The Oklahoma Daily

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6,, 2009

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Lecturer addresses good, evil from religious perspective Disagreements healthy in human development, according to speaker

79°/56° owl.ou.edu

KAITLYN BIVIN Daily Staff Writer

CAMPUS BRIEFS STUDENTS TO MAKE JOKES FOR SCHOLARSHIP The Union Programming Board will sponsor a Comedy Fight Night at 7 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s food court.

OU students will get up on stage and compete for the honor of being named the best stand-up comedian at OU. The winner will be awarded a scholarship for being the class clown.

Comedian Michael Palascak will host and emcee the comedy night in the union. Palascak is a working comedian who has been featured on Home Box Office, Comedy Central and the Web site funnyordie.com.

All OU students are able to participate, but must sign up in the union before the start of the comedy show. Students not participating are allowed to watch for free.

JEREMY DICKIE/THE DAILY

Lecturer Hassanain Rajabali discusses the “Good and Evil” perspective of the Islamic religion in Meacham Auditorium Thursday evening. Rajabali is known for opening dialogue between religious leaders.

JARI ASKINS ADDRESSES STUDENTS THURSDAY NIGHT

Day brings unity to community, celebration of culture NATASHA GOODELL Daily Staff Writer

UOSA TO HOST HUMAN RIGHTS WEEK EVENTS In an effort to promote student activism, the University of Oklahoma Student Association will hold a series of events for Human Rights Week, Monday through Friday.

“Human Rights Week is dedicated to the promotion of human rights awareness,” as stated on the UOSA Web site.

Human Rights Week features a range of events including panel discussions, a film screening and a live concert. For more information search UOSA presents: HUMAN RIGHTS WEEK 2009 on Facebook.

-Jessica Jernigan/The Daily

SPEAKER TO EXPLAIN FAIR TRADE BUSINESS

-Breia Brissey/The Daily

STUDENTS ABLE TO VOTE FOR FREE WEEZER CONCERT T-Mobile, Motorola and the band Weezer have teamed up to give the school with the most votes a free Weezer concert and a $25,000 donation.

Students can vote for the concert and the donation by voting on Facebook.

The Facebook group’s name is T-Mobile USA. Once in the group, students must click on the CLIQ Challenge and vote for the University of Oklahoma.

It does not cost anything to vote, and does not require any registration. Voters do not have to be a customer with T-Mobile.

As of Thursday, OU was ranked number 40 with 833 votes. The leading school was Florida State University with 7,772 votes.

Voting ends Nov. 30.

-Ricky Maranon/The Daily

FREE — ADDITIONAL COPIES 25¢

PERSPECTIVE CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

Students participate in prayer initiative

-Jono Greco/The Daily

Norman Fair Trade and OU Department of Geography will host speaker Manish Gupta, founder of Handmade Expressions, at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Monday, Nov. 16. Gupta will speak about his business, which sells Fair Trade certified products, and what Fair Trade has meant to him and Handmade Expressions.

The event will start at 6 p.m. with an involvement fair featuring OUr Earth, Student Organization for Fair Trade, Norman Sustainability Network and the Physical Plant. For more information on Gupta and his business, visit www.handmadeexpressions.net. For more information on the event, visit ourearth.ou.edu.

Diversity of faith is the spice of life, a lecturer of Islam told students and faculty Thursday evening in Meacham Auditorium.

“God has shown me that even identical twins don’t agree on everything,” lecturer Hassanain Rajabali said. “The disagreement we have as cultures is healthy. The way we approach it is not.”

The lecture, titled “Good vs. Evil from an Islamic Perspective,” was sponsored by the Religious Studies Department and the OU Muslim Student Association.

The lecture’s purpose was to initiate dialogue, as well as discuss good vs. evil in the Muslim world, Rajabali said.

JEREMY DICKIE/THE DAILY

Oklahoma Lieutenant Gov. Jari Askins lectures to President’s Community Scholars students Thursday night in Davenport’s Dining Facility in Couch Restaurants.

Some students on the OU campus are participating in an International Fellowship of Evangelical Students’ global initiative today called “World Student Day of Prayer,” to pray and celebrate people from all over the world.

The Weitzenhoffer Room in the Oklahoma Memorial Union will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. for all students on OU’s campus to come and pray.

This event is hosted by the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at OU, which is a part of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students.

The fellowship has student groups on campuses in more than 150 countries, according to the fellowship’s Web site.

“I love the idea of the World Day of Prayer,” said Katelyn Hardcastle, University College freshman. “We get to dedicate a day to pray for Christians and nonbelievers all over the world, and the Christians from all over the world will be praying for us too, in addition to celebrating their different cultures.”

Hardcastle said she will be praying, not only for the people in general in the different countries and regions, but also specifically for the people she knows who live in those areas.

PRAYER CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

OU College Republicans host ‘pinkies-up’ tea party with speakers Speakers discuss economy, offer insight about national issues KARLIE TIPTON Daily Staff Writer

Although a far cry from throwing crates of taxed tea into the harbor, the OU College Republicans expressed their grievances on Thursday.

They did this not by destroying British goods, but by hosting their own tea party at the Norman Public Library, where featured guests, students and people from all over Norman came to discuss how to move the Republican Party and the country in a positive direction.

“We heard about a lot of tea parties last April and they were portrayed as an angry mob, so one night over the summer we were talking and we decided to have a pinkies-up, actual tea party to mock the angry mob image, to promote what we’re trying to do and to get the word out,” said Carly Dillon, University College freshman. “It’s just meant to be more of a higher class type of event.”

The evening featured many noted speakers, including Corporation Commissioner Jeff Cloud.

“I would be hard-pressed to find an issue that I agree with President Obama on. That’s why I decided to run for Congress,” Cloud said.

He went on to discuss the ways in which he believes the country must improve.

“We are not going to spend ourselves into prosperity. We have to cut it in Washington, we need to cut taxes to fuel our economy, [and] we don’t need to bailout corporations,” Cloud said.

“We are absolutely going off into the ditch right

MARCIN RUTKOWSKI/THE DAILY

Former state Sen. Owen Laughlin speaks at the OU Young Republican’s Tea Party in the Norman Public Library Thursday evening. Laughlin was among a number of speakers at the event. now.”

Another speaker was former state senator and candidate for state treasurer Owen Laughlin, who illustrated his economic plans for Oklahomans.

“Any business of any kind has dual accountability and we don’t have that. My point is that it’s time for somebody to attack those issues,”

© 2009 OU PUBLICATIONS BOARD

Laughlin said. “Real change requires real change, that’s what I intend to do if elected.”

One speaker was asked to shed light on the current health care bill.

“The cost of these bills will outpace the entire PARTY CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

VOL. 95, NO. 56

2 Friday, November 6, 2009 Meredith Moriak, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

OUDAILY.COM » HEAD ONLINE TO OUDAILY.COM TO CATCH COVERAGE FROM AN OU FOOTBALL PRESS CONFERENCE WITH HEAD COACH BOB STOOPS.

Online service Pick-a-Prof becomes MyEdu, expands options New site offers more features without costing OU students KATHLEEN EVANS Daily Staff Writer

The online student service Pick-a-Prof recently changed its name to MyEdu and expanded the services it provides for students.

While OU students who are starting to enroll may notice a change in Pick-a-Prof, they will have complete access to the new MyEdu Web site.

Pick-A-Prof gave students the ability to create schedules, read and write professor reviews, and look at grade distributions for different classes.

“I used it to look at professor grades and reviews,” said Morgan Foreman, microbiology sophomore. “It was extremely helpful because I got a feel for what the professor

Prayer Continued from page 1 She said she went on a church trip to Peru and Panama last summer and met some really amazing Christians during the trip.

“I think a lot of the time we, as American Christians, forget that there are Christians all over the world,” Hardcastle said. “This day is a reminder that we are not alone, that we have brothers and sisters in Christ all over the planet, and that God is at work on a global scale.”

Christopher Goree, director of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at OU, said there will be prayer stations set up around the Weitzenhoffer Room.

Party Continued from page 1 federal budget prior to the year 2000,” said Joe Fairbanks, who works in public policy in the health care industry. “[But] 20 million people will still be uninsured.”

He also expanded on the bill’s possible effects on this state and the country.

“It will obliterate state budgets. It will obliterate Oklahoma’s state budget because Oklahoma is required to cover at least 30 percent of Medicaid,” Fairbanks said. “There are no provisions for additional physicians so [people are] going to have

Perspective Continued from page 1 “Evil, by definition, is a consequence of one exercising their own free will to reject the good,” Rajabali said. “Evil is not a natural disaster, birth or death, it is a system God has created to through the advent of free will to challenge us.”

Evil cannot exist outside of free will, Rajabali said. He also said that to do so would imply a partnership with God, which does not exist. He continued to say that God honored mankind with challenges in order to achieve merit.

“If God were to just place us in paradise it would be as if He thought we were not worthy of being challenged,” Rajabali said. “You have to have merit in what you do. Then you will achieve high standards.”

Good, Rajabali said, is everything God sets into motion because God is fundamentally good. He urges the audience to look at the good within the world.

“The goodness that is pervasive in us all is for what we need to focus on,” Rajabali said.

“You can be the richest, smartest person in the world, but if you don’t have strong morals you are as hopeless as the next person.”

Rajabali is quick to denounce radical fundamentalism in his lecture, saying the key to Islam is moderation.

“It is clear in the Koran that any such

help [students] plan for success throughout was like before taking a class.”

MyEdu offers the same services as Pick-A- the year.”

The new services focus on helping stuProf, as well as other features to help students stay on track with their academics, according dents organize their academics, both shortterm and long-term. to its Web site information section.

Students will still be able to create semesAlthough the Web site’s home page initialter schedules and ly listed how much look at professor MyEdu would cost, OU students “I used it to look at professor grades and reviews. They do not have to reviews. It was extremely helpful because will also be able pay these fees. I got a feel for what the professor was like to choose what kinds of classes The University of before taking a class.” they would like Oklahoma Student to take, based off Association allots -MORGAN FOREMAN, MICROBIOLOGY SOPHOMORE of how important a portion of its they think difbudget to providing students access to the Web site. The or- ferent factors are, such as grades, withdraw ganization did not respond to e-mails about rates and workload.

To plan ahead, students can also look at whether the new service would cost more.

According to a greeting message on the degree requirements and design four-year site, UOSA decided to partner with MyEdu degree plans on the Web site. MyEdu graphs and it “hopes that [the site] will be a tool to the workload for each semester so students

can visualize the information and shift courses around if they want a more balanced distribution.

OU students had mixed feelings about whether they would use these services.

Jeff Craighead, human relations senior, said he used Pick-A-Prof services, such as looking at grades and reviews, but he would not use the MyEdu programs.

“I graduate next semester, so it is not very useful to me,” Craighead said. “It might be helpful to freshmen if they take the time to actually use it.”

Kristjan Melders, University College freshman, said he could see how MyEdu’s services would be useful and he might use them if they are easy to navigate and user-friendly.

Other additions to Pick-A-Prof include ways to cross-reference the courses required for different majors and minors, in case a student wants to switch majors or add a minor and does not want to lose credits.

He said these stations will be divided up into different groups from around the world with pictures, prayer requests and information about the different people groups.

“I think that anytime you honor someone’s culture and ethnicity, I think that goes a long way in building them up,” Goree said. “And I think honoring the way people worship God in their own culture is a beautiful thing.”

Goree said they planned the kickoff event for this World Day of Prayer to have an evening that is reflective of and dedicated to different cultures and ethnicities praising God. Evan Pirtle, health and exercise science sophomore, said he is glad the different groups on campus can come together in a day of prayer.

“I think it brings unity in the Christian

worship song and took part in other cultural activities.

Ryan Marsh, director of the university gospel choir, said the choir will be performing and participating in the program.

“We just want to show that we can come together and sing and tell about God and his work,” Marsh said.

Marsh said the OU Gospel Choir has about 15 to 20 members, and although they hope to be more diverse as this group is open to any student, he said it is primarily black students right now.

“From what I’ve been told, this is a good program just because prayer doesn’t hurt,” Marsh said. “They’re dedicated to praying for the betterment of the world and I agree with that.”

massive waiting lines and going to have to wait months for primary care.”

The night concluded w ith ViceChairwoman for the Oklahoma Republican Party Angie Laplante, who addressed the group not to discuss campaign plans or current legislation, but to call them to action.

“You guys are this party and don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not. I challenge you to challenge your instructors and classmates, but to make sure that you know the facts,” Laplante said. “You need to make your legislators accountable. Your voice, your vote ... means a lot. Don’t be afraid to say what you think.”

behavior of murder is condemned,” Rajabali said. “People who claim to have inspiration from God to perform evil are either demented or lost in their own world.”

Rajabali emigrated from Tanzania to the U.S. in 1975 to pursue a degree in molecular biology and psychology at the University of Colorado, said Ali Farzena, an alumni mentor to the Muslim Student Association.He is a frequent lecturer on Islam and travels to various universities to do so, Farzena said.

For Jonathan Wille, University College freshman, Rajabali’s candid and often humorous approach was inviting and informative.

“I came to this lecture because I am a religiously curious person,” Wille said. “I may not agree with all of his points, but his points were clear [and I could] decipher them in a way that is meaningful to me.”

Megan Gay, University College freshman, said she attended the lecture to receive extra credit for a class, but she said, “It’s interesting to hear different backgrounds and perspectives to stay informed while taking religious classes.”

Rajabali placed strong emphasis on the negativity that comes out of passing judgement on others different from the general population.

“This world is a world of actions,” Rajabali said. “The next world is a world of judgment. It is not in your domain, so you don’t have a right to pass judgment.”

community,” Pirtle said. “It gives a big picture kind of thing. You can see how all the groups work together for one bigger purpose.”

Pirtle said he thinks other people will see that, too.

“People will look past different groups and denominations because, ultimately, they’re all doing this for the same reason, as a fellowship of Christians at college praying for the nonbelievers and the believers around the world,” Pirtle said.

The kickoff event for the World Student Day of Prayer took place Thursday evening in the Tarman basement of Adams Tower.

The students participated in the Nigerian praise and worship song and dance, saw a performance from and worshiped with the OU Gospel Choir, heard a Vietnamese

PRAYER EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD The “World Student Day of Prayer” began Nov. 7, 2008, when members of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in the South Pacific began praying for student ministries around the world. These prayers continued for 48 hours.

That same day, students in Spain organized an allnight prayer chain and had breakfast with food from the countries of student movements they had prayed for.

The student Christian Unions in the United Kingdom

held a prayer meeting that evening. Forty people gathered to pray for the fellowship’s movements around the world and they collected money for the fellowship’s student ministries in areas of conflict.

That same day, those a part of the fellowship in Nicaragua prayed for the students in Slovakia, as students from France prayed for students in New Zealand.

Students in India, South America and Africa organized 24-hour prayer chains.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Updates in GI Bill cause delays in payments, problems Students waiting for benefits provided with emergency funds KARLIE TIPTON Daily Staff Writer

Since mid-September, Phillip Ybarra has been anxiously checking his mailbox and inbox on a daily basis.

“I recently took a cut in hours at work so I could study more so I need the money I was promised to supplement my income,” said Ybarra, a professional writing senior.

Like many recipients of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Ybarra will probably be waiting for some time thanks to updates in the bill, particularly the addition of dependents to the list.

According to the GI Bill Web site, effective Aug. 1, those who are members of the armed forces may transfer benefits to their spouse or dependents.

The average waiting time to receive the payment for tuition, fees, monthly housing allowance and book stipend the bill offers is six to eight weeks, but this change has caused major blockage at Veterans Affairs in processing applications.

“I believe there is currently a 230,000 claim backlog,” said Patricia Ingram, OU veterans coordinator.

The VA is working to handle claims as quickly as possible.

“All VA regional offices are working seven days a week and mandatory overtime to help expedite claims ... [and] they are searching for a contractor to assist with claims processing,” Ingram

said. “They have also hired over 300 additional personnel.”

Veterans Affairs at OU has also made provisions to deal with the increase in applicants.

“I have four student employees this semester and I was fortunate in that I was able to hire a part-time employee, who just happens to be my predecessor,” Ingram said.

Those in charge of filing the applications are currently having problems with the paperwork as well.

“The new GI Bill is very complicated and administratively challenging,” Ingram said.

This is exacerbated by the lack of preparedness at the VA’s regional offices.

“The VA does not have all of the IT processes in place to do applications and claims so they are processing them manually,” Ingram said.

Ybarra believes this delay could have been avoided.

“I don’t think they should have added the dependents. It is only complicating an already overburdened VA,” Ybarra said. “It would be like adding 100,000 students to OU but keeping the same staff.”

Although they did not serve in the military themselves, many students are in the same financial situation as Ybarra.

“The only problem for me is that I don’t have a job this semester since it’s my first year of college ... so that extra money would help pay for gas and other things and I don’t have that,” said Mikaela Perry, whose father is a captain

WOMEN’S OUTREACH CENTER CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY

in the U.S. Army.

Despite the long delay, OU has been accommodating for those awaiting benefits.

“All we had to do was show proof that we got approved for me to use the GI Bill,” said Perry, a University College freshman. “As long as they know the money’s coming, they’re not going to kick me out of school or anything.”

For those waiting for benefits to help pay for bills and other necessities, Ingram has a few suggestions.

“Occasionally, I become aware of new scholarships mid-semester and most require that the student has made application to FAFSA. The VA has offered up to $3,000 for advance pay/emergency funds for all GI Bill recipients except for dependents.

Students can apply for the emergency funds either at the regional office, Oklahoma’s is located in Muskogee, or on the VA Web site. OU also offered a no interest, short-term loan of $500 for those students who were waiting on the processing of their benefits,” she said.

There is one way to check on payments.

“The only way to check the status is to call the 1-888-442-4551 number or create an account at www.gibill.va.gov and ask online,” Ingram said. “I am fairly certain that you will not get a definitive answer but you are welcome to try.”

Although Ingram reassures recipients that they will be back-paid benefits, many will just have to remain patient until they recieve their payments.

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POLICE REPORTS The following is a list of arrests and citations, not convictions.

The information given is compiled from the Norman Police Department and the OU Police Department. All those listed are innocent until proven guilty.

UNLAWFUL ENTRY OF A MINOR Michelle Nicole Burnett, 20, 750 Asp Ave., Wednesday Chelsea Hall Hopkins, 20, 750 Asp Ave., Wednesday, also age misrepresentation PETTY LARCENY Amanda Rose Conway, 22, 601 12th Ave. N.E., Wednesday Katie Dryden, 34, 601 12th Ave. N.E., Wednesday MUNICIPAL WARRANT Jason Leo Cox, 34, 225 N. Webster Ave., Wednesday

April Coraline Smith, 29, 625 Iowa St., Wednesday POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA Daren Levi Geyer, 18, 2400 W. Lindsey St., Tuesday Curtis Walton Gibson, 18, 901 24th Ave. S.W., Tuesday, also unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA Kenneth Patrick Hunsaker, 21, Alameda Street, Wednesday DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Timothy Wayne Robinson, 30, East Main Street, Wednesday PUBLIC INTOXICATION Ray Dean Sutton, 53, Shiloh Drive, Wednesday

COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY The Daily has a long-standing commitment to serve readers by providing accurate coverage and analysis. Errors are corrected as they are identified. Readers should bring errors to the attention of the editorial board for further investigation.

Thursday’s edition of The Daily incorrectly stated John Cowan’s lecture, “The Age of the Milky Way,” will occur from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. The lecture was actually scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 5.

CAMPUS NOTES

SATURDAY BIG EVENT OU’s Big Event will have a fundraiser at Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream and Treatery on 12th Avenue from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Students can also talk to executive staff members about operations staff.

TALENT SHOW Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will host a talent show to raise money for the American Diabetes Association at 7:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Meacham Auditorium. Tickets are $5.

O.U. IMPROV! Obviously Unrehearsed Improv! will have a free comedy show at 8 p.m. in the Union’s Scholars Room.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Members of the OU community celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Women’s Outreach Center Thursday afternoon in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Beaird Lounge by writing about the meaningful aspects of the center.

SUNDAY POETRY READING The Performing Arts Studio will have a poetry reading by Arn Henderson at 2 p.m. in the Performing Arts Studio.

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apply at www.studentmedia.ou.edu by Nov. 15.

Call 325-2521 if you have questions.

Come see what we’re all about at our

Open House Nov 10, 1-3 p.m.

Nov. 11, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Student Media is a department within OU’s division of Student Affairs. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

For accommodations on the basis of a disability, please call 325-2521.

4

Friday, November 6, 2009

Will Holland, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051

COMMENT OF THE DAY »

In response to Thursday’s Our View, “Sugary drink tax too heavy” YOU CAN COMMENT AT OUDAILY.COM

“Go cry me a river! Just drink tap water. No one needs soda and it doesn’t have any health benefit whatsoever. In fact, beer is better for you than soda. Just go by some beer and stop whining about a

meager tax on soda you don’t need.”

-Cambrian

STAFF COLUMN

OUR VIEW

‘Sesame Street’ still going strong Skepticism right If you’ve logged on to Google in the last few days, you may have noticed the search engine’s recent theme, the venerable TV show “Sesame Street.”

The reason for this tribute is this year marks “Sesame Street’s” 40th anniversary. This impressive run has prompted us to follow Google’s lead and pay tribute to the show, which has impacted the lives of children, ourselves included, for four decades.

Like several generations before us, many of today’s college students grew up watching “Sesame Street.” Twenty-year-old OU students and 45-year-old OU professors both have this in common. We all know who Big Bird is, what Oscar the Grouch looks like and that Cookie Monster specializes in spelling.

These characters have touched so many lives, and not just because they have been entertaining for so long (although they have).

They have impacted so many because they teach us valuable lessons that we, as college students, can still use today.

Lessons like kindness do not go out of style.

And apparently “Sesame Street” doesn’t either.

We h o p e t h e s h ow stays in production for at least another 40 years.

How c o o l w o u l d i t

be if our generation’s offspring grow up with Big Bird, just like we did? As times change and technology advances at faster speeds, institutions like “Sesame Street” are harder and harder to come by.

So congratulations on making it this far, “Sesame Street.” We hope to come visit the neighborhood for many more years to come.

ONLINE TO CHECK OUT NICK OUDaily.com» GO LAWTON’S INSIDE LOOK AT “THE DAILY.” STAFF COLUMN

Video games dangerous because of their boredom-conquering abilities Our society has a great fear of boredom. It is the quotidian complaint, the source of innumerable protests, the great enemy of fun.

As a result, many of us play video games. Rather than having to deal with our own boring lives, we can make new lives that are more fulfilling and less stressful. Thus, we have escaped that soul-crushing emotion, and can now be happier humans, free from the sameness of the physical world.

And that is what is wrong with video games. Boredom is an essential part of life. It acts as a powerful GERARD goad to action and an internal reKEISER buke to do something useful.

Without boredom, what would we be? Would we even be willing to get out of bed, or might we all stare stupidly at the ceiling for hours until hunger drives us forth in search of food?

Certainly a brutish existence. Many great achievements just never would have happened in that world.

But video games have changed this. Somehow, they have an obsessive quality that often defeats boredom for hours, pulling us toward luminescent boxes to smite goblins for gold, while ignoring other things that could be done, or even things that must be done.

More importantly, however, boredom endlessly reminds us to think about the importance of what we are doing.

Whenever we find ourselves in the same occupation for an extended time, we are repeatedly forced to justify our actions and our inactions to ourselves, so that we might push through the boredom that pervades so much of our lives.

And again, video games conquer.

If someone told you about people spending their lives building enormous card-castles, devoting endless energy into crazed competitions for the tallest structures, and eventually losing their jobs because they do nothing but build card-castles at their desks, you would dismiss them as a weird fringe group.

And those who live in “World of Warcraft?” Is that such a weird fringe group?

It is still growing with over 11 million subscribers.

And while most do not play it to the extreme that the media likes to report, the fact that some of them do

is deeply frightening.

But if video games make you happy, who cares?

Why should we judge the lifestyles of other people?

If someone does nothing but stare at a glowing screen looking for imaginary shiny objects, but is happier than someone who works hard and gets rich with a miserable third marriage and two spoiled kids, who wins?

Obviously, the second life has failed. To call the first successful, however, requires certain assumptions.

To be sure, if we are truly nothing but a “quintessence of dust,” if we are simply Epicurean bundles of atoms, then video games are a fantastic invention.

But if you want to use that argument, then it also follows that “there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so,” and you can soliloquize until you go insane.

And if there is meaning in life, then aren’t video games one of the greatest disasters of the last century? Billions of hours have been seduced from our short lives so that we can arrange pixels in certain combinations.

You will say that everything written here also applies to other forms of recreation.

For television, you are right, but when you find yourself justifying anything in comparison to a large rectangular solid that tries to sell you things, you need a better reason.

And for other sources of amusement, comparisons break down.

Video games are cheap, flashy, time-consuming, extremely diverse, cause little physical or mental exhaustion, frequently (but not always) have practically no intellectual stimulation and are always waiting for you. Nothing else has all of those qualities to such an extent.

As a final note, it would probably be worth saying that this is not an argument against ever playing a game.

People require recreation, and games can be good for that; some studies even suggest that they can improve certain skills.

But the fact that they can defeat boredom, that scorned but beneficent emotion, makes them very dangerous.

Gerard Keiser is a classical languages sophomore who thoroughly enjoys Starcraft and Nethack.

T=: O@A6=DB6 D6>AN Jamie Hughes Editor-in-Chief Meredith Moriak Managing Editor Charles Ward Assistant Managing Editor Ricky Ly Night Editor Will Holland Opinion Editor Michelle Gray, Merrill Jones Photo Editors

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approach to climate change After reading many newspaper articles and listening to commentators talk about the issue of global warming, I realize that little reasoned debate actually takes place.

Some politicians say the debate is over and we must act now. This type of reasoning is antithetical to the critical thinking skills that my college experience has ingrained in me.

Therefore, I cannot simply swallow the global warming/climate change mantra because a socalled “majority” or “consensus” says so.

The first stumbling block when discussing global warming is defining the issue.

It has come to my attention that the phrase global warming is now passé. The new in vogue term is climate change. I’m not sure why global warming needed a makeover but that’s another issue.

TARRANT The debate is about man-caused climate change CARTER (a.k.a. anthropogenic global warming) and whether humans have a significant negative impact on climate change.

But these clarifications are sometimes not mentioned by the media.

Many times people who don’t believe in anthropogenic climate change are accused of denying any kind of climate change. This is just a straw man attack leveled at skeptics to make them look stupid because, what insane person would believe that climate is a static entity that never changes?

Another tactic used against skeptics is to label them as deniers instead of skeptics. This is simply a rhetorical trick that distorts the skeptic’s position.

The skeptic is lacking evidence for his belief and is not intentionally denying a truth.

Many times it is psychologically uncomfortable for those who have such a strong belief about something to look at the evidence objectively because of the high emotional investment in their belief.

So to them the “deniers” are not rational skeptics but instead are people who have a warped sense of reality.

Another problem I have with the whole climate change issue is the repeated appeals to authority.

Supposedly nobody can talk about the issue unless they are some kind of expert on climatology. Last time I checked, you were not required to have a Ph.D. in critical thinking to be a skeptical critical thinker.

I don’t have to be an expert on the climate to realize the proposed solution is a one-sided solution. This apparent problem can only be solved by government intervention.

As a critical thinker I reject all or nothing approaches to problems.

Why can’t the solution be market-based, voluntary or scientific? Why must the only solution be a big government one?

Looking at the science behind anthropogenic global warming, one can find many problems, but I will just highlight a few.

A major premise in the man-caused global warming theory is that rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels cause temperature to increase. Al Gore, in his documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” presented this correlation between CO2 levels and temperature as proof for CO2 causing temperature increase.

As any good scientist knows, correlation does not equal causation, but it can point you in the direction of the possible cause.

Many scientists are challenging Gore’s premise.

Climatologist Tim Ball argues that the ice core sample data points to higher temperatures as the cause of rising CO2 levels. He points to data that shows CO2 levels lag hundreds of years behind corresponding temperature levels.

Another aspect often overlooked by anthropogenic global warming believers is the effect that natural causes, like the sun, have on climate change.

Some scientists look at the data and think that solar theories about climate change fit the data better than anthropogenic theories. It seems counter intuitive to argue that humans have such a significant impact on natural processes when we don’t have such a significant impact on natural processes like gravity, planetary motion or tidal movements.

Do human beings really possess the ability to affect immense natural phenomena on the scale that the sun can?

Nevertheless, the anthropogenic climate change crowd could be right. But how correct are they? What is the magic ideal CO2 level for Earth? How are we going to decide the ideal CO2 levels? Should we just exponentially decrease CO2 usage?

If CO2 is such a problem, will we look to somehow decrease the effect of non-human CO2 producers like volcanoes?

As a critical thinker, one must assess the possible negative side effects of acting on this supposed problem.

Maybe reducing CO2 levels will decrease the amount of the necessary ingredients that plants use to produce oxygen. Maybe Third World countries will be more negatively impacted by climate change legislation.

Possibly, our solution could make the world worse off.

Whatever the real answer to the cause(s) of climate change is, I hope that people will remain skeptical of all claims people make, especially those in the climate change debate.

Don’t blindly accept consensus when deciding the merits of an argument. And don’t take my word for it either.

Use the critical reasoning skills you have acquired through your college experience, investigate the issue and decide for yourself.

Tarrant Carter is a philosophy and psychology senior.

The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum and OU’s independent student voice.

Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and should be fewer than 250 words, typed, double spaced and signed by the author(s). Letters will be cut to fit. Students must list their major and classification. OU staff and faculty must list their title. All letters must include a daytime phone number. Authors submitting letters in person must present photo identification.

Submit letters Sunday through Thursday, in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters can also be submitted via e-mail to dailyopinion@ ou.edu.

Guest columns are accepted at editor’s discretion. ’Our View’ is the voice of The Oklahoma Daily.

Editorial Board members are The Daily’s editorial staff.

The board meets Sunday through Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in 160 Copeland Hall.

Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Cassie Rhea Little, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 325-5189 • fax: 325-6051

5

« BLOG

Read about freshman lifestyle on the Life & Arts blog at oudaily.com.

‘THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS’ FAILS TO IMPRESS “The Men Who Stare at Goats” is an attempt to inject some levity into the typically stonefaced war genre with a story about supernatural tactics used by the Army.

With George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey and Ewan McGregor bolstering the ranks of the can’t-miss concept, hilarity and weirdness ought to rule the roost.

They don’t. “The Men Who Stare at Goats” is bleating awful. Almost as bad as DUSTY that pun.

SOMERS McGregor stars as Bob Wilton, a sad-sack journalist whose wife dumps him for a man with a robotic arm. In a fit of “I’ll show you up-itis” Wilton flees to Iraq, where the Second Gulf War is just getting under way, to land the story of a lifetime.

He might have something when he meets Lyn Cassady (Clooney), a manic presence who claims to be a super-soldier. To be more specific — a Jedi warrior.

Wilton balks, and the movie makes sure to pause to hold up a giant “LAUGH” sign to point out the irony. And once isn’t enough — the Jedi joke gets bandied about so many times, you start to expect a picture-in-picture image of McGregor costumed as Obi-Wan Kenobi, complete with lightsaber and Jedi rattail, to invade the bottom corner of the screen.

We got it the first time, movie.

Wilton decides to tag along with Cassady,

who claims to be on a top-secret mission, while at the same time relaying the tale of how he first became involved in the Army’s foray into the supernatural.

Vietnam vet Bill Django (Bridges) began to explore New Age tactics, and Cassady was one of the original members of the new outfit. Soldiers practiced meditation and mindreading to explore non-violent resolution to conflict. Hallucinogens played a not-unimportant role.

Things began to change though with the appearance of a new recruit, Larry Hooper (Spacey), who was quickly at odds with almost everyone in the unit. His presence led to more sinister undertakings, including attempting to stop creatures’ hearts simply by staring at them. Goats were the guinea pigs.

Based on the 2004 book by Jon Ronson, it’s fascinating to think about how many of these ideas were actually implemented by the military, and it’s great fodder for a film even if only a quarter of it is true.

But the film fumbles hard with its insistence on a flashback story structure. The development of the paranormal tactics is the compelling stuff, not the present-day meandering of Wilton and Cassady around the desert. Despite McGregor’s charisma, Wilton is one terribly dull protagonist and should have been relegated to the edges of this piece of celluloid, rather than its center.

The supernatural tactics are relegated for the most part to a series of flashbacks; there are more cutaway gags here than in a three-

Drink » of theWEEK The Cosmopolitan has quickly become a contemporary classic, a kind of modernday gin martini.

C a r r i e , Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda, the leading ladies from “Sex and the City,” started ASHLEY drinking them BERNTGEN back in 1998 and I don’t think women in America have stopped since.

PHOTO PROVIDED

George Clooney sitting in character while filming “The Men Who Stare at Goats.” hour block of “Family Guy.” It cuts the legs out from underneath what might have been some fairly poignant material and it reduces the humor to mostly sight gags.

Spacey’s flat villain-type is a waste of space, but Clooney and Bridges garner some chuckles. Clooney has done the delusions of grandeur thing quite well before (“O Brother Where Art Thou,” “Burn After Reading”) and Bridges has gotten plenty of mileage out of the

riff he’s been doing on “The Big Lebowski’s” The Dude for more than a decade, but the familiarity of these characters is a nice touchstone in a film that wears thin on patience.

“The Men Who Stare at Goats” isn’t worth 90 minutes of your eye-time.

The film opens today at Hollywood Spotlight 14, Moore Warren, Harkins Bricktown and others.

Dusty Somers is a journalism senior.

The Daily’s Ashley Berntgen chooses a Champagne Cosmopolitan as this week’s Drink of the Week

It seems as though it has become a bit of a cliché for a woman to order a Cosmo these days, though.

Whenever I see someone order a Cosmopolitan, I always wonder if they truly appreciate the drink, or if they saw an episode of Sex and The City and think that all smart, modern women in Manhattan still drink Cosmos.

The drink seems to have become a bit overdone. To combat that, here is a new twist on the Cosmopolitan: a Champagne Cosmopolitan.

CHAMPAGNE COSMOPOLITAN Ingredients: • • • • •

1 ounce of citrus vodka 1 dash of triple sec 1-½ ounces of cranberry juice ½ ounce of fresh lime juice 1 ounce of champagne

Directions Shake vodka, triple sec cranberry and lime juices in a cocktail shaker over ice and strain into a champagne flute or a martini glass and top off with champagne.

Garnish with a lime slice.

Ashley Berntgen is a public relations senior.

TOP 20 PRIME-TIME PROGRAMS IN NIELSEN RATINGS 9. (X) World Series Game 3, Fox, 15.40 million viewers.

10. (8) “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 15.24 million viewers.

11. (12) “Dancing With the Stars Results,” ABC, 15.20 million viewers.

12. (10) “Desperate Housewives,” ABC, 14.08 million viewers.

13. (4) “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC, 13.74 million viewers 1. (X) World Series Game 14. (16) “60 Minutes,” CBS, 4, Fox, 22.76 million 12.94 million viewers. viewers.

15. (21) “Survivor: 2. (X) World Series Samoa,” CBS, 12.19 Game 1, Fox, 19.51 million viewers. million viewers.

16. (12) “CSI: 3. (X) World Series Miami,” CBS, 11.52 Game 2, Fox, 18.90 million viewers. million viewers.

17. (12) “Two and 4. (X) World Series a Half Men,” CBS, Pre-Game, Game 4, 11.41 million Fox, 17.82 million viewers. viewers.

18. (24) “Amazing 5. (3) “Dancing With the Stars,” ABC, 17.38 million view- Race 15,” CBS, 11.22 million viewers. ers.

6. (1) “NCIS,” CBS, 16.70 million 19. (5) “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS, 11.09 million viewers. viewers.

7. (18) “The OT,” Fox, 16.61 mil- 20. (16) “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 10.86 million viewers. lion viewers.

8. (7) “The Mentalist,” CBS, 15.53 million viewers.

-AP

AC/DC ROCKS OUT IN OKLAHOMA CITY

Prime-time viewership numbers were compiled by The Nielsen Co., for Oct. 26 through Nov. 1.

Listings include the week’s ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses.

An “X’’ in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation.

BETH NALEWAJK/THE DAILY

AC/DC lead guitarist Angus Young plays at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City Wednesday evening.

6 Friday, November 6, 2009

PLACE AN AD Phone: 325-2521 E-Mail: classifieds@ou.edu Fax: 405-325-7517 Campus Address: COH 149A

DEADLINES Line Ad ..................2 days prior Place your line ad no later than 9:00 a.m. 2 days prior to publication date.

Display Ad ............2 days prior Classified Display or Classified Card Ad Place your display, classified display or classified card ads no later than 5:00 p.m. 2 days prior to publication date.

PAYMENT s r

r

For Sale FLEA MARKETS Norman Flea Market & Garage Sale Lots of furniture, books & jewelry, antiques, collectibles. Lots of everything!

Cleveland Co. Fairgrounds 615 E Robinson Fri & Sat, Nov 6 & 7, 8a-5p

Employment HELP WANTED STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM Paid survey takers needed in Norman 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys.

Bartending! Up to $300/day. No exp nec.

Training provided. 1-800-965-6520 x133.

GREAT STUDENT JOB PT Leasing Agent, Mon-Fri 12:45-6 Rotating Sats. Pay based on experience.

Must be friendly & detail oriented.

Apply at 2900 Chautauqua Or call 360-6624 for more info.

Survey takers needed! Make $5-$25 per survey! www.getpaidtothink.com

TM

Payment is required at the time the ad is placed. Credit cards, cash, money orders or local checks accepted.

Businesses may be eligible to apply for credit in a limited, local billing area. Please inquire with Business Office at 325-2521.

RATES Line Ads There is a 2 line minimum charge; approximately 45 characters per line, including spaces and punctuation.

1 day ............. $4.25/line 2 days ........... $2.50/line 3-4 days........ $2.00/line 5-9 days........ $1.50/line 10-14 days.... $1.15/line 15-19 days.... $1.00/line 20-29 days.... $ .90/line 30+ days.......$ .85/line

Deputy Marshal (Part-Time) Municipal Court Graduation from college and currently attending law school. Valid Oklahoma Driver’s License and satisfactory motor vehicle record. Knowledge of courtroom proceedings and practices. $8.00 per hour. Work Period: 15 hours a week maximum. Approximately 10 hours in the courtroom on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons and 5 hours serving processes. Selected applicants must pass a background investigation and drug screen. Application Deadline: Open Recruitment.

Obtain application at: 201-C West Gray, Human Resources Dept., City of Norman, (405) 366-5482 Web: NormanOK.gov EOE/AA

$5,000-$45,000 PAID EGG DONORS up to 9 donations, + Exps, non-smokers, Ages 19-29, SAT>1100/ACT>24/GPA>3.00 Contact: info@eggdonorcenter.com

Employment HELP WANTED Hiring Leasing Agent Immediately Large apt complex seeking responsible student P/T & Sat, exible schedule, F/T during breaks. $7.50 - $8.50 based on ability. 613-5268

J Housing Rentals APTS. FURNISHED $400, bills paid, efďŹ ciency LOFT apartments, downtown over Mister Robert Furniture, 109 E Main, ďŹ re sprinkler, no pets, smoke-free. Inquire store ofďŹ ce.

J Housing Rentals HOUSES UNFURNISHED 4 BDRM, 2 Bath, walking distance to campus, kitchen appl incld, w/d, pets OK. Call 826-1335.

Nice 3 bdrm, 1 bath, CH/A, 1314 W Boyd, near OU, $650/mo, $500/dep. No pets, please. Call 329-5568 or 496-3993 (c).

Avail Dec 21 - brick house, 911 S Flood, 3 bd, 2 ba, wood oors, CH/A, W/D, dishwasher, disposal, garage, no pets, smoke-free. Do not disturb occupant.

Call Bob 321-1818 for appointment. Others this side of campus available in May.

TOWNHOUSES UNFURNISHED

APTS. UNFURNISHED 1 BLK FROM OU, 1012 S College, Apt 4, $300/mo. Call 360-2873 or 306-1970.

Eff. apt w/ loft bedroom - 3 blks from campus - bills paid incl. cable TV, internet and local phone. $400/mo, 364-6388

Prices Reduced/$99 1st Months Rent!

Saratoga/Willowbrook/Winshire $99 DEPOSIT / 6 Month Free Fitness 2 bedrooms $485-$525 Pets Welcome! Large Floor Plans!

Models open 8a-8p Everyday!

360-6624 or www.elite2900.com

1 bdrm apt, $350 + bills Smoke-free, no pets, 360-3850

CONDOS UNFURNISHED 1 bd/1ba $500 mo. Includes all kitchen appliances. No pets. Longburk Real Estate 732-7474.

THE EDGE-1 room avail in 4 bd condo, full ba, walk-in closet, appl, full kitchen, $425 incld internet, cable & util. 4733957

Taylor Ridge Townhomes 2 Bdrm, 2.5 Bath, Fully Renovated Townhomes near OU! Pets Welcome! • Call for current rates and Move-in Specials!!!

Taylor Ridge Townhomes (405) 310-6599

ROOMMATES WANTED F roommate, avail spring semester: 825 Redbird Lane, gated condo, no smoking, no pets, $300/mo - 918-955-9812

(located just below the puzzle)

POLICY

Help Wanted ads in The Oklahoma Daily are not to separate as to gender. Advertisers may not discriminate in employment ads based on race, color, religion or gender unless such qualifying factors are essential to a given position.

7 9

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4 8 9 6 1

1 9 2 6 8 1 7 9 2 3

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4

Previous Solution 3 6 1 5 9 4 8 7 2

7 9 5 2 6 8 4 1 3

8 4 2 1 3 7 5 6 9

9 8 4 7 1 3 2 5 6

2 7 6 9 4 5 3 8 1

1 5 3 6 8 2 7 9 4

4 1 7 8 2 9 6 3 5

5 3 9 4 7 6 1 2 8

6 2 8 3 5 1 9 4 7

Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker November 06, 2009

ACROSS 1 Bath water residue 5 Lyric poem 10 Do a hit man’s job 14 Cash in Cancun 15 Fin or flipper 16 “A Death in the Family� author 17 Gulf of ___ 18 Four, to 16 20 Like pitch or tar 22 The agony of da feet 23 “___ Enchanted Evening�

24 “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory� author 26 Flying pests 29 Card game in some casinos 30 Vehicle with a route 33 ___ Strauss and Co.(jeans company) 34 Lady Liberty, e.g.

36 Santa ___ (California wind) 37 President’s department 40 Chestnut case 41 Champagne cocktail 42 “___ Ha’i�

43 Winter setting in NYC 44 Classmate, e.g.

The Oklahoma Daily is responsible for one day’s incorrect advertising. If your ad appears incorrectly, or if you wish to cancel your ad call 325-2521, before the deadline for cancellation in the next issue. Errors not the fault of the advertiser will be adjusted. Refunds will not be issued for late cancellations.

The Oklahoma Daily will not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religious preference, national origin or sexual orientation. Violations of this policy should be reported to The Oklahoma Daily Business Office at 325-2521.

3

Contact an Acct Executive for details at 325-2521.

1 col (1.833 in) x 2.25 inches Crossword .....$515/month

6 5

Near OU, lg 3/4 bd, $875-$975/mo, 826 Jona Kay, 1711 Lancaster, 2326 Lindenwood. Call 360-0351, 517-2018.

HOUSES UNFURNISHED

Classified Display, Classified Card Ads or Game Sponsorship

2 col (3.792 in) x 2 inches Sudoku ...........$760/month Boggle ............$760/month Horoscope .....$760/month

Thad Baker, advertising manager classifieds@ou.edu • phone: 325-2521 • fax: 325-7517

45 People newsmaker 46 Actions at Sotheby’s 47 Where Helen was taken 49 One-edged weapon 52 Pain in the brain 56 Highway loop-the-loop 59 Catch red-handed 60 “... ___ to leap tall buildings ...�

61 Glide 62 Coal dust 63 Chutzpah, in the extreme 64 ___-ski party (lodge gathering, perhaps) 65 Some building extensions DOWN 1 Boom or bowsprit 2 Give up, as territory 3 “... with 1,001 ___�

4 Reflecting reality as a single unit 5 Derby Stakes site 6 Excite, as interest 7 Bothersome burden 8 Highly reliable evidence 9 Van Gogh had one in his later years 10 John Paul II’s first name

11 Grandpa Munster’s pet 12 “Battle Cry� author Uris 13 “Sure, why don’t we?�

19 One expressing the same thoughts 21 Antis’ votes 24 Calendar entries 25 Caribbean resort island 26 Church land 27 Connecting link 28 Prevent 29 Party handout 30 Commonplace 31 Sam, Vanya or Buck 32 Address in colonial India 34 Confined to a pen 35 Multiplication term 38 Baseball

official 39 State of limbo 45 Common fish fry catch 46 Feature of a miter joint 47 Coquette 48 “The River Wild� vessels 49 Heroine, slangily 50 “Dark Angel� actress 51 Cotton capsule 52 Listen and pay attention 53 Net lining of a hat 54 “Cry� singer Faith 55 “Desire Under the ___�

57 Alternative to JVC or Panasonic, once 58 Cut off, as branches

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Š 2009 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com

TREE STRUCTURE by Henry Quarters

!

All ads are subject to acceptance by The Oklahoma Daily. Ad acceptance may be reevaluated at any time.

Previous Answers

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Friday, November 6, 2009

« FOOTBALL Go online for a recap of Saturday’s game.

7

Annelise Russell, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051

OUDAILY.COM

TESTING THE SOONERS’ FRAGILE OFFENSE OU offense key to Saturday’s game against Nebraska ERIC DAMA Daily Staff Writer

Game Essentials: What: No. 20 OU (5-3, 3-1 Big 12) at Nebraska (5-3, 2-2 Big 12) When: Saturday, 7:00 p.m.

Location: Lincoln, Neb. Venue: Memorial Stadium TV: ABC

Quick Facts: • OU leads the all-time series, 44-37-3, including an 18-21-2 mark at Lincoln. The Sooners have won the last four meetings.

• Bob Stoops and Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini both attended Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio.

• Pelini was the co-defensive coordinator at OU in 2004 when the Sooners lost to LSU in the BCS Championship game.

Keys to the Game: 1) Protect Landry Jones.

This may be easier said than done. Nebraska’s highly ranked defense is led by two outstanding defensive tackles, senior Ndamukong Suh and sophomore Jared Crick, who have combined for 98 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks and 24 quarterback hurries on the season.

The offensive line has come a long way from where it was at the beginning of the season, but this is the best defensive line the Sooners have faced all season. OU will likely find itself in trouble quickly if the offensive line can’t adequately hold off the Cornhuskers’ defensive tackles and ends.

2) Keep the offense going.

This is an extension of the previous paragraph. Both OU and Nebraska enter tomorrow’s game with defenses ranked among the top 10 nationally in scoring defense, rush defense and sacks per game. However, the Sooners clearly have the superior offense.

If the game does in fact turn into a defensive struggle, OU needs to be able to take advantage of its scoring opportunities. As long as Landry Jones and Co. can muster enough points against the Cornhuskers’ defense, the Sooners’ defense should take care of the rest by shutting down a Nebraska offense led by freshman quarterback Cody Green, who only became the starter last week against Baylor.

They said it: • Bob Stoops on Nebraska’s tradition: “I have played Nebraska here for a long time. I have

OU tennis volleys into championships TOBI NEIDY Daily Staff Writer

OU Tennis is heating up on the courts during this fall season. The men a n d w o m e n t e a m s a re each sending players to the ITA National Indoor In t e rc o l l e g i a t e In d o o r Championships held Nov. 5-8 at Yale University in Connecticut.

The Championships feature 32 of the nation’s top players. Junior Ana-Maria Constantinescu and freshman Teona Tsertsvadze both qualified to attend this year’s tournament.

Constantinescu qualified to compete in both the Main Draw singles and doubles matches.

Tsertsvadze will join Constantinescu to compete against 15 doubles pairs.

This is Constantinescu’s second trip to the tournament after coming up short in the second round as a freshman in 2007.

Tsertsvadze also qualified for her first trip as a freshman this year. The duo qualified for the ITA National championship after claiming both the regional titles on Oct. 25 in Norman.

The OU men’s tennis team will also being sending a Sooner to compete this week in the tournament.

Senior Andrei Daescu qualified after making it to the regional finals to compete in his third appearance at the ITA Indoor Championships.

Daescu fell to 3rd ranked Daniel Vallverdu in the round of 16 during last year’s appearance. Daescu is currently ranked fourth seed for the tournament and is no. 40 nationally.

The tournament will began with singles first round Thursday.

Visit OUDaily.com, for this weekend’s results.

MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY

Sophomore tight end James Hanna (82) breaks past opposing players from Kansas State during the homecoming game Oct. 31.

always had a great respect for them. There’s a lot of amazing tradition and history. I always wonder if our freshmen, sophomores and guys who haven’t been around very long have a true understanding of the tradition and history and pride of that program. I’ve always felt that playing them is tough.”

• Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson on facing Nebraska’s defense: “The strength of that team is their front. Our line is still rolling and gaining, but it’s still a long way away from where it needs to be. There’s still some talent that needs to keep coming through. If our guys think they have it all figured out for just a second, then they’re a long way off and we’re definitely doomed.”

• Junior defensive back Dominique Franks on the OUNebraska rivalry: “It’s a big one. The battle of the Big Reds. You don’t have to say too much after you say Oklahoma versus Nebraska.”

SOONER CREW TEAM REGATTA RESULTS After attending its last fall regatta Sunday, the OU Crew team is transitioning into the winter training season. During the Frostbite Regatta in Wichita, Kan., the Men’s Novice Eight placed second, rowing against rivals Wichita State, Colorado and UCO. Oklahoma Crew Results, Frostbite Regatta (11/1/09) Mens coxless 2-: Zach Dunn, Evan Hanes: 9:18, 7/9 Womens Open composite4+: Robin Urquhart and Elizabeth Stelling: 10:31, 12/18 Mens Open 4+: Emily West (coxwain), Z. Dunn Kyle Bartlett, Chris Leatherman, E. Hanes: 9:15 11/23 Mens Novice 8+: Richard Mihelic (c), David Sauvanet, Collin Byrnes, Damyan Dmitryov, Kyle Combs, Matt Taylor, Guy Martin, Jason Yee, Thomas Moses: 8:21 2/9 Mens Open Singles: Kevin Reineking: 11/52 & 15/17 Mens Lightweight 4+: E. West (c), Z. Dunn, G. Martin, K. Reineking , E. Hanes: 9:18 6/11 Mens Novice 4+: R. Mihelic (c), D. Sauvanet, C. Byrnes, D. Dmitryov, K. Combs, 9:40 5/15 Mixed Mens/Womens 8+: E. West (c), R. Urquhart, E. Stelling, C. Leatherman, K. Bartlett, M. Taylor, Travis Brauer, Alex Eggleston, Mallory Thompson: 9:34 16/28 -Daily Staff

• Junior defensive end Jeremy Beal on the offense’s success giving the team confidence: “It gives us a lot of confidence. We always knew defensively coming into the season that we had a good offense…It took them awhile to get stuff together, but now it gives us a lot of confidence that we can depend on the offense to win the game.”

OU will win if: The offensive line can protect Landry Jones and give him enough time to get the ball to the steadily-improving wideouts.

Nebraska will win if: Its defense can shut down OU’s offense enough to give the offense the opportunity for a last-minute go-ahead score.

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Friday, Nov. 6, 2009 SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Normally, it’s not a good idea to offer advice when it isn’t solicited. However, if you have a good suggestion that will help a confused friend, don’t hesitate to speak up.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- You’re inclined to use your brain more effectively than your brawn, so when it comes to involvements with others, try to be one of the thinkers.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- When placed in the position of having to make a critical decision between two alternatives of equal value, let experience be your guide. Allow lessons from the past to influence your judgment.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- A nagging misunderstanding with a fellow worker can be resolved if you take the time to do so. Bring the matter out in the open without demeaning anyone, and work things out.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- A recreational break shouldn’t be classified as a frivolous pursuit.

In fact, one might be necessary in order to acquire a healthy release from tensions that have built up during the past week.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Chances are you will have to deal with some kind of domestic issue, but it won’t necessarily be a problem unless you make it so. Handle things logically; don’t let emotion enter the picture.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- If you have a choice, work on projects that require more mental attributes than physical ones. Imparting or applying knowledge is a strong suit, making you adept at problem solving.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Let your sharp wit discover the best way to improvise means of deriving a material advantage over a competitor. If you apply yourself in financial dealings, you can go one better.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You may not like it, but you have the ability to juggle complex arrangements simultaneously and do a good job with each. This attribute will serve you well.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- When involved in a work-related group endeavor, try to keep a low profile. While others are grandstanding or wasting time competing for attention, you’ll be accomplishing things.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Because it’s the end of a hectic workweek, a change of pace might be in order. Get together with friends or companions who are also seeking to “break away.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Don’t hesitate to use your leadership qualities to circumvent and override obstacles in the way of fulfilling a personal goal. Others will do your bidding and help you out.

8

Friday, November 6, 2009

FRIDAY FACE-OFF:

Which NCAA college football team designs the ugliest uniforms?

OREGON The ugliest uniforms in all of college football have to be that of the Oregon Ducks.

To b r e a k i t down, black and green, and even yellow, are not bad colors. They have been used together for years by other teams.

Black or white is an essential part of any team’s color scheme, and you would think this basic ANNELISE idea would be hard to RUSSELL mess up. Yellow is a bright and pleasing color, there should be nothing dreary about that.

Well congratulations Ducks, you have managed to turn three of the most basic colors into a combination of ugly and fugly.

The first problem with this ill-dress is the ridiculous patterns on the shoulders of every player. I am not exactly sure what is trying to be accomplished here, but whatever it is, the design fails miserably.

The Ducks used to cover this area with a design that looked a lot like tread marks.

Is your intention to look like you lost a battle with an automobile before the game with those skid marks?

Well, Oregon came to their senses and dropped the horrific design, but just as quickly lost their design sense again when they added wings to the shoulders. Yes, I am serious, wings.

BOISE STATE

My best guess is someone was either drinking Red Bull at the time or seriously thought a literal interpretation of a duck was appropriate. Are they trying to insinuate the football team can fly, well if so, sign me up.

Even so, these wings cover the shoulder pads on each side, and look like they extend from the neck area. Wings coming out of your neck is a rather odd concept if you ask me. Ask any eight year old who dressed up as Tinkerbell for Halloween and she can tell you where the wings go.

I am all for jazzing up a uniform, so while you’re at it maybe you can tie a few bows on the edges as well, because that would make more sense than that ridiculous design.

What is wrong with leaving the shoulders bare? I think there is little that could help this uniform after they already use the most unflattering yellow and forest green, but at this point it might be worth a shot.

The new uniforms have even moved beyond these colors and the wings to include colors like silver for their numbers on the jersey. How do silver, black, and yellow match? Sounds like the colors for a completely different team. Sorry Ducks, but just adding another color in for funnies is not going to solve your uniform issue.

Maybe one day Oregon will come to its senses and just roll with plain and simple green and black. No frills or fuss necessary… back to basics is not a bad thing.

Annelise Russell is a journalism and political science junior.

The typical No. 1 choice for ugliest college football uniforms has traditionally been Oregon, as my counterpart Annelise’s chose.

However, I’m going to go against the grain and say I like Oregon’s uniforms. I didn’t like the weird metal design from the last couple years, but this year’s silver wings on the shoulder pads are awesome.

JAMES Plus, you’ve got someCORLEY thing great going on anytime you get free multiple sets of uniforms from an alum who happens to own Nike.

With that said, the ugliest uniforms in college football belong to the team that has the ugliest field in college football: Boise State.

The same person must have designed both field and uniforms for them. I’m wondering what the thought process behind “fluorescent blue” was.

Plus, Boise totally ganked not only Denver’s mascot, the Bronco, but also the matching color scheme. Boise’s uniforms take me back to the great Denver teams of the past when Elway was winning Super Bowls, just ridiculously uglified.

Boise took some of the coolest NFL jerseys in existence, cranked the tint on the TV all the way up to “blinding” and created the monstrosity that is BSU’s uniforms.

If their goal was to make the uniforms a

strange type of camouflage with the disgusting Smurf Field, they succeeded. Plus, orange on a uniform almost never ever looks good.

The colors are too bright, too flashy, too blinding and too ridiculous. Seriously, tell me you enjoy watching Boise State games and the inevitable headache that follows.

Do me a favor: Google Boise State’s uniforms. Remind yourself what they look like before discarding my argument. They aren’t as famously hated as Oregon’s, but they are 10 times as bad.

Oregon’s, save the gross yellow jerseys they rarely wear, are dark colors that seem to fit together nicely. The added special designs, like the metal pattern or the silver wings, give them a unique flair only Nike could give to them for free.

Boise State’s are about as aesthetically pleasing as a neon sign. Blue and orange do not look good together, and the white away jerseys don’t do much to improve them.

T h e B ro n c o s look out of place a n y t i m e t h e y ’ re playing anywhere but home because those jerseys only look natural on that disgustingly unnatural field. If the goal was to look like smurfs, Boise accomplished it. If the goal was to have uniforms that do not make me want puke all over myself, Boise failed miserably.

There’s something both Annelise and I can agree on: The ugliest uniforms in college football are west of the Rockies.

James Corley is a journalism senior.

Cowboy receiver whines unnecessarily

MARCIN RUTKOWSKI/ THE DAILY

Senior Shane Vernon and senior Chad Terry wrestle during the Red/White Scrimmage held in the McCasland Field House Thursday evening. The Red team won with a final score of 27-6.

Red team downs White in scrimmage MJ CASIANO Daily Staff Writer

The Red team won 27-6 in the annual Red/White scrimmage – the final preseason event of the season – at the Howard McCasland Field House Thursday evening.

“I thought this was a good outing for us,” head coach Jack Spates said.

“This team has to improve in several areas, but in reality you have to remember this is the beginning of the season and guys will get better. Tonight was

the first time this year our guys have been under the lights and we have identified where we need to get better.”

The White team started off w ith an upset at 125-pounds, when Jarrod Patterson beat Ju stin Forrest 3-1 with the decision, and gave White an early 3-0 lead.

The only other victory the White team saw was at 165-pound when freshman Tyler Caldwell got the 4-1 decision over redshirt sophomore Derek Peperas.

That brought the score to a manageable 12-6 red lead.

But overall it was a dominant performance by the Red team as it went on the score 15 unanswered.

“I am pleased about this evening, but now it is time to go against someone else,” Spates said. “Our guys will get back in the room and focus on getting better. We look forward to the start of the season.”

OU begins the regular season Thursday when it travels to Edmond to take on UCO at 7 p.m.

With the recent emergence of Dallas Cowboys’ receiver Miles Austin, I expected many, like myself, to be pleasantly surprised and certainly happy.

I also expected other teams, notably those of the NFC East, to loathe that the Cowboys had found themselves a go-to, play-making receiver, this time without the attitude problem.

However, I overlooked and did not expect the part where another Cowboys wide receiver lashes out to the media with discontent and jealousy of the blossoming star.

Sound familiar? It should, because it is exactly what team owner Jerry Jones tried to rid his team of with the release of Terrell Owens this summer. And now, only eight weeks into a TO-less season, Roy Williams is stepping up to fill TO’s CLARK former role.

FOY While being the No. 1 receiver on the Cowboys depth chart, formerDetroit Lion Williams has sure not played like it and has left plenty of room for somebody to step up. Luckily for the team and fans somebody (Austin) did, which somehow led Williams to lash out to the media.

“It’s just not even close,” Williams said to ESPNDallas.com. “It’s not even funny.

Not even close ... I’m the No. 1 receiver. But things are going No. 2’s way. He gets the ball thrown correctly his way.”

Frankly, this is getting old for the team and fans and there are so many things wrong with this picture .

Last time I checked, Williams plays for the Dallas Cowboys; the Cowboys do not play for Williams. Also, the Cowboys received their only two losses with Williams as the No. 1 wideout. Turn and face the strange (ch-ch-) changes, buddy.

So maybe, Roy, you are just confused. Or delusional.

Wait, I get it. Maybe you are frustrated because Austin put up 482 yards and five touchdowns on 21 receptions in three games, whereas you only have 249, two and

14 on the season.

I can understand how you would be embarrassed that he dominates you in every category, but don’t go balling to the media with your superiority complex, unless you really want to lose your job like TO did. And what happened to playing for the betterment of the team?

Wouldn’t the proper response be to congratulate Austin and give him a pat on the back along with your job? That’s how it has been on any team I have been a part of.

Williams later continued with the cry baby antic and between repressed tears and many used tissues, Williams hit on his frustration with the passes that are coming his way and complaining about having to dive and fall to get to balls.

“Everybody [else] who’s been here’s balls are there,” he said. “Our footballs [from Romo to Williams] are everywhere right now.”

Perhaps the most frustrating part of this whole ordeal is that it isn’t like this is a new problem.

Williams has been lack-luster at best since he got to Dallas. I would have a little more patience with the guy had he once been a great player for the Cowboys, but having not even been on the team for an entire season yet and playing like the team’s fourth receiver instead of the first, I don’t have much room for that patience that I would give other players.

Strangely enough, I think Williams does correctly identify the problem in the matter; himself.

It seems to me that if Romo is on-par with all of the other receivers on the team, then the fault of the Romo-Williams dysfunction would lie on Williams’ shoulder.

Jones explained this past summer that the addition of Williams and release of TO was to form a more “Romo-friendly” offense.

So much for that.

Clark Foy is a journalism junior.