SAAVI Organizes New Student Support Group

Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU The Utah Statesman Students 2-8-2012 The Utah Statesman, February 8, 2012 Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/newspapers Recommended Citation Utah State University, "The Utah Statesman, February 8, 2012" (2012). The Utah Statesman. 1724. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/newspapers/1724 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Students at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Utah Statesman by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Wednesday,·Feb. 8, 2012 Utll "Campus Voice Since 1902" • Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesm International students connect with valley domestic-student friends as BY STEVE KENT well. American students are news editor friendly for the most part, A new program at USU but cultural differences can may help break cultural barriers to bring students get in the way of communi cation, she said. from different nations Zhang said she has together in a social setting. International Student benefited from friendships Council President Christian with Americans. She learned English primarily Orr said the program, Culture Connect, will spon by becoming friends with American students and sor recreational activities hanging out with them. to help students overcome inhibitions and create She often participates in recreational activities with friendships. The program's first event Americans, such as hiking or camping and taking road will be a trip to Beaver · ,,. ' " "''• Mountain Ski Resort near trips. The activities Culture Connect may offer appeal to the end of February, Orr her as well, she said. said. Future events may "I would like to try ski include ice skating and soc ing and snowboarding and cer tournaments. other things," Zhang said. The type of interaction Bryan Mortensen, a Culture Connect aims senior studying inter to foster will benefit and national business, said strengthen students and the friendships with students community, Orr said. from other countries have "It will help our economy, it will help our enriched his education. He research program, it will spent two years as a mis sionary for the LDS church help develop our academic program." Orr said. "It's in Taiwan, he said, and, endless." since his return to the U.S., Nicole Zhang, a junior he has become friends with user-friendly. Chinese and Taiwanese from China studying graph 4 ic design, said she thinks students through clubs and Culture Connect is a good activities at USU. "To be able to go on MATTHEW MEGEE AND OTHER MEMBERS of the African Student Association idea. Most of her friends are campus and to run into practices a Ugandan dance in preperation for AFSA week. International Student Council international students, but - ---------President Christian Orr wants groups, such as AFSA. to participate in activities that will con she said she does have some •) See AMERICAN, Page 2 nect them to local culture. CARL R. WILSON photo SAAVI organizes new student support group: BY CAITLIN MOFFITT to talk about things they need - r staff writer healthy communication and rela tionships. We cycle through a lot Using her experiences from a of students at this university, and group at Snow College, a USU stu 66 ... it's a nonthreatening there's always going to be people dent has organized a student group who need it." on campus. way for people to talk about Thurgood said she hopes 20-25 The group, Empowerment, is students come to each meeting. ♦ the things they need - a place for students to learn about "I think it's just an awesome healthy communication, healthy healthy communication and opportunity for students to get boundaries and acceptance. relationships." involved and to meet new people Currently an intern at Sexual and gain new insight, because it Assault and Anti-Violence - Codie Thurgood, Empowerment founder changed my life," Thurgood said. "I Information, Codie Thurgood said really want to give students at USU r ketball career and she worked closely with members an opportunity to gain new tools • life as a student at USU. of the SAAVI staff throughout the and outlook." PageB planning process of the new group. Thurgood said the group won't Prior to attending USU, nights from 4-5 p.m., beginning something she was involved with just be discussion-based, she has Opinion Thurgood said she attended Snow Feb. 8. The group will meet every at a different college. I'm mostly planned activities and role-playing College and was involved in BAAD other Wednesday, until the end the overseer while Codie is the exercises to make the sessions more ecommend you pos your - Badgers Against Alcohol and of April, in the Living Learning implementer." interactive. as many places as possi- Drugs. Center's multipurpose room. Bailey said Empowerment "I've already laid out lesson "I felt there was a need on "SAAVI is really excited for the should be a safe place where plans. We really just wanted to have n ng a sign on the cetltng campus to have place for students Empowerment group," said Monica students can discuss opinions and examples of healthy relationships, : TSC first-floor hallway to come to have positive influences Bailey, SAAVI program coordinator. feelings and where they can form so we're going to discuss healthy : to cut rt - especially and experiences in their lives," "It's something I've wanted to do healthy relationships as friends and communication," Thurgood said. re scribbled with Thurgood said. "The group will be for a long time, so it's cool that classmates. "I would love guest speakers, but, a positive outlet." Codie wanted to take it on. Codie "It should be a relaxed atmo since it's so new, I haven't really : ed crayons-it's not Open to all students, is the moderator, she's developed sphere," Bailey said. "I think it's it." Empowerment meets Wednesday the curriculum. It's patterned after a nonthreatening way for. people •)See HEALTHY, Page 3 12 Interact Now! Students see differential· tuition benefits : BY ALLEE EVENSEN programs. student, the price is $6,600. features editor For an engineering student at USU, dif These costs are not going away, said Ken ferential tuition is a matter of $150 over four Snyder, executive dean and chief administra- , Year Banquet For more than a decade, a number of col years. For a graduate student in the commu tive officer for the Huntsman School of was a smashing leges at USU have charged differential tuition nicative disorders and deaf education major, Business. In fact, he said, he predicts differ success. Photos - an additional fee on top of regular tuition, it totals about $3,500. For a business graduate ential tuition - at least for business students which pays for professors and extracurricular - will rise in coming years. Snyder said even with differential tuition, : the cost of a USU business degree is lower than Added Value! at similar institutions. "We have a lower base tuition, so our lower overall cost to the student is low," Snyder said. Check out~------~ According to a study by Glen Nelson, the the gags chief financial officer for the Arizona Board to the of Regents, 57 percent of public universities charge differential tuition. In Utah, schools that implement the tuition include Weber State, the University of Utah and USU. When the tuition was first implemented, Snyder said, the school followed the example of the University of Utah's David Eccles School of Business. Since then, administrators have tried to remain a year or two behind University of Utah in terms of differential tuition. Currently, 13 faculty members from the business school are partially or wholly funded by differential tuition, and the school is in the process of hiring 11 mote. Differential tuition for the business school was first raised significantly in 2007, Snyder said. Last year, the college asked for an under STUDENTS IN SOME USU PROGRAMS are required to pay extra tuition on top of what graduate upper-division course-fee increase everyone else is required to pay. The money goes to cover professors' salaries and extracurricular • See MONEY, Page 2 materials. MIKE JOHNSON photo illustration ... Page 2 Campus News Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012 •) From Page 1 American students plan events to help international students feel comfortable people from other cultures of other cultures in the mili and other backgrounds has tary or as missionaries. but given me a broader perspec often they don't get to know tive of the world," Mortensen international students, Orr said. said. Mortensen said his friend "We have 91-plus coun ships with international tries with students here. students have helped him as We have missionaries who a business student as wdl. go to more countries than In classes, he said, he often that," Orr said. "I could say, hears how cultural diversity straight up, that we have in a team setting can foster more domestic students creativity and broaden per that speak international spectives, and friends from languages than we have other countries may help international students. him network to get a job in That's a problem, because international business. they're not connecting with Mortensen said he wants each other." to socialize with Chinese At the moment, there's students through his involve not an effective program ment in the Chinese Club, to encourage domestic and but often the club's activities international students to focus on domestic students socialize, Orr said. learning Chinese. "You have to create a "That doesn't really con natural setting where they nect with those that already can meet together, where know Chinese," Mortensen they learn to enjoy one said.

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