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WOMAN TASERED IN FRONT OF LIBRARY Eyewitnesses say police chased woman who jumped the curb, caused damage by driving the wrong way on Asp Avenue RICKY MARANON Assignment Editor
A woman was shot by a Taser in front of the Bizzell Memorial Library after OU Police and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department chased her down Thursday night. Witnesses on the scene said around 9:30 p.m., a car was driving
the wrong way on Asp Avenue, south of Michael F. Price Hall, when the car took out a few traffic barriers, popped its tires and jumped the curb, stopping in front of the library. “I was waiting for a friend to pick me up just outside of Price and then I noticed this car was driving up the wrong end of the [South Oval],” said Alex Van Heteren, management information systems senior. Van Heteren said he saw the car take out two traffic barriers before turning the corner towards
Bizzell. The car was a white late-model sedan that Van Heteren said was heavily damaged after hitting the barricades. Damage visible to the car on the scene was a missing bumper from the front of the car and a large gash on the driver’s side of the car. The front wheels of the car were worn down to their rims from the chase. “She was driving on rims as she popped the curb and headed down the sidewalk,” said James Alexander, accounting and finance TASER CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
MARCIN RUTKOWSKI/THE DAILY
An officer from the OU Police Department inspects a vehicle in front of the Bizzell Memorial Library. According to eyewitness accounts, a woman drove up the wrong side of Asp Avenue and on to the sidewalk.
Student runners prepare for 10K race First annual event promotes ‘community wellness, health awareness,’ organizer says TA’CHELLE JONES Daily Staff Writer
While most students are gearing up for spring break getaways, others are preparing for a run around the block. The Health and Exercise Science Student Association is hosting its first annual 10-kilometer run — the Sooner Spring 10K TuneUp. Racing will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Huston Huffman Center. The event was created to promote community wellness and health awareness, said Hilary Wright, event co-chair and health and exercise science junior. “It’s great to see so many people coming together to strive for health, because that is not always a huge goal,” Wright said. Preparations regarding the event date back to September. The idea for the race surfaced from the suggestion of Joel Cramer, professor in the Health and Exercise Science Department, said Hannah Turnage, organization vice president and health and exercise science junior. “Dr. Cramer thought it would be a good to do a 10K race because he runs the Oklahoma Memorial Marathon,” Turnage said. “We were like, OK maybe we really should do this.” After the idea was cemented, plans were put into place to carry out the event. For the past seven months, the organization has prepared for the race by creating a course for the runners, contacting the OU and Norman police departments, making race-day goody bags for participants, getting Boomer to make an appearance and much more, Turnage said. The race will begin at the Huston Huffman Center and continue around campus ending back at the starting position. “A 10K is 6.21 miles so it took a lot of turns to get it all just on campus,” Wright said. “But we did it and it’s a really fun view.” Following the event, there RACE CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
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A small group of students occupy a portion of the South Oval on Thursday in protest of statewide cuts to higher education funding and nationwide hikes in tuition. The group also hung a sign from the top of Gaylord Hall which read “Occupy Everything!” The OU occupation is a larger part of a nationwide movement that became violent in at least two states Thursday.
OU protesters demonstrate against tuition spikes South Oval protesters take part in national Day of Action to protest rising cost of higher education RICKY MARANON Assignment Editor
A small group of protesters occupied a segment of the South Oval and hung a sign from the top of Gaylord Hall on Thursday as a means to show support for a nationwide movement to stop funding cuts to public higher education. The group — “Occupy The South Oval!” — spread out a rug, played music and passed out fliers to raise awareness for cuts in state funding. Oklahoma legislators have agreed to a 3.5 percent cut in higher education. California, the most populous state, is expected to raise tuition by 32
percent in public universities. “We think it’s been a pretty good day,” said Daniel Helm, OU campus event co-founder and linguistics and French senior. “We’ve had people come by and talk to us about what we were doing, and the reaction has been mostly positive.” “We can be here well into the night if we feel like it,” said Tate James, fine arts senior and cofounder of the event. The demonstration began at 9 a.m. Thursday and lasted into the evening. The group also hung a sign at the highest point of Gaylord Hall that read “Occupy Everything!” — but it was later removed by OU authorities as of 2:30 p.m. The small occupation was part of a national Day of Action in which students and professors in 32 states did not go to class or walked out of class to protest their anger with administrators and
lawmakers. Some of the incidents across the country became violent and led to the arrests of some protestors. At least 15 protesters were detained by University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee police after as many as 150 students gathered at the student union then moved to an administrative building to deliver petitions to the school chancellor. University spokesman Tom Luljak said campus police allowed one person inside, but when she emerged, she encouraged everyone to rush the building, he said. The violence began when police tried to turn them away. No serious injuries were reported. In northern California, rowdy protesters blocked major gates at two universities and smashed the windows of a car. Protesters at the University of California, Santa PROTEST CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
Student arrested in police sting OU Police combat phone thefts at Huston Huffman Center with sting operation CASEY WILSON Daily Staff Writer
OU Police arrested a student during a sting operation organized in response to the thefts of several electronic devices at Huston Huffman Center, according to OU Police reports. Police reports stated the items stolen at Huston Huffman Center this semester include: iPhones, iPods, cell phones and Blackberry cell phones. These items were stolen in the women’s locker room and near the basketball courts, the reports stated. These thefts are a part of four incidents of theft reported on campus in January, and at least three additional incidents of theft reported in
February, according to police reports. In a response to the cell phone theft incidents, OUPD conducted a “bait” phone sting operation Feb. 17 at the Huston Huffman Center, Officer Christopher Patison said in a police report. “OUPD placed the bait phone and conducted surveillance of the phone,” Patison said. A male student took the phone and then left Huston Huffman Center with it, according to police reports. The student was arrested and charged with petty larceny and concealing stolen property, Patison said. The use of a bait phone is an effective means to combat thefts and is intended to reduce the number of larcenies on campus, Lt. Bruce Chan, OUPD spokesman, said by e-mail. Andrew Dozier, biological chemistry senior, said he is concerned someone might steal his
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cell phone when he comes to Huston Huffman Center. “That’s why I leave it in my car,” he said. “I don’t want to give someone the opportunity to steal it.” Dozier said he has never had anything of his stolen while he was at Huston Huffman. But he said he is sure theft occurs. “People leave things all around,” he said. Montana Story, University College freshman, said he often sees people leaving their things unattended. Story said he is concerned about his belongings being stolen when he comes to the center. When working out, he said, he purchases a daily locker to keep his belongings safe. Officials with the Huston Huffman Center did not return phone calls or e-mail messages regarding this story.
VOL. 95, NO. 111