Hello Everyone,
I've promised you an article about the effects of Hostess Bakery closing down in the Provo area. I wanted to let you know that I am going to post this article later this evening. I'm sorry that I did not post it sooner. Take care and thanks for supporting local, truthful news!
Emily
Stephanie Fullmer, spent many days on the beach, visited to universal studios, went deep sea fishing, held an alligator and rode a camel at the Miami Zoo while attending Florida International University as part of the National Student Exchange.
 |
| Student Stephanie Fullmer in holding an alligator in Miami |
“It’s amazing to see what a wonderful fit UVU is for them coming from these schools across the nation,” said Julie Bagley, NSE director at UVU. “They really like the skiing, hiking, boating, they love Utah. They’ve always heard how beautiful it is. Most of the others [NSE students] have a connection with family or friends that they know here.”
“I think the program itself enhances the campus overall,” said Sadie Blasucci, Bagley’s intern. “Either way, we have these people coming in that take away the UVU experience, or we have these students that go out and become better students and better people only to return back and improve the campus from the inside as well.”
The NSE program is custom and pertains specifically towards the student’s individual goals and degree. According to Bagley, students are required to complete a form about their classes with their advisors to assure that their credits transfer appropriately. They are then asked to give a list of three to five schools that they are interested in attending.
“The customization is key,” said Bagley. “I hope that I can get them in their first priority. In most cases, about 90 percent of the students go to their first choice.”
Fullmer was 18 years old when she went to study exercise science in Miami, in the fall of last year and spring of 2012. Her life was changed as she went to Miami where she had no friends, no family and was completely on her own.
When Fullmer could not afford her second semester, her parents sold their piano so she could continue her education at Florida International University. She explained that the NSE helped her better understand herself, other cultures, other people, and most importantly helped her appreciate her Utah roots.
“Whatever sacrifice you have to make, even if you have to sell your piano – you’re still paying UVU tuition. Even if you think, it might set me back, I might not finish school as quickly, do it,” Fullmer said. “You will have an incredible experience that you are not going to be offered again, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and take it, grab it as fast as you can. I know that I grew so much as a person, that I would not be the same person I am today without that experience. Make the decision, find out where you can go and find somewhere that you want to go. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
With the presidential elections only a few months away, the UVU Review collected results from a poll conducted on 150 random students. Leaders of political groups on campus also gave their perspective on this election year.
Covi King, president of the College Democrats, grew up in Seattle with a conservative father and a liberal mother. King claims she is moderately placed on the political scale. When King heard there was no Democrat group on campus, she decided to do something about it.
King said she was surprised that 105 out of 150 students said they planned to vote. King said it is very important for students to discover for themselves what they really believe and to be proactive about it.
King said the College Democrats’ biggest objective is to take an open-minded approach and help encourage students to be more politically involved.
“The direction we push is to get to know your local political leaders, understand the platform for the national parties and be registered to vote and act upon that knowledge,” King said. “If we can’t be open minded and learn about new things in college and while we’re still young, then when is that going to happen?”
King said she would like students to understand that they need to realize there is more than one person responsible for the country’s problems.
“I think we really need to focus on holding Congress, our House Representatives and our Senators responsible,” King said. “We have direct influence. President Obama is not perfect—he’s made some big mistakes. But we need to focus on changing that more than hating and blaming.”
Lauren Anderson, president of the College Republicans, developed her interest in politics around the age of 8. She grew up in a home of politically active parents who encouraged her to pursue her own political beliefs.
Anderson said the number of undecided voters is typical.
“The 18 to 24-year-olds take a little bit longer to decide on their candidate. That’s perfectly normal. That happens every election cycle,” Anderson said. “There will be kids who don’t know who they’re voting for until a week or less before the election. It’s kind of an interesting phenomenon.”
Anderson has been trying to get early voting on campus, but has been unsuccessful getting the Utah County Clerks Office to do so.
“I hate to say this, but the Utah County Clerk’s Office was very resistant to the idea,” Anderson said. “I wish that we had locations on campus already. I think that would help significantly in getting students more involved.”
Anderson said demographics are a big factor in understanding why Mitt Romney is so popular on campus. She said one of the reasons Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have been successful with college-aged students is because they are focusing on the economy, getting people back to work and getting the nation out of debt.
Anderson’s message for students is that politics are accessible, and they should look at information, ask questions and find answers.
“You won’t regret spending any time in politics and finding out what’s going on and being involved,” Anderson said.
Josh West, president of the Revolutionary Students Union, was raised with strong Christian values that he believes helped shaped his views. West believes it is important that students use their abilities to express their interests.
West said he does not find Mitt Romney being ahead in the poll as a big surprise.
“We live in a culture that has been Republican for a good amount of years. It wasn’t always that way,” West said. “I think we have a culture with Mormonism that has a conservative attitude. In the past they were actually fairly radical-based and supported more collectivist measures. The United Order was very strong here. They were strong abolitionists against slavery. In recent years they’ve turned to the right over various social issues.”
West said that neither Democrats nor Republicans have delivered, and neither party’s ideas are conducive to students and workers. He said Republicans are pushing for higher interest rates on student loans, and Democrats have opposed.
“A lot of times we depend on student loans, we depend on scholarships, we depend on Pell Grants,” West said. “If the Republicans have their way, then we’re not going to be able to rely on those things at all.”
West, speaking about the values of the Revolutionary Student Union, said, “We have values where we emphasize the rights for everyone to have an education, not just the affluent, but everyone.”
“I would like to remind students that both [the Democrat and Republican] parties represent the interest of the upper class. They have their own ways of going about it,” West said. “What’s really important is our ability to express our interests, we can do that out on the streets, we can do that out on the campus, and the RSU is a organization body that allows students to do that for their own interests.”
Nearly 400 student leaders from clubs and organizations crammed into the Ragan
Theater for Leadership Day to listen to keynote speaker, Alexis Jones. Using colorful
expressions, telling silly stories, and offering valuable advice, Jones captivated the
audience from the moment she walked onto stage.
Dressed in skinny jeans, a loose, button-down shirt, and her hair pulled back, she invited
the audience to have a conversation with her and asked to allow her to be vulnerable.
Jones guided the audience through various trials of her life and explained that in high
school, she wanted to attend the University of Southern California, a private university.
Though when her father told her he could not afford the school’s tuition, she was
crushed.
She said it was her mother who then reminded her, “All your father said is that we can’t
make your dreams come true. He never said you can’t.”
With a her goal in sight, Jones decided to devote herself to getting good grades,
eventually receiving an acceptance letter to USC with a scholarship. She explained to the
crowd that she had to build up her confidence to achieve that goal.
“Confidence is something that you earn every second of everyday, and every action and
every choice that you make,” said Jones.
After attending USC, she hosted a tv show on the red carpet and dated a “hot guy.” Jones
reached her breaking point when a fellow female student stated that she would give
anything to have the perfect life that Jones had.
“I remember in that moment cracking, because I have never felt like such a fraud in my
entire life,” said Jones. “I remember calling my mother, this woman who continues to be
the rock in my life, and somehow breathes truth to me every time I have these epic fails.”
Jones explained that her mother told her that she was living a life of consumption, not a
life of contribution. Her mother reminded her if she lived a life for others, Jones would
find a sense of joy, contentment, and confidence.
After participating the play, The Vagina Monologues, at USC, she said that she finally
felt like she was discussing things that mattered, such as genital mutilation in Africa,
Saudi Arabian girls treated as second class citizens, and sex trafficking.
Jones went back to her sorority and talked with six girls about important issues for one
hour each week. Six meetings later they had over 374 attendees, including some men.
She later called her mother and explained that she had a vision for the 21st Century
Human Movement.
“This is men and women coming together to be brave enough to be
vulnerable and to say that we’re hurting, we’re scared, we’re insecure, but in spite of that
we want to do something,” Jones said.
While in graduate school, Jones approached a professor to pitch her master plan of
getting onto reality TV show, Survivor, to help promote the brand of the company she
was about to launch.
“Why can’t we exploit fame for the same reason fame exploits people? But, play the game
and play it better,” said Jones.
Through a friend, Jones got the address to the network production studios and met several
CBS producers. The producers automatically knew that Jones was not one of the people
that they had called back for Survivor. After some quick thinking, Jones was selected to
be on the show.
Soon after, she met with one of her professor’s to plan a strategy. Jones flew out six days
later to film. She lasted 33 of the 39 days and lost a total of 31 pounds. She broke her
hand, sliced her foot with a machete, and blew out her knee.
“The coolest thing that I learned from Survivor is what are you made of. “I wish that
everyone had the opportunity to do something that shatters your definition of impossible.
I think it’s a luxury to live in the first world.”
She explained that she has been able to promote the name of her company, I Am
That Girl, for the last four years. She was even invited to the White House to share
her ideas.
“I was just willing to work harder then everyone else out there,” Jones said. “That’s the
one thing you can’t take away from me.”
Her final message to the audience was to start now by making at least one action towards
the goals they would like to achieve each day.
“People are waiting for perfection. If you’re waiting for this magical moment of someone
to choose you out of the crowd, why? Why would you put your dreams of what you want
to do in someone else’s hands?”
The audience gave Jones a standing ovation. Jones smiled and mentioned that this is the
first inspirational talk that she has given in three months since she found out her father
had cancer.
Jones later tweeted that day, “UVU just rocked my world!! Thank you for all the
LOVE!!! Miss you guys already
Can’t wait to come back!! Xoxo.”Various students tweeted to Jones on Twitter to thank her for her visit.
Landon Larsen tweeted, “You were fantastic! So awesome, so funny and so real!”
Another student tweeted to Jones, “Thank you so much for your message this morning,
you truly did inspire me! You are incredible.”
A recent study on student retention revealed that 37 percent of freshmen do not return to UVU after their first semester, according to the Phi Theta Kappa Society. From this research, the Freshman Advocate program was created to help freshmen understand what resources are on campus to help guarantee their success in college.
“UVU has so many resources geared towards student success that are often overlooked,” said Amy Howell, a Freshman Advocate. “It is amazing to see the difference that utilizing resources can make in a student’s life.”
According to Ian Sorensen, assistant developmental math professor and assistant chair of Phi Theta Kappa, another study conducted by Jeff E. Hoyt and Michelle Lundell at UVU revealed that the students least likely to utilize campus resources were freshmen. Sorensen explained that they discovered there was a need to connect freshmen to resources on campus by using upperclassmen as freshman advocates.
“Here’s a person that cares about them, that knows them by name, who is not their mother, but is responsible to help them anyway that the freshman needs,” explained Sorensen.
“As advocates, our involvement with students typically ranges from frequent emails to weekly meetings or phone calls,” Howell said. “The Freshman Advocate program is important because it gives students one more chance to be successful at UVU.”
Howell explained the benefits of being an advocate include leadership experience, service hours, college credit, making new friends and making a difference in someone’s education.
To serve as an advocate, an upperclassmen must have a 3.0 GPA minimum for the last two semesters, have a declared major, and have completed over 24 credits. The advocates will then take CLSS 240R, taught by Sorensen and Marni Sanft.
“The course is a practicum for this program. We use the class period to train,” explained Sorensen. “It’s a two-credit class for one hour a week, the second credit is for interacting with the freshmen. They should try to get in contact with them, motivate them, help them overcome road blocks, keeping them informed on important milestones, being another contact for them.”
Sorensen said that the Freshman Advocate program is open to all freshmen or upperclassmen. He further explained that freshmen benefit from the program because they are partnered with a knowledgeable upperclassman who is well aware of campus resources.
The Freshman Advocate program began as a collaboration between Phi Theta Kappa and Student Success & Retention. It has been expanded to include other areas within University College.
The goal of the Freshman Advocate program is to have 20 advocates this year. According to Sorensen, the future goal would be to have a large freshman advocacy workforce around 400 to 500 students who are trained to help students.
For more information about becoming an advocate or to receive assistance from the program, contact Ian Sorensen at ian.sorensen@uvu.edu
 | |
| Lindsay Gomm, UVU student with her mother and grandmother |
The event will starts at 6 p.m. and features two special events, honoring cancer survivors in the survivors lap, and the luminary ceremony which will light the way along the track to remember those who have lost to cancer, those currently fighting for cancer and those who have overcome cancer.
“This will be my first event. The biggest thing I’m looking forward to is the luminary ceremony,” said Brooklyn Bowcut, event coordinator and student. “It’s where they have everyone decorate a bag and they put a candle in it. I’m really excited for that because my family will be there and we’ll have a bag made up for my grandma. I’m sure I’ll be crying.”
She explained that her grandmother had ovarian cancer and lost her life to stomach cancer seven years ago. Bowcut mentioned she herself has pre-skin cancer and her mother has pre-colon cancer polyps.
According to the American Cancer Society, half of men and one-third of women in the U.S. will develop cancer in their lifetime. Bowcut said this statistic is a serious matter.
“I think everyone should be concerned with those odds,” said Bowcut. “Someone you know really close to you will get cancer. We’ve got to get rid of it.”
Lindsay Gomm, 22, student and aspiring nurse agrees with Bowcut. Gomm was in fifth grade when her mother was diagnosed with large cell, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer.
“You go through something like that, especially at a young age, and you wonder, ‘is my mom going to be there when I go on my first date, when I graduate high school, when I get married?’” Gomm said, teary-eyed. “We didn’t understand exactly what was happening, or why it was happening.”
Gomm explained that her families laughter and continued support helped her mother battle cancer.
“My mom had to go through chemotherapy. She lost all her hair, that was hard,” said Gomm. “My mom had really long, pretty dark hair and she chopped it really short so it was easier when it would fall out. Just seeing her like that, and then seeing her bald was a really big shock.”
Gomm and her sister decided to cut and donate their hair in honor of their mom. Her brother and mother’s brothers all shaved their heads for her as well.
“I think it made her feel really good. She didn’t feel like she was alone,” said Gomm.
Gomm’s grandmother was recently diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Breast Cancer. Gomm, her grandmother and her mother all plan on attending the event. Gomm’s advice to others in her shoes is to stay positive, never give up and always be a support.
Last year the Relay for Life event in Provo/Orem raised about 10,000 dollars. They hope to break the record this year. The event will have live entertainment, early morning zumba, yoga classes and concessions. A beat-up car was also donated, and participants can donate money to hit the car with a sledgehammer.
“If people want to come, they don’t have to register, they can just show up,” said Haley Smedley, Community Relations of the American Cancer Society. “It will be something they will not forget.”
Smedley said everyone is welcome to come and participate in recognizing their survivors, to stick around for the luminary ceremony, and to bring a little cash with them.
To assure safety UVU police will be at the event and will have a light tower to provide light throughout the evening. They will also have first aid on hand to help those that may need assistance.
As I went to accept my scholarship for the UVU Review, I realized that I had to scholarships that were awarded to me. I called the scholarship office to make sure the additional one was mine. The second one was titled, Salt Lake Tribune Scholarship. I was confused because I did not apply or submit my information to the Salt Lake Tribune.
I asked my editor and chief, and I also asked one of our main coordinators for the paper. I then called the scholarship office and they said, "Yup, that money is yours," I was overwhelmed because I stress and worry about money all the time! I told myself that if I did not get a scholarship this fall that I could not go back to school this semester...I was so relieved. I asked how I got the scholarship and I was told it was from the committee of college humanities.
I started crying, I cried for about ten minutes--it was so rewarding to feel like my hard work is starting to pay off! I looked into the Salt Lake Tribune scholarship, they typically give the scholarship to the one student at each university. The fact that I was picked out of all the students here at UVU gave me utter shock. The student who received this award last year was a senior student and our prior editor and chief for the review, Andrea Whatcott (recently married, now Andrea Noordhoff). She now works for Deseret News.
I then called my journalism teacher, Scott Carrier and asked him if he knew anything about it. He made me laugh, he was so nonchalant about it. He asked me if I got it, I told him yes and started crying. I said, "Thank you so much." I could barely get the words out. He responded, you earned it. Just hearing that response from him made my world. I really look up to him, I consider him my mentor. He told me he was asked for a list and he put me down as number one out of the students here on campus.
I have learned that hard work does pay off, and it is also very important to build relationships with your professors or those that you look up to. I was told that now I have received this scholarship that I must write a thank you letter (of course I will!). I've enclosed the letter which I wrote to the donor of my scholarship.
I asked my editor and chief, and I also asked one of our main coordinators for the paper. I then called the scholarship office and they said, "Yup, that money is yours," I was overwhelmed because I stress and worry about money all the time! I told myself that if I did not get a scholarship this fall that I could not go back to school this semester...I was so relieved. I asked how I got the scholarship and I was told it was from the committee of college humanities.
I started crying, I cried for about ten minutes--it was so rewarding to feel like my hard work is starting to pay off! I looked into the Salt Lake Tribune scholarship, they typically give the scholarship to the one student at each university. The fact that I was picked out of all the students here at UVU gave me utter shock. The student who received this award last year was a senior student and our prior editor and chief for the review, Andrea Whatcott (recently married, now Andrea Noordhoff). She now works for Deseret News.
I then called my journalism teacher, Scott Carrier and asked him if he knew anything about it. He made me laugh, he was so nonchalant about it. He asked me if I got it, I told him yes and started crying. I said, "Thank you so much." I could barely get the words out. He responded, you earned it. Just hearing that response from him made my world. I really look up to him, I consider him my mentor. He told me he was asked for a list and he put me down as number one out of the students here on campus.
I have learned that hard work does pay off, and it is also very important to build relationships with your professors or those that you look up to. I was told that now I have received this scholarship that I must write a thank you letter (of course I will!). I've enclosed the letter which I wrote to the donor of my scholarship.
Dear Donor,
When I realized that I was chosen to receive the Salt Lake Tribune Scholarship, I was both humbled and
grateful that someone selected me to receive this award. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your
generosity.
I am the youngest of four children and have spent most of my life living in Wichita, Kansas. I moved to
Utah two years ago in hopes of attending Utah Valley University. I then worked at a law firm and saved my money
for one year so I could get in state tuition and afford to pay the next two semesters of my education. Thanks to
the donation that I have received from you and others, I will have the opportunity to attend UVU for two more
semesters. If it were not for this generosity, I would have had to return to back to working full time and saving
money instead of continuing my educational pursuits.
I was able to intern my senior year in high school with a local ABC affiliate news station for over five
hundred hours. This internship blossomed into several opportunities which included working for a sports radio
station and with multiple radio stations at Clear Channel Communications. On my eighteenth birthday, I was able to
work for the same news station I interned for as a floor director for several months.
After my first year of college, I decided to move to Utah. I then learned that it was a lot harder to find a job
in the media market. When I started attending UVU, my teacher, Scott Carrier struck the match and inspired me to
pick up my pen and paper and to start writing stories for the UVU Review and to try print media. I enjoyed writing
various stories for the paper, which included controversial issues such as animal research, occupy wall street, social
media etiquette, and students dating their professors. I then created a newsblog which I later turned into a website
Newsinyourbackyard.com. I also used my experience from the radio industry to help the UVU Review launch their
first podcast, The Wolverine Minute.
In the spring, I applied for a position in the UVU Review with the news editor position in mind. When I
received the phone call that I got the position, I was overjoyed. At that time I also worked with Deseret Connect and
was honored to have several articles published in the weekend edition of Deseret News.
The reason I enjoy journalism is because the work I do is a service to those in the community. I grow and
learn from each story I write and make new friends every step of the way. My ultimate goal is to have a media outlet
that covers state-wide positive local news in a talk show format. In the meantime, I plan to finish my education at
UVU and would enjoy to find a position exercising any of the media skills that I have learned. I am doing my best to
be a well-rounded journalist, and I am trying to get experience in all realms of media.
I appreciate your trust and investment that you have put into my education. It is nice to feel like my hard
work is starting to pay off. This scholarship is a milestone in my career, and I assure you that I will continue to
improve and strengthen my skills to become the journalist that I can be.
Sincerely,
Emily N. Stephenson
Dan Cather (on right) helps Wildland students understand the importance of teamwork during an exercise for the Fireline Leadership class. Photo courtesy of Andrea Hossley
As firefighters
quench flames, Utah continues to be at a high risk for fires. There are eight active large wildland fires in the state that has burned over 176,000 acres, these wildland fires have long term effects on the land. Dan Cather,
UVU’s Utah Fire and Rescue Academy Wildland Coordinator, explained that this
could be a start to a dry fire cycle.
“We have not had
a very eventful fire season for the last few years, we’ve had wet summers and
wet springs,” said Cather. “Fire seasons go in cycles, we’re in the cycle of no
moisture, and a lot of fires. You will go three or four years that it will be
wet, and you’ll go a few years without moisture, it’s a cycle.”
Cather has been
a wildland firefighter since the 1990’s and is currently the wildland
coordinator of the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy. Cather has involvement with all
wildfires in the area including the Quail Fire, the Herriman Fire, and the Dump
Fire.
According to
Cather, wildland fires have long term effects. These effects include, flood
potentials, an increase likelihood for drought, and a loss of minerals.
“The fire burns
so hot that it can actually sterilize the ground, it removes the minerals and
the essential elements out of that soil,” said Cather. “It takes a very long
time for an area to rejuvenate and be able to come back.”
When a wildfire
happens firefighters will have cultural resource advisors come out and help
devise a mitigation plan, they then decide what type of vegetation will help
with the land. Cather explained that this is a long term process.
Wildfires also
have a deep impact on the firefighters physically and mentally. Cather
mentioned that there are stress debriefing teams that will come in and help, so
firefighters can talk and vent to a third party.
“With your crew,
you can do a lot of the venting together,” said Cather. “This is my family away
from home, we get to know each other, we get to live together for two days, and
then your off for four and your back.”
UVU offers a
basic wild land class and they have agencies come in and hire students to work
on their crews. Cather estimated that there are about 30 students that are
currently doing summer college credit internships helping wildfire crews. He
said the top three things students learn is fire behavior, self discipline, and
hard work ethics.
“If they don’t
have good self discipline or work ethic, they’ll get washed,” said Cather. He
explained that wildland firefighters need to be physically fit and adaptable to
live in extreme conditions.
“If you like
camping, it’s an ideal job, if you don’t like getting dirty then it’s not the
ideal job,” said Cather. “You can go many days without a shower, you can go
many days with moderated food, you’ll have water but it will be lukewarm water,
it’s not like you are going to be able to go to the 7/11 and get a slurpee,
you’re going to be living on that mountain.”
Cather said that
wildland firefighting is a good way for firefighters to earn money during a
busy fire season. He explained that there are a lot of things that a person can
benefit from firefighting and that it is one of the hardest jobs he has ever
had.
“I think by
going out and doing wildland fires, it’s allowed me to see who I am, realize
hard work ethics, and be able to handle and manage extreme conditions,” said
Cather. “There’s nothing better then being out in nature and being able to see
the serenity of the nature. I’ve traveled all over the country and I’ve been in
many parts of the country that most people would never see.”
As the student body increases at UVU, so does the faculty. This coming fall semester, UVU will gain and lose faculty. According to Academic Affairs, the school will be losing 38 faculty members this coming fall. However, there are no approximate numbers on what new faculty members should be expected this upcoming semester.
According to Karen Cushing, administrative assistant for Academic Affairs, faculty growth has stayed the same with faculty growth and there has been no real growth or decline, stating that it is all based on the budget.
From 2008 to 2012, UVU has gone from 453 full time faculty members to 553. When asked about what staff to expect in the fall, Kathren Brown, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs stated that they truly do not know what to expect until fall begins. Brown mentioned that some faculty members are still thinking about whether or not to stay or return.
Eugene Seeley, associate dean of Woodbury School of Business said that they’ve had seven new faculty members this fall. Seeley further explained that they have had difficulty trying to fill their positions and usually only fill a half to three-quarters of their positions each year because of the shortage of PhDs and their budget. He mentioned that they have made several offers to applicants but only one offer was accepted.
“Some said it just wasn’t enough money, it’s often a challenge,” said Seeley. “When they [applicants] come for an interview we usually are upfront about what the salary is so we don’t waste everyone’s time.”
According to Seeley, the Woodbury School of Business adds about two to three positions per year and that last year they had about 65 full time faculty members.
The School of Arts is planning on filling eight positions, and have already had four applicants sign to be a part of this fall semester. According to E. Linda Moore, assistant to the Dean of the School for Arts, the numbers of majors are increasing and their needs for additional faculty are as well. Moore mentioned that they have had a good amount of success when trying to fill positions.
“We still get some pretty incredible faculty applying, faculty with excellent qualifications,” said Moore. “It’s really important that our faculty have great resumes, that they have actually performed, conducted, and danced. They can’t just have a degree.”
The School of Health and Science mentioned that they will fill about nine positions this fall, and have already had four applicants sign. Kerri Howlett, assistant to the dean of Health and Sciences mentioned that they are consistently growing and they are pleased with their faculty.
“We’re able to find good high quality faculty. Our faculty could be anywhere, and they chose to come here,” said Howlett. “We have faculty with us, who are world renowned faculty.”
According to Academic Affairs, it will be hard to know what to expect this coming fall until the semester begins. However, each school at UVU is excited to welcome their hard-earned faculty members this coming fall.
Navigating construction while commuting to UVU has been a struggle for students as of late. Recently, Utah County welcomed its first continuous flow intersection to help traffic flow at the intersection of University Parkway and Sandhill Road.
The I-15 CORE team coordinated with UVU officials to determine what would best help with traffic in the area. This is not the first CFI intersection to come to Utah. According to Utah Department of Transportation, the first CFI opened in the fall of 2007 on Bangerter Highway.
“The CFI has proved to be a very efficient design,” said Leigh Dethman, public relations manger for UDOT. Dethman explained that there are a total of 11 CFIs completed or under construction, most of them on Bangerter Highway.
The design of the intersection removes left-turning vehicles from the main intersection, which allows longer “green” time for drivers heading east or west on University Parkway.
“Traffic has gone relatively smooth since the CFI opened last week,” Dethman said. “The CFI has already allowed us to shorten signal times from 120 seconds to 90 seconds.”
Dethman further explained that the intersection will serve 30 percent more vehicles each hour, in comparison to how it was before the implementation of the CFI. Over 70,000 cars drive through this intersection every day, and they will now be able to commute with more ease.
Dear Amazing Family, Friends, & Readers,
I wanted to take a moment to explain what I've been up to and to thank you for your support.
Thank you so much for supporting me and reading my articles. I love reporting and discovering the truth of what is happening and bringing it back to you my readers. And, to my family and friends, thanks for listening to me rant and rave about the stories that I work on.
The title of this website is, News In Your Backyard. I want this webpage to be relevant to your needs and the stories that you would like to hear or read about. I encourage you to give me story ideas and let me know what stories you feel is important for you, your friends, and your family to know about.
I am so excited to wake up everyday and live my life. I am privileged to be in the position of News Editor for the UVU Review this year.
I cannot wait to become a better editor! I have a good number of things to improve on, and I am excited to help serve the community of UVU by bringing relevant news to their attention.
I am looking forward to the rest of my journalism career and to learn and get my hands on whatever I can do to become a better journalist. I have had the privilege to be involved in: radio for Clear Channel Communications and KGSO Sport Radio, TV for KAKE News, and print media for the UVU Review and Deseret News.
My ultimate goal is be a general manager of a TV station or a program director of a radio station. I would love to manage a state-wide news organization, that presents information in an entertaining talk-show format, covering local positive news. It would be amazing to give credit where credit is due, to feature those in our communities making a difference.
I am excited for this summer and cannot wait to marry my best friend, Matt Skaggs. If it weren't for my career in journalism, who knows if I would have ever met him. I met Matt last fall when I was covering one of my first stories on Occupy Wall Street. I was a journalist.., he was a protester. Matt and I instantly clicked. We became friends and started hanging out with each other, we then jokingly decided we would be best friends. After I went home to Kansas for a few weeks and came back, Matt and I were inseparable. After dating for four months, he proposed to me on my birthday. Pretty awesome.
Once again, I thank all of you so much for supporting me and giving me the fuel I need to keep going. I work for my readers. Whenever I work on a story, or interview someone I have your interest in mind.
Thanks for everything,
Emily Stephenson
 |
| Dr. Peter Robinson and Tyler Babbs, photo courtesy of Jeff Larsen |
Tuesday evening, UVU’s Entrepreneurs Club revealed their future plans and gave special recognitions to students at the UVU Lemonade Stand Entrepreneur Banquet.
KISSTIXX lip balm, 360 Watches, Power Practical, Utah Valley Lawn Care, and My Legacy Memorial, were some of the local businesses created by students that were featured in the event. Students had the opportunity to share their ideas and network with local leaders in the community.
The Lemonade Stand theme was used to remind students of their first steps of creating their own businesses. “Build your own lemonade stand,” said Devereaux Smith, director of the UVU Entrepreneurs Club. Devereaux explained to the audience of the UVU Entrepreneurs four major plans for the upcoming year.
According to Devereaux, the UVU Entrepreneurs will have a summer camp and will also form an Entrepreneurship Alumni Society to help students network. The group also will be organizing the UVU corn maize in the city of Payson to help raise scholarship money.
Lastly, the club plans to change their name this fall from the UVU Entrepreneurs to the Creative Society. They are hoping this change will help draw students from various backgrounds. Devereaux explained that the Creative Society is every students club.
“Whether you think you’ll own a business, or you just want to design t-shirts and logos, or you want to open a dance studio, or you want to do hair, or you want to write a book and sell a book,” said Devereaux. “Creative society is where you need to come.”
Dr. Peter Robinson, UVU Morris Professor of Entrepreneurship gave two steps of advice. He said that students need to have a mentor, to advise them, give them information, and credibility. His second piece of advice was for students to complete their education.
Tyler Babbs, owner of Utah Valley Lawn Care, |Shipzi.com|, and Green Armadillo Gear was awarded student entrepreneur of the year. Babbs mentioned that the Entrepreneurship Club is one of the hottest programs at UVU.
“The big problem with most entrepreneurs is that everyone has an idea and most people are too afraid or are too scared to actually do something about that passion,” said Babbs. “My suggestion is to just do it and make it happen.”
Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Kenya were among the eight provinces from Africa that engaged in the dialogue. The group was part of the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, they decided to come to UVU as part of their 21-day project to learn about religious freedoms in the United States.
“It’s such a neat experience, I never thought this would happen,” said Linda Walton, Co-Chair of the Interfaith Student Association. Walton further explained that they have met with Canadians and Syrians in the past, however this was their first time meeting with South Africans.
According to Walton, the interfaith ambassadors are trying to find ways to dissolve hatred in their provinces. “We’re hoping to encourage them, hopefully we can give them hope that it can be done,” said Walton.
Brian Birch, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, presented UVU’s new Reflection Center which will be completed within the next 2 years. The new center will feature a prayer room, mediation room, and convening room, open to all religions on campus.
“We’re very interested in reaching out to make sure that every student, and every faculty member, and every member of our staff feels welcome and comfortable,” said Birch.
Birch also explained that UVU plans to develop an Interfaith Student Council, which will convene various religious clubs that can come together and work with one another.
“Our theme for the Interfaith Student Association, is moving from tolerance to love,” said Walton. “We want to do everything we can to educate people.”
Mr. Nurudeen ALHASSAN, President of the Ghana Muslim Academy, asked student representative, Daniel Colver, what his biggest challenge was as a student.
Colver responded that he was disappointed with the bigotry that he saw around him and how it motivates him to get involved. He explained that it is crucial for others to step out of their comfort zones.
The discussion ended with handshakes and smiles, as the ambassadors and school representatives exchanged contact information. The religious leaders asked to take a photo with those present to remember their experience with at UVU.
 |
| Courtesy of symptomsofwormsinadog.com |
The animal care facility will give students better educational opportunities and could help UVU get grants for research. However, there are some who are concerned about the possible lack of transparency and the mistreatment of animals.
“First of all, that building is going to be there for the next 50-75 years,” said Mark Bracken, department chair of the Biology department. He explained that they do not plan on using the room for animal research right now or anytime soon. “We are anticipating that in some point of time that there may be some animal research that does occur,” said Bracken.
Bracken explained that UVU is a school that has evolved rather quickly in the past 15 years. He also explained the school does not have big enough facilities to do research and if they did do any, it would be very limited. He explained that in the years to come the goals of the university could change to doing research and getting grants
The anticipation of future animal research at UVU has raised concerns. “The problem is, it’s too much of a temptation for science departments to start testing on animals” said Karen Mizell, associate chair of the Philosophy department.
Mizell explained that if the science department were to consider doing animal testing in the future, they would have to put together an animal care review committee and currently, UVU does not have one. “I’ve had real concerns. Even if people right now aren’t going to do it, someone is going to come in and want to do it,” said Mizell.
“Between Hollywood and a lack of information, sometimes an impression people have is that animals are not treated as humanely as we could possibly do it and I do not agree with that,” said Dr. Heather Wilson, an associate professor of the Biology department. Dr. Wilson explained before she became a scientist that she was against animal research. She mentioned when she has done research at different schools in the past, every effort was made to ensure the animals were being treated properly.
According to Dr. Wilson, most of her students currently do their labs on a computer. However, the new animal care facility would give students the opportunity to work with animals. Dr. Wilson said her students were excited to hear about the new facility.
 |
| Courtesy of telegraph.co.uk |
“I love my university, but, I hope that doesn’t mean that we turn to the way of others universities in terms of researching on non-human animals,” said Foster. “I hope to remain proud of my university as an ethics centered school.”
Dr. Virginia Bayer, assistant professor of Biology, gave me a tour of the animal care facility and explained several projects they are considering in the near future.
“We have some animals that we’d like to do some breeding projects on to try to increase their numbers,” said Dr. Bayer. She explained they are trying to help animals that are endangered. The Blue Eyed Blonde California King Snake and the Standing’s Day gecko, are some of the reptiles the department plans to help breed.
“The goal of the facility is to increase awareness about conservation efforts,” said Dr. Bayer. Dr. Bayer explained they plan to use the room to showcase animals that are endangered and to discuss issues as to why they have become endangered, and things that they can do to help the animals.
“UVU is predominately a teaching institution, so we are not a tier one research institution. Research capabilities at this point are essentially non-existent when it comes to animal research,” said Dr. Bayer. “The only thing anyone could get upset with, are the animals being housed incorrectly. As far as anyone is concerned for animal welfare, I think we are meeting all the needs for that.”
Photo courtesy of sunews.netThe Institute of Emergency Services and Homeland Security turned up the heat this week to raise awareness on emergency preparedness and disaster response. This week on campus was emergency service week, each day featured different presentations from the law enforcement, fire and rescue service members, and emergency management personnel.
Emergency service week was held to help build anticipation and excitement for a two-day emergency preparedness and disaster response conference on April 5th and 6th in the Sorensen Student Center on UVU campus.
This is the first time that the Institute of Emergency Services and Homeland Security have held such an event on campus for students. “Our primary audience was our students,” said Dr. Fisher, organizer of the event, and faculty member in the emergency services bachelor’s program. “If we were to do it for the Orem-Provo communities the approach may be completely different.”
The conference will feature keynote speakers who will offer their variety of knowledge with emergency preparedness and disaster relief. From former FBI members, to psychologists, policemen, and firefighters, the conference will be well equipped with those ready to share their stories with their attendees.
Students specifically from the criminal justice and the Institute of the Emergency Services and Homeland Security are invited to attend the conference to hone their expertise. These departments on campus are bursting at the seams with students. Dr. Fisher mentioned that the emergency services program alone has over 1600 students.
Dr. Fisher also said that they are further developing their program as well, and that they are currently designing a course on community-family preparedness.
When asked how students should cope with stress in disaster Fisher responded, “The most important thing is to realize that there is a possiblity [of a disaster] and to be prepared.” He recommended that students should have 72-hour kits. “A lot of people go through the exercise of this but over several months, it’s spread all over the house,” said Fisher.
Some of the major concerns of disasters in Utah are, earthquakes, floods, landslides, and heavy snowfall. “We may be overdue for an earthquake,” said Fisher.
On April 17th, Utah will participate in, The Great Utah ShakeOut. This event is the largest earthquake drill in Utah history. The goal of the ShakeOut is to promote Utahns to be prepared for major earthquakes.
For emergency preparedness and disaster response suggestions, students are encouraged go to bereadyutah.gov.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY, APRIL 5
10-11 a.m. Keynote Address, Dr. Mark Yang, “Spiritual and Existential Themes in Disaster Relief Work.” Introduced by Dr. Rodger Broome.
11:10-12 noon – Presentation: “Hero Construct,” Dr. Rodger Broome, Emergency Services Department.
1-1:50 p.m. – Presentation: “Terrorism Realities in America,” Ken Crook, JD, Criminal Justice faculty. Introduction by Eric Russell.
2- 2:50 p.m. – Presentation: “The LEAP Model of Leadership,” Dr. Jeff Maxfield, associate dean of the College of Technology & Computing.
FRIDAY, APRIL 6
10-11 a.m. Keynote Address, Dr. David McEntire, “Disasters & 2012: Modern Myth or Future Reality?” Introduction by Dr. John Fisher.
11:10-12 noon – Presentation: “Extreme Interrogation Methods,” Matt Duffin, JD, Criminal Justice Department; “Mass Media Coverage of Disasters: Help or Hindrance?” Dr. John Fisher, Emergency Services Department.
1-1:50 p.m. – Presentation: “What We Have Here Is a Failure to Communicate,” Gary Noll, chair of Emergency Services Department; “Leadership and Chaos,” Andy Byrnes, Emergency Services Department.
Elementary and middle school students throughout Utah County are benefiting greatly from morals taught in UVU’s production of the children musical, “Honk!” The show is performed by UVU’s Black Box Repertory Company and tells the story of the Ugly Duckling.
The BBRC has brought their productions to schools in the local area for the past two years. Last year their emphasis was on the tragedy of suicide, this year their emphasis is on the fatalities of bullying and teasing.
“We wanted to find a piece that’s entertaining, fun, offers challenges for musical theatre students, and deals with the issues of bullying,” said John Newman, producer of the show.
So far, the group has gone to two elementary schools, two middle schools, and are also having a private school come to UVU to see the production. Newman further explained that they continue to receive calls from schools asking them to come and perform their show.
Director, Dave Tinney described the show as, a very well disguised parable. “It’s having an amazing effect so far,” said Tinney. “Teachers are really appreciative and kids are getting it. We have a full schedule for the rest of the semester.”
When HONK! is performed at schools, teachers are offered study guides to spark class discussion with students about the different scenarios in the show and how students should respond to bullying.
The show has added modern touches so they can better demonstrate forms of bullying to students. For example, a scene in the production shows ducks teasing the ugly duckling by pulling out their cell phones and taking pictures and sending text messages about him.
“This is one of the things happening in the schools, they are cyber bullying each other,” says Newman.
The Costumes for each of the characters also play a huge role in the production.
“The frogs are like go-go girls in green dresses and the chicks are like Dorothy and Little Bo-Peep,” said Annette Goodrich, a costume stitcher for the theatre department. “They have certain elements so they are supposed to look slightly animalish, but are still people.”
When asked which character was her favorite, Goodrich proudly held up a black leather jacket lined with curly soft fur, “The cat is one of my favorites. He’s got leather and a little bit of fur, he’s the bad kitty.”
HONK! is a great show for families, everyone can relate to different scenarios in the performance. “We all at some point feel like we’re an ugly duckling, it takes us awhile to kind of find our place,” said Newman.
The show will be available to the public for two days only on April 11th and April 13th at 1pm, for $3 dollars a ticket. To purchase tickets, contact the Noorda Box Office.
Skate for Jeremiah – Skate for Jeremiah is a charity event that will take place April 6th at Classic Skating in Orem to raise funds for Jeremiah Drennen’s medical expenses for his muscular dystrophy. The cost is $6 dollars at the door, and goes from 9-12pm
Clothesline Project – Today is the last day for the clothesline project. Students are invited to come and view shirts in the grande ballroom that have been created by survivors of abuse, or can create a shirt of their own.
UVU Plans to Expand Day Care Center – UVU is planning to expand the Wee Care Center to accommodate more children for students. Currently, the center can only serve 100 children. The proposal of the new building would accommodate to 450 children.
Over 55 volunteers dispersed themselves throughout Utah County at four Smith’s Grocery store locations for UVU’s Applied Behavioral Science Club’s, Baby Care Cupboard.Volunteers stood at the entrances of stores next to a large banner which proudly displayed their motto, “Save the World! One Small Tummy at a Time,” and were equipped with candy and fliers as they informed shoppers of the dire need for baby items at their local food bank.
“I am so grateful to the many people and programs that helped me and my children,” explained Jennifer Brown, a volunteer supervisor for the Baby Care Cupboard as to why she wanted to help with the event. “I was in the womens shelter last year with my two small children. I am in a much better place, I have secured safe housing and I was wanting to give back.”
“There are a lot of people in organizations that do food drives, but they don’t gather baby items,” says Julie Nance, director of the event. “This hits home to me because I have been a single mom for several years and I know how expensive it can be.”
The food bank manager expressed that donations do not stay put for long on their shelves. “He said they last about six weeks, and I was shocked,” says Nance.
Last fall, the Baby Care Cupboard received $7,000 dollars in donations. This semester, after a day of gathering donations, the items collected weighed in at 2,537 pounds. The group proudly reached their goal of $8,000.
Nance sent out an email with the results to the volunteers and expressed her gratitude to those involved. Baby Care Cupboards next event will be this coming fall. If you would like to volunteer or assist with the Baby Care Cupboard, contact the UVU Applied Behavioral Science Club.
Photo 1: Julie Nance, Director of Baby Care Cupboard with KelseePhoto 2: Julie Nance, Director of Baby Care Cupboard
Photo 3: Volunteers filling the crates to the top with donated items
Photo 4: Jim Thomas, food bank manager, bringing the items into the foodbank
The Clothesline Project will be featured in the UVU Grand Ballroom on April 3rd and 4th to raise awareness one violence. Blank shirts will be available for students to share their personal stories of abuse. If you would like to volunteer to help with this project, contact the Equity in Education Center.
UVUSA is accepting applications for Student Government. Applications are due in room SC105 on March 30th by 4 PM.
Each day, students can volunteer their time to pitch in to UVU's UVolunteer Week. Tonight, students can donate blood in the ballroom, tomorrow they can attend Stop Kony, and Friday, students can volunteer for Dan Peterson School's Field Day in American Fork.
UVUSA is accepting applications for Student Government. Applications are due in room SC105 on March 30th by 4 PM.
Each day, students can volunteer their time to pitch in to UVU's UVolunteer Week. Tonight, students can donate blood in the ballroom, tomorrow they can attend Stop Kony, and Friday, students can volunteer for Dan Peterson School's Field Day in American Fork.
Unpaid library fines can be waived by donating books through the First Book Utah County Program. Students can donate to the UVU Bookstore from March 15th-April 30th. Contact the library for more information.
The Religious Studies program at UVU will be presenting a Mormon Studies Conference on March 29th and 30th about Mormonism and the internet. The conference will discuss how the internet has influenced Mormon culture, history, and growth.
Festival of Colors is this weekend at the Kare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork. Last year, the festival had over 50,000 participants. Each bag of color is $2 with an entrance fee of $2.
The Religious Studies program at UVU will be presenting a Mormon Studies Conference on March 29th and 30th about Mormonism and the internet. The conference will discuss how the internet has influenced Mormon culture, history, and growth.
Festival of Colors is this weekend at the Kare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork. Last year, the festival had over 50,000 participants. Each bag of color is $2 with an entrance fee of $2.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
- Follow Us on Twitter!
- "Facebook is personal, add me on Linkedin!
- RSS
Emilynicoline@gmail.com