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

Biography

Weslie Hatch is a sophomore at Utah State University aspiring to become an ESPN Sports Editor. She is currently working towards being accepted into the journalism program. Weslie is from Utah County and has a very large sports oriented family; this is where her love for athletics thrives from. Weslie's favorite classes at Utah State have been her English, Creative Writing, Grammar and Media classes, all leading her towards the Journalism courses she is in now and is extremely exited for. By becoming a journalist, she hopes to bring better journalism into the sports industry as well as more female job opportunities. Weslie currently plays for the Utah State Women's Lacrosse team and is a team captain and the secretary as well. Lacrosse is her passion along side nutrition and working out. She loves biking through Logan Canyon and running along the beach in Hawaii.