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Show Business.,& Science 4 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011 Undertaking "All-Steinway" Turning point for WSU arts By Cole Spicker b&s editor I The Signpost PHOTO BY BRYAN BUTTERFIELD I THE SIGNPOST Weber State University associate music professor Ralph Van der Beek accompanies fellow musicians Kendra Johnson on the oboe and Thom Priest on the bassoon, playing "Movement II Andante con moto" as part of the All-Steinway Celebration Concert held Tuesday evening in the Browning Center. "Do's" for a dream job Roy workshop helps participants find employment By Michael Diamond correspondent I The Signpost Weber State University's West Center in Roy held a "How to Get a Job in Today's Economy" workshop last week with a large audience. Of the many workshops held at theWSUWest Center, this crash course's goal was to send participants out into the business world confident and prepared for future job interviews. Last Wednesday's workshop, led by WSU longtime employee PatWheeler, reviewed some of the more important aspects of preparing for a job interview. According to Wheeler some of the basic "do's" and "do not's" of a job interview are so often forgotten and that in order to obtain a desired dream job, there are certain criterion that interviewers search for in interviewees. "Don't be afraid to talk about some of the things you do outside of work and your work experience," Wheeler said. "Employers are often looking for someone to add some life to the work space as well as the man or woman for the job." Those who attended contributed to the discussion with personalized questions that were all answered by Wheeler. "I need to revamp my resume," said Paul Finster, an alumnus of WSU and master's student. "It was good to dust off those techniques that are easily forgotten. I could start contacting the companies a few days after the interview, and the idea of sending a thank-you letter was a great reminder. I've learned about these, but this was a fresh review about my resume. It brought up a different array of aspects about the resume in getting a job." Wheeler encouraged all workshop leaders at the West Center to create a hands-on atmosphere for those attending any workshop. There was no exception at Wednesday's workshop. According to one participant, it is necessary to always have a resume on-hand and always have a 30-second elevator pitch ready for an unexpected ride with the CEO. "There's nothing phony about the thank-you card. Have one ready in your car and leave it for the receptionist before you head home after the interview," Wheeler said. "Prove to an employer that you go the extra mile." Every key topic, from the logistics of creating a resume and cover letter to how to act and dress in the interview was, discussed. See Employment page 8 Throughout the years, Weber State University has achieved many milestones. Tuesday evening marked another turning point for WSU as it received designation as an "All-Steinway" school. The celebration for the designation required 150 fingers dancing across 88 keys. The celebratory event highlighted 17 WSU music faculty, multiple piano students and five Steinway grand pianos. As part of the festivities, an official "AllSteinway School" plaque was presented to WSU from representatives from Steinway & Sons, New York. "I'm glad I came," said accounting major and WSU sophomore Holden Russell. "My friend kind of wrangled me into coming. I had no idea that some people's hands could move so fast." According to Arts and Humanities Dean Madonne See Steinway page 8 Students recognized for home designs Nilson Homes looks at plans for new By Spencer Garn editor-in-chief I The Signpost The hundreds of hours J.D. Hatch poured into designing a home for a summer class at Weber State University paid off Monday when he presented his plans to Nilson Homes. "I got pretty positive feedback," said Hatch, a design graphics engineering technology major. "They really liked the plan overall." Hatch's design and the designs of three other students - Tara Olsen, Jan Robbins and Melissa McKinley - could eventually be incorporated, with some modifications, into a development in Roy, said Jeremy Farner, an assistant professor who taught the basic residual architecture course the students designed the homes for. "If we can see some that look like they'll work well . . . we're open to any new ideas," said Kirt Merrill, the vice president of construction and design at Nilson Homes. "Weber State students are great, because they'll go off and ask their own family or their friends or neighbors and use their own experience to come up with their own plans." The four students recognized on Monday competed with more than 20 students in their summer class for the opportunity to present their plans to Nilson Homes. They were given design criteria, which included the size and style of homes Nilson would like to build in their Roy development. However, the guidelines provided significant room for creativity. "If we give them too much information up front," Merrill said, "then they start designing the way we design, and that's not what we want. We want ideas." The students' plans included a site plan, floor plan, roof plan, furniture plan, electrical plan, and both interior and exterior elevations. Hatch went a step further, building his home in the three-dimensional program Auto Desk Maya. "I thought that (was) a good way to show everyone exactly what the house might look like," Hatch said. PHOTO BY SPENCER GARN I THE SIGNPOST Weber State University student and design graphics engineering technology major J.D. Hatch (right) presents his designs to Jed Nelson, the marketing director of Nilson Homes. After Hatch's first experience de- has seen from prospective home ownsigning a home, he said he'd like more ers. "We'll have home owners draw opportunities in the future. "It's definitely a great experience, plans on napkins, bring them in, and and it's something I hope to contin- that's just scary, but they do all the ue on with," Hatch said. "I hope it's time," Merrill said. "Or they'll come in something I can take it into my own and they'll draft a plan on graph palife and perhaps make a career out of per. They'll put all the lines in for their it." walls, but they won't make their walls Hatch and the other students were 4 inches thick, so by the time you've asked to design the home with three really drafted out the plan you'll have bedrooms, including a master bed- a master bedroom that's 8 feet wide. room with a bathroom and an addi- It's just too small for a bed, let alone a tional bathroom, in 1,500 square feet master bedroom." Merrill has partnered with anor less. "It's not a huge home," Hatch said. other class to design energy-efficient "I tried to make sure that the home homes, and will work with Farner's had a larger-than-life feel." classes in the future to generate new Hatch said his design was one of the ideas for Nilson Homes. four selected to be presented because of its affordable design and the 3-D Comment on this story model, much better than what Merrill at wsusignpost.com . |
