You don't have to be a computer

Propriety lost on parking lots

The American obsession with a good parking space defies all logic and common sense. Intelligent, sophisticated people are reduced to expletives, hand gestures and sometimes even fisticuffs for the privilege of being 15 feet closer to the door.

At the University of Central Oklahoma, commuters are no less civil or rude. On this campus any slot will suffice—as long as it is legal. Even spots in the cheap seats are sought after as zealously as those in the front row.

And there is a valid reason parking spaces are so hard _to find: There aren't enough of them. Approximately 14,500 students attend UCO, 1,250 of whom live on campus. The remaining 13,250 students commute.

However, there are 3,508 parking spaces designated for commuters—that's roughly two parking slots for every seven commuters. Of course, all commuters aren't on campus at the same time but the ratio is lopsided enough that a legitimate parking space is a prize to be coveted.

There are no alternatives to the parking problem either. Off-campus parking is non-existent. None of the streets bordering the campus (University, Ayers, Bauman and Second) permit parking. And the side streets in all directions restrict or ban parking at the curb. A commuter has to travel east of Blackwelder and west of Jackson, sometimes west of Broadway, to find unrestricted, on-street parking.

And the situation gets worse. There is no city bus service to the campus, although Mass Trans expanded area service this year. And walking is for daredevils. With few stretches of sidewalk approaching the campus, pedestrians compete with automobiles most of the way.

So commuters jockey and wait and maneuver for any spot they can find. And if class time approaches, many take what they can get—a staff slot and a ticket. And fines for commuters using faculty/staff parking spaces increased by 50 percent from $10 to $15. The fine for parking in resident spaces doubled from $5 to $10. But that's another story.

If the university has a "wish list," tiered parking garages on all four corners should be added to it. Otherwise, remote, off-site parking with shuttle service to the campus could be a viable alternative to parking lot duels for the slot by the door. V

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Vol. 90, No. 2 (USPS 661-700)

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Don't Kill For Me!

The letter in the Aug. 29 Some argue that killing crimifor the street people...Maybe the

The Vista advocating nals would save money for the taxanswer lies here. execution of a few hundred payers. Studies show that capital As to the allegation that prisonthousand criminals in this country murder trials, allowing for the reers have lavish lifestyles complete is disturbing, and it cries for a re- quired appeals, cost the state more with the Playboy channel to sponse. Maybe some statistics, money than does imprisonment watch, I would be willing to visit rather than more emotion, would for life. any prison in the state to see for be in order. In a definitive study a few years ago, it was shown that death penalty states in this country had an average murder rate of 7.1 per . 100,000 population, while states without the death penalty had an average of 3.6 per 100,000. (Where murder by the state is carThe United Nations has urged all nations to abolish the death penalty, and most of the enlightened and progressive countries have done so. England and Canada, or instance, turned down efforts to reinstate the death penalty in 1987. myself. Can someone supply the names of the institutions? The names of the prisoners? The writer of the letter said we must execute hundreds of thousands to protect our wives and daughters. Well, I have a wife and daughter, and I suspect they will continue to do just fine without ried out, people consider human So what is the answer to the such action. life less precious, and they becrime problem? Obviously, killAs to Emil Young, who was come more violent.) Kansas --- ing more people isn't it. Better mentioned in the letter, he died just to our north --- refused to reineducational opportunities, better this week. Feel better? state the death penalty in 1987. It mental health programs, a more has a lower murder rate than do its efficient parole system, job trainneighbors who have the death ing, equal opportunities for em—Dennie Hall penalty. ployment, prison reform, homes journalist I couldn't stand the pace at home so .••

By Jo Pydynkowsky

Guest Columnist

I graduated on May 10th. The morning of May 11th I was ecstatic. School was finished and, for the first time in four years, or eleven semesters straight, I had time to do anything and everything I wanted. No books, nl classes, no lengthy assignments, no teachers ... just lazy bliss. I should have known it would cost me.

Bliss lasted one week, minus four days, then panic set in. That's PANIC, with a couple screams for emphasis.

Everytime I left the house I looked for my book bag. Cruising past the date book became an hourly ritual. Was I supposed to be someplace? Wasn't there something I was supposed to have done today?

I began standing around after serving dinner as though waiting for a grade. I did ironing and windows, two chores I have NEVER done, as though they were for extra credit. Without school, I was lost. I had become a scholastic junky and I needed help.

A friend suggested I try watching the daily soap operas. That lasted two days and I realized I was seeing all men as potential terrorists, arsonists, drug addicts, murderers, kidnappers, lechers, mobsters, or adulterers. I think those soap writers are sadistic exscholastic junkies.

Maybe I could do something with my children?

I found them playing in the back yard. "Would you like to play a game?" I asked.

They looked at each other, then smiled and looked at me. "Daddy says we aren't allowed to play with strangers."

I added children to my list of DON'Ts.

I spent the next few months looking for a job which, with Oklahoma's current economy, was akin to being a teacher and expecting a raise in pay. John Sununu will sprout wings first.

I decided to take mother's advice and work with what I had. I enrolled in graduate school.

It was the first day of school. I knew that. I even knew the date and time. Reality had returned. My children knew my name was Mom, the crunching of rice crinkles underfoot as I crossed the floor made the kitchen sound cheeful once more, and it felt like home with my book bag ready and parked in front of the door. My husband actually smiled as he headed to work wearing one of the many new shirts I'd bought to replace the ones I'd ironed. The house seemed to breath a sigh of relief, also. All was right with the world - or was it?

Sitting around all summer and doing laundry had been a mistake. My pants didn't fit. I threw them on the bed and headed for the refrigerator.

It gave my ego a real high to write LAUNDRY on the list underneath IRONING, WINDOWS, and CHILDREN. I didn't care, though, I was on my way back to school.