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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2003
Students react to Orange alert status by Mark Schlachtenhaufen ms@thevistaonline. corn Although the United States remains under Orange status, indicating a high threat of terrorist activity, UCO students appear to be paralleling the results of a poll showing most Americans are feeling no extra anxiety. More than seven in 10 respondents said they felt no extra stress or anxiety according to the results of a recent ABC News-Washington Post poll. Eight percent said they felt a great deal of extra anxiety. Almost half of all women questioned
said they worried about being a victim of a terrorist attack while, less than 25 percent of all Men polled felt the same. The poll has an error margin of plus or minus three percentage points and 1,042 adults were questioned. Lindsie Parks, a UCO student from Woodward, said the change in alert status has not altered her lifestyle. Her family doesn't have an emergency communications plan, but if it came to that, she would give them a call. UCO students echoed the sentiments of other Americans: the further away from Washington, the less the worry. "I'm not worried that something will
happen here in Oklahoma," Parks said. John Elerick, a junior biology major who served seven years in the U.S. Navy, said life has been business as usual. He has been to the Middle East. In 1988 and 1989 he had two tours in the Persian Gulf region. Elerick said he was certain the United States would be taking military action against Iraq and just as sure that there would be no attack by foreign terrorists on U.S. soil. The odds of an attack occurring increase as complacency increases, he said. "We've got the best people in the right places," Elerick said.
Cedric Brown, physical education sophomore, agreed with Elerick that the United States has the right people in the right places. He said he just takes all of the talk about terrorism and the alert into consideration. Terrianda Norwood, business administration junior, said she isn't too worried about an attack yet. She also knew the alert level was at Orange level. But Norwood said she didn't have a communication plan with her family other than to call. "I think the government really is more about talk than anything," Norwood said.
Oklahoma Blood Institute calls out for more donors
Baseball overcame Arkansas Tech University 5-3 and rose to No. 8 in NCAA Division 11 rankings. - Page 7
by Mark Schlachtenhaufen ms@thevistaonline.com As the United States prepares for a possible war with Iraq, Americans are being asked to give the gift of life: blood. Busy schedules, illness and cool weather and increased military demand have contributed to a dip in Oklahoma's blood supply, said Sherie Cantrell, public relations manager for the Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI). Cantrell encouraged members of the UCO community to take the time to donate blood. "It's certainly a time for people to be conscious of what's happening in our country," Cantrell said. "The need for blood is always there. All it takes is a few minutes of time to donate blood and help save a life." Earlier this month, Fort Sill in Lawton asked the OBI to contribute 300 units of blood per month, Cantrell said. It is not unusual for the military to receive blood from civilian sources during a buildup for war. Concerning fears of contracting an infectious disease during the donation process, Cantrell said there is nothing to fear. "There is absolutely no chance of getting HIV," she said. The OBI's well-trained staff disposes of every item used, including the needle, after each donation, Cantrell said. The total time to complete the process, from entering to exiting, takes about 45 minutes, she said. The needle is in the arm for five to 10 of those minutes. Tara Scott, the OBI's training and staff development manager, works on blood drives with numerous local businesses and schools, including UCO. "People have no idea how quick of a process it is," Scott said. "If people could only see how much of a difference they can make in
see Blood supply page 4
Photo by Juli Barker
Karen Henderson, a staff nurse and Alice Bennett, UCO Health Center receptionist, box up supplies in preparation for their move to the Wellness Center.
Student Health Center readies for new home by Jim Epperson je@thevistaonline.com The Student Health Center will be closed from Feb. 28 to March 3 during its move to the Wellness Center, said Labetta Wallenmeyer, director of the Student Health Center. Wallenmeyer said since the Health Center is not an emergency clinic they are allowed to
close for three days. If students have something that is urgent, they should go to the emergency room or a medical clinic in Edmond. "Ordinarily students can wait until Monday," she said. The new Student Health Center is much larger than the current Health Center which was designed to be an infirmary when it was built, she said.
"It was designed to keep students like they're hospitalized." She said the new facility is much more organized and has more privacy For example, the waiting room is closed off from the rest of the clinic. At the current Health Center, privacy is an issue because the waiting room
see Health page 4
Renewable energy importance surges in light of high oil prices
Capitol Colors
by Caroline Duke cd@thevistaonline.com
Photo by Justin Avera
The state wildflower, the Gaillardia, was the central theme for the colors of the dome's interior. The dome was dedicated in November, 2002, during a celebrity-filled televised extravaganza.
As war with Iraq becomes imminent and gasoline prices surge, the idea of using renewable energy in lieu of foreign oil becomes a greater prospect. "I don't think we would care as much about Iraq if they didn't have as much crude oil product," said Mike Terry, executive director of Oklahoma Energy Resources Board. "Although the United States doesn't buy much crude oil from Iraq, they [Iraq] do supply a lot of other countries. So that makes them an economical and political player in the world." Terry said he is highly concerned with the United States's dependence on foreign oil. Dr. Whit Marks, UCO professor emeritus of physics and engineering and charter member of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy, said the United States is criticized by the rest of the world because of its increased reliance on outside oil over the past 20 to 25 years. Although the United States is conservative politically, he said, "We're not conservative in terms of resources." Terry said, depending the length of a possible war, "I would say that we could still see another 10 to 15 percent increase [in gasoline prices]." He said, in the case of a short war, prices could "shoot up" and go back down when the war is over. If the war were to last six months, paying $2 per gallon is a possibility because tremendous amounts of fuel will be needed and used to support the war effort, he said. "When you have a demand, price goes up," Terry said, "and when price goes up, you have more drilling." "People don't like high gas prices, but that's what happens." The White House has begun to take a step closer to cutting down on the nation's reliance on overseas oil and making the United States a more independent nation. President Bush announced his latest plans for a hydrogen fuel initiative in a speech Jan. 6 at the National Building Museum. The plans will aid in the implementation of the president's "clear skies initiative," a strategy proposed in 2002 to reduce air pollution from power plants by 70 percent by the year 2018. "Let us promote hydrogen fuel cells as a way to advance the 21st century," he said. The United States imports over half of its crude oil stocks from abroad, he said. Thirty-nine percent of the energy supply used was petroleum, followed by 24 percent natural gas, 23 percent coal, and 8 percent nuclear electric power. Bush said, hydrogen fuel will reduce the demand for oil by over 11 million barrels per day by the year 2040.
see Energy page 4
Identical twins Mark and Matt Dodgen, two of UCO's top-ranked wrestlers, hope to end their senior year defending a national championship. - Page 7
Demario Jones' performance on the court this year has been on the highlight reels. - Page 7