Issuu

Would the end of the Big 12 mean the end of OU-Texas? (Page B1) The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

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OU-TEXAS

WEATHER

OU’s No.1 ranking does not hurt, help purchases

Heat sets state marks

Ticket sales slower than usual ANGELA TO

Campus Reporter

It was 7:10 a.m., and political science senior David Tidwell was struggling to buy his OU-Texas ticket after

the tickets went on sale at 7 a.m. Tuesday Luckily for Tidwell, slower ticket sales made it possible for him to buy the ticket, even after experiencing technical difficulties. Tidwell said he woke up at 6:45 a.m. to prepare to buy the tickets, but could not buy tickets as quickly as he had

hoped after sales went live. Tidwell called the OU Athletics Ticket Office to see if they could help with the problem, but the ticket office couldn’t find any problems with the website and told Tidwell his Internet may be causing the problem, likely because he was living in student residential housing.

Even though the Internetpurchase option was not working for Tidwell, the ticket office would not allow him to purchase tickets over the phone. Many OU student football fans like Tidwell woke up Tuesday morning to get their hands on some of the 5,400 designated OU student

tickets for the OU-Texas game, also known as the Red River Rivalry. Tickets became available at 7 a.m. for online purchasers who hold season tickets, and the ticket office opened its doors at 10 a.m. for students not wishing to purchase their tickets SEE TICKETS PAGE A2

CAMPUS

87.5 degrees was average for OKC area this summer KEDRIC KITCHENS Staff Reporter

Oklahoma is now retreating from triple-digit temperatures, this summer was a scorcher for the history books. The Oklahoma summer spans from June 1 to Aug. 31 and posted record high temperatures in 2011. The average temperature for the Oklahoma City area was 87.5 degrees. This comes in at SEE HEAT PAGE A2

RESEARCH

Professor receives $1.5M grant Money awarded to study causes of prostate cancer MELODIE LETTKEMAN/THE DAILY

Oklahoma City sculptor David Phelps constructed the Pastoral Dreamer, a two-piece sleeping man. This statue travels around campus, currently calling its home the lawn between the Fine Arts and the Performance Arts buildings on the North Oval.

Statue kicks back at new home The Pastoral Dreamer has been rotating since 2003 VICTORIA GARTEN Campus Reporter

The third time’s a charm for a 25,000pound campus landmark that has finally found its resting place. The Pastoral Dreamer, a two-piece bronze statue of a man lying leisurely in blue jeans, jacket and ball cap was purchased with a $12.2 million grant used to renovate and restore Holmberg Hall in 2003. The statue was placed in front of the visitor center until renovations to Holmberg Hall were completed. However, after a stint in front of Holmberg Hall, construction on the nearby Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art forced the statue to be moved back

to the visitor center, housed in Jacobson Hall. After its second relocation, the statue became known to many on campus as the “moving statue.” “It’s not a moving statue; it’s a statue that belongs in one place its just two different construction projects caused it to move to Jacobson Hall, said Robyn Tower, director of development. Moving the statue requires a fork lift and a flatbed truck, said Michael Nash, OU press secretary. Although the statue appears to be below ground, when installed it sits above ground in two separate pieces that must be lined up with one another. The creator of the Pastoral Dreamer and OU alumnus David Phelps could not name the various places the Dreamer had been, but he said the statue is one of

his favorites because it’s personable and approachable. “It’s a large-scale piece, but I think people still feel connected to it because it’s not towering over them,” Phelps said. “Even though it still has the impact of a large scale, it doesn’t have that kind of intimidation.” President David Boren pursued the statue after he saw a smaller version of the Pastoral Dreamer at an exhibit in Santa Fe, N.M., Phelps said. “I wanted people to identify with that kind of feeling of being at ease and being able to relax and feel at peace with yourself and the world,” Phelps said. Phelps was asked to create a much larger version of his original piece for the university, and after six casts Phelps sculpted the Pastoral Dreamer we see today at its home between Holmberg Hall and the Fred Jones Art Center.

KATHLEEN EVANS

Senior Campus Reporter

An OU Health Sciences Center researcher and professor is the recipient of a national grant to study the specific causes of prostate cancer. The National Institute of Health awarded a $1.5 million grant to Ralf Janknecht to study prostate cancer over the next five years, according to a press release. Thousands of researchers apply for research project grants from the institute, but about 20 percent receive one, according to the 2010 NIH Data Book. “There is a dire need to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in prostate tumor genesis if we are to ultimately improve detecting, preventing, confining and curing this disease,” Janknecht said in a press release. SEE GRANT PAGE A2

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OPINION

OKLAHOMA

Defense technology raises eyebrows

567 wildfires blaze through this summer

Social-media mining threatens privacy. (Page A4)

SPORTS Sooners spike Razorbacks, 3-1 After a slow start, the volleyball team ends with a win Tuesday. (Page B3)

MULTIMEDIA

LIFE & ARTS

The man behind the 50-yard strut

Six tips to make weight loss easy

Junior Zack Hedrick as the Pride’s drum major. (OUDaily.com)

Shed summer pounds by learning what makes your body tick. (Page B5)

UNY CHAN

Campus Reporter

Oklahoma wildfires have damaged more than 20,000 acres of land, burned homes and destroyed a church. This summer, there has been 567 fires across 18 main areas in Oklahoma’s 77 counties. The fires damaged 20,685 acres of land. Last week, one of the biggest fires in northeast Oklahoma City destroyed more than 25 homes and burned down a church, said Hannah Farley, Oklahoma Forestry Services spokeswoman. Oklahoma City fire chief Marc Woodard said the

extreme heat, which caused a record drought, made it possible for fires to start from events as simple as sparks from a lawn mower. “It seems like it gets worse every year,” Woodard said. Despite the cooler weather, Oklahoma’s government has a burn ban in effect for 63 of the 77 counties, according to the Forestry Service. Cleveland County is under a governor-declared burn ban, which limits the kind of fires residents can legally start ERICH SCHLEGEL/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS by prohibiting campfires, trash burns and other ac- A wildfire burns Monday near Smithville, Texas. Blazes have spread tivities that could potentially across Oklahoma and Texas, aided by winds from the remnants of start a wildfire. Tropical Storm Lee. (Page A3)