Month: January 2017

Women from around the globe marched in solidarity Saturday to fight for women’s rights and civil liberties. St. George was no different. Video by Ashley Harrison and Skye Clayton.

Around 1,500 people marched past St. George city buildings through downtown on Saturday chanting “Love Trumps Hate.” 

St. George was one of many cities around the world to hold a women’s march, which was inspired by the original march in Washington D.C. According to the “Women’s March on Washington Guiding Vision and Definition of Principles,” the march on Washington D.C. is a “women-led movement bringing together people of all genders, ages, races, cultures  and political affiliations to affirm our shared humanity and pronounce our bold message of resistance and self-determination.”

“We wanted to be a part of that movement to have our voices in our community heard at this pivotal time,” March organizer Mari Shirley said.

Within a week, Mari Shirley and Eva Livingston set a date and time for the women’s march in St. George. 

“The two girls who started it a week ago were hoping for maybe 50 people to show up,” said Dorothy Engelman, director of the Erin Kimball Foundation, which serves homeless survivors of domestic violence and abuse.

However, brightly clothed women, men, children and dogs of all breeds participated in the St. George march. With volunteers making sure everyone remained on the sidewalk and following cross-walk procedures, a multitude of people driving by honked and waved.

Participants represented organizations such as Girl Scouts, Planned Parenthood and Downtown Yoga at the march. 

“I attended the women’s march because I wanted to stand in solidarity with women around the world and let our president know that we will fight every day for our rights,” said Dallas Henry, a Planned Parenthood Utah ambassador. “We will hold [President Donald Trump] accountable for his actions.”

Engelman said getting involved starts with protecting women’s rights, especially reproductive rights. 

Henry said without Planned Parenthood she wouldn’t have been able to afford an IUD on her own. After her procedure, Henry became a volunteer, clinical assistant and later a Planned Parenthood ambassador to give back to the foundation.

“Now I am helping educate and empower women in my community just like Planned Parenthood did for me,” Henry added. “I want the community to know Planned Parenthood is a safe and welcoming place for everyone and that our doors stay open no matter what.” 

Engelman was among many activists to stress the importance of not overturning Roe v. Wade. 

“Nobody is in favor of abortion, but I think women feel they deserve to be in control of their own bodies,” Engelman said. “I think there’s a real fear that may go away under the president’s administration.”

St. George resident Penny Cole said the march also represents the idea that everyone’s voices matter, and everyone shares the same rights.

As St. George residents  Jeff Quayle and Shirlayne Quayle stood together holding their daughter’s hand at the march, they voiced their concerns for every generation’s future.

“We’re a mixed race household, I mean my daughter’s Asian, so it especially hits home for us,” Jeff Quayle said. “I want to let our 9-year-old know that just because she’s a woman, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a say.”

Jeff Quayle said in order to keep this movement going, it’s not enough to just complain about the issues; you need to get out and do peaceful marches like these.

“People are coming together to show peace and love, so maybe we need somebody like Trump in office to get people activated to move us in the right direction,” St. George resident Chris Zollinger said.

Most of us struggle with aspects of our personality at one point or another. How about having 23 of them?

“Split,” written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, introduces us to Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), who suffers from dissociative identity disorder and has 23 distinct personalities living in his head. When two of his unstable personalities take control, he kidnaps three teenage girls from a mall parking lot. The girls must work together to try to escape from Crumb, who has a 24th personality emerging known only as the beast.

Following the success of “The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable,” “Signs” and possibly “The Village,” Director M. Night Shyamalan’s box office returns and audience appeal have steadily declined to the point that most people I know tend to recoil or grimace at the mere mention of his name. Between “Lady in the Water,” “The Happening,” “The Last Airbender” and “After Earth,” it seemed that Shyamalan could never return to his former glory.

But after a small hit with 2015’s “The Visit,” I’m relieved to say Shyamalan is back with a fantastic return to form. This film is thrilling and incredibly suspenseful — especially its third act — to the point of hearing a pin drop in my theater.

James McAvoy turns in an Oscar-worthy performance as Crumb. He captures each of the personalities he portrays so completely that each of them feels like a different person, despite being played by the same actor. Between tour de force work in “Atonement,” the “X-Men” series and now “Split,” I’m beginning to believe McAvoy can do no wrong.

Anya Taylor-Joy is also at home here as Casey Cooke, one of the three kidnapped girls with a horrible backstory that slowly emerges in bits and pieces over the course of the film. Taylor-Joy was absolutely arresting in 2015’s indie horror hit “The Witch,” and it’s wonderful to see her continue to shine. She is clearly one of the most talented young actresses working in Hollywood today, and I’m sure the future will be bright for her.

My only real criticism of this film lies with the two other girls, Claire Benoit (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula). While each actress does relatively well with the material she’s given, neither character is as well fleshed out as Casey. We’re given no backstory, no reason to care. They essentially fall into the trope of the “popular girl,” which doesn’t allow the audience to relate to them.

Another gripe of mine actually has nothing to do with the film but with the audience with whom I saw it. While moments of “Split” are certainly very funny — particularly moments with Crumb’s 9-year-old personality Hedwig — there was a lot of inappropriate audience laughter. They were not laughing at something funny; they were laughing at the portrayal of personalities and, to take it one step further, at mental illness itself. It was disturbing to hear laughter toward an accurate representation of horrific mental illness as though someone suffering from such a thing is somehow amusing. I have a schizophrenic brother who hears voices. Is that funny?

Laughter can often be an uncomfortable reaction, but I would ask those who watch this film to ask themselves why they’re laughing. Is something funny happening on screen? Or is mental illness too much for us to see and seek to understand rather than ridicule?

Perhaps everyone should see “Split” to ask himself or herself these questions.

Grade: A-

It’s 8:52 a.m. I grab a hat and my backpack and I walk seven minutes to campus. I sit down just in time for class to start. Behind me sits another student who is wide-awake and ready to go. The difference between the student behind me and myself is my commute was seven minutes; their commute was nearly an hour.

Some students are lucky and do not have to drive a long way to get to class. Then there those commuting from Ivins, Enterprise and even Cedar City.

Students at Dixie State University are from a variety of communities in the southern Utah area. It is clear, after talking to three students who make a daily commute, the college experience is different for students living outside the vicinity of St. George

” I just have to do things a little differently than most students,” said Dillon Hurt, a junior business administration student from Ivins. “I have to plan more extensively and fit that into a different sleeping schedule because of the distance I drive.”

Planning is done differently, academic work needs to be taken care of at odd hours, and out-of-the-box techniques are used to maintain a healthy academic experience.

Trey Davis, a junior communication major from Cedar City, has to be more meticulous with his daily preparation. If Davis has a class that starts at 9 a.m. then he must leave at 8 a.m. He also must make sure he has a lunch prepared and everything he needs for the day. All this must be done early in the morning or the night before after arriving home from DSU.

“I leave an hour before my morning class starts,” said Davis. “The commute is not easy, but by the time I finally get to St. George I am ready to go.”

Davis leaves about an hour early and while driving he listens to lectures from class the day before that he has recorded.

“It is definitely an adjustment,” Davis said. “When my wife and I moved to Cedar City I intended to attend Southern Utah University. I quickly realized [SUU] did not have a film program, so I made the decision to commute [to DSU] and I have not looked back.”

Like Davis and Hurt, commuting students must be thorough planners. Unlike me, they cannot just run home quickly to grab an assignment left on the counter. 

“It’s not like I can forget something,” said Hurt. “I mean that would be nice, but I have to plan so that does not happen.”

Karin Tucker, a freshman nursing major from Enterprise, is a single mother of three kids.  Having to be a master at planning and executing her plan has made Tucker further appreciate her role as a mother and a student.

“The drive can be relaxing, but it is also time consuming,” said Tucker. “[Commuting] forces me to have a plan and stick to it. It also eliminates a lot of study time, so I have to stay disciplined.”

There also other things to consider that non-commuting students may not consider, like the impact on grades and the feel of college life.

“Because of the drive, I leave early, pack a lunch and bring extra clothes,” said Hurt, . “Because I am away from a lot of the action on campus, it feels like I am missing out on the college experience. On the other hand, I do get really good grades.”

Even with hours in between classes, these students must stay at the school and make the most of their time. Where a student like myself might just zip home for snack, Davis must have already planned for that in advance.

“Most of the time I try find a quiet place and get almost everything done before heading home,” said Davis. “If I wait until I get home to do homework, I might be too tired to do it.”

There are positives and negatives to having to commute to school; the secret is planning effectively and making the most the driving time.

A proposal for Dixie State University to offer a new Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is awaiting approval.

The DSU art department recently submitted the suggestion to address the 20 students per year who transfer from DSU in search for a Bachelor of Fine Arts, or Bachelor of Fine Arts, and to help make DSU more competitive, according to the “Bachelor of Fine Arts Executive Summary.” The summary highlights the proposal including the external and internal demand, the revenue, the cost and the program plan.

“[A Bachelor of Fine Arts] allows students to take more art classes,” said McGarren Flack, adviser at the DSU college of arts. “Generally speaking, a Bachelor of Fine Arts is 60 percent art courses and 40 percent [General Education] coursework… So students that are more interested in becoming better artists would select the Bachelor of Fine Arts route. Also, we are the only university in the state that does not have a Bachelor of Fine Arts.”

The department surveyed 150 of the 220 visual art students and found 32 percent of students would consider going elsewhere to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and 84 percent of students stated they would rather earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts over a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science.

“Originally, I wanted to be an art teacher, but as I continue on, I want to go more into animation,” said Morgan Mechem, a freshman art major from Hurricane. “Because of that, I need to work more in that field, and I need a higher degree to compete with higher competition and look better on paper.”

The department reached out to 20 students who have transferred to other schools, and 12 of those students said they left to acquire a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

“I chose Dixie [State University] because it felt right,” Mechem said. “It felt like home because it’s close to home and it’s familiar. But I have honestly thought about leaving, even though it pulls at my heartstrings. I would probably transfer after my associate’s to pursue a higher degree.”

DSU would need to add three courses to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts. According to the executive summary, initial funds will not be required, but an extra faculty member will need to be hired. Funds will also need to be acquired for a computer lab in the North Plaza for digital art within the next five years. The total estimated cost is $325,000.

“This is going to be a conglomerate degree that allows a student to have more flexibility,” said Van Mangus, an adviser in the college of the arts. “But the best part about the Bachelor of Fine Arts is it has four classes — so 12 credits — in art history.”

The additional art history credits would allow students to have a more adaptable way to obtain a Master of Fine Arts, Mangus said. This is because a majority of Master of Fine Arts programs are asking for 12 credits of art history instead of the six currently offered.

According to the “Strategic Enrollment Plan” published by the university in 2014, DSU is projected to grow 3 percent each year with the art department growing 5-10 percent based off the data obtained over the past three years.

“It will be a very positive change,” Mangus said. “We think it could increase student enrollment at [DSU] because of the status of the degree.”

If DSU administrators approve the program, the program will include opportunities for students to work with local artists and other universities. This will include internships, which will allow students to gain experience in their field.

The department also plans on expanding the digital art track to provide more courses on animation and game design, which is the highest paying art-based career. The department is currently discussing possible internships within the animation industry, according to the program plan section of the executive summary.

“I wrote the degree to be applied by Fall 2017, so this next school year, if everything is [approved] by the Board of Regents and then Northwest Commission, we are good to go,” Flack said. “But if it is not [approved] by either one, then we have to go back to the drawing board and rewrite the degree and submit it up the line, which in turn will push back that time frame.”

Within the executive summary, the department reveals that art-based jobs are projected to increase 3 percent, and employment in the graphic design industry is estimated to increase 7 percent within the next 10 years.

Visual and performing arts is the seventh most offered degree program nationally with an average of 5.95 degrees, according to the executive summary. DSU currently offers three: Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Art and integrated studies.

“We have a couple of students that are willing to stay another year just in hopes to get a BFA, but again we have told them that it is a hope and they shouldn’t wait for a degree to happen,” Flack said. “If the stars align and the God of the cosmos decides we should get a [Bachelor of Fine Arts] — oh and the Board of Regents and Northwest Commission, we can’t forget them — in fall of 2017 we should have students in the degree by 2018, it would be possible to have students graduating Spring 2018 with a BFA, but that might be really optimistic.”

The Dixie State University Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Center, also known as the ORAC, gives students the opportunity to experience both sides of the “active learning, active life” promise.

From 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, the ORAC offers affordable equipment for students and faculty to rent for climbing, biking, paddle boarding and more.

“If it’s a walk-in, you just come in and tell us what sport you’re planning on doing and we can accommodate [your plans], whether someone needs a bike or climbing shoes,” Joshua Young said, ORAC employee and sophomore general studies major from Boise.

The center has equipment from climbing harnesses to canoes and mountain bikes. The checkout process can take 10 minutes to an hour depending on the type of equipment a student wants to rent and the amount of equipment needed.

“Everything we have is about the students,” ORAC coordinator Luke Wilkins said. “Everything is geared for them, from the mountain bikes to the kayaks to the paddle boards. Everything is for them.”

Wilkins founded the outdoor recreation center in 2007.

“It was created to give students opportunities to get out of their dorm room(s) and go do something,” Wilkins said. “A big thing that was expressed on campus was that students in the dorms would sit in their dorms and not do anything. Yet it’s Southern Utah and you can do things year round.”

The ORAC is able to keep in mind that students are seeking adventure but on a college budget and helps cater to those students, Haley Erickson, a sophomore communications major from Castle Rock, said.

Renting mountain bikes in town can costs $70 a day, but the ORAC rents bikes to students for $25 the first day and $5 for each additional day. Instead of renting a bike for $490 a week, students can find a similar bike for $55 a week.

Other than gear, the center has a climbing wall inside the Student Activity Center for students to use. For those who want to enjoy the open, the recreation center hosts trips for students for little to no cost. The last trip, which occurred in November, was a free hike around Snow Canyon.

“We make regular trips to places like Snow Canyon and Zion,” Young said. “Angels Landing we try to do every spring and it’s a really good experience for a lot of new people.”

Young said most events can cost around $10 unless the destination is a little further away, like Moab.

“We don’t ever do anything to make money, we only do things to cover the cost,” Young said. “So that $10 fee is really to pay for gas.”

Most events are put on by the five employees who work at the ORAC.

“We usually do easier events so the people who are brand new have a great experience,” Young said.

The ORAC is an unknown resource to many students around campus. Tucked away underneath of the Student Activity Center, it isn’t the easiest to find, Young said.

“I think people just don’t know it’s there, it isn’t really advertised,” Emma Hardy, freshman theater major from Houston, said.

Hardy said she became aware of the center when her family used it to rent paddle boards. Most incoming students are told about the ORAC on campus tours, Scoville said.

“I found out about the ORAC during Freshman orientation during a tour of Dixie’s campus,” Tatum Scoville, freshman psychology major from Layton, said. “I think it’s an unknown resource because a lot of people living in St. George have the necessary resources for outdoor activities already. Outdoor recreation is one thing that St. George is known for.”

Despite the ORAC being an unknown resource, it continues to help introduce people to the nature surrounding the St. George community.

“We have always made events and rentals cheap and affordable and we try to make things fun,” Young said.

The center’s next event is Jan. 28 and all registered participants are to meet at the ORAC at 10 a.m. Members will be mountain biking along the Church Rocks Trail and bike rentals are $10.

Alex Honnold climbs rock climbs some of the biggest walls in the world, his fingers clinging to tiny holds, all without the safety of a rope.

Honnold is arguably one of the greatest ropeless climbers the world has ever seen. His daring – some would say foolhardy or even suicidal – solo ascents of massive faces in Yosemite and beyond have been viewed millions of times and have elicited responses ranging from shock and fear to downright anger.

Honnold came to St. George Friday to host a meet and greet at the Desert Rat outdoor shop and later gave a presentation about his climbing at the Dixie State University Eccles Mainstage Theater.

Weston Hargis, a junior exercise science major from Chetek, Wisconsin, and an employee of the Desert Rat, said the process of getting Honnold to come and give a presentation in St. George didn’t happen overnight.

“We’ve been trying for a couple years now to have Alex Honnold come down and just kind of give a small presentation,” Hargis said. “We didn’t know he was going to give a book signing until a couple months ago.”

Hargis, who is a rock climber himself, said meeting Honnold was a great moment for him personally.

“I think meeting him was really cool,” Hargis said, adding that Honnold’s bold climbs were inspiring to watch.

Despite his admiration for Honnold, Hargis said he has no plans to solo climb himself.

“I respect that he has the ability to do it, the mental capacity to do that, because not a lot of people could go that far without breaking down,” Hargis said.

Josh Young, a sophomore general studies major from Boise, Idaho, said it was exciting to have Honnold visit St. George, even though he was not able to procure a ticket to either event.

“From everybody I have talked to, everybody’s super stoked about it,” Young said. “From my climbing class, it’s like an extra credit thing, and everybody was scrambling to get those tickets and they went out pretty fast. Everybody is pretty excited about that, just because he is such a big deal.”

Like Hargis, Young said ropeless climbing was not a style of climbing he wanted to pursue. Despite that, he said he had a lot of respect for Honnold.

“He’s just a huge inspiration, the kind of talent that he has, especially how much he dedicates to climbing.” Young said.

Honnold first came to the Desert Rat, where a crowd of admirers waited in line to meet him and get his autograph. He brought 200 copies of his book “Alone on the Wall” to sign, with all proceeds going to benefit the Honnold Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the lives of impoverished people through ecological sustainability.

For an hour and a half, Honnold signed autographs on posters, climbing helmets and books, sometimes posing with dogs and infants. A line stretched halfway around the store for almost the entire event, with some people waiting in line for over half an hour.

“It’s good to know there’s so many enthusiastic outdoor folks,” Honnold said. “I mean, of course in a town like St. George there’s a lot of enthusiastic outdoor folks. It’s impressive to see so many come together. It’s just a little book signing in a gear shop. I can’t believe so many people came.”

Later in the evening Honnold gave a presentation on his climbing adventures to a sold-out crowd in the Eccles Mainstage Theater.

“The event went absolutely wonderfully,” said Bo Beck, manager of the Desert Rat.

Beck said he was very impressed with the presentation abilities of Honnold, who showed stills and videos from his recent trip National Geographic-sponsored to Africa, where he climbed Mt. Kenya.

Honnold didn’t just focus on climbing during his presentation. He also highlighted the native people as well as other aspects of his experience, such as wildlife and the rapidly shrinking glacier on Mt. Kenya.

Students and professors at Dixie State University may have a loaded gun on them without you knowing.

There is no specific DSU policy outlining firearms on campus; DSU must follow Utah state law. This law allows students and professors to conceal carry at any time.

The University of Utah tried enacting a policy that would ban all guns on campus in 2006, even if the carrier held a permit. The Utah Supreme Court later ruled against this effort because it opposed Utah state law. So, even if DSU did want to ban guns, it would not be able to without fighting the state. 

“Anyone with a concealed weapons permit may carry on DSU campus,” said Don Reid, director of campus police. “Sometimes students think it is their Second Amendment right to open carry, but that’s not the case. The weapon must be concealed.”

Communication professor Dennis Wignall, who has had a concealed weapons permit for 51 years, said he carries a concealed gun because the future is uncertain.

“I cannot predict with any certainty that a sociopath, psychopath or someone else on some sort of violent act to commit mayhem won’t suddenly appear,” Wignall said. “We all have a right to protect ourselves, and I’m extremely good with a firearm. So, I feel like this is a good way to deal with [those people].”

Wignall also trains his classes on what to do if there is ever an armed shooter. 

“I have a protocol for my classes, which I design based on the classroom size, location and shape,” Wignall said. “Essentially, I put my students out of sight, put myself between the students and the door, and other students volunteer to throw tables and chairs if needed.”

Wignall said he knows of other professors who carry on campus, but for their own safety, they often don’t disclose that information.

Jordan Roah, a senior communication major from Oceanside, California, said he supports having guns on campus.

“Just because of the massive amount of guns in this country, and in Utah especially, the only way to really beat [those guns] is to have someone with a firearm, and that’s a good guy,” Roah said. 

Roah said he feels safe at DSU. He met with police officers last year when he was a resident assistant at the DSU dorms, and he said knowing campus police and campus security are armed makes him more comfortable.

Other students, like Jean-Pierre Uzabakiriho, a sophomore general studies major from Redlands, California, said they don’t like the thought of their professors having guns.

“On campus, I personally wouldn’t be comfortable with my professor having a gun,” Uzabakiriho said. “Like if you and your professor got into an argument and it escalated quickly, you don’t know what they might do. Some people are unpredictable.” 

Uzabakiriho said although it makes him uncomfortable, he understands why professors might want guns because of the many shootings he sees on the news.

The U.S. has more mass shootings than any other country in the world. Only a month into 2017, there have already been 123 people injured or killed by mass shootings in the U.S. There were 2,383 people injured or killed by mass shootings in the U.S. in 2016, with schools the second most common place for mass shootings. 

“Saying it will never happen here is an assumption you should never make,” Wignall said. “It is always better to be safe.”