UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | March 19, 2025

Month: March 2015

Time needed to put together women’s swim team

by Karli KuhnPosted on

By the 2016-17 season, Dixie State University will be making a splash.

This may seem like a long ways a way, but this time is essential to create a quality team for DSU. 

New sports at Dixie do not require certain amount of time for recruiting before the team actually starts, but it is a courtesy to let the coach have enough time to create a good team, Athletic Director Jason Boothe said.

Many athletes in high school need time to decide whether or not they want to play a sport in college, and this allows them that time, Boothe said.

Other teams have also already made their meet schedules; this grace period makes things fairer for teams, players and coaches, Boothe said.

“It has been a lot more effective to give the coach time to get recruits, as well as two or four-year transfers,” Boothe said.

Most coaches on campus are part-time, so the process of hiring a new coach when there is a new sport announced is flexible. The athletic department hopes to have a women’s swimming coach announced by the end of April.

Women’s golf was the last sport that the athletic department announce. Before that was cross-country and women’s tennis.

Every coach who is hired is then in charge of finding recruits for his or her team. The coach will keep track of players and decide whether or not he or she wants to actively recruit that athlete to be a part of Dixie’s team, Boothe said.

Dixie State women’s head golf coach Rachel Harmon said the recruiting process is difficult.

“Finding the selling point of Dixie State and being a part of something new is the key,”  Harmon said. 

Finding the students and letting them know that Dixie is here and a good option for them is important, Harmon said. 

Funding is also essential for new sports. The athletic department gives each sport  a certain amount of money, and the coach and team members are responsible for the rest.

Harmon said fundraising helps a lot when starting up a new sport as well as support from athletes’ family, neighbors and sport enthusiasts. The money that is raised helps purchase equipment, uniforms, facilities and scholarships.

The golf team has been a part of Dixie for three years now, and Harmon said the success of the team really helps with the support of the community and the amount of funds that come in.

“With all new sports, the team must have support in order to secure the good athletes,” Harmon said.

The women’s swim team will need the same support to become successful, Boothe said . 

“The addition of a swimming team will hopefully be really successful in a community like St. George,” Boothe said.

Many of the local youth teams have good athletes that want to compete in a college setting, Boothe said. 

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PISA celebrates cultural diversity with luau

by Haylie AndersonPosted on

Cultural dances from the Pacific came all the way to Dixie State University on Saturday for luau guests at the end of Diversity Week.

The dances were performed by the Pacific Islander Student Association; each dance represented different Pacific islands. 

Vika Havili, president of the PISA club and a junior biology major from Salt Lake City, was in charge of putting the luau together.

“It was not easy to organize the luau, but my favorite part was the dancing, for sure,” Havili said.

Havili said the members of the PISA all have different backgrounds but share similar values, so they understand each other. She said diversity is amazing to her and she was glad to help showcase the different cultures.

Lahela Manning, advisor of the Multicultral Diversity Center, said her favorite part of the luau was being able to see all the students get to showcase their culture.

“I literally get goosebumps when I hear our cultural music and [when I] see and hear that students have [the opportunity] to learn about [the] culture,” Manning said.

The first island represented was Hawaii. The dances performed were cultural dances that have been passed down from generations. The music was filled with drum beats, chanting and other unique sounds. 

After the Hawaiian dances came the dances from Samoa. The emcee for the luau said Samoans are known as the happy people. They enjoy life and being together with family and friends; the dances are the same way. The costumes were bright and the beat of all the songs were fast.

The next set of dances came from the area of New Zealand. The music played during the dances was a deep sound, comprised of hollowed out items made from wood, along with chanting.

The Tahitian dances that followed celebrated almost all life occasions. The most common instruments that you could hear in the music was a conch-shell, flute and drums.

The last island showcased was Tonga. Tongan dances are usually stories that are sung and danced by those who are telling the stories. The dances build just like the stories — they started with only two dancers and then more dancers were added to the dance as it went on.

“I think the luau reminds people about our culture,” Havili said. “[The dances] are a huge part of who we are and I love see everyone else enjoy it as much as I do.”

Manning said it is a great thing for not only the students but also the community to get to witness the culture.

“[The luau] is a great event because it teaches Dixie students and community members about the Polynesian spirit,” Manning said.

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Baseball streaking, softball downed by SUU

by Porter LarsenPosted on

Dixie State baseball and softball continued to garner national attention with impressive sweeps over Academy of Art and Colorado Mesa University. 

Baseball 

Dixie State baseball had a four-game sweep of Academy of Art at Bruce Hurst field this weekend. 

DSU exploded in the first game of the series on Friday night, when it scored 21 runs en route to the blowout win over A of A. The Red Storm, winners of 18 of their last 19 games, gave up the first two runs of the game to the Knights before the offensive explosion. Junior Porter Clayton earned the victory on the mound, and senior second baseman Yuto Kata went 4-4 from the plate with five RBIs in the 21-3 win. Senior infielder, Kevin Kline, psychology major from Las Vegas, was also perfect on the day, going 2-2 with four runs. 

“We’re playing fundamental baseball,” Kline said. “Even when we are down as we were this weekend, we have guys step up with huge at-bats which has given us a lot of confidence in those situations.” 

The confidence Kline spoke of continued to show in the second game of the series, as the Storm continued their dominance on the diamond. Freshman Dylan File earned his first career complete game. File threw 99 pitches on Friday night, retiring the first 14 batters he faced and striking out six batters on his way to the 6-1 win. 

On Saturday, the Storm kept the heat up in another double-header. Once again, A of A struck first, scoring three unanswered runs before DSU took over. Kata and sophomore infielder Drew McLaughlin both went 3-4 from the plate, combining for three runs scored and three RBIs. Sophomore pitcher Tanner Howell earned his second win of the season in a relief effort, where he retired all 10 batters he faced in the 11-4 win. 

“We struggled defensively this week,” head coach Chris Pfatenhauer said. “Our guys were so strong at the plate that we were able to overcome it. Our goal is to get better every day, and I think we took a step back from that on defense this week so we will be working on cleaning up our errors and fielding.” 

Looking to close out the sweep of the Knights, DSU needed a big play from junior catcher Sam Hall to get the 10-6 victory. With the game tied 3-3, Hall stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and cranked one over the right field wall. The grand-slam proved to be just what the Storm needed, as they won with a 4-run margin. 

DSU improved to 20-8 overall and 15-1 in Pacific West Conference play.

Next, The Storm head west to California to face Fresno Pacific in a four-game series beginning on Thursday. 

Softball 

Riding a 23-game winning streak, the longest in the nation, the Red Storm traveled north to Cedar City to face Division I rival Southern Utah University. 

A late rally was not enough to keep the streak alive for the Storm as the team dropped its first game since Valentines Day. SUU scored three unanswered runs in the sixth inning to put it on top 5-3. Dixie tried to storm back in the final inning, but the Thunderbirds stifled the comeback attempt, stranding what would’ve been the winning run on first base. Junior catcher Autumn Woodfall went 3-4 in the loss. 

Following the loss, the Storm looked to start up another streak against non-conference foe Colorado Mesa University. DSU exploded against Mavericks in the two-game series on Thursday. 

Facing an early deficit, DSU scored nine unanswered runs to put the Mavs away. Senior catcher Marla Reiter and senior second baseman Nicole Chavez both had two-run bombs in the game, pushing DSU to the win 9-2 in game one. Senior Michelle Duncan stayed perfect on the season from the circle, improving to 17-0. Duncan said it was very important to rebound following the loss to SUU. 

“I think we bounced back really well from the loss,” Duncan said. “The offense really came alive against CMU.” 

The second leg of the double-header belonged entirely to Dixie State. Aryn Feickert, recently named PacWest Pitcher of the Week, didn’t allow a run from CMU all game long. Offensively, Reiter smacked another homer in the third inning, her team-high seventh of the season. Sophomore shortstop Josey Hartman and sophomore pitcher Brooklyn Beardshear each added two-run bombs to seal the 9-0 victory. 

Freshman outfielder Janessa Bassett earned PacWest Newcomer of the Week for her efforts  in the series. Bassett, a biology major from Stansbury Park, attributes the great play to the teams chemistry. 

“I think we are playing so well because we are just going out there and having fun,” Bassett said. “We all get along so well on and off the field. We have a lot of fun, but at the same time we keep the intensity and seriousness that the game requires.” 

With the wins, DSU improved to 31-6 overall and stayed 20-0 in the PacWest. 

Next for the Storm is a six-game California road trip beginning against California Baptist University on Friday. 

 

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Dixie Fest random, successful

by Payton DavisPosted on

The music played was as much of a hodgepodge as the event itself.

Prior to Dixie Fest 2K15’s start, a hip-hop remix of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” blared through speakers out onto the Encampment Mall, this year’s concert location. Later, disc jockeys competing in the inaugural DJ Battle mashed up classic rock, disco and techno. And finally, rap duo OCD: Moosh & Twist took the stage to headline the concert Dixie State University students said included enough differing aspects that there was probably something for everyone.  

Laura Alley, a senior music major from Bountiful, said she attended Dixie Fest mostly to hear final DSU Student Association election results, but two words summed up her experience on Friday night.

“Very random — I can tell that student government put in a lot of effort, and I think that what they have created is really great,” she said.

Students and community members filed into the venue, and the DJ Battle ushered in the night. A panel of judges listened to the six contestants’ 10-minute sets, the DJs’ performances ranging from ‘70s and ‘80s-inspired to infused with EDM motifs popular on radio today.

Dallin Keil, performing as DJK, took first, winning $1,000 and a chance to DJ the post-concert dance.

Keil said he came into the contest expecting tight production and sound, and those qualities — put together by Utah DJ Marcus Wing — didn’t disappoint.

As for his battle-winning setlist, Keil said it reflected the music he’s listened to since his youth.

“I just took what I grew up listening to,” he said. “I know a lot of kids like [newer hits], but I put a West Coast feel to it. I’m not really into techno.”

DSUSA also utilized Dixie Fest 2K15 to announce this year’s election results. Jill Wulfenstein, a senior integrated studies major from Pahrump, Nevada, and DSUSA vice president of student life, said students casted more than 2,000 votes, and she called the winners up to the stage.

Warren Anderson, VP of academics elect, and Tim Long, VP of clubs elect, were called first. Then Wulfenstein announced Matt Devore as 2015-16’s student body president, and after chants from the crowd, Devore addressed DSU students for the first time.

“I’d just like to thank you for all the support,” said Devore, a junior integrated studies major from Mesquite, Nevada. “I had a lot of people on my side … I just want to give a huge shout out to them; without them it’s not possible. We have a great team up here, and we’re going to do some big things next year.”

OCD: Moosh and Twist ended the night with an hour of rapping both older tracks that have helped them garner a modest online following and also a few new songs. The two MCs stood on risers on the Dixie Fest stage, backed by their drummer, and encouraged the crowd to participate throughout.

“We all have [tough stuff] going on at home and in our lives,” Moosh said to the crowd. “Tonight, though, none of that matters at Dixie State no matter what you’re going through at home.”

But one critique of Dixie Fest was that it sent students home a bit too early.

Before performing their final tracks, Moosh and Twist said that because of ordinances, their performance had to end promptly at 9:30 p.m. — in time for the post-dance that Keil hosted.

Attendees booed, and Caleb Jones, a freshman biology major from Monroe, said his main complaint about Dixie Fest was its early end.

Wulfenstein planned the event because of her position on DSUSA and said exhaustive preparation helped prevent obstacles like sound issues that plagued last year’s Dixie Fest.

With no apparent hitches, Dixie Fest 2K15 allowed her and others who put time into the event to spend a minute or two Friday night to observe their efforts come to fruition.   

“There’s a moment that you have: The field was empty, and then you get to see everything come together,” she said. “… I took a moment, and this time when everyone was in place, sound was going, OCD was going, I walked to the Gardner where I could see everything and just kind of stood there for a moment and took it all in.”

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DSU basketball season ends with madness

by Porter LarsenPosted on

Dixie State men’s basketball faced a little madness of its own this March with two tournament games and a heart-breaking, buzzer-beating finish. 

After winning a Pacific West Conference title, beating four nationally ranked opponents and breaking numerous records, the Dixie State men’s basketball team finished off the season earlier this month. 

The 2014-15 season started off slow as DSU struggled to string wins together and stood at 4-4 just a couple of weeks into the season. 

Junior guard Robbie Nielson, a business administration major from Gresham, Oregon, was admittedly worried about the beginning of the year. 

“Honestly, with that kind of start, I was nervous,” Nielson said. “A lot of people were, but we started to play more together and really started to mesh on and off the court.” 

The togetherness Nielson is talking about was never more prevalent than it was when the team took a 10-day trip to Hawaii over winter break, a trip that head coach Jon Judkins said was unequivocally the most important stretch of the season. 

“If you can go on that Hawaii road trip and win the majority of your games, it can really turn your season around,” Judkins said. “For us, something started to click in Hawaii, and we really got going.” 

Nielson said the trip had a similar effect for the team. 

“On long trips like that, we spend so much time together that we learn to get along and just be ourselves around each other,” Nielson said. “It keeps things a little lighter so we aren’t so up tight, which helps a lot.” 

While in the Aloha State, the Storm won their final two games by beating Chaminade and Brigham Young University-Hawaii. At the time, BYU-H was sitting atop the PacWest at 10-1 and ranked No. 18 in the nation. DSU outscored the Seasiders by 21 points in the second half en route to a 92-81 victory.

Following the exciting comeback win, DSU would face its toughest competition of the season in No. 13 ranked Azusa Pacific and No. 10 ranked Cal Baptist. 

Azusa came into the game riding the longest winning-streak in Division II, 14 games. The game finished in a wild overtime when DSU scored 18 points in the extra period and fended off a 39-point outing from PacWest Player of the Year, Troy Leaf. DSU won 97-91. 

Next, DSU welcomed No. 10 CBU to Burns Arena. Cal Baptist came into the matchup without a conference loss, but that was about to change. Dixie came out firing and shot 50 percent from the field on the day. Four players scored in double-figures, and DSU won its third consecutive game against a ranked opponent, 82-79. 

DSU then lost to APU on the road before going on another win streak. The Storm went on to win their next eight games, solidifying their spot a top the PacWest. With one game remaining in the regular season, against Point Loma Nazarene, DSU was tied with APU for the conference lead. 

The game against PLNU would be host to senior night at Burns Arena, when DSU honored the four seniors that will be moving on after this season: Guard DeQuan Thompson, center Zach Robbins, center Jordan Rex and guard Connor Van Brocklin. Thompson and Robbins played an integral part on this season’s team, while Rex and Van Brocklin had seasons plagued with injuries. 

DSU controlled the game from start to finish, winning the game and the conference title in a 76-60 contest. The win clinched a share of the team’s fifth conference championship in the last six years, making DSU the only team in Division II basketball to do so. 

“After the way we started the year, if you would’ve told me we would go on to win the conference title, I would’ve told you that you were crazy,” Jon Judkins said. 

The Storm clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and would face BYU-H once again. The Seasiders put on an offensive clinic, shooting 55 percent from the field and knocking down 11 of 24 from beyond the arc on the way to a 98-75 win over DSU.

Despite the loss, Dixie received an at-large bid into the NCAA DII tournament as a 4-seed. It would face the No. 1 defense in the nation and the same team that knocked it out of the tournament two of the last four years, Cal Poly Pomona. 

A tight contest throughout, DSU found itself down three with 20 seconds to go when junior forward Mark Ogden Jr. stepped into a game-tying long ball. It was Ogden’s only 3-pointer made or attempted on the season.

On the ensuing possession, Terrance Drisdom stuck a dagger deep into the hearts of Storm faithful. With the game tied, Drisdom drove to the middle of the lane, and despite the tough defense from freshman guard Trevor Hill, hit an off-balance leaner as time expired to lift the Lions to victory. 

“There’s nothing you could do about that shot,” Thompson, a senior communication major from Las Vegas, said. “It doesn’t take away from the great year we had as a team. There’s no one I would trade for the guys I played with.”  

Judkins said he couldn’t be more proud of his team. 

“I challenged my guys to get a little better every single day, and I can honestly say that they did that,” Judkins said. “We had an awesome run.” 

The Storm finished off the season 20-8 overall, and will retain all but two of its contributing players. However, the two leaving are the top two all-time in DSU scoring in Thompson and Robbins. Thompson, Robbins and junior guard Mason Sawyer all earned All-PacWest selections for their play this season. Robbins was named as an honorable mention on the Diviosion II All-American list. 

“Had some awesome memories here,” Thompson said. “My favorite was probably when Juddy [Judkins] got mad at BYU-H a couple years ago. He slapped himself and passed out on the court. Best times of my life, man”  

Despite the tough end to the season, Nielson remains optimistic about the programs future. 

“We didn’t finish how we wanted, and we will use that as motivation,” Nielson said. “We will come back next fall and continue to build Dixie State into a championship program.”

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Devore, Anderson, Long final election winners

by Emily HavensPosted on

Matt Devore, Warren Anderson and Tim Long are Dixie State University’s newly elected DSU Student Association executive council members.

The student body president position was snatched by Devore, a junior integrated studies major from Mesquite, Nevada, who defeated Kayla Coolbear, a senior art major from Livermore, California, with 1,274 votes compared to the 493 that she gathered.

Sarah Ramaker, a junior dance major from Midland, Michigan, lost the vice president of academics position to Anderson, a senior accounting major from Santa Clara. Ramaker gathered 735 votes, while Anderson collected 1,032.

Tim Long, a junior business administration major from Hurricane, clenched the VP of clubs and organizations position with 1,063 votes. Brogan Crockett, a junior integrated studies major from St. George, had 704 votes and will not uphold his current position as the VP next year.

After a long week of campaigning, the winners said they are relieved, and their hard work has finally paid off. 

Devore said he’s most thankful for his supporters.

“I’ll do all the right things and live up to their expectations,” he said. “I’ve thought about this moment for over a year.” 

In addition to finishing up his current duties on student government, Devore said he will start working with the current student body president for training as soon as possible. 

Anderson said there were a million things going through his head, but he’s very clear about what he will be focusing on in the near future.

“[I want to] implement a lot of surveys to make sure we get the students’ voice and know what degrees they want,” Anderson said. “[I also want to] bring in more programs for students who want to stay at Dixie but who can’t because it [doesn’t offer their program of choice].”

Nothing is more important than doing everything he can to make the students happy, Long said. 

“I want to have more club rushes so more people can see what there is and become more involved in clubs,” he said. “I look forward to working with [Devore and Anderson]. It’s going to be a super fun year.”

Devore said he was happy to work with all the candidates. 

“Everyone who went into the elections all had great ideas, and they all worked so hard,” Devore said. “I’m happy we were all able to handle [the results] as adults and be mature.”

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Owning up to shortcomings important in leadership

by Benjamin WrightPosted on

One of the surest ways to hinder our full potential as students in college is to pass blame to other people. 

Leaders don’t “pass the buck.” Leaders take full responsibility for what they do and then seek to improve upon it. We can gain the advantage if we will use the opportunities of responsibility to learn from our mistakes.

As students at Dixie State University, it can be very hard to accomplish everything we are asked to do. Brian Tracy said in “Eat That Frog” that we will never be able to accomplish everything we need or want to do. There just simply isn’t enough time each day.

As soon as we can realize we can’t do everything, we can move forward in being responsible and owning up to our shortcomings. Passing blame for our shortcomings will never get us anywhere. It will not give us anything worthwhile, because as soon as we pass blame to someone else, we lose ability to really grow and overcome our shortcomings. We have ultimately surrendered ourselves to ease. 

 I have taken the opportunity to test this theory in school. I recall specifically studying for a class at the library, and because of long hours of work and study, I promptly fell asleep. I slept right through my next class, and by the time I woke up, the class was over.

I thought about what I should say to my professor so that I could get credit for the work that day, but as I thought about it, I determined that trying to blame my absence on anything other than myself would be useless. So, I told my professor I fell asleep studying and missed the class.

As a result of my honesty and taking full responsibility for my actions, my professor simply gave me the work I missed and told me sometimes we need to catch up on a little sleep. It was as simple as that. I had maintained a great relationship with my professor, while keeping a clear conscience. I knew my shortcoming, and I knew that I was overcoming it by seeking help from my professor. 

Taking responsibility for our actions may not always result in such agreeable circumstances as that, but the truth is, we will always gain more from taking ownership of our actions rather than trying to pass blame on something or someone else. Ownership brings character and mental fitness. Owning up to our actions will help us to be proactive in solving problems rather than skirting them and seeking to hide them.

Phrases like, “It was too hard,” “If he hadn’t…,” “Well, if you would’ve…,” and others, should never be a part of our conversations.

Realize that nobody is perfect, and people don’t expect us to be perfect. The sooner we take that to heart, the sooner we can progress and become more of a leader. The buck stops here.

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Women in higher education recognized

by Cody SmithPosted on

The board members of the Utah Women in Higher Education Dixie State University chapter said they are sending a message that people at DSU take gender equality seriously by hosting the UWHEN Spring Conference April 16 and 17.

The conference, themed “Elemental Women: Defining Space Creating Change,” will begin April 16 with a screening of a DOCUTAH film, “Solar Mammas,” and a leadership discussion. 

The following day’s events will be filled with more than 200 women and men whom have come together to share and learn from one another, said UWHEN Chair Shirlayne Quayle, assistant director of employer relations at DSU, in an email.

“While this event does not have a student [program] at this time, there is serious talk at the state level to add a student-specific track to future conferences,” Quayle said.

Quayle said DSU’s hosting of the event does more than send a message; the conference being held at DSU is a way to show attendees the beauty of DSU’s campus and the dedication of the faculty and staff members who have worked hard to make the conference happen.

The purpose of the DSU chapter of UWHEN is to create a coalition among faculty and staff that will support the development of women’s leadership. Quayle said the DSU chapter is fortunate to have the support of President Biff Williams and his administrative team as they work to grow a campus community that celebrates equality and diversity.

“One of the nicest things about the DSU chapter is that it is, I think, the only entity on campus that includes both faculty and staff,” said UWHEN-DSU President Cheri Crenshaw, an associate professor of English. “Faculty and staff tend not to do things together … so, were hearing [the staff] – maybe for the first time.”

The DSU chapter is comprised of eight women, half of which are staff and the other faculty. Crenshaw said understanding and practicing gender equality and acceptance of diversity is difficult to teach because of the culture’s socialized ideals. She said that is why it is important that DSU has a UWHEN chapter and hosts this event, but the most important reason to have the DSU chapter is to give female faculty and staff a voice.

Deneece Huftalin, Salt Lake Community College president, will give the keynote speech after a short greeting from Quayle and president Biff Williams at 9 a.m. Huftalin has held a number of professional and volunteer leadership positions.

Following the keynote, the morning breakout sessions will include five interactive workshops and presentations starting at 10:15 am, according to a program information flyer.

The topics of the workshops revolve around leadership, relationships and self-confidence.

A lunch will be held between the morning and afternoon breakout sessions from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. The afternoon breakout sessions will include another five interactive workshops and presentations, according to a program information flyer.

The closing session will be held from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., and the topic will be finding the courage and voice to elicit change.

“We need more [female] role models for our students,” Crenshaw said. “We can’t say ‘go out and be leaders’ if we’re not willing to be leaders ourselves.”  

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Canvas should be required for full-time teachers

by Haylie AndersonPosted on

Canvas – I think it is a good thing, but some might not think the same way. 

I like when my professors use Canvas. For the first thing, it makes it easier to track assignments. When I can track my assignment, I can just look on Canvas instead of emailing my professor and hoping for a response.

English instructor Tiffany Draper said she likes to use Canvas because it has so many great things in one place.

“Canvas makes the lives of professors easier,” Draper said. “Canvas makes it easy because I can send messages, put assignments up and put grades up all in one site.”

The second thing I like about Canvas is being able to know what the lesson is going to be in upcoming classes. This way I can prepare for the class before hand. If I feel like going ahead in class – which I don’t do very often – I can look to see what I need to do.

Another good part of Canvas is being able to see your grades in class. When Canvas is being used and updated it shows all the grades up to date. This way I don’t have to stress about what my grade is in the class. I can go to Canvas instead of having to contact the professor and wait for them to respond with my grade.

My favorite part of Canvas is the calendar feature. It has all of the assignments, for the classes that are on Canvas, listed in order that they are due. It makes it really easy to just look at the calendar and see what day assignments are due. Instead of having to worry about putting it in a planner, it is just right there already done. That is one less thing that I have to do.

The only thing that I have seen go wrong with Canvas that caused a problem in a class was when Canvas for some reason wouldn’t keep the grades the teacher already had put in. The professor had to hurry and redo all the grades. Fortunately, he was able to get all the grades back in before it affected the class too much.

Biology professor  Bryan Stevens said he has never really used Canvas. He said Canvas is something that you paint on–not put grades on.

“I have never sat down and tried to use it,” Stevens said. “If I maybe start teaching more classes I will learn how to use it, but at this time I haven’t.” 

When my professors use Canvas it makes it easier for me because everything is in one place. If a professor is full time, I think they should have to take a crash course on how to use it. Although if they are an adjunct professor like Stevens I think it should be up to them. Adjunct professors don’t teach full time, so if they are to use Canvas it could almost create more work for them. 

Even with its few glitches and problems, I think Canvas is a good and useful thing. It helps out not only the students, but the professors as well. It makes the work for both parties much easier. When a student has a full load of classes it is nice when assignments are up and show when they are due. I can plan accordingly when trying to decide what homework needs to be done first. 

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