The Student Voice Since 1903
THEVIsorA
WWW.THEVISTAONLINE.COM
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2003
Week of action encourages political activism by Jim Epperson
Two-time LSC North Division champion baseball is ready for a third title as the spring season begins Feb. 6.
je@thevistaonline.com Rep. Joe Doorman, D-Rush Springs, the first freshman assistant majority floor leader since statehood, will speak at 4 p.m. Feb. 19 in Pegasus Theater of the Liberal Arts Building. Doorman is participating in "Raise Your Voice: A Week of Action," a series of events for higher education sponsored by Campus Compact. "Campus Compact is a national organization of college presidents that come together to implement service on college campuses," said Jennifer Geren assistant director for Campus Compact of Oklahoma. Since the 1970s, civic participation has dwindled among students and volunteerism has escalated. But volunteerism does not get to the root of problems like civic participation does, Geren said. Volunteerism is like a BandAid to a social problem, such as homelessness, she said. Only so much can be accomplished by working in a soup kitchen. But when you take problems to the political realm, you're going to take the Band-Aid off and solve homelessness, she said. Students are not involved in civic activities because they don't believe they are taken seriously, or they are not taught how to be involved. Campus Compact is trying to change students' attitudes to be active in politics, Geren said. Marilyn McDowell, a public relations senior, is UCO's representative on the Collegiate Vocal Oklahomans in Civic Engagement (Voice) Committee. Dr. Kathryn Gage, vice-president for student services, appointed
see Doorman page 4
- Page 7
Los Angeles Times photo by Mark Boster
The community of Houston grieved publicly at the gates of the Johnson Space Center and at churches across Texas Feb 2. Alexa Lawrence and her sister Stephanie (lower) mourned the loss of a friend, astronaut Laurel Clark who lived in their Houston neighborhood. Scott Gold and Eric Slater
Los Angeles Times HOUSTON--Slowly, astronaut Rick Husband would work the rust off the roof of his Camaro, wearing a drenched T-shirt outside his home near the Johnson Space Center. Next came the copper-colored hood, soon so shiny it would blind you if the sun caught it right. He turned it into a mean muscle car, drove it for a while, even gunned the engine once or twice for friends. Then he gave it to his pastor to raise money for his church. Months before astronaut Laurel Clark
strapped in to a seat on Columbia and shoved off for the stars, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration gave her a set of cameras to capture images of space. Go practice, they told her, and she did--taking photos of neighborhood children bobbing for apples at a Halloween party, then making copies for friends in her moms' club. Astronauts have always worn a certain humility--a trained humility best embodied in the words Neil A. Armstrong spoke upon setting foot on the moon: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." In NASA's early days, though, beyond their hero status, many of the astronauts were
Students reveal how to win rat race by Mark Schlachtenhaufen ms@thevistaonline.corn In the fast-paced Information Age sometimes a 24-hour day just doesn't seem long enough, especially for students trying to juggle classes, studying and work with family obligations. Some students are naturally better at it than others. Katrina Davis knows how to juggle a busy schedule. On an average Wednesday she awakens at 6 a.m., goes through her usual early morning routine, drops her three children off at daycare by 8 a.m., has class at UCO until 12:50 p.m. and then works in Oklahoma City until 10:15 p.m. Throw in homework and time with family and friends and a week's 168 hours begin to seem awfully short.
Time, or knowing how to manage time, is a key skill to acquire in today's hectic world.
Some naturally know how to glide through a hectic schedule. Others need guidance. What's Davis' secret? Practice. "Out of practice, I just know what to do," Davis said. Sometimes, the junior mar-
keting major said she studies at work during breaks. When she has an exam, she wakes up an hour earlier. Her advice: set goals, make a plan and work as hard as necessary to achieve those goals. "If you can dream it, you can achieve it," Davis said. Geffery Havard, a UCO biology major, is enrolled in 10 hours worth of classes and works 30 hours a week. He spends another 10 hours a week maintaining the house he just bought. Havard said he studies at a constant pace and takes breaks occasionally. He devotes most of his study time to the most difficult courses. He said he also
see Time page 4
Coldplay
a rugged, rowdy bunch--hard-working, harddrinking mavericks and jet jockeys. The space cowboy is gone. The seven crew members who died when Columbia broke apart Saturday morning over Texas were part of a new breed. Several had extensive experience flying military jets, but at heart they were technically skilled bookworms, scientists first and pilots second. The bulk of their training was in engineering, medicine and computers, and the vehicle they flew was not a rocket, but a soaring laboratory.
Unapproved research scams students out of personal data by Vista Staff ucovista@hotmail.com When students were approached with surveys in the Nigh University Center Wednesday afternoon, they didn't realize they were guinea pigs in a project seeking to scam them out of personal information. Around 12 p.m. Wednesday, UCO police responded to reports that a man with curly brown hair was passing out surveys asking students to give out social security numbers, credit card numbers and expiration dates, birth dates and phone
ms@thevistaonline.com Editor's note: this is part two of a two-part series about lotteries. Part one was an in-depth overview. Part two is a look at the pros and cons of lotteries.
Coldplay entertained Oklahoma City with their musical skills during a concert at the Civic Center Feb 1.
- Page 7
numbers. Five students with clipboards claiming to be Oklahoma Christian University (0C) students and handing out $5 bills to survey respondents were rounded up and taken to Lillard Administration Building for further questioning. They spoke with Jarrod Noftsger, assistant to the vice president for student services and senior conduct officer, who asked them to fill out an expression-activity authorization permit (EAAP).
see Scam page 3
State officials debate lottery pros and cons by Mark Schlachtenhaufen
Photo by Heather Harkins
see Shuttle page 8
Women's basketball defeated SOSU 66-56 to giving head coach John Keely his 300th career win.
If Oklahomans get the chance to vote on a lottery sometime this summer, it won't be the first time. Back in 1994, when David Walters was governor, the issue came to a vote and the results were 66 percent against, 44 percent for the lottery. The economy was not a determining factor in the issue then as it is today. "It turned into a referendum on David Walters," said Mike Clingman, secretary of the State Election Board. Walters was dealing with neg-
ative press stemming from investigations into contributions to his 1990 campaign, and there was a strong anti-lottery effort financed by Remington Park. State Representative Forrest Claunch, R-Midwest City, worked to defeat the lottery then. He remains one of the more vocal opponents today. "If you're going to have a lottery and you're going to attach it to education you are going to tell the children of Oklahoma that the best hope for education is not in hard work and good incentives, it is in gambling," Claunch said. Georgia's system, however, is a prime example of what a lottery can do for education. Georgia's total lottery proceeds
see Lottery page 5
Charles Wyatt comes to UCO as the Artist in Residence for the creative studies program. - Page 3