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Show culture 8.24.2009 REPUBLIC from • B1 student interest, expert input How to succeed in college without really trying (too hard) •LINDSEY LINGE Culture editor Dr. Bob Rasmussen, Dean of Students, sees it all. The students who visit him range from those who want to start clubs to ones who are struggling with medical challenges. The issues they face might be roommate arguments or they could be student arrests. He engages hundreds of new students during the orientation sessions, but his job description also involves taking the time to help individuals. When I ran into him at Jumpstart, he was very approachable - a "Hey, can we talk?" followed by a "Sure, here's my number," later, I'm in his office for an interview. Anyone can go to the library and check out a book with tips on getting good grades or one on how to make friends and influence people. But Rasmussen knows the inside scoop on what resources UVU students, specifically, have to make them into standout people. "When I see a student who is taking advantage of the services offered, being proactive, getting involved and wanting to have a say in how things function ... you get the sense that they are looking for more than a degree," he says. If anyone is able to spot and identify the traits of a successful student, it's him. His first suggestion is to get to know and regularly visit your academic advisor. "[That way,] you'll always have someone to go to when you hit a stumbling block," he says. "The academic advisor is perhaps the one person with the greatest amount of knowledge to tap into." The advisors aren't just catalogues for which classes to take they know of services, events and other useful tidbits that can help you get the most out of your university experience. In addition to faculty being helpful, other students can be a great source of information. "The student body presi- dency is not just a clique. They meet with the president weekly and the board of trustees monthly. They have more connections than the average student realizes," Rasmussen stresses. And for any student who is looking for advice, opportunity or direction, it's as simple as walking into the UVUSA office and asking to speak to anyone in student government. Lastly, Rasmussen believes that involvement is key. "Students would be crazy not to participate in something of interest," he says. "Regardless of your major [or] interests, there are ways to get involved." He rattles off a list of clubs, staffs, committees and other groups, but brings up that participation does not have to equal commitment. "Oftentimes it's informal. You can get involved in things [like service projects] without a lot of time commitment." But dedication has its place, and Rasmussen exemplifies this trait in his interactions with students. "Everyone says open door, but literally every day, eight to five, they are welcome to walk in to ask a question," he offers. "If you find yourself in a spot where you don't know where to turn or who to ask, this is where 1 come in." discussion between Socrates and several other residents of Athens about the meaning of justice and injustice. As the story unfolds in the format of friendly arguments meant to enable the entire group to think through a situation, ideas of the highest moral value are extracted from the conversation, such as, "To injure anyone is never just anywhere." The work contains the off dark moment, like when Socrates admits that at times injustice, ergo evil, appears to be more successful than justice. In these spots, when he seems to have given up the discussion, his companions play devil's advocate to entice Socrates into revealing a more optimistic notion that just people are superior and happier when compared with the unjust. With noble notions of human disposition and the consequential quality of life, this book also offers insight into productive thought process. There are examples of looking at all sides of a situation, using what your opponent (strictly in a competitive, almost playful sense) says against themselves, and the development of tangental dialogue into useful trains of thought. An evolution of the mind is discovered as the group's ideas grow into a conceptualization of a perfectly functioning society, which continues to metamorphose from simple yet productive teamwork into a vibrant Utopia with a self-continuing system of religion, and a network of leadership guided by the necessity of a society's metaphorical body to have a head. These ideas, and others fill the approximately 300 pages of this classic from another time, practically another world, that proves that humankind has never really strayed from its moral core. Three Days of Rain set to open EVAHERREY Culture writer The Pinnacle acting company is producing the play Three Days Of Rain, written by Richard Greenberg. Three Days Of Rain has been performed around the country and has received rave reviews. Some critics even suggest it is worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. The Sugar Space theatre is a good choice for this three character play as it works best on an intimate stage. Alexandra Harold Murray directs the 2-actdrama featuring performers Jay Stoddard, April Fossen and Jeremy Kidd in asking us to question assumptions on lifestyles and human behavior. an unexpectedly romantic story of a family's tortured history. The play is about Walker, a man who returns home after his fathers death- Walker finds his fathers journal and along with his sister Nan and their friend Pip, discover many different insights into their parents, childhood and family life, including why his father left and his mother's infirmities. It is a revealing story about human character. In Three Days Of Rain, Greenberg, crafted a great work that covers a range of emotions which the Pinnacle acting company conveyed to the audience, Three Days of Rain When: Aug. 21,22, 27, 28, 29 Sept. 3,4,5 at 7:30 p.m. W h e r e : The Sugar Space C o s t : $12 at the door, $10 online, 2 for one on Thursdays. More Info: PinnadeActingCompany. org, or call Metanie Nelson at 801-674-7956 H TTHB I_AIMD •SML I Don't join our Facebook. * * you've been drinking, please ride th a sober friend or . c a l l a cab. 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