http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/getFeed.kickAction?quantity=25 New blogs from jrbriscoe on iComm Student Media Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:24:28 GMT Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:24:28 GMT byuicomm@gmail.com (icomm) byuicomm@gmail.com (icomm) KickApps Feed Builder 2010-02-09T23:24:28Z 17 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=96698&sortType=recent 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Book-Viking-Offers-Rental-Textbooks/BLOG/1825518/96698.html College students are constantly trying to find ways to save money. When it comes to textbooks, students are looking for the best deal, and they may have one. A store here in Rexburg, called Book Viking, which has been in operation for over three years now, specializes in selling and purchasing textbooks. However, there is an option that is even more popular to students — one that Book Viking offers that the University Bookstore doesn’t: renting textbooks.  For over two years now, Book Viking has been renting their textbooks to BYU-Idaho students, not only helping the students further their education, but also saving them some money.  “The average student spends about $300 to $500 on textbooks every semester. By renting textbooks they do not plan on keeping, students are able to save their money rather than buy and sell the book back,” said Brian Ward, owner of Book Viking. “On average, students get 50 percent back of what they paid for a book; when they rent a $100 textbook for $30 they are saving $20.”  Ever since Ward has implemented the rental system in his business, he has seen more students come to his business then he had in previous semesters.  “Book Viking is ran by word of mouth,” Ward said. “I encourage students to not only tell their friends but email me their book list every semester.”  Every semester Ward tries to help meet the students’ textbook needs. This becomes difficult for him as BYU-Idaho is a private institution and is not required by law to make their textbook lists public.  “If I do not get the textbook lists from students every semester, then it is difficult for me to stock up on books they need or even to know if there is a new edition that will be used from now on,” Ward said.  Ward offers a few incentives for those who rent textbooks. If you need the same textbook two semesters in row, he offers a discount toward the second semester rental that could be up to 25 percent off the rental price. Also, if a student rented a book and wants to buy it at the end of the semester, they can pay the difference of the rental and purchase price.  Even though Ward offers different prices from the University Bookstore, he isn’t always the cheapest. “I suggest that students should always shop around. There are many different resources they can use to find the most affordable textbooks and if they don’t shop around they could miss out on some great deals,” Ward said.  And while the University Bookstore and Book Viking are competitors, Ward still has a great respect for the university store.  “The University Bookstore is one of the best bookstores in the country as far as buyback percentage goes. The only thing that hurts them is they deal directly with publishers who charge high fees,” Ward said.  After Ward graduates he plans on taking his business online in hopes of having his business grow. JR BriscoeAssistant Campus Editor  College students are constantly trying to find ways to save money. When it comes to textbooks, students are looking for the best deal, and they may have one. A store here in Rexburg, called Book Viking, which has been in operation for over three years now, specializes in selling and purchasing textbooks. However, there is an option that is even more popular to students — one that Book Viking offers that the University Bookstore doesn’t: renting textbooks.  For over two years now, Book Viking has been renting their textbooks to BYU-Idaho students, not only helping the students further their education, but also saving them some money.  “The average student spends about $300 to $500 on textbooks every semester. By renting textbooks they do not plan on keeping, students are able to save their money rather than buy and sell the book back,” said Brian Ward, owner of Book Viking. “On average, students get 50 percent back of what they paid for a book; when they rent a $100 textbook for $30 they are saving $20.”  Ever since Ward has implemented the rental system in his business, he has seen more students come to his business then he had in previous semesters.  “Book Viking is ran by word of mouth,” Ward said. “I encourage students to not only tell their friends but email me their book list every semester.”  Every semester Ward tries to help meet the students’ textbook needs. This becomes difficult for him as BYU-Idaho is a private institution and is not required by law to make their textbook lists public.  “If I do not get the textbook lists from students every semester, then it is difficult for me to stock up on books they need or even to know if there is a new edition that will be used from now on,” Ward said.  Ward offers a few incentives for those who rent textbooks. If you need the same textbook two semesters in row, he offers a discount toward the second semester rental that could be up to 25 percent off the rental price. Also, if a student rented a book and wants to buy it at the end of the semester, they can pay the difference of the rental and purchase price.  Even though Ward offers different prices from the University Bookstore, he isn’t always the cheapest. “I suggest that students should always shop around. There are many different resources they can use to find the most affordable textbooks and if they don’t shop around they could miss out on some great deals,” Ward said.  And while the University Bookstore and Book Viking are competitors, Ward still has a great respect for the university store.  “The University Bookstore is one of the best bookstores in the country as far as buyback percentage goes. The only thing that hurts them is they deal directly with publishers who charge high fees,” Ward said.  After Ward graduates he plans on taking his business online in hopes of having his business grow. JR BriscoeAssistant Campus Editor  Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:24:28 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Book-Viking-Offers-Rental-Textbooks/BLOG/1825518/96698.html jrbriscoe 2010-02-09T23:24:28Z CAMPUS GENERAL iComm Student Media College students are constantly trying to find ways to save money. When it comes to textbooks, students are looking for the best deal, and they may have one. A store here in Rexburg, called Book Viking, which has been in operation for over three years now, specializes in selling and purchasing textbooks. However, there is an option that is even more popular to students — one that Book Viking offers that the University Bookstore doesn’t: renting textbooks.  For over two years now, Book Viking has been renting their textbooks to BYU-Idaho students, not only helping the students further their education, but also saving them some money.  “The average student spends about $300 to $500 on textbooks every semester. By renting textbooks they do not plan on keeping, students are able to save their money rather than buy and sell the book back,” said Brian Ward, owner of Book Viking. “On average, students get 50 percent back of what they paid for a book; when they rent a $100 textbook for $30 they are saving $20.”  Ever since Ward has implemented the rental system in his business, he has seen more students come to his business then he had in previous semesters.  “Book Viking is ran by word of mouth,” Ward said. “I encourage students to not only tell their friends but email me their book list every semester.”  Every semester Ward tries to help meet the students’ textbook needs. This becomes difficult for him as BYU-Idaho is a private institution and is not required by law to make their textbook lists public.  “If I do not get the textbook lists from students every semester, then it is difficult for me to stock up on books they need or even to know if there is a new edition that will be used from now on,” Ward said.  Ward offers a few incentives for those who rent textbooks. If you need the same textbook two semesters in row, he offers a discount toward the second semester rental that could be up to 25 percent off the rental price. Also, if a student rented a book and wants to buy it at the end of the semester, they can pay the difference of the rental and purchase price.  Even though Ward offers different prices from the University Bookstore, he isn’t always the cheapest. “I suggest that students should always shop around. There are many different resources they can use to find the most affordable textbooks and if they don’t shop around they could miss out on some great deals,” Ward said.  And while the University Bookstore and Book Viking are competitors, Ward still has a great respect for the university store.  “The University Bookstore is one of the best bookstores in the country as far as buyback percentage goes. The only thing that hurts them is they deal directly with publishers who charge high fees,” Ward said.  After Ward graduates he plans on taking his business online in hopes of having his business grow. JR BriscoeAssistant Campus Editor  books, campus, general, money, rent, save, school, students, textbook nonadult false Book Viking Offers Rental Textbooks text blog books,campus,general,money,rent,save,school,students,textbook 242 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 CAMPUS / GENERAL 0 1825518 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_New-mybyuiedu-needs-some-tweaking/BLOG/1772175/96698.html In the Jan. 12 issue of Scroll this semester, there was an article about the recent update to the my.byui.edu Web site. I was recalling some of the many experiences that not only I have had, but other students have experienced as well.Last semester, I covered the meeting held by the technology department for students. During the presentation of the new my.byui.edu update, there were many new features and aspects of the site that looked promising — such as the ability to register multiple classes at once. However, one of the major drawbacks that was mentioned was the new update would not have a replacement for the graduation plan. Thanks to the new update, I currently have no clue what classes I need to graduate. I have a vague idea with their new audit tool, but that in itself is confusing. While the update may be good in the long run, there seems to be quite a few glitches or bugs in the new system. One such bug occurred on the second day of classes in the morning. This glitch made it so students could not view their class schedule on my.byui.edu. I was one of the students who had no clue where their classes were or where to go. I noticed other students had the same problem as well. Other students were wandering the halls, staring at the classroom schedules and even asking the teachers what classes they were currently teaching.Another issue with this upgrade is there is no “log out” button on the mybyui page. I had to use someone’s iPhone to get information for a class and after I used it I wanted to log out so my private information wasn’t accessible to anyone else. I searched along with many other students for the log out button but did not find one. The only solution the school has offered is to close out the browser. While that may be good solution there are still some computers where closing the browser is not an option—especially on a cell phone. The school should provide a logout button for not only functionality purposes but also for protecting the privacy of students and faculty as well.We know that as technology advances that at some point all things need to catch up including my.byui.edu. I believe BYU–Idaho could have handled this particular upgrade differently. By inquiring what was most important to the students before implementing the actual upgrade, the university would have been able to make a better my.byui.edu that could accommodate both students and faculty.  JR BriscoeAssistant Editor Campus In the Jan. 12 issue of Scroll this semester, there was an article about the recent update to the my.byui.edu Web site. I was recalling some of the many experiences that not only I have had, but other students have experienced as well.Last semester, I covered the meeting held by the technology department for students. During the presentation of the new my.byui.edu update, there were many new features and aspects of the site that looked promising — such as the ability to register multiple classes at once. However, one of the major drawbacks that was mentioned was the new update would not have a replacement for the graduation plan. Thanks to the new update, I currently have no clue what classes I need to graduate. I have a vague idea with their new audit tool, but that in itself is confusing. While the update may be good in the long run, there seems to be quite a few glitches or bugs in the new system. One such bug occurred on the second day of classes in the morning. This glitch made it so students could not view their class schedule on my.byui.edu. I was one of the students who had no clue where their classes were or where to go. I noticed other students had the same problem as well. Other students were wandering the halls, staring at the classroom schedules and even asking the teachers what classes they were currently teaching.Another issue with this upgrade is there is no “log out” button on the mybyui page. I had to use someone’s iPhone to get information for a class and after I used it I wanted to log out so my private information wasn’t accessible to anyone else. I searched along with many other students for the log out button but did not find one. The only solution the school has offered is to close out the browser. While that may be good solution there are still some computers where closing the browser is not an option—especially on a cell phone. The school should provide a logout button for not only functionality purposes but also for protecting the privacy of students and faculty as well.We know that as technology advances that at some point all things need to catch up including my.byui.edu. I believe BYU–Idaho could have handled this particular upgrade differently. By inquiring what was most important to the students before implementing the actual upgrade, the university would have been able to make a better my.byui.edu that could accommodate both students and faculty.  JR BriscoeAssistant Editor Campus Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:08:23 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_New-mybyuiedu-needs-some-tweaking/BLOG/1772175/96698.html jrbriscoe 2010-01-26T23:08:23Z OPINION GENERAL iComm Student Media In the Jan. 12 issue of Scroll this semester, there was an article about the recent update to the my.byui.edu Web site. I was recalling some of the many experiences that not only I have had, but other students have experienced as well.Last semester, I covered the meeting held by the technology department for students. During the presentation of the new my.byui.edu update, there were many new features and aspects of the site that looked promising — such as the ability to register multiple classes at once. However, one of the major drawbacks that was mentioned was the new update would not have a replacement for the graduation plan. Thanks to the new update, I currently have no clue what classes I need to graduate. I have a vague idea with their new audit tool, but that in itself is confusing. While the update may be good in the long run, there seems to be quite a few glitches or bugs in the new system. One such bug occurred on the second day of classes in the morning. This glitch made it so students could not view their class schedule on my.byui.edu. I was one of the students who had no clue where their classes were or where to go. I noticed other students had the same problem as well. Other students were wandering the halls, staring at the classroom schedules and even asking the teachers what classes they were currently teaching.Another issue with this upgrade is there is no “log out” button on the mybyui page. I had to use someone’s iPhone to get information for a class and after I used it I wanted to log out so my private information wasn’t accessible to anyone else. I searched along with many other students for the log out button but did not find one. The only solution the school has offered is to close out the browser. While that may be good solution there are still some computers where closing the browser is not an option—especially on a cell phone. The school should provide a logout button for not only functionality purposes but also for protecting the privacy of students and faculty as well.We know that as technology advances that at some point all things need to catch up including my.byui.edu. I believe BYU–Idaho could have handled this particular upgrade differently. By inquiring what was most important to the students before implementing the actual upgrade, the university would have been able to make a better my.byui.edu that could accommodate both students and faculty.  JR BriscoeAssistant Editor Campus byui, campus, faculty, general, mybyui.edu, opinion, scroll, students nonadult false New "mybyui.edu" needs some tweaking text blog byui,campus,faculty,general,mybyui.edu,opinion,scroll,students 155 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 OPINION / GENERAL 0 1772175 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_The-Crossroads-to-give-free-samples/BLOG/1772173/96698.html The Crossroads will be offering samples of food from their restaurants to students, faulty, and locals on Thursday Jan. 28 and Friday 9 between 1 and 2 pm.In addition to offering the samples, The Crossroads will be passing out a questionnaire to those who partake of the samples.“The questionnaire is for students to not only vote for which food they like the most but also to give feedback on the food quality as well as any suggestions or ideas they may have for us,” said Sharon Leevy, administrative assistant for Food Services.Also, The Crossroads is also holding a raffle as an additional incentive to have students, faculty and the locals show up.“We will be auctioning off a snowboard, Dining Dollars, meals, and other things as well,” Leevy said.Both days, four of the eight restaurants will be serving their samples of their menu. The Crossroads will start offering other promotions throughout the semester.“We tested one promotion, giving faculty 50 percent off meals one day and we received excellent feedback on it. We are looking into doing more promotions that will bring more people to The Crossroads,” Leevy said.The Crossroads staff is not only wanting feedback on their service and food but also want to promote the eating area as a place where students can gather and hold activities.“In reality we are a restaurant and we want everyone here to feel as comfortable as possible and hope one day that people will come to The Crossroads to enjoy more than just a good meal,” Leevy said. The Crossroads has been open to students, faculty, and the public since the fall of 2009. JR BriscoeAssistant Campus Editor The Crossroads will be offering samples of food from their restaurants to students, faulty, and locals on Thursday Jan. 28 and Friday 9 between 1 and 2 pm.In addition to offering the samples, The Crossroads will be passing out a questionnaire to those who partake of the samples.“The questionnaire is for students to not only vote for which food they like the most but also to give feedback on the food quality as well as any suggestions or ideas they may have for us,” said Sharon Leevy, administrative assistant for Food Services.Also, The Crossroads is also holding a raffle as an additional incentive to have students, faculty and the locals show up.“We will be auctioning off a snowboard, Dining Dollars, meals, and other things as well,” Leevy said.Both days, four of the eight restaurants will be serving their samples of their menu. The Crossroads will start offering other promotions throughout the semester.“We tested one promotion, giving faculty 50 percent off meals one day and we received excellent feedback on it. We are looking into doing more promotions that will bring more people to The Crossroads,” Leevy said.The Crossroads staff is not only wanting feedback on their service and food but also want to promote the eating area as a place where students can gather and hold activities.“In reality we are a restaurant and we want everyone here to feel as comfortable as possible and hope one day that people will come to The Crossroads to enjoy more than just a good meal,” Leevy said. The Crossroads has been open to students, faculty, and the public since the fall of 2009. JR BriscoeAssistant Campus Editor Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:06:33 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_The-Crossroads-to-give-free-samples/BLOG/1772173/96698.html jrbriscoe 2010-01-26T23:06:33Z CAMPUS GENERAL iComm Student Media The Crossroads will be offering samples of food from their restaurants to students, faulty, and locals on Thursday Jan. 28 and Friday 9 between 1 and 2 pm.In addition to offering the samples, The Crossroads will be passing out a questionnaire to those who partake of the samples.“The questionnaire is for students to not only vote for which food they like the most but also to give feedback on the food quality as well as any suggestions or ideas they may have for us,” said Sharon Leevy, administrative assistant for Food Services.Also, The Crossroads is also holding a raffle as an additional incentive to have students, faculty and the locals show up.“We will be auctioning off a snowboard, Dining Dollars, meals, and other things as well,” Leevy said.Both days, four of the eight restaurants will be serving their samples of their menu. The Crossroads will start offering other promotions throughout the semester.“We tested one promotion, giving faculty 50 percent off meals one day and we received excellent feedback on it. We are looking into doing more promotions that will bring more people to The Crossroads,” Leevy said.The Crossroads staff is not only wanting feedback on their service and food but also want to promote the eating area as a place where students can gather and hold activities.“In reality we are a restaurant and we want everyone here to feel as comfortable as possible and hope one day that people will come to The Crossroads to enjoy more than just a good meal,” Leevy said. The Crossroads has been open to students, faculty, and the public since the fall of 2009. JR BriscoeAssistant Campus Editor byui, cafeteria, campus, citizens, faculty, food, general, rexburg, scroll, students nonadult false The Crossroads to give free samples text blog byui,cafeteria,campus,citizens,faculty,food,general,rexburg,scroll,students 61 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 CAMPUS / GENERAL 0 1772173 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_BYU-I-Instructor-provides-healing-portraits/BLOG/1744856/96698.html  [image] It’s midnight and Hattie Bates is asleep when she receives a phone call telling her of an all-too-familiar situation;: a mother has given birth and the baby is not going to make it. Without even thinking, Bates gets dressed, grabs her camera gear and rushes to the hospital.Once she arrives and is directed to the right room, Bates sees the family of the baby, crying for the loss they soon will bear. Bates herself is tearing up as she talks with the family, but tries to be strong and quickly goes to work. Setting up her gear in a studio room provided by the hospital, Bates takes portraits of the family and child together before the baby takes its last breath and goes back to sleep forever, leaving behind a broken-hearted but loving family.Bates has been volunteering at the Mountain View Hospital for two years photographing newborns with birth defects or other complications who do not live long after birth.However, Bates herself didn’t know she would be doing this type of volunteer work. She graduated from BYU–Idaho with a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography in 2005 and has been a professional photographer for six years now. And while she knew she would be photographing settings that celebrate life, she had no clue she would be photographing death as well.“A few years ago I came across a website called www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org, and I saw the program that tries to help those with their loss and preserve a positive memory,” Bates said. “I registered, hoping I could help make a difference in the lives of others.”Bates has since become an exclusive photographer to Mountain View Hospital and is on call 24/7. Wherever she is and whatever she is doing, she stops immediately and rushes to the hospital. The faster she gets to the hospital, the better — at times, she only has a small window of opportunity to take photos.Even though she has photographed many terminally ill and dying infants, Bates still retains her empathy for the families, especially for the mothers, as she is a mother herself. “Early on in my last pregnancy, I had a few calls where I went to take photos for families,” Bates said. “Seeing these families and their grief and seeing the infant was too much for me to handle and bear myself, as I knew I would soon be having a child as well. During those times, I sent my assistants to photograph so I could still help those families.”However, even after all the experience she has had with this program, nothing had more of an impact her than a phone call she received one night.“A few years ago on December 22, I received a phone call a little after midnight,” Bates said. “The hospital called and told me the mother had delivered the baby full term and the baby was absolutely perfect. However after the first five minutes of his life, the infant went into cardiac arrest. I immediately rushed to the hospital and arrived just in time to see the last few breaths he took before he passed away.”On another occasion, Bates responded to a call and discovered the family she was photographing consisted of her close friends. Yet despite witnessing all of this, Bates still has positive experiences of helping families.“Last summer I photographed a boy who has leukemia in Rexburg,” Bates said. “His family was starting a fun run to help raise money to pay for his treatments. I was just glad I was able to help and it was fun as well.” From all of these experiences, Bates has learned a few lessons. “When I first started this I never realized how often newborns die even with all of the advances in the medical field,” she said. “It has made me grateful for this wonderful talent I have and that God has given it to me for a reason.”Yet out of all the lessons Bates has learned she made one observation that, while perhaps obvious, has still made a profound impression upon her. “Life is a miracle and no matter how long or short our lives are, they still can make a forever impact on those around us,” Bates said. JR BriscoeCampus Assistant Editor   [image] It’s midnight and Hattie Bates is asleep when she receives a phone call telling her of an all-too-familiar situation;: a mother has given birth and the baby is not going to make it. Without even thinking, Bates gets dressed, grabs her camera gear and rushes to the hospital.Once she arrives and is directed to the right room, Bates sees the family of the baby, crying for the loss they soon will bear. Bates herself is tearing up as she talks with the family, but tries to be strong and quickly goes to work. Setting up her gear in a studio room provided by the hospital, Bates takes portraits of the family and child together before the baby takes its last breath and goes back to sleep forever, leaving behind a broken-hearted but loving family.Bates has been volunteering at the Mountain View Hospital for two years photographing newborns with birth defects or other complications who do not live long after birth.However, Bates herself didn’t know she would be doing this type of volunteer work. She graduated from BYU–Idaho with a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography in 2005 and has been a professional photographer for six years now. And while she knew she would be photographing settings that celebrate life, she had no clue she would be photographing death as well.“A few years ago I came across a website called www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org, and I saw the program that tries to help those with their loss and preserve a positive memory,” Bates said. “I registered, hoping I could help make a difference in the lives of others.”Bates has since become an exclusive photographer to Mountain View Hospital and is on call 24/7. Wherever she is and whatever she is doing, she stops immediately and rushes to the hospital. The faster she gets to the hospital, the better — at times, she only has a small window of opportunity to take photos.Even though she has photographed many terminally ill and dying infants, Bates still retains her empathy for the families, especially for the mothers, as she is a mother herself. “Early on in my last pregnancy, I had a few calls where I went to take photos for families,” Bates said. “Seeing these families and their grief and seeing the infant was too much for me to handle and bear myself, as I knew I would soon be having a child as well. During those times, I sent my assistants to photograph so I could still help those families.”However, even after all the experience she has had with this program, nothing had more of an impact her than a phone call she received one night.“A few years ago on December 22, I received a phone call a little after midnight,” Bates said. “The hospital called and told me the mother had delivered the baby full term and the baby was absolutely perfect. However after the first five minutes of his life, the infant went into cardiac arrest. I immediately rushed to the hospital and arrived just in time to see the last few breaths he took before he passed away.”On another occasion, Bates responded to a call and discovered the family she was photographing consisted of her close friends. Yet despite witnessing all of this, Bates still has positive experiences of helping families.“Last summer I photographed a boy who has leukemia in Rexburg,” Bates said. “His family was starting a fun run to help raise money to pay for his treatments. I was just glad I was able to help and it was fun as well.” From all of these experiences, Bates has learned a few lessons. “When I first started this I never realized how often newborns die even with all of the advances in the medical field,” she said. “It has made me grateful for this wonderful talent I have and that God has given it to me for a reason.”Yet out of all the lessons Bates has learned she made one observation that, while perhaps obvious, has still made a profound impression upon her. “Life is a miracle and no matter how long or short our lives are, they still can make a forever impact on those around us,” Bates said. JR BriscoeCampus Assistant Editor  Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:23:46 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_BYU-I-Instructor-provides-healing-portraits/BLOG/1744856/96698.html jrbriscoe 2010-01-19T23:23:46Z CAMPUS GENERAL iComm Student Media  [image] It’s midnight and Hattie Bates is asleep when she receives a phone call telling her of an all-too-familiar situation;: a mother has given birth and the baby is not going to make it. Without even thinking, Bates gets dressed, grabs her camera gear and rushes to the hospital.Once she arrives and is directed to the right room, Bates sees the family of the baby, crying for the loss they soon will bear. Bates herself is tearing up as she talks with the family, but tries to be strong and quickly goes to work. Setting up her gear in a studio room provided by the hospital, Bates takes portraits of the family and child together before the baby takes its last breath and goes back to sleep forever, leaving behind a broken-hearted but loving family.Bates has been volunteering at the Mountain View Hospital for two years photographing newborns with birth defects or other complications who do not live long after birth.However, Bates herself didn’t know she would be doing this type of volunteer work. She graduated from BYU–Idaho with a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography in 2005 and has been a professional photographer for six years now. And while she knew she would be photographing settings that celebrate life, she had no clue she would be photographing death as well.“A few years ago I came across a website called www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org, and I saw the program that tries to help those with their loss and preserve a positive memory,” Bates said. “I registered, hoping I could help make a difference in the lives of others.”Bates has since become an exclusive photographer to Mountain View Hospital and is on call 24/7. Wherever she is and whatever she is doing, she stops immediately and rushes to the hospital. The faster she gets to the hospital, the better — at times, she only has a small window of opportunity to take photos.Even though she has photographed many terminally ill and dying infants, Bates still retains her empathy for the families, especially for the mothers, as she is a mother herself. “Early on in my last pregnancy, I had a few calls where I went to take photos for families,” Bates said. “Seeing these families and their grief and seeing the infant was too much for me to handle and bear myself, as I knew I would soon be having a child as well. During those times, I sent my assistants to photograph so I could still help those families.”However, even after all the experience she has had with this program, nothing had more of an impact her than a phone call she received one night.“A few years ago on December 22, I received a phone call a little after midnight,” Bates said. “The hospital called and told me the mother had delivered the baby full term and the baby was absolutely perfect. However after the first five minutes of his life, the infant went into cardiac arrest. I immediately rushed to the hospital and arrived just in time to see the last few breaths he took before he passed away.”On another occasion, Bates responded to a call and discovered the family she was photographing consisted of her close friends. Yet despite witnessing all of this, Bates still has positive experiences of helping families.“Last summer I photographed a boy who has leukemia in Rexburg,” Bates said. “His family was starting a fun run to help raise money to pay for his treatments. I was just glad I was able to help and it was fun as well.” From all of these experiences, Bates has learned a few lessons. “When I first started this I never realized how often newborns die even with all of the advances in the medical field,” she said. “It has made me grateful for this wonderful talent I have and that God has given it to me for a reason.”Yet out of all the lessons Bates has learned she made one observation that, while perhaps obvious, has still made a profound impression upon her. “Life is a miracle and no matter how long or short our lives are, they still can make a forever impact on those around us,” Bates said. JR BriscoeCampus Assistant Editor  babies, campus, family, general, instructor, photography, portraits, school, scroll nonadult false BYU-I Instructor provides healing portraits text blog babies,campus,family,general,instructor,photography,portraits,school,scroll 244 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 CAMPUS / GENERAL 0 1744856 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Lost-items-found-in-buyers-hands/BLOG/1466755/96698.html   More than 400 students and faculty lined up to attend the Lost-and-Found sale that was held in the Hyrum Manwaring Center from 12 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday.  “About 60 days into the semester is when we start our sale and we sell everything from the previous semester,” said Amber Baylock, a senior who has worked at the Lost and Found for four semesters now. When the Lost and Found receives any items that have names on them, the employees try to contact the students through e-mail. However, if the student does not come claim the item, then it is put in the sale items for the following semester.  “If a student finds an item that is theirs, we give it back to them as long as they can prove ownership,” Baylock said. One gentleman came in looking for a set of prescription glasses he had lost. A student came in to claim a camera, and to prove it was hers she found her honeymoon pictures on the camera. A similar situation happened when a student who was helping set up the sale found a ring she'd lost. The ring was an heirloom that her grandmother had given to her,. Items at the sale included things such as iPods, textbooks, scriptures, watches and sunglasses. Most students attended the sale because of the deals and bargains they find. “The best thing I found today was a Northface jacket for $15. They are usually around $150 to $250,” said senior and third time shopper at the Lost-and-Found sale Adam Catterson. Not all items are sought after. Some items are broken or in need of repairs. Shoes, a stained towel and swimming goggles are just a few examples. Other items aren’t even considered worth selling by the Lost and Found. “The weirdest item I have ever seen was an IV bag that was full. Needless to say we did not sell it or make it available to the public,” said Baylock. Even the bookstore buys lost books from the sale. Because the bookstore and the Lost and Found information desk work together, the bookstore buys books that are in its inventory. The purpose of the Lost-and-Found sale is to get as many items back to the students as possible. The funds that are raised go back to the organization to help support the operations of the Lost and Found. The Lost and Found is also supported by the operations of the M.C., so it's not supported solely by the funds raised. Any items that are not sold are taken to D.I. or thrown away. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff     More than 400 students and faculty lined up to attend the Lost-and-Found sale that was held in the Hyrum Manwaring Center from 12 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday.  “About 60 days into the semester is when we start our sale and we sell everything from the previous semester,” said Amber Baylock, a senior who has worked at the Lost and Found for four semesters now. When the Lost and Found receives any items that have names on them, the employees try to contact the students through e-mail. However, if the student does not come claim the item, then it is put in the sale items for the following semester.  “If a student finds an item that is theirs, we give it back to them as long as they can prove ownership,” Baylock said. One gentleman came in looking for a set of prescription glasses he had lost. A student came in to claim a camera, and to prove it was hers she found her honeymoon pictures on the camera. A similar situation happened when a student who was helping set up the sale found a ring she'd lost. The ring was an heirloom that her grandmother had given to her,. Items at the sale included things such as iPods, textbooks, scriptures, watches and sunglasses. Most students attended the sale because of the deals and bargains they find. “The best thing I found today was a Northface jacket for $15. They are usually around $150 to $250,” said senior and third time shopper at the Lost-and-Found sale Adam Catterson. Not all items are sought after. Some items are broken or in need of repairs. Shoes, a stained towel and swimming goggles are just a few examples. Other items aren’t even considered worth selling by the Lost and Found. “The weirdest item I have ever seen was an IV bag that was full. Needless to say we did not sell it or make it available to the public,” said Baylock. Even the bookstore buys lost books from the sale. Because the bookstore and the Lost and Found information desk work together, the bookstore buys books that are in its inventory. The purpose of the Lost-and-Found sale is to get as many items back to the students as possible. The funds that are raised go back to the organization to help support the operations of the Lost and Found. The Lost and Found is also supported by the operations of the M.C., so it's not supported solely by the funds raised. Any items that are not sold are taken to D.I. or thrown away. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:40:06 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Lost-items-found-in-buyers-hands/BLOG/1466755/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-11-07T18:40:06Z CAMPUS GENERAL iComm Student Media   More than 400 students and faculty lined up to attend the Lost-and-Found sale that was held in the Hyrum Manwaring Center from 12 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday.  “About 60 days into the semester is when we start our sale and we sell everything from the previous semester,” said Amber Baylock, a senior who has worked at the Lost and Found for four semesters now. When the Lost and Found receives any items that have names on them, the employees try to contact the students through e-mail. However, if the student does not come claim the item, then it is put in the sale items for the following semester.  “If a student finds an item that is theirs, we give it back to them as long as they can prove ownership,” Baylock said. One gentleman came in looking for a set of prescription glasses he had lost. A student came in to claim a camera, and to prove it was hers she found her honeymoon pictures on the camera. A similar situation happened when a student who was helping set up the sale found a ring she'd lost. The ring was an heirloom that her grandmother had given to her,. Items at the sale included things such as iPods, textbooks, scriptures, watches and sunglasses. Most students attended the sale because of the deals and bargains they find. “The best thing I found today was a Northface jacket for $15. They are usually around $150 to $250,” said senior and third time shopper at the Lost-and-Found sale Adam Catterson. Not all items are sought after. Some items are broken or in need of repairs. Shoes, a stained towel and swimming goggles are just a few examples. Other items aren’t even considered worth selling by the Lost and Found. “The weirdest item I have ever seen was an IV bag that was full. Needless to say we did not sell it or make it available to the public,” said Baylock. Even the bookstore buys lost books from the sale. Because the bookstore and the Lost and Found information desk work together, the bookstore buys books that are in its inventory. The purpose of the Lost-and-Found sale is to get as many items back to the students as possible. The funds that are raised go back to the organization to help support the operations of the Lost and Found. The Lost and Found is also supported by the operations of the M.C., so it's not supported solely by the funds raised. Any items that are not sold are taken to D.I. or thrown away. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   byui, campus, faculty, general, items, lost&found, money, students nonadult false Lost items found in buyers hands text blog byui,campus,faculty,general,items,lost&found,money,students 99 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 CAMPUS / GENERAL 0 1466755 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_On-your-honor-for-apple-picking/BLOG/1466750/96698.html Fall semester students have a lot of things to look forward to: Christmas, college football, cooler weather, etc. Yet one thing many students do not know about is the BYU-Idaho apple orchard is ripe for the picking. At this time of year, the apple orchard, located south of the Thomas E. Ricks building, has apples ready to be picked. The students are encouraged to go and pick their own apples anytime, Monday through Saturday. After completing their apple picking, students are to go to  the yellow apple shed to weigh them for only 50 cents per pound. However, there is rarely an employee on sight. There is simply a sign with post-it notes, a pen, and instructions about weighing the apples. The sign calculates how much the apples cost and inform students to leave a note with the weight and their I-Number to charge their account. Another sign informs students that the university trusts them to honestly report what they pick. “I am surprised that the university doesn’t have any employees making sure no one steals the apples,” said sophomore Mike Commons. “Up here at BYU‑Idaho there is a higher chance that students will actually pay, but there will be people who will take apples.” One thing that may deter people from stealing the apples is how cheap they are. At only 50 cents per pound, it is cheaper than the local grocery store, which usually sell apples about a dollar per pound. “You can get twice the bang for your buck,” said junior Breck Harris. “ I would plan on using the apples to make home made apple crisp and just use the leftover apples as snacks.” JR Briscoe Scroll Staff     Fall semester students have a lot of things to look forward to: Christmas, college football, cooler weather, etc. Yet one thing many students do not know about is the BYU-Idaho apple orchard is ripe for the picking. At this time of year, the apple orchard, located south of the Thomas E. Ricks building, has apples ready to be picked. The students are encouraged to go and pick their own apples anytime, Monday through Saturday. After completing their apple picking, students are to go to  the yellow apple shed to weigh them for only 50 cents per pound. However, there is rarely an employee on sight. There is simply a sign with post-it notes, a pen, and instructions about weighing the apples. The sign calculates how much the apples cost and inform students to leave a note with the weight and their I-Number to charge their account. Another sign informs students that the university trusts them to honestly report what they pick. “I am surprised that the university doesn’t have any employees making sure no one steals the apples,” said sophomore Mike Commons. “Up here at BYU‑Idaho there is a higher chance that students will actually pay, but there will be people who will take apples.” One thing that may deter people from stealing the apples is how cheap they are. At only 50 cents per pound, it is cheaper than the local grocery store, which usually sell apples about a dollar per pound. “You can get twice the bang for your buck,” said junior Breck Harris. “ I would plan on using the apples to make home made apple crisp and just use the leftover apples as snacks.” JR Briscoe Scroll Staff     Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:36:28 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_On-your-honor-for-apple-picking/BLOG/1466750/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-11-07T18:36:28Z CAMPUS GENERAL iComm Student Media Fall semester students have a lot of things to look forward to: Christmas, college football, cooler weather, etc. Yet one thing many students do not know about is the BYU-Idaho apple orchard is ripe for the picking. At this time of year, the apple orchard, located south of the Thomas E. Ricks building, has apples ready to be picked. The students are encouraged to go and pick their own apples anytime, Monday through Saturday. After completing their apple picking, students are to go to  the yellow apple shed to weigh them for only 50 cents per pound. However, there is rarely an employee on sight. There is simply a sign with post-it notes, a pen, and instructions about weighing the apples. The sign calculates how much the apples cost and inform students to leave a note with the weight and their I-Number to charge their account. Another sign informs students that the university trusts them to honestly report what they pick. “I am surprised that the university doesn’t have any employees making sure no one steals the apples,” said sophomore Mike Commons. “Up here at BYU‑Idaho there is a higher chance that students will actually pay, but there will be people who will take apples.” One thing that may deter people from stealing the apples is how cheap they are. At only 50 cents per pound, it is cheaper than the local grocery store, which usually sell apples about a dollar per pound. “You can get twice the bang for your buck,” said junior Breck Harris. “ I would plan on using the apples to make home made apple crisp and just use the leftover apples as snacks.” JR Briscoe Scroll Staff     apples, byui, campus, general, honor, idaho, school, trust nonadult false On your honor for apple picking… text blog apples,byui,campus,general,honor,idaho,school,trust 95 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 CAMPUS / GENERAL 0 1466750 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Manwaring-Construction-Update/BLOG/1466747/96698.html   With the start of the new semester, students are being redirected around the construction. Most students know what the building’s (What building?) purpose is for, but few know what it will look like inside. (If you are referring to one building, you need to reference it first. If you are talking about both, you need to make this sentence plural) Recently, staffers from the Scroll went on a tour of the new auditorium being constructed next to the John W. Hart and Hyrum Manwaring Center buildings with Rulon Nielsen The new auditorium will be able to seat up to 15,000 people at once and will feature two large screens on either side of the stage, similar to the ones used in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Different than the conference center though, images in the auditorium will be projected from behind the screens. (Are the Conference Center images project from in front? If so, put “However, the images in the auditorium will be projected from behind the screens rather than in front.”) “I think it will be exciting for us to have a place where we can all meet for devotionals and especially for graduation as well so everyone can attend,” said Lisa Jones, a sophomore studying Not only will the new building have an auditorium, but it also will have 10 basketball courts and an elevated track that students and faculty can use while other sports are taking place on the courts. The new building will use a lot of natural lighting, except in the auditorium. Campus administration and church officials decided to go with the natural lighting because it is environmentally friendly and cost effective. University officials have indicated that the building’s purpose will be restricted to more spiritual and formal purposes like Tuesday Devotionals and will not host entertainment events like rock concerts. Officials said for the majority of campus entertainment events, it’s hard to sell 15,000 seats, and no one likes playing to a half-full house. The building will simply have a different purpose than the Hart main gym. The expected completion date of construction is the end of 2010.   JR Briscoe Scroll Staff     With the start of the new semester, students are being redirected around the construction. Most students know what the building’s (What building?) purpose is for, but few know what it will look like inside. (If you are referring to one building, you need to reference it first. If you are talking about both, you need to make this sentence plural) Recently, staffers from the Scroll went on a tour of the new auditorium being constructed next to the John W. Hart and Hyrum Manwaring Center buildings with Rulon Nielsen The new auditorium will be able to seat up to 15,000 people at once and will feature two large screens on either side of the stage, similar to the ones used in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Different than the conference center though, images in the auditorium will be projected from behind the screens. (Are the Conference Center images project from in front? If so, put “However, the images in the auditorium will be projected from behind the screens rather than in front.”) “I think it will be exciting for us to have a place where we can all meet for devotionals and especially for graduation as well so everyone can attend,” said Lisa Jones, a sophomore studying Not only will the new building have an auditorium, but it also will have 10 basketball courts and an elevated track that students and faculty can use while other sports are taking place on the courts. The new building will use a lot of natural lighting, except in the auditorium. Campus administration and church officials decided to go with the natural lighting because it is environmentally friendly and cost effective. University officials have indicated that the building’s purpose will be restricted to more spiritual and formal purposes like Tuesday Devotionals and will not host entertainment events like rock concerts. Officials said for the majority of campus entertainment events, it’s hard to sell 15,000 seats, and no one likes playing to a half-full house. The building will simply have a different purpose than the Hart main gym. The expected completion date of construction is the end of 2010.   JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:33:48 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Manwaring-Construction-Update/BLOG/1466747/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-11-07T18:33:48Z CAMPUS GENERAL iComm Student Media   With the start of the new semester, students are being redirected around the construction. Most students know what the building’s (What building?) purpose is for, but few know what it will look like inside. (If you are referring to one building, you need to reference it first. If you are talking about both, you need to make this sentence plural) Recently, staffers from the Scroll went on a tour of the new auditorium being constructed next to the John W. Hart and Hyrum Manwaring Center buildings with Rulon Nielsen The new auditorium will be able to seat up to 15,000 people at once and will feature two large screens on either side of the stage, similar to the ones used in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Different than the conference center though, images in the auditorium will be projected from behind the screens. (Are the Conference Center images project from in front? If so, put “However, the images in the auditorium will be projected from behind the screens rather than in front.”) “I think it will be exciting for us to have a place where we can all meet for devotionals and especially for graduation as well so everyone can attend,” said Lisa Jones, a sophomore studying Not only will the new building have an auditorium, but it also will have 10 basketball courts and an elevated track that students and faculty can use while other sports are taking place on the courts. The new building will use a lot of natural lighting, except in the auditorium. Campus administration and church officials decided to go with the natural lighting because it is environmentally friendly and cost effective. University officials have indicated that the building’s purpose will be restricted to more spiritual and formal purposes like Tuesday Devotionals and will not host entertainment events like rock concerts. Officials said for the majority of campus entertainment events, it’s hard to sell 15,000 seats, and no one likes playing to a half-full house. The building will simply have a different purpose than the Hart main gym. The expected completion date of construction is the end of 2010.   JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   byui, campus, college, construction, general, gymnasium nonadult false Manwaring Construction Update text blog byui,campus,college,construction,general,gymnasium 76 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 CAMPUS / GENERAL 0 1466747 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_NonLDS-students-describe-experience-at-BYUI/BLOG/1040565/96698.html     Non–LDS students describe experience at BYU–IWhen people think of BYU–Idaho they typically think of the large LDS student population; however, what sometimes goes unnoticed is the small population of non-LDS students that attend the school. There are so few non-members that some students do not realize who they are and what they are here for. “Most people when they meet me say something along the lines of ‘I’ve never met one [non-member] on campus,” said Kelsey Shepherd a freshman studying psychology. This is Shepherds first semester at BYU–Idaho. She is one of less than 20 non–members on campus. Shepherd is currently taking the Introduction to Mormonism class, but her background with the church is minimal. “I never attended church until I came here; although, I did seminary my senior year. I go every Sunday now,” Shepherd said. Shepherd came to BYU-Idaho for a number of reasons, “My best friend attends here, I wanted something different, something out of state. It’s cheap and it seemed like a good place to be,” Shepherd said. Another Non LDS student chose BYU-I for different reasons, “I had been encouraged by coworkers to go here when I had issues with the online school I was attending. I had attended back in the 80’s, so I was aware the school had a great academic reputation,” said Rebecca El-Kher a senior studying university studies is of the Islamic faith.El-Kher has been practicing Islam since 1994 when she found she needed to make a decision for her children between Islam and Christianity, “One day my oldest came up to me and said I want to believe the way you believe and I want to believe the way dad believes. Who do I believe?” El-Kher said. “That was my moment of decision. I knew something about Islam at the time and so I began a detailed investigation.”The ratio of LDS students to Muslims is huge, but this doesn’t bother El-Kher, “Actually the LDS religion and the Islamic beliefs are not that different,” El- Kher said. “I feel just fine attending a LDS college. I know of several Muslim students who have attended BYU–I. My opinion is that instead of focusing on how we as humans are different from each other we should focus on our similarities and from common ground we can build a foundation of cooperation and understanding.”Most students respect El-Kher for her beliefs but the ones who don’t simply don’t understand what her beliefs are.“I have had a few students make remarks about Muslims in general but most of that comes from not understanding what Islam is about but in general the students have been very kind and respectful,” El-Kher said. Shepherd and El-Kher voiced no dislikes of the school; although, they willingly shared the things that they liked most about the school. “It’s a lot of fun and definitely not what I expected. I had heard that there were a lot of extreme people but so far they have all been normal and really nice,” Shepherd said.El-Kher especially approved of the schools policies, “the atmosphere, the standards the school enforces. I have heard some students grumble at the dress code and I smile because as a parent, I absolutely agree. The students are in a college not at the beach,” El-Kehr said. “The teachers, they are respectful of my beliefs.”J R Briscoe & Kaitlin Prettymanscroll staff       Non–LDS students describe experience at BYU–IWhen people think of BYU–Idaho they typically think of the large LDS student population; however, what sometimes goes unnoticed is the small population of non-LDS students that attend the school. There are so few non-members that some students do not realize who they are and what they are here for. “Most people when they meet me say something along the lines of ‘I’ve never met one [non-member] on campus,” said Kelsey Shepherd a freshman studying psychology. This is Shepherds first semester at BYU–Idaho. She is one of less than 20 non–members on campus. Shepherd is currently taking the Introduction to Mormonism class, but her background with the church is minimal. “I never attended church until I came here; although, I did seminary my senior year. I go every Sunday now,” Shepherd said. Shepherd came to BYU-Idaho for a number of reasons, “My best friend attends here, I wanted something different, something out of state. It’s cheap and it seemed like a good place to be,” Shepherd said. Another Non LDS student chose BYU-I for different reasons, “I had been encouraged by coworkers to go here when I had issues with the online school I was attending. I had attended back in the 80’s, so I was aware the school had a great academic reputation,” said Rebecca El-Kher a senior studying university studies is of the Islamic faith.El-Kher has been practicing Islam since 1994 when she found she needed to make a decision for her children between Islam and Christianity, “One day my oldest came up to me and said I want to believe the way you believe and I want to believe the way dad believes. Who do I believe?” El-Kher said. “That was my moment of decision. I knew something about Islam at the time and so I began a detailed investigation.”The ratio of LDS students to Muslims is huge, but this doesn’t bother El-Kher, “Actually the LDS religion and the Islamic beliefs are not that different,” El- Kher said. “I feel just fine attending a LDS college. I know of several Muslim students who have attended BYU–I. My opinion is that instead of focusing on how we as humans are different from each other we should focus on our similarities and from common ground we can build a foundation of cooperation and understanding.”Most students respect El-Kher for her beliefs but the ones who don’t simply don’t understand what her beliefs are.“I have had a few students make remarks about Muslims in general but most of that comes from not understanding what Islam is about but in general the students have been very kind and respectful,” El-Kher said. Shepherd and El-Kher voiced no dislikes of the school; although, they willingly shared the things that they liked most about the school. “It’s a lot of fun and definitely not what I expected. I had heard that there were a lot of extreme people but so far they have all been normal and really nice,” Shepherd said.El-Kher especially approved of the schools policies, “the atmosphere, the standards the school enforces. I have heard some students grumble at the dress code and I smile because as a parent, I absolutely agree. The students are in a college not at the beach,” El-Kehr said. “The teachers, they are respectful of my beliefs.”J R Briscoe & Kaitlin Prettymanscroll staff   Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:19:07 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_NonLDS-students-describe-experience-at-BYUI/BLOG/1040565/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-10-10T18:19:07Z CAMPUS GENERAL iComm Student Media     Non–LDS students describe experience at BYU–IWhen people think of BYU–Idaho they typically think of the large LDS student population; however, what sometimes goes unnoticed is the small population of non-LDS students that attend the school. There are so few non-members that some students do not realize who they are and what they are here for. “Most people when they meet me say something along the lines of ‘I’ve never met one [non-member] on campus,” said Kelsey Shepherd a freshman studying psychology. This is Shepherds first semester at BYU–Idaho. She is one of less than 20 non–members on campus. Shepherd is currently taking the Introduction to Mormonism class, but her background with the church is minimal. “I never attended church until I came here; although, I did seminary my senior year. I go every Sunday now,” Shepherd said. Shepherd came to BYU-Idaho for a number of reasons, “My best friend attends here, I wanted something different, something out of state. It’s cheap and it seemed like a good place to be,” Shepherd said. Another Non LDS student chose BYU-I for different reasons, “I had been encouraged by coworkers to go here when I had issues with the online school I was attending. I had attended back in the 80’s, so I was aware the school had a great academic reputation,” said Rebecca El-Kher a senior studying university studies is of the Islamic faith.El-Kher has been practicing Islam since 1994 when she found she needed to make a decision for her children between Islam and Christianity, “One day my oldest came up to me and said I want to believe the way you believe and I want to believe the way dad believes. Who do I believe?” El-Kher said. “That was my moment of decision. I knew something about Islam at the time and so I began a detailed investigation.”The ratio of LDS students to Muslims is huge, but this doesn’t bother El-Kher, “Actually the LDS religion and the Islamic beliefs are not that different,” El- Kher said. “I feel just fine attending a LDS college. I know of several Muslim students who have attended BYU–I. My opinion is that instead of focusing on how we as humans are different from each other we should focus on our similarities and from common ground we can build a foundation of cooperation and understanding.”Most students respect El-Kher for her beliefs but the ones who don’t simply don’t understand what her beliefs are.“I have had a few students make remarks about Muslims in general but most of that comes from not understanding what Islam is about but in general the students have been very kind and respectful,” El-Kher said. Shepherd and El-Kher voiced no dislikes of the school; although, they willingly shared the things that they liked most about the school. “It’s a lot of fun and definitely not what I expected. I had heard that there were a lot of extreme people but so far they have all been normal and really nice,” Shepherd said.El-Kher especially approved of the schools policies, “the atmosphere, the standards the school enforces. I have heard some students grumble at the dress code and I smile because as a parent, I absolutely agree. The students are in a college not at the beach,” El-Kehr said. “The teachers, they are respectful of my beliefs.”J R Briscoe & Kaitlin Prettymanscroll staff   campus, college, Community, general, kaitlin, kprettym, lds, non-members, prettyman, school nonadult false Non–LDS students describe experience at BYU–I text blog campus,college,Community,general,kaitlin,kprettym,lds,non-members,prettyman,school 154 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 CAMPUS / GENERAL 0 1040565 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Local-resident-convicted-of-child-abuse-sentenced/BLOG/436649/96698.html   Kurt Daniel Gum, 26, of Rexburg, Idaho, was sentenced two to seven years and fined $1,500 last Wednesday for child abuse that occurred while living in University Village which is housing owned by BYU­–Idaho.   Gum was arrested for two felony counts of injury to a child. The Rexburg Police Department was notified by a medical employee April 4 that Gum’s one-month-old baby had injuries that are appeared to be the result of child abuse. Gum had no criminal record prior to the incident.   The Police department launched an investigation which led to Gum’s arrest on April 6. They determined that sometime between February and April, Gum had slammed his one-month-old son’s head into a doorjamb and onto the arm of a worn-down couch, causing skull fractures and bruises.   Even after the harm Gum had caused on his son, his wife, Jessica Gum, stated she believes he is not a bad man and that she will continue to stand by him.   In an effort to avoid prison, Gum plead guilty using the Alford plea, meaning Gum will maintain his innocence but knows that if his case goes to trial he will likely be convicted based on the evidence and proof provided.   However, Judge Darren B. Simpson stated he didn't believe Gum was accepting full responsibility of the situation by using the Alford plea and even stated that he neither observed nor heard apology during court toward Gum’s child and wife. The court decided to keep jurisdiction between 120 and 180 days during which Gum will be in the Cottonwood Program, which is designed to help first time offenders. Judge Simpson ordered Gum to take anger management, parenting classes and mental health evaluations while in the Cottonwood Program. Upon completion of the program Judge Simpson will hold a hearing to determine if Gum is eligible for probation.   Rexburg is not known to have many child abuse cases, however, it is a growing concern for law enforcement. It is estimated that out of 100 abuse cases that occur in Madison County 25 percent were of child abuse and 75 percent were of child neglect.   Students may remember from last April a field of pinwheels that were along the side of Madison Junior High School. Each pinwheel represented two children that were born within Madison County last year and were to bring awareness to Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Madison County Community had sponsored the pinwheels.   “I feel kind of shocked; generally the people I have met or known who live in on campus housing are generally good people. I hate to say it but I would expect to hear about it somewhere else, but not here, not on campus,” said Robert Angell, a senior at BYU–I. Students are under high stress during the school year. However, if they need help they can contact the Counseling Center, their bishop, or even talk to a professor they trust. Students suspecting abuse of any kind may report it at 496-1100. All calls are anonymous. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff     Kurt Daniel Gum, 26, of Rexburg, Idaho, was sentenced two to seven years and fined $1,500 last Wednesday for child abuse that occurred while living in University Village which is housing owned by BYU­–Idaho.   Gum was arrested for two felony counts of injury to a child. The Rexburg Police Department was notified by a medical employee April 4 that Gum’s one-month-old baby had injuries that are appeared to be the result of child abuse. Gum had no criminal record prior to the incident.   The Police department launched an investigation which led to Gum’s arrest on April 6. They determined that sometime between February and April, Gum had slammed his one-month-old son’s head into a doorjamb and onto the arm of a worn-down couch, causing skull fractures and bruises.   Even after the harm Gum had caused on his son, his wife, Jessica Gum, stated she believes he is not a bad man and that she will continue to stand by him.   In an effort to avoid prison, Gum plead guilty using the Alford plea, meaning Gum will maintain his innocence but knows that if his case goes to trial he will likely be convicted based on the evidence and proof provided.   However, Judge Darren B. Simpson stated he didn't believe Gum was accepting full responsibility of the situation by using the Alford plea and even stated that he neither observed nor heard apology during court toward Gum’s child and wife. The court decided to keep jurisdiction between 120 and 180 days during which Gum will be in the Cottonwood Program, which is designed to help first time offenders. Judge Simpson ordered Gum to take anger management, parenting classes and mental health evaluations while in the Cottonwood Program. Upon completion of the program Judge Simpson will hold a hearing to determine if Gum is eligible for probation.   Rexburg is not known to have many child abuse cases, however, it is a growing concern for law enforcement. It is estimated that out of 100 abuse cases that occur in Madison County 25 percent were of child abuse and 75 percent were of child neglect.   Students may remember from last April a field of pinwheels that were along the side of Madison Junior High School. Each pinwheel represented two children that were born within Madison County last year and were to bring awareness to Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Madison County Community had sponsored the pinwheels.   “I feel kind of shocked; generally the people I have met or known who live in on campus housing are generally good people. I hate to say it but I would expect to hear about it somewhere else, but not here, not on campus,” said Robert Angell, a senior at BYU–I. Students are under high stress during the school year. However, if they need help they can contact the Counseling Center, their bishop, or even talk to a professor they trust. Students suspecting abuse of any kind may report it at 496-1100. All calls are anonymous. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:38:08 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Local-resident-convicted-of-child-abuse-sentenced/BLOG/436649/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-07-14T20:38:08Z NEWS GENERAL iComm Student Media   Kurt Daniel Gum, 26, of Rexburg, Idaho, was sentenced two to seven years and fined $1,500 last Wednesday for child abuse that occurred while living in University Village which is housing owned by BYU­–Idaho.   Gum was arrested for two felony counts of injury to a child. The Rexburg Police Department was notified by a medical employee April 4 that Gum’s one-month-old baby had injuries that are appeared to be the result of child abuse. Gum had no criminal record prior to the incident.   The Police department launched an investigation which led to Gum’s arrest on April 6. They determined that sometime between February and April, Gum had slammed his one-month-old son’s head into a doorjamb and onto the arm of a worn-down couch, causing skull fractures and bruises.   Even after the harm Gum had caused on his son, his wife, Jessica Gum, stated she believes he is not a bad man and that she will continue to stand by him.   In an effort to avoid prison, Gum plead guilty using the Alford plea, meaning Gum will maintain his innocence but knows that if his case goes to trial he will likely be convicted based on the evidence and proof provided.   However, Judge Darren B. Simpson stated he didn't believe Gum was accepting full responsibility of the situation by using the Alford plea and even stated that he neither observed nor heard apology during court toward Gum’s child and wife. The court decided to keep jurisdiction between 120 and 180 days during which Gum will be in the Cottonwood Program, which is designed to help first time offenders. Judge Simpson ordered Gum to take anger management, parenting classes and mental health evaluations while in the Cottonwood Program. Upon completion of the program Judge Simpson will hold a hearing to determine if Gum is eligible for probation.   Rexburg is not known to have many child abuse cases, however, it is a growing concern for law enforcement. It is estimated that out of 100 abuse cases that occur in Madison County 25 percent were of child abuse and 75 percent were of child neglect.   Students may remember from last April a field of pinwheels that were along the side of Madison Junior High School. Each pinwheel represented two children that were born within Madison County last year and were to bring awareness to Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Madison County Community had sponsored the pinwheels.   “I feel kind of shocked; generally the people I have met or known who live in on campus housing are generally good people. I hate to say it but I would expect to hear about it somewhere else, but not here, not on campus,” said Robert Angell, a senior at BYU–I. Students are under high stress during the school year. However, if they need help they can contact the Counseling Center, their bishop, or even talk to a professor they trust. Students suspecting abuse of any kind may report it at 496-1100. All calls are anonymous. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   byu-idaho, child abuse, counseling, general, news, police, prison, safety nonadult false Local resident convicted of child abuse sentenced text blog byu-idaho,child abuse,counseling,general,news,police,prison,safety 59 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 NEWS / GENERAL 0 436649 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_BYU-Idaho-Student-Involved-in-Hit-and-Run-Accident/BLOG/436639/96698.html   Last Monday at about 4 p.m. a hit-and-run occurred at the Seventh South and Center Street crosswalk. A student was hit while crossing and sustained minor injuries. Marissa Mars from Akron, Ohio, was jogging that afternoon. “As I was running up the street and there was a car that had stopped for me, I didn’t want them to stop and wait so I waved for them to go ahead,” said Mars. “I started running after that, and there was a guy in a pickup on his cell phone. He rolled through the stop sign and hit me.” Mars was knocked back and regained balance. As she was getting off the street to see if she was hurt she turned back to see the pickup drive away. “I was shocked and surprised. My first thought was ‘I got hit by a truck, am I OK?’ I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I didn’t get his plate number and at first I thought about how I was okay. But as I continued running I was starting to hurt from cramps in my ribs [where I was hit],” said Mars. Mars decided to go to the Rexburg police to file a report on the incident. This incident doesn’t come as a surprise in the Rexburg area. Last October an accident occurred at Second West and Third South that took the life of 72 year-old Deloris Stanton and left 52 year-old Bonnie Warne in critical condition. The previous month in the exact same crosswalk a BYU–Idaho student was struck and killed while using the crosswalk. “We get complaints fairly frequent on motorists not stopping and about joggers and pedestrians not yielding to cars. Often we have problems with joggers and bikers and it’s unfair to a motorist who is about to cross [an intersection] and then next thing you know the biker or jogger is in front of you,” said Captain Randy Lewis of the Rexburg Police Department. All that is known of the driver who hit Mars is that he is male driving a white pickup. “The driver should have stopped and made sure the person was okay,” Lewis said. “The safest bet for anyone that is in an accident is [to] stay there and wait until we come to talk to you.” Idaho laws state that a pedestrian using the crosswalk cannot suddenly leave the curb. In other words, pedestrians should only use crosswalks and should not run out in front of a car for obvious reasons. As for Mars, she sustained only bruises but considers herself lucky. “I lived in Chicago for while and there are cars everywhere there and you can’t expect them to stop for you,” said Mars. “Here I thought it would be different but it isn’t. Less cars, same danger. However, if I got hit again I would make sure the motorist knew he hit me. It would be safe just in case I was seriously injured and didn’t realize it until later.” JR Briscoe Scroll Staff     Last Monday at about 4 p.m. a hit-and-run occurred at the Seventh South and Center Street crosswalk. A student was hit while crossing and sustained minor injuries. Marissa Mars from Akron, Ohio, was jogging that afternoon. “As I was running up the street and there was a car that had stopped for me, I didn’t want them to stop and wait so I waved for them to go ahead,” said Mars. “I started running after that, and there was a guy in a pickup on his cell phone. He rolled through the stop sign and hit me.” Mars was knocked back and regained balance. As she was getting off the street to see if she was hurt she turned back to see the pickup drive away. “I was shocked and surprised. My first thought was ‘I got hit by a truck, am I OK?’ I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I didn’t get his plate number and at first I thought about how I was okay. But as I continued running I was starting to hurt from cramps in my ribs [where I was hit],” said Mars. Mars decided to go to the Rexburg police to file a report on the incident. This incident doesn’t come as a surprise in the Rexburg area. Last October an accident occurred at Second West and Third South that took the life of 72 year-old Deloris Stanton and left 52 year-old Bonnie Warne in critical condition. The previous month in the exact same crosswalk a BYU–Idaho student was struck and killed while using the crosswalk. “We get complaints fairly frequent on motorists not stopping and about joggers and pedestrians not yielding to cars. Often we have problems with joggers and bikers and it’s unfair to a motorist who is about to cross [an intersection] and then next thing you know the biker or jogger is in front of you,” said Captain Randy Lewis of the Rexburg Police Department. All that is known of the driver who hit Mars is that he is male driving a white pickup. “The driver should have stopped and made sure the person was okay,” Lewis said. “The safest bet for anyone that is in an accident is [to] stay there and wait until we come to talk to you.” Idaho laws state that a pedestrian using the crosswalk cannot suddenly leave the curb. In other words, pedestrians should only use crosswalks and should not run out in front of a car for obvious reasons. As for Mars, she sustained only bruises but considers herself lucky. “I lived in Chicago for while and there are cars everywhere there and you can’t expect them to stop for you,” said Mars. “Here I thought it would be different but it isn’t. Less cars, same danger. However, if I got hit again I would make sure the motorist knew he hit me. It would be safe just in case I was seriously injured and didn’t realize it until later.” JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:34:33 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_BYU-Idaho-Student-Involved-in-Hit-and-Run-Accident/BLOG/436639/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-07-14T20:34:33Z NEWS GENERAL iComm Student Media   Last Monday at about 4 p.m. a hit-and-run occurred at the Seventh South and Center Street crosswalk. A student was hit while crossing and sustained minor injuries. Marissa Mars from Akron, Ohio, was jogging that afternoon. “As I was running up the street and there was a car that had stopped for me, I didn’t want them to stop and wait so I waved for them to go ahead,” said Mars. “I started running after that, and there was a guy in a pickup on his cell phone. He rolled through the stop sign and hit me.” Mars was knocked back and regained balance. As she was getting off the street to see if she was hurt she turned back to see the pickup drive away. “I was shocked and surprised. My first thought was ‘I got hit by a truck, am I OK?’ I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I didn’t get his plate number and at first I thought about how I was okay. But as I continued running I was starting to hurt from cramps in my ribs [where I was hit],” said Mars. Mars decided to go to the Rexburg police to file a report on the incident. This incident doesn’t come as a surprise in the Rexburg area. Last October an accident occurred at Second West and Third South that took the life of 72 year-old Deloris Stanton and left 52 year-old Bonnie Warne in critical condition. The previous month in the exact same crosswalk a BYU–Idaho student was struck and killed while using the crosswalk. “We get complaints fairly frequent on motorists not stopping and about joggers and pedestrians not yielding to cars. Often we have problems with joggers and bikers and it’s unfair to a motorist who is about to cross [an intersection] and then next thing you know the biker or jogger is in front of you,” said Captain Randy Lewis of the Rexburg Police Department. All that is known of the driver who hit Mars is that he is male driving a white pickup. “The driver should have stopped and made sure the person was okay,” Lewis said. “The safest bet for anyone that is in an accident is [to] stay there and wait until we come to talk to you.” Idaho laws state that a pedestrian using the crosswalk cannot suddenly leave the curb. In other words, pedestrians should only use crosswalks and should not run out in front of a car for obvious reasons. As for Mars, she sustained only bruises but considers herself lucky. “I lived in Chicago for while and there are cars everywhere there and you can’t expect them to stop for you,” said Mars. “Here I thought it would be different but it isn’t. Less cars, same danger. However, if I got hit again I would make sure the motorist knew he hit me. It would be safe just in case I was seriously injured and didn’t realize it until later.” JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   byu-idaho, college, crosswalk, general, hospital, jogging, mp3, news, police, safety, school, vehicle nonadult false BYU-Idaho Student Involved in Hit and Run Accident text blog byu-idaho,college,crosswalk,general,hospital,jogging,mp3,news,police,safety,school,vehicle 44 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 NEWS / GENERAL 0 436639 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Arson-Investigation-Continues/BLOG/414710/96698.html  A series of fires that were set ablaze in southeastern Idaho in 2008 are still being investigated by Idaho officials and are seeking out those who started them.            Last summer, fires that were suspected to be caused by arsons burned thousands of acres which cost the taxpayers millions of dollars to prevent and stop the fires. These fires individually burned between 10 to 10,000 acres but in the past there are wildfires started by accident or on purpose that have had more devastation then last year.In 1998 Yellowstone National Park had about 1.2 million acres of land were scorched in the park and 793,000 acres burned as a result of the fires. Most of the 51  fires were naturally started but 9 of the fires were actually started by visitors to the park.Two years ago dozens of people ordered to evacuate from two small central Idaho towns as fires burned close to their homes.Idaho Officials want to prevent any repeat like this at all. This is why The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) launched a join taskforce with the Power County Sheriff’s Office and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to investigate these fires while offering  a reward of $5,000 to anyone who has any information.In Idaho, being charged with a third-degree arson is a maximum of ten years in prison with fines that could be up to $50,000 while federal charges could add up to an additional 5 years and the felon would be fined for the entire cost of putting out the fire.According to a release from BLM, investigating these fires are a high priority as they cite keeping the community secure and safe from such incidents. The BLM investigates all human caused fires especially when there is evidence that the fires may have been intentionally set according to the BLM.In 2001 the United States Fire Administration released a study finding that Arson is the leading cause of fires (267,000 annually) in the United States and is the second leading cause of deaths with 50 percent of all fires occurring outdoors.Half of all arrests are juveniles and because of this the BLM is hoping that whoever started the fires may have bragged about their deeds to friends or family.One common occurrence that causes many wildfires is camping. Campfires are known to emit sparks and burning embers. Because of the dry arid climate, Idaho is very susceptible to fires accidentally started by recreational campfires.The best thing to do is to watch the fire and make sure you have a bucket of water and shovel ready should the fire get out of hand or spread when it shouldn’t. JR BriscoeScroll Staff  A series of fires that were set ablaze in southeastern Idaho in 2008 are still being investigated by Idaho officials and are seeking out those who started them.            Last summer, fires that were suspected to be caused by arsons burned thousands of acres which cost the taxpayers millions of dollars to prevent and stop the fires. These fires individually burned between 10 to 10,000 acres but in the past there are wildfires started by accident or on purpose that have had more devastation then last year.In 1998 Yellowstone National Park had about 1.2 million acres of land were scorched in the park and 793,000 acres burned as a result of the fires. Most of the 51  fires were naturally started but 9 of the fires were actually started by visitors to the park.Two years ago dozens of people ordered to evacuate from two small central Idaho towns as fires burned close to their homes.Idaho Officials want to prevent any repeat like this at all. This is why The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) launched a join taskforce with the Power County Sheriff’s Office and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to investigate these fires while offering  a reward of $5,000 to anyone who has any information.In Idaho, being charged with a third-degree arson is a maximum of ten years in prison with fines that could be up to $50,000 while federal charges could add up to an additional 5 years and the felon would be fined for the entire cost of putting out the fire.According to a release from BLM, investigating these fires are a high priority as they cite keeping the community secure and safe from such incidents. The BLM investigates all human caused fires especially when there is evidence that the fires may have been intentionally set according to the BLM.In 2001 the United States Fire Administration released a study finding that Arson is the leading cause of fires (267,000 annually) in the United States and is the second leading cause of deaths with 50 percent of all fires occurring outdoors.Half of all arrests are juveniles and because of this the BLM is hoping that whoever started the fires may have bragged about their deeds to friends or family.One common occurrence that causes many wildfires is camping. Campfires are known to emit sparks and burning embers. Because of the dry arid climate, Idaho is very susceptible to fires accidentally started by recreational campfires.The best thing to do is to watch the fire and make sure you have a bucket of water and shovel ready should the fire get out of hand or spread when it shouldn’t. JR BriscoeScroll Staff Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:24:15 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Arson-Investigation-Continues/BLOG/414710/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-06-30T22:24:15Z NEWS GENERAL iComm Student Media  A series of fires that were set ablaze in southeastern Idaho in 2008 are still being investigated by Idaho officials and are seeking out those who started them.            Last summer, fires that were suspected to be caused by arsons burned thousands of acres which cost the taxpayers millions of dollars to prevent and stop the fires. These fires individually burned between 10 to 10,000 acres but in the past there are wildfires started by accident or on purpose that have had more devastation then last year.In 1998 Yellowstone National Park had about 1.2 million acres of land were scorched in the park and 793,000 acres burned as a result of the fires. Most of the 51  fires were naturally started but 9 of the fires were actually started by visitors to the park.Two years ago dozens of people ordered to evacuate from two small central Idaho towns as fires burned close to their homes.Idaho Officials want to prevent any repeat like this at all. This is why The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) launched a join taskforce with the Power County Sheriff’s Office and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to investigate these fires while offering  a reward of $5,000 to anyone who has any information.In Idaho, being charged with a third-degree arson is a maximum of ten years in prison with fines that could be up to $50,000 while federal charges could add up to an additional 5 years and the felon would be fined for the entire cost of putting out the fire.According to a release from BLM, investigating these fires are a high priority as they cite keeping the community secure and safe from such incidents. The BLM investigates all human caused fires especially when there is evidence that the fires may have been intentionally set according to the BLM.In 2001 the United States Fire Administration released a study finding that Arson is the leading cause of fires (267,000 annually) in the United States and is the second leading cause of deaths with 50 percent of all fires occurring outdoors.Half of all arrests are juveniles and because of this the BLM is hoping that whoever started the fires may have bragged about their deeds to friends or family.One common occurrence that causes many wildfires is camping. Campfires are known to emit sparks and burning embers. Because of the dry arid climate, Idaho is very susceptible to fires accidentally started by recreational campfires.The best thing to do is to watch the fire and make sure you have a bucket of water and shovel ready should the fire get out of hand or spread when it shouldn’t. JR BriscoeScroll Staff arson, college, fire, firefigthers, general, matches, news, safety, students, weather nonadult false Arson Investigation Continues text blog arson,college,fire,firefigthers,general,matches,news,safety,students,weather 44 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 NEWS / GENERAL 0 414710 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Meth-Bust/BLOG/341564/96698.html   On May 22 a routine traffic stop on Highway 20, which began as a speeding violation ended in the arrests of two male individuals on felony charges of methamphetamine.             This is the latest arrest resulting from increased awareness and patrolling by the Rexburg Police Department in hopes of preventing further drug trafficking and distribution. The Rexburg Police have been training Drug Recognition Enforcement or D.R.E. officers to help the local police in identifying if someone is under the influence of drugs.             “The D.R.E. Officers’ specialization is being able to talk to people and look for clues if these individuals are on narcotics or habituates. Because of the training these officers have received they are more alert to individuals who have the tell tale signs who are under the influence and are making more traffic stops,” said Captain Randy Lewis, of the Rexburg Police Department.             Out of all the arrests that Rexburg police make, 85 percent of them are on Highway 20 dealing with narcotics.             “Highway 20 is a big problem where individuals are carrying drugs,” said Lewis. “I do not believe that Rexburg is pit stop for drug runners or drug dealers. Is it being transported? Yes but again it is not a main stop to distribute drugs,” said Lewis.             Many BYU—Idaho are concerned as they have the perception that they will be pulled over based on their license places or that they are college students. This is not the case here in Rexburg.             “We don’t participate in that sort of enforcement. We do not discriminate on where they are from or who they are. The reason we stop people is they are violating some traffic law. We will run checks on license plates to see if there is a past history before we will pull anyone over if they are not breaking the law, but we will not pull anyone over for no reason,” said Lewis.             The Rexburg police had much praise to give the students here at BYU—Idaho because of the standards that are emphasized.             “With the thousands of students that come here we do not have the problems other communities have because of the standards that are emphasized there. Our biggest problem probably with BYU Idaho students is either shoplifting or alcohol,” said Lewis. “We are not your typical college town where you would expect to see lots of underage drinking and drug use from the students. There are incidents but they are few and far in between. Is it going on yes, the students that we get in here that we deal with are not bringing the stuff in to sell with. They are mostly using and bringing.” JR Briscoe scroll Staff     On May 22 a routine traffic stop on Highway 20, which began as a speeding violation ended in the arrests of two male individuals on felony charges of methamphetamine.             This is the latest arrest resulting from increased awareness and patrolling by the Rexburg Police Department in hopes of preventing further drug trafficking and distribution. The Rexburg Police have been training Drug Recognition Enforcement or D.R.E. officers to help the local police in identifying if someone is under the influence of drugs.             “The D.R.E. Officers’ specialization is being able to talk to people and look for clues if these individuals are on narcotics or habituates. Because of the training these officers have received they are more alert to individuals who have the tell tale signs who are under the influence and are making more traffic stops,” said Captain Randy Lewis, of the Rexburg Police Department.             Out of all the arrests that Rexburg police make, 85 percent of them are on Highway 20 dealing with narcotics.             “Highway 20 is a big problem where individuals are carrying drugs,” said Lewis. “I do not believe that Rexburg is pit stop for drug runners or drug dealers. Is it being transported? Yes but again it is not a main stop to distribute drugs,” said Lewis.             Many BYU—Idaho are concerned as they have the perception that they will be pulled over based on their license places or that they are college students. This is not the case here in Rexburg.             “We don’t participate in that sort of enforcement. We do not discriminate on where they are from or who they are. The reason we stop people is they are violating some traffic law. We will run checks on license plates to see if there is a past history before we will pull anyone over if they are not breaking the law, but we will not pull anyone over for no reason,” said Lewis.             The Rexburg police had much praise to give the students here at BYU—Idaho because of the standards that are emphasized.             “With the thousands of students that come here we do not have the problems other communities have because of the standards that are emphasized there. Our biggest problem probably with BYU Idaho students is either shoplifting or alcohol,” said Lewis. “We are not your typical college town where you would expect to see lots of underage drinking and drug use from the students. There are incidents but they are few and far in between. Is it going on yes, the students that we get in here that we deal with are not bringing the stuff in to sell with. They are mostly using and bringing.” JR Briscoe scroll Staff   Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:22:28 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Meth-Bust/BLOG/341564/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-06-09T22:22:28Z NEWS GENERAL iComm Student Media   On May 22 a routine traffic stop on Highway 20, which began as a speeding violation ended in the arrests of two male individuals on felony charges of methamphetamine.             This is the latest arrest resulting from increased awareness and patrolling by the Rexburg Police Department in hopes of preventing further drug trafficking and distribution. The Rexburg Police have been training Drug Recognition Enforcement or D.R.E. officers to help the local police in identifying if someone is under the influence of drugs.             “The D.R.E. Officers’ specialization is being able to talk to people and look for clues if these individuals are on narcotics or habituates. Because of the training these officers have received they are more alert to individuals who have the tell tale signs who are under the influence and are making more traffic stops,” said Captain Randy Lewis, of the Rexburg Police Department.             Out of all the arrests that Rexburg police make, 85 percent of them are on Highway 20 dealing with narcotics.             “Highway 20 is a big problem where individuals are carrying drugs,” said Lewis. “I do not believe that Rexburg is pit stop for drug runners or drug dealers. Is it being transported? Yes but again it is not a main stop to distribute drugs,” said Lewis.             Many BYU—Idaho are concerned as they have the perception that they will be pulled over based on their license places or that they are college students. This is not the case here in Rexburg.             “We don’t participate in that sort of enforcement. We do not discriminate on where they are from or who they are. The reason we stop people is they are violating some traffic law. We will run checks on license plates to see if there is a past history before we will pull anyone over if they are not breaking the law, but we will not pull anyone over for no reason,” said Lewis.             The Rexburg police had much praise to give the students here at BYU—Idaho because of the standards that are emphasized.             “With the thousands of students that come here we do not have the problems other communities have because of the standards that are emphasized there. Our biggest problem probably with BYU Idaho students is either shoplifting or alcohol,” said Lewis. “We are not your typical college town where you would expect to see lots of underage drinking and drug use from the students. There are incidents but they are few and far in between. Is it going on yes, the students that we get in here that we deal with are not bringing the stuff in to sell with. They are mostly using and bringing.” JR Briscoe scroll Staff   arrest, byu-idaho, campus, car, college, general, highway, news, police, rexburg, road, students nonadult false Meth Bust text blog arrest,byu-idaho,campus,car,college,general,highway,news,police,rexburg,road,students 61 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 NEWS / GENERAL 0 341564 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Two-State-Solution/BLOG/299491/96698.html   The world has been watching the conflict between Palestine and Israel for many years waiting for a solution. The solution that is the most discussed recently is the two-state solution. Recently President Obama met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last to discuss the two-state solution and the benefits of implementing it. The Prime Minister refused to say he was ready to negotiate the two-state solution however stated that Israel did not want to govern the Palestinians and wanted to live in peace with them, according to the Associated Press. Many want to know why the Prime Minister was not accepting of the two-state solution.             The two-state solution is a policy where Israel would give land to Palestine and declare it an internationally recognized nation. If Israel does this, then the Arab world would recognize that Israel as a legitimate nation.             “The conflict [between Israel and Pakistan] has been around for 60 years and only until eight years ago did the conflict between Israel and Palestine begin,” said Matthew Whoolery, psychology professor at BYU–Idaho who lived and taught at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, for three years.  “When Israel was created there were feelings of animosity as Israel took the land from the Palestinians and declared it theirs even though it belonged to Palestine,” Whoolery said.             The two-state solution could benefit both parties and bring peace to a troubled land. The issue runs deeper, however, for most Arabs in the Middle East.             “Most Arabs believe that the whole existence of the state of Israel is unfair. From our view [the people] think that the whole thing is unfair for Palestine and taking their country away,” said Khaled Rashad from Vancouver, Canada, who was born and lived in Egypt for 24 years.” “When you have such feelings, any practical solutions that are offered now would be really satisfying for you,” Rashad said.             The solution may be a start to peace talks and treaties, yet one question remains on the minds of both sides: How the land will be evenly distributed is a main concern.             “The two-state solution is unfair for Arabs because you are acknowledging taking their land. It won’t be two equal states; they will not have the stronger army or economy. No matter what, it will never really be equal. I know most Americans see Hamas as terrorists, but at a certain point Palestine elected in democratic elections, yet the U.S. didn’t approve it. So we felt that democracy was only for Americans,” Rashad said.             The issue of ownership of the land runs deep for Palestine. Before Israel was declared a state and took ownership of all the land, Palestine had owned that land and farmed and worked off of it. Taking ownership of this land displaced most of the Palestinians from the good farming and water areas and into the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. This makes the two-state solution even more complicated.             “One reason is because Israelis have settled on Palestinian land on the West Bank that has the water and the best land. Israel has turned their eyes away from it and allowed these Israeli settlers take that land. The problem is, during the peace process what do you do with that land? The settlers are extremists and this makes the Israeli government nervous about what to do with this,” Whoolery said.             Although this may be going on in another land many wonder how this is affecting America and why Americans should even care about it.             “America would benefit from the two-state solution because we would engender good feelings in the Arab world if we took a stronger position in helping both states. I think it is something our government is working on and I am hoping it will work out,” Whoolery said. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff     The world has been watching the conflict between Palestine and Israel for many years waiting for a solution. The solution that is the most discussed recently is the two-state solution. Recently President Obama met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last to discuss the two-state solution and the benefits of implementing it. The Prime Minister refused to say he was ready to negotiate the two-state solution however stated that Israel did not want to govern the Palestinians and wanted to live in peace with them, according to the Associated Press. Many want to know why the Prime Minister was not accepting of the two-state solution.             The two-state solution is a policy where Israel would give land to Palestine and declare it an internationally recognized nation. If Israel does this, then the Arab world would recognize that Israel as a legitimate nation.             “The conflict [between Israel and Pakistan] has been around for 60 years and only until eight years ago did the conflict between Israel and Palestine begin,” said Matthew Whoolery, psychology professor at BYU–Idaho who lived and taught at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, for three years.  “When Israel was created there were feelings of animosity as Israel took the land from the Palestinians and declared it theirs even though it belonged to Palestine,” Whoolery said.             The two-state solution could benefit both parties and bring peace to a troubled land. The issue runs deeper, however, for most Arabs in the Middle East.             “Most Arabs believe that the whole existence of the state of Israel is unfair. From our view [the people] think that the whole thing is unfair for Palestine and taking their country away,” said Khaled Rashad from Vancouver, Canada, who was born and lived in Egypt for 24 years.” “When you have such feelings, any practical solutions that are offered now would be really satisfying for you,” Rashad said.             The solution may be a start to peace talks and treaties, yet one question remains on the minds of both sides: How the land will be evenly distributed is a main concern.             “The two-state solution is unfair for Arabs because you are acknowledging taking their land. It won’t be two equal states; they will not have the stronger army or economy. No matter what, it will never really be equal. I know most Americans see Hamas as terrorists, but at a certain point Palestine elected in democratic elections, yet the U.S. didn’t approve it. So we felt that democracy was only for Americans,” Rashad said.             The issue of ownership of the land runs deep for Palestine. Before Israel was declared a state and took ownership of all the land, Palestine had owned that land and farmed and worked off of it. Taking ownership of this land displaced most of the Palestinians from the good farming and water areas and into the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. This makes the two-state solution even more complicated.             “One reason is because Israelis have settled on Palestinian land on the West Bank that has the water and the best land. Israel has turned their eyes away from it and allowed these Israeli settlers take that land. The problem is, during the peace process what do you do with that land? The settlers are extremists and this makes the Israeli government nervous about what to do with this,” Whoolery said.             Although this may be going on in another land many wonder how this is affecting America and why Americans should even care about it.             “America would benefit from the two-state solution because we would engender good feelings in the Arab world if we took a stronger position in helping both states. I think it is something our government is working on and I am hoping it will work out,” Whoolery said. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:57:56 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Two-State-Solution/BLOG/299491/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-06-02T20:57:56Z NEWS GENERAL iComm Student Media   The world has been watching the conflict between Palestine and Israel for many years waiting for a solution. The solution that is the most discussed recently is the two-state solution. Recently President Obama met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last to discuss the two-state solution and the benefits of implementing it. The Prime Minister refused to say he was ready to negotiate the two-state solution however stated that Israel did not want to govern the Palestinians and wanted to live in peace with them, according to the Associated Press. Many want to know why the Prime Minister was not accepting of the two-state solution.             The two-state solution is a policy where Israel would give land to Palestine and declare it an internationally recognized nation. If Israel does this, then the Arab world would recognize that Israel as a legitimate nation.             “The conflict [between Israel and Pakistan] has been around for 60 years and only until eight years ago did the conflict between Israel and Palestine begin,” said Matthew Whoolery, psychology professor at BYU–Idaho who lived and taught at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, for three years.  “When Israel was created there were feelings of animosity as Israel took the land from the Palestinians and declared it theirs even though it belonged to Palestine,” Whoolery said.             The two-state solution could benefit both parties and bring peace to a troubled land. The issue runs deeper, however, for most Arabs in the Middle East.             “Most Arabs believe that the whole existence of the state of Israel is unfair. From our view [the people] think that the whole thing is unfair for Palestine and taking their country away,” said Khaled Rashad from Vancouver, Canada, who was born and lived in Egypt for 24 years.” “When you have such feelings, any practical solutions that are offered now would be really satisfying for you,” Rashad said.             The solution may be a start to peace talks and treaties, yet one question remains on the minds of both sides: How the land will be evenly distributed is a main concern.             “The two-state solution is unfair for Arabs because you are acknowledging taking their land. It won’t be two equal states; they will not have the stronger army or economy. No matter what, it will never really be equal. I know most Americans see Hamas as terrorists, but at a certain point Palestine elected in democratic elections, yet the U.S. didn’t approve it. So we felt that democracy was only for Americans,” Rashad said.             The issue of ownership of the land runs deep for Palestine. Before Israel was declared a state and took ownership of all the land, Palestine had owned that land and farmed and worked off of it. Taking ownership of this land displaced most of the Palestinians from the good farming and water areas and into the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. This makes the two-state solution even more complicated.             “One reason is because Israelis have settled on Palestinian land on the West Bank that has the water and the best land. Israel has turned their eyes away from it and allowed these Israeli settlers take that land. The problem is, during the peace process what do you do with that land? The settlers are extremists and this makes the Israeli government nervous about what to do with this,” Whoolery said.             Although this may be going on in another land many wonder how this is affecting America and why Americans should even care about it.             “America would benefit from the two-state solution because we would engender good feelings in the Arab world if we took a stronger position in helping both states. I think it is something our government is working on and I am hoping it will work out,” Whoolery said. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   byu-idaho, college, general, israel, middle east, negotiations, news, obama, palestine, peace, students, two-state nonadult false Two State Solution text blog byu-idaho,college,general,israel,middle east,negotiations,news,obama,palestine,peace,students,two-state 23 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 NEWS / GENERAL 0 299491 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Wind-causes-havoc-in-Rexburg/BLOG/287947/96698.html   Last Wednesday a powerful windstorm swept through southeastern Idaho, causing property damage, downed power lines, and even temporarily shutting down highways and interstates. The Rexburg area had sustained winds over 40 mph with gusts over 61 mph. Idaho. In the past few weeks the Rexburg area has seen more than its fair share of high winds and many residents wonder why so much wind in such little time. “The jet stream lately has been right over the southeastern Idaho area. The moment from the strong wind from the jet steam is carried down to the earth’s surface and since the Snake River Valley is very flat there is less friction to slow the wind down. This is what has been causing these windstorms,” said Chief Meteorologist Jamie Kagol, of KIFI Local News 8. The wind gusts experienced Wednesday were Tropical Storm Force winds. For winds to reach this category they have to be at least 58 mph. Idaho falls had wind gusts over 62 mph and the destruction was clearly seen afterwards. Trees were blown over as well as branches, an elevator system to a grain silo was blown over as well as a Madison County Deputy reported visibility was low and power lines were down. Some BYU Idaho students have never seen storms like this before and wonder how often this happens here during the summer months in Rexburg. “We get wind advisories in the valley a lot. We have them all the time. I have only been here two and half years and I can remember only a couple of times a year that we would see winds that strong. We can probably expect storms like this maybe a handful every spring. Just like hurricanes and winters some years might be more active that others. Its not really frequent but its not uncommon nor impossible,” said Kagol. Students that are not from the area may not have experienced storms like this. Driving conditions during these storms are terrible as in some cases the dust and sand can cause “white-out” conditions. Rexburg will always be known for its winds. During wind storms however safety is a top priority that all residents and students should consider. “The best thing to do whether it be a wind or hail storm is to get indoors or a in a sound structure and stay away from windows. Anything blowing can break a window and if a window breaks glass goes flying into the house. Find a room with a television and just wait it out,” said Kagol.     Last Wednesday a powerful windstorm swept through southeastern Idaho, causing property damage, downed power lines, and even temporarily shutting down highways and interstates. The Rexburg area had sustained winds over 40 mph with gusts over 61 mph. Idaho. In the past few weeks the Rexburg area has seen more than its fair share of high winds and many residents wonder why so much wind in such little time. “The jet stream lately has been right over the southeastern Idaho area. The moment from the strong wind from the jet steam is carried down to the earth’s surface and since the Snake River Valley is very flat there is less friction to slow the wind down. This is what has been causing these windstorms,” said Chief Meteorologist Jamie Kagol, of KIFI Local News 8. The wind gusts experienced Wednesday were Tropical Storm Force winds. For winds to reach this category they have to be at least 58 mph. Idaho falls had wind gusts over 62 mph and the destruction was clearly seen afterwards. Trees were blown over as well as branches, an elevator system to a grain silo was blown over as well as a Madison County Deputy reported visibility was low and power lines were down. Some BYU Idaho students have never seen storms like this before and wonder how often this happens here during the summer months in Rexburg. “We get wind advisories in the valley a lot. We have them all the time. I have only been here two and half years and I can remember only a couple of times a year that we would see winds that strong. We can probably expect storms like this maybe a handful every spring. Just like hurricanes and winters some years might be more active that others. Its not really frequent but its not uncommon nor impossible,” said Kagol. Students that are not from the area may not have experienced storms like this. Driving conditions during these storms are terrible as in some cases the dust and sand can cause “white-out” conditions. Rexburg will always be known for its winds. During wind storms however safety is a top priority that all residents and students should consider. “The best thing to do whether it be a wind or hail storm is to get indoors or a in a sound structure and stay away from windows. Anything blowing can break a window and if a window breaks glass goes flying into the house. Find a room with a television and just wait it out,” said Kagol.   Sun, 24 May 2009 17:54:41 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Wind-causes-havoc-in-Rexburg/BLOG/287947/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-05-24T17:54:41Z NEWS GENERAL iComm Student Media   Last Wednesday a powerful windstorm swept through southeastern Idaho, causing property damage, downed power lines, and even temporarily shutting down highways and interstates. The Rexburg area had sustained winds over 40 mph with gusts over 61 mph. Idaho. In the past few weeks the Rexburg area has seen more than its fair share of high winds and many residents wonder why so much wind in such little time. “The jet stream lately has been right over the southeastern Idaho area. The moment from the strong wind from the jet steam is carried down to the earth’s surface and since the Snake River Valley is very flat there is less friction to slow the wind down. This is what has been causing these windstorms,” said Chief Meteorologist Jamie Kagol, of KIFI Local News 8. The wind gusts experienced Wednesday were Tropical Storm Force winds. For winds to reach this category they have to be at least 58 mph. Idaho falls had wind gusts over 62 mph and the destruction was clearly seen afterwards. Trees were blown over as well as branches, an elevator system to a grain silo was blown over as well as a Madison County Deputy reported visibility was low and power lines were down. Some BYU Idaho students have never seen storms like this before and wonder how often this happens here during the summer months in Rexburg. “We get wind advisories in the valley a lot. We have them all the time. I have only been here two and half years and I can remember only a couple of times a year that we would see winds that strong. We can probably expect storms like this maybe a handful every spring. Just like hurricanes and winters some years might be more active that others. Its not really frequent but its not uncommon nor impossible,” said Kagol. Students that are not from the area may not have experienced storms like this. Driving conditions during these storms are terrible as in some cases the dust and sand can cause “white-out” conditions. Rexburg will always be known for its winds. During wind storms however safety is a top priority that all residents and students should consider. “The best thing to do whether it be a wind or hail storm is to get indoors or a in a sound structure and stay away from windows. Anything blowing can break a window and if a window breaks glass goes flying into the house. Find a room with a television and just wait it out,” said Kagol.   barometer, campus, college, general, idaho, idaho falls, news, rexburg, school, university, weather, wind nonadult false Wind causes havoc in Rexburg text blog barometer,campus,college,general,idaho,idaho falls,news,rexburg,school,university,weather,wind 38 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 NEWS / GENERAL 0 287947 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Rexburg-Homes-Cant-Sell/BLOG/283834/96698.html   The housing crisis has affected the entire nation and helped start the recession that the country is now in. The city of Rexburg is no exception to the effects this recession. Many new housing developments that had just barely started breaking ground are at a standstill around the city. Such as Founders Square, located at 1110 South 2nd East, near the water tower, is a new housing development that has many lots available with not a single “sold” sign in sight. Steve Taggart, a Century 21 Advantage Broker shares why there are so many unsold lots in Rexburg, “The recession has hit hard essentially everywhere. Several factors are the reason why there are so many empty lots. A significant portion of our building was higher end and it was basically for folks moving from California. It has stopped because they are not able to sell their California properties at an affordable price.” There are some signs of a turnaround in the recession. Although currently there is a recession, now is an excellent time to purchase a home. According to Taggart, prices on home and property values have fallen 4-5 percent. Congress also passed the First Time Home Buyer Tax credit. Between now and November those who buy their first home can receive a tax credit up to $8,000 back after they amend their tax return they will receive a check that will not be counted on next years tax season. “The people who are buying homes are mostly the First time Homebuyers such as college students. If you have reasonable credit and not a bad job, now is a reasonable time because you can get some really great rates. Interest rates are the lowest they have been since the 60s.” The economy in Rexburg is stronger than the rest of the country. Idaho’s unemployment rate is two points under the nation’s and the Rexburg area is two points under Idaho’s rate, according to Taggart.   The hardest hit from the recession are construction companies as finance rates have risen quite a bit. Those with good credit, finances, and good eye, can find homes that can fit their lifestyle and finances. As the economy will pick up interest rates and home prices will start to go back up. If there was a good time to buy a home, now is the time. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff     The housing crisis has affected the entire nation and helped start the recession that the country is now in. The city of Rexburg is no exception to the effects this recession. Many new housing developments that had just barely started breaking ground are at a standstill around the city. Such as Founders Square, located at 1110 South 2nd East, near the water tower, is a new housing development that has many lots available with not a single “sold” sign in sight. Steve Taggart, a Century 21 Advantage Broker shares why there are so many unsold lots in Rexburg, “The recession has hit hard essentially everywhere. Several factors are the reason why there are so many empty lots. A significant portion of our building was higher end and it was basically for folks moving from California. It has stopped because they are not able to sell their California properties at an affordable price.” There are some signs of a turnaround in the recession. Although currently there is a recession, now is an excellent time to purchase a home. According to Taggart, prices on home and property values have fallen 4-5 percent. Congress also passed the First Time Home Buyer Tax credit. Between now and November those who buy their first home can receive a tax credit up to $8,000 back after they amend their tax return they will receive a check that will not be counted on next years tax season. “The people who are buying homes are mostly the First time Homebuyers such as college students. If you have reasonable credit and not a bad job, now is a reasonable time because you can get some really great rates. Interest rates are the lowest they have been since the 60s.” The economy in Rexburg is stronger than the rest of the country. Idaho’s unemployment rate is two points under the nation’s and the Rexburg area is two points under Idaho’s rate, according to Taggart.   The hardest hit from the recession are construction companies as finance rates have risen quite a bit. Those with good credit, finances, and good eye, can find homes that can fit their lifestyle and finances. As the economy will pick up interest rates and home prices will start to go back up. If there was a good time to buy a home, now is the time. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   Wed, 20 May 2009 17:17:00 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Rexburg-Homes-Cant-Sell/BLOG/283834/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-05-20T17:17:00Z NEWS GENERAL iComm Student Media   The housing crisis has affected the entire nation and helped start the recession that the country is now in. The city of Rexburg is no exception to the effects this recession. Many new housing developments that had just barely started breaking ground are at a standstill around the city. Such as Founders Square, located at 1110 South 2nd East, near the water tower, is a new housing development that has many lots available with not a single “sold” sign in sight. Steve Taggart, a Century 21 Advantage Broker shares why there are so many unsold lots in Rexburg, “The recession has hit hard essentially everywhere. Several factors are the reason why there are so many empty lots. A significant portion of our building was higher end and it was basically for folks moving from California. It has stopped because they are not able to sell their California properties at an affordable price.” There are some signs of a turnaround in the recession. Although currently there is a recession, now is an excellent time to purchase a home. According to Taggart, prices on home and property values have fallen 4-5 percent. Congress also passed the First Time Home Buyer Tax credit. Between now and November those who buy their first home can receive a tax credit up to $8,000 back after they amend their tax return they will receive a check that will not be counted on next years tax season. “The people who are buying homes are mostly the First time Homebuyers such as college students. If you have reasonable credit and not a bad job, now is a reasonable time because you can get some really great rates. Interest rates are the lowest they have been since the 60s.” The economy in Rexburg is stronger than the rest of the country. Idaho’s unemployment rate is two points under the nation’s and the Rexburg area is two points under Idaho’s rate, according to Taggart.   The hardest hit from the recession are construction companies as finance rates have risen quite a bit. Those with good credit, finances, and good eye, can find homes that can fit their lifestyle and finances. As the economy will pick up interest rates and home prices will start to go back up. If there was a good time to buy a home, now is the time. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff   bank, class, general, loans, money, news, recession, students nonadult false Rexburg Homes Can't Sell text blog bank,class,general,loans,money,news,recession,students 110 1 3.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 NEWS / GENERAL 0 283834 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_BYUIdaho-Gives-Students-Extra-Days-Off/BLOG/278046/96698.html             Students may be aware that there is a new change this semester in the course calendar. Two days have been set aside for testing, cancelling all classes and giving faculty the days off. May 26 and July 2 are the two days the university has set aside and designated as testing days this semester. This is exciting for students, as these weekends have become four-day weekends because of Memorial Day and Independence Day. John Dexter, Manager of the Testing Center, shared what the Testing Center’s plans are for these days: “There will be tests open on these days so students can come in and take any tests they need; however, we are not allowing tests to be closed on those days so the students will not be forced to come in and test on a day they have off.” Many students are planning on enjoying the extra days, like Marisa Hansen from Marin County, California, who shared her excitement and plans for those days, “I think its awesome, we get an extra day to do nothing or to catch up on our schoolwork,” said Hansen.             Other students may see this as temporary relief from the classes they have. “I love that we have the time off to catch up on other things. My other classes are a bit overwhelming this semester,” said Mindy Thorn, from Louisville, Kentucky. At the beginning of the semester many students were told of the cancellation of classes and students have since wondered why. When questioned why the days off, university officials declined to comment; however, a statement was released to the public. Bruce C. Kusch, Associate Academic Vice President for Curriculum stated: “We are always looking at ways to enhance the academic experience of our students, and the addition of testing days to this semester’s schedule is one example of that. These days were planned into the calendar over a year ago as an experiment - to provide the option for faculty to chose to do so [administer tests] . There is no obligation on the part of the faculty to administer tests on these days, but they are designated as testing days.”             Students have had schedule changes in the past. Currently students receive the entire week of Thanksgiving off and the first two days of that week are designated as testing days for students to use before the big holiday.             It is likely that there will be professors who will be giving tests during that time. However ,the feelings among the students is these two days are unofficial vacation days and will likely be treated as such. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff                 Students may be aware that there is a new change this semester in the course calendar. Two days have been set aside for testing, cancelling all classes and giving faculty the days off. May 26 and July 2 are the two days the university has set aside and designated as testing days this semester. This is exciting for students, as these weekends have become four-day weekends because of Memorial Day and Independence Day. John Dexter, Manager of the Testing Center, shared what the Testing Center’s plans are for these days: “There will be tests open on these days so students can come in and take any tests they need; however, we are not allowing tests to be closed on those days so the students will not be forced to come in and test on a day they have off.” Many students are planning on enjoying the extra days, like Marisa Hansen from Marin County, California, who shared her excitement and plans for those days, “I think its awesome, we get an extra day to do nothing or to catch up on our schoolwork,” said Hansen.             Other students may see this as temporary relief from the classes they have. “I love that we have the time off to catch up on other things. My other classes are a bit overwhelming this semester,” said Mindy Thorn, from Louisville, Kentucky. At the beginning of the semester many students were told of the cancellation of classes and students have since wondered why. When questioned why the days off, university officials declined to comment; however, a statement was released to the public. Bruce C. Kusch, Associate Academic Vice President for Curriculum stated: “We are always looking at ways to enhance the academic experience of our students, and the addition of testing days to this semester’s schedule is one example of that. These days were planned into the calendar over a year ago as an experiment - to provide the option for faculty to chose to do so [administer tests] . There is no obligation on the part of the faculty to administer tests on these days, but they are designated as testing days.”             Students have had schedule changes in the past. Currently students receive the entire week of Thanksgiving off and the first two days of that week are designated as testing days for students to use before the big holiday.             It is likely that there will be professors who will be giving tests during that time. However ,the feelings among the students is these two days are unofficial vacation days and will likely be treated as such. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff     Thu, 14 May 2009 20:52:40 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_BYUIdaho-Gives-Students-Extra-Days-Off/BLOG/278046/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-05-14T20:52:40Z NEWS PHOTOS iComm Student Media             Students may be aware that there is a new change this semester in the course calendar. Two days have been set aside for testing, cancelling all classes and giving faculty the days off. May 26 and July 2 are the two days the university has set aside and designated as testing days this semester. This is exciting for students, as these weekends have become four-day weekends because of Memorial Day and Independence Day. John Dexter, Manager of the Testing Center, shared what the Testing Center’s plans are for these days: “There will be tests open on these days so students can come in and take any tests they need; however, we are not allowing tests to be closed on those days so the students will not be forced to come in and test on a day they have off.” Many students are planning on enjoying the extra days, like Marisa Hansen from Marin County, California, who shared her excitement and plans for those days, “I think its awesome, we get an extra day to do nothing or to catch up on our schoolwork,” said Hansen.             Other students may see this as temporary relief from the classes they have. “I love that we have the time off to catch up on other things. My other classes are a bit overwhelming this semester,” said Mindy Thorn, from Louisville, Kentucky. At the beginning of the semester many students were told of the cancellation of classes and students have since wondered why. When questioned why the days off, university officials declined to comment; however, a statement was released to the public. Bruce C. Kusch, Associate Academic Vice President for Curriculum stated: “We are always looking at ways to enhance the academic experience of our students, and the addition of testing days to this semester’s schedule is one example of that. These days were planned into the calendar over a year ago as an experiment - to provide the option for faculty to chose to do so [administer tests] . There is no obligation on the part of the faculty to administer tests on these days, but they are designated as testing days.”             Students have had schedule changes in the past. Currently students receive the entire week of Thanksgiving off and the first two days of that week are designated as testing days for students to use before the big holiday.             It is likely that there will be professors who will be giving tests during that time. However ,the feelings among the students is these two days are unofficial vacation days and will likely be treated as such. JR Briscoe Scroll Staff     general, news, photos, school, students, testing center, tests nonadult false BYU–Idaho Gives Students Extra Days Off text blog general,news,photos,school,students,testing center,tests 167 10 4.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 NEWS / PHOTOS 0 278046 7386629 Member 0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Local-Dealership-Affected-By-Big-Changes/BLOG/268416/96698.html   In an effort to save money in this struggling economy, General Motors Corporation announced on April 27 that it will be cutting not only more jobs but also phasing out the Pontiac brand by 2010. The company is cutting oversupply inventory based on the demands of the market by closing 42 percent of U.S. GM dealerships. This may come as a concern to many local Rexburg residents and BYU–Idaho students, as one of the local dealerships is Erickson Pontiac GMC.  “We have had a long relationship with Pontiac,” said Eric Erickson, co-owner of Erickson Pontiac GMC. My father actually worked for Pontiac motor ship in the ‘60s back when we had muscle cars, Firebirds, and GTOs. It is tough and we hate to see Pontiac go away; it was a great dealer for us as we have done business with them since 1969. We hate to see it go away and even question the reasoning behind it, but we accept it and we know it’s going to happen.” Pontiac vehicle owners, students and locals may be afraid of what will happen to the economy, as well as where they will go for their vehicle repairs if the Erickson Dealership is to be included in the 42 percent that is scheduled to close. “We are certainly not going to be in that 42 percent. There are a lot of dealers out there who are hurting financially and this will be just a little nudge over the cliff for those dealers. We are not going to be one of those dealers and we will be here to service our customers for a long time,” said Erickson. Those with the Pontiac brand of vehicles will not have to worry about a lack of parts or if future repairs will be more costly because of the phase-out of Pontiac. “Those who need repairs with their Pontiac vehicles will not need to worry. The parts for their vehicles will continued to be manufactured today as well as into the future. Even today parts are being manufactured for vehicles from the 70s and 80s,” said Erickson. Some Pontiac owners are also panicking over whether the value of their car will decrease significantly, potentially hurting them if they would like to trade in for another vehicle or resell it someday. “Pontiac owners will not need to worry about their vehicles’ value. Their vehicles will still be sought after and will still have a value for trade in or resell,” said Erickson. Pontiac has been around for quite a few years and has produced cars that have influenced auto industry over the years., “Obviously as the economy improves sales will go up,” said Erickson, discussing the possibly of GM bringing Pontiac vehicles back into production when the economy improves.” “The higher demand of product means they will need to create more lines of cars. The interesting part about this whole thing is they seem to be contracting everything to a level that is temporary.” Although the Pontiac brand will be retired, these cars will be seen on the road for many years to come and are another chapter in the history books of automobiles.      In an effort to save money in this struggling economy, General Motors Corporation announced on April 27 that it will be cutting not only more jobs but also phasing out the Pontiac brand by 2010. The company is cutting oversupply inventory based on the demands of the market by closing 42 percent of U.S. GM dealerships. This may come as a concern to many local Rexburg residents and BYU–Idaho students, as one of the local dealerships is Erickson Pontiac GMC.  “We have had a long relationship with Pontiac,” said Eric Erickson, co-owner of Erickson Pontiac GMC. My father actually worked for Pontiac motor ship in the ‘60s back when we had muscle cars, Firebirds, and GTOs. It is tough and we hate to see Pontiac go away; it was a great dealer for us as we have done business with them since 1969. We hate to see it go away and even question the reasoning behind it, but we accept it and we know it’s going to happen.” Pontiac vehicle owners, students and locals may be afraid of what will happen to the economy, as well as where they will go for their vehicle repairs if the Erickson Dealership is to be included in the 42 percent that is scheduled to close. “We are certainly not going to be in that 42 percent. There are a lot of dealers out there who are hurting financially and this will be just a little nudge over the cliff for those dealers. We are not going to be one of those dealers and we will be here to service our customers for a long time,” said Erickson. Those with the Pontiac brand of vehicles will not have to worry about a lack of parts or if future repairs will be more costly because of the phase-out of Pontiac. “Those who need repairs with their Pontiac vehicles will not need to worry. The parts for their vehicles will continued to be manufactured today as well as into the future. Even today parts are being manufactured for vehicles from the 70s and 80s,” said Erickson. Some Pontiac owners are also panicking over whether the value of their car will decrease significantly, potentially hurting them if they would like to trade in for another vehicle or resell it someday. “Pontiac owners will not need to worry about their vehicles’ value. Their vehicles will still be sought after and will still have a value for trade in or resell,” said Erickson. Pontiac has been around for quite a few years and has produced cars that have influenced auto industry over the years., “Obviously as the economy improves sales will go up,” said Erickson, discussing the possibly of GM bringing Pontiac vehicles back into production when the economy improves.” “The higher demand of product means they will need to create more lines of cars. The interesting part about this whole thing is they seem to be contracting everything to a level that is temporary.” Although the Pontiac brand will be retired, these cars will be seen on the road for many years to come and are another chapter in the history books of automobiles.    Tue, 05 May 2009 22:44:19 GMT http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/_Local-Dealership-Affected-By-Big-Changes/BLOG/268416/96698.html jrbriscoe 2009-05-05T22:44:19Z NEWS PHOTOS iComm Student Media   In an effort to save money in this struggling economy, General Motors Corporation announced on April 27 that it will be cutting not only more jobs but also phasing out the Pontiac brand by 2010. The company is cutting oversupply inventory based on the demands of the market by closing 42 percent of U.S. GM dealerships. This may come as a concern to many local Rexburg residents and BYU–Idaho students, as one of the local dealerships is Erickson Pontiac GMC.  “We have had a long relationship with Pontiac,” said Eric Erickson, co-owner of Erickson Pontiac GMC. My father actually worked for Pontiac motor ship in the ‘60s back when we had muscle cars, Firebirds, and GTOs. It is tough and we hate to see Pontiac go away; it was a great dealer for us as we have done business with them since 1969. We hate to see it go away and even question the reasoning behind it, but we accept it and we know it’s going to happen.” Pontiac vehicle owners, students and locals may be afraid of what will happen to the economy, as well as where they will go for their vehicle repairs if the Erickson Dealership is to be included in the 42 percent that is scheduled to close. “We are certainly not going to be in that 42 percent. There are a lot of dealers out there who are hurting financially and this will be just a little nudge over the cliff for those dealers. We are not going to be one of those dealers and we will be here to service our customers for a long time,” said Erickson. Those with the Pontiac brand of vehicles will not have to worry about a lack of parts or if future repairs will be more costly because of the phase-out of Pontiac. “Those who need repairs with their Pontiac vehicles will not need to worry. The parts for their vehicles will continued to be manufactured today as well as into the future. Even today parts are being manufactured for vehicles from the 70s and 80s,” said Erickson. Some Pontiac owners are also panicking over whether the value of their car will decrease significantly, potentially hurting them if they would like to trade in for another vehicle or resell it someday. “Pontiac owners will not need to worry about their vehicles’ value. Their vehicles will still be sought after and will still have a value for trade in or resell,” said Erickson. Pontiac has been around for quite a few years and has produced cars that have influenced auto industry over the years., “Obviously as the economy improves sales will go up,” said Erickson, discussing the possibly of GM bringing Pontiac vehicles back into production when the economy improves.” “The higher demand of product means they will need to create more lines of cars. The interesting part about this whole thing is they seem to be contracting everything to a level that is temporary.” Although the Pontiac brand will be retired, these cars will be seen on the road for many years to come and are another chapter in the history books of automobiles.    general, news nonadult false Local Dealership Affected By Big Changes text blog general,news 19 0 0.0 http://kickapps.byuicomm.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7386629&as=96698 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96698/photos/PHOTO_3646113_96698_7386629_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 NEWS / PHOTOS 0 268416 7386629 Member 0