Author: Jacob Smith
Service animals help students and others find peace
For many, service animals at Westminster College provide their owners with therapeutic benefits and a way to help others. Breanna Steffen, a junior sociology major, has an emotional support cat, which she said helps her cope with generalized anxiety and depression. She said she decided to pursue a service animal as an additional support system after utilizing the campus Counseling Center.&nbs...
Students think campus technology resources need improvement
Many students at Westminster College said the availability of technological resources on campus is lacking, and some have even left the school in search of better equipment.Colin Becker, a senior film major, left Westminster to attend Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) and study video production. He said a big motivator in his decision to transfer schools was SLCC's readily available technological...
Vape culture loses steam on Westminster’s campus
Some people use e-cigarettes or vaporizers as alternatives to traditional cigarettes, but students said vaping on Westminster College's campus has become a sort of secret subculture that has mostly died out.Jen Librizzi, a junior photography major, said she strongly dislikes vaping and the entire culture behind it. Librizzi said most of the people she knows who vape do it for fun rather than as an...
Former Westminster student fights cancer with faith
Approximately 40 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetimes, according to the National Cancer Institute. Former Westminster student Landen Hansen, who was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, belongs to this group but remains positive through a strong belief in his religious faith.Hansen attended Westminster from 2014 to 2015, where he played ...
Officials wonder how much students know about ASW
ASW elections are on March 2 and 3, and officials said they're wondering how many students even know about the organization. Thirty-six percent of the undergraduate student body voted in last year's elections, and officers said they think just half the campus population actually knows what ASW is and what it does. ASW President Ben Pok said he thinks students are aware of the...
Westminster’s winter athletes retire from competitive skiing and snowboarding: some by choice, others by fate
Westminster College had 23 students compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics, but many other skiers and snowboarders have retired from competition altogether since coming to college. Many factors contribute to winter athletes’ decision to leave the competitive ski and snowboard scenes. Some athletes leave by choice and others leave by fate. Jess Breda, a junior neuroscience major and chemistr...
Student musicians juggle assignments and aspirations
Despite the huge price tag associated with higher education, college isn't every student's top priority. In fact, some students at colleges across the state attend college reluctantly for the stability promised with a degree but chase their dreams on the side, hoping to make their big break in an area they're passionate about. Matt Zotti, a junior communication major at the University of Utah...