Photo student like puppies

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Mar. 26, 2008

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

Danna Lee Ballard

Sophomore

Photography

Utah Statesman: Why did you decide to come to Utah State?
Danna Lee Ballard: My brother goes here and my boyfriend goes here and Noel and Ben, my entourage goes here. I really didn’t look into the school. I just knew really cool people and they said it was fun.

US: Why did you choose your major?
DB: Because math didn’t sound like something I would be into, science didn’t sound so good and photography is fun. I figured I might as well major in something I like.

US: Which of your classes appeals to you most?
DB: Photo classes and all art classes. I took a ceramics class this semester and it just blew me away how much fun it is. It’s probably one of my favorite classes I’ve taken up here.

US: What career do you see yourself working in?
DB: I’d love to do lifestyle commercial photography. I’d love to do documentary photography.

US: If you had a million dollars right now, what would you do with it?
DB: I’d go to Café Rio, and then I would go to DI (Deseret Industries) and buy a bike. I’d pay off utilities, pay off my tuition, and pay of my fees so I could check out books at the library. I’d buy a puppy for sure. I can’t afford one now. Those are small things. A million dollars is a lot more money than a puppy. Let’s just say I would spend it on my friends and make sure we have a good summer.

US: What is your favorite thing to do on campus?
DB: I like to long board on campus and I love the free movies on campus and I like to eat food on campus. I love hanging out with friends.

US: What is the longest distance you have to walk between classes on campus?
DB: Not very far. From the Fine Arts building to the Engineering building. Sometimes when I have an hour before class I like to just walk around campus and walk around the neighborhoods.

US: If you had six hours to do anything you wanted, what would you do?
DB: Go to Café Rio and buy a puppy. Play volleyball because it’s nice weather.

US: If you could have a superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it?
DB: I’d probably just like to fly around or like in the new movie ‘Jumper’ where they can just move around wherever they want. I like to travel. I could go places

US: What is your favorite Disney movie? Why?
DB: The Little Mermaid. I don’t know why. It just connected. I have every song memorized and I’ve seen it more times than any other movie. It’s still on my top five movies ever.

US: Who is the most scary or evil cartoon villain from your childhood?
DB: Ren and Stimpy just freaked me out. I would try and watch that show and it was just so weird and gross. I never got it.

US: What is the most exotic or distant place you’ve been?
DB: Goah, India. It’s on the outskirts of northern India. It’s just total beach town and farm town. It was awesome. Lots of hippies and fresh juice.

US: Do you know who you are going to vote for this election?
DB: Ron Paul. If he stays in the elections, I’m definitely voting for him. I encourage everyone who thinks he can’t win and who’s voting for someone else to vote for him because if we all band together. Revolution.

US: Who is your favorite teacher?
DB: Mark Duncan in the photo department. He is hilarious. He’s the only person I’ve met that can make a history class entertaining. He’s really good.

–j.p@aggiemail.usu.edu

Mormon Acronyms

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Mar. 26, 2008; Online at Utah Statesman.

Complied by JP Parrish
Staff Writer

 

FHE - Family Home Evening, an activity that usually takes place Monday nights and is meant to strengthen family and friend relationships.

YW - Young Women's, LDS girls from ages 12-18

YM - Young Men's, LDS boys from ages 12-18

Mission - 19-year-old boys or older spend two years proselyting their religion and pay to do it.

RM - Returned Missionary

BOM - Book of Mormon, a book of LDS scripture

Triple combination - The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price

The Quad - The four standard works of scripture the LDS Church uses: Old Testament, New Testament, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants including the Pearl of Great Price

Stake Center - A meetinghouse larger than average churches that holds offices for the church stake leadership

Preemie - A young man who has not yet served two years as a missionary but intends to

Tute - Short for the LDS Institute of Religion

PPI - Personal Priesthood Interview

EFY - Especially for Youth, a summer week-long program meant to spiritually strengthen church youth 

CTR - Choose the Right

MTC - Missionary Training Center

CES - Church Educational System

"Ensign" - Monthly church publication with prophetic teachings and inspirational stories

RS - Relief Society, a group for LDS women 18 and older

DI - Deseret Industries, which is like Goodwill

The Brethren - Reference to the Quorum of the 12 apostles and the first presidency, members of church leadership

D&C - Doctrine and Covenants

MoTab - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

WoW - Word of Wisdom

P-day - Preparation day for missionaries to do laundry and take a day to relax.

IMA - Institute Men's Association (primarily for student singles between ages 18-30)

IWA - Institute Women's Association (primarily for student singles between ages 18-30)

MSA - Married Student Association (primarily for married students between ages 18-30

VT - Visiting Teaching - Pairs of women visit women in their ward for fellowship and spiritual strength

HT - Home Teaching  - Pairs of men visit families in their ward for fellowship and spiritual strength

8-cow-woman - Reference to "Johnny Lingo," a BYU movie in which a tribal tradition of 'buying' a bride with cows. Two or three is normal, but Johnny Lingo paid eight for a girl who had been ridiculed as plain. Lingo saw inner beauty and offered eight cows. She then was able to become beautiful outwardly with her self-confidence.

PBL

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Mar. 26, 2008; Online at Utah Statesman.

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

 

OGDEN, UT --Business students from across the state of Utah applied their education in role-play situations and competency tests at the Utah Phi Beta Lambda State Conference Thursday, where seven USU students placed in first or second in different events, qualifying them for the National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, GA.

The state conference, this year held at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center, tests and recognizes members’ skills.

In PBL, students compete in events ranging from accounting principles to Web site development. The PBL national Web site states competitive events fall into three categories: individual, team and chapter. Individual and team events focus on skills useful in leadership and career development, and chapter events recognize overall achievement and performance in chapter management and growth.

“We have a total of 30 members,” said Paige Geslin, USU PBL adviser. “Our chapter won first place in the Largest Increase in Chapter Membership for the 2007-2008 school year.”

David Alder, junior in accounting; Kada Carlisle, junior in speech communication; James Hillstead, senior in finance and economics; Daren Larsen, junior in accounting and economics; Teresa Palacios, senior in business administration and human resources; JP Parrish, junior in public relations; and Tyler Smith, senior in managerial economics, qualified for the national competitions in Atlanta.

“We have an excellent group of students representing Utah State University for the PBL Nationals in Atlanta,” Geslin said. “Last year, the combined chapters from Utah placed more students in the top 10 finishers than any other state.”

According to PBL guidelines, each state may take two members in each event. A student may only compete in two events. Utah will fill all of the events with the highest ranking competitor attending, allowing the most opportunity for career building and valuable experience.

PBL’s mission statement states they strive to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. FBLA-PBL is the largest business career student organization in the world. Future Business Leaders of America is the high school division of PBL. FBLA-PBL’s National Awards Program recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas, the FBLA-PBL Web site states.

To get involved with USU’s PBL chapter, contact Geslin at paige.geslin@usu.edu or 797-2272. 
–j.p@aggiemail.usu.edu

Chinese student likes ‘Gone with the Wind’

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Mar. 26, 2008; Online at Utah Statesman.

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

Yan Guo

doctorate program

Sociology

Utah Statesman: Where are you from?
Yan Guo: China, the southern part.

US: How did you choose Utah State, of all places, to study?
YG: Their research. My research background I had in China matches up real well.

 

US: How, financially, are you able to be here?
YG: They waive tuition basically by working, being an instructor or research assistant.

US: How long have you been here?
YG: This is my fourth year

 

US: What is your favorite kind of food?
YG: I guess Chinese food. You don’t get a lot of authentic food here.

US: What is the most fun you’ve had on a weekend?
YG: I guess you can do a lot of things if you’re an outdoors person. I guess you could have a lot of fun. I like to ski. I don’t go often but I like it a lot. I like hiking, going to the canyons. I enjoy the view. Hiking with friends and doing fun outdoor activities. I love it.

 

US: How did you spend your Spring Break?
YG: Well, actually, working.

US: Who is your personal hero?
YG: Well, I haven’t really thought about that question. The person can change over time. I admire the prime minister of China. He has an open mind. He’s not corrupted. He has taken care of a lot of people during our 10 years cultural revolution. A lot of families suffered during that era, and he was the one to take care of people during that era.

 

US: If you had a super power, what would it be and what would you do with it?
YG: It’s kind of cliché, but I would really want every child to be healthy and have enough to eat. So they can have their basic human rights: to go to school, to be taken care of medically.

US: What is the weather like in China?
YG: It has distinct four seasons. I love it.

 

US: What is one of your favorite movies?
YG: “Gone with the Wind”

US: What is one of your least favorite movies?
YG: I have definitely seen a lot of lousy movies. That would be a long list.

 

US: What is the most interesting thing you’ve ever eaten?
YG: Not my experience, but other people’s experience, grasshopper. Also cocoon. I’ve never eaten that. I never dared. They come on a stick and you buy four or five.

US: What is your favorite sport?
YG: I like swimming a lot. Hiking, skiing.

 

US: What do you plan to do once you finish school?
YG: I want to do international development. I don’t have experience, so I will see if I can work for an international organization for experience. Possibly, ideally, become a developmental consultant.

US: How do you feel about the Olympics being in China?
YG: I don’t know why, but there seems to be more political issues involved with this year. I don’t think they should play that much in the Olympics. I think they are trying to make this as successful as possible. They need to do a lot of things, like environmental issues, which has been a concern for many people.
–j.p@aggiemail.usu.edu

Generation gap causes computer complications

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Mar. 26, 2008; Online at Utah Statesman.

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

 

“Hello, IT Service Desk, how can I help you?” The image on a computer screen had accidentally been digitally rotated 90 degrees. This unsuspecting IT technician faced a naïve woman on the phone, who had physically turned her monitor on its side to fix the problem. There is a gap in computer literacy between our generation and that of our parents and grandparents.

 

Nathan Hills, sophomore in management information systems, and Brittany Furniss, junior in computer science, both work at the IT Service Desk in the Janet Quinney Lawson building, right next to the Veterinary Science building. Hills and Furniss both said working with people is generally a good experience. A few interesting situations arise occasionally, like the woman with the sideways monitor.

 

Furniss said younger students are usually more impatient, and the older age group are more understanding. She also said the older generation seem to expect problems to arise with technology, whether they cause it themselves or simply because of recurring computer errors.

 

“There are some people who come in every day for assistance,” said Steve Funk, speaking about the older generation that didn’t grow up with such advanced technology.

 

Funk is the IT Service Desk manager on campus. When the desk opened in 1995, Funk began with two student employees and himself taking phone calls and walk-ins. Now the program has expanded to meet demand. With 18 full-time employees and 25 student employees, the IT Service Desk offers technical support as well as a top-notch repair center, Funk said. It offers full hardware service and data recovery with technicians certified by Dell, Apple and Sony.

 

With growth in fields of technology, students and even professors may get lost in the torrent of new gadgets and functions.

 

Cathy Ferrand Bullock, assistant professor in the journalism and communication department, said she hasn’t done as much as other professors with technology. Part of it scares her a bit, and she said she is not convinced it always improves instruction in the classroom. 

 

While in graduate school, Bullock worked with key punch cards to compute statistics on early computers. The current technology USU works with is all new to her, she said. Although she calls herself a technology laggard, Bullock has since learned and incorporated e-mail, printouts and PowerPoints into her teaching style.

 

It was back in the day of Windows® 3.1 and MS-DOS® that junior in speech communication, Joe Phippen, first began to use a computer. The Microsoft® Web site states Windows® 3.0 was released in 1990, and for Phippen, it was simple to use.

 

The most challenging computer function that Michael Tatton, senior in history, has faced is changing his USU password, he said. Tatton said any work in the campus labs have been no problem. He still needs to take the required CIL tests and said, “I’m not worried.”

– j.p@aggiemail.usu.edu

‘Messiah’ being performed in English, Spanish and ASL

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Mar. 24, 2008; Online at Utah Statesman.

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

“Hallelujah; Hallelujah!” Familiar and popular sounds of joy enduring back from the 1742 performance of George Frederic Handel’s “Messiah.”

The 7th annual production of Handel’s “Messiah” will be presented at Logan’s Ellen Eccles Theatre on March 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. A special family matinee will be held at 1 p.m. on March 29.  Tickets are available online and at the Ellen Eccles Theatre box office. The performance is open to all faiths.

Sponsored by Utah State Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education and Cache Community Connections, the performances will be presented in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language.

John E. Ribera, director of audiology, said, “We will have over 100 singers, 50 instrumentalist and 20 theatrical interpreters for the deaf.”

This year is the first year that the family matinee will be added, he said. The matinee is educational and will give insight into Handel’s life, address concert etiquette, deaf culture, Baroque music and more.

He said proceeds from this concert series will go toward the Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education Department’s annual international humanitarian hearing health care mission. Students and faculty in audiology provide services to underprivileged men, women and children.  Ribera said last year more than 300 patients were seen and 40 hearing aids were fit in Mexico.

Baroque music, according to www.dictionary.com, has, “heavy use of counterpoint and polyphony and conveyed drama and elaborate ornamentation.” Composers from this era include Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. The USU chapter of The National Association of Future Doctors of Audiology (NAFDA) Web site gives a history on the famous composer Handel. Handel was born in Germany and was composing music by age nine. Handel ran into debt and began producing Biblical pieces. The Web site says Handel’s valet often found Handel weeping as he wrote the “Messiah.” The most famous portion of the “Messiah” is the Hallelujah Chorus. The “Messiah” has been played every year somewhere in the world since its debut, ranking it among a small few.

Ribera was inspired by the motion picture, Mr. Holland’s Opus, a story about a music teacher trying to communicate with his deaf son through music. Ribera worked to develop the current three languages production. The production’s information Web site says Utah’s Theatrical Interpreters for the Deaf perform the entire presentation.

“The message, the music, and the man who composed it has always intrigued me,” Ribera said. “Because it was the darkest time in Handel’s life, when everything seemed to be against him, that he came up with a masterpiece now played all over the world. It is very inspiring and I never tire of it.”

–j.p@aggiemail.usu.edu

Spending spring break in Logan

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Mar. 5, 2008; Online at Utah Statesman and Hard News Cafe.

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

Some students may not be throwing the books in the closet and heading out of town this Friday. Maybe a job or a 12-page paper demands attention. But for those who stay in Logan over Spring Break, know it doesn't have to be a bust.

 

Friday and Saturday -- March 7 and 8

Right after classes end, try the Cache Valley Food Tour. Head over to Aggie Ice Cream and True Blue Cheese for a scoop or two of one of the 30 flavors of ice cream. While there, you can take a tour at 2:30 p.m. If you’d rather save this for another day, tours run at that same time, Monday through Friday. If you are feeling green, check out Caffe Ibis, an organic and nature-friendly coffee house. Tours run at 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Pick up a pamphlet from Cache Valley Visitors Bureau Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Located at 199 N. Main, the brochures include the Cache Valley Food Tour, Hiking Trail Guide, fishing, biking and more. The bureau's Web site lists schedules of cultural events as well. Visit www.tourcachevalley.com and see the many gems Cache Valley has to offer. The gift shop not only has souvenirs, but also comprehensive guides on outdoor recreational activities like hiking and fishing.

 

Sunday and Monday -- March 9 and 10

This is the time to really relax and visit with family and friends.

Holly Swenson, graduate student in management information systems, said she will hang out with friends, catch up on Netflix, and get in touch with her creative side when she’s not working. Consider taking your friends along with you on a scenic drive through Logan Canyon. Head through to Garden City, next to Bear Lake, and stop for a famous raspberry shake.

 

Tuesday and Wednesday -- March 11 and 12

Spend some time on the ice at the George S. Eccles Ice Center. Public skating is offered Mondays through Fridays at 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturdays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and Sundays from 2 till 4 p.m. Price is $4 for adults. Skating lessons are also available. If ice skating isn’t your fancy, then head to the Cache Valley Fun Park in North Logan and try its roller skating rink. The Fun Park offers bowling, laser tag and arcades.

 

If you’re more of an outdoors kind of person, Beaver Mountain Resort is the answer for you. With a full week of no classes, you might try skiing or snowboarding. It may not be as exhilarating as it has been when you skip a class to go, but the slopes are still powder fresh. Beaver Mountain Resort is a close drive from campus and is open throughout Spring Break. Beaver Mountain’s Web site states $50 will get you private ski or snowboarding lessons for the day. It includes rental equipment, a day pass and lessons beginning at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. You must arrive and sign up at least a half hour in advance. For pricing and other information, visit www.skithebeav.com or call 753-0921.

 

Thursday and Friday -- March 13 and 14

Look back on the rich heritage of Cache Valley. Take the 45-minute self-guided walking tour of Logan’s historic Main Street. The tour begins at the Cache County Courthouse, where the Visitor’s Center is located. With help from a pamphlet, follow the trail through a six square-block area, ending up at the beginning. Attractions include the LDS Tabernacle, several historic theaters, Logan’s historic ZCMI and many historic banks. Also consider the heritage driving tour that showcases historic locations across Cache County Valley.

 

Mike Bullock of the Cache Valley Visitor’s Center said Hardware Ranch is a beautiful trip in the winter. The ranch offers sleigh rides that go into the midst of hundreds of elk. Price is $5. Visit its Web site at www.hardwareranch.com.

 

Saturday and Sunday -- March 15 and 16

Consult the Cache Valley Travel Guide, found in the Visitor’s Center, to find restaurants, shopping venues and arts in Logan and surrounding cities. Throughout the duration of Spring Break, many performing arts opportunities will be playing. "Beauty and the Beast" will play at the Old Barn Community Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on March 7-8, 10, 14-15 and more. "The Emperor’s New Clothes" will be performed at the Kent Concert Hall on March 8 at 5 p.m. "Celtic Night" will be performed at the Ellen Eccles Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on March 15.

j.p@aggiemail.usu.edu

Bear Lake is nestled against Laketown, the city known for its raspberry shakes. DEBRA HAWKINS photo

THE GEORGE S. ECCLES ICE CENTER is located in North Logan. The center offers public ice-skating Monday through Friday. CAMERON PETERSON photo

USU affiliated Spring Break Options

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Mar. 5, 2008

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

• Art Guild is heading to San Francisco Mar. 10 at 7 p.m., returning Mar. 14 at 9 p.m.

  • This trip is organized annually by the USU Art Guild to offer any
    student to breathe the art culture in San Francisco, said Alyssa Harper, Art Guild Vice President. The biggest draw to
    students this year has been the price: $252 covers
    transportation to San Francisco, hotel stay, and entrance into five art
    galleries/museums.
    

  • Harper said 57 students are attending

  • Galleries include: DeYoung, Oakland Museum of Art, Berkley, Legion de Honor, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

• March 11-15, 2008 – WAC Tournament in Las Cruces, N.M. Tournament begins Tuesday, March 11, with the First Round. Quarterfinals are held Thursday, March 13, semifinals on Friday, March 14, and championship game on Saturday, March 15.  Come and support the Aggies at the WAC Championship Tournament. Here is ticketing information:

  • Starting Jan. 28, all-session tickets must be purchased from the New Mexico State University ticket office at (575) 646-1420 or toll-free at (866) 672-8524.

  • Available all-session tickets range from $30 to $225.

  • Individual session tickets, if available, will be placed on sale beginning March 10 through the New Mexico State University ticket office at (575) 646-1420 / (866) 672-8524 or at Ticketmaster (575-532-2060).

  • Ticket Office Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. MT (Monday-Friday); 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. MT (Saturday) Info from http://www.wacsports.com

• USU Gymnastics on March 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Spectrum.

• USU Women’s basketball team vs. Idaho on March 8 at 7 p.m. in the Spectrum

• USU Opera and Cache Children's Choir on March 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Chase Fine Arts Center, Kent Concert Hall

Compiled by JP Parrish

Common health exams to remember

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Feb. 20, 2008

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

General

Dentist

    Go to the dentist every year for an exam and cleaning.

 

Eye Exam

    If you have vision problems, have an eye exam every two years.

 

Colonoscopy

    Colonoscopy is a test that allows a doctor to look at the inner lining of a large intestine (rectum and colon). A thin, flexible tube called a colonoscope is used to look at the colon. A colonoscopy helps find ulcers, polyps, tumors and areas of inflammation or bleeding. During a colonoscopy, tissue samples can be collected (biopsy), and abnormal growths can be taken out. Colonoscopy can also be used as a screening test to check for cancer or pre-cancerous growths in the colon or rectum (polyps).

    Dr. Linda J. Roberts, nurse practitioner at the USU Student Health and Wellness Center, said she recommends a colonoscopy first at age 50. An earlier test may be necessary if colon cancer is present in the family, she said.

 

FEMALES

Breast Self-Exam

    This is a simple procedure to help detect breast lumps and is a good way to learn what breasts should normally look and feel like. When a woman knows what is normal for herself, she is better able to notice changes and know when to get help early. A breast self-exam is a tool to use on a regular basis, but it is not a substitute for a mammogram or a clinical breast exam. Roberts said a breast self-exam should be conducted monthly.

Clinical Breast Exam

    During a clinical breast exam, a doctor will carefully feel a woman's breasts and under her arms to check for lumps or other unusual changes. Roberts said she recommends such exams for women beginning around age 26 or 28. These exams should take place every two years.

 

Mammogram

    A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. It can often find tumors too small to be noticed. A doctor may suggest a woman have a screening mammogram, especially if the woman has any risk factors for breast cancer.

     A woman should have a mammogram at age 40 or sooner, Roberts said. If a first-line relative, like a mother or a sister, has a history or breast cancer, Roberts said the mammogram should begin at age 30 or earlier. Begin exams at the same age that the relative began to see symptoms, she said.

 

Gynecological

    A gynecological exam may be done as part of a routine checkup or to determine whether someone has genital warts or other sexually transmitted diseases. Roberts said she recommends a pelvic exam with a pap smear beginning at age 21 to 23 or within the first two years of becoming sexually active. Also, a vaccine to prevent HPV is available as of August 2006. Since 50 percent of sexually active women catch this virus in their lives, Roberts said she recommends women between ages of 11 and 26 to receive the vaccine. Both male and females are at risk.

    The vaccine is designed to prevent the Papillomavirus, which is a primary cause for cervical cancer.

 

MALES

Urological

    Most abnormalities of the testes are found during a self-examination or routine physical exam by a health professional. If testicular cancer is suspected, a health professional may want to perform other tests.

     Roberts said men should begin this at age 21 to 23 and get an exam every two years.

 

Prostate

    If a man has problems urinating, a doctor may use tests to see if he has an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia). This condition is the most common cause of urination problems.

    Roberts said she recommends beginning routine exams at age 50 and continue getting them every year.

Information compiled from www.WebMD.com

The Wheels on the Bus Go 'Round and 'Round

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Feb. 11, 2008

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

Seeking fun-loving college student to work with the greatest boss ever. Will help earn money for school in a convenient on-campus job. Get to know a tightly knit group of co-workers. Class B commercial driver’s license required.

This is what several Aggie Shuttle drivers said about their job.

Driver John Hambleton, a sophomore in aviation maintenance management, said driving an Aggie Shuttle is easy money. He said he just drives and makes sure things are safe.

Alden Erickson, the director of Aggie Shuttles, said he compares the responsibility of driving a bus to flying an airplane – the responsibility for life is the same. He said many safety measures are taken to ensure the best shuttle system possible.

Each driver must have a class B commercial driver’s license, Erickson said. There are several steps to earning one. Erickson said each driver takes a Department of Transportation physical. This federally mandated procedure ensures each Aggie Shuttle driver is fit to be driving. There is a series of three or more tests of knowledge and 10 hours of driver training.

Even with a CDL, Aggie Shuttle drivers must pass Aggie standards – policies, procedures, and safety, Erickson said. Drivers need to pass federal drug tests and have no more than three accidents in either private or professional driving, and an hour training each month. All these help keep drivers the best they can be, he said. 

Next to safety, the most important part of the job is keeping students happy, Erickson said. Drivers regularly greet and bid farewell to their passengers.

Driver Brad Turner, a junior in pre-business, said he believes in being nice to passengers.

Trell Whitehead, a junior in mechanical engineering, said students are grateful for the service provided. Many students ride regularly, Whitehead said, and it allows drivers to get to know people.

Interaction with students is what breaks the monotony, said driver Adam Howard, sophomore in landscape architecture.

The Aggie Shuttle system is geared toward the students, Erickson said.

“I strive to maintain the very best university shuttle system,” Erickson said.

The Aggie Shuttles are among the cheapest per rider in Utah, Erickson said, and the system set up is very efficient with the student fees. The shuttles use alternative fuels, better and cleaner for the environment and cheaper. Standard diesel fuel costs about $3.84 per gallon while the compressed natural gas is $0.84.

To help keep student fees down, the Aggie Shuttles raise between $25,000 and $30,000 in advertising per year, he said. There is additional help, Erickson said, in the number of $60,000 through chartering the shuttles out.

“I want to stay out of the students’ pockets as much as possible,” Erickson said.

Students should take advantage of the Aggie Shuttle GPS tracking, he said. Students can track where the individual shuttles actually are via www.aggiebus.com. Their locations are updated online every 10 seconds. Students can access this site through their Internet-enabled mobile phones or wireless laptops. Erickson said this way students don’t have to stand in the cold.

Aggie Shuttle drivers work as a collaborative team, said driver Tyler King, a Spanish major in the secondary education program.

The drivers are concerned with safety and making students happy, Erickson said.

“I could leave and they would run the system themselves,” Erickson said.

But Hambleton said he works with the greatest boss ever, and Turner agreed.

“Alden Erickson is a nice guy,” Turner said. “He is the best boss I’ve ever had. A really good boss makes the difference.”

When Erickson needs to correct a problem, Turner said it always helps and he is really looking out for the drivers.

–j.p@aggiemail.usu.edu

Professor Profile - Preston Parker

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Jan. 28, 2008; Online at Utah Statesman.

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

Preston Parker, adjunct professor in the journalism department, was diagnosed with cancer ten months after getting married. CAMERON PETERSON photo

 

With nine degrees and a tenth on the way, Preston Parker said he is a strong advocate in lifelong learning and not necessarily in formal education.

 

"Thirteen years of schooling with only three summers off," Parker said. “I didn’t plan it that way. After each degree there was a new opportunity.”

 

Parker, who is currently working on his doctorate’s at USU, is an adjunct professor in the journalism department. And his college education began while still in high school, he said. Considering himself an introvert up until his senior year, Parker said he realized he had undiscovered potentials as he was appointed to a student body officer position at Clearfield High. In that position, he said he worked with public relations and realized he had a passion for it. Parker said he was accepted to Utah State University with a year and a half of college completed. He received the Presidential scholarship, covering four years of tuition and fees. Although Parker said he began in engineering, he ended up switching majors several times before he received his first bachelor of arts in business management and another bachelor of arts in liberal arts and science. He also received minors in Spanish, physics, and mathematics.

 

A week after he graduated, he became engaged to his wife. He had aspirations for film school and applied only to be rejected on the basis of being overqualified; knowing more than the school could teach him. So for another year, Parker said he continued education and earned a master of science in instructional technology.

 

After only 10 months of marriage, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.  The cancer was said to double every two weeks leaving him only six months to live. While overcoming this obstacle, Parker said he had his first child, received his first master’s degree, and applied to a doctorate program at Indiana University. He eventually overcame the cancer and started classes five weeks late due to the chemo-therapy.

 

Parker said the colleagues he met in college and grad schools are colleagues for life and the ones to turn to for help.

 

“If you’re just holding out in the library all the time to get good grades, you’re missing out on meeting people,” Parker said.

 

Parker said although the school system is working as well as it can, it eventually needs to transition to an information age education system.

 

Doing away with grades by age and letting students progress level by level based on ability and mastery of the skill taught is something Parker said would be valuable to a school system. Basically, a student with no age limits can build a portfolio, he said.

 

“You can go to college when you’re 11,” he said.  

 

Right now the system caters to the bottom 20 percent, he said and change is needed. Parker said formal education is needed, an education that requires tuition of some kind. Parker said tuition is what pays for the experts. Formal education is important, he said, because it gives access to experts, a diploma, and it gives networking.

 

Lee Cannon, sophomore in public relations said Parker is a valuable professor because he considers the students his peers.

 

“Preston really has a goal to give students a comfortable atmosphere to learn in and ... he is here to learn with us,” Cannon said.

 

Besides being in the school scene, Parker said he enjoys being involved in entrepreneurship.  His family has a small business in produce right now, Parker Farms Produce. Preston is part owner in the business and oversees the Cache County branch.  He said they supply fresh produce to many local restaurants including Hamilton’s, Ruby Tuesdays,Café Sabor and Old Grist Mill to name a few. The company also attends farmers markets in many places from Salt Lake to Cache County.

 

“I do it for my kids and it gets me active and out of an office all day,” Parker said. “The next generation (of family) will need summer jobs.”

 

While growing up in Clinton, Utah, Parker said his father was a fourth generation farmer. Since Parker’s youth, his father worked in dairy farming, he said. Parker has one brother and three sisters, all of whom are involved in Parker Farms Produce.

 

For now, Parker Farms Produce is transitioning from cattle to produce, Parker said. Right now the company is only using five acres in produce of 130 the family owns so there is room, he said, for company growth.

 

While at Indiana University, Parker said he worked in the instructional systems technology program working to earn a doctorate.  He also earned a master’s of arts in mass communications, a multimedia production management minor and education specialist degree in instructional systems technology program. After earning both of these at Indiana University, Parker transferred his work back to Utah State to work with a specific professor at Logan campus in the instructional technology program.

 

But at the end of the day, after all his degrees, Parker said what really matters is teaching his students.

 

“It’s a real honor to have students in the classroom that come wanting to learn,” Parker said.

 

-j.p@aggiemail.usu.edu

Aggies Around the World

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Jan. 28, 2008; Online at Utah Statesman.

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

 

Lia Inoa

Dominican Republic

Junior

Marketing major

Statistics Minor

LIA INOA, junior in marketing, said the most unusual difference in Utah is how most people spend their Sundays. TYLER LARSON photo

 

 

Utah Statesman: Why did you decide to study here in America?

 

Lia Inoa: There is a school program that USU has with the Ministry of Higher Education back home. I looked at the school and I liked it, so I applied to the program and got accepted.

 

US: How well have you adapted to Utah’s culture?

 

Lia: It was very different at first. It has a very different environment than the one back home at the DR. Luckily I had another 56 Dominicans with me to help me to go through the cultural adjust. After the first semester it was OK.

 

US: What is the most unusual or different practice you’ve seen here in Utah?

 

Lia: The Sundays. With everyone over here, the entire atmosphere changes. It’s more quiet and people go to church. Back home it is time to go out with your family and either go to the shopping mall or the restaurants or to the beach. That’s what shocked me at first, the Sundays. It was kind of bizarre for me.

 

US: How did you spend your holiday break?

 

Lia: I went back home. I spent it with my family.

 

US: How long have you been here?

 

Lia: Between two and a half and three years.

 

US: What is your favorite place to eat here?

 

Lia: Chili's and Café Sabor.

 

US: How many people are in your family?

 

Lia: Four. My mom and dad and my little brother. He’s 15.

 

US: Who is the most important person in your life?

 

Lia: My mom. Well, I would say both my parents. Something I like about my family is that we don’t have a strictly parent-and-children relationship. We are pretty much like a group of friends. There is a lot of confidence among us. I would say my mom and dad because they are that for me. We are crazy friends. My mom is my best friend. I can do or say absolutely anything with her. It’s just crazy.

 

US: If you could write a book, what would it be about?

 

Lia: Human behavior. I love to study the reasons. I really enjoy figuring out why people act the way they do and the social circumstances that make them the way they are.

 

US: What is your favorite type of music?

 

Lia: Electronic music and rock, but I also like world music.

 

-j.p@aggiemail.usu.edu

Extension helps governor with CHIP

Published Originally in the Utah Statesman on Dec. 7, 2007; Online at Utah Statesman.

By JP Parrish
Staff Writer

LOGAN -- USU Extension is getting involved with marketing and promotional efforts about Utah’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) while the government is also maintaining a great level of involvement. 

 

Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., alongside the Utah Department of Health, is working to ensure Utah’s children are covered with health insurance. CHIP covers well-child exams, immunizations, mental health services, dental care, prescriptions and hearing and eye exams.

 

Within the USU extension program, USU educators from across the state, in each extension campuses, are called agents. The agents teach primarily family and consumer science classes that help educate the community.

 

"USU Extension is getting involved by letting people in Utah know about CHIP and teaching low-income families how they can qualify to give their children the coverage they deserve," said Charles Gay associate vice president of USU Extension.

 

Britain Parrish, freshman majoring in pre-medical biology, was covered by the insurance while young.

 

"It paid for stuff…  It was a 3$ co-pay for any doctors’ visit I went to, the dentist, the dermatologist, the gynecologist, the family doctor etc. and it was a $1 dollar co-pay for any prescription except birth control was not covered, unless it would've been a medical reason,”  she said.

 

"In the past, CHIP has had to periodically close enrollment because the number of enrolled children was based on state and federal funding," said Ann House, USU Extension bankruptcy prevention agent. "Because of this, many have forgotten about the program or still think they can't enroll." 

 

House said she deals with another program being used for marketing and informing the public--Utah Saves. House said Utah Saves is a program based on a national campaign called America Saves.  These programs educate people and encourage and advise with financial concerns including evaluating spending habits, changing habits, and being more involved in your own finances. House also says she has added a question to her forms in efforts to gather data on who has health insurance in the state.

 

Concerning the promotional efforts, House said, “We need to expand it to reach more people."

 

She said it didn’t cover certain things as well. Eye exams for contacts and the contacts themselves weren’t paid for but regular eye exams and part of the glasses were covered.

 

To qualify for CHIP, people must have a low income.

 

Parrish said, “Both my parents were/are self-employed which is why we had no other health insurance from a company. If my dad had had a job that offered health benefits, we (wouldn't have) been entitled to CHIP.” 

 

CHIP also has an age limit of 18 according to www.utahchip.org, the organizations web-page.

 

On the USU Extension Web site, it says, "Extension is unique in structure and function. As a partnership of federal, state, and local governments, the Extension System–with its network of county offices and state universities, is in a position to deliver educational programs at the grassroots level throughout the nation." 

 

The extension is an outreach program to communities on more than 3,000 counties according to the Web site. Much research is accomplished through this, House said.

 

For information about CHIP and to see where the CHIP van will be next, visit www.health.utah.gov chip for a complete van tour schedule. Call 1-877-KIDS-NOW for an application or apply online at www.health.utah.gov/chip. To learn more about UPP, visit www.health.utah.gov/upp or call 1-888-222-2542. For information about PCN visit www.health.utah.gov/pcn or call 1-888-222-2542.

 

j.p@aggiemail.usu.edu