UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
THURSDAY
FEBRUARY 25, 1999
UCOSA House seeks members 2
ADMINISTRATORS' PAY Keeps climbing 5
SCIENCE FICTION Prof. presents paper 3
SPORTS Women finish even 6
REVIVED Drink too much and die....4
COLUMN Steven talks race 14
The Student Voice Since 1903
Regents, Metro Transit to provide UCO shuttles WVP 'ervy
By Ann Jayne
T
Stallaiter
4 6 he squeaky wheel gets the oil." In the case of UCO students, they squeaked (or screamed) for more parking, and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education is providing some much needed "oil." On Feb. 22, an on-campus shuttle bus service began operation. Every seven minutes from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, two buses make seven stops around campus so students don't have to trek from one end of campus to the other. The shuttles are funded by the regents through a contract with Metro Transit in Oklahoma City. The cost for the two shuttles is $32,175. Students will not be charged. Instead, the money is received in a special allocation from the regents. Although the shuttles have scheduled routes, "The shuttles will make unscheduled stops if a student waves them down and it is safe to stop," said Leon Forecade, Auxiliary Enterprises Parking Services manager. Unscheduled stops are something Metro Transit does not normally do, Forecade said. "The shuttles will stay across campus from each other to accomplish the seven-minute intervals,"
- Staff photo by Negeen Sobhani
One of UCO's two new shuttle buses makes its route on campus giving free rides to students.
V See SHUTTLES, Page 2
UCO to remain healthy as Y2K virus nears By Jarrod Briley
computer systems are vaccinated against the virus. Recently, software was installed into the financial aid, payroll and enrollment systems, safeguarding them from the virus. And efforts continue to be made to ensure that all
Stain*lief omewhere in the world, 312 days from now, in the crisp night air, a clock will begin to chime — one...two...three... — as the hour hand languidly creeps into the next day. And when midnight finally arrives, according Financial aid and to that clock somewhere payroll systems are OK, in the world, so to does the Year 2000 computer and I think that's what virus. most people are But maybe not at UCO. concerned with For months, a host of —Robert (Bob) Zahn, UCO officials and director of computing computer programmers have been working to services. ensure that UCO's 2,700
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computer systems are protected, said Robert (Bob) Zahn, director of computing services. "Financial aid and payroll systems are OK, and I think that's what most people are concerned with," Zahn said. He rocked gently in his chair as he spoke, his placid demeanor conveying no great urgency or stress regarding the approaching millennium. However, if the enrollment systems had not been protected, things could have turned ugly. The enrollment process, which can take hours to complete even with the aid of computers, would have been replaced with paper work, and even more leg work — every
student shuffling from professor to professor, obtaining permission to enroll in a class. Fortunately, with the aid of computer programmers, UCO officials were able to stave off such a chaotic event, but only for those systems considered critical to the day-to-day functioning of UCO. There are approximately 800 computer programs that are unprotected from the virus. Fortunately, these systems are considered a low priority and, if destroyed by the virus, would result in only minor inconveniences for faculty, staff and students. For example, computer systems used by parking
service employees to keep track of citations that have been issued have not been protected from the virus. But devious students who think they can park in restricted lots, gambling that the virus will inoculate them from having to pay, should think again. Anticipating that some of UCO's computer systems will be affected by the virus, UCO officials have purchased "crash kits," replacement software for systems that may be damaged by the Y2K virus. "The emergency crash kits allow us (UCO) to have critical components for the computers on hand. This way we don't have to order them and wait several
• See Y2K, Page 2