The Time for Holiday Traditions Doesn't End until Jan. 25

The Student Life section of Utah State Today highlights work written by the talented student journalists at Utah State University. Each week, the editor selects a story that has been published in The Utah Statesman or the Hard News Café, or both, for inclusion in Utah State Today.

By Ben Hansen, special contributor, The Hard News Café, Jan. 9, 2009

 

Families all have their holiday traditions. People from different cultures all celebrate certain holidays for different reasons.

 

Let's start with Thanksgiving. For some, it is going to grandma's house. Others have a quiet evening alone with the family. If you live in the USA, it would be un-American to not include the Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game in your holiday plans. The Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving Day every year for the last 30 years, and, as usual, the Cowboys put on a holiday spectacular that will be talked about following many a turkey-induced nap or belch of indulgent dinner satisfaction. There was no way that I was going to miss a game with this much excitement, so I made the trip down.

 

2008 is the last year before Texas Stadium is to be demolished by wrecking balls in an orgy of destruction that would be any 6-year-old boy's dream job. Because of this, the game carried a special feeling with it, and with that feeling, an expectation that the Cowboys would be feasting on Seahawk for Thanksgiving Dinner. The Seattle Seahawks came to play in Dallas as 11.5 point underdogs for the game (for those of you not familiar with Las Vegas betting lines, this is a way that a gambler would tell you that your odds of getting a dog to successfully mate with a yak are slightly better.) The gamblers were right,­ the Cowboys kicked the Seahawks so hard that fish came back up out of their waterfowl stomachs.

 

Enter the Christmas season. Something was wrong. The slow economy does serious damage to the fun of people-watching during Christmas shopping. After Black Friday, there just isn't as much excitement in seeing your coworkers click to buy on the internet, or going to Wal-Mart and watching in disbelief as an elderly man slowly hobbles his way over to the display full of in-stock Nintendo Wiis, and no one shoves him out of the way, clubs him, or even hints at a rude comment as he grabs one of many available. Although it was more towards the "Peace on Earth" theme, I honestly didn't know how to handle the Christmas shopping season without the chaos. It was if a piece of me was missing ­ that same piece of me that would love to run around the mall in a Hot Dog on a Stick uniform spraying silly string and whipping cream at complete strangers on Black Friday just to add to the excitement.

 

For me, though, the holidays are just beginning. I feel for all of you that call it done and over after Christmas, or after New Years. You probably don't know what you're missing ­ so allow me to fill you in. You need to come to Sundance. It doesn't matter if you are a student, a professor, a movie-lover, or soon-to-be-president Obama reading this — you need to come to Sundance.

 

Sundance is the one time during the year where you can live the dream with those living the dream. People from all over the globe migrate to Park City for ten glorious days of opportunities to embrace their love of film and great music together. It doesn't matter where you are from, how old you are, or what genres you are in to — if you come to have fun, you are guaranteed to have a good time. With more than a hundred movies, and many times more than that in parties, plus concerts, celebrity watching (for The Pulse kind of fans), and all that Park City regularly offers during ski season, this is the place to be. To make your extended holiday as magical as mine, here are some ideas for those coming to the festival:

 

1. Make sure you have tickets to some shows before you get here. You can stand in a waitlist line and have a good chance at getting in, but with all that is happening at the same time, do you really want to kill what free time you have between shows?

 

2. Pick some shows based on actors, and pick some based on plots. Not all of the shows you see are going to knock your socks off, but sitting next to Richard Gere, Kevin Bacon, or Jimmy Page at a screening just might enhance that experience for you. Remember, most opening screenings are attended by at least some of the actors and directors, so if you are dying to get to see a particular actor or actress, see the first showing of their movie. It could possibly get you a cordial hello or autograph, and likely has far fewer legal repercussions than trying to find the actor's hotel room, public marriage proposals, or just getting into their vehicle with them. TIP:­ Smaller venues can be the best premieres.

 

3. Pick a top notch event or party to go to. Most private parties are hard to get into, and require sponsorships, memberships, or invites. One party that is definitely on the list of can't miss events this year (especially if you are an art aficionado or an aspiring art student) will be the Kenneth Cole Black party. This party will have more than a slew of "A-List" celebrities, including Kevin Bacon, Nick Cannon, Anne Heche, Kevin Sorbo, and many more. And unlike some of the other events that require a ridiculously pricey VIP fee just to get in, you can get into this one with a guest simply by becoming a Gen Art member and supporting a great organization focused on showcasing emerging talent ­ plus you get membership benefits from them year round. Check out all of the information, along with benefits on their Web site.

 

4. Have fun, but follow the rules. If you are under 21, don't try to get into clubs. You will want to start building your Sundance holiday traditions the right way ­ remember, this event is every year, and you won't want to get blacklisted from a venue that could be your future coup de grâce.

 

5. ALWAYS be open-minded! Some of the fun of the festival is spontaneity. Be friendly to everyone (remember, anyone can be a VIP if they are with the right crowd), and willing to check out any venue ­ you never know when you'll just walk into a big event by chance. Spend some time up here, don't rush things, and just enjoy yourself.