November 19, 2003 News Releases
Released 11/14/03, 11/17/03 and 11/18/03
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES FOR 11-18-03
UTAH STATE RESEARCHER
LOOKS FOR CLUES TO OSTEOPEROSIS
LOGAN — Utah State University associate professor Ilka
Nemere is finding that chickens may provide some clues to curing
osteoporosis.
As humans age their bodies lose the ability to rapidly respond
to vitamin D-derived hormones that promote calcium and phosphate
absorption, said Nemere. This can lead to depleted bone tissue
and osteoporosis. Nemere wants to understand why this happens,
and how it can be prevented. Her research focuses on how poultry
absorb nutrients as they age.
“It's important to enhance phosphate and calcium absorption
in young animals, so the bones grow easily and quickly,”
said Nemere. “When mineral transport is turbo-charged,
a body absorbs them rapidly, allowing young bones to grow. But
that process slows down in adult animals — at least in
chickens.”
As Nemere’s research progresses, she may test her theory
on other species.
“If the outcome is the same with two very different species,
the observations may extend to humans and provide us with new
therapeutic targets,” Nemere said.
Osteoporosis, “the bone-thinning disease,” is a
common condition affecting more than 25 million people each
year. Most people don’t even realize they have the crippling
disease until they break a bone. If bones become thin enough,
fractures can occur from a minor fall, lifting something heavy
or simply walking. Fractures usually heal with treatment, but
as osteoporosis progresses more breakage may occur.
November 18, 2003
Writer: Sarah Timms (435) 797-1350
Contact: Ilka Nemere (435) 797-3286
SERIES CONTINUES
FROM UTAH PUBLIC RADIO AND UTAH STATE MUSIC DEPARTMENT
LOGAN — Another in a broadcast series of collaborations
between Utah Public Radio and the Utah State University department
of music features Corey Christiansen, an alumnus of Utah State's
Guitar Studies program.
A Tuesday (Nov. 25) afternoon broadcast on Utah Public Radio
features selections from a Sept. 26 concert at the Emert Science
Auditorium on campus. The broadcast begins at 1 p.m. with a
repeat Monday, Dec. 1, at 9 p.m.
The late-September concert featured the Corey Christiansen trio,
which include bassist Lars Yorgenson and drummer Emmanual Harold.
This special broadcast includes Utah Public Radio’s Lee
Austin’s interview of Corey and his father, Mike, who
is a professor and head of the university’s guitar program
in the department of music.
Corey Christiansen lives in St. Louis and is a professional
jazz guitarist and author/editor of music publications. He began
playing the guitar at the age of five, studying with his father
until he finished his bachelor’s degree. He sought out
renowned jazz guitar educator Jack
Petersen at the University of South Florida, receiving his master's
degree in jazz performance the spring of 1999.
During his return visit to the Utah State campus Christiansen
shared his experience in the classroom with students. This broadcast
collaboration was created as a forum for Utah State's performing
artists — from students and faculty — in addition
to visiting faculty, lecturers, performers and artists-in-residence.
A service of Utah State University, Utah Public Radio is heard
on KUSU (91.5 FM) and KUSR (89.5 FM) in Logan and throughout
Utah on a system of 26 translators.
The Utah Public Radio Web site is UPR.ORG.
November 18, 2003
Contact: Richard Meng, (435) 797-3132
Writer: Craig Hislop, (435) 797-1352
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES FOR 11/17/03
UTAH STATE JAZZ
AT CENTER STAGE
LOGAN — The Utah State University Jazz Ensembles take
center stage to perform the second installment of their fall
concert series Wednesday, Nov.19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kent Concert
Hall on the Utah State campus. Admission is $5 and students
with a valid ID are admitted free.
The jazz ensemble, under direction of Todd Fallis, kicks things
off with the Dominic Spera bone feature "Blue Bones."
"Our last concert was really well attended with a very
appreciative and enthusiastic crowd," said Fallis. "Let's
see if we can break the attendance record this time around."
After featuring Andrew Watkins and Sam Jewkes in the first tune,
the band will continue with Sammy Nesticos' "Warm Breeze."
"Smooth with a powerful ending is all I can say,"
said Fallis.
The band will also feature senior vocalist Kate Skinner in Larry
Smith's arrangement of "Come's Love."
"Kate is one of the most talented jazz singers that we
have had in the Utah State jazz program," said Fallis.
A tribute to Miles Davis, featuring his songs "All Blues,"
"So What," "Seven Steps to Heaven" and "Milestones,"
adds variety to the program. Fallis' set ends with the smokin'
Nestico arrangement of "Sweet Georgia Brown."
The Jazz Orchestra will perform a nearly all-Ellington set for
their part of the program, said director Jon Gudmundson.
"It's unusual for me to not program at least one Duke Ellington
piece per concert, but it dawned on me that the Jazz Orchestra
played no Ellington on our inaugural concert of the year,"
said Gudmundson. "Call me superstitious, but I felt that
a good way to make up for that omission was to program a whole
bunch of my favorite arrangements written by or associated with
my favorite big band leader."
On the program will be such classics as the perennial favorite
"Cottontail" and the somewhat sinister-sounding minor
blues "Koko." A feature for bass virtuoso Jimmy Blanton
called "Jack the Bear" will spotlight Utah State's
Cheryl Ellery, and the thrill-ride "Main Stem" will
feature several soloists. Among other Ellingtonia will be a
Latin-flavored minor blues called Oclupaca, from his Latin-American
Suite, and Billy Strayhorn’s beautiful alto saxophone
feature Isfahan, with Tyler Whitaker filling in for Johnny Hodges
on alto.
The one exception to the otherwise all-Ellington concert is
a piece by saxophonist, bandleader, composer and arranger Bob
Mintzer. The Jazz Orchestra really had a blast playing Mintzer’s
"Acha" in the last concert, and wanted to do some
more of his music, said Gudmundson.
"It’s a piece of his from the early to mid 1980s
called "Computer" and I can remember how fresh and
new it sounded when I played it back in those days with a big
band in Seattle called the Jazz Police," said Gudmundson.
"Funny, but it sounds dated to me now, yet it's still a
great funk chart and very fun for the band to play. It really
has no place on this Ellington-themed concert, but hey, we like
to play it, and we really wouldn’t want to ever be accused
of being predictable."
Date: November 17, 2003
Writer: Jon Gudmundson
DRUMSTICKS FOR
THANKSGIVING
LOGAN — The Utah State University Percussion Ensemble
and the Caine Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dennis Griffin,
will present a pre-holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov.
24, in the Kent Concert Hall at Utah State.
"Percussion concerts are always interesting because of
the large number of stylistic realms in which the instruments
may find themselves," Griffin said. "There is also
the wonderful variety of sounds generated by the diversity of
instruments used in the concert, and Utah State's award-winning
players will also have something to do with excitement of the
event."
This concert will feature the Caine Percussion Ensemble, a group
of six scholarshipped players, performing Christopher Rouse's
"Ogoun Badagris." Ogoun is a Haitian pagan deity associated
with violent ritualistic ceremonies, and the piece, which uses
the non-pitched voices of the percussion instrument collection,
is appropriately descriptive of the energy and drive of the
Haitian Voo-Doo dance, Griffin said.
The players will then completely change the mood with a delightful
arrangement of the waltz from the "Serenade for Strings"
by Tchaikowsky.
The rest of the program will feature works for larger ensemble
and include "Voiciferation" by Jack Stamp, "Factions"
by Lynn Glassock and "Bonham" by Christopher Rouse.
Bonham is a unique piece based on the legendary rock drummer
John Bonham, who performed with the group Led Zeppelin before
his death, Griffin said. The piece requires eight performers
and functions as if the drumset, played by Keith Sorensen, were
to become expanded to include the other seven players —
sounding like one giant drum set.
A holiday concert would not be complete without a percussive
rendition of a familiar Christmas carol, Griffin said, so the
concert will conclude with Mack Wilberg’s arrangement
of "Fum, Fum, Fum." Wilberg is associate conductor
of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Everyone is invited. Tickets are $5. Utah State students get
in free with an activity card.
Date: November 17, 2003
Writer: Dennis Griffin
CACHE CHAMBER
ORCHESTRA KICKS OFF NEW SEASON
The Cache Chamber Orchestra, under the leadership of Robert
Frost, begins its 30th season with its fall concert Sunday,
Nov. 23, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kent Concert Hall at Utah State
University. The concert is free.
The 30th season begins with a break in tradition, Frost said.
For many years the CCO’s fall concert featured string
works by Baroque composers. This year the program will feature
works from the Romantic period through the 20th century. Sir
Edward Elgar's "Serenade for Strings," Carl Nielsen's
"Suite for Strings," and Edvard Grieg's "Heart
Wounds and Last Spring" will be the featured works.
In addition, the Northern Utah Choral Society will join the
orchestra with four pre-holiday works for chorus and strings.
Among the works to be performed is the beautiful and lyrical
"Shepherd's Farewell" by Hector Berlioz and the majestic
"Personent Hodie," arranged by Gustav Holst.
The Northern Utah Choral Society, under the direction of professor
Cory Evans, is a long-standing community tradition open to Cache
Valley residents and students of Utah State University. The
choir will be presenting "Christmas with the Northern Utah
Choral Society" on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the
Kent Concert Hall.
For information about becoming a member of NUCS, call 797-3035.
The Cache Chamber Orchestra is a community-based orchestra with
open membership. Auditions are not required. Concerts are held
in November, February and April and feature string as well as
symphonic works. Soloists are featured on a regular basic and
are drawn from the community as well as the orchestra. For information
about membership, call Frost at 563-5090.
Date: November 17, 2003
Writer: Robert Frost, 435-563-5090
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES FOR 11-14-03
UTAH STATE’S
PARTNERS IN BUSINESS HOSTS TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MARKETING
EXECS
LOGAN — Top customer service and marketing executives
share the latest customer service and product branding strategies
at the 13th annual Customer Service and Marketing Seminar sponsored
by Utah State University’s Partners in Business, Nov.
19-20.
Nigel Adams, vice president of customer service for JetBlue
Airways, will discuss how JetBlue Airways has prospered in an
environment racked by turmoil in both the economic and service
arenas.
"Adams is definitely a leader in customer service practices,"
said Ryan Barlow, a student coordinator for Partners in Business.
"We are excited to have him share his 21 years of experience
in various areas of the airline industry."
Sam Dommer, another keynote speaker, is executive vice president
and chief marketing officer of First National Bank of Marin.
Dommer has more than 20 years experience in marketing, sales
and product development. He will share insights about how companies
can develop mission critical processes and techniques that promote
growth on demand.
"This is a great opportunity for both business professionals
and students," said Ross Robson, director of Partners in
Business. "It's a chance to get personally acquainted with
the top executives in their field of business."
Other executives speaking include Rich Harshaw, chief executive
officer of Y2Marketing; Scott Hymas, chief executive officer
of RC Willey; Bradley Johnson, chief financial officer of REI;
Brett Merrell, vice president of marketing of Gerber Products
Company; Kent Murdock, president and chief executive officer
of O.C. Tanner Co.; Jeff Adams, manager of training and quality
assurance of Continental Airlines; Kimberly Larson, director
of promotions of Utah State Athletics; Steve Larson, vice president
of sales and business development of Information Alliance; and
Ken Shelton, president and founder of Excellence Performance
Systems.
Partners in Business, sponsored by Utah State University's College
of Business, is the only student-run management education program
in the United States and features seven seminars each year.
To register or for more information about the seminars, call
Utah State Partners in Business at (435) 797-2279 or 1-800-472-9965
or visit www.partnersusu.org.
Date: November 15, 2003
Writer: Matt Hawks, mhawks@cc.usu.edu
Contact: Ryan Barlow, rsb@cc.usu.edu
ICON HEALTH AND
FITNESS PARTNERS WITH UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
LOGAN — Utah State University students living on campus
will be exercising more thanks to a partnership with ICON Health
and Fitness.
Utah State has new workout facilities and equipment in the lobbies
of both the Mountain and Valley View towers on campus filled
with six treadmills, two incline trainers, four recumbent bikes,
two cross trainers and exercise balls.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the new exercise equipment
and Utah State’s partnership with ICON Health and Fitness
is Friday, Nov. 21, at 3:30 p.m. in Mountain View Tower on the
Utah State campus.
Lynn Brenchley, vice president of ICON Health and Fitness, said
ICON is committed to contributing to Utah State, where many
of the company’s employees are currently going to school.
"We have always had a unique relationship with Utah State
University since it plays a vital role in training and educating
many of our employees," Brenchley said. "Providing
this fitness equipment is not only a great way to introduce
students to our company, but to also help students realize their
fitness goals. It will also help the university upgrade its
offerings to students. Everyone benefits from this contribution."
Steve Jenson, director of housing and food services, said
Utah State students will benefit from the new exercise equipment
and from the convenient location in the residence halls.
"Utah State students living on campus will be happier and
healthier," said Jenson.
Jenson said the new facilities and equipment are part of a comprehensive
updating of on-campus housing facilities.
"Utah State is grateful for ICON’s contribution to
our on-campus facilities," Jenson said.
For more information about the ribbon-cutting ceremony, contact
Jenson at (435) 797-3266.
November 15, 2003
Writer: Matt Hawks, mhawks@cc.usu.edu
Contact: Steve Jenson, (435) 797-3266
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