OU’s women’s basketball team hosts Missouri Saturday (page 6) The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
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tobacco ban
Fallin douses designated smoking areas Executive order will ban all tobacco products on state-owned, state-leased property July 1 CHASE COOK
Managing Editor
OU President David Boren’s hopes for designated smoking areas on the Norman campus were extinguished Monday by an executive order from Gov. Mary Fallin. By putting her signature to Executive Order 2012-01, Fallin banned the use of all tobacco products on “all properties
owned, leased or contracted” by the State of Oklahoma, including all buildings, land and vehicles owned, according to the executive order. All OU campuses will be expected to comply with the ban, which will force OU administrators to draft a new smoking policy before the OU Board of Regents hold their next meetings March 28 and 29 in Norman.
When the revised ban is presented to the Regents, it will be the second time in as many meetings that a tobacco ban has been addressed. The Regents voted unanimously on Jan. 25 at the OU Health Sciences Center to adopt a ban which allowed two designated smoking areas on campus. With the passage of Fallin’s order, all OU campuses, which fall under the heading of state-owned or state-leased see TOBACCO paGe 2
UPDATE campuswide tobacco ban Background: The OU Board of Regents approved a tobacco ban that limited tobacco use to two designated smoking areas on campus. What’s new: Gov. Mary Fallin signed an executive order banning tobacco use on all state-owned and stateleased property. This order
supersedes OU’s decision. What’s next: OU must submit an amended policy to the OU Board of Regents that won’t feature designated smoking areas. The university can’t allow the smoking areas due to Fallin’s decision. Source: OU Daily archives
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StUDent LIFe
Policy may cut medical benefits Faculty, staff would retire later with less coverage SEAN LAWSON
Campus Reporter
pHoto iLLustration By riCardo patino/tHe daiLy
Aubrey Willis, mechanical engineering sophomore, and his daughter, Jayla, pose Thursday in the Bizzell Memorial Library. He and Jayla’s mother, a Rose State College student, have to balance their parental responsibilities with their school responsibilities.
First steps into parenthood Club assists students making transition to being parents JAKE MORGAN
Campus Reporter
Holding his newborn child for the first time, an OU mechanical engineering student could barely express his mixture of shock and joy. “It definitely felt like a dream,” sophomore Aubrey Willis said. Having clocked a solid month as father of baby Jayla Marie, Willis joins the ranks of student parents who make up E-Moms and Dads, an organization dedicated to helping find the delicate balance between a life of academia and parenthood. Susana Rodriguez, president of E-Moms and Dads, said the organization coalesced two years ago because of the lack of groups
geared toward student parents. “The goal is to at least have a support system around campus,” Rodriguez said. “It’s fun, [but] the only thing is that sometimes ... the parents are so busy.” This Friday, E-Moms and Dads will welcome Willis as a new parent. “We want to give them information about housing, help from Oklahoma Department of Human Services and other resources,” Vice President Diana Lucero said. “It’s not like they’re going to know everything about being a student parent.” Willis said there is much to gain from this resource. “They have an insight that you don’t have yet, and I think it’ll
AT A GLANCE e-Moms and Dads The organization, which formed two years ago, is dedicated to assisting student parents at OU manage the sometimes-conflicting responsibilities of schoolwork and parenthood.
only make it easier,” Willis said. Approximately 10 families participate in the organization, but Rodriguez said more families are hard to find because OU doesn’t keep a register of student parents. Although their schedules overflow with an array of parental and
academic duties, the parents arrange movie nights, kite-flying days and other kid-friendly activities, Rodriguez said. “One time ... we had [human services] speak with the parents and give them resources,” Rodriguez said. “One thing we want to implement is a group day care system. If one of us needs to study, we trust each other to watch over our children while we work.” Because students’ hours vary significantly, it can be difficult to arrange day care for children, Lucero said. The life of a student parent requires stringent organization. As a parent herself, Rodriguez see PARENT paGe 2
OU Human Resources is recommending a new retirement medical benefit plan that could decrease the amount of medical care covered beginning January 2016. The department discussed changes at a town hall meeting Thursday in Oklahoma Memorial U n i o n ’s M e a c h a m Auditorium. The cur rent retiree guidelines state once an employee has reached the proper prerequisites for retirement, OU will subsidize 100 percent of medical costs, said Julius Hilburn, associate vice president and chief human resources officer. The new policy, which will be submitted to OU President David Boren in March, aims to cut that subsidy to between 55 and 95 percent, Hilburn said. Coverage would depend on length of employment and age, and no one would be eligible until age 55. “We are trying to create a system that spreads the impact of change more evenly across the affected employees to create the fairest possible situation,” Hilburn said. While benefit restructuring is necessary in the long run due to financial issues, many staff members will accept the changes grudgingly, Staff Senate Chairwoman Fran Stephens said. “For the most part I think the staff is accepting that change in the benefits policy is unavoidable,” Stephens said. “But I’ve heard some comments that employees who have see BENEFITS paGe 2
opInIon VOL. 97, NO. 98
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The Daily’s open record requests
Fallin’s ban on tobacco won’t help end smoking
Requested document and purpose
Oklahoma has a right to be concerned about health, but that doesn’t mean it can take away citizens’ rights. (page 3)
noW onLIne at
LIFe & artS
Legacy of St. Valentine not embodied by holiday
Wilkinson’s book falls short of connection
So celebrate St. Valentine’s story right by treating your loved ones like your valentine every day of the year. (Life & arts)
Jay Wilkinson’s compilation of letters from his father makes for an uplifting read but leaves much to be desired. (page 5)
niKKi seLF/tHe daiLy
Drama junior Laurel Sein, as Queen Elizabeth, kisses drama sophomore Kyle Whalen, as the Earl of Leicester, in a scene in “Mary Stuart.” The play is the first OU school of drama production to open this semester. (page 5)
Date requested
oU’s most recent contracts with Sbarro and Wendy’s — To learn more about the terms and conditions of those contracts.
Wednesday
Spending records for UoSa, campus activities council, Graduate Student Senate and Student congress for the past three academic years —To monitor purchases and allocations made by four branches of UOSA.
Wednesday
cleveland county Health Department inspection reports of private food service groups that serve the 22 oU greek houses — To ensure private food service contractors are complying with state food service codes.
Wednesday