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Show Weather Quote of the day Sports A&E Opinion Pages Page 7 Page 9 Hey, Jude Inconvenient half-truth Advantage Cougars Jude Law gives one of his best performances in the flawed but intelligent social drama, / "Breaking and Entering." £] T h e There's no doubt that global warrning is occurring, says Aaron Zundel, but there's no guarantee • that ifs our fault, either. U n i v e r s i t y o fU t a h ' s The U women's basketball team loses out on its^MWC title hopes, falling to BYU on the road in a 59-55 heartbreaker. I n d e p e n d e n t S t u d e n t "Who is in charge here? Elmo and Cap'n Crunch?" -Eryn Green on bureaucracy and ASUU polling procedure SEE FULL EDITORIAL PAGE 7. Voice 29/26 Snow Shower See Page Two for 5-day forecast Since 1 8 9 0 DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE Thursday, March 1,2007 ©2007 www.dailyutahchronicle.com Vol.116 No.132 Legislature approves U's primary projects Bills passed to fund Student Life Center, nursing building renovation (UtahLegisIature2007 House Bill 473 is the Fiscal Year Supplemental Appropriations Act. The amended bill approves a $42.5-miIlion bond to fund a Student Life Center. The bill has been sent to Gov. Jon Hunstman; if he signs, it will be passed into law. Natalie Hale The Daily Utah Chronicle The Utah State Legislature approved the U's nursing building renovation, which includes financing for a new cooling plant, and a bond to fund a Student Life Center on Wednesday. Kim Wirthiin, U vice president for government relations, was all smiles over the fulfillment of the U's primary legislative goals. "This has been an outstanding year," Wirthiin said. "Higher education as a whole did extremely well." Wirthiin credits the U's success to See Page 3 for more about the Utah Legislature. working closely with leaders inside the House of Representatives and Senate this session. Thanks to swift amendments by Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, and House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Salt Lake City, both projects were included in budgets to be funded. Jenkins amended House Bill 150 to include $13.5 million in funds to renovate the U's nursing building and cool- ing plant, while Curtis amended House Bill 473 to include approval for a S42million bond to fund construction for the Student Life Center. Both amendments passed. The renovation of the nursing building would primarily provide more space for instructors and include a modern patient simulation center. The House Bill 150 is the Fiscal Year Supplemental Appropriations Act. It includes a Senate amendment that gives the U £13.5 million in funding to renovate the College of Nursing and build a new cooling plant. The bill has been sent to Gov. Jon Hunstman; if he signs, it will be passed into law. See LEGISLATURE Page 4 Dealing with disparities Endowment fund to raise money for Hispanics in public health Nikkole Christensen The Daily Utah Chronicle MIKE TERRY/ Tlic Daily Utah ChnmicU Jason Smith, a senior in political science, gets assignments for his internship with Rep. Brad Dee, R-Ogden, at the Capitol on Monday. Legislative lessons U students intern on Capitol Hill Natalie Hale laws are drafted and have a better understanding how the process works," Stahla said. : V interns for the 57th Utah Interning for Rep. Carol Moss, General Legislative Session have D-Salt Lake City, opened Stahla's gained a new appreciation for the eyes to issues she had not been wonders of coffee's stimulating aware of before—primarily an effects. education crisis that has been oc: Most of these students haven't curring in Utah. had time to sleep during the past Patrick Reimherr, a sophomore two months, as the 45-day process in political science, has been heavof making law has consumed their ily involved in politics and said he MIKE TERRY/ Uc Daily Utah Chnnick lives. But that has not stopped intends to "soak up every opporthem from making the most of tunity the Hinckley Institute has Patrick Reimherr, a sophomore in political science, takes notes in a meeting while the opportunities they have had to offer" students. interning with Rep. Ralf Becker, D-Salt Lake City at the Capitol on Monday. this session to become heavily inHe also chose to do an internvolved in the political processes ship through the institute to have to see the light of day," Reimherr tity theft—an issue that she heavof creating law. a personal experience in creating said. "It is easy for the Legislature ily researched for her internship Rosa Stahla, a junior in political law. to brush things off; you begin to with Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Salt science and history, plans to at"There are people up here who appreciate the small stuff that Lake City. tend law school in the future, but are a big part of the process," Re- passes." Jason Smith, a senior in politisaid she desires to have a better imherr said. "You get to be a part But getting the most out of the cal science who interned for Rep. understanding of how laws are of legislation that will affect your internship does not come just by Brad Dee, R-Ogden, praised the created before venturing into it. community." showing up every day and doing men and women who dedicate She chose to do an internship While working for Rep. Ralf the work you're asked to do. their time to creating laws for the through the Hinckley Institute of Becker, D-Salt Lake City, Reim"Take a personal interest," said betterment of the public. Politics to get that perspective. herr said he was surprised at leg- Emily Showgren, a junior in mass "You begin to know how (isThese students have gained islation that was ignored—such communication. "You will be sues) work inside and out," Smith a greater understanding of the as an ethics bill Becker sponsored more likely to research and know said. "I have a greater appreciacreation of law and the effort in- that would block lobbyists from about the issues you are dealing tion for legislators doing this." vested in it by working for various giving gifts to legislators. with." But being part of the legislative parties and political groups. "I was shocked to see things Showgren intends to write the process as an intern is not an easy "I thought that this would be that seem logical, you know? Posi- research paper required by the a good experience to know how tive pieces of legislation didn't get Hinckley Institute about iden- A P O L I T I C A L Page4 The Daily Utah Chronicle A new partnership is generating additional funds for U Hispanic students interested in the public health field. The U School of Medicine, department of family and preventive medicine, the Public Health Program and the Utah Hispanic Business Leadership Foundation (UHBLF) are working together to increase funds for the Sen. Pete Suazo Memorial Endowed Hispanic Scholarship in public health. The endowment fund was created in 2002 and provides money for Hispanic students going into the public health field. Hispanics are the largest minority group in Utah but are underrepresented in the health-care field, according to the 2001 Utah Hispanic Health Survey Report conducted by the Utah State Department of Health. Breelyn Hansen, a junior in English and biology, works at the U Hospital as a health-care assistant. in the medical-surgical unit. She believes that an increase in Hispanic health-care workers would greatly benefit the patients and staff at the hospital. "I usually have at least one patient a shift who doesn't speak English," Hansen said. "And at night, it's even harder to get help from a translator. We try to communicate through hand motions." In addition to basic communication, Lorena Riffo-Jenson, spokeswoman for UHBLF, said having more Hispanic professionals in the health-care industry will bring more attention to the Hispanic community in hospital policy decisions. "The more (Hispanic) professionals in public health, the more issues impacting the Latino community will be considered when policies are being made," Riffo-Jenson said. The additional money added to the endowment fund will eventually provide full-ride scholarships for two Hispanic students. George L. White Jr., director of the U's public health department and founder of the endowment fund, said this scholarship would help reduce disparities in health care. "Increasing the number 0/ Hispanic public health professionals will be a major factor in helping us reach (the) goal (of eliminating disparities)," White said. The scholarship money will help provide Hispanic students with funds necessary for obtainSeeHlSPANlCPage4 |