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Show 5 Wednesday, Nov 9,2005 Take Note: Make sure you don't miss the Sesame Street Premiere Anniversary Thursday, Nov. 10. 797-1769 features@statesman.usu.edu Sounds ence BY NEIL BUTLER Staff Writer Michael Sharp/mlcbae!shorp@a.usu.e(iu PLANS ARE UNDERWAY for a new sidewalk railing to be installed on 700 North. Construction on the rail will begin on Nov. 12. Railway to USU campus BY RYAN CUNNINGHAM Staff Writer i There's hope on the • horizon for the embattled hikers of 700 North. Plans are in place to install a rail along the sidewalk on Nov. 12 to assist pedestrians through the icy winter months. No, this is not a joke, although it started out as one, said Amanda Peterson, member of a USU Management and Human Resources group, part of a class in the business deapartraent. "It was actually my idea to install the rail on 700 North," she said in an e-mail. "The idea came about as kind of a joke when other ideas weren't working out." Peterson said she was a resident of Edgehill Apartments last year, and she was forced to make the "miserable climb" throughout the year. "Pretty much every day my roommates and I would whine and say that if we ever came across a boy who needed an idea for an Eagle Scout project, we'd highly recommend building a rail [on 700 North]/1 she said. A year later, Peterson halfheartedly pitched the .idea of a rail on 700 North to her MHR group and now the joke is becoming a real-life punch line. "Unfortunately, I'm not living [at Edgehill Apartments] now that there will be a rail, .but hopefully it will come in handy for those who have to drag themselves up and balance their way down that incline in the ice," she said. Nathan Ellison, who is also involved in the railing project, said he had the responsibility of retrieving permission from the city of Logan to construct the rail. He found out that the section of sidewalk proposed for the railing used to be a section of road, "but it was too dangerous in the winter, so they, turned it into a grass area with a sidewalk up it," he said in an e-mail. Understanding the danger of the sidewalk up 700 North quite well, Logan city officials were very enthusiastic about the idea! "They were really excited and thought it was a great idea," Ellison said. "They even waived the standard fee that we would have to pay." City officials aren't the only ones excited about the railing. Word is spreading about the project and the response is positive, Peterson said. "The people that have heard [about the railing] are a bit surprised, but seem pretty happy that it's getting done," she said, adding, "There definitely seems to be a consensus that anything will help out on that hill." Greg England, the leader of the railing project, said installation of the rail will begin on Nov. 12. Peterson indicated that construction of the railing will be mostly funded by donations. Ellison also pointed out, "We are accepting any donations toward the railing fund." she said. Perhaps if enough donations are collected, an escalator can be built instead. But for now, that's just a joke. -cunninghain@cc.usu.edu Imagine trying to follow a lecture or take notes on in an in-class movie without being able to hear the world around you. According to the USU Disability Resource Center, there are approximately 15 students who are either deaf or hard of hearing currently enrolled at Utah State University. This number only represents those who have talked to the DRC. "We each have our own strengths and weaknesses and for some peoples' strengths, they don't have to rely on hearing," Angie Olsen, deaf service coordinator said. "They have their own language and with that comes a different culture. They experience things differently in the world, and therefore, have a different perspective on how the world is." The Disability Resource Center's mission, according to their Web site is, "To provide qualified persons with disabilities with equal access to university programs, services and activities as directed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973." The university, through the DRC, provides numerous services to students with physical or mental challenges. Students often see some of those services without even realizing it. Olsen said there are about five interpreters who go into classrooms and translate the lectures into American Sign Language. "Teachers and students have been learning to talk to the person and not to the interpreter. We, as hearing people, oftentimes don't realize the abilities of others. The people at Utah State do a good job, though," she said. The DRC also provides assistive technology for students, such as FM systems — wireless communication systems — and captioning or transcribing the content of videos. Cameron Bodily, a student majoring in physics, said he has severe hearing loss and uses of an FM system. "The way it works is the teacher wears this little box and she just talks into it. Basically, she just talks and it provides a direct feed to my hearing aids. I'm able to control the volume of what she is saying and she does an excellent job of repeating questions and comments from the students Quick Facts \ Last year, the Disability ',;.. Resource Center provided: |5,454 hours of ^'interpreting 2,400 hours in ^real-time transcription for me to hear," he said. Bodily said he doesn't think there has been much difference in his life experiences in regards to his hearing loss. "I've never been discriminated against or made to feel stupid. I get to enjoy life like everybody else. I served a mission, I go to church, I go to college — the only difference is I get the benefit of really understanding what the teacher is saying," he said. USU Housing and Dining Services also provides an opportunity for those who are deaf, hard of hearing and those interested in deaf education as a major to live in a community together. Located on the first floor of Moen Hall, students experience deaf culture as a daily reality whether or not they are hard of hearing. According to the group's Web site, residents participate in regular "voices off conversation hours, work toward fluency in American Sign Language and share a commitment to service by working with the deaf community. "1 think we have a great opportunity to understand those who are not like us. No two people are the same. There are differences in all of us and getting to interact with someone a little different will help us to become better people," Olsen said. -nebutler@cc. usu. edit Photo By James SchultzfshuUz@cc.usu.edu Technical difficulties solved for faculty In November, FACT has 10 work"I do a lot with the program shop planned ranging from how to use Captivate, which provides an interthe different functions of WebCT to active learning experience from the * The Faculty Assistance Center for understanding scanning, according to computer. 'I like being able to make i Teaching isn't much of a concern for their Web site. these presentations and learning tools ; students, but it does make classes available to faculty and others because One of the most readily accessible • go a little more smoothly by giving it enhances the learning of those tryfeatures is the drop-in lab located in i teachers a helping hand. FACT is the ing to understand," Sorensen said. the Merrill-Cazier Library in Room ] university's solution to the faculty's 202. Andrea Bell, graphic designer and j technological difficulties. "We are starting to have more FACT support specialist, said she [ According to their Web site, faculty drop in again. We just moved helps provide the more appealing FACT's mission is to provide assisfrom the Merrill Library and some visual aspects to presentations and -tance, training and support for the people aren't sure where we've relocat- Web sites. improvement of instruction at USU on ed. We enjoy having people just drop In reference to Bell, Clark said, ;campus, online and through distance in so we can help them," Clark said. "She is our local guru. I'm not sure ^education. Among the FACT personnel are if there isn't anything she can't do. r': Rebecca Clark, FACT support spethose who have a deeper understandShe provides excellent support and -cialist said, "We have just about every- ing of specific programs. instruction on the design aspects of t h i n g a teacher can think of. From peoples' work." Nanette Sorensen, a USU alumnae 'graphics design people to just simple with a bachelor's degree in business Fact also maintains a Web site with •things like how to work the Internet, information systems and a master's in helpful hints and advice. Jour staff has a good idea about how to • instructional technology, said she speNot only do they provide workshop Stake care of most problems." cializes in presentation software. ; . The services they offer to faculty She said she helps teachers and : include workshops to help teachers get other university organizations to have • connected and understand the techvisual and interactive electronic pre- >FACT \ nology that is available. sentations for better instruction. see page 7 BY NEIL BUTLER , Staff Writer The Faculty Assistance Center for Teaching FACT provides assistance, training, and support in the development of instructional materials for faculty at USU. They can help faculty members with: • WebCT, •Instructional design • Multimedia projects for all faculty • CD/DVDburning • Lab assistants • Scanning • Digital cameras •. Office visits • Hardware and software support • Equipment support • Optical character recognition • Transfer sound ' recording • Imaging slides • Phone support |