MONDAY MARCH 8, 2010
THE UNIVERSITY VEERSIT Y OF OF OKLAHOMA’S OKLAHOMA’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE
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news n Tw OU students Two couldn’t believe their co luck when they tried to lu find n their seats at the John Mayer concert. Jo See page 3. Se
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The women’s gymnastics team faced No.1 o.1 Alabama on Friday at home. ome. Recap on page 7.
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Read a review of “Alice in Wonderland,” which premiered this weekend. p See page 8.
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Witnesses detail incident prior to Taser shot OU students tangle with woman on the road before she caused damage to traffic barriers, drove wrong way on Asp Avenue RICKY MARANON Assignment Editor
Two students were involved in the traffic violation that ended in a woman being shot by a Taser on Thursday night in front of the Bizzell Memorial Library. Sam Cook, psychology junior, and Emily White, psychology junior, said they were driving together near campus when they encountered the car that would later cause havoc on campus. “We were in the right lane headed south on Classen when we noticed this white car was trying to cut in front of us but didn’t have nearly enough room,” White said. She said another car in the other southbound lane was driving just ahead of them. “I guess whoever was driving the white car was really pissed and wanted to cut in front of us as soon as they could,” White said. Cook said when the car that was next to them pulled ahead of his vehicle, the white car sped up and attempted to cut him off to get in his lane. “I laid on my horn and just as I did that, I saw there was a cop behind me that turned on his lights,” Cook said. “It was after he turned on his lights we just saw this car just
MARCIN RUTKOWSKI / THE DAILY
SOONERS SPRINT FOR HEALTH
Student group opens panel discussion Black stereotypes and social conditions reviewed DANIELA MCCORMICK Daily Staff Writer
JEREMY DICKIE/THE DAILY
Runners begin the 10K race outside early Saturday morning at the Huston Huffman Center. There were more than 250 registered contestants in the race, including current OU students and other members of the community.
Students voice frustrations with parking woes Though there may seem to be many open spots, staff and faculty will return to spaces after construction, official says AUDREY HARRIS Daily Staff Writer
Students who are frustrated with the Asp and Elm avenues parking facilities may be uninformed about parking options for faculty and staff and reserved parking pass holders. Many students have voiced their concerns that faculty, staff and reserved pass holders have too many spots in these facilities. In particular, students who park in the Asp Avenue garage have said they’re confused about who’s allowed to park in the “AAPF reserved” parking area on the second floor. Haley Hoogendoorn, psychology sophomore, said she was confused about what AAPF stood for, and why the floor always seemed to be empty. Hoogendoorn and other students say they assumed the AAPF-reserved parking was for handicapped people or service vehicles. AAPF-reserved permits are those issued to students, faculty or staff who have paid for their own guaranteed parking space in Asp Avenue Parking Facility, said Kris Glenn, Cleveland Area Rapid Transit spokesman. There are reserved spots available in Elm Avenue Parking Facility as well. Glenn said there are 65 reserved parking spaces available in the Elm Avenue garage, and 65 permits have been issued. Glenn said there is a waiting list of 12 people for reserved
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parking in the Elm Avenue garage. In addition, 72 spots are reserved in the Asp Avenue Parking Facility and 40 permits have been issued. Reserved permits for the Asp or Elm Parking Facilities cost $889 per year. Wazhma Saidi, political science sophomore, said she always sees faculty and staff or reserved spots open in the Asp Avenue garage. “Pretty much any time of the day you can expect to see level four going down and three going down for the faculty is empty,” Saidi said. “There’s maybe a car there.” Saidi, who lives in Moore, paid for a commuter pass. She said unless she goes to Lloyd Noble Center, she has to arrive at OU at least 40 minutes early in order to find a spot. “Who’s going to go to Lloyd Noble if you’ve paid $200 to get a pass?” Saidi said. “I mean, if you’ve paid $200, I’m expecting to be able to park on campus.” Saidi said she also sometimes walks from the Duck Pond. “My books are heavy, and I didn’t pay $200 for back problems,” she said. Glenn said a lot of the open spaces designated to faculty and staff may seem like they’re open, because both the College of Architecture and the College of Education have temporarily relocated. Glenn said when the buildings are renovated, the staff will come back and there won’t be as many empty spaces. In addition, the renovations could affect the number of reserved spaces open in the Asp Avenue Parking Facility. Glenn said the reserved spots are usually closer to 85 to 90 percent sold, and if the number is still low once all the departments are back on campus, opening the extra reserved
spots up could be reviewed. Glenn said the department does space counts once a week at peak times and peak days to see how many spots are available on campus. He said 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. are optimal times. “Available spaces are 200 to 300 spaces in any given time in lots that are designated for students,” Glenn said. However, Glenn said the utility plant construction has displaced 350 spaces. “With what they’re doing I know there is going to be limited spots, but they have to be able to feasibly give us parking so that we can park someplace close to where we’re trying to go,” said Kyle Reed, petroleum engineering sophomore. “Nobody wants to park in the stadium lot if you are going to the opposite side and the Physical Science Center. But sometimes you don’t have that option.” Reed said the search for parking gets him to the point where he doesn’t even want to go to class. “I was supposed to be in class at 2:30 p.m., and I left at 1:40 p.m. and didn’t find a spot until after class had already started,” Reed said. “At that point you’re just like, ‘I might as well give up and go home.’” Glenn said the Asp and Elm avenues parking facilities are popular facilities, but there are still parking opportunities available even with the construction. “If students would not drive around those and go directly to a lot where they know is open — for example, the Duck Pond lot — I think it would be much more convenient,” Glenn said.
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A student group presented a panel and poetry reading Sunday evening in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Beaird Lounge to open discussion about black stereotypes and social conditions. Shayna Thomas, professional writing sophomore, said P.E.A.C.E, a group created by marketing junior Jaren Collins in 2008, hosted the panel, “Why Does Every Black Woman Seem So &#^! Angry?: The Misconception” to uplift the black woman and to educate people and raise their awareness. P.E.A.C.E stands for Poets, Entertainers, Artists’, Creative, Expressions. “It was created for self-expression, creative forms,” said Thomas, P.E.A.C.E president. Thomas said the group’s purpose is to educate, and this year marks the first panel it has held. She said the panel is diverse with many points of view. The panel included Trey Moore, assistant director for prospective student services; Eric Sourie, human relations professor; and students Rashad Hutchins and Christine Knighton. Topics they discussed covered stereotypes, social appearances, self-hate and various other topics. Some of the panels said they felt touched by certain issues they were asked to discuss. Rashad Hutchins, mechanical engineering junior, said the topic that jumped out at him the most was how people view appearances. “It’s about the potential you could have if you released yourself from the judgment of appearances from others,” Hutchins said. Hutchins said in the fifth grade he had the opportunity to go skiing, but another girl said she wouldn’t because skiing was a white thing, and she didn’t want to be seen as white. He said he regretted worrying about his appearance. “In seventh grade, I went skiing,” Hutchins said. “I loved it. What would’ve happened if I started earlier?” To express their own views of the topics the panel discussed, voluntary performers presented their own poetry stating things like “What’s understood needs to be explained,” and “Black women need not be ashamed of who they are.” Courtney Cage, University College freshman, was a guest performer who painted a portrait of black woman while Thomas read a poem by Maya Angelou that talked about a woman’s confidence in who she is. Watching from the audience, Aziza Kedir, industrial engineering senior, found herself inspired. “I thought it was amazing. I’ve never seen anyone paint on the spot like that.” Kedir said.
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