The Oklahoma Daily

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SPORTS • PAGE 5

LIFE & ARTS • PAGE 6

OU heads to College Station

Mediocre superhero movie opens today

The Daily’s Aaron Colen discusses why the OU defense must stop Texas A&M’s two dangerous quarterbacks Saturday.

Will Ferrell voices Megamind (shown left), a supervillain destined to take over the world if he could just figure out what he’s doing. The Daily’s Laron Chapman reviews the film.

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

Friday, November 5, 2010

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Program offers Arabic immersion

Voting in Cleveland County

FALLIN

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The Oklahoma Daily

Many of the 42 students in the Arabic Language Flagship Partner Program have no cultural or ethnic ties to the Arab world, but they recognize that knowing the language will not only help them procure a job but also improve foreign relations. Tiegan Willoughby is pursuing a minor in Arabic and was drawn to the program after a friend got him interested in studying the

the arts, politics and culture ONLINE AT of the region. Students have OUDAILY.COM the option to either major in the language or pursue an » Link: The Arabic Arabic minor. Flagship Program Siera Collins, an Arabic and international and area studies sophomore, was first inspired to pursue the language after a 2005 trip with the Junior Statesmen of America to the United Nations. “My long-term goal is to become an ambassador,” Collins said. “So becoming immersed

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TREVOR SHOFNER

language. “I’m just interested in languages, and Arabic’s fairly unique in comparison to English,” said Willoughby, a philosophy and linguistics junior. “To be honest, I see it being my biggest asset when it comes to job interviews and things like that.” The flagship program, in it’s third year at OU, is a government-sponsored program that pays for students’ Arabic courses in the program as long as they maintain at least a 3.25 grade point average, according to Heidi Gehret, flagship program coordinator. Students who participate in the five-year program take three years of core language classes and other humanity classes examining

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Flagship program stresses language and culture by offering language major or minor, sponsoring study abroad in Egypt

Voting in Precincts 13, 14

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OU polls different from state Lieberman stresses national security averages Sentor speaks on three foreign policy areas that require attention from both parties TREVOR SHOFNER The Oklahoma Daily

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., spoke to a group of attendees Thursday in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Beaird Lounge about the need for a U.S. presence in Afghanistan, a strong stance on Iranian nuclear proliferation and a unified effort to combat Chinese economic control, emphasizing the vital importance of bipartisanship. A converted Democrat, Lieberman has a reputation of being a “bridge-builder,” President David Boren said during his introduction speech. “He has always been a person who wanted to bring people together,” said Boren, a classmate of Lieberman’s during his undergraduate study at Yale. The senator explained the prospects of cooperation, noting past presidents’ worldviews that recognized the global importance of strong American leadership. “There is an inextricable link between America’s defenses and the defense of Americas values,” Lieberman said. “Between the spread of its values abroad and its freedom here at home.” Ian Keegan, international and area studies junior, asked Lieberman about his comment on “spreading American values.” He asked what should be kept in mind when approaching other cultures that “can’t look like us,” specifically citing democracy in Afghanistan as a value that “didn’t quite take.”

SEE ARABIC PAGE 2

“This goes back to the beginning, the Declaration of Independence and our human rights stated by the founders,” Lieberman said. “Our founders didn’t give those rights just to Americans, those are universal values of human rights. Our foreign policy has been at its best when we’ve been true to that vision.” There are three critical areas, Lieberman said, where America needs to embrace a bipartisan worldview to protect national security. Lieberman said first of all, Democrats and Republicans need to both support the necessity, for ONLINE AT national security OUDAILY.COM reasons, of the United States’ » Video: p r e s e n c e i n Highlights from Afghanistan. He Joe Lieberman’s said a withdraw speech Thursday would “allow a » Link: s a n c t u a r y f o r Lieberman’s terrorists” and Senate website “undermine American credibility throughout the world.” He also stressed the importance of bipartisan support for making tough nuclear rules in Iran a priority. He said setting that policy will be “the most important set of decisions that President Obama and Congress will make in the next two years.” Inside the Beltway Thursday m o r n i n g , P re s i d e nt O b a ma stressed that an agreement with Russia for a significant reduction JALL COWASJI/THE DAILY in both countries’ nuclear arsenals U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., addresses a range of political topics, should be a priority in the coming including the need for bipartisan cooperation on foreign policy on Thursday

in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Beaird Lounge. UOSA has declared Thursday Joe Lieberman Day. SEE POLITICS PAGE 2

Women, victims Take Back the Night Candlelight march ends in Unity Garden for moment of silence, discusses rape EMILY HOPKINS The Oklahoma Daily

Standing in the South Oval, Lindsey Vandeventer was astounded by what she witnessed. “So many people walked by and paid no attention, and when they saw the word ‘rape,’ they looked down and just kept walking,” she said. Vandeventer, women’s and gender studies senior, was one of MEREDITH MORIAK/THE DAILY several women Thursday afterStudents from the Women’s and Gender Studies Student Association stand in noon holding signs meant to adfront of Dale Hall promoting Thursday’s Take Back the Night event. Holly Frink, vertise the statistic that one in six entrepreneurship and management information systems senior; Caitlyn Wright, women will be victims of rape or attempted rape in their lifetime. political science and women’s and gender studies senior; Marni Vincent, film The Women’s Outreach Center and video studies and women’s and gender studies sophomore; Esther Chong, held the demonstration in supbroadcast and electronic media and women’s and gender studies senior; Bailey Daugherty psychology and social justice sophomore; and Lacey Sorrels, port of Take Back the Night, a time to speak out against sexual University College freshman held signs stating “One in six women experience assault, and for victims to share rape.” stories in a secure and supportive

A LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW AT Th Daily’s RJ Young and MJ The CCasiano debate who’s to blame for low 2010 World Series viewership lo

THE OKLAHOMA DAILY VOL. 96, NO. 56 © 2010 OU Publications Board www.facebook.com/OUDaily www.twitter.com/OUDaily

ONLINE AT OUDAILY.COM » Video: Highlights from Tuesday’s Take Back the Night event. » Link: The Women’s Outreach Center » Link: Take Back the Night » Link: Counseling Psychology Clinic environment. More than 50 people gathered in the Unity Garden at 8 p.m. Some came to talk, but others were there simply to listen. “Many survivors find closure and empowerment in speaking about their stories in public and informing others about the violence they’ve experienced. We encourage everyone to join us in speaking out against sexual assault, especially at a powerful event like Take Back the Night,” said Jennifer Cox, staff

Voter turnout near campus significantly decreases from 2008 to 2010 elections KATHLEEN EVANS The Oklahoma Daily

More than twice as many registered voters in two precincts located near OU’s campus voted in the 2008 presidential election than in Tuesday’s midterm election, according to poll numbers. In October 2008, 5,740 people registered in Cleveland County Precincts 13 and 14, which are encompassed by OU’s campus. Of those registered, 48.99 percent voted for a presidential candidate. In October 2010, 5,517 people were registered, and only 19.45 percent voted for a gubernatorial candidate. The difference in the percentage of OU precinct voters did not surprise Anette Pretty, employee at the Cleveland County Election Board. “ I t ’s a l w a y s l o w b e c a u s e [Precinct] 13 is OU students, and they move and don’t change their registration address,” she said. Nearly everyone who voted for governor this year also voted on State Question 744, which would have required Oklahoma to spend as much money on education as the average of the six surrounding states. Overall, 98.17 percent of people who voted for governor in Precincts 13 and 14 also voted on SQ 744. No other state question had voter participation as high as SQ 744. Statewide, 49.7 percent of registered voters voted for governor this year, up from 2006’s 44.8 percent, said Paul Ziriax, Oklahoma State Election Board secretary. Neither Cleveland County nor the State Election Board had percentages on how many registered Republicans or Democrats voted.

Voting breakdown Total votes for governor » 19.45 percent in Precincts 13, 14 » 50.02 percent in Cleveland County » 49.7 percent in Oklahoma Mary Fallin » 31.02 percent in Precincts 13, 14 » 58.42 percent in Cleveland County » 60.45 percent in Oklahoma Jari Askins » 68.98 percent in Precincts 13, 14 » 41.58 percent in Cleveland County » 39.55 percent in Oklahoma “Yes” on SQ 744 » 29.92 percent in Precincts 13, 14 » 18.88 percent in Cleveland County » 18.59 percent in Oklahoma “No” on SQ 744 » 70.08 percent in Precincts 13, 14 » 81.12 percent in Cleveland County » 81.41 percent in Oklahoma *Source: Cleveland County Election Board

SEE NIGHT PAGE 2

INDEX Campus .............. 2 Classifieds .......... 4 Life & Arts ........... 6 Opinion .............. 3 Sports ................ 5

TODAY’S WEATHER 63°| 37° Saturday: Sunny with a high of 70 degrees Visit the Oklahoma Weather Lab at owl.ou.edu


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