120507issue by Seth Hawkins

UtahStatesman The

Utah State University

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007 Breaking News

Logan, Utah

www.utahstatesman.com

Huntsman gives largest gift $26 million gift will go to business college and scholarships; school to be renamed Jon M. Huntsman School of Business

The two-day storm that has battered the Pacific Northwest has moved on, leaving flooding and destruction behind. Page 4

Campus News English 2010 students get a chance to have their work heard as part of the English department’s Voices Reading. Page 3

Features

Magical Moon Toys offers toys for kids of all ages and sizes. Page 5

Sports The USU men’s basketball team faces another challenge tonight against rival University of Utah on the road. Page 9

By ALISON BAUGH senior writer

Jon M. Huntsman Sr.’s $26 million donation to the university was announced at a luncheon Monday. The gift will go mainly to the College of Business, with $1 million going toward scholarships. Waiting for the amount to be announced was like Christmas morning, said Douglas Anderson, dean of the College of Business. This is the largest donation the school has received to date, Anderson said. USU President Stan Albrecht announced the amount of the donation just moments before Huntsman spoke, and the audience gave a standing ovation upon hearing the amount. The College of Business will be renamed the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business in honor of its benefactor, a gesture Huntsman didn’t ask for, Anderson and Albrecht said. It would’ve been easier to slip the check under the door and run, Huntsman said, noting the entire event was humbling. Gathered at the luncheon were prominent Utah and national figures such as Huntsman and his wife Karen, Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr., President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Tom Gerrity, former dean at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where Huntsman received his business degree. Students also gathered in the Sunburst Lounge to watch a live video feed of the events. Huntsman acknowledged and waved to the students as he addressed those in attendance. Encouraging those in charge to look at the students when deciding how to best use the money was a key point of Packer’s speech. He reminded Anderson and Albrecht that people don’t say, “Ready, fire, aim,” but that it goes the other way, with aiming being well before firing. There are students on the other end trying to get through school and life, and they need to be remembered, Packer said. “Always remember the fact that a student is something,” Packer said. Gov. Huntsman said this gift will not only help student programs, but give them a role model to look at in his father. Jon M. Huntsman, Sr. embraces USU President Stan Albrecht at the luncheon

- See DONATION, page 3

at which the amount of Huntsman’s donation to the College of Business was announced. Huntsman and his wife, Karen, were presented with a painting by a USU art department faculty member. USU’s business school will be renamed after Huntsman, who is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. CAMERON PETERSON photo

Logan safest city in the nation for second time in three years By RACHEL CHRISTENSEN staff writer

Opinion

away from the main campus in Logan, it raises the question of whether the quality of education is affected. The smaller satellite campuses often don’t have the resources to provide labs for degrees such as engineering or chemistry. The lack of some of these resources has led some faculty to ask whether the standards of the curricula will be lowered to match the amount of available resources. Ronda Menlove, associate provost for regional campuses, said this was not the case. “I don’t have any complaints,” she said. The classes taught at regional campuses are designed by USU faculty, not just anyone with

USU students have a renewed reason to feel safe, as Cache Valley was named the safest metropolitan area in America for the second time in three years. Police Capt. Eric Collins, a member of the Logan Police Department for 22 years, attributed the safety of Cache Valley to both its citizens and the police force. “We have good people who live here. Most are lawabiding citizens,” Collins said. “(The police department) is proactive in responding to calls. We take care of the small things, which helps eliminate the bigger problems. “It’s like a broken window. If you leave the window broken, it could lead to graffiti and eventually burglary. You have to take care of that window. Like the window, you take care of the theft, assaults and drug problems, and then you don’t have the bigger problems like homicides and rapes.” Collins also credited the low crime rates to the communication between police departments. “We’ve got a good relationship with other police departments in the valley and the campus police,” Collins said. “We have the ability to easily communicate. We know who the criminals are in the valley, and that helps.” Logan’s crime rates fall below the national average in every category. Property crime is the most common type in Logan, and violent crime is the least, according to CityRating.com. Despite the fact that theft is the most common type of crime, Spencer Kirton, senior majoring in accounting, said he hasn’t heard of any thefts in the two years he has lived in Logan. “Man, this is the safest place ever,” Kirton said. Lt. Shane Sessions of USU Police has been with the force for 20 years. He said he worries students are lulled into a false sense of security. Sessions said, “Just because the community has been rated as safe doesn’t mean crime won’t occur, so

- See STANDARDS, page 3

- See SAFEST, page 3

“Students in the College of Business should be grateful to the Hunstmans for their donation. Even for those who are graduating soon, the improvements made with the money given to the school will lend their degrees respectability.” Page 14

Almanac Today in History: In 1945, the instruments aboard five U.S. Navy planes comprising Flight 19, fail, and the planes and pilots were never seen again, lost in the Bermuda Triangle. A search and rescue Mariner was sent out to investigate, and it too was lost.

Weather High: 44° Low: 22° Skies: Mostly cloudy with 20 percent chance of rain. Archives and breaking news always ready for you at www.utahstatesman.com

Concern that curriculum at regional campuses may be watered down is based on nervousness at the big changes at USU, according to Associate Provost Ronda Menlove. Because curriculum is designed and monitored by the faculty, she said it’s not likely there will be a difference in standards at regional campuses. DEBRA HAWKINS photo illustration

Lower standards not likely for distance ed., admin., faculty say

By LIZ LAWYER assistant editor

USU campuses are popping up all over Utah, with three regional campuses, four centers and at least 12 other locations. These distance education locations offer dozens of programs, ranging from certificate programs and associate degrees to four-year and master’s degrees. A student in Delta can study elementary education, entrepreneurship or pick from several other disciplines, and a student in Tooele can work on a bachelor’s in psychology or a master’s in public administration. With some USU students and faculty so far

Page 2

World&Nation 2

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

Today’sIssue

Celebs&People

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. Today’s issue of The Utah Statesman is published especially for Chris Mabbitt, a senior majoring in political science from Council Bluffs, Idaho.

ClarifyCorrect

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 unfair, please contact the editor at 797-1762 or TSC 105.

Nat’lBriefs

Guard troops evacuate flooded Oregon town PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – National Guard troops evacuated residents in a flooded town Tuesday and tens of thousands of residents remained without power after back-to-back storms pounded the Pacific Northwest, killing five people. Troops with the Oregon Air National Guard used inflatable rafts to evacuate flooded residents in Vernonia, a mountain timber town on the Nehalem River, about 35 miles northwest of Portland. “They’re moving down the streets, and through the backyards,” said Maj. Mike Braibish, spokesman for the National Guard. Vernonia, which has about 2,200 residents, had been largely cut off by landslides that blocked roads into the community, but Guard trucks with high clearance were able to get in late Monday and more were being sent, Braibish said. Still, communications were difficult. “There are no phone lines or land lines available in Vernonia,” said Hyla Ridenour, spokeswoman for Columbia River Fire and Rescue in nearby St. Helens.

Armored vehicle cut threatens industry WASHINGTON (AP) – A Marine Corps decision to buy a third fewer bomb-resistant vehicles tightens competition in an industry created almost overnight to protect U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan from deadly roadside bombs. Outwardly, the cut by the Marines is a mere dent in the more than $20 billion program for mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles known as MRAPs. Yet the reasons behind the move – reduced violence in Iraq and the ponderous weight of the vehicle – may signal further overall reductions. Counting the 2,300 the Marines now plan to acquire plus those for other military branches, the Pentagon still is on track to purchase close to 14,000 of the trucks, which weigh between 19 and 40 tons and feature a blast-deflecting Vshaped hull. On Capitol Hill and among the handful of companies now building the MRAPs, talk of lower numbers is a sensitive subject. Each manufacturer has made a healthy investment in facilities in a furious rush to deliver vehicles to the troops.

Gillian Gibbons, the British teacher jailed in Sudan for letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad as part of a writing project, speaks with Lord Ahmed, left, one of the British Muslim peers who helped negotiate her release, shortly after arriving at London’s Heathrow airport, Tuesday, Dec. 4, Gibbons, 54, jailed for more than a week, was freed Monday after two Muslim members of Britain’s House of Lords met with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. AP Photo

British teacher leaves Sudan after being pardoned in teddy bear case KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) – A British teacher jailed for letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad as part of writing project headed home Monday after being pardoned — ending a case that set off an international outcry and angered many moderate Muslims. The incident was the latest in a tense relationship between the West and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, an Islamic hard-liner who has been accused by the United Nations of dragging his feet on the deployment of peacekeepers to the country’s war-torn Darfur region. Gillian Gibbons, jailed for more than a week, was freed after two Muslim members of Britain’s House of Lords met with al-Bashir and the teacher sent the president a statement saying she didn’t mean to offend anyone with her class project. “I have a great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone,” Gibbons said in the statement, which was released by alBashir’s office and read to journalists by British Baroness Sayeeda Warsi. “I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends, but I am very sorry that I will be unable to return to Sudan,” Gibbons wrote. Al-Bashir insisted Gibbons had a fair trial, in which she was convicted of insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, but the president agreed to pardon her during the meeting with the British delegation, said Ghazi Saladdin, a senior presidential adviser. The 54-year-old Gibbons flew out of the country Monday evening, landing several hours later in Dubai. She was expected in London on Tuesday morning. Gibbons slept for much of the flight, telling reporters: “I just want to relax, I don’t want to say any more. I’m too tired,” according to The Times of

London, whose reporter was on the plane. Her family in Liverpool, England, waited with beer, wine and flowers, ready to welcome her home. “It’s been a strange old week, very stressful and particularly bad for the family, but now she’s coming home, fingers crossed,” her son, John Gibbons, told reporters. “If this week has taught me anything, it is that anything can happen.” Riot police deployed around Khartoum’s airport terminal as the Lords delegation arrived, apparently accompanying Gibbons on the flight, with the British ambassador on hand to see them off. She had been held at a secret location since protesters marched Friday demanding her death. What Britain and Gibbons’ supporters said was a misunderstanding over the teddy bear escalated into a diplomatic flap between London and Khartoum — and the show of outrage in Sudan that puzzled many in the West. Hard-line Muslim clerics here denounced Gibbons, saying she intentionally aimed to insult Islam. A day after her Thursday trial, several thousand Sudanese massed in central Khartoum to demand that Gibbons be executed. Many of the demonstrators carried swords and clubs. But it was never clear how deep anger over the incident really flowed among Sudanese, although the affair was influenced by the ideology that al-Bashir’s Islamic regime has long instilled – a mix of anti-colonialism, religious fundamentalism and a sense that the West is besieging Islam. “Common sense has prevailed,” British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in a statement expressing delight over Gibbons release. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband praised Gibbons, saying that

“she’s shown very good British grit in very difficult circumstances.” Gibbons, who was arrested Nov. 25, was sentenced to 15 days in prison and deportation under Sudan’s Islamic Sharia law for having the teddy bear project for her class of 7-year-olds at the private Unity High School. She could have been punished with up to 40 lashes, six months in prison and a fine. In the project, she had a student bring in a teddy bear, then asked her pupils to vote on a name for it. They chose Muhammad, a common name among Muslim men. The students took the bear home individually to write diary entries on it, which were then compiled into a book with the bear’s picture on it and the title “My Name is Muhammad,” school officials said. Gibbons’ defenders said the project was a common one in British schools. The trial was sparked when a school secretary complained to the Education Ministry that Gibbons aimed to insult Islam’s prophet. The private English-language school, with elementary to high school levels, was founded by Christian groups, but 90 percent of its students are Muslim, mostly from upper-class Sudanese families. Lord Nazir Ahmed, part of the British delegation that met with al-Bashir, said the case was an “unfortunate misunderstanding” and stressed that Britain respected Islam. He added that he hoped “the relations between our two countries will not be damaged by this incident.” Many Muslim groups in the West had sharply criticized Gibbons’ arrest. On Monday, Inayat Bunglawala, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, welcomed her pardon. Muslim scholars generally agree that intent is a key factor in determining if someone has violated Islamic rules against insulting the prophet.

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Pimp C, who spun searing tales of Texas street life into a key role in the rise of Southern hiphop, was found dead in an upscale hotel on Tuesday. He was 33. The rapper formed Underground Kingz with partner-in-rhyme Bun B while the pair was in high school, and their often laconic delivery paired with dangerous PIMP C lyrics influenced a generation of current superstars like Lil’ Wayne. T.I. had the group on as guests when he remade their 1994 song “Front, Back and Side to Side” for his “King” album. To a mainstream audience, Pimp C was best known for UGK’s cameo on the Jay-Z hit “Big Pimpin’,” and for “Free Pimp C” T-shirts and shout-outs, ubiquitous in rap several years ago while he was jailed on gun charges. On Tuesday, his MySpace page had been changed to read: “C the Pimp is FREE at last.” Born Chad Butler, Pimp C was found dead in a room at the Mondrian hotel, a longtime music industry hangout not far from the House of Blues on Sunset Strip, where he had performed on Saturday night alongside rap veteran Too $hort. Capt. Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said Butler had apparently died while in bed in his hotel room. “At this time there’s no signs of foul play,” Winter said. “It appears to be possibly natural, but pending autopsy and toxicology we can’t say the cause.” Manager Rick Martin identified Butler and his death was announced by publicist Nancy Byron. “This morning saw the loss of a man that was not only a client, but a very dear friend at a time when he had the most to live for,” Martin said in a statement.

LateNiteHumor Top Ten Signs Santa Hates You from Dec. 22, 2002

10– He eats milk and cookies – and nails your wife 9– Every naughty thing you did this year was videotaped and posted on the Internet 8– On Christmas morning, your stocking was stuffed with a severed leg 7– Only “gift” you received was left by Blitzen on your living room carpet 6– Instead of, “Ho, Ho, Ho,” greets you with, “Nice sweater, fat ass” 5– Leaves mysterious letter, “I know when you are sleeping, I know how to kill a man without leaving any marks” 4– You get no presents – when you bump into him later, he gives you lame, “I thought you were Jewish” excuse 3– Brings you one copy of every Kathie Lee CD 2– Turns his reindeer loose on you 1– Writes “Happy Holidays” in the snow on the roof

StatesmanCampus News

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

Page 3

English students have their 15 minutes of fame Briefs By ARIE KIRK news editor

More than 800 students were involved in the first semi-annual Voices Reading Tuesday, an event established by the English department to give students of all disciplines the opportunity to write, be heard and be published.

As part of the English 2010 course, students submitted written pieces that were judged by their peers. During the six readings held yesterday in the Performance Hall, winners for three categories were named from each of the 40 sections of the 2010 classes. The three categories were on-stage, print and instructor’s choice. The onstage winners read their essays to a crowd of hundreds. Finalists were also recognized. John Engler, English lecturer and organizer of Voices,

Sara Swenson reads her paper, “Our Swan Song,” at the English department’s Voices Reading Tuesday, Dec. 4. The Voices Reading will be a semi-annual event at which English 2010 students can read their work out loud to their peers. Readings were judged and winners were named in three categories. Winners earn cash prizes and the chance to be published in an anthology. TYLER LARSON photo

Safest: Lowest crime rates in Logan -continued from page 1

you need to take the precautions.” Collins said most burglaries occur in unlocked cars. “If someone sees a laptop in the back seat and the car door’s not locked, chances are they’re going to take that laptop,” he said. “People need to be more vigilant in protecting themselves from theft.” Sessions said housing, the library and food service areas have the highest crime rates on campus. “Some residents in housing feel they can leave their property unlocked for short period of time,” Sessions said. “In food service areas, some students set their book bag down and go get food. They leave their bag unattended thinking it will be OK. You can’t leave your personal property unattended. Not even for five minutes.” Collins also said students need to take more preventative measures to protect themselves and their

property. Walking in groups and in well-lit areas at night, locking car and apartment doors, and closing windows and blinds are some of the ways he said students can protect themselves both on and off campus. Despite campus thefts, Sessions said USU’s campus is still relatively safe, especially against violent crime. “The safety of Cache Valley and the USU campus are correlated,” Sessions said. “If the valley is safe, then the campus on an equal measure is safe. Part of the reason for the safety is a combined approach of people and police that the (police) department has been trying put in effect. They are trying to get campus citizens to realize they are a big part of keeping themselves safe.” Real estate agents use Cache Valley’s safety standing as a sell-

ing point for property, said Janice Williams, president of the Cache Rich Association of Realtors. Williams has been involved in realty in the area for seven years. “We are in one of the safest communities in America,” Williams said. “That’s a big thing for people who are interested in the area to know. I give them articles to show them we’ve been in the top five in the last two years. People like that.” Williams doesn’t just sell local property, she said she also lives in the area and enjoys the safety of the community. “All of our communities are tightly knit,” Williams said. “If they see something strange going on, we’ve got a neighborhood watch. We have proven we are safe, but we keep an eye out for each other. That’s what makes Logan great.” -rac.ch@aggiemail.usu.edu

Donation: Gift benefits business school

-continued from page 1

He said he has seen how ethics have become a big part of the business world but have always been something his dad has had. An alumnus of Wharton, Huntsman Sr. has been serving on boards at the school for more than 20 years and has helped fund the business program there. USU will become partners with this school to share ideas and take ideas from what the school has already done. Gerrity said he is grateful for all the Huntsmans have done for their school. “I am excited for you to not just have Jon Huntsman’s fortune behind you, but to have the man Jon Huntsman behind you,” Gerrity said. Huntsman has a history of working in the business industry, having spent 27 years with his company Huntsman Corp. His work is global, and this is one of the areas the gift will focus on. Others include ethics and strengthening interests in financial and quantitative analysis, Anderson said. Since his wife Karen has known him, she said Huntsman has been a giving person. As student body president his senior year in high school, Huntsman recognized the custodians for all they did, Karen said, and it brought the janitors to tears. When they were first married, he was giving money to a family he thought needed it each month, she said. “Jon knew the value of giving back, making a difference in people’s lives no matter how much he had,” Karen said. Huntsman thanked all those involved with the donation process and said he and his wife have been looking forward to this day for a while. They are grateful to be associated with one of the highest universities in the nation, Huntsman said. Having been in the business world for a while after starting out on a farm in Idaho, Huntsman said he hopes to continue to help those students coming from farms to study entrepreneurship and small businesses. No man is an island, he said, noting that a respect for human dignity should be part of every person and something students embrace. “At the end of the day, our character along with our charity will determine our destiny,” he said. As a thank-you gift to the Huntsmans, Anderson and Albrecht presented them with the painting, “The Harvest Panel,” by Craig Law, a professor in the arts department. Monday will be a day long remembered as the

beginning of a relationship that will go on for many generations, Anderson said. -alison.baugh@aggiemail.usu.edu

USU donor Jon M. Huntsman waves to students and USU patrons while on campus for a luncheon in his honor. The $26 million he gave to the school will go toward the College of Business and scholarships. CAMERON PETERSON photo

said, “The beauty of this is, because English 2010 is required, everyone gets to do this.” Voices was organized by Engler and lecturer Susan Andersen. Andersen called Voices the “brainchild” of Engler. While he said his original intent with the reading was to get students into the Performance Hall, Engler said it has turned out to be a very positive experience for everyone involved. Not only do students receive money for their winnings and the chance to be published in a Voices anthology, they are also publicly recognized and have the opportunity to share their work with others, he said. “I know the good writing students do and other teachers know what good writing students do,” he said. “But one disadvantage (for students) is they don’t always get to hear everyone else. We are getting voices out.” Andersen said she hopes students feel the unity and community among writers that Voices creates. “We can be rewarded with money, and that is an added benefit, but it’s mostly community,” she said. “It’s a community of writers that come together and show the power of words and the power of writing.” Engler said Voices also allows students to practice the critique and evaluation skills teachers have been telling them about all semester. “It reinforces evaluation criteria. They get to do it. They get to use the skills. It’s the real thing. It brings the classroom and the real world a little bit closer,” he said. Andersen said Voices will occur at the end of every semester. A number of essays from this school year will be published in the Voices anthology that will be used as a textbook for future English 2010 classes, she said. A USU Innovation Grant is funding this year’s event, but Andersen said future funding will hopefully become perpetual with the sale of the anthology. Engler said the estimated yearly cost is $8,500, including awards and the publication of the anthology. The pieces read Tuesday were mostly personal narratives but covered a large range of topics, including government regulation, drunk driving, childhood memories, poverty and suicide. As described by Engler and Andersen, many of the readings were touching and emotional. “It’s turned out just as great as I could have hoped for,” Engler said. “As I listen to students, this may be something they will never forget. This is a top-rate venue. Everyone is listening to them. That is something. That’s memorable.” –arie.k@aggiemail.usu.edu

Standards: Despite fears, dist. ed. standards high -continued from page 1 a superficial knowledge of the subject, she said. With close to 200 online classes and many others being taught via satellite, in which students and professors can see and talk with each other from different parts of the state, Menlove said the curriculum never leaves the control of the faculty. Though there are faculty who are located at regional locations rather than Logan, many classes at those locations are taught by professors at the main campus, and some classes at Logan are taught by professors in other parts of the state, she said. “Any time there’s a big institutional change, people start to feel nervous,” Menlove said. Concern that curriculum would get out of the faculty’s hands or that a lack of labs would lead to poorer teaching standards is probably based on feelings of fear, she said. “In the realm of possibilities, could that happen? Yes,” she said. “Are we doing everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen? Yes.” Menlove said a lack of labs does make it infeasible to offer a four-year engineering degree at regional campuses, for example, but students can complete their first two years at a campus closer to home before coming up to Logan to finish the degree. Other adjustments to the curriculum have to be made when group assignments are harder to arrange with classmates scattered across the state, she said. Faculty Senate President Doug Ramsey said because the faculty are responsible for certain curricula, they have a vested interest in making sure it isn’t watered down. “If (something) would degrade the curriculum, I don’t think they would let it happen,” Ramsey said. Menlove said the first step in sending a program to a regional campus is to talk to the faculty at Logan to find out if they think it can be properly taught from a distance and if they are willing to have it delivered off campus. Sometimes, she said, academic departments approach administration with a degree they think could be offered in a different location. Ramsey said this is another safeguard against lowered educational standards. “If regional campuses want to promote a certain degree, they will try to make sure those resources are there,” he said. As for Ramsey’s department, wildland resources in the College of Natural Resources, he said there haven’t been any problems of that sort. “Administrators don’t teach classes and they know that, so they go back to the faculty to work with them on issues of curriculum,” he said. Another USU professor, Rich Etchberger, a wildland resources instructor like Ramsey, but at the Uintah Basin Regional Campus, said he was surprised to hear that other faculty members had expressed concern about the curriculum. “We often hear this idea of watered-down courses, but it’s often from people who aren’t informed of the process,” Etchberger said. “It’s the exact same teaching process as what we use on campus.” Ramsey said though it’s not a problem right now, it’s not a totally unreasonable concern. Asking questions makes sure people are aware of it, he said. “It’s just making sure it’s on the radar screen and people are thinking about it,” he said. -elizabeth.lawyer@aggiemail.usu.edu

Campus & Community

Pottery class at the Museum of Anthro. The Saturday activity series continues at USU’s Museum of Anthropology. Weekly guests are invited to learn about the pottery of various cultures, and also paint pots to take home. Activities take place Saturday, Dec. 8, where visitors will be treated to a special tour of museum exhibits about ceramics throughout North and South America. Adults and children will be invited to replicate some of the painted pottery styles seen on a pottery item, or to create their own design. USU students and members of the public are invited to drop in any time during the museum’s new 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday hours. The USU Museum of Anthropology is on the Utah State University campus in the south turret of the historic Old Main building, room 252. Free parking is available in the adjacent lot, south of the building. For more information, call museum coordinator Sara Lundberg at (435) 797-7545 or visit the museum Web site, www.usu.edu/ anthro/museum/.

USU professors chosen for Salt Lake exhibit SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Arts Council will feature the work of the 2007 individual artists grant awardees in a brand new exhibition opening at the Rio Gallery on Friday, Dec. 7 called the 2007 Individual Artist Showcase. The exhibition will highlight the work of nineteen artists including Kathe Lison, a USU English professor, Paisley Rekdal, Heidi Hart, Lily Havey, Nathaniel Olson, Philip Bimstein, Joel Rosenberg, Paul OCampo, Marc Inman, Hank Liese, Chris Simon, Chadwick Tolley, Amy Jorgensen, Corey Strange, Trevor Bazil, Jake Gilson, K. Stevenson, Suzanne Kanatsiz, and Eileen Doktorski, a USU assistant professor of sculpture. The exhibited artwork draws from the fields of literature, dance, music, media and/or visual arts. Utah Arts Council Individual Artist Services Coordinator Katie Woslager commented, “After talking with the artists and hearing their stories, I was completely taken aback. There is so much going on here – beyond what you would expect. A woman paired her short stories of her family’s unbelievable experiences in a U.S.–Japanese internment camp during World War II with beautifully painted watercolors. A social work professor at the University of Utah created a documentary based on the life of an artist living with AIDS. It’s very inspiring to see what has been created.” “Interest in the program continues to increase. We receive applications of high caliber from artists throughout Utah. I would say one of the hardest parts of this program is often deciding who will receive a grant. There are so many talented and passionate artists in Utah that are worthy of recognition,” explained Margaret Hunt, Executive Director of the Utah Arts Council. The artists were awarded a grant through the Utah Arts Council Artist Endowment Fund for their individual participation in the arts and professional development. Grants ranged in size from $500 to $2,000. Award decisions were made from a pool of over 80 applicants on the basis of project, experience, and artistic merit by panels composed of specialists in each genre. The exhibition at the Rio Gallery opens Dec. 7 with a special public opening reception featuring performances by grant awardees from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The exhibition at the Rio Gallery at the Rio Grande Depot will be open to the public for free until Jan. 5, 2008. Applications for the 2008 Individual Artist Grant cycle are due Jan. 4, 2008. For more information on the Individual Artist Grants or the 2007 Annual Artist Showcase, contact the Utah Arts Council at (801) 236–7555 or visit the Utah Arts Council online at arts.utah. gov.

USU Symphony concert to have Italian theme USU’s Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of music department faculty member Sergio Bernal, presents “Peregrinazioni,” a tour of Italian-inspired music. The featured soloist for the evening is Russell Fallstad, the violinist of USU’s resident Fry Street Quartet. The concert is Thursday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the Kent Concert Hall in the Chase Fine Arts Center. Tickets for the concert are available at the door. General admission is $5 and students are admitted free. The three works on the program have texts that touch on Italian life and religious themes, conductor Bernal said. The composers, however, are not Italian. Tchaikovsky’s “Francesca da Rimini” depicts a dark episode from Dante’s “Divine Comedy” in which Francesca is tricked into committing adultery and is then murdered for it.

-Compiled from staff and media reports

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Wis. teacher’s arrest for blog comment praising Columbine shooters sets off free speech debate MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Bloggers and free speech advocates are calling on prosecutors not to file charges against a teacher arrested for allegedly posting an anonymous comment online praising the Columbine shooters. Some were disturbed by the post police say James Buss left on a conservative blog, but other observers said it was a sarcastic attempt to discredit critics of education spending. The suburban Milwaukee high school chemistry teacher was arrested last week for the Nov. 16 comment left on www. bootsandsabers.com, a blog on Wisconsin politics. The comment, left under the name “Observer,” came during a discussion over teacher salaries after some commenters complained teachers were underworked and overpaid. Buss, a former president of the

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UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY STATESMAN (USU) 5.75” x 5” 5.75” x 5” 121190_w47 Spot_2607 11.14.07 Jim Dimitriou 01

teacher’s union, allegedly wrote that teacher salaries made him sick because they are lazy and work only five hours a day. He praised the teen gunmen who killed 12 students and a teacher before committing suicide in the April 1999 attack at Columbine High School. “They knew how to deal with the overpaid teacher union thugs. One shot at a time!” he wrote, adding they should be remembered as heroes. The comment disturbed at least one teacher, who called police in West Bend, 40 miles north of Milwaukee and home of the blog’s administrator. Police traveled to arrest Buss at his home in Cudahy, south of Milwaukee, last week after the blogger gave them the anonymous poster’s IP address. After his arrest, Buss spent an hour in the Washington County jail before he was released on $350 bail. He did not return phone messages and e-mails seeking comment, and it was unclear whether he had a lawyer. Washington County District

Attorney Todd Martens is considering whether to charge Buss with disorderly conduct and unlawful use of computerized communication systems. “If you look at all the factors in this case, it’s pretty clear it would be a mistake to charge,” said Larry Dupuis, legal director of The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin. “At worst, it was somebody expressing admiration for somebody who did something reprehensible. But the more reasonable explanation is this is somebody who is trying to mock the conservative view of teacher salaries.” Police Capt. Toby Netko defended the arrest. He said the teacher who complained was disturbed by the reference to “one shot at a time” and other educators agreed it was a threat. “What happens when you say bomb in an airport? That’s free speech, isn’t it?” he said. “And people are taken into custody for that all the time.” Donald Downs, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and

expert in free speech, said that “all sorts of unsavory, controversial speech” are protected by the First Amendment. “It has to be intended to incite violence” to be illegal, Downs said. “If it’s tongue-in-cheek, there’s virtually no way they can claim that.” Downs added, however, that the school district might have legal grounds to discipline Buss. The teacher has been placed on paid administrative leave while his school district considers what action to take. Sara Larsen, superintendent of the Oak Creek school district where Buss has worked since 1994, said she was “dismayed, disappointed and discouraged” by the posting. She had worked closely with Buss when he was president of the teacher’s union for three years ending in 2006. “It’s not something that I would have expected any teacher to do. As much as teachers understand the whole situation in Columbine, to reference that is certainly inappropriate,” she said.

Storms lash Pacific Northwest, causing flooding, five deaths

I Matter

Not Your Typical Call Center Opportunity

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

Convergys is an EOE M/F/D/V.

CENTRALIA, Wash. – A storm that battered the Pacific Northwest for two days moved on Tuesday, leaving behind flooded homes, fallen trees and washed-out roads, including the region’s largest highway, which was covered with 10 feet of muddy water. The storm, which killed at least five people, lashed the area with high winds and heavy rain, and forced authorities to evacuate a flooded Oregon town that was cut off by landslides. Tens of thousands of people were without power. In Centralia, Wash., police used small boats to evacuate neighborhoods inundated by floodwaters from the Chehalis River that were the consistency of chocolate milk. Firefighters finally persuaded Katrina Puris, 25, to flee her home late Monday as her neighbors’ cars floated down the street. She had been reluctant to leave with three children under 5 in the house. “They were yelling: ‘If you’re not coming out now, we’re leaving,’” Puris said Tuesday. “So I just grabbed everything I could and we just ran.” As the family huddled with about a dozen other people in the back of a truck on the way to high ground, Puris said her kids fared better than she did. “They were pretty good. They were all quiet,” she said. “I was scared. I was bawling.” The same river left three miles of Interstate 5 under water, closing the region’s major north-south thoroughfare. Although rain eased overnight, runoff continued to feed the river, which crested at record highs, breaking a record from 1996, when flooding closed the freeway for four days. State officials hoped to open the highway Thursday, but were waiting to see what damage the flooding might have done. “We’ve got to be able to see if we have structural integrity in the highway,” said David Dye, deputy secretary of transportation. “We’ve got lots of debris, garbage, tires, dead rats everywhere.” In Oregon, a mountain timber town called Vernonia was largely cut off by landslides, but National Guard trucks with high clearance were able to get in. Troops used inflatable rafts to evacuate flooded residents from the community of about 2,300 on the Nehalem River, about 35 miles northwest of Portland. Ed Crowdis was driving home to the Coast Range town Monday night when he saw the floodwaters coming at him, and had to drive in reverse for half a mile in darkness to get away. “You don’t realize how quickly you can become a victim. It scared the living crap out of me,” he said. As the center of Vernonia filled with water, people moved to shelters and higher ground. The muddy water filled with sewage and debris. The storm, the last of three severe weather systems to smack the region, moved into British Columbia on Tuesday and began to dissipate, the National Weather Service said. The earlier storms carried heavy snow to

A kayaker paddles through an intersection

as a tractor-trailer is backed off the street, Tuesday, Dec. 4, in Centralia, Wash. A storm that battered the Pacific Northwest for two days moved on Tuesday, leaving behind flooded homes, fallen trees and washedout roads, including the region’s largest highway, which was covered with 10 feet of muddy water. AP photo

the Upper Plains, the Midwest and the Northeast. Snow caused average delays of over an hour at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on Tuesday, and about 50 flights were canceled there. Flights at Midway Airport were delayed between 40 minutes and an hour, but there were no cancellations reported. The weather service said 3 to 6 inches of rain had fallen across much of western Washington. The 24-hour rain total for Bremerton, Wash., was 10.78 inches. “It’s pretty devastating, and you can only imagine what it was like for the people trying to get out,” Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire said during a tour of the damage. Gregoire declared a state of emergency, as did the Oregon governor. Coast Guard crews continued to pluck stranded residents from flooded areas. A total of 131 people had been rescued as of Tuesday morning, with at least 40 of them hoisted by a Coast Guard helicopter, said spokeswoman Mandi Ruch in Seattle. With Interstate 5 closed, state officials recommended a lengthy detour – Interstate 90 across the Cascade Mountains and down U.S. 97 through central Washington to the Oregon border — a route that roughly doubles the three-hour trip from Seattle to Portland, Ore.

Page 5

Santa Claus is on my naughty list

y Christmas stocking is going to be mighty black and heavy on Dec. 25, because at the rate I’m going, I’m pretty sure a lump of coal will be a generous donation. You know Santa Claus’ whole naughty and nice list thing? I’ve been, let’s say, drafted from the nice side to the naughty. No, I didn’t beat up a little girl for her new Britney Spears album or try blackmailing my professors to get the grade I wanted – though I’m still considering it. It’s worse than all that. I’ve discovered the true nature of Santa Claus. OK, before you start making rash judgments about me and my intelligence, which by now I’m sure you’re convinced is less than a chihuahua’s, it’s not as bad as it sounds. You see, I’ve been performing an ongoing investigation about good Saint Nick for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, I even considered setting traps for him on Christmas Eve to try and capture him so I could interrogate him. Fortunately for him, the most advanced trap my Cub Scout manual had in it was a Chinese finger trap, and I was pretty sure I couldn’t build one big enough to trap him. Though those finger traps get me every time. Some 23 years later, I think I’ve finally figured Santa out. It’s because I’ve figured out this deep dark truth about Santa that I’m destined to end up on the naughty list. Watch out Bad Boy Kringle, ‘cuz I’m about to blow your cover story. NEWS FLASH: Santa isn’t really an elf. OK, that was a lie. He is, and an oversized one at that, which I respect. If I were the most famous man in the world and people left me good food just sitting around, you’d better believe I’d be twice the size of Santa. For how long he’s been doing this and how many calories he must consume in one night, he must have an incredible personal trainer. The real thing I’ve discovered about Jolly Old Saint Nicholas is he should be the world’s No. 1 most wanted. That’s right, you heard me right, most wanted. It creeps me out to put it in writing. I’m waiting any second now for a herd of angry reindeer to charge through my door and stomp me to death for suggesting such a thing. But, as awful as it sounds, the truth must be known. Santa is a fugitive from the law. Not just U.S. law, but international law. Let me try to explain. When Santa started his gig, everything was innocent. Depending on which account you look at, and there are armfuls, Santa just wanted to help people out by giving gifts to the poor and needy. But, once you start doing that, the whole ifyou-give-a-mouse-a-cookie effect kicks in and everyone wants to be poor, and thus the Great Depression was born. OK, so what if my facts are a little off? The point is, Santa used to be a good guy and now he’s running amok, breaking laws. It’s not entirely his fault though. When he started his philanthropy, relatively few laws were in place that he could violate. Short of being found a witch or killing someone, he was pretty safe. But nowadays, there are so many laws in all the countries around the world, the man simply has to break some of them to keep doing what he’s famous for. The real culprits here are the new laws. For a list of violated laws, let’s start with where he lives – the North Pole. Why would anyone willingly live there? There aren’t even penguins there. He lives there with Mrs. Claus because he’s the most welcomed and celebrated fugitive of the law. Nobody wants to brave that kind of cold, so he’s safe. Next, let’s examine his workshop. Yearround, miniature elves slave away making toys – presumably all with hammers, wooden pegs and paint brushes. This whole iPod craze must have made work a lot harder than throwing together a toy train. In all the movies I’ve ever seen, these elves always look happy. But those are movies. I wonder how things would be different in a documentary or a reality TV show called “Ho, Ho, No More: The Hard-Knock Life of Santa’s Elves.” I could imagine it would feature the head elf lounging in Santa’s armchair with a week’s worth of stubble while Santa’s off delivering presents. With bulging, blood-shot eyes, this elf would tell

- See SANTA, page 7

Aggie Life

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

Focus: Christmas

y r r e M s a m t s i r h C

Looking at international Christmas celebrations

Feliz Navidad

By COURTNIE PACKER senior writer

Spanish

The United States is not the only place in the world that makes the Christmas holidays into something

n e t h c a n h ei German W e h o r F

special. Countries scattered all across the globe each have their own unique ways of celebrating during the holiday season. In Sri Lanka, Christmas is not just a one-day event. Janitha Nandalochana

Natale allegro

said it becomes a much larger affair. “We have a Christmas celebration

Italian

which goes on for about a week,” said Nandalochana, junior majoring in civil engineering and vice president of the

l e o N x u e y Jo rench

International Student Council. “There

are always a lot of decorations, carnivals and holiday sales.”

- See Celebrations, page 8

Magical Moon Toys boasts large variety of toys, games By CHARI INGRAHAM staff writer

“Come in and play with us!” announces the slogan of the Magical Moon toy store, which boasts more than 1,300 types of games, railway models, remote control rockets and other toys. “It’s a bit crowded,” said Steve Shelton, the store owner. “But I’m hoping to expand the store within the next year.” Shelton and his wife Tiffany are third to own the toy store, which opened in 1993, he said. In 2003, they bought the store, which had begun to go downhill, and he said they have been working to build it back up to where it is today. Shelton said he feels good that he and his wife are contributing to the community. “The ironic thing is, we can sell toys for so much cheaper that kids can get so much more from,” Shelton said. “These toys are more imagination-powered and don’t break as easily.” And it’s not just the toys that are worth getting excited about. The Sheltons’ plans include not just more space for toys and games, but a sweet shop, a

corner for children’s books, a reader’s theater, a Jurassic center, a mining center and more, he said. After years of planning and preparation, Shelton said he is ready to make this dream come true within the year. “This isn’t just a store for kids,” Shelton said. “I would really like college kids to know that this is a store where they can have fun, too. We have tons of games, remote control cars, airplanes, rockets. Most games we have are sold to adults.” Besides having a lot of card games, board games and toys, the store features many selections designed to fire the imagination, he said. Puppets, magnets, marbles, railroad models and building blocks are available throughout the store. Stephanie Crockett, senior in geology, has worked at the store for more than a year and said a lot of people think Magical Moon is just a basic toy store. “But there really are so many games here that I love to play with my friends,” Crockett said Shelton said the game Ruckus is very entertaining.

Pamela peterson and jamie haderlie work at their cash register in the middle of a day at Magical Moon Toys. Owner Steve Shelton said he hopes to expand the toy store which already carries thousands of toys and games. PATRICK ODEN photo

“It’s a heart-pounding, card-bending, knucklecracking game,” Shelton said. Magical Moon has been named by Trade Magazine as one of the top-10 retailers in the nation for Ruckus.

When the game first came out, Shelton said he would put in orders for 700 to 900 at a time. The game continues to be sold for $9.99 and is a customer favorite, he said. Crockett said she bought

the game when it first came out. “I love working here,” she said. “We get to try out all the new products so we will be able to explain how they work to customers better.” -chari.a.i@aggiemail.usu.edu

AggieLife

Page 6

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

Making it home for the holidays By TONNIE DIXON staff writer

Advanced preparation is one of the most important actions one can take when flying during the holiday season, said Barbara Gann, public relations and marketing director for Salt Lake City Department of Airports. “We’re used to handling big crowds in Salt Lake International (Airport), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things people should do to be prepared,” Gann said. Gann said the Christmas rush is not the only time of the year when the airport gets crowded and busy. “Typically the holiday is busy, but it’s not extraordinary. We always do that number of people many days during the summer,” Gann said. According to a recent press release provided by Gann, passengers are urged to allow plenty

of time to access the airport. Travelers should arrive two hours before their flight during the early mornings and afternoons on peak travel days during the holiday season. Jenny Beck, senior in public relations who travels frequently to North Carolina, said, “You have to go really early, like you have to be there two hours early. It’s crazy. The lines are insane because that’s usually when all the colleges go on break at the same time, and everybody’s trying to get home too.” Gann agreed. “You should be proactive, especially if there is a drive involved,” Gann said. “Be extra cautious when there is inclement weather. But know that there is a tendency during the holidays for travel to be heavier than usual.” Flight cancellation can be a concern for some travelers, Gann said.

Speak Up “I always pack my suitcase half full so that I can take my gifts back home that I get from Christmas, because you’ll run out of room or have to leave stuff and you don’t want to do that.” Jenny Beck, on flying home

For Your Princess

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The Diamond Engagement Ring Store...since 1896

141 North Main • 752-7149 www.seneedham.com

Scribendi

“We don’t know why the airlines cancel, but it could be mechanical, the crew or that type of thing. But more than canceling, it is delays,” she said. “During heavy weather periods, it slows things down where it makes it hard for planes to get in and out.” Gann said there is a benefit to this year’s holiday season falling over a long weekend. “There are a lot of days for it to be spread across that it does help to diffuse the crowd a little bit,” she said. Jackie Banda, senior in public relations from North Los Angeles, said she has flown home the last four years and has had good luck when flying. “Around the holidays, it’s definitely more crowded, but for some reason I get lucky,” Banda said. “Like this past Thanksgiving, I had a whole row to myself. So I tend to get lucky and pick flights that aren’t on the crowded dates.” In the information provided by Gann, travelers are advised

USU'S Creative Writing Contest

re welcome welcometotoparticipate tudents aare participate ll sstudents AAll Submission is bFebruary 8,2008 ssion is Fe ru ubmideadline 0

• The Thad and Jenny Box Creative Writing Award will also be given to the submission judged “best in contest.” • For contest details go to http://english.usu.edu/ Contact Anne Shifrer 797-2731 or anneshifrer@usu.edu with additional questions.

ary 8, 20 8

• Graduates and undergraduates compete separately in the following categories: poetry, shortfiction, and non-fiction essay. • Cash prizes will be awarded in each category. First place winning entries will be published in a hard copy edition of Scribendi and all winners will be published in an online version of Scribendi. • Also seeking artwork for Scribendi.

“Memories of Christmas” Choirs Concert December 7 & 8 6:30 pm Featuring the Institute Choirs, USU Chamber SIngers, and the Logan High School Crimson Colony. Pre-show begins at 6:30 with the main show at 7 pm in

justin vaneck preparEs to fly home to San Antonio, Texas for Christmas. Students should arrive early for flights, expect large crowds at airports and plan ahead when packing, said Barbara Gann, public relations and marketing director for Salt Lake City Department of Airports. PATRICK ODEN photo

PACKING LIGHTLY, SMART AND IN LAYERs can help speed up the check-in process at the airport when security checks bags, said Barbara Gann, who works for the Salt Lake City Department of Airports. She added that passengers should remember to carry liquids and gels in containers, holding 3 oz. or less in a clear, plastic bag. PATRICK ODEN photo

to wrap gifts upon arrival or ship packages in advance since they may be unwrapped in both checked and unchecked baggage if further inspection is required. Gann said passengers are allowed to carry liquids and gels in containers holding three ounces or less, placed in one clear, resealable, quart-size plastic bag, and each passenger is limited to one plastic bag. Bags are available at the screening checkpoints, she said. “Pack lightly, pack smartly and in layers so that when security needs to look into your bag, they can easily see what’s there,” Gann said. “They won’t impede you or other people in the airport.” Beck’s packing technique allows for more space for other important items. “I always pack my suitcase half full so that I can take my gifts back home that I get from Christmas, because you’ll run out of room or have to leave stuff and you don’t want to do that,” she said. Beck said based on her experience, it is better not to check luggage after her luggage was lost from a connecting flight and not returned for three days. “The airport delivered it in their van and also gave us a voucher for $500,” Beck said. “They made it up to us, but it’s kind of a pain not to have your luggage.”

Resistration for Spring 2008 is now open

the USU Kent Concert Hall. Tickets are $2 per person, $12 per family, and free for registered Institute students. Tickets available at the Institute Bookstore.

Beck and Banda both said checking in at the airline kiosks helps expedite the process of flying home. Beck said, “If you don’t check your luggage, you can just print your boarding pass off on the computer, like check-in online, and then go straight to the security gate.” Banda said she buys her tickets online through Delta and can easily get through the check-in process quickly with a bar code. “I get a bar code and then check in at a kiosk, which saves me a lot of time because after I check in, I just have to get a little sticker on my bag and then I go through security and that’s it. I don’t have to worry about standing in line at the check-in counter,” Banda said. Gann said international travelers cannot preprint their boarding pass as domestic travelers can. International travelers need to be to the airport at least an hour earlier than domestic travelers, Gann said. “International flights are different in a sense that there’s more of a process to go through in terms of checking your credentials,” she said. For more tips on preparing in advance and packing appropriately, visit www.tsa.gov. -t.dixon@aggiemail.usu.edu

Religion In Life Fri. Dec 7 11:30

Tyler Griffin Preservice Trainer at Logan Institute. USU degrees in Electrical Engineering & Instructional Technology. Lunch for the bunch follows at 12:20 always $2.50 or less

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

AggieLife

Page 7 '3&& 4NPPUIJF XJUI HJGU DBSE QVSDIBTF

A little advice for an inexpensive Christmas

Statesman photo illustration

Hanukkah celebrates Jewish re-dedication By M.D. BUHLER staff writer

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hanukkah is simply not a Jewish version of Christmas,â&#x20AC;? said Stephen Siporin, a practicing Jew as well as a professor of religious studies at USU. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hanukkah is more like a Jewish independence day than anything else.â&#x20AC;? Some Americans and Christians may have the misconception that since Hanukkah often overlaps Christmas festivities, the holidays are related, he said. But the timing, he said, is simply a coincidence. Judaism 101, a Web site which states itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s devoted to helping the world better understand Jewish culture, states Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish festival of re-dedication. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Also known as the festival of lights, it begins the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev. Hanukkah is probably one of the best known Jewish holidays, not because of any great religious significance, but because of its proximity to Christmas,â&#x20AC;? the site states. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many non-Jews (and even many assimilated Jews) think of this holiday as the Jewish Christmas, adopting many of the Christmas customs, such as elaborate gift-giving and decoration. It is bitterly ironic that this holiday, which has its roots in a revolution against assimilation and the suppression of Jewish religion, has become the most assimilated, secular holiday on our calendar.â&#x20AC;? Siporin said at that time, the Jewish people in Judea were under control of the Greek empire in Syria. The emperor did not approve of the Jewish religion and forced the people to worship the Greek gods, which included the emperor, he said. According to the Torah, the Jewish holy book containing much of the Old Testament and other writings, this was unacceptable since they were commanded to worship only one God. Eventually the emperor put a statue of Zeus in the temple of Jerusalem. This, Siporin said, incited a rebellion among the Jewish people. The Jews eventually won and in 165, they retook Jerusalem. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The story of Hanukkah is

one of independence and of the little guy overcoming oppression,â&#x20AC;? Siporin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is like an independence day for us. This notion was increased during the Zionist movement when the Jews wanted to return to Israel after World War II.â&#x20AC;? The other, more publicized miracle, Siporin said, is the story of the menorah. In the Jewish temple, an oil lamp called the eternal flame was always lit. After the Jews regained control of the temple, they had to relight the menorah, he said. But there was only enough oil left to keep it lit for one day, and it would take eight days to make more oil. Miraculously, he said, the oil burned for eight days, and the flame didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The story of the light isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as exciting as an underdog defeating a great empire, but it is the story that has captured peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imaginations,â&#x20AC;? Siporin said. It is from the story of the menorah that most of the Hanukkah traditions come. Siporin said Hanukkah lasts eight days to commemorate the eight days of light. In addition, Jews light eight candles in a candle-holder, which is not called a menorah, but rather a hanukkiya. Siporin said this also commemorates the eight days. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fried foods, potato pancakes and a kind of doughnut are also eaten during Hanukkah,â&#x20AC;? Siporin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is related to the symbolism of oil and light. The idea of light as the presence of God and of enlightenment is particularly strong. Children are even given gold coins for the holiday because they are shiny.â&#x20AC;? The comparison to Christmas here in America is still particularly strong, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In America, Hanukkah became particularly important because of its proximity to Christmas,â&#x20AC;? Siporin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is hard for Jewish kids to deal with not having a Christmas gift, so Hanukkah adapted to that need. Hanukkah added some Christmas traditions and became a bit more Christianized in America. But the same thing happened with Christmas. Christmas used to be a time for men to get drunk and to

Cheap gifts donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be bad gifts. But finding where to find a meaningful and inexpensive gift may be difficult. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a few ideas of general gifts under $20 that are useful, easy and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t break the bank. â&#x20AC;˘ It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need a game controller, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much cheaper. Buy a board game like Sorry, Monopoly, Rummikub, Sequence, Imagineiff or Pictionary for under $20. This gift works for siblings, parents or even a roommate because, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s be honest, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to have money, even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fake and from the Monopoly game. â&#x20AC;˘ Starbucks Gift Card. Or any gift card. These come in random amounts that can work great with your tiny checkbook. Seven-dollar gift card from the Hub? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about three Marvâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;n Joes. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d take it. â&#x20AC;˘ Shopping for a girl doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require buying an expensive necklace or bracelet. Instead, head to Claireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, located in Cache Valley Mall. Their earring selection covers three-fourths of the store, and there are even earrings for sensitive ears. Jewelry does not have to be expensive. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a guy and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be seen in Claireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, make your little sister go with you as a cover. â&#x20AC;˘ Dollar Store. Not only do they have random gifts (like Santa candy dishes, Christmas patterned socks, hula skirts and Tupperware) but the wrapping paper, cards, ribbons, tags and bows sold there are much cheaper than usual. Forget buying a $5 gift bag and $3 card at Walmart. â&#x20AC;˘ Buy two movie passes to a local theatre. Total: $13. This way, you can let the person pick their own movie at their own convenience. Plus, a free movie is a break from real life. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just given them a well-deserved break. â&#x20AC;˘ Ross Dress for Less in Logan has ties for about $12. Ties are a needed commodity in this demanding fashion world of business meetings, church services and being an Olive Garden waiter. Check the selection a few times during the month. Some ties are pretty average, but once in a while a classic zinger comes along that looks pretty sharp. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give up. â&#x20AC;˘ Give a copy of your favorite Christmas CD to someone. CDs cost about $14 on average, and if the CD you pick out is a few years old, the price may have gone down anyway. â&#x20AC;˘ For the more creative type, buy a small journal from Borders and make a collage on the front with pictures, quotes or things that remind you of that person. Use Mod Podge to paint over the top of the collage, which seals the collage together and creates a protective coat over the art work. Mod Podge can be bought at Roberts Craft for less than $3. For the even cheaper person, buy a $2 journal from Wal-Mart to decorate. A collage can also be put around an inexpensive frame. â&#x20AC;˘ Buy your favorite paperback book and write a note in the front that explains why you thought this book will be meaningful to the person you give it to. Write how much you have enjoyed the book. Top it off with their favorite candy or a $5 gift card for a coffee or hot chocolate. â&#x20AC;˘ Mittens, hat and scarf. People seem to easily misplace seasonal clothing items, especially when they are smaller than a T-shirt and may still be in a mislabeled box in the attic. Best thing about this gift is that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s useful. Logan gets cold. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know this, you have a problem. -by Brittny Goodsell Jones/brittny.jo@aggiemail.usu.edu

shoot guns. Then it became a family holiday, and now it is becoming very commercialized. In that regard, Hanukkah and Christmas are similar.â&#x20AC;? -michael.buhler@aggiemail.usu.edu

Santa: I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trust him

-continued from page 5

world what lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really like: no pay, no food, no cell phones, no sleep â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just toys, day in and day out, and nobody is allowed to play with them. What about Santaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleigh? Last time I got my car registered, it was quite the ordeal, and I had to pass safety inspections. Does Santa have to do this? Nope. We give him the benefit of the doubt that his sleigh is in mint condition, even after all these hundreds of years. Although, it is known to the State of California that Santaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleigh can cause cancer, along with just about everything else known to man. Also, has Santa ever registered those reindeer? I doubt it, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pretty sure nobody bugs him about the emissions those things put out. Whew. And what about lighting ordinances when it comes to Rudolphâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nose? Talk about leaving your brights on. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a miracle PETA isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t busting down Father Christmasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; door for the unethical treatment of requiring the reindeer to pull his sleigh all the way around

the world. Once Santaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s airborne, have you ever considered how fast he would have to fly to make it to every house in the world in just one night? According to one source I found, he would have to make 822.6 visits per second, which averages out to him going about 3,000 times the speed of sound. Talk about a sonic boom. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surely against air speed ordinance restrictions. Plus, as he goes around the world, he will enter and exit all sorts of restricted military air space. He must have a cloaking device or something. And think about how Santa delivers presents. Rumor has it he climbs through the chimney. What if a house doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a chimney? Yep, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breaking and entering, and at an incredibly fast rate too. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure there are a multiplicity of other laws heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breaking, but I think you get the point. Why doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anyone do anything about this?

First off, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to track down a guy that goes that fast, has cloned himself and plopped his jolly old selves in every mall across the country. And, when it comes right down to it, who wants to arrest a fat guy? Or maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because he gives presents. Either way, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m fine with it but plan on leaving a Monopoly â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get out of Jail Freeâ&#x20AC;? card to let him know Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m on to him. Seth Hawkins is a junior majoring in public relations. If you see him sitting on top of his roof with binoculars and a giant bear trap on Christmas Eve, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be alarmed, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just trying to talk to the jolly old man. Comments and questions can be sent to him at seth.h@aggiemail.usu. edu.

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Page 8

Street Speak

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

Celebrations: Christmas around the world

-continued from page 5

What do you want for Christmas this year? “My wish would be a vacation to Greece or a graduation certificate.” – Lori Anderson, senior, physical and health education

“I hate Christmas. I’m Jewish, but if I did have a wish, I would wish for sexual relations with Al Pacino.” – Ashley Zarate, junior, print journalism

Page

“I want money. If I had $5 million, I would live like a gypsy.” – Cody Montgomery, junior, entrepreneurial business

“I would wish for a gallon of peppermint stick ice cream because it rocks.”

ALTHOUGH COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD HAVE THEIR own unique traditions, a lot of them use decorations like America, including nativities and lights. NOELLE BERLAGE photo

According to the article “A touch of Christmas around the globe” by Praveena Raman, Christians make up 10 percent of – Chris Hurren, the Sri Lankan population while junior, geological Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims engineering make up the rest. Sri Lanka is known for the pride its people take in their holiday decorations. Lights in the shape of Christmas trees light up the exterior of the homes, while the interior is decorated with colored crepe paper and a Christmas tree covered with strings of light, the article stated. Photos and information compiled by Debra Hawkins StatesmanCampus News 16 Nandalochana said Christmas day is similar to other traditions as it is celebrated with gift giving and a visit from Santa Claus. “We do have Santa,” Nandalochana said. “He is for the small kids and comes and gives gifts. A lot of kids believe The Women’s Center Advisory Board in him, but it seems they are warmly invite you to mainly Christian or Catholic because of their background.” Raman said the main religious and social festivities in Sri A Benefit for the Utah State University Women’s Center Lanka take place on Christmas Scholarship Fund Eve. A very popular tradition, her article stated, is to go from house to house singing Christmas carols. The carols are either sung in English, Tamil or Singhalese. aggart Student Center Food is also a very important Sunburst Lounge part of the Sri Lanka Christmas tradition. Raman said the Do your holiday shopping with us. We will have handmade Christmas cakes are a specialty crafts, porch quilts, professional photographs, jewelry, stockin Sri Lanka. People start to ings and stocking stuffers, and many other items make the cakes a month in advance, soaking the fruits of Your support goes directly to the Advisory Board plums in brandy and then bakScholarship Fund ing the delicious plum cakes. Another special Christmas tradition, according to Raman’s article, is the lighting of firecrackers by every household throughout the country.

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Brazil is another culture that traditions is the delicious sponge differs in how its people celcake eaten on Christmas Eve. ebrate their holidays. “Christmas night they have a Jordan Peterson, sophomore toast at midnight. You frequentmajoring in business, said ly will see a sponge cake and Christmas day itself is not celwine,” he said. “Everyone drinks ebrated much in Brazil. wine that night, even the little “Christmas day is just a like kids.” Memorial Day or Labor Day Other Christmas food specialis to someone in America,” he ties include homemade pasta said. “Christmas falls during and an orange drink called arantheir hottest time of the year. ciata, he said. It is summertime there, so they On Christmas Eve in Italy, the usually will spend the day at the families recite prayers and sings beach.” carols. Raman said the Italians Christmas Eve is the time of attend the Midnight Mass Dec. 5, 2007 celebration for those in Brazil.Wednesday, and then open their presents. Peterson said Brazilians’ social However, Fowles said not many classes will determine how good gifts are given, with usually one Business Opps of a holiday they will have. for each person. Handyman $7/hr “There usually is not a lot 0090 Christmas day in Italy is 1047 Youth Counselor BOE of giving gifts due to poverty usually a religious occasion. 1017 Cook $10/hr 1076 Assistant Manager $11-$13/hr there,” he said. “For the rich peo- Raman’s article reports the BOE 1426 Sales/account Representativ ple, Christmas tends to be a lot larger celebrations occur on $50,000+ larger event. The people of Brazil Epiphany is the I 1475 Live-in(Jan. Nanny6), Fullwhich Time/permenant 400-450 know who Santa Claus is, but he dayCathe threea week magi came to see 1499 Market Research Agent 6.50 to 8.25 does not bring gifts to anyone.” Baby 1504 Jesus Center carrying Sales And gifts. Service Associat Christmas Eve is when 8.50-10 In Scotland, Christmas is Personal Assistant For Elderlyon Woma Brazilians’ largest dinner of the a 1506 favorite holiday centered negotiable year takes place, he said. Family happiness andDOE joy. Maxwell 1643 Accountant 1634 Sales Associate/ Management DOE and friends come over and join Lumsden, from Fielding, grew Nanny Based on Experience in the festivities. Peterson said up1640 in Scotland and said the holi1644 Bookkeeper DOE the assortment of food at the days favorite time15% ofofthe 1707 were Internethis Services Marketing you sales revenue dinner is what makes it unique. year. Roofer $8-$13/ hr. BOE “They have a variety of food 1284 “Christmas Eve is for$9the 1766 Customer Care Operator from turkey, to rice and beans, family,” Lumsden said. 1849 Delivery Driver 5.85 plus“We tips 1848have Pizza Boxing Maker 6.15Day, which is and even lasagna,” Peterson said. also 1850 Day Pizza Maker 6.15 “To them, Christmas Eve is a big the dayBanquet after Christmas, which 0984 Server/assistant Manage deal.” Negotiable is used for visiting more family 1916handing Farm Worker 7.50 starting Italy also has a unique way and out gifts.” 1935 Skier Surveyor 8.00/hr + Pass to work of celebrating the Christmas 1905 The Scottish Security Officerhave $9.07many to $9.20 1938 Heating And to A/ctheir Installer 9/hr or base holiday. According to Raman, beliefs unique counon exper the Italian Christmas celebratry. According to the on article, 2021 Handyman Depends experience tions start nine days before “Christmas Celebrations 2071 Asp.net Programmer varies Office Equipment Christmas. 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Sales Associatearticle $100 perstated sale 2423 Dhanvasree’s 2416Check Substitute BOE $6.50-$7.00 Spell the day following the large 2419 General Labor $7-9/hr bonfires, the Repair Scottish check 2420 Electronic Technician Proofreader 2414 Aide $7-$7.50 their coldBOE ashes at home. A foot 0033 Retail Associate $8-9/hr DOE shape in theDriver ash facing the door 2323 Delivery $8/hr. (starting) Traffic Manager office@statesman.usu.edu foretells 2427 Graphic Designer a death in $25-hour the family 2426 Sales/ Retail shape 7.00 whereas a foot facing the 2428 Internet Sales Position Minimum + com room announces a new arrival. mission Youth Counselor 2434 TheMale Scottish have a(full-time tradi- Grave 8.78/hour + Bonus tional cake called the black 2433 Independent Executive variable bun. to Dhancasree’s 2435 According Graphic Designer Based on exper ence these cakes are original article, 2436 Tire Tech negotiable trading & getting acquainted! FILE 12th-night cakes of Pagan time. BUILT 100% 2430 Dining AT Room Server 6.50-7.25 DOE These cakes are representations 2437 Sales Associate nego, plus comm LASER PROOF AT 100% Independent Booksellers of2438 Scotland’s close association 2445 Accounts Payable Clerk $8-$10 with Scandinavia, states. 2444 Insurance OfficeitStaff start 9 to 1 hi res placed said they also DOE Lumsden have 2439 Child traditional Care negotiableChristmas the basic 2020 Tanning Salon Attendant base rat meal, with turkey, ham and +commission 2442 Insurance Office Staff start 9 to 1 goose. 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WednesdaySports

Ags, Utes to battle at the U By DAVID BAKER assistant sports editor

Utah State lost to Weber State by seven and beat Santa Clara by six. The University of Utah beat Weber by 20 but lost to Santa Clara by 15. So who is the better team? Well, that question will be answered at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City Wednesday night, when the Aggies head south for their 220th meeting with in-state rival Utah. “In-state games take on a special meaning, and they should,” USU head coach Stew Morrill said. “If you’re raised in this state like I was, you understand

TouchBase Four Aggies get all-WAC honors in football By USU ATHLETICS

In theKnow •The game starts at 8 p.m. in the Huntsman Center and will be televised on the mtn. (Comcast Ch. 37).

the tradition of these games and the history of them and you know how important they are to your fans and hopefully to your players. In-state games should never be looked at or viewed as any other game. They’re not.” The rivalry between the Utes

- See RIVALS, page 10

aggie guard/forward deundrae spraggins drives past a Santa Clara defender last Saturday in the Spectrum. Spraggins is averaging 3.6 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, and shooting 32 percent for the season. The Aggies take on the intra-state rival Runnin’ Utes of the University of Utah, Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Huntsman Center. The game will be televised by the mtn. CAMERON PETERSON photo

Entertainment at half of basketball games needs change

COURTESY WAC

Six Aggie 2007 foes get into bowl games By SAMMY HISLOP sports editor

Six of the Utah State football team’s 12 opponents from 2007 will be playing bowl games. Headlining those six teams is one the Aggies came surprisingly close to beating Oct. 6—the Hawaii Warriors of the Western Athletic Conference. The Warriors qualified for the Bowl Championship Series and will play the Georgia Bulldogs Jan. 1 at 6:30 p.m. on FOX. The Warriors are the second team from the WAC to make the BCS in as many years. The Boise State Broncos made the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl last season and beat the Oklahoma Sooners. In the Oct. 6 meeting between the Aggies and the Warriors, Utah State held a three-point lead twice in the first half before falling, 52-37. To qualify for the BCS, the Warriors—whose schedule strength had been one of the lowest in Division I-A for most the season—had to overcome a 21-point deficit at home against the Washington Huskies on Saturday. Hawaii won, 35-28, to

cap a 12-0 season. “It was awesome,” Warriors head coach June Jones said of being in the Sugar Bowl. “The first time in the BCS had a lot to do with that. But at the same time, there have been a lot of people who have been waiting for this for a long time. I certainly wanted to reap the enjoyment of it.” Jones said his team will be taking some time off for the next two weeks before beginning practice again Dec. 13.

The Broncos finished 102, losing only to Hawaii and Washington. The game is Dec. 23 in Hawaii at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL — Oklahoma vs. West Virginia The Aggies met up with the Oklahoma Sooners—then the No. 3 team in the nation—Sept. 15, losing 54-3. The Sooners finished this season 11-2 and beat No. 1 Missouri last week, 38-17. The Fiesta Bowl is Jan. 2 at 6 p.m. on FOX.

NEW MEXICO BOWL — Nevada @ New Mexico The Wolf Pack barely escaped Romney Stadium with a 31-28 win Oct. 20. The Aggies held a 21-14 lead at halftime after Kevin Robinson took a punt 70 yards for a touchdown. The Wolf Pack finished 6-6, good enough for fourth in the WAC. The game is Dec. 22 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPNHD.

SHERATON HAWAII BOWL — Boise St. vs. East Carolina The Broncos came to Romney Stadium as the No. 20 team in the country Nov. 10 and rolled right through USU, 52-0. It was Boise State’s first road shutout in 31 years.

Dec. 5, 2007

ROADY’S HUMANITARIAN BOWL — Fresno St. vs. Georgia Tech Utah State traveled to Fresno Nov. 3, losing 38-27. Fresno State finished 8-4. The game with Georgia Tech is Dec. 31 in Boise, Idaho, at noon on ESPN2.

POINSETTIA BOWL — Utah vs. Navy

- See BOWLS, page 10

very so often comes a time for change. Well, it’s time for some new halftime entertainment at Aggie basketball games. No more Aggietes or cheerleaders. I’ve never understood why they do what they do. No offense to those two groups, but the Spectrum needs something new. These men and women dancing to music nobody can or would want to understand is a poor product for people who have paid good money to come watch the basketball team. The only things I recall really liking are the amazing jump rope team from Idaho and the acrobats that can jump really high on a trampoline. The following are ideas that should at least be given consideration by the Athletic Department: 1. Play an episode of Frasier or Seinfeld. With 20 minutes of halftime, an episode without commercials would fit the time slot almost perfectly. The episode that receives the loudest roar from the fans would be the one that gets watched. Other TV classics, such as MASH or Saved By The Bell, are also possibilities. During one of the usually dead Christmas break game nights, a “Kids Night” could be done with SpongeBob played at the half. 2. Put ESPNEWS on the jumbotron to update fans on what else is going on in the sports world. I assume most of the people in attendance at the basketball games are spending valuable time in the Spectrum because they like sports. Keep ‘em updated. 3. This builds slightly on idea No. 2. If there is a big game going on somewhere else, put that up on the big screen. This will be important when college football bowl games begin. The Aggies have games on Dec. 20, 21, 29 and Jan. 3. A bowl game is going each of those nights—including the FedEx Orange Bowl Jan. 3 between Virginia Tech and Kansas. This idea would be especially effective during the latter part of the USU football season when it shares game days and times with the basketball team. 4. A stand-up comic could give the thousands in attendance a few laughs. This is a good idea only as he or she keeps it clean. In this way, USU could reintroduce the lost art of clean humor. 5. Let a certain number of fans come on the court and shoot. Doing this they can get a sense of respect for what it’s like to shoot a basketball with 9,000 other people watching them. Haven’t you ever wanted to know how certain players can make a free throw with all the fans behind the basket yelling and waving all sorts of stuff? It’s a lot harder than it looks. Or, it could be expanded to a few pickup games between the best Junior Jazz or Super League teams in Logan. 6. An update—preferably in video form—of what the other athletics teams are up to. With so many Aggie fans in the Spectrum, this is a prime time to do it. Back in September the Athletic Department held a “State of the Athletic Department” night, but there were only about 30 people (90 percent of them by my estimation Athletic Department employees) in attendance. It would be very informative to let fans know more about the recruiting the football team is doing and where exactly they are doing it. I recall Head Gymnastics Coach Ray Corn expressing to me afterwards how he wanted more people there so they will know what is going on with the less visible campus sports, which includes everything besides football and men’s basketball. 7. If BYU or Utah’s basketball team is playing at the same time, put their game on so fans can have something to let their rage out on someone besides officials. Even better, put together a blooper reel of Ute and Cougar lowlights. Sammy Hislop is a junior majoring in public relations. Send him your ideas of halftime entertainment at Aggie basketball games at samuel.hislop@aggiemail. usu.edu.

Utah State football had four players earn all-Western Athletic Conference honors, voted on by the league’s coaches and announced by the conference office Monday. Kevin Robinson was named to the first-team, while Shawn Murphy, Jake Hutton and Leon Jackson III were tabbed to the second-team. The four players honored matches the 2005 season for most all-WAC honorees for the Aggies, while this is the first season to have more than two named to the second-team since the 2003 squad had seven players earn second-team all-Sun Belt accolades. Robinson, a senior wide receivier/kick returner and a native of Fresno, Calif. (Hoover HS), was named to the firstteam as the special teams player. In all-purpose yards, Robinson leads the WAC and is eighth in the country with 193.08 all-purpose ypg. Murphy, a senior left guard and a native of Alpine, Utah (Lone Peak HS/Dixie JC), was tabbed to the second-team offensive line. After playing offensive tackle last season, Murphy made the transition to offensive guard this year, where he did not give up any sacks, grading out at a team-leading 84 percent. Hutton, a junior linebacker from Pocatello, Idaho (Pocatello HS), ranks ninth in the WAC in tackles with 102 (8.5 pg), the most for a USU individual since Robert Watts had 118 in 2004. Jackson, a senior quarterback/punter from Long Beach, Calif. (Long Beach Poly HS), was named the second-team punter. After leading the league statistics for most of the season, Jackson ends up tied for second, as his 41.26 average is just .04 yard behind Louisiana Tech’s Chis Keagle’s league-leading 41.30 average.

Intrasquad meet No. 2 held by Ag gymnasts By USU ATHLETICS

Utah State gymnastics head coach Ray Corn thinks that his team is right on schedule following the Aggies’ second intrasquad meet of the season, held Tuesday in the HPER gym on the USU Campus. “I’m always very optimistic about the squad,” said USU head coach Ray Corn, who is entering his 31st season at the helm of Aggie gymnastics. “I personally think because we made everything harder, including our landings on the floor, we vaulted higher and firmer, we did full mounts and dismounts on balance beam, I’m very pleased. I think we’re right on schedule.” Sophomore Heather Heinrich had the highest allaround score with a 39.15, while freshman Chelsea Marquardt posted a 38.175 and senior Megan Tschida tallied a 37.55 to round out the top three of the eight all-around competitors. “It was great to see eight young ladies competing in the all-around,” Corn said. “We haven’t had that for a long, long time.” The Aggies posted a combined 191.775 in the all-around.

StatesmanSports

Page 10

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

Unselfish and tough as nails USU’s Ross a team leader despite scoring zero goals in USU career

By SETH R. HAWKINS editor in chief

In sports, some positions get all the glory. Others go unnoticed. If success were dependent on goals scored alone, USU senior midfielder Shannon Ross would be at the bottom of the totem pole. After 56 soccer matches played in an Aggie uniform, Ross ended her career having never scored a goal.

In fact, Ross only tallied one point in her career off an assist in her junior year. But, don’t blame the absence of points on a lack of skill or leadership, USU head coach Heather Cairns said. “It’s just her position. I don’t worry about that,” Cairns said. “That’s not Shannon’s role on the field. If she scores, it ends off being great, but it’s not her role on the field. She is important on the field for other reasons. The points in her column

RSM

is not a reflection of what she means to the team on the field.” As one of the tallest members on a USU squad noted for its lack of stature, at 5-foot8-inches, Ross has spent the majority of her time playing as a defensive midfielder – a position known more for hits and bruises than an offensive display. But even though she has never scored at USU, Ross said it doesn’t bother her. “I like setting up people more,” Ross said of her position. “There’s the same enjoyment for me as making a play as starting a play. Making a sweet

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tackle is the same to me.” Cairns said her presence on the field is felt in more of a rallying way. Her dedication to the program earned her the title of team captain for her senior year, Cairns said. “Shannon’s one of the (most unique) leaders I’ve ever had the privilege of coaching,” Cairns said. “She has a selfless streak to her. A good leader is not afraid, they have to stick their neck out a little bit and they have to separate themselves from the group in order to lead the group. And I think she’s willing to do that both on the field and vocally as well as off the field.” Being vocal is something Ross said has made her an effective player, even from her early stages as a player. “A lot of players are great players but they don’t talk to their team, so I played off of that, that was one of my strengths,” Ross said of her ability to communicate well with her teammates. “I always had a goal that every time I stepped on the field I wasn’t going to be quiet. And at first, when I was a freshman, it was weird because I was like, ‘Why am I bossing this senior around? She’s not going to listen to me, she’s going to hate me.’ But I found that the players respected me for it.” Ross said coming to USU playing soccer as a freshman was a bit intimidating at first, but the challenge was something she was familiar with. When she was younger, playing soccer in high school, she stood a mere 4-foot-11-inches, nearly a foot shorter than she is now, and shorter than most college soccer players. Though she scored 26 goals her junior year of high school, she said she had “coaches tell me I was too little

usu senior midfielder shannon ross was a captain her senior year on the women’s soccer team because of her dedication to the program. Ross, one of the tallest members of USU’s team, had one point off an assist in her Aggie career. DEBRA HAWKINS photo

and I would never play college soccer.” But, she said that didn’t deter her. “My older brother was always the one that always pushed me in soccer, and he just told me, ‘You know what Shannon, you’re good enough to play anywhere if you’ll just play your game.” So, with hard work and a growth spurt, Ross said she beat the naysayers and lived her dream of playing soccer. Ross said she values the power of dedication and would tell all players to “don’t let anybody ever tell you that you can’t. You just have to believe in yourself, that’s all that matters.” Ross said she believed in her abilities from an early age, where she grew up as a self-proclaimed tomboy in Texas. “When I was in second grade, my parents decided – there was a league right by our house – so they signed me up. They thought, ‘This girl’s a little

tomboy, she likes to wrestle with the boys, might as well put her in a sport where she can hit

girls.’ I would just go after anybody. I would go after my brother and he was like four years older than me and I just didn’t understand the size difference. Growing up in Texas with physical play, I was a very physical player.” Coming into college, Ross said she was faced with another immediate challenge, but true to form, she learned from it and adapted it into her style of play. “My biggest growing year probably was my freshman year because I played my first game for 28 minutes and I still know the exact minute, and I tore my knee,” Ross said. “So I sat the rest of the season and it was growing because I had to learn how to be a leader on the bench, and to learn how to effect the play while on the bench. And I also learned great leadership because I watched everyone play, I watched college soccer, so when I came in my sophomore year, I was used to it.” Cairns said she has seen growth and maturity from Ross over the course of her career, and said she is a player that will be greatly missed. “She has been instrumental in getting us all on the same page,” Cairns said. “She embodies where our program is going and is able to let the team know those goals and keep them all on the same page.” -seth.h@aggiemail.usu.edu

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Detroit Tigers reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday to acquire All-Stars Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Florida Marlins for a package of six players, an unexpected blockbuster trade that developed quickly at the winter meetings. In a huge deal that took the spotlight away from Boston’s pursuit of Johan Santana, Florida gets lefty Andrew Miller, outfielder Cameron Maybin and four other prospects from the Tigers, a baseball official with knowledge of the talks said on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been finalized. Willis was on vacation when he heard the news. “I’m in Mexico right now with my family. I’m kind of busy,” he told The Associated Press.

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Barry Bonds’ first date with a federal judge is Friday, when he is expected to plead not guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice charges, but the slugger still has yet to assemble his full legal team. Bonds and longtime attorney Mike Rains began shopping around the Bay Area for another lawyer with federal experience even before Bonds was charged Nov. 15 with lying to a grand jury about his steroids use. Rains has a small firm focused mostly on defending police officers accused of misconduct and he has limited experience in federal court. So Laura Enos, another lawyer who represents Bonds’ business interests, said the slugger was looking to add another lawyer while also retaining Rains. Negotiations between Bonds and John Keker, one of the country’s top — and most expensive — criminal defense attorneys, fell through last week.

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

StatesmanSports

Page 11

Grand jury names gunman of Taylor

former university of miami football coach larry coker, right, hugs a friend before the start of the funeral of Washington Redskins football player Sean Taylor at Florida International University Monday in Miami. AP Photo

MIAMI (AP) — The 17-yearold suspect in the death of Sean Taylor was accused Tuesday of firing the shot that killed the Washington Redskins safety. A Miami-Dade grand jury identified Eric Rivera as the gunman in its indictment. Rivera and his three co-defendants were indicted by the grand jury on charges of first-degree felony murder and armed burglary. Charles Wardlow, 18; Jason Mitchell, 19; and Venjah Hunte, 20; were ordered held without bail during brief court appearances via a videoconference from Miami-Dade County jail. The three, who stood silently during the hearing, will remain at the jail under suicide watch after Judge John Thornton Jr.’s ruling. Rivera, still in custody in

Fort Myers, was expected to be transported to Miami-Dade on Tuesday night and make a court appearance Wednesday.

Bowls: Six USU foes in bowls -continued from page 9 The Utes took out the Aggies, 34-18, on a snowy Sept. 29 afternoon at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Aggies held a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. The Utes finished 8-4 for a third-place finish in the Mountain West Conference. The game is Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. on ESPNHD. -samuel.hislop@aggiemail. usu.edu

Rivals: Aggies looking for sixth win in Salt Lake

-continued from page 9

and Aggies is the second oldest in USU history, as only the 224 games Utah State has played with Brigham Young University go back farther. Overall, the Aggies trail 127-91 in the alltime series, but USU has won six of the last nine match-ups, including a 60-57 nail-biter in the Spectrum last year. But with a new coach, this year’s Utah team looks different. “They run totally different offensive stuff,” Morrill said. “They run all the Michigan State stuff you see with (Tom) Izzo, and obviously they are playing good defense.” The Utes also come into this year’s meeting with more experience. “A lot of those kids are a year older, and that’s always a difference,” Morrill said. “As long as I’ve coached, a year’s experience makes a huge difference.” No matter the differences, Morrill sees a challenge awaiting the Aggies in Salt Lake City. “When we played Ray’s (Giacoletti, Utah’s former coach) teams, I thought they were well coached, and we had our hands full trying to beat them, and that’s what I think right now,” he said. “They’re playing hard, they run good stuff, they’ve got a lot of different weapons and they really shot the ball. You look and try to find ways to guard all of their personnel and it’s pretty challenging. We’re going to have to play awfully well to be in the game.” Utah is 4-2 on the season but is only 1-2 at home. They are led by junior center Luke Nevill, who averages 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Senior guard Johnnie Bryant is also averaging 13.3 points per game for the Utes. As a team, Utah is scoring 74.5 points and shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent on 3-pointers. They are holding opponents to 64.8 points and a 41.8 shooting percent from the field and 41.5 percent from beyond the arc. Utah State comes into the game playing pretty well, riding their first winning streak of the year. The Aggies beat Santa Clara Dec. 1 in the Spectrum and took care of the University of Iowa Nov. 24 at the South Padre Island Invitational. Morrill pins the Aggies’ progress on increased practice time. “It makes me feel better that we can practice, because it makes you think that you are able to work on some things,” he said. “We’re not throwing the ball to the other team as much, that helps. When you toss it to the other team and they go

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down and lay it in, that makes it difficult. The last couple of games we’ve been in single digits in turnovers, so that’s progress.” The progress is also evident in other numbers. Over the last two games, USU is averaging 73 points and shooting 48.9 percent from the field, 50 percent from behind the 3-point line and 75 percent from the freethrow line. The Aggies are holding opponents to 63.5 points and a 48.5 shooting percent

from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range. Utah State has been making strides on the offensive end the last four games, as it is shooting 51.9 percent from the field, compared to just 44 percent during the first five games. The last time the Aggies traveled to the Huntsman Center, in 2005, they were sent home with a heartbreaking, 67-66 loss. But last year’s game in the Spectrum had to be just as depressing for the Utes, with Chaz Spicer

hitting a 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left on the clock to give Utah State the 60-57 win. Whether Wednesday night’s game follows the script or not, it’s certain to be another meaningful game between old rivals. “I would be surprised if this game didn’t take on a special meaning, hopefully for all our guys, but certainly the in-state kids understand the rivalry just like I did growing up,” Morrill said. -da.bake@aggiemail.usu.edu

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Page 12

Pats come close to first loss

10. 100% Tuition & Fees 9. $1200 a year for Books 8. $400 monthly cash 7. Logan Canyon is your classroom (repelling & adventure training) 6. Learn leadership by taking charge 5. Set yourself apart from your peers 4. Don’t buy action figures, be one (Like Major Bruce) 3. Make a difference in the world 2. College credit to get strong 1. Someday history classes could read about you.

BALTIMORE (AP) _ The New England Patriots won a game they easily could have lost, keeping intact their perfect season and a place in NFL history. Their latest opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, are convinced the Patriots have more than destiny on their side. After losing to New England 27-24 Monday night, the Ravens complained bitterly about several calls that went against them during the Patriots’ final drive, which ended with a Tom Brady touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney with 44 seconds left. “It’s hard to go out there and play the Patriots and the refs at the same time,” cornerback Chris McAlister said.

StatesmanSports

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

The Blue and the White Sports Debate

Sam Bryner is a senior majoring in business management. Comments can be sent to him sam.bryner@aggiemail.usu.edu

David Baker is a senior majoring in print journalsim. Comments can be sent to him da.bake@aggiemail.usu.edu

1. Bowl Championship Series bonanza This could be one word long—playoff. There it is. One word. Two syllables. It’s that simple. Especially now, in this most twisted, complicated mess of a college football season. The whole season had more plot twists than a Spanish-language soap opera, and it’s been just as confusing to understand for a clearly not bilingual population of college football junkies. With the Bowl Championship Series announcement on Sunday, things only got more terribly troubling. LSU and Ohio State? I’m not happy, but at least LSU will beat OSU. Hawaii got in, so that’s good for USU’s coffers, but Georgia will make sure they don’t finish 13-0. I’d like to see Georgia play Oklahoma for the title, but it doesn’t matter. Any college football is better than watching the Rose Parade. Plus, when Kansas plays Virgina Tech in the Orange Bowl, I’ll get to continue playing my drinking/guessing game, what did Mark Mangino eat today? And that’s just good, wholesome family entertainment.

Missouri went from being the No. 1 team in the polls to falling out of a Bowl Championship Series game altogether. LSU moved up into the second spot after falling to No. 7 the week before. Hawaii’s strength of schedule was 117 out of 119 teams, and they find themselves in the Sugar Bowl. A lot of things about the BCS I don’t understand. With Hawaii getting in this year, the method for non-BCS teams to bust the BCS has been pretty much been set in stone. Go undefeated. It doesn’t matter who you play or what the final score is, simply just go the entire season without a loss and you’re into a bigmoney bowl game. Despite what you think about BYU, head football coach Bronco Mendenhall said it best when he talked about how the Cougars have realized this technique, and if dumbing down your schedule and going undefeated is the only way to get into the BCS, then that is what they will do. BYU won’t be the only school employing this technique as other mid-major schools will do the same thing to try and sneak into the BCS. This will only hurt college football in the end, because the overall quality of play will decrease as these quality programs continue to play lower-level teams. Also, the BCS has lucked out because so far there has only been one nonBCS team in a year to go undefeated. What will happen when one year two or three non-BCS schools run the table?

2. Sports Christmas wish/gift list

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My wishes: 1. Bill Bilechek gets busted in a major international cock-fighting ring and is sentenced to 16 years in a dirty jail in a third-world country, where American tourists — for a price of about 15 cents, American — could throw rotten eggs, fruit and meat at the Patriot’s coach. 2. A YouTube video of John Madden opening his jaw like a snake and eating a turducken whole, and then going around like Godzilla devouring schoolchildren and goats in small Asian countries. In the final scene, Madden would climb the Empire State Building with hottie sideline reporter Erin Andrews in hand and meet his demise at the end of a Tomahawk missile, while I swoop in and rescue Andrews. 3. Have Mike Gundy on retainer so whenever I flash a specific lighted signal into the night sky — like the Batman signal, but more footballish — Gundy would show up and yell things like, “I’m a man. I’m 40,” or “They’re garbage” at girls, professors or random people who are pissing me off. Maybe I could get a Dan Hawkins model that would berate people about intramurals, too. 4. We run out of little girls from Cache Valley to come shake it at halftime of basketball games. It’s all too cute, the waves and waves of ever-smaller girls paraded out on the floor to dance to awful, sexual rap songs. It’s getting ridiculous. I think some of the last crop were crawling around on the floor, not because it was a part of the dance, but because they hadn’t learned to walk yet. My gifts: 1. A powerful animal tranquilizer gun, so Chris Fowler can shoot Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, preferably in the neck. It’s really my gift to all of America. 2. For Brent Musburger, a violent full-body massage administered by an 800-pound, ragefilled gorilla wielding a sledgehammer. 3. A couple of books for Michael Vick. One called “How to Beat the American Justice System,” co-written by OJ Simpson and Kobe Bryant. Another by Caesar Milan called “A Dog Whisperer’s Guide to Dog Fighting.”

Ah yes. Christmastime. The time of year to receive and give gifts. I think we all enjoy receiving gifts and if given a chance, any given sports fan could probably rattle of their sports wish list to you. Since I have the chance, I will attempt to do that now. I wish college football would move to some sort of playoff system. I wish Utah State basketball would, once or twice a year, play a big-name team in basketball. I know it would be on the road, and that’s OK. If Utah State wants to take a step forward as a basketball program, they need to start playing a tougher nonconference schedule. The problem is, I think, that Stew Morrill is fine with where the program is at right now. The team has great fan support, they win more than 20 games every year and are nationally considered a good program. The last sports wish that I have deals with the Utah Jazz. In my lifetime, I have spent a good portion of time cheering for the Jazz. I have seen them beat the best teams in the NBA year in and year out. Throughout the majority of my life, I saw the Jazz produce the greatest duo in sports history with Karl Malone and John Stockton. Twice I saw my beloved Jazz play in the NBA finals and lose to Michael Jordan. The dynasty that was called the Utah Jazz in the ‘90s separated and then began to rebuild to where they are now, which has some eerie similarities to the old Jazz – a team that beats the NBA’s best and a team that contains one of the greatest duos in all of sports with Boozer and Williams. The dynasty of the mid 2000s that is beginning to be known as the Utah Jazz has one thing that I really wish for and want to see—an NBA title. I am now being greedy, but I wish for the championship this year. Not next year, not five years down the line, but this year. Why not? They have potential, talent and great coaching. Win it all this year, that’s what I wish for.

3. Rant It’s the end of the semester and the holiday season, I don’t feel like spewing hate in today’s rant. And, to be honest, I’m tired of trying to piss people off and getting blank stares. Just kidding. I don’t care. This is sports therapy for me. And if I wanted to piss people off, I’d just say something about Jaycee Carroll’s new haircut making him look like a Hitler youth. But, the thing is, he can wear a coonskin cap or sell ad space to dot-com companies on his forehead for all I care, so long as he keeps scoring 25 a game. Jaycee — not that you’re listening — but let me reiterate, I don’t think you look like, or are in any way, a neo-Nazi. Keep up the good work. Your follicle decisions are between you, your god and your wife. Really, I’m just jealous because my shaved head looks like one of those globes with the raised landforms. It’s not flattering.

A couple of thoughts came to mind when choosing what to rant on this week. The first was collegiate wrestling, and the second was watching people walk around in the snow and ice. Talking about how the No.1-ranked Iowa Sate Cyclone wrestling team will beat Iowa on Sunday would interest few people in Utah and pretty much the entire state of Iowa. Since the one or two people who read this are located in the state of Utah, I’ll talk about ice and snow instead. I was quickly reminded of one reason I love the wintertime at Utah State. Watching students and faculty traverse the icy pathways on campus is one of the most entertaining things to see. Something about seeing people slip and fall just makes me laugh. I venture that all of you are the same way. One word of caution though—nothing looks worse than when you laugh at someone who slipped and fell and then you slip and fall. So Aggies, be careful out there, - Comment on this but not too careful, because I @ utahstatesman.com need my entertainment.

Wednesday Dec. 5, 2007

World&Nation

Page 13

Shiite group airs videotape of hostage seized in Baghdad

In this photo provided by Wolf Hilbertz, a scuba diver swims around the artificial reef project, Jan. 18, 2004, on the island of Bali, Indonesia. The cables are part of highly original underwater experiment which uses low-voltage electrical stimuli to revive the badly damaged coral reef. AP Photo

Reefs get zapped with electricity in fight against global warming PEMUTERAN BAY, Indonesia (AP) – Just a few years ago, the lush coral reefs off Bali island were dying out, bleached by rising temperatures, blasted by dynamite fishing and poisoned by cyanide. Now they are coming back, thanks to an unlikely remedy: electricity. The coral is thriving on dozens of metal structures submerged in the bay and fed by cables that send low-voltage electricity, which conservationists say is reviving it and spurring greater growth. As thousands of delegates, experts and activists debate climate at a conference that opened this week on Bali, the coral restoration project illustrates the creative ways scientists are trying to fight the ill-effects of global warming. The project – dubbed Bio-Rock – is the brainchild of scientist Thomas Goreau and the late architect Wolf Hilbertz. The two have set up similar structures in some 20 countries, but the Bali experiment is the most extensive. Goreau said the Pemuteran reefs off Bali’s northwestern shore were under serious assault by 1998, victims of rising temperatures and aggressive fishing methods by impoverished islanders, such as stunning fish with cyanide poison and scooping them up with nets. “Under these conditions, traditional (revival) methods fail,” explained Goreau, who is in Bali presenting his research at the U.N.-led conference. “Our method is the only one that speeds coral growth.”

Some say the effort is severely limited. Rod Salm, coral reef specialist with the Nature Conservancy, said while the method may be useful in bringing small areas of damaged coral back to life, it has very limited application in vast areas that need protection. “The extent of bleaching ... is just too big,” Salm said. “The scale is enormous and the cost is prohibitive.” Others note the Bali project is mostly dependent on traditionally generated electricity, a method that itself contributes to global warming. Goreau himself concedes it has yet to attract significant financial backing. Nonetheless, scientists agree that coral reefs are an especially valuable — and sensitive — global environmental asset. They provide shorelines with protection from tides and waves, and host a stunning diversity of plant and sea life. Goreau’s method for reviving coral is decidedly low-tech, if somewhat unorthodox. It has long been known that coral that breaks off the reef can be salvaged and restored if it can somehow be reattached. What Goreau’s Bali project has done is to construct metal frames, often in the shape of domes or greenhouses, and submerge them in the bay. When hooked up to a low-voltage energy source on the shore, limestone – a building block of reefs – naturally gathers on the metal. Workers then salvage coral that has broken from damaged reefs and affix it to the structure.

Goreau and his supporters say the electricity spurs the weakened coral to revival and greater growth. “When they get the juice, they are not as stressed,” said Rani Morrow-Wuigk, an AustralianGerman woman who rents bungalows on the beach and has supported efforts to save the reefs for years. And indeed, the coral on the structures appear vibrant, and supporters say they have rebounded with impressive vigor. The coral in Pemuteran teems with clownfish, damselfish and other colorful tropical animals. Funding, however, is a major problem. There are some 40 metal structures growing coral in Pemuteran Bay and about 100 cables laid to feed them with electricity, but only about a third of the wires are working because of maintenance problems and the cost of running them, said Morrow-Wuigk. The electrification program is part of a wider effort in the bay to save the coral. Chris Brown, an Australian diving instructor who has lived in Bali for 17 years, said he and other people determined to save the reefs have had a long struggle driving away fishermen who use dynamite and other coraldestroying methods to maintain their livelihoods. He said a key has been demonstrating to shoreline communities the benefits of coral reef maintenance, such as growing fish stocks and jobs catering to tourists who come to dive in the area.

ROME (AP) – Remnants of the first known surviving Roman throne have been discovered in the lava and ash that buried the city of Herculaneum in the first century, archaeologists said Tuesday. Decorated with ivory bas-reliefs depicting ancient deities, two legs and part of the back of the wooden throne were dug out between October and November. They were found 82 feet below ground near Herculaneum’s Villa dei Papiri, a first century country home that is believed to have been the residence of Julius

Caesar’s father-in-law. Herculaneum, Pompeii and Stabiae were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that killed thousands in the year 79. The layers of volcanic ash preserved the sites for centuries, providing precious information on domestic life in the ancient world. Archaeologists said the throne was an exceptional find; furniture of its type had previously only been seen in artistic depiction. “It’s the first original throne from Roman times that has

survived until today,” Pietro Giovanni Guzzo, Pompeii’s archaeological superintendent, told a news conference in Rome. Villa dei Papiri, so called because it has yielded a library of hundreds of ancient papyruses, has only been partially excavated and it is not yet clear whether the throne belonged to the ancient residence, said Maria Paola Guidobaldi, the dig’s director. The throne depicts Greek mythological figures absorbed by Rome’s culture and is decorated with images of the gods Attis and Dionysus.

Archaeologists discover Roman throne

BAGHDAD (AP) – Captors holding five Britons demanded Tuesday that Britain pull all its forces from Iraq, posting a videotape showing a bearded, haggard-looking victim more than six months after the group was kidnapped. The purported hostage, speaking clearly with a British accent, identified himself as “Jason” and gave the date as more than two weeks ago. He sat under a sign in Arabic identifying the captors as “The Islamic Shiite Resistance in Iraq.” “My name is Jason. Today is November 18,” he said, alternately glancing at the camera and downward, perhaps at a piece of paper. “I have been here now for 173 days and I feel we have been forgotten.” No other hostage was shown. A written statement featured on the video, aired by Al-Arabiya television, accused Britain of plundering the wealth of Iraq and demanded that British troops leave within 10 days. It did not say what would happen if the deadline was not met or when the countdown begins. Britain’s Foreign Office condemned the broadcast, saying it “serves only to add to the distress of the men’s families and friends.” British officials have not released the names of the kidnapped men, and have requested their identities not be disclosed by the media. The kidnapping took place May 29, when about 40 gunmen in police uniforms and driving vehicles used by Iraqi security forces grabbed the four security contractors and a computer consultant from an Iraqi Finance Ministry compound. Suspicion has fallen on Shiite splinter groups that the United States believes have been trained and funded by Iran. The video was posted as Britain prepares to hand over security control of oil-rich Basra province – the last of four regions of southern Iraq it occupied after the 2003 invasion — to the Iraqis in mid-December. British troops withdrew in September from their last base

in Basra city to an airport garrison on the outskirts, and half the 5,000 British troops in Iraq are due to go home by the spring. One expert suggested a motivation for the rare broadcast of a video by a purported Shiite group could be to project the handover as a victory for the militia factions battling for control of the area. “They’re aware of countries who are already pulling their forces out,” said Ben Venzke, the head of IntelCenter, a Virginiabased firm that tracks terrorist activity. “It can sometimes allow them to tie events to it and hold it out as a victory.” While Shiite militias frequently kidnap victims for political or sectarian reasons or for ransom, it is unusual for them to air such videos, which are more frequently used by al-Qaida in Iraq and other militant Sunni groups. Venzke said the video appeared to have features usually employed by the Sunni extremists, including a deadline and specific demands such as leaving Iraq. “It is rare for us to be seeing hostage videos from any of the Shiite groups,” he said. “They certainly have taken hostages

in the past, but they tend to be handled in a little different way than with the other nationalist or jihadist groups.” Two black-clad kidnappers flanked the purported hostage in the video, but they did not speak. Instead, a written statement said the five had “acknowledged and confessed and detailed the agenda with which they came to steal our wealth under false pretense of being advisers to the Finance Ministry.” The tape promised to “follow up with their confessions later.” The brazen abduction came during a period of intense sectarian violence. The bloodshed has since declined, largely because of an influx of American troops to the capital, a freeze in activities by the feared Mahdi Army Shiite militia, and a U.S. push to enlist local Sunnis to help in the fight against al-Qaida. The U.S. military said Tuesday it had killed nine senior al-Qaida in Iraq members and captured 31 last month, including a Syrian identified as Abu Maysara who was described as a close associate of the terror network’s leader, Abu Ayyub al-Masri. But suicide attacks, bombings and kidnappings continue daily.

This image made from video, aired Tuesday, Dec. 4, by Arabic TV station, Al-Arabiya, which purports to show one of five Britons, who were kidnapped in May 2007. The man identified himself as Jason and said the videotape was made Nov. 18, then he read from a script. The hostage is sitting under a sign reading in Arabic “The Islamic Shiite Resistance in Iraq.” The Islamic group gave 10 days notice that they would kill the hostage unless Britain withdraws its forces from Iraq, according to the videotape broadcast Tuesday by Al-Arabiya satellite TV station. AP Photo

Poor vaccines force parents to get new shots for their children DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) By CDC estimates, hundreds of – Every year, thousands of thousands of doses of vaccines American children go through against such diseases as flu, the tearful, teeth-gritting ordeal diphtheria, tetanus, whooping of getting their vaccinations, cough, polio, mumps, measles, only to be forced to do it all over chicken pox and the cervical again. The vaccines were duds, cancer virus are thrown out ruined by poor refrigeration. each year because of poor It is more than a source of refrigeration at clinics, hospitals distress for parent and child. It and doctors’ offices. is a public health threat, because In one recent case in Sioux youngsters given understrength City, Iowa, more than 1,000 vaccines are unprotected against families were notified by Nearly of wasted dangerous diseases. And it lettertwo-thirds and telephone that they vaccines are due to spoilage, accounts for a big part of the needed to get their children according to a report on $20 million in waste incurred by immunization revaccinated. State officials programs. the federal Vaccines for Children Vaccine found that the refrigerator at doses reported wasted program. the clinic that administered the Spoiled Expired “This is a substantial problem 62% shots repeatedly dropped38% below that needs to be addressed freezing over a 17-month period through prevention, and when in 2005 and 2006, potentially problems are discovered, often ruining the vaccines stored times through revaccinations,” there. said Dr. Lance Rodewald, “We just didn’t notice it,” said director of immunization Dr. Ray Sturdevant, president services at the Centers for of the Prairie Pediatrics and Disease Control and Prevention SOURCE: Adolescent Clinic. Elsevier AP in Atlanta. Poor refrigeration has been

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blamed for similar problems elsewhere around the country over the past 2 years “We do everything we can to advise and to make people aware that this is very expensive vaccines they’re dealing with.” said Charles Alexander, chief of immunization with the Florida Health Department.

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Nearly two-thirds of wasted vaccines are due to spoilage, according to a report on immunization programs.

Vaccine doses reported wasted Spoiled 62%

Expired 38%

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<AP> SPOILED VACCINE 120407 Grap reasons for wasted vaccines; 1c x 2 3/4 70 mm; with BC-Spoiled Vaccine; STF; <

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Views&Opinion

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Donation a boon to College of Business

Seth R. Hawkins News Editor

Assistant News Editor Liz Lawyer

he College of Business got some good news this week. Jon M. Huntsman, Sr., father of Utah’s current governor, donated $25 million to the college, earning himself a place of honor as the school’s namesake. Another $1 million will go toward scholarships for Armenian students. The largest gift in USU’s history, the money will help establish USU’s business school and increase its competitiveness. And now that it officially has a name, the Huntsman Business School can carry more weight in the academic world. Though it seems like a small thing, a name gives the school memorability, credibility and an identity. With this money invested in the program and Huntsman’s name, students in the business school can be confident their diplomas will be worth something. Students in the College of Business should be grateful to the Huntsmans for their donation. Even for those who are graduating soon, the improvements made with the money given to the school will lend their degrees respectability now, and increasingly as time goes by. It’s gifts like this that keep USU growing. Without patrons offering help to their favorite programs on campus, development would take a lot longer. Two years ago, the Caine sisters built the school a concert hall, which now is the venue for student recitals, speeches, lectures and visiting artist performances. It’s a great asset to the school. Earlier this year, USU received a $15 million gift to go toward a building on the Uintah Basin Campus. That gift is furthering USU’s land grant mission and bringing education to those who can’t come to Logan to get their degree. Now, the Huntsmans’ gift will strengthen our business college and help it compete with the schools at University of Utah and Brigham Young University. Would that every college and department had a benefactor like the above-mentioned patrons.

Edwards the man for political change

o me, it’s no surprise that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton enjoy around-the-clock media coverage and significant support among Democrats. This upcoming election is a “change election,” and what better embodies change than the exciting prospects of having either a woman or black president? But we shouldn’t vote on the basis of gender or race. If you want real change, John Edwards is your candidate. Both Obama and Edwards are running as reformists, but I doubt whether Obama can deliver on the change to which he gives lip service. Edwards backs up his rhetoric with sound policy. On health care, he was the first major candidate to propose a comprehensive plan. The New York Times called it smart and Time magazine praised him for being “the only candidate offering a plan that would actually get to universal coverage.” Another example is Edwards’ ambitious plan to curb climate change, which received the envied endorsement of the League of Conservation Voters. Also, Obama is too committed to bipartisanship and compromise to achieve change. Now is not the time for compromise, now is the time for conviction. Edwards found out the hard way, from his defeat in 2004, that we have to fight aggressively for change—the entrenched powers won’t easily relinquish their influence. Edwards is uniquely prepared for this fight. For 20 years, he fought irresponsible corporations in the court room on behalf of working-class Americans. And time and time again, he beat these corporations and their armies of lawyers. In 1998, Edwards decided he could best represent and defend the underprivileged by going into public service. He ran for the Senate and won, defeating an incumbent Republican senator in a very conservative state. Obama’s supporters — African Americans and youth — would be better served under an Edwards administration. Edwards is intimately aware of the issues that face the African American community. African Americans are adversely affected by poverty and the lack of health insurance, two issues which are Edwards’ domestic priorities. Youth voters should rally behind Edward’s campaign as well. He has given special attention to youth voters and their concerns throughout his campaign. Take the issue of education: Edwards has proposed a national initiative to pay one year of public-college tuition, fees and books for more than two million students. In return, students will be required to work part-time in college, take a college-prep curriculum in high school and stay out of trouble. I like Obama, no doubt, but 2008 is not his year. He is too inexperienced a campaigner, and I am not confident he could

- See CHANGE, page 15

Arie Kirk

Features Editor Manette Newbold Assistant Features Editor Brittny Goodsell Jones Sports Editor Samuel Hislop Assistant Sports Editor David Baker Copy Editor Rebekah Bradway

States rights are essential to a strong U.S. republic

ne of the essential, unique characteristics of our republic is the existence of strong state governments. James Wilson, signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, explained, “From the very nature of things, and from the organization of the system itself, the state governments must exist, or the general governments must fall amidst their ruins.” It is important that the state governments remain strong. To ensure this, the proper balance between the state and federal governments must be maintained. When the Framers of our Constitution drafted that remarkable document, they went to great lengths to ensure the national government would not be too powerful. While they knew it would be important to have a strong central government for our nation to survive, they also understood it would be dangerous for that government to be too powerful. They also knew the people would maintain the greatest degree of freedom if the level of government that would have the greatest level of impact on their lives would also be the closest. In order to ensure this, the Framers clearly defined the areas in which the national government would have authority. Later, the Tenth Amendment made it clear that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

James Madison, in The Federalist No. 45, explained, “The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the state governments are numerous and indefinite.” Madison further explained the role of the federal government would be primarily dealing with “external objects as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce,” while the states would be responsible for “all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the state.” One of the greatest checks provided by the Framers to prevent the national government from taking power from the states was the Senate. Article 1: Section 3 of the Constitution mandated that “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the Legislature thereof.” This was done for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons was to provide a link between the state governments and the federal government. The senators would be expected to represent the interests of the states. The Senate would have the power to stop any law proposed by the House of Representatives that would allow the federal government to exercise control over the states.

- See STATES, page 15

Our prophets of doom

he sky is falling! The end is near! Just in time for the Christmas season, Pat Buchanan has published yet another jeremiad warning that America is about to go belly up. You’d think that the American public would get tired of the unrelenting gloominess of the far right and What others are left. But you’d be saying about issues. wrong. Already the book is climbing up the bestseller lists, giving us further proof that, despite our collective obsession with living the good life, we Americans love the sweet rush of anxiety. Maybe it’s just the antidote for our apathy. You have to admit that there’s something unseemly about citizens of history’s most powerful country – economically, militarily and culturally – always fretting about their coming demise. Sometimes it gets downright pornographic. But like it or not, it’s part of who we are, the

Nat’lVoice

YourTake The untouchables

flip-side of our patriotic jingoism and a legacy of those intensely religious Puritans that lives on in this secular age. In the 1980s, when Ronald Reagan called the United States a “shining city on a hill,” he was borrowing – and embroidering – a famous line from the 17th-century governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Winthrop. Winthrop didn’t use the word “shining” in his original 1630 sermon; his message was not triumphalist. Winthrop and his fellow Puritans believed that in their escape from religious persecution and their settling of a new world, they had entered into a covenant with God. They were ordained to be an example to the world and to establish God’s kingdom in wild, chaotic North America. That meant they had a high standard to live up to. If they pleased the Lord, the Almighty would bless them. But if they did not, Winthrop

- See DOOM, page 15 Tell us what you think. Submit a letter to the editor at www.utahstatesman.com

Leave it to an often-outspoken Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers to get himself in touble by saying something the NBA didn’t like and made him voice an apology. After getting beaten badly by hot 3-point shooting by the San Antonio Spurs, Jackson was asked about the Spurs’ penetration leading to open shooters, to which he responded, “We call this a ‘Brokeback Mountain’ game, because there’s so much penetration and kickouts.” At the time he said it, he said many journalists laughed, but the NBA and many activist groups seemed to miss the humor. Sure the comment wasn’t in the best taste, and Jackson admits that. But would the situation be different had Jackson made a joke about lawyers or accountants? Would people be in such an uproar? In our increasingly complex society of special interest groups, there seems to be a large number of groups that have special protection. While it may be kosher to say something about one group – such as lawyers – it is completely out of line to say things about other groups. Is this special protection necessary? Is there actually special protection taking place? Is there a double standard here? What should be done about it? What’s your take? Tell us at www.utahstatesman.com/messageboard.

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Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

Views&Opinion

Page 15

Doom: Destruction of nation is a common theme

-continued from page 14

cautioned, “We shall shame the faces of many of God’s worthy servants and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us till we be consumed out of this good land.” In other words, when Winthrop spoke of the new colony as “a city upon a hill,” he saw its exceptionalism as less a boast than a warning. Though the Puritans’ rigid theocracy soon collapsed, many aspects of their political and religious vision deeply mark our national psyche. You can hear it in the rhetoric of many more presidents than Reagan, as they speak of America’s providential role in history. Abraham Lincoln called Americans “an almost chosen people.” Franklin Roosevelt spoke of the nation’s “rendezvous with destiny.” Most recently, George W. Bush declared that “America is a nation with a mission, and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs.” But today as in the past, that sense of biblical errand is

coupled with a profound fear of failure. “We’ve carried forward the Puritans’ sense of anxiety,” says political scientist George McKenna, the author of “The Puritan Origins of American Patriotism.” “It underlies a great deal of American political rhetoric. While we believe we have a role to play in the world, we are not certain that we are destined to succeed.” At its best, says McKenna, the Puritan tradition of anxious providentialism has inspired the likes of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to improve the nation. King proclaimed that AfricanAmericans would win their freedom “because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.” But anxious providentialism can also devolve into self-indulgent cynicism, the kind that not only does not inspire but kills the very impulse to make the world better. The same is true for the jer-

Change: Edwards is the man -continued from page 14 weather attacks from the formidable Republican attack machine. Remember, Obama is only 46 years old—his presidential ambitions can wait. I am less a fan of Hillary Clinton. The differences between her and Edwards are especially pronounced. I have no qualms with a woman in the White House, I’d just prefer another woman there: Elizabeth Edwards, as First Lady. Her bravery in dealing with her breast cancer is inspiring. I also appreciate that, unlike her husband, she supports gay marriage. Hillary doesn’t deserve a monopoly on the female vote, because Edwards’ policies better address womens’ issues. Like African Americans, women are adversely affected by issues of poverty, employment and health care. My biggest reservation with Hillary: she is the biggest recipient (from either party) of special interest contributions—namely the defense, health care and drug industries and lobbies. She is beholden to the very interests that are diametrically opposed to the radical reforms we need. Edwards, by stark contrast, does not take money from Political Action Committees or lobbyists. Finally, Edwards is simply more electable than Hillary. National polls consistently show that Edwards is the strongest candidate against the Republican candidates. He is also strongest where it matters, in the battleground states. Better still, he is the only Democrat who actually beats Republican candidates in traditionally red states like Virginia and Oklahoma. Hillary is too polarizing a figure to garner such support.

And the reason Edwards bests Hillary in these pair-ups against Republicans is that he’s authentic and sincere. Many insinuate that because Edwards is wealthy, his populist message is contrived. But Edwards was not born rich; his wealth is selfmade. He grew up in a working-class community, where his dad worked in a textile mill for 36 years. He’s the proud product of public education and became the first member of his family to attend college. Edwards’ story is a textbook example of the American dream, a dream that, today, is increasingly elusive for millions of Americans. He has not forgotten his roots and is running to ensure that all Americans have the same opportunities he was afforded. In short, I support John Edwards because I think he commands the moral authority America needs right now. I share his disgust with the inequality in America. I share his outrage at our broken political system. I share his commitment to restoring American global leadership, on issues like climate change and Darfur. And, most of all, I share his optimism that America can (and must) tackle these and other issues. Jon Adams is a junior majoring in political science. Comments and questions can be sent to him at jonadams@ cc.usu. edu.

emiad. From the Puritans on, it has been used to exhort Americans to step up and fulfill their “errand into the wilderness” (in the words of another Puritan preacher). As one scholar put it, we experience a process of “liberation through lamentation.” But since the late 1960s and the demoralizing effects of the Vietnam War, too many jeremiads have held out too little hope, abandoning the promise inherent in the Puritans’ covenant -- the possibility of redemption. In these works, a new “reverse exceptionalism” has emerged, with critics portraying the United States as exceptionally bad, not exceptionally blessed . Although it’s easy to identify the origins of the post-modern jeremiad in the New Left, a generation later, plenty of disgruntled right-wingers employ the same grim, apocalyptic rhetoric. In either case, apocalypse without the possibility of redemption amounts to little more than a tantrum. I haven’t

read Buchanan’s latest book, because it’s one in a series that have aggressively played the doom-and-gloom card. In 2001, he warned of the “death of the West”; in 2006, he fretted over the “conquest of America,” and now, “The Day of Reckoning” claims “America is coming apart, decomposing, and ... the likelihood of her survival as one nation ... is improbable.” That sounds a lot more like cynical, self-indulgent ChickenLittle-ism than it does John Winthrop. Just what any nation on the verge of extinction needs. Rodriguez, a columnist for the Times’ opinion pages, is director of the California Fellows Program at the New America Foundation and author of “Mongrels, Bastards, Orphans and Vagabonds: Mexican Immigration and the Future of Race in America.” He can be reached at grodriguez@latimescolumnists.com.

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Yeah, we feel that way, too! All The Great Photos from Fall Semester Can be Yours.

States: Repeal 17th amend. -continued from page 14 Unfortunately, this important check was eliminated in 1913 by the Seventeenth Amendment. That amendment mandated that senators be chosen directly by the people, a provision that many of the Framers warned would be destructive of the balance of power between the national government and the states. Fisher Ames, a member of the Massachusetts state convention to ratify the Constitution and later a member of the House of Representatives, warned the direct election of senators by the people would “totally obliterate the federal features of the Constitution. What would become of the state governments, and on whom would devolve the duty of defending them against the encroachments of the federal government?” This mistake has made it much more possible for all three branches of the federal government to exercise more authority over the states. The result has been a larger, more intrusive, and less efficient national government. The growth of the federal government has also served to greatly weaken the power of the states. Originally, the national government was to be dependent on the states. Gradually, that balance has been lost as states have become increasingly more dependent on the federal government. A crucial step in returning power to the states is the repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment. It is also essential that the states become more independent and resist attempts of the federal government to extend its power into areas in which the states should be responsible. This would help reduce the size of the federal government and increase the freedom of American citizens. Colby Lyons is a senior majoring in law and constitutional studies. Comments can be sent to him at c.lyons@aggiemail. usu.edu

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StatesmanCampus News

Page 16

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

Killings of singers spread fear throughout music industry MEXICO CITY (AP) – A wave of organized crime violence terrorizing many parts of Mexico is driving fear into the heart of the entertainment business with the murders of several popular musicians, suggesting no one is immune to the rampant brutality. Most disquieting were the weekend slayings of two singers who had crooned only about love and loss, not drugs and guns like some “narcocorrido” celebrities killed in the past. The murders of Sergio Gomez, lead performer for the topselling group K-Paz de la Sierra, and Zayda Pena of the group Zayda and the Guilty Ones has mainstream singers worrying they may become targets by becoming identified with one or another of Mexico’s warring drug gangs. “What can I say? We are dismayed about this. I mean, we are all in the same boat,” said Javier Diaz, representative of Los Tucanes del Norte, a popular group that often poses with assault rifles to promote its songs and violence-filled videos.

Although not known for songs glamorizing the drug business, Gomez had reportedly received death threats urging him not to appear in the capital of the western state of Michoacan, a hot bed of the drug trade where he was tortured before being strangled Sunday. Pena was killed with similar brutality the previous day. Gunman fired an execution-style gunshot into her at the hospital where she was recovering from surgery for a bullet wound in her neck suffered Friday at a motel in the border city of Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas. Some fear that singers, whether they have any links to drug cartels or not, are routinely “adopted” by drug gangs, which post Internet videos showing their members torturing and executing rivals to soundtracks of popular tunes. “It really has people worried, because you never know if you go to a concert, what will happen, whether somebody might get shot,” said Pablo Zuack, press coordinator for Bandamax, a cable TV channel specializing in

northern Mexican music. “When you interview a performer, you never know if it’s the last story you’ll write about him.” Elijah Wald, author of the book “Narcocorrido,” said the musicians’ fears may be justified. “They’ve just kidnapped and murdered a major international star traveling with bodyguards,” he said, referring to Gomez. “That is a very clear message: ‘We can get anybody.’” Carolina Jaramillo, a publicist who represented Gomez and other acts, said the singer had

no ties to the drug trade that she knew of and she had no reason to believe he would be a target. “This year, and last year, we have seen a lot of violence,” she said. “We don’t know where the next one could come from.” Gomez’s manager, who is also named Sergio Gomez, told the television network Televisa that the singer had no ties to drug gangs, but had received threats earlier in the day warning him against performing in Morelia, which has been the site of bloody turf battles between Mexico’s two main cartels.

His group canceled an appearance in Morelia last year after similar threats, but Gomez refused to cancel again, said band representative Mario Olvera. After the concert, Gomez left with two business associates but was intercepted by 10 Chevrolet Suburbans. His body turned up on a rural roadside with signs of strangulation and severe bruising on the thorax and abdomen as well as burns on the legs. The business associates reportedly were released unharmed.

Sergio Gomez, center, lead singer of the Mexican norteno band K-Paz de la Sierra pauses during a press conference along with fellow band members in Mexico City, Aug. 28. Authorities have confirmed that Gomez, who was kidnapped last Dec. 1, by armed men after leaving a performance, has been found dead. AP Photo

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Announcements

Announcements All are welcome in this place Come see the new Church! Free Tours of the new Catholic Church in Hyde Park, first Tuesday of every month, 6PM-7PM. Address 725 South 250 East. (3 miles North of 1400 N on 800 E) Next tour is on Tuesday December 4th. Questions? Call Jason at 435-245-3209 Textbooks Bookwise Cheapest bookstore in town Check us out at: www.mybookwise.com/ james

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Student Jobs

For more information on these jobs, see USU Student employment, TSC 106 0090 Handyman $7/hr 1047 Youth Counselor BOE 1017 Cook $10/hr 1076 Assistant Manager $11-$13/hr BOE 1426 Sales/account Representative $50,000+ 1475 Live-in Nanny Full Time/permenant In Ca 400-450 a week 1499 Market Research Agent 6.50 to 8.25 1504 Center Sales And Service Associate 8.50-10 1506 Personal Assistant For Elderly Woman negotiable 1643 Accountant DOE 1634 Sales Associate/ Management DOE 1640 Nanny Based on Experience 1644 Bookkeeper DOE 1707 Internet Services Marketing 15% of your sales revenue 1284 Roofer $8-$13/ hr. BOE 1766 Customer Care Operator $9 1849 Delivery Driver 5.85 plus tips 1848 Pizza Maker 6.15 1850 Day Pizza Maker 6.15 0984 Banquet Server/assistant Manager Negotiable 1916 Farm Worker 7.50 starting 1935 Skier Surveyor 8.00/hr + Pass to work 1905 Security Officer $9.07 to $9.20 1938 Heating And A/c Installer 9/hr or based on exper 2021 Handyman Depends on experience 2071 Asp.net Programmer varies 2154 Office Equipment Repair Technician commensurate with exper 2282 Data Collection Specialist $7 starting 2180 Milk Delivery Driver 2253 Ballet Instructor Negotiable 2256 Ballroom Dance Instructor Negotiable 2268 Grave Youth Counselor $8.28/hr 2272 Sales Associate For Insurance Agent Based on Experience 2297 Freelance Photography 2302 Online Tutor $11/hr after one month 2346 Software Developer Intern / Contractor Market Rate 2351 Manager $13-$15 + Benefits 2341 Guest Service Representative $6-6.50/ hr or more DOE 0363 Helpdesk Operator Based On Experience 2345 Sales $8-$15 4330 Full Time Shuttle Driver $9-10/hr. including tips 2372 Cost Acct/financial Analyst Manager 2403 Poetry And Essay Judge $7.50/ hr. 0037 Shuttle Driver $9-10 including tips 2340 Housework/ Some Computer Input $6/ hr or negotiable 2402 Typist $8.00/hr 0698 Sales Consultant commission based compensa 2408 Wireless Consultant $7/hr to $14/hr 2418 Packaging $7.5-9.0/hr 2424 Direct Care Associate $8.50-$11-89 DOE 2423 Sales Associate $100 per sale 2416 Substitute BOE $6.50-$7.00 2419 General Labor $7-9/hr 2420 Electronic Repair Technician 2414 Aide BOE $7-$7.50 0033 Retail Associate $8-9/hr DOE 2323 Delivery Driver $8/hr. 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StatesmanBack Burner

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

Page 18

Check www.utahstatesman.com for complete calendar listings

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

- USU String Academy open registration, all day, Chase Fine Arts Center. - USU vs. Utah Tip-off party, 6 to 7 p.m. - Ecology Center seminar series, 6 to 7 p.m., Natural Resources building. - Youth Conservatory Christmas Concert, 7 p.m., Performance Hall. - USU men’s basketball at Utah, 7:05 p.m. - Cache Valley Center for the Arts – Bar-J Wranglers, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Ellen Eccles Theatre. - Jazz concert, 7:30 p.m., Kent Concert Hall. - ‘Absurd Person Singular,’ 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Cain Lyric Theatre.

- USU String Academy open registration, all day, Chase Fine Arts Center. - Ecology Center seminar series, 3 to 4 p.m., Natural Resources building. - ‘Absurd Person Singular,’ 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Cain Lyric Theatre. -USU Symphony Orchestra and Choral Ensembles, 7:30 p.m., Kent Concert Hall. - Salsa Club, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., HPER.

- USU String Academy open registration, all day, Chase Fine Arts Center. - Women’s Center mitten tree donations, final day, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., TSC. - Santa’s Elves: A North Pole musical, 6 to 9:30 p.m., Eccles Conference Center Auditorium. - USU Big Band Swing Club, 7 to 9:30 p.m., HPER. - USU and Institute combined choirs, 7:30 p.m., Kent Concert Hall. - USU Theatre producation: ‘Absurd Person Singular,’ 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Cain Lyric Theatre.

Dec. 5

Dec. 6

Dec. 7

Flying McCoys • G&G Mccoy Brain Waves • B. Streeter

Night of dancing PE 1720 presents: Friday, Dec. 7 7-9:30 p.m. in HPER Room 209, no cost to attend, anyone can attend (open to all) a night of ballroom and social dance (cha cha, waltz, salsa, big band, and more)

Stress Bust

Stress Bust is on Dec. 10 at the TSC from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at Lundstrum Hall 5 to 7 p.m.

Holiday ice show HOLIDAY ICE SHOW at the Eccles Ice Center, 6th Annual Winter Wonderland on Ice, Saturday, Dec. 8 from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Free admission to the show. Stay after the show and “skate with the stars” at a public skate session from 8-9:15 p.m. for a discounted price.

Nights of Lights

USU Women’s Center is sponsoring a holiday open house in the TSC in the Sunburst lounge on Thursday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All proceeds will go to the Women’s Center Advisory Board Scholarship Fund for our reentry students.

MFT questions

Marriage and Family Therapy

Student Association (MFTSA) social today (12/5) at 3:30 p.m. in the FCHD west building. Come meet the MFT grad students, ask some questions, and have some tasty refreshments.

InTech art exhibit

InTech Collegiate High School Arts Night. The evening will feature an exhibition of visual art, musical, dance and dramatic performances by InTech students and faculty, Friday, Dec. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. USU innovation Campus, 1787 North Research Parkway

More to remember ... • Aggie Walking Club Meets every Wednesday at noon on the Nelsen Fieldhouse track. Weather permitting we will walk around our beautiful USU campus. The First Lady, Joyce Albrecht, often joins us. Everyone is welcome! Go Aggies! Be Well! • Mariska Romney will be playing a violin recital on Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. in the Performance Hall. • Registration for Spring Semester 2008 is now open! Go online at WISE.ldsces.org to enroll. Click on Logan, Register for Classes and then click “CHANGE TERM“ and select Spring 2008. • Religion in Life, Friday, Dec.

Pearls Before Swine • Steve Pastis

7 11:30 a.m: Tyler Griffin. Preservice Trainer at the Logan Institute of Religion. USU degrees in electrical engineering and instructional technology. Lunch for the Bunch follows at 12:20 p.m., always $2.50 or less. • Come take a break from studying with Michael and Dwight. “The Office” Party-RBW 114 at 7, Wednesday, Dec. 5. • DESA presents: Take a break and come to our annual CHRISTMAS PARTY cookies, stories, gifts and more. Wednesday, Dec. 5, 7 p.m. Please e-mail us for directions (desa@aggiemail.usu.edu) and bring a small gift. Non-members $3 fee • Come to your community book sale. 50 percent off everything. Books, school supplies and more. Great holiday gifts. Lundstrom Hall 1295 E. 1000 North. Dec 4-8 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free daycare on Friday 7-9 p.m. • Northern Utah’s Second Annual Nights of Lights Celebration, Dec. 3 through Dec. 15. Free family fun and entertainment at the Cache County Fairgrounds, 500 S. 500 West. ome support your community. www.foryouth.org • GRE/LSAT Prep Course will run Jan. 22-Feb. 28 every Tuesday and Thursday from 6-8 p.m.