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Show How do veterans get through school? The Gl Bill. UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Page 5 Logan, Utah • Campus Voice Since 1902 www.utahstatesman.com Wednesday, Jan. 31,2007 New requirements for students talcing math BY JEN BEASLEY Staff Writer Tyler Lorson/tmlarsonQccusu.edu AUTHOR LAWRENCE WESCHIER spoke to students Monday about connections between unrelated Dleces of art. He said humans have a collective unconsciousness that makes Images they have seen in the past appear in works they create. Author speaks on art and human unconsciousness BY ARIE KIRK Assistant News Editor After two decades at The New Yorker, Lawrence Weschier is now studying the occurrences of convergence in photographs, art work and everyday events. Convergence, making connections between seemingly unrelated pieces of art, modern photographs and objects, was the focus of a public lecture given by Weschier at USU on Monday. Weschier said he believes humans have a collective unconsciousness causing certain past images, which are "hot-wired" into our brains, to reappear in later images. It was this belief that led him to his most recent publication, "Everything that Rises: A Book of Convergences." "Once you start thinking this way, the reference on either side gets deeper and deeper," Weschier said. During his lecture, Weschier compared pieces side by side, illustrating the unusual instances in which convergence is obvious. He highlighted Rembrandt's "The Anatomy Lesson" and a photograph of Che Guevara's corpse taken in 1967. Weschier said •AUTHOR see page 3 If Jimmy leaves high school with a basic understanding of algebra and doesn't enroll in a math class until his third semester of college, what is the likelihood he will succeed in Math 1050, given the time elapsed in his math education? Believe it or not, the math department doesn't like story problems either. That's why, beginning in Fall 2007, a new math placement test will be required for many incoming freshmen, as well any current students who have had more than three semesters between taking a math prerequisite and its corresponding higher-level course. The test is designed to ensure that students get placed in courses that are compatible with their abilities. "Math is a language," said Joe Koebbe, the undergraduate coordinator of the math department. "If you don't use it, you lose all the vocabulary, and all the grammar, and all the syntax." All incoming freshman who scored less than a 23 in math on their ACT or have gone one calendar year without a math class will be required to take the $10 placement test. The test will also be required of current students who have a gap of one year (three consecutive semesters) between taking a prerequisite math class and a later required one. This means students who have taken Math 1O10,1050 or 1060, and still need to take Math 1100,1210, 2010 or Stat 1040 will need to take the placement exam if they took their original math class three semesters earlier. If the placement exam verifies that the students are still on the level with the prerequisite, they will be allowed to enroll in the higher class. If not, a hold will be put on their math classes until they complete the prerequisite. Koebbe said the test is not designed to be punitive, but rather to ensure that students have retained the infor- Speak Up ^Commentsto remem6eii "I don't need this crystal ball anymore to figure out how much you've retained. With the placement exam, it just makes a better experience for the students/' Linda Skabelund, adviser for new office mation from their prerequisite courses and will be able to carry on successfully in later courses. The math placement test was approved by the Board of Regents, which oversees all institutes of higher education in Utah, and has already been implemented in the other universities statewide. To aid the transition, a new dropin advising office will open Feb. l to answer any questions students have about the test, the eligibility of their prerequisites and math courses in general. Linda Skabelund, who will oversee the new advising office, said she's excited about the possibilities for the new placement test. "I don't need this crystal ball anymore to figure out how much you've retained," Skabelund said. "If you jump into a class you're not prepared for, you end up retaking it, and paying for it, and being upset. With the placement exam, it just makes a better experience for the students." Koebbe said the test will also be beneficial to freshmen because there is a high correlation between success in the first math course students take and the completion of their degree at USU. John Mortensen, USU's interim registrar, said passing their quantitative literacy requirement can be a problem for some students. "We have a policy right now that students can only take classes three times," Mortensen said. "A lot of the ones that are maxing those out are math classes." Mortensen said he hopes the placement exam will help to solve the problem. "For a lot of students, this will be an advantage because they'll be in the right place the first time," Mortensen said. Koebbe said for students who would like to brush up their skills before taking the placement text, a one-week refresher course will be offered at the beginning of each semester. The • MATH see page 4 USU launching tobacco awareness campaign about this and other secondhand smoke dangers, and they would work oh decreasing the already USU Tobacco Coordinator limited tobacco advertisements Suzanne Poindexter and the on campus. Tobacco Task Force are currently "Not a lot of tobacco compadrafting a proposal to enforce nies have ads on our campus, current tobacco regulations and though, so that's not a huge part launch an awareness campaign of it," Poindexter said. on campus. If passed, the proposal would Current Utah law prohibalso ban tobacco sales on camits smoking within 25 feet pus. Poindexter said "it wouldn't of a building entrance, but have a huge impact" because the Poindexter said not many stuQuick Stop on the first floor of dents follow or the TSC is the are aware of ^^^^^^^^^_ only place that this law. In a currently sells Fall 2006 surcigarettes on vey conducted campus. by the Tobacco Comments to remember'': "That Task Force on may affect 'We are addressing clean air the TSC patio, some revit was found and protection from secondhand enue at dining that during a services, but four-hour peri- smoke, not targeting smokers" we're here to od, three out Suzanne Poindexter, USU make students of 150 smokers Coordinator aware of the obeyed the 25- _ _ _ _ _ _ _Tobacco __ dangers they foot law, and are exposed to 522 people said on campus," they passed smokers while enter- Poindexter said. "And we want ing the TSC. the students to help enforce it." The new regulations proposed Poindexter, a USU graduate by Poindexter would ban smokin public health, works under an ing in designated "high-traffic" education grant in the Student areas as well as other places Health and Wellness Center to where smokers are highly visible. raise awareness of the dangers of "If students are more aware secondhand smoke and provide and can help enforce this, it tobacco education. will become a social norm," The Tobacco Task Force averPoindexter said. "We are ages about 12 members and addressing clean air and protecincludes students as well as protion from secondhand smoke, not fessors and other faculty. targeting smokers." The initial proposal will be Poindexter said she learned presented in about a month, and at a recent conference that secPoindexter said she hopes for ondhand smoke can cause more ASUSU and student body supdamage than smoking does to port. the smoker. This is because the "We'd love to have more stusmoker inhales hot smoke, which dent involvement," Poindexter the lungs repel somewhat, while said. Interested students or faccooled smoke inhaled secondulty can e-mail spoindexter@ hand can more deeply penetrate cc.usu.edu. the lungs. ~chelseyg@cc. usu. edu The proposed regulations would also increase advertising BY CHELSEY GENSEL Staff Writer Speak Up Photo courtesy of ROTC STUDENTS IN THE ROTC practice drills in the HPER swimming pool. USU's ROTC won at least two MacArthur Awards. The awards are based on cadet grades and performance. ROTC winning awards BY MARILYN SHELTON Staff Writer USU's Army Reserve Officer Training Corps' 14th Brigade has been selected to win two different MacArthur Awards for the western region of the United States for thefiscalyear of 2006, with a decision on whether they have won the third award in February. The award, presented by the U.S. Army Cadet Command that recognizes the best ROTC battalions nationwide, is based on cadet records. "Commanders look at us twice a year," said Lt. Col. Rand Curtis, head of USU's Army ROTC program. Selection for the MacArthur Award is made based on cadets' leadership, development and assessment rate, GPA and contract and commission rates, said Col. Tanya Olsen, recruiting and operations officer. Commission means a cadet will either serve on active duty or in the U.S. Army Reserve in the specific branch they have been assigned, Olsen said. "More than one-third of our cadets get commissioned. That puts us in the top 10 percent in the country," second Lt. Joshua Dawson said. "We have outstanding ROTC students. The average GPA is in the three-point range," Olsen said. USU students also had high levels of physicalfitnessand performance, also factors in the award decision. "The first award was for best brigade while competing for records against four other states including schools in Utah, Nevada, Arizona and California," Curtis said. The second part was an award for the best cadet records in the Western Region of the United States which "involves 140 schools over 25 different states," Curtis said. It will probably be a month before they know about • Cadet Command, the third and highest level of the *• MacArthm* Award. -marshel@cc.usu.edu |