Around Campus 11/28-12/4

The arches of Old Main's east entrance.

Tips from the A-Team

Study Groups Be aware of any comprehensive finals in your future, and start a study group now.  Ask around in your class and you will easily find a few other students willing to get a start on studying.  You might even announce a study group in front of the class, which can impress your professor.  Optimal study locations for groups include the second floor of the Merrill-Cazier Library, lobbies of any on-campus residence hall, and the “fish bowl” study rooms on each floor of the new library (the rooms have large windows).  The rooms have white boards and big tables to accommodate study groups.  Some rooms even have a computer and large screen.  Study rooms are extremely popular, so reserve them in advance at http://library.usu.edu/main/group_study_rooms/.

Monday 11/28

Free Math and Statistics Tutoring

8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

On and Around Campus 11/21 - 11/27

Monday 11/21

Free Math and Statistics Tutoring

8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Free drop-in tutoring is provided for Math 0900-2250/2270/2280 and Statistics 1040, 2000, 3000, in the Taggart Student Center Room 225A and Lundstrom Student Living Center. Click the URL below for the schedule.

Ka-pow! Graphic Novel Exhibition

October 24^th- December 10th

The Merrill-Cazier Library is presenting Ka-pow! Graphic Novels, an exhibition on graphic novels used in academia. It will be shown in the atrium of the Merrill-Cazier Library from Oct. 24 through Dec. 10. A formal opening reception is Thursday, Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. in room 101 of the Library where several USU professors will discuss the use of graphic novels in their current classroom curriculum.

Snow By Morning

Some for everyone,
plenty, and more coming-

fresh, dainty, airily arriving
everywhere at once,

transparent at first,
each faint slice-
slow, soundlessly tumbling;

then quickly, thickly. a gracious fleece
will spread like youth, like wheat,
over the city.

Each building will be a hill,
all sharps made round-

dark, worn, noisy narrows made still
wide, flat, clean spaces;

streets will be fields,
cars fumbling sheep;

a deep, bright harvest will be seeded
in a night.

By morning we'll be children
feeding on manna,
a new loaf on every doorsill.


May Swenson
Alumna '34

Jim Cangelosi Named Utah's 2011 Carnegie Professor of the Year

Jim Cangelosi is Utah's 2011 Carnegie Professor of the Year.

According to Utah State University professor Jim Cangelosi, most people have fallen prey to a common ruse.

“Their experiences with textbook-driven ‘school math’ have left them with the impression mathematics is a robotic activity with either ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers,” says Cangelosi, who joined the faculty of USU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics in 1982. “‘I’m no good at math’ is a common refrain — thus, it’s a joyous challenge for me to immerse students in the culture of authentic mathematics and rock their world.”

Recognized for his dedication to students and contributions to the field of math education, Cangelosi was named a 2011 Carnegie Professor of the Year. One of 31 professors from across the nation selected for this year’s prestigious honor, the Louisiana native’s award was announced at a Nov. 17 ceremony in Washington, D.C.

On and Around Logan Campus 11/14-11/20

Students walking along the Quad.

It's common to have a dust of snow on the ground during the autumn here in Logan. This makes for a contrast of colors as many of the trees still hold leaves. But a little bit of snow doesn't stop the Aggies from enjoying all there is to do on and around campus! From big name comedians to college night at many local restaurants, there is plenty to do.

If you'd like to receive this, as a weekly email, just send an email to soar@usu.edu and request the "weekly email."

HBO's "Temple Grandin"

Utah State University is proud to present the HBO film that earned nominated for 15 Emmys, "Temple Grandin," 7 P.M., Nov. 1, in the TSC Auditorium.

This event is made possible by the USU College of Agriculture, the Disability Law Center, USU Charter Credit Union, the Center for Persons with Disabilities, the Disability Resource Center, and Utah Film Center.

World Renowned Speaker Coming to USU

Bestselling author Temple Grandin.

She’s been featured in The New York Times, People, and Forbes. She was listed in Time’s list of 100 most influential people in the world under heroes. A movie based on her life earned 15 Emmy nominations.

Yet Temple Grandin is far from a billionaire. She’s an expert on livestock and animal behavior, a bestselling author and a professor of animal science at Colorado State University.

                                   

Oh yes, and she was born with high-functioning autism.

Diagnosed at 3 years old, Grandin’s mother was told that she had brain damage and should be institutionalized. At a time when little was known about autism, her mother scoffed at the suggestion, and instead began a journey to ensure her daughter had the best opportunities possible. She was placed in a nursery school from the time she was a small child. Her mother hired a one-on-one speech therapist helping Grandin learn to communicate. She graduated from Hampshire Country School, a private school focused on giving gifted children specialty education, in 1966.

Lecturing Around the World

Lancy on his birthday vacationing in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy.

USU Professor David F. Lancy, 2001's Carnegie Professor of the Year, is spending much of the fall on a lecture tour in Europe at some of the world's most prestigious institutions. 

He delivered his first lecture, on the nature of apprenticeship, in early October at the Society for the Study of Childhood in the Past Conference at Cambridge University. He will give a keynote address at a conference on the anthropological study of schooling at Brunel University in London in early December. 

He has also been invited to consult and speak at Osnabrück University and at L’ecole des Haute Etudes en Sciences Sociale in Paris. He will be speaking on his research on children’s work. The specific topic will be “Les Tâches Ménagères, Agricole et Butinage:  L'éducation Avant la Scolarisation” (Household chores, Agricultural and Foraging: Education Before Schooling). Dr. Lancy is the 2011 D. Wynn Thorne awardee at USU, a prestigious honor that recognizes faculty for outstanding research throughout their career.  

It takes all kinds of minds: Dr. Temple Grandin sheds light on autism at USU

Dr. Temple Grandin

Dr. Temple Grandin will soon visit Utah State University. She’s coming to discuss animal handling, a field she’s revolutionized. She’ll also talk about Autism Spectrum Disorder.

She’s on the autism spectrum herself, and her life experience gives her a refreshing, insider’s approach to the topic. On November 2 she’ll deliver a free public lecture: “All Kinds of Minds Need to Work Together.” She speaks at 4 p.m. in the Taggart Student Center ballroom.

If anywhere needs more frank discussion about autism, it’s Utah. Nationwide, one in 110 children is diagnosed with ASD. In Utah, the rate is one in 77. That means that two of every 150 babies born in the state will experience the significant challenges in communication, behavior and getting along with others that come with ASD. The cost of treating autism can total $3.5 million over a child’s lifetime, according to a 2006 Harvard study—including medical care, prescriptions and intervention.

USU Students Break Kissing World Record

Students at Utah State University broke the world record for the “longest kissing chain” in the late evening of Friday, Sept. 23. The previous record of 303 participants was set at a school in India earlier this year. The Aggies set the new world record with 1,450 participants.

Kissing has played an important role in student traditions at Utah State. The long standing "True Aggie" tradition—a title given to those receiving a kiss on the "A" under a full moon at midnight by somebody who is already a "True Aggie," or on Homecoming—is a right-of-passage for many students. At one time, USU held the record for “most couples kissing at the same place at the same time.”

“I thought we could organize another world record pretty easily,” said graduate student Michael Wilkey. “We’re Aggies; we can do anything when we’re united!”

Wilkey, with the help of the USU Student Alumni Association planned and carried out the event.

“Now we will just wait to hear back from the officials at Guinness World Records,” said Wilkey.

To help ensure that the record would be considered by Guinness, Judge Jeff Burbank and Representative David Butterfield were enlisted to act as judicators.

The world record was held in conjunction with the Utah State University 2011 Homecoming Week which will conclude with the homecoming football game as the Aggies take on the Rams of Colorado State, at 6 PM, Saturday, Sept. 24.