UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
THURSDAY
NOVEMBER 5, 1998
CONCERT
SPORTS
Better Than Ezra 3
Senio earns $10,000 10
UCO ORGANIZATIONS
ENTERTAINMENT
Membership decline 6
"Vampires" review 16
COLUMN
AROUND CAMPUS
You Heard It Here First 8
Student activities 19
The Student Voice Since 1903
UCOSA State of the Campus address solicits balance By Stacy Brasher StudentWriter
U
CO Student Association (UCOSA) President Derrek Belase presented a theme of balance during his State of the Campus address Monday in Constitution Hall. He sighted monetary balances, intellectual and physical fitness balances, academic and activity balances and a balance in student representation. The State of the Campus address is annually given by the UCOSA president, much like the State of the Union address annually presented by the president of the United States. "It (the State of the Campus address) is for me to communicate what my ideas are," said Belase. Because Belase is unable to introduce legislation, he uses this method to communicate his ideas to those within the association who can. The first issue Belase addressed was the need for monetary balance. Belase proposed that UCOSA create a list to present to the university president each year, declaring what the student association deems a financial priority. He suggested a balance could be reached in what the administration finds important, compared with what the students feel is important through creating such a list. Specifically, he sighted the "absolutely horrific condition that our buildings are in," as an issue students and administration are currently disagreeing over. Belase also proposed intellectual and physical fitness be balanced through support of UCO President W. Roger Webb's wellness center proposal. However he took a moment to "dispel the rumor" that the center would come in the
UCO Student Association president, Derrek Belase, discusses the balance in UCO's issues during the State of the Campus address Monday afternoon at the Constitution Hall at the University Ce nter. (Staff photo by Sara Morrell)
way of a child care facility or other necessary building improvements. "There is not $7 million out there waiting to be spent," Belase said. "This money is going to be collected to fund the wellness center and that's all it can be used for." Belase announced that there is a committee being formed to survey the campus' need for a child care center. Several students will be on this committee, he said. "The administration is listening to our concerns and they are looking into building a child care center on this campus," Belase said. While speaking of the intellectual fitness of UCO students, Belase also mentioned his disappointment in professors who continually give "huge exams" during "dead week."
"I don't believe that student activities should be banned (during 'dead week') if professors are going to continue to give regular exams," Belase said. "We are one of the few universities in the state who don't have a real 'dead week' policy, and students deserve this time to prepare for their final exams," he said. "I also feel strongly that fall break should be reinstituted," Belase said. "To my knowledge, there were no students on the committee who made the decision to not have fall break," he said. Thirdly, Belase addressed academic balance on campus. Mentioning some inconsistencies and conflicts with schedules, particularly concerning night classes, Belase proposed the administration better coordinate class
times. He also suggested offering more weekend-only degree programs. Belase went on to discuss the balance of student representation across the campus. "There are a number of committees on this campus where students have absolutely no representation at all," Belase said. "I propose that every committee that has a faculty senate representative also have a student government representative," Belase said. "That provides a balance between students and faculty members that is not currently there." Belase went on to praise the student government for legislation they are currently V See UCOSA, Page 15
Emergency call boxes on campus due for repair By Jarrod Briley StudentWriter
R
epairs on the emergency call boxes at UCO are scheduled to begin in approximately two weeks, said Lennis Pederson, director of Facilities Management (FM). The boxes have been broken since mid-August.
Call Box Systems of America (CBSA), the company that supplies UCO with the boxes, is responsible for the delay in repairs, Pederson said. "We've (FM) had a history of problems with them (CBSA). It takes several months for us to get the parts," Pederson said. A proposal has been made by officials of FM to begin ordering
call boxes and repair parts from a new company in an attempt to correct the problem. John Norman, president of CBSA, said that he was unaware that UCO was displeased with their service. "We've been doing business with UCO for a long time and have never had a problem." Norman said that bureaucracy
was largely responsible for the delays. "It only takes a couple of days (for us) to repair the boxes. It's the requisition forms that take awhile to get through UCO," Norman said. An order was received by CBSA on Oct. 5. The parts should arrive at UCO in the next couple of weeks, Norman said. Pederson