Month: January 2016

 Imagine throwing yourself into a brand new job, and no one tells you whether or not you’re doing a good job.

That’s kind of how college works.

In order to make things easier for students striving to get good grades, grading websites and management systems like Canvas were invented. It’s easy to log in and check your grades, but not all professors or instructors use it. 

I didn’t really have a problem with my professors not using Canvas my freshman year of college because they all used it. But when I entered my sophomore year, I started to understand the pain of what other students face when they don’t know where they stand in the class.

I even struggled with a professor last semester who used all of Canvas’ easy-to-function features, except for the grading portion of it. He made us calculate our own grades — not cool, man.

Some professors may argue their classrooms are meant to be a learning environment, and students shouldn’t focus on their grades so much. While that may be a good aspect to keep in mind, in today’s society, especially in learning institutions, it does revolve around grades and grading systems. The reason students are focused on getting good grades is because of pressure. Parents, friends and society as a whole puts this pressure on college students to get good grades in order to succeed. 

Professors don’t submit reports to the university saying, “This student did well by focusing in class,” with no letter grade next to it. Students’ grades are based on how well they did on quizzes, tests, assignments and possibly participation. All these things mentioned come with a letter grade at the end of the semester.

When professors or instructors don’t give students an idea on how well they’re doing in class throughout the semester on Canvas, it causes stress, and students are forced to guess how they’re doing or calculate their own grades. This may seem like a lazy approach, but students have busy lives: school, work and other responsibilities.

Students’ experiences are different than the professors’, especially for students who are on scholarships. Most scholarships require a high GPA, and when students are unaware of their progress in a class, they might be unsure about the status of their scholarship.

Also, it’s almost nearly impossible to track your own grade when you don’t know all the    points and assignments involved in the grading process. Every professor is different with his or her grading scales. 

It should be required for professors to use Canvas because, whether professors like using it or not, they’re the ones in charge helping students learn, so why not make it a little bit easier on us?

Technology is prevalent is today’s world, especially in college. It’s time for professors to join their colleagues on Canvas and make students’ lives a little easier. 

Recycling is a large part helping the environment and one that Dixie State University could do better in.

St. George falls short of the standards set by the Salt Lake valley where recycling is concerned. In the Salt Lake valley, individuals have the option to have a recycling bin in addition to the traditional trash can. Washington County is coming late to the game with this curbside recycling, but at least now it’s available. Beginning in February, citizens of the Washington County will have curbside recycling bins available for homes, apartment complexes, and businesses.

While Washington County continues to expand its recycling program, recycling on DSU’s campus remains scarce.

There are a few blue recycling bins or gray bins with a green recycling sticker scattered across campus, but they are small and don’t hold very much. The bins aren’t in the best places to be utilized by students, often only placed at exits and entrances. Not only should the bins be larger so students recognize they are there, but they should also be more widespread. They should be interspersed among the desks in the library and in the study rooms. They should also be in every classroom. 

The large amount of papers students throw away in the library alone warrants a better system to handle the load. It would be worth the effort to put in place a bigger, better organized recycling program on campus.  Some professors do try to limit their paper use by putting assignments on Canvas. 

There are some clubs on campus such as the Sustainability Club, who have regularly rallied for projects to improve energy efficiency on campus. The Sustainability Club initiated the bike share initiative on campus last semester. There are green bikes on campus meant for students to use on campus to travel between classes without the use of a car for those who don’t want to or don’t have time to walk. 

The recycling bins on campus are emptied by a combination of custodial staff and various clubs, including the Sustainability Club. The smaller bins are taken to dumpsters on campus, which are emptied by recycling companies.

The Sustainability Club runs what recycling there is currently on campus. Sustainability Club Adviser Tracey O’Kelly said it would like to expand its recycling program but is being hampered by administration.

“They just don’t feel it’s necessary,” O’Kelly said. “We need students to drive the initiative. We have a petition and we would love for students to sign it.”

O’Kelly has many ideas of how to expand the recycling on campus. She wants administration to fund more dumpsters and receptacles at desks, in the halls, and in classrooms.

“I think that if we could get the administration to realize that students want more recycling, then they will make more of an effort to help us to get it.” O’Kelly said. “We really need to be a leader for the community.” 

The club hopes to initiate outdoor recycling bins in the near future. O’Kelly said club members feel it will be easier to get through to administration with the new curbside recycling.

Chloe Lichtenberg, a sophomore Spanish major from Hailey, Idaho, is the president of the Sustainability Club. 

“Be conscious about every product that you buy,” Lichtenberg said. “Take a look at the plastic package and think, ‘where is this going right now?’ where is it going to end up on this earth? You know you produce a lot of trash just in one day and people don’t realize it. Taking a second just to look at it can change your whole viewpoint.”

Lichtenberg also pointed out students can bring reusable containers to establishments like Starbucks and Swig to create less waste. 

Recycling is important for a plethora of reasons. It helps the environment by decreasing landfills and preserving clean oceans. By using recycled materials, there is less need to cut down trees or otherwise decrease the habitats of wildlife. Just having recycling plants provides jobs for citizens. 

An expanded recycling program should be put into place at DSU with more enthusiasm and more quickly. Green initiatives aren’t high up on the list of ways to spend money but it should be. As a university in this county it is our responsibility to teach and set an example for our community. 

The Sustainability Club has a petition for further recycling on campus. To sign students go to the third floor of the library to O’Kelly’s office or go to the club meetings at 3:30 on Mondays in the Gardener Student Center. 

When I first heard about smartwatches, I thought they were stupid.

Why wear some bulky, ugly device on your wrist where it is sure to get broken? I had a hard enough time getting into the habit of wearing even the skimpiest of my traditional watches. Why bother getting an even more expensive one?

But then, my job happened.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the work I do, but it soon became essential I get email and notifications as soon as possible during every hour of the day. I hated having to hold my phone at all times. I am well-known for letting my iPhone 5S go caseless and dropping it.

After one especially bad week of dropping my poor iPhone several times that resulted in a horrifically shattered screen, I thought a hands-free option wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

I got my iPhone repaired and did some research on which smartwatch would suit me best. It came down to three final contenders: The Apple watch, Moto 360 or Samsung Gear 2.

For iPhones, the “recommended” wearable is obviously the Apple watch. As much as I love the familiar comfort of Apple’s operating system, I couldn’t justify spending at least $400 on a watch with a square face. It just looked unnatural. I also wanted a wearable that wasn’t limited to either Android or Apple.

After some research, the Moto 360 came out on top. It’s been about two weeks since my purchase, and I have no regrets. As it turns out, I am a watch person; I just need my watch to do more than tell the time.

The Android Wear app, which was made for the 360 and other Android smartwatches, works seamlessly with my iPhone. If I ever decide to switch to an Android device, it won’t be an issue. There are a wide variety of watch faces to choose from, and the Moto 360 can take everyday wear like a champ. The display is bright and beautiful. The metal frame is durable, and the leather band is super comfy. The Moto 360 can also be submerged in water with no damage.

There have been several times throughout the weeks that I’ve banged my wrist against a door or chair, and the 360 has come out unscathed. Although it is true the smartwatch is 100 percent waterproof, I don’t have the guts or desire to test it out.

I received several comments from colleagues surprised that it was a smartwatch. With the circular face, it really looks and feels like a traditional watch — until the screen lights up.

An unexpected obsession with my new wearable is the pedometer. I’ve never owned a pedometer, and seeing the amount of steps I’ve taken throughout the week is an exciting prospect. The Moto 360 uses OK Google, which I’ll have to admit, understands me better than Siri.

The only complaint I’ve had so far is that the watch has occasionally disconnected from my iPhone, but that is easily remedied touching a few buttons on the Android Wear app.

My favorite part of owning a smartwatch is I can go about my full life without a phone screen constantly in my face. Notification settings are customizable, so with one buzz on your wrist you can stay up-to-date. I can carry things with two hands without worrying about dropping my phone. I can talk with my friends but still know if something important is happening at work with a discreet glance. I am able to stay connected with work-related business, while connecting with the people around me.

I understand each smartwatch out there was built to serve different lifestyles, but the Moto 360 seems like the perfect fit for me.

What wearable are you lusting after? Let me know in the comments.