Annie Orr never thought she'd be a runner, never mind a collegiate track and cross country athlete. But the running career of the Park City High School senior and future Utah State University Aggie has only just begun.

"I started running as a freshman," said Orr. "My whole family has run cross country at Park City High School, so I just did it to get in shape for basketball, which was my main focus. I also did it because my older brother was doing it, even though I hated running."

Since her freshman year, running cross country and track has since changed Orr's high school experience and has also affected her plans for the future.

"I started to actually enjoy running my junior year. Sophomore year is when I first started to run track in addition to cross country, which is something my coaches encouraged me to do," said Orr.

Once Orr found her rhythm, she decided to drop basketball to focus on running. She has since become one of Park City High School's strongest female runners.

She recently completed a 3200-meter race in 11 minutes, four seconds, the sixth-fastest girls' time in PCHS history.

Orr gives credit for her success to Park City High School's head track and field and cross country coaches, Steve Cuttitta and Jeff Wyant.

"I love my coaches. They've been great. I remember going to both of them after track season last year and telling them that I wanted to drop a lot of time. They've both helped me a lot over the years. I owe them everything."

Competing in the 400-meter, 800-meter, one-mile and two-mile races for the track team and also running the standard 5K for cross country, Orr is now accustomed to intense training and a 24/7 commitment, something she hopes will help her in the future. As a new addition to Utah State University's track and cross country teams for the upcoming school year, Orr is excited for what is yet to come.

"The campus is really what drew me in first, but I also really liked the coach. He didn't focus entirely on running, but he also focused a lot on academics. The balance between athletics and academics was really important to me," said Orr.

The next four years as a Utah State Aggie are already looking promising.

"I'm excited to have a new training schedule and having different people to compare myself to. I'm also excited to start running different events. Hopefully I can find one that I can really focus on and specialize in for next year."

With the end of the high school track season rapidly approaching, Orr hopes to enjoy the remainder of the season as much as possible. As for the future, a fresh start with a promisng running career is in the cards for Annie Orr.

"For the future, I just want to run fast."

Get to know Annie

Favorite food: "All foods! Except almonds because I am almond intolerant."

Favorite class: "Does Parent Release count? Or TA? I like school because I get to go to practice at the end of the day. I also like Seminary. Seminary is my favorite class."

Favorite movie: "Aladdin" or "The Lion King" or "Tangled." Disney movies in general.

Favorite band: "Imagine Dragons. That's not actually my favorite band but I couldn't think of my favorite and Imagine Dragons is the only band I could think of."

Favorite sports team: "Park City cross country! But mostly just the girls' team ... I guess the boys' team is OK, too."

Favorite sport (other than running): "Basketball! I used to play basketball."

Favorite sports moment: Nike Cross Regionals 2012.

Hobbies (other than running): Painting, drawing, jumping on the trampoline.

The post From Miner to Aggie appeared first on Park Record.

With the one-month anniversary of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School having come and gone, the debate on gun control is still just as prevalent as it was when it began. Recently, Park City High School has strengthened its own safety policies, which has sparked discussions in and out of the halls and classrooms.

At Park City High School, all doors besides the main entrance are locked after each tardy bell, which forces students that are tardy to enter through the main doors. This new security and attendance policy might be a hassle in the cold weather, but will ultimately allow the main office to better monitor who is coming in and out of PCHS. To most students, this new change is an inconvenience but in reality, this change has only been made with good intentions.

"Safety versus convenience. You can't have both. Our job is to make sure that our students are safe and sometimes that isn't always convenient," said Park City High School Assistant Principal, Lindsay Andersen.

A school is meant to be a place of learning, trust and safety but in today's world it seems that the true meaning of "school" is obstructed in the eyes of society because of heartless acts that have been committed by troubled individuals. Of course, change is inevitable and needs to be made within our schools, our country and in our homes if we hope to give future generations a chance at their own right to a safe education.

There has been much debate on how to keep our schools safe and if having teachers and school staff arm themselves would prevent further acts like Sandy Hook to occur. However, this too comes with its own set of "what if's" and risks. In the US, schools have always been a gun free zone and if the government were to permit teachers and school staff members to carry firearms in schools, a fair share of new problems would come along with this proposal.

Change is obviously not going to come easily and with such a wide array of viewpoints, gradual adjustments might be the best approach with the intensity of this topic. For changes big and small to occur within our own community, compromises in all aspects and areas will have to be suffered and thoroughly discussed.

Truthfully, this debate is endless. Teachers are teachers because they are compassionate and caring towards their students and because they have the desire to instill the importance of education within those that they teach. Of course, teachers will always protect their students if need be, yet the need for a teacher to carry a weapon at school was never once in the job description.

"I feel safe at school. I wouldn't feel safer if other staff members were to carry guns," said Park City High School Assistant Principal, Bob Edmiston.

With the support of public opinion, President Obama has launched a proposal calling for immediate action to reduce gun violence. This proposed ban on assault weapons will be a long and difficult fight in the legislative process but in the meantime we hope agreements can be reached on ways to improve mental health care and to enforce existing gun-related laws.

According to PCHS history teacher, Jim Fleming. "From the perspective of a person who likes to work around you guys (students) and that cares about schools, it's a hard thing to talk about. It's really bothersome to think that we live in a society where teachers feel the need to carry guns"

In an environment focused on the education and growth of our nation's children, it is unfortunate and disheartening that in today's society there is a need for discussion on how to keep our children safe at school. As a senior and student at Park City High School, I feel that we must do everything possible to reduce any gun violence in schools across the nation and to try to concentrate on finding better ways to ensure the safety and health of America's students and teachers. Personally, I believe more guns is not the answer. Better education about gun safety is. Also, mental health care needs to be more readily available to those that need it.

I am confident solution will eventually be discovered, but right now America needs to focus on the bigger picture and look toward our the future.

"It's sad that we have to have this conversation. There's no right answer," said Edmiston.

Hopefully in due time, the Park City School District will develop more safety compromises to ensure the safety of Park City students, teachers and staff for the rest of the school year and for the years to come.

Jillian Queri is an editor for the Park City High School newspaper The Prospector. To see more of his writing and articles by other students log on to http://parkcityprospector.com/ or check them out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ParkCityProspector

The post Student to Student appeared first on Park Record.

Park City High School senior Megan Glasmann is a star on the field and in the classroom. On Feb. 6, National Signing Day, Glasmann signed with Stanford and will be joining its track and field team as a javelin thrower this coming fall.

"I've been throwing since I was eight, so it's been a long time coming," Glasmann said.

With strong support and family ties to throwing, Glasmann knew that javelin was what she wanted to pursue, even though she played volleyball for three years and basketball for a year at PCHS too.

"My mom was a thrower in college. She was first at Weber State University and then transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, where she was the alternate for the 1988 Olympics," said Glasmann. "Growing up with a coach who's my mom and my inspiration and with my dad in the stands watching, it's always been a family event."

Other schools, like Duke and Kentucky, were also interested in Glasmann. With great scholarship offers from such big-time universities, Glasmann had a lot to consider.

"Overall, Stanford just has everything. You look at how amazing their programs are, how amazing their athletics are. Duke has a beautiful campus, but Stanford has that and so much more," she said.

Of course the school itself and academics were a major factor in her decision, but the team and coach at Stanford also played a large role in her choice.

"I'm looking forward to a team that has a bunch of great throwers and an incredible coach. The coach was actually at the London Olympics this past summer coaching one of her former collegiate athletes, so it will be fun to have a coach who knows what she's doing," she said.

Ranked fourth in the nation in javelin, Glasmann has a few things that she hopes to accomplish before completing her last throw as a Park City Miner, including all-time state record.

"I'm a few feet off," she said. "You look at the leaps and bounds I could accomplish and I'm hoping for a major step up. Maybe I could become second or maybe even first, which is more of a long shot," Glasmann said.

Along with her javelin pursuits, Glasmann also has academic goals that she hopes to reach during her time at Stanford.

"I've been looking toward psychology and anthropology, so possibly majoring in one of those and then going onto law school," she said.

With a bright future ahead, Glasmann is certainly one to keep an eye on this track season and in years to come.

Get to know Megan:

Favorite hobbies (other than sports): Spending time with family and hiking

Favorite book: "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"

Favorite sports (other than track) to play: Volleyball, basketball and waterskiing

Favorite movie: "Ten Things I Hate About You"

Favorite musicians/bands: Jimi Hendrix and The Cure

The post Megan Glasmann signs with Stanford appeared first on Park Record.

Granted, not everyone has the time to plan his or her holiday shopping with immense detail and thought-out plans. Nor does the average person have the desire, time or the patience to hand-make or pick out incredibly memorable presents. So, if you aren't the crafty type, or one with a large amount of time to spend during the most hectic time of year, try to keep a few things in mind to make this Christmas as memorable and meaningful as possible.

It's easy to find a gift that gets the job done, but it's harder to find a gift that provokes positive feelings, a good surprise and happy memories all at once. Even though the holidays are meant for spending time with the ones who matter most, gifts are still a crucial part in making this time of year extra special. A gift is something that should be unique to the receiver, meaningful and heartfelt; not something that's thrown together or irrelevant to the person you're giving it to.

When picking out presents, focus on the excitement, shock or joy that the gift will bring. The purpose of gifting is to provoke the feelings of happiness and gratitude, and if you know the person well enough, finding a present that gets this job done should be more simple than one might think. Select or creative a gift that represents a memory shared, represents the specific person and that has a personal touch.

Always keep in mind that the holiday season is supposed to be filled with cheer and positive vibes -- not the stress or burden of gift giving and the number on the price tag. Of course, there will always be pressure to find the "perfect gift" that will hopefully please loved ones, but when the feeling of obligation is removed and when sentiment becomes the focus, a meaningful holiday gift will always be found. Remember, if you don't have the means or time to find or make the perfect holiday presents, time spent together and memories shared should be enough to make this holiday season unforgettable. Happy holidays, Park City!

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