UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | October 06, 2025

Month: December 2015

Volleyball historic season ends in heartbreak

by Porter LarsenPosted on

Despite a valiant effort, David could not beat Goliath this time around. 

Dixie State University’s volleyball team fell to No. 1 ranked University of Alaska-Anchorage in the first round of the NCAA West Regional tournament in front of a record-breaking crowd Friday night. 

“It was awesome playing in front of a crowd like that,” said freshman outside hitter Taylor Duryea. “There’s nothing better than silencing the home team’s crowd, and we were able to do that multiple times. We didn’t quite get the outcome we wanted, but it was one of the [most fun] games I’ve ever played in.” 

The Pacific West Conference champion Storm put up quite a fight, taking the hometown Seawolves to a decisive fifth set before falling just short, 15-12. 

DSU beat the No. 1 overall seed last season when it upset Northwest Nazarene University. This time, however, the glass slipper wasn’t the right fit as UAA spoiled the Storm’s hopes of a repeat Cinderella story. 

The teams exchanged blows during the tight contest and were forced into a winner-take-all fifth set. This was relatively unfamiliar territory for the Seawolves, as they had only been taken to the fifth set twice all season long. The Storm used that to their advantage, jumping out to a commanding 7-3 lead. That would be the largest deficit the Seawolves faced as they rallied back. The Storm saw their lead, along with their championship hopes, evaporate. 

After losing their leader and conference player of the year, junior outside hitter Katelynn Zanders, the shorthanded Seawolves rallied back to take the lead at 10-9. UAA didn’t look back, eventually beating the Storm for a spot in the tournament semi-finals. 

Duryea, a communication major from Logan, led the Storm with 15 kills in the match, and junior setter Kailey Frei tallied 35 assists and 11 digs, her seventh double-double of the season. 

In their final game as members of the Red Storm, senior libero Alex Anderson finished with a match-high 25 digs, and senior middle blocker Makenzi Bird-Murphey had nine kills and four blocks. Bird-Murphey finished her career as the all-time leader in block assists (238), and Anderson ended her time as the school’s all-time leader in sets played (389). 

“[Anderson] and Bird are amazing girls, students and athletes,” Duryea said. “They are the best examples you could ask for, and saying goodbye to them is extremely hard.” 

DSU’s historic season came to a close with a 19-11 overall record, the first PacWest championship in DSU history, five All-PacWest performers, and a second conference coach of the year award for head coach Robyn Felder.

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n00b News: Holiday nostalgia found in 8-bit games

by Emily FisherPosted on

Christmas lights, old movies and chocolate oranges: What do these all have in common?

When the holidays draw near, I find myself gravitating to the things that evoke feelings of nostalgia. Among the more traditional things, one close to my heart is picking up the video games I played as a youngster. From ages 7 to 23, the holiday break presented the perfect chance to curl up in a blanket and binge on my favorite titles.

After saying goodbye to my Playstation 2 and GameBoy Color when I moved away for college, I’ve always felt the holiday gaming experience was missing something, at least until I found “Shovel Knight.”

“Shovel Knight” is a 2-D, side-scrolling platform game developed and released in 2014 by independent game developer Yacht Club Games. The title began as a Kickstarter project, which raised $311,502 from 14,749 backers according to its fundraising page. The game won the Game Awards 2014 “Best Independent Game,” and for good reason.

The game offers a fresh story and characters, only with the quintessential 8-bit music and graphics. Shovel Knight, the protagonist in the game, does not wield a sword or shield. As you may have guessed, he doles out sweet justice with the edge of his trusty shovel.

With map navigation, obstacles and non-playable characters reminiscent of “Super Mario Brothers,” this game is sure to give you a fun, new experience, while supplying the fix for your retro game craving.

Although I hope to finish the game during Winter break, “Shovel Knight” has already been added to my list of classics, and that takes something very special. I intend to continue playing the games I enjoyed as a child, but this game is also reminding me to stop yearning for the past and to focus on the present. This title is proof the game industry is alive and well, and companies like Yacht Club will continue to release games that don’t disappoint.

As Alexander Graham Bell said, “When one door closes, another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.”

 

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Girls’ night raises awareness, provides resources to combat sexual assault

by Emily HavensPosted on

Getting pedicures, facials and learning about sexual assault resources have one thing in common: girls’ night at Dixie State University.

Students from The Skin Institute pampered women with facials and pedicures after a spokesperson from the Dove Center briefly spoke about its resources available to the community Thursday night in the Gardner Student Center living room. 

The Dove Center is a local organization that aims to advocate for sexual assault victims. 

Shelby Thomas, a sophomore nursing major from Payson, is on the service branch of DSU’s student association and organized the event. She said she wanted to plan an event that would grab attention and also give students the chance to lean about sexual violence.

“I feel like it’s really important to make sexual assault and domestic violence relevant on college campuses because that is the age where [many people are at risk],” Thomas said.

Four massage tables were set up, and students who wanted to get facials were asked to sign a list. TSI students called women up when they were ready to give them facials while those who were waiting mingled and snacked on cookies.

Melissa Demacedo, a junior nursing major from St. George, said she came to the event with her friend to escape studying. She said one of her friends has experienced sexual assault.

“It’s just horrible what some people do,” she said.

The Dove Center has office hours in the Women’s Resource Center Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m. The WRC is located on the fourth floor of the Holland Centennial Commons and serves to help women achieve their academic and professional goals. Although the center does good for women in the community, it doesn’t get as much support as it should, said Morgan Kirk, a senior integrated studies major from Las Vegas.

“I feel as though no one really recognizes them,” Kirk said. “They’re in a little corner in the Holland Building, so it feels good for all of us to come out (and support an event like this).”

Thomas said serving the community in this sense is rewarding. 

“If I can just help one person—as cheesy as that sounds—get help or get the things they need, that’s what it means to me,” she said.

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Athletic programs expected to grow, not yet confirmed

by Porter LarsenPosted on

President Biff Williams announced plans to maintain Dixie State University’s Title IX compliance.

In the “Direction of Dixie” forum Nov. 17, Williams unveiled strategies to improve student life by focusing on athletics. The purpose of the forum was to convey his intentions of making St. George a true “college town” which entails an increase in support, enrollment, and including a proposed renovation of Hansen Stadium that would cost over $34 million. 

“Everyone seems to want better sporting event experiences­­—from staff, donors and even students who don’t play sports,” Williams said. “They all want something that they can get excited and cheer for, and it starts with athletics.” 

While still focusing on the educational side of the institution, Williams said in order for the university to grow, the athletic programs must grow just as exponentially, and, in doing so, must maintain compliance with Title IX. 

Athletic Director Jason Boothe said there are many ways to do just that, and adding athletic programs is an option. 

The university has already hired a women’s swimming coach, and that program is in the beginning stages of starting up, but other sports being implemented have also been discussed.    

“It’s all about campus demand,” Boothe said. “Right now, we are in compliance with Title IX, and that means we might not need to change anything. But if we see the community truly wants something, we can at least explore our options.” 

Boothe said he is open to the idea of adding new athletic programs but is still more focused on the betterment of the current programs first and foremost.

“We’re just testing the waters at this point,” Boothe said. “Historically, we have shown the willingness to add programs, and that helps us out. Right now, nothing is set in stone, and as enrollment increases, we’re considering all of our options to stay compliant.” 

Williams said he shares Boothe’s thoughts.  

“Adding athletic programs is just one of the many ways that [Title IX] balance can be achieved,” Williams said. “When you have a football program, it creates a tough situation because you have so many (male) players, and as a university, we are required to give women the same amount of opportunities as the men.” 

Although nothing is affirmative, Williams said he does expect to implement another women’s sport in the next two years or so. 

Beach volleyball, lacrosse, and track and field are the different programs most frequently mentioned among the community. Beach volleyball would be the first due to the influence of the already existing volleyball team and relatively low need for facilities. 

“Obviously, there’s a process involved,” Williams said. “If we were to add a new track and field team, for example, we would need to hire a coaching staff and build a new track first. It’s not as simple as just starting a new program out of thin air.”

The possible implementation of new athletic programs is still uncertain and remains up in the air for now, but the growth of DSU seems imminent and that will force DSU officials to stay on their toes. 

“We’re just trying to stay ahead of the game and plan for the future,” Boothe said. “You can never be too prepared.”

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Face-to-face communication lost art

by Jordan EamesPosted on

I once saw human faces, but now I only see faceless robots.

That dramatic, science fiction-esque line I made up describes how I feel about advancing technology. Smartphone and tablet accessibility decreases our need (and desire) for human interaction. It’s like people are forgetting how to interact face-to-face.

According to a study by Jane Thiebaud from the Media Ecology Association, the spoken word is “in decline and at risk for disappearing.”

It concerns me how technology is replacing the verbal voice with digital voice. Both voices show power, depending on the setting, but verbal is more credible. People can’t “delete” their words after they’re spoken. 

Humans are social creatures. Although some people are more social than others, we all have an innate sense of social interaction. Technology stunts that sense. It gives people the opportunity to shut themselves away from the world, which isn’t healthy.

Now, I enjoy my downtime, but I’d go crazy if my phone was my only gateway to social interaction. I need to physically see and verbally interact with people.  

Technology acts like a wall between you and the other person. You can’t determine his or her tone of voice or mannerisms. The only thing you can do is guess the other person’s reaction, which has potential consequences.

According to an article on psychologytoday.com, there are three clear benefits of in-person communication. Firstly, a colorful exchange of ideas takes place with verbal dialogue compared to a text message or email going back and forth. Secondly, verbal messages can be as lengthy as needed without a specific word count. The final benefit is problem resolution. Problems are openly discussed without having to guess the other person’s tone or reaction.  

With that being said, sometimes in-person interaction is the only way to get things done. There have been times I’ve called or texted a person and never received a response. Was the person too busy to answer? Was I getting ignored? I waited a few days before realizing there was only one thing left to do: show up at the person’s office unannounced. I was right there in the flesh, so the person had to deal with me directly. Randomly showing up is a bold approach, but it works.

Staying glued to your phone throughout a date is an example of an interaction that doesn’t work.

It’s sad whenever I see a couple staring at their phones at a restaurant. I always wonder why they bother going out since they find their phones more interesting. Perhaps they forgot how to speak, so they’re texting each other from across the table. Perhaps they should just date their phones.

Either way, I’ll never understand it.

The next time you’re out with someone, I challenge you to stop being a faceless robot. Turn human again by putting the phone away and actually talking to people. If we all do this, then we can prevent face-to-face communication from becoming a lost art.

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Media Day sparks basketball seasons

by Karli KuhnPosted on

The winter sports Media Day was broadcast live Dec. 1 in the CECTV studio where players and coaches of the men’s and women’s basketball teams shared their outlooks on the coming season. 

The Media Day was hosted by Keric Seegmiller, the assistant coordinator for media relations, and had panels from multiple media news sources to ask questions. 

The show started with an overview of the fall sports season and an interview with Athletic Director Jason Boothe.

Overall, Dixie State University’s sports teams increased their wins in the fall. Men’s soccer was one of the two shining stars of the season when they made it to the conference championship and placed second, and women’s volleyball grabbed on to the Pacific West Conference championship—the first one DSU has seen.

Boothe said he thinks the reason for all the success is because of the coaches who train and mold DSU’s athletes. Both Robyn Felder, head coach of women’s volleyball, and Josh Pittman, head coach of men’s soccer, won the PacWest coach of the year award. 

“You’re obviously not coach of the year unless you are awesome on the courts or on the field,” Boothe said.

The show continued to the topic of the upcoming winter sports, and three women’s basketball players, as well as their head coach Jenny Thigpin, were interviewed. 

It is Thigpin’s second year as head coach, and she said she has learned a lot about her players.

The team has had a slow start and has not been able to win a game yet, but the players said they hope to learn from the tough teams they battle on the court. The team has played some of the best schools in the conference this pre-season. 

“If you want to be the best, you’ve got to play the best,” Thigpin said. 

The players said the team chemistry is increasing, and they are ready for their upcoming road games. 

Men’s basketball players were also invited to share some of their views on the upcoming season. The team is currently 3-3 in pre-season play.

Head coach Jon Judkins said the team has been focusing on defensive and offensive rebounds.

The men’s team is in the same boat as the women’s, playing the tough teams at the beginning of the season. Its players said they hope to learn from it. They were Co-PacWest champions last season. Senior forward Mark Ogden Jr., a business administration major from Spring Valley, California, said seeing the banner hang in the Burns Arena is motivation for this season.

“I know we can get another one if we just play it game by game and just stay focused,” Ogden Jr. said.

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Wrestling club practices hard to make nationals

by Alex WheelerPosted on

Dixie State University’s wrestling club had a busy start to its season by already wrestling in two open tournaments and three team duels with just seven days rest in between.

DSU wrestled in the Colorado State Invitational Nov. 14 at Colorado State University. The team traveled to Cedar City Nov. 18 to take on Southern Utah University in a team duel. Afterward it was off to Arizona to take part in the Embry Riddle Open Nov. 21 at Embry Riddle University.

DSU beat down SUU, winning every single match except the heavyweight battle at 235. 

“We took 15th at nationals last year, (and) we’re hoping to get into the top 10,” said 157-pounder David Koller an Integrated Studies major from Enterprise. “We want to send someone [to nationals] from every weight class.” 

DSU took on Gateway International Bible Institute and University of Arizona in Tri-dual, beating ASU but fell to GIBI by just a single match.

Pierce Stowman, a junior communication major from Fairbanks, Alaska, said he believes the team will win the majority of conference matches. DSU’s overall record in team duals 2-1. 

Stowman wrestled the maximum five individual matches during the two days DSU was in Arizona. 

“I’ve never been so exhausted in my life,” Stowman said. “It’s like a seven-minute sprint—there’s no time to take a break. It’s just going as hard as you can trying to beat your opponent and go harder than he can.” 

DSU wrestlers drill techniques and wrestle the equivalent of three to four matches during practice, followed by conditioning with a series of sprints, push ups, sit ups and buddy carries. Some DSU wrestlers are doing two extra 30-minute elliptical workouts a day to manage weight. 

DSU will travel to Orem Saturday, Jan. 9 to take part in the Utah Valley open where six other schools including Brigham Young University and Utah State University will participate.  It will also host its first home duel against SUU tonight at 7 p.m. in the Student Activities Center.

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