OCU DANCE STUDENT TO APPEAR ON “STAR SEARCH”

Lauren Linville, freshman dance performance student from Ft. Worth, Texas, will appear on “Star Search,” the CBS television show, to be seen locally on KWTV, Channel 9, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, 2003. Lauren will appear with two male partners, both of whom she formerly danced with at a studio in Ft. Worth. The trio, known as ”Triple Threat,” will perform a jazz dance number for the television and studio audiences. They were selected for the show after a recent audition in Dallas. Viewers may vote for contestants by computer while the show is in progress.

Thanks to Dow Dozier and Peter Storandt for letting me know about this upcoming lecture:

OCU PROFESSOR’S LECTURE TOPIC IS “THEOLOGY IN THE CURRENT SITUATION”

Dr. John Starkey, associate professor of theology and New Testament at Oklahoma City University’s Wimberly School of Religion, will discuss “Theology in the Current Situation” on Tuesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. on the OCU campus.

Dr. Sarkey’s talk is a continuation of the Dean’s Lecture Series and will be held in the Watson Lounge of the Bishop W. Angie Smith chapel, near N.W. 23 and Blackwelder, Oklahoma City. The public is invited, and there is no admission charge.

Harbour Winn reports that the Spring 2003 Fifth Annual Documentary Film Series begins this Sunday, March 30th at 2 PM in the Jones Auditorium, Noble Center, NW 23rd and Blackwelder. The event is free and open to the public.

Michael Apted's Inspirations, USA (1997), 100 mins.

How do artists get ideas? Director Apted, of the acclaimed series 7-Up that documents a group of British schoolchildren at seven year intervals, explores the creative process of seven diverse artists from the famous (the late Roy Lichtenstein, David Bowie) to the more obscure (Pueblo sculptor Nora Narango-Morse, French Canadian dancer Louise Lecavalier). They discuss why they became artists and what it means to create as both a daily routine and a lifelong passion. Apted neatly avoids the usual talking-head format of documentaries by focusing on very visual subjects. Narango-Morse digs mud from the mountains and works it between her toes, glass artist Dale Chihuly instructs urban kids as they turn molten mass into colorful creations, and Lecavalier and partner dance in dramatic staccato, choreographed by film subject Edouard Lock. Revelations are surprising, such as when Bowie extols the calm of waking at dawn since he quit drinking and drugging, and candid, such as when Japanese architect Tadao Ando confesses that the ugliness of his home city Osaka inspired him to add beauty and spirituality to his designs, the most recent being the new Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth.

-"Well-crafted and expertly fashioned. Very solid documentary." On-Line Film Critics Society

-"Apted has crafted a beautiful documentary that seems to live and breathe more than documentary features usually do." Film Guide

-"Crafts for artists what he does for scientists in Me and Isaac Newton." Scott Weinberg, Apollo Movie Guide

A forum on Current Issues in Elder Care will be lead by Andrea West, RN, Ph.D., Professor of Nursing at Kramer School of Nursing, on Wednesday, March 26, 2003. Dr. West is an expert in gerontology and has presented numerous presentations on the issue of elder care. Those interested in attending this event should arrive at the faculty lounge in the Student Faculty Center at 12:00 PM. The event is expected to last one hour. This is a brown bag lunch activity. Dr. West will facilitate a discussion on issues relating to care of the elderly, including ethical treatment, declining health, abuse and end of life care. For information or questions call: Cheryl Ross 521-5966
SPONSORED BY KRAMER SCHOOL OF NURSING

OCU's women's basketball team is in the news today.

First, Trevite Willis reports that the Stars will be playing in a rematch of last year's national title game (against SNU)tonight, starting at 8:00 pm. This is the third match-up against the Crimson Storm this year with the Stars ahead in the series, 2-0. Tonight's game will be an exciting, heart-pounding game. We will broadcast it on the OCU Athletic website, or if you don't have Real Player installed, the NAIA will webcast it and you can see the play-by-play, which is updated every 30 seconds on www.naia.org. GO STARS!

Second, Bob Colon of The Oklahoman states that the OCU women's basketball team is being overlooked. In support of his position, he states the following:

A national rating service says Oklahoma City University is by far the best women's basketball team in Oklahoma. Better than the Sooners of Oklahoma (seven points better), better than the 20-loss team at Oklahoma State (18 better) and way ahead of the Division I teams in Tulsa. Early in the season Oral Roberts played a couple of small state schools -- 3-22 Panhandle State and 12-19 St. Gregory's. Wonder why the Orals don't give OCU a shot instead of buying wins? OU has been playing exhibitions against Oklahoma Christian and Southwestern State. The guarantee: a few pizzas. OCU is on a 38-game win streak and going for its fifth straight NAIA women's title. Our Division I neighbors should write a nice-sized check and schedule a game. It could be a game that would pump more interest into women's basketball in the state. Bigger is not always better.

Thanks to Tom Temple and Peter Storandt for the following update:

The Eighth Spiritual Walk for Peace will take place on Sunday, March 30 - 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. at The Episcopal Center, NW 9th and Robinson, Oklahoma City, OK.
This coming Sunday people of all faiths will gather once again for a silent walk around the Alfred P. Murrah Building site in downtown Oklahoma City, continuing to express opposition to war with Iraq. The walk will begin at 2:00 p.m. with music and interfaith prayer and proceed to the Murrah Building site. By walking silently around the Murrah Building site, participants bring to mind the destruction that one bomb can bring to a city and pray that the people of Iraq will be spared even worse devastation. In Oklahoma City, we know that one bomb is too many. Please join us.

The Spiritual Walk for Peace is sponsored by a coalition of individuals from local faith and conscience groups, houses of worship, and faith traditions. For more information call 405/524-5577, 405/771-4743, or 405/843-9495.For an update on peace activities in Oklahoma City, go to www.okpeacemakers.org

Ashlie M. Bartlett, Coordinator of Events & Programs, at the Oklahoma City University Meinders School of Business reports that the Alpha Mu Gamma Foreign Language Honor Society will be having a Cultural Dinner on Saturday, April 5th, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. The location is:Nino’s Mexican Restaurant, 6509 N.W. Expressway. OCU’s Foreign Language students invite you to join them in celebrating diversity and culture with food, friends and conversation. You are encouraged to bring friends and family.
In fact, everyone is welcome!

Ms. Bartlett also reports that The Meinders School of Business will offer a forum entitled "What Good Are Big Time Sports?" today, Tuesday, March 25, 2003 at 12:15 p.m.
The event will be held in the Jones Auditorium at the Meinders School of Business.

For those science students out there, Dow Dozier and Peter Storandt alerted me to the following seminar that is coming up at OCU:

The OCU Department of Biology and TriBeta Biological Honor Society are sponsoring a special seminar, “Using Transgenic Mice to Understand Regulation of a Human Gene,” at noon on Thursday, March 27 in Room 208 of the Loeffler Building. Conducting the seminar will be Dr. John B. Knight, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, OU Health Sciences Center.

Deborah Fathree and Peter Storandt report the following information about Summer Public Interest Fellowships at the Oklahoma City University School of Law:

Each summer for the last few years, Oklahoma City U. School of Law has awarded a limited number of summer public interest fellowships. These fellowships are designed to augment the lower compensation paid by a public interest position or to provide at least some remuneration for those of you with volunteer summer public interest positions. In order to apply, you must have either already secured your public interest job for the summer or you must secure it before the application deadline (so you can describe it in the application). If you are interested in applying for this limited number of summer fellowships, please pick up an application form in the Student Services Office, Room 202. The deadline for applying is the last day of classes, Wednesday, April 23. Completed application forms must be returned to the Student Services Office by 6:00 p.m. that day. If you aren't sure whether your summer position fits the definition of "public interest", go ahead and apply and fully describe the position. In other words, make your case. Recipients will be notified as soon as possible after the application deadline.

Thanks to Dow Dozier and Peter Storandt for the following information:

Effort to Help Homeless Being Organized at OCU

A program to help homeless young adults find their way off the streets is being organized by a group of volunteers in Oklahoma City. Patterned after a highly successful 15-year program in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the local program has been dubbed The Open Door, according to Dr. Mark Davies, interim dean of the Wimberly School of Religion at Oklahoma City University. “Several of us got the idea for this program after hearing Carl DeLine of Calgary speak at our OCU Willson Lectures last fall. He talked about the program he created and directed in Canada for 15 years called The Back Door and said that it provided a means by which scores of homeless young adults went from being homeless to becoming productive citizens,” Davies said. If the plan comes to fruition, it would be staffed by both volunteers and paid workers. Under the Canadian program, the homeless individual is given the opportunity to accept a “contract” whereby he or she can decide on a “step” that can be taken to help the person out of the rut of poverty. For each step chosen, a $15 cash bonus is paid. When that step is completed, the young person may then get additional $15 cash bonuses, up to eight steps a month for two years. “The miraculous result is that over 70 percent of the youth who walked into the door found a place of their own, with a job, and became taxpayers by the end of their second year of the program,” DeLine said in his talk last fall. An organizational meeting has been set for Thursday, March 27, from 3 to 5 p.m. in Room 151 of Walker Center for Arts and Sciences on the OCU campus, 2501 N. Blackwelder. Further information is available from the Rev. Dr. Dale Tremper at (405) 632-2644 or by e-mail, tremserve@aol.com. “The Open Door is completely non-sectarian and does not allow religious pressures of any kind to be applied to participants in the program,” Dr Tremper said.

Brent Staples recently published the following article about the Tulsa Race Riots in the New York Times:

"Coming to Grips With the Unthinkable in Tulsa" by Brent Staples, March 16, 2003

Americans tend to think of lawless nations in Africa and
Eastern Europe when the discussion turns to mass murder and
crimes against humanity. But a commission created by the
Oklahoma Legislature spent the late 1990's searching for
mass graves in and around Tulsa. The missing dead - who
could number as many as 300 - were shot, burned, lynched or
tied to cars and dragged to death during the Tulsa Race
Riot of 1921. This was a nightmarish disturbance in which
an army of white Tulsans reduced to ashes 35 square blocks
of what was then the most affluent black community in the
United States.

The Tulsa Race Riot Commission closed up shop without
finding the bodies that witnesses recall seeing stacked
like cordwood along railroad sidings and on street corners.
But the commission report shows without question that the
city encouraged the loss of life and property by deputizing
what amounted to a lynch mob. The state may also have been
at fault in failing to protect the community. Witnesses
recall seeing white police officers looting and burning,
and in some cases killing unarmed black citizens without
provocation.

The survivors and their families presumed that the ghastly
detail in the riot report would move the city and state to
make restitution, especially in cases where lost property
and life could be documented. The Legislature has instead
decided to bury the report and deal with the matter partly
by giving the survivors commemorative medals.

These aging men and women, many in their 90's, have not
been content to go quietly to the grave. Instead, they have
filed suit seeking damages, represented by a legal team
including Charles Ogletree, the Harvard law professor, and
the trial lawyers Johnnie Cochran Jr. and Willie Gary. The
arrival of the high-profile legal team sent a shock through
sleepy Tulsa. But the most electric moment came when
88-year-old John Hope Franklin, one of the most important
historians of the 20th century, was found to have joined
the suit as a plaintiff.

Mr. Franklin served as an adviser to the riot commission.
His support for the suit represents a powerful condemnation
of the State Legislature. His name resonates in the black
Tulsa community of Greenwood, where a boulevard is named in
his honor. Greenwood, such as it is, might not even exist
if not for his father, the estimable lawyer B. C. Franklin
(1879-1960), who was practicing in the community at the
time of the riot. B. C. Franklin somehow managed to avoid
being killed and was briefly held captive after the
conflagration. After his release, he turned immediately to
the task of fighting the city in court. The accounts of
this period in his autobiography, "My Life and an Era,"
published posthumously, will be quoted often if this newly
filed lawsuit comes to trial.

In 1921, The Tulsa Tribune primed its city for the riot
with months of race baiting during which it referred to
Greenwood as "niggertown." The immediate spark for the riot
was a now-lost Tribune article that encouraged readers to
lynch a jailed black man who had been accused - falsely as
it turned out - of trying to rape a white woman. The mob
that showed up to lynch the prisoner exchanged shots with a
group of black men who tried to stop it.

City officials then made the fatal mistake of deputizing
the white mob, to which arms were handed out
indiscriminately. As many as 10,000 whites, including the
police and the National Guard, poured across the tracks
into Greenwood, burning, looting and shooting. One white
witness reported seeing officers in uniform robbing unarmed
black citizens at gunpoint and shooting those who resisted.
While the police were thus engaged, an execution squad
composed of Klansmen roamed the riot zone, killing black
men on sight. Eyewitnesses tell of seeing corpses piled in
the backs of wagons and pickup trucks or stacked along the
street. Those bodies, which were never found, were thought
to have been spirited into secret mass graves.

Greenwood had been a black city within a city that included
as many as 15,000 people and supported 191 businesses,
including 15 doctors, 2 dentists, a chiropractor and 3 law
offices. After the riot, as B. C. Franklin writes: "As far
as I could see, not a Negro dwelling-house or place of
business stood." Thousands of blacks were confined to
makeshift prison camps. Those who worked for white Tulsans
were allowed to go out to their jobs. But blacks were
required under pain of arrest to wear or carry ID tags
furnished by the city.

The principal black political leaders fled Greenwood after
being indicted by a Klan-dominated legal system. B. C.
Franklin remained, partly because his wife and children
were safe in his hometown, Rentiesville, 65 miles away. His
rooming house and law offices destroyed, he and his
partners set up shop in a tent and commenced the legal
battle that prevented the city from annexing Greenwood and
forcing black people completely out of the city.

Echoing his father, John Hope Franklin told me in a recent
telephone interview that he had joined the suit to "turn up
the heat on Tulsa and Oklahoma." The courts will have to
decide whether or not the riot survivors have a plausible
case. But in the moral sense at least, Tulsa and Oklahoma
have already lost. They did so by failing to accept
responsibility for one of the most blood-curdling events in
American history.

Dow Dozier and Peter Storandt informed me that Oklahoma City University’s Fifth Annual Documentary Film Series, “Chasm and Bridges,” is coming up soon:

Oklahoma City University’s Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film and Literature will start its Spring 2003 documentary film series, “Chasm and Bridges,” at 2 p.m. March 30 with Michael Apted’s “Inspirations.” The 100-minute film will be shown in Oklahoma City University’s Jones Auditorium, located in Noble Center on the OCU campus, 2501 N. Blackwelder. Apted directed the acclaimed series, “7-Up,” which documents a group of British schoolchildren at seven-year intervals. “Inspirations” explores the creative process of seven diverse artists from the famous (the late Roy Lichtenstein, David Bowie) to the more obscure (Pueblo sculptor Nora Narango-Morse, French Canadian dancer Louise Lecavalier). They discuss why they became artists and what it means to create as both a daily routine and a lifelong passion. Apted neatly avoids the usual talking-head format of documentaries by focusing on visual subjects. Narango-Morse digs mud from the mountains and works it between her toes, glass artist Dale Chihuly instructs urban kids as they turn molten mass into colorful creations, and Lecavalier and partner dance in dramatic staccato, choreographed by film subject Edouard Lock. Revelations are surprising, such as when Bowie extols the calm of waking at dawn since he quit drinking and drugging, and candid, such as when Japanese architect Tadao Ando confesses that the ugliness of his home city Osaka inspired him to add beauty and spirituality to his designs, the most recent being the new Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth. The series will continue April 13 with “Promises” by Carlos Bolado, B.Z. Goldberg and Justine Shapiro; and April 27 with “Long Night’s Journey Into Day” by Deborah Hoffmann and Frances Reid. Admission to the films is free. However, donations, which help sustain the Institute’s mission, are appreciated. Donations may be made to the Oklahoma City University Film Institute Endowment Fund, the Designated Endowment in the Community Foundation of the Kirkpatrick Family Fund or at the door upon arrival or departure of each film. Oklahoma City University and the Thatcher Hoffman Smith Endowment Fund for the Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film and Literature also support the Film Institute. For more information, call Dr. Harbour Winn, director for the Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film and Literature, at 521-5472 or e-mail hwinn@okcu.edu.

Thanks to Dow Dozier and Peter Storandt for notifying me of this just-released information:

Oklahoma City University’s inaugural World Neighbors Hunger Banquet will be Tuesday, April 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Alvin’s Café, located on the lower level of the C.Q. Smith Student-Faculty Center on the OCU campus, 2501 N. Blackwelder. Admission to the banquet is only $2.00, and all proceeds will be donated to World Neighbors, the Oklahoma City-based organization dedicated to alleviating world hunger and poverty in the poorer regions of the world. The banquet is sponsored by the OCU history department and the Sigma Omicron chapter of Phi Alpha Theta. All those attending will be randomly selected as they arrive and asked to sit at one of five groups of tables. The groups will represent North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The meal served at those tables will be much as a person in that region might eat on a typical day. “The purpose of the banquet is to raise awareness of some of the issues of worldwide poverty. According to the World Health Organization, 10 million children die each year, half of those from causes related to malnutrition,” said Dr. Marie Hooper, OCU history department chair and faculty advisor for the banquet. “We want to help our community help other communities by enabling World Neighbors to empower people around the globe to address these pressing issues.”
Further information on the banquet may be obtained by e-mailing jmoore@okcu.edu, or by calling (405) 521-5247.

A very interesting Law Day luncheon will take place on May 1st:

Louis Henkin will speak on "The Rule of Law and Human Rights and Terrorism" during the Law Day luncheon hosted by the Oklahoma City University School of Law and the Oklahoma County Bar Association at the Cox Business Services Convention Center on May 1. Henkin is university professor emeritus, special service professor, and chair of the University Center for the Study of Human Rights and of the Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School. Henkin served as a consultant to the United Nations during its formative years, as an adviser to the U.S. State Department during part of every decade since the 1940s, and as a frequent member of the U.S. delegation to international conferences and organizations. "His participation in our jointly sponsored Law Day activities is yet another example of how our county bar association benefits from the active presence of OCU Law School in our legal community," said Federal Magistrate Judge Valerie Couch, president of the Oklahoma County Bar Association.
Gov. Brad Henry also is scheduled to attend the Law Day luncheon. Professor Henkin received his undergraduate degree and doctor of humane letters from Yeshiva University, New York City, his bachelor of laws degree from Harvard, and his doctor of laws degree from Columbia. Professor Henkin served as a law clerk to federal Judge Learned Hand and to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter. Registration for the Law Day luncheon is $25. To register, contact Debbie Gorden, Oklahoma County Bar Association, at (405) 236-8421.

Fine arts are thriving on-campus at OCU:

Oklahoma City University Theater Continues 80th Birthday Season

“Come Join the Party!”

Continuing its 80th anniversary celebration, Oklahoma City University Theater soon will present the final of six party-driven performances by the university’s Speech and Theatre Department. She has a disturbing appetite for fruit. He tries to ignore her, and succeeds, until she seeks companionship among the animals and a certain show-stopping reptile. Come join the party in the Garden of Eden with Mark Twain’s tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek celebration of “The Diaries of Adam and Eve,” adapted and edited by David Birney. Performances will be held at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 3; Friday, April 4; Saturday, April 5; and at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 6, in the Burg Theater, located on the Oklahoma City University campus, 2501 N. Blackwelder. Individual tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for those over 55, students of all ages, OCU alumni, Methodist Church members, and each person in a group of 10 or more. (For OCU community only: OCU students, faculty and staff will be admitted for $2.00 each.) Tickets are available through the Oklahoma City University Box Office. Call 521-5121 for more information.

A current OCU School of Law student recently got called away for service in the Middle East. This is just another example of how this pending war is hitting close to home across the country. He makes the 6th student OCU has lost to the military thus far (4 of whom have been called away since November). The following information was
e-mailed to Dean Fathree by the student before he left: "Thank you, Dean Fathree, for assisting me with law school withdrawal after this deployment. I look forward to returning. I really enjoy OCU and law school in general. Everyone has been very cooperative. I would appreciate it if you would thank my professors for being supportive, especially Professor Arrow who has been especially supportive of my military involvement. I also appreciate that even though there are several there that do not support a war, they have been very supportive of those of us in the military and seem to have an understanding of the fact that even though we are military we are usually the last to want a war. Also, last semester when I informed my professors that I may have to leave due to a deployment Professor LeFrancois, an open critic of the war and the current president, expressed his support of us (the troops). If you would tell him that I am very appreciative of this I would be grateful. Thanks again and I will keep in touch. Lets hope for a quick and peaceful return."

Good news for current and future OCU School of Law students who are interested in trial practice, litigation and moot court:

OCU Law Students Receive Recognition at Moot Court Competition

On March 4, 2003, a team of students from Oklahoma City University (OCU) School of Law placed third in the region at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition recently held in Denver, Colorado. The OCU LAW team, comprised of Jerry Noblin, Columbus, Ga., Jennifer Dutton, Alex, Okla., Traci Soderstrom, Chandler, Okla., Rachel Bussett, Yukon, Okla., and Sylvia Thomas, Wichita, Kan., competed against 10 other law schools in the Midwest regional round of the competition. The team won all four of its elimination rounds, defeating teams from the University of Arizona, the University of Iowa, the University of Nebraska, and Pepperdine University. It entered the semifinal round as the first ranked team, but was edged out in the semi-finals by the University of Kansas. Nevertheless, the OCU LAW team was recognized for having submitted the two best legal briefs in the regional round of the competition. The team's briefs will now be entered in the Hardy C. Dillard worldwide best regional brief competition. OCU LAW students received individual honors for their oral arguments. Among the 38 participants from all teams, Noblin was named Fourth Best Oralist and Dutton followed with Sixth Best Oralist honors. Soderstrom received seventh place and Bussett received eleventh place honors at the competition. Thomas served as the team editor but did not compete in the oral argument portion of the competition. Law school dean Lawrence K. Hellman said, "All of us at OCU are proud of the way these talented and hard working students represented our school in this very demanding competition. Their success is yet another measure of our school's excellence. Interscholastic moot court competitions don't receive a lot of media coverage, but for law students, they are as intense and dramatic as participating in the World Series or the Final Four. Those who excel in these competitions are destined for outstanding careers that will continue to bring favorable recognition to our law school." OCU LAW Professor Peter Dillon coached the team, with support from many other professors, alumni, and members of the bar who served as judges in practice rounds. "This team, person-for-person, showed extraordinary levels of ability, industry, preparation, organization and cooperation," said Dillon. "Another major reason for the team's success was the valuable and generous support of the extended OCU School of Law family." Among those helping to prepare the team were OCU LAW faculty members Charles Cantrell, Paula Dalley, Greg Eddington, Michael Gibson, Jean Giles, Eric Laity and Andrew Spiropoulos. OCU LAW alumni assisting the team prepare included Mary Coulson, '91, Shanda Cusick, '02, Courtney Davis, '02, Doug Todd, '93, and Leif Swedlow, '97. The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is cosponsored by the International Law Students Association and the American Society of International Law. Approximately 1,500 students from more than 60 countries compete annually in the competition. This year's competition problem asked competitors to consider and evaluate issues concerning the vitality of universal jurisdiction, the status of rape as a war crime, the treatment of corruption under international law, and the many ways by which a state might seek standing to espouse claims on behalf of individuals.

I just found out that Human Rights Pioneer and Legal Scholar Louis Henkin will Speak at a Law Day Luncheon Hosted by OCU School of Law and the Oklahoma County Bar Association. Louis Henkin is University Professor Emeritus, Special Service Professor, and Chair of the University Center for the Study of Human Rights and of the Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School. The celebrated human rights authority and legal scholar Louis Henkin will speak on "The Rule of Law and Human Rights and Terrorism" at the May 1, 2003, Law Day luncheon hosted by Oklahoma City University (OCU) School of Law and the Oklahoma County Bar Association at the Cox Business Services Communication Center. Professor Henkin has been credited with virtually inventing the concept of international human rights, and he has been a leading figure in advancing the status of human rights in international law and the internal law of many nations, from South Africa to China. For more than 50 years he has relentlessly pursued the cause of human rights, through both scholarship and advocacy - as a consultant to the United Nations during its formative years, as an adviser to the U.S. State Department during part of every decade since the 1940's, and as a frequent member of the United States delegation to high level international conferences and organizations - including the United Nations and NATO. Federal Magistrate Judge Valerie Couch, OCBA president, added, "We are fortunate indeed to have someone of Louis Henkin's stature and experience in the world of international law and human rights as our keynote speaker for Law Day. His participation in our jointly sponsored Law Day activities is yet another example of how our county bar association benefits from the active presence of OCU Law School in our legal community. Professor Henkin as well as Governor Brad Henry will join our celebration of the Rule of Law at the Law Day luncheon, and we look forward to welcoming them both." A former Guggenheim Fellow, Professor Henkin's many awards include the Human Rights Award from the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, the Hudson Medal from the American Society of International Law, the Outstanding Research Award from the American Bar Foundation, the Distinguished Service Award from the American Foreign Law Association, and the Goler T. Butcher Medal of Excellence in International Human Rights Law from the American Society of International Law. Professor Henkin's impressive record includes serving as chief reporter of the Restatement of Foreign Relations Law of the United States; co-editor-in-chief of the American Journal of International Law; president of the American Society of International Law; member of the Board of Directors of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights; member of the Human Rights Committee under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; U.S. member to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague; member of the Advisory Panel on International Law, U.S. Department of State; advisor on the Law of the Sea; and consultant to the U.N. Legal Department. He also served with the Department of State in the UN Bureau and in the Office of European Regional Affairs (NATO). Professor Henkin represented the United States on the committee drafting the Convention of the Status of Refugees, and served on U.S. delegations to the UN and to international conferences. His many publications include "Law for the Sea's Mineral Resources," "The Rights of Man Today," "How Nations Behave: Law and Foreign Policy," "The Age of Rights," "Constitutionalism, Democracy, and Foreign Affairs," "International Law: Politics and Values," "Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Constitution," and other books and articles. Professor Henkin received his undergraduate degree and doctor of humane letters from Yeshiva University, New York City, his bachelor of laws degree from Harvard, and his doctor of laws degree from Columbia. Professor Henkin served as a law clerk to federal Judge Learned Hand and to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter. Registration for the Law Day Luncheon is $25. To register, contact Debbie Gorden, Oklahoma County Bar Association, by phone at (405) 236-8421.

OCU School of Law held a trial practice seminar today as part of the ATLA Spring Speaker Series. The seminar, "Cross Examination," was done by featured guest speaker Jeff Rust of McKinney & Stringer. "Getting your witness to say what you need is one thing, making the opposing witness work for you, that is the challenge. Often times cases are won or lost in the cross examination, doing the wrong cross examination can be fatal. Learn the correct way to cross examine from an attorney in practice. You can always wait until you are an attorney and maybe learn the hard way, but why!" Thanks to Deborah Fathree and Peter Storandt for this information.

As part of the Quinlan Lecture series, G. Edward White, Professor of Law and History at the University of Virginia, will give a lecture about "Alger Hiss in Prison: March 1951 to November 1954" at OCU. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, 2003. It will be located in the Homsey Moot Court Room (Sarkey's Law Center).

Professor White is regarded as one of the foremost legal historians of our time. He is a Guggenheim Fellow, member of the American Law Institute, former Delegate in Law for Oxford University Press and award-winning author. His biography, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes: Law and the Inner Self, received the Association of American Law Schools’ Triennial Coif Award and the American Historical Association’s Littleton-Griswold Prize. He received the American Bar Association’s Gavel Award for his biography of Chief Justice Earl Warren. And his latest book, The Constitution and the New Deal, is receiving excellent reviews. His Quinlan Lecture will examine the prison years of Alger Hiss, a little studied period of this controversial man’s life. This fascinating snapshot of American legal history is free and open to interested members of the public.

Thanks to Peter Storandt and Shyla Bentley for providing me with this information.

The following article, "The Many Faces of Joe Rowan - A Ballerina Who Loves Tap," by Melba Huber was printed in the March 1, 2003 edition of Dancer Online:

Jo Rowan, Dance Chairman of the School of American Dance and Arts Management at Oklahoma City University, has returned for the second year to move dance forward by serving as the National Dance Week’s Education Spokesperson. Tap legend Fayard Nicholas adds a double-punch as Celebrity Spokesperson. National Dance Week is April 25-May 4, 2003. A friend of tap for many years, Rowan believes that America’s true artistry originated from the street up rather than the palace down. She established The Living Treasures In American Dance Awards in 1987 to honor the great men and women who created American Tap. She added The Preservation of Our Heritage Awards in American Dance in 1999.


Robert L. Reed, Jr., Dean John Bedford, and Rowan spearheaded Oklahoma City University’s awarding of nine honorary Doctorates of Performing Arts in American Dance degrees in 2002 to tap dancers: Cholly Atkins, Bunny Briggs, Buster Brown, Jeni LeGon, Henry LeTang, Fayard Nicholas, Leonard Reed, Jimmy Slyde, and Prince Spencer. Always keeping up with the current tap trends, she led OCU to name Robert Reed to the faculty as Artist-In-Residence in Rhythm Tap for the second year.
Rowan believes she had the best ballet training in the world. Through an audition, George Balanchine selected her for a scholarship to the School of American Ballet. Her mother died a few years earlier and her father kept the family together, but had no extra money. She lived on the shoe allowance from the Ford Foundation Scholarship. Following her dance scholarship training, she took every type of dance job available in order to support herself, and continued studying with New York’s best teachers. She loved the dramatic and comedic dancing roles in theatre and opera where she could express herself. She developed such skills and reputation that she began getting these roles without auditions.

“When I first met Jo, she had an artistry about everything she did on stage,” stated John Bedford, her husband. “Jo is the consummate poet. She understands the meaning in subtle expressions, whether they are in words, painting, music, dance, or poetry. And she is able to convey meaning as a dancer in the most efficient and elegant ways. All of this blew me away, and I knew that Jo was a very special person. It didn’t take long before I knew that I wanted to spend my life with her. Thirty-five years later, I feel the same way, only more so.”

A highlight of her career was being selected as an exchange artist with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow where she would study with Asaf Messerer. Between performances and travel she graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science Degree, majoring in Fashion Design and returned to the University of Cincinnati to receive a Masters Degree while dancing with the Cincinnati Ballet Company.
Because of her many different jobs, Rowan had a rare and diverse background. While touring the world, she discovered that the world loved the unique art forms of American Tap and Jazz. She wondered why it did not have its rightful place in colleges along with Ballet and Modern Dance. Her experiences inspired her to propose a unique college program with her husband, Dean John Bedford, that would train dancers to dance in a variety of styles and also to sing and act, making the program’s students into formidable triple threats, enhancing not only their study of the performing arts but their long-term employment prospects.
Oklahoma City University embraced their concept. Bedford later added Arts Management Degrees. Twenty years later, they have an internationally recognized program, with graduates in every facet of performing arts all over the world.

Rowan continues her lifelong commitment to generously share her knowledge and experiences with others to enhance her art and the world’s enjoyment of it. In addition to her university program, promoting long overdue recognition for the legends of American Dance, and her various volunteer efforts on behalf of dance events nationwide, Rowan is also founder and major choreographer for the 160 member American Spirit Dance Company. She tours in the summers with dance workshops so that she can share her knowledge with and support local dance teachers who, she believes, are the unsung heroes of dance. Selfless, tireless and capable in the education and promotion of dance, she is one of the visionaries for vibrant American dance. •

Thanks to Salwa Khoddam and Peter Storand for sharing the following invitation with me -

Dear Administrators, Staff, Faculty and Students:

The 5th Annual C.S. Lewis & Inkling Conference is on April 4 & 5, 2003. You are all invited to attend. All members of the OCU community may attend the lectures and sessions free; however, meals will need to be paid for. For more information please visit the conference website at http://www.okcu.edu/cslewis/

Sincerely,
Dr. Khoddam
Conference Chair English Department

Thanks to Dow Dozier and Peter Storandt, I found out about the exciting brown bag lecture series at OCU. Two upcoming examples are:

BIG-TIME SPORTS

Oklahoma City University’s Brown Bag Lecture Series will continue at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, with “What Good are Big-Time Sports?” by Dr. Jonathon Willner, assistant professor of economics, assisted by senior economics students Dennis Noll and Miles Gordon. The series is sponsored by OCU’s Meinders School of Business.
Big-time sports at the college and professional level have been given credit for virtually everything positive. How well they achieve some of these positives is examined at the college level (What does football do for endowments?) and the professional level (What do professional sports do for cities?). The presentation will be held in the Jones Auditorium at the Noble Center for Competitive Enterprise, located on the Oklahoma City University campus, 2501 N. Blackwelder.

SMART CARDS

The series will continue April 21 with “Smart Cards and the Mess They will Make of Our Personal Lives,” by Professor Ken Carlton. Lunches are available upon request for $6. For more information, call Jessie Billingsley at 521-5276, or e-mail jbillingsley@okcu.edu.

The Meinders School of Business Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series updates the community on cutting-edge business theory, practice and research through monthly lectures designed to keep you informed about business issues in the news. This casual format allows members of our faculty to exchange ideas and discuss current events with members of the local business community.

On March 7, 2003, The Daily Oklahoman published the following article about whistleblowers (thanks to Patti Monk and Peter Storandt for bringing this article to my attention):

"Whistle-blower misses support" by Nolan Clay

A controversial scientist who exposed mistakes at the FBI's once-renowned lab said Thursday whistle-blowers like himself go through hell and end up losing their jobs to tell the truth. "We don't give support to those people who want to do something about it. We just don't," former FBI chemist Fred Whitehurst said during a speech at the Oklahoma City University School of Law.

Whitehurst called for independent outside checks - audits - of police labs across the country to control continuing problems. He also called for management changes because forensic experts are under pressure to cheat on tests and lie in court for the prosecution. "FBI employees are still calling me," he said. Whitehurst's complaints about the FBI crime lab included the investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing. His disclosure of slanted reports, sloppy procedures and contamination led to changes and transfers after an inquiry by the U.S. Justice Department's inspector general. Whitehurst, however, was criticized by the inspector general for harming "innocent persons by making many inflammatory but unsubstantiated allegations."

Whitehurst left the FBI after settling legal actions over his mistreatment for coming forward. The settlements exceeded 1 million. In his speech Thursday, Whitehurst, executive director of the Forensic Justice Project in Washington, ridiculed accounts that the FBI lab is now reformed. "If you believe that, I've got property to sell you in swamplands in Florida," he said. Whitehurst may be used as a defense witness in the state case against Terry Nichols over the Oklahoma City bombing. Defense attorneys, however, will need permission from the federal government to call him.

"What has the government got to hide?" Whitehurst asked, during an interview with The Oklahoman before his speech. Whitehurst could be used to counter testimony by FBI chemist Steve Burmeister, a prosecution witness. Whitehurst testified for the defense during bomber Timothy McVeigh's federal trial. Nichols was convicted at his federal trial of the bombing conspiracy and the involuntary manslaughter of eight federal agents. Nichols' state case concerns the 160 others who died as a result of the 1995 attack.

Here is an article about OCU School of Law graduate, Christina Melton Crain (thanks to Patti Monk and Peter Storandt for the information):

The Dallas Morning News, March 9, 2003, "Taking the reins in trying times; New head of prison system faces state's budget crisis"

The state's new prison czar is a Dallas lawyer who enjoys yoga. It's an exercise in tranquility she may need for a job beset by financial problems. Christina Melton Crain takes over in a time of fiscal alert, with the massive Texas prison system - like other state agencies - facing budget cuts so severe that some fear layoffs and the elimination of education, health and rehabilitation programs.

Ms. Crain, a Republican whom Gov. Rick Perry last month named as head of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, which manages the prison system, said she agrees with the governor that the state must make ends meet without raising taxes. "When I take on a job, it's very important to me to do the job, do it right, and see it through," she said. "We've all got to look at what we can cut, what we absolutely have to have, and what we could live without."

She said money-saving ideas are being considered, but final decisions won't be made until later as agency officials and legislators work on a new budget. Just last week, the House Appropriations Committee reviewed a $ 4.4 billion spending plan that the criminal justice department says is $ 600 million less than what it needs over the next two fiscal years. "It makes my stomach feel real queasy," said Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas, who sits on the House Corrections Committee. "We're having to favor decisions where some of these programs are not going to be there."

Ms. Crain, 36, the first woman to lead the nine-member board, has been a member since 2001. Described by colleagues and lawmakers as bright and passionate, she said several have asked how to address her. "They're calling me chairman, so I'm sticking with that," she said in an interview from her law office just north of University Park. She's ready to take on a larger role on the board - which deals with everything from ordering toiletries for inmates to providing them with health care to overseeing lethal injections.

"I like challenges, and I like to dive into things," said Ms. Crain, who with her husband, Dallas County Republican chairman Nate Crain, is a longtime political and financial supporter of the governor. "Maybe this is an opportunity to make some end-runs and really do some good work." A Dallas native and daughter of long time Dallas County Treasurer Bill Melton, she graduated from Oak Cliff's Kimball High School before earning a bachelor's degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin. She
received her law degree from the Oklahoma City University School of Law. Now in private practice, Ms. Crain specializes in representing children in civil, guardianship and family issues. She's also a mediator. A professional singer who is trained to sing commercial jingles, Ms. Crain performs each summer in theatrelike acts with Bar None, a group of Dallas lawyers who raise money for law school scholarships for minorities at Southern Methodist University. "She has a tremendous opportunity to lead, at a time when major changes are going to occur," said Rep. Ray Allen, R-Grand Prairie, who leads the House Corrections Committee. "She's a sharp lawyer, and I think she'll have a cool head when crises develop." Rep. Talmadge Heflin, R-Houston, who heads the House Appropriations Committee, agreed. "This is probably one of the most challenging times to step into that job," he said, adding that some of the predicted program cuts could be restored later. "I'm sure she'll do a fine job, there's no doubt about that."

Here is some background information about Ms. Crain:

POSITION: chairman, Texas Board of Criminal Justice
EDUCATION: bachelor's degree, University of Texas at Austin, 1988; law degree, Oklahoma City University School of Law, 1991
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: lawyer in private practice, 1991-present; board member, Texas Board of Criminal Justice, 2001-present; former president, Dallas Women Lawyers Association; immediate past president, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers; board of directors, Baylor Health Care System Foundation
PERSONAL: age 36, born in Dallas; husband, Nate Crain, a software executive and Dallas County Republican Party chairman

Here is some information about "goings on" in the OCU community (thanks to Dow Dozier and Peter Storandt for the information):

DANCER MAGAZINE ARTICLE FEATURES OCU’S JO ROWAN

The March 2003 issue of Dancer magazine, one of the authoritative voices of the world of dance, includes a two-page spread on Oklahoma City University’s Jo Rowan, chairman of the dance department in OCU’s School of American Dance and Arts Management. Entitled, “The Many Faces of Jo Rowan – a Ballerina Who Loves Tap,” the article includes five photographs of Rowan in various stages of her career. The story also notes that she has been named education spokesperson for National Dance Week, April 25-May 4, 2003. She is the first person to serve in that role for two consecutive years.

“Rowan established The Living Treasures In American Dance Awards in 1987 to honor the great men and women who were instrumental in the creation of the American dance styles of tap and jazz.. She added The Preservation of Our Heritage Awards in American Dance in 1999,” according to the article. The closing sentence of the article reads, “Selfless, tireless and capable in the education and promotion of dance, she is one of the visionaries for vibrant American dance.” Celebrating nearly a century of scholarship and service, Oklahoma City University is a comprehensive, private United Methodist-affiliated university with a liberal arts core curriculum. In a student-centered environment, men and women pursue academic excellence through a rigorous curriculum that focuses on their intellectual, spiritual, moral, and physical development to prepare them to become effective leaders in service to their communities.
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TWO CELEBRITIES COMING TO OCU FOR AMERICAN SPIRIT DANCEFEST

Two well-known figures on the American dance scene will be in Oklahoma City this week to attend the spring performances by Oklahoma City University’s The American Spirit Dance Company, directed by Jo Rowan.

K.C. Patrick, Dance magazine’s editor in chief, will attend and receive the OCU School of American Dance and Arts Management’s Preservation of our Heritage award for unfaltering advocacy on behalf of the American dance community and for exemplary leadership in the dance media, fostering a broader vision of the variety and validity of American dance styles.

Carl Schlesinger, producer and composer, will see and hear his piece, “The New York Times Color March,” performed during this year’s program. Schlesinger also received a Preservation of our Heritage award in 2001 for his efforts to bring recognition to great tap dancers by honoring them with the Flo-Bert awards in New York City..

Performances by the widely acclaimed The American Spirit Dance Company are at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 13 and 14, and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 15, in the Kirkpatrick Auditorium at the Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center on the OCU campus, 2501 N. Blackwelder. All seats are reserved, and tickets are $14 each. Call the box office at (405) 557-6090 between noon and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Celebrating nearly a century of scholarship and service, Oklahoma City University is a comprehensive, private United Methodist-affiliated university with a liberal arts core curriculum. In a student-centered environment, men and women pursue academic excellence through a rigorous curriculum that focuses on their intellectual, spiritual, moral, and physical development to prepare them to become effective leaders in service to their communities.

For those of you who are looking to attend a law school at a University where athletics are appreciated, OCU fits the bill. Check this out:

Tonight, Monday, March 10, will be the final appearance at the Freede Center and Abe Lemons Area for the truly remarkable Oklahoma City University Women’s basketball team. They play arch rival Southern Nazarene in the finals of the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament that is being held on campus. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Our Stars finished the regular season 28-0, with a conference record of 18-0. They have now won two more games in the tournament. Coach Janell Jones is the SAC Coach of the Year and junior guard Takesha Watson is the conference Player of the Year. All five starters received all-conference recognition from first team to honorable mention. So far, this team has compiled the finest record in OCU history. They will be seeking a fifth straight national championship, beginning March 19 in Jackson, Tennessee. I urge the entire OCU family to come out to support the team in their final home appearance.

Thanks, as always, to Patti Monk and Peter Storandt for providing me with the following information published on March 6, 2003:

The Journal Record (Oklahoma City)

"A team of students from Oklahoma City University School of Law placed third in the region at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Denver"

The OCU team, comprised of Jerry Noblin, Columbus, Ga., Jennifer Dutton, Alex, Okla., Traci Soderstrom, Chandler, Okla., Rachel Bussett, Yukon, and Sylvia Thomas, Wichita, Kan., competed against 10 other law schools in the Midwest regional round of the competition. The team won all four of its elimination rounds, defeating teams from the University of Arizona, the University of Iowa, the University of Nebraska, and Pepperdine University. It entered the semifinal round as the first ranked team, but was edged out in the semifinals by the University of Kansas.

The OCU team was recognized for having submitted the two best legal briefs in the regional round of the competition. The team's briefs will now be entered in the Hardy C. Dillard worldwide best regional brief competition. OCU students received individual honors for their oral arguments. Among the 38 participants from all teams, Noblin was named Fourth Best Oralist and Dutton followed with Sixth Best Oralist honors. Soderstrom received seventh place and Bussett received eleventh place honors at the competition. Thomas served as the team editor but did not compete in the oral argument portion of the competition.

OCU Professor Peter Dillon coached the team. Among those helping to prepare the team were OCU faculty members Charles Cantrell, Paula Dalley, Greg Eddington, Michael Gibson, Jean Giles, Eric Laity and Andrew Spiropoulos. OCU alumni assisting the team prepare included Mary Coulson, Shanda Cusick, Courtney Davis, Doug Todd and Leif Swedlow.

Thanks to Patti Monk and Peter Storandt for providing me with links to the following 2 articles published on March 3, 2003:

The Journal Record (Oklahoma City)

"Oklahoma City University to host forensic evidence conference"

The Oklahoma City University School of Law will present "The Use and Misuse of Forensic Evidence" on Thursday. Speakers will include Fred Whitehurst, executive director of the Forensic Justice Project, Washington, D.C.; Lawrence C. Marshall, legal director for the Center on Wrongful Convictions, Chicago, and professor of law at Northwestern University School of Law; William A. Tobin, principal with Forensic Engineering International and former special agent and de facto FBI chief metallurgist; and Simon A. Cole, assistant professor of criminology, law and society at the University of California, Irvine, and author of Suspect Identities: A History of Fingerprinting and Criminal Identification.

Registration is $125. OCU School of Law alumni, district attorneys, public defenders and members of the judiciary will receive a $25 registration discount. To register, contact Shyla Bentley, OCU School of Law, at (800) 230-3012 or sbentley@okcu.edu. The symposium is sponsored by the Clyde R. Evans Charitable Trust of Oklahoma.
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PR Newswire

"The Use and Misuse of Forensic Evidence is Subject of National Symposium to Be Held at Oklahoma City University School of Law"
Recognizing a growing national movement to reexamine previously accepted standards regarding the reliability of forensic evidence, Oklahoma City University (OCU) School of Law will present "The Use and Misuse of Forensic Evidence" on March 6, 2003. National experts scheduled to participate in the symposium include Dr. Fred Whitehurst, Lawrence C. Marshall, William A. Tobin and Simon A. Cole. Whitehurst is executive director of the Forensic Justice Project, Washington, D.C. He was formerly a pervisory special agent assigned to the FBI's laboratory in Washington, D.C., as a forensic chemist with expertise in explosive-residue evidence. "It was Whitehurst's 'whistle-blowing' that led to a two-year investigation by the Justice Department's Inspector General into the operations of the FBI laboratory," said OCU law faculty member Jean Giles, program coordinator. "The investigation's subsequent report triggered a review of 3,000 potentially flawed cases, including the Oklahoma City bombing case."

Marshall is legal director for the Center on Wrongful Convictions, Chicago, Ill., and professor of law at Northwestern University School of Law. He was also a member of the commission that recommended major changes in the administration of the death penalty in Illinois, prompting Governor George Ryan to commute the sentences of all those on that state's death row.

Tobin is a principal with Forensic Engineering International and former special agent and de facto FBI chief metallurgist. Tobin investigated some of the nation's most compelling cases while serving with the FBI, including the UNABOM, Judge Robert S. Vance mail bomb murder case and the crash of TWA Flight 800.

Cole is assistant professor of criminology, law and society at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of "Suspect Identities: A History of Fingerprinting and Criminal Identification."

The symposium is sponsored by the Clyde R. Evans Charitable Trust of Oklahoma. For a complete list of national experts participating in the symposium, visit www.okcu.edu/law .

Oklahoma City University School of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. It offers full- and part-time programs, and serves a diverse student body of approximately 550, including many working professionals and other non-traditional students. Approximately half of its students come from outside Oklahoma, and its 4,000 alumni practice in every state and several foreign countries.

The Tulsa World published a story about the sentencing reform issue (Oklahoma prisons). Professor LeFrancois is mentioned again (I have put the information in bold for your convenience):

"The Prison Wasteland" by Julie Delcour

Hard questions about corrections The Legislature received a detailed "road map" last week that could lead Oklahoma out of the wasteland of excessive prison spending and into the promised land of corrections reform. With almost 23,000 inmates, one of the nation's highest incarceration rates and a revenue-starved state, lawmakers should ask hard questions about why prisons are bleeding Oklahoma dry.

Good answers can be found in "Rational Justice Policy," an authoritative study commissioned by the state Senate. The report tries to make sense of policies and attitudes that make Oklahoma's incarceration rate 56 percent higher than the national average, while the crime rate is only slightly above the U.S. average. Not surprisingly, the study concludes that Oklahoma is not getting a large return on its prison investment, that "the state's punitive policies have not brought comparatively low overall or violent crime rates" and that limited dollars and prison space should be reserved for offenders who are the greatest threat to the public.

Researchers included chairman Barry Kinsey, a University of Tulsa sociology professor; Kelly Damphousse, a University of Oklahoma associate sociology professor; Alexander Holmes, OU Department of Economics chairman; Arthur LeFrancois, an Oklahoma City University School of Law professor, and Kent Olson, an Oklahoma State University economics professor. The Oklahoma Alliance for Public Policy Research Inc. organized the project with help from former Gov. Henry Bellmon.

The study suggests that if Oklahoma's incarceration rates were consistent with national rates, the state would have 8,218 fewer inmates. That number, multiplied by $16,842 -- the average annual cost per inmate -- would save $138 million a year. That's not chump change considering budget shortfalls this year for common education are $158 million. The number of nonviolent offenders being sent to prison here doubled from 1983-2001, while the number of violent offenders decreased. In 2001, the number of drug offenders was seven times higher than in 1983. There were four times more drug than violent offenders in prison. Meanwhile, the availability and use of alternative programs (house arrests, specialized supervision, electronic monitoring) almost disappeared. By comparison, Texas has 400,000 offenders in community sentencing programs.

Here are some other questions the study poses:
-- Why were incarceration rates nearly double the national average from 1995-2001, increasing 19.2 percent?
-- Why do offenders here serve a greater percentage of their sentences than their counterparts elsewhere? Drug possessors serve, on average, 200 percent more time than the U.S. average.
-- Why does Oklahoma treat as felonies acts that nearby states handle as misdemeanors?
-- Why is a disproportionate amount of prison resources spent on incarcerating nonviolent offenders?
-- Why are sentences longer here than in many other states for the same offense with no great difference in crime rates?

The report offers two dozen recommendations for improving policies with an eye toward making the corrections system more effective, safer and less costly. It recommends removing the governor from the parole process and turning it over to the state Pardon and Parole Board. Under the Constitution, the governor signs off on every parole, a situation found in almost no other state. The governor would appoint parole board members. The study suggests that locking up violent offenders, sexual predators and habitual criminals protects the public but that many nonviolent offenders could be handled in alternative programs. The study suggests the obvious. Getting tough on crime isn't enough. Oklahoma must get sensible about punishment.

For those of you seeking more information about the OCU School of Law, I am providing links to the profile of the school distributed by the American Bar Association, as well as the one by the Law School Admissions Council. Here they are:

http://officialguide.lsac.org/OFFGUIDE/pdf/aba114.pdf
http://officialguide.lsac.org/OFFGUIDE/pdf/lsac114.pdf

I think you will find the information contained on these links much more helpful than the "information" offered by such commercial sources as the Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report, because this information is completely unbiased and has been verified for its accuracy. For those of you who may be considering applying, the LSAC link (at the main bottom) contains a grid depicting the odds of being admitted based on various GPA's and LSAT scores, but what do you have to lose anyway since you can apply online for free? There is also some very helpful employment- and admissions-related information on the American Bar Association site.

The following notices were printed in The Journal Record (Oklahoma City, OK) on February 27, 2003:

Haley joins Groom and Hammond

Alex Katherine Haley has joined Groom and Hammond. Haley is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and received her law degree from OU. She was bankruptcy law clerk and bankruptcy appellate panel clerk for Judge Richard. L. Bohanon. Her practice will focus on bankruptcy and commercial litigation.
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Honors for OCU project

The Apache Tribal Domestic Violence Project, an Oklahoma City University School of Law externship program conducted in association with the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, has been selected as one of 15 promising practices in the area of domestic violence by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Department of Justice has hired the Tribal Law and Policy Institute to prepare a report on the OCU program to serve as a training resource for tribes setting up legal assistance programs. The Apache Tribal Domestic Violence Project is one of several externship opportunities OCU students have to receive academic credit while gaining experience under the guidance of a field supervisor. Additional externships focusing on Native American issues include placements at Oklahoma Indian Legal Services and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The following information on the OCU School of Law was made available by Peter Storandt and Professor Dillon. I agree with Peter that this is a good example of how the law school comes together to enable students to excel.

The 2002-03 OCU Jessup Moot Court team, composed of Rachel Bussett, Jennifer Dutton, Jerry Noblin, Traci Soderstrom and Sylvia Thomas, participated in the Midwest Regional Competiiton hosted by the University of Denver on February 21 and 22. The OCU team won all four of its elimination rounds, defeating, in order of appearance, Pepperdine University, University of Nebraska, University of Arizona and University of Iowa. This record placed the team first in the 10-team region at the end of those rounds and resulted in its advancing to a semifinal round against the University of Kansas. OCU lost to Kansas. This loss was difficult for me to stomach for several reasons. The performances of Mss. Bussett and Soderstrom in that round were superb while Kansas’ first oralist “read” his entire presentation. Moreover, the judges’ primary post-round criticism of the OCU side was that it presented too much law. Finally, the loss was frustrating because this team, person-for-person, showed extraordinary levels of ability, industry, preparation, organization and cooperation. Oh well, the Don Quixote of the OCU Jessup program must now move on to his next set of windmills.

The OCU team also garnered significant regional awards, both team and individual. Its two briefs were voted best in the regional, thereby entitling them to be placed in the Hardy C. Dillard worldwide best regional brief competition. Jerry Noblin was awarded 4th best oralist out of a group of 38 participants. The other OCU oralists were also well-received, placing 6 (Dutton), 7 (Soderstrom) and 11(Bussett) in that same group.

The team members and I regard this year’s venture as highly successful. We believe that a major reason for the team’s success was the valuable and generous support of the extended OCU Law School family. We wish to express our gratitude to Dean Hellman for financial support; Director of Library Morgan and her staff (especially Lee Peoples, who also served as a practice round judge, Jim Gettys and Donna Gregory) for their assistance regarding research, acquisitions, computer facilities, irregular hours building access and the team study room space; Tim Kendall and his staff for their computer services expertise; the several faculty members who helped to prepare the team, including Professors Cantrell, Dalley, Gibson, Laity and Spiropoulos plus Director Eddington and Instructor Giles; former Jessupers and “Significant Others,” who performed similar functions, specifically Mary Coulson, Shanda Cusick, Courtney Davis, Steve Preston, Ellen Spiropoulos, Doug Todd and Leif Swedlow; Pam Ray and Shyla Bentley for their logistical support; and finally Vickey Cannady, Jan Carver and Marti McCaslin for their varied secretarial assistance.