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The Student Voice Since 1903
Senators send up split-vote for campus wellness center By Stacy Brasher Student ricer
M
onday, a majority of the UCO Student Association (UCOSA) Senate stated their approval of the fitness and wellness center proposed by UCO President W. Roger Webb. Forty-four senators voted in favor of the House of Representatives' resolution supporting the facility, 19 voted against it, and two abstained from the voting procedure. A few outspoken senators Wajdan Ali covers her four-year-old daughter with the traditional "hijab" after a lecture about were hoping to table the vote "Why I Cover," hosted by the UCO Muslim Student Association. The presentation was held 7:30 until a proposal could be made p.m., Nov. 10, at the Pegasus Theatre, in the Liberal Arts Building. Yasmine Salama, a medical stating that the student body student from the University of Oklahoma spoke about why Muslim women cover themselves. should be allowed to vote, just as "We believe this is a command by God, and we obey it," she said. "Some people believe homecoming kings and queens Muslim women are opressed. The fact is that Muslim women are empowered becuase they are are voted upon. seen as who they are, and not what they look like." (Photo by Negeen Sobhani) However, time constraints put on the Office of the President to submit student activity fee changes made it practically impossible for the opposing By Jonice Kein The fraternity is complying to the fraternity was to have a senators to follow through with the sanctions, according to the speaker from their National Stuentiteriter their plans. president of ATO Jeff Meziere. headquarters speak on the "true The Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) "In responding to the meaning of brotherhood." fraternity is making headway in sanctions, the ATO fraternity has Cameron Ball, regional completing university sanctions already completed 150 hours of leadership consultant, spoke to set as the result of a pledge community service, doing the local fraternity in late incident last spring. various projects," Meziere said. September. "It's not that I'm The ATO fraternity was Members and pledges The only sanctions left to be against it or for sanctioned for an alcohol related participated in a neighborhood completed are a detailed report incident last April, where a the fitness trash pickup, cleaned patrol cars of the April 11 incident, and a kidnapped member ran over a for the Oklahoma City Police center...but I am five page paper about positive pledge while trying to escape a Department, and volunteered at for the students team building. pledge sneak. the Edmond Association for These two papers are in the and the only fair The pledge sneak is an event Retarded Citizens. process of being written, way to do that is that many fraternities hold The fraternity also created an Meziere said. to take it to a vote where the pledges kidnap a alumni advisory board as a part Meziere said that he feels by the whole member while leaving clues for of their sanctions. This board confident that the sanctions will the other members to follow. student body..." consists of at least five alumni, be completed before the March The sanctions include which meet monthly to advise deadline. community service projects and the chapter on current fraternity —Michael Willis The pledge and member reports to be completed by the issues. GATE president involved in the incident are both fraternity by March 1999. Another sanction handed to still a part of ATO and UCO.
Light shed upon sacred Muslim tradition
ATO fraternity sanctions lifted soon
Michael Willis GATE president
The proposal for a student body vote would have to be submitted, voted upon and the procedure implemented as well as votes tallied before next Monday, the deadline for the Office of the President to submit any requests to change student activity fees. Michael Willis, UCOSA senator and president for the UCO organization Gay Alliance for Tolerance and Equality (GATE), was one wanting to see the senate table the wellness proposal so more student body reactions could be polled. "It's not that I'm against it or for the fitness center," said Willis, "but I am for the students, and the only fair way to do that is to take it to a vote by the whole student body." Without the time constraints of the proposal, Willis and the others had two options in their favor Monday. The vote could have either been tabled by a majority of the senate, or the concurrent resolution could have been sent
• See UCOSA, Page 20