Global Village Gifts

By Rachael Wabel

The spirit of helping others abounds during the holiday season, but a shop in Logan allows community members to help year round. Global Village Gifts, located off 100 East in Logan, is a shop that sells handcrafted items from all over the world to help those in struggling countries.

Global Village sells items made by women from across the world including Asia, South America and Africa. The store works to promote fair trade by taking the items made by women, selling them in the shop and returning the money to the women and their families. The store relies on volunteers to keep prices and middleman costs low.

Mabel Draper, a student at Utah State University, volunteered at the shop after discovering them during “Taste of Logan”, an activity held during freshman Connections Week.

“I mostly walked about the store, familiarizing myself with their merchandise. Where it was from, what it’s made of,” Draper said. “I also worked at the desk as a cashier. I basically manned the store.”

Global Village is flexible with volunteers, allowing them to choose when they would like to help, but ask that those who do help try to recruit other volunteers.

Kaitlyn Nef, a sophomore at the University of Utah, volunteered when she was 12 after seeing her mother and older sister work in the shop.

“Since I was only 12 when I volunteered, I was not allowed to work the register or handle any money,” Nef said. “I walked around and helped answer customer questions. I was also in charge of the music, which was a big deal for me.”

Because volunteers are not paid for their time, many see it as a way of giving back.

“The best part was knowing I was helping in an honestly good cause,” Draper said. “It amazes me what people are capable of doing, even when they have limited resources.”

“At the time, I would’ve said the best part was playing with the musical instruments and toys. Looking back my answer is different,” Nef said. “I love knowing that because I convinced that teenager to buy something, a woman in a Third World country was able to buy some food or send her daughter to school. I was helping people.”

For more information about Global Village and volunteering opportunities please visit http://www.globalvillagegifts.org/

Finals Week Fashion

By Rachael Wabel

With numerous yawns and study-induced comas, finals week is drawing near, leaving some wondering what is acceptable to wear to the class-ending tests.

Utah State University does not have a dress code, leaving the options for final test attire almost limitless. 

Some feel dressing up in skirts or shirts and ties helps them do better and appear more professional to instructors.

“I always dress up,” USU senior Jake Wright said. “It helps me do better. I’m more focused.”

After late study sessions, comfort is a must for some students. Some say wearing pajama pants or sweats to take exams helps lessen test anxiety.

The USU academic resource center defines test anxiety as a worry or fear about taking a test that can affect academic performance. For those suffering from test anxiety, the amount of tests given during finals week can aggravate the disorder.

“PJ pants all the way for finals week. Being comfortable cuts down on my test anxiety,” said Tiffany Swenson, a sophomore at USU.

“Sweats,” Weber State University student Candalynne Roskelley said of her finals wardrobe. “Of course I just wear sweats in general.”

While USU does not require a certain standard of dress for students, schools like Brigham Young University and BYU-Idaho implement the Honor Code that prohibits certain types of clothing. The Honor Code states that women’s clothing should not be revealing or form fitting, while men must be clean-shaven and groomed as well. Those in violation are turned away and must remedy the problem before they are allowed to test.

Many students see finals as a big event, but others including many freshman who have never experienced a college final, see the days as normal class sessions.

“I’ve never taken them,” USU freshman Vanessa Miller said. “I’ll probably just wear jeans and a top like any other school day.”

Is Pinterest the New Obsession?

By Rachael Wabel

With virtual pinboards and limitless craft and home ideas, Pinterest is spreading across the nation. For some it is a place to find fun and easy craft ideas. For others it’s a great way to waste time.

The site boosts boards where users can “pin” items including crafts, pictures and sayings into different boards for the sake of organization. Some have boards specifically for home items, while others use the site to find cute and funny pictures. The abounding amount of ideas and projects has even made the site a favorite of brides-to-be.

“I look through other people’s boards and see so many ideas for my wedding,” Utah State University freshman Karli Adams said. “I can’t wait to get married so I can use them.”

Most joining Pinterest have done so after receiving invites or recommendations from friends and family. 

Markie Meredith, a senior at Syracuse High, joined Pinterest after seeing pillows her older sister had made from the site.

“She started making pillows and telling me about these different ideas and I asked her where she was finding all this stuff and she showed me Pinterest,” Meredith said.

Meredith and her sister turned the things found on the site into a bonding night, she said. They spend every Thursday night making things found on Pinterest, including scarves and a magnetic make-up board.

The crafts on the site are focused on being simple and things that can be made with materials that may already be at home. While most of the crafts are meant to be easy, not all turn out like they are supposed to.

“I tried to make a ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ figure. Epic Fail,” Chelsea Grimes said of a failed project found on the site. “I couldn’t really get the separate pieces to stick together. Then when I finally did, I tried baking it like the paper the clay came with said to, but it just melted.”

Although Pinterest boosts many good ideas, some see it as a waste of time.

“It’s a bunch of ridiculous housewives surfing the internet with nothing else to do,” USU student Rylie Gordon said. “I think it’s stupid.”

Like many other networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, some feel Pinterest is an addiction.

“It’s addicting. You get on and you just can’t stop,” Adams said.

Sometimes the urge to spend a few more minutes searching the site can delay class.

"One of my professors admitted that we're starting class late because she wants to spend more time on Pinterest," University of Utah student Megan McFarland tweeted. "Haha."

Staying Warm in Logan

By Rachael Wabel

For many Utah State University students experiencing their first winter in Logan, the frigid chill can be a shock. With temperatures that often drop to single digits, students have become creative in their efforts to stay warm.

“I’m from Vegas,” USU freshman Jordan Matthews said. “It’s freezing here, but thankfully I can layer.”

Layering has been a part of fashion for decades, with some shirts sewn together to create the look. Students often take advantage of the trend in order to cover more skin and add extra protection from the harsh winter weather.

“I have a lot of T-shirts that I love, but wearing them in winter isn’t the smartest thing,” said Brynn Reed, a sophomore at USU. “I went and bought a bunch of long-sleeved shirts and put them under my favorite T-shirts.”

Layering the upper body isn’t always enough to fight the winter chill. Tights and nylons have long been associated with church or business offices. But as temperatures drop, more women are pulling stockings from the back of their sock drawers and adding them to their winter wardrobe.

“One word for you. Leggings,” USU sophomore Emily Olsen said. “You put them on under your jeans and they keep you really warm. Plus, they suck everything in and make you skinnier, and who doesn’t want to feel skinnier?”

No matter how many layers and coats students wear, sometimes the cold is inescapable.

“I’ve been here for a while so I’m kinda used to it,” USU senior Jonathan Moore said. “Sometimes, no 

matter what you wear, it gets too cold to even breathe.”

Procrastinating Christmas

By Rachael Wabel

Black Friday and the weekend after Thanksgiving is normally when people start shopping for Christmas gifts, but some wait until the last minute to even think about what to give their friends and family.

Stores including Walmart and Target put countdown calendars near the front entrances to remind shoppers how many days they have left to complete their holiday shopping. Despite the constant reminders, some insist that the holiday season is so busy that shopping gets put off until the last minute.

“December is crazy,” Utah State University junior Jake Hansen said. “There’s always concerts, Christmas parties and work goes crazy. I’m lucky if I get my shopping done before Christmas Eve.”

Holiday films and television advertisements often make men seem like the only shopping procrastinators, but women too, admit to putting off finding gifts.

“I admit I wait until the weekend before Christmas,” said Lisa Morgan, a sophomore at USU. “I go home and finally have a car. It’s much easier than trying to cart a bunch of presents on the bus.”

While some procrastinate shopping, others manage to purchase or make all of their gifts before Thanksgiving.

“I’ve had all my gifts bought since the end of October,” Weber State University student Julie Chambers said. “I found good deals and wanted to make sure I got them before they were gone.”

Although many stores have been picked over and not many gift choices remain in the days just before Christmas, waiting has some advantages as well.

“If I wait until the end, I don’t have to make many decisions,” Morgan said. “There’s usually only one or two things left on everybody’s lists, and that’s what I get them.”

Black Friday Fights

By Rachael Wabel

Black eyes, a bloody nose and even a little bit of pepper spray—all part of the Black Friday shopping experience.

Past years have brought arguments over Nintendo Wii gaming systems and even Care Bear stuffed animals. Some Black Friday shoppers will do almost anything to get the items topping their family’s Christmas lists. Sometimes the desire to make Christmas perfect leads people to become violent.

“I remember the year Care Bears were the big thing,” MaryAnne Wilson said. “A fight broke out over one and this lady punched another woman in the nose so she could take the bear from her hands.”

In anticipation of large crowds and possible problems, a Walmart in Las Vegas, Nev. stationed store employees around in-demand items including Wii Video games and discounted waffle irons. The police were also brought in to handle any major problems and manage crowd control.

As soon as the sale began at 10 p.m. eager shoppers rushed to grab wanted items, leaving some injured in the process. Shouts from anxious shoppers diving for $3 waffle irons could be heard across the store.

“I’m glad I’m not over there,” Linda Barker said as the shouts echoed to where she stood, picking out pajama pants.

Wii video games, marked down to $10 and $20, were also a fight-worthy item. Before the sell started, the crowd around the box holding the games resembled a mosh pit.  Shoppers were pushed as people tried to grab games. Police officers watched the scene, ready to intervene if things got too rough. After the tussle the cardboard box holding the games was completely flattened.

One woman in a Porter Ranch, Calif. Walmart, took extreme measures to get what she wanted. In a Youtube video that quickly circulated around the internet, a mob around a box full of video games is shown. Several of the people push backward, complaining of being hit by pepper spray a woman was using to make sure no one came to close and took the games she had grabbed. The video can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-K7xDHAfdA&feature=related

Not all Black Friday squabbles were over in-demand items. At a Logan Walmart, an employee was called to the vacuum cleaner display to break up a fight between two elderly women over a vacuum.

While fist-fights and confrontations kept some shoppers away, others were unfazed by the altercations.

“It’s just part of it,” Susan Shephard said. “You just have to remember that a toy is not worth blood. More will be put out later.”

The pepper spray video can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-K7xDHAfdA&feature=related

(K. Mason)

Black Friday Not Worth It For Some

By Rachael Wabel

Retailers hope Black Friday will boost sale revenues, but a growing number of shoppers have decided to skip the lines and purchase their gifts after the rush.

A glance through the Thanksgiving Day newspaper ads revealed that while some items, including Blue-ray DVD players and large screen televisions were discounted, many items remained close their normal prices.

“I don’t see the point in getting up early to buy something I can get in a few days for the same price,” father of two, Joe Thompson said.

Long lines and over-populated stores are not uncommon on Black Friday. The large crowds have deterred some shoppers from taking part in the Black Friday tradition.

“I don’t want my butt grabbed by no stranger,” Tonya Jordan said. “I’ll do my shopping when there’s less people there.”

For many, Thanksgiving is centered on spending time with family and friends. Leaving home to join a growing line before the pumpkin pie has been served isn’t how some want to spend their Thanksgiving.

“My family is coming from out of town for the weekend,” Haley Webster said. “There’s no way I’m leaving them just to go shopping. I have a whole month to shop.”

Instead of stopping at the stores, many people boycotting Black Friday plan to see movies or spend time outside.

“We’ll go sledding if we can find snow, if not we’ll probably go see ‘Arthur’s Christmas’. It looks like something my kids would like,” Thompson said.

K.Mason)