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Show Wildcats pinch pennies By Kory Wood Ogden Rues Kory Wood • Signpost columnist Do you know anyone who is both intensely proud of and deeply sensitive about being short? You know who I mean. There's always that guy at work that looks like Shaquille O'Neal crammed into Danny DeVito's body. He loves telling stories about his adventures skydiving without a parachute onto the backs of freshwater dolphins and riding them downstream to the Bahamas, or the time he got Cindy Crawford's number at an IHOP and didn't call her, or how much he can squat. This diminutive chap has LittleMan Syndrome. He feels like 10 pounds of awesome in a 5-pound bag. He wants more than anything for you to say something about his height, so he can tell you how many people he's crushed into trembling, whimpering piles of goo, all of whom were a lot bigger than you, by the way. Wimp. Now, of course, this is an inaccurate portrayal of most short people. They're really quite delightful, unless you try to steal their Lucky Charms. No, I merely use this analogy to illustrate a point about myself. I have lirtle-Ogden Syndrome. I admit it I am so tired of people making fun of my completely adequate city that I find Ogdenbased insults where they don't exist. I am an Ogdenite, born and raised, and when I turned 19 I stoically left dear Ogden and served a mission for the LDS church in Asia. While there, I associated with hundreds of other missionaries from exotic settings, like Salt Lake City, Provo and Tooele. A few came from Idaho, or "Northern Utah," as experts call it. There were also some from California, but they See Ogdenite page 8 features reporter I The Signpost Traditionally, most college students have been forced to find creative solutions to their sometimes bleak financial situations. Several students living close to Weber State University have found deals and discounts from the area's multiple businesses, as well as several campus organizations and free or discounted services offered to those carrying a WSU Wildcard. The Wildcard provides access to many campus amenities, most notably the library and gym, as well as access to athletic events, printing facilities and cafeterias for those students using the card as a meal card. It can also be shown at select businesses in the surrounding Ogden area to offer student deals. Natalie Davis, a sophomore and WSU ambassador, appreciates the recreational discounts the Wildcard and WSU in general affords. "I definitely think campus recreation saves us a lot of money," she said. "We can use the facility and participate in exercise classes with student fees when others pay for gym memberships." Many students use the well-equipped gymnasium, racquetball courts and indoor track to stay in shape for free, as well as the bowling alley and billiards area in the Shepherd Union Building for affordable recreation. Students also have 12 free visits a year to the campus counseling center, where they can receive professional psychiatric consultations from qualified doctors and counselors, saving them hundreds of dollars a year on visits that would be expensive outside of the university environment. The campus medical doctors also offer certain types of checkups and emergency care at significantly reduced cost for students. Businesses surrounding WSU are SOURCE: Signpost slaf also geared toward attracting the student clientele with concessions and markdowns, provided the student can show proof of enrollment. By providing students with bargains, Ogden businesses can profit and grow. The cheaper amenities and quality service for students with limited resources can significantly boost a business, especially when word-of-mouth creates a studentfriendly reputation. Belliston Jewelry, a business directly across the street from the university, will work with students around a tight budget, thus increasing their sales with positive recommendations. W ""***• Cindy Bickle is the general manager of Einstein Bagels, located onr^Hiiaa^pn Boulevard directly across from the entrance to the Dee Events Center. "Most of my clients are from catering and McKay-Dee Hospital, but I really miss the students over these holidays," Bickle said. While not equipped with any deals especially for students, Einstein Bagels does have quite a few general deals that are perfect for tight budgets. Their "Bucket Deal" offers 13 bagels and two larger containers of cream cheese for only $13.99, which is periect for several days' breakfasts. They also have It'snow secret Wi By Meghan Campbell features reporter I The Signpost The Utah license plates brag that Utah has the best snow on Earth. Robert Ratcliffe, a mechanical engineering technology major at Weber State University and a snowboard instructor at Snowbasin, agrees. "You have to try it at least once," Ratcliffe said of winter sports. "You come to Utah where the greatest snow on Earth is, and you're not going to try it? That's like going to Hawaii and saying, 'I'm not gonna go to the beach.' You should at least try it." This means that freshman Karissa Barron isn't going to the beach. "I don't like the snow very much," Baron said, "so I'll watch the winter sports on TV, but I'd rather not attend." Ratcliffe has been with Snowbasin for three seasons and enjoys instructing all age groups and ability levels in snowboarding. "When you teach somebody something, you get to witness them work at it, make progress, watch them grow. You're just like, 'Hey, I taught you to do that] You're doing it! Way to go!' There is a lot of joy in that. You feel like a leader." Snowbasin may be one of the more expensive resorts in Northern Utah, with adult all day, all-area passes costing $65, but the gourmet food, the posh bathrooms and the terrain that caters to all abilities makes it worthwhile. "They've got a little something for everybody," Ratcliffe said. "Last season, they took out their old little Cat lift, and they put in a new Little coupons for Friday buy-one-get-one-free bagels. Emma Alder, a junior living in the Harrison Heights dormitories, said she also benefits from discounted eating options. "5 Buck Pizza has a really good deal. (It is) $2.99 pizzas for students. "I eat at Einstein Bagels almost every day for lunch," said Gabrel Conner, a senior music student who lives close to campus. "It's only $2.99 for a bagel and soup. I also eat at Sitara India on Harrison. Students get discounts on dinner." WBIHfiEinstein Bagels is the PitTP!C"wliiSH offers free drinks, and Costa Vida extends a.; to students wit card. Students will be more likely to spend their modest allowances at businesses and restaurants offering perks, thus boosting their own sales. While university life can force students into less-than-desirable financial situations, accommodating businesses and campus services can provide avenues for students to live comfortably on modest budgets. Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com. ts love winter Cat express quad, which is really its own respect. If you've got a kid nice. It's a lot less daunting than the who just wants to have some fun, old lift, so it makes learning to ride that's what makes a fun lesson. Once the lift less intimidating. Plus, it's a you've got a kid who doesn't want to nice, easy slope to learn to ride on. be there, those ones are a little more There's a couple little things that we difficult to work with, maybe an adult as instructors know about it. It's a who realizes, 'Hey, maybe I don't like really nice place to learn. From those this so much.' Then it gets them who come from other mountains, going down that path." they say it's one of the best bunny Ratcliffe explained how he got hills ever." into snowboardingfromskiing. "I was on a race team for my last "It doesn't really so much depend on their age; it almost just depends on four years of skiing. It was fun at first; each person individually for whafs I became quite a bit better skier while going to make a lesson fun and/or I was on it. But I guess just going to difficult to teach. Last year I had a practice four times a week just grew kid that was really young, but in just tedious for me, and at that time, the two hours I was with him in the I'd rather just stay home playing morning, he went from never being Nintendo. One day, my dad just on a snowboard before to being able brought a snowboard home, I gave it to link his rums all the way down a a try, then I just fell in love with it." blue run. So I've had a kid progress But that doesn't mean that that quickly. Those lessons are some Ratcliffe is planning on joining a of the funnest. Each lesson is fun in snowboarding team. "I've thought about it a couple times. I just don't want it to become a regimented thing, kind of like the ski team was. I just want to keep the fun and stress-relieving part in snowboarding." Shelby Avery, a freshman at WSU, enjoys the stress-relieving part of snowboarding too. "It's nice to get up on the mountain, and it's so peaceful and quiet." Avery said she snowboards just for recreation. "It's fun to socialize with friends and drink hot chocolate." Trying some of the winter sports that Utah has to offer is a great way to get above the smog that settles in the valley this time of year, and get some much-needed fresh air. 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