Dr. David Schmidt, assistant professor of informatics at Fort Hays State University, recently spoke at the 2017 National Science Foundation Campus Cyberinfrastructure and Cybersecurity Innovation for Cyberinfrastructure Principal Investigators Workshop in Albuquerque, N.M.

Schmidt serves as the Principal Investigator for the Campus Cyberinfrastructure Data, Networking, and Innovation program grant, which will enhance data delivery at FHSU. The grant will help fund research in physics, geosciences, informatics, new media studies, and the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science.

Schmidt also participated in the panel discussion “CC Campus Design,” which explored how improving the speed of transferring data would help scientists at their institutions. Schmidt discussed the purpose of the cyberinfrastructure grant and FHSU’s growing relationships with outside partners such as Kansas Research and Education Network and the Great Plains Network.

Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 68. Breezy, with a south wind 18 to 22 mph becoming north northwest in the afternoon.

Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 35. West northwest wind 5 to 14 mph.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 71. West northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.

Sunday Night
Clear, with a low around 44. South southwest wind around 6 mph.

Monday
Sunny, with a high near 71. West wind 8 to 17 mph becoming north in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 42.

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 62. Breezy.

Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 75.

By HANNA DANNAR
HHS Guidon

As you walk through the hallways of Hays High School and peek into the classrooms you are likely to see at least one student in the school using a fidget spinner.

Fidget spinners exploded in popularity during the 2016 school year according to sophomore Moriah DeBay.

“I haven’t seen as many this year but they are definitely still around,” DeBay said. “I give them until around Christmas this year to remain popular. After that, I don’t think you will see them all that often. They will get replaced by something else.”

While not as many as were in use last year, there are still a few students who say that fidget spinners help with their ADHD, focus and anxiety.

“I think fidget spinners can be of help for people with ADHD, and perhaps some people without ADHD as well,” said psychiatrist Dr. Mark Romerein of High Plains Mental Health. “People with ADHD need an outlet for their restless energy, and when they have that it often makes it easier for them to focus on what they need to be doing.”

Senior Cheyanne Adkins said her mom read an article stating that many schools have banned the use of them completely.

“I don’t think they are enough of a problem to be banned,” senior Sarah Wyse said. “I do believe they could become a distraction like phones are.”

The problem with fidget spinners is that it can become more harmful than helpful, Romerein said.

“A Rubik’s Cube would not be good,” Romerein said. “Good fidgets need to be small, something that can be done with either one or two hands, is used appropriately, and should not make noise, so that it doesn’t disturb others around them.”

It is when fidget spinners are not being used appropriately that fidget spinners start to become problems sophomore Tyler Boomer said.

“When people sit there doing tricks it starts getting annoying,” Boomer said.

DeBay said the only time kids should use them is when they are when they are told to by a professional.

Some kids do actually get recommendations from therapists to use a fidget device.

“I often recommend fidget toys for students, and they are a variety of items that meet the above criteria,” Romerein said.

When this happens, teachers are willing to allow them into their classrooms.

“I am okay with them if you have an individualized learning plan that states you need them,” English teacher Vanessa Schumacher said. “What I don’t like is when kids who don’t need them use them and get them banned for the students who do need them.”

Fidget cubes are another option for kids who want to be able to fidget in class.

“I think fidget cubes are cool, and they probably work better to,” Adkins said. “They seem a lot more interesting than something that just spins around in a circle. I could see myself using those before a fidget spinner. They are getting a little annoying.”

The fidget cubes pose another set of problems.

“Fidget cubes can be useful,” Romereim said. “But they have several switches or buttons that make noise, and I don’t think that is the best thing in a classroom situation, as the repetitive noise can disturb others’ ability to focus.”

One of the big points in the fidget spinner debate is when is it okay to use them.

“The appropriate time to use a fidget would be any time that a person need to focus on something that ordinarily might be difficult for them to maintain their focus on, so long as they have a free hand,” Romereim said. “Band class would not be a good place to use a fidget.”

FHSU University Relations

“Introduction to Facebook Marketing for Business” will be the final workshop in the fall 2017 series from the Management Development Center at Fort Hays State University.

“Facebook Marketing” will be held from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 14, in the university’s Memorial Union.

Dr. Mary Martin, professor of applied business studies in marketing, will teach participants how to make their Facebook page excel at driving traffic and increasing engagement. The course will cover how to gain more followers, how to create and curate content, and how to use Facebook Page Insights to become more cost-effective and efficient with a marketing budget.

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to reverse-engineer a Facebook page, determine the basics of their Facebook marketing strategy, create an engaging Facebook post, and understand the analytics once the post has gone live.

Each person who completes the workshop will receive a completion certificate. The cost for “Facebook Marketing” is $119. A 15-percent discount applies for all Hays Area Chamber of Commerce Members.

The Management Development Center at Fort Hays State University is recognized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to offer professional development credits for SHRM Certified Professionals or SHRM Senior Certified Professionals. These programs are valid for professional development credits for the CP or SCP credentials. For more information about certification or recertification, visit shrmcertification.org.

Registration is available online at www.fhsu.edu/mdc. To learn more about this workshop or additional upcoming trainings, contact MDC Director Sabrina William by phone at 785-628-4124 or by email at [email protected].