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CONFERENCE TACKLES DEMOCRACY by Megan Lee Staff Writer
"Civic engagement is a component of a learningcentered, transformative education. It can go on within the walls of a classroom or beyond those walls," said Dr. Bill Radke, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at the University of Central Oklahoma. This statement served as the backbone of the American Democracy Projects Civic Engagement conference held here on the UCO campus earlier this week. The conference, sponsored by The New York Times and the Oklahoma Campus Compact, focused on ways to encourage civic engagement among college students. Organizers believe it will have a lasting impact on students. Featured at the conference were two UCO alumni. Both offered a unique perspective on how civic involvement has positively influenced their lives. Dale Archer, a 1999 graduate from the Journalism depai tinent, spoke of his recent job working as the Adviser to the Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo. His main focus there was to provide support, give parliamentary briefings and opinions and to form an ad hoc committee on the Official Flag, Emblem, and National Anthem. His personal projects in the country included formulating the Assembly Standards Plan and the Speaker Support Plans. "People expect change in the world without first changing themselves—this is impossible," Archer said.
by Vista photographer Chris Albers
Economics graduate Adja Kone laughs Tuesday afternoon while presenting a paper selected by her former professor, David Webb. Kone was one of the last speakers in a two-day conference held on campus by the American Democracy Project.
He describes his experiences as life changing, eyeopening, and career boosting. Archer plans to apply all that he has gathered in Kosovo to a career with the National
Democratic Institute in Washington, D. C., where he will support governance and legislative programs around the world. "My advice to anyone who
wants to fuel change: get out of your zip code, your state, your hemisphere," Archer said. Adja Kone, a 2007 graduate in economics and account-
ing, spoke on her service learning experiences with professor David Webb. A native of Senegal, Kone was considered one of the top students in her nation
and was selected by the United Nations Development Program in 2001 to study in the United States.
see DEMO, page 4
Hines proposes smoking ban for Oklahoma institutions by Nelson Solomon Staff Writer
by Vista photographer Chris Albers
Jordan Rusnack, a business administation major, smokes a cigarette Wednesday afternoon outside the Communications Building. Student Body President Jason Hines proposed a resolution that would ban tobacco use at higher education institutions in Oklahoma.
Mon. through Thurs. at 5 p.m. NEWSCENTRAL
A resolution to make all institutions for higher education in Oklahoma become tobacco-free is on its way to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the Oklahoma Legislature, among other resolutions. The resolution was passed at the 27th Spring Congress of the Oklahoma Student Government Association held last Thursday and Friday, March 6 and March 7, at the Nigh University Center. All the resolutions passed were nonbinding, but brought attention to the issues that are important to students throughout the state's higher education institutions, according to Student Body President Jason Hines. Hines co-authored the bill with fellow UCO student Matt Blubaugh. Hines referenced a study done at UCO when presenting his resolution that all state campuses become tobacco-
'No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one." -Elbert Hubbard
free, which passed by a narrow 20-26 vote. "For a day, cigarette butts were collected from all over campus, and the final collection amounted to 300 pounds," Hines said. Hines also cited the fact that the rule against smoking within 100 feet of a building entrance is not enforced, and nonsmokers are forced to breathe smoke when passing by every single time. Hines referenced placement of the rule at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City, which took effect on Jan. 1. The tobacco-free policy includes buildings, grounds and parking lots leased, owned or operated by OSU-OKC, according to their Web site. Tobacco use will also be prohibited in any vehicle leased or owned by the school. The new policy will apply to all persons on campus, including employees, students and visitors. OSU-Stillwater recently approved a similar ban, which
will go into effect July 1, 2008, according to the Web site. An editorial in the Iowa State Daily expressed their opinion about universities placing smoking bans. "Officials can tell us that prohibiting smoking on an entire campus will increase overall student health and help suppress rising health insurance costs, but who are they to tell people when and where they can make a personal choice to light up?" Hines added that the tobacco-free rule would apply to all forms of tobacco use, including smoking. The resolution would also ban the use of tobacco within personal vehicles that are on campus, a suggestion which brought disagreement from members of the body. "In my head, I can't imagine police chasing cars with people smoking, but if they're that serious, then that's their choice," Hines said when
see TOBACCO, page 3