The University of Oklahoma

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Sooners preparing for defensive challenge Soo W When the OU football team faces Air Force on Saturday, the ddefense will be put to the test against one of college football’s traditional — yet seldom seen — running attacks tr

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Friday, September 17, 2010

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Going to class pays through scholarships Highest grade point averages in President Boren’s government class rewarded with donor funds EMILY HOPKINS The Oklahoma Daily

For the 20 students in President David Boren’s class, studying for next week’s test means more than a grade — it means money. Since 2008, students in Boren’s American Federal Government course have competed for scholarships awarded to students with the highest academic rank at the end of the

semester. This semester, the top three individuals will receive a $500 scholarship. “It’s an added bonus to the fact that we get to learn about the government from someone who has experienced it firsthand,” said microbiology sophomore Ganga Moorthy. Scholarships are funded by Frank Smist Jr., Carl Albert Fellow and American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow. “[Smist’s] a very generous alumnus, professor and author and decided to establish the scholarships as a way to honor President Boren,” said political science professor Shad Satterthwaite. “Dr. Smist was the first Carl

Albert PhD from OU who went on to write books about the intelligence community and Congress and became a full tenured professor at Rockhurst University.” While working on a biography about Boren, Smist decided to sit in on his classes and meet with a number of the students. The scholarships were established in 2008 as a result of his research time. In the spring, Boren’s class will enroll 200 students. Three $500 scholarships and eight $250 scholarships will be awarded. “The 14 scholarships are named to honor three very special OU people: President David L. Boren, OU First Lady Molly Shi

Boren and Dr. Shad Satterthwaite, who has assisted the class since President Boren arrived at OU,” Smist said. Being that the sole criteria to be chosen is academic rank, competition among the fall’s honors students is bound to be rather tough. “I will definitely try to win one. Since they are based solely on grades, I will do my very best to obtain and maintain a high A in the class,” said political science junior Sara Ciccolari-Micaldi. “However, I will also actively participate in class discussions. Participation makes the class more interactive, and I feel that I learn more by asking and answering questions.”

Singers take talent to the football field Three chosen out of 29 auditions to sing at home football games LILLY CHAPA The Oklahoma Daily

Singing a solo in front of 85,000 people might be a nightmare for some, but not for three OU students Leslie Gile, Kevin Wright and Jordan Killion will take turns singing the national anthem at the OU home football games this season. They were chosen out of 29 students who auditioned, including many graduate voice students. William Wakefield, director of bands, said this year’s audition group was very strong. Wakefield said the vocal audition is only one part of the decision-making process. “They may sound great singing in the shower, but it comes down to the delivery and courage,” Wakefield said. “We want someone who is prepared to sing in front of an audience of 85,000 people. They need a mature-sounding voice, and have to show poise, no matter what the situation, temperature or circumstance.” Voice performance senior Leslie Gile said she was ecstatic when she found out she was going to sing the anthem on Oct. 16 and Nov. 13. “My dad went to OU, so I’ve loved OU football since I was little,” Gile said. “Being able to sing the anthem at the games means a lot to me, and it makes my family proud.” She has performed the national anthem before at small functions, but she said she still thinks she will be nervous when she sings on game day. “It’ll be a good kind of nervous, though,” Giles said. Supply chain management senior Kevin Wright said he is also honored to be chosen to sing the national anthem.

LILLY CHAPA/THE DAILY

Students Leslie Gile (top), Jordan Killion (far left) and Kevin Wright (near left) were selected as the three national anthem singers for football games at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. To audition, they sang the anthem with an accompaniment track while School of Music director, Steven Curtis, conducted. A faculty committee reviewed the audition CDs and submitted top male and female choices. Wright will perform the “Star-Spangled Banner” at Saturday’s game.

“I know how good those singers [who auditioned] are,” Wright said. “I was surprised, but I knew I was good enough to make it.” Wright said he’s been singing as a hobby since high school and is involved in three different choirs at OU. He sang the anthem before last week’s game against Florida State and will sing Saturday as well. “I’m really glad I [got] to sing

it those two weeks,” Wright said. “[It’s] cool because one game is on Sept. 11, and we’ll be honoring the Armed Forces.” The fact that Wright isn’t a music major didn’t stop him from being involved in the School of Music. “They have voice lessons and classes for non-majors, and it’s pretty easy to get involved,” Wright said. “Everyone in the music school is really nice, and if

you’re interested in music, they’ll do what they can to help you get involved.” Voice junior Jordan Killion said auditioning was a last minute decision that his voice professor talked him into. “I wasn’t too sure about it, but my professor motivated me, told me I’d knock ‘em dead, and what could it hurt?” Killion said. Killion is no stranger to music

performance: he is a second-year member of the Pride of Oklahoma and has sung in OU choirs as well. His father, Jamie Killion, also sang the national anthem during the 2007 and 2009 football seasons. Jamie said he was thrilled and very proud when he found out his son would be singing the anthem

SEE ANTHEM PAGE 2

Home of the Sooners honors the brave Academics speak about Flyovers, band performances planned to say ‘thank you’ to soldiers during football game SABRINA PROSSER The Oklahoma Daily

When OU takes the field Saturday against the Air Force Academy, Sooner fans are asked to remember the military during OU’s Military Appreciation Day. This will be the second year the university’s Military Appreciation Day is celebrated on a game day. “This Saturday is about everyone in Oklahoma and the fans saying thank you to the military,” said Charlie Taylor, athletics

department spokesman. “There is a sense of significance for Saturday’s game against the Cadets because these students, although football players, could in one to four years ... be protecting our freedom.” According to an athletics department press release, the game will have a jet flyover as well as a special welcome from football head coach Bob Stoops. Events planned for the game will include four F-15 Tomcat jets, from the 366th Fighter Wind Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, flying over the stadium prior to the game. At the end of the game, a C-17 from Altus Air

A LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW AT Listen to The Daily’s Mark Potts and Brice Beckwith discuss the pros and cons of Halo: Reach

Force Base will make another flyover. Also as part of Militar y Appreciation Day, the Air Force Band and the Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band will perform during halftime. After their performances, both bands will perform a military salute with the 200-piece University Choir, said Kenneth Mossman, athletics department spokesman. As each branch song is played, ROTC representatives will bring the colors forward, he said. During the individual branches’ SEE MILITARY PAGE 2

THE OKLAHOMA DAILY VOL. 96, NO. 22 © 2010 OU Publications Board www.facebook.com/OUDaily www.twitter.com/OUDaily

countries’ relationship Roundtable sponsored by the Institute for U.S.-China Issues, Latin American Studies DANNY HATCH The Oklahoma Daily

China and Latin America aren’t the world’s likeliest alliance. However, since the late 1990s, China has been involved with Latin America, both economically and socially. Peter Gries, director of OU’s Institute for U.S.-China Issues, and Alan McPherson, Latin American

INDEX Campus .............. 2 Classifieds .......... 6 Life & Arts ........... 3 Opinion .............. 4 Sports ................ 7

Studies chairman, decided to raise awareness of this growing relationship by inviting three distinguished speakers to a roundtable discussion about China’s stake in Latin America Thursday. Evan Ellis, a professor at the National Defense University Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies in Washington, D.C., Carol Wise, a national relations professor at the University of Southern California, and Allen Carlson, SEE PANEL PAGE 2

TODAY’S WEATHER 91°| 72° Saturday: 20 percent chance of storms Visit the Oklahoma Weather Lab at owl.ou.edu


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