Month: February 2014

An entertaining and convenient cure for spring fever is crafting an inexpensive piece of new home décor.

While browsing Pinterest, I came across a picture of a dorm room that was decorated with photos clothespinned to various strands of Christmas lights. This simple, inexpensive project is a unique way of displaying photos in a college apartment with decorative limitations. 

I thought the materials would be cheap and easy to find, so I decided to try it out and give my bedroom a bit of a spring makeover.

This project is perfect for a college apartment or dorm because it’s very simple to assemble and take down without causing any damage to the walls. 

This isn’t just for college apartments with strict decoration rules. I hung this project in the bedroom of my home, and I love it. 

You’ll need clear push pins, clothespins, photo prints and three strands of Christmas lights. They can be plain, decorative or a combination of both.

I used one strand of plain lights that I already had at home leftover from the Christmas decorations, and I hung two strands of the fancier flower lights between the spaces.

The hardest part of this project was finding string lights during the non-Christmas season. After striking out at Wal-Mart, Target and Michael’s Arts and Crafts, I finally found a variation of the string lights at Lowe’s.

Instructions

 

1) String the lights across a wall, making sure the power cord on each strand of lights can reach an electrical outlet. Secure the ends of each strand with a clear push pin between the cords of the lights. 

Tip: Use the least amount of pins possible to minimize wall damage. 

2) Once the lights are hung, attach the photos to the light strands using clothespins.  Space the photos however close or far apart as you prefer. 

3) Plug in the light strand(s) and enjoy your new decoration.

Students found answers to lingering questions about future endeavors at the Dixie State University Employment Fair.

The DSU Career Center held the event in the Gardner Center Ballroom Wednesday afternoon. Mingling between numerous rows of booths, students searched for information about summer jobs, internships and career fields.

Steve Bringhurst, Career Center executive director, said the employment fair’s success depended on booking a wide-range of organizations to participate. The diversity helped bolster interest and attracted more students than in previous years, he said.

“The purpose was to find a nice, diverse group of employers  — some from inside the area and some from outside the area —  and then it was trying to make a connection with the students to make sure they knew what was going on,” Bringhurst said.

Career Center representatives drew students in with incentives like a “best dressed” award. Bringhurst said the fair provided numerous avenues for students to leave with knowledge and connections.

“If the students are smart enough to look around until they find the right employer, then I think there is a good opportunity to make a connection to either get hired after they graduate or to an internship,” he said. “We’re just trying to give them opportunities. It’s also a great opportunity to network with a variety of employers.”

Officials from various organizations provided students with informational pamphlets and visual aids.

Colleen Goff, Bryce Canyon National Park information technology specialist, said students often hold certain perceptions about employment with entities like the National Park Service. However, the fair provided students and employers a chance to create a different dialogue.

Goff listed opportunities, ranging from labor on restoration projects to business administration. Kariann Atkin, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah match support specialist and events coordinator, said her employer’s purpose, volunteering, covers one of numerous benefits the fair offered.

“I think there are a lot of great opportunities,” Atkin said. “They’re offering free tax services, they’re offering internships, and they’re offering job positions … so I think there’s a lot here to offer a student.”

For students, the event offered both long-term and short-term advice that builds upon coursework.

Cortnie Coleman, a freshman psychology major from Coalville, discussed future opportunities with representatives from her desired career field. She said she garnered valuable information that could help for years to come — not just during college.

For further information about the DSU Career Center and its events, visit dixie.edu/career. 

Dixie State University students have a lot of options when it comes to superb places to eat on or near campus. 

Not only are there multiple food choices within miles of campus, but there are also on-campus food options such as Stacks, Infusion, Red Rock Cafe and The Beast.

Here are some of Dixie students’ go-to food stops that are close to or on campus:

  

Buffalo Wild Wings

 

“B-Dubs” is a sports bar located on 270 S. River Road that specializes in wings. It opened at the end of last year, and college students are loving its delicious wings, not only for taste, but also for low prices. A lot of Dixie students have traditions to visit Buffalo Wild Wings every Tuesday or Thursday for their 60-cent wings.

“My favorite place to grub is, of course, B-Dubs,” said Steven Madsen, a junior business major from Redding, Calif. “Wings are life. Tuesdays are the day to go.”

Standout menu item: Boneless Barbecue Wings.

 

Durango’s

 

Durango’s Mexican Grill is located on 245 Red Cliffs Drive. It sells Burrangos, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, salads and soups. It is similar to Café Rio, but it has lower prices on most items.

“One of my favorite places to eat that is close to campus is Durango’s; their salads are fantastic,” said Emily Tanner, a junior nursing major from St. George. “It is also pretty cheap compared to other Mexican food.” 

Standout menu item: Chicken Salad

Stacks

 

Stacks is located in the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons building. It is very close to the library and studying area, so it is conveniently placed for students wanting to take a break from studying and grab a snack without even leaving the building. 

“My favorite item here at Stacks is our cookies,” said John Collier, a sophomore graphic design major from St. George and an employee at Stacks. “They’re gooey and delicious.”

Standout menu item: Chipotle Turkey Melt

 

Judd’s

  

Judd’s General Store sells soup, bread sticks, ice cream and old fashioned candy. Judd’s is located on 62 W. Tabernacle.

“Judd’s is excellent; I always get their soup and breadsticks,” said Allie Poulson, a freshman health science major from Eden. “The atmosphere is also very fun. I like the old-fashion style.” 

Standout menu item: Breadsticks

 

Infusion 

 

Infusion is a cafe located on the first floor of the Holland building. The menu includes smoothies, bakery items, coffee and other to-go snacks and drinks. 

“The house-made bagels at Infusion are bomb,” said Ian Parkinson, a sophomore health science major from American Fork. “It is also very close to where I spend a lot of my time, so it is convenient.”

Standout menu item: Bagels

Hopeless, regretful souls often wish for the existence of a time machine, but music is the best way to revisit the past.

With Beck’s 12th studio album, “Morning Phase,” he draws on the stripped-down acoustic tracks that made 2002’s “Sea Change” a classic. The similarities between the two albums are haunting, but rather than just regurgitating old work, Beck redevelops it.

Track two, “Morning,” imitates the opener of “Sea Change,” “The Golden Age.” The initial instrumental includes near-identical keys and spacey acoustics. In fact, for a bulk of the album, only a more edgy, less melancholy tone in Beck’s lyrics acts as the distinctive contrast between his two definitive albums.

The most notable element of “Sea Change” was the near-perfect string of songs near the album’s middle, “Guess I’m Doing Fine,” “Lonesome Tears” and “Lost Cause.” Although the trifecta presented listeners with Beck’s finest moment, the tracks were, well, just plain sad. He limits the doomsday this time around with songs like “Blackbird Chain” and “Country Down,” where meekness lingers but fails to engulf everything.

If “Sea Change” sounded melancholy in a crowded café, “Morning Phase” resembles restlessness in an empty bar.

“Unforgiven” includes one of Beck’s strongest vocal performances to date — a far cry from the rhymes he spat two decades ago. “Heart is a Drum” out-minimalizes anything from “Sea Change,” a difficult task since listeners noted how simple “Sea Change” sounded compared to Beck’s prior work.

Beck’s decision to record an album so similar to past work could come off as unoriginal. However, his ability to recapture such a beautiful moment in his career is amazing. Recently Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen all found late-career boosts that inspired them to record music as quality as during their primes. But that took almost three decades; Beck found a second wind after just 12 years.

And with the album’s first single, “Blue Moon,” any accusations of double-dipping cease, as it flows like nothing Beck has recorded.

Easily 2014’s best track so far, “Blue Moon” perfects and revolutionizes the idea of folk rock with layered strings and a catchy hook. If Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers didn’t base songwriting and composition techniques around corniness, their efforts may sound like this.

Such a vivid tune filled with numerous heart-grabbing undertones, the song’s only issue is this: It makes the rest of “Morning Phase” seem a bit bland and abstract.

The three most impressionable aspects of the album all come from “Blue Moon”— Beck’s belting of the first verse, the organic chords that usher in the chorus, and the final instrumental section. I’ve never found critiquing a song for being too awesome necessary, but if a time ever arose, it’s here. 

What follows “Blue Moon” can’t live up to the precedent it sets. The four tracks that precede the album’s standout song sound fine until listeners replay “Morning Phase” and realize the other 12 tracks aren’t on par.

However, other moments include snippets of what make “Blue Moon” successful. The aforementioned “Morning” includes a glow like blades of grass reflecting rays from the cloud-covered sun; “Say Goodbye” rolls faster than a nickel down a street gutter. Nothing compares to “Blue Moon,” but nothing lacks at least a portion of appeal.      

Although not as emotive or fluid as “Sea Change,” “Morning Phase” takes listeners back to the early-‘00s when indie folk was still new and Beck crafted an album so stellar it needed revisiting.

Final Rating: Four out of Five Suns    

Hearts are pounding to the blaring music in the over-sized, neon-lit, graffiti-covered room.

 

This is not a nightclub. This is The Underground.

 

The Underground is a brand-spanking-new group fitness boutique, located on 413 S. Dixie Drive, that opened its doors Feb. 3. The quirky new location offers Zumba, Barre and Kettlebell classes in a high-energy, colorful, alternative setting. You can learn more about the classes at undergroundfitnessevolved.com.

 

The Underground allows first-timers to join a class for free, and Wednesday classes are discounted at $5 for Dixie State University students.

 

The Underground owners Charles and Andrea Riggs said they strive to provide an original experience for everyone who enters the vibrant location.  

 

“The Underground is about group fitness,” Charles Riggs said. “We’re really unique because of our space. We have a 5,000-square-foot floor, we have a stage, and our floor is a floating floor. So it’s actually a wood floor that floats on top of padding, so there is some give to it, and it’s better on your joints.”

 

Charles Riggs makes a conscious effort to warmly greet every visitor and be more personal than the run-of-the-mill fitness instructor.

 

“(People) come here and they’re a part of The Underground — a part of the family,” Charles Riggs said. “All of our customers we know by name and at least a little bit about them and their story.”

 

Kola Weisbrich, a senior communication major from Inyokern, Calif., has experienced the warm and fuzzy feelings The Underground seems to generate.

 

“I think the whole atmosphere is different,” Weisbrich said. “I think the people that come are fun and accepting, and they just come for the workout and that personal experience. It feels like a big family.”

 

Weisbrich said she wants others to let go of their inhibitions and give The Underground classes a try.

 

“They turn off all the lights so you don’t have to feel concerned that everyone is going to see you,” Weisbrich said. “We’re all in there acting like idiots anyway, and it’s great. It’s just having fun and dancing, and we all look silly.”

 

Andrea Riggs said she and her husband opened The Underground with hopes to generate a sense of community within the boutique.

 

“We love fitness,” Andrea Riggs said. “We love helping people. Anyone is welcome here, not just people who look good at the gym. We want people with any shape, size, ethnicity, race or religion to come.”

 

Andrea Riggs encouraged people to take advantage of the first-time free pass and try out a class.

 

“We just want to spread love, health and fitness,” Andrea Riggs said. “This is a non-intimidating place to do it. It’s a fun place to work out. It’s a place to let go of your worries, and a byproduct of that is that you start looking better.”

And then there were two.

Student government election primaries took place Monday, and the three student body president candidates all vied for an opportunity to move on to general elections, which start today and end Friday. Gregory J. Layton and Clint Post captured the most votes, 172 and 166, respectively, to advance, while Samuel Jamison came in third with 126 votes received.

With just six votes separating them, both top candidates acknowledged the tight race and what that might mean in the general election.

“I’m more anxious,” said Post, a senior communication major from Weiser, Idaho.  “I’ve been telling people I’ll be relieved no matter what [Monday] — relieved of running or relieved [by making the general election], but as it turns out, I’m not relieved; I’m anxious.”

Layton said the primaries showed what’s in store while recounting his feelings upon seeing the results.

“It’s definitely a relief; I was a bit nervous [Monday] that I wasn’t going to be in the top two,” said Layton, a senior English major from Cottonwood Heights. “It shows that Clint is a guy who has a following, and … it shows I need to work really hard the rest of the week.”

Both Layton and Post said low voter turnout for primaries makes predicting what will happen in the general election difficult. The two candidates cited making students aware of the elections as a key point to winning.

“The biggest thing I can do to get people to support me is to get (the word) out that voting is going on and tell them how to vote because I feel like [students] just don’t know that voting is going on,” Layton said.

Post, who said he interacted with people from numerous groups on campus, said as elections wind down, he must continue building on what made him survive the primaries.

“I’d like to visit more with clubs and different departments, and just my biggest thing (is) if you feel like I’m the right candidate, then tell five of your friends,” Post said.

As the remaining candidates campaign, Jamison, a junior communication major from St. George, said the close primary election just hints at the number of students trying to make a difference at Dixie State University.

Jamison said though he came up short in the vote tally, he won’t waver in his attempts to help fellow students get the most from their experiences at DSU.

“I feel like my name is more out there now,” Jamison said. “I will do what I can to encourage people to get up and get involved in anything — athletics, the arts, clubs, you name it. I would encourage students to live to say that they experienced Dixie over just going to Dixie.”

In addition to the poll for student body president, students cast primary votes for both vice president of academics and vice president of clubs. For VP of academics, D’Andre Mathews outpolled Alex Lambson 270 to 188, and the lone candidate for VP of clubs, McKell Price, garnered 461 votes.

General elections begin today and end Friday at noon. To cast a vote, look for booths on campus or go to dixie.edu/elections.

Making mountains out of mole hills

In the February 19, 2014 edition of the Dixie Sun the Editorial staff published the combined opinion ed. “Our View”. Because the free, game day t-shirts used the phrase “Give ‘em the D” that it was somehow sexually explicate and therefore should not be used. I disagree.
The reasoning for my utter contempt and slight anger over this opt ed is this. Why is the Dixie Sun running amuck trying to find every provocative phrase and parading it in front of our faces. Why make mountains out of mole hills? Why try to turn every fun and innocent phrase into something hurtful when it is completely obvious that no harm was EVER intended. The fact is if you wanna be offended about something you can find it. Its happened time and time again at this university. First it was our beloved motto and mascote, the Dixie Rebels, changed because people read way too much into it and found it racist. Now its the letter D. It means something mean, lets get rid of that to. When is this policing of thought and creativity going to stop? What is at stake here is more than school spirit, it is our a beautiful and deep community spirit, tied into a rich and fantastic culture and history being eroded away by petty phrases and made up bigotry. We have a fantastic school history and culture why not embrace it rather erase it?