Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016

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W E E K E N D E D I T I O N | J A N U A R Y 2 8 - 3 1, 2 0 16 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M

BUDDY VS. BEN

OU DAILY

Hield prepares to meet his match

SPENSER DAVIS • @DAVIS_SPENSER

W

STACKING UP

hen Buddy Hield and Ben Simmons suit up for their respective teams on Saturday night, it will be in front of numerous NBA scouts and a curious national audience. It will be a guard against a forward. A senior against a freshman. A Bahamian against an Australian. Oklahoma against LSU. Buddy against Ben. Simmons is a transformative talent, a player so gifted even LeBron James permitted a comparison. As a 6-foot-10 player who is known as a distributor, Simmons has also drawn comparisons to Magic Johnson. “I would say I’m a pass first kind of guy, but I can also score the ball,” Simmons told Draft Express in his subtle Australian accent. He leads LSU in points, rebounds and assists per game — and it’s not particularly close. But there’s a weakness in Simmons’ game, a shortcoming that happens to be Hield’s biggest strength — shooting. A freak athlete, Simmons lacks the ability to create his own shots. When he scored down a career-high 43 points against North Florida on Dec. 2, he did not make — and hardly attempted — a shot outside the paint. And while Hield may not be the exciting prospect at the next level Simmons is, his eye-opening scoring ability has him atop many National Player of the Year watchlists. So far this season, Hield has been the nation’s second-best scorer with 25.9 points per game, trailing only Howard’s James Daniel. The next closest Big 12 player — Iowa State’s Georges Niang — is

Buddy Hield Year: Senior

Points per game: 25.9 Field goal percentage: 53% Three-pointers per game: 4.2 — No. 1 nationally ESPN draft ranking: No. 14 Source: espn.com

Ben Simmons Year: Freshman

Points per game: 19.8 Field goal percentage: 55.3% Rebounds per game: 12.7 — No. 3 nationally ESPN draft ranking: No. 1 Source: espn.com

see BUDDY page 2

CHRISTOPHER MICHIE/THE DAILY

Senior guard Buddy Hield dribbles toward the basket during Tuesday night’s game against Texas Tech at the Lloyd Noble Center. Hield is averaging 25.9 points per game.

PHOTO OF BEN SIMMONS BY HASKELL WHITTINGTON/THE DAILY REVEILLE

Budget cuts cause need for early retirement One professor calls the incentive a ‘quick fix’ JESSE POUND @jesserpound

A $20 million budget reduction has forced OU to plan to incentivize older faculty and staff members to retire early. T h e S p e c i a l Vo l u n t a r y Retirement Incentive, which would cover just half of the budget reduction, is expected to pass at Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting. A source within the university

said about 400 employees are eligible for the program, and similar programs at other universities OU has looked at yielded a participation rate between 10 and 25 percent. Four hundred employees represent about 7.2 percent of OU’s full time faculty and staff workforce on the Norman campus. Under the details of the plan explained in the meeting agenda, retirees will be paid a lump sum 75 percent of their annual salary or 1560 hours worth of their hourly wage, with no retiree receiving more than $100,000. The retirements are expected

to become effective between June 30, 2016, and Dec. 23, 2016, according to the agenda. “This is just a quick fix,” Craig Russell, a human resources professor, said. Russell said the plan is a conservative one and would motivate only those who plan to retire in the next year anyway. “If you don’t plan on retiring for two or more years, that would not be an incentive,” Russell said. Eligible employees are at least 62 years old, fulltime and eligible for benefits and meet normal university retirement age and service requirements by Dec. 31,

2015. The other $10 million of the budget reduction is expected to come from eliminating vacant faculty and staff lines and decreasing department budgets. Funding at the state level for higher education has been decreasingly steadily in recent years. In December, amid tumbling oil prices, the state declared a midyear revenue failure. Jesse Pound

jesserpound@gmail.com

RETIREMENT PLAN

how it works and who’s eligible Participating faculty and staff would be paid 75 percent of their annual base salary effective upon their retirement date. Eligible faculty and staff must be age 62 or greater and meet normal university retirement age and service. Effective retirement dates are expected to occur between June 30, 2016 and December 23, 2016.

2

• January 28-31, 2016

SPORTS

Brady Vardeman, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports

Sooners excel with core four

Long running team of starters works well for the group SPENSER DAVIS @Davis_Spenser

When No. 1 Oklahoma takes the floor against LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday night, the Sooners will do so with the knowledge that they can handle anything the Tigers throw their way. With Ben Simmons, the leading candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA Draft, LSU will throw everything it has at OU. The Sooners feature four starters — Jordan Woodard, Isaiah Cousins, Buddy Hield and Ryan Spangler — who are expected to start their 88th consecutive game together Saturday. That run of continuity is nearly unprecedented in this era of college basketball. Against the Tigers, OU’s

BUDDY: Continued from Page One

No. 44 in the country at 19.3 points per contest. H i e l d ’s b a l a n c e i s what sets him apart from Simmons. The senior has attempted 302 shots this season. Exactly half of them have come from outside the arc. He converts at nearly the same rate, too. He’s made 81 of 151 shots from inside the arc and 79 of 151 shots from three-point range. Hield’s efficiency has been

consistency will be opposed by a team who has just one senior among its top-five leading scorers. “I just know those guys really well,” Woodard said. “Seeing them everyday is like walking in your house and seeing a brother. It’s like seeing your family because I see them so much. Sometimes we butt heads, but that’s what happens. But, for the most part, our relationship is great.” The benefits of those relationships on the court are extensive and go beyond the stat sheet, especially in the hostile environments OU faces in the Big 12. “If we’re struggling to get a bucket or struggling to get stops, you know the four key guys are going to play hard and be ready to go down in a fight,” Hield said. “Especially on the road.” It also gives the Sooners’ core four the feeling they can be accountable to each other and hold themselves to a

higher standard — on and off the court. “We’re always hard on each other,” Hield said. “If I mess up, they’ll shout at me and say, ‘You can’t be doing that, Buddy.’ It’s a mutual respect we have for each other.” That work ethic can be seen in the improvement of Woodard, Spangler and Hield this season. Each player is having a career year from beyond the arc, and Oklahoma as a team has the best three-point percentage in the country. “We know what we like to do and how we like to score on the floor,” Hield said. “Guys like Jordan and Ryan, they expand their game, and now they’re shooting the three-ball much better. It’s always a learning process.” But if a teammate has a rough stretch — like Cousins did to start Big 12 play — the Sooners know how to get through that as well. “We’ve all got each others’ backs,” Spangler said.

“People are going to have bad games, and people on the team are going to have bad games. We’re always there to pick each other up, and we’re not blaming anybody.” Cousins has since come around on the court, hitting nine of his last 12 three-point attempts. Away from basketball, he said the weight of their friendship is perhaps more impactful. “The relationship we have on the court is overwhelming,” Hield said. “We talk to each other. We hang out with each other. We like each other. We’re brothers. It helps the younger guys to see our relationship and how we stay together as a group.” One of those younger players, redshirt freshman forward Dante Buford, has benefited from the core four’s leadership. Specifically, it’s been Spangler helping Buford find his way. “The biggest thing for him is when he sees his shot isn’t falling, he’s hesitant,”

a hallmark of his game this season, shooting 53 percent from the floor. But when Hield is at his best, that number elevates. He’s shot 62 percent from the field in the seven games he has at least 30 points. “He’s done that on many occasions; he’s been very efficient,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said after Hield scored 30 points on 12 shots against Texas Tech. “In fact his big scoring games are often very efficient. It’s very rare for a scorer like that to be as efficient as what Buddy has been.” But there’s more at stake for Oklahoma when Buddy

and Ben — and eight other players — tip off on Saturday night at LSU. After debuting at No. 21 in the preseason AP Top 25, LSU is fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament. The latest version of ESPN’s Bracketology has the Tigers as one of the last four teams in the field of 68. On the other hand, the Sooners will look to add another impressive win to their resume en route to a possible No. 1 seed. While it’s rare for two National Player of the Year candidates to face off in a non-conference game in late January, Hield downplayed

the marquee matchup. “Ben is a good player and (getting to play him) is a lot of fun,” Hield said. “But we can’t worry about that matchup. We have to go out there and worry about us, and Oklahoma needs to beat LSU. He’s got a lot of good players around him, and I’m sure coach has a good game plan for us to execute. “We can’t worry about Ben Simmons.” Spenser Davis

davis.spenser@ou.edu

Spangler said. “I think a lot of us are. But just tell him to keep shooting. He saw one go through at Iowa State, and now he’s been hitting ever since.” Oklahoma will need Buford — who hit all four of his three-point attempts against the Cyclones — to produce off the bench if it wants to take down Simmons and LSU on the road. But when the bench hasn’t produced this season, OU has been able to get by on the strength of its starting lineup. “We don’t really have to talk about what we’re going to do on the court, because we just know what everybody does,” Spangler said. “It

just makes it easier, because you know what they’re thinking and what they want you to do.” It’s one of the things that has helped bring Oklahoma to the top of the polls — a fate that seemed like a far-fetched dream when Spangler joined the program just a few years ago. “One of my goals was to help turn (the OU program) around, but I don’t think I would have said ‘we’re going to be No. 1,’ or ‘we’re going to be the best team in the nation in three years,’” he said. Spenser Davis

davis.spenser@ou.edu

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA UNIVERSITY THEATRE AND SCHOOL OF DANCE

YOUNG CHOREOGRAPHERS’ SHOWCASE Imaginative. Dynamic. Original.

School of Dance Choreographers Helmerich School of Drama Lighting Designers

8 p.m. Jan. 28-30 3 p.m. Jan. 31

Elsie C. Brackett Theatre, 563 Elm Ave. Rupel Jones Fine Arts Center

For tickets, call (405) 325-4101. Online tickets theatre.ou.edu Advance Purchase: $10 student, $25 adult, $20 senior adult, OU employee Tickets at the door: $15 student, $35 adult. No discounts, cash/check only. For accommodations on the basis of disability call (405) 325-4101.

January 28-31, 2016 •

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

3

Jessica Barber, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a_and_e • Twitter: @OUDailyArts

THIS WEEKEND ON CAMPUS Thursday What: Galileo After Dark Where: Nancy Johnston Records Gallery When: 8 p.m. What: University Theatre/Dance: Young Choreographer’s Showcase Where: Elsie C. Brackett Theatre When: 8 p.m.

Friday What: UPB Dine and Palette Where: Oklahoma Memorial Union, Molly Shi Ballroom When: 6 p.m. What: UPB Film Series: “Suffragette� Where: Meacham Auditorium When: 6, 9 p.m., and midnight What: Young Choreographer’s Showcase Where: Elsie C. Brackett Theatre When: 8 p.m. PROVIDED BY OU DANCE VIA FACEBOOK Yvonne Chouteau teaches at the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute. Chouteau passed away Jan. 24 at 86.

Dancer leaves lasting legacy Famous ballerina used her expertise to shape state’s art JESSICA BARBER @JessicaDylan16

Yvonne Chouteau, one of five famed Native American ballerinas from Oklahoma a n d t h e f ou n d e r o f t h e OU School of Dance and Oklahoma City Ballet, died Jan. 24. She was 86 years old. Chouteau and her husband, Miguel Terekhov, were vital to the birth of ballet in Oklahoma. R a i s e d i n O k l a h o ma, Chouteau traveled to New York at a young age for ballet training because none was offered in the state at the time. She danced throughout the world with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo before returning to provide internationally acclaimed training for young students. “More than anything, we are simply here because of her,� said Robert Mills, artistic director of Oklahoma City Ballet. “The art form is here now because of her. It is here because of the life experience Yvonne gained at the School of American ballet, at the Ballet Russe companies. She brought all of that knowledge and training and professional experience back to Oklahoma and founded these two institutions.� Chouteau’s vision for dance education was in many ways ahead of its time. Starting the University of Oklahoma’s dance program was unprecedented; higher education in the

world of dance was unheard of at the time, said Mary Margaret Holt, dean of the Weitzenhoffer Family of Fine Arts. “(Chouteau and Terekhov) believed the university could provide an environment in which dance as a performing art could flourish with the highest possible standards of professional excellence by providing exceptional training for aspiring young dancers,�

“She was the epitome of professionalism, discipline and devotion to the art of dance. She was a shining example I will always remember and draw from.� MARY MARGARET HOLT, DEAN OF THE WEITZENHOFFER FAMILY OF FINE ARTS

Holt said. “I hope we all live up to the high standard set by our founders — I know they greatly enjoyed our productions, the establishment of the Ballets Russes archive and our students’ professional success.� Holt worked with Chouteau both as a student at OU and briefly as a faculty member. “She was the epitome of professionalism, discipline and devotion to the art of dance,� Holt said. “She was a shining example I will always remember and draw from.� R o m a n Ja s i n s k i , f o rmer ar tistic director of Tulsa Ballet, worked with Chouteau several times and knew Chouteau from a young age. “She came and staged a version of ‘Romeo And

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Previous Solution

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

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.

Jessica Barber

jessiedylan16@gmail.com

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

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What: UPB Film Series Matinee: “Suffragette� Where: Meacham Auditorium When: 1, 4 p.m. What: Young Choreographer’s Showcase Where: Elsie C. Brackett Theatre When: 8 p.m.

Sunday What: Young Choreographer’s Showcase Where: Elsie C. Brackett Theatre When: 3 p.m.

CLASSIFIEDS C Transportation

AUTO FOR SALE

J Housing Rentals ROOMS FURNISHED

For Sale. Ruby Red 2005 Chevy Malibu Classic, good condition, 125,000 miles, call (904) 206-8371 or (405) 310-2237, $5,000 will go fast.

Room for Rent!! Share Kitchen & Bath. M Student Preferred Close to Campus!! $240/mo. All Utilities Paid 405-924-2985

PLACE A PAID AD Phone: 405-325-2521 E-mail: classifieds@ou.edu

Fax: 405-325-7517 Campus Address: COH 149A

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HOROSCOPE

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created for the Oklahoma Indian Ballerina Festival in 1967 brought four of the five famous Native American ballerinas of the time together to celebrate their heritage, Jasinski said. “The Ballet Russe linked them together,� Jasinski said. “They would meet half way between Tulsa and Oklahoma City in Stroud to work and rehearse for that performance.� Of the five Native

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1327 E. LINDSEY ST., NORMAN, OK 73071 405.447.9977

Juliet’ for Tulsa Ballet in the fall of 1978. At the time she was coaching my wife and I to be the title roles,� Jasinski said. “She was as kind and sweet of a person as you could ever imagine. She knew her craft and what she did and how to teach it.� Jasinski’s mother and father knew Chouteau and Terekhov from the Ballet Russe companies and worked together often, he said. “The Four Moons,�

American ballerinas from Oklahoma who became famous in the 20th century, Moscelyne Larkin and Chouteau were instrumental in bringing the art form to the state of Oklahoma. “These women that had been bitten by the ballet bug, for whatever reason, then had to leave the state for training, brought the art back, and I think that is what is significant,� Mills said. Bringing ballet to Oklahoma has created the ability for countless dancers to fall in love with the art and pursue professional careers. “(Chouteau) brought her great love and devotion to her native state and shared it with countless thousands of young dancers, patrons of the arts and all in our community who loved her,� Holt said. Chouteau’s great influences are still being felt, Mills said. “It’s with great reverence that we look back at them with tons of gratitude,� he said.

Saturday

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Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker January 28, 2016

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46 Ness adversary 47 Addressed a crowd 48 “Eleventh day of Christmas� gift 49 Banned apple reddener 53 Mold 55 Fairy tale’s second word 56 Crescentshaped piece 58 Marina sight 61 Young goat 62 “___ it or lose it� 63 The eight in a gal.

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A RINGING ENDORSEMENT By Mary Jersey

4

• January 28-31, 2016

NEWS

Page Jones, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily

New bill fights for equalized wages Oklahoma makes steps toward closing the gender pay gap AMBER FRIEND @amberthefriend

Oklahoma took a step closer to closing the gender wage gap Wednesday, when two state representatives presented a bill that would enforce equal pay for women. State Rep. Jason Dunnington, D-Oklahoma City, and State Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, introduced their co-authored bill at a news conference called “Equal Pay Can’t Wait.” All female legislators were invited, according to a press release from the state capitol. Oklahoma ranks 44th in the nation for the gender pay gap, according to the press release. Nationally, women make 79 cents for every dollar a man makes for the same work. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, the average woman’s wage drops to 73.5 cents on the dollar, according to the press release. To fight this disparity, Dunnington and Virgin began working on the bill during last year’s congressional session. Dunnington said the bill is meant to enforce federal equal pay laws and protect women who may be too afraid to report a wage gap. “Our state law, while it is following the federal (equal pay) law, there are things that are not in place that make it conducive for women to speak up or speak out about being paid less,” Dunnington said. The bill offers s everal protections to women, Dunnington said, such as barring employers from firing or discriminating against female employees who ask about unequal salaries in

the workplace. The bill allows employees to discuss each other’s wages without repercussions. The impact of this bill covers many facets, making it easier for the Department of Labor to bring claims against companies violating equal pay and creating an atmosphere where women can bring their own cases to the labor commission without fear of losing their jobs, Dunnington said. Ensuring equal pay and the protections the bill would put in place is not only good for women, but also good for Oklahoma, Dunnington said. “You’ve got women that disproportionately make up single family households,” Dunnington said. “If we want to move the needle on things like poverty, the best and fastest way we can do that is to make sure the women that are supporting those families are, at the very least, getting paid as much as their male counterparts.” Dunnington said enforcing equal pay is an initiative that goes beyond gender or partisanship and should be supported by everyone who supports women. To him, enforcing equal pay is personal. “I have a 7-year-old daughter, and I have a 9-year-old son. And as my kids grow up — they’re excited about their futures, and they start talking about what they might want to be when they grow up — I want to make sure that both my daughter and my son have all of the same opportunities,” Dunnington said. “It’s important for me as a father.” Amber Friend

ambermfriend@ou.edu

Cuts coming, says dean Faculty and staff urged to scrutinize every expense BRIANNA SIMS @briannana18

An OU dean gathered his faculty and staff members Wednesday night to inform them of the university’s impending budget reduction and the proposed incentivized retirement program. Kelly Damphousse, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, hosted a meeting for college faculty to explain how the university is going to cut their spending. Roughly 200 to 300 gathered in a large lecture hall to hear him out. The university is being faced with what Damphousse calls “the biggest budget cut we’ve seen.” “Our state is looking at a 15 percent budget cut this year,” Damphousse said. He said the college will make targeted cuts but is unsure what they will be. “We don’t have exact numbers on what we’re cutting. The goal is much more broad: to think about every dollar we spend. We want to make sure we’re maximizing the benefit of the staff, faculty and especially the students,” Damphousse said. “Every dollar we don’t cut, we’ll get from our students,” Damphousse said. Before Damphousse’s me eting, O U President David Boren met with the deans of all university colleges to discuss an impending $20 million budget reduction and a proposed retirement incentive plan for professors who are 62 years or older. With this plan, professors who retire within the next year would be paid a lump sum of 75 percent of their salary. Damphousse said anyone who has previously

NOOR EEMAAN/THE DAILY

Kelly Damphousse, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, discusses the university’s proposed retirement incentive with CAS faculty and staff on Wednesday in Dale Hall.

announced his or her retirement is still eligible for this plan. OU also plans to anticipate and restrict travel for students and faculty and to implement a harsher hiring freeze and a spending plan,

“Every dollar we don’t cut, we’ll get from our students.” KELLY DAMPHOUSSE, DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

he said. Damphousse said his college has been begging the departments to use all of their scholarship dollars. He said a million dollars in scholarship money was left untouched last year. Because of existing budget constraints,

Damphousse said he urged faculty to think before they travel out of state. He asked the faculty to use their best judgment on whether they really need to attend a conference or not. As for the current hiring freeze, Damphousse said Boren and Provost Kyle Harper have been carefully assessing all vacant faculty positions to determine if they truly need to be filled. “They both care deeply about OU’s joint teaching and research missions, so I am sure that they will take them into account when making these tough decisions,” Damphousse said. “I have complete confidence in their concern for our students, faculty and staff members.” While the university hired 80 people last year and the College of Arts and Sciences hired 40 people,

Damphousse said he believes that number will be half as many this year. Damphousse said the college needs to analyze every dollar they spend and look at the need not the want. “I think the people in every enterprise deserve for their leaders to know we pay attention to exactly how we’re spending money,” Damphousse said. “The citizens of our state deserve for us to be good stewards with the money that they give us. We should be looking into ways to become more efficient without changing our mission, which is to teach students and do research.” Brianna Sims

Brianna.M.Sims-1@ou.edu

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NEWS

January 28-31, 2016 •

5

Child shines despite diagnoses Soonerthon gives day of fun, friends to 9-year-old girl MARY SMITH

@marysmitty21

It was a normal day at recess for Samantha when suddenly a tumble from the jungle gym led to an

ever-lengthening string of doctor visits and list of medical conditions too complicated for most 9-year-old girls to pronounce. Dur ing a S ooner thon team retreat this past weekend, 9-year-old Samantha gave a short speech about being diagnosed with Chiari 1 malformation, syringomyelia and scoliosis two years ago and what her life has

MARY SMITH/THE DAILY Samantha, age 9, and her parents pose for a photo after speaking at a Soonerthon retreat. Samantha is paired with Chi Omega and advocates for those with Chiari 1 and other children who benefit from the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Children’s Hospital Foundation.

been like since. Samantha’s life-changing fall happened in 2012. The fall itself didn’t cause any of her disorders, but the hospital trip ultimately to the doctors discovering her problems, making it a blessing in disguise, her father, Bill, said. Samantha’s mother, Ida, said Samantha underwent brain surgery a year later in an attempt to alleviate the pain she felt and to hopefully prevent any future paralysis from her conditions. However, since her conditions are incurable, Samantha continues living with all the daily discomforts, such as stomach migraines, dizziness and a weakened immune system. “It’s gotten kind of worse and better at the same time,” Samantha said. After her surgery, she c o u l d n ’ t at t e n d p u b l i c school anymore, so she lost a lot of friends, Ida said. However, she started attending an Epic Charter School and a Christian-based co-op school once a week to socialize and be more involved, Ida said. In the days following her surgery, Samantha’s surgeons introduced her and her family to the option of becoming a Miracle Child. She’s been one ever since. “Everyone takes her in here and makes her feel unique,” Ida said. “She doesn’t feel like that sick helpless child, she feels like a part of something, and (Soonerthon) has done that.” Soonerthon is an annual dance marathon that raises funds for the Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Miracle Children are children who receive care from the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in

Oklahoma City. Samantha particularly enjoys being a Miracle Child because she gets to have fun while also spreading awareness, she said.

“Everyone takes her in here and makes her feel unique. She doesn’t feel like that sick helpless child, she feels like a part of something, and (Soonerthon) has done that.” SAMANTHA’S MOTHER

“(Being a Miracle Child) helps kids forget about their pain and enjoy their life,” Samantha said. Although Samantha is looking forward to the fun of Soonerthon, she takes her job as a Miracle Child seriously and hopes to one day find a cure for her Chiari, she said. “I want to help kids at the Children’s Hospital … I want to find a cure for my condition,” Samantha said. Their family has felt tremendous suppor t from other areas in the community as well. Ace Hardware, for example, gave Samantha’s room an extreme makeover in 2014, Bill said. The kind team at the hospital has also shown them support, Ida added. “The hospital has been fantastic,” Ida said. “They’ve gone above and beyond, just as the students here at Soonerthon.” For the past two years, Samantha has been paired with the Chi Omega sorority because they get along so well — it’s a dream pairing, according to her parents. Senior Christina

Devincenzo, Soonerthon team captain for Chi Omega, agrees. “ I f Sa ma nt ha w a s a n item, she would be glitter,” Devincenzo said. “If you know anything about glitter, it’s very pervasive … and it sticks with the surfaces it comes in contact with. That is Samantha.” Members of Chi Omega have attended events for S a m a n t h a’s G i r l S c o u t group, talent shows put on by her co-op school and any plays that she performs in on the side, Devincenzo said. Last spring, the women even had Samantha over at the sorority house for a sleepover, she said. They

sang karaoke, played dress up and watched her favorite movie, Disney’s “Teen Beach Movie,” Devincenzo said. “It was so good to see all my sisters in our chapter interact with her and love on her, too,” Devincenzo said. Chi Omega also has another Miracle Child, an 18-year-old named Lizzie w h o w a s a l re a d y g o o d friends with Samantha from their time in the hospital, Devincenzo said. “We have two bright spots in our lives, that’s for sure,” she said. Mary Smith mcsooner19@gmail.com

SOONERTHON: DATES AND NUMBERS • Soonerthon launched its 60K in a Day initiative on Wednesday.

• 7 a.m. on March 5 is the final time to register for the Soonerthon Dance Marathon,j which will start at 10 a.m. that same day. The marathon will last until 10 p.m. Check in starts at 9 a.m. • Noon April 1 is the final time donations can be made to Soonerthon. • The annual Soonerthon golf tournament will start at 1 p.m. April 3. Any registration via paper must be marked Feb. 29 and registration for the event will close at 5 p.m March 4. • The Soonerthon organization has raised more than $1 million over the last 15 years for the Children’s Hospital Foundation, according to its website. • Soonerthon raised $561,268 in 2015.

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• January 28-31, 2016

OPINION

Dana Branham, engagement managing editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/opinion • Twitter: @OUDailyOpinion

U.S. college tuition costs ‘outrageous’

AP PHOTO/MANUEL BALCE CENETA Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington on Wednesday, following a meeting with President Barack Obama.

Sanders’ stance on education: seeking reform through taxes Jake Mazeitis jmmz1@ou.edu @jakemaze19

The Oklahoma State Legislature voted in June 2015 to cut state funding, yet again, for higher education. An article from The Oklahoman notes that this cut will result in a 3.5 percent cut to the base budgets for all public colleges and universities, including OU. President David Boren has responded by attempting to pass legislation known as the “penny tax” in order to help offset this budget shortfall. However, the answers to this state’s education woes may be discovered during the 2016 presidential race. According to the Census Bureau, Oklahoma’s per-student spending during fiscal year 2013 was the third-lowest in the nation. Over the next few weeks, I will be examining the various education policies of prominent presidential contenders on both sides of the aisle, giving our readers the facts needed to make an informed decision as we head into election season. Feel the Learn(ing)

“Why do we accept a situation where hundreds of thousands of qualified people are unable to go to college because their families don’t have enough money?” Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a June piece in The Huffington Post. Among all of the candidates running for president, Sanders has undoubtedly been the most prolific and outspoken supporter of education reform. As his above quote suggests, Sanders’ main focus is reducing the number of challenges — both financial and otherwise — that low-income and minority students face if they wish to pursue a university education. Indeed, the campaign promise that Sanders is best known for, at least by college students, is his pledge to eliminate tuition and fees at all public institutions of higher education. Additionally, the senator would encourage universities to increase the number and variety of courses available to students, while simultaneously incentivizing universities to retain faculty at a higher rate by increasing the number of tenure and tenure-track positions. In fact, according to Sanders’ campaign website, “Within five years of the program’s implementation, at least 75 percent

of instruction would have to be taught by tenured or tenure-track professors.” Unfortunately for Sanders, tuition and tenure are both major factors in any public university’s budget. To put the cost of his policy into perspective, consider this: for a large state school like OU, which served over 21,000 fulltime and part-time undergraduate students in the fall of 2014, tuition revenue was roughly $256,250,902. However, in keeping with his progressive ideology, Sanders does not intend to tax the lower or middle classes to fund this project. Rather, an article from CNN Money states, “To pay for (his education policies), Sanders would impose a 0.5 percent fee on stock trades, 0.1 percent fee on bonds and a 0.005 percent fee on derivatives. This would raise up to $300 billion a year, according to Warren Gunnels, his policy director, citing a 2012 University of Massachusetts Amherst report.” Essentially, Sanders sees himself as Robin Hood, taxing America’s financial sector to provide higher education to those who can’t afford it without assistance. If the United States moved to such a system, it would not be alone; Germany, Finland and Sweden all offer publicly

subsidized tuition for universities. However, these countries all follow a European model that embraces higher taxes in order to fund things like universal healthcare and infrastructure. The problem Sanders will face is convincing a majority of Americans they want to embrace democratic socialism. What this means for you A vote for Sanders — independent of other platforms — is a vote for policies that promote higher taxes in order to finance higher education for all. Those in the lower or middle class economically should be relatively safe from the brunt of these tax hikes. Those in higher tax brackets will likely see a substantial raise in taxes, and those in the highest brackets, especially those connected to the financial sector, will see even more significant tax increases.

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And while investing in your career might make sense for finance and business majors, who have high chances of employment after graduation and can expect comparatively high entry-level salaries and Hannah Keller raises during their career, I hannahkeller-schreiber@ hotmail.com feel that this financial pres@hannahlotta sure keeps students from pursuing their passions As a foreign exchange and studying what they student, I’ve encountered many things in the care about. I’m not saying that the U.S. that seem strange European system is flawto me. And while some less. I don’t necessarily of them are quite funny think that college has to be — like the incredibly large portion sizes when completely tuition-free, but I do believe that it should it comes to food or the be affordable enough so logic behind four-way that students do not have to stops — other things seem simply outrageous repay debts for half of their lives. to me from a European Education is an inperspective. vestment in the future Very much at the top of a country, and I beof the list of outrageous lieve the U.S. needs to rethings is university consider their priorities tuition. when it comes to their tax I was born in Austria. spending. Our higher education The U.S. seems to invest system is completely free very little in its educationexcept for an adminisal system. In Oklahoma, trative fee of about $350 a year, which also covers there are huge budget cuts books. I went to Scotland every year. OU is forced to increase its tuition year by for my undergraduate year, not because it needs degree, and Scotland is more funds, but because it also tuition-free. I only receives less and less state paid a small fee for enfunding. So not only do sturollment as an internadents have to think about tional student. whether or not they can afNot only is most of Europe’s tuition free, but ford four years of full-time tuition, but they also have most of the tuition fees to factor in this unpredictare far below $10,000 able increase in fees. Even a year. European govif you think you can afford ernments also support going to college — even if students. you have it all planned out In Europe, as long as you are enrolled in a uni- by your junior year — your versity as a full-time stu- tuition might have been dent, you receive almost increased significantly, and you could finish school $200 a month — simply with even more debt than for being a student. The you expected. Swedish government So to summarize the pays its students almost U.S. system for higher ed$500 a month to enucation from a European’s courage them to stay in point of view: you pay inschool. With that and a part-time job, students in sane amounts of tuition and fees for something Europe can afford to go that should be, at least to college. If you’re anypartially, financed by thing like me, the only thing you will owe when your government — since the government benefits you graduate is tons of from educated people in cups of coffee to people the workforce. You have who saved you by sharno way of knowing how ing their notes the night much you will actually pay, before an exam you forsince constant budget cuts got to study for. force institutions to raise Since I came to the tuition year after year. In United States, I’ve realthe United States, going to ized that a majority of school is often more demy American friends pendent on one’s financial had to take out insanesituation rather than on ly high loans to finance one’s grades, motivation their degrees — some and intelligence. of them with very high This just doesn’t sound interest rates. They will right to me. spend half of their lives repaying those debts.

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Did you know? • Students, faculty, staff and their dependents can fill prescriptions at Goddard Pharmacy, with same day service and 3 month supplies available. • Goddard Pharmacy fills prescriptions from our clinic and those brought in from most other physicians. • Prescriptions can be transferred to our convenient location, and refills can be called in over the phone. • We accept most insurance plans including OU BCBS. Most charges may be applied to bursar accounts for students, with complete private and confidential filing. • Students with Student Health Plan insurance can fill prescriptions without paying the $100 deductible required by other pharmacies. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact OU Health Services at (405) 325-4611

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Health Services

Goddard Pharmacy Hours: Monday — Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Contact Us: 405-325-5615 (main line) 405-325-0153 (fax) Location: Goddard Health Center 620 Elm Avenue OU- Norman Campus Services: • Prescription filling • Over-the-counter products • Same day service • Call-in refills • 3-month supplies • Transfer from pharmacies • Complete private and confidential filling

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