Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Utah Statesman The
Campus Voice since 1902
Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com
Katchafire heats up the TSC
Alumnus selected as 2011 commencement speaker but he also is an unparalleled ambassador of humanitarianism and a model for how good people take action and make L. John Wilkerson is takthis world a better place. We ing a breather from his busy career advancing medical care are honored to have him speak to our students.” through business mediums Those who both graduto be USU’s commencement ated with Wilkerson and conspeaker at its 124th graduatinue to work at the university tion ceremony, May 7. echoed Albrecht’s comments He developed a company on Wilkerson’s achievements. focusing on service opportu“You know, we have many, nities and strategic reviews, many great alumni and a lot and also collaborates with of people who have achieved health product companies on a lot of great things, but his Wall Street. combination At the ceremony, of his career in Wilkerson will “John Wilkerson trying to create join a group truly is one of better health of four other the university’s care, him and prominent indihis wife assistmost accomviduals who will ing in educareceive honorary plished gradutional issues doctorates, and ates in both his and his fansaid he is honprofessional and tastic abilities ored to speak to to care deeply personal life.” the graduating – Stan Albrecht, about the arts students of USU. make him “John USU President plenty qualiWilkerson truly fied,” said Vice is one of the uniPresident of Advancement versity’s most accomplished Ross Peterson. graduates in both his profes“He and his wife Barbara sional and personal life,” said have really done quite a lot to USU president Stan Albrecht. preserve a world that is very “He has been extremely sucvery powerful, but at the same cessful in the business world, By RHETT WILKINSON staff writer
LOGAN BELL, KATCHAFIRE’S LEAD GUITARIST jams on stage, Tuesday, in the TSC Ballroom with band mates for Unplugged Week. ANI AGHABABYAN photo
L. JOHN WILKERSON
time, he has been involved in trying to create a lot better world for a lot of people.” Wilkerson said Albrecht and Peterson contacted him last month with an invitation to have lunch in New York City, a reunion Wilkerson said happens a couple times per year. That rendezvous included another invitation. “The invitation to be the Commencement speaker is not what I was expecting,” Wilkerson said. “I thought I was going to have a wonderful dinner, talk about solving the problems of the world, and tell
- See WILKERSON, page 4
Canvas links grades to social networks By DAN SMITH news senior writer
The Faculty Assistance Center for Teaching (FACT) begins training faculty this week on how to use Canvas, the new learning management system (LMS) that will fully replace Blackboard by summer of 2012. “We’re running in the ballpark of about 30 courses in Canvas this summer,” said FACT instructional designer Neal Legler. “We’ve got some new classes that faculty just don’t want to develop in Blackboard, or we’ve got classes that are taught by faculty that are eager to try out the new system.” Legler said the training, which is open to all instructors who would like to attend, will take place in the Merrill-Cazier Library from now until the end of the semester. For those faculty members who will remain here throughout the summer, training opportunities will also be available. Any professors or instructor who would like to incorporate Canvas into their curriculum for the Fall 2011 semester can contact FACT and become eligible to do so. He said the aim is to have around 200 on-campus courses using Canvas by the fall and have most of the online,
distance education courses changed over as well. “We’re hoping that over the summer we’ll have done enough testing that we’ll have worked out some of the kinks on the new system,” Legler said. Part of the change from Blackboard to Canvas includes integrating the new system with Banner so students will be able to access it by using their A-number and Banner password. Legler said it is likely some students will end up having to use both systems – Blackboard for some classes and Canvas for others – until the changeover is complete. Since December 2010, when USU liaisons for the Utah Education Network (UEN) took part in a network-wide decision to find a replacement for Blackboard – because the UEN contract with Blackboard ends in summer of 2012 – a handful of instructors on campus have already been using the new software. “I’ve been teaching with it this semester – 35 students,” said internet development instructor Kevin Reeve. “It’s a piece of cake for them. I’ve maybe gotten three questions all semester.” Reeve said he also had
- See GRADES, page 3
Inside This Issue
USU SHUTTLES act as a service for students who have a tight transportation budget. Since the beginning of 2011, Utah gas prices have increased by $1. ARMEN HOVSEPYAN photos
Fuel prices siphon bank accounts dropped in value and we need more dollars to buy more oil,” Lyons said. The conflicts in Egypt, Libya and other countries could also be a contributor, he said, due the fact that The price of gas has risen almost one dollar oil production has greatly reduced in certain “The dollar is losper gallon since the beginning of 2011, accordareas in the east. Another major factor, one ing value ... coning to Utahgasprices.com. that plays on a more long-term level, is the “There are many long-, middle- and shortflicts in the East increase of demand in oil, Lyons said. term factors that come into play,” said political have reduced oil “The economies of China, India and other science professor Michael Lyons concerning formerly less developed nations, that have production to some the gas price spike. “The dollar is losing value industrialized have been some of the biggest … conflicts in the East have reduced oil produc- extent ... ” factors (in the increase). The percent of people tion to some extent … the U.S. is consuming – Michael Lyons, who own automobiles has gone up quite a bit,” well beyond our needs.” political science professor Lyons said. Over the past six months, the value of the These international developments have dollar has reduced by almost 10 percent, Lyons caused a drastic change in the supply and demand for the oil said, and the increase of gas prices has less to do with the market and, according to Lyons, could be a long-term factor increase of the price of oil and more to do with the devaluathat will only cause an increase in future oil prices. tion of the dollar. By KEVIN MITCHELL staff writer
“I don’t think the price of gasoline is that much higher than it was 8-10 years ago other than the fact that the dollar has
4/13/11 ASUSU President Tyler Tolson gives a glimpse into his life and the fairy tale experience it was meeting his wife, Nicole. Page 5
Defense dominates during full-team scrimmage for USU football, Monday. Page 8
- See GAS, page 4
www.utahstatesman.com Check out Big Blue’s Best Calendar, the best master calendar on campus. Send something in ... let people know what you’re up to. Official Student Newspaper of Utah State University • “It’s All The News You Need!”