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Show StatesmanCampus News Wednesday, Oct. IS. 2008 Briefs MHR class renovates a school landmark Campus & Community Transformation of book discussion ByCHELSIEHANSEN staff writer It is a USU landmark that is often overlooked. The amphitheater on Old Main Hill has become dilapidated and underutilized. Students from a MHR 3110 class are hoping they can change this. The amphitheater was reconstructed by the class last Wednesday afternoon so it could be used in a benefit concert next week where all proceeds will go to aid STUDENTS IN THE MHR CLASS people in Peru, said Nicole Brown, CAMERON PETERSON photo junior majoring in public relations and a member of the MHR 3110 The issue of demolishing the class. amphitheater has come up, Kane The MHR class spent two hours said, although "too many families sanding down benches, sweeping with ties to it have advocated for walkways and painting benches to preserving its history." prepare the amphitheater for its "We decided to make minimal debut. repairs this summer by removing "We wanted the amphitheater to the concrete wall and replacing it look good for the concert next week. with guard railings to make it safe It's a beautiful spot. We wanted untii someone comes up with a betpeople to be aware of its existence. I ter plan of what to do with it. We don't think many students have ever neither have active plans to remove seen it before," Brown said. it nor active plans to renovate it," Brown has not been the only one Kane said. to deem the amphitheater as a beauWhile its future remains uncertiful spot on campus. USU Facilities tain, the amphitheater's long lasting documented the amphitheater as history stems back to 1924, said being perceived as "one of the most Bob Parson, USU archivist. attractive sites in America with its According to USU Facilities' overlook of Cache Valley" when it documents, class gifts were taken was first being built. to pay for the materials and conUnfortunately, the amphitheater struction of the amphitheater. The has become worn down over its construction was done by students 70-year lifespan. It was recently employed through the Federal deemed unsafe said Stanley Kane, Emergency Relief Administration director of campus maintenance and took a few years to complete. operations and USU architect. After its completion, the amphi- 3110 renovated the amphitheater last week to use for a benefit concert Wednesday. theater was put to good use, Brown said. "It has been used over the years for commencement exercises, summer classes and music festivals," she said. In recent years it has gone unused because of the increase of noise from the highway and its degrading state, said Kane. "It would cost at least a half a million to get it into tip-top shape," Kane said. For now, the MHR class has done what they could to get the amphitheater at a state where it can be used for the concert next Wednesday. "We hope people will come out to support our cause and enjoy the newly painted amphitheater," Brown said. The concert will be Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. Guitarist Katie Lewis, Grafted and other artists will perform. General admission tickets are $3 and kid's tickets, $1, Brown said. The proceeds will go to the Huntsman School of Business-sponsored Micro/Small Business-Loan account program. The micro-loan program's purpose is to make small loans of $50 to $100 to individuals and small businesses in Peru while educating them of how to run a business, said David Herrmann, senior lecturer for the School of Business. "The recipients of the loans are able to start small business to increase their income levels," he added. "We believe this project will make a lasting difference in the lives of those who need it most." The MHR 3110 class has been able to preserve a piece of USU history while helping someone across the globe, Brown said. "Our project not only benefits USU, but Peru benefits at the same time. I hope it will make a big impact on many people here in Logan and in Peru," she said. -chelsie.hansen@aggiemail.usu.edu E-mail accounts to be officially terminated By CONNOR JONES staff writer USU's Information Technology department is spreading the word: on Nov. 1 all cc.usu.edu email addresses will be gone for good. According to Kevin Reeve, marketing and communications director for the IT department, that means any student, faculty, staff, alumni or emeriti using the old cc.usu.edu e-mail accounts will be unable to send or receive e-mails from their accounts. But Reeves said it isn't too late to make an easy transition. Reeves said he, along with the entire IT department, are encouraging everyone who is still on the cc accounts to sign up and begin migrating to Aggiemail. Aggiemail, which is hosted by Google, is known to be easy to learn and extremely user friendly, Reeve said. According to the IT Web site there is nothing to be done in avoiding the cc.usu.edu e-mail system being shut down. After the Nov. 1 termination of the cc.usu.edu accounts all information stored within them will be inaccessible. However, the Web site also stated it is possible to have all mail being received by cc.usu.edu addresses forwarded to your new account. It is also possible to forward all previously received messages to one's new personal e-mail. The IT department can help any users of the cc.usu.edu e-mail system transfer addresses or saved e-mails to a new account. Reeve encouraged anyone looking for help with their IT needs to visit them in the Janet Quinney Lawson building, located across the street from the Education building. -c.h.j@aggiemail.usu.edu Bond aims to preserve 'Cache Valley way oflife land, Rayfield said. By LINDSAY ANDERSON news senior writer USU students will have the opportunity this election season to vote on Proposition One, the Cache Valley Critical Lands Bond, a measure that will preserve open space land. "This is a measure we have been trying to get in front of the voters for 10 years," said Dave Rayfield, spokesman for the Cache County Critical Lands Committee. The measure will preserve the "Cache Valley way of life," Rayfield said. "It will protect our air and water quality, scenic views and vistas, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreate and trails, and working farms and ranches." The $10 million bond, which would come from property taxes, would be used to purchase the development rights of a piece of property in which the owner voluntarily decides to preserve their Page 3 By 2020 the population in Cache Valley is expected to double, Rayfield said, and many of our critical lands will be turned into neighborhoods. Christopher Cokinos, associate professor of English and volunteer with the campaign, said, "No one is saying neighborhoods shouldn't be built. It's just that unrestrained growth isn't a very good idea. Do we want Cache Valley to look like the rest of the sprawl in the Salt Lake Valley? 1 have not met a single person who thinks so." Rayfield said he has seen population growth and development destroy the natural landscape in other places, but voters are not concerned with the future of the land in the current economic crisis. "This is the worst time for this issue to be coming before the voters, with the current economic situation. Most people predict we will get beat two to one unless people really step up and realize the value of this. We took a survey, a professional survey, and 70 percent of people were in favor of PROPOSITION ONE, THE CACHE VALLEY CRITICAL LANDS BOND, will preserve open space. The $10 million bond will come from property taxes. TYLER LARSON photo it, that is a significant number, but that was preeconomic disaster. People are going to go to vote, and see property tax, and instantly say no, without thinking about the huge impact for the insignificant cost." Rayfield said the cost for voters would be $16 for every $170,000 of value each year, or "two pizzas worth of money," which would come from property taxes. Cokinos said, "No one likes taxes, we realize that. But they allow a community to do things for the common good. I'd ask folks who oppose this measure: What is the future of this valley worth to you? If we can't spend between $16 to about $30 per property-owning household or business in the county each year to generate funds to save lands, which in turn helps with wildlife and air quality and water quality, if we can't do that, why not?" Rayfield said students can have an impact on this measure. "If just 5,000 students came out to vote in favor of this we could win, and the great thing is it doesn't affect any of you, you don't have to pay property taxes, but this will still affect you." Cokinos said Proposition One affects students because, "without this bond measure, we'll lose more land, have more driving to do and more badair days. In the long run, it affects everyone because this pattern of destroying rural lands is happening everywhere. If we can take a more thoughtful approach in Cache Valley, maybe students will see that and try to make that happen in their home communities and wherever they end up after leaving Utah State." "Sometimes students can learn a few things from the community itself, beyond the classroom. This effort to find an alternative to unbridled growth and loss of land, well, that's something to take home," Cokinos said. Rayfield said students interested in getting involved in the measure can contact him by phone at (435) 757-9120. "We would love all the help we can getf but most important, get out and vote," he said. Students can vote early for Proposition One, along with all other election propositions and candidates, Monday Oct. 27 thru Friday Oct. 30 in the TSC from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, or can vote at one of the 16 polling stations around Logan on Nov. 4. -HndsayMtiderson@aggiemaiI.usu.edu Friends of the Merrill-Cazier Library at USU offers its first lecture of the year and introduces an important face to members of the campus and community, USU Dean of Libraries Rick Clement. Clement will present "The Transformation of the Book, the Library, the University (and Everything Else, too)" Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. in the MerrillCazier Library's auditorium, Room 101. In addition to the lecture, the event offers an opportunity to view some of the library's treasures close up, with examples from Special Collections and Archives. A special book sale is also a part of the evening's activities. The lecture is free and open to all. Breaking ground for new building USU researchers will have a state-of-the-art facility to call home on the university's Innovation Campus. A ground breaking for the new Utah Science, Technology and Research Initiative .USTAR, research facility is Friday, Oct. 17, at 1:30 p.m., on Innovation Campus, at 620 E. Grand Avenue 1600 North, in North Logan. The ground breaking is open to the public. The $60 million, 110.000square-foot, three floor building will house USU USTAR researchers studying in the life sciences. When completed, USU's Center for Advanced Nutrition will move into the building that will be equipped with an industrial-sized kitchen, lab space, offices and individual study participant rooms where biological samples may be taken. USU's Cache County Study on Memory, Health and Aging will also move into the facility. "The kind of research that will take place in the new building will allow for growth of our USTAR research in the life sciences," said Ned M. Weinshenker, USU's vice president for strategic ventures and economic development. "The new facility allows us to further existing research already started in buildings on the university's main campus and at the Innovation Campus. The expansion, in terms of the research and physical building space, will spawn more high-tech, high-paying jobs to the area and the state. We have already seen interest from developers to construct buildings in close proximity to capture resulting spinout companies." USU's Center for Advanced Nutrition is focused on exploring the impact of nutrition on such 21st century plagues as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Other areas of research in the center include studying genetic markers for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and looking at developmental disorders such as autism. "The elements embodied in the new building's design reflect two of our institution's greatest strengths and opportunities in the life sciences fundamental research in nutrition and disease," said Jeff R. Broadbent, USU associate vice president for research. Instructors given publishing option Wordriver is a new literary journal dedicated to the poetry, short fiction and creative nonfiction of adjuncts and part-time instructors teaching in our universities, colleges and community colleges. The premier issue will be published in Spring 2009. We re looking for work that demonstrates the creativity and craft of adjunct/part-time instructors in English and other disciplines. We reserve first publication rights and one-time anthology publication rights for all work published. Submission deadline for the premier issue of wordriver is Nov. 30. More <http://newenglish.usu.edu/ pagel4205921.aspx> IMCompiled from staff and media reports |