18 OU students want you to know it’s OK to say ‘vagina’ in public (B4) The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
m O N D a Y , F E B R u a R Y 2 7, 2 0 1 2
W W W.O U DA I LY.C O M
2 011 G OL D C ROW N F I N A L I S T
HoUSinG
conFerence
Full-semester class required to become resident advisor; students pay regular tuition
Panel speaks about rights
2 in 5 ra applicants accepted SARAH MARTIN Campus Reporter
Students in the resident adviser class will turn in applications for the job by Tuesday, but only a portion of them are likely to be hired. Becoming a resident adviser has remained competitive over the last four years, with an average of 69 students enrolled in the class each academic year not being hired for the position, according to enrollment and
directory documents requested by The Daily. OU is the only university in the region that requires students to take a full semester, letter-graded class before they are hired, course instructor Johnnie-Margaret McConnell said. Students pay regular tuition for the three-hour class and use the course as an elective credit. Over the last four years, OU has hired an average of 45
advisers each academic year, but an average of 114 students enroll in the semester-long training class, according to documents. The average means that only two in five — 40 percent — of the students in the class become a residential adviser. “I am really nervous, but I feel like I have a pretty good chance,” said Chelsey Zerby, a pre-occupational therapy student who is currently in the class. Zerby took the training class to decide if she wanted to be an adviser, she said. Since taking
SaFetY
see APPLICATION paGe a3
niKKi selF/tHe daily
Resident adviser Luba Popov, international buisness and economics senior, (right) helps University College freshman Katie Trivitt fill out paperwork Sunday night at Walker Tower.
StoMPDoWn 2012
OU takes steps to improve walkways Reflective paint, glass beads added by residence halls SARAH MARTIN Campus Reporter
Facilities Management finished adding glass beads on crosswalks and reflective paint on speed bumps outside the residence halls last week to improve safety in the area. OU President David Boren called for these changes after The Daily reported the Housing Center Student Association was advocating for reflective speed bumps and textured paint, according to a press release. The campaign began after a biker had an accident at night and suffered a concussion. Reflective speed bumps increase safety because the bumps are more visible at night for bikers, Facilities Management Director Brian Ellis said. The glass beads also give the painted areas
Ben Williams/tHe daily
OU’s chapter of Iota Phi Theta performs at “Stompdown 2012: The Redemption” on Saturday at the Embassy Suites in Norman.
Sooners stomp the competition OU students win both male, female categories
year’s competition coming off of firstplace wins last year as well. Drumline and fraternity chants intermixed with claps, laughs and exJALISA GREEN clamations of “it’s about to get crunk” Campus Reporter could be heard at the 35th annual Two OU teams took home first-place competition hosted by the OU Black prizes this weekend at “Stompdown: Student Association. The Redemption” on Saturday night. Stompdown is a regional step comThe women of OU’s Alpha Kappa petition to showcase organizations Alpha sorority and the men of OU’s see STOMP paGe a3 Phi Beta Sigma fraternity won this
AT A GLANCE Winning teams Two OU teams won the 35th annual Stompdown competition Saturday night: • Alpha Kappa Alpha • Phi Beta Sigma
see BUMPS paGe a2
© 2012 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25 cents
HILLARY MCLAIN Campus Reporter
Infringement on reproductive rights, especially in conservative states, affects more than just pregnant women and should be discussed on a national level, according to a panel of speakers Saturday at OU. Women shared their individual stories on current reproductive issues in a panel called “Criminalizing Bodies in Red States: How It’s Affecting You.” The panel was par t of the Take Root : Red State Perspectives on Reproductive Justices conference, which the OU Women’s and Gender Studies department began developing a year ago. It featured six panels and over 200 guests. “The Take Root conference sort of emerged from an idea ... to make sort of an annual gathering of reproductive justice folks within these southern states, who are conservative when it comes to reproductive issues,” said Caitlin Campbell, Women’s and Gender Studies program coordinator. Oklahoma State’s program hosted a similar, smaller conference last year with some sponsoring from OU’s program. It is important to have a conference like this because more conservative states can be stricter with reproductive issues, but these restrictions often aren’t heard on a national level, Campbell said. “In the past few years, Oklahoma included, many of the southern and other red states ... have passed a lot of legislation that see ABORTION paGe a2
eDitorial VOL. 97, NO. 109
Speakers critique new reproductive laws for women
The Daily’s open record requests
it’s time to rise up, fight violence against women
Requested document and purpose
Date requested
“The Vagina Monologues” performance illustrates the need to fight rape, assault and domestic violence. (Page a4)
the agreement between oU and SciQuest resulting in crimsoncorner — To learn what the university is paying for that purchasing software and to gather information about the terms and conditions of the agreement.
Feb. 15
noW online at
SPortS
Feb. 22
Students share culture at local middle schools
Sooner baseball sweeps first home series of year
all utility bills for rhyne Hall from Jan. 2011 until the building was demolished this year — To gain a better understanding of the energy expenses of maintaining Rhyne Hall.
The Daily’s Ana Torodorva shares her experience teaching cultural lessons to local middle school students. (life & arts)
The No. 20 OU baseball team swept the Hartford Hawks to advance to 4-2 in its first weekend at home. (Page b1)
all purchase orders made by oU Health Services’ Goddard Pharmacy for the past fi ve years — To gather more information about the quantity and types of medication ordered by Goddard Health Center.
Friday
Campus ........................ Classifieds .................. Life & Arts ................... Opinion ...................... Sports .........................
A2 B3 B4 A4 B1
eriKa pHilBriCK/tHe daily
Junior Kayla Nowak performs her beam routine during OU’s win Friday against Michigan and TWU at Lloyd Noble Center. (to see more photos from this weekend, see page a5)