Aggie Recreation Center and Legacy Fields Will Benefit Students

As the 2011-year comes to an end, so do the current student government officials at Utah State University. Along with elections come candidates, campaigning and the elections process. 

During the election process last year, candidates approached students on campus, in classrooms and on buses with candy, hot cocoa, coupons and a computer asking for their votes. 

Current ASUSU public relations director, Hannah Blackburn, distributed a survey to all Utah State Students in regard to last years’ voting process to provide improvements while in office. 

Blackburn wanted to ensure that students had a better voting experience this year by making sure that the candidates were abiding by the new voting rules that were passed by legislation this year.

“I got awful feedback from students relating to the voting process. Students said it was a disruption to schedules, unorganized, and should be more esteemed,” Blackburn said.

With the feedback, Blackburn wanted to make sure voters felr that student government was helpful and especially wanted to ensure that the election process was not skewed and was ethically done. 

Legislation was recently passed that candidates may only have one laptop at their booth and they are not allowed to distribute smart devices to other students to vote. 

“In the past elections has been about candidates gaining votes rather than students gaining information and that will definitely change this year,” Blackburn said. 

Lucy Wachtor, a student at Utah State University, participated in the election process last year. Wachtor found that voting in the student center was more convenient rather than voting at a candidate’s booth. Watchor felt pressured to vote for a particular candidate at booths.

Wachtor was one of many students who thought elections week as a hassle and an annoyance due to all of the begging candidates. 

“I voted on a computer that was provided by ASUSU and thought this way of voting was much more fair,” Wachtor said. 

Elections volunteer, Brooke Lawley, saw lots of students being pressured to vote for a particular candidate. 

“I can see the problem with pressuring people into voting but at the same time I think it is important that the students do get a say in it,” Lawley said. 

Lawly said she was never one to pressure a student into voting for a certain candidate, but encouraged voters to make their own decision. 

“I do think this year will be better because it will be more regulated and it will be more fair all-around to candidates and voters,” Lawley said. “It will be more structured which is important in an election where every vote counts and it will be a more consistent process.”

A. Davis

Aggie Recreation Center and Legacy Fields Will Benefit Students

Aggie Recreation Center and Legacy Fields Will Benefit Students

Utah State’s 2009 ASUSU President, Tyler Tolson had a vision of expanding the current recreation center and HPER Field that students were using. Some campus officials and students thought this would never take place, but with new Vice President of student services, Dr. James Morales, Tolson and Morales gained the support of the not only Utah State but Cache Valley and the facility plans were passes through legislation. 

This $35 million dollar project will include several different facility space including: open recreation use, intramural sports, club sports, non-credit bearing fitness and wellness classes, campus organizations, university special events and general student use. Students will also have access to several full size basketball and volleyball courts and study lounges. 

 The Legacy Fields will also a part of this project. It includes covering the the HPER Fields with synthetic turf field and adding park-like lighting. These fields will be easier to maintain because of the turf and students will have access to them year-round.

The Legacy Fields project will cost an estimated $1.985 million dollars and will be located adjacent to the new Aggie Recreation Center.  

With Utah State’s student population continually growing and more students participating in outdoor activities, the field space is in high demand. USU currently uses the HPER field for many things such as: non-credit bearing activity classes, intramurals, special events, camps, practices, club sports and dances. With this amount of usage, the HPER Fields can not meet the campus needs. 

Matt Welch, a member of an intramural football team, said that practicing on the HPER Field has always been a challenge.

“You never know what the field conditions will be like or when there will be space for you to practice,” Welch said. “It is difficult when you are practicing for an intramural game and then a club team comes outside and takes over the field.”

“Having new fields will benefit several club teams as well as students,” Welch said.

Garret Wallace, a member of the Utah State club baseball team uses the HPER Field often. Wallace has scheduled practices on the field several times a week during baseball season. 

Wallace said the biggest challenge for him is not having the appropriate field conditions for practice. 

“I am very excited for the Legacy Fields project. I know that having a turf field to practice on will benefit us and be easier during practice,” Wallace said.

Intramural referee, Kierstin Parker, also thinks that the Aggie Recreation Center and Legacy Fields project will benefit students as well as provide safer fields to play on. 

“It is difficult to referee games when conditions are poor. You see more injuries and people are less likely to participate when they don’t have a good field to play on. The turf will be better for intarmurals and I think that more people will be involved,” Parker said.

A. Davis

Sports Writing

Hawaii Win Defines Utah State Football

This season the Aggie football team has struggled in the last quarter of several games. The team has had five possible victories stolen from them by the ‘fourth quarter blues', losing in the final seconds of the game.

Recently the Aggies traveled to Hawaii to play the Rainbow Warriors. The Aggies had a slow start and trailed the Warriors by 21 points at halftime. The Utah State Aggies had to turn things around in order to win.

Freshman quarterback Chuckie Keeton was carted off the field with a neck injury, and senior strong safety Walter McClenton suffered a broken foot. With two starters out of the game, a victory seemed doubtful. Keeton was taken to the hospital and rumors of him being paralyzed began to circulate; hopes of a successful season seemed out of reach for Aggie fans.

“It looked like a pretty bad hit," said linebacker Bobby Wagner, "I got to see it up close and personal, so I was pretty scared for him."

Having never played one game the entire season, junior quarterback, Adam Kennedy, entered the game in Keeton’s absence.

“We felt confident with Adam and knew that he would make the right play calls,” Wagner said.

Junior wide receiver Matt Austin said he was worried with two starters out, but remained hopeful throughout the game. Austin encouraged his teammates not to give up or let the injuries affect the rest of the game.

Kennedy was able to rally his team and threw the winning touchdown in the last 14 seconds, beating the Warriors 35-31.  The win in Hawaii is the first since 1966.

"Coach talked to us and told us to put those losses in the fourth quarter behind us and move on," Kennedy said. "Make this second half of the season memorable. I think the guys really bought into that, believed in it and believed we were going to win."

“It feels great to get the win and our main focus was the fourth quarter as you can tell,” Austin said.

 Wagner said that he knew his teammates were tired of the close games and losing in the fourth quarter.

"We came out second half with the mindset of playing as hard as we could and seeing what would happen,” Wagner said.

Since the Aggies’ win in Hawaii, the team beat San Jose State and seems to have turned the season around. The Aggies still have to face Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico State. Players remain confident and believe that the Hawaii defeat was a defining moment in the season.

“If we continue winning and go to a bowl game," Wagner said, "I truly believe the Hawaii game was the game that turned the season around. We got fed up with losing in the last seconds and now we are winning in the last seconds.”


D. Van Dyke

Keep on Blogging

True Aggie Night Attracts All

Students at Utah State University take great pride in tradition. Whether attending sporting events, participating in annual homecoming festivities or the famous tradition, becoming a True Aggie, Utah State would not be the school it is today without tradition.

The Associated Students of Utah State University are proud to be keepers of the most famous True Aggie tradition.  

According to the ASUSU website, in 1917, several students would stand on top of the traditional ‘A’ monument that is now placed outside of the Old Main Building on the Quad and kiss someone. Soon, this kissing tradition became known as True Aggie Night.    

Whenever the full moon arrives, so do the True Aggies. Today, ASUSU holds several True Aggie Nights throughout the year. One can become a True Aggie by receiving a kiss on the ‘A’ under a full moon at midnight by someone who is currently a True Aggie. A-Day and homecoming are the only other nights that one can kiss a non True Aggie and become one.

Megan Allen, director of True Aggie Night, said you never know what to expect on top of the ‘A’.

“When you become a True Aggie, you get a card that makes it official. Each person in the pair signs the cards,” Allen said. “Some come as serious couples, we even have had a few proposals, but most of them are just casual occurrences.

Music, giveaways, prizes and entertainment always attract a group. The majority of the crowds that attend usually are freshman. They are excited to be part of the tradition and most upperclassmen already are True Aggie members, so they do not come as often according to Allen. 

Tara Derber, a True Aggie member who is now a senior, participated in this tradition her freshman year. “It is exciting for me to watch this tradition as it continually grows. It is something that makes our school unique and it makes me proud to be an Aggie,” Derber said. “Most people become a member their freshman year and then go for fun to watch others take part in the tradition.”

Not all students take part in this tradition freshman year. Brooke Lawley, a junior at Utah State, said that she is looking forward to becoming a member.

“I want to become a member with someone I am really good friends with and not with someone I don’t know,” Lawlay said. “Then again it would be spontaneous and exciting if it was with someone I did not know. It is definitely on this list of things to do before I graduate though.”

The next True Aggie night is Dec. 10^th at 11:45 p.m. to 1 a.m. Students who wear a ‘Student Alumni Association’ shirt will receive a fast pass to the front of the line.

D. Nicholas

Heads Up

Students Share Service To Give Back

For many students at Utah State University, as the holiday season approaches, service becomes a priority that often takes precedence over schoolwork and other personal endeavors. Students can serve others through various programs provided by the Val R. Christensen Service Center.

Danica Moran, a student at Utah State University, volunteers every year during the holiday season by helping local families and children that are in need.

“By serving other families who are in need I am able to show thanks and appreciation for everything I have,” Moran said. “Volunteering provides me with a better sense of appreciation. It is a humbling experience.”

The Val R. Christensen Service Center, located on the third floor of the Taggart Student Center, is a division of the Associated Students of Utah State University. The purpose of the service center is to organize students into committees and projects that will improve the Cache Valley environment, including issues at the University.

“Money is tight during the holidays and there is no better time to help others when they are struggling to provide for their family,” Moran said.

Megan Darrington, a full-time employee at the service center, said that the center's busiest time is during the holiday months.

“There are so many people in need during the holidays and we have so many students who want to help out in any way," Darrington said. “It is nice to know that citizens in Cache Valley are concerned for the community and continually want to make it better.”

During the holiday season, the Val R. Christensen Service Center puts on a program called ‘stuff-a-bus’. Volunteers go out into the community, knocking door-to-door collecting non-perishable cans of food for the Cache Valley Food Pantry. 

This annual event takes place every Monday night in Nov. Volunteers meet in the Romney stadium paring lot at 7p.m, and several buses transport the volunteers throughout the valley to designated areas where they collect food.

Trent Morrison, a member of ASUSU student government, participates in the stuff-a-bus program every year. Morrison looks forward to this event because it allows him to give to those in need in the Cache Valley community.

“I have been so involved in this event because it provides me with a well rounded college experience and I am able to serve others,” Morrison said. “I have had a different perspective after seeing these local families that are in need.”

Another upcoming event at Utah State University is the annual 'sub-for-Santa’ program. This program works closely with ‘stuff-a-bus’ and provides gifts for children between 18 months and 14 years old throughout the Ut. county area.

The sub-for-Santa event is a Christmas assistance program providing local families who are in need with gifts and money for children. Families also are provided with learning opportunities to help better budget their money and time.

This annual event starts the day after Thanksgiving and volunteers meet outside of local department and grocery stores asking for monetary donations. All donations go to the Cache Valley Family Support Center to purchase gifts for the children at the center.

K. Wells

S. Stack