The Utah Statesman, April 27, 2012

Friday, April 27, 2012

Voice Since 1902" • Utah State University• Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com loday's

Graduation speaker is Navy SEAL, author

BY MEGAN ALLEN assistant news editor

Humanitarian, best-selling author and Navy SEAL, Eric Greitens has been selected as the 2012 USU Commencement speaker.

The 125th graduation ceremony at USU will take place at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

The Board of Trustees selects the Commencement speaker each year.

Plastac Musik kicked off the 2012 End of the Year Bash Thursday night Anberlin will perform Friday night Page3

Features

Chairman Ron Jibson, of the Board of Trustees, speaking on behalf of the board, said he met Greitens at a dinner he attended in San Diego, where Grietens was the keynote speaker.

"I remember from the very first 'Hello' how impressed I was with him," Jibson said.

Jibson said one of the things that caught his attention from the beginning were the accomplishments he has had at such a young age.

Grietens was born and raised in Missouri and attended Duke University as an Angier B. Duke Scholar. After completing his bachelor's degree, he was selected as both a Rhodes and Truman Scholar. He went to the University of Oxford for his graduate work, earning a master's in 1998 and a doctorate in 2000.

"When I was approaching high school graduation, I was thinking about a few different paths," Grietens said. "I

was really excited about the prospect of college. It was the place where -I had always been told - doors could open and the wider world could be explored."

After graduating from Oxford, Greitens decided he wasn't done with his education. From there he went to Naval Officer Candidate School, graduating with Class 237 in 2002. He was later appointed to serve as a White House Fellow by President George W. Bush. He worked in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, helping with rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

Greitens has served four tours of duty as a Navy SEAL in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and Southeast Asia. He has served as the commander of a Joint Special Operations Task Unit, commander of a Mark-V special operations craft detachment and as commander of an al Qaida targeting cell. Among his many accolades for his service are the Purple Heart and Bronze Star awards. In 2011, he was named Navy Reserve Officer of the Year by the Association of the U.S. Navy.

"When I finished graduate school, I was faced with three distinct job opportunities," Greitens said. "Ultimately,

I made my decision to join the Navy SEAL teams because I knew that experience would develop my character and leadership in a way that other experi-

See SPEAKER, Page 2

A NAVY SEAL, best-selling author and renowned humanitarian is the USU Commencement speaker for the Class of 2012. File photo

'Freedom Writers' teacher connects with students

BY CATHERINE BENNITT

and MACKENZIE VAN ENGELENHOVEN editor in chief, staff writer

Teachers should teach to their students, not with them, said the woman who inspired the film "Freedom Writers,"

The new USU women basket ball coach was hired. Learn more about him and his plans for the team Page9

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Erin Gruwell. Teaching should be student-centered, she said. While teaching at a California high school, Gruwell brought a class of segregated students together by teaching them about the Holocaust, and

encouraging them to write about their own stories. Gruwell spoke Wednesday at USU, and is lauded for her alternative teaching methods and the book she wrote, titled "The Freedom Writers Diaries,"

which the film is based on. Gruwell said the idea for the book was an "homage" of Anne Frank.

The Emma Eccles Jones College of Education brought Gruwell to USU this year and she is already booked to come back and speak next year at Education Week.

After spending a portion of the school year teaching her students about the Holocaust, she realized the students had personal issues that connected with the events they were learning about, and these events needed to be addressed, Gruwell said.

"What I found out is that - for the majority of students - death was common," she said. "And they had become numb to it. One student said they had been to more funerals than birthday parties. If I really wanted to make a difference, I knew we needed to address this scenario. Young kids shouldn't be having to deal with that."

to stu-

and

A Mountain Crest High School class attended Gruwell 's speech, and students were excited to get her signature in See GRUWELL, Page 2

Campus rallies to help alumna in cancer battle

BY CATHERINE BENNITT editor in chief

Tessa Bassett Winger was a cancer survivor by the time she graduated from USU in 2004. Since graduating, her battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma came back and she is currently enduring her third treatment for the disease.

"As a parent, it's devastating," said Roxie Bassett, Winger's mother. "You pray and pray that it it will be gone and it's not. We know prayers are answered, but what really keeps us going is Tessa."

USU Ambassadors and the community are helping Winger fight cancer with the Color for Tessa Fundraiser, an event they organized to reach out to a past USU ambassador, said Natalie Hancock, a former USU ambassador who is heading the event. The daylong Saturday event will include the Splash of Color 5-kilometer run, the Color Festival and Colors Concert.

Winger will fly to Utah from the East Coast on Thursday evening for the event Friday, after receiving a round of chemotherapy, said Winger, who is also a former USU ambassador. JetBlue donated plane tickets to fly her to Utah, and it also provided tickets for the fundraiser's auction, Hancock said.

Winger was 16 when she was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, and at the

time she had long, black hair, she said.

"The very first thing that came to mind when the doctors told us was that I was going to lose my hair," Winger said. "My mom never allowed me to cut it, but losing it wasn't a problem at all. My dad shaved my head and I enjoyed it. It's just a different look."

Winger is now married with two children, and said if she had found out about the cancer growing in her body before giving birth to her children, she may not have been able to be a mother. Though it is difficult to find energy to play with them when she is feeling

• See CONCERT, Page 3

Friday, April 21, 2012

Raise your voice in song

•> From Page 1

Gruwell shares urban teaching experiences

their copies of her book, said Becky Checketts, ASUSU senator for the College of Education. Reading her book is part of the class curriculum, she said. After the speech, USU students, faculty and staff, as well as K-12 students and community members, wrapped around the TSC International Lounges to meet Gruwell.

"It was just a cool experience that she mostly talked about her students lives," Checketts said. "And the whole time you are shaking your head and can't believe these things happen in America."

The story that stuck out most to Checketts was one about a male student who saw his friend accidentally shoot himself in the forehead, she said. The student's family didn't have a lot of money, but gave him $25 to spend on school supplies, Gruwell said.

The boy's friend talked him into not spending the money on school supplies, and the two bought a fire-

arm together, she said. The friend shot himself while using the gun to show the male student a game he saw on TV.

"I grew up in suburbia and I wasn't familiar with all of those elements of urban violence that were commonplace for my students," Gruwell said. "It was the first time I had felt unsafe. I saw the drug dealers and the gangsters and the prostitutes and I was sad that at the end of the day I got to go home to a safe area away from it. For my students, that was their home."

Carrie Miller, a USU alumna who graduated from the College of Education, attended the speech and said Gruwell talked about a female student who joined a gang, following suit with her father and grandfather. Miller said the girl didn't have a bright future until taking Gruwell's class.

"(Gruwell) is the kind of teacher I want to be someday," Miller said, 'Tm just not sure how to do that. she gave a voice to the voiceless

she empowered her students." Checketts had the opportunity to attend a dinner event with Gruwell, and she said she was impressed that Gruwell walked around to meet everyone and get to know them, rather than wait for guests to approach her.

Gruwell started the Freedom Writers Foundation, Checketts said, which is a program that teachers use to connect with students, especially students who are segregated. "We become an advocate for students and development and integration for teachers, as well as a voice for parents," Gruwell said. "We want to believe that every single kid can make it. I realized early on that I couldn't do it alone. We advocate that no teacher should be alone in fighting for their students. The Freedom Writers Foundation can be that for these teachers."

- catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu, - m.van911@aggiemail.usu.edu

From Page 1

ences could not."

Greitens' doctoral dissertation at Oxford focused on how organizations can help children and families affected by war. :rhat research served as the inspiration for "Strength and Compassion," a book of his photography and essays. The collection was recognized as Foreword Magazine's photography book of the year and was the winner of the New York Book Festival winner in 2009.

His second book, "The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy SEAL," is a New York Times best-seller.

Greitens' latest endeavor is ii non-profit organization, The Mission Continues. The group works with hurt and disabled military veterans to rebuild their lives and be leaders in their communities after returning from service.

'Tm working at The Missiim Continues to ensure that this generation qf veterans is seen as the next "Greatest- Generatioh" -.- a generation that comes home, dedicates themselves to continued service, and makes our country stronger," Greitens said.

· : Because of his work founding and running The Mission Continues, Greitens was presented with the President's Volunteer Service Award in 2008 and is a fellow .of the Draper Richards Foundation.

In 2011, The Social Ventui;e Network recognized Greitens and The Mission Continues as one of the most impa$=tful forces in the community.

"Besides being a perfect gentleman, I was impressed with this man who at such a young age, had accomplished so much in his life," Jibson said. "His humility in.regards to all he has accomplished was something that I remember specifically.

·

"Eric is someone who has given back so much in his life through his humanitarian service, military service as a Navy SEAL and his efforts today of working with returning soldiers whose lives have bei;n impacted so drastically through their service to our country and preserving our freedoms."

Greitens identified three thing:, to which he attributes his successes - his friends, his ' motivation and a healthy lifestyle.

"I've been very fortunate to work with friends and mentors' who have both supported and challenged me," he said_. "Their friendship has been a driving force in my success. Second, I've found my 'Why.'·I know why I get up every day, and _that sense of purpose keeps me strong.

"When you have a 'Why,' you can work through any 'How ' And finally; though it may seem obvious, it is important for me to eat

right, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly. Great work demands great energy."

Former Utah governor and once presideQtial candidate hopeful Jon Huntsman Jr. is the Commencement speaker at USU Eastern. Although some have ~aid he doesn't have the big name that Huntsman does, Greitens appointment as the main campus Commencemeht speaker has garnered generally positive reviews from graduating seniors.

"I think people underestimate the value of speakers who aren't big names," said Derek Kent, a senior graduating with a dual degree in marketing and economics. "Most of the truly inspiring speeches I have heard are from people I don't know much about. I come in not having some level of expectation to be met."

Erin Jones, a senior studying fisheries and aquatic sciences, said the speaker doesn't really matter to her -:- that isn't the reason she chose to walk at graduation.

"How many people will remember or care who gave their commencement speech 20 years down the road, unless it was because there was some controversy," she said. "He sounds like really great guy, but the reason I am going to commencement is because I want to celebrate the hard work I put into earning : this degree, not to hear a speech that could be summed up by reading a Dr. Seuss bookregardless of who gives it."

Greitens said his outlook focuses on broadening horizons and constantly challeng-: ing himself to grow ;md be better. That is the message he hopes to pass op to graquates in • • his Commencement speech. • •

'"Stepping away from college and into • the wider world requires you to make many • : choices. As soon-to-be graduates, it is impor:. tant to seek out opportunities that challenge•· you to grow," he said. "Know that you will • have fo wdrk hard to create excellence in your life.

"Know that your friends ;md family shoulabe treasured. Know also that you will encounter pain and fear and suffering in your life,and be courageous, because on the other side : of pain is•wisdom, on the other side of suffering is strength, and with wisdom and strength you will find a way to build a flourishing life."

Jibson said he is looking forward to Greitens' speech and fully stands behind the decision to extend the invitation to him.

"In my mind, there could not be a more appropriate, inspirational and memorable comm~ncement speaker for our great Utah • State graduates than Eric Greitens," he said.

- megan.allen@aggiemail.usu.edu

•> From Page 1

Concert and SK will raise money for former ambassador sick, Winger said she tries every day to never take a cute thing they do or say for granted. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward helping alleviate some of the cost of Winger's treatments, Hancock said.

"We just started planning through the Team Mason Foundation, and because we are part of that we can use all the funding for her treatment," Hancock said.

The events will begin at the American West Heritage Center located on Highway 89 in Wellsville. Registration for the Splash of Color 5-kilometer begins at 8 a.m., and the race will begin at 9 a.m. Those who enter the race should wear white-attire. Throughout the course of the race, colored chalk will be tossed onto their white clothes, representing the color gained through life's experiences. Also, those who enter will receive free admission to the Color Festival, which begins at 10 a.m. and includes lunch, pony and train rides, a silent auction, music, concessions and more.

"It's so humbling to see people that might not really know her or the family," Bassett said, "but are so willing to put so much time and effort into this. We have had so many people donate things for the silent auction. People are just very generous."

Bassett said since her daughter was first diagnosed at age 16, she has been a strength to her family, always giving them hope.

"What makes me keep the positive attitude is knowing that other people rely on me," Wmger said. "I know I have a lot of people that are looking up to me, and I can't give up. I can't be negative. My strength comes from being taught

how to be strong by my mother."

The last event of the day is the Colors Concert, featuring the band Colors, a Utah group that is reuniting for the fundraiser. It will be held at USU in the Eccles Conference Center at 7:30 p.m.

Winger said she will be at every event throughout the day.

'Tm going to feel completely out of it," Winger said. "I know the second and third days are the worst after treatment I think I'll be able to do it, but it will just be kind of zoned out."

Winger is excited to come back to Cache Valley and see family and friends, and see people come together for a greater cause, but feels strange about the cause being for her.

"This has been the dilemma over the past few weeks," Winger said. "What do I say to the people who have organized it? I feel like everyone coming together gives me a reason to fight and to be stronger. I want everyone to know that it makes my family feel that they are not alone in the fight."

Hancock said Winger will need a bone marrow transplant this summer, and when the Ambassadors found out about this financial need, everyone jumped on board. Alumni ambassadors throughout the U.S. have also taken part in pushing the event forward, she said.

"She is a wonderful mother," Bassett said, "but now that she knows that her life will be cut short, I know every second of the day she thinks of those kids and what she can do to make their lives better."

- catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu

History department receives top teaching award

BY USU MEDIA RELATIONS

The USU history department is a national leader of higher education reform. The American Historical Association recently recognized it as one of 12 outstanding departments in the United States and Canada for its "brilliant teaching and leadership:' Two of its faculty members have been named Carnegie Professors of the Year. It seems fitting that the department is honored with the university's 2012 Department Teaching Excellence Award.

"The Department of History's recognition with the Department Teaching Excellence Award is long overdue," said John C. Allen, dean of USU's College of Humanities and Social Sciences. "They make it a collective decision to place students first in their work to teach the citizens of tomorrow."

The department is committed to curriculum review and revision in order to enhance the education for its students, he said.

"The recognition of the History Department again, illustrates the strength of the teaching responsibilities of our faculty and the dedication to our students," Allen said. "I couldn't be more proud of their accomplishment."

The annual award was established in 2002-03 to honor department cultures that meaningfully value learning excellence. The selection committee is comprised of faculty from departments previously recognized, members of the Faculty Senate, university administrators, a member of the Board ofTrustees and USU students. The honor comes with a one-time $20,000 addition to the department's budget.

Those under consideration for the award undergo a rigorous two-tiered review process. They must first submit a proposal summarizing their commitment to learning excellence demonstrated through ongoing teaching and learning assessment, professional development and allocation of resources to student engagement. Departments judged favorably are then invited to submit a more comprehensive portfolio. During this phase, members of the award selection committee participate in unannounced class observations in departments identified as finalists.

USU President Stan L. Albrecht and Provost Raymond T. Coward surprised history faculty members earlier this month during a departmental meeting. They presented the award and citation, crediting the history department for its quality teaching, high-impact learning experiences, and comprehensive teaching and learning assessment.

"Since the department's founding, it has instilled in its students a passion for understanding the complexities and significance of human actions that are the basis of history," the citation reads. "The Department of History has demonstrated through actions and deeds an unparalleled dedication to uphold the highest standards of teaching excellence for all students, regardless of major or motivation, who find themselves in a history class. As a leader in the national and world-wide debate and discovery about teaching and learning best practices, the Department of History has proven why it is deserving of this prestigious honor."

The recognition comes with bittersweet timing.

After serving as department head for the past 19 years,

Plastic drummer boys

professor Norm Jones is stepping down to serve as the university's director of general education. Jones chairs the Regents' General Education Task Force and a Fulbright Special Consultant, helping universities in Hong Kong transition to a liberal arts education. He is a natural fit to lead the university in its efforts to improve general education.

Jones and Dan Mcinerney, professor of history, have led the department's effort of'degree funing' to establish meaningful criteria for evaluating degree worth and student achievement. In 2009, the Lumina Foundation for Education and the Utah System of Higher Education invited the USU history department to join a national degree tuning experiment that looks beyond a students' GPA and focuses more on the knowledge, understanding, and abilities they gain.

"The award means a great deal to me, and to the department," said Jones. "Since 2009 we have been working to create the most effective curriculum we can. Thanks to our engagement with the curriculum, and the opportunities we have had to work on the national and international level, we have made important changes that have brought us national and international attention as a department that is modeling good practice."

The USU history department has emerged as a national leader in this movement and helped construct a set oflearning outcomes appropriate to the discipline. In 2011, Jones and Mclnerney were asked to join the Tuning USU Advisory Board of the Institute for Evidence Based Change to develop recommendations for transformational changes in education.

Campus & Community

Aggie Bull-evard

closed all day Friday

There's a lot going on as the academic semester draws to a conclusion and commencement approaches. For students, one of the culminating events is the 2012 Endof-Year Bash and a concert on Aggie Boulevard (no matter how you spell it).

As a result, a portion of 700 north, a major east-west corridor through campus, will be affected. Traffic accessing 700 north from the west will be diverted onto 800 east at the intersection, and 700 north will be closed at the north side of the Nelson Fieldhouse. The Big Blue Terrace and the B-lot will be open all day, but must be accessed from the east at 1200 east. Traffic traveling to the Edith Bowen Laboratory School will also need to access the area from the east. As a result of the partial closure, Aggie Shuttle and CVTD routes will be

Those

Chamber Singers performing in China

Thirty-eight Caine College of the Arts choral students will travel to China in May to perform at the Beijing International Collegiate Choral Festival.

"The USU Chamber Singers are one of only five choirs receiving this prestigious invitation," said Cory Evens, director of choral activities in the department of music. "It's an honor to be invited."

A preview performance of the Beijing inspired concert will be held in the USU Performance Hall April 28 at 7:30 p.m. The event, "New Sounds: Contemporary Choral Musict is a program of newly-composed choral music in a variety of styles that people - foreign or domestic - will enjoy, said Evans. The program contains arrangement$ of American spirituals, choral settings of samba and tango music, movements from contemporary settings of the mass and other recently composed choral compositions. The repertoire chosen features a number of percussion instruments.

Tickets for the preview concert "New Sounds: Contemporary Choral Music" are $10 general admission, $8 seniors and youth, $5 USU faculty and staff and free for USU students with ID.

Orchestra holds closing concert

The USU Wind Orchestra presents "Movie Night" Friday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kent Concert Hall, located in the Chase Fine Arts Center on the USU Logan campus. "Our guest artist is Bridger Burt, one of the Music Department's stand-out musicians during his tenure as a student," said Tom Rohrer, associate professor in the Caine College of the Arts.

This year, the annual spring concert by the USU Wind Orchestra celebrates music used in movies. Many selections on the program will be familiar to film fans.

The Wind Orchestra will perform "Symphony No. 6" by Vincent Persichetti, the "Finale" of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony and "Tuba Con~erto" by Edward Gregson, among other works. One of the main pieces to be performed is "Sinfonia Sacra" by Floyd Werle. "Movie Night" is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the CCA Box Office located in room 139-B of the Chase Fine Arts Center on USU's campus, call 435797-8022 or go online at arts.usu. edu.

The policy of The Utah Statesman is to correct any error made as soon as possible. If you find something you would like clarified or find in error, please contact the editor at 797-1742, statesman@aggiemail.usu.edu or come in to TSC 105.

Utah State Uni

TAYLOR, TONYA AND TENIELE ANDERSON were the first set of triplets born in Logan Regional Hospital. Now, at age 20, they still live together and con- • sider each other best friends. DELAYNE LOCKE photo

Seeing triple: USU sisters always put ea~h other first

BY CATHERINE BENNITT

editor in chief

More than a decade ago, their mother dressed the three of them in identical Mickey Mouse sweaters with their long, blonde hair pulled back by clips on top of their heads. In elementary school it was more difficult to tell them apart, Taylor Anderson said, but now that they are in college they have become individuals with their own quirks and styles.

While their styles may be different, they constantly finish each other's sentences.

"We'd be in a grocery store when we were five," Taylor said, "and we wouldn't really understand things about being a triplet. People would come up to us in the store and say, 'Are you triplets?' and we'd say, 'No, we're just sisters."' Taylor, Tonya and Teniele Anderson are USU sophomores who graduated from Logan High School in 2010. Each of them could have made the decision to leave Cache Valley to join three different junior college soccer teams, but turned down the offers to stay close to family and each other, Tonya said.

Regional Hospital, and have a newspaper clipping to prove it. They were born premature, Tonya said. Taylor weighed 3 pounds when she was born while Tonya and Teniele · each weighed 4 pounds. Tonya said it's a miracle all of them have maintained good health since leaving the hospital 20 years ago. With three older siblings, Taylor said her mother's pregnancy wit~ triplets was a definite surprise.

our bottles every night and if we didn't finish them we'd pass them down to Taylor. She was like the disposal." ·

After sharing rooms, clothes, friends and hobbies while growing up, they still can't get enough of each other, and live together near oampus. Tonya is majoring in radiology; Teniele and Taylor are working on degrees in nursing.

"We had a lot of help with our aunts and grandmas," Taylor said, "they would always come over and feed us and make sure we were taken ,care of." · "We liad three different cribs, but we would all climb in one crib and sleep together every night," Teniele said. "And then we would all have

Taylor said the family loves to watch a home video of the three girls eating Fruit Loops, because every time Tonya or Teniele would look away, Taylor would eat theirs. The girls have been inseparable since they ~an remember, Taylor said, but that doesn't mean they didn't put up fights during disagreements. "We would get in little fist fights," Teniele said, "like kick,ing each other · or punching each other. We had our. little motto: Taylor punched, Tonya kicked, and I pinched."

they would hold it inside until they saw one of the triplets. It was OK to cry when they found each other, she said. "We know exactly how the other two are feeling," Teniele said. "That's what happens since we know each other so well."

Teniele wouldn't trade being a triplet for anything, she said, because her sisters are part of who she is, but still, being a triplet does have its disadvantages. A lot of people are afraid to get to know them when they find out they're triplets, because they are afraid to mistake one for the other. "On campus, if someone thinks I'm Tonya they'll talk to me if they are in Jler class," Taylor said, "and Feb. 8, 1992 the Aggie triplets were the first set born in Logan See TRIPLETS, Page 7

The sisters helped each other survive high school, Tonya said, and if one of them was having a bad day

Sen. Reid remembers Aggie days -Alumn

us makes waves in the political world

BY CATHERINE BENNETT editor in chief

Years before he had his own office in Washington, D.C.'s Hart Senate Office Building, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was an Aggie and fondly remembers the people who impacted his life while at USU. Reid attended USU with football legend Merlin Olsen, ahd recalls taking classes with him. Reid and Olsen were both teaching assistants to Professor Leonard Arrington, who worked at USU from 1946 to ,1972, and now has an annual lecture named for him called the Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture Series. Reid received his bachelor's degree in political en.ce from USU in 1961 a minor in economics. service in the political realm began at age 28 he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly, returning to the state

he grew up in. He then became the youngest lieutenant governor in Nevada's history at age 30. Reid was first ele(ted a Nevada senator in 1986 and is now serv,ing his fifth term.

US: Did you always want to be involved in politics?

HR: I wanted to qe a big athlete, but that didn't work out I went to Southern Utah University - then called the College of Southern Utah - to play football and baseball, and it didn't take long for me to realize I wasn't big enough, fast enough, or' frankly, good enough. And I got hurt, so I started studying - and I had never done that before - and made good grades, and got a scholarship to go up to USU.

US: Why' did you choose a bachelor's degree in political science?

US: Who was you-r favorite teacher or mentor at USU?

HR: I had a number of very, very outstanding teachers. Dr. Merrill was a political science teacher, he was an qld man at the time, but he was a very fun teacher Another teacher I loved that died recently was Judd Harmon. He was in the political science department1 and the reason I so appreciate him is it was my first quarter and we had taken a test and he took me in his office and said, "You are obviously very smart, but you better do something about your grammar because it's about as bad as anything I've ever read," so as a result of that I took a whole bunch of courses, English courses, diagramming sentences and as a result of that I speak fairly wel,l. There was another teacher, Dr. Bright, a history teacher, but what I remember most about him is his ·hobby was going around and looking • ee REID, Page 4

HR: I'.d been fovolved in student government in high school, I was student body president and I was class president in co.I~ege my freshman year. I had a government teacher in high school named Mike O'Callahan and he became the governor of Nevada and that's probably one of the reasons I did it.

•

Bigfoot legends abound in Cache Valley

BY ERIC JUNGBLUT staff writer

It was a summer night in 2005, when Levi Francom was hanging out with friends in Providence Canyon. They built a bonfire and had the idea to put a gl~s bottle full of gasoline into the flames and film the tesult.

After about two minutes, ttie bottle burst and the ~oline created a huge firel>~ll that singed surrounding trees. Shortly after that night, Francom uploaded the video to YouTube, where it would become a viral hit.

However, it was not the fireball that made the video famous. It was what was in the background.

Commenters on YouTube noticed at around one minute into the video a strange gray figure stood up in the brush behind the fire and walked away from the scene. The resolution of the video made the figure hard to make out, but it appeared to be too large to be one of Francom's friends, who From Page 4

along with himself were too focused on the fire to look where the figure was. One of the commenters wrote "Holy cow, it's Bigfoot."

The mysterious figure in the background of Francom's video created a Bigfoot frenzy that prompted the Bigfoot Field Researcher's Organization, or BFRO, to come to Cache Valley last winter, where it filmed an episode of their television series "Finding Bigfoot," on which Francom was featured. The episode was named "Holy Cow, It's Bigfoot" after the YouTube comment.

"We just came up here to have some fun," Francom said in the episode. "One of us had this bomb that we saw our friends do, so we thought hey, we'll give it a try. So we built up a fire and told everyone to stand back, and that's when it happened."

The BFRO held a town hall meeting in Logan asking residents about Bigfoot sightings and sought help from USU folklore profes-

sor Lynne McNeill in their search for Bigfoot around the canyons of Cache Valley, according to the episode. They were skeptical about labeling Bigfoot as folklore for this episode, but McNeill said she reassured them that folklore does not necessarily mean fake.

"They definitely did have a misperception about what folklore is that initially led them to not want to associate their work with it," McNeill said. "Like many people, they thought that 'folklore' meant 'fake,' which isn't the case at all. When we label something as folklore, all we're saying is that knowledge of it circulates via word of mouth rather than through more official media."

McNeil! said that she used examples such as the giant squid and giant panda, which were once considered folklore and myth but were later found to be real, to get her point across to the BFRO.

"Once I had the chance to explain to the crew what

OVER THE YEARS, many people in Cache Valley have reported Bigfoot sightings. In 2005 the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization came to Providence Canyon to investigate Bigfoot claims sparked by a YouTube video. Photo courtesy of Lewis Harper folklore really is, they were completely on board," she said. "The stories we have about Bigfoot in the Fife Folklore Archives here at USU served as many years' worth of town-hall meetings for the show, and gave them a new perspective on the value of taking folklore seriously."

The episode premiered March 11, as a part of the show's second season on the Animal Planet network. Throughout the hour-long episode, scenes of Logan

ej.jungblut@aggiemail. usu.edu

and Cache Valley were shown and dozens of residents, some wearing USU apparel, packed the Cache County Municipal Building to share their Bigfoot sightings with the BFRO. The show took a local man, a snow plow driver named Joe Phillips, along with them on a nighttime search. Phillips claimed to have seen the creature cross the road one time when he was plowing Logan Canyon. By the end of the episode the BFRO team did not find Bigfoot, although they did hear strange noises in Logan Canyon at night. Francom, who is now 19 and attending his first semester at USU, is skeptical as to whether the figure in his video was really Bigfoot. "I really doubt that it was Bigfoot, but I'm still trying to figure out who it was," he said. "Whatever it was, it

Reid recalls memories of Merlin Olsen, Lenonard Arrington

at graves and trying to gel something historical out of that. My all-time favorite teacher - and we remained friends until he died - his name was l,eonard Arrington and he f(as a great, very wonderful teacher. He taught in the K,bnomics department, d I had a minor in it, so I ded t&ts fur him along • h the gr~at football player ~o was all-American-Merlin Olsen - and he, of course, played in the pros.

got there, so the only thing

US: How did you meet your I was involved in was a wife? number of academic things.

1 don't remember the names

HR: In high school, she was of them, but I was in honors a sophomore and I was a society for political science junior. We went to the same and history. high school in Henderson, Nev., and we have been US: Do you have a favorite together ever since. USU tradition? Are you a True Aggie?

US: Were you involved in any clubs or organizations

HR: It didn't interest me at at USU? the time; I had somebody at home to kiss, I didn't have to HR: I was married when I do it some place else.

called Birds. I would drive Gandhi.

US: What did you and your to school in these winters wife do on the weekend in that were so bad, as you US: How did your time at Logan? know, and I would give these USU prepare you for who Indian students rides to you are today?

HR: If you look into my school. When I got ready to office on my credenzas I leave they asked if my wife HR: In Logan I joined have a hand-carved ivory and 1 could stay over. They the church, the Mormon statue of Mohandas Gandhi. wanted to do a traditional church, so I'm sure that has It's wonderful, it's so fine. Indian feast for us. They something to do with who I

He has a staff in his hand cooked this wonderful am today. the size of two or three Indian meal for this. They toothpicks. We lived at 303 gave me a number of things, - catherine.meidell@aggiS. 400 West in Logan, Utah. but the thing I still have email. usu.edu We lived in a basement after all these years is apartment of some people this hand-carved statue of

.

Its story revolved around trials, forgiveness and redemption.

Alex Orton is a man who immerses himself in his painting to help him cope with a tragic accident. The accident has affected his relationship with his wife Jackie by distancing them from one another.

with Tristan.

Jackie also has a difficult time with her son. Jackie is devout in her religion while Tristan questions his faith and trust in God.

When Tristan's girlfriend Raeanne visits Alex and Jackie, a tangible tension fills the room.

"Boy with Blue" paints a fabulous, emotionally charged picture of a situation that could easily happen in real life.

The movie was more believable because the camera wavered slightly during many of the scenes, not enough to cause anyone to become queasy, but just enough to help put the audience in the room with the characters, as if the audience was really there in the room.

Blue" was filmed within 24 hours. With the exception of the first minute, the movie takes place in one room, which is a different film tactic, one that brings the movie "Twelve Angry Men" to mind.

The partial philosophical angle was great too.

One scene in particular gives a wonderfully detailed description of art and painting and how some artists see their work surface. Another scene illustrates an immersive view into the emotion of an artist as they create.

Their son, Tristan, plays the piano, and though they have common ground, Alex has a difficult time talking The plot drastically Interestingly, "Boy with It was beautiful to see

and feel the wonderful creation of this movie.

"Boy with Blue" is one you should look for when it becomes available for distribution.

See this movie. I had a great time attending this year's film festival. As great as it was, the Logan Film Festival 2013 promises be much more enticing. Don't miss it.

- Spencer Pa/mer is a graduate student working toward an MBA with a recent bachelor's in mechanical engineering. He's a movie fanatic. Email him at spencer. palmer@aggiemail.usu. edu

~umni Association offers perks for grads

BY ERIC JUNGBLUT staff writer

The USU Alumni Association was founded in 1898, 10 years after the Agricultural College of Utah - today Utah State University - was founded. In its more than 100 years of service, the Alumni Association has kept former USU students connected long after they graduate.

Today, the Alumni Association continues to provide services for all USU alumni, regard.less of age or membership status, said Brandon Taylor, membership and marketing coordinator for the association.

"The mission of the Alumni Association is to enhance the USU experience through lifdong engagement; he said. "That can be in a number of different ways, and to do we provide a number of different types of services to our alumni."

Taylor said the association offers two types of memberships - the annual membership, which costs $35 a year, and the lifetime membership, which can cost up to $500 a year depending on whethe11 the plan is purchased jointly with a spouse.

Taylor said the lifetime membership is the better buy because it is a one-time payment, whereas the annual member-

ships must be renewed each year.

"You can do it a number of different ways," Taylor said.

"We have payment plans for the lifetime ones. A lot of people just do payroll deductions or pay $100 a year, and then when that's paid off you're considered a lifetime member. It's actually less expensive over time to do that then buy the annual membership every year over."

Benefits and services for USU alumni, regard.less of membership in the Association or not, include auto and home insurance, short, comprehensive, and long-term health insurance, floral services, discounts on HP P,roducts and access to the Merrill-Cazier Library, according to the alumni association's website.

When becoming a member of the association, alumni can access a wider range of benefits, such as travel, lodging, shopping and business discounts, reducedprice tickets to Aggie sporting events, and discounts for renting out the Dwight B. Haight Alumni Center on campus for events and weddings.

Taylor said starting in July the association will be offering new programs to members and non-members.

"One benefit in particular we are really excited about is

out career program," he said. "We've actually teamed up with USU Career Services to offer a lot of the resources they do but tailored more toward alumni."

The association will be offering networking events, video training and career development services. They will also offer a number of services USU Career Services provides for students, such as career exploration tools, interview techniques, resume building and cover letter writing skills. These are for new graduates going out into the workforce and those who may have lost a job after 20 years, Taylor said Patty Halaufia, executive director of the Alumni Association, said the association does its best to get feedback on what services alumni want or consider practical.

"Over this past year we've been doing some strategic planning for the Alumni Association and we've been asking ourselves about what we've been doing for the past 17 years," said Halaufia. "ls it still relevant? Are we providing the services alumni need?· We get information from over 2,000 alumni on different ideas and the direction we need to go." Taylor said discounted flower delivery service was an example of a service alumni felt unnecessary.

"One of our vendors right now is a floral company," she said. "They're not a local one but they deliver nationally, and they work with other alumni organizations. When we interviewed our alumni, that wasn't something they really cared about. If they wanted flowers, they could probably get them cheaper locally.That wasn't something we could really use as value added to a membership." Halaufia said the Alumni Association has something for everyone.

"I think if the students will not think of us as only old people as alumni but all of us who graduated from Utah State as

an alumni, young and old," she said. "We want to be involved with them throughout their lives, share their successes and provide opportunities to stay involved with the university over the years. That's what we're here to do - to make a lifelong connection with our alumni."

'The Great Brain' brings back childhood memories

I remember the first time I was truly jealous of another person. I was eight years old, and I felt like I had met my match. He had a quick wit and knew how to make money off all of the other kids in town Tall and lanky, the eleven-yearold boy had me smitten for years. His name was Tom, though most knew him as "The Great Brain."

Yes, I was in love with a book character. I'm a little bit sad to say this wasn't an irregular experience in my childhood. First, there was Harry Potter and his oh-sorugged scar At about 13 years old, I was swooning over another Harry, but this time from the "Tennis Shoes" book series. Many other literary men came and went, but The Great Brain was and is my first fictional love.

The Great Brain first came into my life in a small, third grade classroom. As elementary classes often do, we all had to follow along in a book that our teacher read to us after lunch. I still remember the pink cover of the original Great Brain book. I also remember the first chapter of the book, in which Tom's family buys a "water closet" (read: toilet). The water closet creates a large amount of hubbub in the town of Adenville, Utah where everybody else still uses outhouses. Not letting an opportunity go to wclste, Tom charges all of his friends a penny

Page 4

to go see the water closet, which gets him into hot water with his parents. For me, "The Great Brain" wasn't just a novel assigned in school. It captured my heart and refused to let go, even in my teenage years. It was a rainy day book, a sunny day book, an I-don't-wantto-do homework-anymore book and everything inbetween. Most of all, it provided a chance for me to escape to 1904, where life in Utah centered around more simple things than it does now.

My favorite part of the book series was that it was Fitzgerald's childhood mixed with his imagination. Where he lived, his friends and even members of his family were carefully re-named to protect them. The result left me with an incredible desire to uncover the mystery of author John Fitzgerald's childhood. For years, I looked through every research method possible to try and find more details behind his life.

I know you're wondering why I'm writing about "The Great Brain"

at the ripe age of 20. In my teenage years, I discovered Fitzgerald also wrote two adult books based on his young adult years in Southern Utah. I found one of them, "Papa Married a Mormon" at my local library, but the sequel, "Mamma's Boarding House" was out of print and nowhere to be found. To buy the collectible online was hundreds of dollars, so the desire to delve into the book's pages stayed on hold for a while.

I don't know why it took me nearly two years to realize that USU's library might hold a copy of the book. Just over a week ago, I was walking through the library, and I finally thought to check. Much to my surprise the library had two copies - one in special collections and one for check-out.

After years of waiting, last week I again had the opportunity to be thrown back" into the world of Adenville and the Fitzgeralds. Despite how busy my schedule was, I couldn't "Mama's Boarding House Down."

When I was 10 years old, my mother would catch me reading at 2:00 a.m. on a school night and chide me for not sleeping. She would have been doing a lot of chiding, because after my classes, homework and newspaper responsibilities were over, I again found myself

Triplets pretend to be each other

I just have to act like her because I feel stupid telling them I'm not. If I feel way bad if halfway through the conversation I say, 'Actually, I'm Taylor,' so I just go along with it."

These awkward situations happen frequently, Tonya said, but when they do they'll text the sister they were mistaken for and tell them about the conversation they had with the stranger who approached them, describing what that person looked like.

Everyone asks whether or not they swap dates, Teniele said, but they never have. However, Teniele did prod Tonya to cuddle with her boyfriend to see ifhe would notice it wasn't her, but Tonya refused.

"Teniele's boyfriend came over our apartment one time and hugged me and kissed me on the cheek," Taylor said. "I think he thought I was Teniele, so I just yelled to her 'Hey, Ben is here now.' So, hopefully he knew who I was after that."

When one of them first starts dating a boy they make sure to use each other's names often, Taylor said. Overall, the sisters aren't needy toward boys, because they confide in each other, Teniele said.

Each sister holds a local job, one at Lee's Marketplace, one at Juniper Take Out and one at Village Inn.

"Sometimes people will come into Lee's and ask, 'How many jobs do you have?"' Teniele said.

One reason they know each other so well is because they each have similar personalities, Tonya said. Though they have a lot of things in

common, each has maintained their individuality. Taylor is the shy one, Tonya is the independent one, and Teniele is a little more outgoing. Their mother is one of the bigge~t reasons why they've been able to grow up feeling like individuals never forced to be a certain way, Taylor said.

"Most twins or tnplets would just share one cake on their birthday, but our mom asked us what our favorite cake was and make us three cakes," Taylor said. "We'd sing three separate times."

In high school Tonya decided to play basketball when Tonya and Teniele joined the ski team, and she figured her mom wouldn't come to her games because the three of them were no longer playing together, she said. When her mom still came to every one of her games, she was touched, because she truly felt her mom supported and loved her individually. Taylor, Teniele and Tonya plan on living near each other in coming years. They want their kids to grow up together, Tonya said. For now, though, they are content experiencing every new day and challenge together.

"They will give me true advice," Taylor said.

."Friends will give you advice in the moment, but sisters will give you a real answer because they know how much getting that advice means to you."

"We honestly love being together," Tonya said. "We'll come home ~o our apartment after being out and just stay there to be together." - catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu

swaddled in a blanket, anxiously turning pages to see what story would be told next. Enjoying a book you love is like relishing in your favorite food. It's filling, and even when stuffed, you want to take in a few more bites.

"Mamma's Boarding House" is based John's mother Tena taking in Boarders after her husband passes away. Even in the early 1900s, running a boarding house attracted people of certain reputations. Each of Mama's borders has a story to tell, and Fitzgerald brings them to life spectacularly.

The book also provides a thrilling narrative of Fitzgerald's "Uncle Will," a saloon owner and all around rebellious westerner who is soft at heart. His story, which began in "Papa Married a Mormon" is one of heartbreak, sacrifice and finding love late in life. Fitzgerald's flash.backs to the days of Will's involvement with bawdy miners will leave you chuckling.

If you're looking for a book series to get lost in this summer, consider picking something from Fitzgerald. Though many of his books are targeted toward children, as an adult I still find them timeless. His adult books will especially appeal to those who are interested in Utah history or history of the West in general. I wanted my last column to go out on a good note. There were a number of books I could have chosen, b-ut in the end I knew that it would end up being The Great Brain. After many internet searches, I realized I'm not the only one who grew close to the swindling smart-alee. Children around the country, and even around the world, have treasured the

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Linebackers, defensive backs prepare

BY CURTIS LUNDSTROM staff writer

With five of 10 leading tacklers returning from last year's squad, Utah State players who will make up the defensive backfield are looking forward to football season.

"(The players) are communicating well," said defensive coach Dave Aranda. "Communication is outstanding. We're looking to finish it off with a bang here at the end of spring."

At the linebacker spot, the Aggies will look to fill the voids left by Bobby Wagner and Kyle Gallagher. Throughout spring training, Aranda said sophomore Tavaris McMillian and junior Jake Doughty remind him of Wagner and Gallagher. "Doughty and McMillan have really made strides from day one of spring," Aranda said. "They've asserted themselves as the guys and they've continued to make plays and they've continued to be leaders in that linebacker core. They're starting to step out and feel comfortable as a defense. The more we can get out of them the better."

With the two leading tacklers gone from last season, Doughty said he's confident about filling their shoes.

"So far I feel pretty good," Doughty said. "I definitely have to step up, I've got make sure I know the linebacker position 100 percent, ins and outs. I'm trying to fill the gap that Bobby and Kyle left. That'll

DEFENDERS NEVIN LAWSON AND TAVARIS MCMILLIAN track down a Wyoming ball carrier last season. File photo be a little bit difficult because they were great players but so far so good."

Last season, Doughty recorded tackles in 10 of Utah State's 13 games and finished with 26 tackles for the year - including three for a loss. McMillian finished eighth in total tackles with 45, eight of which he caught the opponents for a loss.

Battling Doughty and McMillian for the inside linebacker positions are sophomore Parker Hausknecht and junior Zach Vigil. The pair combined for six total tackles last season in six games. "It's been a good battle," Dougthy said. "Everyone that is competing is doing great. The ones, twos and threes are competing their butts

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

off. We have all of summer and fall to tighten the screws down and see who's going to win it."

Behind the linebackers at the safety and cornerback positions, two big names return for Utah State in junior Nevin Lawson and senior McKade Brady. Lawson was one of three Aggies to record an interception last season and also finished fourth in total tackles with 73. Brady will be back in the lineup for his third season and has shown versatility throughout spring training camp. The free safety turned cornerback finished third in overall tackles last season, behind Wagner and Gallagher.

"Having McKade Brady back has given a lot of leadership in that area," Aranda said. "We have also gotten better with young guys."

Another player Aranda said should make an impact is Cameron Sanders at the safety spot. Sanders made the move this spring, and Aranda said Sanders has adapted quickly and improved, despite the differences in alignments and techniques.

Sanders played in four of the 13 games last season, finishing with four tackles. Playing alongside Sanders and leaving his mark on spring camp is Michael Okonkwo. ''.There's a learning curve with him but he picks things up," Aranda said. "Once he makes a mistake he won't make that mistake again •) See USU, Page 12

USU hires new coach from Oral Roberts

BY CURTIS LUNDSTROM staff writer

A new era has began at Utah State University.

48 hours before the Athletics Department revamps its look with a new logo, the USU women's basketball team has a new look at head coach.

Athletic Director Scott Barnes introduced Jerry Finkbeiner as head coach of the Aggies in a press conference Thursday.

The ninth coach in USU history, Finkbeiner has spent the past 16 seasons as head coach of the women's basketball team at Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma, compiling a 273-208 record during his tenure.

Prior to Finkbeiner arriving at ORU, the Golden Eagles had never made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In his third season, Finkbeiner led his squad to its first ever March Madness, and Oral· Roberts made five NCAA appearances in his 16 seasons at the helm.

nation in scoring last season under Finkbeiner, who said he wants to put up a lot of points.

Finkbeiner biggest goal for the Aggies is a trip to the Big Dance.

"I came here to get to the NCAA tournament," Finkbeiner said. "At my previous school, the first time they ever went to the tournament was in 1999 under our tenure. Coming here to Utah State, we want to be the first women's basketball team at Utah State to get to the NCAA Tournament."

Another plan Finkbeiner said he hopes to implement is a foreign basketball tour. While at Oral Roberts, every four years the team would travel out of the country on a combination basketball and service trip.

"The hallmark memory of our young women in the past has been not necessarily the NCAA Tournaments, but helping a child in the Dominican Republic; giving them a pair of shoes," Finkbeiner said. "If we can bring both those aspects to this program here with that kind of experience and leaving their careers at Utah State with a big dance ring on their fingers, that's what it's all about."

Finkbeiner said he will bring a "run, gun and have fun" philosophy to Utah State, emphasizing offense and fast-paced tempo. Oral Roberts led the Returning Aggies, such as guards

JERRY FINKBEINER was named the USU women's basketball coach in a press conference Thursday. MELODY SANCHEZ photo Devyn Christensen and Jenna Johnson, helped interview prospective coaches, and Christensen said the players knew Finkbeiner was what they needed.

is the guy.' The way he talks about basketball, you can just feel his ene~.y and his passion. That's something we were all sold on. By the end off e meeting we wanted to go play right;.. then and practice for him." -

"We are so excited," Christensen said "When we had the first interview with him, we were like 'this See WOMEN'S, Page 11

WOMEN'S TENNIS

Aggies lose all matches in day one of WAC tournament

BY MEGAN BODILY staff writer

Disappointing.

That's the word head coach Chris Wright used to describe the Utah State women's tennis team post-season loss in Las Cruces, N.M., Thursday. Competing in the Western Athletic Conference championship tournament the No. 6 seed Aggies faced off against the No. 3 seed University of Idaho Vandals. USU was sent home with a 0-4 loss.

"We got down in doubles, and they were just a little sharper than we were," Wright said. "After the loss, I said, 'Guys, we have done this before, we have been in this situation a few times and come back for the win."' The Aggies were fired up heading into doubles action, but the Vandals swiftly extinguished them. Senior Romina Nedakovic and junior Kristina Voytsekovich were defeated by Molly Knox and Sophie Vickers 3-8 in the No. 2 doubles position. Co-captain Brianna Rowland and junior Julie

Tukuafu were dismissed by Alejandra Lozano and Beatriz Flores 8-3 in the No. 3 doubles position to give Idaho the doubles point.

Jupior Jaci West's and freshman McKenzie Davis' match at No. 1 doubles was left unfinished at 4-6 with the two other doubles losses.

"Last year it was 4-3 loss when we played them;' Rowland, a senior, said. "But we definitely thought this is a team that we can beat."

But the Aggies were unable to slow the Vandals down. They quickly dropped three matches to give the victory to Idaho. The three completed matches were all straight set losses for the USU. Heading into the tournament, Rowland said the team's morale was high.

"We have had good wins during the season, we hadn't played Idaho yet, but we felt that we could do this, and this is a good draw," Rowland said. "It just didn't pan out to what we thought here at the WAC tournament." Davis lost to Victoria Lozano, 5-7, 3-6 in the No. 1 singles position.

Voytsekovich was promptly dismissed by Knox 6-0, 6-0 in the No. 3 singles position

The nail in the coffin came from Tukuafu against Alejandra Lorenzo in the No. 5 singles spot. The Vandal held Tukuafu to four games total in her 6-2, 6-2 win. "We were still in a few matches when the four points was reached, so it kind of stinks that you don get a final result," Wright said. "It is kind of a weird feeling But it's the rules; everyone has to go by it."

With the win already secured by three Aggie losses and the doubles point loss, the rest of the matches were left unfinished. According to tournament rules, once the win has been secured play is stopped, no matter where the other matches may be in score. 'Tm proud of them, we have had some good wins, today just wasn't our day," Wright said. "Overall it was a good season, we are proud of the girls." - mega.bodi@aggiemail.usu.edu

• t

The Utah Statesman Picks

Male Athlete of the Year

This award was dominated by football players, as Robert Turbin was a close second place. Bobby Wagner is arguably the best linebacker Utah State has ever had. The 6-foot-l, 230-pound behemoth of a football player earned a slew of awards and honors within the WAC and nationally. He led Utah State with 147 tackles during his senior season, including a gamewinning interception against Idaho to help the Aggies on the road to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Our staff will always cheer for whatever NFL team he is drafted to.

- tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu

BOBBY WAGNER

Honorable Mentions: Robert Turbin, football Preston Medlin, basketball Brain Gibbons, hockey Brian McKenna, cross-country Jake Bartholomew, baseball

Female Athlete of the Year

And the award goes to Senior Ashlee Brown of the women's basketball team. It's a no-brainer. She was named WAC Defensive Player of the Year and would have won WAC player of the year if she was allowed to win both. She scored 30-plus points twice during the season. She led the Aggies to their best regular season record in school history. She's got swagger. The leadership and influence she had on her teammates, the effect she had in games and the legacy she leaves at Utah state all contribute to her winning the award.

- curtis.lundstrom@aggiemail. usu.edu

ASHLEE BROWN

Honorable Mentions: Liz McArthur, volleyball Lindsey Spencer, track Mandy Harmon, softball Sarah Landes, gymnastics

Heartbreak of the Year

The BYU football game. Everything was going according to plan when Robert Turbin took off for an 80-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, and it looked like USU would beat BYU for the second year in a row - and in Provo, too. Everything came tumbling down when BYU quarterback Riley Nelson -a former Aggie - marched BYU down the field and scored with 11 seconds left to give the Cougars a 27-24 win. Runner-up: Auburn. Losing to the defending National Champions by four points after being up by 10 with just over two IlllilUtes left hurts bad but not nearly as bad as losing to BYU.

ejjungblut@gmail.com

USU 24, BYU 27 Honorable Mentions: Football vs. Ohio Men's basketball vs. Mercer Women's basketball vs BYU Softball vs. BYU: game 3 Football vs Colorado State Best Aggie Team

The women's soccer team. Led by seniors Shantel Flanary, Chandra Salmond-Christensen, Natalie Norris and Molli Merrill, the team won both WAC regular season and tournament titles, earned a berth in the NCAA tournament and had the best regular season in school history. Coach Heather Cairns was selected as WAC Coach of the Year for the season she put together with the players she had. From the team awards to the individual awards - including a dominant season - this was the best USU team.

- curtis.lundstrom@aggiemai/. usu.edu

MOLLI MERRILL

Honorable Mentions: Baseball Men's cross-country Hockey Women's basketball

Game of the Year

The USU football win over Hawaii on the road is The Utah Statesman Game of the Year for several reasons. Then-junior quarterback Adam Kennedy, who lost his starting spot to true freshman Chuckie Keeton, took over for the injured Keeton during the first half and led the Aggies back from a 28-7 deficit to a 35-31 victory. Kennedy threw a 37-yard strike to wide receiver Chuck Jacobs and a 71-yard pass to wide receiver Stanley Morrison as part of the rally. The win spurred the fivegame WAC winning streak, which solidified USU's first bowl berth since 1993.

- ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu

USU 35, HAWAII 31

Honorable Mentions: Men's basketball vs. BYU Soccer WAC final vs. Fresno State in Fresno, Calif.

Surprise of the Year

Junior QB Adam Kennedy and the way he stepped up to lead USU to its first bowl berth since 1993 is The Utah Statesman Surprise of the Year. Kennedy played behind true freshman Chuckie Keeton and saw limited playing time until Keeton suffered an injury against Hawaii in the eighth game of the season.

When Keeton went down, it was a general fear that USU's season was doomed, but Kennedy led an epic comeback against Hawaii and went 4-1 in games he started. Kennedy earned a 5-1 mark in games that he played a considerable amount of time.

- ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu

ADAM KENNEDY

Honorable Mentions: Football lead over Auburn Men's basketball CIT run Brady Jardine's injury

"They should be able to compete with the brightest and best> prod_uced . anywhere in the world. They"should not t!lke a back seat to anyone. They should enter the marketplace extremely well-equipped and well-trained with the best possible academic and technical qualifications to compf!te. with any institution of higher learning in the world."

- JON M. HUNTSMA

JON M.

OPINION

New logo dos and don'ts

Oh, how times, they be a-changing here in the land of the Aggies. Alright, so maybe those changes are just new athletic logo and revamped uniforms, but trust me when I say these things do matter.

We become fans of a team once they form an identity to us. We gather up symbols that we decide a customary and special to our squad and those symbols have their way of naturally imbuing us with collective energy and support that, heck, this, and every year, is our year. It is one of the things that make sports the best thing going around in society, bar none - take that, modern arts. Just imagine if the University of Alabama swiped player numbers from their helmets, or if the Indiana basketball team retired their doowop striped warm up pants. Dallas Mavericks fans were up in a panic for one game because - I'm not joking about this, comment boards off the charts - Jason Terry didn't wear his trademark headband for a game. Every memorable team has a good set of symbols. As for the Aggies, we carry our share of the load.

•> From Page 9

We have Big Blue descending from the scoreboard, thousands of college students jumping and down, or point from one bench to the other all in unison. We have Preston Medlin's after three pointer scream session, Robert Turbin's brontosaurus-sized calf muscles and dark visor. We have "Aggie blue and fighting white." Tomorrow afternoon those symbols will be shifted in a way. We take on a new logo, and we take on a new identity. Now, as hard as it is for me to predict something as superficial as a uniform, I couldn't call myself a supporter of USU athletics if I didn't at least give it a try. Before we officially unveil the new look of the Aggies, here is a quick Do and Don't before the unveiling comes to pass. Do: Change from the U-style logo - I may be causing controversy when I say this, but I am sticking with it. I just don't find the logo that motivating.

The school's relationship with the logo has become more separate over time, which is proven by how quick to praise the block "A" logo because it carries a sense of nostalgia for people who care about Old Main, block letters or platonically kissing in public.

I will say this: I wouldn't be as against the logo we commonly called ourselves "U-State." I've heard it in bits in pieces, but maybe it would warm me up if it was more of mainstay.

Don't: Throw generic road colors in the mix: Many a team has made their mark with road, or home colored uniforms by • using generic colors as a background to school colors.

In 2001 Duke Basketball had black road uniforms. Several teams last year switched to a grey style look. I have one word in reference to this: gag.

Did anyone go to the USU basketball against Kent State? That greyon-yellow ensemble was hideous - like trying to watch the comic pages of a newspaper attempting a layup. We need to see to it our colors stand out.

Of course, I do know we need to find a way to sep-

arate ourselves from the fact that BYU share colors with us, but we can't back down from that. Besides, they stole those from us, so they'll have theirs in the eternities anyway.

I am always in favor of rebranding a team and forming a new identity. We are talking about a football program that is steadily climbing their way to relevance and success, a basketball team ready to take on young talent and prove something to the nation, a collage of successful soccer, gymnastics, volleyball and several other teams who are looking for attention, and this new identity starts all of that now. Be ready, be excited. Starting tomorrow our new persona will spawn, and we will no longer be anyone's little brother. Believe it.

- Steve Schwartzman is a junior majoring in speech communication. He has had many jobs 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.

Women's basketball team receives new head coach

Johnson echoed Christensen's optimism.

'Tm just excited, the way he plays, this is a great opportunity for Utah State and our program. This is just going to be a leap for us," Johnson said. "My first impression of him was walking into the room and he had nicknames for all of us already. He watched film on us, he knew us, he knew how we played, and I think that was the key factor of 'this coach is going to be ours. We need him."'

Christensen - the Aggies' leading

scorer last season - said she is excited that a variety of players will receive greater recognition.

"Even more importantly I know that my teammates who maybe haven't gotten some of the recognition or playing time that I have, in a system like this, everybody is going to shine," Christensen said.

"This the bread and butter of what our player personnel is made up of."

Finkbeiner met with the players again Thursdaraftemoon and said he and the team will discuss plans for the summer

and how the players can help recruit future athletes.

"Recruiting has a lot to do with your team," Finkbeiner said. "A lot of our success at our previous school was the players and how they represented their school, how they represented me, how they represented the city."

- curtis.lundstrom@aggiemail.usu.edu

wrapp

Death from the Skies! The Science Behind the End of the World Phil Plait

Argyle Sweater

Funltufl

G Q FI G U R E ! by

The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given {that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once.

sports management at Central Christian College. 1-888-926-0815. www.centraldegrees. info

Linda Thistle

The Joke,s On YOUI

We have a winner! The votes have been counted, and here's the best of the gags that were submitted:

"Honey, do you really expect the dog to use a fork? He doesn't even have thumbs!"

The winning gag was submitted by: Tyson Holverson, who wins a Winger's gift certificate!

Toaay is Friday, April 27, 2012. Today's issue of The Utah Statesman is pimlished especially for Dalton Bennett, a junior majoring in accounting from Roy, Utah.

Almanac _ Today in History: On this da)( in 4977 B.C., the universe was created, according to German mathemati~ cian and astronomer Johannes Kepler, considered a founder of modern science

Weather

High: 53• Low: 34° Skies: Partly cloudy with a 20 percent cf:tance.of precipitation.

Statesman ack

Friday April 27

Monday April 30

1:30 p.m. Biology 202 - -

Dates to remember You Need to Know: Important dates: about other activ,ities, call (435) Final Examinations-April 713-0288. 30-May 4, Commencement

Common Ground is taking a May 4-5, Deadline for Instructors trip down to the Salt Lake City to Submit Final Grades, May 10 Aquarium on Monday, April The Merrill-Cazier Library 30th at 3:00 pm. This is a fun will forgive your overdue fines opportunity to get out of Cache if you pay it forward. Anytime Valley for the afternoon and see through April 23- 27 at the something new. The activity fee Circulation Desk. This does not is $8. Common Ground is a noninclude Interlibrary loan or lost profit organization that provides books. outdoor recreation for people Service volunteers are with disabilities. To sign up for needed. What will you be doing this activity as a participant or this year to serve the community volunteer, request transportation and make a positive difference or to learn about other activities, in your world? If you have spare call (435) 713-0288. time and would like to help our Friday 27 Popular acoustic community, don't hesitate, check duo "Wood", featuring Bryce out "Volunteer opportunities" Wood and Eli Wilson, will @ www.cachevolunteercenter. perform at Pier 49 San Francisco org - It's a great opportunity to Style Sourdough Pizza from 6:00 get involved, a good way to meet to 7:00pm. They will be followed new people, it also looks good on by acoustic oldies artist Becky resume! But the most important Kimball, who will perform from thing is that you may be a person 7:00 to 8:00pm. This is a great who changes someone's life and chance to hear some fantastic you can say "I have done goods to acoustic music and enjoy some the world today!" fantastic food. Pier 49 San Hyrum State Park will host Francisco Style Sourdough Pizza their first ever Cinco de Mayo is located at 99 East 1200 South. celebration May 5. This free Saturday 28 Amazing event will be held on the beach one-man-band Scott Olsen from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors will perform at 6 p.m., followed can canoe, kayak or take a by acoustic