The Oklahoma Daily

WEDNESDAY W EDNESDAY D DECEMBER ECEMBER 99,, 22009 009

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA’S OKLAHOMAA’SS INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT STUDENT STUDENT VOICE VO OICE

ANYTIME AT OUDaily

com

Thursday’s Weather Check out which TV shows The Daily’s Dusty Somers ranks as the best of the decade.

PAGE 6

Find a preview of tonight’s men’s basketball game against Centenary.

PAGE 9

39°/14°

owl.ou.edu

OUDAILY.COM » BECOME A FAN OF THE OKLAHOMA DAILY/OUDAILY.COM ON FACEBOOK FOR UPDATES, STORIES, VIDEOS AND ALL YOUR DAILY FAVORITES.

System to catch uninsured motorists to be considered Some see camera system seen as ‘invasion of privacy’ CAITLIN HARRISON Daily Staff Writer

Oklahoma is considering setting up about 200 cameras on roadways across the state as a new way to catch uninsured motorists.

The camera system, to be implemented by the Department of Public Safety, would randomly scan the bar code on Oklahoma tags, said Lt. George Brown, Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokesman.

“The purpose of this whole deal is to try to do something to protect people from uninsured motorists traveling the roadways

every day,” Brown said.

Brown said troopers routinely write tickets for drivers failing to obey state insurance laws, and that the proposed camera system would serve as a supplement.

“It’s really common for them to see several of those tickets weekly through headquarters,” he said.

Brown said the proposed system is still in the works, as the Department of Public Safety is in the process of finding out whether the technology is possible to implement.

The department is gathering information from possible vendors to see which one could provide the necessary equipment, and the vendor information requests close Dec. 23, he said.

Brown said he does not yet know the

estimated cost of the system.

“The hope is that there’s a mechanism out there we would put in place to help identify uninsured motorists, especially in cases of collisions,” he said.

Brown said the system may include mailing the driver a citation or fine, although that is also still in the works.

Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, said he believes the initiative is an invasion of privacy and does not think the public would want to be filmed constantly.

Reynolds said the Department of Public Safety tried to include the initiative in a bill during last year’s legislative session, but that the state Legislature discarded the idea.

MOTORISTS CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

CALVIN ASKS FOR HELMET SMACKS TO STOP Previous accident leaves Campus Corner figure vulnerable to head injuries MATTHEW MOZEK Daily Staff Writer

Calvin Steves, a prominent figure on Campus Corner and newspaper salesman, has an important message to deliver: Please do not hit his helmet.

Steves has recently encountered problems with people smacking his helmet, the way football players sometimes greet each other on the field, he said.

“Please do not hit the helmet because I do not like people hitting me on top the head,” Steves said. “It kind of hurts when people hit me on top of the head.”

This fall, he said, he was smacked in front of The Deli, had a seizure and was taken to the hospital by an

ambulance.

Steves said he believes most of the people he encounters have good intentions; however, harmful things can be done with the very best intentions.

Steves wears the helmet for protection.

In high school, Steves was riding his bike down Boyd Street when he was run off the road and suffered a head injury that resulted in epilepsy, a nervous system disorder. Since the incident, he has suffered from seizures his entire life, he said.

While his seizures usually occur at random, Steves said, they can be brought on by any kind of impact to the head, including being smacked on the head.

Steves said he believes newer, younger residents who come to Campus Corner do not understand the purpose of the helmet.

Marty Chilcote, manager of Louie’s on Campus Corner, said Steves comes into the restaurant a CALVIN CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

MAPS 3 proposal approved by voters RICKY MARANON Daily Staff Writer

A ballot initiative in Oklahoma City to extend a 1-cent sales tax which will be used on multiple projects and developments in the downtown Oklahoma City area has passed.

According to the Oklahoma County election board, the 1-cent tax extension known as Metropolitan Area Projects 3 passed with 54.3 percent of the vote.

Oklahoma City Mayor Mike Cornett said voters should be proud of their decision.

“We will celebrate tonight, but the work begins tomorrow,” Cornett said. “We are going to build a city our children and grandchildren can be proud of.”

Some of the projects proposed include a new convention center in Oklahoma City, a modernized central park, the creation of a new rail-based transit system and improvements to the Oklahoma Riverfront, among other things. Approval of MAPS 3 also creates a new citizen advisory board that will oversee all projects before the they are sent to the Oklahoma City Council for approval.

MAPS 3 faced opposition from emergency responders who said proposals should include an increase in the Oklahoma City police force and improved firefighting efforts to cover the areas where the newly proposed developments will be placed.

The sales tax from the 2001 MAPS for Kids is set to expire April 1, when the MAPS 3 tax will go into effect for seven years and nine months.

MAPS 3 Results: YES - 40,956 (54.3%) NO - 34,465 (45.7%)

NORMAN BOND ISSUE RESULTS Voters in Cleveland and McClain counties have approved of two bond initiatives that would go toward improving Norman area schools.

According to the Cleveland County election board, Proposition No. 1 will issue bonds and collect taxes amounting in the sum of $105.6 million for the improvement, development, remodeling and purchasing of furniture and equipment. It passed with 66.66 percent of the vote.

Proposition No. 2 will give $4.2 million in bonds and approve of a tax for five years for the purpose of purchasing transportation equipment for local schools. It passed with 67.22 percent of the vote.

Proposition 1: YES - 5,097 (66.66%) NO - 2,549 (33.34%)

LILLY CHAPA/THE DAILY

Proposition 2: YES - 5,146 (67.22%) NO - 2,510 (32.78%) Source: Cleveland County Election Board

Local zoo faces hard times Freshman balances homework, surgery Work as surgical technician inspires in bad economic year student to pursue medical career Little River Zoo depends on community to stay open KARLIE TIPTON Daily Staff Writer

For 13 years, the Little River Zoo has been a refuge for wild animals in need, providing shelter and care for more than 400 creatures including bears, cougars, monkeys and more.

“The Little River Zoo is a home for animals who otherwise might not have had a second chance,” said Mickey Pierce, director of operations.

“Since the animals are here, we like to let them become educators. They teach children and remind adults to be kind and respectful to each other, the planet and other animals.”

But due to the struggling economy, the zoo, located on the outskirts of Norman on 120th Avenue Southeast, is the one in need.

“We’re not a city- or state-assisted

FREE — ADDITIONAL COPIES 25¢

zoo,” Pierce said. “We’re totally nonprofit, so we rely on our guests to keep the doors open, which is very difficult.”

During colder months, the zoo is especially vulnerable, since fewer people visit.

“We struggle every winter to try to find the means to keep going, but this year will be worse than normal,” Pierce said. “We definitely need all the help the community can give.”

Although the zoo has gone through tough times before, this year in particular could be disastrous with donations decreasing due to the economy.

“The zoo is definitely at risk,” Pierce said. “This will be the telltale season of whether we can survive.”

The directors of the Little River Zoo are positive, however.

“We have an optimistic outlook,” Pierce said. “We have to, because ZOO CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

KATHLEEN EVANS Daily Staff Writer

JEREMY DICKIE/THE DAILY

Alex Slotnik, University College freshman, discusses his training to be a surgical technician at OU Children’s Hospital Tuesday afternoon in the union. © 2009 OU PUBLICATIONS BOARD

Alex Slotnik arrives in the operating room of the OU Children’s Hospital around 6:45 a.m. and begins to prepare for the day’s first surgery. He scrubs in, puts on gloves and a gown and then takes out the instruments the surgeons will need.

Later that week Slotnik arrives in a classroom at OU and begins to prepare for the day’s lecture. He takes out his notebook, opens his book and begins to listen to his professor lecture.

University College freshman Alex Slotnik is not only a college student, but a certified surgical technician able to assist in various surgeries, from broken bones to facial reconstructions.

“Yeah, [surgery] is gross, but it’s amazing,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s the thing. There are these things that are really gross, but this is something amazing being done. [People] have been given a whole new lease on life.”

Slotnik said he went to University of Central Oklahoma as a mass communications major and decided it was not what he wanted to do. After SURGERY CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

VOL. 95, NO. 76

2 Wednesday, December 9, 2009

OUDAILY.COM »

Meredith Moriak, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

GO ONLINE TO SEE A VIDEO OF FORMER ALASKA GOV. SARAH PALIN’S VISIT TO NORMAN THURSDAY NIGHT.

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.

On occasion, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department will contribute to these reports. All those listed are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

COUNTY WARRANT Brian Keith Arterberry, 27, Lindsey Street, Monday Allen Miles Krick, 31, North Flood Avenue, Sunday PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS Ronald Banks, 33, 2051 W. Lindsey St., Monday, also assault and battery

on a police officer PETTY LARCENY Nathaniel Ryan Caswell, 23, 3750 W. Main St., Sunday, also public intoxication Derek Kyle Riley, 19, 333 Interstate Drive, Monday PUBLIC INTOXICATION Eric Jeffrey Fish, 22, 2319 Glen Oaks Drive, Monday, also possession of marijuana and municipal warrants Noel Viezlas, 24, 745 Asp Ave., Monday DOMESTIC ABUSE Gary C. Osborne, 57, 1806 Texas St., Monday PROHIBITED NOISES Jonathan M. Woodall, 20, 1100 N. Interstate Drive West, Saturday

CAMPUS NOTES TODAY CAREER SERVICES Career Services will help students with resumes, cover letters and job search strategies from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST Campus Crusade for Christ will meet from 9 to 10 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium’s Santee Lounge.

THURSDAY CAREER SERVICES Career Services will help students with resumes, cover letters and job search strategies from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the union.

CATLETT MUSIC CENTER The School of Musical Theatre Class of 2010 is hosting its third annual benefit recital called, “We Sing III,” from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. in the Pittman Recital Hall of Catlett Music Center.

Surgery Continued from page 1 talking to an instructor at Platt College, he said, he decided to take an 11-month program to become a surgical technician.

At the end of the program, he did clinical rotations at various hospitals and wanted to work at the OU Children’s Center because of the atmosphere and the people, Slotnik said.

“Kids are so resilient,” he said. “They survive stuff that adults probably wouldn’t ...

The group of people I work with at the children’s center is amazing. They really care about their job and are really there to help the patient.”

The OU Children’s Hospital is part of the

Motorists Continued from page 1 “I find it offensive they’re trying to implement it anyway even though the legislature has already rejected it,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds said the Department of Public Safety already has a good system in place to catch uninsured motorists, and that the new system

Zoo Continued from page 1 we don’t have an alternative. Many of the animals have dispositions where they could not survive drastic change, like the stress of a move.”

Those who run the zoo are working long, hard days to make sure the gates remain open.

Calvin Continued from page 1 couple of times a day to sell papers.

“He knows a lot of people in our bar so he’ll kind of sit down and talk to people in a friendly manner,” Chilcote said.

Chilcote said Steves is a nice guy who has been selling newspapers for

OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, according to its Web site. It is the only children’s center of its kind in the state and is specifically designed to work with children of all medical conditions.

A big part of Slotnik’s job is to help the surgeons as much as possible and make things easier for them during the surgery, he said.

He helps in three main areas: instrumentation, sterilization and equipment.

He also has to familiarize himself with the surgeries and be able to predict what the surgeon will need next, he said.

“You really do have to be a kind of mind reader,” Slotnik said. “A lot of surgeons don’t really know the instrumentation names ...

Sometimes they can’t remember the names, and they will be like, ‘Give me the thingie, I want the thingie.’”

would be nothing more than a way to raise revenue.

Brown declined to comment on the issue.

Brown said he is unaware if other states have implemented similar systems, but said the department has received calls from safety departments expressing interest in the program in other states, including Arizona.

Brown said once the Department

of Public Safety finds out whether the system’s creation is possible, it will get a cost estimation, then figure out which citation or fining mechanism would be most feasible to implement.

“If there was a way that we could put a technology out there … that would identify uninsured motorists, we think it would help protect people from uninsured motorists,” Brown said.

“I really don’t mind the long hours because I know there’s a purpose,” said Kelly Bowen, director of education. “The cause is worth it.”

The survival of the zoo is dependent on help from the community.

The zoo is trying to raise money by hosting junior zookeeper camps, visiting arts markets, wrapping presents at Borders Books and Music and building a float for the Christmas

parade, Pierce said.

Those who cannot contribute monetarily can still assist the animals in need.

“People can come out and just volunteer their time,” said Emily Balch, animal care manager. “We have plenty of projects going on right now.”

To learn more, go to www.littleriverzoo.com.

years.

Jessica Stewart, an employee at Othello’s Italian Restaurant, said Steves comes in multiple times a day to sell papers.

“He is very respectful to the customers,” Stewart said. “He just walks around and asks them ‘Do you want to buy a paper?’ and if they don’t want to, he says thank you and keeps going.”

Of course, Slotnik said, he also has to keep the patients and their families in mind and help keep them at ease about the surgery, especially when working with children.

He also helps the patients by thinking about their expenses, Slotnik said. In the operating room, time is money, so he makes sure to work as quickly and efficiently as possible to conserve time and save patients’ money.

“One thing that you’re not necessarily taught but that you learn very fast is to never open anything that’s really expensive until they explicitly ask for it,” Slotnik said.

For example, he said, one product they use to stop blood flow can cost $5,000 per case.

Sutures also are very expensive and can cost up to $100 a box, he said.

Since returning to school, Slotnik said, he

works three eight-hour shifts at the hospital and also is on-call if they need him.

Slotnik said his experience as a technician has helped him realize he definitely wants to do something in the medical field, and he wants to apply for the M.D./Ph.D. program at the OU Health Sciences Center in the future.

In the program, students spend seven years in school learning both graduate and medical school coursework, according to its Web site. They complete clinical and rotational studies, take the medical licensing exam and write a research dissertation.

“I really like research. I have always wanted to actually fight the real problem,” Slotnik said. “Medicine is a stop-gap, you’re just trying to keep the fight going. Research is trying to treat the problem, trying to find the way to actually end something.”

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Sooner Sampler »

“I do a review of previous exams, go over my notes, do practice problems, go to tutoring and study groups.”

“For my major it’s pretty much just review. So I just have to go through all of my material and refresh my memory.”

-ANA DIAZ, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SOPHOMORE

-TIFFANY LENNEMANN, PSYCHOLOGY JUNIOR

“Don’t procrastinate and go to the library or use the 24-hour study lounges. Also try to get eight hours of sleep and eat breakfast.”

“I haven’t quite started studying yet. I’m gonna come up with a list.

Read over all my notes and create an outline for them.”

-SKYLAR CLAYPOOL, PSYCHOLOGY JUNIOR

-KATIE REAP, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE FRESHMAN

3

THE DAILY’S NATASHA GOODELL ASKED STUDENTS, “WHAT ARE YOUR STRATEGIES FOR STUDYING FOR FINALS?”

“It’s kind of hard to study for more than one final. I’m trying to concentrate on one and then moving to the next. Luckily, they are spaced out so I can do that.”

“Spend as much time as I can at the library. I can’t really study at my apartment.”

-CONNOR CLOUSER, PRE-NURSING JUNIOR

-ALEX AVILA, MICROBIOLOGY SENIOR

“Studying one at a time. I’ll be at the library studying.”

-SAWYER HILLENBURG, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE FRESHMAN

“Just going over old tests and cramming at last minute more than anything else.”

-BRADY KIRK, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE FRESHMAN

4

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

COMMENT OF THE DAY »

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

In response to Tuesday’s Our View, “The time is now to take on climate change” YOU CAN COMMENT AT OUDAILY.COM

OUR VIEW

“What a joke. There is little actual proof that carbon emissions actually affect the temperature of our planet, since a warmer temperature would produce more evaporation, producing more clouds and then rain. Those are all factors that cool the earth. Aside from

that you can find that over the last 11 years, the temperature of the earth’s surface has not increased.”

-EsSmith

STAFF COLUMN

Patriot Act must end now Enforcement of the USA Patriot Act, which allows law enforcement agencies to have expanded powers to track possible terrorists, is set to conclude at the end of 2009.

Unfortunately, it seems that both Congress and the Obama administration may be in favor of extending the act.

We are certainly not opposed to protecting national security, but the Patriot Act allows law enforcement agencies to have too much power to invade people’s privacy, which is patently wrong.

This country was founded by people trying to overcome a government that was too controlling and too invasive. This principle of personal freedom is a bedrock belief on which America, as a nation, stands.

But the Patriot Act undermines this.

There are ways to gather intelligence without wiretapping innocent people without their knowledge, essentially treating them as criminals who have no rights, despite the fact that they have not been convicted of anything. This brings us to another bedrock principle of America: Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

To allow this act to go on for another few years would be turning our backs on this ideal, and we cannot stand idly by while this happens.

George Orwell warned society about a government with too much power in his novel “1984.” In that book, Big Brother oversees every aspect of people’s lives.

To us, this sounds eerily similar to the U.S. government listening in on our conversations without our knowledge thanks to the Patriot Act. We understand national security is crucial, especially during a time of war, but if we’re fighting to keep our freedoms (as so many supporters of the war claim), the government should place even more emphasis on protecting those freedoms at home.

The story of a sex trafficking victim I was 14 when it happened. Most girls that it happens to are 14.

I was in that stage of naivety and a sort of blissful hopelessness, like someone looking off the edge of a mountain thinking she’ll float if she jumps.

When you’re 14 you don’t know what can happen to you.

I only remember the first injection. Everything from that point on is dark flashes of terror.

BROOKE I remember the gun at MYERS the back of my head and the whisper in my ear to shut up. The panic that surged through me was like volts of electricity, shutting off every system in me, leaving me frozen to his gun and melded to his will.

A dark veil covered me, and just like that I was a child displaced and made nonexistent by the very whim and sickness of two men.

Death came and sat beside me during our car ride into the night, wrapping chilling arms around my shoulders while I wept waiting for him to take me.

Sitting there huddled in the corner of the seat and door, wrapped in black sheets, I unleashed a chilling and agonizing scream.

I cried out again and again in fury, in desperation, in anguish and grief – no words can describe the authenticity of the absolute misery I faced at knowing that I was going to die, that I would never see family again – my sisters and grandparents.

My mom.

My mother would die when she heard the news. I kept her face in my mind; she filled the empty, surrounding darkness.

The sheets were pulled roughly over me.

The hands of the man in the passenger seat shoved my head against the window and pierced me with a long, thin syringe needle.

My writhing ceased, and I fell back into a cold sleep.

When I woke, I had no concept of time.

The small room was dimly lit and damp, a sticky smell of bodies lingering like a dirty mist.

A man came in, sweeping aside the sheet that hung as a wall. I looked up at him in terror before he slapped me across the face, grabbed my arm and thrust another needle into my skin. The fluid he pushed into me was warm and smooth.

The room spun. I reached out to grab his leg, and he kicked me off, calling me a filthy slut.

There was no time in that room. I entered into a state of delirium.

Mornings I waited for the needle to come, craving its deliverance from the hell I was caught in. Afternoons I lay craving death.

They sold me at a high price, telling each one that I was a new one, a virgin.

I forgot how to fear. I forgot how to feel. I forgot how to speak. I forgot how to cry.

Each man lay upon me and pierced me like a beast tearing into flesh and chewing it raw. I was a 14-year-old sex slave, stabbed again and again with needles and men.

My body was defiled, and the body that was mine was not mine. It was theirs, and it was given a price.

Humanity leaked out of my every orifice, until I wasn’t a child anymore. I wasn’t even a human. I was a business. I was property, rented out to men who returned me more used and broken than before.

There was no “I.” There was only “it.” The “I” within died while there was still a beating heart and breathing lungs keeping the thing that was once me alive.

Every day under the reign of those men I was raped. I was beaten. I was drugged. I was reduced to a thing less than human.

Every day I was silenced. Every day I was forgotten by those who could have saved me. Every day I lost a day of my childhood, of my life, of my future.

And none of this happened to me.

But it did happen to someone, and that makes it just as real.

This is the story of too many girls and young women who are victims of an ancient and very modern phenomenon called human trafficking in the form of sex slavery.

Today, we read the centuries-old texts of ex-slaves, and we cringe at the fact that this is even part of our history.

“That could never happen today,” we say in response to the truths of cruelty and violence white Americans once inflicted on blacks. No, indeed, we would never condone or permit such slavery like the kind that once supported our economy.

But what about the slavery that goes unseen? What about the forgotten children?

Will we continue to allow the United States to be the number one destination for human trafficking?

Will we one day, 200 years from now, look back and wonder how we could have ever turned a blind eye to the horrors that go on each day, not only abroad, but in our very own country, and furthermore, in our very own state?

Women, will we continue to watch our sex be dehumanized and taken advantage of?

If one woman is a victim, we are all victims.

Who do they have to save them but us?

Who can feel passion for the welfare of your gender better than you can? What greater thing can you do than give someone her life back or prevent it from ever being taken away?

Oklahoma Justice Mission is a new organization on campus that is working for just that. Join the group on Facebook.

Your effort is a small price to pay for correcting the abject injustice too many girls are victims of.

Brooke Myers is a University College freshman.

STAFF COLUMN

Literary criticism should not be easy to read, despite what some say As an English major, I have come into contact with a significant amount of “theory,” or literary criticism, both willingly and unwillingly.

After five years and an earnest attempt to understand almost everything I read, I still find this sort of writing incredibly difficult.

This has always bothered me.

Newspaper articles are CHRIS easy to read.

DEARNER Most novels are easy to read.

Even some philosophers, like J.L .

Austin, are easy to read. “The Looming Tower” was easy to read.

There are many easy-to-read things out there that are both highly sophisticated and highly informative.

There are also a number of vocal critics of the sort of difficulty endemic to literary criticism. Noam Chomsky is well-known for accusing Derrida and intellectuals in general of obscurantism, and many from the hard sciences routinely attack literary

theory for being a tale full of sound and reason that difficulty is justified. It is simfury, told by an idiot, signifying nothing ply my favorite) has to do with the way that (although in slightly different language). language works.

I suspect many people agree with this.

Language is a curious thing. It is not, as I have certainly suspected it of being ac- some think of it, a sort of acoustic wrapcurate more than once. ping paper for some abstract informationThese doubts are al content. particularly difficult to When we use lancome to terms with, es- But because of the way guage, we are not neatpecially because there language works, it is ly packaging “meanare immense quanti- sometimes impossible to ing” and sending it to ties of pure bullshit express really novel ideas another person to be produced in the name unpackaged and unof literary criticism and accessibly, especially when derstood. Language is couched in the appro- you’re trying to communicate much more subtle than priate jargon, some of something new about that. which get published.

Language effects and language itself or how it It also seems simply to some extent defines intuitive that there is influences us. the way we interact something fundamenwith the world in a real tally wrong with writing and meaningful way. that requires an hour of the reader to get Linguistic form and content are not enthrough five or 10 pages. tirely separable.

Despite all of this, I am going to argue Things that are similar to what we are that Difficulty with a capital D is in many used to talking about or that look at the cases, ultimately justified. world the way we are used to looking at it The reason I am going to use for my ar- are easy to render approachably. gument (and it is far and away not the only But because of the way language works,

it is sometimes impossible to express really novel ideas accessibly, especially when you’re trying to communicate something new about language itself or how it influences us.

On the flip side, things that are supposed to make us question the very foundations of our knowledge have to be hard.

Kant (and I am only choosing him because he is so well-known and well-respected) is famously difficult, but necessarily so because of the nature and scope of what he is trying to do.

I see no reason why this should not also be true of literary criticism.

Projects like Kant’s necessarily require immense effort to understand because of the way they have to be written to be successful.

What is unfortunate is that it also requires an immense amount of effort to see complicatedly formulated bullshit for what it is, and there is no easy way to tell the difference between the two, aside from the judgments of other people involved in literary criticism.

Chris Dearner is an English senior.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR THIS LETTER IS IN RESPONSE TO MONDAY’S NEWS STORY, “FRESHMAN FORECASTER BRINGS WEATHER TO FACEBOOK.” Dear editor, I am Alexander Zwink, director of operations with the Oklahoma Weather Lab (OWL). My job is to oversee the forecasting side of OWL and ensure the timeliness and accuracy of our products.

The Oklahoma Weather Lab is a student organi-

zation at OU that provides forecasting experience for any student that has a desire to forecast the weather.

We have 17 shifts a week that forecast for Oklahoma, and prepare an additional podcast for a radio station in Key West, Florida. We have seen an exceptional growth over previous years, and now also provide forecasts for local events such as Mayfair and the Medieval Fair, as well as forecast support for OU’s convocation and graduation.

Recently an article in The Daily put into question the accuracy of OWL’s forecasts.

Weather forecasts are a complex thing, and fore-

casters have to consider many different variables and data sources. A general rule of thumb is that there can be 1,000 different forecasters looking at the same data and you would get 1,000 different forecasts.

OWL has put in a verification system to be able to check our forecasts and maintain a higher quality product. We compare our forecasts to the average error of different professional forecasters and computer forecast models.

Over the past few months, on average, we have been within a degree of error of the National Weather Service and other forecasting systems.

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

CONTACT US

LeighAnne Manwarren Jacqueline Clews Annelise Russell Cassie Rhea Little Judy Gibbs Robinson Thad Baker

160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-0270

phone: 405-325-3666

Senior Online Editor Multimedia Editor Sports Editor Life & Arts Editor Editorial Adviser Advertising Manager

e-mail: dailynews@ou.edu

These results have shown that we have been able to provide a quality forecast.

I am proud of the forecasters’ abilities – especially the freshmen – to have the initiative to participate in OWL and produce a quality product. I also applaud others’ efforts outside of OWL to forecast the weather and learn more about meteorology.

However, to imply that our products are of a lower standard would be a skewing of the truth.

Alexander Zwink Oklahoma Weather Lab Director of Operations Meteorology 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.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

5

$3B TO END ROYALTY DISPUTE WITH INDIAN TRIBES WASHINGTON — The Obama administration proposed Tuesday spending more than $3 billion to settle claims dating back more than a century that American Indian tribes were swindled out of royalties for oil, gas, grazing and other leases.

Under an agreement announced Tuesday, the Interior Department would distribute $1.4 billion to more than 300,000 Indian tribe members to compensate them for historical accounting claims, and to resolve future claims. The government also would spend $2 billion to buy back and consolidate tribal land broken up in previous generations. The program would allow individual tribe members to obtain cash payments for land interests divided among numerous family members and return the land to tribal control.

The settlement also would create a scholarship account of up to $60 million for tribal members to attend college or vocational school.

If cleared by Congress and a federal judge, the settlement would be the largest Indian claim ever approved against the U.S. government — exceeding the combined total of all previous settlements of Indian claims.

Last year, a federal judge ruled that the Indian plaintiffs are entitled to $455 million, a fraction of the $47 billion or more the tribes have said they are owed for leases that have been overseen by the Interior Department since 1887.

President Barack Obama said settlement of the case, known as Cobell v. Salazar, was an important step to reconcile decades of acrimony between Indian tribes and the federal government.

“As a candidate, I heard from many in Indian Country that the Cobell suit remained a stain on the nation-to-nation relationship I value so much,” Obama said Tuesday in a written statement. “I pledged my commitment to resolving this issue, and I am proud that my administration has taken this step today.”

AP PHOTO

Attorney General Eric Holder makes an announcement Tuesday on the settlement of Cobell lawsuit on Indian Trust Management at the Interior Department in Washington. Holder was joined by Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called settlement of the 13-year-old case a top priority for him and Obama and said the administration worked for many months to reach a settlement that is both honorable and responsible.

“This historic step will allow Interior to move forward and address the educational, law enforcement and economic development challenges we face in Indian Country,” Salazar said.

Elouise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe from

Montana who was the lead plaintiff in the case, called the proposed settlement crucial for hundreds of thousands of Native Americans who have suffered for more than a century through mismanagement of the Indian trust.

“Today is a monumental day for all of the people in Indian Country that have waited so long for justice,” said Cobell, who appeared at a news conference Tuesday with Salazar, Attorney General Eric Holder and other U.S. officials.

“Did we get all the money that was due us? Probably not,” Cobell said, but added: “There’s too many individual Indian beneficiaries that are dying every single day without their money.”

The proposed settlement affects tribes across the country, including virtually every recognized tribe west of the Mississippi River. Tribes in North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma and Montana are especially affected by the breakup of Indian land into small parcels, said Keith Harper, a lawyer who represents the plaintiffs.

The settlement would give every Indian tribe member with an Interior Department account an immediate check for $1,000, with additional payments to be determined later under a complicated formula that takes into account a variety of factors. Many tribe members also would receive payments for parcels of land that are held in some cases by up to 100 family members, in an effort to consolidate tribal land and make it more useful and easier to manage.

The settlement does not include a formal apology for any wrongdoing by the U.S. government, but does contain language in which U.S. officials acknowledge a “breach of trust” on Indian land issues.

An apology “would have been nice,” Cobell said, but was less important than settling the dispute. “Actions are more important to me than apologies,” she said.

—AP

Board rejects clemency bid for convicted killer A state panel Tuesday rejected a condemned killer’s final plea to spare his life, despite the man’s claim that he is innocent.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 4-1 to deny clemency for Julius Ricardo Young, who was sentenced to die for the beating deaths of a woman and her 6-year-old son.

The bloody bodies of 20-year-old Joyland Morgan and her son, Kewan, were found in their Tulsa apartment in October 1993.

“I cannot confess to something I did not do,” Young told the board via a video teleconference link from Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. “I am an innocent man.”

Young has exhausted all of his appeals and is scheduled to be executed Jan. 14.

His mother, Alene Young, also delivered an emotional plea to the board.

“My son is not a murderer. I beg you today, please spare our son’s life,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.

Young’s attorney, Steve Presson, said prosecutors used outdated blood testing to link Young to the killings and that the blood evidence was later destroyed when a freezer in the Tulsa Police Department’s evidence room malfunctioned, prohibiting further testing.

He also said Young has been an ideal inmate who has never been cited for misconduct and who has taught other inmates to read.

“He is a person deserving of mercy,” Presson said.

But state prosecutors argued the evidence against Young is strong, noting the jury’s verdict has been upheld by various appellate courts.

“I would submit to you, this is not the flimsy circumstantial case they would

have you believe,” Assistant Attorney General Seth Branham said.

Prosecutors allege Young, who dated Morgan’s mother, was upset that she was ending their relationship.They say he broke into the family’s apartment and beat the two with a baseball bat. A murder weapon never was recovered.

Morgan’s mother, Joyslon Morgan Roland, told the board that Young often became angry when he drank.

“Julius had some mean streaks in him,” she said. “I told him I was going to break off the relationship because it was coming between me and my kids.”

G ov. Brad Henr y is bound by the board’s decision and cannot review the case without a formal recommendation from the board for clemency, according to Henry’s spokesman Paul Sund.

—AP

BRIEFS

WACKY-ACKY NEWS

SCHOOL BUS COLLISION IN TULSA, MINOR INJURIES

MAN DRESSES UP AS MOM TO WITHDRAW CASH Police said a Franklin man dressed up as his mother in an attempt to withdraw money from her bank account. Tita Nyambi, 25, was still at the Chase Bank in Franklin, in Somerset County, when police arrived Monday afternoon. Tellers called to report that a man wearing women’s clothes and speaking in a high-pitched voice was trying to withdraw money through the bank’s drive-through window. Police said Nyambi handed tellers his mother’s license and a bank form forged with her signature. Nyambi was arrested and charged with forgery and attempted theft by deception. Franklin police Sgt. Philip Rizzo said Nyambi was wearing his mother’s pink blouse, her black coat and head scarf.

It could not be determined Tuesday whether Nyambi, who was still in jail, has an attorney.

No phone listing for him could be found.

One school bus ran into another that was stopped at a south Tulsa intersection Tuesday, sending about a dozen elementary school students to hospitals with minor injuries, officials said.

About 78 children from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade at Jenks East Elementary School were riding on the two buses at the time of the accident, Jenks Public Schools spokeswoman Tara Thompson said. A dozen students were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries, Tulsa Fire Department spokesman Bill French said. “There were no cuts or fractures — nothing too serious,” French said. “The biggest problem we have right now are scared children.” Thompson said children were taken to hospitals out of an abundance of caution. “If anyone is complaining of anything, we have them transported,” she said. Light rain and temperatures in the low 40s were reported at the time of the crash, but French said it was too early to determine if weather was a factor.

—AP

HENRY NAMES BENSON TO JUDGESHIP Gov. Brad Henry has appointed Bradford L. Benson to an associate district judgeship in Tillman County. Henry chose the 45-year-old Frederick resident from among three candidates whose names were submitted by the Judicial Nominating Commission.

Benson succeeds David. A. Barnett, who retired. A former Eagle Scout, Benson has been in private practice for most of his career. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1988 and earned his law degree three years later at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Benson is married and has three children.

SONGWRITER INVESTS IN TULSA WNBA TEAM A new investor has joined the ownership group of Tulsa’s WNBA team. Tulsa Pro Hoops LLC announced Tuesday that record producer and songwriter Chris Christian had joined the group of investors led by Bill Cameron. The franchise moved from Detroit in October and plans to announce the team name next month following an online vote. The team will either retain the Shock name from Detroit or change it to Fire or Tempo.

—AP —AP

STORM STRANDS TRUCKERS Freezing rain has created what the Oklahoma Highway Patrol calls slick and hazardous driving conditions in western Oklahoma and stranded truck drivers at a travel stop.

Interstate 40 was shut down between Clinton and Elk City and Travel America assistant manager Misty Willis in Sayre calls the roadway a “skating rink.” Trucker Mitch Dodson is hauling soft drinks from Durango, Colo., to Virginia and says the interstate is a virtual sheet of ice from Amarillo, Texas, to Sayre.

Numerous accidents have been reported across the state, but no fatalities.

—AP

MORE THAN 400 SOLDIERS DEPLOY FROM FORT SILL Some 420 National Guard troops have left Fort Sill for a nearly one year deployment to Iraq. The members of 2nd Battalion, 285th Aviation Regiment will conduct aviation operations that include air assault and air movement operations. A spokeswoman at Fort Sill says 74 of the troops are from Oklahoma while the others come from Arizona, North Dakota and Utah.

—AP

—AP

MEXICAN POLICE INVESTIGATE DINO’S DISAPPEARANCE Organizers of the Mexican tour of the “Walking With Dinosaurs” show say someone has walked off with a robotic baby Plateosaurus.

Spokeswoman Karla Arrollo says the 1.5-meter (5-foot), remote-controlled dinosaur worth $25,000 disappeared after Friday’s performance. Police say they are investigating the alleged theft. Arrollo says the show — which

AP PHOTO

Julius Young, 60, shown here in this Oct. 2, 2003 photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, is scheduled to be executed Jan. 14. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 4-1 on Tuesday to deny Young clemency.

features 10 species of large, mechanized dinosaurs lumbering across an arena stage — will continue touring. But organizers had to redesign the first scene, which originally involved a larger dinosaur devouring the baby. She says organizers have also requested increased security to protect the prehistoric performers when the show opens in Mexico City on Wednesday.

—AP

PAIR FIND STRANGER ASLEEP ON COUCH CUDDLING A BEAR Authorities said a Mississippi Gulf Coast man apparently thought he was at his girlfriend’s place when he wandered into another couple’s home and fell asleep on their couch. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd told The Mississippi Press that a couple in the St. Martin community found a stranger snoozing on their couch and cuddling a teddy bear late Saturday. The sheriff said the couple told the 34-year-old man to leave and he drove off in a dark blue Chevrolet Silverado. Byrd said deputies saw the truck weaving, and at one point it mowed down some mailboxes. The man was charged early Sunday with trespassing and driving under the influence of alcohol. He was released on a $1,000 bond.

—AP

WOMAN ACCUSED OF SELLING MOONSHINE AT DAY CARE

Authorities have charged a North Carolina woman with selling moonshine out of her day care center. The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday that North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement arrested a 57-year-old woman last week at Parkview Community Center in Charlotte. Agents said children were in the day care center when they sent in an undercover agent to buy two gallons of moonshine. The woman told the paper she was set up by a neighbor. She said she was just holding a package for a man in exchange for $80 and didn’t even know what was in it. Agents also arrested an 82-year-old man and charged him with making the moonshine. Authorities seized more than 80 gallons of moonshine from the man.

—AP

POLICE ARREST AMISH MAN IN BUGGY FOR DUI Police in central Pennsylvania arrested an Amish man on drunk driving charges over the weekend after he was found asleep in his moving buggy.

Police said a 22-year-old man was slumped over and asleep in a slow-moving buggy on Sunday night. An off-duty officer from nearby reported seeing the horse pulling the buggy at a walking pace as it straddled the center line. Police said a breathalyzer test showed the man’s blood-alcohol content was 0.18, more than twice the 0.08 legal limit for drivers.

—AP

6

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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

 ALBUMS OF 2009 Read The Daily’s picks for best albums of 2009 online at OUDaily.com.

THE DECADE’S BESTTV series of the 2000s EDITOR’S NOTE: The Best of the 2000s is a four-part feature in The Oklahoma Daily. The articles are based on the writer’s opinion.

15. “ANDY RICHTER CONTROLS THE UNIVERSE� (FOX, 2002-2003) One of a large crop of FOX programs that were canceled before their time, “Andy Richter� ran for two seasons and only 19 episodes before getting the ax. This was the best of Richter’s three failed sitcoms in the ‘00s, and despite its already-dated look, it’s surprisingly packed with sharp wit and an absurdist flair.

14. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (CBS, 2005-PRESENT)

DUSTY SOMERS

OK, the laugh track gets old really quick, but for all of its sitcom-y artifacts, “How I Met Your Mother� tends to subvert conventions more than stick to them with its expertly used flashback structure. Chief draw is Neil Patrick Harris’s outrageous womanizer Barney, but Jason Segel and Alyson’s Hannigan’s eye-poppingly adorable married couple Marshall and Lily are the true inexhaustible wellspring of laughs.

13. “THIS AMERICAN LIFE� (SHOWTIME, 2007-2008) Based on the beloved Chicago Public Radio program of the same name, “This American Life� features some of the best true-life storytelling anywhere, and the show’s jump to TV did nothing to diminish its quality. Ira Glass remained his same diminutive and insightful self and the stories remained utterly compelling and fascinating. The TV show is officially on hiatus as of now, but the radio program is still a must-listen.

12. “CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM� (HBO, 2000-PRESENT)

Is it sad that a large portion of our peers regard “The Daily Show� as a primary news source?

Probably, but that doesn’t make the withering satire presented therein any less potent, and Jon Stewart, who took over the hosting role in 1999 from Craig Kilborn, does faux-outrage like no other. Those who lean to the right might wish Stewart picked on their side a little less, but he’s proven equally adept at taking precision shots at just about anyone.

10. “PUSHING DAISIES� (ABC, 2007-2009) Another unfortunate victim to network executive dimness, “Pushing Daisies� got saddled with the adjective “quirky� enough times to justify a ban on the word henceforth. Fans knew that beyond the candy-colored art direction and fantastical premise of a man who could bring dead things back to life, there were intriguing mysteries, a rapier wit and tragic love stories to spare. The show was canceled after just two seasons. If only there were someone out there with the magic touch to bring this gem back to life.

9. “BATTLESTAR GALACTICA� (SYFY, 2004-2009) Proof that science fiction television doesn’t have to belong solely to the realms of technological geekery or campy otherworldliness, “Battlestar Galactica� was more about topnotch human drama and complex moral issues, building further on the rich tradition of “Star Trek.�

8. “THE SOPRANOS� (HBO, 1999-2007) James Gandolfini’s towering portrayal of mob boss Tony Soprano heads up the brilliantly textured “Sopranos,� which in many ways redefined what television could be at the beginning of this decade. While the show may not have been able to quite maintain its quality in later seasons, its influence on television is undeniable.

7. “EXTRAS� (BBC TWO, 2005-2007) Ricky Gervais’s “other� comedy from the decade shouldn’t be overlooked — it’s often breathlessly funny and its portrait of ambitious film extra, and later TV star, Andy Millman (Gervais) is painful in an entirely different way than “The Office’s� David Brent. A host of guest stars, including uproarious turns from Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, and Stephen Merchant as Andy’s smarmy agent induce painful, face-stretching laughter.

6. “30 ROCK� (NBC, 2006-PRESENT) An outrageous behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a sketch show like “Saturday Night Live,� Tina Fey’s satiric and very silly “30 Rock� is jam-packed with jokes and asides that reward many repeat viewings. Alec Baldwin is doing the best work of his career as corporate exec Jack Donaghy, and Fey’s unassailable willingness to ridicule her own persona is hilariously never-ending.

5. “LOST� (ABC, 2004-PRESENT) For all of the frustration that “Lost� has caused its necessarily committed viewers, it’s more than made up for with a compelling ensemble and a labyrinthine plot that may be a

/

&+ "%&- &- *& ( * *& * !( )* $ ** ")

( ) &- *& '( , %* * $

&( $&( !% &($ *!&% #& &%*& --- %& ** ") &( &( ## .&+( & *&(

Fans of the U.K. series feared another inferior remake from this side of the pond, but those fears were in vain, as the U.S. version has taken its own direction with just as many laughs and quite a bit more heart. Steve Carell’s Michael Scott has proven himself to be pathetic, arrogant and selfish, but warm-hearted and sincere almost as often. The ensemble cast is the best on television, with pitch-perfect characterizations from all of them, even the ones that only have a solitary line in some episodes (Creed Bratton, I’m looking at you).

3. “THE WIRE� (HBO, 2002-2008) An immense achievement that dwarfs every similar program on TV, “The Wire� is episodic crime drama at its best, although it transcends the genre in so many ways, it’s hardly fair to lump it in with the “Law and Orders� and “CSIs� that have dominated this decade. The level of realism achieved by show creator David Simon may be unmatched by any other show ever.

of the

2000s

11. “THE DAILY SHOW� (COMEDY CENTRAL, 1996-PRESENT)

4. “THE OFFICE� (NBC, 2005-PRESENT)

BEST

The neuroses of “Seinfeld� co-creator Larry David aren’t hidden behind any surrogate characters in the acerbic “Curb Your Enthusiasm.� David is self-loathingly hilarious, and the fact that this season featured the closest thing to a “Seinfeld� reunion we’ll ever get is enough reason for it to make this list.

result of the writers making it up as they go (which many have claimed), but is plenty riveting nonetheless. With its final season set to premiere in February, viewers may finally get some definitive answers, but don’t be surprised if all the sixth season uncovers is another set of head-scratchers.

2. “THE OFFICE� (BBC TWO, 2001-2003) Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant created the kind of comedy that made you double over in embarrassment for the characters almost as much as in laughter. The oblivious David Brent is one of the best comedic characters in television history, and the deadpan manner in which the show extracted humor from the most banal of situations has not been matched since.

1. “ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT� (FOX, 2003-2006) It’s hard not to get just a little angry every time I think about “Arrested Development’s� fate at the hands of the clueless marketing folks at FOX who couldn’t get this show the audience it deserved. Fortunately, the three seasons that emerged from that fire (sale!) of incompetence are glorious, with the relatively normal Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) doing his best to keep his narcissistic and dysfunctional family from implosion. The sheer amount of intertextual references is astonishing, and it ensures extensive rewatchability potential, but it’s the singularly great performances — notably, David Cross, Jessica Walter and Tony Hale — that make “Arrested Development� the best TV show of the decade. Fingers crossed that the announced movie ends up happening.

Dusty Somers is a journalism senior.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

7

STUDENTS PERFORM FOR A CAUSE The Daily’s Osi Aken’Ova reviews three of this week’s most notable comic books “THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #21”

PHOTO PROVIDED

Students practice for “We Sing III.” The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10.

ASHLEY BERNTGEN Daily Staff Writer

Free performance raises donations for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Students from the OU School of Musical Theater class of 2010 will perform in “We Sing III” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Pitman Recital Hall in Catlett Music center.

The free performance is open to the public and all donations will be given to the Amyotrophic L at e ra l S c l e ro s i s ( A L S ) Foundation.

We Sing was first perfor med three years ago as a benefit cabaret after musical theater major Lindsay Schwak’s father passed away from ALS. “A f t e r l e a r n i n g o f Lindsay Schwak’s father’s death, I sent a message to my musical theater classmates asking them to lend their talents to show support for a friend and

her family,” said musical on a great show.” theater senior Ryan Koss This year’s performance in a press release. “Every includes a range of styles p i e c e o f my h e a r t g o e s from the traditional songinto this project, and so do and-dance style of musical the hearts of other the OU theater to contemporary musical theater majors of pop pieces.

2010.”

It also marks the last Energy management ju- time the OU musical thenior Kristen Anderson is ater class of 2010 will take planning on attending the the stage together as OU show the tomorrow. students.

Sh e s a i d s h e i s e a g e r Schwak said while it’s to show her support for strange to be a senior, she t h e h a rd is looking working for ward to c a s t , the show. which in“ I t ’ s cludes her been cool • We Sing III sorority to see the • 7:30 p.m. sister, mup ro c e s s o f • Thursday sical theit,” Schwak • Ptiman Recital Hall in atre senior s a i d . “ I t ’s Catlett Music Center, Lindsay just cool 500 W. Boyd St. Schwak. t o s e e “I wanth ow w e’v e ed to go grown toand supgether as a port her [Schwak] along class.” w i t h t h e re s t o f t h e s e Schwak also said there niors who are perform- are a lot of fun, goofy moing,” Anderson said. “I just ments in this year’s show think they’ve worked so and that “it really tells a hard and they’re putting story.”

DETAILS

As Tony Stark lies in a hospital in a comatose state surrounded by friends his old teammates and coworkers, he is stuck in what can be deOSI scribed AKEN’OVA a s oblivion ,somewhere reliving his family’s death over and over.

No one knows where he is, how or if they can reach him, so the Avengers call on The Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange to get their friend back.

I don’t know about you, but I felt the conclusion to the World’s Most Wanted arc was good but I expected so much more. The buildup to the showdown between the Norman Osborn’s Iron Patriot and Tony Stark in the Mark 1 Iron Man suit was mouthwatering but fell flat.

In my oh-so-naïve opinion, this arc promises to be the most in this series, after deconstructing and humbling the arrogant Tony Stark, series writer Matt Fraction puts him in another vulnerable position as punishment for his action in the Civil War. OK, this is a stretch and the Civil War concluded a few years ago, but Stark’s guilt hasn’t been addressed full-on in this book and I’d like to think Fraction is putting the spotlight on it right now.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Image from the comic book “The Invincible Iron Man #21.”

“SECRET SIX #16” After the team’s last endeavor, they have to deal with the emotionally-challenged but powerful Black Alice who wants to join the team of bounty hunters at any cost.

Secret Six has been recommended almost every week by Fresh Ink Online’s Blair Butler for its wacky and well-established characters and its mixture of comedy and action.

The characters have great chemistry and writer Gail Simone’s wit is spot on but for some odd reason I just can’t get into it. It’s a great book and I think you should get it if you’re a DC comics fan, it’s just not for me.

“DAYTRIPPER #1” From the wonderful and

creative minds of Brazilian twins, Fabio Moon and Gabriel Bà, comes this long awaited book.

The two artists known for both their underground and mainstream success embark on a project that explores the lives of “normal people” in Brazil as opposed to spies or super- heroes.

The story (which will be incredible) is not really what has my foot tapping the floor in anticipation, it’s the art.

Fabio and Gabriel are superb artists that have worked on numerous projects together, but whenever they work on projects centered around their country, Brazil, they bring out the big guns. I am buying this and so should you.

Osi’Aken Ova is a film and video studies senior

8 Wednesday, December 9, 2009 Thad Baker, advertising manager classifieds@ou.edu • phone: 325-2521 • fax: 325-7517

PLACE AN AD Phone: 405-325-2521 E-mail: classifieds@ou.edu

Fax: 405-325-7517 Campus Address: COH 149A

DEADLINES Line Ad ..................................................................................3 days prior

L

Lost & Found

LOST & FOUND LOST DOG - M boxer, tan w/white chest - lost on NW side of Norman - 821-7293

Place your line ad no later than 9:00 a.m. 3 days prior to publication.

Display Ad ............................................................................3 days prior Classified Display or Classified Card Ad Place your display, classified display or classified card ads no later than 5:00 p.m. 3 days prior to publication.

PAYMENT s r

r

TM

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

RATES Line Ad

There is a 2 line minimum charge; approximately 42 characters per line, including spaces and punctuation.

(Cost = Days x # lines x $/line) 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

Classified Display, Classified Card Ad or Game Sponsorship

Contact an Acct Executive for details at 325-2521.

2 col (3.25 in) x 2 inches Sudoku ..............$760/month Boggle ...............$760/month Horoscope ........$760/month

2 col (3.25 in) x 2.25 inches

Employment HELP WANTED ACCEPTING SERVER APPLICATIONS Looking for outgoing, energetic and smiling individuals who enjoy the excitement of the hospitality industry. Apply in person at O’Connell’s, Lindsey store or Campus Corner store, today before 6pm. Limited openings.

Panhandle Opportunities: working with individuals with developmental disabilities.

7.50/hr to start, paid training. Flexible hrs, beneďŹ ts. Positive environment, Norman area. 942-4822 or fax resume 942-4993.

The Cleveland County Family YMCA is seeking AM Lifeguard and PM Swim Instructors. Apply in person at 1350 Lexington Ave. EOE.

MISAL OF INDIA BISTRO Now accepting applications for waitstaff.

Employment HELP WANTED Now Hiring for the Spring Semester Community After School Program is now hiring part-time staff to work in our schoolage childcare programs in Norman Public Schools. Hours: M-F 2:20pm - 6:00pm.

Begin working Jan 4th. Closed for all Norman Public School holidays and professional days. Competitive wages starting at $7.25/hour. Higher pay for students with qualifying coursework in education, early childhood, recreation and related ďŹ elds. Complete application in person at 1023 N Flood Avenue or online at www. caspinc.org.

As part of our expansion program, our company is looking for part time work from home Account Manager and sales representatives. Pays 10% of what the client sends you monthly plus beneďŹ ts and takes only a little of your time.

Please contact us for more details. Requirements - should be computer literate.

2-3 hours access to the internet weekly.

Must be over 20 yrs of age. Must be EfďŹ cient and Dedicated. If you are interested and need more information, contact Patrick Jordan (ptrckjrdn100@gmail.com)

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

J Housing Rentals

J Housing Rentals ROOMMATES WANTED

APTS. UNFURNISHED IMMEDIATE Move Ins $99 DEPOSIT / 6 Month Free Fitness 1 & 2 bed $445-$580 Pets Welcome! Large Floor Plans!

Models open 8a-8p Everyday!

360-6624 or www.elite2900.com

Female Roommate Wanted Spring Semester in The Cottages of Norman - 3 bdrm, 2 story cottage w/great roommates - FULLY furnished, bills incl. with rent. 5 minutes from Campus. Call Jen for pricing: 817-821-5090

HOUSES UNFURNISHED

1700 Briarcreek Dr - 4bd/2ba, CH/A, FP, Appls, W/D Hkups, Fenc/Yd, 2 car, Mins to OU - $1200/mo +$600 dep. No Pets or Smoking! Call 405-740-7574

/

4 BDRM, 2 Bath, walking distance to campus, kitchen appl incld, w/d, pets OK. Avail Jan 1 - Call 826-1335.

Walk to class, 3/2/2, ďŹ replace, patio, CH/ A, 801 Elmwood. 329-4119.

TOWNHOUSES UNFURNISHED 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

&+ "%&- &- *& ( * *& * !( )* $ ** ")

( ) &- *& '( , %* * $

&( $&( !% &($ *!&% #& &%*& --- %& ** ") &( &( ## .&+( & *&(

Apply in person at 580 Ed Noble Parkway, across from Barnes & Noble, 579-5600.

Crossword ........$515/month

J Housing Rentals

BEST ENERGY DRINK! AND INCOME FOR LIFE!

POLICY

GO TO: www.myandfriendsfuture.com

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 3252521, 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.

$5,000-$45,000

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.

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.

APTS. FURNISHED Large bedrm for sub lease in 3 bd ground oor apt - furnished, pvt bath - 2 mi from

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

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.

9

campus. $459/mo, util incl. 918-916-4294

$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.

APTS. UNFURNISHED WINTER SPECIAL! NEAR OU, 1012 S College $295/mo. 360-2873 / 306-1970.

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

8 2 7

8 6

1

4

4 6 2 1 7 9 2

6 1 4

5 1 3

4 7 5 2 8 4 9 6 6 9 2

Previous Solution 2 4 6 9 7 3 1 5 8

3 5 8 1 4 2 9 6 7

7 1 9 6 5 8 4 3 2

5 9 3 2 1 4 7 8 6

6 8 4 5 3 7 2 1 9

1 7 2 8 9 6 5 4 3

8 2 7 4 6 1 3 9 5

4 3 5 7 8 9 6 2 1

9 6 1 3 2 5 8 7 4

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 December 09, 2009

ACROSS 1 Have a thing for 5 Better than better 9 Equally melancholy 14 Curvyhorned goat 15 Wriggly, slippery and serpentine 16 Place for a book title 17 Relax 19 Abnormal growth 20 Help out 21 Certain transit worker 23 Cotton bundle 25 Sudden burst of voltage 26 Completeness 30 Menacingly wild 33 Watery castle barriers 34 “ ___ la vista, baby�

36 Syndicate head 37 Varieties or types 38 Male and female, e.g.

39 Party thrower 40 “Norma ___�

(Sally Field film) 41 “77 Sunset ___�

42 Comparatively fresh 43 Sassy 45 Prominence

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) - Involvements with the wrong people or firms could place you in an environment where their lack of ethics could cause a lot of trouble. Should this occur, make an exit as soon as you can.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - If you are inclined to give something away today that you consider to be of value, don’t attach any strings to it. If you can’t dispose of it freely, then sell it at a price you can live with.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - All it would take is a small misjudgment on your part that could put you in an awkward position today where you’re expected to champion an unpopular cause against some very uncomfortable odds.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) - A frustrating development could really get your dander up, and perhaps rightfully so, but this doesn’t give you license to take it out on the undeserving. Guard your temper.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) - Although you’re not likely to set the example you think is proper and necessary, you might expect others to do so. If you won’t do it yourself, it isn’t likely they will do so either.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) - Your competence will be extremely evident to others today, but not necessarily to you. When you think less of yourself it could deprive you of the success and the achievements you’re seeking.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) - That long shot you’re hoping will come in first isn’t likely to even get out of the starting gates. Don’t make the mistake of taking a gamble on anything that has pronounced element of chance.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) - If you allow emotions to rule your thinking today, there is a good chance you could end up rewarding the undeserving and ignore the very people who have been trying to help you.

Be discerning.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) - It’s important you find the middle ground when dealing with others today because being either too tough or too lenient on them would both prove to be unproductive and yield little.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Clarify your objectives before you set out today, or you could get off on the wrong road, working very hard only to find out you’re going no place fast.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) The spirit may be willing today, but when you actually attempt to put out a bit of effort, you might fail at the first test of resistance and find it far too hard to muster up the necessary physical effort.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) It might be wise to avoid breeding grounds for discord, such as involving yourself today with people whose politics or religious beliefs totally conflict with your own way of thinking.

47 Refrain from singing?

49 Backing for plaster 50 Ones at the helm, essentially 53 Early manuscript versions 57 V-sign’s meaning 58 Relax 60 Desert pit stop 61 One of the Great Lakes 62 Coastal bird 63 Lovers’ get-together 64 Emulates Busta Rhymes 65 “Star Trek: ___ Space Nine�

DOWN 1 “Reader’s Digest� co-founder Wallace 2 African wading bird 3 Frat party items 4 Museum displays 5 June bug, e.g.

6 Bard’s nightfall 7 Area of poverty 8 Clerical errors 9 City on the Columbia River 10 Poinsettia, e.g.

11 Relax 12 Buffalo seen in crosswords 13 “Jurassic Park� actress Laura 18 Bygone autocrats 22 University in Medford, Mass.

24 Certain anesthetic 26 Abu Dhabi biggies 27 Ryan in Cooperstown 28 Relax 29 Vertical graph component 31 Trig. function 32 Diary item 35 Part of a flower’s calyx 38 Do a salon job 39 Brayed 41 Superlatively

scanty 42 Prefix with “glycerin�

44 Terse summary 46 Soup kitchen needs 48 Ammo provider 50 Dalmatian feature 51 Dotted-line command 52 “Will be,� in a Doris Day song 54 Bad driver’s cry?

55 Adjust, as a guitar 56 1, 2 or 3, in a manual 59 Verbal defiance

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Š 2009 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com

A RELAXING PUZZLE by Alice Walker

Previous Answers

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

 BASKETBALL Go online tonight for a recap of the Sooners’ game.

9

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

OUDAILY.COM

Sooner basketball hosts Centenary CLARK FOY Daily Staff Writer

forward Tony Crocker and junior guard Cade Davis have been making the most of their minutes and have both dished out their strongest performances of the season so far during the Sooners’ win over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Crocker had 16 points and 16 boards while Davis held All-American marksman Rotnei Clarke to 11 points, a big feat within itself.

Centenary College (4-3) is a small school in Louisiana that has had a decent season.

However, the Gents have no quality wins and have been defeated by Marquette, Northwestern State and the University of Missouri – Kansas City.

The game begins at 7:00 at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.

The team will wait to play its next game MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY Saturday at Utah, while their next home game Sophomore guard Willie Warren dribbles down court toward the basket during the men’s basketisn’t until Dec. 19. ball game against British Columbia Nov. 3.

The men’s basketball team will play its last home game of the semester tonight against the Centenary College Gents.

The Sooners are coming off a dominating 67-47 performance over the Arizona Wildcats Sunday, which included a 25-point rampage

by National Player of the Year candidate Willie Warren.

The win puts the Sooners at 5-3 on the season and marks their third straight win after losing three straight before that.

Freshman forward Tiny Gallon is among some of the best performers in the Big 12 as he is almost averaging a double-double with 11.8 points and 9.5 rebounds. His three doubledoubles rank him third in the conference.

Along with the young prodigy, senior guard/

TENNIS PICKS UP RECRUIT

PALMER MAKES REGIONAL TEAM

OU men’s tennis head coach John Roddick announced the recruit of Lawrence Formentera to the 2010 squad.

Formentera, a spring arrival, has a five-star rating according to TennisRecruiting.net and was ranked the No. 8 recruit nationally and third in California. “We could not be more pleased to have a player of Formentera’s caliber join our program,� Roddick said.

In addition, Formentera ranks No. 9 by the USTA and was ranked second in 2007.

Formentera joins Oklahoma product John Harry Warden in the class 2009.

OU junior forward Whitney Palmer was selected to the Central Region’s second team Tuesday by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Palmer engineered a record-breaking campaign in 2009 and is the first Sooner honored by the NSCAA since Lauren MacIver (second team) in 2005.

She is also one of three Sooners in program history to collect the honor (Logan Womackthird team).

Palmer broke the Sooners’ single-season goals record in 2009 with 15 and finished the year ranked 13th in the nation and second in the Big 12.

Her 32 points are also an OU single-season best and ranked in the top 30 in the country.

—Daily staff

—Daily staff

Adopt - An - Area Adopt an Area starts next week! Look for your organization!

ALFA Flight A

Delta Tau Delta

PPhi Beta Sigma

A Air Force R.O.T.C.

Delta Upsilon

PPhi Delta Theta

A Alpha Chi Omega

Gamma Phi Beta

PPhi Gamma Delta

A Alpha Gamma Delta

Engineers Without Borders

Phi Kappa Psi

A Alpha Kappa Alpha

PPhi Kappa Sigma

A Alpha Kappa Delta Phi

Hispanic American Student Association

Alpha Omicron Pi

Iota Phi Theta

Alpha Phi

Kappa Alpha

A Alpha Phi Alpha

Kappa Alpha Psi

Alpha Phi Omega

Kappa Alpha Theta

A Alpha Tau Omega

Kappa Delta Chi

B Beta Theta Pi

Kappa Kappa Gamma

Catholic Student Assoc.

Kappa Kappa Psi

C Chi Omega

Kappa Sigma

D Delta Chi

Lambda Chi Alpha

Delta Delta Delta

oc. oc Non-Traditional Student Assoc.

D Delta Epsilon Psi

Okla. Student Volunteers

D Delta Gamma

Omega Delta Phi

D Delta Phi Omega

Omega Psi Phi

Delta Sigma Theta

Our Earth

MISSISSIPPI COACH WILL NOT FILL KANSAS POSITION OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi coach Houston Nutt said Tuesday that he “appreciates the interest� but he is not pursuing the Kansas head coaching job.

Nutt and Ole Miss athletic director Pete Boone issued statements after media reports suggested Nutt was interested in the Kansas job.

Nutt is 17-8 in two seasons in Oxford and has guided Ole Miss (8-4) to consecutive eight-win seasons for the first time since 1989-90. The Rebels play No. 21 Oklahoma State in the Jan. 2 Cotton Bowl.

Also Tuesday, a group of Kansas players issued a statement expressing their support for the program and athletic director Lew Perkins as he conducts his search for a successor to coach Mark Mangino. Mangino resigned last week in the midst

of an investigation into his treatment of players.

The two-week investigation into Mangino split both players and fans into separate camps, with some supporting and others denouncing the volatile head coach . “We are excited to start preparation for next season and trust that all other aspects of the program will be handled in a satisfactory manner,� said the statement, which was addressed to Kansas fans. “We have no doubts that Lew Perkins is acting in our best interest to ensure a successful season next year and years to come.�

It was signed by players Sal Capra, Drew Dudley, Chris Harris, Jake Laptad, Brad Thorson and John Wilson. —AP

GET CASH BOOKS #VZCBDL )PVST

PPi Beta Phi Pi Kappa Alpha

University of Oklahoma Bookstore – Stadium Store December 7 – 19 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

R RUF/NEK Lil Sis SSigma Alpha Epsilon SSigma Gamma Rho Sigma Lambda Gamma SSigma Nu

$BUF t $PVDI t 0WBM t #PZE t 4PPOFS 4IPQ t 6OJPO December 11 – 18 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

SSigma Phi Epsilon Z Zeta Phi Beta A Adams C Cate C Couch SSooner Walker

Way to go! Keep up the good work!

Volunteer u Programs Powered by efollett.com

Our Traditions through Service to State and Society LeadershipStrengthening Development and Volunteerism • leadandvolunteer.ou.edu The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, call 325-2340

831/833_WBB09

10

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

OU tackles Empire State JAMES ROTH Daily Staff Writer

The OU women’s basketball team is hitting the road this week and traveling to New York where it hope to improve on its current two game winning streak.

The Sooners are coming off an exciting overtime thriller over Arkansas that saw the Sooners come back from 16 points in the second half to force overtime and win the ball game.

Junior guard Danielle Robinson is coming off a career-high 31 points and the team looks to continue that success in the Big Apple.

The Sooners first game will be this Wednesday in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. when they will take on Marist College.

The team will have a quick turnaround as they will travel to West Point, N.Y. to play Army the following day.

This will be a good test for the Sooners who are currently 2-2 on the road this year. They have struggled when playing away from Lloyd Noble Center.

The team has now adjusted to playing ESTEBAN PULIDO/THE DAILY Freshman center Lyndsey Cloman breaks open for a pas Thursday during the Sooners game against without sophomore guard Whitney Hand and junior forward Carlee Roethlisberger UT-Arlington. OU took the 100-67 victory.

has filled in nicely in the starting five.

The Sooners have been mixing and matching different lineups on the floor to adjust to Hand’s absence and has been successful in almost all of them.

Robinson, Roethlisberger and senior guard Nyeshia Stevenson have stepped up with big games to fill the void.

Since Hand has gone down, all three women have set new career highs in points; Roethlisberger with 29, Stevenson with 21 both against the University of Texas-Arlington and Robinson’s 31 against Arkansas.

If the Sooners can win on the road and on back-to-back nights it should give the team a boost of confidence moving forward.

After this road trip the Sooners will play one more game at home and one on the road before having to travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to take on one of women’s college basketball’s elite teams in the Lady Volunteers.

Teams that can win on the road are the teams that usually do well come tournament time, this week will be a nice test to see where the Sooners stand.

Titans’ running back eclipses Peterson when it comes to speed If I were to ask you which NFL running back was most likely to succeed in NASCAR, Vikings’ Adrian Peterson would most likely be the answer.

I mean let’s face it: Peterson likes speed. Peterson ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine coming out of OU. That’s fast.

Peterson also ran above the speed limit on a suburban Minneapolis highway recently.

Apparently for him, going 109 mph in a 55 mph zone is just a little speeding ticket.

Peterson even talks so quickly in interviews, I sometimes wonder if he’s even speaking the English language.

Now, if I were to ask you who the best running back in the !-0*' !-&1"- -0&*"! .+)"/%&*$ ,-" &+0. ) "- ,+!

NFL is — and you weren’t from seasons in the NFL. Norman the answer would be Peterson and Johnson also Titans’ Chris Johnson. share something else besides Like Peterson, Johnson likes speed: both their teams have speed — except even played the Cardinals more so. within the last two At the NFL Scouting weeks.

Ke e p i n m i n d , t h e Combine, Johnson oneCa rd i na l s d e f e n s e i s upped Peterson and ran ranked No. 24 overall in a 4.24 40-yard dash. Wow, that’s blazing! the league.

While Johnson may Two weeks ago Johnson ran wild on the be faster than Peterson, Cardinals for 154 yards J o h n s o n a l s o e n j o y s MJ holding onto the football, CASIANO and a score — a ridiculous 8.6 average. Peterson something Peterson has struggled with his entire followed Johnson this career. Peterson has fumbled 19 Sunday against the Cardinals times in about 2 1/2 years — los- for 19 yards on 13 carries and no ing 12 of those fumbles. scores — a miniscule 1.5 average.

And how can anyone forget Johnson, however, has only had two fumbles in nearly two Johnson is on pace for 2,000 yards

rushing, something only five players have accomplished in NFL history: O.J. Simpson (1973), Eric Dickerson (1984), Barry Sanders (1997), Terrell Davis (1998) and Jamal Lewis (2003).

That’s quite a list to be on.

Not only can Johnson reach 2,000 yards rushing, but Johnson can be the first running back to reach 2,000 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving.

Johnson is starting to become more of a complete back every game.

Not only can he run the ball outside and receive out of the backfield better than any running back in the league, but he’s able to run between the tackles more efficiently this season.

Johnson has also ran for a

franchise-high seven straight 1 0 0 - ya rd ga m e s — a n d y o u know Johnson is the best running back in the league when his low of 113 yards during this span is spoken of almost like a disappointment.

Finally, Johnson has eight more plays of 20-plus yards than Peterson and averages nearly 34 more rushing yards per game.

As far as being the next big NASCAR driver is concerned —Peterson takes the cake.

However, Johnson is the next -best running back in the NFL and there’s no reason to argue against that.

M.J. Casiano is a broadcast and electronic media junior.