Month: September 2017

Chatter echoes across the gallery as artists walk alongside their peers, explaining what their art piece represents.

Dixie State University’s art show, “Mapping: The Poetics of Utah Expression” displays various contemporary works through a series of paintings, print making and wire sculptures. 

Art curator Kathy Cieslewicz worked alongside Steven Stradley, a fine arts adjunct, to co-curate this semester’s art show and develop the theme.

“Think about everything that is mapped; our brain is mapped, our world is mapped and our universe is mapped,” Cieslewicz said. “We map our lives as we navigate through it.”

Together, Cieslewicz and Stradley reached out to several artists all over southern Utah to submit their work for the project. After reviewing the submissions, Cieslewicz said it was interesting to see what the artists sent to go along with theme of the show because some pieces represent the literal meaning of “mapping” while others go beyond the traditional meaning of the expression.

Because of the variation among the art pieces, Cieslewicz said the community will experience different feelings the moment they lay eyes on an artist’s work.

“Art is subjective so everything you think, do and say in your whole life connects at that moment you look at the art, and in a split second, you like it or don’t like it,” Cieslewicz said.

Aside from taking the time to examine the art in the gallery, Cieslewicz emphasized paying special attention to how the floor’s reflective surface impacts the artist’s work.

“One of my favorite things about this gallery is the way the art reflects into the floor,” Cieslewicz said. “This show will have some really impressive art reflections, including Steven’s piece.”

“Post- Studio”
Aside from being a driving force behind the art show’s development, Stradley also has pieces featured in the gallery. “Post- Studio” is compromised of remnants of other projects Stradley has worked on throughout the last six years of his artistic career. Acrylic paint, cinderblock, and variable wood sizes were used to form this piece.

“I did not make any of these pieces [specifically] for the show,” Stradley said. “They are fragments from different installations that I had kicking around the studio. Sometimes the artistic practice and the artistic residue of this practice forms a better work than I can make.” 

“Ghost Birds”
Abraham McCowan, a college of the arts adjunct, submitted his wood block print making piece, “Ghost Birds.” McCowan has been specializing in print making for over 10 years. His inspiration for the design emerged while he worked with a wildlife rehab over the summer in Kanab. Over 30 different birds were in the center, which created a chaotic situation for those volunteering at the rehab.

“We had four barn owls come in and they looked like aliens and were hissing at us,” McCowan said. “So I tried to capture the weirdness of the barn owls and how crazy it was with all those animals and trying to take care of them all.”

“Relativity”
Throughout graduate school, artist Chris Purdie’s lingering thought, “I don’t have enough time,” kept creeping up in the back of his mind.

“The end of graduate school was coming up and I was trying to think of things that I could do for my final show so time became a really big part of my life,” Purdie said. “So I started thinking about using clocks to create art with.” 

Also influenced by the program of art and technology, Purdie wanted to incorporate a moving element in his clock piece. “Relativity” is just one of many works Purdie has created involving clocks. “Relativity” features a clock tied to a string that extends 50 feet across the gallery. Every day, the clock moves across the string, and when the show ends in November, it will have moved completely across the gallery.

“I think this is one of the stronger pieces because people can see human existence inside this whole idea of a clock being the heart that creates the power and energy to do things,” Purdie said. 

The art show is free for anyone to attend in the Sears Art Museum Gallery inside the Dolores Dore Eccles Fine Art Center. The gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and runs until Dec. 8.

The new Dixie State University Veterans Success Center opened in the Val A. Browning Learning Resource Center this semester. The open house is set for Nov. 10. 

The open house will go from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., starting at the Veterans Memorial where they will pay tribute to the fallen and honor the colors. The open house falls on the Marine Corps birthday and will also celebrate that branch of the military. Three guests, including Senator Evan Vickers, will speak at the open house. Refreshments will be served following the speech, and guests will get the opportunity to explore the center and learn about the services offered. 

The Veterans Success Center offers personalized services to veterans such as benefit assistance, academic help, advisement and more. The center is equipped with computers, printers, a television, a lounge area, coffee and snacks — all free of charge. It is meant to be a place where veterans can connect with other veterans. 

Veterans club president Sean Jordan, a sophomore theater education major from Beaver Dam, is one of three work-study students employed by the Veterans Success Center. He said the purpose of the open house is to raise awareness among the community, including current students and non-students.

“It will be an opportunity for people to come in, see what’s going on and see what their campus is being used for,” Jordan said.

He hopes to attract veterans outside of DSU and possibly even register them for classes at the university to have them start using its benefits.

Jordan said there are 187 veterans at DSU who are receiving military benefits. However, there are approximately 300 total veterans on campus, which means most veteran students are not taking advantage of their military benefits. His biggest worry is determining why all 500 are not using their veteran benefits, and then figuring out how to change that, Jordan said. 

“There’s a lot of financial aid you can get, but a lot of them don’t know where they can come,” Jordan said. 

Veterans club secretary Jonathan LaForce, a senior English major from Los Angeles, is another work-study employee of the center. He said the center takes great pride in being able to help veterans apply for college, get registered for classes and create degree plans. Aside from college registration, the center also helps give assistance with tuition payment programs, locates resources available to veterans, and ensures veterans get compensation and pension from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Part of what makes the center work, LaForce said, is that the staff members are all veterans themselves. He was a marine and served in the Utah guard. He said having mutual ground helps them relate to each other and creates a comfortable and welcoming space. 

The Veterans Success Center staff also assists veterans who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. While they are not certified counselors, they are always willing to talk, which is a big help for those going through PTSD, LaForce said. If that is not enough, they refer and even transport veterans to get the professional help they need. 

“Often just talking and really listening to people is enough to help them to remember that they are not forgotten, that they are not worthless, and that things are getting better,” LaForce said.

The staff has big plans for the future of the Veterans Success Center, said Cody Fisher, veterans club vice president and sophomore accounting major from Fruita, Colorado. He and the other two work-study employees envision a daycare center for veterans and single parents to utilize while they’re in classes. In the near future, the center also plans to employ tutors, which lends to one of the main efforts of the center—supporting veterans academically.  

Fisher also said having a strong veteran’s center will draw people to DSU if they know they’ll find support there. A large part of that strength comes from expanding its clientele, recruiting people to get involved with the center, and growing its space to better serve larger numbers. Although the center just recently upgraded to the office in the Browning Learning Resource Center, Fisher is already thinking about expanding to a larger space. To get more space, it needs to show the university that there is a need, he said. 

“[We have to show them] who’s passionate,” Fisher said. “Who wants to make Dixie State University a better place? The Veteran’s Center does.” 

Studying abroad isn’t as out of reach as students may think.

Price is often the biggest obstacle when it comes to spending time abroad, but there are multiple ways to fund a study abroad trip, and the skills students gain from their experiences can set them apart from other graduates. Plus, students can get credit for studying abroad.

Tory Leech, the study abroad program coordinator, said financial aid, scholarships from the university, grants — and scholarships from the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), can all help fund a trip abroad.

“[Studying abroad] is life changing,” Leech said. “Even if you can only go for two weeks, it will change your perception on life. Being able to immerse yourself in another culture will definitely change your world perspective.”

Leech said studying abroad is something unique to put on a resume, and other countries provide research opportunities not available in the U.S. For example, DSU’s trip to Costa Rica last year allowed environmental science students to study an environment radically different from St. George’s.

Some trips abroad are a semester long, some a year, and others are just a few weeks in the summer. These trips are mainly led by third party groups like the USAC or faculty, and they can all be for credit; however, the amount of credit depends on the length of the trip and whether it is service or strictly schooling.

Dr. Peter Gitau, vice president of student affairs, conducted a faculty-led trip to Kenya last year, and around ten students came with Gitau. He built the trip around three components: university learning, service to a village and a travel safari. 

This two-and-a-half week service-learning trip was planned to help students become culturally competent while helping the community. The group helped teach at primary schools, raised money for the community through car washes and selling raffle tickets, and stayed with a host family to help with chores.

Maitlyn Johnson, a sophomore integrated studies major from Bountiful, was one of the students who traveled to Kenya. Her favorite part of the trip was teaching at the primary school. One day while teaching English class, she read a story where there was an activity to make a kite.

“I had to search for a good 30 minutes to find supplies to make a kite,” Johnson said. “I ended up using [the school’s] correction sticks, which were used to beat the kids if they were bad, to make the frame of the kite.”

Johnson funded the trip with her FASFA.

“There is no way I would have been able to afford the trip if it wasn’t for the fact I had just gotten a ton of grant money from the government,” Johnson said. “I had to fill out a special circumstances form for FAFSA because my parents income had decreased dramatically. So they ended up reimbursing me…and I used all that money to go on this trip.” 

Johnson said studying abroad was the greatest experience of her life.

“[Studying abroad] stretches you beyond your imagination,” Gitau said. “If you’ve always grown up around people who look like you, or think like you or speak like you, then what happens is after you graduate you are in a world where you don’t have the skill set to be successful. Study abroad helps you gain the skills to work with different cultures and people.”

Gitau said study abroad can also help students develop perseverance. Especially over a long trip when students want to quit, and they have to find the will to stay and continue to learn.

“America is huge, and many times you don’t learn about people from outside of the U.S.,” Gitau said. “Many times our perceptions are very stereotyped because we haven’t been there, but when you go to a place and experience it, then that stereotype is broken — and that is of immense value.”

The study abroad trips for this year have not been released yet, but the possible destinations will be available in mid-October. For more information on study abroad, visit studyabroad.dixie.edu.

The Women’s Resource Center is continuing to partner with outside organizations to provide services to women and those in need.

The WRC and Support the Girls Southern Utah are coming together to offer free bras and hygiene products to faculty, staff and students on campus. The service began Sept. 5 and will continue to run through Dec. 8.

Donna Walter, a senior psychology major from Washington, helps maintain the WRC and is employed through work study. Her goal is to make the WRC a welcoming and safe environment for any in need, regardless of age, background and even gender, she said.

“I’ve had fun decorating [the office] so it feels homey and comfortable to students,” Walter said. “It’s [important] for students to feel like they can relax and take some time out of their schedule and have somebody to listen to them.”

Walter said the team believed only two or three girls per semester would take advantage of the service provided through the partnership, but she has seen two to three girls per week.

“This program allows us to give women on campus the option to use their funds on groceries and those types of things instead of feminine hygiene products and bras,” Walter said. “We can help them budget better. Bras are expensive, and it’s hard to decide whether it’s more important to eat or feel comfortable.”

Dr. Florence Bacabac is an associate professor of English and the WRC director. Bacabac has been working since 2012 to establish a safe place and viable resources for women.

Bacabac stresses the importance of female hygiene and comfort when studying in college.

“[These purchases are] extra baggage if you don’t have the financial means,” Bacabac said. “The [WRC’s] main focus is helping women reach their academic and professional goals. We just want to alleviate the stress so [women] can focus on their schooling.”

Support the Girls Southern Utah was founded by Dixie State University alumna Emily Havens in January of 2016. While working on a piece for the Spectrum, Havens learned of the resources made possible through Support the Girls and found there was no chapter for Southern Utah.

“[This service] is not just for homeless women or women who are in dire need, it’s for [women] and anything that will make them feel more comfortable about themselves,” Havens said. “Sometimes you get super poor [in college, and] you don’t know how you’re going to afford some things.”

Plans for this service began just before the start of the fall semester. Havens contacted Bacabac and explained the need many women have for the service.

“It’s restoring dignity to women in a small way but [also] such a big way,” Havens said. “Nobody who’s never had to walk around without having the option to wear a bra or not knows how uncomfortable and [distressing] it can be.”

Support the Girls Southern Utah has drives for bras all year round. In July, the chapter donated bras to FLDS women, and currently the organization is working to donate bras and feminine hygiene products to those affected by the hurricanes and earthquakes all over the nation.

The WRC has also partnered with the DOVE Advocacy Service to provide survivors of sexual assault the ability to meet with a certified advocates in a private setting every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. This partnership began Sept. 6 and will run through Dec. 6. Walter said this service is not just for women.

“We don’t want anyone to think we’re discriminating [against them],” Walter said. “We are a resource for women, but we can offer [aid] and support to anyone.”

The resource center is also responsible for updates around campus, such as the lactation rooms for student mothers within the Taylor Health Sciences and Holland Centennial Commons buildings. Scholarships, internship opportunities and awards are posted frequently on the center’s website to help women maintain their student status.

“It’s important to make women aware of things available for them on campus and helping them stay excited about their [futures] and enjoying [DSU] while they’re here,” Walter said. “We want to help women on campus stay in college, but if they have to leave, we also want them to know that they will always be welcome back when they are ready. Things happen.”

In recent years, the WRC has been awarded grants to undertake projects such as the Body Image Literacy Campaign, and award hard-working women on campus with resources such as scholarships through the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and laptops donated by private donors. The WRC is actively working to provide day care for student parents, as it has been one of the most highly mentioned services.

Support the Girls Southern Utah and the WRC are accepting donations of new or gently worn bras and unopened packs of feminine hygiene products until Dec. 8. Anyone wanting to give to this cause can drop their donations off at the WRC office located in room 489 in the Holland Centennial Commons Building. Students who cannot find their size when taking advantage of this service are still able to receive bras. Havens reaches out to other chapters to obtain their sizes.

“Our community has donated all of [the bras] I’ve collected, maybe minus about 200,” Havens said. “It’s been pretty amazing.”

Students go to class to learn, yet most of them just go on their phones during lectures. 

Science News for Students reported college students use their cellphone around nine hours per day. Two college students at California State University, Chico—Rob Richardson and Mitch Gardner—saw a problem with the distraction cell phones cause in the classroom so they came up with a solution. In 2014, the duo created and launched Pocket Points, a free app that rewards students for staying off their smartphones in class. 

To use it, students simply open the app and lock their phone. The app tracks how long the phone stays locked and the student earns points accordingly. Points can then be redeemed for discounts and free items at restaurants like Tropical Smoothie Café, Swig, and Honolulu Grill. They can also be redeemed at select online retailers through the app.

Bryar Topham, a junior business administration major from Delta, has gotten free pizza, yogurt, cookies and other discounts through Pocket Points.

Topham said he was always using his phone inside of class and outside of class, but Pocket Points helps him focus on lectures and even encourages him to be more social. He turns it on whenever he’s on campus, even between classes or while studying at the library.

“I feel like our entire generation has a phone addiction,” Topham said.

According to the PEW Research Center, “67 percent of smartphone owners have admitted to checking their phone for calls or messages when their phone hasn’t vibrated or made any noise.” The research also showed that it is a sign of cell phone dependence, and should serve as a warning to the user.

Topham said he has to put his phone on “do not disturb” mode so he doesn’t get notifications at all; because even when he locks his phone using Pocket Points, he’s still tempted to unlock it when it lights up.

For Chelsea Ponce, a junior media studies major from Quito, Ecuador, curbing her cell phone addiction was a big concern. She said she would respond to texts or surf social media when classes got boring. When she heard about Pocket Points from a friend, she gave it a try. Ponce said since she’s downloaded it, the app has helped her with her problem.

“You still want to look at your phone, but because it’s like a game you just look at it and [remember] ‘I’m earning points, so I’m just going to stay off; I can do it,’” Ponce said.

Topham said one of the most rewarding parts of the app is not the discounts, but seeing his name on the leaderboard—a list of the people with the highest scores. For him, the feeling of accomplishment is motivating and rewarding enough.

Participation in class discussion is another area Topham said he has seen improvement in since he started using Pocket Points. He said it saves him the embarrassment of having a professor call on him to answer a question when he’s clearly distracted by his phone. 

Russ Cashin, a college of humanities adjunct professor, said it takes away from the lecture when students text. His policy prohibits phone use during class time, but some students still use their devices. Cashin does allow students to take notes on their laptops, but that can sometimes interfere with learning as well.

 “The phone use is a bigger problem,” Cashin said. “If they’re on the phone texting or typing, then they’re not paying attention to me and it distracts from the lecture.”

He said it seems like people use technology to replace knowledge. Instead of putting in the work to figure something out, people usually just look it up online. It’s taking away from memory and social interaction, Cashin said.

However, Cashin feels the benefits of technology can outweigh the distraction when managed properly. A learning management system like Canvas is an example of a constructive use of technology, he said.

Really, the use of technology is up to the students. It is their decision to pay attention to his lectures, or not, Cashin said.

“Even if class might not seem interesting sometimes, we’re here to learn and the phone is a big distraction,” Ponce said.

Topham agreed and said it’s up to each individual what he or she does during class time.

“It’s on the students to manage themselves,” Topham said. “If they want to be on their phones the whole time, they’re going to get less out of the class and that’s on them; it’ll reflect on their grades.”