Utah State fraternity reaches out to serve local community

Utah State University’s branch of Alpha Tau Omega gathered on Monday evening to crochet hats for local cancer patients.

The fraternity met at a member’s home to work on the ongoing service project.

“We have done this on numerous occasions and our goal is to crochet 100 hats, four per person, and deliver them as a group to those who are battling to survive,” said JD Arnold, the ATO social service chairman.

According to Arnold, the fraternity requires each member to log 15 service hours per semester. That’s an average of 300 hours each semester for the group.

“More than anything, being Greek means you are part of something bigger than yourself,” said Trent Morrison, chapter president of Sigma Phi Epsilon. “Members of fraternities and sororities actively look for ways to positively impact our community.”

Each organization in the Greek community at USU establishes its own service requirements for members. According to Arnold, each day presents new opportunities for growth.

“This type of service helps us bond as brothers as well as providing for ample opportunity to serve local people in Cache Valley who are battling this disease,” Arnold said.

Interfraternity Council president Michael Ruefenacht said it is important to serve the local community “because we’re all in this together.”

“We enjoy helping others,” Ruefenacht said, “whether it’s helping local organizations by raising money or helping our fellow Aggies on campus.”

Kylee Hopkin, Morgan Pratt, Matthew Thomas, Cristina Johnson and Cailey Chaney contributed to this report.

The Fauré Quartett begins its worldwide tour in Logan

On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., the Fauré Quartett will begin its latest worldwide tour with an appearance at The Manon Caine Russell Kathryn Caine Wanlass Performance Hall at Utah State University.

Founded in 1995, the Fauré Quartett is a leading European ensemble that specializes in chamber music and performs a variety of compositions.

“There are not many piano quartets in the world who play with steady members whose job is to play in the ensemble,” said Dirk Mommertz, the piano musician in the quartet. “We prefer to develop our repertoire and improve the balance of our own group.”

The musicians include Dirk Mommertz on piano, Erika Geldsetzer on violin, Sascha Frömbling on viola and Konstantin Heidrich on cello.

“We had an incredible journey when we came yesterday and still cannot believe how great the nature is around here,” Mommertz said. “We are extremely happy about the warm welcome here and the facilities.”

Mommertz said concert-goers will hear “a wonderful repertoire” and “might see something that they are not used to seeing.”

Admission is $10 for USU students and $24 for the public. Tickets are available at arts.usu.edu.

Madison Smith, Madeleine Bramhall, Natalie Nix, Torrey Green, Morgan Poulsen and Diego Mendiola contributed to this report.

Cancer researchers find genetic risks

A team of researchers from the Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences at Utah State University has discovered there may be a link between diet and colon cancer — and it may be inheritable across generations.

For the past three years, a team led by Abby Benninghoff, a professor of animal medicine at USU, has been feeding a diet of sugars and carbohydrates to mice.

“The overall goal of our research program is to determine how diet influences cancer risk,” Benninghoff said. “We are studying how a western-type diet that is high in calories and relatively poor in nutrient content increases risk of certain cancers.”

That work demonstrated a likely link between the western diet and cancer. Now the team is trying to determine how ancestral diet influences cancer risk in later generations.

“It’s kind of scary,” said research team member Korry Hintze. “It’s not just how you eat and behave. We now know that what your grandparents eat can have a huge impact on your own health.”

The team has received funding support from the Utah Agriculture Experiment Station and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“The results we have obtained to date are very intriguing,” Benninghoff said. “We plan to continue this work for at least several more years to come.”

Jared Dangerfield, Amanda Grover, Lindsey Hall, Heather Shulsen and Rebecca Wheatley contributed to this article.

USU library gets late start

A crowd gathered in front of the Utah State Merrill-Cazier Library waiting for the doors to open at 6 p.m. on Monday. The library, which normally begins letting students in at 7 a.m., opened late due to Presidents Day.

"I came right at six and there were 30 people waiting outside," said Solomon Anderson, a junior at USU. "I actually came up here this morning and the doors were locked. It was the dumbest thing."

“I didn’t really care that it opened at six because I had access to the engineering building,” said James Gardner, a student at USU. “However, I am glad it was closed because I think the employees deserve a break too. After all, it is a holiday.”

Kate Cecotti, a circulation desk employee at the library, said the sensor gates near the entrance of the building show that most students who utilize the library on holidays come in the evening.

“There wasn’t much traffic before six, that’s why the decision was made to open at that time,” Cecotti said. “It costs money to open the library and there has to be enough students to make it worth the time and money. That’s why the library closes early on Friday evening.”

Over 1,500 students use the library during normal operating hours each day.

"I was surprised it was open at all," said sophomore Nate Burton. "This is a federal holiday and there are other places to study. Not a lot of students are here at that time.”

Nikki VanLith, Janessa Knowles, Claire Hubbard, LeAnn Fox, Alex Taylor and Logan Jones contributed to this report.

Utah State’s Danny Berger speaks about survivng cardiac arrest

Utah State University basketball player Danny Berger was the featured speaker at a Latter-day Saint Student Association Religion in Life devotional on Friday in Logan.

Berger, who suffered sudden cardiac arrest during a Dec. 4, 2012 basketball practice and was resuscitated following the use of an automated external defibrillator, spoke about his experience and how it has influenced his faith.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 92 percent of sudden cardiac arrest incidents that occur outside of a hospital prove to be fatal.

Berger, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, believes God was watching over him throughout the experience — and detailed specific “miracles” he believes led to his survival on the court that day.

Trainer Mike Williams was watching the practice closely and rushed onto the court as soon as Berger went down. Knowing what to do, he quickly began to administer CPR.

“It was a pretty solemn mood; everyone was pretty scared,” said senior guard Sean Harris, who was at practice the day Berger collapsed. “You don’t really ever see that so we were just kind of worried and hoping that everything would end up fine, that he would stay alive and that he would play basketball again.”

The defibrillator used to revive Berger was not in its usual spot that day, but Berger’s roommate, who attended practice, knew exactly where it was.

The ambulance arrived within a few minutes of receiving the call that Berger had gone down. Life Flight was contacted and rushed him to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, where a defibrillator was surgically implanted into his chest.

Berger said he felt overwhelming love from friends and family members during his recovery.

“I had thousands of people contacting me concerned about my well-being,” Berger said. “It was unbelievable how much love I felt.”

Following Berger’s incident, Utah State football team members wore a sticker on their helmets bearing Berger’s number 12 and his initials. Many students also wrote letters wishing him a fast recovery, which was the act of love he remembers the most.

Harris said that Berger’s attitude on the court has not changed since the accident.

“He’s the same guy, and still a fierce competitor on the basketball court,” Harris said. “He’s not afraid at all. He‘s not afraid of getting hit in the chest or anything.”

According to Harris the team feels like this experience has brought them even closer together.

“When he went down we all had like a little prayer as a team,” he said. “Things like that definitely make you grow close together as a team.”

Berger said he has a different attitude now about how fragile life is, and said this experience has brought his family closer together.

 “A lot of people talk to me and look at what happened as a huge burden, and a huge trial that’s been in my life,” Berger said. “There comes a time when trials and burdens become blessings, and this has been a huge blessing for me and my family.”

Berger’s speech came 10 days after a similar incident involving Zach Cooper, a sophomore at Elgin Community College in Illinois. Cooper, like Berger, recovered following the on-court use of an automated external defibrillator.

The American Heart Association tracked athlete deaths from 2004-2008 and found that about 56 percent of all student athlete deaths were cardiovascular related.

Alex Bennett, Morgan Klinkowski, Madison Eves, Sam Emmett, Emily Duke and Justin Anderson contributed to this report.

Twin Flames performs at Caffe Ibis

The husband and wife musical duo known as Twin Flames was the featured act on Sunday at Caffe Ibis Gallery Deli.

Kris and Elise Krompel performed as part of a weekly live musical show hosted by the coffee roasting company. Their two-hour set included a variety of classic rock songs and classical guitar solos by Kris Krompel.

Every week the Gallery Deli invites local artists from Cache Valley to perform, providing a cultural atmosphere for patrons, according to Caffe Ibis manager Hilary Murray.

“We were lucky to book Kris Krompel on Sunday,” Murray said. “He is an amazing guitarist here in the valley.”

According to Murray, the laid-back vibe at Caffe Ibis allows the artists to receive a lot of traffic while they're performing because the patrons are always coming and going.

This doesn’t bother Kris Krompel.

“I just enjoy playing,” Krompel said. “It’s me having my experience while they’re having theirs.”

Krompel is a self-taught musician who wants to spread his love of music through teaching and performing. He has been teaching guitar for 17 years, eight of which were at Utah State University.

“I like teaching and performing,” Kris Krompel said. “I’m doing what I like to do. I’m not into fame or money.”

Elise Krompel joined him in September, creating Twin Flames.

The couple met at one of Kris Krompel’s performances. As their relationship evolved, she wanted to be part of his music. She learned how to play bass so she could play backup for her husband.  

Twin Flames will next perform in Logan at 9:30 p.m. on March 14 at The Factory.

More information about the live performances can be found at Caffe Ibis’ website, www.caffeibis.com.

Mike Cannon, Kelsey Richardson, Melissa Allison, Taylor Murray, Erin Cox and Whitney Fletcher contributed to this report.