The Oklahoma Daily

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MONDAY SE SEPTEMBER EPTEMBER 21, 2009

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The Daily’s Dusty Somers reviews views “Is He Dead?” Find out more inside. nside. PAGE 6B

OU football is gradually improving and The Dailyy takes a look back on PAGE 1B

Read about the protests launched by members of Westboro church. PAGE 2A

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OKLAHOMA SCHOOLS OPT TO GO GREEN

Tuesday’s Weather

30%

76°/62° owl.ou.edu CAMPUS BRIEFS OU OFFERS CLASS TO QUIT SMOKING, TOBACCO USE

A free class to help faculty, staff and students make a commitment to quit smoking and stop tobacco use will meet every Thursday from Oct. 15 to Nov. 12. The class “Freedom from Smoking” is based on a program from the American Cancer Society and is designed to help smokers to make healthy lifestyle changes. The class will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Nuclear Engineering Lab seminar room. To register, go online at http://cfapps.ouhsc.edu/ healthysoonerevents or call Health Promotion at 325-4611 ext. 41777.

OU sets goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 HAILEY R. BRANSON The Oklahoma Daily

The number of colleges and universities across the country committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a national pledge has more than doubled since OU agreed to do so more than two years ago. OU President David Boren signed the

American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), which requires schools to submit attainable plans for reducing emissions within two years of signing, in early 2007. At the time, OU was one of about 280 signatories. As of Sunday, presidents of 650 colleges and universities had signed the commitment. Tuesday was the deadline for schools that signed the initiative in 2007 to submit climate action plan reports to the ACUPCC. OU submitted its plan the day before. Within its sustainability plan, available at the

ACUPCC Web site, OU commits to “the attainment of clean air for all people,” “the conservation of physical and financial resources for this generation” and “the ensuring of the abundant availability of resources for the generations to come.” The university also has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent of its 2008 emission levels by 2050, according to the plan. “OU has recognized the unique responsibility SCHOOLS CONTINUES ON PAGE 2A

BROYLES BLOWS BY THE GOLDEN HURRICANE

-Daily Staff Reports

ESSAY CONTEST ASKS FOR STUDENT OPINIONS The Oklahoma Campus Compact is sponsoring an essay and video contest on Civic Responsibility. The theme is based on “A Letter to America,” a book written by President David Boren. In the contest, entrants are asked to address one of three issues: What Civic Responsibility Means to Me: My Duties as a Citizen; How Knowledge of the United States History Can be Advanced; and Why Bipartisanship is Important to Democracy. The contest runs through Oct. 19, and winners will be awarded autographed copies of the book Nov. 6 at the 2009 Oklahoma Political Science Association Conference. For more information e-mail Glen Krutz at gkrutz@ou.edu. -Daily Staff Reports

OLD SCIENCE HALL TO HOLD RENAMING CEREMONY The Old Science Hall, OU’s first campus building, will be dedicated in a public ceremony Wednesday afternoon and renamed in honor of a generous alumna. After a two-year, $5.9-million renovation, the building will be named for Beatrice Carr Wallace in honor of the generous scholarship endowment and acquisition fund she and her husband, W. Ray Wallace, made to OU. “It is fitting that one of the most historically significant buildings on our campus should bear the name of an alumna whose generosity has helped so many students through scholarships,” President David Boren stated in a press release. The ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. on site at 640 Parrington Oval. Speakers will include Boren, Dean of Fine Arts Rich Taylor, OU Student Association President Katie Fox and Beatrice Carr Wallace of Dallas. For more information about the ceremony or accommodations on the basis of disability, call the Office of Special Events at 325-3784.

MICHELLE GRAY/THE DAILY

Wide receiver Ryan Broyles attempts to carry the ball past TU players during the Sooners’ game against the University of Tulsa Saturday afternoon in Norman. CHECK OUT FULL COVERAGE OF THE OU-TULSA GAME ON PAGES 1B AND 2B.

UOSA tailgate draws more students in second week Hundreds of students participate for free food and activities KATHLEEN EVANS The Oklahoma Daily

It’s football time in Oklahoma and with football comes tailgating. After two home-game weekends, the University of Oklahoma Student Association has served hundreds of OU students food, fun and football spirit during the inaugural campus-wide tailgate event. “We believe we had about 400 students come by [Saturday], according to how much food we went through, which is about double from last week,” said Ally Glavas, UOSA director of the Interior and political science sophomore. She said many students are providing positive feedback. “So many students have said, ‘This is such a great idea! I can’t believe it hasn’t been done before,’” Glavas said. “So many people do not have a place to tailgate and are all really excited to see their student government out serving and addressing their needs.” The tailgate is free and open to all students with a valid OU ID. “We want all students to take part in

the tailgate – freshmen, graduate [students], international [students], greek [organizations], etc.” UOSA vice president Dewey Bartlett said. UOSA initiated the tailgate this year for all home games, Bartlett said. UOSA members serve hot dogs, chips, cookies and Coca-Cola products provided by OU Housing and Food Services. “There was a lot of free stuff – I’m sold,” said Jimmy Snodgrass, first-year graduate student. “It’s good for poor college students. We have to look out for each other.” UOSA played music, gave away items such as t-shirts and pens and led students in OU cheers. While at the tailgate, some students mingled with other attendees, others ran around tossing a football and passers-by danced and sang with the music. “[The tailgate] exceeded my expectations,” said Peter Rosier, University College freshman. “The food was great. There were people everywhere. It was a great atmosphere. It really pumps you up for the game.” The UOSA tailgate takes place a few hours before every home game in a tent located on Lindsay Street and Asp Avenue, in front of the Joe C. and Carole Kerr McClendon Honors College.

-Daily Staff Reports

OU TO PRESENT SPECIAL SCREENING OF ‘METROPOLIS’ The University of Oklahoma School of Music will present a special screening of the science fiction and classic silent film, “Metropolis”, along with live theatre organ accompaniment by Clark Wilson at 8 p.m. on Oct. 3 in Sharp Concert Hall. Tickets for the film screening are $20 for adults and $10 for students, OU faculty/staff and senior adults. For more information call the Box Office at 325-4101. -Daily Staff Reports

FREE — ADDITIONAL COPIES 25¢

NEIL MCGLOHON/THE DAILY

UOSA hosts their second tailgate tent Saturday before the OU-Tulsa game. Free food, drinks and shirts were given out to OU students who stopped by. © 2009 OU PUBLICATIONS BOARD

Whereabouts of man charged with check fraud unknown Bogus checks written to political, social organizations amount to thousands of dollars RICKY MARANON The Oklahoma Daily

Former Oklahoma Democratic Party Affirmative Action Chair Robert Chiles has been charged with writing bogus checks in two counties. Students may have worked with Chiles when they volunteered with Miranda Norman, political science senior and Iraq war veteran, in her fall 2008 run for the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Norman said Chiles began to tell people he was her campaign manager, but Norman said Chiles never held that position. “I couldn’t afford a big staff,” Norman said. “I didn’t have anyone in a campaign manager position. Robert was a good volunteer who worked hard, and that is it. It was only until after the election was over when I found out he was printing business cards which said he was my campaign manager.” Norman said Chiles never had access to her campaign’s money at any time last fall. “My campaign treasurer handled all of the money,” Norman said. “If Robert had access to any money, it was to take a check that was already filled out to its proper place.” Norman said Chiles had become known in the Cleveland County Democratic Party as a hard-working volunteer and was recommended to her by the Cleveland County Democratic Party. Rick Sitzman, Cleveland County assistant district attorney, said Chiles was convicted on a misdemeanor for writing a fake check in 2006 in McClain County and is currently facing charges for writing bogus checks in Pontotoc County. “Chiles came [to the Oklahoma Democratic Party] from Cleveland County and was elected to hold the position of affirmative action chair at the state convention,” said Karina Henderson, Oklahoma Democratic Party spokeswoman. Henderson said the state Democratic Party was unaware of Chiles’ past run-in with the law and said Chiles resigned from the position in July. Chiles’ alleged current run-ins with the law occurred right before and allegedly during his tenure at the Democratic Party. “The bogus check charge we have against Mr. Chiles is linked to the Project Pride Foundation of Oklahoma,” Sitzman said. Sitzman said the allegedly false check in Cleveland county was written in March to the amount of $1,229.85. According to its MySpace page, the Project Pride FRAUD CONTINUES ON PAGE 2A

VOL. 95, NO. 23


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