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Students answer: What is your opinion on the military’s policy don’t ask, don’t tell? Do you think it should be repealed? Why or why not?
Gov. Brad Henry has declared March National Caffeine Awareness Month.
Baseball beats Missouri and gets back to .500.
Sports editor, Chris Wescott chooses his first round draft picks on page 8.
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TODAY
State and campus
CAMPUS FIREARM BILL SEES NEW LIFE, AGAIN A state representative from Guthrie has brought back legislation that would allow licensed gun-carriers to bring concealed weapons onto campus. This is the third attempt in as many years to pass the legislation. By Ryan Costello / Staff Writer The Oklahoma Public Safety Committee is approaching the deadline to consider legislation that could allow licensed faculty and staff to carry concealed firearms on the campuses of Oklahoma’s public universities, including UCO. House Bill 1083, a proposal held over from last year’s committee session, must be addressed by next week if it’s going to be considered by the Oklahoma House and Senate in 2010. The bill, written by Oklahoma Rep. Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie), would grant concealed weapon rights to “any person who possesses a valid concealed handgun license issued pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act … and who is a member of faculty who is primarily charged with classroom teaching responsibilities,” according to Section E of the bill’s text, the most controversial piece of the firearm legislation. “Some college populations are larger than small Oklahoma towns, and they have these red lines around them (that restrict concealed weapon possession),” Murphey said. Murphey initially introduced the bill shortly after the Northern Illinois University shooting killed six and injured another 18 in February of 2008. Though Murphey is a member of
PHOTO BY BYRON KOONTZ
WASHINGTON — This time the apology comes from the top. Toyota president Akio Toyoda tells Congress — and millions of U.S. car-owners — he’s sorry about safety lapses that have led to deaths and injuries and promises the company will do more to fix the problems. The chairman of a House panel blasts both the world’s largest automaker and federal regulators. WASHINGTON — Signs grow that the recovery is sputtering as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke reiterates that record-low interest rates will be needed for “an extended period,” and the Senate passes a jobs bill. New-home sales hit a record low, and bailed-out mortgage giant Freddie Mac suggests it will need even more taxpayer money. NEW ORLEANS — In the days after Hurricane Katrina struck, the fatal shootings by police of two men as they crossed a bridge to get food became a symbol of a city in chaos. The expected guilty plea of a former police lieutenant is raising hopes that investigators may finally have penetrated the “blue code” of silence that surrounded the case. NEW YORK — A surprisingly steep decline in consumer confidence fuels fears that a strong economic recovery is not coming any time soon. A crucial element — greater consumer spending — is missing because Americans are morose about the struggling job market and their economic prospects. NEW YORK — Employees at Wall Street financial firms collected more than $20 billion in bonuses in 2009, the year taxpayers bailed out the financial sector amid the economic meltdown — a payout sure to be a bitter pill to many Americans. “Taxpayers bailed them out, and now they’re back making money,” the state comptroller said.
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THE VISTA
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FEB 25, 2010
Representative Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie), is the author of House Bill 1083, a proposal from last year’s committee session that will allow any person with a valid concealed handgun license to carry concealed weapons on campus. This will be the third time Murphey has brought the legislation up in committee.
the National Rifle Association, he insisted he wasn’t supporting concealed weapons rights simply to promote Second Amendment rights. Murphey said House Bill 1083 is
meant only to provide a safer college environment. “(Concealed weapons rights on campus) create doubt in criminals’ minds,” Murphey said. The first incarnation of the bill gave
concealed weapons rights to more than just faculty. “Originally, (the bill) had a pretty pure approach,” Murphey said.
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Close to campus
CAR CRASH INJURES ONE, CLOSES 2ND STREET As a result, Second Street between Rankin and Baumann was closed from 5:20-10:45 p.m., causing vehicles to take a detour away from the road. Jamie Carpenter, 31, driving eastbound in her SUV with two others, veered off the roadway and struck a utility pole, seriously injuring one of the passengers. The pole landed on top of the vehicle causing the vehi-
By Harish Murali and Rahul Preeth / Staff Writers One person was seriously injured in a car crash that happened Monday at 5:10 p.m. at the intersection of Garland Godfrey and Second Street in front of the UCO campus. The injured, identified as Paul Debout, 42, was airlifted to Oklahoma University Medical Center where he was upgraded from critical to serious condition.
cle to go berserk. The out-of-control SUV ran back onto the roadway and crossed into oncoming westbound traffic, striking a Mercury Marquis and then traveling on for several yards before coming to rest on the sidewalk. Police believe Carpenter was a caretaker for two passengers in her SUV and was driving under the influence of drugs, Edmond police spokes-
woman Glynda Chu said. The Emergency Medical Services Authority took the driver of the Mercury, Sorroco Tellez, 48 of Oklahoma City, and Dennis Cullum, 42 of Edmond, to OU Medical Center. Carpenter, who is facing custody charges for driving under the influence of drugs, was transported to Integris Baptist Medical Hospital by EMSA. All three are in stable condition.
Student group
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CAMPUS GROUP PROMOTES SUCCESS By Jenefar DeLeon / Staff Writer
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DID YOU KNOW? Human blood circulates from the heart through the body and back to the heart again in about 45 seconds on average.
The free student Success Group held its first meeting on Tuesday. The student Success Group hosted the fourth semester of its sessions that help students who are struggling with balancing school and work, or are having conflict with classes, roommates or other problems, hoping to reduce their chances of withdrawing from school. The group was formed for two reasons – to help reduce the number of students who will have the high risk of withdrawing from college, and to provide experience to the students participating in the counseling psychology master’s program at UCO, Dr. Janelle Grellner, licensed psychologist and supervisor of the program, said. “Like many other universities, there is a large number of students who
PHOTO BY BYRON KOONTZ
TOMORROW
Sara Williams and Jeannie Massay (center) facilitate Success Groups at UCO. Williams and Massay hope to be effective counselors.
don’t come back to school for some reason and withdraw as the result,” Grellner said. “And our campus recognized that need and wanted to counteract those numbers.” Grellner believes this gives her graduate students the opportunity to participate and cofacilitate the group sessions along with supervised faculty members who are licensed psychologists. Before the graduate students could create the sessions, along with faculty help, students had to research the reasons behind why students dropped out of school. Grellner said it was not the typical answer they thought
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