UtahStatesman The
Logan, Utah
Utah State University
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 Breaking News
The L.A. Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 119-109 Tuesday night to take a 2-0 series lead.
News
Tabitha Lazenby received the Bill E. Robins Award. Page 3
Features Students share their plans for after graduation. Page 5
Sports USU’s softball team completed a six-game home stretch Tuesday. Page 8
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Equestrian team sends one to nationals By GREG AULLMAN correspondent
Brian Booth was able to end a one-year drought for the USU equestrian team by qualifying for nationals, which will be h in Nashville, Tenn. April 24. Booth is in his second year with the team. Last year he represented the team at the semi-final competition, but this year placed second in the individual competitions which will allow him to compete for the national championship. He will be competing at the National Finals Horse Show in the individuals beginner walk-trot class. The official title of the organization is the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. The more common name is the equestrian team, which is divided into two separate teams, an English style and a Western style. Booth qualified in the Western-style competition. “English is more horse jumping, Western is more cowboy,” said Rebecca Lewis, coach of the Western style. Booth was the only member of the equestrian team to qualify for nationals, after the team was shut out last year. Every member of the team qualified for nationals two years ago, and USU has held the distinction of being regional champs for the last three years, Lewis said. USU has the means, the demographics and the skills necessary to be a major force in equestrian events for years to come, she said. The current team finished seventh at the semi-final competition in Findlay, Ohio, ranking them as one of the top 21 teams in the nation. Equestrian events are relatively new to collegiate competition and USU has only fielded a team for the last eight years. Booth, a senior majoring in equine science and management, hopes to be able to parlay the animal training skills learned here at USU to a slightly different breed of animals. Booth’s goal is to one day work at SeaWorld training killer whales. However, because there aren’t many killer whale programs nationwide, Booth said he chose to hone his skills at one of the top agriculture programs in the nation. However, Booths road to nationals has not been made easy. Like most programs on campus, the equestrian team has been hit by recent budget cuts, forcing its only national qualifier to foot the costs of going to compete by himself. Costs include transportation to Tennessee, meals and hotel accommoda-
BRIAN BOOTH HOLDS UP HIS FIRST PLACE RIBBON after winning at USU’s Fall Horse Show in Logan. Booth will be going to nationals in Tennessee April 24 to represent the USU equestrian team. Photo courtesy of CODY WOODBREY
tions, just to cover the basics. Lewis said for anyone interested in joining the team, open tryouts are held in the fall. Notices of the tryout should be posted around the Quad and TSC with more specific times and places. Lewis said that typically 100 people try out but that everyone is invited, she said. “We have got riders who have been riding since they hit the ground and we also have riders who haven’t been riding until they came to tryouts,” she said. Participants from any major or background are invited. Booth is one of those
who hadn’t competed at all before coming to USU, but now stands poised to claim a national championship. For those interested in the equestrian program, whether as a donor, competitor or simply as a spectator, more information can be obtained by contacting Lewis, or Englishstyle head coach Colette Floyd. For those wishing to help pay Booths way to nationals, donations in the form of checks can be given to any member of the team, Lewis said. –gregory.aullman@aggiemail.usu.edu
Fieldhouse closed during summer By LISA CHRISTENSEN copy editor
Opinion
money in hand to begin construction of their building, construction for the Ag building will start as well,” he said. No official date has been determined as to when the new buildings will begin construction; however, the design for each building will be chosen over the course of next year as research and programming take place, Peterson said. “We’d like to start as soon as possible because the economy for construction is better right now than it’s been in years and prices could go up in future,” he said. Peterson said a large amount of credit must be given to Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, who worked closely with the Utah State University and the federal government in getting the ARS to put a new building on their list of projects. The total cost of the project is estimated around $100 million, breaking down into 40
Students who frequent the Fieldhouse will have to shift venues this summer. As of 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, the Fieldhouse will turn off the lights and close its doors for the summer, said Kevin Kobe, director of campus recreation. The HPER will remain open throughout the summer, he said, and even extend its hours to make up for the loss of the other venue. The closure is a money-saving measure, he said. Although the Fieldhouse is not directly affected by the budget cuts, campus recreation has to help provide resources to student services, which is funded from state and tuition dollars. Saving money in their department allows them to help out student services more, he said. Also, the Fieldhouse and HPER’s staff is funded through student fees, he said. “A way to be very conservative with student fee money is what it comes down to,” Kobe said. The closure is expected to save about $3,000 to $5,000, he said, depending on how many people would be hired to run the facility. Because of the drop-off in the student population over the summer semester few people use the recreation facilities and it just makes sense to consolidate, he said. There is a weight room
- See BUILDING, page 11
- See CLOSED, page 3
“I’m proud to be a Sri Lankan for the fact of how humble these people are. They never let these terror acts bring them down.” Page 14
Almanac Today in History: Earth Day, an event to increase public awareness of the world’s environmental problems, is celebrated in the United States for the first time. Millions of Americans participated in rallies, marches, and educational programs.
Weather High: 65° Low: 45° Skies: Partly cloudy.
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A MODEL OF THE USU CAMPUS depicts what the future agriculture and ARS buildings could look like. The buildings will be constructed on the east side of the Quad. GREG BOYLES photo
Designs for the new Ag building still in the works By GREG BOYLES assistant news editor
The design for a new building which will house some departments in the College of Agriculture is currently under review by university and state officials. The new building, which will be constructed on the east side of the Quad where the old library use to sit, will share the plot of land with another building owned by the U.S. Agricultural Research Service (ARS), which will be federally owned and operated, said Tom Peterson, building project manager for the College of Agriculture. While the state of Utah has already approved funding for the new College of Agriculture building and is ready to move forward with plans, the federal government has yet to provide all the funding necessary for the ARS building, Peterson said. “As soon as the federal government has the