Month: August 2012

Inclement weather pulled Club Rush from its usual W.O.W. time slot, but clubs from every corner of campus are excited to be out sweating and recruiting to get students involved this year.

Dixie State College club representatives set up booths and tables along the Diagonal in hopes of enticing students to join.

“Involvement is always a good thing on campus, and Club Rush is a pretty darn good successful way to get people to sign up for things and be involved on campus,” said Dominick Kiefer, a sophomore English major from Mt. Pleasant.

Club Rush is not only a great publicity tool for clubs on campus, but it is also an easy way for students to get an idea of what is offered on campus.

“For us, it’s more to get publicity and our name out,” said Orchestra Club president Katelyn Wall, a senior music major from Centerville. “So many people go, ‘Oh, I didn’t even know we had an orchestra,’ so that’s really helpful for us.”

Other students in attendance weighed in on why they considered Club Rush to be an integral part of the DSC experience.

“I think it gives students an opportunity to get involved in things that they are interested in and share interests with people from thousands of miles away that they never would have known before,” said Kaylee Litson, a senior psychology major from St. George.

One student suggested that, without Club Rush, clubs on campus might not be as popular as they are.

“Club Rush gives freshmen and even seniors the opportunity to see all the clubs we have here at Dixie and what they want to be involved in,” said Marlee Gubler, a freshman business major from London, Canada. “If we didn’t have Club Rush, they probably wouldn’t even know what clubs we have or where to sign up or what they do as organizations, so it’s a great way to get involved and learn about all of it.”

So whether you’re looking for friends, sparking an interest or you just want handfuls of free candy and swag, stop by the Diagonal for Club Rush Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to see what’s happening on campus this year.

From stories about fun roommates to bug problems, multiple students with differing housing situations shared their best and worst experiences about where they live.

Whether living on campus, off campus or at home with their parents, students discussed both upsides and downsides of each living situation, so the best places to live while going to college are still up for debate.

DeVante Williams, a junior communication major from Palmdale, Calif., said he is pretty satisfied with where he lives on campus. Williams said he had originally lived at the on-campus apartments, Chancellor, but he moved because of roommate issues.

“Nothing was wrong with (Chancellor),” Williams said. “I liked it, but my roommates were mean.”

As of now, Williams lives at Shiloh Hall, which is also on campus. Shiloh Hall features a single room living space.

“I wanted the single room, so I switched,” Williams said.

Williams also said that one of the best things about living on campus is how close he is to his classes. He said it’s easier because he doesn’t have to walk very far.

However, there is one thing Williams would change about Shiloh Hall if he had the chance.

“The bathrooms are kind of small, but other than that it’s a pretty solid space,” Williams said.

Shiloh Hall is for men only, while Chancellor provides housing for both males and females. The Nisson Towers are also on campus and house men and women.

When it comes to living off campus, students have at least a dozen options. Kasey Fox, a sophomore communication major from Kanab, lives at Rebel’s Roost. Rebel’s Roost is one of a dozen off-campus apartments offered specifically to students.

Fox said he lives with eight people in one apartment and he loves it because it’s like coming home to a party. He added that he chose Rebel’s Roost because all his friends lived there, and he wanted to start living away from his parents.

“Ultimately, being away from my parents is what’s fun,” Fox said.

Fox also said Rebel’s Roost is one of the better-priced apartments at about $1,150 per semester. The Red Rock Ridge, which is another off-campus option, starts at about $2,880 per semester. When he and his friends thought about moving somewhere else, they realized they actually didn’t want to leave.

“We realized how expensive everywhere else was, and further away from campus, so…there weren’t a lot of reasons to leave,” Fox said.

However, Fox did mention what he disliked most about Rebel’s Roost.

“Bugs,” Fox said. “There are bugs of all sorts. Last year there was a really bad cockroach problem, but lately I haven’t seen any—lots of crickets though.”

In addition, Fox said he wished the rooms weren’t so small, but overall he likes where he lives.

Jillian Schmutz, a sophomore integrated studies major from St. George, lives at home with her dad, who pays for things like food and car insurance. She said she sees no reason to move out.

While Schmutz said living at home is much cheaper than living on her own, there is only one reason why she would move out.

“I’d move out to be closer to the school, so I wouldn’t drive as much,” Schmutz said.

Altogether, Schmutz said she likes being close to her family.

Shelby Paige, a freshman general education major from St. George, isn’t as satisfied. She lives at home with her parents, and she said she can’t really focus on her academics.

“I need my own space to be able to work on my homework and not have everyone in my house running around,” Paige said.

Paige said she would rather get an apartment than live on campus, but she would consider it as an option. Currently Paige is struggling with the finances required to move.

“I’m trying to get another job so that I can afford to move out,” Paige said. “That’s probably the only reason I haven’t.”

While popular factors that contribute to choosing a place to live might be friends, family and location, most situations tend to be determined ultimately by money.

“I actually had to take only two classes this semester because I was short on money,” Fox said. “It’s kind of slowing me down.”

Williams said if he did try to move off campus he’d have to get a roommate to split the rent.

“It’s more expensive to live off campus because you actually have to pay your bills,” Williams said.  “At least with housing you just pay the rent.”

Loud music and flashing lights turned the North Instructional Building plaza into Dixie State College’s own dance club with a twist: lots and lots of foam.

For returning students, this year topped past years. And for the new students it was a great introduction to DSC and the events to come in their years of school. Between the music, the lights, the atmosphere, and of course the foam, this year’s dance provided a great environment for students to let loose, have fun and meet new people.

A lot of hype surrounded the foam dance this year with DJ Marcus Wing as the entertainer for the event. Students screamed, jumped and fist pumped along with the music. Emily Perkins, a freshman general education major from Hurricane, said the music made it better than last year.

“It’s a great welcome to Dixie and shows new students Dixie can be a fun school,” Perkins said.

Wing definitely knew how to keep the students interested and excited throughout the dance with lots of lighting effects that splashed across the audience. He also tossed out glow sticks that turned the crowd of students into a wave of multicolor light that moved with the beat.

The music played was all current and included pop and hip-hop singers like Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj. Wing also played a wide variety of dubstep and dubstep remixes of popular songs as well, which satisfied a wide array of musical tastes.

For many students this was the first time they had been to an event like this. Madison Frasier, a freshman education major from Kaysville, said she didn’t know what to expect coming into the dance.

“I didn’t expect the foam to be on the ground like that,” Frasier said, “but it was fun to play in the foam.”

As with any campus event, the foam dance was also a great place for students to mingle and make new friends. James Williams, a freshman biology major from Salt Lake City, said he enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of the dance.

“I’m really excited everyone is dancing and not being shy,” Williams said.

Whether it was the music, the dancing, or the mess of foam, it seemed students were thoroughly pleased with how this year’s foam dance went down and look forward to the continuing events  as they attend Dixie State College. 

Though crazy parties and late nights at Denny’s are part of the college experience, seasoned college students also know all about the less-than-fun times that lie ahead.

For instance, a common trap students fall into freshman year is using their time unwisely.

Nash McIntosh, a sophomore general education from Las Vegas, said students should get studying in before they start the fun times.

“Say I have an hour between classes—I use it to work on my homework instead of hanging around my room watching Netflix,” he said. “If I get it done throughout the day, it doesn’t take as long and I have more time later on to do other things.”

Derek Oliver, a senior psychology major from St. George and a tutor in the Tutoring Center, said he recommends just going to class.

“If you’re just not going to class (or) you’re not reading, thinking you can coast by, that’s when I see a lot of problems,” he said.

Some students say freshmen should come into college aware of the heightened expectations from college professors.

“From kindergarten to 12th grade, it’s all about good effort,” said Katie Galicia, a sophomore dental hygiene major from St. George. “When you get to college, you have to understand everything you’ve been taught.”

When it comes to professors, Katherine Kirkland, a senior English major from St. George, said she recommends students check out websites such as ratemyprofessor.com, where they can find other student opinions of professors on campus.

“I really liked having a place to go where I could preview what teachers were good,” she said. “It helped me a few times to select a teacher when I didn’t know who to select. Now, certainly you can ask around, but when you’re new, you don’t know (anyone).”

But while some professors are intimidating and unfriendly, lecturer Julia Combs said most professors want their students to approach them.

“Talk to the professor,” she said. “Don’t be intimidated about talking to a professor about any concern you have…most of us are here because we really enjoy being around the students. So ask questions.”

While college is a good time to do some soul searching, Valerie Butler, a senior integrated studies major, said students should find a focus quickly.

“I think the biggest thing is take it seriously,” she said. “Decide what you want. Once you know what you want, it answers all the rest of your questions…you know exactly what classes you want (and) you know exactly where to go.”

Dixie Sun News reporter Ashlee Millett interviews students of Dixie State College to get the details on what they did with their summer.