University of Central Oklahoma
Empty polls mar senate elections, validity queried By Larry Rogers
TULSA, Okla. (AP) Oklahoma ranked 48th in a national survey of 1990-91 teacher's salaries, and one Tulsa educator said it will take more than the controversial education reform and tax law to help. The survey, conducted by the American Federation of Teachers, showed Oklahoma teachers averaged only $24,000 a year. Only Arkansas and North and South Dakota ranked lower than Oklahoma. The report said the national average was $32,000 a year. Charles Sitter, president of the Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association, said that increases in 1017 are only a start.
Staff Writer
Utah man takes over hospital
Airline going up in smoke • t
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)—A Dallas entrepreneur says he is starting a smokers' airline as a reaction to the negative treatment smokers have been getting recently. "It's getting to the point that everyone is discriminating against us smokers," says Kay Cohlmia. Cohlmia said service will begin at Will Rogers World Airport on Oct. 1 regardless of a U.S. Department of Transportation prohibition against smoking on airline flights of less than six hours' duration. Although he calls his proposed operation an airline, Cohlmia also refers to it as a smoking club, which he says can operate under less restrictive smoking rules. Cohlmia said he will charge a $10 annual fee to justify calling his American Smokers' Airline a club. See WORLD WRAP back page
September 26, 1991
The Student Voice Since 1903
Oklahoma teacher salaries rank 48th
SANDY, Utah (AP)—A man armed with explosives shot and killed a nurse and took over a hospital maternity wing Saturday. He gave up more than 17 yours later, releasing nine hostages, including three infants, unharmed. Richard L. Worthington, a 39-yearold father of eight, was taken in to custody at Alta View hospital, where he said he had gone to kill a doctor who had operated on his wife two years ago, police said. "During initial negotiations he wanted his wife and the doctor, and he wanted to kill the doctor," said Salt Lake Police Sgt. Don Bell.
THURSDAY
Sidewalk surfing David Crismon, lecturer, visual art and design, demonstrates an "ollie" on the parking lot behind West Hall. (Photo by Mike Simons)
The voting process surrounding the student senate elections has come under scrutiny, once more, at the University of Central Oklahoma. Students wanting to vote in the Student Government Association's vice-presidential and senate elections Tuesday were out of luck as the polls never opened during the scheduled morning and afternoon times. Tables set up in University Center between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 and the College of Business from 10:40 to 11:40 a.m. were unmanned said Susan Thompson, student activities director. Thompson was to have served as a sponsor in University Center during the voting. "I went over there and no one was there," Thompson said. "That's very unusual." Carole Crawley, student senate speaker said she was not aware that the locations were unstaffed. "As far as I knew, they were open," Crawley said. "I know all the scheduling (staffing) got screwed up, but I didn't know no one showed up." Grey Blevins, election committee chairman, was also unaware that the polls never opened. "They should have been manned, and if they weren't that means there was a breakdown in communication between the students who were supposed to be there," Blevins said. A list of students who volunteered to staff the booths during that time was not available. Conny Ford, director of academic affairs for SGA, said she was on last spring's election committee when election rules came under scrutiny. A ballot box was seen being transported in the car of then-candidate Crawley to Rebeka Zahn's place of employment. Zahn was election committee chairman at the time. Dr. Dudley Ryan, student services dean, and Dr. Deanna Land, associate student services dean found no violation of any guidelines for student elections. "It's funny. How can you violate the guidelines? There were no guidelines," Ford said. V See ELECTION, page 8.
Board of Regents appoints presidential search group By Barbara Dewailley Staff Writer
The Board of Regents of Oklahoma has confirmed committee members to search for anew president at the University of Central Oklahoma. The members were announced at the Sept. 20 regent meeting at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Wayne Salisbury, regent president, compiled a list of proposed members last week and the following were approved. Search committee members representing UCO are Bart Binning, faculty senate president; Peter Regan, student association president; Reba Collins, allumni association president and Randy Ross, chairman of the UCO foundation. Also chosen from the UCO faculty,
Frank Wert, dean of the college of business administration; Charles Johnson, assistant vice president for administration; Tom Guild, general business assistant professor; Richard Peters, history and geography professor and Alvin Alcorn. Among the regents who will serve on the committee are Tracy Kelly, Belva Howard, Joe Paul Hemphill and Valree Wynn. Binning said he believes the search will go nationwide. He said sentiment from UCO faculty seems to be for someone who has a doctorate. Regan said the students seemed to be more interested in having a qualified administrator, and that a doctorate was not a neccessary ingredient of an excellent university president. Current UCO President Bill Lillard has served in that capacity for 17 years and will retire in the summer of 1992. V
Financial aid office adds assistant director Helping incarcerated students with financial aid forms is a daily responsibilty for Kenda Henthorn, the new assistant director for the financial aid department. Henthorn will also be responsible for disbursing checks, supervising tuition and housing payments, and helping students become eligible for financial assistance. Henthorn, who left her position at Oklahoma City Community College to work at the University of Central Oklahoma, said she saw moving to the university from the college as a positive career move. "I lived in Edmond for a long time, and I've always been impressed with the university," she said. Henthorn said her work at UCO closely resembles the work she did at the community college. "The nature of the work is suprisingly similar," she said.