April 3, 2008 www.thevistaonline.corn the
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LING PROMOTES NEW PROGRAM by Jordan Richison Staff Writer Internationally-known journalist and TV personality Lisa Ling spoke in front of about 300 students and faculty members Monday at Constitution Hall at the official opening of UCO's Centre for Global Competency. Dr. William Radke, UCO vice president of Academic Affairs, opened up the presentation talking about the faculty getting involved with the program on campus. Oklahoma Lt. Governor Jeri Askins and Dr. Kathryn Gage, vice president of Student Affairs, joined Radke on stage to help unveil the official logo of the Centre for Global Competency. Dr. Dennis Dunham, director of International Services, said UCO's definition of global competency focuses predominately on students' interaction with the community, so that potential employers will be better prepared to receive globally competent students. He said four out of five new jobs are being created in the international arena, but statistics show that 20 percent of Americans who have worked abroad have failed. "Global Competency is not something that you are, it is something you become along the way," Dunham said. Following Dunham's speech, musician Kyle Dillingham performed a couple of songs. Dillingham, who is known as "Oklahoma's music ambassador", has per-
formed for U.S. Congress, House of Representatives and on national television in China, Thailand, and Europe. Dillingham ended his set with a violin performance of "Amazing Grace." Ling was the last to speak at the ceremonies and opened up her speech by joking about the recent tornado activity, which hit the state early Monday morning. Ling said she got her start in broadcast journalism as a reporter for the national high school news show "Channel 1 News." While at "Channel 1," she worked with Anderson Cooper, now the main anchor on CNN, on different national news stories geared towards the teenage perspective. When she was a sophomore at the University of Southern California, Ling went to Afghanistan to cover its civil war, she said. "I was in total shock of what was around me, I saw boys no more than 10 years old carrying weapons bigger then they were," Ling said. She said when she came back to America, she was sur; prised to see that no one really cared about the conditions over in the war torn nation. Ling said students need to take notice and try to engage more into what is going on _around the world. "We have a choice as Americans to either ignore it or engage it in a positive way," Ling said. by Vista photographer Brenda O'Brian She said following her stint on "Channel 1," she was Lisa Ling speaks of her experiences as a journalist during the launch of the Centre
see LING, page 9 for Global Competency on Monday, March 31 in Constitution Hall.
UCO to host induction ceremony The 38th annual Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame will induct nine new members Friday, adding to its total of more than 330 inductees. by No Lupov Managing Editor During its annual induction ceremony the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame will honor nine exceptional journalists for their work in the Sooner state. More than 150 journalists and their families are invited to participate in the 38th annual induction ceremony 11:30 a.m. April 4 in the ballroom at the University Center. Executive Director of the Oklahoma Press Association Mark Thomas will be host the ceremonies. The distinguished journalists this year are "Oklahoma Gazette publisher William Bleakley, OETA anchor Gerry Bonds, The Oklahoman reporter and editor Ann DeFrange, Cameron University journalism professor emeritus Donna Barron Evers, Tulsa World operations managers Bill Harper, Associated
see HOF, page 5
DAW wraps up its activities
IS NOTHING SACRED ON APRIL 1?
by Jordan Richison Staff Writer
by Vista photographer Chris Albers
Students walk by an unusually fashioned statue of Dr. Roscoe Robinson, Central State President from 1939-48, Tuesday morning, April 1, located on the south side of the Administration Building.
Mon. through Thurs. at 5 p.m.
UCO's sixth annual Disability Awareness Week concluded Wednesday with the wheelchair challenge over by Broncho Lake. "The staff and I have been very pleased at the student participation the past three days," said Garret Johnson, Students for Accessible Society president. The event kicked off Monday with free health screenings for different ailments such as diabetes, glaucoma, blood pressure, vision, hearing and bone density. This was followed by the hearing challenge on Tuesday where participants had to wear sound-proof headphones while attempting to complete common tasks such as purchasing a book from the bookstore and getting homework assignments. Johnson said students have been surprised with how hard it is for people with disabilities once they've completed the'obstacle courses. "They don't realize how hard it is until they get the first hand experience," Johnson
"It is better to die on your feet than to lire on your knees!" -Emiliano Zapata
said. Freshman Sarah Smith said the Wheelchair challenge on Wednesday proved to be difficult because of the different challenges in the obstacle course. "It was hard, just getting up and over the differ-
ent obstacles was difficult," Smith said. Sophomore Kristen Collier was another student who found the event difficult to participated in. "It was um, buy it makes
see DAW, page 3
by Vista photographer Chris Albers
Matthew Morales, music theater junior, gets pushed up a ramp in a wheelchair by Kerry West, adaptive technology specialist with Disability Support Services, yesterday at an event for Disability Awareness Week near Broncho Lake.
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