Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Page 1

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

T U E S DA Y, A P R I L 2 3 , 2 013

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

L&A: Phoenix’s new album features a fresh, original sound (Page 6)

2 012 S I LV E R C R O W N W I N N E R

EZEUGO’S PrOMISES

Opinion: campaign platforms must be upheld (Page 3)

POWEr

InAUGUrATIOn

OU ‘greenest’ campus in Big 12 SGA president Ranked second in nation for use of green power MATT RAVIS

campus reporter

OU used more green power than any other school in the Big 12 conference this year, covering about 85 percent of the school’s annual electricity costs through green power. Green power is electricity produced from “environmentally preferable

renewable resources,” including wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and low-impact hydropower, according to the press release. OU used around 154 million kilowatt-hours of green power, which is 85 percent of the school’s annual electricity usage, according to the press release. That is the equivalent of avoiding carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of more than 16,000 American homes annually. The Environmental Protection

Agency releases rankings that track the green power usage of each conference, according to the agency’s website. OU used the second most kilowatt-hours of green energy behind the University of Pennsylvania, which used a little over 200,000, according to the agency’s website. OU’s campus-wide effort to use more green energy and help the environment has made OU very proud, university spokesman Michael Nash said.

passes baton to new officers Winners of the campus elections were officially placed in their new positions EVAN BALDACCINI campus reporter

EArTh DAY

Dirty hands, greener campus

The new student leaders for the upcoming semester officially were sworn into their positions following an inauguration ceremony on Monday. The ceremony marked the beginning of the careers for the new Student Government Association positions, which were voted upon in campus elections in early April. The positions sworn in included the following: • Student Government Association president and vice president • Campus Activities Council chair • Student Bar Association president • Housing Center Student Association president • Graduate Student Senate chair • Undergraduate Student Congress chair During the ceremony, the 2012-2013 SGA President Joe Sangirardi passed the baton over to the 2013-2014 SGA President Ernest Ezeugo, as a symbol of him passing on the responsibilities of SGA president. “I’m excited to see the wonderful things they’re going to do,” letters senior Sangirardi said. “Coming to the end of this year, it’s been such a wonderful year. I have no regrets. I’m just excited for the future.” Rainey Sewell, the 2012-2013 SGA vice president was not in attendance. Her position was passed off to the 2013-2014 SGA vice president, Madeline Grunewald. The president and vice president are excited to get their cabinet in place and hit the ground running, both Ezeugo and Grunewald said. “We have dreams to unite the student body, in projects see SGA PaGe 2

CArEEr

Political science students learning realities of politics annaLisa ManninG/tHe DaiLy

University College freshman Devin Waddey (left), environmental sustainability senior Madeline Dillner (middle), and biochemistry sophomore Josh Ou (right), plant a tree near the gazebo by Couch Center on Monday in lieu of SGA’s Plant a Tree for Earth Day.

Experts speak on political careers , offer ‘realistic view’ on political work

MEMOrIAl UnIOn

COnFErEnCE

SHELBY GUSKIN

Students denied office space

Sociologist presents her research on immigrants

Students gathered Monday to see how their political science careers could pan out during an event sponsored by the Institute for the American Constitutional Heritage. The event was held to show students young, successful political professionals that remember what it’s like to be in college, senior vice provost Kyle Harper said. The speakers at the event were Jeff Peters, field representative for a current member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives; Ashley Kehl, director of communications for Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb; Chad Maisel, who works in the office of cabinet affairs for the White House and Kiran Bhatragju, legislative aide for the U.S. House of Representatives. Each of the speakers had some sort of campaign background. “My neighbor down the street was running for state senate, and I needed an internship.” Kehl said. “I helped out on his campaign and realized I think I could like doing this.” The speakers gave a realistic view of the work done in the political world.

SDS failed to meet application deadline BENNETT HALL campus reporter

OU’s Student Government Association has denied Students for a Democratic Society office space for next year because the organization’s application was late. SGA’s executive branch passed legislation earlier this month allocating office space to student organizations for the 2013-2014 school year, and Students for a Democratic Society was the only organization denied space. The society traditionally has been approved by SGA to hold office space in Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Conoco Student Leadership Wing, but it has been denied space for the upcoming fall and spring semesters because its members submitted a late application, former SGA President Joe Sangirardi said. The decision to deny renewal of the society’s office space was made before allegations arose in recent weeks regarding the organization’s illicit use of the office space involving a homeless person sleeping and drinking

Study focuses on Ohio, New Jersey HALEY DAVIS, NADIA ENCHASSI campus reporters

JosHUa VasCiL/tHe DaiLy

The Conoco Student leadership Wing located in the Union. Safe ride vouchers are available on the first floor for students.

alcohol on the property, according to The Daily’s archives. Even if the organization had not been found to be misusing the space, the society was not sufficiently active in the past year, and this is always an important factor in deciding which organizations to allot space to, Sangirardi said. All the other 19 applications for Conoco Wing office space were approved for the upcoming year, he said. “The Interfraternity Council, Campus Activities Council, Black Student Association, Big Event and

Panhellenic Council and others prove every year that they really need the space, so we give it to them,” he said. Campus organizations occupy these spaces for free and use them to hold meetings and have a central location to easily network with one another and other departments on campus, Sangirardi said. There also is a separate area in the basement of the Union below the food court where student organizations can apply for storage space for supplies and materials, he said.

Mo s t u n d o c u m e nt e d children don’t understand their undocumented status and equate it with negativity based on their parents’ attitudes and its portrayal in media, said a sociologist in a conference Monday. During the 2013 Immigration in the Heartland Conference, sociologist Joanna Dreby presented her research on the lives of immigrant children based on the JOAnnA t h re e ye a r s she spent DrEBY following Mexican immigrant families in rural Ohio and urban New Jersey and comparing the two experiences. “Undocumented children have major fears of police,” see CHILDREN PaGe 2

campus reporter

see PANEL PaGe 2

Earth Day success must be repeated all year long. Opinion: students can do many things everyday to help themselves and the environment effort. (Page 3)

Softball team to play final nonconference game Sports: the no. 1 sooners travel to Denton, texas to battle north texas. (Page 5)

VOL. 98, NO. 136 © 2013 oU Publications board Free — additional copies 25¢

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