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Show WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2014 Wanted: Permanent DSU students with Dee replacement dhiSdreim pursue r ' t play care facility i BY PAYTON DAVIS Copy Editor Oftentimes parenting and schoolwork collide head-o- n for students with a backpack and diaper bag slung across both shoulders. Dixie State University faculty and administrators are assessing the need of child care on campus. The r3 ? $Z potential development of a play care center at the testing center could be the first step in aiding students with Z The individual who was Big Dee has had issues 'anTdento personal arise, are looking for a replacement. Applicants should be outspoken and outgoing. BY EMILY BILLS News Editor Dixie State University staff members are looking for a new individual to be DSU's mascot, Big Dee, after the previous individual had to quit due to personal issues. The student under the furry helmet is held to the same standards as student athletes. Among running around at games and getting the crowd pumped. Big Dee must also maintain his or her grade point average and attend classes regularly. Community Engagement Coordinator Derek Dawes said the previous individual as the mascot had some personal challenges arise during the semester and wasnt able to be the mascot anymore. Academics is one of the biggest things, Dawes said. We want them to succeed, and if being the mascot takes away from their school-wor- k and they cant handle it, we dont want to put them in a bad situation. Dawes said he has found replacements who will fill in for the rest of basketball season. Miranda Sheffield, a junior communication 00 ' children. Dannelle Larsen-Rifchair of social and behavioral sciences and assistant professor, said numerous groups at DSU have looked into creating a day care for about five years. Those efforts progressed last fall when Larsen-Rif- e began working with both students is important. and faculty members to We look for someone who likes Dixie, enconduct a needs assessjoys being here, and wants to spread his or her ment. cheer to other people, Dawes said. I know anecdotally Big Dee also receives a scholarship. Dawes students, faculty and staff said mascots from the years past have all held have really talked about the position for at least a year, and this is the providing something for first time a student had to leave in the middle of all of these people, addtlie semester. ing some flexible day care Its not for everybody, he said. on campus to meet these Students interested in trying out for Big Dee various needs, Larsen-Rif- e can call Dawes at to set up an said. interview. Previous mascot or cheer experience The aim of the study beis preferred but not required, and all applicants came more specific during are required to be students. a research meeting when major from Kaysville, has four years of experience on the dance team that works next to Big Dee. She said the individual shouldnt be afraid to get involved with the audience and make some noise. He has performed silly timeouts with us, helped raise excitement at the games, and added a memorable face that stands for Dixie pride, Sheffield said. Dawes agreed that a mascot with Dixie pride 0 MDBODS) vmuus lrpjj- e, the group realized what a struggle parents face, Larsen-Rif- e said. Parents will leave kids in the car lock them in the car to go take an exam, and Ive had never heard that before, Larsen-Rif- e said. And so I kind of thought about it, and I started mentioning it to other faculty. Larsen-Rif- e said other members had heard faculty similar stories, so the research group zeroed its efforts in, initiating a proposal for the play care. Psychology adviser Deborah Decker said the addition is particularly important because it not only helps students, but also alleviates a safety hazard. If thats an issue preventing them from taking tests in the testing center, or if theyre feeling they are in a situation where theyre choosing to put their children in a locked vehicle while theyre taking an exam, then I think at that point we need to ... say, OK, what would it take to offer this service to students? Decker said. As the group wraps up its initial research and works to answer basic questions in regards to funding for the play care, Larsen-Rif- e said students should expect to see a more formal child care needs assessment for students, staff and faculty distributed across campus by either the end of this month or March. Students can contribute to the play cares development and the development of a child care facility by filling out the assessment, she said. We hope every person on campus, from administrators to students, will fill out this questionnaire; it will be about a questionnaire, she said. Although the play care addition is still in the proposal stage, Larsen-Rif- e said she hopes the center will open by the end of the semester. Geared toward infants to the care founcan act as a play dation to assisting student parents at DSU. Michelle Hammon, a senior psychology major from St. George, has collaborated with Larsen-RifDecker and other members of the research group. She said the play care ultimately lets students with children know they play an important part in DSUs progression. I think play care is a great first step in letting students with children know that DSU recognizes they are part of the student body and that DSU is willing to support them when they can, Hammon said. e, - a (COJe3Offl? 00 1 GD w 1$ it?- - sVT s 4U j n (Hi -- i ? ONE If |
