Monday, October 14, 2013

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The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

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

2 013 PA C E M A K E R F I N A L I S T

M O N D A Y , O C T O B E R 14 , 2 0 1 3

HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPORT

Student advocacy group reaches out A soon-to-be formed lobbying group will defend student interests in our state gov. MIKE BRESTOVANSKY Campus Reporter

OU students are forming an advocacy group to provide students with a stronger voice in state government by researching and solving problems affecting Oklahoma higher education. Rob Smith, the acting president of OU’s Public Interest Research Group, said the group would be assisted by a team of experts to lobby at the Oklahoma State Capitol for

student interests. “These can be things like tuition, state funding … funding for secondary education,” said Smith, international studies and Spanish senior. The group will be the university’s branch of the Oklahoma Public Interest Research Group, or OKPIRG, which is a student-led, nonprofit organization founded in June. Joe Loveless, former president of OKPIRG and international relations senior, said the public interest research groups aren’t affiliated with any political party. “Rather than try to win the battle between who’s right and who’s wrong, we just want to say, ‘This is something

we both agree on, that we both think is right, so let’s work together to get things done,’” Loveless said. Neither the OKPIRG or OU’s chapter have officially started yet, Smith said. The groups are still in the process of completing tax forms and getting funding. As a student organization, the OU chapter will receive funding from the university, but Smith and Loveless hope the groups can receive additional funding to be able to lobby at the state level. “What we want to do at the state level will not be cheap. We want to hire people, which requires a salary, which SEE LOBBY PAGE 2

BUMMER SOONER

Sooners fall flat against the Longhorns

CHRIS JAMES/ THE DAILY

Left: OU freshman running back Keith Ford struggles to get away from Texas senior safety Adrian Phillips Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. Above: The OU defense struggles to tackle Texas sophomore wide receiver/running back Daje Johnson Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The Sooners lost the Red River Rivalry 20 to 36.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

TRANSPORTATION

Cultural mingling at university Grant to be used

for road research

International students get ample help and fun at OU

Department of Transportation to fund research into Oklahoma infrastructure

RASHMI THAPALIYA

Special Projects Reporter

Electrical engineering junior Farah Al-Saif came to OU from Saudi Arabia to have an adventurous study experience away from home. Al-Saif is a minuscule portion of the 7 percent of international students on OU’s Norman campus and about 5 percent of international students enrolled on all OU campuses. “When I first came here it was hard to be away from home and family but now it is a second home for me.” Al-Saif said. “I met friends from Saudi Arabia as well as from America and other countries, which is a great experience.” International students travel from their home countries to a university elsewhere to stay there and complete a degree. Exchange students may travel abroad to a new school for only a semester or two through a reciprocal program, said Monica Sharp, director

MIKE BRESTOVANSKY Campus Reporter

AUSTIN MCCROSKIE/THE DAILY

of International Student Services. As of fall 2012, there were 1680 international and exchange students enrolled at OU in Norman. These students come from more than 114 countries across the world, according to the OU Factbook. Since 1999, the number of such students at OU has not drastically increased or decreased, but has remained more or less consistent. The highest country of origin of international students on campus

L&A: Being a music major isn’t all fun and games. Musicians comment on striving for perfection (Page 6)

is China, with 510, followed by India with 109 students and Saudi Arabia with 95, according to the Factbook. The majority of international students are seeking degrees in petroleum engineering. “I love the fact that OU is one of the best universities that offers a degree in petroleum engineering,” said Testi Sherif, a first year graduate student

A multi-million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will fund OU research to improve transportation in Oklahoma. The U.S. Department of Transportation gave the $2.6 million grant to the Southern Plains Regional Transportation Center, a consortium of schools headed by OU, to research improving transportation infrastructure in the region. Positioned near the center of the U.S., Oklahoma roads are vital for transporting goods and people across the country. However, the state’s location and tendency for violent weather make it a crucial and difficult area for transportation. Severe droughts alone can cause economic losses of almost $9 billion annually, the center’s director Musharraf Zaman said. OU will use facilities like the National Weather Center to gather weather data and apply it to the research, Zaman said.

SEE SECOND HOME PAGE 2

Opinion: You can be a true Christian and still accept members of the GLBT community (Page 3)

SEE GRANT PAGE 2

VOL. 99, NO. 39 © 2013 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢

INSIDE TODAY Campus......................2 Clas si f ie ds................4 L i f e & A r t s ..................6 O p inio n..................... 3 Spor ts........................5 Visit OUDaily.com for more

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