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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

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GSS meeting items not on agenda UOSA filing period begins State law states group must notify public of agenda changes 24 hours in advance JACOB REYNOLDS The Oklahoma Daily

The Graduate Student Senate may have violated Oklahoma Open Meeting statutes Sunday night after passing two pieces of legislation during the group’s regular meeting without notifying the public.

The public is to be notified of group business in writing 24 hours prior to a meeting unless business is new, not known about or “could not have been reasonably foreseen prior to the time of posting,” according to the act.

Election chairwoman Natalie Jester authored two pieces of legislation that were introduced Sunday. Jester proposed the nomination of five

new members to the spring election board, as well as the establishment of polling sites for the election. Both pieces of legislation were passed unanimously, yet neither were posted on the Senate’s online agenda prior to the meeting.

Graduate Student Senate Chair Derrell Cox said the decision was made to propose the bills despite the lack of public notice.

“It was our consensus in the executive meeting that [the legislation] would go forward,” Cox said. “I don’t know exactly who dropped the ball, but someone within the Senate dropped the ball in getting that posted.”

Jester said she was unaware the legislation was not posted to the agenda.

“I submitted my two pieces of legislation to both the secretary and chairs of congress and GSS last Monday so that everything could be looked over,” Jester said.

George Ahmadi, GSS adviser, said members of the Senate weren’t made aware of the pressing nature of the polling deadline until 7 p.m.

Sunday, when the meeting began.

“I don’t think that what happened last night was in violation of the Open Meetings Act based on my reading,” Cox said.

According to the Code Annotated, which governs all spring election policies and deadlines, “the number and location of polling places shall be established by an Act of the Legislative Branch at least three academic weeks before each election.”

Though UOSA elections are four weeks away — March 29 and 30 — Sunday’s meeting was the last opportunity to pass the legislation in accordance with the three-academic-week rule because the Senate will not meet again until March 6.

Applications for March election must be turned in to UOSA office by Thursday NICHOLAS HARRISON The Oklahoma Daily

The filing period for those who wish to run for student body president is now open.

Applications became available Monday for UOSA president and vice president, Campus Activities Council chair, Housing Center Student Association president, Student Bar Association president and a variety of UOSA Student Congress representative seats, all of which are up for election in March.

To file for office, students must fill out an application and then get their college dean to verify that they are a student in good standing.

Applications are available in the UOSA office on the first floor of the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Conoco

GAMES | ENGINEERING STUDENTS RACK UP PRIZES

SEE FILING PAGE 2

COLLIN SIMS/THE DAILY

Moises Martinez, mechanical engineering junior, plays pool during a tournament Monday night in Willoughby Lounge during Engineers Week.

Martinez was competing for a possible $200 prize by playing pool, foosball and table tennis.

Salary less for women in power Female administrators earn less than national median pay; men earn more

ADVOCACY

Ebonics panel discussion scheduled for Wednesday A panel about Ebonics and its influence on education will be hosted at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Couch Faculty-in-Residence apartment.

The African and African American Student Advisory Committee is hosting Ebonics in Education to examine how Ebonics affects all communities, Vice President Sijuola Ogunsanya said.

Ebonics is a nonstandard variety of English spoken by some black Americans, according to Merriam-Webster.

However, Ebonics is a quick and simple way to make a statement, committee President Karen White. White said she feels it is more of a communication shorthand that is generational rather than a black-or-white concept.

“Something as simple as instead of saying ‘I’m coming,’ instead of ‘Are you comin’?’ could be qualified as Ebonics,” White said.

White said Americans are sometimes still clustered in their own little bubbles, so she hopes to bust some of those bubbles through events such as Ebonics in Education.

For more information, contact White at 405-308-9341 or klwhite@ou.edu.

— Chelsey Kraft/The Daily

NICHOLAS HARRISON The Oklahoma Daily

Group promotes infant health during Human Rights Week March of Dimes group promotes research to prevent birth defects, infant death

go hand in hand.

“I believe that the March of Dimes deals with human rights in the sense that through our advocacy and the research we intend to give every perSARAH MARTIN The Oklahoma Daily son a healthy start at life and to lower the rate of preventable infant mortality,” Riddles said.

A weeklong series of events intended to raise The March of Dimes is dedicated to improving campus awareness on human-rights issues came the health of babies through research on preventto a close Monday night. ing birth defects, premature birth UOSA’s second Human Rights Week and infant mortality, Poulton said.

Its an epidemic facilitated events for campus humanPremature infant birth is a widerights activist groups from Feb. 15 to right now. Babies s p r e a d p r o b l e m i n O k l a h o m a , Monday. don’t get half the Poulton said.

“It gives a voice to human rights “ It s a n e p i d e m i c r i g h t n o w ,” care they need.” groups on campus,” said Blake Jenkins, Poulton said. “Babies don’t get half UOSA coordinator of International care they need.”

— DAKOTA POULTON, theThe Activism and letters junior. group’s biggest fundraiser is UNIVERSITY COLLEGE the March for Babies walk, which Jenkins coordinated the events, FRESHMAN which started with a screening of the takes place in May, Riddles said. film “Human Trafficking” Feb. 15.

Currently the organization is inUOSA screened “The Greatest Silence: Rape volved in a campaign to raise awareness of the in the Congo” on Wednesday and “Degrees of importance of folic acid for pregnant women, Incarceration” on Thursday.

Poulton said.

Other Human Rights Week activities included Volunteering for March of Dimes is more than a display of world injustices near the food court just a college activity, Poulton said. of the Oklahoma Memorial Union on Wednesday Poulton has two sisters who benefited from the as well as an involvement fair Friday. In the final services provided by the organization. event last night, Sooners for Israel brought in Sgt. One of Poulton’s sisters, now two years old, was Benjamin Anthony to speak on hope amid war. born prematurely weighing three pounds and Human rights activism is how University College spent a month in the neonatal intensive-care unit. freshman Dakota Poulton said she found her niche Poulton learned about the March of Dimes while at OU. spending time in the intensive-care unit.

Poulton is in her second semester advocating Poulton’s older sister has been trying to have a for improving infant health through the March of baby for about six years and has had miscarriages, Dimes Collegiate Council at OU and was a repre- Poulton said. Poulton said she hopes the research sentative for the March of Dimes at the Human done by the March of Dimes will help her underRights Week Involvement Fair. Angela Riddles, stand why she cannot get pregnant. president of OU’s March of Dimes Collegiate “It is just a cause that is really close to my heart,” Council, said March of Dimes and human rights Poulton said.

A LOOK AT WHAT’S ON Nearly 50 students will promote higher education’s importance at 11 a.m. today at the Oklahoma Capitol.

THE OKLAHOMA DAILY VOL. 96, NO. 100 © 2011 OU Publications Board www.OUDaily.com www.facebook.com/OUDaily www.twitter.com/OUDaily

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Women occupying the university’s top administrative positions are paid less than their male counterparts, according to data pulled from the 2010-2011 OU budget.

Nancy Mergler, OU senior vice president and provost, is the second highest-ranking officer at the university, yet she is the eighth highest-paid. Mergler has held her current position since 1996, and she is the longest-serving provost and chief academic officer in the Big 12.

The median annual salary for provosts and chief academic officers at doctoral universities is $265,056, according to a College and University Professional Association for Human Resources survey.

Mergler’s annual base salary is $244,994, according to OU budget data, and four male deans, two of whom report directly to her, receive higher base annual salaries.

“There are several ways people feel compensated for their work. Certainly, salary is one of them,” Mergler said. “For me, personally, I get great satisfaction from my contribution towards making this university better and for working with such a supportive president. When the economy improves, I am sure President [David] Boren will be a strong advocate for increasing my salary.”

OU spokesman Chris Shilling said administrator pay is based

SEE PAY PAGE 2

TODAY’S WEATHER

66°| 51° Tomorrow: Cloudy, high of 77 degrees

2 • Tuesday, February 22, 2011

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CAMPUS

Chase Cook, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

PAY: Men paid 15 to 25 percent more, data show Continued from page 1

Today around campus » Laura Mullins will give a seminar on managing reading assignments from 1 to 2 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245. » Gaylynn Smith & Jenny Kirby will give a seminar on money management 4 to 5 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245. » Dance Partners will perform at 7:30 p.m. in Reynolds Performing Arts Center Studio, Room 3002. » Israeli Folk Dances, presented by Ori Kritz, will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in Kaufman Hall, Room 230. » The College of Arts and Sciences will host the Faculty Authors Reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Ellison Hall, Room 132. » Baseball will play Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 3 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Wednesday, Feb. 23 » Baseball will play Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 3 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. » Patrick McGillan will present “Tender Comrades: The Hollywood 19” from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the Gaylord Auditorium.

at the university.

Shilling said a pay raise to a base salary of $199,000 had just been approved for Smith by the OU Regents.

“In the years that I have been dean, I have found my work on a number of factors that do not pertain to gender.

“University administrators are compensated utilizing to be very rewarding,” Smith said. “My salary has not been a several metrics. Some of the criteria are the jurisdiction, major component of my mission as leader of the college.”

Bishop, vice president of public affairs, number of employees and job demand,” said the market — not gender — dicShilling said. “Certain administrators tates administrator pay across different may be paid more if their field of operaIn the years that I have disciplines. tions spans across several campuses or been dean, I have found “The salaries ... have nothing to do with even universities. They may also have my work to be very gender and everything to do with one’s added responsibilities in their job derewarding. My salary chosen profession and market value as scription. Gender is not a factor.” well a variety of other factors,” Bishop Other than Mergler, there are two fehas not been a major male divisional vice presidents at OU, component of my mission said. “These factors include one’s overall Catherine Bishop and Chris Purcell, as leader of the college.” responsibilities and how many units and staff one oversees. Just as the head of an and one female dean, Joan Smith. Each engineering firm or the CEO of a business woman earns 15 to 25 percent less than — JOAN SMITH, COLLEGE OF in the private sector would make more her male counterparts in comparable EDUCATION DEAN than a school principal, so would a busipositions, according to OU budget data. ness or engineering dean make more than According to the survey performed by the College and University Professional Association for an education dean.”

Aimee Franklin, former Faculty Senate chair, said women Human Resources, the median annual salary for a dean of engineering at a doctoral institution is $234,291. Thomas historically suffer a pay gap and receive 75 to 80 percent of Landers, dean of the College of Engineering, is paid the pay of their male counterparts.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has pointed out that $273,156 — almost 17 percent more than the average. The median annual salary for a dean of business at a doctoral it is necessary to consider job titles, length of service and institution is $260,378. Kenneth Evans, dean of the College comparable positions in peer institutions when considerof Business, is paid $357,204 — more than 37 percent more ing wage gaps, Franklin said.

The gender pay gap at colleges and universities is a nathan the average.

However, Joan Smith, dean of the College of Education, tional trend that has been reported on by the Chronicle of is paid $178,247, which is less than $179,953, the median Higher Education. In March 2008, the Chronicle published annual salary for a dean of education at a doctoral institu- a study that showed women suffered an unexplained pay tion. Smith, who announced her retirement as dean of the gap of 4.2 percent — even after accounting for women’s College of Education on Friday, is entering her 15th year in concentrations in certain disciplines and at certain types of her current position, making her the longest-serving dean institutions.

FILING: Campaigns to begin March 7

» Shizuka Tatsuzawa will hold a Japanese calligraphy demonstration from 1 to 3 p.m. in Kaufman Hall, Room 230.

Continued from page 1

» Jason Houston will host “Olive Oil Tasting and Selection” from 3 to 4 p.m. in Kaufman Hall, Room 230.

Student Leadership Wing.

They must be turned in by 5 p.m. Thursday to the UOSA office.

Candidates for UOSA president and vice president run together on tickets.

Candidates for UOSA president and vice president and for CAC chair must also turn in a petition with the signatures of 501 students or submit a non-refundable filing fee of $150.

“The student body president acts as your voice and chief advocate to the university administration, the city, state and federal governments on behalf of the entire student body,” current UOSA President Franz Zenteno said. “You can bring projects to the university that can improve campus life and be a great benefit to all student members of the OU community.”

When he ran last year, Zenteno said he saw the opportunity as a chance to improve campus life as well as a chance to leave a great legacy of leadership.

“If we see things that could be improved on campus and we have the ideas to make them a feasible reality, we should stand up and make them happen.” Zenteno said. “Students with passion for others and with a passion for leading the campus towards a better campus life for OU students should get involved in our student government and make those things happen.”

Campaign materials must be registered by March 3 and official campaigning starts March 7.

Elections will be held March 29 and 30.

» “Student Success Series: Managing Reading Assignments” will occur at 1 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245. » “Student Success Series: Studying for the Sciences” will occur at 5 p.m. in Dale Hall, Room 211.

Thursday, Feb. 24 » Multicultural Career Day will be from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Kerr-McGee Stadium Club at the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. » Africa Week will host “Taste of Africa” at 7 p.m. in the Henderson-Tolson Cultural Center. Tickets are $5. » The Delta Gamma Anchorman Pageant will be held in the Catlett Music Center at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased early from Delta Gamma for $4 and for $5 at the door. » Gwendolyn Mikell of Georgetown University will speak at 5 p.m. in Dale Hall, Room 112. Her books include “Cocoa and Chaos in Ghana” and “African Feminism: The Politics of Survival in SubSaharan Africa.” Her speech is titled “It Takes a Woman: Gender and African Leadership.”

» This day in OU history

Feb. 22, 1984 OU drivers test road skills Chrysler, the National Safety Council and the Sports Car Club of America hosted a driving competition for students in the Lloyd Noble Center parking lot.

The competition involved snaking around a course of cones and measured both students’ speed and ability.

The winner of the two-day contest received a free trip to Daytona Beach, Fla., to compete against other drivers across the nation.

— Source: The Oklahoma Daily archives

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011 • 3

LIFE&ARTS

Autumn Huffman, life & arts editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-5189

REVIEWS, PREVIEWS AND MORE

THE DAILY’S

NEW MUSIC TUESDAY Read more at OUDaily.com

RADIOHEAD The King of Limbs (Self released) Rating: 1/2

Creepy, clear imagery and lyrics about alienation, loneliness and the vulnerability in intimacy? Check.

Wafting, moany Thom Yorke vocals? Got it.

Twinkling, hooky Jonny Greenwood and Ed O’Brien guitar playing? Yeah, there’s a little of that in there, too.

General feelings of paranoia and hopelessness and primal reactions presented in the abstract? Yup. So why is Radiohead’s new album so different from everything the U.K. geniuses have previously produced?

Finding the answer is sort of like trying to fish a lyric out of the very blurry fourth, aptly-titled track “Feral.”

Once you think you’ve got it, it wriggles free and splashes back into the torrential mix of clicking drum machines, synthesizers and choppedup vocal washes.

Here goes my best attempt: Yorke leads a disciplined attempt at recording an album under the influence of trueto-its-roots, honest-to-goodness, pure dubstep.

— Matt Carney/The Daily

COLLIN SIMS/THE DAILY

University College freshmen Sean Datte, left, and Josh Durham, right, do ab excercises. As the weather warms, gym traffic increases, students say.

Sooners shape up for spring break I

ADELE 21 (Columbia Records) Rating: 1/2

With the release of British singer Adele’s second album “21,” it is easy to see she has a unique talent that is genuine and fresh.

At a young age of 22, her songs are mature and the heartbreak speaks through the entire album.

With traces of blues, pop, soul, funk, jazz and country, the tracks differ from one another, yet all come equipped with Adele’s controlled voice and lyrics that speak of low points and regret.

“Someone Like You” and “Set Fire to the Rain” are two stand-out tracks. “Rumor Has It” also is an easy-listening, fast-paced track that has made it to my list of songs on repeat.

Though Adele’s first album offered better lyrics and resonance, the vocals in “21” display the natural talent she possesses by showcasing her vocal abilities.

Like her previous album, Adele’s stories slowly pour out in this album and is worth checking out.

— Huma Khan/The Daily

COLLIN SIMS/THE DAILY

University College freshman Anthony Sequera works his biceps on a cable-curl machine. Many students have hit the gym in preparation for spring.

TORO Y MOI Underneath the Pine (Car Park Records) Rating:

Chazwick Bundick’s second album, “Underneath the Pine,” is more mature, with more vocals and live instruments, as compared to his debut album.

The songs are electric and funky. They are disco with a heavy funk overtone.

The first single, “Still Sound,” is the perfect example of how the music on this album differs from his first: more singing and a direct sound-theme throughout.

Either way, Bundick’s new focus is quite enjoyable and has more mass appeal than his previous work.

“Underneath the Pine” is a new venture for him and his music and his ability shines through.

Unlike some artists who become stagnant in their music and genre, Toro Y Moi changes it up to keeps things interesting and the fans will appreciate this.

— Leesa Allmond/The Daily

Being

NUMBER ONE is nothing to celebrate.

This year, more than 163,000 people will die from lung cancer—making it America’s

NUMBER ONE cancer killer.

But new treatments offer hope.

Join Lung Cancer Alliance in the fight against this disease. lungcanceralliance.org

t’s almost time to trade in fur coats and Uggs for bikinis and flip-flops. Soon, OU students will ditch the books and replace them with a week of lying on beaches, booze and hanging out with friends.

That’s right: spring break is just around the corner. For those planning getaway vacations to some of the most popular destinations such as South Padre, Panama City and Cancún, this means fitness goals — unreachable or not.

Whether it’s losing those last 10 pounds or toning up to get Mark Wahlberg abs, it’s all necessary.

And aren’t tan legs a must for maximizing all that work?

For University College freshman Will Pham, spring break means Destin, Fla. “My fitness goals include building more muscle mass while significantly cutting down on fat,” Pham said. “More and more people are slowly starting to pour in at the Huff, I’ve noticed.”

While fitness goals are important, Pham also mentioned the importance of diet and nutrition as a supplement to working out.

“I’m on a weight loss program — carb cycling — which is basically a low carb diet,” he said.

“Some of my friends have resorted to P90x and Hydroxycut to attain their goals.”

Other regular Huff goers also have noticed the increasing number of people coming into the gym for work outs.

Sarah Sullivan, religious studies senior, said her Zumba class has nearly doubled in size since two weeks ago.

“A big factor could be that students have been trapped in the snow, so they’re looking for an activity to do,” Sullivan said.

Feras Alkhatrawi, petroleum engineering junior, said, for the most part, girls stick to cardio machines, lunges and squats while the guys are more heavily concentrated on free weights and other muscle-building machines.

But of course, getting that perfect body is nothing if it doesn’t come equipped with the perfect tan as well. From spray tans, orange tints and

bronze glows, the color and method vary from person to person.

For many girls, the answer is At the Beach, a tanning superstore and salon on 12th and Alameda streets, employee Carmel Blumenberg said.

“After winter, traffic significantly picks up. As many as 100 plus tanners a day come in just between the hours of 7 and 11 a.m.,” Blumenberg said. “Rates have dropped significantly to allow those going on spring break to achieve that base tan they’re hoping to get.”

At the Beach allows their member to choose from five levels of tanning, the highest of which containing the most bronzing ray and is referred to as the 360.

For apartment clubhouse tanning advocates, beware — the lines are about to grow there, too.

The Reserve on Stinson employee, Brittany Dorsey, said the free-to-residents tanning bed comes with its drawbacks.

“Coming up within the next two weeks, the list of residents signing up for the tanning services will get longer and longer,” Dorsey said. “It does every year.”

Some students are choosing to spray on their tans to avoid the harms involved with tanning beds.

Sally Beauty Supply employee Lindsey Peters said they offer three kinds of spray tans to their customers.

“The highest selling time for spray tans is between the months of January and April,” Peters said.

So whether it’s shopping, tanning, getting in shape or more likely, a combination of the three, OU students are well on their way to looking their best for spring break.

With just around a month left, many OU students have already started the countdown to the most anticipated week of the spring semester.

— Huma Khan, public relations junior

4 • Tuesday, February 22, 2011

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OPINION

THUMBS DOWN ›› OU’s women in power make less money than national median pay

OUR VIEW

Tim French, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

COLUMN

Facebook ahead of country Obama ends Last weekend, Facebook added two new relationship statuses for users to choose — “in a civil union” and “in a domestic partnership.” While these updates are a step in the right direction for society, we ask why it has taken so long to add these categories.

To our knowledge, Facebook has always allowed its users to say whether they were a male in a relationship with another male, or female with another female. These couples were left with only one option to show commitment — the “married” status so many cannot achieve.

Currently only Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Washington, D.C. allow same sex marriages; and it’s not likely the majority of America’s gay couples have the financial means to move to one of the six areas that has legalized gay marriage.

If America is supposed to be the “land of the free,” where “all men are created equal,” then why are we restricting a minority group’s rights?

The phrase “civil union” and “domestic partnership” sound

very cold and unloving and are in stark contrast to what those terms represent. For a couple to stand together and profess their love to the public, yet not be allowed to be considered married, is a joke.

The nation, as a whole, needs to get over their fear of samesex marriages and is making strides with the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” However, giant hurdles still exist — including the 45 states that still outlaw marriage.

We believe all citizens should be allowed to marry the partner of their choosing and while we applaud Facebook’s efforts to include relationship statuses the gay population can associate with, we must continue our efforts toward accepting the idea of widespread legalization of gay marriage in America.

After all, if any love-drunk couple can drive to Las Vegas and get married overnight, the same courtesies should be extended to gay couples.

Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

COLUMN

Robin Hood effect proposed Even the stingiest congressman seems uninterested in closing STAFF COLUMN our $1.6 trillion federal deficit anytime soon.

Gerard Keiser S o S c o t t Ad a m s, most famous as the cartoonist behind Dilbert, proposed ideas to put us on a slightly slower slope down toward national default. Most of the proposals set out in his Wall Street Journal column were admittedly silly, designed to get us thinking about creative solutions.

Except for one: making the highest tax brackets responsible only for welfare spending. His suggestion, though undeveloped and vague, demands every effort to make it work.

The way it works is this: say you’re one of the rich sort, with bureaucrats and executives bending over backwards to kiss the ground you walk on. If you hire some extra people right now, the government has less to pay in all kinds of benefits, but you don’t directly see that. Adams is proposing that your taxes be directly linked to those benefits, so that, although you have to spend more money hiring people, your taxes will see an immediate reduction.

But the effect of one employer spread out over all the rich people’s taxes will be tiny, so we need to concentrate it. To do this, we could take, say, the top one percent of earners, divide them into 435 geographical groups of about 3,200 people in each, and then assign a congressional district to each group with some mechanism to give the poorer

districts to the richer groups. If that is not enough, even small divisions could be made, until employers see their taxes fall whenever they hire enough people. And if anyone tries to slice the Gordian knot by eliminating the poor along with poverty, the politicians of that district will fight, or risk letting their seats get written off the map after the next census.

Are some people unemployable?

Then the rich can improve schools. Are the schools failing because of wretched parenting? Then the rich can reform Child Protective Services and build orphanages. If powerful people are given the opportunity to hold back more money, they will find a way. Doors will open and adversaries will be beaten back once the Gateses and Buffetts of America find they can make money doing so.

They should, in fact, support such a program; through additional donations and business expenses, which can be written off their taxes in the short-term, they can build income in the end through an improved economy and expanded production, and then receive additional tax breaks for reducing government spending.

For example, Obama’s 2011 budget proposal has $381 billion for health spending not including Medicare according to the New York Times. This nearly matches the total tax returns for the top 1 percent in 2008. If the rich

had to pay for all that health spending, no matter how much it was, not only would the need for government subsidies drop along with poverty, but we can also expect overall health costs to plunge for everybody as the rich work to repair the system.

Writing these laws would be ghastly. The pages of provisions about the selection and rotation of geographical groups, how much of a burden the rich should take and all the other convoluted questions would be scorched with contention as the factions shove them around in a frenzy. But throwing social welfare onto the laps of powerful Americans is, on the face of it, elegant and logical, and deserves a trial.

Also, you must remember that there are myriads of ways to implement this basic idea; the problems with my hasty thoughts on it might be easily fixed.

Once it was the responsibility of the local high-fliers to assist those stuck in the gutter, until the progressives noticed it wasn’t happening and Leviathan coerced a depersonalized charity.

This, while preventing the deepest miseries of poverty, has failed to solve its causes. Leviathan must now coerce a charity in which the benefactors themselves benefit as soon as the beneficiaries get off of benefits.

— Gerard Keiser, classical languages junior

Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Fiscal responsibility platform falls through The big buzz topic for the mid-term elections was fiscal responsibility; and the American public voted for who they thought could best fulfill their wishes.

President Barack Obama recognized this “shellacking” and realigned his policies to best mesh with the current sentiment of the general public. He is planning to make major cuts to the federal budget and help the nation’s astronomical deficit by trimming fat and reducing or eliminating non-essential government programs.

In my opinion, everyone has to make their fair share of cuts and the legislative branch failed to do that by extending the Bush-Era tax cuts. The Republican Party essentially said people have to be more responsible, but not the top 0.5 percent. It also should be noted that even Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., delayed the 9/11 first responders Health Care Bill in order to make sure the wealthy got their tax cuts; and to quote my favorite talking head, Jon Stewart, “You know what, Republicans, you use it [9/11 references] so much, if you don’t owe the 9/11 responders health care, at least you owe them royalties.” This just shows in the Republicans’ eyes, being a true hero is only second to making $250,000 and above.

Now we are faced with the potential of a government shut-down/lights-out scenario if a new budget cannot be agreed upon. Both the right and left don’t want to see this happen, but personally I want to take a “teabagger” approach to this and see what would happen if we didn’t have the politicians for a couple of weeks. We would see a decline in the violent, hate-filled rhetoric of politicians and news outlets. This would be a true step towards a minimalist government. Barring a complete slide into anarchy, it seems as if people would have to work together for the common good, as opposed to

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the usual “bipartisanship” which is generally just two contemptuous factions glaring at the other side of the aisle.

The point is, a party cannot run on fiscal responsibility and then not follow through. If the Bush-era tax cuts had worked in the first place, we wouldn’t be where we are now; so they can be eliminated. The Obama-care repeal attempt is a waste of time because the Senate already said they would block it and Obama said he would veto it, not to mention that it would cost the American taxpayers an additional $300+ billion to repeal it. It would be better to debate the parts that don’t work instead of just cutting the whole program. We have one of the world’s highest infant mortality rates and are one of the few countries left that don’t have socialized medicine.

So the hypocrisy is now revealed: a claim of fiscal responsibility has translated into extending tax-cuts and fiscal irresponsibility by wasting a third of a trillion dollars to attempt to repeal a program that would only SAVE the American taxpayers money in the long run. The “new-plan” of the republicans was a re-affirmation of their early ideals of fiscal responsibility, but they excluded major items such as the previously mentioned tax-cuts and health care. They should have been more truthful and run on a platform of “Fiscal Responsibility”. As a general disclaimer, I am not saying that Republicans are the only ones guilty of hypocrisy. As noted in my title I use “politician,” but they are the most vocal about their ideals while they do not want to necessarily do what they have to in order to follow through with their promises.

— Nolan Kraszkiewicz, political science and religious studies sophomore

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religious rights law Tw o y e a r s a f t e r h e originally intended to STAFF COLUMN MN do so, President Barack Buck Obama has finally reRoberson scinded part of a controversial Bush-era regulation protecting employees from consequences or refusal to provide services based upon their religious beliefs or conscience.

The core of the alterations focus primarily on limiting the extent to which services can be considered protected. For instance, abortions are still protected in the new updates, whereas refusal to sell contraceptives or to participate in infertility treatments is no longer under the umbrella of legal protection.

Despite its status as merely a revision and rescission, this alteration is wider in scope than it may at first appear.

The original regulation put in place by President George W. Bush was not controversial for the concept of moral protection, but for its breadth.

Laws of this sort have been on the books for more than 30 years, but the Bush regulation was vague enough to be open to broad interpretation, allowing an expansion of protections, covering everyone from pharmacists who did not wish to sell contraceptives to janitors who refused to clean up after a room where an abortion had taken place.

The way the regulation operated was flexible and accommodating to new problems, such as the increasing possibility of stem cell use in medical treatment.

In essence, Obama is caging in the religious freedoms afforded by the previous state of the regulation, swinging precedent away from personal freedom.

I can understand some aspects, such as preventing the discrimination against certain groups (homosexuals, unmarried couples, etc.) that seemed to be protected I don’t think that under the old form, but I see there is any place this rescission as problematfor the Church in ic for a number of reasons.

First of all, the regulathe State, but I tion draws nice, neat lines do think that the around how Americans view State should stay reproductive issues. For exout of the affairs ample, the changes specify that refusal to sell contracepof religious practice and the tives is no longer protected.

However, not all contracepindividual’s way tives prevent pregnancy in of life.” the same way. Some take effect after fertilization. Some consider selling one of these methods to be facilitating an act of murder.

Others see the concept of contraception in any form to be abominable and sinful, and as such feel that it goes against their conscience to facilitate it. Contrary to what seems a common view among the opposition, not all Pro-Lifers look at the issue the same way.

Also problematic is that it seems to ignore our right to religious freedom. I don’t think that there is any place for the Church in the State, but I do think that the State should stay out of the affairs of religious practice and the individual’s way of life.

Unless it actually impinges on the rights of others or discriminates against people, one ought to be able to live as they choose, within certain boundaries. If someone feels that it is contrary to their religious beliefs to perform an infertility treatment that is no longer protected, they ought to have the right to opt out. People aren’t asking for anything but to live as they choose without fear of discrimination.

Sound familiar to anyone?

The momentum of change has been moving further and further away from religion in the past 50 years, to the point where the arguments once used against it are needed to protect it. Now, all those who claim to be religious wish for is to be able to talk about and practice their religions without being figuratively spat upon.

I fully expect to find anti-religious comments online when this runs. I can’t even imagine the pressure some health care providers feel every day to compromise values in such a competitive sphere, where a whole career can go down the drain for refusing some unprotected service because of your convictions.

I will admit that I consider it prudent for Obama to clean up some of the issues of the regulation; but we need to protect everyone’s way of life, no matter how divergent from popular values they may be. We’re a culture of differences, and to leave any part open to discrimination is the wrong direction for our country.

— Buck Roberson, University College freshman

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011 • 5

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9 8 1 2 4 9 5 1 7 2

Previous Solution

4 5 7

2 5 6 8 1 9 3

4 3

1 9 2 3 7 8 6

9 8 6 1 7 5 3 2 4

2 1 7 8 3 4 6 9 5

5 4 3 6 9 2 1 8 7

8 6 5 3 2 1 4 7 9

1 7 2 9 4 6 8 5 3

4 3 9 7 5 8 2 1 6

3 9 8 4 1 7 5 6 2

6 5 4 2 8 9 7 3 1

7 2 1 5 6 3 9 4 8

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

7 9

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.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Getting others to help you accomplish your purposes shouldn’t be a tall order. Once you make your needs known, chances are you’ll have all kinds of volunteers offering to lend a hand.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- This is not the time to coast, because you’re in a cycle that could prove to be very beneficial for you career-wise. It’ll help a lot if you actually become more assertively ambitious.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- One of the best ways to expand your chances for success is to get involved with as many individuals as you can from all walks of life.

New friends will generate new opportunities.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Be attentive to proposals from outsiders who are suggesting new ways to add to your holdings. Check them out, because they are likely to have fresh ways to make money.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Just about everyone with whom you’re involved will find you a warm and gracious person to be around, even if your desires are just to be with your special someone.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Keep your priorities in order and you should have all the success you want. One of the best ways is to put involvements that can contribute to your success at the top of your list.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Even if you’re not seeking it, your peers both singularly and collectively will be following your successful ways. When they see you giving something a nod of approval, they’ll do the same.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Your ears could be buzzing, because others will be talking about you and all the good you’re doing.

Their only wish will be that they could say it to a larger audience.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Fortunately, you’ll fit into activities that utilize both your mental and physical abilities, allowing you to participate in most anything you want to do. Choose a favorite.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Because your entrepreneurial talents will be vying for expression, your creative juices will be flowing.

Find the time to spend on an idea you’ve been pondering.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker February 22, 2011

ACROSS 1 Setting the pace 6 One reason for speech therapy 10 Blind guess 14 It’s in the hold 15 Biblical birthright seller 16 Solo for the fat lady?

17 Go great guns 19 Like bald tires 20 Artificial 21 Swelled head cause 22 Nailed on a slant 23 ___ nut (wheel fastener) 25 Stiff examination?

27 Varied 32 Brief “however” 33 Scandinavian capital 34 Blows it 36 Character of a culture 40 In ___ of 41 The parenthesis in :-) 43 Jekyll’s other personality 44 Some old dynasts 46 Doesn’t raise 47 Vast in scope 48 He fled Sodom

50 Will’s writer 52 Level of command 56 Cracker Jack feature 57 Pre-calc subject 58 Swedish rug 60 Plants grass again 65 Undecided, as a jury 66 Hockshop receipt 68 Slight advantage 69 Earthen pot 70 Young and inexperienced 71 Marsh plant 72 Vocal quality 73 Do an entry-level job?

DOWN 1 Aerobicsclass reminder 2 Controversial ’60s musical 3 Physics units 4 Turkish high official (Var.) 5 Tobacco plug 6 Tropical souvenir 7 Kahoolawe or Capri, e.g.

8 Goatlike antelope 9 Extinguish, as a fire 10 Notched, like a tool 11 ’60s Western sitcom

“F ___” 12 Buenos ___ (Argentina) 13 Toss back and forth 18 Some shades of blue 24 Microbes 26 Frequent title starter 27 Dim-bulbed sort 28 Fertility goddess 29 Dogged little pest?

30 Like man’s best friend 31 Completely wrung out 35 Winter wet stuff 37 Promote aggressively 38 Chief Norse god 39 Religious faction

42 Chaperone 45 Roman sun god 49 Sluggishness 51 Staring at 52 Former anesthetic 53 Well-made product?

54 Venus’ flytrap feature 55 Whitestriped kin of 8-Down 59 Leatherworker’s tools 61 What a cut might cause 62 Steinbeck emigrant 63 “___ Only Just Begun” (Carpenters hit) 64 Editorial reconsideration 67 Siesta

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

© 2011 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com

A DOG’S LIFE by Rob Lee

(Editors: For editorial questions, contact Nadine Anheier, h i @ li k )

Spring Specials

6 • Tuesday, February 22, 2011

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OU STUDENTS YOU ARE INVITED! Informal Discussion Paul Krugman Nobel Prize-Winning Economist and Best-Selling Author

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SPORTS

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 • 7

TOMORROW ›› The OU men’s golf team closes out action at the Puerto Rico Classic

James Corley, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

COLUMN

BASEBALL

All lights on Blake Griffin

OU readies for mid-week series

STAFF COLUMN UMN

Baseball season in full swing with Sooners facing Arkansas-Pine Bluff today and Wednesday in Norman

RJ Young

RYAN GERBOSI The Oklahoma Daily

The Oklahoma City T h u n d e r- L o s A n g e l e s Clippers game at 7 tonight is a homecoming for former Sooner and NBA rookie Blake Griffin — a rarity for professional athletes and hometown fans of professional athletes, alike.

But this one is special.

Since his high school days at Oklahoma Christian School in Edmond, we watched him grow bigger, stronger and more mature on the hardwood from an ungainly, raw talent into one of the best technically efficient and powerful big men in the NBA. At Oklahoma, we watched Griffin make his presence known to a national audience that would soon include his name among the top college basketball players in the country.

We reveled in being able to tell the world during his freshman year, “We’ve known him all along.”

We watched the Sooners orchestrate an assault on the NCAA — with Griffin leading the siege — and took pride in every big play made, every double-digit box score and every TV highlight reel during the Griffin brothers’ time here.

We watched the rest of the world validate Griffin’s efforts as he collected Big 12 Player of the Year awards, was named a unanimous first-team All-American and took home the consensus National Player of the Year award in the 2008-09 season.

We watched (sadly) as he went pro after his sophomore year, because — quite honestly — he had already accomplished all he could as a collegiate player, short of winning a national title.

He finally outgrew his city, his college and his home.

The NBA knew what it was getting when Griffin left for a bigger, better platform to showcase his skills. The Los Angeles Clippers took him with the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Then the worst happened.

In the final game of the Clippers’ 2009-10 preseason schedule, Griffin blew out his left knee and missed the entire regular season due to season-ending surgery.

Not many professional athletes are as gifted mentally as they are physically.

They never had to be.

Blake Griffin had to be.

He gritted his teeth, worked through the rehab, hit the weights and learned

The No. 5 Sooner baseball team is back in action today and Wednesday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

OU is coming off a four-game sweep of the William & Mary Tribe to open up the season last weekend.

Sophomore lefty Ryan Gibson is projected to make his first appearance of the year Tuesday. Gibson is coming off a 2010 season in which he went 5-2 in 12 appearances with a 3.76 ERA. Redshirt freshman Jordan John will make his first start of the season Wednesday. John earned GARRETT BUECHELE the win in relief in Game » Year: Junior 2 of Saturday’s double» Position: header after sitting out Third Base 2010 after Tommy John » Hometown: surgery.

Arlington, Texas OU is poised to con» Notes: tinue its offensive domiBuechele was named the Big 12 Player of the nance from the weekend.

Week, the league announced The Sooners outscored Monday. their opponent 42-12.

Buechele hit home runs in Junior third baseman each of the first three games Garrett Buechele leads for the Sooners and leads the the team and is third in conference in home runs hit in 2011 (3). the conference in batting He batted .625 (10-for-16) with a .625 average. He and slugged 1.188, adding five also leads the Big 12 in RBIs and four runs scored to his hits, home runs and total three homers over the weekend bases after the first weekagainst William & Mary. end of play.

Junior Erik Ross was key to OU’s scoring ability against William & Mary. The left fielder drove in six runs and had a .538 average, good for second on the team behind Buechele.

Coming to Norman will be an Arkansas-Pine Bluff team that played in the Jackson State Tournament in Jackson, Miss. The Lions struggled in the tournament, beating Jackson State but losing to Florida A&M twice.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff will roll out righties Vince Newton and William Dunn to face the Sooners.

OU has faced the Lions in three of the previous six seasons, holding a 6-0 series advantage. Last season, OU sent the Lions out of Norman with defeats of 26-3 and 16-1.

Both games begin at 3 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Player to watch

MARK J. TERRILL/AP

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin dunks over a car as teammate Baron Davis looks on from inside the car during the Slam Dunk Contest at the NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday in L.A. the pro game from the end of the Clippers’ bench.

It’s not often basketball fans are witnesses to a man with as much skill and character as Griffin.

Griffin overcame a careerdefining setback during his first year in the NBA, and he is now in the driver’s seat to claim NBA Rookie of the Year honors, in addition to being named to his first AllStars team and winning the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest.

Those are great accomplishments — there’s no doubt about it.

But greater still will be the intimate moment the Thunder fans and Blake Griffin fans — who are more often than not one and the same — will share tonight.

One of the Sooner nation’s favorite sons is returning to his roots, to the place he rested his head for so many years.

Welcome home, Blake.

Won’t you stay awhile?

— RJ Young, professional writing grad student

Blake Griffin’s career stats COLLEGE (OU) » 2007-08 28.4 minutes per game .568 field goal percentage .589 free throw percentage 9.1 rebounds per game 0.8 blocks per game 14.7 points per game » 2008-09 33.3 minutes per game .654 field goal percentage .590 free throw percentage 14.4 rebounds per game 1.2 blocks per game 22.7 points per game

PRO (LA CLIPPERS) » 2010-11 37.9 minutes per game .510 field goal percentage .617 free throw percentage 12.6 rebounds per game 0.5 blocks per game 22.8 points per game *Source: ESPN.com

SPORTS

8 • Tuesday, February 22, 2011

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

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MEN’S GOLF

McCoy to return to Norman Sooners land in 5th place Former Sooner football great to visit for Cheer Like a Champion Day

after two in Puerto Rico

DAILY STAFF REPORTS

Final round of tournament begins today; OU trails leaders by 14 strokes, led by Riley Pumphrey in 8th place

The Oklahoma Daily

Former Sooner football star Gerald McCoy will return to Norman for Cheer Like a Champion Day. The two-time AllA m e r i c a n a n d c u r re n t Ta m p a B a y B u c c a n e e r will be on hand for the OU women’s basketball game against No. 3 Baylor at 4 p.m. Sunday at Lloyd Noble Center.

McCoy will be recognized at halftime with a video tribute to his contributions to OU football.

The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2, and all fans in reserved and general admission will receive a “Cheer Like a Champion” T-shirt to wear for the “white out” matchup against the Bears.

At the doors, 5,000 special edition Gerald McCoy posters will be distributed to fans.

The first 2,000 fans will receive a scratch card with a chance to win one of 100 plus-one passes to a private post-game VIP meetand-greet with the former

DAILY STAFF REPORTS The Oklahoma Daily

The OU men’s golf team sits in fifth place after the second round of the Puerto Rico Classic on Monday.

The No. 36 Sooners were 1-over for the day and are even after two rounds, 14 strokes back from Georgia Tech and Alabama at the top.

Bedlam rival Oklahoma State sits in third place, eight strokes ahead of the Sooners.

Junior Riley Pumphrey leads the team in

the tournament after shooting a 1-under 71 to sit tied for eighth place at 3-under.

Senior Ryan Sirman is tied for 12th place at 1-under after shooting a 1-over 73 in the second round.

Sophomore Abraham Ancer’s 2-under 70 was the best OU scorecard Monday.

Ancer is tied for 15th place at even par.

The tournament, hosted in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, features 14 teams ranked in the Golfweek/Sagarin top 50 in the Classic’s 15-team field.

“We’re playing a tough field out there,” OU coach Ryan Hybl said. “We need some guys to step up in the final round.”

The final round of tournament play begins this morning. Live scoring will be available on Golfstat.com.

NOTES

Baseball leads conference Senior guard 5th on allin home runs hit in 2011 time 3-point makes list MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY

Former Sooner Gerald McCoy (93) lines up during OU’s 33-7 win over Baylor on Oct. 10, 2009, in Norman.

Sooner star.

McCoy, who had a program-record 40 consecutive starts while at OU, was chosen third overall by Tampa

Bay in the 2010 NFL Draft.

The defensive tackle posted 28 total tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles last season.

The OU baseball team leads the Big 12 Conference in home runs hit after opening weekend.

The Sooners (4-0) hit seven homers in a four-game sweep of William & Mary to start the 2011 season. The other nine conference programs have a combined 14 home runs.

Junior third baseman Garrett Buechele leads the conference individually with three home runs.

After making four 3-pointers in Saturday’s 77-62 road loss to Kansas State, senior guard Cade Davis moved into a tie for fifth place on OU’s all-time 3-point makes list.

The Elk City native is now tied with Ryan Minor (1993-96) with 170 makes.

Terry Evans (1990-93) holds the program record with 259 career makes.

— Daily staff reports