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ATISTA
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Vol. 84, No. 47
Thursday Edition
Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma
Election turnout up, officials say
— The quest
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By Susan Garrett
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Photographic services: Torn Gilbert
Kevin Murphy heats an innoculating loop over a Bunsen burner to sterilize it. Murphy, student in Dr. Riaz Ahmad's pathogenic microbiology and immunology laboratory, is attempting to isolate an unknown organism from a soil sample. Part of the assignment is to identify the organism.
Voter turnout was heavy Wednesday for Student Senate officers and senators, according to several Student Association members. If their predictions are true, the turnout marked an increase in election participation in comparison to the past several years, when usually less than 400 of the approximately 12,000 students cast votes. "We had a real good turnout — couldn't of handled anymore students," said Scott Birdwell, student senate speaker. There were times, Birdwell said, the line got so long that many students left. "I'm a little surprised and happy," about the large turnout of student voters, he added. Birdwell said the votes would be counted Thursday morning. The results w ill be published in The Vista Tuesday. One change the Student Senate made this year was to ditch the computer ballots and return to the hand-cast ballots. The votes will be tabulated by hand, said Randy Anduss, student senate member and publicity committee chairman. Why? The money squeeze. It's less expensive than computer ballots. We can make the copies (of the ballots) here in the senate office, Anduss said. If we use the computer "it would cost 9 cents a form," Anduss explained. The computer forms are similar to computerized student test forms. Problems developed with the computerized form. Each voter needed an ex-
planation for which candidate or issue the lines and boxes stood for. It would also be easy for voters to mark the wrong box, thus invalidating the ballot, he said. Anduss said he thought the ballots would be counted by Deanna Land, associate dean of students, or Dr. Dudley Ryan, vice president of student services, and a Student Association election committee member. The cost of paper and supplies is not the only cost in holding an election. Campaigning can be expensive for full-time students. "I've spent about $75," said Karla Krauss, candidate for president. "Fliers cost me about $65 with a coupon," she said. "I've spent over a $100 — probably $135," said Jeff Shilling another candidate for president. "It cost me $58 for my ad in The Vista, $10 for flyers and $40 for signs," said Richard Passey, also a candidate for president. It costs to be noticed, said Passey. Another factor may have contributed to the large turnout. Do elections and parties go together? Well it certainly can't hurt, according to Nelaine Mason, student senate parlimentarian. It appears that the Student Association's "Spring Fling '86", two nights of free entertainment for the students, started at 5 p.m. Wednesday, the same time the ballot boxes were open. "It wasn't done with that in mind," Mason said. "The weeks just overlapped."
Speed limits may increase due to radar use By Curtis Killman Editor
Campus police decided last year they needed to slow down the traffic on the campus streets, and they think their doing it. But now it appears, because of their efforts, the speed limits will be raised. Sound illogical? Well, the speed limits may be raised in response to complaints from some students, faculty and staff concerning enforcement of a 15 mph speed limit, according to campus police. "We're under quite a bit of criticism from radar traffic and there's a lot of comments about the speed limits and (that it) needs to be changed," said Campus Police Chief Bob Roberts. The criticism developed after campus police purchased radar
and began using it this semester. Roberts said the speed limit has always been 15 mph on campus streets, but it was difficult to enforce without the radar. Now it appears they may be enforcing a law that drivers feel is too low. Other universities, Roberts said, apparently have higher speed limits on their campus streets. "We conducted a survey and it appears that most of the universities do have a 20 mph speed limit, rather than the 15," Roberts added. "It may be changed to 20 mph," Roberts said. "I think the decision will probably be made for us to bump it up," Roberts said. "I personally think it's reasonable (where it currently is). Roberts said the complaints
have been coming from several directions concerning the 15 mile an hour speed limit. "I know the Student Senate has voiced complaints," Roberts said, "and I've handled several complaints on the phone and in person and I understand Dr. Williams (Dr. Larry Williams, vice president of administration) has talked to several people about it. So it may be that we'll change that. But if we do, it won't be before the fall semester." Roberts said since his department has started using the radar, ticket writing has increased. Campus police have written 183 speeding tickets for the months of January through March of 1986. This compares to 154 tickets written for the same period in 1985.
Radar guns and speed limits are under fire from drivers.