Student doping

Passing classes at any cost

By Chase Christensen

With finals week at Utah State University only a few days away students are facing considerable pressure to pass classes worth hundreds of dollars, according to Jeff Jacobson, a marketing major. But some students are willing to resort to unconventional methods to pass those classes, even if it means turning to an illegally obtained prescription drug named Adderall.

Adderall is a pharmaceutical drug often prescribed by doctors to combat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD as it is more commonly called, according to Dr. Jim Davis, a doctor at the Student Health and Wellness Center. But he warned against its misuse by students who do not need the drug and are only using it to try to pass classes.

“It’s dangerous, it’s illegal and it’s felony drug diversion,” Davis said. “It’s a controlled substance just like marijuana or cocaine, but the FDA and the DEA both regulate who can prescribe it and who can possess a stimulant such as Adderall.”

But some students dispute its negative health effects and focus on its positive attributes.

“If it is so harmful I doubt they would be prescribing it to people,” said a source who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of repercussions from school administration or law enforcement. “Plus how it lets you focus is worth some risk, I really don’t think taking it a couple times a semester is really going to hurt me or addict me to it though.”

This line of thinking can be dangerous, Davis said.

“It increases your blood pressure and it increases your pulse, so it creates a situation where you’re more able to have a stroke,” Davis said. “I have seen young people with stroke brought on by stimulant use.”

Nausea, headaches, appetite suppression and even heart attack have all been seen as well, he said.

After a while the medication also becomes less effective and dosages in patients have to be increased, Davis said, this is one of the first signs of addiction.

But students who illegally take the medication said that it was a small price to pay to pass classes.

“There is a lot of pressure riding on some classes,” the anonymous source said. “And $50 a pop is worth it to make sure you don’t fail. Passing these classes with good grades is pretty much the difference between passing and failing at life.”

Others students felt saddened and cheated by students using the drug to pass.

“I think that it’s sad that there is enough pressure on us that some people are resorting to drugs, even if they are somewhat legal,” Jacobson said. “But even with all that pressure I don’t think it’s OK to use them. They are just going to end up depending on it to do anything hard later on in life.”

Credit limit

Students face a different type of credit limit

By Chase Christensen

Students at Utah State University who exceed 125 percent of the total credit hours needed to graduate will be charged double tuition for each additional semester, according to a vote taken on Nov. 15 by the Utah State Board of Regents to change the current policy. It is a change that may have students paying thousands of dollars in additional tuition for not graduating on time.

The former policy allowed for students to take up to 135 percent of credits necessary to graduate, which at USU allowed for 162 credits to be taken before penalties were incurred for undergraduates. The recent change in policy will only affect students coming to USU next school year; current students will still be held to the 135 percent standard, said Roland Squire, registrar at USU.

“The 125 percent will only apply to students entering USU starting fall 2013,” Squire said. “We are doing a lot more to help students create plans to graduate and helping them follow those plans, so I do not anticipate that we will have many students reach that level.”

The change will allow incoming students to take up to 150 total credit hours before receiving a surcharge equal to double tuition per semester, he said.

“I understand why the legislature requested the Board of Regents to create the policy for all Utah colleges and universities,” Squire said. “USU has an excellent plan and process in place to help students complete on a timely basis and so the policy does not really add any additional pressure on us.”

But some said they worried it is yet another way for the school to make even more money off students.

“I understand they are just trying to provide motivation for students to graduate,” said Colten Roberts, a student at USU. “But I think they are going about it the wrong way. I think it will just cause more people to drop out when they go over the limit.”

USU, however, maintains that it will do everything it can to alert students when they approach the limit and provide them with a plan to graduate before it is reached, Squire said.

“If they want to complete on time they should be able to do so,” Squire said. “If students do reach that level they will know well in advance. It will not come as a surprise.”

New student business provides alternative to the bookstore

New student business provides alternative to the bookstore

By Chase Christensen

At the end of each semester students at Utah State University line up to sell their books back to the bookstore. But a newly founded company named Ubouk hopes to provide students with more options for selling their books and, in the process, get them more money back, according to Yourdanos Mulatu, an international business major at USU and Ubouk founder.

Ubouk’s website allows students to post ads for textbooks and works much like an online classified section. The company hopes to get students in touch with each other directly, maximizing the benefit for both parties, Mulatu said.

“Students can log on to our website and either post books to sell or get the information of other students to buy their books,” Mulatu said. “That way you cut out the middleman, in this case the bookstore.”

The website has only been up and running for a week, Mulatu said, but students are already listing their books.

“I put my book on there just because I hate the bookstore,” said Heather Thain, a graphic design major at USU. “They never give you back even remotely what you paid for your books in the first place. I figured if I put them up on Ubouk that I might get more for them; at the very least the bookstore wouldn’t be making money off them twice.”

Students who felt manipulated by the bookstore were a large reason why Ubouk was started, Mulatu said.

“I started the company because I could get more for my books selling them myself,” Mulatu said. “Instead of letting the bookstore take more of our money I made it easier for students to buy and sell to each other.”

Other students have plans to utilize the site to sell their books but have yet to list them.

“I haven’t used it yet but I plan to,” said Lance Chau, a nutrition major at USU. “It’s a pretty good idea, it’s a lot like the bulletin board at school but since it’s online it’s a lot easier to find books you are looking for instead of searching through every single one.”

The company also offers additional sections for students to sell other school related items such as housing contracts and even vehicles.

Ubouk is offering students even more incentive to use its site as well.

“We are giving away tickets to the Potato Bowl to two randomly drawn people who share one of our photos on Facebook,” Mulatu said. “They are good seats too; I was tempted to keep them.”

 

The winter blues

Students still waiting to make use of their season passes

By Chase Christensen

For some students, the $335 cost of a season pass at Beaver Mountain was a small price to pay to ski or snowboard all winter long, according to Jordon Olson, a marketing major at Utah State University and season pass holder. Many students even elected to schedule it as a class in order to take advantage of USU’s close vicinity to such winter venues, he said. But no matter the reason for visiting Beaver Mountain these students share a similar fate, one were snowfall has yet to exceed the requisite level to open the resort.

Beaver Mountain remains closed due to the lack of precipitation and that has some students anxiously awaiting snowfall.

“It sucks just having to wait around,” Olson said. “It better be open by the time finals week is over that is what I was planning on doing all of break. I just feel like I’m getting screwed out of time I could be riding, and it’s not like I can get my money back.”

But others maintain that Beaver has regularly opened for its season later than other Utah resorts.

“It usually doesn’t open till mid-December from what I’ve ever seen,” said Nate Lowe, a student and ski instructor at Beaver. “The earliest I’ve ever seen it open was on Dec. 3 and that was that crazy good winter two years ago.”

Even with the knowledge of later openings at Beaver students are still aware of the cost they incurred and are anxious to utilize their passes.

“I understand that they really don’t have much control of how much it snows,” said Brock Neagle, a season pass holder. “But it’s hard not to feel like you aren’t losing money while you are just sitting around waiting for snow.”

But Lowe said that a lot of students are used to the higher end resorts that are available in Utah, many that possess artificial snow making equipment.

“Yeah it sucks but what can you do?” Lowe said. “The Salt Lake resorts make their own snow that’s why they can guarantee an opening date, even though early season down there sucks anyway.”

Lowe added that he once asked the owner, Ted Seeholzer, if Beaver would ever have artificial snow making equipment. He was told that the possibility had been looked into but that there was not a large enough ground water supply to feed the wells required to sustain the machinery.

“I guess at smaller scale resorts like Beaver you are kind of at the mercy of the weather, maybe praying to the snow gods will help a little bit,” Neagle said.

Textbook Bailout

Textbooks prove valuable in more ways than one 

By Chase Christensen

With Christmas only a few weeks away and having just been through Black Friday, some Utah State University students are finding themselves in need of extra cash, and a few are finding relief in an unlikely source, their textbooks.

Every year, during the last week of the semester, the USU Bookstore offers buy backs. A buy back is when the store offers college students money for their used text books. Often the amount is considerably less than what the books were originally purchased for, according to Alyssa Sawyer, a junior who recently sold her books back early for holiday cash. But it is better than nothing, she said.

What most students do not realize is that books can be sold back at any time throughout the semester, not just the last week, even at the decreased buy back price this can represent a fair amount of money, Sawyer said.

“It really depends on the class,” said Sawyer. “Some of my classes I bought a book for and didn’t even need the stupid thing the entire semester; those are the easiest to sell when you need money.”

But some of the books that were sold back were still of use in classes, raising a dilemma.

“The books you can kind of still use are harder to sell,” Sawyer said. “You have to weigh your options, it’s not worth failing a class worth hundreds of dollars, but if you are pretty sure you can do it without the book it’s pretty hard not to consider it.”

But it does not seem to be a growing trend, or even common place said Stuart Baker, who oversees text book buy backs for the book store.

“You would think that we would get a lot of books back around that time, but that’s not the case,” Stuart said. “It really doesn’t seem to pick up for us until right before finals.”

Not many students had returned their books and probably would not until the store begins its end of semester buy back, scheduled to start this Thursday, he said.

“Not many students think ahead that far I don’t think,” Stuart said. “The problem with Black Friday shopping is it’s a month before school ends, I think it would be hard to go that long without a book.”

He did concede that the reason the school buys back books year-round is because of such situations.

“Usually you are going to get our most competitive prices at the end of the semester,” Stuart said. “Prices are good then, but if you are really stressing for cash you can sell them anytime.”

But to a few students it is worth the risk.

“I know it’s not the best way to do things,” Sawyer said. “But if you need the money I think it’s worth it. I am sure I’m not the only one who does it.”

Health and Wellness Center disappointing

USU Health and Wellness Center a point of frustration for some students

By Chase Christensen

Long lines and the lack of available appointments have some students increasingly dissatisfied by what their student fees pay for.

Students are charged a health fee each semester to fund the center. It is then available to students as frequently as needed and offers examinations and consultations, according to Dr. Jim Davis, a doctor who works at the center. The only things that students are required to pay for are additional tests such as blood work, X-rays and occasionally supplies, he said.

The services are also offered to the immediate family of a student, such as a spouse or children.

“We do our best to get everyone in,” Davis said, “We see between 80 to 100 students a day and we never turn anyone away, most are treated that same day. We will even stay late if we need to; we know why we are here.”

He added that the center is more sensitive to students' school schedules and will usually see students within a couple of days, only putting off appointments to work around other scholastic obligations.

The center deals exclusively with students, giving it considerable experience in the area.

“I like to believe that students come to us because we know them and their problems,” Davis said. “Not just because they are worried about the expense.”

Some students said that they found it hard to believe that the center works hard to adapt to their needs.

“That place is a joke,” said Jennifer David, a student who recently used the center. “It took them forever to get me in and then the only thing they did was tell me to give it a couple of days and come back if I wasn’t getting better.”

The visit was of little help and hardly worth the hours of waiting, she said.

Others complained about being treated for unrelated issues.

“Every time I go there they tell me I have asthma,” said Jared Clark, a USU student that used the center. “It didn’t even make sense. I was there for a dislocated finger.”

But Davis maintains that the center is doing the best it can with the resources it has.

“We have our limits but we try to use our resources to their fullest extent,” Davis said.

The Student Health and Wellness Center will be moved into the new Aggie Recreation Center, which is projected to be finished in the fall of 2015, in hopes of making the center’s services more convenient to students, Davis said.

The day after margarita Mondays

Students take advantage of Taco Tuesdays

By Chase Christensen

Tuesday is a special day of the week for many Utah State University students who have unofficially deemed the day Taco Tuesday, according to Jordan Goodsell, a student and frequent Taco Tuesday attendee. It is the only day of the week that Mexican restaurants Costa Vida and Café Rio offer a deeply discounted price on tacos, only charging students $1.50 a piece, Goodsell said. With prices that low Taco Tuesday supplies students with a chance to enjoy food which otherwise may not be affordable for some.

Café Rio has been offering its Taco Tuesday special to students for several years now, according to Kaitlyn Rawlings, an employee at the restaurant. She said the offer started with the premise of attracting more business but few thought it would succeed as much as it has.

“On Taco Tuesday we more than double our business and that’s even with the discounted prices,” Rawlings said.

Costa Vida, a direct competitor of Café Rio, according to Rawlings, soon began offering tacos to students at discounted prices as well.

“Honestly I don’t think many people know about the Costa Vida deal,” Rawlings said. “We haven’t noticed much of a loss. Our line still makes it out the door until we close.”

The competition allows students to choose from the two establishments that now offer the same deal, although Café Rio remains the popular choice, Rawlings said.

Some students view Taco Tuesday not only as a way to save money but also to mingle and socialize.

“Taco Tuesday is great for a couple of different reasons,” Goodsell said. “It’s cheaper than eating at home and that is hard to pass up, plus there are tons of people to hang out with and meet. It’s also an amazing way to meet girls.”

Others said the reason that so many students take advantage of the offer is simply for the savings and not necessarily for the socializing.

“Offer college students cheap food and they will show up, plain and simple,” said Katie Jarvis, a student who participated in the event. “I just come because it is really good food for really cheap. The social part is just a nice addition.”

Café Sabor has also introduced an offer aimed at bringing in business from college students in the form of a Burrito Supreme, available for $5 on Thursdays, said Skyler Parkhurst, a waiter at the restaurant.

The success of student nights has not been lost on other local resturant owners. Recently Panda Express began offering 15 percent off meals for students who show their school identification on Tuesdays.