www. thevistaonline. corn What you need to know
THE
Film Studies offers unique opportunities
Page 3
Film Review: `Adventureland'
Page 4
UCO Hockey hopes for impact
Page .8
April 9, 2009
D) Campus raises awareness of child abuse Ryan Croft ,Cenior 1?(/)oiler
Over 3 million children were abused last year in the United States. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and UCO helped raise awareness Wednesday with various campus activities. Amopg the activities, UCO tied blue ribbons on trees around Broncho Lake and held a blue ribbon toddler-parade. . "This really ... had such a good student turnout," Dr. Kaye Sears, UCO's Department of Health and Environmental Service Department Chairperson, said. "I'm so pleased that they would be a apart of this initiative." Oklahoma has one of the highest numbers of child-abuse mortality rates in the nation — with 41 total recorded deaths, according to the Every Child Matters Education Fund. "Every blue ribbon stands for a child who has been abused, and we had 3 million in America last year," Sears said. Sears also said Oklahoma had recorded 4o child deaths due to abuse as of 2005. "We have many children who are abused and neglected in ... Oklahoma," Sears emphasized. "It only takes a minute to change the life of a child, It only takes one person. So, we need to get on it." A food-sale fundraiser was also held Wednesday to raise money for the UCO Early
Childhood Association, one of the events' cosponsors. The ECA and the Campus Council on Family Relations asked students and faculty to wear blue clothing Wednesday as apart of the effort to raise awareness. The ECMEF report compared Oklahoma against the best states in the nation in which to raise a child. Oklahoma ranked among the worst states in almost every category. The Every Child Matters Education Fund is a nonprofit organization working to make policies protecting children and families a national-political priority, according to the organization's Web site. UCO junior Samantha Thomas said child abuse in Oklahoma is an incredibly serious, issue that often gets swept under the rug because people do not want to talk about it. "A lot of families are like `Ssshh, don't tell'," Thomas said. Senior Noelle Legere, a child development major, said a person often does not tell about their knowledge of a child abuse case because they do not want that kind of responsibility or they do not realize just how serious the abuse is. "We hope to get the word out ... [so] people understand this is a big issue and that ... people need to step up and help," Legere said.
Oklahoma Child Abuse Statistics
Oklahoma children are 10 times more likely to be killed by • child abuse than the typical child located in the 10 safest states. Oklahoma children also are twice as likely to live in poverty, nearly twice as likely to die from age 15 through 19, and more than twice as likely to be born to a mother who received late or no prenatal care, Oklahoma ranked as the worst state in the nation for child • abuse deaths, with 4.8 child abuse fatalities for every 100,000 children. Source: Report by Every Child Matters' Education Fund
Photo by Vista photographer Matt Danner
Ribbons hang in the trees around Broncho Lake at the UCO Early Childhood Association's parade for National Child Abuse Prevention Month-.
State representative's efforts to push English-only bill fail Joe Lopez sp,ciaio iii(
I'irin
In a quick turn of events, the Oklahoma legislator who has attempted for two years to push English-only language provisions on Oklahomans received stiff rebuttal from an unlikely source, a fellow party member. In Tuesday's committee in House General Government State Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore was unsuccessful in amending the two sentence bill, Senate Bill 1156, to mirror House Joint Resolution 1042, which he authored. Terrill said the Senate Bill, authored by both State Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, and State Rep Lisa J. Billy, R-Purcell, is a sham compared to his legislation which specifies English as the official language of the state, despite a multitude of exemptions. The two untimely amendments were offered by Terrill, I though both failed. Terrill is not a member of the committee. Billy denied allegations of unconstitutionality by designating a common language for the state, saying it would not burden state agencies. Additionally she did not appreciate Terrill's lack of prior interest in working on the legislation. Before the vote, Terrill insisted debating the bill claiming legislative privilege, despite not being a standing member of the committee. Billy, as chairman of the committee denied his request. Visibly upset, Terrill told Billy he would not discuss the matter further, stormed out of the room and slammed the door on his way out leaving attendees stunned. .
TheVistaOnline.com now has classifieds!
Browse the listings, find a job, make more money.
The bill passed 7-4, amendment free, with the American Civil Liberties Union quickly pledging support for Billy and the legislation. The story doesn't end there. The House Judiciary Committee; which Terrill is a member of and is chaired by State Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, convened the evening before. Senate Bill 1120, which originally dealt with executive agency meetings under the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act, was passed as an entirely rewritten bill.
ail
The High-Tech Trainwreck- 11 Uideo
*se Blog with Ryan Croft
My life is an inglorious mess of information and experiences all crammed into sleepless, 24-hour cycles. Lucky for you, I'm getting www.TheUistaOnline.com the good stuff on video.
During discussion, Terrill offered a committee substitute which gutted the bill, replacing it with a copy of HJR 1042. The substitute was not made available to memberA of the committee before hand, leaving Democratic members crying foul. State Rep. Ryan Kiesel, D-Seminole, said the action was "a complete abandonment of procedure," as the substitute was not previously provided for consideration. Duncan said the original bill applied to the same section of law which covers items like the official food and dinosaur of the state, which made the substitute acceptable. "Duncan was ready to rule on that before an objection was lodged," Kiesel said. Questions of relevance of the substitute to the original bill remain, with Kiesel saying the..actions taken.were out of order, in violation of current House rules and possibly both the State and Federal Constitution. State Rep. Richard Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City, abstained from voting, protesting the actions of the chair. The rewritten bill passed 7-2, creating a duplicate of HJR 1042. Had Terrill been successful Tuesday morning with the same tactic, three identical bills would be in existence. Of Terrill's action in Tuesday's committee, Billy characterized him as showcasing. She said she would have appreciated working and negotiating with him instead of allowing him to wreck the legislation of others house members. "In rural Oklahoma we meet face to face, man to woman, and hash it out," Billy said. "Sometimes we have to go behind the barn."
Go online!
TNEY~SI7IORMCOM