate, but also to find the cohort of people that they interact with regularly,” said Wilson. “And being able to look forward to that small acknowledgement.”
According to some of the survey responses, smaller graduations are beneficial to students who may not want to come out to their families at a large public gathering.
“Students want their family to be able to come to like, the major graduation, but they want to be celebrated more openly with friends on a smaller basis,” said Wilson.
To protest HB 261, Fernando Rodriguez Camarena, president of the Native Indigenous Student Union, joined with other clubs to hold the "We Write Our Own Stories" graduation event in April.
“Normally, we would do separate events — but because of lack of money, lack of people helping us and with [the presidential] administration currently right now, making students feel unwelcome [...] because of the immigration laws that are starting to happen. A lot of us feel down,” he said.
Camarena said the goal of the collaboration was to support one another and create a community among the clubs. After learning the GSSRC wouldn't have its own celebration, he invited them to join the combined event.
“When I heard that Lavender wasn't happening or they're not sure it's going to happen, I didn't want to leave our queer students alone,” said Camarena.
While the "We Write Our Own Stories" event was initially intended for cultural groups, he invited all identity-based clubs, emphasizing the connection between queerness and culture.
“It's not just being queer — your culture, your history and just your background and your family all have something to do with it. Finding queerness is your own thing. But being queer often intermixes with other sources,” said Camarena.
Although the GSSRC supports the NISU, they declined to participate in the cultural celebration, feeling it did not encompass their goal of reinstating the Lavender Graduation.
Pearl Ashton wrote this story as a student of Salt Lake Community College.
When Salt Lake Community College point guard Chase Adams was in seventh grade, a video of him showcasing his spectacular ball handling was posted on the YouTube basketball channel BallislifeMidwest.
In the video — which currently has over 16 million views — Adams breaks ankles, ball fakes and runs circles around competitors who towered over him. Already well-known among the Chicago basketball circle at the time, his popularity grew significantly after the video went viral.
“In Chicago, everybody knew who I was, but after that video, it made things national,” Adams said. “I was only in seventh grade. I got my first [college] offer when I was in eighth grade from Bradley University.”
As one of the highest-ranked point guards in the nation coming into ninth grade, Adams started high school optimistically, but he said everything changed when his brother — who Adams called his best friend — passed away of a grand mal seizure.
“I wasn’t really connected with basketball,” Adams said. “I was kind of out of it mentally, and it took me a while to bounce back from that. To be honest with you, I’m still working on it. That was the biggest reason why I fell off a little bit.”
After high school, Adams played for a year at the University of Portland but entered the transfer portal after his coach was fired. Adams originally had no interest going to junior college, even rejecting SLCC head coach Kyle Taylor’s initial offer to join the Bruins. But after some reflection, Adams decided SLCC was the best fit for him.
“The difference was, coach Kyle said he was going to get players around me, and we were going to have a team full of players that were hungry, coming from Division I programs like myself, and in the same boat as me,” Adams said. “That was exciting to hear, because I know they would have a chip on their shoulder like me.”
Today, Adams is a business marketing major and leader of the best junior college basketball team in the nation, a team that also stands undefeated.
“Chase has been phenomenal,” Taylor said. “He’s a leader, he’s a winner and he works incredibly hard.”
Adams’ leadership influences the rest of his teammates, according to Bruins guard Jordan Brinson.
“Chase is the type of person that’s always going to make sure you’re okay and try to bring the best out of you,” he said. “Chase and I roomed together in the beginning of the year, and both opened to each other and got close. I feel like our relationship off the court as friends helps [us] on the court, because we know how to motivate each other and bring the best out of each other.”
Another teammate of Adams, Doctor Bradley, who is starting small forward and shooting guard, said he sees Adams as a bigger brother.
“[Adams] is always there when I need to talk to him about anything, not just basketball, and I know he’s going to tell the truth,” Bradley said.
The time at SLCC has been just as beneficial to Adams.
His brother’s death is still at the front of his mind, and Adams said it still feels like yesterday. But through the support system found at SLCC, Adams has learned to cope with his loss and let it drive him to become better.
Adams said that SLCC has helped him find his confidence and love for basketball again. Taylor explained how his point guard has grown.
“He has regained his confidence shooting the ball and playmaking,” Taylor said. “We really emphasize coming to JUCO to ‘get healthy,’ and for Chase, that’s been his confidence and his scoring.”
Division I schools like Coastal Carolina, Stetson and Gardner Webb have taken notice of Adams’ elite play and offered him a scholarship to play for their school. With Adams being a sophomore, he will be moving on next season. After all he has endured to regain his confidence, Adams feels ready, once again, to play on basketball’s biggest stage.
Morgan Workman wrote this story as a journalism student at Salt Lake Community College. It is published as part of a collaborative including nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune.
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We also request organizations include the following text either at the beginning or end of the story text :This story is jointly published by nonprofits Amplify Utah and [Your Media Organization's Name] to elevate diverse perspectives in local media through emerging journalism. Morgan Workman wrote this story as a journalism student at Salt Lake Community College. For more stories from Amplify Utah, visit amplifyutah.org/use-our-work.
