The Oklahoma Daily

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LIFE & ARTS • PAGE 7

SPORTS • PAGE 9

Shrek, Donkey visit OKC

OU falls to Cowgirls in title match The Sooner soccer team appeared in its first Big 12 championship and lost to Oklahoma State for the third time this season

Alan Mingo Jr. (shown right) stars as Donkey in “Shrek The Musical,” opening Tuesday in Oklahoma City. Read a Q&A with the actor.

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

Monday, November 8, 2010

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Visitors flood weather center for festival Event showcased center, weather organizations with balloon launches, exhibits, visit from storm chasers DEBBIE DAVIS The Oklahoma Daily

O n Saturday, hundreds of people swarmed the National Weather Center for the Sixth Annual Weather Festival. “It was fun; it was definitely an experience,”

said Kelsey Bowman, University College freshman and festival attendee. The festival was organized by OU, the School of Meteorology and the Norman Weather Chamber Committee, said Amy Buchanan, National Weather Center spokeswoman. “It kind of started out as a way to have an open house to showcase the building and the organizations,” Buchanan said. OU students volunteered to help run

the festival and some even appeared as “weather superheroes” that walked around the festival. “We got to pick what we kind of wanted, and then they assigned it,” said Megan Angstatdt, University College freshman. “I’m stoked to see how many people are excited about weather.” The event included activities and exhibits on each of the five floors of the National Weather Center.

A parking lot display featured storm chaser cars and stars from Discovery Channel’s “Storm Chasers.” In the atrium on the first floor many tables and displays were set up from a wide variety of different vendors. Exhibits ranged from merchandise to a table where the Oklahoma City Channel 5

SEE FESTIVAL PAGE 2

Vietnam veterans celebrated at event Ceremony relies on community to thank veterans as part of Year of the Vietnam Veteran SPENCER POPP The Oklahoma Daily

H

undreds of Oklahoma Vietnam veterans received an official thank you for their service in a ceremonial commemoration Saturday at Reaves Park, which included keynote speakers, musical performances, a 21-gun salute and an F-16 flyover. The event, Operation Oklahoma, sought to pay tribute to Vietnam veterans. It was rescheduled from the Fourth of July because of rain. Retired Maj. Gen. Toney Stricklin, Vietnam veteran and event keynote speaker, spoke how Vietnam veterans didn’t receive much of a welcome in the 1960s and 1970s on Veterans Day, and how grateful he is that has changed. “That’s different now, and we’re proud to stand among our World War II, Korean and other veterans who have served this great nation over the years,” Stricklin said. Lt. Gov. Jari Askins said she is proud Oklahoma consistently opens its arms and says thank you to the men and women who serve in all military branches. “This is important for me to be here because this is the war of my generation,” Askins said. “The opportunity to celebrate at any time the Vietnam veterans who are here, who have a chance for us to say thank you, it’s never too late to say thank you.” The City of Norman was one of three key sites for the various celebrations that were part of Operation Oklahoma and Gov. Brad Henry’s Year of the Vietnam Veteran proclamation, Mayor

Having the freedom to stand here like this, that’s thanks to all these guys right here.” — MIKE WALLACE, NORMAN RESIDENT

MARK MORELAND/THE DAILY

Attendees at Saturday’s Operation Oklahoma listen to keynote speaker retired Maj. Gen. Toney Stricklin at Reaves Park. The formal recognition included an F-16 flyover and speeches from Gov. Brad Henry. The celebration included a display of military equipment, performances from a community choir and the “Governor’s Own” 145th Army Band. “Freedom Boxes” were collected for Stuff the Truck, a community initiative to provide deployed soldiers with care packages. Cindy Rosenthal said. “We felt very privileged to have the honor of hosting the event,” Rosenthal said. The city combined its usual Fourth of July celebration with the fundraising efforts that Operation Oklahoma did nationally in order to include some of the additional festivities, such as fireworks,

Newly elected GSS chairman plans to make meetings shorter The Graduate Student Senate elected Derrell Cox as its new chairman Sunday evening. Cox, graduate research assistant for the Center for Applied Social Research, plans to streamline meeting times and the number of meetings. He ran against former chairwoman Susan Adams-Johnson and Next Senate Nicholas Harrison, law student meeting and Daily columnist. “My goal is not to leave The Graduate business unfinished,” Cox said. Student Senate will “It’s ultimately to streamline meet 7 p.m. Sunday the operation.” in Sarkey’s Energy The preliminary official vote Center, Room A235. did not yield a majority, so a placard vote occurred between Cox and Adams-Johnson, who had the highest number of preliminary votes. Cox received 29 placard votes to Adams-Johnson’s 24, with 3 members abstaining. Cox will replace former chairman Silas DeBoer, who resigned Oct. 12, citing financial reasons. — Danny Hatch/The Daily

A LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW AT Watch a video from Thursday’s Comedy Fight Night at the Oklahoma Memorial Union

Rosenthal said. Many in the city came together to ensure the event’s success. “A lot of local effort went into it with the local community choir and the extensive local volunteer effort,” Rosenthal said. “We also had just incredible efforts by our Parks and Recreations staff and crews to help get the park in good

shape and to do all of the things that they did.” Mike Wallace, resident of Norman for 17 years, said he attended the commemoration to support all veterans and to reflect on his family members who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Grenada. “That’s why I am here, to

support them,” Wallace said. “Having the freedom to stand here like this, that’s thanks to all these guys right here.” Vietnam veteran Leo Perez performed a song he and his wife wrote to help the healing process SEE VETERANS PAGE 2

Competing schools join together to receive biofuel research grant $2.9 million award will help team develop ways to produce biofuels, increase oil reserve yield MEGAN DEATON The Oklahoma Daily

Rivals are teaming up in the name of scientific research. OU, Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa professors worked together to win a grant that will establish a new Center for Interfacial Reaction Engineering. Daniel Resasco, School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering professor, directs a team that includes OU professors Jeffrey Harwell and Friederike Jentoft, Tulsa professor Sanwu Wang and OSU professor Khaled Gasem. “To receive the grant, we had first

THE OKLAHOMA DAILY VOL. 96, NO. 57 © 2010 OU Publications Board www.facebook.com/OUDaily www.twitter.com/OUDaily

a state competition that started last control the results of chemical reacyear in which we were selected to tions that occur at the interface, concompete at the national verting harmful chemical level,” Resasco said. “At compounds into useful that stage, we were seones.” ... we were lected among 18 states The process will have selected among numerous benefits, into receive this support 18 states to for three years.” cluding increasing oil The $2.9 million grant production. receive this from the Department “We are working on a support for three variety of Energy will aid in the of areas that inyears.” team’s development of a clude production of biofuprocess that uses nanoels from switch grass and — DANIEL RESASCO, other biomasses, productechnology to control chemical reactions betion of chemicals from celOU PROFESSOR tween oil and water. lulose and natural sugars, “Resasco’s team manufactures enhanced oil recovery, conversion of unique nanoparticles that seek out gas to liquids and upgrading of heavy and stick to the interface between oils,” Resasco said. oil and water,” Harwell said. “Small clusters of metal atoms attached to the nanoparticles are then used to SEE GRANT PAGE 2

INDEX Campus .............. 2 Classifieds .......... 8 Life & Arts ........... 6 Opinion .............. 4 Sports ................ 9

TODAY’S WEATHER 75°| 53° Tuesday: Cloudy, high of 77 degrees Visit the Oklahoma Weather Lab at owl.ou.edu


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