University of Oklahoma - Sooner Yearbook (Norman, OK)

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I3 Y I Y I 5 a fl f i V I 1 G 7 1' pull! Y L EP' 1 :Fl My ' x- 'Irv K 7-Q ld 41 'x .1 KEN STRONG - 21

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For blind student Ken Strong life is lived to the fullest extent When one thinks of blindness, he thinks of all the negative aspects first, all the things that can't be done. For Ken Strong, it is just the opposite, he thinks of all the things he can do and then does them. I try not to lean on my handicap, and I don't let it keep me from doing the things I want to do, Strong says. If I wanted to, I could shut myself in and hide from life, but I want to live my life to the fullest possible extent. Strong is a senior sociology major and plans to go into seminary after graduating. He loves school here at OU but says at times he does get frustrated. It is frustrating when I have a class in which the instructor spends a lot of time Writing on the board instead of lecturing directly to the class, Strong says. When it comes time to take exams, Strong takes his in three different ways depending on the instructor. Some are given orally, others he takes on a regular or Braille typewriter. When Strong isn't studying, he likes to go to the OU sporting events with friends. I have made so many friends since I have been here, and they treat me like I am no differ- ent than they are. Sometimes they even forget I trynot to lean on my handicap, and I don 't let it keep me from doing the things I want to do. I could shut myselfin and hide from life, but I Want to live my life to the fullest possible extent. friends, and most of all I have God, and he makes it all complete. - Cindy Whitman 20 - KEN STRONG that I am blind, Strong says. While most people tend to think of the nega- tive aspects of blindness at first, Strong doesn't think of them at all. There are occasional frus- trations, but they are small compared to all I receive from life, he says. If I had the chance to change my life in any way, I can honestly say that there isn't anything that I would really care to change. School is going well, I have great IfIhad the chance to change my life in any way, I can honestly say that there isn 't an ythingl would really care to change. ' Right: Ken Strong at his studies.

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Engineers put learning to use Projects sh ow stud en ts learn by solving problems Engineering at the University of Oklahoma is not all calculators and graph paper. Engineering students proved that this year. Projects reanged from a robot that will probably become a metal diplomat for OU, to a machine which helps blind dia- betes patients determine the level of sugar in their urine. The Audio Glucose Tape Tester, built by two OU electrical engineering seniors, performs the important function of read- ing the level of sugar in a diabetes patient and determining if the level is safe or dan- gerous. Formerly, the level of glucose could be determined by blind patients only with the help of another person. With the help of the machine, the patient can become more independent. A test tape in a specially designed slide is inserted into the tester and the audio tester then reads the tape. It remains silent if there is no sugar in the urine. If there is one-tenth percent sugar, the machine will beep once. As the percent- age rises, the machine beeps more often. The idea behind the machine and other projects developed by student engineers is simply to enable handicapped persons to become more self-sufficient. Other OU engineers worked on improv- ing the self-sufficiency of a metal friend of theirs. Talos is a robot built 18 years ago by Iohn Fagan, associate dean of the College of Engineering and a friend for a high school science fair. , Now Talos' components have been updated. To humans that might be like having an overall insides transplant. To Talos, it means getting oscillating blue eyes, solid state components and a micro- processor that gives him the ability to receive a rudimentary command and carry it through. The 5-foot-2, eyes of blue robot is expected to become an ambassador for the OU College of Engineering, not only becaiise robots are a rare and interesting breed, but because he shows that OU 22 ENGINEERS N OA Talos the metal diplomat. engineering students can use what they are learning in the classroom to solve real problems. And anyway, isn't that what college is all about?