Dixie State College of Utah | Public Relations

Back To Public Relations

"A Sense of Spring" Exhibit on Display at Dixie State College
(ST. GEORGE, Utah May 5, 2008) "A Sense of Spring" art exhibit, created by St. George mixed media artist Don Parker, is on display in the Eccles Fine Arts Center Grand Foyer and will remain for public viewing through August at Dixie State College. The exhibit is open Monday-through-Thursday from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with the exception of May 26 (Memorial Day) and July 24 (Utah Pioneer Day).

The exhibit includes ten of Parker's recent works portraying flowers, including the pieces "Grand Duchess," "Perfect Harmony," and "Magnolia Magic."

"People are very much like flowers . . . they hide when their world is full of darkness, but when there is peace and love in their world, they open their petals and show their beauty," explained Parker. "This display celebrates Spring and the coming of peace."

Kathy Cieslewicz, curator and director of the DSC Eccles Fine Arts Center Sears Art Museum Gallery, said patrons who make the effort to view this display will be well rewarded. "Parker's use of brilliant hues splashed across the large canvasses has some visitors claiming they can almost hear the bees buzzing from flower to flower," she said.

Parker worked for 22 years as a stained glass artist in Sonoma County, California, with the last eight years spent painting and creating in acrylics and polymers. His works have been displayed in numerous galleries in California, Nevada, and Utah. Parker and his wife, Chris, have lived in St. George for the past 18 years.

Dixie State College Tabs Glenn Webb as First-Ever Chair of Music Department
(ST. GEORGE, Utah May 5, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah's Fine Arts Department has announced the appointment of Glenn Webb as the department's first-ever Chair of Music. Webb will begin his duties as chair this August prior to the start of DSC's 2008 fall semester.

"I am honored to be appointed the first chair of the Music Department at Dixie State College," Webb said. "It is a thrill to work with so many accomplished musicians and teachers in our department."

Webb currently serves as music department lecturer and advisor, along with duties as director of the Dixie State Jazz Ensemble, the Percussion Ensemble and the Varsity Band. He noted that the establishment of a music department at DSC is a sign of the institution's commitment to providing support for a proposed bachelor's degree in music in the near future.

"We do look forward to additional growth in numbers and excellence and continuing to build upon the well-developed foundation in music at Dixie State College," Webb added. "We also will continue to partner with our colleagues in theater on their outstanding productions."

Webb holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Weber State University and Master's of Music degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Utah. Webb has instructed bands and orchestras in Utah public schools for the past 14 years and has served as conductor and music director for Sandy City summer musicals for nine years. He is a solo percussionist with the Canyonlands New Music Ensemble and principal percussion with Ballet West.

In addition, Webb freelances with the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera. He was also a featured performer in the 2002 Cultural Olympiad with the Jose Limon Dance Company and Repertory Dance Theater.

"The formation of a music department is a significant milestone in the fine arts department at Dixie State College," said Dr. Brent Hansen, DSC associate dean of arts and letters. "It is very exciting for us to have this happen."

Dixie State College Confers 1,168 Degrees and Certificates Friday
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – May 2, 2007) Dixie State College of Utah conferred a total of 1,168 degrees and certificates Friday evening at its 97th-annual Commencement Exercises held at the Avenna Center Burns Arena.

The College awarded a total of 924 degrees, including 153 bachelor degrees, the largest baccalaureate graduating class in school history, and 771 associate degrees. In addition, 244 vocational and technical certificates were awarded.

Retired KSL-TV news anchor Dick Nourse delivered the keynote address to Dixie State’s Class of 2008, and challenged each graduate to volunteer to make the world they enter a better place.

“Be that volunteer, that is my challenge to you,” Nourse urged the graduates. “I feel that the greatest reason we are on this earth is to help one another. There will come a time in your lifetimes, if not already, when you will need all the help you can get, and will be called upon to give all the help you can give.”

Nourse recalled a number of instances in American and world history where volunteerism helped shape and in some instances, change the course of history. He also noted parallels from national and international headlines both from the past and present day and encouraged the graduates to create their own legacy as they journey through life.

“Write your own story” Nourse said. “Embrace everything life has to offer, both its challenges and successes. Let your story be that piece of good news, one of giving, loving and of lifting up others.”

Of the 153 baccalaureate degrees awarded Friday, 113 degrees came from three of Dixie State’s four-year programs – business administration (50), elementary education (43) and computer & information technology (20). The college also graduated nine students in its third-ever four-year nursing graduating class.

The College awarded degrees to 13 students from its final communication and new media class as well as the first three graduates in its new communication program. In addition, DSC conferred degrees to its first-ever baccalaureate classes in three other programs, including seven students in accounting, five students in English and three students in biology.

Four foreign countries (Canada, The Philippines, Portugal and Japan) and 31 states were represented in the Class of 2008. Over 83 percent of DSC’s graduates called Utah home (973 students), with 27 of the state’s 29 counties represented, while nearly two-thirds of those students (631) hailed from Washington County. Female graduates constituted just over 60 percent of the class, while the class ranges in age from 18 to 71.

Kellie Marie Carter from Enterprise, Utah, and Ashley Soper from St. George represented DSC’s Baccalaureate class as Valedictorians, with Carter serving as speaker, while Whitney Phillips from St. George spoke on behalf of the Associate Degree graduate class. DSC student Stacy Lloyd James, who passed away earlier this academic year, was awarded his bachelor’s degree in Computer and Information Technology posthumously.

In addition to his keynote address, Mr. Nourse was awarded an honorary degree, while Dr. Michael Anderson, Ray Carpenter, Dr. Scott Parry, Edna Mae Miller Sampson and Darcy A. Stewart received Distinguished Citizens awards for their exemplary service to the college and community.

Dixie State College Set to Transition to Summer Four-Day Work Week
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – May 2, 2008) For the sixth consecutive summer, Dixie State College of Utah will transition to a four-day work schedule, operating on a 10-hour a day workweek Monday through Thursday beginning this Monday, May 5. The schedule will remain in effect during the summer months through Friday, Aug. 15. The college will resume its regular schedule on Monday, Aug. 18.

The majority of college employees will work Monday through Thursday, with offices opening to students and the public from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. College employees will have a 30-minute break for lunch.

The college first experimented with the four-day summer schedule in 2003. The change in schedule has allowed the college to cut down on air conditioning and electricity costs. While variables change year to year and savings are difficult to predict, the college’s executive director of business services, Scott Talbot, estimates that the four-day workweek has saved the college nearly $40,000 in utility expenses each year in past years.

The measure has coincided with a statewide push to conserve power. In recent years, the state has plugged conservation as part of the state’s PowerForward alert system, a color-coded system that encourages electricity use during the summer according to daily circumstances.

Certain buildings and departments on the DSC campus will remain open five days a week, including DSC’s Student Services department offices to assist current and future students’ needs in registration, admission, school relations/recruiting, financial aid, advisement, testing and assessment, security and recreation. In addition, all Friday classes throughout summer semester will continue as scheduled, and summer semester will not be affected by the four-day workweek schedule.

This year’s summer schedule consists of two five-week blocks, which begin May 19 and June 21 respectively, and an eight-week block that begins May 19. To register for summer courses, call 435-652-7701 or logon at www.dixie.edu/reg.

Dixie State College Hands Out Year-End Dixie Awards
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – May 1, 2008) The winners of the 2008 Dixie Awards at Dixie State College were announced Thursday afternoon at the Dixie Awards Ceremony, held in the Gardner Center Ballroom on campus. The annual year-end awards program recognizes students, faculty, and staff who have excelled in various areas of achievement. The Dixie Awards, formerly the Rebel Awards, have been a tradition at the college since the 1960s.

Twenty-four students were presented awards in a number of academic emphases. The winners included Linda Spainhower from St. George in education; Justine Jolley from Washington, Utah, in early childhood/FCS/PEHR; Myndie Carter from St. George in developmental studies; Terri Draper from Enterprise, Utah, in human communication; Casie McNaughton from El Cajon, Calif.; in mass communication (print); Jared Burton from Tooele, Utah, in mass communication (electronic); Matt Butler from Salt Lake City in film production; Alan Houston from Leamington, Utah, in literary studies; Elaina Westegaard from St. George in professional/technical writing; Matt Conlon from Brigham City, Utah; in art; Diana Bedford from Las Vegas, Nev., in dance; and Kirstin Hoyt from Price, Utah, in music.

Alex R. Gubler from St. George won the Dixie Award for theatre; as did Sean P. Hansen from Hurricane, Utah, in Biology; Ashley Soper from St. George in accounting; Austin Ballard from Hurricane, Utah, in business; Travis Brinkerhoff from St. George in nursing (BSN); Valerie Allen from McCall, Idaho, in nursing (ADN); Amanda Hanson from St. George in dental hygiene; Derron Swensen from St. George in allied health sciences; Adam Szymanski fro St. George in automotive; D.J. Holt from St. George in computer science; Randy Hunt from Fredonia, Ariz., in information technology and Marikrista Orvin from St. George in visual technologies.

In addition, Addy Torres from St. George, was given the “Heart of Dixie” award; Chris Kent of St. George was picked up the “Dixie Spirit” award; and Angela Jones of Las Vegas, Nev., claimed the “Dixie Service” award.

DSC associate professor of English and humanities Ed Reber was voted “Faculty Member of the Year” by the studentbody, while the “Distinguished Service Staff Award” was given to Sheila Cannon. Ned Carnahan, who will be retiring from DSC this summer after 35 years of service in various roles on campus, most recently as Executive Director of Campus Services, was presented with the “Exempt Staff Award.”

Also recognized at the ceremony were the college’s 2007-08 valedictorians and honors graduates. In addition, the ASDSC Officers for the upcoming 2008-09 academic year were also introduced and sworn in. Brock Bybee, a junior communication major from Roy, Utah, took the oath to become the new ASDSC president, while Dewey Denning, a sophomore business major from Idaho Falls, Idaho, will serve as vice president.

Dixie State College President Stephen Nadauld to Address DSC Colleagues Meeting This Monday
(ST. GEORGE, Utah May 1, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah President Dr. Stephen D. Nadauld will address the next President's Colleagues of Dixie State meeting this Monday, May 5, at 12 noon, in the Dunford Auditorium of the Browning Resource Center on the DSC campus. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Dr. Nadauld will share with his ideas and insights about Dixie State College, and his plans for the institution as it contributes to workforce and economic development in Washington County and the State of Utah.Nadauld was appointed interim president of DSC on March 27, 2008.

Previously, he had served as president of Weber State University from 1985 to 1990. He has also held several positions at Brigham Young University's Marriott Graduate School of Management, including director of the Master of Business Administration program from 1980-1983, and assistant and associate professor of finance from 1976-1983. Nadauld has also served as an instructor of finance at both the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Utah.

A native of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Nadauld earned a doctorate from UC-Berkeley, a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, and a bachelor's degree in chemistry, with minors in mathematics, physics and French from BYU. He has also attended the University of Idaho and Ricks College. In addition, he currently serves as a board member for the Deseret Book Corporation, the O.C. Tanner Corporation, and the Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority.

The President's Colleagues of Dixie State College, founded 15 years ago by former DSC President Dr. Douglas Alder, is a group of retired professors and other professionals who live mostly in the St. George and Washington County area. Dr. Alder, who also started an Honors Program at DSC, organized the Colleagues as a way to increase academic activities on campus. The Colleagues meet together once a month during the academic year to hear presentations from each other and/or invited guests.

Five to be Honored as Distinguished Citizens at Dixie State College's Commencement Ceremony Friday
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 30, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah will honor five Washington County residents during the college’s 97th Annual Commencement Exercises this Friday, May 2, in the Avenna Center Burns Arena. Dr. Michael Anderson, Ray Carpenter, Dr. Scott Parry, Edna Mae Miller Sampson and Darcy A. Stewart, will be recognized as Distinguished Citizens for their exemplary service to the college and community.

Dr. Michael Anderson graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine in 1983. In 1988, following four additional years of specialty training in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine, he moved with his wife, Kelly, and their boys to St. George. For the past 15 years Dr. Anderson and his partners at Coral Desert Orthopaedics, including fellow award recipient Dr. Scott Parry, have enjoyed providing Dixie State College with medical coverage for their athletic teams. As an ardent supporter of Dixie State College athletics, Dr. Anderson has both raised funds and contributed generously to the men’s and women’s athletic programs.

His practice, in addition to sports medicine, has focused on a special interest in surgery for arthritis of the hip, knee and shoulder. When not in the office his passion for landscape photography and mountain climbing has taken him to the red rock canyons of Zion and Bryce National Parks and as far south as Antarctica, where had an opportunity to assist in a production of an IMAX film.

Ray Carpenter was born in St. George in 1940. He began his education in the basement of a building that housed the only library in the county, where thanks to a dedicated teacher, Mrs. Schmutz, he spent extra time inspiring him to read and enjoy it. He pursued higher education at a number of institutions in California, including San Jose State and Stanford Universities, where he continued his education while working as a research engineer.

As a research engineer, Carpenter helped design the first all-magnetic logic for computers in a project for NASA. He also assisted in the design and building of the first laser beam (on film) for the National Security Agency, for which he subsequently taught operation of the machine in Langley, Va. He also designed the RF circuits for the Air Force version of the machine.

Carpenter would eventually return to his hometown of St. George, where he managed Jones Intercable operations during its growth from 850 subscribers to 7,000 overall. He taught evening classes at Dixie College in the trades area for over 15 years. He served as chief engineer for several radio and television stations, and presently serves as president of TSM, Inc., and CEO of and chairman of the board of American Wireless, Inc.

Carpenter served his country in the Utah National Guard from 1956 to 1968, having worked his way through the ranks to become an Army Artillery Office, while serving at Ford Ord, Fort Lewis and Fort Sill. He and his wife, Madge, have been married for 48 years and have five children, 16 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. The couple also claim many “adopted” or extended family members. Washington County has always been his “home” and he is delighted to see the advancement of this area.

Dr. Scott Parry was born in Bellingham, Wash., in October, 1963, though he has seen a lot of the United States while growing up, having lived in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cleveland, Tampa and the Washington D.C. area. He served an LDS Church mission to Switzerland and France, before returning to the States and to Utah in particular, where he graduated with valedictorian honors from Brigham Young University in Biology and Agriculture in 1987. He went on to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he earned his M.D. in 1991.

After completing five years of residency training in orthopaedic surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., Dr. Parry settled with his wife, Robyn, and now five children in Santa Clara. He earned his board certification in orthopaedic surgery and enjoys practicing in the St. George area. He co-founded Coral Desert Orthopaedics with fellow award recipient, Dr. Michael Anderson.

One of his favorite activities is attending Dixie State College athletic events, particularly football, basketball and baseball, while assisting the Rebel programs as the team physician for the past 12 years. Dr. Parry enjoys the outdoor recreation opportunities in Utah and can be found skiing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, and hiking locally, as well as hunting game around the world.

Dixie College alumnus Edna Mae Miller Sampson has devoted her life to education. She graduated with an associate degree from Dixie College before moving on to Utah State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, Geology and Language Arts. She also completed graduate studies at USU, the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and the University of Michigan.

Mrs. Sampson to the St. George area and served for 11 years as a teacher in the Washington County School District, along with a three-year stint as a director of a community school, and four years as an owner/teacher of a pre-school. In addition to her teaching roles, Mrs. Sampson served on many academic boards and foundations, including a six-year tenure as a trustee at Southern Utah University, where she served as vice-chair. She served Dixie College as a board member of the Dixie College Scholarship Foundation and DSC Capital Campaign. She also had a role on two presidential search committees, and served a term as president of the Dixie College Alumni Association.

Additionally, Mrs. Sampson was a member of the Utah Academic Decathlon board, and served six years on the Washington County School Foundation, for which she worked as chairperson for the restoration of the Woodward School Building. She also had a prominent presence in a number of civic organizations, serving on the St. George Planning and Zoning Committee, including a two-year term as chairperson, and four years as vice chair of the Dixie Regional Medical Center Foundation. She also chaired the Washington County Council on Aging, served as vice president of the Southwest Guild for Performing Arts, and as president of both the Ladies Lion Club and VFW Auxiliary.

Mrs. Sampson’s hobbies include family, hiking, travel, reading, cooking, serving on the Heritage Choir board and as a docent for the Dixie Art Musuem. She is also a Red Cross swimming and lifeguard instructor. She and her husband, Doyle, are the parents of four children and are the proud grandparents of seven grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.

Darcy A. Stewart is the managing partner and co-developer of SunRiver St. George, Utah’s only master-planned active adult golf community. Since 1998, SunRiver has constructed over 1400 quality-crafted homes, and provided a host of amenities including two fully staffed community centers exceeding 35,000 square feet of fun. Recently completed is a beautiful full service restaurant, The Riverwalk Grill, which supports SunRiver Golf Club, an 18-hole championship course.

For the seventh year in a row, SunRiver St. George has been named one of “America’s 100 Best Master-Planned Communities” by Where to Retire Magazine, a national publication, and has received national awards for model merchandising and the Technology Award for Best Connected Community by NAHB. Under Stewart’s leadership, SunRiver has recently established a satellite campus for Dixie State College and has hosted the Fire and Ice Scholarship Fund Raising Event for the last three years. In October of 2007, SunRiver was inducted into the Huntsman World Senior Games Hall of Fame for sponsorship and volunteer support over the previous ten years. SunRiver has also partnered with Dixie Escalante to host the annual Kite Festival since its inception, rewarding readers throughout the Washington County School District. SunRiver has also partnered with Intermountain Healthcare and SunRiver residents to contribute from each home closing a sum totaling near $250,000 to date.

Stewart has developed nearly 100,000 square feet of professional and medical offices, several residential real estate communities in St. George and surrounding mixed use and commercial properties. During development of commercial parcels near the Dinosaur Museum, rare dinosaur fossils were discovered and donated to the Dinosaur Discovery Center at Johnson Farms. He currently serves on the museum board and continues to be active in civic affairs.

Stewart and his wife, Colleen, have 7 children and 11 grandchildren and have enjoyed residing in St. George over the past 15 years. He loves his family and playing with his grandkids. He also enjoys photography, travel, his Harley and his new found hobby, flying.

Dixie State’s 2008 commencement exercises will begin at 6 p.m., with recently retired KSL-TV news anchor Dick Nourse serving as commencement speaker. Graduates will march from DSC’s Dolores Dore’ Eccles Fine Arts Center down the palm-lined walkway to the Burns Arena beginning at 5:30 p.m. The community is invited to participate in all commencement activities.

The annual President’s Reception and Graduate Luncheon will be held earlier that day from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the DSC Gardner Center Ballroom. The luncheon is free to graduates, while extra tickets may be purchased for $11. Tickets are available at the DSC ticket office. In addition, the annual Dixie Awards (formerly the Rebel Awards) ceremony will be held Thursday, May 1, from 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., also in the Gardner Center Ballroom.
Dixie State College to Confer 1,163 Degrees and Certificates Friday Evening
(ST. GEORGE, Utah April 28, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah will graduate its largest baccalaureate class ever at its 97th Annual Commencement Exercises this Friday, May 2, at 6 p.m., in the Avenna Center Burns Arena.

To date, the college is slated to confer a total of 919 total degrees, including 153 bachelor's degrees, an increase of over 14 percent from last year (134 bachelor's degrees), along with 766 associate degrees. In addition, 244 vocational and technical certificates will be awarded.

Of the 153 baccalaureate degrees awarded Friday, 113 of those will come from three of DSC's four-year programs business administration (50), elementary education (43) and computer & information technology (20). The College will also graduate 13 students from its final communication and new media program as well as the first three students from its new communication program.

In addition, DSC will graduate its first-ever baccalaureate classes in four other programs, including seven students in accounting, five students in English and three students in biology. The College will also confer degrees to nine students in its four-year nursing program, the third-ever graduating class in that discipline.

Four foreign countries (Canada, The Philippines, Portugal and Japan) and 31 states are represented in the Class of 2008. Over 83 percent of DSC's graduates call Utah home (973 students), with 27 of the state's 29 counties represented, while nearly two-thirds of those students (631) hail from Washington County. Female graduates constitute just over 60 percent of the class, while the class ranges in age from 18 to 71.

Kellie Marie Carter, a senior elementary education major from Enterprise, Utah, will serve as the Baccalaureate Degree Valedictorian commencement speaker. Whitney Phillips, a sophomore communication major from St. George, will represent the class as Associate Degree Valedictorian commencement speaker.

One honorary doctorate degree will be awarded during the exercises, with commencement speaker Dick Nourse receiving the honor. In addition, Dr.

Michael Anderson, Ray Carpenter, Dr. Scott Parry, Edna Mae Miller Sampson and Darcy A. Stewart, will be recognized as Distinguished Citizens for their exemplary service to the college and community.

Dixie State's 2008 commencement exercises will begin at 6 p.m., with recently retired KSL-TV news anchor Dick Nourse serving as commencement speaker. Graduates will march from DSC's Dolores Dore' Eccles Fine Arts Center down the palm-lined walkway to the Burns Arena beginning at 5:30 p.m. The community is invited to participate in all commencement activities.

The annual President's Reception and Graduate Luncheon will be held earlier that day from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the DSC Gardner Center Ballroom. The luncheon is free to graduates, while extra tickets may be purchased for $11.

Tickets are available at the DSC ticket office. In addition, the annual Dixie Awards (formerly the Rebel Awards) ceremony will be held Thursday, May 1, from 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., also in the Gardner Center Ballroom.

Dixie State College of Utah Annouces 2008 Valedictorians
(ST. GEORGE, Utah April 25, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah has announced who will represent the graduating class of 2008 as Valedictorians at the College's 97th commencement exercises Friday, May 2, at the Avenna Center Burns Arena.

Kellie Marie Carter, a senior elementary education major from Enterprise, Utah, will serve as the Baccalaureate Degree Valedictorian commencement speaker, while Whitney Phillips, sophomore communication major from St.

George, will represent the class as Associate Degree Valedictorian commencement speaker.

Carter is the daughter of Cort and Kristine Clove and is married to Matthew Carter. She graduated from Enterprise High School in 2004, and would go on to receive her associates of science degree from Dixie State in 2006, before entering DSC¹s Elementary Education program. Carter has enjoyed the elementary education program very much and also appreciated the friends she has made in the program, including other students, professors and all who work in the Education Department. In August, she will begin her career teaching third grade at Bloomington Elementary in St. George.

Phillips and her family, including parents Burton and Kathy Phillips and three siblings, moved to St. George from Tetonia, Idaho, during her senior year in high school. She had previously attended Teton High School in Driggs, Idaho, where she was a member of high school volleyball, basketball and softball teams, which taught her to be a team player in every aspect of life. Phillips would go on to graduate with honors from Dixie High School in 2006. Phillips knows the importance of being a student who is involved with the campus. She currently writes for DSC's Dixie Sun student newspaper works as a tutor in the DSC Writing Center, which are two experiences she hopes will help her to achieve her goal of becoming a journalist.

The Valedictorian award is judged not only upon grades, but difficulty of courses completed. The recipient must have a cumulative GPA of 3.90 to 4.00.

Dixie State's 2008 commencement exercises will begin at 6 p.m., with recently retired KSL-TV news anchor Dick Nourse serving as commencement speaker. Graduates will march from DSC¹s Dolores Dore' Eccles Fine Arts Center down the palm-lined walkway to the Burns Arena beginning at 5:30 p.m.The community is invited to participate in all commencement activities.

Dixie State College to Host Tedesca String Quarter Concert April 27
(ST. GEORGE, Utah April 24, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah's Fine Arts Department is hosting an evening of chamber music featuring The Tedesca String Quartet this Sunday evening, April 27, at 7:30 p.m., at the DSC Dolores Dore' Eccles Fine Arts Center Concert Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Tedesca Quartet's program will feature Dimitri Shostakovich's String Quartet in C minor No. 8 op. 110, and Maurice Ravel's String Quartet in F Major. The Quartet is made up of founding members Bonnie Romkey (violin), Victoria Andrus (viola) and Tracie Price (cello), who all perform as principle string players in the Southwest Symphony, along with DSC violin and string professor Dr. Paul Abegg (violin). Abegg also serves as concertmaster of the Southwest Symphony.

The Tedesca Quartet was formed in the fall of 2006, and debuted on Dec. 12, 2006, at the Eccles Fine Arts Center, with a recital comprised of Benjamin Britten's Simple Symphony, and Beethoven's Quartet in E-flat, op. 130.

For more information, contact Dr. Abegg at 435-652-7904 or at abegg@dixie.edu.

DSC Theatre Arts Student Guy Smith Wins National Kennedy Center College Theater Competition
(ST. GEORGE, Utah April 23, 2008) Dixie State College sophomore theatre arts student Guy Smith won the national Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) make-up competition held last Friday evening in Washington, D.C. Smith won the title over six other college make-up artists in the nation with his display work and performance in a number of workshops during the five-day festival.

Smith, a graduate of Dixie High School in St. George, earned the trip to the national festival by taking top honors in the KCACTF regional design contest for his makeup designs in DSC¹s production of "Sweeney Todd" last fall. For winning the national award, Smith won $500 and an opportunity to go to New York City next month for a week-long working experience called "The Clam Bake" with world-renowned designer Ming Cho Lee.

"To me personally and professionally, this is huge," Smith said. "I don't think the scale of the entire thing has hit me yet."

Smith added that winning the event only enhances his career aspirations in theatre. Having performed on stage for such theater companies as Tuacahn and St. George Musical Theater, he has pursued his love for acting. Smith admits that the life of an actor can sometimes be a struggle, but he feels having that experience in make-up and design makes him viable for a long career in the art he loves.

"It's overwhelming for me to sit back and think that if I keep working in the direction I'm going, I can guarantee myself work in theater," Smith said. "If I can keep myself afloat with the design processes and the other elements of theater, I¹ll be able to fund myself as a 'starving' actor and always have something to fall back on."

Varlo Davenport, DSC's director of theatre, lauded Smith's countless hours making the "Sweeney Todd" cast look as good as possible. He added that Smith¹s national honor is something that makes the entire DSC theatre department extremely proud.

"This is like winning the national championship for us, especially when you consider that most of the designers in the competitions are graduate students from high profile programs," Davenport said. "Guy will have this on his resume' forever, and that alone could guarantee him professional work."

Davenport went on to say that Smith's chance to work with Ming Cho Lee, a chance which used to be reserved for only the best of Ivy League student designers, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially for an undergraduate lower classman.

"Guy will have a chance to get one-on-one input from one of the best designers in the world," Davenport noted. "That is the type of learning and training very few designers ever get to experience."

For Smith, though, the chance to represent Dixie State's theatre program on a national stage was special and served as motivation to work that much harder at his craft. He hopes that his regional and national sweep of the make-up competition will not only put the DSC theatre department on the map, but serve as a springboard for the program to become a four-year degree emphasis.

"Hopefully this will be put in the back of people's minds that Dixie State's program does a lot of good things, and that¹s going to draw a lot of attention to the whole department," Smith said. "I feel good about doing my part to pull that focus in and show that we¹re doing great work here, so we should have the backing to make this into a four-year program."

Following his trip to New York City in May, Smith will return to St. George, where he will return to the stage at Tuacahn this summer to perform in Les Miserables, The Sound of Music and Big River.

Started in 1969 by Roger L. Stevens, the Kennedy Center's founding chairman, KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide that has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States. The KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF judges. The KCACTF honors excellence of overall production and offers student artists individual recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, criticism, directing and design.

DSC Choral Enesmble Closes 2007-08 Season With Spring Concert This Thursday
(ST. GEORGE, Utah April 22, 2008) The Dixie State College Choral Ensemble will close its 2007-08 concert season with the DSC Spring Choral Concert this Thursday, April 24th, at 7:30 p.m., in the Dolores Dore' Eccles Fine Arts Center Concert Hall on the DSC campus.

The concert, under the direction of Dr. Ken Peterson and Dr. Robert Briggs, will feature a plethora of music, everything from Bach to rock, with some Gospel, sacred and fun music mixed in. All six DSC choral ensembles, including the Women¹s Choir, Men¹s Chorus, Southwest Choral, Chamber Singers, Rebel Chorus, and the Vocal Jazz Project, will be on stage performing for the final time this year.

Tickets for the concert are available at the door for $5 for adults and $1 for DSC students and faculty and staff with ID. For more information about this concert, future concerts or singing at Dixie State College in general, please contact Dr. Peterson at 435-652-7802 or at petersonk@dixie.edu.

DSC's Southern Quill to Host Reading at The Book Cellar
On Friday, April 25 at 4 p.m., The Book Cellar will host a special reading featuring material published in the 2008 edition of Dixie State College¹s student edited literary journal The Southern Quill. For 50 years the Quill has published poetry, prose, and visual art produced by DSC students and residents of Washington County.

This year¹s volume includes works by Phillip Evans Tuckett, Erin Riggs, and Rachel McCausland. The Southern Quill is also pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 Tanner Memorial Poetry Scholarship prizes: Jeffrey Ostler, Dustin Jackson, and Casie McNaughton. The Book Cellar is located at 130 N Main St Suite C.

Contact Dr. Stephen Armstrong at (435) 652-7806 or send email to armstrong@dixie.edu for more information.

DSC Receives State Approval for New Respiratory Therapy Associats Degree Program at Friday Board of Regents Meeting
(ST. GEORGE, Utah April 21, 2008) As part of the institution's continued mission as the region's primary health care training provider, Dixie State College of Utah received approval from the Utah State Board of Regents last Friday morning to offer a new associate degree program in respiratory therapy. Classwork for the degree program will begin at the start of the2008 fall semester this August.

The new respiratory therapy program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to become credentialed, licensed and employed in the field of respiratory care. The program will consist of general education and prerequisite course work, program curriculum courses, theory courses, and laboratory and clinical practice.

Respiratory therapists (as licensed in Utah as Respiratory Care Practitioners [RCPs]) provide direct patient care to a wide variety of patients with disorders or injuries that affect the cardiorespiratory system. These therapies are provided to patients who range from premature infants to the elderly, and are delivered in the acute care (hospital) setting, including neonatal, adult, cardiac and neurologic intensive care units, along with home care and rehabilitative or extended care facilities.

The curricular requirements for the program are determined by the professional accrediting agency, the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). The program evaluation and final accreditation status is awarded by the Committee on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) of the American Medical Association (AMA).

Dixie State College currently offers an array of health sciences programs, including baccalaureate programs in nursing and dental hygiene, along associate and certificate programs in nursing, dental hygiene, emergency care and rescue (EMT/Paramedic), medical radiography, surgical technology and phlebotomy. For a complete listing of DSC¹s health sciences programs, visit www.dixie.edu.

DSC is close to moving its entire health sciences program into the newly-built Russell C. Taylor Health Science Center, which will be located on the Dixie Regional Medical Center¹s River Road Campus. The 78,000-square foot facility will also double as a training facility for the medical center.

In 2000, Dixie State College was granted license to begin offering bachelor¹s degrees in high demand areas, which initially included business administration and computer & information technology. In 2005, the Board of Regents approved a change in mission for Dixie State College, allowing the college to begin offering bachelor¹s degrees in ³core² or ³foundational² areas consistent with four-year colleges.

Several other degrees have since followed, including elementary education (2002), nursing (2004), communication & new media (2005), English (2006), biology (2006), dental hygiene (2007), accounting (2007) communication (replacing communication & new media; 2007) and aviation management (2007).

Earlier this year, DSC received approval by the Regents to offer a new integrated studies baccalaureate degree. Class work for the new degree program will begin at the start of the 2008 fall semester in August.

The integrated studies program consists of common core and select concentrations in nine of disciplines, including business, communication, computer and information technology, English, biology, mathematical sciences, psychology, fine arts and Spanish.

In addition, DSC was given the green light by the Regents to offer a secondary education teaching (SET) licensure program this past December in three emphases; biology, English education and integrated science. Class work for those programs will begin at the start of the 2008 fall semester next August.

Dixie State College will continue to function as a comprehensive community college as well, offering associate degree and certificate programs to its students. Along with the new respiratory therapy program, DSC recently received approval for an early childhood education associate degree program, which has three tracks, including an associate of science (AS) and associate of arts (AA), which are transferable degrees and could serve as a prerequisite for a student to enter a baccalaureate program in elementary education or early childhood development. The third track for the early childhood education degree is an associate of applied science (AAS) track, a two-year terminal working degree with a vocational track. The AAS degree aims to provide students with the skills needed to work in child care services and other care programs.

The overall strategic goal for Dixie State College is to offer core and high demand educational opportunities at both the associate and baccalaureate levels that are consistent with and responsive to the needs of the community. Future programs for Dixie State College will likely center in three primary strategic clusters, which include business & technology, health care & public safety, and education.

Four Dixie State College Students Honored as Governor's Scholars
(ST. GEORGE, UT April 21, 2008) Four Dixie State College students were among 44 Utah college and university students named Governor¹s Scholars at the Third-Annual Governor's Scholars Program luncheon hosted by Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., last week at the Governor¹s mansion in Salt Lake City. The Governor's Scholar Award program is aimed at encouraging higher standards and greater scholarship among some of Utah¹s most promising higher education students.

The Governor honored students from each of Utah's higher education institutions who have demonstrated academic excellence during their freshman or sophomore years. The four Dixie State students who were honored at the luncheon were Kylie Abplanalp, a freshman general studies major from St.

George; Kirstin Hoyt, a junior music major from Price, Utah; Jason Brogly, a computer & information technology major from Santa Clara, Utah; and Jason Burton, a freshman general studies major from St. George.

Now in its third year, the Governor's Scholar Award is designed to encourage more Utah students, early in their college experience, to prepare and apply for prestigious post-graduate scholarships such as the Gates, Marshall, Truman, and Rhodes scholarships.

In addition to the Governor's remarks at the luncheon, the students heard from Southern Utah University President Michael T. Benson, who spoke on his experiences while pursuing his post-graduate education. Students were also encouraged to continue their academic pursuits and pursue civic engagement.

Annual Dixie State College Spring Garden Tour Set to Bloom This Saturday
(ST. GEORGE, Utah April 21, 2008) The annual Dixie Spring Garden Tour will be held Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All proceeds from the Garden Tour go directly toward a Dixie State College scholarship.

This year, numerous privately owned gardens, in the historical downtown area are the focus. Each garden with different landscapes, varying from flowers, vegetables, lush and green, tropical and natural scenes will be on display for public viewing as part of the tour. Different locations are chosen each year for this tour.

"This is a great springtime outdoor event that everyone can enjoy, whether they have a green thumb or not," said Director of Community Education Janet O'Riley, "It's over 20 years of an old tradition in this community, the really motivating part being that it helps further student¹s college education."

The Garden Tour first began in 1986 in Santa Clara and Leeds to help support students who were returning to Dixie College. The American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Lady Lions of St. George, St. George Business and Professional Women (BPW), the Dixie Garden Club, and Community Education sponsor this event.

Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased at the Community Education office at Dixie State College located at 865 East 100 South (North Instructional Building room #119) in St. George, Utah State Extension Office, City of St. George Recreation Center, Plant World Nursery, and Star Nurseries. Participants will receive a map of the gardens with their ticket purchase.

For more information about the Spring Garden Tour, contact Janet O'Riley at 435-652-7671.

Dixie State College Commencement Speaker Announced for May 2 Exercises
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 18, 2008) Retired KSL-TV news anchor Dick Nourse will serve as keynote speaker at the 97th-annual Dixie State College of Utah commencement exercises on Friday, May 2nd, at 6 p.m., at the Avenna Center Burns Arena. Nourse will also receive an honorary degree as part of the commencement exercises.

Nourse, a native of Grand Junction, Colo., was a fixture in Utah homes as a news anchor for 43 years, beginning his career at KSL-TV in 1964. As his career progressed, he gained the distinction of being Mountain America’s most-watched news anchor.

He, along with weatherman Bob Welti and sportscaster Paul James, were together longer than any other news team in the nation. Fittingly, the famed trio were inducted together into the Utah Broadcast Hall of Fame in May of 2000.

In addition to his duties as anchor, Nourse has worked on many news assignments, including a one-month tour of Vietnam in 1967 interviewing Utah military personnel to get their impressions of the war – a high point of his journalistic career. He returned to Vietnam 30 years later to renew acquaintances in that country and attempt to resolve some of his own unrest since the war.

Throughout his career, Nourse has maintained his role as a leader in the community. A two-time cancer survivor himself, he served as honorary chairman of the American Cancer Society and as an honorary board member of the Cancer Wellness House. In 1989, he was honored by President Ronald Reagan as an outstanding survivor of cancer.

Nourse is an honorary chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and has served such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists; Camp Kostopulos and the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation, the Community Council of Cottonwood Hospital; the Great Salt Lake Development Committee; and the Utah Air Force Association. Additionally, he served his country in the United States Army and Air Force, and is active in various veterans’ activities.

He is married to Debra M. Peterson Nourse, formerly of Logan. He has five children, Tiffani (Ryan), Brittani (Nick), Giana (deceased), Deryck and Dayne, and five grandchildren.

Graduates will march from DSC’s Old Gym down the palm-lined walkway to the Burns Arena beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. A President’s Reception and Graduate Luncheon will be held earlier that day from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., DSC Gardner Center Ballroom. The community is invited to participate in all commencement activities.

History Network Executive Director of Programming Carl Lindahl to Address Final Dixie Forum of 2007-08 Academic Year
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 18, 2008) Carl Lindahl, executive director of programming for History (formerly The History Channel) will address the College’s final weekly “Dixie Forum: A Window on the World” convocation this Tuesday, April 22. The Forum will begin at 12 noon, in the Dunford Auditorium of the Browning Resource Center on the DSC campus. Admission is free for all community members, DSC students, faculty and staff.

Lindahl will discuss his presentation entitled “Re-making History,” which chronicles his career and activities with the History network. He has executive produced many of the network’s successful and critically acclaimed specials and series, including Journey To 10,000 BC; History Of The Joke; Lost Book Of Nostradamus; 1968 With Tom Brokaw; Lincoln; Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story Of the Mayflower; Deep Sea Detectives; Man Moment Machine; Blood From A Stone; Titanic’s Achilles Heel; True Caribbean Pirates; Da Vinci & The Code He Lived By; Failure Is Not An Option. Lindahl also served as executive producer for the special Blood From A Stone, a documentary co-created by DSC assistant professor of communication Phil Tuckett.

Prior to his arrival at History, Lindahl served as Executive Producer/VP of Program Production at Turner Broadcasting, overseeing non-fiction programming and promotion for TNT and TCM. He executive produced several Emmy-winning documentaries, including Moment of Impact: Stories of the Pulitzer Prize Photographs; Football America; On Hallowed Ground: Streetball Champions of Rucker Park; Whatever Happened To Micheal Ray Richardson; Muhammad Ali: The Whole Story.

Lindahl, who is a graduate of Ithaca College, previously served as president of Communicreations, a New York production company that developed and produced non-fiction programming, advertising and promotion for clients including CBS, HBO, Cinemax, Turner Broadcasting, and The Discovery Networks.

For further information contact DSC faculty member and Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton at 652-7812 or at burton@dixie.edu.

Dixie State College to Hold Annual Student Ceramic Sale April 23-25
ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 18, 2008) The Dixie State College of Utah art department will hold its annual student ceramic sale this Wednesday-through-Friday, April 23-25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the DSC North Plaza Art Building (west entrance), located on 55 South 900 East.

An annual tradition at the college, the spring ceramic sale is now in its 31st-year. Many DSC art students use the sale to help pay for their college education. Hundreds of hand-made ceramic and pottery pieces will be on sale at reasonable prices. Twenty percent of all proceeds will go to support the DSC art department.
The department holds two ceramic sales each school year, the first coming in December in time for the holiday season, and this sale toward the end of spring semester as well. For more information about the pottery sale, call DSC art professor Glen Blakley at 435-652-7795.

Dixie State College to Host North American Premiere of Soccer Documentary April 26
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 16, 2008) “Where South American futbol meets USA Soccer.” That is the premise of a new documentary film entitled The Golden Age – A Passion to Last a Lifetime, which will make its North American debut with two screenings on the campus of Dixie State College of Utah Saturday, April 26, at the Dolores Dore’ Eccles Fine Arts Center Main Stage Theater. The first screening will be the Spanish-speaking version, which will begin at 5 p.m., followed by the English version at 8 p.m.

The Golden Age is a collaborative effort between DSC alum and assistant professor of communication and retired Emmy Award-winning NFL Films filmmaker Phil Tuckett, who served as the film’s co-producer and director, and six-time Emmy-winning cinematographer Scott Duncan. Tuckett also edited, wrote and served as photographer on the project.

The film, narrated by actor Edward James Olmos, who may appear at the DSC premiere if his schedule permits, documents a season in the life of the Golden Age League, a soccer league in Corona Park in Queens, NY. The league is not just any soccer league, the Golden Age League is a competitive middle-aged men’s league that is made up of former world champions from mostly South American and Central American countries. These incredibly skilled players, their former glory a fond memory with tighter muscles, receded hairlines and expanded waistlines, play at a level never before documented. During the week, these men are window washers, dishwashers, traders, and electricians, but the weekend is theirs. The game may be slightly different, but the passion remains.

The documentary follows the players and teams through the course of a very tumultuous and competitive season, which includes recruiting, betting rings, payoffs, boycotts and expulsion – all the strife and controversy of the professional sports world wide. The film also travels throughout South America to some of the towns where many of these players, along with current professional players, got their start. It is there where the audience will discover the life-long passion that these players’ lives are built on and the honor that will bring two teams together for one final championship match.

Tuckett noted that the premiere of this film at DSC is a culmination of a year and a half journey, which transitioned from his time living in New York to his relocation back to St. George, where he was a student-athlete at Dixie College nearly four decades ago. He added that the film made its international debut at the Guadalajara Film Festival in Mexico last year, but he feels honored to bring the film to Dixie State campus.

“Now that it’s finished, I’m really excited to show the film for the first time in the United States and to hold the premiere here at Dixie State College,” Tuckett said.

Tuckett went on to say that the film’s premiere will be used as a fundraiser for DSC student filmmakers Bobby Bowden and Ben Braten, who were selected to present their short film, Through the Lens, at the 61st Cannes Film Festival next month in French Riviera. Proceeds from ticket sales for the premiere will go to help defray the cost of the trip to France for Bowden and Braten, who are the first two Utah collegiate filmmakers ever to be selected to present at the Cannes Film Festival.

“It’s exciting to be able to help these two talented Dixie State College film students travel to Cannes for the festival,” Tuckett said. “These students are getting an opportunity that never comes to most filmmakers. We’re hoping the money raised at the premiere will help Bobby and Ben make the most of their opportunity to go and experience an event at the pinnacle of filmmaking.”

Tickets for the movie premiere are for $5 for adults, $3 for children 12-under, and are available through DSC Avenna Center Ticket Office at 435-652-7800, or at the door prior to the screenings. For more information on the documentary, visit “www.thegoldenageofsoccer.com.”

Dixie State Hosts Auto Skills Contest for Scholarships
(ST. GEORGE, Utah April 16, 2008) The Automotive Technology Department at Dixie State College of Utah recently hosted its sixth-annual high school automotive trouble shooting skills contest. Over 60 students from a number of area high schools tested their skills in the eight areas of the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) program.

All candidates took a written pre-test to determine the top-20 overall competitors, who then moved on to the actual hands-on competition. The hands-on portion of the contest consisted of 10 skill area work stations which the competitors rotated through, including tool and parts identification, automatic transmission, manual power trains, air conditioning, suspension and steering. Each station in the competition covered the eight areas of ASE professional certification.

The contest's top winner was Michael Harmon of Snow Canyon High School, who took home a full tuition DSC automotive scholarship and a Snap-On rollaway tool storage chest. Placing second and third place respectively this year were Broc Grundy of SCHS and Chris Scott from Hurricane HS, both receiving half-tuition DSC scholarships and tool sets for their efforts. Pine View HS's Kenton Powell was also honored for posting the highest written test score.

Dixie State College's automotive program is an ASE certified concurrent enrollment program that includes both high school and college students. For more information about DSC¹s automotive program, contact Mel Jensen at 435-652-7853.

Spring Students of the Semester Honored at Dixie State College
(ST. GEORGE, Utah April 15, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah paid tribute to the highest number of recipients ever of the Student of the Semester award as 31 students were honored Tuesday afternoon at an awards luncheon held in the Gardner Center Ballroom. Individual departments on campus made the selections based on academic and extracurricular achievement of the students.

The winners included Benjamin O'Barr, a junior from Mesa, Ariz., in two-dimensional art; Matt Conlon, a sophomore from Brigham City, Utah, in ceramics; Darren Nicol, a sophomore from North Salt Lake in automotive technology; Sean Hansen, a senior from Hurricane, Utah, in biology; Melinda Orgill, a senior from Idaho Falls, Idaho, in accounting; Mathew Butler, a senior from South Jordan, Utah, in communication; Amelia Hunt, a sophomore from St. George in dance; Darren Wilstead, a freshman from St. George in general developmental studies; Cameron England, a freshman from Kaysville, Utah, in math developmental studies; Jodilyn Blake, a senior from Ramah, NM, in elementary education; Jami Christensen, a sophomore from Escalante, Utah; in English writing (Fr./So.); Stephanie Foote, a junior from St. George in English-literary emphasis; Cortney Mathews, a junior from St. George in English-professional/technical writing; Raelyn Findley, a sophomore from Salt Lake City in family and consumer sciene; Kirsti Thomas, a senior from St. George in health sciences-dental hygiene; and Laura Johnson, a junior from St. George in health sciences-medical radiography.

In addition, Stefani McKenzi, a sophomore from St. George, received the award in the area of humanities-anthropology/sociology as did Brady Knudson, a freshman from St. George in humanities-foreign language; Marshall Skousen, a sophomore from St. George in humanities-history; Sherilee Bell, a junior from Coalville, Utah, in humanities; Ian Anthony, a freshman St. George in humanities-philosophy; Debra Cook, a junior from Ivins, Utah; in mathematics (Hurricane Education Center); Christine Webb-Munson, a senior from St.

George in mathematics; Sandy Cooper, a senior from North Hollywood, Calif., in nursing (associate program); Tiffany Wells, a senior from Santa Clara, Utah, in nursing (practical); Michelle Higginson, a senior from St. George in nursing (bachelor¹s); Shawn Munson, a junior from St. George in pre-engineering; Jeff Shipley, a senior from St. George in computer science; Jamie Bennion, a senior from St. George in information technology; Thomas C.

Picklesimer, a senior from St. George in visual technology; and Spencer Potter, a sophomore from North Ogden, Utah, in theatre.

Dixie State College to Present End of Semester Voice Student Recitals This Friday
(ST. GEORGE, Utah April 15, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah will present its annual End of the Semester Voice Students Recitals this Friday, April 18, in the Dolores Dore' Eccles Fine Arts Center Concert Hall on the Dixie State College campus. The first recital will be held at 5:30 p.m., followed by a second recital at 7:30 p.m.

The recitals, under the direction of Dr. Ken Peterson, are free and open to DSC students, faculty and staff, and the public.

For more information about this concert, future concerts or singing at Dixie State College in general, please contact the DSC Fine Arts office at 435-652-7790.

DSC Dance Company Takes to the Stage for Annual Spring Concert This Thursday and Friday
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 11, 2008) Soar into spring with a spectacular and moving evening in the art of dance as the Dixie State College Dance Company presents its annual Spring Dance Concert next Thursday and Friday, April 17-18, at 7:30 pm, in the Dolores Dore’ Eccles Fine Arts Center Main Stage Theater on the DSC campus.

The Spring Dance Concert will feature choreographic work from DSC dance students and faculty, along with a number of guest choreographers. The concert will feature a variety of dance styles, including modern, classical and contemporary ballet; ballroom; lyrical and stylized jazz, elegant waltz, funky hip-hop, tap and modern.

The concert is presented under the direction of DSC professor and director of dance Dr. Li Lei, a position she has held since her arrival on campus in 2000. She established the Dixie State Dance Company in 2001, and serves as its artistic director.

Tickets for the concert $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and youth 17-under, and $2 for DSC students and faculty and staff with ID, while group discount tickets are also available. For ticket information, contact the DSC Avenna Center Ticket Office at 435-652-7800.

Playwright and Poet Carol Lynn Pearson to Address Dixie Forum Next Week
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 11, 2008) Well known poet and playwright Carol Lynn Pearson will make two appearances as part Dixie State College’s weekly “Dixie Forum: A Window on the World” series this Monday and Tuesday, April 14-15. Admission to both forums is free for all community members, DSC students, faculty and staff.

Pearson will address a special Monday evening forum at 7:30 p.m., in the Boeing Auditorium (Room 121) of the DSC Udvar-Hazy Business Building. Additionally, she will speak at the regularly scheduled Dixie Forum Tuesday at 12 noon, in the Dunford Auditorium of the Browning Resource Center on the DSC campus.

Pearson Monday evening presentation will focus on her recent play, Facing East, which has been produced in Salt Lake City, San Francisco and New York, and will be produced in St. George later this year. Facing East takes place at the funeral of a young gay Mormon man who committed suicide and deals with the touchy subject of how his loved ones face his death.

Pearson’s Tuesday program will focus on her poetry. She will discuss and read her poetry and talk about the writing process.

“Carol Lynn has a large following in St. George,” said says Dixie Forum coordinator and DSC faculty member Terre Burton. “Many have read her works for years and have been moved by her compassion, her understanding of the emotions of mothers, both young and old, and her sensitivity to many of the more troubling issues of our times. She has an appeal, as well, to students because she remains aware of subjects that concern them. We’re delighted that she can join us again.”

The final Tuesday Dixie Forum of the semester will be held April 22, featuring Carl Lindahl, executive director of programming for History (formerly The History Channel), who will discuss his presentation entitled “Re-Making History.”

For further information contact DSC faculty member and Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton at 652-7812 or at burton@dixie.edu.

Dixie State College to Host Wecome Barbeque for President and Mrs. Nadauld This Wednesday
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 11, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah is inviting residents of St. George and Washington and Kane Counties join the campus community in giving a big Dixie welcome to DSC Interim President and Mrs. Stephen D. Nadauld at a special outdoor barbeque this Wednesday, April 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at the fountain in the center of the DSC campus.

“We wanted to come up with a unique way to introduce President and Mrs. Nadauld to the community,” said DSC spokesperson Steve Johnson. “We expect having this outdoor event on campus at lunchtime will not only bring out our students, faculty and staff, but will be a great opportunity for the community to enjoy our hospitality and meet our new president and his wife in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.”

In addition to the free food, there will be live entertainment, featuring DSC’s Jazz Band, along with appearances by local community leaders and dignitaries. For more information, contact the Dixie State College public relations office at 435-652-7544.

Dixie State Filmmakers Selected to Present at Prestigious Cannes Film Festival in May
(ST. GEORGE, Utah April 10, 2008) Two aspiring Dixie State College of Utah filmmakers, Bobby Bowden and Ben Braten, will spend a week in May on the French Riviera rubbing shoulders with the world's top actors and filmmakers at the prestigious 2008 Cannes Film Festival. The 61st-annual Festival will take place May 14-25, 2008.

The DSC duo was selected by the festival's committee to present their film, entitled "Through the Lens," in the Short Film Corner category, where it will be screened for distributors, studio executives, producers and professional filmmakers. Though the film is not part of a competition or up for any awards at the Festival, the pair is ecstatic about the opportunity, not only for themselves, but for the chance to showcase Utah and the Dixie State filmmaking program.

"When I saw my name in the email that said that 'we are pleased to confirm your accreditation at the 61st Festival de Cannes,' and the following day when I received the email about the film, it was the best feeling I've ever had in my life with film," said Bowden, a sophomore communication major from Murray, Utah. "It literally took 12 hours for it to sink in.

"If nothing else, our whole goal with this trip is to help get Dixie State College to become an accredited film school," he continued. "If this trip alone could help double or triple the students enrolled in the program next semester or in the future, what could be better than that? I would love to come back here in the fall and see over 100 students enrolled. This trip could do a lot to legitimize Dixie¹s program."

"Through the Lens" packs a powerful story about young boy seeing his future through a movie camera lens in the span of one minute and 42 seconds. The scene takes place outdoors with southern Utah's panoramic red rock scenery providing the backdrop, with a novice filmmaker and his son setting up a shoot of the area. With the camera assembled and ready to shoot, the father leaves to get something out of the car, leaving the boy alone with the camera. The boy seizes the moment to look through the viewfinder and sees his own dreams being realized as he directs his own film.

While at the Festival, Bowden and Braten will be marketing their film, complete with movie posters and fliers, in hopes of getting studio executives to see the production. However, it may not be all work for the tandem as they will be fully-credentialed to take part in all the movie screenings and parties associated with the Festival.

"I really didn't expect that we'd be going to Cannes," said Braten, a native of Bloomington, Utah, who completed work on his bachelor's degree in communication last fall. "We're really excited to go there and have this opportunity to experience something that few filmmakers, whether they are student filmmakers or professional, get to have a chance to experience. I feel extremely lucky and privileged to be selected to represent Dixie State College."

"Something in our film appealed to someone [at Cannes] and I can't believe that we have an opportunity to go," Braten added. "I'm very excited that Utah will be highlighted, because I think it's such a great place to film, and we get to show the amazing scenery found 15 minutes from our backyard."

For Bowden and Braten, who are believed to be the first two Utah collegiate filmmakers ever to be selected to present at Cannes, the trip to France is the pinnacle of a successful school year. Last December, the duo won the Utah Film Commission (UFC) "Spot On" commercial competition, which had the premise of asking why it would be ideal for filmmakers to shoot among Utah¹s landscape. Bowden and Braten's spot, entitled "Dream Utah," was a variation of the "Through the Lens" short film, featuring the young boy looking at the southern Utah red rock scenery and imagining what his desires as a future filmmaker might be.

For winning that competition, the tandem received a trophy and a check for $1500, as well as all-access credentials to the recent 2008 Sundance Film Festival in Park City. In addition, the commercial will be shown at film festivals in Los Angeles and New York.

Bowden and Braten's successes this year, along with two other past UFC commercials, has DSC communication professor and film program advisor Eric Young excited about what the future could hold for the Dixie State film program.

"The festival's acceptance of Ben and Bobby's work shows the potential this program affords students and the possibilities that students bring to the program," Young said.

Bowden noted there is a fundraising effort underway to help secure funding, around $7,000 to $10,000 total, for the trip to the Festival. Individuals or companies who wish to donate to the fund may contact DSC communication professor and film program advisor Eric Young at 435-652-7801, or at young@dixie.edu.

Founded in 1939, The Cannes Film Festival is one of the world's oldest, most influential and prestigious film festivals. The festival is held annually at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, in the resort town of Cannes, in the south of France. For more information on the Cannes Film Festival, visit ³www.festival-cannes.org.²

DSC Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Band Unite for Final Concert of 2007-08 Season Tuesday Night
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 10, 2008) The Dixie State College Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Band will present its final concert of the year on Tuesday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m., in the Dolores Dore’ Eccles Fine Arts Center Concert Hall on the Dixie State College campus. The DSC orchestra is under the direction of Dr Paul Abegg, while the orchestra band is directed by Gary Caldwell.

DSC’s Symphony Orchestra will perform a number of patriotic and Hollywood-themed selections, including composer Morton Gould’s American Salute. Written in 1942, American Salute is based on the melody of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” and has been a popular favorite since its debut. The orchestra will then pay tribute to Tinsel Town, starting with an arrangement entitled Pirates of the Caribbean, which will take the audience through the adventures of the blockbuster trilogy’s main character, Captain Jack Sparrow, and the life of a pirate.

Staying with the Hollywood theme, the orchestra will take the audience through a nostalgic review of classic Walt Disney films. Among the many favorites in the compilation are “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” “Candle on the Water,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” and “It’s a Small World.”

The orchestra will also perform a number of Hollywood blockbuster arrangements by film composer James Horner, including tunes from Academy Award-winning films Titanic and Braveheart, along with the Oscar-nominated Apollo 13. The orchestra will conclude its program with a performance of Mars, by English composer Gustav Holst. Holst wrote the movement as part of The Planets in 1916, which conveys the relentless violence depicting battles of the war god, Mars.

The DSC Symphony Band’s concert will include will Windy City Overture for wind orchestra by Johan de Meij, which was commissioned by the Northshore Concert Band in Chicago for its 50th anniversary celebration. Premiering in 2006, the title draws its name from the blast of frigid wind that blows in from Lake Michigan.

In addition, the band will premiere an original composition by DSC student composer Ricky Valadez entitled Sorry About Your Car, I Didn’t Think It Would Explode That Easily, along with Sammy Netisco’s Rhapsody for Trumpet and Band. This piece is an uptempo, showy piece for band and trumpet soloist, which will feature a trumpet solo by DSC student Nick Lanners.

The band will present two movements entitled Berceuse and Finale, from Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky and arranged by Robert Longfield. This work was the first of three ballets written by Stravinsky during the early years of the 20th-century. The Firebird was completed in 1910 and tells the story of Prince Ivan who rescues the princess he loves from the evil enchanter Kastchei wit the aid of the Firebird, a creature half bird, half woman with magical powers.

The band will also enlist audience participation in performing Cloudburst by Eric Whitacre. This wonderful program music depicts a giant summer rainstorm, which will call on the audience to simultaneously snap their fingers to simulate the rain. The band will close with Vesuvius by Frank Ticheli, which is a furious program piece depicting the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and the last days of Pompeii.

General admission tickets may be purchased in advance at the DSC Avenna Center Ticket Office or at the door prior to the concert for $5 per person, $1 for DSC students and faculty and staff.

DSC Jazz Ensemble and Vocal Jazz Project Combines for Year-End Concert This Monday Evening
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 9, 2008) The Dixie State College Jazz Ensemble and Vocal Jazz Project will combine forces for the College’s final jazz concert of the year this Monday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m., in the Dolores Dore’ Eccles Fine Arts Center Concert Hall on the DSC campus.

The Dixie State Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Glenn Webb, and Vocal Jazz Project, directed by Dr. Robert Briggs, will perform a number of big band arrangements from the legendary libraries of Count Basie, Chick Corea and Duke Ellington. The concert will open with the DSC Percussion Ensemble presenting a variety of styles, including a drum-line performance.

The concert will also feature student solo performances by BJ Vick (tenor sax), Jason Burton alto sax), Brandon Hanson (alto sax), Tricia Littlefield (trombone), Angel Beltran (guitar), Ren Quinn (piano) and Jeremy Stoker (drums). In addition, vocalist Kiki Thompson will join the Jazz Ensemble in the performance of Ellington’s Jump for Joy.

General admission tickets may be purchased in advance at the DSC Avenna Center Ticket Office or at the door prior to the concert for $5 per person, $1 for DSC students and faculty and staff. High school musicians may receive free tickets by contacting Glenn Webb at 435-652-7969.

Dixie State College Crowns Jennifer Shakespeare D-Queen 2008 Tuesday Night
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 9, 2008) Jennifer Shakespeare, a sophomore communication major from St. George, was crowned 2008 Dixie State College D-Queen at the annual D-Queen Pageant held last Tuesday evening at the Cox Auditorium on the DSC campus.

Shakespeare, who is about to complete her term as DSC studentbody president, was selected out of 11 contestants and was awarded a $500 scholarship for her efforts. She will graduate with honors with an associate of science degree next month from DSC and carries a 3.7 GPA.

In the area of service, Shakespeare cited her involvement in student government and Americorp during her college experience. Those activities included planting trees on the DSC campus, making scarves for the homeless, collecting Christmas presents for underprivileged children, donating time visiting senior care facilities and helping send school supplies to children in Iraq.

As part of her service in DSC’s student government, she helped coordinate a fundraising car wash last fall and a spring canned food drive benefiting the Dixie Care and Share. Following her graduation from DSC, she will embark on a summer government internship in Washington, D.C.

Making up the rest of the D-Queen Court is first attendant and Miss Dixie Spirit Kathleen Price, a junior dental hygiene major from Sandy, Utah; and second attendant Rebecca Wright, a sophomore integrated studies major from St. George.

The D-Queen Pageant celebrates, first and foremost, academic prowess, service endeavors, talent, and extra-curricular activity. The pageant has long been a staple of D-Week, which first began at the college in 1915 as a way to increase school spirit among students, alumni, and the community.

The pageant, which was an all-day event that culminated with the evening’s festivities, consisted of five categories. Service and activities, an interview, and GPA made up 60 percent of the contest. The talent and evening wear categories accounted for the balance of the pageant.

Water and the West the Topic of a Special Friday Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 8, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah’s weekly “Dixie Forum: A Window on the World” series will present a special Friday evening event featuring University of Utah law professor and environmentalist Dr. Robert Adler. The special evening forum will begin at 7:30 p.m., in the Boeing Auditorium of the DSC Udvar-Hazy Business Building. Admission is free for all community members, DSC students, and faculty and staff.

Dr. Adler, who serves as associate dean for academic affairs and is a James I. Farr Chair in Law at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, will discuss water and its importance, which is featured in his recent book entitled “Restoring Colorado River Ecosystems: A Troubled Sense of Immensity.” He regularly teaches courses in civil procedure and environmental law, and is currently co-designing an interdisciplinary course called “Environmental Law and Engineering,” in which law students and environmental engineering graduate students will work together on real-world environmental problems in Utah.

Adler received a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University in 1988, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1980, where he graduated cum laude and served as editor-in-chief of the journal Law and Policy in International Business. He served as assistant counsel to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources and was active in the Three Mile Island litigation, and was staff attorney and executive director of Trustees for Alaska from 1984 to 1987.

His books include “Environmental Law: A Conceptual and Pragmatic Approach;” and “The Clean Water Act: Twenty Years Later.” In 2002 he was honored with the Pfeifferhorn Conservation Leadership Award, given by a coalition of state environmental organizations in recognition of his efforts to preserve Utah's natural resources.

The final Tuesday Dixie Forum of the semester will be held April 15, featuring author and playwright Carol Lynn Pearson, who will share with the audience a number of her poetry writings.

For further information contact DSC faculty member and Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton at 652-7812 or at burton@dixie.edu.

Dixie State College's Annual D-Queen Pageant Set for This Tuesday Night
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 4, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah will present its annual D-Queen Pageant, as part of the school’s week-long D-Week festivities, this Tuesday night, April 8, at 7 p.m., in the Cox Auditorium on the DSC campus. General admission tickets are now available for purchase through the DSC Avenna Center Ticket Office for $6, $3 for DSC students with current student ID.

Eleven contestants will compete for the title of “Miss D-Queen 2008,” and for a $500 scholarship provided by the DSC Alumni Association. The pageant, which is an all-day event that culminates with the evening’s festivities, consists of five categories. Service and activities, an essay and interview, and GPA make up 60 percent of the contest, while the talent and evening wear categories make up the balance of the pageant.

This year’s pageant theme is “Lady In Red,” which will be performed as the opening number by all 11 contestants. In addition, outgoing 2007 Miss D-Queen Felicia Bennett will display her vocal talents with a pair of musical numbers, while the DSC Dance Company will also perform as part of the evening’s events.

The D-Queen Pageant celebrates, first and foremost, academic prowess, service endeavors, talent, and extra-curricular activity. The pageant has long been a staple of D-Week, which first began at the college in 1915 as a way to increase school spirit among students, alumni, and the community.

For more information on the pageant, please call 435-652-7506 or email bastian@dixie.edu.

"The Demise of the Western Movie" to be Discussed at Tuesday's Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 4, 2008) Who or what killed the Western? That question serves as the focal point as Dixie State College director of theatre Varlo Davenport addresses the College’s weekly “Dixie Forum: A Window on the World” series this Tuesday, April 8. The Forum will begin at 12 noon, in the Dunford Auditorium of the Browning Resource Center on the DSC campus. Admission is free for all community members, DSC students, faculty and staff.

Davenport’s presentation, entitled “The Demise of the Western Movie,” will take the audience through the history of the western movie genre. From the beginning of movie making, starting with Edwin Porter’s “The Great Train Robbery,” the western was one of the most produced film genres. From 1927 to 1967, there were on average over 90 western movies a year produced and distributed.

However, in 1977, there were only 12 western movies made, and that number dropped to just six in 1987. In 1997, seven western movies were produced, but only two of those productions were made for theatrical release.

Davenport has served as DSC’s director of theatre for eight years. He holds an MFA in Acting from The Ohio State University, and an undergraduate degree from Southern Utah University. Prior to tenure at Dixie State, Davenport spent over seven years as producing artistic director for the Outlaw Trail Theatre in Vernal, Utah, where he also taught for Utah State University’s Uintah Basin branch campus. He has also previously taught at Ohio State, Utah State’s main campus in Logan, and at the College of Eastern Utah.

In addition to feature, commercial and industrial films, Davenport has acted, directed or worked for the Lyric Theatre in Logan, the University of Wyoming, the Stage Stop Theater in Collinston, Utah, the Pioneer Theater Company, the Utah Shakespearean Festival, and was the founder and producing artistic director of the Vagabond Theatre Company in Logan. He also serves as a panelist on the Utah Arts Council’s Community Arts Council grants review panel and the nominating committee for the Governor’s Award in the Arts.

The final Tuesday Dixie Forum of the semester will be held April 15, featuring author and playwright Carol Lynn Pearson, who will share with the audience a number of her poetry writings. In addition, there will be a special evening Dixie Forum slated for Friday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m., in the Boeing Auditorium of the DSC Udvar-Hazy Business Building, featuring University of Utah Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Robert Adler. Dr. Adler, who is a James L. Farr Chair and a professor of law, will read from and discuss his new book about water and its importance.

For further information contact DSC faculty member and Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton at 652-7812 or at burton@dixie.edu.

Former DSC President Douglas Alder to Address DSC President's Colleagues Meeting This Monday
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 3, 2008) Dr. Douglas D. Alder, Professor Emeritus and the 14th president of Dixie State College of Utah, will address the next President’s Colleagues of Dixie State College meeting this Monday, April 7, at 12 noon, in the Dunford Auditorium of the Browning Resource Center on the DSC campus. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Dr. Alder, who founded the President’s Colleagues of Dixie State College 15 years ago, will present – for those who are not native to Dixie – some of the founding concepts of Washington County. Part of the discussion will be devoted to the past two decades, during which growth has been so significant in our community. He will welcome questions and comments from the Colleagues.

In 1996, Dr. Alder and Dr. Karl Brooks published “The History of Washington County, From Isolation to Destination.” The book was part of a statewide project to write a history of each county for the statehood centennial undertaken by the state legislature. Washington County Commissioners appointed Drs. Alder and Brooks, as well as an advisory committee (J. L. Crawford, Heber Jones, Lyman Hafen, Loren Webb, Helen Gardner, and Laura Bowler), to produce the study. Recently the County Commission asked Dr. Alder to update the book, adding the history of the decade from 1996 to 2006.

Dr. Alder was Dixie College’s 14th president, serving from 1986-93. He is an affluent benefactor of the cultural arts and history of southern Utah.

The President’s Colleagues of Dixie State College is a group of retired professors and other professionals who live mostly in the St. George and Washington County area. Dr. Alder, who also started an Honors Program at DSC, organized the Colleagues as a way to increase academic activities on campus.

The Colleagues meet together once a month during the academic year to hear presentations from each other and/or invited guests. The next meeting is slated for Monday, May 5, when newly appointed interim president of Dixie State College, Dr. Stephen D. Nadauld, will address the Colleagues.

Ten DSC Students Medal at State SkillsUSA Competition
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – April 2, 2008) Ten Dixie State College of Utah students captured medalist honors at the annual Utah SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference held last weekend in Salt Lake City. Collectively, DSC students brought home five gold medals, three silver and two bronze.

DSC’s Quiz Bowl team of Adam Eaton, a senior graphic communication major from St. George; Jeremy Luke, a senior elementary education major from Aurora, Utah; Jason Pegg, a sophomore graphic communication major from St. George; and Travis Theobald, a junior general studies major from St. George, claimed the gold medal in its competition. DSC’s Holly Nisson, a sophomore general studies major from St. George, also took home the gold in her Preschool Teaching Assistant contest. These students will go on to represent Utah at the 43rd-annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference this June 23-27, in Kansas City, Mo.

Meanwhile, Angela Hughes, a senior computer information technology major from St. George, repeated her performance of a year ago with a silver medal showing in Graphic Communication. In addition, Lora Bringhurst, a senior graphic communication major from St. George, came away with a silver medal in Screen Printing, as did Cameron Call, a freshman computer information technology major from St. George, in Computer Maintainence Technology. Chris Tunbridge and Ben Carroll, who are both Washington County/DSC articulated students from Snow Canyon High School, won the bronze medal in Web Design.

“Our SkillsUSA chapter students are great kids and our gold medal winners will do well at nationals in Kansas City this summer,” said DSC SkillsUSA-VICA chapter advisor Jay Slade. “It will be a double treat for us to watch [DSC chapter member] Adam Eaton perform his duties as national treasurer at the conference.”

Slade noted that Dixie State College has been represented in the past at the national leadership level. In the last six years, DSC alums Brian Doxford and Aaron Bodell had served as president and parlimentarian, respectively.

The Vocational Industrial Clubs of America, Inc. (VICA), now SkillsUSA, was founded by students and teachers who were serious about their professions and saw the need for more training in the areas of leadership to complement their chose vocation. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives, working together to ensure America has a skilled work force.

SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations.

Dixie State College Crowns Miss Indian Dixie Friday Night
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – March 31, 2008) Dixie State College freshman student Charmayne Fowler was crowned Miss Indian Dixie this past Friday evening at the DSC Dunford Auditorium. The 17th-annual Miss Indian Dixie Pageant featured four contestants, two of whom are current DSC students, along with two St. George-area high school seniors who will attend DSC this fall.

Miss Fowler, a computer science major from Apple Valley, Utah, won a full-ride scholarship to DSC, along with a $700 scholarship awarded by American Indian Services. She noted that she “is loving every minute” of being a student at DSC, and among the strengths she noted during the competition were how to benefit others with service, being happy and skipping around campus saying “hello” to everyone she greets. As part of the talent portion of the competition, Fowler displayed her teachings of Japanese numbers and sayings, along with showing her ability to weave a rug from sheep wool.

First attendant in this year’s Miss Indian Dixie Pageant is Jillian Eltsosie, a freshman from Page, Ariz. Eltsosie received a $1,200 scholarship from DSC and a $500 scholarship from American Indian Services. Shayla James, a senior at Pine View High School, was voted second attendant and received a $1,000 DSC scholarship, coupled with a $500 American Indian Services scholarship. Emily Barker, a senior at Snow Canyon HS, was named Miss Congeniality and was awarded a $1,000 DSC scholarship and a $400 American Indian Services scholarship for her efforts.

To be eligible for the pageant, contestants must have at least one-quarter Native American blood, and must be a student at Dixie State College or will be applying to attend DSC this upcoming fall semester.

Contestants performed traditional Native American talent and must have knowledge of traditional customs, including demonstrating talents from the heritage of the tribe each contestant represents. Examples of talents included weaving a traditional Native American basket, demonstrating the traditional weaving process and performing it on stage within a set time, rehearsing a traditional tale, or sign a traditional hymn.

Dixie State College to Host Open House to Honor President and Mrs. Caldwell this Wednesday Evening
ST. GEORGE, Utah – March 31, 2008) Residents of St. George and Washington and Kane Counties are invited to join Dixie State College of Utah in honoring President and Mrs. Lee Caldwell at a special open house reception this Wednesday evening, April 2, from 7-9 p.m., at the DSC Gardner Center Ballroom. Refreshments will be provided and there will be a short program and video tribute. The event is free and open to the public.

“President Caldwell did a number of great things for this campus and the community to improve the economic and educational climate of southwestern Utah,” said DSC spokesperson Steve Johnson. “This venue is a wonderful opportunity for our campus community, and the citizens of Washington and Kane Counties, to show their collective appreciation to the Caldwell family for their service.”

Dr. Caldwell stepped down as the 16th president of DSC last week after nearly three years at the helm of the institution. His tenure at the College began in the 2004-05 school year, when he served as the vice president of academics. During his time as president, Dixie State College saw program growth to the tune of seven new bachelor’s degrees, along with a number of associate degree and certificate programs.

He also played a key in the implementation of a number of other programs and offerings were implemented during his time as president, most notably the creation of a new Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) satellite academy, which graduated its inaugural class earlier this month. Caldwell also oversaw the establishment of a new Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC) program that began providing classwork and leadership training experiences and scholarship money to students last fall.

Dixie State College Going "Red 'til We're Dead" for Annual D-Week Festivities
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – March 31, 2008) “Red ‘til We’re Dead” will serve as the theme for Dixie State College of Utah’s second homecoming known as D-Week, which will run from April 4-12, with various activities and events held on and around the DSC campus.

D-Week’s roots can be traced as far back as 1914, three years after the college’s founding, as a chance for college alumni, students, and faculty and staff, as well as the community, to come together in a reunion setting for a week of activities.

“This is going to be the biggest and best D-Week the college has ever had,” says Donna Stafford, DSC Director of Student Activities. “The tradition of the Great Race and the whitewashing of the ‘D’ are two of the oldest traditions we have left on campus that dates back to the pioneers. These are the things that are Dixie.”

D-Week officially begins Friday, April 4, with Entertainment Dixie’s Kick-off Event featuring “Chris Carter – Mind Reader” at 8 p.m., at the Gardner Center Ballroom. The full week of activities resumes on Monday, April 7, with a D-Week kick-off activity from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring music, snow cones, cotton candy and other edible treats and displays spread throughout campus.

Other main attractions during D-Week include the D-Queen Pageant Tuesday, April 8, at 7 p.m., in the Cox Auditorium, and the annual painting of “D” Road, located at 300 S. and 800 E. on the DSC campus, Wednesday, April 9, at 4 p.m. D-Week will also feature a new event on Thursday, April 10, as DSC students will have a chance to meet the candidates for the 2008-09 student council from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To many, however, D-Week’s signature event is the Great Race, which will take place Friday, April 11, at 6 p.m., followed by a free BBQ and carnival at 7 p.m. The carnival will feature a number of activity and informational booths manned by DSC student clubs and organizations, along with blow-up toys for the kids, a rock climbing wall, dunking booth, and fireworks at dusk.

The starting point for the Great Race, which will snake its way throughout campus, will be on the Encampment Mall on campus. Nearly 20 ten-member teams comprised of DSC alumni, students, and faculty and staff will relay their way across campus by foot, mountain bike, roller blades, water, mud and more.

The inaugural Great Race occurred in 1971, but it origins can be traced back as early as 1964, as a bicycle race around the Black Hill near the airport. The first official Great Race included such events as motocross, horseback riding, and tubing down the Virgin River. Community growth and safety concerns eventually forced the race to the friendly confines of the DSC campus. In addition to the traditional running, biking, and swimming, Great Racers now have to negotiate, among other things, a slip n’ slide track, a roller blade course, a Dixie trivia question, and a mud pit throughout the 10-leg relay course.

“If you have never been on the Dixie State campus for the Great Race, you haven’t lived,” Stafford continued. “Just to see these students, alumni, and even our faculty and staff plow through the mud is worth spending the entire evening celebrating with us.”

In addition, the annual tradition of whitewashing the ‘D’ on Black Hill, which will feature a continental breakfast, will take place Saturday, April 12, at 7 a.m., followed by a police escort and parade up St. George Boulevard at 8:30 a.m. Following the parade, DSC students will square off against the college’s faculty and staff on the softball diamond at 9 a.m., at the Cooper Diamonds. Then DSC’s women’s softball team take the field to face Notre Dame de Namur in a key Pacific West Conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m., at Karl Brooks Field. The D-Day Dance will wrap up the festivities later that day at 9 p.m., in the Gardner Ballroom.

Community members are invited to attend all D-Week activities. For more information, contact the DSC Director of Student Activities Donna Stafford at 435-652-7513 or at stafford@dixie.edu.

The History of African-American Churches in Utah is the Focus of Tuesday's Dixie Forum
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – March 31, 2008) Dixie State College of Utah’s weekly “Dixie Forum: A Window on the World” series returns to its regular noontime slot this Tuesday, April 1, with a discussion on the history of African-American churches in Utah by The Reverend France Davis of Salt Lake City’s Calvary Mission Baptist Church.

The Forum will begin at 12 noon, in the Dunford Auditorium of the Browning Resource Center on the DSC campus. Admission is free for all community members, DSC students, and faculty and staff.

Pastor Davis, who has authored the book “Light in the Midst of Zion: A History of Black Baptists in Utah,” has been a frequent speaker at the Dixie Forums for a number of years and his words are always inspirational. Calvary Mission Baptist Church has the largest predominantly Black congregation in Utah, and Pastor Davis notes that while Black Baptist churches in Utah as a whole serves the primary spiritual needs of the area, these congregations have taken the lead in civil rights, political issues, cultural development and economic cooperation.

“Black Baptists are alive and well in Utah,” Davis said. “The roads of obstacles and hardships provided stepping stones into the future. Each challenge has been a summons to move on up a little higher and to cause every round to go higher and higher.

“Upon the foundations laid by our forefathers, we expect our offspring to do better and greater things than we have done,” he added.

The Dixie Forums will run every Tuesday through April, including a presentation from DSC’s Director of Theatre Varlo Davenport, who will discuss the “Demise of the Western Movie” on April 8. The final Forum of the semester will be held April 15, featuring author and playwright Carol Lynn Pearson, who will share with the audience a number of her poetry writings.

In addition, there will be a special evening Dixie Forum slated for Friday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m., in the Boeing Auditorium of the DSC Udvar-Hazy Business Building, featuring University of Utah associate dean of academic affairs Dr. Robert Adler. Dr. Adler, who is a James L. Farr Chair and a professor of law, will read from and discuss his new book about water and its importance.

For further information contact DSC faculty member and Dixie Forum coordinator Terre Burton at 652-7812 or at burton@dixie.edu.

Dixie State College Theater Concludes 2007-08 Season with Production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"
(ST. GEORGE, Utah – March 28, 2008) “Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight!” Broadway’s greatest farce and winner of over a dozen Tony Awards, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” will take center stage as Dixie State College of Utah’s theatre program concludes its 2007-08 season with one of the funniest musicals ever written. The production will run nightly April 3-5 and April 8-12, at 7:30 p.m., in the Main Stage Theater of DSC’s Dolores Dore’ Eccles Fine Arts Center.

“Forum” takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2000-year-old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus, with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. The result is a non-stop laugh-fest in this light, fast-paced, witty and irreverent production.

“Forum” follows a the plight of Rome’s most craftiest, yet laziest, slave named Pseudolus (played by Joel Thomas), who has but one wish, to purchase his freedom. When his master, Hero (played by Brandon Price), and mistress leave for the day, Pseudolus finds out that the young master has fallen in love with a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan, Philia (played by Katie Cluff), who belongs to the house of Lycus (played by Kiki Thompson), a slave dealer specializing in beautiful women.

Pseudolus concocts a deal in which he will gain his freedom if he can procure Philia for the young Hero. Of course, the plan cannot be as simple as that and in short order, the musical farce takes off, leaving audiences rolling in the aisles.

With its unforgettable zany characters, a hysterical, perfectly constructed book by Larry Gelbart (of “M*A*S*H” and “City Of Angels” fame) and Burt Shevelove. Along with witty songs penned by Stephen Sondheim, “Forum” allows a brilliant ensemble of comedic actors to shine.

DSC’s production of “Forum” is will be directed by Michael Harding, with musical direction by Ken Peterson. Other performers include Guy Smith (Miles Gloriosus), Travis Cox (Senex), Kathleen Hinton (Domina), Spencer Potter, (Hysterium), and Alex Gubler, (Erronius). The ensemble includes Meleah Rowley, Jessica Baird, Melissa Erickson, Crystal Bates, Heather Pope, Justin Cullimore, Heath Mecham, and Jarom Brown. Designers for “Forum” are Brent Innes (scenery), Josh Scott (lighting), and Diana Girtain (costumes).

Non-DSC student ticket prices range from $5 for students age 5-to-17, $12 for seniors and $15 for adults. DSC students and faculty and staff may purchase tickets for $1 with a valid activity card. For tickets and further information, please call 435-652-7800 or visit the central campus ticket office at the DSC Avenna Center Monday-through-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or at the door each night of the performance beginning at 6:30 p.m. Online performance information and tickets may also be obtained by visiting http://culturalarts.dixie.edu.

Stephen D. Nadauld Named Interim President of Dixie State College
The State Board of Regents, Thursday, named Dr. Stephen D.Nadauld, former president of Weber State University, as interim president of Dixie State College (DSC), which is located in St. George, Utah. Dr.Nadauld is currently a professor of finance for the Marriott Graduate School of Management at Brigham Young University (BYU). He plans to assume his duties March 28. The Board named Dr. Nadauld following President Lee G.Caldwell's resignation.

"We appreciate President Caldwell's dedicated service as president, and before that as vice president, and wish him well." said Board of Regents Chair Jed H. Pitcher. "The Board is pleased Dr. Nadauld, who brings much experience and stature to the position, has accepted this assignment and is willing to begin immediately. He will carry forward discussions with the University of Utah regarding potential partnerships and an alliance, and will continue to lead the institution as it contributes to workforce and economic development in Washington County and this state."

In accepting this appointment Dr. Nadauld said, "We are very excited to be involved again with higher education in the State of Utah. We look forward to getting acquainted with the wonderful students, outstanding faculty and dedicated staff that we know are part of Dixie State College.Dixie State has a wonderfully supportive community and a very bright future.We appreciate the opportunity to be helpful in the continued planning and realization of that future and tha