Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024
Volume 121, Issue 16
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Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022
“OUR WORDS, YOUR VOICE.”
Volume 119, Issue 19
Lamb shows legislators UCO is a ‘wise investment’ for 2024 Jake Ramsey Managing Editor
With the 2024 Oklahoma Legislative sessions in full-swing, UCO President Todd Lamb has been active at the state Capitol doing what he describes as, “sharing with the legislators the uniqueness of UCO.” Higher education in Oklahoma has consistently been discussed throughout the state government as the 2024 sessions begin, with issues ranging from DEI offices to funding to enrollment, higher education institutions, including UCO, have continued to experience changes going into their Spring semesters. “It’s exciting to be on a college campus,” said Lamb when discussing the beginning of the Spring semester. Lamb went on to discuss his recent activity at the Capitol and how this Legislative session can impact UCO, but also UCO’s impact on Oklahoma. “We’re unique,” said Lamb. “The appropriated dollar of UCO stretches the farthest, it’s a wise investment, it’s a prudent investment and it helps the state of Oklahoma.” There are currently two pieces of legislation that Lamb
President Todd Lamb is UCO’s 22nd president. (UCO OFFICIAL/PROVIDED)
is focusing on that can impact UCO. One having to do with concurrent enrollment, and the other having to do with deferred maintenance on college campuses. “There’s legislation right now for a flat fee, regardless of how much it costs the institution to provide concurrent,” said Lamb. Lamb then went on to discuss Rep. Mark McBride’s bill which involves deferred maintenance on college campuses. A deferred maintenance can range from buildings that
are not up to standard for The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to buildings that need refurbishment to simple boiler issues. In the past two months, UCO has seen two major maintenance issues. One being a burst pipe in the UCO Suites Dormitory which displaced 80 students at the beginning of the semester, and the other being an issue with the foundations of the Liberal Arts South building. “A lot of our buildings on
UCO’s campus are old,” said Lamb. “Once you’ve deferred maintenance it doesn’t get any better, and it doesn’t stay the same, it just continues to get worse, and if it continues to get worse it becomes more expensive.” Lamb went on talking about how the bill and current program are very general at the Capitol, but did describe how deferred maintenance operates and how there is an idea to assist higher education institutions with their deferred maintenance. “I’ve got to keep this very general, because it’s very general at the state Capitol right now,” said Lamb. “There’s a pot-ofmoney that the legislature wants to set aside for higher ed deferred maintenance.” “Of that pot-of-money, the way it’s currently divided between the 25 colleges and universities,” said Lamb. “I don’t think UCO will get its fairshare.” Along with maintenance issues on UCO, the campus has also been facing a budget crisis which Lamb inherited from previous administrations. As of right now, UCO is the 3rd-largest state university, but it remains the least funded of the 13 4-year institutions.
UCO Roll Sober educates: Protecting civil rights: prevent addiction and overdose Titus Leong Contributing Writer
The University of Central Oklahoma’s Roll Sober initiative aims to increase awareness and education concerning substance abuse as well as providing students with resources and means of prevention. Angel Stine is the coordinator of Roll Sober, which operates under the Office of Health Promotion. The initiative focuses on substance abuse and suicide prevention on campus. Stine aims to ramp up Narcan training and accessibility across campus, so students have access to these resources when needed. “The concern was the rise in opioid and stimulant misuse and overdoses within the college campus communities,” Stine said. “There have been huge spikes since Covid.” In the Spring 2023 semester, a health self-assessment was handed out to students enrolled in the Healthy Life Skills class. Results reported 7.1% of students having misused prescription opioids, and 8.8% of students misused prescription stimulants, which is nearly double the national average taken from the National College Health Assessment data which reported 3.1% and 4.1% misuse nationally. “The aim is to prevent any accidents, or potentially con-
cerning things that might happen,” Stine said. “You know, just trying to give people the tools they need so that they can feel safe.” Roll Sober receives funding from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Stine said that they have resources to provide to UCO students and offer them with any methods of assistance. Students can attend Narcan training held monthly across campus, so they know how to administer Narcan to a victim of opioid overdose at a moment’s notice. Those who attend such training sessions will also receive a microcredential. “It’s a community effort now, because we never know when it’s going to happen,” said Stine, “It could even be cases where maybe if somebody in your house may have accidentally taken too much of a pain medication or something like that. You just never know and it’s always good to be safe.” There was a Mario Kart event on campus last semester to spread awareness for substance abuse. Students wore a pair of VR goggles that simulate the differences with driving under the influence and not. The next Narcan training on campus will be held at 1 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Education Building.
Hoskin signs exceutive order
Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signs and extends an executive order protecting the civil rights of Cherokee Citizens of freedman descent at their Black History Month Celebration. This order will give descendants of freedmen access to resources, health provisions, scholarships, etc., provided by the Cherokee Nation that they have been historically denied, despite these rights being granted in 1866. The audience responded to his speech with resounding applause. (TAYLOR HORNER/THE VISTA)