HEAR THE CRIES OF INJUSTICE IN IRAN

1x3 14-point deck type type type type type xx xxx xxx xxx 1x3 14-point deck type type type type type xx xxx xxx xxx

RAY BAHNER/OU DAILY

Demonstrators during a protest against violence toward Iranian women in Norman on Sept. 22.

An increasing concern for some college students across the U.S. is the equality of all people in legislation, public policy and social standards, and eradicating any injustice that may occur on the basis of gender, sex or religious affiliation. For this reason, it is important to call attention to the distressing state of injustice, and women’s and human rights violations that have occurred in Iran for over 40 years now. The Iranian people, especially women, have been facing unspeakable violence for actions and activities which we, in the U.S., consider prosaic and commonplace. Imagine a country where women are prohibited from singing, dressing how they desire, attending sporting events, making decisions without a male “guardian” and achieving fair trials against men in civil courts.

This is the current day Islamic Republic of Iran. It is also important to note that no one, regardless of gender identity, religious or political affiliation, is permitted to openly refute the actions of this tyrannical government. This is where your help, as an OU student, international student, human rights activist, women’s rights activist and human, comes into play.

On Sept. 13 of this year, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was walking the streets of Tehran with her family, unaware of the events that would follow shortly after. She was arrested and held by the police for several days and, following her detention, died on Sept. 16. While the Islamic Republic of Iran claim she was treated justly and humanely while in custody, evidence and witnesses indicated she suffered from violent blows to the head and limbs, from which she passed away. The morality police and government were not ready for the aftermath that followed their barbaric acts. Since news broke of her death, the streets of Iran have been ridden with protesters, hundreds of whom have been killed, and people are growing increasingly intolerant of this oppressive treatment. Iranian youth are only asking for basic liberties, and, in response, are met with tear gas, tasers, bullets, imprisonment, rape and torture.

To bring this issue closer to home, consider that the Iranian students at OU make up the fifth-largest group of international students on campus as of 2021. Some arrived here less than one year ago in pursuit of higher education and liberty. Instead of having warm thoughts of their families in Iran as they settle in, they face heartbreaking news about the state of their country in continuous chaos. For many Iranian students, academics have, understandably, taken the backburner to keeping this movement alive and preventing it from losing media coverage or reaching stagnation. At the same time, many Iranian students have been forced into caution about their modes of activism. Social media activism, or uncensored photos of them at protests and rallies, could mean putting their families in danger and facing repercussions upon their

Carmen Lessani return home. For this reason, the Iranian community at OU, Iranian Student Association and around the world, needs the international community, president including the students at OU, to be their voice. carmenlessani@ou.edu If you consider yourself an advocate for human rights and women’s rights and want to support the Iranian students at OU, now is the time to make a difference. To support this movement against a repressive regime, spread the news through social media. It could be something as “small” as posting a news article on your Instagram story. Talk about it with your friends and family. Call your state and federal representatives to inform them about the ongoing human rights violations in Iran and the urgent need for attention. Attend protests and rallies, which occur frequently on campus and in Oklahoma City. Stand by your Iranian friends, teachers and peers. Hear their stories with an open mind and understand that your support and activism can and will make a difference.

REGHAN KYLE/OU DAILY

‘From 2020 On’: Pandemic years in review

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

OU’s Bad Movie Club watches and reviews the worst of Hollywood films. The group prides itself on being a “safe space for judgement,” according to its ENGAGE page.

“From 2020 On” is an unprecedented mess with some unexpected twists and turns, making for a unique watch with a phenomenal cast of cultural moments. Join OU’s Bad Movie Club in reviewing some of the best and worst pop culture events of the new decade.

Marvel shows: 8/10

“Avengers: Endgame,” which made almost $3 billion in box office sales, was a great ending to the “Infinity” saga. But, after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down theaters where Marvel action scenes came to life, many wondered what the future would hold for the franchise. Marvel showed no signs of slowing down and continued to pump out content. “WandaVision” provided some big-budget entertainment in 2021 that can be watched from the comfort of home, and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” broke the box office again nine months later with three generations of Spider-men. The franchise adapted well, and Marvel Studios is promising a great lineup of shows in years to come.

Imagine all the people: 2/10

Gal Godot posted a montage of her and other celebrities singing “Imagine” by John Lennon when the pandemic began to soothe the worrying masses. It was one of the funniest moments I’ve seen. They thought they were doing good but instead came across as singing about how awful life is as millionaires. Imagine if they knew the irony of the situation.

Politicians are comedians: 8/10

American politicians put on quite the comedy show. President Joe Biden had some standout dialogue, including a major highlight when he yelled, “Will you shut up, man” to former President Donald Trump. His falling down the stairs bit, Mike Pence’s fly-on-the-head trick and Bernie Sanders’ mitten moment proved that physical comedy is not dead.

Imposter syndrome: 10/10

“Among Us,” a game that broke the internet, added the word “sus,” short for suspicious, to the Generation Z vernacular and

had everyone becoming crewmates. The deception game is still widely revered and streamed. It’s a triumph of summer blockbuster hits and one of the greatest achievements of humankind.

“Squid Game”: 9/10

“Squid Game” director Hwang Dong-hyuk managed to pull off the unthinkable: a small-budget show that took the world by storm and made almost $1 billion in profits. The show is a streaming service’s dream come true. It delivered a fantastic story that is popular, for good reason, but strangely made viewers dream of playing in this brutal, fictional game show. Did anyone who watched “Squid Game” understand that the game was pure evil?

The children want pop-its: 7/10

It’s really not another year if we don’t get the next toy craze. Infinite bubble wrap, or “Pop Its,” was what the kids wanted. A lazy, but satisfying, sequel to fidget spinners and cubes. While I miss the days of “Sillybandz” and Pokémon cards, I’m always looking forward to the next fidget toy.

Five letters, six tries: 9/10

Creating a small internet game is no easy feat. But creating a game that would quickly be purchased by The New York Times and played by millions worldwide is quite the achievement. “Wordle” became the next big thing overnight, spawning many spin-offs like Worldle and Quordle. Josh Wardle created a masterpiece of his time without even knowing it. Except, he probably knew after being offered a huge sum and seeing everyone rage over or celebrate their results online.

Harry spit on who?: 3/10

It’s one of the greatest mysteries of our time. “Don’t Worry Darling” had everyone scratching their heads. The whole movie seemed doomed to fail as controversy started to rise. Actor Shia LaBeouf was supposedly fired, director Olivia Wilde said some questionable things and lead actress Florence Pugh was oddly silent about the film’s release. I was on the edge of my seat wondering if Harry Styles actually spit on Chris Pine or who was to blame for this mess of a movie.

Verified for $8: 1/10

Baffling, funny and downright stupid. That’s the tweet. Elon Musk purchased Twitter, made an $8 subscription service and promised to ban every single parody account. Instead of donating $44 billion to a great cause, he ran the company into the ground. Mass layoffs were an awful twist, and everyone’s Cooper Marshall Bad Movie Club co-president wondering which social media platform will serve as Twitter’s successor. cooper-r-marshall-1@ou.edu Taylor Swift to the rescue: 9/10 Taylor Swift released a lot of great albums, including “folklore,” “evermore” and “Midnights,” along with some rereleases, like “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and “Red (Taylor’s Version).” Swift continues to smash charts and hearts. The era of music ended with a ticketing debacle for her long-awaited tour. It was a unique twist that many saw coming but weren’t too happy about. The aftermath was devastating, leaving many tired and ticketless fans. A heart-wrenching ending to a fantastic performance.

OU DAILY ARCHIVES, APRIL 2, 2003

Protesters join in a rally on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court as arguments are heard in two cases challenging the University of Michigan’s affirmative action admissions policies.

24 YEARS AGO AT OU Affirmative action case rekindles discourse

This fall, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing two cases concerning universities’ ability to use race as a factor for admissions, allowing for what the American Civil Liberties Union described as “race-conscious admissions practices.”

Affrmative action was established in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson issued Executive Order 11246, which prohibited federally funded organizations from discriminating on the basis of race, religion or national origin.

Now, the Supreme Court is debating the constitutionality of affrmative action, with proceedings focusing on how diversity in education can be achieved without needing to take race into account in the admissions process.

Oklahoma voters approved State Question 759 in 2012, which banned affrmative action in state government hiring, public contracting and higher education. Before the vote, OU preemptively shifted its admissions process to be more “holistic,” according to a statement from the Oklahoma Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on how affrmative action has affected civil rights in the state.

In 1998, a student at the University of Tulsa fled a lawsuit against the Oklahoma Regents scholars program, saying that affrmative action discriminates against white men. Shortly after, two of OU Daily’s columnists debated the topic in the publication’s weekly point-counterpoint feature. Point-counterpoint was published almost every Friday and featured two opinion columnists providing separate viewpoints on given topics ranging from political affairs to pop culture.

Columnist Marshall Camp argued in favor of affrmative action, writing that the U.S. has a long history of oppressive language and motivations. Camp wrote that affrmative action allows for more diversity in college admissions, and, as seen in previous years at other institutions described by Camp, the lack of affrmative action is apparent in the decreased number of students of color.

“America’s history is one in which rhetoric of equality has often belied a reality of oppression. … But to achieve fairness we must judge individuals separately, and we must give all Americans a qualitatively equal chance to achieve and excel,” Camp wrote.

Taking the counterpoint, columnist Robyn Conder argued that affrmative action does more harm for minorities than good. Conder wrote that, in principle, affrmative action is racist and sexist, as it is aimed at giving opportunities to historically marginalized communities over others.

“Most dangerous of all, (affrmative action) sends the message that women and minorities are inferior to white men,” Conder wrote. “It tells the protected groups they aren’t good enough to compete on a level playing feld, and they can only reach an equal level if they are given a head start.”

Camp and Conder agreed in their columns that affrmative action, at its core, needs to be reformed and that historically marginalized communities do receive fewer opportunities than white people. Camp and Conder disagreed on their stance of whether affrmative action is needed or if it causes more harm.

Andrews Park Community Tree

Lighting

• 5:30 p.m. • Dec. 9

Final examinations

• Dec. 12-15

Hanukkah

• Dec. 18-26

Christmas

• Dec. 25

Norman

Christmas Day

Community

Dinner

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Dec. 25 • Norman High

School

Commons

Cafeteria

Kwanzaa • Dec. 26-Jan. 1

OU men’s basketball v. Texas

• Dec. 31 • Lloyd Noble

Center

Martin Luther

King Jr. Day

• Jan. 16

Spring semester begins

• Jan. 17

Women’s gymnastics v. Utah

• 6:45 p.m. • Jan. 22 • Norman

oudaily.com

OKLAHOMA SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD WINNER

Competing against professionals, the OU Daily was presented the 2022 Carter Bradley First Amendment Award, for work that aimed to reset norms around transparency at OU and in Norman. Its winning entry included stories that:

Examined how the university handles records requests, including response times in comparison to other universities and resources available to the Broke down data from the Norman Police Department to show on a per capita basis, the city’s Black residents were three times more likely than their white neighbors to be contacted, arrested or have force used against them by the police. Monitored the football team’s quarterback controversy via the journalism school windows near athletic department to institute a 72-hour national media blackout.