The Oklahoma Daily

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THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA’S I NDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE

VOL. 94, NO. 118 FREE — Additional Copies 25¢

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009 © 2009 OU Publications Board

Fertility clinics see rise in egg donors as economy wanes

WHAT’S INSIDE The addition to Gaylord Hall is almost complete. See what Phase Two will include on page 2.

LIFE & ARTS “This Week in Comics” features the work of My Chemical Romance’s lead singer, Gerard Way. Check it out on page 9.

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Need some ideas on how to decorate your dorm room for the spring? See page 12.

• $5k payment attractive to college students JAMIE BIRDWELL The Oklahoma Daily Clinics report the number of young women interested in donating eggs has increased significantly due to the current economic crisis. Karen Johnson, coordinator at the Bennett Fertility Institute at Integris Baptist Hospital, said although interest is increasing, not all applicants are becoming donors because of the strict requirements to donate. “People are looking for a new way to subsidize their income,” Johnson said. Former donors also are interested in donating again,

said Joan Reese, director of the Egg Donation of Dallas. Reese said she estimated about 15 percent of previous donors have decided to donate again recently. Because of high tuition costs and the flailing economy, the average $5,000 payout for an egg donation becomes an alternative for young college women to make money, Reese said. “The biggest attraction is the money,” Reese said. “It’s Karen Johnson, Bennett Fertility a lot to do and the commitment better be worth the time Institute coordinator and effort!” The donor also has all medical and travel expenses paid for by the egg recipients, said Michelle Starkey, a to be more intelligent, which makes them attractive to nurse at OU Physicians Center for Reproductive Health. recipients, she said. Egg donation clinics actively pursue college-aged Allie, an OU student who asked not to be identified women because they are the ideal donors, Reese said. due to the anonymity of the egg donation process, has College women are young, which means they produce more eggs which are generally healthier than older womFERTILITY Continues on page 2 en’s eggs, she said. College women are also perceived

“People are looking for a new way to subsidize their income.”

Economic pinch hits student organizations SPORTS

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The women’s basketball team moves on to the Sweet 16 after taking down Georgia Tech Tuesday night 69-50. Page 7.

• Rising costs complicate group activities CADIE THOMPSON The Oklahoma Daily

AP photo

The men’s basketball team faces off against Syracuse Friday night in a Sweet 16 match up. For more details on how both teams got there, see page 8.

The economic tsunami has hit more than just local businesses; it has also stormed OU student organizations, leaving some groups to scrounge for cash to put on events. “It’s just a tough time economically for everyone,” said Brett Stidham, UOSA budget chairman. “I’ve heard several instances where groups have had to downsize or cancel events because of costs.” All $6,000 of the emergency funding set aside by UOSA to assist student organizations lacking money for events has been allocated this year, and an additional $1,500 has been added to the emergency funds as an absolute last resort for groups in need. Stidham, international business sophomore, said one reason the funding has been exhausted is because there was less funding this year. UOSA didn’t distribute all of the $8,000 it had available for emergency funding last year, so the amount was decreased for this year. There will be $9,000 to $10,000 allocated for the funds next year, Stidham said. But some student organizations that received emergency funding are still feeling pinched for funds this year. Vinay Singh, India Student Association president, said the organization has seen a reduction in funding and an increase in operational costs.

Zach Butler/The Daily

CAC College Bowl chair Mallory Gladstein (center), junior communications major, helps two contestants who are dressed for the “Ace in the Hole” theme for the CAC College Bowl Tuesday evening in the Weitzenhoffer Room of the Oklahoma Memorial Union. The early rounds of the College Bowl were held in the Sooner and Heritage Rooms in the union, and the later rounds will be held in the Will Rogers Room. Singh, whose organization received $450 in emergency funding, said sponsorships have gone down this year, including sponsorships from the President’s office. Last year, the group received $2,500 from the President’s office, but this year it is only receiving $1,000, he said. Jay Doyle, university spokesman, said sponsorships from the President’s office are given on a case-by-case basis as a last resort for funding.

Sarah Shutts, International Advisory Committee president, also said the amount of funds given by sponsorship are down this year for the group but said it received more sponsorships this year. International Advisory Committee received $625 in emergency funding from UOSA but still made small cuts, like using disposable instead of china dishes, to the group’s annual event, Eve of Nations, which is set for April 3.

But it’s more than just lack of funding that is stressing the student organizations; it’s also the cost of renting facilities to put on events and host meetings. Singh said India Student Association paid $6,500 for one day at the Lloyd Noble Center for their cultural event Friday. The cost for rental was the same amount the organization paid for two days last year.

ORGANIZATIONS Continues on page 2

The baseball team remains perfect at home this season after the Sooners cruised past the Central Arkansas Bears 12-6. Page 7.

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Elizabeth Nalewajk

$5M in federal stimulus money coming to Norman • CART set to purchase five new buses

TODAY’S INDEX Campus Notes 11 Classifieds 10 10 Crossword Horoscope 11 L&A 9, 12

News 3, 5, 6, 11 Opinion 4 Police Reports 7 Sports 5, 6 Sudoku 9

LEIGHANNE MANWARREN The Oklahoma Daily

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY

LOW 37° HIGH 63°

20%

THURSDAY

LOW 41° HIGH 68° 30% Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab James Cornwell/ The Daily

CART buses wait to pick up students just south of Adams Hall on the South Oval. Norman is giving its $1.8 million in stimulus money to CART.

The City of Norman and Cleveland Area Rapid Transit will receive millions of dollars of President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s first round of funding for transportation. $1.8 million will go to CART to be used for the enhancement of the fleet as part of transit improvement. Theta Dempsey, CART administrative director, said CART plans on using the funds to purchase five compressed natural gas buses. “We already have three compressed natural gas buses and the three of the five will be used to

replace our diesel buses with the other two being additional for the fleet,” Dempsey said. The OU Board of Regents is expected to vote on the purchase in today’s meeting. “Since it is a university purchase, it must be approved by the regents,” she said. “After that, we need approval from [the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments] and Federal Transit before we can move forward.” Dempsey said CART anticipates getting the buses by fall 2010. Stimulus funds coming to Norman will be administered for road and bridge improvement. “We have received about $3.2 million distributed by ACOG which we plan to use for road improvements, specifically road resurfacing,” said Shawn O’Leary, Norman Public Works director. O’Leary said the funds will be

STIMULUS Continues on page 2


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