Friday, January 29, 2016

Sundance: Who Comes?                          
By: Olivia Bezemer, Sophie Young

Every year hundreds of people from around the world gather in Park City, Utah, for the most celebrated film festival in North America. These people range from small town tourists to some of today’s biggest stars. This year’s stars are found strolling along Main Street and all over Park City.  
Some of the most common stars this year you would have seen wandering Main Street include people such as: Nick and Joe Jonas, John Legend, James Franco, Daniel Radcliffe, Tyler Posey, Austin Butler, Selena Gomez, etc.
They all come for the same reason. To celebrate the films they may or may not be in. Many of them have been featured in varieties of films every year; for example, Nick Jonas was featured in a small film named ‘Goat’.
This year is Sundance’s 38th year anniversary. The festival started in 1986, and it was just a small film festival in a small ski town. Look at it now, it’s the the country’s largest film festival, with a handful of people that come to Park City. On average, there’s about 40-50 different stars that come to Sundance each year.
It is a very popular activity for tourists, and even locals to go up to Main Street in search of the celebrities. Although the festival lasts ten days, most locals only find themselves up on Main Street two days of the ten. The tourists come from all over, along with the filmmakers that are coming from all around the world. Sundance attracts all kinds of people from all kinds of cultures. There are even field trips for the middle schoolers to go and see one of the films each year. And the high schoolers and junior high schoolers get to go to a lecture hall and see Sundance short films.
Since 1986 Sundance has been a success. Still growing in popularity each year, this vast event has brought a lot of income, tourists, and morphed this small ski town into what it is today.


150 words about Naomi

My name is Naomi Baltzan. I am a dancer, a skier, and a student at Treasure Mountain Junior High. I started dancing about two years ago, and I do jazz and ballet. I’m also on the Wasatch Freestyle Ski team, and I ski all mountain, moguls, and, occasionally, do jumps.

I’ve lived in Park City for all of my life. I went to McPolin Elementary School for five years, and went to Ecker Hill Middle School for two years.

I have been practicing my art skills for very many years, and I hope to continue doing so throughout high school - I love both creating art and writing about it, and I hope to do informational essays about it.

I want to improve at writing (especially grammar and spelling - I’m just awful at the latter), and hope to do so this year in Journalism and to write informational essays this year.

Copters for Fewer Dollars?

In Park City, Utah, the Sundance Film Festival has begun. It is a well known event that thousands of people attend to see new films. However, all the traffic and snow can be horrendous when trying to get to the theaters. People think taking an Uber there would be easier. However, it’s not; Ubers cost a lot of money and take a long time to get to your destination. According to the Park Record Newspaper, there have been two helicopters flying around Park City.

Over the period of 48 hours, there have been 15,000 trips taken. Apparently, flying a helicopter is cheaper than taking an Uber. The helicopter rides cost $200 for a day trip and $300 for a night trip. Unfortunately, people have been using the helicopters irresponsibly. Instead of landing them on helipads, they are landing them on private property.

There have been many complaints to the county. And because of the riot they have caused, the Park City Police will arrest any pilots that land a helicopter on private property and will impound the helicopter.

After some questioning, we got multiple opinions from people. Mrs. Jenkins, vice principal of Treasure Mountain Junior High (TMJH), said that we should have a voice on the opinion, and the helicopters should just land somewhere safe. Mrs. Payne, a math teacher said that she’s in favor of it, as long as people are responsible and contact the owners before landing on property. Ethan, Halle and Sharay, students at TMJH also gave their opinions. Ethan said that he doesn’t mind the copters, unless people are being irresponsible, but he would rather have someone create a designated place for people to land. It’s either that or make Uber rides cheaper, to prevent issues. Halle, said that she really doesn’t like it because they fly over her house often, and it is very loud. Lastly, Sharay said that she agrees that they should have a license.

Even though this whole event has caused controversy, taking the Uber Copters is a more efficient way to get around. And hopefully, all these problems will be solved, and people can just go back to enjoying the fun Sundance Film Festival.



Sources:

The Salt Lake Tribune

Fox 13 Salt Lake City

The Park Record

Students, teachers, and faculty at Treasure Mountain Junior High School.


By: Julianna Foltynowicz and Brianna Miller

Ten Minutes-Sydney L. and Hali



The Sundance Film Festival is the largest film festival in the United States, and with the films come two things: tourists and traffic. In the small town of Park City, the estimated population of 8,000 (United States Census Bureau) is overcrowded during the ten days of Sundance. According to Fox 13 News, about 60,000 people travel through the city per day. This makes the ten days of Sundance the busiest days of the year for Park City.


With so many people on the roads, the locals and students who are trying to get to work or to school are delayed. In the morning, school buses are slowed due to stop-and-go traffic, which results in students arriving at school at least fifteen minutes late. That fifteen minutes that are lost frequently cause students to arrive to their first period classes as late as - or, sometimes, even after - the tardy bell.








After school, things are even more hectic. Instead of getting out at 2:25, students are released at 2:15, ten minutes early. The buses that have to pick up both the Treasure Mountain Junior High kids and the High School kids have to adjust their routes. Students at the high school are no longer allowed to be picked up in the front of the school, only the back. This forces the bus driver to take a longer, slower route to pick them up. Due to the changes made to bus pick-ups and drop-offs, many kids at Treasure and the High School have not been able to find their bus, resulting in some kids being left stranded at school.







Why do students get out ten minutes early during Sundance? According to Mrs. Bev Pacal at the front office of Treasure Mountain Junior High, “movies start at 3:15 or 3:30” and the Sundance Institute doesn’t want to add student traffic to the Sundance traffic. Mrs Pacal states, “The whole community has benefited by our early release, because we are not adding to the traffic jam.” The only staff and faculty members who are affected are the teachers with fourth period classes, because teachers “have to adjust their teaching plans because they lose ten minutes.” It's fortunate for everyone living in Park City that Sundance only lasts ten days.

Redford’s Revolution

This year marks the thirty-eighth year of the annual Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Film Festival is the most celebrated independent film festival in the United States. Founded by Robert Redford in 1978, Sundance is an event where independent filmmakers can come to get their work widely noticed and viewed. It takes place mainly in Park City, Utah, but also in many other locations in the state, including Salt Lake City, Ogden, and the Sundance Ski Resort. Since 1978, the festival’s size has increased dramatically. Today, there are over twelve thousand films submitted to the festival, about three-hundred of which are accepted to screen.


In 1969, Robert Redford bought the estate where the festival originated. The property was previously owned by a Scottish family who had created a ski resort called Timp Haven. New York businessmen had the desire to transform the property into a financial hotspot. However, according to the Sundance Mountain Resort website, Redford declined the offer. He thought that the land was sacred, especially for the Ute tribes that lived on the land prior to the creation of the ski resort. Many years after the purchase of the land, Redford began the film festival in the small area. As the festival continued to grow, it was in dire need of more facilities, which led to Redford’s decision to expand the event into Park City, Utah. Since then, the festival has expanded to Salt Lake City and Ogden because of the lack of viewing spaces in Sundance and Park City.


Today, the Sundance Film Festival is a big occurrence attended by people from all over the world, including many stars. Many people have differing opinions concerning Sundance. For example, Sharon Maddux, the Filmmaking teacher at Treasure Mountain Junior High in Park City, said that she has been participating in the festival for about fifteen years, and loves the variety of films brought to Sundance. When asked what her favorite all-time film was from the festival, she admitted that she couldn’t decide. She stated, “This is a tough question to answer because different films generate my appreciation for many different reasons.” This interview showcased some of the reasons Sundance is so loved.


There is no doubt that Sundance is a very special event for many people, and will continue to be for many years to come.

-Ellie and Rachel


Main Street, Park City


Sources

"About Us." Sundance Mountain Resort Founded by Robert Redford. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
"Sundance Film Festival Announces 2016 Lineup of In-competition Films." Sundance Film Festival Announces 2016 Lineup of In-competition Films. N.p., 3 Dec. 2015. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
"30 Years of Sundance Film Festival - Sundance Institute." 30 Years of Sundance Film Festival - Sundance Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.

Who's Mia?

My name’s Mia, but almost everyone pronounces it Maya. I was born in China, and I was adopted by my incredible family when I was eleven months old. My loving family consists of my mom, my dad, and my sister, who is five years older than me.

I used to live in Las Vegas, Nevada, and I hated it. Luckily, in 2012, I moved to Park City, Utah, which is where I currently live. I moved to Utah because the Nevada schools were bad, and the weather was disgusting.

When I moved to Utah, I started playing tennis. The first time I played, I fell in love with the game. I love the anticipation of the game the most.

When going into the school system, I took a test and was able to skip fifth grade. I found my best friends at school and I’ll forever love and treasure them.

Problematic Powerschool

Park City School District puts in a lot of time and money to make sure that we have this high-tech program to view grades, but is it really that high-tech? PowerSchool is a great and very beneficial application, but the only problem is, it doesn't work! If our grades are loading at two miles per hour, it’s not worth the time to see that your grades haven’t even changed. Also, many times a year PowerSchool shuts down for days at a time for “reconstructing” to “fix the problems”, and when I log back on later it’s just as slow and troublesome as it was three days before. Not only are these technical difficulties a problem for the students, but the teachers as well.
The teachers at the Park City School District can’t load the grades into PowerSchool because it is too slow. PowerSchool constantly shuts down and makes it very difficult for teachers to get anything done. A lot of teachers also don’t know how to use powerschool in certain circumstances. The teachers usually end up having to enter grades manually because canvas doesn’t work like it’s supposed to and doesn’t put the grades into powerschool. In an email, I asked Todd Hauber how much the Park City School District pays for PowersSchool. He said, “The district licenses PowerSchool on an annual basis at a cost of $4.75 per student. This amounts to about $21,000 per year.” This is without paying for the tech people to maintain the system on different servers. So, why are we spending so much money for such a poorly working program?
For the past three years since I’ve had my own computer, the tech support have been trying to make PowerSchool and Canvas work together and transfer grades from one to the other, and while I don’t know how it’s supposed to work, it’s not. If it’s taken three years plus to get two websites to work together, the tech support needs to find a new way to fix it. Overtime there has been little changes to the program, but not enough to fix the difficulties we have everyday with PowerSchool. Day by day teachers are still complaining about 'this' and 'that', and everyday it’s something else that isn’t working right. If PowerSchool doesn’t start working soon, we will need to switch to a new program that will actually benefit our students.

Sundance Kids Isn't Just for Kids



Sundance has introduced the first new program that offers movies specifically geared for children; Sundance Kids.  Sundance Kids is a program that allows kids to watch age-appropriate movies created by independent filmmakers. [A lot of] Sundance movies can be inappropriate and unpredictable, but that’s why Sundance Kids is so important. Kids can get the experience of a Sundance movie with a guarantee that the movie will be appropriate for their age. Sundance Kids also gives new filmmakers the opportunity to start their careers by making movies that appeal to an easier, younger audience.

The movie we had the pleasure of viewing was called “Little Gangster,” a Dutch film directed, by Arne Toonen. The movie is about a child named Rik Boskamp, who lives alone with his spineless, clumsy father in the Netherlands. When offered the opportunity to move to a different neighborhood and school, he gladly takes it to escape the constant bullying he receives in his current life. After watching a movie about the Italian Mafia, Rikki decides to tell all his new classmates and neighbors that his dad is a Mafia boss. He changes his name to Rikki Boskampi and starts his first day of his new school with a bad-boy attitude and a fake Italian background. Due to many humorous circumstances and coincidences, Rikki lives his new life ruling and intimidating the neighborhood, until all his lies catch up with him. In a hilarious ending, his dad finally gets over his clumsiness and forgetfulness and saves Rikki from a rival Mafia gang that trapped him.
The ticket to "Little Gangster"

          To get an accurate review of Sundance Kids and the Sundance Kids movie “Little Gangster”, our friend Bianca Festavan, who accompanied us during the film was interviewed. She had acquired the tickets as a gift from her mom, who couldn’t attend the showing. When asking her how the tickets were acquired as a local and she responded with, “I think my mom bought the Locals’ Package." 
The Locals’ Package is a set of ten tickets. They give you a date and time on when you can go to the Sundance website and you have an hour to choose the ten movies you want to go to. My mom chose “Little Gangster” for my friends and I, because she thought the title was funny. After asking her a series of questions about her experience she replied with, “I thought it was pretty good. The crowds and lines were somewhat long, but the movie was worth the wait.”  
The topic of Sundance and Sundance Kids’ independent films were also discussed. Ms. Festavan stated, “I think Sundance Kids is a great program. I know my parents have been to some pretty weird, creepy, Sundance movies and they were kind of hesitant for me to go to the movie without them, but this movie seemed really protected and kid friendly.”

Then, her personal opinion about the film, “Little Gangster”, was asked.  
“Honestly, the movie was really spectacular. Even though it was a little slow at first it definitely made me laugh and gave me a deeper understanding of Italians. My whole mom’s side of the family is Italian and it was so cool because my great grandpa was rumored to be part of the Mafia. One of my favorite things about the movie was that it was all in Dutch, and it was so different to hear an entire movie in another language.”  
In conclusion, Bianca gave the Sundance Kids movie “Little Gangster” a 4.5 out of a 5 star rating.
Bianca Festavan and Caroline Powell, post movie

Hopefully, the film “Little Gangster” will be picked up by a studio, and will be seen in a couple of years all over America. Overall, Sundance Kids is an amazing program for all audiences. This part of Sundance - and the Sundance Kids movies - should not be overlooked simply because they are geared towards a younger audience because, as Bianca Festavan stated, “They have something for everyone.”



Sundance Institute. "Sundance Institute to Present New “Sundance Kids” Section in Collaboration with Utah Film Center at 2014 Sundance Film Festival." Sundance Institute. Sundance Institute, 2000-2016. Web. 27 Jan. 2016 
 <Mia Rapella><Cameron Burke><Caroline Powell> 
 

The Time of Tourists

Hello, readers!

It’s that time of year again, folks: Sundance - a horrible time wherein uninformed tourists wander our town of Park City and completely ruin our lives. Main Street becomes “locals versus tourists” as both try to get into restaurants, clubs and whatever VIP tents companies have to offer. Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I think you can agree I’m not too far off.

These people come, invade our streets for ten insufferable days, and in these ten days, they crowd our stores, litter our streets, and blind us with their intolerable fashion sense.

Let's jump right in with the crowds. These could easily be the worst thing about being a tourist town, because this happens all year long. Whether it's a little league softball tournament or 4th of July weekend, Park City is packed. Sundance Film Festival is no exception; in fact, it’s the peak of tourism… which means that all of the markets in town are out of everything, and you have to leave twenty minutes early for a ten minute drive, thanks to traffic. Teachers try to put a positive spin on it by saying we get to leave ten minutes early, but come on, guys - we know you hate it, too.

Next, the litter. Oh, my gosh! How hard is it to throw your used brochure in the recycling bin that’s two feet away from you?! If not a recycling bin, at least a trash can, please! Some of the places wherein Sundance shows films are “no food” facilities, and it seems as though our guests can't read the sign. For example, the Eccles Center. Tourists seem to think that the floor is their own personal landfill, but tourists, from me to you, volunteers are not your janitors!

Third, the fashion. The facepalm-worthy, try-hard fashion in which tourists engage, seemingly based around fur. My theory is that they believe that's how Parkites usually dress, but in reality, casual workout gear is what gets most of us through our day. I would guess that this is the time when the empty fur stores on Main Street rake in all their dough.

Finally, the false promise of celebrities. We are made guarantees of Brad Pitts and Johnny Depps, wandering the streets aimlessly, trying to find fans, but in reality, they are all tied up in elite clubs with people who, frankly, are way more interesting than you and me.

All of these things make up the Sundance Film Festival, which is a huge source of income in Park City and Sundance... even when a huge source of income still sucks.

Thanks for reading, and I’m out! ✌

Pride Makes a Move at TMJH

Treasure Mountain Junior High (TMJH) is very proud to present the school's first ever Gay-Straight Alliance. Every Wednesday, Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) will be taking place after school (2:30 - 3:00), in Mrs. Stratton's room (Rm. 2). The club will also be student-run by a board of representatives: Malia Haynes, Mia Strup, and Lily Crane.

While a GSA has been unheard of at TMJH, schools all across the nation have become accustomed to their LGBTQ+ communities. The closest is Park City High's GSA, to which the new GSA board members had previously walked; it was the tedious and inefficient commute that prompted the three to start a club of the same name at their own school.

The entire purpose of GSA is to provide a fun, inclusive place for people of any sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression. That means anyone is welcome so long as they are supportive, be they gay or lesbian, straight, male or female, or non-binary or transgender.

The first meeting was January 27th, and pizza was provided for the first signees to ever join a GSA at their school. The board members are eager to not only work on making their school and town more LGBTQ+ friendly, but also get to know their community; by planning ally campaigns and rallies, hosting picnics and movie nights, and much more. Many teachers have shown their support, and many more students are curious.

Mia Strup, one of the board members, also had a few things to say:

"I'm looking forward to getting the word out," She says. "There're a lot of kids in Treasure who don't have support, so I'm excited to meet people and help anyone who might be going through a hard time. [...] The first meeting, we brought pizza, and after that, we'll just go from there. [...] It's just a really important cause, and something that people need to know more about."

Change is in the air for TMJH, and with help from faculty members and other students, the GSA is working on making the community a better, more accepting place.

National Junior Honors Society: Food Pantry

The National Junior Honors Society (NJHS) is currently holding the second project of the 2015-2016 school year: a food pantry. The Treasure Mountain NJHS president, Grace Wiczek, has answered questions regarding the procedure and benefits of the food pantry.

Who will the food pantry be helping?

GW: This food pantry will be helping those in need in our local community; Wasatch and Summit County. The food we are able to collect in the food drive will provide people with free food.

What is the objective of the pantry?

GW: The objective of this food drive is to be able to contribute healthy food to our local food pantry and to make a difference in our own community.

Where is the food going?

GW: The food is going to the Christian Center, here in Park City.

Where can students drop off food?

GW: Students can drop off the food in Ms. Hooker's room ( Rm.16), or Mr. Parker's room.

When is this happening?


GW: This is happening from now until February 26th.

Why is this important?


GW: This food drive is important because it gets NJHS, as a whole, more involved with our community, and gives students a chance to give back.

In your own opinion, why did NJHS choose this group activity over another?


GW: In my opinion, we chose this group activity over another because in some ways, it is a tradition to what NJHS at Treasure Mountain has done in the past, and it is very helpful to have this group activity after the holidays because it helps the food pantries "stalk-up" again. In addition, I feel that no matter where you are there is always a need for food, and at NJHS this is one area where we come together and make a big difference.



Please donate to the food pantry, regardless if you are in NJHS or not.

Caroline in 150 Words

        My name is Caroline and I am in 8th grade, at Treasure Mountain Junior High. I was born in New Jersey and lived there until I was eight years old, when I moved to Canada. I lived in Canada for almost three years and I became a competitive dancer while I was there. When I was eleven years old, I moved to Park City.

       My favorite thing to do is ski racing and mountain biking. When I moved here, I decided to pick up ski racing. Right away I knew that I loved ski racing and that skiing was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. During the summer, I couldn’t ski, so I tried mountain biking and it wasn’t until my first race that I really fell in love with that sport as well. Journalism will offer many opportunities for me to learn this year.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Students at Sundance: Our Perspective by Murphy and Mackenna

Over the past week or so, Sundance has taken over the quiet ski town of Park City, Utah. The town has been flooded with hundreds of tourists, companies trying to sell their products, and tons of celebrities.

The three of us found ourselves standing along with the crowd. We knew that Nick Jonas had to be around, based on our prior research and Instagram stalking, but although finding Nick was our ultimate goal, it didn’t take long before multiple other stars walked through the crowd. Some were extremely interactive, like Josh Groban, but others were walking pretty quickly to get through all of the screaming fans, like John Krasinski and Don Cheadle. A sense of anxiety submerged the crowd, including us, even though we had no idea who would walk out next. As time went by, we made our way to the front of the crowd, and people came and left; however, the crowd slowly continued to grow as rumors were spread. At one point, we heard screaming behind us. We turned our heads and saw a big crowd of people following a man dressed in all black. We ran from the front of the crowd in front of variety lounge and chased after John Legend, nearly getting hit by a car in the process!

Once we got all of our pictures of the famous singer, we rushed back to the variety building to wait for Nick. We had never experienced the typical “star-struck” feeling until, suddenly, there was more screaming as Nick Jonas came out from the lounge. Things got crazy - everyone was shoving each other out of the way to get the perfect shot, photographers were running into people with their massive cameras, and other people were pulling our clothes and even our hair to get through. We got videos and pictures, but we didn’t stop there - we sprinted across the streets, following the huge herd and the huge, mean-looking bodyguards. Fortunately, we were aggressive enough to get to the front of the pack and get the best selfie with Nick, even if he was only looking at the ground. It was the perfect ending to an extravagant day.




Our meet-up with Nick Jonas









John Krasinski walking out of the Variety Lounge







John Legend on Main Street


Life as I Know It

An 8th grader at Treasure Mountain Junior High, I, Ian Van Leuven, delight in reading, writing, and watching Doctor Who. Books are my preferred pastime, so I can usually be found reading in my room. Reading fantasy, sci-fi, and adventure novels is my favorite way to get through the day.

Short story competitions with my father are some of my favorite things to do, as we are both wacky and inventive. My mom judges our stories, and I would replicate one of my father’s amazing stories here, but they are too obscene to reproduce. We have archived the majority of stories in a file cabinet wherein they collect dust. Perhaps, someday, we will take them out and reminisce on our past.

Being out in nature is where I find peace. The schönen Vögel (beautiful birds) and the trees are calming and amazing. I hike, bike, and snowshoe for fun.

That’s it.

A Little About Sydney

I’m Sydney and I’m an eighth grader at Treasure Mountain Junior High. I’m fourteen years old and my birthday is in August. I like playing soccer, biking, running and going to CrossFit. I play soccer for Park City Soccer Club right now. I have two younger brothers named Bridger and Cutter. I also have a dog named Oakley, and a dog named Ace. Ace is a Pug and Cocker Spaniel, or a “Pugger.” He’s super cute. He likes to steal food from Oakley. I was born in Atlanta, Georgia but I lived in Bend, Oregon until sixth grade, where I learned to ski. On the weekends, I love to go skiing with my friends or go to the movies. I do love playing in the snow but I also love vacationing on the beach. I wish I could surf or snowboard, hopefully I can attempt it someday. That’s me!

Murph in 150 words

I’m a 13-year-old girl originally from Manhattan. I enjoy swimming, skiing, and surfing, and I’m currently living in Park City, Utah. I attend Treasure Mountain Junior High, I’m in 8th grade, and I love all my friends. My family consists of my mom, dad, and my younger brother Dave. I was born in Manhattan, New York - I lived there for ten years - but, four years ago, my family moved here. So far, I really enjoy living here!

Personality-wise, I really love doing spontaneous and fun things such as traveling, going to the beach, riding roller coasters, and anything that gets adrenaline going. I like to go with the flow, being zen, and being stress-free. Being a very competitive person, I like to win and I enjoy being number one. This makes me a very hard-working and determined girl. Overall, I’m fun loving, adventure seeking, competitive, determined girl.

Sophie Young In 150 Words

I am Sophie, a girl born and raised in a small ski town: Park City, Utah. I have lived here for thirteen years, and I’m a girly eighth grader with moderate confidence who attends Treasure Mountain Junior High. I had a normal childhood, with my parents being divorced.
Everyone from both sides of my family come from the East Coast - Rochester, New York.
I dance at Park City Dance, in level seven; the third to highest level in the studio. I have danced since I was four, but started getting serious about it when I was ten. 
We have a Sundance film festival here in Park City. I haven’t done much with Sundance in the past, but I plan on doing something with it this year. I really enjoy having time by myself and being with friends. I like to believe I’m a unique and independent person even if it’s not always true.

Scribo Introducere - A Beginning

I’m Matthew Barasch, a student in Treasure Mountain Junior High, in Park City, Utah. I previously lived in New Canaan, Connecticut, and I’m a huge nerd - I’ve taken Latin for three years, and much of my English knowledge comes from it (if a word is of Latin origin, I can probably figure it out).

I love art, and I’ve practiced digital art almost nonstop since I got a drawing tablet two years ago. For example, I love Pokémon, and I’ve been attempting a project of creating 150 “Fakemon” (a popular term for fan-made Pokémon designs). It’s really great practice, and since it’s something in which I’m interested, it’s a lot more fun to do and I always look forward to spending time on it.
I really love doing anything creative or strategic, and I’m decent at editing. As the Journalism TA, I’ll be happy to provide any needed help!

Of Quick Introductions



Simply put, I'm a thirteen-year-old spirit of classic rock, California culture, and writing folly.


I originate from the Malibu-Ventura area, on the subculture line of Hollywood valley girls and Malibu beach bums. While I wasn't born there, it was always my home - the surf, sand, and sun. From my quirky friend Delaney to my outgoing aunt, I was surrounded by people I loved.


Then suddenly, around came seventh grade; the closing time on placid childhood. Things got a little dark; one of my best friends developed depression, two other friends cut all ties, and school got difficult.


But, that was all a while ago. Now, I'm a vaguely confident eighth grade, with new, exciting people to be crazy with. I visit California to bask in the warm summers, and ski in the frosty winter.


So, there's my life in a nutshell.

Somewhat An Editor, Somewhat A Shaun

When I was five, I thought white cars had aliens in the engine. When I was ten, I could only read series in chronological order. When I was fifteen, I had a playlist called “Obnoxious Pop Songs That I Slightly Love.”

These three things, unrelated and simple, describe me better than any introduction could. Luckily, none of these facts can create a stigma, so I still get called by my real name, Shaun.

I think philosophy is important, but I value rambling just as much (which is shown in my writing). My favorite is sort of my life philosophy in a low-key way.

A lot of things in my life are low-key, because I am not (emphasis on not) a low-key person.

All in all, I am simply Shaun, who somehow got thrusted into an editor position; I think I will be crossing the hero threshold very soon.

All About Rachel

I’m Rachel, and I am a student at Treasure Mountain Junior High, in Park City, Utah.

I love soccer, and I play competitively. I have played soccer since I was four years old. I play center midfield, but I can play any position my coach needs me to play. I also like to ski, but only for fun.

When I’m not on the soccer field or at the ski resort, I enjoy spending time with my friends, cheering on the Chicago Bears, and watching the United States women’s soccer team.

I’ve always wanted to travel to somewhere in Europe, preferably London or Paris. One reason I would like to travel there is because of the food. I love food from Europe (as well as ribs), though I can’t stand any type of nut.

I’m shy, but once people get close to me, I’m outgoing, on and off the soccer field.

Will - I Have Returned!

Hello there! I am Will, and I am a ninth grade student at Treasure Mountain Junior High (TMJH). I am the IT guy for the TMJH Park City Post, and I also write and produce the Technology 101 technology help column and web show.

I grew up in snowy Park City, and have lived in the same house all my life. My interest in technology sparked at an early age, and I have been pursuing the constant information flow and never stopping since the beginning. I spend my free time prototyping with my 3D printer, watching and participating in the fandom surrounding My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and hanging out and making movies with my good friends.

Writing has become my escape over time, and my ability has grown substantially since first taking journalism. I am really excited for this year, and I hope everyone else is as well!

Me in 150 words By: Izzy

       I’m Izzy, I’m 14 years young, and I live in Park City, Utah, where I currently attend Treasure Mountain Junior High. Without wasting words going on and on about my glorious childhood, here's my story: I had a normal childhood with nothing exciting (sticky hands and crayons and everything).     
       I really got interesting in 6th grade at Ecker Hill Middle School - my argumentative skills had just peaked and I had started a second season of competitive volleyball. Also, I traded wearing sloppy sweatpants to school for sloppy sweaters. 7th grade was even better - I was at the top of my game.                 
       Whether it was grades, sports, debate or fashion, I was there; now I'm here, playing on one of the top volleyball teams in Utah, in a high school debate class - and, well, I still wear sloppy sweaters, but that's beside the point. I’m Izzy, I live in Park City.

Who's Hali?

I am Hali, and I live in the icy mountains of Park City and attend Treasure Mountain Junior High. I love running, swimming, and baking cookies and vanilla cupcakes. I have been swimming for four years, and my favorite stroke is breaststroke, but my best stroke is backstroke. I love to travel and I have been to every continent except for Antarctica. The most exciting place to which I have ever been is Africa. When I was there, I got to pet a baby lion cub and I saw a lion hunt and kill a baby giraffe.

My favorite thing to do when I have free time is to read, but I don’t like to read when my mom forces me to do so. I enjoy to run distance like the mile, but I hate running sprints. I’m really clumsy and always trip and fall, but I always get back up.

All about Landon By: Landon

     I'm in eighth grade at Treasure Mountain Junior High. I live on the edge of Snyderville, Utah. I have lived here my whole life in the same house. I'm a second degree black belt in karate and I have been doing karate for ten years and go everyday. Another sport I play is softball. I play third base and pitcher.
     Traveling is my favorite hobby. I am a vast traveler. I have a near death allergy to all nuts except almonds. I have bicuspid aortic valve disorder, and I have asthma.
     I have an older sister whose name is Hudson. She is in tenth grade and is a basketball player. I have only one sibling, but my cousins live in town, and they are like my sisters. Living in Park City, I love to ski and have skied my whole life. Also, during Sundance I enjoy going to find celebrities and getting free stuff.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Hi! I'm Julianna.

All About Me

I’m Julianna - a long distance runner, lover of health and meditation, and a martial arts stick fighter.

Another interesting fact about me is that at the age of fourteen, I have already lived in five different states, which include New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, Florida, and Utah. I’ve enjoyed all the places I’ve lived, but Utah is the place for me. Believe it or not, I’ve also never been in the same school for more than two years.

My true passion is anything health related. I’m a strong believer of nutrition, and fitness because my parents raised me this way. I enjoy reading articles about certain herbs and foods that help cure cancer and sicknesses. The Chinese and ancient Indian healing remedies are also very enlightening and educational.

Lastly, I’m an eighth grader at Treasure Mountain Junior High School. I look forward to improving my writing skills.

Paxton enjoys life

I am a fourteen-year-old, semi-professional slope style and big air skier. I am sponsored by Cole Sport and backcountry.com. I train three nights a week at the Utah Olympic Park and the other four at PCMR, Canyons. Baseball is a side sport, and I participate in almost every other action sport. 

I am from Dallas, Texas, but I moved to San Luis Obispo, California, then to Salt Lake, and then over summer I moved up to Park City. 

I really have never liked writing or reading or school in general. If I can get out of writing and go work out I choose to, but I need to try harder to get better.

I have broken eight bones. My nose, right arm, left arm, (which) foot, (which) fingers. I have had four different surgeries. In my arm I have one plate and six screws in my arm. I have had (a total of) 7 casts.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Autobiographical Sketch By: Ellie

I’m Ellie, and I am a local teenager in Park City, Utah. I have been living in Park City for fifteen years. My parents moved here from Kentucky after they had my older sister.
The most fun moments I have had here are the ones at Sundance. I am one of those people that obsesses over famous people. Sundance is finally starting up again, and the other day, I saw my two favorite characters from The Walking Dead and The Originals - Alanna Masterson and Phoebe Tonkin - at Squatters, a breakfast joint here. I happened to be the luckiest person that day, because the waitress sat us at the booth right behind them.
I could hardly stand it; by the time my food came, my stomach could not grasp the thought of eating. This is just one of the many examples of how crazy I get around glamorous people.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

150 Words of Me

I am Cameron, but I go by Cami and I am thirteen years old and live in Park City, Utah. I was born in 2002, in Los Angeles, California, and lived there for ten years. I went to a private school, but my family didn’t have a lot of money, so it was really strange growing up and going to school around very entitled people. I moved to Park City in the 2012 and enjoy spending time with the friends I’ve made here over the years, though I still keep in touch with my Californian friends.

I have a dog named Patches and a horse named Caspian, and I love them both. I do hunter style riding, which means both the horse and I are solely judged on how pretty we look while jumping. My hobbies include accidentally messing things up and laughing with my friends Caroline, Bianca, and Mia.