Month: September 2014

Phil Tuckett is an accomplished assistant communication professor who specializes in many different areas of film production.

“I’ve been doing this for 44 years, and I haven’t made my best film because it’s a life-long proposition,” Tuckett said.

Tuckett was on the San Diego Chargers football team for one season. During his off season, he wrote an article that was published for Sports Magazine called “How I Won My Lightning Bolt.” Shortly after that, he was hired by a man named Ed Sabol, founder of NFL Films.

Starting off, he was hard-working and dedicated. It eventually paid off when he won his first Emmy show awards for “Football America,” “Lost Treasures of NFL Films,” “100 Yard Universe” and “Autumn Ritual.” Today, Tuckett owns 30 Emmy awards.

Some of Tuckett’s favorite projects were “Faces of Evil,” “American Football” and “Blood From the Stone.”

He is the director of DocUtah film festival and digital film production at Dixie State University. Tuckett and his wife now have their own production company, Bristlecone Films. He has also worked with a variety of different artists such as B.B. King, Snoop Dogg, Cydni Lauper and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Tuckett spent most of his time working for NFL films, and before he started, he had no idea how to make a film.

“The concept of learning is by doing,” Tuckett said.

Tuckett said he wants students to gain a deeper understanding of film production and bring their dreams to life.

Tuckett’s students are currently working on 15 projects, and all of their classwork is based on individual projects they are working on.

“We are going over the film-making process, and I want to direct and write,” said Ashley Harrison, a junior communication major from St. George. “I’m hoping to learn how to since Tuckett has a lot of experience in the film industry.”

Not only is Tuckett a hard worker, but he is also an inspirational professor on campus.

“The amount of experience he has in film production and being friends with Snoop Dogg — everyone should aspire to make those business connections in life,” said Hailen Jackson, a junior communication major from St. George.

When Tuckett and his wife opened Bristlecone Films, they decided to name it after Tuckett’s livelihood. 

“Bristlecone pine is the oldest living thing on the earth, and they grow so slowly,” Tuckett said. “I felt like my career was like that. The older I get, the better I am at what I do; that would be a good goal to have being the longest-living film director.”

Tuckett said Bristlecone production company is more of a side job to him because he is more interested in helping DSU students succeed.

“When I got the offer to come back to teach, I found that a lot of the things I wanted to do with my production company I could accomplish with the students,” Tuckett said.

One of the successes recently was from Tuckett’s documentary class. “My Fathers Highway,” produced by the students, opened at DocUtah.

Tuckett said CMI staff Ben Braten is very important to DSU’s digital film program, and he provides expertise, new technology and creative visions.

“Ben and I work very closely together, and he is just as responsible for the growth and success for this program,” Tuckett said.

Tuckett said he is dedicated to making the program better and more beneficial for the students, hoping that one day the DSU digital film program will grow to something as big as Julliard.

There are five little words that always put me in a cold, horrifying sweat: “We should workout together sometime.”

Upon hearing these words I always manage to slap on a forced-eager smile and lie through my teeth: “Yeah, that sounds great. Maybe sometime next week.” However, next week never seems to work out because the truth is I despise working out with people.

I’m not into group classes where motivational yelling is encouraged or hour-long elliptical sessions filled with gossip and chit-chat. I prefer quiet runs or self-motivated, Ice Cube-filled weight lifting sessions. 

A simple Google search will tell you that working out with a friend or with a group results in a better workout. Articles on top of articles will say a running buddy or a gym partner will keep you motivated and hold you accountable. On the other hand, there is slim to no information about the benefits of exercising solo. But I’m here to tell you there are limitless benefits to working out alone.

My friends who swear by group fitness classes always say they work out “so much harder” with other people. They promise working out alone is simply an excuse to slack off. While I think it’s good that my friends recognize what they need in a workout regimen, I also think it’s important to learn how to conquer and push yourself without needing another person to hold you accountable and encourage you. 

There is something very validating in pushing yourself to the limit just for the sake of showing yourself what you can do. Mastering yourself at the physical level can translate to other aspects of your life. According to an article on www.briancalkins.com, improved focus, confidence and the ability to complete tasks directly linked to improved fitness levels.

An article on www.fitsugar.com sang praises about solo workouts. The article stated a positive part of working out solo is that the type and intensity of a workout can be completely personalized and conquered. I’ve been on countless runs with friends where I constantly worried about whether or not I was running too slow or too fast, thinking “How much longer?” and “Kill me now!” instead of focusing on my body and the task at hand.

Me-time is rare. Most of us are rarely alone. Me-time, though, tends to result in reflection, and reflection can result in growth and change. When I’m in the zone on the treadmill, there is no room for anyone or anything else so I am able to narrow in on my mind, body and soul. When people hear the word meditation, cross-legged hippies usually come to mind, but really, solo workouts can be a form of meditation and can provide a sort of spiritual experience.

People should find an exercise program that fits their life and personal needs, but I’ve observed solo workouts to be the unsung hero of the fitness world. So I encourage everyone to try to incorporate independent workouts and see how it can help improve not only your health, but all areas of your life.

Among the serene hills of Coral Canyon, family members, friends and supporters will be gathering to remember those lost to suicide and to raise awareness during the annual Out Of The Darkness Community Walk.

The walk gives participants a chance to talk about suicide, how it has affected them, and what can be done to prevent it while connecting with others.  

The walk, an event featured by The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, takes place Saturday at Highland Park in Washington. The event starts at 9 a.m. with registration and check-in.

“[The event] is an opportunity to walk in honor of those we’ve lost to suicide and to honor those who are still here and struggle with suicide ideation,” said Tina Hender, St. George resident and AFSP Utah chapter board member. “[The walk] gives a foundation of hope, a place to be accepted, and not judged for mental illness.”

Lynn Bjorkman, St. George resident and National Alliance on Mental Illness community liaison and Reach4Hope co-director, said the walk is a culminating event that goes in conjunction with Suicide Awareness and Prevention Week. 

“[The walk will] help in the healing process of the family members, who are survivors,” Bjorkman said. “[Those] who suffer [the] pain like no other get a great deal of healing by participating in these walks.”  

Support from the community and participation in the walk gives AFSP members funds to purchase materials and obtain training to be available for those who need help, Hender said.

The walk opens up with a ceremony to share personal stories about the beads participants wear. The beads signify lost loved ones; specific colors have meaning. 

Blue means support the cause, green means one struggles with self harm, white means the loss of a child, red the loss of a spouse and orange the loss of a sibling, Hender said. 

This year, a memory quilt is being created with photos of those who have been lost to suicide. 

“We provide all of the different things that people would need … [when they] just don’t know where to turn,” Hender said. “It provides them with support. It gives them the option to seek the right people to get help from.”

Hender hopes to raise $15,000. So far $7,000 has been donated.

Hender said fifty percent of the money raised will go toward purchasing educational materials for schools in Utah.

The funds helped Hender obtain training to facilitate a local support group.

The other 50 percent contributes to AFSP’s research, which emphasizes studying mental illness, Hender said.

AFSP also works with local organizations National Alliance on Mental Illness, Reach4Hope and Southwest Behavioral Health Center, Hender said. 

NAMI is an organization that helps support and educate families who have loved ones who suffer from mental illness and those who cope with mental illness, Bjorkman said.

“Ninety percent of all suicides are all related to depression and or substance abuse,” Bjorkman said. “If you have any mental illness, particularly depression, the risk is far greater.”

Reach4Hope is a coalition that educates the community on suicide prevention and offers support for survivors, Bjorkman said.

This will be Hender’s third walk. Suicide prevention and awareness is an extremely personal cause to her; she is a two-time survivor of suicide loss. 

“[The walk] brings people to a point where the fear [of talking about suicide] is gone,” Hender said. “It removes that stigma, it removes the fear and gives people freedom to feel accepted or understood.”

Pre-registration is encouraged through the website www.afsp.org/walk. 

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, contact The Suicide Hotline at 800-273-8255 or the Southwest Behavioral Health Center at 435-634-5600. 

If readers would like to submit photos of a loved one lost to suicide for the quilt, contact Tina Hender at 801-529-4895 or southernutahafsp@gmail.com.

For more information on NAMI or Reach4Hope, contact Lynn Bjorkman at 435-256-8351 or bjorkfmly@msn.com.

The Dixie Forum on Sept. 16 featured a Dixie State University student who shared his insights on technology in education.

Kai Anderson, a junior computer science major from St. George, addressed a handful of students, faculty and staff and community members. Anderson shared with the audience how technology can be beneficial to both students and faculty and staff.

Communication assistant professor Eric Young said he embraces the use of technology in the classroom.

Education was created to produce a workforce in the 1930s, Young said. The country has advanced, but the education system has not, and that is a problem.

Anderson took a moment during his lecture to put into perspective just how influential technology is in the lives of today’s students.

He said children born in 1995 have never known a world without cell phones.

“Those kids are college students now,” Anderson said. “Those kids – are us.” 

The society we live in is so fast-paced that it is hard to just sit and listen, Anderson said. If teachers would allow, even encourage, students to use their mobile devices, it could improve overall engagement. There are multiple apps that are education-based that are helpful to students, rather than distracting.

Notability is an app that allows you to take notes on your tablet during class, Anderson said. You can type, draw, attach or take a photo, embed info from the web and record an audio version of the lecture. 

“I would be listening to the lecture while reviewing my own notes,” Anderson said. “It’s like a triple attack. You really nail down the information this way.” 

There is a speed-reader app that allows you to copy and paste a section of text into the program, set the words per minute reading rate and then “spreed,” Anderson said.

“If you sat a book in front of me, I would lose my place and get distracted, but when it is coming at me one word at a time, it is easier to digest,” He said.

Apps aren’t the only educational resources for students, Anderson said. Plenty of resources can be found on the Internet, too.

Bridging the gap between teachers not wanting students to use technology during class and students using technology is crucial, Anderson said. Anderson thinks as teachers become more aware of the resources that technology offers there will be improvement.

Technology is a constructivist channel. It encourages creation, which is what the education system needs, Young said. Using technology during class allows students to search the lecture topic and increase their understanding and knowledge.

“A lot of teachers don’t want technology in the classroom because it is smarter than them,” Young said. “Even if not all of the students are using technology for good, I am not going to shut down that constructivist channel for those that are. What teachers need to focus on is being engaging enough that students don’t lose interest in them and resort to finding their information or entertainment elsewhere.” 

It might be hard for students to convey that they are using their technology for good, Young said. 

If you are going to use technology in class, just follow what the teacher says about technology use in his/her syllabus, said Chase Burch, a freshman biology major from Visalia, California. 

“I don’t use technology in all of my classes,” Burch said. “I only use it when the teachers are OK with it.”

Classes are offered every month at the Apple campus store, located on the second floor of the Gardner Center, on how to use technology effectively in the classroom, Anderson said.

Classes take place on the fourth Thursday of each month (except Thanksgiving) in conference room B at 4 p.m.

1. Show up to class with Dre Beats blasting Eminem — 25 minutes after class starts.
2. Every time an assignment is due, explain that your printer broke and ask if you can email it.
3. Eat Panda Express in class.
4. Poke them on Facebook.
5. Don’t go to any of the classes but rip them apart on ratemyprofessor.com for not catering to your learning style.