Sooners cage Tigers, advance to Big 12 semifinals (page 6) The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
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ELECTIon 2012
Boren pins hopes on bipartisan plan Americans need to ‘open up the political process’
are two of the main factors preventing the United States from overcoming an economic struggle that is almost a “free fall,” OU President CHASE COOK David Boren said. Managing Editor These things have contribRigid partisanship rivaled uted to his support for a new only by Civil War-Era politics organization hoping to place and special-interest money a new bipartisan presidential
ACADEMICS
Sooners create custom majors Multidisciplinary studies lets pupils build study course TIM FRENCH
Campus Reporter
As underclassmen prepare for enrollment and major declaration, the multidisciplinary studies major allows students to create their own course of study. Before declaring the major, students meet with advisers to go over their major plan, and they must be certified by the Associate Provost of Instruction. “The academic advising process is absolutely critical to a successful MDS program,” said Rhonda Kyncl, College of Arts and Sciences assistant dean. “The adviser works very closely with the student to design a program theme and to ensure the student meets all their graduation requirements as well.” Students who choose to create their own majors do so because they want to have a specific focus in their studies, Kyncl said. OU has provided students an opportunity to create their own major in some form for many years, MDS senior academic adviser Jodie Daffer said. The MDS degree officially was approved for student use in summer 2007. “I chose to create my own major because I am so passionate about so many things,” multidisciplinary studies senior Alexandra Eppler said. “What better major than MDS for a student like me? It served as the perfect hybrid for my enthusiasm for so many different aspects of my education.”
SEE MORE ONLINE Visit oudaily.com to read the full story oudaily.com/news
ticket on the 2012 ballot, Boren said Thursday in an interview with The Daily. Americans Elect has collected signatures to place its nontraditional ticket on the 2012 ballot, according to the organization’s website. People who register with the site can participate in the
candidate nomination process, and a primary will be held to select nominees for the Americans Elect ticket. Only registered voters can participate in the process. After that, the American Elect ticket will be on the 2012 ballot with candidates selected through the site to
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Spring Tune-Up proceeds benefit scholarship fund BENNETT HALL
Campus Reporter
Fair Pay Act’s inspiration speaks for equal rights MAX JANERKA
Campus Reporter
Carey FLaCK/tHe daiLy
Lilly Ledbetter describes finding out she was paid less than her male counterparts at Goodyear during a presentation Thursday in Gaylord Hall. She was the inspiration for the 2009 Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and she has pushed for equal pay for women for years.
a Goodyear Tires plant for 19 years affected many facets of her life, and sued in 1998, when she realized from her education to her home, she was paid 40-percent less than she said. her male equals, she said. “I thought I would work hard, get a good job, have a family, build a SEE MORE ONLINE nest egg... That’s how it should be, Visit oudaily.com right?” Ledbetter said. to read the full story The money she was supposed to earn legally was hers, and the fact oudaily.com/news that she hadn’t gotten it for 20 years
Look both ways before crossing university walkways Saturday because runners of all ages will be on campus to raise mone y for university scholarships. The third annual Spring Tune-Up, presented by the OU Department of Health and Exercise Science, begins at 8 a.m. at the Huston Huffman Center. All money earned from runner registration will benefit the Health and E xercis e S cholarship Fund. Before participating in the race, runners must preregister online or register between 6 and 7:30 a.m. near the starting line outside the center, according to the event registration document. O nline registration costs $20, and on-site registration will cost $25, see RUN paGe 2
STUDEnT LIFE
Cultural nights aim to enlighten students Events to feature international food, music and dances COCO COURTOIS Campus Reporter
Two student organizations will hold cultural nights this weekend to combat stereotypes and educate OU students about other cultures. The Colombian Cultural Night is 8 p.m. Friday at the Reynolds Performing Arts Center, and the Peruvian Cultural Night is 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the National Weather Center. The Colombian Night is back for the 11th year in a row but will focus on modern,
as well as traditional, culture for the first time this year, said Yoana Walschap, creator of the Colombian Student Association. The event will feature a more contemporary Colombia mainly to fight the stereotypes and ignorance, Walschap said. “One day, someone asked me which part of Mexico was Colombia,” she said. The night also will highlight traditional music such as vallenato, a romantic cowboy music from northern Colombia that combines African and European rhythms. The association is bringing a live band, Ciclon, to play vallenato music.
Students from the Hispanic American Student Association and Friends of Venezuela Association also will perform urban cultural dances to reggaeton, which blends Latin and Caribbean music. T h e g ro u p s a l s o w i l l pay tribute to Colombia’s Caribbean and African heritages with a folkloric dance, cumbia, and a special salsa from Cali, Colombia, called the salsa capital of the world. Cultural awareness is also what motivated Tilsa Ore, eriKa pHiLBriCK/tHe daiLy the president of the Peruvian Samantha Wafer, member of the Peruvian Student Association, sells a Student Association, to host student ticket to Juan Alejandro Carreno on Wednesday during a bake sale in Kaufman Hall. All the proceeds of the bake sale are going to see CULTURE paGe 2 support the fourth annual Peruvian Cultural Night.
The Daily’s open record requests
Get state government out of women’s vaginas
Requested document and purpose
Oklahoma’s ultrasound requirement for abortions involves an invasive, medically unnecessary exam. (Page 3)
LIFE & ARTS
Rival game franchises’ Survey to gauge opinion of gender-neutral housing collaboration a success Housing student leaders are attempting to quantify support for and seek the general view on the issue. (Campus)
see BOREN paGe 2
Weekend race to raise money
Activist calls on students to fight injustice Everyone has a voice to stand up to social injustices, which ultimately affect everyone, an equal-rights activist said Thursday at OU. Lily Ledbetter led a discussion in Gaylord Hall about fair pay for women. Ledbetter spent more than 10 years fighting to close the pay gap, and Congress recognized her efforts in 2009 with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The act gives employees 180 days after each discriminatory pay check to file a law suit, rather than 180 days after just the first paycheck. “She didn’t start out to make a fuss ... but, like most heroes, decided not to bow to injustice,” said Laura Boyd, a former state representative who introduced Ledbetter. Ledbetter served as a manager in
Oklahoma ballot. Americans Elect could impact the political system by forcing members of opposing political parties to find common ground as members of one unified ticket, Boren said. “This breaks up the
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compete with the Democrat and Republican candidates selected through the traditional primary system. Boren spoke at a press conference Feb. 29 as members of the Americans Elect initiative delivered the more than 90,000 signatures required to place its ticket on the
The Daily’s Shawn Stafford says the new game by Street Fighter and Tekken is worth the purchase. (Page 5)
CHeLsea Lott/tHe daiLy
The final round of the CAC College Bowl was held Wednesday night. The Wolverines team beat 76 other teams to win the pop-culture tournament. There were 462 participants this year, breaking previous records. (oUDaily.com)
Date requested
Dorm costs for single and double rooms for the last 10 years — To learn how the price of living at OU has changed during the span of a decade.
March 2
All construction contracts regarding the renovation of Cate Center’s Quad 1 — To learn more about the terms and conditions of those contracts and to gather more information about the cost of renovating part of Cate Center.
Monday
All requests to change rooms within the residence halls made to Housing and Food Services from the 2010-2011 academic year to present — To gather more information about the number of room-change requests made each semester and students’ reasons for making them.
Thursday