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Show Plenty to cheer about in homecoming victory ...page 6 Sign Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet comes to WSU ... page 4 AT A GLANCE EDITORIAL ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT SPORTS CLASSIFIEDS 2 3 4 6 9 VOL 82 ISSUE 32 MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2011 WWW.WSUSIGNPOST.COM 0 WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY Nontrads get their freak on Nontraditional students gather with family at the homecoming "family dance" By Lyndee McKay correspondent I The Signpost Purple and white Chinese lanterns hung from the ceiling of the ballroom, complete with tall white pillars decorated with lights. While the setup was the same for the traditional homecoming dance, something was not so traditional: the guests. Ballroom B of the Shepherd Union Building was full of music and dancing. Early on Friday, Oct. 14, for the first time ever, there was a homecoming family dance. People ages 1 and up put on their dancing shoes for the three- hour dance. Debbie Cragun, coordinator of the Nontraditional Student Center, said she liked the idea of having a dance where families could just be together and enjoy each other's company. "Dances are about building that commu- • PHOTOS BY AMANDA LEWARK I THE SIGNPOS Nontraditional students danced with their families at the first Homecoming Week family dance. Debbie Cragun, coordinator of the Nontraditional Student Center, said the dance helped nontraditional students feel a part of homecoming. nity," Cragun said. "It's that one place where you can kind of let your hair down and relax . .. I think people really relate through music." Cragun had been planning the event since April of last year, and said she really wanted to provide a fun environment where everyone could be a part of homecoming. She also worked closely with theWeber State University Student Association in order to collaborate with the traditional dance. "The collaboration shows that Weber State recognizes the need for families to feel like they are part of homecoming," Cragun said. "There should always be an option, and we made it our initiative this year for each activity on campus to have a family alternative as well." Richard Jones, a junior at WSU, came to the dance with his two children, and said he felt this alternative was a great idea. "I think it's fun for the kids to be able to come and get into the whole homecoming thing and just see what their parents do here at school," Jones said. His 11-year-old son, Dustin, said he wanted to come to the dance to be with his dad and celebrate homecoming. "You have to get into the homecoming spirit," Dustin said. "I don't know one person who wouldn't be excited about homecoming!" WSU Dining Services catered the event and provided a range of choices. Those in attendance were welcome to a large buffet of vegetables, fruit, fin See Dance page 5 Special Collections celebrates 40 years The Stewart Library exhibits more than 200 of their oldest collections large collection of war books, which were donated to the library. Because library adWeber State University's ministration didn't want that Stewart Library will be put- showcased in a general liting on its largest exhibit this brary, it was decided to house year in celebration of its 40th them in Special Collections. anniversary of Special CollecAccording to Langsdon, tions from Oct. 19 there are 370 to Nov. 30. Spemanuscript col. .understand- lections cial Collections and was founded in ing where we about 160 pho1971 and holds a tograph collecshowcase every were to where we tions in Special year. This year, Collections. though, Sarah are helps visualize She said peoLangsdon, the where we are ple don't realadviser of Speize how much cial Collections, going to be. " they have. She decided to have - Anthony said these docua celebration for ments are great Murrietta when people the first time, showcasing more Visitor want to research than 200 collecthe history of tions. the time era or Weber and Davis counties for those who want to discovdonated their historical col- er and learn about their famlections of photographs, doc- ily history. uments and artifacts to the "Our oldest book is the 1578 Stewart Library. Bible, and the oldest original "We have been designated piece-of-paper document is by the state of Utah to docu- the 1337 Land Deed," Langsment the histories of Weber don said. "Most of them have and Davis County," Langsdon been donations from people said. in the community, and some This originally started af- are from the women's groups ter Ogden's Judge Baryl HowSee Collections page 5 ell's death. Howell owned a By Tracy Dunlap news reporter I The Signpost Families learn to love Annual conference teaches understanding By Jessica Wilke correspondent I The Signpost PHOTO BY AMANDA LEWARK I THE SIGNPOST Historic baseball memorabilia is just one of the many displays from the Special Collections of the Stewart Library. As part of its 40th anniversary, Special Collections is showcasing more than 200 collections. Parents, educators and students flocked to Weber State University Thursday, Friday and Saturday to learn creative and loving techniques to enhance their family and professional lives at the Families Alive Conference 2011. The conference, sponsored in part by WSU's department of child and family studies and the Jerry and Vickie Moyes College of Education, originated in 1980 with the original and continuing goal to "dispel the pervasive myth that all families are dysfunctional and instead champion the successes of everyday families." The conference shares positive information about the modern American family by inviting nationally and locally recognized family experts to present. Jim Fay, one of the founders of the Love and Logic Institute, with more than 31 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, professional consultant and father, opened the See Families page 5 |