Month: April 2019

“So much talent is living among us,” said Merrie Campbell-Lee, a representative from the Center for the Arts at Kayenta.

This talent will be at the upcoming Kayenta Street Painting Festival April 27-28. At the festival, which has been an annual occurrence since 2012, 10-15 professional artists use chalk to create masterpieces alongside the public and local school teams.

“The schools participate on Saturday only and their work is done by 3 p.m., and their art is judged by a local artist or artists; this year it’s Georgia Johnson,” festival committee member Judith Kapuscinski said. “It’s fun to come just to see the students because they’re a piece of art at the end of the day; they’re covered in chalk.”

Kapuscinski said there is also a children’s mosaic for the public, which consists of children paying $5 for chalk and a two-by-two square where they can create art that becomes part of a mosaic by the end of the event.

“There’s some real up and coming talent there too,” festival committee member Susan Holben said. “By the end of the day Sunday, it’s a joy to walk through the [Kayenta Art] Village.”

The professional artists participate by applying after a call for art is made by the committee and are not charged a fee to participate, though the food vendors are, which is how the festival manages to “scrape by,” Kapuscinski said. She also said there is no theme to the art this year.

“We’ve had themes and we’ve not had themes, and I don’t know what will happen in the future, but this year we chose no theme,” Kapuscinksi said.

Holben said the professional artists are competing for two awards, a“Best of Show” category based on judges’ decisions and a “People’s Choice Award” voted on by the public.

There will be live music from bands such as So What? and Crossroads from noon to 3 p.m. each day. Kapuscinski said the committee encourages dancing during the performances. There will also be several food vendors available at the event both days.

Kapuscinski said the most interesting piece of art she’s seen at the festival has been the gila monster painted in 2015.

“The gila monster blew me away because Anat [Ronen] showed up on Friday afternoon and with the chalk she just sort of outlined [it], and by Saturday afternoon it was completely done,” Kapuscinski said.

While Dixie State University students can’t currently compete in the festival, they are encouraged to participate as part of the public.

The Kayenta Street Painting Festival will take place April 27 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and April 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kayenta Art Village. The festival is free and open to the public. For more information on how to participate, call Judith Kapuscinski at 401-952-5462.

Dixie State University has become a home for many students over the course of their college years. Whether you are leaving with a two- or four-year degree, there is a lot that has been learned and will be missed by graduates.

Every student has different plans after leaving sunny St. George. Some students will move back home, start their career or even go back to school and earn their master’s or doctorate.

Casey Banner, a senior social science secondary education major from Las Vegas, has big plans after he finishes up his time here at DSU.

“I want to become a high school history or psychology teacher,” Banner said. “I would also like to pursue a master’s in career and technical education with an emphasis in multicultural education. I also hope to run for the board of education in either Nevada or New York.”

A common saying college students hear over and over again is that our years spent in college are the best years of our lives. Whether you agree or disagree with that, you have to make the most of your time here at DSU. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

Haley Erickson, a senior communication major from Castle Rock, Colorado, said she is going to miss the freedom and the scheduling that comes with being in college.

“Having an adult schedule sucks to be completely honest,” Erickson said. “In school, I would get three weeks off for Christmas, but now I only get two days. I’m so used to having Fridays off, being done with my day by 2 p.m. and having school be my only worry. Now that I have a real job working 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., I feel I have most of my freedom taken away from me.”

While life after school may not be all that exciting, students should enjoy the time they have at DSU. There are lots of things to learn while in school. Whether it’s learning more about yourself, life or things in the classroom, there is always something valuable to take away from time in college.

Eddie Cambria, a senior criminal justice major from Hotchkiss, Colorado, said he has learned a lot during his time here at DSU, but one certain thing stands out the most.

“The most helpful thing I’ve learned during my time at Dixie [State University] is how to efficiently skill-build and better myself,” Cambria said. “I get excited about spending time learning the ins and outs of different subjects to help me become more competent in my career field.”

School doesn’t always have to be dreadful. Take advantage of the opportunity you have that comes with attending DSU. In the long run, you won’t regret it.

There’s a weight on your shoulders. Crushing, overwhelming, somehow threatening to compress every fiber in your bones and muscles to the thickness of paper. This incredible heaviness is stress and it feels as though it will never go away. Alas, there is hope in the “Decompress and Stress Less” event.

The event is hosted and organized by Dixie State University’s Health and Counseling Center and provides an opportunity for students to participate in stress-relieving activities.

Jamy Dahle, therapist and outreach coordinator, said activities include: yoga, Jenga, corn hole, therapy dogs hosted by the library, a mindfulness station, free snow cones, and $1 rocks for students to paint.

Decompress and Stress Less is bigger this year because it has been very popular and participation has increased every semester the Health and Counseling Center has put on the event, Dahle said.

“We try to plan this event right before finals so students have the opportunity to release some of that stress,” said Dylan Matsumori,
Health and Counseling Center director . “Helping students to find opportunities to decompress or manage their stress a little bit more is what we’re really trying to do.”

Marcus Lindsey, a sophomore psychology major from Las Vegas, said the event is important for students because finals week is a time when they experience more stress not only in preparation for finals, but because students could be in a position of trying to raise a D to a C, or B to an A.

The end of the semester is also a time when students are trying to figure out where they are, where they are going and what they want to do, Lindsey said.

“[Decompress and Stress Less] is a good chance to just relax a little bit,” Lindsey said. “Everything kind of comes together at the end of the semester and sometimes it’s really too much for anyone to really focus on.”

Decompressing and eliminating stresses helps students be at a more moderate stress level, Dahle said. When students have too much stress or their stress levels are elevated, they become less productive and relieving that pressure causes students to be more productive, Dahle said.

Matsumori said students can destress at home by looking at how important the things they are freaking out about are, recognizing where those things fit in their lives and being prepared ahead of time so they aren’t overwhelmed with how under prepared they are.

“It’s really setting yourself up for success,” Matsumori said. “Go breathe, go relax, go chillax a little bit. Take an opportunity to just take a bite to eat before your test so you’re not starving during your test and also freaking out. Small things. Basics.”

Students can help spread the word about Decompress and Stress Less by sharing the Facebook page or by word of mouth. The event will be at the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons April 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“It’s a really chill, fun atmosphere to come and engage [with other students] and relax,” Dahle said.