News
October 11, 2004
5
Local candidates offer platforms to audience By Jennie Hanna News Editor As we approach the day Oklahoma voters decide who will govern us, many politicians are making remarks on their opponents’ characters and leadership abilities to persuade new voters. On Oct. 5, candidates running for Senate Districts 31 and 32 and candidates for House Districts 64 and 65 competed for local votes in a public debate sponsored by Cameron’s History Club, Phi Alpha Theta and the College Republicans. Running for Senate Districts in Southwest Oklahoma are republican Don Barrington and democrat Craig Hale for District 31. Randy Bass is running for Senate District 32 as a democrat against Kenneth Easton, republican. For the House Districts in our area, we have incumbent Roy B. “Butch” Hooper running on the democrat ticket against Ann Coody, republican, for House District 64. For House District 65, Debbie Thompson, republican, is running against Representative Joe Dorman, democrat. To help better acquaint the audience with the candidates, the event’s moderator, Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, assistant professor for the history department, allowed each of the eight candidates an opportunity to speak about their ability to serve and what they think makes them the better vote for Oklahoma. Using an analogy, Thompson explained that she understands
that all the departments in Oklahoma want a bigger amount of money to effectively meet their needs. “I have the recipe to make a bigger pie for Oklahoma so that we can all get a bigger slice,” Thompson said as she held up both an individual pecan pie, to represent the current amount of money available and one of a bigger size to show how she can generate more money to use. Each of the candidates presented an optimistic view of how they would run their office if they were elected. “We have an opportunity to make great changes in Oklahoma and make it better for everyone here,” Dorman said.
Don’t forget to cast your vote on Nov. 2
Education system
The first major issue of debate was education, a topic that all candidates addressed as a major area of concern in their opening remarks. Each candidate agreed that the education of children in Oklahoma is an area of concern and needs to be held to a higher standard. Hale spoke about the need to focus not only in the classroom, but in the children’s homes as well. “The children’s parents need to get more involved in their child’s education and continue helping the child learn at home,” Hale said. Fellow democrat Hooper echoed with praises of Oklahoma’s education system. “We have the best education system in America and it will work to our advantage if we keep the checks and balances to ensure the money is being spent right,” Hooper said.
The lottery proposal Along with the issue of education is the vote for a new lottery in Oklahoma, where 35 percent of the proceeds are designated for our education system. The candidates were split nearly down the middle with some who felt that the lottery will help Oklahoma’s education system and others who thought it would hinder it. However, each person came across with the same sentiments that Oklahoma must be wise with all of its assets in the teaching of youth. “No matter where the money ends up coming from, I think that we should spend it responsibly on education and in all other areas of the state as well,” Coody said. Easton, a fellow republican, explained how “times have changed and all departments need to be accountable for themselves in order to keep up with their budgets, not just in education.”
Newswriting Student Filling out paper work, waiting, and experiencing untimely delays can be common during the semester for students applying for financial aid. Students may begin filling out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the 2005/2006 school year as early as January. According to FAFSA Online, it is highly recommended to get a start on the application as soon as students’ 2003 taxes are complete, to take advantage of money and funding that is available. The deadline for FAFSA applications is June 30, 2005. Types of funding to help students pay for school expenses include grants, loans and federal workstudy positions. Grants include federal Pell grants and Supplemental Educational Opportunity grants, which range from $100-$4,050, depending on enrollment status. These grants are for the student and do not require repayment unless a student has a deficiency, which can be explained by a financial aid counselor. If a student is in need of a student loan, he or she should know the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans. With subsidized loans, the government pays for interest on the loan while the student is attending college, and the student begins to pay the loan back after graduation. Unsubsidized loans require students to be responsible for interest during the life of the loan while they are in school. If students are not interested in borrowing, another option is federal work-study jobs, many of which are posted throughout campus. These are on-campus jobs and are usually office related. Work-study positions are available in many departments. Students who are struggling for money may want to consider financial aid to help pay for school expenses
Debating the issues: The democratic candidates for local senate and house districts offer their platforms to the public at a debate held Oct. 5. The candidates are as follows: (L-R) Roy B. “Butch” Hooper (Senate 31), Randy Bass (Senate 32), Rep. Joe Dorman (House 64) and Craig Hale (House 65).
Same-sex marriage Another major issue of concern in which Oklahoma voters will be deciding this election is same sex marriage. All of the candidates stood against the issue of allowing same sex marriage for reasons ranging from religious preference to simple upbringing and beliefs in what a marriage represents.
Photo by Jennie Hanna
Taking a position: Those running for a spot in one of the local senate and house districts on the republican ticket offer their stance on key issues at the debate on Oct. 5. Seat together, the candidates are: (L-R) Don Barrington (Senate 31), Ann Coody (House 64), Debbie Thompson (House 65) and Kenneth Easton (Senate 32).
Tort reform To end the debate, tort reform and attracting more businesses to come and to stay in Oklahoma were key issues for many people in Oklahoma. Bass feels that it is our workers in Oklahoma that will attract more businesses. “Our workforce is our greatest access to making Oklahoma better,” Bass said. “I think we are on the right track and if we stick to what we are doing, we will resolve this problem.”
Financial aid minimizes cost of college for students who qualify By Krystal Deak
Photo by Jennie Hanna
and for extra cash. It helped Laguinna Fixico, a CU management senior. “I don’t have to pay for my classes, and it’s a relief because it’s funded. I also have the chance to receive loans,” she said, “If the aid wasn’t available it would take me much longer to get through school, even by receiving scholarship.” According to Cheryl-Ann Fogle, financial aid assistance clerk, completing required paperwork is the first step in the process. “To meet eligibility requirements to receive any financial aid, the FAFSA application must be filled out online or by obtaining an application at the financial aid office in North Shepler.” Some of the basic requirements are: applicants must be enrolled as a student at Cameron for the semester they expect aid, must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or permanent resident with an Alien Registration Receipt Card, and if a student is a male between 18-25, must be registered with Selected Services. Fogle states that completion of the FAFSA form does not guarantee eligibility. “Eligible students are [determined] by filling out the FAFSA,” Fogle said. “This isn’t a guarantee that you will qualify for financial aid.” Students may have extenuating circumstances or may not meet the requirements. The FAFSA application process can be lengthy. Fogle KRT Campus said that to speed up the process, students should apply online. “It takes four to six weeks to get a report back when you apply by paper (application) and only two to four weeks if you apply online,” she said. “But it needs to be reviewed by a financial aid counselor to see what other documents are required. Once approved, the funds are dispersed to the cashier at the administration building.”
Easton, on the other hand, feels there is a need to look at revamping our current way of attracting businesses. “It’s tort reform; it’s workman’s comp; and it’s tax reform. This is what Oklahoma needs if we are going to grow as a state,” Easton said. Barrington offered a concept that nearly all of the other candidates agreed with on tort reform. “I think Oklahoma needs to
be a more attractive state, and we need to do things that will attract more business here to come and stay here,” Barrington said. Dorman said that leaders need to keep in mind what is best for the citizens of Southwest Oklahoma. “A lot of things that look and sound good on paper are not always the best thing to protect the people in Oklahoma,” Dorman said.
SECURITY
Continued from Page 1 system will allow library workers to use a wand to scan books in the stacks upstairs giving them the information they need to make sure the book is in the right spot as well as a check out history to know how popular the book is. The new system will reduce the number of times the security gate system at the front doors of the library is activated by mistake. Kathy Gray, Senior Cataloging Associate, explained that sometimes people with other books from outside of the library come in and the security tags from the store set off the alarm. Cell phones have set the alarm off as well. The new system operates solely on a radio frequency set to the chips inside of the books. The chips are designated only to Cameron. The chips are activated by the radio frequency when they are run over a scanner or a wand is used to scan the books. The library staff hopes to have the new system completed as soon as possible. They have already started cataloging books. “We hope to do about eleven to twelve hundred books a week,” Gray said. There are 27 thousand books that need to be scanned and have a chip put in them. “This process also give us a chance to weed out some of the older books,” Gray said.
SPEECH
Continued from Page 1 Tyler Thornton is the new speech coach, only six weeks into the game, but keeping a keen eye out for the team’s overall improvements. “One of the main benefits of debate is to acquire social experience,” he said. “They also learn research skills, critical thinking and how to analyze the information they receive.” On the team’s performance, Thornton said: “The team has learned a lot. They are a young team. But there is always room for improvement. They can be more competitive. With frequent participation in debates, they will be able to improve their debating styles and compete at a higher level.” The speech team is scheduled to participate in five tournaments this semester. This weekend, they compete at Drury University.
SGA Notes Today’s meeting will begin with a second reading of Resolution 304003, authored by Vice President Frank Myers, calling for arrows indicating proper driving direction to be painted throughout Cameron University. Second on the agenda will be the first reading of Senator Kara Morris’ Resolution 304004, calling for a change in library hours. A Parliamentary Procedure Workshop will be held during the meeting. For questions about SGA or its work, contact their office at 581.2444 or go to cusga@cameron.edu.