After spending a week studying State Legislatures in Salt Lake City, UT, we discovered some suprising reasons this Russian delegation loved the time they spent in the state.

1. Volunteerism – This is a striking facet of American life that is very unique to this country.  But Utah does it exceptionally well. Near the end of their week-long stay in Utah on the Open World Program, the delegates spent most of a day at the Humanitarian Center and Welfare Square of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where they saw myriads of volunteers working to provide goods and services to people in need at home and abroad.  They saw volunteers assembling hygiene kits for shipment to earthquake-stricken Haiti, tying quilts for the homeless, teaching classes and providing employment assistance for those seeking new jobs, canning food for distribution to the poor, and shelving those food products so the needy could shop.  Volunteers came in all shapes and sizes, but many were senior citizens.  Delegates loved interacting with them whenever possible and totally fell in love with Grandma Walker whose dedication to service was truly admirable.  And as an added bonus – she gave hugs at the drop of a hat!

2. Accessible Government Officials – Since the delegation was in Utah to learn more about the workings of state legislatures in the US, and to share their own government experience, they spent most of their time meeting with government officials.  They were amazed at the great accessibility of government officials.  While observing debate on the floors of both the House and the Senate, the delegates were impressed at the number of children present.  Schools brought whole classes to witness the proceedings.  Even more impressive was a particular school class that had been instrumental in writing a bill that was actually passed while the delegates were there!

3. Strong Economy – In meeting after meeting, as well as through daily observation, delegates were interested to learn that, although Utah has certainly felt the effects of the global recession, in general, the state is doing well and people are thriving and flourishing.  At a Business and U luncheon sponsored in part by the Salt Lake Chamber and the University of Utah, delegates listened to Robert McDonald, President and CEO of Proctor & Gamble, who noted that Utah is the only state in the US where a Proctor & Gamble plant is scheduled to open soon – a strong indication of how appealing it is to do business in Utah.  And how well the government and business associations are doing at attracting new business opportunities.  The delegates pointed to this type of success as one explanation of how Utah appears to be so prosperous, even in these challenging economic times.

4. Friendly People – Our Open World delegation of 5 government officials from Russia really benefited from the hospitality of the people of Utah.  The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce hosted the group and really made the participants feel loved and at home.  But one of the greatest benefits of the Open World program is the opportunity for participants to get to know their American counterparts – on both a personal and a professional level.  And this group took full advantage of the opportunity!  By the end of the program, they couldn’t help but smile.  When complimented on their great sense of humor and their amazing smiles, they replied – with a grin – that they “learned to laugh and smile from the people in Utah.”  Of course, in actuality, they brought their smiles and chuckles along with them – they just had more occasion to use them than they anticipated.

5. Olympic Venue – On their last day in Utah, the delegates had the chance to visit many of the venues of the 2002 Winter Olympics, in Park City, Utah.  This was one of the highlights for the group – and not just because there was great shopping nearby!  For one delegate, in particular, who represented the region in Russia that will host the 2014 Winter Olympics, this was particularly interesting.  He plans to keep in touch with the contacts he made here as his own region prepares for the Olympic event!

6. Church and State Coexist Peacefully – Coming from a country where church and state have traditionally had such a complicated, and often adversarial, relationship, delegates were quite pleased to see that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, and the government, are separate.  They were surprised to learn that Mayor Ralph Becker, Mayor of Salt Lake City, is not Mormon and that less than 50% of the population of Salt Lake City adheres to the Mormon faith.  At the same time, they noted the strong Mormon influence in the state overall, as many government officials and residents are members.  Delving deeper into this issue, delegates asked city council members how they deal with city council issues when they involve the Mormon church or issues that the Mormon church has taken a strong stand on.  They were interested to hear that city council members actually do set their personal beliefs aside and look at the issues from a legal/government perspective.  

7. Strong Emphasis on Family – The delegates immediately recognized that Utah is a pretty kid-friendly state and many residents place a lot of importance on building strong families.  Coming from a country where the population is declining, delegates were interested in learning what prompts many in Utah to have 4 or more children.  With so many little ones to care for, how do parents balance work and life, provide for their children, supervise their education, and stay sane?  When they learned that Mayor Melissa K. Johnson, Mayor of West Jordan, has FIVE kids, the discussion took an entirely different turn as they asked how she balances her work responsibilities with her family responsibilities and how her desires for her children influence her policy decisions.  Interestingly enough, Mayor Johnson was off to a City Council meeting where education was scheduled to be a very controversial issue. 

8. No Traffic – One thing that shocked the Russian delegates was the absolute absence of traffic.  Even during “rush hour,” the roads were clear and peaceful.  And when it snowed, well, business continued as usual!  A huge departure from the remaining mayhem from the recent storms in Washington, DC that the group encountered during their 1.5 days in the nation’s capital.  One delegate called it heaven!  And I had to agree!

9. Surprisingly large number of Russian-speakers – Delegates were excited to stay with host families in Utah and were surprised at the number of them that either spoke Russian or had some other ties to Russia.  But even during the professional meetings, the delegates were met with Russian greetings and were introduced to staff members who had spent significant time in Russia.  It was always pleasant to take a break from the interpretation and communicate directly.

10. Beautiful Landscape – There’s nothing that quite compares with the beauty of the Rockies and our Russian visitors fell in love with them too.  Nearly every time the group left the Utah State Capitol Building and looked out over the Salt Lake valley, cameras magically appeared in the delegates’ hands and no photo op against the backdrop of the mountains went unfulfilled.

- Jenny