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Show V letters@chroniclextakedu PROS&CONS as. WITH ADDISON BUTLER An array of boots is a SLC winter necessity W e trudge through the endless onslaught of slushy snow in them, and they crunch the crisp fall leaves when we walk from class to class. When chosen correctly, they can give our feet both the warmth and panache necessary to live a comfortable and happy life. But with winters as unrelenting as those in the Salt Lake Valley, locating a solid pair of stylish boots that can actually last through March can be thoroughly frustrating. When preparing for the epic six-month flurry of sleet, hail, snow, rain and nipping temperatures, I often hear my friends fussing over that elusive, perfect pair of boots to meet both their functional and aesthetic standards. If there's anything I've learned in my three short years of semi-independent living as a college student (where, much to my dismay, the responsibility of providing an adequate wardrobe falls solely upon me), it is that this task just cannot be done. You can spend hours in front of a mirror trying to convince yourself that your Hunters look decent, but the fact of the matter is that no matter what you do or say, your winterized rain boots will always just look kind of weird at the bottom of an otherwise polished outfit. "Rapture, Blister, Burn" explores the "what-ifs?" in life I VFW %elf* BY STEVE SHAFSHOLT /STAFF Photo courtesy of day.d photograp Adversely, there is no magic fix to warm up those adorable Chelsea boots you bought for fall or to keep them safe amidst the atrocities of Utah's undeniably feisty winters. If you wear these in a snowstorm, they will be eaten alive, throwing all that hard-earned money down the drain. You will never find that magical pair of boots to satisfy all of your needs. I let this fact eat me up two winters ago. My favorite pair of black leather ankle boots from Zara withered away to nothing over the course of only a couple months (a pair of boots, might I add, that were not inexpensive — though with the help of my adorably domestic, gifted older brother I was able to mostly salvage them). Aside from a pair of light-brown oxford boots, these were the only shoes I strapped to my feet during the winter of '12-'13, and as such they faced more hardships than a child born at sea into a family of pirates. I think the only real advice I have to give to you is this: Supply yourself with a large, eclectic family of boots. Get some that are sturdy and lined with fur and some that are simple and stylish. This is the philosophy I followed last fall and winter, and it worked like a dream. With more than seven ina Gionfriddo's Pulitzer Prize-nominated play "Rapture, Blister, Burn" is playing at Salt Lake Acting Company this month. Centered around feminism, growing old and the evolution of gender roles, this show unabashedly addresses these uncomfortable issues in an equally comedic and thought-provoking manner. Following her mother's recent heart attack, Catherine (Tracie Merill-Wilson) takes a sabbatical from her prestigious career as a feminist literary critic to spend some quality time with her mother. Coincidentally, Catherine's mother Alice (Jeanette Puhich) lives in the same town as her grad school friends Gwen (Nell Gwynn), an academic turned stay-athome mom, and Don (Robert Scott Smith), an unaspiring dean now married to Gwen. As the three of them reunite after their long estrangement, they find themselves ruminating over their life decisions and asking, "What if?" This dynamic brings to light the central theme of the play — what is more fulfilling, pursuing a career or child-rearing? Faced with the possibility of losing her mother, Catherine pines after Gwen's motherhood. Meanwhile, confronted by a less than idyllic marriage as well as Catherine's fame and fortune, Gwen questions her decision to settle down. Desperate for something to do, Catherine decides to teach a class on the changing face of gender roles and the history of feminism. Upon discovering that her only students are Gwen and Avery (Stewart Fullerton), a 21-year-old girl on academic probation, she opts for a more informal setting, holding the class at her mother's house. Catherine mediates Gwen and Avery's opposing views, and their arguments are priceless. Gionfriddo's writing is simply exceptional. The dialogue is witty, the focus is pertinent to current social issues, and the plot is unpredictable and engaging. What really sets G 10 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 UTAH'S INDETERMINATE SENTENCING POLICY PHOTO BY CHRIS SAMUELS pairs of boots to alternate through, I've somehow hacked winter. All of my boots from last year not only survived, but thrived through the winter. Listen, sometimes Mother Nature lashes out and goes a little overboard with winter weather, and in these circumstances those borderline-heinous boots are acceptable, but please, for the sake of all of us, keep some lighter, more fashionable pairs of boots lying around for the more mellow days. a.butler@chronicle.utah.edu @ChronyArts "Rapture, Blister, Burn" apart, though, is how Catherine's class discussions elucidate feminist theory and how these concepts are then contextualized by the actions of characters from three different generations. From this, the question of theory vs. application emerges, and the audience is left to ponder the complex reality of gender roles. The script's immense potential is not squandered on this cast. Once they get into the meat of the play — namely, when the class discussions start — all the actresses shine. The U's own senior, Fullerton, is hilarious, Gwynn is authentic, Merrill-Wilson nails every note in the emotional spectrum and Puhich rings true in her supporting role. Unfortunately, Smith is not as consistent as his counterparts, but once he falls into his stride he has his moments. My main complaint with "Rapture, Blister, Burn" is that as the play draws to a close, the scenes grow much shorter. The relatively greater frequency of scene breaks towards the end is distracting and undermines the plot's momentum, but this is a minor fault in an otherwise phenomenal play. If you are not the type to be offended by swearing, lewd subject material or excessive drinking, I recommend you see this play regardless of your views towards feminism. The lively script and the skill of these actors are infectiously amusing. What's more, Gionfriddo captures the voice and views of all three generations with a startling genuineness and approaches this weighty subject without bias or tedium. Catch "Rapture, Blister, Burn" at Salt Lake Acting Company from Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. or on Sunday at either 1 p.m. or 6 p.m. before its final showing on Nov. 16. Don't forget to bring your UCard to get a student discount. s.stafsholt@chronicle.utah.edu @ChronyArts tah is unique in the way it handles crime. The indeterminate sentencing policy upheld by the state is unlike any other in the nation, and as such has received both praise and criticism. Randy Richards, a prodigious local defense attorney and proud alumni of the U, sat down with me and shed light on the benefits of Utah's indeterminate sentencing policy. He also expressed some criticisms, and offered suggestions for how the current system could be improved. The major upside of Utah's indeterminate sentencing strategy is, ironically, the power and independence of the Board of Pardons and Parole. While indignant inmates have denounced the board's practically absolute authority to set sentences, Richards offers a different perspective. "The fact that the board doesn't really answer to anyone enables them to be more fair and more consistent than judges," he said. This seemed counter-intuitive to me. Wouldn't the board have more incentive to issue even-handed rulings if they were held accountable by the public, or the judicial system? Richards explained the process of attaining and retaining a judgeship. There are eight judicial districts and 70 district judges within the state of Utah. The process of becoming a judge is arduous, and the job itself is less secure than you might think. When a coveted judgeship becomes available, the Judicial Nominating Committee interviews a pool of applicants, and submits five nominees to the governor. The governor then appoints his favorite candidate to serve an initial, three-year term on the bench. After three years, a Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee assesses the judge's rulings, temperament, conduct and legal knowledge over that three-year period and makes a public recommendation of whether or not the judge should be allowed to keep his position. After the evaluation is publicized, a retention election is held in the judge's district, and, if elected, they serve an additional six-year term. This process is repeated until the judge is either voted off the bench or reaches the ripe old age of 75. Most judges strive for forced retirement because, upon becoming a judge, they have to abandon their legal practice for an extended length of time. Successful attorneys, such as Richards, who has been practicing law for 30 years, spend decades building up their businesses. To take a three- or nine-year stint as a judge can cripple the clientele base of even the most prominent attorneys. For most judges, a return to lawyering after serving on the bench marks a regression in income and status. Thus, when lawyers are appointed to judgeships, they are highly motivated to maintain that position. The potential for a poor performance review is an ever-looming threat for judges. It tends to influence their decision-making, and Donate plasma today and earn up to they can become hypersensitive to public opinion as their term ends as the next retention election approaches. The board, in contrast, is made up of five governorWho knew I could earn money, appointed members who serve staggered five-year terms. save lives, and get free vvi fi The Board of Pardons and Parole does not carry the at the same time? 2978 South State St., Salt Lake City, UT 84115 prestige of judgeship. As Richards put it, "very few people want to grow up to be a board member."The coupling of Scan for an insider look at these characteristics afford the board insulation from the I the plasma donation process emotions of the masses and negate any incentive to bend to the capricious will of the political climate. Furthermore, 70 judges, influenced by their own moods, CSL Plasma attitudes, experiences and biases, will interpret the same law in 70 different ways. Richards knows certain judges will be more or less lenient with certain offenders. S 1300 E Salt Lake City I 801.582.5001 "Judge X has a friend whose kid was killed by a drunk driver, and so he is excruciatingly tough on DUI cases:' he said. "If it were up to him, he would throw every drunk driver in prison for life." 200 S While the board members certainly have their own personal biases, they can temper each other. Studies have shown that when you present a group of people with a jar LLI of gumballs and ask them to guess how many gumballs IV 0 0 are in the jar, the average of their estimates will be closer 0 Cs, to the real number than any one individual's. Perhaps the same holds true for estimating justice. The board's Achilles's heel, according to Richards, is its susceptibility to homogeneity. When five like-minded individuals are appointed to the board, they will be prone to agree with one another, which can lead to the same biased sentencing you see among judges. Richards asserts there is a need for "someone to play devil's advocate, and 0 challenge the thinking of the group." rD To achieve this, the governor could be required to o appoint people with diverse backgrounds and experi40P ences. For instance, many board members come from the prosecutorial side of the law, and are more inclined See Our Other Locations: to empathize with police than convicts. If the board were 1314 S Foothill Dr. (Foothill Village) 801.581.1322 required to include at least one defense attorney, social 421 E 400 S worker or anyone who is disposed to consider cases from 801.355.3259 the perspective of the offender, their sentencing considerGateway Mall (Food Court) ations would be more thoughtful and holistic. 801.456.0798 974 E 2100 S (Sugarhouse) While there are many well-founded concerns regarding 801.485.8658 Utah's indeterminate sentencing policy, it's not as flawed a system as critical convicts often make it out to be. In my assessment, Utah has the best game in town. Even so, it's not a game that most of us will ever want to play. letters@chronicle.utah.edu Even hamsters write letters to the editor. $300 a month!' - To scan and view content, you must download - a QR code reader from your App store. 'Applicable for eligible, qualified new donors. Fees vmy by weight. New donors must bring photo ID, proof of address and Social Security number. 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