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Show A5 NEWS Chief Brewer Aqui y Ahora Nadie se quede atras By Lex Bourgeous News Writer A translation of this article is available at www.uvureview.com The corners of his mouth are slightly upturned, presenting a sort of coy perma-grin. A shock of silver hair sits atop his head, giving him the air of a grandpa rather than a police officer. His nonchalant saunter when he walks belies his attention to detail and genuine concern for the safety of those on campus. By Olga Mejia News Writer El primer ano en la universidad exige compromise esfuerzo y dedication. Nadie es obligado a comenzar una carrera universitaria, especialmente cuando se trata de estudiantes internacionales. Todos esta"n aquf porque tienen metas y quieren salir adelante. Para muchos, el primer aiio en la universidad es el ma's dificil. Se dan cuenta de que es algo serio y que deben dar lo mejor de ellos para no frustrarse y sentirse abrumados y finalmente abandonar sus suenos. Marian Jimenez, es una estudiante internacional de administracitfn de negocios. No solo este es su primer afio universitario, sino que tambie"n es la primera vez que asiste a una universidad en los Estados Unidos. Para ella y para muchos de los estudiantes en el mismo caso, ha sido muy dificil adaptarse a una nueva cultura, diferente clima, lejos de su familia y tambie"n aprender un nuevo idioma. Para Marian, lo ma's dificil de asistir a la universidad ha sido enterarse con tiempo de las cosas que esta"n pasando a, su alrededor, tambi6n ha perdido muchas oportunidades de participar en eventos y actividades porque sencillamente no sabe que la universidad ofrece estas actividades y programas en los que ella podria participar. De acuerdo a investigaci6n Ilevada a cabo por el departamento institutional, solo el ano pasado habian ma's de diez por ciento de estudiantes que no eran residentes de Utah y casi dos por ciento eran estudiantes internacionales. Muchos de ellos no saben que la universidad tiene mucha ayuda e informaci6n para acomodarlos y motivarlos a participar mas. El Centro Internacional y Multicultural son algunos de ellos, los cuales ofrecen ayuda financiera y becas y ayuda a los estudiantes que no se sienten parte de la universkfad-^que no se enteaan de lo que est£ pasando a su alrededor por obsta'cultts1 del idioma. Tambidn pueden tener acceso a computadoras y a otras actividades del centro multicultural; pueden recibir asesona acade"mica y de carreras; pueden participar en eventos culturales de los cuales muchos de ellos incluyen juegos, comida y un tiempo agradable con personas de su misma cultura; tambie"n pueden encontrar ayuda para tener acceso a otros departamentos en la universidad y lo mejor, es un lugar donde pueden ir a hacer nuevos amigos. Para ma's informaci6n pueden visitar la pa"gina www.uvu.edu/latinos Llamar a Brett Breton, Assistant Director Multicultural Center 801-863 8885 o Kathy en UVU Latino Initiative 801-863-735. Para mas information El Centro Multicultural 801-863-8357 WB 146S Andrea Lindgren/UVU Review Diaz's Domino Tables provided domino tables and dominoes for the Latino Initiative's domino night. Domino night breaks barriers By Sterling Gray Asst. News Editor Salsa and merengue music played loudly from a stereo. Guests chatted as they ate beans, rice and empanadas. But above all, there was the loud clack of dominoes being slapped onto tables around the room. It was the second annual domino tournament at Centre Stage. • "Many Latin countries — — ^ — play dominoes, so it's a fun way to celebrate Latin culture," said Yudi Lewis, head of the Latino Initiative who put on the event. Tension over immigration, language barriers and age gaps were pushed aside for the sake of play. It was all part of the plan to include everyone. Inclusiveness is the Latino Initiative's favorite word, according to Lewis. "Basically we want all students to experience the Latino culture," she said. "They don't have to be of Latino descent to be part of this night. Anybody could have come." Although the Latino Initiative is geared toward helping Latino students succeed, all of their activities are open to both students and community members. Next year, Lewis hopes to have an even bigger turnout. "The tournament will be a yearly event. Last year we had about 40 people, but this year we doubled our turnout, so we hope to have an even larger group next year/' Lewis said. Local business owners Mike and Viankely Burgess played a key role in making the tournament welcoming to both seasoned domino players and newcomers alike. Their compa- Tension over immigration, language barriers and age gaps were pushed aside for the sake of play. It was all part of the plan to include everyone. Prepare for the future. Hone your writing skills by becoming * involved with the UVU Review. El Centro Internacional 801-863-8342 WB 147 * Latino Initiative • 801-863-7357 ny, Diaz's Domino Tables, donated the use of several tables as well as dominoes. They also offered prizes: two domino tables with green tops and the touting phrase "UVU Domino Champions 2010." Mike Burgess came to love the game while a missionary in the Dominican Republic. He learned it in the street with local players and soon developed a passion for it. It wasn't until years later that the idea for his — — business hit him. "Me and my buddies were just sitting around playing dominoes, and we decided, 'Why not just make domino tables in Utah?' We officially became a company about a year ago," Mike Burgess said. Domino night is a great time to sit around the table and talk to other players. Mike Burgess says that he used to play with his wife's family, and enjoyed the opportunity to get to know them better. That connectedness inspires his work now. "The spirit of my company is that, to get people to sit ™™~~ down at the table and just talk about things. That's what life's about," he said. That type of feeling pervaded the evening. Rookie players laughed and joked with old pros as they competed across the table. Latinos and non-Latinos ignored cultural boundaries to play together. In some cases, because of language barriers, participants simply smiled and exchanged hellos, but nobody was left out. The Latino Initiative's purpose is to make everyone more comfortable with each other. Amidst the din of domino tiles, music and amusement, all participants, at least for one night, could feel included. • - • > v Contact Andrea Lindgren at news.uvureview@gmail.com UNIVERSITY OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY •®- -iswfc 1355 NORTH UNIVERSITYAVE. SUITE 110 PROVO, UT 84604 bulLet polKfc to THOMAS E. JUDD M.D. NICKJ.WEIBELLD.O. •iour resurvie, ecorvie for hke. ! * • * • WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS 801-374-5000 •JL CONTACT ANDREA LINDGREN AT NEWS.UVUREVIEWCaGMAIL.COM £ c I had the notion that I wanted to help people. That door opened and it was a very natural thing for me. This is what you're supposed to do.JJ -Chief Brewer UVU Chief of Police John C. Brewer is anything but an ordinary police officer. Brewer became a police officer in 1973 while working toward a degree in wildlife management. A friend mentioned that the Mesa, AZ Police Department was hiring and that opened the door to Brewer's true calling in life. "I had the notion that I wanted to help people," Brewer said. "That door opened and it was a very natural thing for me. This is what you're supposed to do." After spending over 30 years in two Arizona police departments, Brewer became a consultant with Northwestern University's center for public safety. Brewer crisscrossed the United States, offering 14 week courses in command officer training. When UVU began looking for a new police chief, Brewer decided to throw his hat in the ring. "I was sick of travelling all the time,".-i Brewer said. "I put my name in for the job and here lam." When asked what the most rewarding part about of his line of work is, Brewer says that every once in* a while he gets to help preserve a life. The police are often the first people to arrive where they are needed. Whether it is a break-in, an assault or a serious accident, the police are there when lives are in danger. "You get to comfort and help people recover," says Brewer. "We get to be there in those first critical moments when people are scared or hurt." When he talks about UVU, he talks about the quality of the students, faculty and staff. He has seen more good than harm come from the student population. Brewer relates a story that took place just last week. A student walked up to him* handed him a wallet saying that he found it in a parking lot. Brewer took the wallet • back to the police department and opened it to find out the owner's name. Brewer found credit cards, an ID card and $434 in cash. "I couldn't believe it! That is a lot of money," says Brewer. "And that's what we deal with here. We have some great students." Chief Brewer is no fool either; he knows that there are still unfortunate things that happen from time to time. He knows that there are people that come to campus and commit crimes. Projectors have been stolen in the past, as well as laptops, phones and cash. This is why Brewer and other officers work to protect the student body. He wants everyone to be safe, and especially wants females on campus to feel safe. "Criminals like the dark," Brewer said. "Try not to walk alone. If you feel creeped out or uneasy, call us. If we're not on a call, we would love to walk you to your car." Brewer goes on to say that when you have uneasy feelings or something is not quite right, it is important to pay attention to that and try to keep out of danger. The police are there to help keep campus safe, but according to Brewer, safety will start with individuals paying attention to,what is going on around them. Brewer also spoke of how important the safety of young lives is to the police department. The number of people on campus at any given time is equal to a small city, at . around 15,000 people. Not many people know that the officers on campus are actually state police. They have the authority and jurisdiction to go and do what the situation warrants. "I don't fell that I'm better than anybody else " says Bre\Mgr. 'This is just what I'm supposed to do." : \. |