Around Dixie:

Republican Club introduces GOP Gubernatorial candidates

GOP candidates for the Utah governor position come to Dixie State College on Friday as part of a Meet the Candidates forum to be hosted by the DSC Republican Club.

Morgan Philpot, David Kirkham and Ken Sumsion, all challengers to current Gov. Gary Herbert, will be introduced to the public from noon until 2 p.m. in the Gardner Student Center Ballroom. Herbert will not be in attendance due to scheduling conflicts.

Prince chosen to speak at commencement

Gregory Prince, Dixie State College alumnus and 1999 DSC Hall of Fame inductee, has been selected to give the keynote address at the commencement ceremony in May.

Prince graduated from DSC in 1967 and has spent most of his professional career researching respiratory syncytial virus (a virus that infects the lungs of children), developing an antibody with his research partners that can be given to high-risk infants to help fight the disease. He’s written more than 150 research papers about RSV.

“He is one of our own who has gone on to become very successful in a variety of endeavors he has pursued,” DSC President Stephen Nadauld said in a press release sent on March 27. “He’s a perfect model for our students to follow as they graduate. We want our graduates to go out and be as successful as Dr. Prince has been and then return [to DSC] and give back to the next generation.”

Prince’s son, Chandler, will receive his bachelor’s degree from DSC in May.

Sheffield to call students to action

Student Body President Mike Sheffield will announce what REDefine is all about at the Campus to Community Service Project on Friday. The service project starts at 10 a.m., and Sheffield will make the REDefine announcement at noon after the service project.

"In it's simplest form, REDefine is a call to action," Sheffield wrote on Facebook when responding to a Dixie Sun video about REDefine found at http://bit.ly/HaD1fp. "It is a plea for you, the student, to take charge of your experience here at Dixie. It is our offensive to dash the apathy on campus to pieces. Find your individuality through involvement, and help us define the Dixie we want."

For students who do not know what REDefine is all about or want further explanation, this service project is the chance to hear from Sheffield what the campaign entails.

Annual D-Week opens

The annual celebration of DSC's establishment in 1911 starts on Monday.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with cotton candy at the D-Week Kick Off. The annual event starts Monday at 9 a.m. at the Dixie Fountain. Along with the free cotton candy the Dixie Spirit Sidewalk Chalk Contest will take place at the Kick Off.

The festivities continue Tuesday with the crowning of this year's D Queen at the D Queen Pageant. The pageant starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Cox Auditorium.

Comedian Jeff Dye returns to DSC for the first time since Week of Welcome in August of 2010. The show takes place on Wednesday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. inside the Student Activity Center, and it is free for everyone to attend.

DSC students will attempt to break another world record on Thursday, April 12 on the Encampment Mall. The task this year is to hold the world's largest thumb war. The event starts at 6 p.m.

Be sure to organize a team for this year's Great Race. The annual D-Week relay race takes place on Friday, April 13 at 6 p.m at Hansen Stadium.

The Saturday schedule is loaded with whitewashing the D at 7 a.m., the Alumni Lunch at noon, Evening of Dixie at the Eccles Main Stage at 7 p.m., D-Day Dance in the Gardner Ballroom at 9 p.m., and True Rebel Night at the Dixie Fountain at midnight.

For more D-Week information be sure to read next week's D-Week themed issue of the Dixie Sun.