The Student Voice Since 1903 University of Central Oklahoma
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
UCO International Festival combines DNA auditor testing performing arts, food and fashion becomes standard by Abha Eli Phoboo Staff Writer
by Vista photographer Alex Gambill
Joseph Harzheim and Juliana Escobar perform a Latin dance during the International Festival Nov. 9 in the Nigh University Center ballroom.
According to the International Student Committee, the 31st UCO International Festival Nov. 9 in Nigh University Center was a huge success with more than 1,000 people attending the program. The festival marked the finale of the International Week. “This is the biggest and best the festival has ever been,” said Glenn Freeman, UCO international adviser. The Ronald L Paddock Scholarship, started in honor of the founder and former director of International Student Services, was also announced. “The scholarship will benefit international students with financial difficulties,” said Freeman. With nine different performances from all over the world and a stall display combined with food festival in the Grand Ballroom A, B and C, the theme this year was “Gliding Through The World’s Cultures.” Each participating country or the international student organizations had designed their own kites and hung it over their stall. However, since not all kites were built to fly, the originally planned kite-flying event after the festival had to be scrapped. The stall displays were elaborate and many participating countries used tents to shelter their space and recreate architectural and cultural significance. Pakistan won the stall display contest. Its stall was elaborately covered with straw and an idyllic scene of a rustic Pakistani village had been recreated. “We worked really hard on this and I’m so glad we won,” said Khusro Iqbal of the Pakistani Student Association. Pakistan also stood second
see International page 3
by Ivo Lupov Staff Writer UCO Forensic Institute launched a two-day workshop on DNA auditor testing Nov.7 and Nov. 8 in the Nigh University Center. The FBI has a responsibility to ensure the quality of DNA testing. Auditor training provides knowledge of how laboratories should comply with equal laboratory standards. This was the first midwest region’s type of audit training, Adams said. “I wanted to bring this kind of quality training here not only to UCO, but to the state of Oklahoma,” Adams said. Adams, originally part of the DNA Advisory Board which developed the testing standards, said there are two separate sets of standards. One is created to preserve all convicted offenders’ samples and the other for forensic DNA casework. Two FBI laboratory representatives presented the workshop: Richard Guerrieri, chief of the DNA Analysis Unit and Heather Seubert, DNA examiner. Since the creation of the database in 1998, 30,000 cases have been solved due to the state partnership in sharing such information, Adams said. Every cell in the human body has a genetic material. Among 99.9 percent of its information is the same among all people, which is related to basic work of the cell itself. The remaining 0.1 percent is unique for every person, and is used in labs to identify criminal evidence. The only case where there is a 100 percent identical DNA is between identical twins. “Currently there are 175 laboratories [in the country] that do DNA analysis,” Adams said. Equal testing standards are required for DNA laboratories to become part of the National DNA Database, Adams said. “Standards are different
by Vista photographer Travis Marak
FBI's chief of the DNA Analysis Unit, Richard Guerrieri speaks during a training program Nov. 9 in Constitution Hall. from guidelines. Guidelines recommend, but you have to have the standards,” Adams said. “Any laboratory that does DNA testing has to follow these standards. Every lab that does DNA testing has to be part of the National DNA Database.” “Close to 20 percent of the solved crimes are interstate. The crime happened in one state and the convicted offender’s sample was collected in another state,” Adams said. Columbia Law School’s research shows there is a five percent failure rate in the United States justice system. The workshop is preparing the law enforcement representatives to evaluate their laboratory, based upon these standards. Everybody attending will receive a certificate showing a full understanding of the DNA standards and how to apply them. The event is to create continuing education for professionals and bring higher educational levels to UCO’s forensic students. Ivo Lupov can be reached at ilupov@thevistaonline.com.
Holocaust survivor discusses life experiences during WWII “Fate has placed upon me an unprecedented and painful duty of telling what happened in the Holocaust. Yet, the lessons of the Holocaust still haven’t been learnt." -Michael Breston by Abha Eli Phoboo Staff Writer
by Vista photographer Alex Gambill
Michael Breston speaks in Constitution Hall about the Holocaust Nov. 9.
Route 66 turns 80
After four years, Holocaust child survivor Michael Breston returned to UCO to commemorate Kristallnacht Nov. 9 in Nigh University Center with a presentation and lecture that recounted his experience during World War II. Kristallnacht, meaning Night of Broken Glass in German, marked the night 68 years ago when the Nazis of the Brown Shirts participated in a night of wanton destruction. “With Kristallnacht, the Nazi state clearly sanctioned violence against the Jews in Germany,” said Jeff Plaks, associate professor of History and Geography. “Killing units called Einsatzgruppen under the command of the SS followed, their task was to murder Communist officials and Jews.” “Typically, the Einsatzgruppen herded their
victims into fields to be shot and buried in mass graves. Sometimes they enlisted local anti-Semites to assist them. They killed about one and half million Jews,” added Plaks. He said by the time the death camps were liberated in 1945, the Nazis had murdered about six million Jews, or roughly two/third of European Jewry. Michael Breston was born in Rafalowka, a small town in eastern Poland. He lived in the ghetto until Sept. 29, 1939, when his mother and brother were killed. Having been forced to hide in an attic with a false wall, Breston managed to survive but still struggles with survivor’s guilt. “Fate has placed upon me an unprecedented and painful duty of telling what happened in the Holocaust. Yet, the lessons of the Holocaust still haven’t been learned. Even as we speak, genocides are taking place in Africa,” said Breston. “The Germans made slaves
not properly dressed in freezing cold, had dogs chase me, and lived through it all,” he added. “The entire process of surviving depended on luck. We lived running from barn to bar, forest to swamp with no personal belongings.” Breston and his father met with an uncle and his family and together they built a bunker where they managed to hide with five other Jews. At night, they would go to the farmers’ fields to ask for food. “We were in a little town where priests encouraged his congregation to save Jews. That was rare because German farmers were encouraged to report Jews for a kilo of sugar per head. If you reported five Jews, you got five kilos of sugar,” added Breston. Soon after, Breston joined a partisan group. “My function
see BRESTON, page 3
Broncho wrestling
Dr. Foster dies at age 66
See pg. 4
out of the Jews. You would think they would be happy with free labor but now, they treated the Jews badly after dehumanizing them,” he adds. The Jewish ghettos were liquidated with massacre and other inhumane activities. At 10 years old, Breston hid from the Nazis in the attic room. One day, Nazi soldiers came into the house and talked of taking down planks, which formed the false wall, and use them to make fires to keep warm in the winter. “I was terrified but thankfully, they never did it. That was my first miracle on the road to survival,” said Breston. Breston soon met his father who had stayed outside the village. Together, father and son traveled through dark woods and lived through circumstances that Breston believes he could not have survived under normal circumstances. “I’ve spent nights in the forest where wolves roamed,
See pg. 6
See Sports pg. 10