Tuesday, October 11, 2011 by OU Daily

Pair of tennis players come for piece of Sooner success (page 5) The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

T U E S DAY, O C T O B E R 11, 2 011

W W W.O U DA I LY.C O M

2 010 G OL D C ROW N W I N N E R

ReaLIGNMeNT

WeaTHeR

TCU joins Big 12

Dry spell won’t cease

Horned Frogs to begin league play next season

Rainy weekend fails to quell longtime drought

CHRIS LUSK Editor in Chief

Te x a s C h r i s t i a n University accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 next year, a move that will realign TCU with longtime geographic rivals. Chancellor Victor Boschini Jr. made the announcement Monday night in Fort Worth, Texas. The move allows TCU to reunite with Baylor, Texas and Texas Tech VICTOR BOSCHINI — schools it played against in the Southwest Conference, which dissolved in 1996. TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte said the university was thrilled with the opportunity to join the Big 12. “Today is living proof that dreams do come true because of your efforts,” Del Conte said. “We worked so hard to be here.” OU football coach Bob Stoops said TCU was a good addition to the Big 12. “I think it’s great, you know? They’re an excellent program,” Stoops s a i d . “ Yo u s e e w h a t they’ve been doing throughout the year. I love the proximity for the fans. It’s another game that’s relatively close and in this region, so I think it’s great.” The Horned Frogs were the last team to beat the Sooners at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. TCU beat OU, 17-10, on Sept. 3, 2005. TCU, the defending Rose Bowl champion, was scheduled to move from the Mountain West Conference to the Big East next July. Instead, the Horned Frogs received an invitation from the Big 12, which lost Nebraska (Big Ten) and Colorado (Pac12) over the summer and will lose Texas A&M to the Southeastern Conference next year. Negotiations between

LANEY ELLISOR iLLustration By meLodie LettKeman/tHe daiLy

Service snafu leaves Sooners torn Hasty decisions, hefty prices drive some students to other entertainment options LARON CHAPMAN Life & Arts Reporter

aulty management and inconsistent pricing by Netflix Inc. are persuading some students and faculty to find alternatives to the previously booming DVD-bymail and Internet-streaming service.

Netflix announced Monday it would reverse its decision to split DVD-by-mail and Internet-streaming services; however, it is not backtracking on its 60-percent price hike for monthly services. The company now faces heated backlash from onceloyal subscribers who are choosing more affordable

rental alternatives. Accounting junior Michelle Tarkington said she never would subscribe to Netflix because of its monthly service charge. Tarkington said there are more inexpensive ways to watch newly released DVDs. “I prefer to use the Redbox see NETFLIX paGe 6

GRAPH Netflix’s stock price from aug. 11 to today $250 250

$200 200

$150 150

$100

100

GrapH By CHris LusK/tHe daiLy

Source: NASDAQ Stock Market

Assistant Managing Editor

Braving the flooded streets of Nor man on Sunday night hardly brought the word “drought” to mind, but that’s exactly what Norman is in: a drought. Norman received an average of 3.8 inches of rain Friday through Sunday, but that was not enough to bring it out of a drought, said Ken Gallant, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The area still needs 13 to 15 inches of rain to reduce the Palmer Drought Index to -0.5, according to the Forecast Office website. The index takes a longterm look at precipitation and its impact and is the standard climatologists use to determine drought status. To be at -0.5 would mean to be almost neutral — having neither a deficit nor excess of rain, Gallant said. The weather service anticipates more rain late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Gallant said. That rain isn’t expected to be as heavy or to last as long as the recent downpour but will still help. It would take several more rain showers, maybe an inch or two each, to alleviate the drought completely, Gallant said. “Considering the deficit, we’ve still got a ways to go,” Gallant said. That deficit is the product of record-breaking summer heat that put the state under a burn ban from July 17 to Sept. 27. Oklahoma’s climatological summer — June 1 through Aug. 31 — ended with an average of 86.8 degrees, according to data from the Oklahoma Mesonet. Gar y McManus, associate state climatologist with the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, said the weekend rain is a drought reliever, not an end to it. It is still unclear how much of the rain soaked into the soil or ran off into area reservoirs or

see TCU paGe 2

see RAIN paGe 2

INSIDE News .......................... Classiﬁeds .................. Life & Arts .................. Opinion ...................... Sports .........................

2 4 5 3 6

NOW ON

Support encouraged on Coming Out Day

Kruger is the right man for the job at OU

Students should take pride by voicing true identities. (Page 3)

Sooners unveil new defensive package

LILLY CHAPA

Campus Reporter

Oklahoma debuted a four-defensive-end set against Texas. (Page 5)

LIFe & aRTS

Pick the Week 7 football winners

OU opera previews first performance

Choose which teams you think will win this weekend. (OUDaily.com)

Museum offers sneak peek before Wednesday opener. (Page 6)

Students take a sip of Chinese culture Session teaches treasured tradition

SPORTS

INTeRNaTIONaL PROGRaMS

astrud reed/tHe daiLy

OU men’s basketball coach Lon Kruger addresses the crowd at the Alumni Legends game in August. The new coach starts his first season at the helm in a little more than a month. (Page 5)

Students sipped tea and learned about traditional Chinese culture Monday as a part of OU’s International Education Week. Chinese professor Yanrong Qi hosted the traditional Chinese tea ceremony and educated attendants about tea in Chinese society, the different types of tea and

OUDAILY.COM Link: More information about OU International Education Week how it is consumed. Traditionally, tea is not mixed with sugar or creamer, and loose tea leaves should be used, Qi said. She said drinking tea has always been a very important part of see TEA paGe 2