The Oklahoma Daily

THURSDAY JULY 9, 2009

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Norman homeless shelter gives the less fortunate a hand up over the traditional hand out.

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2009 Baseball season throws many curve balls to fans.

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Sooner alumna ‘attacks’ Hollywood career G4 host stars alongside Robert Downey Jr., Steve Carell, Tina Fey CHARLES WARD The Oklahoma Daily

Olivia Munn’s description of Thursday night’s 1,000th episode of “Attack of the Show” begins with a bit of standard hype.

“Something epic is going to happen,” Munn said. “Something truly, truly epic, and it could be disturbing for some.”

So far, it could be a very special episode of just about anything.

“I still smell like Old Spice in some way, and I can’t say anything more than that.”

Wait. What?

For fans of G4’s daily tech and pop culture review program, and of Munn, a 2002 OU graduate, this revelation might not be surprising.

Previous “AOTS” segments have featured her birthing balloons, cliff-diving and running around a Star Wars convention dressed as Princess Leia.

“We’re bringing on old hosts from the past, and we’re going to be showing some of my best moments on the show,” Munn said. “I do a lot of comedy. I do a lot of dressing up and doing skits and stuff like that and dressing up as every super hero you can think of.”

Before Munn set out to co-host “AOTS” and its contained craziness, she grew up dividing her time between Oklahoma and Japan, where her stepfather was stationed in the Air Force.

She graduated from Putnam City North High School, and remained

PHOTO PROVIDED

Former Sooner Olivia Munn stands on the set of “Attack of the Show,” a program she hosts on the G4 network. She is featured on the cover of the July/August 2009 edition of Playboy magazine (below left). in Oklahoma for practical reasons.

“It’s an in-state school, and we couldn’t afford an out-of-state school,” Munn said.

“I just stayed [with] OU because ... it was what accepted me and what my mom could afford. And my grandmother lived down the street.”

W h i l e a t O U, Munn majored in journalism and wrote for several publications (including The Daily).

In Norman she substituted the written word for what she really wanted to do, which was act.

“I wanted to do theater, but my mother just wasn’t convinced there was anything you can do in theater,” she said. “She really didn’t

think going to [a] university for three or four years made sense to just do theater. So I thought, ‘Well, there’s journalism,’ and I really love telling stories. I think that’s what journalism is all about — finding a way to tell a story and entertaining people.”

Munn moved to California and took a job with Fox Sports after graduation, working as a sideline reporter for women’s college basketball broadcasts, before getting sidelined herself with more lucrative gigs.

“I started modeling and booking commercials, and that was just paying more money than Fox Sports was, so I started doing that,” Munn said.

She also landed a small role in “Big Stan,” which starred Rob Schneider, along with a role in a Nickelodeon show “Big Break.”

Her current role as co-host of

“AOTS” lacked the prophetic name of her Nickelodeon gig, but it moved her further into Hollywood’s consciousness. Not only has she been hosting “AOTS” for more than three years, she’s filmed four films this year: a sequel to 2008’s “Iron Man;” “Date Night” with Steve Carell and Tina Fey.’ She’ll also begin a recurring role in “Greek,” the ABC Family program about fraternity and sorority life.

“I’ve been very lucky, just this last year with the movies that I’ve been able to do with the other actors and me,” Munn said.

And that’s only the moving pictures.

She also did a photo shoot for Playboy Magazine that landed her on the cover of the July/August issue. The pictorial is unusual for Playboy, in that she’s not fully nude in her photos.

“They came to me first with the

regular nude offer and then I said no,” she said. “Nothing wrong with women who do do it, it’s just not something I could see myself doing. Then, a few weeks later they came around and said ‘No, we still want you for the cover, and you don’t have to get naked.’”

In another revelation that might disappoint some, she doesn’t offer any spoilers for the upcoming “Iron Man 2.”

“It’s definitely under lock down,” Munn said. “I think the fans would be pissed at me for spoiling anything. I wouldn’t want to hear anybody tell me what was going on if I wasn’t in it already. I actually only know the things that I did. That’s how secretive the movie is. I only know my part.”

The opportunities at movies and magazine covers won’t tear her away from “AOTS”, however.

“I have a lot of loyalty to the people in my life,” Munn said. “I have the same hosting agent I’ve had since the day I moved out here.

I have a big loyalty to people who helped me and believed in me.”

Nor will her new and expanded opportunities drive her from active involvement with her Web site, oliviamunn.com, which she uses for much more than a collection of publicity photos and infrequent posts.

“I don’t have a ghost blogger, because I don’t think that anybody else can write the way that I write or have a sense of humor that I do,” she said.

All of which would seem to prevent her from finding much spare time for anything, let alone return trips to Oklahoma. Yet, Munn does periodically return to the Sooner State to see friends and family that still live here.

“I love Oklahoma,” she said. “As soon as [I] fly in, I can look [out] the window and see everything. Some things just feel like home, and Oklahoma just feels like that.”

Sooner football fans come back for more

Campus Corner construction ahead of schedule

Season ticket renewal rate reaches 99 percent

The Campus Corner summer construction project is expected to be completed by Aug. 7, slightly ahead of schedule, City of Norman officials said.

“We haven’t run into any difficulties,” projects engineer John Clink said. “It’s gone quite well. I’m quite happy with this project.”

Some of the project is finished, including most of the renovations to White Street and the west side of Asp Avenue, as well as the replacement of water lines, he said.

Norman street superintendent Greg Hall said White Street renovations are now complete with the exception of adding streetscape furniture. He said the old water lines have been replaced, and there is no danger of the new ones breaking down.

“They’re brand new — they can’t help but do their job,” Hall said. “As far as improvements, we couldn’t be happier.”

Clink said he also was happy with how the White Street renovations have turned out.

“It’s worked out well, it looks good and residents are happy,” he said. “It’s the first time that road has been totally reconstructed.”

Current construction efforts are focused on the intersection of Asp Avenue and Boyd Street, which Hall said was nearly complete.

“We should have Boyd opened up Friday,” Hall said. “On the corner itself, it will probably be the first of next week, and that’s when we’ll start on the east side of Asp.” The project varied from its original plan by using stamped and colored concrete on the corners, which will improve the looks of the intersection, Clink said.

“Stamped and colored concrete is a whole lot easier to maintain, so we’re going to end up with a better product than we originally planned,” Clink said. “We have a lot of foot traffic to the Campus Corner area so it’s designed to improve the looks.”

Hall said the next phase of construction

JAMES LOVETT The Oklahoma Daily

Season football tickets have been renewed at a 99 percent rate for the 2009 season, OU athletic department officials said Wednesday.

The renewal rate is the highest its been in Bob Stoops’ 11 seasons as head coach, and officials said they believed it is the highest in school history.

Ticket office officials said the school’s average renewal rate for season football tickets is around 96 percent, and that percentage has not dropped below 94 percent since Stoops was hired in 1999.

“We don’t have all the figures, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that renewal rate led the nation,” OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said in a statement released by the athletic department. “This rate would be exceptional any year but is especially notable during these challenging economic times. We hope those who contribute to our department and purchase tickets to our events understand how very much we appreciate them, and how vital they are to our continued success. Without the loyal support of so many, this program would be a shadow of the model it is today.”

OU currently sells approximately 69,000 general public season tickets, which are renewable for the following year. The athletic department said it also sells about 8,000 student season tickets annually.

A spokeswoman for the OU ticket office said general public season tickets were priced at $375 this year, and student tickets were $157.

“The love they have for this program is

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overwhelming, and it means so much to us,” Stoops said about Sooners fans. “From a coaching perspective, it’s rewarding to me to hear our players talk about [the fans]. They can’t wait to tell people what it’s like to play in front of that crowd in Norman, and the personal meaning it has to each one of them is something that’s hard to describe.”

Stoops was rewarded last month for his continued success in Norman when the OU Board of Regents approved his new contract, bringing his annual salary up to $3.675 million.

School officials also announced that a record number of contributors joined the Sooner Club, the principal fund-raising branch of OU Athletics. The club has a total of 10,277 members, and has seen an increase of 715 additional donors last year.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ELI HULL / THE DAILY

KYLE WEST The Oklahoma Daily

© 2009 OU PUBLICATIONS BOARD

JACOB VOGT / THE DAILY

A student navigates his way through construction on Asp Street on his way to class Monday afternoon. will take crews up the east side of Asp Avenue, where they will work on curbs, gutters and parking areas. He also said two parking spots will be added on Asp Avenue, as well as two handicapped spots converted from normal parking spots, for a net gain of two spots.

“On Asp, once all the concrete work has been completed, we are going to build and repave the remaining asphalt surfaces,” Hall said. “The striping contractor will come in and put down parking lines and center lines. That’s the last phase of the street project.”

Helen Wolney, president of the Campus Corner Merchants Association, said it was hard to tell whether or not business has slowed as a result of the construction.

“This has been two years in the making, so we all knew that this was going to happen,” Wolney said. “All this is going to do is have a positive impact on Campus Corner when it’s done. I think it will just make the residents of Norman have a cleaner and nicer area to come to, not just a gameday place, but an every day place.”

Wolney also was pleased with the progress of the construction, she said.

“I think the construction is moving along great,” she said. “I think Norman is doing a good job. They’re definitely working at faster pace than I thought it would go.”

VOL. 94, NO. 166

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

James Lovett, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

Palin racks up air miles, but has time to tweet 2008 GOP vice-presidential candidate announced resignation before holiday weekend

the capital city’s Fourth of July holiday parade. Juneau is Alaska’s third largest city but except for the parade stop Palin flew largely under the radar.

Then, it was off to Bristol Bay about 860 miles away and the town of Dillingham — sizable by Alaska standards at about 2,300 MARY PEMBERTON Associated Press people but also off the road system — where she donned waders and helped haul in salmANCHORAGE, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin on nets at the family’s commercial fishing spent another day on the move in far-flung operation. locations Wednesday at a time when many From Bristol Bay, Palin flew about 560 AP Photo Alaskans remain mystified over her decimiles to the remote Arctic town of Kotzebue, In this 2008 file photo, then-Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin blows sion to step down and not finish out her first where she signed a bill to bolster law enforcea kiss to supporters after speaking in Kissimmee, Fla. A day after abruptly announcing she would term. ment in rural villages. soon give up her job as governor, Palin indicated on a social networking site that she would take on The Republican governor racked up more In McGrath, Palin greeted the crowd, air miles as she travshook hands and a larger, national role, citing a “higher calling” to unite the country along conservative lines. eled to the small “... it didn’t surprise me, because signed autographs. town of McGrath, an During her appearNEWS BRIEFS off-the-road hamlet the governor has done a lot of things ance, McGrath radio of about 300 people station KSKO reportGRADUATE STUDENT BECOMES OU’S these tight financial times.” she hadn’t told anybody about.” in the interior part ed Palin told a joke The Sooner Racing Team was organized in FIRST COOKE SCHOLAR of the state. She about a man who 1994 by students and faculty members at the OU signed an obscure brings his dog to a OU alumna Heather Hansen has been named College of Engineering, and has competed every ALASKA HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE CHENAULT, bill extending the terveterinarian. She also year in the Formula-SAE College Design Series a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar, becoming the first OU R-NIKISKI mination date of the got the crowd laughsince the team’s creation, with the exception of graduate to win the award.

Board of Veterinary ing when talking The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private, 1998.

Examiners. The bill about the bill that independent foundation established by Jack Kent James Lovett/The Daily is summed up on the state Legislature Web the governor said will improve veterinary Cooke to “help exceptionally promising students site in 18 words. care in Alaska. reach their full potential through education.” SARKEYS FOUNDATION LENDS HAND Palin did take time to tweet on her Twitter “This bill ... it passed both houses unaniLaunched in 2000, the foundation focuses in paraccount, alluding to her sudden decision to mously. That is kind of rare down there in TO LOCAL CHARITIES ticular on students with financial need. resign.

Juneau, to see a cooperative effort to get Thirty individuals were chosen from among “Today, try this,” the governor tweeted. a bill passed,” the governor said, eliciting The Sarkeys Foundation last week announced 678 nominations nationwide to receive graduate grant awards amounting to almost $1.2 million “Act in accordance to your conscience — laughter from the crowd. scholarships of up to $50,000 per year for up to that will be given to various Oklahoma non-profit risk — by pursuing larger vision in opposi“Oh, if you only knew. Oh goodness grasix years of study. Recipients demonstrated out- organizations. tion to popular, powerful pressure.” cious,” Palin said. standing records of achievement in academics, Palin has been a busy traveler since her It’s not just Anchorage and Fairbanks resiSeveral Norman organizations will receive service, leadership and community involvement. funding, including Meals on Wheels, A New Leash bombshell announcement Friday. She has dents who are being left out of the loop.

Hansen graduated with distinction from OU in on Life, Center for Children and Families, the flown at least 2,300 miles — about the disAlaska House Speaker Mike Chenault, tance from Los Angeles to Miami in a journey R-Nikiski, said Palin didn’t inform him ahead 2007 with a double major in international stud- Oklahoma Arts Institute and the Community After that has skipped Anchorage and Fairbanks, of time that she was going to resign. ies and psychology, and a minor in Spanish. She School Program. where nearly half of the state’s population “It would have been a little nicer to know,” plans to pursue a master’s degree in interna“During these difficult economic times, it’s resides.

Chenault said. “But then it didn’t surprise me, tional affairs at Columbia University’s School of especially important to help those in need, and She flew first to Juneau, a distance of because the governor has done a lot of things International and Public Affairs in New York City. the Sarkeys Foundation’s mission of improving the about 570 miles, where she briefly watched she hadn’t told anybody about.”

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING TEAMS UP WITH SOONER RACING The Sooner Racing Team beat the University of Texas and finished in fifth place overall at the Formula-SAE West competition, held June 17-20 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

More than 80 teams from 10 countries and 24 states competed in the race.

“We really appreciate the support from OU and the College of Engineering,” team president David Collins said after the event. “The team’s success would not have been possible without support from our sponsors, which is highly appreciated in

quality of life in Oklahoma is something we take very seriously,” said Kim Henry, Oklahoma First Lady and Sarkeys Foundation executive director, in a statement. “We are pleased to be able to award over $1 million worth of grants and are proud to provide financial help and resources to our fellow Oklahomans.”

The Sarkeys Foundation, established in 1962

by S.J. Sarkeys, is one of the largest private foundations in Oklahoma. According to the foundation, its mission is “to improve the quality of life in Oklahoma” by funding nonprofit organizations across the state.

Aaron Colen/The Daily

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

POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE Ricky Lynn Appleton, 27, E. Brooks Street, Monday Matthew Aaron Dorrough, 27, 2600 Quanah Parker Trail, Monday FRAUDULENT CONVEYANCE Ricky Paul Bailey, 36, 481 N. Interstate Drive East, Monday PETTY LARCENY Sean Thomas Dendy, 20, 601 12th Ave. NE, Sunday Teresa Allantar McMasters, 55, 1205 E. Lindsey St., Monday

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.

9

number

crisis line

[help is just a phone call away]

325-6963 (NYNE)

OU Number Nyne Crisis Line

8 p.m. - 4 a.m. every day

except OU holidays and breaks

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA Jamie Susan Hawkins, 23, 481 N. Interstate Drive East, Monday INTERFERENCE WITH OFFICIAL PROCESS Jarvis Isaiah Jones, 21, 2329 Tahoe Drive, Sunday COUNTY WARRANT John Michael Rose, 30, West State Highway 9, Monday Sheila Ann Sargent, 34, 1105 S. Elm Ave., Tuesday DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Edward Louis Serrano, 22, Classen Boulevard, Monday MUNICIPAL WARRANT Roy Bret Blevins, 48, 901 24th Ave. SW, Tuesday Ivan Bruce Breshears, 44, E.

Hughbert Street, Tuesday Terrence Demarcus Brown, 19, 201 W. Gray St., Tuesday David Leon Hickok, 44, 917 24th Ave. SW, Tuesday Chad Allen Istook, 32, 201 W. Gray St., Tuesday Nora Ruth Shoemaker, 39, 1325 Crown Point Ave., Tuesday ASSAULT AND BATTERY Jonathan Grefaldo, 20, 200 Lexington Ave., Tuesday Paige Lanette Whitlow, 20, 1828 Aiken Court, Tuesday FIREWORKS VIOLATION Brian Richard Mulford, 27, 308 Chamblee Drive, Monday PUBLIC INTOXICATION Gary Merle Osborne, 54, 201 Chalmette Drive, Tuesday

CAMPUS NOTES MONDAY JIMMIE AUSTIN OU GOLF CLUB The Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club will host the US Amateur Public Links Championship beginning on Monday July 13 through Saturday July 18 at the Jimmie Austin University of Oklahoma Golf Course.

Thursday, July 9, 2009 3

James Lovett, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051

THE GOOD AND BAD AS BASEBALL HEADS TO BREAK TIM DAHLBERG Associated Press

To juice up baseball’s midseason classic next Tuesday all living former presidents will pay homage to the game in a video, and the current president will throw out the opening pitch in St. Louis.

Ratings might be better if they simply played Michael Jackson tribute videos between innings, but the presidents were already booked. You can’t move them to the Home Run Derby the night before, because even they must know that has become unwatchable.

The All-Star game isn’t what it once was either, despite Bud Selig’s effort to make sure it really counts. Yes, home field advantage in the World Series is at stake, but interleague play has taken all the mystery and much of the fun out of the game.

It does, however, signal the traditional middle of what up to now has been an intriguing season — though not always for the right reasons. Although there’s another half season yet to be played, it’s a good time to look back and find some winners and losers as baseball prepares to take its annual break.

A few highlights, beginning with winners: — Baseball itself. Faced with the worst economy since the Great Depression the game has managed to survive, if not exactly flourish. Attendance is down in 20 out of 30 markets, but aggressive promotions and pricing have helped trim losses. On an average night nearly a half million people manage to find their way to a major league ballpark to enjoy a game. Despite the aberrations in New York, owners seem to have figured out they need to compete for a shrinking pile of money Americans have set aside for entertainment, something that bodes well for the game in the future.

— Juicers. Yes, Alex Rodriguez was forced to admit to things he didn’t want to admit to. Yes, Manny Ramirez lost more than $7 million for his enforced summer vacation. But the welcome back both superstars got from steroid-weary fans speaks volumes, and there are still 100 or so players who tested positive in 2003 whose names remain secret.

— The Los Angeles Dodgers. They’re the biggest winner on the field so far. Not only did they get through the Ramirez suspension intact, they are probably going to be a better

TRADITION COULD GIVE HEISMAN TO MCCOY For the better part of the 20th century, Major League Baseball wanted to make sure that any record held by New York Yankees’ slugger Babe Ruth remained in the books.

Now in the 21st century, it seems that college football is taking on the same philosophy on the topic of the Heisman Trophy.

Today it appears less likely that a player who has already won the Heisman Trophy JONO GRECO can become the first player since Ohio State running back Archie Griffin in 1974 and 1975 to strike the infamous pose twice.

This season is the first real possibility that it could happen, with 2009 favorites Florida and OU junior quarterbacks Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford having already won the Heisman in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

But can it really happen when it seems like writers and voters seem to be more inclined to give it to the best player who has yet to win?

Tebow did have the opportunity to win his second Heisman Trophy last season, but firsttime nominee Bradford came back to Norman with the statue.

Did Bradford win because he was truly the better quarterback, or because Tebow already

had his shining moment in New York City the year before? The answer interchanges between the two, depending on whom you ask.

So, will this year be any different? Will we have the second player in history to win the Heisman, or will a new player hoist the trophy in December?

If the trend continues, the voters will go with Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy, who finished 86 points behind Bradford in 2008. McCoy was the favorite to win last year, but Bradford’s performance during the final stretch of the season solidified the fifth Heisman winner in OU’s history.

It’s yet to be seen whether or not anyone outside of McCoy can make a run for college football’s greatest individual honor, but he is the preseason favorite of all players who have not won before.

If the award has become cyclical and the voters do not want to have anyone join Griffin, McCoy should be the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner, unless Bradford or Tebow have seasons that put their previous Heisman-winning ones to shame.

Jono Greco/The Daily

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AP PHOTO

New York Mets starter Johan Santana throws a pitch in the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field on June 25 in New York. team because of it. The idea of Joe Torre possibly managing in a World Series against the Yankees in New York makes the second half of their season even more tantalizing.

— Albert Pujols. He was already regarded as one of the best in the game. Now we have to start wondering if he is one of the best ever. Entering the All-Star break, Pujols is leading the National League in home runs and RBI and is

tied for second in batting average, giving him a legitimate chance to become the first triple crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski did it 42 years ago. Too bad it has to happen in the steroid era, where the accomplishments of every player automatically fall under suspicion.

And some losers: — New Yorkers. The new stadium in the Bronx is a bandbox, and the padded $2,500 seats behind home plate an affront to all Americans still lucky enough to be drawing a paycheck. The jury’s still out, meanwhile, on the $243 million given to CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, and Yankee fans aren’t going to tolerate A-Rod hitting .246 forever. The Yankees have played well lately, though, unlike the hapless Mets, who seem determined to celebrate the past in their new ballpark by posing as members of the bumbling 1962 team that lost 120 games.

— Juan Pierre. He started in the Dodger outfield before Ramirez arrived and was the best everyday player on the team when he was gone. His reward was a trip back to the bench. His only consolation is that baseball contracts are guaranteed, and he’s making $9 million a year.

— Toronto Blue Jays. Right now they have a winning record and the best pitcher in the American League. Soon they may have neither. Trapped in a division they can’t win, they’re open to offers for Roy Halladay, while fans are showing their displeasure by staying away in large numbers.

— Chicago Cubs. Throwing a lot of money at Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano couldn’t get the team past the first round of the playoffs; now, the Cubs are a mediocre team hamstrung by long-term contracts. Things got worse a few days ago when starter Ryan Dempster broke his toe while jumping out of the dugout to celebrate a win and will be out for a month or so. Do the proposed new owners really know what they’re getting into?

Probably not, but neither do we. Ghood or bad, baseball has been throwing us curves for a long time now.

The best news right now is we have another half a season to enjoy it.

SPORTS BRIEFS FORMER SOONER JACK MITCHELL DIES AT 85

MOORE FOOTBALL STAR COMMITS TO OU

Former OU quarterback Jack Mitchell died Sunday from cancer in Sun City, Ariz. He was 85.

Mitchell played at OU from 1946-48, and was OU’s first AllAmerican quarterback in 1948. He also earned the 1949 Sugar Bowl MVP title, after leading Oklahoma to a 14-6 victory over North Carolina.

After his playing days as a Sooner, Mitchell went on to coach at Wichita State, Arkansas and Kansas from 1953 to 1966. During his coaching career, he posted a 72-61-7 record..

The OU football team welcomed a verbal commitment Tuesday from 2010 recruit Julian Wilson, rated as a three-start recruit by Rivals.com.

The 6-foot-2 Moore native currently plays wide receiver and defensive back for the SaberCats, Wilson played 10 games and caught 21 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns during his junior year. He made 43 tackles, and recovered one fumble while playing defense.

Wilson is scheduled to graduate high school in May.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jono Greco/The Daily

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Thursday, July 9, 2009 CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Don’t merely talk about the changes you would like to make -- implement them. You’ll know immediately if they are any good -- and whether or not you should continue to bring them into being.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- It’s not your policy to let anyone else make a critical decision for you. However, this might be exactly the right thing to do when another person has far more knowledge about a situation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Good things can happen when people look out for each other, especially in the workplace.

Help a co-worker develop what you think is a promising idea, and get it to the powers-that-be.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -Although you might not be fully aware of it, you can be both popular and influential when you relax and just be yourself.

You certainly don’t need this recognition; you merely need to like people.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- A noticeable shift in circumstances could prove to be materially advantageous, especially if you jump onboard first. Be watchful and ready.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- If the ball is clearly in your court, don’t wait on others to decide when it is time to get a new endeavor off the ground.

Take the initiative yourself, and get things rolling.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Don’t be upset if a situation is totally out of your control.

Actually, you will be far better off if you let others take the responsibility of steering it through treacherous waters.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- If a business associate is introducing something, don’t be too quick to accept it at face value.

Take time to check it out first to see if it’s worthwhile.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- In order to achieve the substantial amount of progress required, you need to be truly persistent in your effort. Once you establish a course of action, don’t be thrown off track by minor issues.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- If you have a choice between whether to spend quality time with your friends or your family, it will be far more gratifying to GEMINI (May 21-June 20) do things with the clan.

-- You’re good at discussing all kinds of ideas, but you need to SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. be just as good about bringing 21) -- Put together a strong them into fruition. Execute the game plan with regard to issues necessary action it takes to you want to promote before bring them to life. making any presentation to those who might be interested.

You’ll have a better chance of selling your ideas.

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

Luke Atkinson, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051

OUR VIEW

Fairs enliven quiet summer in Norman When the semester is over and students return to their hometowns, college towns are often rumored to become “ghost towns,” empty of the life and energy that students bring to it.

But those who remain in Norman can find themselves entertained by several festivals and fairs that organize the spirit of summer.

This weekend, Norman’s Firehouse Art Center will sponsor the Midusmmer Night’s Fair. Everyone who attends can enjoy viewing art provided by local and regional artists. Attendants can add their own art at the fair by signing up for painting the outside panels.

Sounds fun, right?

Just a few weeks ago, summer residents of

SELF-EXPRESSION CAN INCLUDE CONFORMITY

Norman sat under the stars and listened to the region’s best blues and jazz at the 26th annual Jazz in June festival sponsored by the Norman Arts Council.

D e s p i t e t h e r u m o r s, Norman still has a beating heart in the summer and a diverse amount of activities that summer residents can enjoy.

The city of Norman and University students should consider themselves foruntate to have sponsors like the Norman Arts Council, the Performing Arts Studio and the Firehouse Arts Center, who organize fairs and festivals from the nationally-recognized chocolate festival to one of the biggest music fesitvals in our region, the Norman Music Festival.

OPINIONATED? The Oklahoma Daily is looking for opinion writers for the fall semester.

If you would like to write for the Opinion section, please contact Will Holland at willholland@ou.edu.

I have a lot of horizontal-striped shirts. And I mean a Conformity and creativity are not mutually lot.

It’s pretty much the only type of shirt I wear. It sounds exclusive. You can be a conformist and still be boring, but I love it. And it’s not just stripes, it’s specifi- creative. cally horizontal stripes, not vertical ones. And yes, there is a big difference.

I do a lot of things most people would consider plain social norms or break any cultural shackles to do it. or unimaginative, like wear the same shoes every day or Self-expression can come from means other than just do my hair the same way every day. But it’s not that I’m lifestyle. Writers, composers, artists, actors and even unimaginative, at least I don’t think so, but rather that I journalists all find a method of self-expression that is inam content with being a normal and predictable human dependent of what they do when they leave the office: I being who expresses his creativity in other ways. have no idea what kind of person Maurice Ravel was, but Unfortunately, society and pop culture seem to imply I can experience his creativity every time I listen to his that being a normal and predictable human being entails beautiful music. being boring and dull. I don’t think I’m either of those, Once again, that doesn’t mean that non-conformity is but I could be wrong. The point is, our culture has made an ill means of self-expression — it’s just different. Some conformity a thing to be fought against and repelled. But, people feel that to truly let out their creative sides, they is conformity really such a bad thing? must stand out and be noticed. I don’t feel that Let me be clear up front. I have no qualms with way about my creativity, but I’m just one guy. those individuals who choose to live outside the Really, what it boils down to is that conformity box. Dressing differently and acting differently and creativity are not mutually exclusive. You can are very viable facets of creativity. If you are a be a conformist and still be creative. You can be a staunch believer in non-conformity, you have non-conformist and still be creative. You can be every right to practice what you preach and exsomewhere in the middle and still be creative. It press yourself in everything you do. doesn’t matter.

But my point is that sometimes conformity can What matters is that regardless of your social be a form of self-expression. What does confor- JOSHUA role, you are willing to express your individualmity say about someone? It says that this person WESNESKI ism in its purest and rawest forms. I encourage likes things to be in order, doesn’t want to shake all of you, be you conformists or not, to toss aside things up and enjoys the simple pleasures in life. the illusion that creativity stems from your ability This might not be the typical image we conjure up when to be different and realize that creativity is about an unwe think of an “individual,” but conformity and sticking adulterated expression of mind and soul. If your facet of to the usual is still a form of self-expression. creativity happens to be similar to someone else’s, that’s The term “self-expression” itself is very vague to begin OK as long as you are still being genuine. with. If we take it literally, then everything we do from I really do love horizontal stripes. As a matter of fact, how we drink our soda to our career choice is a form of I’m wearing a horizontal-striped shirt right now. If you self-expression. Our culture, however, has instilled the don’t love horizontal stripes, that’s fine — don’t wear belief that self-expression only can come from defying so- horizontal stripes. If you love vertical stripes (and I’ll cial norms (ironic since the definition of self-expression admit that I’ve dabbled in those before — a rookie misis socially dependent) and breaking “out of the box.” take), then go right ahead. But don’t fall into the trap of I argue that true self-expression must lie on some mid- self-expression that entails denying who you really are dle ground. That statement right there is an expression and putting on a new mask for the world. of my characteristics: I am a firm believer in compromise Instead, wear whichever stripes you want. and finding a solution that appeases all. You get a free glimpse into my personality and I didn’t have to defy any Joshua Wesneski is a College of Education junior.

STAFF CARTOON

Mai-Thao Nguyen is a biochemistry senior.

US cultural dominance influences student experience abroad I could little have known three weeks ago, when taking my seat on a British Airways flight from New York to London, then to Milan and finally to Bulgaria, where I have been teaching students from orphanages around the country, that such a trip would yield quite so powerful a set of observations about how Europeans view Americans today, nor so conflicting.

Nor could anyone have told me — well, perhaps that’s obvious — that both Michael Jackson and Vietnam-era Defense Secretary Robert McNamara SLATER would make their final exits from the RHEA world stage at this moment.

I mention these men because in a sense, they represent two halves of U.S. exceptionalism in the world — our prestige cultural exports, long-loved and envied everywhere, and our military industrial complex, both the salvation at times and chagrin of lands on every continent.

And also, they both meant something to me. Michael Jackson was for a time an idol of mine, as he was for so many of my generation, and I must admit I’ve dusted off my rendition of “The Way You Make Me Feel” for the kids here, and to no small acclaim.And Robert McNamara endeared himself to me through his wit and humanity, and pity and hope, through his book “In Retrospect: The Tragedy and lessons of Vietnam,” and the Academy Award-winning documentary about and featuring him, “The Fog of War.” What is more, these men moved the lives of hundreds of millions of people; together, really no one in our modern world has been untouched by their respective influence.

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And so it is particularly poignant to see Jackson’s collapse at the moment of near redemption, broken under the weight of so great a task as his comeback tour, and it is well to ask if we can do better now to recover as a nation.

Robert McNamara slipped largely unnoticed into his fate says something about the future of our dominance in this world, however coincidentally.

It has been clear to me, by the shear pervasiveness of U.S. culture here, that our dominance is not over, but is necessarily a velvet dominance, one of popular music and movies, fast food and free enterprise, which, as a weed under concrete cannot be repressed.

I’m sorry to shift my thoughts here, but my thesis has been evolving from the moment I disembarked in Bulgaria.

Starting with the insupportable decadence of the three wines, five teas and many dessert items I was offered on my British Airways flight, and the wonderful on-demand opera selection (but rather poor jazz offering), all of which fed my gravest concerns about the Western excess that led to the global recession.

Then there were coarse looks from, and exchanges with, people in airports, and then the thanks you’s and fistbumps for our president, and a grudging tolerance which I grew to resent. Don’t misunderstand me — I was greeted as anyone who comes humbly to serve, with friendship and kindness. The people I have encountered here are very largely open and eager or willing to interact, and very appreciative of any effort or deference.

But they are people who have too long been oppressed, by the Ottoman Empire — from whom they very proudly spared the rest of Europe, by the Kremlin — from whose influence they still are not free, by ineffectual government, perhaps always, and last and perhaps most, by the

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irrepressible invisible, but so penetrating hands of U.S. commerce. And they resent it. And I resent that what they know of us is based on this what they love of about us is based on the mass-produced and formula-driven swill we pump into our own veins, and then those of everyone else.

A few days ago, I was sampling some local beers with two young women (who drank me under the table, by the way), and I found myself confronted at once with the arch-stereotype of “most Americans” who unlike me were greatly ignorant, and greatly oppressed by our government and its propaganda. In a moment of half-drunken anger and patriotism, I blurted “America has done more good for the world than bad!” And I believe it.

But if we hope to maintain — no, regain — the place of real prestige and honor in the world, much must be done in the way of service and humility, and showing that most Americans are not most Americans, and are good and decent, and wish the world no ill, no oppression. I tire of anyone’s preaching, and I don’t intend to do it, but we must realize, now as ever, and more, that our influence is finite, that the constancy and power that pervades in U.S. history is rare and recent, and that as easily as we use it, it may slip away.

All I know is this: Ignorance and bluster have been the face of the U.S. for most of the last decade, and people who once beheld our wisdom and protection are forever convinced of our foolishness and arrogance.

Given our new president’s unique position as symbol and eloquent articulator of American promise, we have a chance for redemption, but like Michael Jackson’s aptly named and abortive final concert series, “This is It.” Slater Rhea is an English literary and cultural studies, and letters senior.

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

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The board meets Monday and Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. in160 Copeland Hall.

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

5

Thursday, July 9, 2009

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Announcements SPECIAL NOTICES Acheson Consulting is looking for 50 subjects to participate in a color vision study conducted at the FAA. Subjects will distinguish colors relevant to pilots and air trafďŹ c controllers. Subjects: * Are Between the Ages of 18-55 * Have A Color Vision DeďŹ ciency * Have a Valid Government-Issued Photo ID * Have Transportation * Have 20/30 or Better Visual Acuity (Glasses/Contacts Allowed) Available study dates - week of June 29 - July 2 & July 6-10 faaresearch@bellsouth.net or 405-246-9237

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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, Classified Card Ads or Game Sponsorship

Foreign Students Welcomed Jim Holmes Insurance, 321-4664

Employment HELP WANTED Bartending! Up to $250/day. No exp nec.

Training provided. 1-800-965-6520, x133.

Fowler Toyota seeks F/T receptionist.

M-F 4pm-9pm, Sat 8am-9pm. Pay commensurate w/ qualiďŹ cations. BeneďŹ ts upon eligibility. Must have exceptional phone & people skills, professional in appearance & attitude. Responsibilities incl. answering phones, greeting customers & business associates, other ofďŹ ce tasks as assigned. Apply in person at Fowler Toyota, 4050 N Interstate Dr, Norman, OK.

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.

APTS. UNFURNISHED IMMEDIATE MOVE IN $99 Dep/$99 1st mo/free gym *some restrictions apply Models open 8a-8p Everyday!

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P/L Now for August! $99 Dep/$100 off 1st mo/free gym! *some restrictions apply Models open 8a-8p Everyday!

Elite Properties 360-6624 or www.elite2900.com

J Housing Rentals TOWNHOUSES UNFURNISHED 3116 Ridgecrest Court! Nice 2 bed, 1.5 bath, garage, CH/A, FP! Sundeck! No Pets! $800/month! (580) 772-7665, (580) 774-1608.

ROOMMATES WANTED Male Roommate Wanted - 2 bd/1 ba in Moore. $350/mo, full house privileges.

Call Jimmy 414-5967 2 room mates wanted to share a 3 BR w/study BRAND NEW home So. of campus. Call Julie 918-810-5854. $450 + 1/3 utilities.

Roommate needed for spacious condo! $450/mo w/ all utilities incl, close to campus with pool access. The room for rent is large w/ a walk-in closet & private bathroom. Contact ann.j.burke-1@ou.edu or (316) 304-5909.

CONDOS UNFURNISHED 4 bd/4 ba Condo at The Edge at Norman - avail 7/27/09. $1335/mo for 9 mo lease ***Rent Negotiable w/12 mo lease*** (205) 243-9020

2 bd, 2 full bath, w/d, ďŹ rst oor of The Edge, $850/mo, no pets. Call 414-4046.

HOUSES UNFURNISHED 1 1/2 blocks from OU. Attractive, clean, 2/1/carport, W/D hookups. Yard maintained.

404 Page Circle $575/mo 3294321

8 5 2 3 1 9 7 4 8 2 9 6 8 7 4 2 6 5 6 6 3 1 8 9 2 4 7 4 1 3 5 8 3 1 6 9

Summer Special! Nice 3-4 bd, 2.25 bth, 612 Ash, $750; 916 Branchwood, $775; 826 Jona Kay, $975; 3401 Abilene, $1000.

Call 360-2873 or 306-1970.

6 blocks W of OU - 3 bd/2 ba, 2 car garage, dishwasher, CH/A, W/D, refrig, range, new kitchen, no pets. $1500/mo.

Bob, Mister Robert Furniture 321-1818

1109 E Lindsey, 2/3 bd, 1 bth Refrig, w/d, stove, wood oors, no pets, $775/mo, $500/dep. Lawn maintenance optional. Call 329-1933 or 550-7069.

Canvassers needed P/T. $10/hr + Bonus.

Call Eric at 210-2630.

Pre-school Teaching Assistant in Norman: M Tu W F, 11am-3pm. Th 9am-1pm. $8/ hr. Experience & References Required.

Fax resume to 310-6463.

1 col (1.833 in) x 2.25 inches Crossword .....$515/month (located just below the puzzle)

!

Previous Answers

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3 7 4 9 8 1 6 2 5

6 8 2 4 5 3 9 1 7

7 2 6 1 4 5 3 8 9

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Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard

sibling 49 Time, relatively speaking 56 Plays masseuse 57 Downyielding duck 58 Clerical title, in Caen 59 World capital on a fjord 60 ___ a beet 61 Abyssinian greeting 62 Receives, as a visitor 63 Peach pit 64 Alimony recipients DOWN 1 Fishing spear 2 Fruit that tastes better than it looks 3 “The Ghost and Mrs. ___�

4 Soundstages 5 Reducing risk, in a way 6 Came to terms 7 ___-Contra Affair 8 “The Son of Man� painter Magritte 9 Attic function, often 10 Unfortunate words with “the altar�

11 Rounded, as an egg 12 Copycat’s phrase 13 For ___ (cheaply) 21 Narrow

leather strip 22 Vesuvius output 25 Brownish-red chalcedony 26 Winged symbol of love 27 Bilk 28 Alaska’s Prince William, e.g.

29 Traveler’s sleepover spot 30 Indulgent place 32 Talk of the Gaelic 33 “___ From Muskogee�

34 A Bobbsey twin 36 Word after “aye, aye�

37 Missionary’s target, perhaps 38 Bring up, as a grievance

40 Dries up 41 Gear position 42 Some trunks 43 Producer’s dream 44 Lower in dignity 45 Retro dos 46 Drench, as a fire 47 100 kopecks 50 Downsizing plan?

51 “___Anythingâ€? (“Oliver!â€? song) 52 “If it’s all the ___ to you ‌â€?

53 Goat with backwardcurved horns 54 Wind quintet instrument 55 Anchor’s field

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

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FALL IN RANK by Henry Quarters

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

5 1 9 6 2 7 8 4 3

Edited by Timothy E. Parker July 09, 2009

ACROSS 1 Canine supporters?

5 The average person has over 100,000 10 ___ Linda, Calif.

14 Shivering fit 15 Whiteplumed wading bird 16 “___ Bayou�

(1997 film) 17 Act the butterfly 18 Alternative to Liquid-Plumr 19 Pic, in Variety 20 Like the initial iPod 23 Get the lead out 24 A way to be sick 25 Clairvoyance 30 Malaysian wraparound 31 Number for the road?

32 Almost forever 35 Antler feature 36 Baltimore daily 37 Arctic jacket 39 A lot of the paper 40 Place above place 41 Plum pudding tidbit 42 Harsh interrogation 45 Far from all thumbs 48 Zsa Zsa’s

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 325-2521, before the deadline for cancellation in the next issue. Errors not the fault of the advertiser will be adjusted. Refunds will not be issued for late cancellations.

Help Wanted ads in The Oklahoma Daily are not to separate as to gender. Advertisers may not discriminate in employment ads based on race, color, religion or gender unless such qualifying factors are essential to a given position.

9 6 7 2 3 4 1 5 8

Universal Crossword

POLICY

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 at 325-2521.

2 4 3 5 1 8 7 9 6

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.

CITY OF EDMOND Summer positions at Pelican Bay Aquatic Center: Asst Pool Manager, Cashier & Cafe Managers, Cafe Staff/Cashiers, Lifeguard Staff, Water Safety Instructors.

Golf Course, Arcadia Lake, Parks & Recreation jobs also open.

Job info line, 359-4648 www.edmondok.com Apply at 100 E First, Room 106

Contact an Acct Executive for details at 325-2521.

2 col (3.792 in) x 2 inches Sudoku ...........$760/month Boggle ............$760/month Horoscope .....$760/month

Previous Solution 1 5 8 7 9 6 2 3 4

6

Thursday, July 9, 2009

A WEEKEND OF MUSIC »

Dusty Somers, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 325-5189 • fax: 325-6051

OUDAILY.COM

Go online to find out about concerts this weekend in Norman and Oklahoma City, including shows

by The Nghiems; Now Now, Every Children; and Somerset West.

Norman shelter gives homeless a place to recover MEGAN MORGAN The Oklahoma Daily

There are more than 600 homeless people living on the streets of Cleveland County, and more than 800 people who are precariously housed.

“With the recession well under way, we are seeing more and more people in need of housing,” Marilyn Strain, case manager at East Main Place in Norman.

East Main Place works to help the homeless in the area by providing transitional housing and life skills. The temporary housing consists of 21 apartments, and the program also provides weekly case management that teaches residents important life skills.

And East Main Place does it all with a staff of only three people.

Executive director Christy Blair said her role is like having a dozen jobs rolled into one.

Her days are full of grant writing, public relations, board development, fund-raising, directing walkins to appropriate community resources and collaborating with other agencies.

“But it’s also not unusual to walk in the office and find me washing dishes or having to plunge a toilet in a resident’s apartment,” Blair said. “I am never bored.”

Blair has worked at East Main Place for almost six years as paid

staff, but volunteered for four years before that, she said.

She began working at East Main Place after witnessing the struggles of the homeless, she said.

“I grew up in a rural area with many low-income families, but never saw the type of homeless person one thinks of in a stereotypical way until starting my first job out of college in downtown Oklahoma City,” Blair said. “I watched people eat from cans, drink water from outdoor decorative fountains and ask for cash.

“I felt compelled to do something, so, as a resident of Norman, I looked into local shelters and found East Main Place.”

The program at East Main Place is different from homeless shelters because residents are allowed to live in an apartment for up to a full year, provided they obtain employment, set up a savings account and learn life skills taught through oneon-one case management — skills like budgeting, parenting, employment skills and healthy living.

The apartment is fully furnished and also includes a private bathroom and kitchenette, Blair said.

This is possible through room sponsors who also furnish the room and stock it with necessary household items.

The average length of stay is five or six months.

“Residents are ready to graduate

ELI HULL / THE DAILY

The main entrance to East Main Place, located near 12th Avenue NE and Main Street, leads back to the apartments where the residents live.

TYLER METCALFE/THE DAILY

East Main Place Executive Director Christy Blair, case manager Marilyn Strain, and volunteer and donations coordinator Cory Allen stand next to the office garden. East Main Place is a transitional living facility where the homeless — after committing to finding a full time job — can live expense-free until they have established financial independence. when they have overcome their major obstacles to permanent housing and have saved enough money to pay deposits and rent on their own home and utilities,” Blair said.

When residents graduate, the room sponsors come in to clean and refurnish the rooms.

Residents also are allowed to take all the furnishings of their apartment with them, so they can “avoid the struggle of starting over with nothing again,” Blair said.

Strain said the best part of her job is “definitely our clients’ successes.”

“There is no other program out there quite like ours,” she said. “Our program furnishes each client with what they need to get back on their feet and move on with their life.”

Strain has worked at East Main Place for one year and said she chose to work there because she wanted to make a difference and “felt that East Main Place was the place to make that difference.”

“I care deeply for the people I

work with and for,” she said.

As case manager, Strain listens to residents, inquires about their needs and refers them to important resources, she said.

Strain and Blair both said they would like to see East Main Place grow to accommodate more people.

Cory Allen is the volunteer and donations coordinator, and has worked at East Main Place since April.

Allen organizes people doing community service and works with different groups who donate to East Main Place.

Volunteers are crucial to East Main Place’s upkeep, he said.

“Since there’s only three of us here, we really rely on volunteers and community service,” he said.

Allen said he loves to see the dayto-day benefits of his job, and to see the end result of the hard work.

“I have a passion for helping people, and I’ve always had a long-term goal of working with the homeless,” he said.

Blair and Strain agreed the greatest aspect of their jobs is helping those in need and seeing their progress.

“The best part of my job is seeing a successful graduate turn in their East Main Place keys and show me the keys to their new home with a proud smile on his or her face,” Blair said.

OU junior Allison Stampley volunteers at East Main Place.

“I’m majoring in social work, so this gives me experience for my field,” she said.

Some of Stampley’s duties include helping to keep the lobby, bathrooms and kitchen clean; working outside; taking inventory of donations and answering the phone, she said.

Allen said volunteers “keep the place going strong.”

Students can help East Main Place with everything from reception work to cleaning to landscaping, Blair said.

East Main Place is located on 1100 East Main and can be reached at 447-4663.

CREATIVITY TO SHINE AT MIDSUMMER FAIR

T

he fireworks are over, the jazz musicians have come and gone and the heat of summer is settling in on Oklahoma.

It’s midsummer in Norman, which means it’s time for the 33rd Annual Midsummer Night’s Fair.

The two-day event is hosted by the Firehouse Art Center as a way to bring together local and regional artists in a community setting. This year’s fair will run 6 p.m. to 11 Friday and Saturday at Lions Park, located on the corner of Flood Avenue and Symmes Street.

If the fair is anything like last year’s edition, participants will be pleasantly entertained by the visual presentations put on by the artists, enticed by the smell of treats and goodies only found at a fair and the sweet sounds of local musicians playing for the crowds.

A central tent will once again be set up to display the work of the center’s students and faculty, according to the Firehouse Web site, last year’s tent offered demonstrations of skills and techniques by

Not to be excluded, children both faculty members as well as students. Participants were and adults alike can create a piece of artwork to welcomed to try their bring home. Raku for hand at something Children and Adults ne w and to openly allows visitors to purspeak with the other chase a clay pot to be artists. glazed and fired for a Artist booths will be small purchase price. scattered about the A highlight of the park displaying artfair is the kids’ wall. work from woodworkFirehouse sets up a ers, glass blowers, ELIZABETH wall for children to ink artists, painters NALEWAJK create a painting of and sculptors. While their own. Each child many of the booths will simply offer items for sale is given paints and a brush, and or display, others will also be the freedom to create whatever creating pieces throughout the they choose on a squared-off evening, some by order, some section of the wall.

The end result is a work of out of the pleasure of the art.

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art which will stay at Lions Park throughout the next year, only to be painted over for the next year’s fair.

This year’s line-up of musicians includes Brittani Moon, Mamma Sweet, Aaron Squirrel and the Midtown Classical Trio.

A smaller stage offers clinic bands from McMichaels Music from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. each night.

For a complete list of musicians and times, visit the Firehouse Web site at normanfirehouse.moonfruit.com.

Elizabeth Nalewajk is a master’s candidate in journalism and mass communication.

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An artist creates a portrait of one of the many visitors to the 2008 Midsummer Night's Fair at Lions Park. The central tent showcases the work of Firehouse Art Center students and faculty.