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Show PAGE 12 • SUU PREVIEW 1993 Alumni Association is an integral part of the Southern Utah University campus 'The Thunderbird' serves the campus with twice-a-week issues. 'Thllnderbird'_ serves students UU's student n wspaper T11e 11mnderbird, is produced by an awardorg~tion that offers a valuable service to the campus-providing 1.t w1th the news 1t needs and wants and allowing a forum for opinion. The new paper is produced by tudent who interact with each other and m y other on campu , make d · i ns, work in comfortabl surroundings on high-end Macintosh equipment, hone their writing kills and erve the campus. Then wspaper is printed Mondays and Thursdays throughout the academi year and its ta ff members work diligently and professionally to pr vide the best po sible service to the campus. . ~ven though people at T11e T11underbird talk a lot about being professional, this does not mean we don't have fun . We have a lot of fun. Fun is part of n wspapering. AU newspaper staffs-from Tlze New York Times to that of the smallest high school paper, have htn; it's integral to the job. We do have a job to do, though, so we try to keep a happy medium. We want students to gr w from their experiences here. We want students to feel the pleasure of their own accomplishments; of making their own decisions and living with them. With this newspaper, students have--and fully relish-this opportunity. And what results is a wholly meaningful experience that trains student journalists in a manner that will allow them to compete with any candidate for a job on any newspaper in the country. The continuous striving for excellence-and all that i.t entails-ensures that these students will succeed, here and "ou t there." However, The Thunderbird isn't just for journalism students. A note to those who don't plan on choosing a newspaper career: First of all, it must be understood that literally thousands of students hav:e gone to work for student papers aU over the country saying, "Oh, I'm not really interested in working after grad uation, but I _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _" (fill in the blank.) You may be surprised to learn that a pretty good percentage of these students who gone to work for a college paper have had the business get into their blood and could not seem to get it out. Newspapering can be an incredibly exciting field. There are days that adrenaline flows so swiftly that you wonder how anyone could choose another field. Any reporter will tell you that no feeling in the world is like that of being on a hot story. It's a rush no other p rofession can provide. Partly because of this feeling, and partly because they get infected with the traditio:ps and cosmic importance of providing the world with new , many, many students change their majors from forestry (or whatever) to journalism, and from public relations to journalism with a newspaper emphasis. But, of course this does not always happen. However, hei;e at SUU, it is strongly suggested that every communication major- radio, 1V or otherspend at least one quarter on I11e Thunderbird. So why not learn the right way? If you're interested in public relations or advertising, you must understand, first-hand, how newspapers operate. And if magazine writing is your bag, the discipline you'll learn here will prove quite valuable. Any TV or radio reporter or anchorman or woman will tell you that newswriting skills are among the most important bases they can have in the field. So, you really have no excuse to not join us if you're at all interested in the communication field . We'll love seeing you fall quarter. ..and maybe-who knows-for a lot longer. ~~g U you thought you didn't know about SUU's Alumni Association, you just weren't aware that you didn' t know . The fact is that the association sponsors many events on campus that honor and benefit both SU alum and today's students. The Alumni Association kicks off the year sponsoring its own telethon and hiring students to phone university alumni in an effort to raise enough money to be able to fund at least one full scholarship (the Outstanding Alumni Scholar hip which goes to an outstanding child or grandchild of an alumnus), and up to six half-scholarships for nontraditional students-and that's just the first night. Continued calling for a month, brings in about $30,000 for more than 35 departmental scholarships. Other fund-raisers the association conducts is the renting of cap and gowns to all graduating seniors. But for all the money the association raises much of it goes back directly to the alumni as well as today's student-with three major activities. In October of every year, homecoming serves as the best way to lure past grads back to the campus to relive old memories as well as share in the vision of the future. The Alumni Association decorates and drives a float in the annual parade. However, the week is highlighted by the 50-year club luncheon where graduates of 50 years ago are honored . According to Peg Thorley, alumni association director, there are more alumni on campus at that one-event than at any time of the year-more than 200 former students. At each homecoming a distinguished alumnus is honored at the banquet with a Distinguished Service Award given to recognize outstanding individuals for their contributions, service and dedication to SUU. Past winners include Grace Adams Tanner ('73), Dixje Leavitt (76), and Royden C. Braithwaite ('83). All students past and current are invited to attend. Other events in which the Alumni Association work directly with the students is the Founders' Day honoring of different men and women of southern Utah who have made various contributions to their corrunwtlties in one form or another. Also, at commencement each year the Association is involved in organizing and helping with the baccalaureate and foUowing buffet. The association would like all students past and present to know that it i there for you and to send address changes to the university so that it may keep you informed of SUU happenings. Other than just activities the Alumni Association distributes the SUU News, a quarterly n w pap r that informs mor than 16,000 former students of SU. Thorley n tes that "Alumni have th greatest stake in th quality and visibility of the institution." Accounting is strong point in SUU business department Mo t people know that accounting is one of the best core of classes taught on campus and that it is part of the bu iness department. What som may not know is that accounting has its own separate degree in both bachelor's and master'sthe only self-standing master's program on campus. There are six full-time equivaJent professors in the accounting field. Each professor is "niched" in his or her respective area of expertise: audit, AlS, tax, financial accounting, etc. One noteworthy display of teaching effectiveness is the many computer labs that the accounting classes, as well as the rest of the business deparbnent, use for completing assignments as well as other projects. In fact, the busin.e ss building itself can brag of containing four computer labs-the most of any single building on campus. Why all the push for a high degree of technology? "So that students will have the skills they will desperately need. when they get out of here," says Jeff Barnes, director of the accountahcy program on campus. "We have the most fully-integrated, up-todate systems and we require students to use them." The fact is that SUU students enjoy the highest student per computer terminal ratio in the state, if not the country. Another number that business students enjoy is an average of 21:1 student to teacher ratio, with the large t class hovering around 60 (and that being a generaJ education class). Barnes points with pride to the business departmentand the accounting area especially- in its ability to serve the students on the instructor's own time, even as the student body g.r ows. Placement of students graduating from the accounting area can be broken down in some noteworthy percentages: 50 percent of all SUU accounting graduates find employment in public accounting, or CPA firms; 35 percent go into private industry, i.e. Plan t Managers, Financial Planners, or Hospital Administrators; 10 percent hook up to government positions; and five percent of SU grads further their education pursuing Ph.Os. In fact, every SUU graduate with a master's degree in accounting who has applied to a doct.o.ral program has been accepted. The masters in accounting degree from SUU is taught usually over three quarters and most often leads to financial success. For instance, the salary range for graduates in their first year of employment ranges from $23,000 to $27,000. ose that have been in the work-force for two to three years have salaries ranging from $26,000 to $34,000. Students who have more than five years of experience are now making $40,000 to $90,00Q. But how many graduate with SUU accounting degrees? Barnes says anywhere from 15-25 will graduate each year with a master's, and between 30 and 40 will leave in the spring with a bachelor's degree. But with all the number crunching in the accounting area of SUU' s business department there is only a single important number-being number one. |