Wednesday, February 29, 2012

What tops your gaming list? ‘Black Ops’ takes Guinness record (page 9) The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

W E D N E s DaY, F E B Rua R Y 2 9 , 2 012

W W W.O U DA I LY.C O M

2 011 G OL D C ROW N F I N A L I S T

CitY of norman

epa to reassess tap water standards City officials prompt review after alleged unsafe levels of chemical in water MARK SIMPSON Campus Reporter

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday a schedule to reevaluate standards for chromium-6 levels in drinking water, a chemical reported in high levels in Norman in December 2011.

The Environmental Working Group released a 2011 report claiming aquifers that supply Norman and 34 other

U.S. cities with water were contaminated above safe levels with chromium-6, a heavy metal linked to cancer.

The group is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. specializing in research and advocacy, according to its website.

The tests conducted in 2010 showed the level of chromium-6 in Norman’s tap water at 12.90 parts per billion, the highest among the 35 cities included in tests.

Current federal regulations state chromium-6 is safe to drink up to 100 parts per billion, according to the EPA. The EPA begin drafting their evaluation this year and will a complete a final

correcTIon

version in 2015, according to its website.

The evaluation will take so long because of the scientific testing required and the lack of resources at the agency, Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal said.

The agency originally expected to have the study done by 2011, but it is going to put it through a heavy review process, which will take time.

Rosenthal and City Manager Steve Lewis also created an independent group to investigate the issue, authorizing the utilities department to purchase new equipment and increase the frequency

15

Of the 35 U.S. cities tested by the Environmental Working Group, these five yielded the highest levels of chromium-6. Norman’s parts per billion (ppb) of 12.9 is more than 200 times California’s proposed safe limit.

12 9

Source: EWG.org

6 3 0

Norman

Honolulu

see WATER paGe 2

Campus poLiCe

Hundreds gather to challenge Personhood bill HILLARY MCLAIN

• The story was incorrectly edited to say saturday was the 35th annual stompdown competition, however the event is in its 30th year. The regional step competition is held as part of the Big 12 conference on Black student Government, which is in its 35th year.

• The story said 300 people attended, a number given to The daily by a stompdown crew member. nearly 2,500 people attended the event, martin said.

• The corresponding photo on page a5 misidentified the fraternity members.

The men pictured are in Iota phi Theta.

• The women of OU’s alpha Kappa alpha chapter were incorrectly referred to as alphas on second reference. In reference to national pan-Hellenic council greeks, the men of alpha phi alpha are referred to as alphas. The women of alpha Kappa alpha are called aKas or Ks, martin said.

San Jose, Calif.

Rally protests debated bill

In monday’s edition, there were several fact errors in a page a1 story, “sooners stomp the competition,” and the following corrections and clarifications must be made:

• The Stompdown competition was hosted by both the ou Black student association and the national pan-Hellenic council, martin said.

Madison, Wis.

women’s HeaLtH

The Oklahoma Daily has a commitment to serve readers with accurate coverage and analysis.

Readers should bring errors to The Daily’s attention by emailing dailynews@ou.edu.

• The story reported four sororities and five fraternities participated in the competition.

Three sororities and six fraternities competed, stompdown chairwoman onisia martin said. stompdown vice chairwoman Brittany Taylor told The daily nine sororities and fraternities participated. The reporter incorrectly counted a sorority as a fraternity.

Riverside, Calif.

Campus Reporter

pHoTos By nIKKI seLF/THe daILy

Explosive detecting dog Caesar, a 14-month-old German shepherd, sniffs a water fountain in search of a bomb. He has been with OUPD since May 2011. He and two other bomb dogs are nearing the end of their training.

New dogs come barking OUPD cuts costs by training bomb dogs on campus SEAN LAWSON

Campus Reporter

G u n n e r, a 9 - m o n t h o l d Chesapeake Bay receiver, will join the ranks of the OU Police Department as the first bomb dog to be trained on campus.

Last year, Master Police Officer Brian Nelson said he took classes to learn how to train bomb dogs on campus.

“Everyone who works at the K-9 department absolutely loves dogs, so when I got the chance to attend school, I took it,” Nelson said.

Nelson attended the Tom Rose School for Professional Dog Trainers in High Ridge, Mo. in January 2011, he said.

Training cost about $12,000, and the OU Athletics Department and OU Police Department covered the costs. “[Athletics was] happy to foot part the bill,” Nelson said. “The dogs are used at all their events so it made sense.”

Training lasted six months and focused on canine health, diet, first aid, behavior modification, obedience, scent detection and

AT A GLANCE ou bomb dogs Current bomb dogs: • Chaki — black Labrador retriever; with OU since 2003; retires in 2012 • Ambra — German shepherd; with OU since 2009 new bomb dogs: • Vinnie — Belgian Malinois born in February 2011; began training at 5 weeks old in Missouri • Caesar — German shepherd born in December 2010; began training at 6 weeks old in Missouri • Gunner: Chesapeake Bay receiver born in May 2011; began training in January on campus Source: Nelson and Grubbs

tracking, Nelson said.

Accompanying Nelson were two of man’s best friends — a quiet, shy German shepherd named Caesar and a hyperactive see CANINE paGe 3

Explosive detecting dog Gunner, a 9-month-old Chesapeake Bay retriever, takes a quick break from sniffing for bombs. He currently is in training and has been with OUPD since Janurary.

Close to 1,000 people gathered Tuesday at the Capitol to protest Oklahoma legislation that could declare personhood as beginning at conception.

Senate Bill 1433 passed the Senate on Feb. 15 and declares life and personhood begin at the moment of conception. House Joint Resolution 1067 also seeks to declare this but was tabled for this year.

Bruce Prescott, executive director of Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists, opposes the law on the grounds of separation of church and state, he said at the rally. “[It] imposes one theological construct MORE INSIDE o n a l l Staff writer people... Mariah Webb b e cau s e offers her of a strict, account of the literal in- rally in OKC. terpreta- paGe 4 tion of the Hebrew Bible,” Prescott said.

T h e g ov e r n m e n t i s infringing on the basic human right to make one’s own decision regarding his or her life and health based on politicians’ own religious beliefs and convictions, he said.

Dr. Eli Reshef, medical director of INTEGRIS Health’s Bennett Fertility Institute, also spoke out against the bill at the rally.

HJR1067 could severely impact his work assisting couples with in vitro fertilization, he said. If a fetus is declared to have personhood, eggs that fail to see PROTEST paGe 3

eDitoriaL VOL. 97, NO. 111

© 2012 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25 cents

The Daily’s open record requests

affirmative action plans benefit higher education

Requested document and purpose

Date requested

The Supreme Court should decide in favor of plans that take race into account in admissions decisions. (page 4)

all purchase orders made by ou Health services’ Goddard pharmacy for the past fi ve years — To gather more information about the quantity and types of medication ordered by Goddard Health Center.

Friday

Life & arts

sports

Monday

students strut their stuff in Gaylord pageant

ou teams dominating national rankings

all funding applications for the 2012-2013 academic year submitted to the uosa Budget Committee. — To learn more about the number of student organizations that request funding and the amount of funding requested.

The men showed off their sharp clothes and ecclectic talents to raise funds and earn the title of “Mr. Gaylord.” (page 10)

The Sooners’ spring sports are faring well nationally, with 5 teams currently ranked in the top-25. (page 6)

a list of sciQuest’s fees for the services and applications it provides — To learn how much the university is paying for the new purchasing software.

Tuesday

Campus ........................

Classifieds ..................

Life & Arts ...................

Opinion ......................

Sports .........................

2 8 9 4 6

rIcardo paTIno/THe daILy

Hayes Venk glues a cut out of a dog Tuesday in Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art’s Dee Dee and Jon R. Stuart Classroom.

On Tuesdays, young artist can experience art through books and crafts through the Art Adventures program.

2

Campus

• Wednesday, February 29, 2012

OUDaily.com ››

Campus

Laney Ellisor, campus editor Kathleen Evans, assistant campus editor Chris Miller, assistant campus editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

Undergraduate Student Congress approved spring 2012 election dates, polling locations and new executive branch members Tuesday

water: Reports may be skewed to alarm public Continued from page 1

Today around campus Graduation applications must be filed and all fees and tuition charges must be paid by today in order to receive diplomas.

A Student Success Series lecture on emotional intelligence will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245.

An opening reception for “A Veritable Menagerie” exhibition will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art’s Lightwell Gallery.

“Don Giovanni” opens at 8 p.m. at the Reynolds Performing Arts Center.

FRIDAY, MARCH 2 The softball team plays LSU at 6 p.m. at Marita Hynes Field.

The women’s gymnastics team competes against Alabama at 7 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3 The women’s tennis team plays Oklahoma State at noon at the Headington Family Tennis Center.

The men’s basketball team plays Texas A&M at 3 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center.

of testing, according to releases from the city.

However, the initial report by the group was not accurate and was just an effort to create an alarmist reaction, Norman Utilities Director Ken Komiske said.

“Chromium-6 is a naturally occurring element in the aquifer and the earth’s crust,” Komiske said. “It’s found naturally in the soil, so, yes, we do have chromium in our well water, but it is well below the EPA’s maximum contaminant limit.”

Even though levels of chromium-6 in Norman’s aquifers are well below EPA standards, city water officials increased testing from every three years to every quarter as a response to the report, Komiske said.

City water officials tested all wells, lakes and aquifers from which Norman draws its water in February 2011 and found chromium-6 levels ranging from 20 to 80 parts per billion, Komiske said.

“It’s not as if nobody knew about the levels,” Komiske said. “We publish consumer confidence reports every year that tell customers exactly what we find in the aquifer.”

The group did not go through the proper scientific channels of peer review with its findings, so the report lacked credibility and only served to stir alarm, Komiske said.

Other research organizations released statements expressing concern of the group’s findings and methods, including the Water Research Foundation.

“It’s disconcerting [the

AT A GLANCE Chromium-6 • Winter 2010: Environmental Working Group releases its report about higher chromium-6 levels in Norman • December 2010: Environmental Protection Agency releases response about current stadards for chromium-6

E V R E S E N R O S E H N I T T S ON S U P AM

F

C M RO

fully furnished fitness center & tanning resort style pool & spa basketball & volleyball courts covered parking huge bedrooms with private baths computer lab all bills included

8B Y L ON

730 STINSON STREET NORMAN, OK 73072 (405) 310-6000

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attach could be considered killing a person.

He challenged the author of the Personhood Act, Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa.

“All it takes is one disgruntled couple to sue me for their eggs dying in the lab,” Rashef said. “Will you be there for me, Sen. Crane?”

The bill wouldn’t ban in vitro fertilizations or prevent abortions but would let people know the state is pro-life, Crain said in a press release.

Heather Hall, a rally organizer, said she has been in the position of choosing between an abortion and giving birth.

She eventually chose against the abortion.

“That’s a heavy choice,” Hall said. “If you don’t have a choice, then the lack of it is overwhelming.”

The passage of this legislation would provide a foundation for a number of other laws that would severely restrict women’s access to

Continued from page 1

Hillary Mclain/The Daily

Opponents of the Personhood Act gather Tuesday on the Oklahoma state Capitol plaza. Close to 1,000 people protested the legislation, which would define life beginning at conception.

medical care, Hall said.

“My mom raised me to leave the world a better place for my children ..., and this isn’t better,” Hall said.

During the protest, both senators and representatives addressed the rally.

S e n . Ju dy Mc Int y re,

Election

confirms levels of chromium-6 are present in water sources but fall within EPA regulations • March 2011: Norman City Council establishes two investigative groups to explore and monitor chromium-6 issue

• February 2011: Norman Utilities Department

• January 2012: City asks the EPA for an update on standards for safe levels of

group] would risk creating public fear and hysteria about drinking water, let alone publicly insinuate there is a massive conspiracy by water providers in a nationwide cover up,” the foundation stated in its release. “It’s reckless and irresponsible for any entity

purporting to serve a scientific purpose.”

If the agency did decide to decrease the amount of chromium-6 deemed safe in water, it could reduce the number of available water sources for the city, Komiske said.

chromium-6 in water sources • Winter 2012: EPA will begin drafting a report about chromium-6 levels • Fall 2015: EPA will release final draft evaluating chromium-6 levels

Sources: Environmental Protection Agency reports, City of Norman reports

D-Tulsa, blamed Republican legislators for the bills and challenged the crowd to petition against them.

“To the young women: you are the future,” McIntyre said. “ You have to work like hell to get rid of bad measurements.”

Lauren Zuniga, OU activist-in-residence, also spoke at this event. Oklahoma Coalition of Reproductive Justice, Oklahomans Against Personhood and Young Democrats of Oklahoma were all present in support of the rally.

Petition submitted to get nominee on ballot A petition with about 90,000 signatures to add a new presidential ticket to Oklahoma’s statewide ballot was submitted Tuesday to the State Election Board.

The Americans Elect, a website

pushing for an online presidential ticket, submitted the petition with support from OU President David Boren. The petition’s roughly 90,000 signatures almost doubled the required number of 51,793.

“We need a truly bipartisan government, including a bipartisan cabinet, to bring all Americans together in a united effort,” Boren said in a press release.

Americans Elect hopes to have a

presidential nominee on the ballot of all 50 states for the 2012 election to give voters an alternative besides Democrats or Republicans, according to the groups website. Americans Elect currently is on 16 states ballots. The group will hold an online primary in June to select a candidate for the presidential ticket.

Max Janerka, Campus Reporter

Belgian Malinois named Vinnie.

“A major part of the training was focused on two puppies,” Nelson said. “I trained Vinnie, who is my personal dog, and Caesar, who was purchased by the department.”

Caesar began training when he was 6 weeks old and Vinnie began when he was 5 weeks old, Nelson said.

These dogs can all smell black powder, ammonium nitrate and other potentially combustible chemicals commonly used in explosives, Sgt. Eric Grubbs said.

Timothy McVeigh, who was convicted for the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and Joel Hinrichs, an OU student who killed himself with a bomb on campus in 2005, both used these chemicals, Grubbs said.

Since Sept. 11, bomb dogs have become immensely popular, and reputable kennels often have long waiting lists, Grubbs said. By having a certified trainer and being able to train dogs like Gunner on campus, OU can bypass that inconvenience.

Buying a fully-trained bomb dog costs between $8,000 and $10,000, Nelson said. By training the dogs on campus, the only fees are veterinary bills and living arrangements, which is around $3,000 to $4,000.

The dogs stay with trainers in a kennel and enclosure at their homes and report to work daily, Nelson said.

These three new dogs will replace the two current OU bomb dogs, Grubbs said.

Chaki, a black Labrador retriever, has been with the K-9 department at OUPD since it began in 2003, Grubbs said.

She will retire from duty in 2012.

German shepherd Ambra joined in 2009 and will start sharing her work load with Vinnie, Nelson said.

Potential bomb dogs are identified at a very young age by a phenomenon called “ball drive,” which is the level of excitement a puppy shows toward toys, Nelson said.

“We look for the ones who are super excited when they get the opportunity to play with a ball,” he said.

Rewarding a dog after successful training is vital to the success of the schooling, so dogs that get the most enjoyment out of toys are easiest to train, Grubbs said.

“Each and every one of our dogs has a different personality,” Nelson said. “In that sense, they are just like people, but they always get excited for their ball.”

“During drought periods and periods of high demand, we have to buy water from Oklahoma City,” he said.

“If the EPA lowers the chromium limit and we have to shut down five or 10 wells, it’s definitely going to affect our customers.”

watching the game after disciplining fido and writing one check.

Wednesday February 29th Only between 11am - 2pm

THIS IS THE CHAMPION LIFESTYLE.

Portion of proceeds go to the United Way of Norman In the Union near The Wire Look for United Way banner

3

protest: Opponents say bill infringes on rights Canine: Current OUPD Continued from page 1 bomb dogs set to retire

Campus Brief

OU Slapwatches for sale!

SING A E L NOW UMMER !

S 12 FOR ALL 20 F AND

S K C LO

Source: EWG.org

Red dots indicate Environmental Working Group test sites, where chromium-6 concentrations were measured in parts per billion (ppb). The size of dots reflect the level found. Brown-shaded areas represent population-adjusted average concentrations of total chromium by county, calculated from EWG’s national tap water database obtained from state water agencies in 2009.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 •

We offer game day parties, pet friendly buildings and all-inclusive rent.

No other residence can compete.

Fill Your 3 or 4 Bed Apartment, Get a DVR Upgrade!

CRIMSON PARK | 888.724.1594 2357 Classen Blvd | Norman OK 73071

2

Campus

• Wednesday, February 29, 2012

OUDaily.com ››

Campus

Laney Ellisor, campus editor Kathleen Evans, assistant campus editor Chris Miller, assistant campus editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

Undergraduate Student Congress approved spring 2012 election dates, polling locations and new executive branch members Tuesday

water: Reports may be skewed to alarm public Continued from page 1

Today around campus Graduation applications must be filed and all fees and tuition charges must be paid by today in order to receive diplomas.

A Student Success Series lecture on emotional intelligence will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245.

An opening reception for “A Veritable Menagerie” exhibition will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art’s Lightwell Gallery.

“Don Giovanni” opens at 8 p.m. at the Reynolds Performing Arts Center.

FRIDAY, MARCH 2 The softball team plays LSU at 6 p.m. at Marita Hynes Field.

The women’s gymnastics team competes against Alabama at 7 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3 The women’s tennis team plays Oklahoma State at noon at the Headington Family Tennis Center.

The men’s basketball team plays Texas A&M at 3 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center.

of testing, according to releases from the city.

However, the initial report by the group was not accurate and was just an effort to create an alarmist reaction, Norman Utilities Director Ken Komiske said.

“Chromium-6 is a naturally occurring element in the aquifer and the earth’s crust,” Komiske said. “It’s found naturally in the soil, so, yes, we do have chromium in our well water, but it is well below the EPA’s maximum contaminant limit.”

Even though levels of chromium-6 in Norman’s aquifers are well below EPA standards, city water officials increased testing from every three years to every quarter as a response to the report, Komiske said.

City water officials tested all wells, lakes and aquifers from which Norman draws its water in February 2011 and found chromium-6 levels ranging from 20 to 80 parts per billion, Komiske said.

“It’s not as if nobody knew about the levels,” Komiske said. “We publish consumer confidence reports every year that tell customers exactly what we find in the aquifer.”

The group did not go through the proper scientific channels of peer review with its findings, so the report lacked credibility and only served to stir alarm, Komiske said.

Other research organizations released statements expressing concern of the group’s findings and methods, including the Water Research Foundation.

“It’s disconcerting [the

AT A GLANCE Chromium-6 • Winter 2010: Environmental Working Group releases its report about higher chromium-6 levels in Norman • December 2010: Environmental Protection Agency releases response about current stadards for chromium-6

E V R E S E N R O S E H N I T T S ON S U P AM

F

C M RO

fully furnished fitness center & tanning resort style pool & spa basketball & volleyball courts covered parking huge bedrooms with private baths computer lab all bills included

8B Y L ON

730 STINSON STREET NORMAN, OK 73072 (405) 310-6000

www.reservestinson.com

attach could be considered killing a person.

He challenged the author of the Personhood Act, Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa.

“All it takes is one disgruntled couple to sue me for their eggs dying in the lab,” Rashef said. “Will you be there for me, Sen. Crane?”

The bill wouldn’t ban in vitro fertilizations or prevent abortions but would let people know the state is pro-life, Crain said in a press release.

Heather Hall, a rally organizer, said she has been in the position of choosing between an abortion and giving birth.

She eventually chose against the abortion.

“That’s a heavy choice,” Hall said. “If you don’t have a choice, then the lack of it is overwhelming.”

The passage of this legislation would provide a foundation for a number of other laws that would severely restrict women’s access to

Continued from page 1

Hillary Mclain/The Daily

Opponents of the Personhood Act gather Tuesday on the Oklahoma state Capitol plaza. Close to 1,000 people protested the legislation, which would define life beginning at conception.

medical care, Hall said.

“My mom raised me to leave the world a better place for my children ..., and this isn’t better,” Hall said.

During the protest, both senators and representatives addressed the rally.

S e n . Ju dy Mc Int y re,

Election

confirms levels of chromium-6 are present in water sources but fall within EPA regulations • March 2011: Norman City Council establishes two investigative groups to explore and monitor chromium-6 issue

• February 2011: Norman Utilities Department

• January 2012: City asks the EPA for an update on standards for safe levels of

group] would risk creating public fear and hysteria about drinking water, let alone publicly insinuate there is a massive conspiracy by water providers in a nationwide cover up,” the foundation stated in its release. “It’s reckless and irresponsible for any entity

purporting to serve a scientific purpose.”

If the agency did decide to decrease the amount of chromium-6 deemed safe in water, it could reduce the number of available water sources for the city, Komiske said.

chromium-6 in water sources • Winter 2012: EPA will begin drafting a report about chromium-6 levels • Fall 2015: EPA will release final draft evaluating chromium-6 levels

Sources: Environmental Protection Agency reports, City of Norman reports

D-Tulsa, blamed Republican legislators for the bills and challenged the crowd to petition against them.

“To the young women: you are the future,” McIntyre said. “ You have to work like hell to get rid of bad measurements.”

Lauren Zuniga, OU activist-in-residence, also spoke at this event. Oklahoma Coalition of Reproductive Justice, Oklahomans Against Personhood and Young Democrats of Oklahoma were all present in support of the rally.

Petition submitted to get nominee on ballot A petition with about 90,000 signatures to add a new presidential ticket to Oklahoma’s statewide ballot was submitted Tuesday to the State Election Board.

The Americans Elect, a website

pushing for an online presidential ticket, submitted the petition with support from OU President David Boren. The petition’s roughly 90,000 signatures almost doubled the required number of 51,793.

“We need a truly bipartisan government, including a bipartisan cabinet, to bring all Americans together in a united effort,” Boren said in a press release.

Americans Elect hopes to have a

presidential nominee on the ballot of all 50 states for the 2012 election to give voters an alternative besides Democrats or Republicans, according to the groups website. Americans Elect currently is on 16 states ballots. The group will hold an online primary in June to select a candidate for the presidential ticket.

Max Janerka, Campus Reporter

Belgian Malinois named Vinnie.

“A major part of the training was focused on two puppies,” Nelson said. “I trained Vinnie, who is my personal dog, and Caesar, who was purchased by the department.”

Caesar began training when he was 6 weeks old and Vinnie began when he was 5 weeks old, Nelson said.

These dogs can all smell black powder, ammonium nitrate and other potentially combustible chemicals commonly used in explosives, Sgt. Eric Grubbs said.

Timothy McVeigh, who was convicted for the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and Joel Hinrichs, an OU student who killed himself with a bomb on campus in 2005, both used these chemicals, Grubbs said.

Since Sept. 11, bomb dogs have become immensely popular, and reputable kennels often have long waiting lists, Grubbs said. By having a certified trainer and being able to train dogs like Gunner on campus, OU can bypass that inconvenience.

Buying a fully-trained bomb dog costs between $8,000 and $10,000, Nelson said. By training the dogs on campus, the only fees are veterinary bills and living arrangements, which is around $3,000 to $4,000.

The dogs stay with trainers in a kennel and enclosure at their homes and report to work daily, Nelson said.

These three new dogs will replace the two current OU bomb dogs, Grubbs said.

Chaki, a black Labrador retriever, has been with the K-9 department at OUPD since it began in 2003, Grubbs said.

She will retire from duty in 2012.

German shepherd Ambra joined in 2009 and will start sharing her work load with Vinnie, Nelson said.

Potential bomb dogs are identified at a very young age by a phenomenon called “ball drive,” which is the level of excitement a puppy shows toward toys, Nelson said.

“We look for the ones who are super excited when they get the opportunity to play with a ball,” he said.

Rewarding a dog after successful training is vital to the success of the schooling, so dogs that get the most enjoyment out of toys are easiest to train, Grubbs said.

“Each and every one of our dogs has a different personality,” Nelson said. “In that sense, they are just like people, but they always get excited for their ball.”

“During drought periods and periods of high demand, we have to buy water from Oklahoma City,” he said.

“If the EPA lowers the chromium limit and we have to shut down five or 10 wells, it’s definitely going to affect our customers.”

watching the game after disciplining fido and writing one check.

Wednesday February 29th Only between 11am - 2pm

THIS IS THE CHAMPION LIFESTYLE.

Portion of proceeds go to the United Way of Norman In the Union near The Wire Look for United Way banner

3

protest: Opponents say bill infringes on rights Canine: Current OUPD Continued from page 1 bomb dogs set to retire

Campus Brief

OU Slapwatches for sale!

SING A E L NOW UMMER !

S 12 FOR ALL 20 F AND

S K C LO

Source: EWG.org

Red dots indicate Environmental Working Group test sites, where chromium-6 concentrations were measured in parts per billion (ppb). The size of dots reflect the level found. Brown-shaded areas represent population-adjusted average concentrations of total chromium by county, calculated from EWG’s national tap water database obtained from state water agencies in 2009.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 •

We offer game day parties, pet friendly buildings and all-inclusive rent.

No other residence can compete.

Fill Your 3 or 4 Bed Apartment, Get a DVR Upgrade!

CRIMSON PARK | 888.724.1594 2357 Classen Blvd | Norman OK 73071

4

• Wednesday, February 29, 2012

OPINION

Mary Stanfield, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

EDITORIAL

Diversity vital for higher ed Many of these families were forced into poorer affirmative action policies like the one at OU. neighborhoods during an era of discrimination and segregation.

Last week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a Times have changed, but once a family is in the case about the constitutionality of the affirmative cycle of poverty, the lack of educational and other action policy at the University of Texas. If the court opportunities makes it incredibly difficult to break rules against this policy when it hears the case later out. this year, it could overturn similar policies at univerThe difficulty in accessing higher education is itsities across the country — including OU. self one of those factors.

This isn’t the first time the Supreme Court has But even taking class out of the equation, there are heard a case on this matter. In 1978, the court decid- other powerful social systems in place that disaded in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke vantage young minority students. that race-based admissions that amounted Just for one brief example, television to quota systems were unconstitutional. shows and movies — when they have miThe Our View Then, in 2003, Grutter v. Bollinger alis the majority nority characters at all — rarely represent lowed standards that took race into account them in academic, well-educated or highly opinion of as just one factor in admissions decisions.

The Daily’s successful roles. nine-member This judgment was based on the finding that And because of the lack of minority uneditorial board dergraduate students, there are even fewer schools have a compelling interest in creating diverse student populations. The holistic minority graduate students and a serious approach described by the court was then adopted lack of minority professors, researchers and acaby many universities, including OU. demics to serve as role models.

UT’s enrollment data shows that minority enrollIn fact, only 17 percent of full-time higher educament did increase after race was added back into the tion professors in the U.S. are from minority races, admissions process in 2003. Hispanic enrollment at according to the American Council on Education.

Texas rose by 43.1 percent to make up 17.6 percent of At OU, only 8.9 percent of the instructional faculty the population in fall 2010. Black student enrollment in 2009 was black or Hispanic — less than half the rose by 40.6 percent to make up 4.5 percent of the percentage of black and Hispanic students. population.

Despite these factors, many students from minorAt OU, on the other hand, the percentage of miity backgrounds perform equally or better than their nority students remained at between 20 percent to white peers. For these students, race may not be a 22 percent from 1996 to 2009. It seems OU’s affirma- factor in their admissions decision. tive action policy has had little bearing on our genBut for minority students performing at avereral undergraduate admissions. age levels or slightly lower, affirmative But that doesn’t negate the fact action policies give them a chance “Any kind of quota that it is a necessary policy for other to access high-quality educational system places too schools in the nation. institutions. much emphasis on Clearly, any kind of quota sysBecause race only is one admissions tem places too much emphasis on factor, it only comes into play when race and not only race and not only is unfair to other most other factors are equal. In these is unfair to other students but insulting to minority students but insulting cases, consideration of race simply levstudents. to minority students.” els the playing field by counteracting In a perfect society, students would the broad, invisible privilege systems be able to enter the college admission that disadvantage minority students. process on an even playing field and compete solely A 2007 study from Carnegie Mellon University on academic achievement and likelihood of success. found firm evidence that affirmative action policies But this is not a perfect society. White citizens are help minority students attend higher-tier schools privileged from birth in a variety of powerful, subtle in larger numbers, and that a ban on such policies — even invisible — ways. The other side of that coin would significantly decrease the number of such is that members of minority races, without those students at high-performing schools. socially gifted privileges, face odds stacked against This is bad for students, bad for the nation and bad their success. for those individual schools, which only can benefit To start with, educational opportunities in poorer from a more diverse student body. neighborhoods are notoriously lacking. Students A Supreme Court decision against affirmative acgrowing up in these areas have fewer opportunities tion policies would be a step backward. Even though and must work harder to perform equally to stusuch policies, or the lack thereof, may not signifidents in wealthy neighborhoods. cantly affect OU, banning them would damage the Yes, this is a class issue, and no, we’re not assumentire higher education system by reducing the diing that members of minority races necessarily grew versity of voices students are exposed to. up in poorer neighborhoods.

Ultimately, that lack of diversity would be damagBut there still are many neighborhoods that are ing to the country as a whole. primarily impoverished and made up primarily of minority families.

Comment on this at OUDaily.com Our View: The Supreme Court should uphold

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HILLARY MCLAIN/THE DAILY

Opponents of the Personhood Act gather on the Oklahoma Capitol plaza Tuesday in Oklahoma City. Close to 1,000 people protested the legislation, which would define life beginning at conception.

Legislators in the House of Representatives have tabled the bill.

Protestors rally around common cry: Trust women Editor’s note: Daily life & arts assistant editor Mariah Webb attended Tuesday’s rally in protest of Senate Bill 1433, also known as The Personhood Act, which states that life begins at the moment of conception.

U

ntil Tuesday, I had never been to a protest. I read about them and occasionally support them, but nothing ever seems important enough to commit time and brave a smelly group of hippies.

However, when I heard there would be a rally in protest of the Personhood legislation, it seemed irresponsible of me to not attend.

I was nervous. I don’t like crowds. Or people, really.

But when I started to get close to the huge crowd of men, women and children in front of the state Capitol, I couldn’t help but feel I was a part of something. I felt proud to see so many people standing up for a cause that is so important to me.

As I started to sift through the crowd, I began to realize these people were not what I expected. They ranged in age from 5 to 80 years old. Women dropped their shoes on the front steps of the Capitol to symbolize a throw“We had a back to the days of “barefoot common goal: and pregnant.”

Do not allow this The front lawn seemed to emit some contagion of kind state (or this as every person I spoke country) to return energy, with was loving to a degree I to the Dark Ages. have never encountered from perfect strangers. There was Trust women to a rare sense of community make our own among us, and it seemed to choices.” melt away all differences.

We had a common goal: Do not allow this state (or this country) to return to the Dark Ages. Trust women to make our own choices.

It was this common goal, this compassion, that allowed a number of women to openly share the personal stories as to why they oppose the Personhood legislation.

These accounts were touching. Some were happy, some bittersweet, while others brought the speaker to tears.

With each loss of words, the crowd would encourage the speaker to persevere.

One story in particular stuck with me.

A woman with infertility made her way to the microphone. As she began, she told the crowd about how she had two children through in vitro fertilization. She expressed her opposition to the idea of life beginning at conception. She and her husband produced 16 fertilized eggs in their first round of in vitro fertilization, and not a single one took.

It wasn’t until her second round (they produced 19 this time) that a fetus began to grow. Her daughter is now 5 years old. She said she watched the conception phase in front of her eyes, and there is no way that 35 lives began at that point.

This was just one of many personal stories I heard on the steps of the Capitol. I encourage everyone to join the cause for reproductive justice. Man or woman.

Together we can stop the war on women.

Mariah Webb is a University College freshman and the life & arts editor of The Daily.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 •

ELECTION 2012

Gingrich to revive campaign by targeting ‘Super Tuesday’ states March 6 primaries include Oklahoma, nine other states DALTON, Ga. — Newt Gingrich looked beyond Tuesday’s GOP presidential primaries in Michigan and Arizona to the Southern voters he hopes will revive his struggling campaign o n c e m o re, including Oklahoma.

Gingrich is pinning his hopes on winning his home state of Georgia NEWT GINGRICH and showing strength in Ohio, Tennessee and other Super Tuesday states voting March 6.

The former House speaker opened a three-day bus tour in Georgia, which he represented in Congress for 20 years, to fend off rivals Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum on the path to claiming the GOP presidential nomination at the party’s convention next summer in the swing state of Florida.

“Winning next Tuesday moves us toward Tampa in a big way,” Gingrich said.

“G eorgia is the biggest group of delegates out there on Super Tuesday so this is a big deal and it really, really matters.”

By skipping Tuesday’s pr imar ies in Michigan, where the race between Romne y and Santor um was close, and in Arizona, where Romney was favored, Gingrich was betting that one of his rivals will emerge as a weaker candidate and give him a chance to climb back into contention in the

21

NATION NEWS BRIEFS 1. RICHMOND, VA.

Virginia Senate passes mandate for ultrasounds before abortions

EVAN VUCCI/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista, speak with chidren Tuesday during a campaign stop in Dalton, Ga. Gingrich is seeking to win Georgia — his home state — on March 6.

AT A GLANCE Super Tuesday Super Tuesday, which is March 6 this year, refers to the Tuesday of a presidential election year when the most states hold primary elections. The states holding primaries this year include: • Alaska • Georgia • Idaho • Massachusetts • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Tennessee • Vermont • Virginia

topsy-turvy race.

Gingrich has acknowledged that winning Georgia is crucial to his campaign but has stopped short of

saying a loss would force him out of race.

Gingrich said Tuesday that spending a week developing his message about gas prices and advancing a plan to drive pump prices down to $2.50 a gallon would pay off.

He quipped that a supporter told him President Barack Obama’s 9-9-9 plan — a reference to former GOP candidate Herman Cain’s tax plan — “is $9.99 a gallon for gasoline.”

Speaking to a few hundred supporters in Dalton, he urged them to pass out leaflets at gas stations and have people calculate how much they’d save if gas prices dropped. He also asked them to “go on Facebook and put Newt(equals)$2.50 a gallon.”

Without mentioning Gingrich by name, White House officials called his

energy plan unrealistic.

“There are numerous factors that go into a spike in global oil prices, and any politician who tells you otherwise is not being honest,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said. “When a politician comes out with a three-point plan to reduce gas prices to $2.50 a gallon, they are blowing smoke.”

Later in the day, Gingrich targeted Romney, calling him a moderate “pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-tax increase governor” who would hurt the party’s chances in the fall against Obama.

“We tried a moderate in 1996, we lost badly. We tried a moderate in 2008, we lost badly,” Gingrich said.

Gingrich has disputed talk that his campaign is in decline. “I’ve been down this road before,” he told Fox News Channel.

The Associated Press

Virginia’s Senate has passed legislation that would require women seeking abortions to undergo noninvasive ultrasounds, eliminating a stipulation the exams be conducted through a vaginal procedure that had drawn the scorn of commentators and comedians.

The state Senate split 21-19 mostly along party lines in approving the amended measure, which was the last opportunity for Democrats in the chamber to derail the contentious proposal.

The bill returns to the House for expected concurrence on an amendment added last week that eliminated mandatory invasive vaginal ultrasounds. Another amendment since added would exempt victims of rape and incest who reported the crimes to police.

The Associated Press

2. CHARDON, OHIO

High school shooting suspect randomly fired, officials say Ohio school shooting suspect T.J. Lane randomly chose the targets of his shooting rampage at a suburban high school, fired 10 shots from a handgun and was also armed with a knife, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

Lane, 17, appeared as a juvenile at his first hearing before Geauga County Judge Timothy J. Grendell, who ordered the student held for his safety and that of the community. Grendell gave prosecutors until Thursday to bring formal charges, and set the next hearing for March 6. The judge also set March 19 for a probable cause hearing if Lane is charged as an adult.

County prosecutor David Joyce told the court the initial investigation showed Lane was the lone gunman and fired in Chardon High School. He said the targets were chosen at random.

After his arrest Monday, Lane admitted to the shooting, Joyce said in court. Five students were injured in the attack about 7:30 a.m. Monday morning.

Three students have died. One boy remains hospitalized and the only girl injured in the shooting was released Tuesday to her family, officials said.

The Associated Press

Attention Candidates for Graduation!

The deadline to apply for graduation is

Thursday, March 1 Turn yours in today!

YOU MUST APPLY TO GRADUATE! Applications should be picked up at your degree-granting college and submitted to the Office of Academic Records, Room 330, Buchanan Hall.

For more information, call (405)325-0841.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

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• Wednesday, February 29, 2012

OUDaily.com ››

SPORTS

The NCAA playing rules oversight committee has released a list of rule changes for the 2012-13 football season.

men’s basketball

OU fights for final wins Team struggles in Big 12, uses season to rebound skills Greg Fewell Sports Editor

The OU men’s basketball team only has a couple of more chances to notch another conference victory before the Big 12 tournament starts next Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo. The first opportunity comes at 8 tonight in Austin against the Texas Longhorns.

Tonight’s meeting will be the second in just over two weeks for the squads, as Texas handed Oklahoma its fifth straight loss Feb. 14 in Norman.

That losing streak, which eventually stretched to six games before a home win against Oklahoma State, was just the most recent struggle the team has faced in Big 12 play.

Oklahoma started the 2012 season with a 12-2 record. Then conference play began.

Since that time, the Sooners have gone a dismal 4-12 against Big 12 opponents, with the most recent loss coming on the road at

astrud reed/the daily

OU sophomore guard Cameron Clark goes up for a one-handed dunk in the Sooners’ Feb. 22 Bedlam victory in Norman. OU evened the Bedlam series with a 77-64 win.

the hands of No. 9 Baylor.

Playing on the road, especially in a tough, competitive conference, always is difficult for a basketball team.

That fact is not lost on firstyear coach Lon Kruger. “Playing teams in the Big 12, it’s hard to win road games, for sure,� Kruger said following the loss to Baylor. “To win today, we needed to make all the shots and all the opportunities we had.�

The Sooners did not make the shots when they needed

UP NEXT Texas A&M When: 3 p.m. Saturday Where: Lloyd Noble Center in Norman

to, particularly in the second half. The most frustrating thing about the 2012 Sooners has not been their win-loss record.

Under a new head coach and no seniors in the starting lineup, this season was

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expected to be a rebuilding one.

What is frustrating for the team, though, is how close it has been in many of the losses against very quality teams.

For instance, just look at the team’s six-game losing streak.

On that stretch, OU suffered a seven-point loss to Iowa State, a last second, three-point loss to No. 7 Missouri and an eighteenpoint loss to Texas Tech on the road.

And the team had the same problem down the stretch at Baylor. OU was in the game until the very end but couldn’t close out the Bears in the end. “I think the second half we didn’t shoot quite as well, largely in part of their length and ranginess,� Kruger said after the loss. “We missed some opportunities, and they knocked down shots to make an even ball game.�

Missed opportunities and second-half meltdowns.

In a sense, that sums up the Sooners’ problems this season.

And with only two games left, OU doesn’t have many opportunities left to take advantage of.

Expires on May 31, 2012

Greg Fewell, sports editor Kedric Kitchens, assistant sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

Rankings

Sooners sitting pretty in spring Men’s gymnastics currently No. 1 in national ranking, women No. 2 Greg Fewell Sports Editor

BY THE NUMBERS

With spring sports now OU in the rankings well under way, several OU athletic teams currentThe number of weeks ly are ranked very high.

OU men’s gymnastics The men’s gymnastics has been the top team in team held onto its No. 1 the nation national ranking for the The number of OU fourth straight week, while teams in the top-25, the women’s gymnasnationally tics team is right on their heels.

The number of OU With a new scor ing athletes ranked in the system in place, the OU top-10 in their events women stayed at No. 2 behind Florida. However, they are gaining on the Gators, now only .050 behind the nation’s first-ranked team. OU has a chance finally to reach the No. 1 spot with a good showing against defending champion Alabama this weekend.

A few Oklahoma teams did not fare quite as well in this week’s rankings, however. The Sooner softball team fell from No. 6 to No. 8 in this week’s national poll after suffering back-to-back losses for the first time this season.

The losses came at the hands of No. 14 Stanford and No. 13 Georgia. After a loss to No. 23 Georgia Tech earlier this season, the team still is looking for a victory against a ranked opponent.

The Oklahoma men’s tennis team also had a tough week, falling out of the top-25 for the first time this season after a home loss to Pepperdine on Sunday. The Sooners were ranked No. 20 in the nation prior to falling to the No. 13 Pepperdine Waves.

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SPORTS women’s basketball

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 •

7

softball

Sooners hope to seize win at Tech Red Raiders stumble through season, give OU opportunity to bounce back

OU seeks N. Texas shutout

Sooners looking for victory after two weekend losses Tobi Neidy

Sports Reporter

Kedric Kitchens

Assistant Sports Editor

After a tough loss to Texas in Austin, the OU women’s basketball team looks to bounce back in the Lonestar State against Texas Tech at 7 tonight. in Lubbock, Texas.

The Sooners took the first game in the series, netting in a close 71-68 victory in Norman on Jan. 11. It was the first loss for the then-No. 10 Red Raiders. The squad has spiraled down since, garnering a 3-13 record since the loss.

Tech’s troubles have been compounded by their leading scorer, senior forward Keirra Mallard (11.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg), missing three games in that span due to an undisclosed injury and a suspension for violating team rules.

Sophomore forward Shauntal Nobles has replaced Mallard in the starting lineup and averages 5.8 points and 4.9 rebounds. Nobles has totaled just two points in her last three starts, though.

The Sooners were led by junior guard Whitney Hand in their most recent loss to the Longhorns on Saturday.

Hand had a double-double in the game scoring 13 points and netting 13 rebounds. She also dished out five assists while only losing two turnovers. Sophomore guard Morgan Hook was the Sooners other double-digit scorer, getting 11 points in the game.

OU was inefficient in the game, giving away 25 turnovers while dropping just 11 assists. This proved to be the difference in the game with Texas scoring 25 points off turnovers. Conversely, the Sooners scored just six in the same category.

The Red Raiders (17-11) are currently ninth in the Big 12­with a conference record of 5-11. This puts them at six slots behind OU (18-10) who are 10-6 in conference play, good enough for third place in the Big 12.

The Sooners will guarantee a minimum of a fourth place finish in the conference with a win and Tech needs all the wins it can get to have a chance at making the NCAA tournament. It should be a hard-fought shootout in Lubbock, Texas.

kelsey higley/the daily

Sophomore guard Aaryn Ellenberg finds space in the Texas A&M defense and calls for the ball during the team’s Feb. 21 victory over the Aggies.

The eighth-ranked Oklahoma softball team (9-3) makes the short trip down Interstate 35 to take on the North Texas Mean Green at 6 tonight in Denton, Texas.

The Sooners are coming off a 3-2 record in the Cathedral City Classic last weekend.

The traditionally first-ofthe-season matchup between the two teams may be a much tighter contest than it has been in previous meetings if the Mean G r e e n ’s p e r f o r m a n c e against No. 10 Baylor during the Texas Shootout last weekend is any indication.

North Texas (5-7) fell by a single run, but not before giving the Bears a scare in the seventh inning.

However, the Sooners never have lost to North Texas and bring the perfect 20-0 record against the Mean Green heading into tonight’s contest.

Last year, OU captured the 3-0 victory at Lovelace Stadium, the team’s sixth time to win in Denton.

During the win, junior pitcher Keilani Ricketts threw her 16th career shutout to keep the Mean Green offense from putting any pressure on the Sooners.

B u t n e w p l ay e r s w i l l need to step up this year after OU’s offense was led by three players — Dani Dobbs, Chana’e Jones and Ha l e y Ni x — w h o hav e graduated.

The Sooners started the year with a 9-1 record before dropping two straight games in Palm Springs, Calif.

The team ended the tournament w ith backto-back losses to then No. 14 Stanford and No. 13 Georgia.

It was the team’s first back-to-back losses this season.

OU has faced three

A drunk driver ruined something precious. Amber Apodaca.

astrud reed/the daily

Junior pitcher Keilani Ricketts throws a pitch in a fall exhibition game against Seminole State last fall.

Ricketts threw her 16th career shutout last season against North Texas. The junior will be looking for a repeat of that performance tonight when the Sooners face the Mean Green in Denton, Texas.

ranked teams so far this season, yet the team has failed to capture a win in any of those matchups.

Tonight’s game marks the last outing before the Sooners play this season’s first home game on Friday.

OU will host LSU at Marita

Hynes Field before playing LSU and Iowa during a double-header Saturday at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

The Sooners then will wrap up the weekend with a single contest against Iowa back in Norman.

WHAT’S NEXT Home opener After 13 road games, OU returns to Norman to host LSU at 6 p.m. Friday.

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The Recovered Image: The Faith and Reason of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Inklings

Dr. Zaleski, with her husband Philip Zaleski, has just completed an intellectual biography of the Inklings, a literary group at Oxford University in the 1930s to the 1950s. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were members of the Inklings. She will talk about the influence of faith and reason upon their literary work and their world view.

Presented by Dr. Carol Zaleski Dr. Zaleski has been a professor of World Religions at Smith College since 1989. She has a Ph.D in the Study of Religion from Harvard University and has published several books on the topic of religion.

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March 7 7:30pm Bell Courtroom at the OU School of Law There will be free parking directly south of the main (fountain) entrance to the OU Law School

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Spring Specials

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2012, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012 Improve upon what you’ve accomplished in the past by elevating your objectives and expectations in the year ahead. You’ll be in an excellent achievement cycle during this period, but it’ll still be up to you to make the most of it.

$445 $515 $440 $510 $700

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- When left to your own devices, you’re likely to exercise a lot of initiative and will accordingly get things done.

Conversely, if you feel you’re being pushed into doing something, you’ll balk.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- When dealing with a person with whom you’ve had some kind of problem in the past, you’re likely to focus only on what bugged you about him or her and not on the present situation.

Previous Solution

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.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- When other people’s assets are put in your hands, consider it a sacred trust.

Bend over backward to live up to the expectations of those who have placed their faith in you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Be protective of your self-interest, but don’t go to extremes about guarding your position. Be willing to adjust to the will of others when you believe it to be necessary.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) --You’ll only have yourself to blame if you do things that you know will go against your best interest. Make sure you fully consider the consequences of your actions.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You are generally a good shopper when you

put your mind to it, but if some irresistible luxury items are dangled in front of you, all your good intentions could quickly fly out the window.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Do not leave the making of a personally important decision totally up to another. Abdicating your rights could lead to complications that only you might suffer.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) --Coworkers will resent it if they feel that you are acting in a superior way toward them. If you’re not careful, you could quickly slip into this mode when placed in a leadership position.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) --It’s essential to make sure your counterpart is a capable one when dealing together in a financial venture.

You’ll need to work in harmony to positively affect the bottom line.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) --You won’t be at your best when forced to make a decision under pressure.

Take control so that you’ll have time to weigh and balance things at your own pace.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Remember, you are the master of your own fate when making and keeping pledges to others. No one will be forgiving if you break your promise and fail to do as you say.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -Relying on your hunches regarding a speculative risk is a bad idea. If you think an irrational urge is instead an intuitive perception, you could get yourself in real trouble fast.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker February 29, 2012

ACROSS 1 Brief periods, briefly 5 Box-office failure 9 Beverage with a marshmallow 14 “Sack� attachment 15 It’s not a good thing 16 Got word of 17 Leave the engine running 18 “I changed my mind� on a computer 19 Made a misstep 20 Exert one’s influence 23 Improve, as cheese 24 Prefix with “plasm� or “type�

25 Broom accompanier 27 Archery bow wood 28 Decomposed 32 Card collection 33 “Significant� person 34 River to the Rio Grande 35 Ironic event 38 Commemorative pillar (Var.) 40 “Blue Velvet� actress Dern 41 Broken on the ranch 2/29

42 Deli cold cut 44 Be inquisitive 47 Less popular, as a restaurant 49 Achieve harmony 51 Blood classification letters 52 Star transport 56 Beyond the suburbs 58 Asian nursemaid 59 TV Batman West 60 About to blow 61 “Quo Vadis� meanie 62 Give up claim to 63 Allays 64 Homer’s besieged city 65 “East of ___�

DOWN 1 Peanut butter brand 2 Abide 3 Wet behind the ears 4 Hardy kind of wheat 5 “Sesame Street� straight man 6 Of higher rank than 7 Conservative skirt 8 A gentleman might prefer one 9 Activity requiring

four bishops 10 “Above,� in an anthem 11 Crab or turtle shell 12 A spice 13 Math problem numbers 21 Aerial combat mission 22 Big bang maker 26 Eighth Greek letter 29 Cries of understanding 30 Asian new year celebration 31 “The Lord of the Rings� beast 33 Avian baby 34 Persona non grata 35 Fleeting 36 Air traffic control agcy.

37 “Fee, fi, fo, ___�

38 Kind of acid used in cosmetics 39 Indian lute (Var.) 42 “Quiet on the___!�

43 Downright 44 ___ oneself on (had an ego about) 45 Filmed a new version of 46 Palace workers 48 Archipelago units 50 Candied, as fruits 53 Spud bud remover 54 Edible root 55 Bok ___ (Chinese vegetable) 57 “Fast cash� site

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

2/28

Š 2012 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com

DISTORTION By Vera Verne

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 •

9

OUDaily.com ››

Life&arts

If you missed the “Mr. Gaylord Pageant,” check out all the shenanigans in the photo gallery.

Lindsey Ruta, life & arts editor Mariah Webb, assistant life & arts editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

Video Games

‘Classics’ deserve appreciation Life & Arts Columnist

AT A GLANCE Steven’s picks

AT A GLANCE Guinness’ top video game endings

• Half-life 2: Episode 2 Cliffhangers are generally disliked, but this one was just so intense and shocking that it deserves special recognition. The wait between Half-life games has always been very long, but this cliffhanger makes the next entry seem like an eternity away.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops

Steven Zoeller stevenv.zoeller@gmail.com

T

he lack of a new “My Little Pony” episodes last week only was the secondmost depressing aspect of February.

What I found truly crushing was a new statistics out of the “Guinness World Records 2012 Gamer’s Edition” about the top video game endings of all time.

According to the website, 13, 519 gamers voted on what they considered to be the best video game endings of all time. The poll crowned “Call of Duty: Black Ops” as the best ending in gaming history, just ahead of “Halo: Reach.”

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” did place third on the list, which makes me feel a little better.

But the results still are pretty awful.

I’m not saying this because I hate first-person shooters. Rather, these results confirm a fear I’ve had lately about the state of the modern gaming scene — that it’s beginning to lose an appreciation for “the classics.”

Take the most egregious omission from the list, the original “Metroid” for the original Nintendo from 1986.

From an oblivious modern perspective, the ending doesn’t appear all that revolutionary. After escaping an alien planet, the main character, Samus, removes her helmet and looks at the

2. Halo: Reach 3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 5. God of War

• Metroid It’s hard to appreciate just how surprised early gamers were to discover this game’s protagonist was a girl. Before “Snape kills Dumbledore,” telling friends about Samus’ true gender was the greatest spoiler.

6. Red Dead Redemption 7. Portal 8. Metal Gear Solid 4 9. Final Fantasy VII 10. Heavy Rain

out in my mind, at all. The gaming scene is growing fast right now, and I recognize that as it grows, the screen — what’s so good proportion of gamers who about that? experienced “the classics” But taken in historical will shrink. context, this surely is one In the same way, the of the best endings to any typical mainstream reader game ever. unlikely is to deem Atticus Throughout the game, Finch his or her favorite litthere had been no reference erary hero. I expect today’s at all to the hero’s gender, typical gamer would not so when the space suit was heavily cite Kain from “Final pulled off to reveal long hair Fantasy IV” or Chrono from and breasts, it was an utter “Chrono Trigger.” shock to gamers of that era That said, I want to take who had simply assumed this opportunity to plead Samus was a man. with anyone reading this In 1986, that was revoluwho may have voted in the tionary, even risky, because Guinness poll: Step back the gamer demographic was from today’s blockbuster male-dominated. It broke titles and consider looking new ground in the industry back on gaming’s illustrious by proving female protago- back catalog. nists in games.

You don’t have to enjoy Take this landmark mo“the classics,” but it would ment in gaming, Samus’ enrich your appreciation unmasking, and compare it of gaming as an art form to to the endings of any of the recognize their significance.

“Call of Duty” games. Were they as revolutionary? Can you even remember them?

Steven Zoeller is a Their endings don’t stick journalism sophomore.

• Chrono Trigger This game actually had multiple endings. It pioneered the idea for future role-playing games, significantly increasing the genre’s replay value.

Source: Guinness World Records

• Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Using the Triforce to heal the world was aweinspiring, as was revisiting minor characters to see how their lives had changed.

Photos provided

Top: “Call of Duty: Black Ops” was voted the best all-time video game ending by 13,519 gamers, according to the Guinness World Records.

Bottom: “Zelda: A Link to the Past” is one of the top-five video game endings of all time, according to The Daily’s Steven Zoeller. Although other Zelda games made the Guinness list, this game was left off entirely.

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Life&Arts

• Wednesday, February 29, 2012

competition

Gaylord men strut their stuff Contestants show off talent, best attire to fund New York City trip JALISA GREEN

Life & Arts Reporter

The pageant craze has spread from “Toddlers and Tiaras” to OU. Instead of Miss America, it’s Mr. Gaylord as OU’s Public Relations Student Society of America hosted the first “Mr. Gaylord Pageant.”

Ten Gaylord students competed in the pageant to help raise money for the society’s upcoming trip to New York City in April.

The coveted title went to broadcast and electronic media junior Collin Sims.

Sims was selected from a panel of four judges including Gaylord professors Ken Fischer and Scott Hodgson.

“Most events in Gaylord are geared toward professional development, like career fairs and seminars,” said Erin Jacobs, public relations senior and society webmaster. “This being the case, we wanted to throw an event that was fun for students and professors, not just in Gaylord, but campuswide.”

The event was open to any male students in Gaylord regardless of year, major or membership in the society, Jacobs said.

The contestants were judged in four categories: their interview attire, questionnaire, athletic attire and a featured talent.

Don’t mistake this pageant for “Miss America” though. It was all lighthearted as the gentlemen sang, failed at magic tricks, danced in drag and even r ibb on dance d to “ The Sound of Music.”

T h e c o nt e s t a nt s a l s o showed off the workout attire they wear to the Huston Huffman Fitness Center when they “want to pick up chicks” and showed off their athleticism.

University College freshman Nick Edwards suggestively unzipped his red

Left: Collin Sims, broadcast & electronic media junior accepts the Mr. Gaylord award from Drea Segura, public relations senior, and Luke Potter, advertising senior. OU’s Public Relations Student Society of America hosted the first “Mr. Gaylord Pageant” Tuesday. The fundraiser will help send students in the society on a professional preparation trip to New York City in April. Sims, the only broadcast and electronic media major to compete in the pageant, was awarded the title by a panel of four judges.

AT A GLANCE Winners Mr. Gaylord: Collin Sims Best Dressed: Walter Schoen Mr. Congeniality: Nick Edwards Best Talent: Brennen Schlueter Compiled by Lindsey Ruta

jumpsuit after flexing for the audience.

Public relations sophomore Andrew Matt sported a shirtless tennis outfit and smacked a birdie around the stage, but advertising junior Tim Ketcher took the cake with his intense planking that led him from the stage into the audience.

Advertising senior Austin Anderson said he decided to compete in the pageant for the new experience it provided.

“It’s a good chance to leave my mark on Gaylord,” Anderson said. “And gives us all a chance to really experience the talent from each major. So, why not do it?”

Student organizations such as The Redliners and Cr ims on B eat p erformed as the intermission entertainment.

“It’s really got the good vibe about it and could be a new tradition for Gaylord,” advertising senior Brennen Schlueter said. “I know I’m totally pitted to win, though.”

Schlueter may not have walked away with the title of “Mr. Gaylord,” but he was voted “Best Talent” by the audience. Other awards included “Mr. Congeniality” to Edwards and “Best Dressed” to advertising senior Walter Schoen.

Below: Walter Schoen, advertising senior, displays his ribbon twirling talent for an energetic crowd in Gaylord Hall. He began the performance to the “Sound of Music” to match his attire, but the song quickly changed to “I’m Sexy and I Know It,” by LMFAO. Schoen was one of 10 Gaylord students to compete in Tuesday’s pageant. He walked away with the “Best Dressed” award, which was one of three awards voted on by the audience.

Photos by Rebekha Cornwell/The Daily

Now Taking Applications Apply in person/print application online Bring by Tuesday-Thursday 9am-5pm 529 Buchanan Ave Campus Corner www.chimys.com See more online Visit OUDaily.com to see a photo gallery. oudaily.com/life&arts

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