OU softball’s Player of the Year candidates stay humble (page 7) The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
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HOUSing & fOOD
Dorm, food costs could go up 5-7% Increase likely coming next year, OU official says EMMA HAMBLEN Campus Reporter
Students may be paying up to $282.17 more each semester administrators prepare to cut services and possibly increase room and board rates by up to 7 percent.
A 5- to 7-percent increase in OU Housing and Food Services’ room and board rates is likely in the coming academic year and Housing and Food Services’ Cate ala Carte room service will be cut to address increased costs, Housing and Food Services David Annis said. The potential rate increases will address a 3.5-percent increase in food costs and
an increase in labor costs, Annis said. Members of the university’s Facilities Management department DaviD i n f o r m e d anniS Annis of an upcoming $500,000 increase in utilities and a $600,000 increase in custodial
housekeeping costs in the next year, Annis said. “So those two figures alone necessitate us going in and making some adjustments to our rates,” Annis said. Cutting Room Ser vice will save $125,000, which means that with a 5-percent rate increase, Housing and Food Services will still face a $170,000 budgetary
shortfall, according to the coming academic year’s rate proposal. A 6 -p e rc e nt i n c re a s e would get Housing and Food Services above the needed amount, which is why there is an opportunity for an increase between 5 and 6 percent, Annis said. “Now at this point in time we’re still looking at other areas where we could save. I
personally would like to keep the rate increase at about 5 percent but to provide all the services that HCSA is wanting, we may have to go to 6 percent. But I’m not sure of that yet, we’re still working on some numbers there,” Annis said. “And again, it’s a balancing act. We have to balance the income with the see HOUSING page 5
aCaDemiCS
Sooners fall into world record
Peers join study forces Student group seeks to provide support for pupils RACHAEL CERVENKA Campus Reporter
Kelsey Higley/tHe daily
More than 250 students gather to attempt to break the guinness World Record for the world’s largest simultaneous trust fall on Monday in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Molly Shi Boren Ballroom. initially, not enough people came to the event, but attendees called on friends and broke the record. The event was hosted by Sooners Helping Sooners, a new student initiative raising money for OU students in financial crisis. The group said it wanted to physically represent the act of supporting other students as a way to raise awareness about its new program. (visit OUDaily.com to see a photo gallery of the event.)
StUDY aBrOaD
OU professors preparing for Arezzo program Family takes opportunity to experience world culture for upcoming school year COCO COURTOIS Campus Reporter
Students aren’t the only ones preparing to go abroad this summer or next semester. Monica Sharp, director of International Student Services, and her husband, Jason Houston, Italian literature professor, will serve as the faculty-in-residence family next year in Arezzo, Italy. OU has a campus and study abroad program in the Tuscan city. “We’re really happy because the application process was very competitive,”
AT A gLAnCE While Sharp’s away
Sharp said. • Monica Sharp will remain Sharp and Houston have director of international been at OU for seven and Student Services and eight years, respectively, and manage the staff. are ready for a new environ• Mariana Mircheva will be assistant director and ment, Houston said. work closely with Sharp to But moving out will not support the office. be easy, especially with their • in addition, the office has 1-year-old son, Victor. four international student “It’s always a big decision,” advisers and three student Sharp said. “There was the assistants. house, our jobs, Victor.... Source: Mariana Mircheva But it’s a great opportunity. Victor will learn English and Italian, and Jason is really “It’s great for us as a famlooking forward to introduc- ily,” he said. “Monica and I ing him to gelato (ice cream) thought about raising Victor and olive oil.” Houston said he agrees. see AREZZO page 3
JosH BlanCo/tHe daily
Monica Sharp (center), international services director, plays with her 1-year-old son, Victor (right), beside her husband, Jason Houston (left), an italian literature professor, in their backyard Friday. They will spend next year in Arezzo, italy, as the faculty-in-residence family.
eDitOrial VOL. 97, NO. 144
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nOW Online at Junior college All-American Portia Durrett signs national letter of intent with the Sooners on Monday. (Sports)
Requested document and purpose
The expansion of one of OU’s most popular study abroad programs will benefit students if it is self-sufficient. (page 4)
life & artS Daily staffers review recent releases from Jason Mraz, Train and Black Dice in a new music triple feature. (page 8)
see GROUP page 2
The Daily’s open record requests
new arezzo monastery a worthy investement
Sophomore slump? new women’s basketball signee will add size, depth pop artist turned folksy?
Sometimes a class can prove too difficult for one person to handle on his or her own, something a new OU student organization is working to help. The Oklahoma Teaching Alliance is a way for students to form communities within their major to find support and student-led learning, group president Jake Morgan said. The group officially registered April 16 and is looking for students to serve as academic mentors to teach groups of other students, especially in general chemistry, zoology and economics, University College freshman Morgan said. The goal is to create long-lasting learning communities for freshman students that they can utilize for their entire undergraduate career. The program lends itself to freshmen, but it would not be exclusively for them, Morgan said. “What I hope students find with this is that they have people they can count on in terms of not just their peers, who they are taking the courses with, but also the academic mentors,” Morgan said. “I want them to feel like they always have a lifeline whenever it is.” Morgan got the idea after taking a statistics for non-majors course in the fall, he said. He had previously taken a similar course, so he knew the mater ial w ell, he said. He started spreading the word to his fellow
Ben Williams/tHe daily
Sophomore Drew Krittenbrink launches a pitch against Alabama State during OU’s 7-0 win Sunday at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The Sooners visit Oklahoma State for a midweek Bedlam battle at 6:30 tonight. (page 7)
Date requested
most recent contract between OU and apple inc. — To better understand Apple’s relationship with OU’s journalism college after it was named to the Apple Distinguished Educators program.
Friday
list of events that served alcohol during fiscal year 2011 at the Oklahoma memorial Union — To better understand the number and types of events granted the ability to serve alcohol.
April 13
Commission received by the Oklahoma memorial Union from the University Club for liquor catering sales for the 2011 fiscal year— To learn how much money the university makes from events at which alcohol is served.
April 13
Visit OUDaily.com/openrecords for a complete list of The Daily’s requests