OCR Text |
Show ,TH E Thursday, January 30, 2014 DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE www.dailyutahchronicle.com OPINION The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice Since 1890 I No.80 102014 Katherine Ellis: In the midst of technological revolution, phone companies should rethink two-year contracts >> pg 4 ARTS Pioneer Theatre Company presents an intense story of truth, justice in 'A Few Good Men' >> pg 5 SPORTS After grinding battle, the women's basketball team triumphed over the Buffaloes >> pg 6 POLITICS State of Union speech doesn't move students . . . the same Vol. 123 old thing .. . . . .getting a spine .. . .. big ideas but not a lot of specifics . . . So I'm doubtful. Karriann Johnson STAFF WRITER President Barack Obama gave his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday, unveiling his plans for the upcoming year in 65 minutes. Obama addressed federal government policies on foreign affairs, education and renewal of the budget cut from last year. For Landon Quintana, a senior in English, the agenda was nothing special. "It's the same old thing," Quintana said. Within his speech, President Obama said, "Wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do." Leslie Pierson, a junior in sociology and gender studies, said that she felt that this showed Obama is "getting a spine." She said while the comment was a little frightening, it seemed maybe he was actually getting upset about some of the issues behind closed doors that the "other side of the aisle" are bringing up. However, Pierson worries about implementation of Obama's plan. "I liked a lot of what he said, but an actual plan is always good," she said. "My impression was, it seemed like a lot of big ideas but not a lot of specifics." Hayden Wright, a junior in psychology, was not able to watch the State of the Union but said he hopes immigration reform will also be on Obama's agenda for this year. "[Congress] need[s] to realize that the only way is to compromise, is to come up with a moderate solution. So I'm doubtful," Wright said. The president also said the United States could not be successful without paying women equal wages as men. Currently, the wage difference pays women 77 cents to the dollar that men make. "In 2014, it's an embarrassment," Obama said. Obama's address also focused on his accomplishments within the office. He said the Affordable Care Act has led to more than nine million Americans signing up for health insurance through private sectors and Medicaid. Three million citizens under the age of 26 have gained insurance through their parent's plan. For Pierson it was a "civic duty to pay attention to [his speeches], so I know what people are talking about." k.johnson@chronicle.utah.edu Chapul presents bugs as food Emilie Trepanier STAFF WRITER Instead of pizza and Panda Express, U students dined on bugs Wednesday in the Marriott Library. Pat Crowley, founder of the program "Chapul," taught audience members about the benefits and nutrients that can be attained through eating bugs in an event called, "Eating Insects: From Past to Present." Chapul aims to incorporate insects into Western cooking. Marti Woolford, who is in charge of the Social Soup program, coordinated the event that attracted an estimated 65 people. This was one of their monthly events to educate people on different aspects of food. The presentation taught participants that bugs have been edible sources of nutrition long before the modern American form of agriculture. Crowley said there are places, such as Thailand and Columbia, that have entire markets dedicated to selling insects as food. In Mexico City, bread with grasshopper grinds is sold for a higher price than "normal" bread. Crowley suspects the fear of eating crickets and grasshoppers sprouts from the United States' style of agriculture. He said bugs are seen as a nuisance to farmers and not a nutritious treat. He also said the psychological conception of bugs as "gross" has contributed to their lack of appeal. But Crowley argued insects are actually more "green" than eating a piece of beef. He said grasshoppers are more bio-degradable than a cow and produce more food. He gave the example that if a cow was fed io pounds of cow feed, then it would produce one pound of beef and be 40 percent edible. If a cricket is fed io pounds of feed then it produces eight pounds of cricket, and is 8o percent edible. Crowley has also invented an energy bar made out of dates and dehydrated crickets. The energy bar flavors include Chaco (peanut butter and chocolate), Thai (coconut, ginger and lime) and Aztec (dark-chocolate, coffee and cayenne). Carly Gillespie, who works for Wasatch Community Gardens, said she initially did not want to try Crowley's energy bar but was pleasantly surprised when she did. She said they were delicious and had a good texture, but she did not want to eat plain bugs. Molly Mostert, a senior in biology, held three samples of the cricket energy bars in her hands and said she was "definitely convinced" the U.S. should change their eating habits after the event. e.trepanier@chronicle.utah.edu CHRIS SAMUELS/The Daily Utah Chronicle A participant tries a sample of Chapul's granola bars made with crickets. English professor receives award John Peterson STAFF WRITER Stepping into professor Jeff Metcalf's office has been described as stepping into his mind. The walls are plastered with posters and photos. A cricket bat leans against the wall by the door, ready for use when Metcalf goes off to play with his buddies from the cricket club he started at the U. An entire wall is a floorto-ceiling library, filled to capacity with an eclectic collection of books. Metcalf calls this library a "geological landscape" of his life. Metcalf, who teaches in the English department, is one of this year's recipients of the U's prestigious Distinguished Teaching Award. His teaching career now spans more than 4o years, but he traces his love for literature back to the third grade. At that time, he was disenchanted with school. But even though he found most things boring, he began to deeply enjoy writing, in part because he was good at it and received praise. He was chosen by his teacher, Mrs. Broadband, to be the class pen-pal to a student in London. One day, Mrs. Broadband caught young Metcalf writing poetry. When she inquired, he admitted he enjoyed poetry — with some embarrassment. Mrs. Broadband gave him a book of e. e. cummings poems. That was when the literary addiction began. "I understood [cummings] immediately. It was like [Mrs. Broadband] was giving me crack cocaine. She was feeding me these books of poetry and asking me about poetry, and I was completely engaged. I was engaged inside her classroom, and I was engaged out of the classroom," he said. Metcalf believes it was that teacher who ignited his passion for reading and writing. In third grade, he started journaling. "[Writing was] a place where I could wrestle with my own demons," he said. Metcalf uses many of his journals to explore ideas, express emotions and even find material for a play or short story or to become a better teacher. Despite his love for books, his path to becoming an English professor was hardly an obvious one. Throughout high school and college, his boredom with school continued. Metcalf started at Utah State University, then moved to the U. At one point, he seriously considered dropping out of school. Enter Phil Sullivan and David Kranes, two now-emeritus professors from the U's English department who urged Metcalf to stay in school. Much to his surprise, they encouraged him to become a teacher. Metcalf was not keen on the idea, but Sullivan and Kranes were persistent. They made him swear an oath to meet with the teachers at an afterschool teaching program at East High School for bright students who felt like dropping out. Metcalf loved it so much he applied to be a teacher in the next fall semester. "Those people saved my life," Metcalf said. "I could have been a really successful business- man, but I wouldn't have had a soul." Metcalf said he loves teaching because it keeps him growing. As one who struggled with staying focused in class, he emphasizes involving students in the discussion — just as certain teachers did for him. "I think that you always, always teach the student, and the subject will come later," Metcalf said. In addition to his conventional university classes, Metcalf is also involved in the Venture program, an outreach program that provides adults living in poverty with education in five fields of the humanities: philosophy, literature, U.S. history, art history and writing. He also is involved with "Humanities in Focus," which teaches the same population to make documentary films. Metcalf recalls a time when he once asked a student why she made the sacrifice to leave her work and come to classes. "I have a hunger of the human mind that cannot be banished with bacon and beans," she said. Kari Lindsey, a senior in English, took play construction from Metcalf. She said Metcalf is not only intelligent but also extremely witty. "He cares about his students. He cares enough about his students to push them in a way that a lot of professors don't," she said. "He cares about you as a person, not just as a student." j.peterson@chronicle.utah.edu New UTA bus route takes U students directly from campus to slopes FLOAD AND RI DE Use FAREPAYand save up to 20% off cosh fare' 131 BRENT UBERTY/The Daily Utah Chronicle UTA buses like these take students to and from local ski resorts. Morgan McKenna STAFF WRITER U students can now hit the slopes on the weekend without getting behind the wheel. Utah Transit Authority provides a direct bus route from Fort Douglas to both Brighton and Solitude ski resorts for $4.50 one way. The route began operating in Dec. 2013 and continues through the season until April 12, 2014. Andrew Thompson, new media specialist in the U's Marketing and Communication department, said the U has tried something like this before, but there were more stops involved, which slowed down the commute. The line was then discontinued. The new route has fewer stops, which lie mostly near the bases of Big Cottonwood Canyon. The bus takes approximately 45 minutes to get to the two ski resorts. The bus operates Friday through Saturday. Thompson said it used to run every day but was not used as often during the weekdays. "This way students are more apt to take the bus when they don't have classes on the weekends," Thompson said. TheUTAbusleaves campusat 8:48 a.m.inhopes students will enjoy a full day on the mountain. Meetings with UTA began last spring to organize the new express route. "We've had some requests for this, and we know that a lot of students actually attend the U for the ski resorts," UTA spokesman Remi Barron said. The department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism hold some courses off campus at Brighton, which initially prompted the new route. "They thought it would be a good way for those students to get up to the resort," Thompson said. "It's more sustainable and just provides another option for all students, especially out-ofstate students and international students." Eric Swider, a freshman in environmental engineering, lives in the dorms on campus and is excited about the simplicity the bus will provide for his weekend ski habits. "I could just grab a crew of like four people from the dorms who ski and snowboard and be like, 'Hey, meet me at the stop in io minutes. We're heading out!" he said. "I would absolutely use it." The bus will load students at the UTA stop on Hempstead Road by the Peterson Heritage Center and Ft. Douglas and return to the U at 5:3o p.m. m.mckenna@chronicle.utah.edu |