April 26, 1984
Vol. 82, No. 54
Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma
Graduation changes reflect graduate poll
Coming into the world at 7 lbs. 12 oz., is the Welcome daughter of Hank and Susan Mooney, Anna Share'. She was born at 7:01 p.m. Tuesday at Edmond Memorial Hospital. Mom and daughter are reported to be "doing just fine." —
Central State University's spring convocation ceremonies will reflect changes indicated from a poll of graduates taken earlier this semester. Those polled indicated they wanted more recognition given undergraduate candidates, Dr. James E. Perry, academic vice president, said Tuesday. Perry said three stages will be used in a first-ever multiple stage ceremony. Bachelor degree candidates will march across two stages simultaneously to receive individual recognition after the awarding of master degrees. The university expects to graduate 1,606 candidates, including 408 receiving master degrees. Ceremonies will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday May 4, in Wantland Stadium unless adverse weather forces graduates inside, explained Dr. Dudley Ryan, dean of students. Changes this year include an effort to shorten the time for such a large number to enter the traditional processional. Four lines will march instead of two as in the past. All will enter from the south steps. New steps and rails have been built, explained Dr. Bill Lillard, CSU president. "We want to maintain the traditions, but improve the time required for the ceremony," he explained. Previously, about 20 to 25 minutes have been needed for the opening exercise. Lillard hopes to cut that time in half with the changes. More time will be allowed for individual recognition of the bachelor degree candidates with the elimination this year of an outside commencement speaker. Degree covers will be presented to baccalaureate candidates by the appropriate deans.
Those receiving graduate degrees will be called by name as they march across center stage and recognized by President Lillard as in past ceremonies. Another change will be the addition of academic marshalls, three senior faculty members, who will lead the processional. The faculty member with the longest time of service at the university will carry the Mace, a traditional symbol of authority for the President's office. Degree candidates will follow to academic procession and will be led by class marshalls as they have been in the past, Perry said. Dr. Charles Richmond, a senior faculty member retiring this year and a longtime chaplin with the 45th Infantry Division, will be invocator and will present the benediction. Also, to facilitate recognition of master degree candidates, two persons will share the responsibility for reading the candidates's name on the loudspeaker. Dr. Jack Beeson, director of admissions, will share the responsibility with Dr. Ronald Paddock, director of international students. Inclement weather would move the ceremonies inside. Altered exercises will be administered by appropriate deans. Participants will be notified by media announcements and by the on-campus electronic message center as soon as such a plan goes into effect, Lillard explained. Exercises would be moved into Mitchell Hall for the School of Education; into Broncho Fieldhouse for Masters Degree candidates, the School of Business and Liberal Arts; and into the University Center Ballroom for the School of Mathematics and Science.
Founding editor reminisces By Cheryl M. Melton During the fall of 1903 at the Territorial Normal School of Edmond, Oklahoma, an English professor organized all his classes together to publish a literary magazine.
Each student was asked to submit possible titles for the magazine. Laressa G. Cox, senior, suggested the winning title and The Vista was born. Laressa G. Cox McBurney, was one of the founding editors of The
Vista, she recently turned 100 at a retirement community in Manhatten, Kan., where she now lives. McBurney knew from the beginning The Vista was here to stay. In her autobiography she
Summer job outlook bright , By Melissa Mercer Students searching for summer jobs will have a better chance at finding employment this summer than in years past. An improvment in the job market is the result of economic recovery and growth in small businesses, which will provide the means for employers to expand or reinstate summer jobs programs. Analyists estimate there are 14
million positions to be filled this summer—an increase of 200,000 over last year. However, with 16.8 million looking for jobs, competition will remain at peak level. The State Employment Security Commission recommends construction, clerical and recreation as likely areas for summer employment. Resorts and amusement parks are good prospects as well.
In this issue... New regent selected to replace Bradford...page 3 Retirees amass 235 years of service...page 4 Dancers set performance...page 4 New calender girls selected...page 6 Golfers fall short in district...page 8
In the Edmond area, the state agency is working with the Edmond Chamber of Commerce to place students in summer work. "We'll find jobs for approximately 150 students this summer," says Terry Watson of the Edmond office of the Employment Security Commission. This, however, is only half of the students who will apply through the Edmond office of the Employment Security Commission, and a fraction of the 1000 total who are estimated to be looking this spring. Locally, stores and restaurants offer the best opportunity for summer work. Industrial jobs are less available. On a federal level, funds allocated for summer jobs programs are targeted toward economically disadvantaged families. In addition to providing federally funded jobs, other programs provide tax credits as an incentive for employers to hire summer help.
says,"From the first issue, The Vista was a success, and years later I gave my copies, a perfect file, to the library archives at Edmond. I kept the copy that had my theme on Tennyson's 'The Palace of Art"' . The founding editors saw The Vista as meeting a vital need, not only as a means of boosting student pride and informing the alumni of school happenings, but keeping the two in touch with each other. But, in the first issue of The Vista, published in November, 1903, the original editor-in-chief, Harvey 0. Shuff said that was only part of the paper's purpose. Shuff said The Vista was created to give student's a medium of expression, with nearly half of the paper being devoted to "the best college culture can produce in the way of humor, poetry, criticism, and storytelling." The section Mrs. McBurney was responsible for was called College and Exchange and it reflected the split personality of the paper. It included this news item,"Mr. Pulitzer, owner and editor of the New York World, has given a million dollars to Columbia University to found a school of journalism." And, on the same page, The Vista's first reader found this untitled poem, "Billy looked at Mary, Oh, what a pretty Miss! He
stole a little nearer; Then bashful, stole away." A significant amount of space, in that first issue, was given to the news and happening of the Normal School's alumni. The last item in the section stated, "Chas. McBurney, a former member of the senior class, is attending the Kansas City Medical College." This was the man Laressa G. Cox would marry five years later in 1908. His first proposal to her came on her graduation day just after she walked through Old North Tower— a walk now established as a tradition among modern day graduates. Graduation and marriage did not end McBurney's literary days. She has written three books of poetry and two biographies. Because arthritis prevents her from using a typewriter, McBurney no longer writes poetry. However, she regularly attends poetry readings and discussion groups in her retirement community. The Vista turns 71 years old this year, and as predicted by McBurney those many years ago, many feel it has been a success. McBurny, in referring to The Vista in her autobiography, said,"The Vista has continued to be published, but as a newspaper, as an official organ of the college and continues to rank well among other such papers of the state schools."