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Handing over the reins of DASNR Sam Curlretiresas dean and director His hands envelop those of the person choosea universitypresidentto undersnidyfor he greets witha handshake. Largeand strong, nine months. lhese hand haveseen hard workin their years.

Don Wagner,head of the OSU DepartYet,they are rull oflove for the work they do. ment of AnimalScience,remembersCurl's fast After 41 years in uni,·ersity teaching, timeatOSU. research and administration, including more "Whenhe interned in the 1970s,Dr.Curl than seven years al Oklahoma State Univer- was alwaysvisible because he was the tallest sity,SamCurl isreti1ingas dean and director of man on campus,"saidWagner. the Division of Agricultural Sciences and NotonlywasCurlextremelytall,but Kamm NaniralResources. said he wasal.sove111 bright.

"Myparents were teachers, and I always "Hewasa ve1;1 good student,"said Kamm. wanted to be a teacher,"said Curl. ''Yearslater wehad the opportunity to take this Aftercompletinghis education,Curl took b1ightyoung man and name him dean oftJ1e a position at Texas Tech University in the OSU Di,~sionof Agriculture."

Deparnnent of AnimalScience in September Curl ren1rnedto TexasTech at lhe end of 1963, teaching animal physiology and his intemship 11~lh a great appreciation for his genetics and conducting research 11~th cau.le timeatOSU. and sheep.

He continued to pro,~de leadership to It 11°asnot long beforehe becameinvolved Texas Tech as the associate vice president wilh the administrationof the university,mov- of academic affairs for three years before ing into the role of assistantcleanof research returning to Oklahoma as the president of for the TexasTech CollegeofAg1iculn1ralSci- Phillips University in Enid. Curl remained ences and Nan1ralResourcesin 1968. there for three years before he wasgiven the "Afterl went into administration, l con- oppornmity to become dean oftl1eCollegeof tinued my teaching and research role in the AgiiculniralSciencesand atural Resourcesat animalsciencedepartment,"said Curl."Finally, TexasTech. as [ moved through the level ofadministraHislm·efor agiiculturehelped Curl make tion,demandson mytimebecamegreatenough the decision, and he remained dean at Texas that I went into full-timeadminisu-ation."

Tech for almost 18yearsbefore he wasoffered Curl's first position at OSU was during the position of DASNRdean and director the 1972-73academicyear,sening as a special arOSU. assistant to the president, a nine-month "I accepted tJ1isposition because of the internship through lhe American Council opportunity to providestatewideleadershipin on Education. Curl, one of 39 young adminis- agriculturalteaching, extension and research u·ators selected from across the country for at a major land-grant university,"said Curl. the program, chose OSU Presidem Robert Curt's"~e, Ma1;1, said the rno,·ewasa relaKammto be his mentor,even though theyhad tivelyeasy one. never.met.

'The peoplefromOSUand Stillwaterwere "Tknew about him by reputation," said so welcoming,"she said. "Theywelcomenew Curl."l knewthat Dr.Kammwasone of the top people and are eager to get lhem involvedin university presidents in the United States, lhe community." and l had great respect for Oklahoma After he began his duties as dean, Curl State University." and hiswifetraveledaround Oklahomato meet Curl said he reallyadmired Kamm's abil- with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension ity to workwith people.

Serviceeducators,experiment stationemploy"He also had an excellent knowledge ees, state commodity organizations, political of the major issues in higher education," leadersand other supporters of the division. saidCurl.

"People were curious to know and hear Kamm said the ACE program selected whatgoalshe had in mfod for the divisionand people who looked like promisingcandidates his plansfor the funire,"said MaryCurl."lt was for higheradminisu-ationand allowedthem to a neat wayof meeting people in the state."

8 COWBOYJOURNAL

As dean, Curl quick.lygot down to business,takingsteps to moYetJ1edh~sionforward.

The FoodandAgiiculturalProducts Research and TechnologyCenter wasdedicatedjust days before he became cleanand director.

"Dr.Curl led FAPCthrough its initialembryonic stages and got it off to a good start," saidWagner."He helped guide the progi<1mto the successit has today."

Curl also was instrumental in secUJing funds for the Willard Sparks Beef Research Center and succeeded in relocating the ne\\' SwineTeaching and Research Center, which wi.U be completedin October2004,saidWagner.

"He helped us to overcomethe obstacles that had previouslykept the center from becoming a reality,"said Wagner.

The accomplishmentof whichC,\1rl ismost proud is tJ1eestablishmentof a close,working relationship between DASNRand tJ1eOklahoma agricultural industry,especiallythe establishment of the 45-member Dean's Advisor)' Committee. The committee provides a forum for the dean, other DASl\lRadministrators and faculty to meet with leaders in tJ1e ag1iculu1ralindusuyand receivefeedbackand suggestionsfor improvemenL "Asu·ongag1iculturalcollege must have that kind of interaction wilh tJ1einclusl!)'to ensure it is reallyoperatingon lhe cutt:ing edge of scienceand technologyand addressing the problemstJ1atare mostc1it:ical in lhe industry," s.'lidCurl.

Wagner said Curl did an excellent job of reaching out and getting to know people in the slate legislatureand in numerous commoditygroups.

"He wasalwaysveryvisiblein the external community,"saidWagner.

This relationshipwasvitalin helping the divisiontJ1roughlhe dilliculdinancial timesit faced during the past three years.

Despite these challenges, Curl worked to obtain tJ1efunding lhe divisionneeds. ''Through working\,~ththe state legislanire, Congress,p1ivategroups and individuals, my goal was to help secure lhe funding we need to adequatelysupport the division'shighqualityprograms,"said Curl."Forexample,we have made an all-out effort in our work with tJ1elegislature to secure the necessaq•funds

Lorestore extension's fieldstaff LOits pre,~ous "He thinks big for the future and isable levelof operation prior to the severe reduc- to lay the groundwork that people 10 years tionsin state appropriationswe havestruggled from nowwillappreciate,''said MaryCurl. with duiing the past twoyears.

The future of the di\~sionwillbe in the ''Mostof our fundingcomesfromLhestate, hands of someone new after Sam Curl retires. but wewerealsoseeking increa5edfederalsup- Nonetl1eless,Curl has ef!joyedhis rimeas dean port.," said Curl. and director.

Despite the challenges, Curl remained "Itjust doesn'tseem possiblethat the time positive about the growth and future of has gone byso quickly,"said Sam Curl. "l ha\'e tJ1oroughlyenjoyed mycareer, and rime goes tJ1edivision.

"He alwayskept a smile on his face and byquicklywhen you're havingfun." wasvery proactive,belie,~ng that good things He said his fondest memoriesofOSU are of the people he has had the p1ivilegeto know would come in tough time ,"said Wagner.

And good things did come. External re- and workwith both on and off campus.

'1 owemycolleagues tl1roughtl1eyearsa search grants and student enrollment expanded during Curl's tenure as dean, as did deep debt of gratitude because they have reallymade myworkenjoyableand fulfilling," student retention and graduation rates.

However,Curl wouldnever take the credit saidCurl.

Like any good leader, Curl fulfilled the for his accomplishments. Being a humble gentleman, he isalwaysquick to shine the spot- clutie of his position 1ightup untiJ the dayhe retired. He said he is open to assistingthe new light on someone else.

"Dr.Curl isalwaysabout otl1ers,not about dean in any wayhe can. "l willbe pleased to pro,~deanyassistance himself,"said Wagner."That is hispersona.I've alwaysadmired him for not havinga self-fulfill- I can that is requested by the new dean and ing ego as many administratorsdo." di.recto1/said Curl. ''The transition pe1iodbeIn addition tO his humbleness,MaryCurl tweendeans isalwaysimportant." said her husband has been successfulbecause Altl10ughhe said he will miss being inofhis integrityand compassion,along with his volvedwith a universityon a day-to-daybasis, tendency to be a quiet, but deliberate, leader. Curl plans to engage in part-time consulting "He belie,,es you hire the right people activities,as wellas pursue other professional and then let them do theirjob," she said. "He and businessinterest5. wanLSpeople to grow,to get better and to get "Maryand I plan to be verybusy,"he said. the praise for tl1eiraccomplishments."

TI1eCurls also plan to spend rime travelSam Curlsurrounded himselfwithpeople ing domesticallyand internationally.Theyhave who werededicated t0 the achievementof the visitedseveralcountJies in Europe and would divisionand helped them to be the best they like Loreturn and spend more time there. conldbe.

Here in the United States, the Curls are "l worked t0 pro,~de the kind ofleacler- buildinga house 20 milesfrom ilie farm where ship that ""asneeded to make the divisionsuc- Sam Curl wasraised near Tolar, Texas.Their cessfulbyhelping those around me to be suc- new home is sitl1atednear LakeGranbury and cessful,·•said Curl. the BrazosRive,~both great placesfor SamCurl "I took great p1idein their achievements. to fish and Ma,)' Curl to develop her passion We ha\'e a first-rate facultyand sta.lfin which for photography. all Oklahomanscan take pride.''

The location is also much closer to tl1eir His open-door policy provided the children and grandchildren. Mai)' Curl said groundworkfor ilie su·ongrelationshipshe has once the new house is fo1ished,they plan to had with his facultyand stall entertain familyand f1iendsoften. ''Youcould alwaysgo see Dr. Curl on any Though Sam Curl's hands willno longer item you wishedto discuss."said Wagner.·'He provideconst.anl guidanceto DASNR,ilieywill set asidese,·eralhours everymonth for faculty remain busy.Busywithsome work,but alsowith and staff to come in and talk about whatever the liule pleasures in life, like reeling in a big they wanted to talk about. catch, turning the page of a good book, or "I alwaysappreciated the fact i.hathe is a holding hisgrandchild's hand. u·ue gentleman, as well as a scholar - very Nonet11cless, his hands willcontinue proTop:Sam Curl workedin Agrirnllural/-Intlfor mo,~//um professional and continually optimistic,·· ,,iding love and su·engtl1to those whose lives sn1e11 _)'Mrs.Center:Sam'.swife, .lfrHJ, /1/ap II wpp11rtit•1 said Wagner. he touches.♦ ByLaura Bodell,ShenvoodPark, rolt in hi., iifr and rar1w.Sam 11111/ Mary Curl po<rJo, a Curl's ability to see the big picture and Alberta.Canada quirk photo i11the Food/UldAgrirultuml Prorlurt~Cmt,r. Bollom:Sm11C11rl fi11ishr,11/1/1a/1mn01k in his riffir, focus on the needs of the entire di,~sionalso beforehis ,~tire111,11t in J11ne.(Photosby Lrwm Bod,//) conuibuted to its development.

10 COWBOYJOURNAL

•

••• ...a mother sat next to her three children and is majoring in biochemistry.She plans to haveeveningclasses,"Leachsaid."But Clint's biggest conuibution was gi\~ng me the opas they lie quietly,hanging on her everyword. graduate in May2006.

These students must makesacrificesdaily portunity to go to school and him to support She magicallyrecites the last of their favorite bedtime story and kissesthem on the tops of to accomplishtheir personal goal of becoming us financially;it reallymeant a lot to me that collegegraduates. he woulddo chat." their tiny heads.

"There are small things I knowI \\~IImiss While the students who start college as Witha quiet sighshe puts her children to bed and sitsdown in a small plasticchair at its becauseI am at school,"saidMeganBible."The l8-year-0ld high school graduates are st.ill matching table. Laying The Billy Goats Gruff firsttime myson crawlsor walks¼iUprobablybe OSU's dominant population, students with spouses and children are filtering back into down,she picksup a textbook and begins her to his babysitterand not to his momma."

Although sacrificesmust be made, some- tl1eeducationalsystem.To thesesn1dents,the own nightlyiitual.

This mot11eris 26-year-0ldCarrie Leach, times the sacrifices come at the expense of chance to return to school means a better an OklahomaStateUniversityagiicultural com- coursework,not familytime.On a typicaldayin income for tl1eirfamiliesand a new outlook munications senior. The three sleeping chil- tl1eLeachhome, courseworkis not evenstarted on life for themselves.

Advisersin the College of Agricultural dren are the diiving force behind Leach's de- until allthe children are in bed. There are times when being a stu- Sciences and Natural Resources are now terminationto be a dent and doing enrollingstudentswithfamiliesin classestl1at collegegraduate. homeworkisme nu~ correspond with their children's schedules.

"I'vebeen go"Some nights I am not a thest thing from Professors also are making class policies to ing to school since student at all," said Leach. Leach'smind. help accommodate these student-parents, my son Tyle1~now "Some nights I such as special attendance policies and 7, was 4 months "I'm just a mom." am not a student at allowing students to biing a child to class old.He laughsnow all,"saidLeach.''I'm if necessary. and remindsme we justamom."

Jerry Fitch,animalscienceprofessorand willbe graduating thisyear,"said Leach."In all The spouses of non-traditional students coordinatorof undergraduateanimal science honesty, we will because he has been tl1ere take on responsibilitiesmat wereprobablynever advising,said the most important job for an withme through it all."

Leach not onlyattendsclass,but also runs imagined when tl1eytook their marriage vows. adviseris to get these students the schedules back and forth between two daycare centers Josh Bible and Clint Leach agree supporting they need.

"Wetry to make the classesfit as closely and an elementaryschooleach moming. hi an their wivesin their decision to attend school as possible with the children's schedules so average day,Leach travels I 00 miles to leave wasalwaysfirst prioiity.

"Clint gets the opportunity to play Mr. parents can take their children to school and her children at their respective destinations and get to classes.Leach and her husband, Mom while Tam at school, especiallywhen T be there when they get out," said Fitch.

Clint, have been together for eight years,and he is the chief of police in Coyle,Okla.

Carrie Leach said she goes to school so her childrencan haveopportuniliesshe didn't haveas a child.

Having one parent in school can be a sourceof physicaland financialstres.sfor a family.But when both parents attend school full Lime,new challenges arise.Josh and Megan Bible,both 22, attend classesat OSU and have an l l-month-0ldson,Jayden. ·while attending classes full-time, the Bibleshavelittleroom forjobsoutsideof school or home.Josh Biblestarted his student teaching expe1iencetl1isfalland ischallenged with how he willsupport his family.Policyin the agiiculLuraleducation programbars.Joshfrom workingwhile he isstudent teaching.

MeganBibleisstarting her second semes- CarrieLeachhas learnedto 111a11age her timeso she is ableto spend q11ality time with her //,ru children:(left) Tyler,7; ter back to school after the birth of their son Bailey,2; a11dLane, 4. (Photoby Lacy Cuny) COWBOYJOURNAL 11

Jo hand M an Bibleare final! adjusting to Ii£ as two tudents and a baby.He works at lillwaterMillingfrom 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. two nights a weekto support his famil .

"The hardest part of workingwasn't that l didn'tgetto 1a11myhomeworkuntillJ o'clock, but lhatjayden wasasleep when I got home and I barely got to see him at all !.hatda ," he said.

Decidingto havea child in collegecan b a hard deci ion to make, and ometime that decisionismade bya higher power saidMegan Bible. But bolh familie. agree on one basic idea: Even if Lheycould, they would not replace !.heopportunity to be par nts.

It is not uncommon lO see Carrie Leach passingaround the late t pictures of her children to her das mates,or to hear MeganBible telling her classabout her on 'slate t accompli hment.Josh and egan Biblesaid th y are proud theyhavean opportunity lO hape th ir on' Ii~ and the motivation to provid th b t lifepos ible for him.

"I ma sacrificemymoney,and som times my school , ork, but on thin I wiUn ver acrific is mylovefor my kid ' L ach aid.

"They should b the ones to g t my diploma becauseit isall for them."

These individuaJ a.r not just stud nts,

josh ,md Megm, Biblr mnke an exlm effortlOspend lime with their I /-month--0ld son,.fayde11.(Pholol,J Lary C1tny)

nor are theyjust parents.Tb are heroe who be able tocaUO U rheir"aJmamater"isonlya pull 24-hour hiftswith chool,job and family mest r or two away; then the can live re ponsibilitie . Leach aid the e tudents don't give up when things get hard; 111yjust keep on workingtoward th ir goals. ♦ ByLacyCurry,Stratford,Okla.

Theda they finishtheir degree and will

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six graduate students are examining burning only one section of a pasLUreat a time. This meanscattledo not haveto be movedand may graze the remainder of the w1burnedpasture.

It alsoallowsfor natural grazingrotation as the cattle willgravitate toward the newlyburned area and allowother areas to grow.

"Weare also patch burning late into the summermonthssofarmerscansee newgrowth later into the fall,"said Fuhlendoif. "This allowstl1emto graze their cattle longer and save money on feed in the fall."

By burning only patches of a pasture, a diverseenvironmentiscreated. Differentparts of the land are at different growthstages,providinga varietyof different ecosystems.

"Allwildlifespecieshave their own niche that allowsthem to successfullyreproduce and survive,"said Davis."So by having a very diverseenvironmentyouare able to providemore nichesfor more species."

This researd1is generating knowledgeto better the environment and savewildlife,but how is it helping the people of Oklahoma?

Severalanswersto that question mayresult in millionsof dollars to the Oklahoma economy, said Coston.

Ranchers are seeing increased forage amounts and rates of gain in their livestock operations. OSU researchers were able to get average daily gains of nearly 2.8 pounds per dayfrom cattlegrazingon landsmanagedwith patch-burning practices. That is better than mostbeefgainaverageson landsmanagedwith traditionalbum methods,said Fuhlend01f.

Input costs also are reduced with patchbumingas lesslabo1;lesstransponationof cattle and less feed are required for cattle kept in patch-burned pastures.Additionally,diversity

also appliesto the insect community that bird speciesneed for feeding. Asa result, birds are able to havea more diversediet, and soilsand plant life are improved by the insects as well, said Davis.

"Restoring the tallgrassprairie is important to me. It has supported my familyfor five generations,"saidJane Croger,a cattlerancher from Matfield, Kan. "If ranchers can make moneywhilerestoring me prairie, it's the best of both worlds."

Ranchers are not the only people who can benefit from patch-burning techniques.

Land ownerswhoare employingtl1etechnique haveseen a dramatic increasein wildlifepopulationsand are capitalizingon nature.Jim Bill Andersonof Canadian,Texas,hasstarteda birdwatchingbusinesson his ranch.

"Bird watching is the No. I outdoor pastime in America,"said Anderson. "Myvisitors are friendly,courteousand consciousof nature.

Theyjust want to see tl1ebirds."

Companiessuch as Anderson's increase awarenessabout the endangered birds oftl1e grasslandsand are helping to savetl1em.The business angle also allowsAnderson to earn profitsfrom his land in a newway.

Others are nowleasingtheir land and allowinghunting of game speciesduring designated seasons.

It is still important to keep thriving speciesat appropriate population levelsso theydo not overtake the other birds, said Davis.

Some small townsare even taking things one step further and creatingentire parksdedicated to tl1eappreciation of nature.

The creation of parks and bird-watching reserveshasjumpstarted a new industrymany refer to as "ecotourism."

Cherokee, Okla.,a town of 1,700people in western Oklahoma, has seen an incredible increasein tourismand economicgrowmsince opening t11eCherokee Nature Park.The park showcasesbirds and natural wetlandsand isin closeproximityto the GreatSaltPlainsNational WildlifeRefuge. Tourists can visit twodifferent parks within mere miles.

"Byemphasizingstewardshipof the land, wildlifepreservation and ecotomism, we can help keep rural communities from emptying out and disappearing,"said Coston.

The knowledgegained in OSU's patchburning research is proving to be valuable to ranchers and rural residents.Those interested in learningabout the new techniquescan contact their county'sOklahoma CooperativeExtension Serviceoffice for information and a schedule of seminarsabout properlyusingthe new technique.

This research continues to raise new questions every day, and OSU researchers anticipate it will be a long-term project that will continue to evolve into new areas of grasslandpreservation.

Chief Seattle said humans did not weave tl1eweb oflife; man is merely a thread. However,OSUscientistsand their collaboratorsare doing all they can to mend and strengthen tl1eweb so it is preserved for future generations. ♦ By TracyHangei;Chandlel;Ariz.

Page13: OSUwnducLsa controll.ed burn tomanageEasternRed CedarnearStillwater.(Photoby TerryBidwell)Be/mv:Controlkdbums createlush springpasturesJar the OSUAngus herdto graze nearStillwate1: (PhotovyTracyHangei·)

A

hough ts of Christmas trees and preen ts are beginning to creep into the hearts of children; parents are tarting to tre about Christmas lists,and holiday decor will line store helves within w eks.

With the thoughts of the approaching ason, one Enid woman i still relishing in the joy of her Ch1istrnaspresent last year- a present that will continu to give year aft r year.

The familyof94-year-old arjo1ieHomer Andrew presented her with a 40 000 cholarship endowment in her name last Christmas.

The cholar hip will be awarded annually to a graduate tudent in the O Department of Horticullure and Land cape Architecture. It will initially be a 2,000renewable award.

"We thought of the gift because of a 20 000 endowment presented to the department from the Enid [Okla.] Council of Garden lubs," aid Milton Andrew , arjori ' on.

Ma1jo1ieAndrew , president of the orga-

nization, said the club has provided tudents from Enid and Garfield County with scholarhip for many years. The membe1 decided that with ome of their remaining money they would create the endowment to en ure the cholarship would be available each year·.

"Becau e of the cholarship given by the Enid ouncil of Garden Club , her familyrealized how important holar hip were to Ma1jorie,» said Doug eedham, f101iculture profe or and chairman of the deparonent' chola.1 hip committee.

After learning of the garden club endowment, Milton Andrew pre ented the idea to hi family and began peaking with ilford Jenkins, fom1er enior director of development for the Divi ion of Agricultural ciences and atural Resources.Jenkin pre ented the fan1ilywith a number ofideas, including developing an award, creating a cholarship or naming gardens after her. The ettled on the graduate scholarship and presented it to Marjorie as her Christmas gift.

"ILwas av ry thoughtful wayfor the fan1ily to enable Marjo1i 's I gacy to be canied on at OSU and in th horticulture department tllrough assisting the education of oth r ," aidJenkins. ilton Andr ws said the family want d som tiling to honor h r permanently while h Iping otl1er at the ·ame time.

"Tt' a wayto publicly announce our fondne for aijo1ie while en llling her name ai1d accomplishments ai·eremembered throughout the horticulture community for years to come," said Andre\, .

Ma1jorie Andrews was introduced to gardening and basic horticulture by her grandparn ts when she wa young.

"I've been doing [gardening] ever incel can remember," he aid.

¼'hen he began, people had to end for mail-order seeds. he said she would get so excited when tl1e package arrived. These early day tarted a great love that haped Ma1jorie Andrews' life.

She learned the many nuances of horticulture witl1a oial-and-error approach, hort course atO U and her early employment.

Her first job was helping a friend who owned a greenhou e. he then worked at a retail farm stor where he had to learn the difference in the eed , fertiliz rs ai1d em~ronments to help the customers make the best decisions for their la\ n and garden needs. he later began working for the Enid tate chool as t.he horticulturi t..There he managed tl1reegreenhouses in which she grew all the plants to landscape the campus.

Sh loved tile work he was doing.

"I was probably the only tate worker who would have worked for nothing," she said.

She shared her passion for gardening with other byjoining many ornamental flower organization . She i • a charter member and erved as presidemofthe Centr.tl Garden Club, th Oklahoma Gladiolus ociety the North C ntrallris Society,the Enid Ro e Soci ryand tl1eEnid Council of Garden Clubs.

Th e club participated in beautification proj cts in their r spective areas. They al o spon ored conte ts at the county fair to promote horticulnire' benefits.

"Working witl1 flowers ha helped her have a po itive attitude about life and the world," aid Kay Shaughne y

( continuedon

page46)

COWBOY

Hunt clinchestop senior honors Studentsexcelon the college,universitylevels Four yearsoflongstudy hours, countless committee and club meetings,and undivided devotion to the Oklahoma State University College of Ag1icultunllSciencesand Natural Resourceshas paid off for l Ostuden ts.

On a sp,-ingnight when the college presented $713,500in scholarships, these 10seniors receivedCASNR'stop awards.

Landon Hunt, a Grandfield,Okla.,native, took OutstandingSenior honors.

"While at Oklahoma State University,l decided I wanted to makea differenceboth in L11e collegeof agiiculu1reand on tlie OSUcampus,"said Hunt.

Hunt has done just tliat since he enrolled at OSU in August 2000.

On the college level, he served as the F'FAAssociation, ScudentAlumniBoard,OSU 2003-04Ag1iculturalStudem Council presi- President's Posse,Student GovernmentAssodent, having been involvedwith the council ciation,AgiiculturalCommunicatorsofTomorsincehisfirstsemester:Od1erpositionshe held row,"SUNUP"tele,~ion programand KWTVincluded freshmanrepresentative,Dean'sVol- News 9 has prepared her for such a leyballToumamentcoordinato1~ homecoming journey abroad.

Anod1ertop CASNRseniorisEricStroud, coordinator, reporter and ,~ce president of a nativeofAlva,Okla.Stroudfindshimselffilled businessaffairs.

Hunt also has been a member of Colle- ,vid1pride when he reflectson his impressions ofOSU and CASr R. giate Farm Bureau and the l ational "I think of the CASNRcommitment to Ag1i-Marketing Association.

"During chiJdhood I fell in lovewith not teaching,research and publicsen~ce,"So·oud only ag1iculture, but aJso tlie agticultural said. "I think of the community of students lifestyle,"said Hunt 'The agriculturallifestyle and professors,tlie pioneering spirit and the has taught me not only how to work,butalso Cowboyphilosophy of hard work, integrity howto treat people withrespectand digt1ity." and hono1:" Stroud has been activein severalorganiThis respectand digt1ityfollowedHum as he participated in clubs, groups and events zationsthroughout the college,universityand community:Aggie-X,YMCA,Into tlieSo·ects, outsideofCASNR. One ofHunt's top OSUaccomplishments OSU StudentAlumni A~sociation,Alpha Zeta was being crowned as the 2003 OSU and Phi KappaPhi. HomecomingKing.

JeffreySteichen or Perry,Okla.,joins tlie 0 yearmemberofAlphaGamma top fivelist.Steichen said his top accomplishl-Jun1,afour RJ10fraternity,also wasinvolvedv.~d1Orange ments consistof maintaininga 4.0 GPA,being Peel,Camp Cowboy,YMCA and Adopt-A-High- elected presidentofa socialfraternityand beway,as well as the Big Event and Into the ing a Top 20 Freshman Man. "After leaving high school, I felt that Streets communitysen~ceprojects.

"Selection as the wp GAS R senior is a there wasmore that I could have done," said perfect ending to a college career that pro- Steichen. "I was determined not to have tlie vided me "~d1not onlya top-notcheducation, same feeling after lem~ngcollege. l feel I will but also providedme 11~tli valuableleadership truly be able to look back on my Oklahoma opportunities,"said Hum. State experience and sayI have no regrets."

Hunt is not the only senior to receive a top education and leadershipopporumities.

Elizabetl1Kinney of Mooreland, OkJa., also wasselected as one of the top fiveseniors inCAS R Kiimeysaid her expe1iencesat OSU have been guided byher fad1er'swords:"Don'tforget your roots."

Kinney said even tllough many of her activitieshave taken her outside of CASNR, her roots remain in agricuJturc.

"Sincemyinvolvementin4-Hand FFAas a youd1,my roots havebeen firmlyplanted in agriculture and OSU,"said Ki1111ey.

"They,,~11 be with me whereverI go."

Kinney plans to travel this fall to the United Kingdomto pursue a Masterof Artsin Landon /-11111/embmceshis mother,Diano. after being internationaljournalism. rum,ed2004 CASNR O111sla11di11g Senior.(Photosaho11e Kinney's involvement1vitlithe National tmd tll lefl lryLori Peck)

Coming into 0 Lei hen et goal for him. elf.

He wantedto havea s1rnngGP be succes ful in clas • b involvedand learn as much as he could. He used the e goal ro Lhru t him into the Top 20 Fre hman honors and to continue to be active throughout hi collegiatecareer.

Jamie John on of Wyandotte Okla. complete the Lop five eniorli tjohn on aidshe believe her experience· both l.11ndonHu111,u11te1;,ueives the CA • IR OutstandingSeniorawardfrom educationall and per onally Pm,/ mzd Mary Hummer(on left of Html) alongwith DeanSam Curl (far while at OS have Qivenher a leji) a11dHunt' /mre11ts,Diana mu/ Chris/1u11/ (rightof lluu/). (Photo hy Lori Peck) well-roundededucation. ''Because l have taken advantag of opportunities, I can begin my proThe 2003-04Top FiveD an Fr clLe rone fe ional endeavor with poi e and confi1 R eniors are devot d to their coU ge d nee,"saidJohnson. universityand communities as are the re t of ome of the opportunities of which the Top 1.0seniors: Laneha B arc! heyenne John on has taken advantageinclude Mortar Well , Colo.;RyanRoper,Weatherford,Okla.; BoardHonor Society,Pr idem' Leade1'hip Brad idwell,Goltr , Okla.;Jeremy Unruh, Coun iJ GAS RAgricuJruralAmbassador,Al- Perry,Okla.;and AutumnWillia111J, Otl ra,Okla. pha Zeta and th Oklahoma oricultural Other award presen tee!at th GAS R LeadershipEncoumer.

Award Banquet included the Outstanding "Being elected as a NR top enior is Fre hman,AshleyBoggs Cyril,Okla.;the Outtmlyan honor becau e I believe NRhas a tandingAd\~Ser~Joehatzer,agiiculturalecostrong de ire LOpro\~deagiicultmal opponu- nomics;OutltandingTeache1;.JclfHaney, pl,mt nities for the per anal dcvelopmcn L of its and oil cien e ; and Outstanding upport tudents,"saidjohn on. taff, Gen)' Smith, enLomolo•zyand plant pathology. ♦ ByLoriPeck,Senlinl'l Okl,a..

~gricu It u r.a1

~g1~cnltural Economics

~ -ri ulwral

\gri ultural Economi s AccomHinO' '/11; 2004 CAS R Top 10

eniorsinclude:(Iron/frow lefl) Lmielw Bem-d,Chrye1111e Wells,Cow.;A111um11Williams.

Ca/rra,Okla.;JamieJohnso11,l'\'.i•nndolle, Okla.:HlizabethKintll')',1Wooreland, Okla.; (back)Bmd_rSidwell,Gott,y, O/1111.: Jeffrey leirheu, Perry. Okla.; Landon 11,mt, Gra11dfleld,Okla.: Ryan Roper,Weatherford,Okla.;Jeremy Unruh, Pmy, Okla.: and Erir Stroud, Mva, O/i/a. (Photoby ToddJohnson)

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'Before the job' training Hands-onclassessimulatereal-worldexperience "By the time they are juniors and seniors, When alumni from the Collegeof Agrirultural Sciences and atural Resources speak, students have been lectured to a lot. As a faculty [member] you have to be willing to say, facultymembers listen.

And alumni continually provide a clear 'Sometim~ practicalapplicationsmaybe more messagefor profC$0rs: When students receive beneficial,'" he said.

Shelly Sitton assistant prof~or of agrihands-on experience in a class, their personal and profesgonal skillsbenefit rulturalcommunicatioos andteacherof thecamBased on this message, several CASNR paignsclass,said she agrees. professors haveshaped their cm.m.erunirula to "Courses like this push students " said better simulate a real-worldexperience.

Sitton. "But they're also the ones students loolt Dan Tilley;agricultural economics profes- backon and say,'Wow,rm gladI did that!' when sor, is one facultymember who bought into this they are finished. concept of experiential learning. He developed Tripp Bushnell, a 2000 agricultural comthe AGEC 4423 Advanced Agribusiness Man- munications graduate, is one of manyguestlecagement course in 1990 and teaches it turers Sitton invites into her classroom to exeach fall. plain bow to build a communicationsplan.

"Basically,it's a cl~ on how to develop a Bushnelllivesin Dallasand works as acrebusiness plan," said Tilley. ative director at the TP advertising agency, Students who enroll in his course will not but he makes the trip back to OSU becausebe find themselves in a traditional lecture-style values the benefits of this style of teaching.

"This type of class sets stuclass,though. limeacl, students divide into small groups dents up for what's out there in and spend the semester working with a com- the marketplace," Bushnell pany that is considering a change of some sort, said "Alotofyoungpeople whether expansion, growthina newindustry or who enter the industry an increase in a product line. fail because they are "It could be anybusin~ from equipment overwhelmed, and manufacturing compani~ to hunting lodges, or that's where this food products like wine or cheese manufactur- type of class ing," said Tilley. "You never know who you're helps." going to get from year to year."

StuThe agribusiness course isn't the only one dents in of its kind being taught within CAS R. Agri- the cultural communicationsstudents mayenroll in AGCM 4403 Planning Campaigns in Agriculture and atural Resourc~, a course designed to teach the basics of building a communications plan for a client's business.

Jodi icboJs,an agriculturalcommunicationssenior from Oktaha, Okla., was a student in this course during Spring 2003,the first sem~ter it wasoffered.

"Our team pinpointed themost specific issue facing our client's business, and then we walked through each step of the problem-solving process " said ichols. "We created a whole new promotional plan for our client, and we learned so much about the strategic-planningprocess."

Tilleysaid there are numerous benefits to this non-traditional style of teaching.

campaigns course have worked with several non-profit busin~ including the Oklahoma Pecan Growers' Association, Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom, the Agricultural Alumni Association and the state's Rural Development Office. Faculty encourage alumni to offer their businesses asclients for these courses.

Sitton said pairing teams of students with clientsand alwnni creat~ a pogtive experience for both parties.

"Yes,wegivestudents grades, but so much of what they do is totally student- and client• driven,"said Sitton."They're not reporting back to faculty as much as they're accountable to their client, and that accountability raises the bar. I am all about raisingthe barso students are ready to meet the needs of employers when they graduate."

Paul Weckler, assistant professor of biOS)Stemsand agriculturalengineering,knows about the importance of preparing students for their jobs after graduation. He teaches the department's senior.Jevelengineering design class a yearloogcomse\\herestudents adopt a client

COWBOYJOURNAL 19

and develop a solution Lo an actual indusuialproblem.

"I spent eight years in private industry working as an engineer after I got my Ph.D. here at OSU,and I knowwhatstudents do out in the real world,"he said. "During the senior design experience, we get past the textbook theory and deal \,~threal-lifeexamples."

Because the biosystemsand agricultural engineering department issmaller than most. only seven students enrolled in the class in 2003-04.Students created one three-person and one four-person team, and each team chose one engineering project from a list of potential clientsWecklerdeveloped.

"One group selectedto work\,~ththe U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers and eventuallycreated a plan to build a man-made island in the ArkansasRiver as a nesting habitat for an endangered speciesof bird," said Weckler.

The group's hard workand planningpaid off in the form of second place in a national design competition, and each team member received a trip to Las Vegas and a share of a SI,000prize.

This method of developingteamworkand critical thinking skills isjust one of the benefits of this styleof teaching, said Tilley.

"What I ask students to do is rake all the skillsthey havelearned from individualclasses like accounting and marketing and use c.hem collectively.

That's much more challengingfor them than simplylearning newmate1ialfor an upcoming rest,"said Tilley.

Industry professionalssaid the finished Students i11 the AGCM 4403 Pla1111i11g Campuig11sin Agriwlture a11dNatural Resourcescourse spend many hottrs working011projectsin the computerla/1.

The snnester-long class ro11cl11des with a 2O-minule prem1talio11 for cli• ents andfellowd11ssma.les.

At that time, climtsreceive sampleWebsites.brochures, 11ewsleller1i and otherpromotio11al materialsfor their 01gn.11izatio11 :Suse.

Severalof //it projectscreatedi11 the campaignsdt,ss, tis well llS f1rojerts from the agribusinessand agricu/tuml mgi11eeri!lg courses,are implenumtedby businessowwrs and non-f1rofit01go11izatio11sstatewide.

Alumni who wish to volttnteer their companyor orga11izotio11 for one of Ihm classesshouldroll ShellySil/on, Dnn Tille)' or Paul ll'rcklfr al (405) 744-5)95.

Danna Kelemen (left) of Georgetown, Texas,Kinseyl~e.stwood of Claremore,Okla., and Macoy Bolayof Pe,ry,Oh/a.,preparebrochures for their client. (Photosby 1\forcy Gnmdma,m) 20 COWBOYJOURNAL

plan developed bythe students are worth the exu,1effort KenStarks,an OSUagriculturaleconomics alumnus and president of BancFirst of Stillwater,servedon a committee oflocal bankers to reviewplans developed in Tilley' class.

After listening to each group's presentation and evaluating the team's research and ideas, Starks provided a decision on whether the plan would receive a bank's funding in a real-worldscena1io.

"J wasimpressed with the presentations overall,"said Starks."I receivesimilarrequests everydayfrom people who are lookingto start their own businesses,and the studen ts exhibited a complete knowledgeand a sense of enu·epreneurshipoften rare in newcompanies."

Tnsteadof presenting to bankers,students in Nichols'group presented to thei_rcjjent,staff membersof OklahomaAg in the Classroom.

"Our clients were th1illedwith the plans wecreated, and d1at'sa u·ibute to this college and our major,"saidNichols."Allfour members of our team had d1ebackground knowledge and skill base to provide high-quality finishedproducts."

Once the final presentations are delivered to clients, the positive repercussions of these projects don'Lst0p for the studems.

Nichols said she uses d1e materials her team developed in her professionalportfolio, showcasingto potential employers the range of her growingskillspackage.

Tilley'sstudents also are using their finished plans to help findjobs after graduation.

"Employers who see these plans are impressed ,~th the student's capabilities,"said Tilley."Theysay,'ThaL'sthe kind of employee we need,' and Lhat'sthe kind of feedback I like to hear."

He has high hopes for developing more classeslike Lhesein the future.

"Myvisionis to havea classwhere ag1iculturalcommunicationsst11dents are workingon a company'scommunicationissues,agriculnrral engineers are working on !lie engineering problems,and agiiculruraleconomistsare working on the business plan for a company,"said Tilley."Allthree would have to work wgether, because that's the wayd1ereal worldworks.'"

Although he's a long wayfrom developing these future courses, he is proud of the work his current students are doing.

"Oursn1dentscan improvethe businesses weare workingwith,and when those businesses improve,so does tl1estate of Oklahoma,"said Tilley."As long as our students are working toward learning these skills, we are moving in the right direction."

And as long as alumni continue to assist facultyin deciding what skillsare most pertinent in d1eworkforce, faculty\,~llcontinue to listenand work hard to prepare their students. ♦ By Marcy Grundmann, Shawnee,Okla.

Nole: The coursesmentionedin !his st01)' area samplingof theexperiential-Leaming classes offeredthroughCASNR. Adviserscan hel/1students determineclassesthat will be most applicableto theirrnaj01:

The 'Firsts' Lady Bradley makes history in the livestockindustry In fifth grade, Minnie Lou OLtingertold her parentsshe wasgoing to attend Oklahoma A&Mand participate on the live tockjudging team. Commonplacefor a girl today,but it was unheard ofin the early 1940 .

Raisedon a wheat tockfarm near Hydro, Okla., innie Lou attribut her pa ion for livestockto her younguncle Ted Otting r,who wa involvedin FFA.At the age of nine, he began howinglarnb and pig at the localfair as a 4-Hmember.When he wasold enough to handle cattle, she started a mall herd ofAngu . A highlight of her showing career was havingthe re ervegrand championAngussteer at the 1949 Oklahoma tate Fair and reserve champion teer at the AmericanRoyalin Kansas City,Mo., in the ame year.

"I went to every live tock field day and juniorjudgingevent Mydaddyhauledme many miles to events,"said MinnieLou. "l practiced everychance I could. I read books on how to judge livestock.I did everythingI could to be on thejudgingteam."

Minnie Lou ucce sfully exhibited livestock and judging killsat 4-H events. At he time, women were not allowed to participate in FFA. onethele , ucce eemed to follow the determined young woman, as he was a member of an Oklahoma tate champion basketball team in 194 and received the Hydro HighSchoolOutstandingSeniorawardin 1949.

Minnie Lou wasborn in 1931in her family home in Hinton, Okla. Her fathe1~Ralph ThomasOttinger,wasin road consnuction,and her mother, Zulema Young Ottinger, was a school teacher. either of her parents had a fo1maleducation,but theydid encouragetheir children to attend college. Minni Lou, her two isters and her brother graduated from OklahomaA&M. In the fall of 1949,fiveyearsafter World War II, Minnie Lou wa a fre hman at Oklahmna A&M.She recallsa lot of older men were in collegeat the time becaus of the GI Billof Rights.During her first eme ter,MinnieLou told Glen Bratcher, live tockjudging coach, she wanted to be on the Ji e tock judging team.

"He aid 'If) 10U are good enough to be on the team, I willlet you b on it, "she aid.

"Once he aid I could be on the team ifl wasgood enough, that wasmygoal. I thought, 'Well,if Iju t workhard enough ...' '

innie Lou tayed bu y with school and recall taking 18 hour mo t eme ter . What Minnie Lou did not knowwasthat he would be one of the first women to enter the college of agricultur and get a degree in animal husbandry and the fir t woman to judge on the Oklahoma &Mlive tockjudging team. aive to the fact she would make hi tm for the future of women at Oklahoma State Univer ity,Minni Lou credits th s xp riences to her ucc s. Her first win was the McArthurAwardfor b ing the top beef cattle judge at the 1951OklahornaA&MBlockand Bridlecont st.

She practiced for the livestockjudging team and made the traveling team. She had earned the pointstojudge at the ationalWestern tock how in Denver.After posting the points, Bratcher called her in and explained he had the points to na.vel,but he could not go becau e she wasa girl.

"I wasreallyhurt,' said MinnieLou. After preparing for the next show in Ft. Worth,Texas,BratchercalledMinnieLou into his officeagain to explain she had the points to go. He had agreed he could be on the team if he wasgood enough, so he wasgoino to let herjudge at the Ft. Worth tock Show.

She recallswhatanimalhu bandrydepartment head AlDarlow aid at the time. "'You are the fir t woman on th t am, and you could be th la t, "' aid Minnie Lou, with a refl ctive laugh. "H did not put any pres.sureon me."

Butthe Ft.Worth tock howwasnot h r last.In Octob r 1952,MinnieLou wasthe hi h indi,~dual be f cattlejudg at th Am 1ican Royaland seventh ov rall. In November1952, the team traveled to Chicagofor the International Live tock how.

"Astheyannounced results,Mr.Bratcher told me, I had rather you be last than cond,"' aid MinnieLou. Wh n th re ult were announced, •n nie Lou wasthe first, oman to be named high-point individualat the International Intercollegiate Live tock Judging onte t in Chicago,havingearned 901pointsoutofl,000 po ible points. Minnie Lou had beaten 1 0 male collegiatejudge .

In Chicago,she wasnamed "GirlPioneer."

As a re ult of her accomplishments, Minnie Lou wasnamed to Gov.John ton Murray' taff

Minnie Lou Ouinger Brndl,y raisesA ngu bulls on th, Bradley3 Ranch in Mtmphis,Te.vu;.(Phowb)'TomHigley, oulhwestPhotograph)')

as honorary colonel and wasfeatured on national televi ion program for breaking barriers for women in animal husbandry.

In 1953,MinnieLou graduatedfrom Oklahoma A M witha bachelor' degree in animal husbandryand a minor in agticulturaljoumalism.Aftergraduation,IvlinnieLou became the first\ oman to eJYeasassistantexecutive ecretary of the Texa Angus sociation in Ft. Worth,Texas.

In 1955,MinnieLou manied BillBrndley, a 1953animal husbandrygraduate he met at Oklahoma &M.With help from Bill' father, RustyBradley the newlywedwere able to purchase a ranch in Childre County, exas.The original ranch\ as 3,300 acres of We t Texa rollingprairiesand grasslands. t the time,they ran Hereford cattle.After Ii tening to Minnie Lou talk aboutA.ngu cattle, Rusty,the elder Bradley, aid, ''Youbuy ome o tl10 e black Angusbulls to put on tl1eseHereford cows."

Althoughtl1eyraised"blackbaldie "fora time, for tl1epast40years,tl1eranch has rai ed onl purebredAngu cattle. innieLouhas managedthe ranch and approximately400regi tered Angu co, for 49 yea1 .

In the early 1960 , Minnie Lou wasone of the first charter member of the Performance Regisu-yInternational. he recall· the idea of keeping pe1fonnancerecord on cattle herds wa unheard of at the time and too far fetched to imagin . "vVewerecon idered the weirdon ,"said innie Lou. Lnaddition to qualitycattle, tl1eBrncll rni ed twochildren MonteJackand aryLou. ( continued on page 46) COWBOYJOURNAL 21

I

C2lrvinga niche in @klahoma -,~~~~-~

OSU ForestResourcesCenterworkstopromoteforestiQdystry

ucked awayin the forest near Idabel, u·eesavailableto Oklahoma landowners.

Okla., the Oklahoma State University O,·er time, the center shifted gear from ForestRe ourcesCenter playsa ,~talrole a production-basedunit to developinga more in one of the state's most overlooked agiicul- research- and insu·uction-basedcen te1;said tural indusuies.

Bob Heinemann, OSU Forest Resources O1iginally,the center wasestablished by Center supe1intendent.

OSU as a horticulture research station. In the This change brought research studies in early 1960s,the forestrydepartmem took re- areas such as physiology,water-qualityissues sponsibilityfor the center and began forestry and forestreproduction,whileat the sametime research acti,~ties. managing to branch out in other areas.

"The No. l benefit is location,"said Craig " ow,a bullet of our responsibility is to McKinley,head of the OSU Department of facilitateon-goingresearch effortson campus Forestry. "Situated in the forestry region that are actually located here in the timberof Oklahoma, it provides a focal point to belt region of the state," said Heinemann. have the resources needed to cany out for"vVhatmakesour research station differesuy research." ent than tJ1eother research centers in the Restingon 160acres, OSU owns the sta- state is that our station is directly associated Lionand shares managemem duties with rhe with tJ1cforesU)'department at OSU." OklahomaDepartmentofAgiicnlture,Foodand The OSU Forestty Departtnent works Forestty Sen~ces. joi.ntlywiththe center to conduct researchand Initially,the OklahomaState Department pro"de educationalopporumitiesfor students. ofForesuy reliedon the ForestResourcesCenThe center is home to many graduate ter to develop a genetic program to improve projects that are maintainedand implemented seed sourcesfor nativepine u·eesand to make on site. Also,students take classfield trips to

T

explore the projects and experiments at the center and visitthe forest region of the state.

The station has welcomedstudents from the OSUforesoyand zoologydeparunents, as wellas students from other state institutions.

In reu1rn,students are able to ,~ewprojects at 1.hestation and gain hands-on experience.

"TI1eForesuyResearchCenter isa pan of whoweare and what wedo," saidMcKinley."It is viewedas an integral pare of the forestry departmem and as important as any otJ1ersegment of the program."

The center has international visitorsas well. It has hosted a week-long tour for the Chinese Minister of Forestry and his entourage.The group learned about tl1ecenter and different forest1y techniques used i11Oklahoma.Countiyrepresentativesfrom Thailand, Belgium, South Africa,Tasmania,Argenlina and lndia havealso visitedthe station.

The educaLionaJopportunitiesat tl1ecenter are not limited to field trips. Interested college students can complete internships at the center. The most recent intern at the center was Christofe Sicard, a student from the Universityof Leone in France. Sicardlearned about new technologiesUlatdeal witi1global positioningsystems.

Because of his imernship experience, Sicardhashad numerousopportunitiesto work 1,~thforesttycompanies in France.

Educationalopportunities also reach beyond the college level.The staffconducts foresll)' workshops witJ1students ranging from elementa1y school to high school, as well as home-schooledstudents.

In fact, one week each summer is designated for the foresuy natural resourcescamp du1ing which each researcher at the talion teaches his or her ownworkshop.

The center has hosted activitiesfor 4-H and FFAstudents, including tlle state 4-HforBobl-lei11emr11111 (left), OSUForestResourcesCenterS11f>n•i11tnule1U, exnmi11P< the life rin~ of a trtPon a fres()"ettl pieceof wood.Foresters referto woodsliresas "rookies.• (Photosb1 Amy Howe)

22 COWBOYJOURNAL

e uycompetion and wildlifehabitat evaluation program. It al oh Ip rudenrs prepare for fortJ and ,,~ldlifi conte rs.

D nni Wilson, fi heries and wiJdlife biolo!'.!":i t at the talion, has worked with Boy cout member to help them earn badges b aclvi ing them in creatino- a bluebird Lrailat the center and banding giant anadagee e.

'Working at the talion i not your Lypical nine-to-five job," aid Wil on. "Day-to-day activitie are ju ta reflection of what i o-oing on ourside."

Wil on aid employees mu t be willing to work in har h em~ronmental condition because much of their research at the tation hinge on d1eweather on any given work day.

" nlike mo tjob, we work harder on a rainy day monito1ingdifferent wale1 hed than on a unnyday."

One of the main projects the center i working on now i in co1"!iunction11•d1the .S. Forest en~ce. Randy H leman re earch pecialist, and Keith nder on, field teclrnician are invol\'ed in a GP project mat ,,~11create a map of the entire road y tern oflhe Ouachita ationaJ F re tin Oklahoma.

'Projecrs at Lhecenter vary all d1e time,' aid Holeman. "They are not limited to Lh tate of Oklahoma.'

The events and projecrs taking place at the center have expanded and ,1~Ucontinue to grow.

"We are d1e repre entative for the forest indu O)' in Oklahoma, as well a for O U, and a lot of the larger fore try projects would be impo sible without chi re earch facility," said Heinemann.

The O Fore try Re ource Cemer matche the u·unk of the hardy Oklahoma tree while anchoring 1.he tate's third largest agiicultural industry and creating a olid foundation for future growth. ♦ ByAmyHowe,

Lindsay,Okla.

Forinjol'mationaboutthe OSUFarestry ResourcesCenter,call (580) 286-5175 orfor the OSUForest1yDeparlment (405) 744-5438.

COWBOYJOURNAL 23

Cowboys choose success CASNR recognizes2003-04 Distinguished Alumni Whal do Jectric coop rative and blm molding have in common? Positive upportof agiicttlturalproducers and twoOklahoma tate oive ityCollege of Agricultural cience and atural R ource alumni who work with th m: LarryWaLkin and Don Peter .

Re ognized as the 2003 CASNR di tinguished alumni, Watkin and Pet rs exp rtis in tJ1eirre p ctive areas, alongwitJ1dedicat d ervice t.o the improvement of agriculture, prompted th ir ele tion for thi honor.

"The purpose of this program is to recoo-nize and honor CASNRgraduate who have contributed ignificantly to ocieLyand whos

accomplishmen have brought di tinctcr <lit to the college and Oklahoma late Univerity,"said Linda Martin, assistant dean foracad mic programs.

Each of tJ1em n honored at me Fall 2003 convocation cer monie has earned the award in their own distinctiv way.They took their challenges and □--an form d Lheminto opportunity for countle othe1 .

lorry Watkin. Classof 1969 "I did ab olutel nothing t.o cl • rve the opportunit to be born in mral Oklahoma" said Watkins. "l was ble cl."

-

Watkin earned a Bachelor of cience in agricultural education in 1969. In 1971, he tarted teaching vocational agriculture at Purcell High chool in Purcell, Okla., where he helped tran form a program filled with di ciplinary problems and difficult students into an organization of which the town could be proud.

Watkin helped est.abli ha widely recognized livestockbreeding program and founded tJ1 Hea1tofOklahomaSwine ale. Three years lat r, the program was honored as the best single-teacher vocational agriculture program in Oklahoma.

In June I 976, Watkins left teaching to erve as dir ctor of the ag,icultural development divi ion of the Oklal10ma City Chamber of Commerce. Watkinsduties included promoting Oklahoma City' conomic growth and improvement in theagribu in sindustry.

Watkins assisted with the planning and production of the National Finals Rodeo and h lp cl e tablish Oklahoma City a the "Hor how Capital of the World." The e vents added an additional 9 million to $12 million annually into the economy of Oklahoma City.

In 1979, Watkins became a taff as i tant and lobbyist for the Oklahoma sociacion of El ctric Co perative and became the executiv vice pre ident and general manager of th organization in I 984. Thi long path of ucc from a vocational agriculture teacher to m OAEC may eem somewhat unconnected, but Watkin attribute his first experience wim 1 ctric cooperative to the FF .

'It was through F hat I developed the r lat.ion hip with electri cooperatives," aid Watkin.

Through hi accompli hmen in life, Watkin has continued to providea simple piece ofadvi for students and individual of all ages.

"Take advantage of all tl1eopportunities so many people have provided to ou, and make ur others have the ame opportunities."

Larry Wa1ki11s trains his m11lti-slatechampion horse1m his ranch11ear lillwater, Okla. (Phoioby BrianJerman) 24 COWBOYJOURNAL

D011 Peters,Classof 1951

Peters graduated from Oklahoma A&Min 19511,~tha Bachelor of Science in soils. Prior to attending OSU, Peters wasa member of the 38th Infantry Division in World War 11.He was given an honorable discharge as a sergeant in July 1946.

At OSU he was a member of lhe Agronomy Society and in 1948 was a member of the Oklahoma A&M varsity football team.

Upon graduation, Peters returned to his home in Kansas where he planned on becoming a farmer. However, shortly after relllrning to Kansas, Peters began looking for ajob in a town that could provide more social stimulation. He then started ajob in Bartlesville,Okla., working for Phillips Petroleum Co. and started a 49-yearjourneyofsuccess wilh 1.hecompany.

During his first few years with Phillips, Peters was dissatisfied with his duties and was on the verg·e of seeking employment elsewhere unl.i.lhe transferred to the plastics di,~sion in 1958.

"Had I not transferred to plastics then, 1 would probably be a farrnet;" said Peters.

Peters thrived in the work en~ronment he experienced in the plastics di~sion of Phillips. He contributes his success and determination at Phillips to the tremendous leaders he found in the division. Peters said their willingness to work set a good example for him to follow and helped him to succeed in the field.

Peters expetienced many accomplishments in the years following his transfer. He is the owner of 36 patents and in 1985 received the 25-patent milestone award from Phillips Peu·oleum.

Much of the lechnology Peters developed is still used in the indusu·y today.

Perhaps his most well-known inventions are the lid and handles of water coolers used by people everyday. "v\lhen you see football players dump Gatorade on the coach after a game, we helped develop the handles for the cooler," said Peters.

In addition to the technology he helped develop, Peters has presented more than 200 technical lalks and seminars,

aulhored or coauthored 30 technical papers and articles, authored three chaplers in three books and amhored one entire publication, "Blow Molding Highly Irregular Shaped Parts wilh Moving Section J\folds," Freund Publishing, 1984.

Peter's simple advice for students: "II you don't get that pe1i'ectjob tight off the bat, don't give up."

Through his success in the blow molding indusuy and life, Peters has never forgouen the people who helped him along tl1ewayand advises others to do the same.

"Don't ever forget the people and mentors who helped you," Peters said, "because no one achjevessignificantlywithout help." ♦ By

Brianjerman,Ambe1;Okla.

Don Petersenj<>JS his retirementat his homein Bartlesville, Okla. (l'hoto courtesJof Barl/esvilleExami11er-£11te1/Jrise)

COWBOY JOURNAL25

Protectors of the land: CASNR soldiers

serve their country The agriculn1ralcommunicationsjunior reedom is not free.

With the recent conflictsin Iraq and alsowasfaced with a long separation from his Afghanistan,men and women around familyand friends. the worldare protecting the freedom and way Mailonlycameeverycwoweeks,computer of lifeso precious to Ame1icansbyserving in use was sporadic, and telephones were not the militaryon activeduty. readilyavailable.

Like other soldiers,those students from McConnell is nowdealiJ1gwith the readthe Collegeof Agiiculmral&iences and 1am- justment to normal, everydaylife. ral Resourceswho have been called to active "l didn't know what it would be like to duty put their liveson hold,faced the tonnent come home and if 1would be the same to my of separationfromtheir familiesand put them- familyand lovedones," he said. selvesin ha1m'swayto se"'e the counuywhen McConnell said he has a new appreit needed them the most. ciation for the Ame1ican way of life since The actions of these young men show his return. the character and honor CASNRsU"ives to de''Wedon't know how good we have it," velop in students.Asthese soldierscome back saidMcConnell."Thereare peopleio Iraqwho theyare welcomedwithopen arms and shine still don't have running water or clecuicity. as examplesof character the collegeworksco Somestill ridedonkeysaround." developin everystudent.

McConnellsaid he is happy to haveseen While mostofhis the world and peers feared the next learned about difexam, Sgt. Spence ferent countries McConnellwasforced and cultures. He to fear for his life. even learned to His U.S. Army speak a bit of unit's mission was to Arabic.His fondest pro,~defuel to the enmemories of his tire military theau·e. service are of His unit transported those with whom fuel from Kuwait to Tm he served.

Iraq, which is directly ''I got closewith in the center of the people I served the conflict. with despite a wide A big weight on variety of backMcConnell's mind grounds and personalities," duringthewarwasguerrillawarfaretacticsused saidMcConnell. by the Isaqis.

Whenaskedifhe "Theywouldhide had received any and try to get us," honors or special saidMcConnell. recognitionsdming The combination the war,McConnell ofjetfueland Iraqigun Sgt. SfienceMcCo,rne/1displa)'Shis Americanpride i11 said, "] got to Iraq while s,roing his count,)' drtringOpn-alionIraqi firewasdangerous,but Freedom.(Photoprovidedby Sgt. Spe11ceMcC-011.1u/l) come home."

McConnell also enW h i l e du red an extreme McConnellwasservmental test during his missionwhen soldiers ing his country in Iraq, another CAS R studoingsirnilarjobswouldbe attackedand killed. dent, Sgt.Adam Rogers,wassenfog closer to McConnellfaced other hardships while home atFortSill in Lawton,Okla. sen~ng in Iraq. The temperature there can Rogers had similar experiences to reach150degreesFahrenheit,and sandstonns McConnell during his service despite being are common occurrences. He livedin a tent stationed on Americansoil. for more than 10 months during his year of The group of soldiers he ser\'ed with activeduty. provided access comrol for Fort Sill. They "The heat and the tent didn't bother me inspected vehicles and checked identificaas bad as the sand, which got everywhere," tion, which ensured no one could harm the he said. soldiersu-ainingandpreparing to go to war.

F

Sgt. Adam Rogm- soldier, sttulimt,husband- developeda new outlooktowardhis s/udies after seroingactive duty.

(Photosabove(Ind left by Gmnt Gtmgo/1)

"We made sure a person had a reason to be on th.e post," said Rogers.

Rogers was constantly troubled with rumors and the real possibilitythat he could be sent overseas.

"At any time we might have left to face bullets,"saidRogers.

Rogers said he felt blessed tO develop comradery with the other men with whom he served.

"The guysI served v.~thwould take a bullet for me like 1 would take a bullet for them," he said.

Rogers said he joined the Army to go to college. However,after his sen~ce, he is enthusiastic and dedicated to the military.

"I wouldn't leaveit now,"said Rogers.

Rogersis currently using his militat)'serviceto become a better student.

"The Gl Bill [of Rights) gives me a full tuition waiver.1am able to go to school and focushard on whatI am uying to accomplish," said Rogers."Three yearsin college,then going acLive,made me want to get back to collegeand focus."

Rogersis a landscape conu-actingmajor and plans to graduate in December 2005.He commutes to schoolSOmilesround mp every day from Ponca Citywhere he is enjoying being back home with his wife,Traci.

"The wife of a soldier has a harder job than being an acn1al soldier," said Rogers.

These brave soldiers and countless others have performed their duties and honored themselves, their country, their families and their university. ♦ By GrantOungolt, Waukomis,Okla.

COWBOY JOURNAL 27

Cowboy soldier killed in Iraq Luke amuel James was a true Oklahoma tale niver ity cowbo .

Jame , 24, came to O U in 199 and graduated in 2002 ,1~th a Bachelor of cience in animal cience. ·while at O , he gained many tJ1ing , including wife, Molly.more friend than can be coun Ledand, mo Limportamly,a passion to serve in the military.

James' love and pas ion for ROT and the .. arm began early in life.

Hi farher, retired Aim officer Maj.BradleyJame , wa in the . . Army R erve all through.Jame 'childhood. M~j.Jame 'influence on hi elde t on instilled the framework fora u·ongmilitarycareer.

Oo Dec. 13, 2002, Jame was com mi ioned a a econd lieutenant. He then became a member of lhe 2nd irborne Division.

Jame deployed from For Bragg, NC, for Iraq on Jan. 15, 2004.

However, thi young oldier' storie of battle are horL Jame was one of lhree ol-

dier killed Jan. 27 in an explosion near lskandariyah,lraq.

"He alway wanted to be a parau-oopert aid Erin hepherd a lifelong &iend ofJame . "fr member him t llin us that h 11 aoin to ·ump out of plane . I thought he 11~a k.iddi11g,but hi p ion wa in tJ, military."

Jam wa laid to re t Feb. 10 at the Arlington National emetery n ar Wa hington, D. .

H i ·urviv db 11~fe,Molly; hi 1-yearold on, Bradle ; par nts, Bradley and Arleen; hi brotller Kirby;and sister, harla.

Jame rec i,· d rhe Purple Heart and the Bronze tar for hi effort in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"People often ask how I am o t.rona sometim s " aid Luke Jame • wife, Molly. ''I teU iliem, 'I am ne of the lucky one .• I never que tioned how much Luke loved Bradle or me or how much he loved being a oldier.~ Mollyalso said not many people get to do what they love to do, but Luke was doing that

"Many people ay that Luke wa a hero when he did.lbelier hewasa hero every day," he said.

Ev

n

though hi family real- 2nd LI. Luke James hnJ a la.st mome11/ with .rm,, Braduy, bejou ized th ri k deploym,m/lo fmq. (PhoiocourttS)· of lo ing of MollyJrm1es) their son, tJ1eywere upportive of hi deci ion of making the A.tmyhi full-time car er.

"It would not have been thi moilier choice, but you have to have young men and women willing to pre erve the freedom we have," aid Arleen James. "We are glad he was willing." ♦ By Grant Gungoll WauJwmis,Okla. and LoriPech,Sentinel,Okla.

Take A Walk Or\ ~ Wild Side

Visitamazingcountrieswiththe International AgricultureStudyAbroadProgram For more information visitDr. DavidHenneberryor Dr.AdeleTongcoin the International AgriculturalProgramsOfficein Room 139 Ag Hall or call (405) 744-5398 28 COWBOY JOURNAL

cAlpfla (jamma 1((,-furv Tr~ Pi Chapter ~ ArP Gold Chapter 2003 www.okstate-agrs.fr

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Five Top 10 OSU Freshman Men OSU Homecoming King Top OSU Male Graduate Cha pt r Adviser of the Year Homecoming Sweepstakes Winner Hom coming House Decoration Winner

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Rootsw anchor a

dream

lntemat1et1al land5capefirm 5hape55rudentfcr 5ucce55 Bzzzz... the tead , hum of a lawn mow r i heard throughout Beaver Okla., on this hot um mer day.1l1e rural town, mack dab in the middle of the Oklahoma Panhandle, i stick and swelteringas the um mer un hine down.

Tnthe midstofitall, MikeAlbertpushe a lawn mower aero aw ll-tended yard. If only he had known where thi ummert.ime job would lead.

It wa the pring of 1996 when Alben began a lawn-mowing busine s with hi mom, Vona ue. Eager for exU"a pending money, Albert mowed more than 30 lawn in Beaver often working from unri e to un et. At the end of the ummer he had a profit of more than ,3,000. In tead of pending the mone on typical teenager purchase Albert began making bu ines investments. After buying a bulldog - Molly - and giving a tithe to hi church, he refurbi hed hi bu ine with the purchase ofa new napper lawnmower. The remaining profit was inve ted to tart a homebased plant bu in His mom worked in a flower hop for ei ht yeai., ivinghimagreatre ourc forinfo1mation. tarting the bu ine proved to be an adventure \\~th tough que tions to answer.

"Iaskedmyself, 'howinth world would it stay afloat? How do I tan an actual bu ine ?

Would people take a fre ·hman in high chool e,iously?"' aid Albert.

In Augu t before hi fre hman year of high chool, hi pai·ents took him to th Oklahoma Tai Comm· ion and the Oklahoma Deparonent of giiculture to receive hi tax p rm it and licen e. Alben wa onl the third minor in Oklahoma to receive the e documents. The bu ine had begun!

In the beginning, Albert old ea onal plants, uch as poin ettias and Easter lilie , om ofhi home. However, a the bu ine pread byword of mouth, he tarted upplying plants for funeral , birthdays and pecial occasion .

Within the year, cu tomerreque ts led to more expansion that included s asonal, house and b dding plants.Just ix we ' into the operation, Alben had already made a profit.

30 COWBOYJOURNAL

As an a rive memb r of the Beav r FF hapte1~Albert received th biggest honor for hi ambitiou bu ine plan at the Oklahoma FFA onvention. Dwinghissenioryeai;Alben \\, tandingon the convention tagewith hi agii ultural education teache1~Tom Lamie. and hi paren ,Jack and\ ona ue, when he wa named the tate FFA tar in gribu ine . Hi competitor' projec included hio-h-profile horse, cattle and crop operations but the young man from the Oklahoma Panhandle \~th a retail plant bu ine took he top prize.

"It was a crazy experience, 'Albert aid "e pecially when you think of all the quality that come from Oklahoma FF membe .

To have the operation elected \ a trul, an amazing and ble ed honor."

Th busin is now in it eighth ·ear.Albert has old more than 17,000 plants aero Oklahoma, Texas ai1dKansas.He works \\1th 11 plant nu rie •in ix tate and was im1ted to the Dalla Gift Market and d1e Americasmart in Atlanta, Ga. Mo Limportantly, he has developed a core customer b c becaus ofhi bu ine s com1mmication and en~ce.

"It is important to listen to your customers and cat r to their market," Alb rt aid. "Without d1at, ou are nly killing your elf and your future."

But Alben' future wa on! trio brighter. B cau e of hi bu ine • knowledg and succe ·, w ll a his tron conn ction to agriculture, coming to Oklahoma tatc niversityand majoring in land cap architecture wasa narural deci ion.

TI1eland cape architecture program lasts

Mike Albrrl' intermhip paired him wit/, lo/1lmulunpe arrliitws from aro1111d the nation. t\lbert critiquestlellfllS with EdwanlD. Sto11t and Ass0<ialesVirePresidenl C.-rgKimak. (Pliolo bJ'B1ya11Pogu,)

five 'ears and include cla e in art, land cape constniction graphic and de ign, aid John Ritter, as ociate profe sor ofland cape architecture. He al o aid imem hip ai·e an insu-umental part of the program. tudents train for a varietyofcaree1 including urban planning, golf cour e and re ort de ign, and r idenlial planning. The O program • given high marks by both students and faculty.

'There' alway omethin new," aid Rebecca Bailey,landscape arch it ctur ·enior.

"Youn ver work on the am proj ct."

Program director Charle L id r 'lid 0

711efi. La11derdali', fla., sceneryprovideddesign i11spiralio11 a11da rhonge fro111 !he Ok/olw11111 ,11vfron111en/ for /\like Alber/. (Photost1boveand right by Midw,/ Tamzil)

providesreal-lifeprojectsfor students to gain experience.

"Weget calls from all across the state to do things for people," Leider said. "Webasicallyfocuson peoplewhoare underp1ivileged and can't afford to hire a landscapearchitect."

In fact,eve1)'facultymember overseesa public-serviceproject each semester. These projectsintegratecommunicationwithclients, presentation skillsand design elements into a live,hands-onproject.

Presen~ngand designinglandscapingfor the E.W.MarlandMansionEstate in PoncaCity, Okla.,wasone particularprojectin whicl1 Alben wasi1wolved.

The building,listedas a National Historic Landmark, was researched and assessed.and then students developed a landscape plan.Albertsaid the final designpresentationsare on displayat the estate to promote future development.

Thanks to this hands-on preparation, OSU has garnered national recognition from some of the nation's top landscape architecture firms.One such finn, Edward D. Stone and Associates, or EDSA, took a particular liking to OSU.EDSA pecializesin resort and recreational planning, or asAlbensaid, "alJthe fun stuff."The firm is located in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,1\~th officesin Orlando; LosAngeles;Baltimore;Provo,Utah;BuenosAires,Argentina; and Beijing,China.

Ritter said several years ago a group of

OSU students made a positiveimpressionon EDSArepresentatives duringan OklahomaCity design project.This created a bond that would servefuture students well,said Ritter. "[EDSA]liked the overall product they sawat OSU,so theystarted cominghere every year,"Rittersaid.

When internship applications came out lastSeptember,Albertalreadyknewhe would apply with EDSA.He knew the international competitionwouldbe tough but wasconfident in the skillshe developed at OSU and du1ing two pre\fous internships. However,he wasa little hesitant about leaving Oklahoma and OSUbehind to complete the eight-month internshipprogram.

"Isoon decidedit wasan opportunitythat could not be passedup,"Albertsaid.

After two rounds of interviews and a nerve-wrenchingwait,he wasnotified he was one of twoselected from around the world to intern \1~thEDSA.He would spend.January through April in Fort Lauderdale then go to Beijingfor the summer months.

Upon arriving in Florida, Albert was greeted with a varietyof projects that would makeanylandscapearchitectjealous.He started on a five-dayproject to redevelopthe Guanica SugarMill,the world'ssecondlargest sugar processingfacility.The mill, located on the coast of PuertoRico,1,>asconvertedfrom an oldsugarmillwarehouseinto a festivaland retailarea.Aspart of the project,Albert laid out more than 250 residential units, an 80-roomboutique hoteland a full-scalemarina for cruiseshipsand yachts.

"Duringthe week,employeeswere brought in daily for design reviews and critiques," Albert said. "ByFriday,we developedour conceptual design site plan and presented it to the entire office."

Other opportunities included work on tl1e AtlantisResortinParadiseIsland,Bahamas.He alsoworkedon tl1eAtlantis"The Palm"Hotel, locatedon a man-made,palm-shapedislandoff the coast of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. ''The Palm" Hotel willhouse the world's largestopen-airaquariwn. ''With EDSA,there is the experience to assiston projectsthat one can onlydream (continuedon page 48) COWBOYJOURNAL 31

In the game of LIFE ...

Creatinglifeaccomplishments beyondstudentsuccess Lifi i a o-ame. Each d ci ion you mak affects how far you will moye forward ... or backward.

To give tudenis an "extra lurn" LOprepare them for life' challenges, tl1eCollege of Agricultural cience and NaLural Re ource offers a . pecial LAS ... the Creating Li~ Accompli hment beyond Student ucce conference.

Held al the beginning of each spring emeste1~the CLAS conference i. free to all CASl\lR.enio1 for the current academic •ear. " tudents houldn 't haYeto pay for u to upport them and to h Ip d1em to be ucce sful,' saiclAm}'Gazaway, l\'Rcareerdev lo[r m nt coordinator.

"Th mone to ho t d1 conference i budgeted by l\lR," he said.

The idea to o·eate d1e lAS conference came to Gazawaywhile attending me National tuclent in Tran ition onference. he attended workshop t:hatdealt\\~tl1what tudents are and aren't pr pared for, as well as di emotional factor that eniors deal ,,~th in preparing for d1e tran ition into an unfamiliar world.

Wanting to better prepare tudents R created a conferenc to edu ale participant on how to deal witll i ue such a financial respon ibiliL)', healLh care and communjly involvement

BANK LOAN BORROW ON ANYTURN

fl4 BA I<$25 000 0/11ANY TUR PAYBA

32 COWBOYJOURNAL

rash cour on job earchino-and how to prepare for graduat: school or the work force.

"I entered me working world and d1en pro eeded to con~nce my company to pay for me to go to graduate chool after [ howed them 1wasa valuableass t," said Sean Kouplen, 1995agricultural economi graduate, " om companie already have that as an option for d1 ir mplo ee . I found it easier to gain knowledge and experience in d1e real world and dlen apply it in me classroom, bu lit i differentfor veryone," aid Koupl n.

Kouplen is now die chief operation officer for itizen ecurityBankofBixby, Okla. vVhenslllden are prepa1ing to graduate and mm·e into a new community, many details can be overlooked or forgotten.

"You have a lot going on a your final eme ter come to a rapid end," aid Holloway.

"That i wh it is important to make a Ii t o you don't forget omething a imple as hutting off utilitie .. Other factors to con icier are change of addre medical hi tory, a graduation check and man other details.'

When stud en ts enter tl1eworking world they mu t adju t not only to the new climate and lifestyle, but al o to a pay increa e. Their old job allowed them to get by on ram en noodle and generic brands while newfound "wealth' allow alumni to upgrade in their hopping taste .

"Aftergetting myfirst paycheck I thought, 'Man, I am rich' and proceeded to buy all the things that I wanted when I was in college," . aid Kouplen. "It i a big step to learn to be financiallyre pon ible and d1atindudes learning how to av and prepare for retirem nt."

Kouplen gave ad~ce to this y ar' participants by ugge ting mey use a Roth IRA,which grow tax free until you retire. Having your companyautomaticallyput omeofyour aming, into your retirement plan is important; haracteri - othenvi e, you mighL not put as much away, he aid. int grit' 1 walumni houldfindagoocll:inancial thic and a advi er to help them design their retirem nt ffamil. th u ht my and a~ngs plan, aid Kouplen. dad knew ,, 1 1one n One of the first d1ingsnewgraduat face th planet. But it was the i deciding on ab nefits package.

"If you are unsure of what you are <loin,relation hips and n tworkinofrom O that la t d a Im - it can be overwhelming," said Cathy Sparks 19 9 agiiculnual econonuc graduate. time," said Ferrell. he aid tl1ere are differ nee in benefits CLAS topics ind ude b ic tip for workplace unival, a and healm-c.-'lrepackage .

When choo ing peake1 for me conference, GAS rR, elects •oungeralumni.

'The younger alums are able to re lat to the enior a they hare lheir m tion , experience and experti in th ir fi Id," aid ath Herren, CAS 1R areer ervice graduaLe a i tc nt.

Stud ms who have attend cl the confi rence h ve given p itive feedba k about the expeiience. The •said d1e felt more pr pared to graduate and enter d1e working world. The a1umni who poke al the 2004 conferenc aid d1eywi hed they would have had the opportunity to better prepare d1em eh·e . " tud nts of rR hould feel fortunate that meir college cares enough to prm~de them wid1d1e information and in Lruction needed to make a smooth transition between college and meir new life in the work force," aidJake Holloway,2002 bio y tern and agticultwal enginee1ing graduate.

Hollowayi ctuTently a product engineer atFv\ Murph .

"Each indi,~dual ha the ability to move on to the next pace in the game of life by mo ing from potential to ucce to ignifianc ," aid hannon Ferr ll, 199 agiicult:wal economi !!raduat .

F rrrell i now an attorney for the environmental and n rgy group McKinney and tringer P. .

"It i important to continue a r lation hip wid1 the unive1 ity,"said Ferrell. "Th oil o-e of Arirnltural

FUFOREYOURETIRE"

Sparkscurrenlly worksfor United Parcel Servicein corporatehuman resources.

"Itis importamforyouLounderstandyour benefitsbecause theydirectlyaffectyou,"said Sparks."Asof 2003,employeeswillpaya higher percentage of benefits."

There are many different kinds of benefitpackages,and the newemployeewillneed to have an understanding of tl1edifferences so tl1eycan make a decision that is best for tl1em,saidSparks.

"I learned a lot from the conference.and I especiallygained a better understanding of benefits, which will be exu·emely useful as I begin mynewjob,"said ChrisKidd,2004ag1iculniralcommunicationsgraduate.

The 2004topicswereselectedfrom previous conference c1itiques,student comments and employercomments.

"It is important for tl1e students to see alumni givingbackto the collegebysen~ngas speakers,"said Herren. "Hopefully,they will be encouragedto do tl1esan1eas tl1eymoveon or willfind other waysto stay activewith tl1e collegeand unjversit.y."

The annual conference begins on a Fridayafternoonand laststhroughSalurdaynight Allmealsare providedfor the participants,includinga dinner banqueton Saturdayevening.

"The banquet gave us a chance to come together with our new friends, faculty and alumni. It wasthe perfect end to the conference," saidJeremy Unruh, 2004 agricultural economicsalumnus.

Linda 1\fartin, assistant dean ofacademic programs,and Ed Millet~associatedean of academic programs,attend the banquet and are inrnlvedbydistributingthe senior gifts,which vary from year to year. In 2004, the seniors received an OSU businesscard holder and a brick witl1their name engraved on it, which 11~11 be placed in tl1eOSUgardens.

"Hopefullythose whoattended this year willrecognizethe valuein attendingthe Cl.ASS conference and willtell all of their friends," said Holloway."l can see this conference being verypopular in the future."

Learning all of the various tools at the conference, networking"~tl1alumni and fellow students, and being activelyinvolved in t11econferencewillhelp CASNRse1uorsmove forward,enhancing their chances for vicLOt)' in the game of life. ♦ Story and photosby Kat/wineChandler,Cashion,O/ila.

Formoreinformation. abouttheCLASSConference,callAmy Gazawayat (405) 744-5395.

Stewardsof the environment Programequipsgraduatesfora varietyof careers Go to college,get a degree and get ajob. t.hema lot of career flexibilityafter college, This is t.he route many high school students said Lewis. embark after graduation. It seemssimple, but When Ch1is Ruhl gi-aduated from high formanyitisa road without a map. school in the small town of Geary,Okla., he Students who decide to continue their already had a plan in mind for his future. He education after high school have difficultde- had picked a degree t11athe nor only liked, cisionsto make before choosinga degree, and but also one that wouldreward him withajob decidingon an academicprogram can be diffi- after gi-aduation. cult because student~ often do not know ex"Growingup, l wasalwaysinterested in actlywhat career area to pursue. the en~ronment, and t.hisseemed like the The goal of manystudents is to concen- pe1fect fit for me," said Ruhl. "Before J enu-ate their studies in a discipline of interest, tered tl1eprogi,1.m, I spoke to somepeople who one in which they would like to acquire em- said mere were good employmentopportuniploymentafter graduation. ties,whichultimatelymade up my mind."

"If you havescience in your background Ruhl said me fact tl1eprogrnm is located and would like to work\\~ththe en~ronment in me College of Ag1iculturalSciences and in the future, you are a perfect candidate to be Natural Resomceswasa sellingpoint, since he a student in the environmental science pro- grewup on fann. gramat OklahomaStateUniversity," saidDa\~d Ruhl was a member of the first class of Lewis,director oft.heOSU en~ronmental sci- grnduateswho completed the en~ronmental ence undergmduateprogram. science degree in 1996.Since his graduation Since the first em~ronmentalsciencestu- from OSU, Ruhl has worked as a compliance dents began filling in their degree sheets, the inspector and, most recently, as an on-scene faculty'shighest priority has been to givestu- inspector for the U.S. Environmental dents a broad academicfoundation t.hatallows ProtectionAgency.

During his time as a compliance inspect01;Ruhl ~sited a varietyoffaciUtiesacrossthe country,including some of the world'slargest oil refineriesand chemical manufacturing facilities.

As an EPAon-scene inspector, Ruhl has experienced many en~ronmental risk sites, including "Ground Zero" followingt.heSept.

J 1 attackson NewYorkCity,when he wascalled to the site to help assessme area for emfronmental contamination. He also has ~sited regional disasters,such as a 5,000-gallonoil spill, and spent time at the Columbiaspace shuttle crash site in Texas.

Ruhl said he enjoys the u,wel involved with hisjob. He also acknowledgesthe education he receivedas pan of hisdegreehas helped him become successfulin this field.

"Jam proud of where [the program] has come and what it has done for me in my profession,"said Ruhl.

Because the classes environmental science students take are so diverse,it iscommon that students will receive interest from companies not directly involved in en~ronmental science.

Julia Arntz is a 2001 environmental science graduate who wasin the program from the day she set foot on the OSU campus. She said it was alwaysher intention to apply her education directlyto a career in en~ronmental science,but due to a fortunate u,~stoffate, she isworking in a different type ofjob.

Arntzsaid the classesshe took in political science, agricultural policy,agricultmal economicsand environmental science prepared her for her current position as a field representativefor CongressmanFrnnk Lucas.During her stint in Washington,D.C.,as an aide to Lucas, she used some of her en~ronmental knowledgeto b1iefLucason variousissues.

"I reallyliked tl1ediversityof the program and howI wasable to spend time with professors from many different departments," saidArntz.

Lewissaid the progrnm was initiated in the late 1980safter suggestions from faculty and students in the college.

EmployersofCASNRalumni alsowereinEnvironmenlal disaslers like this Louisiana train derailment happen, but gmduates of tilt OSU mvironme11t11/ sciencesprogramare/Jrepared for ca>'ttl!//wt dealwith s1uhincidents.,\ teamof EPA expertswere0>1 locaiumto provide r.erestedin attaining the sen~ces of students tJ1etoolsto clean up the differenttypesof hazal'tlousmaterialthat wert released.(Photocourlts)'of EPA) ,vith environmental science knowledge.

34 COWBOYJOURNAL

Lewis said the program is going strong with 70 students on environmental science degree sheets. Even though the program has enjoyed great success, there are still areas faculty members are trying to improve, such as identifiable officespace withinAgriculturalHall for the program, he said.

Lewisis optirrustic about the future of the program and the need for his students in the workforce.

"Students of the environmental science program get employment in about the same length of time as other majors, and their starting salaries are slightly above those from the rest of the college," said Le¼~S. As the days draw closer to graduation, Corey Gum is pleased with the decision he made, transferring from Tulsa Community College and joining the environmental science program at OSU. "I wasworried about the lack of actual enKatie Frey,environmentalsciencejunior from BrokenArrow, Oklt,., prepareswatersamplejllrs befortcollectingand vironmental science classes that we took, but I testingwater at lake uzrl Rlackwe/1.The water-testingprojtcl is sponsoredby the OSUEnviro11mmlalScienceClub. enjoyed being able to study all the other sciStudentswho take part iii the water-testing projectmust be certifiedlo perfomiofficialtests.(Photoby DarbyCochrane) entific disciplines," said Gum. "I like that I am "In 1993, we were given permission from "A lot of the faculty have concerns about not only prepared for an environmental scithe State Board of Regents in Oklahoma City the environment from within their disciplines," ence job, but I also feel prepared for almost to offer a major in environmental science," he said. any other job." said Lewis.

Lewis said the program tends to be oriHearing your name called during comHe said the strengths of the campus were ented more toward the application science, mencement marks the end of one journey and taken into account when developing curricula which is one of the characteristics of the col- the beginning of another. Environmental scifor the degree. This allowed the steering com- lege. Because many required classes on envi- ence student5 have satisfaction in knowing they mittee to take full advantage of the knowl- ronmental science degree sheets are in other are equipped with an education that has them edge that could be gained from outside CASNR. departments, a minor in those departments is prepared for whatever career they intend to Since environmental science is not an easy to achjeve. pursue. ♦ By Darby Cochrane,Alexander, academic department, the program is guided The chance to further one's academic Manitoba,Canada. bya steering committee of volunteer faculty. career is also a great asset to this program. An FormoreinfmnationabouttheenvironmenThe comminee has created some principles that undergraduate degree prepares students to guide the curriculum in a direction the faculty further their education with graduate degrees. tal scienceprogram,call DavidLewisat (405) members want the program to go. By doing Lewis said many graduate degrees can be at- 744-6723orvisit theCASNRWebsiteat http:// this, faculty members feel the program is one tained with the foundation of an environmen- casnr.com. of the most focused in the country, said Lewis. tal science degree. He also sajd lawschool is a The environmental science program at good opportunity for OSU has a reputation for supplying students someone with this unwith a quality education that willprepare them dergraduate degree. for a variety ofjobs when they graduate from Students entering college. One of the features that makes the the environmental sciprogram unique is the fact students receive ence degree program u-aining in other disciplines. receive training forjobs "The interdisciplinary nature of the pro- related to the environgram is a good thing, and we are trying right ment in industry, govnow to expand the interdisciplinary nature of ernment agencies and the program," said Lewis. "We are at the start consulting firms. With of an experiment to see if we can recruit fac- the environment being ulty from outside the college to be interested such an important injoining the steering commjuee, which has issue in recent times, never been done before." the need for environLewissaid CASNRis a good place for the mental science stu• Lisa Fultz (left) of Stillwater,Okla., mid Katie Freycheckthe resultsof their waler program because there is a lot of interest in dents will continue to test. The tests monitordissolvrdoxygm levds, watertemperature,air temperature and willerclarityat lake Carl Blackwellnear Stillwater.(Photoby Darby Cochrane) the environment from within the college. grow, Lewissaid.

COWBOYJOURNAL 35

'

Prepari he or she should have the courses evaluated ahead of time, submitting documentation of coursesyllabiand classroomhours for evaluation. A student's advisercan reviewa degree sheet lo see what courses will meet the student's academicrequirements. ''Y./ehal'e many students who decide to su,dyabroad, and lheydon 'tactuallyneed the credits," said Henneberry. "For most of our students who do studyabroad, it's something they can point to as being above and beyond tJ1eminimum requirementsfor a degree.

"Ilshowsan individualeffort,whichis an imponam human characte,istic."

A half dozen Liipshavebeen av,ulableto students through CASNRwitJ1inthe lastyear.

"Wehave had 90 students participate in study abroad programs in lhe last year,"said Tongco. "Students and facultyhave a·aveled to six amazingcountries." ;,.,.,,

.,> ~·

,-

11!1'.r.il!il.....

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,

Choosea Location& EvaluateLanguageSkills WesternEurope isan atu-activeoption to the majority of srudents. However,st11dents from tJ1eSn1dyAbroadOfficeand the CASI\1R alsoenjoystudyingin Asia,Africa,EasternEuOfficeof International Programs. rope and L1tinAmerica,saidTongco.

According to the Study Abroad Office, CASNRoffersshort-tem1programsin Ttaly, planning is the key to successful studying Germany,England, Scotland.Japan, Mexico, abroad, and the earlier a student begins plan- Honduras,Thailandand Pent. ning, the better the experience can be.

"I had never been outofthecounll)'be"I think the vet)' Grst step before any- fore, so I wanted to go abroad," saidJennifer thing is to develop a mindset that you are ac- Walke1~ an animalsciencesenior:"I choseHontuallygoing,"saidAuel. "Youneed to get your duras becauseitisa Spanish-speakingcoW1try, mind fixed on the idea that this issomething and since I took two yearsof Spanish in high you are acluallygoing to do." school, it made me feel more at ease about the trip."

ConsulttheStudyAbroadOffice & Arrange Language ability is a primary factor in AcademicCredit choosing where to study. If students are not The next step is for students to let their fluent in a foreign language, they might speacademicadviser,as wellas UleStudyAbroad cifically want to study abroad to improve Officestaff,know tJ1eyare interested in smdy- languageskills. ing abroad and what kindsof studyabroad prer Being a member of the Global Agriculgramswillmeet tJ1eirneeds, either short term tw·eOrganizationalsomight be a good qualifior long term. The Study Abroad Office will cation to have before LI-aveling abroad said provide st1.1dents 1\~thinformation and help Henneberry.Thisisa neworganizationfonned students decide their best option. in Sp1ing2004.

The short-term study abroad program, Its purpose is to develop relationsamong which laststwo to Ulreeweeks,can count for domestic and international students at OSU. up to tJ1reehours ofintemational dimension The org-,1nization willfamiliaiizestudentswith credit. if a student is interested in a long-term various cultures, which willbe an asset when studyabroad program, he or she should make travelingoverseas. sure all tJie courses taken abroad transfer Agoalof tJ1eorganizationis to encourage toOSU. students to travelaboveand beyondtJ1eixstudTo make sure credit hours willtransfer, ies at OSU.

AyakoAlwbane(right)and AdeleTongco(secondfrom left) t1iiitthe C/iaingRai Giant CatfishFarmin Thailand where lheysaw catfish weighingJOOpo1111ds or more.(PhotoII)·K,-istaRowe)

s the international roads and borders become increasinglytransparent, so do the classroom walls of Oklahoma State University'sCollege of Agricultural Sciences and NantralResom·ces.

Coursesofferinginternational travelopportunities broaden the world for students, said AdeleTongco, CASNRinternational programscoordinat01: OSU has studyabroad programs offered in va,yinglengths,rangingfrom a foll-yearprogram lo two-or three-week sessions. More than 350 students participate in these study abroad programseach year.

Some students have never heard about studyingabroad, and if tJ1eyhave,theyare not familiarwith the planning process,said David Henneberry,CASNRassistantdeanof internationalagiicultura.lprograms.

"I think you have to start with yourself, who youare, whatexpe1ienceare you looking for, what your strengths and weaknessesare, what your academic background is, what you want to do wirJ1your life,and what your goals are," said GerryAuel,OSU studyabroad coordinator. "Youneed toassessyourqualities, both personaland academic."

There isan extensivepreparation process prior to taking a study abroad trip.

Students learn tJieproper protocol \\~thhelp

A

36 COWBOY JOURNAL

totravelacrosstilellliles Reflection after the experienc may reObtaina P~ort &VerifyMedicalInsurance to prepa,ing their mdents to b wi e u.wele1 and encourage them to u e their ommon veala tudcnt' true perception ofth valu of Iti importamtoappl forapassporlin advance asproce ingan applicationtakesfour en e and good judgment. The tale depart- a tudyabroadprogram.

"I have never heard students saythey r to six weeksand sometimes longer during a ment W b ite are very helpful in pro,~ding heavyu-avel eason.Application are availabl u eful information and suggestions to greetedsmdyin(1abroad" saidAuel. "Ev n sn1clentswhohad a tough time come backand say a postoffi e , counhou s, or pas portagentuden t u-avelers."

After students decide wh re they will theywoulddo it again." cie of the .S. Departmento State.

When tudents return LO the United 'The co l of pas pons range from 50 LO o-avel,they hould find om roughlyhowmuch tate after studyinga.broad,they come back 60, and they only need tO be renewed every it willcost.

"Fundin(1i a problem for many cuden with a different tale fmind.

IOyears," aid Walker. owe are U)fogto get more cholarship ," aid "AfterI returned from Hondurns,people vi a al o may b obtained to enter foreign country. It is a written perm is ion to HennebeITy. "WeI ope a our progrnm gets told me that the trip really hanged me,'' a.id Walker."Tthink it made me a u·ongerpe1 on vi itacounuygrantedbyth governmentof older that cholarshipswilldevelop." tha country. lfa tudenti planning to study o t varybased on the country chosen and more awareofinternational cult'ure." raveling abroa I also can help tud nt in a foreigncountryfor an extended period of for tudy. lime, he or he may n ed Loacquire a pecial " o ts can range from 2,000plu airfare gain individual trength . tudent ,~ a. Relatedinformation tO visasmay fora hort-tenn,fucuh:y-led "The variousstudy abroad program are programLO 12000 be obtained from th proper embass}', plusairfarefor a emesteron a u-aditionaltudy good for you to go on becauseU1 push you to 'Don't waituntil the la t minme to O"eta abroad pro ram " aid Auel. "Areciprocale - be more independent," aid Walker. "It give passportor visa" aid Auel. " ometim s a vi a change where ·tudents pay tuition and fee to you a sense of re ponsibilit and indepentakestwomonths to be completed,and ifsome- their home in titution, co ts approximately dence.' thing happens and you don't tit on time, raveling open a windowto a world of ,000p r • mest r depending on U1elife tyle youmayhav to cancel flightsand re chedule. of the tudentand the amountoftrnveling he new experiences. globalization increases, YouhaveLOb pe, i t ntand organized. Alo, or he en ag in." o do Lheopportunilie for tudents to particiyou have to apply tim -managemen killsto Studyin abroad can be an enri hing, life-- pate in international tucl program . ♦ By get v rythingdon ." changing experien for an tud nt willing KristaRowe, traiford,Okla.

Ampleinsma.nceisanother import,1.nt fac- to experience it aid uel. tor to consider when going abroad. Before For rnoreinformation, visit the Officeof "M word ofadvicefor tudentswhoare departure, be certain medical and accidental intere ted in study'ng abroad are '.J T DO International Programsin Agriculture 139 insurance policie ar valid outside of the I ,'" said uel. Once youget on the train you Agriciiltural I-fall, or vi it hlt/J:// nited tats. Astudentmightwanttoconcan't get off, and youju t have t plowahead www.dasni:oh.state.edu/inlernational/. ider buying cholasti Over ea ervice in- and do it." urance availablethrough the Office of Risk Managementat O U saidHenneben . A ph}'iLtft : .Je1111ifer Walker (front), Rachel PmJmrm Ayako Akaba11,and m1 caland dental check-up\ OLt!d be good to con1111k11ow11 /011ri.1Iride rlmvn I/ir Mn, Nn111Chao Phmya Riurr iu side1;aswouldanyspecialvaccinationsrequired Thailand. (Photo by f.:ri In RJJw,) for the trip.

(T

Arrange Transportation & FmanceI.heTrip The CA Officeoflnternational Program handle the m,tiorityofthe u-an portation for its hon-Lenn,faculLy-led prOQTams. ft is important to look in advanceat vaiiousflight option to find affordabletickets.Travelagenciescan al o provideadviceon specialstudent llighL5and di 01111tsforsmdyabroadprogram . om students are hesitamabouL traveling due to afetyi ue aftenhe ept. 11,2001, terrorist attacks, aid Auel.

"There are noLnece arily newsafety i ues ince ept. 11,» aidAuel.

"Howeverwear now more awareof the safetyi sue that existed even before Sept. l l.

Stud abroad profe iona.l paymore attention

Br/ow: tllejmulm 1imgco(froul lejl), Adele To11gco, Dia11a.fm1lnk(I(/,tl)'a Ohtomi,.Jmnifer \\'allier (bar/1),jflmPs /wl/Pr nnd Bmd.rSir/welluisit Chiang Mai Doi Doitlian i11 Thai/a11rl.I Pholo b)' Kri In Nowe)

Brian Bendelentop MissJet Slide,;stands with his /mre11ts,Mike and S(l11dyBm<lele.at the All AmericanQ,wrte, Horse(.Q11gress.

(Photoprovidedb)'Jeff Kirkbride)

le ridesgoodhorses CASNR alumnuswinsat All AmericanQuarterHorse Congress BrianBendelebackedinto the box riding majorin agriculturalcommunicationsand aniMissJee Slider, his piggin' ming clamped malscience.

Lightlyin his teeth. ln anticipation and exciteBendele has been around horses all his ment, the crowdawaits.The chute opens, tl1e life. His parents, Mike and Sandy,were both cal[ runs; Bendele rides out and throws club leadersof the LincolnCounty4-HHorse his rope.

Club in Chandler,Okla.Thanks to hisparents' Seconds later, and with a score of 222, support, Bendelewasgiventhe opportunity to Bendele and MissJet Slider won the amateur start showing horses at a young age. His partie-downroping at the AllAmerican Quarter ents provided him with quality horses so he Horse Congress. could compete at top levelsagainst other ex"It was my first time to show at the hibitors. Asa result, Bendele has excelled in Congress, and it was an honor to win it," rodeos and horseshows. said Bendele, a 2004 alumnus "~th a double Bendele started roping calveswhen he 38 COWBOY JOURNAL

was10,and the newsport became his passion.

He chose calf roping over football, and it was then that his roping intensified.

Bendele devoted his energy to the LincolnCoumy4-HHorseClub,4-Hand FFAjudging teams, horse showsand rodeos. His talent de\'elopedas he began o-aininghis ownhorses for competition, including MissJet Slider.

When Slider was 2 years old, Bendele workedhard to prepare her for the Oklahoma State4-H HorseShow.For tlie show,each competitor breaks,trainsand showshisor her horse in showmanshipand westernpleasureclasses.

In I 997, Bendele and lider placed fourth at t.hestate 4-Hhorse competition. Bendelesaid placing in the top IOwa exciting. l-101e likeMi J t lidel'.who e purpo e in the AmericanQuarter Ho1 e Associationi roping, hould be well. uited for competitive timed roping events outside t.heAQHA.Mi s JeL lider is 9 year. old and ha earned more than 100combined QHA points since 1997.

E.1.mingthe e pointsmean travelinghundreds of mile and winningatva1iou horse ·hows.

DuiingaJ1ow,tie-downroping horse are judged on manner behind th barrier, scoring peed and di Lanceto the calf, Lopping, workin the rope, and mannerswhil th roper r turn to the horse after t.hecalf i tied.

B ndele ha shown his hor e and comp t din rodeosfrom Ohio lo Texas.He knm1 , hat ittake to be a 11~nner.

Everyyear the Congres exceed 16.000 en11is.Top hm esand competiL01travelhundreds of mil robe judged on the ho1 e 'and riders' abiliti s.

After winning Lhe Congre , B ndele placedfifthat the AQHAWorld how.He came back to Stillwate1;Okla., , 1,508richer.

"It' excitingand rewardingto raisea horse and train it to the point of World how quality," aid Bendele.

There i a good reaon Mi Jet !icier is a "goodhor e." he isa producLof OS 's LOpsLallion 0 onny lider.

0 U onnys lider i a 12- ear-old bay tallion ired byHarlan Okmulgee and foaled b Mi kippernel. 0 Sonny. lider canies on the tradition of great pe1fonnersin the how arena, aLrodeo and on t.heranch.

OS Sonn !icier has produced at least 1.00 regi tered foal . Every •ea1; 0 U Sonnys !icierhasproduced at lea tone AQHA World howqualifiera~well asseveralhorses\ ho placed at 1.heOklahomaCity how.

The O equine breeding program has been recognizedthroughout the nited tate becau e of the performance m1its p, ed on b OS 01111 lider.

''He lit imo our br eding program per- manyto put on ho1 eman hip clinicsthrough fectly,'' aid DavidFreeman, profe sor of ani- the O equine program.

Whilein chool,Bendelelivedon 12acre malscience."The mare weweregetcino-wer roping bred and cowbred. They wer hors s and had hi own roping arena .outh of tJ1atwere genetically geared taward perfor- Stillwater.Ha,~nghi own place made it easier lo care for hi ho1 es and praccic his roping. mance."

Along 11~thMi Jet !icier,Bendel 1ides 0 U onny lider ontinue to breed quality mare with the intention of making Hkko1 • hiloah. hiloalii' an year-oldbrown moreworld•dassperfo1me1likeMis.sJetSlider. geldingBendele takeswhen he i on Lheroad.

Hors produce1 who paythe 1,000breeding BotJ1horse have proven LObe winner in Lhe showarena and at rodeos. le and breed their mare to O U 01111 "Both hot ·e are sea oned and are ready Iicierknow their hor es ar equipped \~lh a good mind, conformation and ability to per- to go at all time ," aid Bendele. "lfi wasn'tforhor e ,m grade would form in and outsid LJ1c arena. ·•oU Sonn} lidcr i a qualit producer," not hav been as good. I learned a lot.about ·aid teven Cooper, a ·i tam profes or of ani- responsibilityanddisciplinebyraisingandtraining myown horses. mal science at OSU. "When you're rnisinghorsesyou learn to lt take a good horse and talemed 1id rs like Bendel who ar devot d LOpractic a1d be re pon ible for another li~ be ide your own,' aid Bendele."Ho1 e are a lot of work. di cipline ro earn championship titJe .

Youget up early in the morning to feed, and For Bendele, finding tim 1.0practic you haveto spend tim \~th them. Th yaren't around chool wasnot difficult.

"Ijust managed mytime well,' he said. "I like a dog ou take on walk or play with;you wenI to class,then to work LOrope and LOdo have to connecLwith them in such a waythat if ou want them to ,~n, you have to make m homework." them a winner.

Drning Bendele'· college xpcrienc , h "I realizeI am ve,yfort1mateto havegood worked for th· "SUN P" televi ion how for more than fouryea1 . He alsowrotefor the Ag hor e and paren who upport me." There Alumni ewsand UaveledtO Au tria and Ger- are everal people who don't get a chance to do what T do. Jf it wasn't for my hor e and parents who gaveme the opportunity to show, rodeo and have an educaLion, I wouldn't b wh r I am toda ."

Bend plan to compete in Lhe Prof ional Rodeo CowboysAssociation.

The Lhril1of a good run i LJ1e result of yearsof hard workand Lraining,all of, hich can culminate in a championshiptitle.Every time Bendele 1.ravelto a tie-downevemand thrm his rope iti a tep toward uccessand an accomplishment of his goals. For Bendele, there are no boundaries. ♦ By Dawn Baxstrom, Drumright, Okla.

Bendel, reps off Miss Jet Slider lo tie a calf at (/,e ,\/1 American

Q,wr/PrHorseCongms. (Photo byJeff Kirkbride) COWBOY JOURNAL 39

kiek.Sa..1-kids 01<.lahorv,a+--1-f-teaches children -to ea-t ri~J-.,-tand exercise Tennisshoesand Oklahoma4-Hmembers 4-H service project developed by the Okla- leadershipdevelopment. are helping kids make healthy choices while homa CooperativeExtensionService.

"The secondaiypurpose isto giveathletic "The fundamentalpurpose ofKicks4Kids shoes to children who u·ulyneed them." introducing them to 4H. The program teacheschildren in kinderOklahoma 4-H teenagers are traveling is to help alle,~ate childhood obesity by eninto local elementaryschoolsacrossLheSLale, couraging kids to exercise,eat right and prac- garten through fourth grade the importance teaching children how to take care of their ticegood hygiene,"said KarlaKnoepOi,exten- of physicalactivity. bodies. They are helping \1~tb Kicks4Kids,a sion 4H assistantspecialistfor volunteer and JIchildren learn the importance of good health ata young age, itis more likelytheyv.~LI carry healthy habits into their adulthood, said Knoepfli.

Kicks4Kidscan be Laughtas a workshop, used as an after-schoolprogram or combined into the dassroomcuniculum.

The cuniculumcan be taughtin anyyoutJ1 organization. ''Being Clean and Cool,""Feeling Fit"and "EatingSmart from the Start" are the lessonsKicks4Kidsprovides.These lessons make the participants feel better both mentallyand physicallywhileimprovingtheir overall well-being,said Knoepfli.

Manyof these children have lowself-esteem, and this program is designed to help reduce that anxiety,said KnoepOi. The Cheyenne Senior 4H Club wasone of the firstclubs to participatein the program.

"Ittookapproximatelythree hours on one afternoon to present the program," saidJudy Tracy,CheyenneSenior4-HClubleader."The localdentist cameand gaveall tJieparticipants toothbrushes and dental floss and showed them proper dental hygieneprocedures."

Kicks4Kidshas many advantages for everyone involved,said Knoepfli.The teen volunteers learn communication and orgai1izarional skills and what it u·ulymeans to be a teacher. Both the presenters and participants get a chance to learn more about the importance of proper nuuition.

"It was worthwhile to all the volunteers and participant5,becauseeveryonelearned together," said Tracy. "The teen volunteers coached tJ1ekids injwnpingjacks, knee lifts and other exercise movements to keep their heart rate up."

The volunteers even have opportunities to help in tJieir area ofintcrest.

"I like to cook, so I taught the kids safe wayst0 cook in the kitchen," said 15-year-old WhitleyTracy,vicepresident of the Cheyenne Senior4-H Club.

The teen volunteers present all the ma40 COWBOYJOURNAL

terial whil th adult mentors au as supe1;ri"Oklahoma 4-Hha been getting a lot of zation needing a communityse1;riceproject sors for the day,said Knoepfli. The teens do attention on the national level for the said Kno pfli.An organization tl1atencourbackground researchon the I ·on topicsa.ncl Kick.s4Kids program. Hopefull , it,,~!Ibecome ages leader hip development i invit d to u e find waysto enhance d1emate1ialin a waythat one of the next big' community ervice the curriculum a long as Ll1y have an adult l\~II be in teresLingto the participan . proj cts,"saidJo h Grundmann, 2 03-04Okla- mentor to work\1~thd1 students.

"M advice to other Kick 4Kid teen vol- homa 4-H outl1eastdisu·ictvicepresident.

Ki ks4Kid i helping participants mak untee1 i to b · reallynice,patient and [1iendl The idea for ilie program wasconceived heald1y hoice and teaching them about the byOki homa' deleo-ateto National4-HConlue of 4-H.After all, it take a happy head, a LOthe kid and I t them U')' everytlling," aid WhitJeyTracy."Encouraget.hekids tJ1atwitha ference in Wa hington, D.C. They had one healthy heart and helpful hands Lomake harlittle bit of help they can do anyLl1ing." goal in mind-creating a community en~ce monic health. ♦ By BrandyEngland,Dibble, The 4-H'er er ated game and on in project that can be pre ented b any youth- Okla. an effort to make it an enjoyable and memo- enfog organization tate11~de.

The id a became realit, when they borrable experi nee for all die participants, aid for w;re informationabou/Kick 4Kidsor Kno pfli. t the end of the program, the teens roweda community en~ceidea called"Happy theOklahoma4-H, call(405) 744-8891orvisit encourage LheparticipantsLofillout an valu- Fe t' froma 4-1-Imemberin Minn ota.."Happ hlt/J://dover.oil.state. edu/Jourh. ation of the program.

Feet"pro1~dedchildr n wid1ad quate ad1letic "Wehad several children in our chool shoes for physicaleducation classes.The Oklaommunitywho were obese, and our club felt homa team sawtl1epos ibilitiesof adding an that it would be beneficial to teach them how ducational component that included nutrition, exercise and hygiene.Thi was nly the to properlytake care ofth ir bodi s" aidJud Trac. "Wehad 14childrenjoin inon the fun, beginningofwhatisnowknownas"Kicks4Kids." but we had a po ibilityof having 45 children ince then, Kicks4Kids hasbeen ndorsed participatein the program." bythe OklahomaDepartrnent ofEch,cationand Nationalstati tics how13percemof chi.1- i becoming "~delyknown throughout man dren ages 6 to 12 and 14 percent. of children otJ1er tates. The Oklahoma Cooperativ Exage· 12 to 19 are overweight, aid Knoepfli. ten ion en~ce provide training for teen and The e overweightchildren are at high riskfor adult volunteer of an )' uth-servingorganicardiovasculardiease,diabete andother e1i- zation wishing to implement th program in ou health problems. Obesityalso can lead to their community. depre ion, low elf-e te m and other The ODE,0 E 4-HYontl1 Development, mental problems. and the OS Departmentof FamilyCon tuner 4-Hteen who choo e Kick 4Kid as their ci nee provide eduen~ce project ar re ponsible for contacting cational information. local chool offi ials to gain th ir consent for The Kicks4Kidsproimplementino-me program. Localbu ine es gram is funded are encouraged to donate ad1letic hoe for through gran and needychildren, ho are participatingin phy i- privatecontribution . cal education classe .

Kicks4Kid will Oklahoma4-Hambassad01, tate and di benefit youm organiu·ict4-Hoffice1, and severalcountystaffmembers are promoting tJ1eprogram statewide.

Kicks4Kidhas been implemented in sev- Each daJ in Oklahoma,elemcnla1)'studmtJ pref,ore eralschoolsaero the rate;however,the main for a ntl participate in goal i to haveat leastone program in all of the php;ical edumtim, r/asses.

(P/11,tos

by Bmndyfngland) 77 counties, aid Knoepfli.

They said they never tialitycontractsfor recipesand production of dreamed their hobby of their products. It is then turned over to comproducingsalsawouldde- panies like Pepper Jo's to produce and velopinto an actual busi- packagethe products. ness with a whole line of "The greatest impact FAPChas made is products. sending us customers," said Black."Without 'We e~joyedmaking tllat,we wouldn't be where we are right now." salsa and thought, 'As One of PepperJo's most recent customlongas it paysfor itselfand ers is Bill Bonny of Woodward,Okla. Bonny makesa littlebit of money, ownedPistolPete's BBQSauce,and when his it is worth it,"' said Black. former manufacturer went bankrupt, he con"Then wejust kept growing tactedPepperJo's and sold the sauce recipeto and growing." tile Blacks.

Looking for ways From there, they began producing and to grow effectively, the packagingPistolPete's BBQSauce.

Blacksdiscoveredtl1eOklahoma 'With Billworkinga full-timejob tll.rough Food and AgriculturalProducts the weekand tryingto distribute the sauce on Research and Technology Center tile weekends, itjust got to be too much for throughan articleRandyBlackreceived him,"said Black."He decided to sell it, and he from a friend at work. made us a good offer.Weare nowthe owners our yearsago, RandyandJovitaBlackof "I called FAPC and left a message of PistolPete's BBQSauce."

• Lone Grove, Okla., started making witl1 Jim Brooks,"saidBlack."Hecalledmeback, The Blackswantedto be a legalcollegiate • homemade salsa for thei.rfriends and and that ishowwebecameinvolvedwithOSU." seller of tile OSU logo on the Pistol Pete's family.They never knew their hobby would Jim Brooks,FAPCbusinessand marketing BBQ Sauce label. They took it upon themgrowinto a full-timebusiness. specialist, along with other FAPC officials, selvesto establisha licenseto sell an OSU colThe Blacks and thei.r daughter Carla worked with the Blacksin perfecting recipes legiate product and became official in Boulton nowown and operate PepperJo's, a and marketingtheir products.

February2004. companyin Ardmore,Okla.,that producesand "Iwasaskedto come downand lookat the "ILtook four months to get all the paperpackagessalsa,chili"fixin's,"seasonings,Pistol product5and discussfurtl1erplansfor Pepper work through to become a legal collegiate Pete's BBQSauce and certain typesofjellies Jo's," saidBrooks. seUer,"saidBlack."Throughallour salesof the for nine companiesin Oklahoma.

Brookspresented tl1eBlackswithsugges- sauce,8.25percent of the proceedsgo back to The Blacks'cl.reamof a salsa-basedcom- tions of Oklahoma retail sources to provide the university." panydid not developovernightWithresources PepperJo's productsfor sale.

With the successPepperJo's has experiliketheFoodandAgiiculturalProductsResearch "It wasjust a matter ofoying to prioritize enced dming the pastfouryears,theyare growand TechnologyCenterat OklahomaStateUni- and take the time to get their products ing steadilyand are running out of room in versity,dreams are coming true for smallbusi- introduced to grocers," said Brooks. "They thei.rcurrent facilities.The discussionof exnesseslikePepperJo's. had to get their product out in front of panding their businessand buildingnewfaciliFAPCofficialshave workedwithOklaho- tl1epeople." tiesis unden\lay. mansacrossthe state to help tum hobbiesinto FAPChelpsget newproductson the marThe Ardmore DevelopmentAuthorityis successfulbusinesses. ketand ato<1cts customersfor smallbusinesses workingclosely\\~th the Blacksand FAPCin Asthe Blacks'businessstarted, they pro- like Pepper Jo's. For individualswho do nol developinga plan to upsizePepperJo's. They duced salsa for friends, family and a few wantto get involvedin the manufacturingpro- developedtheBuild-to-Suit programthat moniArdmore-areastoresin a restauranttheyrented cess,the center conducts monthlybasictrain- tors the construction aspect of building a fewnights a week. ingworkshops. newfacilities. "'-Nefirst started in a restaurant downByrecommending tl1emanufacturingof Biian Thorstenberg,vicepresidentof detown,"saidRandyBlack."Wewouldgo downto products to va.1iousbusinesses,FAPCcontin- velopmentfor the Ardmore DevelopmentAuthe restaurant after it closed to make our salsa ues to help many companies across the state, thority, sees a great future for the Blacks in and wouldhave to be out before the breakfast includingPepperJo's. the discussionof expansion. run the next morning."

Brookssaidcustomerswillsign confiden"Randy,\lantsto increasecustomer-based

F

42 COWBOYJOURNAL

• I

......

.....

ale before expanding th ir facilitie ,·, aid Th01 tenberg. "He wants to make sure he i there financially before proceeding."

Taking their own famil recip and making a bu ine hO\ hard work and potential for PepperJo's in the furure said Tho1 tenberg.

'Randy and Jovita use th ir resources well by putting all profits back into th bu iness," aid Thoe tenberg.

The Build-to-Suitprogram i a lease purchase the Ardmore Development Authority oversees.It own the propercy on an indusoial park where Pepper Jo' new facilitie could be built. The program is de igned to donate the land to Pepper Jo's for the encouragement of expanding its busine . The project i estimated to cost between 300,000 and 400,000.

FAPC nginee1 have put together a few

,I

ba ic floor plan for the new facilitie . They have examined modem equipment for production and al o have developed a co t anal i of the total expense .

"The new facilitie willgiveadditional buying power for Pepper Jo' , e tabli hing the Blacks to buy in bulk at a cheaper price " aid Brooks. "Thi could open anorJ1erdoor. Doing all th bu ine they can in newer facilities could double income and production."

Pepper Jo' line of products i in variou tore aero Oklahoma. The Blacksare working to get approval for ale in grocery chains statewide. Pepper Jo's has its products in a few chain depending on the geographical location of the stores.

Brook aid he encourage the upsizing of Pepperjo' and envi ion them as continuing to be a uccessful company.

,I

'Th [P pp rjo'] hav beenagodsend for mall bu inesse " aid Brooks. "Th have mad an impact on mall companie , helping th m package and produce their products. ' The Blacksare counting on production to continue ata steady increase but plan forthe new facilitie are till year away.

"When we are not trying to pick up more customer , we are trying to bring more produ ts on the line," said Black. 'The more products we have out there, the better chance we have of urviving." ♦ taryaridphotosbyBrooke

Hayton Billings,Okla.

ToI.earnmareaboutFAP and theprograms FAPCoffers,visithttp://zm11w.Japc. okstale.eduor call.fimBrooksal (405) 744-6071.

Close encounters in agriculture Studentsexploreinterestsoutsidethe classroom Students in the Oklahoma State UniversityCollegeof Ag1iculturalSciencesand Nau1ral Resources are becoming familiar with Oklahoma'sagiiculturalindusuyoutsideof the classroom.A new program allowsstudents to learn about Oklahoma agriculture whilevisiting the state's premier ranches, agricultural facilitiesand capitolbuilding.

The Oklahoma Ag1iculturalLeadership Encounter, or OALE, program expands the knowledgeof the agiiculturalindusu-yin Oklahoma for today's young adults, said Melissa Sharp,programleaderand the OklahomaYouth Expo show manager. The program iscoordinated through the OklahomaYouthExpo.

"Our purpose at the Oklahoma Youth Expo is to provide an educational experience witha hands-onand student-centeredapproach and a focus on agriculture,» said Sharp. "We tend to lose focus on what we are really here for-an educationalopportunityforstudents."

The OALEwasdesigned after the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program, or OALP,for adults in the agricultural indusu-y.

The OALPprovidesreal-worldeducation in a two-yearclassfor imerested indi\~duals.

Participantsexpe1iencean in-depthlookat ag1icultureacrossd1estate,and d1eprogia.inconcludes \vith a 10-dayinternational trip focusing on international agriculture.

OALEapplications are provided by the OklahomaYoud1Expo and are distributed to CASl\lRstudents in August.Applicationsare availablein l 36AgriculturalHalland are due in late August. Interested students who complete the application\\~IIbe considered for an interviewopportunity. The 20 students who are accepted into the program can receivetwo credit hours for their involvement.

Students selected for OALE see Oklahoma'sagriculturein four different,compactsessions.The 2003-04encountersincluded the Samuel Roberts Noble ResearchFoundation in Ardmore,Okla.;the Pillsbw-y FlourMill in Enid, Okla.; the State Capitol; The Heritage Place in Oklahoma City; and Express Ranchesin Yukon,Okla.

Through these types of tours, students

have a chance to sec the state's great ag1iculu1ralenterp1ises,said Sharp.

"The classroomcan be so textbook, and students need to see agriculture isa 1ritalpan of everydaylife,"said Sharp."Theyneed something to apply Lheirknowledge to and know that it's not just textbook material.

"True learning isachieved when it is applied.This program allowsus to pro~de an extension of the classroom and what students are learninginside the classroom,"said Sharp.

The OALEbroadens the students' ho1izons and allows them to get outside of the classroomfor a real-worldexpeiience.

"Beingable to see facilitieslikethe Noble Foundation and how d1eyhelp producers get the best out of their products wasthought provoking for future job opportunities," said La.nehaBeard,2004animalsciencealumna. "l alsomet contactswhoI wouldnot havehad an opportunityto meet ifl had not been involved in this program."

Out-of-statestudents can especiallybenefitfrom d1eprogram,becauseitenablesthem

Tilt 2003-04OALEparticipantsmjoy,d travelingOklahomathis past year:(front left/ Saro Damron;KaJsieDean;CheymneCoggins;i\shl,rySurtPrjield; Ry<mBates;(secondrow) DJ. Woehl;JamieJohnson;AimeeR11eber; MeganPfeifle.-; JackieRabe,ts;(third row)l,aneha Bean/:Lexi Fm-iss;Lori Peclr:Ericajaws: Diana Boyce:(backrow)Brad ,\/organ. a11i111a/ scienceassocititeprofessor;TimothyCampbell;BenjaminSpitzer;Sidt11')' Cu1winglum1; and Jmy Fitch,animal srienrrproJessa,:(Photob) MelissaSharp) 44 COWBOYJOURNAL

to become involved\1~ththe state' agriculture in a waythat wasnot pre~ously possible, saidSharp. "l t has been a wonderful expe1ience for me that I would not have had otherwise, becauseI am from Colorado,"Beardsaid."l really e1tjoyedseeing the different aspects of Oklahoma agriutlture."

OALEhas helped the students broaden their perspectiveson career choices and postgraduate opportunities.

"I had a greatexpe1iencewiththe OALE,'. said Jamie Johnson, 2004 animal science alumna."ltwasamazingto see howdiversefanning actuallyisin Oklahoma."

Following their encounters with the state's agricultural enterprises, students get a closer look at the world's largestjunior livestockshow, the Oklahoma Youth Expo.

"Aftertheir four educational sessionsfocusing on the Oklahoma agiiculniral industry, student~willjoin the OklahomaYouthExpo as valuablestaff members," said Sharp. "Ha,ing the opponunityto workat the OklahomaYout11 Expo really gives these students an in-depth MeganPfeiffer(left}, Ben Spitzerand Brad Morgan,lts50ciateprofessorof animal scirnce,disc1tssOklahomaagriculture with Bo/1Funk of £xpms Ranr/1es.(Photoby f.<rri f',rk) look at the behind-the-sceneslayout of a livestockshow. event as large as the Expo,"said Funk. "These "I had a great time,"saidJohnson. "It was 1·e1yinteresting to see the different waysOkla"Expansionand extension of Ll1eeduca- students ensure lhe future of our state. tionalcomponent of t11eOklahomajunior live"V-/eneed valuesand corporations in the homa is built around agriculntre and to netstockprogram tJ1roughproductionagiicuJnire agriculturalindustrytoday,and these kidshave work with all the people that I have met.''

The program built the student~•interest is a major goal of the Oklahoma Youth Expo great values,'"he said. board of directors and staff,"said Sharp. "It is Sharp said at many of the places tl1eyvis- as they became more involvedwith it. tJ1rougha stronger concentration on educa- ited tJ1eagriculturiststold tJ1estudents about "The program wasan eye-openingexpc1ition that future leaders are developed." employersreallywantingprospectiveemploy- cncc,'' said MeganPkiffc1~animalscienceand The students spend their sp1ingbreak at ees to be im·olvedin college acti~ties. agriculturalcommunicationssenior. tJie Expo, learning aboul the different segThe OSUanimalsciencedcparllllent and faen though in the firstyear participants ments of the livestockshowindusuy. They are the OklahomaYouthExpo encouragestudents said tJ1cyliked the program, it willhave some assigned to all areas of the show, performing to become inrnlvcd in tJiistype of program. adjustments for those who participate in the different tasksat each one. They rotareamong ''It wasa great firstyear,"said Sharp. '-We second year. the difierenLareas,either in the arena or show have had very positiveexpe1iencesacross the 'The first year for the OALEwasa learnoffice, and are given Limeand place prefer- board, and the students have reallygiven us a ing experience for cYeryone;it was great for ences drning the show in the cattle, sheep, lot of positivefeedback." us and hopefullyfor tJiest11dentsaswell,"said swineand goat arenas, said Sharp.

The studentssaid it wasa wonde1fulexpe- Sharp. "Weare going to run tJ1esame L)'))Cof "lt wasa great experience, and I believe 1iencefor them to see thesefacilitiesand travel program, but make a fewchanges in the secwe helped out tremendously in all the differ- the stale. ond year. ent areas of the show,"said Jackie Roberts, "It wasa tremendous opportunity to see Withoutthe OklahomaAgiiculturalLead2004animal sciencealumna. the different places,"said Bea.rel.'·respecially ership Encounter program, these opportuni"Wewerein tJ1eshow1ingand alsoworked e1~oyedvisitingExpressRanchesand meeting tieswouldnot haveexisted.The OALEtouched behind t.he scenes in the different. show of- withBobFunk." tJ1eOSU students' lives and gave them the ficeshelping them run smoothly.

The OALEhas made a differencein those chance to explore Oklahoma agiiculture out"Weworkedfrom 7a.m. to usually10or lJ who participated during tJie firstyear. sideof the classroom.ParticipantS encountered p.m., but it was1,1onh the time involved." ·'It's a great program, and we received die real-worldoftJ1eOklal1omaagriculturalinBobF1mk,ownerof ExpressRanchesand credit hours for our time involvedwithit,"said dustry and learned about its values. ♦ By ExpressPersonnel Services,said Ihe OALEis Roberts."Wehad d1eopport1mityto make new J\lleghanWalenline,FortCalhoun,Neb. an ·'absolutelymarvelousprogram"to help the contacts witJiOklahoma ag1icultrnistSin difstuden ts discoverwhat education outside the ferent areas, notjusl in our field of interest, For moreinformalionaboul !IreOklahoma which waswellworth our time.•, classroomhas to offer.

AgriculturalLtadershipEnrountl'I;calljerry Fitch ''The program has helped t.hestudent5 The participants agreed that it wasan in- {(/ (405) 744-6065. further themseh·esand learn how to work an teresting first year.

COWBOY JOURNAL 45

The Gift of a Lifetime ( ronlinuedfrom /1age15) The fir t scholar hip will be Maijo1ie' granddaught rand th family' only award d to a horticulturegraduate u1dem in Augu t durin, the 0 graduate. " he ha seen where plan lay dormant Deparunent of Horticulture and in the cough time of11~nter,but they always Land cape Architecture' cholarcome back beautiful in the pring,' . aid h i p eremony at the O U haughne y." he has een that in life ther BotanicalGarden . are tough time but the da) willalway hine faculty committee will brighter in the future." choo e the recipient from appli aThe flower alsoreflectMarjorie' nurtur- lion submitted through the college.First preference willb given ing attitude.

"I havenever meta more caring person," to tudents who earned a pre\fous said haughne . " he isalwayca.ringfor ome- de eefromO on or omet.hino-.

The familywai1tedto upp rt "Eventh plants h has killed, he killed 0 U tucl nt continuing their with lov by ith r givingth m too much wa- education h r , said I edham. r r or too much fertilizer.'

The fai11ilyhop to e the Marjori Andrew aid when he wa pre- endowmemgr wov rtim . "\,\ will keep contributing en Led with the endowment he was ''.ju t peechle ... and that' unu ual for me." and hop to ee friends and orgahe i alwaysdoing thingsfor ot.h r , and nization contribut a w II," aid Ma,jorie Andrews lows 1hr many plnnls sralleredamu11d/i,,- yard, bringingbeau/)'iTlloher lift a11dto othm. (Photoby Ben Humplm0) nowwe have don omething p cial for h r, MiltonAndrews.

Th M,ujo,ie Horner Andre, Graduate aid Shaughn Marjo1i Andrew i grateful thi gift i " he isverygenuine and cone med about for others a w II. tudent cholar hip ,,~II upport more OS helping young peopl realiz their dreams of "I am just glad this endowment will be tud nts each year and help keep the Chri tobtainino-aneducationand adding to o i 1:y," th re to help tudents,"saidMarjo1ieAndi·e,. ma piriLalive in the hearts of all. ♦ By Ben aidJenkins." he epitomize the grandmother "Weare not going to run out of tuden ts who Hum/1/irey, oble,Okla. any grandchild wouldwant to have.· need our h Ip.'

Minnie Lou Bradley (continuedfrom fJage 21) \.\itJ1111anychangeinthebeefinclu uyinthel9 0 ,MinnieLo,1 had to find a way to provide for her famil wit.hthe Angus cow-cal[ operation. In 1982, h b gan elling meat from her back porch LOthe area residents. Soon, h found a niche for th market of natural, ranch-raisedbeef.

In 1986,the Bradleysbuilt and opened a D AJI- acural pro-

Thr 1952 Oklohomatl "M Live.stock Judging Tmm co111pet;,d acrossll1eU11i1e1/ Slates: (backjiv111le/I) ll'illis Nirkel1011, Bob Wisdom, C11rlis J1JreJS,J11rkMcCmskf')',marl, Glen Brarchrr,(front) Mi1111ie Lou 01ti11ger, Carl Gardner,Har/on /,111/rdland Alim"! !Inn/on. (Pholo rourrseyof 1hr O U Dep11rlmrnl of A11i111al ·cirnce)

46 COWBOYJOURNAL

cessing plant that merchandises beef acros • the nation. B3RCountry Meatsproductsare sold from coastto coast.MinnieLou iscon iderecla pioneer in the brand d beef bu ine by many in the industry. B3R ounu-yMeatswa only the cconcllabel to be granted the all-natural title by tJ1 DA. "Knov.foo-what she accompli hed before colle11e and in college,l wasn't suq)rised of an of her ucce sand accompli hment in beef cattle bre clingand production," aid Robert Totusek animal ·cience department head eme1itus.

"The most impre sivet11i.ng to me about her accomplishmentsis her ucce in the meat bu ine " aid Totu ek. "The ucce s rate of anyon geuingintoany gmentofthefoodbu ines i ve1 ,ver low -about 5 percent."

Toda , MaryLou help her mother operate the ranch and mai1age B3R CounU)' Meats,locat din Childre , 't xas. MaryLou attended Hardin Simon Univ rsityon a rod o scholar hip and became an accountant in WichitaFalls, exas.AfterMom Jack waskilledin an aulo accidem in 19 , she returned home to help on the ranch.

In 198 the Oklahoma tate niver ity Deparunent of nimal cience named MinnieLou a Graduate of Di unction. Among her accompli hments, he 11 ne oftJ1efirstwomen to erveon tJ1eboard of directors of tJ1eAmerican ngu Association.She will b come pre idem of tJ1ea ociation in November.

Minnie Lou receivedthe Pioneer wardfrom the BEEFlmprovements Federation and has been ague t columni t for BEEFmagazine ..

The Ii tgoes on ... M.innieLou hassucceeded as an estabh hed woman in a man's world. ♦ ByjmniferHarrington,Paris Texas

Meets 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month

8 p.m. in 101 Ag Hall

721S. Maia,Stillwater,01

osuprevetmed@yahoo.com http://ergs.okstate. edu/p revet

"LookFor The Bright OrangeAwaing"

Cowboysfor Christ OSU AgriculturalStudent Organization Christiansreachingout to build up the Body of Christ

(-t05) 824·8800

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INDEPENDENT REPRESENTATIVE (903) 739-3660

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dottiecox@acninc.net

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The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

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Meetings begin in August Visit 136 Ag Hall to get in on the Fun!

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Roots to Anchora Dream

"It wastn1l)'a humbling experi(continuedfrompage31) ence to understand the powerof die about," Alben said. '·Asone of the most re- Oklahoma State Universitystudent spected and awarded landscape architecture bodyand how it comes together evfums in the world,EDSAhas made it a point to e11'fallto welcomebackalumni and givestudents an amazingopportunity and in- continue this amazing tradition," sight to their future careers."

Alben.said.

Afterfour momhs in Florida,Alben tra\'Albert'sinvolvememalsoexeled to China in Mayto continue the intern- tends to CAS:--J R He is a member ship experience. EDSAOrientll'asestablished of the Ame1icanSocietyofL-mdin 2000becauseof the growingpopulationand scapeArchitectsand servedas a the need to de\'elop the landscape through CASNRsenator and a Student community, recreational and urban design AcademicMentor for AG 1011 and planning.

Agiiculnu-alO1ientation.Despitehis extensive Projectsin China includedworkon Guan listofleadership acti,~ties,he has maintained NewTown (a new townjust sout11of Beijing an impressive4.0 grnde point avernge,amaz- Mike Albe,·/sketcheslayoutsfor Edward D. Stone antl Associates.Some of Albert'sdesignsare displayedat tile being planned for a population of 300,000), ing e,·en his professors.

E.11'.iWarlmulMansionin PoncaCity, Okla. (Photoby Hyatt Regency Resort HOLeland the Nine ''lcan'timagine howhe does that,"Leider B,Jan Pogue) Dragons Mountain Re.son located somh said. "He's not detracted from his studies of Shanghai. at all." tecture firm - perhaps EDSA- but ultimately Albert gained previousinternational exBut hisleadershipabilitiescoupled v.~tlia establishhis own firm.Albertsaid he hopes to pelience to prepare for d1eChina portion of genuinely caring attitude have made Alben a return to tl1eOklahomaPanhandle eventually the internship byparticipating in twoCASNR well-knownpersonalityatOSU. LOcontinue his family'scattle operation and study-abroad programs. In 2002, he went on "I admire him for his genuine personality supportagiiculture,whichAlbert.saidishisfounthe ag1iculturaleconomics study u-ip to En- and his ability LOget along with everybody," dation. gland and Scotland. ln 2003,he wem to.Japan saidMaceyHedges,agricultw-al communications ;<Foras long as I can remember~I have witl1the landscapearchitecture program. senior and a fellowHomecomjngexecutive. been brought up witl1agricultureplayinga role "Exposureto internationalu-arelhas u1.1ly AsAlbertreturns to OSU this fall,he said in many ways,"Albert said. ''From going out been a passion of mine for numerous years," he hopes cocontinue tile legacyhe has started 11~dimy fad1er LOfeed the cattle at the ranch Albertsaid."The leaming experiencesgained whilecontinuing to prepare for his career.He to being involved\\~tl1organizations includare lessonsthat aren't found in a textbook."

1,~llcomplete his remaining twoyears of un- ing 4-Hand FFA,my most valuableeducation VVhileimerning witllEDSA,Albert'spas- dergraduate work at OSU and then pursue a can1efrom myagricult1.11-al background." sion for landscape architecture and enthusi- master of businessadministrationdegr·ee.

Alben is a young man grounded in his asmfor lifecaptured tl1erespect ofEDSAem"l lookforwardto appl)~ngtl1eknowledge agiicultw-alrootsbut dreamingbig and achievployees. That same fire also has ser\'ed him gained through the internship back at OSU," ing his goals.He illusu-atesdiat a boyfrom die wellatOSU. Albensaid."Academicsare stillveryimportant OklahomaPanhandlecan be a successthrough "He's ,·eryenthusiastic,"Ritter said. "He LOme." hard workand sacrificecombined 1,~d1 a contakesgreat ptidc in his workand isan inspiraWith the su-ongeducational background stant enthusiasmfor life.Whilehe speaksabout tion and leader in the class." from OSU plus his imernshipexpe1iences,the landscape architecture, his lessons apply Alben'sleadershipand dedicationto land- job market lookspromisingfor Albert.In fact, to e\'e11'one. scape architecture havebeen equallymatched 25 percent of landscape architect interns at '·Landscapearchitecture is trulya future byextracurricularacti,~Lieson campus.Execu- EDSAhaveaccepted full-timepositionsupon one must be passionateabout,"Albert.said."It's tiveofficer of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity,a completion of the internship. Of those, more about leavingAg Hall at6a.m. after a night of Top Ten Freshman and an OSU Top Three than 75 percent nowhold tJ1epositionof asso- drawing.It's about ha~nga brilliantideawhile Outstanding Greek Maleare justsome of me ciate or higher. sitting in a restaurant and sketching it on a honors he displayson his resume. In 2003,he Those statistics ha1·eAlbert emhused. napkin with the vision of making it a reality. wasexecutivedirectorfor OSU Homecoming. Aftergrnduating, he would like to work"~tl1a Each project should be treated with its own re5peccablelandscapearchipossibilities.''

For MikeAlbert,the passioniscontagious, die vision is clear and the possibilitieslimitless. ♦ By Elizabeth Kinney, Moorp/and,Okla.

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Cowboy Journal Oklahoma State University Depart C men! of Agricultu I ommunications d ra Education 448 · an 4-H Yiouth Development ' . Agricultural Hall Stillwater' OK 74078-6031