The SUUSA Senate unanimously passed three bills Wednesday allocating nearly $3,000 for the academic pursuits of students.
The senate awarded $824 to three students presenting a mass communication research paper at the Western Social Sciences Association Conference in Reno, Nev. April 14 through 17.
The paper, titled “Modern-Day Heroes: How the Media Frame the Athlete and the Actor,” was the only paper selected from Utah to be presented at the conference.
Maggie Martinez, a masters of professional communication student from Hatch, was the main author of the paper with help from Lindsey Torres, a masters of professional communication student from Salem and Shaun Lindsay a masters of professional communication student from Manti.
According to the abstract for their paper, “research was done to determine whether celebrities or sports figures are held to a higher moral standard in the media” and results found that sports figures are held to a higher standard.
The paper illustrates the modern-day shift of athletes and actors being considered role models and by using the Framing communication theory, “a content analysis was set up to examine the newspaper framing themes for both (Olympic Swimmer Michael) Phelps’ and (Actor Christian) Bales’ character roles as heroes and role models.”
The research paper will be competing against three other papers. The winning paper will have the opportunity to be published, Torres said.
The senate awarded $766.75 to three nursing students who will be attending the National Student Nurses Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla. April 7 through 11.
Three of the SUU USNA executive members plan to attend the conference, according to the bill.
The Utah Student Nurses Association has seven executive members, four of those members are SUU nursing students and this is the first time SUU has had a majority rule of the association, said USNA President Jared Larmore.
Sen. Taylor Foulger, College of Science, said the students’ active involvement in USNA may make it possible for the conference to be hosted at SUU in the future.
The executive members will vote on bills and lobby legislation at the conference, according to the bill.
The opportunity will also allow the students to represent nursing students from across Utah and represent SUU’s Nursing Department as it is gaining national attention for its successes, Foulger said.
The SUU Nursing Department had the highest pass rate in Utah this past year, with 31 out of 32 students passing the National Council Licensure Examination the first time, Larmore said.
The last bill passed by the senate on Wednesday awarded $1,400 to seven Hotel, Resort & Hospitality Management students to travel to Thailand May 5 through 21.
Assistant Professor of Hotel, Resort & Hospitality Management Sophi Sukalakamala said in an interview after the meeting that Thailand, rich with Oriental culture, would be an ideal “learning laboratory,” which would provide students with a “culturally diverse and dynamic atmosphere.”
“The study abroad program is also to enhance the learning experience of (SUU) students by immersing them in Thai culture and help students broaden their views of the hospitality industry beyond the U.S. perspective,” Sukalakamala said.
Sen. Cameron Brown, College of Humanities & Social Sciences, said Sukalakamala has prepared the trip well and has done a similar trip at another university in the past.
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