The Student Voice Since 1903 UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2006
Campus grove created with 'survivor tree' saplings by Tiffany Batdorf Staff Writer
by Vista photographer Alex Gambill
Rahe Oldham, center, and UCO landscape maintenance employees plant one of the 19 Oklahoma City bombing 'survivor tree' saplings June 20 south of the Business Building. Oldham grew the saplings from the seeds of the elm tree that survived the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
by Divona Phillips Staff Writer
by Jessica Snell
A former UCO student-body president will run for the 2006 Democratic nomination for Oklahoma lieutenant governor in the July 25 primary. Peter Regan served as student-body president his sophomore and junior years in 1991 and 1992 and worked during his senior year for the university administration under then-president George Nigh in 1994. "I was so impressed by his enthusiasm and vitality," Nigh said. "He was the best quickstudy in public service I've ever known." Nigh is now the chairman of Regan's election campaign. He said he recommended Regan for lieutenant governor because he knew he would be perfect for the duties of the position. "UCO has no strong champion in the state capital. It can use his influence," Nigh said. Regan said the lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is the presiding officer in the state senate who casts the deciding vote in the event of a tie. He said the lieutenant governor also serves on constitutional boards like the tourism commission and is ready to take command if anything were to happen to the governor.
see TREES, page 3
Laboratory annex construction continues, nears completion with foundation funds
Former UCOSA president to run for Lt. Gov. Staff Writer
Nineteen saplings, harvested from the "survivor tree" at the Oklahoma City bombing memorial, were planted at UCO June 21 to create the Children's Memorial Grove. The saplings were planted between the Business Administration building and Thatcher Hall. "The 19 trees represent the 19 children that died at the Murrah Federal Building," said Rahe Oldham, owner of Land Mark Trees and donator of the saplings. "I had been looking for a public place that would be open to the public so people could visit the trees," Oldham said. Oldham said he grew the trees from seeds collected from the Oklahoma City bombing site in 1997, before the memorial was built. "I actually collected the seeds April of 1997, and stored them in my freezer," he said. Oldham said that while watching the first anniversary of the bombing held under the survivor tree, he noticed that the tree was in bad shape, neglected and in poor health.
photo provided
Peter Regan Still, there is more time for the lieutenant governor to pursue and support specific causes than the governor, Regan said. "Right now, we have too few college graduates," Regan said. "We need to make sure we utilize our budget surplus to make college affordable." Three other candidates will run for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor: Jari Askins, Cal Hobson and Jim Rogers. Todd Hiett, Scott Pruitt and Nancy Riley will compete in the Republican primary. E.Z. Million will run as an independent. If Regan wins in the primary he will be on the ballot for lieutenant governor in the Nov. 7 elections. "Public service is about people, specifically helping people and not about politics," Regan said. Regan graduated from UCO in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in Public Administration. "He's one of us," Nigh said. "He knows UCO and UCO needs a champion in the state capital." Jessica Snell can be reached at jsnell@thevistaonline.com .
UCO plays the 'money game'
See Sports pg. 6
by Vista photographer Alex Gambill
UCO received $150,000 of a possible $400,000 grant May 31. The money will be used to complete the construction of six biology labs in the Laboratory Annex Building. The grant came from the Inasmuch Foundation, which has donated to the construction of the annex in the past. Beverly Endicott, development director for the College of Mathematics and Science, said Dr. William Lee Beasley, 1969 alumnus of Central State College, serves as the honorary chair of lab construction. Endicott said he was instrumental in introducing the university to the Inasmuch Foundation and conveyed the great need UCO had for the funds. Endicott said the grant could total $400,000. The first $150,000 was given outright and a $250,000 two-to-one matching grant will be given if UCO can raise $125,000. "It's usually one-to-one, but they offered two-to-one, which is wonderful," Endicott said. The Laboratory Annex Building was built in 1997 to provide lab space for chemistry, physics, engineering and biology classes. Endicott said as construction began, there were funding problems that left 11 labs unfinished. Endicott said the college devised a three-phase campaign to complete the unfinished labs.
Top: An unfinished space in the Laboratory Annex Building and below, a finished laboratory.
see LABS, page 3
INDEX Opinion 2 3 News Classifieds 5 6 Sports
LibertyFest winds u next week
See News pg. 3