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UCOSA senators address gun bill resolution ... Page 3 ISC selects new officers ... Page 3 THIS IS THE LAST VISTA ISSUE UNTIL JAN. 15, 2009
Dec. 4, 2008
Winterglow going green University goes with energy-efficient holiday lights for better performance Kyndall Watson siati
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UCO will hold the annual Winterglow holiday celebration on December 4. The celebration will take place on the university's campus from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The festivities will begin with an opening ceremony featuring Miss UCO, Taylor Upson and the official lighting of Old North, the oldest campus building. "I am so excited to be a part of a university that gives back to the community in such a big way during the holidays," Upson said. Old North will be decorated with LED lights this year to cut down on the cost of electricity by 10 percent and to support the campus-wide, eco-friendly efforts throughout the year. The LED, or light emitting diode, lights will help the university use 10 times less energy than with the previous minilights, said landscape specialist Greg Rose, who is contracted by the university. "This will help put on a lot better light display without using as much electricity," Rose said. Rose said President Roger Webb wanted Winterglow to be
better than previous years. "He wanted something that would pop more." Other activities for Winterglow will include face painting, caricature artists, games, balloon artists, hot cocoa stations, s'mores and cookies, and Santa's Workshop Craft Area. You can also receive a free picture with Santa with the donation of a new and unwrapped toy for the Edmond Hope Center. Winterglow will team with Blue Star Mothers, a non-political service organization comprised of mothers who have had children serving in the U.S. Military. Blue Star Mothers aim to support military- and their families by sending holiday letters to the troops. . "Winterglow is definitely gioin& to be magical and I encourage . everyone to come out and be a p4t of it," Upson said. All Winterglow events and activities are free and open to the public. "We've done several things to promote green eforts from using wind power, and this is another way to be a sustainable university," said Adrienne Nobles, director of public relations and marketing for the university. "This is one more progression for the bronze and blue to go green."
Winterglow 2008 Schedule
Blue holiday lights adorn a tree across from Broncho Lake.
5:30 p.m. - Festivities begin in the Downtown Edmond Marketplace 7:00 p.m. - Lighting of Old North 7:20 p.m. - Activities Begin in Nigh University Center 8:00 p.m. - Competition Award Winners Announced
Photo by Vista photographer Chris Albers
9:00 p.m. - Winterglow concludes Have a
'AATfl Christmas: Tips for an energy-efficient winter
audit. Many energy pro, viders will come to your home free of charge and show you where your home wastes energy and how to maximize your home's energy-saving potential.
..14 Get an energy
Set your thermostat to 68 degrees when you're home and 55 degrees when you're away from home. For every one degree you lower your thermostat, you can 15-$40, or about 4-5% off your heating costs per month.
Close your shades and blinds at night to reduce the amount of heat-loss through your windows. On sunny days, open your blinds and shades and let in natural sunlight to help heat your home.
Host plenty of social gatherings. The more warm bodies in a single place, the more natural heat is generated. Supposedly, the average human body generates the equivalent of a 175-watt heater. Just make sure everyone stays inside.
Congress ponders resident status for immigrants' tuition Caleb McWilliams .1'/(///1 I riter
New immigration legislation affecting international students may pass in the next Congressional session as momentum from the recent elections is building. In a recent interview, Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), said that an agreement had been reached with recent presidential candidate and Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) and President-elect Barack Obama. This agreement outlines how Congress can proceed with a comprehensive immigratiOn bill. Political Science department chair Louis Furmanski said because of Obama's margin of victory in the presidential
election, Republicans would find it difficult to be a blocking minority. "They won't be able to say no," Furmanski said. "They'll have to be a part of the process." Last year, Congress tried to pass an immigration bill but the bill failed for reasons unrelated to the education parts. Those parts of the bill were taken from the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education of Alien Minors) Act of 2007. The DREAM Act would allow some unlawful aliens conditional permanent resident status based on how long they have lived here, among other conditions. The DREAM Act Would make it easier for some states to charge in-state tuition to some students who have lived here the requisite number of years.
WHAT ABOUT HB 1804? Oklahoma, along with other' states, recently passed their own state immigration legislation many say was in response to the failure of Congress to act on the issue. HB 1804, signed into law in May 2007, was the subject of much controversy in the state. Furinanski said while there was wide support for the bill, the actual impact is only narrowly felt. "That legislation targets a very vulnerable community," Furmanski said. "I don't think they are as great a burden to state budgets as some people make them out to be." Until the bill is unveiled, it will be difficult to know what effects a federal comprehensive immigration bill would have on the various state bills.
see BILL, page 9