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Man who asked “are you an ikon user” to alleged trespassers required to write an essay on “the use of deadly force in utah” as part of plea deal..
The Brighton man who threatened a skier and a snowboarder with his Winchester rifle after they crossed his driveway last winter wouldn’t say he brandished his weapon. He now admits, however, that he “exhibited” the gun.
Keith Stebbings, 67, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony assault for his interactions with the skier and snowboarder on separate incidents near his home in the Town of Brighton on Feb. 24. The felony charge will be dismissed, however, if Stebbings abides by all the terms of his probation. A second charge of threatening, a Class B misdemeanor, was dismissed with prejudice.
As part of his plea, which he entered into the 3rd District Court on June 25, Stebbings was put on probation for 36 months. The court also demanded he surrender his .30-30 Winchester rifle, take a gun safety course and write an essay on “The use of deadly force in Utah.”
Stebbings did not return calls seeking comment for this report.
“I do appreciate the term ‘exhibited’ in the [Utah Criminal Code]. It is far clearer to me than brandished,” Stebbings wrote in his essay, which was obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune. “I was unaware at the time of the incident that exhibiting an unloaded gun on my personal property was unlawful when encountering an individual trespassing.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Old Prospect Road, where a man threatened a snowboarder with a shotgun for allegedly entering his property near Brighton Ski Resort, on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024.
On the day in question, snowboarder Loren Richardson, 41, was following a plowed path he said he believed would lead him from the backcountry near Brighton Resort to his vacation rental in town. When he banked around a cluster of trees, however, Richardson came face to face with Stebbings and the barrel of his rifle. Stebbings then began cursing at Richardson and shoving him.
“What are you, an Ikon user ?” Stebbings said, referring to the multi-resort ski pass often blamed for overcrowding at resorts. “I don’t give a [expletive]. This is private property.”
“Do it again and there will be holes in you.”
A GoPro camera attached to Richardson’s helmet recorded the entire interaction. It went viral when he posted it to his Instagram account and has received 106,000 plays.
Stebbings was dressed in a red checkered flannel shirt, black beanie and flowing gray pants. A red camping chair was set out in the path behind him. He continued to curse at Richardson after the snowboarder stopped, unbuckled from his snowboard and walked quickly down Old Prospect Avenue toward Big Cottonwood Canyon Road.
(Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune)
“My stomach was in my throat,” Richardson told The Tribune in February. “I was just like: ‘Be apologetic.’ I don’t know. ‘Why is he going to shoot me? Why is this happening?’”
When he reached the junction of the two roads, Richardson met two skiers, one of whom said he also had been threatened by Stebbings. That skier, a Salt Lake City man who has asked not to be named, told the police Stebbings hit his hip with the butt of the rifle . He was returning to his car after taking a backcountry ski clinic near Guardsman Pass. Richardson came from the opposite direction via an egress into United States Forest Service property from Brighton Resort. Both said they did not see any “No Trespassing” or private property signs before Stebbings assaulted them.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by LRF (@loren_richardson_films)
The skier’s father reported the encounter to the Unified Police Department that afternoon. Richardson filed his report two days later. When officers visited Stebbings house, he initially told them he didn’t know anything about the run-ins, according to a police report. Once informed he was caught on video, Stebbings told officers he and his neighbors had become frustrated with skiers and snowboarders trespassing over their property.
Stebbings’ essay on “the use of deadly force in Utah” consists of five paragraphs and an excerpt of Title 76 of the Utah Criminal Code, which defines “threatening with or using a dangerous weapon in a fight or quarrel.” He dedicated one of those paragraphs to telling the court that some of his neighbors “have banded together, partly on my behalf, to approach Brighton Ski Resort to inquire whether the Resort would be willing to develop a plan and install appropriate diversion mechanisms to alleviate the trespasser problem.”
Stebbings by The Salt Lake Tribune on Scribd
Stebbings formerly worked as a ski instructor for Brighton.
Brighton spokesperson Jared Winkler said the resort gave Stebbings fencing to cordon off his property immediately after learning of the encounters. He added that the resort is always open to listening to the community but he was unaware of anyone raising concerns about trespassers in the months since the encounters.
Previously, Winkler stated that Brighton is required by law to allow egress to adjacent USFS property and that it isn’t responsible for skiers and snowboarders once they leave the resort.
In his essay, Stebbings wrote that “following the incident, my behavior changed.” He said he now calls UPD to request more patrols on days he expects to see an influx of skiers and snowboarders crossing his property. He records video footage of alleged trespassers and gives them “a non-threatening warning that they are on private property.” And, he said, before the rifle was confiscated he no longer brought it outside.
UPD confiscated the Winchester rifle on July 7 and will hold it until Dec. 25, 2025, so long as Stebbings abides by his parole. He has been ordered to enroll in a gun safety course this fall and he cannot leave the state for more than 45 days at a time.
Though his probation is set for 36 months, Stebbings can wrap up his punishment by Christmas Day 2025 if he shows 100% compliance and receives a recommendation from the probation agency.
Editor’s note • This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.
2-year-old child dead after being found in canal near elementary school in logan, gordon monson: byu football celebrates a game it had half a mind to win, voices: the sage grouse is running out of time. we can’t afford more rounds of ineffectual planning., after injuries and a benching nearly derailed him, weber state’s taron johnson has become indispensable in buffalo, featured local savings.
What’s a good gmat writing score does the essay matter.
How much does your GMAT writing score really matter? Business schools only release GMAT score data for their students’ Total scores, so it can be difficult to find information about what constitutes a “good” or “bad” GMAT writing score and how important your GMAT analytical writing score really is.
Luckily, we’ve done the research and figured out the answers for you. In this post, we’ll tell you what business schools have to say about the Analytical Writing Assessment, how they weigh it against other parts of your GMAT score and your overall application, and how your score stacks up against other test-taker worldwide. Finally, we’ll help you figure out what a good GMAT analytical writing score is for you .
The Analytical Writing section is graded on a scale of 0-6 in half-point increments . According to the GMAC AWA score guide, 6 is considered “outstanding,” 5 is “strong,” 4 is “adequate,” 3 is “limited,” 2 is “seriously flawed,” and a 1 is considered “fundamentally deficient.” Like the Integrated Reasoning score, the GMAT writing score does not factor into your Total GMAT score , which is why it’s generally considered to be less important.
Your AWA essay is graded once by a human and once by a sophisticated computer grading program called E-Rater . If the two scores are identical or differ by one point, they are averaged to obtain the final score for that essay. If the scores differ by more than one point, an expert human reader will step in and determine the final score.
Graders are trained to consider the following when assigning a score:
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Along with your scaled score, you will also be given a percentile ranking , which corresponds to the percentage of test-takers whom you scored higher than. For example, if you scored in the 80th percentile on the AWA section, this means you did better on that section than 80% of people who took the exam. This percentile is based on the last three years of GMAT scores, so if you took the test in 2014, your 80th percentile score would encompass all GMAT-takers from 2012 through 2014.
Thus, while scaled scores are static, percentiles can (and do) change over time. Percentiles help contextualize your scores by comparing them with those of other applicants, and they are assessed by business schools along with the scaled score to see how you measure up.
Most test-takers score highly on the Analytical Writing Assessment: almost half of all test takers score a 5 or higher. The average GMAT Analytical Writing score is a 4.37.
Below are the current percentile rankings for GMAT Analytical Writing scores.
Remember, there’s no score on any section of the GMAT—even an 800 Total score—that is guaranteed to get you into your top choice business school. Plus, your AWA score is certainly the least influential score one way or the other. Business schools definitely care far more about your Total score, and it’s likely that they care more about your IR score as well. While no part of the GMAT should be neglected , the AWA is the bottom of the GMAT totem pole in terms of your MBA application.
The ultimate takeaway is that a good GMAT writing score is is the one that doesn’t hinder your acceptance into the MBA program of your choice . We say “doesn’t hinder” rather than “gets you into” because the majority of test-takers do very well on the AWA, which makes it hard to get a score that truly stands out. Even if you score a perfect 6, that’s unlikely to be impressive enough to boost an otherwise so-so Total score , or a poor GPA , etc. In fact, the difference between a 5 and a 6 isn’t going to affect your application much, if at all.
Statements from the GMAC itself confirm this: they explicitly advise business schools to “not make distinctions among applicants on the basis of a small scoring distinction—one point or less apart.”
So while it’s hard to stand out, on the other hand, the fact that almost half of test-takers score a 5 or above is an encouraging sign: with just a little bit of prep , you can easily achieve a GMAT analytical writing score of 5 or higher.
One thing to note is that even though the AWA isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things, scoring below a 4 could raise a red flag . Business schools say very little about how they weigh the AWA, but a low score like a 3.5 might signal to them that your writing skills aren’t developed enough to handle the rigorous coursework of an MBA program. More importantly, a huge gap between the writing level reflected in your AWA and the writing level reflected in your application essay is disconcerting in that it calls into question your authorship of the latter.
The GMAC itself advises business schools to “consider that the scores are based on 30-minute, first-draft writing samples” and cautions that these essays “are not comparable to prepared essays that may be submitted with a school application.” The GMAC rather recommends that business schools use the AWA as a “diagnostic tool in recommending or requiring additional instruction in writing,” though it’s unclear how much universities actually carry this out.
As a baseline, a 5 is considered a strong GMAT essay score. At a 5 or above, you’ll essentially be fine in that your GMAT essay score won’t hinder your application. For the vast majority of schools, a 5 is a good score.
However, if you’re applying to some top 10 business schools , you might want to push yourself further. To be safe, you should aim to score a perfect 6, or at least a 5.5. A 5.5 or above puts you in the top 20%, which is a safe area to be in for the AWA for an elite MBA program.
A 4.5 is generally an “okay” score. A 4 or below puts you under the average, which could hurt you if you’re an international applicant or if your application essay is far better. If you’re scoring 4.5s or below on practice tests, this signals that you could use a little extra AWA prep before taking the GMAT for keeps.
Looking to raise your GMAT essay score? Creating an AWA template is an excellent method.
Also, be sure to read through our essential AWA tips and guide to approaching every kind of GMAT essay prompt .
Happy studying!
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Jess Hendel is a Brooklyn-based academic advisor, test prep tutor, and content writer for PrepScholar. A graduate of Amherst College, she has several years of experience writing content and designing curricula for the top e-learning organizations. She is passionate about leveraging new media and technology to help students around the world achieve their potential. View all posts by Jess Hendel
COMMENTS
How a GMAT Essay Template Helps. While a GMAT writing template can't really help with grammar, it can address all of the other considerations by providing a detailed blueprint for your essay. An effective GMAT essay template will include the following features: The structure of your essay, paragraph by paragraph
The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment requires you to write an essay, using a basic word processor, that critiques a provided argument. It is the first section of the GMAT and is to be completed in 30 minutes. The AWA is scored by two readers in half-intervals on a scale of 0-6.
A GMAT analytical writing sample essay, whether well done or flawed in itself, can help you polish your own GMAT writing and bring your essays to the next level. The important part of reviewing example GMAT essays is in analyzing them (and expert analysis is even more helpful, particularly at the beginning). ...
The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) provides clear instructions on how you should plan and write your essay. Kaplan students learn these instructions long before Test Day and do not waste precious testing time reading them while the clock ticks. Kaplan GMAT students learn the Kaplan Method for AWA and the Kaplan template for structuring the essay into paragraphs.
Another one of the important GMAT writing tips is to take the time to set up your essay in a clear way. You don't need to write the most interesting or lengthy essay in the world to score well on the AWA section, but you do need to give your essay an easy-to-follow structure. Usually, that consists of an introduction, three to four well ...
GMAT Write; AWA template by Chineseburned from gmatclub; Step 2 - Practice! Practice! Practice! the AWA questions. Here is a list of practice questions for you. GMAT Write - An AWA practice tool by GMAC. GMAT Write is a writing tool provided by GMAC. It gives you access to 2 unique essay prompts and a chance to write 4 essays.
Introduction to the GMAT AWA Task. The Analytical Writing section on the GMAT (often referred to simply as the AWA) is possibly the one with most diametric opinions. Some people actually look forward to the opportunity to break out of the multiple-choice format and to present their thoughts on paper, while others are terrified by the prospect.
Also called the GMAT Essay, the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) overall is a single task, which is to evaluate an argument. You will have a total of 30 minutes to consider the argument, write your essay, and finally proofread your essay. It can either be the first or final sections in your variable exam order; that is, you can either begin ...
Always propose a controlled study. GMAT Essay Tips #2: Timing: Use all 30 minutes. Consider the following breakdown: 5 minutes: Read the passage and note logical flaws. Doing so follows virtually the same approach as a critical reasoning question in the verbal section. The only difference is, on the AWA, you create the "answer choices.".
620. The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section of the GMAT is one that many students find the most intimidating. The fact that it asks candidates to write a free-form essay - in contrast to the multiple-choice natures of the Quant and Verbal sections - can seem overwhelming, particularly to the many non-native-speaking candidates of the GMAT.
The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) is a 30-minute section of the in-person GMAT that consists of one essay task, an "analysis of an argument.". Depending on what section order you choose for your exam, you'll complete the AWA section either first or last when you sit for your GMAT. If you choose the default section order, the AWA ...
The GMAT has one 30-minute essay: the Analysis of an Argument prompt. It has a pretty basic formula, and yes, we're going to walk you right through it. ... Sure, you could write an entire 5-paragraph essay outlining G.I. Joe in one paragraph, Toy Story in another, and a third, similar example in the next one to all support the false ...
The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) provides clear instructions on how to plan and write your essay. Students must learn these instructions long before Test Day and do not waste precious testing time reading them while the clock ticks. Given below are the tips for writing a great GMAT AWA: 1. Confine to Objectivity in Analytical Writing.
GMAT AWA . The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment tests your ability to critically analyse an argument. Once you have critiqued the argument, you need to articulate your analysis in the form of a coherent, logically sound essay in standard written English. ... GMAT Essay Template: A Sample Template . Most AWA essays that are scored between 5 to ...
The essay portion of the GMAT, or the Analytical Writing Assessment, is unlike most of the essays you've written for college. You're given a single, one-paragraph prompt containing some kind of argument, and rather than picking a side and building your own case, you have to critique how that argument is made.. Luckily, we've done the hard work of analyzing GMAT essay questions for you.
2. On the AWA, you need to be a lawyer, that is, you need to find faults with the given argument. You do not need to be a journalist, that is, you do not need to write about all possible perspectives of an issue. Also remember, that this is an analysis, not an opinion piece. Do not bring YOUR perspective and your opinions into the essay.
The conclusion also seems to weaken the essay by admitting the argument conveys "a valid point." This concession, without being more specific, weakens the overall thesis. The takeaway: length, specificity, and strength of argument will take this "4" to a "6." More AWA Resources: GMAT Essay Writing Guide
GMAT Essay practice question 1. "During a recent trial period in which government inspections at selected meat-processing plants were more frequent, the number of bacteria in samples of processed chicken decreased by 50 percent on average from the previous year's level.
Here are some expert tips to help you achieve a high-scoring performance on the GMAT essay. 1. Understand the prompt and task. The first step to writing a successful GMAT essay is to understand the prompt and the task. Take the time to read the prompt carefully and make sure you understand what is being asked of you.
Sample high-scoring essay. The financial planning office of Fern Valley University suggests that a fundraising campaign be initiated in order to increase the range of subjects taught at the university and to expand library facilities. The goal is mainly to halt the declining number of students and admissions by addressing these two issues.
The essay portion of the GMAT, known as the Analytical Writing Assessment, probably doesn't resemble the kinds of essays that you've written for college. Luckily, the essay task itself and the prompts that you'll encounter for it are fairly formulaic. This means that your approach to writing the essay can be boiled down into a template.
5. Final tips. During the tutorial type in a few sentences in the mock essay window to get used to the keyboard. Again during the tutorial, jot down on your notebook the basic structure of your essays or the opening sentences in case you get too nervous and forget them when the clock starts ticking.
The court also demanded he surrender his .30-30 Winchester rifle, take a gun safety course and write an essay on "The use of deadly force in Utah." Stebbings did not return calls seeking ...
At a 5 or above, you'll essentially be fine in that your GMAT essay score won't hinder your application. For the vast majority of schools, a 5 is a good score. However, if you're applying to some top 10 business schools, you might want to push yourself further. To be safe, you should aim to score a perfect 6, or at least a 5.5.