EnlightenED community to elevate the voice of the student and provide platform to shape the future of EdTech February 6, 2023—RESTON, Va. —Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider, today announced the launch of its student ambassador program, EnlightenED. This new initiative incorporates and amplifies the student voice alongside EllumiNation, Ellucian’s thriving customer advocacy […]

With a little over a month to go before the start of the NCAA tournament, the University of Utah women’s basketball team headed to Oregon this weekend for a couple rounds of grueling Pac-12 play. Hosted by Oregon State and later Oregon, the Utes had their work cut out for them as they sought a double victory away from home.

The first matchup — against the Beavers — displayed some March Madness-worthy competition from both sides that ended with a dramatic series of free-throws to crown the Utes victorious. Forward Alissa Pili, who was just named a finalist for the Katrina McClain Award, took the lead in points scored with a total of 23, including the game-winning free throws in overtime.

In addition to claiming the game’s final points, Pili was the one to open up the score as well with a jumper from the paint to put the Utes up two over the Beavers. A quick three from Kennady McQueen and a jumper each from Pili and Jenna Johnson pushed Utah up to nine, with Oregon State holding on at four. A series of three-pointers courtesy of McQueen and Kelsey Rees brought the first quarter to an end at a cool 22-9, with the Beavers trying to keep pace.

Johnson opened the second quarter with two successful free throws, before both teams went scoreless for over two minutes until Gianna Kneepkens broke the silence with another set. Soon thereafter, the Beavers started to pick up speed as AJ Marotte set the team in motion with her own set of free throws, and Oregon jumped up to 21 points before long. Utah would remain scoreless for the rest of the quarter, while the Beavers had a few more successful baskets to end the first half at 38-27.

Carrying their energy into the second half, Oregon State continued to creep up on the Utes and narrow the score gap. After Pili opened up with a layup in the paint, Oregon’s Raegan Beers fired off a jumper and two free throws to get within 10 of the Utes. Kneepkens and Pili pushed ahead with Kneepkens adding a three followed by a Pili layup, with each completing another free throw to bring the Utes to 49. The Beavers fought back with two three pointers, and before long were within eight of Utah, ending the quarter at 54-46.

Heading into the last quarter, the tensions were high as both teams hustled to nab all the points they could – continuing the trend of the game. Pili hit first with a good jumper before Johnson added some free throws, and Dasia Young followed through for a three. Oregon added 7 more points over the next three minutes, keeping Utah at bay. The two teams fought for points back and forth before the Beavers threw two more threes, as the Utes struggled with some missed shots. A last minute layup by Timea Gardiner tied the two teams, and the game carried on into overtime.

Determined to outdo their ranked opponent, the Beavers were the first on the board with a good jumper, before Kneepkens fired back with a solid three pointer, refusing to let Oregon step ahead. Oregon set up another jumper, and after Kneepkens delivered a couple of free throws, Pili stepped in to deliver the final blow and secure the Utes’ win at an uncomfortably close 75-73.

After Friday’s conquering of Oregon State, the Utes moved on to the University of Oregon Ducks on Sunday. However, the Ducks wouldn’t let them get away any more smoothly, pushing Utah into the triple digits with only eight points of difference between them.

Unsurprisingly, the game started with an opening three from none other than Pili, assisted by McQueen. Kneepkens attempted to follow with a missed three, allowing for a rebound layup from Oregon’s Chance Gray. Over the next minute, McQueen launched two threes before Johnson landed one as well. Oregon continued to rebound successfully and snuck ahead of the Utes, ultimately claiming the first quarter at 22-23.

Kelsey Rees was the one to open up the second quarter, this time with a layup. Freshman Teya Sidberry came in to make her mark with two jumpers from the paint, and a quick series of threes from Kneepkens and Pili pushed the Utes up to 42-39. Johnson secured the last shot of the quarter with a three from the back, giving Utah the lead going into the half at 47-41.

If the first half wasn’t bringing enough action to start with, the two teams really set off in the third quarter. McQueen jumped in to start with a three pointer, chased by Pili and Johnson with a layup apiece from the paint. Oregon retaliated with a multitude of jumpers, pushing Johnson to throw two more layups in defense. Neck and neck at 62-61, junior Isabel Palmer assisted Pili in a layup with Johnson shooting another three. The Utes found a good groove and Sidberry finished it off with a final layup, leaving the score 76-71.

Oregon stole the opening of the fourth and final quarter with two jumpers, coming within a point of the Utes. Over the next minute and a half, Utah would claim one point while the Ducks caught up to 76, when Pili nudged them ahead with a layup. Radio silence followed for two more minutes, with neither team finding the basket before Pili shot a three. With just four minutes left and within four points of each other, Utah launched a campaign of free throws with Pili, Kneepkens, and Palmer each delivering a set of successful baskets to end the match at an even 100, with Oregon at a respectable 92.

Pili was once again a scoring leader in the match against the Ducks – with a cool 30 points – as well as for rebounds and a personal career record of six assists. Pili’s prime performance this weekend is just one example of why the forward was named a top-10 finalist for the Katrina McClain Award, which is presented annually to the NCAA’s top power forward in the nation. The finalists will be narrowed to a top five at the end of the month, and a recipient will likely be announced in March.

Following a tense yet triumphant weekend in the Beaver state, the Utah women’s basketball team returns home to host Washington State and the University of Washington in another Pac-12 showdown at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

a.thomas@dailyutahchronicle.com

The men’s and women’s track and field runners put on an impressive showing against tough competition at Friday’s historic distance medley relay.

EnlightenED community to elevate the voice of the student and provide platform to shape the future of EdTech

February 6, 2023—RESTON, Va. —Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider, today announced the launch of its student ambassador program, EnlightenED. This new initiative incorporates and amplifies the student voice alongside EllumiNation, Ellucian’s thriving customer advocacy community.

Through EnlightenED, Ellucian Student Ambassadors are selectively accepted into a high-engagement community to provide their unique perspectives on the evolving student experience while gaining behind-the-scenes insights into the strategic priorities of the market leading technology provider for higher education. EnlightenED builds on the success of EllumiNation, a program connecting more than 1,000 higher ed technology experts to provide peer-based support and insight. Since its launch in January 2022, EllumiNation members have had a greater than 85% monthly engagement rate. Similarly active and rigorous engagement by students in EnlightenED will help inform Ellucian’s product roadmap and customer communications through their thoughtful and direct feedback on new features, user interfaces, messaging, and more.

“Students are the most important stakeholders in higher education, and the launch of EnlightenED demonstrates Ellucian’s dedication to student success and improving the student experience in partnership with institutions around the world,” said Laura Ipsen, President & CEO, Ellucian. “Students who participate in this program will be able to influence higher education technology in a way that represents the student voice like never before. I look forward to their fresh perspectives and welcome students to join us as we work to improve the future of higher education.”

By partnering with the market leading technology company dedicated to higher education, Ellucian Student Ambassadors have opportunities to develop leadership skills, gain significant career experience, and build meaningful connections with their peers and the broader higher education community. EnlightenED supports Ellucian’s commitment to drive digital transformation in higher education in a way that better incorporates students’ needs and perspectives.

Members of the EllumiNation community have noted the benefits of membership:

• “The EllumiNation community has provided opportunities to contribute to the development of new ideas and products, and I enjoy the added benefit of networking with other users.” – Scott Branum, Director of Admissions at Galveston College

• “I love the engagement on a variety of important topics, and I like being able to connect with peers and colleagues. It also allows me to help and provide support to my community.” – Todd Britton, Chief Information Officer at University of La Verne

• “I have been a Banner client for over 30 years, and I feel the community discussions and shared support have always been valuable; EllumiNation allows me to be part of that.” – Frank Abney, Director of Enterprise Applications at Eckerd College

Learn more about the EnlightenED student ambassador program here: https://www.ellucian.com/enlightened

ABOUT ELLUCIAN

Ellucian is the market leader charting the digital future of higher education with a portfolio of cloud-ready technology solutions and services. From student recruitment to workforce analytics; from fundraising opportunities to alumni engagement; Ellucian’s comprehensive suite of data-rich tools gives colleges and universities the information they need to lead with confidence.

Working with a community of more than 2,900 customers in over 50 countries, Ellucian keeps innovating as higher education keeps evolving. Drawing on its comprehensive higher education business acumen and suite of services, Ellucian guides its customers through manageable, sustainable digital transformation—so that every type of institution and student can thrive in today’s fast-changing landscape. To find out what’s next in higher education solutions and services, visit Ellucian at www.ellucian.com.

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Media Contact
Lindsay Stanley
Lindsay.Stanley@Ellucian.com

On Tuesday, Jan. 24, the General Student Senate (GSS) held a meeting where they began the nomination process for representative positions.

The meeting began with the appointment of third-year Kate Kemper as a student senator.

Afterwards, Angela Fileccia from the University of Maine Counseling Center spoke about the many different services offered by UMaine. All appointments are free to both undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of previous sessions.

The Vice President of Financial Affairs Paige Allen reported that there is currently $105,190.23 of unallocated funds.

The Vice President for Student Entertainment Owen Hebda reported that they are beginning the process of the next campus concert.

The Vice President for Student Leadership Michael Delorge reported that he has reached out to the Career Center and Auxiliary Services in hopes of finding guest speakers for future GSS meetings. This week, Delorge will finalize a survey that will be sent out to students.

Wilde Stein representative Kristina Belaya reported that meetings will occur from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the multicultural center on Fridays this semester.

An act to allocate funds to the Franco-American Resource Opportunity Group was proposed in the amount of $2,250 for their trip to Quebec and would pay for lodging and travel expenses. This act was approved by the senate unanimously.

Another act was proposed to allocate funds to the Men’s Volleyball Club in the amount of $5,450 for their tournament in Kansas City, Missouri. This would pay for airfare, lodging and registration. The act was approved by the senate unanimously.

Jarace Walker led No. 3 UH with 23 points in the win over Temple on Sunday night in Philadelphia. | Anh Le/The Cougar

Just thirteen days removed from when Temple ended Houston’s second stint being ranked No. 1 by pulling off the shocking upset at Fertitta Center, the Cougars refused to let lightning strike twice.

Down by four at the half, No. 3 UH rode a 13-0 run to begin a dominant second half to get its revenge on the Temple, defeating the Owls 81-65 in Philadelphia on Sunday night to improve to 22-2 (10-1 AAC).

Back in his home state of Pennsylvania, Jarace Walker put on a show for the fans that packed Liacouras Center.

The 6-foot-8-inch UH freshman forward had the hot hand early, hitting his first three 3-pointers of the night on his way to 16 first-half points.

“Jarace is starting to find his groove,” said UH head coach Kelvin Sampson.

Walker, a projected NBA lottery pick, finished with a team-high 23 points. This was Walker’s fifth 20-point game of the season, tying him with Marcus Sasser for most on the team.

Despite Walker rolling offensively, Temple led 37-33 at the half thanks to a 3-point barrage, going 9-for-17 beyond the arc. During a six-minute stretch that began at the 11:15 mark, each of the Owls’ next six made field goals came from 3-point range. 

UH held Temple to just three 3-pointers in the second half.

The Cougars turned defense into offense to begin the second half, using three steals, two by Jamal Shead and the other from Walker, to fuel a 13-0 run.

UH continued to pour it on offensively, shooting 18-of-25 from the field in the second half including making 10 straight baskets at one point.

“The second half, I thought we were aggressive at both ends,” Sampson said.

J’Wan Roberts, who played just five minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, was a difference maker on both ends of the floor in the second half, scoring 10 of his 12 points and blocking 4 shots.

Sasser scored 13 points and dished out five assists and Shead added 12 points and a game-high seven assists.

With the win, UH increased its lead to two games over Temple and Tulane for the American Athletic Conference’s top spot. UH’s lone conference loss came to Temple on Jan. 22.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“No. 3 UH explodes in second half to beat Temple” was originally posted on The Cougar

The latest in the Dreamworks Studios catalog, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”, was released in December 2022 and had an unexpected arrival as one of the year’s most enjoyable films. Serving as a sequel to the 2011 film “Puss in Boots”, which in itself is a spinoff of the Dreamworks “Shrek” franchise, the film takes new steps for not only the previous films in its series but also for the animation studio as a whole. 

The main plot follows the titular feline, reprised by Antonio Banderas, who is informed that he’s on the last of his “nine lives.” Fearing that his days are drawing to a close after a harrowing encounter with the bounty hunter known as “Death” voiced by Wagner Moura, Puss decides to retire his status as a folk hero. After hearing about the map to a Wishing Star, a magical object that can grant the user any wish they desire, Puss retakes the mantle and sets off on a journey. Accompanied by new pal Perrito, voiced by Harvey Gullien, and old flame Kitty Softpaws, voiced by Salma Hayek, Puss hopes to use the Wishing Star to restore his nine lives

Death isn’t the only thing that chases after our main protagonist, as the film also has an assembly of memorable villains as well. This includes the power hungry pastry chef Big Jack Horner and a family of outlaws consisting of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Each of the antagonists have their own entertaining personalities that not only enhance the experience of the film, but also slightly subvert the expectations of normal animated villains as the story progresses. 

The film is jam packed with incredible animation and showcases and stylized action scenes which incorporates lower frame rate movement in the same vein as the 2018 animated film “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse” from Sony Pictures. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” continues to showcase that big budget animated films can still have an extra layer of personality integrated into its animation style. 

A film can have all style, but little substance. Thankfully, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” does not fall into this trap, as the film is also layered with an almost too-real sense of dread, with the acceptance of mortality being one of the central themes in the film. At the start, Puss doesn’t think much of the previous lives that he carelessly threw away, but the introduction of the character of Death provides the story with a seemingly unbeatable force that our protagonist has to struggle with. Knowing that his last life is on the line, Puss begins to feel genuine fear each time Death makes his presence and learns to treasure his one life that remains. 

Each character of the film also has different perspectives on how they treat the concept of mortality. The character of Perrito is upbeat and positive with how he treats life despite his over-the-top tragic backstory. This contrasts with the villainous Jack Horner, who was given everything growing up but still wanted more, and would carelessly throw lives away just to fulfill his selfish needs. 

Combining deep and realistic themes with an entertaining cast of characters set in a stylish action packed fantasy setting, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” stands on its own as a fantastic animated film for all ages.

Colorado State University’s student section shouted “Russia” toward Utah State University Ukrainian guard Max Shulga during last night’s matchup against the Aggies in Moby Arena. Following the basketball game, Colorado State Athletics became aware that a small section of the student section chanted during Shulga’s final attempt at the free-throw line, saying the name of the nation currently in conflict with Shulga’s home country. 

“Following tonight’s game, we became aware that a small group of individuals in our student section chanted ‘Russia’ at a student-athlete from Utah State, who is from the Ukraine,” said Ryan Pfeifer, a CSU Athletics spokesperson. “On behalf of Colorado State, we apologize to the student-athlete and Utah State.  This is a violation of our steadfast belief in the Mountain West Sportsmanship Policy and University Principles of Community. Every participant, student, and fan should be welcome in our venues, and for something like this to have occurred is unacceptable at Colorado State.” 

Head coach Niko Medved responded to the incident via Twitter, saying, “I have so much respect for @USUBasketball and Max Shulga. We have amazing fans and students, but this is not acceptable! My sincere apologies.”

I have so much respect for @USUBasketball and Max Shulga. We have amazing fans and students but this is not acceptable! My sincere apologies. https://t.co/PGPdGmVE7T

— Niko Medved (@coachNikoMedved) February 5, 2023

“We acknowledge Colorado State’s response to the conduct, and we stand with them and our fellow Mountain West member institutions in our unwavering commitment to ensuring that all of our venues are safe and inclusive and that every student-athlete and coach feels respected and safe,” Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement this afternoon.

pic.twitter.com/mh9ULjY0yD

— Mountain West (@MountainWest) February 5, 2023

Utah State broadcaster Scott Garrard mentioned the behavior as well on Twitter and emphasized that “Max is from Kyiv, Ukraine, and his family still resides there.” The Russia-Ukraine war is nearing its nine-year anniversary and has caused one of the largest refugee crises since World War II.

“To the student and their family, there’s a lot more people at CSU standing with you than the few you heard from Saturday night.” -Amanda Penley, CSU student 

While the statement has already been addressed, there is still frustration and confusion surrounding the spectators’ behavior. The Colorado State Rams Twitter is currently being called out for lax action against the group of students accused of the behavior. Many believe these students need to take accountability and have their right to attend future Colorado State Athletics events revoked.

Some are also upset with CSU Athletics for saying “the Ukraine.” The inclusion of “the” before “Ukraine” is a Soviet Union-era habit that implies Ukraine is a territory when it has been an independent country since 1991.

Current CSU student Amanda Penley, who attended last night’s game, described it as “disgusting and embarrassing.” Penley continued, “The group of students who felt the need to attack a player of the opposing team, a stranger they know nothing about, do not hold values representative of the CSU community. To the student and their family, there are a lot more people at CSU standing with you than the few you heard from Saturday night.” 

Reach Karsyn Lane at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @karsynlane1. 

Laila Blair led the Cougars with 25 points to complete a comeback 65-60 win over Temple. | Anh Le/The Cougar

The Houston women’s basketball team capped off a comeback 65-60 victory over Temple Temple on Saturday at Fertitta Center.

The Cougars have now won three-consecutive games as they improve to 9-13 overall and 6-3 in the American Athletic Conference.

The back-and-forth game quickly turned into trouble for UH as it trailed 17-11 at the end of the first quarter.

The gap continued to widen, putting the Cougars 14 points behind Temple towards the end of the first half.

UH found its momentum late in the first half as graduate forward Tatyana Hill and senior guard Britney Onyeje sparked an 8-0 run to trail 29-26 with momentum heading into halftime.

The Cougars had their best stretch of play in the third quarter, as they outscored the Owls 19-11 in the period.

A 14-4 run near the end of the third quarter allowed UH to finally secure the lead for good, and maintain a 45-40 score at the end of the third quarter. 

The back-and-forth of the fourth quarter kept the deficit close as South Florida fought back to trail 61-60 with nine seconds to go. The Cougars managed to hold on late to secure the win. 

Junior guard Laila Blair led the team with 25 points while Hill posted a double-double 15 rebounds and 10 points.

Next week, UH will take a short break to rest before heading to South Florida to take on the conference leader on Friday in Tampa.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Houston women’s basketball completes comeback to down Temple” was originally posted on The Cougar

The shooting slump for Colorado State University’s men’s basketball team continues.

It wasn’t any help that the Rams were matched up against the nation’s No. 1 3-point shooting team in Utah State University, who shoots an impressive 41.5% as a team on average. After shooting 46.2 % against CSU, the Aggies pulled away to a 88-79 victory over the Rams.

The Rams were without arguably their best perimeter defender in Jalen Lake due to a concussion he sustained Tuesday against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. They were also without Taviontae Jackson, who was unable to participate due to illness. With only seven scholarship players available, head coach Niko Medved had to get creative.

Early on, the best shooting team in the country looked exactly like it, hitting four of their first five from beyond the arc on the way to jumping out to a 13-2 lead within the first three minutes. Out of the subsequent media timeout, the Rams threw a full court press on the Aggies, and switched from a man-to-man defense to a 2-3 zone defense.

“I thought our guys did a really good job of responding after we got down 13-2,” Medved said. “They came back, they fought, they had an opportunity to take the lead. To be honest, I thought it was probably a little unfortunate that we didn’t find a way to kind of stretch it out a little bit.”

The change in tactics proved to be successful, judging by the 16-point run CSU would go on to take a 18-13 lead. By the end of the half, the Rams held the Aggies to 33.3% from three and trailed by one point going into the break.

The second half proved to be less of a contest when Utah State showed up from behind the arc. Shooting 12 for 21 from three in the second half, capped by a run where they hit 7 of 9, the Aggies put the game to bed by trading threes for twos with the Rams later on. 

“They’re a really high IQ basketball team,” said senior guard Isaiah Stevens, who scored a team high 25 points. “They’re gonna try to figure some stuff out, and they did. They really shared (the ball) well, that’s a team that I wanna say is top of the Mountain West in that category. They really started to find a little bit of a rhythm, and we tried to mix it up a little bit on them, but sometimes when you get it going, it can be hard to stop.”

Though CSU is now on a five-game losing streak, today’s matchup meant much more than the game of basketball, and the wins and losses that come with it. On the backs of each of the Rams’ jerseys, the name of a local cancer survivor was printed in celebration of CSU’s annual Fight Like a Ram game.

“It’s such a special event,” Stevens said. “With all the cancer patients and especially, I’ve had some people close to me deal with their own cancer battles, so this game always hits a little bit more close to home for me. I just try to go out there and just represent the name on the back of the jersey as best as possible.

“For a lot of them, maybe they didn’t play college athletics, so to look out there and see their name out there competing, it’s special,” Stevens said. “I take it very personal.”

Redshirt junior James Moors, who scored 13 points of his own, echoed Stevens’ sentiment and said it “really makes you think about life.”

“We just play a basketball game,” Moors said. “To hear all the patients’ stories and what they’ve been through and get to share experiences with them, it’s a very unique situation that we’ve been blessed to be a part of. I’m very grateful for this opportunity to be able to play this game.”

Reach Braidon Nourse at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @BraidonNourse.