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Sept. 9, 2008 The Student Voice of the University of Central Oklahoma Since 1903
Asif Ali Zardari, widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has been elected as Pakistan's new president with 481 out of 702 votes. Zardari takes over after Musharraf's recent resignation.
"It doesn't really exist until you go there," Jesse Miller, UCO photography professor, said of India, where he spent three weeks this summer teaching. -Full story page 5
-Full story page 6
Breaking the mold at Murdaugh NBA team
By Ryan Croft Staff Writer
decides on official name Oklahoma City finally has a slam dunk. Rumors have been out and posted on billboards for several weeks about what our new NBA team would be called, and now we finally have the confirmed name: OKC Thunder. Page 5
Burke opens screening room The Bob Burke Film Screening oom, named after its film-loving enefactor, was dedicated and pened to the public last Friday. "My wife said that if I don't ve [the collection] away, she'll ell it on eBay," he said to a group f faculty, students and other ssorted guests. Page 3
Features Mone happiness? Oscar Wilde an Irish poet, author and a playwright known for his humor and wit once said, "These days man knows the price of everything, but the value of nothing." He. Yet UCO students and faculty agree that happiness should be valued instead of how much money they could potentially earn if they were to study in a different field. PAGE 6
UCO loses to the Buffs The No. 9 ranked West Texas A&M Buffs blasted the Bronchos with a 49-18 win in Saturday's game. -
Murdaugh*Hall resident Jonathan Clair points out a mold infestation in one of the dorm rooms. There are many infestations thoughout the building. •
Students in Murdaugh Hall are living with mold and bacteria. Murdaugh resident Jonathan LaClair has been independently investigating the problem since he discovered what he believed to be mold growing in the ceiling above his bed at the beginning of the fall 2008 semester. LaClair said he began having headaches and trouble sleeping within the first few days of moving into room 208. He said he then noticed a wet spot in the ceiling above his bed. "First I filed a complaint and nothing happened. Then I called and complained the next day... and they say they sent a maintenance guy to check it out, but I didn't know about that until I called again to complain the next day," he said. The maintenance worker reported the problem was only a water spot, not mold, according to university housing authorities. LaClair said he was still physically bothered by the spot and requested to be moved, but was told he would need to wait until the head of Murdaugh Hall, Rodney Bates, could determine if moving him was necessary. Bates declined to comment for this story. LaClair said Bates determined the problem was not mold, but told him it was in the university's best interest to move him.
He says the room he now lives in, 216, has an even larger mold spot in the ceiling above his bed. "I moved my stuff in... and looked up at the ceiling and, sure enough, there was another mold spot... about twice as big [as the first]," he said. He says maintenance replaced the wet tile above his bed, but did nothing about the disgustingly wet, mildew covered pipes above it. LaClair said after another frustrating response from maintenance in which they only replaced the wet tile, he began collecting samples from what he believed were mold problem-areas in Murdaugh Hall. UCO Professor of Biology Dr. Clark Overbo confirmed two different mold samples taken from separate areas in Murdaugh Hall. Dr. Clark would not speculate as to whether or not the mold was harmful. UCO's Executive Director of University Relations Charlie Johnson says Housing Maintenance inspected both of LaClaire's Moms.
"There was no confirmation of mold in the first room, but that doesn't matter. If he's not feeling well, we're going to do what we can and work with him...to make him comfortable," Johnson said. Johnson says the Environmental Health and Safety Department checks for any safety hazards and that a request was put in Friday morning to inspect Murdaugh Hall.
China en route to being an economic powerhouse By Alex Gerszewski Staff Writer
The Passport UCO program presented a lecture by Douglas Donald on Sept. 5, during which he spoke to UCO students about his personal experiences working in trade with China. Donald has been involved in international business for over 25 years and has made 81 trips to China. He currently works for Sela Products, an Oklahomabased importer and wholesaler of products. Donald said he believes China will be trading on the global market at the same level as the United States within the next 25 years. "By the year 2050, the world will be looking at China the way they look at us today," Donald said. "The 21st century will be
their century." Biomedical Engineering sophomore Cassidy Singleton said she feels if China could eventually become as influential as the United States. "It will definitely be interesting to see if America will let that happen," Singleton said. "If so, they may think it's time to go invade." Donald said he believes China is on the rise because of the massive amounts of growth he has seen within the last 20 years. "Twenty-four years ago I was amazed to see people's only means of transportation was a bicycle," Donald said. "Today, it's a sea of automobiles." There are over 360 million cell phone users in China. He said it is an amazing fact because there are more cell phone users in China than people in the United States, he said.
by Vista photographer Chris Albers
Dietetic Internship Director Tiffany Schlinke taught students Thursday the basics of healthy Chinese diets. This presentation is the second of the many to come for the semester long program Passport to China.
see CHINA, page 10
Watch it! "rijhere is no haffiness except in the realization that we have accomylished something."
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--Tienry Eord
Monday through Thursdays at 5 p.m. on Cox channel 125