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Show StatesmanCampus News Page 3 Wednesday, April 27, 2011 Expert reveals evidence of Sasquatch species Briefs Campus & Community By ROB JEPSON staff writer "My goal is not to convince, my goal is to open minds,"said Jeff Meldrum, professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University. Meldrum has been researching the specimen of Sasquatch for more than 15 years and has received national attention for his work, both positive and negative. His research examines various evidences which suggest that the mythical creature Sasquatch may in fact be real. In particular, he hypothesizes there may be not only one creature living today, but as many as 500-750 of the Sasquatch species. "People have been so conditioned that this isn't possible that when they finally see it, it upsets their whole equilibrium," he said. Meldrum said many people, both inside and outside of academia, don't believe that Sasquatch could be real. "Some of the naysayers adapt that position because such a creature, such a species could not exist under our noses and not have been discovered," he said. Others, he said, don't accept the possibility out of stubbornness. "There's a certain chic to being critical these days," he said, "and skepticism is worn as a bright red arm band by some individuals." Dr. Robert Schmidt, USU professor of wildlife policy and human dimensions in the College of Natural Resources, invited Meldrum to come and speak. "I met Dr. Meldrum a number of years ago and it was just interesting about how he, as a person with a credentials in science, how he uses that process to look at Sasquatch, which is a very different way than the other Sasquatch fans," he said. "He has this logical process by which he sorta says 'I can include this information."' Ryan Carlisle, an international studies major who attended the lecture, said the presentation didn't affect his belief in Sasquatch. "It's a possibility," he said. "I didn't totally discount it. It could be." Halley Kartchner, a graduate student in human dimensions of ecosystems science and management who considers herself an amateur Bigfoot enthusiast said, "I thought it was really refreshing take on the legend of Sasquatch. My other exposure to it has been kinda crazy people I guess." She said that while she's not completely convinced that Sasquatch is real, Meldrum's lecture made her more inclined to Orchestra set to perform symphony JEFF MELDRUM, a professor at Idaho State University, explains that the Sasquatch species could very well exist, though many have doubted his claims. ARMEN 1-10VSEPYAN photo believe he could be. "It was really good to hear someone with a Ph.D and all this background knowledge giving his take on it," she said. Sara Preece, a graduate in marine biology from BYU, said, "I had never seen evidence presented the way he had. I feel like he presented it very factually, very evidence-based. He wasn't trying to change anyone's mind or convince anybody, he was just presenting objective evidence for people." She said she doesn't necessarily believe or disbelieve that Sasquatch is real because belief connotes a religious type of conviction, but said Meldrum's presentation did make her think that Sasquatch could be real. Meldrum said he himself is not positive that Sasquatch is real, but that the evidence compels him to continue researching. — robmjepson@gmail.corn Undergrad presents nutrition research in national conference By STEVE KENT staff writer While working with researchers at Utah State University, senior nutrition science major Erika Hopkins got a chance to do some research of her own. Through an Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunity (URCO) grant, Hopkins examined how accurately fourth and fifth-grade students could report levels of fruits and vegetables they ate. Hopkins was working with Food Dudes, a pilot program at Edith Bowen Elementary designed to get elementary students to eat more fruits and vegetables. Part of her job was to take photographs of the students' lunch trays before and after they had finished eating to find out what foods they were eating and how much. Hopkins, with the encouragement of her professor, applied for an URCO grant to find out whether or not the researchers could trust students to keep accurate logs of the fruits and vegetables they ate themselves. Hopkins, who is one of USU's students who went national with her project, presented her findings earlier this month at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Ithaca, N.Y., and said she valued her opportunity to perform research and work with the URCO program. She found the answer to her selected research topic was that the researchers could use the logs students kept themselves to find out how much impact the Food Dudes program had. Students tended to overestimate the amount of fruits and vegetables they ate in a similar way each time, Hopkins said. "I think children like to please the authority in their lives," Hopkins said. "The teachers and the lunch ladies and these cute college girls are in the lunchroom promoting eating fruits and vegetables, so of course they're going to want to please." Hopkins' study results mean the scientists and education professionals working to establish the Food Dudes program in Cache Valley can determine what effects their efforts will have without spending as much of their funding to hire assistants to take photographs of lunch trays. Heidi Wengreen is an assistant professor in the nutrition, dietetics and food sciences department and a co-principal investigator of the Food Dudes study at Edith Bowen Elementary. Wengreen suggested that Hopkins apply for URCO funding and helped Hopkins with the application process. Hopkins is the fourth student she has helped with undergraduate research through the URCO program. "I have a good opportunity to work with undergraduate researchers, so I usually just try to identify somebody who I think might be interested. A lot of times I have to introduce them to the opportunity — they haven't heard about (URCO grants) before," Wengreen said. That may seem surprising, since USU's undergraduate research program started in 1975. Two decades after its creation, funds available through URCO totaled about $5,000. Only a few years later, though, the program had undergone a major overhaul and in 2000 the budget had doubled. "We are funding now over the past few years 50 to 60 projects in a range of $22,000-24,000. Over the last decade, we've really ramped up sup- FRUITS AND VEGETABLES consumed by elementary school students were recorded by USU student to study their eating habits. McClatchy Tribune port for student research," said Joyce Kinkead, USU associate vice president for research. The Food Dudes program Hopkins' research helped was originally developed in Ireland, where it has been implemented successfully in elementary schools nationwide. Combining nutrition and psychology, the program is designed to change children's eating behavior and attitudes towards fruits and vegetables. The program was brought to Edith Bowen Elementary as an experiment by Wengreen and Greg Madden, associate professor in the psychology department. Sheryl Aguilar, senior dietitian at Applied Nutrition Research (formerly the Center for Advanced Nutrition), said fruit and vegetable intake approximately doubled during the Edith Bowen Elementary pilot study. Wengreen said while the Food Dudes program has proven to be effective through the elementary school year in the United Kingdom, the USU research team is applying for funding to follow the change in students' attitudes and eating habits for up to three years so they can see how the program's effects carry over into middle school. Hopkins said she believes the Food Dudes program can be an effective way to address important health problems. "Right now, the country is facing rises in obesity and diabetes," Hopkins said. "The onset is getting earlier and earlier in childhood, so by targeting the young people in this country, I think that's the best way we can prevent or maybe curb this rise that we're seeing, this epidemic." — steve.kent@aggiemaiLusu.edu photo Phobia: Students support freedom of speech in response to Quran burning I continued from page 3 USU students (nine men, five women; five seniors, three juniors, four sophomores and two freshman), randomly selected to interview about their perception of Islam and its adherents, said they had not seen a sign of "Islamophobia" at USU before. Senior Alex Baldwin counts himself among that group. "Honestly, I felt really bad for the Muslims," he said of a group which adheres to the teachings found in a book which Muslims believe to have been revealed over the course of 23 years to the prophet Muhammad. "I really don't support any kind of book-burning of any kind. I don't care what the literature is." The English major said he was stunned to learn that Jones insisted that in hindsight, he would have continued with the Fahrenheit 451-like commission. Indeed, just minutes after learning of the retaliation in Afghanistan, Jones shirked any semblance of responsibility, telling CBS: "In regard to the riots that have just taken place, the actions of breaking in, setting on fire, and killing at least 10 individuals so far is highly unacceptable for the government of the United States." Baldwin's assessment came with a Constitutional caveat. "I guess, you know, the freedom of speech — he had the right to do it; it's within the rights of our Constitution," he said. "He didn't do anything illegal, he didn't do anything incorrect as far as political issues go, but I felt that it was unnecessary and brought a really bad representation of the Christian church. I mean, I don't think Christ ever burned a book." Baldwin said he was particularly touched by those of the Islam faith during his LDS missionary service in Spain. Baldwin said Muslims would always greet missionaries with a smile, while touching their hand to their heart as they shook hands with the missionaries. It was an experience that Baldwin said he cannot match with what he often sees on the television on a continual basis. "I really can't connect my experience with those people in Spain, with the way that media are portraying the things that go on in the Middle East, and putting it under the stamp of Muslim," Baldwin said. "I don't think that's true. I think a lot of it is fabricated to get a certain response." Ryan Toth, a Christian and member of the Fellowship of Christian University Students (FOCUS), said he believes the university ranks well when it comes to prejudice against another faith, as evidenced by his own recent experiences. "I think that, in general, there is less fear here than in other demographics," said the religious studies major. "I am going to the Middle East this summer and I have had more negative reactions from adults than from any student here." While half of the students interviewed said they blamed the media first for its framing of the religion, Toth had a different culprit in mind. "I think that any negative view of Islam is, in part, influenced by the government," he said. "We are at war with an Islamic nation and, unfortunately, we, as a country, need Muslims to be our enemies." On home soil, such tension, Toth said, comes from the side which he aligns with theologically. "It seems that in America there is more prejudice from Christians against Muslims than vice versa," he said. "Honest education about the Islamic faith could help decrease this prejudice since most of the bigotry that I have seen comes from a misunderstanding of Islam." This is the first of a two-part story about the impact of a pastor who burned the Quran in protest of an Islamic scripture that he believed supports terrorism. Part two will be published Friday, April 29. — rhett.wilkinson@aggiemaiLusu.edu Utah State University Wind Orchestra will perform its annual spring concert Friday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the Chase Fine Arts Center's Kent Concert Hall on USU's campus. "Oye La Musica: El Ritmo de la Musica Latina" features an array of Latin-based music, including the transcription of Roberto Sierra's orchestral symphony Sinfonia No. 3 "La Salsa." This multi-movement work with "sparkling harmonies and striking rhythms" captivates the true sound of Latin American music. The Wind Orchestra will be perform the music of Spanish composer Joaquin Turina entitled, "Three Fantastic Dances." "Danzas Fantasticas" is a three-movement piece that is primarily a piano work. An orchestral version by the composer preceded the relatively recent band transcription by John Boyd. Tickets are $8 for general admission. USU's and other local band students are admitted at no charge. Also on the program, "Centrafuge" by Charles Booker, is a work written as homage to jazz composers Hank Levy and Don Ellis. The composition incorporates "non-traditional" meters unfamiliar to Western jazz musicians. The incorporation of a full drum set demonstrates the influence of traditional jazz music. The up-tempo work with jazz harmonies is an appropriate addition to the concert's Latin theme. USU weather device assistsJapan affair The USTAR Space Weather Center at Utah State University is assisting with Japanese disaster relief efforts by providing data maps outlining the best frequencies for radio communication within the islands ofJapan. Storms in space, in the ionosphere, can adversely impact communication and complicate the coordination rescue teams. The Space Weather Center at USU can forecast solar flares and geomagnetic storms using the Global Assimilation of Ionospheric Measurements system to provide a physics-based, data-driven of the ionosphere, coupled with Space Environment Corporation's ABBYNormal model. The two-model system is designed to produce alternative frequencies and can easily be used during emergency situations, even during periods of very active space weather. Because of the two-model system, the Space Weather Center is able to accurately interpret how space weather impacts high frequency communication being used in disaster relief efforts in Japan. Maps ofJapan are updated with real-time communication data specifying which frequencies are best to use for high frequency radio communication. "During times of disaster management, communication connections are important to maintain," said W. Kent Tobiska, director of the Space Weather Center at Utah State University. Scribendi now available to buy The 2011 issue of Scribendi has been released and is currently available for purchase for $15 at the Utah State University English department office in Ray B. West. Each year, Scribendi publishes the winning entries of the USU Creative Writing Contest and this year features work by Ryan Keepers, Marinda Fowler, Tessa Ryser, Dallin Bundy, Kate Sirls, Kaerlek Janislampi, Kevin Larsen, Lani Rush, Heather Griffiths, John Gilmore, Bonnie Moore, Brett Sigurdson, Josh McDermott, Tim Clark, Tina Sitton and Brian Brown. Also included is the artwork of Tessa Ryser, Vincent Cobb, Michelle Larsen, Tina Sitton and Bernadene Ryan. "I feel that Scribendi is an incredible opportunity for anyone to get in touch with their creative sides," said Tim Clark, second place winner in undergraduate poetry. ! Co mp ile d from staff and media reports |