Month: October 2017

By Brycelynn Green

Students, staff and faculty of Dixie State University are rapidly evolving and advancing. Unfortunately, so are the people reffered to as scammers. 

Scammers use misleading personas and approaches to extort personal information and money from anyone who has some to offer. While sometimes they are obvious, other times people may not realize they have been scammed until it is too late. 

In some cases, there may be ways to get back the money lost. Unfortunately, other cases may go undetected and severe cases of fraud can eventually lead to identity theft or loss of an entire life’s savings. 

Scammers target specific groups of people by appealing to their needs and vulnerabilities. This puts certain people at a higher risk of getting scammed, such as the elderly and college students. 

College students are targeted because they are constantly looking for ways to pay for recurring expenses such as tuition, books and student housing. 

By becoming aware of some of the common methods used by scammers and familiarizing themselves with the key indicators of fraud, students can protect themselves from high risk situations.   

Since many college students use a part-time or full-time job to support themselves, scammers use this need to come up with hoaxes that appeal to this specific financial need. 

These scams are disguised as job and career opportunities with promising wages and flexible hours. They are seeking to acquire a student’s personal information or money. 

Scammers also use a very similar approach through the solicitation of scholarships. 

Elizabeth Aguirre, a junior biology major from St. George, said just earlier this week she encountered a scam while on campus. She was looking at one of the many boards around campus that display flyers about upcoming events, job opportunities, classes and more. While looking at the board one of the flyers stuck out to her for a few reasons, and not in a good way. 

“I knew it was a scam because they didn’t specify what their project was, it was not approved for posting, and the overall design was shady,” Aguirre said.

Although sometimes students like Aguirre can spot red flags like a missing stamp of approval from the university, other times it’s not so simple. 

A resource for safe job, internship and scholarship opportunities is the Dixie State Career Center, located in the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons Building. 

Job and internship listings are posted daily and are easily accessible to students through Handshake, a website the career center partnered with in early July. Shane Blocker, the assistant director of employer relations and internships, said one of the main factors in the career center’s decision to partner with Handshake was “the security measures put in place for identifying fraudulent employers.”

Blocker explained several students have come to the career center unsure of whether a job opportunity is legitimate or not, and seek guidance on if they should move forward with the application process. Some students have received advanced checks from employers before ever beginning employment with the company. Blocker has directed those students to not cash the check or give out any personal information. 

“If it sounds too great, just avoid it,” Blocker said.

Scams take place at a variety of levels and locations, and the campus bookstore is of no exception. 

“There is a nationwide scam that has affected many college bookstores,” textbook manager Claudia West said. “We have to scrutinize every order which comes in and we try to identify the possible fraud orders.”

Students should use safe, verified campus resources for things like job opportunities and textbooks to reduce their risk of encountering a scam. However, the most useful approach students can take to avoid scams is to be aware of the indicators and always be skeptical in moving forward.

A drug task force operation took place at Dixie State University’s Nisson Towers Friday around 9 p.m. Washington County agencies and six k-9 officers responded and searched on-campus housing.

According to a statement from DSU released on Monday, the agencies are working together to ensure the safety of the campus and the community.

This is the first time DSU has collaborated with the Washington County Drug Task Force for a campus operation  said Jyl Hall, director of public relations.

Brock Murphy Parrish, a freshman general studies from Kayenta, Arizona, was booked into Washington County jail at 11:30 p.m. Parrish was booked on a paraphernalia and Class B misdemeanor for possession of marijuana and spice. Parrish has since been released from custody.

There are several addendum to the DSU policy and the student housing handbook concerning drugs  that students agree to follow. Students also sign a contract to follow housing and campus policies.

According to the DSU policy for alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, its goal is to provide an “effective and  safe and healthy learning and working environment with the Drug-Free Schools.” It also states students are not allowed to engage in restricted behavior at university sanctioned event, such as consumption, possession or use of a controlled substance. 

“If there is a violation of housing rules and regulations the resident(s) involved meet with the director of campus housing Seth Gubler within a couple days of the incident,” said Kyle Lindsley, a junior exercise science major from Tooele. “The resident life handbook says a resident in violation of alcohol and other drugs may be evicted.”

Campus Police enforce both state and federal laws on campus.

“My team did a really good job with collaborating with other agencies at the scene,”  Isaacson said. 

Parrish is awaiting his student conduct hearing.

 

Over the past five years, the idea of child care service at Dixie State University has circulated amongst students, faculty and staff.

For parents who are trying to get an education while balancing raising young children, finding child care services is crucial. Most professors don’t allow children in classrooms during lectures and test taking can prove to be an even bigger struggle. Since tests at the testing center sometimes fall outside of normal class time, it can be challenging to find last-minute care for children.

“Having dependable, good child care is essential for [parents] to finish their degree, finish on time and to be even better providers for their children monetarily, intellectually and emotionally,” said Deborah Decker, assistant director of advisement.

There is a lot of stress on young parents to find someone to watch their children repeatedly throughout the semester.

“Many of the child care options are not conveniently located,” Decker said. “A lot of them are expensive, which is hard for students on a limited budget, or even staff and faculty members as well… Also, there’s a lot of turnover and a lot of [the staff] aren’t highly trained. And being on a college campus, you know that’s what everyone values, we want people who are highly trained and that’s somewhat difficult to find in the area.”

 

Previous actions

Decker was one of the staff members involved in the movement for campus child care. In 2013, Dannelle Larsen-Rife, an associate professor of psychology, began work to conduct a needs assessment for child care throughout campus. Larsen-Rife and other faculty members created a proposal for the development of a day care geared toward infants to 12-year-olds at the DSU Testing Center.

About 200 students took the survey at the Testing Center and in various other classes. The results revealed about 35 percent of students have a child and have a need for a day care, and 62 percent of students said they were somewhat or very likely to have a child within the next three years.

“It’s tricky to demonstrate need because that’s not something we ask on college applications,” Decker said. “We just really have no idea how many of our students have children and what age ranges they are… so it’s hard to plan.”

The project was put on hold due to lack of support and funding. Nevertheless, the idea still seems to be hotly discussed. On separate occasions, multiple groups around campus have brought up the idea of having campus child care services.
 

Where the issue stands now

Part of the problem is not having a clearly defined leader of the movement, Decker said. There is a duplication of efforts from different groups on campus, but if a committee was organized, they could look at things from the big picture and meet everyone’s needs. Although there is no committee centralized on child care, it has been brought up in administration.

Within DSU’s strategic plan, “Dixie 2020: Status to Stature,” under strategy no. 2, addendum B, of goal four, it states student, faculty and staff needs to be met include “support for nursing mothers in partnership with Women’s Resource Center/Utah Women in Higher Education Network of DSU, child care in partnership with WRC/UWHEN of DSU, and support for returning adult learners/non-traditional students. 

DSU has applied for Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS), a federal grant that supports low-income parents in postsecondary education through campus child care services. Submitted this year, the application was written to request federal funding to help student parents afford outside child care.

Unfortunately, it was rejected and DSU was not awarded funding. Sylvia Bradshaw, director of sponsored programs, who submitted the application, said it came back with feedback saying that the reason DSU was rejected was because the plan did not involve an on-campus child care service option.

DSU and Southern Utah University are the only universities in Utah that do not have on-campus child care facilities or receive the CCAMPIS grant.

What faculty and staff are saying about the need for child care services, and what YOU can do to help

Data has shown students ages 25 and older have dropped out of DSU recently, Bradshaw said. Although this doesn’t necessarily prove causation between having children and staying in school, Bradshaw points to a correlation, because according to NPR, in 2014 the mean age of a woman at the birth of her first child is 26.3.

“If we want to empower women to get degrees and we want to empower women to be educated, with the Women’s Resource Center and Utah Women in Higher Education, we have to recognize that women are mothers,” said James Haendiges, associate professor of English and faculty senate president. “If they have a child, they’re a mother and we need to empower them in that situation instead of leaving them out to dry.”

Haendiges also said most professors would rather have their students coming to class and learning, rather than having to miss class because of a lack of child care. Although there are policies in place against minors being allowed in classrooms, Haendiges said he and other professors realize that sometimes for student parents, there is no other choice.

“If people are violating policy, sometimes it’s an indication that there’s an issue in place and it needs to be rectified,” Haendiges said.

Especially with the development of master’s programs, students will be staying at DSU longer, therefore increasing their likelihood of having children, Decker said. Child care services could help with retention. If students are provided the resources they need, they are more likely to stay and finish at the university, Decker said. 

“They come in as the traditional student, but they don’t [always] leave as a traditional student and we’ve got to meet those needs in between,” Bradshaw said.

With the expansion of campus, there are opportunities for a child care facility in multiple locations. Bradshaw said they have explored the idea of utilizing the East Elementary playground or a space in the Human Performance Center. Most recreation centers and gyms have child care facilities in them, Bradshaw said, so if student demand can show that one classroom in the HPC needs to be converted to a classroom, administration may see that change out. 

“By not offering that support, you are definitely withholding the benefit of the building from a good portion of our students,” Bradshaw said.

Child care would be an asset to faculty and staff as well. Haendiges said the topic has previously come up various times, especially with the hiring of young faculty members who are parents. However, it has fluctuated in priority as faculty and staff have moved or as their children aged.

“The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” Bradshaw said. “And student parents are too busy to be squeaky.”

Tiffany Draper, assistant director of student success over orientation, family programs, and early alert, said the more administration hears the need from students, the higher it moves on their priority list. She and Bradshaw urge students to bring the topic of child care up to their student senators, Student Body President Ezra Hainsworth, President “Biff” Williams, Dean of Students Del Beatty, Peter Gitau, vice president for student affairs and strategic plan goal leaders, Dean of Education Brenda Sabey and General Counsel Doajo Hicks, to make it known that this is an issue that matters. Students can also go directly to Draper’s office in the Val A. Browning Learning Resource Center. The more proof she has that students want the facility, the better.

“We do see a lot who don’t finish their degree because of getting married or having children and if we had an avenue for them to stay and finish while they’re living life, it would be really nice,” Draper said.

After making an appearance during the Homecoming Week events, this is just the beginning of a jam packed year for Miss Dixie 2017 Ella Barlow. 

Taking on the role of Miss Dixie, Barlow’s year of reign will mainly focus on volunteer work for Dixie State University and the community. Miss Dixie 2016 Kelby Morrison said service is the number one opportunity Miss Dixie can take away from this yearlong experience. 

“The Miss Dixie should immerse herself in the school, the community and service because I made so many friends this year doing that,” Morrison said. “It made my year of reign that much more enjoyable with my friends right along side me.”

The moment Barlow was crowned as Miss Dixie, Morrison said the community viewed her as a public figure for DSU. 

“Even when she’s not on school grounds, she is still the face of Miss Dixie,” Morrison said. “It’s not just when you have your crown and sash on; it’s a lifestyle that you live.”

Using her platform, “You are More,” Barlow said she plans to take her experiences struggling and overcoming rheumatoid arthritis to let students know they are more than the obstacles they face.

“I want to utilize my platform throughout the school and help others who might be in a similar situation,” Barlow said.

Aside from integrating her platform with DSU, Barlow will also take on the role as the ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network, where she will raise money for the organization before competing in Miss Utah. 

Barlow will compete against 50 other contestants for the title of Miss Utah in June. 

“I want to go as far as I can, and if I go to Miss Utah and the judges see me as the person they’re looking for for that job, I would take it in a heartbeat,” Barlow said. “I mean, that’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. Very few people can say, ‘Oh yeah, I served as Miss Utah.’”

Penny Barben, who was Miss Dixie in 1957, eventually went on to reign as Miss Utah in 1960. As Miss Utah, she visited different parts of the state, making appearances at all kinds of events. 

“Feel like a queen, but [also] treat everyone else like a queen,” Barben said.

As Homecoming Week came to an end and CHAOS wound down, students began to gather around the usually-dry Tanner fountain for one very wet Saturday night.

The fountain towered above surrounding buildings as students ran around trying to find someone to kiss. There were hundreds of students surrounding the fountain in hopes of becoming a True Trailblazer. 

True Trailblazer is when students gather around the Tanner Fountain at midnight on the last night of Homecoming Week to kiss in the fountain. Students are welcome to attend the event with their significant other or without anyone in particular in mind; either way they are likely to get at least one kiss.  

This tradition started out as True Rebel 20 years ago and continued on and off for a few years before becoming a yearly tradition in 2008. Students now consider it to be a staple of Homecoming Week.

Winter Young, a sophomore biology major from Nevada, was there with her friend Kaedyn Wynn, a sophomore nursing major from Tooele, to experience True Trailblazer for the first time.

“I’ve never been a True Trailblazer; it was definitely worth it,” Young said. 

Wynn said she was also happy she went and after pausing to kiss another boy, she said would definitely do it again.

Ashley Gadani, a freshman finance major from St. George, was volunteering with student government at CHAOS and ended up kissing 15 people at True Trailblazer. 

“There was one guy, and I was on the phone, and he was like ‘while you’re on the phone I’m just going to kiss you’, and he did,” Gadani said.