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From left: Sydne Gray, philosophy sophomore, Ashley McCray, history of science doctoral student, Jesse Robbins, Native American studies senior and Josh Murphy, health and exercise science senior, present a resolution at Tuesday’s Undergraduate Student Congress meeting. If adopted, the resolution will recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day on campus.
MOVING FORWARD
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY RESOLUTION STALLED, WILL RETURN TO SENATE FOR VOTE PAGE 2
OU racial breakdown
OU second in Big 12 for Native enrollment Native students one of smallest minority groups JESSE POUND News Editor @jesserpound
As the OU community continues to talk about diversity, the new data released by the U.S. Department of Education shows the racial breakdown of different colleges and universities in the United States. According to the data, Native American students are one of the smallest minority groups on campus, making up a smaller percentage of the student body than black and Asian students. The information was self reported by the schools to the Integrated
Postsecondary Education Data System. This puts OU roughly in the middle of Big 12 schools in terms of racial makeup. The most diverse school in the conference is Texas, which has a majority-minority student population. On the other side of the spectrum, over 80 percent of West Virginia’s student body is white. OU is second in the Big 12 in terms of Native American or Alaskan Native students enrolled. OU and Oklahoma State are the only schools in the conference with more than 1 percent of their student populations categorized as Native. Jesse Pound jesserpound@gmail.com
JESSE POUND/THE DAILY
Data from the Department of Education shows OU’s racial breakdown. Native American students are one of the smallest minority groups on campus, and OU has a predominantly white student makeup.
OU wouldn’t be first to change nickname Name changes for sensitivity not uncommon
in an effort to be more s ensitive to Native Americans, it would be far from the first school to do so. While some of the JESSE POUND following schools News Editor @jesserpound changed their nicknames long ago, many If OU were ever to changed in response abandon its nickname to the NCAA sending
31 schools a notice in 2005 that their Native American-themed nicknames and mascots may result in sanctions regarding postseason play. Florida State University, The University of Utah, Central Michigan
University and Mississippi College all successfully appealed to the NCAA to keep their nicknames because they received approval of the tribes the nicknames represent. Flor ida State has approval from the Seminole Tribe of
Florida but not the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. Colleges and universities are not the only institutions that have seen their nicknames criticized for insensitivity to Native Americans. The Chicago Blackhawks,
Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins, all major professional sports franchises, have also been called upon to change their names by different groups. After a student group began to demand a change to OU’s ‘Sooners’ nickname,
OU President David Boren said such a change was unlikely to ever happen. Jesse Pound jesserpound@gmail.com
VOL. 101, NO. 022 | © 2015 OU Publications Board
ENTRY FORM Wednesday
8 Papa John’s large pizzas, 5 $10 Moore Warren gift certificates, $25 gift certificate to Pub W
Name: Phone Number: OU Email: What advertisement has the today:
Entry Form Must be original newspaper form. No photocopies or reproductions will be accepted. Each day’s entry forms will be collected at 4:30 p.m. and winners will be drawn at 5:30 p.m. Grand prize drawing will be Friday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. Entry forms may be submitted at the following locations: Walker Center Housing Office, Couch Restaurants, Cate Main, The Bookmark, The Sooner Card Office (Oklahoma Memorial Union)