Author: Ella Viesturs
Kayaker, paraglider Macie Brendlinger on managing risk, passion for extreme sports
Macie Brendlinger, a sophomore nursing major at Westminster College, has a zest for thrill, with paragliding and whitewater kayaking being her adrenaline-inducing mechanisms of choice. Brendlinger said she grew up whitewater rafting with her family in her hometown of Carbondale, Colorado and has always loved the river. Brendlinger started her college career Fall 2019 at the University of Pug...
Westminster implements revised course evaluation instrument to elicit more objective feedback
In the 2021 Spring semester, Westminster College implemented a revised course evaluation instrument after faculty voted to amend the previous survey-based evaluation system Oct. 2020, according to Westminster’s Student Course Feedback Protocol. Westminster hopes the new instrument will elicit more objective and less biased feedback, according to Spencer Bagley, faculty senator of the Student...
Westminster College’s oldest neighbor: the Wasatch fault
Westminster College sits no more than 100 yards from the Wasatch Fault, meaning students study and Salt Lake City residents live in a significant geologically active zone, according to Nick Pollock, assistant professor of Honors and geology. Pollock started as an assistant professor at Westminster in Fall 2020 after completing his Ph.D. in geosciences, specifically researching Mount St...
Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante restoration continues conversation surrounding land use
National Monuments Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante were restored by President Joe Biden Oct. 7, springing celebrations among Indigenous nations, conservationists and wilderness preservation movements. The restorations also invoked litigations by the state of Utah. Kellie Gerbers, program director and associate professor of outdoor education and leadership at Westminster College, said she ...
Westminster COVID-19 vaccine attestation reliant on honor code system
This story was updated Oct. 4 8:34 p.m. Westminster College requires all students, faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 15 for the 2021-22 academic year. Westminster community members were asked to complete an attestation form by Aug. 27 disclosing their vaccination status. The form prompts people to answer “yes” or “no” to the statement, “I attest that I have co...
ASW Senate looks to fill seats
ASW Senate held its second general session of the 2021-22 academic year to swear in four new senators, give various updates and discuss open seats Sept. 27. There are currently four open positions in the ASW Senate, according to Brynlie (Binnie) Green, Speaker of the Senate and junior justice studies major. “Right now, I’m the only one in the Student Initiatives Committee and Henry [Perniche...
Town hall meets for Westminster at 150 updates
Westminster College administrators, faculty, staff and some students gathered in the Vieve Gore Concert Hall Sept. 24 to engage in a presentation regarding updates to Westminster at 150, the institution’s developing strategic plan. The strategic plan is expected to be fully implemented by Westminster’s 150th anniversary in 2025. President Beth Dobkin introduced the plan — which began development ...
Westminster nursing students, professors navigate COVID-19 learning environment
When COVID-19 struck, Westminster nursing students – whose field of study largely requires hands-on experience – had to learn how to navigate learning online. Brynn Sayler, a senior nursing major, was in the spring semester of her sophomore year when classes moved online. “I was really worried [about online classes] because nursing school is very hard and we use our teachers in the cla...
Westminster students look beyond nine-to-five lifestyle post graduation
As students come of age and move through different checkpoints in life, parents and adults love to ask the same questions, “Where are you going to college? What are you going to study? What are you going to do when you graduate?” The expectations implied through these questions eventually shape the way students behave and make decisions in their life, driving them to follow a path designed by othe...