INSIDE • Sports
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA PAGE
Central Station serving lunch and more PAGE 5
6&7
• Feature PAGE 10 & 11 •Review
PAGE
12
•Column
PAGE
13
•Out and About PAGE 14 • Classifieds PAGE 15
The Student Voice Since 1903
WWW.THEVISTAONLINE.COM
>News Aftermath hits home Bomb threats and bricks disrupt area schools and businesses following Sept. 11 attacks. ✓ Page 8
>Sports Player of the Week Kim Brown scores fourth hat trick Sept 22 against St. Edwards and is poised to break UCO scoring record. 4, Page 6
>Features Field trip Students search for cowboy graves in a Northwest Oklahoma prairie and visit bat caves. . v Pages 10 & 11
TODAY IN HISTORY In 1954, The Tonight Show premiered on NBC after first airing on radio in June 1953 . The first host was writer and comedian Steve Allen.
QUOTE OF THE DAY "I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!" —Martin Luther King, Jr.
WEATHER \ 1/
Thur. highs in the _9upper 70's ./ i I
Mostly clear, lows\If/
Fri. in the mid 50's, —0-high near 80 .0 ‘
Lows in upper
Sat. 50's, highs in _
/ e l ...._
upper 70's . ,/ i \
Lows in mid 50's,
1t/
Sun. highs in upper
70's
27, 2001
Proposed bill may affect students' privacy
BRIEFS
Mostly clear,
THURSDAY • SEPT.
./1\ _
BY SARAH BLOUNT
Staff Writer ongress was recently asked by the Bush Administration to introduce a bill giving the Education and Justice Departments broader access to student records. Proponents of the bill hope to
C
combat terrorism by allowing easier access to student records. Many student organizations are worried this bill will unfairly reduce the privacy of students. "Law enforcement wants all possible information right now, but we want to educate people on a law that would make Arab and Muslim students more vulnerable than they already are," said Corye Barbour, U.S. Student Association (USSA) Legislative Director. USSA expected the bill to be introduced during the week of Sept. 17, but now anticipates it to be introduced Thursday Sept 27. "We believe the bill was initially met with negative feedback," Barbour said. "We think they are making changes to
Evelyn Wilson, Dean of make it more acceptable." Barbour said her organization Enrollment Services, said the encourages people to call guidelines are vague. "The information is not very members of Congress, letting them know that this proposed clear," Wilson said. "It's done on a close scrutiny of academic records case by case basis." According to is unacceptable. Barmak Nassirian of "As of right now, AACRAO, student everyone agrees on "The new b ill records are protected everything, but we would signi ficantly by the Family want to educate alter priva cy Educational Rights people that this is and Privacy Act not acceptable, it measures t hat (FERPA). erodes our privacy." FERPA sets The American have been i n place requirements Association of for over a quarter designed to protect Collegiate Registrar the privacy of parents and Admission century." and students. Federal Officers laws protect student (AACRAO) has privacy, but records sent the UCO —Barma k Nassirian are available through admissions office AACRAO emergency brief items about student record access in case of provisions. The Department of Education national emergency. AACRAO provides allows investigation of student professional development, records under the circumstances guidelines and voluntary standards of "likelihood of harm to students to be used by higher education or others." "Unless a student consents to officials regarding records, admissions and enrollment its release, certain information is subject to a very severe set of management.
restrictions," Nassirian said. Under normal circumstances, law enforcement would have to 'obtain a subpoena to access student records, but due to recent terrorist attacks, Nassirian said the FBI or Secretary of Education could, at any time, access student records if they believe they need help — without a subpoena. "Non-consensual release of private, personal information is allowable for institutions under current law," Nassirian said. "The new bill would significantly alter privacy measures that have been in place for over a quarter century." The type of information law officials may obtain include social security numbers, income, race and religion. FERPA was passed in 1974, during the Nixon administration. Nassirian said it was passed because the FBI was investigating student records to potentially deter opponents of policy administration. "It was inappropriate access of student records of anti-war protesters," he said. •
Disposable cell phones available in October BY MICHAEL LARSON
Staff Writer
D
isposable cellular phones, which are scheduled to hit
American markets midOctober, have become a catalyst in the reform of traditional wiretapping techniques. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft cited disposable phones as a possible medium of communication between terrorists during a televised address from Camp David on Sept. 17. Ashcroft believes such technologies will force investigators to now focus on monitoring the suspects themselves, rather than just their phone lines. Disposable cell phone technology was developed by several independent companies in
an effort to attract Americans retail for about $30, which consumers who've yet to purchase includes 30 minutes of airtime. The handset has a standard cell traditional speaker phones. and microphone, Pending a and comes in six government freeze different colors. on the product, Hop-on Wireless the phones should will market its be on sale at hand-held phone convenience for $25 to $30. The stores, drug stores phone uses voiceand other retailers recognition for as early as middialing, and comes October, with 60 minutes of San Franciscoairtime. Users PHOTO IA1 LAURA JOHNSON based manufacturer Laura Gruel, a junior communicate over Telespree Inc. elementary education a hands-free ear created a phone major, uses her cell phone piece device that plugs into the that uses by Broncho Lake. phone. Once the disposable battery packs. Each battery pack will time has been used up, the phone power the phone for a set amount can be thrown away or traded in of airtime. The phone itself will for re-programming.
Dieceland Technologies will market Phone-Card-Phone for $10. The phone's inventor, Randi Altschul, said the phone is the thickness of three sheets of paper. Its keypad is formed by three plastic circuit boards pancaked together. The phone will also use a hands-free earpiece. Brandon Cooper, a senior premed major said companies should market the disposable phones with more airtime. Cooper said he has no trouble using up his allotted 600 minutes a month. Cheryl Laine, nursing sophomore, said she probably wouldn't ever use a disposable cell phone. "I just don't use cell phones," said Laine, who has never owned a cell phone or pager. "I'm still living in the olden days." •