Insight Magazine | Winter 2015 by OU Online

IN THIS ISSUE INSIGHT | WINTER 2015

Features

Inside CLS

Battle of the [Fitness] Bands

Book Review

A Technology Review

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Alumni Profile

Program Highlight

Justin Wollenberg

Liberal Studies

ON THE COVER The College of Liberal Studies’ mission includes educating citizens to become actively involved in their communities. Civic engagement has many faces that encompass every aspect of life— from volunteering at a local senior citizens center to donating bone marrow to holding an elected public

34 Geometry of Art

36 Student Profile Morgan Sowell

38 Spring 2015 Banner Carrier Kimberly Mahoney

48 Making a Difference

24 Movie Review

CLS students, alumni and faculty have

places to live.

helped make their communities better

Faculty Profile Roksana Alavi

28 Rite of Passage Spring 2015 Convocation

32 Events and Occasions

the Nation

Tailgate Party

Alumni Profile

Faculty Profile

Paul Duit

John Lancaster

Jesse Turner

light on some of the ways that current

Korczak

Oklahomans Who Changed

In Memoriam

office. This issue of Insight shines a

55 Years with the College of Liberal Studies

In Every Issue 02

The Dean’s Insight

News Briefs

Convocation Highlights

For more exclusive content visit CLSBLOG.OU.EDU

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The Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Insight

By James P. Pappas, Ph.D.

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his issue of Insight focuses specifically on active citizenship and civic engagement, but I wanted to use this forum as an opportunity to broaden that discussion and touch on many of the ways the College of Liberal Studies (CLS) and University Outreach engage with the communities they serve.

Our Public and Community Services division, under the leadership of Dr. Belinda Biscoe, has assembled volunteers from the Greek organizations to work as mentors and tutors for elementary, middle school and high schools. The Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies played an important role in providing diversity training for incoming OU freshmen at the most recent Camp Crimson. THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONNECTION

Engagement is a word that has enjoyed great popularity in years

Of course, through training programs, Outreach engagement helps to

past, but it is just as relevant today as it was more than two

transform individuals and groups. Professional development training

decades ago when the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State

builds skill sets and directly impacts economic development.

and Land-Grant Universities issued a report on “the engaged institution.” According to the commission report, engagement “refer[s]

An obvious example of this occurs through our 50-year-old Eco-

to institutions that have redesigned their teaching, research and

nomic Development Institute, which contributes to the economic

extension and service functions to become even more sympathet-

development of the community, whether we define community as

ically and productively involved with their communities, however

Norman, the state of Oklahoma, the nation or the world. And the

community may be defined.” Key to the idea of engagement, the

Lean Institute helps organizations improve their efforts to stream-

report indicated, is “a commitment to sharing and reciprocity.”

line and make more efficient use of resources.

ENGAGEMENT: AN OUTREACH VALUE

CLS AS A NURTURER FOR ENGAGEMENT

In addition to its many credit and degree programs, OU Outreach

On a personal level, another important example of engagement

has a long history of engaging with the community it serves in very

occurs through credit programs. CLS helps prepare its students

direct ways. The Medieval Fair is an annual event attracting some

for a life of engagement. Through its interdisciplinary degree

300,000 people, not only from Oklahoma, but many other states as

programs, CLS strives to foster a commitment to social and civic

well. Among the visitors to this living history extravaganza, Okla-

activism in our students. For years, the college has embraced and

homa school children, and their teachers, arrive by the busloads

advanced the concept of a “public intellectual,” someone who has

to attend this fair that explores and celebrates all things medie-

gained a solid educational foundation and finds a role in taking

val. Our NPR station, KGOU, serves more than 68,000 listeners in

part in the life of the community around him or her. CLS is com-

Oklahoma, but it extends its reach through other ways as well as

mitted to encouraging its students in this role as they graduate and

radio programming. For example, the station has a long record

continue their lives as lifelong learners.

of involvement in the annual Jazz in June program that attracts music fans from throughout the state and beyond and engenders a

For all university students, the result of being involved in learning

strong positive community spirit in Norman. Through its provision

at an institution committed to engagement is an enriched expe-

of noncredit programming, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

rience. They emerge from formal education not only with greater

offers mature learners in Norman and Oklahoma City the oppor-

intellectual capacity and knowledge; they will be committed to

tunity for intellectual enrichment as they participate in courses

putting that capacity and knowledge to work to improve and

taught by OU faculty and community members.

advance their communities. OU President David Boren has underscored the importance of being engaged today in the civic life of

InvestEd, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Securities Commis-

our communities. He acknowledges the critical role of the univer-

sion, has advanced the investment literacy of a wide range of par-

sity in this process in his book A Letter to America when he writes,

ticipants, from high school students to senior adults. The Junior

“We have to consciously work harder as a university to rebuild the

High Model United Nations has allowed Oklahoma middle school

spirit of community.”

students the opportunity to experience the process of the United Nations by using debate, research and cultural awareness of coun-

We are proud of the efforts of the College of Liberal Studies and

tries all over the world. Outreach youth programs—including the

University Outreach in helping to equip our students and partic-

Sooner Flight Academy and Precollegiate Programs—have taught

ipants with the knowledge and skills they need to engage them-

young people an array of academic topics, not to mention helped

selves in the work of their own communities.

to introduce them to OU. ENGAGEMENT PROVIDED BY INDIVIDUALS AND PROGRAMS Individually, Outreach staff members have engaged with the community in many other ways. One staff member has served as a panelist for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; another has provided

James P. Pappas, Ph.D.

expert testimony for an Interim Study on Disproportionate Minority

Vice President for Outreach and

Contact in the Oklahoma juvenile justice system. Yet another staff

Dean, College of Liberal Studies

member has taught Current History, a college prep course designed to improve students’ critical thinking and writing skills.

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W INTE R 20 15 | VO LU ME 1 2 , IS S U E 2

For Alumni, Students and Friends DEAN James P. Pappas, Ph.D. ASSOCIATE DEAN Martha Banz, Ph.D. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Huggins ART DIRECTOR / DESIGNER Traci Fuller EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jerry Jerman

ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR PUBLISHES BOOK ON PRISON CULTURE Mary D. Looman, a psychologist for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and adjunct instructor of Criminal Justice for CLS, co-authored a book that was released by the Oxford University Press last summer. In A Country Called Prison, she and co-author John Carl pro-

MANAGING EDITOR Mary Wuestewald CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

pose a paradigm shift in the way American society views mass incarceration.

Catherine Kerley

Weaving together sociological and psychological principles, theories of political reform and

Frank Rodriguez

real-life stories from experiences working in prison and with at-risk families, Looman and Carl form a foundation of understanding to demonstrate that prison is more than an institution built of fences and rules—it is a culture. Prison continues well after incarceration, as ex-felons leave correctional facilities (and often return to impoverished neighborhoods) without money or legal identification of American citizenship. Trapped in the isolation of poverty, these legal aliens turn to illegal ways of providing for themselves—and, in consequence, are often re-imprisoned. With their book, Looman and Carl present the case that America is facing an unsustainable situation. We are witnessing an incarceration epidemic that requires a new perspective to eradicate it. A Country Called Prison offers concrete, feasible, economical suggestions to reform the criminal justice system as a whole and to help prisoners return to a healthier life after incarceration. Mary D. Looman is a psychologist for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and an adjunct professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Oklahoma. She has more than 30 years of experience working in criminal justice and social service organizations.

Deah Caldwell John Huggins Julie Davis Laura Gibbs Mary Wuestewald Robert Dougherty ON THE COVER Art by Traci Fuller Insight is published by: The University of Oklahoma College of Liberal Studies McCarter Hall • 1610 Asp Avenue Norman, OK 73072-6405 CLS.OU.EDU facebook.com/ouliberalstudies twitter.com/ou_cls

Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. Printed and distributed at no cost to Oklahoma taxpayers.

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CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN THE PATIENTPROVIDER RELATIONSHIP Kay Ham, adjunct faculty member for CLS and the Department of Human Relations, presented her work, Courageous Conversations: Principles of Conflict Resolution, about patient and healthcare provider conflict resolution at the Conference of the Forum of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Networks in Baltimore in March. Ham’s presentation focused on how many patients receiving ongoing treatment for a serious illness, such as cancer or kidney disease, reach a difficult time when the patient-desired outcomes may be at odds with the medical goals and treatment. Ham spoke about how the increased stress of unaligned patient-treatment goals could be avoided if recognized early in the treatment process and can result in resolutions that patients, families and caregivers can all agree upon. Ham drew on insights from emails she received from renal disease patients describing their experiences to inform her talk, as well as those from physicians and others involved in patient care. “Speaking and interacting with this roomful of brilliant, caring professionals was a special experience for me and one that I’ll not soon forget,” she said. “Participating in the conference allowed me to consider the Conflict Resolution course I teach for the College of Liberal Studies. Conflict resolution and communication skills, such as listening and empathy, are important for all of us and are especially critical for our graduates, who will be working in professions of healthcare, criminal justice, leadership and other areas of human interaction.”

OU NAMED ONE OF THE NATION’S BEST COLLEGES FOR VETERANS Military Times published results from their annual college review for a highly anticipated “Best for Vets: Colleges 2015” list late last year. The list, an analysis of U.S. higher education options for veterans, named OU one of the best four-year schools for veterans in 2015. Military Times considered several hundred schools in their evaluation. The schools chosen for review completed a detailed questionnaire that included more than 100 questions delving into issues considered most important by student veterans. Military Times compared the schools’ survey responses to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Education to decide which schools made the list and where they ranked. Academic success measures also were considered.

WE WELCOME YOUR EMAILS. Emails should refer to material published in the magazine and include the writer’s full name, address and telephone number. CLS alumni please include degree and year of degree. The editor reserves the right to determine the suitability of stories for publication and to edit them for accuracy and length. Send stories to jhuggins@ou.edu. I NS I G H T M AG AZ I NE | WI NT E R 2 0 1 5

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GULLBERG INDUCTED INTO INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION Steve Gullberg, renowned archaeoastronomer and CLS instructor,

After his induction, Gullberg was assigned to working groups ad-

was inducted into the International Astronomical Union (IAU) at its

dressing stars, stellar physics and galaxies and cosmology.

general assembly in August of this year. “I’ll be dealing with the properties of stars of all masses and evoluThe IAU is a group of astronomers whose mission is to promote and

tionary stages and the physical mechanisms involved,” he explained.

safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through interna-

“As for galaxies and cosmology, I’ll be looking at the early universe,

tional cooperation. The group oversees worldwide astronomy, defines

various cosmological models, dark matter, dark energy and star

astronomical constants and designates names for new discoveries. It

formation.”

also determined that Pluto was no longer a planet in 2006. Gullberg’s work was recently featured in Mediterranean Archaeology Gullberg’s Ph.D. in astronomy made him eligible for consideration,

and Archaeometry. He has also submitted a paper for the Sophia

but it was his research in archaeoastronomy that attracted the IAU’s

Center Press in Wales and is working on a book to be published by

interest. A growing field, archaeoastronomy is the study of how

the University Press of Colorado.

ancient societies understood the phenomena in the sky, as well as the role it played in their cultures.

CLS CRIMINAL JUSTICE RANKED AMONG BEST ONLINE PROGRAMS BestColleges.com recently posted results from a rigorous review of academic programs, ranking the CLS Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (BSCJ) among the best online programs in the nation. BestColleges.com, an online resource for prospective college students, delivers thorough reviews of the best schools in the United States. It considers programs at traditional brick-and-mortar institutions along with their non-traditional counterparts. “With demand for specialists growing, schools now offer a wide range of criminal justice degrees online,” BestColleges.com states. “These programs are ideal for working professionals who need the flexibility of online coursework to complete their degrees remotely and according to a modified schedule.” databases, government sources maintained by the National Center Bestcolleges.com then put this information into perspective by

for Education Statistics. Each school was then measured against

ranking the programs against several key factors.

four metrics—acceptance, retention, graduation and enrollment— to determine its eligibility for inclusion on the list. Both the

This year’s rankings were compiled using the latest information

bachelor’s and master’s levels of the criminal justice program at

from the Institute of Education Sciences and College Navigator

CLS were mentioned in the final publication.

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CLS INSTRUCTOR DAN LAWRENCE RETIRES After teaching for OU for 23 years, CLS instructor and OU professor Dan Lawrence retired from teaching last spring. During his years of teaching, he developed several criminal justice courses for the CLS. “We will miss Dan as both a CLS instructor and colleague,” said Martha Banz, associate dean of CLS. “His tenure in academics was truly an interdisciplinary journey, and students have often noted how much of a hands-on practical instructor he was.” In addition to classes taught for CLS, Lawrence taught many classes for the College of Education, the Department of Sociology and Outreach’s Center for Independent and Distance Learning. Lawrence’s first job was as a seventh grade teacher, which he credits with inspiring him to attain his doctorate and pursue teaching on the college level. He noted that some of his fondest memories were taking his traditional criminal justice students on tours of the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center, where he had been deputy warden in the late 1980s. “That was always a highlight of each semester,” he said. Lawrence reports that while he will miss regularly speaking with CLS staff and students, he plans to keep busy. He is an avid 19th century American military historian and war-reenactor and is looking forward to seeing many more battlefields while traveling with his wife.

VOLUNTEERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF SENIORS CLS student Marilyn Popkess is dedicated to

board tries to keep the backgrounds of the

making a difference in her community. As

board members diversified.”

a volunteer for Broken Arrow Seniors, Inc. (BASI), she has been serving as the personnel

Popkess was not expecting the impact

chairperson on the Board of Directors since

volunteering would have on her personally,

January of this year.

however.

Popkess demonstrated her interest in helping

“It was inspiring to see how vital this nonprofit

seniors while attending CLS. She wrote a

is to the community and surrounding area,”

compelling Capstone paper on Alzheimer’s

she explained. “They offer physical and

disease as a student in the Administrative

mental activities, as well as nutrition, social

Leadership undergraduate program before

interactions, helpful information and seminars

putting what she learned to use at BASI.

that benefit our seniors.”

“The activity center is so important in the

CLS first heard of her efforts early this

prevention of the disease by keeping the

summer when several students responded to

“Everyone can spare some time to volunteer

minds and bodies active,” she said. “I have

a simple question posed in the Virtual Student

even if it is just an hour or two a month,” she

always wanted to do volunteer work and the

Union: “What volunteer activities are you

said. “The time you give does not compare to

situation fit me personally.”

engaged in and how have they impacted you?”

the value you will take away.”

She learned of the opportunity to get

CLS students are known for their passion

Broken Arrow Seniors, Inc. (BASI) is one of the

involved from her neighbor, Paul Treat.

for helping others and improving the

largest nonprofit senior activity centers in the

communities in which they live. Part of

state of Oklahoma. For information about how

“Paul is a police officer who serves on the

the mission of CLS is to promote active

you can volunteer or contribute to their cause,

board,” she said. “He knew I had an HR

citizenship, and volunteering is just one

contact June Ross, director, at (918) 259-8377

background and recommended me. The

aspect of that mission.

or visit the website at BASeniors.org.

Popkess offered words of advice to fellow classmates interested in getting involved.

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Galileo’s World

he year 2015 featured many groundbreaking new initiatives for the University of Oklahoma, including an innovative museum exhibition through the university’s Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. Galileo’s World, a collection of interactive exhibits that inspire active audience engagement with history, provides an example of the exciting new frontiers developing in the academic field of museum studies. In honor of the university’s 125th anniversary, the Sam Noble Museum launched Through the Eyes of the Lynx: Galileo, Natural History and the Americas—one of two Galileo’s World exhibitions—in collaboration with the Bizzell Memorial Library, the National Weather Center, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Headington Hall, the Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library and the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Library. Galileo’s World features 20 exhibits at seven locations in Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Lasting through 2016, the exhibits feature 300 written works from the Academy of the Lynx that include precious pieces by Aristotle, Giovanni Battista Ferrari, Sebastian Munster, Pliny the Elder, Ptolemy and Galileo Galilei. The Academy of the Lynx, Accademia dei Lincei, remains one of the world’s oldest and most storied scientific societies, with historic collections dating to the first century and membership including scientific giants such as Galileo. Through the Eyes of the Lynx provides a window

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into their world, using modern technology

dition to Hernandez’s collection, priceless

complimentary and open to the public, and

and display techniques to make the ancient

classical works that influenced members of

are hosted by the OU’s Observatory on the

texts available for public viewing.

the Lynx to experiment with their own the-

museum lawn.

ories regarding the New World discoveries, The current Lynx exhibit details the works

and the results, are memorialized in the

of 16th century Spanish Court physician

publications in the exhibit.

Francisco Hernandez de Toledo as he attempted to completely record Native Amer-

According to museum spokesperson Jen

ican flora and fauna in Central Mexico.

Tregarthen, “Through the Eyes of the Lynx is a

Utilizing Aztec artists and physicians, Her-

unique opportunity for the Sam Noble Muse-

nandez and his son traveled and worked

um to provide an authentic, all-encompass-

for seven years, diligently logging the de-

ing experience for our visitors to witness how

scriptions of plants and animals and their

discoveries in the 16th century were made.”

medicinal uses, including detailed illustrations. Hernandez’s work in the New World

The museum will offer Galileo’s World Lecture

became a multi-volume series describing

Series and Sky Watch every second Thursday

thousands of flora and fauna yet to be seen

of the month, November 2015 through July

by most of the world at the time. In ad-

2016. Sky Watch and the lecture series are

THE SAM NOBLE MUSEUM is located on the University of Oklahoma’s Norman campus at J. Willis Stovall Road and Chautauqua Avenue. For accommodations on the basis of disability, call (405) 325-4712 or visit SamNobleMuseum.ou.edu.

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NEWS BRIEFS continued havioral field. The prevalence of behavioral disabilities, including autism, in the community and the extraordinary results that have been seen from this type of behavior therapy have led to an increase in demand for RBTs trained in this technique. “Applied behavior analysis doesn’t exist only for people with autism; it exists for anyone,” Baghdayan explained. “But because of the efficacy of the outcomes for people inside the autism spectrum, their community utilizes RBTs the most. I’m working directly with Autism Speaks, which is the organization that drafts laws and legislation in every state. There are currently nine states that haven’t passed any sort of mandate, and Oklahoma is one of them, but we are working in that

REGISTERED BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION

process.”

LS is once again pioneering non-traditional education and will begin offering a course to prepare students to become Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). As part of the Lifespan Care Administration degree program, the 8-week course will offer the most manageable way for students to become qualified healthcare providers working with people with disabilities, including autism.

This course is not just for those who want

to help individuals with autism, however. “It’s really for anyone interested in working with people with disabilities, whether a child, adult or elderly person,” said Baghdayan. “It is a basic toolkit to help care providers in any setting understand patient behavior and work with people with disabilities.”

“A lot of people have been doing this for

“A lot of organizations offer weeklong

many years without any training,” accord-

training that is very intensive,” said Bagh-

ing to Annie Baghdayan, director of the Na-

dayan. “Employers cannot afford to lose an

Although the course is listed as an elective

tional Center for Disability Education and

employee for a week and employees cannot

in the CLS Lifespan Care Administration

Training (NCDET), a program of OU Out-

afford to lose the income to go to this train-

degree program, it will also be available in-

reach. “This course will teach them from the

ing and complete it. Our course is different

dependently to anyone who passes a BACB

competencies that were created by the Be-

in both format and presentation. Since it’s

background check and has obtained a high

havior Analyst Certification Board (BACB).”

online, you can still work during the day and

school diploma or equivalent.

do all of the required training online when This certification addresses the shortage of

you get home.”

send his or her certificate of completion to

qualified workers in the field of disability by allowing graduates of the course to become

CLS is also the first college to offer this

the BACB, pay a small BCAB licensure fee

immediately employable. “Our course will

course for optional college credit.

and become a Registered Behavior Technician. An RBT can then bill an insurance

allow a more flexible and comprehensive training than other programs out there, and

“Most certificate programs do not let you

company as a healthcare provider at the cur-

we’re thrilled to offer this option,” Bagh-

earn credit hours when you are just doing a

rent rate of $50 an hour.

dayan said.

certificate program. In our course, that’s not going to be the case.”

For more information about RBT training, visit the Behavior Analyst Certification Board

Unlike other courses of this type, the RBT

After completing the course, a student can

training at CLS will be available 100 percent

The RBT class focuses primarily on using

at bacb.com or the Association for Behavior

online. This format makes it more manage-

the scientific and psychological principles

Analysis International at abainternational.org.

able for adults who seek certification, but

from applied behavior analysis, a technique

cannot afford time away from work to do so.

that shows tremendous success in the be-

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SAVING ANIMALS IN NEED: THE BELLA FOUNDATION Volunteer work has never been quite so

in need. When they bring one animal into

adorable.

their home they are making room for another in a shelter.

Each year, thousands of animals in the United States are saved by placement in pet

And Cavin enjoys every minute of it.

foster homes or are permanently adopted. In 2013, CLS student and avid animal lov-

“I was surprised to find out how much I en-

er, Jessica Cavin joined the ranks of animal

joyed helping in any way possible,” she said.

rescuers when she became a pet foster with

“I love working with the kittens—which

the Bella Foundation SPCA.

surprised me because I always thought I was a dog person! And I love interacting with

Cavin first learned about the opportunity to

fellow volunteers.”

foster animals in need from a friend who was already involved.

When she is not taking care of her foster pets, Cavin creates digital files for the Na-

“Dana Stone fostered through the Bella

tive American Language Collection at the

Foundation and talked about what a great

Sam Noble Museum of Natural History. She

experience it was,” she said. “She told me

says that her volunteer experience there has

about how many animal lives are saved just

helped confirm that a museum career is the

through fostering and that made me want

right fit for her.

to get involved.” Cavin’s advice to those thinking about volThe number of animals saved by the foster

unteering in their community is just to “Go

care system is impressive. Because the Bella

for it!”

Foundation does not have a physical shelter, all of the animals saved by the organization

“You’re going to enjoy your time volun-

are cared for by their foster families. These

teering,” she said. “Not only does it help

families keep the pet until it can be placed

another organization but it also makes you

with a family in a “forever home.”

feel good about yourself.”

Fostering saves lives in more ways than

Those interested in fostering animals in

one. By taking in just one animal, foster

need with the Bella Foundation should visit

parents are saving the lives of two animals

the bellafoundation.org for more information.

CLS ISSUES FIRST RESTORATIVE JUSTICE GRADUATE CERTIFICATE Brandi King became the first CLS student

intricately intertwined! I immediately be-

to receive a Restorative Justice Graduate

gan pursuing my degree in criminal jus-

Certificate this fall. The certificate, a new

tice with the restorative justice concen-

initiative for CLS, allows students to earn

tration, and I was not disappointed. This

additional credentials while they pursue a

program has provided me with a great

graduate degree in Criminal Justice.

deal of knowledge and the skills to apply what I know to the benefit of the families

King became aware of the program while

I serve.”

earning her Bachelor of Arts in Administrative Leadership (BAAL), but it was her pro-

Restorative justice is a philosophy that seeks

fessional life after graduation that prompted

to repair the harm done by crime by ho-

her to re-enroll.

listically addressing the needs of victims,

“Most people my age can’t say they have

offenders and the community. Her experi-

found the profession they intend to stay with

“After I graduated I found a job with OK-

ence in Child Protective Services, along with

until retirement,” she said. “Fortunately for

DHS Child Protective Services,” she said.

her progress through the Master of Science

me, I found my niche in public service and

“I had no idea the child welfare system

in Criminal Justice degree program, have

I thrive on it.”

and the criminal justice system were so

helped her find her calling.

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WE’RE HERE FOR YOU! Stop by OneU in the Union to check out the Oculus Rift, schedule an appointment with the 3D printer or check out all of the cool new gadgets we’re constantly getting at the store, or stop by our location on Campus Corner for unparalleled selection in laptops and accessories. Visit either location to get insight and assistance from our helpful, knowledgeable (and awesome) student employees!

Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni and every member of the OU family can visit us in store or shop online to get academic discounts on the latest and greatest technology! 900 Asp. Room 101 in the

329 W. Boyd on HISTORIC CAMPUS CORNER

OKLAHOMA MEMORIAL UNION 9AM - 5PM Mon - Fri, 11AM-3PM Sat

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itstore.ou.edu

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OSHER SCHOLARSHIP

he College of Liberal Studies awarded 15 students a total of $22,110.50 in spring semester scholarships as part of the Osher Reentry Scholarship Program. Students who have experienced an interruption in their edu-

cation of at least five years and who were working toward their first undergraduate degrees were eligible. While this scholarship is coordinated by CLS, all eligible OU undergraduates could apply.

The Osher Reentry Scholarship Program awards scholarships to students ages 25 to 50 who are enrolled in the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on-site or hybrid classes offered at any OU site, including OU-Norman, OU-Tulsa, Oklahoma City Community College, Rose State College, Ponca City and Lawton/Ft. Sill. More than $313,000 in Osher scholarships have been given since the program began in 2008.

Spring 2015 Osher Recipients: ERIC ASONGWE NDIFOR

CORY KUNZ

JASON STEPHENSON

DOCHELLE ALLISON

DENISSE LEDESMA

AMBER TROTTER

JOSH BOOKOUT

ELISHA LONG

ERIC VAN SWEARINGEN

DANIELLE GENEST

MANDEE MITCHELL

MARGARET WHIPPLE

BARTHOLOMEW ILENIKHENA

JOSEPH PLUMMER

ERIC KINYANJUI

LINDSAY SHOEMAKE

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BOOK REVIEW

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Julie Davis Maya Angelou, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.

CELEBRATED VOICE With the death of Maya Angelou in summer 2014, one of America’s most honest,

powerful voices on race, gender discrimination and violence was silenced. A celebrated poet, serial autobiographer, playwright, director, activist and performing artist, Angelou was known for her deep civil-rights commitments globally. In both poetry and prose, Angelou captured truths that could touch readers like a tender caress or a stunning gut punch. Her effectiveness lay in knowing what was at once both personal and universal in human experience, and she had a keen ability to evoke a shared recognition of horror and beauty and of grief and joy. She moved us on international stages when

“When great souls die, ... Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us. They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.”

she celebrated Bill Clinton’s Presidential

I N S I G HT MAGAZ I N E | WIN T E R 2 0 1 5

THOMAS NELSON

—Maya Angelou

inauguration and when she reflected on the life of Nelson Mandela, and, in the telling of her own story, she also revealed common human truths. HER VIOLENT PAST Forty-five years after she recounted her life as a black girl growing up in the rural south in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, this lyrical prose narrative continues to resonate with these truths. Recounting childhood experiences, Angelou opens from a critical, omniscient perspective: “If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult.” Soon into the narrative Angelou recounts her rape at age eight by her mother’s boyfriend. In the aftermath of sexual assault, she internalizes a sense of difference and shame, judging herself “sinful and dirty” and becomes mute for two years. Angelou’s silence, which can be read as both a reaction to trauma and as an act of resistance, eventually isolates her. She begins to feel disconnected from the world: “Sounds came to me dully,” and “colors weren’t true either . . . not so much color as faded familiarities.” But while violence shaped her life, it did not define who An-

and refines her focus, directing our attention to universal human

gelou was or limit who she could be. With the support of her brother,

questions—how we understand, learn from, and accept disap-

trusted mentors, anti-racist teachers and loving caregivers, Angelou

pointment and pain, how we forgive and may be forgiven, and how

learned to embody courage in the face of sexism and racism. She

we may become more compassionately aware. Angelou’s voice in

came to understand that harmful forces in society must be resisted if

Caged Bird speaks just as powerfully, perhaps even more so, across

she was to survive as a black female “caught in the tripartite crossfire

time, urging each one of us to be appreciative of others whom we

of masculine prejudice, white illogical hate and Black lack of power.”

love and who love us. She calls upon us to be righteously angry when that is called for, to be creative and to live passionately—to

LASTING QUESTIONS

“be and be better.”

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is more than a powerful story of a young girl’s life. It is an invaluable historical account of African-American experiences prior to desegregation. However, as a consideration of gender and race in current U.S. incarceration, pov-

Julie Davis earned a master’s degree from CLS and currently teaches

erty and health statistics reveal, racism and sexism still exist, like a

online humanities classes for the college. She is a Ph. D. candidate

rusty razor, poised at our collective throats.

in Educational Studies at the University of Oklahoma and expects to graduate in spring 2016.

Caged Bird is not just an exposé of racial and gender oppression. As Angleou explores these themes in her life, she steadily narrows

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“A liberal education is at the heart of a civil society, and at the heart PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT

Liberal Studies W

successful person? A deeply read, well taught and tactical individual? Someone

who is hands-on, involved and skilled? To succeed in the modern professional environment, a person might need to be all of these things at one point or another. In a world that is speeding up, flattening out and growing smaller with every update, the value of a well-rounded individual is higher than it has ever been before.

education is the act of teaching.” —A. Bartlett Giamatti

By Mary Wuestewald

hat comes to mind when you think of a

of a liberal

they would recommend this type of education to someone entering college as well. That is just one reason CLS is proud to be home to the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, the first interdisciplinary program of its kind. WHAT IS LIBERAL STUDIES? When entering the workforce, an individual can now expect to change careers several times throughout his or her working life. Professional lives come in phases that reflect the advancement and interests of the people who pursue them—two things that will almost certainly change several times over the course of a lifetime. The possibilities are endless when people are no longer limited by location. Not surprisingly, flexibility, critical thinking, problem

Earning a degree in liberal studies is a way for people who are pas-

solving and the ability to articulate one’s own ideas and understand

sionate about the world—not just a single aspect of it—to begin to

how they interact with the ideas of others have become critical as-

synthesize systematically the information they learn and put it to

pects of success in the professional world. They are also core tenets

use. When taught under the classical liberal studies model, grad-

of a degree in liberal studies.

uates are better equipped to understand and analyze the complex

challenges of the 21st century. Increasingly, hiring managers seek

Liberal studies is so called not because it reflects a particular ide-

candidates who possess liberal arts skills, and recent studies show

ology. Rather, the opposite is often true. Liberal studies combines

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I NS I DE C L S | P ROGR A M H I G H LI G H T

the study of the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences to

of several areas of interest rather than being limited to just one

understand how they interact. A liberal studies student will have

specialty or focus.

knowledge of all of these subjects and, most importantly, be able to recognize how each piece builds upon the other as part of a larger

The program allows students to choose an area of study they find

whole. Quite simply, these individuals possess the keys to decipher

interesting or beneficial to them professionally, as long as an inter-

the complicated code that is the world around us, and the writing

disciplinary focus governs that study. The variety of courses might at

and communication skills to then share that knowledge with others.

first seem unrelated, but they ultimately teach students how to think critically and understand all of the resources at their disposal. Stu-

LIBERAL STUDIES AT CLS

dents are then encouraged to use tools from a variety of disciplines

In the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies degree program at CLS,

to solve problems they face in class as well as in their daily lives.

students are introduced to topics across several areas of study.

Repeating this exercise over time helps transform them into critical

Courses in the program generally fall into the humanities, natural

thinkers. Their ability to access and evaluate information from many

sciences or social sciences, and then draw upon influences from

sources synergistically also makes them an incredible asset for future

outside disciplines to provide context and further explanation. This

employers. The value of the skill cannot be stressed enough.

is the heart of what it means to be “interdisciplinary.” Each discipline works together (intertwined, in a way) toward one answer or

The goals of CLS’ liberal studies program are ambitious. We want

solution. By studying a variety of topics, students become familiar

to empower students to be goal oriented and to achieve their pro-

with the vocabularies, strategic thinking and current knowledge

fessional dreams, but we also want to cultivate students who are learning-oriented critical thinkers. We do this by giving them the practical knowledge, theoretical foundation and interdisciplinary toolset not currently available in many specialized education programs. Our graduates leave the program better equipped to understand and analyze the complex issues and challenges of the 21st century and to become valuable assets to their communities.

In the college’s 55 year history, more than 3,900 students have graduated with a College of Liberal Studies degree. CLS created the first online degree ever offered at OU. As one of the nation’s leading degree programs for working adults, CLS continues its pioneering spirit in creating new online degrees for adult, parttime students.

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Battle of the [Fitness] Bands By Catherine Kerley

HAT EXACTLY IS “WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY,” AND WHEN DID IT START? Wearable technology is clothing or accessories that work with computer and advanced

hidden Bluetooth microphone, and the Spy Tie, a neck tie with a hidden color camera, made its debut shortly after.

electronic technologies. Most incorporate practical functions and

According to Forbes Magazine, 71 percent

features but may also have a purely critical or aesthetic agenda.

of 16- to 24-year-olds wanted to own a

Wearable devices like fitness trackers are a good example of the “Internet of Things” because they are part of the network of physical objects embedded with software that enables them to exchange data with a manufacturer, operator and other connected devices, without requiring human intervention.

piece of wearable technology in 2014. Similar studies in the UK disagreed, however, reporting that 56 percent of those polled thought wearable technology was just a fad. Nonetheless, fitness trackers are ruling the wearable technology market. A fitness tracker is a device or application that mon-

Wearable technology was originally influ-

digital watches became affordable. Fast

itors and tracks fitness/exercise metrics

enced by the vision of universal comput-

forward 40 years and previously expensive

such as distance walked or ran, calories

ing, which some would argue began as

and espionage-level technology, has per-

consumed or burned and, in some cases,

early as the 1930s, but didn’t see wide-

meated everyday life. In 2008, Ilya Fridman

heartbeat and quality of sleep.

spread adoption until the late 1970s, when

released a pair of earrings that included a

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T E C H NOLOGY | F I T N E SS B A N DS

Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really Want... in a Fitness Band Knowing exactly what you want in a fitness tracker will help you narrow your choices when shopping for one. Here are 13 key factors to keep in mind when selecting a fitness tracker:

DESIGN AND SIZE

if you decide to binge on pizza and beer. You

to mention it won’t track your activity in a

Some fitness trackers and smart-watches

have to manually enter everything you con-

pool if it’s not waterproof.

seem HUGE. Do you want to wear a second

sume and you have to be blatantly honest about

smart phone or tablet on your wrist? Or do

it. However, a user-friendly app and good soft-

BATTERY LIFE

you want something small and sleek that

ware with a vast database can make it a lot

It’s difficult for a fitness tracker to do its

you can almost forget is there? Remember,

easier. Just scan that bar code or type a few let-

job if you have to recharge its battery daily.

you’re wearing this on your body, so make

ters and your food choice is found and logged.

So be sure you select a tracker with long

sure you’re happy with how it looks.

battery life; otherwise you have to take it SLEEP MONITORING/DETECTION

off every day.

SCREEN

Most fitness trackers can also monitor

Do you want a dashboard on the device? Do

your sleep patterns, but you usually have

THE APP IT RUNS ON - EASY BREEZY

you want to feel like a Secret Service agent

to remember to tell them when you go to

OR DIFFICULT

and talk into your wrist?

bed and when you wake up. Some, however,

All fitness bands communicate with your

have automatic sleep detection so you don’t

smartphone via Bluetooth and talk to their

have to worry about it.

companion apps. On the app, you get a full

COMMUNITY As with so many things in life, having a

view of your progress in charts, graphs or

support community is helpful when trying

SILENT ALARM

percentages. If the app isn’t user friendly,

to get fit. Sharing your efforts with others—

Having the option for silent alarms is nice to

you’re probably not going to use it.

family, friends, co-workers—helps create

have. Your band can wake you with a vibra-

friendly competition.

tion or remind you throughout the day to

COMPATIBILITY

get up and move.

For fitness bands this is a big deal. Are you

PHONE SUPPORT

already using a food tracker to journal daily

Remember to check if your phone is sup-

HEART RATE MONITOR

food intake? Will that food tracking app play

ported by the fitness tracker you want.

Heart rate monitoring is extremely import-

nice with your fitness tracker and its app?

You’ll need Bluetooth 4.0 and your phone’s

ant, not only for you to be able to push your

operating system must be supported.

workouts to a more effective level, but also

SMARTWATCH FUNCTIONS

for the band itself to be able to track the

It would be great if your fitness band could at

calories you’re burning more accurately.

least somewhat behave like a smartwatch—

FOOD TRACKING Food tracking is essential to a fitness tracker

say, tell you who’s texting or phoning you

doing a complete job. Sadly, there isn’t a way

WATERPROOF

or even allowing you to screen incoming

for your tracker to instantly know what you’re

Removing your tracker every time you

notifications by simply looking at your wrist

eating on its own—or for it to set off an alarm

shower, swim or do dishes is a pain. Not

instead of digging out your phone.

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T E C HN O LO GY | F I TN ESS BANDS

SPECS

PRICE

WATER RESISTANCE

OS COMPATIBILITY

SLEEP MONITOR

HEART RATE MONITOR

BATTERY LIFE

MISFIT FLASH

$24.99

WATERPROOF

ANDROID & iOS

YES

UP TO 6 MONTHS

JAWBONE UP MOVE

$39.99

SPLASH PROOF

ANDROID & iOS

YES

UP TO 6 MONTHS

NABU X

$49.99

WATER RESISTANT

ANDROID & iOS

YES

7 DAYS

FITBIT ZIP

$59.95

WATER RESISTANT

ANDROID & iOS

YES

6 MONTHS

JAWBONE UP24

$51.19

SPLASHRESISTANT

ANDROID & iOS

YES

5 TO 7 DAYS

MISFIT SHINE

$69.99

RESISTANT TO 50 METERS

ANDROID & iOS

YES

UP TO 6 MONTHS

FITBIT FLEX

$99.95

RAIN AND SPLASH PROOF

ANDROID & iOS

YES

5+ DAYS

RUNTASTIC ORBIT

$99.99

WATERPROOF

ANDROID & iOS

YES

5+ DAYS

JAWBONE UP2

$99.99

SPLASH PROOF

ANDROID & iOS

YES

10 DAYS

GARMIN VIVOFIT 2

$99.99

RESISTANT TO 50 METERS

ANDROID & iOS

YES

1 YEAR

FITBIT CHARGE HR

$149.95

RAIN AND SPLASH PROOF

ANDROID & iOS

YES

5+ DAYS

GARMIN VIVOSMART

$149.99

RESISTANT TO 50 METERS

ANDROID & iOS

YES

UP TO 7 DAYS

MIO FUSE

$149

RESISTANT TO 30 METERS

ANDROID & iOS

DOUBTFUL DUE TO BATTERY LIFE

YES

7 TO 20 HOURS

TOM TOM RUNNER CARDIO

$229.99

RESISTANT TO 50 METERS

ANDROID & iOS

DOUBTFUL DUE TO BATTERY LIFE

YES

UP TO 10 HOURS

FITBIT SURGE

$249.95

RAIN AND SPLASH PROOF

ANDROID & iOS

YES

7+ DAYS

POLAR M400

$229.95

RESISTANT TO 30 METERS

ANDROID & iOS

YES

8 HOURS

GARMIN VIVOACTIVE

$249.99

RESISTANT TO 50 METERS

ANDROID & iOS

YES

UP TO 3 WEEKS

APPLE WATCH

$349 TO $10K

RESISTANT TO 1 METER

iOS

YES

18 TO 36 HOURS

All prices and specs provided by manufacturer publications. YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, BUT YOU CAN GET

Wanted. Past tense.

WHAT YOU NEED... IN A FITNESS BAND The price of fitness trackers ranges from a reasonable $50 to the

What changed my mind? An 18-36 hour battery life. How effective

jaw dropping $10,000.

can a smartwatch or fitness tracker be if I have to charge it practically every night? How is it supposed to track my sleep?

Trackers under $100 are primarily step counters and sleep trackers and include Misfit Flash, Jawbone UP MOVE, Nabu X, Fitbit Zip,

So my search for a smartwatch began . . .

Jawbone UP24 and Runtastic Orbit. Many smartwatches have issues with battery life, but there are Budget bands rock the battery life and track your sleep, but they

some workable options out there. If you’re willing to pay $250 for

don’t track your heart rate. Just in case what they do measure isn’t

the technology, the Fitbit Surge boasts a battery life of more than

what you’re after, let’s step up the price range.

seven days, while the Garmin Vivoactive can last a whopping three weeks without GPS.

Trackers under $200 are great, but none of them is a smartwatch.

After all, you’re going to wear this on your wrist and people are

So there you have it—the breakdown of the most popular fitness

going to be asking you what time it is because they will see the band

trackers. When you’re ready to purchase one, or upgrade the one you

and assume it’s a watch. I’ll admit that after I bought my Fitbit,

have, you now have some guiding points to help you know which

Apple announced the Apple Watch and I WANTED it.

band or watch will win your Battle of the [Fitness] Bands.

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OLLI at OU is a noncredit educational program dedicated to promoting lifelong learning for adults over the age of 50. Classes over unique subjects are offered in the summer, fall and spring semesters— become an OLLI member today and enroll in as many as you choose!

405-325-3488 | olli@ou.edu | www.ou.edu/olli

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Justin Wollenberg ALUMNI PROFILE

The Unfinished Business of a Liberal Education

By Mary Wuestewald

hen, in 1924, George

UNEXPLORED TERRITORY

“I probably would not have considered this

Herbert Lee Mal-

When Justin Wollenberg completed his

program if not for her,” he said. “It pays to

undergraduate degree in 2004, he faced

have an accomplished little sister.”

lory embarked on

the first attempt to climb Mount

several promising professional prospects. Looking ahead, however, he couldn’t shake

He applied for admission to the CLS graduate

Everest, he was asked why he was

the nagging feeling there was something left

program in 2007, determined to settle the

determined to brave the ascent.

for him to do.

unfinished business of pursuing a liberal arts

His reply became the three most famous words in mountaineering.

education. He yearned for a place where his “I’d read none of the so-called ‘Great

passions could flourish and he could pursue

Books’ and I’d not mulled over timeless

his quest for knowledge about mankind.

questions,” he said.

“Because it’s there.” The same desire for achievement burns in a special few of the people around us and is present in one Liberal Studies graduate’s endless search for knowledge.

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“In the beginning, I couldn’t adequately His unexplored passion for the humanities

articulate that I aimed to finish the business

had left him rattled, and he just wasn’t sat-

of a liberal arts education,” he reflected.

isfied.

“It just happened. I was blindsided by the power of accidentally coming around to the

Wollenberg was drawn to the idea of pur-

humanities.”

suing a second bachelor’s degree where he could immerse himself in the great works.

THE IMPACT OF ONE PROFESSOR’S

His sister, however, made it clear in no

GUIDANCE

uncertain terms that a graduate degree

Wollenberg felt drawn to widely varied inter-

would be the better idea for her brother.

ests that fit under the humanities umbrella.

ALU MNI P ROF I L E | WO LLE N B E R G

“When I applied to CLS, I was interested in war crimes, history and literature,” he said. “I submitted that on the application, and throughout the degree, I took time to focus on each individually. I didn’t have a thesis topic in mind when I did the course work. I studied what I liked, and it all eventually helped support my writing a thesis on a war crime in the English Civil War.” This thesis came together under the close guidance of one influential professor, Dr. James Hart. The interdisciplinary nature of CLS degree programs meant Wollenberg would work with several leading professors from the OU campus while earning his degree. Hart, a professor who offers a variety of courses in English, Irish, Scottish and European history, was one such professor. Wollenberg’s work with Hart started in a most unlikely place: a

taught me how to discover ideas and arguments in books. He

Starbucks coffee shop.

showed me how to be an effective encourager. The years with Hart were the most fruitful and inspirational of all those I spent

In a directed reading course led by Hart, Wollenberg began to

as a student in higher education.”

read the great literature he found so lacking in his undergraduate studies. The two would later meet at a local Starbucks to discuss

Wollenberg finished his thesis and considers his time at the col-

the books for hours at a time. Over the next year, Hart regularly

lege to be one of the most influential experiences of his life.

set aside time to meet with Wollenberg and discuss the books and his responses to them.

“‘The purpose of [a liberal education] is to cultivate an inner life rich enough to withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous

“When the directed readings course was complete, Dr. Hart

fortune.’ That’s a paraphrased quotation and it is one of my

agreed to chair my thesis committee. Again, we met at length

favorites,” he said. “It reminds me of the immeasurable value

and began to kick around ideas for the thesis. He suggested that

of my degree from CLS. It motivates me to keep learning. That

I write about the Putney Debates and, with youthful enthusiasm,

cultivation is an ongoing process. Of course, there are tangible

I quickly proposed some vague topic. He sagely responded that

and intangible ways my degree from CLS will benefit me pro-

I read more ‘until something strikes your fancy.’ And I did.”

fessionally. But the rich inner life is the benefit I’m looking forward to most.”

A RICH INNER LIFE Wollenberg describes his time with Hart as the best possible

That is not to say his curiosity of the world is satisfied or his

conclusion to the transformative experience that was his mas-

work as a lifelong learner is finished, however.

ter’s degree. “Until I’ve read every book in the library and can identify every “His attention to my education was unprecedented,” Wollenberg

tree, bird and bug in the forest, I’m busy.”

said. “He taught me how to be a better reader. He taught me how to write better. He showed me how to do original research. He

Well said.

Some of Wollenberg’s favorite books include War and Peace and For Whom the Bell Tolls. During his time as a CLS student, Wollenberg read 51 course-related books and estimates he currently owns close to 700 books in his personal library.

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Korczak MOVIE REVIEW

By Laura Gibbs

Janusz Korczak and the Children sculpture at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel.

Laura Gibbs holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Berkeley and a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Philosophy from Oxford University and has taught online courses for the University of Oklahoma since 2002. She is both an online educator and advocate and is involved in several distance education endeavors. 24

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MOV I E RE V I E W | KO R C Z A K

ndrzej Wajda’s 1990 film Korczak (screenplay by Agnieszka Holland) tells the story of Janusz Korczak, a renowned Polish doctor and educator who ran a Jewish orphanage in the Warsaw Ghetto. The film begins shortly before the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 and then quickly proceeds to the establishment of the Ghetto in September 1940; the story then ends in August 1942 when Korczak and his two hundred children were deported to the Nazi extermination camp near Treblinka, Poland. None survived.

IT IS A TRAGIC FILM AND, YES, YOU WILL PROBABLY CRY (I ALWAYS DO), BUT I AM sure that you also will be inspired by Korczak’s story. In addition to being a martyr of the Holocaust, Korczak was one of the great educators of the 20th century, and Wajda manages to tell both of those stories in this film: the story of Korczak in the Jewish Ghetto and also the story of Korczak the educator. The film is usually available through Netflix and can be rented from Amazon. Back in the 1990s, my VHS tape of this film was a prized possession; I am very glad to see the film now so easy to find and watch online. Born in 1878 to a family of assimilated Jews in Russian-occupied Warsaw, Janusz Korczak attended the underground “Flying University” (as did Marie Skłodowska Curie, his even more renowned contemporary who was born in Warsaw in 1867). Having trained as a pediatrician, Korczak established an orphanage for Jewish children in Warsaw in 1911, and he designed that home as a children’s republic in which the children administered their own governing council and served as judges in their own court of justice. When he relocated the orphanage into the Ghetto in 1940, Korczak continued to run the home as a children’s republic, and one of the film’s most striking scenes shows the children’s court in session, a last bastion of justice in the nightmare that was the Warsaw Ghetto. The film also shows Korczak’s extraordinary way of working with the children, resolving their quarrels, advising them in their dilemmas, helping them face their fears and always listening to them with a care and respect that is full of compassion and never condescending. After all, as Korczak says at the opening of the film, just before the outbreak of the war, “War is inevitable. But is it the worst thing? I’ve seen three wars. But the worst thing I’ve seen is a drunken man beating a defenseless child.” In her beautifully written screenplay, Agnieszka Holland was able to draw on Korczak’s own writings, including the diary he kept during those two years in the Ghetto, along with other eyewitness accounts, such as the diary kept by Adam Czerniaków, who was the head of the Warsaw Ghetto Judenrat during this time. Korczak’s colleague at the orphanage, Stefania Wilczyńska, is another historical character who is featured prominently in the film, as is Maryna Rogowska-Falska, a Polish woman who collaborated closely with Korczak before the war. In the film, Falska repeatedly begs Korczak to leave the Ghetto and go into hiding, using false papers that she has had prepared for him; each time, Korczak refuses. Falska herself died in September 1944 during the Warsaw Uprising. At the end of the film, Wajda chooses not to show the train with Korczak and the children arriving at Treblinka. Instead, he imagines a different ending, a dream-like fantasy that has been criticized by some as “impossible” and, yes, it is clearly a fantasy ending. I will say, however, that in my opinion this “impossible” scene is exactly the right way in which to end the film. Korczak himself believed in impossible things—things like justice, freedom, human dignity and love for the children above all—and he fought for those impossible things until the end of his life. Early on in the film, Korczak vows they will “do the impossible” to protect the dignity of the children and to save them from harm even in the Ghetto, and it is that vow which inspires Wajda’s ending for the film. To learn more about Korczak, start with Wajda’s marvelous film, and then you might also want to read Betty Jean Lifton’s biography, The King of Children: The Life and Death of Janusz Korczak. In addition, Korczak’s own writings will soon enter the public domain. Without any restriction on new publications and translations, many more people around the world will be able to enjoy Korczak’s numerous children’s books, along with his pedagogical treatises such as How to Love a Child and The Child’s Right to Respect. I think that would have made ‘Pan Doktor’ Korczak proud and happy; he is an author we need today as much as ever before.

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FACULTY PROFILE

Roksana Alavi By Frank Rodriguez

HILOSOPHER. FEMINIST. Human rights activist. Assistant professor in CLS. Outspoken advocate for social

justice and racial awareness. OU women and gender studies faculty member. All of these are accurate descriptions of Roksana Alavi, now entering her fourth year as a full-time faculty member in CLS. Two other descriptors also fit Alavi: first generation immigrant to the United States and a child of war. Dr. Roksana Alavi is now one of seven full-time faculty members at CLS. Hired in 2012, Alavi teaches several core courses in our graduate and undergraduate programs. Her disciplinary training is in philosophy, beginning with a bachelor of philosophy degree from OU (1996), completing her doctorate degree in philosophy at the University of Kansas (2008), along with a graduate certificate in women’s studies. Her interests include race and gender issues, identity formation and human rights with a special focus on human trafficking. Through her teaching and scholarship, she strives to create positive change and raise awareness in each of these areas of social justice. In doing so, she models the active citizenship CLS strives to instill in its students. When asked what motivates her scholarship and activism for social justice, Alavi explained, “The level of harm that one human

can inflict upon another is beyond compre-

ness on a topic that many people do not

aware of the causes and conditions that en-

hension. I cannot just stand aside and watch

even realize exists. Globally, both sex and

courage traffickers to exploit their victims.

this happen, and so I am moved to help the

labor trafficking continue to be a growing

most vulnerable among us. Also, my com-

problem. Most Americans are unaware that

Alavi explained that three significant events

mitment to justice requires me to act.”

illegal human trafficking happens in the

in her life primed her interest and prepared

United States on a daily basis. Alavi works

her to be a social justice advocate. The first

With her scholarship and teaching on hu-

to ensure that victims of human trafficking

was growing up in Iran during the Irani-

man trafficking, Alavi hopes to raise aware-

have a voice and that her students are well

an revolution (1979), which overturned the

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U.S.-supported Shah of Iran, and in-

The third event was immigrating to the

stalled the Ayatollah Khomeini and

United States.

the Islamic Republic as the new government of Iran. After that moment

“I have been lucky to have lived in two

in history, the culture in Iran become

different cultures,” she said. “I moved

more oppressive, and civil and women’s

to the United States in 1988, when I was

rights were more severely limited.

15 years old. This interruption of life circumstances brings with it many ques-

The second event was surviving the

tions of right or wrong. Once I became

Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), during

well-versed in the ways of life here,

which she was displaced from her home

which didn’t really take long, I aimed to

in southern Iran at the age of seven. Her

look at my bicultural experience and take

family lived in Tehran for much of the

the best of both cultures. Philosophy

war and was frequently threatened by

continues to give me the tools to ask the

missile attacks launched from Iraq. An

right questions and evaluate my life.”

estimated 500,000 Iranians lost their

Alavi, age 12.

Exceptional Perseverance

lives in that conflict, with many more

Further explaining her research interests

When she was only seven years old, Alavi’s life in the

wounded. Alavi recalled the fear and un-

in women’s studies, gender issues and

certainty that always accompany life in

human trafficking, she said, “My own

southern part of Iran was disrupted by the Iran-Iraq

an active war zone. She vividly remem-

experience of being a woman of color,

bers food shortages, spending many

and an immigrant, has shaped my inter-

nights in the basement of apartment

est in women’s issues, but my commit-

buildings with other families, waiting

ment requires me to be an ally for those

out missile attacks and witnessing the

who need one. Although I have never

carnage of bomb blasts afterward.

been a victim of human trafficking, I will speak up for those who have been.”

war (1980-1988). Forced to flee from her childhood home as hostile Iraqi forces approached, Alavi spent the next several years in northern Iran, in the capital city of Tehran. During one of the numerous bombings, the young Alavi made a decision that, despite the unhappy circumstances that surrounded her and her family, she would choose to remain happy and optimistic. Rather than surrender to fear, and

Alavi with her younger brother and their dog in Ahvaz, Iran.

give in to despondency, she chose to face obstacles with a determined and positive outlook. This determination served her well and has led to continuing accomplishments. At the age of 15, and with little to no English-speaking skill, Alavi found herself in the heart of the United States, attending high school at Putnam City in Oklahoma City. By the time she graduated, she had mastered the English language and even at one point earned a scholarship to attend OU. Enrolling in a religious philosophy course taught by Tom Boyd, she discovered a lifelong passionate love for philosophy that would lead her to complete a Ph.D. During the Fall 2014 semester, Alavi co-taught a prestigious Presidential Dream Course titled “Human Trafficking: Men, Women, and Children Held Captive” with Jill Irvine, director of the OU Women and Gender Studies Program and the co-director of the Center for Social Justice. CLS and the Women and Gender Studies program co-sponsored the course.

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RITE OF PASSAGE Spring 2015 Convocation

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MAY 9, 2015 – CATLETT MUSIC CENTER – UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA In May, the College of Liberal Studies conferred degrees upon 113 bachelor’s and 67 master’s candidates. Spring convocation marked a special day for many of these graduates, who traveled with their families from near and far to commemorate the occasion. Congratulations to the newest members of the College of Liberal Studies alumni family!

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ROW 1 (TOP ROW): Nick Papac, Alicia Thomasson, Brice Hayes, Skyler Burns, Lindsay Kimber, Tanya Silver, Darrell Wade, Rachel Lemay, Samantha Stoltenberg, Fabian Romanos ROW 2: Heila Newman, Michelle Lopeman,

Michael Freeman, April Kerr, Emily Arias, Christopher Barrows, Terri Wesley, Sarah Arntz, Brooke Mahar, Melissa Stevens ROW 3: Jason Murphy, Stacy Henshall, Thomas Brewer, John Grega, Mark Lewis, Alix Scammahorn, James Sellers, Sheila Clark, Clifton Williams, Mary Taylor, Jana Powers ROW 4: Justin Davis, Lauren Kubier, Tawni Edwards, Pamela Stuchly, Marc Joseph, Gabrielle Richard, Michael Newhouse, Brad Koerner, Cassidy Zimmerman, Vic Hockett ROW 5: John Smaha, Larry Williams Jr, Benjamin Cobb, Denny Davis, Amy Jones, Alex Schmidt, Cecilia Ryals, Amber Kerenge, Jason Young, Irene Rodriguez, Todd Rodriguez

ROW 1 (TOP ROW): Sierra Main, Lauren Randall, Jeffrey Argyle, Colby Townsend, Amy Hernandez, Chad Springer, Mathew Mccready, James Hubbell, Paul Maus, Ronald Davis ROW 2: Kenneth Reines, Thomas Thompson,

Mark Shields, Timothy Jentsch, Denise Oliver, Jay Landsman Jr, Alexander Thomas, Sarah Romo, Beth Connel, Desiree Dicharry, Shanon Biuckingham ROW 3: Eric Charoonsak, Christy Bingham, Norman Smith, Bradley Fuller, Marilyn Popkess, Melissa Largent, Tashawn Thomas, Thomas Kluwin, Amina Khanaz-Gehrer, Tiffany Lemons ROW 4: Mark Stanfield, Joshua Willingham, Kao Laizure, Kelly Wietelman-Molina, Mark Schaefer, Karen Rivera, Kimberly Mahoney, Erin Yeo, John Cloud, Kevin Stokes, Brandi Stokes ROW 5: Jessica Toy, Tiffany Lyon, James Fryhoff, Morgan Williams, Amber Kent, Sherica Heardvelez, Amanda James, Jonathan Day, Sara Raney, Ebony Chandler-Ballard PHOTO COURTESY OF CANDID COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY

I N EVE RY ISSUE | CO NVOCATION

Amanda James

Kimberly Mahoney with family

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Banner Carrier Kimberly Mahoney prepares to lead the processional

From Left: Convocation speaker Kyle Harper, Dean James Pappas, George Henderson Award for Administrative Leadership recipient Jeremy Hendley and Associate Dean Martha Banz

I N E V E RY I SS U E | CO N VO C AT I O N

Erin Yeo

Gabrielle Richard and family

From left: James Fryhoff, CLS instructor Steve Gullberg and Mark Stanfield

Amber Kent receiving her diploma from Dean Pappas

Graduates preparing for the ceremony

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2015 COLLEGE OF LIBERAL STUDIES

Tailgate Party

he 2015 CLS Tailgate Party

Catering was provided by Head Country Bar-B-Q, t-shirts were available and a very lucky

was a great success with

attendee won a football autographed by Bob Stoops.

more than 100 alumni,

students and staff attending. There were plenty of activities for everyone including a photo booth and balloon animals.

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The annual CLS Tailgate Party is a free event open to all CLS alumni, students, staff, faculty and their families during the football season. Upcoming Tailgate Party information will be announced on the CLS website at cls.ou.edu.

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RELATED READING

The Geometry of Art

By Robert Dougherty

nterdisciplinary inquiry is the foundation of a liberal

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ART

an is nearly as tall as the trees.

studies education. By “interdisciplinary,” we mean

In the early days of humankind,

Again, everything is flat and

paintings and art works were

two-dimensional.

that we use all three primary knowledge areas (social

sciences, humanities and natural sciences) to answer

two-dimensional. They had height and width but no depth

The people are almost as large

questions and solve problems. For most of us, the natural

(linear perspective). Everything

as the buildings in the 13th cen-

sciences are the least familiar, even a bit of a mystery. This

was painted as a flat object.

tury European painting (bottom

Closer images were painted

right image) seen below.

includes all the hard science disciplines, such as chemistry, physics, geometry, astronomy and biology. In many ways,

larger and distant images were painted smaller.

it is difficult to understand how something from the world

THE EMERGENCE OF LINEAR PERSPECTIVE IN ART

Notice how everything is flat and

Then, suddenly, something ex-

two-dimensional in the depic-

traordinary happens in the his-

tion of an Egyptian funeral pro-

tory of art. We get paintings like

cession seen in the above image.

this! In Raphael’s The School of

something better. In this article, I hope to give you a clear

Athens (top image, next page),

example of how geometry changed art.

In this painting by Tang Yin

where depth is represented just

(bottom left image), the wom-

the way our eyes would see it in

of natural sciences could impact or change the humanities or social sciences. It is even more difficult to understand how they could work together to solve a problem or make

real life. Also, the subjects have been painted with exacting detail. Linear perspective emerged immediately before or about the time of the Renaissance. Paintings were no longer two-dimensional, but three-dimensional. How did they do it? How did one generation of artists make a leap that had not been there for thousands of years of preceding history? The answer lies in geometry. Geometry is an important tool in the analytic tradition of the natural sciences. We don’t often associate it with the humanities or social sciences or something like art, but here it is very imConcubine Ban’s Rounded Fan

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Giotto: Liberation of the heretic Peter

The School of Athens

portant. The Renaissance was an

as art. But you can even take this

important time in human histo-

a step further and realize it had

ry. Concepts like the life of the

a much larger impact than sim-

mind and the perfectibility of

ply on art. Consider the effect

the person were being explored

this had on religion. Imagine if

and aspired to. There was a rev-

the Sistine Chapel housed only

olution in architecture. Huge

two-dimensional pictures. Also,

cathedrals were being designed

most people in the world were

and built. Arches and domed

illiterate at the time. Churches

buildings required new levels

and cathedrals used artwork like

of engineering and geometry,

this to tell the stories from the

and the architects proved to be

Bible and to evangelize people.

up to the tasks. Artists wanted

The more precise the artwork the

to paint as exactly and precisely

better they could tell the story.

Concept graphic showing the vanishing point.

as possible and they borrowed something from geometry to

At CLS it is our hope that ex-

make it happen.

amples like this can inspire our

students. In a rapidly changing

A geometric component was

world, interdisciplinary edu-

added to painting. A â&#x20AC;&#x153;vanishing

cation is essential to meet the

pointâ&#x20AC;? was identified on every

personal needs of an individual,

canvas; all lines on the painting

as well as the needs of society.

ended up at the vanishing point

Adult students, in particular,

no matter where they started on

are in the best position to draw

the page. This technique made

information from many sources

paintings three-dimensional.

and combine them because they have so much life experience. If

And there you have it. This is

we can produce high-level in-

an example of how something

terdisciplinary critical thinkers,

from the world of natural sci-

the possibilities are unlimited

ences can revolutionize some-

for new solutions and creative

thing from the humanities such

problem solving.

Overlay of the vanishing point on The School of Athens.

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STUDENT PROFILE

Morgan Sowell: Endless Possibilities By John Huggins

he future is a tricky thing. Looking ahead, many people see themselves

fulfilling personal goals or dreams. A few fortunate people discover their life’s passion early and spend time working toward a specific goal. Others find the greatest value in the journey of discovery along the way. And that’s where CLS graduate Morgan Sowell found herself a few years ago. “My original major at OU was Professional Writing, but some introspection during my sophomore year brought me to the conclusion that I didn’t want to be limited to one field of work after college,” she said. “I enjoy writing and editing, but I wanted a degree that would open other doors for me and provide me with opportunities to work in different fields. I weighed my options and discovered that a degree in liberal studies was the perfect fit.” Some might say an undefined future can be a frightening thing, but that’s not how Sowell sees it. “I believe this degree will help me to explore different career options I may not have even thought of yet and thus to find my place as a productive citizen,” said Sowell. Her desire to explore led her to follow her love of working with animals. Small, medium or large, animals have always had a special place in Sowell’s heart and she worked for several years in a daycare and boarding facility for dogs and cats before finding her new love of working with horses.

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ST U DE NT P ROF ILE | S OWE LL

“I’ve worked with several rescued horses

“I would recommend that class to anyone,”

during the past two summers, including

she said. “It really pushes students to intro-

two Mustangs. All of the horses were abused

spect, empathize and critically apply their

and neglected when they were rescued and

thoughts to various interesting topics.”

I volunteered to work with them to increase their adoptability. They just needed to learn

Sowell’s adventurous nature doesn’t stop at

to trust a leader and rider and feel safe in

her academic choices. It permeates her out-

their current surroundings.”

look on life. She credits her CLS education with helping her apply an interdisciplinary

Now pursuing a Therapeutic Riding Instructor

approach to everything she does.

certification through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH)

“Forming an idea or opinion about something

International, Sowell credits the interdisci-

should be done with the utmost care and stu-

plinary education she received from CLS with

diousness. I’ve learned to question everything

her ability to pursue endless possibilities.

and not to settle on any one bit of ‘knowledge’ I may come across, as there is a pletho-

“Five years from now I see myself teaching

ra of different ways to view something.”

It’s hard to argue with that.

people to interact with and ride horses in ways that will benefit them physically and

When asked about her greatest achievement,

psychologically. I have always been a pas-

Sowell ponders philosophically about what

sionate horse person, and I have seen and

she has accomplished so far.

experienced ‘horse medicine’ and its ability

Sowell and Snapper were named the Reserve

to change lives for the better. I want to share

“I think learning in general is one of the

National and World Champions in the Jumper

that experience with others who need it.”

greatest achievements of humankind, and

category at the 2014 Grand National and World

a befitting milestone of that achievement in

Championship Morgan Horse Show.

Sowell’s desire to see what was out there

my life thus far is earning my Bachelor of

also helped her find one of her favorite

Arts in Liberal Studies at OU. I really enjoyed

classes at CLS, Road Trip of the Mind, which

the process of earning my degree. The posi-

she describes as a “sort of psychological

tive developments I’ve undergone as a result

self-exploration.”

are priceless.”

Sowell riding Snapper, a Morgan horse gelding at the Celtic Cross Equestrian Center in Norman, OK.

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SPRING 2015 BANNER CARRIER

Kimberly Mahoney By John Huggins

WAS THERE A SPECIFIC EVENT OR PERSON THAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO APPLY FOR ADMISSION TO CLS? I was motivated by a coworker who was also a student at CLS and raved about the quality

ach semester, an exemplary graduating student is chosen to lead the CLS

processional in both the college convocation and university commencement ceremonies. The CLS

of the education and flexible schedule. As an active duty Airman and an aspiring full-time student, I knew I needed an online program that reasonably accommodated my commitment to the Air Force. I found that at CLS. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN YOUR SUCCESS? Friends and family are instrumental in every successful life endeavor, but I owe a huge thank you to my coworkers who provided me the help and the space I needed to complete some assignments at work and an immense thank you to the CLS staff!

Banner Carrier honor is an import-

James Morrison, my Fall 2014 Nonprofit Management professor, supported my exploration of

ant decades-long tradition that

an environmentally driven nonprofit organization designed to improve the ecological health

not only signifies great academic achievement but is a formal public recognition of accomplishment.

of the greater Puget Sound region in Washington. His open-mindedness and challenging assignment introduced me to just how passionate I was about environmental improvement and led me to applying for and accepting an offer of attendance to the University of Illinoisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Master of Arts in Environmental Studies program! Thank you, Professor Morrison! WHAT SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT YOUR TIME WITH CLS? I was surprised most by the interdisciplinary nature of my program. I expected the program to offer a wide range of management- and leadership-related courses, but instead my pro-

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I N E V E RY I SS U E | B A N N E R C A R R I E R

gram combined courses related to physical sciences, social sciences

professional fulfillment upon completing my graduate program, and

and humanities in addition to courses that developed my leadership

that is due largely to the education I received through CLS.

skills. I feel that I have a broader, more inclusive education than other programs may have offered me.

IF YOU COULD OFFER SOME ADVICE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

WHAT DID YOU FIND MOST INTERESTING DURING YOUR

It took me a couple of semesters at OU to realize the expansive

STUDIES?

programs they offered to satisfy the different course requirements

I took a course on cultural diversity and learned a lot about how

of my program, and I wish I would have taken advantage of more

different each culture is, yet how connected the cultures really are

of those interesting courses. I think I may have learned a little more

to each other. There is an extreme amount of value and humility in

about myself sooner if I would have taken courses in environmental

becoming familiar with the world’s various cultures, and in doing

studies or marine biology, rather than just taking introductory-level

so, you truly experience the relevance and dependence we all have

biology and chemistry courses.

on each other. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT? HOW HAS WHAT YOU LEARNED BENEFITTED YOU SO FAR?

My greatest achievement is ever-developing. Ten months ago, I

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Administrative Leadership and was

would have said it was being able to represent CLS as the Outstand-

able to use the leadership qualities I learned at OU to accept a job

ing Senior. A few months later, I would have said it was completing

offer as a supervisor when I finished my military commitment.

my bachelor’s program at OU after years of hard work, and in May, I

Often, people discuss the increasing unemployment rate prevalent

would have said it was being able to lead my class of high-achievers

in America, but my education at CLS was fundamental in gaining

and aspirants as the 2015 Convocation Banner Carrier! But today, I

the employment I have today!

know that all of those great achievements have led to what I now see as my greatest achievement, which is admittance to the Master of

HOW DO YOU SEE FINISHING YOUR DEGREE BENEFITTING

Arts in Environmental Studies program at the University of Illinois.

YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE? I am most excited for the opportunity my education has provided me

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS?

to pursue even higher education. I was able to gain admittance to a

After finishing my master’s program, I would love to work for an envi-

master’s program in a field that is largely unrelated to my bachelor’s

ronmental organization intent on improving the ecological health of the

degree, and because of that, I know that other schools nationwide

world we live in. I am most interested in applying my passion for the

recognize the quality education provided at OU. I foresee a lifetime of

environment toward energy conservation and resource protection.

Mahoney with her family before convocation.

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FACULTY PROFILE

John Lancaster By Mary Wuestewald

HIS YEAR, CLS CELEBRATES 55 years of providing inspiration and a place of belonging for lifelong

learners. To commemorate this accomplishment, however, it is necessary to understand where the college began. John Lancaster, one of the earliest contributors to the CLS faculty, provides insight on how far the college has come since its beginning in 1961. John Lancaster learned early that he would be a microbiologist. A lover of history and literature, Lancaster had thought he would be best suited for teaching high school history until his brother returned home from medical school with an important trinket in hand: a microscope. “The microscope showed me things that I had never really imagined existed,” he said. “I made the decision at that point to go into microbiology and began pursuing an academic career in the discipline.” Lancaster earned a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree before arriving at OU in the 1960s to become a professor. At that point, every major decision Lancaster made throughout his life had been a conscious choice meant to bring him closer to teaching microbiology. He knew exactly what he wanted and took the necessary steps to achieve it—until his work with CLS made him realize just how much there was left to learn. IT STARTED WITH AN IDEA CLS didn’t exist when Lancaster arrived at OU, at least not tangibly. It was little more than a dream of Thurman J. White, the College of Continuing Education’s dean at the time, to provide continuing education opportunities to Oklahoma’s working pop-

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Left to right: Paul Sharp, John Lancaster, Richard Wells, David Levy and William Maehl pose for a photo in the late 1970s.

ulation. But White’s dream took hold and

At that time, OU drew its faculty mem-

Lancaster hadn’t yet realized just how big

advances would quickly be made in creating

bers primarily from academia. Each faculty

an impact CLS would have on him and the

a new degree program with a new purpose

member hired by the university would have

way he viewed education.

and format.

come up through a traditional program with highly focused, discipline-oriented training.

LIBERAL STUDIES’ RISE TO PROMINENCE

“Up to that point, all of the continuing ed-

This is far from the practitioners, experts

The CLS program was different from oth-

ucation programs were supplemental pro-

and integrated thinkers many universities

er programs in more ways than format and

grams,” Lancaster said. “They were meant

seek today.

student population. Its purpose was to ed-

to give somebody the chance to enhance

ucate students deeply and broadly and to

their ability to function in their chosen field

“Then, the idea was you would be trained

expose them to various ways of thinking.

of work, but they didn’t lead to a degree. We

to participate in your profession,” Lancast-

To do this, CLS brought in the best faculty

did have correspondence courses conducted

er said. “You were not really educated in

members from each department on campus

through the mail for individuals who were

the sense that Plato would have considered

and asked them to integrate all of their ex-

already working. There was some back-

somebody to be educated. There was no

pertise cohesively in team-taught courses.

ground in that kind of system for classes,

sense of broadening.”

The experience was entirely new for faculty

but there was no degree program until the College of Liberal Studies came into place.

members at the time, and it gave professors White’s insistence on providing a learn-

like John Lancaster a new way to view what

ing alternative for adult students who were

it meant to be educated.

“The program at CLS was based on the Great

looking for a broad-based education made

Books type of degree program that the Uni-

CLS a top priority for George Lynn Cross,

“I had history courses, I had literature

versity of Chicago initiated. It was certain-

the university president at the time. OU

courses and I had scientific courses, but each

ly new to this campus. Departments were

organized a committee comprised of one

of them was taught by a person who was

asked to provide faculty for the college, but

representative from each department in the

just as immersed in one discipline as I was

a lot of them didn’t want to share faculty

university to help make CLS a recognizable

in mine. So there were never any of these

when they weren’t quite sure what the col-

name on campus.

courses that would let me see how reading

lege was, just yet. It was assumed that a stu-

Faulkner would interface with being a mi-

dent would only use correspondence courses

“The first semester I was here I was ap-

crobiologist. I could see how reading Faulk-

out of necessity and there wouldn’t be too

pointed to that committee essentially as a

ner would help me better understand the

many of them on their transcript. That was

throwaway appointment,” Lancaster said.

history of the South and the sociology of the

one of the reasons traditional departments

“It was a responsibility in the job descrip-

South, but I didn’t really begin to appreciate

were concerned about a program that, as far

tion for service to the university.”

that until I started teaching for CLS.”

as they could see, was all correspondence.”

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Lancaster at the blackboard, 1974.

The team-teaching format gave Lancaster

Because of that, we were able to develop a

sticks out in my mind as something that I

a better sense of how his discipline, micro-

program that produced highly educated indi-

contributed to that was very important.”

biology, fit in the larger picture of the hard

viduals. A person who came out of that bach-

sciences. It inspired him to teach his stu-

elor’s program in liberal studies was much

Lancaster did not set out to change the

dents how to think deeply about the subject

better educated than any student coming out

world. He simply did what he loved and

matter and what they were learning.

of the on-campus programs simply because

found that the result of his effort contribut-

they were forced to look at the big picture

ed to something much larger than himself.

“As a faculty member teaching a team-

rather than the narrow focus.”

taught seminar to a group of students who

“I just enjoyed doing it! I never really looked

expected an interdisciplinary approach, I was

A PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE

on myself as being a world changer. My

pretty much forced to see how my discipline

Fifty years later, Lancaster still teaches with

mission was always to provide students with

would interface with whatever discipline it

CLS and considers his experiences with stu-

the means of making their own life changes,

was I was team-teaching with,” he said. “If

dents his most rewarding achievement. Al-

rather than me being a life changer or world

I was teaching with the physicists, I would

though he has held many positions at the

changer on my own.”

consider it my responsibility to show how

university, and has a list of accomplish-

physics is an important, even an essential

ments longer than the length of this maga-

With the help of professors like John Lan-

foundation, for understanding questions of

zine, he still believes helping students find

caster, CLS would later become the first

biology. And I would do the same thing with

their “aha!” moment while learning is one

credit-granting continuing education de-

chemistry, the history of science and so on.

of the best.

gree program OU offered for non-tradi-

“As professors, we were able to listen to

“What I consider the most important

programs and is the fifth-largest college at

people who understood their disciplines,”

achievements have not been just person-

OU, but the CLS mission remains the same.

he said. “We could ask questions, and they

al achievements but achievements that I

The college wants to provide students with

could ask us questions. We were, in essence,

have accomplished with other people,” he

the means to realize their potential, become

forced to see our own discipline in a different

said. “A particularly good seminar experi-

better versions of themselves and, above all,

context than had been true any time before.

ence would be one of the things that always

never stop learning.

tional students. Today, it offers 10 degree

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100% ONLINE Bachelor and Master Degrees C LS.OU.E D U

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55 Years with the College of Liberal Studies F

or more than 50 years, CLS has been recognized as a national and international leader in the non-traditional degree movement and in liberal studies education for adult learners. This is a brief history of the

collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievements.

1957

A joint faculty/administration committee of 30

A MODEL FOR OTHER INSTITUTIONS

members recommends the development of a spe-

The BLS was one of the first degree programs in the

cial degree program in liberal studies for adult, part-time students. This recommendation leads to the establishment of the Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) degree in the College of Continuing Education.

1960

The University of Oklahoma Extension Council, the Council on Instruction, the University of Oklahoma

United States designed specifically for adult, part-time students. During the 1960s, several other institutions developed similar programs, frequently in consultation with OU educators.

Regents and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education approve the plan for CLS.

In the mid-1960s, CLSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Executive Committee proposes a graduate program.

1967

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education officially approve the program for the Master of Lib-

eral Studies (MLS) degree.

1961

George Lynn Cross, OU president, constitutes the faculty of CLS on the advice of a newly created Col-

lege Executive Committee, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York awards a grant to implement the new BLS degree program. The first students enroll in March.

1970

CLS becomes a recognized degree-granting academic college of the university with its own dean, instruc-

tors and staff.

1973

1996

The BLS/Administrative Leadership Concentration, a two-year weekend bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree program, is

created to provide career-related courses taught from a broad interdisciplinary perspective.

CLS institutes the BLS Upper Division to serve students who have completed lower division work.

1997

CLS adds three career track options within the MLS: Administrative Leadership, Interdisciplinary Educa-

tion and Health and Human Services.

2000

The BLS/Internet Guided Interdisciplinary Studies option is developed as a curricular alternative using the

Internet as a powerful new teaching and learning tool. Students receive curricular material delivered over the Internet and complete reading and writing assignments enhanced by research conducted online.

2001

The Brock Prize (to be administered by OU, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Tulsa) is

established by an endowment gift from John Brock.

1981

1983

CLS launches the MLS with Museum Emphasis to serve active museum professionals.

The Feaver-MacMinn Seminar, honoring Professors J. Clayton Feaver and Paul MacMinn, was established

by an endowment gift from Bradley G. McDonald.

1984

The first Feaver-MacMinn Seminar is offered and led by David Halberstam.

2002

The MLS 50/50 Administrative Leadership program is developed, incorporating on-campus seminars

with online coursework.

2003

The BLS/Internet Guided Interdisciplinary Studies and the MLS/Administrative Leadership programs

are offered totally online. All courses are changed to three letter-graded credit hours.

2005

2007 2008

CLS offers its first travel-study program to Heidelberg, Germany.

CLS hires its first-ever full-time faculty and publishes the first issue of the Journal of Museum Studies.

2010

2011

The Master of Prevention Science is approved.

CLS hosts its first annual CLS Tailgate to great success.

More than 2,000 degree-seeking students enroll in CLS courses.

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice makes its debut.

The first hybrid undergraduate course premiers at selected sites in

2012

The Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Bachelor of Arts in World Cultural Studies degree pro-

grams are approved.

Oklahoma. CLS celebrates 50 years of excellence in education at its Anniversary The Bernard Osher Foundation awards a grant to establish the Osher

Gala at the Sam Noble Museum of Natural Science.

Reentry Student Scholarship.

2009

The Master of Arts in Administrative Leadership degree program is approved.

2013 2015

The Bachelor of Arts in Lifespan Care Administration is approved. CLS begins offering graduate certificates in Corrections Management and Restorative Justice.

More than 3,000 students enroll in at least one CLS course.

CLS celebrates 55 years of continuing education! 46

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Making a Difference:

Oklahomans Who Changed the Nation By Deah Caldwell, Mary Wuestewald and John Huggins

aking a positive difference in the world can take many shapes. In the spirit of CLS’ mission to promote lifelong learning and active citizens, we’ve compiled a list of Oklahomans who changed both their com-

munities and the nation.

David L. Boren

Carl Albert

David L. Boren, the 13th president of OU, has

Born to a poor coal miner and cotton farm-

had a successful career in executive positions

er from southeastern Oklahoma, Carl Albert

at state and national levels. He attended OU,

attended OU and went on to study law at the

Yale University and the University of Oxford. He

University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, grad-

served as a state legislator (1967-75), as the 21st

uating in 1934.

governor of Oklahoma (1975-79) and as a U.S. senator (1979-94). Albert spent many years as a lawyer and in the U.S. Army during In the senate, Boren chaired the Senate Select Committee on Intel-

World War II before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives

ligence. For U.S. State Department initiatives, he collaborated and

in 1946, eventually becoming Speaker of the House (1971-76). He

helped build bipartisan support that promoted democracy abroad,

supported many government programs, including public housing

which ultimately lead to the release of Nelson Mandela. On a special

and federal aid for education, and was a strong advocate for public

broadcast of ABC News Nightline with Ted Koppel, Mandela led a

health. Albert was also instrumental in passing the Social Security

standing ovation for Boren.

Act of 1965, which created the Medicare and Medicaid programs to provide federal health insurance for the elderly and for low income

Boren was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1988.

families. His impressive political record, along with his short stature and place of birth, earned him the affectionate title “the Little Giant from Little Dixie.”

Jim Thorpe

Alice Mary Robertson

Jim Thorpe, a member of the Sac and Fox na-

Alice Mary Robertson was born in 1854 at the

tion, is considered one of America’s finest ath-

Tullahassee Mission in Creek Nation, Indian

letes. His legendary career includes: being voted

Territory and remained unmarried her entire

the Greatest Athlete of the Twentieth Century,

life. She ran for the United States’ 67th con-

being the only athlete to ever win both the pen-

gress in 1920—the same year women won the

tathlon and the decathlon during the 1912 Olympics and serving as

right to vote. Her contemporary, Theodore Roosevelt, called her “…

the first president of the American Professional Football Associa-

one of the great women of America.”

tion (later known as the NFL). When King Gustav of Sweden shook Thorpe’s hand on the medal podium he reportedly told him, “Sir,

Robertson holds a prolific list of firsts for women including being

you are the greatest athlete in the world.”

the first woman from Oklahoma elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first female clerk appointed to the Indian Office

Thorpe was a Native American who rose to fame during open and

at the Department of the Interior.

widespread racism toward minorities. He played on several Ameri-

can Indian sports teams throughout his career, and was often used

Robertson championed education and medical care in Oklahoma, es-

as a symbol of the “other” in American media. His success increased

pecially for women and Native Americans. She chartered the Univer-

the standard for athletic accomplishment, but the symbolic meaning

sity of Tulsa, established the first V.A. medical center in Muskogee

of his achievements—years before Native Americans gained com-

and was instrumental in facilitating the education of the Cherokee

plete citizenship—is far greater.

and Creek tribal members in their native languages.

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Elizabeth Warren

Gary England

Elizabeth Warren, born in Oklahoma City, grew

Born in Seiling, Oklahoma, Gary England devel-

up on “the ragged edge of the middle class” as

oped an interest in weather at an early age when

the daughter of a working class family. She has

a devastating tornado killed more than 100 peo-

spent the majority of her political career ad-

ple in the nearby town of Woodward, Oklahoma

vocating for the financial rights of consumers,

in 1947. He is recognized as the first on-air me-

particularly focusing on how bankruptcy affects women, the elderly

teorologist to alert viewers of a possible tornado using commercial

and the poor.

Doppler weather radar in 1982 and is nationally acknowledged as a pioneer and expert in broadcast meteorology.

Warren has co-authored a book on bankruptcy and consumer credit in America (As We Forgive Our Debtors), was part of the Con-

England is known as an advocate for severe weather preparedness

gressional Oversight Panel for TARP and was instrumental in the

(focusing on providing advanced warnings), and he conducted

creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for which

awareness campaigns for school children throughout the 1980s. He

she was appointed Special Advisor in 2010. To add to her accom-

continues as one of Oklahoma’s most beloved personalities and was

plishments, she became the first female U.S. senator representing

honored as the keynote speaker for the opening of the National

Massachusetts in 2013.

Weather Center in Norman in 2006.

Clara Luper

Will Rogers

Clara Luper, a retired schoolteacher and civ-

Will Rogers was a show business sensation

ic leader, was a pioneer in the American civil

during the 1920s and 30s and one of the top

rights movement. As the first African American

paid celebrities of his day, influencing radio,

graduate student in the history program at OU,

print and movie industries concurrently. The

she helped overturn segregation in Norman. In

New York Times printed his weekly newspaper

1958, she led a group of NAACP Youth Council members, including

column from 1922 to 1935 where he was known for expressing the

her own son and daughter, in a series of nonviolent sit-in protests

views of the ‘common man’ humorously while focusing on import-

in Oklahoma City and is credited for desegregating hundreds of

ant social issues.

establishments in Oklahoma during the 1960s. While Rogers is well remembered for his political comedy and saLuper’s influence was not limited just to the Midwest. She was

tirical wit, he was also actively involved in humanitarian efforts.

also active in the national civil rights movement and was a

During the Great Depression, he traveled the country fundraising

prominent figure in the NAACP . She participated in the 1963

for the Red Cross to help feed the hungry.

March on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches. She then focused her

At the time of his death in a plane crash in 1935, Rogers had made

efforts on advocating for educational, economic and political

71 films, written more than 4,000 syndicated national newspaper

equality in Oklahoma.

columns, traveled the world three times and was one of the most famous Americans on the planet.

Woody Guthrie

Anita Hill

Writer and performer, Woody Guthrie, authored

In 1991, OU law professor Anita Hill made na-

“This Land is Your Land,” considered one of

tional news when her charges of sexual harass-

the most famous folk songs in United States

ment against then Supreme Court Justice nomi-

history. He is known for music that celebrates

nee, Clarence Thomas, were made public the day

the good in people and provides messages of

before his confirmation.

unity, and he served as a voice for the poor and downtrodden. Hill has been credited with revitalizing feminism, increasing awareGuthrie came of age during the Great Depression and witnessed a

ness of sexual harassment and its effects, inspiring women to run

series of family tragedies before leaving Oklahoma to perform on

for office and giving thousands of women the courage to speak out

the road. He quickly became known for his nomadic way of life and

about their own experiences with sexual harassment.

unique style—folk music had not yet gained wide popularity—and his estimated 1,000 songs won him a place in music history. Almost 50 years after his death in 1967, he is still credited as a strong creative influence for countless musicians ranging from Bob Dylan

to the Foo Fighters.

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Paul Duit ALUMNI PROFILE

By Mary Wuestewald

U.S. AIRMEN SAVE LIVES IN AND OUT OF THEIR MILITARY SERVICE. IT’S PART OF THEIR GENETIC CODE. If you know members of the military, you may have heard them say, “Helping people is in my DNA.” These words take on new meaning with the experience of one U.S. Airman’s fight to save lives outside of his civic duty. Senior Master Sergeant Paul Duit, CLS graduate, recently donated bone marrow to save someone on the other side of the world. A woman’s leukemia put her in critical need of a transplant, and DNA testing revealed Duit as one of only a handful of donors who could provide the life-saving marrow. In the months following the procedure, Duit committed himself to sharing his story and spreading awareness about the program that saved her life. A SALUTE TO LIFE Duit wasn’t sure what he was signing up for when he joined the Salute to Life program, but he knew it was for a good cause. Duit first learned about the C.W. Bill Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Program—also known as Salute to Life—while attending a registration drive at the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy. He was told the National Marrow Donor Program for volunteer marrow donors offers the best source of hope for thousands needing rescue from otherwise fatal blood diseases. According to the C.W. Bill Young DoD Marrow Donor Center, more than 12,000 people are diagnosed each year with diseases

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requiring an infusion of stem cells. More

Six years later, he received the call.

than 70 percent of blood cancer patients are

“They put you under for the procedure and, when I woke up, I felt more alive than I have

unable to find an appropriate match within

“I was found to be a potential match for a

ever been. I was waiting for any medication

their own family and will require an unre-

53-year-old woman in Hong Kong who had

to wear off and for the pain to set in, but

lated donor.

leukemia,” he said.

it never did. I was walking around with-

The Salute to Life program attempts to

Duit knew the age, location and disease of

match military personnel and their depen-

the woman he was saving, but not much

dents, DoD civilian employees, Reservist,

else. Personal information is withheld from

In the months since the procedure, Duit ded-

Coast Guard and National Guard members to

the donor and recipient to protect the pri-

icated himself to sharing information about

people in need of marrow donations around

vacy of both parties.

the registry with fellow military men. He is

in hours of the procedure and have never

the world. The more members there are in

looked back.”

an advocate of the Salute to Life program, as

the donation registry, the better the chances

“Everyone discouraged me from donating

well as programs that register those with no

are of finding a match for the recipient.

marrow because they heard how painful it

military affiliation, like Be the Match.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AIR NATIONAL GUARD

could be,” he said. “I’m neither a medical Duit realized his small contribution had the

professional, nor military security forc-

He wants to dispel myths about the proce-

potential to make an incredible impact, and

es personnel, so I never thought I would

dure’s invasiveness, as well as the likelihood

he wanted to do what he could to save lives.

be able to save a life by just being myself

of being called for donation.

All he had to do was join the registry.

and giving something I freely had to give. When I thought about the small amount of

Donating marrow is not like donating

SAVING LIVES WITH A SWAB

pain I might experience compared with the

blood, where a pint of A+ blood might be

Signing up was simple. Duit was asked

life-threatening illness she was suffering

stored for use on anyone who can receive

to provide contact information that could

from, I felt I could endure any pain that

A+ blood. Bone marrow donation only oc-

be used if the registry found him to be a

came with the procedure.”

curs if you are a positive DNA match to the

potential match for someone in need of

recipient in need.

transplant. He then passed a swab across

Duit was surprised to discover he wouldn’t

the inside of his cheek and handed his

have to endure any pain at all.

DNA off to officials who could store the

“There are two ways to donate,” Duit explained further. “The first is more com-

information in a digital database. Duit

DONATING MARROW

monly known as bone marrow transplant.

quickly completed the process and forgot

“The most surprising thing about donating

In this method, they put you completely

the experience soon after.

marrow was that it did not hurt,” he said.

under anesthesia and insert a small needle

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Major Matthew McClurg swabs his cheek for a DNA sample.

into the back of your hip bone to extract

through chemotherapy before he or she can

well. The first year is crucial for marrow

the marrow. The bone starts to heal as soon

receive the marrow,” he said. “So many fac-

recipients, and her survival is a strong in-

as it’s removed and the marrow replenishes

tors have to be in place prior to the donation

dication that the donation was a success.

itself in no time.

procedure, so you can actually go through the process. The odds of getting called for

Individuals considering joining the mar-

“The other procedure is less invasive and

donation are so rare, and the rewards of po-

row registry can find more information at

more widely used. It is called peripheral

tentially saving a life are so worth it.”

www.SalutetoLife.org (for military person-

blood stem cell donation. The individu-

nel) and BetheMatch.org (for non-military

al will receive a shot of filgrastim, which

Duit described these rewards in detail in an

boosts your white blood cell count. On the

interview with the Air National Guard.

fifth day, the donor goes in for outpatient

No matter the organization, Duit’s advice

surgery and sits for four hours as the ma-

“The feeling I got from donating was such

for those interested is simple: “Sign up

chine does the work of extracting what is

an eye-opening experience,” Duit said.

today to give someone else a chance at an-

needed and returning the rest of the blood

“For me not to have to do anything except

other tomorrow.”

back into the body.”

be myself, and possibly save somebody’s life—that made me feel like there was a

The method is determined by the doctor

greater purpose in my life. You never know

and the patient’s needs, but the doctor al-

down the road if you or somebody you know

ways takes into consideration the safety of

might need it.”

the donor. ANOTHER TOMORROW

persons).

“You [the donor] have to be physically fit

This fall marked the first anniversary of

enough to go through the procedure and

Duit’s donation, and he was happy to re-

the recipient has to be strong enough to go

ceive news the marrow recipient is doing

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I NSI D E CLS

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KEEP US UPDATED Share your latest achievements and success.

Send your updates to: John Huggins, EDITOR jhuggins@ou.edu

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IN MEMORIAM

Jesse Turner By Deah Caldwell

LS lost one of its own earlier this year when Jesse Turner, an administrative leadership student, died on April 13 after suffering a heart attack at the age of 51.

Turner had an extensive career in policing and with the FBI. He was continuing his education with a Bachelor of Arts in Administrative Leadership. After graduation, Turner planned to seek a chief of police position in a suburban area near Austin or Houston. At the time of his death, Turner was a captain of the Victoria Police Department in Victoria, Texas, where he served for 31 years, and held an office with the Texas Chapter of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy Association (FBINAA). Turnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s steady presence was widely known in the town of Victoria, where he created countless friends in his lifetime of service to his community. He graduated from Stroman High School in Victoria and went on to graduate in the first class of the Victoria College Police Academy. The police department there hired him as a patrolman in 1983. He continued to move up the ranks and served as a senior patrolman (1986-96), sergeant (1996-99) and lieutenant (1999-2004). He also worked in other law enforcement areas including SWAT, support services, training, recruiting, traffic safety and administration and professional standards. In addition, Turner was a graduate of the 228th session of the FBINAA in Quantico, Virginia, as well as a graduate of the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas. He received his Master Peace Officer certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education and was a member of the first graduating class of the Victoria College Police Academy, where his career began. According to colleagues, friends and family, Turner was a dedicated, by-the-book worker, but also a kind and humble friend. Though Turner enjoyed a long and decorated career as a police officer, he considered his wife and family his real success. He and his wife would have celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this year. He is survived by his wife, Rhonda Turner; his daughter, Kristi Munoz and her husband Marco of Louise, Texas, and their three children, Mateo, Kristian and Mya; his son Justin Turner and his wife Sarah of Cedar Park, Texas, and their son Ethan James; and his son Dustin Turner and his wife Sarah of Austin, Texas. Captain Turner lived an exemplary life and will be missed.

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YOUR CAREER MATTERS. YOUR DEGREE SHOULD TOO. Earn your master’s degree through the University of Oklahoma’s Advanced Programs — oﬀering master's degree programs in the continental U.S., Hawaii and Europe. Choose from degrees such as Master of Arts in Communication, Master of Arts in Economics, Master of Human Relations, Master of Arts in International Relations or Master of Social Work.

32-36 credit hours No GRE or Thesis required

Apply now at GoOU.ou.edu The UNIVERSITY of OKLAHOMA Advanced Programs 405-325-2250 advanced programs@ou.edu

Facebook.com/OUAPNorman ANDREW DUFFY The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

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I N ME MORI AM | GOODL A D A N D E I S N E R

YOUR GENEROSITY

helps us provide important funding opportunities, including adult and part-time student scholarships.

Current fundraising options include: THE DEANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FUND: Unrestricted contributions help meet the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most urgent

current needs. ADULT AND PART-TIME STUDENTS SCHOLARSHIPS: Many scholarships are simply not

available to adult and part-time students. Your gifts will help us supplement our existing scholarship programs and establish new scholarships to aid lifelong learners. COURSE DEVELOPMENT: We are proud of our leadership in developing innovative programs

for adult learners and of our commitment to our students who have asked for more online program options. Funds are needed to help us remain on the cutting edge of technologically enhanced education. FACULTY DEVELOPMENT FUND: Contributions can help us provide consistent, ongoing

faculty development programs, in which we bring together national experts and our faculty to develop strategies and tactics for improved delivery of interdisciplinary courses and programs.

For more information on how you can help the College of Liberal Studies, contact Associate Dean Martha Banz at (405) 325-1061 or email cls@ou.edu.

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College of Liberal Studies

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