The Oklahoma Daily

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA’S I NDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE

THURSDAY, JAN. 29, 2009 © 2009 OU Publications Board

CAMPUS BRIEFS OU IT is developing an all-in-one student services Web portal, “oZone,” which will bring together features such as e-mail and online enrollment. The site is set to go live in September.

Check out OUDaily.com for more details.

VOL. 94, NO. 84 FREE — Additional Copies 25¢

‘Just wanted to make it snow’

LIFE & ARTS

STORM BY THE NUMBERS

What did you do while classes were canceled during the ice storm? The Daily’s Laura Peden finds out. Page 3B.

650: Pizzas delivered by Pizza Shuttle on Alameda Street 35: Car accidents in Norman, from Monday to Wednesday.

(Seven involved injuries.)

75: Ice-related ambulance calls on Tuesday 11: Ice-related ambulance calls on Wednesday 3: Inches of precipitation on Monday and Tuesday 2: Businesses open on Campus Corner after 5 p.m. on Tuesday (Hideaway and Jimmy John’s)

SPORTS The men’s basketball team sits atop the Big 12 and is in contention for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. What weaknesses do the Sooners have? The Daily’s Eric Dama answers that question and more. Page 2B. While school was canceled, OU sports carried on. The women’s gymnastics team lost its home opener against Arkansas Monday night. Head to OUDaily.com for the story.

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TODAY’S INDEX Zach Butler/The Daily

L&A 6A, 3B Campus Notes 5B Classifieds 4B 4B Crossword Horoscope 5B

News 3A,5A, 5B Opinion 4A Police Reports 4B 1B, 2B Sports Sudoku 4B

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY

LOW 20° HIGH 41°

FRIDAY

LOW 25° HIGH 51° Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

Students gather on the South Oval for a game of ultimate frisbee Tuesday afternoon.

• Winter weather causes accidents, closings throughout the state entral Oklahoma was blanketed with three inches of sleet and freezing rain, when 2009’s first winter storm rolled in Monday.

Dangerous road conditions caused 35 accidents, including seven with injuries, since the precipitation began, Norman police reported.

Norman Regional Hospital spokeswoman Kelly Wells said 14 patients were admitted Wednesday, with injuries related to the weather, down from 75 the day before.

As of Wednesday night, about 850 OG&E customers were still without power, mostly in eastern Oklahoma and into Arkansas.

The weather forced OU’s campuses to close Tuesday, Wednesday and part of Monday. Campus Corner was almost completely shut down as well, except for two restaurants, during the most dangerous conditions Tuesday.

C

— NIJIM DABBOUR/THE DAILY

Chelsea Garza/The Daily

Curry Whitmire, drama sophomore, Paige Hathaway, scenic design sophomore and Lauren Poindexter, drama sophomore, laugh at their snowman they built on Wednesday’s snow day.

Regents approve college- and course-specific fee increases • Boren says preventing mandatory fee increases still a possibility MEREDITH SIMONS The Oklahoma Daily

Amy Frost/The Daily

President David L. Boren, shown in this file photo, said Wednesday he expects the university will not increase tuition and mandatory fees again next year.

OKLAHOMA CITY — OU President David L. Boren said he expects the university to be able to keep its tuition and mandatory fees steady from this year to next at a meeting of the OU Board of Regents Wednesday.

Boren said he hopes to prevent an increase in tuition and mandatory fees and that, despite a state budget shortfall that could be as high as $600 million, administrators have a “very, very good” chance of meeting that goal.

However, at the same meeting, Boren recommended that the regents approve a slate of college- and course-specific fee increases that will affect students in the colleges of business, journalism, and arts and sciences, as well as students at the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.

These fees are not considered part of the mandatory fees that are charged to every student enrolled at the university, but they are required of students enrolled in specific courses or colleges.

The fees approved by the regents include a $3 per-credit hour addition to the College of Arts and Sciences’ enrichment fee, a $3 per-credit hour addition to the Michael F. Price College of Business‘ enrichment fee and a $5 per-credit hour addition to the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication’s enrichment fee.

Increases to or additions of course-specific fees for items such as art supplies and lab equipment were approved for dozens of classes.

There will also be a new $12 per-credit hour fee charged to all students entering school on the Norman campus or at the OU College of Law in fall 2009 or later.

According to the regents’ meeting agenda, the increases in the enrichment fees will allow the affected colleges to increase the number of instructors in some programs.

The revenue from the campus-wide fee that will be applied to students who enroll for the first time in the fall will be used to “aggressively recruit and retain excellent faculty,” and regularly renovate and update classroom space.

Boren said student demand for the latest technology, and other universities’ occasional attempts to lure OU faculty away with promises of higher pay, made the fee necessary.

Last week, the board that governs Oklahoma State University refused to grant OSU President Burns Hargis the power to potentially raise mandatory fees at OSU. “I’d be very surprised if OSU doesn’t have to reconsider,” its decision to freeze mandatory fees, Boren said after the OU regents meeting.

Boren spoke at length before OU’s regents voted on the fee increases, saying that the college- and course-specific fees were necessary to keep classes operating.

Boren said the new fees will keep OU “treading water” through a difficult fiscal year and hopefully allow the administration to avoid raising tuition and mandatory fees next year.

FEES Continues on page 2A

2A

News

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

New major taps student interest in Middle East

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.

ERROR SUBMISSIONS

• Degree plan requires students to study abroad, learn language

e-mail: dailynews@ou.edu phone: 325-3666

Fees

MEREDITH SIMONS The Oklahoma Daily

Continued from page 1A

OKLAHOMA CITY — The OU Board of Regents approved the creation of a new Middle Eastern studies major within the School of International and Area Studies at its meeting Wednesday.

The new major will require students to study Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew or Turkish, and study abroad in a Middle Eastern country, in addition to taking classes in Norman on the history, culture, religions and politics

“That’s our goal and we’re really dedicated to it,” he said.

The regents approved the proposal unanimously without questions or discussion.

Boren’s statement that the university should be able to freeze tuition and mandatory fees comes in spite of bleak budget predictions for the state.

Oklahoma is expected to register a shortfall of between $3 million and $600 million. As a result, Boren said he doesn’t expect higher education to receive much, if any, new funding.

In 2008, Boren and other Oklahoma university presidents pledged to halt tuition and mandatory fee increases at their institutions if the legislature appropriated $80 million in new funds to higher education this year.

That now appears unlikely, but Boren said a hiring freeze and spending cuts at OU should allow it to hold tuition and mandatory fees steady anyway.

Boren said the university wouldn’t be able to stave off tuition and fee increases forever without adversely affecting the quality of education offered at the university.

“This is a balance between cost and excellence,” Boren said. “Unfortunately, excellence is not free.”

of the region.

The School of International and Area Studies currently offers a minor in Middle Eastern studies. Joshua Landis, international and area studies professor and an expert on Syria, said the creation of a Middle Eastern studies major has been nine years in the making.

“We wanted to see how students reacted to Middle Eastern studies, and they came flocking,” he said.

Regents’ approval was the last hurdle facing the creation of the program. With the necessary permissions in place, the School of International and Area Studies is now free to finalize a degree plan for the major and begin enrolling students.

The school secured about $1.5 million in federal funding for the new program, but the university will have to fund the program within two or three years, Landis said. In the meantime, administrators hope to hire another professor of Arabic language and litera-

ture.

At the regents’ meeting, OU President David L. Boren said a new summer study abroad program based in Turkey will be established for travel and study in the Middle East in the summer of 2010.

“I don’t need to explain why knowledge of the Middle East is very important to the country, to these students and to their future,” Boren said.

Landis said the United States’ involvement in the region, accompanied by a relatively low level of knowledge about the area among the American population, makes it an important place to study.

“So few people can speak Middle Eastern languages fluently, and there are a lot of job opportunities in this field,” Landis said. “I’m just thankful that we’re able to get this off the ground.”

— ASHLEY BODY CONTRIBUTED REPORTING.

Boren wants increase in study abroad numbers “You don’t want just rich, affluent students being able to [study abroad].”

• Greater funding exists for students to study abroad

OU President David L. Boren

MEREDITH SIMONS The Oklahoma Daily OKLAHOMA CITY — Students who want to study abroad now have access to $100,000 in new scholarship money set aside for the purpose of supporting education overseas.

OU President David L. Boren told the OU Board of Regents Wednesday he hopes to increase the number of students who study abroad by 50 percent over the next four years.

That would take the number of students studying abroad from about 700 to more than 1,000, or about one-fifth of each undergraduate class at OU. “Many of our students will be going into careers that involve them in the global marketplace,” Boren said. “That means they need to have a perspective formed by the opportunity to study outside of the United States. They need to understand how people in other culture settings, other national settings, view the world.”

For over 10 years, the number of American students who study abroad has been on the rise. During the 2006-2007 school year, the last year for which data is available, 241,791 Americans studied overseas. That is an increase of almost 150 percent, according to a study by the Institute of International Education.

The institute reported strong growth of study abroad in “non-traditional” locations, like China, India, South Africa, Argentina and Ecuador. The same is true at OU, where Boren said one of the most popular study abroad programs is Journey to China, which sends students to China for several weeks during the summer to travel and take classes from OU faculty members.

OU study abroad officials are working to expand the university’s short-term

programs, with a new Journey to South America scheduled for its first trip this summer, and a Journey to the Middle East in the works for 2010. These destinations will join China, Italy and England on the list of places students can study with OU faculty for a few weeks during the summer.

Students in summer programs will be eligible for the new scholarships, which will increase the amount of money available for study abroad from $250,000 to $350,000.

The scholarships can be applied toward traditional academic costs like tuition and fees, but they can also be used for the expenses associated with studying abroad, like international plane tickets. Boren said the ever-increasing costs of overseas travel had put study abroad experiences out of reach for some students, but he thinks every student should have the opportunity to study in a different country.

“You don’t want just rich, affluent students being able to go,” Boren said.

Jay Doyle, press secretary and special assistant to the president, said the scholarship money will be drawn from funds raised by the president’s Campaign for Scholarships, which began in 2005.

The money is available immediately, and can be taken advantage of by students currently in the process of applying for summer or fall 2009 study abroad programs.

Boren said an effort will be made to send faculty members from a variety of disciplines to teach courses overseas, so that even students in disciplines like engineering and business, which have strict course schedules, will be able to study abroad.

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Nijim Dabbour, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu phone: 325-3666 fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

Campus News

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

3A

Artists vie for chance at permanent public display • New roundabout will feature a landscape statue

by Okla. artist HANNAH RIEGER The Oklahoma Daily Norman’s first roundabout on a major street will also be home to the city’s newest public art site in November.

The roundabout at the intersection of East Main Street and Carter Avenue will feature a landscaped sculpture in the center.

The Norman Public Arts Board is narrowing down 62 artist proposals from Oklahoma and across the country for the project. Ten finalists will be asked to submit a more detailed Notification to artist: proposal.

February 2, 2009 “Hopefully this Selected Artists’ project will be one of submissions proposal: many to come in the April 1, 2009 near future,” said Larry Finalist’s presentaWalker, chairman of tions: May 18, 2009 the Norman Public Arts Selection of Artist: Board.

June 1, 2009 The Norman City Dedication/unveilArts Council, Norman ing of complete art Public Arts Board, and the City of Norman are project: November 30, joining together to make 2009 this and many similar URL: http://www.normanarts.org projects a reality in the future, Walker said.

The City of Norman gave the Norman Public Arts Board plans for a sculpture in the roundabout’s 29.5 foot diameter space, Walker said.

The final artist selection will be June 1.

The qualifications for the sculpture include one large piece of work, weather resistant materials, and a theme relating to Oklahoma according to a request

PROJECT DATES

Lizzy Brooks/The Daily

Larry Walker, Norman Public Arts Board chair and local businessman, and Jana Moring, NPAB member and Pioneer Library System staff member, discuss potential artists for the center of the Main Street traffic circle. Walker said the artist list has been narrowed to 10 but a winner has not been chosen. for qualifications and concepts.

Residents in the area of Carter Avenue and East Main Streets were able to give input on what type of art they would like to see, Walker said.

Public art helps define a community, said Rick Fry, director of the Norman Arts Council.

“Public art states how a city feels about itself,” said Fry, a longtime artist who recently took the position.

Most cities have a large amount of public art on display, Fry said.

Norman has many new art projects underway, including work by OU students and artwork on Interstate 35.

OU and the City of Norman are always looking for new projects to do together, Fry said.

One project in the works includes an “art incubator,” a space provided for art students and recent

Muldrow Tower water woes extended by winter weather break Residents of Adams Center’s Muldrow Tower have been without hot water since classes started, and will now have to wait longer for the problem to be fixed.

“The ice and cold weather really does not

affect the water situation,” said Dave Annis, director of Housing and Food Services. “The closing of the university for two days does delay the repair work by that amount of time, though.”

The work had been scheduled to be completed by the end of the week.

Residents on floors 3, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12 were the only ones to report the problem.

Daily staff report

graduates to work on their artwork at a reduced rate.

In conjunction with OU, the city is offering a tour of art galleries from downtown Norman to Campus Corner, he said. The project is called “Second Friday Circuit of Art” and will begin the second Friday in February.

Artwork on new I-35 overpasses will be constructed within the next few years. State officials will develop a common theme for the bridges.

Photo illustration of University College freshman Megan Salisbury by Merrill Jones/The Daily

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Opinion

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

OUR VIEW

Ray Martin, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu phone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

STAFF CARTOON

Derek Fox — advertising sophomore

Additional funds great for students The OU Board of Regents slightest international ties. It’s also approved Wednesday a proposal valuable for students that don’t. to add a Middle Eastern Studies Studying in a different country can only raise awareness about how major at OU. The major, which will be part the world works outside the U.S. of the school of international and Increasing globalization forces a area studies, will require students greater need for this awareness than perhaps ever before. to study abroad.

Studying abroad will also Boren also set aside $100,000 in undoubtedly increase additional scholarship ones foreign language money to increase the OUR VIEW fluency. According to number of students is an editorial the U.S. Citizenship and who study abroad – selected and debated Immigration Services, potentially making by the editorial board there were nearly 38 milOU one of the Big 12’s and written after a majority opinion is lion immigrants – both leaders in percentage formed and approved legal and illegal – in the of students who study by the editor. Our View U.S. in 2007. This statisin foreign countries. is The Daily’s official opinion. tic makes fluency in forThe additional funds eign language important will increase both the regardless of whether or number of students who study abroad and the amount not one works abroad.

It’s also likely to boost OU’s repallotted to each student (see Page utation as a university that both 2 for details).

We think both additions are offers and encourages a plethora of college experiences. both necessary and beneficial.

Boren and the Regents should Studying abroad is becoming an essential for students that plan be commended for their approvto work in sectors with even the al.

STAFF COLUMN

Nixon dollar an afront to American public In 2005, Congress created the Presidential $1 Coin Program. The project began in 2007 with the minting of the George Washington dollar and, since a president must be deceased for at least two years before appearing on U.S. currency, is planned to terminate in 2016 with the Ronald Reagan dollar.

According to Congress, former President ZAC Richard Nixon will also SMITH be honored with his own coin in 2016.

Richard Nixon enjoys a unique place in American history as the only president to resign from office. This resignation was not brought about by his needless protraction of our tragic involvement in Vietnam, nor his compa-

rably disastrous bombing campaign in Cambodia, but by the so-called “Watergate scandal” -- a series of events that revealed the president to be a homophobic, antisemitic paranoiac who believed that he was above the law.

That Congress should choose to honor Richard Nixon with coins distributed to the public he once terrorized is an insult.

In 1972, five men were arrested while burglarizing the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Hotel. Investigation tied them to Nixon’s Committee to re-elect the President, and eventually uncovered an entire system of criminal activities that were being carried out as a matter of policy under the direction of the White House.

A Senate committee was formed to investigate the break-in and subsequently attempt to cover up White House involve-

ment. Rather than cooperate, President Nixon actively attempted to impede the committee’s investigation.

The situation came to a head when the Senate learned of a secret taping system installed in the Oval Office. The Senate subpoenaed the archived tapes, believing that they would help shed light on whether or not President Nixon had been aware of the attempt to cover up White House involvement in the Watergate burglary.

Rather than hand the tapes over, Nixon claimed that he did not have to because, in essence, he was the president. Nixon had the committee’s special prosecutor fired and ordered the committee to drop its subpoena.

Eventually, a decision by the Supreme Court compelled Nixon to hand over the tapes. The long purgatory to which Nixon had subjected the American public was over.

However, the contents of the tapes brought new reasons for concern. Not only did they prove that Nixon had entered into a conspiracy to obstruct justice, but they revealed him as disturbingly paranoid and with an impressive penchant for swearing.

Nixon viewed himself as at war not only with the North Vietnamese, but also with almost everyone around him – including a conspiracy of Jews that he believed was overrunning the American government.

Despite the damning evidence recorded on the tapes, Nixon was never made to pay for his obstruction of justice. Instead, he was immediately pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford, and retired to live in a state of opulence that few reading this article will be able to enjoy personally.

“Most Jews are disloyal,” said Nixon on one of the Oval Office recordings. “Bob

[Chief of Staff H.R. “Bob” Haldeman], generally speaking, you can’t trust the bastards. They turn on you. Am I wrong or right?”

This is the man Congress believes should be honored on U.S. currency, alongside the likes of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.

Nixon is doubtlessly a significant, perhaps even an iconic figure. We should remember him and the lessons he taught us about the potential our government has for abuse by the overambitious.

However, to place Richard Nixon on a U.S. dollar is as inappropriate as it would be to put Idi Amin on a Ugandan shilling.

Let him be remembered only in the history books.

Zac Smith is an English junior. His column usually appears every other Tuesday.

STAFF COLUMN

STAFF COLUMN

Closings result of poor drivers education system

Acceptance should entail questioning

Jacob Jones is an economics senior. His column usually appears every other Wednesday.

I N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T

V O I C E

NEWSROOM DIRECTORY Meredith Simons Nijim Dabbour Jamie Hughes Mack Burke Nanette Light Ray Martin Zach Butler

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Assistant Managing Editor Night Editor Writing Coach Opinion Editor Photo Editor

Dane Beavers Whitney Bryen Steven Jones Luke Atkinson Judy Gibbs Robinson R.T. Conwell

Senior Online Editor Multimedia Editor Sports Editor L&A Editor Editorial Adviser Advertising Manager

When students returned to OU from the winter break, many in the dorms were greeted by large posters bearing emblems of acceptance.

In my case, a black and white outline of the pope was posted next to the crescent symbol of modern Islam.

Also on the poster was a list of different ethnicities, a Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender logo and a prompting to accept people. As the month of acceptance comes to a close, I think it’s helpful to figure out what acceptance means.

I believe that it is our duty to TREVOR love all people, regardless of who CLARK they are. But posters like the one in my dorm may insinuate that every aspect of someone’s life is to be accepted like every other characteristic.

As a friend pointed out to me, being white is a lot different from being a Christian.

Evaluating race and religion and sexual orientation in the same way doesn’t reflect what these characteristics are.

I’m not advocating that certain aspects of a person give you the right to deride or hate that person.

But asking “why are you a Christian?” or “why are you a Muslim?” is a lot different than asking, “why do you have dark skin?”

Acceptance should be geared toward increasing communication between a plethora of people. But if we analyze our choices in the same way as something inherent to our character, we paint a skewed picture of the community here at OU. At an academic institution such as this, which this spring will host a number of number of expert

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T H E The Fine Print:

T H E

cars because they were never told to hit the deer that suddenly appeared, and they never realized slamming on the brakes with a blowout was akin to Russian roulette. If any of that was news to you then you are my case in point.

One doesn’t need ice or blowouts to demonstrate the need for better driver education. There is no better example than the use of the left lane on the interstate. It is designed for passing, not sitting in at 5 mph over the limit. The frequency with which a driver is passed on the right is very telling – bad drivers are frequently passed on the right, good drivers are very rarely passed on the right.

If you aren’t persuaded by my case so far, just try to turn left onto Lindsey from Elm at 5 p.m. Repeat until irate.

Driving is about knowing what to do in situations ranging from hydroplaning to four way stops.

It is the most dangerous activity people undertake on a daily basis, and yet simultaneously one of the few things our society is less fearful of than it should be.

Reducing the risk of driving is a reasonable cause for drivers-education reform, but it isn’t compelling since advancements in car safety are likely more important for keeping drivers safer.

But as cars stop, accelerate, and protect better, it is foreseeable that we could finally escape from the drudgery of 70 mph highways.

Spending more time and money to get one’s license is not very inspiring, and increased safety is about as suburban of a concern imaginable.

Getting to Tulsa 20 minutes faster, though? That is a goal many would like to attain.

Contact Us:

I never thought I would criticize the OU administration for closing campus, but I can’t help but do so about the closing Monday. After all, the ice storm during the winter of 2007 has become a fond college memory, and I was proud this storm made it possible to slide around the Lloyd Noble Center parking lot.

But this recent blast just didn’t measure up until early Tuesday morning. Ultimately classes will be rushed, cover less material, or a combination of both because of the closing. All because of road conditions on Monday that pale in comparison not only to those JACOB experienced during other states’ JONES winters, but also to other conditions that have forced OU to closed since I have been here.

I think the closings were not so much reflections of dangerous roadways but of the fact that Oklahomans can’t drive. It is understandable that authorities hope to reduce accidents given Oklahomans’ inexperience on the ice, but instead of announcing closings, why not work to educate?

Slow down, keep your distance, properly use antilock brakes and smooth your driver inputs.

Icy conditions highlight the deficiencies in driver education. Drivers are not informed about how to handle themselves on icy roads. The combination of ice and Oklahoma drivers makes it apparent how bad many drivers are.

The system of driver education empowers baddriving parents to pass on their habits and ignorance to their children. That car “came out of nowhere” because they were never told to regularly check their mirrors. They die flipping their

speakers on the controversial subject of Darwinism, it seems that some measure of inquiry and even challenge can be healthy.

Striving for acceptance, though, shouldn’t keep students from getting to know each other and the world around them.

Being an accepting individual shouldn’t mean feigning away from asking tough questions.

Students should be careful to pursue tough questions out of love for others. There is nothing wrong with correcting someone in the realms of math and other work if it’s not done pretentiously.

Similarly, I think that seeking to convince others of some scientific, religious or personal persuasion can be a good thing. But one must be careful as to how he or she goes about doing this.

If you’ve had a bad experience with bludgeoning bullies, then I want you to know that I’m not advocating a license to kill.

For those who believe a person’s identity is theirs alone, consider the fact that all people have already engaged themselves in interaction and influence.

Movies such as “Schindler’s List” and “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” question the values and preconceived notions held by Nazi Germany. If we couldn’t pursue the engagement of dialogue about hard topics, then movies like these could not be made.

These movies don’t call for the murder of Nazis from long ago; rather, they call for the murder of unrighteous hatred and bigotry.

The conversations students have at OU can follow the same trend: reason and love over ignorance and wickedness.

Trevor Clark is a University College freshman.

His column usually appears every other Tuesday.

U N I V E R S I T Y

The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum and OU’s independent student voice.

Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and should be fewer than 250 words, typed, double spaced and signed by the author(s).

Letters will be cut to fit. Students must list their major and classification. OU staff and faculty must list their title. All letters must include a daytime phone number. Authors submitting letters in person must present photo identification. Submit letters Sunday

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O K L A H O M A

through Thursday, in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters can also be submitted via e-mail to dailyopinion@ou.edu.

Guest columns are accepted at editor’s discretion. ’Our View’ is the voice of The Oklahoma Daily.

Editorial Board members are The Daily’s editorial staff.

The board meets 1 p.m. Sundays in 160 Copeland Hall.

Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.

Norman High club’s documentary now a teaching tool • Group hopsd video will inspire interest in native languages

7th Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair

LAUREN STALFORD Oklahoma Daily As Native American languages increasingly face extinction, a group of Norman High School students decided to speak up.

Thirteen aspiring filmmakers interviewed elders from various tribes for the documentary entitled “When It’s Gone, It’s Gone,” filmed in two days and edited in one night last year.

The elders shared one ominous message: “When the language is gone, you are gone.”

Ninety percent of indigenous U.S. languages will be gone in 10 years, according to an estimate from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The project began with the Norman High Native American Club entering a language fair at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.

The group, which got an extension to submit the video two weeks late to complete all the interviews with tribal elders, won first place at the fair for “When It’s Gone.”

The video was uploaded to Google, and has since been linked to various Native American Web sites, said Mosiah Bluecloud, linguistics sophomore and the video’s editor.

Judy Blake, one of the group’s sponsors, said she gets requests from teachers hoping to use the video in their classrooms as a teaching tool. It has even been used in a linguistics class at OU. “I hope it keeps on rolling and catching people’s eye,” Bluecloud said.

The elders are looking to this generation of Native Americans to learn the language and keep it alive, Bluecloud said. Once the language is gone, native people will have lost what makes them native, Bluecloud said.

“Language is the core of all

The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History will hold its annual Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair this spring with the theme “Giving the Gift of Language.”

The 2009 fair will take place April 6th (Pre-K - 5th grades) and April 7th (6th - 12th grades).

Students can compete in 10 categories, including spoken language and performance with music or dance. Judges will include native artists, elders, authors and teachers from several different tribes.

The registration deadline is March 9. For more information, contact the 2009 Language Fair coordinator Candessa Tehee Morgan at 325-7588 or onaylf@ snomnh.ou.edu. our cultural identity. Language is more important than most people think,” said Jacob Tsotigh III, president of the Norman High Native American Club.

Bluecloud said he hopes the video will inspire young Native Americans to learn about their native languages.

“I just hope they see it and go to any elder they come in contact with and listen to every word they say,” Bluecloud said.

Bluecloud said the experience encouraged him to switch his major to linguistics.

Bluecloud said he wants to help tribes set up schools where children are taught in tribal languages.

Tsotigh said making the film gave him a desire to learn Kiowa, and he wants to take language courses in Kiowa once he enters college.

Marcus Briggs-Cloud, cosponsor of the Native American Club, stated in an e-mail he hopes those who see the video will do something to revitalize Native American languages.

Briggs-Cloud said being sympathetic about the death of native languages is not enough to keep them alive: Native Americans must use them.

News

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

Networking sites offer students offline business opportunities • Web sites now serious connection builders KATE CUNNINGHAM The Oklahoma Daily Experts now say Internet networking Web sites are not only the next big thing for business, but are a necessity for college graduates hoping to enter the real world and get a job.

Facebook reports it has more than 150 million active users, making it and other networking sites important tools for students to make contacts and build relationships to gain internships and jobs.

Some career experts at OU recommend students capitalize on a resource many already have — their Facebook profiles.

Site: Facebook.com “[Students] should start using it Founded: 2004 to make contacts in your general area as soon as you’re focused on what you want to do,” said Billy Adams, assistant director of communication for OU Recruitment Services. “That way, you’ll have time to build contacts and credibility.”

Site: LinkedIn.com Facebook was created exclusiveFounded: 2002 ly for college students in 2004, but the demographics have changed to include people of all ages and those who hire college graduates for jobs.

Users 30 and over are now the Facebook’s fastest growing demographic, a company spokeswoman said in an e-mail.

Site: Twitter.com “We’ve seen tremendous growth Founded: 2006 in the over-30 population on Facebook,” she said.

In order for students to safeguard their reputations, they may have to take drastic measures and put business over pleasure on their profiles, said Heather Spencer, intern and career coordinator for the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

“You may need to break down your entire Facebook account and start from scratch,” she said.

It is important that students realize that even limited profiles

may be accessed, even if through a third party, like an intern at a company where the student has applied, said Bette Scott, director of OU Career Services. Scott opened a Facebook account Jan. 22.

“When students are job searching, they need to be very aware that employers can see their Facebook accounts,” she said.

There are two common problems students don’t realize when using their profiles for business, Adams, Scott and Spencer said.

Many young people view Facebook only as a social tool, and put information and photographs on their profiles that might not be appealing to employers. Students also have little control over what potentially inappropriate things friends post on their profile, they said.

Adams, Scott and Spencer all recommend students utilize other networking sites like LinkedIn and Twitter.

LinkedIn is similar to Facebook, but with strictly professional purposes.

Users can create a profile that includes their job history, career goals and what kinds of professional relationships they would like to build.

Users create “connections” with other Users: 150 million users, and are encouraged to connect Account: Free with people they’ve never met but with whom they have a mutual connection.

Spencer said it is similar to the theory of six degrees of separation, but for business.

Twitter’s purpose is a worldwide conversation, answering the question “What are you doing?” as its Web site Users: 30 million states.

Account: Free and paid Users type in information about a project they are working on or a type of contact they are looking for, and other users “follow” them. This process over time builds relationships that might not be possible without the Internet, Spencer said.

Students who choose to use multiUsers: Unknown ple networking Web sites should make sure to check each of their accounts Account: Free daily and put the same information on all sites to “brand themselves,” Adams said.

Networking sites are a good alternative, but Spencer said she emphasizes the importance of making contacts the old-fashioned way.

“Face to face contact is the best – nothing can beat going to that after-hours networking party,” she said. “It’s about building relationships, kind of like an onion. You start with a core and then build relationships over time.”

POPULAR NETWORKING SITES

CHINESE RESTAURANT 364-2100 • 722 Asp Ave. CAMPUS CORNER

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our 3rd location with

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(Only at our Sandy Beaches “East” in front of Crimson Park) Dorms 364-7344 • East 321-7344

Alcohol Recovery Group A support group for members of the OU community.

For accommodations on the basis of disability, call 325-4611 x41777.

The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

5A

For details and weekly meeting location, please call Dr. Scott Miller at 325-2913.

6A

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

Life & Arts

Luke Atkinson, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu phone: 325-5189, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

WEEKEND UPDATE bingo! ▼

jewel

Play Bingo and win prizes at the Oklahoma Memorial Union, Friday at 8 p.m

▼

live music

Jewel will perform at Riverwind Casino on Friday at 8 p.m.

mike hosty

burn baby ▼ burn ▼

Hosty plays at The Deli, Sunday at 10 p.m. Come early or stand

Make your own candle at the Oklahoma Memorial Union, Friday at 11:30 a.m.

outside.

othello’s Mark Williams & Wess McMichael play jazz guitar at Othello’s at 6:30 p.m, Saturday.

▼

opolis

jungle

Tapes ‘n’ Tapes and Wild Light play at The Opolis at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

love ▼ “Madagascar 2” will play at 4, 7, 10 p.m. & 12 a.m. in Meacham Auditorium.

the deli Vandevander, Taddy Porter and Cody Clinton and the Bishops are playing at The Deli on Friday at 10.

NEED MORE HOURS? 3 hours credit, 5 days in class Darwin’s Ideas Class meets February 11-15, 2009

The Mounting Competition for Fresh Water Class meets February 25-March 1

The Impact of International Politics & Economics on Latin America Class meets March 11-15 Special permission & application required 3 hours upper division/graduate credit

For additional information: www.oslep.org 325-4309.

Sports

Steven Jones, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu phone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

Sooners take down Bears • Sooners squeak by Baylor, 56-51 ANNELISE RUSSELL The Oklahoma Daily The No. 2 women’s basketball team has already accomplished a good amount this season. They’ve only lost two games, senior center Courtney Paris is a Player of the Year candidate and the Sooners have blown out several ranked opponents.

But on Saturday, they were able to cross two others things off their list: beat a ranked team on the road and take the lead in the Big 12.

The No. 2 Sooners came into Waco, Tx., looking to steal a road win against No. 4 Baylor and claim the top spot in the Big 12, but neither team started the game the way they wanted to.

Both teams were consistently sloppy in the first half with neither team able to establish an offensive rhythm.

Senior center Courtney Paris was unable to get going down low and the Sooners shot less than 30 percent from the field in the first half.

While things stalled underneath, the three-point line was just as stale, with no production coming from long distance for OU. Most of the Sooners’ success came from drives to the basket by sophomore guard Danielle Robinson and junior guard Nyeshia Stevenson.

After a tight first half, the Bears hit a long three-point shot right before the half to give Baylor a 23-22 lead.

Coming out of the half, OU still struggled to find a way to score, allowing Baylor to extend its lead.

As the half continued, the sloppy play remained for both teams in the low scoring, defensive game.

The Sooners tied the game halfway through the second half at 38, but they quickly gave it back on their next possession.

The back and forth continued when the Sooners went on a run and were able to take the lead with seven minutes remaining.

The Sooners were able to find a way to score with solid offensive play and several Baylor mistakes.

A three-point shot from freshman guard Whitney Hand with 1:55 remaining, her only field goal of the game, gave OU a 51-48 lead. However, on the next possession, the Bears answered with a three of their own from senior guard Jessica Morrow.

Jerry Larson/AP The game came down to the wire, but OU extended its lead with late Courtney Paris sets up to shoot in front of Baylor’s Danielle Wilson in the second free throws from Robinson and senior forward Ashley Paris. half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday in Waco, Texas.

Paris finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks.

Ashley had a big game herself, finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds and one block.

OU heads back to Norman to take on Big 12 North opponent Missouri at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center.

RANKED TEAMS IN THE SOUTH

Four of the six teams in the Big 12 south are ranked in women’s college basketball’s top 25. All four matched up against one another last night with No. 17 Texas and No. 7 Texas A&M clashing in Austin, Tx. Here’s how that game turned out.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Texas (14-5, 2-3): 54 Texas A&M (16-3, 3-2): 68

Minutes: 35

Top Performers

Points: 15 Rebounds:14 Blocks: 7 Assists: 3

COURTNEY PARIS

• Points: Kathleen Nash, 13 (UT) Takia Starks, 26 (A&M) • Rebounds: Brittainey Raven, nine (UT)

La Toya Micheaux, 16 (A&M) • Assists: Three tied, two (UT) Sydney Colson, five (A&M)

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

1B

Thunder win again OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant scored 35 points, Jeff Green added 23 on a careerhigh five 3-pointers and the Oklahoma City Thunder recovered after blowing a late 10-point lead to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 114-102 in overtime Wednesday night.

Rudy Gay capped Memphis’ comeback when he put back Mike Conley’s missed 3-pointer as time expired in regulation, but the Grizzlies didn’t score again after his basket to open overtime.

Gay finished with 25 points to lead Memphis, which lost its 11th straight game and fell to 0-2 under new coach Lionel Hollins.

Durant started a 14-0 run by the Thunder with a jumper from the right wing and added a two-handed jam off of Russell Westbrook’s missed layup and four free throws as Oklahoma City pulled away in the extra period. The Grizzlies missed their last eight shots after Gay opened overtime by driving past Green along the left baseline for a layup and the lead.

The Grizzlies hadn’t scored more than 91 points during their losing streak, but came alive late to tie send the game into overtime after trailing by 14 in the fourth quarter and by 12 with less than 5 minutes to play.

O.J. Mayo scored six straight points from the free-throw line as the Grizzlies got to 98-94 in the final 2 minutes, and Memphis then scored the final six points of regulation to tie the game at 100 and force the extra period.

Westbrook added 16 points, and Chucky Atkins had 10 in only his second game since joining the Thunder in a trade three weeks ago. After starting the season with a leagueworst 3-29 record, the Thunder have been playing above .500 ball since New Year’s Eve and moved past Washington earlier this week to get out of the basement.

Combined with Sacramento’s loss at Boston, Oklahoma City no longer has the worst record

in the Western Conference.

Mayo scored 17 points and Conley and Marc Gasol added 15 apiece for Memphis. Conley also had a career-high nine assists.

Green set a new career-best when he connected on his fifth 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Thunder the lead and spark a 12-1 run late in the third quarter. He also finished off the surge with a jumper from the right side to put Oklahoma City up 81-71 at the end of the third period.

In the middle of the run, Desmond Mason, Oklahoma City’s starting forward, had to be helped to the locker room by two teammates after hyperextending his right knee while coming back down after blocking a layup by Kyle Lowry.

The Thunder looked as though they had put the game away when Westbrook stole a pass and streaked downcourt for a two-handed jam, but he was called for a technical foul for hanging on the rim and Memphis immediately started its comeback.

After Mayo hit the free throw off of Westbrook’s technical, Gay came back with a dunk of his own and Gasol added a three-point play off of a tip-in to help the Grizzlies inch closer. Then Mayo, who shot just 4-for-15 from the field, made the comeback realistic with his foul shots.

It still wasn’t enough as Memphis lost its eighth straight on the road. The Grizzlies are 1-15 in their last 16 road games, with the only win coming in Oklahoma City.

Memphis made 15 of its first 18 shots and raced out to an early 14-point lead during a 37-point first quarter, its highest-scoring period of the season. Led by seven points from Atkins, Oklahoma City was able to chip away and even take a brief lead on Durant’s layup in the final minute of the second quarter.

Conley hit a free throw with 0.4 seconds left to give Memphis a 57-56 lead at halftime.

— AP

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2B

Sports

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

Five questions on OU basketball • With 10 regular season games left, The Daily’s Eric Dama answer’s five burning questions

The bench came up big the last two games, scoring a combined 37 points against Oklahoma State and Baylor.

But before that it was outscored by Nebraska’s bench, 29-4. In multiple games, all five starters have had to play minutes in the high 30s. This could hurt OU come tournament time if its starters become fatigued late in games.

What seed will the Sooners likely be in the NCAA tournament?

What will be the X factor heading into the final part of the season?

If the season ended today I think OU would be a No. 2 seed. Right now the Sooners appear to be the best team in the Big 12. They are 20-1 and have eight wins over teams currently in the RPI Top 50. Many people believe OU deserves a No. 1 seed; however, Connecticut, Duke, North Carolina and Pittsburgh all have stronger cases and would most likely claim the top four spots if the tourney started today.

Given the tough schedules of those teams, though, if the Sooners continue at their current pace they have a great chance of grabbing a No. 1 seed.

What aspect of the team most needs improvement?

If there’s one thing that could hurt later in the season, it is consistency (or lack thereof) off the bench.

ERIC DAMA

It’s easy to say that Blake Griffin is the X factor because how well the team fares largely depends on how the stellar sophomore plays. But as we near the end of the season and start talking tournaments, OU’s bench will be just as important.

The Sooners seem to have found another productive player in junior college transfer Juan Patillo. He had 12 points and three rebounds against Oklahoma State and nine points and three rebounds in 14 minutes against Baylor.

Since coming out of his redshirt against Texas, Patillo has looked like he may be able to help with the consistency problems off the bench.

Is OU really the No. 5 team in the country?

The polls really don’t mean too much, but if you’re the No. 5 team in the country, people must think you’re pretty good. But it’s hard to compare the Sooners to teams in the ACC and Big East.

Personally, I think the Big 12 is a very mediocre conference. I’m not sure how the Sooners would fare against teams like Pittsburgh and North Carolina.

And the problem is, OU won’t face a team like that until they reach the tournament.

The Sooners should cruise through the Big 12 on their way to at least a No. 2 seed in the Big Dance, but we won’t know how good they are until then.

Is Blake Griffin the best player in the country?

Merrill Jones/The Daily

Sophomore forward Blake Griffin (23) blocks a shot against Nebraska Jan. 21 at Lloyd Noble Center.

From what we’ve seen so far, I don’t think anybody has dominated quite like Griffin. In Monday’s 89-81 win over Oklahoma State, Griffin out-rebounded the Cowboys by himself. He leads the nation with 17 double-doubles and has recorded at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in 10 games this year.

When Griffin gets the ball low in the paint, there isn’t anybody who can stop him from scoring or at least getting to the foul line. He is an excellent passer and has good ball-handling skills for his size.

Again, we’ll get a better idea when the Sooners play the elite big men from the East Coast, but you really can’t ask much more from him at this point.

RECREATIONAL SERVICES Faculty/Staff Membership Drive

Bring this ad to the Huston Huffman Center Front Desk and receive a one-week promo pass. Offer valid through February 28, 2009.

For more information, call Kerry at 325-3053.

ERIC DAMA IS A JOURNALISM JUNIOR.

• Looking for someone to help you with your workouts?

Personal Training is available for $30/hour plus tax. For more information, contact Khari at 325-3053 or kwink14@ou.edu.

• Recreational Services offers massage therapy and personal training for additional fees.

Body composition testing and blood pressure screenings are free!

• Students, Group Fitness Classes are $50 for the semester! Over 50 classes are offered each week.

Charge it to your Bursar Account!

The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

Accommodations on the basis of disability can be made by calling Garry at (405) 325-3053.

SPORTS BRIEFS Hand, Paris both claim weekly award

Softball slated at No. 6 in Record-breaking weekpreseason poll end for track and field

The women’s basketball team swept the Big 12’s weekly awards this past week, with senior center Courtney Paris taking Player of the Week and freshman guard Whitney Hand snagging the Freshman of the Week honor, as announced on Monday.

In the Sooners two wins this past week, against Colorado and No. 16 Texas, Paris averaged 21 points and 17.5 rebound while shooting 87 percent from the field.

Against Texas, Paris pulled down a season-high 21 rebounds.

The honor marks the 18th time in her career that Paris has earned the award.

Hand, who has now been named Freshman of the Week for the third time, averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds last week. The freshman also shot 5-11 from three-point range.

The softball team will start the 2009 season ranked No. 6 in the country in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate top 25. The top five consisted of Florida, Alabama, Arizona State, UCLA and Michigan.

Last season, the Sooners went 47-14 and finished 16-2 in the Big 12.

They finished second in the conference and ended the season in the NCAA Super Regional.

Last week, OU was the unanimous choice for No. 1 in the Big 12 in the coaches preseason poll.

The Sooners are returning three All-Americans in senior first baseman Samantah Ricketts, pitcher D.J. Mathis and junior infielder Amber Flores.

Mathis and Ricketts, as announced on Wednesday by the Amateur Softball Association, are top 50 finalists for collegiate Player of the Year.

Two OU athletes set records at the Oklahoma Christian Indoor Invitational on Saturday in Norman.

Junior K.P. Singh set a new program record in the weight throw, tossing 65 feet and 7 inches.

Also, senior Mikaela Johansson extended her own record, throwing 55 feet, 3 3/4 inches.

Meanwhile, at the Razorback Invitational on Saturday, the Sooners set seven NCAA provisional qualifying marks.

Sophomore Jacob Boone (Mile), senior Shardae Boutte (triple jump), freshman Will Claye (triple jump), junior Tony Clement (800-meter run), senior Leslie Cole (400-meter dash), junior Neelon Greenwood (triple jump) and sophomore Rob Sorrell (Mile) all set provisional marks.

-— DAILY STAFF

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The Davis United World College Scholars is offering $10,000 awards to 100 undergraduate students or groups of students, at participating colleges and universities, to design and implement a project to promote peace.

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Life & Arts

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

3B

Final Crisis #7 – Although “Final Crisis� has been entertaining, thoughtful, and has delivered on the expectations DC built for the series, it is not a series to recommend to new readers, due to the number of characters who make appearances with little to no explanation of who they are, what they can do, and who their allegiances are toward. Readers who know these characters will be satisfied to see a wide range of appearances, featuring characters they have often read about in different books, who meet each other for the first time.

As a loose sequel to 1985 event “Crisis on Infinite Earths� and 2005’s “Infinite Crisis�, “Final Crisis� hits a number of similar beats to the earlier books, including the deaths and rebirths of major characters and changes in the status quo for other characters.

FINAL CRISIS

Justice Society of America #23 – The fact that the Jusice Society easily boasts the largest roster of DC’s superhero team books and yet still seems to have the most clearly defined characters is a testament to Geoff Johns’ top asset as a writer. Last issue ended the JSA’s tie-in with 1996’s “Kingdom Come�, in which the JSA meets Gog, a god who tempts each of them with their greatest desires but requires them to worship him. Although firmly a superhero comic, Johns (with some help from Alex Ross, legendary artist of “Kingdom Come�), uses the opportunity to examine his characters both theologically and psychologically, which gives the issues a maturity and sophistication uncommon in a genre more commonly known by full-page spreads and scores of heroes and villains in combat. Issue number 23 promises the return of Black Adam, a character whom Johns has previously written as both hero and villain. –TIM BENNETT /THE OKLAHOMA DAILY

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA

‘What did you do to keep busy during the ice storm?’ • With classes canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday, The Daily’s Laura Peden slid across the sidewalks on campus to the dorms to find out what students did to keep from getting bored. “After a cup of hot chocolate, I’ll practice my flute.â€? – Emily Keliher, University College freshman

“I stuffed a piĂąata and made a t-shirt.â€? – Andrew Nguien, University College freshman

CAMPUS

LOST & FOUND 325-6953

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“I [watched] movies and [had] a mini-movie marathon.� – Alysha Castor, University College freshman

“I [went] shopping and [risked] my life by getting out in the weather.� – Chelsi Sutton, University College freshman

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

PLACE AN AD

Classifieds

Announcements

Phone 405.325.2521

E-Mail classifieds@ou.edu

Fax 405.325.7517

ENTERTAINMENT FEMALE SINGER NEEDED Local Recording/Publishing/Production Company seeking fresh, sound to develop into possible solo/collaborative projects. Song writing and live performance skills important. Please call 405945-1959 or e-mail us studio115norman@yahoo. com.

Office Copeland Hall 149A

Mail The Oklahoma Daily 860 Van Vleet Oval, 149A Norman OK 73019-2052

DEADLINES Line Ad. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 a.m.

Place your classified line ad by 9 a.m., Monday-Friday to run in the next issue.

Display Ad. . . . .3 days prior Classified Display or Classified Card Ad are due 3 days prior to publication date.

PAYMENT s r

r

TM

Payment Payment is required at the time the ad is placed. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express; cash, money orders or local checks accepted.

Credit Accounts Businesses may be eligible for credit in a limited, local billing area. Please inquire with Business Office at 405.325.2521.

RATES Line Ads Rates are determined by the price per line, per day. There is a two line minimum charge; approximately 40 characters per line, including spaces and punctuation.

1 day ............. $4.25/line 2 days ........... $2.50/line 3-4 days........ $2.00/line 5-9 days........ $1.50/line 10-14 days.... $1.15/line 15-19 days.... $1.00/line 20-29 days.... $ .90/line 30+ days ..... $ .85/line

Classified Display Ads Rates are $16.00 per column inch, per day with a minimum of 2 column inches.

Classified Card Ads Classified Card Ads are $170 per column inch with a minimum of 2 column inchs and run 20 consecutive issues. Ad copy may change every five issues.

Game Sponsorships Classified Display Ads located directly above the following games/puzzles. Limited spaces available – only one space per game.

2 col (3.792 in) x 2 inches Sudoku ...........$760/month Boggle............$760/month Jumble ...........$760/month Horoscope .....$760/month 1 col (1.833 in) x 2.25 inches Crossword .....$515/month (located just below the puzzle)

POLICY The Oklahoma Daily is responsible for one day’s incorrect advertising. If your ad appears incorrectly, or if you wish to cancel your ad, call 405.325.2521 before the deadline for cancellation in the next issue. Refunds will not be issued for early cancellation.

Errors not the fault of the advertiser will be adjusted.

The Oklahoma Daily will not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religious preference, national origin or sexual orientation. Violations of this policy should be reported to The Oklahoma Daily Business Office.

Help Wanted ads in The Oklahoma Daily are not classified as to gender.

Advertisers understand that they may not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion or gender unless such qualifying factors are essential to a given position.

All ads are subject to acceptance by The Oklahoma Daily. Ad acceptance may be re-evaluated at any time.

C Transportation AUTO INSURANCE

Auto Insurance Quotations Anytime Foreign Students Welcomed Jim Holmes Insurance, 321-4664

Employment HELP WANTED Make up to $75 per online survey, student opinions needed www.cashtospend.com.

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Available positions in the OU Athletic Department!! Junior, Senior, Graduate,and Post Graduate applicants only! Hiring for Spring 2009. Call 325-8453.

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J Housing Rentals

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HOUSES UNFURNISHED Clean 3bd/1bth near campus, big yard, ďŹ replace, basement, $800/mo. 447-8313.

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Call 329-0143.

NOW HIRING! CHEDDAR’S RESTAURANT! Need energetic, motivated individuals to work in high paced environment, hiring all positions, great pay and beneďŹ ts! Accepting applications NOW, apply within, 1300 24th Ave NW, Norman, intersection of Robinson & 24th (just south of the Super Target.)

Tennis Shop Attendant (Part-Time) Westwood Park Tennis Center

TUTORS WANTED!!!

Available positions in the OU Athletics Department!! Junior, Senior, Graduate, Post Graduate applicants only!! LATIN, FRENCH, KIOWA, CREEK, CHEROKEE, CHOCTAW!! Hiring for spring 2009. Call 325-0117 for more info!

FETCH THIS PAPER YOURSELF www.smallstep.gov

Bartending! Up to $250/day. No exp nec. Training provided. 1-800-965-6520, x133.

Applicant must be at least 16 years of age and have cash handling experience, $6.55/hr. Work period: No ďŹ xed schedule. Must be able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays. Application deadline: Open Recruitment. Obtain application at 201-C West Gray, Human Resources Dept,City of Norman (405) 366-5482, normanok.gov EOE/AA

small step no. 34

TAKE A SMALL STEP TO GET HEALTHY

4B

R.T. Conwell, advertising manager classifieds@ou.edu phone: 325-2521, fax: 325-7517 For more, go to oudaily.com.

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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.

Gymnastics Instructors for pre-school girls and boys classes, tumbling and cheerleading, P/T, ex sched. Bart Conner Gymnastics, 447-7500.

Universal Crossword

ENGLISH TUTORS/ WRITING CONSULTANTS WANTED!!!

Available positions in the OU Athletics Department! Junior, Senior, Graduate,and Post Graduate applicants only!! Hiring for Spring 2009. Call 325-8376, for more info!

Edited by Timothy E. Parker January 29, 2009

ACROSS 1 “Fahrenheit 9/11� target 5 Caught on camera 10 Yards on the ground, e.g.

14 Builder at Cuzco 15 “Six ___, half a dozen ‌â€?

16 Topology figures 17 Bridge distance 18 Setting for “Hansel and Gretel�

19 Donkey features 20 Guidelines for a politician 23 Frees from 24 One way, on a swing 25 Dope on a horse 28 “___ bodkins!�

29 Noted matchmaker 32 Aggregate 34 First name in women’s tennis 36 Estate beneficiary 37 Moneymakers for ex-presidents 41 W rival 42 They make for a neat walk 43 Place to put some leaves 46 Spanish vacation site, perhaps 47 Drink with

Wanted: Enthusiastic, Motivated Individuals.

As a leader in community banking, Republic Bank & Trust is committed to providing a unique, quality experience to our customers, community, and bankers. We currently have the following positions available: PT Courier, M-F 2:00-8:00pm; must be 21 years of age and have a clean driving record for insurance purposes. Applicants are encouraged to apply in person at 401 W. Main, Norman, Ok. Republic is an EOE. Norman Zoo Tour Guides needed, exible with your class schedule. For info call 366-7229.

Now hiring lifeguard, swim instructors, and AM pool managers. Apply at the Cleveland County Family YMCA, 1350 Lexington Ave. EOE. TUTORS WANTED!!!

Available positions in the OU Athletics Department!!! Junior, Senior, Graduate, and Post Graduate applicants only!! All Subjects! Hiring for Spring 2009. Call 325-8453, for more info!!

SITUATIONS WANTED 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.

QualiďŹ ed participants will be compensated for their time. Call 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 APTS. FURNISHED $400, bills paid, efďŹ ciency LOFT apartments, downtown over Mister Robert Furniture, 109 E Main, ďŹ re sprinkler, no pets, smoke-free. Inquire store ofďŹ ce.

an extended pinkie 50 Dreyer’s partner in ice cream 51 U.K. defense arm 53 Barcelona bull 55 Bucolic waterway 59 Latter-day accts.?

61 “The ___ Limits�

62 Feminizing suffix 63 Dash gauge 64 Actor Milo of “Barbarella�

65 Voyeur 66 Bambino 67 Col. Potter of “M*A*S*H,� to pals 68 They’re dubbed DOWN 1 Casual eatery 2 Pro bono 3 Almost boils 4 “Cast Away� star 5 Village inhabitants 6 In ___ (befuddled) 7 Palindromic ship deck 8 Words with “an era� or “the line�

9 It may be burning 10 “Never mind� notation 11 Warmer 12 Abbr. at JFK

13 “Deck the Halls� contraction 21 Asia Minor region 22 Alternative to smoking 26 The blue of a baby blue 27 “Capita� go-with 30 What George couldn’t tell 31 One official language of India 33 Consequently 34 Beetle’s sound?

35 Brunch staples 37 Musher’s vehicle 38 Listen to a recording 39 Pre-fax communique 40 Dentist’s brand,

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Š 2009 Universal Press Syndicate www.upuzzles.com

“SAY WHAT?� by James Abrams

Previous Answers

perhaps 41 Time for les vacances 44 Earth is one 45 Social no-nos 47 Woody’s wife 48 Certain laundry worker 49 They hang around the fireplace 52 Straight beater 54 Kilmer classic 56 Tennis great 57 “Aren’t ___ lucky one!�

58 ___-do-well 59 Classic TV’s Cousin ___ 60 Unit of hope

Details

5B

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

US envoy urges stronger Gaza truce amid airstrikes JERUSALEM — As Israeli-Hamas violence flared, President Barack Obama’s new Mideast envoy promised on Wednesday a vigorous push for peace, saying Gaza militants must end their weapons smuggling and the blockaded borders must be pried open if a cease-fire is to take hold.

George Mitchell held his first round of talks with regional leaders to determine the next steps the Obama administration would take toward reviving peace negotiations following Israel’s blistering military offensive against Gaza’s Islamic Hamas rulers.

But continued violence in Gaza underscored the more immediate priority — shoring up the 10-day-old cease-fire.

Hours before Mitchell arrived in Jerusalem, Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza smuggling tun-

NEW YORK — With health care costs high on the national agenda, advocates of home births are challenging the medical and political establishments to give midwives a larger role in maternity care and to ease the state laws that limit their out-of-hospital practice.

Pending bills to further this goal have significant backing in several states, which home birth supporters want to add to the 25 states that already have taken such steps.

Lesbian to lead Iceland REYKJAVIK, Iceland — Iceland’s next leader will be an openly gay former flight attendant who parlayed her experience as a union organizer into a decades-long political career.

Both parties forming Iceland’s new coalition government support the appointment of Johanna Sigurdardottir, the island nation’s 66-year-old social affairs minister, as Iceland’s interim prime minister.

Mascots seen as racism OKLAHOMA CITY — A Tulsa state senator is making a second try at prohibiting public schools from using names considered derogatory by American Indians for sports teams, mascots or nicknames.

The Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism, known as TICAR, has called a news conference for Thursday afternoon to support a measure introduced by Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre.

Starbucks makes cuts NEW YORK — Starbucks Corp. said nearly 7,000 employees may lose their jobs due to a new round of store closures and cost cuts as it reported Wednesday that its profit dropped 69 percent in its fiscal first quarter.

The company plans to close 300 underperforming stores around the world by the end of the fiscal year in addition to the 600 it already planned to close in the U.S. The company has already closed 384 of those stores.

Obama serves drinks WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama was welcoming House and Senate leaders from both parties to the White House for drinks Wednesday night, as he continues to lobby lawmakers to pass his economic recovery bill despite stiff GOP opposition.

The getting-to-know-youbetter session was to get under way after the House voted 244-188 to approve Obama’s $819 billion stimulus bill. It was a swift victory for the new president, but it was achieved without a single Republican vote, despite Obama’s heavy push for a bipartisan show of support on the measure.

Republicans say the bill devotes too little money to tax cuts and too much on spending.

—AP

SOONERS

Drink Responsibly.

Call the Hotline at

325-5000

to report illegal or unsafe drinking.

All calls are anonymous.

The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

Anja Niedringhaus/AP

— AP Palestinian women make their way through the rubble of destroyed houses to get to a make shift camp distributing food Wednesday in northern Gaza Strip.

POLICE REPORTS Names are compiled from the Norman Police Department and the OU Department of Public Safety. The reports serve as a public record of arrests, not convictions. Those listed are innocent until proven guilty.

DISTURBING THE PEACE Lisa Marie Ellis, 30, 3001 Oak Tree Ave., Monday

Man Tries Out For Pro Team After Using Thera-Gesic

MUNICIPAL WARRANT Genie J Hawkins, 20, 1325 W Lindsey St., Tuesday

®

BEXAR COUNTY- After applying Thera-Gesic to his sore right knee, Tom W. tried out for his favorite basketball team. When asked why a 5’9” older man could possibly think he would make the team, he painlessly replied: “None of your dang business!”

COUNTY WARRANT Mary Jane Hawkins, 51, 1325 W Lindsey St., Tuesday, also possession of drug paraphernalia and presenting false identification to an officer Tiffany Ann Rogers, 20, 2414 W Brooks St., Tuesday

Go painlessly with Thera-Gesic ®

PETTY LARCENY

THG-08920

Home births on the rise

dations to the president and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

But the envoy was silent on details of his meetings, and he has no news conferences planned during his 7-day tour, suggesting he would say little publicly before returning to Washington.

“The United States is committed to vigorously pursuing lasting peace and stability in the region,” said Mitchell, who launched his diplomacy earlier Wednesday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.

He was expected to hold talks with pro-Western Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Thursday. Mitchell has no plans to meet with Hamas, which the U.S., Israel and European Union consider a terrorist group.

Go Tom Go

HOROSCOPE

Brian Edison Henry, 21, 601 12th Ave. NE, Monday Jonesia Marie West, 34, 601 12th Ave. NE, Sunday

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

CAMPUS NOTES

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- An old obligation you failed to take care of may rear its ugly head and demand attention. Take positive steps to eliminate it once and for all. You will feel better for it.

FRIDAY SCHOOL OF MUSIC A Sutton Music Series concert will be at 8 p.m. in Catlett Music Center’s Pitman Recital Hall.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -Avoid attending a social gathering that you know will be replete with several persons who make you feel ill at ease. You need to be among friends who make you laugh.

of landfill waste

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Unless you can find something to float your boat, you might have trouble getting into high gear.

Instead of looking for ways to avoid the job, be sure to look for things that make it interesting.

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HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

Reduce your total waste. Recycle your paper, plastic and aluminum on campus. Register for our sweepstakes at OU.EDU/RECYCLEMANIA.* ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

THE PINK

FLAMINGO Pink & Black Ball 2009

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2009 8 P.M. - 12 A.M. MOLLY SHI BOREN BALLROOM

TICKETS: $15 IN ADVANCE $20 AT THE DOOR

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT OKCTICKETS.COM

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- No partnership arrangement can sustain both parties taking an unyielding position. Know in advance that if you can’t pull together, you will pull apart -- so make some kind of compromise gesture quickly.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- You can offset obstacles placed in your path by using your brains instead of your temper. Figure out ways to circumvent those things that do not serve your best interests.

[

News Briefs

nels in reprisal for a Palestinian bombing on Tuesday that killed an Israeli soldier. After he spoke, militants fired a rocket into Israel and the military responded with another airstrike. There was no immediate word of any casualties.

After talks in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Mitchell said consolidating the cease-fire was “of critical importance.”

He said a longer-term truce should be based on “an end to smuggling and reopening of the crossings” into Gaza. Israel and Egypt have kept their borders with Gaza largely closed since the Islamic militant Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.

Mitchell embarked on his Mideast foray just a week after Obama took office. After finishing his consultations in the region and with European leaders, he said he would report his recommen-

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- All negative thinking will do for you is to make things more negative than they are. Remember, what you envision in your own mind is what you will become -- so see something great.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- If purchasing something you don’t need but greatly desire is at the expense of emptying your wallet, you will be doing yourself a great disservice. Be realistic, and wait until you can afford it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -Being in a crowd can make you feel lonely and isolated if everyone seems to be more outgoing and jovial than you. Relax and talk yourself out of seeing only the dark side of things.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Get busy early or else you could fall into a devastating procrastination mood with regard to things you truly must get done. Once you get into the fray, time will fly like the darkness before the dawn.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -It’ll be extremely inviting to look for easy ways out, and this mode of behavior could be exactly what you want. Unfortunately, that kind of path is riddled with pitfalls and predicaments.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- It’s good to be optimistic, but do not underestimate your opposition. Those you think you can easily vanquish might be the very ones who can take you on.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Harboring preconceived negative thoughts will work to your detriment and create all kinds of unnecessary complications. It’s imperative that you turn your thinking around, and the earlier the better.

SEMI-FORMAL ATTIRE REQUIRED. PINK & BLACK VINTAGE 1920s ATTIRE ENCOURAGED. A fundraiser for breast cancer education awareness benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure Brought to you by Women’s Outreach Center

Student Life is a department in OU’s division of Student Affairs. The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

For information or accommodations on the basis of disability please call the Women’s Outreach Center at 405-325-4929.

6B

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

OU STUDENTS

NOW IS THE TIME TO STUDY ABROAD! Study Abroad Scholarship funds have been increased by $100,000!

OU students can study abroad for one or two semesters or enroll in one of OU’s summer programs, known as “Journey” programs, which are led

by OU faculty and staff.

Journey Programs scheduled for this summer include study in Italy, China or South America.

The application deadline is February 27 or until all spaces are full.

All OU Students are Eligible to Apply.

Interested students are encouraged to schedule a personal visit with a Study Abroad staff member.

To schedule a visit, please contact Study Abroad Summer Program adviser Alice Kloker Kloker@ou.edu.

To learn more about Summer Programs, please visit http://www.ou.edu/ea/home.html Office of Education Abroad Beatrice Carr Wallace Old Science Hall, Room 221 405-325-1693 (Telephone) The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.