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December 11, 2003 - DSC awarded four-year nursing program
December 6, 2003 - Butler County wins Dixie Rotary Bowl, NJCAA championship
December 2, 2003 - Dixie hosts Larry King - Live
November 21, 2003 - ACM chapter established at DSC; CIT students compete at region
November 18, 2003 - No. 1 vs. No. 2 in Dixie Rotary Bowl
November 12, 2003 - Dixie State College to host Career Day
November 11, 2003 - DSC yard sale to benefit local military familiesduring holidays
November 7, 2003 - Dixie Forum to focus on Veterans
November 5, 2003 - DSC to go door to door for Leveled-LibraryReading Program
November 4, 2003 - DSC eyes world record, awaits word from Guinness
November 3, 2003 - DSC Symphonic Band presents Fall Concert
November 3, 2003 - Stephen Wade to speak at Dixie Forum
October 31, 2003 - DSC to attempt world record during Awareness Week
October 30, 2003 - DSC Chamber Orchestra to kick off its season
October 29, 2003 - "Scarlet Fever" to hit Dixie State College in mid-November
October 28, 2003 - DSC Symphonic Band presents Fall Concert
October 24, 2003 - New brain research topic of Dixie Forum
October 21, 2003 - Jon Schmidt to perform at DSC benefit concert
October 16, 2003 - "Violence of Verse" topic of Dixie Forum
October 10, 2003 - New DSC VP to speak at Dixie Forum
October 7, 2003 - DRMC makes donation to DSC nursing
October 7, 2003 - Jon Schmidt to perform at DSC benefit concert
October 6, 2003 - Larry EchoHawk to speak at Dixie Forum
October 1, 2003 - DSC theater set to raise curtain on 2003-04 season
October 1, 2003 - DSC Theatre presents comic thriller "Deathtrap"
September 22, 2003 - Dixie State College enrollment up again
September 22, 2003 - Forecast Snowy for DSC Homecoming
September 15, 2003 - Dixie State College to promote health
September 15, 2003 - Hinton assumes position as acting dean at DSC
September 11, 2003 - Marathon bus tour promoting service hits Utah college campuses
September 11, 2003 - Costa Rica topic of Dixie Forum
September 9, 2003 - Local businesses urged to "Spread the Red"
September 5, 2003 - Forum - "Beyond Tacos and Egg Rolls: Ethnic Dining in Utah
August 29, 2003 - Art, food, and life subject of Dixie Forum
August 19, 2003 - DSC holds auditions for "The Scarlet Pimpernel"
August 4, 2003 - DSC students place at Skills USA Championships
June 26, 2003 - DSC student receives honor at Miss Utah Pageant
June 5, 2003 - DSC / high school students receive New Century Scholarship
May 29, 2003-"Students, have a good summer but don’t forget to register."
May 29, 2003-DXATC students / Utah Housing Corporation complete home
May 21, 2003-Dixie State Col lege names VP of student services
May 20, 2003-DSC auto students take state for third time in four years
May 19, 2003-DXATC awarded accreditation candidate status
May 12, 2003-DSC receives donation from State Bank of Southern Utah
May 9, 2003-DSC names acting VP of academics
May 1, 2003-DSC to go to a four-day workweek during summer
April 30, 2003-DSC students place at international competition
April 29, 2003-DSC to confer 1,403 degrees and certificates Friday
April 29, 2003-DSC icon announces resignation
April 24, 2003-DSC students win state VICA honors
April 24, 2003-DXATC students win at state VICA competition
April 24, 2003-Five to be honored at DSC Graduation
April 23, 2003-Thursday Forum will focus on terrorism
April 23, 2003-VP of NFL FILMS at DSC graduation
April 18, 2003-Topaz the topic of next Dixie Forum
April 11, 2003-DSC Symphonic Band presents Concert
April 11, 2003-"Power of the Word " next week at DSC
April 10, 2003-DSC announces 2003 Valedictorian
April 10, 2003-Dixie State gives 2003 Rebel Awards
April 8, 2003-American illustrations exhibited at library
April 8, 2003-High School compete in auto competition
April 8, 2003-"Pippin" takes center stage at Dixie State
April 4, 2003-Italian film wraps up Bob Dalton Film Fest
April 4, 2003-Reverend France A. Davis speaks at Forum
March 31, 2003-Middle Eastern Women at next Dixie Forum
March 31, 2003-DSC Dance Company ready for spring concert
March 27, 2003-DSC Jazz Band receives Superior rating
March 27, 2003-Dixie State College to host Health Fair
March 25, 2003-"On the Waterfront" next at Bob Dalton Fest
March 24, 2003-Campus to Community planning spring project
March 24, 2003-Bob Dalton Film Fest "The House of Mirth"
March 20, 2003-The Vienna Altenberg Trio comes to town
March 11, 2003-Bob Dalton Film Festival continues at DSC
March 11, 2003-DSC student named 2003 New Century Scholar
March 7, 2003-Terre Burton gives encore at Dixie Forum
March 7, 2003-Michael Ballam to perform at benefit concert
March 3, 2003-Film Festival kicks off Thursday at DSC
February 28, 2003-Terre Burton as Alder Faculty Honor Lecturer
February 28, 2003-Utah’s minority groups at next Dixie Forum
February 25, 2003-Public Invited toTown Meeting on DSC Campus
February 21, 2003-Lyman Hafen to speak at Dixie Forum
February 21,2003-Employment Fair hits Dixie State this week
February 19, 2003-Federal government videoconference at DSC
February 18, 2003-DXATC instructor named Teacher of the Year
February 15, 2003-Winners of 2003 Sears Art Show announced
February 11, 2003- Wallace Lee to kick off Sears art symposium
February 10, 2003-Carol Lynn Pearson to speak twice at DSC
February 7, 2003-Womanhood in the Middle Ages topic of Forum
February 7, 2003-Utah Students to Celebrate National TRIO Day
Febuary 4, 2003-Sears Invitational Art Show hits southern Utah
February 3, 2003-DSC brings aboard new Director of Nursing
Febuary 3, 2003-Marilyn Arnold to speak at Dixie Forum
January 27, 2003-St. George poet next up at Dixie Forum
January 22, 2003-Dixie's Elementary Education Degree Pushes Forward
January 17, 2003-WWII P.O.W. next up at Dixie Forum
January 15, 2003-Dixie State accredited at four-year level
January 10, 2003-Rare fossil collection on display at DSC
January 10, 2003-Jokes the subject of Dixie Forum
January 3, 2003-Grand Opening set for Red Rock Café

Dixie State College awarded four-year nursing program
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Dec. 11, 2003) Dixie State College today received unanimous approval from the Utah State Board of Regents to go forward its proposed baccalaureate degree of nursing (BSN). Beginning fall semester 2004, approximately 24 nursing students, as mandated by the Regents, will begin coursework in the program.
The college received that word at the Utah State Board of Regents meeting held at the Gateway in Salt Lake City. The decision had been postponed at least twice for further review and an independent evaluation.
In May, the proposed degree was unanimously approved by the college’s Board of Trustees, which then recommended approval by the Utah State Board of Regents. The degree is the fourth four-year degree introduced at the college since 2000.
Currently, the college’s recently accredited nursing program offers an associate degree in nursing (ADN). The college also offers practical nurse (PN) certificates and graduates 120 certified nurse assistants (CNA) each semester. The baccalaureate degree will be an ADN career ladder program in a two plus two format, as opposed to students beginning in a baccalaureate program.
“We’re excited to be able to offer this program, not just for our sake and our students’ sake, but for the community’s sake,” said DSC president Dr. Robert Huddleston. “The local economy in particular has demanded that we offer this degree. With the enormous, new hospital in St. George and the tremendous nursing shortage, this decision by the Regents will go a long way to meet a significant need.”
In November, local IHC subsidiary Dixie Regional Medical Center (DRMC) completed construction on a se cond 400,000 square foot hospital in St. George, just a stone’s throw from the DSC campus.
“We’re very excited about the opportunity to have this degree in our community,” said Vicki Reese Wilson, DRMC assistant administrator for human resources. “We think this level of education has been needed and will be valued by our nursing staff. They will now be able to pursue additional education right here in St. George. In the past, nurses who were interested in pursuing a bachelor’s level degree haven’t had many options.”
Overall, DRMC employs 400 registered nurses, many of which hold a two-year degree from Dixie, Weber or other schools, Wilson said. But in order to prepare for administrative opportunities or a specialized area it is desirable for these individuals to have a bachelor’s degree, she added.
DRMC hired 91 nurses this year alone, and Wilson doesn’t foresee that rate slowing any.
“Our growth continues to be phenomenal,” Wilson said. “We’ll continue to hire 80 to 100 nurses per year, and many of these will come out of Dixie’s nursing programs.”
The new program will also help aid nursing shortages felt elsewhere in the state, said Joe Peterson, acting vice president of academics at DSC. Currently, Utah as a whole is in need of 1,500 nurses a year to meet its demand, Peterson said, yet the state’s colleges and universities are only producing 700 nurses a year.
“Those are high paying jobs that are being filled by people who are being trained and recruited from out of state,” Peterson said. “We would like to train locally to better serve our state and community.”
The college, with the help of DRMC and other community donations, had already allocated the funding to begin establishing the degree and hiring new nursing faculty. The Utah State Legislature also allocated $75,000 in ongoing funds toward the degree in 2003, the only academic program funding to be approved in the state at the time.
Also planned for the rapidly growing health sciences division at DSC is a training facility dedicated entirely to the health sciences. As of 2003, all of the college’s nursing programs are accredited by the National League of Nursing.
Dixie State College also offers four-year degrees in business administration and computer and information technology (CIT), offered since fall 2000, and elementary education, offered since fall 2002.

Butler County wins Dixie Rotary Bowl, NJCAA championship
(ST. GEORGE, UTAH – Dec. 6, 2003) For the fourth time in their history, the Butler County Community College (Kan.) Grizzlies are the champions of the junior college football world.
The Grizzles, who finished the 2003 season with a perfect 12-0 re cord, overcame several turnovers and came up big on defense in the second half to beat the Dixie State College Rebels 14-10 Saturday in the Dixie Rotary Bowl in St. George, Utah. The bowl was officially sanctioned by the NJCAA as the national championship game.
The Grizzlies got off to a slow start in the first half, turning the ball over twice on fumbles, which eventually led to all 10 of Dixie State’s first half points. The Grizzlies came out of hibernation in the second half, however, particularly on the defensive side of the ball and held the Rebels scoreless the rest of the way. A second half touchdown and safety were all Butler needed to seal its fourth national championship since 1981.
"Our kids hung in there and played a heck of a game," said Butler head coach Troy Morrell. "We’re fortunate to come out of here with a win. It was a tough game."
"I just have to give credit to our players," Morrell continued. "They’re the ones who hung in there through all the adversity that they’ve faced all year long. We faced it again today and they found a way to come out of that locker room (in the second half) and look like a different team."
The Rebels came out of the blocks strong defensively in the first quarter. After drawing first blood with a 22-yard field goal mid-way through the first quarter following a fumble recovery, Dixie State defensive back Brandon Sanchez stripped the ball in stride to run for a 32-yard touchdown to put his team up 10-0 with 7:21 to play in the half.
Butler County got on the board soon thereafter behind a 55-yard kickoff return and ensuing touchdown run by running back Terry Petrie to bring the Grizzles to within four points prior to the half.
Butler’s first drive of the second half was capped with a two-yard run by quarterback Chad Wilmott, giving Butler its first lead of the game at 12-10.
The Rebels again had a chance to capitalize on what could have been a costly second half Butler fumble on the goal line, the second of that variety for Butler in the game, but failed to convert that recovery into points.
A Butler safety on a DSC punt attempt put the Grizzles up for good late in the fourth quarter. The Butler defense then slammed the door on two Dixie State drives, coming up with interceptions on both occasions to end the game.
"I’m pleased with our players," said DSC head coach Greg Croshaw. "They absolutely hung in there and fought as hard as they could."
The kicking game was a problem for both teams. In addition to the safety, the Rebels squandered two field goal opportunities earlier in the game. Butler missed both of its extra point tries.
The MVP of the game for Butler was quarterback Chad Wilmott, who threw for 78 yards on 9 of 21 passing and ran for one touchdown. Overall, the Grizzlies rushed for 225 yards on the day, with 143 of them coming from running back Joseph Harris.
Dixie’s MVP was defensive back Brandon Sanchez, who scored the Rebels’ only touchdown. The Rebels mustered 140 yards of total offense, all of which came in the first half. DSC quarterback Adam Madsen was held to 8 of 29 completions on 89 yards passing. Running back David Anger led the Rebels on the ground with 67 yards rushing. Dixie State finished the season with a 10-2 record.
Saturday’s meeting marked the fourth overall between the two teams in the Dixie Rotary Bowl and the third in the past five years. Today’s game also marked the second meeting between the two teams with the national championship on the line. Butler captured its third national championship in 1999 in the Dixie Rotary Bowl with a 49-35 victory over the Rebels. The two teams met in the inaugural Dixie Rotary Bowl in 1986.
For more information about today’s bowl game, visit www.rotarybowl.com.

Dixie hosts Larry King - Live
(ST. GEORGE - Dec. 2, 2003) The Dixie Rotary Bowl Committee and Larry King, of CNN's Larry King Live, will hold a press conference Thursday, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m. at the Dixie Center in St. George, Utah. Mr. King will be the keynote speaker at the Dixie Rotary Bowl banquet immediately following the press conference.
The Dixie Center is located at 1835 Convention Center Drive. The press conference will be held in Room Entrada C. All media are invited to attend.
The bowl game itself will determine this year's NJCAA champion -- No. 1 Butler County Community College vs. No. 2 Dixie State College -- and kicks off Saturday at noon in Hansen Stadium on the campus of Dixie State College.

ACM chapter established at DSC
CIT students compete at regional competition
(ST. GEORGE – Nov. 21, 2003) A chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) is officially up and running at Dixie State College. ACM is the professional organization for the computer science industry.
The chapter, created this semester at the college, recently competed in the annual Regional Programming Contest in Salt Lake City. Two DSC teams, made up primarily of sophomore students, competed among 70 other university and college teams from Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Canada.
The competition consisted of a five-hours worth of solving various practical computer programming problems and scenarios. DSC students Edie Thomas, Carla Neilson, Pete Kuhlmann, Jonathan Wight, Christopher Heaton, David Hilton, Marc Wilkinson, and Josh Mower represented the college in the competition. This is the first year DSC has competed in the competition.
"In many cases, our sophomore students went head to head with senior and even graduate students and held up well against them. As the new kid on the block, I expect next year we’ll do even better," said chapter advisor Dr. Bart Stander. "These competitions are an important part of the CIT experience because they’re another venue for students to put what they learn into practice and that’s key in our program."
Dixie State College’s four-year computer and information technology program was introduced at the college in 2000. The program consists of three emphases – computer information systems, computer science, and visual technology. The CIT program as a whole graduated 21 with baccalaureate degrees in 2003.

No. 1 vs. No. 2 in D ixie Rotary Bowl
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Nov. 18, 2003) It’s almost like déjà vu all over again. In 1999, No. 3 ranked Butler County CC (Kansas) defeated No. 1 ranked Dixie State College (Utah) for the NJCAA national championship in the Dixie Rotary Bowl.
The 2003 Dixie Rotary Bowl, bowl officials announced today, will feature the same two teams and will again likely determine the national champion. This time the Butler Grizzlies enter the game 11-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation, with Dixie State Rebels at No. 2 and a 10-1 record.
The game will be played Saturday, Dec. 6, in St. George, Utah, at noon on the campus of Dixie State College of Utah.
"We were going to try and play whoever ended up ranked No. 2 in the country and it just happened to be Dixie," said Butler head coach Troy Morrell Tuesday via phone during a press conference. "Some different things happened and (Dixie) moved up. We’ve had a great experience every time we’ve been out there. It’s a first-class bowl and it’s a reward for our kids."
The two teams vied for the top spot much of this season. Dixie State started the 2003 season ranked No. 1, but Butler overtook that spot in the polls early in the season. The Rebels were tripped up late in the season by New Mexico Military (31-28), pushing the Rebels to the No. 5 spot. Dixie reclaimed the No. 2 spot this week after previous No. 2 Tyler, Texas, No. 3 Hinds, Miss., and No. 4 Iowa Central all lost.
"It was a scenario that we certainly held high hopes for, but realistically you didn’t think that all those teams would have a problem," said DSC head coach Greg Croshaw.
"It’s a great opportunity, and we’re just thankful that we were able to hang in there and move up to No. 2 and have an opportunity like this to play."
Beyond the 1999 meeting, the two teams have a bit of a history in the Dixie Rotary Bowl. This year’s game will mark the fourth meeting between the two overall in the Dixie Rotary Bowl and the third meeting in five years.
The two met in the inaugural Dixie Rotary Bowl in 1986, with Dixie coming out on top 36-33. The 1999 meeting for the national championship featured two high profile running backs, Rudi Johnson (Butler) and Corey Dillon (Dixie), currently teammates with the Cincinnati Bengals. Butler won that game 49-35 for its second consecutive national championship. In 2002, the two met for a third time, with Dixie prevailing 31-18.
Butler’s undefeated season has included one and two-point margin victories over nationally ranked Coffeyville CC and Hutchinson CC in back-to-back mid-season games and another come from behind win over Coffeyville for the KJCCC Championship. Dixie’s resume includes wins over nationally ranked Snow College and Glendale CC. The Rebels are the champions of the WSFL.
"We’re very pleased to have the top two ranked teams in the country," said Dixie Rotary Bowl selection committee chair Robert Whatcott. "For all intents and purposes, this will be for the national championship."
Kickoff for the Dixie Rotary Bowl is slated for Saturday at noon in Hansen Stadium along 700 East in St. George, Utah. Tickets can be purchased by calling (435) 652-7800.
The Rebels currently have a record of 12-4 in the Dixie Rotary Bowl, having appeared in 16 of the 17 bowl games.
For more information on both teams, visit www.rotarybowl.com.

Dixie State College to host Career Day
(St. George, UT – Nov. 12, 2002) Daytime classes on Tuesday, Nov. 18, have been cancelled at Dixie State College, but the campus will be flooded with students nonetheless between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
High school seniors from Utah, Nevada, and Arizona will congregate on campus for the college’s annual Career Day. The event has been a fixture at the college for 26 years. Approximately 17 high schools will participate in Career Day this year, ranging in student bodies consisting of as few as seven students to as many as 350.
"Career Day is intended to help students make informed career choices," said DSC Career Planning and Placement Center Director Kathy Kinney. "It offers group career counseling in a way that cannot be duplicated. It’s an incredible vehicle for career information."
Over 90 local professionals representing nearly 85 different occupations will present career workshops. Students will be able to select four workshops of their choice to attend. Approximately 120 workshops filling nearly every classroom on campus will be available to choose from, with 30 workshops running each of the four hours.
Morning and afternoon classes have been cancelled, not only to make way for the high school students, but to allow DSC students to attend Career Day as well. Evening classes (after 5 p.m.) will go forward as scheduled.
The entire month of November has long been designated Career Month at Dixie State College. This year’s theme is "Have you made a MAJOR decision?" Choosing a major and selecting a career path are closely related, Kinney said.
"We encourage students to explore career options in a variety of ways so they can select an appropriate academic major and be certain they are heading in the right direction as far as education and training are concerned," Kinney said. "It is imperative to our success as a college to help our students find satisfying employment in career fields suited to their interests, talents and abilities."
Community members are invited to attend workshops as well.
Career Day begins at 9 a.m. in DSC’s Cox Auditorium with a general assembly and welcoming remarks by DSC president Dr. Robert Huddleston. Workshops will begin at 9:30 a.m. and run through 1 p.m. Workshop schedules will be available on campus and sent to the respective high schools prior to Career Day. For more information, call Kathy Kinney at (435) 652-7736.

DSC yard sale to benefit local military familiesduring holidays
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Nov.12, 2003) Students at Dixie State College will hold a yard sale on the DSC campus Saturday, Nov. 22, to raise money for families of local National Guardsmen currently serving in Iraq. The students, members of the service and traditions-based X-Club at the college, hope to raise $3,000 and are currently accepting donated items to be sold at the event.
Approximately 30 St. George area families have a loved one currently serving in Iraq as part of the St. George based 141st Military Intelligence Battalion, Bravo Company, Detachment 1, said DSC student Chris Palmer, whose brother is serving in Iraq. The battalion has been oversees since January of 2003 working as interrogators, counter intelligence agents, and interpreters right alongside the active duty component.
"We know there are some families who have fallen on difficult financial times, or are in need of a little extra cash to help with the bills, especially as the holidays approach," said X-Club president Connor Shakespeare. "We just want to make sure that their needs are taken care of while their loved one is out serving our country."
The yard sale will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 22, in the Old Gym parking lot along 700 East in St. George. A DATS trailer is currently parked in the lot where individuals can donate items for the sale. Donation pick-up is also available upon request. No donations will be turned away. All proceeds will go directly to the battalion’s Family Support Group charity and will be dispersed to the families in need prior to the holiday season.
"These families are proud of their soldiers and the job they are doing," said Palmer. "They rarely complain of the sacrifices they are enduring as their spouses are away living in a hostile environment."
"This is a chance to serve those who are serving our country by helping their families while they are away," Shakespeare continued. "Many have left high paying jobs to serve their country and left their families with less money to live on."
For more information or for yard sale donation pick-up, call Connor Shakespeare at (435) 229-4949.

Dixie Forum to focus on Veterans
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Nov. 7, 2003) Joseph C. Bebel, international relations instructor at Dixie State College, will be the featured speaker on Veterans Day at Dixie Forum: A Window on the World, Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium on the DSC campus.
The retired U.S. Air Force colonel, whose experience as a United Nations peacekeeper in the Middle East earned him a share of the 1988 Nobel Peace Prize, will address the topic, "Veterans of Peace."
Colonel Bebel’s presentation will provide a brief history of U.S. participation in UN peace operations from 1948 to the present. His underlying theme is that Veterans Day should not only honor American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who have served in combat from World War I and beyond, but also those who have put their lives on the line in operations aimed at promoting the peace.
Colonel Bebel entered the United States Air Force in 1975 after completing the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) program at Syracuse University. He attained all C-141A/B Starlifter navigator qualifications, including Special Operations Low Level, culminating in designation as Navigator, Commander-in-chief, Military Airlift Command Crew.
He served as a United Nations military observer first in Lebanon and Egypt, and later along the Iraq/Kuwait border immediately following the 1990-91 Gulf War. He also served in staff assignments at U.S. European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, and at the Pentagon.
He was a distinguished graduate from Squadron Officer School and has published articles in Europaische Sicherheit ("European Security") and International Peacekeeping. As a National Defense Fellow at Georgetown University, he formulated and taught a course on international peacekeeping.
Colonel Bebel completed a tour as associate dean in the Scho ol of Intelligence Studies at the Joint Military Intelligence College in Washington, D.C., before his last Air Force assignment as professor of aerospace studies at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. In the latter capacity, he held dual responsibilities as detachment commander and chairman of the department of aerospace studies with rank of full professor.
Currently a resident of St. George, Bebel began teaching at Dixie State in January of 2003.
Dixie Forum will not be held Nov. 18 (DSC Career Day) or Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving holiday). Dixie Forum will continue Tuesday, Dec. 2, at noon.

DSC to go door to door for Leveled-LibraryReading Program
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Nov. 5, 2003) Residents and businesses in St. George may hear a rap at their door between the hours of 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday evening, Nov. 4, but it won’t be belated trick-or-treaters. Dixie State College students, faculty, and staff will be out in force collecting donations for the Washington County School District literacy program.
All the proceeds will go to the school district, specifically toward the goal of having a leveled reading library available for every child grades K-7 in the district.
The collection effort is a continuation of a theme the college will carry throughout the year. The college’s goal is to raise $30,000 this year in the leveled reading library program’s behalf, the equivalent of one leveled-library at one school. In October, the college hosted a benefit concert featuring pianist Jon Schmidt, which raised approximately $4,000 toward the cause.
Those interested in helping with the project, including community members, can meet at the DSC Gardner Student Center lobby at 4 p.m. Those participating in the project will be given a map, fliers, and a specially marked donation can. In addition, at noon near the Gardner Center there will be "Car Bash," the proceeds from which will go toward the leveled-libraries as well.
"Students serving students is our theme this year," said DSC student body president Jake Denning. "What better cause is there than helping children, especially local children, to become better readers? It’s been neat to see everyone jump on the leveled-library bandwagon."
The leveled-libraries will provide books that tailor to each specific reading level. The goal of the program is to see to it that every child leaves the third grade at or near grade level in reading and to intervene with those who have fallen behind.
On December, the college clubs will sponsor a Christmas concert in the Cox Auditorium to benefit the same cause.
The Campus to Community service program was organized at Dixie State College in 2001. The program consists of one large-scale community service project each semester. Other projects have included a yard sale to benefit a near drowning victim, planting trees for the new Southern Utah Water Conservation Garden in St. George, a book drive, and helping with the Confluence Project in Hurricane and LaVerkin.

DSC eyes world record, awaits word from Guinness
(ST. GEORGE – Nov. 4, 2003) Dixie State College has earmarked its place in the Guinness Book of World Records, but will have to wait a while before it’s made official. DSC’s Campus Dining Services and the D-SUN service club Monday
assembled and served up what is believed to be the world’s largest sandwich wrap. The official measurement of the sandwich wrap came in at 311 feet 7 inches long. The college will now submit pictures and statements from those participating and hopes to hear back from London-based Guinness within six weeks.
"The people at Guinness told us there was no current record, so to go for it," said Martin Peterson, director of Campus Dining Services at DSC. "We kind of came up with the category on our own." The record breaking sandwich wrap was made up of 720 tortilla shells, 80 pounds of chicken, 80 pounds of beef, 80 pounds of cheese, 50 pounds of tomatoes, 80 pounds of lettuce, four gallons of Caesar dressing, and 1,000 toothpicks. Punch, 30 gallons worth, and 500 bags of chips were also on hand. The attempted world record was done in conjunction with "Hunger Awareness Day" at the college, a segment of "Awareness Week." Each toothpick lining the sandwich contained a hunger awareness fact.
Approximately 900 students, faculty and staff members showed up to eat the sandwich. "This was a great event for campus," Peterson said. "We had a lot of help making the sandwich and a lot of help eating it. Nine feet of the
sandwich was leftover, and none of it went wasted."
The remaining sandwich was served to the homeless along with soup and bread bowls Monday night at Vernon Worthen Park in St. George. The neat thing for us is we didn't just do it for the sake of setting a world record or getting our names in a book," said Donna Stafford, director of student activities. "We did it to educate students, and
that’s just as important as the world record."

DSC Symphonic Band presents Fall Concert
The Symphonic Band at Dixie State College, under the baton of Gary Caldwell, will present their debut concert for the 2003-04 school year on November 4, 2003 at 7:30 P.M. in the Cox Auditorium.
The Symphonic Band of 55 members continues to build on great musical success and traditions. The ensemble has performed at a number college and community events including the Jubilee of Trees, the Southern Utah Performing Arts Festival, and the annual Christmas Concert with the 23rd Army Band.
The program will highlight the finest in wind literature, including "American Salute" by Morton Gould and Overture to "Candide" by Leonard Bernstein. Three compositions by Jan Vander Roost are also programmed, "Canterbury Chorale," "Ceremonial March" (in the style of Elgar) and "Puszta," four Gypsy dances. The program continues with the world premiere "2:30 Fanfare," an original composition by a student in the band, Aaron Waite. "October," a beautiful programmatic piece depicting the changes that autumn brings, by Eric Whitacre and Invictus" written by Philip Sparke for the U. S. Army Ground Forces Band will conclude the evening. The newly founded DSC Guitar Ensemble, directed by Lisle Crowley, will round out the program.
"This is one of the finest bands I have had the privilege of working with during my career at Dixie State College," said Caldwell. For those that enjoy fine wind band literature, this is the concert to attend. For more information, contact Gary Caldwell at (435) 652-7997 or caldwell@dixie.edu.

Stephen Wade to speak at Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Nov. 3, 2003) Stephen W. Wade, president of Stephen Wade Auto Center, will be the next speaker at Dixie Forum: A Window on the World Tuesday, Nov. 4, at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College. Rather than automobiles, however, peer lending in Africa, will be the topic of discussion. "One or Two People Can Make a Difference: Capitalism at Work in Africa" is the title of the forum.
Wade will discuss the process he and friend Jay Ence went through to establish a micro-credit financial institution in Kenya several years ago and what has come of it since. Known as Yehu Bank, the bank finances small loans, between $50 and $200, to people in rural Kenya. Currently, the bank serves over 3,000 members in 65 villages.
Since 1973, Wade has owned more than 20 new car franchises throughout Utah. Current franchises include Chevrolet, Cadillac, Honda, Nissan, and Mazda, as well as a powersports store that includes Yamaha, Honda, Polaris, and Suzuki. He is founder of Sun Trust Bank in St. George and owner of southern Utah television station KCSG.
In addition to his business pursuits, Wade currently serves as chairman of the Dixie State College Board of Trustees, a position he has held since 1996. He has served as Salt Lake County and Utah chairman of the American Cancer Society. A Salt Lake native and graduate of the University of Utah, Wade has also served on the University’s alumni board. He and wife, Marcia Chalk Wade, have five children.

DSC to attempt world record during Awareness Week
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Oct. 31, 2003) In conjunction with "Awareness Week" next week (Nov. 3-8) at Dixie State College, the college will attempt to set a new world record by making the world’s longest sandwich wrap.
DSC’s shot at the Guinness Book of World Records will occur on Monday, Nov. 3, on "Hunger Awareness Day." Beginning at noon, the D-SUN Service Club and DSC Campus Dining Services, with the help of DSC students, will team up to create the sandwich, whi ch will wind its way through campus from the college radio station in the Whitehead Student Services Center to the college dorms on the east side of campus. Hunger awareness facts will be printed on the hundreds of toothpicks that will help hold the sandwich together.
Later Monday evening, the D-SUN and Campus Dining Services will provide soup and bread bowls at Vernon Worthen Park for the homeless from 6 to 8 p.m.
"The D-SUN Service Club is really excited about Awareness Week," said Katie Puusalu, vice-president of service for the ASDSC Executive Council. "We have put a lot of thought into providing activities for students that will help them make more informed decisions and have fun."
Other Awareness Week themes include "Safety and Prevention Awareness Day" on Tuesday. Safety and prevention activities will be featured from noon to 1 p.m. in the Gardner Center. On Wednesday, an Awareness Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Encampment Mall. Thursday is "Education Awareness Day," which will feature a Campus to Community leveled library service project from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Gardner Center. There will be a patriotic ceremony on "Freedom Friday" at noon at the Gardner Center. Saturday is Dixie Spirit Day. The Rebel football team will host Glendale at 7 p.m. in Hansen Stadium, which will be followed by a stomp in the Gardner Center, free to students who sport "Red Rebel" clothing.
For questions about Awareness Week contact Donna Stafford at 652-7513 or Katie Puusalu at 652-7517.

DSC Chamber Orchestra to kick off its season
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Oct. 30, 2003) The Dixie State College Chamber Orchestra will present its first concert of the semester Friday, Nov. 7, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Dunford Auditorium on campus.
"I'm really excited about the group we have playing this year," said Orchestra Director Scott Tanner. "For this concert I have chosen a wide selection of music representing four different time periods, music that will appeal to everyone's taste."
The program will consist of music by Bach, Corelli, Salieri, Grieg and a new composer, Soon Hee Newbold. Also on the program, Dixie State College student and soprano Kenisha Shakespaere will be featured as a guest soloist.
The concert is $2 a person, $5 per family, and free to DSC students with an activity card. The Dunford Auditorium is located in the Browning Building across from the library). Tickets will be sold at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis in which seating is limited.

"Scarlet Fever" to hit Dixie State College in mid-November
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Oct. 29, 2003) "They seek him here. They seek him there. Those Frenchies seek him everywhere." So begins the famous ditty from the classic adventure story "The Scarlet Pimpernel." Dixie State College Theater is presenting the smash hit musical adaptation of this delightful tale as the second production in this year’s season. The show will run Nov. 13, 14 and 15, at 7:30 p.m., in the Cox Performing Arts Center.
With music by Frank Wildhorn (of "Jekyll & Hyde" fame) and book and lyrics by Nan Knighton, "The Scarlet Pimpernel" is a swashbuckling romantic musical comedy about the original superhero, Sir Percy Blakeney, an English aristocrat whose mission is to save innocent French aristocrats from the blade of Madame Guillotine during the French Revolution
"The Scarlet Pimpernel" will feature the direction and design work of DSC Theater faculty member Brent Hanson, vocal direction from Ken Peterson, and music direction from Gary Caldwell. The costumes are designed by Andrea Davenport. DSC alumnus Ryan Norton is featured as Sir Percy. Amory Pease is playing Percy’s wife and suspected spy, Marguerite St. Just. Ben Hale is playing the villain, and Marguerite& #146;s former love interest, Chauvelin.
"I fell in love with the Scarlet Pimpernel when I saw it on Broadway a few years ago," said director Brent Hanson. "It has all the ingredients of great theatre--adventure, a hero fighting for a good cause, and a love story all set to wonderful music. Dixie College Theatre is pleased to bring this exciting theatre experience to St. George audiences."
In 1905, a young Hungarian born writer named the Baroness Orczy created the audacious and reckless hero, a "daring plotter" who used "tricks and games" against the cruelties of the French Revolution. The musical version of The Scarlet Pimpernel opened on Broadway in 1997 and closed in January of 2000. It then went on to have a successful and lengthy national tour. The production received a number of award nominations including Tony Award nominations for "Best Musical," "Best Book," and "Best Actor" (Douglas Sills).
"This is one of the most exciting musicals we have done in years," said Varlo Davenport, DSC theatre director. "Besides the beautiful music, 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' is a well-loved classic. Audiences in America and Europe have flocked to see this wonderful story come to the stage."
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students. DSC students get in free with current student ID. To order tickets, or for more information call 652-7800. You can also visit the DSC Ticket office in the lobby of the Cox Performing Arts Center.

DSC Symphonic Band presents Fall Concert
(ST. GEORGE – Oct. 28, 2003) The Symphonic Band at Dixie State College, under the baton of Gary Caldwell, will present its debut concert for the 2003-04 school year on Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium.
The Symphonic Band of 55 members continues to build on great musical success and traditions. The ensemble has performed at a number of college and community events including the Jubilee of Trees, the Southern Utah Performing Arts Festival, and the annual Christmas Concert with the 23rd Army Band.
The program will highlight the finest in wind literature, including “American Salute” by Morton Gould and Overture to “Candide” by Leonard Bernstein. Three compositions by Jan Van der Roost are also programmed, “Canterbury Chorale,” “Ceremonial March” (in the style of Elgar) and “Puszta,” four Gypsy dances.
The program will continue with the world premiere “2:30 Fanfare,” an original composition by a student in the band, Aaron Waite. “October,” a beautiful programmatic piece depicting the changes that autumn brings, by Eric Whitacre and “Invictus” written by Philip Sparke for the U.S. Army Ground Forces Band will conclude the evening. The newly founded DSC Guitar Ensemble, directed by Lisle Crowley, will round out the program.
“This is one of the finest bands I have had the privilege of working with during my career at Dixie State College,” said Caldwell. “For those that enjoy fine wind band literature, this is the concert to attend.”
Tickets are $2 for adults, $5 per family, and free for DSC students with I.D. For more information, contact Gary Caldwell at (435) 652-7997 or caldwell@dixie.edu.

New brain research topic of Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Oct. 24, 2003) Dr. Curt Walker, biology professor at Dixie State College, will be the speaker at Dixie Forum: A Window on the World, Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium on the DSC campus. "Brain Research: New Findings on Teaching and Learning," will be the featured topic.
Walker will talk about how recent findings about the brain help explain the way learning occurs best and how teaching style can be modified to suit learners' brains. He will use a human brain to visually aid him in his presentation.
A Wisconsin native, Walker studied biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin, then earned a doctorate degree in zoology from the University of Idaho in 1993. His research on behavioral development in mice led him to a postdoctoral research position at the University of Florida, where he studied spinal cord injury in cats, and taught medical neuroscience.
Walker has taught at Dixie State since 1995, and has twice been voted "Teacher of the Year" by the students. He and his wife Janet, who also works at the college, are expecting their first child in November. He continues to research new findings on learning and apply the techniques in the classroom.

Jon Schmidt to perform at DSC benefit concert
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Oct. 21, 2003) New age classical pianist and composer Jon Schmidt will perform at a benefit concert at Dixie State College Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium in behalf of the Washington County School District Literacy Program.
The concert is being presented by Dixie State College and the college’s Campus to Community service program. All the proceeds will go to the school district, specifically toward the goal of having a Leveled Reading Library available for every child grades K-7 in the district.
The libraries will provide books that tailor to each specific reading level. The goal of the program is to see to it that every child leaves the third grade at or near grade level in reading and to intervene with those who have fallen behind.
"The school district is going to need a lot of books to make this program work – a lot more than we’ll be able to provide – but we hope this helps," said DSC Student Body President Jake Denning, "We’re both in the business of educating, and we think it’s important for students to serve other students."
Jon Schmidt has quickly become well known in the Salt Lake area, where he consistently performs to sold out audiences in major performance venues along the Wasatch front. His credits include five albums, five popular volumes of his original piano scores, performances and radio play all over the country, several top 40 songs and over one million plays at mp3.com, a Pearl Award, a televised concert on a local PBS station and "A Jon Schmidt Christmas," which has fast become a successful yearly Christmas tradition in Salt Lake.
As a teenager, Schmidt was inspired by the early albums of M annheim Steamroller. "Because of them, I took license to blatantly mix elements from my classical piano training with rock and roll," Schmidt said. Based on the diversity in the age and background of a typical Jon Schmidt audience, his show seems to appeal to a wide variety of people.
"A lot of credit needs to go to John Schmidt who was so willing to step in and help," said DSC Student Council member Phil Blaney. "In my opinion, he’s the best new age guy in the world."
Tickets are $10 General Admission, $6 for all Washington County School District and Dixie State College students (with ID) and are available in advance by calling the Cox Auditorium Box Office at (435) 652-7800 M-F 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or online at . The Cox Auditorium is located on the Dixie State College campus at 100 South 700 East in St. George, Utah.

"Violence of Verse" topic of Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Oct. 16, 2003) "The Violence of Verse" will be the topic of discussion at the next Dixie Forum: A Window on the World, Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College. Susan Ertel, assistant professor of composition at Dixie State College, will be the forum speaker.
She holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Central Arkansas with an emphasis in Southern Literature. One of her passions, however, is war poetry, particularly the poetry of World War I and the Vietnam War. She has taught at DSC since January 1999. Previously, she taught at Westark College, currently the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, for nine years.
Ertel believes that society has begun to use violence as entertainment, and, as a result, has moved away from the visceral appalling qualities of violence, particularly violent images created with words. She will attempt throughout her presentation to discuss particular passages of war poetry in order to create a picture in the minds of the listeners as to the tragedies and vagaries of war.
The daughter, niece, and sister of war veterans, her interest in war poetry began as an attempt to better understand the exclusive conversations of her relatives about their battlefield experiences. One particularly moving experience for Susan came as she stood before the Vietnam Memorial in W ashington, D.C.
"I knew then that I would never be able to fathom what my dad, uncles, and brothers had been through, what they had seen, what they would, or could, never tell," Ertel said. "For me, those silent names on the wall were just as real to me as the silence of my family members who had seen too much."
The Oct. 28 installment of Dixie Forum will feature DSC biology professor Dr. Curt Walker who will speak on "Brain Research: New Findings on Teaching and Learning." Dixie Forum takes place each Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium.

New DSC VP to speak at Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Oct. 10, 2003) Philip Alletto, Dixie State College’s new vice president of student services, will be the next speaker at Dixie Forum: A Window on the World Tuesday at noon in the college’s Dunford Auditorium.
Alletto will speak on the topic "College Marketing: Building an Image." Alletto has 17 years of experience in higher education and college marketing, the previous seven of which in a similar vice president position at Westminster College in Salt Lake City.
"Some still consider "marketing" a dirty word when used to describe how colleges and universities represent themselves to the public," Alletto said. "But whether they call it recruitment, school relations, or informing prospective students, most institutions are more involved in this effort than ever before. Nationwide, resources are being committed at increasing levels."
Alletto will answer such questions as how do colleges market, can a college education be sold like any other service, are students customers, shareholders, or products, and who should decide the messages that are presented to prospective students? The forum will include a brief presentation, followed by a guided discussion.
During Alletto’s time at Westminster, student enrollment increased by nearly 30 percent despite five years of declining enrollments prior to his arrival. Previous to that, he led similar successes at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford in Pennsylvania. In his position as vice president of enrollment planning he was also given charge over institutional marketing, retention, and institutional advancement. He has also led all recruiting, marketing, and publications at Utica College of Syracuse University in New York.
Dixie Forum takes place each Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium. The Alletto forum is the first of three consecutive forums by DSC faculty or staff. On Oct. 21, English professor will speak on "The Violence of Verse." On Oct. 28, Dr. Curt Walker will speak "Brain Research: New Findings on Teaching and Learning."
The community is invited to attend each forum. Dixie Forum can be taken for college credit (Hon 161R). For more information contact Terre Burton at 652-7812.

DRMC makes donation to DSC nursing
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Oct. 7, 2003) As part of its ongoing support of Dixie State College, Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George this week donated $25,000 to the college’s nursing program. The donation was made as part of a commitment by Intermountain Health Care (IHC) and DRMC to provide a $100,000 donation to the college over a four-year period of time, said DRMC official Vicki Reese Wilson.
The purpose of the financial assistance, Wilson said, is to help increase the number of RN graduates and provide support to continue to strengthen nursing education. The hospital made a $50,000 donation to the same cause last November.
"The nursing department is very fortunate to have the support of DRMC," said DSC Director of Nursing Dr. Sabrina Friedman. "The donations enable the department to acquire additional equipment to accommodate our growing enrollment, enhance student learning opportunities and accomplish the ultimate goal of producing very competent RN graduates."
The donation comes at a time in which the college is seeking to expand its offerings in the health sciences area. First and foremost, Dixie State is currently seeking approval from the Utah S tate Board of Regents to begin offering a four-year degree in nursing and should receive word later this month. The college is also seeking approval from state for a building dedicated entirely to the health sciences and expects to have more information after the upcoming legislative session.
The donations from DRMC will not only aid both endeavors, but will also offset the cost of current endeavors, including increasing enrollment in its registered nurse (RN) and practical nurse (PN) programs. DSC is seeking to admit entering nursing classes in both areas twice a year, which will in turn increase the college’s production of nurses and reduce student waiting time for entry into the program, said DSC Dean of Business, Technology, and Health Science Dr. David Borris.
"This is something we would like us to be able to offer our students," Borris said. "We are seeking donations to allow us to begin a spring entering class for our nursing students, and these donations from DRMC help tremendously."
An increase in enrollment in all areas of nursing will ultimately help meet the high demand for nurses, which, Borris said, is linked to increasing demand for medical services.
"Nowhere is this more critical than in rapidly growing communities," Borris said. "St. George is the most rapidly growing community in the state."
"St. George is proud of the commitment and contributions that Dixie Regional Medical Center has made to the healthcare of our community," Borris said. "Dixie State College has a strong partnership with DRMC and a strong commitment to our community to train our future healthcare providers."

Jon Schmidt to perform at DSC benefit concert
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Oct. 7, 2003) New age classical pianist and composer Jon Schmidt will perform at a benefit concert at Dixie State College Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium in behalf of the Washington County School District Literacy Program.
The concert is being presented by Dixie State College and the college’s Campus to Community service program. All the proceeds will go to the school district, specifically toward the go al of having a Leveled Reading Library available for every child grades K-7 in the district.
The libraries will provide books that tailor to each specific reading level. The goal of the program is to see to it that every child leaves the third grade at or near grade level in reading and to intervene with those who have fallen behind.
"The school district is going to need a lot of books to make this program work – a lot more than we’ll be able to provide – but we hope this helps," said DSC Student Body President Jake Denning, "We’re both in the business of educating, and we think it’s important for students to serve other students."
Jon Schmidt has quickly become well known in the Salt Lake area, where he consistently performs to sold out audiences in major performance venues along the Wasatch front. His credits include five albums, five popular volumes of his original piano scores, performances and radio play all over the country, several top 40 songs and over one million plays at mp3.com, a Pearl Award, a televised concert on a local PBS station and "A Jon Schmidt Christmas," which has fast become a successful yearly Christmas tradition in Salt Lake.
As a teenager, Schmidt was inspired by the early albums of Mannheim Steamroller. "Because of them, I took license to blatantly mix elements from my classical piano training with rock and roll," Schmidt said. Based on the diversity in the age and background of a typical Jon Schmidt audience, his show seems to appeal to a wide variety of people.
"A lot of credit needs to go to John Schmidt who was so willing to step in and help," said DSC Student Council member Phil Blaney. "In my opinion, he’s the best new age guy in the world."
Tickets are $10 General Admission, $6 for all Washington County School District and Dixie State College students (with ID) and are available in advance by calling the Cox Auditorium Box Office at (435) 652-7800 M-F 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or online at www.dixie.edu. The Cox Auditorium is located on the Dixie State College campus at 100 South 700 East in St. George, Utah.

Larry EchoHawk to speak at Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Oct. 6, 2003) Larry EchoHawk will be the next speaker at Dixie Forum: A Window on the World Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College. "Coming Together for Future Generations" is the subject of the forum.
EchoHawk presently serves as a law professor at Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. Prior to joining BYU, he served as the attorney general for the State of Idaho after becoming the first American Indian in U.S. history elected as a state attorney general in 1991.
After earning a law degree from the University of Utah in 1973, EchoHawk began his legal career as a legal services attorney working for impoverished Indian people in California, then opened a private law office in Salt Lake City. He later served as tribal attorney for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes at the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho, as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives, and as Bannock County Prosecutor.
During his service as Idaho attorney general, EchoHawk was named one of 20 "people to watch" in the west by Newsweek magazine, and pictured on the cover of USA Weekend magazine as one of America’s 20 Most Promising People in Politics."
In 1991, EchoHawk was awarded George Washington University’s prestigious Martin Luther King medal for his contributions to human rights, and was honored as a speaker at the Democratic National Convention. As Idaho’s delegation chair, he became the first American Indian to lead a state delegation to a national political convention.
President Clinton appointed EchoHawk to serve on the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in January 1999. The President of the United States reappointed Professor EchoHawk to this council in July of 2000.
An alumnus of Brigham Young University as well, EchoHawk was honored in 1995 as the first BYU graduate to ever receive the NCAA’s prestigious Silver Anniversary Award. He played in every BYU football game f rom 1966-1969, was a two-year starter at defensive safety for the Cougars, and earned Academic All-WAC honors as a senior.
EchoHawk is a member of the Pawnee Indian Tribe and served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps. He and his wife, Terry, have six children.

DSC theater set to raise curtain on 2003-04 season, discount season tickets available
(ST. GEORGE – Oct. 1, 2003) Fresh off its vagabond season last year, which included performances in various locales throughout campus, Dixie State College’s theater program is close to moving into a brand new home in which to stage its performances.
Two of this year’s four performances will take place in the new Eccles Fine Arts Center, which will be completed in March. But first, the theater department will pick up where it left off last season – on tour, so to speak.
"Deathtrap" will lead off the season in the college’s Gardner Center Ballroom Oct. 6-11. In this comic thriller Sydney Bruhl, a successful writer of Broadway thrillers, is struggling to overcome a dry spell that has resulted in a shortage of funds. His luck changes when he has the chance to take advantage of a student from a seminar he teaches at a nearby college. Suspense mounts steadily as the plot begins to twist and turn with devilish cleverness.
"We learned a lot last year working in our various temporary spaces and we knew that if we went back into the Gardner Ballroom we needed to do a show that was physically small," said DSC Theater Director Varlo Davenport. "I like to do scary shows near Halloween and so "Deathtrap" seemed like a natural fit."
On Nov. 13-15 in the Cox Auditorium DSC’s choral and music programs will team up with the theater department to present the musical "The Scarlet Pimpernel," a swashbuckling romantic musical comedy by composer Frank Wildhorn (also of Jekyll & Hyde fame) about the original superhero, Sir Percy Blakeney, an English aristocrat whose mission is to save innocent French aristocrats from the blade of Madame Guillotine during the French Revolution.
"The Boys Next Door" will kick off a ne w era of DSC theater in the Eccles Fine Arts Center. The show is slated for March 5, 6, 10-13 in the Eccles Fine Arts Center Black Box Theater. The setting for the warm and touching comedy is a communal residence in a New England city, where four mentally handicapped men live under the supervision of an earnest, but tired social worker named Jack Palmer. Mingled with scenes from the daily lives of the group, where little things sometimes become momentous, are instants of great poignancy. Filled with humor, the play is also marked by compassion and understanding with which it peers into the half-lit world of its handicapped protagonists.
The 2003-04 season will conclude with another musical "Quilters," a story about the frontier experience from a woman's perspective. This musical celebrates the life-affirming spirit of pioneer women through music, dance, song, words...and quilting. It is a story about the importance of quilting in women's lives, a story about the strength of pioneer women in settling this country, and a story about faith and the human spirit in facing adversity and life's challenges.
The production, which runs April 16, 17, 21-24, will be the first in the new facility’s Main Stage Theater.
"I am so looking forward to the new facility," Davenport said. "DSC theater audiences will have
the opportunity to see productions supported by a state-of-the-art facility. Our students will have the opportunity to both perform in that space, but also develop skills that will make them well trained and employable as theater designers and technicians."
Season tickets for all four productions are currently on sale and can be purchased by contacting
the Cox Auditorium Box Office at (435) 652-7900 or Sharon Rawlings at rawlings@dixie.edu. A discounted season ticket rate is currently available for the price of $35 for adults and $28 for seniors for all four shows, a 20 percent savings off the normal season ticket rate. If two season tickets are purchased, prices drop to $60 for adults and $50 for seniors per pair.
Individual tickets for "Deathtrap" are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for children, and free for DSC students with student ID.

DSC Theatre presents comic thriller "Deathtrap"
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Oct. 1, 2003) The Dixie State College theater department is celebrating Halloween early with its opening production, "Deathtrap" in the Gardner Ballroom on the DSC campus. Ira Levin's classic thriller will run Monday, Oct. 6 through Saturday, Oct. 11. The production starts at 7:30 p.m.
"Deathtrap" is directed by DSC Director of Theatre Varlo Davenport, with set and costumes designs by Josh Scott and Jimmie Bryant. The cast for this suspense classic includes Mike Gardner (Sidney), Slate Holmgren (Clifford), Hilary Frasier (Myra), Katie Johnson (Helga) and J. Bryan Dial (Porter). Keeping everything running smoothly is Laura Jacobsen (Stage Mgr.), Katie Puusalu (Props) and Dustin Beale (Sound).
"Deathtrap" was a huge Broadway hit in the late 1970s and was written by Ira Levin, who also brought us the classics "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Stepford Wives". The plot for this thriller involves an aspiring, young playwright (Clifford) who has garnered the interest of veteran thriller
author/playwright, Sidney Bruhl. Sidney and his wife, Myra, live in a Connecticut home that is decorated with classic murder weaponry. Sidney is desperate for a hit and contemplates killing Clifford for his play idea.
There are many plot twists and shocking moments that will keep the audience on the edge of their seat and guessing right up until the last moment. Add in a "psychic" next-door neighbor (Helga) and a suspicious attorney (Porter) and you have the makings for classic suspense theatre.
"Seating is limited, unfortunately," said Davenport. "Last season almost every production sold out and so we encourage you to get your tickets early."
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for students. DSC students get in free with current student ID. To order tickets, or more information please call 652-7800. Patrons can also visit the DSC ticket office in the lobby of the Cox Auditorium. Season tic kets are also on sale. A discounted season ticket rate is currently available for the price of $35 for adults and $28 for seniors for all four shows, a 20 percent savings off the normal season ticket rate. If two season tickets are purchased, prices drop to $60 for adult couples and $50 for senior couples.

Dixie State College enrollment up again
(ST. GEORGE – Sept. 22, 2003) Third week enrollment figures for fall 2003 were announced today at Dixie State College. The college experienced increases in both total headcount and full-time equivalency (FTE) over the previous year.
Three weeks into the semester (the official benchmark statewide), total enrollment, or headcount, has topped off at 7,682, a three percent increase over 2002. In FTE, Dixie State experienced a four percent increase over the previous fall, totaling 4,425. Both enrollment totals are the highest in the college’s history.
"The continued and consistent growth at Dixie is a reflection of a growing reputation throughout not only Utah, but the western United States," said Vice President of Student Services Phil Alletto. "In fact, this year our new students come from 60 percent of the USA. We've always known that Dixie is a great place to receive an education, but the word is starting to spread."
To compare to a decade ago, total enrollment for fall semester 1993 was 3,041; FTE was 2,550.
Some of the college’s growth this year is due to increased enrollments in its four-year programs, Alletto said. For example, Dixie State College’s elementary education major doubled in size this year after its second cohort started the program this fall.

Forecast Snowy for DSC Homecoming
(ST. GEORGE – Sept. 22, 2003) Despite it being September in St. George, the forecast is "Snowy" for this week’s homecoming at Dixie State College. Rival Snow College will be in town Saturday, Sept. 27. Prior to the Rebels and Badgers meeting up on the gridiron, however, is a week filled with activities for students, alumni of the college, and the community.
Homecoming Week officially gets under way today, with the majority of the week’s activities taking place Friday and Saturday. All community members are invited to attend, regardless of their tie to the college.
This year’s homecoming theme is "Get in the Red Zone."
"We really want the community and the entire college family to get into the Dixie spirit. Homecoming is always a fun time of year and a fun thing to be involved in," said DSC alumni director Kalynn Larson. "It’s about getting into the red zone, not just on the field, but off it as well in support of Dixie."
Homecoming activities get underway in earnest Tuesday, with the Homecoming Queen Pageant at 7 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium. The eventual homecoming queen will qualify for the Miss Utah Pageant. Cost is $3 a person, $1 for students.
Activities on Friday, Sept. 26 include the Alumni Assembly at 10:30 a.m. in the Cox Auditorium (no charge) and Golden Generation Luncheon at noon in the Gardner Ballroom ($10).
Saturday’s homecoming parade begins at 9:30 a.m. and will travel down Tabernacle Street beginning at 400 East and ending at 100 West. All entries must line up at the parade’s starting point (between 700 East and 400 East on Tabernacle) at 9 a.m. Parade entries must contact Donna Stafford at 652-7513 by Thursday at noon.
Immediately following the parade on Saturday will be the Founder’s Day Assembly and Hall of Fame at 10:30 a.m. in the St. George Tabernacle. Admission to both is free.
The Alumni Association tailgate party will then precede the football game at noon, with a 1 p.m. kickoff. Tickets to the game are $5 and can be purchased at the box office.
The week wraps up Saturday night with the Alumni Banquet at 7 p.m. in the Old Gym. Speaking at this year’s banquet will be alumnus R.J. Snow. Cost is $11 to attend. The Homecoming Dance will follow at 9 p.m. in the Gardner Ballroom.
Tickets for the luncheon and banquet can be purchased from Kalynn Larson in the North Administration Building. She can also be contacted at 652-7535 or via email at larson@dixie.edu.
Other student events include the Powder Puff Football game Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Hansen Stadium (free admission), Rock the Mall at noon on Friday on the Gardner Center Plaza, and a Rebel Spirit Day Bonfire Friday at 9 p.m. near the Hazy Building.
"It’s an exciting time of year for both the students and community," said director of student activities Donna Stafford. "We urge everyone to come out and have some fun with us. We like to see everyone get involved, whether they’re a Dixie State alum or not."

Dixie State College to promote health
(ST. GEORGE – Sept. 15, 2003) Dixie State College will host its annual Health Fair for students and the community alike Wednesday, Sept. 17. The 14th annual fair will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. just west of the college’s McDonald Building.
"We have moved the Health Fair to the first of the year in hopes of giving the students, faculty, and community a chance to see what is here in the area to make for a healthy school year," said DSC Wellness Center director Barbara Johnson.
Nearly 30 businesses will be in attendance to give fitness and health demonstrations in the areas of self-defense, massage therapy, and gardening. The Community Nursing Service will be on hand doing blood pressure and glucose readings. Other activities will include a climbing wall,
compliments of the Utah National Guard.
Students are encouraged to attend the fair to receive information on the medical help that’s available to them while attending Dixie State College.
For entertainment seekers, a Karaoke machine will also be on the premises. The Wellness Center will provide free water and popcorn, and several other free items will also be distributed.
The Health Fair is sponsored by the college’s Wellness Center. The entire community is invited to attend. For more information about the Health Fair call Kari Iverson at 652-7756.

Hinton assumes position as acting dean at DSC
(ST. GEROGE – Sept. 15, 2003) Upon returning home from a three-year church mission in Hong Kong in early July, Dr. Don Hinto n was eager to be back at Dixie State College to resume his role as a professor of communications. Those plans changed, however, when he was recently selected to fill the role of acting dean of arts, letters, and science while former dean Joe Peterson sustains the vacancy left by Dr. Max Rose as acting vice president of academic affairs.
Hinton has been employed by the college since 1977 and has taught communications and speech and forensics courses and has served as fine arts department chair during that time.
"I’ll miss seeing the students and working with them on a day-to-day basis," Hinton said of his new appointment. "However, this assignment will give me the opportunity to look at the academic needs of the campus and promote learning."
A native of Hurricane, Utah, Hinton also attended Dixie State College and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in speech and drama from Brigham Young University.
After several years serving as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army during the peak of the Vietnam War, Hinton again returned to southern Utah to teach communications. He stayed at Dixie College for 10 years before taking a sabbatical to go to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., where he completed his doctorate.
Hinton and his wife, Ada, have six children, two of which are students at the college and one of which teaches part-time in the college’s English department.
Current DSC fine arts chair Eric Young was a student of Hinton’s in 1980.
"There is no person better for the job," Young said. "Either temporarily or permanently, it is a great opportunity to work with him. He has a magnificent knowledge of the academic needs of the students on both a state and local level. His ultimate concern is the students."
A permanent replacement for Rose is expected to be in place by January 2004. If Peterson is selected to remain as vice president of academic affairs, Hinton is undecided as to whether o r not he will apply for the dean’s position permanently. And should Peterson return to his previous position as dean, Hinton said he would be very pleased to return to teaching.
"I have a great respect for Joe Peterson. He has done very well in this position," said Hinton. "It’s just good to be back to Dixie College. This a tremendous institution."
The position of dean of arts, letters, and science is one of four dean positions at Dixie State College and reports directly to the vice president of academic affairs. Former DSC vice president of academic affairs Dr. Max Rose retired from the college July 1 to become Washington County School District superintendent

Marathon bus tour promoting service hits Utah college campuses
(St. George, UT – Sept. 11, 2003) In conjunction with the United Way’s "Day of Caring," a marathon bus tour promoting service and service learning will make stops at every college and university in the state within a 24-hour period beginning Friday, Sept. 12.
One Student Serving Utah Network (SSUN) representative from each college and university will ride in vans to every campus in the state beginning Friday morning at Utah State University and arriving at Dixie State College Saturday at 9 a.m., where a rally will take place in DSC’s outdoor amphitheater.
The "Get a Life" campaign is, together with SSUN, is under the direction of Utah Campus Compact (UCC). Following Winston Churchill’s adage, "You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give," their goal is to increase awareness of students giving, serving, and making a life for themselves as well as those they serve.
The purpose of the "Get a Life" campaign is not only to promote service learning, but also to promote civic engagement such as voting, lobbying, and volunteering.
UCC was founded in 1996 at the Utah State Capitol with the purpose of promoting service learning at Utah’s universities and colleges. The student service organization SSUN was established at the same time.

Costa Rica topic of Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Sept. 11, 2003) "Costa Rica, a tropical paradise" is the subject of this week’s Dixie Forum: A Window on the World, which will take place Tuesday, Sept. 16 at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College.
The forum will focus on the Dixie State College course, Natural History of Costa Rica, and will highlight last spring’s trip abroad. The course is offered each spring semester and is conducted by DSC professor Kelly Bringhurst.
"We had a great experience last March. Costa Rica is the jewel of Central America," Bringhurst said. "Its stabile government, friendly people and variety of national parks makes it the perfect place to study the tropics. We have the opportunity to see and learn things that a typical tourist misses, all while earning college credit."
Those enrolled in the course this spring will depart Mar. 12 and return Mar. 22. Because it is an educational trip, costs are held to a minimum. The $1,895 travel fee includes all transportation, meals, lodging and guides for the 10-day trip.
"This year we will be going to a different area of Costa Rica, traveling south down the mountain range that bisects Costa Rica," Bringhurst said. "We will be staying in the Cloud Forest, traveling down to a world class botanical garden, and ending at the Pacific Coast at a remote lodge. Several people who went last year are returning to see a different part of Costa Rica."
The course title is Geography 2990: Natural History of Costa Rica. It is 2 credits, which may be used as elective credits toward graduation. The class is open to anyone. It will meet a couple of times for planning purposes, but the course consists primarily of the 10-day trip.For more information about the course contact Kelly Bringhurst at (435) 652-7768 or bringhur@dixie.edu.
The following week, Dixie Forum will transition from tropical island to the desert of Washington County. Lori Rose will speak on "Legends, Love & Leisure in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve" Tuesday, Sept. 23 at noon in the Dunford. For more information about Dixie Forum contact Terre Burton at (435) 652-7812.

Local businesses urged to "Spread the Red"
(ST. GEORGE, UT & #150; Sept 9, 2003) Dixie State College has extended an invitation to all local businesses and organizations to participate in the 2003 DSC homecoming parade, which will snake its way through the streets of St. George Saturday, Sept. 27. The theme for this year’s parade is "Spread the Red."
There is no charge for parade entries, and, free advertising aside, it’s a good way for businesses to get involved in the community, said DSC director of student activities Donna Stafford.
"This parade is every bit as much a community event as it is a Dixie State College event," Stafford said.
In addition to those in the business community, local high schools are invited to participate, particularly by entering their bands in the parade. Those interested in participating in the parade must contact Donna Stafford as soon as possible to fill out a parade entry form. On the average, the parade features between 60 and 65 entries.
"Many of the people in the community are either alumni of the college or people who have grown up in St. George and lived here all of their life," Stafford said. "These are the people homecoming is intended for, and it’s nice to see them get involved, not only as a spectator, but as part of the parade itself."
The DSC homecoming parade will begin at 9:30 a.m., and all entries must begin to line up at the parade’s starting point – 300 East Tabernacle – at 8:30 a.m. Entry forms are available by contacting Donna Stafford via fax: 656-4011, phone: 652-7513, or email: stafford@dixie.edu.

"Beyond Tacos and Egg Rolls: Ethnic Dining in Utah" subject of next Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Sept. 5, 2003) In conjunction with the theme of art, food, and life throughout the month at Dixie State College, food expert Bob King will be the next speaker at Dixie Forum: A Window on the World Tu esday, Sept. 9 at noon in the college’s Dunford Auditorium.
The title of King’s presentation is "Beyond Tacos and Egg Rolls: Ethnic Dining in Utah."
King is currently the food editor for Utah Homes and Garden magazine. He is also president of the Utah Convivium of Slow Food USA, an international organization dedicated to flavor, food traditions, and local growers.
Previously, King was a restaurant columnist with Salt Lake Magazine and the Salt Lake Observer. He first learned to enjoy the flavors and variety of ethnic food and restaurants growing up in New York City, with Italian, Greek, and Asian cuisines.
"Students, faculty and staff--as well as some folks from the community--seemed to really enjoy our first Dixie Forum focusing on food and art," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton, "and Bob King will pick up where we left off last week, giving us a perspective on local dining. If you love food, Dixie State College is the place to be this month."
In addition to his work in the food industry, King is employed by Utah State University as extension faculty/lecturer in English and American Studies at the Tooele Campus. He is currently completing a doctorate degree in American Studies at the University of Utah. His dissertation is titled "Tales of Enchantment: The Cultural Work of the American Southwest."
Several films carrying a culinary theme will also be featured at the college throughout the month of September each Thursday evening at 7 p.m. in the Dunford Auditorium. The second film of the month, "Babette's Feast," will be shown Thursday, Sept. 11. Other films will include "Chocolat," "Garlic is as Good as 10 Mothers," and "Big Night." A discussion will follow each film. Admission to all films and forums is free and open to the community. For more information call Terre Burton at (435) 652-7812.

Art, food, and life subject of Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Aug. 29, 2003) Art, food, and life will kick off year three of Dixie Forum: A Window on the World Tuesday Sept. 2 at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College and will be an ongoing theme at the college throughout the month.
Maremi Hoof and Kim Konikow will talk about the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition "Key Ingredients: America by Food," currently on display in Springdale, Utah, through Oct. 4.
The exhibition investigates how culture, ethnicity, landscape and tradition influence the foods and flavors we enjoy across the nation. It also explores the gathering, celebration, and preservation of food in America and demonstrates how food on the American table is rooted in centuries of continuous borrowing and sharing between people across generations, cultures, and the land.
The subject of the Sept. 9 forum will be "Beyond Tacos and Egg Rolls: Ethnic Dining in Utah." Bob King, a humanities instructor from the Utah State University Tooele Center and food critic, will be the forum speaker.
The month of September will also feature several films about food, which will be shown each Thursday evening throughout the month at 7 p.m. in the Dunford Auditorium. The Japanese noodle western "Tampopo," about a truck driver on a quest to help a poor widow develop the perfect ramen recipe will be shown Sept. 4. Other films in the series include "Babette's Feast," "Chocolat," "Garlic is as Good as 10 Mothers," and "Big Night."
Established at the college in 2001, Dixie Forum is an academic forum series designed to expose students and the community to different cultures and points of view. The series can be taken for credit and takes place each Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium throughout fall and spring semesters. For more information call Terre Burton at (435) 652-7812.

DSC holds auditions for "The Scarlet Pimpernel"
(ST. GEORGE – Aug. 19, 2003) The Dixie State College Theater Department will hold open auditions Sept. 2 and 3 for its production of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" this fall. All community members are invited to audition.
Vocal auditions will be held on the Sept. 2 at 5 p.m. in room 125 of the North Instructional Building (the former LDS Institute Building). Auditionees will be taught selections from the show appropriate for their vocal range and will not be required to prepare audition pieces. Call-backs to read from the script will be held the following night at 5 p.m. at the same location.
"The Scarlet Pimpernel" is a swashbuckling romantic musical comedy by composer Frank Wildhorn (of "Jekyll & Hyde" fame) about the original superhero, Sir Percy Blakeney, an English aristocrat whose mission is to save innocent French aristocrats from the blade of Madame Guillotine during the French Revolution.
The production will be staged by DSC theater professor Brent Hanson. Music will be under the direction of Ken Peterson and orchestral direction from Gary Caldwell, both faculty members of the DSC Music Department. If you have questions about the auditions please call Mr. Hanson at 652-7792, or Mr. Peterson at 652-7802.
Rehearsals will be held Monday through Friday evenings from 5 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. The production will run Nov. 13-15 in the Cox Auditorium.
"The Scarlet Pimpernel" is part of the DSC theater season that also includes the thriller "Deathtrap," the gentle comedy "The Boys Next Door," and a second musical "Quilters." Individual production tickets and discount season tickets are now available by calling the DSC Ticket Office at 652-7800.

DSC students place at Skills USA Championships
(ST. GEORGE – Aug. 4, 2003) Two Dixie State College students received medals at the Skills USA VICA National Championships earlier this summer in Kansas City, Mo. Medals are awarded only to the top three participants.
Jeremy Cox, from Santa Clara, won first place and the gold medal in the Technical Computer Applications Post Secondary category. And Rick Ballard won second place and the silver medal in the Power Equipment Technology (Automotive) Secondary category. Ballard, from Hurricane, is a concurrent enrollment high school student enrolled in classes at both DSC and Dixie Applied Technology Center (DXATC).
Both students placed first in their respective categories at the Skills USA State Championships this year.
Cox qualified for the national event last year as well after placing first in the same category at the state level a year ago as well. Ballard’s success came just days after he and his teammate Travis Christy placed seventh in the nation at the AAA/Ford National Automotive Contest in Washington, D.C., which they qualified for by winning the state title in May.
"We have great programs that can help students achieve their goals if they are diligent in their efforts, which these two students clearly have been," said Dean of Business, Technology, and Health Sciences. "What a great testament to our faculty as well to have students achieve top awards at the national level."
Collectively, schools from Utah earned 58 medals. Dixie State College has participated in Skills USA VICA, formerly known as Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), for over 20 years. Skills USA is a national organization for high school and college students enrolled in technical, skilled, service, and health occupations.

DSC student receives honor at Miss Utah Pageant
(ST. GEORGE – June 26, 2003) Reigning Miss Dixie State College Silulu A’etonu recently represented the college and Washington County at the Miss Utah Pageant held this month in Salt Lake City, winning the Miss Spirit of Utah Award. The award carries $1,000 in scholarship money to the institution of her choice.
A’etonu is currently serving as Miss Dixie State College as a result of her winning the college’s 2002 Homecoming Queen Pageant, an official qualifier for the Miss Utah Pageant.
Fifty-eight women from across the state participated in this year’s Miss Utah Pageant. The Miss Spirit of Utah Award is one of several awards handed out at the pageant, but is the only one voted on by fellow contestants. A’etonu is the first from DSC to win the award.
"There was not a single person who by the end of the pageant didn’t know who she was," said DSC Homecoming Queen Pageant Coordinator Sheila Bastian. "She’s that kind of person – she’s warm and loving and her personality draws people to her."
"Lulu’s really a darling girl," said DSC Director of Student Activities Donna Stafford. "She always walks through the door with a smile from ear to ear. She’s got a great attitude. It’s no wonder everybody (at the Miss Utah Pageant) loved her because everybody here loves her."
A’etonu’s platform for the Miss Utah Pageant, "The Power of Words," focused on the effects of verbal abuse. A native of Samoa, A’etonu performed a Samoan dance for the talent competition.
She is the daughter of Vila and Fuamoli A’etonu of Tamuning Guam, Samoa, where she lived before moving to the United States in 1999 to live with her grandmother and finish high school. She graduated from Bonneville High School and was a freshman student at Dixie State College in 2002-03. She attended the college on an academic and leadership scholarship and was a DSC Ambassador. As reigning Homecoming Queen, she also has been offered a one-year full tuition waiver.
Also representing southern Utah in the Miss Utah Pageant was JaKelle Poulson. Currently serving as Miss Washington County Fair, the St. George native graduated from DSC in 2000 and is currently attending SUU. Her service platform centered on the Make a Wish Foundation.
The Miss Utah Organization is a non-profit organization duly whose purpose is to provide educational scholarships, awards, and recognition to talented, intelligent, and worthy girls throughout the state of Utah and to provide representatives to the Miss America Pageant, and to foster, promote, and encourage community service, education, and personal excellence among the young women of Utah. The Miss Utah Pageant is an affiliate of the Miss America Pageant, and Miss Utah is the official hostess of the state of Utah, so named by the Utah Legislature.

DSC / high school students receive New Century Scholarship
(ST. GEORGE – June 5, 2003) When six area high school students graduated recently, it may have been the first time they had walked across the stage to receive their high school diploma, but not their college diploma.
Melissa Mower, Kirsten Nielsen, Cassidy Pentico, Jessica Ricks, Calah Seese, and Cameron Willie all earned their associate degree from Dixie State College last month as well.
That combined effort has earned each of them the New Century Scholarship, a statewide scholarship program that rewards students who earn an associate degree and high school diploma concurrently. In order to qualify, a high school student must graduate with an associate degree by Sept. 1 immediately following his or her graduation from high school.
In return, the state of Utah pays 75 percent of the student’s tuition in fees towards a bachelor’s degree at any university or college in the state for up to two years. The program was implemented by the Utah State Board of Regents in 1999.
"I think this is a wonderful accomplishment for these kids and they deserve some recognition because of the long hours they have spent in concurrent enrollment, night classes, summer sessions, and distance learning in order to earn two diplomas at one time," said DSC Upward Bound Director Nelda Kissinger. "It is also a great example of how the school district and the college work together for the benefit of these bright students."
Melissa Mower, Dixie High School, received her associate of science degree from Dixie State College. In addition to the New Century Scholarship, she was awarded $1,000 to any college or university from Nationwide Insurance in behalf of Utah Public Employees Association, as well as a $1,000 scholarship from WalMart. She will continue her education this summer at Brigham Young University. Mower competed on the swim team for three years, competing at state each year, and participated in the drama program and Future Farmers of America (FFA) while at Dixie High.
Kirsten Nielsen, Snow Canyon High School, received her associate of science degree this year at Dixie State College. Utah State Universit y has awarded her a full tuition scholarship in addition to her New Century Scholarship, and she will begin classes there this fall. Nielsen’s extracurricular activities included tech theater and working on the school newspaper.
Cassidy Pentico, Hurricane High School, graduated from the college summa cum laude and graduated as valedictorian at HHS. For the past three years, Pentico has participated in the college’s Upward Bound program. She has also accepted a four-year full tuition scholarship from Utah State University, which also carries a $1,500 stipend per year.
Pentico also recently received the Elks National Foundation Scholarship, worth $10,000 for four years, placing second nationally in that program. She also is the recipient of the Robert C. Byrd Scholarship for which she will receive $1,500 per year for four years, and has also been awarded a full Pell Grant. She was a Sterling Scholar in Visual Arts at HHS, a regional runner-up Sterling Scholar, a four-year letterman in varsity track, and a three-year letterman in varsity cross-country.
Jessica Ricks, Snow Canyon High School, earned her associate of science degree and will now attend BYU in the fall to study business. A Regional Sterling Scholar in Business and Marketing, she was also awarded a full scholarship for one year at BYU. While at Snow Canyon, she was a member of National Honor Society and cross-country team and participated in RASK (Random Acts of Selfless Kindness), the yearbook staff, and DECA club.
Calah Seese, Hurricane High School, graduated from Dixie State College with an associate of science degree. She plans to study biology at Utah State University in the fall and has received a one-half tuition scholarship for two years in addition to the New Century Scholarship. Seese was a member of National Honor Society, played tennis and softball, and was on the yearbook staff during her time at Hurricane High.
Cameron Willie, Pine View High School, received his associate of science degree and will now pursue a degree in engineering at Utah State University. After passing the Advanced Placement English and biology tests early in his academic career he decided to pursue the New Century Scholarship.
While in high school he wrestled, placing third at region. Earlier in his academic career he placed first at the National History Fair at the state level and received superior ratings at the national level. In addition, Willie recently earned his Eagle Scout award.

DSC to students: Have a good summer but don’t forget to register
(ST. GEORGE – May 29, 2003) Though school is now in the rearview mirror for many students, at least for the time being, Dixie State College is urging its students to register for fall semester early in order to get the classes they need.
"Typically, students regret putting off registration," said DSC executive director of advisement and counseling Debra Bryant. "General education courses are already filling up quickly, and often, students who register late can feel frustrated, rushed, or overwhelmed from the start if they can’t get their preferred choices of class times."
In 2002, the college recorded its largest enrollment in institution history and hasn’t experienced a decrease in full-time enrollment since 1988-89. The result is that classes are being gobbled up at a quicker pace, particularly the more popular general education courses.
Given growth projections, it’s a trend that will likely continue. The Utah State Board of Regents has projected that over the course of the next two decades Dixie State College will be the fastest growing institution among all state colleges and universities.
So far, enrollment for fall semester 2003 is up 10 percent over last year at this time.
"It is important that students know that they can always register up to the first day of class," Bryant said. "A schedule can be made, but it starts getting more difficult by July."
Students who do put off registration and find themselves in limbo can contact the Advisement Center, which will have the latest information on extra courses and spaces that open up. First-time freshman students in particular are encouraged to register with an adviser.
Registration can be done in person in the Student Services Center, by telephone at 435-652-7702, or online at www.dixie.edu/reg. A telephone registration system is also available at 652-7777. To contact the Advisement Center, call 652-7690.

DXATC students / Utah Housing Corporation complete area home
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – May 29, 2003) Home sweet home. That’s what one family will soon be calling the newest Educationally Constructed Housing Opportunity (ECHO) home in St. George built by Dixie Applied Technology College students and funded by the Utah Housing Corporation.
The ECHO program, established by UHC in 1997, partners with Utah high schools, trade schools and colleges to build homes that, once completed, are sold at below-market prices to lower to moderate income families.
"We appreciate the opportunities this partnership is providing to our students and the eventual homeowner here in Washington County," said DXATC Campus President Rich VanAusdal. "I would like to commend the builder, students and others who went the extra mile to see this project through to completion."
The 1,345 square foot home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Its approximate selling price is $110,000. Families earning 80 percent or less of the area median income are eligible to apply for the home. Part of the proceeds from the sale is contributed to the participating school or college.
"Utah Housing is pleased to see another ECHO home in Washington County," said Utah Housing Corporation President William Erickson. "This offers an opportunity for a hard working family in this area to get into a new, affordable home they can call their own."
Construction on the house began in August by students enrolled in the Building Construction program at DXATC. This year the students in the program were all high schools students, but anyone can enroll in the class.
Jeremiah Meacham, Pine View High School, Calum Stout, Hurricane High, Christian Anderson, Snow Canyon High, Jason Griffin, Pine View High, Rusty Llewellyn, Hurricane High, Derrick Boone, Pine View High, and Preston Stucki, Hurricane High, all participated in this year’s project.
The home was built under the direction of DXATC instructor Paul Wilkinson, recently named Trade & Technical Education Teacher of the Year by the Utah Trade & Technical Education Association (UTTE). The program provides a complete overview of the process used in building a home, with a major portion of the training provided on the job site as students are involved in the day-to-day activities of home construction. A similar home is expected to be built each year.
"This is a good example of what can happen when good partnerships are formed," VanAusdal said. "We’re excited about the products that come out of the program, not just the home, but the student development that takes place."
The home is located at 2060 East 180 South in St. George, Utah. To inquire about the home or others or for more information about the ECHO program, call Larry Forkner at 1-800-284-6950. For information about the Building Construction program or the DXATC in general, call 435-652-7730.
Dixie Applied Technology College (DXATC) is a regional subsidiary of the Utah College of Applied Technology created by the Utah Legislature in 2001. The DXATC partners with Dixie State College, Washington County School District, and area business and industry to provide a broad range of short-term and certificate training classes and programs for high school and adult students. Courses are designed to meet needs that aren’t already being met by others in the partnership. Registered high school students can enroll tuition free, and tuition for adults is minimal. For more information about the Dixie Applied Technical College contact Cyndy Smith at (435) 652-7730 or Rich VanAusdal at (435) 652-7731.
Utah Housing Corporation (UHC) is a public, nonprofit corporation that offers multiple resources to develop and finance quality, affordable housing for low and moderate-income wage earners across the state. Utah Housing finances low-interest home loans for thousands of low-income, first-time buyers and also allocates state and federal income tax credits to finance the development and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing. Since it was founded by the Utah State Legislature in 1975, UHC has provided financing for more than 65,000 singe and multi-family affordable housing units.
For information on Utah Housing mortgage loans, income and purchase price restrictions, and a list of participating lenders, call 801-323-2699 or toll-free 1-800-301-6950 for a free brochure, or visit Utah Housing’s website at www.utahhousingcorp.org.

Dixie State College names VP of student services
(ST. GEORGE – May 21, 2003) Dixie State College has found a match for its soon to be vacated vice president of student services position. The college today announced that Philip J. Alletto has been named to that position. He will replace the retiring Bill Fowler effective Aug. 1.
Having worked at four different institutions in three different states, including one year at Dixie State College in 1986, Alletto brings to the position 17 years of experience in nearly every student function in higher education.
Currently, he serves as vice president of student development and enrollment planning at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is over all student functions.
"Over the past seven years I've watched, from four hours away, the incredible success that Dixie has experienced," said Alletto. "Now I look forward to being a part of it. I couldn't be more pleased to be joining the Dixie community."
Alletto has held his position at Westminster since 1996. During that time enrollment at Westminster has increased by nearly 30 percent despite five years of declining enrollments prior to his arrival. Student retention has also increased from 62 to 72 percent under Alletto’s watch.
He led similar successes at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford in Pennsylvania where he worked from 1992 to 1996, mainly as vice president of enrollment planning. In that position he was also given charge over institutional marketing, retention, and institutional advancement. He also served as director of admissions and aid, including responsibility over continuing education.
At Utica College of Syracuse University in New York he served as director of admissions from 1989 to 1992 in which capacity he was also over all recruiting, marketing, and publications. He was also director of credit programs (1988-89) and director of non-credit programs (1987-88) at the same institution.
Not a stranger to Dixie State College, Alletto worked at the college from 1986-87 as coordinator of evening programs for Continuing Ed ucation under current vice president of campus services Stan Plewe. From 1984 to 1986, Alletto taught sixth grade at Franklin Elementary School in Provo, Utah.
In addition to his experience in higher education administration, Alletto has also taught several college courses throughout his career, including Business Management and Spanish.
Alletto holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in adult education, both from Brigham Young University. In December, he will complete a doctorate degree in educational leadership and policy from the University of Utah.
"As part of the search, we conducted an open forum last week introducing him to faculty and staff, and response was overwhelmingly positive," said DSC president Dr. Robert Huddleston. "We’re impressed with his credentials, but we’re just as impressed with Phil Alletto the person. Like Bill, he’s got a magnetizing personality that will resonate with students. He’s got big shoes to fill, and we’ll miss Bill dearly, but we feel very good about this appointment."
Alletto will take over the position beginning Aug. 1. He and his wife, Muthu, have two children, Brandon, age 19, and KJ, age 10.

DSC auto students take state for third time in four years
(ST. GEORGE -- May 20, 2003) A pair of students in Dixie State College's concurrent enrollment automotive program recently placed first at the AAA/Ford Student Auto Skills Competition held this month in Salt Lake City, earning the right to represent the state of Utah at nationals in June.
The team of Rick G. Ballard, Hurricane High School, and Travis D. Christy, Pineview High School, successfully diagnosed and repaired all 10 mechanical problems on the deliberately disabled 2003 Mercury Mountaineer used in the contest, giving them a perfect score in the contest and first place finish in the state. The team finished in 56 minutes, with the second place team finishing in 82 minutes. Both students will receive $9,000 in scholarships for their efforts.
The competition featured Utah’s 10 best high school automotive technician teams as determined by a qualifying written exam. In addition to their performance in the hands-on part of the competition, the DSC team also received the highest score on the written exam.
Both Ballard and Christy are junior students enrolled in Dixie State’s ASE certified concurrent enrollment automotive program, which serves all of the area high schools.
Typically reserved for high school seniors, this year’s competition marked the first time junior students were allowed to participate. High school students earning college credit are eligible for the competition as long as they are earning high school credit concurrently. The team is coached by Dixie State College automotive instructor Archie Romney.
"This competition was enough to challenge any automotive technician today," said Romney. "We're very proud of these students. They've proven they are two of the state's best automotive technicians."
The duo will now represent the state of Utah at the national finals in Washington, D.C., June 22-25. In 2002, the Dixie State College team finished sixth in the nation. At the state level, the college has placed first three of the past four years.
Romney attributed much of the students' success to St. George Ford, which lent the automotive program a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer for the students to practice on.
"Without the car, the students would never have been able to be the success that they were," Romney said.
According to AAA, the United States suffers from a shortage of automotive technicians. Properly trained technicians can start their career earning $35,000 a year and can make up to $75,000 a year with continued training.

DXATC awarded accreditation candidate status
(ST. GEORGE – May 19, 2003) The Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE) has awarded Candidate for Accreditation status to Dixie Applied Technology College (DXATC), a campus of Utah College of Applied Technology.
Candidate for Accreditation is a pre-accreditation status granted to an institution actively seeking accreditation by the Commission of the Council.
Candidate institutions must complete a self-study based on standards, criteria, and conditions of the Commission and host a visiting team before it is reviewed for initial accreditation.
The Council on Occupational Education, based in Atlanta, Ga., offers quality assurance services to postsecondary workforce education providers across the nation. Organized as a non-profit corporation, the mission of the council is to assure quality and integrity in career and workforce development.
Institutional membership in the council is voluntary, but can be achieved only by becoming accredited. The council’s current membership makes it unique. Members include postsecondary public technical colleges, specialized military and national defense institutions, Job Corps Centers, private career institutions, non-profit workforce education providers, corporate and industry education units, and federal agency institutions.
No other agency accredits and serves the diversity of organizations served by the council. There are approximately 410 institutional members at the present time.

DSC receives donation from State Bank of Southern Utah
(ST. GEORGE – May 12, 2003) State Bank of Southern Utah this week added to its endowment to Dixie State College of Utah, increasing its total endowment to the college since 2000 to $50,000. This latest contribution will fund scholarships within the college’s four-year business program, which was introduced at the college in 2000.
Bank officials Kim Christensen, Ken Schone, Bart Smith, Ron Metcalf, and Kevin Ence presented the endowment to DSC president Dr. Robert Huddleston and alumni director Kalynn Larson this week. Both Metcalf and Ence are alumni of the college.
"We are pleased to have a wonderful ongoing relationship with Dixie State College," said State Bank Senior Vice President Kim Christensen. "We know that education is one of the keys to the continuing success of our local economy, and we’re pleased to be able to provide scholarship funds each year to help many students in Washington Coun ty to further their educational experience at Dixie State College."
During the past 47 years, State Bank of Southern Utah has established a tradition of supporting area schools and colleges. In addition to the perpetual endowment, State Bank annually offers five one-half tuition scholarships to a prospective Dixie State College student from each of the area high schools, including Hurricane and Millcreek High Schools. It has also provided scholarship donations through the Dixie Affinity Credit Card since 1998.
"This college couldn’t function like it does without the contributions of generous organizations like State Bank of Southern Utah," said DSC president Dr. Robert Huddleston. "Its contributions over the years significantly affect a lot of people, not just the students directly on the receiving end, but generations to follow indirectly."

DSC names acting VP of academics
(ST. GEORGE – May 9, 2003) Dixie State College yesterday named an acting vice president of academics to replace the retiring Max Rose.
"It gives me great pleasure to announce that Mr. Joe Peterson will be assigned as the acting academic vice president of academic services effective July 1, 2003," said DSC president Dr. Robert Huddleston.
Peterson, the college’s dean of arts letters, and science since 1994, will serve in the interim position all of fall semester 2004. A national search for the vice president of academics position will begin sometime in the fall. A permanent replacement for Rose is expected to begin in January, Huddleston said.
After 31 years of service, Rose announced last week that he will be leaving the college to become the superintendent of Washington County School District. Rose’s new appointment begins July 1. It’s anticipated that an acting dean of arts, letters and science will be assigned in August.
Peterson came to Dixie College in 1985 as an English teacher, but he spent his first year at Dixie teaching Spanish as a sabbatical replacement for Addison Everett. Most recently, he chaired the college’s Accreditation Steering Committee and authored its self-study in Dixie State’s initial bid for accreditation at the four-year level. Full accreditation at the baccalaureate level was granted to the college in January.
"Joe has meant a great deal to this institution for almost 20 years, particularly in his work with our recent accreditation," said Huddleston. "Max Rose is, in certain respects, irreplaceable, and Joe’s filling a very big pair of shoes, but he will do a fine job. Just as is the case with Washington County School District, the academic side of this institution continues to be in very good hands."
In 1992 Peterson received the college’s Teacher of the Year Award. This year he was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Staff Award. He is the only employee to ever receive both awards. Peterson has also served as the college’s Faculty Senate President during his time at Dixie.
He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Brigham Young University, which he was awarded in 1980 and 1982 respectively. From 1982-1985, Peterson taught English at the Roosevelt extension of Utah State University.
He is currently working on a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership at UNLV. His dissertation topic is "The Cultural Influence of Religion at Post-Sectarian Institutions in Utah."
Over the years, Peterson has enjoyed some success as a fiction writer, winning regional fiction contests and publishing short stories in regional magazines, journals, and anthologies.
Born in Monticello, Utah, in 1955, Peterson has lived in various parts of the state including La Sal, Provo, Price, Logan, Salt Lake City, Roosevelt, and St. George. He graduated from Skyview High School in Smithfield, Utah, in 1974.
He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Venezuela from 1975-1977. Peterson is married to the former Becky Heaton of Monticello, Utah, and they are the parents of four children.

DSC rolls out new summer school format
(ST. GEORGE -- May 8, 2003) Dixie State College is introducing a new format for its summer schedule. For the first time, four different sessions will be available, including a 10-week session, an eight-week session, and two five-week sessions.
Three of the four sessions begin Monday, May 12, 2003. The 10-week session begins May 12 and ends July 18. The eight-week session runs May 12 to July 3. The first five-week session is May 12 to June 13. And a second five-week session will begin June 16 and end July 18.
"We're doing this to better accommodate our students, to give them more options," said vice president of academics Max Rose. "It's going to allow for a greater variety of course offerings, but it also lets students choose the pace they want to go at and gives them more flexibility."
The main reason behind the 10-week session, said executive director of advisement and counseling Debra Bryant, is to enable students to go to school full-time in the summer as well, taking between 10 and 12 credits, something that’s not possible in an eight or five-week session.
The multiple-session schedule will also spread courses throughout the day, giving faculty members more flexibility as well.
Last year, the college had one eight-week summer session. It has also experimented with a five-week schedule in previous years. This year, however, marks the most options ever offered during a summer term at Dixie State College.
The new summer format came as the result of appeals from several different groups, including students wanting to enroll full-time during the summer, Bryant said. So far, enrollment for summer is up four percent over last year at this same time prior to the first day of classes.
"The more options we give students, they’re taking advantage of them," Bryant said.
Registration continues for all four sessions. The last day to add a class for the 10-week and eight-week sessions is May 23. May 16 is the deadline to add a class for the first five-week session, June 20 for the second session. Registration can be done in person in the Student Services Center, by telephone at 435-652-7702, or online at www.dixie.edu/reg. A telephone registration system is also available at 652-7777. < br> New Summer Format:
10-week session: May 12 - July 18 (May 23 last day to add)
8-week session: May 12 - July 3 (May 23 last day to add)
1st 5-week session: May 12 - June 13 (May 16 last day to add)
2nd 5-week session: June 16 - July 18 (June 20 last day to add)

DSC to go to a four-day workweek during summer
(ST. GEORGE – May 1, 2003) Officials at Dixie State College have announced that the college will transition to a summer four-day work schedule, working 10 hours a day. The new schedule will be effective Monday, May 12, through Friday, Aug. 1.
Employees will work Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a 30-minute break for lunch. This marks the first year the college has experimented with such a schedule.
"This decision was based on a couple of factors," said DSC president Dr. Robert Huddleston. "During tighter economic circumstances, we need to jump on every opportunity we have to save, and this will help us cut down on our utility expenses this summer. We’re also doing it to say thanks to our staff and faculty who have shouldered extra burdens the entire year to help out with a difficult budget situation."
During the 2002-03 academic year, faculty members have taken on additional classes beyond their normal workload. In addition, numerous staff members have taught classes without com pensation.
The change in schedule will allow the college to close down some whole buildings, cutting down significantly on air conditioning and electricity costs. Certain buildings and departments, particularly in the student services area, however, will remain open.
Departments and divisions that will remain open on Fridays include the Information Center (switchboard operator), cashier’s office, Avenna Center Ticket Office, security, admissions, advisement & counseling, financial aid, the library, Smith Computer Center, custodial, maintenance, dining services, housing, and the Community Education Channel.
These departments will all run staggered shifts to accommodate student needs and still allow employees to participate in the four-day workweek.
All Friday classes will continue as scheduled and, other than the possibility of some classroom location changes, summer term will not be affected by the four-day workweek schedule.
"This move will not at all adversely affect our students enrolled in summer courses," Huddleston added. "Were that not the case, we wouldn’t have gone ahead with it. Every effort will be made to see to it that student needs are met as normal without any hitches or hiccups."
The college will resume its regular five-day schedule on Monday, Aug. 4.
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DSC students place at international competition
(ST. GEORGE – April 30, 2003) Six Dixie State College business students recently competed at the 2003 Delta Epsilon Chi (DEX) International Career Development Conference held this month in Orlando, Fla., with four of them finishing in the top 10 of their respective categories.
University and college students from 35 states, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands participated in the competition made up of 18 different categories, including marketing, retailing, finance, and sales management.
Nicolas Neil, St. George, was a finalist and medalist in the Design Presentation Competition. Sophia Neil, St. George, was a finalist and medalist in the Apparel and Accessories Competition. Wiley McArthur, St. George, was a medalist in the Finance Services Competition. And Charlie Drysdale, from Colorado, was a medalist in the Marketing Management Competition.
In order to be a finalist, students had to place in the top 10 of their event. Medalists placed in the top 10 in at least one of the two sections, academic or practical application, of a given event.
In addition, Ashlee Stoddard, Layton, Utah, participated in the Restaurant Management Competition, and Jim Rushton, Mesquite, Nev., participated in the Hospitality Management Competition.
All students who participated in the international competition were required to qualify at the state level in their respective events.
"All of our students represented Dixie State College and our business program very well," said DSC business department chair and DEX advisor Philip Lee. "To have four of the six receive some sort of honor designation makes us very proud. I feel their success is a direct reflection on the quality of our business program."
Delta Epsilon Chi (DEX), a college division of DECA, serves its diverse international membership as a professional organization, providing leadership and career-oriented opportunities to develop and enhance the leaders of tomorrow. Delta Epsilon Chi’s renowned Competitive Events Program uses interviews, tests, role-plays, and written project reports to evaluate the student’s marketing and management skills – specific skills identified by the business community as essential for success and taught in the college classroom and in DEX activities.
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DSC to confer 1,403 degrees and certificates Friday
(ST. GEORGE – April 29, 2003) Dixie State College will again graduate its largest class ever at its 92nd Annual Commencement Exercises Friday, May 2, at 6 p.m. in the Avenna Center Burns Arena.
The college will confer a total of 989 degrees. In addition, 414 vocational and technical certificates will be awarded. Two years ago, DSC awarded its first two bachelor’s degrees. In 2002, 46 received bachelor degrees. This year 66 bachelor’s degrees will be awarded.
"If we are to be judged by our product – the graduates of the college – then I’m confident the public will look very favorably upon Dixie State College after this year's class moves on in the world," said vice president of student services Bill Fowler.
The average age of the Class of 2003 is 23, the range falling between 18 and 57 years of age. Fifty-two percent of the graduates are female and 48 percent male.
Sixteen Hispanic students, nine Asian American/Pacific Islander students, nine international students, 10 Native American/Alaskan Native students, five African-American students, and over 927 Caucasian students make up the Class of 2003.
Five different countries, 28 states, and 26 Utah counties are represented. Fifty-two percent of the graduates are from Washington County, and 87 percent are from Utah.
Shandra Blake is this year’s Valedictorian. Vice President of NFL FILMS and former San Diego Charger Phil Tuckett, a 1966 Dixie College alumnus, will be the Commencement speaker.
Senator Bill Hickman will receive an honorary doctorate degree. And being recognized as Distinguished Citizens for their exemplary service to the college and community are Cheri Atkin, Mary Hasfurther, Sammy Irvin, Bill Randall, and Steve Wilson.
Graduates will march from DSC’s Old Gym down the palm-lined walkway to the Burns Arena beginning at 5:40 p.m. on Friday. The community is invited to participate in all commencement activities.
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DSC icon announces resignation
(ST. GEORGE – April 29, 2003) Officials at Dixie State College yesterday announced that Dr. Max Rose will leave his position as vice president of academic affairs to become the superintendent of Washington County School District. Rose’s new appointment will take effect July 1.
"Leaving Dixie State College is an idea that had never occurred to me prior to this past week,& quot; said Rose. "If someone had told me this three weeks ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. I realized I’d have to leave someday, and so thinking about this makes me think that if I had to leave someday, perhaps this is my time."
A native of Henrieville, Utah, Rose came to the college in 1972 as a mathematics professor, the only on staff at the time. During his time at Dixie, he’s taught chemistry and statistics as well. He has held his current position since 1987, yet has always found time to work his way back into the classroom to teach part-time. Despite only teaching on a part-time basis, he remains one of the most popular and most requested teachers at the college.
In the 31 years since Rose has been at DSC, enrollment has grown from 1,200 students to nearly 8,000. Since that time, he has also been instrumental in the growth and success of the college’s academic offerings, including the establishment of its four-year programs.
"The funny thing about Dixie is that in spite of the fact that it has grown, nothing has changed," Rose said. "From the beginning the faculty felt like my brothers and sisters and the students seemed too good to be true, and I still feel the same way. I’ve always liked everything about this place. That’s what’s sad, is whether I can get over Dixie or not."
Rose holds a bachelor's and master's degree in mathematics from Southern Utah University and Utah State University respectively. He also minored in chemistry at both institutions. In 1976, he was awarded his doctorate degree in statistics from Brigham Young University.
The vice president of academics is one of three vice president positions at the college that reports directly to the president. The announcement comes as Dixie State College is in the midst of finding a replacement for vice president of student services Bill Fowler, who announced his retirement earlier this semester. The search for a replacement for Rose will begin immediately.
"You can’t completely replace a Max Rose," said DSC president Dr. Robert Huddleston. "We’re losing a big piece of the Dixie family, and somewhat of a void will be felt for a long time. He is one of the truly loved people on this campus and has always been. We wish him the best in his new assignment. Washington County School District continues to be in very good hands."
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DSC students win state VICA honors
(ST. GEORGE – April 24, 2003) Ten Dixie State College students recently received honors at the annual SkillsUSA-VICA state competition held this month in Salt Lake City. Collectively, students brought home seven gold medals. Six DSC students will now represent Utah at the national competition in June.
Jeremy Cox received the gold medal in the Technical Computer Applications category.
The Quiz Bowl team of Jared Madsen, Bryan Doxford, Hank Postma, Laura Hughes, Adam Eaton, and Brent Isom also won the gold medal.
Three students walked away with the gold, silver, and bronze medals in the Graphic Communications category, won by Laura Hughes, Adam Eaton, and Ben Patton respectively.
Jonathan Dick, who participated in the Commercial Design category, received a bronze medal, as did Cory Bringhurst in the Computer Repair category.
Laura Hughes was also the recipient of the gold medal in the American Spirit category, which consisted of producing a book detailing a given chapter’s activities throughout the year in three areas of focus.
In the Community Service area, the DSC chapter designed and affixed a label on coin cans, which were placed at register checkout counters around the county. The chapter collected $625, which was then donated to the D.O.V.E. House in St. George.
To promote Vocational Education, chapter members embroidered SkillsUSA-VICA logos on golf shirts for several other chapters across the state.
To fulfill the Patriotic requirement the DSC chapter decided to honor the brave men and women of Utah’s 222nd artillery battery who were recently activated. Two thousand pins were designed, ordered, and distributed to the 222nd battery headquarters and individual supporters throughout the area. The design on the pins had bold dark blue letters superimposed over a U.S. flag saying, "God Bless Utah’s 222nd.
Other areas competed in included Automotive Technology, Job Skill Demo, Architectural Drafting, and Mechanical Drafting. The Dixie State SkillsUSA-VICA chapter is led by student president Adam Eaton and advisors Mel Jensen, Robert McMicken, and Jay Slade.
Gold medal winners will now travel to Kansas City, Mo., to participate in the SkillsUSA-VICA national skills competition June 24-29.
"The competition is rigorous and demanding, and competing to represent DSC and Utah at the national skills competition is tough," said chapter advisor Jay Slade. "Utah has established quite a reputation over the past decade for winning more medals than all the other states in the nation, however, and DSC has contributed signifi cantly to that honor as well over the years."
SkillsUSA-VICA, formerly Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), is a national organization serving a quarter-million high school and college students and professional members in technical, trade, industrial, and health occupations education.
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DXATC students win at state VICA competition
(ST. GEORGE – April 24, 2003) Two students at the new Dixie Applied Technology College (DXATC) in St. George returned home winners from the state Skills-USA VICA skills and leadership conference in Salt Lake City this month.
Rick Ballard won first place in the Power Equipment Technology category. Ballard will now represent the state and the DXATC by competing in the SkillsUSA-VICA national skills conference June 30 in Kansas City, Mo.
Brett Jessop won second place in the Automotive Mechanics category.
"We’re extremely proud of these two young men," said advisor Archie Romney. "It’s rewarding for the entire institution to see them compete at such a high level in a competition of this caliber."
SkillsUSA-VICA, formerly Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), is a national organization serving a quarter-million high school and college students and professional members in technical, trade, industrial, and health occupations education.
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Five to be honored as Distinguished Citizens at DSC Graduation
(ST. GEORGE – April 24, 2003) Five community members will be honored as Distinguished Citizens at Dixie State College’s 92nd Annual Commencement Exercises May 2, at 6 p.m. in the Avenna Center, Burns Arena.
Cheri Atkin, Mary S. Hasfurther, Sammy Irvin, William L. Randall, and L. Steven Wilson will be the recipients of this honor, awarded for exemplary service to the college and community.
Cheri Bennett Atkin: Born in Lehi, Utah, Cheri Atkin graduated from Dixie College in 1965 where she was a member of Delta Psi Omega, Lambda Delta Sigma, and a cheerleader. She graduated from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in 1967, together with her husband Ralph, and from the University of Utah in 1970 with a master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Sociology. She later added a Gerontology Certificate from BYU in 1994.
In September 1970 she began teaching Sociology and Psychology at Dixie and also worked in the Counseling Center. Cheri taught for two years at Dixie, after which the Atkins started SkyWest Airlines.
She continues to serve as an adjunct professor of Sociology at Dixie State College and is the Huntsman World Senior Games Operation Manager. She has served as a Board member for Leadership Dixie and for the southern Utah Alzheimer's Association. She has also served on the advisory boards for the Utah Tennis Association and the Heritage Arts Foundation.
Mary Hasfurther: Mary Hasfurther was born in St. George, Utah, where she attended Woodward School, Dixie High School, and took college courses at Dixie College while in high school. She graduated from Quish Beauty School and practiced that profession for over 30 years. She has lived in several towns in Utah and Idaho and has been an active community member in both states.
Hasfurther has served on the Dixie State College Alumni Board from 1975 to 1979 and again from 1985 to the present. She has been president and secretary of the Golden Generation for several years and still serves on that board, as well as working with the Institute for Continued Learning. She has been an avid volunteer at the college and has served on the Dixie State College graduation committee for the past eight years.
In the community, Hasfurther has served on the board that helped restore the Pioneer Opera House and the Art Museum. She also filled two terms as secretary for the Celebrity Concert Series when it was first formed. She is an active member of the Association of Retired Federal Employees, in which she has held offices of secretary and president over several years. She is a past president of the literary arts and Alice Louise Reynolds Book Clubs and has given several book reviews at the Washington County Library.
Sammy Irvin: Sammy Irvin has lived in the St. George area for 23 years and is the owner and operator of Caisson Drilling and Foundation Specialists. He built both veterans memorials in St. George and designed, built and paid for the memorial at Dixie Elks Lodge. He also built the memorial at Tonaquint Cemetery, donated labor and materials for it, and secured other local donations.
When the September 11 tragedy occurred, Irvin immediately got in touch with his engineers in Denver and then contacted the Manhattan New York Fire Department Rescue. He provided considerations and means via a drilling procedure to help rescue anyone who could have been trapped underground. A drilling company in Buffalo, New York, along with engineering help was on standby as needed in the rescue.
Irvin has been a corporate sponsor at Dixie State College for several years. His top two charities include Dixie State College and the veterans.
Bill Randall: Bill Randall was born in Pocatello, Idaho, and grew up there and in Las Vegas, Nevada where he graduated from Western High School. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah State College in Cedar City in 1975 and at that time was offered an opportunity to become a partner in The Pizza Factory.
In 1979, Randall moved to St. George to open the second Pizza Factory. Along with his partners, Randall has since opened Pizza Factory restaurants in Provo and Lindon. He collaborated with his wife Jan and Brad Nelson to create the Pasta Factory and was honored by the Chamber of Commerce in 1998 as Young Businessman of the Year.
Randall works daily with high school and college-age people; he respects them and enjoys helping many of them to fulfill their dreams. The Pizza Factory has been a long time supporter of local high school and Dixie State College events.
Steven Wilson: As Dixie Regional Medical Center Administrator since 1985, Steve Wilson’s leadership has resulted in an increased medical staff from 33 to 180 physicians and providers, a host of new services including cancer treatment, cardiac catheterization, air ambulance, the Community Resource Center, Jubilee Home, and IHC InstaCare, and several expansions to the hospital facility. Under Wilson’s direction, DRMC w ill expand to a second St. George campus in November, making available to southern Utah tertiary care services like open-heart surgery, neurosurgery, and newborn intensive care.
As a member of the St. George Rotary Club Wilson has chaired the Program and International Service Committees and was mayor of Safety Town for five years. He is also a member of the Washington County Economic Development Council. He chaired the St. George City Council’s Task Force on the Future of Parks and Recreation, is a member of the Dixie State College Professional Advisory Council, and a member of the Wells Fargo Advisory Board. He was named 1997 Business Executive of the Year by the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce.
Before pursuing a career in health care administration, Wilson, a San Gabriel, California native, attended college on a baseball scholarship and played with the Minnesota Twins farm team for a season.
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Special Thursday Dixie Forum to focus on terrorism
(ST. GEORGE – April 23, 2003) The final Dixie Forum of the semester will take place Thursday, Apr il 24, at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College. The forum will feature Dr. Pauletta Otis and her recent work, "Religious Terrorism," published by the Journal of Defense Intelligence.
Her article profiles the "new" religious terrorists, the specific nature and types of violence associated with religious terrorism, and makes suggestions for prevention and management.
"The forum is a must see for anyone interested in the topic of terrorism and the U.S.-declared war on terrorism," said Colonel (Ret.) Joseph C. Bebel, Dixie State College adjunct professor, who also invited Dr. Otis to guest lecture in his Thursday evening "Introduction to International Relations" class.
Pauletta Otis is a Professor of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Southern Colorado. She received her doctorate degree at the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1989. Dr. Otis held the position of Distinguished Visiting Professor of International Security Studies at the Joint Military Intelligence College in 1998 and then as Visiting Scholar at the National Security Education Program in 1999 at the National Defense University.
She is currently on leave from Colorado State University and holds a year’s faculty position at the Joint Military Intelligence College. She serves on the Defense Intelligence Advisory Board, Defense Science Policy Board, is a senior advisor for the U.S. Chaplains, and is Vice-President for Research and Development for the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy.
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VP of NFL FILMS to speak at DSC Graduation
(ST. GEORGE – April 23, 2003) Phil Tuckett, vice president of special projects for NFL FILMS, will be the speaker at the 92nd Commencement Exercises at Dixie State College. Commencement will take place Friday, May 2, at 6 p.m. in the college’s Burns Arena.
A Dixie College alumnus (1966), Tuckett played football at Dixie during the 1964 and 1965 seasons. He was named first-team All-Conference both seasons and in 1966 was recognized Honorable Mention All-American Running Back, an honor he shared with O.J. Simpson. He completed his college career at Weber State University, receiving NCAA Academic All-American honors his senior year. He graduated with a degree in English. In 1968 Tuckett was signed as a free agent with the San Diego Chargers where he played one season.
After one year with the Chargers, Tuckett was recruited by NFL FILMS in 1969 and has been with the company ever since.
Since 1978, Tuckett has received 28 Emmy Awards for his work as a director, writer, editor, and cinematographer. He’s captured some of the most memorable moments in NFL history, such as "The Miracle of the Meadowlands," and has covered 32 Super Bowls.
Some of his work has included "Lost Treasures of NFL FILMS," a critically-acclaimed series for ESPN Classic, "NFL Presents Miked Up For Monday Night," for ABC’s Monday Night Football, "Before They Were Pros," for TNT, and "Munich Revisited," the ABC documentary that took a look back at the 1972 Israeli hostage tragedy.
In addition to his work on the football field, Tuckett has produced national commercials for companies such as Sprint and Reebok, documentary films for TNT and the History Channel, and music videos for MTV. He’s worked with hundreds of musicians in the music video industry from B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughn to Santana and Metallica.
More recent work has included the 2002 Emmy nominated documentary "My Father’s Gun," about three generations of New York cops in the same family and "Blood from a Stone," the story of 40 uncut diamonds buried in a foxhole during WW II and found 58 years later by an Israeli treasure hunter. The latter premieres on the History Channel in June.
In the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy, Tuckett was assigned to Afghanistan where he interviewed U.S. troops for "American Postcards," which aired during NFL games this season in tribute to the U.S. military.
Tuckett was born in Eugene, Ore., and was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He attended Olympus High School where he was a three-sport letterman. He is married to Judy Oxborrow Tuckett, also a Dixie alumnus. They have three children and seven grandchildren.
During the college’s Homecoming activities this year, Tuckett was inducted into the Dixie State College Hall of Fame.
"Making the Pro Football Hall of Fame wouldn’t be any more meaningful," said Tuckett of his DSC Hall of Fame induction. "In my frame of reference it has more meaning than any other honor I could get from any other place. Maybe if I win an Oscar some day I could put them side by side, but it wouldn’t be one above the other."
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Topaz the topic of next Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – April 18, 2003) Jane Beckwith will be the next Dixie Forum speaker Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College. The title of her presentation is "What Can We Learn from a Ghost Camp? The Truth about Topaz."
Beckwith is an English teacher at Delta High School. In 1982, she and her journalism students began studying the Topaz Internment Camp near Delta, Utah, where over 8,500 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II.
She has also worked extensively toward preserving the history of the camp by leading the Topaz Museum Board in the effort to make an interactive museum in Delta that will ensure the history will not be forgotten, but understood.
"I'm excited to have her here, talking about an unusual aspect of Utah history," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton. "Her topic seems especially important today, since it deals with the affects of war on people's perceptions and their treatment of those they see as unlike themselves."
An extra installment of Dixie Forum has been scheduled for the following Thursday, April 24, at noon in the Dunford Auditorium. Dr. Pauletta Otis will present the final Dixie Forum of the semester. The title of the forum is "Religious Terrorism."
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DSC Symphonic B and presents Spring Concert
(ST. GEORGE – April 11, 2003) The Symphonic Band at Dixie State College, under the baton of Gary Caldwell, will present its final concert of the year on Tuesday, April 15, at 8 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium. Admission is free.
The 69-member ensemble has performed at a number college and community events including the Jubilee of Trees, the Southern Utah Performing Arts Festival, and the annual Christmas Concert with the 23rd Army Band. Their recent tour to Las Vegas and Southern California featured performances at The Meadows School, University of Nevada at Las Vegas and Disneyland.
"The Symphonic Band has achieved great musical success this year. This is truly one of the finest bands ever to pass through the halls of Dixie State College," said Caldwell. "For those who enjoy fine wind band literature, this is the concert to attend"
The program will highlight the finest in wind literature, including "Slavonic Dances" by Elliot del Borgo and the "Carmen Suite," a four-movement work featuring the very popular music from Bizet’s opera, Carmen. The Brass Choir, directed by Dr. Ronald Garner, will then present two numbers, after which the Symphonic Band will continue with the world premiere "Athame," an original composition by a student in the band, Antoinette Rennerfeldt.
"Ammerland," a beautiful ballad describing the Ammerland countryside, and "Four Norfolk Dances" will follow. The Woodwind Choir, directed by Denis Zwang, will then present three numbers. The Symphonic Band will conclude the program with Eric Whitacre’s "Cloudburst" (audience participation required), and "Council Oak," a monumental work by David R. Gillingham, which portrays the life of the Seminole Indian Tribe in Florida. The themes for this work are actual Seminole songs preserved on archives at the Smithsonian Institution.
The Dixie State College Jazz Ensemble, which recently received a Superior I rating at the annual Northern Arizona University Jazz Festival, will present its spring concert that same week on Thursday, April 17, at 8 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium.
For more information about either concert, contact Gary Caldwell at (435) 652-7997 or caldwell@dixie.edu.
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"Power of the Word Week" next week at Dixie State
(ST. GEORGE – April 11, 2003) Next week has been designated as "Power of the Word Week" at Dixie State College in conjunction with the college’s weekly forum series Dixie Forum: A Window on the World.
In addition to Tuesday’s regularly scheduled forum, three additional forums have been scheduled throughout the week devoted to emphasizing the power of the English language.
"Power of the Word Week" kicks off on Monday, April 14, at 11 a.m. in the Dunford Auditorium with the Annie Atkin Tanner Memorial Poetry Scholarship Award Ceremony. Carmela Tanner Forsyth will talk about the scholarship fund her family has established and introduce three Dixie student Southern Quill literary magazine contributors who will be receiving scholarships. The students will also read their winning poems.
"This is an exciting event for the college and the community, but most importantly it is an empowering moment for three young writers," said John Cartier, faculty advisor for the Southern Quill.
The awards ceremony will be immediately followed at noon by a presentation given by English department chair Louise Excell. She will speak about the power of language. Professor Excell teaches writing, philosophy, and literature classes on campus.
On Tuesday, April 15, Fred Adams will speak on "The Life and Times of the Utah Shakespearean Festival" at noon in the Dunford Auditorium. He was the founder of the very successful festival and has seen it grow from a very small beginning to one of the major producers of Shakespeare in the nation.
"Power of the Word Week" continues on Wednesday, April 16, at noon in the Dunford Auditorium with more readings, including poetry, fiction, and essays, from the Southern Quill campus literary magazine. Copies of this year's Southern Quill will be available for the first time, and the readers will be accompanied by musicians from the Blues Barber Shop Juke Joint. Dixie State’s honors students will also be presented.
On Thursday, April 17, as part of "Power of the Word Week," there will be a special edition of the Dixie Forum at noon in Dunford Auditorium. New York authors Sharon Mesmer and David Borchart will talk about their work and their lives as writers. Mesmer is a poet and teaches at the New School University in Manhattan. The title of her presentation is "You’re A Genius All The Time." Borchart writes and draws comics. Most recently his "A Prisoner of Ghoul Island" appeared in the Miami New Times. He will talk about the history and future of graphic novels.
The final "Power of the Word Week" event will be Friday, April 18, at 8:30 p.m. with a reading from a different lineup of contributors from the Southern Quill at the Blues Barbershop Juke Joint on the Boulevard in St. George. The reading will feature poetry, fiction, nonfiction, music, and the work of Sharon Mesmer, visiting writer from Brooklyn, NY. Copies of the 2003 edition of the Southern Quill will also be available. Doors open at 8 p.m. Don't miss this final "Power of The Word Week" event.
For questions about "Power of the Word Week," contact Terre Burton at 435.652.7812.
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Dixie State announces 2003 Valedictorian
(ST. GEORGE -- April 10, 2003) The Valedictorian for Dixie State College’s Class of 2003 is Shandra Blake, a St. George native. That announcement was made this week at the annual Rebel Awards ceremony.
Blake has been attending Dixie State College on a Presidential Scholarship. She is a student in the college’s Dental Hygiene program and later plans to pursue a degree in higher education.
A former Music Sterling Scholar, Blake is currently a member of the DSC Concert Band, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and the Southwest Symphony. She was also named DSC Homecoming Queen 1st attenda nt this year.
Blake also graduated as Valedictorian of Dixie High School in 2001. She is the daughter of Dr. Jay R. and Sharon Wittwer Blake and the youngest of 11 children.
The Valedictorian Award is the highest honor a Dixie State College student can receive. Blake will represent the Class of 2003 at this year’s commencement exercises, which will take place Friday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. in the Burns Arena.
In addition to Valedictorian, the Class of 2003 Honor Graduates were recognized during the Rebel Awards program. 277 associate degree-seeking students will graduate with honors; 157 Cum Laude Graduates (3.5 – 3.74 GPA), 78 Magna Cum Laude Graduates (3.75 – 3.89 GPA), and 42 Summa Cum Laude Graduates (3.90 – 4.00 GPA).
Twenty-seven bachelor degree-seeking students will graduate with honors; 18 Cum Laude Graduates, eight Magna Cum Laude Graduates, and one Summa Cum Laude Graduate.
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Dixie State gives 2003 Rebel Awards
(ST. GEORGE – April 10, 2003) The winners of the 2003 Rebel Awards at Dixie State College were announced this week. The annual year-end awards program recognizes students, faculty, and staff who have excelled in 12 areas of achievement. The Rebel Awards have been a tradition at the college since the 1960s.
"Our greatest ambassadors for the college come from the ranks of the high achievers," said vice president of student services Bill Fowler. "Their excellence raises the level of academic, athletic, and extra-curricular service at the college each year. If we are to be judged by our product, the graduates of the college, then without any doubt the public will look very favorably upon Dixie State College after this year's class moves on in the world."
This year’s "Outstanding Freshman Student Award" went to Heidi Ann Rose. She achieved a 4.0 GPA during her first semester at Dixie State and is described as professors as "a role model for the serious academic student."
Winning the "Outstanding Sophomore Student Award" was Paul "Gus" Lundberg. With a 3.8 GPA, he has been on the dean’s list each semester while at Dixie and will graduate with honors this spring.
Phil Blaney and Jodie Savage both received the "Distinguished Service Award." Savage has recently served as vice president for service on the ASDSC Student Council and as D-SUN (Dixie-Serving Utah Network) vice president. She is also the college’s student body vice president elect. Blaney is chairman of the Student Advisory Council, serves on the Student Executive Council, and is a commentator for KCEC-TV sports. With a 3.7 GPA, he has been on the dean’s list each semester while at Dixie.
The "Achievement of the Year Award," given to a student who has made unusual sacrifices to gain a higher education, went to Waddy Clark Fullmer. Despite struggling with health problems, he has carried a 3.7 GPA while at Dixie and serves as an honorary member of the ASDSC Student Executive Council.
Jake Denning received this year’s "Personality of the Year Award." Denning is the student body president elect for 2003-04, the first from outside of Utah to be elected to the position in 20 years. He graduated last year with an associate degree and 3.8 GPA and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at DSC.
The "Dixie Spirit Award" was awarded to two students, Ben Joe Markland and Jake Hunt. Markland has served as the college’s 2002-03 student body president and as a member of the college’s Board of Trustees. He has served on the ASDSC Student Council for three years. Hunt has served as president of the DSC Ambassadors this year. As kicker for the football team, he has been named to the All-Conference and All-Region team for two consecutive seasons.
Sarah Lake received the "Female Scholar Athlete Award." She finished her career at Dixie as a First Team All-American soccer player and with a 4.0 GPA. The "Male Scholar Athlete Award" went to men’s basketball player Chris Huber. As team captain, he helped lead the Rebels to Conference and Region championships and a third place finish in the NJCAA this season. He’ll graduate with a 3.8 GPA.
Three new categories were introduced this year. Andrew Sherman is the inaugural "Outstanding Business Student Award" winner. He worked as a senior programmer analyst, a project manager, and manager of information technology at various companies before coming to St. George as the construction manger for Habitat for Humanity. He holds a 4.0 GPA at Dixie.
Jennifer LeBaron was recognized with the "Outstanding Elementary Education Student Award." A single mom who works full-time, LeBaron takes 16 units of credit per semester and volunteers at a local elementary school. She also has been named to the dean’s list several times.
And David Chase, a computer and information technology major emphasizing in visual technology, was the recipient of the "Outstanding CIT Student Award." He is the director of the Eclipse Film Festival as well as founder of Eclipse Entertainment, a multimedia development company. With a 3.7 GPA, he also worked on the Telly Award winning "Mountain Meadow Massacre" documentary.
The "Outstanding Teacher Award" went to Ross Decker, a professor of mathematics at the college since 1998. He is consistently regarded by students as one of Dixie’s finest instructors.
Joe Peterson, dean of arts, letters, and science, was the received this year’s "Distinguished Service Staff Award." Most recently he was the institutional officer singularly responsible for the college’s recent accreditation review, which resulted in full accreditation at both the associate and baccalaureate level.
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Contemporary American illustrations exhibited at DSC library
(ST. GEORGE – April 8, 2003) "Contemporary American Illustrators: Students of Glen Edwards, Utah State University," a Traveling Exhibition Program (TEP) exhibit, will be on display at the Val A. Browning Library at Dixie State College through April 29.
Over the centuries, illustration has sat across intellectual div iding lines from fine art. Fine art usually referred to painting and sculpture. It was a form of expression that could exist independently of the artist’s or any other narrative. It functioned for its own sake alone. Illustration on the other hand, told a story or helped in the telling of a story and was controlled by a narrative or rules of commission.
Today, these lines of distinction are disappearing as quickly as bold new illustrations are being created. The old divisions of fine art versus illustration are losing ground in the face of new media and wider variety of the uses of art in mainstream society. Advertising and technology not to mention book illustrations and animation have all been heavily influenced by the power of the fine arts as well as illustration. Illustration is changing our perspective on what art is and what it is that compels us to create at all.
Glen Edwards taught painting and drawing at Utah State University for many years. His recent retirement inspired Utah State to exhibit his works and the work he inspired with his dedicated teaching. The work in this show is from his students throughout the years. His students are bookmakers and illustrators and the finest of artists. They work in all facets of the arts as well. This exhibition shows the tremendous variety illustration represents as well as the many different ways it can be used.
The Traveling Exhibition Program is a statewide outreach service of the Utah Arts Council. The program provides schools, museums, libraries, and galleries throughout the state with a variety of exhibitions. For further information on the Traveling Exhibition Program, contact the Visual Arts Program of the Utah Arts Council or TEP Coordinator Glen Richards at 801.533.5279. This program is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Washington D.C. and by programming funds from the Utah Arts Council.
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High School seniors compete in DSC auto competition
(ST. GEORGE – April 8, 2003) Nearly 30 senior high school automotive technology students from Enterprise, Pine View, Snow Canyon, and Blackfoot, Idaho, high schools, recently participated in Dixie State College’s first annual automotive scholarship contest.
The high scorer in the competition was Tad Miles of Blackfoot, Idaho. Second place went to Walter Booth of Pine View High School, followed by third place winner Ryan Snow of Snow Canyon High and fourth place winner Justin Hulet of Enterprise High.
The contest consisted of a written exam covering all eight areas of the ASE certification program including engine repair, automotive transmission-transaxle, manual drivetrain, suspension and steering, brakes, heating and air conditioning, electronics, and engine performance.
The top 20 students determined by the scores on the written exam were then taken to 10 stations in the automotive lab where they put their skills to the test on actual simulated problems.
Special recognition was given to Daniel Morwood of Snow Canyon High School. Ineligible to compete for the scholarships as a junior student, Morwood tied for second place in terms of points. His efforts earned him a screwdriver set donated to the contest by Jae Somerville of Snap-on Tools. Boulevard Furniture also donated a CD boom box and CD Walkman as door prizes for competing students.
Full DSC Automotive Scholarships were awarded to both the first and second place winners, with half-tuition scholarships going to the third and fourth place winners.
Dixie State College’s automotive program is an ASE certified concurrent enrollment program that includes both high school and college students (though these students were not eligible for the automotive scholarship contest). The program yielded a top 10 finish in the AAA/Ford National Automotive Contest last spring and a first place finish at the state level.
"We have a quality automotive program at DSC and we have a lot of interest in the program," said Technology Department chair Becky Smith. "It is in a student’s best interest as a career choice to become ASE certified especially if they want to work into a dealership position. It will also greatly increase their earning ability."
For more information about DSC’s automotive program, contact Archie Romney at 435-652-7859.
Photo: The students' names from left to right in the photo are Justin Hulet, Enterprise High School, 4th place; Tad Miles, Blackfoot, Idaho, 1st place; Walter Booth, Pine View High School, 2nd place tie; Daniel Morwood, Snow Canyon High School, 2nd place tie; and Ryan Snow, Snow Canyon High School, 3rd place.
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"Pippin" takes center stage at Dixie State
(ST. GEORGE -- April 8, 2003) The Dixie State College Theater program will present the musical "Pippin" April 16 - 19, 25, 26, at the DSC Amphitheatre to wrap up a very successful 2002-03 theater season. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.
Based on the book by Roger O. Hirson, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, "Pippin," which opened in 1972, is presented by a band of traveling players who tell, tongue-in-cheek, the story of Pippin, the son of the 8th century king Charlemagne. He goes through war, love politics and other pursuits in a quest to find his true calling in life.
"Pippin" is so much fun to be a part of that the show just pulses with a charm and joy that is really captivatin g," said DSC theater director Varlo Davenport. "The actors invite the audience into their world to play, live and learn. It really generates magic."
The production will feature a cast of student and community performers, including leading player Ryan Norton, Slate Holmgren as Pippin, J. Bryan Dial as Charles, Skyler Jewell as Lewis, Kiki Shakespeare as Fastrada, Chrystine Hyatt as Berthe, Angie Kreitzer as Catherine, and Aaron Judd as Theo.
Mandy Copier, Sienna Van Wagoner, Michelle Sharette, Jennilyn Rodgers, Jill Bartlett, Kali Lyman, Tina Howard Phillip Swain, Michael Gardner and Chris Lemon make up the play’s ensemble.
The production has been choreographed by acclaimed local dance director Maria T. Vaccaro. Musical direction and costume design will be provided by Andrea Dave nport, vocal direction by Jill Bartlett, lighting and sound design by Josh Scott and set design by Brent Hanson. The play’s director is Varlo Davenport.
The DSC Amphitheatre is located at the center of campus just west of the Whitehead Student Services Center.
Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $5 for students. DSC students get in free with valid student identification card. Jackets and sweaters are recommended. For more information or to reserve seating, contact Campus Ticketing at 652-7800.
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Italian film wraps up Bob Dalton Film Fest
(ST. GEORGE – April 4, 2003) The Italian classic, "The Bicycle Thief," will be the final screening of the second annual Bob Dalton Film Festival at Dixie State College. The film will be shown Thursday, April 10, at 7 p.m. in the college’s Dunford Auditorium (Browning Building).
Directed by Vittorio de Sica, "The Bicycle Thief" is an example of Italian neorealism, a film movement that began during the closing days of World War II and the fall of Mussolini in Italy. The movement produced the golden age of Italian filmmakers, including Fellini, Rossellini, and Antonioni, said Dr. Tim Bywater who will present the film.
De Sica was first an actor in the 1930s and made his first film tied to realism in 1945, "The Children are Watching Us." "Bicycle Thieves" (titled "The Bicycle Thief" in America) was made in 1948.
Antonio Ricci, unemployed for over two years, is overjoyed when he's finally given a job putting up posters. There's a catch, though -- he needs a bicycle as a requirement of the job, so he pawns the family linen to get a pawned bicycle back. He goes off to his first day's work, truly happy for the first time in years. The title of the film gives away what happens next (from imdb.com).
"I love this film with a passion," said Bywater, an English professor at the college. "It won the Academy Award for best foreign language film in 1949. Trust me, it's an unforgettable film."
The film festival is named in honor of the late Bob Dalton who worked at the college for over 30 years as a professor of English, philosophy, and film and library director. He also founded the college’s Celebrity Concert Series. To make donations to the Bob Dalton Film Collection at Dixie State College's Browning Library, please contact Martha Talman, Instruction / Outreach Librarian, at 435.652.7722 or by email at talman@dixie.edu.
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Reverend France A. Davis to speak at Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – April 4, 2003) Reverend France A. Davis, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, will be the next speaker at Dixie Forum Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College.
His speech, titled "The African-American Religious Experience," will give some general background, as well as specifics about the African-American religious experience in Utah.
"Pastor Davis is one of the most dynamic speakers I have ever heard," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton. "He spoke to students twice last spring for Dixie Forum and electrified them at both presentations. He has a great rhetorical gift, which expresses itself as much in how he says things, as in what he says."
Born on a Georgia farm as one of nine children, after high school Reverend Davis attended Tuskegee Institute and later became a jet mechanic in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam conflict. He went on to earn degrees from Merritt College, Laney College, the University of California at Berkeley, Westminster College, the University of Utah, and a master’s of ministry from Northwest Nazarene College.
Reverend Davis came to Utah in 1972 as a teaching fellow and graduate assistant at the University of Utah. He became an instructor in 1973 and continues to teach courses as adjunct professor of communication and ethnic studies at the University.
Since 1974 the Reverend Davis has served as the full-time pastor of the historic Calvary Baptist Church.
Reverend Davis was also Dixie State College’s commencement speaker in 2002 and was the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree.
Dixie Forum takes place each Tuesday at noon at Dixie State College. For more information contact Terre Burton at 435-652-7812.
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Middle Eastern Women topic of next Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 31, 2003) Dr. Kathleen M. Herndon, professor of English at Weber State University, will be the next speaker at Dixie Forum Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College. "Behind the Walls, Beneath the Veils: Middle Eastern Women" is the title of her presentation.
"Both Herndon's life experiences and her professional pursuits make her uniquely qualified to talk to us about the mysterious looking women we see hidden behind the burkas in recent footage from the Middle East," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton.
Born in Portland, Ore., Herndon left the U.S. in 1973 to teach in independent schools in the Caribbean and later the Middle East where she and her husband spent 10 years working and traveling.
Finding two books by Iranian women authors in a Park City bookstore launched her research into Middle Eastern Women Writers. She teaches a World Literature course which focuses on their work. Her goal is to introduce readers to the richness of Middle Eastern women's lives and thoug ht and to dispel stereotypes that persist in Western media.
Dixie Forum takes place each Tuesday at noon through April 22. The public is invited to attend all forums. For more information contact Terre Burton at 652-7812.
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DSC Dance Company gears up for spring concert
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 31, 2003) The Dixie State Dance Company, under the direction of Dr. Li Lei, will present its second annual Spring Dance Concert on Saturday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Cox Performing Arts Center.
This year’s performance will feature ballet, modern dance, jazz dance, hip-hop, ethnic dance, and ballroom dance. Tap dance wi ll also be featured for the first time this year. Nearly one-third of last year’s company has returned this year.
"All of the dancers have worked very hard to rehearse a variety of dances and have made substantial progress," said Lei. "I am very proud of them. I’m confident our dancers will provide the audience an exciting evening of entertainment."
Since its introduction in the fall of 2000, the dance program has developed rapidly. The program’s curriculum consists of theory/history courses including Dance Appreciation, technique courses including Ballet, Modern Dance, Jazz Dance and Ballroom Dance, and performance courses including Dance Company. Students who successfully complete the Dixie State College dance program course work are prepared to transfer to any four-year institution dance program, Lei said. Lei’s ultimate goal is to one day help build a four-year dance program at DSC.
The program will transition to the new Eccles Fine Arts Center next year with the rest of the college’s fine arts department. Specifically, the program’s new home will be a newly remodeled Graff (mural) building, which will remain in tact for historical and sentimental purposes.
"We will be situated right next to the new performing arts building," Lei said. "This will provide our students a suitable, safe environment for their dance education. I am extremely excited about it."
Lei, who is the concert’s artistic director, has an extensive background in dance. At an early age, she was selected to dance as part of a professional dance company in China, a company that later appointed her its principal dancer. She danced professionally for over eight years and has also been the artistic director for various dance companies. Lei specializes in ballet, ballroom dance, modern dance, and ethnic dance.
Reserved seating is currently on sale at the Central Ticket Office, Cox Auditorium. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for youth and seniors and $1 for students. The box office can be reached at (435) 652-7800.
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DSC Jazz Band receives Superior rating
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 27, 2003) The Jazz Ensemble at Dixie State College, under the direction of Gary Caldwell, recently received a Superior I rating at the Northern Arizona University Jazz Festival in Flagstaff, Ariz. The rating is the highest awarded at the festival.
Approximately 60 bands, ranging from the junior high to the collegiate level, participated in this year’s festival. The festival was judged by professional musicians and by successful and knowledgeable university/college jazz directors.
To receive a Superior rating, a band must have demonstrated competency and achievement in a variety of areas, which include tone, balance, dynamics, tempo, improvisation skills, programming, and style. A ratings-based festival, each band competed against the established standard of excellence rather than head to head.
"This is no small feat considering the caliber and scope of this event," said DSC fine arts chair Eric Young. "Superior ratings are not given out readily, they must be earned. We congratulate the ensemble and Gary for their performance, excellence, and recognition by their peers."
DSC’s Jazz Ensemble has received similar honors from other prestigious festivals, including placing fifth at the competitive Fullerton Jazz Festival in Fullerton, Calif., on two occasions.
"The students were very excited to see their hard work pay off," said Caldwell. "We've worked painfully hard to achieve the level we're at right now. It says that these students know how to work and progress and that they're committed to their instrument and to music. They have represented DSC well."
After performances at the Meadows School in Las Vegas and then at Disneyland in Anaheim in April, the DSC Jazz Ensemble will give its final concert of the year on Thursday, April 17, at 8 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium. They will be sharing the stage with a community jazz ensemble called the "Swing Set Band." For more information, contact Gary Caldwell at (435) 652-7997 or caldwell@dixie.edu.
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Dixie State College to host Health Fair
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 27, 2003) For those who may find themselves not quite living up to their New Year’s resolution to lead a more healthy lifestyle, Dixie State College’s Wellness Center is hosting its 13th annual Health Fair Wednesday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Encampment Mall.
Nearly 40 businesses will be in attendance to give fitness and health demonstrations, including self-defense, massage therapy, and gardening. Free sugar level, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and osteoporosis scanning will also be offered.
The St. George Police Department will be on hand to provide child identification and bicycle registration, as well as discuss the mobile and neighborhood watch program. The police department will provide those same services again from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the college’s Wellness Center located north of the Burns Arena on the corner of 300 South 800 East.
Students from East Elementary will also be in attendance to participate in "Kicking Butts Day," encouraging students to stop or never start smoking.
"We’re trying to get as much of the public involved as we can," said Wellness Center director Barbara Johnson. "Our health and safety are some of our most fragile assets. Our goal is to build and facilitate awareness and also camaraderie within the community at the same time. This will be both an educational and entertaining opportunity."
New this year to the Health Fair will be an obstacle course for participants to test their fitness in. Food and prizes will also be given away.
The entire community is invited to participate in the Health Fair. For more information contact Barbara Johnson at 652-7755.
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"On the Waterfront" next at Bob Dalton Film Fest
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 25, 2003) Winner of eight Academy Awards, "On the Waterfront" (1954) will be the next screening of the Bob Dalton Film Festival at Dixie State College Thursd ay, April 3, at 7 p.m. in the Dunford Auditorium (Browning Building).
Directed by Elia Kazen, the part drama, part gangster film takes place on the waterfront docks of New York City and zeroes in on the problems of trade unionism, corruption and racketeering in a mob-driven society.
The film’s main character, a poor, young, washed-up ex-boxer played by Marlon Brando, eventually rises up and seeks reform. The film draws a parallel to Abraham Lincoln and his management of the issues of his time, said DSC Dean of Arts, Letters, and Science Joe Peterson, who will present and discuss the film.
"In a similar way, the issue of slavery presented the United States with perplexing problems, and people weren't sure how to resolve those problems," Peterson said. "Over the course of time, Lincoln emerged as a leader and convinced others to follow him toward a resolution. This film shows how sometimes people, without intending to do so, emerge as leaders and show other people the way to resolve their problems."
In all, "On the Waterfront" won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Eva Marie Saint), Best Screen Writing, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography. The film’s original music is by Leonard Bernstein.
A different film has been featured each week during the five-week film festival established last year in honor of the late Bob Dalton, a former long-time English, philosophy, and film professor at the college.
"Bob Dalton was a good personal friend and a mentor to me," Peterson said. "I had tremendous admiration for the way he organized cultural events and offered them to our community. His motivation was simply to improve the community's cultural life. The film festival is a token remembrance of all the things Bob did."
Admission to the Film Festival is free. The community is invited to attend all showings. The festival will draw to a close April 10 with the Italian film, "The Bicycle Thief," which won the Academy Award for best foreign language film in 1949.
For more information about the film festival contact Terre Burton at 652-7812 or visit: library.dixie.edu/FilmFestival/BobDaltonFilmFestival.html.
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Campus to Community gears up for spring project
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 24, 2003) The fourth semi-annual Campus to Community service project at Dixie State College will take place Friday, March 28, beginning at 12:30 p.m. For this spring’s project students, alumni, and faculty and staff will help remove debris and garbage in and around the canyon and confluence area where Ash and LaVerkin Creeks join the Virgin River near the towns of Hurricane and LaVerkin.
The 400-acre area, surrounded by black basalt cliffs, is an untapped resource for picnicking, hiking, bird watching, and horseback riding among sandy beaches and cottonwood and willow trees. The area will eventually be conserved as a public park and wildlife preserve. Known as the Confluence Project, it is a joint venture of Washington County and the Virgin River Land Preservation Association.
"This river has so many resource values, which is one of the reasons The Confluence Project was adopted," said Washington County Biologist and Virgin River Land Preservation Association board member Lori Rose. "Not only is it a beautiful place today, but historically Ash Creek was the route the Escalante Dominguez expedition took in 1776. Explorers and later the pioneers used it – it was and still is the one only easy place to get across the Virgin River."
The confluence is currently home to some of Washington County’s endangered fish species. When the Colorado River became too cold, many fish sought the warmer waters of the Virgin River, one of the last of what’s considered a free-flowing warm water river, Rose said.
Included in the long-term plans for the project is a trailhead that links to the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, which borders the western boundaries of the confluence. Other plans include several picnicking areas, restoration of an irrigation pond, preservation of an old dairy barn, and an overlook from Hurricane. Ultimately, the project will provide a wide variety of both recreational and educational opportunities.
"We’re hearing a lot of positive feedback from the people of Hurricane and LaVerkin who are very excited to have it in their own backyard," Rose said. "It’s going to become very important to those communities."
Acquisition of the first phase of the Confluence Project was competed in July 2000, at which time the county acquired 125 acres with funds raised by the Land Preservation Association. Half of phase two, including 150 acres on the south side of the Virgin River, has also recently been acquired. Negotiations are underway for the acquisition of the remainder of phase two and phase three. Fundraising is also in progress. Those wishing to make contributions to the Confluence Project or help with other service projects can call (435) 634-5759.
"The communities in that part of the county have done a lot to help establish the college’s satellite campus in Hurricane, and it’s neat to be able to do something that will directly affect that area," said DSC student body president BenJoe Markland.
Community members and students who would like to participate in the project can meet in the Old Gym parking lot at 12:30 p.m. on March 28. Buses will leave from the Old Gym at that time returning around 5 p.m. The area is accessible via a dirt road that turns south off of SR-17, just south of the bridge that crosses LaVerkin Creek.
The Campus to Community progr am was instituted at the college last year. The program consists of one large service project each semester. Last fall, DSC students, together local high school students, collected nearly 6,000 new and used books to benefit local schools and organizations. All books were donated by the local community. The book drive was done in memory of the late Lois Wells, a local educator and literacy advocate who helped many in Washington County learn to read.
Other Campus to Community projects have included a yard sale that raised $5,000 to help aid an eight-year old near drowning victim. Students also helped plant trees at the newly dedicated Southern Utah Water Conservation Garden in St. George.
Those with questions about the Campus to Community project can call Donna Stafford at 652-7513 or BenJoe Markland at 652-7517.
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Bob Dalton Film Fest rolls on with "The House of Mirth"
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 24, 2003) After a one-week pause for spring break, the Bob Dalton Film Festival at Dixie State College will resume with "The House of Mirth," a Terrence Davies film released in 2000. The film will be shown Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Dunford Auditorium (Browning Building).
Based on the classic Edith Wharton novel, "The House of Mirth" is a tragic love story set against a background of wealth and social hypocrisy in turn of the century New York. Gillian Anderson stars as Lily Bart, a ravishing socialite at the height of her success who quickly discovers the precariousness of her position when her beauty and charm starts attracting unwelcome interest and jealousy.
Torn between her heart and her head, Lily always seems to do the right thing at the wrong time. She seeks a wealthy husband and, in trying to conform to social expectations, misses her chance for real love with Lawrence Seldon (Eric Stolz) [summary from imdb.com]. The film is rated PG.
"Bob Dalton was a favorite teacher of mine at Dixie College years ago," said Pine View High School teacher Renee Hazen, who will present and discuss the film. "I attended many of his classes in English, philosophy, and film. He deserves to be honored and remembered."
The Bob Dalton Film Festival continues April 3 with "On the Waterfront" (1954), directed by Elia Kazen. For more information about the film festival contact Terre Burton at 652-7812 or visit: library.dixie.edu/FilmFestival/BobDaltonFilmFestival.html.
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The Altenberg Trio from Vienna provides a week of cultural experience for southern Utah
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 20, 2003) Early last week the Altenberg Trio of Vienna, Austria, performed in St. George as part of the Celebrity Concert Series. Instead of catching a redeye flight out of town following the performance, however, the trio turned around and spent the remainder of the week performing, teaching, and visiting schools throughout Washington County.
"There is an unusually high potential in the youth of this area for spiritual growth and learning," said Claus-Christian Schuster of Vienna. "There is an eagerness in their eyes to know more music and to be uplifted."
Sponsored by the Dixie State College Celebrity Concert Series, the Altenberg Trio made a stop in southern Utah as part of its national tour, with a mission to introduce classical music to students and assist string musicians in developing their instruments and skills.
The piano trio worked with music students from Dixie State College, Dixie Middle School, Snow Canyon Middle School, the Lava Ridge Center and members of the Southwest Symphony.
Mini-concerts were also provided for the Washington Country Youth Crisis Center and the Meadows Retirement Center. In addition, public performances were held at the Cox Auditorium on March 11 and in at the Springdale Town Hall on March 12 sponsored by the Zion Canyon Arts and Humanities Council.
Claus-Christian Schuster, an accomplished pianist with a quick wit and command of the English language, conducted most of the outreach services as he spoke of music, the trio and its mission. Violinist and Frenchman Amiram Ganz was born in Uruguay but studied in Russia and has a deep love of life and his music. Martin Hortenstein, a gifted cellist, invited the young people to sit closer to him so they could see his fingers and deeply enjoy the music.
Although impressed with the string music in the schools, they had suggestions for improving the music education of area youth.
"Not enough students are getting individual personal instructions‚" Schuster said. "Funding needs to be provided for all music students to have private lessons."
The trio was deeply moved by the response from the Washington Country Youth Crisis Center.
"These children are yearning for more," Schuster said. "They need music in their lives. They are at the point where music will make a turning point for good."
Audiences at the public performances in St. George and Springdale were treated to works by Schubert and Mozart and a new work by the little known composer Paul Juon, which received an Edison Award nomination.
The Altenberg Trio is renowned among international chamber music ensembles. They have been enthusiastically received in the United States, Canada, and European countries including Denmark, France, Switzerland, Holland, the Czech Republic (Prague Spring Festival), and Italy. They often perform throughout their native Austria and are the "Trio-in-Residence" at the Musikverein in Vienna, where they have their own concert series.
Both string players of the Altenberg Trio play instruments built by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (1711-1786). Ganz plays a violin built in Milan dated 1754, owned by the Banque Populaire de Strasbourg, and Hortenstein plays the famous "ex-Van Zweyberg" cello, (Piacenza, 1743) from the collection of the Österreichische National Bank.
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Bob Dalton Film Festival continues at DSC
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 11, 2003) The second annual Bob Dalton Film Festival rolls on this week, with "Fast, Cheap and Out of Control," showing Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College.
In this 1997 release, Errol Morris ("The Thin Blue Line& quot; and "A Brief History of Time") blends the lives of four very different men and their rather curious occupations – an elderly topiary gardener, a retired lion tamer, a man fascinated by mole rats, and a cutting-edge robotics designer – to suggest the essential relationship between humans and the natural world.
"Morris’s willingness to allow his subjects to speak for themselves, and his sense of wonder and curiosity at the odd and sometime s bizarre things they say or do, leave the viewer feeling profoundly moved by the variety and depth of human life," said DSC professor Darl Biniaz, who will present the film.
Following the film, Biniaz will make a few brief remarks about Morris’s cinematic style and then open up the discussion for comments or questions.
"We encourage all faculty, staff, students, and members of the community to join us in celebrating and sustaining the important contributions of Bob Dalton to the intellectual and cultural life of Dixie State College," Biniaz said.
The community is invited to all screenings of the Bob Dalton Film Festival. The festival resumes Thursday, Mar. 27, following spring break at the college, with "The House of Mirth," directed by Terence Davies.
For more information about the festival visit:
library.dixie.edu/FilmFestival/BobDaltonFilmFestival.html or call Terre Burton at 435.652.7812.
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DSC student named 2003 New Century Scholar
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 11, 2003) Josh Leavitt, a junior student at Dixie State College, has been named a 2003 New Century Scholar by Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges.
Leavitt’s selection was based on scores earned in the recently held All-USA Academic Team competition, which took into consideration 1,600 student applications from two-year institutions across the nation. The highest scoring All-USA applicant from each of the 50 states was named a New Century Scholar. As the highest scoring student in Utah, Leavitt will receive a $2,000 stipend at the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) convention in Dallas, Texas, April 6-7.
"It is a huge honor," said DSC vice president of academic affairs Max Rose. "He is the first from Utah, to my understanding. It’s quite a distinction, and we’re honored to have him as part of our student body."
More than 800 student chapters nominated candidates to the All-USA Academic Team, Rose said. Leavitt was one of only two students to be nominated by administrators at Dixie State College.
"I was honored just to be nominated from Dixie," Leavitt said. "To be the highest scoring student in Utah is extremely satisfying."
Leavitt currently serves as the president of the Dixie State’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter and has been instrumental in its establishment, which occurred in 2002.
A pre-med student, Leavitt serves as president of the college’s Health Occupations Club. He has done volunteer work in the local emergency room, and more recently at the new Doctor’s Free Clinic in St. George.
As a former business major, Leavitt has also co-founded two small business start-ups, Wild River Graphics and Hafen and Leavitt Screen Printing, since 1997. In 1998 the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce named him Junior Entrepreneur of the Year.
Leavitt’s selection as a New Century Scholar doesn’t guarantee selection to the All-USA Academic Team. The 2003 First, Second and Third Team members will be featured in USA TODAY on April 7, 2003.
"I was just flattered by the opportunity to represent Dixie State College," Leavitt said. "It was exciting and quite an honor because I’ve got so many great colleagues. It’s been an amazing opportunity to be here at Dixie."
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Terre Burton to give encore presentation at Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 7, 2003) DSC professor Terre Burton will give an encore presentation of her lecture "More Improving than Embroidery: Women's Adventures on and off the Road, the Camel, the Horse, the Elephant, the Bicycle, the Motorbike" Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College as this week’s Dixie Forum. Burton originally gave the presentation last week as the college’s annual Alder Faculty Honor Lecturer.
She will be talking about a number of British as well as American women who frequently traveled alone to remote parts of the world.
"There’s so much to be learned from these women, about what kinds of people they were, why they would rather explore the world than sit by a fireside embroidering, what kinds of people and sights they encountered -- even how to be a better, more understanding, more compassionate person," Burton said.
Burton teaches writing, literature, and humanities courses at the college. During her time at Dixie, she has been chair of both the Humanities and Social Sciences Department and the English Department.
The papers associated with the Alder Faculty Honor Lecture are published each year in a booklet that is available by contacting Demaree Johnson at 652-7867.
"Although the lecture is well written and interesting reading, it does not have all of Terre's humorous and witty asides," said Johnson, chair of the Honor Lecture committee. "If you couldn't make it last week, you won’t want to miss this second opportunity to hear Terre's wonderful and funny presentation."
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Michael Ballam to perform at benefit concert
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 7, 2003) Nationally renowned opera singer and musician Michael Ballam will be a guest performer at a benefit concert Thursday, Mar. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium at Dixie State College.
The concert is being presented by the college’s various choirs and the Southwest Chorale in behalf of Evan Peterson, a 10-year old St. George boy recently diagnosed with an inoperable cancerous tumor located on his brain stem.
Evan is the son of Dr. Ken Peterson, brought in as the college’s choral director last year. All proceeds from the concert will go directly to the Peterson family.
"The idea was actually generated by his students in the choral program," said DSC fine arts chair Eric Young. "It goes to show the definitive mark he has made on these students in a very short period of time. Not only do Ken’s students have an affinity for him, they have compassion for Ken and his family. Using their talents to Evan’s benefit is most appropriate."
A native of Logan, Utah, Ballam has performed in the major concert halls of America, Europe, Asia, Russia and the Middle East, with command performances at the Vatican and the White House. His operatic repertoire includes more than 600 performances of over 70 major roles.
He has shared the stage with the world's greatest singers, including Joan Sutherland, Kiri Te Kanawa, Birgit Nilsson, and Placido Domingo, performing regularly with such companies as the Chicago Lyric, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, St. Louis and San Diego Operas.
"It really says something special for someone of Michael Ballam’s caliber to put aside everything else and donate his time and talent to a child in need in our community," Young said. "Most people don’t understand the astronomical costs of caring for a child with special needs and circumstances such as Evan’s. We have a wonderful benefits program at the college, but there are costs that are incurred that benefits just don’t cover."
Tickets for the concert are currently on sale in the Avenna Center Ticket office at the college. For information call 435.652.7800. Tickets are $15 for reserved seating, $12 for general admission, and $10 for students. A silent auction featuring donated merchandise from within the local business community will be held at 6:30 p.m.
A fund has also been set up in the ticket office to accommodate those that cannot make it to the concert but would like to contribute.
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Film Festival kicks off Thursday at DSC
(ST. GEORGE – Mar. 3, 2003) The second annual Bob Dalton Film Festival will be held on the campus of Dixie State College beginning Thursday, Mar. 6, with a different film showing each week through April 10. The festival was established last year in honor of the late Bob Dalton, a former English professor at DSC.
Dalton worked at Dixie State College in various capacities for over 30 years, including 11 years leading the Dixie College Associated Students’ Feature Film Series. He founded the college’s Celebrity Concert Series and also worked as the college’s library director. Dalton passed away in September 2001.
"He had been one of us for so long at the college that we thought it fitting to honor him in a way that exemplifies what he loved doing," said festival coordinator Terre Burton.
"Blue," a French film, will kick off the festival Mar. 6, at 7 p.m. in the Dunford Auditorium, Browning Building. The film, released in 1993, is the first in Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Three Colors" trilogy based on France's national motto: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. "Blue," which represents the traditional French color of liberation, is the story of Julie (Juliette Binoche) who loses her husband, an acclaimed composer, and her young daughter in a car accident.
The film's theme of liberty is manifested in Julie's attempt to start life anew, free of personal commitments, belongings, grief, and love. She intends to spiritually commit suicide by withdrawing from the world and live completely independently, anonymously and in solitude in the Parisian metropolis. Despite her intentions, people from her former and present life intrude with their own needs. However, the reality created by the people who need and care about her, a surprising discovery, and the music around which the film revolves heals Julie and irresistibly draws her back to the land of the living. "Blue" illustrates her struggles to liberate herself from the ghosts of her past (movie summary from imdb.com).
Other films to be featured during the festival include "Fast, Cheap, & Out of Control" showing Mar. 13, "The House of Mirth" on Mar. 27, the American classic "On the Waterfront" on April 3, and "The Bicycle Thief" on April 10. Each program will begin at 7 p.m. in the Dunford Auditorium, with a discussion following each film. All showings are open to the community. Admission is free.
Burton especially encourages those with an interest in film history and criticism to attend. "Of course," she says, "those of us who simply like to watch a good flick are also welcome."
Soon after Dalton’s passing, those close to him began making donations to the video collection at the DSC library as a way to honor him. A number of faculty members and Dalton’s film students have also given money to the library for additional purchases toward what is known as the Bob Dalton Film Collection.
To make donations to the Bob Dalton Film Collection at Dixie State College's Browning Library, please contact Martha Talman, Instruction / Outreach Librarian, at 435.652.7722 or by email at talman@dixie.edu. For more information about the festival visit library.dixie.edu/FilmFestival/BobDaltonFilmFestival.html or call Terre Burton at 435.652.7812.
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Terre Burton selected as Alder Faculty Honor Lecturer
(ST. GEORGE – Feb. 28, 2003) Dixie State College professor Terre Burton will be the speaker at the 9th Annual Alder Faculty Honor Lecture Tuesday, March 4, at 7p.m. in the Cox Auditorium. Her lecture is titled "More Improving than Embroidery: Women's Adventures on and off the Road, the Camel, the Horse, the Elephant, the Bicycle, the Motorbike."
Burton has spoken throughout the Rocky Mountain West about the journals and letters of pioneer women of the American Frontier. In this presentation, she will be talking about a number of British as well as American women who frequently traveled alone to remote parts of the world.
"There’s so much to be learned from these women, about what kinds of people they were, why they would rather explore the world than sit by a fireside embroidering, what kinds of people and sights they encountered -- even how to be a better, more understanding, more compassionate person," Burton said.
Burton teaches writing, liter ature, and humanities courses at the college. During her time at Dixie, she has been chair of both the Humanities and Social Sciences Department and the English Department.
She has enjoyed a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar in Rome, a quarter abroad in Southeast Asia, and a sabbatica l at Cambridge University in England. An earlier sabbatical from Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyo., also took her to Europe where she studied art, literature, and history as she traveled from Scandinavia to Greece.
As the wife of a Marine officer, she began traveling cross-country in the 1960s from one duty post to another, and travel remains one of the continuing delights of her life.
When asked about the fascination with travels and travelers, Burton explained that she loves to travel, but not quite so daringly. Even as a girl, she was intrigued by the explorations into Africa, the Far East, and the Indian subcontinent. But she didn't realize that women made some of the same journeys men did, often with less money and sometimes without any kind of support group or entourage.
"While I don’t see myself as especially courageous, I love to read about those who are. These daring women and their adventures have enriched my life," Burton said. "What’s more, some of their experiences are just plain funny. Imagine falling into a tiger pit with sharpened stakes and giving thanks that you’re wearing a good thick skirt. Or commenting on an encroaching young crocodile that is trying to get into your dugout canoe."
The Alder Faculty Honor Lecture was instituted by former DSC president Doug Alder and his wife Elaine. Its purpose is to promote faculty scholarship about teaching and research, faculty communication and camaraderie, and improvement in teaching and learning.
"The college is primarily a teaching college and, as a result, the faculty doesn’t often have the opportunity to spend a lot of time on research," said Demaree Johnson, chair of the Honor Lecture committee. "The lecture not only gives our professors an opportunity to study, research and write on a topic of their own interest, but to share it with the community at the same time. Anyone who knows Terre or has heard her speak, knows that this will be a wonderful event."
Nominees for the Honors Lecture are presented by the college staff and faculty and voted on by the college’s faculty senate board. Any full-time faculty member is available for nomination and the presenter is chosen to recognize excellence in teaching and scholarship. The papers associated with the Honors Lecture are published each year in a booklet that is available at the lecture or by contacting Demaree Johnson at 652-7867.
Community members are invited to attend the lecture. Admission is free.
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Utah’s minority groups subject of next Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Feb. 28, 2003) Utah’s minority groups and their history will be the topic of the next presentation at Dixie Forum Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College. Eileen Hallet Stone will be this week’s presenter.
An authority on early Jewish settlement in Utah, Hallet Stone is also the co-author of the book "Missing Stories," an oral history project stemming from hundreds of interviews and stories from minority groups in Utah.
"She was so terrific last year that people asked me to bring her back this year," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton. "She’s articulate and exciting and she brings a fresh approach to Utah history."
Hallet Stone will also be speaking Monday at 7 p.m. on "Homeland in the West: Utah Jews Remembered" at the Driftwood Lodge in Springdale. She will be speaking to the Z Arts group, but others are invited to their programs.
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Lyman Hafen to speak at Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Feb. 21, 2003) Local writer Lyman Hafen will be the next speaker at Dixie Forum Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College. A native of southern Utah, his presentation is titled "Landscape and Memory."
Hafen will read from his recent work On the Edge of Memory: More Notes on a Small-Town Boyhood, which demonstrates his love of the St. George area, its topography, and its people.
"As we read his works, we almost feel that we are in the saddle working our way up a draw, sitting around a campfire, or across a comfortable breakfast table," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton. "We feel like we're with a neighbor, but one who sees more, feels more deeply, and knows how to put those images and feelings into words."
An alumnus of Dixie High School, Dixie State College and Brigham Young University, Hafen began his career as the assistant editor and later editor-in-chief of Harris Publishing in Idaho Falls. In 1983, he and his wife, the former Debbie Frei, moved back to St. George to co-venture a new publishing company, Publishers Place, Inc., which became the father of St. George Magazine. Hafen also once taught English courses at the college. He is currently the director of the Zion Natural History Association.
He is the author of several books, including "Flood Street to Fenway," a biography of Bruce Hurst, and has written hundreds of magazine articles for regional and national publications. His writing has received numerous awards from the Utah Arts Council.
"When we talked about the numbers of people moving to Washington County, he said that each of them has a choice to live on the surface or live deeply--depending upon how well they come to know the area, its history, and its people," Burton said. "It's obvious his own life and writing has been enriched by knowing the area’s history and landscape and we'll see this as reads from his recent work."
Dixie Forum is a weekly noontime series that takes place each Tuesday throughout fall and spring semester at Dixie State College. Eileen Hallet Stone will present "Readings from Missing Stories" on Mar. 4. The public is invited to all forums. For more information about Dixie Forum, contact Terre Burton at (435) 652-7812.
(ST. GEORGE – Feb. 21, 2003) Local writer Lyman Hafen will be the next speaker at Dixie Forum Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditor ium at Dixie State College. A native of southern Utah, his presentation is titled "Landscape and Memory."
Hafen will read from his recent work On the Edge of Memory: More Notes on a Small-Town Boyhood, which demonstrate s his love of the St. George area, its topography, and its people.
"As we read his works, we almost feel that we are in the saddle working our way up a draw, sitting around a campfire, or across a comfortable breakfast table," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton. "We feel like we're with a neighbor, but one who sees more, feels more deeply, and knows how to put those images and feelings into words."
An alumnus of Dixie High School, Dixie State College and Brigham Young University, Hafen began his career as the assistant editor and later editor-in-chief of Harris Publishing in Idaho Falls. In 1983, he and his wife, the former Debbie Frei, moved back to St. George to co-venture a new publishing company, Publishers Place, Inc., which became the father of St. George Magazine. Hafen also once taught English courses at the college. He is currently the director of the Zion Natural History Association.
He is the author of several books, including "Flood Street to Fenway," a biography of Bruce Hurst, and has written hundreds of magazine articles for regional and national publications. His writing has received numerous awards from the Utah Arts Council.
"When we talked about the numbers of people moving to Washington County, he said that each of them has a choice to live on the surface or live deeply--depending upon how well they come to know the area, its history, and its people," Burton said. "It's obvious his own life and writing has been enriched by knowing the area’s history and landscape and we'll see this as reads from his recent work."
Dixie Forum is a weekly noontime series that takes place each Tuesday throughout fall and spring semester at Dixie State College. Eileen Hallet Stone will present "Readings from Missing Stories" on Mar. 4. The public is invited to all forums. For more information about Dixie Forum, contact Terre Burton at (435) 652-7812.
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Employment Fair hits Dixie State this week
(ST. GEORGE – Feb. 21, 2003) For students who are completing their degrees or who need a little help refining their focus, Dixie State College is hosting an Employment Fair Thursday, Feb. 27, from noon to 4 p.m. in the college’s Gardner Center. Resume and interview contests will also be held earlier in the week. Students can come to fair expecting around 40 employers who have positions to fill.
"The fair is for students who are graduating or are completing a program, either a four-year or two-year program," said Career Center and employment services director Virginia Woodward.
DSC has held an Employment Fair for several years. However, the structure has changed the last two years. In the past, the focus has been on technical programs. Last year the focus changed to take into consideration DSC’s four-year academic programs, Woodward said, and will likewise this year.
"Washington County School District is sending a representative," Woodward said. "The first graduates from the college’s education program will come next year, but the district is coming so the educators coming out of DSC will get a chance to look and see what to expect."
In a struggling economy there is always some question as to just how many jobs there are out there, but Employment Fair organizers assure that there are jobs available.
"Last year some of the companies that came to the fair had recently frozen all hiring because of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11," Woodward said. "This year we have a requirement that employers either have positions to fill now or have positions available by the end of the semester."
There will also be opportunities for students to find summer employment, Woodward said, including internships.
"Yes, the economy is sluggish, but everyone that is coming has jobs available," added employment coordinator Rae Smart, who also works for the Department of Workforce Services. "Our goal for the Employment Fair is always to find jobs for our students."
Specifically, the expanding Dixie Regional Medical Center is looking to fill approximately 150 positions, and St. Rose Hospital in Las Vegas and University Hospital in Salt Lake are searching for several nurses, Smart said. In addition, companies and organizations including the Bureau of Land Management, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Department, UPS, the Secret Service and FBI, Mountain America Credit Union, The Spectrum, Costco, ShopKo, Walgreen’s, Simmons Media, and SkyWest Airlines are scheduled to participate in this year’s fair.
"Going to employment fairs costs employers a lot of time and money," Smart said. "Most companies pick out the best schools that they want to target and put it in their budgets."
There will also be two competitions in connection with the Employment Fair, a resume contest and an interview contest. Each has a first prize of $50. The deadline for submitting a resume to the Career Center is 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 24. The resumes will be judged primarily on the student's ability to write an effective resume, not on the amount of work experience. The deadline for signing up for the interview competition is
Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. at the Career Center. Both winners will be announced Thursday at the Employment Fair.
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Public Invited to U.S. Town Meeting on DSC Campus
(ST. GEORGE, Utah -- Feb. 25, 2003) A Foreign Policy Town Meeting, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Dixie State College, will be held on the DSC campus Thursday, Feb. 27, in the Gardner Center Ballroom. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will run from 7 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
Two U.S. Department of State officials, Donald K. Steinberg, principal deputy director of policy planning and Rebecca Brown Thompson, Public Diplomacy Director with the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement will speak. Steinberg will address the topic "U.S. Policy after September 11," and Thompson's subject will be &quo t;Drugs, Crime and U.S Foreign Policy." A question and answer session will follow each presentation.
"A U.S. State Department to wn meeting provides a venue for discussion of current foreign policy issues and sensitizes department officials to the views of the American public," said Judy Chronister, a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Department of State. "We want to encourage the residents of southern Utah to attend this meeting and engage in a dialogue with state department representatives."
In April 2001, Donald K. Steinberg was named Principal Deputy Director of Policy Planning for the U.S. Department of State. In this role, Ambassador Steinberg helps formulate and coordinate long-term policies to achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives, participates in policy planning talks with foreign governments, and assists speech writing for the Secretary of State. Since September 2001, he has focused on building and maintaining the international coalition in the fight against global terrorism and on the security, political, and reconstruction needs for a post-Taliban Afghanistan.
Rebecca Brown Thompson is a member of the U.S Foreign Service and has served as Public Diplomacy Director in the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Affairs of the Department of State since June 2001. Prior to that, she was responsible for public diplomacy matters -- that is, outreach to foreign press and opinion leaders -- toward Central America. She has served as Assistant Cultural Affairs attaché at the U.S. Embassies in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Seoul, Korea, and will assume her next assignment as press attaché at the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador in the summer of 2003.
"We encourage the public to attend, ask questions and let us know what they are thinking," said Chronister.
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Federal government to discuss pressing national issues via videoconference at DSC
(ST. GEORGE - Feb. 19, 2003) Dixie State College will be the forum for a live, digital videoconference conducted by the U.S. Department of State on Thursday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium. The one-hour conference will feature U.S. State Department speakers on topics of national and world interest, including terrorism, U.S foreign policy, and issues relating to drugs and crime.
"It is an honor they have selected us to participate, and we hope to fill up the Dunford Auditorium," said college spokesman Mark Petersen. "Although this video conference is being presented to DSC students, the public is invited as well."
This videoconference is a precursor to a Foreign Policy Town Meeting, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, to be held on the Dixie State College campus, the following Thursday, Feb. 27, in the Gardner Center Ballroom.
Donald K. Steinberg, principal deputy director of policy planning, U.S. Department of State, will address "U.S. Policy after September 11" and Christopher J. Sandrolini, director, policy planning and coordination, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, U.S. Dept. of State, will be the featured speakers.
The public is also invited to attend this Foreign Policy Town Meeting. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is co-sponsored by the college.
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DXATC instructor named Teacher of the Year
(ST. GEORGE – Feb. 18, 2003) Paul Wilkinson, an instructor at the new Dixie Applied Technology College (DXATC), was recently named 2002-03 Trade & Technical Education Teacher of the Year by the Utah Trade & Technical Education Association (UTTE). He teaches both high school and adult students in the building trades program at the DXATC, headquartered on the campus of Dixie State College.
"Paul does two things really well. He’s an energized go-getter, and he’s very student-oriented," said DXATC president Rich VanAusdal. "He’s a great teacher and very deserving of this award. We’re glad to have him as one of our own."
Wilkinson received the honor at the annual Utah Association of Career & Technical Education Conference held at UVSC in January. He will now represent the Utah division of UTTE in the running for the outstanding Trade & Technical Educator in the nation. National winners will be announced at the annual national Association of Career and Technical Education Conference in December.
The UTTE represents approximately 300 trade and technical education teachers from high schools and colleges from across the state of Utah.
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Winners of 2003 Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show announced
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Feb. 15, 2003) The winners of the 2003 Robert N. & Peggy Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show at Dixie State College were announced Friday night at the show’s annual gala banquet at Dixie State College. This
year’s "Best of Show Purchase Prize" winner is Roland Lee. Lee’s "In From the Fields," a watercolor painting, earned him the honor.
Lee, who currently resides in the St. George area, is nationally renowned for his transparent watercolors of the southwest landscape, the pioneer west, and rural European scenes. His work can be found in over 850 private, museum, and university collections throughout the world. A multiple award winner at the Sears Dixie Invitational, Lee also formerly taught art at Dixie State College. He is currently serving a mission with his wife for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Robert Marshall, Springville, Utah, took first place in this year’s Landscape Oils Category with his painting "Snow Canyon III." Second place was awarded to Kathryn Stats, Sandy, Utah, for "High Country Winter." Kimball Warren, Mapleton, Utah, won third place for "West Rim Trail & ngels Landing."
In the Oils Other category, Dixie College alumnus Mike Malm, Wellsville, Utah, won first place for his "Winter Apple Tree." "Portrait of a Young Dancer," by Dan Lewis, Inkom, Idaho, placed second. Placing third was Steve
McGinty, Murray, Utah, for "Morning Shepherd."
In the Watercolor category, William Rushing’s "Trackers on San Rafael," Cameron, Texas, took first place. Second place was awarded to Ian Ramsay,
Murra y, Utah, for "Country Lane, Jedburgh Scotland," up a notch from his third place finish last year in the same category. And third place went to "We Could Raise Buffalo," by Nancy Perschon, Hurricane, Utah, a communications faculty member at the college.
Taking first place in the Pastels category was Julie Rogers, Glendale, Utah, for "A New Day." Second place went to Robert Barrett, Provo, Utah, for "Union Soldier," with third place going to Jerry Hancock, Ogden, Utah, for
"Day Dreaming."
In the Other Media category, the first place ribbon went to Jerry Anderson, Leeds, Utah, for "Drums and Dreams." Ed H’Lavka, St. George, Utah, was awarded second place for "Wren." And L’Deane Trueblood, St. George, Utah, took third place for "Twirl." All three works in this category are bronze pieces.
All artwork will remain on display through Mar. 16 in the Avenna Center, Cox Auditorium at Dixie State College from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. This year’s show features work from over 100 artists.
Each work exhibited is for sale to the public, a portion of each purchase going toward the new Delores Dore’ Eccles Fine Arts Center now under construction on campus. The art show was first established in the 1980s by the Sears family with that eventual building in mind. The public is invited
to view the exhibit free of charge.
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St. George artist Wallace Lee to kick off Sears Dixie Invitational with art symposium
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Feb. 11, 2003) Highly decorated St. George artist Wallace Lee will be the speaker at an art symposium Friday at 3 p.m. in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College.
The symposium, which will showcase Lee’s work, talent, and creativity, is the traditional prelude to the Robert N. and Peggy Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show. The 16th annual show gets underway later that evening.
As the winner of the show’s "Best of Show/Purchase Prize" award in 2002, Lee will also judge this year’s invitational. His "Snowfall in Snow Canyon" earned him that honor last year.
Southern Utah and southwestern landscapes have become Lee’s trademark in his painting. Perhaps best known as a watercolorist, he is also adept in oil and pastel. He also enjoys portraiture.
Born in Panguitch, Utah, Lee has served as that city’s mayor. A graduate of Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago, he also practiced dentistry for 32 years prior to his career as an artist. After enrolling in art classes at Dixie State College taught by Del Parson and Max Bunnell, Lee discovered his enormous knack and talent for painting. Lee formally began his art career in 1989. He later taught art classes himself at the college.
Lee was a 2002 "Mini 50" regional winner at the Arts for the Parks Competition in Jackson Hole, Wyo. In 1999 and 2000, he won "Top 100" Awards for Excellence at that same competition. He won "Best of Show" at the Nevada Watercolor Society Signature Member Exhibit in Las Vegas also in 2002. A familiar face to the Sears Dixie Invitational, he won "First Place" in the watercolor category for four consecutive years, 1997-2000. Lee is also a Signature Member of both the Nevada Watercolor Society and Western Federation of Watercolor Societies.
Lee is represented by the "S" Gallery in St. George, the Williams Fine Art Gallery in Salt Lake City, the Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Torrey Gallery in Torrey, Utah, the Jerry Anderson Gallery in Silver Reef, Utah, and the Datura Gallery of Kayenta in Ivins, Utah.
Art lovers at every level are invited to come and meet Lee and learn about his style and passion for painting. Admission to the symposium is free.
Following the symposium will be a gala banquet beginning at 6 p.m. in DSC’s Gardner Center Ballroom. Dinner guests will have the first opportunity to purchase paintings exhibited in the show later that evening and can begin previewing the artwork beginning at 4 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium. Jeff McLean, son of songwriter Michael McLean, will be the banquet’s honorary chairman.
The show will open to the public in the Avenna Center, Cox Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 15 running through Mar. 16. Artwork from over 100 artists will be on display, including several bronze works. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. All artwork is for sale to the public. Proceeds benefit the new Eccles Fine Arts Center now under construction at Dixie State College.
For additional information on the symposium, show or to purchase dinner tickets, call (435) 652-7537.
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Carol Lynn Pearson to speak twice at DSC
(ST. GEORGE – Feb. 10, 2003) Best-selling author and poet Carol Lynn Pearson will speak at Dixie State College on Tuesday, Feb. 18, not once, but on two occasions.
She’ll first speak at Dixie Forum at noon in the Duford Auditorium. The noon forum, entitled "The Magic and Meaning of Coincidence," will feature Pearson’s most recent work. An encore presentation, "An Evening with Carol Lynn Pearson – from Beginnings to Today," will be held later that evening at 7:30 p.m., again in the Dunford. Pearson will sell and sign books at both events.
"Many women in this area have grown up reading and loving Carol Lynn Pearson's poetry," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton. "She is one of the most effective speakers I have heard. Her dramatic presentations enrich the thoughtfulness of her fiction and poetry. Those who come to hear her will be moved by the depth and compassion of what she has to say."
Pearson has authored more than 30 books and plays, which have included the classic Goodbye, I Love You, an award-winning, one-woman play "Mother Wove the Morning," and several books of poetry. Other works include the popular "A Fable for Our Times" series, including The Lesson, Will You Still Be My Daughter? and The Gift. A Pearson trademark, many of her works have probed spiritual themes in unique and surprising ways.
Her newest rel ease, Consider the Butterfly: Transforming Your Life Through Meaningful Coincidence looks into finding deeper meaning in everyday events. Should we be studying these seemingly random occurrences for life lessons, spiritual "clues"—even divine messages? Pearson answers that question and challenges those who believe, and those who doubt, to take a closer look at their own experiences and contemplate what, if any, meaning can be culled from them, and what they might be trying to tell us.
Currently a resident of Walnut Creek, Calif., Pearson has traveled all over the world as a lecturer and speaker. She holds a master’s degree in theater, and is the mother of four grown children.
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Womanhood in the Middle Ages topic of next Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Feb. 7, 2003) Bringing a new twist to Dixie Forum, Dr. Diana Major Spencer, dean of humanities and Convocation coordinator at Snow College, will present, "In the Footsteps of Saint Leoba," Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College.
"Diana Major Spencer is a dynamic and interesting presenter," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton. "She delights in exploring uncharted territory, and I think her presentation on St. Leoba will open a lot of eyes to the rich lives women could lead--even in the early Middle Ages."
An eighth-century Anglo-Saxon nun, Leoba was given by her parents to the convent at Minster-on-Thanet, near Canterbury, England, to show their gratitude to God for her birth. Before her death 70 years later, she had spent most of her life in what is now Germany, assisting her cousin, Saint Boniface, the Apostle of Germany, in converting, teaching, and organizing pagan Europe, as well as healing and counseling in Charlemagne's court. Just one of many Anglo-Saxon nuns who chose church over marriage, Leoba's life illustrates the advantages of female celibacy in the Middle Ages.
A native of Salt Lake City, Diana Major Spencer first became interested in medieval literature and life at South High School, when she pulled a Middle English version of The Somonynge of Everyman from the library shelf for an assignment in a drama class.
With a master’s degree from Longwood College in Virginia and a doctorate from the University of Utah, she has taught formally at the U and Snow College, and informally wherever she gets the chance. A recent sabbatical enabled her to follow St. Leoba's steps through England and Germany.
She has spoken on numerous occasions at the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City where she often speaks about the banquets of Shakespeare's time. She also speaks frequently at national conferences.
On Feb. 18, best-selling author and poet Carol Lynn Pearson will give two separate presentations on different topics at Dixie State College, first at Dixie Forum at noon and then again at 7:30 p.m. in the Dunford Auditorium. The community is invited to all forums.
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Utah Students to Celebrate National TRIO Day
(Salt Lake City, Utah – Feb. 7, 2003) To honor the students that succeededin college with the support of our nation’s TRIO Programs, TRIO students,college graduates, administrators, counselors, and teachers across the
country will celebrate National TRIO Day on Feb. 22. "In many communities throughout America, the TRIO Programs are the only programs that help low-income Americans to enter college, graduate and move on to participate more fully in America’s economic and social life," said Dr. Arnold Mitchem, President of the Council for Opportunity in Education.
Utah TRIO Day activities will include:
Thursday, Feb. 13 Capitol Building: TRIO Day proclamation signing with Governor Leavitt, 2:10 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 28 Salt Lake Community College: Lunch and TRIO Achiever award celebration, noon to 2 p.m.;
Guest Speaker: Representative Duane Bourdeaux
Since 1965, over 10.5 million Americans (67 percent from low-income and working families) have benefited from the services of the TRIO pre-college & college programs: Talent Search; Upward Bound; Upward Bound Math/Science;
Veterans Upward Bound; Student Support Services; the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program; and the Educational Opportunity Centers.
In Utah, the nine public institutions of higher education host a total of 23 TRIO programs which serve over 7,000 low-income, first generation students.
As access and retention services are an absolutely essential component of the federal strategy to ensure equal opportunity, Congress established TRIO Programs over 35 years ago. These programs enable Americans regardless of
economic circumstance, race, or ethnic background, to successfully enter college and graduate.
The mission of the Council for Opportunity in Education and TRIO Programs is to advance and defend the ideal of equal educational opportunity in post-secondary education. Nationally, over 2,400 projects are hosted at over
1,200 post-secondary institutions and more than one hundred community agencies.
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Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show again hits southern Utah
(St. George, UT – Feb. 4, 2003) The Robert N. and Peggy Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show, recognized as one of the biggest art events in the state of Utah, will again return to the campus of Dixie State College beginning Feb. 15 in the Cox Auditorium.
The Sears Dixie Invitational, now in its 16th year, will feature nearly 200 works from 100 artists. Among those invited to participate in this year’s show include Bill Rushing, A.D. Shaw, Roland Lee, Gaell Lindstrom, Carl Purcell, Steve Songer, Laura Mann, Mike Malm, Luke Frazier, and Del Parson.
"We have had incredible success year after year, both with the quality of art and the number of people that come to visit," said Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show Director George Whitehead.
As per tradition, an opening gala dinner will kick-off this year’s show Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. in the college’s Gardner Center Ballroom. Dinner guests will be the first to preview this year’s artwork and make purchases. An art preview for dinner guests will begin at 4 p.m. Ente rtainment will be provided by banquet honorary chairman Jeff McLean, son of songwriter Michael McLean.
At 3 p.m. on F riday, St. George artist Wallace Lee will host a free art symposium in the college’s Dunford Auditorium. Lee’s watercolor, "Snowfall in Snow Canyon" was last year’s Best of Show Purchase Prize Winner.
The artwork opens to the public Feb. 15 and will be on display through Mar. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays at Dixie State’s Cox Auditorium.
Since the inaugural show in 1988, a portion of each purchase has gone toward funding the Delores Dore’ Eccles Fine Arts Center, now under construction. An art museum within the fine arts building will bear the Sears name and be home to the Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show beginning in 2004.
"This new gallery will, in part, be known as the museum that the Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show built," Whitehead said. "The show began with a museum in mind, and it’s neat to finally see it come to fruition."
For more information or to purchase tickets to the gala dinner call (435) 652-7535.
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DSC brings aboard new Director of Nursing
(ST. GEORGE – Feb. 3, 2003) One of the few knocks on Dixie State College’s nursing program after undergoing its initial accreditation evaluation last October was that the program lacked sufficient human resources. As a result, the department turned right around and hired a new director of nursing. Dr. Sabrina Friedman was recently named to that position.
"The faculty and staff of the nursing program have done an outstanding job of developing and implementing it," Friedman said. "I am both excited and honored to join such a group of professionals and look forward to working with them."
Overall, Friedman brings over 10 years of healthcare and management experience, along with several years of teaching experience to the position.
Much of her work has been pediatric and adolescent-centered, having worked most recently as the nurse practitioner at the first school-based health center in Nevada. She continues to work as a family nurse practitioner at the Huntridge Teen Clinic in Las Vegas. Prior to that, she managed several clinics and the laboratory at the Clark County Health District.
In addition, she spent two years as a faculty member at the University of Nevada Las Vegas in its department of nursing. She has also taught at the Community College of Southern Nevada and at USC. She earned her Ph.D. in Health Services Management from LaSalle University in 2002.
Friedman takes over the reins of a program that is building a head of steam. In October, the program dedicated a new nursing skills lab, nearly quadrupling the available lab space and equipment on campus. Later that same month, accreditation evaluators raved about the program and its students.
In addition, DRMC’s new hospital is expected to bring unprecedented clinical opportunities to the program, the college is currently working on securing funds for a building specifically dedicated to the health sciences, and nursing is widely considered a top candidate for the next four-year program the college brings aboard.
"With the expansion of services in St. George and those that will be required by DRMC, that possibility will have to become a reality," Friedman said.
Kevin Tipton, who had assumed the dual role of director of nursing and director of health sciences, will continue in his capacity as the college’s director of health sciences.
Dixie State College’s nursing program includes an associate of nursing degree (RN), a practical nursing program (LPN), and a Certified Nurse Assistant program. Both the associate degree and practical nursing programs are currently seeking initial accreditation. An accreditation committee evaluated both programs in October. On the basis of that visit, the committee has recommended that accreditation be granted. That recommendation will be made to the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission in Chicago in early February. The college will then be notified of its official accreditation status of both programs later this month.
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Marilyn Arnold to speak at Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Feb. 3, 2003) St. George novelist Dr. Marilyn Arnold will be the next speaker at the Dixie Forum: A Window on the World Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College.
Arnold is a former English professor and dean at Brigham Young University. Since her retirement from BYU in 1992, Arnold has lived in St. George, served on the Dixie State College Board of Trustees for eight years, and written four novels: Desert Song, Song of Hope, Sky Full of Ribbons, and Fields of Clover.
Known for her Willa Cather scholarship throughout the world, Arnold’s forum presentation last year focused on the work of Cather. Tuesday, Arnold will talk about and read from her own work. In addition to her work on Cather, she is a noted authority on other American writers.
"Marilyn has such a delight in the world, both the real world out-of-doors and the world of literature," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton. "Even though she’s a fine scholar, her language and approach to literature is accessible to all of us."
Arnold, who grew up in Ogden, attended both Weber State and BYU before going to the University of Wisconsin to earn a Ph.D. She has been a member of the Utah Humanities Council Speakers Bureau.
Dixie Forum is a noontime forum series introduced at the college last year. Its purpose is to expose students and the community to a variety of cultures and points of view. The series is free to the public and takes place every Tuesday at noon through the end of the semester. For more information of Dixie Forum, contact Terre Burton at 652-7812.
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St. George poet next up at Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Jan. 27, 2003) St. George poet David Lee will be the next speaker at Dixie Forum: A Window on the World Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College.
Lee was Utah’s poet laureate for sever al years and last year was a finalist for the national poet laureate. He recently retired as Chair of Language and Literature at Southern Utah University.
His presentation is entitled "Cathedral of Unknown Stone: Landscape Meditations on Southern Utah." Much of his recent work is inspired by Utah's landscape.
"I have never heard him speak when I wasn't intrigued or delighted," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton. "His poetry is very fine and he's a marvelous reader of his own stuff. I think his presentation will appeal to a broad audience, including people who might not realize what a joy it is to hear poetry read by a master."
Marilyn Arnold, another southern Utah writer, will be the Dixie Forum speaker on Feb. 4 at noon. Her presentation is titled "Losing My Mind in Fiction." A forum speaker last year on the work of Willa Cather, Arnold will talk about and read from her own work.
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Dixie's Elementary Education Degree Pushes Forward
(ST. GEORGE – Jan. 22, 2003) With one full semester of operation and full accreditation under its belt, the four-year elementary education program at Dixie State College is seeking its second class of applicants.
The deadline for application for the 2005 class of elementary education graduates is
Friday, Jan. 24. The program currently admits approximately 35 students per year.
In order to be eligible for application, students need to have completed all pre-requisite courses to the degree prior to the fall semester. Students must also submit an application packet along with three letters of recommendation. Potential candidates are then scheduled for a group interview. Letters of acceptance will be mailed by the first week of February.
"Our acceptance letters are in the hands of students before the other deadlines around the state," said Dr. Michael F. Killeen, director of elementary education. "This way, our Dixie students are not disadvantaged in any way if we could not accommodate them. Even if this is the case, our students who have completed education pre-requisites here are well prepared when they transfer elsewhere."
The elementary education program at DSC is a cohort program, meaning students attend all classes together and graduate as a group. Currently, 26 students are scheduled to graduate in 2004.
The program, in conjunction with the two other four-year programs at the college, received its initial accreditation earlier this month from the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges and Universities. Accreditation reports indicated that the elementary education program is off to a healthy start, stating that, "faculty are enthusiastic and involved in the design, integrity, and implementation of the curriculum." Accreditors were also pleased with Washington County School District’s significant involvement in the program.
"We are pleased that the school district [WCSD] is a partner in our venture to develop high quality, effective teachers," Killeen said.
Application packets for admittance into the elementary education program can be picked up at the Education and Family Studies Building located east of the Eccles Fine Arts Center construction site. For more information contact Susan Ledbetter at 652-7842.
The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education degree was introduced at Dixie State College during fall semester 2002. Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Administration and Computer and Information Science were introduced at the college during fall semester 2000. Dixie State continues to function as a comprehensive community college while offering a limited number of quality baccalaureate programs. The college's accreditation at the associate level was also reaffirmed earlier this month.
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WWII P.O.W. next up at Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Jan. 17, 2003) Former WWII prisoner of war and St. George resident Gene Jacobsen will be the next speaker at Dixie Forum: A Window on the World Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College.
A native of Montpelier, Jacobsen enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1940 where he served for nearly six years. Over three of those years were spent as a prisoner of the Japanese, which will be the primary topic of the forum.
"This is an individual who suffered more of man’s inhumanity to man than most could ever imagine in the legendary suffering that occurred with thousands of American soldiers in the Philippines Bataan Peninsula," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton. "His story is an intriguing one and fits in perfectly with our series theme."
Jacobsen has spent considerable time working in the international arena over the course of his career. A professor of educational administration for over 18 years and now professor emeritus at the University of Utah, Jacobsen served over three years as administrator of the U’s team to establish an education faculty at the Haile Sellassie University in Ethiopia.
He served as superintendent of schools of the ex-patriot schools in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia for two years. He spent 15 months as a consultant to the Singapore Ministry of Education. He also provided training services for school administrators in Western Samoa, Tonga, and New Zealand and was a consultant to the Tanzania Ministry of Education.
Jacobsen has written and published two books concerning the war in the Philippines, "Who Refused to Die" and "To Japan With Encouragement and Hope."
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Dixie State accredited at four-year level
(ST. GEORGE – Jan. 15, 2003) For the first time in school history, Dixie State College of Utah is accredited at the baccalaureate level. College officials received that word Tuesday in a written letter from the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges and Universities, which also reaffirmed Dixie State’s accreditation at the associate level.
As a result, accreditation has been extended to each of the college’s three bachelor’s degrees, including business administration, computer and information science, and elementary education. The four-year accreditation status is retroactive to Sept. 1, 2002.
"We’ve been eating, drinking and sleeping accreditation for a long time now – it’s nice to finally have it under our belt," said DSC president Dr. Robert Huddleston.
In October, several years of planning and self-evaluation culminated in a full-scale evaluation by an accreditation committee representing the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges and Universities. At that time, the committee interviewed students, faculty, and staff and scoured an institutional self-study headed by Dean Joe Peterson. The committee then reported six general commendations and four recommendations, first to the college in October and then to the accreditation commission last month.
"The Commission concurs with the evaluation committee in commending the College for its commitment to providing a high level of information technology for students and faculty," wrote Sandra E. Elman, executive director of the Commission on Colleges and Universities.
"Moreover, the Commission applauds the College’s performance in providing community service, continuing education, and cultural activities for the local community…finds laudatory the College’s success in fundraising…and notes that the College benefits from the functionality and beauty of the St. George campus."
In 2004, a single evaluator will review the college’s progress on the committee’s four areas in which recommendations were made. Those areas include faculty evaluation, faculty workload, mission, and communication with constituents.
"This is obviously a milestone for this institution, but it’s also a real credit to the faculty, staff, and students who make up this institution," Huddleston said. "It validates what we’ve known for a long time. This is a quality institution with quality programs. We look forward to building on this important step in this institution’s history."
Accreditation is a process of recognizing educational institutions for performance, integrity, and quality that entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public (www.nwccu.org). Each institution must conduct a self-study and be visited by a full evaluation committee at least once every 10 years.
Dixie State College’s last accreditation evaluation took place in 1992 at which time its accreditation at the associate level was reaffirmed. In 2000, the college applied for and was granted "candidate status" for accreditation at the baccalaureate level. The college’s first four-year degrees, in business administration and computer and information science, were also introduced at that time. In 2002, the college added a third baccalaureate degree, in elementary education.
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Rare fossil collection on display at Dixie State College
(ST. GEORGE, UT – Jan. 10, 2003) St. George resident Truman Leishman is a car salesman by trade, but his real passion is his collecting fossils, something he’s done his entire life.
His most recent collection, which dates back 550 million years, is currently on display in Dixie State College’s Science Building. The collection includes vertebrates and invertebrates, and is being contributed to the college by Leishman and a benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous.
"We’re happy to have it and to be able to display it for the students at the college," said DSC geology professor Pete Van Valkenburg. "This will really be good for students to be able to come by and take a look at this marvelous collection."
After the new dinosaur museum is built in St. George, the collection will then be transferred there under the care of St. George paleontologist Andrew Milner. Either way, this donation is a way for Leishman to share his true passion with others.
"I wanted to make (the fossils) available for educational purposes," Leishman said. "When it goes into the museum, it will be used for the same purpose. Everything in the collection is museum-quality."
The collection is an education in and of itself. In all, it features approximately 200 pieces. With the exception of three specimens, all in the collection are original fossils. Currently on display, among other things, are fossilized fish, crab, shrimp, crickets, shark teeth, crocodile teeth, a mammoth tusk, a saber tooth tiger skull, and fossilized dinosaurs. The collection even features corprolite, or fossilized dinosaur dung. A number of trilobites also make up the display.
"Trilobites were some of the first known organisms on earth, and the first to fossilize," Leishman said. "You can get out of your car in Delta, Utah, and find trilobites. You can find a lot of this stuff right here in Utah."
Other specimens, however, were found in places as far away as Germany, Russia, Canada, Africa, Brazil, Morocco, China, Spain, Italy, and many other countries, in addition to the United States.
The collection represents nearly 40 years of searching, buying, and trading. Leishman’s passion for fossils developed at a very early age. Many of the pieces in the display at the college were collected while he was a young boy.
Ultimately, his boyhood fossil collecting paved the way to the National Science Fair where he competed in the Earth Science Division of Paleontology. That trip, in turn, earned him a scholarship to Utah State University.
While on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1965, Leishman presented one of his earlier fossil collections to the University of Southern Otago Medical School in New Zealand.
Before turning this latest collection over to Dixie State College, Leishman kept all of the fossils that make up the collection in his home. For now, his wife, Carol Ann, is enjoying a little extra space in the home, but Truman Leishman’s fossil collecting days are far from over. Having donated two collections now, his next one will remain his.
"I’ll probably be collecting this stuff until I die."
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Jokes the subject of Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE – Jan. 10, 2002) The first Dixie Forum of the new semester will explore the phenomenon of jokes and joke telling.
DSC professor Ed Reber, who has researched that topic extensively, will be the forum speaker Tuesday at noon in the Dunford Auditorium, Browning Building at Dixie State College.
"Ed is the consummate story-teller," said Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton. "He has a wealth of knowledge about folk hum or and has, as well, researched how and why jokes work."
Reber’s presentation, entitled "How is Ethnic Humor like a Navel? Or what jokes reveal about innies and outies," will discuss research about both the biology and the psychology of jokes. It will also look at some of the social functions of jokes, such as those used to draw boundaries, or cross them, among ethnic and religious groups. Reber will also include a section on the strange phenomenon of disaster humor.
Reber has taught English at the college since 1976. His interest in researching jokes came primarily from his teaching folklore.
"Jokes are a part of our culture that spread throughout a group or culture in an informal way and with much variation," Reber said. "Informal passing and variation are two trademarks of folk materials, so jokes fit as folklore."
Reber has also presented his research on jokes as an Alder Faculty Honor Speaker.
"I think his presentation should be fascinating both for those who love jokes and those who are puzzled by jokes, wondering why people joke about awful things," Burton said.
All Dixie Forums are open to the public and entire college community. Students can earn college credit by enrolling in the semester-long weekly series (Hon 161R). "Experiences as a WW II Prisoner of War" by Gene Jacobsen will headline the Jan. 21 forum.
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Grand Opening set for Red Rock Café
(ST. GEORGE – Jan. 3, 2003) Santa Claus didn’t exactly leave it under the tree, but students at Dixie State College will return from the holiday break to a brand new food court. The Red Rock Café will open its doors for business Monday at 7:30 a.m., the first day of spring semester.
Construction on the 11,000 square foot add-on to the Gardner Student Center began last June. In addition to the food court, the new addition includes a new kitchen and 240-seat dining area overlooking the south end of campus. An additional 60-seat overflow dining area and remodeled general store round out the expansion.
"For a school our size in the United States we’re probably in the top 10 percent now in terms of what we’re able to offer our students and guests," said director of campus dining Martin Peterson. "We’ve really doubled our offerings and will provide a fresher and better quality product."
The food court will feature several different eateries, including the Big D Deli, Backyard Grill, an Italian eatery, Rebelano’s, Wok…Your Way, featuring stir fry to order, and Home Cookin’, a traditional eatery, which will also serve up rotating international cuisines. A dessert and salad bar will also be a part of the food court.
"Our biggest change is going to be our display cooking where most of our food is prepared right in front of our customer," Peterson said. "Very little will be prepared in the back. Your hamburger will be cooked right in front of you, your sandwich is made right there, and your pasta is put together in front of you. So we’ve gone from back of the house cooking to front of the house display cooking."
Two months ago, students, faculty and staff got a preview of some of the food to be served in the new food court. The taste test also gave DSC’s campus dining department a chance to check the pulse of its customer and plan its menu accordingly.
"Based on the results of that focus group, we’ve gone with the most popular items," Peterson said. "We really tried to listen to what our students wanted, and what everyone wanted."
The new look Gardner Center will practically revolutionize the college’s dining services, which will now all be under one roof, just steps from each of the Gardner Center’s ballrooms and dining areas. Beforehand, all food was prepared next door in the now 35-year old kitchen in the Whitehead Student Services Center, the former home of the old student cafeteria. The new kitchen boasts state-of-the-art equipment, including 1,200 square feet of refrigerator and freezer space, computerized and networked ovens, and an ice machine that can produce two tons of ice per day.
Overall, the food court has created an additional 15 part-time jobs for students and the community, about a 20 percent increase in the department’s staffing.
The $2 million allocated for the addition has been funded completely through student fees, the college’s auxiliary services, and private donations. No state funds have been used.
The food court and dining area aren’t the only change students will encounter upon their return. A new student commons area, freed up by the old student dining area, is now in place as well. The space is furnished with several couches and armchairs, a big-screen television, and chess tables. A few computers will also be installed in the lounge area for student use.
The Red Rock Café will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Formal dedication of the new building will take place in about a month.
"I’m really excited for it," said DSC studentbody president Ben Joe Markland. "It gives a chance for the students to have a great place to go eat, a better place to sit and communicate, and it’s just a better atmosphere with more options. I think it’s really going to be an attraction to more students at Dixie when they see what a wonderful place it is."
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