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Show Chi Omega celebrates 75 years Briefs BY JAMIE HEYWOOD . Staff Writer The Alpha Gamma chapter of the Chi Omega women's sorority celebrated 75 years of sisterhood at Utah State University last week and welcomed the national vice president of the sorority to the school. According to Sarah Reale, Chi Omega public relations chair, over 150 alumnae from all across the country attended the events, including women from New York and Texas. Shelley Potter, the national vice president of Chi Omega, was also in attendance from Memphis, Tenn. "The fact that women from all over the country came showed that it's not just for their four years ' of college," Alexis Lear, chapter president, said. "It showed that this sisterhood lasts a lifetime." The events started with a banquet Friday night, which included singing and speakers. At the banquet, Patty Halaufla, chapter adviser of over 30 years, was honored along with 10 women who have been members of Chi Omega ships that the women make in college continue forever." Patty Halaufia said the event "turned out to be really great because we had so many women come." She said two scholarships were awarded during the events and with so many alumnae in attendance, it may help them to be able to receive more funds for larger scholarships. The USU chapter of the'women's sorority was founded in 1930 by 24 women and since then, over 1,900 women have participated. -jlheywood@cc.usu.edu for over 50 years. The events continued on Saturday with a brunch in the chapter house, "where the women toured the house and recalled their memories as Chi Omegas at Utah State," Reale said. Following the brunch, the alumnae and current members gathered for a tailgating party prior to the game, followed by the football game. "It is incredible to see that even though Chi Omega has been on campus for 75 years, little has changed," Reale said. "The friend- USU students among best at paying back Stafford loans BY ALISON BAUCH Staff Writer With just over 1 percent of its students delinquent on student loan payments, Utah State University boasts one of the lowest default rates in the nation. According to Director of Financial Aid Judy Lecheminant, only 1.4 percent of students have stopped paying back their loan for more than one year. "[The low default rate] shows the vast majority of students are making consistent payments," she said. While making payments isn't always easy, especially for students just graduating from college, Lecheminant said it is important for students to make payments on time. Of the more than 23,000 students at USU, about 6,500 take out student loans. Among those is John Potter, a senior in marketing. Potter said he took out his first loan this year. "I knew things were going to be tight and I wanted to have a fun senior year, so I took a Stafford Loan," he said. Potter said he is learning to budget his expenses and make wise monetary decisions. Lecheminant said "Many USU students, a_re wise and show self control by taking the minimum amount they need." And that minimalist approach is the advice she said she would give to students considering student loans. She said students who borrow less have an easier time making payments. U.S. News and World Report recently singled out USU as having a low cumulative debt rate among students. Lecheminant said this is another sign that students are making intelligent financial decisions. -albaugh@cc.usu.edu Utah State University President Stan Albrecht will lead a university delegation on a multi-day tour to southeastern Idaho communities in an effort to re-establish traditional ties the university has long had with the region. The tour begins Thursday in Preston and continues Oct. 4-6, spending a day each in the Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Malad areas. Called the Road Scholars Tour, the president will bring some of the university's best professors and scholars "on the road" with him to teach in high schools. Albrecht and other USU administrators will meet with school principals, administrators and counselors to solicit input about higher education issues and about USU in particular. Albrecht also has scheduled luncheons at each stop with community leaders to gather feedback about how USU is fulfilling the community's educational needs. Open houses are scheduled each evening of the tour to give prospective students and their parents the opportunity to meet the president and representatives from all the colleges and support organizations at USU. "We have long-standing ties with southeastern Idaho communities," Albrecht said. "We have thousands of alumni still in the region. Many of our best professors are from the area, and we continue to attract some of our best students from Idaho. Most important of all — these are our neighbors and friends. It's our turn to visit them." Inauguration event canceled after crash Michael Sharp/mkhaekharp@a. usu. edu PRESIDENT STAN ALBRECHT and ASUSU President Quinn Millet cut the ribbon during the grand opening of the new information booth. Info booth now open BY AARON FALK News Editor Utah State University President Stan Albrecht and ASUSU President Quinn Millet cut through the blue ribbon Monday, officially opening the new information center in the TSC. "We're really excited about this," Millet said. "It is going to be a great asset for the students. It's a great face and community tool for USU." The information center is open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Members of the ASUSU Executive Council will be on hand to answer any questions students have. The center's main feature is its "Week at a Glance" - a 15-foot white board that highlights the campus' events for the week. "The information center can benefit everyone," said Josh Wood, campus diversity and organizations vice president. 'Tt provides better access for students to members of ASUSU and it is a great tool for council members to speak to students regarding important issues that concern them." Millet said he wants students to feel welcome at USU and said he hopes the information booth will allow ASUSU members to maintain good relations with the student body -acf@cc.usu.edu •ACCIDENT From page 7 from Logan, remains in critical condition at McKay-Dee Hospital. Robert Petersen, 21, an agricultural machinery technology major is also in critical condition at Ogden Regional Medical Center. All 11 men aboard the universityowned van did not appear to have been wearing seatbelts, Michaud said. "If they had been seat belted, we may not be dealing with as many serious injuries," Michaud said. Glenn Ford, USU vice president for Business and Finance, said Parker, who was driving the car, had a commercial driver's license and received the required one-day training to drive university-owned vehicles. "Our policies and training focus a great deal on wearing seatbelts," he said, Bruce Miller, agriculture department head and professor, said he has driven with Parker on several occasions and was always concerned about the students' safety. "He was the heart of the [agriculture] program and cared very much for the students," Miller said. The university is currently in the process of evaluating its policies for driving university-owned vehicles. However, they are confident the accident was not a result of faulty equipment. The van they were using was inspected on June 27, Albrecht said. Tuesday, the university temporarily grounded its fleet of 50 vans for further safety inspections. Utah Highway Patrol officers are still investigating the accident, but do suspect that speed was definitely a factor, Michaud said. All "Ag Week" activities were canceled for the week except for a USU president will visit Idaho on tour day on the Quad, where students and friends can write notes on posters for families of the victims. The victims were all freshmen and sophomores and were very dedicated to USU's agriculture program, Noelle Cockett, interim provost and dean of the College of Agriculture, said at a press conference for the accident Tuesday afternoon. "These students were the salt of the earth," she said. "Their presence is missed within the university." Most of the Agriculture students heard of the accident at a college picnic Monday night. Many were shocked and looked around wondering who wasn't there, Chad Warnick, a senior majoring in agriculture education, said. "It was a tragedy," he said. "It's a part of the college that's gone and can't be replaced and that's going to stay in our memories for a long time." Because the College of Agriculture is small, and many of its students come from the local community, it makes this accident very sensitive, ASUSU President Quinn Millet said. "The Ag students are so close." The main focus for university administrators now is to inform and help family and students who were most impacted by the accident, Vice President for Student Services Juan Franco said. "This tragedy really does put things into perspective," USU President Stan Albrecht said. "I've been around the university for most of my life and you always deal with tragedy, but the university has never had anything of this magnitude happen before." In an effort to pay respect to the victims, Albrecht has canceled Utah State University has announced the cancellation of all inauguration activities planned for President Stan Albrecht. Events are canceled in reaction to the deaths of eight students and one instructor involved in a 15-passenger van accident Monday. Inauguration week was set for Oct. 10-14, with the formal inauguration ceremony planned for Friday, Oct. 14. The inauguration will not be rescheduled. "This is a great tragedy for the university and for the families involved," said Utah State University President Stan L. Albrecht. "The inauguration was to be a time of celebration for the university, and in light of the circumstances, we feel that a celebration of this magnitude would be inappropriate. Our focus over the next few weeks will be on the families and friends of our students who have been devastated by this tragedy. We send them our love and support. The university will do everything it can to be helpful and supportive during this tremendous time of need." Activities canceled include: Tuesday, Oct. 11 — the Caine School of the Arts Inaugural Celebration; Thursday, Oct. 13 — the Merrill-Cazier Library Ribbon Cutting, Inaugural Presidential Lecture by C. Peter Magrath, president of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Universities, and the Inaugural reception and dinner. Friday, Oct. 14 — the academic procession and inauguration ceremony. Utah State orchestra schedule announced JesskaAlexander/jolexandertdccusu.edu FLOWERS ARE PUCED ON A TRACTOR in remembrance of the eight agriculture students and one instructor who were killed Monday in a roll-over accident. Ag Week activities have been canceled. all activities for the Presidential Inauguration that was planned for the week of Oct. 10-14. USU's College of Agriculture has about 800 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students currently enrolled. "This is a great university," Albrecht said. "One of the things we're most proud of is its sense of community and its sense of family." -mmackay@cc. usu. edu Four programs make up this year's orchestra season at Utah State University, announced conductor and director Sergio Bernal. Highlights of the 2005-06 season include "Sleeping Beauty," a production offered in conjunction with the Cache Civic Ballet, featuring Tchaikovsky's cherished score. Also planned is a concert titled "Russian Portraits," an event that puts guest faculty soloist Jessica Guided directly in the spotlight in Tchaikovsky's "Violin Concerto," an all-time favorite and masterpiece. Keeping with the Russian theme is Mussorgsky's famous "Pictures at an Exhibition." Guest artists during the season include Luis Biava, former resident conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra; John Miller, principal bassoonist of the Minnesota Orchestra and one of the world's leading concert bassoonists; faculty bassoonist Dennis Hirst, a protege" of Miller; and USU's director of choral studies, Cory Evans. "The orchestra is playing better than ever, and I look forward to collaborating with Sandy Emile and the Cache Civic Ballet in 'Sleeping Beauty.' The input from our guest soloists looks extremely promising," Bernal said. ^Compiled from staff and media reports |