Men wear pink in support of cancer

Published: Monday, November 3, 2008

The USU hockey team held a breast cancer awareness fundraiser, centered around Saturdays game, by sporting hot pink jerseys on the court and selling $8 pink T-shirts to students.

“Hockey players don’t really wear pink, and so we want to show the community what a rough-neck group of hockey players can do for a great cause,” said Kristin Peterson, vice president of the hockey team about the fundraiser.

“Our motto was, ‘go big or go home,’” Peterson said.

All of the proceeds from the T-shirts, along with a percentage of the ticket sales, will be donated to the Susan G. Koleman Foundation, Peterson said.

In addition to T-shirt sales, Peterson said the hockey team also had a pink paper airplane-flying competition for the cause and the winner received hockey season tickets.

“We have been wanting to do this for a couple years, and it just never happened, so finally I went to the team and asked them if they wanted to wear pink jerseys and they said, ‘Heck yeah.’” Peterson said.

Walter Voisard, public relations chair and player for the hockey team, said he didn’t mind wearing pink.

“Most of the guys feel a little weird about wearing pink, but I don’t mind it,” Voisard said. “I’m from California.”

Three hundred shirts were ordered for the event and paid for by the hockey team, Peterson said.

“We are not sponsored by the school, we have to raise all of our own money. We bought these T-shirts with our own resources, we didn’t ask for any money,” Peterson said.

Voisard said 175 shirts were sold during the week before Saturday’s game.

“A girl came up while we were selling T-shirts and thanked us for doing this and supporting the cause she was about 20 and a breast cancer survivor and she just started crying and I almost started crying, too,” Peterson said.

Peterson said he hopes this will become an annual event.

“We hope to do this every year,” Peterson said. “This year we bought cheap pink practice jerseys, but next year we want to get nice pink jerseys that we can use every year.”

The stadium holds 2,300 people, Voisard said, and the team hoped “to be turning people away.”

Breast cancer awareness is only the tip of the iceberg, Peterson said.

“We want to get the players in elementary schools, we want to do a canned food drive, just stuff to help around the holidays like Sub for Santa or Angel Trees, just doing something like that and getting them out in the community more,” Peterson said.

Voisard said he has loved doing this.

“Anyone can make a difference if they want to,” he said. “Find something you care about, get people to help, use your resources and you are good to go.”

Photo by Cameron Peterson

USU teacher wins KSL’s Teacher Feature award

Published: Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The head of the vocal studies area of USU’s music department, Cindy Dewey was honored as one of the top educators in Utah, winning KSL and Zions Bank’s Radio’s Teacher Feature award.

As stated in Dewey’s recognition letter from KSL and Zions Bank, the award recognizes teachers every week who have “gone the extra mile, not only in the classroom, but who have also made a significant impact on many young lives.”

“It was a really great surprise, not something I would have ever expected,” Dewey said. “My husband is a teacher, and I would have expected him to win this. He has been nominated for the big Disney teacher of the year award, and stuff like that, so it was a real surprise that I was the teacher in the family who brought this home.”

Dewey was announced teacher of the week on Oct. 14 over KSL Newsradio and in addition to this public announcement, Dewey received a plaque and three gift certificates, a gift certificate to the La Caille restaurant, one for an overnight stay at the Anniversary Inn and season tickets to Hale Centre Theatre, she said.

To be nominated for this award, an individual must submit an online form about an educator to KSL’s “Teacher Feature.”

Dewey was nominated by Lizzy Smith, USU graduate and former vocal student.

In her nomination letter, Smith said, “Cindy has done so much for me as a singer and as an individual; I look up to her so much.”

Dewey said she considers Smith to be a very special student.

“She graduated last spring, and told me she wrote the letter on a night when she was missing me,” she said. “I love teaching, and I love my students and I know my students usually like me back, but you know, you have to go out of your way to nominate someone for something like this, and most music students are pretty busy, so I guess they just have to graduate before they do something like this.”

Dewey said the majority of her teaching is individualized voice instruction, giving her an opportunity to get to know her students very well.

“What makes me happiest about my teaching is I still have students who I taught in the 1980s who stay in touch, and it’s those relationships with the students that make this job really special and fun. It’s really great to be in the kind of job where you can make this many friendships,” Dewey said.

At the conclusion of her letter, Smith said, “I hope that you will see this letter for what it truly is, and feel the love that I, along with all the music majors at USU, feel for Cindy Dewey.”

Any educator in the state of Utah can be nominated for this award, and Dewey said she is “hoping now that more students will get the idea to nominate more of their great professors.”

“It is a fabulous thing to have happen, because you work really hard, and you do it because you love it, not because of an award, but it’s really nice to be recognized. Everyone would like it,” she said.

Photo by Cameron Peterson

Students’ voices heard in 2008 election

Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Millions of Americans voted in the 2008 general election, and a few thousand of those votes included USU students.

Estimating exactly how many students voted is a tricky matter, said Jackson Olsen, executive vice president of ASUSU.

“When student’s vote they don’t check a box that says ‘student,’ so the only thing we can do is look at the precincts with the highest student population and guess,” Olsen said.

The five precincts in Logan with the highest student population are 12, 14, 15, 18 and 23, Olsen said.

According to the Cache County Clerks office, Precinct 18, the largest of the five, had 1,778 registered voters and 911 voted. Precinct 14 saw the highest registered voter percentage turnout, with 60.02 percent of registered voters showing up to the polls. The lowest percentage turnout of the five was seen in precinct 15, with 44.33 percent.

“We registered almost 5,000 people to vote and in addition to that, a lot of the people on campus didn’t register to vote because they were already registered,” Olsen said. “So my estimation is that we have over 10,000 registered voters on campus, and some of those won’t be included in that estimate because of absentee ballots. Also, you have to consider the fact that many students don’t even live near campus. I myself live all the way out on the west side.”

Olsen said he wasn’t sure if early voters were included in the turnout statistics.

“I had about close to 3,000 people, students and faculty, vote on campus early, so coming up with an estimation is a tricky game,” Olsen said.

Despite the struggle to arrive at a completely correct student voter figure, Olsen said the turnout was more than he would have ever expected.

“The Cache Country clerk who I worked with commented on how their office was much busier than usual, so I think people really got involved with the election this year,” Olsen said.

Olsen said he was expecting a lower turnout for the amount of work put into Election Day efforts, and was overwhelmed at the response that the student body gave.

“We were totally surprised and totally happy with how involved the students got, not just registering to vote, but voting, early voting and the election night party. All of these were huge successes and we weren’t prepared for that, but we were pleasantly surprised,” Olsen said.

Dancers work to raise awareness

Published: Friday, November 21, 2008

USU’s Dance Company, Full Circle, performed along with the hip-hop group Vilociti, the Big Band Swing Club, the Ballroom Team and many other USU dance clubs Thursday night at the Unity Through Diversity dance show, held at the TSC in the Evan N. Stevenson Ballroom.

The event was one of many awareness efforts made by Krissy Smith, junior majoring in social studies composite secondary education, and several other dancers who are all working to get a dance program here at USU.

“Tonight was a great way to raise awareness, not just with my teams, but with ballroom, with ballet, with all of these other groups that do so much. They all need their chance to shine and to let us know they are here,” Smith said.

Melissa Howes, junior majoring in family, consumer, and human development, who also choreographed the evenings contemporary piece, ‘“Stand by Me” said, “I would love to see a dance program here. I think we are such a big university that I don’t understand why we don’t have one. If we want to compete with other schools to get students up here, we need to have bigger and better programs.”

Smith said she has been working closely with HASS Dean Yolanda Flores Niemann to get a dance program.

“We approached the new dean at the beginning of the year and we have been working with her, sending out petitions to all the high schools, the USU extensions and some of the other junior colleges to find out if they would support or be interested in a dance program, so that is kind of where we are going. We are also working right now with ASUSU in trying to get a petition down at the ASUSU information desk and we are hoping that will take affect next week,” Smith said.

The petition form states, “By signing this petition, you are saying that you would support and be interested in a dance program at USU. Your signing does not mean that you are required to major or minor in dance or attend USU. It only expresses interest and support.”

Smith said she was pleased with the event, and the awareness it raised of USU dance talent.

“It went so well,” Smith said. “We had a really diverse group, and we felt very overwhelmed with the amount of people who showed up and we are grateful for that support.”

COLUMN: Grieving for my lost love

From The Utah Statesman- Sept. 19, 2008

Where were you when the world as we know it was shattered? What were you doing?

I was sitting in my room on Aug. 14, innocently checking my e-mail when I heard the news that “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” wasn’t going to be released Nov. 21.

In an act that can only be described as purely inhumane, the Warner Brother’s stole all hope for this Thanksgiving. After hearing the news, I went through what any normal fanatic would have, Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ “Five Stages of Grief.”

Stage one:

It couldn’t be true. How could it? Who would do such an awful thing? No, it wasn’t true. Harry Potter has never been unfaithful to me, and after 11 years in my life, never once had I been failed by “the boy who lived.”I didn’t know how to deal with it. I crawled into the fetal position and rocked quietly for several minutes, unwilling to admit the all too true reality that had rudely slapped my face.

Stage two: ANGER

Well, reality set in after about two hours, and when it did, I was ticked off. Harry Potter had deceived me. The one true constant in my life had turned his back on me. I ran out of my room, down the hall, out the door and howled into the night.
No, I am not a werewolf, and it was not a full moon, but I woke up the next morning on my floor without a recollection of the evening. I promptly picked myself off of the floor and began to purge my room of any Potter paraphernalia. I ripped my Hogwarts posters off of the wall, took my Hedwig bedspread to the dumpster and took out my emergency supply of Bertie Bott’s Beans and began pelting them from my third story window at innocent passersby. I grabbed my Harry Potter books, including my rare special edition copies, and thought about ripping out their pages.
However, I couldn’t bring myself to destroy the literary wonders that had breathed life into reading for so many people. Instead, I shoved them to the back of the closet, a swift and relieving repremand. That will teach them to mess with me.

Stage three: BARGAINING

After I had settled down, I realized that I really would miss Harry Potter this fall. I got on my knees and began to plead with God to please change Warner Brother’s minds. If he would do this one thing for me I would change my life around. I would eat Wheaties for breakfast instead of Golden Grahams, I would never sleep through a class again, I would stop making fun of the Utah “poof” hair-do, I would even try to become a Republican if it would please him.

Stage four: DEPRESSION

Alas, it was not meant to be, and that hit me pretty hard. How was I going to make it to next July? It seemed as though the world was collapsing in on me.
I spent the next few days in bed, sheets pulled over my head, wondering if life was worth it anymore. I had loved Harry Potter so fiercly, and now that he was gone, I felt so alone. Nothing sounded pleasing to me. My friends tried to lull me out of bed with promises of sushi, angel food cake and lasagna, but I was numb. I had lived vicariously through the magic world, and now that it was gone, I wasn’t sure if I could survive on my own. Could a mere muggle live for herself?

Stage five: ACCEPTANCE. Sort of.

Well, it’s been more than a month, and I have resigned myself to the fact that this Thanksgiving is going to suck rocks. I guess what hurts the most is that all of the Twilight fans still get to have a fantastic fall. Some people have suggested to me that I cross over to the “Twilight” side.
How dare they suggest such blasphemy. My loyalty does not change so easily, and furthermore, where do you “Twilight” fans come off. You haven’t been around as long, and you think that just because you have been to Forks, Washington, and have dreamt of Edward every night for the last three years your movie gets priority over mine? Well it doesn’t.
I still say Harry Potter should be coming out this Thanksgiving and I refuse to become a “Twilight” fan out of convenience.

So there you have it, five stages, but I would have gone through six if it would change the outcome.

Lindsay Anderson is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. She is issuing a reward for anyone who has seen her Hedwig bedspread at the local dump or on Ebay. For questions or comments send them to lindsay.anderson@aggiemail.usu.edu

USU scientist studies chemicals in Cache Valley air

From The Utah Statesman- Sept. 19, 2008

USU scientist Phil Silva has spent the last four years studying what conditions and chemicals in Utah’s atmosphere cause air pollution and inversions, in particular, the chemistry behind the pollution, and what sources cause particular chemical emissions.
“We live in this small little bowl,” Silva said regarding Cache Valley’s geographical structure. “It’s the combination of having the agricultural emissions with the urban emissions, and then in winter when we get cold temperatures, the inversion has no place to go. It’s like putting a lid on a pot.”
Silva said he started doing sampling in Cache Valley two years ago to figure out what types of particles made up the bad air.
“We did a couple air samplings during the years when we had really bad inversions, 2004 and 2005,” he said. “The major component is a mixture of ammonium nitrate, which comes from the combination of the ammonia in agriculture and nox from vehicles.”
The state government has drawn from Silva’s earlier work in analyzing the air, and have been using it as a baseline for how to address air pollution, Silva said.
“The state of Utah is now been declared a non-attained and over the next couple years the state and the local body here, the Board of Health, have to come up with plans on how to meet the standards in the future,” he said.
The Board of Health regulates air pollution because there are links between poor air quality and poor health affects, Silva said.
“There has been a lot of work done to try to figure out what the health agent, but there is still a lot of debate as to which compound is the culprit. All we know is that there is a statistical correlation between levels of particular matter and observed affects, not just short-term affects, but things like asthma,” he said.
The first step towards better air is to look at the emmissions from vehicles and try to find ways to reduce harmful emissions from them, Silva said.
The agricultural side is harder to figure out how to reduce, he said, because it is more difficult to address.
Silva said he is working with a team of graduate and undergraduate students, who take regular air pollution samplings, as well as samplings at USU’s agricultural facilities, “so that we can study the chemistry of the chemicals out there and try to understand them better.”
Silva said he is has been collaborating with the University of California the last two years to observe this particular research regarding “some other constituents that are not the main pollutants, but from the standpoint of a chemist, are interesting because the chemistry had not been studied very much.”
“Basically we have been trying to understand the chemistry in Cache Valley, we have a pretty good idea of what the important chemical compounds are, and so that gives us an idea of what issues need to be addressed in order to address pollution levels,” he said. “However, we have gone off in this different direction because the question of some of these agricultural emissions have a broader impact, that these might be important compounds to look at.”
Silva, who has now been researching Cache Valley air quality for four years, said he will be continuing his research because, “as is the case with science, as you try to answer questions, you typically come up with more questions.”

USU celebrates children and families

From The Utah Statesman, Sept. 15, 2008.

The provost’s office sponsored the first Celebration of Children and Families Friday on the Quad, offering 28 different activities at booths run by every college at USU.

Ann Austin, vice provost of faculty development and diversity, was in charge of the event.

“All of the colleges have at least one act, and they were asked to gear their activities toward children from the ages of three on up to 13,” she said.

“Some of the colleges laughed when I told them it had to be geared for three to 13 year olds, and they said, ‘How do we do that?’ But we consulted with them and told them how it could be done, how to take their specialties and take it down to a three year old level.”

USU Dining Services, the USU Bookstore, the Space Dynamics Lab, the football team and the Merrill-Cazier Library also participated in the event.

“The purpose of today is to kick off the Aggie Care Child Care program. The Aggie Care Child Care program is for the USU community, faculty and students. Aggie Care helps parents find child care for their children, according to the age of the child, the proximity of the day care to the parents work, etc.,” Austin said.

“I’ve been here for 27 years and during that time I raised five children, two of which were born after I came to Utah State, and I just realized how important child care is so you can be professional and carry out your tasks.”

Heather Clawson, freshman majoring in early childhood and elementary education, volunteered to work at the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services’ booth, which offered seven activities, including a dice game and sign language instruction.

“It’s fun,” Clawson said. “I like playing with the little kids. They’re really cute.”

Clawson said she felt activities like the celebration were important because “they involve the community, not just the school.”

Austin said USU is a very atypical school because of its large married population, but there aren’t many activities geared toward families.

“I just think that USU has sort of seen ourselves as part of the typical college crowd, rather than different as per our region, when, in fact, by the time the graduating class comes around, about half of the students are married,” Austin said.

Heather Lorimer, USU alumna whose husband works in USU’s IT department, attended the activity with her family, including her 3-year-old son Noah, who said he liked coloring the food guide pyramid and eating grapes at the USU Bookstore’s booth best.

“Our kids love it, our little boy especially. Every time he sees the Utah State banners he does the Utah State chant, and so he was so excited to come up today,” Lorimer said.

Austin said she was pleased with the way the university’s colleges and departments came together to create the afternoon for families.

Human resources moves to a new location

From The Utah Statesman, Sept. 12, 2008

The USU Human Resources Department’s location has changed from the Military Science Building to their own location on the northwest corner of 1200 E. and 700 North.
“We were really lucky in changing locations. A building became available, and Vice President Hunsaker in business and finance, saw the opportunity to put human resources in a place where it would be much more visible physically,” said BrandE Faupell, executive director for USU’s Human Resources Department.
Faupell said the new location is “fantastic” and much more ideal for the work human resources does.
“We’ve been in Military Science Building for as long as I can remember, and I don’t why. But it was a difficult place for us, we were on two floors, essentially separated work space, it was hard to find each other, hard for employees to find us, it was just a very difficult space,” Faupell said.
The main function of the Human Resources Department is to serve faculty and staff who are on contract and benefit eligible, Faupell said.“We touch everything that happens here,” Faupell said.
Human resources provides a variety of functions, Faupell said, including retirement, life, health, and death insurance plans, short and long term disability, compensation plans and adjustment, and EPAF’s (electronic personal action forms).
“We exist to serve the employees here. If they need an assistance with a personal problem, we can help them. We help people get good benefits, we help them get signed up for things, we lead them through some of the complexities of a large bureaucracy. We have a very active wellness program, to keep employees healthy, let them know what their risk factors are, etc. We really do make it a point to serve the employees of Utah State,” she said.
“Space is such a premium, and by allowing us to find a building that was more appropriate for our needs, we really could show the importance of the Human Resources Department to the rest of campus. For us to get this building was just a real coo, and thank goodness Vice President Hunsaker saw that, and the opportunity,” she said.

COLUMN: Being single is no walk in the park

From The Utah Statesman- Sept. 8, 2008

The first day of classes is always a meat market.
Whether you intend it to be or not, everyone is checking out who the hottest person in the room is. Some people are brave and seat themselves near the most attractive individual, while others prefer to maintain a very casual relationship, better known as the-staring-at-the-person-when-they-aren’t-looking-and-sloppily-catching-the-saliva-as-it-drips-out-of-your-mouth relationship.
Everyone does it, don’t try to hide it. Being single is practically a plague on a college campus. Those of us who are single, whether we want to admit it or not, are stunted by our relationship status.
However, despite what an amusingly pathetic topic admitting that I am single is, there is another topic that I wish to discuss that is related, but not entirely relevant to the single rant I have been pursuing.
To best open the intended discussion, I need to tell you a few of my own personal stories on the subject.

The first time it happened to me was fall of my sophomore year.I sat down in my Media Smarts class and surveyed the room. There were a few eligible bachelors, but I tend to be attracted to personalities as well as looks, so the final candidates were not quite determined.
Finally, the teacher walked into the room, and for starters, was a total babe. It really was a shame he was not younger; he was a brilliantly designed canvas, a male Mona Lisa, sheltered by advanced security systems that made him completely unattainable.
However, despair was not the feeling of the day, because thirty minutes into the class a person I refer to as “Romantic Boy,” opened his mouth. I was caught after the first sentence. He was perfect. Intelligent, confident, cool, well dressed, tall, dark, handsome.... need I say more? I proceeded to keep my eye on this individual for the next few weeks.
Every time he spoke I would write a plethora of notes in my head on ways to captivate his attention. When we were assigned group projects my little heart wished with all its might that the fates would throw us together.
Alas, it was not meant to be, and my hope slowly faded. Well, after a few months I start dating a relation of his and come to find out he was married the entire time.

Next case. It is the next semester in another journalism class, and I keep my eye on a guy all year. I even let myself think he is interested too. I convinced myself that he was going out of his way to take the same routes I did to class, not letting myself admit the very conceivable, and all too real, coincidence that we just happen to be journalism majors who take very similar classes–duh. Well, obviously, he was engaged.
Same semester I develop a crush on another kid, and guess what, wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles–the guy has two kids.
I have a few other stories like this, I seem to be perpetually attracted to the unattainable.

So time marches on, each semester I get closer to graduating, and each semester the percentage of eligible candidates in my classes goes down.
However, never before, until this semester, had it become so apparent that everyone and their dog was taken. I am one of seven individuals in one of my classes who isn’t married, and four of us are girls. The same pattern has repeated itself in most of my classes but it has not yet stopped me from participating in the meat market ritual. Similar to previous years, but more blatantly, I have failed at the first day dating game.
It is so embarrassing to scam on a married person, I cannot even tell you, and I am sure all of the married men on campus, not to mention their wives, are probably sick of me.

Rings are too small. Some people don’t even wear their rings on a consistent basis, and some people wear meaningless rings on their ring finger, when they are perfectly available. Altogether, its a messy tangle of confusion.

So, I have a few very reasonable solutions that are in favor of everyone, the campus singles and all of the happily marrieds. If we could adapt one of these systems on campus it would save us all a lot of trouble.

MARRIAGE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS

What if all of the married people sat to the left side of the room, and the lonely single individuals could sit to the right side of the room? That way we won’t have the awkward run in I typically get when I try to strike up a conversation and realize that not only are you taken and uninterested, but you are practically terrified that I am smiling in your general direction. I apologize for being way too forward, as smiling in general is such an unacceptable attribute.

COLORED NECK HANDKERCHIEFS

All married people could wear bandanas around their necks, cowboy style for men, Parisian for women. Not only is it insanely fashionable-trust me- but instantly noticeable.

FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHS

This one is a personal favorite. Every non-single individual could carry around a framed photograph of their sweetheart. When you get to a class, simply place the photograph in a decorative position on your desk. This is a bonus for everyone. Not only is it an aesthetic bonus to the white walled classrooms we all have to suffer with, but you get the pleasure of gazing upon your true love’s face during the most boring of lectures.

NAME TAGS

This one is for those of us who are single and looking–desperately–no, I am serious, you need to be pretty desperate to go along with this one. What if we all wore name tags? You could get creative, perhaps add your favorite color or movie as a byline to your John Hancock. This way all of us singles can get to know one another in a more organized manner, and everyone else can have a good laugh at our expense.

Well, I have run out of reasonable ideas, but if you have solutions please let me know.
When all else fails, form a support group. We could bond over our sob stories of love lost before we even had it (long before we even knew the person really), eat Doritos and cream puffs, watch tragic movies like my personal favorite, “Becoming Jane,” cry a little, and form lasting friendships.
This situation is very real, if you haven’t experienced it yet, you will, and trust me, when it does happen, you will wish you had taken my advice.

Lindsay Anderson is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. She can be found sitting on the right side of the classroom with her bright green nametag wishing the attractive guy next to her wasn’t married. Questions and comments can be sent to her at lindsay.anderson@aggiemail.usu.edu

College of HASS gets new dean

From The Utah Statesman- Sept. 8, 2008

“I’m pretty visionary, and very future oriented,” said Yolanda Flores Niemann, the new dean of the College of HASS, about her plans to bring innovative changes to USU.
“I am one of those people who asks why can’t we do that, and why aren’t we doing that, or wouldn’t it be cool if we did ‘x.’ I think that’s one of the strengths that I bring, I look beyond what is, into what could be,” Niemann said.
“I have asked each of the department heads to do a visioning document, that is due by Dec. 1. Part of what they are supposed to tell me in that document is where they think their field is headed in the next five years, and how we can be sure we are headed toward the future and offering the most cutting edge curriculum we can be offering for students.”
Niemann, who proceeds Gary Kiger, former dean of HASS who died in August from brain cancer, said she loves USU, and wants to ensure that students get the best education possible.
“I have been here since mid-June, and, first of all, it’s a beautiful campus. I have visited many campuses, and none are as beautiful as this campus,” she said. “Second, the students are friendly, but more than anything they are talented, and I am impressed.”
Niemann said one of her first goals is to “share the wealth of our student talent.”
“I want to raise money and have funds available to send students to conferences with faculty. Whether they’re social scientists and want to do a paper, or whether they’re theater performance, musical performance or displaying their art somewhere in an exhibit. We need to let the world know about the incredible talent here,” she said.
Niemann also wants to create a scholarship fund for students who want to study abroad, but can’t afford it.
“Every student ought to get the opportunity to study abroad,” Niemann said.
One of Niemann’s plans to increase funding for programs like study abroad scholarships is to connect alumni back to the university.
“I think it’s important to keep our alumni engaged with the university, and I think the alumni welcome the opportunity,” Niemann said.
“Most of us have really warm memories of our undergraduate college years, so one of the things that I am offering this year is a HASS distinguished alumni speakers series, and that is one way of bringing back our alumni, bringing them back to campus and reminding them of what a great place this is, and what the university did for them.”
Niemann said this speaker series will also help students see exactly what they can become and get them thinking about different ways to apply a college education to the career field.
“You never know how your education is going to affect you,” she said.
Niemann said she is very student oriented, and wants to hear from students on ways the College of HASS can better their education.
“Nobody tells it like students. Students are the ones in the trenches experiencing everything,” she said.
“I think it’s very important that I get advice from students, and stay connected with them, so I am starting two advisory groups, a graduate student advisory group that I will meet with twice a semester and an undergraduate student advisory group. I am very excited about having these groups connect with me.”
Niemann said her love for education was nurtured by mentors who helped guide her from an early age, toward higher education and career aspirations.
“Students ought to find somebody with whom they resonate,” Niemann said. “Students should talk with faculty, and ask them for advice. Say these are my goals, how did you do it, and how would you advise me? I think faculty members are very willing and even eager to help students, but sometimes it takes a student’s initiative to say, ‘Can I meet with you and talk with you about this? I recommend that all students to do that.”
When Niemann isn’t in the office, she said she enjoys reading, gardening, golfing with her husband and spending time with her two children, who live in Washington and Texas.“Those are my joys–being with my family, and when we get together with other couples I love to play cards. I could play spades all night. If there is ever a student card tournament, you will probably see me there if I hear about it,” she said.
Niemann got her Ph.D. in psychology, and after graduation stayed on as a professor for four years.“After four years I realized I really needed to get away from the people with whom I trained, and I went to Washington State University and I was there for 12 years in the College of Liberal Arts, and then I came here, so this is the third institution I have worked at,” she said.
Niemann said she is excited to be a part of USU and wants students to know she is “a really good listener.”
“If you think there is something that we can do better in the College of HASS, I would like to know about it,” she said.
Any students who want to get involved or have ideas are welcome to e-mail Niemann at yolanda.fniemann@usu.edu.