Published in the Utah Statesman, September 29, 2008
Of the 48,000 residents in Logan, only about 14,000 of them are students. So how does the rest of the population feel about living in a college town? Several Logan residents feel a college town is a great place to be.
Bob McKoy, financial planner who lives north of Aggie Village student housing, moved to Logan from Washington, D.C., three and a half years ago. He said he and his wife decided when they left northern Virginia they would move to a college town, and Logan seemed to be a good fit.
“All the things associated with the university provide so many things to do,” McKoy said. “Continuing education if you wish it, athletic events, art and performance events. There is plenty to do in Logan because the university is here.”
McKoy said for the most part he has been impressed with the students. He jokingly said the one downside to living in Logan is that he has a son attending USU who occasionally brings friends home for parties.
“When students are (respectful) on a personal level, I’d like to think they’re doing it on a public level,” McKoy said.
McKoy said he often visits a park near his home where students frequent and it seems they are respectful towards property and other residents of Logan.
“Students are very respectful of the environment and are doing a good job maintaining it,” McKoy said.
What about traffic and congestion in shopping malls and grocery stores in a college town? McKoy said compared to Washington, D.C., Logan has very minimal traffic.
“It is a matter of scale. I have to laugh hysterically because people in Logan have no clue what traffic is like,” McKoy said.
McKoy also said he doesn’t feel students make shopping more difficult, even at busy Wal-Mart.
“Personally, I find Wal-Mart to be slammed, like the one here in town is, everywhere,” he said. “It is always insane, even in the summer when students aren’t here. I haven’t seen that the students are causing undue difficulty for the residents of town.”
Sheri Nielson, home and auto insurance agent who lives just east of the Student Living Center, has lived in Logan for 45 years. She said she enjoys living in Logan because it is convenient to have the university so close.
“It’s a good place for kids to get an education,” Nielson said.
She said she doesn’t see many disadvantages to living so close to campus. She said noise and irresponsible behavior from students has never been a problem.
“There are kids that can act up, but you will find that anywhere,” Neilson said.
Mary Beth Miederhauser grew up in Providence and raised her children in Logan. She said all three of her children graduated from USU and currently has one grandchild attending. Miederhauser lives about four blocks from campus and said she has always enjoyed it.
“It’s great. I haven’t minded it at all,” Miederhauser said. “I don’t think there are any disadvantages. It’s a nice place to live.”
She said she noticed more traffic and congestion with school in session, but said that’s just something that comes with the territory.
“There is more traffic and you just live with it,” Miederhauser said.
Overall, she said there are many benefits to living in a college town.
“There are always things going on. If you enjoy sports there’s always the football and basketball games,” Miederhauser said. “It’s just a very educational little town.”
Friday, October 24, 2008
Workshop teaches the power of positive thinking
Published in the Utah Statesman, September 24, 2008
Negative thoughts and stresses are common among college students, but by focusing on the present and transforming negative thoughts and situations into positive ones, students can be more confident and successful, said Kiersten Wilson, graduate in psychology and member of the Women’s Board on campus.
These tips and others were taught at the first of a series of three workshops on the power of positive thought sponsored by the USU Women’s Center. The workshop is taught by Wilson.
“The purpose of these workshops is to help (people) understand how to take a negative situation and transform it into a positive one, or to find the positive in it,” Wilson said.
The first workshop, held Tuesday in the Merrill-Cazier Library, focused on positive thought and affirmations. Wilson began by saying she believes there is opposition in all things and what a person does with all the negatives and positives is entirely up them.
“Regardless of how the negative or positive situation comes into our lives, we are responsible with what we do with it,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the first step to feeling control over the positive and negative situations in our lives is to live in the present.
“(You are) wasting time if you’re living in the past and you can’t affect the future,” Wilson said. “Keep your focus on where you can perform some actions.”
To be able to live in the present, Wilson said people must remove the underlying negative emotions of guilt and fear from their thinking. Wilson said just as positive and negative energy cannot exist together, neither can positive and negative thoughts coexist; one will override the other.
“When guilt is the overriding emotion (in one’s life), all thoughts and behaviors are influenced by it,” Wilson said. “Guilt prevents positive behaviors from taking place.”
Wilson said guilt and fear can be effective when they motivate a person to change or act. Wilson said she strongly recommends keeping a journal and writing down when the emotions of guilt or fear are felt. Recognizing these negative emotions is the first step to changing them.
“You must ask yourself what the (guilt or fear) is teaching you and what you need to change,” Wilson said. “Then you need to take responsibility and act now.”
Wilson also said the importance of positive statements and thoughts of affirmation. Although some may think repeating positive statements in their head or out loud are silly, Wilson said there is power in positive thinking.
“There is nothing worse than telling yourself that you are stupid,” Wilson said. “We can actually be weakened or strengthened physically when exposed to negativity and positivity.”
Wilson said when using positive affirmation, create a statement in the present tense that is completely positive. Visualize what is wanted, show confidence through body language and use the power of “I am” statements.
Ultimately, Wilson said the power of positive thought comes from recognizing one’s freedom of choice. She said people can choose how to react to the negative, regardless of what bad things happen or how they are treated.
“We really do have choice in our lives,” Wilson said. “People will only treat us as poorly as we allow ourselves to be treated.”
The second and third classes in The Power of Positive Thinking workshop will be held Sept. 30 and Oct. 7 from 12 to 1 p.m. in a location to be announced. Check www.usu.edu/womencenter/ for more information. All students, faculty and staff are invited. Free drinks and dessert are provided. Wilson said she strongly recommends those participating read “The Alchemist,” a novel by Paulo Coelho, but is not necessary to attend.
Negative thoughts and stresses are common among college students, but by focusing on the present and transforming negative thoughts and situations into positive ones, students can be more confident and successful, said Kiersten Wilson, graduate in psychology and member of the Women’s Board on campus.
These tips and others were taught at the first of a series of three workshops on the power of positive thought sponsored by the USU Women’s Center. The workshop is taught by Wilson.
“The purpose of these workshops is to help (people) understand how to take a negative situation and transform it into a positive one, or to find the positive in it,” Wilson said.
The first workshop, held Tuesday in the Merrill-Cazier Library, focused on positive thought and affirmations. Wilson began by saying she believes there is opposition in all things and what a person does with all the negatives and positives is entirely up them.
“Regardless of how the negative or positive situation comes into our lives, we are responsible with what we do with it,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the first step to feeling control over the positive and negative situations in our lives is to live in the present.
“(You are) wasting time if you’re living in the past and you can’t affect the future,” Wilson said. “Keep your focus on where you can perform some actions.”
To be able to live in the present, Wilson said people must remove the underlying negative emotions of guilt and fear from their thinking. Wilson said just as positive and negative energy cannot exist together, neither can positive and negative thoughts coexist; one will override the other.
“When guilt is the overriding emotion (in one’s life), all thoughts and behaviors are influenced by it,” Wilson said. “Guilt prevents positive behaviors from taking place.”
Wilson said guilt and fear can be effective when they motivate a person to change or act. Wilson said she strongly recommends keeping a journal and writing down when the emotions of guilt or fear are felt. Recognizing these negative emotions is the first step to changing them.
“You must ask yourself what the (guilt or fear) is teaching you and what you need to change,” Wilson said. “Then you need to take responsibility and act now.”
Wilson also said the importance of positive statements and thoughts of affirmation. Although some may think repeating positive statements in their head or out loud are silly, Wilson said there is power in positive thinking.
“There is nothing worse than telling yourself that you are stupid,” Wilson said. “We can actually be weakened or strengthened physically when exposed to negativity and positivity.”
Wilson said when using positive affirmation, create a statement in the present tense that is completely positive. Visualize what is wanted, show confidence through body language and use the power of “I am” statements.
Ultimately, Wilson said the power of positive thought comes from recognizing one’s freedom of choice. She said people can choose how to react to the negative, regardless of what bad things happen or how they are treated.
“We really do have choice in our lives,” Wilson said. “People will only treat us as poorly as we allow ourselves to be treated.”
The second and third classes in The Power of Positive Thinking workshop will be held Sept. 30 and Oct. 7 from 12 to 1 p.m. in a location to be announced. Check www.usu.edu/womencenter/ for more information. All students, faculty and staff are invited. Free drinks and dessert are provided. Wilson said she strongly recommends those participating read “The Alchemist,” a novel by Paulo Coelho, but is not necessary to attend.
7,000 feet of tunnels right before our feet
Published in the Utah Statesman, September 22, 2008
Most students don’t think about how their classroom is being cooled, how the water they are washing their hands with got warm or even what is happening just 3 feet below them as they walk on sidewalks around campus. Little do they know that more than 7,000 feet of tunnels are just below them supporting many of the systems used throughout the university.
Ben Berrett, director of planning, design and construction for facilities on campus, is in charge of what goes on in the tunnel system and said they are probably not what a person would envision a tunnel to be like.
“The tunnels are very well lit, very well ventilated and quite comfortable at a constant air temperature of 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit,” Berrett said. “Some classrooms on campus are probably not as nice as this tunnel.”
The extensive and sophisticated tunnel system was built in 2002 and took about 10 months to finish Berrett said. The project was a costly one for USU.
“The tunnels are tremendously expensive,” Berrett said. “The entire project cost about $40 million to complete, making each foot of tunneling about $4,000.”
Ben Berrett recently took USU Professor Barbara Middleton’s natural resources class on a tour of the tunnel system, and she emphasized the utility and importance the tunnels are to campus.
“The tunnels are an incredible system that support what we do on campus,” Middleton said.
The tunnels contain piping for heating and cooling, and cables for fiber optics and communication and the campus radio.
Berrett said the tunnels are about 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide, leaving ample space to walk through and to complete maintenance repairs when necessary. They are completely cement with sophisticated piping and wiring throughout.
There are many emergency exits located throughout the tunnel – either ladders up to landscape areas or into buildings. He said the new tunnel system connects to nearly all the buildings on central campus.
According to Berrett, the tunnels were originally created to hold piping that distributes high temperature steam throughout campus to heat buildings. He said water is heated to 316 degrees at the plant near the Spectrum and then sent through piping in the tunnels. The steam is then sent back to the plant to be reheated and reused.
Besides heating buildings, this high temperature steam heats water for the dorms, the University Inn and other buildings on campus. Aggie Ice Cream also uses the steam for pasteurization processes.
Later, more pipes were added to the tunnels to distribute cool water to air condition buildings, Berrett said. The plant cools water to 44 degrees, is sent through the piping across campus, and then returns to the plant at about 55 degrees to be reused, he said.
Fiber optics and communication cables, as well as the campus radio antennae, have since been added to the tunnel. Berrett said having the tunnel has been great because it allows for easy additions without the mess of construction.
“The tunnels minimize disruptions to campus,” Berrett said. “Things (like the fiber optic and communication cables) are easy to add because the tunnel is already there.”
Berrett said he does see the tunnels as a security risk because they enter almost all the buildings on campus. However, he said they are continually updating security.
“Most of the newer buildings on campus have security card access to tunnel entrances,” Berrett said. “We are working towards adding this feature to other tunnel entrances on campus.”
All other entrances to the tunnels are locked at all times, Berrett said. Naturally, college students and others are likely to be curious about the tunnels, but instead of trying to sneak in, Berrett said to call and request a tour.
“We have had some students try to sneak into the tunnels, but they were caught by the police,” Berrett said.
The tunnels also make maintenance much easier as well Berrett said.
“If there are problems we don’t have to bring a back-hoe in and dig a big hole,” Berrett said. “The tunnels continue to allow us to do stuff we wouldn’t have been able to do before.”
Berrett said these newer tunnels aren’t the only ones on campus. He said there is a 100-year-old tunnel system below the Quad that is still used. Berrett said they hope to eventually renovate these older tunnels.
The tunnels allow for very high energy efficiency on campus Berrett said.
“The tunnels make the university much more efficient than downtown Logan,” he said.
Other major cities in the eastern United States have what is called a district heating system, using tunnels for heating and cooling, Berrett said.
However, he said less and less cities are continuing to use them. Not every company or building in the city wants to join onto the system, and digging up the city for the creation and extension of tunnels can be very disruptive.
Berrett said at one time Salt Lake City even had a tunnel system, but it was used less over the years and ended with the completion of the LDS Conference Center in 2000.
The tunnel system at USU continues to grow and expand, Berrett said.
Berrett said his committee is currently planning tunnels for the new Agricultural Science Building and for the Early Childhood Education Building.
Most students don’t think about how their classroom is being cooled, how the water they are washing their hands with got warm or even what is happening just 3 feet below them as they walk on sidewalks around campus. Little do they know that more than 7,000 feet of tunnels are just below them supporting many of the systems used throughout the university.
Ben Berrett, director of planning, design and construction for facilities on campus, is in charge of what goes on in the tunnel system and said they are probably not what a person would envision a tunnel to be like.
“The tunnels are very well lit, very well ventilated and quite comfortable at a constant air temperature of 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit,” Berrett said. “Some classrooms on campus are probably not as nice as this tunnel.”
The extensive and sophisticated tunnel system was built in 2002 and took about 10 months to finish Berrett said. The project was a costly one for USU.
“The tunnels are tremendously expensive,” Berrett said. “The entire project cost about $40 million to complete, making each foot of tunneling about $4,000.”
Ben Berrett recently took USU Professor Barbara Middleton’s natural resources class on a tour of the tunnel system, and she emphasized the utility and importance the tunnels are to campus.
“The tunnels are an incredible system that support what we do on campus,” Middleton said.
The tunnels contain piping for heating and cooling, and cables for fiber optics and communication and the campus radio.
Berrett said the tunnels are about 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide, leaving ample space to walk through and to complete maintenance repairs when necessary. They are completely cement with sophisticated piping and wiring throughout.
There are many emergency exits located throughout the tunnel – either ladders up to landscape areas or into buildings. He said the new tunnel system connects to nearly all the buildings on central campus.
According to Berrett, the tunnels were originally created to hold piping that distributes high temperature steam throughout campus to heat buildings. He said water is heated to 316 degrees at the plant near the Spectrum and then sent through piping in the tunnels. The steam is then sent back to the plant to be reheated and reused.
Besides heating buildings, this high temperature steam heats water for the dorms, the University Inn and other buildings on campus. Aggie Ice Cream also uses the steam for pasteurization processes.
Later, more pipes were added to the tunnels to distribute cool water to air condition buildings, Berrett said. The plant cools water to 44 degrees, is sent through the piping across campus, and then returns to the plant at about 55 degrees to be reused, he said.
Fiber optics and communication cables, as well as the campus radio antennae, have since been added to the tunnel. Berrett said having the tunnel has been great because it allows for easy additions without the mess of construction.
“The tunnels minimize disruptions to campus,” Berrett said. “Things (like the fiber optic and communication cables) are easy to add because the tunnel is already there.”
Berrett said he does see the tunnels as a security risk because they enter almost all the buildings on campus. However, he said they are continually updating security.
“Most of the newer buildings on campus have security card access to tunnel entrances,” Berrett said. “We are working towards adding this feature to other tunnel entrances on campus.”
All other entrances to the tunnels are locked at all times, Berrett said. Naturally, college students and others are likely to be curious about the tunnels, but instead of trying to sneak in, Berrett said to call and request a tour.
“We have had some students try to sneak into the tunnels, but they were caught by the police,” Berrett said.
The tunnels also make maintenance much easier as well Berrett said.
“If there are problems we don’t have to bring a back-hoe in and dig a big hole,” Berrett said. “The tunnels continue to allow us to do stuff we wouldn’t have been able to do before.”
Berrett said these newer tunnels aren’t the only ones on campus. He said there is a 100-year-old tunnel system below the Quad that is still used. Berrett said they hope to eventually renovate these older tunnels.
The tunnels allow for very high energy efficiency on campus Berrett said.
“The tunnels make the university much more efficient than downtown Logan,” he said.
Other major cities in the eastern United States have what is called a district heating system, using tunnels for heating and cooling, Berrett said.
However, he said less and less cities are continuing to use them. Not every company or building in the city wants to join onto the system, and digging up the city for the creation and extension of tunnels can be very disruptive.
Berrett said at one time Salt Lake City even had a tunnel system, but it was used less over the years and ended with the completion of the LDS Conference Center in 2000.
The tunnel system at USU continues to grow and expand, Berrett said.
Berrett said his committee is currently planning tunnels for the new Agricultural Science Building and for the Early Childhood Education Building.
Study Abroad Fair Opens Possibilites
Published in the Utah Statesman, September 15, 2008
The Study Abroad Fair will be held Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the TSC International/Sunburst Lounge.
Representatives from the USU Study Abroad office, USU faculty-led summer programs, various national and international study abroad and service learning organizations will be there to answer questions and give more information about study abroad opportunities for USU students. Passport applications will also be available at the fair.
Kay Forsyth, director of the USU Study Abroad program said she wants students to know everyone can have the opportunity to study abroad.
“Studying abroad is realistic and affordable, and it can help accomplish credit,” Forsyth said. “Students can study in English in probably over 100 international universities, meeting major and minor requirements.”
Terrin Williamson, senior in international communications, participated in an exchange program for 10 months studying intensive Japanese language in Kobe, Japan. Williamson, who was originally a biology major, switched to international communications after returning home from the exchange. She said studying abroad helped her grow emotionally and learn more about who she was and want she wanted to pursue in life.
“It was a life changing experience,” said Williamson, who is now fluent in Japanese. “If I hadn’t have gone I would still be a biology major. (Studying abroad) helped me decide my path in life.”
If students are proficient in a language, studying abroad is a great way to enhance those skills, Forsyth said.
“There are language options for studying at every level,” Forsyth said. “Those with a higher proficiency (at least second-year college level) can study in a language.”
Service learning experiences can also help students learn a language, Forsyth said. Students who learn a language abroad can test out of language classes at USU to get into higher-level courses.
Studying abroad can be affordable, and there are financial aid opportunities available, Forsyth said. She said many exchange programs are based on USU pricing, so students pay USU tuition, room and board and then exchange with a student from an international university. USU academic scholarships and financial aid are often applicable to these programs, Forsyth said.
There are also other scholarships available to help students, Forsyth said. She said the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is a national program to aid students with a GPA of at least 3.5 or above interested in a semester long study abroad. The Honors Study Abroad Scholarship is available for USU students involved in the Honors Program. There are also many other national awards available, said Forsyth.
More than 15 summer faculty-led programs are available for USU students. Although the trips vary year to year, “new possibilities are coming all the time,” Forsyth said. She also said there are also some scholarships available to students in the individual faculty-led programs.
Nefi Lopez, recent USU graduate in liberal arts, participated in the Business in Asia program this past summer. Lopez spent five weeks in Korea, China and Vietnam visiting various businesses, volunteering in an orphanage and traveling.
“It was amazing,” Lopez said. “It was an opportunity to get hands-on experience and see how other countires do business. It was really eye-opening.”
Forsyth recommends students interested in studying abroad to come to the fair, look at the possibilites and even schedule an appointment with the Study Abroad office, located in TSC 313.
“We love to talk to students, helping them narrow down the possibilites,” Forsyth said. “Our office is here to help.”
The Study Abroad Fair will be held Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the TSC International/Sunburst Lounge.
Representatives from the USU Study Abroad office, USU faculty-led summer programs, various national and international study abroad and service learning organizations will be there to answer questions and give more information about study abroad opportunities for USU students. Passport applications will also be available at the fair.
Kay Forsyth, director of the USU Study Abroad program said she wants students to know everyone can have the opportunity to study abroad.
“Studying abroad is realistic and affordable, and it can help accomplish credit,” Forsyth said. “Students can study in English in probably over 100 international universities, meeting major and minor requirements.”
Terrin Williamson, senior in international communications, participated in an exchange program for 10 months studying intensive Japanese language in Kobe, Japan. Williamson, who was originally a biology major, switched to international communications after returning home from the exchange. She said studying abroad helped her grow emotionally and learn more about who she was and want she wanted to pursue in life.
“It was a life changing experience,” said Williamson, who is now fluent in Japanese. “If I hadn’t have gone I would still be a biology major. (Studying abroad) helped me decide my path in life.”
If students are proficient in a language, studying abroad is a great way to enhance those skills, Forsyth said.
“There are language options for studying at every level,” Forsyth said. “Those with a higher proficiency (at least second-year college level) can study in a language.”
Service learning experiences can also help students learn a language, Forsyth said. Students who learn a language abroad can test out of language classes at USU to get into higher-level courses.
Studying abroad can be affordable, and there are financial aid opportunities available, Forsyth said. She said many exchange programs are based on USU pricing, so students pay USU tuition, room and board and then exchange with a student from an international university. USU academic scholarships and financial aid are often applicable to these programs, Forsyth said.
There are also other scholarships available to help students, Forsyth said. She said the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is a national program to aid students with a GPA of at least 3.5 or above interested in a semester long study abroad. The Honors Study Abroad Scholarship is available for USU students involved in the Honors Program. There are also many other national awards available, said Forsyth.
More than 15 summer faculty-led programs are available for USU students. Although the trips vary year to year, “new possibilities are coming all the time,” Forsyth said. She also said there are also some scholarships available to students in the individual faculty-led programs.
Nefi Lopez, recent USU graduate in liberal arts, participated in the Business in Asia program this past summer. Lopez spent five weeks in Korea, China and Vietnam visiting various businesses, volunteering in an orphanage and traveling.
“It was amazing,” Lopez said. “It was an opportunity to get hands-on experience and see how other countires do business. It was really eye-opening.”
Forsyth recommends students interested in studying abroad to come to the fair, look at the possibilites and even schedule an appointment with the Study Abroad office, located in TSC 313.
“We love to talk to students, helping them narrow down the possibilites,” Forsyth said. “Our office is here to help.”
Friday, October 10, 2008
Having a flippin' good time
Published in the Utah Statesman, September 15, 2008
Front and back flips thirty feet in the air with combinations of tucks, pikes and twists. Although these may sound like complicated stunts the announcers in the Olympics would be explaining, several USU students are learning and practicing these tricks in the aerials trampolining and gymnastics class offered at the Sports Academy.
Many of the students enrolled in the class said they have little or no experience in aerials, but are excited and sometimes a little nervous to be trying new things on and off the trampolines.
“You have to jump way high and do things you’ve never done,” said Tessa Goodall, junior in exercise science. “It’s totally scary.”
The class is taught by Thomas Pheobald, gymnastics program director at High Point Gymnastics located at the Sports Academy.The class began last fall semester with only three students enrolled and has grown to just shy of 60 students last semester, Pheobald said. There are no prerequisites or gymnastics experience required, and he hopes the class continues to grow.
“We’ll take everybody,” Pheobald said. “As many people as would like to come.”
The trampolines used for the class are not the same as backyard trampolines bought at Costco or Wal-Mart. Pheobald said the trampolines can’t even be purchased in the United States but have to be imported from Germany.
Pheobald said the trampolines have a strong string bed that won’t stretch, helping athletes jump higher.
“On your backyard tramp, people average five or six feet of air at best,” said Pheobald. “On these tramps 30 feet is not out of the question.”
Because trampolines can be dangerous, Pheobald said he teaches basic safety techniques the first week of class, like how to jump safely and learning to land on your back, stomach, hands and knees. The trampolines are also equipped with padding on all sides, so a small mistake doesn’t turn into a big injury.
Bill Munns, senior in agricultural education, is one student taking the class.
“My favorite part is being able to push your own limits and not being scared to hurt yourself,” he said.
Munns, who said he was the most inacrobatic person there could possibly be, was safely landing the high front flip by the end of the third class.
Besides being a lot of fun, the class can also help students practice stunts for other sports.
Kinyon Martin, freshman in international agribusiness, said he planned to use the trampoline training on the slopes.
“I am excited to learn more control for snowboarding flips,” Martin said.
Pheobald said he plans to teach ski and snowboard tricks as well as circus skills after basic trampoline flips are learned.
Watching other students attempt the stunts can be entertaining, too. The class members laugh and joke when other students goof on a flip or stunt, but clap and cheer supportively when someone lands a high-flying flip they’ve been working on.
“It’s a lot of fun just to watch the others,” said Martin.
Of the eleven members of the class, all but two are guys. Goodall said she thinks it’s cool there are so many guys enrolled in the class.
“When most people think of gymnastics they just think of girls,” Goodall said. “It’s cool that guys would want to come out and do new things.”
Pheobald said that besides trampolining, he hopes to expose the students to a range of gymnastic events similar to those seen in the Beijing Olympics this summer.
“I make the guys get up and do the beam and I make the girls get up and do the rings,” said Pheobald.
The students said they enjoy Pheobald as a teacher.
“He is way cool,” said undeclared freshman Jordan Stuart. “He knows what he is doing.”
Pheobald has about 11 years of teaching experience at the Sports Academy. This past summer he took a girl he is training to the Junior Olympic Gymnastic Trials in Kansas.
Trampolining is an Olympic sport and just finished its second run in the Beijing Olympics. However, Pheobald said the sport has been around for about 20 years and continues to grow.
–karlie.brand@aggiemail.usu.edu
Front and back flips thirty feet in the air with combinations of tucks, pikes and twists. Although these may sound like complicated stunts the announcers in the Olympics would be explaining, several USU students are learning and practicing these tricks in the aerials trampolining and gymnastics class offered at the Sports Academy.
Many of the students enrolled in the class said they have little or no experience in aerials, but are excited and sometimes a little nervous to be trying new things on and off the trampolines.
“You have to jump way high and do things you’ve never done,” said Tessa Goodall, junior in exercise science. “It’s totally scary.”
The class is taught by Thomas Pheobald, gymnastics program director at High Point Gymnastics located at the Sports Academy.The class began last fall semester with only three students enrolled and has grown to just shy of 60 students last semester, Pheobald said. There are no prerequisites or gymnastics experience required, and he hopes the class continues to grow.
“We’ll take everybody,” Pheobald said. “As many people as would like to come.”
The trampolines used for the class are not the same as backyard trampolines bought at Costco or Wal-Mart. Pheobald said the trampolines can’t even be purchased in the United States but have to be imported from Germany.
Pheobald said the trampolines have a strong string bed that won’t stretch, helping athletes jump higher.
“On your backyard tramp, people average five or six feet of air at best,” said Pheobald. “On these tramps 30 feet is not out of the question.”
Because trampolines can be dangerous, Pheobald said he teaches basic safety techniques the first week of class, like how to jump safely and learning to land on your back, stomach, hands and knees. The trampolines are also equipped with padding on all sides, so a small mistake doesn’t turn into a big injury.
Bill Munns, senior in agricultural education, is one student taking the class.
“My favorite part is being able to push your own limits and not being scared to hurt yourself,” he said.
Munns, who said he was the most inacrobatic person there could possibly be, was safely landing the high front flip by the end of the third class.
Besides being a lot of fun, the class can also help students practice stunts for other sports.
Kinyon Martin, freshman in international agribusiness, said he planned to use the trampoline training on the slopes.
“I am excited to learn more control for snowboarding flips,” Martin said.
Pheobald said he plans to teach ski and snowboard tricks as well as circus skills after basic trampoline flips are learned.
Watching other students attempt the stunts can be entertaining, too. The class members laugh and joke when other students goof on a flip or stunt, but clap and cheer supportively when someone lands a high-flying flip they’ve been working on.
“It’s a lot of fun just to watch the others,” said Martin.
Of the eleven members of the class, all but two are guys. Goodall said she thinks it’s cool there are so many guys enrolled in the class.
“When most people think of gymnastics they just think of girls,” Goodall said. “It’s cool that guys would want to come out and do new things.”
Pheobald said that besides trampolining, he hopes to expose the students to a range of gymnastic events similar to those seen in the Beijing Olympics this summer.
“I make the guys get up and do the beam and I make the girls get up and do the rings,” said Pheobald.
The students said they enjoy Pheobald as a teacher.
“He is way cool,” said undeclared freshman Jordan Stuart. “He knows what he is doing.”
Pheobald has about 11 years of teaching experience at the Sports Academy. This past summer he took a girl he is training to the Junior Olympic Gymnastic Trials in Kansas.
Trampolining is an Olympic sport and just finished its second run in the Beijing Olympics. However, Pheobald said the sport has been around for about 20 years and continues to grow.
–karlie.brand@aggiemail.usu.edu
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