Campus and Community Briefs

Students urged to update information

Utah State University students are being urged to update their information for the student directory.

The directory, which usually comes out at the end of October, will be delayed until Nov. 1. The later scheduled date was set to allow students more time to update their information.

“We are encouraging all students to update their information as soon as possible. This is very important,” said Tiffany Evans, Associated Students of Utah State University Director of Student Activities.

Students can update their information by entering the Quad on the USU Web site.

USU prints one student directory every year and has a contract to print them out for the next two years, said Celestial Bybee, ASUSU president.

Student directories are free to all students, who are given the option to put a block on their information if they do not wish it to be printed in the directory.

The inacurracies in the student directory last year will be prevented this year. Last year’s inacurracies which included the printing of student permanent numbers, will not happen again this year, Evans said.

Alumni Association selling Aggie plates

The Student Alumni Association is promoting Aggie pride by encouraging students to buy in-state Aggie license plates for $25.

“We can create more Aggie pride and the best way to do that is through the license plates,” said Kevin Bischoff, SAA president.

All the money from the license plates goes back to the university to provide scholarships for students attending Utah State University.

The University of Utah has about 2,000 license plates and USU is close behind that, Bischoff said.

“This is a great way to give back to the university and show Aggie pride,” Bischoff said.

Editorial offices move to USU

The editorial office for the Journal of Society and Natural Resources has recently moved to the Department of Sociology, Social work and Anthropology at Utah State University.

Richard S. Krannich, a professor of sociology and department head, serves as co-editor in chief of the journal.

The Journal of Society and Natural Resources presents peer-reviewed social science research on environmental and natural resource issues and is considered one of the most prestigious outlets for research in these areas, said Gary Kiger, interim dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at USU.

Drought relief passed by Senate

The United States Senate voted in favor of providing $5.9 billion in relief for farmers to cover the last two drought years. The legislation now awaits approval from the House of Representatives.

“This string of droughts in Utah has been a back-breaker, and our ranchers and farmers desperately need this relief,” said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah). “I am pleased the Senate has acted quickly to lessen the burden our hard-working farmers and ranchers are trying to bear.”

In a normal rainfall year, adequate runoff from snowpack would help to offset drought conditions. However, this year, the lack of snowpack has combined with very little rainfall and Utah’s largest cricket infestation in history to make this an extremely difficult year for Utah’s farmers and ranchers. Farmers are experiencing no-crop seasons, and ranchers have been forced to sell their producing cows.

“This drought relief package will help these families to rebuild,” Hatch said. “Following four tough years of drought, herds must be rebuilt and farms must be given the resources to continue operations.”