Sports: Do you remember these unsportsmanlike Sooner moments? (ONLINE)
Opinion: Why we chose to report on the SGA president’s charges (Page 3)
The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
W W W.O U DA I LY.C O M
2 015 C R O W N F I N A L I S T
T H U R S DA Y, J A N UA R Y 2 2 , 2 015
Unheard Group meets with President Boren
GOVERNMENT
SGA president charged with public intox Incident occurred during winter break, reports say PAGE JONES News Reporter @pageousm
JACQUELINE EBY/THE DAILY
Mechanical engineering junior Alexis Hall (front) and health and exercise junior Chelsea Davis (right) exit Evans Hall as Clarke Stroud, vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, holds the door open. The Unheard Group met with President David Boren on Wednesday afternoon to discuss a range of issues.
Unheard: Future bright after Boren meeting ANDREW CLARK News Reporter @Clarky_Tweets
Executives of Unheard, a student alliance at OU, are confident in the future for minorities at OU after a private meeting with OU President David Boren and other university faculty. Although Boren appeared unaware of the issues at hand before they were presented to him — something the alliance found shocking — the discussions that
SCHOOL
took place between the group and the senior leadership were productive, according to Unheard executive Chelsea Davis. “We feel good about the future of what’s happening with the university,” Davis said. “We understand it will take some time to get some of these changes implemented. However, we feel confident in President Boren and his staff.” One change Unheard has campaigned for is the addition of minority students and faculty in teaching or senior positions in
throughout the university. The group was able to confirm that Boren will begin having meetings with the deans of all of the university colleges to start implementing efforts to bring in more minorities in senior positions. In addition, Aubriana Busby, Unheard executive, said Boren would like to implement a strategy to recruit more minority students to the university. “He said he would not mind all of SEE PLAN PAGE 2
Student Government Association President Ku n a l Na i k h a s b e e n charged on complaints of public intoxication. N a i k was arrested around 2 : 1 5 a . m . KUNAL Dec. 27 at NAIK a residence on Classen Boulevard in Norman. A Norman police officer responded to an emergency call from the house’s tenants about an alleged burglary taking place, according to the police department’s call log. When the officer arrived, he encountered Naik standing at the back door of the residence, according to the police report. Naik appeared to have “thick slurred speech and was unable to keep his balance,” according to the report. Naik told the officer he had been drinking, and he thought the residence was his home, which was actually a neighboring house, according to the report. The officer arrested Naik on a complaint of public intoxication and t o o k h i m t o No r m a n
Regional Hospital to be examined, according to the report. After the examination, Naik was booked into to the Cleveland County Jail at about 3:10 a.m., according to the booking detail report. Naik was inaugurated in November after running uncontested for the presidential seat. Before his election, Naik served in SGA with Ma d e l i n e G r u n e w a l d ’s c a b i n e t , h e ’s w o r k e d w i t h t h e O U Wo m e n ’s Outreach Center on their “Step In, Speak Out” program, was a consultant for the Oklahoma Group and worked with the Corporate Engagement office. Naik faces the same consequences as any student faced with alcohol charges, regardless of his position with the university, Student Conduct director Steven Ashmore said. Under OU alcohol policy, if a student is cited or arrested for public intoxication, he or she receives an automatic deferred strike and receives a strike if he or she is proven guilty, Ashmore said. “In the event of an arrest or a municipal citation for public intoxication, under our student alcohol policy, then the public intoxication is entitled to an automatic deferred strike,” Ashmore said. The Student Conduct office is notified by the OU Police Department whenever a student is arrested for any kind of alcohol-related charge, Ashmore said. SEE NAIK PAGE 2
SUIT UP
Free suits help students succeed at career fairs Who your old wants Donate clothes, help others free tuition? AMBER FRIEND News Reporter @amberthefriend
White House details new plans AMBER FRIEND News Reporter @amberthefriend
In wake of President Barack Obama’s call for free community college tuition, the White House held an on-the-record conference call with university media at 2 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the State of the Union. White House Domestic Policy Director Cecilia Mu ñ o z a n d J e n n i f e r Friedman, White House SEE CALL PAGE 2
WEATHER Partly cloudy. High 48, low 32, 20 percent chance of rain Follow @AndrewGortonWX on Twitter for weather updates.
The public can now support OU students by cleaning out their closets. At Sooner Suit Up, donated professional clothing will later be offered to students for free. People can donate from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 26 and 27 in the conference room in Pod B of the Jim Thorpe Multicultural Center, located behind Couch Restaurants, according to the event’s promotional flier. The goal of Sooner Suit Up is to provide students with inexpensive or free professional clothing they could wear to business settings, specifically OU’s February career fair, said Sharon Alexander, head of the event and director of operations to the President’s Associates and Women’s Philanthropy Network.
is to provide the best educational experience for our students, and I think that if we can’t help them to be ready for careers, then we’re not giving them the best possible education,” Alexander said. “I want them to feel good about themselves, and I want them to feel proud they’re at OU as well.” Alexander began considering Sooner Suit Up after she tried to donate some dresses to students. While OU Career Services does offer a training course on how to dress for interviews or internships, the university was lacking in a resource that actually connected students to affordable professional clothing, said Angie Wright, director of the Henderson Scholars Program. PHOTO PROVIDED Alexander and Wright Students set up a booth on the South Oval and accept formal wear donations from students. began gathering a committee to further discuss such Such clothing includes donated clothing will be or- Services. a resource, recruiting peoclean, gently-used suits or ganized and hung up by Jan. Alexander hopes that the ple who had great ideas jackets for men and suits or 31, when students can return donation drive will effective- and good contact with stubusiness-appropriate dress- to Jim Thorpe to take piec- ly prepare students for future dents, Alexander said. The es for women, though shoes es home for free, said Bette jobs and interviews. will not be accepted. All Scott, director of OU Career “One of the missions of OU SEE CAREERS PAGE 2
CONTACT US
INDEX
@OUDaily
News......................2 Classifieds................3 Life&Ar ts..................2 Opinion.....................3 Spor ts........................4
theoklahomadaily
OUDaily
VOL. 100, NO. 83 © 2015 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢