Utah Tech University

During this year's United Spirit Association Collegiate Championships, the Dixie Blaze Dance Team secured a 2nd place finish in the hip-hop dance category. In their first ever competition, Dixie Blaze beat out teams from Southern Utah University, San Jose State and other Division I dance teams from across the nation. "Our girls have put in so many hours of practice getting ready for the Collegiate Championships," Head Coach Kori Esplin shared. "I couldn't be prouder of them, and to come home from our very first competition taking 2nd against all those incredible teams is amazing!" Beginning their season in July, Dixie Blaze dancers attend early morning rehearsals, chorography workshops and light-night practices to solidify their routines. Showcased at all of the home football and basketball games, their trick-filled and high-energy routines always entertain Trailblazer Nation fans.

For Dixie State University students Alyssa Janeway and Samantha Ortiz, an unexpected friendship has blossomed into the content creation platform, Coffee With Besties. The web show's overarching mission is to highlight the importance of the University's Department of Media Studies. "The Media Studies Department has taken major budget cuts, and we couldn't do the show without the technology and equipment they provide us," said Janeway. "Sure, we could film it on our phones, but we've put together this show through the school, for the school."

Dixie State University film students spent two years creating the feature film "Into the Fire: A Utah Boy's in the Blues," which was recently showcased in the 12th annual DOCUTAH Film Festival. DSU music major Isaac Erikson collaborated with the film students to create this film, bringing to life his father's passion for the blues. Through this collaboration with the DSU film students, Erikson was able to combine his passion for music and love for his father to shed light onto the modern era of blues music. These students were given hands-on experience in creating a documentary style film and were also able to travel to Nashville, Tennessee where Isaac's father, Dick Earl Erikson, was judging at the International Blues Challenge.

Students in Dixie State University's Dance Program recently had the opportunity to experience active learning firsthand by choreographing for and performin in the university's annual Student Dance Concert. Held November 18 and 19 on the Dixie State campus, the concert offered 29 dance students the chance to participate in 12 choreographed pieces. The concert is a collaboration of students in three distinct courses within Dixie State's Dance Program: Choreography Practicum, Dance Production and Dance Performance. The Dance Program at Dixie State University helps a diverse population of students achieve their dance education goals by teaching the skills of embodied practice and scholarly and creative inquiry.

Recently, Dixie State University commenced in their 70th annual Miss Dixie Pageant that began as a DSU homecoming tradition in 1951. Taking the crown in this year's pageant is Miss Carli Gumm, a 21-year-old junior from Minden, Nevada, majoring in Mathematics Education.

In honor of Native American Heritage month, Dixie State University recently held the 25th annual Miss Native Dixie Pageant on the DSU campus, with Delaina Becenti being crowned Miss Native Dixie 2022. This year the pageant showcased three contestants - Cristal Elias, a senior exercise science major from Cedar City, Utah; Delaina Becenti, a freshman general studies major from Green River, Wyoming; and Naji Runs Through, a sophmore art major from Ivins, Utah. As Miss Native Dixie royalty, Delaina and her attendants will serve as ambassadors for the Native American population at Dixie State University, inspiring students to complete their education.

Dixie State University senior Allie Garrow developed the "We Are Career Ready" campaign by creating six scarecrows to represent each of DSU's colleges for the Red Hills Desert Garden 2021 Scarecrow Walk and Haunted Canyon. The project was a huge undertaking but was rewarding, not only for Garrow but also for the nearly 20,000 attendees who have already visited the garden in the month of October. The local community can continue to enjoy the scarecrow displays at the Red Hills Desert Garden until October 31. "The vision with the scarecrows was to represent the unique 'active learning. active life.' opportunities each college department offers," Garrow explained. "I wanted the community to see through the scarecrow display that Dixie State is different from any other university because students have so many hands-on learning experiences."

Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced on Friday that Dixie State post-graduate student wide receiver Deven Osborne has been named to the 30th-Anniversary 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Osborne is among 22 football student-athletes and one honorary coach selected to the 30th-Anniversary team. In all, 109 student-athletes from all divisions across the nation were nominated by sports information directors with stories of exemplary community service, alongside academic dedication and impact on and off the field.

Dixie State University's nursing student Teralin Petereit recently won first place in the 2021 Rebelle Rally race for the 4x4 class. The Rebelle Rally is a week-long event covering 2,500 kilometers of stunning terrain across the Nevada and California desert. With no cell phones or GPS, this eight-day competition is the ultimate challenge of precise navigation as competitors race to accurately find hidden checkpoints using only a map, compass and roadbook.

DSU students Kylee Newsome and Megan Combs recently participated in an enriching, career-focused event held by The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors in Boston, Massachusetts. The annual ASCLD Symposium is an industry-leading conference designed for leaders and managers in the forensic laboratory space. The symposium boasts workshops and plenary talks designed around all aspects of forensic science, but particularly focused on enhancing leadership and management in a forensic laboratory.

During her month-long internship with Pelagios Kakunja, DSU student Liberty Krieger participated in what she describes as an absolutely golden hands-on experience. The internship included taking diet and nutritional analysis, learning biopsy and blood sampling techniques, habitat sampling, underwater and aerial drone surveys, assisting with shark tagging trips, and more. Dixie State University's "active learning. active life." approach to education promotes hands-on, personalized learning experiences both in and out of the classroom and encourages a dynamic, engaged approach to life. This enables students to flourish not only while attending DSU but in their careers, community and in life.

DSU student Baylee Nelson-McKeachnie took second place in the Best Student Film awards at the Red Rock ScreenDance Film Festival last week with her film "Reformation". Inspired by the song "One by Sleeping at Last," the film is about perfectionism and striving to be the absolute best at everything you do. The Red Rock ScreenDance Film Festival is an international event filled with dance-film platforms in conjunction with the Red Rock Dance Festival, held in St. George, Utah. This has been the first year the film festival was introduced, while the Red Rock Dance Festival completed its 13th year. With submissions accepted nationwide, three major awards were given with titles of first, second and third place. These awards include Best Overall Film, Best Editing and Best Student Film.

Due to the emergence of COVID-19, the need for registered nurses skyrocketed this past year. Therefore, with approval from the Utah State Board of Nursing, a Nurse Apprentice Program was designed for Dixie State University students in their senior year to help fast track their nursing careers while expanding the nurse workforce. The program was organized in the spring of 2020 and launched into full gear by January, 2021. Traditionally, students would not have been provided with increased opportunities such as involvement into an apprenticeship program until after graduation and passing their NCLEX exam. However, 12 participating DSU seniors, all in their final semester and in good academic standing with the University, actively practiced in the community under professional supervision gaining hands-on, real-life clinical experiences while also becoming part of the pandemic solution.

Brooke Marchetti-Curtis; a senior 23-year-old Trailblazer, recently won second place in a film festival titled Concorsi di Danza, held in Florence, Italy. Her film, "Searching for a Feeling" was inspired by the research process of creating movement that resembles looking for someone or something, the journey of getting to that final place, and your body's reaction once you've found it. Not only was her film submitted in the Concorsi di Danza Choreography Competition held in Florence, Italy, but it has also been featured in the Undergraduate Research Symposium at Dixie, Red Rock Choreography Competition and was recognized in the Red Rock ScreenDance Film Festival held earlier this month.

As a recent graduate from Dixie State University, Connor Lee has been awarded a $70,000 scholarship as part of a graduate program at Longy School of Music, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he will pursue his master's degree in Vocal Studies. With many musical talents starting at the age of seven, Connor has taken advantage of multiple opportunities during his college career to elevate his musical talents to new heights.

This week Dixie State University's Alumni Association announced the Dixie 11, celebrating eleven extraordinary bachelor's degree candidates of 2021 who have excelled in academics as well as university and community involvement. Dixie 11 awardees were honored at a dinner held on campus on April 28 and also received a letter of commendation from the University President for their remarkable achievements.

Showcasing Dixie State University's international students, 2021 DSU International Pageant was held on Thursday, April 15th as an opportunity for students to showcase their cultural background and heritage. Participating students gave spectacular performances including song and dance, cultural attire, and history. Students from all around the world, including Japan, Vietnam, Honduras, China, and Ecuador took the stage with smiling faces and heritage pride.

Dixie State University student and Eden Technologies Founder and CEO Hunter Manz, along with company Co-Founder Zack Manweiler, successfully secured $100,000 to help fund their desalination invention and address water scarcity issues in needed areas. Eden Technologies' desalination invention removes the salt from ocean water to generate pure drinking water. The device has its own energy recovery system which sets it apart from other desalination systems. With the initial funds secured, Eden Technologies will now begin to construct a fully-functional prototype of their desalination machine as well as obtain an international patent. Once the prototype is completed, the Saline Water Conversion Corporation of Saudi Arabia has agreed to consider allocating funding to develop a much larger commercial model if results stay consistent with previous data.

Dixie State University students Cajun Syrett and Riley Randall recently won first place against eight other couples at the BYU Dancesport Festival on November 15-16, 2019, in the Cabaret category of the championship. Cajun and Riley are now eligible to go on to compete with dancers from all over the world in Manhattan at the New York Dance Festival in February 2020.