Logan High School incorporates new computers

Logan High School has received 1,600 MacBooks in a pilot program to integrate computers into its classes.

The school began handing out the laptops last month. Every student is expected to receive one — and some teachers have already begun to use the computers in their classrooms, giving students assignments to research, write papers and send documents to their teachers.

“I’m new to the school this year,” said Tracy Cummins, a language arts teacher. “I come from a place where all of our students had either a desktop or access to a laptop there at school. So, my curriculum has always included computers.”

Because Cummins is used to computers in there classes, she already has set guidelines her students have to follow.

“I have a very strict supervision and time limits,” Cummins said. “They have three minutes to do this particular thing. I walk around the room as much as I can. The desks are setup so if I’m on this side of the room or that side of the room, I can see what is on their computers, which they don’t like. I have had two that I’ve had to confiscate because they chose to be doing Skype during my class.”

David Henderson, a creative writing and English teacher, has found the computers to be helpful in finding out which students are distracted.

“What I find amusing is it’s putting their mind on a computer screen,” Henderson said. “I know when they’re daydreaming, because they’re off playing video games. It actually helps keep them focused on what they need to be doing, because it’s easy to tell when they’re not on task.”

Henderson has found that smaller devices, like phones or iPods, are more distracting than the computers.

When it comes to class work Henderson has noticed some difference in the students’ behavior.

“It’s incredibly hard sometimes to get a student to break out a notebook and a pencil,” Henderson said. “You never have a problem with them getting out a computer.”

Henderson said the impact of the computers likely wouldn’t be know this year.

“Next year is going to be the year to watch to see if it’s really going to be successful or not,” he said.
“By then we’ll have our basic experiences down and know what we can do with these things.”

Mary Morgan, a teacher in the Special Education department, has noticed how her students have been affected by the new computers.

“It does give them more opportunity to have access right there,” Morgan said. “If they want to write a story or check their grades without having to go onto another computer or wait for somebody to be done. It’s more convenient and I’ve seen more willingness to do work because they can get their materials right from it.”

Morgan has also noticed that the computers have made it easier for the students as well as for herself.

“In my support class I have them fill out a tracker form, tell me their grades, assignments and everything,” Morgan said. “It’s just so much paper. So now I’m doing a Google Doc and it’s easier for them to just to do it on the computer and then send it right to me so I have it right then.”

Morgan is not the only one noticing a difference with the Special Education students.

“I have several of Mary’s students in my classes,” Cummins said. “They are finding it’s easier for them to remain organized.”

Cummins has also had several years of experience working with special education students.

"The computers," Cummins said, are “another tool for them. They are learning those coping skills so that they can find their avenues of success. Students across the board in our general education classes, they still have to learn about tools and the value of tools where our SPED kids recognize the value of tools right away because they have always needed them.”

To help pay for the computers, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development is giving $1.2 million to match the expected expenditures for Logan City School District.

Utah State's Human Library to come to Logan public Library

The Human Library is being held Wednesday to Saturday. It will give visitors a chance to have a conversation with an individual, which will have a story prepared, similar to a book. This is the first year the event was held at the Logan public library on Saturday.

“People have wanted to come, but it’s hard to get up here,” said Anne Hedrich, the librarian in charge of the Human Library. “They have to figure out transportation and everything. So if we can get it off campus and where people can have parking, then that’s really good. We’re excited.”

Hedrich said at first the Human Library seems like an odd concept.

“It’s so un-technological,” Hedrich said. “It’s just sitting down with a person and just talking with them and people who do it find out it’s a real joy. We don’t get a chance to do that as much, especially longer in-depth and really thoughtful conversations where you’re both searching to understand something and explore it.”

Jason Porter is one of the "books" that shared his story. He was sexually and physically abused from the ages of six to 16.

“There was absolutely nothing I could have done," Porter said. "In my situation if I would have come forward, I wouldn’t have been believed."

Porter said the reason he shares his story is to help those that might be going through something similar.

“My aunt sexually abused me and my stepdad would physically abuse me,” Porter said. “Once you get the mentality of being pushed down it was easier for them to be like, ‘Oh this isn’t a problem.’ My aunt started about when I was six, so way too young for me to know what’s going on.”

Aggie Blue Bikes gets a remodel

On Friday, Aggie Blue Bikes celebrated its 10th anniversary. For the occasion, it received a remodel. The shop was closed for bike operations and open to the public for people to take a look at the facilities and ask questions.

Stephanie Tomlin, the Aggie Blue Bikes program coordinator, said the remodel is finished as of Friday. They now have additional floor space, five tool boards and four mechanic benches.

“So we’re essentially doubling our operations,” Tomlin said.

Tomlin said the money that paid for the remodel came from a congestion mitigation air quality grant, which is federal money that’s available through the local CMPO, or the Cache Metropolitan Planning Organization. They applied for the grant to expand their operations, received it and finalized the grant in about 2014.

“Since then, I’ve been working on getting it to the local level,” Tomlin said.

“The space is awesome,"  said Erica Stephens, a student at USU. "There’s more space and space efficiency."

Stephen’s husband was a bike mechanic at Aggie Blue Bikes for some time. They would bring their bikes in to work on them.

“We rebuilt my mom’s bike together. So we have been associated with Aggie Blue Bikes for the past five, six years,” Stephens said.

“It’s supporting the bike community as a whole," Stephens said. "I can’t believe how many Aggie Blue Bikes I see out on the road and in town. It’s promoting more sustainable ways of transportation through Logan especially for students. Either you can pay a lot of money for a parking pass or you can be healthy and ride your bike to school."

Utah State's spirit squad maintains mascot's identity

In today's society where almost everyone has a camera in their pocket, Utah State University's spirit squad is taking stronger precautions to keep the identity of the school's mascot, Big Blue, a secret. The squad has to be careful that Big Blue isn't seen while in mid-costume.

"He can’t even be remotely caught with anything of his uniform removed or else it could be attached somehow to his identity and put up on social media," said Nicole Troumbley, the spirit squad coach.

There are at least two people with Big Blue at all times to make sure his identity is safe when he needs to remove his head to stay hydrated or go to a local event.

"We have to careful if any part of his gear is off," said Rachael Fox, a member of the spirit squad. "It's a really big deal that his identity is confidential, because keeping the secret is where the magic is for Big Blue."

Fox is asked about the identity of Big Blue every day.

"It depends if there's a game or if we're around school, but on average I get asked about it three to five times a day," Fox said.

With the previous two Big Blues graduating in spring 2015, there has been speculation as to the new identity of the mascot.

“The more careful we are about keeping his identity a secret, the more people ask and the more people want to know," Troumbley said. "We can kind of tell how well we are doing with keeping his identity a secret based on how many people ask.”