The Oklahoma Daily

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Sooners rush to top of the BCS rankings The OU football team lands No. 1 spot in the first Bowl Championship Series poll, which was released Sunday

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Monday, October 18, 2010

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Student group rallies for higher wages Party Students for a Democratic Society calculated wages based on Norman living costs CHASE COOK The Oklahoma Daily

An OU student organization launched a campaign today to raise awareness of OU workers making less than the living wage, calculated using Penn State University’s living wage calculator. Students for a Democratic Society started the Living Wage

Campaign to open a dialogue with the university about workers making less than $13 an hour. “There are people on campus who are employed full-time, but aren’t making a living wage,” said Grant DeLozier, political science and geographic information science junior. “If you are working full-time at an institution or business, you shouldn’t be relying on aid from the government or other types of help to get by.” This doesn’t directly impact students, but the worker’s being underpaid are the ones doing the

dirty jobs, said Michael Howard, Students for a Democratic Society organizer and history and political science senior. DeLozier and Howard spearheaded the project after learning about Texas A&M’s living wage campaign and attending worker’s senate meetings. Supporters launched their campaign for living wages at Texas A&M in fall 2003 and petitioned for wage increases until June 21, 2005 when then-president Robert M. Gates — now serving as Secretary of Defense — announced a wage

increase from $6.57 an hour to $7.77 an hour, according to the initiative’s website. Penn State University’s calculation set Norman’s living wage for two adults and two children at $25.83 an hour. The living wage calculator computes this value as if only one family member was providing for a family of two adults working fulltime with two children. Students for a Democratic Society divided SEE WAGE PAGE 2

TRADITION | HOMECOMING BRINGS MAGIC TO CAMPUS

JAWANZA BASSUE/SOONER YEARBOOK

Members of the Engineers Club model their float during the homecoming day parade Saturday afternoon. The parade was followed by the OU-Iowa State football game in which the Sooners shutout the Cyclones 52-0. Visit OUDaily.com to view a list of the complete homecoming winners.

Panel highlights water, sanitation shortages Developing countries lack of clean water, adequate sanitation becoming crisis ELIZABETH OBERG Contributing Writer

A panel of five jurors participated in OU’s WaTER Symposium to discuss key issues about solving the world’s major water problems on Friday. Estimating more than 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation, the World Health Organization also estimates more than 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water. The WaTER Center’s mission is “to help solve drinking water and sanitation challenges for impoverished regions in developing countries through innovative

teaching and research initiatives,” according to its brochure. “The only way to tackle a tough problem is to jump in and take it on one thing at a time. It can be done but it’s going to take all of us to contribute to the cause,” said Randy Kolar, associative director of the WaTER Center. Most of the symposium focused on the five panelists addressing the issues of the global water and sanitation crisis and the work they do, along with discussing the lack of access to safe drinking water for developing countries, poor sanitation and poor hygiene. “Our job is to advocate and spread the word to the people about this problem,” said panelist Robert Adamski, vice president of Municipal Infrastructure Programs at Gannett Fleming.

A LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW AT Visit the multimedia section to view video of the homecoming parade, pep rally and game

Diana Maritza Betancourt, who works for Water for the People in Honduras, said her work focuses on changing hygiene behavior in schools and at home. “I strongly believe what we are doing now is trying to make a generational change, they [the kids] will replicate these habits,” Betancourt said. “Changing hygiene behavior requires long term intervention and larger regional alliance.” Another panelist, Jean McCluskey, former UNICEF manager, said it is important to “listen, consult and understand. Give men, women and children their space to voice their opinions.” Each juror agreed that advocacy

What this means » A child dies approximately every 15 seconds because of lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation. » The poorest people in underdeveloped countries often pay the highest cost for safe drinking water. » In the poorest countries in the world, one out of five children dies from a preventable water disease. » Only a limited amount of fresh water is available (about 3 percent relative to total amount).

promotes Honors College Chocolate provided at art museum to boost retention rates, provide information HILLARY MCLAIN The Oklahoma Daily

The Honors College will host a “Chocolate and Art” party 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art to boost the retention rate of the Honors College and inform honors students about spring enrollment. “It’s just to keep them aware that they need to be thinking about what they’re going to be taking next semester, how they are fulfilling their honors requirements, that sort of thing,” said Carolyn S. Morgan, associate professor of honors. “And we’ll give them chocolate.” Chocolate and Art is the first event of its kind for the Honors College, and it is directed at keeping sophomore and junior students on track with cum laude graduation requirements and improving the retention rate of the college. The Joe C. and Carole Kerr McClendon Honors College has the highest retention rate of any college on campus. As of spring 2009, 90 percent of all Honors College students graduate from OU in at least six years and 62 percent graduate with one level of cum laude, Morgan said. Cum laude is the honors designation of graduation that includes at least 18 hours of honors courses. There are three levels of cum laude. “What we would like to do is increase that 62 percent to, well, everyone who enters the college,” Morgan said. Morgan and Honors College Curriculum Director Melanie Wright have dubbed the event a “Keeping on Track Party” and will be handing out graduation information to honors students. To get into the honors college, a prospective high school student must apply and be accepted. Upperclassmen interested in joining must meet a requirement of a 3.4 grade point average with at least 15 credit hours. Chocolate will be featured from Oklahoma manufacturers like Bedré Fine Chocolate in Pauls Valley, The Candy Basket in Nor man, and La Baguette Bakery and Café, also in Norman. Chocolates will be placed on tables in the art gallery, and each table will feature a piece of information on colloquium courses, perspectives courses and honors courses outside of the college. The party is in the Sandy Bell Gallery of Fred Jones, where the Bruce Goff exhibit is being featured, and is open to all honors students.

SEE WATER PAGE 2

THE OKLAHOMA DAILY VOL. 96, NO. 42 © 2010 OU Publications Board www.facebook.com/OUDaily www.twitter.com/OUDaily

INDEX Campus .............. 2 Classifieds .......... 6 Life & Arts ........... 5 Opinion .............. 4 Sports ................ 7

TODAY’S WEATHER 84°| 58° Tuesday: 30 percent change of thunder storms Visit the Oklahoma Weather Lab at owl.ou.edu


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