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The Student Voice of the University of Central Oklahoma Since 1903
September 20, 2007
ARE YOU GLOBALLY COMPETENT? Powell speaks at OU by Hannah Jackson Staff Writer
UCO will hold a Global Competency Symposium on Tuesday, Sept. 25. The symposium will give community members, faculty, staff and students a chance to discuss the characteristics involved in global competency. The symposium begins with an 8:00 a.m. breakfast in Evan's Hall. President Webb, University Provost Dr. William Radke, and Dr. Kathryn Gage, Vice President of Student Affairs, will welcome the group at 8:30 a.m.. The group will be divided into smaller groups who will discuss competency from 9 toll a.m. Dr. Dennis Dunham, director of UCO's Office ofInternational Student Services will be leading the small group discussion. Each group will have a mixture of students, faculty, staff and professionals so that a wide variety of views can be discussed.
Corporate leaders are so invaluable because they
are the ones hiring people to go overseas to handle diplomatic situations and cultural encounters, Dunham said. "Statistics show that over 25 percent of Americans who are assigned abroad have failed, at a per assignment cost of as much as a million dollars,"
corporate leaders the ability to explain what kind of people they'd like to hire and what kind o f
Dunham s a i d . The symposium will give
experiences they would like. Faculty and staff members can then respond with how they can make it happen. When small-group discussion is over, Dunham will lead a discussion combining thoughts from individual groups. Once a definition has been identified, Dunham plans to create a certification program, which is set to open by the end of the semester. The certification program will take students through different strat-
egies that will be learned through the symposium. There will also be a list of tasks for students to complete in order to earn the certificate. U.S. Representative Mary Fallin, who supports the establishment of UCO's Center for Global Competency, said that in addition to study abroad programs and foreign language classes, this program will connect students to the community. "I am told that globally proficient students are great teams players -excellent at inquiry and analysis, flexibility with a keen awareness of problem solving. There are so many rewards," Fallin said. Global certification will be on students' resumes' and help them find work in the community, Dunham said. "Students with global experiences, whether here or abroad, are nonexpendable because they're more open-minded," said Dunham. "Being globally certified is a vehicle creating something greater than it's original purpose." For more information on the UCO Center for Global Competency, contact Dunham at 974-2374.
Hannah Jackson can be reached at hjackscp@thevistaonline.com.
by Alex Gambill Staff Writer
Colin Powell, former Army general and secretary of state from 2001 to 2005, spoke to a full house at the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall at the University of Oklahoma Sept. 12 in Norman. "We still are the leading economy in the world, we still turn out the finest college graduates...we still are the technological leaders in the world and above all we still are the values example in the world," Powell said. Regarding values he said "Our standing in the world has dropped significantly in recent years," because of Iraq. Powell said the United States needed more soldiers in Iraq during the beginning of the war to keep the government somewhat intact to make way for democracy. He said before making the decision to go to war the U.S. should use diplomacy instead of isolation. He made the comparison of President Reagan calling the U.S.S.R. an "Evil Empire" and President Bush calling Iran a part of the "Axis of Evil."
see Powell, page 5
New York Times editor addresses students, faculty by Abha Eli Phoboo & Nelson Solomon Staff Writers
Richard Berke, assistant managing editor of The New York Times, visited UCO Sept. 17 to mark Constitution Day, organized by American Democracy Project. He spoke at four different events on campus. Berke talked about his job and how The New /York Times decides what is newsworthy. He gave presentations at President Roger Webb's "Lessons in Leadership" class, a banquet in the Nigh University Center, to an audience at the Pegasus Theater and held a Q&A session with mass communication students and The Vista istaff. "I've always had a real passion for journalism and my hours now are better than they have ever been. As reporter, I worked around the clock. But its great to keep doing what you love and get paid for it," said Berke. Berke, who holds an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, started out as reporter for the Baltimore Evening Sun before moving to The New York Times and rising to become the assistant managing editor. "A good reporter is a good reporter, whatever story you are covering. Whether it's the county court or Iraq. Getting stories published, clips, working hard is important," Berke said to aspiring jour-
ner in freedom and democracy. As assistant managing editor, Berke plays an influential role in the decision making. Describing the layout of The New York Times, he said there are usually six stories on the front page with the most important story of the day in the upper right-hand corner. "At 10 a.m. every day, the editors and department heads meet to pitch their ideas of what they think might be used on the front page. I go around the table asking each person what they think is the most important story and how they are covering it. They talk about breaking news, longer stories they've been working on for a while, and how they are shaping up," said Berke. At 4 p.m., the meeting reconvenes with each person passing out five paragraph summaries of stories they are pushing for the next day. Choosing which six stories appear "involves a lot of people deliberating on what stories will end up in the final paper," he said. However, after every one has given their input, the decision rests with the editor Bill Keller. by Vista photographer Chris Otten Once the stories are decided on, a photo show begins Richard Berke, assistant managing editor of the The New York Times, speaks at Pegasus Theater about the daily grind with displays of the best phoin his profession. tos from around the world. "We try to pick power"What ends up on the front pus. What ends up on its page ful for page one. nalists. "It is the people that of the Department of Mass can come up with interesting Communication, introduced page of any newspaper is a one is not haphazard," said Ideally, a mix that's newsdetails, angles that matters. Berke at a presentation on mystery. In small papers, it is Dr. Clark. He added that it worthy and interesting," said Sometimes some expertise how The New York Times haphazard. We use The New is important as Americans to Berke. "If we had Iraq phocan get you a foot in the door." decides on its front-page York Times as textbook and a understand this process since Dr. Terry Clark, chair stories and photographs. source for news on this cam- the New York Times is a partsee Berke, page 5
News Central "Channel 6 Mon. through Thurs. at 5 p.m.
"Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change." — Confucius
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