Month: April 2016

If student journalism had only taught me only one thing, it would have been to question everything. 

I’m not talking about concocting a spin on a story based on my own biases. I mean approaching an issue with an open, responsibly curious frame of mind.

The truth is, though, student journalism has taught me hundreds of things. 

I’ve learned how long I should pause while interviewing a source between questions to usher him or her to continue talking, memorized countless (sometimes tedious) rules set by the Associated Press, approached complete strangers and convinced them to open up to me about delicate issues, rationalized conflicting ethical decisions between myself and my audience, and I even learned how to spell the word “baccalaureate” correctly. I’m still shaky on that last one, I’ll admit, even after five dutiful semesters on the Dixie Sun News staff.  

Within the copious amount of big and small lessons I’ve learned through covering both uninteresting and enlightening campus events, compelling individuals and complex issues related to Dixie State University, no lesson means more to me than knowing the necessity of curiosity. This lesson doesn’t just apply to journalism, either. 

To play off one of the worst idioms in history: Curiosity doesn’t kill all cats; it just kills the ineffective ones. 

DSU’s new identity boasts of a community that’s made of individuals who set the precedent for change. Trailblazers aren’t afraid of change. They fiercely and unapologetically do what’s right regardless of temporary unfavorable repercussions. 

Do your due diligence before you make assumptions about anything or anyone. Don’t piggyback your beliefs on someone else’s, but formulate your own opinions based on your own fact gathering, especially concerning campus-related issues.

DSU is undergoing an interesting era in its growth cycle, and everyone who’s here to experience it needs to pay attention to every little detail. I’m confident in Dixie Sun News and it’s future staff, who will be led by next year’s Editor-in-Chief Spencer Ricks, that it will continue to bring helpful insight to issues and events on DSU’s campus and the surrounding area. 

Leaving Dixie Sun News, the organization I poured myself into for the past three years during the most tumultuous time in my life, behind is bittersweet. Cooperate with Ricks and Dixie Sun News’ future staff members to help them uncover issues specifically impacting you. No one ever went anywhere notable by remaining silent or brushing things under the rug. 

Stay curious, Trailblazers.

With two years at Dixie State University under his belt, President Biff Williams said he has no regrets. 

Some of DSU’s accomplishments this year Williams said he is most proud of include the rollout of the new Trailblazer identity, the groundbreaking of the new student housing complex, and the development of new academic degrees and programs.

But while DSU is still transitioning from a young university to a more established institution, there is still room for improvement, Williams said. Increasing funding, promoting diversity on campus, and boosting school spirit are some of the goals Williams said he’d like to see next year.  

Increasing funding

Williams said one of his goals is to “bump up” funding for departments and programs on campus. 

Part of DSU’s strategic plan was to revamp the identity. Love Communications charged $50,000 to head the search for DSU’s new mascot and identity. 

“We invested $50,000 in creating our new brand, but look at the spirit that has increased, look at how many alumni have come back, (and) look at the students embracing it,” Williams said. “It’s well worth it.”  

Athletic Director Jason Boothe said: “[DSU athletic department] is very underfunded. It is getting better — it has been getting better — but our teams still have to raise tens of thousands of dollars just to reach operational budget.”

Williams said he understands the pressure departments are feeling with limited funds. DSU’s No. 1 priority is to keep tuition affordable for students, which may come at the cost of lower departmental funding, Williams said.   

“We’re a baby institution,” Williams said. “I can guarantee you that if you ask any department on campus, every single department will say they’re underfunded … There’s just never enough money. ” 

Williams said DSU has invested in enhancing tutoring services in the Student Success Center and recruitment services this year because “DSU’s business is about serving students.” However, finding ways to increase faculty members’ compensation has also been a priority, Williams said. 

“We had the lowest rate of compensation in Utah [for adjunct faculty] two years ago,” Williams said. “So we poured a couple million dollars into that because we know, if the adjuncts aren’t happy, our students aren’t going to be happy, and they won’t get the education they want.”   

Williams said some DSU staff were being paid 60 percent of the national average of other university workers, so he is allocating $500,000 of funds to DSU staff members budget pools so most of them can be above 90 percent of the national average. Faculty members’ salaries should go up from a 93 percent of the national average to 98 percent next year, Williams said.  

As admissions and academic programs at DSU continue to grow, Williams said DSU will be able to solicit more funds from the state legislature. 

“In a perfect world, [the state legislature] would fund us in the beginning and let us build the university, but I’ve never seen any institution that that has happened to,” Williams said. “You have to build it, then they will fund it. 

Promoting diversity

Another one of Williams’ goals for future years at DSU is to increase diversity and inclusion on campus. 

Moving the Multicultural and Diversity Center to the second floor of the Gardner Student Center where the bookstore is now is part of his plan to promote diversity, Williams said. In the meantime, the MCDC will be temporarily moved to the Browning Building. 

Christina Duncan, who previously worked as the assistant director for the MCDC, was named as DSU’s inclusion and equity fellow this semester. She said she works directly with Williams to promote and increase diversity on campus. 

“We had diversity inclusion workshops that have been integrated into our teaching and learning conference this year,” Williams said. “We’re also looking at classes to see how we can become more culturally sensitive.”

Dean of Students Del Beatty said DSU is becoming much more diverse by recruiting ethnically diverse students, students from other states, and students from different religious and cultural backgrounds. 

“The differences and diversity we have on campus is a huge benefit for students,” Beatty said. “The more diverse [DSU] can become, the more prepared students will be to go on into the workforce or go on to graduate school.” 

Beatty said DSU will continue to become more diverse in the future because recruiting international students and out-of-state students is a priority.

Boosting spirit

Student support for DSU’s athletic teams and campus events, including theater and musical events on campus, is something Williams said he hopes will start to grow. 

“I’d like to see more school pride,” Williams said. “As I was reading the student president candidates’ positions this year, they all mentioned how we need to get that ‘Dixie spirit’ back and pack the crowds and cheer for our teams.”

Boothe said the university’s new Trailblazer identity will help boost pride from athletes, students and community members. 

“There is a different feel and vibe on campus ever since the new rebranding,” Boothe said. “It gives people something to attach to and call their own.”

Boothe said students and athletes can expect to see a lot more fun things at games now that they have a new identity. 

“Hopefully, our teams will play at a higher level now too to solidify people’s feelings [about the new mascot],” Boothe said. 

Williams said he always listens to input from students and faculty members on how the institution can improve. “Burgers with Biff” is an monthly luncheon with Williams and 15 randomly selected faculty members organized so Williams can listen to input from them. Williams said he also hears from many students in his office who share input with him.

“Students here aren’t shy about coming to me and telling me what they’d like to see differently,” Williams said. “Every comment and concern that comes to us, we try to address them.”

Williams said students can submit suggestions to him in his online suggestion box at president.dixie.edu.    

I’ve always wanted to elope.

So what was I doing in a bridal shop looking at intimidating, poofy and expensive gowns? Easy: I adore my future in-laws, and it is important to them their son and I have a traditional wedding. In the interest of forcing myself to try on bridal dresses, I thought I would document my first time bridal dress shopping.

First shop: Bliss

Bliss, a sparkly store located in the Red Cliffs Mall, is full of options to outfit an entire bridal party. My nerves hit me as I walked in knowing I was headed to the white dresses in the back.

I’ve never gone prom dress shopping, somehow managing to get myself grounded on both occasions when I would have gone, but I knew how you’re supposed to feel in “the dress:” like a magical, beautiful princess. However, I’m not much of the princess type, so I didn’t know how I’d feel.

With enthusiastic help from a sales clerk and my oldest sister, we picked out a handful of dresses and carted them off to the pretty changing room.

After an almighty struggle to swim through the yards of fabric, I wiggled my way into the first dress. It was going well until I started to try to zip it past my mid-back.

It was not going to budge. I am an unashamedly busty woman, and my boobs defeated any effort of zipping the rest of the dress.

This irritating problem persisted with larger dresses that fit my chest but it  looked ridiculous around the rest of my body. The last dress I tried on actually zipped and gave that va-va-voom look, but it wasn’t precisely my idea of bridal.

With thanks to the helpful sales clerk, we packed up and left empty-handed.

Second shop: Lee’s

A jam-packed little store located in a strip mall right across the street from the Red Cliffs Mall, Lee’s, is a hidden gem. Having shopped there before to outfit my future sister-in-law for her prom last year, I was already predisposed like the little bridal and prom shop.

The store owner, Lee, greeted us as we came in to her crowded shop. Dresses of all kinds filled the shop from the floor to, literally, the ceiling.

Inviting us to pick out a few dresses while she helped a client who was there before us, we perused the dresses. I was excited to find a short wedding dress among all the offerings, as short dresses are all I’ve looked at online.

Taking the little dress to the dressing room with another, sheath-like dress, I anticipated the magic.

Yeah, no fireworks there. I just looked really short. I mean, I am short, standing at only 5 feet and 1 inch tall.  But I just looked stumpy. It was fairly disappointing, as I was really looking forward to looking free-spirited and different from the run-of-the-mill bride.

The other dress was nice but a bit of a squeeze. This trip so far had really driven home that the 10 pounds I had gained over the semester had to go.

With some regretful waves (the prices at Lee’s were really good), I drove us to our last stop.

Third shop: Boulevard Bridal and Prom

Feeling somewhat discouraged with my first-time bridal shop run, I wasn’t looking forward to coming to this shop. Having been treated a bit brusquely on the phone when making the appointment, I went in fairly determined not to like anything. Not a hard prospect, since none of the other dresses made me feel more than burdened and squished.

After being guided to the bridal section of the shop, I prepared myself to flail into a few more gowns. Seriously, I have been a bridesmaid and maid of honor, but until this trip, I had no idea just how cumbersome wedding dresses were just to get into let alone wear.

And then it happened. I wrangled my body into the first dress and stepped out to get partially laced up into the corset-backed dress.

The effect was stunning. I finally had a waist, and my chest wasn’t unforgivably compressed to show off my curves. I felt attractive, elegant and bridal. It was the magical moment I had given up on.

Convinced to try on a few other dresses, that first dress stayed on my mind. I hadn’t planned on buying a dress here, so I hadn’t looked at the price of any of the dresses. I didn’t want to find out I had found my perfect dress and it was beyond the price point I set for myself.

Finally, after quickly dismissing two other dresses, I gathered the guts to ask the lady assisting me what the price of the first dress was. To my shock, it was only $399. With my self-imposed budget set at $500, I was so happy to be able to buy my unexpectedly perfect dress and make my sister burst into tears.

Maybe you don’t need a wedding dress now or ever, but I feel like by pushing myself out of my comfort zone and trying things I was fairly sure I didn’t want, I found what I was looking for.

By John Holfeltz

Dixie State University is partnering with Utah Valley University to offer education students international student-teaching experiences.

Jeffery Olson, UVU’s senior vice president of academic affairs, and Parker Fawson, dean of UVU’s school of education, met March 31 with Michael Lacourse, DSU’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, and Brenda Sabey, dean of DSU’s school of education, to sign memorandums of understanding and agreement for the new partnership.

The main objective of the program is for education students to get to work as a student teacher in selected countries around the world. The countries where students would go to teach were chosen strategically because the students in the classrooms already know English.

“International student teaching allows students enrolled in educator preparation programs to complete a portion of their professional program requirements in a targeted region of the world,” Fawson said.

Sabey said the final learning experience required for those preparing to be elementary or secondary school teachers is a semester of student teaching.

“They are paired with a teacher in the public schools and demonstrate they have achieved the program learning outcomes by being the lead teacher for several weeks in their classroom,” Sabey said. 

A faculty member who supervises and evaluates the student teacher will accompany them in the international classrooms along with the classroom teacher. Normally, those assignments are completed in the Washington County School District, Sabey said.

One of the goals of the program is providing UVU and DSU students with opportunities to experience instructional settings in other cultures, Sabey said. Student teachers will work with diverse students and develop a broader global understanding. The student teachers will also be housed with host families, allowing for the students to gain more knowledge about the culture.

Kimi Gubler, a junior elementary education major from Visalia, California, said she thinks the program will be helpful for education majors.

“I want to go and do that because I think it would be a good opportunity to do gain education from another perspective,” Gubler said.

Sabey said the partnership was made with UVU because the education department at DSU had been trying to figure out how to provide students with an international experience for a while. 

Both DSU and UVU students benefit from this partnership because it allows a greater number to access this experience, Fawson said.

“We are pleased to have a partnership with DSU to help a larger number of prospective teachers gain valuable linguistic, cultural and professional experience that better connects them and their students to the world,” Fawson said.

A typical capstone project might involve a long research paper, but some students are finding more hands-on ways to exhibit what they’ve learned during their collegiate careers.

Sarah Folks, a senior communication major from St. George, and her sister Hannah Folks, also a senior communication major from St. George, are combining their mutual passion for golf for their colorful capstone.

These sisters have planned an event for their capstone project. As two members of the women’s golf team, they wanted to help the women’s team by organizing a fundraiser. The event is on Saturday, and it’s a four-person scramble competition. There will also be a silent auction and a banquet after the event. 

They said they are both thankful for the unique opportunity to skip the research paper in favor of something more hands-on that will benefit the community.

“We get to have people involved in our project instead of a board of professors in a room reading our paper,” Hannah Folks said.

This is a large undertaking, Hannah Folks said. She said this project is practical and directly relates to the careers they want in event management and nonprofit work.

“I respect people who have a passion for research,” Sarah Folks said. “I think, for us, it’s better because we are able to get outside of academia and apply the principles that we’ve learned to a real-life project. It’s not so much about citing sources as being able to work with people and being able to communicate effectively and get stuff done.”

Both sisters said they agree a professional project is a better way to show off the skills they have learned at college and said the planning process has been much more fun for them than the typical capstone. 

“It’s more applicable to what we want to do, too,” Sarah Folks said. “I want to work for a nonprofit organization. I want to be able to do stuff like this [event] and get people involved. [Hannah Folks] wants to do event management in the golf industry. It’s awesome to apply what we’ve learned to what we actually want to do instead of sitting behind a computer.”

A capstone project is something most students do before graduating, but where capstones may seem tedious and uninteresting, some students are making it fun.

Kellie Busse, a senior communication major from Las Vegas, is another student straying from the typical research paper.

Busse raised money for the Children of Hope Academy through a golf competition Saturday. The longest drive competition was held at Sand Hollow Resort.

Across the street from the Nisson Towers, the Children of Hope Academy operates on a donation and volunteer-only basis, meaning it doesn’t pay its volunteers or owners, and it doesn’t take money from its students. The academy teaches people who are over 18 and are mentally challenged. 

“I wanted to do an event because it would give me the opportunity to see if I wanted to plan or run events,” Busse said.

Like the Folks sisters, Busse said this event has helped her be more involved in the community. Busse said this event forced her out of her comfort zone, which is something she is grateful for.

Joshua Kaneversky, a senior communication major from Visalia, California, is writing a research paper for his capstone, but he has put a current, trendy spin on his project.

Kaneversky’s project, “A Rhetorical Analysis of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s Social Media Campaigns,” follows the Facebook posts of both presidential candidates from Jan. 1 to Feb. 4, which was around the time the Iowa caucus took place.

Kaneversky said he enjoys analyzing social media, his area of study, which is why he chose this topic. He said social media is a current issue and is interesting to young adults.

He said he found Clinton used a professional approach whereas Trump was more spontaneous in his posts.

“Donald Trump is way more successful than Hillary Clinton [with social media] because social media users want open and honest communication, and they don’t want something that’s filtered through,” Kaneversky said.

Kaneversky said he is glad he was able to pick an interesting a current topic for his final project. Social media is something that interests him, he said, and he had a fun time doing it.  

“At the end of the day, I was stalking two people on Facebook,” Kaneversky said. “How great can life get?”