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Push for penny sales tax begins Boren’s education initiative officially filed ANNA MAYER News Reporter @AnnaMay136
OKLAHOMA CITY — The campaign for a proposed sales tax to fund education began Wednesday after a group of Oklahoma teachers led by OU President David Boren filed paperwork with the Oklahoma Secretary of State to launch a petition for the tax. The initiative suggests raising
Oklahoma’s sales tax by 1 cent to benefit state education. If successful, the income generated by the tax would decrease the teacher shortage, improve college affordability, increase literacy rates, improve graduation rates and expand career training, according to a press release. It should also provide early learning opportunities for atrisk and low-income children. However, the tax increase would give Oklahoma one of the highest sales tax rates in the nation. “We came to the sales tax as a last resort,” Boren said. Boren said
polls showed that raising property or income tax was unpopular among Oklahomans. Boren was the first to present this tax as an option for solving the education crisis in Oklahoma. Boren emphasized that he will be pursuing this venture as a private citizen. Boren is heading a group called Oklahoma’s Children, Our Future to promote the initiative. “Oklahoma is not just a place that believes in equal opportunity for the affluent,” Boren said.
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Chickasaw Governor Bill Anoatubby expresses his support for the penny tax. People from around Oklahoma came to the state capitol building to support the filing of the SEE TAX PAGE 2 petition to enact the penny tax for state educationa funding on Wednesday.
Alumna to finish movie project Film to explore state’s historically black towns MARY SMITH
News Reporter @marysmitty21
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Ben Kannenberg, chemical biosciences and international studies pre-med sophomore, and math and economics sophomore Ezra Thompson hug in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest hug.. The current official record for the longest hug is 24 hours and 33 minutes.
HUG IT OUT Students attempt to break a world record
WEATHER Cloudy with a high of 74, low of 62, and posibility of thunderstorms.
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SIANDHARA BONNET • @SIANDHARAB Thirty-two hours, 32 minutes and 32 seconds, that’s all there is — the clock getting closer and closer to the end goal and the time teasing as it slowly ticks away. Relief is so close to hitting, arms ready to fall away from one of the most restricting actions — something that’s supposed to be warm and comfortable but ended up being one of the most difficult and bothersome things in the world. This was what Ben Kannenberg, chemical
biosciences and international studies pre-med sophomore, and Ezra Thompson, math and economics sophomore, said they experienced as they tried to break the Guinness World Record for the longest hug. “ We g o t a b u n c h o f friends together to see us break it,” Kannenberg said. “We counted down from 32 until the end. It was just a huge relief, because we had kind of been aiming for SEE HUGS PAGE 2
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A Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication alumna has entered the final stretch in the completion of her film that has been in the works for three years. The film, “Struggle & Hope,” focuses on several towns around Oklahoma that historically and currently have all-black populations. Kari Barber, the film’s director, received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from OU. Barber is currently an assistant professor at the Reynolds Jo u r n a l i s m S c h o o l a t t h e University of Nevada, Reno and has been a part of 13 films, she said. The project, according to Barber, has two parts. The first is a website that has over 20 video documentaries and an interactive capability that allows users to share their stories if they belong to one of these historical towns. The second is a longform documentary that follows five main characters in four Oklahoma towns. Barber said she has set the project’s first deadline for the beginning of March 2016. She said she appreciates the pressure because she likes the teamwork aspect and the push to fundraise. “(I) want as many people as possible to see this film and know about the towns and know about the history and know about these really interesting stories in Oklahoma,” Barber said. The project has been funded by the Oklahoma Humanities Council and by Kickstarter donations. Barber said she wants the film to be screened at every film festival in Oklahoma, especially in the towns that have a part in the project. She hopes to show the film on TV and make it available to schools for educational purposes as well, she said. Mary Smith mcsooner19@gmail.com
OU YAK OF THE DAY “The walk sign says wait but my heart says go.”
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