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Show LIFE B4 Financial planning Live your richest life By Natalie Sullivan Assistant Life Editor @nhillsullivan Dance crews show their flow at UVU's competition By Charlie Kaing Staff Writer kaing.charlie@gmail.com The highly anticipated UVU's Best Dance Crew cornpetition took place Nov. 13, Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the PE court. The four crews — Offbeat, Swagger Rangers, Low Profile and Intrakids—did well to please the crowds and beyond great dancing, $1 from each ticket sale was also donated to UVU's Mobility Mission. Before the show began, an electrifying and cool atmosphere was set from perfect lighting and a nice backdrop. Silhouette's of people dancing to house music hyped the show and created excitement. UVU's Ballroom Dance Company also added to the excitement by performing a dance piece. The event's flow and tone for the entire event was nicely done by charismatic and funny emcees. The emcees taught attendees an "Alright!" "Ok!" type of speech that caused laughter and created an entertaining and funny interactive speech throughout the night. After some more entertainment from the emcees, the introductions of the four crews began and things got real. The crews walked out in front of the audience with style and the personality of the crews can be seen. Each crew created their flags and a quick bio of the crew was given. The introductions of the crew matched America's Best Dance Crew flag idea and further legitimized UVU's own best dance crew competition. Last year's best dance crew winner, Low Profile (LP), started off the competition. The dynamic movements combined with a touch of "Pitch Perfect" created a choreography delivering various styles and character. LP was doing well hitting the steps and moves, but slight technical issues with the music forced LP to do their choreography once more. The crowd enjoyed seeing another great performance and continued to cheer LP on. The second crew, Offbeat, performed next, beginning their performance with some comedic improvisation. Such as having a janitor grooving out in the beginning of the performance and adding video game sounds within the music. Offbeat added the strengths and uniqueness of every individual dancer and mentioned how the crew wanted to bring every type of dance they can bring. An epic raving performance by one of the dancers ended Offbeat's performance nicely. The UVU Dance Team performed following Offbeat's performance. The team danced to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's "Can't Hold Us" bringing in more energy for the crowds. This also helped pump up everyone for the next two crews. The Swagger Rangers were third to perform. They immediately demonstrated the crew's musicality with synchronized movements. The judges were impressed with the crew's musicality and good facial expressions within the performance. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed the performance and to that point, Swagger Rangers received the loudest applause and a standing ovation from most of the audience. The last crew to perform was Intrakids. The crew 's "flow was good" as one judge put it and the matching outfits displayed the crew with precise unity. Before the announcement of the winners for UVU's Best ALEX RIVERA/UVUREVIEW A powerful performance from the Swagger Rangers morphed them into winners. Dance Crew, the judges offered UVU a showcase of their own dancing. Various styles from house to hip hop to popping wowed the crowd. After the showcase, the four crews were brought back out. There was only a first and second-prize winners. LP took second place and Swagger Rangers took first, becoming UVU's best dance crew. There was much cheering and people congratulating all the crews. Amidst the many people and emotions, Alex Fuchs, Swagger Rangers crewmember commented with joy one simple sentence on how he felt winning the competition, "I feel so good." The crews Offbeat, Swagger Rangers , LP and Intrakids did well to please the crowds with inspiring movements. Next To Normal, abnormally good A great show is only half the experience when you go to see "Next to Normal" By Kajsa Nelson Staff Writer kirapicard@gmail.com The Utah Valley University Theatre Department does not disappoint in their amazing production of Tom Kitt's "Next to Normal," and a fantastic , hard working cast and crew only magnify the powerful story. The story is about a typical normal family who you soon find out is anything but normal. Dealing with psychological issues, grief and drug abuse, we see this family struggle together and also apart. The musical score is both humorous and moving and propels the story in a commanding way. The production, directed by Dave Tinney, stars Jacqulyne Jones as Diana Goodman, Topher Rasmussen as Gabe Goodman, Benjamin J. Henderson as Dan Goodman, Zoe Wilde as Natalie Goodman, Andrew Robertson as Henry and cob Theo Squire as Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine. The emotion these actors portray is breathtaking and moving to the point of tears. During the Nov. 8, 2013 performance, au- dience members were brought to laughter and downright sobbing by this incredible production. After a standing ovation the audience was invited to participate in a question and answer session at the end of the show. When asked what their favorite part was in being involved with this production several of the actors and crew gave some insightful responses. Jacob Theo Squire who played the doctor commented, "The best part about doing this production is telling the story. This story is so moving that we didn't have to do much; just tell the story and it will do the rest." Jacqulyne Jones, who plays Diana Goodman, said, "The thing I enjoyed the most was working [with] this cast. They each taught me something about the story as well as something about myself as an actor." The director, Dave Tinney, commented, "My favorite part was watching my students. Watching them do something they love to do and watching them going from wanting applause to caring more about the story. It makes being a teacher worth it." Benjamin J. Henderson, who plays Dan Goodman, said, "I've grown as a person and an LAURA FOX/UVUREVIEW Topher Rasmussen and Jacquelyne Jones star in UVU's production of 'Next to Normal.' actor because of this show. I'm blessed to have personal relationships that I hope relates to the audience." One of the last comments of the night was by the stage manager Emily Griffith who said, "The chemistry between this cast blows my mind!" Several students commented after the show about this remarkable cast and wonderful experience they had just been a part of. One student said, "That is one of the best plays I have seen in a long time." Another student, while wiping away tears, said, "I am going through something very simi- lar, so it was inspiring for me to watch this production." This is definitely a show that you do not want to miss! The acting, the directing, the music and the story all flow in a magical way that many theaters wish they could produce. "Next To Normal" will be playing at the Noorda Theatre Novemeber 11, 14-16, 18, and 21-23 at 7:30pm. Go see this show and experience what the theatre can do for you. Kajsa Nelson is a former director and teacher from Salt Lake City who is currently attending UVU to finish her bachelor's degree in English. Debt is a growing problem in America and around the world. The ones defeated by debt, however, are often college graduates. Of all college seniors in 2011, two-thirds of them graduated with student loan debt. With an average student debt of $26,600 per borrower, the amount increased 53 percent fioni the previous year. Although debt—such as mortgages, credit card bills and car loans—has declined over the last two years, according to the New York Federal Reserve, the dragon of our day whips its monstrous head in victory as student loan debt continues to grow. Unlike a certain misinformed dragon that thought to curl atop a massive pile of gold, savings are not meant to be sat on. According to Learn Vest, an online personal finance educator, savings is simply money you put aside now for a larger future purpose. Financial planning is a must for anyone pursuing a college degree and can start with a mere $1,000 and will lead to purposeful savings, a higher credit score and even an all together richer lifestyle. The problem facing many students, however, is learning what that purpose is. Ding-Ding-Ding. Enter multiple savings accounts into the financial arena. Multiple savings accounts can be a simple step in learning how to keep a budget. Going by the 50/20/30 rule, where 50 percent maximum of total income goes to essential bills, 20 percent goes to savings and 30 percent goes to lifestyle choices, categorization income creates conscious choices instead of having a lump sum where savings may otherwise get lost. For the many students who drive to campus, opening an additional savings account for unexpected car repairs could be the first step. Depending on your bank, customers can open combinations of money market, daily savings and certificates of deposit accounts. The main differences between the types of accounts involve the number and frequency of withdrawals to the account. Choosing a combination that accommodates both your personal expenses and financial goals is as simple as a trip to your local branch. Next, lets talk about credit scores. A healthy credit score, above a 750, can improve your financial outlook. Obviously, a big part of maintaining a high score is to make payments on time. Online resources like creditkarma.com allow you to check your credit score for free. However, for those who do not have a credit card, you can still start an overdraft line of credit. Banks will report back that there were no outstanding fees, and it's still a good way to learn about credit. Credit card accounts can even be applied for without ever physically using the card. This is a safer way to reduce the temptation of spending money you are unable to pay back. It's never too early to think about retirement savings. In fact, by the time you're sixty you can expect that the amount saved from your twenties will have a doubling effect on your retirement, as opposed to starting to save in your forties. Last but not least, don't be afraid to negotiate salary. It is the most straightforward way of improving a financial situation. Though college students are just starting out, it's not too early to ask for what is realistically deserve. If you are offered an unpaid internship, you might feel lucky to even get your foot in the door. However, if your job description sounds like something that people normally get paid for, why not get paid? Once offered the position, ask your internship what they have to offer. Will you have someone that will mentor you" Think about your travel costs and how it will effect your financial situation. There are many more tips and tools online for managing your money. With these tips and a little research you can begin to take control over you personal finances and live more freely. The most important thing to remember, in the uphill battle against debt, is to not even pick the fight. |