The Student Voice Since 1903 . UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2005
UCOSA winds down with farewell banquet ■ Student body government honors Dr. Don Betz, welcomes new officers by Michael Robertson Staff Writer
Photo by Justin Avera
Cindy Gray, administrative assistant for Alumni Relations, gives a graduation gift to Nicole Craft, graduating journalism senior. The Alumni Association sponsored a banquet for graduating seniors April 27 in Evans Hall.
Grads prepare for life after UCO by Tynesia Omopariola Staff Writer
The future plans of graduates vary. Some people have plans after college and some don't, but UCO's graduate will cross the stage May 6 or 7 to begin the next phase of their lives. Brad Butler is a general studies major at UCO. Butler played football at UCO and has been a student at the university for more than two years, since his transfer from Southwestern
State University. The 22-yearold from Austin, Texas_said he can't wait to graduate. "UCO is fun and has a great college atmosphere for students, but I'm ready to move on," Butler said. Butler said he wants to hang out with his friends and celebrate after commencement. Butler plans to spend two months in Hawaii with his best friend, return to Austin in October and join the police academy.
"Good pay, good benefits Hamm currently works at and job security is my mainzeu—„Quality Lube and Auto and son for becoming a police offs- plans to continue there for a litcer. I will miss all my friends, tle while until he begins looking teachers and coaches," Butler for a new job. He said he is in said. no hurry to look for a job just yet. Chad Hamm is an advertis- "I got my degree because I ing major who transferred from Seminole State College. The needed it," Hamm said. Andrea Argo is a 23-year-old 24-year-old, married student has been at UCO for two years, advertising major with a minor and has changed his major in graphic design. She has been at UCO for three years, since twice. " I just want to go out to eat and drink beer," Hamm said.
see PREPARATION, page 3
The UCO Student Association held its end of the semester banquet April 25 in Ballroom C in the Nigh University Center to bid farewell to outgoing officers and induct officer elects. Outgoing UCOSA Senate Pro Tempore Dallas Strimple opened the ceremony by presenting outgoing Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Don Betz with a copy of a bill passed in the senate designating April 25 as "Dr. Don Betz Day." "We want to try to celebrate his time here and give him a send-off," Strimple said. "This man has done amazing things for this campus." "I've been called a lot of things, but I've never had a day named after me," Betz said. Betz talked about his college experiences in student government and how difficult it was to realize the goals he set out to accomplish. He said he thinks the current UCOSA officers have done a good job reaching their own goals. "In the six and a half years
alk This Weigh' wraps up semester ■ Half of participants completed the 10,000-step challenge by Ashlie Campbell Staff Writer
Job hunt not as bleak as it seems ■ Director of Career Services has an optimistic outlook for 2005 graduates by Callie A. Collins Staff Writer
"Caution: College graduate flipping burgers." "Caution: Living in a van down by the river." T-shirt slogans from UCO's Career Services Department echo a tongue-in-cheek warning as part of the "Where Will You End Up?" promotional approach adopted this past semester. For most college graduates, neither of the above
options represent the proposed actuality of their future roles in the labor force. Shannon Wilguess, director of Career Services, sees 2005 as a banner year in the regional job climate. Although Oklahoma has followed the so-called "recession trend" in the recent past, she remains optimistic and insists that opportunities abound for those who are adequately prepared. Wilguess cites the UCO Fall Career and Internship Fair as an example of employers' willingness to recruit prospective staff members through university sources. The event will be repeated for the first time in UCO history on Feb. 1, 2006 for the spring semester.
Located on the third floor of the Nigh University Center, Career Services offers advice for students including counseling, coaching for interviews and resume preparation assistance. It hosts a variety of how-to books, videos and pamphlets about various aspects of the employment odyssey, including posted job opportunities and internships. Wilguess notes that UCO students have the advantage of already having ties to the metro area, a definite plus for Oklahoma City and Edmondbased businesses whose supervisors may themselves be former student& Chesapeake, for example, revealed in 2004 that more than half of its degreed workforce is
made up of UCO graduates. She insists, however, that students should be flexible, willing to relocate and to give small towns with large industry a try. Rather than naming a specific major most likely to succeed this year, Wilguess defined key traits of flourishing graduates: polished writing skills, good grammar, eagerness to learn and a strong resume. Acing interviews also ranked high on her list. She said the interview is a chance to "build a relationship so that the recruiter remembers that special candidate." Graduates are requested to report their newly acquired positions to the Career Services
The "Walk This Weigh" program held its final weigh-in on April 25. The Student Health Advisory Committee-sponsored program, which started on Feb. 28, encouraged students, faculty and staff to increase their physical activity through walking over an eight-week period. The ultimate goal of the program was for participants to walk 10,000 steps in a day, which is about five miles. Of the 127 participants, 63 completed the 10,000 step challenge. "That is 50 percent of all participants, an improvement over last year when we had 40 percent," said Danielle Dill, assistant director for the Wellness Center programs and services. To have successfully met the challenge, participants had to
see JOB CLIMATE, page 3
see WALK, page 3
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Students make professional transition with exhibit ■ Design seniors to showcase work in gallery exhibit 'N Transition' by Trisha Evans Staff Writer
Thirteen graduating students from the Department of Design will exhibit their work April 28 through May 13 at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds' City Arts Center.
"N Transition" is free and open to the public and opens with a two-hour reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. Payten Woolf, a student whose work is exhibited, said the title of the exhibit reflects their transition from college to a professional job. "But the designs in and of themselves also are a transitional process—showing the initial concepts to the finished products," Woolf said. The students design work runs the gamut from CD covers
and T-shirt designs to salsa bottle labels, said Jenkin Hammond, a student whose work is featured. "It's our portfolios on the wall," Hammond said. Larry Hefner, associate design professor, said the exhibit is predominately print media, but will also include some multi-media and pure illustration. Every semester, the Department of Design sponsors the senior design exhibit which has helped students obtain jobs
in the past, Hefner said. Hammond said the students sent invitations to businesses in the design industry. Students with work also featured in the show are Tammy Aderhold, Megan Barnes, Chad Bianco, Rusty Eldred, Lisa Hoang, Mirlinda Kadriu, Ross Morley, Mikael Paparisto, Keisha Pratt, Terri Shires and Cary Stringfield. Trisha Evans can be reached at tevans@thevistaonline.com.
WHO:
I've been here I've seen a tremendous evolution in the UCOSA," Betz said. "You're at a public university, paid for with public money and part of what we do here is create the public good." Strimple and Barrett Dye, outgoing president pro tempore, gave a "Most Outstanding Senator" award to Ty Reidenbaugh, UCOSA senator for the Tri-Beta Biology Club. Strimple said the award was being given for the first time this year. Outgoing Speaker of the House Dan Ross then gave the "Most Outstanding Representative" award to Christina Petty. The outgoing officers then made short farewell speeches, starting with Ross. "I'm proud of our house, I'm proud of UCOSA," Ross said. "There's a fire in each and every one of us, now go burn this place down." Strimple then took the podium and said while he was sad he wasn't elected student body president in the recent elections, he would have been sadder if he hadn't been elected to his position as the senate president pro tempore. "As you guys know, the senate has meant everything to me my whole time here," he said.
see UCOSA, page 3 CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS ■ Four commencement ceremonies will be held May 6 and 7 in Hamilton Field House for the five colleges of the university. The College of Education and Professional Studies ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. May 6. The College of Mathematics and Sciences will hold ceremonies at 7 p.m. May 6. At 10 a.m. May 7, ceremonies will be held for the College of Business Administration. The last ceremony will be at 2 p.m. May 7 for the Colleges of Arts, Media & Design and Liberal Arts. Guests without tickets can view the ceremonies from video monitors in the south foyer of the Field House, as space permits. ■ The online contest sponsored by the Max Chambers Library to win one of 10 iPod Shuffles will continue through April 30 on the library Web site, library.ucok.edu . ■ The Information Technology Computer Lab in Rm. 107 of the Max Chambers Library will be open 24 hours a day through May 6. ■ Student-directed, one-act plays will be performed April 29 and 30 in Pegasus Theater of the Liberal Arts Building. They begin at 7 p.m. ■ Broncho Pride bracelets are on sale for $3 in the university bookstore or at the President's Office. Proceeds benefit the President's Leadership Council.
Thirteen design seniors WHAT:
Gallery opening of "N Transition," senior design exhibit WHEN:
5:30 p.m. April 28
WHERE:
City Arts Center, Oklahoma City Fairgrounds
INDEX Opinion News Photos Photos Sports Classifieds
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WHY:
To showcase portfolio pieces of graduating seniors
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