The Student Voice Since 1903 UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2005
Edmond, campus PDs to partner together by Joseph Wertz Senior Staff Writer A new partnership between the UCO Department of Public Safety and the Edmond Police Department would define jurisdiction of UCO facilities located off-campus. The partnership replaces a 1993 agreement between the DPS and the EPD and is needed due to the expansion of buildings and programs to areas off the main UCO campus.
Gaylord foundation gives grant for labs
"We want to make sure we don't allow officers to exceed their police powers," said Jeff Harp, director of Public Safety at UCO. The Oklahoma Campus Security Act, signed into law in 1991, gives campus police departments jurisdiction over property owned or leased by colleges and universities. The former Ramada Plaza hotel, which is leased by UCO to provide student housing, would fall under the jurisdiction of the DPS, partly due to its proximity to campus, Harp
said. Harp also said UCO officers are better equipped to handle incidents in residential halls and student housing. In the new agreement, the UCO Jazz Lab would be primarily policed by the EPD. Harp said that any major crimes happening at the Jazz Lab would be worked by the EPD with assistance provided by the DPS. Harp said the new agreement would also allow DPS officers to issue traffic citations from the City of Edmond rather
than state citations, which are more expensive. The agreement will also lower the cost of transporting individuals arrested on campus. "Instead of hauling them to the city jail [in Oklahoma City], we can just take them a few blocks away to the municipal jail," Harp said. Harp said there could be fewer costs to defendants with the Edmond Municipal Court. UCO police officers have been used to supplementing EPD officers in situations requiring additional police presence.
"We look at this agreement as a tool to help both agencies do their job," Harp said. The EPD and DPS are "close to an agreement," but have not given an official completion date according to EPD Public Information Officer Glynda Chu. The merger will require the approval of both UCO President W. Roger Webb and Edmond Mayor Saundra Nai feh. Joseph Wertz can be reached at jwertz@thevistaonline.com.
An identity crisis
by Lauren Pulsinelli Associate Editor The College of Mathematics and Science recently received a $300,000 grant to allow for the completion of phase one to the science labs in Howell Hall. Inasmuch Foundation donated the money, and representatives from the foundation, Bill and Bob Ross, presented the grant to President W. Roger Webb Jan. 28. The three phases of the reconstruction process will cost an estimated $1.2 million. "The grant was awarded due in part to the 'Invest in Excellence Campaign.' It's a three-phase campaign to complete construction on the laboratories," said Beverly Endicott, director of Development for Mathematics and Science. "When Howell Hall was constructed in 1997, there were 11 labs not finished for biology and physics and engineering," she said. "Active fund raising will continue." The fund raising began in July 2004, and $125,000 has already been collected from alumni and institution donations. Endicott said David Stapleton, director of Architectural and Engineering Services, is in charge of construction but, "There has been input from faculty who play active roles to make sure labs are efficient to their needs." Phase-one construction will
Photo Illustration by Justin Avera
■ Dr. Kole Kleeman, UCO professor, has lost more than $6,000 to ID theft. by Ashley Romano Staff Writer A UCO journalism professor became a victim of identity theft while his Oklahoma City home was being remodeled over the 2004 Christmas break. Kole Kleeman, associate professor of Journalism, said he's had more than $6,000 stolen through charge card purchases and bogus checks bearing his name and information. "It's been a nightmare," he said. "It's very uncomfortable knowing someone else has your information." Kleeman said he left Some "iden-
tity cards" in a drawer at his home, and the remodeling crew advised him that they needed to do some construction in the room where the cards were. He said he then left for Chicago, thinking his home was in good hands. "I didn't do enough background checking (on the crew)," Kleeman said. He said that around Dec. 24 he looked at his bank account because he had recently been paid. "It (the bank account) seemed low," he said. "It showed Internet charges and checks with my name." Kleeman said he received a phone
call from J.C. Penny around Dec. 29. The store clerk told him someone had spent about $400 using his name. He then contacted his bank and the police about the fraud. "It's overwhelming," he said. "I am getting letters from creditors, and I am having to mail out affidavits of forgery. There is always something to do." The Federal Trade Commission defines identity theft as "when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, credit card number or other identifying information without your
see ID THEFT, page 4
Fraternity remembers roots of Black History Month Omega Psi Phi members trace the history of Black History Month. by Trisha Evans Staff Writer February is Black History Month and four UCO members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. are proud to call many influential blacks, including the founder of Black History Month, their brother. Black History Month began as Negro History Week and was started in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson in conjunction with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. In 1976 it became Black History Month as we know it today, said Michael White, business management senior. "The very month in which the nation and the world pays homage to many influential and
by Michael Robertson Staff Writer The UCO Student Association Senate held its regular weekly meeting Jan. 31 in the Robert S. Kerr Room in the Nigh University Center. Senate Pro Tempore Dallas Strimple opened the meeting with an announcement about plans to update the UCOSA section of the UCO Web site. Then Strimple gave an update about a bill introduced last semester that would have established funding for independent undergraduate research projects. The bill went through discussions at the last Senate meeting of the fall semester, but was never resolved one way or the other. The bill was put on hold until now, but the author of the bill graduated in December, which caused some uncertainty about how the Senate should handle further discussion of the issue. Strimple said this sort of situation has never come up before, so he consulted former Senate members and student leaders, and was told that technically, the bill should "die." Strimple said the UCOSA Senate Rules Committee would meet at 1 p.m. Feb. 2 in the UCOSA office in the Nigh University Center to discuss what should be done, and whether the bill warrants further discussion or not. Then the senate voted to appoint Paul Brodersen to the UCOSA Supreme Court. The motion passed by unanimous consent, and Brodersen was officially appointed. Strimple then moved to give
Identity theft is becoming a more and more common problem. One UCO journalism professor has had an especially difficult time trying to get his identity back.
see GRANT, page 3
■
Senate discusses bill update
famous blacks, an Omega man is initially responsible," White said. There are five students and four faculty members in UCO's chapter • of the fraternity, said White. "All we ever talk about is Martin Luther King and the Underground Railroad, but black history goes further than that," said Anthony Byrd, management information systems junior. Byrd says much of his education on black history has come through the fraternity. "Black History month shows how far we've come as African Americans and society as a whole," White said. "He also expressed that blacks should not depend on their history to be told by the very people who enslaved them or by word of mouth," White said.
see OMEGA, page 3
see UCOSA, page 4 CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS ■ UCO's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance will help taxpayers will their federal and state tax returns from Feb. 1 through April 12 in Rm. 347 of Thatcher Hall. For information, contact Dr. Mary Sheets at msheets@ucok.edu or at 974-2834. ■ The application for the UCO Foundation Scholarship is available at: www.ucok.edu/campuslife/ APPL2005.pdf. Sophomores, juniors and seniors who have completed at least one semester at UCO are eligible. The application is due Feb. 18. ■ Donations for the Lt. Col. Terry May Memorial Park are being accepted at the ROTC office. For more information, contact Lt. Col. Stuart Jolly or Capt. Mike Lewczak at 9475167, or Anne Holberlein at 974-2770. ■ The UCO Accounting Club general meeting at 7 pm. Feb. 7 in the Will Rogers Room on the 4th floor of the Nigh University Center. Speaker Jean Hale will discuss careers in internal auditing.
INDEX 2 Opinion 3 News Campus Events 3 Sports 6 Classifieds 8
American Democracy 'mica
Photo by Justin Avera
From left: Michael White, Anthony Byrd, Aurthurray Johnson, Jarrett Evans and Trevor Gordon are members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, will celebrate Black History Month this month.
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