The Student Voice Since 1903 University of Central Oklahoma
THURSDAY, September, 7, 2006
Senior ROTC wins fall Cadet Olympics by Desiree Treeby Staff Writer UCO’s Army ROTC Military Science seniors showed true leadership winning the fall Cadet Olympics. The Cadet Olympics is an 11event competition every semester between the freshmen through senior level Military Science classes. The Cadet Olympics were Aug. 31 at the soccer field north of the fire station. The events are similar to real life situations that can happen in training or on the battlefield. They benefit the Military Science students, showing their strengths and weaknesses, said Master Sgt. Christian Johnson. “Mostly, we’re trying to have fun, work as a team and get everyone in the battalion to meet each other,” Johnson said, because of this semester’s new freshmen. They’re working as a team, toward the accomplishment of a military mission, he said. The olympics are designed to challenge each class individuby Vista photographer Alex Gambill ally, while building the entire From left to right, Daniel Romero, Jack Roach, Katie Perkins, Aaron Love and Corey Robertson participated in ROTC's Cadet Olympics battalion through teamwork. They do this by encouraging Aug. 31 at the practice field north of the fire station. their competition until each of
the four Military Science classes complete their challenge. It is a moral booster while everyone is competing at different levels. The competitions also build camaraderie within your class Daniel Romero Military Science senior said. They also build confidence because cadets are increasing their mental and physical strength. UCO’s Military Science class members are proof they live by the official Army warrior ethos, even when competing against each other in the events, such as the fireman carry, hand grenade throw and sprints. The Army’s warrior ethos: I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. For any students interested in earning physical education credits, Military Science 1000 and 2000 level courses are open to all students. To enroll in 3000 and 4000 level courses students are required to contract with the Army.
Desiree Treeby can be reached at dtreeby@thevistaonline.com.
Seven professors honored Kim Henry speaks during luncheon with Faculty Merit Awards “I was pleased to receive this award, because there are a number of highly qualified people. I was pleased to be accepted among them.” by Nathan Winfrey Senior Staff Writer Seven UCO professors were recently honored with the Faculty Merit Award at the Annual Faculty/ Staff meeting last August 15. Awards were given for their contributions to the university in one of three categories: Teaching, Scholarly/ Creative Activity and Service. “Nobody wins for a specific accomplishment. There are lots of things that go into it,” said Dr. David Bass, biology professor and $1,000 award recipient for Scholarly/Creative Activity. Awards are based on a history of excellence in many areas, including papers and research projects. “I was pleased to receive this award, because there are a number of highly qualified people,” Bass said. “I was pleased to be accepted among them.” Dr. Wei Chen, assistant dean
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in the College of Mathematics and Science, led the awards with first place and a check for $2,000 for the Scholarly/ Creative Activity category. Dr. Kevin Hayes, biology professor, also won $1,000 in the category of Scholarly/Creative Activity and Dr. Sam Magrill, professor in the School of Music, won $1,000 for his accomplishments in the area of Service. Dr. Jesse Byrne, Mathematics and Statistics, won $500 in the Service category, as Dr. Hong Zhu, School of Music. Dr. Patricial Loughlin, History and Geography, won $500 in the Scholarly/ Creative Service category. Award monies will be used to further fund their work in those fields. Photo provided by Photo Services
Nathan Winfrey can be reached at nwinfrey@thevistaonline.com.
by Heather Warlick Managing Editor
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Oklahoma's First Lady Kim Henry speaks to a group of student teachers at the Student Oklahoma Education Association, Aug. 31.
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Oklahoma’s First Lady Kim Henry, one of UCO’s Leaders in Residence mentors spoke to a group of student teachers at the Student Oklahoma Education Association luncheon in UCO’s Education Building, Aug 31. A former Shawnee High School teacher, Henry lent her advice to the new teachers on many topics such as dealing with the parents of students and discipline in the
classroom. She also addressed increasing teachers’ pay to keep Oklahoma teachers in the state. She pointed to this year’s $3000 classroom teacher pay raise and the previous $1200 increase as part of a five year plan to bring Oklahoma teachers’ pay up to the regional average. “It amazes me when people criticize Brad for increasing spending in the state of Oklahoma,” Henry said. “We had not spent money on education in almost 15 years, any appreciable amount of money. So now that we have record
'The Wicker Man' Review
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budget surpluses for the first time thanks to the oil and gas industry, we’re investing in a big way in the number one thing in Oklahoma and that is education.” According to statistics from National Education Association, Oklahoma ranks 46th in the nation for teacher salaries. Oklahoma teachers only earn more than teachers in Mississippi, North Dakota and South Dakota. That ranking could change when the recent $3000 pay raise is considered. She talked about the difficulties faced by teachers when their students do not have a strong early childhood education. “What I found to be so important was that the students coming into my class did not have the skills they needed to be successful in my class and I would have to go back and teach them things they should have learned in middle school.” She said that a child who falls behind in the first year of school only has a slim chance of catching up. “Today through the work of a lot of really great people, Oklahoma has the number one early childhood education system in the nation,” Henry said, referring to a study from Georgetown University. She said the burdens of society are placed on the shoulders of teachers and if Oklahoma is to succeed as a state, that success depends on the teachers in Oklahoma classrooms. “It’s not your fault that Suzy is pregnant or that Johnny can’t read. It’s not your fault that they come from a divorced home, but it’s your problem and you have to deal with it every day in the classroom.” Henry emphasized the importance of overcoming the problems and learning new ways to
relate to challenging students. Henry was asked by a student about budget cuts that took art programs out of schools. “I think art is just as important as math and science. A lot of kids really learn through art. You know we’re not all geared toward science and math and analytical thinking. A lot of us are geared toward creative thinking,” she said. She also stressed the importance to start learning a foreign language early in education. Her advice on dealing with the parents of students? “Don’t let them push you around because they will.” Henry said that every teacher has his or her own way of handling parents but in the end, they are still the parent. Earlier in the speech, Henry said that she learned during her teaching career that not everyone should become a parent. Before she became First Lady, Henry taught government, economics, Oklahoma history and American history. She resigned when her husband, Brad Henry entered the race for governor in 2002. He was sworn in Jan 13, 2003. Henry said it was difficult leaving her career as a teacher, but she is still directly involved with education through her work as First Lady and that she sees herself back in the classroom someday. “When this is all over, maybe in January, I may be looking for a job, you never know,” Henry said. “Or maybe four years from now, but I do see myself back in the classroom, because that’s where I truly love to be.”
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