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Monday, January 31, 2011

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Senate proposes tax exemption for students New bill would excuse full-time students from paying taxes based on income level

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SARA GROOVER The Oklahoma Daily

» Link: Visit the Oklahoma Senate website for information about state senators and legislation

Legislation has been introduced in the Oklahoma Senate that would exempt students from paying state income tax while enrolled full time at an institution of higher learning. The bill, which would affect university, college and career technology center students, was introduced earlier this month

by Sen. John Sparks, D-Norman. “When you add federal, state and local taxes together, Oklahoma has the overall lowest tax rate in the nation,” Sparks said. “But that does not mean that targeted tax cuts are not necessary.” Sparks said the bill is still in its infant

Severe winter weather predicted

stages, and the hard details are still being hammered out. Sparks said he is trying to promote the general idea of the bill to the public and other Congress members in hopes of further development in Congress and committee. “Currently, the only requirement in the bill is a certain income level,” Sparks said. “If you are pursuing a degree that takes a long time, as long as you do not exceed

Tax examples A student who earns minimum wage ($7.25 per hour) and works 15 hours per week would earn: » Income before taxes — $5,200 annually » Tax bracket — 4 percent » Income tax annually — $208 » Income tax monthly — $17

SEE TAX PAGE 2

FIRES BLAZE NEAR CAMPUS

The National Weather Center has issued a winter weather warning effective from 6 p.m. today until 6 p.m. Tuesday, and students are warned to take necessary precautions. “Don’t drive Tuesday unless you absolutely have to,” National Weather Center spokesman Daryl Williams said. “It could be very dangerous to drive during daylight hours.” The center expects rain to start tonight and transition overnight into snow, with accumulations of four to six inches by Tuesday, Williams said. Williams also said residents should fill their cars with gas before the storm arrives. For a winter weather safety checklist visit www.noaa.gov. — Josh Burks/The Daily

POLITICS REINA LYONS/THE DAILY

Education tops list for rookie legislator Following election to House of Representatives, Virgin works to fulfill campaign promises LANEY ELLISOR The Oklahoma Daily

After being elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in the fall, an OU College of Law student has put her studies on hold to take part in the state’s legislative process. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, who defeated Ken Hunt in November’s House District 44 election, said she plans on devoting herself solely to her role as a freshman representative this spring. The Legislature convenes Feb. 7 and Virgin said she’s excited to get to work on her campaign promise of improving Oklahoma’s educational system. “Education is a foundational issue and affects all other things,” Virgin said. Many in the education community are excited to interact with someone who has been involved in the state’s educational system so recently, Virgin said. Virgin, who will serve on the Higher Education and Common Education committees, said she intends to offer her support to proposals that increase citizens’ access to educational resources. Ann Coody, R-Lawton, serves as the Common Education Committee chair, which she said covers educational concerns from kindergarten to 12th grade. The standing committee consists of 11 Republicans and five

SEE HOUSE PAGE 2

Top: Norman firefighters patrol for secondary fires Friday behind the Eastridge housing. Multiple grass fires spread Friday, with the first one at about 2 p.m. near 24th Street and Lindsey Avenue. Right: A fire burns Friday in an empty lot about five miles from campus. The field behind the Eastridge housing sustained most of the damage, firefighters said.

FINANCIAL AID

Professor donates $6M for law-school scholarships Retiree previously gave money for endowed professorship; now intends to aid students with expenses for legal education

Harroz said he and others are in the process of developing criteria for the scholarships as well as the number of semesters the scholarships will last. Students who receive the scholarships will be named Elkouri Scholars, Harroz said. SARAH MARTIN The Oklahoma Daily “They will be used to attract and attain really talented students ... who otherwise couldn’t afford to When professor Frank Elkouri cleaned out his of- come to law school,” Harroz said. fice last year after working for 58 years in the OU The scholarships will be available beginning in College of Law, he left behind $6 million in schol- the fall 2011 semester, and incoming first-, secondarship money. and third-year students who meet certain criteria Elkouri graduated from the OU College of Law will be able to apply. in 1947 and joined the faculty as David Burget, OU law student, a professor in 1952. Although he does not receive any scholarships formally retired in 1985, he conbut said he felt proud that someThey wanted to do it tinued to be involved with the one cared enough to give back to because they are both college until his decision to leave the college. lawyers and believe in the fall of 2010. “Law school’s really expenin the value of a legal In his wake, he has left behind sive ... it excited me that there education, and they what OU President David Boren is money available to help me called the largest one-time donain this very expensive process,” want to make sure tion ever made to the OU College students can get access Burget said. of Law. The Elkouris’ recent gift comes to a legal education.” Elkouri and his wife, Edna after a donation they made in 2002 A s p e r E l k o u r i , d o nate d t h e for an endowed professorship. — JOSEPH HARROZ, money exclusively for student P ro f e s s o r R a n d a l l C o y n e COLLEGE OF LAW DEAN scholarships. now holds the endowed Frank Boren announced the donaElkouri and Edna Asper Elkouri tion Thursday at the OU Board of Professorship of Law. Regents meeting and said generations of students “They have set a tremendous example for all of will benefit from the generous gift, according to a us,” Coyne said. press release. Coyne said he connects the donation with College of Law Dean Joseph Harroz said the cou- Elkouri’s needs as a young person. ple hope to increase access to the same legal edu“Frank in particular is a rags to riches story ... cation they received. humble beginning as young boy with an extraordi“They wanted to do it because they are both law- nary academic career,” Coyne said. yers and believe in the value of a legal education, Elkouri came from a small town and depended and they want to make sure students can get access on scholarships in college, Coyne said. to a legal education,” Harroz said. “We wanted to do for students what we couldn’t The scholarships will be based on student need do for those who helped us,” Elkouri said, accordand talent, Harroz said. ing to the press release.

A LOOK AT WHAT’S ON Graduate Student Senate addresses reimbursement, funding at its Sunday evening meeting

WHAT’S INSIDE Campus ................. Classifieds ............. Life & Arts .............. Opinion ................. Sports ...................

2 4 6 3 5

Board meeting canceled to comply with public policy The OU Publications Board canceled its Friday meeting after failing to provide advanced notice of its agenda. The Oklahoma Open Meeting Act requires every public body to provide the time, place and topics of discussion in a public agenda before the meeting. To comply with the act, the board normally posts its agenda in Copeland Hall and puts an ad in The Oklahoma Daily 48 hours before a meeting, Student Media Director Brian Ringer said. However, a staff transition caused the oversight, and the meeting was canceled to ensure compliance with the act, Ringer said. “The best thing for me to do is take full responsibility,” Ringer said. The board meets three times each semester, but an extra meeting is scheduled in case a meeting is canceled, Ringer said. The board’s next meeting will be 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Feb. 18 in Copeland Hall, Room 146. — Chase Cook/The Daily

TODAY’S WEATHER

47°| 23° Tomorrow: Snow, high of 23 degrees, low of 7 degrees

2 • Monday, January 31, 2011

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

CAMPUS

Chase Cook, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

TAX: University hopes student tax cuts would boost enrollment, financial aid director says Continued from page 1

Today around campus » Last day for full refund of charges on dropped courses. No reduction of charges on complete withdrawals after this date. » Spring semester automatic grade of W on dropped courses after this date.

the income level, you will benefit from the bill.” Sparks said students enrolled full time do not make a lot of money, so the state would not lose much, but the tax break can have a significant impact on student budgets. The income level for the bill will be set to match levels on the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program but would ultimately look at the student’s income in determining

qualification, Sparks said. “The No. 1 thing to drive the average income in a state is the number of college graduates and technical degree holders,” Sparks said. “The absolute best use for states’ dollars are higher education and career tech funding.” Hilary Ludwig, a zoology senior who works 10 to 15 hours per week at a veterinary hospital, said the bill is a great idea. “I know students have a lot of financial problems while they are in school, so it seems like it would help

them out,” Ludwig said. Because the tax cut applies to full-time students, the bill could boost enrollment, said Brad Burnett, OU Financial Aid Services executive director. Burnett said another way to help students with their finances would be to revise the federal formula for financial aid. The federal formula penalizes students who work and save money while in college by taxing part of student income and any money students have in savings, Burnett said.

What you can buy with $17 » Six gallons of gas » A steak dinner » Four Starbucks coffees » 17 songs on iTunes » 68 ramen noodles » A DVD » New headphones » Four cans of car de-icer » A piggy bank » Two family-size Stouffer’s lasagnas

» Tickets for the Pink and Black Ball will be on sale for $15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s main lobby. » Connie Divine, University College adviser, will present a free seminar titled “Time Management” from 1 to 2 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245. » Students can have their resumes critiqued from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Union, Room 323. » The Bedlam Blood Battle blood drive starts at 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the ROTC Armory.

Tuesday, Feb. 1 » OU freshman scholarship deadline, online or in financial aid services. » The application to study abroad in France for the College of Engineering is due in Felgar Hall, Room 112. » Tickets for the Pink and Black Ball will be on sale for $15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Union’s main lobby. » The Student Learning Center is hosting a meeting for international writers from 4 to 5 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 280.

HOUSE: Virgin to fight education budget cuts Continued from page 1

and four democrats. Virgin is the youngest representative in the democratic caucus and said older representatives have been helpful Democrats, and its goal is for Oklahoma to have the best edu- and excited to have someone new in the caucus. Thus far, Virgin said she has worked with her office mate cation system in the country, Coody said. “I am certainly looking forward to having [Virgin] on Ed Cannaday, D-Porum, who also sits on the Common Education Committee. the committee, and I know she will have a lot “I am excited by the possibility of gaining to offer to ... the discussions,” Coody said. a fresh perspective on these issues, since Virgin said she plans on fighting further Emily brings a current experience perspeccuts to education, but she knows it will be a tive to this area and an awareness of the challenge in a tough budgetary year. Virgin needs of students making a transition from said she will do everything she can in her secondary to post-secondary education,” first legislative session, but she is also lookCannaday said. “After talking to those legising to set long-term goals as well. lators who have spent time with Emily, I am “I am looking at this as a 12-year process,” convinced that she will use her strengths to Virgin said, referencing Oklahoma’s term represent her district in a manner that we all limit for state representatives. will appreciate and respect.” In the lead-up to her first legislative sesOther than Cannaday, Virgin said she has sion, her time will largely be spent learning not yet picked specific legislators she hopes how the state’s legislative processes work to work with. However, she will work with and in meetings with state agents, Virgin Emily Virgin whomever shares her concerns, whether said. She said she has attended freshman Republican or Democrat. orientation days where she learned how to “Party doesn’t matter when it comes to important isfile legislation and the flow of operations on the House floor. This year’s freshman class contains 16 republicans sues,” Virgin said.

» Men’s basketball will play Baylor at 6 p.m. in Lloyd Noble Center. » The Bedlam Blood Battle blood drive starts at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the ROTC Armory. » An OU librarian will provide research assistance from 10 a.m. to noon in the ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility. » The OU Multicultural Career Fair Prep, “Interviewing to Get the Job,” will take place from 3:30 to 4 p.m. in the Union’s Crimson Room. » The Christians on Campus Bible study will take place from noon to 12:45 p.m. in the Union’s Weitzenhoffer Room. » Students can have their resumes critiqued from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Union, Room 323.

Wednesday, Feb. 2 » Tickets for the Pink and Black Ball will be on sale for $15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Union’s main lobby. » The Student Learning Center will host a free seminar on landing a student job from 1 to 2 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245. » Free health and fitness seminar and brown bag lunch noon to 12:45 p.m. at the Huston Huffman Fitness Center conference room. » Students can have their resumes critiqued from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Union, Room 323. » An OU librarian will provide research assistance from 10 a.m. to noon in the ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility. » The Bedlam Blood Battle blood drive starts at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the ROTC Armory. » Students can bring their favorite geeky/nerdy items to Alpha Sigma Kappa’s Nerdy Show and Tell from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Union’s Frontier Room.

Thursday, Feb. 3 » Tickets for the Pink and Black Ball will be on sale for $15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Union’s main lobby. » The Student Learning Center will host a free seminar on student health and happiness from 3 to 4 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245. » Scott Barboza will present a geology lecture from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Sarkeys Energy Center, Room A235 » OU Hockey will play Eastern Washington University from 7 to 10 p.m. at Blazers Ice Centre in Oklahoma City.

Friday, Feb. 4 » OU Hockey will play Oakland University from 7 to 10 p.m. at Blazers Ice Centre in Oklahoma City. Tickets are $5 for students.

Concert to raise awareness of conflict Sooners for Peace in Palestine will host a free “End the Occupation” hip-hop concert to raise awareness about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from 6 to 8 tonight in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Meacham Auditorium. Hip-hop artists from across the country, including Khalil Ismail from Baltimore and Abdullah Dahduli from Dallas, will perform. Danial Fischer will serve as emcee for the event, which is the first hip-hop concert Sooners for Peace in Palestine has hosted. “The emcee will briefly talk about Palestine, but this event is geared more toward letting the performers paint a picture for us,” said Abdurrahman Kabani, microbiology senior and Sooners for Peace in Palestine president. “The purpose of this event is to raise awareness, not necessarily to end disputes, but possibly introduce dialogue and interest in the IsraeliPalestinian conflict,” Kabani said. Kabani also said this event will not be the last event of its kind from the Sooners for Peace in Palestine. — Hillary McLain/The Daily

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

Monday, January 31, 2011 • 3

OPINION

THUMBS UP ›› OU law school alum donates $6 million to law school scholarships (see page 1)

OUR VIEW

Jared Rader, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

GUEST COLUMN

Re-examine student tax breaks Workplace Full-time students could be exempt from paying state income taxes if a bill introduced by a state senator passes. Our knee-jerk reaction is to throw our support behind Sen. John Sparks’s bill. Cutting taxes is a popular buzz word in politics, and this is likely the motivation of Sparks. He is a Democrat representing Norman, and if his bill passes, he could champion himself as the politician who lowered students’ taxes. Few people enjoy allowing their hard-earned income to be taxed. But the bill’s potential impact needs scrutiny. First, any kind of tax break has to be analyzed given our state’s $600 million

budget deficit. Agencies are being forced to cut back across the board, and higher education won’t be spared. A tuition increase is likely for the next academic year. Granting full-time students tax exempt status may not be the most beneficial option for either the state or students. A student working a minimum wage job for 15 hours a week, 48 weeks out of the year, would earn around $5,200 before taxes. In this tax bracket, students pay $208 annually, or $17 a month. While there are quite a few items students can buy with $17 extra dollars a month, this amount of money pales in comparison to tuition and fee increases

that will occur next year because of the state’s starved state budget. A better option would be to keep the student income tax, but pass legislation requiring all student income taxes go toward funding higher education and nothing else. This could have the potential of softening future tuition increases. If state officials are serious about closing the budget shortfall, they would get tough on tax breaks for big corporations. Many of these breaks have little oversight and can cost the state millions.

name out on the market. Blogging and Vlogging STAFF COLUMN N are now huge businesses of their own that provide Jelani Sims great springboards for selfmade journalism careers. Ree Drummond, known as the Pioneer Woman, visited OU last fall to talk about her own experiences as a self-made journalist. After blogging on the Internet and building a massive readership and following, Drummond has published photography and cookbooks, traveled around the country on book tours and is even having a movie created about her life. She started all of this success while living on a farm in Oklahoma. The advent of e-books, or electronic books, utilized with technology such as the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook, are also beginning to open up avenues for writers who would have previously needed to rely on agents and publishers to help them make money off of their work. Authors can now publish their work online at bookselling sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble, thus exposing it to a huge readership without slogging through the normal avenues of publishing. These are only a few of the options that are within the grasp of new college graduates looking for work and money. The job search does not have to be painful and unsuccessful just because our country’s economy is consistently on the rocks and the job market is tight. There are business options for communicators everywhere that provide, at the least, a way to stay afloat while searching for a traditional job; and, at the most, successful, far-reaching, self-employed careers.

Hey, I want you to meet my friend Patrick. He’s educated, full of personality and quite handsome if I must say so myself. In early December 2010, Patrick was promoted to online sales representative, a jump above his previous position of being an inside salesman, for an Oklahoma-based equipment company. A week later, he was fired. Oh, did I mention he’s gay? About a week before Patrick was fired, a secretary in his office friend-requested him on Facebook. As we all know, Facebook makes any personal aspect of one’s life public, no matter how many privacy settings we place on our profiles. While being fired, his boss told him that the company was “moving in a different direction,” and that the cessation of his job had nothing to do with his performance. When Patrick asked if this incident was related to his personal life, he received silence. In 1994, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act was presented to Congress. This bill called for protection of individuals in the workforce from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. This bill was referred to the House of Education and Labor Committee, as well as its Subcommittee on Select Education and Civil Rights. In 2007, the House of Representatives passed the bill. Sadly, the Senate did not do its part to pass and codify the bill. In late June 2009, the act surfaced again as H.R. 3017. The act was revised to include not only protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but also on the basis of sexual identity. There are 203 co-sponsors of the bill. Unsurprisingly none of them are Oklahoma representatives. The current bill “prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity by covered entities,” and “Prohibits preferential treatment or quotas.” The major institutions that would not be impacted by this include religious organizations and the Armed Forces. The last action taken with this bill was on Sept. 23, 2009, in which hearings were held by the House Education and Labor Committee. Following, on Nov. 5, 2009, the House Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee also held a hearing. Since then, there has been no word of this bill. For this reason, we must urge our Senators: It’s safe to Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn, say that our as well as our Representatives: Congressmen are John Sullivan, Dan Boren, Frank more concerned Lucas, Tom Cole and James with following the Lankford, to revive this bill and help it become law. words spoken It’s unclear why the bill has to them through been halted in 1994, 2007 and the Gospel 2009. As a college student that’s rather than the acquainted with politics, I think protection of their it’s safe to say that those who do support the bill are afraid of citizens’ rights.” coming out and losing support from their citizens, so they back themselves against a wall and let the religiously-charged “moral guardians” take control of what happens to this bill. It’s little surprise that Oklahoma lawmakers are largely opposed to the bill. Oklahoma has actually enforced a statute that will prohibit employment of or result in job termination of teachers that are homosexual. Despite all of this, we as voters and citizens should still demand change. Hearing from citizens has the potential to change our Congress members’ stance on a particular topic. Although we do live in the self-proclaimed “Bible Belt,” it’s sad to see that our state’s members of Congress don’t support all of their citizens. With some recent state laws, it’s safe to say that our Congressmen are more concerned with following the words spoken to them through the Gospel rather than the protection of their citizens’ rights. Our Congressmen should have a little more tolerance. The passage of this bill would be monumental for those who, like Patrick, fear that due to their sexual orientation or identity, they may be discriminated against in the workplace, therefore struggling more in finding or keeping work in this already compromising economy. Currently, 21 states and the District of Columbia have laws that protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the workplace, and 12 states and the District of Columbia have policies against sexual identity discrimination. This means that the other 41 states (including good ole Oklahoma) need to hurry up and protect their citizens. So far, federal labor laws only protect against discrimination in these seven areas: race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age and sex. President Barack Obama claimed in his 2008 campaign that he supports the passage of the Non-Discrimination Act. Although the bill is currently in a state of limbo, I hope our nation will fight to end discrimination against all individuals in the workplace, not just serve as a protector for some and leave others in the shadows. Also, hopefully our President’s claims will be honored.

— Jelani Sims, professional writing and religious studies senior

— Armella Gottschalk, sociology senior

Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

COLUMN

Celebrity gossip destroys news A month without Sarah responded by blocking access to the Internet. The situaPalin sounds fantastic to tion impacts our nation’s relations with Egypt, and many STAFF COLUMN many people, which is Americans are caught in the violent situation. why a Washington Post Naturally, newspapers and other news outlets reported columnist is calling for a on this story, as they should. But some of their other headKate McPherson on Palin-free February. lines that day focused on Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush’s Dana Milbank wrote ‘bromance’ (CNN.com), 80s pop stars Debbie Gibson and a column in which he Tiffany co-starring in “Mega Python vs. Gatoroid” (Yahoo called on journalists to refuse to mention Palin’s name in News), famous Knicks fans (CBS.com) and the Kardashian February. Milibank said he has written 42 columns about sisters (The Boston Globe). Palin since she was named as John McCain’s vice presiI know that celebrities sell papers. I know that George dential candidate; Milbank writes that other journalists Clooney is way hotter than the British prime minister. have mentioned her even more. What I don’t know is when and why Kim Kardashian gradHowever controversial she may be, Palin has one thing uated from the entertainment section to the headline news going for her: The issues she talks about matter. I’m not section of news outlets. saying this as a Palin ideologue. I disagree It’s time to purge ourselves of this celebrity with Palin on virtually every political issue, gossip. Instead of ignoring Palin’s frequent poWe don’t need and I laughed as hard as anyone at Tina Fey’s litical positions, we ought to block out trashy a break from impressions of her during the election. celebrity scandals and unimportant articles I may not agree with Palin but I appreciate Palin. We need a about who Taylor Swift is dating this week. that ideas she has could affect me personally. break from inane These stories are fun, but they aren’t news. Her Twitter discusses topics like the econThey belong in specialty magazines like People pop culture.” omy, the national debt and gas prices. Her and Us Weekly, not in the headline sections of Facebook’s notes section is full of her thoughts major news organizations. on foreign policy, extending tax cuts for the wealthy and No one person should dominate the news, but Palin is shutting down National Public Radio. These things matter far more deserving of our media attention. Focusing on because they impact the way I live my life. Palin’s many tweets and Facebook posts gets old, but her However, Charlie Sheen’s hernia and subsequent en- thoughts are far less vapid than Snooki and J-WOWW. trance into rehab do not affect the quality of our lives at Palin has the capabilities to change our everyday lives. all. Yet, CNN broadcast that story repeatedly and placed it Jersey Shore does not. in the headlines of CNN.com. After CNN’s intrepid reportPalin’s commentary is not always necessary. But is she ing on Bill Clinton’s weight loss for his daughter’s wedding, more relevant than many things making headlines? You however, Sheen’s drama seems like hard news. betcha. We don’t need a break from Palin. We need a break from — Kate McPherson, inane pop culture. The way our society views news is incredibly bizarre. On University College freshman Jan. 28, riots broke out across Egypt. Protestors were calling for the Egyptian president’s resignation. The government Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

COLUMN

Internet provides job opportunities It’s a new year, which means that yet another class will be graduating from OU. This also means that another batch of fresh-faced, unemployed college graduates are being released into the workforce to start the desperate search for jobs. Some of us already have starting careers lined up, but according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, only 24.4 percent of college students who apply for jobs can expect to graduate with a job lined up. Theoretically, that leaves the remaining 76 percent of us to scrape by with whatever starter jobs we can get, continue to pursue our dream jobs in hopes of making a breakthrough, or to make the dreaded move back home. For those students graduating with degrees geared toward writing, business and communication, fields that are ever-changing with the advent of new technologies, the search for jobs can be especially difficult. But there are more job options in these fields than one would initially think. The changing job market, emerging technology and Internet have opened up many unconventional and lucrative job options for young professionals. Jamie Jones, a current Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication student, was faced with the task of finding a job that would allow her to utilize her passion of writing when she first left OU and entered the workforce. She discovered the copywriting business and soon had a successful business of her own with clients and steady workflow. “I got paid for writing. That’s so cool,” she said of her feelings when she started finding success in the business. Jones had lots of great advice for writers and communicators who want to start up their own jobs and businesses. She noted that “a lot of people want to be writers,” and that it is important to “be tenacious.” The Internet, which continues to emerge and grow bigger each day, provides many ways for communicators and businessmen and women to be tenacious in getting their

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Our View is the voice of The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board, which consists of the editorial staff. The board meets at 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.

4 • Monday, January 31, 2011

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HOUSES UNFURNISHED AVAILABLE IN MAY A short walk to OU, 1-5 blks west of OU, nice brick homes, wood floors, CH/A, W/D, disposal, good parking. 3 bdrm $990-$1,500 2 bdrm $700-$900 1 bdrm $420-$500 Bob, MISTER ROBERT FURNITURE 321-1818

House for rent @ Campus Corner. Triplex: 3bd, 2bd & 1bd apts. Shown by appt only. Call or text 918-629-3153

Your source for: News | L&A | Sports Opinion | Multimedia Marketplace

ACTION FIGURES

Classified Display, Classified Card Ad or Game Sponsorship Contact an Acct Executive for details at 325-2521. 2 col (3.25 in) x 2.25 inches

2 col (3.25 in) x 2 inches Sudoku ..............$760/month Boggle ...............$760/month Horoscope ........$760/month

HELP WANTED

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

Cameron Jones, advertising manager classifieds@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-2521

Crossword ........$515/month

MOST CONSUMERS DON’T JUST READ THE PAPER. THEY TAKE ACTION WITH IT.

POLICY The Oklahoma Daily is responsible for one day’s incorrect advertising. If your ad appears incorrectly, or if you wish to cancel your ad call 3252521, before the deadline for cancellation in the next issue. Errors not the fault of the advertiser will be adjusted. Refunds will not be issued for late cancellations. The Oklahoma Daily will not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religious preference, national origin or sexual orientation. Violations of this policy should be reported to The Oklahoma Daily Business Office at 325-2521.

Over 100 million adults read a newspaper each day. But they do more than just read. They are moved to take action by the advertising in it. So if you want response to your advertising, place it where it will be seen, where it will be used, where it will move readers to act on what they read.

Help Wanted ads in The Oklahoma Daily are not to separate as to gender. Advertisers may not discriminate in employment ads based on race, color, religion or gender unless such qualifying factors are essential to a given position.

92% 80% 82% 60% 41% 70 Million took some action in the past three months: checking ads, clipping coupons, or checking entertainment listings.

All ads are subject to acceptance by The Oklahoma Daily. Ad acceptance may be re-evaluated at any time.

say newspapers are the medium used most to check out ads – more than radio, TV, internet, magazines and catalogs combined.

people visited a newspaper website in past 30 days.

Universal Crossword

dowellproperties.com

Edited by Timothy E. Parker January 31, 2011

w/d hook ups, westside

1 bd 1 ba 748 SF $430 2 bd 1 ba 832 SF $465 2 bd 2 ba 880 SF $475 2 bd 2 ba 968 SF $505 2 bd 2.5 ba 1150 SF - TH $595 3 bd 3.5 ba 1350 SF - TH $695 364-3603 No Pets

Georgian Townhomes 1 bd 1 ba 675 SF $425 2 bd 1 ba 875 SF $485 Apartments 1 bd 1 ba 748 SF $420 2 bd 1 ba 900 SF $485 3 bd 1 ba ABP 1000 SF $670

Monday- Friday 8:30-5:30 Saturday 1-5 p.m. 2072 W. Lindsey BISHOP’S LANDING

Monday- Friday 8:30-6 p.m. Saturday 1-5 p.m. 1932 W. Lindsey Near Campus Across from Duck Pond

360-7744

Eﬀ, 1 & 2 Bed Apartments

From $263/mo

M-F 8:30-5:30, Sat 1-5p.m.

333 E. Brooks (one block east of OU.) ** No pets *Eﬀective rent allows for comp. with apts. that are not all bills paid

9 1

8 6 1 3 4 8 7 7 4 1 9 1 2 7 9 2 4 4 9 5

prefer to receive inserts in the newspaper.

NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING. GET IN ON THE ACTION.

Best apartment value in Norman!!!

used a preprinted insert in past 30 days.

3 9

1 2 6 8 5 4 1 5 3

Previous Solution 6 1 5 3 2 4 7 8 9

4 3 7 8 5 9 1 6 2

9 8 2 6 1 7 5 3 4

3 9 8 1 6 2 4 7 5

7 2 1 4 8 5 6 9 3

5 4 6 7 9 3 8 2 1

2 5 4 9 7 6 3 1 8

1 7 9 5 3 8 2 4 6

8 6 3 2 4 1 9 5 7

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 n mber is repeated in an row col mn or bo

ACROSS 1 Fishing holes 6 Threepenny entertainment? 11 “Quiet, please!” 14 Western Alaskan 15 Comprehensive test 16 Opposite of brazen 17 An easy crossword, e.g. 19 Pina colada ingredient 20 Post office machine 21 Rain storage tank 23 Traffic signals 26 Pianist Myra 27 Hinged metal fastener 31 Bring action against 32 Shade 34 “At Last” singer James 35 Olive and others 37 Spicy game dish 41 Substantial meal 44 Jeopardy 45 Blarney Stone land 46 Rajah’s wife 47 Will Ferrell holiday movie of 2003 49 Word

between two last names 50 Make ___ meet (get by) 51 Turn at roulette 54 Feelings of anxiety 57 Sung story 59 Fuss 64 Require nursing 65 Homemade flu remedy 68 Some strands in a cell 69 Variable stars 70 Flying solo 71 Bow wood 72 Nail-file material 73 Positions or functions DOWN 1 Semisolid foods 2 Varied mixture 3 ___-do-well 4 Ventilation shaft 5 Metal in girders 6 Switch word 7 Film, in Variety 8 Vote into law 9 Dapper, as a hat’s angle 10 Stein fillers 11 Cliff-base debris 12 Retail store posting 13 Songs like “Amazing Grace”

18 Prayer 22 London’s Globe, for one 24 Sherpa, for instance 25 Serving, as at dinner 27 Natural rope fiber 28 To ___ (precisely) 29 Wishing object 30 Waitingroom figure 33 Red, white and blue place 36 Saddle or bed woes 38 Source of temporary funds 39 Fix 40 Egyptian goddess 42 ___ thumbs (clumsy) 43 Develop

choppers 48 Six feet of water 51 Like horror films 52 “The Rights of Man” writer 53 Your spouse’s brother, e.g. 55 Innocent 56 Underwater sound device 58 Skin condition 60 It’s south of Lillehammer 61 Summer hangout, perhaps 62 Debussy’s “Clair de ___” 63 Orangutans, e.g. 66 Train unit 67 Sheet music designation

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

EAT HEARTILY by Ellsworth Parks

(Editors: For editorial questions, contact Nadine Anheier, h i @ li k )

Spring Specials

report looking at advertising when reading the paper.

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SPORTS

Monday, January 31, 2011 • 5

TOMORROW ›› The Daily’s Tobi Neidy previews the softball team’s season and two new players who will lead the team

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Sooners survive foul woes to win 1st Bedlam battle First chapter of Bedlam decided at charity stripe TOBI NEIDY The Oklahoma Daily

Following Saturday’s fivepoint victory over Oklahoma State, 82-77, the OU women’s basketball claimed its 24th victory in 25 Bedlam games against OSU at Gallegher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. In fact, the last time the Cowgirls beat the Sooners was in 2008, when Andrea Riley scored a career-high 45 points to upset then-No. 6 OU. The win broke the Cowgirls’ 17-game losing streak against the Sooners. But the Sooners continued their winning ways Saturday afternoon, collecting their seventh straight Bedlam win, courtesy of clean defensive plays down the stretch, an 18-point first half from freshman gaurd Aaryn Ellenberg and senior guard Danielle Robinson’s second-half offensive performance. Credit the starters for doing what they do best: finding ways to win. The Sooners trailed at the half, 42-38, a position OU has found itself in multiple times this season. But that didn’t stop the Sooners’ fire power from b e y o n d t h e p e r i m e t e r. Oklahoma leads the conference with 8.4 made 3-point shots per game, but OU bested themselves in Stillwaterm

Stay connected with The Daily sports desk for news and updates about Sooner sports

@OUDailySports www.twitter.com/OUDailySports

James Corley, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

All they do is ... win, win, win WOMEN’S TENNIS

MEN’S TENNIS

» Sooners double up for upset, loss against ranked opponents After sweeping doubles and a good showing in singles, the No. 39 Sooners upset No. 29 UNLV, 4-1, Friday. The Sooners continued their strong doubles play Saturday by taking the point away from No. 1 Stanford early, but the Cardinal swept the singles matches to end OU’s hope for another upset.

» After loss to Fighting Irish, OU downs Denver 6-1 On Friday, the Sooners started the ITA Kick-Off Weekend tournament in Champaign, Ill., with a loss to Notre Dame, 4-1. On Saturday, OU responded by dispatching Denver, 6-1, after taking five of six singles matches and winning the doubles point.

WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS TRACK & FIELD

EMILY NIELSEN/THE DAILY O’COLLEGIAN

Sophomore center Joanna McFarland boxes out Oklahoma State’s Lindsey Keller on Saturday in Stillwater. OU defeated the Cowgirls 82-77 putting OSU at the line often with four of the five starters picking up four fouls in the final minutes of the game. shooting 50 percent from the 3-point line, going 12for-24. And what would Bedlam be without a little drama — why not add four fouls to the mix? Foul trouble became a problem for the Sooners in the second half when, at the 13:17 mark, sophomore center Joanna McFarland was the first Sooner to collect her fourth foul and found herself sitting on the bench. And frequent fouling didn’t end until every starter but Ellenberg, who had three of her own, had four

fouls with time left in the second half. Despite the fouling frenzy, the Sooners continued to double-team every Cowgirl possession in the paint, an approach that forced multiple, muchneeded turnovers. Robinson was also golden from the foul line. After missing an important 1-and-1 opportunity that could have changed the outcome in the loss to Texas A&M on Wednesday, Robinson finished the Bedlam game, going a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw line in the second half. Robinson’s four free

throws with less than a minute left in the game were, without a doubt, the difference in this Sooner victory. If she had missed one, the Cowgirls might have been able to convert on their own courtesy line late in the game. In that case, OU’s players would have returned to Norman without smiles on their faces. But Robinson, being the All-American starter that OU goes to time and time again, got the job done when it counted. And that’s the kind of resiliency this team is going to consistantly need.

» Oklahoma sprinter claims fastest time in U.S. In College Station, Texas, junior sprinter Mookie Salaam clocked an American-best 60-meter time to break a 7-year-old OU record and qualify for the NCAA Championships in the 60-meters. He also broke his own school record in the 200-meter dash to qualify for the NCAA Championships in that event as well.

MEN’S BASKETBALL » Sooners 3-3 in Big 12 after 38-point performance by Pledger Sophomore guard Steven Pledger scored 12 of his careerhigh 38 points in overtime during OU’s 82-76 win over Iowa State. The win snapped a 19-game losing streak away from Norman. “It was just me staying in the same mind frame the whole game,” Pledger said. “I guess I was in my zone.”

» Washington poses no threat, Sooners claim all team titles OU downed its fourth ranked opponent this season, on the road Friday at No. 16 Washington, and collected all four team event titles for the third time in the last four meets.

WRESTLING » OU stays last-minute surge for victory at Nebraska Despite Nebraska winning the last three matches, OU won the duel 17-16 Friday and improved to 11-1 this season.

MEN’S GYMNASTICS » OU goes Gopher hunting, throttles No. 7 Minnesota. Despite continued inconsistency on the pommel horse, the Sooners upended their third top-10 team this season — No. 7 Minnesota — Saturday by winning five of six team event titles and five of six individual event titles. — Daily staff reports

6 • Monday, January 31, 2011

Life&Arts

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

oudailY.coM ›› Read about Friday night’s Young choreographers Showcase

RJ Young, life & arts editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-5189

EntERtainMEnt

Locally owned businesses thrive in Norman Local business owners help Norman’s local art scene grow Leesa aLLMOnD

The Oklahoma Daily

Norman has the reputation of being a close community and the businesses that have popped up downtown are major contributors. Guestroom Records and Sonder Music: Dance & Art studio are two independently owned companies that offer the gift of music to the community. Guestroom Records has been Norman’s only independent store since its opening in July 2003. In addition to the store’s diverse collection of records and CDs, it also stocks local artists’ albums, said Travis Searle, Guestroom Records coowner. Searle said he had known he wanted to open a record store since he was 13 years old. During his freshman year at OU, he met Justin Sowers — who had a similar dream. “It was his goal to have a record store as well,” Searle said of his future business partner. “We’re on the same page and have the taste in music to pull our resources together.” At first, Searle and Sowers bought records from different distribution companies — usually ones they were interested in — and sold them to their friends. Eventually, however, the duo bought a collection that was too large to haul around. They began having

monthly garage sales out of Sowers’ garage, which is where they got the idea for their store name. “When we were doing that, our box of stuff lived in the guestroom in Justin’s house,” Searle said, “Also, we thought we were going to be so poor after we opened up that we were going to have to live in the record store.” While Guestroom Records offers a diverse selection of music, Sonder Music is a studio that offers music, dance and art classes. The studio specializes in oneon-one music lessons taught by about 20 instructors, said Lauren Sonder, studio owner. Sonder, who is originally from the East Coast, opened the studio about two years ago. After moving to Norman about 10 years ago, Sonder taught piano out of her house. She said she noticed downtown Norman was growing, and she wanted to be a part of it. “It seemed that things were starting to happen downtown and the art scene with the art walks that had started several years ago made Norman and downtown kind of enticing to me,” Sonder said. Sonder said she was happy to see the local art scene grow in Norman. “It just seems like art is becoming a bigger focus in Norman every year,” Sonder said. “It’s really fun to be a part of a grassroots effort because I went to school in Boston as an undergraduate, and there’s an awesome art scene there, but it’s pretty established.”

Merrill Jones/The Daily

Laura Moon, human relations junior, sifts through records Sunday afternoon at Guestroom Records, 125 E. Main St.

Merrill Jones/The Daily

Susan Laird, professor of educational leadership and policy studies, women’s and gender studies and human relations, and Frances Ayres, director of the school of accounting, rehearse clarinets Sunday at Sonder Music on 225 E. Gray Street.