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F b. 19, 2009
UCO women get educated about sex, disease and everything inbetween Laura Hoffert Senior Reporter
In a room filled with more than 5o girls, few would be able to present a program talk about sex without any awkwardness. Few people would be able to mix humor with statistics and strike a chord with that many young women. However, Tim Woods and Renee Francis have mastered the art of talking about seemingly embarrassing subjects and creating an open forum of discussion. Last Monday, Woods, a Wellness Center health educator and Francis, one of the Wellness Center's registered nurses, spoke to girls at West Hall about sex education, safe sex practices and sexually transmitted infections in their presentation, "Sexposure." In years past, talks like these have primarily focused on scaring people into a life of celibacy, and although the issues discussed can be frightening, the girls left the presentation knowing facts they'd never known before. Woods started the presentation just after 8:30 p.m. asking how many of the girls were aware there was a health clinic on campus. Most hands went up. Both he and Francis tied in the message that STD tests can be done on campus throughout their presentation. Using the acronym "PIESS," Woods talked about the consequences of sex, both protected and unprotected. The "Physical Intellectual Emotional Social Spiritual" consequences were all covered in depth throughout the night and prompted discus-
sions about different perceptions some girls had about sexual repercussions. He began speaking to the girls about the physical consequences of sex and told them a few little known facts about STIs and their relation to cold sores. "Basically, a sexually transmitted disease or an STI is a cold sore below your neck," Woods said. "From your neck up, it's a cold sore and STD or an STI is below your neck. However, once it becomes an STD, it's always an STD, whether it's below or above your neck." Woods further explained that currently 70 million Americans are living with an STI and 19 million more Americans will find out this year that they have a STD. The kicker that silenced the room was that half of those infections occur to people younger than 25. He said if the audience thought it- was just a scary fact and that they or none of their friends have an STI, they should think if anyone would openly admit to being infected. "Let me ask you a question, do you think if your friends have an STD that they're going to talk about it?" Woods said. "Do you think they're going to go to the clinic or to their doctor and the next day, drop their drawers and say 'Hey, look at my rash?' Do you really think your friend is going to tell you about it? More than likely, no." It is with that charismatic energy mixed with genuine concern and cold, hard truth that makes students listen to what is being said. "You think that because you can't see it, feel it or touch it that you don't have see SEX, page 7
Report: Enrollment, funding numbers at odds received just over $319 million and UCO received almost $117 million for the 2009 Senior Reporter fiscal year. Ben Hardcastle, OSRHE director of comUCO's enrollment has increased in the munications, said the State Regents give past five years, whereas OU and OSU's careful consideration when deciding how to apportion education funding each year. enrollment has dropped. "Our formula is based on a number of However, the state's two largest universities have received larger increases in fund- factors," Hardcastle said. "Enrollment is the largest part of it." ing than UCO this fiscal year. OSU and UCO's enrollment numbers UCO received a $6 million increase from the 2008 to 2009 fiscal school year while decreased slightly from the Fall 2006 to OU received $29 million and OSU received the Fall 2007 semester, while OU's head$19 million, according to the Oklahoma count increased by almost 200 students, State Regents for Higher Education 2009 according to the UCO Office of Institutional Educational and General Budget and Research's 2007 - 2008 Factbook. The 2007 - 2008 Factbook showed UCO's Summary Analysis. The analysis showed OU received over see FUNDING, page 6 $390 million, Oklahoma State University
Red Bull to host Land Rush
Ryan Croft
Photo by Chris Albers
The Land Run, honored above in a mural on the Mass Communications Building, will be celebrated in a re-enactment. Story Page 6.
UCOSA aims to help university save money Caleb McWilliams Writer
UCOSA President John Bobb-Semple said he Would veto a joint resolution passed last Monday through the UCOSA House and Senate to turn off front lamps of all campus vending machines. The bill, known as the Students Supporting Sustainability (SSS) Act, has "some issues with policy" and will need to be further discussed in this Monday's session, Bobb-Semple said. "It's not that he's against it, or anyone is against it," said President Pro Tempore of the Senate Daniel Stockton. "We just need to clean up some verbage, make it easier to
read and get it in line with current UCOSA standards." pus." Stockton said they plan to bring it back next week with The lamps would have been turned off or disabled by some minor changes, and will hopefully pass unanimously "persons designated by the Great Plains Coca-Cola cocoon Monday. Both the House and the Senate passed the cur- pany, per request of the University of Central Oklahoma." Additionally, the bill would have created a position rent version of the bill unanimously last Monday. Stockton said he was glad this bill passed the way it did, "directly related to the Energy & Sustainability Efforts" in and hopefully with the "in-depth spell check," it will be the Executive Cabinet of UCOSA. Similar initiatives taken at the University of Tennessee, passed and signed soon. The act called for "the united effort of students and Knoxville saved $13,000 a year, and sustainability manadministration" to turn off all the front lights on university ager for Facilities Services at UT Gordie Bennett said the vending machines. The purpose of this, according to the amount of carbon dioxide removed at their campus is bill, was "for the purpose of preserving energy on cam- equivalent to keeping 25 cars off the road for a year.