USU men's cross-country and track share a few of their athletes

USU men’s cross-country is training a few track runners hoping to lengthen their distance

By Weslie Hatch

Men’s cross-country has a few members on its team that are using the fall season to train for the track season in the spring.

In track, middle-distance running events are races longer than sprints ranging from the 800-meter to the 3000-meter.

A few of the athletes on the men’s track team also compete with the cross-country team in the fall to better prepare themselves for the track seasons.

“Being on the xc team has helped me prepare for the track season 100 percent,” said Brett McAdams, a senior distance runner. “It’s a nice aspect to be able to train while racing. It’s good because it’s giving me new and different ways to train as opposed to the way we train for track.”

McAdams said for him “it’s like putting money in a bank”. He said during the cross-country season he is able to get in a lot of mileage so when track comes he’ll be able to use those miles to his advantage. He said he wants to “put in as many miles now so come January I can withdraw those miles and not empty my bank.”

Just like McAdams, Justin Sheets, a sophomore distance runner, said being on the cross-country team helps keep the athletes in shape year round so they will already have a good base of mileage going into the track season.

Sheets competes in the 3000-meter steeplechase, the 5k and the 1500-meter events which are all middle-distance events. He said because he does participate in the longer events in track, training on the cross-country team in the fall helps give him the strength to continue through both seasons.

“I think most of the athletes work year round because of their dedication,” Sheets said.

As a middle-distance runner who usually competes in the 800-meter event, McAdams said this coming season in track he will be including the mile in his repertoire.

“It’s been a long season,” McAdams said. “I’m not really a cross-country runner, but I’ve been training hard and running my best. You just have to keep things in perspective and move forward. All of the athletes have been training hard and preparing for the next season."

Improved schedule for men's track and field

USU men’s track & field schedule has changed to create a better competition

By Weslie Hatch

USU's track & field head coach, Gregg Gensel, tweaked the spring schedule with hopes to make a better competition for the athletes.

Last year the track & field team only took the throwers and the distance runners to Irvine, Calif., for one of the team’s competitions in March.

According to Gensel, the reason he made the switch was because in the past if the sprinters and jumpers had gone they would have done two weekends of big competitions in a row. He said changing the schedule will help the team better prepare for future competitions where the whole team can attend.

The track & field team is in its winter indoor season, which started in Oct and will end in March, while preparing for the outdoor spring season that will run until June.

“We’re trying to make the competition more quality,” Gensel said.

Each season the team builds upon each cycle of practice to prepare for the next season. Gensel said a lot of what the coaches do prepares the each athlete for the meets.

“I think having the whole team go down to Irvine will be a great experience,” said Devin Wright, a junior thrower. “If the entire team is there cheering for each other it makes it that much easier for the competitor to reach their potential.”

Wright said track is interesting because it is both an individual and a team sport and its unique dynamic makes it enjoyable.

 “This is the first year I know of that the whole team will be going to the meet in UCLA,” Wright said. “Being able to face high-level competition at each meet will help us be prepared both mentally and physically to perform well at conference.”

Wright said he thinks going to meets like UCLA and Irvine and watching tough competition will motivate the athletes to work for better marks and times. He said the combination of seeing quality competition early on and being pushed to improve will only result in an overall stronger team performance come time for the conference.

USU men's tennis making significant lifestyle changes

USU men’s tennis has incorporated new lifestyle habits hoping for better performance results  

By Weslie Hatch

From the way it eats, to the way it sleeps, to the way it trains and competes, the USU men’s tennis team has decided to create a standard of excellence that goes far beyond the tennis court.

It began with Clancy Shields, the head coach, figuring out he needed to start practicing what he was preaching.

“I was telling the team to eat healthy, get enough sleep, be fully present in practices, etc.,” Shields said. “However, I was fat and out of shape.”

Shields said he was still eating like an athlete and “putting whatever junk I could get my hands on” into his body.

He said getting the team to change its everyday lifestyle was going to have to start with himself so he needed to actually live what he was preaching.

According to Shields the result of this was inconsistent energy levels, erratic mental clarity, and the inability to get on the court and practice with the team. He said he was not being the best coach he could be. 

“I want the team to live a lifestyle of being the best in everything it does,” Shields said.

He decided to start a weeklong juice cleanse. Shields said the team thought it was just a mental challenge Ben Mullis, the assistant coach, had put forth and he wouldn’t stick with it. But the athletes soon started asking questions.

After becoming educated about juicing, the team decided to add it into its training table and loved it. Coach Shields started seeing the benefits on the court as well as seeing them during training days. 

According to Shields there have been players who have been resistant to the new approach and others who have jumped on board “full steam ahead”.

“I like trying new things,” said Jaime Barajas, a sophomore on the team. “I felt like changing how we eat was going to be something different but I knew it was going to help us in the long run.”

According to Barajas, the team has been eating healthy for a little over one month. He said while traveling for fall tournaments no one ate bread and the team tries to only have one cheat meal a week.

“Before we started our juice cleanse, and decided to eat healthy, we took a body fat test,” said Barajas. “Personally I’ve noticed the benefits of changing my habits because after the first month we took another test and I lost body fat.”

Shields said because the team found success in making this small change, it soon started to think about other areas it could explore to get a competitive advantage. He said the athletes started challenging each other to focus on getting eight hours of sleep and to hold each other accountable.

“What started out as us demanding self improvements and being the best we can in everything we do, changed to demanding it out of each other,” said Shields.

Shields said the team ferociously competed against each other in practice to propel each other’s games and they have challenged each other to become a little bit better each day in all areas of their lives. 

“The team has to commit to this standard of excellence everyday,” said Shields. “At times the athletes may falter, but the great thing is they are not doing this alone and they have a caring team to help them through.”

USU men's golf is bringing back yoga

USU men’s golf is bringing back team yoga to improve their flexibility

By Weslie Hatch

USU men’s golf is bringing back team yoga after a few years break to keep its flexibility and improve overall performance.

“We had tried it years ago and we feel like we play our very best when we’re in our best shape,” Dean Johansen, the head coach, said. “We played really well in the fall and want that to continue so we thought we’d try bringing yoga back.”

Johansen said there are a few teammates who are older and have been doing the same things over and over so they’re excited to switch up the normal workout routine.

According to Johansen the team usually works out in the winter by doing core training to stay in shape. But he said while the team plays in the summer it lifts weights because the two compliment each other. Johansen said if the athletes were to lift weights in the off-season they would become less flexible.

“More important than anything, in golf, is flexibility,” Johansen said. “There are a few men on the team who are not flexible at all so this should really help them as well as the whole team.”

Johansen said Coach Skinner, the assistant coach, has connections to the Sports Academy. This made it easy for him to schedule yoga sessions there. The team plans to attend the sessions at 7:30 a.m. twice a week, starting in January.

“Most of our tournaments are 7:30 a.m. shotguns,” Johansen said. “This is another thing we battle because most of the athletes are in school from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. so we rarely do anything in the morning. The team usually performs better in the afternoon.”

Johansen thinks by going to yoga in the morning it will help the team perform better in its early morning tournaments as well as the afternoon.

“Flexibility really isn't my strength,” Tanner Jenson, a junior on the team, said. “It's something that I think if I work at, will help me quite a bit during competition.”

Jenson said before Tiger Woods there wasn't really any working out or fitness incorporated into golf. He said now almost all D1 schools have incorporated some sort of work out to keep up their stamina and strength.

Jenson thinks doing yoga will help bring the whole team together during the off-season.

“We already have a close group of guys on the team that hang out with each other a lot,” Jenson said. “But having more time together can create confidence between each one of us which will transfer to the course.”

USU men’s track & field looking to send multiple athletes to the Olympic trials this summer

USU men’s track & field looking to send multiple athletes to the Olympic Trials this summer

By Weslie Hatch

For some making it to the Olympics has always been a dream. For others, like a few of the male sprinters on the USU track team, that wasn’t always the case.

The USA Olympic Trials for track & field will take place this summer in Eugene, Ore., starting at the beginning of July.

“My main goal is to make it to the Trials this year,” Cole Lambourne, a senior sprinter, said. “I’ve always had the dream to go to the Trials and then the Olympics, but it became more realistic when I had a really good season last year and ended up competing in the World University Games in Korea last summer.”

Lambourne was named the America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week last June and earned Second-Team All-American Honors at the end of the season.

“Track isn’t one of those skill sports like basketball where you need to practice specific things over and over to get it right,” Lambourne said. “Something I do on my own, though, is extra weight training. Upper body work, core strengthening, just some really basic supplemental things.”

Lambourne said although the majority of the training is done as a team, he does a few things on his own while making sure he has his goals in mind.

“During the off-season it’s more of just building a lot of base fitness. Weight lifting 3 times a week, doing a lot of long runs (putting in mileage), less speed training,” Lambourne said. “I’m just getting fit and preparing my body for the long haul.”

In-season training is a bit different. He said since there is a lot more racing going on, training is a little less intense. During the season Lambourne has to work on speed more than strength and work on the technical things like block starts and race strategy.

Just like Lambourne, Nic Bowens, another senior sprinter, didn’t always have the Olympics in mind.

“I first realized this goal around the 2012 Trials when I noticed the times that some of these professionals were running weren’t too far from what I was running,” Bowens said. “It gave me motivation to keep training and improve in order to have a chance to compete for the Olympic team.”

In preparation for the Trials, Bowens also puts in some extra work outside of team training. He said although he does extra, he isn’t doing too much because he doesn’t want to overdue it and get himself hurt. He said he has faith in the coaches and their training style.

Bowens was also named the America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week in March and the Mountain West Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week in February.

Alongside training, both Bowens and Lambourne know if they want to be the best athletes they can be and make it to the Trials, they have to keep strict diets.

“My off-season diet isn’t as strict but I still try to eat as healthy as I can. I’m more lenient,” Lambourne said. “I’ll eat fast food or canned food here and there, but when it comes time for the season I try to stick to a strict and routine diet.”  

Besides putting in extensive hours of training on and off the track, the support groups of these athletes are what, at times, keep them motivated to keep their goals and make it to the Trials.

Lambourne said sometimes he feels as though goals and aspirations as big as something like the Olympic Trials seem to be unrealistic to most people. But he said his friends and family have always supported his goal.

“When I went to the Games over the summer I became friends with a few other athletes that have the same goals as I do,” Lambourne said. “I know if I went [to the Trials] they’d support me and I’d do the same for them."

Even Stevens Sandwiches coming to Logan with a cause

City of Logan to welcome new sandwich shop come December

Even Stevens Sandwiches is coming to Logan this December and it’s bringing a different idea of how to do business.

The buy-one-give-one business is a restaurant based out of downtown Salt Lake City and along with two other locations, Sugarhouse and Draper, it is preparing to open two more; one in St. George opening within the next month and the other on Main Street in Logan opening in December.

The thing that makes Even Stevens different from most sandwich shops is it donates a sandwich to local non-profit partners for every sandwich purchased. Along with Even Stevens, BOGO Sandwiches in Farmington, Missouri, also uses the buy-one-give-one business plan. One of the first help organizations that benefits from BOGO’s business plan is St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry. In Logan, Even Stevens will partner with the Cache Valley Food Pantry and the Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse organizations.

“We're just very grateful to Even Stevens. We're grateful they reached out to us,” said Katie Feinauer, a marketing intern at CAPSA. “We're grateful for the service they provide to us and we're looking forward to working with them.”

Since opening in 2014, Even Stevens has donated more than 170,000 sandwiches to non-profit organizations in the Salt Lake Community alone. Last month the brand donated a total of 25,671 sandwiches between the three locations.

“Whether or not a business provides financial support to CAPSA, we are always grateful for their help and support,” Feinauer said. “With Even Stevens, it's fun because it's sandwiches and it just puts a smile on people's faces. Food can provide a great sense of community and it can remind you of home. Even something as seemingly small as a sandwich can also just let someone know you care.”

The Even Stevens’ creative director, Jamie Coates, said while the company supports local non-profits, it also embraces and activates local culture.

According to the Even Stevens website, together with the customers the company is expanding relationships with national and local brands to further its mission.

“Food connects everyone and community is our recipe book,” Coates said. “Every Even Stevens upholds the character of the surrounding city and engages with local artists, crafters and businesses to make their guest experience unique.”

According to the Even Stevens website, one in every six Americans is food insecure.

“It's very gratifying to see how much the Cache Valley community is willing to help us in any way they can,” Feinauer said. “We could not do nearly as much without the donations and volunteer efforts of community members and local businesses.”

25th Annual Clothesline Project

25^th Annual Clothesline Project

By Weslie Hatch

            From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, SAAVY and the Center for Women and Gender held the 25^th Annual Clothesline Project in the Sunburst Lounge of the Taggart Student Center to raise awareness for domestic violence and abuse.

            In previous years, the Clothesline Project was staffed well, had big displays and saw large crowds. This year the Clothesline Project hasn’t seen those same numbers yet and it’s been a smaller event. That could be due to USU getting rid of Wednesday’s common hour. Each year, different groups and organizations have been involved. This year there were a few different groups such as CAPSA (Community Abuse Prevention Services Agency), AAEO (Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity), SAAVY (Sexual Assault and Anti-Violence Information), and the Center for Women and Gender. One other organization was The Family Place Utah.

            “SAAVY contacted us to set up a table so we can get our face out there and let people know what we offer and how we are there to help,” said the community liason or volunteer coordinator for The Family Place Utah (name disclosed). “SAAVY has such a great mission and it’s easy to work with them to reach out to those in need and to let people know that there is help out there.”

The event goes for three days and each day has a different theme. Today’s theme was Awareness Day. During the event, a student played the guitar while people walked around looking at the vendor’s tables and the clothesline of t-shirts. While guests walked around learning how to raise awareness, a gong, whistle, and cowbell were periodically being played over a loud speaker representing each time someone in the United States was being assaulted (gong), sexually assaulted (whistle), or murdered due to domestic violence (cowbell).

            The t-shirts were made by victims of domestic violence and abuse themselves or by friends and family of victims. The t-shirts display images and words that are representative of each victim and their abuse.

            “I am a big advocate for women,” said Stephanie Bagnell, the program coordinator for the Center for Women and Gender. “I believe in making a difference. I love seeing women get out of these abusive cycles and become empowered.”

            Bagnell said she hopes the next two days of the event will see more traffic and she hopes the event will help raise more awareness as well as get more people to become involved.

            The event will continue with tomorrow being Prevention Day and Survivor Day on Thursday where there will be a panel of domestic violence and abuse survivors ready to answer questions at 4 p.m. in the sunburst lounge.

            More information can be found by contacting Stephanie Bagnell at Stephanie.bagnell@usu.edu or (435) – 797 – 3703.

1st Annual Dean's Prize Competition

1^st annual Dean’s Prize Competition for the LAEP 2720 students

By Weslie Hatch

            The 1^st annual Dean’s Prize Competition for the landscape architecture and environmental planning (LAEP) 2720 students took place in April, 2015 at Utah State University. The LAEP 2720 sophomores and first-year grad students prepared submissions to create a new student center on campus.

            The inaugural Dean’s Prize is the preparation of a Landscape Master Plan for the proceeded USU Student Center. The Dean’s Prize Competition was specifically created for the students in LAEP 2720 as the final project of spring semester and will happen at the end of each spring semester from now on.

            “The competition was created by my colleague David Anderson, and approved by Dean White of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences specifically as an exciting conclusion to spring semester for the LAEP sophomores and first-year graduate students in my class,” said David Evans, professor of the LAEP 2720/Site Planning and Design.

USU wants to create a student center that is more student, automobile, and community accessible. The hope is that some of the new add-ons will not only benefit the student body, but to benefit potential business partners and guests when going to the University Inn as well. Some of the design plans include: redesigning Aggie Blvd. with a proposed cross section with access to the new Aggie Life and Wellness Center and the existing HPER building, to create an amphitheater on the south side with pedestrian access that will initially replace the current amphitheater on Old Main Hill, to develop logical pedestrian access to the University Inn and other adjacent buildings, and to develop a public garden with pedestrian circulation and seating along the eastern edge; just to name a few.

            “My hope is that the work of the LAEP students will be seen as a useful communication tool for the university as they move forward with the design of the new Student Center,” Evans said. “USU Facilities had previously hired a Salt Lake City Architecture firm, MHTN, to prepare a Feasibility Study for a new Student Center building. Our students prepared site design concepts for the Student Center landscape based on the preferred architectural design shown in the Feasibility Study.”  

            The Dean’s Prize Competition gave the LAEP students an opportunity to improve design and illustrative skills in a competitive environment and which in turn gave them real-world experience.

“The final design took about four weeks, but we had a pretty good idea of amenities and layout by the second week. However, the design process is very dynamic, so changes and alterations were being made clear until the last minute,” said Steve Woody, a Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning junior and a member of the 1^st place design team. “I believe that it [the new student center] will give students additional reasons to stay on campus and pave the way for an influx in events, markets, etc. The opportunity is there to create markets and attract more out of state students, which will bolster the local economy and hopefully increase diversity within Logan. Overall, I think it will really reinforce a unique, memorable college experience at USU.”

            The university has rumored to build a new student center sometime in the near future, about the year 2020, and the feasibility study was the first step in that process. The only issue now is deciding whether a ‘more modern architecture is the way to go or a more classic design that can withstand changes and not look ‘dated’ in 20 years’. The work of the students will be an important tool as the university enters the next phase of design for both the building and the landscape.

More information can be found by contacting Dean White at ken.white@usu.edu or 435-797-2201, or by contacting David Evans at david.evans@usu.edu or 435-797-0508.

Young Women Christian Association's LeaderLuncheon in a nutshell

Young Women Christian Association's LeaderLuncheon in a nutshell

By Weslie Hatch 

            The YWCA’s 27^th annual LeaderLuncheon took place on Friday Sept. 25, 2015 from 11:30am to 2:00pm at the Grand American Hotel in Salt Lake City. The luncheon is held every year to present the women who have received outstanding achievement awards their award, give guests the opportunity to give donations, and to hear the address given by the keynote speaker.

            The Young Women Christian Association or YWCA, in Utah, “is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.” The YWCA’s LeaderLuncheon started with a reception where the guests mingled before the luncheon began. The luncheon then started with a welcome, sponsor recognition, and a video presentation for every woman. This was all preceding the outstanding achievement awards and the Mary Schubach McCarthey Lifetime Achievement Award presentation, which is an award the YWCA created in 2003 “to honor a woman of national or international renown whose own life exemplifies women’s empowerment and whose work has significantly advanced the rights and interests of women and girls.” This year the award was given to Former Governor Olene S. Walker. The award has only been given twice before in 2006 and in 2011.

            After the award recognition, the keynote speaker was introduced. Each year there is a different keynote speaker and this year Laura Ling, an award-winning journalist and writer, was the speaker of choice.

            “This year we chose Laura Ling to be the keynote speaker,” said Annie Studer, the marketing and communications manager for YWCA. “We chose her because we feel as though Laura Ling is an inspiration figure in journalism and women’s leadership.”

            Ling spoke about the time in 2009 when North Korean soldiers arrested her along with her colleague Euna Lee.

            “I thought that this years speaker was amazing. I feel like she hit very valuable points,” said Sydney King, a member of the YWCA. “Not only did she talk about her time in Korea and how hard that was, but she spoke on how that has helped her not just personally but in her career. She addressed the women in the room directly and talked about how women can be important figures not just in everyday life but in the professional world as well.”

            King said that she always looks forward to who the keynote speaker will be each year. She said the speaker is usually someone who has overcome a “strange” situation which makes their speech compelling and will draw people and donors in. Every year, during their speech, the keynote speaker will try to remind the guests to donate to the YWCA and if they have already donated to hopefully donate a little bit more. At this years LeaderLuncheon, there was a very generous challenge match. The YWCA had the opportunity to raise $180,000 for YWCA programs and services that advance the well-being of Utah women and their families. The Circle of Women offered to match whatever goal was set for donations, which happened to be $90,000 this year. The association is excited to announce they were able to meet and match the $90,000 to raise the $180,000 they were hoping for.  

            More information about the YWCA Utah can be found at www.ywca.com or by calling 801-537-8604.

New ARC helps Campus Recreation to make big changes

New ARC to help campus rec to make big changes

By Weslie Hatch

With the new Aggie Recreation Center opening in November, Utah State University’s Campus Recreation program is set to make some big changes. Campus Rec plans to add new staff members, new classes, new clubs and hopes to become a better-structured department all around.

            “We’re growing. I mean, we are now going to have a climbing wall in the ARC,” said Staten, the club sports coordinator. “We think it will open doors for students to experience new things. We have a climbing club who can now practice here and host competitions with the other 10 or so colleges in this region, which will provide a year-long conference.”

            Campus Recreation is the only program at USU that is strictly funded through student fees. This year, the fees for students were raised from $25 for the legacy fields, HPER building, and Fieldhouse, to $75 for the ARC and the opportunities it will provide.

Some students have voiced their concerns about the raised fees. The students are concerned that the new ARC is only going to accommodate students who like to play sports, like basketball and volleyball, and students that like to work out – all things that the Fieldhouse and HPER building already accommodate.

            “I hope there will be something for everyone,” Staten said. “We have the students at our hearts. That’s our responsibility.”

            Campus Recreation implements a lot of its planning and changes on student input and feedback. Right now, according to Staten, the department is attempting to add classes based on student preference.

            “We’re not going to hold Jazzercise classes because that happened in the 80s. Now we have things such as stand-up paddle boarding and HIIT – high intensity interval training – classes,” said Shirley, the outdoor programs coordinator. “With campus recreation we are trying to keep up with the latest things and are trying to make sure we provide exactly what the students want. We’re hoping for smaller classes that will focus on circuit training. We just hired a new professional fitness coordinator who we think will help open the door for all sorts of opportunities and we think it will also be immensely essential not just for our department as Campus Recreation, but for our fitness program to grow as well.”

            Shirley said because Campus Recreation is growing so rapidly, they have had to hire more staff. He said they now have well-staffed hours, which are helping to create a more programmatic nature, and it’s helping to give more structure for the department.

            More information about Campus Recreation, or the programs it provides, is available at usu.edu/campusrec, or through Alys Statne at alys.staten@usu.edu and Brian Shirley at brian.shirley@usu.edu.

           

Strength and conditioning program to offer training for club sport athletes

Strength and conditioning program to offer training for club sport athletes

Last year, Campus Recreation’s fitness trainers decided to provide strength and conditioning training to all club sport teams.

Since this is a new add-on to the classes, the problem has been getting the word out. Darren Hansen, the head trainer for the strength and conditioning program, said he has reached out to each club team in attempt to bring in more club athletes. Hansen said they were able to get the men and women’s rugby teams and the women’s lacrosse team to commit to the program but only the women’s lacrosse team ended up following through. Hansen also said the men’s lacrosse team knows about the program as well but it isn’t in the position to make the transition.

Through student feedback, the trainers have been able to find techniques that work. They realize although the athletes put in the dedicated work that is required to succeed, they were not focusing on their health. In order to do that, the trainers plan to focus a lot on longevity and pushing slower.

“The best thing I can give someone is strength,” said Clint Nardoni, one of the coaches for the strength and conditioning program. “But the only way I can give that to them is to train the individuals in the program on how to understand their bodies and to know how to maintain their bodies’ health. This will be done by teaching them the importance of safe movements and safe positions.”

Nardoni is the trainer for the women’s lacrosse team and coaches it twice a week. He has been the trainer for the team since last spring when the team joined the program looking for help with its conditioning workouts.

“This is the team’s second semester in the program and since we started, I, personally, feel faster and stronger. I know what I’m doing when I go to the gym, and I feel like my endurance has gone up,” said Hali King, the president of the women’s lacrosse team. “I’m not afraid to push myself harder and I can be on the field longer. With the help of the strength and conditioning coaches, I now know my limits and I know how to stay focused and in the zone.”

King has been on the team since her freshman year in 2012. She said now that the team has joined the strength and conditioning program, its conditioning is a lot more organized. King said although the workouts are harder, there are no longer any authority issues from the teammates running conditioning themselves.

             “The trainers are really good at helping everyone in the class reach their goals. Working with the club teams has not had a negative effect on the time they dedicate to the other classes,” said Karl Folland, an engineering student taking the strength and conditioning classes. “I think the trainers made the right move. They incorporate CrossFit styles and techniques, but they program workouts that will be most beneficial for the overall wellbeing of their students.”

            More information about the strength and conditioning classes is available from Darren Hansen at (208) – 569 – 1533.

New CHaSS building wait may finally be over

New CHaSS building wait may be over

            With the College of Humanities and Social Sciences being the second biggest and oldest college at Utah State University, it should be expected that the CHaSS would have its own building by now. The building would be a place for the members of the CHaSS to feel at home; a place where the students can attend class, study, mingle, and even relax. So why hasn’t USU given the CHaSS the building that they have so greatly desire and need?

            Dean John C. Allen, of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, became dean of the college six years ago. Allen has been a huge, if not one of the main advocates for getting a building for the CHaSS. Allen said that they were hoping to break ground a while ago, but the case for a new building is second behind the science building that is currently waiting to be built. Allen said that in order for the CHaSS building to be built, they need about $55 million to fulfill the plans that they have. So far about $45 million has been raised.

            The plans for the new CHaSS building are so detailed and are drawn out to the T. The idea is to create a multi-story building that will connect to the west side of the Ray B. West building and wrap around the backside. The graphics show larger classrooms, stress-free rooms, classrooms that would be more tech-savvy for teachers and students, and lounges to relax. The building has plans for some flooring to be able to soak in light from the electric lights up above and the sun so that the floor below won’t need lights at all because it will be using so much natural light. Allen really wanted to bring in something that would not only appeal to the students, but to anyone who would be traveling through as well. So they created CHaSS Café. The area was imagined to recreate the feel and look of old England; cobblestone flooring, street lamps, etc. It was designed to have such a warm, inviting feel and look to it and when it is finished Allen expects it to do just that.

            “The new CHaSS building will bring a lot of students and faculty who are associated with the college together similar to the business students,” said Yusuf Mumin, a member of the CHaSS. “I think some pros and cons for adding this new building would have to be the fact that all students, faculty and administrators would now have a place they can call home, and all the students would have all their classes in one central place instead of having to walk all around campus to random rooms in other buildings. However, it would be a problem because the current students would have to wait for the building to be built and the construction directly on campus would be a hassle for us students.” Yusuf has been a part of the CHaSS since his freshman year and had actually heard of a potential building for the college, unlike many others. He feels as though having a building specifically for the CHaSS will benefit the community just as the Edith Bowen labs benefit the community. Yusuf also said that he thinks the building shouldn’t be funded with the help of corporations. It should be left for people legitimately interested in academics.

            According to Allen, the members of the CHaSS that know about the plans for the new building are ecstatic. This building is going to be a big change for the school. Allen says it is going to bring in a lot of potential business partners and huge opportunities for the students. To acquire more information, contact Natalie Archibald at 435-797-2796 or Natalie.archibald@usu.edu or Dawn Kirby at (435) 797-9856 or dawn.kirby@usu.edu.

'Meet The Weirdo's'.

A Light On The Hill

            “We’re all a community of big scholars thinking of big questions,” Dean John C. Allen, of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, stated while leaning forward at his desk with his arms folded, smiling.

During Week of Welcome at Utah State University, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or CHaSS, puts on an event called A Light On The Hill, or as the members of the CHaSS like to call it, ‘Meeting The Weirdos’. Allen laughed when he heard about the amount of backpack buttons and T-shirts and pins that have been spotted with this title. Allen said that five years ago, during his first convocation, he was explaining to the crowd that A Light On The Hill was an opportunity to meet people different from them. He said they needed to go out and meet the weirdos. What Allen didn’t realize, and what many faculty members will still say they disagree with, was the fact that this short saying would stick. The students loved it and ran with it.

A Light On The Hill is an event that invites anyone in the CHaSS or any members of Utah State University to join for a night of reflection on the school year ahead, to treat themselves to  refreshments, and to meet new friends. The CHaSS invites all clubs as well and when the event started five years ago, they only had a small amount of clubs show up with an even smaller few that were able to get people to sign up for their club. This year, between 25 and 30 clubs participated with at least a full list of sign ups at each table.

A Light On The Hill takes place at the Amphitheater on Old Main Hill toward the beginning of Week of Welcome each year. This year it was on Tuesday, September 1, and went from 7 p.m. to about 8:30 p.m. It started with Allen welcoming everyone by shooting the school’s military cannon. Refreshments and mingling then lasted until about 7:45 p.m. when the convocation started. As everyone arrived they were given a candle to light during the ceremony. Once seated, military personnel and faculty members line the rows with already lit candles. Allen then gave the OK and the members turned and lit the candles of those sitting on the outside of the rows. That person then turned toward their neighbor and lit their candle and so on until every candle was lit.

“With all of the lights slowly being lit and finally lighting the area, it creates an atmosphere, an environment, that’s absolutely beautiful,” said Allen with a smile on his face as he reflected on the memory. As dean of the CHaSS, Allen has given the convocation each year. Tuesday was the fifth time for him as he has been dean for six years. When he became dean, Allen wanted to start something that would move the students, faculty members, and even the public to have the desire to become a part of something bigger. He said that what they’re trying to pass on to the people is bigger than them. He wanted this event to be so successful that it would eventually become a tradition. Allen was able to proudly say that A Light On The Hill is finally becoming a glorious tradition.

            “The event will provide students with a broader view of the college they are apart of and provide new students an opportunity to meet others who share their passion for knowledge that is found within the liberal arts,” said Allen. “My hope is that students and faculty alike will join us to create and reinforce the community of scholars that we are building within the college.” Each year before the convocation, a professor gives a speech on different topics. Last year, Professor Matthew LaPlante from the journalism department spoke and this year the speaker was Professor Mark Damon from the history department.

            USU is not the only university to hold the event. For example, Tufts University in Boston holds the event each year for incoming freshman and again when that class graduates. Allen said at Utah State, the CHaSS wouldn’t be able to hold the event again when the students graduate due to the large amount of people in the college. When Allen participated in graduation his first year as dean, they provided a lot of cookies for the students and their family members after the ceremony. He said that that first year they had more cookies than students. But now they definitely have more students than cookies. Allen’s wife is also very involved in the college and at graduation she helps serve Aggie Ice Cream to the grads. She told Allen last year that they ran out of ice cream within the first 20 minutes due to the large amount of people. They plan on being prepared for even more numbers come this spring.

           Allen reflected on when they held the first event for A Light On The Hill and how they only expected a few people to show up but more came than what was planned for. Because of this, Allen had planned on no microphones or speakers and just used his voice hoping the amphitheater would carry the sound. Since then they have had to bring large speakers and have had to use a microphone to accommodate the large crowds. Allen said because the numbers continue to grow, they may have to move locations in a few years which, because of the tradition and sentimental feelings towards the amphitheater, would be very sad.

            More information can be found by contacting Natalie Archibald at Natalie.archibald@usu.edu or (435) 797-2796 or Dean John C. Allen at john.allen@usu.edu or (435) 797-1195.

"A Light On The Hill." University Calendars. 1 Aug. 2015. Web. <https://www.usu.edu/calendar/?id=59102>.

Humanities and Social Sciences Hosts Annual 'A Light on the Hill' (2012, August 16). Retrieved from http://www.usu.edu/today/index.cfm?id=51516