USU physics show impresses students, families

By Zachary Wilson

Utah State hosted a heat-themed physics show Friday night in the Eccles Science Learning center. The show offered families a chance to experience science.

“It was a cool show, heat has some incredible powers,” said Jake Christensen, a math and physics student at the university. “The way they crushed the barrel, that showed how strong air is.”

Christensen was referring to a demonstration where, by removing heat from a metal barrel full of expanded air, the barrel crushed in on itself.

“I learn about these things all the time,” Christensen said. “But it is still fascinating to see these events in action.”

Another student in attendance, Kyle Combe, agreed.

“I want to learn everything I can about science, and events like this teach people so much, I study this stuff and I was still fascinated by what I saw.” Combe said.

The annual physics show will be held again next year.

Utah State brings guest speaker, fails to get a big enough room

By Zachary Wilson

Guest speaker Andrew Croshaw came to Utah State Wednesday to talk about the Affordable Care Act. The lecture was held in a classroom in the Agricultural Sciences building and students were turned away from the lecture after the room filled up.

“I had to do something for work and when I showed up, it was already full,” said Kelli Reeder, a student at the university. “I wish they would have had it in a bigger room.”

Reeder said this is not the first time something like this has happened.

“They brought Jon Schmidt here a couple of years ago and they had him in the conference enter, the aisles had kids sitting in them and the walls were packed with people,” Reeder said. “There are way bigger rooms here, I wish they would have things like this in those rooms."

The event took place in a lecture hall where the chairs are attached to the desks, making it hard to add more chairs to accommodate more people.

“Obamacare is something that affects all of us,” said Jashon Bishop, a student who attended the lecture. “We want students to feel informed on it.”

Bigger lecture halls on campus include the TSC ballroom, the conference center, the TSC auditorium and the Spectrum, where LDS leaders sometimes give lectures.

USU alum comes to the university to talk about the future of Obamacare, gives students hope

By Zachary Wilson

  

USU alum Andrew Croshaw visited Utah State Wednesday to talk about the affordable care act for the Pizza and Politics lecture series.  Croshaw spent time working at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as project leader of a healthcare act that aimed to make healthcare affordable.

“It was great to hear someone give hope like that,” said Jashon Bishop, a USU student who helps put on the Pizza and Politics lectures. “He talked about how it was a flawed system, but then started talking about how nothing starts perfect, and that it can be fixed.”

Bishop also said it was important that it didn’t matter which party someone belonged to, what was important was working together to make Obamacare better.

Gordon Reid, who is studying political science declared Crowshaw’s lecture one of the best lectures he’s heard on campus.

“I never thought Obamacare could ever work out,” Reid said. “As I walked out, I thought ‘man, maybe something like this could actually work out.’”

Crowshaw’s speech was delivered to a packed room.

USU student Dillon Cortez starts an adventure business

By Zachary Wilson

USU Sophomore Dillon Cortez wants to change the way students view the weekend and he is doing this with his new business, Student Sherpa Adventure, which he will kick off just before spring break.

Cortez’ idea is that for $200, students can go on an adventure. He supplies the tents, bikes, helmets, rock climbing gear and the transportation, all the student needs is a couple day's worth of clothes.

"It isn’t just about the gear,” said Cortez. "Student Sherpa Adventure is about people seeing the world and literally having an adventure.”

 He laments the students who haven’t seen the beautiful country that is nearby.

“Students often don’t have the knowledge of how to go somewhere and get the most out of a place like the Tetons, or Moab, so we want to give students this opportunity,” said Cortez.

Cortez’ fight right now is finding first buyers.

“I’m hoping to do a lot of word-of-mouth advertising,” Cortez said. “We give kids who bring a friend like five dollars off for every guest they bring.”

Ryan Miller, the owner of a ZAGG store in Logan, says this is not a viable way of advertising. 

“Word-of-mouth can only get you so far, its big, public promotions that really bring in business,” Miller said. “Everyone knows Reese’s are good, but you still see advertisements for them all of the time.”

Cortez’ business is online at studentsherpaadventure.com.

Utah State brings NPR correspondent for science unwrapped.

NPR science correspondent Joe Palca came to Utah State on Thursday as part of the series Science Unwrapped, to be held in the Eccles Science Learning Center auditorium today.

Palca will speak on deconstructing a science-related story down to a point that it is understandable.

“I was supposed to explain palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of carbon molecules,” said Palca, telling a story of when he was supposed to report on science without understanding it.

When Palca heard reviews saying that he hadn’t done a great job of doing it, he challenged himself.

“I looked the following week for the most complicated story I could find, thinking, ‘okay, I can do anything if I have time,’” Palca said.

This was the inspiration for Palca’s topic Friday night.

“It’s sweet to have someone like Joe Palca come to the University,” said Nathan Sutterfield, an intern at the UPR station in Logan. “I am excited to see what he says at Science Unwrapped.”

Joe Palca can be heard on Friday’s edition of Access Utah with Tom Williams on UPR’s website.

Retired Jazz player Thurl Bailey speaks at USU

Music was playing as Thurl Bailey stepped up to the stage for the common hour event on Wednesday. The retired seven-foot-tall Utah Jazz player came to the stage with flair, clapping and singing with the music, before getting serious.

“If I offered you 20 million dollars to leave school right now, would you?” Bailey asked, before answering his question to the audience. “Probably.” He followed up his question up by speaking about the high value of an education.

Bailey talked about all of the opportunities he would have missed had he not valued his education and gone to all four years of college. 

“Where are you coming from?” Bailey asked, “why are you here and where are you headed? If you can answer these three questions, that is everything.”

Bailey used the term “floating” to describe a person who doesn’t know the answer to these questions, who is just doing whatever she wants without any end goals.

“His advice to not ‘float’ resonated with me,” said Jordan Fultz, a student who attended the lecture. “Guests like this help us to think about the world but also to think about where we're going after we finish school.”

Fultz said he was glad that the school hosts events like this.

“I think education should be enriching, and inviting people with experience to inspire us is important.” Fultz said.

The next common hour lecture is still to be determined.

USU administrator fired over allegations of rape

Utah State administrator Marvin Roberts, assistant vice president of student engagement and diversity, was fired Thursday due to allegations of rape. 

Roberts was hired in the summer of 2013, allegations became known September 5, and he was fired in mid-September. 

Danielle Warren, a freshman at the university, says she is not bothered that the public didn’t find out until Thursday.

"Although I know that it won't reflect well on USU, that administrator could have been anywhere,” Warren said. "I do not think it if fair to allow one person's wrong doing to represent an entire university, and for that reason, I don’t think girls will be less likely to attend USU.”

It is not known why the university did not tell the public sooner.

“The girl was a student last year,” said Geoff Andrews, vice president of the USU student association. “She graduated and was hired as an employee here. When she saw he was working here, she couldn’t keep it in anymore and reported it to the police.”

Logan Police say there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.