UtahStatesmanThe

ThursdayJanuary 10, 2013

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Student gov’t finds new voiceBY ADDISON HALLstaff writer

The ASUSU executive council gathered Tuesday to discuss a major change in the student government voting system and a change in the Residence Hall Association’s legislation that will affect

students on campus. Abigail Kingsford, ASUSU public relations director, announced a new computer program to facilitate elec-‐tronic voting on campus. “It can be viewed on any size of screen,” Kingsford said. “It’ll expand when it’s on a desktop computer and it

will shrink as you go a tablet or a mobile device.” Kingsford said the new system will also help stu-‐dents better identify and understand the candidates because a picture and short biography will appear next to each candidate’s name. Linda Zimmerman, execu-‐

tive director of the student involvement center, said the system would be available to all organizations on campus within a few months. Charity Maeda, the RHA president, spoke and invited members of the ASUSU council to future RHA meet-‐ings.

“We have written in our constitution that ASUSU has speaking rights,” said Maeda. “Anyone who’s appointed to attend those meetings you will be addressing the heads of dining, facilities and mainte-‐

See ASUSU, Page 3

ASUSU throws Back to School ExtravaganzaBY BECKY EISENHOWERstaff writer

Henna tattoos, photo booth, face paint, and “Pitch Perfect.” Put these four things together, add some snacks and a room full of USU students and it equals the Back to School Extravaganza. Presented by ASUSU, the event gave students a chance to see their peers for the first time as well as meet new people since returning from the winter break. “It’s really great to see everyone after the break because I haven’t really had the chance yet,” said fresh-‐man Marley Mcclune. Hannah Blackburn, ASUSU activities director, coor-‐dinated Wednesday’s event, which was held on the sec-‐ond f loor of the Taggart Student Center. She said she had been planning the event since August. “Students came to me and asked my why there isn’t a welcome back week in the spring,” Blackburn said. “So I decided we would try just one activity to test the waters.” Set up in the TSC International Lounge was henna tattooing, a photo booth, face painting and a balloon artist. The new release “Pitch Perfect” was set up for students to view in the TSC Ballroom. The ASUSU Activities Committee spent $3,000 for the Extravaganza, which is the normal budget for every event in the Aggie Event Series. Sophomore Alexis Allen attended the event with Mcclune.

Aggie students celebrate old and new traditions

KATY HUGHES designs a henna tattoo for student Kyle Jensen at the Back to School Extravaganza on Wednesday.

Hughes is a henna artist for Henna By Design. DANIELLE MANLEY photo

BY TMERA BRADLEYnews senior writer

Kissing under a full moon, famous ice cream, sledding down Old Main Hill and even riding naked on a bull statue are all part of the traditions that USU’s history is made of. Traditions Week 2013 will kick off Monday and feature a vari-‐ety of activities in which students can participate. “We just are trying to bring back a bunch of the traditions,” said Sloan Bailey, traditions director. “Every Friday, students used to wear their game day shirts to promote the athletic events for that weekend, so we’re trying to bring that back.”

Sloan said one of the lesser known traditions is the Hello Walk. “It’s been around since 1961 but hasn’t really happened in a while,” Bailey said. “Utah State University is known for being really friendly, so this is an opportunity for students to say hello to each other as they walk by.” Bailey said on Monday the sidewalk by the Quad will be lined with volunteers giving out hand warmers and treats to encour-‐age the friendliness on campus. While some of the traditions are not very well known, one of the university’s most famous events is True Aggie Night. “Nobody really knows how the event started,” Bailey said. She said it originally began with the Beno club, a service club around 1917. The group’s monument was the A block. “The only thing they can find is it was said that no girl could be a true Utah State coed unless she was kissed on top of the A, and so that’s probably the longest running tradition,” Bailey said. Though True Aggie night will not be included in the week’s activities, it will be held on the night of the next full moon, Jan. 26. “We are trying to focus really hard on all of the traditions that Utah State has,” Bailey said. “A new one that we kind of started last year was a game show.” Bailey said they have started to host some kind of game show on campus that students can get involved in.

“Last year we did Deal or No Deal, and that was a huge hit,” Bailey said. This year it will be a Campus Feud based around the Family Feud game show. “Kind of a new tradition we’re trying to start,” Bailey said. Another event will be the sweatshirt swap held Tuesday through Thursday in the TSC Hub. Students can trade in used hoodies for this year’s Traditions Week sweatshirts. All of the donations will be taken to The Road Home in Salt Lake City. Besides a free hoodie, Scotsman dogs and Aggie Ice Cream on the TSC Patio are also perks to showing up to campus this week. A concert is on the schedule for Friday. Indie rock band We Shot the Moon will perform at 8 p.m. in the TSC Lounges. “We noticed that some students were disappointed there wasn’t a concert at the Howl,” Bailey said. “Traditions week has never had a concert before, so this will be fun and something different.” She said when Student Traditions and Activities Board decid-‐ed to look into some band options, We Shot the Moon came to mind. “They love Utah State, so they always like to come up,” Bailey said. “They basically are coming because they like the campus, and so we thought that would be a really good opportunity for students.”

See TRADITIONS, Page 2

CHARITY MAEDA

See EXTRAVAGANZA, Page 2

We noticed that some students were disappointed there wasn’t a concert at the Howl ... so this will be fun and something different.”

Sloan Baileytraditions director

“

Page 4

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CampusNews Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013Page 2

BY DANI HAYES

staff writer

Due to the on-‐court activities of junior guard Preston Medlin of the men’s basketball team — the latest being the game-‐tying 3-‐pointer to force overtime against Idaho — “Medlinsanity” is in full force among the USU stu-‐dent section. In honor of Medlin and his facial hair, a “beard-‐out” will take center stage when Medlin and the

Aggies face San Jose State on Friday at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Students are encouraged to fill the Spectrum and come clad with a real or make-‐shift beard. “The idea sprouted because every student sec-‐tion in the country tries to do a white-‐out or a black-‐out or a red-‐out,” said Karson Kalian, ASUSU ath-‐letics vice president. “Well, what student section in the country has done a beard out? We’ve always been proud of the fact that we are different than everybody else, that we try and be original, and the beard-‐out was original.” The beard-‐out is a prod-‐uct of the HURD’s support of Aggie athletics. “It serves two purposes in my opinion,” said Charley Riddle, a HURD committee member and regular front-‐row spectator. “One is to pay tribute to Preston and the team, but also to bring the fun and the enjoyment back into the Spectrum. So when you’re there for the game it’s not just to sup-‐port the team but to have a freaking blast. It’s like a party every time.” Riddle said the HURD is committed to finding new

ways to increase student involvement. He said atten-‐dance has been hurting. “The student section has been a little down from what it has been in the past, and so now we are trying to

build up a lot more hype,” he said. “We really want the student section back to what it was two years ago. It’s way different.” Riddle said last year’s basketball season didn’t

reach “Aggie standards” and could be a reason for the supportive slump for bas-‐ketball. “I have to look at it this way,” Riddle said. “There are some fans that are super die-‐hards and they are going to be there no matter what. I know there are some other students that want to go to games because it’s fun, but college basketball isn’t just about the game on the court.” Riddle said the HURD takes upon itself the duty to make the games as appeal-‐ing as possible. “We go through this trou-‐ble because if we are having a great time in the student section and going nuts for the team, the players have a better time,” Riddle said. “They play better and the other team plays worse, which is what we want.” The students are responding. “With the whole ‘stand strong, stand together,’ that’s what I wasn’t think-‐ing,” said Jeffrey Hofheins, a senior majoring in exer-‐cise science. “Preston did great by shooting that three and that’s why we are doing this beard thing. It’s so unique and so creative. I just like that we are all uni-‐

fied in doing this.” Hofheins said he plans on creating the famed beard of Seneca Crane, the Gamemaker from the film “The Hunger Games.” “I’m going to draw on his beard, maybe with mas-‐cara,” he said. Marcus Lemmon, a junior majoring in commu-‐nication disorders, said he is embracing the beard to salute Medlin for his stellar game last Saturday. “I’ve already got a beard going, so I’ll just amp it up with makeup or whatever,” he said. Girls are also finding ways to get involved. “Maybe I’ll get a stick-‐on mustache and goatee,” said Caitlin Willie, a senior majoring in art education. “We are going to go get some fabric, cut it out in the shape of beards and we are going to hand them out to the first 300-‐500 people there,” said Kalian. “We are going to take our cardboard cutouts. They’re going to be bearded. We’ll have blue, white and gray for Aggie colors. We’ll do the classic brown. Real, fake, whatever beard you want, bring it.”

– 1331dani@gmail.comTwitter: @dandan1331

Spectrum will fear no beard

UTAH STATE JUNIOR GUARD PRESTON MEDLIN prepares to shoot during a game earlier this

season. Medlin’s beard is the inspiration for Saturday’s

beard-out. DELAYNE LOCKE photo

proud of the fact that we are different than everybody else, that we try and be original, and the beard-‐out was original.” The beard-‐out is a prod-‐uct of the HURD’s support of Aggie athletics. “It serves two purposes in my opinion,” said Charley Riddle, a HURD committee member and regular front-‐row spectator. “One is to pay tribute to Preston and the team, but also to bring the fun and the enjoyment back into the Spectrum. So when you’re there for the game it’s not just to sup-‐port the team but to have a freaking blast. It’s like a party every time.” Riddle said the HURD is committed to finding new

The student section has been a little down from what it has been in the past, and so now we are trying to build up a lot more hype.”

Charley Riddle USU HURD

“

“We’ve seen ‘Pitch Perfect’ a ton and we really love it,” Allen said. “It never gets old.”

Blackburn said “Pitch Perfect” was the best fit because it is geared toward the college demographic and it’s a movie everyone at USU can enjoy. Nate Elmer, a freshman at USU, attended the event with fellow freshmen Peter Hartvigson and James Neely and junior John Bennion. “We were just walking through and we saw a bunch of people so we stopped by,” Elmer said. “The cookies are great. A little more food could always be good.” Blackburn said most on-‐campus events have been best attended by freshmen and sophomores, but in this case even upper-‐classmen were interested in the event. “I don’t go to a lot of events, but this sounded fun,” said senior Mackenzie Matthews. “Free food, henna, lots of friends and I think ‘Pitch Perfect’ will be fun.” For Matthews, the biggest selling point was the henna tattoos. “Henna sounds way cool and it will defi-‐

nitely be worth the wait in line,” Matthews said. Other students were not as willing to wait in the lines as Matthews was. “I think they need more going on so people don’t have to wait in the long lines,” Allen said. This semester marked the first time a welcome back event like this one had taken place. “We want to learn from this event and make next year’s is even better,” Blackburn said. “When students come to us with sug-‐gestions, we really do want to fulfill them.” 379 students responded to the Facebook event invite and even more attended in response to the wire banners hung on the first and second f loors of the TSC, as well as posts on Twitter. “Rather than just sitting at home watch-‐ing TV or just hanging out with the same people, this is an opportunity for them to meet new people, get accustomed to cam-‐pus, and to see what campus events are like coming here to Utah State,” Blackburn said.

– bec.eis@aggiemail.usu.eduTwitter: @bestfriendbeck

EXTRAVAGANZA: Event provides students welcome diversionFrom page 1

EXTRAVAGANZA ATTENDEE KYLE JENSEN makes a face while he dries his

new henna tattoo with a hair dryer Wednesday. Henna by Design styled the body art.

DANIELLE MANLEY photo

TRADITIONS: Winter week of fun planned for Aggie studentsFrom page 1

Bailey said she expects it to draw a large crowd since it is the first concert held this school year. “I think concerts are fun and will attract people,” said sophomore Esmeralda Arreola. She said the week will help students learn more about the University’s traditions. Traditions week is designed for all students,

but mainly new transfers and freshmen, Bailey said. Anna Christiansen, a transfer graduate student, said she isn’t familiar with any of the traditions at Utah State. “I know people go make out on the A on Homecoming, but other than that I don’t know anything about traditions,” Christiansen said. Bailey said she feels like it’s her job as tradi-‐

tions director to make sure students know the history of the university and be aware of what is going on around campus. “We encourage them all to participate in all the traditions,” Bailey said. “Whether it’s True Aggie night, eating Aggie Ice Cream, going to basketball games or what not, just anything.” If students are interested in volunteering for future activities with STAB, meetings are held

Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on the third floor of the TSC. “Anybody can come up and get involved,” Bailey sid. “We have lots of volunteer posi-‐tions.”

– tmera.bradley@aggiemail.usu.eduTwitter: @tmerabradley

Page 3Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013

Obama approves Utah insurance

BriefsCampus & Community

Compiled from staff and media reports

NEW YORK — Medical-‐insurance markets crafted by four Republican governors won conditional approval by the Obama administration as the federal government nudges states toward full implementation of the landmark health-‐care overhaul. Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah are set to meet Affordable Care Act rules for marketplaces where resi-‐dents can buy insurance, the Health and Human Services Department said in a statement Thursday. The agency also approved plans in Democratic-‐led California, Hawaii and Vermont, bringing to 18 the number of states scheduled to run exchanges on Jan. 1, 2014. “In all of these states there’s more work to be done to be ready for open enrollment in October, but we believe they’ve made significant progress,” said Gary Cohen, director of the department’s Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, on a conference call with reporters. The exchanges will enable consum-‐ers to compare health plans and are a linchpin of the 2010 law’s efforts to extend coverage to millions of uninsured Americans. So far, 22 Republican governors have said they’ll refuse to participate, leaving it to the federal government to set up markets in those states. “One way or another there will be an exchange operating in every state by October 2013,” Cohen said. Enrollment in the exchanges must begin by Oct. 1 for plans that will take effect next year. The U.S. government plans to give states that run their own exchanges a share of about $2 billion to help get them started. In addition to the 18 states, Washington, D.C., is building its own exchange.

Aggie Blue Bikes subs for Santa Aggie Blue Bikes, a program at Utah State University, successfully refurbished 16 children’s bicycles for Cache County Sub for Santa with the help of seven volunteers, donations from various community members and powder coating from Cache Valley Coating. Aggie Blue Bikes staff and volun-‐teers spent more than 100 hours working on the bikes. The work included stripping the donated bikes down, cleaning each part of the bike and all of its components and then building the bikes back to useable form. All 16 bicycles are now in working condition, most of them with fresh paint and new parts.

Max Otto Matzen, assistant profes-‐sor of trumpet and brass studies at Utah State University, will discuss Gustav Mahler’s controversial decision to alter Beethoven’s 9th Symphony during the first Kiger Hour talk of 2013. The event will be from 5:15 to 7 p.m. at Café Sabor. Matzen’s talk “Gustav Mahler’s Retuschen: Events leading to the alter-‐ations of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and the aftermath,” will feature a student guest, sophomore Erik Horne who will perform a handful of excerpts on trumpet. According to Matzen, Mahler was no stranger to controversy. Historically, it surrounded the conduc-‐tor and composer primarily due to his religious affiliations, he said. “However, when [Mahler] began taking liberties by making his own alterations to Beethoven’s monu-‐mental 9th Symphony, he fell under heightened scrutiny. I plan to briefly examine Mahler’s rationale for his Retuschen, and survey an excerpt of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony that remains altered within contemporary performance practice.”

Matzen to speak at Kiger Hour

CampusNews

The policy of The Utah Statesman is to correct any error made as soon as possible. If you find something you would like clarified or find in error, please contact the editor at 797-‐1742, statesman@aggiemail.usu.edu or come in to TSC 105.

ClarifyCorrect

BY TONY PERRY

Los Angeles Times

(MCT)

SAN DIEGO — The gun-‐man stalked the dormitory halls yelling, “I’m going to kill somebody,” pounding and kicking on doors, and firing his weapon in the air. The resident assistants remembered their training: Turn off the lights, barricade the doors with chairs and tables, lie f lat on the f loor, push back if the killer tries to bust in, or jump out a window if it isn’t too high. The drama was all staged but with a life-‐saving purpose Tuesday as a dormitory at San Diego State University became a stand-‐in for Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary and the engineering building on the campus here — all scenes of deadly rampages. Two-‐dozen people from col-‐leges and schools throughout Southern California came to campus for a two-‐day session with the chillingly modern title of Active Shooter Response Training. Although the program of lectures, discussions and sce-‐narios was planned months ago, the recent shooting in Newtown, Conn., where 20 children and six adults were killed, only heightened the urgency of planning for pos-‐sible violence. Bret Bandick, a trainer from Texas company Response Options, played the role of a heavily armed killer target-‐ing students at the Olmeca Residence Hall. He fired an airsoft gun into the air and at doors to provide an extra dose of realism. Resident assistants and others played the role of students caught by surprise. In the fall, those same assis-‐tants will be giving a new, mandatory 90-‐minute seminar to all incoming freshmen at San Diego State on how to sur-‐vive an on-‐campus shooting. The session will be in addition to the university’s system of alerting students via emails, text messages and social media when a gunman is suspected. “Our responsibility is to give people as many tools as possible to survive,” said Capt. Lamine Secka of the San Diego State police force. Kerry Harris, also an instructor with Response Options, said the strategy “is not rocket science.” “We tell people they should f lee if they can, hide if they must and fight back if there is no other option,” Harris said. The San Diego State resident assistants did better than many people who have taken the same training, Harris said. The event drew police officers and school officials from Orange, the Vista and Escondido school districts in northern San Diego County and the campuses of Cal State Los Angeles, San Diego State, UC San Diego and the University of San Diego.San Diego has reason to be concerned about school shoot-‐ings. One of the first high-‐profile school shootings that gained national attention occurred

here in 1979, when 16-‐year-‐old Brenda Spencer used a rif le to kill two people and wound nine others at an elementary school across from her home. “I don’t like Mondays,” Spencer told a reporter by telephone during the rampage. She is serving a 25-‐year-‐to-‐life prison sentence.In 1996, a graduate student at San Diego State killed three of his professors in the engineer-‐ing department. The gunman pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty and is serving a life sentence. In 2001, two shootings in high schools east of San Diego left two dead and 18 wounded. One shooter, then a 15-‐year-‐old student, is in prison; the other, an 18-‐year-‐old former student, committed suicide while behind bars. In 2010, a mentally dis-‐turbed man jumped the fence at a Carlsbad elementary school and wounded two stu-‐dents before being subdued by construction workers. He is serving a life sentence. By the time of the 2001 shootings, nationwide police protocol for school shootings had changed to emphasize an

immediate response by the first officer on the scene rath-‐er than waiting for the SWAT squad to assemble. The change in tactics was prompted by the 1999 shoot-‐ing at Columbine High in Colorado where 15 people died, including the two shoot-‐ers who committed suicide, while the SWAT squad was being assembled.“After Columbine, we learned that you just can’t wait for SWAT,” said Lt. Joe Florentino of the San Diego Unified Police Department, which deploys 43 officers to protect 200 sites with 133,000 stu-‐dents and 15,000 employees, the second largest primary school district in California. When a 15-‐year-‐old student opened fire at Santana High in Santee on March 5, 2001, the first police officer on scene was an off-‐duty San Diego officer who was registering his daughter for classes. “When everyone else was running away from the sound of gunfire,” said San Diego Police Lt. Andra Brown, “he was running toward it.” The post-‐Columbine era also brought more training for offi-‐

cers and dispatchers and, in some cases, better weaponry for beat cops who may have to confront a shooter with multiple weapons or assault weapons. “Lock down,” a term and practice once used in connection with prison riots, became common parlance a decade ago to describe keeping students in their classrooms during an incident. But those changes, Florentino said, are meant to limit the casualties once a shooting occurs. The better strategy, he said, is to be aware of any advance signs that a student might pose a threat. The San Diego school dis-‐trict has a policy of follow-‐ing up, with counselors and police officers, when a student is heard making possible threats or posting troubling comments on social media. In rare cases, a student is put on a 72-‐hour psychiatric hold at a mental health facility, Florentino said. “If a student says something odd, we don’t just ignore it,” Florentino said. “We have to be right 100 percent of the time, we know that.”

PARTICIPANTS IN THE SDSU

SHOOTING SURVIVAL TRAINING

barricade a door in the Olmeca

Residence hall, above. Retired police officer Chuck Harold, right

simulates a police team entering the Olmeca Residence Hall at San Diego

State looking for an active shooter on

Jan. 8. They are part of a training exercise conducted with sev-eral school districts, police departments

and campus agencies learning how to deal with an active mass

shooting suspect. MARK BOSTER/Los

Angeles Times/MCT

photos

SDSU hosts shooting training

ASUSU: Tension to subside with more talkFrom page 1

nance, our directors of housing and residence life, the RHA executive board and the resi-‐dence and staff members who live on campus.” Maeda said the new legislature will allow ASUSU to communicate important news out to the RHA. According to Kingsford, relations were sometimes tense between ASUSU and RHA because both programs looked at students differently. She said if ASUSU were to speak at their meetings, some of the tension could be relieved. “In the past there’s always been a slight disconnect between ASUSU and RHA because we both are programming-‐type bodies in that we plan events for students on campus,” Kingsford said. “RHA represents them as resi-‐dents on campus whereas ASUSU represents them as students on campus. So they’re simi-‐

lar but a little bit different.” Kingsford said the two organizations have had conflicts about promoting events on cam-‐pus and in resident halls. “There’s been a lot of lack of communica-‐tion between the two,” Kingsford said. “The staff members and the RAs are frustrated with ASUSU because they feel like we don’t really do much to help them out, so they want to know why they should help us out.” Maeda said the legislature to allow ASUSU to speak at RHA meetings will help to ease tension between the two groups. “I really want to advocate a good relation-‐ship between RHA and ASUSU because I don’t want our residents or our staff members to think poorly of ASUSU,” Maeda said. During the meeting, members of ASUSU discussed other issues. Zimmerman announced a server change for all officers in ASUSU that occurred Wednesday afternoon.

She said the old servers were causing problems for the officers and desperately needed to be replaced. Karson Kalian, ASUSU athletics vice-‐president, said the athletic department wasn’t getting enough advertising space on campus for their events. He said he was working with campus planning to get two permanent signs up by the Taggart Student Center and library in order to get more student awareness. Jordan Hunt, the Academic Senate presi-‐dent, said the university will shortly send out a survey to the student body asking if a testing center on campus was necessary. “The survey is ready, but for now we’re just trying to get a sense of how something like that would work and whether or not some-‐thing like that would be something students would want or need,” Hunt said.

– addison.m.t.hall@gmail.com

BY STEVE KENT

editor in chief

Logan-‐based band Little Barefoot will play an album release concert in the USU Performance Hall on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. The album, titled “A Hundred Different People (part one)” will include six tracks, but band mem-‐ber Taylor Wilson said they plan to release an expanded version in the future. Wilson said he realizes many people don’t pay for music, so the album release is more about sharing the music and building a following than selling records. “I’d rather have people have the music for free and enjoy it and come show their support in other ways,” said Wilson, who co-‐writes much of the band’s music. The album will include art, a poster and other extras to make it appeal to fans who wouldn’t have to pay for the music alone, Wilson said. Though they’re not charging admission for the concert, the band will sell the new album and other merchandise. The album will be released on Lucidity, a Logan-‐based label. Drummer Ben Wilson and bassist Dillan Stracke, who play with Little Barefoot, started the label. Wilson said he started Lucidity in response to label offers he received as part of another band, Racoon Dog. “They turned out to be really sketchy, and everyone was in it to benefit themselves,” Ben Wilson said. “So instead we decided to start our own label, where we have full control.” Ben Wilson said Lucidity puts the success of the bands over the success of the label. He said three bands have worked with Lucidity so far,

including Racoon Dog, Mountain Woman and Little Barefoot. Stracke said he enjoys his work with Little Barefoot because it’s more about creative vision than financial success. “My goal is just to get people away from main-‐stream, Justin Bieber pop,” Stracke said. Band member Alex Van Oene said Little Barefoot has been described as experimental folk or new-‐wave ‘80s. Van Oene said when a radio producer described the band as new-‐wave ‘80s, he was surprised. He couldn’t see the band’s con-‐nection with the popular music of the time, but eventually it made more sense. “I started listening to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Bob Dylan and those kind of ‘80s revival bands and that kind of style of writ-‐ing,” Van Oene said. “I feel like we embody that.” Though college bands often break up because members move away, Taylor Wilson said he expects band members will continue playing together for years. Natalie Beck, a founding member of Little Barefoot, plans on leaving Logan later this month to teach English in Korea, Wilson said. “There’s still a spot in the band when she gets back,” Wilson said. “She’s still going to be listed as a member because she helped start the band.” Ben Wilson said even if the band members moved to different states, the band could keep playing together. “(Taylor Wilson) could write a song and record a guitar part, and he can send me the file and I can mix the file, put drums over it, send it back

BY CALE PATTERSON

features senior writer

Shelves lining the walls of Michelle Larson’s office were once filled with files, books and resources. They now lie bare. The desk is clear. The office she used for more than six years in her central administration position as vice provost is empty. Her time at USU is over after accepting a posi-‐tion as president and CEO of the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Larson leaves USU with mixed emotions — both excitement for the oppor-‐tunities to come in her new position and a deep appreciation for the people she was able to work with at Utah State. “That’s probably what I’m most excited about,” she said. “It’s unknown, it’s uncharted.” Those in the provost’s office have expressed appre-‐ciation for Larson and her contributions to the univer-‐sity. “She is an outstanding individual, a consummate professional,” said Larry Smith, senior executive vice provost. “She was incred-‐ible. She is incredible to work with.” Smith worked with Larson since she was hired and was on the search com-‐mittee that recommended her for hire in 2006. He said her intelligence, capacity for innovation and creativity as well as her high standard

of excellence were factors which led to her hire, and she exhibited those qualities throughout the duration of her time at USU. “She hit a home run when we interviewed her,” he said. “We were very, very lucky she crossed paths with us. The things that she has done will have a lasting

impact for a long, long time to come.” Larson worked in various positions within the pro-‐vost’s office. Her responsi-‐bilities consisted in dealing with special projects which were unanticipated by the university. Projects ranged from college mergers to developing educational pro-‐

gramming for an eco center and even participating actively in USU’s recertifica-‐tion process for collegiate athletics. “Every ten years, the NCAA re-‐accredits the uni-‐versity to be able to partici-‐pate in collegiate athletics,” she said. “My very first proj-‐ect, literally the day I was

hired, was to kind of lead the NCAA recertification effort. Having the academic office be over that recertifi-‐cation is to ensure that we’re teaching our students, first and foremost.” Larson said this initial project was very beneficial in that it introduced her to many of the different

aspects and offices of Utah State, and this contact with so many branches of USU’s structure came to be the most rewarding part of her time here. “In leaving, I’m very fond of the fact that I have been able to interact with people

www.utahstatesman.com

Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013Page 4

A&EDiversions Vice Provost pursues planetarium presidency

Logan-‐based band launches album

is leaving her position at USU after accepting a position as president and CEO of the Adler Planetarium

in Chicago. Photo courtesy of Adler Planetarium

jams in a member’s Logan apartment. Band members include, from left to right, Taylor

Wilson, Alexander Van Oene, Dillan Stracke and Ben Wilson. The band plans to release a six-track album on Jan. 17. SAMANTHA BEHL photo

Steve KentAdventures

inreporting

Adventuresin

reporting

When I arrived at Alex Van Oene’s

apartment to interview the band Little

Barefoot, he and the other band mem-

bers were popping in and out of the

door. Between hurried introductions,

I learned the ceiling in Van Oene’s

room was leaking. I went back to

look and asked if there was anything I

could do, but they had already pulled

out most of his valuables and now

they were putting tupperware bins

under the slowly growing streams of

water. A pipe had probably frozen and

burst — I’d heard similar stories during

the recent cold snap.

Then a chunk of the ceiling about

the area of a bathtub buckled and

fell, gallons of water cascading after it.

Several profanities followed.

I thought we’d have to reschedule,

but ten minutes later the band mem-

bers surprised me by setting up for the

photo shoot. As the band’s full volume

rang from the living room walls, Van

Oene and the others played as if part

of their house hadn’t just collapsed.

“When I play music, I really like

to get into it and lose myself in the

music, almost,” Van Oene said in an

interview the next day.

The jam session helped everyone

in the apartment calm down after the

collapse, he said.

“I got really antsy and thought I

should be doing something, but but

at the same time, I felt like I couldn’t

really do anything about the ceiling,”

he said. “We just kind of had to sit

there and wait. But music is music,

right? It was good to forget about it for

a second.”

– Steve Kent is the editor in chief of the Utah Statesman. Send comments

to steve.kent@aggiemail.usu.eduwith

Little Barefoot. SAMANTHA BEHL photo

See LARSON, Page 5

See BAREFOOT, Page 5

Little Barefoot

brings down

the house

A&EDiversionsThursday, Jan. 10, 2013 Page 5

Les Mis fails on some fronts, flourishes on others

I’m not a die hard “Les Miserables” fan. I’ll admit my exposure to the story is limited. I read an abridged version of Victor Hugo’s novel nine years ago. In my entire life I listened to one song completely and heard bits and pieces of some of the other songs. In essence, the movie “Les Miserables” was my first experience with the songs and musical story. The story of “Les Miserables” is too com-plicated to mention in a simple summary. For that, check CliffsNotes. The lessons in the movie are just as true as they were when they were first writ-ten: forgiveness, redemp-tion, hope and freedom. The movie had a grand feel to it. It effectively took the feel of a stage performance and turned it into a large master-piece. “Les Miserables” was composed of the songs from the Broadway musical with slight addi-tions of action, music, and dialog. Don’t mistake this for a filmed stage produc-tion. The movie is a raw and heavy. It allows for things to be done that can’t be effectively dem-onstrated on any stage. Much of the hype of “Les Miserables” came

from the announcement that the singing was to be recorded on the sets rather than a post-production dubbing. With the technology and methods of modern film, this wasn’t much of a dramatic achievement. During most of the songs, the camera was close to the actors, making it con-venient to have a boom microphone very near to the singing. What was more impressive was the raw emotion the actors put into the songs. It was more than a person hit-ting the notes perfectly while standing still on a stage. The actors had liberty to act and bring more feeling to the char-acters than the songs could by themselves. Unlike a stage perfor-mance, there’s no inter-mission, which makes the movie movie seem long. It’s more than two and a half hours. The filming was done with the shaky cam methods, much like “The Bourne Supremacy,” in an attempt to further draw the audience into the scenes. The songs and most of the music came from Claude-Michel Schonberg, the origi-nal composer of the Broadway production, helping to keep the film familiar to the fans and powerful to all. Director Tom Hooper brought a strong back-ground from “The King’s Speech” to tackle the challenges of bring-ing one of the biggest Broadway hits of all time to the silver screen. He did a great job and will probably have his pick of

movies from now on. “Les Miserables,” the pinnacle of the story brought to film, featured an all-star cast. Hugh Jackman’s a strong, high-ly-talented actor with a background in Broadway, making him perfect for the commanding physi-cal performance of Jean Valjean. Recognized every-where as Wolverine for his part in the “X-Men” movie franchise, Jackman has also shown other sides of his abilities in “The Prestige” and “Australia.” Russell Crowe was per-fect as Javier. Everything I’d ever imagined in Javier was present in Crowe. Best known for “Gladiator,” “A Beautiful Mind” and “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” Crowe’s an excellent

actor, and I look forward to seeing him again this summer in “Man of Steel” as Superman’s father Jor-El. I was surprised to hear Crowe singing. He’s never had a singing role in a film before. As a mat-ter of trivia, he’s part of a rock group, The Ordinary Fear of God. Anne Hathaway was simply amazing. As she played one of the most unfortunate characters in the story, she brought everything to the table. She effectively showed the desperate situation Fantine was in with all the distraught and trau-ma that came with it. Hathaway is a force to be reckoned with. Her other screen talents include “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Princess Diaries” and “The Devil Wears Prada.” She seems to

continuously develop her skills as her acting career progresses. I’ve never been incred-ibly impressed with Amanda Seyfried, but she did a decent job as Cosette. She’s a plausi-ble adult of the younger Cosette. Her previous acting includes “Gone,” “Red Riding Hood” and “Mamma Mia.” Sacha Baron Cohen is quite a varied actor. He’s been the star of an intriguing series of characters in title mov-ies “Borat,” “Bruno” and “The Dictator.” He’s quite skilled at singing as well, as he demonstrates as Thenardier. He’s crazy but smooth. Madame Thenardier is played extraordinarily by Helena Bonham Carter. She’s proven herself as a magnificent singer and actor, participating

in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” and “Alice in Wonderland.” Colm Wilkinson must be mentioned for his per-formance as the Bishop in the movie because he played Jean Valjean in the 1985 performance of “Les Miserables.” If you’re a fan of Les Miserables, whether it’s the story or the songs, you’ll want to see this movie sometime, but not necessarily in theaters.

— Spencer Palmer is a graduate student work-

ing toward an MBA with a recent bachelor’s in

mechanical engineering. Email him at spencer.

palmer@aggiemail.usu.edu or visit his website,

themovieknight.word-press.com

Spencer Palmer

“Les Miserables”

Grade: B

FilmReview

PalmerPalmer

Miserables”

LES MISERABLES COMBINES SONGS from the Broadway musical with Hollywood action, music and dialog.

Stock photo

LARSON: Stepping outside the boxFrom page 4

all across campus,” she said. “I enjoy interacting with so many different people and people who are so good and so proud of the role they play on campus. I just love that interaction.” Larson said prior to work-‐ing at USU, she associated primarily with people who were similar to her in their skill sets and ways of accom-‐plishing tasks. Since coming to Utah State, she said she has come to appreciate the value of surrounding herself with people who do things differently than she does. “Interacting with the breadth of individuals that I’ve been able to, I’ve really grown to appreciate new ways of approaching a prob-‐lem, new ways of communi-‐cating,” she said. “I’ve broad-‐ened my appreciation of the skill sets that can come to the table since stepping outside my little physicist’s world.” Larson advised students to take advantage of the opportunities they have and explore classes that are out-‐side what they’re typically interested in. “I’m not sure all students during the time they’re here recognize the opportunities available to them in terms of stepping outside the box and taking a class that’s about something you never knew you wanted to know

about,” she said. “But take it, because it will open your mind.” Larson grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and received her bachelors degree, master’s degree and Ph.D. from Montana State University. She began her undergraduate work in 1989 and finished her Ph.D. in 2001. “I kept taking all those interesting classes to take,” she said. “I wasn’t in a hurry.” Larson has a six year old daughter with her husband and enjoys hobbies such as cooking, hiking and geocaching. She said work is a passion for her and she spends much of her time working, but also spending time with her family.

She also has an extensive collection of rubber ducks, which she began collecting in grad school. She said there is a rubber duck for everything and enjoys her collection greatly. “My daughter and I just recently counted them and I have a 147 rubber duck collection,” she said. “I can’t remember why I started. Everyone has a few rub-‐ber ducks around. If you’re aware of it, there’s a rubber duck for everything. It’s a lit-‐tle obnoxious, but it’s pretty fun, and then when you take a bath you can just grab a handful and throw them in and you have fun.”

– calewp@gmail.com

MICHELLE LARSON’S RUBBER DUCK COLLECTION consists of 147 rubber ducks. Stock photo

and he can put singing on top,” Ben Wison said. “We can sit here and have a practice for a whole week and not even see each other and be in com-‐pletely different states. As far as people moving away, I don’t think that’s ever a big deal.” Though the band is promoting their music through online track releases and tours, Taylor Wilson said their motive isn’t money. “It’s just all about the music,” Taylor Wilson said. “I feel like that’s cheesy to say. I don’t think anyone gets to the end of their life and says, ‘I wish I had never played music.’”

– steve.kent@aggiemail.usu.edu

BAREFOOT: Playing without regretsFrom page 4

Little Barefoot

Band Members:

Taylor Wilson (guitar, keyboard, lead vocals)Natalie Back (keyboard, vocals)Alex Van Oene (guitar, violin)Dillan Stracke (bass)Ben Wilson (drums)Doug Deakin (drums)Jesse Massey (strings)

CenterPieceThursday, Jan. 10, 2013Page 6 Page 7Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013

HEROES OF SPUDTOWN

SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK CHUCKIE KEETON eludes a tackle in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, left. Below, USU football fans show their sup-port in the stands at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. DELAYNE LOCKE photos

TAVIN STUCKInews editor

BOISE, Idaho — For 53

minutes, penalties, offensive

struggles and even a little ill-‐

ness stagnated Utah State in

the 2012 Famous Idaho Potato

Bowl.

Aggie quarterback Chuckie

Keeton ran 62 yards for the

only touchdown in the first

three quarters and a com-‐

bined four field goals made it

a 13-‐9 game with seven min-‐

utes left.

Enter Kerwynn Williams.

The USU senior running

back scored three touchdowns

over the final seven minutes

to earn MVP honors and lead

Utah State in the 41-‐15 blast-‐

ing of the Toledo Rockets on

Saturday.

“Kerwynn found some

creases for one thing, that’s

what happened,” said USU

head coach Gary Andersen.

After the game, a slight

cough was the only thing to

hinder Williams’ smile.

“I actually wasn’t sick at all

until I was out there playing.

It’s a little cold out there,” he

joked with reporters after the

game.

Williams’ 235 rushing

yards was the second-‐most

ever in the Famous Idaho

Potato Bowl. With his 34

receiving yards added in, he

broke the Western Athletic

Conference record for career

all-‐purpose yardage with

6,922.

Williams said he was happy

with the result, the season and

his career as an Aggie.

As for the cough, the Las

Vegas native isn’t worried.

“This win will be medicine

enough,” he said.

– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu

Twitter: @StuckiAggies

SENIORS WILL DAVIS AND MATT AUSTIN celebrate on the field during the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, left. Clockwise above, fans celebrate the Aggie victory after the game on the field. Above, a fan holds a sign celebrating senior running back Kerwynn Williams’ accomplishment in becoming the Westen Athletic Conference’s all-time yardage leader. Below, then-head coach Gary Andersen puts his arm around Williams, who holds the Potato Bowl Championship and Most Valuable Player trophies. DELAYNE LOCKE photos

WIDE RECEIVER CHUCK JACOBS is

brought down by a Toledo defenders, above. Above

right, linebacker Kyler Fackrell helps tackle a Toledo

ball carrier. Above far right, the Famous Idaho Potato

Bowl mascot dances while Aggie cheerleaders look on.

Far right, then-head coach Gary Andersen holds the

Potato Bowl Championship trophy. Right, fans and players

celebrate USU’s victory on the field at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. DELAYNE LOCKE

photos

MEN’S BASKETBALL

GYMNASTICS

SPECTRUM MAGICA history of Utah State University’s most famous sporting venue

Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-‐part series detailing the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum

Standing on the north edge of campus, its common outside appearance masks its tortuous inner cham-‐bers. Seating 10,270, what once was quiet erupts on game day in what has been called the West’s premier home-‐court advantage by ESPN, a top-‐five college basketball fan base honor-‐able mention by Bleacher Report and is frequently named by visiting players as the most hostile arena they have played in. As the commercial states, the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum is the most inter-‐esting place on the USU

campus. “When the Spectrum is at its best, it’s as f ine of home-‐court advantage as there is anywhere in the country,” said head coach Stew Morrill. “The acoustics, the creativity of the students, the students getting the regular fan into the game, all of that is fabulous and as good as it gets.” It boasts a .921 winning percentage under head coach Stew Morrill, and is only silent during free throws and by student decision. The Spectrum opened for basketball play on Dec. 1, 1970 with an Aggie vic-‐tory against Ohio State, and has seen 1,491 victo-‐ries since. Morrill credits the stadium’s structure for aiding the crowd’s effec-‐tiveness.

“It was built with the seats very close together, as people can attest to, so that puts the crowd right on top of the game and the opponent,” Morrill said. “If they ever need to replace it, they need to build another one just like it.” One of the keys to the success of the Spectrum has been the creativity of what ESPN announcers have described as “one of the smartest student sec-‐tions in the entire nation.” “I think it’s grown into a place that is an experience every single time you go there,” said Tyler Olsen, former ASUSU vice presi-‐dent of athletics and cre-‐ator of the game day shirts. “You can know nothing about basketball and walk away feeling like you had an experience unlike most

other venues.” “It’s a special place,” Morrill said. “People all over the country have cop-‐ied our students because it goes viral and it’s on YouTube. I’ve had college coaches tell me that it’s on an even par with Duke’s crowd.” The history and evolu-‐tion of some of the more popular cheers and tra-‐ditions that have since gained national attention is rich and deep, beginning with some of the key unify-‐ing components.

Game day Shirts

When Olsen, a former Aggie football player, was elected to his post in 2004, one of his f irst problems was no one having enough school spirit to learn the fight song.

“It’s hard to believe now,” Olsen said of the school spirit. “I want this experience for everyone that goes to Utah State. You go to the rest of the schools in the state, you don’t get that. I went to LSU and we played at that stadium down there with 80,000 people wearing yel-‐low and I said, ‘Why can we not be this way?’” After the fight song took hold, Olsen’s next task was to get all fans wearing blue. Using about 200,000 blue Tootie Fruities as bribes, Olsen gave them out to any fan around the arena wearing blue. “Like Pavlov’s dog theo-‐ry, it worked,” he said. However, due to the high price of Aggie apparell, many students couldn’t

See MAGIC, page 9

BY MARK HOPKINSstaff writer

CurtisLundstromLundstromLundstrom

Livin’ the

Dream

Over- or

under-

rated?

With the “Class of 1996” — Derek Jeter, Kobe Bryant, Ray Lewis and Tiger Woods — getting so much attention in the media recently, it got me thinking about elite athletes and sports legends and I asked myself a question: Who are the most overrated and under-‐rated elite athletes in sports? Immediately, the first athlete that comes to my mind is Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins. Talk about underrated. While he will likely slip to No. 3 in all-‐time passing yards next season behind Brett Favre and Peyton Manning, there’s something about Marino. Consider that he threw for 10,000 more yards than the fourth-‐place quarterback, John Elway, during an era in the NFL that had the run-‐first, pass-‐second mindset. He held nearly every passing record in the books until the NFL transitioned to a pass-‐happy league. Until this season, Marino held the single-‐season pass-‐ing mark and remains in the top 5 in a handful of passing categories. Pretty astounding considering during the past 15 years since he retired the NFL has become a pass-‐happy, quarterback-‐oriented league. The only reason Marino gets left out of the “greatest quarterback of all time” dis-‐cussion is his failure to win a super bowl. Teams win Super Bowls, and Marino never had the help the other greats had, which makes him a pretty clear favorite for most under-‐rated player. On the flip side, there are the overrated players. I’m talking the likes of Tim Tebow, Dennis Rodman and Jimmer Fredette. Before I go too much fur-‐ther, let me define overrated. I’m not talking overhyped. That list is far too long and includes some of the greatest athletes of all time. I’m talking those players that get endless recognition because they’re talented and expected to be the best, but perform sub-‐par. Tebow is easily the most overrated player in profes-‐sional sports today. The guy is not an NFL quarterback. He doesn’t have a quality stat line. He has not performed any where close to where he was expected to. I’m a die-‐hard Denver Broncos fan and it was one of the happiest moments of my life when he left. Yes, he led the Broncos to an 8-‐8 record and a playoff win, but that was in an absolutely abys-‐mal AFC West division and against less than stellar teams. He had one good game, which conveniently came in the playoffs at home against Pittsburgh. During his 11-‐game stint as starting quarterback he threw 12 touchdowns and six inter-‐ceptions with a completion percentage of 46 percent. He is vastly overrated. The same applies to Dennis Rodman. Don’t get me wrong, the guy could rebound, but that was all. Even those stats

THE HURD unveils a large team flag emblazened with the university logo at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum at the beginning of the basketball season-CURTIS RIPPLINGER photo

The season opener for the USU gymnastics team will be their chance to showcase new tal-‐ent and increased confidence. The 2013 gymnastics season will begin 1 p.m. Friday at Brigham Young University. Head coach Jeff Richards said he is excited about the team’s progression this season and is eager to kickstart the official season. “We’re just hoping to go out there and get our feet wet and realize the season’s here,” Richards said. “I think the girls are already excited. There’s not huge expectations. We’re coming out a little bit slow this year. We’re just trying to get out there and put things together.” Richards and the rest of the team over-‐came several medical challenges early in the season. Though they only lost two seniors to graduation, gymnasts Amanda Watamaniuk, Samantha Wagner and Breyanna Aufiero were injured and will not compete this season. Watamaniuk injured her elbow at the end of last season and Aufiero tore her ACL just weeks before the Aggie Exhibition Tournament. Wagner has been battling scoliosis for years and underwent surgery in December. “We were hoping to get another year of beam out of her,” Richards said about Wagner. “But it just wasn’t in the cards.” Challenges are eagerly accepted by the team and regardless of the injuries, the girls have high hopes for the future. “Training was a little more rigorous this year, but in a good way,” senior Amelia Montoya said. “We’ve had our fair share of injuries, but like every gymnastics team, it’s expected.”

Both Montoya and sophomore Sarah Landes are confident in their team, despite the young talent. “Our team is really good this year,” Montoya said. “We have a lot of freshman. It’s a lot of new talent. They’ve all stepped up to the plate and I’m excited to see what they do. We’re solid on all four events.” “We have a lot of potential,” Landes said. “So far, they’re stepping up to the challenge.” Richards agreed with his athletes about the future potential of the team. “We’ve got some really great stuff hap-‐pening,” Richards said. “Our freshmen have been really good. We’ve got Paige Jones, one of our upperclassman, that has been looking really good. Sarah Landes last year did really well. She’s a sophomore, she’s looking really good. We’ve got a couple of freshman, Kinzey Martinez, Hayley Sanzottii and Michelle Yasukochi that are on fire right now and look-‐ing really good.” Other than confidence in their team’s potential, Montoya and Landes are also excited about their team’s performance at the meet against BYU. “It’s fun to go out against your big rival at the beginning of the season,” Landes said. “It’s our first meet and being a young team, you don’t know how the freshman are going to respond,” Montoya said. “But we put them under a lot of pressure in training and they do well. And I think that’s exactly what they’re going to do.”

– daniellekmanley@gmail.comTwitter: @daniellekmanley

JOANNA CUBA performs a floor routine during the blue and white exhibition CURTIS RIPPLINGER photo

BY DANIELLE MANLEYstaff writer

www.utahstatesman.com

ThursdaySportsThursday, Jan. 10, 2013Page 8

See CURTIS, Page 9

Aggies flip into 2013 action against BYU

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Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013 Page 9StatesmanSports

BY CURTIS LUNDSTROMsports editor

Russell Wilson is the popular choice among Aggie faithful for fairly obvious reasons, but Andrew Luck is the rookie of the year. Here’s why: The Stanford grad took a team that was 2-14 last season and led them to an 11-5 record and a play-off berth. He threw for 1,200 more yards than any other rookie quarterback and was the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards and win 10 games. And that’s where the records start. Other rookie records Luck owns after his stellar season include six 300-yard passing games, the single-game pass-ing record and seven game-winning drives. The numbers support his performance, but it’s his seven game-winning drives — most by any start-ing quarterback since 1970 — that scream rookie of the year to me. Luck kept his team in games with his composure in pressure situations and found ways to win. Not to mention that Luck accomplished all of that without Indianapolis head coach Chuck Pagano, whose battle with leukemia kept him off the sideline for the entire regular season. Luck’s biggest fault is turnovers. He had 18 interceptions and five fumbles this season. It’s a concern, but when you combine that he was hit and hurried more than any other quarterback in the league with the fact that he is indeed a rookie, it helps. He’ll learn to more effectively take care of the football as he gains experience in the league, and if his offensive line gives him protection, watch out.

– curtislundstrom@gmail.comTwitter: @CurtisLundstrom

BY ERIC JUNGLBUTcopy editor

The fact that Russell Wilson is the sole remaining member of the rookie three still active in the play-offs should be the only excuse I need to convince you that he is the quarterback most deserving of the 2012 Rookie of the Year Award. But just in case you still need some more convincing, hear me out. Wilson got an earful from the media when he entered the NFL Draft last year. He was consid-ered too short to be a good quarterback and many thought he would pursue a career in the MLB. He ended up being picked in the third round by the Seahawks, but their signing of Matt Flynn from the Packers added to the idea of Wilson becoming another NFL nobody. Instead, Wilson became just the opposite. He beat out Flynn for the starting job and led the Seahawks to the playoffs for the second time in three years — this time with a winning record. The team’s success cannot be completely attributed Wilson, however. His receiving corps is talented, his running back Marshawn Lynch lives up to his nickname, and the defense has given him ample opportunities to score. Still, Wilson’s cool pocket presence and ability to break down and run has put his team within two wins of a Super Bowl berth and has shown his true leadership skills. Yes, Andrew Luck turned the Colts around, and RGIII did the same for the Redskins. But Luck’s knack for engineering late-game comebacks ran out against Baltimore and RGIII’s injuries prove he is too risky a player. Wilson utilized the weapons around him to set a once-laughable organization in the right direction.

– ej.jungblut@gmail.comTwitter: @TheJungleButt

State your case: Which player deserves

NFL Rookie of the year?

afford a game day shirt. Olsen and some friends designed a cheaper version they could sell on the side and despite some con-‐troversy with competing sellers, the game day shirts were born and have been sold by the bookstore since 2005. “The first ones looked really ugly,” he said. “I wasn’t looking to make a profit, I was just trying to build the spirit.” With a goal of unifying the student body and creat-‐ing a “sixth man,” Olsen said although his advisors were initially worried about a surplus, sales shot up and the shirts quickly became a success.

The Refraction

Matt Sonnenberg arrived at Utah State the year after Olsen graduated and continued building the traditions. His f irst effort in building unity came in 2007 with his friend Kraig Williams via the parody

newsletter known as The Refraction. “We were chatting one night, thinking of how we could ramp things up, of how could we get people more rowdy,” he said. “I stayed up through the whole night that night, making up what ended up being the template.” The duo co-‐wrote the paper, beginning with 100 copies the first game, and walked up and down the aisles trying to con-‐vince people to read it. Sonnenberg said by the third game people were f lagging them down to read it. “We tried coming up with parody style news stories,” Sonnenberg said. “We put that in there and dug up all the dirt we could on the opposing team to go along with whatever else, game preview and oppos-‐ing team rwoster, and kind of took a shot.” Although they received a few donations and sponsor-‐ships, Sonnenberg said the paper was mainly f inanced out of the writers’ pockets.

“I spent well over $1,000 out of my own pocket for it, not counting the hun-‐dreds and hundreds of hours spent making it,” Sonnenberg said. The Refraction was soon passed around to the entire student body and helped organize new chants and cheers. Sonnenberg cred-‐ited Jay Wamsley, the advi-‐sor for the Utah Statesman, with helping the publica-‐tion grow by slipping it to the national press at the Spectrum. It has since been mentioned by ESPN, USA Today, the New York Times and Sports Illustrated. While the paper was last published in 2011 due to Sonnenberg and Williams graduating, Sonnenberg said any student willing to put in the time and creativ-‐ity is welcome to produce a similar product. “I really think it helped organize the student body,” he said.

– m.hop@aggiemail.usu.edu

Twitter:@legendarymhops

MAGIC: From the beginningFrom page 8

were padded with the num-‐ber of times he pulled down his own rebound. His rise to stardom was fueled more by his off-‐court antics and the fact he was a member of several title teams led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Does anyone even remem-‐ber he was a member of the Detroit Pistons or San Antonio Spurs?

He averaged a solid 13 rebounds per game for his career but averaged seven points and three personal fouls per game compared to one assist and half a steal. He’s not even remotely elite. And as for Jimmer Fredette — well, let’s just say his field goal percentage got worse from his sophomore season to his junior season and then even worse his senior season, yet his points per game steadily climbed to

a national best despite only a two minutes played per game fluxuation.

– Curtis is a proud husband

and father, a junior in print

journalism and an aspiring

sports journalist and referee.

He eats, sleeps and breathes

sports. his life goal is to bowl

a 300. Follow him on Twitter

@CurtisLundstrom and send

comments to curtislundstrom@

gmail.com

CURTIS: Under/Overrated AthletesFrom page 8

BY JASON BORBAstaff writer

Robert Griffin III is the NFL Rookie of The Year. Period. The enormous expectations placed on the shoulders of the young rookie quarterback were met and even exceeded during his rookie year. RGIII led the Redskins to their first division title in 13 years, and their first playoff appearance since 2007. Over the years Redskins fans have seen their team fail year after year, but this year RGIII gave them hope for a brighter future. In 2012 the Redskins rocketed from the bottom of the NFC to NFL relevance with the passing and running ability of their star quarterback. Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson- RGIII’s main competition for ROY- were drafted into franchises with recent success. The Seattle Seahawks made the super bowl in 2006 and had a string of playoff appearances from 2003-10. The numbers RGIII put up also speak for them-selve. He finished the a quarterback rating of 102.4, which was good enough to finish third in the league. He finished the season with 20 touch-down passes which was lower than both Luck and Wilson, but RGIII only threw five interceptions. Luck finished with 18 and WIlson had 10. Along with his passing ability RGIII can flat out run even if it’s only on one good leg. He finished with 815 yards on 120 attempts, and tacked on nine touchdowns. The 815 yards rushing by RGIII placed him in the top 20. All the numbers point to RGIII, but if the numbers aren’t good enough look at where the Redskins were one year ago and where they are today.

– jborba@aggiemail.usu.edu@JBorba15

Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013

Page 10Free SpeechZoneViews&Opinion

www.utahstatesman.com

It’s no secret that most of Utah’s popula-tion resides along the stretch from Provo to Brigham City known as the Wasatch Front. This fact, combined with the over-whelming amount of in-state students who attend Utah universities, leads to many simply considering college to be their “second home.” Many at Utah State live

only a few hours drive — if that — from their homes and families, and don’t consider Logan their real

home. For those students who come from out of state and establish residence in Utah to take advantage of the lower tuition, Logan is not just a place where they spend eight months out of the year and then jaunt south for the summer: It becomes their home. As such, residents of Logan should make it a point to get renter’s insurance or have some sort of plan for when the unthinkable happens. The Statesman recently ran a feature about the local band Little Barefoot and their upcoming album. During the inter-view at guitarist Alex Van Oene’s apart-ment, a frozen pipe burst and caused part of the ceiling to collapse. Events like this are common in Logan’s frigid winter months and can render thousands of dol-lars worth of electronic devices and other important items worthless within seconds. It’s not just the winter months to worry about, either. During the summer, dry, hot weather can start fires. Human error can factor in as well: A stray BB set off a sprinkler in Davis Hall last semester, causing thousands in water damage and cleanup. Basically, one can’t predict when something will go horribly wrong. Doesn’t it make sense to protect valuables before disaster strikes? It is safe to assume that many Aggies rent during the school year. It just makes sense to have renter’s insurance should anything go wrong, which the Davis Hall incident proved is a very real possibility. It is also safe to assume that many Aggies do not have the finances to afford renter’s insurance. That is understandable. However, students shouldn’t feel like they don’t have other, cheaper options for pro-tecting their possessions. Buy a fireproof safe to hold important documents such as birth certificates or Social Security cards. Take down the serial numbers of impor-tant electronics under warranty so they can be replaced. Always wrap pipes with a blanket or another type of insulation if the temperature dips below freezing. The list goes on.

Watch out for winter water damage

Our ViewAn Editorial Opinion

Utah State is a university full of history and many traditions. Sometimes we forget that USU has been around since 1888 and was once based on agriculture. There are so many stories and meanings that follow this extraordinary line of traditions. For instance, have you ever thought of where the name “Aggies” came from or how True Aggie Night started? The traditions at Utah State are what make USU a great school to attend. They are things you will remember long after you graduate. We are known as the Utah State Aggies, but where did this term really come from? Back in 1894, at the first football game played against the University of Utah, reporters referred to the Utah Agricultural College as “Farmers.” Occasionally they would refer to the players as “Aggies” because the school was based on agriculture. As soon as the school

was named Utah State University, the farmer nickname disappeared but the public was determined to keep the name “Aggie.” Utah State has always been known for its honesty, but more importantly, friendliness — but maybe not when it comes to basketball

games in the Spectrum. A tradition that is sometimes forgotten is known as the “Hello Walk,” which was established in 1961. On designated days while walking from Old Main to the Business Building, students are encouraged to say “hello” to one another to promote fr iendship among students. Occasionally, you will see volunteers stationed along this sidewalk encouraging the tradition. Let us not forget the often-imitated, but never duplicated True Aggie Night. In 1917, the Beno Club erected their “headstone” on campus, which was a Block A. The Beno club performed service on campus and came up with their name from a school official telling students that there would “be no” clubs because of pranks that were played. The Block A stands as a traditional monument of Aggie spirit. However it is not mentioned in

any student handbook as to how True Aggie Night started, but it’s mentioned in alumni publication that you are not an official USU coed until you have been kissed on this monument. True Aggie Night is held every month on the night of a full moon. There is something to be said about Utah State athletic games, especially when they are held in the Spectrum. The USU student section is known to be loud, annoying and intimidating, especially when it comes to Aggie basketball. Traditionally, Aggie basketball has outstanding attendance to every game. We, as students, need to continue the tradition and make sure the Spectrum remains one of the best home court advantages in the nation. As you can see, Utah State is a wonderful university with some of the most amazing history and school spirit. I encourage every student to make an effort in engaging in our university’s traditions. Don’t be afraid to “Show Me the Scotsman!”

Sloan Bailey is ASUSU traditions director. Send

comments to sloan.bailey@aggiemail.usu.

edu.

Utah State is a

ASUSU

View

Traditions abound at USU

Editor in ChiefSteve Kent

Copy EditorEric Jungblut

News EditorTavin Stucki

News Senior Writer Tmera Bradley

Features Editor Allee Wilkinson

Features Senior Writer Cale Patterson

Sports Editor Curtis Lundstrom

Photo Editor Delayne Locke

Senior Photographer Curtis Ripplinger

Web EditorCale Patterson

Editorial Staff:Steve KentAllee WilkinsonDelayne LockeTavin StuckiEric JungblutCurtis LundstromCale Patterson

About lettersited to 400 words.

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topic oriented. They may not be directed toward individuals. Any letter directed to a specific individual may be edited or not printed.

ters will be published. Writers must sign all letters and include a phone number or e-mail address as well as a student identifi-cation number (none of which is pub-lished). Letters will not be printed with-out this verification.

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delivered or mailed to The Statesman in the TSC, Room 105, or can be e-mailed to statesman@aggiemail.usu.edu, or click on www.utahstatesman.com for more info.

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Polls, submission box, calendars, news archives and more:www.utahstates-man .com

I am that student who plac-es extreme confidence in my “winging it” skills at the begin-ning of each semester. When the teacher discusses the text-book required for the class on the first day of school, I automatically weigh out in my head whether or not I can skip buying the reading material. Questions that go through my mind include, “Will the infor-mation be covered in lecture? Will the teacher post notes on Canvas? Can I still pass the class without the textbook?” If the answer is yes to any of these, I usually find myself skipping a trip to the book-store. However, there are those rare moments when my heart sinks as I realize there is no way I can make it through

the course without buying the dreaded textbook. In these instances, I still opt for buying used or searching the Internet for the cheapest edition on Amazon or eBay. My motto for all shopping habits carries through to buying necessities: Never pay full price for any-thing. I had a class last semes-ter that was one of those “buy the book or fail” kind of courses. I showed up to class confident that I could get through by only taking notes, but left downhearted after the instructor informed the class that the textbook was extremely necessary. She said all tests and assignments would be given through the accompanying e-companion. So, I relinquished my “no-text-book” policy and purchased the materials — and of course, having a digital disc included, buying used was not an option this time. A semester later, I’ve never once popped the CD into my disc drive. Turns out, the teacher never figured out how to set up the e-companion with our class. Now I’m stuck with a textbook and CD that I

never used, never will use and can’t sell during textbook buy-back. Now that I’ve aired that grievance, it brings up one more bone I have to pick: text-book buyback. It’s a great concept — stu-dents can sell their used text-books for some extra cash — but there are a few problems with the system. Half the time I find they only give me a fraction of what I paid for the book, and the other half of the time, they won’t buy it back at all since a brand new edi-tion just came out and appar-ently the old version just won’t do anymore. Frankly, I don’t see why something as age old as math and science would change enough to warrant a new textbook edition. To me, it sounds like the authors just rearrange the page numbers a little bit so that poor starving college students won’t be able to use the same book twice. Obviously the publishers know where to make their money. Book prices are rising as fast as tuition, and between them both, students have a hard time making it out of school without a mountain

of debt on their shoulders. Is that any way to send us, the future of America, out into the world? So now that I’ve analyzed my loathing for textbooks — the root of all college evil — I’ll just plan my trip to the bookstore to sell my old ones for pennies and buy new ones for hundreds. But this semster, I’ll be back in class, looking for ways to beat the system before the first week is up and those hardbacks are nonre-fundable.

Tmera Bradley is the senior news writer for The Statesman

and a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. Send

comments to tmera.bradley@aggiemail.usu.edu.

Soap

Box

Sometimes you have to buy the textbook

Soap

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sarah.a@aggiemail.usu.edu

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c.campbell@aggiemail.usu.edu

kenneth.locke@aggiemail.usu.edu

Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013

www.a-bay-usu.com

TimeOut Page 11

Bliss MCT Features

Tyson Cole

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

FOR RELEASE JANUARY 10, 2013

ACROSS1 Jon of “Mad Men”5 Site of the

volcano OlympusMons

9 Mosque official13 Double Stuf treat14 Downwind15 Hells Canyon is

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16 Switch from abottle to a cup,say

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goddess51 Battery partner53 *Ready to come

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to you20 Subsides24 Geologic times25 Way out26 Spill the beans27 Protective cover28 Bouquet32 Salon acquisition34 Correcting, in a

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meas.41 “No problem”44 Like 1930s prices46 “Yeah, right!”49 Middle of March50 Lathered (up)52 Breakdown of

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53 Ankle bones54 Damaging 2011

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55 Tuck’s title56 “Zounds!”59 Pirate’s brew60 Longings62 In the water63 Second

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64 Slippery __

Wednesday’s Puzzle SolvedBy Jennifer Nutt 1/10/13

(c)2013 Tribune Media Services, Inc. 1/10/13

Answers

found

elsewhere in

this issue!

Good Luck!

CrossWord PuzzlerCrossWord Puzzler

For Friday Jan. 4 — Jan. 11Phone for Thursday eve shows

Open Sun-Fri at 3:45 | Saturday open 11:30 for

www.walkercinemas.net753-6444

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Housing Statewide  Ads

FYI: Auditions for singers and dancers to perform in the annual big band show, “In

The Miller Mood” will be held Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. at 2600 N. 200 E. North Logan (Thomas Edison School). This is a paying gig+ 3 hours class credit. For more infor-‐mation call 435-‐753-‐1551. The USU Ecology Center will host Joshua Schimel from University of California Santa Barbara for two seminars Jan 14 and Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. Dr. Schimel is a leading scientist in ecosystem ecol-‐

ogy and soil microbiology. Wednesday evening he will present a talk for general audiences focused on the under appreci-‐ated role of soil in human society. A Carnival of Service will be held at Wilson Elementary (89 S. 500 E., Logan) on Jan. 21 from 1-‐7 p.m. Activities will include performances by local musi-‐cians, games and prizes, a silent auc-‐tion, a pie throwing booth and feature performance by Logan Out Loud Improv Comedy at 6 p.m. An entrance donation of $2 is requested. Check out CSF VISTA on Facebook for more info. There is a support group for those who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive

Disorder or who have a loved one who suffers from OCD. Contact Christina at 435-‐787-‐6366 with any questions. The group meets in the Ephraim Room at the Logan Library. Snowbasin Ski Mountain is hosting a USU ski day on Jan 26. They have issued the Outdoor Recreation Program www.orp.usu.edu reduced lift tickets to sell in advance. These tickets will only be avail-‐able at the ORP, not at Snowbasin. They are $32 off the normal ticket price, the tickets will cost $50. If interest abounds there will even be a shuttle bus going down from campus. All USU students, faculty and staff (plus their immediate family) are encouraged to participate. But get your tickets in advance at the ORP. Club M.ed is hosting a Principal Panel for all Secondary Education

students Jan. 31, 6-‐7 p.m. in ENGR 101. Administrators from our community will be available to talk about what they look

for when hiring and discuss any questions you might have while you enjoy some free food. The USU chapter of Fight The New Drug is hosting the battle of the bands fundraiser event for Fight The New Drug. The event will take place Feb. 23. Local indie band Little Barefoot will be playing at the USU Performance Hall on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. to mark the release of their album, “A Hundred Different People (part 1).” Admission is free, but seating is limited. Visit Little Barefoot on Facebook for more details. The Cache County Bar Association will hold its montly pro bono legal pro-‐

gram Jan 10 at the Historic Cache County Courthouse. This free service is designed for those who cannot otherwise afford an attorney. Services will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. Call Kevin Fife at (435) 752-‐1551 for more information.

Argyle Sweater Universal

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More Calendar and FYI listings, Interactive Calendar

and Comics at

Utah StatesmanThe

Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013Page 12

Today is Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Today’s issue of The Utah Statesman is published espe-cially for Levi Pace, a freshman majoring in buisness adminis-tration from Medina, New York.

High: 30° Low: 17°Skies: Scattered snow showers with snow becoming steadier and heavier late in the day.

Today in History: On Jan. 10, 1946, the first General Assembly of the United Nations, compris-‐ing 51 nations, convened at Westminster Central Hall in London, England. One week later, the U.N. Security Council met for the first time and established its rules of procedure.

Today’s Issue

Weather

Almanac

TheUSUBack BurnerThursdayJan 10

Waitlisting email notifications discontinued Beat the Haze XC Ski Trip, ORP 5-‐8 p.m.

FridayJan 11 Last day to add courses without instructor’s signa-‐

ture

SaturdayJan 12 Men’s Basketball vs. San Jose State, Spectrum 7:05-‐

9 p.m. LUX Exhibit, Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art

10-‐5 p.m. XC Ski and Snowshoe Tour, ORP 8-‐12 p.m.

MondayJan 14 Traditions Week Instructors signature required to add class Hello Walk, Quad 11 a.m.

TuesdayJan 15 Traditions Week Sweatshirt Swap, TSC HUB 11 a.m. Campus feud, TSC Lounges 7 p.m.

WednesdayJan 16 Traditions Week Sweatshirt Swap and Scotsman Dogs, TSC HUB

2:30 p.m. Common Hour: The End of Racism Lecture with

Preacher Moss, TSC Ballroom 11:30-‐12:30 p.m.

ThursdayJan 17 Zions Bank and Zions Bancorporation Info Session,

BUS 9th Floor 4-‐5 p.m. 3rd Annual Design Star Competition, TSC International Lounge 6-‐9 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. New Mexico State,

Spectrum 7-‐9 p.m. Sweatshirt Swap and Aggie Ice Cream, TSC HUB

11 a.m.