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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY I I , 2003,
UCOSA taps into rainy day reserve ■ Student government still wading through budgetary problems stemming from 2001. by Thad Donner td@thevistaonline.com UCOSA is still dealing with the budget ramifications stemming from an anticipated student activity fee (SAF) increase in 2001.
UCOSA's budget is now returning to normal. The fee increase was applied in the spring of 2002. However, the Student Activity Board (SAB) budget is much less than last year, $36,000 since most of the money was put into the normal student groups budget. On Feb. 3, the Student Senate approved the transfer of $20,000 from the UCOSA rainy day fund into the SAB general fund. The SAB allocates money
to student organizations. The SAB meets once a month and reviews applications from student groups. If the SAB judges the unbudgeted event to be in the interest of the school, money is allocated. This action reduced the UCOSA rainy day fund from $40,000 to $20,000 and raised the available SAB funds from $12,000 to $32,000. "I didn't think $12,000 dollars was an emergency," said
Senate Deputy President Pro Tempore Greg Jellick. "I think you can do a lot with $12,000 in a semester. I hate to think that [the shortfall] was due to bad management. If that is in fact due to bad management you have a situation propagating that." The action was triggered by a $1.15 rise in the SAF, approved in the fall of 2000, increasing it from $4.00 to $5.15 per credit hour. UCOSA had anticipated
money generated by the increase would be available in the fall of 2001. UCOSA by-passed the normal budgetary procedures by placing the anticipated $117,000 in SAF revenue into the SAB fund. SAB money is not dispensed until the semester is already underway. By placing the anticipated money there, the general fund would not be
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Women's basketball edged Tarleton State 6355 and took second place in the LSC North Division Feb. 6.
Campus renovation to temporarily chill Chambers Library
Broncho Spirit
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by Caroline Duke cd@thevistaonline.corn
Photo by tina Fowble
Students rally for support during the UCO basketball game against Tarleton State University at Hamilton Fieldhouse on Feb. 6.
House committee to vote on lottery bill by Mark Schlachtenhaufen ms@theyistaonline.corn Legislation seeking to establish an election for an education lottery will face a crucial committee vote Feb. 12 in the state House of Representatives. Rep. Ron Kirby, D-Lawton, primary author of the lottery bill, met with Gov. Brad Henry on Feb. 10 to discuss the legislation's immediate future. House Bill 1278 has been placed on the House revenue and taxation committee's agenda for Feb. 12, when members of the committee will determine whether the bill will die there or go before the full House for another vote. If the House and Senate pass the bill, after any final issues have been resolved in additional committee work, Henry would likely sign the legislation, which would authorize him to set a date for a lottery election, Kirby said. However, the bill faces procedural hurdles and the question of whether there is enough support in the House for it to pass. "Everyone's acting like it's a
done deal, but it's not a done deal," Kirby said. When the bill comes before the 101-member House for a vote, only 51 votes will be needed to pass the legislation. In the 48-member Senate the magic number will be 25 — a much lower threshold than the twothirds supermajority required to amend the state Constitution. The lottery bill seeks to establish a referendum — an election — not to amend the Constitution, said Larry Warden, the House's chief clerk. Kirby said the purpose behind the legislation was to send the lottery issue to a vote of the people sooner rather than later. The bill contains built-in safeguards stating that proceeds from a lottery would go to education. Without passing a Constitutional amendment, the earliest date for a vote on the lottery question would have been the next general election, in November 2004. The lottery would not raise taxes; it would be self-supporting, said Mike Ray, House media division director.
Gov. Henry has estimated a lottery would raise $300 million in new money annually. Henry wants about half of that figure to go to public education, the other half toward higher education scholarships. Henry has proposed a $110 million increase in public education spending. But the budget shortfall for public education so far this fiscal year is $158 million. Higher education's shortfall is about $50 million. Future cuts are expected. Overall, the state's budget shortfall is $600 million, the largest in state history. Zero-based budgeting efforts have freed up money from some agencies that could be used toward education. The state Constitution mandates a balanced budget. During the mid-1980s, when the state was in the grips of the oil bust, Oklahoma government faced a $280 million shortfall. In his State of the State address, Henry called for bipartisan action on the lottery bill.
Special to The Vista "Danny's doing very well. He's putting on weight," said Tan Say Teong, in a Feb. 8 phone conversation from Kulai, Malaysia. His son, Danny Tan, a UCO student, was diagnosed with leukemia at Edmond Medical Center Nov. 27, 2002. Yin Hwee Chua, president of the UCO Malaysian Student Association (MSA), said Danny and his parents left Jan. 22 for Malaysia, when word came that
Danny's only sibling, his brother Sonny Tan, 26, was a perfect match, but couldn't get a visa to the United States because of his age. Danny will enter the bone marrow transplant program at Singapore General Hospital on Feb. 13. He will have more chemotherapy before the transplant, his father said, so the procedure should be around March 15. Chua said within days of the November diagnosis, the group began raising funds — Danny
needed a $250,000 bone marrow transplant. During fall 2002 finals week, UCO student volunteers came forward to be tested during a week-long bone marrow drive directed by the Oklahoma Blood Institute. After chemotherapy and weeks in the hospital, Danny was in remission, Dr. Alexandra Ikeguchi, Danny's oncologist, said. He was discharged into the care of his parents and his girl-
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No. 1 Tarleton State rolled over UCO men's basketball 82-63 at Hamilton Field House Feb. 6. - Page 7
Photo by Tina Fowble
Students debate during the Diversity Talks sponsored by the Multi-cultural Student Services and Campus Life held at West Hall on February 5.
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Black history month highlighted by events by Summer Pratt sp@theyistaonline.corn
Student awaits bone marrow transplant by Stephanie Nease
As part of ongoing campus renovations, heating and air-conditioning units will be turned off in parts of Max Chambers Library during the week of Feb. 10 to allow for a coil in a heating and airconditioning unit to be replaced. Charlie Johnson, University News Bureau director, said this is the last phase of the university's current contract with Johnson Controls Inc., although follow-up improvements and repairs may be made. He said he is not aware of heating and air being turned off in any other buildings as part of this phase. The renovations in this contract will be finished around October, said Don Powers, director of Quality Assurance/Safety Management. Johnson said additional underground work will be happening over the next couple months to connect pipe from several buildings, including the Liberal Arts Building, Business Building, Howell Hall, and the old powerhouse to the central plant. This phase of campus renovation will also involve asbestos abatement in several areas on campus, he said. The abatement will occur in the mechanical rooms of the Business Building, Art Building, Lillard Administration Building, Howell Hall, the Liberal Arts Building, the Music Building, Hamilton Field House, and the Health and Physical Education Building. Additionally, Johnson said the HVAC systems in nearly all of the buildings on campus will be worked on to improve performance. New boilers will be added to several buildings, the original powerhouse behind Howell Hall will be structurally restored, and new equipment will be installed in various mechanical rooms. Powers said a little over $3 million of the $7.9 million budgeted has been spent. The performance contract with Johnson Controls Inc. is a costand energy-savings plan that enables the university to make needed repairs and replacements that will ultimately pay for themselves through savings made in the long run.
UCO will celebrate Black History Month throughout February and March with special events and attractions. LaKrista Page-Sen, coordinator of Multi-cultural Student Services said Feb 9-15 is the Second Annual Black Love Week. Theodore Noel, director of Guiding Right, will speak at 2 p.m. Feb. 12 in Room 300 of the Nigh University Center. Guiding Right is a non-profit organization that promotes prevention of AIDS and HIV. Page-Sen said, "He Say, She Say," is a relationship forum that will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 in the University Center
Constitution Hall. The Date Auction and After Party will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 14 in Ballroom A of the Nigh University Center. Page-Sen said the only cost for the Date Auction is the price to buy a date. Sixteen people have signed up to be auctioned. Chocolate Inspirations will be at 7 p.m. Feb 26 in Ballroom A of the Nigh University Center. There will be poetry, jazz, spoken word and singing. The event will be free of charge. Page-Sen said the show is an all male review. "It's by African American men for ladies." "It's going to be something else," Page-Sen said.
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UCO Wellness Center scheduled to open March 3. First glance preview inside. - Page 3