Aggies look back at 2003
1. Flyin’ High
A team of Utah State University students and faculty, working with the Space Dynamics Laboratory, created a futuristic replica of the Wright brothers’ plane, 100 years after their historic flight.
The project attracted national attention – it was featured on The History Channel and The Learning Channel, and team members met and were congratulated by President George W. Bush.
On July 5, the USU Wright Flyer became the first and only flyer to fly over Huffman Prairie Flying Field since the Wright brothers.
Similar projects sought to replicate the Wright plane exactly, but the USU team built their plane using space-age materials, as if the Wright brothers were designing their plane today.
Kevlar and graphite replaced the muslin and spruce used in the original Flyer, resulting in a plane that is visually similar but more stable than the original.
Former senator and space shuttle astronaut Jake Garn piloted the 100th flight of the USU Wright Flyer June 5.
Replica building team member Ying-Yen Lin said, “The Wright Flyer project will be an unforgettable memory in my life.”
2. Welcome to the WAC
Just a year after Utah State University accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference, the Aggies accepted an invitation to become a member of the Western Athletic Conference Oct. 23.
The announcement was made public after rumors surfaced on ESPN.com and in various local newspapers and on radio stations Wednesday evening. USU President Kermit L. Hall and Athletics Director Rance Pugmire accepted the invitation from the chair of the WAC Board of Directors and University of Texas at El Paso President Dr. Diana Natalicio and WAC Commissioner Karl Benson.
The WAC is currently composed of Boise State, Fresno State, the University of Hawaii, Louisiana Tech, the University of Nevada, Rice University, San Jose State, Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Tulsa.
The Aggies are expected to begin WAC competition in the 2005-06 season.
3. Tuition hikes
Aggies joined a group of around 1,000 Utah university students Feb. 12 to rally against a lack of support for higher education in the state legislature. USU students were concerned about the tuition hike of at least 9.5 percent scheduled for Fall 2003.
The rally on the steps of the Utah Capitol was attended by student leaders such as Associated Students of USU President Celestial Bybee and Arts and Lectures Vice President Julie Dethrow. They and around 30 other students joined their voices with the Utah Council of Student Body Presidents in protests against state funding going to road construction rather than education, in addition to tuition hikes and stricter residency requirements which discouraged out-of-state recruits.
Dethrow told The Utah Statesman she wondered why the congressmen’s pay was raised earlier in the session.
“ASUSU would never give themselves more money at a time like this,” Dethrow said. “The legislators shouldn’t either.”
4. The Rhode to success
For the second time in school history, a USU student is named a Rhodes Scholar.
Lara Anderson, USU’s College of Science 2003 valedictorian, earned the prestigious scholarship Nov. 22 and is now planning to pursue a doctorate degree in mathematical physics at the University of Oxford in England. She will study super-symmetry, quantum gravity and various other quantum field theories.
“It was just amazing,” Anderson said of her win. “I was totally, totally baffled. I was very surprised.”
She was also offered a Marshall Scholarship, which she turned down. In addition to her academic talents, she is also accomplished in the martial arts and enjoys playing soccer.
5. Double trouble
A partnership between USU and the University of Idaho resulted in the first cloning of an equine species – a mule. The successful birth of Idaho Gem on May 4 put USU on the globe and strengthened its image as a respected research institution.
USU professor Ken White was a member of the team that has now produced three healthy mule clones. Jessica Williams, a doctorate student who worked on the project, said people are often surprised when they look at the clones and see … a normal mule.
“I think they expect an extra ear or something,” she said.
6. A huge leap for women
Utah State women’s basketball team returned to the court 16 years after the program was discontinued, attracting national attention to the university.
Head Coach Raegan Pebley led the team in its first game against Southern Utah Nov. 21, along with assistants John Bartleson, Tricia Bader-Binsford and Bradley Dance.
USA Today featured the Aggies in several articles spotlighting the new program, but despite an exhibition victory over Utah Valley State College, Utah State has not won a regular season game to date.
7. Scarcity of money
A poor economy led to shortages in state funding, which led to budget cuts for Utah State University, though not as massive as cuts in 2002. In February, the phasing out of two associate’s degree programs in computer-aided drafting and design and aircraft maintenance technician, as well as two bachelor’s degree programs in computer electronics technology and welding engineering technology, were announced.
All other colleges and departments suffered cutbacks. Faculty and staff members have gone yet another year without an across-the-board raise, while a hiring freeze was instituted. ASUSU voted to raise Tier II Tuition to compensate for loss of funding.
8. Not-so-peaceful rally
Students who passionately opposed the war with Iraq organized a peace rally on the Taggart Student Center patio March 5. Both pro- and anti-war proponents attended the rally, totaling about 150. Students against the war shared their thoughts into a microphone, while pro-war students shouted back at them, some of them sporting “Bomb Saddam” T-shirts.
The Utah Statesman reported that some pro-war students attempted to step up to the microphone but were prevented by campus police, as the event was intended as a peace rally, not a public debate. No physical force was used, The Statesman reported, although profanities were shouted.
“I’m pleased that both groups maintained themselves,” said Lt. Steve Milne of the USU campus police.
9. Campus make-over
The USU campus gets a new look, with major expansions to Innovation Campus nearly doubling its size. The new Engineering Building was completed and dedicated, with the then-lieutenant governor of Utah, Olene Walker, in attendance. Plans for the new Merrill Library were finalized and construction began. Progress was made on the Edith Bowen Laboratory School.
10. Cookie trouble
USU received attention in Utah’s major newspapers for an “affirmative action bake sale” Dec. 2 organized by USU’s College Republicans.
The sale, intended to criticize the effects of affirmative action, featured a sign offering discounts on cookies based on the buyer’s race or gender. The College Republicans said they wanted to “ruffle some feathers and get people thinking,” but many students felt the sale and the behavior of the people running the booth were out of line.
Critics of the sale met and created an organization called Aggies for Education of Affirmative Action. They and the College Republicans are now planning a debate on the topic sometime in January.