June 17, 2009
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UCO faculty, staff and students pump up donations
One year anniversary One year ago, groundbreaking was held for the Forensics Science Institute. Today, construction on the dome is changing UCO's skyline. See page 6
Campus Briefs See what's going on around campus with parking, the Broncho Bus and the Bum-a-Bike program. See page 4
UCO professor directs Shakespeare program Kathryn McGill is directing "As You Like It," in the 25th summer of "Shakespeare in the Park." See page 3
Photo by Laura Hoffert
Anne Ewing, a UCO Biology professor and Pre-Med Adviser (front) and Meredith Marrs, a Humanities senior, give blood Tuesday afternoon in the Nigh University Center Ballroom. The Oklahoma Blood Institute and the UCO Greek's hosted the blood drive and were given t-shirts after donating. For the full story, see page 3.
MO Foundation donations defy recession Caleb McWilliams Slag 1 Triter
As consumers remain frugal in their spending in light of a deflated economy, charitable donations across the country have fallen as donors' contributions have drooped. "We have found that most of our donors are continuing to give," Anne Holzerberlein, vice president for Development and executive director of the UCO Foundation, said. "Some of those gifts have just been smaller than previous gifts." A recently published national report from Giving USA said that, adjusted for inflation, total giving in 2008 was down
5.7 percent from 2007. Giving to education organizations fell by 5.5 percent, or 9 percent adjusted for inflation, the report said. Holzberlein said that the UCO Foundation had several donors who had previously made very large year-end gifts, largely of stock. "All of them still made a donation at the end of last year, but all of them were smaller and none of them were stock," she said. To continue receiving from their "pretty loyal donor base," Holzerberlein said that the Foundation has been "very careful to let our donors know how much we appreciate their giving." "We understand with the economy that
it's tougher for them to give some of the large gifts," she said. Statistics show that when the economy turns around, the people who have been giving will go back to giving at a higher rate, she said. Even though UCO has a loyal donor base, Holzerberlein said, the Foundation is working hard to expand it because "historically, UCO has not done a lot of fundraising." She said that the Foundation had statistically lost "an extremely small number of donors," and that there are some donors who only give once in a while, and some who give every other year.
THE UCO FOUNDATION The UCO Foundation was established in 1972 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit "to provide scholarship assistance to deserving students and support for faculty, campus activities and vital programs at the University of Central Oklahoma," its website states. Since 1994, the Foundation has been "an active fundraiser and the philanthropic steward for the University instead of solely an administrator of donated funds," it says. Right now, the Foundation has three projects that Holzberlein said "we're see FOUNDATION, page 6
Art Christie leads UCO substance abuse program to be social advocates and rid the world of addiction. Con/ ram/or "I don't work with bad people. Just as the corruption of alco- I work with good people with a holism and drug abuse spread bad disease," he said. Christie first discovered alcothrough society, so does Arthur hol at about age 13. From then Christie sow the seeds of redempon, he was "quite the party anition for those who are lost amid mal" through high school and a maelstrom of addiction and college. He enlisted in the United vagrancy. Leaders of such cmStates Air Force right out of high sades against the blackest corners 22 years. school and served for of society are not simply born. Christie didn't really have any Christie's ability to help cure overlying desire to become sober those who have the disease of during the time, but another facet addiction has come from his own of his current life was developing will to never again be enslaved by — his ability to help others learn. what used to hold him captive. Christie was not one of the Now a professor at the types of airmen who enjoyed all University of Central Oklahoma, the mechanical work that comes Christie, the Coordinator of with being a pilot; his true passion Substance Abuse Services, helps was teaching his fellow airmen. arm his students with the tools
Mike Gibson
Christie was fortunate enough to be named an instruction pilot, and earned the privilege of teaching pilots for a greater part of his military career. Whether or not he knew it, Chrisite heard his calling. While serving, he worked towards his master's degree in counseling and further specialized in substance abuse. He commented on a bit of a scare he had at one point — in the early 1980's, he had to attend his mandatory yearly physical. The doctor informed him that his liver enzymes were "completely out of whack" and that he would have to not drink for a full 3o days. "It scared the hell out of me." Christie said. He did abstain from drinking in order to pass
his physical, but promptly picked up drinking soon. Retiring from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel, Christie put his education to work and began drug counseling. From 1990 to 1991, Christie was the director of Logan County's Drug and Alcohol Recovery and Education program. Soon after, he found a more permanent spot supervising other drug counselors with the A Chance to Change Foundation, and filled this role for just less than ten years. Christie never stopped fighting the virus of addiction, wherever it might show itself. 1994 marked Christie's first experience at UCO, when Dr. Bob Jones asked him to be a guest speaker on treating addict"Inside the Lines" with Chris Wescott
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ed adult children of alcoholics. This led to him getting to teach as an adjunct, instructing the course Helping Skills. In 2001, Dr. Jones asked Christie to create a Group Dynamics Course specifically tailored for the substance abuse counselor, and this program is used at UCO to this day. During the fall 2002 and spring 2003 semesters, Christie filled in for another professor who was medically unable to continue teaching, and Christie did such an excellent job that he was awarded with the Adjunct of the Year award. Currently, Christie instructs seven courses: three in the fall, three in the spring, and a see DRUG, page 3
"Liquid Assets" with Caleb McWilliams