Spring 2015 magazine final(insert)

Spring 2015 | Vol. 2 No. 1

The Grit and Grace of Kris Sanford page 12

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CONTENTS MANAGING EDITOR

Vol. 2, No. 1 | Spring 2015

John DeVilbiss john.devilbiss@usu.edu

NEWS EDITOR Susan Polster susan.polster@usu.edu

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Katrina Houskeeper

CHANCELLOR Joe Peterson

VICE CHANCELLORS

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Guy Denton Peter Iyere Greg Dart

Independent Voices from the Past

USU EASTERN REGIONAL ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Renee Banasky, Chair Erroll Holt, Vice Chair Jason Dunn Jeremy Redd Sophia DiCaro Gwen Callahan Mark Holyoak Frank Peczuh, Jr.

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY EASTERN MAGAZINE is published biannually by Utah State University Eastern Institutional Advancement. Periodical postage paid at Price, Utah and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to USU Eastern Institutional Advancement, 451 E. 400 N. Price, UT 84501.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the official position of the College.

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USU Eastern is committed to equal opportunity in student admission, financial assistance, faculty and staff employment.

Kris Sanford is comforted by his sister Shareve Brewer, on one of his long cycling days.

Special thanks to Peczuh Printing, Price, Utah, for the printing in-kind of this biannual magazine.

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PHOTO BY TRENTON BROWN

Exemplifiers of USU Eastern

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The Business of Appreciation

PLUS: 2 ACCESS Equals SUCCESS

24 Earning Respect On & Off the Court

5 Blanding Robotics Team

26 Bittersweet Photography

6 4.6 Billion Year Old Meteorite

28 Eastern Aglow

13 Eagles Staff Garners More Rewards

29 Class Notes

Blanding campus. Of the 36 competitive-grant applications submitted over the past decade, 34 have been awarded to the campus, with an average annual award of more than $2 million.

Bayles said all of the key individuals working to increase college access focus mainly on these two areas: helping young people prepare for and succeed in college, and making it possible for the campus to qualify for and receive private- and government-grant funding to keep the effort going. Both tasks are never-ending and both filled with plenty of ups and downs.

Jami Bayles in front of her “wall of motivation.”

USU Eastern Blanding’s Sure Formula: ACCESS Equals SUCCESS

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ami J. Bayles has a photo of her son pin-tacked to a large corkboard surrounded by a sea of faces, letters, graduation announcements and newspaper articles of all her other kids.

One photo is of a younger Kendall Laws, a former Upward Bound student who ended up going to the University of Wyoming College of Law and is now back in Blanding as the new county attorney for San Juan County.

Bayles has an ever-growing collection of stories, like that of Laws’ success that she’s been accumulating over the past 16

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years in her administrative duties with the Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search programs on the Blanding campus.

Talent Search is one of eight federally funded college opportunity programs that fall under the umbrella of TRIO (it started with three programs in 1965). Today, three of its programs flourish on the Blanding campus: Upward Bound, Talent Search and Student Support Services.

The thousands of students who have passed through these programs over her 16-year career with TRIO are not forgotten. She keeps careful records. The photos and mementoes of many of them now line her office wall reminding her why she loves coming to work every day.

“It’s my wall of motivation,” she says.

Some are from Monument Valley and Montezuma Creek, others from Moab, Monticello, Blanding and Red Mesa, Ariz.

Most photos flash broad smiles that cheer her daily. More motivation mementoes can be found enshrined in other offices spread across campus. While it’s the inherent duty of all faculty and staff to help students with college access, the campus has a core team of 10 specialists working under the steady guidance of Virgil Caldwell.

Over the past 15 years, Caldwell, as institutional development director, has helped to funnel some $22 million in grant awards and state funding to the

The downs are when some students, despite the effort, don’t make it, or when grant re-funding doesn’t come through such as the case with the TRIO Student Support Services program on the Price campus when its request for grant renewal was turned down five years ago. (Price continues with its TRIO Upward Bound program.)

The ups? Grants totaling $22 million, for starters. And consistent student successes.

Students who have gone on to achieve like Laws and Shontol Burkhalter, a 2004 graduate of Monticello High School and former participant in four Utah TRIO programs. She graduated in 2013 with a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Utah.

Laws and Burkhalter’s steely focus and discipline helped earn their doctorial degrees. Likewise, the same tenacious characteristics seem to apply for earning the right to receive grant funding. The ultimate prize are portals of opportunity that open to the students and to the campus.

On the Blanding campus alone, there are more than two-dozen major college access grants, scholarships and programs in place that not only provide prospective and current students with wide-open doors, but dozens of airy windows too. These

programs and grants helped thousands of students attend USU Eastern Blanding over its 39 years in operation and is the key to its own success as a campus serving the under-served.

The Blanding campus knows its clientele, and its faculty and staff are experts in finding and matching resources to students. With 60 percent of its students being Native American, it’s no surprise that among the long list of grants, scholarships and program offerings, many are geared specifically to this important group, such as the American Indian Services foundation, Chief Manuelito Scholarship and the Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI) program.

Doors and windows are one way to describe this access. A bicycle wheel is another. In this case, the student is the hub of the wheel with all of the spokes being access points to grants and programs that keep the process—and the students—rolling forward.

It takes a team to accomplish this, which is why a single person doesn’t emerge on the campus as being THE college access enabler.

“No stand-alone heroes here,” Caldwell said. “Just a group of highly dedicated individuals who are in unison in our belief in the mission.”

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So who are these quiet champions helping to keep this wheel spinning?

Launch Summer Bridge program and the value of concurrent enrollment.

People who wear lots of hats. In addition to Caldwell and Bayles, there is Garth Wilson, Curtis Frazier, Georgiana Simpson, Teresa Frazier, Sheri Montella, Karen Wells, Nathan Jones, Shilo Martinez and Christian Haws.

It amounts to thousands of miles and 12-hour-plus days over the course of a year just for this core group of college-access enablers to make their rounds. The Blanding campus service area stretches across three Native American reservations and nearly 70 middle schools and high schools.

These are individuals who have come to appreciate how helping the under-served and living year-to-year on grant funding is not for the timid of heart. It requires unbounded optimism and a dash of courage.

Simpson, who has been on the Blanding campus the past three years, is an example of this. She considers herself the Little Dutch Boy or Jane-of-All-Trades for the Blanding college-access effort. Her main job is to keep an eye on all of the spokes and facilitate getting students the information they need, helping them in the process and working like crazy to keep them there.

It means helping to create and maintain dozens of student high school binders tracking progress, attending evening high school presentations, educating prospective students about federal student aid, pitching the Blanding campus College

“Our focus is on helping to ensure that students, young and old, have the foundation needed to thrive in a college setting,” Simpson said. “If we can get them past those hurdles and enrolled in college, they are well on their way to success.”

Some of those hurdles may also include helping people get beyond the acronyms of the various grant and program offerings: NASNTI, FAFSA, UB, SSS … really?

Here’s the thing, though. Each is vital.

Each serves a specific demographic. Each helps with specific needs, and, collectively, they are making college and vocational access possible for scores of those who are under-served, under-prepared or under-funded. Yes, there are manifold acronym-prone programs and grants

to navigate through. Fortunately, there are also individuals who know this stuff inside and out on this campus who want to help.

They are people of action. Like the verbs embedded in many of the names of the programs they direct: launch, endow, rise, bound, search and serve. They are programs that require action, and that when acted upon, ultimately lead to positive forward momentum in the lives of participants.

“By the time I graduated high school, I had a head start on choosing where I wanted to go to school,” Laws said. “I had obtained approximately a year’s worth of credits toward my degree. I had no stress making the transition from high school to college and I attribute a lot of that to my experiences in Talent Search and Upward Bound.”

USU Eastern Blanding’s all-Native American student team competing in LaPlata, Maryland. Back row (left to right): Clement Holiday, Nolton Bosley, Cedale Armstrong, Denishia Tsosie, Debbie Begay, Cody Sayetsitty, Jerrick Tsosie, Amber Gillis. Front row (left to right): Zado Jones, Shernell Stash, Christina Morgan

Blanding Robotics Team Make it to Semi-Finals

John DeVilbiss

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tah State University Eastern Blanding Campus all-Native American student team, named “Inspiration,” made it through the semi-finals in competition at the VEXU robotics event in LaPlata, Md., in early February.

They lost to the “VCAT” Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, a team that went on to earn second place, losing only to Mexico in the 2014 worlds VEXU final match. An upset was in the works when the young Blanding team beat the veteran VCAT team earlier in the day in the qualification matches.

For a brief shining moment, the USU Eastern team catapulted to the No. 1 seed and gave the VCAT team “quite a scare” according to the VCAT team members. They knew that the USU Eastern team from Blanding had come to play— and play to win. The contest winner of this event would get an automatic seed into the competitive VEXU world competition, said USU Eastern engineering professor and faculty advisor Jared Berrett.

After eight qualification matches throughout the day, USU Blanding ended up in the No. 3 position and was pitted against Virginia Tech in the quarter finals.

USUE beat them the first two out of three games handily.

Student participating in a federal student aid workshop facilitated, in part, by college access specialists with USU Eastern Blanding.

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“The Semifinals lined up VCAT again with Blanding,” Berrett said. “In a last-minute effort, VCAT realized they had to do something against our well-poised team so they re-programmed their

robot to block the highest scoring autonomous bot from Blanding.”

That robot was constructed by Blanding team member Jerrick Tsosie.

Unfortunately, the re-programming was caught too late for the Blanding team to react with their own re-programming and ultimately lead to their losing two straight to VCAT. The 11-student team has been working hard to learn how to program and build VEX robots for this year’s “Skyrise” event since January. Many of them spent at least 10 hours a week working with VEX through the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (A.I.S.E.S) on the Blanding campus, Berrett said.

“They learned how to apply their science, technology, engineering and math skills towards something fun and exciting,” he said. “I have enjoyed teaching the students teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills that I hope will stick with the students for a lifetime.”

The team was awarded with the event’s “Judge’s award” for their extraordinary spirit, camaraderie and greatest improvement. They were also the winners of the “Skills” competition, scoring the highest points in driver mode, and were second place in the autonomous programming challenge next to VCAT who won this year’s overall LaPlata event.

“A special thanks goes out to all those at USU Eastern who have worked hard to help make this happen and to the Native Serving Non-Tribal Institution (NASNTI) grant directors whom have been willing to support these efforts for our students,” Berrett said.

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Want to Touch a 4.6 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite?

New Museum Exhibit Emboldens Hands-On Learning

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heck out earthquake activity all around the world in real-time at the Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum. And while you’re at it, have a look at another form of activity in

by and think, ‘those are pretty rocks,’” Carpenter said. “We wanted to break out of that mold and let the patrons touch the rocks. We also wanted to link the rocks to our lives by showing why the mineral was important in past cultures and what we actually use it for today.”

The latest movement? A new interactive geology exhibit.

Visitors will learn that calcite is important in glass making and beautiful malachite and azurite are important copper ores in great demand today.

And it’s okay to be touchy-feely with this exhibit.

real-time: the Price museum itself.

The museum’s popular earthquake monitor has been moved to a more prominent location as part of the new geology exhibit. This latest addition is part of an ambitious vision by its director, Ken Carpenter, to continually elevate the quality of Eastern Utah’s flagship institution. It’s also intended to make geology a little less stony and a lot more fun.

“In a typical geology exhibit, there would be a rock in a case with a little sign featuring its common and scientific names and visitors would walk

“Everyone wants to touch; even professionals who come to the museum,” Carpenter said. “The first thing they want to do is reach out and feel the exhibit. It is a human characteristic.”

And geology deserves this close, personal recognition and elevation by the museum. It is, after all, a part of Utah’s prehistory; its beginnings.

Carpenter pointed out that the forming of Utah is not really addressed in any of the major museums

across the state. Lloyd Logan, museum director of education and exhibits, said this new display was created to help fill that education gap.

“This display explains and lays the foundation for what we see in the beauty of Utah today,” Logan said.

Earth is 4.6 billion years old. The exhibit begins with a dramatic floor-to-ceiling NASA representation of what the earth might have looked like as it was being formed.

A meteorite, which is around the same age as the planet, is on display for patrons to look at and feel. The fusion crust, which developed as a result of the intense heat and pressure of traveling through the Earth’s atmosphere, is visible. Pink skies were once a reality on planet Earth.

“Before there were plants, Earth was surrounded by methane, giving the sky a pink hue,” Logan explained. “Once algae developed, oxygen entered

Visitors to the new exhibit at the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum are greeted by this floor-to-ceiling representation of the Earth’s forming.

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the atmosphere changing it to the blue we are accustomed to.”

Something that hasn’t changed are earthquakes.

And why are there so many, even today? The question is examined as visitors learn about plate tectonics. Did you know, for example, that hundreds of relatively large earthquakes happen each week?

The museum’s monitor maps earthquakes larger than a four on the Richter Scale in real-time.

Humans can feel the effects of four and higher magnitude quakes.

“The monitor was in a different part of the museum before,” Carpenter said. “It received a lot of patron attention so we decided to expand it and make it part of the geology exhibit.”

Remember learning about metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous rocks? Elementary students do too, but their memories, unlike their parents, are extremely recent. Geology is a part of the elementary common core and this exhibit was designed to coincide with it.

Students of any age can feel both the natural and polished sides of rocks such as gneiss, shale and schist. Interesting facts make the exhibit fun. Did you know, for example, that the layers in shale are much like the rings in a tree? The tiny lines can be counted to decipher how old the rock is. Are there

any volunteers for counting the tiny lines within the shale of the Green River Formation? It is only 7,000-feet thick; a lifetime might not be enough to get through it.

The exhibit also explains what geologists do.

“People might think that they sit around and look at rocks all day, but geologists have a variety of jobs that contribute to energy, conservation and surveying,” Carpenter said.

The exhibit concludes with a crowd favorite: florescent minerals.

All of the text in the exhibit features both English and Spanish to make the information more accessible.

“It is our effort to reach out to the Hispanic community,” Logan said. “We are seeing an increase of visitors due to it.”

Rich exhibits are supplemented by Logan’s presence. Unlike most museums, the creator of the exhibits is willing to take the time to answer questions. His passion for the subject is contagious.

“Last year, I either talked face-to-face or did presentations for 20 percent of the visitors here,” Logan said. “Yesterday a couple from Washington State had a few questions about the Utahraptor and our Columbian Mammoth. One question led

to another and we ended up talking for an hour.

They said it was the best museum visit they had ever had.”

In addition to the geology exhibit, the museum recently finished a pit house in the children’s play zone, complete with an area where children can grind corn on an ancient metate with a real mano.

“This piece is of little scientific value because we don’t know its origin,” Logan said. “But, it is really fun for children to know that they are grinding on a tool that Fremont people created and used 800 to 1,000 years ago.”

What is next for the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum?

Work continues on updating the main hall’s dinosaur skeletons of an Allosaurus attacking a Camptosaurus and a Stegosaurus. Logan and Carpenter are planning ways to improve exhibits on the archeology side of the museum as soon as the geology exhibit is completed.

“It is really exciting to be a part of the whole operation,” Logan said. “We have had continuous improvement since Ken got here.”

And continuous motion.

“Moss doesn’t grow on us,” Carpenter quipped.

Renee Banasky

Patrons of all ages enjoy the hands-on experience of the new geology exhibit at the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum.

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“Your institution is really your nursing mother, as it were,” he said. “By keeping the rules and doing things that bring honor to your alma mater, it is a good way to keep yourself pointed in the right direction.”

King recently retired from USU Eastern as vice chancellor of institutional advancement and administrative services. He is the senior member of the three state representatives, and the sole Democrat. He is now in his second round as a legislator following a successful bid this past fall.

He was first elected in 1996 when DiCaro was just starting at CEU. He and Cunningham were students at the college at about the same time in the late 1970s when the turmoil of the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal was still fresh on everyone’s minds.

As a legislator and former minority house leader, King prefers to sit on the back row in the House chambers, just as he always chose to sit in the rear of class at college. Not that he doesn’t participate, it’s just that he’s always liked the vantage point of being in the back, he said.

And just as he loves the variety of topics and lively debate today in the legislature, he enjoyed college for the same reason. Taking lots of different classes on a variety of topics always interested him. He never really liked to be tied down to just one subject.

The Utah House of Representatives 61st Legislature in general session with three USU Eastern alumni in House Chambers, including, Brad King, Sophia DiCaro and Rich Cunningham.

Exemplifiers of USU Eastern

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(and Districts 31, 50, 69)

tah State University Eastern is well represented in the Utah House of Representatives with three of its alumni—Brad King, Sophia DiCaro and Rich Cunningham—serving as elected members.

Even though the 2015 general session of the 61st Legislature ended at midnight March 12, these lawmakers continue as representatives throughout the year. So, too, does their representation of the college—as with all alumni.

As students of the former College of Eastern Utah, they got along well with classmates and worked hard. Overall, good, everyday students.

What they have done with their lives since then has proven to be exceptional. So what can college students learn today from these alumni to ensure that they, too, become exemplary?

First, appreciate what you have at USU Eastern.

All three expressed how much they value their start at CEU. A milestone and stepping stone, is

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how DiCaro describes it. The freshman lawmaker was elected to represent West Valley’s District 31 last November. She graduated from USU Eastern in 1998 and eventually wound up in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget. For 13 years she worked in the Economic Development Office and the State Budget Office, including as deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

Bill Clinton was president when she was at CEU and the Monica Lewinsky affair was all the talk.

She was a quiet and focused student who enjoyed her small classes and soaked in as much as she could. She liked sitting on the front row. She still does. She occupies the second row from the front in House chambers.

The busy life DiCaro leads as a mother of two boys and a girl is nothing new either. She has always been busy. While at CEU, she held down three jobs: dishwasher, assistant manager at Arby’s and cashier at Walmart. She even did a stint as a receptionist for a mining equipment company in Price.

What makes the college especially dear to her is that it was the place where she and her sister, Maria, began their higher education pursuits and it was where Yoshie, her Japanese-born mother, who struggled with English, also attended.

Although her mother never lived to complete a degree, DiCaro takes a great deal of pride in recognizing that she chose to return to school, knowing it was never easy for her. The thought of her mom sitting in some of the same classrooms learning new things, trying to better herself, is touching to DiCaro. Her mother’s display of quiet courage and tenacity continues to inspire her.

They are characteristics she now equates with the college.

Family roots run deep throughout the institution.

It has been a home away from home for most of Brad King’s life, who even today, lives only a few steps away from campus. It is where his father LaVell King taught life sciences for 34 years; where his three children graduated; where his brother Mike King, former interim president of the college, is still teaching.

“As a legislator, I’m talking about transportation issues in the morning, and in the afternoon, business and labor issues,” he said. “I like that kind of variety. It feels really very much the same as it did in school. It’s interesting to hear people talk and to learn about what they think.”

DiCaro pointed out that learning and understanding different viewpoints is a precursor of respect.

One may not agree with what is being said, “but if you can at least respectfully disagree, you’ll make a lot more progress than if you just put each other down and disagree and shut each other out.”

Showing genuine respect for others and their opinions, even if they are different from yours, was a strong common thread among all three legislators.

ty of Pennsylvania. Today he is a financial services investment advisor and puts his expertise to work as a legislator specializing in issues involving pensions, insurance and securities.

Although he no longer wields a blowtorch, Cunningham continues to weld together dreams and goals. It helped him achieve success in his personal and political careers. It’s also what he advises USU Eastern students to pay attention to.

Write down your dreams and goals. Read them daily and give them to somebody else to make you accountable, he said.

“The legislature is absolutely no different than life,” he said. “Up there, you’d better know your goals and prioritize them or you’ll get eaten up.”

For students, that means knowing what they need to do to graduate, DiCaro said.

“What’s the map to get to the next phase?” she said. “You need to know what the map is so that you can use your time there effectively. Don’t take it for granted. So too, know what the rules are when you go in.”

Rep. Brad King

That means spending adequate time reading your class syllabus BEFORE the first day of class, King said.

“Know what the expectations are,” he said. “Pay attention to the verbal hints your professor gives you. If you want to be successful in college, you need to know what those expectations are and then you need to meet them. Those are the rules you are going to be judged by.”

And, finally, know what your friends represent to you in your life. Choose them wisely.

“You will become who you surround yourself with on a daily basis,” Cunningham said. “I learned early in my career and life that if you want to be successful, hang around successful people. If you want to be average and mediocre, guess what?”

John DeVilbiss Rep. Sophia DiCaro

“I was taught to respect all people regardless of who they are,” Cunningham said. “Being raised in Carbon County, you’ve got a mix of Heinz 57, be it Greeks, Italians, Catholics or Mormons; it did not matter who you were and, I think in life, you have to be the same way. If you respect people, you respect the institutions and the beliefs that are there.”

Cunningham has represented South Jordan’s District 50 since 2013. Born in Price, he attended CEU from 1978-79. He thrived in the college’s welding program that landed a job with a local mining company that eventually sent him east to study where he graduated from Indiana Universi-

Rep. Rich Cunningham

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In the Business of Appreciation M

ichelle Worthen Colovich, who graduated from Utah State University Eastern in 1995, today works for a company that makes a business of helping others show appreciation.

She loves where she works and appreciates the opportunities that got her there, including her time at what was then the College of Eastern Utah that allowed her to go on to eventually obtain an advanced degree in accounting.

“Under-education and doing something you hate are the two things that kill careers,” Colovich said. “If someone were to ask me for advice, I would say make sure you get a degree in something that you really enjoy doing and get as much education as you can so that every possibility in your field will be open to you.”

The choices she made early in life has allowed her to work in a job she loves today while balancing a rewarding career with the rich rewards of parenting.

“I’m more comfortable at an executive meeting than I am at a PTA meeting,” she said. “I have assimilated into this world and feel comfortable in it. But, if you would have asked me 10 years ago what my plans were, I would have told you that I planned on being a stay-at-home mom forever.”

Her road isn’t the average career path, but it is an amazing one. Today, Colovich is the corporate controller for O.C. Tanner Company, a worldwide corporation with 1,500 employees in Utah, Canada, United Kingdom and India.

Their business is to appreciate people. “We help other companies appreciate their employees,” she explains.

O.C. Tanner creates internal programs for Fortune-500 corporations where employees can recognize each other.

“Appreciated employees are more productive,” she said. “It’s a really exciting vision.”

The financial information of O.C. Tanner rests on Colovich’s shoulders. She makes sure that the company’s assets are controlled and gets the executives the best information she possibly can for each reporting period.

“Important decisions of what works and doesn’t work within the company are made based on the information we acquire and compile,” she said. “So it is important to do the very best job we can at making it accurate.”

Michelle Worthen Colovich credits USU Eastern for giving her a launching pad into accounting. She is currently Corporate Controller at O.C. Tanner Company.

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The average person might be a bit glassy-eyed at such a task. For Colovich, however, each day is an exciting adventure, “I really love my job because…I guess I’m a nerd.”

The head controller’s office has been Colovich’s for a year. Before that she worked part-time as an assistant controller four days a week so that she could be home with her children as much as possible.

“I’m really lucky to be where I’m at,” she said. “My career path has been a little non-traditional. I didn’t always want to work, so I took accounting jobs that got me through the moment. I was able to get good part-time jobs because of my education. I felt like I shouldn’t be ambitious with my career because I wanted to focus on my family.”

She and her husband decided a few years ago that her career would take them where they wanted to go.

“So, I started to think about it in a way I never had,” she said. “I started to be ambitious and really enjoyed it.”

Colovich gives little credit to her talent and meticulous skills. But, those close to her know that she is extremely bright, talented and meticulous.

Her path to the board room began with a rejection letter. Colovich grew up in Albuquerque, N.M. “When I applied for colleges, I really wanted to go to Brigham Young University,” she said. “My parents, (Clyde and Barabra Worthen) kept mentioning CEU in Price, their hometown and alma mater. I applied there and a few other colleges and universities.”

CEU offered her an academic scholarship for full tuition and housing, but her heart was really set on BYU. When a rejection letter came from BYU, Colovich couldn’t make sense of it; she met the requirements in every way.

She remembers contemplating, “I think I am supposed to be at CEU.” Ultimately she made the choice go to Price “and it was one of the best decisions I have made in my life,” she said. “It wasn’t the right time for me to be at BYU.” At CEU, Colovich found the perfect place to transition; she was away from home in a safe and supportive environment. Accounting classes in high school sparked a passion and she knew that she loved it.

“I was lucky enough to have a great mentor, business professor Ron Vogel, at CEU, who let me run the accounting lab,” she recalls. “He gave me opportunities and really encouraged me.”

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In 1995, she was honored by the faculty as the most-outstanding sophomore student. CEU was a great pedestal to jump into more education.

“I really respect the people I supervise,” she said. “They are dedicated to their work and sacrifices to make sure things are right.”

“There are so many more opportunities at a junior college,” she said. “I was able to be in student government, work in the accounting lab, be in clubs and make amazing friends.”

By setting goals and achieving them, Colovich is succeeding at making the transition into corporate leadership.

Because Colovich had family in Price, she spent time with them.

Growing up a few states away, she wasn’t as close to grandparents as she wanted to be. She took comfort in Frank and Mary Worthen, her father’s parents, who lived a few blocks away from the college.

“I’m so grateful for the time that I had with them,” she said. “They became a big part of my life. My grandpa died a year later and I’m so grateful that I had that time to really get to know him. I lived with my Aunt Marsha and we became close. It was a wonderful time.”

After graduating with high honors from CEU, Colovich applied to BYU and was accepted. Her uncle, Kevin Worthen, was already there as a faculty member with the J. Reuben Clark Law School. In the spring of 2014, he was named 13th president of BYU. Colovich said her CEU years prepared her well and helped her make the step to BYU with confidence. She entered a rigorous program to earn her bachelor’s and master’s in accounting in just five years. After graduation, she began working for one of the Big Five accounting firms, Arthur Anderson.

When she married and had children, she wanted to be with them. Contacts she had through Arthur Anderson offered her part-time accounting jobs. She worked from home so that she could be close to her three children. A few years ago, she began the transition and started working four days a week at O.C. Tanner’s South Salt Lake office. Her husband, Jed, is an emergency medical technician and volunteer firefighter. His schedule allowed for one of them to be with their children most of the time.

Now that her children are older, she is in the full swing of a director’s-level position and making the transition from employee to manager.

“In the past I was an information provider, now I am learning skills to be a good decision maker,” she said. “One way to do that is by watching people who are good at it. The two executives I work with are both very good at it, but different at it.”

One is verbal and discusses issues thoroughly. The other is an exceptional listener and thinks carefully before he speaks.

“They are both excellent decision makers,” she said. “I used to think that decision making was a trait that people were either born with or they were not. I have learned from both of them that being a good decision maker is a skill that can be learned and practiced.”

As she looks to the future, there isn’t a specific position in the company Colovich is aiming for. Her aspiration is to be an employee who is continually adding improvements to the company by strategizing new ideas and bringing her best efforts to the table.

“I want to add value through the course of my whole career,” she said.

“I count that as a true success.”

At the end of the day, Colovich is thrilled to go home to her family.

“I want my husband and children to know that they come first so when I get home I am with them,” she said. “My focus is all about them. I appreciate my husband Jed. He is wonderful. The children are growing up so fast and in 10 years they will be all gone.”

Students Morgan Verdi, Mason Steele and Taylore Miller work with Susan Polster, adviser of the Eagle.

It’s easy to see that Colovich is in the “appreciation business” at work and home.

Renee Banasky

T

The Eagle Staff Garners More Awards 40 Now - and Counting

he Utah State University Eastern Eagle staff brought home eight awards from the Utah Press Association’s Better Newspaper Competition, announced in March.

it has the smallest circulation in the state with 1,000 copies printed every other week. A lot of its readership comes from its website at usueagle.com.

In its fifth year of membership in the UPA, The Eagle staff won five second-place awards and three third-place awards, bringing their total honors to more than 40.

“Utah has great newspapers representing every area of the state and the Eastern student’s work is judged against other universities plus professionals,” said adviser Susan Polster. “Winning in any category is a real honor.”

The Eagle won second place in Best News Series for its stories on enrollment and the Four-In-Four goal. Nathaniel Woodward, of Price, won second in Best Feature Series for his science-based series while Bonnie Blackburn, of Centerville, won second for her Best Feature/ Community Lifestyle Page that incorporated theater, travel and funky hair.

Polster said The Eagle gets a lot of assistance from the Sun Advocate’s publisher, Richard Shaw.

“Without him, we would not be a part of UPA,” she said. “We owe him a great deal for what he does to keep us afloat.”

Editor Josie Sue Slade, of Maracopa, Ariz, won second place for her Best Circulation Promotion about reading The Eagle online. The Eagle webpage, designed by Les Bowen, of Prescott, Ariz., won second for Best Website.

Other college newspapers with membership in UPA include Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University, University of Utah, Weber State University and Utah State University. Weber State’s “Signpost” was included in Group One and won the general excellence award.

Third place awards were won in Best Breaking News Story about the “Rumors of USU Eastern Preschool Closing.” David Osborne Jr. of Salt Lake City, netted two third-place finishes with the Best Sports Column series and Best Sports Story about “The Nightmare Road Woes Continue for Eagles.”

The Utah Press Association was created in 1893 to represent Utah’s publishers. The organization is Utah’s oldest trade association.

The Eagle was judged in Group One of four newspaper categories that includes all weeklies under 2,500 in circulation. As a member of UPA,

“We represent Utah’s finest, most respected journalism,” according to its website. “Utah Press Association annually recognizes excellence in our state’s newspapers and presents awards to industry leaders.”

O.C. Tanner headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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13

TWO STRONG ARMS AND A WHOLE LOT OF HEART USU ALUM MUSCLES TO NEW CYCLING RECORD

A

fter 35 days on the road, Kris Sanford, a 24-year-old Utah State University Eastern graduate, set a world hand-cycle record on Oct. 31, 2014 by peddling 1,040 miles from Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Huntington Beach, Calif.

The 24-year-old shattered an old record of 776 miles, according to the World Record Academy and, in the process, raised $25,000 for Neuroworx, a spinal cord rehabilitation facility in Salt Lake City.

Sanford’s feat would make most people shudder at the mere physical exertion of this daunting ride. But what most people do not know about this USU Eastern alum is he accomplished this record on a hand cycle made for quadriplegics.

The accident: 2009

Sanford was in his first semester at USU Eastern. He was involved in student government and spent his week-long spring break in Southeastern Utah with the “Serving Utah Network Center,” building a corral for a Native American family to store their hay and horses. He had talked to the baseball coach about coming back in the fall of ‘09 to play catcher on the team. He was living his dream.

On one of Sanford’s hardest days, his sister Shareve Brewer comforts him as the long, tedious hours played havoc on his body.

ALL 14 PHOTOS BY TRENTON BROWN

Then on the night of April 25, the weekend before finals, he and his best friend, Jordan Cunningham, helped move an enclosed trailer full of taxidermied animals from Eden, Utah, to Salt Lake City.

It was a rainy night, and the truck Sanford was riding in hydroplaned on the freeway, rolling seven or eight times, ejecting him from the rear driver’s-side window. His spinal cord was broken between the fourth- and fifth-cervical vertebrae, limiting the functionality of all four limbs and core. He spent three months in the hospital and a year at Neuroworx.

It was in rehab that he decided to finish college and use his disability as an ability. He convinced Cunningham, who had received minor cuts and bruises in the accident, to be his roommate and the two returned to USU Eastern.

Both Sanford and Cunningham were Clearfield High School graduates and had another Clearfield alumni in Price who played on the Eagle basketball team: Cameron Evans. They also talked another Falcon alumni to be part of their college experience, Trevor Evans, to be their roommate.

In fall semester 2010, Sanford resumed his education at USU Eastern and continued as a high honor student. He joined the newspaper

staff and wrote sports articles for The Eagle newspaper staff and while interviewing men’s head basketball coach Brad Barton, became instant friends.

“We talked every day,” Sanford said. “Brad had diabetes and we felt a common ground with both of us having physical challenges.

We talked about overcoming crazy stuff in our lives all the time.

“We often spoke about never taking anything for granted. It was a different understanding between us, to have two people know each other for overcoming challenges in life.” (Barton died of diabetes complications in October 2011 at 31.)

An idea became reality

With a 3.9 GPA and an associate of science degree in his hand, Sanford continued his education at Weber State University, but kept thinking about a small plaque he saw on the wall while doing rehab. It was of Chad Hymas, a previous record holder, 513 miles.

After committing to setting the new record, Sanford found Ryan Nichols, a quadriplegic since 1993, had already broken the record.

Nichols propelled his vehicle using a hand crank a total of 776 miles from Salt Lake City to Huntington Beach in 2009. He did this by

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using his shoulders and biceps, which were at full strength, with partial triceps. Nichols pushed with his shoulders and partially innervated triceps and pulled with his biceps.

Sanford was inspired. He was also getting bored because he was used to being able to compete as an athlete. In the back of his mind, he wanted to challenge Nichols’ record. Never having ridden a hand cycle before, he decided to try biking, and was strapped into a hand cycle at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. After two hours, he cycled three miles and was totally worn out.

“I wanted to find a way to give back to Neuroworx for what they did for me during therapy,” he said. “I cannot thank them enough.

Every time I go, I leave feeling lucky... I see people in situations much worse than mine and it really puts things into perspective. For me, more importantly than setting a record, I wanted to raise money to help those who need therapy and cannot afford it.”

He talked about Justin Miller, a friend he met from Salt Lake City whose only movement he could control were his eyes. He used the movement of his eyes to control a Photoshop program on his computer to create colorful paintings that he sold. Sanford displayed a 12-month calendar created by Miller, calling it incredible and beautiful.

Two years in the planning

With determination and a goal to set a world record, Sanford spent the next 24 months cycling on the road and on a modified bike set up in his mom’s front room that he used to exercise five times a week for up to eight hours.

He devoted much time, as well, to planning and arranging for fundraising.

He researched the best bike he could find that was lightweight, aerodynamic, that had elbow shifters, and a power meter that would track speed, heart rate and power executed. He found the website “bike-on.com” that builds custom handcycles to create his cycle. In all, it set him back a cool $9 grand.

He found Coach Stacee Seay in Chicago who is the head coach for “Dare2Tri” and “Dare2Tri Paratriathlon Club,” serving youth, adults and injured military service members with physical and visual disabilities.

Her expertise is training athletes in achieving fitness and race goals.

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“She spent the entire two years helping me with both my indoor and outdoor training,” Sanford said. “She flew out and was in Brigham City when I went through the town, and again, met me when I rode through West Layton. She donated all her time to help me; she kept me mentally and physically strong.

“I had to train mentally for the bad days. I knew there were going to be days that I would feel sick or lack motivation during the ride, so every time one of those things happened, I took it as an opportunity to improve my mental strength by still training.

I feel that the mind is our most powerful asset, especially being in a chair. To me there is nothing more powerful than a clear vision and an unshakable belief. ” Because of how high on the spinal cord Sanford’s break is, his tricep muscles’ use is limited.

“It is tough because my triceps spasm and fight against me every time I pedal,” he said.

“I only have my biceps, shoulders and upper back that function 100 percent.”

Sanford enlisted his father Dave, sister, Shareve Brewer, plus friends, Cunningham and Trenton Brown, to accompany his trek.

Having his sister with him proved invaluable. She got married a week before his trek and opted to join the “crew” during her first month of marriage, while her husband moved to North Carolina.

“She was incredible help and I have to give her the MVP of the trip,” he said.

Brown was at his side every second recording and photographing the 35-day ride.

Two bikes were purchased for his team to ride alongside him, while the others followed in a car and motor home that was donated for the trip. He had the car wrapped with the names of the largest donors.

The ride

He began his ride in Idaho Falls, Idaho, on Sept. 26, hoping for mild fall weather temperatures.

“My first day was perfect, then the next five were cycled in a torrential downpour,” he grimaced. “I held onto the handlebars with a spike sticking out at my palm of my gloves.

The spike would slide into the side of the handlebars and that is how I held on.”

He said the best way he found to keep his hands warm during the ride, was by using kitchen-cooking mittens to put over his gloves. A hole was cut out of the palm of the mitten and he would slip the spike through it.

Torrential rain for the first week kept the skies gray, but Sanford pressed on.

When a restaurant was close, the group would stop for meals.

“Sounds goofy, but it worked,” he said. “In the constant drizzle, we would cover the mittens with grocery bags to keep dry. They kept me warm on those long, cold days.”

Quadriplegics have a harder time controlling their body temperature, Sanford explained.

“We become overheated easily,” he said. “On the back of my bike, a mister was created from a plastic-spraying container that I could control with my elbows to keep me cool on hot days.”

His body constantly spasms, he explains, so he has to take prescription pills to keep the spasms under control. When he ran out of the prescription, he enlisted his friend Trevor Evans to pick up the pills from his home pharmacy in Clinton, Utah, and drive them to Fillmore where they met.

Meals, while he was peddling, consisted of protein bars, carbohydrate packages and supplements. His father would buy groceries and store them in the motor home when they were close to towns to feed the crew.

Equipment problems cost big bucks along the way.

“I broke a rim and paid $500 for a new rim to be overnighted to me on the road,” he said.

In another setback, someone left a leather bag with his phone, GPS, speakers, cables, bike lights and battery on the back of a car.

A rainbow came out after Sanford cycled five days in a downpour.

“We had driven 70 miles back to our hotel before we realized it was missing,” he said. “It had been run over several times when Trent drove back to look for it.”

Sanford averaged 30 miles most days, with his hardest day peddling uphill nine miles shortly after entering California.

Every day presented new challenges, which forced him to set daily goals and focus on the small victories.

He spent 35 days on the road setting his world record.

Sanford cycling “The Strip” in Vegas.

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With friends like Jordan Cunningham at his side, Sanford found the strength, and the humor, to carry on.

A determined Sanford used everything within his soul to reach his world record.

“I had some crazy obstacles to overcome throughout this ordeal,” he said. “It was easier to picture each day’s successes rather than look ahead at the big picture. I took it one day at a time.”

A car would take 14 hours to drive what Sanford spent 35 days cycling. He was not allowed to cycle on I-15 until he arrived in Las Vegas where he officially broke the record.

“I was peddling down Las Vegas Boulevard at 12:30 p.m., just chilling with cars surrounding me,” he said. “It was downhill so I was coasting about 25 mph and people were cheering me on. People reached out and high-fived me along the way. It was a blast.”

He gave out 3,500 Spinal Ride wrist bands along the way as he met people at each location. He also collected a lot of cash to donate to his cause.

The only time he was pulled over by law enforcement was in Las Vegas where an officer told him he and his bike were taking up too much space, at which Sanford smiled, waited for the cop to leave and kept peddling.

The heat while cycling across Nevada and California took a toll on Sanford as the extreme temperatures from the asphalt pavement

would radiate through the low-riding cycle.

He had buckets of ice water poured over him to keep his body cool.

As he proved to himself in his journey, carefully laid out plans bring purpose and with it, meaningful results.

Ten days later, at 4 a.m. on Halloween, Sanford arrived at Huntington Beach, 1,040 miles from where he began. He had just experienced 100-degree temperatures cycling across the desert during the day and freezing temperatures at night.

“Way more things seem possible with a purpose,” he said. “You have to keep moving forward in life.”

“It was really painful and really hard at times, but I made it,” he said. “Completing Spinal Ride helped give me the understanding that I can achieve anything I decide. You have a choice in any situation: to be happy or sad. I have chosen to not be sad.”

Sanford’s future

His next item on his bucket list: to graduate from Weber State University where he has two semesters left towards his degree in public relations and advertising.

“I’m on the verge of doing something really cool with my life,” he said. “I want to be a motivational speaker and travel journalist documenting the accessibility of places where I travel to speak. I have a lot of years ahead and great plans. With solid execution, I can make a difference.”

Sanford lives with his mom Rhonda, and cannot thank her enough for being there for him.

Through the doubts and unknown future, her support has meant the world to him. She did not go on the ride with him, but kept up with his journey through phone calls.

“I think it’s best I did not see all the pain he was in or watch him suffer,” she said.

With tears in her eyes, she immediately got up, wrapped her arms around her son and called him her silver-tooth devil.

“Since he was a child, Kris had a way of getting what he wanted,” she said. “He could talk anyone into anything.”

Susan Polster Note: Sanford is still fundraising for his cause.

Check out his webpage: www.spinalride.com

Members of his four-person crew would often pedal beside him to keep his spirits up.

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19

Independent Voices from the Past

Sherill Shaw, USU Eastern cataloging and serials librarian, looks at a 1960 Golden Eagle newspaper.

F

rom the first class of 1938-39, the college sponsored a student newspaper. Going through four name changes, “Carbon College News,” “Carbonicle,” ‘The Golden Eagle” and “The Eagle,” its philosophy remains the same: the independent voice of the students.

The first six-page publication hit the stands on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 1938, with Gean Clark as adviser and an all-freshman staff. Four issues were printed including the opening, Christmas, junior prom and graduation issues. Editors were John Holman, Johnny Georgedes and Paul Craven who oversaw a staff of 44 students.

Articles included facts on the college, ordering books for the library, students landscaping campus and acting in the KEUB Program. The college did not field a football team because “lack of funds and late registration…It would cost approximately $1,500 for the necessary football equipment, thus putting an extra burden on the school. Too, Carbon College has no second-year students and this would handicap them in partic-

20

ipating against larger colleges with trained players of two-year experience.”

The men’s basketball coach, Keith Wangsgard, announced, “yes, we’ll have a basketball team this year; in fact we might even win a game!” The Eagles played Westminster, Weber, Ricks, Mesa, Branch Agricultural College (SUU), Dixie and Snow. They would be part of the Intermountain Collegiate Athletic Conference.

One hundred and ten students were registered with Iowa, North Dakota, Kentucky, Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, California, Ohio and Utah represented along with “entities from as far south as Kanab and as far north as Salt Lake City.” They were introduced by President Elden B. Sessions at an opening assembly.

Five free full-tuition scholarships ($65) were offered to students: two to Carbon County students, one to Grand, one to San Juan and one to Emery.

1940s

In the Sept. 30, 1941 issue, the newspaper listed the class officers of the high school and college.

“Our Town” was presented by the drama club and civil pilot training was offered by Thompson’s Flying Service at the new airport. Phi Rho Pi (national honorary forensic society) was coached

by LaRue Olsen with Oliver Phelps, business manager. Carbon College hosted the Utah-Idaho Speech Tournament.

In 1942, the newspaper changed its name to the “Carbonicle” and continued to print high school and college articles. The latest in clothing sported by the coeds included plaids, bibs and slickers.

The Golden Eagle football team lost to Mesa College in Grand Junction 34-7. By 1947, the greatly improved football team was defeating Boise, Weber and BAC.

1950s

By 1951, debate teams competed out of state and Carbon College presented the opera, “The Mikado.” President Aaron Jones asked the legislature for $350,000 for a new gym with the proposal defeated 26-24 in the Utah House of Representatives. Jones also traveled to Chicago to see what it would take to get a unit of the ROTC started at the college.

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The basketball team defeated the BAC Broncos securing second place in the ICAC. Mining classes were offered during the day and evening, plus construction began on a field house. On Jan. 31, 1957, journalism students traveled to the University of Utah for a mock press conference.

Carbon High students moved to their new school in 1959 and the University of Utah took over the college for the next decade.

1960s

The college newspaper continued with the “Carbonicle” name for a year after the high school was built.

In 1960, the paper became “The Golden Eagle,” a name it kept 15 years. However, an April 1, 1963 edition listed “The Golden Beagle” on the masthead. In 1964, President Claude Burtenshaw had the college’s name changed to the College of Eastern Utah, a year before the football program was disbanded.

Enrollment hit 561 students.

Then in the ‘65, basketball was king as the team made its first NJCAA appearance in Hutchison, Kan., under Coach Curt Jensen and finished third. Vince Colbert and Don Dennison were named as players of the year. The theater department produced “Guys and Dolls,” “Oklahoma,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” and forensics placed fifth in the nation.

Articles were written about homecoming floats, Gibby being stolen, Blue Debs, ski club, Delta Psi Omega, Pi Gamma Chi, Intercollegiate Knights and a panty raid.

Congress passed Title IV, paving the way for an equal number of women and men’s sports on campuses.

Women’s sports included gymnastics, volleyball and softball while men’s sports included wrestling, basketball and baseball.

In 1975, “The Golden Eagle” newspaper became “The Eagle.” President Dean McDonald wrote a letter to the newspaper staff congratulating them on one of the finest issues the college has produced. “The paper has a professional quality in appearance and content and is a credit to CEU.” President Michael Peterson reintroduced a football program to campus in ‘79.

1980s

By the ‘80s, enrollment increased with CEU edging ahead of Snow 61 students. The first Apple computers were purchased for newspaper layout and writing with the staff covering the legislature funding the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center.

After eight seasons and three head coaches, the college abruptly dropped football in ’86, the same year the students elected their first female president: Wendie Mathie.

Brian Hall and Scott Wardle placed first in the nation in debate while the baseball team was tri-ICAC champions. All public colleges in Utah moved from the quarter to semester system.

1990s

By the ‘90s, The Eagle was getting judged by regional and national

organizations. It started winning awards, laying the groundwork for the tradition it continues to achieve. (See page 13). It went from printing 108 to 172 pages each year and placed first at Mesa State University’s Best of Junior College newspaper and third in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Media Association contest.

“The Eagle has one third the budget of Snow, one fifth the budget of Dixie and SLCC while Utah Valley Community College’s budget is somewhere in heaven,” was an article in the paper about how many awards “The Eagle” won and compared it to the budgets and lack of awards by the other two-year colleges.

Enrollment hit an all-time high and in 1991, Neil Warren’s debate team won 272 team and individual trophies and ranked first in nation.

Coach Ronnie Stubbs resigned after 273 games of coaching basketball at his alma mater. CEU’s environmental studies program celebrated 20 years. The inauguration of Grace Sawyer Jones, Utah’s first black president and first woman president at a Utah public higher education, took place in ’97. Body art, 859 scholarships awarded and casino night were covered in its pages.

2000

The 21st Century saw The Eagle go online in 2002 and included articles on alumni Mindaugas Kateynas winning the 2005 NCAA dunk contest, Willie Eyre playing for three

teams in the MLB, Scottie Vines in the NFL and Ime Udoka, Darington Hobsen and Eddie Gill in the NBA. The remodeled baseball facility was dedicated while enrollment dropped. A Cinderella-basketball story included the names of Glover, Mills, Williams, Colimon, Thompson, Dalton, Jorquim, Hawk-Harris and Defavari who helped lead the men’s team to a third place finish in the nation. Glover was named All Tourney.

In a major shakeup, student government cut The Eagle and police budgets, but approved funding for the theater department, a department that was over two months late in submitting its request.

Moving forward to spring semester 2014, the newspaper staff continues to add accolades to its history, winning 15 awards at the Utah Press Association’s Best Newspaper Contest, a statewide professional and college newspaper contest. The awards were added to the hundreds of others the staff won the past two decades including ones from the Society of Professional Journalists, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and American Scholastic Press Association.

As its staff readies to move to the CIB in August, it will take years of tradition and quality with it. And . . . it will continue to be the independent voice of the students.

Susan Polster

The legislature approved the largest building program with the music, library and science buildings plus administrative wing and physical plant completed. CEU became one of nine colleges under the Utah Board of Regents in 1969.

1970s

By the ‘70s, the bookstore advertised sweatshirts for $1.98 to $2.98 in the newspaper. Editorials were complaints about entrances into parking lots, muddy sidewalks, deadlines for scholarships, the clique-ish Iranian students and the administration writing a column in the paper.

Clubs like the A.B.C., A.W.S, A.M.S. and Blue Debs were covered. The future president of Brigham Young University, Kevin Worthen, was a starter on the basketball team.

Student dress standards stressed neatness and cleanliness, including pantsuits for the coeds, after 4 p.m.

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23

Local Athlete Earns Respect On and Off the Court

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anky Mark Guymon is an unassuming presence, and a local one.

He is always quick to deflect attention, hold a door or usher someone else in front of him in line. “Thank you” is a word that easily graces his lips.

“He is a quiet person, caring and respectful,” said Sherman Daye, a teammate on the 2014-15 Utah State University Eastern men’s basketball team. “He’s willing to help people and do for others.”

And, yet, this gentle giant transformed the second he stepped onto the basketball court.

He became a completely different person: competitive, fierce and scrappy.

Spectators came to know what his teammates Daye and Bryan Harris most appreciated about Guymon this past year playing for USU Eastern: that he wasn’t’ afraid to fight for his place below the basket. And ask any player on the team about Guymon’s work ethic and the inevitable response was that no one worked harder.

“He’s was probably the hardest-working member of our team,” Harris said. “He was a defensive player and rebounded a lot. He did the basketball dirty work that no one wanted to do.”

Mark Guymon goes up for a shot against Snow College.

His coach Adjalma V. Becheli Jr. (Coach Vando) echoed those praises saying that Guymon’s untiring qualities made him one of the most diligent players he’s ever coached.

Guymon’s story has been one of determination and hard work. Though he was an All-State player for Emery High, he didn’t have any offers to play college ball when he graduated in 2010. He thought that was the end of his sports career and attended USU Eastern on an academic scholarship a year before serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“I began to mature and would play basketball when I had the chance in New Jersey,” Guymon said. “I made the decision to play when I got back home, so I made it a goal.”

When he returned to Emery County two years later, he mustered the courage to approach Vando. Though he missed the recruiting season, he asked the head coach for a shot at walking on the team.

“I put him in a pick-up game with some of our players,” Vando said. “He really hustled and played hard. He never complained. He was one of the hardest working players I had ever seen. I said, ‘you have a spot on this team.’”

It’s easy to imagine that Guymon had a stark learning curve switching from full-time missionary work to the physical demands of college basketball.

“It was pretty rough to get back into shape when I got back from my mission, especially with my legs, because I hadn’t been running,” Guymon said. “But, I never wanted to quit.

Sometimes it was really hard to push through, but I just took it one day at a time.”

After walking on his first year, he was offered a spot on this year’s team. If anyone doubted that a local athlete could develop the skills to play college-level basketball, Guymon proved them wrong.

“What he lacked in physical ability, he made up in hard work,” Australian teammate Stephen Kiir said.

Guymon’s favorite player is Dennis Rodman.

“I like to play like he played,” he said. “He is my basketball hero. He played super tough defense and grabbed every rebound possible.

He was tenacious. I love to rebound. That is the type of player that I am and want to be.

Since I love playing defense so much, I’m not intimidated by playing against anyone. I’ll guard anyone.”

MARK GUYMON #13 Height............................................................... 6’5” Position......................................................Forward Hobbies.......................................Playing the guitar and collecting 1960s and 70s vinyl records.

His favorite record................Beatles “Abbey Road” Favorite USU Eastern professor......Susan Polster Basketball hero.............................Dennis Rodman Life heroes............................................His Parents The ball leaves Guymon’s hand as he concentrates on making a foul shot.

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One advantage this local player has had is family support.

His parents, Ray and Marian—both College of Eastern Utah alumni —attended all but one game of their son’s USUE basketball college career, including away games.

“We felt really good about him playing at USU Eastern,” Ray Guymon said. “He is a high-honors student. The smaller school has given him the opportunity to work with professors. It’s very difficult to be on the road and miss class. USUE has been the perfect place for him to meet high academic standard and excel.”

USU Eastern roots run deep in Guymon’s family. Each day as Guymon leaves the dorms, he walks past a building bearing his maternal grandfather’s name, the late Dean M. McDonald, who led CEU as its fifth president from 1970 to 1980. Guymon’s dad imagines that McDonald would have loved that fact that his grandson has been attending USU Eastern and was on its basketball team.

Indeed, Guymon is at home at USU Eastern and his teammates have been like brothers.

“My teammates were cool,” he said. “We had players from all around the world. It’s been like a family. We stuck together. We traveled together; we have been in the dorms together and have done everything basketball together.”

Guymon said lessons learned at USU Eastern will carry into his career.

“I have always loved the game itself,” he said.

“It teaches me hard work and dedication. I not only love it, but it will influence who I am for the rest of my life.”

He earned his associate degree in 2014 and stayed to play basketball this past year to complete requirements toward a bachelor’s degree.

He plans on becoming a physical therapist.

As a part of Vando’s efforts to reach out to the community, the team actively served in the community this past season. They worked at charity dinners and traveled to local elementary schools to be positive role models for the kids.

“We talked to the kids about ourselves and then we showed them basic basketball skills to get them pumped up to show them how cool basketball can be,” he said. “We signed autographs and played with them. It was good to get out into the community and show that we care about the kids here.”

Renee Banasky

Coach Vando credits Emery County native Mark Guymon as one of the hardest-working players he has ever coached.

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Chappell found 120 shots of Craig in his archives after spending four hours going through two years of game shots.

“This was my second year working at the school and I was just trying to get used to shooting intense games,” Chappell said. “Learning how to best prepare, focus and shoot the action at just the right moment took a lot of practice and was made much more difficult using the Canon 5D which only shot three frames a second.

“This forced me to have to time my shots just right. Nowadays I needn’t worry about timing so much as my latest camera shoots 12 frames a second. Now I can just hold down the shutter button and pick the image I like after the fact. It’s like going from a bolt-action rifle to a machine gun.”

On being published, Chappell said he never considered that his photos might one day be used in Sports Illustrated.

Johnson’s favorite photo of Coach Craig and the late Brad Barton is Leon Covington’s last minute shot propelling the Eagles into overtime at the NjCAA Tourney in 2010.

PHOTO BY KIMBALL JOHNSON

Bittersweet Photography for Two Professors

I

t’s most sports photographer’s dream to get their photos printed in Sports Illustrated. Two professors from Utah State University Eastern can check that off their bucket lists with the publishing of their work this past December in the internationally renowned publication.

Tyson Chappell, biology professor, and Kimball Johnson, former nursing instructor, followed the College of Eastern Utah’s Cinderella-esque basketball team in 2009-10 under Coach Chris Craig’s guidance. It was a remarkable season as Craig’s team captured each hard-fought win during its regular season and at the Scenic West Athletic Tournament, Southern Regionals and National Junior College Athletic Conference Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan.

Names like Michael Glover, Jonathan Mills, Isiah Williams, Cliff Colimon, Tony Dalton and Aaron Hawk-Harris were leading the team in scoring and rebounding.

Thousands of photos, documenting the magical season, were taken by Chappell and Johnson as the team’s chemistry and play continued to improve throughout the season.

Although the notoriety of photos by two USU Eastern photographers being published in Sports Illustrated was extraordinary, the story behind the photos sadly chronicles the tale of Craig’s bouts with mental illness.

Hired at 25, Craig was thought to be the youngest head coach in the country at the time. It took him three years at the Eagle helm to finish third in the nation and move onto an assistant coach position at a Division-1 college: Northern Colorado. After a year, he sought a head-coaching position and ended

up in Midland, Texas, at Midland College, a coveted two-year college coaching job. While in Midland, he got married and had his second daughter, according to the Sports Illustrated story.

However, following the death of his best friend and former assistant coach, Brad Barton, plus a player striking him in the face and knocking him unconscious, Craig changed. He resigned his job at Midland in March 2013. A lifetime of on-and-off schizophrenia became forefront as Craig traveled the country and to Israel twice, displaying erratic behavior resulting in several skirmishes with the law.

He spent time in a state hospital in Pueblo, Colo., before transferring to the state hospital in Provo, Utah, according to Sports Illustrated.

Johnson, who has since moved to Ogden and teaches nursing at

Weber State University, said he had two days to go through his archives to find photos of Craig for the magazine. He found 12 photos of the coach that he put on Google Drive.

SI photographers selected one of his photos for the story on the former CEU coach.

Getting published, he said, “I feel like I just hit a home run in the majors…but my heart goes out to Chris Craig and his family.”

His favorite shot was of Craig along with coaches Vando Becheli and Barton in the background watching a last-second shot. Johnson was in Hutchison, Kan., and CEU was behind by two points with a few seconds remaining in regulation play. Sophomore guard, Leon Sutton, came off the bench and hit a two-pointer, sending the game into overtime. The Eagles won in OT and finished as the third best team in the nation that year.

“I shoot out of the joy, rush and pleasure, in and of itself,” he said.

“Capturing the best images possible and feeling happy and content with my own images is more than enough reward for me. Anything above and beyond my own satisfaction with my images is just icing on an already delectable and scrumptious visual chocolate cake.”

He said that seeing his photographs in Sport’s Illustrated was never on his personal bucket list—as it always seemed to be such an impossibility. But he has since revised his thinking. “I guess I’ll be putting: ‘get published in National Geographic’ on my bucket list to see what happens,” he said.

His favorite photo is displayed in the hallway of the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center.

PHOTO BY TYSON CHAPPELL Coach Chris Craig with his daughter.

“It shows the team immediately after winning the SWAC championship and they are holding the trophy,” Chappell said. “Such bliss in all of their faces. Such raw emotion and joy. It was a spectacular night to watch such an intense game and to come off as conquerors.”

Susan Polster

Tyson Chappell

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Kimball Johnson

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D

Eastern Aglow

iversity is a true Utah State University Eastern distinction, both on the Price and Blanding campuses. And the college is doing what it can to keep it that way.

To help encourage scholars of all colors consider the advantages of starting off at USU Eastern, “Colors of Eastern” day was created, specifically designed to attract specific students to the Price campus.

Over the past year, the college has made a concerted effort to reach out to Pacific Islander, Latino, Native American, African American and Asian American students from high schools around the state, with a heavy emphasis on the Wasatch Front, said Kristian Olsen, USU Eastern director of enrollment management.

“We believe we are uniquely positioned to support these students in their higher educational pursuits,” Olsen said. “We are actively reaching out to them.”

Colors of Eastern, which took place Feb. 5-6, has been one such way. For if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.

The college brought 248 high school juniors and seniors to campus that included an overnight program, making this year’s event the largest USU Eastern recruitment happening to date. The event included a spirited basketball game in which the Eagles defeated rival Snow College by one point. A dance followed with Polynesian students

playing the ukuleles, Latinos performing Spanish dances and other cultural-specific activities.

Earlier in the day, students listened to University of Utah’s public administration professor Bryan Hopkins. He talked about how local students of color can and should embrace learning by engaging the issues within their communities as leaders.

“It was definitely the best overnight I’ve ever gone to for a college,” said Maribel Avila, a Granger High School student. “I felt like I was acknowledged as a real person and I truly felt like they were my people.”

Most students from diverse backgrounds face specific challenges in Utah, said USU Eastern Regional Recruiter Agustin Diaz.

“But it’s through efforts like these that we, as an institution, are able to help students overcome barriers and obstacles and feel that they very much belong here,” he said.

In addition, some 550 students of various ethnicities have also visited the campus on day visits over the past year.

“These are wonderful students who are looking for a great college to attend,” Olsen said. “There’s a lot of interest in learning about college and we are marketing and positioning USU Eastern as a starting place for these students.”

The majority of the students are still undecided on what they want to study, which makes USU Eastern a great choice, he said.

Class Notes

“Our low tuition, coupled with our focus on students, is ideal for those students who are undecided on a major before they start college,” Olsen said.

He cited a University of California at Los Angeles study of 240,000 students as to why they selected their respective colleges. Of the five categories, reputation, financial incentives and visiting the college were listed in two of the top categories in their ultimate decision process.

“If we can get students to our campus, give them a positive experience, we have a great opportunity to get them enrolled,” Olsen said. “We are working with the counselors in the high schools and are seeing a lot of positive reaction in the schools.

Our applications for USU Eastern are up, and hopefully, this will pay off in a larger student body when we welcome the freshman class in August.”

The Colors of Eastern is one example of USU Eastern’s commitment to helping underserved students learn more about college opportunity, said USU Eastern Vice Chancellor Greg Dart.

“I cannot imagine a better event or a better group of students to show all USU Eastern has to offer,” he said. “It was one of the best events ever at the college.”

Overall over 2,500 potential students visited USU Eastern in 2014-15.

Susan Polster

How are you doing? We want to hear from you.

Send your news to: USU Eastern at usueastern.edu/alumniupdate; Institutional Advancement Office 451 East 400 North Price, UT 84501 or email Vicki Noyes at: vicki.noyes@usu.edu Andersen, Kelly L. ’70-’71 & ’73-‘74

Andersen was honored with the “Litigation Award,” an international award honoring the top one percent of litigation attorneys in 2015 and the Distinguished Trial Lawyer by the state of Oregon in 2014. He was named Oregon Super Lawyer six times, denoting he ranks in the top-five percent of all attorneys. Andersen came to CEU from Huntington, Utah, on an academic scholarship where he debated for Coach Neil Warren. Anderson won the most trophies in a single year plus the most trophies in two years as a debater. He also served as freshman and sophomore president, and graduated with high honors. He graduated from BYU’s J. Ruben School of Law in 1979 and received advanced training from the National College of Advocacy at Stanford and Harvard universities. An avid outdoorsman, he summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Whitney, Mt. Rainer and Mt. Shasta.

Bryner, Matthew ’99 & ‘02

Has a successful dental practice called Cortez Smiles, in Yellow Jacket, Colo. While attending CEU, he worked as a math and chemistry tutor and a youth soccer coach for Carbon Recreation.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Southern Utah University and continued at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. There, he was honored as operative dentistry student of the year. He is married to alumna, Leticia Chaides, who graduated with an Registered Nurse degree from CEU.

Coppersmith, Clifford ’96-‘04

Clifford Coppersmith, Ph.D., begins as dean of City College, a community college in the Montana State University system in Billings, Mont., on July 1, 2015. He is leaving Pennsylvania College of Technology where he served as dean of the school of sciences, humanities and visual communications since 2008 and assistant dean of liberal arts and sciences since 2004. He spent from 1996-2004 at CEU, where he was a tenured faculty member and taught courses in history, anthropology, political science and environmental studies. He co-directed the wilderness studies program with Mike King, Ph.D. He served as vice president of faculty senate and named outstanding teacher of the year by students. He was interim academic vice president under President Ryan Thomas during his final year at CEU.

Covington, Leon ‘90

Growing up in Inglewood, Calif., he was recruited by basketball coach Ronnie Stubbs where he was an all-conference performer and top scorer. After graduating, he accepted an academic scholarship to Lewis-Clark State College and continued his basketball career for his final two seasons; grad-

uating with a degree in sociology. He completed his master’s degree in social work from Eastern Washington University and in 2014 accepted a position with the University of Washington. He partners with children’s administration to teach competency-based courses to foster parents and state social workers. His daughter, Jasmine Covington, returned to his Price alma mater in fall of 2014 and played for the women’s volleyball team.

Crookston, Kendall P. ‘82

Is a professor of pathology and medicine, with expertise in transfusion medicine and coagulation, at University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

He graduated from CEU in 1982 and finished a bachelor’s in microbiology at Brigham Young University. He earned both a M.D. and Ph.D. at the University of Virginia as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program. In addition to his responsibilities as faculty at UNM, he is director of both United Blood Services of New Mexico and the Special Blood Coagulation Laboratory at TriCore Reference Laboratories. He is an attending physician at the UNM Hospital Blood and Tissue Banks. He was honored at UNM School of Medicine as teacher of the year in 2002. Later, as a Fulbright Visiting Professor at the University of Copenhagen, he taught medical education and new transfusion technologies in Denmark.

Evans, Alison A. ‘08

Is director of human resources at Your Employment Solutions in Salt Lake City. She earned an AS degree at CEU in 2008, then graduated magna cum laude from USU with a BS degree in human resource management in 2010. She began her career in human services at a staffing agency.

While working, she earned her master’s degree at USU, Kaysville Extension in December 2013. She has been working as director of human services at Your Employment Solutions since 2013. Currently, she is working on a professional in human resources certificate that she hopes to complete in 2015.

Howa Ware, Shanielle ‘04

While at CEU, Howa was a cheerleader and competed with PBL and DEX. She finished fourth nationally in parliamentary procedure with PBL. After graduation, she attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in California earning her degree in merchandising marketing and interned at Rock and Republic while working at the Gap flagship store in Century City. Her first job was an allocation analyst at Hot Topic corporate office. She then moved to a start-up company, Metropark, where it grew from 21 stores to 72. As women’s planner and managing all women’s category financials, she learned about growing and developing a business. She is now women’s planning manager with Pacsun, overseeing financials

of a $350 million business with 600 stores. She graduates in May from California State University Fullerton where she majored in economics.

Johnson, Dytania “Bubby” ‘12

As a member of Florida Southern College, Johnson and his teammates handily defeated Indiana 77-62 to win the D2 basketball title championship. The team made 13 three-pointers to seal the victory on Saturday, March 28, in Evansville, Ind., at the Ford Center. He will graduate this month with his bachelor’s degree in communications.

Johnson, a 6-foot 8-inch guard/forward from Silver Spring, Maryland, played for Coach Vando Becheli from 2010-12 and served as captain of the team. When not playing basketball for the Eagles, he coached eighth and ninth grade students from the area in an AAU basketball competition league. He also volunteered at Castle Heights Elementary School every Friday where he read to the students, graded their papers and tested their skills. He loved playing hoops with the students and would lift them to the net to make sure they made their shots.

Larsen, Catherine ‘95

Is vice president of International Product Registration at 4Life Research in Sandy, Utah. At CEU she was a key member of the Jazz Band, Synthesizer Group and Chamber Choir. She continued her education at BYU and earned a BA in Near Eastern studies with minor in music.

Larsen played the guitar and piano for BYU’s International Folk Dance Ensemble five years— traveling the globe to perform at folk festivals. She graduated from BYU’s J. Ruben Clark Law School in 2004. 4Life Research is a direct-sales company that produces dietary supplements. She represents the business world-wide as she seeks for approval from regulatory agencies to sell the 4Life Research products. Larsen has traveled to 66 countries for business or as a performer.

Santos, Pricilla ’10-‘12

A native of San Paulo, Brazil, Santos is working on her master’s degree in foreign relations at American Marshall University where she maintains a 4.0 GPA. She played her junior and senior seasons of basketball at Shawnee State in 2012-2014. An All-American basketball player at USU Eastern, she led the nation with 29.7 points averaged per game, had a career high of 50 points in a single game and made 25 out of 30 foul shots during the season. She scored over 42 points in six of her games for the Eagles and was named Player of the Year for the SWAC and two times named first-team All Conference. Her average points were more than any other woman in the country that year. She was perfect academically with a 4.0 GPA.

Part of the 550 students participating in the two-day Colors of Eastern recruitment event.

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Institutional Advancement Office 451 East 400 North Price, UT 84501

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Posters that were on display for several weeks in the USU Eastern library during the open comment period for the college’s new master plan.

Time for a Clock Tower on Price Campus?

A

s any dedicated businessperson can attest, long- and short-term goals are important for success. The same holds true for Utah State University Eastern’s Price campus.

earlier master plan was the construction of the nearly-complete Central Instructional Building, which, “was built to meet the current need for space and programs,” according to Eric Mantz, associate vice chancellor of business services, information technology and facilities.

The goal process is part of a new Campus Master Plan, now in the final stages of completion, in partnership with the Salt Lake City architecture and planning firm, CRSA. To help in this process, the college sought input this past winter from community and alumni pertaining to their vision of a future USU Eastern.

Some of the more notable features being proposed in the updated plan include additions to student housing, a central clock tower and the construction of a gateway building and plaza. The new plan calls for these campus additions over the next 10 to 15 years.

In February, USU Eastern hosted an open house, at which suggestions for a 10-, 30- and 50-year “master plan” for campus additions and renovations were unveiled. A large part of an

Phase two is a long-term plan, aiming for completion in 30 to 35 years, and features an addition to the West Instructional Building, as well as the construction of a new administration building to consolidate all administration functions.

Fifty years into the future, planners envision another academic building on the west part of campus and a parking structure with a soccer field built on top.

Since most of the additions and renovations in this plan are tentative, Mantz understands the need for the plan to remain fluid.

“The best part about having a flexible plan like this is that it is scalable to growth,” he said.

“Growth will spur action on the master plan.”

The final plan will be presented in May.

Daniel Pike