USU Eastern Fall 2014 Magazine by USU Eastern

Fall 2014 | Vol. 1 No. 2

GOLDEN COUGAR

FROM CEU TO BYU PRESIDENT PAGE 10

HAPPINESS BY DESIGN PAGE 16 1

MANAGING EDITOR John DeVilbiss john.devilbiss@usu.edu

NEWS EDITOR Susan Polster susan.polster@usu.edu

CONTENTS//

Vol. 1, No. 2 | Fall 2014

featured in this issue

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Katrina Houskeeper

CHANCELLOR Joe Peterson

VICE CHANCELLORS Guy Denton Peter Iyere Greg Dart

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.

On Stairway to Success: Blanding Gates Scholars

New Student Life Director

The Diversity Campus

Founders Celebration

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the official position of the College. USU Eastern is committed to equal opportunity in student admission, financial assistance, faculty, and staff employment.

FUTURE ARCHAEOLOGIST

A young museum visitor tries his hand at uncovering bones in the children’s playground of Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum. The play area was enhanced this year with items replicating grinding tools used by early inhabitants of the state and construction of a pit house patterned after prehistoric dwellings in Utah and the Southwest. It’s now a favorite stop for young intrepid inquirers wanting to pursue their archeological and paleontological ambitions. For more about the Prehistoric Museum, see page 2.

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

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Fremont Pottery and Utah’s Past

10 Golden Cougar: BYU President Kevin Worthen

Meet the New Vice Chancellor

New CIB Coming Into Focus

22 A Look Back at the Old SAC

Something New Around Every Bend

25 Inaugural Soccer Season a Success

14 Dancing Into Hearts

26 Roll Out Golden Carpet for SWAC Tourney 29 Class Notes ON THE COVER 17 Meagan Roach

photo by John DeVilbiss

is mostly found in the Uintah Basin and was made by the Fremont. The vessel was identified both by its shape and the small flecks of crushed limestone used to temper the clay. Most of the pottery found in the area has been Emery Grayware, although research suggests a larger presence of Uinta Grayware that may have been overlooked in the past. The area around Nine-Mile Canyon was once a settling landscape with villages and cornfields at the bottom and signaling sites at the top. The vessel, which is about 1,000 years old, was likely used as a central cooking pot for a small family in one of the villages. They might have made gruels, stews of wild onions and rabbit meat, corn mush, or grits. After about eight months monitoring the vessel while it was still buried in the cliff, it was time to be removed. The museum’s archaeologist, Tim Riley, Ph.D., went with a group to remove the pot from its sediment, pack it carefully and carry it out of the canyon in a satchel. Within a month, the museum had received multiple calls from people wanting to see the pot.

A 1000-year-old pot was discovered in Nine-Mile canyon recently.

Rare Find of Intact Fremont Pottery Strengthens Ties to Utah’s Past

group from the Colorado Plateau Archeological Alliance was doing a surface survey in Nine-Mile Canyon in the spring when, during a short break, a crewmember noticed something unusual on the side of a cliff.

The vessel is now part of a new ongoing series at the Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum. The series features the museum’s new acquisitions that tell an interesting story about the culture and heritage of Eastern Utah.

Upon closer look, what they found was a rare Fremont cooking vessel, completely intact and partially buried. This was one rest stop that got hearts pumping hard.

This particular cooking vessel is a special acquisition for the museum not only because it is a complete pot, but also because it is from the Uinta Grayware ceramic tradition. This type of pottery

Bear cub retrieved from den

“The idea that you can still go and find an intact pot on the landscape really engages the imagination,” Riley said. “Even in the middle of Price you can look around and think, wow, what did this landscape look like a thousand years ago? Seeing something like this vessel allows people to understand those who were here in the past.” Helping the community understand the history of the area is a major focus for Riley. Along with this new series, he helped redesign the museum exhibits and added more interactive activities for visitors. “The idea is to be as accessible to as many visitors as possible,” Riley said. “We want to be an educational resource for the broader community.” One way they have done that is by introducing Braille and Spanish text into many of the exhibits. As well, basic science curriculum from Utah public schools is featured prominently. Mary Dalrymple

Evette Allen prioritizes helping multicultural students and improving leadership during her first year at USU Eastern.

New Student Life Director Dedicated to Helping Students T

he rush of the new school year filled the air at Utah State University Eastern while a new face on campus worked to ensure smooth transitions for students becoming Eagles for the first time. The passion Evette Allen, director of student life, has for helping students was evident as she took a moment during the busy Welcome Week to discuss goals for her first year at the college. With a background in diversity and higher education, Allen plans to expand the school’s resources to reach as many students as possible. Right now, that means focusing on assessing the success of student life activities. A new system for tracking data will give her a better understanding of the demographics of each event in order to know who is going and why. She hopes to use the data to attract more students to events and create a better experience for everyone. Allen’s major long-term focus is opening a multicultural center on campus and reshaping leadership programs. Though the school currently has a few multicultural services, she believes a multicultural center will enhance the campus climate and assist with a welcoming community. While completing her doctorate at the University

of Denver, Allen worked in the center for multicultural excellence. She is applying the knowledge from her research and graduate programs to a cultural resource guide for students in Price. The guide will be a source of information to students from all different areas, but especially to those who are under-represented on campus. Between planning student activities and redesigning the multicultural services of the school, Allen assists student government and teaches leadership courses. Every day presents new challenges as she meets with students, troubleshoots problems, collaborates with other departments and preps for her class.

“I love teaching,” she said. “I am excited about helping students grow and am passionate about developing students for their future.” Allen wants to focus on teaching skills that can be translated throughout life. She is looking forward to involving the community by inviting guest leadership speakers to share their knowledge with students. “These programs are just starting right now, but I see them growing more and more,” she said. Kimberly Pratt, administrative assistant to student life, has been working with Allen since her first day in Price and says it has been wonderful so far.

“Depending on the day, my emphasis might be on student government, student activities, multicultural services or leadership programs,” she said.

“She is great to work with,” Pratt said. “She is open to ideas, understanding in situations and gives great advice.”

Along with her goal for the multicultural center, Allen is working on a strategic plan to strengthen leadership programming at USU Eastern. This involves enhancing the leadership certification program. She is teaching both leadership 1010 and 1030, and is enjoying seeing students figure out what they want to do with their lives.

Having been in Price since May, Allen feels that something is different here. She believes it is a special place and has seen a unique love for the school from many students. Allen knows her first year will be full of learning, but loves it here and is committed to helping students long term. Mary Dalrymple

New Vice Chancellor Greg Dart

Positioning USU Eastern for a Growing Population has the resources to serve the increasing student population. “Greg was the first one to think about how we will handle the growth that is coming,” Olsen said. “Greg had a good vision—and is putting that into place now—so that we are not scrambling when we feel overloaded. The system will be in place first. He knows the direction he wants us to go.” Dart realizes there is a lot of work to do, but has already begun to see positive effects of the new initiatives. “It has been crazy these first few months,” he said. “Eastern is a growing campus and that is exciting, but we have a lot more potential. Right now we are taking steps to position ourselves for that growth.” Fortunately, the people Dart interacts with on a daily basis make his job a little easier and more enjoyable. His favorite part of being back at USU Eastern is spending time with students, faculty and staff. “I really enjoy any time I get to spend with students,” he said. “It’s a good reminder of just how important it is to have those students here and why we do the work we do.”

Greg Dart jumps into his new role by pouring resources into helping students and increasing enrollment.

summer slip-n-slide might not be the first place one would expect to see the faculty and staff of Utah State University Eastern, but for Greg Dart, new vice chancellor of enrollment management, it was the perfect opportunity to get acquainted with his coworkers.

of USU Eastern’s offerings, the college will have more flexibility with programs and facilities.

“It’s really fun when you get to see staff outside their office and just enjoying the experience,” Dart said about the summer staff-appreciation potluck.

Dart’s professional background prepared him well to face the challenges that come with this ambitious goal. In 2006, after working in public relations and marketing, he took his first job in higher education at Snow College. He came to USU Eastern in 2012 as director of enrollment services and began pursuing a doctorate degree from Northeastern University. His return to USU Eastern follows a brief time at Zane State College in Ohio as vice president of student services.

Dart has been busy since he started his new job June 3, his birthday. The efforts he made his first months as vice chancellor were centered on the “Four-in-Four Goal” that aims to raise the student population to 4,000 by 2017. Overall enrollment was up 18 percent last year and he hopes to help that growth rate continue upward.

“The work going into the resources for students is really exciting,” he said. “I don’t think there’s been a better time to be an Eagle.”

The idea to increase enrollment comes from the school’s mission to build the region and educate students. With programs being implemented and facilities being built, the school has the potential to serve many more students.

Now, as vice chancellor, he is overseeing a reorganization of student services. The reorganization will provide students with what they need to succeed at USU Eastern, including an office of first-year experience and additional academic advisors.

Dart believes the benefits of increased enrollment will be twofold. As more students take advantage

Kristian Olsen, director of enrollment services, is working with Dart to make sure the school

From the students, to the faculty, staff and community members, he has seen a willingness to get involved. He is excited about the all-around efforts being made to accomplish the “Four-in-Four Goal.” “It’s not my goal, it’s not the chancellor’s goal, it’s the institution’s goal,” he said. “We are much more likely to succeed when everyone is a part of it.” Moving forward, Dart will focus on three things: helping students prepare for college, providing resources to help students choose a career path, and transitioning students from freshman and sophomores to upper classmen at USU Eastern. “Achieving this goal will require the collaboration of every faculty member, every staff employee, every individual employee,” Chancellor Joe Peterson said. “But I am confident that, with Greg’s energy, expertise and wisdom, the college will achieve this goal.” Mary Dalrymple

Progress on the new building is moving quickly (inset photo was taken in August!) while campus programs get ready for the move.

New Central Instruction Building Coming into Focus I

t’s been six months since the grass-filled quad on 400 north and 500 east was torn up to make way for the $20 million Central Instruction Building. The metal beams and cement walls of the two-story building are in place as its exterior form takes shape.

Construction on the CIB is moving fast. A large portion of the steel frame for the building’s second story is in place. With the view between the G.J. Reeves Building and the Geary Theatre changing daily, the full picture of what the CIB will look like is coming into focus. Students can look forward to classes in the CIB starting fall 2015. The building is on schedule to be completed by June 26, 2015, with occupancy beginning in July. Eric Mantz, associate vice chancellor of business services, says a priority at this stage is value engineering: taking steps to ensure the building is the highest quality while remaining cost effective.

“We are trying to value engineer without losing any quality – visible quality or structural quality,” Mantz said. “We are offsetting some of the costs by looking at everything, asking if it is needed most right now, and taking areas that can be delayed or will not have an impact on the building necessarily.” One of the steps planned to keep the building cost effective is to prepare every room for distance education equipment. When funds become available, the equipment will be easy to install. “Technology ages quickly and if we put in the technology right away, we may not be using it to its full extent,” Mantz said. With equipment being added as needed, students will have access to the most up-to-date technology. Few changes to the initial building plans have been made. “We have really worked hard to make sure nothing is changed,” Mantz said.

Five areas of study will move from their current locations into the CIB. Theater will have full use of the new black box theatre going into the west side of the building. Communications courses, plus journalism and the college’s newspaper, will be taught in the CIB, along with music, criminal justice and two and three-dimensional art. Once these programs have been moved to the CIB, the old student activity building and music building will be demolished. A beautiful, grassy quad will open up the center of campus while pathways on each side of the CIB will welcome all to the new building. Preparations are being made to move each program and Mantz said he is happy with the progress. “We haven’t had any setbacks,” he said. “The construction is on schedule and it is all going according to plan.”

Mary Dalrymple

BILL’S GATE:

Microsoft Founder Opens Door for Five Blanding Students

ic-Tac-Toe was Bill Gate’s first computer program that pitted players against machine. He was 13 years old at the time, but developing that program came with some apron strings attached. The service-oriented Mothers Club of his eighth grade class used proceeds from a rummage sale that ultimately made it possible for the young Gates to develop the primitive computer game. A simple act of giving by this group of mothers gave Gates, the recipient, a start. Forty-five years later Gates, the philanthropist, is helping to give five Utah State University Eastern Blanding students a start as participants in the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. If they could, they’d give the grand old computer whiz kid a great big hug, giggled Racheal Holiday, a pre-nursing student from Kayenta, Arizona. “I’d tell him “’THANK YOU!’” said Janelle Israel, of Monument Valley, Utah. Both would be shocked if their benefactor ever showed up in person, but mentioned that it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for them to one day meet him. Maybe not at his mansion that overlooks Lake Washington in Medina, Wash., but possibly San Jose, Calif., where Gates scholars from Western states meet annually to mingle and to be mentored as future leaders. The other three Gates Scholars are Jerrick Tsosie, from Rock Point, Arizona, studying architecture; Tonena Begay, from Monument Valley, Utah, studying criminal justice with an emphasis in crime; and Richelle Sloan, also from Monument Valley, studying business. To earn these good-through-graduation scholarships that pay all unmet needs, the students had to begin preparing early in high school. The process is intense including an array of eight essays that they must write, financial needs that they must

prove, good grades that they must achieve, proof of accomplishments in leadership roles, work and volunteer service and nominations from qualified individuals. Putting the Blanding numbers into perspective, bantam Blanding Campus has 0.5 percent of this year’s Class of 1,000 Gates Millennium Scholars, perhaps more than any other college in the country, said Nathan Jones, admissions and bachelor programs advisor for USU Eastern Blanding. These students represent 0.8 percent of the 600-student campus. They also represent their high schools, their Navajo clans, their immediate families and really everything that USU Eastern Blanding is about: providing opportunities for minorities and others that lead to success. Holiday is a first-generation college student with four brothers and two sisters. “It’s important for me to set that foundation for them,” she said. “My family is looking up to me and encouraging me: ‘You can do this. You can go to college . . . we are one nation, one tribe, all Native American; we can beat the odds!’” To help her with those odds, Holiday, along with her Gate’s peers, chose USU Eastern Blanding over any other college. The Blanding campus is one of 800 of the most selective private and public schools in the country, including Ivy League colleges, flagship state universities, United Negro College Fund, Inc. (UNCF), member institutions and other minority-serving institutions, according to a UNCF press release. UNCF partnered with the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund to select and

provide service to Gates Millennium Scholars. For all five scholars, the smaller, more personal aspects of the Blanding campus was a big draw. “I chose Blanding because of my older sister who went here,” Tsosie said. “She always told me to start small just to get the feel of college and college living and classes. So I chose Blanding as a starter and so far, it’s been going good.” The Gates Scholars program began in 1999 with a $1.6 billion grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation established to provide outstanding low-income minority students a chance to complete an undergraduate college education. Gates scholars are expected to succeed and most generally they do, beginning with high graduation rates—a six-year rate of more than 87 percent (28 percent higher than the national graduation rates for all students and comparable to the rates for students from high-income families), according to UNCF. Israel said it’s a great honor to be a Gates Scholar. It provides a financial way for her to eventually earn a doctorate in environmental science. But even as she plots her future educational and career pursuits, she does so with her heritage very much in mind. “I want to give back to the community,” she said. “On the Navajo Reservation there is little vegetation and it’s decreasing year by year. I want to preserve the land and water resources. Any way that will help my people.” That is likely music to Bill Gates’s ears. And worth a great big ol’ hug, too, for Israel and her fellow scholars. John DeVilbiss

USU Eastern Blanding scholars talk about steps taken to get them where they are today and where they hope to be. Left to right, front: Jerrick Tsosie, Tonena Begay. Back: Janelle Israel, Racheal Holiday. (Not pictured: Richelle Sloan)

Something New Around Every Bend

The Diversity Campus USU Eastern Blanding Likes Mixing it Up

riding bikes makes one feel like you’re a kid again with your first bike. They give you freedom like you have never had before. You accomplish things people who don’t have bikes don’t understand.” Riding bikes is “about exploration, covering ground that is not done running or driving in a car,” Barney said.

A couple of years ago, an annual diversity award from Utah State University went to Guy Denton, vice chancellor of USU Eastern Blanding Campus. It was a good choice for somebody who has devoted his life to helping people from the remote regions of Africa to the reservations of Eastern and Southeastern Utah.

In high school, Barney was obsessed with running. His Riverton High School cross country team did well at the state meet. “I was obsessed with track; absolutely loved running and partying,” he said. “When I run, I always try to better my old mile best time I achieved in high school. Running helps my overall health: physical, emotional, spiritual and mental. I have heard that the high runners get is the only thing that is better than sex.”

This year two more diversity awards were handed out to Blanding campus employees Garth Wilson and Bob McPherson.

Barney does not run for distance or speed. “One has to appreciate running for what it is worth,” he said. “A run is a run no matter what.”

Both men received recognition from USU President Stan Albrecht in spring at the university’s 20th annual USU Diversity Awards ceremony. Wilson, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, received the administrator award in diversity while McPherson, professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, received the faculty diversity award.

Discussing the eight months of his life while attending USU Eastern in Price, Barney reflected upon the great opportunities he had. While working at Decker’s Bike in Price, he got to know people in the community and embraced their heritage. “My eyes were opened,” he said. “Life is what you make of it . . . you have to bloom where you are planted and my experience of working and getting to know the community was a positive aspect to me. It is important to know the community you live in and taking time to know and talk to each customer. This will make me a better person as I purse my degree in the business field.

Christopher Barney learned how to succeed at USU Eastern and is now taking that lesson to the business world.

Graduating from high school at one of the largest in Utah, spending two years in France consuming French cuisine and architecture, and spending his sophomore year in college becoming a better person is Barney’s claim to fame following his course completions at Utah State University Eastern in May.

After graduating from USU in Logan, he hopes to own a publishing business dealing with the outdoors industry. He owes his start to publishing as a staff member and photographer of USU Eastern’s The Eagle campus newspaper where he won third place at the Utah Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest in March 2014. His story was about men’s basketball Coach Adjalma “Vando” Becheli’s wife Marianna fighting cancer in her native Brazil.

He is now furthering his education at USU’s Jon M. Huntsman Center of Business and loving it, he says. Barney has inherited his father’s passion of bicycling. “I was 14 years old when I got my first steel-frame bike,” he said. “It was made by Lemond and it was cool. It gave me my first taste of freedom besides the long-distance running I was developing. I remember my father and I cycling from Herriman to Sugar House, it seemed like it took forever.” Within a few years, the Barney father and son duo spent five-days cycling from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone Park, “just for the fun of it.” “We both like retro bikes,” the young Barney said. “We both believe in the simplicity of bikes. It’s like our soul and how we feel when we ride them. . .

“I learned how to embrace and like the people in this community. One has to be flexible when living in a new community. I could have been prideful and arrogant when I first moved to Price. I could be stuck in my ways, not changed or been true to who I am,” Barney said. “This experience will help me succeed in the business world.” His business world has already started as Barney partnered with two buddies in Salt Lake City to start his first business endeavor called “Time 2 Fly Racing LLC.” The trio plans to sponsor road races in Salt Lake County.

ow in his first semester at Utah State University in Logan, Christopher Barney has already a few notches under his belt.

Garth Wilson receives administrator award in diversity.

Yes, one can see a pattern emerging and for a campus of 600-plus students, a notable precedent. Granted, well over half of the Blanding Campus students are, indeed, diverse. Some 62 percent are Native American. But that is the point. It is why most of the 60 or so faculty and staff comprising the Blanding campus are there. They WANT to be there because they are committed to helping students from all backgrounds achieve success. Spend time with them and you quickly come to see that it’s real service—not lip service—they are doing in behalf of the students, their families and communities. Well, most of them, that is. Wilson is a bit of an exception.

His favorite part of being on the staff was getting to know people, especially interviewing Chancellor Joe Peterson. “When you enroll in a small college in a small town, you have to get over yourself and the fact that you’re too cool or deserve something else,” Barney said. “Being a student at USU Eastern has been the best experience of my life. This would not have been possible if I had stayed home and went to college in Salt Lake. We are all young entrepreneurs who want to do what we love; we take risks and we try something new.”

He actually puts his lips to excellent service pronouncing the four basic vowels and several uncommon consonants that comprise the Navajo language. He began learning this perplexing language as a teenager.

Susan Polster

Today he is fluent in the speech and author of a Navajo dictionary and workbook used in schools and colleges throughout the region. Bob McPherson honored with faculty diversity award.

Why this is important was probably best expressed by the late Nelson Mandela: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” When a Navajo mother and father are able to speak to this long-time college administrator in their native language, it immediately breaks barriers, sets them at ease and helps them to know that they have an advocate. “It sends a message that we respect their culture and who they are,” Wilson says. “When working with Native Americans, it’s all about relationships and trust. If you don’t have that, you’ve got nothing. They want to know that you are in it for the right reasons and in it for the long haul.” The meaningful role that language plays in helping to establish trust and appreciation for other cultures is also well understood by McPherson. Though his words are in English, the writings of this prolific southeastern Utah historian have primarily focused on Native American culture and history. His relentless pursuit of getting history right means putting it into historical context. In the process it helps his students and readers on both sides of the culture barrier to better understand, appreciate and respect one another. This nurturing acceptance of individual differences is but one of more than a half dozen criteria established in USU’s Diversity Awards program, says Stacy Louck Sturgeon, director of USU Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity. She praised McPherson and Wilson as stellar examples of service and life-long commitment to bridging gaps between differences. “In general, we know that the people who receive these awards are not seeking recognition,” Sturgeon says. “They do it because they are passionate about making a difference.” John DeVilbiss

A GOLDEN COUGAR BYU’s New President Keeps it Real

ong before accepting his new position as president of Brigham Young University, Kevin Worthen, 1978 graduate and class co-valedictorian of the College of Eastern Utah, says he was perfectly content to just teach. For him, it could not get more real than that.

A faculty position at the J. Reuben Clark Law School wasn’t a bad place for a precocious kid from Carbon County to end up. In fact, it was a really great place to be.

“The best thing about any college, anywhere, are the students and with each one of these steps in administration, I found myself moving farther and farther away from the students.”

And then, out of the Cougar Blue, after 12 years of teaching at the law school, he was asked to become associate dean of the school to H. Reese Hansen.

Now as BYU’s 13th president, he can add to his list of famous last words an Abraham Lincoln quote he was fond of telling his three children: “Great men become great by doing things they don’t want to do when they don’t want to do them.” (He says he’s not sure Lincoln really said that, but his kids think Lincoln did because that’s what he always told them.)

When the dean, who incidentally is a Utah State University graduate, asked him, Worthen told him that he had never given one thought to the idea of going into administration. What he said next to Hansen has given him volumes to think about in the years to come. “I said, ‘Look, I am willing to do this if you think it’s helpful. I am willing to take my turn, but I don’t have any interest at all in making this a career.’” He pauses and smiles: “I know, sort of like famous last words.” Five years later, he became dean of the school and four years after that he was asked by his predecessor, President Cecil O. Samuelson, to take on a whole new role as vice president of advancement at BYU. That offer elicited his longest pause—some three months to decide—because he recognized each new position was taking him a little farther from the classroom.

He may not have sought the job he has today, but taking one for the team is something Worthen has done since his days as an all-state center at Carbon High School and captain of CEU’s basketball team. The camaraderie that comes with being a team player, as trite as the expression may be, remains true, he says. It involves putting aside your own desires for the collective good. “People understanding how they can contribute in specific roles without having to do everything.” Typically university presidents vie for their jobs through a heavily vetted search process. Rare is it to come across leaders in positions of such magnitude in which they had not aspired. In this case it meant not having to peel through layers of

ego, wade through agendas or trip over discarded career ladders to get to the real Kevin Worthen. Instead, you pretty much get just what you see: a person who was preparing, at the time of this interview, for his inauguration, but would have been perfectly content to simply forgo it. Not because he didn’t think it was important, only that he didn’t think he was that important. If you knew him as a boy growing up in Carbon County, you understand exactly that unassuming mannerism. It’s why his mom, Mary, says her son becoming president of BYU was truly the last thing she ever thought would happen. Not for a moment doubting his abilities, just that, well, he’s not one who went out of his way to attract attention. His boyhood friend Brad King, recently retired from Utah State University Eastern (formerly CEU) as vice chancellor of advancement, says Worthen’s low-key persona was not exactly the way he and his friends remember him. “He was clearly the one who had the focus on him much of the time,” he says. “Academically he was superior to us.” And who is “us”? An owner of a law firm, a partner in a CPA firm, a world-renowned geneticist, an environmentalist, a legislator—fifth in

Kevin J Worthen in his new office one week before his inauguration as 13th president of Brigham Young University.

The folksy agrarian scene, along with a small replica of a coal car that adorns his bookcase, tell stories of labors and bounties of rustic life. The boy from Dragerton, who moved 20 miles to Price when he was 5, may now claim the world to be his campus, but rural Carbon County will forever be his home. His mother is still living in the house where he was raised, right around the corner from his childhood pals, King and USU Eastern Chancellor Joe Peterson. It was where they collected pop bottles for refunds to buy candy and where they chased lizards in the washes around town and where he and his dad, J. Frank Worthen, rode their homemade Tote Gotes. It was not just where he was raised, however, but those he was raised among that helped to shape the person he is today. He learned about what it meant to work hard by watching area farmers struggle to grow crops in the impossibly rocky soil of Eastern Utah and by working two summers alongside coal miners drilling through rock for the Plateau Mining Company. One of his law partners at Jennings Strouss & Salmon, in Phoenix, Ariz., where he worked for three years prior to joining the BYU law school faculty in 1987, used to always tell him that preparation is the great equalizer. “But it’s the same formula I learned in rural Utah,” he says. “When you work really hard, good things happen. You can overcome ability deficits almost always if you do that.” Such diligence and tenacity also make possible graduating summa cum laude with both bachelor’s and juris doctor degrees from BYU and landing a job fresh out of school as clerk for Judge Malcom R. Wilkey of the D.C. Circuit Court and then for Justice Byron R. White of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Kevin Worthen in his boyhood years. He was an avid reader but he also loved taking time to chase lizards with Brad King and ride Tote Gotes with his father, J. Frank Worthen, in the washes around Price.

In addition to his appreciation for hard work, Worthen says his Carbon County upbringing gave him understanding of people from all backgrounds of life who migrated to the area from across the country and around the world to work in the mines.

House seniority—and a college chancellor, among many others. This band of successful brothers has been meeting over lunch at least annually since their college days.

“It really was a melting pot growing up,” he says. “It helped me to accept people for who they are even though they are very different from me. I wouldn’t guess that is typical of rural areas. They tend to be a little more homogeneous.”

King says he is not sure how much of Worthen’s abilities came naturally and how much from plain old hard work. He recalls thousands of hours Worthen spent practicing basketball and throwing a football. He knows his dedicated friend was meticulous about homework and that he was an avid reader. Reading, incidentally was something his mother says he seemed to pick up on his own, beginning in kindergarten when he would read to his classmates over milk and cookies.

If appreciation for others, including those very different from you, makes you kinder, then the world would be a better place if everybody could live in Eastern Utah. Worthen would like to believe that. Kindness is his aim. “This is aspirational, not descriptive,” he says. “I want to be remembered as being kind.”

Worthen says he does not remember a time when his dad lost his temper. The one time he came close was when Worthen was a student at Mont Harmon Junior High School where his father was principal. It happened when his dad mistakenly thought his son was making fun of a student in his school who was constantly bullied by other students. “The next thing I know is the only time I saw my father mad,” he says. “I was fairly small then and I’m up against the wall and he’s got me just like this and he says, ‘Don’t you ever do that again!’” You don’t forget something like that when you are not accustomed to seeing your father angry. The fact that it stemmed from what his father thought was an unkindly act by his son left a lasting impression. It took 10 years for Worthen to finally confront his dad about that incident and to defend his innocence. “I just thought he’s not going to want excuses if he thinks I’m making an excuse,” he says. “It’s better to just say, ‘Okay, I know there’s some cosmic justice in this. It may not have been her, but there are other kids who certainly I have made fun of in the past. It’s not as if I were an angel.” Maybe not an angel, but he still sprouted wings as a Golden Eagle from CEU and he loved trying out those wings. It was his eagle eye, incidentally, that helped him spot his future wife, Peggy Sealey, a Price native who also attended the college. “For me, the biggest single thing I gained at CEU was confidence,” he says. “There were opportunities to do a lot of different things.” Things like singing in the choir, performing and dancing with a traveling tour group from the college (King says he was a good singer, but didn’t have much flair for dancing) and, of course, playing basketball. “To be involved in a lot of things was critical to me,” Worthen says. “I was not good at everything, but that was okay because I could try them out in a very safe way because you knew everyone was very understanding.” He loved the small classes of his hometown college and the old Milky Way hangout across the street from campus where he recalls engaging in lengthy conversations with friends and faculty. He says faculty members at CEU were as good as anywhere one could find—exceptional teachers such as Lavell King, who taught him biology, Neil Warren, who gave him his public speaking skills, and the man who ignited his interest in political science that blossomed into a law degree, Leland Hofeling. It has been a remarkable journey for this young man from the classrooms of CEU to the administrative hallways of BYU. In so many ways he’s still just a regular guy who has worked hard to get where he is—not afraid of his past and not overwhelmed by his success, says King.

His sponge-like mind and academic abilities—coming up with answers in their high school’s advanced math class even before the teacher could work it out on the board—have always been a source of awe to King. “I was always amazed,” he says. “And now after talking to some of his former law students, they are just as much in awe. Apparently he was the big law professor everybody looked up to. His intellect is just amazing.”

Kevin Worthen was an all-state center in high school and playing here, still in his teens, as captain of CEU’s men’s basketball team.

One of many signs across the campus of Brigham Young University in August announcing inaugural ceremonies for the 13th president of BYU, Kevin J Worthen. Picture behind is the J. Reuben Clark Law School where he was dean for four years.

Two of Worthen’s junior high school teachers, Henry Simone and Paul Dupin, colleagues of his father, were thrilled when they heard the announcement of Worthen’s appointment as president of BYU. They asked King to pass along their congratulations, which he did.

Looking up to Worthen is something a lot of people naturally do. He stands 6 feet 4 inches tall. He still looks as lean as he did in his basketball pictures at CEU. His golden-blond hair has given way to neatly coiffed gray, accentuating his deep sky-blue eyes. His stare is penetrating but kindly.

Sometime later, King got a call from Simone, “Guess where we just came from!” Worthen had invited both of them up to join him in special boxed seating at a BYU baseball game.

His desk is flanked by a hardwood cabinet bookcase. His tidy office décor reflects the institution he now governs: neat, welcoming, eminent but not lavish. His north window looks out onto the Marriott Center where he has watched countless games as an avid BYU basketball fan over the years. Prominently hanging on the south wall is an oil painting in warm harvest colors depicting heaps of hay raked, bundled and awaiting the wagon.

It is a quality he admired in his own father, a Utah State University graduate who served in the educational system in Carbon County for 37 years as a teacher, principal and as assistant superintendent. He died in 1995.

“He could have had any of the social elite of Provo join him, but he chose to invite his two junior high school teachers instead,” King says. “That’s real typical of the real Kevin.” John DeVilbiss A den of cougars. Members of the family gather in this recent portrait. Left to right, Miles and Kaylee (daughter), Peggy Worthen, Kevin Worthen, CJ Berian (son), Laurel and Aaron (son) Worthen, Ainsley (granddaughter).

PHOTO BY TYSON CHAPELL

Attenders of this year’s Founders Celebration were treated to entertainment featuring cultures ranging from Native American to Polynesian. Performing here is Lacey Tewanema, from White Cone, Ariz., studying mass communications.

Only weeks after forming, the group began performing locally. Here they are in April during the Blanding Campus S.T.E.A.M. event.

DANCING INTO HEARTS A

unique blend of Native American, Pilipino, Hispanic and Polynesian performances comprise the Utah State University Eastern Blanding Campus Cultural Arts Program. Art does imitate life. And so do college campuses. And the truly fortunate ones, like the Blanding campus, possess a rich and diverse student body for the tapping. The group of about 15 performers was established in January with help from Four-in-Four grant funding initiated by Chancellor Joe Peterson. They started from scratch—students teaching students—and began performing just three months later. When school started again in the fall, eight new students were recruited, many never having performed before. You wouldn’t know it, though, watching them just three weeks into the new semester performing in front of a nearly full auditorium of students, parents and friends at Monument Valley High School in Kayenta, Ariz. They are the entertainment for the high school’s annual royalty pageant night. As they take the stage, Blanding recruitment director, Nathan Jones introduces the group and slips in glowing words about USU Eastern Blanding. A two-hour-plus drive suddenly does not feel so far away. The students determine the repertoire and direct the creative process. Blanding campus Admissions and Student Life provide overall guidance and support from Jones, Shilo Martinez and Karen Wells.

Already the group’s reputation is growing with requests for them to perform in venues across Eastern Utah and on the Navajo Reservation. They most recently performed at Founders Celebration — USU Eastern’s 76th anniversary. In September, they appeared at the 50th anniversary of Canyonlands National Park. “From the depth of our hearts, a sincere thank you to you and to your dancers and singers for making our Canyonlands 50th Anniversary Celebration even more special,” Linn DeNesti wrote in a follow up note to Jones. “Everyone was astounded by your students’ skills and their care for their culture. “Please extend our sincere and heartfelt thanks to each of them. When they were finished, I sat down and sobbed in the joy that we got to see them dance and hear the National Anthem in Navajo, and with relief that your group was the perfect beginning to the event. I am glad the dancers performed first. The Dine were here first…then the anthem.” Jones’ hunch that this group would be good for promoting the Blanding campus seems to be paying off. Equally gratifying is seeing what it’s doing for the students. One of his performers who graduated in spring pretty much kept to herself through most of her two years at Blanding. That is until she joined the group in January. In that short time she blossomed, her mother told Jones. “You have no idea what that group did for my daughter,” she tells Jones. “It changed her.”

Below: Taking time to pose before going on stage at Kayenta High School in Arizona. Two hours of travel time each way for performances is fairly customary for this uncommon group of students.

Hoop dancer Mariah Holiday, just named Miss Navajo Utah, says a strong bond has been formed among the performers. They feel like family to her now. That is what Jones, Wells and Martinez are hoping for because happy students tend to stay put and encourage future students to join them. But what she says next is especially trenchant. “I believe it’s made me more appreciative of all cultures, not just mine,” she says. “I love being able to learn more about the traditions and meanings behind them. It is helping me to learn more about myself.” What better way to describe the lofty process of obtaining higher education? For what is education if not to learn new things and the meanings behind them and in the process learning new things about yourself? An art worth emulating. John DeVilbiss

HAPPINESS BY DESIGN

The Unconquerable Soul of Meagan Roach

n nautical terms, a roach is the curve at the foot of a square sail. In human terms, it is the verve of Meagan Roach with her uncanny knack for propelling vast amounts of creativity and momentum from a single cup of coffee.

Indeed, it is one of the three characteristics she shrewdly builds into The Meagan Brand, an embodiment of her smile, hair and caffeinated energy. No question who is at the helm of this lively vessel.

The smile, the hair and caffeinated energy of Meagan Roach. Looking north from Navajo Mountain High School.

If you don’t know Meagan, you might recognize her fingerprint on the Utah State University Eastern brand. She graduated with an associate of arts in graphic design from USU Eastern in 2012 and went on to earn a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design with a minor in art history in from USU in Logan. While earning her bachelor’s, this first-generation college graduate worked part-time as USU Eastern’s first designer. Her work helped establish the fledgling USU Eastern brand that came into view following the college’s historic merger with Utah State University in 2010.

She was already, at that point, well established in the ways of the college where she was active in student government and was a mainstay of school events and activities. It was during this time that she painted a self-portrait based on William Ernest Henley’s poem, Invictus. It shows a woman vulnerable, exposed, with an unbowed head, unapologetically emerging from the night, gazing straight into the viewer’s eyes unafraid: “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul,” the penetrating stare seems to whisper. Henley’s words felt intensely personal. She recognized early on that her education and talents were giving her the captain’s wheel and the chance to choose her own course. Against the backdrop of her childhood, this self-determination becomes especially heartfelt.

“The whole idea of doing what you love and loving what you do, that’s definitely a privileged perspective to have,” she says. “When I think of my mom, how she worked 12 years at McDonalds, it wasn’t because she wanted to, it was because she had to in order to survive and raise her kids.” Roach says education, on the other hand, has given her the privilege to choose her field of work, to do what she loves and to do something that will have some impact. Far-reaching impact would not surprise Robert Winward. He is an associate professor of art, graphic design at USU. He taught and mentored Roach and remembers her well. “She’s an enormously talented designer and constantly seeks innovative solutions to visual communication problems,” he says. “If she continues the trajectory she’s set during her USU undergraduate career, I fully expect her to become a prominent figure in the national and international design community.” A seriously great compliment from someone who himself is internationally renowned for his work in graphic design. Roach can be serious too, but she’d rather do it with her trademark smile, if at all possible. It reflects her outlook that no matter how tempestuous the seas, you press on with your bow toward the waves and a beam in your eye. “I don’t measure happiness by moments or in singular points in time,” she says. “In the overall picture of life, I think my smile is less from happiness and more from simple gratitude of everyday people and things.”

Mixing it up. A rare glimpse of Meagan Roach without her trademark smile.

And this is from someone who grew up without a lot of things. She was raised in a trailer park in Price. The hodgepodge of aluminum housing with little or no yards was home to young Roach but her sanctuary was always school or the city library. She talks about suffering through bullying because of where she lived, how she dressed and her funny hair. “But for every person that pushed me down, two or more would help me to stand back up,” she says. “Admittedly, sometimes those extra hands were characters in books, but their impact was just as real.” She says she figured out pretty early on that the bullies in her third-grade class were once her friends in the first, which meant that their apparent change of heart was more likely influenced by parents than by conscious design. That realization didn’t make it hurt any less, but at least it helped her to cease holding grudges against classmates.

No bounds. Meagan Roach heeding her muse

18as a child. The world is her canvas.

To help cover high school fees, Meagan Roach was commissioned to paint the windows in Mr. Jim Thompson’s classroom. She also painted a mural of a giant raptor in the Carbon High School gym.

“I stopped racking my brain trying to figure out why someone would treat me like that,” she says. “I already knew and so I turned my sights to the things that I could control. I planned my escape through knowledge and learning. By the time I got to junior high, that perception of not caring about labels or cliques made me a bit of a social butterfly.” The beginnings of her metamorphosis can be traced to the first grade when, to her mother’s dismay, she brought home the book “Matilda.” Because it was at a fourth-grade reading level, her mother was convinced she had wasted 13 valuable dollars. Matilda is a story about a 5-year-old girl who loves reading, but must endure a great deal of cruelty from adults in her life. Roach found a heroine in this little girl and even discovered her own “Miss Honey” in her first-grade teacher, Mrs. Geraldine Tabone. She treasures to this day a music box Tabone gave her at that tender age. “It made me feel special because she didn’t do that for anyone else,” she says. “I think she knew what was going on in my life outside of school and wanted to show her support.” Roach says she has come to realize that what Mrs. Tabone gave her is ultimately what so many of her teachers and mentors have given her from grammar school to college: unfailing encouragement.

“As long as I am pushing forward with everything that I have, there will always be those who reach out to stand with me and lend a hand,” she says. “Everything I am today is so much because of those who have helped me. I owe so much to them.”

came in the third grade when she declared that one day she would become a college student. It was her mother’s response that stuck with her: “She told me that she would always support me, but if I wanted to go to college, I would have to pay for it myself.”

Determined that she was as smart as Matilda, she forced herself to begin reading well beyond her first-grade aptitude.

First, though, she had to get through high school. Academically that would not be a problem, but financially, even high school presented challenges. Students at Carbon High who could not afford to pay school fees were given the opportunity to cover expenses by doing janitorial work. In Roach’s case, however, they put her to work converting Mr. Jim Thompson’s windows into works of art. She also painted the mural of a giant raptor in the Carbon High School gym.

“I ended up studying the beautiful illustrations for some time pretending that I was reading, but eventually by the end of the year I had made it through a good portion,” she says. “I didn’t finish the book until the middle of my third grade.” Whether fictional or real, role models became essential fixtures in Roach’s life, her own mother included. She admired how her mom kept the family together, earning only minimum wage, determined to see her children break free from the cycle of poverty that trapped her. “My mother is the most important person in my life,” she says. “She gave up so much to give me and my siblings everything we needed so we would want for nothing. My confidence started with my mom. She taught us that we mattered and were worthy of love and belonging. She raised me to be very strong and independent.” Yes, strong as a cup of black coffee —although she prefers a dash of cream and sugar. An early manifestation of her resoluteness and autonomy

It was a pivotal time in this teenager’s life. Her mother was suffering from serious health issues that landed her in the hospital for months at a time. Not only did Roach need to pay her own way through high school, she was expected to help meet family expenses as well. It was a tough time for her—a period in which she recalls feeling particularly forlorn. “Being young and having to shoulder that, you kind of isolate yourself,” she says. “It was a lonely time, but I learned early to keep on getting back up regardless of what happens.” Her tenacious spirit and positive attitude were the reasons Brenda Rawson, USU Eastern GEAR UP program leader, would steal Roach away whenever she could to have her speak to

prospective students about college. As a GEAR UP scholar, Roach proved to be a perfect role model. “She talked about how to be goal oriented, how to succeed in college, how to be self-disciplined,” Rawson says. “Meagan was always a very proactive young woman, taking charge of her own life.” Roach reflects that headstrong will in her business card – an image of nothing but head and hair. The black and white logo is lucid, as any good logo should be. Her coal black hair dominates the background, its tresses mirrored by curling wisps of steam that rise from the merry cup comprising her face. “There’s a lot of ideas in all this hair,” she jests in her blog. Her coffee cup depiction easily reflects her warm, chatty and stimulating mannerism while her hair signals confidence, flair and openness. But right off it’s the optimism, sincerity and courage of her constant smile that people notice. Half the time she doesn’t even realize it. “She lit up the room with her energy, friendliness and eagerness to help others,” says her high school teacher and debate coach Gail Scoville.

The poem, “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley inspired Meagan Roach to paint this self-portrait proclaiming her own strength in the face of adversity.

“She was always positive and a delight to have in class.” That enthusiasm as a Sterling Scholar in traditional art and a GEAR UP scholarship following high school propelled her though her two years at USU Eastern. She had the choice to attend any college in the state. She chose the college where she always planned to go, the College of Eastern Utah. It was home and it was a place where she knew she could fit in and be involved. And choice is the operative word: the power that knowledge gave her to determine her fate and outlook on life. It is why Henley’s words resonated so strongly with her while she was a student at Eastern and why she turned to oil and canvas to proclaim her own strength in the face of adversity. She did not have to feel shameful of her origin. She could be proud of every part of who she was becoming. “That painting was very important to me at the time because it was my way of expressing where I wanted to go and who I wanted to be,” she says. “And really, after painting that, it was almost a commitment to get there.” A lot of people have since told her that she was already “there.” But she says she knows that

getting there is more about the journey than the destination, difficult and punishing as it may be. Her willingness to continue the voyage and to confront her impediments head-on with courage and tenacity is what Winward says he most admires about Meagan. “When facing challenges that would cause most people to give up and settle for less, Meagan believes in herself and her ability to make a difference in the world.” Like the heroines in her beloved stories, those opportunities always come to her as moments of truth—points in time in which vital decisions must be made. When she finds herself at these crossroads, she says that is when she really begins to question who she is. “Sometimes those thoughts can get really overwhelming and intimidating,” she says. “That’s when I find myself going back to that poem. Regardless of what happens, it’s your soul that’s unconquered basically. It’s you who decides what you are going to make of the situation you’re in. Wherever you are, make the best of what you have and do what you can.” Aye, aye, captain. John DeVilbissz z

Meagan Roach’s business card in a happy place.

A Look Back at the Old SAC W

hen the construction of the Central Instructional Building (CIB) is completed in August 2015, the 78-year-old vocational-shop building will be demolished. It is the last of the three original buildings that made up Carbon College in 1937. The old SAC building that now lies in the ever-deepening shadows of a rising CIB, speaks of a rich and abiding past that has made possible the Utah State University Eastern of today and the promises of tomorrow. As Unarine Ramaru said: “Taking time to look back is a foundation on course to build a stable future.”’ Here then, is a look back.

1937

The history of the building dates back to Gov. Henry Blood, who signed a bill authorizing a college to be established in Price on Feb. 25, 1937. Three buildings were included in the plan: main classroom building, combined gymnasium/auditorium and vocational-shop building. The projected cost for the three buildings was $296,000 with the land for the classroom and vocational building donated by Price city. Mayor J. Bracken Lee deeded the property to the state for the college and the Carbon School District donated the property for the gymnasium. The state board approved the site which they described as a “suitable campus provided to the state free of charge,” according to the April 8, 1937, Sun Advocate. Carbon College, created as a four-year junior college, would house four grades: junior and senior years of high school and freshman and sophomore years of college. This arrangement constituted a new educational concept drafted for junior colleges in the United States. The 27-room, main classroom building included academic studies, agricultural, business and cosmetology. “Cosmetology, the latter course to be somewhat of an innovation in the Utah State Educational System,” according to a March 18, 1937, article in the Sun Advocate.

The vocational shop included mining machinery and a number of subjects based on this county’s chief industry…,” according to the same article in the Sun Advocate. By September 1937, Cannon and Fitzer architects were designing the $272,000 campus. The state contributed $150,591 and the Public Works Administration $123,211. Price city requested a direct approach from Main Street and Fourth East to 400 North. Several private properties had to be condemned to clear the way for construction of the new street. The state legislature and state board accepted the proposal on condition a good street leading to the site be built. Building permits totaling $476,800 for the city hall, Ambassador Hotel and Carbon Junior College were secured on Nov. 26, 1937.

1938

By Jan. 20, 1938, architects sent their plans to the regional PWA office in San Francisco for final approval. Applicants for a president and teachers at the new college were received. Tuition at Carbon Junior College would be $17 per quarter or $51 per school year, the same tuition as elsewhere in the state. Carbon School District paid $86,000 for the construction of the gymnasium-auditorium with bids opened March, 12, 1938 (The cost of the building came in $20,000 less that the projected cost). It was expected that all three buildings would be completed by the opening of the school year on Sept. 19, 1938 (191 days). T.G. Rowland was the contractor for the vocational shop with 72 men working on the buildings. A strike by the Hod Carriers, Building and Common Labor Union on April 3, 1938, caused all but six laborers to walk off the job. Union specified 60 cents per hour for laborers, however the contractor said 55 cents had been accepted. The vocational-shop was the farthest along of the three buildings, according to May 26, 1938, article in the Sun Advocate. “Brick work was a story high with the steel work complete. The job is one-

fourth complete… Justice of the Peace Arthur N. Smith imposed a fine of $25 upon the contractor, and ordered him to obtain the permit, amounting to $116.” It was changed by the city building inspector after defendant stated college is state property and exempt. The first concrete floor in the administration building was finished as well as brick work started. The gymnasium was the last building started and its contractor, Paul Paulson, said it would be ready for brickwork in a few days. By May 26, 1938, Carbon Junior College was 40 percent complete. On July 12, six full-time and two part-time instructors were hired and on Aug. 18, six full-time staff hired. Elden B. Sessions was named as its president. A crunch to finish the campus in 34 days on Aug. 18, had 80 men working: 25 carpenters, 15 plasterers, six lathers, 20 laborers, five cement finishers, three glazers and six painters.

CLASSES BEGIN SEPT. 19, 1938

The administration building and vocational-shop building were open the first day of school. Because the gymnasium was started later, it did not officially open until Oct. 1. With WPA assistance, the old county fair building north of the three buildings, was retrofitted to use as a music building, completing the original campus. An article about the newest and best vocational shop in Utah made the front page of the Oct. 18, 1938, college newspaper. “The shop is fully equipped with such modern tools as are found only in the best shops in modern industry… any person 18 years of age or over may enter the trade school even though he has never gone to high school. The one requirement is success in his chosen trade. It requires as much brains to make a good top mechanic in any trade as it does to make a good doctor, lawyer or engineer. ”

VOCATIONAL TRADES EXPAND

By 1942, the vocational-shop building became the training Mecca for students who might be drafted. In the 1942 college newspaper, the headline

read, “College vocational department offers vital training course.” Courses open included airplane mechanics, auto mechanics, body and fender, welding and machine shop. Day and night classes were offered so young men who will be drafted soon “will enable them to secure promotions more readily than unskilled men. It opens the way for young or old people desiring to aid in the war effort.” The student newspaper reported on Oct. 1, 1947, how well equipped the vocational-shop building was. “Under the direction of Mr. Roberts and E. A. Call, the Carbon College shop is one of the best equipped and well rounded in the state, and can handle about 200 students.” The shop has five departments including a machine shop, automotive electronics, woodwork, welding and industrial arts. The Dec. 15, 1967, Golden Eagle reported the building housed the technical division of the college with Irel Longhurt as its head. Auto mechanics, technical math, technical drawing, machine/ tool operation and welding departments were housed there. It had 14 boys and 4 girls registered for classes and was partially funded by the Manpower Development and Training Act.”

1975

The vocational-shop building was eventually replaced with a modern two-story building in 1975 named the McDonald Career Center. It housed nursing, cosmetology, automotive, diesel, welding, mine safety and machine shop programs. Before the MCC building was completed, President Michael A. Peterson proposed to the Board of Regents at their Sept. 23-24, 1974, meeting if the College of Eastern Utah (formerly Carbon College and now Utah State University Eastern) could remodel the old vocational building into a student activity center. The Regents unanimously approved the request and reserved $750,000 for the project that would be funded by revenue bonds through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It served as a student center until 1995 when the legislature approved a stateof-the-art student center built where the original gym stood. The Jennifer Leavitt Student Center was dedicated in 1999.

Inaugural Soccer Season a Success Women’s Team Achieve Top 20 Ranking E

xcitement was palpable on the field as 30 soccer players gathered for their first official team picture. Though the season was just starting, the camaraderie between the players was clear. While waiting in turn for the camera, they passed balls back and forth, joked loudly and cheered for their friends.

Eastern along with Bennett. After playing on his team in Iowa last year, students decided to transfer to USU Eastern when they heard Bennett would coach in Utah this year.

“They are good, responsible kids,” he said. “It was tough on them at first because we were traveling so much the first few weeks of school, but they worked hard.”

Farris says she is enjoying the school and the soccer season went well.

Utah State University Eastern’s soccer program had a successful inaugural season. College officials announced in 2013 that USU Eastern would sponsor both men’s and women’s soccer. The announcement was met with enthusiasm by the community and brought new head soccer coach, Ammon Bennett, as well as 73 news students, to USU Eastern this year for the soccer program.

“Every time we played, every time we practiced, we got better,” Farris said.

Any concern Bennett had about the players keeping up with schoolwork during the busy competition schedule was quelled as the students put in extra effort during their downtime to study and complete homework assignments.

Bennett, who coached soccer for 15 years in Iowa, welcomed the opportunity to return to his home state of Utah to coach at USU Eastern. While in Iowa, Bennett often recruited players from Utah, so coming back was ideal. “I knew I could get good athletes here in Utah,” Bennett said. “I had also been away for a long time and this was a good chance to come back and be close to family.” Mashaela Farris, captain of the women’s team, is one of three students who transferred to USU

It was a hot afternoon as the team pictures concluded, but the students continued running drills. They had just a few hours before they set off for a competition in Texas and hoped to get in all the practice they could. The teams competed in multiple states against schools from all over the country. A few days before the school year began, Taige Smith scored the first goal of the season for a win against Adams State University. Lindsey Brey made the first goal for the women’s team, setting the standard of success that continued throughout the season. By November, the team was ranked 20th in the nation by the National Junior College Athletic Association. Being a new team meant putting in many hours of practice, but Bennett was pleased with the attitude among his players.

Xavier Jordan, a player on the men’s team who is studying psychology, said he and the other players studied during bus rides and in the hotels. “You have to focus on both. You bring your homework and then you have to focus on the game the next day,” Jordan said. “We are doing good.” When the teams were not away for competitions, the players could be seen practicing every afternoon, working hard to improve. The energy of the players and the dedication of the coach served the teams well this season, and Bennett has high hopes for the future of USU Eastern soccer. Mary Dalrymple

1999-2014

Now called the old SAC, the original vocational building continues to be used for the art department’s Gallery East, the communication department, “The Eagle” newspaper, cosmetology, testing center, health services, post office, Gear Up and Upward Bound program. It also has a 100-seat little theatre and ballroom used for physical education classes and dances. The original structure and outside brick remain unchanged with its interior remodeled to custom fit each college program offered throughout its 78-year history. Susan Polster

The first year soccer program faced unique challenges but the coaches and players did not back down.

USU Eastern to Once Again Roll Out Golden Carpet for SWAC Tournament

The national tournament will be hosted by USU Eastern this February.

he last time that the Scenic West Tournament was held in Price, Utah State University Eastern was still just an idea and the College of Eastern Utah was in its twilight years. But none of that mattered. The men’s basketball team finished second in the conference during regular season and took advantage of playing at home for the conference tournament. The Eagles won the tournament after a 45-year drought without a conference title win and headed to the NJCAA tournament, finishing third. Five years later, the men and women’s basketball teams hope for the same results as it is time for the SWAC basketball tournament to be held at USU Eastern. The tournament will be from Feb. 26 -28, 2015, and will cap the 2014-15 basketball season for two and possibly three of the schools in the conference

as a loss results in elimination from the tournament and the season is over.

The tournament brings the teams plus fans and cheerleaders to the three-day tournament.

“There is a chance that two teams will represent the region [Region 18] at the national tournament, and a chance that a third team could go if they receive an at large bid,” said Athletic Director Dave Paur.

Paur will also be working closely with the school to hire individuals to help at the Bunnell-Dimitrich Athletic Center in various capacities.

The tournament follows a single elimination format where teams receive a seeding based itson their season play. Though planning has barely started, Paur is working closely with the community because the tournament will not only be a benefit for the college, but for the community. “The community will receive a large boost from the tournament being held here,” he said. “The hotels will all be booked and the restaurants receive a lot of business.”

Men’s head coach Adjalma “Vando” Becheli said USU Eastern will enjoy and capitalize on the home advantage. “We need to prove through the year that we can protect home court,” he said. “Our supporters will be a big help and hopefully help get us to nationals.” Paur removed his athletic director hat and put on his coach hat and added, “It always helps when the region tournament is here, especially with the crowd behind you.” David Osborne Jr.

Mark Holyoak, Gold Circle Donor

Edward Geary, Outstanding Alumnus

Greg Benson, Distinguished Service

Kris Hill, Athletic Hall of Fame

Kristen Diamanti Taylor, Outstanding Alumna

Richard Tatton, Outstanding Alumnus

Six USU Eastern Stalwarts Honored at College’s 76th Anniversary T

he impact that Utah State University Eastern has had on the community, locally and beyond, can be measured by those who have walked its halls. Six such individuals were recognized as Utah State University Eastern celebrated its 76th anniversary Oct. 10 in the Jennifer Leavitt Student Center ballroom. Those honored were Mark Holyoak, Greg Benson, Kristen Diamanti Taylor, Richard Tatton, Edward Geary and Kris Hill in recognition of their service and contributions to the college and the community.

The gala evening included a meal catered by Tuscan Restaurant and USU Eastern Dining Services with entertainment from the USU Eastern Cultural Arts Performers with the Blanding Campus. Holyoak, chief executive officer of Castleview Hospital, was given the college’s Gold Circle Donor Award. Before coming to Price, Holyoak worked for 10 years as the chief nursing and clinical officer at Ashley Regional Medical Center in Vernal. He is an active member of the community and current president of the Carbon County Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the Utah Hos-

pital Association Board of Directors and serves on the USU Eastern Advisory Board. Benson, currently assistant commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs at the Utah System of Higher Education, received this year’s Distinguished Service Award. Prior to his work at USHE, Benson was vice chancellor, dean and a faculty member at USU Eastern. He founded and conducted the Eastern Utah Wind Symphony, taught general educa¬tion and music theory courses, participated in community and school music programs, coordinated college-wide accreditation

Class Notes

PHOTO BY TYSON CHAPELL

and assessment projects and led the Division of Arts and Sciences and Office of Academic Affairs and Student Services.

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Taylor received this year’s Outstanding Alumna Award. Over the course of her career, she has inspired hundreds of students to love reading and writing. She graduated from the College of Eastern Utah in 1968 and taught English at Carbon High, Mont Harmon Junior High and Notre Dame schools for 22 years. She is a member of the Carbon School District Board. Many honors have come her way, including Teacher of the Year for the Carbon School District. Tatton received an Outstanding Alumnus Award. He graduated from Carbon College in 1962. He returned to Price in 1975, having served in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. He has operated Tatton Insurance Agency, Inc., the family business once owned by his father, since 1975. He is an active member of the community and has served in prominent positions such as president of Carbon County Chamber of Commerce, president of Price Kiwanis Club, Chair of Carbon County School Board and member of Price City Council. Geary was also given an Outstanding Alumnus Award. He graduated from Carbon College in 1958. After graduating from Brigham Young University in English, he returned to Carbon College as an instructor before receiving a doctorate degree in English and American literature from Stanford University in 1971. For 24 years, he

Send your news to: USU Eastern at usueastern.edu/alumniupdate; Institutional Advancement Office 451 E. 400 N. Price, UT 84501 or email Vicki Noyes at: vicki.noyes@usu.edu Tom Bonerbo ‘83

Chancellor Joe Peterson speaking at this year’s 76th Founders Day celebration.

taught as an English professor at BYU and wrote three books, served on the board of directors for the Utah Arts Council and serves on the board of directors for the USU Eastern Alumni Association. Hill received this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame award. He came to the College of Eastern Utah to play basketball in 1990 as a six-foot-eight Chicago native. He was the team’s All-American from 1990-92, set the school’s all-time rebound record

at 842 and scored 1,026 career points. Throughout his career, he consistently led his teams to success. After leaving CEU, he played for DePaul University before going to play professionally in Spain. Later, he played for four professional teams in Portugal, as well a team in Sweden. He has coached for Jordan and Bingham high schools, Utah Valley University and Weber State University. He now works as a senior recruiter at Professional Recruiters in Salt Lake City. John DeVilbiss

Graduated from CEU after playing football two seasons for the Golden Eagles under Coach Jeff Jorgenson. He earned his B.A. degree in English literature from Columbia University in ’86 and his M.A. in athletic administration from Idaho State University. In ‘13, he was inducted into Fairleigh Dickson University’s Sports Hall of Fame at Teaneck, N.J., where he was sports information director eight years. Bonerbo is an administrator and faculty member at Eastern University in St. Davids, Penn. He worked sports media at two Olympics and major international sporting events plus continues as a free-lance statistician at ESPN/ Sports. He specializes in sports media operations in televised events.

Andrea Bringhurst Brown ‘96

Graduated from CEU where she served on student government. Continuing her education at Utah Valley University, she served on student government and graduated with a B.S. in business management and M.B.A. In ’03 she published “Identifying College Choice Factors to Successfully Market Your Institution” in the College & University Periodical. Two years ago, she took a position at Dixie State University as director of Program Assessment and Institutional Research. She is on the executive board of Utah Women in Higher Education Network and president-elect of the exempt staff association at DSU. She is married to Mike Brown (’98), whom she met while attending CEU.

Dayana “Lucky” Siriwardhana ‘06

From Sri Lanka, he graduated from CEU and received the Val Halamandaris Caring Award, Outstanding Business Student, Serving Utah Network Service-Learning Honor plus was a volunteer income tax assistant – IRS program. He was a member of the Phi Beta Lambda and Delta Epsilon Chai. In May ’09, he graduated cum laude with B.S. degree in nursing from Andrew’s University in Berrien Springs, Mich. In July ’11, he earned a M.B.A. in health management from Madonna University in Livonia, Mich. and was a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. He works in a neurology intensive care unit and served an internship at the Michigan House of Representatives.

Teresa Quintana ‘09 This year’s theme of the College’s 76th anniversary focused on the impact the college has had on the community and the difference the community has made in the life of the institution. PHOTO BY TYSON CHAPELL

After graduation from CEU, she earned a B.S. degree from Southern Utah University in psychology and criminal justice with a forensic science emphasis. She volunteered with the Utah Court

Appointed Special Advocates and the Canyon Creek Women’s Crisis Center. Her psychology senior project examined the strength of pro-naturalist attitudes in relation to a person’s level of religiosity. For her CJ capstone course, she researched and developed a policy on the effectiveness of the zero-tolerance policy for preventing school violence. She completed her M.S. in forensic science at SUU in August 2014. Her internship demonstrated impression and fingerprint evidence and she has authored a forensic firearm examination guidebook.

Nichole Gustas Martinez ‘09

Graduated with a certificate in cosmetology and placed third in Utah’s VICA competition. She works at the Swank Studio in Oceanside, Calif., and had her work featured in Modern Salon media where she gave an expose on “Color Correction: Fixing a Box-Fix Fail.” Modern Salon Media is the industry standard for salon professionals at every stage of their careers. Martinez said the editor found her through postings she made on her Instagram account and published a story about Martinez’s expertise in color correction. She specializes in Asian hair, cuts and barbering. She is married to alumni, Mario Martinez, a U.S. Marine staff sergeant and Lean Six Sigma instructor.

Nicholas Cox ‘10

Graduated from USU Eastern where he was co-valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA and an ambassador. Continuing his education at the University of Utah, he is in his final year in pharmacy school and president of his class. While a Ute, he was awarded the William J. Baker Travel Award at the College of Pharmacotherapy, Saccomanno Higher Education Scholarship, Dean’s Scholarship, Ewart Swinyard Honors Scholarship, Educational Resource Development Council Scholarship, Mortensen Scholarship, Frost Scholarship and named to the dean’s list with a 4.0 GPA and No. 1 in his class. He’s been published in “Nanotoxicology,” scientific journal. Cox is married to alumna, Whitney Oliver ‘10, a member of USUE student government.

KC Smurthwaite ‘12

At USU Eastern, he served as editor of The Eagle where his sports columns garnered first place awards at the Utah Press Association’s Best of Newspaper Competition and was named outstanding communication student and graduated with high honors. A year later, he graduated magna cum laude from SUU where he was named communication student of the year and given the

KSUU Thunder 91 Radio Silver Voice Award. His senior paper was “Persuasive Tactics of Student Athletes in the Recruitment Process.” He is completing his master’s degree in sports education at USU where he serves as assistant softball coach and director of operations for the Aggies.

Richard Woodland ‘80-‘85

Worked for CEU’s Mining Department during which time he partnered with Richard Robinson to develop a curriculum that kept CEU on the map as the state’s mining school. Woodland knew what mines needed and was adept at writing the ins and outs of instructional media for teaching mining. As a team, they launched the curriculum to the positive reaction from the mining industry. He left the college with his wife, Lori, to Rexburg, Idaho, after she accepted the head women’s basketball coaching position at Ricks College. He opened a popular convenience store and got involved in politics. He is in his second four-year term as mayor of Rexburg.

Lori Woodland ’82-‘85

Lori spent three years at CEU coaching softball, was SID and assistant women’s basketball coach under Jean Brooks. Moving to Ricks, she spent 14 years amassing a 400+ win/115 loss record; posting a 76 percent record. Her teams won the SWAC region five times in her final seven years, placing third, fifth (twice) and sixth at the NJCAA championships. In ’08, she was inducted into the Ricks College Hall of Fame. When Ricks became BYU Idaho and dropped intercollegiate athletics, she transitioned the school to a new activities program that she directed. She retired after 23 years but continues to teach religion classes and wrote a book titled, “Beloved Emma.”

Steve Bringhurst ‘89-‘98

After winning five-state-debate championships at Orem High School, he moved to CEU to start the special programs for Pres. Michael Peterson. Nine years later, he accepted a position at Dixie State College and his CEU resume reflected 20-plus summer programs offered. He was a member of Price City Council, chair of the Carbon County Fair and president of the Chamber of Commerce. He helped recruit Scott Pullan to coach debate, which catapulted CEU into national prominence. At the same time Eastern hosted one of the largest summer debate camps, Sun Country Debate Institute. He moved the Sun Country Debate Institute to St. George where it celebrated 35 years. At Dixie State University, he serves as vice president of career services.

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G ALLERY EAST ° Nov. 15th-30th

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DEC E MBE R

G A L L E RY E AST The Other Side of Utah Art Exhibit

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S I C D E PA RTME N T ° MU Dec. 7th Christmas Concert @ 7:30pm E N ’ S & WO M E N ’ S B AS KE TB A L L ° MDec. Salt Lake Community College @ 5:30 & 7:30pm 11th

Dec. 13th Dec. 18th Dec. 20th

JAN UARY G ALLERY EAST ° Jan. 1st-31st The Other Side of Utah Art Exhibit

’S & WOMEN’S BASK ET BA L L ° MEN Jan. 31st Colorado Northwestern @ 3:00 & 5:00pm Community College

Snow College @ 3:00 & 5:00 pm

College Southern Idaho @ 5:30 & 7:30 pm North Idaho College @ 3:00 & 5:00 pm

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G A L L E RY E AST Feb. 1st-28th The Other Side of Utah Art Exhibit

TH E ATR E D E PA RTM E N T ° Feb. 19th-21st, 26th-28th Merchant of Vegas @ 7:30pm E N ’ S & WO M E N ’ S B AS KE TB A L L ° MFeb. 5th Snow College @ 5:30 & 7:30pm

Feb. 7th Salt Lake Community College @ 3:00 & 5:00pm Feb. 26th-28th SWAC Region Tournament

E N ’ S B AS E B A L L ° MFeb. 25th Salt Lake Community College @ 4:00pm

° M EN ’S

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BASEBAL L March 26th Colorado Northwestern @ 4:00pm Community College

March 27th Colorado Northwestern @ 12:00pm Community College (DH) March 28th Colorado Northwestern @ 12:00pm Community College

A P RIL

C A MP U S WO M E N Apr. 10th Women’s Conference @ 9:00am

TH E ATR E DE PA RTME N T ° Apr. 16th-18th, 21st-25th

Cinderella @ 7:30pm

E N ’ S B AS E B A L L ° MApr. 4th Salt Lake Community College @ 12:00pm

Apr. 9th College of Southern Nevada @ 7:00pm Apr. 10th College of Southern Nevada (DH) @ 12:00pm Apr. 11th College of Southern Nevada @ 12:00pm

LU M N I ASS O C I ATI O N ° AApr. 25th USU Eastern Alumni Wildman Scramble Golf Tournament

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