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Show Paze 3 StatesmanCampus News Wednesday, Sept. S, 2007 Art Barn's top floors not meeting fire code By DEVIN FELIX staff writer USU Facilities officials are closing the upper two floors of the Art Barn, the building at the northeast corner of the Taggart Student Center parking lot, because of concerns about fire code. "It's an old building and it has lots of issues " said Darrell Hart, associate vice president of Facilities. The top floors of the three-story building do not meet current fire code requirements because the way the rooms are laid out would make evacuating during a fire difficult, Hart said. The building also has other problems, such as not having an elevator, he said. The first floor, which houses an undergraduate psychology lab and graduate student and faculty offices, T H E T O P T W O FLOORS of the A r t Barn next to the Taggart Student Center parking lot have been closed because they no longer meet updated fire regulations. The bottom floor continues to be used. There are no plans as to what to do with the will still be in use. Officials do not yet know what will happen to the top two floors, Hart said. They may be renovated someday, but no plans are yet in place. "It's just one of many projects we're working on," Hart said. "We'll have to wait and see." The building was built in 1896 and used to house livestock. As USU grew and became a university, it relocated its agricultural programs, and the barn was deserted for many years. In 1959, it was renovated to house the ceramics program and other art departments, which is why it is called the Art Barn. Hart said the building was up to safety code regulations when it was built and renovated, but is no longer in compliance because the regulations are updated frequently. -d.felix@aggiemailusu.edu top floors. NOELLE BERLAGE photo Mining tragedy reverberates Made in the '80s amongtheUSDcommunity STUDENTS ROCKED THE NIGHT AWAY at the '80s Dance Party Friday night. The party was put on by ASUSU and was held in the Taggart Student Center. Left: Kylie Ellis, sophomore in liberal arts, Nicole Brown, sophomore in public relations, and Kinzie Raney, sophomore in history jam to some classic rock outside the International Lounge. Students sported their best '80s gear, including track suits, neon spandex, sloppy tops, Ray-Bans and mini skirts. Below: A Neil Diamond cover band drew fans in the Ballroom. Phil Leffler sang the legend's songs to an enthusiastic crowd. Examples of the generosity and sacrifice of local members were evident when the six families of the miners were housed staff writer in the junior high school. Local cafes willingly called up the city to donate meals The catastrophic loss of nine lives in a to feed more thanlOO people staying in small community has been evaluated and the junior high. The only two furniture debated among the national and local stores in Emery County donated four media for weeks. There have been many brand-new dinette sets along with mulspeculations as to what really happened tiple couches and chairs. Police officers in the Crandall Canyon Coal mine. donated hours of extra time in ensuring Geology professor Anthony Laury said, "Due to the amount of seismic ener- the privacy of families from the press. Even the local corn farmer retrieved 750 gy, it's just a function of luck whether the ears of corn within an hour's notice to miners would be able to find and survive help raise money for donation. in an air pocket"Nick McKee, a junior engineering The credit cnion in the area was able major, said, "Even though the miners may to give each of the families $10,000 by have retreated into an air pocket, you means of community donations to help still have to consider the factor of falling pay for the rent and other expenses of debris and loose gravel, which could be the fatherless families. Even traveling similar to gradually being buried alive." news reporters were invited to stay in the homes of local residents, due to lack of In a community where the local high rooms in the only hotel of the area. school population is just over 500, the effect of a national media has certainly "In all of the tragedy here, there has had a factor in the outcome of the coal been a silver lining brought by uniting mine tragedy. Sam Urie, a sophomore the community and bringing out stores agriculture major and former resident of ' of service. The miners here are like aEmery £punty, sai.d his family-has been brotherhood or fraternity," Moss said. J helping with fund-raisers in the face of "They are widely respected and make the tragedy, such as Hope in the Park, up a significant part of our community. held 10 days after the disaster in the local There isn't a miner here that wouldn't go city park. back into that mountain to look for his brother." Lee Moss, USU alumnus and high school Emery County chemistry teacher, Despite the unknown fate of the lost said, "I have never seen a common cause miners, people have been able to expand that unites a community like this since resiliency and ultimately come together the Teton Dam broke in Rexburg, Idaho, in a humanitarian effort to help the comin 1976. People have given and donated mon good. all that they can down to their last spare -whitney.kaufman@aggiemail.usu.edu penny." By WHITNEY KAUFMAN DEBRA HAWKINS photo Housing: New complex has late start, successful opening 3 continued from page 1 bedroom. All four residents share one bathroom, which includes two sinks and a vanity, Jenson said. The opposite side of the suite looks similar but has two shared bedrooms and one shared bathroom. Darin Stoker, freshman majoring in mechanical engineering, is a resident in the LLC. He said he started the semester living in Snow Hall in the Student Living Center but recently moved into the Leadership House building, Building F, of the LLC to live in a quieter environment. He said he is glad he made the change. "Its great," Stoker said of the LLC. "It's really nice and comfortable. All the stuff is new. The beds don't make your back hurt. This is hands down better." Stoker said the only negative thing he has noticed about living in the LLC is the lack of a kitchen in ea"ch suite. He said he doesn't like having to use the community kitchen. The lack of kitchens in each suite is one of the more notable features of the LLC, Jenson said, but it was planned that way. The Marketplace, located on the second floor of the TSC, is the primary eating location for residents of the LLC. Included in the cost of the room are 10 meals a week at USU dining locations, but the meal plan can be upgraded. Alan Anderson, executive director for USU Dining Services, said the Marketplace was originally built in conjunction with the LLC and was designed with the idea in mind to be an equally nice facility to what the LLC provided. But, LLC residents are not limited to eating just at the Marketplace. "They do have other options available to them," Anderson said. "They have the option to use the Junction or the Marketplace. The students who live in central campus can also use the Marketplace." Anderson said the food at both locations is good and said he tries to ensure students are eating food prepared by top chefs and that students are provided with a variety of eating options. "There's a challenge to create variety in one location," he said. "If you eat in a five-star restaurant seven days a week, it will get old." "This year I have heard nothing but good reports about the quality of the food," Jenson said. The Marketplace was one critical element to the construction of the LLC, Jenson said. The second crucial piece was the construction of the new parking terrace on the far west side of campus. The new parking terrace cuts into Old Main Hill and sits underneath two of the LLC buildings. The terrace boasts 600 parking stalls that are primarily used by LLC residents but can also be accessed by other students and visitors. Atop the parking terrace are two elevator access points where LLC residents can move between the residence buildings and the parking stalls. Bill: USU slated to get $17 mil IJ continued pom page 1 would be going to have already been funded. The bill would allow the university to maintain projects that are already going on. "There's some just dynamite projects," Cockett said. Albrecht was careful to note that the bill is not a done deal. "Congress hasn't passed it yet, so we don't want to get ahead of ourselves," he said. However, he said the funding would be "an awfully important part of our research, outreach and facilities construction." Cockett was optimistic about the probability of the bill's success. "There will be a lot of celebration around this campus when it is finalized," she said. "If something odd happened on'the national scene and the Senate decided not to approve it, it would be a continuing resolution. But the word on the street is that that's very unlikely." Cockett said she hoped the process will be finished as early as next month. <•*•' -elizabeth.lawyer@aggiemailusu.edu All told, Jenson said the total cost of the project was estimated at $40 million, but he is glad the school decided to act on the project when they did because "building costs have shot through the roof." Jenson said if the school were to start the project over now, it wouldn't be able to afford it. But was pumping $40 into additional housing, parking and dining services necessary? Jenson said before the plans for the construction of the LLC went through, housing options across campus were not full. "We weren't full by any means," Jenson said, "but we certainly had the demand for additional housing." The university hired educational institution consulting firm Anderson Strickler to evaluate the need for building additional housing. The firm surveyed more than 6,000 USU students, Jenson said, and the results "showed there was sufficient demand for building additional housing." The final plans for the LLC were approved, and the LLC was brought into existence, providing housing for nearly 400 more students and working as a recruitment tool for future USU students, Jenson said. "It's filling a niche we haven't previously met," Jenson said. "This is going to be a great addition to the university for many years to come." -seth.h@aggiemail. usu.edu Blackboard: Online learning tool 9 continued from page 1 thing once and it didn't work," said Kyle Robertson, a sophomore in international business. "But I don't really notice a visual difference between the two. I think the teachers need to learn it more." Students aren't the only ones learning this new system, as the faculty is also figuring out the program. Faculty training has been available to those interested in learning more about the program, and Legler said most faculty have taken advantage of this. He said those who have been actively involved in WebCT are having a harder time wrapping their minds around the new program and its changes. The questions usually answered for faculty are refreshers on things learned in the training, Legler said. "This is one, if not the most successful rollovers in the [ ] Research more state and @ utahstatesman.com country," Legler said. He attributes this to USU attending numerous workshops prior to the switch and talking with many other schools who have already done it. •ahson.baugh@aggiemailusu.edu Briefs Campus & Community Business dean to speak on leadership USU students will get a chance to learn more about "lean" leadership at the next Dean's Convocation at the College of Business Wednesday, Sept. 5. Speaker Jerry Bussell will not be lecturing about obesity, however. Bussell is the chairman of the board for Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence, an organization that promotes a philosophy called "lean." Bussell will speak at 12:30 p.m. in the Orson A. Christensen Auditorium (room 215) in the George S. Eccles Business Building. The event is free and open to the public. The lean philosophy was originally articulated by Shigeo Shingo, an industrial engineer in Japan whose teachings have been key to Toyota's success. The approach emphasizes the importance of showing respect for employees, while eliminating waste, saving money, increasing productivity and improving quality. The Shingo Prize is part of USU's College of Business. Bussell is also the business sector vice president of global operations for Medtronic ENT/NT. He said he will be drawing from his experience to talk about leadership and what he thinks is needed to "drive excellence throughout an organization." Bussell has 30 years operational experience working with high-growth companies. He is chairman of the Jacksonville Lean Consortium in Florida. Under his leadership, Medtronic ENT/NT was recognized by "IndustryWeek" as one of the Best Plants in North America in 2002, and it was a recipient of the Shingo Prize in 2003. Medtronics manufactures medical equipment used in the treatment of ear-, nose- and throat-related health issues. Utah Supreme Court justice receives award WILL1AMSBURG, VA - Chief Justice of the-XItah Supreme Court Christine M. Durham has been named recipient of the 2007 William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence by the National Center for State Courts. One of the most prestigious D U R H A M judicial honors in the country, the Rehnquist Award is presented annually to a state court judge who exemplifies the highest level of judicial excellence, integrity, fairness, and professional ethics. Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts will present the award to Chief Justice Durham at a ceremony Nov. 15 in Washington, D.C. "Chief Justice Durham has demonstrated her commitment to public service, judicial education, and the cause of justice throughout her 25 years on the Utah Supreme Court. She reflects those qualities that Chief Justice Rehnquist valued during his distinguished career," said Chief Justice Roberts. NCSC President Mary C. McQueen said the nominating committee selected Chief Justice Durham because of her "innovative leadership style and her contributions to advancing judicial branch education not only in Utah, but nationally." She is noted for developing interactive education programs in content areas that until then did not have curriculum, such as domestic violence, child witness testimony, and scientific evidence. In the 1980s judicial education was rare. "There was little interest or understanding about the profession of adult education and how it could benefit the practice of judicial education. Christine Durham was the major force which changed this landscape," according to a nomination letter written by Utah State Court Administrator Daniel Becker and Director of Utah's Judicial Institute Diane Cowdrey. The National Center for State Courts is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. The National Center, founded in 1971 with the encouragement of Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, provides leadership, research, consulting, education, and training to the state courts. The National Center headquarters are in Williamsburg, Va., with other offices in Arlington, Va., and Denver, Co. [•Compiled from staff and media reports |
