BYU female broadcasters win three of nine student awards, continue winning tradition Three Brigham Young University broadcasting students have carried on an award-winning tradition, recently receiving national recognition as student winners in the Gracie Awards. Julianne Horsley, Mary Blanchard and Danielle Ycmat Jansson won three of the nine available awards for students. Other student winners were from schools such as Fordham, Hofstra and George Washington universities. BYU was the only school to have three or more winners. The Gracie Awards highlight outstanding work in television programming created for women, by women and about women. Past professional winners include Tina Fey, Katie Couric and Barbara Walters. The three BYU students now join the ranks of those big names, along with the many BYU winners that have come before them. BYU’s student journalists have a history of doing well in the Gracie Awards. “From the beginning of the program, our professors expect us to be professionals,” Horsley said. “They hold us to the same standards as they would at your first job. It was really hard, but I’m glad they did.” Horsley won the Gracie for best anchor, Blanchard for best sports host and Jansson for best news producer. The students said the hands-on experience they received in the newsroom was specifically beneficial in preparing them for work in the industry. Blanchard said her experiences and watching past students win Gracie Awards helped her produce high-quality work. “Past students kind of set a precedent that you don’t want to be anything less than the best,” she said. Kristine Pratt is one of those past students and won a Gracie Award for Outstanding Director just after she graduated in 2010. She’s now a news producer at KSL 5 in Salt Lake City. “I certainly consider my Gracie Award to be one of my greatest accomplishments, and it gave me, as a college graduate, an extra push to launch into the job world with confidence,” Pratt said. Chad Curtis, BYU’s broadcast news manager, echoed Pratt’s sentiment about the impact of these awards. “It’s empowering for our female students to enter their work in a nationwide competition that emphasizes the professional contributions of women in the media,” Curtis said. “It is then extra gratifying to have their work honored by the Gracies’ judges as being worthy of praise.” Horsley is now working in marketing and communications for Goldman Sachs in Salt Lake City. Blanchard and Jansson will both complete internships this summer and graduate in August, before looking at entering the world of professional broadcasting. About the Gracie Awards: Established in 1975, the Gracie Awards is an annual competition that recognizes the highest quality programming for women, by women and about women in the media and entertainment industry. The Gracie Awards are presented by the Alliance in Media Foundation, which supports education, charity, public service and scholarships that benefit women in the media. Source: BYU News

Nineteen dancers lie sprawled out on the floor, a highly unusual sight in a typical dance class. The adroit teacher circled the group with perfect posture, walking as gracefully and carefully as a lion. The dancers immediately sat up and watched carefully as the master demonstrated his literally groundbreaking poses and stretches on the ground.

It’s 10 p.m. in a bitterly cold New York City. As light and excitement pour out from the windows of a late-night diner, a growing crowd flows into the establishment. Inside, surrounded by dozens of his former BYU students, sits Randy Boothe. It is Boothe’s last night in the city, and he makes it a point to take advantage of every chance to catch up with his graduates.

This summer the department of communications will be hosting the YCreate Summer Camp program for high school students who are interested in future study with BYU's communications department. A huge perk for those who plan on enrolling for this upcoming summer is the new registation price of $245, which includes lunches, an opening social and a closing banquet. Students who participate will have the chance to be lectured by some of the leading professionals in the fields of public relations, journalism, advertising, and digital media. Registration is currently open for the week of June 23-27, 2014. Home stays are also being arranged for minority students who are interested in participating. For more information on the program or to enroll, visit the YCreate website by clicking here.

Any wanderer will tell you that there is something magical about discovering new places and old traditions.

Ethan Parry was selected to be the 2014-2015 VP of Public Relations for PRSSA.

The appeal to spread the gospel has been heard by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints far and wide, yet perhaps one of the most creative groups to answer the prophets’ call is BYU’s Living Legends.

Brigham Young University’s Department of Dance will present “A Showcase of New Work” during the dancEnsemble winter concert Friday and Saturday, March 21-22, at 7:30 p.m. in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre. A special 2 p.m. matinee performance will be held on Saturday, March 22.

Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” Friday, March 21, through Friday, April 4, in the Pardoe Theatre at 7:30 p.m., with 2 p.m. Saturday matinees on March 22 and 29.

Two faculty members in the Department of Visual Arts and a BYU alumna received awards at the 2014 Utah Art Education Association (UAEA) Conference on February 21. The UAEA promotes “the quality of visual arts education through professional development, collaboration, and leadership opportunities.” Each year, a conference is held to commemorate fantastic art educators in the state. Diane Asay has taught in the Art Education Department at BYU for over 20 years. Her efforts and contributions to the art education community resulted in her receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. Christine Palmer, an adjunct faculty member, received recognition for her work in higher education. Palmer has been teaching art for nearly 20 years, including time working with elementary, junior high and high school students. Molly Neves, who graduated from BYU with a degree in studio arts in 2009, was recognized as Elementary Art Educator of the Year for her work at Summit Academy Elementary, a charter school in Draper. She has been teaching there for five years, and is the art specialist for children in grades kindergarten through sixth grade.

Tickets for all events are available at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981, byuarts.com/tickets. 6-8 — BYU’s Young Ambassadors will present “Heartsongs: The Melodies of Love” at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. These young performers combine contemporary music and dance for a fast-paced showcase of American musical theatre. 7-22 — “A Man for All Seasons” will be performed in the Margetts Theatre. Directed by David Morgan, the play demonstrates how conscience and corruption collide in the powerful historical portrait of Sir Thomas More – counselor to King Henry VIII and Lord Chancellor of England. More resists entreaties to condone the king’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon, marriage to Anne Boleyn and separation from the Catholic Church in Rome. Though he is ultimately condemned for his silence, his unwavering dedication to principle makes him a true “man for all seasons.” 8 — The Primrose Memorial Concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 11 — The BYU Philharmonic (Evening Concertos) will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 12 — The Folk Music Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. 12-15 — BYU will host the largest amateur DanceSport event in the country during the U.S. National DanceSport Championships at 7:30 p.m. at the Marriott Center. Ticket options include main floor “ringside” tables, public arena chair seating and student seating. The competition will feature dancers from across the country in more than 30 different divisions. National amateur titles will be awarded in Latin, standard, smooth, rhythm, cabaret and formation in all age categories. The DanceSport Championships are sponsored by BYU’s Ballroom Dance Program. Tickets will be available online at the Marriott Center Ticket Office at byutickets.com. 13 — The “Group for New Music” will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 19 — The Diavolo Dance Theater will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Internationally renowned for the unique way in which it reinvents dance, reimagines theatre and redefines thrills, Diavolo Dance Theater takes movement, athletics and daring to the extreme, creating abstract narratives about the human experience through surreal tableaux. The company has an extensive performance history in its home city of Los Angeles, as well as throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America. In more than 14 seasons of touring, Diavolo has performed for hundreds of thousands of concertgoers worldwide, as well as millions more on television. For its BYU debut, the company will present two of its most celebrated and exciting pieces, “Transit Space” and “Trajectoire.” 21-22 — 2014’s dancEnsemble will feature contemporary dance works by students at 7:30 p.m. in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. 21-22 — The BYU Men’s Chorus will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 21-April 4 — Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” will be on stage at the Pardoe Theatre. In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of this favorite story of love, manners and social status in 19th-century England, BYU Theatre presents a newly commissioned stage adaptation of Austen’s seminal work. Laugh, cry and delight with the quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters as they search for love. After all, “a lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.” The play is adapted for the stage by Melissa Leilani Larson and directed by Barta Heiner. 25 — The Jazz Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. This group is BYU’s Synthesis-in-training band, and they perform locally and regionally. They provide a tremendous training situation for up-and-coming jazz musicians. 25 — A Flute Chamber Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 313 of the University Parkway Center. The center is located at 1650 N., Provo. Admission is free and is open to the public. 26 — A Trombone Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 26 — A Saxophone Chamber Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 313 of the University Parkway Center. The center is located at 1650 N., Provo. Admission is free and is open to the public. 27 — The Jazz Combo Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free and is open to the public. 28 — A Woodwind Chamber Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 313 of the University Parkway Center. The center is located at 1650 N., Provo. Admission is free and is open to the public. 28 — The BYU Singers and the BYU Concert Choir will perform together at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 28-29 — Students from the Department of Dance will present their final projects at the Senior Dance Projects Showcase, Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre. 29 — BYU’s non-auditioned choir, the University Chorale, will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. All month at the Museum of Art: “Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz” through May 10, 2014. “e.g. Sarah O’Donnell: The Light is the Source of the Land” from March, 28 through Aug. 9, 2014. “Simpler, Brighter, Stronger: Southwestern Art and Early Modernism, 1910-1960” through July 26, 2014. “e.g. Monika Bravo: Landscape of Belief” through March 15, 2014. “Shaping America: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection of American Art.” through March 2018. “Timothy O’Sullivan: The King Survey Photographs”through May 26, 2014. “Edward Burtynsky: The Industrial Sublime” through June 14, 2014. “michael whiting: 8-bit modern” through April 26, 2014. Admission is free to all exhibitions. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday. For more information, visit moa.byu.edu. Source: BYU News

PHOTO: Robert Barrett with Gale Halverson, the real 'Candy Bomber' featured in Christmas from Heaven. Robert T. Barrett, a professor of visual arts at Brigham Young University, has four illustrations that have been accepted into the Society of Illustrators 52nd Illustration West Competition.