spring 2023 5.26

G. KEVIN JONES SIGMA WRITING AWARDS
Best Paper Contest
1st: Jody Messick, “The Impact of Gender on the Acceptance of Surveillance
Technology”
Jody Messick was born in Hong Kong to Athena and Owen Messick as the youngest of
five children. Eventually, her amily moved to Shanghai, China, where she lived until
she relocated to Provo to pursue her bachelor’s degree at BYU. Given her background,
she decided to study international relations with an emphasis in Asian politics and
history. Throughout her time at BYU, Jody worked as a teaching assistant and research
assistant for the Political Science department. Jody’s mother is a professor at Fudan
University in Shanghai and has inspired her to be a lifelong learner. Jody graduated this past December and plans to
attend law school in the fall, where she hopes to sharpen her critical thinking and writing skills. She aspires to focus her
career around bridges between the U.S. and China, whether that be through business or politics. Outside of school and
work, Jody likes to participate in team sports, read, be outdoors, and travel. She draws inspiration from her family and
loves spending time with her siblings, all of whom now live in Utah.
2nd: Bryant McConkie, “Explaining Guatemalan Vigilantism”
Bryant McConkie is the third of four children born to Lynne and Paul McConkie,
and was raised in Bountiful, Utah. He married his wife, Liberty, in 2021, and they are
excited to welcome their first child, a baby boy, in August. Bryant served a mission
in Retalhuleu, Guatemala, where his experiences witnessing ethnic segregation,
extrajudicial policing, and rampant immigration inspired much of his undergraduate
research and ultimately led to an interest in law. He will attend SJ Quinney College
of Law in the fall, following in the legal steps of his father, grandfather, and greatgrandfather.
He enjoys watching the Utah Jazz and cheering on the Cougars, as well
as playing Wiffle Ball and visiting small Utah towns with his wife. He would like to
thank his wife and family for their support, and acknowledge the invaluable
mentorship he has received from BYU faculty over the years.
3rd: Caleb Ringger, “The Sino-Soviet Split: A Domestic Ideology Analysis”
Caleb Ringger is the son of Alisa and Chad Ringger and is the oldest of four children.
He grew up in Medford, Oregon and served a mission in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It
was on his mission that he discovered his deep passion for politics, history, languages,
and law. He is currently a junior at Brigham Young University earning a major in
Political Science and a minor in Professional Writing & Rhetoric. He is an author for
the BYU Political Review and an undergraduate fellow at the Center for the Study
of Elections and Democracy, where he has conducted research into extremism and
conspiracy theories. He has worked as a Teaching Assistant for writing and statistics
classes in the Political Science department for the last year. After graduating from BYU, he plans on attending law school
and practicing some kind of intellectual property law. In his free time, he enjoys reading about history, watching sports,
and writing about music.
15