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Show W E B E R February's holiday of love S T A T E U N I V E R S The I T Y Wildcat loss ties women in second place see page 8 see page 5 wsusignpost.com MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2006 VOLUME 68 ISSUE 63 Annual symposium to display student research By Andrea Bean assistant news editor | The Signpost SOURCE. THE SIGNPOST FILE PHOTO Students display their research at the 2005 Undergraduate Research Symposium. This project was titled "Modeling a Proposed NonEnzymatic Tautomerization Step in the Biotransformation of a Dihydroxybiphenyl" - they even explained what that meant. Applications for admittance into Weber State University's third annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration are due on Wednesday, Feb. 15. The symposium is an exhibition that allows students to present their undergraduate research projects to the community. "We like to find a way to showcase all the really great stuff that has been going on on campus throughout the last year," said John Cavilt, Office of Undergraduate Research director. "It's an opportunity for everybody to kind of conic together and share their results with the entire university community and hopefully encourage others to participate as well." Students can display a poster, fill out the application, students give an oral presentation or will receive a confirmation page. showcase a performing/visual They should print this out and 'art presentation. Students must deliver it to the WSU Office of make special arrangements to Undergraduate Research along present a performance. They with their signature and the can present more than one signature of their sponsoring project. For example, a student faculty advisor. A faculty member could participate in a group must sponsor a student's project research project and present an in order to have it admitted into the symposium. individual project. Everyone who fills out an This year the symposium will be on Mar. 27 from 11 a.m. to application and delivers the 5 p.m. in the Shepherd Union confirmation page and faculty advisor's signature to the Building. To have their research projects office will be admitted into included in the symposium the program, said StephAnn students need to complete Knotts, Office of Undergraduate an application and submit an Research office coordinator. abstract of the project online. Any student who participated The abstract summarizes the in undergraduate research is project and its results and invited to present their work in must not exceed 200 words. the symposium. Students who The application is available received financial assistance online at programs.weber.edu/ from the undergraduate research/symp2006/ research office are required to 2006applications.asp. After they showcase their work. Last year, 17C) students from, all seven of WSU's colleges entered their research projects into the 2005 symposium. The projects ranged from examining the lives of children living through the Great Depression to studying the effects of exercise on white blood cells. "It is this interdisciplinary, I think, that's so exciting, that there are projects from all across the campus and there is a celebration of all of the research and work that students do whether it's creative, whether it's classic scientific experiments," said Kathryn MacKay, WSU associate history professor. The symposium also gives students an opportunity to serve the community, MacKay said. For their projects, students often research community issues and concerns. See Symposium page 3 A tale of two parties College Democrats, Republicans bring political issues to campus .. .... By Steven R. Mouritsen sr. news reporter [ The Signpost Two political parties, democrats and republicans, are represented by two respective organizations at Weber State University. Fach group meets regularly to discuss subjects such as what event they will sponsor next and what speaker will be there, or simply talk politics. Leah Murray, assistant professor of political science and philosophy, is chairwoman of the College Democrats. "(The College Democrats] meet every two weeks, generally," Murray said. "We sponsor certain events and work on bringing speakers to the campus that are relevant to politics." College Democrats have scheduled Utah District 2 Congressman Jim Matheson to speak on February 21 in the Wattis Building from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. WSU students and anyone else in attendance will have the opportunity to hear Matheson speak about current events, happenings in congress and answer to questions they might ask him. Murray said the College Democrats have scheduled Pete Ashdown to speak on the same day as Matheson. Ashdown, 38, declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate race against Orrin Hatch who is in the midst of a 24-year tenure as senator, Both the College Democrats and College Republicans fluctuate in membership. Frank Guliuzza, chairman of the Department of Political Science and Philosophy, also serves as the chairman for College Republicans. "(College Republicans) vary in size," Guliuzza said. "In election year there's much more interest." Guliuzza and Murray understand that the importance of WSU political groups are not merely on the college government level but the county, state and federal level. .Weber. County.. JPreclnct, panty_ caucuses for the Democrat, Republican and Independent Party will be held on March 21. The significance of a party caucus is that delegates will be selected to represent politicians of various parties. WSU students have been delegates in past years and both College Democrats and College Republicans wish to see WSU students represent the school. "In the spring we try to encourage the students to go to caucus meetings," Guliuzza said. "Students who become delegates (obtain! some serious clout, because every member needs a delegate giving Weber State students a voice." In Utah the role of delegate is especially influential because of the unique caucus-convention system the state has embraced. "Utah is one of few states that still give delegates first crack at nominating candidates," Guliuzza said. "We still cherish neighborhood-rooted democracy. I would encourage republicans and democrats to attend caucus meetings. Becoming a delegate is a way to do some good." College democrats and republicans serve as "runners" during the caucus meetings. Their tasks include everything from ballot collection to organizing venues. Political clubs are an opportunity for students to get involved with WSU and with a political party with which they agree. Whether right or left wing, red or blue, donkey or elephant, one club will accept them. You can leave a message for reporter Steven R. Mouritsen by calling 626-7655. I ' H O T O S !W J A S O N STALFY I T i l l Disco meets bizarre magic {Top) Brian Brushwood and Mr. Happy Pants torment Weber State University freshman Amanda Nuttall durring Brushwood's bizarre magic show at the Disco Cupid party in the Shepherd Union Building on Saturday night. (Left) Brushwood threads a plastic hose through his nose and out his mouth. The stunt was also part of his "Bizarre Magic Show." This stunt he titled the "Human Crazy Straw." Not only did the trick involve threading a tube though his head, he wrapped the tube around his body and ran a liquid concoction consisting of Coca-Cola, orange juice, milk and water through it. There were other activities at the party. There was dancing in the Ballrooms, a Dance Dance Revolution tournament and Brushwood presented another show called "Scams, Sasquatch and the Supernatural." The activity was sponsored by the WSU Student Association. Series, luncheon to celebrate black, American history By Shalian Dore correspondent | The Signpost Black History Month is what many people have come to think about when February comes around, but how much do most people really know about black history? Names like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks are among the first that come to mind, yet there are many other names and events in black history that are rarely discussed but are just as significant. On Wednesday, Feb. 15, from noon to 1 pm, Davis Campus Student Affairs, along with Services for Multicultural Students, will hold a Black History Month Lunch and Learn at the WSU Davis Campus in Room 117. The Lunch and Learn series addresses many topics each semester, ranging from sexual assault to test-anxiety. Those in attendance this Wednesday will enjoy pizza and learn about black history from Ethnic Director Michael Styles. Styles is the ethnic director for the Office of Black Affairs. A native of Utah, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in ethnic studies at the University of Utah. He served as the University of Utah's African American student union president and was instrumental in developing Conference in Washington D.C, the Utah Black Chamber of As director of the Office of Black Commerce Affairs, Styles where he is works with an ex officio "I believe that WSU the ethnic on the board students should take councils in of directors. partnership He was the an interest in this topic with other program state agencies director for because black history to address the Utah is American history," the needs State Martin of Utah's Luther King, growing Jr. Human - Adrienne Gillespie, m i n o r i t y R i g h t s WSU Davis Campus counselor populations. He is Commission, of special student populations and in 2006 currently was selected studying by Senator Orin Hatch to head for his master's degree in public the African American Leadership administration at Golden Gate University in California. Adrienne Gillespie is a counselor of special student populations and student affairs at the Weber State University Davis Campus. She believes strongly in this event as well as all other events offered by the Davis Campus Student Affairs through the Lunch and Learn series. "1 believe that WSU students should take an interest in this topic because black history is American history," Cillespie said. "Our lunch and learn series provides a wonderful opportunity for students, faculty and suiff to learn about things that they may not have been aware of or that can provide them with a framework for looking at something differently than they have in the past." Wednesday's Lunch and Learn will hopefully provide attendees with a new and complex understanding of this social movement. "All history is impacted by people with different ethnicities, genders, abilities, and orientations," Gillespie said. "The focus on Wednesday's presentation is how black people have impacted our society. It is very nice to be recognized and respected for the work that has been done by people of color, people who have been left out of discussion for far too long." See American page 3 |