The Oklahoma Daily

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WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2010

THE UNIVERSITY UNIVVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA’S OKLAHO INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE

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news Open WIFI networks orks may be convenient, ent, but log on at your ur own risk, networkk experts warn. Seee page 3A.

Wom Women’s basketball faces Texas in the Red River Ribalry tonight in Norman. tonig See page 5A.

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Read a tribute to J.D. Salinger. See ee page 1B

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UOSA RESCINDS, REPASSES BILL Identical legislation passed after possible Open Meeting Act violation TROY WEATHERFORD Daily Staff Writer

UOSA passed a bill Tuesday night setting a date for a vote on amendments to the UOSA constitution — a bill identical to the one

passed Jan. 26 in possible violation of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. “This bill we’re considering again in order to be transparent,” said Matthew Gress, UOSA vice chairman. The bill sets the election date for amendments to the UOSA constitution as March 30 and 31, concurrent with spring elections. Representative Shayna Daitch made a successful motion to rescind the original bill

passed Jan. 26. “It doesn’t make sense to pass the bill twice,” Daitch said. Following the meeting during announcements, Daitch said she would like to bring someone in to talk to UOSA about the Open Meeting Act to ensure congress is familiar with it. Daitch said rescinding the bill was the right choice.

“If you do something illegal or inappropriate you need to undo it. So we went back and fixed the mess we created,” she said In an e-mail sent to UOSA members Monday night and forwarded to The Daily, Gress stated his reasoning for reintroducing the bill: “We heard this bill last week but because the newspaper criticized Congress for lacking transparency, Chairman Jennings has UOSA CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

Marriage bill faces scrutiny Openly gay attorney says bill’s author is doing a ‘disservice’ to his constituents CHARLES WARD Daily Staff Writer

MARCIN RUTKOWSKI/THE DAILY

Zane Whobrey, biochemistry junior, bags groceries in Xcetera located in the bottom of the Walker tower Tuesday evening. Xcetera started a new program using green bags to be more ecologically friendly. Students who use the green bags will receive credit toward free merchandise.

Xcetera rewards eco-friendly students Campus store offers free drinks, prizes to students who use reusable bags CASSI TONEY Daily Staff Writer

Campus convenience store Xcetera is giving students incentives to use reusable bags when they shop. Shoppers receive stamps each time they use their “Crimson and Green” reusable bags at Xcetera. When shoppers receive 10 stamps on

the cards, Xcetera rewards them with a free fountain drink and enters them in an end-of-semester drawing for free prizes. Students who consistently bring their reusable bags have a chance to win aluminum canteens, T-shirts and coupons to campus dining locations, Housing and Food Services spokeswoman Lauren Royston said by e-mail. “While these [reusable] bags were on hand for students to use, as well as available for purchase from Xcetera, we noticed that students were making purchases and using plastic grocery

sacks,” Royston said. Ashley Stewart, University College freshman, said she thinks the new rewards system is beneficial. “The process right now with getting rewards will help a lot with using the green bags,” Stewart said. Anna Deshurley, University College freshman, said she thinks more people would use the “Crimson and Green” bags if they understood the environmental impact reusable bags have compared with plastic bags. XCETERA CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

Chat with UOSA sees low turnout UOSA leaders say ‘Coffee with UOSA’ gives students a chance to voice opinions, collaborate TROY WEATHERFORD Daily Staff Writer

UOSA leaders met Tuesday evening to talk to students and hear their concerns. The informal chat in Cate Center was the first of three “Coffee with UOSA” events planned for this semester, in which members of student congress, UOSA Graduate Student Senate, UOSA Superior Court and Campus Activities Council will sit down and discuss ideas and issues with students. “I think it’s a really great program,” said UOSA Chairman John Jennings. “It’s a great way to meet regular students and informally talk about ideas.” UOSA President Katie Fox said she had originally envisioned the event as “Coffee with Katie and Dewey” during the president and vice president’s campaigning, but after the election it expanded to include the rest of student leadership. “We wanted to get to know [regular students] on a personal level COFFEE CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

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UOSA leaders Katie Fox, Kely Van Eaton, Seth McNayr and Anum Syed converse while enjoying complimentary coffee at the Coffee with UOSA event Tuesday night. UOSA plans to host the event often in order to help students learn more about student government.

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A gay and lesbian rights discussion on campus Tuesday took aim at a 100year-old law that could punish people for performing marriage ceremonies not recognized by the state statutes. Former Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Jim Roth, a Democrat who was the first openly gay man to hold statewide office in Oklahoma, criticized a bill Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, recently filed for consideration in the upcoming session of the Oklahoma Legislature. House Bill 3408, as written, would strike two words and add six to Title 43, Section 14 of the Oklahoma statutes. That section addresses criminal punishments for people who are authorized by the state to officiate at weddings but perform illegal marriages. Nelson’s proposed bill would give custody of those arrested under that statute to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, instead of the state penitentiary. That language prompted Roth, an attorney at Oklahoma City firm Phillips Murrah, to express concern about ministers who perform commitment ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples, even though such ceremonies are not recognized by the state. “If he walked his neighborhood, as I think a good candidate would, I bet he’d meet a lot of non-traditional households and so he is doing them a disservice by not serving all of them,” Roth said. “But that’s ridiculous, isn’t it? To try to arrest clergy for performing whatever you want to call it. I know it’s not legally recognized as a marriage, but if you want a commitment ceremony and your church is cool with that, why is the state trying to incarcerate you? It’s stupid.” Nelson, however, said Roth mischaracterized the nature and intent of his bill. Nelson said the bill is a shell bill, a device commonly used by state legislators, reserving the right to address issues which may come up during a legislative session. “[A shell] bill isn’t meant to actually be passed as it’s originally filed and introduced. It’s not meant to actually do MARRIAGE CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

VOL. 95, NO. 89


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