News: Oklahoma Supreme Court decides that decision bans all abortion drugs. (Online) W W W.O U DA I LY.C O M
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GRANT
OU granted $70 million The company’s gift to Oklahoma and Kansas schools will benefit engineers
University and Kansas State University to benefit their engineering programs, according to a press release published on OU’s website on Oct. 22. Each school received around $70 from the gift. ARIANNA PICKARD This year, the funds permitted the doubling of Campus Reporter the number of incoming students at OU’s College of OU’s College of Engineering has received a $70 million Engineering in a summer camp to boost retention gift from an Oklahoma City company to support retention through math readiness, team projects and orientation scholarships and other methods of increasing the engi- to college life, according to the release. neering workforce. Dolese Bros. is Oklahoma’s largest supplier of The Oklahoma City-based Dolese Bros. Co. donated more than $200 million of its stock to OU, Oklahoma State SEE GIFT PAGE 2
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Sooner works on portable phone charger Student working towards solving dead devices with Mobile Oasis charging MELODIE LETTKEMEN Campus Reporter
HEATHER BROWN/THE DAILY
Be it a hectic school and work schedule or a dead phone, nothing can slow down entrepreneurship and supply chain management junior Brent Bowles. That’s why Bowles started working on a new device to keep phones charged and people connected even without an outlet. Bowles Ventures, his limited liability company, is putting the finishing touches on Mobile Oasis, a project involving phone chargers. Bowles hesitated to reveal all the details but said he is testing products currently and hopes to have a product on the market before the semester is over. “When you go to a football game, concert or anything like that, and your phone dies, what do you do?” he said. “Whether you’re working or connecting socially and you want to make plans after, you have no way to do that.” He’s currently working on a solution to that problem and trying to bring a product to market that’s going to be a little different. For the first month of this semester, Bowles began running surveys to get an idea of how Mobile Oasis might be received by students. “I wanted to find out if I’m the only one with [phone battery life] problems to make sure I’m not crazy,” he said. Some of his survey data showed that 86 percent of respondents wished they had a way to charge their phone away from home or the car and 90 percent wanted their phone charged more quickly, he said. Bowles credits his momentum with the time management skills he developed from his studies, recognizing how limited his time is with so much to do. “You think you realize what’s important,” he said. “Where you invest your time, that’s what classes provide. In the real world, it’s about getting things done. When you look at the greats, they were always about getting things done, even if it flopped.” Despite a lack of time, Bowles cannot slow down even with an array of odd jobs and an internship taking three days of his week, he said. And his projects are entirely self-funded, he said. Shaun McMahan, an engineering junior, lives with Bowles and sees firsthand how busy he is. “It seems like every day he gets home and either studies or sleeps,” McMahan said. “He is not home very often. He leaves at 7:30 a.m. and usually doesn’t get back till 7 p.m.” Bowles said he relies heavily on energy supplements to
Political science junior Joie Romane (left) and communication and political science junior Charlotte Gratesac play Just Dance at the UNICEF Halloween Party on Tuesday in Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Scholar’s Room.
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HALLOWEEN
Costumed students ‘dance’ night away
CARS
CULTURE
No new stolen car parts Bazaar to be held on Oval Outbreak of part thefts has subsided KELLY ROGERS
Assistant Online Editor, L&A Reporter
No new thefts have been reported since Sooners were notified Friday morning about an outbreak of stolen catalytic converters from campus parking lots. These types of thefts have happened on campus before, but have been spread out and random, said OU Police Major Bruce Chan. Chan said he doesn’t know why so many car parts were stolen last week, but students should be aware of their surroundings and report any
suspicious behavior they see to avoid more thefts in the future. Chan said the emergency notifications many students are receiving via text message is a very useful tool to inform the student body, and is just one of the many tools OU provides to ensure the safety of their students. From Oct. 21 to Friday, five catalytic converters were reportedly stolen from cars parked in parking lots on and near the OU campus, according to a text alert from OUPD. A mass text from OU’s Emergency Communication System was sent Friday morning around 11 a.m. to notify students about the
outbreak of catalytic converter thefts. Catalytic converters contain precious metals that can be re-sold to scrap yards, said Ashley Spores, an employee at Performance Muffler. Spores said their employees have repaired two cars involved in last week’s thefts, belonging to an OU staff member and student. Both of these vehicles were Toyota 4Runners, a popular target for this kind of part theft because of how elevated they are, Spores said. “These cars have been targets of this kind of theft for years,” Spores said. “They’re
L&A: Steampunk fans, check out Norman’s very own steampunk conference, OctipodiCon 2013 (Page 5)
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International Advisory Committee to host event SIMENG DAI
Campus Reporter
Students will showcase their nationalities with apparel, jewelry, handmade items and native foods representing their cultures at an annual event 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday on the South Oval. The International Bazaar, held by the International Advisory Committee each fall, showcases the many nationalities on campus through culturally adorned booths and musical performances, said Hillary Medina, IAC president and international security studies senior. Items representing various cultures will be for sale, and there will also be a scavenger hunt, musical and cultural performances and kids’ activities, Medina said. Twenty-three international
organizations participate in the bazaar, making it the largest multicultural event of the fall semester, Medina said. “I would say hundreds of students come and go during the event over the course of the day,” Medina said. Mariam Ghassan Edwar, architectural engineering senior, participated in the Bazaar last year as the president of the Arab Student Association. Edwar, who is from Baghdad, Iraq, along with fellow association members, displayed traditional hats and scarves from their native countries in the Middle East, he said. The members sold about 20 items and provided free snacks to attract passing students. Eunji Lee, accounting junior, participated in the bazaar last year as the president of The United World Student Association. ”It was a great idea to integrate with the local community and the general body of the university,” Lee said.
Sports: The volleyball team has high hopes for the second half of it’s conference schedule (Page 6)
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