Published in the Utah Statesman, September 29, 2008
By helping other people, Aggie Care Director Scott Hill said he believes students really help themselves.
“Helping other people can make you feel a lot better about yourself,” said Hill, senior majoring in exercise science. “It can help you get outside your own little bubble and look to others.”
Hill is the 2008-2009 director of Aggie Care, a student service club that is open to all students, regardless of major.
“Aggie Care is a health-based service organization that focuses primarily on health screenings and educating people about health related issues facing the community,” Hill said.
AggieCare is a great opportunity for health conscience students to get involved and serve others in a hands on way in their own community, Hill said.
He said the club helps with clinical screenings and trainings, health fairs and at hospitals in Cache Valley.
Hill said Aggie Care began last year and has grown to about 55 members.
Last year, the club volunteered for the Friends for Sight program, a non-profit organization that gives free glaucoma screenings in Salt Lake City, Hill said. He said Aggie Care members completed the training and actually gave the screenings.
“They found 12 people at risk of glaucoma (when giving the screenings) last year,” Hill said.
Hill said Aggie Care members also did CPR training and instructor certification last year.
As the club continues to grow, Hill said he hopes to increase the clubs involvement in Cache Valley and with other clubs.
“I want to increase the scope and range of involvement. Both increase the number of students that can volunteer, and coordinate to help with other clubs in the Service Center,” said Hill.
Hill said he also hopes to explore options for Aggie Care members to participate in a week-long humanitarian service project during spring break, either through Hope Alliance or Charity Anywhere.
Last spring break, Hill said he volunteered in Mexico through Charity Anywhere with USU’s Dental Club for about $400, including travel. Hill said it was a lot of hard work, but that it was an amazing experience.
“It was honestly the best spring break I’ve ever been on,” Hill said. “We worked hard, we pulled over 100 teeth, and got to play hard at the beach at night.”
If students are interested in joining the Aggie Care, Hill said to stop by the Val R. Christensen Service Center on the third floor of the TSC, or contact him directly via e-mail at scottroberthill@gmail.com.
Hill said he really encourages students to get involved on campus, especially in the Service Center.
“Get involved in the Service Center. There’s over 17 different clubs students can be involved with,” Hill said.
Being involved in organizations on and around campus has really made a difference to his college experience, he said.
“Throughout my college career I’ve found that when I’m involved with the school,” he said, “it makes the experience a lot better.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Operation Smile: Helping kids smile across the globe
Published in the Utah Statesman, December 1, 2008
Two hundred and forty dollars can go a long way. A car payment, a few textbooks, a new iPod or even a plane ticket. But what about changing a life? For only $240, Operation Smile is able to provide life-changing surgery for a child born with a facial deformity, and students at USU are helping raise money for the cause.
Nicki Marshall, junior in speech and language pathology with a pre-med emphasis, is the spring semester president-elect of USU’s Operation Smile chapter.
“We are an organization that helps raise money for kids in Third World countries who have cleft lip and palate,” she said. “Every $240 that we raise pays for an entire surgery.”
The USU Operation Smile chapter is one of more than 500 chapters and clubs across the nation, all spearheaded by students. Since the organization was founded in 1982, more than 120,000 children and young adults with cleft lips, palates and other facial deformities have been treated and educated by thousands of student and medical volunteers. Brooke Foster, freshman in speech and language pathology and student awareness officer of the USU chapter, said Operation Smile is unique because the surgeries are funded by students.
“All the funding comes from students,” she said. “Operation Smile wouldn’t be able to function without students.”
Foster said the surgeries do have the potential to change a patient’s life. She said having a cleft lip or palate makes it very difficult for an individual to eat and speak, and by receiving the surgery they are able live more normal lives.
Marshall, who has been involved with Operation Smile for two years, said the USU chapter officially has about 450 members with about 30 students who actively participate in planning and executing the activities. She said the group meets once a month to plan activities and to keep members informed on what is going on.
So far this year, Marshall said Operation Smile has hosted a movie night, set up booths in the TSC to raise awareness and increase membership, helped at the Service Fair and plan to help with Christmas Tree Lane. All the money raised from the activities go toward cleft lip and palate surgeries across the world.
Last year the club also sponsored a concert with local bands and raised about $600, winning the Operation Smile Campus Organization of the Year Award.
Because of this event’s success, Marshall said plans are underway for another benefit concert this spring, something she hopes becomes a tradition.
Besides being largely funded by students, Foster said Operation Smile also relies on student volunteers to travel with them to Third World countries to help at screenings and in hospitals, but also to educate patients and their families about hygiene and nutrition. In March 2008, Foster said she had the opportunity to volunteer at a hospital in Bolivia for two weeks with Operation Smile.
Foster said having the opportunity to participate in an Operation Smile mission was not an easy process. She said before a student applies, they must attend an annual international leadership conference that have been held anywhere from California to Ireland in years past.
“The year I wanted to go to the conference,” she said. “It was in Ogden, so I lucked out.”
Published in the Utah Statesman, December 1, 2008
After attending the leadership conference, Foster said students must apply and attend mission training in Virginia, where they learn about their responsibilities as volunteers. After completion of these requirements, Foster said students have the opportunity to apply to complete an Operation Smile mission almost anywhere in the world. After applying her third time, Foster said she was finally accepted into the program and was assigned to volunteer in Bolivia.
Upon arriving in Bolivia, Foster said she and other student volunteers worked from about 6:30 in the morning until 9 at night.
“Our (the student volunteer’s) responsibility was to educate. We gave four different presentations that we taught the whole time I was there ... burn care and prevention, oral rehydration therapy, nutrition and dental hygiene,” Foster said. “We taught kids waiting for the screenings, went to orphanages and taught random patients throughout the hospital, any place we could find an audience.”
Foster said she had a small carry-on bag with her personal belongings, but her suitcase was filled with donations from home.
“I wanted to fill my whole suitcase with donations. I brought 1,600 toothbrushes donated from dentists and gave them away,” Foster said. “We also brought toys and notebooks for parents. Kids were thrilled just to get a bouncy ball. It definitely makes you grateful for the things you have.”
To become involved with the USU chapter of Operation Smile, contact Marshall at nicki.marshall@gmail.com.
Thinking outside the box: Unusual majors at USU
Most kids grow up hoping to be the typical artist, engineer, doctor or teacher. But what about the kids that grow up wanting to be a dairy herdsman, agricultural communicator, folklorist or simply want to make up their own major? Well, there’s a place for them at USU.
Besides offering most of the typical majors, USU also offers many unique programs for students that think outside the box.
One of these unusual programs is the dairy herdsman program. Justin Jensen, director of the program, said he and other instructors teach students all about cows in two semesters.
Jensen said the program is completed in one year, and students spend two-thirds of the time in class and about one-third the time on a farm. Students take classes like artificial insemination and reproduction, dairy cattle nutrition and feeding, dairy genetics and lactation and milking systems.
According to the USU General Catalog, “Students who complete the dairy herdsman program will have a good working knowledge of how to care for and make decisions about various dairy animals and will understand and be able to use various types of equipment.”
Jensen said by completing the program, students who want to work on dairy farms will have better opportunities for advancement and higher salary.
“Students can go from hourly wage-type employees to skilled, full-time and usually salary employees,” Jensen said. “A lot of times they’ll have supervising responsibility on the farm.”
Another less common major offered at USU is agricultural communication and journalism. According to the General Catalog, this degree combines classes in journalism and agriculture to teach students how to communicate about the importance of the food and fiber industry.
Taylor Adams, sophomore in agricultural communications with an emphasis in public relations, said she chose this major because she has always been involved in agriculture. She said she thinks agricultural communications is important because it helps people become more aware of the effect agriculture has on their lives.
“Agricultural communications is bridging a gap between people who don’t know about agriculture and those who do. There are so many people who don’t know about agriculture and where their food comes from,” Adams said.
Adams said agricultural communication is a new idea and a program that is not offered at many universities. She said it has been cool to come to USU and realize there are other people who have a similar interest in agricultural communication.
Adams said she hasn’t decided exactly what she would like to do once she graduates, but said there are many options.
“I really could go into any industry in health and agriculture,” Adams said. “I could also go into a public relations firm. There is a firm out of California just specifically for agricultural PR that just work for certain agricultural places.”
Another unique program offered at USU is the folklore undergraduate minor within the English department. Some students may find this almost laughable, but Steve Siporin, director of the program, said folklore is something that effects everyone every day.
“Folklore is the study of everyday life, all the expressions and all the knowledge and skills that we have and learn informally,” Siporin said. “It’s a really broad subject although it has kind of a small place in the academic world. To study folklore makes you a better citizen of the world.”
Siporin said students interested in minoring in folklore are required to take 18 credits in classes like introduction to folklore, folk narrative, survey of American folklore and anthropology of religion. Siporin estimated there are about 30 students currently minoring in folklore.
Misty Woodbury, sophomore in nursing, is currently enrolled in introduction to folklore and said she has thoroughly enjoyed the class.
“Folklore has opened my eyes to all the different cultures, traditions, beliefs and stories of the people that surround me every day,” she said. “I would definitely recommend the class. It is very entertaining and I also learn a lot.”
Siporin said a minor in folklore typically doesn’t necessarily lead to a specific job, but it helps make students more aware of their own culture and the culture and customs of others. Siporin said folklore is becoming increasingly more important as technology and communication continues to decrease the distance between people and cultures.
“A couple of generations ago an American may not run into someone from another culture unless you go to war. Today, you may find out a relative is marrying someone from another culture, race, religion or country. You can’t afford to not understand each other’s backgrounds,” he said.
Although USU does not offer a major, Siporin said students who receive degrees in folklore can work in a variety of places. He said fewer than 50 percent end up teaching folklore full time, and others work anywhere from historical societies to radio programs to developing public policy in government.
Finally, if students are interested in a degree not offered at USU or can’t decide between several majors, they can “make up” their own program by majoring in interdisciplinary studies.
According to the USU General Catalog, this program allows students to mix classes from several departments or programs to create their own individualized academic program.
Students work with an adviser from one of the five colleges, Agriculture; Education and Human Services; Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; Natural Resources and Science, to create a program that meets their needs.
Lisa Allen, staff assistant and advisor in the College of Agriculture, advises students in interdisciplinary studies that have a connection to agriculture.
“Students usually choose disciplines, like nutrition and psychology for example, take 15 credits in each plus bridging courses that tie the two together. They also have to meet regular breadth/depth requirements, have at least 45 credits in the major and complete a capstone senior thesis project,” she said.
Allen said interdisciplinary studies is a great choice for students that have an interest in several different areas and have a hard time narrowing the choice down to a single major.
“It’s a good program and there are a lot of kids that graduate in it,” Allen said.
Most kids grow up hoping to be the typical artist, engineer, doctor or teacher. But what about the kids that grow up wanting to be a dairy herdsman, agricultural communicator, folklorist or simply want to make up their own major? Well, there’s a place for them at USU.
Besides offering most of the typical majors, USU also offers many unique programs for students that think outside the box.
One of these unusual programs is the dairy herdsman program. Justin Jensen, director of the program, said he and other instructors teach students all about cows in two semesters.
Jensen said the program is completed in one year, and students spend two-thirds of the time in class and about one-third the time on a farm. Students take classes like artificial insemination and reproduction, dairy cattle nutrition and feeding, dairy genetics and lactation and milking systems.
According to the USU General Catalog, “Students who complete the dairy herdsman program will have a good working knowledge of how to care for and make decisions about various dairy animals and will understand and be able to use various types of equipment.”
Jensen said by completing the program, students who want to work on dairy farms will have better opportunities for advancement and higher salary.
“Students can go from hourly wage-type employees to skilled, full-time and usually salary employees,” Jensen said. “A lot of times they’ll have supervising responsibility on the farm.”
Another less common major offered at USU is agricultural communication and journalism. According to the General Catalog, this degree combines classes in journalism and agriculture to teach students how to communicate about the importance of the food and fiber industry.
Taylor Adams, sophomore in agricultural communications with an emphasis in public relations, said she chose this major because she has always been involved in agriculture. She said she thinks agricultural communications is important because it helps people become more aware of the effect agriculture has on their lives.
“Agricultural communications is bridging a gap between people who don’t know about agriculture and those who do. There are so many people who don’t know about agriculture and where their food comes from,” Adams said.
Adams said agricultural communication is a new idea and a program that is not offered at many universities. She said it has been cool to come to USU and realize there are other people who have a similar interest in agricultural communication.
Adams said she hasn’t decided exactly what she would like to do once she graduates, but said there are many options.
“I really could go into any industry in health and agriculture,” Adams said. “I could also go into a public relations firm. There is a firm out of California just specifically for agricultural PR that just work for certain agricultural places.”
Another unique program offered at USU is the folklore undergraduate minor within the English department. Some students may find this almost laughable, but Steve Siporin, director of the program, said folklore is something that effects everyone every day.
“Folklore is the study of everyday life, all the expressions and all the knowledge and skills that we have and learn informally,” Siporin said. “It’s a really broad subject although it has kind of a small place in the academic world. To study folklore makes you a better citizen of the world.”
Siporin said students interested in minoring in folklore are required to take 18 credits in classes like introduction to folklore, folk narrative, survey of American folklore and anthropology of religion. Siporin estimated there are about 30 students currently minoring in folklore.
Misty Woodbury, sophomore in nursing, is currently enrolled in introduction to folklore and said she has thoroughly enjoyed the class.
“Folklore has opened my eyes to all the different cultures, traditions, beliefs and stories of the people that surround me every day,” she said. “I would definitely recommend the class. It is very entertaining and I also learn a lot.”
Siporin said a minor in folklore typically doesn’t necessarily lead to a specific job, but it helps make students more aware of their own culture and the culture and customs of others. Siporin said folklore is becoming increasingly more important as technology and communication continues to decrease the distance between people and cultures.
“A couple of generations ago an American may not run into someone from another culture unless you go to war. Today, you may find out a relative is marrying someone from another culture, race, religion or country. You can’t afford to not understand each other’s backgrounds,” he said.
Although USU does not offer a major, Siporin said students who receive degrees in folklore can work in a variety of places. He said fewer than 50 percent end up teaching folklore full time, and others work anywhere from historical societies to radio programs to developing public policy in government.
Finally, if students are interested in a degree not offered at USU or can’t decide between several majors, they can “make up” their own program by majoring in interdisciplinary studies.
According to the USU General Catalog, this program allows students to mix classes from several departments or programs to create their own individualized academic program.
Students work with an adviser from one of the five colleges, Agriculture; Education and Human Services; Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; Natural Resources and Science, to create a program that meets their needs.
Lisa Allen, staff assistant and advisor in the College of Agriculture, advises students in interdisciplinary studies that have a connection to agriculture.
“Students usually choose disciplines, like nutrition and psychology for example, take 15 credits in each plus bridging courses that tie the two together. They also have to meet regular breadth/depth requirements, have at least 45 credits in the major and complete a capstone senior thesis project,” she said.
Allen said interdisciplinary studies is a great choice for students that have an interest in several different areas and have a hard time narrowing the choice down to a single major.
“It’s a good program and there are a lot of kids that graduate in it,” Allen said.
Graduates display their art talents
Published in the Utah Statesman, November 10, 2008
There is something for everyone at the USU Graduate Art Show, held at the Twain C. Tippets Exhibit Hall in the Chase Fine Arts Building through Nov. 14. The gallery is open from 9 – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and admission is free.
The exhibit is showcasing 16 graduate students of the USU department of art and includes photography, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture.
Trevor Dunn, ceramics graduate student, said the title of the exhibit, Passages, was chosen to represent each artist’s journey.
“It applies to our journey in grad school,” Dunn said.
Dunn, who graduates in the spring, said most students have about two to three pieces of art in the exhibit.
Sunshine Cobb, ceramic graduate student, said the gallery is mostly organized by students.
“I think the show represents the investigating and exploration graduate students do, especially in their first few years,” she said.
Cobb said show contains work from students in all three years of the graduate program. Cobb, who is in her second year of the program, has six ceramic pieces in the show.
“Right now my stuff is working on vessel forms, all sort of symmetrical,” she said.
Cobb said ceramics is a timely process, and as she continues through grad school she learns more about firing techniques and the process each ceramic piece must take.
Cobb also said there are several artists who are studying abroad whose work is displayed at the show.
Morgan Post, who received his undergraduate art degree from the School of Visual Art in New York City, is in his second year of graduate school at USU studying photography. He said the amount of work that goes into creating a single photograph is tremendous.
“It is very, very long and arduous,” Post said. “It takes about four and a half hours per photograph.”
Post said he uses an alternative, non-traditional process to develop his photographs on glass that is especially time consuming.
“It is a very old process from the 1850s that I am putting into a modern context and theme,” he said.
There is something for everyone at the USU Graduate Art Show, held at the Twain C. Tippets Exhibit Hall in the Chase Fine Arts Building through Nov. 14. The gallery is open from 9 – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and admission is free.
The exhibit is showcasing 16 graduate students of the USU department of art and includes photography, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture.
Trevor Dunn, ceramics graduate student, said the title of the exhibit, Passages, was chosen to represent each artist’s journey.
“It applies to our journey in grad school,” Dunn said.
Dunn, who graduates in the spring, said most students have about two to three pieces of art in the exhibit.
Sunshine Cobb, ceramic graduate student, said the gallery is mostly organized by students.
“I think the show represents the investigating and exploration graduate students do, especially in their first few years,” she said.
Cobb said show contains work from students in all three years of the graduate program. Cobb, who is in her second year of the program, has six ceramic pieces in the show.
“Right now my stuff is working on vessel forms, all sort of symmetrical,” she said.
Cobb said ceramics is a timely process, and as she continues through grad school she learns more about firing techniques and the process each ceramic piece must take.
Cobb also said there are several artists who are studying abroad whose work is displayed at the show.
Morgan Post, who received his undergraduate art degree from the School of Visual Art in New York City, is in his second year of graduate school at USU studying photography. He said the amount of work that goes into creating a single photograph is tremendous.
“It is very, very long and arduous,” Post said. “It takes about four and a half hours per photograph.”
Post said he uses an alternative, non-traditional process to develop his photographs on glass that is especially time consuming.
“It is a very old process from the 1850s that I am putting into a modern context and theme,” he said.
USU student breaks bowling league record
Bell, freshman in mechanical engineering who also works at Logan Lanes, said he broke the record on Oct. 6 during his weekly league play at Logan Lanes. Bell said the junior league includes players up to the age of 21.
Bell said he got involved with bowling because his family has been bowling for “who knows how long.”
“I’ve been competitively bowling for six years,” Bell said. “I joined a league and gradually got better through practicing.”
Bell said it is not uncommon for him to bowl two or three times a week. Besides playing on the league team at Logan Lanes, Bell said he is also a member of the USU Bowling Team. Bell said the team recently competed in Reno, Nev., where he and the team placed very well.
“We took fourth place overall as a team out of 14 teams,” Bell said. “I took ninth place individually out of roughly 80 – 85 people.”
Logan Lanes manager KC Nordick said he both works and bowls with Bell, an assistant manager.
“He is the best of the junior league,” Nordick said.
Bell said the best tip he can offer for other bowlers to be successful is to simply aim straight down the middle.
“It’s better to aim for the arrows, painted on the lanes, instead of the pins because the pins are a lot farther away,” he said.
Bell is from Providence and graduated from Mountain Crest High School in 2008. Besides playing bowling he said he enjoys rugby and the outdoors.
Staying healthy during the long Logan winter
Jim Davis, director of the Student Wellness Center, said the best ways for students to stay healthy during the winter are to avoid those who are sick, practice good hygiene and be physically fit as the winter begins. He said there are also benefits to getting adequate amounts of sleep, staying hydrated and seeing a physician and taking medication when necessary.
Davis said it is important for students to steer clear of others who are sick and also stay away from others if they are sick.
“Most of what we see is infectious disease, so you can avoid illness by staying away from people who are sick or staying home when you yourself are sick,” he said.
Secondly, Davis said simply practicing good hygiene can keep students healthy.
“Cough in the corner or in your elbow and practice good hand washing,” Davis said. “If you’re carrying tissues, (dispose) of them properly.”
Davis also recommended that students use hand sanitizer.
Third, Davis said students should be in good health to start the winter. He said if students are physically fit it will help their immune systems better fight infections and disease.
“(Physical activity) stimulates your immune cells and keeps them healthy and active,” Davis said.
Davis also said physical activity is important because when a person exercises they take deeper breaths, which helps clean out their respiratory system. In addition, Davis said physical activity helps regulate appetite and can encourage a person to eat better.
Besides the three main tips, Davis also said sleep is important in preventing and fighting infections. He said the amount of sleep needed varies person to person.
“The key word is ‘enough’, so you’re not feeling fatigued throughout the day,” Davis said. “It is different for different people.”
Davis said the amount of sleep a person needs is determined by habit, physical workload and partly by genetics. Davis also suggested that naps during the day can definitely help students feel more rested and stay healthy.
Davis also said drinking plenty of fluids is essential to staying healthy.
“You have to stay hydrated for good health,” he said. “It is essential for kidney function to keep your system running properly. People with a cough or congestion that are dried out have a harder time getting better.”
Davis said a main reason for this is the mucus membranes in the back of a person’s throat and on the roof of their mouth need to stay hydrated. He said the membranes help protect against infection, but when they’re dried out they lose their protective nature. Davis also said it is important for people with a fever to stay hydrated.
If students think they have a bacterial illness that can be treated with antibiotics, Davis recommends they visit the Student Wellness Center. However, Davis said they are trying to reduce the amount of antibiotics they prescribe so the general public does not develop a resistance to them.
“Students should be aware that we are trying to reduce the use of antibiotics,” Davis said. “For a simple sore throat, etc., antibiotics are not warranted or helpful.”
However, Davis said he doesn’t want to discourage those who are in need of antibiotics.
“After a week (of a student being ill) then we probably ought to see them,” he said. “Students should come to the health center if they have a high fever, any difficulty breathing, pus on the tonsils or nausea/vomiting that is more than just brief,” Davis said.
If students are ill with a viral illness, not treatable with antibiotics, Davis recommended taking Tylenol or ibuprofen to reduce fever and aches, drinking plenty of water and taking a decongestant if congested. However, Davis said to remind students these medications do not treat or speed of the course of the illness.
“Treating symptoms is important for comfort, but a person is still contagious and they still have the virus,” he said.
Davis also said students need to remember there is no magic vitamin or pill for the common cold. He said vitamin C has never been proven to help prevent or end the common cold.
“Vitamin C has never been shown to be effective. High or moderate doses have not been helpful in the (common) cold or sore throats. Nor has zinc, nor has calcium or iron, etc.,” he said. “Researchers haven’t found a good nutritional preventative for the common cold.”
Davis also said flu shots can be helpful to work against type A flu. He said flu shots are offered at the Wellness Center for $22 and are given to students at cost for the serum.
“Flu shots are recommended for college students because of the compact living and large groups of people they are involved in,” he said.
Davis said students do need to remember flu shots are not “fool proof.” He said although they work against type A, they do not work against any new variations that may appear mid flu season.
Be One
By raising awareness about poverty across the world, USU one.org campus leader Evelyn Sardinas said she believes students can not only make a difference for those suffering throughout the world, but also become more involved in their own government.
Sardinas said one.org was created to make sure our nation’s leaders keep the promises they made in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, a declaration made in 2000 to work toward eight global development goals, making significant improvements by 2015. These Millenium Development Goals include global improvement in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, development assistance, education, water and sanitation, trade, debt cancellation, child and maternal health and agriculture.
Sardinas said Americans often take for granted these things that many other countries don’t have.
“We don’t realize a lot of times in this nation that countries don’t have running water, let alone access to clean water,” she said. “The things we take for granted every day that millions of people out there don’t have.”
Instead of raising money, Sardinas said one.org raises awareness of global hunger and poverty and petitions the nation’s leaders to take action to make improvements in the Millenium Development Goals. Sardinas, senior political science minor, said it is important for citizens to be involved with the government and their decisions.
“It’s the way our government works – we’re supposed to be telling it what to do,” Sardinas said. “This organization is trying to keep government on task.”
Sardinas said students get involved by joining the USU one.org chapter and then competing with other campuses in the ONE Campus Challenge. She said students complete various challenges to raise awareness of one.org and global poverty by organizing events, making posters, becoming involved with other service and poverty organizations to earn points for their school. Sardinas said there are also many little things students can do to earn points, such as sporting one.org apparel or talking about one.org on their blog.
“To earn points we have partnered with Aggies for Africa, contacted local media, put up banners and had a table in the TSC to promote the organization,” she said.
At the end of the year, Sardinas said schools are then ranked on many points they have earned, and the campus leader of the university with the most points gets an all expense paid trip to Washington D.C. to attend a summit about global poverty.
Currently, USU is placed 73 out of thousands of universities, Sardinas said, ahead of big schools like Harvard, placed 119, and even their rival, University of Utah, placed 101.
Members also send petitions to government leaders to continue to work towards the Millenium Development Goals.
“The main thing is to not only be aware of the needs that are out there, but be aware that we have access to our government representatives and we can make change if we make that connection,” Sardinas said. “If we don’t make that connection we’re not exercising our democracy.”
Sardinas said she hopes funding to fight global poverty will continue with a newly elected president despite the nation’s economic woes.
“The economy shouldn’t deter us from our focus on the global poverty goals and we should be constantly trying to work toward it or change won’t take place. Even if it’s slow moving, we can’t let up on it.”
Sardinas said there are currently 35 USU one.org members. To join, she said students can go to www.one.org/campus and enter their e-mail address and graduating year. To get more involved in campus challenges, Sardinas said students should e-mail her directly ataskeve66@yahoo.com.
“My motivation to get involved with one.org was to become involved and get excited about a social issue,” Sardinas said. “At a university level, people need to become active. We’re so complacent as a society.”
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