The Student Voice Since 1903 UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2006
Endeavor Games bring athletes, soldiers together by Divona Phillips Staff Writer UCO hosted the 2006 Endeavor Games June 8-11, with events held on campus and at Edmond's Deer Creek High School. Like the Olympics opening ceremonies, the June 9 opening ceremonies recognized the athletes for their participation in the games. The athletes entered Hamilton Field house to patriotic music performed by the Tinker Air Force Base "Flying High Band." The athletes represented their home state or country with placards. John Register, the associate director of outreach and development for U.S. Paralympics and a 1996 and 2000 paralympian, served as the master of ceremonies and introduced the athletes. After all the participants entered the gym, Register introduced the men and women of the Wounded Warrior Project. The group was formed in 2004 to raise public awareness of the needs of the troops who were injured in the Middle East while serving in the military. The Tinker Air Force Base flagmen performed a presentation of arms as the band played the "Star Spangled Banner" which was followed by a prayer. Mark Herrin, the director of the Wellness Center of UCO and host of the Endeavor Games, gave a brief accolade to the soldiers, saying that, in life, people often "pay it forward," a phrase used to suggest that if someone is nice and treats another person well, then that other person in turn will treat someone else inkind and, in a sense, the world
by Vista photographer Alex Gambill
Kelsie Kellen, 11, from O'Fallon, Mo., competes in the Endeavor Games' 400 meter wheelchair race June 10 at Deer Creek High School. Kellen placed second.
will be a better place. "You paid it forward to us, when you took the oath of service and now it's our turn," Herrin said. Video highlights of last year's competition were shown and returning athletes were recognized. Register then introduced the keynote speaker for the evening,
four-time Paralympic medalist in wheelchair basketball, Mike Schlappi. Schlappi told the story of his paralysis, when one of his best friends shot him in the chest while playing with his father's gun. He said that while he was lying there shot he vowed that if he lived, he would be a better person and hoped that his moth-
er would show up to save him, which she did after his friend called her on the telephone. "In this very arena, on this basketball court, we have some great athletes," Schlappi said. "But I salute the parents, brothers and sisters, sitting behind you that care about you." Schlappi told about his life experiences and the lessons that
he has learned being confined to a wheelchair. "Your accidents, whatever happened to you didn't just happen to you. It happened to your family, friends and your entire community," he said to the athletes. , , The games had four age categories for youth and one for adults. Nicholas Benton, 13,
attends Summit Middle School in Edmond and competed in several events. Benton has spina bifida and is confined to a wheelchair. "I think it's really cool to have something else to do besides school events, which I can par..1.11: ikipate in some orthem-, 6ut not
see GAMES, page 4
Book to commemorate Broncho history by No Lupov Staff Writer The Oklahoma Centennial Commission approved a book about the history of UCO as an official state centennial publication. The commission was established to commemorate Oklahoma's statehood on Nov. 16, 1907. Dr Patti Loughlin, UCO assistant professor of history and geography, said the book, "Building Traditions, Educating Generations: A History of the University of Central Oklahoma," written by her, UCO professor and chair of the history and geography department Dr Kenny Brown and Oklahoma historian Bob
Burke is slated for publication in mid-2007. "It is significant that UCO is the first school for higher education in Oklahoma and deserves to be commemorated," said Amy Weaver, director of education and cultural affairs at the commission. "The original intent is to combine a coffee table book with good pictures and substantial information about UCO," Brown said. Loughlin said the book's student-driven research covers the university's institutional history from the early 1890s to the present, and will have images, oral interviews and 25-30 short stories. She said the book was divid-
ed into eight chapters that correspond with the name changes of the university. The book includes important events in UCO history such as the establishment in 1968 of the Afro-American Student Union and the effect of World War II on campus life. Loughlin said UCO students conducted oral history interviews with former UCO presidents, staff and students. "The plan is to deposit all interviews in the university library for future generations," she said. UCO research assistant Felicia Harrison said they were very excited about the project. She said getting to know the people she was interviewing
helped her relate to the history of UCO. She said she interviewed Conrad Galey, an American Indian student at UCO before integration took place in the early 1950's. She said Galey told her he had to stay at the fire station next to the university during the holidays, because he could not afford to go home. "The little known facts about UCO," is what students should know, said Julie Bennett-Jones, research assistant to the project. by Vista photographer Alex Gambill
Clockwise from left: UCO research assistants Julie Bennett-Jones, Felicia Harrison and Kim Penrod, director of the UCO oral history project, compile video for an upcoming book on the history of UCO.
No Lupov can be reached at ilupov@thevistaonline.com .
UCO student wins Miss Oklahoma
Federal agency ranks UCO for green power by Jessica Snell Staff. Writer UCO will be recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency in July on their national top ten list of Green Power Partner universities, ranked fourth in the nation based on total amount of green power usage. Green power is any environmentally friendly and renewable energy source, such as solar energy. UCO is projected to use 26 million kilowatt-hours of wind power over the next year, based on last year's elec-
tricity usage. Charles Johnson, director of the UCO news bureau said 100 percent of the electricity used on campus is from wind power. He said the university buys its electricity from Edmond Electric's wind power grid. Steve Kreidler, UCO executive vice president for administration, said that he received an e-mail from the EPA after they saw a press release about UCO switching to wind power. He said that UCO started out buying 10 percent of its electricity
UCO's Lauren Nelson is crowned Miss Oklahoma 2006 by
see GREEN, page 3
Miss UCO 2004 Jennifer Warren, Miss Oklahoma 2005, June 10 in Tulsa. Miss America Jennifer Berry looks on.
Game, set and match for Men's ilk, fl tennis? See Sports pg. 8
by Tiffany Batdorf Staff Writer
Al'
NSA, separation of powers, the telegraph and you.
See Editorial pg. 2
Two UCO students were recently honored in state scholarship pageants. UCO Music Theatre major. Lauren Nelson was crowned Miss Oklahoma on Saturday June 10 at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. Miss Black UCO 2006, Keondra Butler, marketing major, received second runnerup in the Miss Black Oklahoma USA Pageant 2006 on June 4 at the University of Oklahoma.
Nelson, 19, is the youngest contestant ever crowned Miss Oklahoma. She won the title of Miss Teen Oklahoma 2004 and was one of three representatives from the state of Oklahoma who performed in the Miss America Pageant in 2004. Nelson's platform for the 2006 year will be, "Be Net smart, protecting kids online." "Seeing these children and the access they have to the Internet and seeing how it can impact their lives, made me think this
see CROWN, page 4
2006 Endeavor Games photos. See pg. 5