CASE awards for students that volunteer
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education have announced the students selected for Carter Academic Service Entrepreneur (CASE) grant awards through the Oklahoma Campus Compact program. The awards recognize the best volunteer work of college students, faculty and staff as they partner with community groups.
The recipients of the CASE awards are Sarah Smith, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College; Cory Steward, Oklahoma State University; and Collins Uzuegbu and Meagan Decher, Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Three community groups will receive $1,000 each to fund the students’ proposals.
“The State Regents commend these students for such innovative proposals,” said Chancellor Glen D. Johnson. “By fostering academic-service learning, our students will make a difference in the lives of others by consistently giving back to their communities.”
Smith’s proposal identified the need for updated blood pressure and pulse vital sign machines for the Ottawa County Community Clinic. Because the current equipment is very old, community volunteers do not have the medical background and training to take vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse. Modern state-of-the-art equipment will allow more efficient use of volunteer time, translating into an increase in the number of patients seen, with less patient waiting time. This development will also allow for more efficient use of the medical professionals’ time, with better care for the community.
In collaboration with the Central Oklahoma Community Action Agency, Steward will work to increase the quantity of food and extend the length of time that the regional food bank can distribute food to individuals and families in the area. Working with local businesses and the university community, Steward will spread awareness and work for more efficient food collection methods. The grant will be used primarily for food purchases and some advertising.
Uzuegbu and Decher’s proposal will provide age- and developmentally appropriate toys and fun activities to pediatric patients in the Weatherford Regional Hospital. The availability of these activities can relieve the pediatric patients by decreasing anxiety and making their hospital stays less frightening.
The CASE grant award is a program of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Foundation, whose programs recognize excellence in academic-service learning and provide financial support to outstanding examples of campus-community collaboration and innovative ideas to serve the community.
School of Rock not just child’s fantasy
As a parent, you wonder what kind of job your child will have when she grows up.
As a parent, you might worry if your American Idol-loving child says she wants to be a rock star when she grows up.
Sure it worked out for a few Okies, but wouldn’t you rather she dream of a career in say, accounting or public service?
Not as glamorous sure, but there’s a clear educational path to those careers.
Well, hold your horses honey, now there’s a clear path to the Rock Star ranks! The University of Central Oklahoma’s Academy of Contemporary Music (a.k.a. School of Rock) opens this fall and offers several college degree plans. Talented kids will hone their skills while learning the business end of the industry.
So, darling daughter, if you want to be a Rock Star, I promise not to make a face or utter a discouraging sigh. You CAN do it. But you’re only 5. So let’s see what you want to be next year.
Susan Simpson, Staff Writer
Southern Nazarene University holding Peer Learning Network session
Rita Murray will speak at the Peer Learning Network session from 8 to 11 a.m. Feb. 12 at Southern Nazarene University’s Brown Building Lecture Hall, 6729 NW 39.
Murray is the chief executive officer of Performance Consulting Group, an energy services company that specializes in implementing cost-efficient energy infrastructures.
The lecture is free for members of the Peer Learning Network and $40 for nonmembers.
Tim Henley
College Women’s Leadership Program
Undergraduate women attending Oklahoma colleges and universities are encouraged to apply for a five-day summer leadership program designed to encourage women to consider careers in politics and public service. Oklahoma women attending out-of-state institutions also are eligible for the program.
The eighth annual National Education for Women’s (N.E.W.) Leadership Institute, designed to encourage women to consider careers in politics and public service, is scheduled May 19-23 at the University of Oklahoma Norman.
Sponsored by OU’s Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center, N.E.W. Leadership is part of a national training network created by the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University. Participants will gain skills in community organizing, public speaking, leadership, team building, negotiation and conflict resolution.
“They also will meet Oklahoma women office holders, public administrators and local activists, spend time at the Oklahoma Capitol and attend a reception celebrating female political leaders,” says Katie Fitzgerald, program director.
About 30 undergraduate women from diverse backgrounds will be selected for this year’s program. Students interested in politics and leadership are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is March 5. An online application and additional program information are available at the N.E.W. Leadership Web site, www.ou.edu/carlalbertcenter/leadership.
Paint the Town Black and Gold
Cameron University students are working with Lawton-area businesses to “Paint the Town Black and Gold.” Fort Sill and Lawton-area businesses will be asked to demonstrate their support of Cameron in a variety of ways: by flying a CU flag, offering discounts for CU students, distributing athletic schedules and event information, selling CU merchandise, and participating in Spirit Fridays by encouraging their staff members to wear Aggie apparel or black and gold.
“We have an amazing university,” said Lawton junior Julianne Moini. “We want to give everyone in the community an opportunity to show their Cameron pride, whether they’re an alumnus, member of the faculty, student or community member.”
For more information, call Jennifer Holland, dean of student services, at 580-581-2244.
Britain’s Schools Minister Needs Spelling Improvement
Apparently the minister of schools in Britain has problems spelling.
Jim Knight admitted he has a problem spelling after a newspaper found basic spelling errors on his Web site. Knight, who went to Cambridge University, said he thinks his spelling is generally good but he needs to do a better job of checking his work.
Examples of words misspelled include “maintainence” for “maintenance,” “acheiving” for “achieving” and “archeaological” for “archaeological,” and blunders like ”foce” for “force” and “convicned” for “convinced.”
Sounds like Knight already has the answer. Perhaps he’ll try it.
- Staff Writer Dawn Marks
Oklahoma Christian University names honors program director
Oklahoma Christian University announced Scott LaMascus will serve as the honors program director during the 2009-10 academic year.
LaMascus taught in the university’s language and literature department the past 10 years.
“He will bring tremendous experience as well as a great love for OC and its students to this new role,” Allison Garrett, vice president for academic affairs, said in a news release.
LaMascus also will serve on a committee that will review the structure of the university’s honors program.
Tim Henley
Newman Young Writers Award
$300 and a certificate will be awarded to the Oklahoma high school student whose short essay responds the most thoughtfully to some aspect of the writings of the winner of the Newman Prize for Chinese Literature, Mo Yan. A translation of a Mo Yan short story, “Soaring,” is available for free download @ http://www.ou.edu/uschina/newman/youngwriters.html. Hardcopies can also be requested at 405/325-3580 or uschina@ou.edu. Deadlines:Students, submit your essays to your teachers by Monday, Feb. 23, 2009.Teachers, please select your high school’s best essay and e-mail it to uschina@ou.edu by Wednesday, February 25, 2009.The winner will be announced on Friday, February 27, 2009 and honored at the Newman Prize Awards Dinner on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at the OU Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman,
Sandy Garrett’s Weekly Column
Ice, sleet and dangerously cold conditions swept through our state this week, closing schools and giving boys and girls a surprise winter break.
We are halfway through the winter and hope the worst of it is behind us.
Even if it is not, we are fortunate in Oklahoma in our schools not being as affected by inclement winter weather as schools located in the mountainous and northern areas of the country.
We are further aided by Oklahoma school boards being wise to build in “snow days” into their school calendars so that no, or relatively few days have to be tacked on to their calendars at the end of the year.
By law, Oklahoma schools must provide students 175 days of instruction which, coincidentally, is the nation’s shortest school-year requirement.
When bad weather strikes, school administrators must make the tough decision on closing schools. The ultimate deciding factor is the safety of the children and staff and whether everyone can travel to and from school safely.
School location or bus access is also a factor when deciding to close or delay a school opening. While it may appear as if main roads or highways are clear that usually is not the case in neighborhoods or on school grounds.
Before a decision is made, school leaders look at the forecast or current conditions from resources such as the National Weather Service, Accu-Weather and local news stations; transportation personnel tour various roads in the area, bus stops, walking routes and also speak with county and state officials.
As soon as a decision has been made, members of the community are alerted through various means such as official school Web sites, TV and radio stations. Various safeguards are in place to make sure information is accurate and up-to-date. All decisions are made as early as possible.
School leaders take very seriously their responsibility of ensuring boys and girls have every available opportunity to be in class learning, but also safe and out of harm’s way.
- Sandy Garrett, state schools superintendent
Oklahoma Daily wins 21 SPJ awards
The Oklahoma Daily, the student-operated newspaper at the University of Oklahoma, received 21 awards — including nine first-place awards — from the Oklahoma Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication reported the contest results Monday.
The Oklahoma Daily staff competed at the professional level with state newspapers with circulations between 7,000 and 24,999. The Oklahoma Daily won the Best Newspaper Staff award in its division and swept the In-depth Enterprise Reporting/Individual category by taking first, second and third places.
Meredith Simons won two awards, for diversity reporting and best business feature. Other first-place awards went to Cadie Thompson for in-depth enterprise reporting, Nijim Dabbour for science/technology, Whitney Coleman for business reporting, Baxter Holmes for sports reporting, Josh McBee for Page 1 design, and Lisa Holt for graphic illustration.
– James S. Tyree
