Outside looking in

Sometimes I feel like a kid standing outside of a candy shop...

... I gaze inside at all the beautiful jars filled to the top with delectable treats. I see a child ask the clerk for a particular candy. The kind clerk opens a beautiful paper bag and drops a heaping scoop of candy into the bag and, smiling, hands the child their prize.

The little child runs gleefully to an empty seats and plops themself down on an red cushioned chair.

With their chubby, perfect, cherub fingers, they slowly, carefully, open the bag. They pull out two pieces of the round, red cinnamon candy and toss them into their mouth.

A grin begins to grow and stretches from ear to ear as the flavor seeps into every crevice of their perfectly shaped mouth.

Another child deposits themself next to the first child.

The two glance quickly at each other, or rather at each other's bags. Now, there is a brief moment in which the children have a decision to make, before they must move on.

But, as this is a beautiful candy shop, with warm colored lamp lights, and an old fireplace burning cheerfully in the corner, with shop keepers who are jovial and children running about giggling and laughing, it is obvious the decision they make.

The two exchange samples of their precious treats and the joy fills their faces as they taste a new, exciting, delicious flavor.

Another child joins the fun, and the sharing of treats continues, and like wildfire, spreads throughout the entire shop.

The shop, like the candy jars, is filled to the brim with faultless, charmingly exquisite children ...

... I am standing outside,

in the cold,

watching.

And there doesn't seem to be a door to enter the shop.

~

My neighborhood and the people that surround me are the candy shop,

with perfection drowning every ounce of their existence.

I can see all the fun they are having, all the beauty they are enjoying, all the deliciousness they are partaking of, but I cannot seem to find the door to this world.

Yet, if I did find the door, upon opening it, would I discover a dusty old shed, covered in cob webs? And imperfection?

Is the reflection on the glass distorting the image I see?

When I walk around in my neighborhood, I peer into my neighbors windows as I pass by their homes. I cannot help to perceive the glowing warmth that radiates from their dinner table conversation.

What did they do right in their lives to make such a perfect life for themselves? And what did I do so wrong to thwart a similar perfection?

And even as I say it, I believe that their lives are as miserable as my own, perhaps more, because they feel the need to put on show, to pretend, to be something other than what they are.

I am not perfect.

I do not believe I ever will be.

I have flaws.

Many of them.

But right now,

I don't feel the need to convince you that I'm perfect.

And that makes me happy.

I am perfectly content to gaze at the beautiful image of children dancing about a room filled with candy and joy,

because out here in the cold,

I am making a snowman.

So

nah, nah, naaah, nah, nah, naaah.

You're looking at the new News Editor

At the beginning of May I was appointed the new News Editor of the UVU Review. So far this summer we've put out two issues. Below are two out of the four articles I've had published in the last month.

It's been fun being the editor and working with the writers. It's also been a lot of work. But I am really excited for this upcoming year.

I'll do much better at posting my articles here. But just in case I don't, you can always check out www.uvureview.com, our online newspaper.

Utah Women and Education Project

by Andrea Lindgren

The Utah Women and Education Project has just completed its first year of research, which is intended to help gain a better understanding of why there has been a recent decline in the enrollment in and completion of post secondary education by women in Utah. Their first year also coincided with the release of their second of four briefs describing their research and findings, thus far.

"A big part of our research is, collecting data from young women who have chosen not to get a college education or have gone to college for only a couple semesters then dropped out," said Dr. Susan Madsen, UVU associate professor of management, heading up this project.

From 1940 until the year 2000, women in Utah were above the national average when it came to educational attainment. However, in 1993 they began to see a decline and in 2001 Utah fell below the national average.

"No one knows exactly at this point why there was a decline, one guess is that [the young women] and their parents don't have a broader understanding of the value of higher education," Madsen said.

The project is also looking at the different struggles and barriers that women might encounter when completing their education, and they also are looking at the different resources schools have to offer.

"Many people don't realize that a math lab would be considered a resource, but if someone can't pass their math class they may drop out," said Nicolle Johson, UVU student and assistant to Dr. Madsen for this project.

Another problem is that the women who are attaining degrees aren't pursuing ones that will lead to higher paying jobs, a higher quality of life and better economy for Utah. Utah's post secondary institutions are seeing lower numbers of enrollment in the STEM, science, technology, engineering and math, and management fields. However, when it comes to health related fields, Utah keeps decent pace with the national average.

"With their eduction, [women] can be a bigger influence in their communities and churches." Madsen said. "One class, just one class at a time, can do so much for a woman."

The project's research will continue for another year and the third brief is expected to come out this fall, and they are hoping to have more answers as to why this Utah is facing this dilemma. To view the first and second brief in their entirety visit: http://www.uvu.edu/wep/.

A year of incredible growth- President Holland Celebrates his first year at UVU

A year of incredible growth

by Andrea Lindgren

A little over one year ago, President Holland arrived during our transitional time between state college and becoming a fully developed university.

Through strong leadership and a constant eye on the mission set before him, of creating a serious, engaged, yet inclusive institution, he has built a strong university, even while wading through troubling economic times.

"The biggest challenge, which is a good challenge, is wrestling with the decision about what we are going to do with all the growth, as we are striving to be serious and become a better and better university. There's a companion challenge to that, which is the state of our resources. We came out much better than I thought we would, but it's a constant worry, how to get the necessary resources to be able to handle this many students," Holland said.

Though institutions all over the state, including UVU have faced massive budget cuts over the year, Holland has been able to do some amazing things here. One notable, and obviously significant accomplishment has been that of securing the funds to build the much needed new science building.

"What I love about it is that now, in addition to having the events center and the baseball diamond as the front face of campus, you also have the library and the science building that gives this wonderful academic feel to UVU," Holland said.

One feat that may go unnoticed by many, although very important, is the change in policy, when it comes to recruiting, hiring and training faculty.

"Universities are by and large human organization assets, you've got to hire, train and promote the right people to live up to that mission and the work we've done on the policy lays a good foundation. It's one of those things that would be easy to miss, it's not as grand as a new science building, in terms of recognizing a contribution, but it will have more lasting ramifications for the kind of place that UVU becomes over the years in its effort to become a serious university," Holland said.

Holland has gone to great lengths recently to attain some great new faculty members as a shuffle in his presidential cabinet, and the needs of the university have required administrative changes to fill the position vacancies and accommodate the growth of the university.

The reshaping done this past year and during the recent months are being done to help facilitate the needs of the community and state, as well as to help build a stronger, better university as it moves forward and continues to grow.

"We are poised with a stellar team that is aligned with our mission and a reasonable sense of responsibility that will really take us forward in the coming year," Holland said.