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ARTS & LIFE

Culture

Racism at USU? Black students offer their perspective
A sampling of comments: "A girl asked me where my tattoos and gunshot wounds were, as though just because I am black I have them." . . . "A guy at the market place asked me if I was on an athletic scholarship, because I am black." . . . "People say I am the blackest white guy because I speak properly." / By C. Ann Jensen

Features

Simple Kitchen: Cool, easy dessert
Desserts are among summertime's favorites, and they need to stay light. / By Errin Stevenson

Confessions of a Gary Coleman stalker
So there I was, in Orem, in Applebee's, eating my Weight Watchers-approved herb chicken with broccoli (7 points), and I heard this odd, high-pitched voice, the kind of voice you've heard somewhere on television. / By R.M. Monk

Carrying a gun, legally, just part of daily prep for some USU students
One No. 2 pencil -- check; two textbooks -- check; one 9mm semi-automatic pistol with 30 hollow-point rounds of ammunition -- check. Time for class. / By R.M. Monk

Good luck a dominant strand in hairdresser's life
Five fire engines lined Main Street at 700 North, lights flashing. Black smoke rose from the roof of the Serendipity Salon as owner, Mary Hess, and her employees stood back and watched. She couldn't believe it. / By Angeline Olschewski

Cache Valley not immune to substance abuse, mom learns the hard way
"I thought, 'I can stay three steps ahead of him, there's no wiggle room here. I know what he is up to.' My knowledge about what my son was doing barely scratched the surface. Barely scratched the surface," a Cache Valley mother, whom we will call Jane, said about her teenage son's substance abuse problem. / By Stephanie Hebert

LDS couple, like many Utahns, make their early marriage work
Keven had just come home from a mission in Canada when the two met. He got home in April; they met in June, were engaged in September and married in December. This sounds pretty fast for some people, but not for the Baileys. / By Jennifer Taylor

'Herald Journal' editor-reporter enjoys insider's perspective, job's variety
Tyler Riggs wakes up every morning never knowing exactly what the day will bring. He might be riding shotgun with Logan's finest, or he might be called in to cover not one, but three fires. / By Whitney Schulte

'Freshman 15' is real, but students share how they got rid of it
As 18-year-old Tabitha Hill walked through the door to her home in Sugarhouse after her first semester at Utah State, her mother let out a huge gasp. Hill looked quite a bit different then when she left home several months earlier. Hill was a little rounder than her mother remembered; she had started to gain the infamous freshman 15. / By Jennifer Taylor

Good deed turns into case of identity theft
Monica Neilson said she met the girl at church. That Sunday, the new girl mentioned to some of the churchgoers that she was looking for a place to stay. Neilson, who had previously shared some casual talk with the girl, said she could stay with her for awhile in her two-bedroom condo. At the time, Neilson, a full-time office worker, said she didn't think there was any harm in helping someone out. / By Brittny Goodsell Jones

$81 for a student parking pass buys . . . idling, waiting, hunting
As Joe Williams turns his silver 2007 Nissan Altima into the parking lot, he is greeted with an unpleasant sight that has become all too familiar. The parking lot is jammed like the Pacific Coast Highway during rush hour. Students in their idling vehicles are waiting at both ends of every row of parking stalls. "Good thing I gave myself an extra 20 minutes today," Williams says to his passenger. / By Whitney Schulte

Bored in Logan? You're not alone, but there is fun in Cache Valley
For many Utah State students, they feel to have a real good time, they have to leave the valley. That may be true sometimes, but it isn't true all the time. There are a few fun things to do for all of us. / By Ben Coltrin

Finding a niche, a sense of belonging in freshman year called key to retention
Chelsea Parker was like most freshmen when she started college: excited, nervous and hopeful for what was to come. She applied to Dixie State College with a friend and began her first semester in the fall of 2005, after high school. / By Tonnie Dixon

Professors take a pie in the face for a good cause
The professors were in their corner huddled together for strength. The students were quietly in their corner knowing they had the upper hand on their professors and advisors, for once. / By Stephane Hebert

Obsessive-compulsive rituals 'ridiculous,' says sufferer, yet all too disabling
Ashley's everyday worry isn't if she gets to an appointment on time or if she remembered to pay the utility bill. Her main worry is death. / By Brittny Goodsell Jones

Students' medical bill roulette targeted by cheaper insurance plan
"I thought you died right then." Weeks after 20-year-old Lara Willey fell 30 feet onto a cement slab, her date told her what he was thinking as he watched her convulse for a few moments before she stopped moving completely. / By Ashley Schiller

Idaho parents love the time with their kids -- by schooling them at home
Most mothers look forward to the end of summer vacation. They get to send their children back to school, which means they finally get some alone time after months of having children around the house. This is something that isn't appealing to Jamie Durfee. / By MJ Henshaw

Antiques store owner offers plenty of 'Hidden Treasures'
When Logan resident Shawn Fullmer began collecting G.I. Joes, his favorite childhood toy, he never dreamed it would lead to a whole new career path. Fullmer, who did not have any previous experience in antique dealing when he opened Hidden Treasures, said he took over the store when its former owner decided she wanted out of the antique business. / By Amanda Mears

Wendover a magnet for college students in Utah
This town was established during World War II when a training base was set up to help train military aviators. The soldiers who trained here eventually dropped the atomic bombs on Japan during World War II. Today it is just an abandoned base that has been run over by casinos and travelers, but some of the base still stands for visitors to enjoy. / By Jake Ipson

Craftsman-carver reclaims old wood for his art
His hands are 10 inches from pinky to thumb and each finger looks like the butt end of a large carrot. His legs, which are always bare regardless of temperature, look like the trunks of quaking aspens. Yes, they really do. / By Lukas Brinkerhoff

Ag education major learns at nature's open book
Twenty-Five Assisted Labors in Below Freezing Temperatures, Only Two Deaths reads at the top of Ty Smith's resume. On Logan winter nights when the temperature read 12 degrees, Smith paced six sheep pens, each full of 40 ewes heavy with lambs. Any signs of heavy breathing, strain, or strong "baaa's" sounded the alarm for Smith to aid the mom in delivery. / By Tamra Watson

Organic farm expert goes green after time as a Cal Tech bioengineer
Jeff Endelman's transformational choice will help bring about similar changes on the campus of Utah State University -- it's going organic just as he did. Under the direction of USU Extension Specialist Dan Drost and Assistant Professor Jennifer Reeve, Endelman will aid in the progression of the organic farm by researching crop fertility. / By Tamra Watson

Millville's 'elk lady' vows to keep feeding them until she dies
Jacky started feeding the elk as a child, when her father was a game warden in Cache County in 1948. After school Jacky said she and her brother "would harness up the horses to feed the elk." They did this for a couple years growing up, but then stopped until 1983 when the herd of elk came down the mountain very sick and dying. / By Leah Lopshire

A look at domestic violence: More than a family problem
It's a crime that is more common than all other forms of violence combined, outweighing car accidents, muggings, and rapes put together. A crime that affects all members of society and people in all stages of life. A crime that has been around since the first people and cultures and still exists today. So what is this crime? None other than domestic violence. / By Brooke McNaughton

Aggies walk for a cause
Invisible Children, a non-profit organization started by three college students, visited USU's campus the first week of April. They told the students present at the showing of a new documentary that there have been a lot of positive things happening. The number of children who have to commute to the city each night to sleep so they won't get abducted by the militia has diminished from thousands to hundreds. / By Jordan Olsen

Health Days: Smithfield's commitment to healthy living since 1925
More than 55 percent of Utah adults and 22 percent of children are obese or overweight, according to the Utah Department of Health. This puts them at higher risk for diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, asthma and cancer. Maybe it's time to check out Smithfield, nicknamed Utah's Health City in 1991. / By Lisa Christensen

Movin' out: The stress doesn't end when the last exam is done
With only two hours until her last final and six hours until final check out Elysa Campbell lets out a growling scream from the depths of her stomach with the power of hell and throws her stack of 133 flashcards that scatter everywhere into open and half-packed boxes and the tops of closed and marked ones. / By Aubreyann Hansen

Meet 'Mr. Wednesday Night,' the obnoxious and beloved quizmaster Harry Caines
Harry Caines calls himself "Mr. Wednesday Night." / By Tyler Riggs

Movies

'Crystal Skull' proves Dr. Jones & friends -- and Ford -- have still got it
This film is a classic wrapped in new paper. This is not your typical Indiana Jones movie. The movie has adventure, love and even a twist on Indiana's family. It's clean and entertaining. / By Sara Anderson

'Prince Caspian' outshines original Narnia flick
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG), which opened last week, is even better than the first movie, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The 140-minute movie is family friendly filled with adventure, action and fantasy. / By Sara Anderson

BUSINESS NEWS

Biz Features

USU students join trend of plasma donations for quick cash
What will college students do for money? Just about anything -- including being stuck with needles. "It's free money for sticking a needle in my arm," said Aaron Chadwick, Utah State University student. / By Alison Baugh

Brigham City's Hansen upbeat about future of auto industry
Filling a car up at the gas station may hit people’s pocketbooks, but for Byron Hansen it is affecting his whole life. Hansen is the owner of a car dealership and has to worry about gas prices hurting his business. / By Alison Baugh

NEWS

Local News

New ritual of 21 shots on 21st birthday presents dangers -- even in Utah
For many college students, drinking is a rite of passage and a common sight at 21st birthday celebrations. However, for Karen Johnson, a junior majoring in graphic design, it turned into something much more dangerous. Johnson, who asked that her real name not be used to protect her identity, was celebrating a friend's 21st birthday when she noticed he was unresponsive and passing out. / By Amanda Mears

'Complete shock' leaves La-Z-Boy employees scrambling
When La-Z-Boy opened 30 years ago, it was a family-owned business that Mark Nicholas said "considered their employees their greatest asset." It offered competitive wages, an incentive plan that encouraged the employees to work harder in order to earn more money, and good benefits, all of which enticed Nicholas to take a job there to support his wife and growing family. / By Angeline Olschewski

OPINION

Huh? Graduating Oakridge residents forced to check out before commencement
Graduating residents at Oakridge Student Community, at 1355 N. 800 East, are required to check out of their apartments before hearing their names called during commencement ceremonies. / By C. Jake Williams

SPORTS

Polish pole vaulter on her way to record heights at USU
BIEGAJ SZYBKO! (bee-ey-guy ship-ko) Run fast! That's how you'd say it if you were in Poland. And that's how Coach Joel Johnson says it when he yells to Utah State University pole vaulter Sonia Grabowska as she approaches a horizontal bar delicately balanced 12 feet, 7 inches above the ground. / By Ashley Schiller

All-American by default
Just months after setting foot on the racquetball court for the first time, Celeste Porter found herself at a national tournament being crowned an All-American. / By MJ Henshaw

'Fixies' spread beyond the bike-crazy demographic
There are two wheels spray painted yellow. The frame is a chrome-finished color with the handlebars extruding up and away from the frame. It looks more like a normal bicycle than it doesn't, but if you look closely at Lance Peterson's form of transportation there are some subtle differences. There are no brakes and the chain is fixed to the rear wheel. Peterson, a local cyclist, rides a "fixie." / By Lukas Brinkerhoff

Riding the 'Goose': A religious experience on two wheels
The Goose. If you haven't ridden the Goose then you won't understand. The Goose is a legend. It is a place that is reverenced by riders of all abilities and of all ages. Many consider it their open air temple and religiously attend to its ceremonies on a weekly basis. Riding the Goose is a religious experience. / By Lukas Brinkerhoff

NBA conspiracy theory: Setting up a Lakers-Celtics finals
Lakers vs. Celtics. This is looking more and more like the likely matchup in this year's NBA Finals. How convienent. Coincidence? / By Todd Heaps

The allure of fishing: Battle the big ones and savor the moment
When most people hear the word fishing, they automatically queue up a mental image of some fat, redneck-looking man, sitting on a bank somewhere drinking a beer and fishing by himself all day. That's a fine image and all, but not everyone who fishes is like that. / By Corey Sparks