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TUESDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

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THANKSGIVING TRANSLATES INTO ISLAMIC TRADITION City Council to decide future of city’s parks

Muslim-Americans celebrate with feasting after fasting NATASHA GOODELL Daily Staff Writer

Many Muslim-Americans will fast Thursday in recognition of the Muslim day of Arafat and break the fast that evening with a Thanksgiving feast.

“My family is Muslim, but we are American as well, and as long as an American tradition does not require us to compromise our Islamic traditions, then we are as American as can be,” stated biochemistry and Arabic senior Ahmad Khattab in an e-mail. “For a Muslim family, Thanksgiving is like any other dinner, since we thank God for all our blessings every day.”

Khattab, president of the Muslim Student Association, said their prophet, Muhammad, told them the 10 days of Dhu’l-Hijjah are beloved to God and that God loves to see his creation praise him and do good deeds, whether they are small or big.

“For Muslims who will be fasting on that day, it’s going to be quite a satisfying Thanksgiving dinner, having fasted all day long,” he said.

The 10 days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, which began Nov. 18 and concludes Friday, goes by the lunar month cycle on the Islamic calendar.

“As a Muslim, I try my best to do good things, especially in these 10 days, because the reward is more than I would get on another normal day,” Khattab said.

The ninth day, Arafat, involves fasting and falls on Thanksgiving day this year.

“Muslims are only encouraged to do good and only encouraged to fast on the day of Arafat, so it is not a mandatory thing,” Khattab said.

Khattab said many Muslim-American families TRADITION CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

Plan includes new recreation center, improvements to park TROY WEATHERFORD Daily Staff Writer

JEREMY DICKIE/THE DAILY

Suhayb Anwar, microbiology junior, and Ahmad Khattab, biochemistry senior, pray Monday afternoon in the Reflection Room in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

Norman City Council will consider adopting the Norman Parks and Recreation Master Plan at its 6:30 meeting tonight.

If passed, the plan will serve as a blueprint for how the city will proceed with parks and recreation projects, Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal stated in an e-mail. “[The Norman Parks and Recreation Master Plan] establishes a vision and priorities for revitalizing and refurbishing our parks system,” Rosenthal said. “It helps us direct current resources toward those high-priority projects and gives us a sense of the overall needs of the parks system.”

If all elements of the plan are implemented, it will cost between $43.8 million and $73.5 million, according to a draft of the plan.

Halff Associates, an engineering and architecture consulting firm, created the plan at a cost of $98,000. It was formulated to address park and recreation needs until the year 2020, according to the draft.

COUNCIL CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

As football season goes, so International students maintain home connection with relatives, goes the campus economy Talks traditional meals help Students selling parking see drop in sales HILLARY ATKINSON Contributing Writer

The Sooners’ 6-5 record has cost Norman more than just another chance to be the home of a BCS bowl team. In a town where college football reigns supreme, when the team suffers, so does the town’s economy.

The Norman Visitor’s Bureau estimates that each OU home game brings in almost $9 million to the Norman community. With the team’s performance over the season, many local businesses are seeing a decrease in the volume of customers.

“It’s been a little bit slower on game day ... less traffic. We have noticed it a little bit but there’s been other factors too,” said Jerry Hatter, owner of Balfour on Campus Corner.

The Sooners have lost three more games already this season than all of last year, and their performance has affected the attendance at the games.

The Sooners’ season has also had a financial effect on students who sell parking in their yards.

Travis Harris and Inha Kang,

architecture seniors, live a block from the stadium and have frequently sold out their lawn in the past.

“Last season we used to sell out an hour before the game and now it’s like a struggle to sell half the parking,” Harris said.

The decrease in business has the roommates using creative tactics to find customers.

“Normally we make a funny sign,” Kang said. “Instead of $15, we put $14.95 and people just laugh at us. It’s a bargain!”

“She also gives free hugs,” Harris said of Kang.

Michael Hays and his roommates also sell parking on game days. Hays said he has noticed a decline in business.

“Earlier in the season, we were selling out our lawn about an hour before kickoff,” said Hays, a media arts senior. “But for homecoming, we had 10 fewer cars and decided to give up when the band took the field for pregame.

Our initial plan was to raise our parking price from $10 to $15, but it turned out that the traffic on Classen was noticeably slower.”

Hays also said they have regular customers for home games, but many of them have not been ECONOMY CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

students adjust CASEY PARVIN Daily Staff Writer

Editor’s Note: This is the seventh part in a series of stories chronicling international students in their experiences at OU and in the United States.

While settling into new lives in Norman can prove difficult for international students, sometimes figuring out how to keep in touch with loved ones back home overshadows the adjustment process.

Stela Molinero is an exchange student form Madrid, Spain, studying business administration.

Molinero will be at OU for a full year, but plans to travel back to Spain during winter break.

“OU wasn’t my first choice, but I got a scholarship here and I thought this would be a really safe place to be,” Molinero said.

To keep her relationships back home steady, Molinero talks to her parents, grandparents and boyfriend on the phone every day.

This is the first time Molinero and her boyfriend have been separated during their five-year relationship.

“I talk to everybody on the phone

so much, it doesn’t feel like I’ve been here longer than two weeks,” Molinero said. “I also use Facebook and Skype a lot.”

Skype is an internet-based service that allows users to talk, chat and video-conference for free.

Molinero said she misses the same things that other students miss the first time they are away from home, like her mother’s cooking.

Pilar Mediavilla is an exchange student from Cordoba, Spain, studying advertising. She lives with Molinero, but said she has different habits than Molinero for remembering loved ones.

“I’ve lived in the U.S. before and I always travel with the same pictures of family and friends,” Mediavilla said. “I also have boxes back home in Spain that represent each year. I fill each box with pictures and things that remind me of that year.”

Norman was not Mediavilla’s first choice either, but she is adjusting to the many different aspects of Oklahoma living.

“I did some research and saw that the school had a good football program and when a school has a good football team like the Sooners, the atmosphere is generally good too,” Mediavilla said. “Since I only talk to my parents once a week anyways, having to drive everywhere would

CAMPUS BRIEFS NAME OF MAN ARRESTED IN UNION FIGHT RELEASED Norman Police have released the name of one of the two men arrested at the Oklahoma Memorial Union Saturday evening.

According to the Norman Police report, Jobe Barker, 26, of Edmond, was arrested during a fight that took place inside and outside of the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

Barker is charged with public drunkenness, the report stated.

According to an OU Police report, more law enforcement agencies were involved than initially reported.

The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department and the Absentee Shawnee Tribal Police also helped control the large crowd and closed off streets around the union, the OU report stated.

FRESHMAN ARRESTED ON FELONY WARRANTS OU Police have arrested a University College freshman on multiple outstanding Cleveland County felony warrants.

According to Cleveland County court affidavits, Martaize K. Fails, 18, was arrested for one count of grand larceny, four counts of knowingly concealing stolen property, one count of possession of marijuana and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

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Stela Molinero, an international student from Madrid, Spain, stands in Dale Hall Monday. Molinero communicates with friends and family at home using Skype, Facebook and the phone. have to be the biggest adjustment.”

Petroleum engineering junior Docri Martins has been at OU three years and moved here from Luanda, Angola. Martins said she talks to her mother all the time, yet time zones are still a challenge to manage.

“My mom still sometimes forgets about the time change,” Martins CONNECTION CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

GRADUATE STUDENT SENATE TABLES LEGISLATION Fails allegedly hid property he allegedly stole from other OU students inside his dorm in McSpadden House of Cate Center, the affidavit stated.

Fails allegedly stole a backpack from Spence Courtney, University College freshman, in the Burger King in Adams Center in mid-October, the affidavit stated.

According to an OU Police report, Fails was identified on a security camera as the one who allegedly took the backpack with its contents valued at $1,705.

According to the affidavit, when Fails was contacted and asked to give up the backpack, he refused and was initially taken into custody Nov. 1.

While Fails was in the Cleveland County Detention Center, OU Police conducted a search of Fails’ dorm, the affidavit stated.

While in the room, OU Police found other allegedly stolen items reported missing by other University College freshmen living near Fails.

Fails will be arraigned Wednesday.

-Ricky Maranon/The Daily

© 2009 OU PUBLICATIONS BOARD

The legislation would suggest to the OU Board of Regents that “sexual orientation and gender identity” be added to OU’s nondiscrimination policy.

“We are not tabling this amendment to kill it, we are tabling it because we need just a little bit more time to consider some loopholes that could be present in the language in the bill right now,” said Arni Alvarez, chairman of the Senate human diversity committee.

Alvarez said the amendment would be available for consideration at the Senate’s next meeting Dec. 6.

“We want to make sure we get this right,” Graduate Student Senate Chairwoman Susan Adams-Johnson said. “We can’t just put simple language out there and hope things will be changed. We did that last time, and here we are again debating the issue all over again.”

Adams-Johnson said the bill is not going to be killed by tabling the legislation for another week.

“We are talking with experts, and we want to consider every angle,” she said.

-Ricky Maranon/The Daily

VOL. 95, NO. 68

2 Tuesday, November 24, 2009

OUDAILY.COM » GO ONLINE TO CATCH A VIDEO ABOUT THE ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL ASIAN OKLAHOMA NIGHT.

Meredith Moriak, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

Tradition Continued from page 1 celebrate Thanksgiving, including his family.

“I went to Hajj about three years ago,” he said.

“Hajj was like nothing I have ever experienced before. It was such a unifying experience for me, as well as every other Muslim that was there.”

Khattab said it was a unifying experience because there were millions of Muslims going to Mecca with the same intention: to please G od and ask him for forgiveness.

“Once in Mecca, everyone must dress the same way,” he said. “So whether you are rich or poor, black or white, European or African, you must wear the same thing as your fellow Muslim brother or sister.”

Omar Alamoudi, an international student from Saudi Arabia studying geophysics and mathematics, said he has been on Hajj three times.

“It was one of the best

experiences I ever had,” Alamoudi said.

He said his aunt lives in Mecca, so his experience was a little bit different from what other people would have experienced.

“Generally, these 10 days are among the best days throughout all of the year,” Alamoudi said.

Alamoudi said those people who don’t go or cannot afford to go to Mecca can still fast on the ninth day of the month, k n ow n a s t h e d ay o f Arafat. “ They have the reward of being forgiven for whatever they have done,” he said. “Muslims should spend their time within these 10 days, if they aren’t going to Hajj, praying, because these days are known as special days.”

Alamoudi said he will be celebrating Thanksgiving this year for the first time.

“I’m going to have dinner with a Muslim family,” he said. “I’ve never experienced it before, but I’ve heard about it a little bit from my friends.”

Council Continued from page 1 The plan is a step forward toward enhancing the quality of life for Norman citizens, Councilmember Carol Dillingham stated in an e-mail.

“The kinds of long range plans that we are working on now — parks, stormwater, greenways, trails, pavement management, the Porter [Avenue] corridor — all represent good progress toward organized thinking that will allow us to make data driven fiscal decisions,”

Economy Continued from page 1 showing up.

“The football team is very important to the city of Norman,” Hays said.

“It’s more than noticeable when they’re not doing well.”

Students have received e-mails from OU for the past three home games encouraging them to purchase tickets and support the Sooners.

Harris said he has noticed a difference in the atmosphere of Norman.

“Before the games,

Dillingham said.

Included in the plan is a history of Norman parks, reviews of all Norman parks, citizen survey results and recommendations for Norman Parks and Recreation facilities and projects.

A draft of the plan states the pools at Westwood Water Park are nearing the end of their expected life cycles.

Replacing them was rated a “very high” priority and would cost between $6 million and $12 million.

Westwood was rated “poor” for its water treatment, recirculation systems, pool structure and pool gutters.

typically there’s people everywhere, and now it’s like people aren’t showing up until just before the game, and they’re not sticking around after the game like they do normally,” Harris said.

Although the town seems to be a bit slower, to them some are expecting Saturday’s home game against Oklahoma State to bring a crowd to Norman. “ T h e r e ’s a l w a y s hope in the OSU game, though,” Hays said. “No matter what the records say, I feel like people will show up for that one.”

To address this, the plan proposes 13 different options, from renovating the pool to partnerships with local schools or Norman Regional Hospital to help pay building and operational fees.

Other “very high” priority projects include renovating parks, developing trails, building a new recreation center and acquiring land for parks and preserves. If all “very high priority” items were acted upon, it is estimated to cost between $26.5 million and $49.5 million.

Rosenthal said the plan does not adopt a specific funding strategy.

Connection Continued from page 1 said. “There is a seven-hour difference between us, and sometimes she calls me at 2 a.m. and wonders why I’m asleep.”

Martins said she also has three younger brothers she helped her mother raise.

“I talk to the 17-yearold mostly on Facebook,” Martins said. “If I want to talk to the younger boys (ages 14 and 9) then I have to call.”

Back in Angola, Martins would have Sunday brunch with other families. She said more than 300 people would

attend those brunches.

She and her roommate at OU, who is also from Angola, sometimes cook a traditional dinner to remind them of home.

The campus food proved difficult for Martins to adjust to, and at one point she had to be hospitalized. However, after the first six months of transition, Martins said she now feels comfortable in her Norman home.

“I don’t have a flag or anything like that up, just a lot of pictures in my room,” Martins said. “I still get to see my family over winter and summer breaks, so that is really nice.”

POLICE REPORTS The following is a list of arrests and citations, not convictions. The information given is compiled from the Norman Police Department and the OU Police Department. All those listed are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS Jobe Barker, 26, 900 Asp Ave., Saturday Christian Cordero Wrenn, 21, 900 Asp Ave., Saturday, also obstructing an officer and disturbing the peace

Ian S. Wright, 19, 100 Third St., Sunday, also molesting property, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and minor in possession of alcohol

PUBLIC INTOXICATION Brooke Taylor Collins, 20, 747 Asp Ave., Sunday, also interference with official process James Daniel Evans, 29, 2500 W. Main St., Sunday

Pete Kitsos, 18, West Third Street, Sunday, also minor in possession of alcohol and assault and battery of a police officer

Jason Robert Jamilkowski, 30, 100 W. Main St., Sunday Alan Jeff Scheeh, 18, Walker Center, Friday Kyle Wayne Vannguyen, 25, 1200 Westlawn Drive, Saturday Anthony Charles Pope, 26, Brooks Street and Classen Boulevard, Saturday

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Kristin Nicole Rains, 21, West Duffy Street, Saturday

East Rock Creek Road, Sunday Huw Matthew Jefferson, 39, Jenkins Avenue, Sunday Steven Bryce Minor, 36, 1200 E. Alameda St., Sunday Jason Wayne Voth, 33, 12th Avenue S.E., Saturday Travis Eugene Atkins, 27, 400 W. Boyd St., Thursday Randy Greg Miller, 28, Asp Avenue, Friday

Bree Harjo, 34, 300 Hal Muldrow Drive, Sunday

Kyle David Floyd, 25, 1200 Westlawn Drive, Saturday, also eluding a police officer

Jamie Raquel Hostetter, 27,

Ryan Anthony Remillard, 18,

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY

CAMPUS NOTES

The Daily has a long-standing commitment to serve readers by providing accurate coverage and analysis. Errors are corrected as they are identified. Readers should bring errors to the attention of the editorial board for further investigation.

The Daily draws all entries for Campus Notes from OUDaily.com’s comprehensive, campus-wide calendar.

To get your event noticed, visit OUDaily.com and fill out our user-friendly form under the calendar link.

Friday’s edition of The Daily incorrectly identified the women in a photo accompanying the ‘Twilight’ story. The women pictured are members of Delta Gamma and Delta Delta Delta sororities.

TODAY CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUS Christians on Campus will host a Bible study from noon to 12:45 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Traditions room.

CAREER SERVICES Career Services will host walk-in hours from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the Union.

Immediate Attention EXPERT CARE

At INTEGRIS Urgent Care, we specialize in the treatment of minor injury and illness such as:

-fever -nausea -sore throat -minor burns -minor orthopedic care Walk-Ins Welcome Two Full-Time Urgent Care Physicians (405) 573-5400 Monday - Saturday 8:00am to 7:00pm Sunday 8:00am to 2:00pm

500 W. Boyd St., Saturday, also transporting an open container of alcohol, minor in possession of alcohol and possession of a fake ID

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA Shelly Lee York, 36, 2200 Beaumont Drive, Sunday

Stefan Walschap, 20, 800 Elm Ave., Sunday

TRESPASSING Gerald Milton Vidal, 23, Traditions Square ApartmentsWest, Thursday, also soliciting without a permit

AGGRAVATED DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Robert Perry Moore, 21, 400 W. Boyd St., Sunday MUNICIPAL WARRANT Ryan Lee Morris, 29, East Alameda Street, Sunday

OUTRAGING PUBLIC DECENCY THROUGH A SEXUAL ACT William Gregory Bragg, 20, Oklahoma Memorial Union Parking Garage Level 2, Saturday, also possession and

consumption of alcohol by a minor, public intoxication and actual physical control of a motor vehicle while intoxicated Timothy Gregory Hubler, 20, Oklahoma Memorial Union Parking Garage Level 2, Saturday, also possession and consumption of alcohol by a minor, public intoxication and actual physical control of a motor vehicle while intoxicated COUNTY WARRANT Martaize K. Fails, 18, Cate Center- McSpadden House, Sunday

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Annelise Russell, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051

«FOOTBALL Go online over the break for a recap of Bedlam.

OUDAILY.COM

Cross country caps off season with NCAA Championships ANNELISE RUSSELL Daily Sports Editor

The OU cross countr y team Monday’s NCAA championships as the No. 16 team in the country and finished 12th out of the 31team field with 386 team points.

“I thought our performace today typified how competitively we have raced all year. Obviously this was the first time the team or any member of the team has been to the NCAA Championships,” said OU head coach Martin Smith in a press release.

Sophomore Kevin Schwab led the Sooners Monday with a 2nd place finish and an overall time of 30:34.7.

SOONER FOOTBALL PRACTICE NOTES Lepak to start at center against Oklahoma State Head coach Bob Stoops said junior offensive lineman Brian Lepak will start at center Saturday against the No. 12 Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Lepak is starting because freshman center Ben Habern will miss the rest of the season due to a broken fibula suffered in Saturday’s game at Texas Tech.

“Brian’s done a good job,” Stoops said. “He’s been an excellent team guy, really a sharp guy and we’re excited about – of course – having him here.”

Lepak is a walk-on lineman who transferred to OU prior to this season from Colorado State. Stoops said offensive linemen senior Trent Williams and sophomore Stephen Good will replace Lepak if he gets injured.

Junior Rob Sorrell finished close behind his teammate in 73rd with a time of 30:39.9.

Finishing off scoring for the Sooners were redheaded into shirt freshman Kevin Willis coming in at 105th and junior Clay Mayes who ended in up 143rd overall.

NCAA RESULTS The two runners were the 9th and 11th runners to finish out of Men’s Top Team Finishers: the Big 12. Bedlam rival No. 2 1. Oklahoma State Oklahoma State took the team 2. Oregon national title.

3. Alabama Smith said looking at the year 4. Northern Arizona as a whole, with so many young athletes, it is very exciting to Women’s Top Team Finishers: look toward the future.

1. Villanova This year’s roster had no se2. Florida State niors and will return all run3. Washingon ners for the 2010 cross country 4. Texas Tech season.

Sooners defending home win streak record Saturday The Sooners are putting their 29-game home winning streak on the line Saturday, and many players take pride in making sure the No. 12 Oklahoma State Cowboys do not end that streak.

“We just want to keep this streak alive,” senior offensive lineman Brian Simmons said. “I don’t want to end the streak on my turn. I hope it never ends.”

The last time OU lost at Owen Field was Sept. 3, 2005, against Texas Christian by the score of 17-10.

Seniors to play final home game this weekend

Sooners and Cowboys reverse roles The Sooners have been out of the top-25 rankings since the loss to Nebraska, and the Cowboys are sitting at No. 12.

The Sooners lost their starting quarterback and the nation’s best tight end. The Cowboys lost their starting running back and their quarterback sat out a game, but OSU replaced them with a back who has eclipsed 1,000 yards and a quarterback who stepped in to lead the team to a comeback win.

The roles have definitely been reversed.

Analysts have been raving about the Cowboys, citing their tremendous depth at most positions and—except for the two losses—consistent play on both sides of the ball. Some have even declared the Cowboys are no longer second fiddle to their in-state rival Sooners.

Saturday is OU’s chance to prove otherwise.

The Sooners are underdogs this year for Bedlam, sure. The Sooners may be fighting to finish

This football season is very strange for OU. So strange that, in my ways, it’s backward from the way things usually are.

I’m sure I don’t have to remind you, with Saturday’s loss to Texas Tech, OU now has five losses this season. It is easily the worst record in more than a decade under Stoops and equals the loss total of the Sooners’ previous two seasons combined.

This 2009 team has fallen a bit from national prestige.

JAMES On the opposite end, CORLEY O k l a h o ma St ate ha s never been higher. After starting this year ranked preseason No. 5, the Cowboys are 9-2. Despite injury issues and the loss of their star receiver, OSU has sailed to territory brand new to its program.

Going into Bedlam this weekend, the roles have been reversed.

The Sooners are fighting to stay above .500, and the Cowboys are seeking a spot in a major BCS bowl.

Saturday’s game against No. 12 Oklahoma State is the Sooners’ final home game of the season, which marks the final time OU seniors will take Owen field. The Sooners have 21 seniors in their lineup, and the underclassmen said they will be playing for those seniors.

“This is our last time we’ll ever walk on that field in pads – you know – with that said we’re excited about it,” senior offensive lineman Brian Simmons said.

Junior running back DeMarco Murray said he has become close to fellow running back senior Chris Brown and will play for him.

“I want to play hard for Chris,” Murray said. “He deserves this game more than anything. He’s been around here for four years, worked hard and I know he wants it more than anything.”

The last time the Sooners lost on Senior Day was in 2001 against the Cowboys.

in the middle of the Big 12’s bowleligible teams, sure. The Sooners may have stumbled a long way since the Texas game, sure. But now is the time to right the boat.

This year’s Bedlam game is perhaps the most interesting matchup in the series’ history. Oklahoma State is looking to prove it is no longer the forgotten little brother.

Oklahoma is looking to reassert itself as the dominant program in the state and salvage a rebuilding year. The usual roles for the teams have been switched.

Things will be different after Saturday’s game, no matter the outcome. Win, and the Sooners keep the Cowboys from BCS bowling and prove that no matter how far they might fall, they’re still on top in this state. Lose, and the Sooners give OSU the validity the Cowboys have been yearning for and will likely end the season before New Year’s Day. The season boils down to this game. The roles have been reversed this season, but they don’t have to stay that way.

Murray wishes he got more touches against Texas Tech Junior running back DeMarco Murray admits he was frustrated he only got 11 touches in OU’s 41-13 loss Saturday against Texas Tech. Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said two weeks ago he would like to get Murray between 20 and 25 touches per game.

“It was a little frustrating,” Murray said. “I thought I could have got the ball a little more, but [Texas Tech’s defense] just did a good job – you know – keying me.”

Murray’s 11 touches were made up of seven rushes for 14 yards and four receptions for 14 yards. In the Sooners’ last victory against Texas A&M on Nov. 14, he got 23 touches and gained 223 total yards.

–Jono Greco/The Daily

This weekend: OU v. Oklahoma State Saturday Oklahoma Memorial Stadium 11:30 a.m.

James Corley is a journalism senior.

THE OKLAHOMA DAILY

Sports

Staff Pick Results Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech (3) Texas vs. Kansas (10) Ohio State vs. Michigan Minnesota vs. (13) Iowa Mississippi vs. (8) LSU (14) Penn State vs. MSU (25) California vs. (17) Stanford Arizona vs. (11) Oregon

The Daily Consensus James Roth

Aaron Colen

Jono Greco

Steven Jones

Eric Dama

MJ Casiano

Annelise Russell

68-28

67-29

72-24

63-33

67-29

66-30

75-21

Texas Ohio State Iowa LSU Penn State California Oregon

Texas Ohio State Iowa Ole Miss Penn State California Oregon

OU

Texas Tech

Texas OU

Texas

OU

3

OU

Ohio State Ohio State Ohio State Iowa Iowa Iowa LSU LSU LSU

Penn State Penn State Penn State Stanford Stanford California Oregon Oregon Oregon Texas

Texas

Ohio State Iowa LSU Penn State Stanford Oregon Texas Tech

Texas Ohio State Iowa Ole Miss Penn State Stanford Oregon OU

OU Texas Ohio State Iowa LSU Penn State Stanford Oregon

4

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

COMMENT OF THE DAY »

Will Holland, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051

In response to Monday’s conversation on abortion, “What’s the right approach to abortion?”

YOU CAN COMMENT AT OUDAILY.COM

OUR VIEW

“Not that I don’t appreciate all perspectives on this issue, but when is a woman going to weigh in on this ‘abortion article series’ The Daily seems to be pursuing? As in most conversations about abortion, women’s voices are conspicuously silent in our campus

newspaper. I’m just plain tired of hearing men argue about a right they can’t exercise and about a situation that primarily affects a population they aren’t a member of. Say it with me: co-optation.

-JenniferC

STAFF COLUMN

Things we’re Despite missing football, thankful for study abroad worth it Here is a short list of some of the things we are thankful for this year.

No doubt, it’s been a tough year for some, but, as in years past, Thanksgiving 2009 will provide an opportunity to reflect on the good things in life.

So here’s what we’re grateful for.

Most students are finished enrolling for next semester with the newly implemented oZONE enrollment system, and, although it was not easy and sometimes frustrating, we got through it together.

The people working to enact the new system were also open to feedback and responsive to student complaints.

This football season is mercifully almost over, and the Sooner nation can collectively look forward to next year.

Head football coach Bob Stoops should be at OU for a while longer (we hope), and, in the mean time, we can enjoy NFL football on Thanksgiving and the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder is playing better in its second season than it did in its first.

Personally speaking, we are thankful we have been able to put out a paper each day, despite swine flu threatening the health of some Daily employees.

Student activism has seemed to be on the rise this semester, and we are happy to see that our generation is willing to be vocal about controversial issues, like abortion and the environment.

We don’t know how much longer traditional newspapers will survive (or if we’ll have journalism jobs when we get out of here), but we are thankful we are still going strong today.

We couldn’t do it without faithful readers or loyal advertisers, and we know it.

So this Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for all of the above and any of you who are reading this paper.

What are you thankful for? Let us know by commenting on this editorial online at OUDaily.com.

Editor’s Note: This column is part of The Daily’s seven-day series on students studying internationally, which ends today. See page 1 for today’s Culture Shock article.

Choosing to spend a semester at Middlesex University in north London was a tough decision to make last spring. Much of the difficulty was associated with my love for a certain athletic program for which MATT the university CARNEY is well known (hint: It’s the one where we’ve got more wins than anybody else in the modern era).

I would be forfeiting an entire season of tailgating, feeling superior to high school friends in Stillwater, possible road trips and the chance to watch gigantic men pummel each other on a weekly basis, to be replaced by plates of fish and chips and other stereotypical things British people like (Susan Boyle, the band Muse and Guy Ritchie films all immediately spring to mind).

Obviously there were important non-football variables that also factored into the decision.

Questions kept cropping up, like: Will this set me back from graduating?

Could I handle living in a foreign country?

Can I make it that long without my roommates/close friends/ family?

Long story short, I resolved to suck it up and take advantage of a rare opportunity to explore a place outside of America.

Now granted, they still speak English in England (scholars

maintain that the language may have originated there), and the countr y’s government pretty much gave birth to the U.S. But for a kid who’s spent about 95 percent of his life in Oklahoma, this was a big step.

“Cu l t u re s h o c k ” w o u l d n ’ t be the most accurate phrase t o d e s c r i b e my e x p e r i e n c e s in Europe’s largest Englishspeaking city, however. Culture shock happened when I went to Prague, in the Czech Republic, and Glastonbury (a little burb of 8,000, each speaking with an indecipherable accent and jargon) on the UK’s west coast.

W h a t I ’v e e x p e r i e n c e d i n London has proven to be my first encounter with truly urban life.

Greater London boasts between seven and eight million people, and the metropolitan area is estimated to be just less than twice that. My native Tulsa seems pretty miniscule now.

Riding the tube, falafel lunches in Leicester Square and walks along the Thames all remind me that I’m just one in a gazillion people getting by in this enormous place.

Sharing living space with locals has been interesting. I’ve found the English to be less dependent on mass media than your standard American college student.

Few of my classmates keep televisions in their rooms, and the one set in our lounge boasts five channels.

Cooking and conversation usurp the TV here, as well as the occasional trip to the pub where time becomes completely impossible to track, lost amongst old oak tables, comfy leather sofas and foamy pints of local brew.

It’s usually around this time that I catch a lot of lighthearted grief for being American. If it ever gets out of hand, I’m always sure

to play the “Oh-yeah-well-whatabout-1776-and-1812-huh?” card.

Every time it sparks an interesting conversation critiquing each culture, and we always answer at least two of the following questions: 1. You’re from a place near Texas? What are farms like?

2 . W h a t ’s t h e p o i n t o f a queen who’s nearly politically irrelevant?

3. You call it “soccer.” The rest of Earth calls it “football.” What’s up with that?

Of course, with the increase in population comes an increase in social opportunity.

Plays of all varieties run every night at Picadilly Circus and Covent Garden, and pubs, clubs and concert halls all hold their doors open well past the tube’s 1 a.m. closing time.

Trafalgar S quare is transformed at midnight into the city’s biggest nighttime bus stop. It’s as heavily foot-trafficked at three in the morning as the ensuing afternoon. Creepy drunks (and sometimes just creeps pretending to be drunks, as one discovers) hassle passersby for their pocket change while packs of girls in miniskirts and stilettos roam about in search of the next club.

That said, season tickets seem a manageable tradeoff for round trip plane fare and the chance to immerse oneself within a massive international city for nearly four months.

But don’t expect me to favor watching Premier League “Football” to finding an American sports bar where I can watch my beloved Sooners clobber OSU this weekend.

Some things will just never change.

Matt Carney is a history and professional writing junior. He is currently studying abroad in London.

STAFF COLUMN

Hollywood unfairly targets religion in movies, like ‘2012’ The movie “2012,” an all-out, physics defying, gratuitous festival of apocalyptic disaster, has been reviewed unfavorably thanks to its lack of plot.

It has also been objected to on the basis of the on screen bias in the destruction of Christian monuments; never mind the annihilation of entire continents and billions of people.

In the trailers, it shows SARAH the dramatic demolition ROSENCRANS of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel splitting and the crumbling of the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro.

The Muslim holy site, the Kaaba in Mecca, is shown intact, yet the destruction is only implied.

Catholic League President Bill Donohue, who regularly defends Catholic interests in the media, complains that, “When we got word recently that the movie ‘2012’ depicts the Vatican being blown up, along with the famous statue from Rio, Christ the Redeemer, we were unmoved. Why? Because this occurs during the end of the world in a massive destruction. This kind

of sensationalism, we reasoned, is standard fare for director Roland Emmerich: He is the guru of the ‘blow ‘em up’ genre of movies. But now we’ve learned that while Catholics get theirs, Muslims are spared.

Out of fear, of course.”

Donohue goes on to suggest Hollywood filmmakers have a bias against Catholics because they abuse Catholic images and characters so frequently on screen. This is problematic for Catholics because it implies that their faith is dependent on certain symbols, and they are not worthy of the same respect accorded to every other religion.

While anti-Catholic bias is not universal in Hollywood, it is still widely acceptable.

Hollywood walks a fine line between artistic license and gratuitous bigotry.

While the wholesale destruction shown on film implies that monuments of every religion and nation get destroyed, the ruin of the more famous ones has a greater visual impact.

It would be hard to get Americans, the majority of whom are Christians, to care about the destruction of Muslim, Jewish or Hindu monuments. Of course many would have sympathy for their friends of different religions, but the destruction of the symbols that are significant for you is

more poignant than the symbols of those that are foreign.

However, I suspect that the film’s director Roland Emmerich had motives that were less than elevated when he spared the Kaaba on screen. He commented, “I wanted to do that, I have to admit. You can actually let Christian symbols fall apart, but if you would do this with [an] Arab symbol, you would have … a fatwa.”

After the Mohammed cartoon controversy of 2005, he was probably being prudent. Muslims do not take even the imaginary destruction of their symbols lightly.

Some might say Emmerich is a coward, but I really cannot blame him.

However, Emmerich is not a friend of any religion. He says he is against organized religion, so destroying religious monuments may have been entertainment in his imagination.

But he is wrong to think that the destruction of Christian symbols would also mean the destruction of faith.

Any religion should be able to live beyond buildings and statues and the breakdown of natural and social order. If the believers are true, their faith will survive everything, even mass destruction and even the end of the world.

There is not any need to boycott the

T=: O@A6=DB6 D6>AN Jamie Hughes Editor-in-Chief Meredith Moriak Managing Editor Charles Ward Assistant Managing Editor Ricky Ly Night Editor Will Holland Opinion Editor Michelle Gray, Merrill Jones Photo Editors

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movie. The critical reviews will take care of that.

Hollywood has rarely been stellar in its depiction of religion though, which is usually as accurate as its physics. And it should be encouraged toward accurate depictions.

Catholics are not all guilt-ridden secret sinners bent on world domination. Jews are not all rich. Muslims are not all terrorists. Evangelicals are not all narrow-minded, nutty preachers in ‘80s suits.

However, that is the subject of another editorial.

The fact remains that Hollywood does not respect religion or religious people and still has to learn the fine line between taking artistic license and employing malicious mockery.

Regarding the end of the world: If you ask the Maya, no, the world is not going to end in 2012, as they do not use that calendar anymore.

In addition, the Bible itself declares that no one can know that date.

Enjoy the horror and special effects of “2012.” I will seek out lighter fare.

Sarah Rosencrans is a zoology and biomedical science senior.

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Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and should be fewer than 250 words, typed, double spaced and signed by the author(s). Letters will be cut to fit. Students must list their major and classification. OU staff and faculty must list their title. All letters must include a daytime phone number. Authors submitting letters in person must present photo identification.

Submit letters Sunday through Thursday, in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters can also be submitted via e-mail to dailyopinion@ ou.edu.

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The board meets Sunday through Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in 160 Copeland Hall.

Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 5

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PLACE AN AD Phone: 405-325-2521 E-mail: classifieds@ou.edu

Fax: 405-325-7517 Campus Address: COH 149A

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Lost & Found

HELP WANTED

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Employment HELP WANTED Want to enjoy luxury Holidays & more CASH each week?

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(Cost = Days x # lines x $/line) 1 day ..................$4.25/line 2 days ................$2.50/line 3-4 days.............$2.00/line 5-9 days.............$1.50/line

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Part-Time College and Young Adult Coordinator Needed. College and Young Adult Coordinator needed for a large church located near the University of Oklahoma in Norman. This individual will guide and develop small groups of people primarily in their 20’s into a closer relationship with God. Please send resume to rwade@mcfarlinumc.org or PO Box 6390 Norman, OK 73070 att Randy Wade.

The Cleveland County Family YMCA is seeking AM Lifeguard and PM Swim Instructors. Apply in person at 1350 Lexington Ave. EOE.

CHRISTMAS BREAK JOBS Not going home for the holidays? The C Lazy U Guest Ranch in the Colorado Rockies has positions available from Dec 19 thru Jan 3 - after Jan 3, you are welcome to stay w/ free room & board, to ski & snowboard the local resorts for 5 days.

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Hiring Leasing Agent Immediately Large apt complex seeking responsible student P/T & Sat, exible schedule, F/T during breaks. $7.50 - $8.50 based on ability. 613-5268

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Taylor Ridge Townhomes 2 Bdrm, 2.5 Bath, Fully Renovated Townhomes near OU! Pets Welcome! • Call for current rates and Move-in Specials!!!

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APTS. UNFURNISHED WINTER SPECIAL! NEAR OU, 1012 S College $295/mo. 360-2873 / 306-1970.

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HOUSES UNFURNISHED 4 BDRM, 2 Bath, walking distance to campus, kitchen appl incld, w/d, pets OK. Avail Jan 1 - Call 826-1335.

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Help Wanted ads in The Oklahoma Daily are not to separate as to gender. Advertisers may not discriminate in employment ads based on race, color, religion or gender unless such qualifying factors are essential to a given position.

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All ads are subject to acceptance by The Oklahoma Daily. Ad acceptance may be re-evaluated at any time.

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Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker November 24, 2009

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009 SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- If you discover that your leadership qualities are not of the caliber that inspires others to follow your directives, stop calling the shots and let everyone do things their way.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- A good partnership could fizzle if you and your counterpart can’t come to a mutual agreement about something stupid and unimportant. Get your heads back on straight.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Watch out for an arrangement if you see that, on the one hand, it seems like a bargain and on the other, it is turning out to be more costly than expected. Stop and reassess everything.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -You’re generally good at sensing the moods and needs of others.

If you recognize these attributes aren’t working or functioning well, don’t make any judgment calls at this time.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Should you decide to spend time with friends, let go and enjoy yourself instead of thinking about unfinished business. You’ll make up for it later.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- If you have to work with a firm about which you’re totally unfamiliar, don’t take any verbal commitments for granted. Get everything in writing, with guarantees and warranties.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- You could be lucky, but not with frivolous things. If you find that you’re not having any fun, change your objectives and focus all your attention on practical endeavors and useful projects.

Previous Answers

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The Oklahoma Daily will not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religious preference, national origin or sexual orientation. Violations of this policy should be reported to The Oklahoma Daily Business Office at 325-2521.

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Now hiring part time night cooks. Must be 21. Apply in person. 1101 Elm St. 3642530.

The Oklahoma Daily is responsible for one day’s incorrect advertising.

If your ad appears incorrectly, or if you wish to cancel your ad call 3252521, before the deadline for cancellation in the next issue. Errors not the fault of the advertiser will be adjusted. Refunds will not be issued for late cancellations.

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Everything should continue to go well if you continue along the regular route or course of action. Problems could pop up when you decide to veer off the main road.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Success will be elusive if you let negative thoughts eradicate your beliefs and self-esteem.

Unfortunately, you could have a difficult time keeping a positive attitude.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -Handle workers and colleagues with politeness and respect.

Should you become picky or demanding, you’ll unsettle them, causing their quality of work to suffer.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -Don’t let jealousy create a situation that pits two friends against each other. You will just create an unpleasant atmosphere that will break up the entire group.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- You have good potential for adding to your resources, but unfortunately, you also will have a powerful extravagant streak that might cause you to spend more than you make.

ACROSS 1 America’s bird 6 Bone under a bracelet 10 Farm soil 14 Sagacious sorts 15 Lowest high tide 16 Barney’s boss 17 Magical phrase 19 Adjusts for romantic effect, as lights 20 Sight from Turkey 21 Daring deed 23 Beefeater product 24 Uneducated guess 26 French painter Rousseau 27 Uneaten morsels 29 Kind of furniture 32 “Gimme a ___�

33 False front?

36 “American Pie� destination 38 Magical phrase 41 Wrap brand 42 Crunch producer 45 ___-letter days 48 Undergrad course, briefly 50 Ogler 51 Rinse out 53 Electrolocation users

56 The three little kittens’ reward 57 Site of many a protest 60 Ring-tailed animals 62 Patina, essentially 63 Magical phrase 66 A Great Lake 67 Speedy breed of steed, for short 68 Certain abstract paintings 69 100 cents, in Cape Town 70 “I ___ man with seven ...�

71 “Harper Valley P.T.A.� singer Jeannie C. ___ DOWN 1 Massage target?

2 Helpers from abroad 3 Hot health drink 4 Air bag, of a sort 5 Apostrophe followers, often 6 Click open 7 Where cattle graze 8 Moniker 9 Point of culmination 10 It may be found in a stew 11 Latke ingredients 12 Venerate

13 Involving otherworldly practices 18 “___ a Peach�

(Allman Brothers album) 22 “Friends� character 23 Red state grp.

25 Skier’s asset 28 Backups 30 “The Splendid Splinter�

Williams 31 “Ghostbusters� director Reitman 34 Sunlight blockers 35 What some use to ply their craft?

37 Scottish tongue 39 Archipelago part

40 Anomalous 43 Time off 44 “But I heard him exclaim, ___ he drove ...�

45 Illicit smoke 46 City southwest of Ithaca 47 Capital on the River Liffey 49 “Iliad� wife 52 Broke, in a sense 54 El, pluralized 55 Flavor 58 “Rolez� watch, e.g.

59 Days of ___ 61 African antelope 64 Animal known for its righting reflex 65 Rooting section?

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

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POOF! by Louis Lampley

6

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Cassie Rhea Little, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 325-5189 • fax: 325-6051

« NEW MUSIC OUDAILY.COM Read about and listen to some of this week’s new music releases online.

‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ an animated jewel There’s a common criticism of Wes Anderson’s films — they’re all hopelessly twee mope-fests filled with characters who get by on their ironic selfreferential quips a n d f at h e r i s sues. Anderson’s visual panache DUSTY aside, the critiSOMERS cism sticks, and I say that as an admirer.

But rather than switch things up, Anderson cleverly twists his own tendencies with his latest, “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” a delightful piece of stopmotion animation that hilariously transposes the Anderson archetypes to a pack of wild animals.

Loosely based on the Roald Dahl novel, “Fox” is Anderson’s best film since “Rushmore” and is packed with inventive sight gags, appealingly rudimentary animation and a quick dry wit.

Mr. Fox (voice of G e orge Clooney, “The Men Who Stare at Goats”) is a simple chicken thief, but when his escapades land him and his sweetheart, Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep, “Julie and Julia”) in hot water, she convinces him to go straight.

Flash forward a few years later, and Mr. Fox is a respectable newspaper columnist, and he and the missus have a son, Ash (the pitch-perfectly morose Jason Schwartzman, “Funny People”).

The Foxes are an upwardly mobile pack of animals, and Mr. Fox is eager to move the family into a

new, spacious tree, despite the admonitions of his lawyer, Badger (Bill Murray, “Zombieland”). The tree is in a bad part of town for foxes, thanks to the presence of farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean, but Mr. Fox persists and lands his dream house.

Mr. Fox begins to grow tired of the respectable life, so he launches one last exploit to knock off the three farms, and he enlists nervous opossum Kylie (Wally Wolodarsky, “The Darjeeling Limited”) and Kristofferson as accomplices.

Inadvertently, he touches off a major turf war with the heavily armed farmers, and it threatens to disrupt the lives of the entire animal community.

The screenplay, which Anderson co-wrote with fellow filmmaker

Noah Baumbach (“Margot at the Wedding”), expands on the Dahl story, and while it covers a lot of familiar ground for Anderson, the very fact that his typical characters are animals here lends an undercutting ironic edge to his tendencies that make them all the more enjoyable.

Mr. Fox is effortlessly debonair, Ash longs for his father’s approval, Kylie is insecure and unsure of himself — all are comfortable fits inside the Anderson universe, but several abrupt moments of amusing savagery remind us that these are wild beasts.

The fairly action-packed adventure story is punctuated by off-kilter moments, such as a switchblade-carrying rat (Willem Dafoe, “Antichrist”) and a farmer’s

assistant named Petey (musician Jarvis Cocker) launching into an entertainingly descriptive song about the film’s events.

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” takes itself seriously enough to achieve some remarkably sublime moments, but not too seriously to become an esoteric animation exercise for Anderson that would leave kids bored and adults scratching their heads.

It works on a number of levels, and in a weak year for film in general, “Fox” is just the latest in a series of brilliant animated movies this year that includes “Coraline” and “Up.” It may be the most fun of them all.

Dusty Somers is a journalism senior.

HOW TO COOK A TURKEY Cooking a large bird can seem intimidating, but Marilyn Zunwalt, retired dietitian for Griffin Memorial Hospital and the J.D. McCarty Center, gives easy-to-make instructions for cooking the Thanksgiving staple.

STEP ONE: PICK A TURKEY AND THAW • Turkeys come in a number of sizes ranging from 6-24 pounds.

• Divide the number of pounds your turkey weighs by two for the number of pounds of actual meat you will get. For example: if you buy an eight pound turkey, you will get four pounds of meat from that turkey.

• Thaw the turkey completely in the refrigerator; it takes approximately three to four days to completely thaw.

• You should not take the turkey out of the refrigerator the night before the meal and leave it on the counter, as it will be exposed to too much bacteria.

STEP TWO: PREPARATION OF THE TURKEY Things you will need: Turkey, salt and pepper, butter, pan with sides (for overflowing juices), aluminum foil, meat thermometer (heat inside of turkey until it reaches 180 degrees).

• Salt and pepper the outside and inside of the turkey.

• Baste the turkey with melted butter.

• Now your turkey is ready to bake.

MAKE THE SEASON MERRY. Ring in the holidays with apps, games and music for more than 50 phones.

STEP THREE: COOK THE TURKEY • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Cook turkey for one hour on 350 degrees, and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees for the remaining time.

• Cover the turkey with foil to keep it from getting too brown.

• See turkey for roasting times.

-Hannah Rieger/Contributing Writer

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