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Show LIFE VOLUME 1.11 ISSUE 3 AUGUST 1, 2011 WWW.UVUREVIEW.COM Dive in with the SCUBA club How I learned to stop worrying and love UVU ,- e By KELLY CANNON Life Editor Believe it or not, I started attending UVU a little over a year ago. I had attended Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah from 2006-2010 but due to unfortunate circumstances, I had to move home and transfer to UVU. My first few weeks here were rough. In a word, I hated it. The campus had no character to it. I felt like I was attending college at a minimum-security prison. I was constantly running into people I knew in high school but had long since forgotten their names. I didn't know anyone, I wasn't involved in anything and I was bored out of my mind. In a lot of ways, transferring to a new university was a lot like starting college for the first time. It was like I traveled back four years and I was once again a lonely and somewhat frightened freshman. I was unhappy in my circumstances and honestly believed I would never like it here. However, I'm big enough to admit that I was wrong. It took me a year but UVU has really grown on me. I'd even go as far as to say I like it here. I attribute my converted fondness for UVU to three things: Professors, involvement and engaged learning. When I first started here, I really missed my professors from SUU. I knew them and they knew me. We had built a rapport that made classes not only more enjoyable but also easier. When I came here, I had to build those relationships from scratch. Luckily for me, UVU has some of the best professors this state has to offer. I have yet to encounter one who isn't highly qualified in their field or who doesn't care deeply about their students. Some of these professors include Dr. Mark Crane, Dr. Brian Whaley, Dr. Jans Wager and Professor Robbin Anthony. All four of these professors not only taught in an engaging and enthralling manner, they also helped me feel "at home" here on campus. I owe a lot to them and I am forever grateful. Another key aspect, I believe, to enjoying college is involvement. At SUU, I was incredibly involved in campus life. I was a member of the sorority Alpha Phi, which kept me plenty busy with various activities. When I came here, I had no social life and felt no connection to the campus. This has since changed with my involvement with the Review. I started as just a writer. Now, a year later, I am editor of the Life Section. I have made some great friends through the Review and have met some amazing people. I also joined an improv club called "What's So Funny?" that meets every Tuesday. The other members A new club is making a splash on campus as they combine their passion with service. By JEFF JACOBSEN Asst. Life Editor Deep under the ocean surface near Catalina Island, off the southern coast of California, the water comes to life as schools of vibrant fish dart by and sea lions lazily swim in circular patterns around the divers admiring them. According to junior Chris McKenzie, president of the UVU SCUBA diving club, this is the ultimate lure for people thinking about learning to dive. The SCUBA Divers Association, started in January 2011, offers regular local dives, opportunities for service with local communities, ongoing training and hopes to have at least one big trip each school year to a place like Catalina Island. Local diving spots the club has visited this year include Deer Creek Reservoir, Strawberry Reservoir, Spanish Oaks Reservoir and Blue Lake. So far the fledgling club only has a few members, but McKenzie is confident that numbers will increase with the influx of new students CONTACT: this fall. McKenzie is looking for enthusiastic new members that are willing to actively participate in outings and club promotions. Safely enjoying unique underwater adventures may be a central goal of the club, but it is not the only thing the president has in mind. Earlier this spring, club members participated in a cleanup of Salem Pond, one of the few natural lakes in Utah that has been surrounded by residential development. Club members combed the bottom of the pond for trash, and found more than they bargained for. Among the items removed from the pond were three razor scooters, two bicycles and a bowling ball. McKenzie hopes to be involved with similar community service projects in the future. Not just anyone can SCUBA dive, though. To dive recreationally, a license is required. A beginning diver starts with an open water certification, which allows divers to dive up to 60 feet with a fellow diver of the same certification. SCUBA Div- ing I, or REC 1350, is a twocredit course that offers open water certification as an option to students. Those who are already certified and interested in joining the club need not worry; potential members of the SCUBA diving club are not required to enroll in any classes. More advanced certifications, such as instruction and technical certifications, are available for those interested, and can be worked toward in SCUBA Diving II, REC 1351. "Every year the SCUBA I & II classes are full," McKenzie said, "but I don't know what all these people are doing with their certifications." McKenzie hopes that his club will provide an opportunity for student and community divers to join together, help their communities and most importantly, have some fun. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRIS MCKENZIE LIFE EDITOR ASST. LIFE EDITOR lifesectionuvu@gmailcom jacobsen.jeff@gmail.com KELLY CANNON JEFF JACOBSEN LEAD DESIGNER CARLY MONTGOMERY carlym215@gmail.com k SCHOOL B7 |