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Show A4 NEWS UVU students have unique opportunity By BRITTANY PENDLTON News Writer While Utah Valley is not known for religious diversity, UVU students looking to learn about different religions and interact with people of varying religious backgrounds, are in the right place. UVU is home to a burgeoning Religious Studies Program that not only offers many classes from experienced faculty, but also frequently brings scholars, religious practitioners and other presenters to campus for conferences, lecture series and symposia that enrich and engage students and faculty alike. Unlike the Orem Institute of Religion which operates adjacent to campus, the approach taken by the Religious Studies Program is not one of devotional study within a specific religion. Instead, students take a critical academic interdisciplinary approach to the study of religion. Classes are offered on various topics in the departments of Anthropology, Philosophy, Communications, English, History and Sociology. UVU students wishing to learn more about religion as a cultural phenomenon have an opportunity to be exposed to various ideas and questions regarding religion. Unsurprisingly, Mormonism is a focal point of study. The Religious Studies Program has been sponsoring an annual Mormon Studies conference since March, 2001. Each year the conference explores a variety of topics and themes in Mormon culture, theology, history and literature. In March, the program hosted the Eleventh Annual Mormon Studies Conference. This year's conference was titled "Mormonism and Islam." A video is now available on the Religious Studies Program website of the keynote address by Stephen Prothero of Boston University. His address was titled "Mormons, Muslims, and the 'Ground Zero Mosque.' In addition to the annual Mormon Studies conference there is the annual Eugene England Lecture Series and a conference on Religion and the Humanities. Though there is a great emphasis placed on studying Mormon culture and religion, Mormonism is hardly the only religion studied in the Religious Studies program. Religious Studies at UVU is not about favoring one religion or perspective over another. In its statement of purpose, the program emphasizes that its aim is "neither to endorse nor to undermine the claims of religion, but to create an environment in which various issues can be engaged from a variety of perspectives and methodologies." Some classes offered this fall include Myth Magic and Religion, Shamanism & Indigenous Religions, Introduction to Eastern Religions, Philosophy of Religion and Women in Theology. Past classes have included Buddhism Across the Arts, Literature of the Sacred, Christian Ethics, Jewish History, Buddhism and Science, Introduction to Christian Theology and many others. UVU is home to many distinguished faculty members teaching Religious Studies classes, many of whom are currently doing research in the community and across the globe dealing with issues in Religious Studies. More information about the Religious Studies Program can be found on their website www.uvu.edu/religiousstudies. CONNOR ALLEN/UVU REVIEW Applying for Utah residency can be a complicated process for students at UVU. Gaining residency to save money By DANIELLE CARRIER News Writer Out-of-state students pay three times as much tuition for their classes than in-state students. But gaining residency can alleviate the extra amount they pay for school. Achieving residency can be confusing for out-of-state students. Every applicant must be a U.S. citizen or have Permanent Resident Status in addition to a driver's license, registration and proof of voter registration. The general and most commonly known additional requirement is that students must live in the state for at least a year and provide a verification of physical presence in Utah. Exceptions to those documents include: proof that the person was away on active military duty, marriage to a Utah resident, a spouse/ partner full-time employment in Utah or a dependant student who has one parent who has lived in Utah for at least 12 continuing months. In any case, 12 being the magic number, one has to have proof of ties to Utah for at least a year. Students who have any questions or other extenuating circumstances they think will qualify them should talk to the admissions office. Students should also make sure that they are aware of the deadlines for residency applications turned in fall, spring and summer. The fall deadline was July 15, but the spring deadline is December 1. UVU community gets tested By HENRY CERVER News Writer , k A CONNOR ALLEN/UVU REVIEW Students' use of caffeine has seen and cons among UVU students. All hyped up on caffeine By MEGAN CHRISTENSEN News Writer The journal of Medical Case Reports described a 22-year-old woman who had recently been admitted to the hospital with liver-failure on June 22 after consuming ten bottles of 5-Hour Energy shots every day for two weeks straight. The energy drinks are oneounce drinkable "shots" that infuse the body with B-vitamins, amino acids and caffeine. They have become increasingly popular in the highstress environment of college campuses across the country. Each shot contains the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. Many students turn to caffeine as a mild stimulant to help maintain focus and alertness during their school day. Several students in Utah County maintain part-time to full-time jobs, and unlike other regions of the country, many are married. The demands of jobs and family-life create a highstress demand on students who are already trying to keep up in school. As a result, caffeine found in soda, coffee, energy drinks, tea, supplements and food are sought after. Caffeine is a stimulant and works as a psycho-active. It empties the adrenal glands, which is why one may feel a boost in energy when consuming it. It can enhance the mood as well, because caffeine literally blocks the hormones in the brain that cause depression. An added side-effect of caffeine is that it can stimulate the metabolism. In abundance, caffeine can be dangerous. It is the most commonly used drug in the United States, consumed regularly by 90 percent of the population. In large doses over an extended period of time caffeine can cause a range of problems including anxiety, insomnia, headaches, respiratory problems and heart palpitations. Used in conservative amounts however, caffeine can be a great addition to a students diet. It is especially effective for students needing an extra mental boost just before a test, study session or class. But like all things, over consumption of caffeine can be bad for your health. Reading the labels will help students avoid having too much of a good thing. Energy shots say specifically that one should not consume more than one bottle every five hours. There are many alternatives to stimulants, which can also boost energy and mental power. Herbal supplements are often stimulant free, and options like ginseng, ginkgo biloba, gaba and B-vitamins all help to increase energy levels. Drinking plenty of water each day is also elemental in energy levels. But most of all, students should be sure to get enough rest. If students are not getting between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, that sluggish feeling throughout the day is quite probable. UVU Review on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UVUReview UVU took advantage of the free HIV testing that the Centro Hispano provided as part of the activities to support the 2011 National HIV Testing Day on June 27. The test was free and confidential, and results were provided in less than twenty minutes. Throughout the entire day, the UVU community not only had the opportunity to find out about their HIV status, but they also got the opportunity to educate themselves and make Utah county a safer place to live. "You really don't know your status until you get tested; therefore, it is important to get tested even if you don't think you have HIV," said Karen Ryker, Health and Wellness Volunteer for the Centro Hispano. "The sooner you find out about your status the better because if you test positive, you can start taking steps to improve your health." This event also helped to break the miscommunication that might exist on campus about HIV. During the day, many students walked by the booth and laughed and made jokes about HIV. Unfortunately, some members of the community might not think that HIV is an issue that affects their lives, but statistics show that HIV infections have increased by about 33 percent in Utah. According to the Utah Department of Health, Utah had 189 newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in 2010 compared to 142 cases in 2006. Since the UDOH began tracking HIV and AIDS, there have been at least 1,062 reported cases of HIV, 2,476 reported cases of AIDS and 1,189 reported AIDS related deaths in the state. Testing offered in the Student Center for National HIV testing day Utah is still one of the states with the lowest rates of HIV cases, but as Dulguun Zorigt, President of the UVU VOX Club and Science and Health Senator for the UVUSA mentioned, "it is important to get people to know their status so the rates stay low for the state." Zurigt also mentioned that it is important to take time and reflect about the effects of HIV for the state of Utah and for the life of every person infected with the disease. "No one has to forget that this disease affects the life of people, and that those living with the virus are still humans and have the same rights as other people that don't live with the disease." GILBERT CISNEROS/UVU REVIEW |