The Utah statesman, April 11, 2011

Page 1

Monday, April 11, 2011

Utah Statesman The

Campus Voice since 1902

Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com

Parking lot closes, makes way for new building By ROB JEPSON web editor

The university has announced plans to construct a new building on campus for the Regional Campuses and Distance Education (RCDE) program. The building will replace the fenced-off parking lot just east of the Lillywhite Building on 700 North. Groundbreaking for the building is scheduled for May, and construction is expected to end July 2012. James Nye, USU’s director of parking and transportation, said he did not fight the decision to construct the building in place of a parking lot. “Every parking lot on cam-

pus is a future building lot,” Nye said. “We realize this is going to be a very valuable building. This’ll house classroom space and that’s very important. We’re team players and understand how things are.” Nye said faculty who used to park in the parking lot have already been reassigned. As for students, Nye said there are other options. “We have lots of parking on this campus that’s un-utilized, it’s just that most of it’s not convenient,” Nye said. “The shuttle system works great. There’s tons of parking around the stadium. It’s just that you might have to have a two or three minute walk.”

Currently, there are no plans to construct a new parking lot, though Nye said the new building will include about 18 parking stalls. Assistant vice provost and executive director of RCDE Robert Wagner said the new building’s first two floors and basement will house distance education-equipped classrooms. The top two floors will house administrative offices for RCDE. “Additionally, there will be a small team of instructional designers from the Faculty Assistance Center for Teaching (FACT) that will be on the first floor, able to assist faculty with their distance education courses,” Wagner said.

Janis Morales, RCDE’s director of finance, said the building’s tall, compact design will make efficient use of space. “It will be really, really nice,” she said. “I think it will be used by all of campus with all those classrooms.” Morales said the building is intended principally for distance education and broadcast courses, but that all types of classes can be held there. “Most broadcast classes are held in the evenings,” she said. “We want to have this maximized with use, so it will be available.” – robmjepson@gmail.com

THE FUTURE REGIONAL CAMPUSES and Distance Education program’s building will take the place of the current library parking lot. This image is an artist rendition created by architects hired by USU. Photo courtesy Janis Morales

Board approves design programs

Dating Violence Statistics in Utah •One out of every three women has experienced sexual assault

By DAN SMITH news senior writer

• The national average of sexual assaults is one in six

present on Utah State’s campus, said Monica Heiner, USU’s Sexual Assault and AntiViolence Information (SAAVI) coordinator, who saw two new students every week during fall semester about their experiences with dating violence. USU Police records show only one rape and one case of sexual abuse were reported that same semester. To promote April as Sexual Abuse Awareness month, SAAVI is working to bridge the gap between total dating violence inci-

Design thinking for innovation, a product of the longest-running study abroad program at USU, received approval by the Board of Trustees on Friday to become one of two new certificate programs offered by the university. “This is a very exciting program that brings together two of our academic units on campus,” said USU Provost Raymond Coward, “the Caine College of the Arts and the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business.” Professor Bob Winward of the Caine College of the Arts developed a successful study abroad program that focused on graphic design said business professor Chris Fawson. The program – now in its 10th year – inspired a more creative approach to the business end of product design and marketing. Leysin, Switzerland, provides the setting for the fiveweek program which was a “buffet” of courses, said art major Jeremy Wilkins, that focus on concepts including human-centered design. He said this method focuses on designing things with the user in mind. “Last year we piloted the notion of changing the focus to more design thinking,” Fawson said, “which is really a mash-up between business methods and processes with the processes of creativity and innovation that are embedded in the way a designer approaches challenges.” Design thinking is simply a way of approaching various business-related problem solving situations in a way that will make professionals more proficient, said professor Chris Terry of the Caine College of the Arts. The certificate will verify on paper that students completed the program, he said. He said it’s the course of study that will

- See ABUSE, page 4

- See CERTIFICATE, page 3

• 50% of people in Utah believe there is an issue with dating violence in their community • 9.8% of rape cases are reported • 91.4% of rapes are committed by someone the victim knows

DATING VIOLENCE AT USU goes unreported to police the majority of the time, said SAAVI coordinator Monica Heiner, and during fall semester she saw two new students a week who reported experiencing dating violence. ANI MIRZAKHANYAN photo illustration

Young people at high risk for dating violence By CATHERINE MEIDELL news editor

When Ariel Hoopes’ previous boyfriend shoved her up against the side of his car after she cut her hair without his permission, she was scared, and with tear-filled eyes said she didn’t realize until months later that she was one of the millions who are victimized daily by dating violence. “He wanted to stomp everything out of me that made me confident,” said Hoopes, a USU sophomore majoring in English teaching. “He

would say, ‘You aren’t smart enough, the best you can do is go to community college like me.’ He would have me show him my school work. He would say my teachers lied to me.” College-aged females ranging from 1625 report being victims of dating violence more than any other group, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and 80 percent of those effected by dating violence tend to stay with their dating partner. Utah has consistently had rape and sexual abuse statistics well over the national average. This violence is present in Utah, and is

Academic senate asks students to step away from social networking By MEGAN BAINUM assistant news editor

Students are encouraged to spend less time using social networking sites this week in hopes of helping them realize how much time this activity takes from being productive in other ways. “Unplugged” week was created by the ASUSU Academic Senate to do just this, and wants students to not only disconnect from social networking, but realize what other kinds of distractions are keeping them from their school work. Tanner Wright, academic senate president, said the idea has been in the works for a few months, and all the academic senators are involved. “We aren’t trying to put a negative light on Facebook, we just want students to acknowledge how much time they spend on it when they could be doing other things,” Wright said. College of Natural Resources senator Jason Carlisle

Inside This Issue

said when the idea was initially discussed they went get on it during class because it is too distracting, but into classrooms and talked to some students to see if he definitely gets on in the library when he should be they would be on board with the idea. doing homework. He said it depends He said people seemed to openly on what kind of workload he has “We aren’t trying recognize that they had an “open when it comes to the time he spends to put a negative dependence on these things and using Facebook. wanted to explore other options and light on Facebook, “When I have a full schedule and see what kind of impacts the usage of we just want stuI know I need to do well then I am these things have on them.” focused and Facebook doesn’t get dents to acknowlThe problem is in the computer in the way, but when I am not very edge how much labs, library and classrooms that focused, yes, it does,” he said. time they spend on allow laptops, Wright said, where Carlisle said society today is “very it ...” students are more often than not on dependant on social media and techFacebook rather than studying or – Tanner Wright, nology,” and the point of this week is listening to their professors. He said to help students realize it’s not always social media has obviously revolution- academic senate president just fun and games. ized the way students interact with “I mean, there can be serious health, others and addiction to technology and social media is social and psychological issues at stake for people who not healthy. Jake Christofferson, an undeclared sophomore, said - See UNPLUG, page 4 even though he gets on Facebook every day, he doesn’t

4/11/11 Five USU professors gather together to perform in a quintet of woodwind instruments. Page 5

Utah State women’s soccer wins 2-0 against Dixie State College. Page 8

Unplugged Week Monday • Unplugged Fair at 11 a.m. in the TSC Lounge Tuesday • Katchafire concert at 8 p.m. in the TSC Ballroom Thursday • Showing of “The Social Network” in the TSC Auditorium

www.utahstatesman.com iPhone Users: What are you waiting for? The App for campus news and videos and Logan area business search is ready. Download today! FREE! Official Student Newspaper of Utah State University • “It’s All The News You Need!”


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