The Vista Aug. 17, 2009

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UCO360.com

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August

2009

he Student Voice of the Ulm\ er,ily of Central Oklahoma Since 1903

TAD fecED

Welcome to your changing university Caleb McWilliams

> The Bottom Line

Obama making tough decisions in Afghanistan PAGE 2

> ACM@UCO

UCO rocks with new school of music in downtown OKC PAGE 3 > A New Adviser

The Vista welcomes its new adviser Teddy Burch PAGE 5 > Being Joe Pardi

A look at a UCO employee loving life PAGE 9 > UCO student's life after cancer

UCO nursing major Trevor Duhon and his desire to help PAGE 10 > Summerstock

UCO partners with a non-profit musical production organization PAGE 13

The Oklahoma State Regents recently approved a new peer group for UCO that "indicates UCO's unique role in Oklahoma's higher education needs" Steve Kreidler, Executive Vice President, said. This new peer group, which includes "metropolitan universities" such as Boise State University and Missouri State University, was developed by UCO and the regents over two years. It was approved by the regents in March of 2009, and by the Regional University System of Oklahoma in summer 2008. "This clearly shows the Regents recognize Photo by Byron Koontz UCO's progression to The UCO campus is changing and continuing to grow. The 2009-2010 school year has an increase in a major metropolitan enrollment and a new peer group as a metropolitan university. university,"said Kreidler enrollment record of 16,040 set in the fall ropolitan areas ranging in population from in an earlier release from Huntsville, Texas' 63,902-Sam Houston University Relations. "We're excited for 1994 may be broken. "I believe we're in a place where we can State, to 5,278,904 in Atlanta's Kennesaw what this means for our students, faculty accommodate 16,000 students," he said. State. and staff as we continue to grow." The number of full-time enrolled stuUCO's previous peer group had some of Dr. Myron Pope, vice president for enrollment management, said that if enroll- dents in the peer institutions ranges from ment continued as it has, then the previous 10,846 at Wichita State University to see METRO, page 9 26,233 at San Jose State University, in met-

Former UCO student embroiled in military controversy Tiffany Brown and Austin Melton .S.talfl I riier.s

Instead of a United States soldier fighting to preserve the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, one family is fighting for the rights of a soldier and University of Central Oklahoma graduate. On February 27, 2009, UCO graduate First Lt. Michael C. The Vista's exclusive look Behenna was convicted of murder and assault. Behenna was into Old North sentenced to 20 years for killing al-Qaida member Ali Mansour Mohammed. Behenna began his military career at UCO in Fall 2002. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in General Studies and minors • Take a tour through Old North in history and military science. and learn about a UCO icon. "I don't think he wanted a big college atmosphere," Michael's Photo provided Michael Behenna and his girlfriend, Shannon Wahl. mother Vicki Behenna said. "He wanted a smaller university." • View rare photos from inside Behenna was in Army ROTC and received a scholarship for the program. Michael loved ROTC, Vicki Behenna said. the first Normal School buildShortly after graduating in May 2006, Behenna was com"After that incident, Michael read an intelligence report that ing missioned in the army. He was deployed to Iraq in Sept. 2007. identified Ali Mansour as being part of an al-Qaida cell operating Behenna then became an infantry platoon leader of the loft in-his area," Vicki Behenna said. "That al-Qaida cell was responAirborne Division. sible for the explosion." School section On April 21, 2008 Behenna's platoon struck a roadside bomb. Behenna received information from a source on Two soldiers, two Iraqis, and an interpreter were killed during the blast. Also, the platoon sergeant and company medic was seriously see SOLDIER, page 4 injured.

University going green-er Ryan Croft and Nelson Solomon

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2009 Broncho football schedule and volleyball schedule Places to eat in Edmond UCO clubs and organizations Welcome back letters Scavenger hunt Bus route and campus maps

/;',/i/m. am/ ( .0- dila,. UCO is ranked as the 13t" "greenest" college by the Environmental Protection Agency and has won numerous awards for its sustainability efforts, but just how practically effective are those efforts when it comes to costsavings and real environmental impact? UCO Sustainability coordinator Jay Yowell said the university has a strong reputation for being environmentally friendly and cost effecPhoto by Byron Koontz tive, and its efforts to increase Carl Shortt, Shop Lead, holds a bottle safe and cost effective pracof "greaser tices are being discussed.

you know...

A lobster's blood is colorless, but when exposed to oxygen, it develops a bluish color.

Today's Weather

High: Low:

Wind:

13mph

94° 70°

"We're continuing on with the improvements we've done in the past - efficient air conditioning, [UCO] added energy-efficient lighting we hadn't done in the first round," he said. Yowell said most of the energy-efficient efforts are accomplished through performance contracting with Johnson Controls Inc. "With air conditioning a few years back, we couldn't afford to pay for that up front," he said. "What [Johnson Controls] did was essentially pay for it," and we pay them back over these guaranteed cost savings. The university receives a

yearly report on how much money was saved on energy use from Johnson Controls, he said. Yowell also said putting motion sensors in different rooms around the campus is part of UCO's ongoing efforts. "Some professors ... say they don't want sensors in their classrooms," he said. "Certain rooms aren't conducive to it, to have a motion sensor with an override. Like in a classroom, if I'm wanting to show slides and teach, I want to shut the lights off or dim it down. To have that

see GREEN, page 5

ea% Check the blogs UlE1335111.CCI11I, "Inside the Lines" "Raising Ian" with with Chris Wescott Kory Oswald


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