TUESDAY
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
APRIL 6, 1999 WHAT'S GOING ON?
A PLACE TO PLAY Music venue to be built 3
IOTA
FOUR YEARS OR LESS Graduation. guarantees....4
METRO TRANSIT A thing of the past? 5
Around Campus 8
SPORTS Baseball Wins 19
ENTERTAINMENT Movie Review 16
UCO, Edmond downtown may be linked By Trent Dugas
Staffiffriter CO
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and Edmond hopes to make life more enjoyable for students by attracting retail businesses closer to campus. The retail plan would include corporate bookstores, music stores, billiards halls, dance clubs, coffeehouses, bagel shops and restaurants. The City of Edmond and UCO are working on the city's Master Plan to provide a pedestrian link between Old North and Broadway on Campbell Street to encourage economic profitability. The retail renovation would also include University Drive and second Street. The City of Edmond has devised a Master Plan to study how to overhaul the Edmond downtown area to accommodate the growing population explosion, which will include UCO. UCO's involvement in the plan would include a renovation of Campbell Street which runs east
and west between UCO and Broadway. Campbell Street was chosen because the Old North Tower can be seen from Broadway down Campbell Street. The idea is to make Campbell Street more alluring for UCO students, employees, Edmond citizens and tourists. According to the Master Plan, designed by Thomas-Davis Architects and Partners in Edmond, UCO and Edmond needs to work on their economic appeal. "There are few or no retail or entertainment establishments in the Downtown area close to the university to entice students, faculty, or visitors to spend their money in Edmond," the Master Plan states. "The close proximity of the University of Central Oklahoma, a key economic engine for the city, should be considered a definite asset." If UCO and Edmond follow the Master Plan guidelines, a complete makeover of Campbell Street will include zoning the
land for commercial use and allowing businesses to start moving in. The plan describes the need for Campbell Street to become a pedestrian-oriented street and is a "critical linchpin" in fulfilling the Master Plan goals. The plan also addresses the need to make a "public right-ofway on Ayers, Campbell and Main streets" to promote safe pedestrian access. Doing that would require pedestrian lighting, sidewalks, crosswalks and landscaping." Bob Rudkin, mayor of Edmond, said the beauty behind the whole project is that the work done off campus toward the Master Plan will not cost UCO any money. "The university will be paying only what is involved at the university itself," Rudkin said. "We have some of the highway funds that are available to Edmond and will be used for the trail system. The university
• See MASTER PLAN, Page 2
Students given sneak peek at Commons By Mary Hall
will look like when completed got their first peek last week. StudentWriter Todd Duncan, director of tudents who wonder residence life released an what the UCO information packet to UCO Commons apartments students recently showcasing the apartments' features from stoves to sofas. The physical features offer another style of living The cost per student for on campus he said. the two-bedroom "We are trying to offer apartment will be another option of living on $1,670 per semester or campus for those students who have established $41750 per month. themselves academically and who want to stay on campus, but want-those —Todd Duncan amenities of an apartment," director of residence life he said. There will be 96 two-
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bedroom apartments and 48 fourbedroom apartments. Together they will house 384 students. Each apartment will be furnished with a standard size sofa, an end table, side chair, and coffee table in the living room. Each bedroom will be furnished with a full size bed, dresser, and study. desk. The kitchen will have a table and chairs, refrigerator with an ice maker, a stove, built-in microwave, garbage disposal, dishwasher, double sink, washer and dryer. Each apartment will also have two bathrooms.
• See THE COMMONS, Page 2
—Staff Photo By Shauna Hardway
Raising heritage awareness Thomas Chibitty, a UCO alumni and Marsha Chibitty pull the wooden poles on the tepee Sunday afternoon. The tepee was set up in celebration of Indian Heritage Week. Please see story on page 18.
