www. thevistaonline. corn View the text of the resolution passed by the UCOSA Senate that bans tobacco use on the campus and how student organizations voted in regard to the bill. See Page 7 See www.TheVistaOnline.com for video reaction
April 16, 2009
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Tobacco ban, a drag? Renowned writer breaks the rules Ryan Croft ..s,viior Reporter
Fle photo illustration by Chris Albers
The UCOSA Senate passed a resolution Monday that puts the campus on the path to a complete ban on all tobacco products.View an actual copy of the resolution on page 7.
Rules were made to be broken. This saying is itself a generally accepted rule. However, the one general rule governing this rule is that it does not apply to any Golden Rules. Golden Rules were absolutely, positively, never-ever-ever made to be broken. Renowned pop-culture author and journalist Chuck Klosterman spoke Tuesday night of his personal journey and of a few Golden Rules he broke along the way. Before he even started, Klosterman broke a pretty big rule of Speech-Giving 101: know, or at least have some kind of idea what you are going to talk about. Klosterman started off the engagement, at The University of Oklahoma, asking if he might have a chance to meet Blake Griffin and disavowing any involvement in creating the theme for his presentation — "Life Through the Prism of Pop Culture." "When I give these talks, I'm never sure what I should talk about, and I never plan either," Klosterman said. "I don't know what people are interested in. I'm just always guessing." Klosterman is the author of five critically acclaimed books, including the popular "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto," and has contributed to, among other publications, Spin, Esquire, GQ, The New York Times Magazine and the Washington Post. Klosterman, who is known for his entertaining humor and spot-on insight, credited much of personality to growing up as an intelligent, culture-wise youngster in a small town just outside of Fargo, North Dakota. "If you're a smart person, that's a huge advantage," Klosterman said. "Because you will understand the world that most people in the media have absolutely no access to, but it will come naturally to you
— the understanding of what people are really interested in." Klosterman began his writing career as the sole-writer for "Rage," a weekly popculture insert to his town newspaper. "[Writing] turned out to be the only thing I was good at and it was something I loved doing," he explained. Klosterman said he initially got where he is now through a series of chances and, again, a few broken rules. When he lost a potential job position at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Klosterman simply asked the editor where the man who got the position was from. He said he then called that newspaper and took the former writer's job. The ability to think differently, often hilariously, about life and situations has been a hallmark of Klosterman's life. "I'm not interested in being a journalist like other people have been," he said. "The one thing that everyone here brings to the table ... that is unique ... is your own sense of the world." Klosterman said writers should not seek to simply stay inside generic thoughtprocesses and practices. "You get used to this idea that there's a certain type of question [in an interview]," he said. "I just want to ask about things I'm interested in." He also shared his concern for the generally accepted lack of honesty hi today's media culture. "The idea of authenticity ... has been sort of slipping away for a long time," Klosterman said. "We've gotten to this point where no one even anticipates it. It's almost that we conceive that authenticity can't exist." He said this perceived lack of authenticity has caused the public to lose their ability to believe the truth of what people in the media and popular culture say. see CHUCK, page 2
Raising taxes not everyone's cup of tea Joe Lopez ,Special to the
I isla
Over a thousand Oklahomans descended upon the State Capitol Thursday to participate in a visual and verbal protest against the nation's current economic policies. Dubbed the Oklahoma Tea Party, individuals and families turned out for what was a very festive and patriotic experience. Sentiments among participants in the crowd ranged on a slew of issues from secession from the Union to both tax and pork AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File reform policies. Many "Do Not Tread In this Nov. 24, 2008, file photo Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner on Me" flags were waved, listens as President-elect Barack Obama, speaks at a Chicago news conference. with a host of signs decrying Oklahomans gathered at the capital yesterday to rally in protest of the policies put wasteful spending and the in place by Obama and Geithner. current economic policies of the Obama Administration. No political representa-
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tives were allowed to speak at the event though several state' representatives and senators were seen mingling in the crowd.
and the nation. Kenneth Franklin, board member of the organization, said he had received numerous questions pertaining to
"Dubbed the Oklahoma Tea Party, individuals and families turned out for what was a very festive and patriotic experience." --Joe Lopez
Further south from the the thousand plus American capitol, a different demon- flags waving in the wind by ' stration continued which participants who gathered contrasted with the festive for the Tea Party. "This has nothing to do, mood on the Capitol steps. "The Healing Field", with what it going on over sponsored by the Exchange there" he said, motioning Club Center of Oklahoma north to the Capitol. "This is the important City for the Prevention of Child Abuse, has erected issue, not over there." He said that it has given thirty two Oklahoma flags, and one thousand, five hun- him an opportunity to share dred and thirty American the story of abuse with many Flags, each recognizing a Oklahomans who otherwise child who died due to abuse would not have heard the or neglect in both Oklahoma message.
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