University of Central Oklahoma
THURSDAY anuary 30, 1992
The Student Voice Since 1903
Profs upset, need books By Sam Powell Staff Writer
Government denies $100 billion debt PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A merchant who lived next to Valley Forge when George Washington's bedraggled troops camped there loaned the Continental Congress $50,000 in gold and $400,000 in supplies. But Jacob DeHaven was never repaid. His descendants sued the government for $100 billion, including interest, but on Monday the U.S. Supreme Court refused without comment to hear the case. The governmen t said the statute of limitations ran out 123 years ago.
Requests required for phone-sex access WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is helping worried parents keep their teen-agers away from those sexually explicit telephone lines. The court on Monday upheld a federal law that requires that for-pay sex lines be blocked from general telephone service areas unless specially requested in writing by customers. But parents still are advised not to leave the kids alone with a credit card, because the ruling apparently doesn't affect sexually explicit message-service companies that do their own billing.
Daughter sues dad LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Columbo" star Peter Falk's daughter is suing her father, claiming he cut off money for her Syracuse University education to get her to come home for family counseling. Catherine Falk, 21, contends in her lawsuit filed on Monday that her father is required to pay for her education under terms of her parents' 1976 divorce settlement. The actor's attorney, Jerome Goldberg, refused to comment. Ms. Falk's lawyer, Marvin Mitchelson, said the woman's father and her mother, Alyce, went to New York this month and asked her to drop out. See World Wrap, back page
UCO student Barbara Reeves receives help form Elsie Negelein in the University Center Bookstore. (Photo by Mike Simons)
Senate passes 3 resolutions By Sam Powell Staff Writer In a flurry of activity Monday, the University of Central Oklahoma Student Senate took action on nine proposals and approved constitutions for the Creative Writers Institute and the UCO Broadcast Association. The senate passed resolutions 91-202, 91-206 and 91-209. Senator Elaine Paparonis presented Resolution 91-209, a bill calling for the extension of library hours. She said her committee had decided not to do extensive research on the feasibility of extending the library's hours, but instead chose to illicit student support by circulating a petition. Paparonis said university officials told her if the students supported a change, and the senate could demonstrate that support, they would go along with it. The resolution calls for changing Friday library hours from 7:25 a.m. to 5 p.m., to 7:25 a.m. to 10 p.m., and changing Saturday hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., to 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The proposal passed by a unanimous voice vote, and Paparonis said she would start a petition soon. Resolution 91-202, a proposal stating that the UCO student government does not feel an earned doctorate should be a requirement for the next UCO president, passed by
a lop-sided vote of 24-2. Senate Speaker Carole Crawley said it did not make sense to require a doctorate. She pointed out that a Ph.D in anthropology would not necessarily qualify someone to run a university. According to the proposal, a major qualification for president should be a commitment to scholarly values and high academic standards for the broad urban mission of a regional university. Crawley said exceptional public relations and fund raising skills, along with strong management skills in finance, budgeting and resource development are highly recommended. The proposal stressed that administrative experience equivalent to a strong commitment and evidence of scholarship, research and management ability should be considered more important than a doctorate degree. The senate also took action on Resolution 91-206, a proposal calling for the administration to establish a permanent account specifically earmarked for weight room upgrades. Resolutions 91-201, 91-203, 91-207, 91-208, 91-210 and 91-211 were sent to committee for further consideration. Student senate officials also said they will present a resolution in the near future calling for Martin Luther King Jr. Day to be recognized as a closed campus holiday. V
Many University of Central Oklahoma students saved money at the bookstore this semester, not because of discounts, but because a number of required texts are just not there. Well into the third week of classes, several faculty members said they are having difficulty teaching without the benefit of books. Bob Smith, secretary in creative studies, said books were unavailable for Creative Study 4913, "Writing Action-Adventure Novels" taught by Jeri Cook. "This is the worst semester I've seen for books in a long time," he said. "A lot of the books he is using are mass market books that shouldn't be difficult to find." Smith said that although the required materials were available in most off-campus bookstores, the UCO store might not be able to provide them. "One student told me he talked to an assistant and the books hadn't been ordered and weren't going to be," he said. "My theory is that if they are available anywhere else our bookstore should have them." Smith said the UCO Bookstore Manager, Arthur G. Robinson, told him the books had been ordered. Oral Commmunications Chairperson Barbara Norman said faculty members in her department have also had difficulty obtaining textbooks. She said books for Oral Communication 4%1, "Assertive Communications Institute," arrived late and the class will soon be over. "The class only meets for half the semester and we were without books for two weeks," she said. "The book for Broadcast Management is still not in." James Baker, chairperson of the department of history and geography, said he personally has experienced textbook problems. His History 4513, "History of Mexico," has been meeting without books. Baker said he had turned in his book order on time and had expected them to arrive, but they had not. He said he had contacted Robinson and was told the publisher is the problem. Baker expressed frustration at having to adjust his classes. "There needs to be some improvement," he said. "No one will take responsibility and the students blame me." He said some of the students had obtained books off campus. Robinson said current textbook woes are the result of his increased work load and computer problems. "We have spread so much that I couldn't do everything," Robinson said. "I've run out of 'me' this year. Buying books is a year-round job. You can't do it in eight hours a day." See Bookstore, back page