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Show Campus News Wednesday, March 28, 2012 Page 3 Seniors prepare themselves for graduation Briefs Campus & Community BY CATHERINE BENNETT Ag student named Alltech Ambassador editor in chief Five weeks of school remain until students in the Class of 2012 will put on their caps and gowns and become the most recently graduated USU alumni. Final preparations for the graduation ceremony are underway before this year's seniors are sent off to face the job market. One of these preparations is deciding on the commencement speaker, which will be decided April 2 during the Faculty Senate meeting, said Teresa Denton, senior staff assistant in the President's Office. A number extracted from the USU Registrar's Office showed 3,981 USU students are set to graduate, including students from USU Eastern. This number includes those who completed required credits during the summer 2011, fall 2011 and spring 2012 semesters. This number is subject to change as the remainder of the semester progresses. "We have students turning graduation packets in to this day," said Marci Smith, a supervisor in the Registrar's Office. As of March 23, the college with the largest group of graduating students is the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, with 940. The Jon M. Hunstman School of Business has the next largest group, with 767 set to graduate. In preparation for the ceremony and life after USU, the Grad Fair is helping students organize their graduation plans. Booths in front of the USU Bookstore entrances provide students with order forms for graduation extras, including diploma frames and graduation invitations. The fair began Tuesday and will continue Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Representatives from the Development Office were present at the fair to help seniors ensure they ► THE GRAD FAIR will be set up in front of the USU Bookstore until 4 p.m. Wednesday.The various booths are selling class rings, diploma frames and graduation attire extras.This year approximately 4,000 students will graduate from USU. HOLLY REYNOSO can keep in touch with USU after they leave. "We keep people's records, so we are having seniors update their records so that we will know how to contact them when they move," said Rachel Richards, staff assistant for the Development Office. If students have not changed their information with the Development Office before leaving, they can do it by searching "alumni records" on the USU website. Some students, like Rylee Gregory, a senior majoring in biochemistry, still plan on being a part of USU by attending sporting events and cheering on the Aggies. Gregory will move back home after graduating and begin applying to medical schools, working at a local hospital until she is accepted. So far, seniors have contributed about 85 percent of the funding needed for this year's senior project — a drinking fountain on the Quad — said Blake Nemelka, Student Giving Committee chair. A portion of the funding was covered through a grant from the Blue Goes Green Fee, and seniors were asked to contribute the $4,000 difference. "The two most exciting years were honestly this year and last year, because we kind of like changed everything, instead of putting a bench or bike rack on campus, we wanted to do something cool," Nemelka said. "This idea of a sustainable campus kept coming back ... we got it approved ... the fountain will be near the Ag Building and a lot of foot traffic." Nemelka said past seniors have sometimes expressed disappointment in their gifts, but he has only heard positive reactions about the installation of a drinking fountain on the Quad. McKenna Miller said she plans to stay in contact with USU after graduating and wants to donate to the school in the future, when she is able. Miller, a senior majoring in music therapy, said she will complete a music therapy-related internship after graduating but realizes she needs to get a master's degree to get the job she wants. "From everyone I've talked to, the majority of jobs — especially in the social sciences, music and education — require you to have more than a bachelor's degree," Miller said. For many students, graduation in May will be another stepping stone toward achieving their ultimate educational goals. - catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu. edu From Page 1 Vet labs, theater classrooms selected to receive facelift "I think taking money away from the general student body for these kind of improvements is a bad idea," said Scot Marsden, senator from the Huntsman School of Business. "These improvements would not benefit as many students as the other proposals." Webb said he agreed with Marsden but that the senate chambers proposal was made only as a "backup proposal." He said when the senate chambers proposal was made, only $45,000 worth of proposals had been developed. Taya Flores, budget officer in the Office of the Vice President for Student Services, said if the full $75,000 is not used, any remaining funds are flushed into a central account to be dispersed for various university needs. "We just wanted to make sure the funds were being used for their intended purpose," Webb said. "However, I think the senators' decision to reject this proposal in favor of the others is in keeping with the spirit of the fund." Classrooms in the College of Agriculture were awarded a total of about $22,000; the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, about $18,800; the College of Science, about $15,300; and the Caine College of the Arts, about $11,500. Classrooms in the College of Education and the College of Engineering were each awarded their single proposals of $6,300 and $970, respectively. Senators from the College of Natural Resources and the Huntsman School of Business did not make any funding requests. According to the Classroom Improvement Fund Rules and Regulations, the fund is available only to rooms on campus where classes are held, and is used primarily for minor renovations or improvements. These rooms do not have to house regularly scheduled classes, Webb said. - rouchelle.brockman@aggiemail.usu.edu From Page 1 Board names Kingsford as 2012-13 PR director ABIGAIL KINGSFORD WAS APPOINTED last week to the 2012-13 Public Relations director position after the student who was initially offered the job turned it down. She recently ran for the ASUSU executive vice president position and received the second-most number of votes. DELAYNE LOCKE photo Larsen said credit for booking Anberlin lies with Activities Director Kellen Hansen. Hannah Blackburn, the current Pulic Relations director, announced that a junior majoring in communications, Abigail Kingsford, was appointed as next year's ASUSU Public Relations director. The ASUSU Public Relations director is primarily responsible for organizing ASUSU elections and inauguration, Blackburn said. Kingsford will also in charge of performing networking and marketing activities on campus and throughout Cache Valley for both ASUSU and other studentrun organizations, she said. Kingsford said her experience as the chairperson of the Government Relations Council — an ASUSU related organization that promotes civic engagement among students — and as secretary or the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Council have prepared her for the new position in ASUSU. Kingsford also served on the Blue Goes Green grant committee and on the Student Fee Board. One of her main goals as the Public Relations director of the 2012-2013 school year is to improve the ASUSU elections bylaws, she said. Though her plan is still in its beginning stages, Kingsford said she wants to make elections a more positive and easy-going experience for everyone involved. "I want to avoid anyone walking away from elections hurt or annoyed," she said. Luke Ensign, a sophomore studying political science and family, child and human development, was appointed as Arts and Lectures director the week before Spring Break. He said his experience as a event organizer at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, and as a member of the Government Relations Council has prepared him for his new position. He also said he will be working for Rep. Jim Matheson this summer in Washington, D.C. He said he anticipates this experience will provide him with skills he can apply to his new position. He said his main goal for next year is to organize events that will appeal to a broad spectrum of students. "No student should have an excuse to not get involved and participate," he said. "I want all students to feel as though they can approach me with an idea for an event, and I'll help them make it happen." Kingsford said one of her main plans as the Public Relations director of the 2012-2013 school year is to improve the ASUSU elections bylaws. She said while her plan is still in its beginning stages, she wants to make elections a more positive and easy-going experience for everyone involved. - rouchelle.brockman@aggiemail.usu.edu USU student Alli Kelley has been named the university's "Alltech Ambassador" by Alltech, a global animal health and nutrition company. Kelley, a native of Lindon, Utah, is a junior animal, dairy and veterinary science major at USU. She said her love of horses drew her into agriculture and her goal is to earn a master's degree in nutrition. Her role as an Alltech Ambassador is a component in reaching the university audience and bridging the gap between agriculture and the consumer, an Alltech representative said. Since she was a freshman at USU, Kelley has worked in a lab with Lee Rickords, an associate professor in the animal, dairy and veterinary sciences department. "Not only is Alli a great student, but she has acquired several advanced scientific skills through her eagerness to learn and willingness to jump in and do new things," Rickords said. "Alli started performing laboratory work as a freshman and has gained a great deal of practical knowledge to complement her classroom education. She was wonderful to have in the laboratory." The Alltech Student Ambassador program is a volunteer leadership opportunity offering students the chance to become directly involved with Alltech, other industry organizations and leaders, university faculty, and students. As an ambassador, Kelley will promote the Alltech Young Scientist competition and have access to professional development along with semester scholarships. Scientists advance in enzyme research USU researchers and collaborators are solving a long-standing mystery of how bacterial enzymes known as nitrogenases convert nitrogen into life-sustaining compounds on which all plants and animals depend. Their discoveries could have energy-saving implications for the world's food supply. A paper describing the findings by USU biochemists Lance Seefeldt and Zhiyong Yang, Northwestern University's Dmitriy Lukoyanov and Brian M. Hoffman, Virginia Tech's Dennis Dean and University of Minnesota's Brett Barney, appears in Monday's online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The team's research is supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. "The structure of nitrogenases and the general site at which nitrogen gets bound and reduced has been known for more than 15 years," said Seefeldt, professor in USU's department of chemistry and biochemistry and recipient of the university's 2012 D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award. NR College holds 70th Logger's Ball The College of Natural Resources will celebrate the 70th annual Logger's Ball on Thursday. The event will be held at Café Sabor, located at 600 W. Center Street in Logan. Doors to the event open at 6:30 p.m., and the Mexican food buffet will be ready to dig into at 7 p.m. Vegetarian options will be available. Tickets to the event are $12 in advance or $15 at the door and are available in the College of Natural Resources Dean's Office located in the Natural Resources Building, Room 108. Those who attend are encouraged to wear their best logging gear, including flannel and boots. The girl and guy with the best get-up will win Queen of the Wood and King of the Forest, respectively. There will also be a contest for the best beards, so wear your beards and mustaches proudly. At 7:45 p.m. the Dry Lake Band will play bluegrass as another element of the night's entertainment. Everyone is invited to attend, from students and faculty to community members. ClarifyCorrect The policy of The Utah Statesman is to correct any error made as soon as possible. If you find something you would like clarified or find in error, please contact the editor at 797 1742, statesman@aggiemail.usu.edu or come in to TSC 105. - |