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Show 4. Wednessday, October 1,2008 HE SIGNPOST BUSINESS & SCIENCE Pioneer aprons go Marcus Weber State University's small business development helps local clothing line go major Grover said that when she saw her businessmovingforwardatsuchafastpace, she went to the bank for a business loan. "They were asking me all kinds of things I didn't know how to answer," Grover said. Weber State University's Small "They referred me to Beverly King and Business Development Center has been she saved me. I went in to her office just credited with helping Jill Grover, founder shaking but she was so calm and helpful." of Jillie Willie products, a Neiman Marcus Neiman Marcus, catalog newcomer, get an upscale retail her pioneer-clothesdepartment store, was gone-hip business "They referred me interested in Grover's off the ground. to Beverly King and new apron designs, Brigham City native Jill Grover went on a she saved me. I went but Grover wasn't sure how to go about pioneer trek two years getting a contract with ago, where she said in to her office just them and whether or she came to know shaking, but she ws not Neiman Marcus her great-great-great was the best business grandfather James so calm and helpful." choice for Jillie Willie. G. Willie, captain of Beverly King, the Willie Handcart Company, who led - Jill Grover, from the WSU Small Business Development many settlers west. founder of Jillie Willie Center (SBDC), walked After the pioneer Grover through what trek, Grover started she needed to know making modern to take her business looking aprons using to the next level. different creative, "Right off the bat I saw Jill's idea colorful patterns because of their pioneer could be a success," King said. significance. Grover and her sister King helps students and members debuted her aprons at the annual Peach of the public put their business dreams Days festival in Brigham City two years to paper, making them a reality. ago this fall. "Peach Days sent this flying," "I never know what people's needs Grover said. "From that day on we haven't are going to be when they come in my stopped. Last night I got two hours of sleep; office, but I become a good friend to this has just been growing like a snowball." By Alyson Robinett correspondent I The Signpost PHOTO BY Eric Turner | THE SIGNPOST Weber State University Professor Richard Ford demonstrating a person pumping gas. Oil Crisis in the US The ins and outs of the oil crisis By Eric Turner correspondent I The Signpost One of the major goals of the Honors Issues Forums is to bring people The first person to arrive at the together from a variety of academic Weber State University Honors Issues disciplines to discuss pertinent Forum on "The Ins and Outs of the issues from many points of view. Oil Crisis" yesterday was 84-yearThe guest lecturers at this forum old Ogden resident Vida Ball. were WSU economics Professor Clifford Ball said that the cost of fuel was Nowell and WSU geosciences Professor only 25 cents when Richard Ford. she started driving . Ford opened in 1942. she said she "Subsidizing keeps up the forum by discussing where prices low but it and why "oil occurs." grandson, and because WOn't last forever, He said that she is concerned by somewhere in the the continuously they will eventually geological history growing cost of fuel. rise." of the earth there The topic, "The Ins were some very and Outs of the Oil organic materials Crisis," was selected by - Clifford Nowell, that were preserved WSU Honors Program sandstone Economics Professor in student advisory source rocks. A board member complex process Michael Kofoed. called "generation" Judy Elsley, occurred as the the Honors source rocks Program Director, were heated said she thought Kofed chose an and the organic materials were appropriate and timely topic. transformed into hydrocarbons. "This one particularly seems "And then," Ford said, "the like a really good one to talk oil, molecule by molecule, about when were all affected by a m | t e d f r o m t h e S Q U r c e r Q c k fluctuation in oil prices, Elsley said, gathered in our reservoir rock." them and look for what their needs axe," King said. "I may help with a business plan, accounting, business strategies, marketing, and I have a good list of people to refer to when I don't have the answer." King referred Grover to Curt Roberts, WSU vice provost for innovation and economic development, and former vice president of Nike, to share his expertise with Grover. "When I went to talk to Curt Roberts, he really got me motivated about what I had," Grover said. "He told me not to sell to just anybody, but that this was a big deal." Roberts said Grover's key to success was having a product that was fairly specific to a particularneedataparticularpointintime. "Jill had questions relating specifically to industry sourcing, pricing, where to sell, and packaging," Roberts said. "After about four hours total, she got some good guidance in those areas she was worried about." Because Grover attended Utah State University and had no direct tie to WSU, she assumed she would need to pay for her services received at WSU's SBDC. "When I finished with Beverly," Grover said, "and asked what I owed her, she just said, 'Nothing, thank the government.11 would have paid whatever she wanted, she really saved me." Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com. SOURCE: iilliewillip.com Jill Grover (righthand corner), and one of her artisic aprons known as the Daypron. Prior to receiving a Ph.D., Ford worked fo*r six years as a drilling adviser for Texaco. "If a geologist didn't go to Weber State," Ford said, "they will drill in the dreaded 'dry hole'." He said that the distance from Earth's surface to the source rock where the^ oil is located could be up to 30,000 feet. "The price of our oil has to factor in some number of dry holes that are going to be drilled in terms finding the production," he said. "When I was in the industry during the late 70s and '80s there were about 10 dry holes for every producing well. So you just need to factor that into your overall cost." Nowell directed a more thorough discussion on the price of oil. "What I'm going to say," Nowell said, "boils down to this - that Coke costs more than gas." Nowell approached the topic from an energy independence viewpoint. According to Nowell, the very first push for an energy independent America occurred in 1974 when President Nixon who told Americans that the country would be energy independent by the end of the decade. "The idea of energy independence seems somewhat ludicrous from a historical perspective," he said. "From an economic perspective it seems even more ludicrous. For the life of me I can't figure out why we don't talk about Coke independence or iPod independence or semi-conductor independence; but for some reason wedotalkaboutenergyindependence even though we are willing to pay more for Coke than a gallon of gas." Nowell said economists like him believe that consumers should get goods in the cheapest way. Oil is no exception. He said that citizens of this country should not be willing to trade higher gas prices for energy independence. "What I want to tell you is that you don't want to energy independence because if you get it gasoline is going to cost more than your Coke," Nowell said. Nowell also said that the government should not continue to subsidize fuel prices. "Subsidizing keeps prices low but it won't last forever/' Nowell said. "They will eventually rise. Do we want them to rise slow over time or do we want to go until all of a sudden it comes all at once?" More than 30 people attended the forum. The next Honors Program ;event will be a discussion on "The Whys and Whats of a BIS Degree." This event will feature Rick Wade and will be held in the Stewart Library, Room 225, on Friday at 1 pm. Comment on this story at wsusignpost. com. No Degree Required Is attaining a college education beneficial for the future? By Colleen Henstra correspondent I The Signpost Students with college degrees earn more moneyperyear than thosewithoutOrdo they? Careerbuilder.com listed the top-10 highest-paid positions without a college degree. The lowest salary listed (Nuclear Power Reactor Operator) paid more than the highest salary for recent college graduates (Ship Engineer). Some of the jobs listed required vocational training or an associate's degree, and all had on-the-job training. Vaden Thurgood, a Weber State University junior majoring in communications, said he wasn't surprised at thefindings,but still thought it was worth it for him to go to school. "What I want to do, what I think I would love todo,"hesaid,"isn'toneofmoseotheroptions." Thurgood said he felt that it is more important to enjoy Ms job than earn a big paycheck. "I think I would be better off if I truly enjoyed what I was doing," he said, "as opposed to just doing it for the money." However, he said that if people really enjoyed any sort of job, school might not be the answer for them. Dianne Holbrook, a former college student, took the other route. After five years of college, she dropped out. "I looked around me and realized that people around me that I worked with had degrees," she said, "and they were making the same amount that I was." Holbrook worked as a Customer Service Rep for the United Postal Service. Her decision to quit school was also affected by mounting student loans and a difficult school schedule. "When you weigh-in the cost of student loans with the pay difference without a degree, it might be a better Data from March'08 Yearly Salary choice not to go to school," Holbrook said. The 10 highest-paid jobs available in the Utah market that require a degree all fell below the mark of jobs students can get without a degree. But other benefits outweigh the initial salary. Greg Nielsen, assistant director and counseloratWSU'sCareerServicesCenter,said a college degree was the better option. Charts and compiled datafromthe Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the unemployment rate islowerforcollegegraduatesandthepayisonethird higher. Also, layoffs typically occur to the employee with the lowest qualifications first "A lot of times, the better advancements and opportunities will go to people that have degrees," Nielsen said. "Students want to look at things long-term. Students can go out and get a well-paying job without a degree, but they have to look at how much they will be makinginfifteenortwentyyears, notjustnow." He added that a college degree opens up a whole other sector of jobs that require job candidates to have a degree. Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau show that a person with a college degree will make almost double the income in their lifetime, hitting an average of $2.1 million, while someone with only a high school diploma averages $1.2 million. The Career Services Center provided information for students on specific degrees and the types of jobs available once they graduate. If students are unsure of their career plans, they can also meet with an adviser to get help and direction. Robert Uitz, a 41-year-old WSU freshman, said he found that his career choice wasn't giving him the income he wanted, and so he started college last year. Data from May'08 See Degree page 8 Yearly Salary Data from Sept.'OS Yearly Salary 1. AirTraffic Controller $102,030 Economics $52,926 Electrical Engineer $70,000 2. Funeral Director $79,517 Nursing $52,129 Quality Engineer $57,000 3. Operations Manager $73,000 Chemistry $52,125 Pipeline Safety Engineer $51,900 4. Industrial Production Manager $72,662 Political Science/ Human Resouces $40,250 Manager $50,000 5. Transportation Manager History $35,956 Occupational Therapist $48,442 6. Storage & Distribution Manager $67,689 Communication $35,196 Software Developer $45,000 7. Computer Technical Support Specialist $64,880 English & Literature $34,757 Clinical Care Specialist $40,034 8. Gaming Manager $64,880 Journalism $32,250 Computer Professional $40,000 9. First-line Supervisor/Manager of police & detective $64,430 Psychology $30,877 Outreach Services Officer $40,000 10. Nuclear Power Reactor Operator $64,090 Public Relations/ Organizational Communications $30,667 icreenPrint Production Supervisor $35,000 This data was compiled from www jobs.utah.gov by searching for any job in Utah from the highest paid salary and down. Criteria included jobs with a bachelor's degree required and little or no experience required. The search excluded positions requiring additional education beyond the bachelor's degree. |