Students at AOA 2005 Optometry's
Meeting in Dallas
NSUOCO students
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.
NSUOCO students at Billy
Bob's during the AOA 2005 Optometry's Meeting