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Show Briefs Students win HR Games Policy: Limits smoking on campus Campus & Community [] continued from page 1 ter. "It is highly favored with the administration," he said. "There is an emphasis on compromise. Instead of a total ban, it is a selective ban, so we're crossing our fingers that it's a go." The new policy amends the existing article in the Student Code (Section V-3) to ban smoking in areas where "air circulation may be impeded." "It's sort of a threefold approach we took. We limit the areas, prohibit sales and smoking at big events," Jennings said, "and just for good measure, the last part bans advertising for tobacco products. We don't currently have any tobacco advertising, but we put it into the policy for the future." The major area affected will be the TSC Patio, the cause of a great deal of recent controversy. Jennings said he incorporated a great deal of student input during the course of drawing up this compromise. "I made it a point to sit out on the patio and talk to the people out there smoking," he said. "One guy told me, 'We're like cows. Wherever you put the ashtrays, we'll flock."' Barfuss said he secured a federal grant through the Bear River Health Department, who got it from the Center for Disease Control, to help implement the new policy. After the policy takes effect, there will be new Page 3 ShitcsnwnCampus News Wednesday. Feb. //, 2009 signs and advertising, and Barfuss said there will be education and tobacco cessation classes as well. "Enforcement shouldn't be a big deal," he said. "It is really by public opinion." A student conduct officer is in charge of enforcing problems with all areas of the Student Code, for repeat offenders or serious problems, he said. "It is just making a point of being considerate," Jennings said, "especially with that entrance (to the TSC)." Barfuss said he believed the new plan will be the most beneficial to the student body. "(With the total ban) there was quite a bit of resistance," Barfuss said, "but this will help reduce the risks of secondhand smoke as well as reduce smoking rates. It affects large gatherings, bus stops, things like that, rather than banning it outright." He mentioned Boise State, which just passed a total ban going into effect this fall, and said while this won't happen anytime soon in Utah, this is a small step in the right direction. Federal funding expires at the end of the school year, and Jennings said it is a personal goal of his to make sure the new policy goes into effect by then. "I want to make sure it gets done on my watch," he said. -chelsey.gensel@aggiemail.usu.edu for 8th consecutive year Athletics: Student fee increase U continued from page 1:~~ • .. "There is a great misunderstanding with these ~ budget cuts. People write to us and say, 'Cut athletics,' but the reality is it doesn't save us that much money because we don't put all the much money into it," he said. To combat the lack of financial support from the university, Barnes said they will move onto the next leg of the stool: student fee increases. Barnes said the athletic department will be asking for a student fee increase of $65 a semester. This proposed fee increase will be voted for March 23 and 24, Barnes said. "Student fees by themselves will not even out our budget, but they will help us with the two other pieces of the model," Barnes said. However, because a student fee increase would not take effect until next semester, Barnes said the athletic department will be focusing their efforts on self-generated revenue. This includes both revenue collected at games and fundraising, Barnes said. Currently, the athletic department has been involved in a fundraising campaign from which they've already collected $1.1 million. Barnes said these funds were essential to the hiring of the new football coach Gary Andersen. While the athletic department is currently relying heavily on self-generated revenue, Barnes said the size of USU's athletic venues and market limits the university to the amount that can be brought in through selfgenerated revenue. "When you consider how small our market is and the size of our stadiums - and the amount of tickets we give away to students - our ability to generate revenue is lessened. We can certainly put ourselves in a position to compete, but we need student fees and institutional support over time. (The athletic department) can't generate as much as those two sources," Barnes said. Barnes said the goal now is to stabilize the athletics department, sustain the excellence of our sports programs and grow. -greg boyles@aggiemail. usu. edu By RICHARD PERKINS staff writer Teams from USU's Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) took first and second pace at the state level HR Games competition at Weber State Saturday for the eighth consecutive year. HR Games is an academic bowl for human resources students. "It s a Jeopardy-style game where students are quizzed on the HR body of knowledge," said Carrie Belsito, assistant professor in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. Participants selected categories and had to put forth their human resource management knowledge in the form of a question as difficulty levels increased. "The event was sponsored by the national organization," Belsito said. "The idea is to prepare students to for the PHR (professional human resources) exam." Categories included strategic management, benefits and risk management. Although teams from BYU and the U of U planned on attending, they backed out in the week preceding the competition, Belsito said. "We just do really well. I think people are a little scared because we dominate," Belsito said, Members of the first place team were Emily Halterman, A. J. Kim and Tate Matta. Coming in for second was Stephen Allred, Lydia Bushman and Brian Francom. The winners receive an opportunity to take the PHR exam for free. "These students, besides just being smart, they are really a great group of people," Belsito said. "They are beyond genuine and a fun group to work with." Belsito said she has worked with Al Warnick as a faculty adviser and coach. Allred, junior in human resources and president of USU's chapter of SHRM, said the event was organized with judges, lunch, semifinals and ^finals. The competition wasjiosted ; byJVVeber State University. Kim, senior in" psychology,'who competed on the first place team said there was "actually a very friendly competitive atmosphere. It was a great opportunity, a great way to meet and work with professionals in the field, in the career." The two teams will go on to the SHRM regional competition, Allred said, which will be held March 21 and 22 in Denver. Belsito said as many as 15 of the best teams in the southwestern U.S. will compete in the regional competition, where the teams will vie for the opportunity to attend the national conference of the chapter. "It's quite intense," she said. "(The competition is) run in conjunction with a student conference. It's a pretty intimate conference," Belsito said. Students will have opportunities to meet with many professionals from the field up close and personal, she said. As preparation for the event, the team met twice a week, starting in the fall. They studied anything from textbooks to modules, Belsito said, and in their efforts to prepare the students master the material. "They really do become the experts," Belsito said. "They understand it and can work through it in their heads, not just memorizing." The students went to great lengths to learn the information, Kim said. "We had weekly practices to review the material," Kim said. "I would study on my own, flashcards and stuff like that." Kim said he was pleased with his performance, especially since the competition was moved up by three weeks. "There were definitely issues we had to work out," Kim said. "We reviewed strategies of game play and how we'd work best as a team." In addition to help from the two faculty advisers, this year's master's students - Aaron Lambert, Emily Maycock, Kortney Teigen and Mark Torrie - have been a great support, working to inspire and motivate the team, Belsito said. The students put in a lot of time and effort. There were six categories to cover between the six students. Each student thoroughly learned two of the categories. Then, in the actual competition, they competed against each other on teams of three, Allred ' said. "They deserve a lot of credit for their time," Belsito said. "No attitudes; these people just enjoyed what they were doing." ~r.perkins@aggiemail.usu.edu H U M A N RESOURCES STUDENTS W O N their eighth consecutive HR Games Feb. 7. Above,Tate Matta accepts a certificate of achievement with a handshake. Below, members of the first and second place teams participated in semifinals and finals at Weber State, photos courtesy of CARRIE BELSITO PoliceBlotter Contact USU Police at 797-1939 for non-emergencies. Anonymous reporting line: 797-5000 EMERGENCY NUMBER: 911 Saturday, Jan. 31 Tuesday, Feb. 3 Friday, Feb. 6 • USU Police was contacted by complainant who said he was security at the Sigma Nu House. Complainant stated he had been having problem with some of the young men living at the residence. Complainant stated that they have been drinking alcohol and using drugs. Complainant requested that an officer walk through the residence with him. USU officer advised complainant that the residence in question is in the Logan City jurisdiction and that he would need to contact the Logan City Police Department to assist him. No further action taken. • Complainant advised school administration of a problem he was having with a past student that has been stalking him. USU Police were asked to contact complainant and find out how to help him with his problem. Police contacted the complainant who told officers they needed to advise this person that was stalking him, that he did not want any type of relationship with her and that she needs to stop. Complainant stated that if this person makes contact with him after he talks to her he would advise the police. No further action taken • Police responded to the foyer area of the Kent Concert Hall on a medical assist. A student was found lying face down north of the hall. It was determined that the student fainted while walking through the foyer. Paramedics checked the student's vitals and informed the student that he should be taken to the emergency room for observation. The student was released after refusing to go to the hospital. There was no further action taken. ,: - [•Compiled by Rachel A. Christensen Ecology Center seminars The USU Ecology Center welcomes Lance Gunderson from Emory University as part of the Ecology Seminar Series. Gunderson will present two lectures: "Managing Regimes in Socio-Ecological Systems" Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. and "Foundations of Ecological Resilience" Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. Both presentations will take place in the USU Natural Resources Lecture Hall, room 105. Everyone is welcome. BSUsoulfood dinner and poetry USU's Black Student Union hosts its annual "Black and White Affair" soul food dinner Friday, Feb. 13. Activities are part of BSU week at USU, with additional activities Feb. 9-13. The dinner, including a variety of soul food, is held in the TSC Ballroon and begins at 7 p.m. Entertainment comes via the New York-based slam poetry group Words with a Pulse. Tickets, available in the TSC Room 309, are $10 for the dinner and show, or $3 for Words with a Pulse show only. This event is open to anyone who enjoys great food, and great live entertainment. More information on BSU week events is available online at www.usu.edu/bsu. Black Student Union is an organization established to promote a higher level of Black consciousness, advancement and mutual understanding among all cultures and people. BSU serves to provide information to its members and , raise cultural awareness within the community at ., , large. Valentine Sampler atUSVlibrary A holiday-themed exhibit, Valentine Sampler, is currently on display at USU's Merrill-Cazier Library. Organized by the library's Special Collections and Archives division, the exhibit is on display in the library's foyer gallery through March 8 and was assembled by Rose Milovich, art and book arts curator. "One of the most beloved traditions of Valentine's Day is the exchange of small gifts or cards to express love or friendship felt for a special recipient," Milovich said. "Fragile and ephemeral by nature, paper valentines are none-the-less cherished, sometimes so dearly that these delicate love tokens are kept for years, the mementos often passing from one family generation to the next." Valentine Sampler highlights three such collections that are held by Special Collections and Archives at USU. Featured samples from the collections date from about 1882 to 1925, and include multi-layered, plain and gilt paper lace valentines, color printed embossed cards and valentine greetings designed for children. In addition to valentines from the library's collection, the exhibition includes several valentines on loan; children's penny valentines, sentimental postcards, as well as comic and "vinegar" valentines are on view. Valentine Sampler is free and open to all. {^Compiled from stafi and media reports |