UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | February 16, 2025

Storm take game 1 from FPU

A seven-game winning streak was the result after the Dixie State University Red Storm defeated the Fresno Pacific University Sunbirds Thursday.

Winners of their previous six games, including a sweep against the University of Hawaii, the Storm welcomed FPU to Bruce Hurst Field for a four-game weekend series. 

The Sunbirds jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, scoring a run in each of the first two innings of play. Redshirt junior catcher Reece Lucero put DSU on the board with a single that scored junior outfielder Miles Bice. The Storm would push across another run in the inning to erase the deficit. 

After allowing two unearned runs in the third, DSU’s bats exploded for five runs in the bottom of the inning, two of which where scored off the bat of Lucero, who finished going 3-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, giving it a 7-4 lead. 

The Storm would also add runs in the fifth and sixth innings, extending their lead to 9-4. The Sunbirds fought back, however, plating two runs in the top of the eighth. The comeback attempt would prove to be futile as DSU slammed the door to earn the victory, 9-6. 

Five of the nine hitters for the Storm finished with at least two hits, including junior infielder Tyler Mildenberg, who was a perfect 3-3 at the plate with an RBI.

A double header is scheduled for Friday. First pitch for game one is set for 4 p.m. at Bruce Hurst Field.

Try Something New: Editor dirties hands gardening, appreciates experience

I’ve never been one to get my hands dirty.

One thing I love about myself is the appreciation I have for nature and the beauty I see in it. But, sadly, I’ve never gone out and tried to create the beauty I see around me.

Since spring is here and the weather is pleasant, I decided to immerse myself in  gardening.

The process

People may think gardening is simple. You dig a hole, you put seeds or a plant in, water it, and watch the plant grow. But it’s not so simple.

Soil is key, and there are many different types of soil. One with a sufficient fertilizer will do.

In addition to picking the right soil, other necessary planting materials include shovels, pots and steel gates to help support certain plants.

I mixed the new, fertilized soil in with regular dirt in various pots. I then dug a hole in each and decided what plant would go in each pot. I also had to get rid of some pesky weeds. Some of the plants my family and I decided to grow this year are tomatoes, peppers, squash and various types of flowers for our front yard.

Now, this process seems pretty simple, but we decided to try a new gardening technique this year and started our own straw bale garden.

This process wasn’t the same as sticking a plant in a pot and called for a lot more patience. We had to condition the bales of hay by adding fertilizer on top of them and water them frequently so the fertilizer would spread. After waiting for the fertilizer to spread, we had to dig through the bales of hay to put our plants in. This part wasn’t easy because dirt is a lot easier to dig through than straw that’s stuck together.

Appreciating the work

Gardening definitely takes time and effort. Not many people, myself included, realize the process and work gardeners have to do in order to get fresh food or beautiful plants. Buying the materials and plants to make a successful garden isn’t cheap either. 

It’s easy to take gardening and the beauty of nature for granted when you live in an area with multiple grocery stores and can buy a bag of tomatoes whenever you want.

Getting the chance to be outside and knowing I planted something that will have the chance to grow makes me grateful for what nature gives us.

Instead of having to run to the store, I’ll have the opportunity to enjoy fresh vegetables and the scenery of breathtaking flowers in my own backyard.

Ramaker barely slides past Dever for student body president

Students cast their votes for three positions in the Dixie State University Student Association executive council last week and results were close. 

Sarah Ramaker, a senior dance major from Midland, Michigan, was elected as DSU’s next student body president. She won the election with 888 votes. C.J. Dever, a senior business administration major from Provo, lost to Ramaker with 817 votes.

Kendra Jensen, a junior English major from Richmond, is next year’s vice president of academics and won with a total of 1,083 votes. Casey Banner, a junior secondary education major from Las Vegas, came in second with 622 votes. Zachary Reed, a sophomore accounting major from Peoria, Arizona, is the new vice president of clubs with 888 votes. Sara Wulfenstein, a junior business administration major from Pahrump, Nevada, lost to Reed with 817 votes. 


Ramaker said she is confident in her abilities to do the job well.

“I couldn’t have done it without the support of the student body that willingly offered their time without me asking,” Ramaker said.

Ramaker said she looks forward to working with current Student Body President Matt Devore through the end of the year to learn the ins and outs of the job.

“[Devore] definitely left big shoes to fill, and he’s a good president to follow,” Ramaker said. “I’m excited to work my butt off to try to accomplish even more.”    

Working with the senate to make cheaper textbooks available to students, working with D-Crew to increase student attendance at athletic events, and continuing Devore’s current projects are among the goals Ramaker said she will accomplish  as student body president.

“My main goal really is to make everyone feel like they can come to me and talk to me so they know the student body president is here for them,” Ramaker said.

Dever said he doesn’t think things are going to change in the coming year for the election process. He said he wants more students involved in DSU athletics and wants student government to help advertise the athletic events more. He said he didn’t think highly of the election process and it was primarily a popularity contest.

“This election was won by the fact that someone was able to stick a phone in front of uneducated students and get a vote,” Dever said.

Banner said he thought the process was fair but could be improved upon by adding another debate before the primary elections and a wider voting window in order to give the candidates more time to educate as many students as possible about their respective platforms.

Dever said he doesn’t expect Ramaker to make much of a difference with DSU athletics during her term.  

“[Athletics isn’t Ramaker’s] hot topic,” Dever said. “It’s not what she is going to go after.”

Reed said he thinks athletics should get more publicity and said he has plans to change that during his term as vice president of clubs.

“[Athletes] represent [DSU] , so we need to do everything we can to promote them,” Reed said. “I think that’d be a good way to get more students involved in the school.”

Reed said he also intends to help move the Multicultural Diversity Center to the Gardner Student Center, which is already in the works, and to better advertise events. 

The first of many projects Jensen said she hopes to accomplish is to build more crosswalks around campus “because safety is important.”

She said she also hopes to build on the projects the current vice president of academics, Warren Anderson, has started, such as extending library hours.

“Even though I was not elected, a lot of my views and [Jensen’s] views were parallel, so that’s why I’m confident she’ll get the job done,” Banner said.

From left, Kendra Jensen, a junior English major from Richmond and vice president of academics-elect; Sarah Ramaker, a senior dance major from Midland, Michigan, and student body president-elect; and Zachary Reed, a sophomore accounting major from Peoria, Arizona, and vice president of clubs and organizations-elect, will serve on Dixie State University’s Student Association’s executive council for the 2016-17 year. The winners were announced Thursday. 

This article was updated on April 1 at 10:27 p.m. 

Health on a Budget: Commit to regular exercise

 It’s time to get sweaty.

   Regular exercise is something doctors have been recommending for decades for our overall health. 

   Regular exercise is, according to the American Heart Association in their section covering healthy living and physical activity, a recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.

   However, most of us have experienced just how hard it can be to fit in any kind of exercise on a regular basis. 

   With that in mind, I have a few tips that have helped me along the way.

Leave your house

   It’s hard to focus on exercise when you’re surrounded by all the things you need to accomplish. If a gym membership isn’t in the financial cards or isn’t practical if you know you won’t go, just go out for a walk. The AHA defines physical activity as anything that makes you move and burn calories. I recommend you just start small and get out there.

es are great. Since college students typically have a set schedule due to their classes, they generally know when they will be free for some exercise. In that case, pick three days a week when you can exercise.

   Don’t compromise with your tired self by saying you’ll do it another day; just go and work out. 

   I don’t actually enjoy getting up before the sun to work out, but that’s when there is the least demand on my time and when I have the most energy. Figure out when your sweet spot is, and then commit to it.

Skip the extras

   I had a great, and pricey, new pair of running shoes sitting in my closet for six months before I decided I would run consistently. 

   And, while buying a new exercise gadget like a Fitbit can be fun, these extras are just that – extra appendages to the actual process of regular exercise.

   So save yourself a pretty penny and just start doing some simple exercises now. If you want to enhance your regular exercise later with something pricey: Go for it. You’ll have the habits to make that acquisition worthwhile.

Discipline trumps motivation

   When it comes to regular workouts, discipline carries the day. The motivation comes after consistent exercise brings you results.

   Your own discipline will likely come from a different place than mine. I tried for years to work out consistently, mostly because I wanted to lose weight. 

   That got old pretty fast, and I ended up bargaining with myself or losing 10 pounds and stopping exercising because I looked and felt better. It wasn’t until I disciplined myself and kept working out until I realized I just loved certain exercises simply for their own merits.

   Not every run has a runner’s high attached. Not every lifting session at the gym leaves you feeling pumped and on top of the world. Don’t chase the high, discipline yourself and let the highs come to you.

Storm softball reel off two more wins, lead in PacWest

   Storm softball rallied for a doubleheader sweep of University of Hawaii-Hilo March 30, winning their 14th straight game and moving into sole possession of first place in the Pacific West Conference in the process. 

   At 15-3 in conference play and 27-7 overall, the Storm control their own destiny in the hunt for at least a share of their fourth straight PacWest championship which is something the team is more than comfortable with. 

   “It’s an expectation for us,” Brooklyn Beardshear, a junior exercise science major from Tucson, Arizona, said. “It’s no coincidence. We have been preparing for this all year and we expect to be right where we are now.” 

   DSU’s recent dominance carried over to game one as the Storm came away with the 9-0 win, but the second game turned out to be a dogfight. 

   The Storm led from wire-to-wire in the opening matchup as junior infielder Mallory Paulson went 2-3 with three RBIs, senior catcher Autumn Woodfall went 2-3, and junior outfielder Josey Hartman sealed the 9-0 win by hitting a grand slam in the final inning. 

   Senior pitcher Aryn Feickert got the win from the circle to move to 15-3 on the season, but she didn’t do it alone. Freshman pitcher Alexandria Melendez relieved Feickert in the top of the fourth inning and struck out five straight batters to end the game. 

   Game two, however, would not come quite as easily for DSU as the first. Sophomore outfielder Janessa Bassett scored on a fielding error in the first inning, but the Vulcans matched it and took control after that. 

   UHH pushed in five runs in the sixth inning by way of two RBI-singles and a three-run homer to take the 6-1 lead. The quick rally was not the only one in the ball game as DSU was now set up for a comeback of the ages. 

   The rally caps came out in the bottom of the sixth, and DSU answered the call, scoring four runs in just as many at bats to set up the frenzy of a finish. 

The Vulcans went three-up-three-down to start the following inning, and senior outfielder Kristie Johnson got on base immediately after. A sac bunt from Hartman advanced Johnson to second where she would score on a Bassett double down the left field line. This brought junior outfielder Shelby Yung, who was 2-3 at that point, to the plate. 

   “I was so confident that we were going to pull it out,” Yung, a communication major from Upland, California, said. “I knew all I had to do was find grass and Cheetah [Bassett] would score easily.” 

   Yung patiently watched the first two pitches scream past her and took a 2-0 advantage in the count before blasting pitch number three into center field for the walk-off single and the 7-6 DSU win.  

   “We have an awesome group of girls,” head coach Randy Simkins said. “When you’re down 6-1 and still don’t feel like you’re out of the game, you know you’ve got something special going.” 

   Freshman Alexis Barkwell earned the win at pitcher in game two, and Yung finished 3-4, adding two RBIs, including the capper in the seventh inning. Johnson and Bassett also got a hold of three pitches apiece in the comeback thriller. 

   The Storm, now halfway through their season-long eight-game homestand, will be in action again Friday against California Baptist University at 3 p.m.

Thigpin steps down as DSU women’s head coach

   For “personal reasons,” Jenny Thigpin has stepped down as head coach of Dixie State University women’s basketball. 

   “I want to thank the entire university and community for the opportunity to represent this special institution,” Thigpin said. “I wish the program the best of luck in the future.”

   Athletic Director Jason Boothe announced Thigpin’s resignation, which comes just one month after the Storm won five of their last six games. Thigpin, who took over as interim head coach at the start of the 2014-15 season, went 17-35 (16-24 in Pacific West Conference) in her DSU tenure. 

   “We thank [Thigpin] for stepping up and leading our program for the past two seasons,” Boothe said. “We appreciate her efforts on behalf of our student athletes, and we wish her the best in the future.” 

   A nationwide search for Thigpin’s replacement has already begun.

Debate analysis: Candidates’ perfomances disappointing

“Heated” would be the opposite of what Wednesday’s debate was like.

   Six then-candidates for Dixie State University’s Student Association executive council spent an hour reciting their platforms, politely agreeing with each other on the raised issues, and continuously making rookie-debater mistakes in both verbal and nonverbal communication.

   According to debate.org, nonverbal communication is just as is important, if not more important, than verbal communication. Therefore, I’ve chosen to examine candidates’ mistakes in both.

Verbal communication

   It did not seem as though the candidates prepared or rehearsed their opening and closing statements. For example, C.J. Dever, a senior business administration major from Provo and who was running for student body president, said his presidential campaign started as a joke with his wife. Zachary Reed, a sophomore accounting major from Peoria, Arizona, and who was running for vice president of clubs and organizations, went off-topic in his closing statement by advertising Dixie Idol instead of telling the students why he is their best candidate.

   Throughout the debate, the candidates missed out on numerous opportunities to attack their opponents’ weaknesses by refusing their chance for rebuttals. For example, Sarah Ramaker, a senior dance major from Midland, Michigan, and who ran for student body president, passed up an opportunity to attack Dever on his lack of experience in DSUSA.

   Moreover, some did not hesitate to bring up their own weaknesses. For instance, Casey Banner, a junior secondary education major from Las Vegas who ran for vice president of academics, admitted to being nervous right of the bat. Dever, on the other hand, devalued several of his statements when he said, “I know this may sound general.”

   Additionally, all six of the candidates were too nice to each other and kept agreeing on the raised issues. “I would concur with my opponent,” “I think that’s a good idea,” and “something I like about what she said” are just a few phrases Banner used to address his opponent, Kendra Jensen, a junior English major from Richmond, in his rebuttals.

   Lastly, the candidates’ verbal communication lacked assertiveness and content. All were guilty of stuttering, mispronouncing words, and delivering incomplete sentences or thoughts. Ramaker’s verbal communication in the beginning of the debate seemed to convey nervousness, as evident by the abrupt changes in her tone of voice and the audible deep breaths she took in between her statements. Jensen would often quiet down at the end of her statements, which may have indicated lack of certainty. Banner’s self-doubt may have become evident in his choice of words as he would avoid using powerful verbs such as “will,” often replacing them with “hope to.”

   All candidates failed to outline specific steps they would take when they assume office. Some, like Dever, accused questions of being tricky and overused phrases “in all honesty” and “honestly.” Others, like Sara Wulfenstein, a sophomore business administration major from Pahrump, Nevada, and who ran for vice president of clubs and organizations, restated the questions and frequently went off-topic.

Nonverbal 

communication

   Overall, the candidates delivered a poor performance. They did not seem to have any control over their facial expressions, hands, feet or posture.

   Dever, for instance, seemed frustrated and impatient throughout the debate. He was constantly looking down in between his statements, perhaps contemplating his previous responses. Ramaker was nodding in response to her opponent’s statements, which may be perceived as submissiveness. Wulfenstein was constantly looking at front-seat audience members, especially when she struggled to pronounce the word “reiterating.” Reed failed to maintain steady eye contact with the crowd, often gazing into the distance or letting his eyes run around loose.

   All six of the candidates seemed to express feelings of doubt and discomfort on their faces when they were sitting down in between their turns.

   Hand gestures appeared to be a huge issue. Banner, Jensen and Ramaker were continuously rubbing their hands, perhaps trying to give themselves reassurance and crossing their fingers to assume a more defensive stance. Reed’s hands started trembling noticeably halfway through the debate, which is probably why he held them behind his back for the last half of it.

   The candidates’ feet did not seem to convey confidence either. All of them, particularly Ramaker and Jensen, would always take a step back from the podium at the end of their statements and hold one foot behind another, looking like they weren’t completely into the debate. Reed continuously rocked back-and-forth by switching his body weight from one leg to another, which may be an indication of uncertainty and discomfort.

   Posture often seemed incongruent with what the candidates were saying. As a result, some of their statements did not come out as authentic. Banner’s promises and closing statement, for example, were hard to believe given how nervous he sounded and how defensive he seemed.

Discussion

   Unfortunately I doubt, the poor debate performance held much weight during the final elections. In my time at DSU, I’ve witnessed four debates, and none of them had any serious impact on the election process.

    It seems voters just don’t care and would much rather vote for whoever catches them first in front of the entrance to the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons.

   Whether you like this status quo or not, such has been the way of DSU’s politics for at least the past four years. Voter apathy and indifference gives some DSUSA executive council candidates no incentive to try hard, as they can simply cruise by on their popularity alone.

   Don’t get me wrong, I’m fully supportive of our winners. It’s just that I wouldn’t be confident in their ability to represent DSU in a debate competition if the opportunity ever arose.

   You can watch the full debate on Dixie Sun News’ YouTube channel.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

   Do you agree with the analysis of the debate? Drop us a couple words in the comment section below.

Driver transported to hospital after getting t-boned near DSU

Broken glass littered University Avenue as onlookers and those involved gathered around two damaged cars following a collision Wednesday.

Campus police said they believe a young woman who was t-boned on the corner of University Avenue and 200 S. at approximately 10:45 a.m. is a student at Dixie State University.

Ron Isaacson, captain of DSU campus police, said the driver appeared to be shaken up when a first responder from campus police reached her.

“She was not really coherent, as far as telling us what happened,” Isaacson said.

The driver was transported by ambulance to Dixie Regional Medical Center, but Isaacson said it was unclear whether it was precautionary or to treat an injury.

All others involved in the crash appeared to have no injury.

Campus security were the first responders, followed by at least one more squad car, an ambulance, and the fire department. The accident was cleaned up and traffic returned to normal in less than an hour.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.