UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | March 28, 2024

It’s time to rally student body, community

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The pride I feel for Dixie State University should be reinforced by the DSU Student Association in the form of daily, face-to-face interaction. 

I spent my freshman year of college at the University of Utah, and I left with unexpected feelings of dignity for the community. 

That’s just it — the university created a special community there. There is no separation between campus and city. It’s all-inclusive. There was always something going on, and I was never left out. 

The Associated Students of the University of Utah often had booths set up promoting different clubs, activities, vendors and much more. This made it feel as though there was always something going on, even if there wasn’t. Sometimes they were just there to talk and sell university merchandise. I was, in a sense, forced to be involved. The booths sparked my interest, and I chatted with members of ASUU at least once every week. It wasn’t long before they started to know my name. 

Compared to such a large university, one would think students would clearly be better represented here at the much smaller DSU.

False. 

I’m more invisible here. There is a complete separation between home and school. I never go home with pride or appreciation for my university. The pride I have for Dixie doesn’t extend beyond the classroom. 

When I graduated from high school, I wanted to live in a city where the university was embraced wholly. It’s obvious that Salt Lake City and St. George are two totally different communities, but the vast difference is still surprising.

It’s up to the DSUSA and the university’s clubs to rally up the student body and the community. Since we are still considered a smaller university, there is no excuse for the clubs on campus or DSUSA’s lack of involvement in our lives.

Events like the heath fair or the career fair are a great place to start. However, many students aren’t able to attend specific events because of scheduling issues. If different clubs placed booths spontaneously around campus, they would see more student interest. This would be an excellent opportunity for the members of DSUSA to get to know the student body in a casual setting.

I suggest setting the booths up where most students walk daily, the Holland building, for example. Passing by, students would want to know what’s happening and approach those in the booth. Booths are unique because they spark interest and can inspire students to actively engage in DSU.

That image is the kind that instills the sense of belonging within students — not more parties. 

From what I have experienced, students who get involved tend to excel academically. If there were booths set around on campus promoting activities, at least once a week, students would at least feel involved no matter what. Communication is key, and the effort is what matters. Promote a variety of activities, not the ones that are predicted to be the most popular.

I would love to see DSU flags hanging from shop windows and in people’s front yards. Now that we are a university, it’s time our community and student body recognized it. We need some help. Let’s raise the campus and the community to the university’s status.

DSUSA, I am calling out to you. Let’s become the university we deserve to be. Recognize your talented student body. Get to know us. Listen to us. We want our college years to be the most memorable they can be. Help us integrate our home lives here at DSU. Let’s turn it up a notch.