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The Student Voice of the University of Central Oklahoma Since 1903
July 12, 2007
Police pursue Chase through UCO campus Tuition increase the side of the car," Chu said. Hall, police reports state. The impact from the chains "There was several hundred dolStaff Writer lars worth of damage, at least." and poles damaged the officer's After getting shortchanged The incident involving Chase patrol car, and he was unable to and receiving the wrong was set off following a verbal continue the chase in his vehiorder at a McDonalds drivedispute with a manager at the cle, Lakin stated in his report. thru, an angry Edmond man Within a few minutes, howMcDonalds on E. 2nd Street. led city police on a wild chase According to police reports, ever, Chase was located on a through the UCO campus Officer Paul Lakin was dis- roof by police dogs and placed early July 7, causing damage patched to the scene after the under arrested at about 4 a.m. to school grounds and a patrol Intial charges against Chase manager called to complain car that was pursuing him. about Chase's irate behavior. include Attempting to Elude The suspect, 34-yearOnce in the general vicin- a Police Officer, Endangering old Marcus Sean Chase, was ity, Lakin quickly spotted the Another Person, Malicious arrested on W. Colcord Ave suspect's red Ford Focus flee- Injury or Destruction of State— just a few yards from his ing the area toward UCO. Owned Property and Driving own home — after an Edmond Marcus Sean Chase As Chase headed west on Under a Suspended License. K-9 unit tracked him to the Chase also had an out2nd Street, Lakin observed roof of a house on the street. ed in the pursuit, told the him driving at a high rate of standing warrant in Oklahoma UCO Police Chief Jeff Edmond Police Department speed and began to pursue the County, although he claimed he Harp said the damage to the total damage to school suspect, police reports state. didn't know anything about it. the university was minor. property was about $500. After turning right on EPD spokeswoman Baumann, Chase continued "He took out three poles in front of the canon at Thatcher Glynda Chu said her depart- to evade Lakin before drivHall, but nobody was hurt ment also suffered some dam- ing through a UCO parking and I don't know of any ages, although not to one of lot and eventually onto school other damage," Harp said. their primary patrol vehicles. grounds where he took out the "It was one of our spare three black poles and chain Andrew Knittle can be reached at UCO Police Officer Julius cars, but the mirror was broken near the canon at Thatcher aknittle@thevistaonline.com . Adkins, who briefly assistand there was scratches all over by Andrew Knittle
"Displaying our colors"
to begin this fall by Lyndsay Gillum Copy Editor
The Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education approved an increase in tuition and fees for in-state students June 28. Beginning this fall, tuition and fees will increase about ten dollars per credit hour to $128.55. The increase in figures for UCO comes to be 8.6 percent. The June 28 meeting of the OSRHE discussed the approval of institutional tuition and mandatory fee requests for resident and nonresident undergraduate, graduate and professional programs for the 2008 Fiscal Year. As expected, institutions requested new rates that mostly are well under the maximum rates. "University presidents came in [June 27 meeting] and talked about their tuition requests and what they were asking for," • Greg Sawyer, associate vice chancellor for Budget and Finance for OSRHE, said. "Most of the activity today [June 28 meeting] was taking a vote according to their requests. There wasn't much discussion." Tuition rates for undergradu-
ate residents at UCO per credit hour for FY08 is $128.55 and the cost for 30 credit hours equals out to be $3,856.50. For graduate residents, per hour rates are $164.55 and the cost for 24 credit hours totals $3,949.20. UCO ranked sixth, highest to lowest, on tuition increases from FY07 to FY08. In 2007, cost per credit hour was $117.95 and for FY08, cost rose to $128.55. The average percentage increase for undergraduate, resident tuition and mandatory fees is 8.6 percent. The average dollar increase for a full-time undergraduate resident student is $259.77. For an undergraduate resident student, the average per credit hour increase is $8.66. The largest undergraduate increase is 10 percent at Rogers State University in Claremore and the highest undergraduate, resident tuition and mandatory fees is $186.90 per credit hour at OU. The lowest undergraduate, resident tuition and mandatory fees are $70.05 per credit hour at Northern Oklahoma College, according to the meeting agenda.
see REGENTS, page 4
Heavy rain causes flooding in Art Bldg by Andrew Knittle Staff Writer
by Vista photographer Chris Albers
The Oklahoma Centennial Celebration float creeps down Ayers street at the Edmond Liberty Fest, July 4, 2007. To view the complete photo gallery of LibertyFest, visit the Vista website at www.thevistaonline.com .
Immigration policy affects students' labor by Abha Eli Phoboo Staff Writer
The United States immigration laws concerning F 1 visa holders prohibit them from working off-campus. Some students take the risk anyway in order to stay in college. Every semester, incidents of international students arrested by Immigration and Naturalization Services for working off-campus are reported to Office of International Student Services. Students who are arrested fight long, expensive legal battles in a bid to graduate. "Some international students have it difficult, but they shouldn't work off-campus. The employers should also be punished, not just the students. The students are arrested and deported but the employers will just hire another," said
Jalal Daneshfar, OISS adviser. On June 28, the immigration bill supported by President Bush was shot down in the Senate, and with it, the hopes of many international students. Section 525 (b) of the defeated federal bill proposed offcampus work authorization for foreign students. The bill's provision stated "aliens admitted as non-immigrant students ... may be employed in an off-campus position unrelated to the alien's field of study if (A) the alien has enrolled full-time at the education institution and is maintaining good academic standing; and (B) the employer provides the education institution and the Secretary of Labor with an attestation that the employer (i) has spent at least 21 days recruiting United States citizens to fill the position; and (ii) will
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pay the alien and other similarly situated workers at a rate equal to or not less than the greater of -- the actual wage level for the occupation at the place of employment; or the prevailing wage level for the occupation in the area of employment." However, Oklahoma's immigration bill that passed in May, which is touted as the toughest immigration policy in the nation, has no provision for international students. According to Glenn Freeman, OISS adviser, the options offered to foreign students for off-campus work authorization are: request, due to economic hardship, internship or apply for Optional Practical Training. "Internships mean paying added tuition and working limited hours and OPT is allowed only for a year," said Freeman.
Decisions for work permit requests due to economic hardship are often a gamble and take three months to be processed. If denied, the student forfeits the application fees. "The law is a bad law because it punishes students the most. Universities need to do something about it,". said Daneshfar. National Association of Foreign Student Advisers report foreign students and their dependents contributed approximately $13.49 billion to the U.S. economy in the 2005-2006 academic year. In Oklahoma alone, they contributed $155,973,000. International students pay around $4,000 per semester for 12 credit hours. This fall, tuition will increase by 7.8 percent. Abha Eli Phoboo can be reached at aphoboo@thevistaonline.com.
The near-constant rain of the past month, coupled with a thunderstorm on Monday night, caused some significant flooding — and damage — in the Art and Design Building's basement. Larry Heftier, chair of the Department of Design, wasn't sure just how much money the flooding will cost his department, but said a $6,000 press machine used to dry mount photographs, posters and other media did sustain some damage. Some photograph enlargers and other equipment in the basement were also damaged, Hefner said. "It's frustrating, but we have to deal with what we have to deal with," Hefner said. "The building is old and these kinds of things will happen." Hefner also said some classrooms and hallways on the ground floor found themselves under small amounts of water as students and faculty began trickling into the building July 9. The Melton Gallery, which houses more than 50 paintings
of American and European art spanning 500 years, also received minor flooding. "Facilities is aware of the problem and they're doing everything they can right now," Hefner said. The Art and Design Building, which hasn't had any major structural improvements done to it in nearly 20 years, is due to have some complicated foundation repair in the near future, but Hefner said the constant wet weather is delaying that work from getting underway. Until then, the water in the building will be mopped up as it comes in and fans are being used to help facilitate the drying process. The flooding appeared to have caused minimal disruptions in the Arts, Media and Design departments, but there is one problem Hefner admitted has caused him some annoyance. "The only men's room is in the basement," he said. "So, that can cause some problems." Andrew Knittle can be reached at aknittle@thevistaonline.com.
by Vista photographer Chris Albers
Monday's heavy rain infiltrated the Art and Design Building's printmaking basement.
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