OCR Text |
Show REINVENTING B . .time BY BRANDON BARLOW /STAFF WRITER PHOTO BY CONOR BARRY '• ). • ' ' J1.■ ••••■•Am . ••• 11 • •-• • • i••••■•■,W 19. •1 • • ••• U RANKED NUMBER 1 IN h VIDEgaZ DESIGN INCKLEY INS D YEAR U's Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE) program was ranked as the number one g raduate and number two undergraduate video game school by The Princeton Review. graduate Robert Kessler, a professor in the U's School of Computing and the executive director of EAE, said the ranking fairly rewards the hard work of students and educators in the program. "I think that this ranking is another piece of the puzzle," he said. "It is an important thing that will make students stand out:' Hai Nguyen, a freshman going into EAE, is proud of the U's accomplishment. "I joined this expecting just a video game program': he said. "[But] I think that this ranking will make me work harder:' Since he was a kid, Nguyen has dreamt of making his own video games and now feels he can do that through the EAE program. "I will want to show future employers what I have done and represent the program well": Nguyen said. During the first semester of the EAE program, students take project-based classes. After that, students work in teams of 10 to 15 to create a game and learn how to work as a professional group for three semesters. These teams then publish their game through an outside publisher, such as Microsoft. Companies that hire students from the U often see them as ready-to-go employees due to their experience in the program, Kessler said, with 93 percent of last year's graduates obtaining a job within three months. Two of these hiring companies include EA Games and Disney. "The game industry is all about art and working together to create everything in the games": he said. EAE started in 2007 as a class meant for second-year students in computer science. It has since morphed into a full program in which students can earn a bachelor's of science or art. ast year, the Hinckley Institute of Politics held a record 116 forums and it hopes to exceed that number this year. Kendahl Melvin, an office assistant for the Hinckley, said the institute usually makes it their goal to have more forums in the current year than in the previous. This year being the 50th anniversary of the Hinckley Institute, Melvin said they will celebrate their accomplishments through the other forums they hold. The Hinckley Institute will offer a variety of series including an Outstanding Professor series and the HIP talks. Melvin noted the organization has seen record numbers of forums and students attending the events. Ally Wankier, a sophomore in strategic communication, said she attends events when she knows about them. "I wish they were advertised better because I seem to hear about them after they've been held," Wankier said. Wankier said increasing the quantity of forums might impact their quality. "Having forums that are more interesting and more applicable to students is very important," Wankier said. "Sometimes, less is more." Melvin said the reason for holding more forums is to have quality for the individual student. "The Hinckley is consistently striving to reach all groups of students," Melvin said. "The increase in forums and the diversity of topics is exciting for us. We hope it means more students are learning more about the [institute of politics] and social issues': The Hinckley Institute claims it strives to include students of all majors and ages in its forums so that it reaches each demographic at the U. "Forums give students a chance to learn outside the classroom': Melvin said. "[They can] further their knowledge and expand their thinking': c.kannapel@chronicle.utah.edu @chriswritine j.skrivan@chronicle.utah.edu @JulianneSkrivan BY CHRIS KANNAPEL /STAFF WRITER PHOTO COURTESY OF EAE L e Beta Theta Pi fraternity at the U isn't just the best in the West — it's the best on the continent. The North American Interfraternity Conference awarded the • group the Chapter Award for Distinction, given to the best undergraduate chapter of any fraternity in North America.The award signifies a turnaround for the house, which closed in 2010 after failing to live up to fraternity standards, according to organization's national website. Kevin Shields, chapter president of Beta Theta Pi, said he appreciates the recognition for his fraternity's efforts on campus and in the Salt Lake City community. "It's pretty amazing that we won it: he said. "The entire chapter is very excited about it:' Shields said their success stems from creating a positive fraternity experience focused on leadership and academics. They've also become a dry house, meaning alcohol is not allowed on their premises. .. • • "It's all about the guys you recruit and the culture you create': he ror -I . 11 al said. "We have tried to be a positive influence since we came back. I hope we become an example for other fraternities and sororities at Z.F/ the U." Montana Martinez, a senior in philosophy, said the award surprised him because he doesn't "normally associate fraternities with excellence." And he's not alone in this assumption. Fraternities across di the country have been rocked by scandals, such as the racist chant performed by members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at the University of Oklahoma or the suspension of Pi Kappa Alpha at Utah State after former chapter president, Ryan Wray, was recently accused of sexual abuse. Beta Theta Pi, on the other hand, has volunteered and fundraised with the Rape Recovery Center for nearly two years. They also hosted forums on sexual assault each month this year. Shields said their goal is to show "that fraternities can help sexual .. • .1.99% Alm r assault victims and hopefully can play a role to stop it:' Vincent Fu, vice president of internal programming for • Beta Theta Pi, said his fraternity also tries to be inclusive with other students and organizations on campus. I "Ultimately, all students need to do is just approach [a fraternity] and get to know the ,• • club with an open mind before jumping to the conclusion that they are unwelcome to non- ' members," Fu said. Shields said recruitment is open to any male on campus, and they require their members to be involved in at least one other club on campus. Beta Theta Pi won the Sisson Award for chapter excellence in 2013 and 2014, as well as the Knox award — the highest chapter award in the national organization. They also received the 2014 #iAspire Grant, winning $3,200 to continue raising awareness about sexual assaults. k.ehmann@chronicle.utah.edu @Ehmannky |