University Journal: March 2023

Southern Utah University Journal

125 years of history, tradition and legacy — and how the Thunderbirds honor the past to build SUU’s future

THE UJ CREW

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ASPEN ENGLISH

COPY CHIEFS

SHAURI THACKER

TARA DOLE

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

EMILY LOERTSCHER

PHOTOGRAPHERS

ANDEN GARFIELD

BRIA HANSEN

DEVAN CALL

LIFE EDITOR

ANDREA RODGERS

SPORTS EDITOR

CHEVY BLACKBURN

OUTDOOR EDITOR

LILY BRUNSON

NEWS EDITOR

LUKE MCKENZIE

ACCENT EDITOR

TESSA CHESHIRE

REPORTERS

ANDEN GARFIELD

ANTHONY COLASUONO

AUDREY GEE

KALE NELSON

PODCAST DIRECTOR

GABE SMALL

OPERATIONS MANAGER

MICHELE FOGG

•••

The University Journal is published with the support of the Communication Department. Opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of Southern Utah University.

Dear T-Bird,

There’s a few things necessary to be a good copy editor for SUU News and the University Journal: a love for English and a passion for its rules, a caffeine addiction to get you through your next deadline and the ability to shove down the rage you feel neglecting the Oxford comma in AP format.

People are less inclined to know your name as a copy editor. You’re not a reporter rushing to get quotes, and you’re certainly not the one capturing the moments in perfectly sharp pictures. It’s a behind-the-scenes job where you’re the one at a desk, scanning for missing commas and words that aren’t used quite right.

Still, we take pride in our work. We love nudging a story until it flows as easily for the reader as water. We believe in the value stories hold, and we like poking them until we can excavate what’s at their core. We like wrapping them up with a bow before they’re delivered to you.

This edition, we copy editors helped our reporters tell their chosen narratives surrounding Southern Utah University’s history and tradition. They wanted to craft stories about people that have changed — that are changing — SUU for the better and leaving their mark on the university.

What we copyedited were legacies. While the stories within this edition of the University Journal are about the past and the present, they’re also about how the future is being curated for upcoming generations of T-Birds. If Tara and I have done our jobs right, these stories should speak of the university’s growth and the preservation of T-Bird values.

Thank you for browsing this edition, T-Bird, and we hope you enjoy it.

Sincerely yours,

Shauri Thacker and Tara Dole

CONTENTS

4|faces of suu

“What is your favorite SUU tradition?”

6|For students, by students

All about SUUSA, elections and the impact of your student voice.

9|Staying on track

From student-athletes to married mentors, the Springhalls left their mark on the SUU track and field team.

12|Classic: A journey through art at SUU

SUMA’s most recent exhibit explores the works of Art & Design faculty of the past and present.

16|Art Challis: The voice of the Thunderbirds

Professor Art Challis is the only broadcaster in the SUU Athletics Hall of Fame. Here’s why.

18|Setting the Stage

How Second Studio, SUU’s student-run theatre company, helps to train the next generation of theatre professionals.

20|Serve and Support

New athletic director Doug Knuth has big plans for SUU sports.

24|The Legend of the Thunderbird

Since the school’s founding, the Southern Paiute tribe and SUU have always maintained a relationship of respect.

28|Raising the bar: The legacy of SUU Gymnastics

Since 1985, the Flippin’ Birds have been soaring towards top of the rankings.

30|A Cabin Spanning a Century

How SUU’s faculty banded together to build the Mountain Center, the remote cabin that has played a part in every iteration of SUU’s past.

FACES OF

My favorite tradition is going to all of the spots on the map outside the Welcome Center with all my friends. -Aspynn Murray, pre-med nutrition major

My favorite tradition is Casino Night. -McCoy Smith, exercise science pre-med major

Southern Utah University is a very tradition-based university. One of the first things students do when they get to campus is participate in their first tradition: walking under the bell tower. Over the rest of their college careers, students have the opportunity to participate in 50 traditions, ranging from wearing red on Fridays to seeing the ghost of Virginia.

SUU’s Tradition Keeper program not only provides a great opportunity to get involved on campus, but it’s a fantastic way to participate in the legacy of SUU and previous tradition-keeping students. To learn more about the school’s history of tradition, visit suu.edu/traditionkeeper.

“What is your favorite SUU tradition?”

OF SUU

My favorite SUU tradition is Forever Red because I love that it brings the community, alumni and students together to appreciate SUU.

-Courtney Glad, managing and marketing major

My favorite tradition is Paint the Town Red.

-Yaneth Vasquez, biology major

My favorite tradition is rubbing the bald guy’s head, I think it’s Gerald E. Sherratt, in the library.

-Chandler White, finance major

For students, by students

Every student deserves to be heard. No matter their major, age or background, they should have a positive college experience. This matters as much in a student’s academic life as it does in their social and recreational life. One of the many organizations at Southern Utah University dedicated to this goal is the Southern Utah University Student Association.

What is SUUSA?

Student leadership has always been a part of the university. Shortly after its founding, SUU, then known as Branch Normal School, created “The Self Governing School System” in 1898, where student leaders operated endeavors much like a city council, including a mayor, a judiciary and even a police force. As the university continued to grow and develop, so did the student government, gradually transitioning into a traditional student government system of organizational and student representation. By 1969, this became known as the Associated Studentbody of Southern Utah State College, or ASSUSC. After SUSC changed its name and status to Southern Utah University in 1991, the student government has since become the Southern Utah University Student Association, commonly known among the student body as SUUSA.

SUUSA now has several different positions and leadership opportunities, including but not limited to the Executive Council, Student Senate, Student Programming Board

and Involvement Captains. Each position within these and other groups has a unique but important role in meeting the needs of SUU’s students, both collectively as well as individually.

“Broadly, student government here at SUU represents student voices and listens to what students want here,” said Hunter Bosgieter, SUUSA’s Executive Council vice president of programming. “Then, we work to make a lot of these changes that the students themselves want actually made on campus.”

For example, some SUUSA members ensure budgets based on student fees are properly allocated within different student organizations and departments. Others write and pass bills to improve student education and campus life. Additionally, varying types of student activities covering different interests are planned and put on by SUUSA.

“I think the main goal is to engage students and get them involved and feel like they have a place where they belong,” said Alexis McIff, the School of Business senator. “I really like connecting with the students and helping them find opportunities to develop themselves and be prepared to enter the workforce.”

A student-run university

SUU is a very “student-centric” school, with the student to faculty ratio being 19:1. However, this is not the only way students are the prominent force.

“SUU, specifically, is mostly student run,” said Merrick Webb, Executive Council vice president of marketing, when discussing what sets the school’s leadership apart. When one looks around the SUU campus, they may notice that students staff almost every office and store on campus from the President’s Office to the Bookstore. They also contribute as teacher assistants, organization and club leaders and campus maintenance workers.

“It gives the students genuine real-world experience,” said Bosgieter. “It gives students here on campus more to do and feel connected here at the university and feel like they are part of what makes SUU so great because they truly are.” By collaborating with advisors and by working as liaisons with administration through the President’s Cabinet, SUUSA ensures that, in a university that primarily focuses

SUUSA Involvement Captains connect with the community through interactive and entertaining activities

on the well-being of its students, the best people to run the ins and outs of student life are the students themselves.

“It’s more beneficial to have student leaders because we are with the rest of the students,” said Executive Council Vice President of Marketing Merrick Webb. “We are able to listen better; we are able to understand the problems more. We are able to put more personal interest and want into fixing those problems because we are all in the same boat.”

Student-run organizations also have the benefit of fresh faces and new ideas every year as more students join the T-Bird family. New perspectives and objectives help the university grow alongside its students.

“Who better to improve the student experience than students?” McIff added. “I think that we as students have a lot of ideas that should be heard and can help make SUU a better place.”

Why student elections matter

One of the biggest goals of SUUSA is to understand and act on the needs of the students at SUU. As SUU’s spring semester continues, we quickly approach the time of SUUSA elections. These elections, according to SUUSA officers, are crucial to making sure the students are properly represented.

Like other official elections, SUUSA holds a variety of events including campaigns and debates. These proceedings give the general student body an opportunity to hear from their potential future representatives and what they can contribute to the future of their own education.

“The big reason why people should care about the election process is because we will be your student voice,” said Webb.

The best way that a student can ensure their voice is heard is by using it to choose and support upcoming leaders who will represent them.

“People really want to make changes at the university,” McIff said. “I would just encourage everyone to vote because we want to help make SUU better.”

The ongoing legacy

SUUSA not only contributes to but also strives for continuing the legacy of a school led by its students. By listening to students and applying their ideas into the various aspects of their lives during college, SUUSA ensures that the students’ success is also the driving force of the university’s success.

“Our biggest goal is to make sure that every year we keep growing and working harder for the students,” Webb said.

Even though faculty and staff can provide certain resources and learning experiences, much of the advancements in student campus life like providing cultural, practical and social learning opportunities have come from the contribution of students. Had students not used their voice to express themselves, many of the positive changes at SUU would not have been made. It is the students, members of SUUSA and otherwise, who help make Southern Utah University the school it is today and what it can be in the future.

-Written by Andrea Rodgers

During the early stages of SUU, the student government operated like city officers

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, SHERRATT LIBRARY, SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY

Students can vote for members of the Executive Council and for Student Senators.

The Executive Council overlooks the entire student body, regardless of major or college. Students can vote for the following positions:

• President

• Vice President of Academics

• Vice President of Clubs and Organizations

• Vice President of Finance

The Student Senators represent each of the university’s colleges and schools, including: • Education and Human Development

• Engineering and Computational Sciences

• Humanities and Social Sciences

• Performing and Visual Arts

• Science

• Health Sciences

• Business • Graduate Program

Students are invited to prepare to vote by participating in the campaigning process.

Campaigning starts mid-March. This will include a debate session between the various candidates. Elections will be held during the second half of March.

All students are invited and encouraged to vote! Students can vote through their mySUU account or through the SUU app. Detailed information about campaigns and candidates can be found on the SUU app, the SUU Student Life social media sites and on fliers around campus. This and additional voting information can be found on suu.edu/stil/elections or at the Student Involvement and Leadership Office (Student Center Room 177).

To learn more about leadership and involvement opportunities at Southern Utah University, visit suu.edu/stil or visit the Student Involvement and Leadership Office). Applications for these positions will be open from midMarch to the beginning of April.

To learn more about the history of SUUSA and student government, visit SUU’s Special Collections (Sherratt Library Room 005).

Staying on track

Anyone who has competed in, coached at or worked for Southern Utah University athletics understands that a team becomes a family. Many former athletes have returned to extend their legacy at SUU for this reason, and Shaye and Brent Springall are no exception.

While they competed for Southern Utah’s track and field team, the two started dating in 2011 and married in 2012. The Springalls began their legacy as student-athletes in that program, and since then, both have continued to leave their impact on the athletic department.

Choosing the Thunderbirds

When he had to choose where to continue his track career, Brent decided on SUU because it was close to his home of Las Vegas. He also loved the underdog mentality of Southern Utah track and field. SUU might be a program that few project to win, but they always have a shot because of the culture set in place by the athletes and coaches before them.

Shaye grew up in Cedar City frequently attending Thunderbird basketball games. She originally wanted to become a basketball player for Southern Utah until track became her passion. At the time, SUU did not recruit many short distance runners, but even with other offers, she still wanted to continue her athletic career at SUU. In her junior year of high school, Shaye received an offer from Southern Utah and accepted it right away.

Both Shaye and Brent were fans of the hard-working culture and were prepared to add to the track and field program’s legacy.

Brent’s impact on SUU

Brent joined Southern Utah’s track and field team in 2007 and competed until 2011. During that span, he earned multiple accolades, set records and made history as a multi-event athlete. The most notable is his 6,450 points scored during an outdoor decathlon event in 2011. At the time, the score placed him third all-time in program history. He earned eighth place in the

record books for both pole vault and the indoor heptathlon with a score of 14’ 7 ¼” and 4,614 points, respectively.

“I’m glad to be a part of the track program’s history,” Brent said. “It does have a lot of really cool stories and history; I’m glad to be a part of that.”

One of those stories was when the track team won the conference championship at home in 2009. The event came down to Southern Utah’s great four-by-four victory that edged

out North Dakota State University. This was Brent’s favorite team story, but he also had a great one about him and Shaye while the two competed together.

“I was pretty tired after a long decathlon, and the coach was trying to get me ready for the 1,500-meter,” Brent said. “He told me Shaye would give me a kiss on the cheek if I beat my personal record. We weren’t dating at the time, but I really liked her, so I got up and set a good personal record.”

He did end up getting his kiss, and Shaye pointed out that he broke his record by about 30 seconds. In addition to setting records as a student-athlete, Brent set up future track and field athletes for success as a coach after he graduated from SUU with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a master’s in sports conditioning. He was also able to coach Shaye for her senior year.

After starting his coaching career at Southern Utah in 2012, Brent coached two NCAA national qualifiers, eight NCAA West Regional qualifiers and 14 All-Conference athletes. Brent also coached 22 school record holders, including two Big Sky alltime record holders, three Big Sky championship record holders and two Big Sky Most Valuable Players.

One of the best athletes to attend SUU was track star Tre James. Under Brent’s coaching, James earned Big Sky championships for indoor and outdoor events. James also broke the school records in both the 60-meter and 200-meter.

“I always tried to instill a culture of working hard and showing up on game day when it counts,” Brent said. “I told the kids stories about the athletes that came before them, and it kind of just grew for a while. The record books just got rewritten year after year for about eight years.”

Eventually, Brent and his brothers started a family-run business called Closet Factory in 2020, a custom closet and cabinetry business and the reason he stepped away from SUU track and field as a coach.

Shaye’s legacy

Although Brent has moved on from his coaching position at Southern Utah, Shaye has remained a part of the athletics family after her graduation in 2013 with a degree in accounting. As a student, she set multiple records for track and field and still holds five spots in the record book for indoor track events. In 2014, she earned first in the 60-meter sprint and 60-meter hurdles with times of 7.46 and 8.21, respectively. Those are not her only first-place records for indoor track, as she also sits at No. 1 for the pentathlon multi-event with a score of 3,929.

“He told me Shaye would give me a kiss on the cheek if I beat my personal record. We weren’t dating at the time, but I really liked her, so I got up and set a good personal record.”

Overall, Shaye earned six spots in the record book for outdoor track and field events. She is first all-time for both the heptathlon record with an incredible score of 5,454 and 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.56. She was a big part of the Thunderbird track and field team’s group competitions, which is made up of multi-events and hurdles. Shaye competed in several Big Sky and Summit League championships to earn All-Conference status.

“I think I still have seven records,” Shay said. “It was a hometown loyalty thing for me. It’s super cool because I love Cedar and I love SUU, so it is fun.”

Before stepping into her role as the director of operations, Shaye would help drive athletes to meet and compete independently herself. Since Brent was coaching at the time, she didn’t mind helping out. Shaye was attempting to make it to the professional level after graduating and having back surgery.

Once the position for director of operations presented itself, she took the opportunity and was hired. Shaye has played a crucial role for the Thunderbirds’ track and field team during her time at Southern Utah. She has been the key to arranging meets and has been able to get athletes to prestigious races across the country.

“I really care about the program, and I really care about the athletes,” Shaye said. “A lot of the trips are the same, and I always want to make it the best I can because I knew what it was like.”

How they continue to build Southern Utah’s legacy

Sports bring people like Shaye and Brent together, but most importantly, they have created a family atmosphere for the entire Cedar City community. Records are not what make Southern Utah University’s last 125 years great, it is the alumni like them who have returned and continued to help make an impact on the school. SUU has a legacy of great athletes; the Springhalls have gone beyond their individual record-breaking performances on the track to further their impact.

Brent and Shaye have also begun their own family legacy. They have two daughters, Roxana and Phoebe. Shaye’s brother, Trenton Maurer, has followed in her footsteps, too, joining the Thunderbird track and field family and competing in multiple events.

-Written by Chevy Blackburn

Shaye and Brent at Brian Head Peak in 2022

Classic A journey through art at SUU

The display of current faculty work is a biannual tradition at the Southern Utah Museum of Art, but for the 125th anniversary of the university, the museum wanted to do something extra special. Thus, the journey into the past began.

SUMA’s exhibit “Classic” ran from Jan. 17 to March 4, showcasing art from art and design faculty over the course of SUU’s history. Current faculty members’ art was also included.

The mediums of art were widespread, and many pieces featured southern Utah landscapes and SUU-related subjects. Each

display was magnificent, capturing a different point of view, culture and handiwork, something to be expected from such a diverse collection of artists.

A century of time was displayed across the museum, beginning in the 1920s and stretching all the way to present day. “Classic” is a reminder that great art has been a part of SUU’s legacy longer than the art department itself and will remain here long after today.

Mary L. Bastow: 1929-1968

Mary L. Bastow began working at the Branch Normal School in 1929. She is described by SUMA as “the art department,” teaching the first classes on design, drawing, art appreciation and everything else an art student could hope for. In 1939, SUU’s Division of Arts began, and heralded as its founding chair was Bastow. Her work featured at SUMA includes a watercolor piece and an oil painting of the College of Southern Utah barn. However, it is lucky that we are able to see any of her art at all.

In the Old Main Fire of 1948, the library and art department were turned into rubble. Among the destruction was Bastow’s entire lifetime of work. Of course, she continued to paint, and because of that, we were able to see a glimpse of what was once lost.

Gaell Lindstrom: 1954-1957

Initially a high school art teacher in Cedar City, Gaell Lindstrom came to the College of Southern Utah with an interest in watercolor. His work features rich, dark colors and fascinating architecture that acts more as a window into another world than a framed image.

Lindstrom explained his art simply: “Painting starts where my words leave off.” The statement feels entirely appropriate, as he leaves hundreds of museum goers across Utah speechless.

Thomas Leek: 1961-1985

A former chairman of the art department, Thomas Leek was another powerful force in SUU’s arts. In 1976, he founded SUMA’s predecessor, the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery. He served as the director of the gallery long after his time at SUU.

Another artist with a fondness for watercolor, Leek’s pieces capture the bright colors found throughout landscapes. His stark oranges and soft greens add a delightful softness that draws the viewer in and invites them to stay.

Leek himself considers the pieces “ideological summaries of life experiences.”

Carol Jeanne Abraham: 1975-1977

Carol Jeanne Abraham leads us away from soft watercolors and rich oils and into the world of sculpture. Her piece displayed at SUMA, while untitled, has a magnificent science to it that was discovered by the artist herself.

When attending the Rochester Institute of Technology, Abraham was credited with the discovery of “thixotropic” clay. This clay has a very interesting property where it becomes a fluid while being manipulated and settles in solid when left alone. Her contribution to art and science has left meaningful impacts in both.

Arlene Braithewaite: 1978-2009

Before her time at SUU, Arlene Braithewaite served as an artist and writer for the Color Country Spectrum and remains active in the Utah art community today. While at SUU, she taught Drawing I-III and Art Methods for Secondary Teachers.

Her work in pastels captures an astounding amount of movement and light. She has received awards for her work across Utah and has completed commissioned pieces for Cedar Breaks National Monument and Dixie National Forest. She was also recognized as a celebrated artist for Zion National Park’s Centennial Plein Air Invitational in 2019.

Jeremias Paul: 2007-2014

Primarily interested in the experiences of space and how they are perceived and understood, Jeremias Paul uses color photography to capture strange and mystical images, many of which offer a panoramic experience.

While at SUU, he served as the head of the photography program and an assistant professor of photography. His work is regularly exhibited across the United States

Russell Wrankle: Current

The present brings us to the work of Russell Wrankle. Working in ceramics and clay, Wrankle produces mind-boggling pieces that force you to look just a little bit closer. He mainly sculpts animals but also creates more abstract pieces. Three of his pieces were displayed at SUMA, each of them more eccentric than the last.

While currently on sabbatical, he will return to SUU to continue teaching in the fall semester of 2024.

Though the exhibit has closed, many of the artists can be found online to satiate the need to see more. We wait with great anticipation for the next collection of faculty art, but until then, SUMA will continue providing a step into the art world for free.

Hours and information on upcoming exhibits can be found at their website at suu.edu/suma.

-Written by Audrey Gee

Art Challis The voice of the Thunderbirds

The Southern Utah University Athletics Hall of Fame is full of great athletes from all sports and even a few coaches. But only one broadcaster has ever earned a spot on the prestigious wall: Art Challis. His plaque, located in the America First Event Center, honors him as the man who has been narrating SUU athletics for over 50 years: the “voice of the Thunderbirds.”

Challis’ days of sports broadcasting began in 1970 when the Cedar High School baseball team took on Parowan High School. Local high school baseball was only the beginning for him. It was not until December of 1973, not too long after he had graduated from the then-Southern Utah State College with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication, that he started broadcasting for the Thunderbirds. He had 30 minutes to prepare for his first game after the main broadcaster, Ernie Riedelbeck, called out sick. It was a men’s basketball game against Grand Canyon University, one that SUU narrowly lost. After that, Challis never looked back.

In 1974, Challis started covering his alma mater’s football team and since then has given play-by-plays for football, baseball and both men’s and women’s basketball. He has covered far more than just sports, though, and has branched out beyond the scope of Cedar City. In the 1970s, he worked for KSL radio and TV, The Daily Spectrum and KSUB. During that time, he broadcasted on both television and radio and was also a writer. All the while, he was still working with KSUU, which used the call sign KCDR then.

The 1980s were endlessly busy for Challis. KCDR was going strong, and he started working for Deseret News. He also began his teaching career, earning his master’s degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He enjoyed doing it all, and he never let the commute bother him.

“I took the two-and-a-half to three-hour drive to Vegas and then I’d come home that night, get up in the morning, then teach here,” Challis said.

He later returned to UNLV to get his doctorate from 1994 to 1998 while his schedule remained just as busy with one big difference. In 1993, Challis and some of his colleagues purchased KBRE and

owned it until 2006. There, he sold ads and operated his own team, which included SUU’s current chair of the communication department, Matt Barton.

After finishing his own education journey, Challis still had his plate full. He was teaching full time at the newly renamed Southern Utah University, broadcasting on what had finally become KSUU, working as a correspondent for Deseret News and running his own station.

Once the new millennium hit, his responsibilities slowly decreased. His four kids were growing up, he stopped working for Deseret News and he sold KBRE. This let him enjoy the rest of his work a little bit more. To this day, some of Challis’ best memories with SUU are traveling with the sports teams. He has gone just about everywhere in the country while broadcasting games.

“I have now been to 47 of the 50 states,” Challis said. “The three I haven’t yet are New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.”

Challis has a remarkable memory and can recall just about all of his adventures with the Thunderbirds from throughout the years. He even remembers the first basketball game in the Centrum Arena, now called the America First Event Center.

“The Centrum came on in ‘85, and Alex Adams made the first basket,” he recalled.

Challis has seen the school grow from around 1,900 students when he began attending the College of Southern Utah to the over 14,000 students that SUU has now. He is in his 36th year of teaching and has seen SUU through seven different university presidents. From 2010-19, he served as the chair of the department of communication and has taught almost every communication course the school offers.

In 2016, the SUU Athletics Hall of Fame class proudly included Challis for broadcasting over 1,500 games. He continued to work with KSUU until 2020, when he retired after 46 years of radio. It will always hold a place in his heart.

“That was quite an honor, actually. It was fun to be inducted,” he said. “We’ve had that radio station on the air since 1967. I did the first newscast.”

Challis is more than just a radio broadcaster, though—he still teaches in the communication department and has been nominated for SUU Professor of the Year at least 12 times. Many of his students have gone on to do broadcasting of their own, including Ryan Steineckert, who is now the station manager for KSUU Thunder 91.1 and communication professor.

“I love it; I enjoy it. The kids keep me young,” Challis said.

Having been originally enrolled at the College of Southern Utah in 1968 and still working at Southern Utah University in 2023, Challis has been with the school for over half of a century. With 55 years under his belt, he will continue to be an SUU legend and will impact the lives of students until the day he signs off.

-Written by Anden Garfield

“That was quite an honor, actually. It was fun to be inducted. We’ve had that radio station on the air since 1967. I did the first newscast.”

Setting the stage

Did you know that more than half of Southern Utah University’s live theatre is produced by a group made up entirely of undergraduate students? Second Studio is a theatre organization at SUU run by a board of directors composed of current students and a faculty advisor. The program has a legacy of over two decades that strives to showcase quality theatre on campus and teach students the important skills needed to do so themselves.

Second Studio’s productions are directed, stage managed and designed by students, and at the low cost of five dollars per show — or three for showcases — SUU students can watch their peers’ work live on stage.

First formed in 1995 as a club under the name Stage 2, Second Studio was created to fulfill the very purpose it still serves today: to allow student directors, performers, designers and choreographers the opportunity to stretch their artistic muscles.

“The original purpose back in 1995 was to provide additional opportunities for students to explore their craft,” said Scott Knowles, Second Studio’s current faculty advisor.

Knowles performed in Second Studio shows during his time as an undergraduate student before joining the theatre, dance and arts administration faculty. He believes that in a theatre program that is as big as SUU’s, it is vital for organizations such as Second Studio to exist.

“We have so many students that want to be involved in the creation and making of theatre, and we do not have the facilities, time, faculty or money to produce enough shows to give all of those students some kind of theatrical experience,” said Knowles.

Second Studio puts on four shows per academic year in addition to their monthly variety show SUU Live and a semesterly 24-Hour Theatre event.

After its founding in 1995, Stage 2 continued to grow as a club in conjunction with other clubs on campus. Then, in 2011, Stage 2 joined forces with two other performing arts-based clubs, Masque Club and Vaudeville, to create the Second Studio that SUU students know and love today.

“At that point, they basically realized they were working on a lot of cross

Emily Smith in Second Studio’s production of “Silent Sky”

purposes, and they’d get more done and more consistently done if they just combined everything into one club,” said Knowles.

After that, Second Studio operated successfully as a club on campus until the fall of 2018 when it officially became a university-sponsored organization instead of department club, as it wasn’t using money from the Clubs and Organizations Committee on campus.

“You can apply for cash to do certain things, and they never did that because [the department] paid for all their rights,” said Knowles. “They were able to make enough money that the budget balanced out.”

Faculty soon realized that Second Studio was providing a service to the department and the school, and they wanted to do even more to help. Being a departmentsponsored organization meant that Second Studio was officially receiving all of their funding from the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Arts Administration.

This was something they were already doing for the most part, but making it official opened more doors for funding.

“[The faculty] realized that it’s really helping us provide a JV team to get more training and more experience for our actors versus the full season that the faculty directs,” said Knowles.

There have been times over Second Studio’s almost thirty-year existence where its continuance was in question, but group members always find a way to stay passionate about their mission: to keep creating quality theatre.

“Whenever that kind of rumbling or talk happens, there’s almost always somebody, usually a group of students or a single solitary student, who says, ‘But I want to put on a show,’ and then Second Studio’s purpose is kind of reenergized,” said Knowles.

Second Studio also gives students on the administrative side of theatre the opportunity to learn leadership

and management skills. Not only do board members have to perform their specifically designated roles, they must work as a team to solve any problems that may come up in the process of putting a show together, and they must do it relatively unassisted.

“They are left to their own devices in a lot of different cases, and that’s also valuable because it helps them get out of the mindset of ‘everything must cost a lot of money’ or ‘everything must be overproduced in order to be good,’” said Knowles.

SUU’s theatre program is one of the school’s main draws, and people often choose to attend the school because of its prestige. Though on the surface it may seem to be a small part of SUU’s legacy, Second Studio is and will always be a vital part of that lifeblood.

To stay up to date on Second Studio’s show schedule, follow them on Instagram at @2ndstudio

-Written by Tessa Cheshire

Second Studio’s production of “Light Switch”, Matt Wangemann, Eliza Rose Greiner

SERVE AND SUPPORT

Athletics is an integral part of Southern Utah University’s 125 years of history, with its first sports programs dating back to the early 1900s. Since then, the athletics program at SUU has grown thanks to talented athletes and coaches. The value of a revered athletic director alongside these individuals can’t be understated.

In January 2023, Doug Knuth was officially appointed as SUU’s new athletic director. Knuth was hired to replace the nowretired Debbie Corum, who previously served in the position for five years.

The job of an athletic director is to serve and support those involved in the athletics program, whether it be hiring coaches, scheduling seasons, promoting events or budgeting.

Although Knuth only recently started building his legacy as a Thunderbird, he already plans to have an influence on the school. Knuth’s SUU impact may still be in the making, but he’s already built up a reputation of his own throughout a lifetime of involvement in athletics across the nation.

All the way from Connecticut

Born and raised just outside of New York City in Fairfield, Connecticut, Knuth was the last of four children. By the time he was 8 years old, his siblings had all moved away, and Knuth, feeling like an only child, focused his effort into sports.

“I think it’s one of the greatest teaching tools out there to be on any kind of team. You’re challenged every day to be better than you were yesterday. That’s a powerful life lesson,” Knuth shared. “When your sports career ends, you’ll still have that mindset from all those years of sports.”

With both of his parents working, the young athlete grew to be self-reliant and flexible, skills that he considers crucial to the constantly fluctuating career of sports administration.

Knuth’s student-athlete years

Understanding the valuable lessons of independence and adaptability, Knuth was thrilled to move into the next stage of his life and further develop as a student-athlete. At the University of Connecticut, he narrowed down his wide range of sports to one: tennis.

The fresh-faced UCONN Husky was in the top spot for singles and doubles through all four college years, but he faced plenty of difficulty despite his success. Knuth took losses hard, mulling them over in his mind and letting them linger longer than his victories.

Knuth took every loss as a learning experience that could help shape him as a player. His challenges began working to his advantage, showing him the improvements he needed to make. He was enjoying college, making the most of both wins and losses.

“When we make decisions today on stuff that we want to do in our athletic department, I go back to 30 years ago when I was a student-athlete and think about what that experience was like,” Knuth said. “I think about how I was treated and use it to help

President Mindy Benson (right) and Vice President Marvin Dodge (left) welcome Knuth to SUU.

me make decisions on how we want to provide the studentathlete experience.”

He spent his last couple of years in college as a captain of the successful tennis team, building on his knack for leadership and teamwork. The athletic department at UCONN took notice and offered him a job after his graduation in 1994.

Discovering his purpose

Knuth explained that he barely knew what the athletic department was let alone what it meant to be a member of it, but he didn’t let that stop him. Over his first couple of years on the athletic development staff, he discovered his purpose: to serve and support.

Motivated by this concept, Knuth started to drift west from UCONN between a few different universities before landing at Michigan State University as their assistant athletic director. After five years at MSU, he served as senior associate athletic

director at the University of Utah for nearly eight years. He’d been climbing the ladder, honing his abilities to prepare for his next big step.

In 2013, the University of Nevada, Reno’s athletic director position opened up, and Knuth answered the call. He served there for his longest tenure of nine years, working to improve UNR athletics.

Becoming a Thunderbird

For Knuth, 2022 brought the need for a change of scenery, and the athletic director was searching for three things in his new home. He wanted to work in a great place with great people so that he could have a greater impact.

As far as a place, Knuth loved the idea of living in a tight-knit community surrounded by a stunning outdoor environment, so his interest in SUU was piqued. Once he met the staff and spoke with President Mindy Benson, he knew the job was right for him.

Knuth has big plans for how to improve the SUU athletics program.

“There’s a lot of really great universities out there in amazing places, but they’re steeped in tradition and never going to change. That’s not for me,” Knuth said. “I want to be at a place where I can roll up my sleeves, make positive improvements and grow a program. That’s the kind of place this is.”

Knuth doesn’t plan on letting the athletic department run itself. He wants to take the reins and lead the program to more victories. To fill that role, Knuth will have to rely on his ability to adapt.

“There’s no such thing as a typical day. The role of an athletic director is to serve and support everyone in the department,” he said. “There are certain things that don’t change: values, mission and purpose. Yet, in my 10 years as an athletic director, my schedule has been variable and always changing.”

Plans for the future

The most pressing issue on Knuth’s to-do list is fundraising. He plans to start a significant campaign, raising financial support from the SUU community to build and enhance facilities for Thunderbird athletes.

“I need to provide the resources for our student-athletes to be successful in the classroom, in competition and in growing and maturing as young adults,” Knuth said. “I need to make sure our coaches have the things they need to be successful, and that’s very different every single day with the diversity of sports, coaches and athletes we have.”

Knuth knows the rest of the Western Athletic Conference won’t wait for him to get settled in and up to speed, so he intends to start making improvements and growing the athletics program now. He doesn’t just want to stay competitive with the other teams in the WAC, he wants to be better than them.

His drive to win doesn’t distract him from his motto. Knuth’s priority is to serve and support, helping student-athletes to refine themselves both inside and outside their sports.

“We have these amazingly talented young people who come to this university, and my job is to make sure they leave here with an incredible education, the ability to perform their sport at the highest level possible and a great experience,” Knuth said. “We want them to leave this university with a diploma in hand and look back on their days here and say, ‘those were the best four years of my life.’”

With Knuth drawing from his experiences, the new athletic director can lead SUU into a new era in the college’s impressive athletic history.

-Written by Kale Nelson

“I want to be at a place where I can roll up my sleeves, make positive improvements and grow a program. That’s the kind of place this is.”

The Legend of the

Southern Utah University’s campus was built in 1897 on the homeland of the Southern Paiute Native American Tribe. The Southern Paiutes have lived in this area, now known as southern Utah, since time immemorial. Early Utah settlers displaced the Paiute people, and the tribe entered into an era of great trials, as Tribal Administrator Shane Parashonts described. Parashonts is an enrolled member of the tribe, and for the past six years has worked closely with SUU creating opportunities for collaboration between the tribe and the university. Although the tribe owns reservation land and has established relationships with SUU and the Cedar City community in the present day, their history tells of hardships overcome, resiliency and rich traditions that live on today.

The Paiute Tribe of Utah is made up of five bands that exist throughout southern Utah: the Kanosh Band, the Koosharem Band, the Shivwits Band, the Indian Peaks Band and the Cedar Band, the last two being located in town.

“Our headquarters is in Cedar City, Utah. The leaders chose to headquarter the tribe in Cedar because it was a central spot between [the five bands],” explained Parashonts.

When the state entered the Union in 1849, the name “Utah” was chosen, originating from the name of the Ute Native Americans, who were known as the people of the mountains. The whole state of Utah was once territory of the Paiute and other Native American tribes. While the Southern Paiutes still lived in the Cedar City area, the displacement caused by settlers devastated life as they had known it, and they would face great adversity as they adapted to the new way of life.

Unfortunately, by the 1950s, the Southern Paiutes were one of the tribes to have been terminated from federal recognition in a series of laws and acts signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This termination took away the federal government’s responsibility to assist the tribe with federal benefits or respect the lands they once owned.

“In the 1970s, our leaders formed and came together and united to fight for and pursue restoration legislation,” Parashonts said. His father, Travis Parashonts, was one of the leaders of this pursuit. “During the tribe’s fight for regaining its federal recognition, one of the processes they had to go through was a lot of public meetings. There was a lot of input from the community.” In 1980, the tribe’s federal recognition was reinstated through these efforts, restoring to the Southern Paiute their land and establishing resources to improve their living conditions.

SUU was, at the time, called Southern Utah State College. “The school was a strong advocate for the tribe in supporting their pursuit to regain recognition,” said Parashonts. “Even back in the ‘70s, the college was supporting the tribe and our efforts in doing right to the wrongs that were done to our tribe.”

Parashonts has worked closely with the last three presidents of SUU. The tribe and the university have organized opportunities for students to be introduced to the people and culture that came long before SUU, such as a traditional dance that all new students watch on the final day of freshman orientation.

A 1931 gathering of Southern Paiute tribe members.

the Thunderbird

“We’ve really looked at these opportunities to be more actively involved, to create that awareness but also to be there as support. We have a voice, and we want to recognize the important role our tribe plays in our community but also the important role that this partnership and [this legacy] can play in our community,” said Parashonts. He feels fortunate to play a part in expanding the reach and impact of their tribe within the university and to strengthen this important bond between the two.

The university has shown commitment to this partnership with the Southern Paiutes and continues to honor their people and their homelands through dedicated efforts towards inclusion and diversity. SUU has released a Land Acknowledgment Statement, declaring, “SUU wishes to acknowledge and honor the Indigenous communities of this region as original possessors, stewards, and inhabitants of this Too’veep (land), and recognize that the University is situated on the traditional homelands of the Nung’wu (Southern Paiute People).”

In the fall of 2022, then president-tobe Mindy Benson contacted the tribe and asked them to participate in her inauguration ceremony. Travis Parashonts performed a traditional Southern Paiute blessing over the president in a beautiful show of support and solidarity between the tribe and the school.

Shortly after, in the fall semester, a twoday conference was held on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 with the goal to educate community members about Southern Paiute language and culture. The Fall Gathering was the first event of its kind, where tribe members and SUU faculty came together to discuss community development and diversity.

The university has shown commitment to this partnership with the Southern Paiutes and continues to honor their people and their homelands through dedicated efforts towards inclusion and diversity.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUU’S MARKETING DEPARTMENT

Shane Parashonts (L) and Travis Parashonts (R) perform a traditional Southern Paiute blessing over SUU president Mindy Benson at her inauguration.

The university offers courses in many departments centered around Native American culture. Students can take Native American history, culture and literature classes through the history, anthropology and English departments, respectively.

The special collections department of SUU’s library houses artifacts, photographs and documents preserving the history of the tribe on campus. They have created exhibits to display these artifacts and have worked closely with the tribe on these projects.

The Southern Paiute tribal flag hangs in the Hall of Flags in the Sharwan Smith Student Center among other flags representing nations all over the world. “Recognizing us as a sovereign nation and as a community partner — that means a lot,” said Parashonts.

Even the university’s mascot, the Thunderbird, comes from legends of Indigenous peoples. The university’s original mascot was the Bronco until 1960 when a change was proposed and students and faculty submitted their suggestions for a student vote: the Iron Men, the Falcons and the Thunderbirds.

According to a 1961 edition of the College of Southern Utah newspaper, the Thunderbird was proposed as a “strong, mighty, powerful, good and friendly” symbol that represented the school’s values and recognized the Native American people and this sacred symbol. After four months of deliberation, this “sacred bearer of happiness” was chosen as the university mascot, as it remains today.

When asked for his message to the SUU community, Parashonts encouraged people to learn more about the tribe itself. “One of the first things we want everyone to know is we are here. There is a tribe that is located in Cedar City,” said Parashonts. “There is a lot of uniqueness and special qualities about the tribe that we love sharing with our community. We are a sovereign nation; we govern ourselves. There is a lot that can be learned from the tribe, and we are here to help share and tell that story.”

Parashonts hopes that students recognize that the beautiful land they stand on while walking on campus is filled with deep history, culture, traditions, spirituality and connectedness — these things are parts of the legacy that the Southern Paiutes have preserved, even through great suffering. We are, as he puts it, “stewards of the land, of each other and of our communities.”

The Southern Paiute tribe has endured much that has stained the history of Cedar City. Through the sacrifices their ancestors made, the Southern Paiutes have continued to exemplify the characteristics of the Thunderbird for which SUU’s mascot was named. They are “strong, mighty, powerful, good and friendly,” and SUU continues to reap the benefits of the Southern Paiutes’ love for this land. As the school and the tribe continue to grow, both hope to maintain this relationship of mutual support and teach students about the history of the land on which SUU was built.

-Written by Lily Brunson

“[We are] stewards of the land, of each other and of our communities.”

Shane Parashonts, Tribal Administrator for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIA HANSEN

The Southern Paiute tribal flag flying in the Sharwan Smith Student Center hall of flags.

Raising the bar: The legacy of SUU Gymnastics

Southern Utah University’s Flippin’ Birds have one of the most impressive legacies in Southern Utah athletics, the program dating back to 1985. Despite having started as a relatively unknown National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics program, the gymnastics team had early success competing in the NAIA nationals in 1985, 1986 and 1988. Their best finish was at the 1988 NAIA nationals with a seventh place effort. After the 1988 season, though, the Flippin’ Birds fell from the national scene — until Scotty Bauman changed the program forever.

Bauman was hired as the new head coach of the Flippin’ Birds before the 1992 season. He brought the skills he learned from being an undergraduate and graduate coaching assistant at Utah State University as well as his ambition for the rapid growth and success of SUU gymnastics.

“We can build the program and win a lot, schedule teams we knew we could beat at the time,” said Bauman. “Or we can really try to build the program and push it in the right direction and compete against some of the best teams in the country.”

Bauman chose the second option, which meant that the team would play harder competition from the start, including Brigham Young University, Utah State University, University of Utah and other top programs around the country.

“Within one to two years, we started to beat a lot of teams that we thought were going to take four to five years to beat,” said Bauman. “It got our administration excited and the coaching staff excited.”

Building the team

With any collegiate program, recruiting is one of the biggest responsibilities. Bauman has built the Flippin’ Birds into one of the nation’s most recognized gymnastics programs because he and his staff recruit incredibly talented athletes who are also the top of their class academically.

The Flippin’ Birds definitely have pushed themselves in the classroom, winning 13 Academic National Championships, the last one in 2017. The team finished with a 3.88 GPA, and every member of the team claimed scholastic All-American honors. Additionally, the Flippin’ Birds were listed fourth in the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association top 25 for the 2023 season.

Coach Bauman knows the importance of his athletes receiving national scholastic honors and continues to encourage hard work and dedication. The team has 25 Academic All-Americans from last year’s team that have returned to compete this year.

“I constantly emphasize it: we have won 13 times but have taken second nine times,” Bauman said. “We’ve been in the top ten every year except for a few years in my time here.”

Spotlight on the national stage

The Flippin’ Birds qualified for their first NCAA regional appearance in the 2000 season. Since that first appearance, Southern Utah has qualified on 15 different occasions and are looking for their 10th trip to NCAA regionals in a row this season.

Southern Utah gymnastics has made appearances at the NCAA championships in the individual category. In 2005, sophomore Leah Sakhitab from Rochester, Minnesota, qualified as an individual for the Flippin’ Birds and tied for 23rd overall. Elise Wheeler made the last individual appearance for the Flippin’ Birds in 2009 and brought home NCAA hardware with a sixth place finish.

Taylor Gull performers her floor routine in Cedar City, Utah, Monday, Jan.9, 2023

The Flippin’ Birds have shocked prestigious national programs. Southern Utah kept it going last season with wins over the University of Arizona and the University of Georgia. Other wins that have gained national attention include the University of Denver on Feb. 18, 2018, the University of Iowa on Feb. 23, 2018, and the University of Michigan on Feb. 19, 2016. A victory versus Stanford University in 2017 sent the Flippin’ Birds soaring to ninth in the national standings.

Since 1998, SUU has finished in the top 50 nationally for 25 consecutive years. In 2010, Bauman and the Flippin’ Birds even won the Western Athletic Conference Championship.

Home sweet home

Building a legacy includes being dominant on the home floor. Since Bauman took over, the Flippin’ Birds have had an outstanding 105-59 record in their home America First Event Center.

“The atmosphere we had versus Utah State was insane. The excitement in the facility is second to none in the entire country,” said Bauman. “These athletes want to reward the fans that help us get wins versus great teams.”

Winning at home and on the road requires leadership from the gymnasts on the roster. Seniors Rachel Smith, Mayson Bentley and Ruby Hernandez have kept the team motivated while competing this season.

Family legacies

The successful gymnastics program attracts siblings to choose Southern Utah. Caitlin Kho was a MRGC vault First Team AllConference and a four-time MRGC All-Academic selection. Kaylee Kho, her sister, is a three-time MRGC All-Academic selection and is an all-around gymnast for the team.

Karley McClain is a two-time MRGC all-around First Team All-Conference and Second team floor, beam, and all-around selection. In addition, Karley McClain is also a MRGC AllAcademic selection. Her younger sister, Kennedi McClain, is a freshman at SUU and was a four-time Region One qualifier and the 2019 Utah state beam champion.

“These sisters make each other better,” Bauman said. “Kennedi being able to watch her older sister compete; Kaylee being one of the most inspirational kids on our team and one of the best leaders; and her older sister, Caitlin, is one of the strongest, most powerful and consistent athletes we have had.”

In the past 38 years, the Southern Utah gymnastics program has risen from a relatively unknown program in a small college town to a prominent powerhouse in collegiate gymnastics. As they approach their 40th anniversary, the SUU gymnastics team is looking forward to more wins and more achievements. With Bauman leading the team of dedicated powerhouse athletes, the Flippin’ Birds legacy is in good hands.

-Written by Anthony Colasuono and Chevy Blackburn

Karley McClain raises the hammer in Cedar City, Utah, Monday, Jan.9, 2023.

A CABIN SPANNING A CENTURY

In 2022, Southern Utah University celebrated its 125th birthday in honor of the school’s 1897 founding. During those 125 years, the school has been known by five different names and has constructed over 30 new buildings. But when students think about the century-old buildings that give the campus its iconic charm, they rarely think of one of the oldest buildings SUU owns: the Mountain Center.

The mountain property was first acquired from a Cedar City local named Kumen Jones in 1943, back when the school was known as the Branch Agricultural College. Located on a 2,800-acre ranch, the property situated about 10 miles into Cedar Canyon included a small cabin that had fallen into severe disrepair. One BAC professor wrote that, despite the small size, questionable stability and lack of heating, the cabin became the center for many faculty parties and served as the headquarters for skiing.

In 1952, however, BAC’s then-President Daryl Chase felt the need for improved and enlarged facilities and set to work appointing a faculty committee to make it happen. These faculty were asked to investigate if spending money on remodeling the cabin would be worth it.

“A ‘cabin committee’ was assembled to make recommendations about how the college could best use the property and what ought to be done with the existing cabin,” explained Mountain Center Coordinator Maklayne Wilks. “Because of the condition of the cabin, the committee recommended that the cabin be torn down, but the lumber should be salvaged for a new building.”

In 1953, the new construction project began. However, this wasn’t the type of project that was completed by an independent construction company; in fact, many contributors were staff or faculty members from the recently renamed College of Southern Utah.

“After considerable deliberation and study, CSU faculty members decided that, since there was no money available to construct the new cabin, they themselves would do the work,” reads an old newspaper article about the project. “Logs were secured from the Dixie National Forest and hauled by college truck to Cedar City where they were squared and hauled back to the building site.”

These CSU employees donated time, labor and even furniture to the new “College Cabin.” With the promise of these donations, Chase was able to secure $2,700 from the State Building Board to purchase additional materials. The SUU library archives show that James E. Wade, who was, at that time, superintendent of the board, personally donated enough brick to build a “beautiful fireplace.”

By the fall of 1953, the male members of CSU faculty were documented pouring concrete foundations and floors for the new cabin. Others stacked and squared logs to prepare for

spring building efforts. Later, female staff members were asked to bring cleaning supplies to remove dust and grime from the new cabin. By the summer of 1954, faculty members were making the trek up the canyon almost daily, and many would bring picnic lunches and play baseball during breaks.

“The 1950s culture of the college often asked that staff and faculty members take on a huge range of additional tasks and responsibilities that were not necessarily related to their academic positions,” Wilks said. “The building of the College Cabin was one of those tasks.”

The project was completed in 1955. The Cabin Committee submitted official forms estimating the total cost of the cabin, which was documented as $8,000.

Despite this, the cabin’s story wasn’t over yet. By 1988, the cabin was again in need of repairs, and the faculty of now Southern Utah State College answered the call. These volunteers began the ambitious project of restoring and modifying the cabin to maximize its educational usage. They planned an additional room called the “Canyon View” that could be used for large gatherings, in addition to a west room, kitchen, patio and deck.

“The fate of the cabin lies in private donations and volunteer help,” said Vaughn McDonald, who was the assistant to the president for development, in 1987. “The rebuilding of the cabin will require students, faculty, alumni and community members to participate in a huge fundraising event.”

And fundraise they did. Organizers put together a “Fall Festival” that offered donors dutch oven dinners featuring locally-grown vegetables and local beef. A country dance and craft displays emphasized the cabin’s value to recreation and campus culture. Newspaper articles from the time also documented an extended Shakespeare Festival to aid in the efforts, and in the same year, Cedar City began pushing its new tagline: “Festival City USA.”

Finally, the money was raised and the renovations put into place, and the Mountain Center as we now know it was born. The new and improved patio enlarged the space, and a 150-seat amphitheater attracted more event gatherings. Students and faculty held retreats and celebrations in the building, marveling at the new kitchen and additional sleeping area.

In the present day, the students of faculty of SUU make the drive up the canyon to host events at the Mountain Center year-round. While the cabin had begun as a structure in need of repair, today it stands as a monument to community and faculty dedication, offering a gathering place for students now and in the future.

-Written by Aspen English