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Utah State University
Today is Friday, Nov. 2, 2007 Breaking News
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Logan, Utah
New economics degree offered by USU in China
By ALISON BAUGH senior writer
Former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre is hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers as the new manager.
Campus News Chi Omega holds Halloween carnival to get cans for a food drive. Page 3
Features Gossip and scissors. Hairdressers spill secret confessions. Page 6
A new degree of economics is at hand for students at three Chinese universities which are partners with USU. USU has partnered with these schools to offer both associate and bachelor’s degrees in interdisciplinary studies, but after hearing students’ requests, USU is proposing a change to offer a degree in economics. The students are interested in business, which has been the focus of the interdisciplinary degree, but have expressed interest in an economics degree, said Chris Fawson, member of the International Cooperative Education and Initiatives and economics professor. This is one of the reasons the International Cooperative Education and Initiatives is working on this change, said Li Li, director of the program. The universities in the partnership are Northeast Dianli University in Jilin City, Beijing, Institute of Technology and the Institute for Advanced Learning in Hong Kong, China. The program began in 2000 with NEDU. Professor Dwight Israelsen said the college has been laying the groundwork of changes such as this for the past few years. If passed, the interdisciplinary degree would no longer be offered except for those students in the program who want to complete it, Israelsen said. “The interdisciplinary degree would be phased out and the economics degree would be implemented in,” Fawson said. Changing the degree would also move it from being directed by the Provost’s Office to the College of Business and the economics department. This is still in the process of changing as part of the degree change, but Fawson said it only
- See DEGREES, page 4
One-year-old Connor Brakefield attended the Halloween carnival Wednesday afternoon. The carnival and food drive was hosted by Chi Omega. NOELLE BERLAGE photo
Kids costumed for a cause
By BRIA JONES staff writer USU’s Chi Omega sorority raised about 340 cans of food from donations given at a Halloween carnival. Other Greek organizations and around 30 on-campus clubs participated in the carnival Wednesday. “The Chi Omegas have just as much fun as the kids, if not more, because it’s a lot of fun to see how excited they get and to see all their costumes,” said Kiera Radman, senior member of Chi Omega. Admission to the carnival was a donation of one can per child or five cans per family, which the sorority then donates to the Cache Community Food Pantry. People also had the option of making a cash donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Chi Omegas managed to raise 600 cans of food last year. Members were hoping to raise even more this year after having stepped up advertising, said Chi Omega Service Chair Jennifer Gasser. However, the sorority fell short of their goal when
the two-hour carnival ended at 6 p.m. The sorority also raised about $1,500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation during last year’s carnival. Details on the cash donations for this year were not immediately available. Canned food donations ended with the carnival, but cash donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation are accepted by the sorority throughout the year. The carnival, which was held in the Fieldhouse, is Chi Omega’s fall semester philanthropy project and has been going on for several years, Gasser said. During the spring, the sorority sells roses for Valentine’s Day, giving all proceeds to the MakeA-Wish Foundation, which is also the sorority’s national philanthropy foundation, said Chi Omega President Sara Parker. According to the Chi Omega local chapter Web site, more than 700 children attend the carnival
- See CARNIVAL, page 3
College of Engineering gets $1 mil
Sports
By USU Media Relations
The USU women’s basketball team annihilates Utah Pride 92-53 in its first exhibition game. Page 9
The USU College of Engineering will receive a total of $1 million over four years from the Micron Technology Foundation to create the USU Micron Research Center. The center will host research and instruction in the area of emerging hardware and software technologies, primarily in reconfigurable hardware technologies. The center will also train USU undergraduate and graduate students in engineering and science, exposing them to innovative research and a professional work environment. “Micron looks forward to col-
Opinion “When was the last time this state entity, USU, assured your comfort? Anyone remember midterms?” Page 12
laborating with Utah State for the development of next-generation technologies that drive global innovation,” said Brian Shirley, Micron vice president of memory. “The Micron Research Center will provide a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to be involved in research, further strengthening the university’s engineering and science platform and creating a pool of qualified and talented innovators for the microelectronics industry.” Research applications for today’s electronic devices include digital and video cameras, personal digital assistants, consumer electronics, defense and homeland
security applications and aerospace applications. Students associated with the Micron Research Center will take a variety of courses involving interchip communications, reconfigurable computing, digital image processing, digital signal processing, pattern recognition, mixed signal design and parallel processing. The Micron Imaging Center expects to graduate 10 undergraduates, six master’s and two doctoral students each year. As part of the donation for the center, undergraduate and graduate students will have an opportunity to apply for research scholarships and funding. The center is a result of extend-
Pumpkin carving 101
Almanac Today in History: In 1947, the Spruce Goose, created by Hollywood movie producer Howard Hughes, makes a one mile test flight at an altitude of 70 feet in Long Beach Harbor, Calif. The plane, the largest aircraft ever constructed, had a wingspan longer than a football field. The craft only flew once.
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IN FULL HOLIDAY SPIRIT, USU students carved pumpkins, showcasing their cutting talents. Big Blue was carved by sophomore Beau Pitcher. Melissa Cannon, also a sophomore, carved Nemo. The pumpkin with Charlie Brown and Snoopy in the moonset was carved by junior Matthew Hansen. Photos courtesy of Matthew Hansen.
ed efforts by former electrical and computer engineering department head Tamal Bose and will draw on expertise from other university departments, including physics, computer science, mathematics, biology and civil and environmental engineering. USU has received strong support from the Micron Foundation in the past with a $100,000 donation in 2002 for the creation of the Micron Digital Systems Lab and another $100,000 donation in 2004 to create the Micron Imaging Laboratory. The Micron Foundation also annually donates
- See MICRON, page 3