Murray City Journal | July 2020 by The City Journals

July 2020 | Vol. 20 Iss. 07

FREE LOCAL STUDENT-ARTISTS HONORED AS STATE REFLECTION WINNERS —VIRTUALLY By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

junior high boy is smitten by a girl and is desperately trying to impress her. Instead, on more than one occasion, he trips and even loses all his notes before an entire class. “The Crush,” which ends with the girl falling for the boy when he is taking care of his baby sister, is the film that captured the state PTA Reflections title by Hillcrest Jr. High filmmaker and student Leif Larson. Leif was to be one of several area students to be honored at the state Reflections awards night, but instead, he watched from afar as the ceremony was aired virtually in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme for entries was “Look Within.” “I was still surprised I won,” Leif said about the Award of Excellence in film. “I got the idea after we were throwing around ideas at dinner. I thought sure, I’d try to do a rom com (romantic comedy) and got some friends to help.” The Murray teen estimates that he spent 25 hours on the project, beginning last September. He created sketches and a storyboard, learned how to edit from his older brother, and found music, as the entire story was delivered without dialogue—until the parting shot after the credits rolled—when the boy and girl learned they were second cousins. “I had done Reflections when I was younger and won at region, but this is the first time I had won at state,” the eighth-grader said. “I had a lot of fun doing it and I learned new things while doing it. It’s a way we can express ourselves and still have fun.” In fact, Leif was a double award-winner as his photo of the night sky at Capitol Reef National Park took the state’s

Hillcrest Junior High eighth-grader Leif Larson shows his top awards from the virtual state PTA Reflections award ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Cheree Larson)

Award of Merit. Now with summer ahead of him, he already is brainstorming ideas to the theme, “I Matter” for this upcoming year. “I want to win nationals someday. I think if I put enough work into it, I can do it,” he said. Leif isn’t the only student set on working on Reflections

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