The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
w e D n e s DA Y, M A R C H 6 , 2 013
W W W.O U DA I LY.C O M
2 011 S I LV E R C R O W N W I N N E R
HOMe FinAle
Opinion: Science education under attack again in Okla. (Page 4)
Section: Sooners square off against Mountaineers. (page 7)
BUDgeT CUTS
OUDaily.com: Find out about “The Vagina Monologues” first performance. ADviSing
research to be affected by sequester New The enacted sequester will make a huge dent in necessary funds MaTT raVIS
campus Reporter
Research programs at OU may be affected by last week’s automatic sequestration budget cuts, the university’s Vice President of Research said. Sequestration involves automatic, all-encompassing cuts to government agencies, such as those that provide research funding. For the remainder of fiscal year 2013, which ends June 30, Norman campus’ federal research expenditures could fall by between $1.3 million and $2.5 million, depending on how the agencies prioritize the cuts, said OU Vice President of Research Kelvin Droegemeier. In the 2014 fiscal year, the expenditures could drop by $5.5 million to $10 million. The cuts won’t affect as many people during the remainder of this fiscal year, however. When the new fiscal year begins, the effects will be much
more far reaching, Droegemeier said. For instance, sequestration probably will have a small impact on non-faculty researchers in 2013, but in the next fiscal year, some 50 individuals could be impacted by the loss of all or part of their funding, Droegemeier said. Likewise, graduate students in 2013 likely will not be affected, but in 2014 another 50 students could lose all or part of their funding. Despite the budget cuts, Droegemeier said he expects the university to remain focused on research with programs that are progressing. “[Budget cuts] will not be allowed to diminish the university’s bold advancements in research,” Droegemeier said. Additionally, students funded by federal research grants will be protected, and existing core areas of research will receive priority consideration, he said. Because undergraduate research is a priority at OU, people within the university will continue to invest internally and aggressively seek external funding, Droegemeier said.
BY THE NUMBERS University research possible budget cuts
1.7-3.3 7.8-14
percent ($1.3-2.5m) until June 30
percent ($5.5-10m) after June 30
• the higher of the numbers reflects the fact that some federal agencies already have chosen to avoid furloughing their employees, leading to potentially greater cuts to funding programs upon which oU depends.
Source: Kelvin Droegemeier, OU vice president of research
BUilDing BlOOD veSSelS
Blood vessel research flows forward Less traumatic surgeries on horizon PaIGHTEn HarkInS
assistant campus editor
An OU researcher is working on a project that could revolutionize two highly invasive procedures making them more tolerable by using a part of the body many humans have to spare. Matthias Nollert, a chemical, biological and materials engineering professor at OU, has been working on a way to convert fat into something useful: a blood vessel that can be used in coronary artery bypass surgeries and potentially save lives. Nollert and his team of researchers are making blood vessels from the amniotic sac that surrounds the fetus, and stem cells taken from about a quarter-size amount of fat, taken by liposuction, Nollert said. The current surgery procedures move an existing blood vessel, typically taken from one’s inner thigh, to the heart to bypass a blocked artery, said Julien Arrizabalaga, chemical engineering graduate student working on the project. That system is incredibly invasive though, and often the people requiring the bypass surgery in the first place, such as the elderly or diabetics, can’t handle such an
CEDar FLOYD
campus Reporter
Student can discuss conflict in South Asia centered on a film screening and comments by a panel of experts tonight from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Robert S. Kerr Auditorium at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. The discussion titled Gendered Violence in the State of Kashmir will open with a screening of “Ocean of Tears,” a 25 minute film by young Kashmiri film producer Bilal Jan. The film follows how the Indian state has established its control see SCREENING paGe 2
oud-2013-3-06-a-001, 002.indd 1
BEnnETT HaLL campus Reporter
Alex Scott, an OU junior, is majoring in plant biology, but this hasn’t always been his path. For a while, he didn’t even have a path. Scott said he flipflopped within the College of Arts and Sciences for a long time and wasn’t sure what he was trying to get out of his time at OU, but things started to change when he met with Michele Nabonne, an academic advising specialist at the university’s recently-established Academic Advising Resource Center. “I think it’s really difficult for students when they choose to switch majors several times and have no plan,” Scott said. Since the fall of 2011, Nabonne and fellow advising specialist Kendra Tahsequah have been working closely with undergraduates, like Scott, who have more than 45 credit hours and whose majors are currently undecided or who have been stopped-out of a program because of grade point average deficits, said Joyce Allman, associate provost for academic advising. These students always had been placed into University College, but the advisers there are just not specialized in working with students with advanced standing,” Allman said. About 300 students are
New program will lower the cost of college textbooks
pHoto iLLUstration By aUstin mCCrosKie/tHe DaiLy
renOvATiOn
Discussion: Violence in India University Club to Panel of experts hope to shed light on conflict in India
Students find help in advising
see ADVISING paGe 2
see SURGERY paGe 2
FilM SCreening
center spells success
reopen in April
Renovations nearly complete, club building to resume previous functions InDIa MaXWELL campus Reporter
The University Club, originally called the Faculty Club, will reopen in mid-April, after undergoing renovations that started in December 2011. Renovations are being completed at the club now, and it should open during the second week of April, said OU Press Secretary Michael Nash. The University Club was established at OU in 1925 and has been part of the university ever since. The club has had no major renovations in over 25
years, said President Boren in a press release. The club serves as a gathering place for faculty, staff and graduate students, but it can also host events such as wedding receptions and private dinners, Nash said. Undergraduate students may reserve the space for special events and may also use the club as guests of club members, Nash said.
Opinion: some oU professors want to use textbooks that are much cheaper than the average. (Page 4)
Blog provides a paradise for DIY, style lovers L&A: the Free people blog covers everything from fashion to food with a fun, bohemian twist. (Page 6)
VOL. 98, NO. 108 © 2012 oU publications Board fREE — additional copies 25¢
iNSiDE ToDaY Campus......................2 Clas si f ie ds................5 L i f e & a r t s ..................6 o p inio n.....................4 spor ts........................7 Visit OUDaily.com for more
SEE MORE ONLINE Visit oUDaily.com for the complete story oudaily.com/news
facebook.com/oUDaily
twitter.com/oUDaily
3/5/13 10:35 PM
2
• Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Campus
OUDaily.com ›› Sooner Spring Tune Up: HES students to hold 5K/10K run to raise money for scholarships.
Arianna Pickard, campus editor Paighten Harkins and Nadia Enchassi, assistant editors dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Surgery: Vessel research means faster recovery Continued from page 1
Today around campus Graduation Gear-up, a time for students to order graduation gear such as cap and gown, announcements, OU class ring, and the Sooner yearbook, will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday, March 8 in Oklahoma Memorial Union Beaird Lounge. A discussion on New York, Jewish, Intellectuals and Gender will take place at noon in Kaufman Hall, Room 109. The talk is hosted by the Judaic Studies department and will feature Ronnie Grinberg from the Jewish Studies program at the University of Colorado Boulder. A meeting of the OU Pre-Dental Club will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Dale Hall Room 125. A free screening of the film “A Time to Live, A Time to Die” will take place from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, kicking off the 2013 Newman Prize for Chinese Literature Festival. Men’s basketball will play West Virginia at 8 p.m. at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Thursday, March 7 An exhibit opening of “The Newman Prize and Chinese Literature Today at OU” will take place at 11 a.m. at the Bizzell Memorial Library Main Floor, celebrating the work of the three Newman laureates to date: Yang Mu in 2013, Han Shaogong in 2011 and Mo Yan, the inaugural prize awardee in 2009 and now winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature. An opera titled Falstaff by composer Giuseppe Verdi will take place at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 7 in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center. Additional performances are at 8 p.m. on March 8 and 9, and at 3 p.m. on March 10. English Club will take place at 5:30 in Gittinger Hall’s First Floor Lounge. There will be free pizza, games and a guest speaker. Do you want to see your organization’s campus event here? Visit OUDaily.com/events/submit to add your entry.
Corrections The Oklahoma Daily is committed to serving readers with accurate coverage and welcomes your comments about information that may require correction or clarification. To contact us with corrections, email us at dailynews@ou.edu. In Tuesday’s story, “OU heard about charges second hand,” the department Flores’ relative reported complaints of child molestation was the Department of Human Services. Visit OUDaily.com/corrections for an archive of our corrections
help is just a phone call away
9
number
crisis line
325-6963 (NYNE)
OU Number Nyne Crisis Line
Are you on Twitter? Stay connected with The Daily
@OUDaily, @OUDailyArts, @OUDailySports @OUDailyOpinion
8 p.m.-4 a.m. every day
except OU holidays and breaks
NOTICE OF PUBLIC ACCESS During the Regular Meeting Of The University of Oklahoma PUBLICATIONS BOARD 9:30 a.m. Friday Copeland Hall, Room 146 Students, staff, faculty and others in the community are invited to express their views concerning The Oklahoma Daily or Sooner yearbook to the Publications Board.
oud-2013-3-06-a-001, 002.indd 2
intense surgery without negative consequences, sometimes even death, Nollert said. “ These are not young healthy people that you can do traumatic surgery to and they’re going to be OK. They’re just not going to be OK,” he said. Nollert’s blood vessels would take about six weeks to create, but would keep patients from having to go through more trauma than they’ve already gone through to fix the problem, he said. A l t h ou g h t h e pat i e nt would still need to be anesthetized, removing fat — which the body typically has in excess — is simpler than removing a blood vessel, Nollert said. “All of your parts of your body are really kind of necessary. You don’t have any excess anywhere, and so when you take something out generally bad things happen, especially when you take out things like blood vessels, because you kind of need them all,” Nollert said. If they receive grant funding, later this spring Nollert, Arrizabalaga and their team will acquire three pigs to test the constructed blood vessels in their legs to see if blood will flow through the vessels correctly. Eventually, they will test the vessels in the pigs’ hearts, but for now the researchers are testing to see if the vessels will hold up in less vital areas of the body, Nollert said. The second procedure Nollert is working to improve has to do with tendons, he said. After meeting with an Oklahoma surgeon who specializes in repairing torn rotator cuffs, tendons in your shoulder, Nollert realized the
photo provided by Julien Arrizabalaga
“Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. An alternate therapy is needed to treat the 180,000 people each year who require coronary artery bypass surgery. Several different strategies have been explored to develop vascular graft substitutes, but so far all have proven unsatisfactory. Current engineered vessels lack sufficient strength or require many weeks to be fully functional. My research project focuses on an innovative solution using patient-derived stem cells obtained from fat tissue during liposuction in order to generate healthy engineered blood vessels. This project has the potential to provide off-the-shelf availability of replacement blood vessels.”
BY THE NUMBERS Heart health
415K
coronary artery bypass graft prodcedures per year
5M
— over $5M people went to the doctor because of rotator cuff problems Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website
current system was inefficient, he said. “The technology and the techniques that they have for fixing these bad rotator cuff repairs ... we can do a lot better than that,” Nollert said. The current procedure aims to reattach the tendon in your shoulder to the bone. The surgeon pokes a hole in the bone and places a screw in it, said Mathilde
Mouchiroud, a graduate student working on the project. Then they tie the tendon to the screw and pull it tight. However, this method may not work if the gap is too large to reattach the original tendon, Mouchiroud said. Mouchiroud and Nollert are looking into manufacturing tendons the same way they’ve been manufacturing blood vessels, Nollert said. Mouchiroud began working on this project in September, and is still trying to work out how to get started, she said. Right now Mouchiroud is grappling with the problem of creating a material as strong as a tendon, which is incredibly resilient for its size, she said. Once Mouchiroud is making progress in the research, she should be able to begin human clinical trials earlier than the blood vessel counterpart, which has been in progress for a much longer time, she said.
The difference is that a rotator cuff isn’t as necessary as a blood vessel. A person won’t die if theirs isn’t working properly; they will just have limited movement, Arrizabalaga said. In this case, they wouldn’t be able to lift their arm above shoulder level. With the engineered coronary blood vessel, a misstep could lead to someone’s death. Thus, it may take a decade or more for the blood vessel to be cleared by the FDA, Arrizabalaga said. “The problem is getting the approval. It’s something where if you mess up, your patient is probably going to die, so you want to be sure it’s working before implanting it,” Arrizabalaga said. Arrizabalaga will continue working on the project while at OU, but he doesn’t think the blood vessel will be used in healthcare procedures for another 20 years, he said.
Advising: Students receive assistance in center Continued from page 1 in the same situation as Scott was and now are being advised within the resource center to get a better idea of their options, Allman said. From the informal meetings that took place in Allman’s and other volunteer faculty members’ offices around campus back in 2009, to the advising sessions that have had a permanent home in the newly-renovated Cate 1 building since November 2012, the goal of the advisement center has been to guide undecided students into a well-fitting major and avoid giving those students the runaround along the way, Allman said. Scott is advised regularly by Nabonne, who meets with him from 15 minutes to an hour per session. He never feels rushed and is able to sit down and map out a specific plan for his upcoming classes and potential internships, he said. “This fits my personality of liking to have a solid plan in place,” Scott said. Students sometimes are switched into a program called Academic Affairs-Exploratory, in which their university status is monitored and they are advised closely and agree to sign an academic contract stating their goals and the adviser’s expectations for them, Allman said. Other students are referred to the Wagner Hall’s Assessment Center, where they
defined Terms you need to know University College — Founded in 1942, one of the first academic units in the United States to focus on meeting the special needs of first year students. Stop-out — The process by which a student is removed from an academic department and must change his or her major until a minimum GPA is met, whereby he or she may reenter the department. Runaround — A deceptive or delaying action, especially in response to a request.
can take tests to figure out their job aptitudes. “At the center, we want the kids we see to find the means to follow the program and career in which they will find fulfillment,” Allman said. Scott, who has come a long way since walking to the center and declaring his major as plant biology last fall, said he feels confident that his next two years of study, and his pending career, are in tune with his passions. “I plan to gear myself toward going into field research and being a botanist,” Scott said.
screening: Film highlights gendered aggression Continued from page 1
International and Area Studies program as well as Nyla Ali Khan, visiting professor of English and multicultural of the area through the use of force studies at OU, author of many books, against the conflict between India and a native of Kashmir. “It’s the ideal mix [of panel memand Pakistan in Kashmir, specifically highlighting the violence experi- bers,]” Mufti said. “Three academics, enced by women as just one of many one working on India, one working on effects of the ongoing clash, according Pakistan, and one Kashmiri.” The state of to the event flier. Th ou g h f u n d e d “The film lacks the polish Kashmir has been by the Indian govof a professionally made rife with conflict from Pakistan, ernment, the film documentary, but, at India, and an inwas banned from the same time, it shows ternal liberation the University of ovement for Kashmir last year, the garish reality of how m almost 60 years, according to the exactly women have been since the Indian Kashmir Reader. “The film lacks treated by Indian armed Independence Act in 1947. As a result, the polish of a proforces.” it continues to be a fessionally made site of widespread documentary, but, Mariam Mufti, violence and a at the same time, event organizer playground for reit shows the garish reality of how exactly women have ligious extremists and terrorists, Mufti been treated by Indian armed forces,” said. Soldiers have been accused of comMariam Mufti, event organizer, said. Afterwards, there will be a panel mitting severe human rights abuses discussion. The panel will consist during the capture of villages, specifof Emily Rook-Koepsel and Mariam ically the terrorization and mass rape Mufti, both assistant professors in the of women. Yet the western media has
In depth RSVP Send an email to rkmartin@ ou.edu with “Kashmir” in the subject line or call 405-325-1584
been largely silent on the Kashmiri conflict, a disturbing fact considering that both Pakistan and India are nuclear powers, Mufti said. Recently, however, attention has been drawn to the area by increasing aggression between Indian and Pakistani armed forces and the hanging of a Kashmiri militant, Mufti said. The panel hopes that this event will allow students to become more informed about the situation in South Asia and to engage in an informed dialogue about potential solutions, Mufti said. Refreshment will be provide for those attending, Mufti said. Cedar Floyd cedar_floyd_789@hotmail.com
3/5/13 10:35 PM
news
Wednesday, March 6, 2013 •
3
Venezuela
Hugo Chavez dies, leaves immense legacy Popular yet controversial leader of socialist state loses battle to cancer Frank Bajak
The Associated Press
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez, the fiery populist who declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against U.S. influence and championed a leftist revival across Latin America, died Tuesday at age 58 after a nearly two-year bout with cancer. Vice President Nicolas Maduro, surrounded by other government officials, announced the death in a national television broadcast. He said Chavez died at 4:25 p.m. local time. During more than 14 years in office, Chavez routinely challenged the status quo at home and internationally. He polarized Venezuelans with his confrontational and domineering style, yet was also a masterful communicator and strategist who tapped into Venezuelan nationalism to win broad support, particularly among the poor. Chavez repeatedly proved himself a political survivor. As an army paratroop commander, he led a failed coup in 1992, then was pardoned and elected president in 1998. He survived a coup against his own presidency in 2002 and won re-election two more times. The burly president electrified crowds with his booming voice, often wearing the bright red of his United Socialist Party of Venezuela or the fatigues and red beret of his army days. Before his struggle with cancer, he appeared on television almost daily, talking for hours at a time and often breaking into song of philosophical discourse. Chavez used his country’s vast oil wealth to launch social programs that include state-run food markets, new public housing, free health clinics and education programs. Poverty declined during Chavez’s presidency amid a historic boom in oil earnings, but critics said he failed to use the windfall of hundreds of billions of dollars to develop the country’s economy. Inflation soared and the homicide rate rose to among the highest in the world. Chavez underwent surgery in Cuba in June 2011 to remove what he said was a baseball-size tumor from his pelvic region, and the cancer returned repeatedly over the next 18 months despite more surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He kept secret key details of his illness, including the type of cancer and the precise location of the tumors. “El Comandante,” as he was known, stayed in touch with the Venezuelan people during his treatment via Twitter and phone calls broadcast on television, but even those messages dropped off as his health deteriorated.
miraflores press office/the associated press
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez (right) speaks with Cuba’s Fidel Castro during their visit to the home of Cuban revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara on July 22, 2006 in Cordoba, Argentina. Venezuela’s Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced on Tuesday that Chavez had died. Chavez, 58, was first diagnosed with cancer in June 2011.
Two months after his last re-election in October, Chavez returned to Cuba again for cancer surgery, blowing a kiss to his country as he boarded the plane. He was never seen again in public. After a 10-week absence marked by opposition protests over the lack of information about the president’s health and growing unease among the president’s “Chavista” supporters, the government released photographs of Chavez on Feb. 15 and three days later announced that the president had returned to Venezuela to be treated at a military hospital in Caracas. Throughout his presidency, Chavez said he hoped to fulfill Bolivar’s unrealized dream of uniting South America. He was also inspired by Cuban leader Fidel Castro and
nation
took on the aging revolutionary’s role as Washington’s chief antagonist in the Western Hemisphere after Castro relinquished the presidency to his brother Raul in 2006. Supporters saw Chavez as the latest in a colorful line of revolutionary legends, from Castro to Argentine-born Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Chavez nurtured that cult of personality, and even as he stayed out of sight for long stretches fighting cancer, his out-sized image appeared on buildings and billboard throughout Venezuela. The airwaves boomed with his baritone mantra: “I am a nation.” Supporters carried posters and wore masks of his eyes, chanting, “I am Chavez.” Chavez saw himself as a revolutionary and savior of the poor.
civil war
Dow market surges to record Syrian jets bomb overrun city Gains give clear proof of national economic recovery STEVE ROTHWELL
The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow closed at an all-time high Tuesday, beating the previous record it set in October 2007, before the financial crisis and Great Recession. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 125.95 points to 14,253.77, an increase of 0.89 percent. The index jumped from the opening bell, climbed as much as 158 points early and peaked at 14,286. The Dow surpassed its previous record close of 14,164.53 from Oct. 9, 2007. Tuesday’s record represents a remarkable comeRichard Drew/the associated press back for the stock market. Trader Peter Tuchman smiles as he works on the floor of the New The Dow has more than doubled since falling to a low York Stock Exchange Tuesday. Five and a half years after the of 6,547 in March 9, 2009, start of a frightening drop that erased $11 trillion from stock following the financial cri- portfolios and made investors despair of ever getting their sis and the onset of the Great money back, the Dow Jones industrial average has regained all the losses suffered during the Great Recession and reached a Recession. Stocks have been new high. helped by stimulus from the Federal Reserve and quarter to invest in the stock market.” the 30-member Dow adThat could be changing. vanced, with industrial after quarter of record corporate profits, even as the More money has been flow- companies leading the economic recovery has been ing into stock mutual funds gains. Coca-Cola and slow and unemployment since the beginning of the Merck & Co. fell, while year. aluminum giant Alcoa was has remained high. Investors who have who flat. “It’s the perfect confluT h e D o w ’s g a i n s ence of events,” said Jim stayed out of the market the Russell, an investment di- past four years may be de- Tuesday were led by inrector at US Bank. “This will ciding to get off the sidelines, dustrial and technology stocks. Cisco System grab everybody’s attention, Pavlik said. T h e D o w rose 48 cents, or 2.3 perit will be a front “It’s still pretty opened higher cent, to $21.22 and United page story and Tuesday fol- Technologies climbed it tends to draw close to the lowing a surge $1.89, or 2.2 percent, to people toward t h e m a r k e t , front of people’s i n m a r k e t s $91.02. More stable, conservanot push them brains. That’s one a r o u n d t h e globe. China’s tive stocks like utilities and away from it.” of the reasons markets rose consumer staples logged The recovthat people are after the gov- smaller gains. ery in stocks All 10 industry groups may even have hesitant to invest ernment said it would sup- in the broader Standard been quicker in the stock port ambitious & Poor’s 500 stock index had memories growth targets. rose, led by technology of the finanmarket” E u r o p e a n companies. cial system’s Robert Pavlik, m a r k e t s B i l l i o n a i r e Wa r r e n near-collapse not been on in- chief market strategist ju m p e d f o l - Buffet, who has long been at Banyan Partners lowing a sur- bullish on stocks, gave a vestors’ minds, said Robert Pavlik, chief prisingly strong rise in retail big endorsement to them market strategist at Banyan sales across the 17 countries on Monday in an interview that use the euro. In the U.S., with CNBC. He said that Partners. “It’s still pretty close to the more hopeful news about he still thinks stocks are a front of people’s brains,” he housing kept the momen- good buy, while long-term government bonds are said. “That’s one of the rea- tum going. Twenty-seven stocks in “the dumbest investment.” sons that people are hesitant
oud-2013-3-06-a-001, 002.indd 3
Rebels attacked day after takeover ZEINA KARAM
The Associated Press
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian jets bombed opposition-held buildings Tuesday in the strategic northern city of Raqqa, a day after rebels overran the onetime regime stronghold and captured its provincial governor. A toppled statue of President Bashar Assad’s father was defaced with graffiti reading, “ Tomorrow will be better.” The rebels continued to battle pockets of government troops in Raqqa, struggling to crush the remaining resistance in the city of 500,000 people on the Euphrates River. If successful, it would be the first major city they would completely control in the civil war, and it would consolidate their recent gains in the northern Syrian towns along the historic river that runs from Turkey to Iraq. “This is the beginning,
. Aleppo Media Center AMC/the assoicated press
This citizen journalism image provided by Aleppo Media Center (AMC), which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian man sitting on a fallen statue of former Syrian President Hafez Assad in a central square in Raqqa, Syria, Tuesday.
and other Syr ian cities will soon fall, one by one, God willing,” said Mustafa Othman, a Raqqa-based activist who spoke via Skype, with the sounds of gunfire crackling in the background. B u t g o v e r n m e n t a i rstrikes and intermittent
clashes, particularly around two secur ity buildings, raised doubt about whether the rebels would be able to maintain their hold on Raqqa, about 120 miles (195 kilometers) east of the commercial capital of Aleppo.
Currently live in the Residence Halls?
Take the
Survey
A Student Satisfaction Survey will be emailed to your OU email account.
Let us know about your experience in the Residence Halls and with OU Campus Dining.
and you could
win big
Survey participants will be entered to win: a Meal Plan for a semester an iPad 2
The only way to access the Survey is from the email you received in your OU email. housing&food Housing and Food Services is a department in OU’s division of Student Affairs. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
3/5/13 10:35 PM
4
Reader comment on OUDaily.com ››
• Wednesday, March 6, 2013
“What a useless column. It’s clear by your last paragraph that you’re just an uppity Republican who wanted to use Biden’s oversimplification as some false justification for wanting big guns, big trucks, and big money.” (braceyourself, RE: ‘Biden makes absurd comments about guns’)
OPINION
Mark Brockway, opinion editor Kayley Gillespie, assistant editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/opinion • Twitter: @OUDailyOpinion
THUMBS EVEN: Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela, died today at age 58. Although democratically elected, many saw Chavez’s leadership as oppressive. (Page 3)
EDITORIAL
Academic freedom bill is an academic catastrophe Our View: Science education and freedom bill is
means and looks to twist any public confusion not about science, education or freedom. about science for its own benefit. Of course the most famous example is the often-cited confusion Oklahoma, not to be politically outdone in terms of the meaning of the word “theory.” of religious conservatism by other states, has seen In everyday vernacular, we might make an eduthe introduction of not just one but two bills this cated guess about something and call that guess a year that would introduce creationism into our theory. In the scientific method, however, a theopublic school science classrooms. The first bill, by ry is created by first making a hypothesis (there’s Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Coalgate, was thankfully your “educated guess”) and then testing that hykilled by the Senate Education Committee, while pothesis experimentally multiple times and in its twin, HB 1674 written by Sen. Gus Blackwell, multiple ways to prove its validity. R-Boise City, has survived a committee vote and is Only after holding up under intense scrutiny now headed for the House floor. does a hypothesis or set of hypotheses beThese bills are an embarrassment to our come a theory, and it is never too late for The Our View state. Simply put, they aim to introduce is the majority dissenting evidence to challenge a scienopinion of religious objections to science in science tific theory. The Daily’s classrooms under the guise of “teaching Suggesting the bill is about “acanine-member the controversy.” Blackwell insisted in an demic freedom” is frankly deceitful. The editorial board interview with Mother Jones his bill was bill has two clear purposes, to excuse stunot about controversies that arise from redents who oppose what is being taught ligion, but from “scientific exploration.” Specifics based on the religious beliefs they brought from are not mentioned in the bill, except to say contro- home, and to excuse teachers who oppose what versies are expected to arise when discussing “bio- they are asked to teach for the same religious logical evolution, the chemical origins of life, global reasons. warming, and human cloning.” In other words, Under the bill, a student cannot be failed for the bill includes all of the major controversies pro- disagreeing with course material, and a teacher posed by the religious right. cannot be disciplined for doing the same. In this Let’s be clear, there is no real controversy among day and age, when scientific illiteracy is reaching the scientific community concerning microMedieval proportions and low-tech, high paying evolution, macroevolution or increasing global jobs aren’t exactly popping up all around us, this temperatures. bill is a travesty. What controversy exists is fabricated by groups Students do not come to science class in order like the Discovery Institute, an organization that to learn how to make scientific knowledge and seeks scientific-sounding answers that can be atdiscovery fit into their preconceived narratives tached to logical fallacies found in theological texts. about the universe. Exactly the opposite is supIt once claimed to have amassed 700 “scienposed to be true. By allowing theological objectists” who denied the literal mountain of evidence tions learned at home to be presented as legitifor macroevolution based on their theological mate controversies in science classrooms, we are conclusions. not only risking our future competitiveness in the In response, the National Center for Science global market, but we are risking our children’s Education amusingly released “Project Steve,” a chances to lead educated, happy lives. petition that only scientists named Steve would be Please call, email, or write to your local state allowed to sign in support of macro evolutionary representative and ask them to vote against theory. There were about 1,200 scientists named HB 1674. Let’s move forward as a state, not Steve who signed the petition. backwards. Much of this push to inject theology into the science classroom is surrounded by sophistic lanComment on this on OUDaily.com guage, rhetoric which says the opposite of what it
COLUMN
Inhofe book inhibits climate initiatives
O
klahomans are OPINION COLUMNIST involved in the national debate over global warming. U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, authored a book called “The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Scott Starr Threatens Your Future.” scott.e.starr-1@ou.edu Inhofe has vociferously promoted the idea global warming is an elaborate scam and is not actually happening. It is happening and you should be concerned about it. He and many other politicians and citizens also guffaw at the idea human activities are to blame for affecting the climate. However, there are ecosystems and societies where the effects of climate change are clearly evident, in spite of Inhofe’s claims. The Inupiat village located at Point Hope, Alaska, began to experience significant effects from global warming as far back as 1977 when the village had to be moved two miles to the southeast to keep it from being swallowed by the Chukchi Sea, according to Chie Sakakibara from the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability and the Native American Studies Program. Sakakibara spent time doing fieldwork in North Slope Borough whaling communities in 2005 and 2006. Inhofe may have the luxury of disbelieving the reality of global warming from the safety of his home, but the Indigenous people on the North Slope of Alaska have been living with the reality he denies for years. The rising water levels for the indigenous people of these areas are more than just an inconvenience. These ecosystems and cultures have endured everything from coastal erosion to the disappearance of whales and other food sources. In short, food has gotten harder and harder to find for people and other living things. The consensus of nearly the entire scientific community is the primary causes responsible for these warming trends are the burning of fossil fuels and release of carbon particulates into the atmosphere. A majority of scientists studying the dynamic insist there is cause for great alarm. Inhofe refers to this insistence and trepidation as fear mongering. Dr. Tom Woodfin, professor and director at the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Oklahoma, believes we have passed the tipping point for preventing major ecological catastrophe, but should nevertheless work diligently to find ways at mitigating the effects and finding ways to develop a more sustainable culture going forward. One of the best ways to be part of the solution is for citizens to support only candidates who understand the urgency of the climate change situation and are serious about doing something to help. Scott Starr is Native American studies major.
AFFORDABLE TEXTBOOKS COLUMN
Students, teachers must support affordable book programs Editor’s note: Today’s column is the first part in a two-part column looking at the benefits of the OpenStax program. Today’s column concerns the program in general. Thursday’s column will look at how one OU professor has implemented the OpenStax program in the classroom.
OPINION COLUMNIST
Alex Niblett alexandra.g.niblett@ou.edu
I
wrote an article proposing an incentive for students to attend class on Feb. 14 — it proposed that students who attend class and maintain a certain GPA throughout the semester should be eligible to receive a 5 to 10 percent discount on course books from the bookstore. Part of the reason I created the proposal was to motivate students to attend class more often. The more significant purpose of the proposal was to ignite an important conversation worth discussing — how to find a solution to decrease the ridiculous book prices. On Feb. 19, I attended a discussion organized by Mark Morvant, OU professor and executive director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, regarding OU’s Open Access initiatives. David Harris, editor-in-chief of OpenStax College, led an engaging discussion that introduced a unique educational resource called OpenStax. OpenStax College is a nonprofit organization that offers various college-level textbooks available to download for free without the concern of access expirations. Harris explained the material available is developed and peer-reviewed by educators who ensure the texts are readable and
accurate. He strongly believes colleges across the country can benefit from this alternative availability of student course materials, including OU. “Students benefit because the texts are free to download in pdf, epub, and web view,” Harris said. “We also have premium versions for iPads that sell for just $4.99 and low cost print options. Access never expires; therefore, a student not only saves money today, but she has a permanent reference throughout her education,” Harris said. One of my concerns with this system was how much the print editions would cost. The OpenStax model of electronic access allows a great, affordable solution that initiates easy access, sharing and modifying via electric devices. For those of you who prefer printed material to electronic material,
$ $ $$ $ $ $ $ $$ $ $ $ $$ $ $$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $$ $ $ $ $ $$ $ $
AUSTIN MCCROSKIE/THE DAILY
Harris assured me that the costs of print editions were considerably cheaper than the regular cost of course books. At the meeting, Harris demonstrated how a student could order a course book from OpenStaxCollege.org; it is an easy process and self-guiding. The website currently has two books available in print version — a physics book for $50 and a sociology book that costs about $30. With OpenStax resources, students and professors do not need to worry about new editions coming out every year; the content will continuously be improved when needed, and the electronic resources will be updated and remain free. “The current [book selling] model is not sustainable; therefore, we are optimistic that the growing ecosystem around open education resources can improve quality while substantially reducing costs for students,” Harris said. Harris is correct. The current book system is corrupt — students are having to pay much more than necessary for books in order for publishers and bookstores to make a pretty penny. I don’t hate the publishers or bookstores, but it is time for colleges to adopt alternative book options. While the OpenStax resource may or may not be the best solution, it certainly is innovative and has the potential of leading OU in the right direction towards more affordable course materials for our students. Voicing our concerns and opinions can improve and shape our school system and can lead to bigger and better things. Your thoughts matter. If you have ideas or proposals regarding other ways students can save on books or you know of other potential resource systems worth considering, you can send those suggestions to teach@ou.edu. Alex Niblett is a journalism junior.
The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication.
Mary Stanfield Kyle Margerum Arianna Pickard Dillon Phillips Emma Hamblen Mark Brockway
Editor in Chief Managing Editor Campus Editor Sports Editor Life & Arts Editor Opinion Editor
contact us
160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-2052
oud-2013-3-06-a-004.indd 1
Hillary McLain Online Editor Blayklee Buchanan Night Editor Alissa Lindsey, Lauren Cheney Copy Chiefs Kearsten Howland Advertising Manager Judy Gibbs Robinson Faculty Adviser
phone:
405-325-3666
email:
dailynews@ou.edu
Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 250 words, typed and signed by the author(s). Letters will be edited for accuracy, space and style. Students must list their major and classification. To submit letters, email dailyopinion@ou.edu. Our View is the voice of the Editorial Board, which consists of nine student editors. The board meets at 5 p.m. Sunday to Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall. Board meetings are open to the public.
Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are their own and not necessarily the views or opinions of The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board. To advertise in The Oklahoma Daily, contact advertising manager Kearsten Howland by calling 405-325-8964 or emailing dailyads@ou.edu. One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by contacting The Daily business office at 405-325-2522.
3/5/13 9:54 PM
Wednesday, March 6, 2013 •
CLASSIFIEDS Phone: 405-325-2521 E-mail: classifieds@ou.edu
Fax: 405-325-7517 Campus Address: COH 149A
DEADLINES Line Ad ..................................................................................3 days prior Place line ad by 9:00 a.m. 3 business days prior to publication.
Display Ad ............................................................................3 days prior Classified Display or Classified Card Ad Place your display, classified display or classified card ads by 5:00 p.m. 3 business days prior to publication.
r
J Housing Rentals
SPECIAL NOTICES SPRING BREAK- South Padre Island, TX. Sleeps 6 ppl. 956-574-9000 24/7. condorental@border-tech.com for info.
C Transportation
AUTO INSURANCE
Auto Insurance Quotations Anytime
Foreign Students Welcomed JIM HOLMES INSURANCE, 321-4664
PAYMENT s r
classifieds@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-2521
Announcements
PLACE AN AD
Services
TM
Payment is required at the time the ad is placed. Credit cards, cash, money orders or local checks accepted.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Christian Counseling in Norman Andrea Hart, LCSW 405-204-4615 Grace-river.org
RATES Line Ad
There is a 2 line minimum charge; approximately 42 characters per line, including spaces and punctuation. (Cost = Days x # lines x $/line) 10-14 days.........$1.15/line 15-19 days.........$1.00/line 20-29 days........$ .90/line 30+ days ........ $ .85/line
1 day ..................$4.25/line 2 days ................$2.50/line 3-4 days.............$2.00/line 5-9 days.............$1.50/line
Classified Display, Classified Card Ad or Game Sponsorship
Contact an Acct Executive for details at 325-2521. 2 col (3.25 in) x 2.25 inches
2 col (3.25 in) x 2 inches Sudoku ..............$760/month Boggle ...............$760/month Horoscope ........$760/month
Crossword ........$515/month
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED Fun Valley Family Resort South Fork Colorado needs young adults to work summer employment! Salary, room board, & bonus! Call 817-279-1016, email: annette.fain@gmail.com
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. 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. All ads are subject to acceptance by The Oklahoma Daily. Ad acceptance may be re-evaluated at any time.
WE DON’T JUST PROVIDE FOOD FOR THE HOMELESS.
There are no limits to caring.ÂŽ
1-800-899-0089
www.VolunteersofAmerica.org
™ & Š 2003 The Jim Henson Company
WE PROVIDE JOB TRAINING SO THEY CAN BUY GROCERIES.
PAID EGG DONORS. All Races needed. Non-smokers, Ages 18-27, SAT>1100/ACT>24/GPA>3.00 Contact: info@eggdonorcenter.com
If you are interested in one of these positions, please call our job line or access our website to find out the minimum qualifications. Applicants must pass umpire test prior to receiving employment application. Tests are given in the Human Resources office located at 201 West Gray Bldg. C, M-F from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Selected applicants must pass background investigation, physical exam, and drug screen. A complete job announcement is available at www. normanok.gov.hr/hr-job-postings. To request an application, email HR@ NormanOK.gov, call 405-366-5482, or visit us at 201-C West Gray, Human Resources Dept., City of Norman. EOE
Wanted: 29 Serious People to work from home using a computer. Up to $1500-$5K PT/FT www.AmpedBizOnline. com
The
This could be a very interesting year where your earnings are concerned, but don’t leave anything to chance. If you put forth the effort and you handle things properly, you could end up making more money than ever.
LIVE YOUR DREAMS Pass It On.
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.
oud-2013-3-06-a-005.indd 1
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- If you employ a little elbow grease, something you desperately want could come within your grasp. However, don’t rely on Lady Luck to do everything for you. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Lucky you: You have a very dependable friend who will come to your aid when you need it the most. Your pal will help out quietly, but don’t let that stop you from showing your gratitude.
www.forbetterlife.org
Walk To Class 1005 W. Parsons 3bd House Available May facebook.com/1005wparsons 405.208.3303
SOONER BLOOMERS Now hiring for Spring Season. FT/PT - Call Tim at 5506716 Bent River Cattle Company & Seafood is now hiring all positions, M-F 9-4pm. 2701 S I35 Frontage Rd. Moore, Ok 73160 Buffalo Wild Wings is now hiring all positions. Apply in person daily 2-4pm. 2601 South Service Rd. Moore, OK 73160
ts)
OU Student Media is a department within OU’s division of Student Affairs. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013
HOUSES UNFURNISHED
t a e n i l u n d o e . y u l o p . a i Ap d e m t n e d u t s
Copyright 2012, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
APTS. UNFURNISHED For Rent! University Falls Apartment. 3 min. walk to OU. 1bd 1 bath $575 Electric & Gas incl. pets okay. Call B&B 800-5971994
te r o p Re ists icians n m Colu e techn n Onli editors Copy ners ts s i g l i s a rn De u o j rs to e o h h p P ra g o e Vid
By Bernice Bede Osol
Utilities PAID, incl. wireless internet, cable, parking, quiet, furnished, share kitchen & bath. Male students preferred. ONLY $220/month. 329-2661
spor , s t a ar m & o e f h a s, li l u k p O am rs (c
HOROSCOPE
$5,500-$10,000
Summer Employment Opportunities Youth Baseball/Softball Umpires $10-$15 per game Baseball Supervisor $8.50-$9.50 per hour
APTS. FURNISHED
U O ? Y Y H E T R R A O W S r: o f W g n i k NE o lo s i y
POLICY
Eats flies. Dates a pig. Hollywood star.
The Cleveland County Family YMCA is seeking Swim Instructors & Lifeguards! Apply in person at 1350 Lexington Ave. EOE
Dail
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.
5
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Your brain will be like a sponge, enabling you to absorb whatever knowledge you need. You’ll use it advantageously, to boot. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- One of your best assets is your ability to fit well into others’ projects, making your input and presence an integral part of the whole. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You’ve done your best to continuously improve your negotiating skills. This will become evident when an agreement needs hammering out. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Someone you helped in the past has been eager to find a way to repay you in
some manner. What he or she ends up doing will be worth more than your original act. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Something quite pleasant as well as a bit extraordinary is likely to develop through the good offices of certain contacts. What transpires will have far-reaching effects. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- The life span of a rewarding endeavor can be expanded if you seize the opportunity. However, it may take a bit of cooperation from a few of your associates. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- If there is something important that you want to discuss with another, the best place to do so would be in a social setting. However, try to lead up to the subject gradually. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -Something that could enhance your material interests might develop. It could be quite surprising, but don’t waste time being shocked -- act on it immediately.
Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker March 6, 2013
ACROSS 1 Red meat 5 What stealth planes avoid 10 Sleeve end 14 Abbr. curtailing a list 15 Susan Lucci role 16 Biblical brother 17 What’s chopped in a chop shop 18 Change, as from two lanes to three 19 ___ contendere 20 Flares, e.g. 23 Arm of the sea 24 Itsy-bitsy bits 25 Like skinnydippers 28 Flair 30 Convince 31 Chef’s garment 33 Famous square? 36 Annual Baltimore race 40 Mama porker 41 Avian home on a hill 42 Comedian’s visual 43 Postsandwich sandwich cookie 44 Tedious rundown 46 Venue for big crowds 3/6
49 Raccoon resembler 51 Thing on some mail 57 Shrek’s one 58 Slow-moving lemur 59 Eurasiadividing range 60 Carrot or turnip, e.g. 61 Filled with joy, to a bard 62 Fraught with danger 63 Makes a miscalculation 64 Way-out swingers? 65 “First Lady of Song� Fitzgerald DOWN 1 Bit of condensation 2 Bag for small articles 3 Puts away the dishes? 4 Naval formation 5 Fix over, as a pipe joint 6 Pop up, as a question 7 Performed, in the Bible 8 One-spot cards 9 Bombay royal 10 Heavy artillery weapon 11 Certain torpedo launcher 12 Guy, informally
13 It may get food away from a canine 21 “Messenger� compound 22 California baseballer 25 Express Mail org. 26 Wolfe the sleuth 27 Ball of thread 28 It’s heard in the Highlands 29 ___ Alamitos, Calif. 31 Prefix for “sol� or “space� 32 Letters on a radial tire 33 Gumbo pod 34 Big-city light type 35 Get a glimpse of 37 Gold purity unit
38 Word before a maiden name 39 Natural talent 43 Beginnings 44 Bonnie ones 45 “___ Greek to me� 46 Prefix for “mentioned� 47 Severity 48 “Trial� partner 49 Monte ___ (Monaco region) 50 Tree that provides wickers 52 Opposite of 25-Across 53 Corporation emblem 54 Jacket for a seed 55 Loamy fertilizer 56 “Give me another chance,� e.g.
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
3/5
Š 2013 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com
SNAKE IN THE GRASS By Ellie Bush
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -Some good news that you’ve longed for might finally arrive. If this is the case, chances are it’ll come sometime after lunch. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Instead of trying hard to make things happen, you’d be wise to let events take their natural course. Besides, you’re likely to do better when you’re not in the driver’s seat.
3/5/13 8:45 PM
6
• Wednesday, March 6, 2013
LIFE&ARTS
Emma Hamblen, life & arts editor Megan Deaton, assistant editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/life&arts • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
BLOG REVIEW
Whimsical blog promotes ‘Free’ thinking LIFE & ARTS COLUMNIST
FREE PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA QR Code: www.blog.freepeople.com
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/freepeople/ www.facebook.com/FreePeople Twitter @FreePeople
Jessica Murphy jessica.z.murphy@ou.edu
O
ddly enough, Oklahoma doesn’t have a Urban Outfitters, Free People, or Terrain, but it does have two Anthropologies. Yeah, I don’t get it either, but I am still a sucker for the world Urban Outfitters has created. Every Urban Outfitters owned brand — Anthropologie, Terrain and Free People — has a distinct look and feel. Each brand has cultivated not just a line of clothing, but a lifestyle, often through the use of blogs and social media.. Who knew Free People had a blog? Once I found it, the only question I had was: Where has this been all my life? Written by three inspired women, the blog allows readers to step into
105-degree room. The posts talk about drinking a lot of water, giving up caffeine and different poses included in the challenge. The beauty section also features Free People styled hairdos, make up tricks, nail designs and a weekly yoga pose. The food section offers ART PROVIDED healthy recipes reminiscent In “DIY Denim Repair with Stictches and Florals,” a Free People post details how you can use a few of a whole foods lover’s paradise. Vegan options like simple supplies, such as colorful fabric, safety pins and a needle and thread to restore worn shorts. “Vegan Chocolate Dipped the world of Free People. serves as a backstage pass accessories and ideas are Valentine’s Sugar Cookies” Filled with creative projects, to Free People’s February paired with moods, which seem worth trying and so fashion inspiration, music look book. The post is full interprets fashion choices do the “Dark Chocolate reviews, cooking recipes, of pictures of the model, and gives style inspiration. Peppermint Truffles.” I home décor ideas and upoutfits and styling complete In the beauty section, a obviously have a thing for lifting Monday quotes, the with links to the clothing five-day Bikram challenge desserts. The section posts blog provides a behindand tutorials on how to is documented through monthly shopping lists and the-scenes look at the Free get the hairstyle. In “Using a series of posts. Bikram includes foods other than People aesthetic. Your Outfit To Change yoga is a series of poses and chocolate, such as smooth“Like A Rolling Stone” Your Mood,” several outfit breathing exercises all in ies and salads.
The do it yourself section might be my favorite with posts like “Denim Repair With Stitches & Florals” and “Treat Yourself To Homemade Bubble Bath.” From clothing DIY, decorating DIY, gift wrapping DIY to every kind of DIY using a Mason jar, readers can steal the Free People look and make it their own. If you love walking into a Free People store, like me, you find there’s more than just clothing to look at.
SEE MORE ONLINE Visit OUDaily.com for the complete story oudaily.com/news/ae
STUDENT LIFE
‘Vagina Monologues’ performer rejects radical feminism Student advocates womens’ rights through education, freedom of speech AARON COTNEY
Life & Arts Reporter
Editor’s Note: Editor in chief Mary Stanfield is a cast member of “The Vagina Monologues.” Gabby Berrios is not an average woman. She is a mechanical engineering sophomore, an artist and a women’s rights activist. All she wants is for women to be respected and for men to be sensitive to women’s biological differences, she said. “I’ve been a feminist my entire life,” Berrios said. Now, with the freedom college provides, Berrios is making strides to do her part advocating for women’s rights. She performs in “ The Vagina Monologues,” which she hopes will help men have a different outlook on how to be sensitive to a woman’s needs. The monologues are blunt
and explicit and will make any man think twice about how a woman’s mind works. Berrios agreed they are like “teaching someone to swim by throwing them into the water.” In her monologue, Berrios takes a no-rules attitude in which she reclaims the word “cunt” for the female sex. It is used as an offensive term, but Berrios displays with artistic passion what the word means to her and what it can mean to her fellow women. “Her monologue talks about how words can be reassigned meanings,” said Bobbie Franklin, photography sophomore and cast member. “She brings a lot to the team.” University College freshman Emily Cole said Berrios has a fun personality that shows in her performance. “She keeps it really fun,”
GO AND DO The Vagina Monologues When: 7 tonight Where: Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Meacham Auditorium Price: suggested donation of $5 for students with a student I.D., $10 for non-students
Cole said. “I don’t know her very well, but she’s a lot of fun to be with.” Berrios said she hopes some of the disrespectful engineering majors will show up to “The Vagina Monologues,” arguing they “need to know more” in order to relate to women. “Sometimes I’m not treated like an equal member,” Berrios said, regarding her engineering classes.
MICHELLE NEHRENZ/THE DAILY
Cast members perform their monologues during Tuesday’s production of the “Vagina Monologues.”
Men in her engineering classes often disagree with women, even when the professors say they’re right, Berrios said. Of course, Berrios was sure to add not all men are bad. In fact, the small minority who treat women badly ruin it for
the rest of the men. One thing “The Vagina Monologues” does not address is the radical group of feminists who turn men away from the idea of feminism. It’s not effective, and it tends to only turn people away from the cause, Berrios said.
NUMBER ONE is nothing
Area Ratings For This Week
to celebrate.
The University of Oklahoma
University Theatre and School of Music
Air Force R.O.T.C.
Delta Tau Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
Alpha Chi Omega
Delta Upsilon
Phi Kappa Psi
Alpha Gamma Delta
Gamma Phi Beta
Phi Kappa Sigma
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Engineers Without Borders
Pi Beta Phi
Alpha Kappa Delta Phi
Hispanic American Student Association
Pi Kappa Alpha
International Leadership Class
Kappa Alpha Psi
President’s Community Scholars President’s Leadership Class RUF/NEK Lil Sis
Kappa Alpha Theta
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Kappa Delta Chi
Sigma Chi
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Sigma Gamma Rho
Kappa Kappa Psi
Sigma Lambda Beta
Lambda Chi Alpha
Sigma Lambda Gamma
Omega Delta Phi
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Omega Psi Phi
Zeta Phi Beta
Our Earth
Adams
Phi Beta Sigma
Cate
Phi Delta Alpha
Couch
Phi Delta Theta
Walker
Alpha Omicron Pi Alpha Phi
Iota Phi Theta
Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Omega By
Giuseppe Verdi
Alpha Sigma Kappa Alpha Tau Omega
This year, more than
Beta Theta Pi
be diagnosed with lung cancer, and more than
Catholic Student Assoc.
172,000 people will 163,000 will die —
Chi Omega
making it America’s
Delta Chi
NUMBER ONE cancer killer.
Delta Delta Delta
But new treatments offer hope.
Delta Epsilon Psi Delta Gamma
Join Lung Cancer Alliance in the fight against this disease.
Delta Phi Omega Delta Sigma Theta
8 pm March 7-9, 3 pm March 10 Reynolds Performing Arts Center
oud-2013-3-06-a-006.indd 1
Aaron Cotney aaron_cotney@yahoo.com
Adopt - An - Area
Being
lungcanceralliance.org
“To be a feminist, you have to advocate for women’s choice,” Berrios said. “There needs to be advocacy and peaceful, yet eye-opening, demonstration.” Feminism is not a sinister plot to enslave the male sex; it is a peaceful state of mind that longs for equality, Berrios said. Berrios was kind enough to share with the men of OU a three-step guide on how she thinks they can step-up their game. First, “Men need to listen. They need to listen actively and attentively,” Berrios said. Second, they need to “s ha re m o re e m o t i o n ,” Berrios said. Third, they need “to be honest so they can be trusted,” Berrios said. If men followed these suggestions, there could be peace in the war of the sexes.
Way To Go!
Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Pi
Keep Up the Good Work!
Fine Arts Box Office (405) 325-4101
Volunteer u Programs
The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo. For accommodations on the basis of disability call (405) 325-4101.
The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
leadandvolunteer.ou.edu Strengthening Our Traditions through Service to State and Society
3/5/13 10:31 PM
Wednesday, March 6, 2013 •
Sports
7
Dillon Phillips, sports editor Jono Greco, assistant editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
men’s basketball
softball
Sooners prepare for final home game
The Sooners’ topranked softball team’s double-header against Wichita State has been postponed. The double-headder originally was scheduled for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. today at Wilkins Stadium in Wichita, Kan., but has been rescheduled for March 27 due to poor field conditions. Next, OU plays this weekend in a pair of double-headers against Northern Colorado and Drake at Marita Hynes Field in Norman. After beginning the season 17-0, the Sooners lost their first game, 1-0, against No. 22 Nebraska Saturday.
OU to play West Virginia for third time this season Garrett Holt Sports Reporter
The O klahoma men’s basketball team will look to complete a season sweep against West Virginia in its final home game of the season at 8 tonight at Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners (19-9, 10-6 Big 12) have already beaten the Mountaineers (1316, 6-10 Big 12) twice this season, but they must play each other a third time due to a scheduling quirk created by West Virginia’s transition from the Big East to the Big 12. “We have to stick with our game plan,” freshman guard Buddy Hield said. “We stuck with our game plan last time and the first time, and hopefully we come out with a victory [this time]. Teams tr y to play harder when a team has beaten them twice, and they don’t want to have a third loss.” Oklahoma wants to go into postseason play on a strong note, and it’s coming off arguably one of their most complete games of the season, an 86-69 thrashing of Iowa State in Norman. In that game, the Sooners were led by their upperclassmen, as five of them, junior for ward Amath M’Baye, senior guard Steven Pledger, senior forward Andrew Fitzgerald, senior guard Sam Grooms and senior forward Romero Osby, all scored in double
OU postones series against Wichita State
Staff Reports
Are you on Twitter? Stay connected with The Daily astrud reed/the daily
Senior guard Sam Grooms lays in a first-half basket against Iowa State on Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center. Grooms finished with 19 points, six assists and one steal in the Sooners’ 86-69 win on Senior Night. The win gave OU sole possession of fourth place in the Big 12.
digits. They also were bolstered by an NCAA record-tying performance from the free throw line, going 34-for-34, tying the record for most makes without a miss and earning praise from Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. “ The NC A A has b e en around a long time and to equal a record is a pretty impressive performance,” he said. “Free throws are
contagious. When you’re making them, your teammates seem to step up and knock them down.” The Sooners will have their hands full with West Virginia’s balanced attack — seven players average between six and 10 points per game — led by freshman guard Eron Harris, who puts up 9.4 per contest. While the Mountaineers may be having a down year
by coach B ob Huggins’ standards, they still have hung tough against good teams, losing by one to No. 9 Kansas State and by two to Iowa State. As usual, the Sooner offense will likely begin and end with Osby, the leader of the team, who is averaging 15.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. “[Coach Lon Kruger] put the leadership role in my
hands and he let me do it, but he wanted me to do it by example,” Osby said. “When I first started, I kind of talked a lot and didn’t really back it up, but now I’m starting to be able to back up what I’m talking about, and the guys respect that.” Garrett Holt garrett.holt@ou.edu
@OUDaily, @OUDailyArts, @OUDailySports
It’s the NUMBER ONE cancer killer. NO MORE EXCUSES. NO MORE LUNG CANCER.
lungcanceralliance.org
sooner y1e2ar3b2ook2
SCHEDULE YOUR
free GRADUATION
portrait APPOINTMENT MARCH 11-15
405-325-3668 Sooner yearbook is a publication of OU Student Media, a department in the division of Student Affairs. The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution.
oud-2013-3-06-a-007.indd 1
3/5/13 8:48 PM
8
sports
• Wednesday, March 6, 2013
nation
Pistorius distances himself from father’s statement Olympian’s father makes offensive, racist comments JOHN LEICESTER AP Sports Writer
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A remarkably public feud erupted Tuesday within the family of Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympian charged with murdering his girlfriend, as the runner and his relatives distanced themselves from comments his father reportedly made about guns and crime in South Africa. S o u t h A f r i c a’s r u l i n g party, the African National Congress, also waded into the family dispute. A spokesman for the party accused Henke Pistorius, the runner’s father, of racism for his observations reported in British newspapers about crime against white South Africans and the suggestion that the ANC government isn’t adequately protecting them. The Pistorius family and the reputation management firm it has hired are working to head off any negative publicity or controversy that might possibly have a bearing on the outcome of the runner’s case, which could see him jailed for life if convicted of premeditated murder. They quickly issued a statement early Tuesday morning saying the family “is deeply concerned� about the father’s interview that “doesn’t represent the views of Oscar or the rest of the Pistorius family.� The Telegraph and Mirror newspapers quoted Henke Pistorius as saying the family owns handguns for self-defense. That is not unusual in South Africa. Two years ago, Police Minister Nkosinathi
Emmanuel Mthethwa said the country of 49 million people had 1.7 million registered firearm owners holding 2.9 million guns. Oscar Pistorius had a police license for the 9 mm pistol with which he shot Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day. The gun collectors’ club, the Lowveld Firearm Collectors Association — which the runner joined last April — said Pistorius also owned but hadn’t yet licensed six other firearms for his gun collection. South Africa’s Beeld newspaper reported that the runner’s father, three uncles and grandfather also own 55 firearms between them — ranging from handguns to rifles. “Some of the guns are for hunting and some are for protection, the hand guns,� the Telegraph quoted Henke Pistorius as saying. “It speaks to the ANC government, look at white crime levels, why protection is so poor in this country, it’s an aspect of our society.� “You can’t rely on the police, not because they are inefficient always but because crime is so rife,� the father said, according to the newspaper. It said he had never used a gun in self-defense, but added: “That doesn’t mean I haven’t been hijacked, attacked. As a family, we value life much too much to produce guns at every opportunity we can use them.� “I have been in positions where I can use a gun but we have been brought up in a way that we value the lives of others very highly,� he said. P ro s e c u t o r s c h a r g e d Pistorius with premedi t a t e d m u rd e r f o r k i l l i n g St e e n k a m p, s ay i n g the shooting followed an
argument between the two. Pistorius said he mistook the 29-year-old model for a home intruder, fired shots at the door of his toilet and then discovered she was inside. The family statement said: “Oscar Pistorius’s family is deeply concerned about the comments made by Oscar’s father, Henke Pistorius, t o U. K . n e w s p a p e r t h e Telegraph about the family using its weapons to defend themselves against crime in South Africa, and especially about his comments that the ANC government is not willing to protect white South Africans.� It also quoted Arnold P i s t o r i u s, t h e r u n n e r ’s the associated press uncle who has taken on a spokesman’s role following Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is watched by a policeman while in the dock during his bail hearing Steenkamp’s killing, as say- on Feb. 22, 2013 in Pretoria, South Africa, charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend. ing that “the Pistorius family own weapons purely for sport and hunting purposes.� That, however, contradicted Pistorius’ own testimony to the magistrate who freed him on bail. In an affidavit, the athlete known as “Blade Runner� for his carbon-fiber prosthetic running legs said he slept with his 9 mm handgun under his bed because “I have also been a victim of violence and of burglaries 7pm tonight, Auditorium, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art before.� The South African police say they register more than 15,000 murders a year. The South African Police Service’s National Firearms 11am tomorrow, Bizzell Memorial Library Center said Pistorius registered the 9 mm for self-defense. Police issued him with his gun license on Sept. 10, 2010. ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said it “rejects with contempt� the sugges1:30 – 4pm tomorrow, Auditorium, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art tion that the ANC government doesn’t adequately protect white South Africans against crime. For more information, call the OU Institute for U.S.-China Issues at 325-3580. All three events are free and open to the public.
OU STUDENTS YOU ARE INVITED! 7DLZDQHVH¿OP ³$7LPHWR/LYH$7LPHWR'LH´ 獼嚴垀事
([KLELWRSHQLQJ³7KH1HZPDQ3UL]HDQG Chinese Literature TodayDW28´
5RXQGWDEOHDQGNH\QRWHDGGUHVVIHDWXULQJ WKH1HZPDQ3UL]HODXUHDWH 7DLZDQHVHSRHW<DQJ0X漊牧
Thomas Farr
“Christians May Dance No Longer: The Global Crisis in Religious Freedom� 11th Annual True Family Lecture
Wednesday, March 6, 2013 7:30 p.m. Dick Bell Courtroom, Law School, University of Oklahoma Dr. Thomas F. Farr is Director of the Religious Freedom Project at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs This event is free and open to the public.
oud-2013-3-06-a-008.indd 1
3/5/13 8:47 PM
