Editor’s Note: This is the last in a first-person series chronicling the preparation, experiences and observations of one Miss OSU/Stillwater pageant contestant.

“There she is, Miss America” — the words almost every female, at one point in her life, wishes to be sung about her.

As a little girl, I practiced the “pageant wave” and my reaction to hearing my named called to receive a crown.

I imagined it just like I imagined my wedding day.

It is like the female Heisman trophy.

However, I never knew how much it would take to be a pageant winner.

In junior high, I forgot about the world of pageants, but when I came to college, I saw an ad for the Miss Oklahoma State University/Stillwater pageant in the newspaper.

To compete in Miss America, I would first have to win a local title.

By researching the Miss America organization on the Internet, I started to realize the Miss America pageant focuses more on community contributions and intellect and less on beauty.

I found myself pursuing the pageant world, but I had no idea what I was doing.

I entered my first pageant my sophomore year. I watched other girls as they walked and performed.

I had fun with it, knowing I would not win.

I found the secret to bigger breasts and confidence — duct tape and attitude.

By the time the Miss OSU/Stillwater pageant came Friday night, I thought I had a chance to make the top five.

The only thing I was concerned about was the talent competition.

I had struggled to find the perfect song and a voice teacher to work with in Stillwater.

At the technical and dress rehearsals, I learned right off I was up against some amazing talent.

I sat in nervous fear that the other contestants would see I was not competition for them.

Some of the contestants knew each other from sororities, but I was more shy and quiet.

I think I was the only one who was nervous — or the others knew how to hide it.

In the dress rehearsal, everything was going great until talent.

I started out OK, and then all of sudden, I was in a different key and realized I could not hear myself well.

I got that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I thought, “Why am I doing this?” and reminded myself I was doing it for the promotion of my platform — heart disease prevention — and scholarship money.

Later that night, I watched the MTV show “Real Life of Beauty Pageants,” which showed behind the scenes at Miss America.

I kept thinking I wanted to be a part of that.

I have the 2001 Miss America pageant recorded on tape, and I watched it again and again.

I figured I could not learn from a lady at a pageant store, but from the people who have made it.

One thing I wanted to gain from the pageant experience was self-confidence, and I was not the only one.

“I entered the pageant to practice on performing and self-confidence,” said Michelle Ramming, Miss OSU/Stillwater contestant.

The night of the pageant came quickly.

I was a little nervous; however, my interview went great. The most exciting part was when the judges asked me about my platform on heart disease prevention.

Heart problems run in my family, and heart disease is common in the United States. So many people can die from it.

Later that night after the interview, the show started. It was very cold backstage, especially when wearing a swimsuit.

We all made sure we had our butt glue so our swimsuits would not give us wedgies.

Everything went smoothly until talent. I made a mistake the same way I had in the dress rehearsal.

Other girls who messed up just kept going, but when I changed key during my solo, I could imagine them thinking, “Oh, we don’t need to worry about her (as competition).”

The girls did not have such competitive attitudes, but the quality of talent made the competition fierce. As soon as I finished singing, I walked off the stag, knowing I did not place in the top five. It made me a little sad because I had friends and family in the audience.

No matter how bad my song may have sounded, it was nice to hear my friends and family cheering for me. The moment came to crown Miss OSU/Stillwater. I just stood there, smiled and imagined who I thought would win.

Fourth runner-up was Rachael Hogan, third runner-up was Kristin Owens, second runner-up was Haley Burdette and first runner-up was Brooke Tebow.

The new Miss OSU/Stillwater was Holly Bacon. She covered her face with her hands.

“I was surprised, shocked and honored,” Bacon said. “I am really excited to represent OSU and the Stillwater community.”

Bacon will go on to participate in the Miss Oklahoma pageant.

As for me, I am still going to compete in pageants until I graduate because I need the scholarship money.

Besides, it helps me with interviews, self-confidence and public relations skills. My next pageant is Feb. 16 for Miss Wheatheart in Enid. I am changing my song.

After that, I will probably start learning a dance routine because I can cover my mistakes more easily than in a vocal performance — unless I get past my nerves and can learn to sing in front of a big audience.

Tales of Stillwater’s history and crime can be heard at the Stillwater Public Library at 7 p.m. today.

Mary Ellen Cooper, a local author, will give a lecture titled “Writing Murders — Past and Present” as part of the Stillwater Public Library’s series of eventsfor adults the fourth Tuesday of each month.

Cooper’s talk will give listeners background information about her books, as well as interesting facts about Stillwater crimes and mysteries.

Two of her books, “Unlikely Assassins” and “Fatal Trust,” have been optioned for television movies.

Fans can purchase her books at the library event, and she will be available for signing.

Silly me. I’d always been under the impression that there was but one pledge of allegiance in the US, the one we’ve all recited since we were in elementary school. Apparently, I was wrong.

Last week, Channel 5 in Oklahoma City reported that a black pledge of allegiance is posted on the Millwood Public Schools web site.

It states, “We pledge allegiance to the red, black and green, our flag, the symbol of our eternal struggle, and to the land we must obtain, one nation of black people with one God for us all, totally united in the struggle for black love, black freedom and black determination.”

I don’t know the exact origins of this pledge, but it is one of the most bizarre and separatist things I’ve ever seen. Breaking it down line-by-line provides a clearer picture of its meaning and probable origins.

“We pledge allegiance to the red, black, and green, our flag …”

I don’t know what they’re pledging allegiance to, but the last time I checked, we all lived in the United States and were represented by a flag that is red, white and blue.

However, if people really feel the need to pledge allegiance to a flag that’s red, black and green, there are nine African countries whose flags have those three colors as their principle colors.

But know that seven of them are experiencing civil unrest or civil war. The other two have been ravaged by floods for several years. All of them are mired in poverty, and many have been ravaged by AIDS.

In spite of all of this, should people decide that’s where they really want to go, I’m sure any of these countries would welcome them with open arms.

“… the symbol of our eternal struggle …”

And what eternal struggle would that be? Human nature? Stand in line. The desire to be accepted? If that’s the case, I’ve got news for you. Stuff like this only makes it harder on yourselves.

“… and to the land we must obtain …”

And what land would that be exactly? If you want 10 acres west of town, I’m sure any realtor in Stillwater would be happy to show you some fine plots of land.

However, if this is the Nation of Islam rhetoric I think it is, that is a call for land for a black state, one already exists. It’s called Liberia, located on the African west coast, and just as an interesting side note, its flag is also red, white and blue.

“… one nation of black people …”

Been there, done that, and they call the land Liberia.

“… with one God for us all …”

Working under the assumption that “us” refers to black people, this baffles me somewhat. Does this mean that whoever wrote this is so separatist that they don’t even want to share God with anyone? Where does that leave the rest of us? Are we pagans? Devil worshippers?

“… totally united …”

So that’s why a lawsuit has been filed against Jesse Jackson, his son and members of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, by a black man who says he was assaulted and his civil rights were violated at a coalition meeting because he asked a question they found offensive. That’s one interesting view of total unity.

“… black freedom …”

Which has been around since slavery was abolished 140 years ago. Or, since the civil rights movement happened 40 years ago.

“… and black determination.”

The determination to what? Speak out of both sides of their mouths? How can some people possibly decry discrimination in one breath, and advocate separatism in the next? It is this attitude that helps perpetuate abysmal race relations in this country.

Are whites blameless? Certainly not. But as long as some say a black pledge of allegiance and crying for reparations for slavery, a policy that is widely considered reprehensible and that none of us living now were involved with in any manner, they won’t help their cause.

Ending discrimination isn’t a one-way street, and waiting for whites to come just means people will be waiting for a long time.

Unless everyone accepts that we all have to play our part in ending discrimination and accept each other, differences and all, things will only get worse.

The black pledge of allegiance is part of the problem, not part of the solution. Instead of one nation of any racial group, trying to distance itself from everyone else, I prefer “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

A task force is working on transportation policies to create a safe environment for student-athlete travel in response to the Jan. 27 plane crash that killed 10 members and affiliates of the Oklahoma State University men’s basketball program.

“At the time of the crash last year, people asked over and over and over again whether we would have a review of our policies,” said Harry Birdwell, vice president for business and external relations. “The university said, ‘Sure we will — we never want this to happen again.’”

The Beechcraft Super King Air 200 plane went down shortly after departing for Stillwater last year, following a Cowboy basketball game against Colorado. The crash killed the two pilots and eight members and affiliates of the team, including Kendall Durfey, Bjorn Fahlstrom, Nate Fleming, Will Hancock, Daniel Lawson, Brian Luinstra, Denver Mills, Pat Noyes, Bill Teegins and Jared Weiberg.

The 14-member travel task force has met several times during the past two months. Birdwell said the group hopes to have its work completed by March.

“We are looking at all forms of transportation from vans to buses to airplanes,” Birdwell said. “In a university athletic department, there are obviously a lot of ways that teams travel to and from athletic venues.”

Zane Fleming, father of Nate Fleming, one of the 10 plane crash victims, is a member of the task force. He said the university has already made changes in terms of van travel by switching from narrow, 15-passenger vans to newer, wide ones.

School officials declined to comment on the details of the work the panel has completed to this point.

“I don’t want to discuss the specifics yet,” Birdwell said. “We’ll fully disclose and announce the committee’s work, but right now everything we are doing is in draft stage.”

However, Fleming expressed his concerns regarding air travel and the solutions he sees for them.

“I’d like to see them do away with donated planes,” he said. “That means we need to charter on the medium-to-short distances … and we need to go commercial on long distances.”

Fleming and Birdwell expressed faith in the committee and the work they have done to this point.

“I think we’ve made a lot of headway,” Fleming said.

“We’ve got a lot of people on that board that are really bright — it’s going to be better in the long run.”

Fleming said OSU has not had a travel policy in the past.

Suzanne Flaig, women’s equestrian assistant coach, said coaches have control over how their teams travel.

“We can decide whether we are going to fly or drive,” Flaig said.

“We pretty much have somewhere between an 8- to 10-hour marker — if it’s under that, we’ll drive.”

She said the university has no standard for travel; however, when the equestrian team flies, it does so commercially — primarily due to the large number of participants and the cost involved in chartering.

Though the team has flown several airlines, it generally uses a travel agency through the athletic department to get tickets.

But ground travel is different.

“As far as ground travel goes, we have some latitude,” Flaig said.

“There are some preferred vendors that are already set up through the athletic office. I believe we haven’t had to deviate from those but believe we could if it were necessary.”

Officials hope the suggestions the task force makes will be applied not only at OSU, but at other universities nationwide.

“Frankly, we want to share it with the other Big 12 institutions, but more than that — as I said in the beginning — we hope that we put together something that is both comprehensive on all forms of transportation that will be seriously looked at by the entire NCAA,” Birdwell said.

“What we want to be sure is that we have the opportunity to lay this document on the table, so that any institution that’s maybe looking for answers can have the benefit of our thinking.”

The task force is chaired by Birdwell and consists of 13 other members including Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips; two other members of the athletic department, four faculty members outside the athletic department, a member of the men’s basketball team, Fredrik Jönzén; and a member of the women’s basketball team, Terrisha Osborn.

Three fathers who lost their sons in the Jan. 27 plane crash are also on the task force — Fleming, Mick Weiberg and Bill Hancock.

Game shows have long been a staple of American popular culture.

They come in all forms, from the thought-provoking quiz shows to the attention-grabbing reality shows, but all have one common feature. They all feature regular people doing their best to gain fame and fortune.

Anyone can get on these shows with a little luck and a lot of perseverance, but most need an idea of where to start the application process. Here are a few tips that should set people on the right path toward their 15 minutes of fame.

One of the more popular new types of game shows is the reality show.

“I don’t like reality shows, but if I ever started to watch them, I would probably get addicted,” said James Banda, architecture sophomore.

Reality television’s addictive nature is a large part of its appeal.

The show “Survivor” has been on the forefront of the craze. “Survivor” requires applicants to fill out extensive applications, including medical histories, personal histories and personality profiles.

The questions include “What would you not do for $1 million?”

Next, applicants must submit a three-minute maximum video that introduces them and tells why they would be great for “Survivor.”

All applicants must be able to travel at their own expense to one of many first-round interview locations across the country. The closest location to Stillwater is Houston.

After that, there is a continuing process of interviews and evaluations up until filming in June, when only 12 applicants are selected.

All applicants must meet all eligibility requirements — a major one for college students is the required age of 21.

The “Survivor” application can be obtained from the CBS Web site at http://www.cbs.com.

Other reality-based shows have similar casting approaches.

NBC’s “Fear Factor” pits contestants against some of their greatest fears for not only a wad of cash, but also the luxury of conquering their fears.

All applicants must complete extensive applications, which include personality and background information, as well as a survey about fears, weaknesses and personal limits.

One question even asks if the applicant is afraid of “cooties.”

All applicants must also meet eligibility requirements, including an age of 21. A five-minute video is also required.

Some people just don’t like the reality television format.

“I don’t watch reality TV shows like ‘Survivor’ or ‘The Real World’ because they are boring,” said David Compston, finance senior. “There is no plot and no point to the story.”

For people who don’t like the format, trying to get on a show like “Survivor” would probably be a bad idea.

Thanks to cable television, the classic game show comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes for viewer pleasure. It is often much easier to make the final cut.

The wildly imaginative, Emmy-award winning show “Win Ben Stein’s Money” asks potential contestants to “write, call or e-mail to futility.com” to see if they have the brain power to take on the host, Ben Stein. While most contestants are past the collegiate age group, there are no set parameters for a contestant’s age. Also, there is the occasional “college-themed” show.

As for ABC’s smash-hit show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” the application process is a little harder.

According to the “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Web site, “The Millionaire team is traveling to several cities in search of new contestants for future telecasts. To participate in an audition, listen for announcements in your local media.”

NBC’s rival to “Millionaire” has varied criteria for becoming a contestant.

“The Weakest Link” is currently seeking look-alikes of its host, Ann Robinson, for a special look-alike edition of the show. The show is equal opportunity, so applicants of both sexes can apply. Applications for this special episode are due by Jan. 31 and are available online at the show’s Web site at http://www.nbc.com, and questions can be answered by calling (323) 520-6258.

One of the less rigorous screening processes for contestants is that of the long-running CBS classic “The Price is Right.” Tickets are free and must be requested by mail. The tickets are sent out one month before the show or are available in person two weeks in advance.

After the lengthy process to actually get a ticket to the taping of the show, contestants must meet a few eligibility requirements and hope they are asked to “come on down.” Details can be found on the CBS Web site for the show at http://www.cbs.com.

One new trend is a combination of both the reality show and game show genre.

New shows like “The Chamber” and “The Chair” try to combine the drama of reality, with the fun of trivia, in one big spot of prime time programming.

In the end, whether there is a final answer, the tribe speaks or the chamber is too hot — it all leads to money.

Suspensions and probations are not ideas of the past. They still exist in many colleges, including Oklahoma State University, as many students recently found out.

After the fall semester, 811 undergraduates were placed on probation, and 214 were placed on suspension. This is the highest number of probations since spring 1992 when there were 1,073. However, the number of students suspended has remained low.

According to the fall 2001 OSU Student Profile by the Office of Planning, Budget and Institutional Research, undergraduate enrollment at OSU was 17,211. The 811 students on probation constitute 4.71 percent of OSU undergraduates, and the 214 suspended constitute 1.24 percent.

Randall Dahl, associate vice president for academic affairs, said the number of probations and suspensions is “one reflection from the increased enrollment happening at OSU. The chance for students to encounter difficulty is to increase also.”

Being placed on probation is dependent on credit hours attempted and retention grade point average. Undergraduates with 31 hours or more must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or risk probation.

For others with 30 hours or less, the GPA cutoff is 1.7. If students’ GPAs fall between 1.7 and 2.0, these undergraduates, usually freshmen, receive an academic notice telling them they are close to probation, said Martha McMillian, University Academic Services director.

McMillian said students on probation must achieve a 2.0 semester GPA or raise their retention GPA to the minimum scale; otherwise, they risk suspension. The student has to wait one semester before returning.

A letter from Marvin Keener, executive vice president, notified students placed on probation. This letter also encouraged students to take advantage of the services the university provides so they have the opportunity to improve their performance.

University Academic Services provides help for students on probation in a variety of ways.

The office offers advisement on enrollment, career and major choices. The academic counselors work one-on-one with students to answer questions about degree programs and university policies involving repeats and reprieves.

University Academic Services also offers one-on-one tutoring, orientation classes and student academic mentors for freshmen and transfer students. This includes a one-hour course called Academic Assessment and Evaluation, which is taught by McMillian and Terry Hyman, academic adviser.

“This is a letter-grade class that focuses on time management, study skills and addresses procrastination,” Hyman said.

The university also offers many learning resource centers for various subjects.

The Mathematics Learning Resource Center is located in the Murray Hall basement and offers tutoring for math classes. Some classes, such as college algebra, give extra credit for using this service.

The Writing Center in 104 Morrill Hall offers tutoring and writing coaches for English classes. The center helps students with term papers, essays and resumes.

Editor’s Note: This is the last in a first-person series chronicling the preparation, experiences and observations of one Miss OSU/Stillwater pageant contestant.

“There she is, Miss America” — the words almost every female, at one point in her life, wishes to be sung about her.

As a little girl, I practiced the “pageant wave” and my reaction to hearing my named called to receive a crown.

I imagined it just like I imagined my wedding day.

It is like the female Heisman trophy.

However, I never knew how much it would take to be a pageant winner.

In junior high, I forgot about the world of pageants, but when I came to college, I saw an ad for the Miss Oklahoma State University/Stillwater pageant in the newspaper.

To compete in Miss America, I would first have to win a local title.

By researching the Miss America organization on the Internet, I started to realize the Miss America pageant focuses more on community contributions and intellect and less on beauty.

I found myself pursuing the pageant world, but I had no idea what I was doing.

I entered my first pageant my sophomore year. I watched other girls as they walked and performed.

I had fun with it, knowing I would not win.

I found the secret to bigger breasts and confidence — duct tape and attitude.

By the time the Miss OSU/Stillwater pageant came Friday night, I thought I had a chance to make the top five.

The only thing I was concerned about was the talent competition.

I had struggled to find the perfect song and a voice teacher to work with in Stillwater.

At the technical and dress rehearsals, I learned right off I was up against some amazing talent.

I sat in nervous fear that the other contestants would see I was not competition for them.

Some of the contestants knew each other from sororities, but I was more shy and quiet.

I think I was the only one who was nervous — or the others knew how to hide it.

In the dress rehearsal, everything was going great until talent.

I started out OK, and then all of sudden, I was in a different key and realized I could not hear myself well.

I got that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I thought, “Why am I doing this?” and reminded myself I was doing it for the promotion of my platform — heart disease prevention — and scholarship money.

Later that night, I watched the MTV show “Real Life of Beauty Pageants,” which showed behind the scenes at Miss America.

I kept thinking I wanted to be a part of that.

I have the 2001 Miss America pageant recorded on tape, and I watched it again and again.

I figured I could not learn from a lady at a pageant store, but from the people who have made it.

One thing I wanted to gain from the pageant experience was self-confidence, and I was not the only one.

“I entered the pageant to practice on performing and self-confidence,” said Michelle Ramming, Miss OSU/Stillwater contestant.

The night of the pageant came quickly.

I was a little nervous; however, my interview went great. The most exciting part was when the judges asked me about my platform on heart disease prevention.

Heart problems run in my family, and heart disease is common in the United States. So many people can die from it.

Later that night after the interview, the show started. It was very cold backstage, especially when wearing a swimsuit.

We all made sure we had our butt glue so our swimsuits would not give us wedgies.

Everything went smoothly until talent. I made a mistake the same way I had in the dress rehearsal.

Other girls who messed up just kept going, but when I changed key during my solo, I could imagine them thinking, “Oh, we don’t need to worry about her (as competition).”

The girls did not have such competitive attitudes, but the quality of talent made the competition fierce. As soon as I finished singing, I walked off the stag, knowing I did not place in the top five. It made me a little sad because I had friends and family in the audience.

No matter how bad my song may have sounded, it was nice to hear my friends and family cheering for me. The moment came to crown Miss OSU/Stillwater. I just stood there, smiled and imagined who I thought would win.

Fourth runner-up was Rachael Hogan, third runner-up was Kristin Owens, second runner-up was Haley Burdette and first runner-up was Brooke Tebow.

The new Miss OSU/Stillwater was Holly Bacon. She covered her face with her hands.

“I was surprised, shocked and honored,” Bacon said. “I am really excited to represent OSU and the Stillwater community.”

Bacon will go on to participate in the Miss Oklahoma pageant.

As for me, I am still going to compete in pageants until I graduate because I need the scholarship money.

Besides, it helps me with interviews, self-confidence and public relations skills. My next pageant is Feb. 16 for Miss Wheatheart in Enid. I am changing my song.

After that, I will probably start learning a dance routine because I can cover my mistakes more easily than in a vocal performance — unless I get past my nerves and can learn to sing in front of a big audience.

Oklahoma State University celebrated the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. with its third annual MLK Symposium on “Minority American and Health Disparities” Monday.

The featured speakers included Lovell Jones, professor of gynecologic oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Demetrio Gutierrez, director of minority health for the Oklahoma Department of Health. A 45-minute panel discussion followed the speeches.

Earl Mitchell, associate vice president for multicultural affairs, opened the symposium by saying discussions and presentations are “the intellectual part of honoring Martin Luther King.”

“MLK is alive today,” he said.

OSU President James Halligan attended and shared his experiences from the Civil Rights movement.

“People (like MLK) who commit to bettering society are to be remembered,” Halligan said.

“We celebrate the life of Martin Luther King,” said Thomas Allen, vice president for health affairs and dean of the OSU osteopathic medical school in Tulsa. “He would have been 73 years old today.”

Jones addressed American health statutes by saying health is the best indicator of a nation’s failure. The gap between discovery and application widens with each new discovery, he said.

Hispanics and American Indians are twice as likely as whites to have diabetes, according to statistics Jones provided. Also, the rate of prostate cancer in black men is twice that of white men.

He also said Civil Rights acts never affected health care. Forty-four million Americans had no health insurance in 2000.

Jones said many uninsured Americans are white, between the ages of 19 and 39, have children, have household incomes between $20,000 and $60,000 a year and/or work in a small business.

Nonetheless, those Americans who suffer are disproportionately poor whites, children and minorities.

“It is not a minority problem, not a black problem, nor a Hispanic problem,” Jones said. “It is an American problem. Health is not a priority of the nation. Two B-1 bombers are equivalent to the funding of National Institutes of Health. Health in minority communities cannot be approached as a single issue. It has to be done in a holistic manner.”

He said this approach involves taking into account other factors that influence the perceived need for health care.

Allen agreed with Jones and said it is necessary to bring science to the people through education and communication.

A 1999 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association noted 26 percent of Americans are “functionally” illiterate (meaning that they read at a fifth grade level) so they would not understand basic medicine dosage instructions.

Allen challenged the audience to make a difference by teaching, reading and writing to adults and children. He said he perceived this challenge as a step in eliminating health disparities.

Eliminating health disparities among Americans is a part of the U.S. Surgeon General’s Healthy People 2010 goal, which involves improving access to health care and researching in six focus areas: infant mortality, cancer screening and management, heart disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and immunizations.

“Oklahoma is not a healthy state,” Gutierrez said. He noted that the state health department is using the Healthy People 2010 Goal as a model to eliminate health disparities in Oklahoma in all six focus areas including tobacco use.

Gutierrez said the program “Turning Point” involves health officials going to communities to evaluate their needs. However, the state health department faces challenges such as cultural competence, commitment, accountability and staff readiness.

At the end of the symposium, Mitchell said most people are not aware of the challenging questions and solutions in the area of health disparities among Americans.

“I am concerned with the health disparities and (the problem) being more than access (to health care),” Mitchell said. “There are ethnic differences in diseases that are not taken into consideration by many health researchers and providers.”

Four Korean War veterans spoke Sunday afternoon at the Stillwater Public Library to an audience of about 50, sharing first-hand accounts of their vivid experiences from 1950 to 1953.

The first speaker, Rex Holland, gave a direct perspective from the eyes of a soldier. He spoke about events that occurred during the war and the patriotic feeling among soldiers.

“Young men and women need to step forward to serve the country — which would do a lot to strengthen the infrastructure of the country,” Holland said.

John Duck spoke about the extremely cold weather conditions.

He also said youth make the best military personnel because they have the initiative and can take charge when they have to.

Harold Winburn spoke about the 45th Infantry Division. He said he thought its soldiers were well trained, prepared and committed to achieving their basic mission. He added that he was amazed at the adaptability of American soldiers to the cold conditions during the war.

Lawrence Roy, a sergeant in an infantry unit, said his military experiences were positive.

“The military and the United States were good to me, and I was proud to be in military service,” Roy said.

He said his only regret was that he could not spend time with his family.

The event ended with Ted Best, a veteran of World War II, speaking about how the Korean government has expressed its gratitude by making a $20 million endowment to the U.S. government to educate youth about the Korean government.

The endowments, valued at $25,000 each, will be in the form of scholarships given to direct descendants of veterans of the Korean War.

George Mahoney, retired lieutenant colonel of the Air Force Reserves, said he was disappointed at the small turnout.

“We wish we had some more young people with us,” he said.

Most of the Korean War veterans at the meeting emphasized the same sentiments: dedication to work, love for their country and caring for people.

The last time an OSU women’s basketball team knocked off a top 10 opponent was early in 1997 when the Cowgirls beat Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. That was the last time before Saturday, when OSU upset No. 9 Kansas State, 68-60, in front of a crowd of 2,255 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The Cowgirls (10-8, 2-3 Big 12) broke a 14-game winning streak for the Wildcats (17-2), and handed them their first loss in Big 12 competition.

KSU freshman guard Laurie Koehn was averaging 18 points a game before she came to Stillwater, where the Cowgirls held her to zero points in the first half and only eight in the game.

“They came out and played really good defense,” Koehn said. “They stopped us in our tracks.”

KSU coach Deb Patterson said her team was just outplayed.

“OSU was definitely the more aggressive basketball team,” Patterson said. “OSU was aggressive when the game got close, and we were more passive when the game got close. We were even passive when we had the lead.”

Patterson added that OSU’s mental toughness was a major difference in the ball game.

“Wherever we gave an inch, they took a mile,” Patterson said. “We didn’t compete at the level you have to compete at mentally to be successful.”

OSU junior guard Chantoya Hawkins had an impressive game on both sides of the ball with 18 points, two rebounds, five assists and four steals.

“I told Chantoya in the locker room that there’s a down side to playing that well,” OSU coach Dick Halterman said. “We’re going to expect that for the rest of her career. She guarded Koehn as well as you can guard her, probably. Chantoya did exactly what we wanted her to do.”

After leading the Cowgirls in scoring in three of the last four games, sophomore center Trisha Skibbe continued her run with 23 points, nine rebounds and three steals on the night. Senior forward Tari Cummings was also a major contributor with 13 points and seven rebounds.

“We just knew we needed to win. We were focused and we wanted it,” Cummings said. “We came out as a team and we handled our business.”

“As far as the kids executing what we wanted them to do defensively, they probably did that as well as they have in a few years,” Halterman said. “We still feel like we can win nine or 10 conference games, but until you win one, it’s hard to get to nine or 10. We got a win, and I think that gives us a lot of confidence.”

The rest of the Cowgirls’ schedule consists of Big 12 games, mostly against ranked teams. Halterman said the win gives the team more confidence to play those ranked teams and know they can beat them.

“Maybe now people will look at us a little more and we’ll get more respect,” Cummings said. “I think we should.”

As the anniversary of the crash that took 10 members from the Oklahoma State University community nears, questions concerning travel plans for athletic teams are rising.

For some, it was a three-day weekend, but I was not so lucky.

Although officers of government need not perform their duties, although students need not attend classes, although banks need not count beans, although most would find a day to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. by staying home from whatever it is they do, TPTB would not see it that way for the poor slobs who make sandwiches for “a living.”

I understand. I work in the “food service industry” and, holiday or not, people have to eat. So, while I didn’t have to go to classes — the reason I’m here — I do, well, did, have to go to work and make sandwiches for other people who had neither to work nor to attend class.

I raised this issue with my boss, who told me it was out of his hands and his boss’ boss’ hands. In other words, my rampant griping would go nowhere where it could do any good.

The thought of unionizing our cause came to mind, but I’m unsure if I want to be known as the leader of Minimum Wage Butchers, Bakers and Grilled-Sandwich Makers Local No. 4.

Students have to eat, they say, and I say certainly, since it is obvious not many meals are being missed on this campus.

It wasn’t all bad, though. Friday, a day I’d prayed for all week, finally came. A big weekend for basketball, for football, for carousing and merriment in general.

Friday night, I found myself at home — alone, no less — doing homework and being a word geek in general. By midnight or so, I managed to make my way out and about and would not return home until almost 4. A caravan and a muse took me off to north Stillwater, an area I inhabit about as much as the Perkins Social Club.

Waking up before noon on Saturday, I was compelled to watch “The Lost Boys,” yet I somehow managed to miss the new episode of “So Little Time,” but did manage to watch the basketball team arrive in Lubbock, Texas, and leave a couple hours later with its tail between its legs.

The “wait until basketball season” mentality, which grew so strong with a wild start, has now begun to fizzle only slightly as the beloved Pokes dropped trow for the second time in a row.

Worst of all, the guys had to go to Lubbock to do it, easily the worst place in West Texas, an area known for bad places (let’s face it: the only thing good about West Texas is a Marty Robbins song).

I can’t say I’d be playing inspired round-ball if confronted with the notorious Red Raider Inbreds, all of them stroking their banjos and throwing their tortillas, spitting tobacco on the dirt floors of their classrooms.

But such is life. Saturday night was spent waxing philosophical over a game of “Battle of the Sexes” at Hillary and Stacey’s house, where it was finally proven that men are forced to listen to the issues of women far more than the other way around.

The game, where women test men’s knowledge of women’s issues and vice versa, was handled heavily by the boys, because I sure as hell knew what a loofa was but the fairer sex couldn’t begin to name the two leagues in Major League Baseball.

The collective sexualities of the boys was questioned, but to no avail.

So it is written, so shall it be. Women surely complain of their men not listening to them, but on one sacred night, we conclusively proved the reverse to be true and the stated to be false. Such is life in the looking glass of Poketown. Ciao.

C. Brooks Kurtz is an education graduate student from Ardmore.

He can be reached at elcapt@brightok.net.

For Andre Williams, it was undoubtedly a long, anxiety-filled trip.

But it was a trip he knew he had to make.

Traveling to the exact spot where 10 of his friends had died was not going to be easy.

And arriving there was even harder.

“It was really hard going out there because I just never pictured something like that happening,” Williams said of his visit in August to the spot near Strasburg, Colo., where 10 members of the Oklahoma State basketball program lost their lives in a plane crash.

“Especially going out to where the plane actually hit. The closer I got to it, the heavier my heart felt,” he said.

“But it was something I needed to do, kind of like some kind of closure.”

Almost a year later to the day of the plane crash that followed the Cowboys’ road loss to Colorado, Andre Williams, his teammates Victor Williams and Fredrik Jönzén, and coach Eddie Sutton, addressed the media Monday afternoon at a somber press conference to share their feelings about Jan. 27.

A year later, the thoughts that dominated the players’ minds are memories they hold onto tightly.

“You can’t help but think about it, because it was faces that we were so used to seeing,” Andre Williams said. “Like Nate (Fleming) hustling to shag balls, or Dan (Lawson) on the end of the bench smiling and laughing.

“We miss them every day.”

OSU will hold a moment of silence at halftime at the Colorado-OSU game Saturday, in what will surely be an emotional time for everyone associated with Cowboy basketball.

The university also plans to toll the Edmon Low Library bell 10 times at 6:37 p.m. Sunday to commemorate the exact moment of the crash.

“The anniversary date will be an emotionally challenging time for those closest to the victims, and the families have asked us not to plan a large-scale public ceremony,” said Halligan in a news release.

Echoing that sentiment, Victor Williams said it had been, and still is, difficult to concentrate on basketball.

“Any time you lose 10 people that were very close to you, like a family, you know it’s going to be a setback,” he said.

“You often think about it, but we have basketball games to play, and we have to concentrate on winning those.”

And playing basketball games was the task — however hard it was — that the Cowboys were faced with after the crash last winter.

Looking back, Sutton gave his players a great deal of credit for the way they responded after the incident, and said playing basketball was something he wasn’t sure they could do.

“I was really proud of the ballclub last year,” he said. “In the first few days after that accident, I wasn’t sure we could finish the season.

“They were really in shock and hurting, and the thing I tried to drive home to them was the fact that your teammates would want you to go on with your life and live every day as if it would be your last.

“To get through that season, I thought they really showed a lot of grit — a lot of character just to get in the NCAA tournament,” Sutton said.

With the anniversary nearing, the players are still calling on that grit to get them through each day.

“It’s been hard for all of us,” Victor Williams said. “We have a lot of mixed emotions about it.

“Sometimes it kind of drives you to play your best and sometimes you’re at home just thinking about it, and it kind of brings you down a little bit.”

Jönzén said it was remarkable to consider it has been a year since the tragedy.

“It’s kind of unbelievable to think it’s already been a year,” he said.

“It’s been a weird year, of course, for all of us. It’s been a difficult year; it’s been up and down.

“Especially playing Colorado, it’s going to be an emotional game, but we’re in the middle of the season and we’re focusing on basketball right now — so it’ll just be another game.”

OSU President James Halligan said written and floral tributes could be left at the Spirit Rider statue north of Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Nothing can zest up a news report more than another political espionage scandal involving the U.S. and China governments.

China discovered 27 listening devices, or bugs, in a Boeing 767 it bought for the personal use of its president, Jiang Zemin. Although the plane was used and had been in the hands of several companies that refurbished the plane, international finger-pointing has already begun.

Even with 20 Chinese army troops guarding the plane during its upgrades and refitting, somehow someone was able to bug the plane — and the story only gets better.

Originally, the plane belonged to a commercial airline and was then sold to a military-operated Chinese airline. It was then flown to Seattle for some initial work and then flown to San Antonio to be worked on by several other companies specializing in after-market plane upgrades. It was then flown back to China for testing, and that’s when the bugs were found. Somewhere in the middle were some other stops, but confirmation of the other stops is unavailable.

Reports describe the bugs as satellite-controlled and being more complex than those available commercially. This, of course, makes some U.S. agencies, like the FBI and the CIA, look suspicious. But they, of course, have held a strong and steady position of “no comment.”

Both the Department of State in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing had no comment about the incident. The White House had no comment, as well. Zemin was quoted as being “outraged” by the whole incident. All of this doesn’t add up to make an affable political climate.

A nice and affable political climate would be ideal, considering President George W. Bush is scheduled to attend a summit with Zemin next month in Beijing.

Although the bugs could have been planted by a number of organizations, companies or individuals, no matter what kind of spin is put on the situation, the United States looks suspicious, to say the least.

To top it all off, there was that other incident involving a Chinese fighter jet and a U.S. spy plane last April. Their jet crashed into our spy plane over the South China Sea. The jet pilot was killed, and the crew of our spy plane was held on a Chinese air force base as tension escalated between the two countries. Finally, our pilots were released after some tap dancing that could even impress Sammy Davis Jr.

So yet another blemish appears on the face of the United States to the Chinese government — only this blemish will probably leave a big scar.

As simple as it may be for our government to sit back and absolutely deny any involvement or offer no comment, it only makes us look guilty. However, there is a slight possibility the United States is innocent in this case, but it is a pretty slight chance.

Historically, our track record in the category of espionage is laughable, to put it nicely. We always seem to crash and get caught in the worst places imaginable and always come out looking like liars by the time the incidents end.

Although spying on both allies and enemies is a necessary evil, we should attempt to go about it with a little more stealth.

Getting caught red-handed in situations involving spies, shrouded secrecy can lead to poor political relations, but now with a war being waged against terrorism, we need more allies than enemies. It wouldn’t hurt to have China on our side.

Before America can take charge of the world and help lead every country to an ultimate goal of peace and global humanity, we have to stop using cold war tactics or stop getting caught.

There is comfort to be found in knowing for sure that you can trust your ally. But the cost of comfort is far more than the cost of losing that ally — especially an ally like China.

As a country the world looks up to in admiration and looks to for help, we should be more careful how we handle situations like this one. Our past experience was cause for suspicion already, but with another questionable one appearing not even an entire year later, a pattern begins to emerge.

If we want to stay on top as the leader of the free world, we need show that we are worthy of trust and do so by proving it to other nations and governments. Did you hear that, Big Brother?

Running a small business takes time and hard work, but some student entrepreneurs have taken on the challenge despite carrying a full load of classes.

“It’s hard sometimes,” said Annie Dibble, interior merchandising junior. “But I’m getting better at managing my time.”

Dibble said her store, Down Dog Designs, 503 S. Washington St., is her dream come true. The store sells a variety of vintage home decor items ranging from candles to furniture.

She said the business is primarily an extension of her hobby of collecting vintage accessories.

“I’m still trying to find out what direction I want to go in, and this has always been my dream — to have a small business,” she said.

A full load of classes can be stressful to juggle with the time commitment of a business, said Brian Robinson, apparel merchandising senior.

“It does inhibit your ability to perform at school,” Robinson said.

Robinson handled his own vintage clothing store, “B-line Galaxy,” as a full-time student for more than three years. Now a part-time student, Robinson has been able to dedicate more time to the store and has seen it double in size.

When Dibble’s store first opened, she would close for a few hours to go to class.

“To run a business, you really have to have normal hours,” Dibble said.

This semester, her classes are scheduled so she will not have to close the store.

Dibble said she did not take any business classes before opening the store, but her store has been a valuable educational experience for her.

“I have learned a lot about small business by jumping out and doing it,” she said.

Dibble said she learned the most from her mother, who also owned a store.

Most of her clientele is composed of college students, but she does have older customers as well. Many regular customers come in — some even once a week, she said.

“There’s not a store like it in Stillwater,” said customer Nicole Benskin.

Dibble said that after graduation, she wants to continue with the store but will first have to see how her finances and location work out.

“I want to work for a company first and get connections, then open a store later on,” she said.

The NFL Playoffs are starting to get interesting at just the right time.

Instead of the talk of the town dwelling on the Oklahoma State Cowboy’s severe lack of offense (or the more perplexing lack of defense), people are arguing over whether Tom Brady actually fumbled, why Brett Favre can’t play in 60-degree temperature and the great play of Donovan McNabb and Kordell Stewart.

Probably why no one is discussing the woes of Eddie Sutton’s club is because there are just too many questions and very few answers. There is so much mystery to the OSU men’s basketball team that it makes Jimmy Hoffa’s fate seem elementary.

At 15-3, there is much of the schedule remaining, including the Big 12 tournament, and plenty of time to play well, but the questions are mounting, and when it rains, it pours and it is a torrential downpour of queries in Stillwater right now.

Why is there no offensive production? Is is just as simple as there aren’t any scorers on the Cowboy team, or is it more complicated than that? Through victories over Cincinnati, Ball State, Arkansas, UMKC and the drubbing of countless cupcakes, the Cowboys were a completely different team. Against KU and Tech, the ball couldn’t even get down court before it was taken away for a layup. Three weeks ago, the Cowboys looked super-talented and full of confidence. Now, not much of either.

Is the injury of Maurice Baker still a factor in the embarrassments versus the Jayhawks and Raiders? Is Baker an athlete that hasn’t mentally overcome his groin muscle injury? Any time the Cowboys recently leading rebounder doesn’t even pull down one against a wannabe Tech team, a red flag should go up.

The most frustrating question for Oklahoma State is why no one is deciding to play defense. Against the Red Raiders, Andy Ellis (a Lubbock tribute to the athleticism of Frankenstein) looked like an All-Pro player with his 26 points and eight rebounds. An Eddie Sutton team that doesn’t play defense like this one hasn’t happened in 42 years of coaching.

The question of leadership has been the biggest one just after the Kansas game. In past, there has always been an on-the-court leader to get in the faces of other teammates. There was Desmond Mason in 2000, Brett Robisch in 1997 and plenty of players in 1995. Now, no one.

Another reason the follies of the once-elite basketball team aren’t discussed lies eight days away against surging bedlam rival and No. 6 Oklahoma.

There are other teams to worry about until then, however, starting with the 8-8 Cornhuskers Wednesday night. Besides playing Nebraska and Colorado this week, the players will also have to contend with the emotions of the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 27 crash, which now looks like a daunting task for these perplexing Pokes.

Brad Blood can be reached via e-mail at bradlgb@okstate.edu

Tales of Stillwater’s history and crime can be heard at the Stillwater Public Library at 7 p.m. today.

Mary Ellen Cooper, a local author, will give a lecture titled “Writing Murders — Past and Present” as part of the Stillwater Public Library’s series of eventsfor adults the fourth Tuesday of each month.

Cooper’s talk will give listeners background information about her books, as well as interesting facts about Stillwater crimes and mysteries.

Two of her books, “Unlikely Assassins” and “Fatal Trust,” have been optioned for television movies.

Fans can purchase her books at the library event, and she will be available for signing.