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Show Monday, Sept. 26, 2011 Page 4 AggieLif• Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com KACI KNIGHT, A SOPHOMORE majoring in public relations, demonstrates planking on the Block A. Planking has become increasingly popular and may relate to a similar pastime — hunkering — which can be traced back to the 1950s. AMANDA DUNN photo DEATH CAN'T STOP THE PLANKING BY NOELLE JOHANSEN staff writer Participants lay face down, holding their arms to their sides and legs stiff as a board. They're not sleeping, and they're not dead. They are planking, and someone is likely photographing it. Some people think it's ridiculous and pointless, while others ascend to great and dangerous heights for a truly legendary plank. The international fad requires nothing more than a camera and the ability to maintain a solid, horizontal posture. History/origin of Planking Fads involving people positioning their bodies in particular ways are nothing new. In the late 1950s, the fad was hunkering, according to Time magazine. Hunkering, or "hunkerin'," was especially popular on college campuses and involved crouching down into a squatting position for extended periods of time. Large groups of people would gather and hunker together while reading, chatting or engaging in other forms of frivolity. "Sophisticates hunker flatfooted. Real progressives hunker with elbows inside the knees," states a 1959 Time article. The fad started at the University of Arkansas, when a fraternity house ran low on chairs, according to the article. Prior to hunkering, students were making special efforts to see how many people they could stuff inside phone booths. Now, the fad is planking, not to be confused with the strenuous abdominal exercise. Planking has several rumored origins. The Hip Hop Democrat, an online media company and community, reported planking as a disrespectful mockery of the inhumane transportation of Africans on large ships during the slave trade. However, a professor of Atlantic history at the University of Pittsburgh told the Washington Post in July, though the planks "of the lower deck are precisely where millions of Africans were forced to lie and sleep on the Middle Passage, in conditions of utter horror that defy description," there is no "deliberate connection" between planking now and "planking" then. Some people learn of this possible connection and quit planking all together, and others plank on. Either way, the sentiment is in the eye of the planker. KnowYourMeme.com, a database of Internet trends, credits the term "planking" to New Zealand resident Paul Carran, who came up with it in 2008 while living in Sydney, Australia. Former MTV host Tom Green claimed, with video evidence, to have started planking in 1994, according to the site. Professional rugby player David Williams planked after scoring a try in March, giving the fad even more energy. Planking has also been traced to England where Gary Clarkson and Christian Langdon started planking when they were teenagers. Fourteen years ago, they referred to it as the "Lying Down Game." "It was just a really stupid, random thing to do," Clarkson told the Guardian, in May. Elise Frederickson, a USU senior majoring in public relations, shared a similar sentiment for planking. "I kind of think it's awesome," Frederickson said. "The funny thing about it is it is cool, but it doesn't seem like it should be cool." Frederickson said she has never planked but has thought about gathering a group of friends to do so. The social aspect is a big factor in planking, she said. According to the Guardian article, Clarkson and Langdon planked with close friends for 10 years, until they made a Facebook group for their planking adventures in 2007 and began receiving pictures of people planking internationally. Since then, the fad has only continued to grow ► See PLANKING, Page 6 Students who take exams while writing their own BY MARIAH NOBLE staff writer A typical student has plenty on his or her mind, homework, relationships, money, for some, they are not only responsible for their own education, but also for the education of 30 other students. Many graduate students on campus face such a challenge, since they attend classes required for their degree and teach lower-level classes within their respective departments. "Sometimes you ask (your students) questions, and you just get these blank stares," said Rachel Quistberg, a graduate instructor for English 1010. "Writing is really hard to teach, and sometimes you just go out of class wondering if they got what you were trying to teach them. It's a challenge making a general requirement fun." Michael Hatch, another graduate instructor for English 1010, agreed with Quistberg. "One of the hard things about 1010 is that all of the students have a very different background, and their interests are all over the place," Hatch said. "Since it's a basic, required class and a very important class, we get a smattering of students, and it can be challenging." Though students in general classes are diverse, Hatch said he tries to make his assignments applicable to each of his students. "I want my writing assignments to start off with personal essays, and then ultimately they'll be writing research essays on what they're planning on majoring in; so that way it keeps their interest," Hatch said. Matt Schroer, a graduate teaching assistant in charge of three sections of biology 1610, said he also tries to make his classes engaging for all students. "I think it's really important that I present myself as wanting to be there," Schroer said. "I try to always come in with a smile on my face. I try to relate what we're doing in lab to other things. I try not to go with cookie-cutter explanations. Instead, I say, 'This is how it went when I did the experiment.' I try to engage them and tell them to ask questions." Despite the challenges that come along with teaching, many graduate instructors agreed that what they do is enjoyable. "I love teaching, I really do," said Cicely Olsen, a graduate instructor for English 1010. "I didn't know if I would, but I love the students. I love that they want to learn, and even if they're not the best at English or writing, we have so much fun together. Every day is a new opportunity." Schroer said he shares Olsen's enthusiasm for teaching. "Some people might think it's hard getting up in front of 30-some undergraduates and talking, but I enjoy it," Schroer said. "(Teaching) is my favorite part of being a grad student. Sometimes, students will come up to me out of class and tell me, 'You helped me understand what was going on in lecture.' And that makes you feel good." Schroer said being available to help students outside of class is one of his priorities. "I tell students where I hang out, where my office is and tell them to come by sometime," Schroer said. "They're more than welcome to come and talk to me." Quistberg also said she values talking and getting feedback from students. "Communicating with students is important," Quistberg said. "Sometimes you come in with the expectation that they won't do assignments, but then they come in, and they've loved the readings. It's a really good feeling when you make that connection with students and really teach them something." Olsen said talking with colleagues as well as students is helpful when beginning to teach. "Even great teachers have challenges, and it's good to know we're not alone," Olsen said. "Like, I had a student fall asleep in class today, and another (instructor) was like, 'Hey, me too." Hannah McDonough, a geology graduate student, said she struggled when she first began to teach her geology 1115 course, three semesters ago. "What I would have liked is more collaboration between the other two (teaching assistants) and the instructor in the (lecture) course," McDonough said. "Then I would have been more prepared." McDonough said university administrators do what they can to help graduate instructors, but each department is responsible for any specific training within its program. This additional train- *See FREEDOM, Page 5 GRADUATE STUDENT TEACHERS Ian Weaver and Tyler Nickl collaborate on a teaching outline for their English 2010 classes. Though they are not full professors, graduate student teachers still prepare lessons and teach students, like any other professor. CURTIS RIPPLINGER photo |