The Student Voice Since 1903 THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2006
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
UCO receives state fund increase, raises tuition by Nathan Winfrey Senior Staff Writer The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education approved a tuition and fee increase June 29 that will raise costs 7.5 percent for both resident and nonresident UCO students. The increase will raise charges for 30 credit hours by $246 for residents and $621 for nonresidents, making the increase for residents the second highest in the state. Most affected by the changes are students at Rose State
College, which had an increase of 9.4 per cent for residents and 14.1 per cent for nonresidents. "The request came from each of the governing boards and the cost of higher education continued to go up, particularly costs we can't control," said Ben Hardcastle, regents spokesman. "There have been several years where there have been little or no raises among faculty on campus." He said the bulk of the funds generated by the increased tuition and fees will go towards the pay raises.
The board allocated a record $1.02 billion in state appropriations for colleges June 23, including $130 million in new state funds to centers of higher education statewide. Hardcastle said the total state appropriation for UCO was $53.8 million for fiscal year 2007, which is an18.6 per cent increase over last year. "The Regents allocated $2.5 million to UCO in what they called 'equity funding' to our base appropriation," said UCO President W. Roger Webb. "The most important aspect was
Middle East meets the Midwest
that the State Regents clearly acknowledged that UCO was well below the funding amount we should be based on our FTE." Jerry Legere, UCO assistant vice president for enrollment management, said the FTE, or full-time equivalent, is a "standard measure" used in demographic assessment. He said the regents consider 15 hours full-time for undergraduates and 12 hours for graduate work. The FTE is then calculated by taking the total amount of hours enrolled and
dividing by either 15 or 12. He said that even though UCO tuition is rising, "this puts us in line with the other universities under our Board of Regents and well below OU and OSU." "State appropriations are an important part of the overall funding of our campuses," Hardcastle said. "A student pays roughly a third of the cost of their education, the rest comes from state appropriations." "Tuition as well as the money allocated by the State
Regents all go into the overall university budget to pay for all university expenses," Webb said. "Faculty will receive raises this year," he said. "We also will be adding several new faculty positions that are needed." "All in all, I feel very good about this appropriation," Webb said. Monthly allocations of the money will begin this month. Nathan Winfrey can be reached at nwinfrey@thevistaonline.com.
The fish whisperer
by Jessica Snell Staff Writer The dim room can hold maybe fifteen people around the edges, reclining against exotic white roll pillows with gold embroidery. White blankets surround a space big enough for the belly-dancers who come every other Thursday night on request. Mostly Middle Eastern music is piped into the room and onto the outside patio. "But we play Snoop Dog, whatever the people want," said Mohsin Khan, volunteer employee of the Hookah Zone on Second Street. "We have students who study and they want a relaxing time." The Hookah Zone is a hookah bar, where anyone over the age of 18 can come and enjoy flavored tobacco by renting a hookah pipe. A hookah is essentially a water pipe consisting of a base, a bowl, a pipe and a hose, said Dan Veirs, co-owner of the Hookah Zone. There is a liquid in the base that is used to diffuse the smoke and filter out some of the nicotine and tar, but none of the by Vista photographer Brett Deering flavor. "There is more flavor in Lee McFarlin, from Stillwater, and 2005 Okie Noodling champion, pulls a catfish out of the "Noodle Tub" during a noodling demonstration July 7 at Bob's Pig these [hookahs] than Black and Shop in Pauls Valley. The 2006 champion, Don Brewer, won with a 60.6 pound flathead catfish. Milds," said Chance Veirs, Dan Veirs' daughter and an employee of the Hookah Zone. The liquid can add a slight Abdul Quereshi, Saad Shariff taste to the smoke, Khan said. and Taiha Khan knew that there The Hookah Zone offers water, was a large group of Middle milk, orange juice, chocolate Eastern students at UCO. Most milk and coca-cola in the base. of the customers are students "Arabs want everything with between the age of 18 and 25 but are surpriswater. English Legere said the majoringly mostly people would by Divona Phillips ity of the students who choose American, want something Staff Writer to attend summer school are Chance said. by No Lupov fruity or milky," juniors, seniors and graduate According to the UCO Staff Writer "Our original Khan said. students, accounting for 76.3 Demographics Book, summer intention was The tobacco July 10 marked the first offipercent of total enrolled stuenrolment has taken a 1.6 perto have smoksits in a bowl on Dr. Dennis Dunham cent dip from last summer. cial day of work for the new dents. ing inside," Dan top of the hooIn order to increase enrollJerry Legere, assistant vicesaid. But a recent director ofthe UCO International kah. Dan Veirs Dunham's bachelor's degree Oklahoma law Office. said the Hookah is in mass communications from president of UCO's enrollment ment, Legere said that his office Dr. Dennis Dunham met with Oklahoma State University. management department, said monitors class availability with made smoking Zone puts about employees and outlined his pri- Dunham also has a master's that summer enrollments are not the college deans and the Office inside a public two to three orities as director. building illegal. ounces of fladegree from OCU in teaching very predictable and there could of Academic Affairs in what are "I will begin immediately to So all hookah vored tobacco in English as a second language be a number of reasons that stu- considered high demand areas. work on our long term recruit"As classes begin to close, smoking is done the bowl. Charice Veirs, employee, and received a doctorate in edu- dents may or may not attend. ing goals," he said. we make recommendations for "Many things complicate outside, behind The bar cational psychology and techHookah Zone Dunham brings 18 years nology from the University of a student's summer plans," he adding sections to meet students the bar, on glass offers 27 flavors said. "Since many work full- demand," he said. "We also and metallic of experience as the execu- Oklahoma. including carative director for the Office of tables, he said. mel and strawDunham said his first ambi- time during the summer, it may work with students individually International Admissions and Belly dancers come on occaberry-banana. The prices for the tions are to learn the culture of not work out for them to take a to process their applications in a Services at Oklahoma City timely manner so that they can sion and dance between the flavors vary. UCO and about the staff and course at that time." University. enroll at the earliest possible Legere also said that some tables. The atmosphere is always Charice said customers are their duties. Previously, he was director of times to get the classes they students try to maximize their laid back. not encouraged to inhale the "It is a little bit different "It's a good atmosphere. A the English Language Schools from the private universities," income potential to afford the need." smoke, but to "pull it more into Minority enrollment is up 0.4 fall and spring semesters and your mouth and throat." That is lot of people ask 'What are you Language Center in Oklahoma he said. the point of smoking hookah, to smoking over there?"' Charice City. Farida Shams, director of others just need a break from a percent from last summer, but the Dunham said he was a direc- international relations at OCU, year of schoolwork and want to various ethnic populations have enjoy the flavor, not the buzz, tor of a franchise office of ELS do other things. she said. in Seoul, South Korea. see Hookah, page 3 see Enrollment, page 4 see Director, page 4 The four owners Dan Veirs,
New int'l office chief takes over
Summer, minority enrollment in flux
"It's a good atmosphere. A lot of people ask 'What are you smoking over there?"'
MLB: American League All-Stars continue streak
INDEX Opinion News Classifieds Sports
See Sports pg. 6
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2 3 5 6
Managing Editor Heather Warlick dispels the myth of nothing to do this summer in Edmond. See pg. 4