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Show StatesmanCampus News Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 Page 3 Logan ranked No. 13 among college cities Briefs Campus & Community By EMILY HOFERITZA staff writer Logan was one of 360 cities included in a study done by the American Institution for Economic Research (AIER). On April 21, AIER published the annual College Destinations Index. Logan was ranked No. 13 among small college cities with a population below 250,000 and No. 68 nationally, according to the index. Taking 12 aspects of 360 different cities, the index is used as a researching tool for students to determine the pros and cons of their intended college destinations. John DeVilbiss, the university’s spokesperson, said the reason Logan was ranked high was because of the setting and the community. “Logan is a better place because of Utah State University. And, in a sense, Utah State University is a better place because of Logan. So, the two are inseparable,” he said. Dione Garlick, senior in political science, said, “Logan is the perfect size. It’s small enough that it’s personal, but it’s big enough that it’s still really interesting.” The index evaluates three main characteristics in each city: the academic environment, the general quality of life in the area and the professional opportunities available to students. The quality of life in the area includes the opportunities for fun activities outside the academic arena, the city accessibility through transportation other than a personal vehicle and the cost of living. According to the index, the average cost of living in Logan is $635 per month. Logan has the fourth-lowest cost of living within the top 20 college cities. Sarah Reale, public relations specialist at the university, said the outdoor activities plays a big part in drawing students to Logan. With so many canyons within a 30-minute drive, the opportunities for rock USU ceremony to present awards LOGAN’S SETTING AND COMMUNITY are the reasons the city was ranked No. 13 in a study by the American Institution for Economic Research, said John DeVilbiss, USU spokesperson. CODY GOCHNOUR photo climbing or skiing are extensive, she said. “We have what the University of Utah has, times two,” she said. Garlick said whenever she gets bored, she simply picks up a new sport. The professional opportunity of the location includes the increase in number of businesses over a period of time, unemployment rate and earning potential for residents. “I think employment opportunities (in Logan) remain very steady and, in fact, opportunities are increasing,” DeVilbiss said. Many local companies were started by USU students while they were attending college, like Jeremy White’s JJ Cole Collections, DeVilbiss said. The local companies, though they’ve gone international since, still employ USU students and graduates here in the valley, he said. DeVilbiss said the Space Dynamics Laboratory employs approximately 50 students on a part-time basis, who, in many cases, are offered jobs at the lab after they graduate. “Cache Valley functions because of students,” Reale said. The academic environment includes student diversity, research potential, students and professors. Reale said the students play a large part in adding to the good atmosphere that USU has. She said the students are respectful and when stu- dents participate in the Study Abroad program the professors don’t need to worry about the way the students will behave. She said the administration is also a large part. She said when events are planned for the university, the administration thinks through the entire program and covers all the grounds necessary, going through any scenario. “The setting is so important,” DeVilbiss said. “The sense of place that you get when you’re part of a college town that you don’t get with commuter schools is what makes (Logan) stand out.” – emily.hoferitza@aggiemail.usu.edu ASUSU allots funds to remodel service center By BENJAMIN WOOD senior news writer In a meeting of the Executive Council of Associated Students of Utah State University (ASUSU) Tuesday, summer attendance of the Nelson Fieldhouse was reported and funds were allotted for the remodeling of the Val R. Christensen Service Center. At the end of the 2009 spring semester it was announced that the Fieldhouse would close for the summer, Athletic Vice President Jeremy Winn said, but in response to student concerns, ASUSU voted to financially assist Campus Recreation and the facility was opened three days a week for the sum- mer semester. Winn presented ASUSU with the attendance figures, provided by Campus Recreation. Total attendance for the summer was 2,020. Wednesday was the most frequented day of the week with a summer total of 860, followed by Monday with 660 and Friday with 476. In all, the $1,500 given by ASUSU translated into 74 cents per student use. “They felt it was a great success,” Winn said. In other financial actions, ASUSU allocated $1,434 for the remodeling of the service center. The request passed unanimously with one member abstaining. Service Vice President David Knighton said in last week’s council meeting that the money would PoliceBlotter Saturday, Sept. 19 Tuesday, Sept. 22 • USU Police responded to the north end of the stadium for a utility problem. The turf had a water leak under the north end. Facilities was called to determine the problem. • USU Police responded to a parking problem on Old Main Hill. An individual was warned for not having a sidewalk permit. The proper permit was obtained through the Parking Office. • USU Police received a report of a person dressed in a gorilla suit looking in the windows of the Living Learning Center. Police located the two individuals. They were removed from campus. Wednesday Sept. 23 Sunday, Sept. 20 • USU Police received a complaint of skateboarders in the area of the Living Learning Community performing tricks and making noise. Police contacted the two and they were released with a warning for their first-time offense. • Police responded to the University Trailer Court on a domestic dispute. Upon further investigation, it was determined that one male individual assaulted his girlfriend in the presence of their children. The male individual was arrested and booked in the Cache County Jail for domestic violence assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child and domestic violence criminal mischief. All charges are class B misdemeanors. Monday, Sept. 21 • USU Police received a report of a individual possibly living in a vehicle in the Family Life Center parking lot. Police are investigating. • A student made a delayed report of an ongoing harassment problem at Snow Hall where someone was knocking on windows late at night. Police are investigating. • USU Police received a report of a bicycle theft from Merrill Hall during the night. Police contacted the complainant who said the bike had been located. He then informed police that his brother had borrowed the bicycle. • USU Police responded to a report of three individuals doing tricks on bicycles near the Edith Bowen School. Upon arrival, police attempted to contact the individuals who fled the area. • USU Police responded to a water leak in the ceiling at the HPER. Upon arrival, police noticed a small hole in the ceiling tile, which was dripping water. Police notified the on-call plumber. Thurday, Sept. 24 • Police responded to a delayed report of a criminal mischief case at the Poisonous Plant Building. An unidentified suspect either threw or used a wrist rocket to propel a marble at one of the north windows of the building. Police are investigating at this time. be used to purchase chairs to be used in meetings. A total of 20 chairs will be purchased in the same style as the common area of the Taggart Student Center’s third floor. Volunteer labor has already accounted for a large portion of the service center’s remodel, as well as $1,500 in materials out of the service budget. The council also addressed upcoming events and Student Advocate Tyler Haws voiced his concern for creating a standardized way for students to voice their complaints. Haws said he is still looking at the options available but hopes to soon develop online and other resources for students to submit their questions and concerns. – b.c.wood@aggiemail.usu.edu Contact USU Police at 797-1939 for non-emergencies. Anonymous reporting line: 797-5000 EMERGENCY NUMBER: 911 • Complainant called USU Police wanting to report a suspicious person in the Living Learning Center. The complainant said he saw an individual in a Halloween mask and tan trench coat walking around the Living Learning Center. • USU Police received a report of a stolen red Huffy bicycle from Aggie Village. Police are investigating. Friday, Sept. 25 • USU Police received a report from USU Parking that an individual was being disorderly in the waiting area and refused to leave when asked by Parking employees. Police escorted the individual from the building. No further action taken. • USU Police responded to assist an elderly individual who was confused as to why she was on campus. Police were able to locate her residence at an assisted living center in Logan. Police contacted the center who took the individual home. • USU Police responded to 800 East and 850 North to assist Logan City Police with unlocking a vehicle with a small child inside. Police were able to unlock the vehicle and extract the child without further incident. The child was unharmed from being locked inside the vehicle. • USU Police responded to Bullen Hall for a report of a fire in front of the building. Police responded and advised the individual that open flames are not permitted on campus. The individual complied with the request. -Compiled by Rachel A. Christensen Winners of the Evans Biography and Handcart Awards will be in Logan Friday, Oct. 2, to receive their awards. Utah State University President Stan Albrecht will be on hand to congratulate the winners, and Ross Peterson, vice president for university advancement, will present one of the awards. Award recipients include Janet Chapman and Karen Barrie, authors of the Evans Biography Award winner “Kenneth Milton Chapman: A Life Dedicated to Indian Arts and Artists,” and Handcart Award winner William B. Smart, author of “Mormonism’s Last Colonizer: The Life and Times of William H. Smart.” The award ceremony begins at 2:30 p.m. in USU’s Taggart Student Center Ballroom. The event, including the ceremony, reception and book signing, is free and open to the public. The Evans Awards are administered in a year-long process. Winners are announced in the spring, with the awards ceremony in September. The books are first reviewed by a regional jury made up of five scholars and book specialists from the Intermountain region. Three finalists are sent on to the national jury, which consists of three biography experts with national and international reputations. ABC exec, former Aggie honored The Jon M. Huntsman School of Business has bestowed its highest honor on a former student who came from a small town in Utah and is now the senior vice president of human resources for the Disney/ ABC Television Group. Businessman and philanthropist Jon Huntsman presented Steve Milovich with the Distinguished Executive Alumnus Award at a banquet that drew more than 550 people at Utah State University Sept. 17. The event, the 2009 Annual Fall Awards Banquet, offers friends and alumni of the school who have funded scholarships the opportunity to meet the students they have helped. Milovich, who was raised in Price, oversees all the organization and human resource efforts worldwide at the Disney/ABC Television Group. That includes the ABC Television Network, Disney Channels Worldwide, cable network’s ABC Family, Disney/ESPN television and several other major areas. Huntsman told the group Milovich believes business schools should teach the importance of ethical decision-making. Students participate in university exchange Students at Utah State University with a keen ear may have noticed an additional voice on campus this summer. That “voice” came to USU from Mongolia and with six students. The students, Zolbayar Namsraidorj, NaLjirmaa Sharav, Bassankhuu Vaanchig, Khishigdorj Bazarsuren, Enkhbayar Lkhagvasuren and Enkh-Od Dashnyam, traveled to Utah from their native city of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, to study English and learn more about the U.S. culture. While visiting from Mongolia, the students were paired with host families in Cache Valley giving them an opportunity to experience an American lifestyle and become immersed in the local culture. The exchange program is a new collaboration between the USU office of the vice provost for international education, the U.S. State Department and the Mongolian government. It is the first ever language and culture exchange from the country of Mongolia. -Compiled from staff and media reports |