Introducing Student Artist Katherine Maus

"My name is Katherine Maus and I am a junior in the IB program at West High School. I first became involved with Higher Ground Learning when I took an SAT/ACT prep class there this fall. It was so much fun and I was really dissapointed when the class ended. I was such a fan of the laid back enviornment. Fortunately, I found a way to continue to be involved with Higher Ground through Student Art Attack, the student art program. I'm really excited to be a part of this awesome event and can't wait for everyone to see my work! I definitely have a passion for art. Whenever I have a spare second, I seem to be working on some project. I'm taking AP Art at my high school this year, and will move on to IB Art next year. I hope to take art classes in college as well as major in art. For now, I plan on focusing on high school, art, and doing what I love."

• HGL's next Student Art Attack show is Nov. 20th 6:30-9:30pm. Katherine Maus and Alexis Martinez will be our featured student artists. Come support these students, check out some art, listen to some tunes provided by DJ lil g, and enjoy some food and drink created by Master Chef Justin Cutler.

Higher Ground Learning

380 West Pierpont Ave (Pierpont is between 200 & 300 South)

This Just In

Greg: Why are you tired? Were you up partying all night?

Justin: Yeah.

Greg: With who?

Justin: All my gang members and girlfriends.

HGL is Blowing Up!

HGL on Facebook

Become a Fan, check out our events, comment on our page and pics, and spread the word about HGL...We are going Viral! Click on the link to visit our FB page---> HGL FB Page!

Introducing Master Chef

Hi everyone my name is Justin Cutler or more formally known around the kitchen as Master Chef. This is my last year here at Higher Ground as a high schooler since I am 18 and a senior who also attends Rowland Hall in the afternoons for lunch and a couple of classes. I may decide to continue my absolute rule over Higher Ground when I am in college so...yeah. It has been decided by the higher powers around here that I will be catering HGL's Grand Opening on November 20th. The contents of my most excellent menu will be kept top secret until that that time. I may release 1 or 2 recipies but we will see....One item that I will be telling you guys is Hot Apple Cider....awesome stuff there. The rest you guys will have to wait for the 20th

This Just In 10/20/2009

8:35am
JC: I did a bunch of highlighting in my book.
GC: Nice! so yo did some reading
JC: No. Just highlighting.

8:47am
JC: Who is that outside?
GC: Maybe its the sink guy.
JC: If it is I'm going down there and giving him a hug

9:03am
JC: I have a lot of funny stuff to say

9:09am
JC: This questionnaire just told me i have low self-esteem
GC: Screw that questionnaire

9:17am
GC: I'm wicked smart huh?!
JC: Totally

Fw: Fwd: Fw: My Mom is Spamming Me

Unread messages pile up in our Gmail inbox with titles such as, Social Security Changes, Interesting Observation, Farmers That are Bored, Rarely Seen Shuttle Activities, 1909 Ford, Words for Women to Live By, A Women's Week at the Gym, Surprising Laugh (turn the speakers up loud), and The Ziploc Omelet. Our moms are now using email to make sure we know about all the important mom stuff that they cant tell us about in the morning while eating breakfast or on our way out the door to school or work. These emails are sent To: a huge list of people you have never heard of (except for your mom), From: some other random person who means nothing to you, and Fwd: (by mom) to you, siblings, family members, friends, and more people you have never heard of . These emails are fairly harmless and often are a cute mom joke (possibly borderline dirty), a warning of some kind, and may be politically motivated. We might not know why our moms send us these emails, but its your mom and she loves you. Below are a list of rules to help you deal with Subject: My Mom is Spamming Me.

Rules you must follow when it comes to Mom Spam:

1. NEVER tell your mom you don't read these emails.



2. Continue to "send to trash" before reading BUT NEVER TELL MOM.



3. NEVER continue the Fw: Fwd: Fw: by sending to your friends or coworkers (that reason deserves its own explanation and list of rules.)



4. NEVER call it Mom Spam in front of your mom.
   


5. NEVER tell your mom to stop spamming you.

Thank you mom.

Love,

Greg

HGL Beginning To Suspect Creative Director Suzi Montgomery Might Not Be American

Oh say can you see? Suzi Montgomery hopes not! Here at HGL, Suzi Montgomery has been busy multitasking, keeping her eye on the future while blinding those around her. Speculation has set in and people are wondering "who is the real Suzi Montgomery, loyal American or a Canadian." The smokescreen around Suzi is starting to clear causing HGL employees to choose sides. When asked about Suzi's Dual Citizenship, Billy Thomas replied "Look, we would love to help Suzi out, but there is one thing Higher Ground Learning doesn't believe in, and that is handouts and global warming."

Good luck Suzi Montgomery, some of us are behind you and your unknown agenda.

Dollars For Doman October 16th

On September 19th, 7 members of Higher Ground Learning's Staff ran 5 kilometers to raise money to benefit research for ALS (Bob Marshall 5K: Kick in the ALS). We had such a great time and were happy to be among the 7 fastest people there!

Dollars For Doman Art Show - Calling All Artists With Good Vibes

If you are an artist or you know of an artist/artists that would like to contribute to this event please click on the picture above. I hope to see you all at HGL (new location 380 West Pierpont) on October 16th. Lets show SLC what kind of community we really are!

Here is an update on Dave's status. Dave was released from the hospital last night and is now continuing his recovery at his parents house. Dave hasn't lost one bit of his personality, sense of humor, or love of life. The doctors are calling him and is fast recovery some kind of miracle..."oooh big deal" Dave says in his sarcastic tone of voice while shaking his hands above his head. Dave is killing it, and this Art Show is a way to help a homie and celebrate Dave's crazy path to a full recovery.

(if you are not sure what Dollars For Doman is, check out the Friend and Local artist post Here)

Thanks,

Greg

Friday Night Football!

This Friday night (tomorrow!), at East High School we will be setting up a table at the football game to pass out free popcorn to the community. I look at this as a way to have a little fun, get involved with the school, chat it up with parents and students, and invite them to get to know us better. I'm looking for a few good tuts to join me in this feat from 6pm to 7:30 pm. We'll give out popcorn until we run out and just chat with anyone wants to know more about us. It's a great opportunity for us to show off our many awesome workshops and rad tutors. Would you join me?

After football, I know that Alexis mentioned playing scrabble at Juniors. I personally have had a blast playing with Alexis in the past and plan on joining her. Please email me if you can come to the game! AND COME TO JUNIORS! I would really appreciate it!

-Katie

Running sucks...kind of.

"Really?!?! Really?!?!”

This is the reaction I get when I tell anybody who knew me before a month ago that I’m running. (If you can’t pull up the visual of shock in your head, ask Billy to reenact it for you.)

I grew up with 5 brothers and ZERO sisters. Therefore, things such as slimy animals, farts, dirt, sweat, and sports grossed me out. I was primarily a pink-on-pink kind of girl and had decided that any female shouldn’t want to be anything other than a ballerina.

In middle school, I dreaded going to P.E. I couldn’t understand why any girls would be excited to kick a ball around in 90% humidity under a bright, bright sun. I couldn't understand why girls CHOSE to play softball, basketball, soccer, etc. These girls scared me to death and to me, they were the same as my sweaty, smelly brothers. I would always scoff at the female college athletes and thought that they were sadly wasting their time on silly pursuits.

The truth is, I’ve realized, that I would make fun of these women because they could do what I couldn’t: they could run. In my entire life, I think I’ve run a total of 4 laps around the track with my college roommate, who herself was a track and field athlete. I envied that she could keep running and running and not exhibit the exhaustion that I exhibited 2 minutes into my run. I never gave running a chance and the fact that I would stop the minute my breathing became even the slightest bit laborious was not conducive to me ever running. Again.

So, fast forward 10 years and here I am, just finishing my fastest mile ever: 7:51.

What made me decide to go running? Well, a few things: Billy has run in 6 marathons and NEVER talks about it (if I had done the same, I would wear every medal with every outfit every single day) and I would like to be able, one day, to beat him in a footrace. His mother, an avid runner who has run in lots and lots and lots of marathons, kept asking me when I would run a marathon with her. I would smile and roll my eyes thinking, yeah riiiiight, but the seed was planted. I WANTED to prove to myself that I could run. I wanted to get to the point where I could run and run and run and not feel the terrible burning pain in my lungs, legs, sides, shoulders, etc and finally feel that “high” that everyone talks about.

And I’m hooked. I’m running a decent amount now and am feeling better than ever, although I still haven't felt that elusive high. I did, however, run in my first 5K a week ago and, although the hills KILLED me, I did pretty well. So, what’s the moral to this longwinded story? Being a ballerina doesn’t pay the bills; running doesn’t either, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper to do…

To Blog or Not to Blog....

To Not To Blog is evidently, not really an option- unless I committed suicide I guess. Morbid! Anyway, Greg, Okay, I'm blogging buddy!

Look forward to my upcoming "HGL Emeritus" column that will chronicle the "what are they doing now?" of past Higher Ground 'alumni' as we like to call them- students and teachers alike. But for now, I am going to post something a little about me. I am writing this piece for a Canadian anthology, should they include me, about being adopted. Matt Webster, I am thinking of you as I write this: I began writing this story this morning and stopped when the coffee got cold, so here Part I of Draft 1:

1969

The year 1969 has some impact. Walking my 75-pound Newfoundland dog, I have plenty of time to think – he is fourteen now, a little grumpy, stoic and off-leash as pulling him by the neck, even gently, would be an insult to his seniority. He has arthritis along his spine and a bad right hip, and he coughs as he walks, like he is choking on a fur ball. Needless to say he dictates the pace. So we walk, very, very slowly, through the long and wide blocks of Salt Lake City, leaving me with plenty of time to think. I think a lot about the future: how could I do this; how could I do that? And sometimes my ideas trail to things in the category banal: I dwell on ideas of consumerism and postulate my own trendy, kitschy twist that would assail my fellow ladies and cajole them into purchasing my, well my idea. For instance, for awhile I was bent over for months soldering tiny silver balls to tiny silver loops- a manifestation of an earring idea that I wanted to pilot…. and then on to making a line of poodle skirts, as my boyfriend likes to call them: I truly believe you could take any skirt and attach a small decal of a cute pink poodle to it and people will fall all over it in bliss. And, for that matter, just screen-print 1969, strategically, on anything, and BAM! You have yourself a ringer.

According to this faded green rectangular piece of weathered paper I am holding, I was born at the Osteopathic General Hospital in Cranston, state of Rhode Island, in 1969. This document is officially sealed by the State Office in Providence and contains a 10-digit state file number that perhaps one day will serve to unlock the gate to my heritage. I think this is the first time I have even taken a serious look at this document. My mother, Norma Jean Sturm, passed me this envelope a few years ago in one of those archetypal moments when a mother sheds her responsibilities as vigilante, so to speak, and you find yourself tucking away a handful of documents and heirlooms that come with this implicit message that your history now belongs to you. My proof-of-adoption papers now sit in my cedar box along with other proofs and tellings of my life: my Canadian citizenship papers, my dual(ing) passports, old recipes for wine-making from my late father, proof of paying off my U of A student loans over 15 years ago should ‘they’ ever come back one day and ask me for ‘that’ money, and multifarious ID’s that chronicle my aging process and provide me with tangible metaphor for where I have been all these years. I am no pack-rat, ask my mother who says I throw out everything, but to these I hold on rather tightly-this scant recollection of me and of my famous disappearing act……

to be continued

Open House Featured Artist: Alexis Martinez

Artist: Alexis Martinez
This piece will be on display 11/20/09

Here is a little bit about HGL's own Alexis Martinez, one of our featured artists during the HGL Open House/Art Show (November 20th from 6-9pm at the new 380 West Pierpont Ave. location.)

"Hey! My name is Alexis Martinez. I'm originally from Texas, but moved to Salt Lake City after 6th grade. I am a senior at Judge Memorial Catholic High and will graduate in May 2010. I'm currently applying for the United States Military Academy and the Naval Academy. I am also pursuing an ROTC scholarship. I aim to become a pilot or bio mechanical engineer, and I am contemplating Pre-Medicine.

I am an avid soccer player, snowboarder, skateboarder, and runner. I love to read, write, and listen to music.

Art has always been a part of my life, I started with Japanese cartoons in my preteens. As I started Art classes at Judge, Mr. Bettin incorporated realistic art and design in place of Cartoons. I still do both as a hobby.

Higher Ground Learning has been an AMAZZZING experience for me. I love the environment and the staff. Not only have I improved my grades at school, I created friends. :)"

Come support this artist, student, and friend.

Homeless Ground Learning?

As the parking guy next door pushed this junk in front of HGL he spoke to himself out loud, "Now its your problem."

Thank you parking guy!

-HGL

Parking

Study Skills - "Where we're going, we don't need roads."

Take a look back in time.

This is what your Study Skills instructors looked like before Higher Ground Learning.



Billy Thomas



Suzi Montgomery




Greg Covello

After all these years we are still bringing you style and class....You are welcome!

Dave Doman - Friend and Local Artist

This is my friend Dave Doman. Not only is he one of my closest friends, he is also the Celtek designer and a well-known Salt Lake City artist. Dave suffered a severe head injury while skateboarding in San Clemente, California on August 21st. Dave was rushed to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, where he currently just opened his eyes after being in a medically-induced coma. Things are looking positive, but its going to be a long road to recovery. Below is a link where you can purchase a print or a shirt of Dave's artwork. It's one of his personal favorites. All of the proceeds go to Dave and his recovery. If you can't buy anything, send some good vibes towards my friend.





Dollars For Doman Link - Click Here



Thanks,

Greg

Where were you?

You had a season pass at Lagoon.

HGL was busy with a ton of Summer Workshops:

Urban Art - A taste of Hip Hop Culture & Graffiti. You may have seen us at the Utah Arts Festival.
Fashion Design School - Students were using their individual flavors and passions to create clothes and accessories that expressed their creative ideas. These designers were also at Arts Fest.
Pop Goes the Paint Brush - Students worked with renowned pop artist Jann Haworth to create their own collection of fine art pieces.
Real Life Math and Science - Applying math and science to understand the world around us.
Study and Test-Taking Skills - (btw, way cooler than it sounds) This class addressed all learning styles with a highly innovative curriculum that gave students the skills to personalize their academic experiences.



Arts Fest



Graffiti Cube



HGL Fashionistas

More photos to come...

Dunkin' Donuts has never insulted me.

Coffee drinkers beware.

This morning I visited a coffee shop/bakery directly south of HGL, adjoined to Tony Caputo's Market & Deli at 314 W 300 S, and rhymes with "Barlucci's". I arrived at "Barlucci's" (wink) around 10:30am for an iced coffee. The girl who served me fooled me into thinking she was nice and was able to hold some small enjoyable conversation. As a customer I was polite, personable, and left a tip after I was served. I said "thank you" and proceeded to the small station where I could prepare my coffee with just enough cream and sugar to make it bearable to drink, as I stirred the ingredients into my coffee, one "Barlucci's" girl says to the other, "remember when we worked at Whole Foods and a billion hot guys would come it all at once?" and the other "Barlucci's" girl says, "Yeah, a ton of hot guys." That's when the first "Barlucci's girl says "No good looking guys ever come in here, Ever." I was four feet away from this conversation. If I had tipped cash I would have reached into that poor excuse for a tip jar and grabbed my money back. I don't consider my self a stunner or a hunk but C'MON! Really!?

Viva Higher Ground Learning

Greg

We are HGL and we blog too.

Thanks for checking out the new Higher Ground Learning blog. We will be updating our blog constantly with pictures, videos, ideas, and anything else we think is cool about what we do (if you don't know what that is, check out our description on the right hand side of your screen, or click on our link that will take you to our homepage).

We would love it if you spread the word... Visit HGL Here!

Thanks,

Greg