NSUOCO OSA Activities

Big-Lil' Picnic
The Big-Lil' Picnic is a casual get-together for first and second year optometry students. This picnic is a great opportunity for the second year students to spend some quality time with the first year students before school starts.

Cookout at the Dean's
The Dean's cookout is an annual event for all optometry students and faculty where the new incoming first years are the guests of honor. It gives them a chance to get to know some of the current students and see how great it is to be a part of such a unique optometry program.

White Coat Ceremony
The Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry recently started a new tradition in November of 2005 for the second year optometry students. The white coat ceremony is a special event that recognizes the transition from students to clinicians as the second year optometry students begin seeing their own patients during the spring semester. The ceremony is very meaningful to each student as they are presented with a new white coat before all their friends, family, classmates, faculty, and staff. The embroidered white coats and the following reception are all sponsored by Essilor and Alcon.

Annual Float Trip
The annual float trip is an all school event that takes place after the first week of school. Optometry students, faculty and staff bring their family and friends to share a fun-filled day floating the Illinois River in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Intramural Sports
Intramural sports are a great way for busy optometry students to spend some time outdoors and away from their books. Each class enjoys creating team names as they participate in such sports as football, soccer and sand volleyball in the fall; then basketball, indoor volleyball and softball in the spring. Intramural sports are just as much fun to watch as they are to participate in!

Optometric Classic
The Optometric Classic is a 5K run/walk hosted by students from the Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry (NSUOCO). The race is a fundraiser for the OSA, where the proceeds help raise money for "points" given to students and to help with travel grants for national conventions. The race takes place in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and is open to anyone interested. The entry fee is $15 which includes a t-shirt and beverages after the race. The event usually draws 150-200 runners from the area, some of which run competitively, others for recreation. The event is sanctioned and cetified by the USA track and field commission.

Golf Tournament
The NSUOCO Chapter of the American Optometric Association (AOSA) holds an annual student golf tournament every fall to help raise funds for students attending the AOA/AOSA National Optometric Conference. The conference is an excellent opportunity for students to hear nationally renowned speakers, interact with other students from across the nation, meet with vendors of optometric equipment and services, and possibly discuss practice opportunities. The golf tournament is open to any contributing company representative, optometry students, family of students, faculty of NSUOCO, and doctors. The cost of the tournament is $50.00 per person ($35.00 for students), this includes green fee, cart, beverages, lunch, and prizes.

Eye Ball
The Eye Ball is an annual optometry awards banquet welcome to students, faculty and staff, as well as their family and friends. The event also hosts a delicious dinner followed by music and dancing. It is also a chance to say our farewells to our outstanding graduating doctors.

Special Olympics
The purpose of Special Olympics-Lions Club International Opening Eyes is to provide thorough, thoughtful eye care to individuals of all ages who are diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. This is an exciting opportunity that NSUOCO students and faculty look forward to participating in each year. The event takes place in Stillwater, Oklahoma shortly after the spring semester ends. Optometric students and doctors volunteer their time to help with vision screenings, eye exams, and the making and dispensing of new glasses, if needed, for each athlete. Essilor International and The Sàfilo Group are generous donors of ophthalmic lenses and eyewear for this life-changing event. Learn more by clicking here.

Mission Trips
NSUOCO students and faculty, especially Dr. DeRosier, Dr. Maples, and Dr. Thoden, have shown how mission trips are an important aspect of one's optometric career. The trips are coordinated through AMOR mission group, which is headquartered in Manaus, Brazil. The mission trips usually take place during May or June, where each trip lasts 12 to 14 days including travel time. The entire crew, consisting of general medicine, optometry, dentistry, pharmacy, VBS, and construction, usually visits two or three villages along the Amazon River of Brazil. Sometimes the same villages are visited in consecutive trips to offer encouragement to the people and their newly founded churches. Hundreds of people are served in all health care disciplines, churches are bulit, homes are repaired, and the Gospel is spread through VBS, church services, witnessing, and the acts of service and love shared with these people in need. The following websites offer more information about the NSUOCO mission trips.
http://www.amor-brazil.org/
http://www.intellex.com/~firstluth/brazil/

"It is nothing short of a miracle to witness how these people live. Their priorities of family commitment are where ours should be. We saved many people while we were there and spread the word of the Lord to many people whom otherwise would be unaware of Jesus Christ...To serve the Lord is the best thing that we can do, and ultimately is the real reason that we are on this earth."
-Nolan Riley
Class of 2006

Bible Study
In the fall of 2004, an exciting new bible study was created for all NSUOCO women. They meet each week at a different girl's home for a time of fun and fellowship. The bible study has been a positive experience for all participants, allowing a strengthening of faith during the busy school year. The girls look forward to this wonderful hour of worship, reading scripture, and helping each other learn more and more about Christianity and deepening a relationship with God.