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Show Then and now... HOME COMING A look at the last By Gina Barker asst. news editor I The Signpost Recession, Iraq, unemployment rates skyrocketing, and Russia were all issues topping the headlines. The year was 1958, and Lee Malan was the student body president of Weber College, a small two-year college at the time. The campus consisted of four buildings and the T.U.B., or Temporary Union Building. On today's campus, only two of those four buildings are still standing, and are better known as Buildings 3 and 4. Malan commented on his memories of WSU's early campus from 1958, as stark difference from the campus students know today. "There was a little tack-on building that was called the 'Tub/ which was a Temporary Union Building and the person who ran it was Shepherd, which the building is now named. So you met your girlfriend or boyfriend in the 'Tub'." The original building was an old WWII barrack that was converted and moved from 25"1 Street in Ogden to the main campus. Even though the campus was more humble than Brigham Young University or the University of Utah, Weber College was growing. In 1958, the state's House of Representatives passed a bill allowing Weber four-year school status. Just one year before WSU was granted four-year status, Sputnik was launched into space and Russian-American relations were under great strain. A 1958 University of Utah graduate, and retired long-time WSU history professor, Richard Roberts remembered the effect the Cold War had on education, and college life in America. "In 1957, the Russians had put up the satellite Sputnik. They were bragging about their technological power and they were way ahead of us. There was a concern on the part of the United States that we would be left behind and so President Eisenhower put a lot of effort ongettingustechnologicaltyonthemove up in science, electronics, and different subjects that dealt with technology." Life at Weber, life for the college student, and even life for the average American changed after WWII. Through the G.I. Bill, many soldiers returning home from the Korean War began attending colleges like WSU changing the college dynamic. "The Korean War aftermath was ongoing when I was in school," said Malan. "We had many students coming back from the Korean War to Weber with the G.I. Bill, and they were a little older." The fifty year reunion for the graduates of Weber College in 1958 will be held on campus this Friday and Saturday, where alumni can see the changes of WSU and its students. As college degrees became more available to more people and expected by more employers, demographics on campuses have changed. "I would assume that college has changed since social standards have changed," WSU freshman Briana Jordan said. "America has changed. We, as a nation, are not the same at this age as we would have been fifty years ago. Education itself has changed. "It's extremely difficult to put one Right: Lee Malan, the former WSU student body presidentjin 1958, vvorl« as a plastic surgeon in ®gden.flnse.t:ffll yearbook picture of Malanjn year he was student Know the what, when, and where Monday By Chelsi Archibald sr. news reporter I The Signpost Every year, Weber State University celebrates Homecoming week. Its events include football's Homecoming game, parties, and the famous Homecoming dance. Many students prepare for the dance with excitement, while others question why a commuter school has homecoming at all. Part of the reason the homecoming dance has prevailed could be tradition. For many years, WSU students have taken pride in planning, attending and celebrating dance royalty, but this year Kick off party Monday at 630 p.m., wildcats are invited to Paint the Town Purple. There will be a pep rally, and live music. Students participating will meet at the Ogden Amphitheaterby 25th St. and KeiselAve. , '•_} :-.„;„. Tuesday • f.'v Chalk walk artists Chalk artists will come fc Weber and show their stuff as they create past pictures of campus buildings. Students will be invited to join in and create their own pieces. The art will be going on around campusfrom9 to 11 a.m. Left: The Temporary Union Building (TUB) in 1958. The buiding was an old WWII barrack that was converted and moved from 25th Street in Ogden to the Weber State University campus, which at the time only included Buildings 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the TUB. Above: The Shepherd Union Building 50 years later in 2008. The SUB just underwent a huge renovation, which cost around $21 million. Both locations provided students with an opportunity to meet their classmates and have a good time. Wednesday Breakfast is on WSU From 7 to 9 a.m., the directors will be dishing out free food to students on campus. Run Fatboy Run movie & face onto the modern college student. I live in PT, and most of the people on light spectacle on the hill that year. my floor are the seventeen-year-old "The Men's Association was in charge freshman just out of high school. But the of the W," said Malan, "and we used to people in my classes light the cans are twenty-five, with kerosene in them. We lined thirty-five, forty-year- "Students are a lot old students with kids freer and more mobile. them up in the W to light them. returning to school They must have or going to school for All this technology had too many the very first time." has changed things in guys up there Advances in whowerefumbletechnology have America." footed or had also greatly affected been drinking who students are, too much and the way they study, - Richard Roberts, set the take notes, research, retired WSU history professor we whole mountain and even take on fire. After courses. Computers were a newly emerging technology that we used lights. We never used and not an option for the class of kerosene again after that year." '58, but now nearly every home WSU continues to grow. The in America owns a computer. campus, its students, professors, and "Students are a lot freer and more the classes are changing, improving, mobile," Richards said, adding, "All and getting bigger. Students at WSU are this technology has changed things in not so different from the students of America. You used to catch a train, go Weber College, and while interests may to Europe on ocean liners. Now we fly." have changed, studying hard has not. "The difference between students While some changes may seem obvious, others are harder to spot. now and then," said Malan, "for the Certain traditions remain a part of serious ones, there is no difference." WSU, like the annual Flaming W during Comment on this story at Homecoming Week. But the 1958 wsusignpost.com. Homecoming saw a more unusual Homecoming at a commuter school? forcingstudents to forgo activities and focus only on academics. According to the WSU Yearly Institutional Profile, which recordsstatisticsabout activity on campus, 52 percent of students came from the top of their high school graduating class in 2007 and in the last year that number has gone up to 75 percent. The students coming to WSU seem to realize the seriousness of academia. Their ambition may prevent them from attending homecoming each year. Institutional Research at WSU. It seems students may not "Commuter schools tend to have have time to get involved in lower graduation and retention campus events, because it has rates than regular universities homecoming royalty is gone. become harder to get jobs, which because students tend to have "It is hard, because we are a commuter school, to get people forces them to focus on a career. other things going on in their involved. The issue may be that Married students need to obtain lives. The other issue is that well students are married or not a degree to provide for their over 80 percent of our students at dating, but we want students to families. WSU statistics note Weber State have jobs. If you do realize that you can also go just the average age for a student a comparison to other schools, with friends," said AnaVelasquez, is about 26 years, and most we are one of the top schools in WSU Director of Activities. students are going part-time the nation whose students have "We have Homecoming while juggling full-time jobs. jobs while attending college." because we are trying to engage "We do not have that benefit Carrie Barney, a WSU senior the students even though of students said Homecoming is a great it's the third week of living on opportunity to get to know school," Velasquez said. "We do not have that benefit of c a m p u s other people in the university. "We know that it is difficult, students living on campus which which helps "Homecoming is usually a but we want students to u n i v e r s i t y way to meet people and hang feel like they are part of the helps with University activities." activities," out with other friends. WSU university and that they said Steve is known by all who is there can have school pride." K e r r , as a commuter school. When - Steve Kerr, Director of Some speculate that the changes in economy are Director of Institutional Research See Schoolpg 5 Why WSU keeps the tradition alive ' • ','"* f _ * - , . , . - , = , . • ^ , T • Davis Campus wiB be showing the comedy Run Fatboy Run for free as an outdoor movie. The movie starts at 9 p.m. sharp. Friday Dance the night away The Homecoming Dance starts at 8 p.m. for students. Prices in advance are $15 per couple and $10 per single. For the day of tickets, couples cost $20 and singles are f $ 15 each. .r^,, Be a real wildcat Each school has its own wack traditions, so on midnight listen for the gongs in the Bell Tower Plaza and give your honey a kiss to become a true wildcat Saturday ar - - - Decorate the Stadium ^ The Purple Pak will be decorating the stadium for the Homecoming game. They'll start at noon, and all students are invited to help. ^ Tailgate Before the big game, fens can meet ourside the stadium for a little food and fun. There will be face painting and temporary laytoos. The pre-game event begins at 5 p.m. Homecoming Game WSU football team will be facing Dixie State College starting a 6 p.m. Tickets will be available through ticket services at the Stadium on campus. After Party Bliss After the game, students are invited to meet in die Shepherd Union Building for free food and games. The party lasts from 9 p.m. till midnight. |