The Utah Statesman, April 20, 2012

Stossel: Government can't solve problems alone

BY LIS STEWART staff writer

Television journalist John Stossel doesn't think government can fix: problems, but individuals can - at least that's what he said in his lecture Thursday in the Eccles Conference Center.

After his lecture, during a book signing, he signed copies of his new book, "No, They Can't."

"The 'No, They Can't' title is a response to the last election campaign and the fervor of enthusiasm of those who shouted 'Yes we can,"' Stossel said. "And frankly, I think we can if we means individuals, and we has come to mean government. And therefore, I say, 'No, they can't."'

Stossel said when 9/11 happened, people were scared and willing to give up certain freedoms to the government in hopes of more safety. He said in a crisis people's instinct is to say, "There ought to be a law."

The Transportation Security Administration, most recognizable for safety checks at airports, tightened up drastically as an outcome of 9/11, and Stossel said, although the government spends 10 times more on the TSA than on private security companies, it has not stopped threats to national security.

When the TSA was formed, airports were given the opportunity opt out of having TSA officers and could choose to have private companies do security checks. These private contractors, which operate under TSA rules, are also more efficient and friendly, Stossel said, referring to the San Francisco International Airport where private screeners are used instead of TSA agents.

He said in interviews with travelers in that airport, he found the lines moved uickl the officers TELEVISION

See BOOK, Page 2 problems by itself. KELSI£ MASON photo

Panel explores personal aspects of immigration

BY LIS STEWART staff writer

USU students, members of the immigrant community in Logan and other interested parties gathered to talk about the human side of immigration Wednesday night in the Eccles Science Learning Center. Immigrants can face difficulties in adjusting to a new language and a new culture when they come to the U.S., but

support from local institutions like USU make the adjustment easier, said Guido Arochi, a community affairs officer from the Mexican consulate in Salt Lake City.

'Tm here to give convocation and call to action students here at USU," Arochi said to the audience.

Arochi said he invites students to assist in bettering schools and make opportunities better for immigrants in Utah.

" Only students can provide (immigrants)

the help," Arochi said. To give some perspective, Arochi said there are approximately 350,000 people of Hispanic origin in Utah. He estimated 250,000 of them are of Mexican origin, and there are 28 consulate employees to deal with their educational needs.

The consulate offers education programs in English, computer science, literacy and the history and culture of Mexico, but it needs the participation of community members to continue, he said.

"The goal for these programs is to integrate migrants so they have a closer connection to (the) state and community they live in now," Arochi said.

Lasting an hour longer than expected, a Q-and-A session was held after Arochi spoke and questions were directed toward a panel of emigrants from Mexico, Peru and Cuba. Panelists addressed the importance of education, parent-child relationships, cultural differences and difficulties immigrants might face.

Sinforoso Guzman, who emigrated from Mexico to follow his family to the United States, said the difficulty was renewing permits each year to stay in the country, until he and his family applied for green cards.

Guzman is a friend of Brent Pickett, director of USU Spanish Ambassadors and SeeDISCUSS, Page 2

Two students earn Goldwater Scholarships

BY CAITLIN MOFFITT staff writer

Two USU students, Sarah Mousley and Mitch Dahling, received Goldwater Scholarships - an award recognizing undergraduate accomplishments and research.

Each year, USU selects four student applicants to apply for the scholarship, according to Christie Fox, director ofUSU's Honors Program.

This year, Dahling and Mousley received

two years - but it's more about status and prestige and about an external, national organization recognizing you," Fox said.

"I started looking into the Goldwater last May. I really started doing the application in August and working on the essay," Dahling said. "I probably did about 10 revisions on my essay before I submitted it."

Fox said the application process starts during the fall semester. Students have to submit an the award and two other students, Jordan Rozum and Rachel Ward, received honorable mentions.

"First, there's an internal round of competition," Mousley said. "Every university can pick four nominees. So, before you can compete at the national competition, you are competing in the internal round."

According to the Goldwater Scholarship website, "The purpose of the foundation is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields."

"I'm amazed, because it's not really a common award for engineers," Dahling said. "I was the only civil engineer that was awarded."

The Board ofTrustees of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation awarded 282 scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic school year, according to the scholarship's website.

UThe money is nice - it's up to $7,500 for

The purpose of the foundation is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers by awarding scholarships.11 - Goldwater Scholarship website

application form, a transcript, three letters of recommendation and an essay, which is written as a scholarly journal article. Fox said she thinks the essay is the most important part.

"Students who wish to apply must submit a finalized application by Nov. 30," Fox: said.

"Most of the students work on their applications for six: to eight weeks before we see them, and

we get between seven and 11 applications. The reason that we get so many applications for the four spots is because the faculty in physics, biology, chemistry and agriculture, who are actively helping their students apply for this prestigious award."

Mousley said the final product sent in is "very polished."

"It's a really intense process," Fox said. "Students apply draft, after draft, after draft. David Peak in the physics department does a Goldwater boot camp, which begins in October." Students work with Peak, their mentor and Fox on their applications. Fox said each student writes about seven drafts of their essay. Final applications are submitted in January, and the awardees are announced in midMarch.

Dahling said he found out be was a Goldwater Scholar through Fox, and then a few weeks later he received a packet and certificate. He was then presented with an award during Research Week at the university. Fox said undergraduate research is the number one criterion for a Goldwater Scholar, because the purpose of the award is to identify future researchers and help them succeed. Mousley said she does pure mathematics research, but when applying for a national scholarship, she had to show why her research is useful. "One of the challenges as a pure mathematician is not knowing what your research is going to be applied to," Mousley said. "In the long run, See MATH, Page 3

Utah climatologist predicts less snow in winters to come

BY BRIANNA BODILY staff writer

Students may have to begin preparing themselves for less snow and more rain each year in Utah, said Robert Gillies , director of USU's Utah Climate Center and state climatologist for Utah.

In a state known for its powder snow, receiving 65 percent of normal snowfall this year left ski resorts with a shortened season and Utah residents with a mild winter. Gillies said his research shows this may be the start of a complete precipitation change.

In an article recently published by three USU professors - Gillies, Shih-Yu Wang of the plants, soils and climate department, and Marty Booth, of the Utah Climate Center - evidence suggests recent weather conditions may become the format for future winters.

With research showing that Utah's precipitation has been changing he said snow boots may someday be exchanged for galoshes.

Taking information from more than six data sets and millions of data points, Gillies said everything brought researchers to the same conclusion.

"They all pointed to the same thing - snow decreasing and precipitation, which is snow plus rain, increasing," Gillies said. "That means that we are getting more precipitation coming as rain."

In an article published last week in The Salt Lake Tribune, journalist Judy Fahys said this research combined with forecasting models suggests a future without snow in Utah.

She said the information first caught her attention at a Salt Lake City conference a few months ago. After Gillies presented a few primer facts about the article, Fahys said she talked to him

•> From Page 1

about using it in one of her future stories.

"I called him and asked him to send me a copy of the paper, and we talked about it," Fahys said.

"He's someone I've interviewed before for a variety of articles and the go-to guy for statistics for the state."

Gillies said, although the facts in the article were in line, he disagreed with Fahys' projected outcome.

"Certainly the lower and midlevel mountain altitudes will be affected," Gillies said. "But will it be as intense as that? I'm not sure."

In addition to Fahys' article, Gillies' research has been featured elsewhere in the public forum, including in Wednesday's edition of Radio West, a National Public Radio talk show, and Focus on the Climate, a Park City lecture series hosted by the Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter.

Sally Tauber, the director of business development for the preserve and an organizer of the lecture series, said she was looking for three professors to present at the series, and Gillies stood out.

"The conference was looking to get one professor from each university," Tauber said. "We wanted to show a broad depth and also a wide range of knowledge."

Gillies said the secret to his success is seeing the big picture. He said one reason weather forecasters have been predicting incomplete forecasts is because they have lacked access to all of the essential data. Comparing weather to a complicated piece of music,.,QUl~s said it is the often ignored harmony inside the music that makes the piece come together.

"The harmonics come together to make the whole piece. Climate is exactly like that,'' Gillies said. "We have a big climate signal,

which is very complex, but the harmonics in it, which are really the cycles, are the important thing to tease out of this complex picture. "

El Nino and La Nina are examples of two such harmonics that can affect the outcome of weather, he said. As climate patterns that occur in the Pacific Ocean every five years, Gillies said these cycles' trends can actually be used to predict weather patterns in the United States.

Depending on the cycle, he said, the ocean water is warmed or cooled, and the surrounding air currents change. These air streams are what push ocean weather systems toward or away from Utah.

As important as these cycles can be for weather, Gillies said, it is the combination of these and the "quasi-decadal oscillation," or 10-year cycles, that paint a richer picture.

"This year the National Weather Service said it was going to be a wet winter, but it wasn't," Gillies said. "If you want to see in a particular winter if it's going to be wet or dry, you really have to take all the cycles into account."

This is what Gillies said he and his fellow researchers attempted to do with their research. Citing a single source, scientists had claimed the amount of snow in Utah was decreasing, but when other scientists began questioning these evidential claims, Gillies said he knew it was time to act.

" It was confusing the water managers," Gillies said. "They needed to know what was really happening to the snow in Utah."

As the climate research center for the state, Gillies said he felt

GILLIES, DIRECTOR OF USU'S Utah Climate Center and climatologist for the state of Utah, is working on research that shows future changes in Utah precipitation.

it was the Utah Climate Center's job to straighten things out, - many, many aifferent perspectives " he said.

and he wanted to approach it innovatively.

"I said 'Let's research this from a different perspective

Gillies said included millions of data points and also tried to include all of the harmonics in order to get things right for this research project.

" Snow is very important for your water resource," Gillies said. "Snowfall, and how it's changing over the years, is really important to our water resources."

- brianna.b@aggiemail.usu.edu

Journalist discusses new book in busii;iess school lecture series

friendly and the checks caught more dangerous materials.

"It's better, because you can fire (private contractors) if they're lousy," Stossel said. "The government never fires itself."

Economic freedom and a rule of law are the solution to prosperity, Stossel said. Rule of law is needed to protect the safety of the people, and then the market must be free

people from killing each other or stealing from each other, punished those who did, and then, they sat around and drank tea," Stossel said.

He said though it is not intuitive, people work problems out on their own without government regulation and it does not require specialization. to run itself, he said.

He cited Hong Kong as an example, which was under British rulel for many years. The practice of "benign neglect" under the British caused that country to get rich, he said.

"They really had economic freedom in Hong Kong, because the British rulers kept

"Free market does everything better," Stossel said. "You don't have to be an expert to make it work."

The auditorium was filled with visitors and students, among them, s9phomore Levi Gardner, who said though he does not agree with everything Stossel said, he found the speech insightful.

"I think he has a lot of very interesting

points about keeping government smalllike economic freedom ," Gardner said. Stossel said he used to criticize business and cheer on regulation, and now he cheers on business as a Libertarian. Stossel left ABC's 20/20 in 2009 for Fox News Network and Fox Business ~etwork. With the release of "No, They Can't," he has toured around the country for speaking engagements.

Anthony Peacock, director of the • Project on American Liberty and Constitutionalism and a political science professor at USU, said the project co-sponsored Stossel's speech with the Huntsman School of Business

Students interested in learning about •> From Page 1

subjects like Stossel's have many chances to be involved, no matter their political affiliation, Peacock said. There are a number of internships with limited government think tanks , like the American Enterprise Institute and the Fund for American Studies, he said.

"We just want students to learn something about the founding era, about limited government and canstitutionalism, about free markets - whatever their political perspective, we don't care," Peacock said. "~s long as they come prepated to learn." la.stewart@aggiemail. usu. edu

Locals discuss problems encountered in immigration process

organizer of the event.

Miguel Barragan, a Peruvian immigrant who owns a business in Logan and is also a friend of Pickett, said the hardest difficulty is facing the distrust many Americans have toward immigrants

"It's hard when (you) sacrifice everything (to) come, (and) they don't trust (you)," Barragan said of some Americans.

Though gaining trust in this country is difficult, it is possible, he added.

Maria de Jesus Cordero, a professor at USU, said her perspective as an immigrant is different from Barragan and Guzman. Cordero's parents brought her and her sister from Cuba to the United States when she was 2 years old.

Quoting Cuban-American scholar Gustavo Perez Firmat, Cordero said slie is part of the "one-and- a-half" generation. It was not until college that she began to fully understand what it means to be from Cuba, she said.

Though Cordero understood English when she started kindergarten, it was difficult to understand everything until she took ESL classes a year later, she said. She also translated a lot for her parents, which developed an early maturity.

"The disadvantage was that it took away from my-childhood," Cordero said.

An audience member who said his parents are Mexican immigrants, asked the panel if parents who emigrate realize what their children go through socially and academically to be able to reach their goals.

Barragan said of course parents know what it's like when children have to go through social barriers. Though, it's different in the U S from Hispanic countries where people are always being congratulated, parents know and appreciate what their children must go through he said.

Cordero said sometimes there is a divide between parents who grew up in another country and children ·growing up in the U.S., because they have different experiences. However, parents can relate through the typ~s of ex-periences faced, she said, speaking of her father.

"I know that even though I do a different kind of work than (my father) does , my very strong work ethic comes· C "' from him," Cordero said.

Another audience member asked if children of immigrants understand their parents' sacrifices and appreciate it.

Barragan said if parents teach their children not only · the sacrifices made but the values of their culture, they will be proud of it.

·

· Guzman, whose answers were translated from Spanish to English by a member of the-USU Spanish Ambas sadors · said, "Much of the times, (our children) don't, understand the sacrifice we have gone through until they have witnessed and gone through that sacrifice."

''Those of you who know me, know me as vice president for Student Services but I had a life before I came here, a life that begins in Mexico."

- James Morales, VP

Student Services

for

He spoke of his son, who went to college on a scholar- · ship, which fell through, and he now suffers the consequences of not getting an education and wishing he had.

Vice President for Student Services James Morales spoke at the begi,nning of the forum about the importance of education in his life

"Those of you who know me, know me as vice president for Student Services here at Utah State ," Morales said to the audience. "But I had a life before I came here -- a.life that begins in Mexico ." Morales' family immigrated to the U.S and settled in Miss ouri whe n he was a child he said. His father worked as a farm laborer, the children helping after school and on Saturdays. When his father was disabled by cancer, the

family moved to southern' Idaho as migrant field workers, where the children and his mother continued to work to support the family.

Morales said he remembers one afternoon, at about age 15, he and his brother were hoeing a row of beets.

"I turned over to look at him at one point, and he looked at me as well , and we stopp~d," Morales said of his brother. "I remember just this moment where eye contact was made."

Morales said he hadn't spoken of this moment again, until 20 years later, when he asked his brother if he remembered it. His brother said he did.

Quoting his brother, Morales said, "Yes, I remember it clearly to this day I made myself a promise that day that I would not be working in these fields the rest of my life."

Morales said, in reply, "I made that same promise to myself."

From that point on, Morales said he and his brother worked harder in school because they knew it was the way out of working in.the fields. The brothers also made sure to honor their parents, because they realized how hard their parents worked to send their sons to school, he said.

Pickett said he organized the forum because he wanted .to share stories of immigrants so people could have a more informed opinion at USU and to help build a more culturally competent society.

" People can debate the politics and the stats all they want, but until you know ~hose experiences, I don't think you can have the ~ost informed opinion possible," Pickett said.

Pickett works with th,e migrant education program in the Cache Valley public school system, assisting Latino families so their students can be successful in school he safd. A forum like this was held in 2006, and Pickett said he -hopes to hold another one next year.

- la.stewart@aggiemail.usu.edu

Zoo faces financial shortage, council debates

BY CATHERINE BENNITT editor in chief

Willow Park Zoo does not have enough funding to sustain itself through the 2013 fiscal year, said Russ Aki.na, Logan's Parks and Recreation director.

"If you look at the funding, it was three to four years ago that (the zoo) continued to go spiraling down," said Mayor Randy Watts at the Logan City Council meeting Monday.

Laura Wolford, a prior member of the Willow Park Zoo Board, said the zoo's low funding is not a sign ofthe bad economy, however, Akina said the economy is the main reason behind the zoo's financial struggle.

"It is related to the economy," Akina said. "The zoo's funding comes from two separate grants. One is the Cache County RAPZ Sales Tax program, and sales tax is directly related to how the economy does and the zoo receives a state grant on an annual basis, and it is related directly to the state and the state's budget."

Ten percent of the RAPZ (Restaurants, Arts, Parks and Zoos) Tax goes toward funding the zoo, but when people spend less in Cache County, the amount given to the zoo is also less, Alcina said.

The Department of Community and Culture's division ofHousing and Community Development gives the zoo an annual state grant. Aki.na said in the past eight years he has seen this program's grant amounts to Cache County drop as much as $35,000.

The rest of the zoo's funding comes from admission and visitors' contributions. Zoo visitors pay admission on a loyalty basis in a canister located at the zoo's entrance.

About 90,000 people visit the Willow Park Zoo each year, said Kim Sullivan of the Willow Park Zoo Board, a number approximated through observation.

Willow Park Zoo Board members, as well as locals and those with fond memories of the zoo, attended the meeting to voice concerns about losing the zoo. Michelle King of Logan stood before the council and said she believes the zoo is valuable to Cache Valley, and she encouraged those listening to give generously to the zoo to keep it afloat.

"If we cannot contribute enough to keep it runmng, then that means we don't believe it's worth the $300,000 to keep it running," King said.

A few USU courses use the zoo in their academic pursuits, as do local students of all ages. If the zoo is forced to shut down, Aki.na said this type of hands-on resource would no longer exist nearby.

Susan Johnson of Mantua also stood before the council and said as a child, going to the zoo was one of the few activities available that her family could afford, and Logan needs these types of

photos low-cost recreation options. "Where do you take grandchildren?" asked Troy Christensen, chair of the Willow Park Zoo Board. "Where do you take your children as an alternative to the technology absorption and isolation that is so prevalent in our community?"

If each zoo visitor paid the entrance fee, maybe the zoo would be doing better than it is, said Katie Steed, a USU junior majoring in graphic design. "I know a lot of people don't pay the dollar donation at the front, but I always give at least a dollar;' she said. "I wonder if more people were willing to donate, how much more support the zoo could get. I am very against closing it, mostly

for sentimental reasons, but also because I think it's a big asset to Logan."

The mayor and council discussed ideas that would save the zoo from closing, and Watts said one possibility would be implementing a countywide zoo tax, similar to the library tax. However, the zoo's long-term needs may be more than another tax would cover. Aki.na said downsizing the animal collection could also be part ofthe solution.

If the zoo does close, the animals will be put under the care of various other keepers and zoos.

"The collection of animals are all protected by the Animal Welfare Act," Aki.na said. "We are required to follow

Preparing to share Polynesian heritage

state protocol as far as how those are dispersed, and that takes a while."

Logan hasn't contributed much to the zoo because of state funding, said County Councilman Val Potter, and he recommended the city spend more so visitors can continue enjoying what it adds to the community.

"The zoo is part of the heritage and history of Cache Valley," Potter said to the council. "The decision you are making as a council is very far reaching. I don't want you to take it lightly. I think letting this zoo go without a fight or a solid try would be a mistake."

- catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu

Campus & Community IT makes changes to password rules

USU's Information Technology Department made an important announcement and policy change during the recent Computer and Technology Fair. Effective now, the password that is used with the A-number needs to be changed once a year only.

"It is something we have been working on for a while," said Kevin Reeve, spokesperson for Information Technology. "The time was right and the IT staff continues to work on additional ideas and technologies to make it easier for faculty, staff and students to access the systems they use every day."

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to create strong passwords and avoid the same password or a similar one to one used for Facebook and other social media sites.

New coach named at USU Eastern

A former professional coach from Brazil who has also been on the coaching staff of USU Eastern, was named to head up the men's basketball team.

The announcement of the hiring of Adjalma Vanderlei Becheli, Jr., came April 18 from USU Eastern Chancellor Joe Peterson and Athletics Director Dave Paur. Becheli, a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, came to Price in 2008. His professional career in Brazil spanned 13 years that included "Coach of the Year" recognitionthe youngest in Brazilian basketball history to be so honored. "Coach Vando," as he is known in the community, will become the first internationally born head coach in USU Eastern history. He has been the school's assistant women's basketball coach for the past two years. Previously, Becheli was a USU Eastern assistant men's coach under Chris Craig, including the 2009-10 season in which the Golden Eagles placed third in the NJCAA national tournament.

The new head coach inherits a basketball program that finished 16-13 this past season and 4.11 in the Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC).

USU joins U.S. Golf Association

Turfgrass management for golf courses is big business. Improving salinity tolerance of cool-season turfgrass is the aim of a three-year collaborative study with USU sponsored by the U.S. Golf Association. This is the latest in a series of sponsored research projects with the USGA since 1998.

"This agreement between the U.S. Golf Association and Utah State University is one of several sponsored projects that have come through the Commercial Enterprises office in recent months," said Robert T. Behunin, vice president for commercialization and regional development. "We are very excited to develop this collaborative effort with the USGA."

POLYNESIAN

You're just making some suggestions that are plausible."

"I do my research in hydraulics and hydraulic structure," said Dahling, who works in the water lab with Blake Tullis. "We studied together on dam rehabilitation - like cost-effective ways to rehabilitate

been able to accomplish and ofUSU's track record in winning the Goldwater Scholarship," Fox said. "It really shows how strong our students are, how dedicated we are to creating future scientists, engineers and mathematicians - not to mention humanists, poets and great thinkers. It's just one leg of the stool of this great education that we provide to our students."

- cnmoffitt4J3@gmail.com

Paul Johnson, an associate professor in Plants, Soils and Climate at USU, principal investigator, is collaborating with Shaun Bushman, a research geneticist at USDA-ARS Forage and Range Research Lab on this sponsored research project. USU Commercial Enterprises will work with the USGA, Johnson, Bushman and research staff to protect intellectual property that results from this study. Commercialization efforts, where appropriate, are also an option.

ClarifyCorrect

A recent ad regarding USU"s MBA program ran with the wording, "85 percent of our graduates find jobs starting at $70,000 or more within 90 days of graduation." More accurately, the ad should have stated, "85 percent of our graduates land great jobs within 90 days ofgraduation, with many earning starting salaries of $70,000 and higher."

An article in Monday's issue ofThe Statesman identified Hassan Al-Ishaq as the president of the Saudi Arabian Association. The correct name of the president is Hassah Alshakhs.

BY MARISA NIELSEN staff writer

For women like Kayla Hall, Lindsey Lopez and Taylor Williams, the college experience goes much further than just attending class and studying.

By first glance they appear to be average young women, each with different backgrounds and areas of study. However, they all share a common element - they are royalty, at least by beauty pageant standards.

In 2008, Hall was crowned Miss Utah and received a two-year full-tuition scholarship to USU. Because of the scholarship, she said she was able to graduate with honors in public relations and political science. Hall is currently the communications specialist for USU's Institute of Politics.

"Sometimes pageants have a negative stereotype," Hall said. "But the things that people don't realize is these are incredibly intelligent and successful women When I competed at Miss America, there were girls there who were doctors and scientists and engineers. It is so much more than just having a pretty face."

According to the Miss America Organization, it is the largest scholarship program for young women in the world, providing more than $45 million in scholarship assistance to young women in the U.S. from ages 17-24.

USU has contributed scholarships to the Miss Utah Organization for a number of years, Hall said.

Concurrent with the Miss America Organization's focus on service in the community, each competitor is required to create a platform of service that she will use throughout her tenure as a titleholder, Lopez said, adding that the service platform was what initially caught her attention.

While attending BYU-Idaho as a nursing major, Lopez said she decided to passionately pursue vocal performance; so, she packed up her things and transferred to usu.

She said she heard about the Miss Cache Valley Pageant, a local pageant hosted by the Miss America Organization. In January, Lopez competed and won the title of Miss Cache Valley.

"I love serving my community and reaching out to others. I also love to perform," Lopez said.

As a young girl, Lopez said she had low self-esteem and was bullied by her classmates, so for her platform Lopez decided to combat low self-esteem at USU and in Cache Valley through the Dove Campaign for real beauty.

The Dove Campaign promotes the importance of a healthy body image, a healthy lifestyle and a healthy selfesteem, she said.

"As Miss Cache Valley, I have had the opportunity to better the community I now call home," Lopez said. "It is a great experience to be a part of the USU community and an even greater experience to serve those who are in it."

While balancing a full schedule at USU, Lopez said she has also traveled around Cache Valley speaking to young women, promoting her platform and attending various community events.

See PAGEANT, Page 5

Freshmen

reflect on first "7year_ expectations

BY NATASHA BOOILY features assistant edit~r ·

Whether freshmen choose to attend USU after an A-day tour, because relatives or friends have been students or because they love the campus, each student has different expectations about how his or her.first year in Logan will · turn out.

As the school year draws to an end, some freshmen spoke their minds about what they've loved, disliked or what they hope will be different in the coming years. · Vocal performance major Emily Trevial wanted college to be a change of scenery and environment. Raised in · Chicago, Trevial said the concentration of LDS students on campus has been one of her favorite parts of her first year at college.

"I like that (they're) here but not as overwhelming as BYU," Trevial said.

Coming to Logan, she said she had a lot of expectations, because she had visited campus several times and thought it was beautiful. Along with the landscape, she said she knew the music department was reputable.

"I like choir a lot, and I do piano and voice lessons," she said. · Trevail's roommates, who are twins, also had high expectations about their first years. Brooke Edmondson, a freshman majoring in business, saiq she was excited about the social life, but it hasIJ.'t been as thrilling as she expected.

"I've really liked our dorm environmentthe RA's and all the roommates we have had,"

she said Edmonson said she hoped on-campus events would happen more often than they have this year. Despite this, she and her twin, Brennly, went to' the Howl, and both said it was fun. The three roommates all agreed their dating lives have not been what they anticipated.

"Coming to Utah, I was expecting a lot of dating," Trevial said. "I've heard a ton of horror stories, but I haven't had many. Where I'm from, you don't really ask people on casual dates." The first weeR at USU, Trevial said someone asked her to go country line dancing.

"It was different, but I enjoyed it," she said. She sai<l she likes that people are more open to going on dates instead of just hanging out. Brooke Edmondson said her parents both attended USU. She and Brennly received academic scholarships to attend, which she said was helpful because they grew up in Bethlehem, Pa. Brooke said she likes the business program but hasn't decided which emphasis she's going into. She said both she and Brennly will be coming back next year and will most likely stay until graduation. Freshman Jake Salmon, who is majoring in mechanical engineering, said one of the reasons he chose USU was because it had the program he was looking for. He said it also had a good reputation among those closest to him.

"I also have a plethora of relatives who have gone here, and it's super close to my house in Brigham City. There are a million reasons," he •) See ENVIRONMENT, Page 5

Don't close the door on 'Lockout'

• Buckle your seatbelts. "Lockout" will take you on an exciting, action-filled

• ride. - It's 2079, and the world hasn't fallen apart, been destroyed or gone back to the Middle Ages. Instead, the world has banded with the United States to create the most secure prison ever.

Except, the prison isn't on Earth; it's in space.

In the United States, an ex-CIA operative, Snow (Guy Pearce), is being interrogated by the U.S. Secret Service as they attempt to discover the truth about a mysterious suitcase and a dead colleague.

Snow's a no-nonsense tough guy with a smart-aleck attitude and a problem with authority who enjoys mocking his interrogators at every question.

Meanwhile, the first daughter, Emilie Warnock '(Maggie Grace), takes on a humanitarian project to evaluate the treatment of the prisoners on MS1, the largest supermax prison ever built, housed in outer space. The goal of MS1 is to hold up to 500,000 of the worst scum in the solar system. The reason all those prisoners can be kept? They are put into stasis.

While Emilie interviews one of the prisoners, Hydell (Joseph Gilgun), Hydell steals the gun off of Emilie's bodyguard and proceeds to kill as many people as he can.

Fortunately, Emilie escapes Soon after, though, Hydell releases all 500 prisoners from their cells.

One of the prisoners, Alex (Vincent Regan), an older man, deftly assumes command of a considerable portion of the prisoners. He has an understanding unparalleled by the others of his group of how the police system works and how he can ensure the safety of the crlminals. He moves quickly to capture as many onboard gl.Jii(dS, scientists and engineers as he can to hold for ransom.

Once notified of the situation, the president of the United States summons Snow for his special assignment of retrieving his daughter.

•> From Page 4

"Lockout" Grade: A-

Reluctantly, Snow accepts and is transported to the facility and begins an exhilarating rescue mission.

"Lockout" is a great thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep the audience on their toes. Unfortunately, it was under-advertised and was shadowed by "The Hunger Games" and the re-release of "Titanic," which reduced audience participation.

Despite this, it's definitely a movie worth your time. Snow delivers a plethora of comedic lines to offset the intensity of the danger.

Emilie is kind and sympathetic, although she has a lack of understanding criminals of the caliber contained in MS1, which became frustrating.

Through the challenging experiences, Emilie adapts and is forced to grow up and accept the harsh realities of life. Thankfully she didn't forget what she learned after the conflict had been resolved.

I liked the futuristic feel the movie gave. It wasn't over the top, but slowly immersed the audience into a realistic world that could exist in 70 years. In a super high-speed chase scene, the graphics suffered somewhat in depicting Snow on his one-wheeled motorcycle, and his pursuers and the urban landscape had more of a stylized look to them. That was a weak spot for the film. It's understandable, though, given the risk of the stunts if that scene were attempted in real life.

"Lockout'' is full of B-list actors, which is favorable in a movie of this caliber because it allows for more enjoyment of the plot without focusing on the reputation of the actors. I like every role I've seen Pearce play. I've seen him play everything from a

cop to a cad, and a genius to a fool. Famous for his participation in "The Time Machine," "The Hurt Locker," "Memento" and the upcoming "Prometheus," he always fits himself to the positions required of him. I thoroughly enjoyed his portrayal of a smart aleck, talented rogue.

Grace could be the next president's daughter, if she chose to run. She plays a believable character that learns and develops, which' was great to see. Best known for playing Kim in "Taken," she's also recognized for her involvement in "Knight and Day" and the television series "Lost."

English actor Gilgun makes a breakout performance into the American culture in his memorable role as the insane criminal desperately trying to find the president's daughter. His character is somewhat a cross between the Joker from the Batman universe and Cyrus Grissom from "Con Air."

Luc Besson originated the idea and assisted in writing the screenplay of "Lockout."

As the writer and producer of many high-action films, such as "Golombiana," "From Paris With Love" and the upcoming "Taken 2," he is no stranger to introducing new ideas to the thriller genre. He does not disappoint with his latest feature. Besson truly is a force to be reckoned with in the action film industry.

Composer Alexandre Azaria once again JOms forces with Luc Besson as he did for "Transporter 2" and "Transporter 3." He beautifully creates a unique score perfect for a thriller - intense, ominous and orchestral.

With finals looming ahead, "Lockout" is a great avenue and a sci-fi action thriller you don't want to lock yourself out of.

- Spencer Palmer is a graduate student working toward an MBA with a recent bachelor's in mechanical engineering. He enjoys watching all sorts of movies. Email him at spencer.palmer@aggiemail.usu.edu

USU environment fits expectations

said.

Though he said most ofhis expectations have been met, there is still more to be desired.

"I was expecting a little more," Salmon said. 'Tm the youngest, and my siblings are pretty close in age, so I've been up here a few times with them."

He said he thinks his expectations were fairly realistic, but the amount of events around town have been a let down.

"There haven't been as many fun events or crazy parties," Salmon said.

When it comes to dating, he said the scene in Logan is ambiguous.

"They're either extreme Mormon or extreme on the other side," he said regarding the local dating pool.

The academics have been different than he anticipated -

•> From Page 4

he said he hasn't liked a lot of his professors, but a couple, he said, have been great.

"You know what, if these guys made it through college and got a Ph.D., I can do it, too," he said.

He isn't a True Aggie, yet, but plans to be before he graduates.

"Every night it comes up there isn't anyone I want to take. I don't want to just stand up there and become a True Aggie," Salmon said.

Sam Katseanes, a freshman majoring in economic theory and finance, said he has thoroughly enjoyed his classes, which have been much more challenging than he thought they would be.

"The classes are either vegetable work or the hardest thing ever," he said. "I consider myself pretty smart, and I did

anticipate it to be hard, but not with constant studying for tests and a bunch of exams to look forward (to)."

Katseanes said his favorite professor so far is philosophy Professor Richard Sherlock, who teaches a humanities class Katseanes is in.

"He's really passionate about the material, and he's really eccentric," Katseanes said.

Katseanes said the highlight of his freshman year has been starting fresh and meeting new people.

'.'I've been to a lot of other college campuses, and the city itself is great for college experiences," he said.

- natashabodily@gmail.com

Beauty pageants encourage service

"I have gained so much by participating in this organization," Lopez said. "Not only has it helped with my education, but it will someday help me in my chosen profession because of the opportunities and experiences I have had during my reign as Miss Cache Valley."

Williams, Miss Cache Valley 2009, also got involved in pageantry, she said, not only for scholarship assistance but for service and progressing her talent of dancing.

Williams said she is currently apart of a nursing program at USU through Weber State University. She attributes her educational decision and her affiliation with USU to her involvement in pageants.

"I competed in six pageants, and at each one USU has been a major scholarship provider," Williams said. "Pageants have not only helped

me to progress in my education in the medical field but to promote heart health in women."

Williams' platform involved educating women about heart disease. For the past few years she said she has worked with the American Heart Association, raised money for medical research and traveled Utah speaking to women about their hearts.

"When you are going to school it is hard to get out in your community and be actively involved and even harder to keep up on your talents," Williams said. "But being apart of tlie Miss America Organization and holding a title helps with both of those."

- marisa.nielsen@aggiemail.usu.edu

Take a break from studying, make a splash

I have been swimming laps a couple of days a week for a few semesters now, being prompted after my beginning swim class last year. It isn't anything too serious, but for me it's a good workout. I always go to the indoor HPER pool, which is as good a pool as any, although it tends to be crowded and pretty cold when I start. I have really begun to enjoy swimming, but other than the laps, I haven't really done any recreational swimming. However, just recently, something extraordinary happened.

It wasn't long ago when the managers of my apartment complex opened up our pool again for the season. Since then, my roommates and I have been having what we call "pool time" as often as the sun and our schedules permit. It has become something almost sacred for us. We transform into entirely different people while we're out there by the water relaxing, free, even if momentarily, from the responsibilities we have. The time at the pool next to our apartment building somehow allows us to get through an hour or so without a single concern. It is a time that is completely and totally enjoyable.

Sometimes pool time is premeditated, other times it's very spontaneous, but we can often be seen sitting by the pool, letting the sun warm our sunscreen-saturated skin. We often holler at those from nearby apartments passing by the gate, trying to convince them to come join us. After sipping our beverages and soaking in the sun, getting into the water feels nice, too. Just being able to float around is enough, but letting the cool - but not HPER cold - water absorb the heat and stress from your body is an added bonus.

Playing pool games can be fun as well. Sharks and minnows has always been a hit with our group. It's a game that can get pretty rough, though, sometimes - at least by our rules. In order to become a shark you have to be brought to the surface of the pool, so as long as you are under-

water you can struggle free. For us it is a release of aggression, and pentup physical energy that we neglect while we are cooped up in the library. When we started to play for the first time in several months, I felt much faster in the water than I used to be, and I can tell that my lap swimming had really helped me out. Between rounds, my friend Spenser tries to see how long he

can swim underwater, I crawl out and lie right on the pavement to warm back up again. These carefree moments, the ones that make me feel like a pre-adolescent ruffia.n again, are those that I truly appreciate.

As college students, we are reaching a point in our lives where we are slowly becoming more and more professional. Our knowledge, our conversation,

jobs, resumes and even our clothing start to reflect this. It is the way of life. Work is essential, and we are getting further down that path. Someday we will graduate and move into the occupations we've been working toward.

Once this becomes our life, there might not as much time to easily allocate to wasteful hobbies.

For some of us, these jobs are only the means with

which we will support our hobbies and things like pool time. I have realized that for myself, while I am moving along toward that goal, I like to cherish and re-live the childish times, when nothing mattered, as often as I can.

-

dhsteiner26@gmail.com

Before I proceed in giving this review, I'd like to bid farewell to all who've enjoyed reading my column. I've made it my goal this year to stay away from all of the obvious places we could go to eat in Cache Valley, such as Texas Roadhouse, Cafe Rio and Olive Garden. My aim was not to tell you what you probably already know about Cafe Sabor, Elements and Angie's; rather, I wanted to find those esser known eateries that barely stand out from the glitz of flashing lights and enormous roadside signs on Main Street.

I've searched out hole-in-thewall places run literally by momand-pop immigrants working hard, day and night, to be sure their children can grow up in a middle-class American metropoljtan area, get a good education and maybe not have to run a restaurant for a living. The authentic domestic and international flavors that I've absolutely loved, and even the handful of places I've gone that haven't done anything but nag at my patience as well as my tastebuds, have all given me plenty to write about this year. I hope to return next year with a whole new list of places to rant and rave about. With an empty belly and a full fork, pen in hand, I plan to give readers another round of Cache Valley eats, on me. As for this year, I have just one more restaurant to review, and I wish I cou ld say I'm going out on a good note - especially since it took about four months for me to finally show up at the Pupuseria El Salvador on a day

and time that the place was actually open. Trust me folks, I dug deep within my compassion reserves to find every possible nice thing I could say about the place, and I'm going to do my best to give it a fair shot. If anything else, the kind, elderly woman who , stood behind the counter after she cooked my food and said, "I'm sorry," deserves most of the credit for keeping this review from being a total blast.

I suppose the ultimate problem was that I showed up 30 minutes before closing time and ordered my food at the counter, since nobody was at the door to greet me. Keep this in mind, because, in a bit, I'll explain what the problem was.

The woman standing behind the counter was smiling ear to ear and happily gave me a tour of the menu. Eventually I ordered a couple of combination papusas - corn-dough pockets filled with rice, beans and cheese and grilled on a flat-top cooking surface - and two beef tacos on housemade corn-dough tortillas. She told me it would take about 15 minutes. OK, no problem,

I don't mind waiting for good food.

As I sat in the dining room, I absorbed my surro.undings and decided I appreciated the fact that no particular extravagance was exercised in decorating the place. There were about a dozen tables, a couple of random knick-knacks - probably from El Salvador - hanging on the mirrored walls and near the door hung a 3-0 map of , the tiny Central American country that borders Honduras and Guatemala.

I absolutely love authentic food from all over the world and enjoy any and every opportunity to share other cultures through gastronomic exploration. Unfortunately, this difference in culture also sometimes leads to a breakdown in communication. After about .20 minutes or so, other patrons in the restaurant got my attention and told me the woman behind the counter was yelling for me to let me know my order was ready. I figured this was odd - why didn't she just bring my food to the t~ble?

When I got to the counter, I realized all my food was in a• takeout bag. It became clear that I was being pushed out of the restaurant. Upon mentioning that I th·ought I could eat my food•in the dining room, she told me I said I wanted my food to go. This was news to me. She said she asked me, and I told her I wanted my food to go. But I didn't. This is when the kind, old woman behind the counter who had clearly cooked my food smiled and apologized. The other

I give Pupuseria El Salvador a C-minus for assuming too much, making a scen,e with a customer in the middle of the dining room and pushing me out the door at closing time. My advice: the food is good and the restaurant has a nice, humble feel to it, but if a customer doesn't feel welcome eating there, it's hard to want to come back.

- D. Whitney Smith, originally from Pennsylvania, moved to Utah five years ago After 17 years' experience waiting tables at a total of 23 restaurants, he decided to hang up his server apron and enroll at USU. Have suggestions for a restaurant to review? Email him at dan.whitney. smith@aggiemail.usu.edu.

woman at the counter said it would be fine if I wanted to eat in the restaurant - of course she had already locked the door 15 minutes before that to keep other customers from coming in. I felt like the situation spiralled out of control. First she told me she was sorry I misunderstood her, then she said if I needed somebody to blame, .I could blame her. All I really wanted was to sit down in the restaurant and eat my food, but at that point · everyone in the dining room was staring at us - awkward. I could tell the only reason this individual was being semi-nice to me was because I was the customer and she was the emploY,ee, possibly co- owner. I decided to head home and after another 15 minutesthat's how long it ·takes me to drive home to Providence from 1 140,0 North in Logan where the Pupuseria is located -I pulled the food,-which cost a littl e more than $.5, out of th~ single tiny box it was placed iri and ate the lukewarm tacos and·pupusas. I 'm pretty sure the beef tacos were made with beef tongue, and they were pretty good. The pupusas were OK, but I'm sure they would have been a lot better if I could have eaten them right away in the restaurant.

CO-OWNER EMILY EASTON AND STUDIO MANAGER Danielle DeRemershare laugh duringtheAlign

Pilates in Minneapolis, Minn. People who want to have the physique of a dancer take this class to

'Barre' workouts creating a buzz

MINNEAPOLIS- Ballet-inspired "barre" workout has been sweeping the nation. Its popularity is driven by women wanting to achieve a dancer's physique and strength with or without tutus and ballet slippers.

At Align Pilates in Minneapolis, noses drip with sweat, muscles quiver with exhaustion, and Beyonce blares from the speakers as class instructor Adrienne Fitzmaurice affirms what everyone is thinking:

"Yes, this is hard!" she hollers, encouraging the women to pulse or make tiny movements and hold each pose for just three, five or 10 more seconds. "Especially if this is your first class you probably think this is crazy!"

Crazy hard, anyway. That's the verdict reached in the dressing room following the 60-minute class where a combination of Pilates, yoga and ballet movements, along with bursts of cardio and the use of a ballet barre for support and resistance provides a high-energy, full-body workout.

"Everyone's been talking about getting their butts kicked in barre class," said Sarah Pepin, • 35, Minneapolis. "I've never worked every muscle that way before. I could hardly walk the next day."

Barre is abuzz in the U.S., but the idea originated in London 50 years ago with famous German dancer Lotte Berk. The method was refined in the United States in the 1970s, and since then, fitness enthusiasts on the East and West Coasts, as well as celebrities like Madonna have caught on. In the last year alone, at least a half-dozen barre programs have launched in the Twin Cities, mostly by women who experienced

the workout elsewhere. Rachel Warford wanted to move back to the Midwest, but was unable to find the barre classes she had loved in New York. So in November, she and sister-in-law Paula Warford opened the Barre in downtown Wayzata, Minn.

The same month, Tina Dunlap opened Balanced Barre and Pilates just a block away.

Dunlap, an avid marathoner and triathlete, had her first barre experience last January in California and became "addicted."

"It was the most challenging exercise I've ever done in my life," she said. 'Td planned on running home from class and had to have my husband pick me up because I was so exhausted."

Several national franchises have formulated barre workouts, but independent studios often follow the original Lotte Berk Method or create their own. Some are more cardio-based, while others focus more on dance elements, but the principles are the same. Barre class typically starts with stretching and a warm-up on a yoga mat to get the heart rate up, then incorporates a combination of Pilates, yoga and ballet movements to sculpt and tone every muscle in the body. It's basically a series oftiny isometric movements that cause the muscles to shake to the point of exhaustion.

Oh, yeah, and close attention must be paid to your posture and alignment, which the instructor often checks during class.

At Align Pilates, cardio is added to the barre workout, making it the most rigorous class offered, and the most popular. The

classes are heavily populated with women in their 20s and 30s, but the men who show up are usually surprised by how challenging the workout is.

"I was a sweaty mess by the end," said Ryan Brown, 32, Minneapolis. "Pro athletes use ballet to work on their strength, balance and core, so I thought I'd give it a try."

For people who are less fit, it's easy to make modifications while keeping up with the class. Participants are encouraged to work at their own pace.

Yoga attire is suggested for barre class, or other form-fitting clothes so that the class instructor can check for correct body position. Class participants wear socks or go barefoot, but serious dancers prefer to wear ballet slippers and leotards in some classes.

Ballet Royale in Lakeville, Minn., has added barre fitness classes to cross-train ballet students and adults_ mostly moms ofstudents who want to learn the basics of ballet.

The classes incorporate core Pilates exercises, but the focus is on proper ballet techniques. Classical music plays and everyone wears ballet slippers.

The YWCA-Uptown also offers a dancecentric barre class. Participants range from 18 to 70 years old and many are former dancers.

"I used to dance as a kid and I get to relive those days in barre class," said Tivi Radder, 35, Minneapolis. "It makes me nostalgic for my childhood. It's a really great workout, too. That's the icing on the cake."

underMorrill

oining Antonio Bumpus (Harcum CC), Jared Quayle Western Wyoming CC), Gary Wilkinson (Salt ake CC) and Chaz Spicer Kankakee CC). "TeNale and Marvin re good players and highcharacter individuals," aid Morrill. "They will oth work very hard and epresent Utah State in a first-class manner."

Jean, a 6-4, 190-pound forward from Harriman, N.Y. (Mt. Zion [NC] Christian Academy) just completed his sophomore season at Sullivan CC as he NEW, Page 10

FOOTBALL

Numbers Watch

FAST STATS

• 5 games started

• 4- I record as starter

• I I touchdowns

• 972 passing yards

• 69. I compl. -percent

• 4 Interceptions

WEBER STATE (54-17) W 2-2 for 29 yards

WYOMING (63-19) W 2-3 for 17 yards

HAWAII (35-31) W 8-12 for 163 yards, 2 TDs SAN JOSE STATE (21-27) W 5-12 for 255 yards, 2 TDs IDAHO (49-42) W (20T) 13-18 for 182 yards, 2 TDs

NEVADA (21-17) w· 7-14 for 140 yards, 1 TD NEW MEXICO, STATE (24-21) W 12-16 for 123 yards, 3 TDs

OHIO

AUBURN (42-38) L 21-30 for 213 yards

WEBER STATE (54-17) W 10-15 for 166 yards, 2 TDs

COLORADO STATE (35-34) L (20T) 9-15 for 86 yards

BRIGHAM YOUNG (27-24) L 13-25 for 122 yards, 2 TDs

WYOMING (63-19) W 15-20 for 213 yards, 4 TDs

FRESNO STATE (31-21) L 15-31 for 194 yards, 1 TD

LOUISIANA TECH (24-17) L 16-24 for 128 yards

HAWAII (35-31) W 5-12 for 53 yards, 1 TD

Fast Stats

• 8 games started , • 3-5 record as starter

• I I touchdowns • • 1,200 passing yards

Competitive quarterbacks

Sophomore Chuckie Keeton and junior

BY TAVIN STUCKI sports editor

At the conclusion of the 2011 Utah State football season, there were two questions in the minds of Aggie fans: First, will Robert Turbin enter the NFL draft? And second, who will be USU's starting quarterback next season?

The first has long been

solved, but the second answer will take more time before ' it's answered.

During last summer camp, freshman Chuckie Keeton was named the starting quarterback moments before taking the field in a memorable almost-victory against Auburn, narrowly beating out junior Adam Kennedy.

Keeton held a 2-5 record

Adam Kennedy

until he was injured during the first half of the game at Hawaii on Nov. 6. Kennedy took over for his fallen comrade and led the Aggies to comeback victory over the Warriors before helping Utah State }Vin the next four ga~es and earn a berth in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl - the first bowl appearance for Utah State since 1997. · Thus, the question: Who LACROSSE

will reclaim the.starting job for the 2012 season?

Kennedy said, based on the situation in last year's training camp and through~ out the season, the two · quarterbacks are in a "weird predicament."

"We both played so well," Kennedy said. "We both won games. You could even see during.spring, we're competing so close. We both

have experience that you can only get from a game. There's things learned that we both know now, and you can see we both have a command of the offense."

Keeton said both he and Kennedy have proven themselves as capable offensive generals in games. "Really, it's just whoever •) See RACE, Page 10

Utah State loses to d.eep. Utah Utes team

' BY TYLER HUSKINSON assistant sports editor

The USU lacrosse team fell to the Utah Utes 16-3 on Wednesday afternoon. Utah jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, and USU was never able to reo:>ver. Utah midfielder Mack Schwoebel led the Utes with a hat-trick.

"We just came off a r~ally hard game against BYU,

tonight's game. During that first quane~, I think they were still shaking off what was remaining of that last game."

The Utes put up 16 shots in the first quarter, and USU managed six.

"They were super aggressive,» Atwood said. "We had a hard time adjusting on defense. We figured it out real quick,'because we held them to one goal. It was just a really bad first quarter."

Utah added six more goals in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter.

"Against Utah we didn't even have a ton of opportunities on offense, because \\'.ehad trouble clearing the ball and getting it into our half," USU midfielder Matt Taylor said. ~We've got to be able to possess the ball a little better, sowe can give our defense a break and c~pitalize on opportunities that we get."

USU got on the board in the second quarter with a goal and scored a goal in the third and fourth quarters as well. Midfielders David Chipman, Keaton Cluff and Taylor also scored for USU. "We don't have the depth roster wise," USU goali~ Tyler Andrews said. "We're running with 16

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Club riders mix it up on the hills

BY KRISTI LAMBERT staff writer

Though the collegiate mountain biking season doesn't begin until September, many Utah State University bikers see this time ofyear as a preseason.

As the road season is coming to a dose, Kodey Myers goes mountain biking on his offdays as cross training.

"I'm more of a roadie, and you can tell when I get on a mountain bike," Myers said. "I don't have the skills yet, but I can outclimb most of the people."

Myers, a junior majoring in exercise science human movements and biology pre-health, rides for both the Utah State cycling and mountain biking teams. He picked up mountain biking a year after he started road biking. Now, he is the race director and club head for the mountain biking team.

"A couple years ago I got a road bike," Myers said. "And then I wanted another one because you can never have enough bikes. So I wanted a mountain bike because there are plenty of good trails around here. Plus, it's good cross training, so I just started riding."

Many members of the USU cycling club compete in more than one discipline. Whether it is road biking, cyclocross or mountain biking, each has its own season, which allows for year-round racing.

There are currently five members on the mountain biking team. Though the team may be small in number, it rides with visible passion. Albert Packer, a senior majoring in graphic design with a minor in Spanish, said he started taking jumps three years ago and now constantly seeks an adrenaline rush.

Packer started out with 15-foot jumps and has now advanced to 30-foot jumps.

"For me, it was a progression," Packer said. "I started out riding cross-country, and then I worked my way into downhill. I prefer biking above hiking any day of the week, because I can see the same exact cool stuff and have fun and cover 10 times as much ground. It got to the point where I wasn't going fast enough or wasn't going big enough, and I lacked the adrenaline. So then

''The only reason I ever break bones is because I'm flying off of 30-foot cliffs, and that's not what normal people do."

-Alben Packer, USUcycllng

I start ownhill, because I like the adrenaline rush."

Packer, a Cache Valley local, began mountain biking five years ago and hasn't stopped since. This past season was his first time racing for USU.

"You get hooked really fast," he said. Two basic classifications within mountain bikingendurance and gravity - cater to a wide variety of riders because of the various events within the two classifications.

"Riding with friends is what makes me daring," Packer said. "The more you do it, the less interesting it gets. You got to push yourself and progress to get to where you're feeling that adrenaline."

"I want to get the guts to do some downhill and try some of the smaller jumps this year," Myers said. "I guess I've got to learn how to be more not scared. Honestly, I've wrecked more on the mountain bike than I have on the road, and I've been on the road a year longer. But my worst injuries have come from road wrecks. Going downhill on dirt is a little more forgiving than straight asphalt. I've had blood, but Albert has broken a few bones."

Packer broke his collarbone in two places over spring break, when he went over his handlebars, descending a steep pitch. After recent surgery, he now has a metal plate holding his clavicle together. He said he won't be back on a bike until July and plans to compete during the collegiate season.

"Mountain biking in general is extremely tame in crashes," Packer said. "You'll scrape yourself or get a bruise. The only reason I ever break bones is because I'm flying off of 30-foot cliffs, and that's not what normal people do."

Because racing can be dangerous, collegiate conference participants must purchase a license to race, which covers insurance. Kimberly Garvie, the Inter-Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference director, said a license also serves "as a way to keep track of race results for upgrades."

Garvie, a native from western Massachusetts, works for USU's applied economics department, teaching introductory microeconomics, and is also a research technician for watershed sciences. She's also an adviser for the USU mountain biking team.

"Currently mountain biking fields at nationals are smaller

Generally, Packer said he likes to race in gravity events, such as downhill and dual slalom. Myers, however, said he prefers to participate in endurance events, like cross-country and short track, but in time hopes to get into gravity.

MOUNTAIN BIKING is another style of ridfng many USU cycling team members take part in while the road race season is on hiatus. Photo courtesy ofAlbert Packer than road," Garvie said. "But the numbers are expected to grow since high school mountain bike leagues are developing across the country. Fall 2012, high school mountain bike racing will officially begin throughout the state of Utah. We are currently working on a team in Cache Valley."

The USU mountain biking club is also looking to build team membership, and Packer said it's difficult to get people together to ride, because they're not aware of the possibilities, and the team does not advertise much. It does, however, use Facebook to connect with other mountain bikers.

nationals in 2009 and 2010.

"There's nobody in an A category that should be in the B's," Myers said. "You will find that in the road, sometimes. (But usually) people don't upgrade if they don't feel comfortable doing so."

Last season was Myers' first year racing mountain bikes for USU. He won the men's B category in endurance, and Joan Meiners won the women's B category. In gravity, Bradley Spencer won the men's B category, putting USU in second place behind the University ofUtah in conference standings.

"We want to recruit people," Packer said. "I think there are a lot of people who ride mountain bikes around school who think it would be fun, but they are scared to race because they think it will be all insane. You don't go straight to downhill, and it's like, 'Here's a IO-foot drop. Ready, go.' Beginners compete with riders on the same level. You just build it up a little at a time." With five races each season, beginners start in the D category and work their way up to the A category to race as professionals. Unlike road racing, mountain biking is an individual effort, Myers said.

Though no one from Utah State went to nationals in 2011, USU sent Brian Hestetune to 1

"We are hoping to have two or three (USU riders) qualify for nationals in Angel Fire, N.M., this fall," Garvie said. "Most of the riders also race road in the spring and summer, so they will be coming into the fall mountain bike season with more fitness than last year. Hopefully our gravity riders will race downhill all summer, as well, to prepare." '1t's all about having fun and messing around," Packer said. "For me, a lot of it is the camaraderie, because I would get bored if I rode by myself I mean, I have my goals in it, and I want to do better, but I think the overall part is just riding with a bunch of friends and <linking around in the mountains."

- kristiJ.lambert@aggiemail. usu.edu

The first few to go in NFL Draft, plus a couple extra

Now, do bear in mind, I was going to save this column until next week. I mean, the NFL Draft is next Friday and all, and being a commonwealth bystander claiming his own draft projections even this early just smells like a bit of a jerk move, so I had no intentions of calling my shot at this point.

That was until my always-reliable Twitter feed informed me that a "reliable source" - I still have trouble figuring out what that means - told ESPN the Indianapolis Colts, keepers of the almighty first pick, have notified Stanford quarterback standout, Andrew Luck, he will be selected above the reason this year. I figured if teams are supposedly calling their shots now, I'd better get a leg up and call my projections now.

•) From Page 8

Here are a couple of my draft-pick projections, excluding Mr. Luck becoming a Colt. Hold onto your hats. Second overall pick: Washington RedskinsRobert Griffin Ill. It just doesn't make sense to me that a team who were licking their chops to places with the St. Louis Rams if they had no intentions of lassoing in the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and allthings combine machine. Griffin could be just what the Redskins need to click things into control for a young and hungry offense. It is just a matter of common sense.

Third overall pick: Minnesota Vikings - Justin Blackmon.

Now, I know what every football aficionado is saying, "But, Steve, why wouldn't a team with an

offensive line worse than an undercooked chicken breast pass on Matt Kalil?

We need an offensive tackle, so isn't Matt Kalil the best choice? What about Matt Kalil? Matt Kalil, Matt Kalil, Matt Kalil."

I understand those sentiments, but what general manager in their right mind would pass on such an athletic freak as Blackmon?

We're talking about a speeding bullet with soft hands and, just to boot, is a proven return man extraordinaire. Perhaps if this team had a quarterback to swoon over, an offensive tackle would

make sense, but I'm just not buying that logic with Blackmon staring them in the face.

Fourth overall Pick: Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson. We're talking about two plus two equals four in this case. Richardson is a young power back who could alleviate things for a standout running back in Peyton Hillis who a) had to survive far too many carries last season with an ill-fated offense, and b) is still recovering from the Madden Cover curse. 'The Browns have a chance to lock in two backs that could turn defensive lines into mincemeat. If Cleveland ends up landing this pick, don't sleep on the orange helmets this season. And Just for fun, 51st pick: Philadelphia Eagles - Bobby Wagner, and

the 69th overall pick: Washington RedskinsRobert Turbin. The Eagles need some way to attack the backfield, along with a means · to creating turnovers and all of us in Cache Valley know Wagner's ability to find such opportunities. A chance to lock in a solid linebacker will allow Nnamdi Asomugha to seize just about every wide receiver breathing in the league, making things potentially frightening this season.

Turbin feels like a great fit in Washington -a guy who can power through defenses and get wellneeded late-down yards. Then pair him up with Griffin at quarterback? This move has the possibility of the nation's capital becoming the biggest offensive three-ring circus in football.

And, in case you haven't noticed, the Redskins and Eagles are in the same division. So, if things go as planned, expect two men who led the charge at making the USU Aggies a relevant option last season dueling each other twice a year in the pros. It's just too perfect that I couldn't wait a week to tell you.

- Steve Schwartzman is a junior studying communication. He has had just about every job in sports writing, including biogs, analysis, statistics and fantasy football tips, but he especially loves making bold picks. Think you can out-pick Steve? Let him know: steve.schwartzman@aggiemail.usu.edu.

Race for No. 1 QB even on Utah State football depth chart

can get our team in the best opportunity and the best position to win," Keeton said. "Really, I believe both of us have that potential. We did it last year."

Sixth-year senior wide receiver Matt Austin said either one of the candidates could lead the offense any day of the week.

"They're both two different quarterbacks, but they're pretty much equal," Austin said. "They both come out here and work hard. They're both with coach Wells everyday grinding. It could go both ways."

Williams said. "Chuckie's real athletic out there. He makes a lot of plays with his feet as well as his arm. Adam is very patient in the pocket and makes great decisions."

Senior running back Kerwyn Williams said he feels both quarterbacks are well composed. "They have a good knowledge of the playbook and how the offense works,"

USU offensive coordinator Matt Wells said there is no timeframe for deciding which quarterback will take the field first. "It'll go into the summer," Wells said of the quarterback

battle. "(Kennedy and Keeton) need to kind of separate. They both have different strengths. They both have different abilities to come to the table and both are excellent. They both have had success on Saturdays."

Head coach Gary Andersen said Kennedy and Keeton are both tremendous yo4ng men.

"They're both proven winners at the Division-I level," Andersen said. "They are unbelievable competitors. The way they handle themselves through adversity they've both been through - Chuckie obviously with an injury (and) Adam coming in and being the guy that's going to have the job, but not getting the job through camp, staying as positive he did and coming in, doing things that he did for us."

Wells said Keeton and Kennedy have both worked on specific things to make themselves better quarterbacks than they were last year.

"I think they both bring something to the table," • Wells said. "I think with Adam, he's tightened up his release and tightened up hjs footwork. He has an excellent arm, can make all the throws, and he's a little bit better in the running game that you think.

"(Keeton) throws a quick game, excellent, and I think he's getting better in the drop-back. Chuckie ' is dynamic out on the edge and out on the perimeter. He needs to become more efficient in his accuracy out on the perimeter, throwing the ball." '

Kennedy said both he and Keeton will undoubtedly •work as hard as they can to claim the starting job.

"I think we'll both try to make it extremely tough on these coaches," Kennedy said.

QUARTERBACK CHUCKIE KEETON won the starting job a few minute$ before Utah State's first game against Auburn last seas~n. File photo

Wells said the competition will continue to be a good battle.

'Tm sure-we'll need both of them at some point next year," Wells said. "They're both excellent quarterbacks. I don't think' that there's any doubt they're both true, valued members ·of the

and Kennedy might be on the field at the same time, Wells smiled. "We'll see," he said. - tavin.stucki@aggiemail. usu.edu

New Aggie recruits sign to play for ·Utah State basketball

helped lead the Generals to a 27-4

level and I am convinced he will continue to grow and develop his game. We know he will do well in our program." As a collegiate sophomore, Jean averaged 13.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game, while shooting 40.8 percent from the field (143-350), 40.3 percent from three-point range (54-134) and 72.6 percent at the free throw line (53-73). Along with earning a pair of first-team allconference honors, Jean also earned first-team all-region honors as a freshman and second-team all-region honors as sophomore at Sullivan CC.

"Utah State was the one school that really stood out to me during the recruiting process due to their interest and commitment level," said Jean. "I really liked the people and scenery in Cache Valley, and the winning tradition of Aggie basketball was what convinced me to sign with Utah State."·

During his freshman season at Sullivan CC, Jean · led the Generals to a 30-5 record and the Region XV Championship as he was named the MVP of both his conference 'and the region tournament. As a freshman, Jean averaged 12.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game, while shooting 44.4 percent from the field (135-304), 37.l percent from three-point range (36-97) and , 73.8 percent at the free throw line (31-42). Roland, a 6-1, 170-pound guard from Louisville, Ky. (New Albany [Ind.] HS) averaged 20.7 points, 4.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5

steals per game as a collegiate sophomore, while shooting 42.8 percent from the field (202-472), 40.3 percent from three-point range (85-211) and 72.3 percent at the free throw line (131-181). During his sophomore season at Rend Lake College, Roland was also named the · Region 24 Player of the Year as he scored in double-figures in 28 games, had 20-plus points 16 times, and 30 or more points in six games including a career-high 45 points against John A. Logan College as he was 16-of-27 from the field, 8-of-11 from three-point ian~e and 5-for-6 from the free throw line.

"TeNale is a very valuable addition in that he has true guard skills," said Morrill. "He .is an excellent ball-handler and passer, along with being a high-percentage shooter. He has matured and developed as a junior college player, and we are delighted that he is now an Aggie!" ' Roland prepped at New, Albany (Ind.) High School, ·where he helped lead the Bulldogs to a 70-6 record during his three years and three-straight Hoosier Hills Conference and sectional titles. Roland's brother, · Lemont, played collegiate basketball at LSU during the 1990s

"Utah State has a great tradition with a tremendous fan base, and I can't wait to start my Aggie career," said Roland. "I loved the campus, the arena and the coaching staff, and I got along with the players really well during my visit."

"Utah State graduates a high-percentage of its players, which is very important to me, and the chemistry and team they have coming back really caught my eye. My goal is to bring leadership to the floor as a point guard, while at the same time adding outside shooting, toughness and a defensive presence to an already solid team," added Roland.

FunltUfl

Today 1s Wednesday, April 20, 2012. Today's issue of The Utah Statesman is published especially for Kotson Ashton, an undeclared freshman from Bountiful, Utah

Almanac

Today in History:

On April 20, 1986, the Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan scored 63 points m an NBA playoff game against the Boston Celtics setting a postseason scoring record.

Weather

High: 69• Low: 42° Skies: Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of precipitation.

Statesman Back Burner

Friday April 20

•)Service Week-All Day •> A-Day on the Quad- 10 to 2 p.m.

•)The Art of Happiness l & 2 Workshop11:30 to 12:30 p.m. TSC 310

•)Capture Design BFA Exhibition- 4 to 9

p.m. Bullen Center

•)Aggie Game Nights-7 to 11:55 p.m.

ENGR201

•)Black and White- 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Performance Hall

•)Two Headed- 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Morgan Theatre

•)Dance- 9 to 11 p.m. Quad

•)A-Day True Aggie Night-11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Quad

Saturday April 21

•)Community garage sale-7 to 11 a.m. Lee's Parking lot

•)Senior Cello Recital- 1 p.m. Performance Hall

•)Cello recital of Rex Colin Mitchell- 3 p.m. Performance Hall

•)Amplify- 7 p.m. Ellen Eccles Theatre

•)Two Headed- 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Morgan Theatre E. Robins Awards- 7:30 p.m. TSC Ballroom Messiah- 7:30 p.m. Kent Concert Hall

Monday April 23

•)Free Math and Statistics Tutoring- 8:30 to 5 p.m. TSC 225A

•)Understanding Emotions Workshop- 11 to 12:30 p.m. TSC 310 Ensembles- 7:30 p.m. TSC Auditorium

Relay for Life You Need to Know:

The Merrill-Cazier Library who have benefited from will forgive your overdue fines organ donations and have if you pay it forward. Anytime participation from donor's through April 23- 27 at the families and recipients and live Circulation Desk. This does not donors too. include Interlibrary loan or lost Amplify is an evening of books. contemporary dance presented Write Now at your by Valley Dance Ensemble. Join Library! Is your final paper, the dancers as they perform presentation, or final original works, including the project due soon? You can dynamic choreography of get personalized help at the Ririe Woodbury's Charlotte Merrill-Cazier Library from Boye-Christensen. Friday and writing tutors, librarians and Saturday April 20 and 21, 7 computer lab assistants April p.m. at the Ellen Eccles Theatre 16-19 and 23-26, 6 to 8:30 in downtown Logan.Tickets $12 p.m. in Library room 122. No adults, $6 students/children, appointment needed! $25 family. Available at the Friday 20th Acoustic group theater box office, 752-0026 or Smartfoot Jones will perform online at www.cachearts.org. at Pier 49 San Francisco Style Service Volunteers Needed! S~urdough Pizza at ~pm. They What will YOU be doing this will be ~ollowe~ by smger/ year to serve the community songwnter Jess1eJo Kerr at 7pm. and make a positive difference Come ~uppor_t ~hese e~cellent in your world? If you have acoustic ~us1cians. Pier 49 spare time and would like to S~n F~anc1sco Style Sourdough help our community, don't Pizza 1s located at 99 East 1200 hesitate, check out "Volunteer South. Th_ere is no cover charge; opportunities" @ www everyone 1s welcome. , cachevoiunteercenter,org S~tur~ay 21st Cache Valleys It's a great opportunity to favonte smgmg ~owboys, get involved, a good way to Tumbleweeds will perform meet new people, it also looks at Pier 49 Sa~ Francisco Style good on resume! But the most Sourdough Pizza from 6 to 8pm important thing is that you Friday. This is a grea_t chance may be a person who changes for some fun ente~tam~ent someone's life and you can say and good grub. Pier 49 is "I have done goods to the world located at 99 East 1200 South today!• There is no cover charge; Le Nonne is having a everyone is welcome. benefit night for Common 2nd Annual Earth Day Ground on Thursday, April Soiree Friday, April 20, 2012 26th. They will be giving a 6 to 9 p.m. The Italian Place, portion of their proceeds to us 48 Federal Ave Logan Cost: if you mention you are there $40.00/ticket. Celebrate Earth for Common Ground! This Day with Stokes Nature Center. is a good opportunity to Our 2nd Annual Earth Day dine-out and donate to a great Soiree will feature delicious cause. Common Ground is a hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and the non-profit organization that musical talent of folk guitarist provides outdoor recreation for Scott Shahverdian. people with disabilities For Second Chance Run for more information about our Organ Donation Awareness program, call (435) 713-0288. at USU at the SE corner of the HPER on April 21st at 9 a.m. We've met many people

W~d:nesday, Ap. il 25