The Oklahoma Daily

MONDAY MAY 3, 2010

TTHE HE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSIT Y OF OF OKLAHOMA’S OKLAHO INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE

Am Amtrak iss adding more destinations m stinations and routes an es to its schedule.. Learn sc more on page 3. m

Ann OU graduate has started a local comedy label. Details on page 8.

The baseball team won a home series against Kansas State aga during the weekend. duri Recap on page 7.

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Student leaders sworn into office Zenteno, Lloyd say they plan to work together, fulfill campaign promises RICKY MARANON Assignment Editor

The UOSA inauguration ceremony Friday afternoon in the courtyard of the Oklahoma Memorial Union was a symbolic passing of the torch from this year’s student government leaders to next year’s leaders, Franz Zenteno and Cory Lloyd.

Zenteno, UOSA president, said he is honored to have the chance to serve as student body president.

“Coming to the University of Oklahoma as an exchange student, I never thought I would have the opportunity to stand here today, and I think that is the beauty of this university

because this university is open to everybody,” he said.

Zenteno said he has learned many of life’s toughest lessons at OU. “I’ve learned to fall,” Zenteno said. “I’ve learned to get up, and I’ve learned to be a leader.”

Zenteno said these lessons have taught him his full potential and said he ran for UOSA president as a way of thanking OU for teaching him tough life lessons.

He said he and Lloyd will work together like twins in the upcoming year. “ H e ’s l i k e m y b r o t h e r,” Zenteno said.

Lloyd said he is looking forward to fulfilling every promise he and Zenteno made during the campaign.

“Three hundred sixty-five INAUGURATION CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

RICKY MARANON/THE DAILY

Cory Lloyd (left) and Franz Zenteno are sworn in as UOSA vice president and president Friday in the courtyard of the Oklahoma Memorial Union. The pair was elected after the Apil 27 and 28 run-off elections.

Children swarm history museum

Faculty Senate blocking any dead week policy changes Senate voted in 2009 against changing regulations until at least 2014 TROY WEATHERFORD Daily Staff Writer

MARCIN RUTKOWSKI / THE DAILY

Children enjoy their visit Saturday to the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The museum began its monthlong commemoration of the anniversary by offering free admission Saturday and Sunday. Read more on page 2.

FREE — ADDITIONAL COPIES 25¢

© 2010 OU PUBLICATIONS BOARD

Students may be feeling the stress of dead week, which starts today, but for those hoping to see a change in dead week policy, it is going to take more than a wish to see any action.

On March 9, 2009, the Faculty Senate voted 19-12 not to amend dead week regulations until at least 2014, according to The Daily’s archive.

In spring 2008 elections, 93 percent of more than 8,000 students voted for a change in dead week policy. The OU Faculty Handbook doesn’t use the term “dead week” but does define some prefinals week policies.

The policy allows faculty to cover new material during pre-finals week. It also allows assignments worth 10 percent or less of the class’s total grade to be due during pre-finals week, according to the OU Faculty Handbook.

Assignments worth more than 10 percent of the class’s total grade must be assigned at least 30 days in advance if it is due during pre-finals week, according to the handbook.

Before the Faculty Senate vote in March 2009, Student Congress attempted to amend the dead week policy.

Leading up to the vote, Kurt Davidson, former congress chairman, encouraged the Faculty Senate to change the policy from 10 percent to 5 percent.

After the Faculty Senate’s decision not to amend the policy until 2014, the The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board criticized UOSA for fighting the wrong battle. “[UOSA] should have tried to implement truly significant change — eliminating required classes and all assignments during dead week completely, for instance, or stop griping about that extra 5 percent,” the editorial board wrote.

In reply to The Daily’s editorial, Davidson wrote a letter to the editor that said, “Congress aimed for reforms that would make pre-finals week closer to a true dead period. However, ideas such as that were immediately shut down, and we chose to work with the Faculty Senate to compromise ... what was left after compromise was essentially a clearer version of the same policy with a slight reduction in the amount of work allowed for the week.”

Davidson said the Faculty Senate blatantly ignored the feelings of the student body with its decision.

VOL. 95, NO. 147

2 Monday, May 3, 2010 Caitlin Harrison, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

Inauguration Continues from page 1 days from now, we are committed to stand before you with a completed checklist,” Lloyd said.

Outgoing UOSA President Katie Fox said she was proud of Zenteno and Lloyd’s accomplishments and offered some advice about the job.

“The advice I would give Franz and Cory as they start planning for next year is to reach out to the non-traditional students,” Fox said.

“It is these students who don’t know and don’t ever plan to get involved that make the most impact on this campus and in student government.”

Fox said she considered herself to be a non-traditional student before she became involved in UOSA her sophomore year.

“You should reach out to those students who don’t know they have the potential to lead,” Fox said. “It will give them a great opportunity to explore their strengths and try something they never thought they could do.”

CAC CHAIR INAUGURATED Campus Activities Council Chairwoman Valerie Hall also was sworn in Friday afternoon.

Hall said her previous experiences in CAC will guide her in the upcoming year.

“We need to strengthen our traditions and help in community d e v e l o p m e n t ,” Hall said.

She said she wants to reach out to groups that have not been involved with CAC but still have traVALERIE ditions that are HALL valuable to OU.

OUDAILY.COM » G O O N L I N E TO V I E W S O M E PERFORMANCES FROM THIS YEAR’S NORMAN MUSIC FESTIVAL.

Sam Noble Museum celebrates its 10th year Students, residents spend weekend at museum for free to honor 10-year anniversary; admission also is free today AUDREY HARRIS Daily Staff Writer

Families and students from the Norman area visited the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History to commemorate its 10-year anniversary this weekend.

The museum kicked off its monthlong celebration with a free-admission offer Saturday and Sunday.

University College freshmen Zach Lanier and Maggie Cannon said they visited the museum on an impulse. “ We s a w f l y e r s a t C a t e (Center) for the anniversary, and I haven’t been here since third grade,” Lanier said.

Cannon said the museum seemed a lot bigger when she was a kid.

“Still, the animal exhibit is my favorite,” Cannon said.

Ma re e P ro d o e h l v i s i t e d the museum with her family

during its anniversary weekend.

Prodoehl, of Yukon, Okla., brought her kids, parents and grandmother to spend the day there.

“We needed a family outing, and it was free,” Prodoehl said.

Prodoehl said she and her family were newcomers to the museum, but she would like to visit again.

“My kids loved everything that was hands on,” she said.

“They loved pulling out all of the drawers and touching the bison.”

Prodoehl said she appreciated all of the seating available in the building.

“We enjoyed being able to sit and look at the displays,” Prodoehl said.

The museum opened its doors May 1, 2000, but has existed for more than 100 years. An act by the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature in 1899 established the Sam Noble Museum, and its collections were scattered in buildings across OU’s campus until the current building opened in 2000, according to a press release.

“Though our museum has

been in this world-class facility for only 10 years, it’s important for us to remember that the museum itself has been a part of Oklahoma since before it became a state,” said Michael Mares, museum director.

The museum was founded with money from Norman city and state bonds, as well as donations from the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Samedan Oil Corporation and Noble Drilling Company.

According to the press release, $12 million was raised from private donations, including money collected by school children across the state.

“The treasures in our collection belong to the people of this state, and the people helped to create a showcase for these treasures that rivals any museum in the nation,” Mares said.

The museum houses more than seven million specimens in 12 different collections, according to its website.

Kim Schauer, multidisciplinary studies junior, stopped by the museum with her mom who was in tow n visiting.

Schauer said she was fascinated

• In the April 27 issue of The Daily, the photo that accompanied “Exhibit opens eyes to human cost of war” was an incorrect illustra-

MAY MUSEUM EVENTS Today — Free First Monday: Free museum admission 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday — Girl Scout Workshops: Eco-explorer and Earth connections for girl scouts. $7 per scout.

May 18 — International Museums Day: Free museum admission 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

May 21 — Move Night: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” 5:30 to 9 p.m. $5 for adults. $1 per ticket discount for museum members.

For a full calender of events, visit www.snomnh.ou.edu.

CAMPUS EVENTS

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY The Daily has a long-standing commitment to serve readers by providing accurate coverage and analysis. Errors are corrected as they are identified. Readers should bring errors to the attention of the editorial board for further investigation by e-mailing dailynews@ ou.edu.

by all the fossils.

“Thinking about the world 200 million years ago is mindboggling,” Schauer said.

Mares said he is proud that Oklahomans have given their support to the museum.

“I know Oklahomans are proud of their beautiful museum,” Mares said. “We look forward to another 100 years of collecting, research and exhibits.”

tion of the story. The photographer erroneously took a photo of Robert Davis’ thesis exhibition at Mainsite Gallery in downtown Norman. Davis is a master of fine arts student in the School of Art and Art History.

• A page 1 story on the invisibleBracelet in Friday’s edition should have included the following information: OU is purchasing this service for students. OU employees can register at no cost for the first year.

MONDAY CAREER SERVICES Career Services will host a Student Success Series about Nutrition and Health for Finals Week at 3 p.m. in Wagner Hall, room 245.

TUESDAY YOUNG PROPHETS READING

The OU Young Prophets creative writing student group will host a reading of their original works at 7 p.m. in Ellison Hall.

CAREER SERVICES Career Services will host a Student Success Series about Nutrition and Health for Finals Week at 3 p.m. in Wagner Hall, room 245.

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Amtrak looks to connect more cities Study suggests rail service add daily trains from Texas to Missouri CASSI TONEY Daily Staff Writer

Amtrak’s plans to expand its rail service could connect Oklahoma City to Wichita, Kan., and add one extra train to the Heartland Flyer route.

The Northern Flyer Alliance is trying to add a train to the Heartland Flyer so there will be two north-bound and two south-bound trains daily, said Evan Stair, vice president of Oklahoma for Northern Flyer Alliance.

“The second train would really help because now the OU students have to leave Friday morning or Saturday morning and come back Sunday evening,” said Donna Jones, train station hostess.

Jones said the Norman train station hosts an average of 20 train travelers every morning.

She said there are approximately 400 passengers per month.

The Heartland Flyer, which currently travels daily between Fort Worth, Texas, through Norman to Oklahoma City, has an annual ridership of 82,000 and has operated since 1999, Stair said.

The Amtrak KS-OK-TX Feasibility Study, released March 11, gave four alternatives to connect the Heartland Flyer route with northern Amtrak cities.

One of the alternatives would add a day train to the Heartland Flyer track between Fort Worth, Texas, to Oklahoma City and a

train between Oklahoma City to Kansas City, Mo. The third alternative would have the highest annual ridership of 174,000 and capital of $479 million, according to the study. It would add a morning departure from Fort Worth, Texas, to Norman to the evening departure and an afternoon departure from Norman to the morning departure.

The Heartland Flyer route will not change its times in any of the alternatives, Stair said.

There is a 200-mile gap between Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kan., without any railroad service, according to the Northern Flyer Alliance Testimony to the Oklahoma House Transportation Committee on April 8.

Jones said a volunteer group in Wichita, Kan., has the support of Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson and the Kansas senators to extend the train to Wichita, Kan., which has not had the train since 1979. She said the tracks are already laid between Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kan. Stair said the legislative bills for the train extension were passed with 95 percent bipartisan support in Kansas. He said the additional train to Kansas City would connect Oklahoma to half of the national train system.

The benefits of adding the train outweigh the costs, and part of President Barack Obama’s High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program in the American Recovery Act of 2009 gives $8 billion to develop various rail programs, Stair said.

“The probability, I think, is very good with the federal dollars being available,” Stair said.

Stair said the most expensive operational

JEREMY DICKIE/THE DAILY

The Heartland Flyer train arrives at the Norman Amtrak station. The train arrives every day at 8:45 a.m. and departes every night at 8:59 p.m. from the Fort Worth Amtrak station. scenario would have Oklahoma paying $3.4 million per year in addition to $2.3 million each year for the Heartland Flyer. He said the cost is very low compared to the $9 million it costs to pave a one-mile stretch on the interstate.

Stair said when gas prices increase to more than $2.40 per gallon, a train ticket becomes cheaper. He said some trains are experimenting with Wi-Fi. “You just have to slow down a little bit and take the train,” Jones said. “[Driving] 2 1/2 hours, compared to riding on the train for four hours, is not that big of a difference.”

Jaimie Krycho, professional writing junior, said she took the train to Fort Worth, Texas, every other week during her freshman year.

Krycho said she wanted to do homework during the time she would be driving.

“By the time I get to my parents, I can visit with them instead of doing my homework while I’m over there,” Krycho said.

Stair said for those who take the train, the benefits of rail travel become apparent. “[The railroad system] is really kind of a hidden treasure in Oklahoma,” Stair said. “It could have much greater value to Oklahoma as the years progress.”

POLICE REPORTS David Stuart Pilchman, 20, 442 Elm Ave., Saturday POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL James Cole McIntyre, 20, 444 S. Flood Ave., Saturday Michael Brandon Spinner, 20, 444 S. Flood Ave., Saturday Daniel Aran, 18, 563 Buchanan Ave., Friday Kyle Raymond Baginski, 18, 563 Buchanan Ave., Friday, also age misrepresentation Brooke Caroline Bishop, 20, 563 Buchanan Ave., AGGRAVATED DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Ivan Richard Flores, 21, 1200 Alameda St., Thursday, Friday also no valid driver’s license UNLAWFUL USE OF DRIVER’S LICENSE Joshua Logan Breeden, 19, 747 Asp Ave., Saturday DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Jacqyuelyn Desiree Boyd, 21, East Constitution Street, Jordan Elizabeth Cole, 20, 759 Asp Ave., Friday Saturday Rachel Anne Lippoldt, 25, East Brooks Street, POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA Andrea Rose Frazier, 25, North I-35 Interstate, Saturday Mandi Lynn Hudson, 23, West Lindsey Street, Friday, Thursday also transporting an open container PETTY LARCENY Florence Levina Dill, 67, 3499 W. Main St., Friday POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA The following is a list of arrests and citations, not convictions. The information given is compiled from the Norman and OU Police Departments. At times, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department and the Oklahoma City FBI will contribute to these reports. All those listed are innocent until proven guilty.

!!!

Zak Caleb Goudy, 18, 333 N. Interstate Drive, Friday DOMESTIC ABUSE Jennifer N. Jones, 20, 1432 SE 24th Ave., Saturday DISTURBING THE PEACE Rahal Suryahant Kadam, 30, 500 Stinson St., Saturday Lisa Toal Porter, 55, 102 W. Eufaula St., Friday Jeffery Cashmir Nyoni, 20, 1706 Northcrest Drive, Friday

Jade Daniel Lavell, 30, 824 E. Symmes St., Saturday Randy Williams, 53, 3001 Pheasant Run Road, Saturday Orrin Tell Atkins, 30, Arapahoe Drive, Friday Christopher Ali Khalili, 44, 1938 Fillmore Ave., Friday LARCENY Joseph Leeray Mack, 25, East Tonhawa Street, Friday, also possessing stolen property POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA Joe Allen Sims, 31, 4800 NW 36th Ave., Saturday

POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED DANGEROUS PUBLIC INTOXICATION SUBSTANCES Justin Leigh Summers, 34, E. Gray Street, Saturday Joe Willis Webb, 20, Vicksburg Avenue, Friday Eric Lee Sardella, 19, 719 Parsons St., Saturday Robert Edward Demarah, 37, S. University Boulevard, MUNICIPAL WARRANT Thursday Jenny Lynn Padilla, 35, 201 W. Gray St., Friday Isaiah Paul Patneaude, 21, 201 W. Gray St., Friday MOLESTING PROPERTY Paige Amanda Mae Waggoner, 18, 810 E. Alameda St., COUNTY WARRANT Matthew Lee Williams, 20, Highland Parkway, Friday Saturday

President David Boren

Invites All Students

To an open discussion of the University’s budget, including possible scenarios related to tuition and fees for the next school year.

2 to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, May 5 Beaird Lounge Oklahoma Memorial Union For accommodations on the basis of disability, please call the Office of Special Events at (405) 325-3784.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

4

Monday, May 3, 2010

Annelise Russell, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

COMMENTS OF THE DAY »

In response to Friday’s Our View about influential OU students.

YOU CAN COMMENT AT OUDAILY.COM

“... Instead of finding a good list, I think you picked the first seven you thought of. I’m waiting for someone to say Gerald McCoy was not influential other than being a good football player and funny Tweeter. He technically left school early to pursue a career. Go.” - TheTroll

“McCoy got his degree. That was always his pr statement as to why he was leaving early. He wanted a degree, his mom wanted him to get a degree. He got one, now he can leave. He’s a redshirt junior, which means he is a senior academically.”

- OUSooners

OUR VIEW

SAY NO TO RACIAL PROFILING The state of Arizona recently passed some of the strictest immigration legislation in the country.

Under the new law, police officers will be allowed to stop individuals whom they reasonably suspect to be an illegal immigrant.

While action should be taken to address issues at the Mexican-American border, this is not it. And members of the University of Arizona community are already up in arms.

University of Arizona President Robert Shelton reported this week he has received calls from parents who said they will not send their child to the university because of the recently passed immigration legislation.

As members of a college town, it is easy to see how this law might get out of hand.

Imagine an international student walking to the convenience store at midnight for a late-night snack. The student heads out the door with keys and a few dollars.

The student walks up the road to the gas station to make a purchase but is stopped in the store by a police officer because he or she jaywalked across the street. That police officer, under the new Arizona law, has the authority to arrest and detain the student because he or she is not in possession of a visa or identification.

This student committed a minor infraction by crossing the street at the wrong

Thumbs UP, Thumbs DOWN the week in a nutshell

point, but is it reasonable to ask all minorities to carry identification for fear of being stopped and detained? Our answer is no.

The goal of this legislation may not be to profile minorities, but the threat is there.

Imagine if that international student was your roommate in the dorms. It could happen here at OU. Oklahoma has already passed strict immigration laws such as HB 1804, which calls on employees to verify the resident status of each of their staff members.

Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, announced his willingness to follow Arizona’s lead and suggested amendments be made to current bills to include such legislation, according to the Associated Press.

This is quickly becoming an issue greater than just Arizona, and an issue that could hit home for many OU students who are international or don’t look like the police officer questioning them.

We still seek an answer for immigration, but this is certainly not an acceptable result.

President David Boren and the student body should stand up against the potential for this type of racial profiling. If not, OU could follow in the footsteps of the University of Arizona, potentially leading to a less diverse campus.

President Barack Obama pokes fun at himself at the White House Correspondents dinner.

American civil rights legend Dorothy Height died.

The U.S. Navy gave the OK for women on submarines.

Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to threaten coastal region.

The Oklahoma City Thunder made a good playoff run and capped off an impressive season.

Greece’s mounting debt threatens European Union economy.

Last week of legitimate classes.

Abortion bills made law in Oklahoma.

COMMENT ON THIS AT OUDAILY.COM

STAFF COLUMN

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Embrace the Earth For the fourth time since its premiere, I sat down and watched “Avatar,” this time on my living room TV. As with every other time, I sat and got lost in Pandora.

Yeah, yeah, the story is cliché. I’ve heard that a million times. But the story is incredibly relevant to today. Thanks, James Cameron.

I would have hoped that such a film, with its record-high popularity, would spark some BROOKE environmentalist activism. Or at least that it MYERS would enhance the “green” movement.

How do millions of people watch that movie and then keep contributing to the deforestation and pollution movement that has been sweeping the globe for more than a century like a plague affecting nature?

The storyline of “Avatar” is cliché, as critics have pointed out (even if they love the movie). But what “Avatar” hones on — the real, physical connection people have with nature — helps to show a cliché film in an original light.

That story of man vs. nature is more pertinent to today than it has ever been. It’s our ongoing reality.

We believe we can defeat nature. But a victory in the battle against trees or the battle against our ocean or the battle to take as prisoner all the natural resources in Earth’s brigade is a stupid conquest. We’re enslaving and killing what is meant to live and produce to keep us alive. To make an enemy of the Earth is like making any enemy of the very organs needed to keep us breathing.

We’ll never win the war.

All wars result in tragedy; and ours is the greatest and most widespread of them all: The tragedy of the commons.

Today, 5,000 barrels of oil have joined the thousands of other barrels of oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

Today, more of the ozone layer dissolved.

Today, people young and old died because there’s no water for them to drink.

Today, another machine cut down another forest of trees.

The list is infinite. But it’s difficult to make it mean something to you, because the problem requires not just your cooperation, but everyone’s. That in itself is what makes this problem so great and so tragic: It is everyone’s.

We have killed our mother, as “Avatar’s” Jake Sully tells Eywa, the Na’vi’s mother goddess.

When we lose nature, we lose humanity. We’re already losing it through our detachment and destruction of all things natural.

When all the problems others in non-developed countries face — scarcity of water, disease, conflict over natural resources — reach America, we’ll understand what we’ve done and what we’re doing. When our problems are no longer just economic, we’ll understand that it should not have been our mission to supersede nature. It should not have been our mission to treat it as other than and apart from ourselves, to exploit it and to kill it.

We have to understand the symbiosis, the innate connection between humanity and Earth. Why are the planets surrounding us not inhabited by life? There’s no mother, no source for life.

Those peoples that have realized this have been oppressed by a Western model that thrives off domination. And that model is spreading as technology shrinks the globe.

What we need to know is all this can only lead to one thing: Mass suicide.

Comments and rumors don’t always reveal the whole truth Now that the dust has settled — in a manner of speaking — I’d like to take a second and introduce myself: I’m Jeff Riles, former UOSA Election Chair and first-year law student. I’ve had the misfortune of reading on Facebook and in the comments section of OUDaily.com a lot of comments about me from people I’ve never even met.

So, let’s get acquainted.

When former UOSA President Katie Fox asked me to serve as chairman of the Election Board, it took some convincing. Apparently there weren’t very many applicants; in fact there were zero.

I ultimately accepted the job because as an undergraduate, I was a student body president at Oklahoma City University and believe that student government plays an important role in the life of a university. It helps remind the institution that, above all else, the focus belongs with the students.

Let me air out some dirty laundry: I am a friend of UOSA presidential candidate Ally Glavas, I am a friend with her former campaign manger, and I am even dating one of her supporters. There, I said it. It is true. That alone is not sufficient to show bias. I mean, come on, we fined that dog the Glavas campaign had for being too close to a polling location.

I told the Election Board from the very beginning that we had a responsibility to act and be completely unbiased. That meant we couldn’t join Facebook groups, wear T-shirts, look at campaign websites, hang out with and even, in many ways, act like we even knew the candidates.

We had a responsibility, and that was to serve the students of OU and to run a fair election. I believe we did — and let me speak directly to the most widely spread rumors I’ve heard.

“The board made an exception for Katie Fox.” No, we did not. The election rules state that no university employee, while they are on duty, can campaign for a candidate. The board believed that because Fox made the video outside of her office hours in a Gaylord classroom that she was not on duty as an employee. The Superior Court disagreed, and that is its right. Reasonable minds can disagree.

“The Board made an exception for Ally and Zac’s computers.” No, in fact, we did not. When the Glavas-

McCullock campaign manager admirably asked me if they could have laptops outside of the cafeteria, I said there wasn’t anything in the rules to me that explicitly prohibited it, but it appears “fishy.” In fact, I told the campaign that I was not giving it permission, but told it to exercise its own judgment.

The board ultimately decided after the fact that we didn’t believe that infringed on the rights of the voters to arrive at a voting decision free from “undue influence.” The court disagreed. Again, reasonable minds can disagree.

The chief justice told me in an e-mail: “one thing that should be pointed out to you is that I think you did an excellent job. The problem in this case was not negligence ... by you or the board. It is a statutory problem that occurred well before you arrived at OU.” I suppose, here, reasonable minds can agree.

The election code is horrendous, and I hope the new UOSA leadership will fix it. We were asked to make difficult decisions regarding things that were unclear, and the court ultimately has the final say — and that’s the beauty and confusion of it all, I suppose: The court is actually the board. It is 20 pages of absolute nonsense. We exercised our judgment in good faith.

For those of you who think we were biased and unfair, I ask you to think critically before you speak again. If you sincerely believe we committed voter fraud, take me before the Superior Court and prosecute me. The reality is, you can’t, because the facts simply don’t add up.

Presidential candidate Jess Eddy told me in an email: “you used clear and good reason throughout and insured a fair chance for all candidates.”

I am proud of Franz Zenteno and Cory Lloyd for trying to run a clean campaign and truly am looking forward to seeing them effectuating their promises. I’m proud of Glavas and Zac McCullock for being so gracious during this transition period; they always have my highest admiration and respect.

I’m proud to be a student at OU, and you should be too. So, let’s move forward and build the future.

It was nice to meet you.

—Jeff Riles Former UOSA Election Chair

Do you have something to say? The

Oklahoma Daily is now hiring columnists for the fall. To apply, e-mail

dailyopinion@ou.edu

Send a copy of your writing and a resume with contact information.

For more information on The Oklahoma Daily or OU Student Media, visit OUDaily.com or www.studentmedia.ou.edu.

Brooke Myers is a University College freshman.

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6 Monday, May 3, 2010 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

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Traditions Spirits has immediate job openings for SERVERS and HOSTS at Autographs Sports Bar and BEVERAGE SERVERS at Riverwind Casino, both located in Norman, OK. Please apply in person at Traditions Spirits Corporate Office. Directions: Follow Highway 9 West past Riverwind Casino, travel 2 miles, turn right on Pennsylvania, take an immediate left onto the service road 2813 SE 44th Norman, OK 405-392-4550, or online at www.traditionsspirits.com Wanted: Caregiver for nursery and/or elementary age children at United Methodist church with progressive theology. Must be available Sunday mornings. Weeknight opportunities available. Complete application at St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, 1801 W. Brooks, 405-321-4988.

Bartending! Up to $300/day. No exp nec.

Training provided. 1-800-965-6520 x133.

SUMMER LIFEGUARDS & SWIM INSTRUCTORS. Aquatic staff and swimmers.

Apply at the Cleveland County Family YMCA, 1350 Lexington Ave. EOE. Summer Plans? Research Volunteers Needed. Researchers at OU Health Sciences Center need healthy volunteers ages 18 to 30 who have a parent with or without a history of an alcohol or drug problem. Qualified study participants will be compensated for their time. Full participation involves 5 appointments. Call (405) 456-4303 to learn more about the study and to see if you qualify. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

J Housing Rentals

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1

6 9

9 2

2 1 5 8 4 7 3 2 6 8 7 6 4 5 3 4 1 3 5 3 2 9 1 5 9 5 6 7 3 4 8

Previous Solution 3 1 8 4 9 5 6 2 7

7 6 9 2 3 8 4 1 5

2 5 4 6 7 1 9 8 3

5 7 6 1 2 3 8 9 4

1 9 3 7 8 4 5 6 2

8 4 2 5 6 9 3 7 1

6 3 1 8 4 7 2 5 9

9 2 5 3 1 6 7 4 8

4 8 7 9 5 2 1 3 6

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.

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Monday, May 3, 2010 TAURUS (April 20-May 20) - Be on your toes, because today you should be able to achieve an important objective through some pretty shrewd political maneuvering. Let your common sense govern your actions.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) - Although most conditions are favorable for you today, your greatest benefits are likely to come from a partnership arrangement. It might be with someone with whom you’ve been involved before.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - Go along with the flow of events instead of trying to force what you want to happen, and chances are you’ll like the way things turn out. Sometimes it pays to lay low.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21) - You are likely to have some better than usual chances for fulfilling an ambitious objective today. However, it will have to be well defined and will require some real effort.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) - Spending some quality time with friends or associates whose thinking is in tune with yours could produce some very beneficial exchanges of ideas.

Make the time to do so.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - There are times when you need a break from certain routines that have become laborious, and today might be one of those days. Take some time off to enjoy an activity you truly enjoy.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) - Put forth your best efforts, because those who pass out the rewards will make them bigger than usual if you do more than what is asked of you. The compensation could be quite generous.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.

22) - Successful relationships with people you interact with could be greater than usual with minimum effort. You could even establish a new friendship in the process.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Allow friends to do for you what you would do for them if your roles were reversed, and some good things could come out of it.

It always pays to be a gracious recipient.

Previous Answers

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) - Although you might not have direct control over certain developments that occur today, you’re likely to enjoy what transpires. Actually, an unexpected change might be refreshing.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) - Without deliberately trying to do so, your very presence might have a big influence over your involvements with others.

However, it’ll be the type of force that brings harmony over dissension.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) - Making a profit should come more easily for you at this time, whether you are buying or selling. Apply yourself now while your financial picture looks so encouraging.

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Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker May 03, 2010

ACROSS 1 Allow entrance to 6 Put on board 10 Cherry centers 14 Beauty pageant winner’s crown 15 Entertainer Amos or Spelling 16 Pastoral poem (Var.) 17 Urge to continue 18 Adam’s garden 19 Slangy denial 20 What a plumber on the decline does?

23 “The best is ___ to come!”

24 “The lady ___ protest too much” 25 Monopoly game piece 28 Partner of relaxation 31 Has a litter 35 Some binary digits 37 They’re not positive 39 Hanker 40 Plumber’s shout to noisy movie patrons?

43 Muslim prince (Var.) 44 Telephone button 45 “To thine

own ___ be true” 46 Taco toppers 48 Prepare paint 50 TKO official 51 Creatures studied by Goodall and Fossey 53 “Just a ___” (“hold on”) 55 Show affection like a plumber?

62 Kachina-doll makers 63 Kind of poetic foot 64 Advance warning 66 Prayerending word 67 Measures of electrical current 68 Trunk, in art class 69 Big bell 70 Speech flaw 71 Word of welcome DOWN 1 Got some duck down?

2 Archaeological sites 3 Biblical wise guys 4 Literary incongruity 5 Ship for Suez passage 6 “Never mind!” notation 7 List header 8 Nymph in Greek myth

9 Separate chaff from grain 10 Rotating fireworks 11 “Survivor” immunity emblem 12 Galley goof 13 Whole heap 21 Gregg grad 22 Gas for Merman?

25 Contends with difficulties 26 Persona’s counterpart, in Jungian psychology 27 Rebuff 29 Plants 30 Where some pitchers sleep?

32 Brickworker or hen, at times 33 British laborer 34 Extinguish a

36 38 41 42 47 49 52 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 65

candle (with “out”) Showing indecision Elite police team Hang decoratively Like many pubs Ongoing drama Make a comparison Indian wise guy Two-dot mark Thick rug ___ sapiens Not hidden Problems for sitters One-sixteenth of a cup (Abbr.)

Passe TV dial Irish Craggy hilltop

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

© 2010 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com

PLUMBERS’ HELPERS by Andy Tennison

Monday, May 3, 2010

7

Aaron Colen, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

« TENNIS Find out how the tennis teams did in the Big 12s at OUDAILY.COM

WILL BYRNE/THE DAILY

OU head coach Sunny Golloway (left) argues with Ken McQueen, home plate umpire, during the baseball game against Kansas State on Saturday night in L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park. McQueen ejected Golloway after the coach argued about the strike zone.

Sooners win in heated conference series OU takes two out of three in conference series that featured high scoring JONO GRECO Daily Staff Writer

The fight for a high seed in the Big 12 is always an exhausting one, and the No. 15 baseball team’s 15-11 victory over the Kansas State Wildcats on Sunday at L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park showed just how hard a team has to fight to get that seed.

The Sooners (32-12, 10-9 Big 12) remain in fourth place after taking two of three games from Kansas State (30-12, 10-7 Big 12) this weekend, but the series victory, which is OU’s ninth in a row against the Wildcats, was important for both OU’s momentum and making the rest of the conference schedule a little easier.

“[Winning this series was] very important,” the second place spot, and the Texas Tech said sophomore right fielder Cody Reine, Red Raiders, who took two of three games who went 3-4 with a home run and five RBIs from the Missouri Tigers this weekend, trail Sunday. “Being able to take two out of three Kansas State by .017 points in the standings. against [the Wildcats] really helps us in the OU has two conference series remainlong run.” ing on its schedule, and both teams, the The Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma State Cowboys and who are in the midst of a Kansas Jayhawks, hold lower UP NEXT 20-game winning streak, seeds in the conference. The lead the Big 12 with a final two series should not The Sooners will play Arkansas19-2 conference record be cakewalks, but they are Little Rock at home Tuesday and basically have the winnable. night. regular season title and The team’s goal during the No. 1 seed for the Big conference play has been to When: 7 p.m. Tuesday 12 tournament secured. win two of three games each The fight for second weekend, head coach Sunny Where: L. Dale Mitchell place comes down to Golloway said. The Sooners Baseball Park percentage points. have done that in four of their The Wildcats hold six Big 12 series that lasted

three games—the Baylor series was cut short to one game due to weather—so they have succeeded in accomplishing that goal.

“I told our guys it isn’t about coming out sweeping and getting into second place right now, it’s about winning series,” Golloway said. “That’s the way we’re going to approach it—going two out of three. If something else happens in our favor – great—but we’re going to go out and try to win two out of three every weekend.”

The Sooners are scheduled to face Arkansas-Little Rock on Tuesday before a three-game series against Oklahoma State that begins in Tulsa before moving to Oklahoma City.

OU lost to OSU in the teams’ last meeting April 13 in Stillwater. That game did not count towards conference records.

Softball sweeps two-game series; improves conference standing Sooners close out conference season with two shutout victories at home TOBI NEIDY Daily Staff Writer

Boosted by a five-run explosion in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Sooners completed the series sweep against Kansas with a 7-0 shutout win Sunday at Marita Hynes Field.

The Sooners won the first game of the series 2-0 on Saturday off a pair of RBI hits in the third inning by junior outfielder Haley Nix and sophomore utility player Katie Norris.

OU finished Big 12 regular season action this weekend, finishing 13-3 in conference action, while the Jayhawks fell to 1-15. The two wins helped to improve the Sooners’ placement in the Big 12 Tournament on May 14-16.

“We talked about missed opportunities,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “It’s something we have to work on as we’re going into the postseason. It was good to see us taking advantage of that today.”

After going scoreless in the first two innings during Saturday’s game, the Sooners returned in the third inning with a lead-off walk by senior second baseman Amber Flores.

Freshman first baseman Jessica Shults then singled down the right field line to advance Flores to third base.

With runners on first and third, sophomore pinch runner Evan Sallis replaced Shults on base and stole second base.

Following a strikeout by senior catcher Lindsey Vandever to record the first out of the inning, Nix reached first base on an RBI fielder’s choice that scored Flores and moved Sallis

to third.

Freshman pitcher Keilani Ricketts walked to load the bases. Norris then stepped up to the plate with a 3-2 pitch count and delivered a ground out to first base to score Sallis and the Sooners’ second run of the game. The two runs in the third inning would be the only runs for the game.

Ricketts received the starting nod for Saturday’s game and finished the day throwing her 21st complete game and 10th shutout for the season. Ricketts allowed just two hits with nine strikeouts.

Sunday’s game got off to a quick start with two runs from four consecutive singles from the Sooners' bats. After drawing a walk, Flores advanced to second from a single to center field by Shults. Flores then scored off a single to right field by Vandever. Shults would score on Nix’s single up the middle.

The Sooners put the game away in five innings later on a two-out rally that started again with singles. Junior third baseman Dani Dobbs and sophomore infielder Karolyne Long reached base on back to back singles.

Both runners scored on a double by Haley Anderson to put the Sooners up by five runs. Anderson would also score off a single by Flores.

A double by Vandever to score Flores resulted in a pitching change for the Jayhawks, but a walk by Nix would load the bases, and a walk by junior pinch hitter Wendy Trott scored Shults to extend the Sooners lead to 7-0. The Sooners finished the game scoring seven runs off 12 hits.

The Sooners also saw a strong performance by starting freshman pitcher Michelle Gascoigne, who finished her fourth shutout on the season, allowing just two hits while striking out 10.

WEEKEND BRIEFS Rowing

Track and field

The OU rowing team, competing in the second annual Big 12 Championship on Saturday, finished second overall to the University of Texas. The races took place at the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City.

The Sooners’ Varsity Eight finished just tenths of a second behind Texas. The Varsity Four finished third behind Kansas and Texas.

OU finished with 97 points to the Longhorns’ 108.

Several OU runners broke school records, as the team was split up and competing in various meets across the country over the weekend.

Jacob Boone and Kevin Williams led the men’s distance team, which was in Palo Alto, Calif.

Boone recorded a time of 3:42.19 in the 1,500-meter race.

Williams broke his own program record in the 5,000-meter race with

-Daily Staff Reports

a time of 13:51.13.

Ronnie Ash broke the program record in the 110-meter hurdles by over a second at the Texas Invite in Austin on Saturday.

Ash was one of seven Sooners to pick up a title at the meet, which was located at the same site that the NCAA west regional will be held.

-Daily Staff Reports

MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY

Jessica Shults, freshman catcher, steps up to bat during the Sooner women’s softball game against Texas Tech on April 15 at the OU Softball Complex. OU swept Kansas in two games over the weekend.

“Michelle was the one we were going with today,” Gasso said. “We didn’t need any relief for her.”

OU will finish up the regular season at 6 p.m. Thursday against North Texas in Denton.

8

Monday, May 3, 2010

Joshua Boydston, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 325-5189 • fax: 325-6051

« TOMORROW

“Nightmare on Elm Street” slashed its way to the top of the box office charts. See what The Daily thought about the horror-remake.

COMEDIAN AIMS TO GET LAUGHS ON RECORD CAITLIN TURNER Daily Staff Writer

James Nghiem was sick of seeing his friends move away. So he took matters into his own hands — he started a record label for comedians.

Nghiem, a comedian and OU graduate, said he started the label to provide Oklahoma comedians a way to get more exposure and opportunities without having to leave a place where they receiving paying gigs.

“I have one friend who moved to Chicago and my best friend just moved to Boston, and both of them had to start all over again,” said Nghiem, founder of the Oklahoma City-based comedy label Robot Saves City.

So far, Nghiem has two artists on his roster, Leah Kayajanian and Bradchad Porter.

Nghiem said both acts will have a full album released soon on his label.

He also said he hopes to release a compilation album featuring about 20 local comedians.

For the past 3 1/2 years, Nghiem has experimented with stand-up comedy.

He performs at the handful of comedy spots he calls “laborator ies for comedy” in the area: Othello’s Tuesday night open mic, the Speakeasy’s Thursday night show and the one real comedy club in town, the Loony Bin, he said.

LIZ GREENE/THE DAILY

James Nghiem, founder of new comedy label Robot Saves City, performs at a comedy showcase last May at Opolis in Norman.

But it only takes a couple of years before a local comic aims to be something more than — well — a local comic.

Right now, Nghiem said he is feeling the pressure of starting a comedy label out of nothing, and on his own dime at that.

“I have been working a lot of hours on this every week, but this is what I am passionate about,” he said.

Ng h i e m’s g o a l s a r e simple and open ended at

present, and he said he is hopeful this will grow.

Norman and Oklahoma City is where he is situated now, but not forever, Nghiem said.

“I love Norman and OKC, and if I could live here and be successful I would,” he said. “I am trying to make that happen, but you have to take it one day at a time.”

For more information, visit www.robotsavescity. com

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Rousing execution makes for one of the strongest university musicals in years Hopes and dreams coalesce with fear and rejection in “A Chorus Line,” the Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning musical that remains as potent today as it was in its Broadway debut in 1975.

University Theatre’s production may be its finest musical in the last four years — the rousing production of “Chicago” in 2008 not withstanding.

Director Lyn Cramer has DUSTY put together an enormously talented cast, bursting with SOMERS energy and enthusiasm unfaltering, and the result is a breathlessly thrilling foray into the world behind a Broadway production.

In the musical, 17 dancers are looking to make it onto a Broadway chorus line — a grueling audition process led by the imposing Zach (OU alumnus Jet Thomason). Over the course of the audition, Zach extracts the life stories of each of his potential dancers, some of whom are on the upswing of their career and some who can see the end approaching quickly.

“A Chorus Line” pinpoints insecurity in its characters like a laser, resulting in illuminating capsules of humanity amidst technically demanding dance numbers. Certainly, the cutthroat world of theater is examined, but the show digs deeper into the universal aspects of hope and failure that anyone with any desire can relate to.

Among the dancers are Sheila (musical theater sophomore Shannon Hucker), an aging vixen; Paul (musical theater senior Ryan Koss), a former drag show star; Val (musical theater senior Kasey Walker), a recently enhanced sexpot; Bobby (musical theater senior Ryan Fitzgerald), a frequently misunderstood kid from Buffalo; and Cassie (musical theater senior Mackenzie Warren), Zach’s former lover whom he believes is too good to be stuck

in the chorus.

While Zach and Cassie’s tumultuous past comes up throughout the show, it never dominates the storyline. Instead, we get distinct impressions of each character vying for a spot — not an easy task when there are 17 to cover in a little more than two hours.

The show accomplishes this using a variety of methods, shifting seamlessly from expressive dance numbers (Warren stuns in the emotional “The Music and the Mirror”) to extended monologues (Koss delivers a captivating retelling of Paul’s childhood and fractured identity). “A Chorus Line” may be remembered for its nearly wall-to-wall dance, but it excels even with a single voice coming from the stage.

Vocal performances are strong as well, with highlights coming from both the moving and the humorous. Musical theater sophomore Sophie Menas commands the stage during her stirring rendition of “Nothing,” while musical theater juniors Skyler Adams and Chelsea Umberham are hilarious in “Sing!” Walker confidently takes on the riotous “Dance: Ten, Looks: Three,” which isn’t nearly as benign as the title makes it sound.

Dance numbers are technically impressive across the board, but the talents of musical theater freshmen Cory Lingner and Damian Chambers show especially remarkable discipline.

Structurally, “A Chorus Line” is a brilliant show, portraying the collection of dancers as an indistinguishable mass early on, then transitioning them to well-defined individuals before returning to a united group for the finale.

University Theatre’s production runs like a well-oiled machine through every phase, with scenic design by associate professor Steven Draheim and lighting design by junior Kirk Fitzgerald transporting the audience to that Broadway theater where hopes for success soar alongside hope for life.

Dusty Somers is a journalism senior.

9

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OU Number Nyne Crisis Line 8 p.m.-4 a.m. every day except OU holidays and breaks