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2001 News Archive

FALL SEMESTER 2001
December 20, 2001-New facility at DSC Hurricane Center nearing completion
December 19, 2001-DSC accepts applications for elementary education program
December 18, 2001-New DSC fine arts center visited in 2002 legislative session
December 7, 2001-Chinese culture subject of next Dixie Forum
December 1, 2001-Rotary Bowl results
November 28, 2001-DSC dance department to perform at December showings
November 27, 2001-Humanitarian doctor to present at DSC’s Dixie Forum
November 21, 2001-Dixie Rotary Bowl invitees ready to roll
November 7, 2001-DSC to host high school students at annual Career Day
November 1, 2001-CEO of InfoWest to speak at next Dixie Forum
November 1, 2001-Environment and Land Use Ethics
October 31, 2001-DSC Chamber Orchestra to present its Fall Concert
October 31 ,2001-Service project to benefit one of St. George’s own
October 31, 2001-Chamber Orchestra to present its Fall Concert
October 25, 2001-Concert
October 19, 2001-New Four-year program approved at Dixie State College
October 18, 2001- Lt. Colonel Bert Walker
October 5, 2001-Homecoming taking center stage at Dixie State
October 4, 2001-New coordinator in place at DSC’s Hurricane Center
October 4, 2001-New DSC Hall of Fame inductees to be honored
October 1, 2001-South Indian Dancer up next at Dixie Forum
Sept 21, 2001-Opera Singer To Perform At Dixie Forum
Sept 24, 2001-DSC Elderhostel bound for the 2002 Olympics
Sept 25, 2001-DSC Memorial Concert for Victims of Terrorist Attacks
Sept 27, 2001-Lt. Governor delivers message to DSC students
August 8, 2001-DSC Fall Semester New Student Orientation Schedule
August 8, 2001-Registration time at Dixie State College
August 16, 2001-Groundbreaking SET set for new DSC facility in Hurricane

SUMMER 2001
May 10, 2001-Dixie students win three 1st place international awards
May 4, 2001-Dixie State To Confer 1,272 Degrees and Certificates
May 4, 2001-Dixie State College Names Four Valedictorians
May 4, 2001-DSC to award distinguished citizens awards
May 4, 2001-Madison Square Garden CEO To Address Dixie State Graduates
May 1, 2001-Dixie State Motion Picture Students Win a Telly Award

SPRING SEMESTER 2001
March 1, 2001-Dixie Emeritus Professor Receives BYU Alumni Award
March 1, 2001-Student Newspaper "THE DIXIE SUN" Wins Regional Award
March 1, 2001-DSC Public Relations Department Wins 1st Place National Paragon Award
March 1, 2001-DSC Motion Picture Students Produced "Mountain Meadows Massacre"

New facility at Dixie State College Hurricane Center nearing completion
(St. George, UT — Dec. 20, 2001) Construction on a 4,500 sq. foot-plus addition to the Dixie State College Hurricane Center is nearing completion. The expansion project officially got underway Aug. 22, 2001, during a groundbreaking ceremony and is right on schedule to be completed in time for the first day of spring semester classes.
"We’re pleased with how the project has gone so far from all angles," said Ned Carnahan, executive director of Campus Services at Dixie State and college representative for the design and construction of the project. "Bird Construction has worked hard to keep the project on time and on budget. And without any unforeseen complications, the building will be open for instruction on Jan. 7, 2002."
The final inspection date for substantial completion of the building is scheduled for Jan. 3.
To date, the 6,005 sq. foot center, which has consisted of the Walter C. Lichfield Building, has housed two large classrooms and a computer lab. The expansion consists of an additional 4,600 sq. feet, mainly of classroom space, which has been built onto the existing building. In all, four new classrooms will be added to the center. The college also uses classroom space at Hurricane High School to satisfy student demand.
The project has been completely financed by private donations. Before the Alan Joseph Stout Hurricane Center was first dedicated in Sept. 2000, a donor approached DSC administrators and proposed that a second building be built as well.
"It’s a little unusual that people have that much love for their community that they’ll step forward and be that generous," said Stan Plewe, vice-president of College Services.
The expansion comes at a time when the East county area is itself expanding, an area the Hurricane Center is specifically geared towards serving. Hurricane alone has experienced a 110 percent growth increase over the past ten years, growing from 3,915 in 1990 to a population of 8,250 in 2000. Enrollment at the Hurricane Center has reflected that growth to some degree.
When DSC first began offering classes in Hurricane during Fall Semester 1995, 34 students total were enrolled in two courses. Enrollment for the following two fall semesters averaged 25 students. Fall enrollment grew to 85 and 90 in 1998 and 1999 respectively, jumping to 242 in 2000. Over 400 students were enrolled in over 30 courses this fall semester at the center.
Hurricane Center coordinator Dave Nichols said the center’s expansion is crucial in order to keep pace with the county’s growth.
"The addition is really going to mean that we’ll be able to serve the growth that’s occurring in the area with higher education," Nichols said. "I think that it may not be many more years, if not possibly a year after this building is done, before the next one may in the planning stages."
Dixie State College has offered classes in Hurricane since 1995. Until construction of the Hurricane Center was completed in 2000, classes were held at Hurricane High School. The Center sits on 8 acres of partially developed land, which was all privately donated. The Center’s director is Dr. Dave Nichols who is new to DSC this fall semester. Over 400 students were enrolled for fall semester classes at the Hurricane Center, which is located at 112 South 700 West in Hurricane, UT. For information about classes offered at the Hurricane Center, call (435) 652-7912.

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Dixie State accepting applications for new elementary education program
(St. George, UT – Dec. 19, 2001) With the elementary education program approved and in place at Dixie State College, the search for students is now underway. Applications are currently being accepted and will be through the Jan. 18, 2002 deadline.
"The success of any education program is dependent on the candidates who apply and who are admitted to the program," said Dr. Michael F. Killeen, director of the University Center and elementary education at Dixie State.
The popularity of the degree, which includes an English as a Second Language (ESL) State endorsement, began manifesting itself long before the program received approval. Students were knocking down the door just to "sign up" while the proposal for the program was still taking shape. The admission process, however, will not only be a selective one, but is expected to be competitive as well. The admission committee anticipates that up to 125 people will apply for admission for Fall Semester 2002.
Initially, however, the program will have a limited enrollment of 30 students, which is consistent with the precedent set by the Board of Regents at the time UVSC began requesting four-year programs. In 2003, another 30 junior students will be admitted, making for a capacity of 60 students in the program at any given time. This limited enrollment will be in effect for three years while the program gets off its feet and is evaluated.
Candidates will be invited to interview with the admissions committee based on the completeness of a pre-admission checklist, which consists of completing general education (associate’s degree or equivalent) and pre-requisite course work, submitting three letters of recommendation, a writing assessment, achieving a minimum overall GPA of 2.75 and in the last 30 semester hours and completing a request for an FBI background check. Students must also have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all pre-requisite course work.
In addition, a foreign language component will require that students have the equivalent of eight semester hours of foreign language credit prior to beginning the program. While the purpose of the degree won’t be to produce bilingual teachers, the admissions committee will be looking for students who know what it’s like to speak and learn another language.
"We’ll be training students who have a predisposition to wanting to be able to deal effectively with people who may not speak English," Killeen said. "It’s to the individual’s advantage if they happen to be bilingual, but we don’t necessarily need them to be bilingual by any means."
In terms of academic achievement, the admissions committee will consider the highest score from each candidate’s ACT, SAT or GPA and points will be awarded for each item in the admissions rubric, which also includes the pre-application packet, a second writing assessment, the interview and the letters of recommendation.
Letters of acceptance will be mailed out the first week in February 2002 to the top 30 candidates. Killeen and his staff are getting the ball rolling quickly in order to accommodate those who might want to meet application deadlines at other institutions.
"We think it’s only fair and in the interest of students who may not get into our program that they have other options," Killeen said.
The elementary education program at DSC will be the first in the State to have the ESL endorsement actually imbedded in the degree program, something that, thus far, has proven popular among educators as well. Killeen receives approximately three phone calls a week from neighboring states looking for teachers with ESL training.
"It’s in extremely high demand," Killeen said of the ESL endorsement. "I would hazard to guess that, over the next few years, not only will Washington County be very interested in our graduates, but other areas in the region will as well."
The Utah Board of Regents approved the degree in mid-October. It marks the third four-year degree to come aboard at DSC since July 2000, joining the four-year business administration and computer and information technology programs.
Any questions regarding admission to the elementary education program can be directed to Susan Ledbetter at (435) 652-7842 or Michael Killeen at (435) 652-7841.

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New Dixie State fine arts center to be visited in 2002 legislative session
(St. George, UT – Dec. 18, 2001) Though budgets throughout the state are on the chopping block, administrators at Dixie State College have received word that there’s a chance the college will get its new fine arts center after all. Construction on the new building, which is currently in an advanced design stage, was placed on hold due to this year’s state budget shortfalls, but was recommended in the governor’s recent budget proposal for the 2002 legislative session.
"We’re surprised, but extremely pleased with the governor’s support for our new fine arts building," said Dixie State College president Dr. Robert Huddleston. "We’re looking forward to this much needed facility on our campus."
The Eccles/Graff Fine and Performing Arts Center has traditionally housed the Art, Communications and Theatre programs at Dixie State College. One-third of the current Graff Building, however, is condemned and unusable. Consequently, departments that were once housed in the center have since been moved to other buildings on campus. It was built in 1962 and designed to accommodate a student body of 500. Today, enrollment at DSC has exceeded 7,200.
An architectural and engineering study has indicated that replacement of the building is the only reasonable solution to correct all of the ADA, fire, building code, and seismic problems that exist. For over two years, the proposed new building has been a top priority for the Board of Regents. The Utah State Building Board ranked it third in the year 1999, fourth in 2000 and third in 2001 in terms of capital development priorities.
Governor Leavitt’s budget recommendations were specifically geared towards helping the state through economic challenges currently affecting the entire nation. His proposal is designed, in part, to maintain funding for critical education and places a high priority on investing in education.

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Chinese culture subject of next Dixie Forum
(St. George, UT, Dec. 7, 2001) Dr. Jingdong Liang, communications professor at Dixie State College, will be the next speaker at "Dixie Forum: A Window on the World" on Dec. 11 at 12 pm in DSC’s Dunford Auditorium. The title of his presentation is "In Search of Academic Excellence Across the Pacific." Among the topics Liang will touch on will include his childhood and education in China and working as a journalist in both the U.S. and China.
"No one exemplifies our "Window on the World" theme more than Jingdong," said Terre Burton, English professor at Dixie State and the series coordinator. "He has a unique background and a lot of interesting stories to tell, and I think people will find him and his presentation intriguing."
As a native of China, Liang has not only covered news as a reporter for his home country, but has also worked as a Chinese journalist for an American newspaper.
Liang holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in journalism, specializing in English news writing and editing, from Chinese. During and after his graduate work, Liang held teaching positions in China as an assistant professor of English at the Beijing Polytechnique University for four years and as a part-time instructor of English at the renowned Peking Union Medical College founded by Ralph Nader.
He also worked with the New China News Agency, a state run newspaper, covering international news for a year before resigning to come to America and complete his doctorate work at the University of Utah. In addition to his teaching responsibilities at DSC, Liang is currently the advisor to the student newspaper The Dixie Sun.
Dixie Forum presentations have taken place every other week throughout fall semester and will continue through spring semester, the next falling on Jan. 8 and featuring Dr. Max Rose and his presentation, "The ABC’s of Math." Burton has been pleased with how the series has gone in this its first year.
"Our last presentation left members of the audience eager to go out and do good, so compelling was our speaker, Dr. Kelly Reber," Burton said. "Every speaker has inspired us in one way or another--whether we were being encouraged to use our own creativity, to try new things, to believe in ourselves, or to expand our intellectual and cultural horizons. I'm hoping that audiences will find next semester's offerings just as rich, informative, and encouraging."

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Dixie State prevails in 2001 Dixie Rotary Bowl

(St. George, UT, Hansen Stadium, Dixie State College – Dec. 1) The 2001 Dixie Rotary Bowl, matching the third-ranked Dixie State College Rebels against the eleventh-ranked Rochester Community and Technical College Yellowjackets, was as evenly matched as it possibly could have been through three full quarters of play. Dixie State then went on to score 27 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, giving the Rebels the 40-14 victory and eleventh overall Dixie Rotary Bowl win in fifteen tries.
Both teams struggled with turnovers throughout the game, yet neither team reaped serious consequences until the fourth quarter. At the end of three quarters, Rochester enjoyed a one-point lead, but five interceptions in the fourth quarter alone, four of which eventually resulted in Rebel touchdowns, proved too much for the Rochester Yellowjackets to overcome.
The Rebels stole a page out of Andy Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles playbook to start the game and kicked and recovered an onsides kick on the opening kick-off. While DSC was unable to convert any points off its opening drive, the Rebels got on the board first early in the second quarter when RB Aaron Sain ran 27-yards, on a draw play, for a touchdown.
DSC followed that up with a blocked punt, which was finally recovered by the Yellowjackets on the RCTC 3-yard line. DSC QB Dave Grant, the third quarterback to start for the Rebels this season, eventually snuck in on a quarterback keeper to give DSC a 13-0 lead. The ensuing extra point missed.
The Yellowjackets got things going in the second quarter with big kick-off return, followed by a 28-yard reverse to Keith Harris, which put Rochester on the board with eight minutes remaining in the half. Dixie State took a 13-7 lead into the locker room.
Early in the second half, the Yellowjackets pulled a trick out of their own out of their sleeve, eventually leading to RCTC’s first lead of the game. The Yellowjackets faked a punt, which RB Quentin Brown took all the way to the Rebel 30-yard line. Rochester QB Ryan Hulke then hit WR Brian Bridges to get the Yellowjackets inside the 10-yard line and later hooked up with TE Mike Rehfeldt for a 9-yard touchdown strike, giving RCTC a 14-13 lead after the ensuing extra point.
The Yellowjackets continued to put the pressure on with an interception picked off by DB Lamar Mathews, which was returned to the Rebel 32-yard line, clearly shifting the momentum in RCTC’s favor. DSC, however, quickly turned the momentum back in its favor by causing and recovering a Yellowjacket fumble. While the Rebels were unable to capitalize on the fumble, they intercepted a pass on the following Yellowjacket drive and were able to capitalize. Grant then hooked up with WR Christian Smith, who actually finished up the first half and began the second at QB for the Rebels, for a 25-yard strike. After a 15-yard penalty, the Grant/Smith combination again met up, taking DSC to the 1-yard line. Sain then ran for a one-yard touchdown, his second of the day, and a 19-14 DSC lead.
On the ensuing Yellowjacket drive with 7:53 remaining in the fourth quarter, Dixie State DB Travis Armistead picked off the ball deep in RCTC territory and ran the ball back for another Rebel touchdown, resulting in a 26-14 DSC lead.
With just over seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter, RCTC promisingly marched down the field only to be picked off once again on a fourth down passing play. With an opportunity to put the Yellowjackets away, DSC then fell victim to a turnover of its own.
DSC got that opportunity right back, however, after an errant RCTC pass ended up in the hands of DSC LB Singa Iloa and was again taken for another DSC touchdown, marking the second interception return for a Rebel touchdown. With a score of 33-14, the Rebels sealed the deal with yet another pick and later capped off the game with a 6-yard touchdown scamper by TE Ryan Larsen, giving the Rebels the definitive 40-14 victory. DB Travis Armistead was named the game’s MVP.
Dixie State stymied Rochester’s running game holding RB Rod Malone to 29 yards rushing on 14 carries and no touchdowns. Overall, the Yellowjackets managed 161 yards of total offense. QB Ryan Hulke, who threw four interceptions in the game, passed for 103 yards, completing 14 of 33 attempts, and one touchdown. TE Mike Rehfeldt was on the receiving end of that touchdown and led the Yellowjackets with 40 yards receiving. RB Quentin Bown led RCTC in rushing with 42 yards on four carries. DB Ben Wanek was a bright spot for the Yellowjackets, compiling 125 yards in kickoff returns (long of 70). RCTC committed a mere three penalties to DSC’s 14, accounting for 35 and 188 yards in penalties respectively.
The Rebels were led by DB Travis Armistead who was credited with two interceptions (68-yard return) and one touchdown. On the offensive side of the ball, QB Dave Grant completed 8 of 10 passes for 99 yards throwing. Christian Smith and Josh Adams led the way in receiving with 72 and 44 yards respectively on three passes apiece. TB Joe Lomu and RB Aaron Sain led the Rebels in rushing, Lomu with 66 yards on 18 carries and Sain with 53 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns. As a team, DSC rushed for 166 yards, passed for 142 yards.
Ranked ahead of the No. 3 Rebels going into Saturday’s match-ups were No. 1 Georgia Military and No. 2 Kilgore, Texas. Both won their respective bowl games later that evening, keeping their undefeated records intact. With an 11-1 record, Dixie State will most likely maintain its No. 3 ranking to finish up the season.

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DSC dance department to perform at December showings
(St. George, UT – Nov. 28, 2001) The dance department at Dixie State College is gearing up for two dance showings to take place in the month of December. On Dec. 3, the DSC ballet, jazz dance and modern dance classes will present its biannual "End of Semester Class Showing." The Dixie Dance Company will perform a week later on Monday, Dec. 10.
"What will make the "Dixie Dance Company Showing" unique is that each performance has been choreographed by the students themselves," said Li Lei, assistant professor of dance at DSC and coordinator of the showings. "Consequently, each performance will have a different look and feel and style of its own, and the showing as a whole should produce a lot of variety."
Both showings are scheduled for 7:30 pm in rooms 126 & 127 in the DSC North Instructional Building (NIB) on the corner of 900 East 100 South. Students and community members are invited to attend both showings. Admission to both is free. The showings are a precursor to the larger-scale and more formal spring dance concert, which will take place in April 2002.
"The students are happy to have this opportunity to perform," Lei said, "and this is a great opportunity for people in the community who enjoy dance to come out and support our dancers and our dance program, not to mention see some pretty good dancing."
Lei, who has been at DSC since July 2000, heads the DSC dance department. She holds a master’s degree in dance from BYU and a doctorate in dance education/teaching and administration in higher education from NYU. At an early age, Lei was selected to dance as part of a professional dance company in China, a company that later appointed her its principal dancer. She specializes in ballroom, modern, and ethnic dance as well as ballet.

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Dixie Rotary Bowl invitees ready to roll
(St. George, UT – Nov. 21, 2001) Dubbed the biggest junior college bowl game in the nation, the Dixie Rotary Bowl selection committee has done its best to ensure that the 2001 version of the Dixie Rotary Bowl, now in its sixteenth year, lives up to that reputation. That responsibility now falls on the shoulders of second ranked Dixie State College of Utah and eleventh ranked Rochester Community & Technical College, MN. Both enter the Dec. 1 showdown in St. George, UT with a single loss apiece and identical 10-1 records to match.
"These are two quality teams whose records speak for themselves," said Rick Schofield, Dixie Rotary Bowl executive director. "Dixie State was ranked number one in the nation for much of the year and Rochester had a twenty-two game win streak going before losing their last game of the season, so these are two first-rate programs, and we’re happy to have them in this year’s Dixie Rotary Bowl."
The Dixie State Rebels began the season ranked atop the NJCAA polls at number one in the nation. After four wins to start the season, the Rebels stubbed their toe against Glendale Community College. DSC then reeled off six straight, including an emotional overtime win over long-time rival Ricks College, undefeated and ranked second in the nation at the time. The Rebels clinched the WSFL Conference title with a win against Scottsdale in their final game of the season. Dixie State is no stranger to the Dixie Rotary Bowl and has been victorious in ten of the fifteen Dixie Rotary Bowls since 1986.
"It’s been a great thrill for me to be a part of fourteen of the fifteen Dixie Rotary Bowls," said DSC head coach Greg Croshaw, now in his twentieth season at the helm of the Rebels. "That’s been tremendous for our program, and we look forward to it again this year. We’re excited and thrilled to have an opportunity to play such a fine team from Minnesota with a background that Rochester has."
The Rochester Yellowjackets, fresh off a 12-0 season and NJCAA Div. III National Championship in 2000, bulldozed their way through their first ten games, beating their
opponent by an average of 34 points a game. After being ranked as high as third in the nation and cinching the MCCC Southern Division championship, RCTC ended the season one victory and just two points shy of a perfect season. The Yellowjackets lost 14-13 to Fergus Falls Community College, MN, which ended the regular season ranked fifteenth nationally.
"We are delighted to have a chance to play in this bowl," said RCTC head coach Tom Hosier. "We had the unfortunate loss at the end of the season where we missed a field goal on the last play of the game that could have kept our undefeated record in tact, and didn’t know if the Rotary Bowl would still be interested in us. We’re delighted and complimented that the committee would still look at us as a worthy opponent, and we’re looking forward to the game."
The Yellowjackets are a team that, as described by Hosier, runs the ball one-third of the time and throws the other one-third. They are led by sophomore running back Rod Malone who rushed for 1,360 yards this season, averaging over 120 yards per game on the ground and leading the team with 18 touchdowns. Quarterback Ryan Hulke passed for 1,724 in 2001 and was responsible for 17 Yellowjacket touchdowns. Brian Bridges led the team in receiving with 844 yards and nine touchdowns on the season. Freshman kicker Rhys Lloyd is one of the top kickers in the nation and lays claim to over 100 RCTC points this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, RCTC’s secondary is led by Jordan Wagner and Tony Deweese who have seven and five interceptions respectively on the season.
The Dixie State ground attack is headed by Joe Lomu and Aaron Sain who rushed for 1,006 yards and 463 yards and scored nine and five touchdowns respectively. Josh Adams led the team in receiving with an average of 69 yards per game. Lomu and Adams led the team in scoring with 54 points and nine touchdowns each. Freshman Waylon Bond became the Rebels’ triggerman after QB Jared Lowe went down with an injury early in the season. Bond led DSC with 901 yards passing and eight touchdowns in seven games as a starter. Ron Green and Chris Stucki anchor the offensive line and were named Coach Croshaw’s offensive players of the year.
The Rebel defense is anchored by defensive lineman Scott Young who led the team with 15.5 sacks.

Pre-game activities for the 2001 Dixie Rotary Bowl begin at 11:30 am on Dec. 1. Kickoff
is at noon in Hansen Stadium on the campus of Dixie State College. Cost for reserved seats is $10, $5 for general admission.

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Humanitarian doctor to present at DSC’s Dixie Forum
(St. George, UT – Nov. 21, 2001) Dr. Kelly Reber, a podiatrist from Flagstaff, AZ, will present at the next Dixie Forum: A Window on the World on Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 12 pm in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College. Reber has been all over the world on humanitarian missions. Over the past ten years, he has made volunteer medical trips to Armenia, Brazil, Cambodia, Mexico and Kuwait and Iraq in 1992. Dr. Reber is full of stories of his team's dedication as they go to countries around the world where their services are so badly needed.
"There are many cases that fill our eyes with tears," Reber said. "There is an eleven year-old young man that I did surgery on three months ago. He showed me he is now able to run. He has a big wide smile, but is embarrassed to smile because his teeth are discolored from years of not brushing his teeth. A colleague of mine spent a few hours cleaning and polishing the boy’s teeth, which gave him back his beautiful smile. His grandmother was so happy she could hardly speak."
In addition to his work abroad, Dr. Reber organized the Nothern Arizona Volunteer Medical and Surgical Team along with Burt McKinnon, M.D. and Nurse Karen Litman.
Reber grew up in Littlefield, AZ and has many connections with the St. George area. His mother, sisters, and two of his brothers all live in St. George. Reber attended Virgin Valley High School, Mesa Community College, Brigham Young University, and graduated with his doctorate from the Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine. Reber and his wife, Tamara, have five children.
Both students and community members are invited to attend the forum. Admission is free.

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CEO of InfoWest to speak at next Dixie Forum
(St. George, UT – Nov. 1, 2001) Kelly Nyberg, one of the original founders of InfoWest Internet Services, will speak at the next Dixie Forum: A Window on the World, set to take place Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 12 noon in Dixie State College’s Dunford Auditorium. Nyberg will talk to students and the community about his experiences with the Internet and technology as well as share some insight into the technology industry and the experiences he’s had therein.

"I am delighted to have one of our own graduates as a speaker," said Terre Burton, DSC English professor and coordinator of the forum series. "Kelly pretty much grew up at Dixie, and has built a great commercial success right here in his own home town."
InfoWest provides Internet services from dial-up access to high-speed wireless and DSL across the state of Utah. It is southern Utah's first and largest Internet provider with over 10,000 subscribers. Nyberg has been the president and CEO for the company since it was first established in 1994.
Kelly was born in Provo, Utah and moved to St. George at the age of one. His father, Peter Nyberg, moved their family to St. George to accept a teaching position at Dixie College and ended up spending over 20 years as a professor, dean and also vice-president at the College.
As a southern Utah native growing up in St. George, Kelly attended Dixie High School and Dixie College. He served as vice-president of his class during his freshman, sophomore and junior years. He also served as student body vice-president his senior year at Dixie high school. After high school, Kelly graduated from Dixie College and went on to SUU where he continued his studies to become a doctor. However, somewhere along the way he made some dramatic changes in his career, which brought him into the computer industry.Kelly has been married for 10 years to his wife Rochelle and has three children – Nate, Braden and Alli.

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DSC to host high school students at annual Career Day
(St. George, UT – Nov. 7, 2001) On Tuesday, Nov. 13 over a thousand high school students from Lund, NV to Fredonia, AZ to Escalante, UT will congregate at Dixie State College for the College’s annual Career Day. In all, over 25 schools will be represented. Some will bring their entire student body, consisting of as few as nine students, while others will bring as many as 300 high school seniors. All, however, will come with the same purpose.
"The main goal is to provide up to date career exploration information to students from rural area high schools," said Virginia Woodward, Career Day coordinator and Career Center director at DSC. "We do it because we feel there’s a real need for young people to begin exploring different careers early on. We know they may not know what they’re doing with their future by the time they’re seniors in high school, but this will at least give them a chance to narrow some things down and maybe discard some ideas."
Local professionals representing 86 different occupations will be on hand to help the hundreds of high school students in attendance do just that. Over 100 workshops will be available to choose from, which will give students a look into the intricacies of their chosen careers.
Dixie State students are invited to attend the workshops as well. In fact, classes the morning of Nov. 13 have been cancelled at DSC in order to encourage students to attend.
"We certainly have an interest in our students attending because we know that if they can decide what they want to do, they can get through school for less money and in less time, Woodward said. "We’re not trying to force their hand, but the sooner they can decide, the better off they’ll be."
Studies indicate that if students are heading in a specific direction with regards to a major or career choice, even if they change their mind later, they’re more inclined to stay in school and do better in school.
According to Woodward, it’s a good idea even for those who have selected a career field to attend the workshops specific to their field on the basis that doing so could open the door to options within their field that they hadn’t yet thought of. On the flipside, students may find that the career they’ve chosen isn’t quite what it was cracked up to be.
In addition to high school and college students, community members are invited to attend the Career Day workshops as well.
"At any given time there are people who are unemployed or trying to make a career change," Woodward said. "That’s just kind of a fact of life now that a lot of people are in a mode of retraining and reassessing their careers."
Career Day, now in its twenty-fourth year, was originally established by the vocational director of Washington County School District and the vocational director at the college to provide rural areas with information on vocational careers and careers in general. That focus has remained constant for the most part over the years in order to familiarize students with occupations that may not have as much of a presence in smaller cities as they do in the larger ones.
What haven’t remained constant over the years are the occupations featured on Career Day, due to the ever-changing job market. Change in this regard is a given, according to Woodward, and the workshops are designed accordingly.
"We really need to be training students now, not only to be national employees, but to be global employees," Woodward said. "There will be a lot of people who want to stay here in St. George because they love it, but a lot of people are going to be moving all over the United States and world."
Career Day kicks off at 9 am in DSC’s Cox Auditorium with a general assembly to help orient students to the college campus. Workshop schedules will be sent out to the area high schools prior to Career Day. In all, students and community members will be able to attend up to four different workshops beginning at 9:30 am and running through 1 pm. For workshop schedule information, call (435) 652-7737.

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Environment and Land Use Ethics to Be Discussed at Dixie State College
(St. George, UT – Nov. 1, 2001) The Dixie State College Department of Humanities and Social Sciences will sponsor a presentation by Dr. Elaine Englehardt and Dr. David Keller of Utah Valley State College on Nov. 8 at 1 pm in the Dunford Auditorium on the DSC campus. Englehardt and Keller, both professors of philosophy at UVSC, will present on environmental ethics and the ethics of land use. This event is free and open to the public.
"We encourage members of the community to attend, since land use issues are so timely and relevant in this area," said Louise Excell, associate dean of arts, letters and sciences at Dixie State.
In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Dr. Englehardt is the assistant vice president for academic affairs at UVSC. She has taught ethics, philosophy and communication classes for the past twenty-five years and recently completed a three book series with Harcourt College Publishers in Ethics: "The Organizational Self and Ethical Conduct: Sunlit Virtue and Shadowed Resistance, Interpersonal Communication Ethics: Friends, Intimates, Sexuality, Marriage and Family, and Principled Media Ethics."
Englehardt is currently director of a second grant in excess of $100,000, entitled "Continuing Ethics Across the Curriculum." Over 500 faculty and approximately 10,000 students annually participate in ethics programs and courses as a result of these grants and Englehardt's activities.
She recently received the Governor’s Award for Achievements in the Humanities, presented by the Utah Humanities Council. Englehardt is also the founder of the Center for the Study of Ethics and served as its director from its creation in 1993 until 1999.
Dr. David Keller received a Merit Award from the Utah Humanities Council for his Religion and Views of Nature Conference in 1998. Keller has been the Director of the Center for the Study of Ethics since 1999.
He has also been involved on and off campus in the Ethics Across the Curriculum program. His first book, The Philosophy of Ecology: From Science to Synthesis (co-authored with ecologist Frank Golley), was published in 2000 by the University of Georgia Press, and earned him the Dean’s Scholarship Award for the 2000-2001 academic year.

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DSC Chamber Orchestra to present its Fall Concert
(St. George, UT – Oct 31, 2001) The Dixie State College Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Ronald L. Garner, will present its Fall Concert, Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 8 pm in the Avenna Center Cox Auditorium. The concert is free to the public.
"This year’s Chamber Orchestra is an excellent ensemble of very talented and gifted performers who come to us from throughout Utah as well as states such as Texas,
California, Nevada, and Arizona," said Dr. Garner, director of the ensemble. "It is a joy and a very rewarding experience to be associated with such fine young musicians."
The Chamber Orchestra, a select string ensemble of 25 college students, will present a program featuring the works of Schubert, Pachelbel, Rachmaninoff, Monti, and others.
Soloists will include Jamie Thornton, of Hurricane, who will perform the "Rondo for Solo Violin and String Orchestra," by Schubert, and pianist Andrea Blaney, of Salt Lake City, who will be featured in the orchestra’s presentation of "Les Miserables."
In addition, the orchestra will play Renaissance dances and Irish, Scottish, and Gypsy folk pieces. Both students and community members are invited to attend.

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DSC students gear up for service project to benefit one of St. George’s own, turn to community for help
(St. George, UT – Oct. 31, 2001) Students at Dixie State College are gearing up for a service project to benefit one of St. George’s own and are asking the community for help. A yard sale will be held at the DSC Old Gymnasium on 700 East, Saturday, Nov. 10 from 8 am to 12 noon. A silent auction will also be held for certain items. All proceeds from the yard sale will benefit the recovery and rehabilitation of eight year-old Nathan Petersen, son of Mark and Becky Petersen, who was recently involved in a near-drowning accident.
"Mark and Becky both have played a large role in our community for a long time," said Donna Stafford, DSC director of student activities. "These are people who have given a lot to St. George and we need St. George to help us give back. Every time they turn around, there’s another expense relating to this accident, and nothing is cheap when it comes to medical expenses."
Students are asking community members and business leaders to get involved by donating items for the yard sale. A donation drop-off will be in place beginning Thursday, Nov. 1. Items can be dropped off at the DSC parking lot at 300 South 700 East between noon and 6 pm through Friday, Nov. 9. Donation pick-ups can also be arranged by calling the DSC student government offices at (435) 652-7517.
"We understand that a lot of people have been hit hard for donations, especially the past two months," said Connor Shakespeare, DSC student body president who’s spearheading the service project. " We’re looking for things that could sell at a yard sale, maybe things that people can’t sell themselves, but that are still in good shape."
"People can do a little ‘fall-cleaning’ between now and Nov. 10," Stafford said. "Most people have things around their house that they no longer have a need for, but that someone else may. As the old saying goes, ‘One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.’"
DSC students have also looked to local businesses to donate items to the yard sale. Letters have been sent to many businesses throughout the community, but according to Stafford, they’ve heard back from only a few.
"We’re really hoping that many of our local businesses will remember this event and jump on the bandwagon and help us," Stafford said. "We know that a lot of them have been hit as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks, but this is for one of our own here at home."
The service project is part of the "Campus to Community" program, new this year to Dixie State College. Stafford has seen a lot of student service projects carried out over the years, but has never seen a student government push service as much as Shakespeare and those surrounding him are this year. The student theme for the year is "Back to the Basics," and, according to Shakespeare, service seemed to be a natural fit.
"The three things we are focusing on this year are academics, school spirit, and community involvement," Shakespeare said. "As part of the ‘Campus to Community’ program, we do one large service project each semester. It wasn’t long after the accident occurred this past summer that we decided to focus our efforts this semester on Nathan. We think this can really make a difference, and we’re proud to have a hand in helping make that difference."
In addition to in kind donations, an account in Nathan’s name has been set up at Beehive Credit Union, 1227 E. 100 South in St. George, phone: (435) 652-9070. Cash donations can also be made by calling Donna Stafford at (435) 652-7513.

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New Four-year program approved at Dixie State College
(St. George, UT – Oct 19, 2001) The Utah Board of Regents today voted on and approved a four-year elementary education program at Dixie State College. Beginning Fall Semester 2002, DSC students will be able to begin pursing a BS degree in elementary education with a state ESL endorsement.
"This is wonderful news, not only to the college, but to the community as a whole and educators throughout Washington County," said Dr. Robert Huddleston, president of Dixie State College. "We’ve worked hard for this and are excited to have it materialize. This program will only add to what we feel is a solid and attractive base of four-year programs at Dixie State College."
This new four-year program joins the four-year business administration and computer information and technology programs at Dixie State. Dr. Michael F. Killeen, the program’s director, is happy with the shape this new program has taken thus far, particularly with regards to the built-in ESL endorsement.
"This will allow our students to not only be effective elementary school teachers, but to effectively manage all of the issues associated with teaching children who don’t speak English as their first language," Killeen said. "We’ll be the first in the state to have the whole endorsement as part of our degree program. The endorsement is actually embedded in the program."
Initially, the program will have a limited enrollment of 30 students, which is consistent with the precedent set by the Board of Regents at the time UVSC began requesting four-year programs. This limited enrollment will be in effect for two to three years while the program gets off its feet and is evaluated by the Board of Regents.
The next step for Dixie State College is to fine-tune the details of the program and prepare to admit students to the program, which will occur during Spring Semester 2002. According to Killeen, there’s already been an outpouring of support throughout the community in the program’s behalf.
"Over the course of the past year in developing this proposal for the program, we’ve entered into what we think is a really good developing partnership with Washington County School District," Killeen said. "They are absolutely excited at the prospect of being able to partner with us in producing the best teachers we possibly can. That’s an exciting piece because the quality of any education program rests on the kind of experiences the students have teaching in the schools themselves."

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DSC Announces Oct 23 Concert
(St. George, UT – Oct 18, 2001) Dixie State College today announced that the Dixie State College music department will present the Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensembles in a combined concert Tuesday, Oct 23. The concert will be held in the Avenna Center Cox Auditorium at 8 pm.
"There is an exciting chemistry in the Symphonic Band this year," said Gary Caldwell, DSC director of bands and conductor for the Southwest Symphony. "This particular group of musicians really creates a kind of simmering energy in their playing. And, they work so well together, learning very difficult music in a relatively short period of time. They are a real joy to work with, and I think people will really enjoy this concert."
The Symphonic Band is a group of 73 college musicians. They perform regularly in various concerts in and around the community. The Oct 23 program will include a variety of pieces including "Hanover Festival" by Phillip Sparke, "March Slav" by Tchaikovsky, Symphonic Suite from "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" by Michael Kamen and "El Camino Real," a Latin Fantasy by Alfred Reed.

The Jazz Ensembles are full 18 piece big bands comprised of accomplished student jazz musicians. The Jazz Bands and Jazz Combos will perform a variety of swing and Latin numbers featuring saxophone soloists Tyson Smith, Sterling Hamilton, John Tilby and on the piano, Kali Terry and Cassidy Larson. The Jazz Combos, directed by Dennis Zwang, are smaller five to seven piece ensembles that feature various soloists.
Cost for the concert is $2 per person or $5 per family. Students with a DSC activity card will be admitted free of charge. Tickets will be available at the door the night of the concert.

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Creativity the subject of next Dixie Forum
(St. George, UT – Oct 18, 2001) Lt. Colonel Bert Walker will be the next guest speaker at Dixie Forum: A Window on the World, new this year at Dixie State College. The forum is slated for Tuesday, Oct 23 at 12 noon in DSC’s Dunford Auditorium. Both students and community members are invited to attend. Walker’s theme will be "Secrets of the Unchained Mind," dealing with how people can better use the creativity they are born with.
"Everybody is creative to one degree or another, but not everyone knows how to unleash that creativity," said Dixie Forum coordinator, Terre Burton. "I think people will leave this forum with a new perspective and approach to creativity."
Walker was born in Springfield, Illinois. He earned a BA in Spanish from Lawrence University and later joined the U.S. Air Force. In the USAF he trained foreign officers, earned a master's degree in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin and quickly rose through the ranks to become a Lt. Colonel in charge of the prestigious Air Command and Staff College at Memphis State University.
During his career, Walker was stationed in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Panama, and Bolivia. He was responsible for training hundreds of foreign officers. Among his favorite topics included how geography builds countries, how to teach well, and using imagination effectively.
Dixie Forum is held every other Tuesday at noon, the next being held on Nov 6. Thus far, this semester’s series has featured a sculptor, a South Indian classical dancer and an opera and Celtic singer. Admission to the forum series is free. For more information, contact Terre Burton at 652-7812.

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Homecoming taking center stage at Dixie State
(St. George, UT Oct 5, 2001) A football game, a parade and a pageant, all rolled into one week, can only mean one thing. Homecoming Week at Dixie State College officially gets under way Tuesday, Oct 8, with the majority of the activities taking place Friday, Oct 12 and Saturday, Oct 13.
All community members are invited to attend, regardless of their tie to the college. "This is a great time of year, one we always look forward to," said Kalynn Larson, alumni association director at DSC. "Homecoming is not only a great tradition that alumni get excited about, but it's a fun time for the entire community. We like to see everyone get involved, whether they're a Dixie State alum or not."
The DSC Homecoming Queen Pageant will lead off this year's activities and will be held Tuesday, Oct 9 at 7 pm in the Cox Auditorium. Over twenty freshman and sophomore candidates will participate. The eventual homecoming queen will qualify for the Miss Utah Pageant. Cost to attend the pageant is $3 per person.
An alumni assembly will be held Friday, Oct 12 at 11 am in the Graff Fine Arts Center. The assembly will feature musical and dancing performances by DSC alumni. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend.
Following the alumni assembly on Oct 12 will be the golden generation luncheon and program, which will be held in the Gardner Center Ballroom at 12 noon. Cost for the luncheon is $10 per person.
The heart of homecoming week kicks off Saturday, Oct 13, beginning with the homecoming parade. The parade begins at 9:30 am. All entries must begin to line up at the parade's starting point at 8:30 am, which will be between 200 E. and 400 E. on 100 South. From there, the parade route, as it traditionally has, will turn on Flood Street, with the majority running down Tabernacle. Any entries should have already contacted Donna Stafford at 652-7513.
Immediately following the parade will be the DSC Founder's Day Assembly and Hall of Fame, which will be held in the St. George Tabernacle Saturday at 10:30 am. Some of DSC's senior-most alumni will be recognized, including graduates from 1918 through 1931. The public is invited to attend at no cost.
The DSC Alumni Association tailgate party gets underway Saturday, Oct 13 at noon, after which the Rebels host New Mexico Military. Kickoff is at 1 PM Food at the tailgate party is free to DSC alumni. Non-alumni are invited to attend the regularly held college tailgate party. Cost to attend the game is $5.
The week wraps up the night of Oct 13 with the alumni banquet, which will be held at 7 PM and promises to be one of the highlights of this year's homecoming festivities. Originally, the banquet was scheduled to be held in the Dixie College Gymnasium. The location of the banquet has been changed to the Burns Arena. Speaking at this year's banquet will be St. George native, Dr. LeRoy Neilson Nisson. Dr. Ron Garner, a professor of music at DSC for 47 years, is this year's distinguished alumnus. Cost is $11 to attend the banquet.
Tickets for the luncheon and banquet can be purchased at the North Administration Building from Kalynn Larson who can be contacted at 652-7535 or via email at larson@dixie.edu. Tickets may also be purchased from Dan Watson at the Alumni House located at 658 E. 200 S. Phone: 652-7538.

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New coordinator in place at this semester at DSC’s Hurricane Center
(St. George, UT – Oct 4, 2001) The Dixie State College Hurricane Center is not only currently undergoing a face-lift, but its administration has recently changed faces as well. Dr. Dave Nichols is the center’s new coordinator this fall semester.
"It’s an excellent college -- top of the line," Nichols said. "They don’t come much better. This is a quality institution. The people here take great pride in the worth of education. The pioneers that settled this valley were people who believed in the importance of education, and it shows up very strongly at Dixie State College."
Nichols should know a thing or two about what goes into making an institution a quality one. He has been involved in education his entire career. Nichols got his first taste of teaching while at BYU pursuing his master’s degree. He taught natural history and anatomy laboratory classes and knew right then that he wanted a career in academia.
"I enjoyed working with the students, and that’s kind of where I formally made the decision to go into education," Nichols said. "I knew, though, that I didn’t want to teach at the high school level because I knew what kind of high school student I was and what kind of trouble I gave my teachers."
Nichols, accordingly, went straight to the community college level. The community college movement was just getting underway about the time Nichols graduated from college, and that new market appealed to him from the get go. He landed his first job at Lincoln Trail College, a brand new institution at the time, in eastern Illinois. Because it was brand new, Nichols wore many hats. One year after starting as science chair/professor, he was named chair over academics for the entire college. He remained at Lincoln Trail for three years, teaching full-time and taking on administrative duties part-time.
Being from the western U.S., and an avid downhill skier, Nichols always wanted to return to the west. That opportunity to move west came in 1974 at Northland Pioneer College (NPC) in Arizona, again, a brand new college full of opportunity and just a stone’s throw from the skiing of the White Mountains. NPC has campuses throughout northeastern Arizona.
A founding faculty member/administrator once again, Nichols took on a variety of duties. He began at Northland Pioneer as a life sciences instructor, the only one at the college at the time. Because there were so few professors, each inherited the administrative responsibilities over their respective programs. Nichols’ administrative duties increased as time went on. During his tenure, he worked as assistant dean of instruction and later as associate dean of instruction. At one point, one-half of all academic programs fell under Nichols’ jurisdiction. Before he knew it, Nichols had been at Northland Pioneer for 25 years and was eligible for early retirement.
"I had accumulated the necessary points, opened that door and said, ‘It’s time to go into another door somewhere else,’" Nichols said.
Before shutting the door completely, Nichols left his administrative duties and went back to teaching part-time for two years at Northland Pioneer. During that time, he commuted once a week from St. George, having already moved his family in order to be more centrally located to extended family. Soon thereafter, the door opened to Dixie State College.
Nichols comes to DSC at a time when the Hurricane Center is undergoing considerable growth. Construction on a 4,600 sq. foot addition began this year in August. The addition will nearly double the size of the center and is expected to be finished in time for spring semester in January 2002.
"The addition is really going to mean that we’ll be able to serve the growth that’s occurring in Hurricane with higher education," Nichols said. "I think that it may not be many more years, if not possibly a year after this building is done, before the next one may be in the planning stages."
In addition to his new position at Dixie State College, Nichols is a small businessman on the side. He and his wife, Sue, own a small resort, Double B Lodge, in the White Mountains near Sunrise Ski Resort. The lodge also serves as a retreat from the southern Arizona summer heat. Nichols and his wife have seven children, five daughters and two sons, and eight grandchildren.
Nichols holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology with a minor in botany, which he earned at Brigham Young University. He holds a master’s degree in vertebrate zoology with a composite minor in community college education and botany, which he also earned at BYU. Lastly, he holds a doctorate degree in leadership in higher education, which he completed at Northern Arizona University in 1996.
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Dixie State College has offered classes in Hurricane since 1995. Until construction of the Hurricane Center was completed in 2000, classes were held at Hurricane High School. The center sits on 8 acres of partially developed land, all of which was privately donated. Over 400 students are currently enrolled in fall semester classes at the center, which is located at 112 South 700 West in Hurricane, UT.

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New DSC Hall of Fame inductees to be honored during Homecoming Week
(Oct 4, 2001) Dixie State College will honor three individuals and one couple as this year's inductees into the Hall of Fame. Each inductee, or their representative, will be presented a medallion at the Fourth Annual Hall of Fame Ceremony to be held in conjunction with Homecoming Founder's Day activities on Saturday, Oct 13, at 11 am in the St. George Tabernacle.
"Our Hall of Fame has provided a unique forum to honor individuals who have contributed so much to the great stature that Dixie has attained over the years," said Dr. Robert Huddleston, college president. "We are grateful to the many people who have dedicated their careers and given so much time toward the success of this institution."
Along with the medallion, individual plaques with a photograph of each award recipient will be presented during the ceremony. The photos and plaques will join the past 45 inductees at the Wall of Fame located at the Avenna Center in the Cox Auditorium. Following the ceremony, each inductee, where possible, will be asked to spend an hour with students in their area of recognition answering questions during a short presentation.
This year's inductees and their areas of recognition are:

Val A. Browning Social Science and Humanities
Val A. Browning is a major benefactor of Dixie State College. His generous donations have enabled the college to add the Val A. Browning Learning Resource Center and the Val A. Browning Library to Dixie State's campus. In addition, Browning has provided a nursing endowment for scholarships to Dixie State's new LPN Nursing program. Browning was born in Ogden and graduated from Ogden High School in 1913. He then spent one year at the Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre in Liege, Belgium, studying factory methods of firearms manufacturing and learning the French language. Browning then studied engineering and law at Cornell University. He holds an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities Degree from Dixie State College and an Honorary Doctorate in Science from Weber State University. The late Val Browning and his wife, Ann Chaffin (also deceased) are the parents of four children.

During World War I, Browning was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army and was immediately ordered to France to teach instructors at the three U.S. Army machine gun schools. He was sent to the front with the 79th American Division as a machine gun trouble-shooter and instructor and to report on the performance of Browning machine guns and automatic rifles under combat conditions. Browning was then stationed in Washington, D.C. where he received his discharge, returning to become an assistant to his father in the development and manufacturing of firearms.

Hugh M. Woodward Education Known as the "Father of Dixie,"
Hugh M. Woodward (deceased) was the pioneer president of Dixie State College. Under his leadership, the original administration building of pink sandstone and the gymnasium were constructed on Main Street in downtown St. George. Through his efforts, approval was given in 1916 for the establishment of Dixie Normal College. During his tenure as president, Dixie's enrollment fluctuated between 15 to 122 students. He served as president from 1911 to 1918. He wrote the first student body charter and instituted the first student body government at Dixie State.

William Rolfe Kerr Education
William Rolfe Kerr, served as Dixie's 12th president. He spearheaded the cooperative education work program with local businesses, brought about salary increases for the faculty, and promoted closer ties between college and community. It was Dr. Kerr's conception of an educational, cultural, and recreational facility that resulted in the building of the Dixie Center. During Kerr's tenure, enrollment rose to 1589 students, and a new trades and industries building was built and dedicated in 1980. Later in his career, he served as Utah Commissioner of Higher Education.

He was sustained as a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1996. He was serving as President of the Church's Texas Dallas Mission at the time of his call. He is currently serving as a member of the Church's Utah South Area Presidency.

Kerr was born and raised in Tremonton, Utah. He married Janeil Raybould of Rexburg, Idaho, in 1960. They have six children and nine grandchildren. Robert N. and Peggy Sears Fine and Performing Arts Together, Robert (deceased) and Peggy Sears have been a major force behind cultural enrichment at Dixie State College.

Every February, Dixie State hosts the Robert N. and Peggy Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show. A retired vice president of Phillips Petroleum, Robert worked tirelessly with Peggy to establish a quality art invitational at the college. The show has become one of the most popular, well-attended exhibits in the state of Utah. Funds from the sale of the exhibit's art work are applied toward the eventual construction of an art museum on the college campus, and the proceeds from each yearly exhibit help bring the dream of the museum closer to a reality.

The Sears organized the first advisory council for Dixie State College and Robert served as chairman for the first three years. They were also a driving force behind generating funds and gave generously of their personal assets. They contributed to numerous scholarships and created an art scholarship endowment in addition to donating sculptures, paintings, and enabling the creation of the sculpture garden on campus. In 1990, the Sears were awarded the Utah Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts.
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South Indian dancer next up at Dixie Forum
(Oct 1, 2001) Neela Moorty, an expert in the South Indian dance form Bharata Natyam, will present and perform at the next Dixie Forum: A Window on the World.

The performance will be held in DSC's Dunford Auditorium Tuesday, Act 9 at 12 noon. "Bharata Natyam has enriched my life," Moorty said. "It is an extremely challenging discipline that has tested me mentally, physically, and emotionally. Dancing has not only allowed me to appreciate my rich heritage, but it has brought joy and beauty into my life."

Bharata Natyam is among the oldest and most popular and widely performed dance styles of India. It's known for its wide range of hand movements and positions, which are poetically symbolic in nature and often have religious meaning. Moorty first learned Bharata Natyam from guru Smt. Viji Aunty at the age of 10 in Los Angeles. Moorty later moved to her native state, Utah, to attend high school, but that didn't put a stop to her dance lessons. Moorty's mother routinely drove her from Utah to Los Angeles, every other weekend in fact.

She has participated in many Shakti productions, including Moha Mudgara, Purandara Daasa, Meera, Thyagaraja, and Women of the Mahabharata. In 1997, Moorty toured the West Coast and Canada with the Shakti Dance Company as part of the dance ballet Shyama.

Moorty is no stranger to southern Utah. She attended high school at Cedar City High where she won the Sterling Scholar Award in dance, not to mention graduating with a 4.0 GPA. From there, Moorty went on to graduate from SUU and later from Yale University with a degree in Political Science.

While at Yale, she performed and choreographed group dances for many cultural shows and was a founding member of the eclectic dance group, A Different Drum. Moorty currently works in San Francisco with a health care consulting firm. "I feel quite lucky that I had the opportunity to learn about different types of ethnic arts and traditions when I was at college in the East," Moorty said. "In fact, I would say that it was one of the highlights of my college education. I am happy to bring this rich and unique form of cultural awareness back to southern Utah."

Dixie Forum is held every other week on Tuesdays in the DSC Dunford Auditorium. Lt. Colonel Bert Walker will present at the forum Act 23 at 12 noon and will talk about how people can better use the creativity they are born with.

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Opera singer to perform at Dixie Forum
(St. George, UT Sept 21, 2001) Marta Burton, a coloratura soprano, will be appearing at the next Dixie Forum: A Window on the World in the Dunford Auditorium at Dixie State College at 12 noon on Tuesday, Sept 25. She will be talking with Dixie students and other interested people about the life of an aspiring actress and singer and her own experiences as a performer.

Her presentation and performance are open to the public. Burton's resume is an impressive one. She first appeared on stage as the youngest daughter of the King of Siam in the popular musical "The King and I." "She has always loved theatre, showed her talent early, and has spent years refining it," said DSC Professor Terre Burton who scheduled the performance and who also happens to be Marta's mother. "I think it will be worth the audience's while to come see her perform."

Burton has regularly appeared in musicals and operas, and has, more recently, sung with a number of symphony orchestras, including solo performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Although Burton's specialty is opera, she also sings Celtic music, American folk music, and musical theatre numbers. She recently completed a three-month tour with The Norwegian Dream as it cruised through the Baltic, playing the lead in "Crazy for You." This last week she participated in benefit concerts in New York City with Opera Works, singing the U.S. premier of John Tavener's "The Child Lived."

Although she did not grow up in St. George or attend Dixie State College, Burton has ties with both because her parents, Lou and Terre Burton, teach in the English Department at the college. Burton, who attended a community college in Cheyenne, Wyo., feels she has a lot in common with Dixie students. She participated in community and college theater while she was growing up, very much enjoyed the experiences of attending a small college, and has a deep love for the American West.

The Dixie Forum: A Window on the World is presented every other Tuesday. On Oct 9th, Neela Moorta will appear and discuss and demonstrate the classical dances of South India.

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DSC Elderhostel bound for the 2002 Olympics
(Sept. 24, 2001) Dixie State College's Elderhostel program is sponsoring a course that will take Elderhostel students to the 2002 Olympic games in Salt Lake City, UT, and spots are filling up quickly. "It's been an extremely popular ticket thus far," said DSC Elderhostel director Ann Durfey. "The first two weeks are completely filled up. The second two weeks have space available, but we expect them to fill up shortly after phone registration begins."

Telephone registration begins Tuesday, Sept 25. The toll free number to register is 1-877-426-8056. Registration can also be done in person at 123 East 100 South in St. George or online at www.elderhostel.org. Due to popularity, waiting lists are also in place, according to Durfey. In all, four different course sections are currently being offered in six and ten day increments, which will run through the entire month of February 2002.

Up to 44 people can enroll for each program week. Opening week begins Feb 1 and will run through Feb 10, cost is $2,436. Enrollees will attend four Olympic events, which include Ski Jumping: K90 Individual, Cross-Country Skiing: Women's 15K, Men's Alpine Skiing; and Figure Skating: Pairs Short Program. Opening week enrollees will also attend opening ceremonies at one of the downtown locations.

The Olympic events highlighting week two, Feb 10 ¼ 15, are Figure Skating: Men's Short Program and Cross Country Skiing: Men's 10 km. Cost for six days is $1,377.

Week three, which runs Feb 15 ¼ 20, will feature Figure Skating: Dance Original and Cross Country Skiing: Women's 1.5 km Sprint. Cost for six days is $1,377.

Closing week runs Feb 20 to Mar 1 and includes Men's and Women's Short Track Speed Skating, Women's Curling, Bobsleigh: 4-Man and Cross Country Skiing: Men's 50 km classical. Cost for closing week (week four) is $2,336.

"This is an excellent value," Durfey said. "We researched other Olympic packages deals available and most start at $3,000, and many of those packages don't include everything an Elderhostel package includes. There are many very expensive packages out there, but we think we have put together a great experience at a fine price."

Common denominators of all four weeks include, among other things, Olympics Arts Festival events, including a performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, classes dealing with Greek society and culture and Olympic history, and tours of Olympic Park in Park City and other Olympic venues, including Olympic Village.

Each group will also attend a medals ceremony at Olympic Legacy Plaza. Excursions each week also include a tour of Salt Lake City with lectures on its history and a cruise on the Great Salt Lake. Participants must be 55 years of age or older. Younger students are not eligible unless they accompany a participant that falls in that age category.

Though the academic content will be at a college level, the course is not a traditional, credit-based college course. In addition to classes and events, rates include food, lodging and transportation to and from events. Travel arrangements and airfare (if applicable) to Salt Lake City are the responsibility of the individual. Early arrival and stay-over is available at the Elderhostel facility in St. George. For more information, visit www.dixie.edu/elderhostel or contact Ann Durfey at (435) 673-3704 or durfey@dixie.edu

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DSC Announces Memorial Concert for Victims of Terrorist Attacks

(Sept 25, 2001) Dixie State College today announced that the Dixie State musical department, under the direction of Dr. Jong Hyun Kim, will host a memorial concert Sunday, Oct 14 at 8 pm in the Cox Auditorium. The concert will be in honor of those who lost their lives in the Sept 11 attacks on America.

"Personally, I think this was an attack on all of humanity," Kim said. "As a musician, I want to do something special for those innocent victims and their grieving families. And I feel that the material we've chosen for this concert is most appropriate given this tragic occasion."

The event will feature the Dixie State Chamber Orchestra, Southwest Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Singers, Women's Ensemble, Southwest Chorale and the Dixie State College Chorus in a combined presentation of Brahms requiem.

Different from the traditional setting of the Roman Catholic requiem, Brahms text is non-denominational and focuses solely on faith and hope.

Both the public and students are welcome to attend. Tickets must be reserved in advance at the Cox Auditorium ticket office. The concert is free of charge, but donations are appreciated. To reserve tickets, call (435) 652-7800.

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Lt. Governor delivers message to DSC students
(Sept 27, 2001) Lt. Governor Olene Walker was at Dixie State College this morning to promote her "No Vote, No Voice" campaign to DSC students. The campaign is designed to increase student participation at the voting booth and in politics in general.

Walker has been the driving force behind the registration of college students in the state over the past couple of years. She continued with that theme and urged students to get involved in the political process early on. "It's great to come up to the legislature when it's in session and lobby," Walker said. "That's great, but if you really want to do something, by then it's too late. You need to be getting your issue before the individual legislators now. You need to start with your own legislators, build a good case, and take it to others."

Dixie State students are familiar with what it takes to get involved. According to director of student activities, Donna Stafford, DSC saw the greatest increase in student voter registration of any higher education institution in the state this past presidential election. "We're proud of that statistic because it is so important to get involved," Stafford said. "We feel that it is vital for students to understand they can make a difference, and we're happy to continue our support of the Lt. Governor in increasing involvement."

Walker has invested effort and time in increasing voter participation, particularly among young people. Both in Utah and across the nation, Walker has heard just about every excuse in the book, along with numerous complaints. However, she grew up in a home where complaining came at a price. "My parents didn't tolerate complaining," she explained. "They always said if it's worth complaining about, you'd better get busy and do something about it. If it isn't worth doing something about, you have no right to complain."

Walker urged students who have a complaint about local, state or federal government to get involved and fix it. "If you're concerned about what might be happening at Dixie State College and you have a complaint, get involved," Walker told students. According to Walker, involvement is fundamental to democracy, a way of life that has had added meaning since Sept 11. "(Our nation's tragedy) has brought us together and maybe made us realize and think a little more about our freedoms."

Walker didn't shy away form making a few suggestions on just how to get involved. She mentioned the myriad boards that exist in the state of Utah, ranging from the city council to the library board, and urged students to take their involvement to the very top. "I would encourage all of you to look into running for office," Walker said. "And for heaven's sakes, if you're not going to run, look around you and find people who share your values and ideas and help them run."

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DSC Announces Fall Semester New Student Orientation Schedule
(August 8, 2001) Classes at Dixie State College officially begin Aug. 21, but new students will get their first taste of DSC a day earlier. August 20, marks the beginning of "WOW Week," or "Week of Welcome," a full week geared specifically towards orienting, welcoming and getting new DSC students involved from day one.

DSC director of student activities, Donna Stafford, is involved annually in the planning of "WOW Week" and places a lot of stock in this first week of school. "This is one of the most important weeks of a student's academic career," Stafford said. "Everyone comes here with a clean slate. Everyone comes from their own individual institution to a situation where Dixie State College is now everyone's institution. It's important that students feel like they're a part of the college, and ÝWOW Week' facilitates this."

James Malinchak, contributing author to the "Chicken Soup" series and author of "From College To The Real World," will kick off orientation week as the keynote speaker on Monday. Students will have the opportunity to join the approximately 40 clubs that are available on campus during a club rush, which will be held Aug. 24. Other highlights of the week will be a movie night, an improvisational comedy show, a carnival, and a dance in the Gardner Ballroom.

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Registration time at Dixie State College
(August 8, 2001) Fall Semester at Dixie State is less than two weeks away, and registration for classes is in full swing. Enrollment is up nearly three percent over last year, and the registration system is equipped to take on all comers.

The main concern, according to Bill Fowler, vice president for student services, is that many classes are already full and others are filling up quickly. "Only sixty percent of our new freshman students have registered for their classes," Fowler said. "In order for them to sign up for the classes they want, at the times they prefer, they need to complete registration as soon as possible."

Among those classes that are proving popular this fall semester are those offered in DSC's new four-year Business Administration and Computer and Information Technology programs. Approximately 150 students are already registered in classes associated with these programs, up significantly from last year's total. A large percentage of those students dragging their feet appear to reside right here in Washington County. "Our records show that many local students have not completed their class schedules," Fowler said. "They need to come in as soon as possible to finalize their classes for the August 20 beginning of fall semester."

In addition to registering in person, students can register for classes on the telephone by calling 652-7777, or over the Internet, accessible at www.dixie.edu in the admissions and registration section.

As the August 20 starting date approaches, Vice President Fowler recommends that students register in person at the college with the help of an advisor who can register students on the computer system as they meet. For those who choose to attend school on a part-time basis, DSC waives the fees (cost of tuition still applies) for students who carry a workload of three credits or less. For help selecting courses, students may call 652-7690.

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Groundbreaking SET set for new DSC facility in Hurricane
(AUG. 16, 2001) The Dixie State College Hurricane Center is about to nearly double in size, yet at zero cost to the college. Construction on a second building, which will be completely financed by private donations, will officially begin during a public groundbreaking ceremony Aug. 22 at 10 am.

Before the Alan Joseph Stout Hurricane Center was dedicated in Sept. 2000, a donor approached DSC administrators and proposed that this second building be built as well. "It's a little unusual that people have that much love for their community that they'll step forward and be that generous," said Stan Plewe, DSC vice president of administration and information services.
Currently, the 6,005 sq. foot center houses two large classrooms and a computer lab. In addition, DSC borrows classroom space at Hurricane High School to accommodate student demand.

The expansion will consist of an additional 4,600 sq. feet, mainly of classroom space, which will be built onto the existing building. In all, four new classrooms will be added to the center. "This will allow us to be more self-contained and use less of the high school," Plewe said. "Instead of having two rooms that accommodate sixty each, these smaller rooms will allow us to have a little more variety in the center." And given Hurricane's growth over the past ten years, every bit helps.

Census data indicates that Hurricane has experienced a 110% percent growth increase over the past ten years, growing from 3,915 in 1990 to a population of 8,250 in 2000. According to Plewe, however, this addition to the Hurricane Center is good news not only to the residents of Hurricane, but to all of Washington County.

In addition to Hurricaneñ LaVerkin, Toquerville, Springdale, Virgin and Rockville are the main cities the DSC Hurricane Center is geared towards serving. "The east county area is one of the fastest growing areas in southern Utah," Plewe said. "It's an important function of a community college to reach out to the community, and the Hurricane Center allows us to provide our services to these particular communities. Instead of driving 50 miles from Springdale to St. George to take classes, for example, the Hurricane Center helps cut back on some of that travel time."

According to Hurricane Center director Dave Nichols, this new addition to the Hurricane Center is crucial in order to keep pace with the county's growth. "The addition is really going to mean that we'll be able to serve the growth that's occurring with higher education," Nichols said. "I think that it may not be many more years, if not possibly a year after this building is done, before the next one may in the planning stages."

Construction is scheduled to run through the end of fall semester. Noise from the construction is expected to be minimal and isn't expected to disturb classes. It will also help that only evening classes are scheduled during the construction phase. For Nichols, however, a little noise is a small price to pay for what's to come. "I like the sound of hammers and nails and sawing because that means that things are being built," Nichols said. "If it takes a little construction noise and a little inconvenience, we'll certainly try and do the best we can to live with it until it's done."

DSC administrators hope to have the project completed in time for the start of spring semester in January 2002. Ceremonies will be held on site at 112 South 700 W. in Hurricane. Welcoming and remarks begin at 10 am, with the official groundbreaking ceremony beginning at 10:30 am. Refreshments will be served at 10:45 am. Both the public and media are welcome to attend.

Dixie State College has offered classes in Hurricane since 1995. Until construction of the Hurricane Center was completed in 2000, classes were held at Hurricane High School. The Center sits on 8 acres of partially developed land, which was all privately donated. The Center's director is Dr. Dave Nichols who is new to DSC this fall semester. Currently, over 300 students have registered for fall semester classes at the Hurricane Center. The Hurricane Center is located at 112 South 700 West in Hurricane, UT.

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Dixie Students Win Three 1st Place International Awards

In a year already bright with national recognition for Dixie State College, the DEX (Business Marketing) Club came away from the International Career Development Conference with three international awards, the best showing in the school's history. The annual May competition took place in Anaheim, California.

"While Dixie has always had an excellent national reputation with our marketing students, often winning one international first place award each year, this year we came away with three," said Brent Snow, marketing professor and club advisor. "This was a truly amazing success for our students and for Dixie State College. "Snow noted that out of 20 events, Dixie won two individual first place awards and one first place team award. Wiley McArthur, of St. George, took first place in Retail Merchandising. Bryan Stewart, of Hurricane, took first place in the nation in Human Resource Management Decision Making. The team contest included Gabrielle McArthur (Wiley's wife), and her multi-state team took first place in the Culinary Arts Institute competition.

Other top awards included Scott Seegmiller, California, who finished in the top 15 in Financial Management and Marketing.

"Overall, there are 2000 competitors from 35 states," said Snow. "Dixie won 15 percent of the first place awards. That is an remarkable achievement." Snow is assisted by instructor Shari Gowers who also traveled with the team to California.

"It is so rewarding to be associated with these students," said Snow. "The kids are competent, refreshing; willing to study and work hard, and they represent themselves extremely well among other college students."

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Dixie State To Confer 1,272 Degrees and Certificates

Dixie State College will award a total of 1,272 degrees and certificates at the 90th annual commencement exercises on May 4, at 6 pm in the Avenna Center Burns Arena. The college will also award its first two bachelor degrees at the ceremonies.

David Checketts, president and CEO of Madison Square Garden and former executive director for the Utah Jazz, will address the graduates. He will also be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.

Hayley Devey will represent the school's four valedictorians by also speaking to the graduates. She is the daughter of Melanee Dulfon and the late Michael Devey. Hayley grew up in a small community called Quichipa, located ten miles west of Cedar City.

In addition to Devey, class valedictorians for 2001 will be Matthew Wayne Bettridge, son of Jim and Suzanne Bettridge, Milford, Utah; Chauntelle Joy Plewe, daughter of Stanley and Barbara Plewe; and Kimberly Wilson, married to Scott Wilson, of St. George.

A total of 874 associate degrees will be conferred, including Dixie State's first two bachelor degrees ever, plus 398 vocational and technical certificates will be awarded.

The graduates hail from 28 Utah counties, 24 states and four foreign countries, and they range in age from 17 to 61 years. The class represents six Asian American/Pacific Islanders, five Black students, 25 Hispanics, 14 Native American/Alaska Natives, eight international students and 808 white students.

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Dixie State College Names Four Valedictorians
Dixie State College of Utah has named four valedictorians for the Class of 2001. Earning top honors from a field of 874 students receiving associate degrees, all four students have achieved a 4.0 grade point average during their two years at Dixie. They will be honored at the 90th Commencement Exercises on Fri. May 4, at 6 PM in the Avenna Center Burns Arena.

Hayley Devey will represent the four valedictorians by addressing the graduating class. She is the daughter of Melanee Dulfon and the late Michael Devey. Hayley is a native of Utah; she grew up in a small community called Quichipa, located ten miles west of Cedar City. In 1995 she graduated from Cedar City high school and spent the following three years as a nomad. After realizing the world was too tough without an education, she decided to attend Dixie State College.

While at Dixie she developed a passion for learning. Much of her interest was in the biological sciences; she became especially familiar with the "study of life" when she gave birth to her daughter, Indigo. With Indigo came immense joy, as well as a greater appreciation (and need) for an education and the inspiration to follow her dream of one day getting her Ph.D. Along with her desire to learn, Hayley is also very passionate about nature and animals. She will incorporate this passion into her educational goals at the University of Santa Cruz, where she will major in marine biology, earn a Ph.D. and swim with the dolphins.

Matthew Wayne Bettridge was born February 23, 1977 to Jim and Suzanne Bettridge. He is the fifth of seven children. He was born in Coalville, Utah and at age one moved with his family too Milford, Utah. Matt attended Milford Elementary and Milford High School and graduated in 1996 as the valedictorian of his class. After a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Edinburgh, Scotland he returned to Utah. He then moved to St. George in 1999 to attend Dixie State College. He has always been interested in the fields of Science and will be transferring to Utah State University to study Aerospace Engineering.

Chauntelle Joy Plewe is the seventh child of Stanley and Barbara Plewe. Her grandparents are Melvin and Ellen Going and Jared and Melba Plewe. She is very honored to receive this recognition.

She graduated from Dixie High School with honors as well as the service academy cord. In high school she served as an officer of the Jetette drill team and as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seminary council. She received the President's Youth Service award for her involvement in the Youth Volunteer Corps and R.A.S.K. (service club).

Chauntelle came to Dixie on both academic and dance scholarships. She has loved her experience at Dixie State College and says her teachers have taught her as much about life as she has learned about academics. Along with her school work, she assists teaching dance to children.

Following graduation, Chauntelle will continue her education at Dixie State College to receive the Visual Technologies certificate. She then plans to attend BYU and study public relations and communications. She hopes to become a public relations manager for a dance company or non-profit organization.

Kimberly Wilson has lived most of her life in Salina, Utah where she also graduated as valedictorian of her class at North Sevier High School. She started her higher education at Southern Utah University but decided to come down to sunny St. George to complete her Associate of Science Degree and attend the practical nursing program. She plans now to further her education by completing the RN program and eventually a BSN program at the University of Utah.

Kimberly's long range goal is to become a nurse practitioner or a nurse-midwife. She says she finds great satisfaction in helping others through nursing and it is her desire to encompass the traits of great nurses in Dixie State College's nursing program.

Married to Scott Wilson, Kimberly enjoys eating her husband's good cooking. She likes to read, run, play the piano, hike, swim, camp, watch movies, play miniature golf and spend time with her family. She is the oldest of five children and she insists that if she had to describe herself in one word, it would be "intense."

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Dixie State College to award distinguished citizens awards at commencement
Dixie State College will honor two local individuals with Distinguished Citizen Awards at the 90th Commencement Exercises on May 4, 2001. Being honored are Larry Jewell and Jonna Stout.

"These individuals have provided Dixie State College with long years of devoted service as well as excelled in other areas of community and national involvement," said President Robert Huddleston. "We're pleased to recognize their many achievements at this time of commencement."

Larry Jewell began his broadcast career at KUER while attending the University of Utah. After graduating with a B.S. degree in political science, he worked in Sidney, Nebraska. A move to Brigham City, Utah occurred in 1972 after his marriage to Pam Husband, also a University of Utah graduate. His next move was to Salt Lake City for a brief stint with KWHO. Finally he chose a station in St. George which offered an ideal mix of sports, news, and feature broadcast opportunities.

Dixie State College has been a major factor in Larry's broadcasting experience in southern Utah. He was the voice of Dixie State for eighteen seasons of football and basketball and four seasons of baseball. Highlights included post season play-by-play of bowl games, two JUCO World Series tournaments, and three trips to Hutchinson, Kansas, which included broadcasting the national championship.

From fall of 1993 to spring of 2000, Larry taught two radio classes as a part-time adjunct professor at Dixie.

His daughters, Tamara and April, earned associate degrees from Dixie State. A son, Skyler, attended Southern Utah University for one year and is now serving in the New York, Rochester Mission.

Larry has served in many leadership positions in his church and community, including six years on the Southern Utah Federal Credit Union Board of Directors, coaching and umpiring Little League, singing with and serving as M.C. for the Color Country Chorus, volunteering his talents as M.C. For city princess pageants, 4-H award nights and other community events as well as judging college forensics and high school academic decathlons.

His trade mark "Take care now, ya hear!" can be heard at the end of every St. George (formerly Zion) Pioneerzz broadcast during the summer.

Larry has cherished every chance to serve and appreciates Dixie State College for providing so many opportunities.

Jonna Pulsipher Stout was born in Bunkerville, Nevada eight months after her father's death. Her mother, Cleone Pulsipher, raised Jonna and her five siblings in Bunkerville until they moved to Hurricane. When World War II broke out the family returned to Nevada, where Cleone worked making parachutes at Nellis Air Force Base.

After the war the family returned to Hurricane, where Jonna finished high school and met and married her sweetheart., Boyd Crawford Stout. After their first son, Stephen, was born they moved to Las Vegas where Boyd went into banking and accounting. They were blessed with four more children: Larry, Ken Annette, and Jon, who was adopted. They have also been foster parents to eleven children. Jonna was a full-time mother and strongly believes in the importance of mothers being in the home.

In 1972, Jonna and her family returned to the Hurricane Valley to partner with Boyd's brother in establishing Stout Home Furnishings. Boyd died in 1985 after a lingering illness.

Jonna is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She has worked with the youth, the sports program and girls camp. She served as Primary President four times, Young Women's President four times and stake young women's president. Boyd and Jonna supported their own sons and also sponsored three others as missionaries. She is currently serving her fourth mission for her church.

Jonna is an active member of the service club, Buenos Amigas, in Hurricane. She served as President in 1990. Today, the highlights of Jonna's life are her twenty-five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

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Madison Square Garden CEO To Address Dixie State Graduates
The 90th Commencement Exercises will be held at Dixie State College on May 4, at 6:00 p.m. in the Avenna Center Burns Arena. David W. Checketts, president and chief executive officer of Madison Square Garden will address the graduates. He will also accept an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities Degree.

David W. Checketts was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Madison Square Garden on September 20, 1994. Since then, the company has made tremendous strides in providing a vast array of sports and entertainment excitement to millions of people.

The 45-year old Checketts oversees all operations of one of the most powerful sports and entertainment companies globally, including the "World's Most Famous Arena" and its three sports franchises--the New York Knickerbockers of the NBA, the New York Rangers of the NHL and the New York Liberty of the WNBA--along with the award-winning MSG Network and FOX Sports Net New York. In keeping with the Garden's tradition as a sports and entertainment showplace, he has also fostered an expanded commitment to hosting live entertainment, family shows, and the renewal of the great legacy of Garden Boxing. In 1997, he negotiated the lease agreement for Radio City Music Hall and the purchase of Radio City Productions, which provide boundless entertainment opportunities for the company.

Checketts serves as a governor for both the Knicks in the NBA and the Rangers in the NHL. For the NBA, he is on the planning committee for the future of the league, as well as being one of nine members serving on the NBA's Labor Relations committee. He also serves on the operating committee for the WNBA.

While overseeing the most comprehensive and ambitious restoration of Radio City Music Hall in its storied history, Checketts continues to expand the reach and visibility of the Hall's hallmark events.

Dave began his career at the Garden as Knicks President in March 1991. In his four full seasons in that position, the team finished in first place three times, made it to the Eastern Conference Finals twice and emerged as Eastern Conference Champions in 1994. He came to the Knicks from the National Basketball Association headquarters, where he had served as Vice President and General Manager of NBA International since September 1990. Checkets spent six years with the Utah Jazz, beginning in 1983, and during that time brought the team into prominence as one of the NBA's most efficient and successful organizations. It also made Dave, at 28, the youngest chief executive in the NBA.

Committed to the community, in 1998 Checketts established the Madison Square Garden "Cheering for Children" Foundation, which represents all areas of the Garden (including the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers, the New York Liberty, MSG Networks and Radio City Entertainment) in its commitment to the community. In 1999, the Foundation, working to strengthen after-school programs throughout New York's five boroughs, established the Cheering for Children After-School Initiative, and committed resources valued at more than two million dollars in its first year alone.

Dave earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Utah after attending Brigham Young University. He later earned his MBA from BYU. He is co-founder and board member of Professional Team Physicians (PTP) and serves on the board of Spalding Sports International and Jet Blue, a new airline starting this year.

Checketts lives in Connecticut with his wife Deb and their six children-Spence