By JUDITH MCDANIEL

Staff Writer

The Student Nurses Association attended the 50th anniversary of the state SNA Conference on Oct. 16 through 19 in Lafayette.

Kitty Kervin, an assistant professor of the Division of Nursing, said SNA members from nursing schools in Louisiana were represented.

Kervin said the speakers encouraged members to make a difference at their university.

"One of the key speakers was Mary Foley, former president of the national SNA. She has spoken to the Senate and met President George W. Bush," Kervin said. "[Foley] encouraged SNA members to remember that SNA is an active and dynamic organization that protects people."

Eight of the 35 members of SNA and three faculty members attended the conference to learn valuable information on how to better serve the university and surrounding areas, Christine Beavers, vice president for SNA and a senior health information administration major, said.

Even new SNA members said they enjoyed the conference experience.

"I just joined SNA before we went, and it was really great because so much hard work was put into making it happen," Amy Foshee, a sophomore nursing major, said. "Going to the conference and seeing everything there really opened up all options for me."

Beavers said some of the programs at the conference included a help session for the National Council of Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, a program explaining the advantages of working in forensic nursing and a program dealing with working as a military nurse.