FRIDAY OCTOBER 9, 2009
THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE The Daily previews this weekend’s game between en Baylor and OU. U. PAGE PA GE 5
news Find out about a different kind of Red River Rivalry between OU and Texas. PAGE 3
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Check out what one Daily writer had to say about the OU play “A Piece of My Heart.” PAGE 7
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Saturday’s Weather
63°/44°owl.ou.edu CAMPUS BRIEFS OFFICIALS TO ENFORCE BAG POLICY AT GAME
FOOTBALL ANNOUNCER MORE THAN JUST A VOICE Man behind the mic also writes newspaper column for seniors KATHLEEN EVANS Daily Staff Writer
“It’s football time in Oklahoma!” More than 80,000 Sooners fans hear that booming pronouncement pour across Owen Field and fill Oklahoma Memorial Stadium about 30 minutes before every home-game kickoff, coming from a disembodied voice set on high. Announcer Jim Miller is the man behind that voice. “I just thought it was a fun way to start the game,” Miller said. “It took off. It’s amazing that people really identify with that. When I started the game, I thought, ‘You know, that would be a fun way to do it.’” Miller started working with the OU athletics department in 1988 after earning his master’s degree in education at Wichita State University in Kansas, he said. He originally filled in for another announcer, before becoming a full-time football announcer in 1996. Now, Miller’s voice booms out at football and
OU officials announced Wednesday that football game management staff will re-emphasize limitations on bags allowed into the stadium beginning with Saturday’s OU-Baylor football game. Prohibited items include all bags, backpacks or fanny packs, cases for binoculars, cameras or other items, and all other carry items except purses smaller than 10-by-10 inches. All purses allowed into VOICE CONTINUES ON PAGE 2 the stadium will be searched. Containers measuring 10-by-10 inches will be placed at each entry to Gaylord Family–Oklahoma Accommodations in activities, Memorial Stadium. Purses that do not fit into residence benefit disabled students the container will not be permitted in the stadium. MATTHEW MOZEK “We are adding the con- Daily Staff Writer tainers to better define the limitations for our fans and To provide all students the opportunity to parsimplify the process for ticipate in campus life, the Association of Disabled our game staff,” stated Joe Students has been working with various campus Castiglione, vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics Programs and director of Athletics, in a press release. “We encourage our fans to bring as little as possible into the stadium to not only streamline their entry, but for everyone’s comfort throughout the stadium.”
MARCIN RUTKOWSKI/THE DAILY
Jim Miller, OU football game announcer, talks about his job during an interview at his home Tuesday afternoon.
Group works to involve students, improve campus accessibility groups to make events, residences and activities accessible for all students, disabled or not. The group, formed in the early 1990s, is currently focusing on making sure all disabled students can participate in everything, including greek life, said president Colin Bober, business administration junior. “A lot of students feel like there’s a division line between the disabled population and the rest,” Bober said. “One of my personal chief goals is to
CAREER MENTORING, ADVISING OFFERED TO WAR VETERANS OU is joining with a nonprofit to provide career mentoring to veterans returning from war. American Corporate Partners is a nonprofit based in New York that provides career development opportunities to veterans and the spouses of wounded veterans. ACP-selected OU employees will mentor veterans to help them succeed. ACP is currently accepting applications from veterans that have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. To apply, visit www.acp-usa.org.
AIDS WALK RAISES AWARENESS, FUNDS FOR DISEASE The AIDS Walk of Oklahoma City will be Sunday at the Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City, according to the organization’s Web site. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m., and the walk begins at 2 p.m. AIDS Walk is approximately a one-mile walk around Bricktown to raise awareness, as well as funds. There is no fee to walk, but donations are accepted. This year, the event will also have a new 5k-run portion in the morning. Registration begins at 7 a.m., and the run starts at 8:30 a.m. The entry fee is $25 the morning of the race. For more race information, visit www.aidswalkokc.org. —Daily staff reports
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TEEKO YANG/THE DAILY
Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, one of the recipients for the Association of Disabled Students Extra Mile Award, is one of the sorority houses on campus that is handicapped accessible.
project an environment where you don’t feel like that.” With that goal in mind, the group has been focusing its effort on making greek life easy for all students, including those with disabilities, he said. “It’s important to remember everybody has their challenges,” Bober said. “Just because you have a disability, it doesn’t make you different, it just makes you unique.” To recognize and show appreciation for organizations and individuals who go the “extra mile” in making a difference for students with disabilities, Bober and the Association of Disabled Students Board of Directors established an award known as the Association of Disabled Students Extra Mile Award in January. Alpha Gamma Delta sorority recently received the award after installing a handicapped accessible ramp in the back of their house, Bober said. “While we don’t currently have any members with these types of special needs, we have members who have siblings with these types of needs, and grandparents and family who come and visit, and alumni,” said Alpha Gamma Delta president Clara Mitcham, public relations senior. “We want to be able to open our house to members of the community and so we felt that was necessary.” Mitcham said winning the award is gratifying, but helping those in need is her responsibility as a citizen. “We appreciate being recognized for it, but we really just wanted to make our house more accessible for everyone,” Mitcham said. “As a greek organization, we try to be accommodating, so I think it’s kind of an expectation, but I think it’s ACCESSIBILITY CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
Nontraditional church New campus organization seeks service attracts students to raise awareness of nuclear threats Tulsa-based church holds services for students under 30 CHARLOTTE LUNDAY Daily Staff Writer
If one were to walk into the Sooner Theatre at 9 p.m. Monday at 101 E. Main St., it would be hard to tell if the theater had been turned into a poetry slam in a coffee bar or a techno/hip-hop club. In fact, each Monday the theater morphs into neither — it instead becomes Sub30, a church service started by Tulsa-based Guts Church with the goal of keeping college students under 30 years old connected to a church, according to Elliot Blair, petroleum engineering junior and Sub30 volunteer. “It’s a college church service where we try to find the most intense, high energy atmosphere with a relevant message that is easy to apply into our everyday lives,” Blair said. “What we have is a team that comes down from Tulsa to help us out and get us started, but eventually we want to phase out and let OU students
take over. ‘We call it college run, college done,’ where Pastor Bill just comes down to speak on Monday nights.” Upbeat music plays constantly at Sub30, including music by rappers such as Kanye West, food is served after service and games are played during transitions. Sub30 makes use of social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and other new technologies. “The media is important because that’s where our generation is,” said Brooklyn Scheer, communications junior and Sub30 organizer. “It seems to be very effective.” Scheer said people all over the world can listen to a podcast, read sermon notes online, communicate with staff and leaders through the Web site and stay updated through Facebook and Twitter. Bill Scheer, Guts Church senior pastor and Sub30 speaker, said his personal history affects the way he formats his services. “I was a sinner, and now I’m a Christian,” Scheer said. “I don’t SERVICE CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
Group hopes to eliminate nuclear weapons in 20 years
but the OU chapter of Global Zero launched on Sept. 26, Pittman said. On Sept. 26, President Barack Obama endorsed Global Zero and their mission before the UN General Assembly RICKY MARANON Daily Staff Writer and the UN Security Council. “We are an organization that proOU students are teaming up with motes awareness,” Pittman said. “We world leaders to combat the threat of are an active organization that is just getting started on campus, and we’ve nuclear proliferation and terrorism. According to its Web site, Global gotten a lot of positive feedback and Zero is a global campaign that com- response from [OU’s International and bines high-level policy work with glob- Area Studies] students and faculty.” Because the group is a little more al public outreach to achieve a binding than 1 1/2 weeks old, agreement to elimimembers are still plannate nuclear weapons FOR MORE INFORMATION through phased and E-mail Spencer Pittman, OU Global ning events. “The group is pretty verified reductions. Zero founder, at spencer.pittman@ new so events are still “Our mission state- ou.edu or visit globalzero.org. being planned,” said ment is to have all nukes gone by 2030,” said Spencer Issac Freeman, UOSA coordinator for Pittman, Global Zero OU chapter international activism and internafounder and criminology senior. “Many tional security studies senior. Freeman said students should join people say it is impossible, but we want the group because it is a noble cause them to know that it is possible.” Pittman said he heard of Global Zero that is relevant to global affairs. “This is an easy cause to join,” while interning in Washington, D.C., Freeman said. “It is a cause that adlast summer. “Global Zero started out with four dresses a big issue currently taking employees working out of a cubicle, place in the world. The U.S. and other but now it has grown into an organiza- countries need to stand up against tion with 80 employees,” Pittman said. the spread of nuclear weapons in the According to its Web site, Global world.” Zero was founded in December 2008,
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