The Vista Sept. 22, 2005

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Bats and their bat cave, Photos Pg. 7 k

Dracu a, best 'bite' for weekend fun

The Student Voice Since 1903 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2005

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

Student Pedestrian Crossing Second St. Struck By Car Morning accident Sept. 19 leaves student with minor injuries after driver fails to yield by Courtney Bryce Vista Staff Writer

A vehicle knocked down a student using a crosswalk to get to Central Plaza on Second Street around 11:50 a.m. Sept. 19. Edmond Public Information Officer Glenda Chu said Vanay Dyankova, 18, was hit when Nicholas Gautreaux, 22, turned right onto Second Street from Bauman Street without checking for pedestrians. She said both are UCO students.

"She had a right to be on that crosswalk," News Bureau Director Charlie Johnson said. "The walk sign was green." Johnson said he believed Dyankova was on her way to Central Plaza to attend her theatre class. Joe Nixon, broadcasting and public relations senior, said he was standing on the opposite corner when the accident occurred. "The young lady was standing on the curb," Nixon said: "There was a car turning right off of Bauman Street. He

looked to his left to see if any cars were coming, but he didn't look back to his right at the crosswalk." Nixon said the car hit Dyankova just as she began to walk across the street. "It hit her hard enough to flip her over the hood," Nixon said. "He (the driver) stopped and pulled into the fire station." Anna Vealsey, photography senior, said she was driving behind Gautreaux and pulled up to the intersection just seconds after the collision. "The guy in front of me in

the turning lane got out and ran across to her," Vealsey said. "She didn't look so good. I saw her on the ground." Vealsey said she saw people assist the woman off the street and seat her on the curb in front of the fire station. "The guy that hit her was blocking traffic in that lane," Vealsey said. Jeff Harp, director of the UCO Department of Public Safety, said one his staff was close to the intersection when the call was made and responded.

cerned about the student's ability to communicate. By the time I got there EMSA had arrived. She was sitting on the curb. With some assistance, she had been moved away." Dickson said the student was a long way from home. She was adamant about protecting the student's identity. "The students at this university are wonderful," Dickson said. "We need to keep them safe. We need to take care of them."

"It's not uncommon for us to assist the Edmond Police Department if they're in the vicinity," Harp said. "We are doing an internal report." Vealsey was on her way to an acting class with Theatre Professor Donna Dickson in Central Plaza. "My 12 o'clock class did not arrive," Dickson said. Dickson said students came in late and said one of the other students had been hit by a car. "I knew it was a student that spoke a second language," Dickson said. "I was con-

Please see HIT, page 3

'Corridor' will connect UCO campus with Edmond downtown, library

Science professor, students study 'batty business' at state caves

by Brett Deering

Vista Senior Staff Writer

Selman Living Lab in northwest Okla. site for research study by Trisha Evans

Vista Staff Writer

The City of Edmond will begin construction on two street `corridor' projects that will connect UCO with downtown Edmond and the Edmond library in the spring of 2006 as part of a long-term capital improvement plan. The corridors are the third phase in the City of Edmond's four-phase "Streetscape" project, funded through a sales tax initiative approved by Edmond voters in 2000 for capital improvements, said Mike Clark, project coordinator for the City of Edmond's Public Works Department. "Streetscape is one of several capital projects," Clark said. He said Pelican Bay, the former Aquatic Center, and the Festival Marketplace, an outdoor pavilion in downtown Edmond, are examples of other capital proj-

Please see STREET, page 3

INSIDE by Vista photographer Justin Avera

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Tyler Sanders, information technologies freshman, and Alexander Ravajy, neurology freshman, overlook Salty Creek in northwestern Oklahoma Sept. 17. The river runs through the 320-acre Selman Living Lab where Dr. Bill Caire, UCO biology professor, is doing research on the 21 different species of bats that live in the state.

Possible misuse of club funds one topic of UCOSA house, senate meetings

UCO students and faculty crawled through caves, hiked sprawling grasslands and gazed at stars through a high-powered telescope on a recent trip to western Oklahoma Sept. 16-17. For 25 years, Dr. Bill Caire, biology professor, has been researching bats and taking his classes to the three-mile long cave once owned by the Selman family in Woodward County. Five years ago, Betty Selman told Caire she wanted to sell the cave to UCO. She helped find a grant from the National Science Foundation that allowed the university to acquire the 320 acres where the Selman Living Laboratory sits today. "Most of the people who go up there, it's their first time in a wild cave," Caire said. Caire led the tour through Selman Cave, which at times involved crawling through mud and water on hands and knees. Hardhats and flashlights were a necessity in the pitch-black cave, especially the slender corridor of the cave Caire called "Ooh-ahh." Tyler Sanders, information systems technology freshman, said he didn't know if it was nicknamed "Ooh-ahh" because it was beautiful or because it was painful.

Please see BATS, page 4

Art, music fundraiser dinner gives students touch of class

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ROTC 'down and dirty' Brett Deering's photos from the Cadet Olympics Lab Sept. 15. See Pg. 6

Opinion Does someone have to die? The problem with crossing Second Street. See Pg. 2 INDEX Opinion 2 3 News Classifieds 10 Sports 11

by Trisha Evans Vista Senior Staff Writer

The UCO StudentAssociation held its weekly senate and house meetings Sept. 19 in Rms. 301 and 302 in the Nigh University Center. The senate voted on a resolution that states all UCOSA funds are intended for the use of the officers and members of the organizations for which they are appropriated. "There have been some problems, mainly with the philosophy club and ROTC, with advisors spending money that students didn't approve of," said Jonathan Nazari, senate deputy president pro tempore, later that day during the International

Student Council meeting. Nazari is also parliamentarian for ISC. Dr. Brendan Lalor, advisor for the philosophy club since 1999, said he hasn't heard any complaints from students. "There's not been a case where any members of the group made known to the advisors that there has been a problem with any expenditures," Lalor said. Symposium of Philosophy president Eryn Whitworth couldn't confirm the statement at press time. Lt. Col. Stuart Jolly, advisor of ROTC, said there was an incident last semester where a student made allegations of

â– First in series of dinners raises money for art scholarships by Courtney Bryce Vista Staff Writer

UCO supporters enjoyed guitar music, student artwork, wine and a six-course meal at New World Cuisine as part of a fund-raiser put on by the Music and Art Departments. Lori Bourke, UCO director of development, said she and the restaurant owners decided to collaborate on a project to raise money for the school and the Please see UCOSA, page 3 restaurant.

"The restaurant got some new owners," Bourke said. "We talked about collaborating on something. They said they needed artwork." Bourke said they also decided to bring in the Music Department and have featured musicians. She said it was decided that the restaurant and the two departments would host a series of dinners on Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Nov. 20, Feb. 19, March 19 and April 16 as part of a series called 'Taste of Talent.' "The students set the price of the artwork," Bourke said. "The Art Department and New World Cuisine each get 20 percent and the student gets 60 percent." Audrey Henderson, project coordinator of the School of Music, said musicians interested in playing should sub-

mit a proposal to her about the instrument they play and what they want to play. She said for the first gig she specifically asked Jeff Carrico, senior guitar major, if he would play. "The first gig is one of those that came up fast and I needed someone I could count on, so I specifically asked Jeff," Henderson said. "It made me feel worthy," Carrico said. "It made me feel kind of special." Carrico said that he was instructed to play for 45 minutes, take a break and play an additional 30 minutes. Henderson said each person in attendance paid $75 for dinner and entertainment. She said $35 from each ticket will be

Please see FEAST, page 3


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