The Oklahoma Daily by OU Daily

OU law student, newly elected state representative will focus on education. See page 3. The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

www.OUDaily.com

Free — additional copies 25¢

UOSA officially condemns SQ 755 Congress approves bill to oppose state amendment that bans Sharia law in courts TREVOR SHOFNER The Oklahoma Daily

The Undergraduate Student Congress passed a congressional bill Tuesday night to denounce a newly approved state amendment that prohibits state courts from considering international or Sharia law in decisions. Congress members are encouraging the OU community to join them in condemning the implementation of State Question 755, according to the bill. State Question 755 passed Nov. 2 with a 70 percent majority. Gerrit Verbeek, petroleum engineering senior, argued in favor of the condemnation bill at the meeting. He said SQ 755 would

inadvertently alienate American Indians, since their status as domestic dependent nations puts treaties made between the tribes and the federal government at odds with the international law ban in the state question. “Oklahoma isn’t safeguarding its state culture, it’s actively destroying it,” Verbeek said. “That’s why we, as a university in probably one of the most diverse and educated areas of the state, have a responsibility to say to our fellow citizens that it is absolutely stupid.” The UOSA bill states that SQ 755 “portrays the state of Oklahoma as xenophobic and Islamophobic,” and that it will jeopardize job and communication opportunities for university students “in our increasingly global society.” Shayna Daitch, international and area studies district representative, authored the bill. “I specifically wrote it because of the district I represent,” Daitch, international security

About the amendment State Question 755 prohibits state courts from considering international or Sharia law in decisions. The question passed Nov. 2, but the results were never verified. U.S. District Judge Vicki MilesLaGrange ordered a temporary block on the bill as a result of a civil rights lawsuit filed by Muneer Awad, Council on American-Islamic Relations executive director. Awad claims the law is unconstitutional and the case will be heard Monday.

studies senior, said. “Dozens of students have talked to me about it. Everybody is extremely concerned.” Twenty-three representatives voted in favor, none against and two abstained.

STUDENT CONGRESS | 16 SWORN IN AS NEW REPRESENTATIVES

Norman Music Fest becomes 3-day event, organizers announce The Norman Music Festival has grown into a three-day event, festival organizers announced Tuesday in a press release. The festival will take place April 21 to 23 — shifting from a Saturday-Sunday event to a Thursday-Friday-Saturday event — to help turn Norman into a weekend destination for travelers from across the state and region, festival spokesman Quentin Bomgardner said in the release. Festival headliners have not been booked, but organizers will hold an open call to fill 130 slots with performers, according to the release. Submissions will be accepted Dec. 5 to Jan. 9. The Norman Music Festival is a free music festival that takes place in downtown Norman. Previous headliners include Dirty Projectors, of Montreal, The Polyphonic Spree and Chainsaw Kittens. — Daily staff reports

Informing students Congress’ priority UOSA hopes more-informed students will be more likely to run for office, vote this spring CHASE COOK The Oklahoma Daily

MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY

Alyssa Loveless, human relations junior, is sworn in as a Undergraduate Student Congress communications district representative at Tuesday evening’s meeting. Loveless was one of 16 representatives sworn in after being elected during the fall general election Nov. 9 and 10. Also at the meeting, Student Congress voted to create a webmaster position to serve all four branches of UOSA. The Pre-Medical Professionals Club was allotted $200 in emergency allocations for programs and activities. The “Fall General Election Compensation” Act of 2010 and “Fall General Election Poll Operators Compensation” Act of 2010 were passed unanimously. Election chair Natalie Jester will be paid $200 and election board members Ann Marie Daniel, Kristen Lauck, John Morrow and Gabrielle Skillings will be paid $40. Alpha Phi Omega will be paid $300, the OU Cycling team $150 and the Asian American Student Association $75 for manning the polling stations.

Undergraduate Student Congress will have a plan before it adjourns Nov. 30 to tackle student involvement at both the voter and candidate levels, said Brett Stidham, UOSA Congress chairman. UOSA election chairwoman Natalie Jester said she started formulating her plans after the election was over. She said she will organize public relations campaigns to emphasize candidates and their goals. Currently, candidates use the UOSA elections website and personal appearances to inform students of their plans. Jester said she wants to make polling sites more

Visit OUDaily.com to view the bills. SEE UOSA PAGE 2

COLUMN

President Boren’s total pay much higher than reported Editors note: The following column is in response to Monday’s story about the average pay for top college executives. The story, which ran on the bottom of page 1, compared President David Boren’s salary to total compensation packages of other college executives, but failed to mention Boren’s benefits. Daily editors felt it was necessary to clarify this information by running this column in the same spot as the initial story. On Nov. 15, The Daily reported President David Boren’s salary was only one-half the national average for university presidents. However, although it appears Boren received only $380,585 in the university budget, he receives more under the terms of his contract. His base salary automatically increases each year by the average faculty salary increase. Boren also is considered a full professor in the College of Arts and Sciences. He has never been paid

STAFF COLUMN

Nicholas las Harrison son for teaching; however, if he served as a full-time professor, he would receive the highest salary for a full professor in that department — which was $173,400 in 2011. And, he would be entitled to a one-year sabbatical. After turning 70 this year, Boren became eligible for payments under a supplemental qualifiedretirement plan created for him by the OU Regents — $45,000 per year until he reaches 85. This is in addition to the estimated $69,500 federal pension he became eligible for in 2001 under the Civil Service Retirement System. Boren also receives the use of Boyd House — a state residence

A LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW AT Visit the multimedia section to watch footage from football coach Bob Stoops’ Tuesday press conference

which underwent a $2 million renovation and expansion when Boren took over in 1994. The university maintains, pays utilities on and provides household staff for this residence. He also receives the use of an automobile plus all maintenance and operating expenses. He receives one $50,000 annual expense account for meals, receptions, social functions, gifts, country-club dues, printing, postage, publications, subscriptions, professional dues and other expenses. And, he receives another $50,000 annual expense account for scholarships, library acquisitions, campus beautification, student activities and other expenses. Under his last contract, Boren also received $450,000 as an incentive for staying through June 30, 2013. And, he receives this sum on a pro rata basis even if he leaves — so long as he does not serve as president of another university.

ONLINE AT OUDAILY.COM » Documents: President David Boren’s employment agreement, proxy reports from the four corporations Boren sits on, the Norman campus fiscal year 2011 operating budget and more. Boren also is permitted to serve on the board of any corporation or other legal entity so long as it does not interfere with his duties. Last year, he served on the boards of four corporations — receiving $167,146 from Texas Instruments, $73,849 from American Airlines, $131,682 from Torchmark and $270,917 from Continental Resources. To be fair, Boren is a remarkable individual — a Yale graduate and Rhodes Scholar, holding an OU law degree and master’s degrees in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford. He was the youngest governor in the state’s

INDEX Campus .............. 2 Classifieds .......... 6 Life & Arts ........... 5 Opinion .............. 4 Sports ................ 7

history when he was inaugurated in 1975. He served 15 years in the U.S. Senate — distinguishing himself as the longest-serving Senate Intelligence Committee Chair. Since coming here, Boren also has raised $1.75 billion. He is the longest-serving university president in the Big 12. He has donated more than $1 million to the university — including the proceeds from his book. And, he and his wife named the university as the beneficiary of their $1.5 million life-insurance policy. However, Boren also is very well compensated. He could make a lot more in the private sector, but his compensation package at OU represents the pinnacle one can attain in public service. — Nicholas Harrison, law and business graduate

Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

TODAY’S WEATHER 60°| 34° Thursday: Sunny, high of 62 degrees Visit the Oklahoma Weather Lab at owl.ou.edu

2 • Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

CAMPUS

Reneé Selanders, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

Asian groups showcase culture Night features 6 student organizations demonstrating unique cultural traditions during annual event

respectively. Li performed a piano piece called “Autumn Moon Over a Calm Lake.” The piece is based on a Chinese folk song inspired by the scenery of West Lake in Hangzhou China. LAUREN CASONHUA The Oklahoma Daily The martial art Tai Chi Chuan — one of China’s three internal martial arts — was showcased by Xinhai Du. He perMore than 75 students from diverse backgrounds formed to Chinese cultural music. watched as members of Delta Phi Omega performed the Members of the Arab Student Association performed the Indian Jogan Jogan dance Tuesday at Debkah Dance, a line dance in which the Asian Oklahoma Night. dancers stamped their feet in time to Arab The dancers twirled arms and hands music. while Indian music played in the back“Hello Vietnam,” a song by Quynh Anh, ground to kickoff the 23rd annual event, was performed in English by Katheryn hosted by the Asian American Student Thai. Association. The evening concluded with two culturThe event is the group’s biggest fall event al skits performed by the Phi Delta Alpha It is the umbrella group for all and allows various Asian campus organisorority. The skits retold the Chinese folkAsian organizations. The group zations to showcase their different cultures tale, “Zodiac,” and the Korean folktale, has three goals, to: and talents, group president Kristina Thai “Why is the sea so salty.” » spread cultural awareness, said. It is also meant to spread awareness Between performances, videos were » serve the community, of Asia’s diversity, she said. used to illustrate cultural aspects of each » and give Asian American The theme, “One Asia” touches on the country represented in the show. students a chance to bond. diverse and unifying aspects of Asian culHe l e n Vu , V i e t n a m e s e S t u d e n t ture, said group treasurer Oliver Li. Association member and microbiology *Source: Asian American Student The event began with a comical video of Association Historian Chris Nguyen, and pre-pharmacy junior, said the videos and President Kristina Thai last minute “preparations” for the event. were her favorite part. Executive board members said the show “I like how they showed the videos took two months put together and prepaabout the different countries,“ she said. rations included recruiting performers, creating a stage Vu said she came to the event to learn more about the backdrop painting, compiling programs and writing the Asian culture. script. Attendees judged the six groups and Phi Delta Alpha soVarious performers were introduced by emcees rority won first place for their folktale skits. Delta Phi Omega Bijan Aizimi and TramAnh Lai, Mr. and Ms. Asian OU, sorority won second with their Jogan Jogan dance.

What is the Asian American Student Association?

Today around campus » Bedlam Blood Battle, sponsored by Oklahoma Blood Institute as an official Bedlam sponsor, will take place 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the ROTC Armory. » Christians on Campus Bible Study will meet 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Traditions Room. » Ree Drummond, Pioneer Woman blogger, will speak 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Union’s Molly Shi Ballroom. » School of Art & Art History Chili Bowl Scholarship Fundraiser will take place 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the School of Art’s Lightwell Gallery. » OU Health Promotion is providing free cold & flu prevention tips and giveaways noon to 2 p.m. at the Union’s Health Services table.

UOSA: Spring plans already being formulated Continued from page 1

Thursday, Nov. 18 » Indian Youth Career fair will take place 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Union’s second floor. » Student Success Series: CLEP & Advanced Standing will take place 3 to 4 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245. » Bedlam Blood Battle, sponsored by Oklahoma Blood Institute as an official Bedlam sponsor, will take place 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the ROTC Armory. » The OU hockey team will play Liberty University at 4 p.m. at the Blazers Ice Centre, 8000 S. Interstate 35 in Oklahoma City. Student admission is $5. » Oxford professor Eugene Rogan will speak about “The Arab Experience of Democracy” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History’s Kerr Auditorium.

Friday, Nov. 19 » Bedlam Blood Battle, sponsored by Oklahoma Blood Institute as an official Bedlam sponsor, will take place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the ROTC Armory. » Schools of Dance and Music collaborative performance begins at 8 p.m. in the Sharp Concert Hall inside the Catlett Music Center. » UPB Movie Night will feature “The Other Guys” at 4, 7, 10 and 11:50 p.m. in the Meacham Auditorium. » The Huston Huffman Center will host a free dodgeball tournament for all students, faculty and staff at 6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 20 » Zumba-thon for Diabetes will take place 3 to 5 p.m. inside the Huston Huffman Center for $10. » Sooner Saturday will take place 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on campus.

» This day in OU history

Nov. 17, 1986 Students raise $14,000 for handicapped children OU men were not afraid to lose some blood if the return involved raising $14,000 for the J. D. McCarty Center for Handicapped Children. Sigma Phi Epsilon hosted the 12th annual Dewey Luster Interfraternity Boxing Tournament. Sororities participated in the event by competing in selling the most tickets. The team trophy was awarded to Phi Delta Kappa, and the Miss Knockout title was awarded to Alpha Chi Omega’s Kristen Lee. *Source: The Oklahoma Daily archives

efficient by making them more visible and increasing staff. The plan hasn’t been finalized and it’s only an idea right now, said Stidham, human resources management junior. Stidham hopes to reach out to students by contacting student groups, college administrators and focusing on larger districts like Arts and Sciences to inform students. It will be a collaborative effort between the public relationos committee, the election chair, election board and other members of Congress, Stidham said. “We want to make the opportunity more apparent,” Stidham said. “That way, [students] can take the opportunity and can make a difference.” St u d e n t s d o n ’ t t h i n k Congress has a major impact

OU leading OSU in first two days of Bedlam blood drive The Bedlam Blood Battle blood drive is under way, and OU is narrowly leading the race with 408 Sooners donating blood as of Tuesday afternoon. Oklahoma State University students are catching up, with 407 Cowboys donating after two days. The blood drive began Monday and will continue through Friday. OU is competing with OSU to see which school can donate more blood in a week. The Oklahoma Blood Institute is coordinating the competition. Donors will receive a free T-shirt and a chance to win two tickets to the 2010 Bedlam football game. Footballs autographed by Bob Stoops will also be given away to five people who donate. Those interested in participating in the Bedlam Blood Battle may donate 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the OU ROTC Armory. — Daily Staff Reports

Bring this coupon in for $44 Month Special for Decemb fo December only! Take Kickboxing, Boxing, MMA or Jujitsu!

Get in shape and lose weight for the holidays so you can eat!

CONAN’S Kickboxing-Boxing-Karate Academy

322 E. Gray • 366-1204

Best Mexican Food

Tasty lite menu Incredible South American Style Dishes! Great Flavor, Low Fat

1000 East Alameda

579-1221

on them, said Jester, international security studies junior. Students should know Congress allocates the student organization’s funds and helps get construction completed around campus, she said. “When [students] see construction they think the university did it,” Jester said. “Sometimes, it’s Student Congress getting that new sidewalk put in.” Andrew Bundy, European studies and German senior, said he has only voted three out of the six election

during his time at OU. He cited lack of information about candidates being the main reason he didn’t vote. Bundy also favors the spring elections because bigger offices like UOSA president are up for election. Bundy said if UOSA had more power, students might be more interested. “If they had a stronger effect on [OU’s] budget,” B u n d y s a i d , “s t u d e n t s might care.” Stidham said once the plan is for med, no

actions will take place until Congress assembles in January. Jester said she will work this semester on legislation to implement some of her planned changes. Once completed, it will be voted on during the spring 2011 semester. Bundy said he hopes changes will happen because Congress seats are important. “Smaller offices are important,” Bundy said. “But their message is not heard as strongly.”

NEWS

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 • 3

Virgin to focus on education funding OU law student also plans to improve transportation, reform tax-credit system EMILY HOPKINS The Oklahoma Daily

Emily Virgin, D-Norman, will undergo new legislator orientation today, after being sworn in Tuesday. Virgin won with 63.63 percent of the votes in all 16 precincts to defeat Republican Kent Hunt in the Nov. 2 midterm elections. Before the legislative session begins in February, Virgin said she is planning on attending as many community events as possible. Virgin said education is her No. 1 priority and is looking forward to traveling throughout her community and state to observe » Increase funding the issues. accountability “To really focus on the » Make teacher problems and be able to salaries go around to schools and comparable with really study the problems surrounding areas within the education sys» De-emphasize tem, and also just to have pressure of the resources and the abilstandardized tests ity to fix those problems » Update teacher — that’s really what excites retirement system me the most,” she said. Virgin wants to first look at education funding. Her goal is to make government more accountable in sending money directly to classrooms. “I want to make sure we take a look at the system as a whole and find other ways to improve the system, not only with giving it more funding but just making sure the teachers are treated the way they deserve to be treated, specifically in terms of salaries,” she said. Other goals in the education realm include revamping the teacher retirement system and reducing the extreme pressure placed on teachers by the weight of standardized tests. “A lot of teachers have told me they don’t have the freedom to come up with their own curriculum many times and instead are forced to teach what is only on the test,” she said. The very presence of State Question 744 on the Nov. 2 ballot, Virgin pointed out, reveals that reforming the education system is on the minds of Oklahomans. She said she also hopes to be selected to serve on the Education Committee in order to propose legislation and conduct research on how to best update the system. “It’s pretty obvious we’re near the bottom in almost every category concerning education, whether it’s per people expenditures or teacher salaries,” she said. “There’s been a growing movement toward wanting to improve our education system and I think that’s seen across the aisles.” Though education is her top priority as a firstterm legislator, Virgin says her other key issues

Sooner science team to head to Egypt Computer science programming group wins regional event MEAGAN DEATON

Virgin’s education goals

The Oklahoma Daily

AUTHOR/THE DAILY

Emily Virgin, D-Norman, stands Friday in the OU Law School library. Virgin, second-year law student, said she plans to increase direct-to-classroom funding across the state.

include improving the state mental health and “We do interim studies and try to prepare bills substance abuse systems, lowering the overall in- for the next legislative session, so I will definitely carceration rate, building a new transportation in- be preparing to deal with that,” Virgin said. frastructure and reforming the tax credit system. Though she is supposed to graduate in May “We need to make sure that we’re not wasting 2012, Virgin said she will be taking the additional a lot of money by giving it away two years allowed by OU Law to corporations that aren’t creSchool and now plans to gradating jobs,” she said. “There’s a uate in 2014. It’s pretty obvious we’re lot of abuse and waste in that Elizabeth Bangs, law pronear the bottom in almost system that I’ve looked at over fessor, taught Virgin in her every category concerning Criminal Procedure class last the past year.” education, whether it’s The 24-year-old is now in the year and said her former stuprocess of transitioning from dent’s electoral win is exciting per people expenditures the role of OU law student to for the law school and for the or teacher salaries.” District 44 representative in the Norman community. House of Representatives. Virgin has the support of — EMILY VIRGIN, “I’ve been trying to play some classmates, too. DISTRICT 44 REPRESENTATIVE catch-up at school,” Virgin said. Second-year law student “I had fallen a little behind in Hailey Green said that as a the days close to the campaign and preparing Republican, she respects Virgin’s willingness to for finals as well has been an activity in the past work across party lines to solve issues. weeks.” “She is focused on what matters: our state and To better focus on her new job as a legislator, its people,” Green said. “I am confident that Emily Virgin said she will take a leave of absence from will do well as a state representative because she law school next semester, but will go back in the has taken the time to talk with many of her consummer and next fall with a lighter course load. stituents to find out what their priorities are.”

National Clandestine Service.

YOUR MISSION: TRANSLATION IN DEFENSE OF THE NATION.

BECOME AN NCS

LANGUAGE OFFICER.

Your foreign language skills can keep America safe. It’s more than just translating. It’s about interpreting nuances and conveying cultural insights for meaningful intelligence acquisition.

OU’s Computer Science Programming Team recently took first place out of 71 teams at the 2010 Association for Computing Machinery South Central USA Regional Programming Contest. OU A will next compete in the international contest Feb. 27 to March 4 in Egypt. Allen Smith, computer science junior, said he was looking forward to doing some sightseeing. “Since we’re only going to spend five hours of that actually programming, I’m sure there will be plenty of down time,” Smith said. OU A, one of two OU teams at the competition, was the only one to finish all of the problems in the Oct. 29 and 30 competition. “It is challenging to solve the problems and fun to solve them with the group we have,” said Peter Reid, computer science senior. The University of Texas at Austin came in second and Abilene Christian University came in third. The regional competition consisted of eight programming challenges. Team members had five hours to write all of the code for the program during the competition and could not use any outside electronics. “For each problem, we have to write a program to answer a particular kind of question,” Reid said. “Once we think we have written it correctly, we submit our program to the judges. They test it with several questions.” If the program correctly answered the questions submitted by the judges, that problem was marked as completed. If it was wrong, the team had to try to figure out what was wrong with the program. First place goes to the team that solved the most questions in five hours, Smith said. If two teams tie for the most problems solved, then the tiebreaker is how fast each team solved the problems, he said. The team practiced weekly before the competition at New York Pizza & Pasta on Campus Corner. “Our plan was to get used to working in a noisy environment like that of the competition by practicing in a place with plenty of distractions,” Reid said. Non-computer science majors are rare on the team, but allowed. “They do need to be accomplished programmers with a broad knowledge of algorithms, especially those that are taught in CS courses,” said Rex Page, computer science professor. Students who are interested in joining the team next year can contact Professor Page for more information.

It’s about making a difference, 24/7. Applicants must have US citizenship and the ability to successfully complete medical examinations and security procedures including a polygraph interview. An equal opportunity employer and a drug-free work force. For additional information and to apply, visit www.cia.gov

THE WORK OF A NATION. THE CENTER OF INTELLIGENCE.

For breaking news and campus updates, visit

4 • Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

OPINION

THUMBS UP ›› UOSA unanimously condemns SQ 755 (see page 1)

Jared Rader, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-7630

OUR VIEW

Solution not found in education documentaries Several documentaries critical of our nation’s education system have cropped up in the last year. People are beginning to recognize there is a problem with education in the U.S. On Monday, the education film “Race to Nowhere” was screened in the Rupel Jones Theatre. It tackles one problem with education in the U.S.: The system puts too much pressure on students to make a grade rather than receive a valuable learning experience. This became prevalent with the advent of No Child Left Behind, which former President George W. Bush signed into law in January 2002. This act implemented standards-based education reform, meaning students are measured against a concrete standard rather than how well students perform compared to others. States where schools had low-scoring students are threatened with less federal funding for education. This caused the opposite result lawmakers were expecting: Instead of improving education, teachers simply taught for the tests, and scores were often manipulated to pass students to the next grade rather than actually help those who didn’t understand the standardized material. It’s understandable how such an education system would stifle creativity and put pressure on students who don’t perform well in a universal approach to education. The question is what other model must we implement regarding education? “Race to Nowhere” uses a school started by the famous Blue Man Group — called “The Blue School” — as an example of emphasizing creativity over achievement when teaching kids. It may not be a universal answer, but could probably work for some students, and that’s one thing lawmakers need to

understand when it comes to “reforming” education — a “one- receive millions in private funding unavailable to public size-fits-all” approach isn’t going to cut it. schools, and a very small percentage of them actually perform However, caution should be exercised with how audiences better than public schools. react to the film’s emphasis on the pressure students face to The Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford meet expectations. While creativity should be emphasized, University evaluated the effectiveness of charter schools in the there shouldn’t be any decrease in the standards we expect area math tests in half of the 5,000 charter schools in the U.S. from students. It would be a tragedy if we took the film to mean The report concluded that “17 percent of charter schools restudents are incapable of handling pressure, especially in light ported academic gains that were significantly better than traof our country’s education rankings comditional public schools, while 37 percent of pared to the rest of the world. charter schools showed gains that were worse Indeed, this is one area tackled in another While creativity should than their traditional public school countereducation documentary released earlier this parts, with 46 percent of charter schools dembe emphasized, year, “Waiting for Superman.” This film cites onstrating no significant difference.” The perthere shouldn’t be an Organisation for Economic Cooperation cent of charter schools that had outstanding any decrease in the and Development international student asimprovements was much smaller than the 17 sessment study that reported students in percent. standards we expect the U.S. rank 21st and 25th in science and The solution remains a mystery, but the students to succeed.” math scores respectively out of 30 developed answer will likely be a blend of some of the nations. proposed solutions offered by the two films Equally shocking though is the same study revealed that mentioned. when it comes to confidence in the grades made in these subYes, lawmakers ought to repeal certain aspects of the No jects, students in the U.S. ranked the highest. Obviously many Child Left Behind Act, specifically the parts that pressure students think they’re doing a decent job when, compared to teachers to make sure students make the grade. At the same the rest of the world, it is rather mediocre. time, students must be expected to meet challenges in new Solutions for the nation’s education so far have been inad- ways, rather than being considered unable to handle pressure. equate. Indeed, “Superman” and the Obama administration Charter schools are probably appropriate in some cases, but have decried what they see to be too much funding for public shouldn’t be considered the cure-all. education while at the same time praising the results of private When it comes to education, one size doesn’t fit all. charter schools. However, they fail to realize that these charter schools Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

POINT/COUNTERPOINT

Is the recent U.S. deficit proposal a good idea? Yes, but it needs to go further No, timing and structure of it cutting entitlement programs not right for reducing debt Huzzah! We might actually decrease federal spendSTAFF COLUMN UMN ing! But is it enough? I think not. Tucker Cross oss The National Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform was created by President Barack Obama to identify “policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run.” The co-chairmen of the committee, Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson, are going out on a limb, proposing big cuts to some of the most sacred cows on Capitol Hill. Simpson said the commission has “harpooned every whale in the ocean.” Perhaps “harpooned” is too strong of a word. Unless of course you’re harpooning Moby Dick, which in that case will only anger the blasted thing. And angered they have. After proposing spending cuts in Social Security, Medicare and, dare I say it, even defense, Bowles and Simpson might be hard pressed to find a warm crowd of supportive fans desperate to dole out super rad high fives. If the U.S. truly wants to mend itself, more needs to be done than simply cutting the budget of already failing government programs. Take a look, for instance, at Social Security and Medicare. Social Security and Medicare are essentially pyramid schemes. That is to say, in order for them to work, they demand an ever-growing population to survive. As soon as one generation stops having as many children as the previous generation, the system collapses because it lacks the number of people required to satisfy the demands of caring for the aging generation. In 1935, the contribution of 17 workers paid for the benefits of one retiree. By 2035, that number will be as low as 2.1. To continue down this road would be insanity. This is a very large albeit only one example of many government programs which need to be done away with. Can we end such programs tomorrow? No, it simply is not feasible. But if Americans truly want to prosper, they must be weaned from the ills that have brought them into this disease of economic mediocrity. We can no longer, as a people and as individual citizens, support things such as agricultural, energy and housing subsidies. We can no longer favor tariffs in order to “protect” our markets. Most importantly however, we cannot, nor should we, expect so much from our government. It’s wrong, it’s selfish and it’s too expensive.

Meredith Moriak Reneé Selanders LeighAnne Manwarren Jared Rader James Corley

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Assignment Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor

And that, frankly, is what it boils down to: money. We don’t have any to spend. When the federal government’s revenue cannot match its costs, there are basically four things it can do: Raise taxes, borrow money, print money and/or lower spending. I will give you a hint: The first three options have already been tried, and they haven’t worked. Americans don’t like taxes; they feel taxed already as it is. My goodness, the very country itself was founded on people not liking taxes (without representation, of course. But who feels represented now?) Then how about borrowing? The government borrows money to pay for things it couldn’t afford in the first place. Why this is a good investment plan is beyond me. Then of course we have the favorite current solution: printing money, or “Quantitative Easing” as it’s now called. Whatever we call it, it still means inflation and it means a debasing of our currency. Basically, your money is losing value. That leaves us with reducing spending, the one option that hasn’t been tried. But to reduce spending, the individual citizen must be asked to take greater responsibility for him or herself. It means taking the government out of the equation of the marketplace, and allowing the private sector to flourish. It means, most importantly, that as a society we should expected to manage our own lives more than the government manages it for us. If spending was truly cut, and I mean really cut, the American people would all benefit. We would have less taxation and more money in our pockets to spend as we see fit. There would also be more jobs, since companies would be attracted by the lower taxes and fewer regulations put on them. The debt is only a symptom of the cause. Our mentality as a nation is the real disease. In pursuit of short term material benefit rather than long term growth and prosperity, we have left much of the American legacy on the wayside. Let’s return to the policies that made this country great from the beginning. Lower government spending and more freedom for the market and the individual will bode well for all. — Tucker Cross, letters senior

Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

Dusty Somers Mark Potts Chris Lusk Judy Gibbs Robinson Bobby Jones

160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-0270

phone: 405-325-3666

Life & Arts Editor Multimedia Editor Online Editor Editorial Adviser Advertising Manager

e-mail: dailynews@ou.edu

The Bowles-Simpson to anyone over a certain STAFF COLUMN MN proposal takes a decent age threshold. stab at one of the bigAnother area of spendJerod Coker er gest problems the federal ing that needs to be government faces: debt. drastically cut is military Indeed, our national debt spending. The time of us has ballooned to well over $13 trillion. being the World Police is long over. We To put that in perspective, the entire U.S. spend 10 times more than the next 10 GDP for 2009 was around $14 trillion. top spending countries combined on our Our deficit for 2009 was about $1.4 military. That in and of itself should be trillion, certainly not helping our debt persuasive enough. problem. However, a man named John With this means test and militar y Maynard Keynes justifies the most recent spending cuts, the two biggest areas of deficit spikes. spending could be drastically reduced. Keynes, a brilliant economist, said Regarding taxation, the bottom line that governments should use expansion- is that taxes are going to have to go up. ary fiscal policy (increasing government However, they do not have to go up for spending and decreasing taxes) during everybody. economic slumps to help get out of them. Letting the Bush tax cuts expire for evIndeed, this is what President Roosevelt’s eryone will almost undoubtedly plunge New Deal, in combination with WWII, did us back into recession. to get the U.S. out of the Depression. However, if we let them expire only for Yay for fiscal stimulus! However, poli- the wealthiest Americans, the economy ticians have too-often neglected the flip would do fine and we would be able to side to Keynes’ deficit spending theory: start reining in the deficit. During times of boom, the government Furthering with taxes, the top marginal must run budget surpluses. tax rate should not be reduced, as the These surpluses will help rein in the Bowles-Simpson plan suggests; rather, economy, so that growth levels don’t they should be increased significantly. exceed their natural rates, It is absurd that the which helps keep receshighest tax bracket is We need a tax system $370,00. People making sions from becoming too severe. that takes into account $370,000 a year should Also, these surpluses not be taxed at the same that there are plenty during boom times pay for rate as those making $3 of people who make the deficits run during the million a year, and these bad times. Brilliant! more than $370,000 a people should not be The problem is that only year, and these people paying the same rate as one half of this coin is poshould be taxed more someone making $300 litically popular. million a year. than everyone else.” Cutting taxes and providWe need a tax system ing more government serthat takes into account vices is great! Something for nothing! that there are plenty of people who make However, when all we do is increase more than $370,000 a year, and these spending and decrease taxes, we get what we have today: a national debt that equals people should be taxed more than everyone else. 90 percent of our economy’s output. There are many other tax-related The Bowles-Simpson proposal is therechanges that need to be made (simplififore quite relevant to our nation, and to our generation especially, for we will be cation, loophole-closing, an estate tax), the ones to pay down this monstrous debt but not enough room for this article. In sum, spending needs to be cut and left to us by the generation before us. taxes need to be raised, but not at the exHowever, the timing and structure of their proposal is far from what we should pense of the middle and lower classes; and, they should probably wait until the be doing to tame the debt beast. Rather than cut entitlement spending economy is back to full employment. for those who need it most, cut it for those who need it least; as OU President David — Jerod Coker, Boren and many others have proposed, journalism senior we should enact a “means test” to determine who really needs Social Security, Comment on this Medicare, etc., rather than simply give it column at OUDaily.com

The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum and OU’s independent student voice.

Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion.

Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and should be fewer than 250 words, typed, double spaced and signed by the author(s). Letters will be edited for space. Students must list their major and classification. Submit letters Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters also can be e-mailed to dailyopinion@ou.edu.

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.

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 • 5

OUDAILY.COM ›› Read about the stars from MTV’s ‘The Buried Life’ appearing on campus tonight

LIFE&ARTS

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

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Taco shop doesn’t stand out from the crowd Is it just me, or are there way too many Mexican restaurants on Campus Corner? Yo u ’ v e g o t L a L u n a , Chipotle, Freebirds, the ghost of Moe’s and now, the new guy — Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. Students are going to start bursting forth with refried beans by the burritofull. Afternoon classes are forever doomed to juvenile interruption by the physical reaction to such lunches. You know what I mean, assuming you learned the songs about that particular type of food in elementary school. Pardon the brief soapbox rant. I’m still bitter about the untimely departure of Moe’s from its Campus Corner home — though it was only a matter of time, to be honest. You can only give away delicious free chips and salsa with a burrito purchase for so long without losing profit hand over fist. In stark contrast to my old favorite, Fuzzy’s is looking to carve a new niche into the Norman Mexican food hierarchy, somewhere between a college pub and the kind of cheesy restaurant you find on vacation in Cancún where they sell “genuine handmade” Mexican food at tourist prices. On the plus side is the vibrant mix of drinks available at Fuzzy’s. During my Thursday night dine-in, I spotted a group of girls slurping some alcoholic concoction through four straws bobbing around in a fish bowl. They sell a handful of beers (because really, what goes better with Mexican food?) and margaritas in fun little glass goblets — the kind that “Ladies Man” Leon Phelps once swirled Courvoisier in while entailing his romantic exploits on “Saturday Night Live.” Plenty of TVs (they were all playing college sports when I was there) help set the mood as a casual hangout, with plenty more room on the patio out back. That place will probably be hopping once the frost melts away from the flower beds in the South Oval. And now, a four-syllable review of the food: It was OK. Specifically the beef quesadilla platter, which I ordered because I felt like quesadillas are a pretty fair

Stay connected with The Daily’s life & arts desk for features and entertainment news from the Norman community

@OUDailyArts www.twitter.com/OUDailyArts

STAFF COLUMN MN

Matt Carney ey

dish to review at a Mexican restaurant. With two sides of your choice (I went with black beans and grilled potatoes), it all rang up to just a shade over $8 and left my post-afternoon run stomach a wee bit hungry. It certainly tasted pretty good, though. The drippy cheese drizzled across the quesadillas was far above stadium nacho dispenserquality and the potatoes were cooked per fectly, though the whole platter still left me longing for quantity. Less food than a Chipotle burrito or a Freebirds monster-size (which they happen to be selling at half-price for students right now) and more expensive than either isn’t a very good equation for the type of restaurant that generally caters to the very hungry. The most noticeable part of the restaurant (aside from the extremely vibrant paint job that works as a satellite beacon on the outside and the interior of a fast food play palace inside) was the enormous number of students who were already eating there. Fuzzy’s hasn’t had its doors open for long, but we clearly got the message — football players, greeks and your everyday students alike. With the fun atmosphere, ideal location and OK food, Fuzzy’s just might be in business to stay. — Matt Carney, professional writing senior

MATT CARNEY/THE DAILY

Top: Stacy Sebastian, a manager at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, holds a platter of food Thursday inside the restaurant. Fuzzy’s opened the doors to its Norman location in late October. Left: The beef quesadilla platter comes with two sides of the diner’s choice, pictured here with black beans and grilled potatoes. The restaurant is open until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Find out more about Fuzzy’s Taco Shop at: www.fuzzystacoshop.com Follow Fuzzy’s Taco Shop on Twitter @FuzzysNorman

If you go

Spring 2011 Dream Course

WHERE: 752 Asp Ave. HOURS: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday PHONE: 405-701-1000

The Center for Middle East Studies hosts

“The Arab and Democracy” lecture delivered by Dr. Eugene Rogan, Oxford University

NOW ENROLLING!!! GEOL/METR 1034.010: Native Science and Earth Systems of North America I Instructors: Doug Elmore, Kevin Kloesel, Mary Jo Watson, and heather ahtone

This dynamic team-taught team taught course course examines Earth Systems using both Indigenous and Western perspectives of science. science Instructors utilize a combination of geology, geology geography geography, meteorology, meteorology and Native American Ame sciences as expressed through art and oral history. sciences, history Scheduled Scheduled speakers include Gregory Cajete Cajete, James Rattling Ra Leaf Sr Sr, Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert, Gilbert and Steven Semken. Semken Lecture: Tues/Thurs 1:30 – 2:45 Two labs available: T 3-4:50 3 4:50 -or-or or- W 3:30-5:20 3:30 5:20

Thurs, Nov 18 at 4:30pm

Book signing to follow

CRN 25737

For more information, ormation, contact heather ahtone 325-8560 325 8560 or h.ahtone@ou.edu h ahtone@ou edu

Information coming soon about this Speaker Series that will be free and open to the public!

Meets Gen-Ed requirement for Natural Science w/lab (4 credits)

Adopt - An - Area Adopt an Area starts next week! Look for your organization! ALFA Flight

Delta Tau Delta

Phi Beta Sigma

Air Force R.O.T.C.

Delta Upsilon

Phi Delta Theta

Alpha Chi Omega

Gamma Phi Beta

Phi Gamma Delta

Alpha Gamma Delta

Engineers Without Borders

Phi Kappa Psi

Alpha Kappa Alpha

Phi Kappa Sigma

Alpha Kappa Delta Phi

Hispanic American Student Association

Alpha Omicron Pi

Iota Phi Theta

Alpha Phi

Kappa Alpha

Alpha Phi Alpha

Kappa Alpha Psi

Alpha Phi Omega

Kappa Alpha Theta

Alpha Tau Omega

Kappa Delta Chi

Beta Theta Pi

Kappa Kappa Gamma

Catholic Student Assoc.

Kappa Kappa Psi

Chi Omega

Kappa Sigma

Delta Chi

Lambda Chi Alpha

Delta Delta Delta

Non-Traditional Student Assoc.

Delta Epsilon Psi

Okla. Student Volunteers

Delta Gamma

Omega Delta Phi

Delta Phi Omega

Omega Psi Phi

Delta Sigma Theta

Our Earth

Pi Beta Phi Pi Kappa Alpha RUF/NEK Lil Sis Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Chi Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Lambda Gamma Sigma Nu Sigma Phi Epsilon Zeta Phi Beta Adams Cate Couch Sooner Walker

Will your area have a thumbs up or thumbs down?

Volunteer u Programs leadandvolunteer.ou.edu Strengthening Our Traditions through Service to State and Society The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, call 325-2340

6 • Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

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

Line Ad ..................................................................................3 days prior Place line ad by 9:00 a.m. 3 business days prior to publication.

Display Ad ............................................................................3 days prior Classified Display or Classified Card Ad Place your display, classified display or classified card ads by 5:00 p.m. 3 business days prior to publication.

ADULT ADVANCED MODERN DANCE CLASS MODERN DANCE ARTS Tuesdays 8:30pm 329-8982 www.moderndancearts.com ADULT ADVANCED HIP HOP CLASS MODERN DANCE ARTS Wednesdays 9:00pm 329-8982 www.moderndancearts.com ADULT ADVANCED TAP TECHNIQUE MODERN DANCE ARTS Thursdays 8:30pm 329-8982 www.moderndancearts.com

PAYMENT r

HELP WANTED

SPECIAL SERVICES

DEADLINES

s r

C Transportation

Payment is required at the time the ad is placed. Credit cards, cash, money orders or local checks accepted.

AUTO INSURANCE

RATES

Auto Insurance Quotations anytime

Line Ad

Foreign students welcomed JIM HOLMES INSURANCE, 321-4664

There is a 2 line minimum charge; approximately 42 characters per line, including spaces and punctuation. (Cost = Days x # lines x $/line)

GREAT FOR STUDENTS! Needed: 2 grounds/pool maintenance, 2-3 days/week, 20-25 hrs. $7.50/hr. Please call 360-7744 or apply at 333 E Brooks. STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM Paid survey takers needed in Norman 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys.

HELP WANTED The Comanche Nation Gaming Commission has the following openings: Accounting Auditor and Investigator *BS Accounting or Finance, Accounting and Auditing experience required for Accounting position. Please visit www.comanchenation. com/jobs/gaming_commission_jobs.html for a detailed job description. Please send resumes to tabitham@comanchegc.com or 1915 East Gore Blvd, Lawton, OK 73501

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

APTS. UNFURNISHED

Traditions Spirits has immediate job openings for HOSTS, BREAKFAST HOSTS, BREAKFAST SERVERS, ROOM SERVICE and a SUPERVISOR at Autographs Sports Bar, HOUSEKEEPERS, LAUNDRY, BELLMAN and an ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT at Riverwind Hotel, BEVERAGE SERVERS, SUPERVISORS and a COMMISSARY ATTENDANT at Riverwind Casino, BARBACKS and BEVERAGE SERVERS at Newcastle Gaming Center, and MANAGERS, SUPERVISORS and COOKS at Black Jack Grill located inside Newcastle Gaming Center. Please apply in person at Traditions Spirits Corporate Office. Directions: Follow Highway 9 West past Riverwind Casino, travel 2 miles, turn right on Pennsylvania, take an immediate left onto the service road 2813 SE 44th Norman, OK 392-4550, online at traditionsspirits.com

J Housing Rentals

10-14 days.........$1.15/line 15-19 days.........$1.00/line 20-29 days........$ .90/line 30+ days ........ $ .85/line

1 day ..................$4.25/line 2 days ................$2.50/line 3-4 days.............$2.00/line 5-9 days.............$1.50/line

J Housing Rentals

Announcements

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

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

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

APTS. UNFURNISHED Simple Student Living at quality prices: SOONER CROSSING! 1 Beds avail starting JAN! 321-5947 - soonercrossing.com

$99 DEPOSIT / 1/2 OFF 1st MONTH Sycamore Cottages 1 bd $399 Saratoga Springs 2 bd $525 Greentree, 2 bd $550 Pets Welcome! Large Floor Plans! Models Open 8a-8p Everyday! 360-6624 or www.elite2900.com

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

TOWNHOUSES UNFURNISHED Taylor Ridge Townhomes 2 Bdrm, 2.5 Bath, Fully Renovated Townhomes near OU! Pets Welcome! • Call for current rates and Move-in Specials!!! Taylor Ridge Townhomes (405) 310-6599

FIND A JOB in the CLASSIFIEDS

NOTICE OF PUBLIC ACCESS

POLICY

During the Regular Meeting Of

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.

Being

NUMBER ONE is nothing to celebrate.

The University of Oklahoma PUBLICATIONS BOARD

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.

Friday, Nov. 19 at 9:30 a.m. Copeland Hall, Room 146

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.

Students, staff, faculty and others in the community are invited to express their views concerning The Oklahoma Daily or Sooner yearbook to the Publications Board.

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

This year, more than

172,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer, and more than 163,000 will die —

help is just a phone call away

number

making it America’s

NUMBER ONE cancer killer. But new treatments offer hope. Join Lung Cancer Alliance in the fight against this disease.

crisis line

325-6963 (NYNE)

OU Number Nyne Crisis Line

8 p.m.-4 a.m. every day

except OU holidays and breaks

By Bernice Bede Osol

Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010

Previous Solution

3 1 5 6

8 4 6

6 9

2 7

8 2 1 9 5

1 5 2 9

4 5

3 6

6 7 2 1

6 3 4 7 1 8 9 5 2

8 7 9 5 2 3 6 1 4

2 1 5 4 6 9 8 7 3

3 6 2 9 7 1 4 8 5

7 4 1 8 5 6 2 3 9

5 9 8 3 4 2 7 6 1

9 2 6 1 3 7 5 4 8

1 5 7 2 8 4 3 9 6

4 8 3 6 9 5 1 2 7

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

1 7 4 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.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Make certain the buck stops with you if you make a serious gaffe; don’t resist taking any blame. You’ll gain the respect of others by ‘fessing up to the matter.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Unattractive jobs that you’ve put off doing will only get tougher by delaying them or ignoring them completely. They are likely to jump up and bite you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) - You normally tend to be a bit of a risk-taker, but it could end up hurting you if you take a financial gamble on limited information. It’ll be a case of what you don’t know hurting you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Guard against an inclination to take risks with something you borrowed from another. If you ruin anything the other person values, you will be expected to make restitution immediately.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Carefully plan all your moves and methods, so that you don’t make a miscalculation and deprive yourself of success you normally would have achieved.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) - It is best never to knowingly buck the odds, especially with matters or things that are work-related or have to do with your career. You could do irrefutable harm and risk a lot for a little.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Because you could be a bit daring, you might jump to conclusions far too easily. Take the necessary time to verify all information that comes from unknown sources. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Involving yourself in the financial affairs of others isn’t the wisest course of action for you to take. If you allow yourself to be drawn into their problems, demands could be put on you personally. ARIES (March 21-April 19) You’re the one who will be held accountable for the actions and/or behavior of someone you teamed up with, if anything should go wrong. Be sure your ally is highly credible.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) - Although you generally are a reasonably tactful person, you might be so focused on the faults of others that you condemn them for things you normally wouldn’t. Lighten up. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Manage money matters yourself, instead of putting your financial affairs in the hands of someone about whom you know little. Any mistakes this person makes will come out of your pocket. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) - If someone whose support you usually receive is very resistant to your plans, expressing aggression won’t help your case one bit. Find out what it is that s/he dislikes and try to make some changes.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker November 17, 2010

ACROSS 1 Chip’s cartoon friend 5 Questionable perfume? 9 Emulate a rat 13 Happily ___ after 14 Dash of panache 15 Farm machinery mogul John 16 Fell to pieces 18 Cut down to size 19 Wine glass part 20 Lair of a wild animal 21 Absorb gradually 23 Slip by, as time 25 Impudent 27 Roman “being” 28 Subordinate staffer 29 Frequent reaction from Scrooge 30 River in central Missouri 33 Reeking 36 Needing fixing 38 Emphasize the importance of 40 Completely ridiculous 41 Do a sartorial job 42 Genesis garden

44 Grabs some shut-eye 48 Like Cary Grant 51 High-flying elite 53 Potatoes and yams, e.g. 54 Trim the lawn 55 Where goats gambol 56 Certain JapaneseAmerican 57 Went kaput 60 Having no drawbacks 61 Cream-ofthe-crop 62 Impersonated 63 Fit together harmoniously 64 Caboose’s position 65 Bad grades DOWN 1 Judicial ruling 2 Is of use to 3 Subsidiary propositions 4 Before, to the Bard 5 Siouan shelter 6 Thicke of “Growing Pains” 7 Place to get a screwdriver 8 Secret 9 Gillespie’s genre 10 Ready to be rented 11 Military storehouse 12 Quilting event

15 Like a wrung-out dishrag 17 Attack ___ (campaign tactic) 22 Tijuana timeout 24 Indiana state flower 25 More hot-tempered 26 Talese’s “Honor ___ Father” 28 Grow long in the tooth 31 1/20 of an old franc 32 Emerge 34 Sixty secs. 35 Big-time happening 36 Metrical feet (Var.) 37 ___ Arbor, Mich. 38 Degree of success? 39 Current that

goes with the wind 43 Expel from law practice 45 Not on the level 46 Reese or Herman 47 Tiers for cheers 49 West Indies witchcraft 50 He moonwalked before Michael 51 Batman foe (with “The”) 52 Yeanling producer 54 Da Vinci’s “___ Lisa” 56 Takeaway game 58 Mass of fish eggs 59 Palindromic relative

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

UNDER WARRANTY by Henry Quarters

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

HOROSCOPE

lungcanceralliance.org

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

SPORTS

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 • 7

OUDAILY.COM ›› Story following the end of OU volleyball’s road game against the No. 5 Cornhuskers

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

FOOTBALL

COLUMN

Baylor not same old Bears

Is withdrawing best way to focus?

Coach Art Briles, QB Robert Griffin changing football culture in Waco

ROBERT GRIFFIN III

CLARK FOY The Oklahoma Daily

As the Sooners prepare for Saturday’s game, players and coaches are focusing on finishing the season with two straight road games. Road play has not been the Sooners’ forte the past couple of seasons. In fact, the Sooners have lost their past two road games this season after losing five games away from home last year. Player availability has been limited to two players each day this week for interviews after practice while the team prepares for Baylor. Former University of Houston coach Art Briles was hired in 2007 by the Bears and has already left his mark on the Bear Nation, OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. Briles’ offensive genius is the reason behind Baylor’s 489 yards of offense per game, good for ninth in the nation and second in the Big 12. “He’s very tough and very confident,” Venables said. “He has a ‘go for broke’ mentality, and his players feed off of that. ... He has changed the culture there at Baylor big time.” Leading Briles’ offense is sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin III. He sat out the majority of last season with a torn ACL — earning him a medical redshirt — but has returned this year right in stride of where he was as a true freshman. “He’s a terrific player,” Venables said. “He plays

ROD AYDELOTTE/WACO TRIBUNE HERALD/AP

Baylor sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin (10) slips past a Kansas State defender Oct. 23 in Waco, Texas. Baylor won 47-42. every snap with a great deal of purpose. Every play you’re holding your breath when he is back there.” In 2008, Griffin was regarded as a raw athlete and a run-first quarterback. That year, he threw 267 times for 2,091 yards and 15 touchdowns. This season, he already has thrown 380 times for 3,071 yards and 20 touchdowns. But he hasn’t totally given up rushing, accumulating 508 net yards and the eight touchdowns on the ground. Like it or not, the Baylor offense with Briles and Griffin at the helm is to be feared, Venables said.

“They’re breaking every scoreboard every week, and they’re just very productive and explosive and playing really well,” Venables said. The two best offenses in the Big 12 — Baylor and Oklahoma State — are exactly who OU finishes its regular season against on the road. With the limited availability this week, the players are keeping to themselves this week to focus, junior wide receiver Ryan Broyles said. “The media is going to talk, friends and family are going to say things, but the only thing you can control is the locker room,” he said. With the Sooners lining up

Sam Houston State 301 yards, 3 total TDs Buffalo 324 total yards, 4 total TDs at TCU 185 total yards, 1 TD at Rice 318 total yards, 3 total TDs Kansas 444 total yards, 4 total TDs at Texas Tech 402 total yards, 4 total TDs at Colorado 371 total yards, 1 TD Kansas State 412 total yards, 4 total TDs at Texas 236 total yards, 3 total TDs at Oklahoma State 282 total yards, no TDs Texas A&M 304 total yards, 1 TD

against an explosive offense Saturday, Broyles said they are ready for a dog fight. “That’s how we prepared this last week versus Texas Tech,” he said. “We know it’s going to be a full-round game, and if it does happen that way, we are going to play all four quarters and play our best game and hopefully get a win on the road.” Despite the additional focus, Broyles said nothing has changed in their preparation. “We practice every week to dominate our opponent,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if we are away or at home; we practice to win.”

OU football coaches limited media access to playSTAFF COLUMN LUMN ers this week as the team prepares for a must-win James Corley orley road game against Baylor on Saturday. By doing so, the staff essentially admitted that its players lack the confidence to be mentally ready for a game after standing up to questioning and poking from sports reporters about the road struggles during the week. This causes me to question whether the coaches can manage the emotional states of these players. Media and fan scrutiny is as much a part of football as the turf or the pigskin, yet this Sooner group seems to take criticism to heart when away from Norman. Even though many key players are underclassmen, we’ve been constantly reminded how mature they are. But could their youth and inexperience explain why the Sports Animal’s Al Eschback or the Norman Transcript’s Clay Horning are more intimidating to the Sooners than Texas A&M junior quarterback Ryan Tannehill or Missouri sophomore wide receiver T.J. Moe? It’s not like journalists are the bad guys here. We aren’t constantly telling players they are worthless or incapable. But we do wonder why OU is 17-15 on the road since 2005. We do wonder why the Sooners lost five road games last year alone and are 2-2 this season. So what if we ask about the road struggles before every road game? So what if we question the preparedness of the team when it fails to produce in the fourth quarter? That’s our job. And it’s the coaches’ jobs to prepare the players for the challenges of foreign stadiums and performing away from the safety and protection of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. If limiting media availability to players after practice is what it takes for OU to be mentally ready to perform on the road, I applaud the move by coach Bob Stoops and his staff to do so this week. However, it also raises a far greater concern for the players. Journalists — like the Tulsa World’s John Hoover, who was shut down in Tuesday’s press conference after asking about the road struggles — will do their jobs and ask the questions that need to be asked. If being shielded from those questions is one of the only ways these players can be ready for road games, maybe they’re not quite as mentally mature as we’ve been told. — James Corley, journalism senior

SPORTS

8 • Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

VOLLEYBALL VOLLEYBALL

Sooners to fight history, Huskers

7 named to Big 12 academic team

OU aims for first win at Nebraska in last ever conference meeting GREG FEWELL The Oklahoma Daily

The Nebraska volleyball team doesn’t lose very often, especially at home. OU faces a tall task when it tries to beat the fifthranked Huskers tonight in Lincoln, Neb. Even though the Sooners picked up their first win over a ranked opponent Saturday against No. 14 Iowa State, history is overwhelmingly against OU for a second. The win over the Cyclones was a highlight in what has been a great season so far for the Sooners, but a win against Nebraska on the road would be one of the biggest wins in program history. OU has never won in Lincoln, going 0-30 at the NU Coliseum. And aside from Nebraska’s OU-football-esque home success, the Cornhuskers also own the nation’s longest consecutive home sellout streak (145 matches) in not just volleyball but all collegiate women’s sports. The Huskers have won the 26 meetings of the teams, including the Sept. 29 match in Norman (3-1). While Nebraska is obviously the favorite going into this match, OU has proven that they can play with anyone in the country. After losing two straight matches for the first time in over a month to kick off November, the Sooners came back with a vengeance last week. Led by stellar defense, the team dominated Colorado 3-0 and then upset Iowa State 3-1 to capture sole possession of third place in the Big 12.

CHRIS DORWART/DAILY NEBRASKAN

Members of the Nebraska Cornhuskers celebrate a win over Colorado on Sept. 19 at NU Coliseum. OU is 0-30 against the Huskers in Lincoln, Neb., and has lost the last 26 straight meetings. The last regular-season match between the teams is tonight.

That match, along with the upset victory over Texas in 2007, was a big deal for the program. However, a win over Nebraska is the kind of thing that garners national attention. OU has been hovering just outside the top 25 all year. After last week’s performance, the team is closer than they have been all season, earning 58 votes. A win over the No. 5 team in the country would be just the thing the Sooners need to finally receive a ranking. But that’s not the only thing up for grabs for OU. Since Nebraska is making the move to the Big

Ten Conference next year, tonight’s match will be the last conference meeting ever between OU and Nebraska, and therefore the team’s last chance to take down Nebraska in the regular season. This would be OU coach Santiago Restrepo’s first win over the Cornhuskers in his 10 seasons at OU and would give the Sooners a huge boost in national attention. First serve in the match between OU (19-8, 11-5 Big 12) and Nebraska (24-2, 16-1) is set for 7 p.m. at NU Coliseum, and the match will be aired nationwide on CBS College Sports.

Seven OU volleyball players were named to the 2010 Academic All-Big 12 team Tuesday, tied with Kansas for the most of any conference school. All seven were named to the first team. Hitters Suzy Boulavsky, journalism junior, and Francie Ekwerekwu, human relations graduate student, were two of only three named to the team with perfect 4.0 grade point averages. “They work hard on the court to make this program successful, and they’re getting it done in the classroom as well,” OU coach Santiago Restrepo said. Chrissy Dissaro, health and exercise science senior; Sarah Freudenrich, human resources management senior; Caitlin Higgins, microbiology junior; María Fernanda, health and exercise science sophomore; and Morgan Reynolds, elementary education sophomore, join Boulavsky and Ekwerekwu on the list of 51 student-athletes. — Daily staff reports

Sooner sports stock report RISING: FRESHMAN GUARD MORGAN HOOK Hook has already shown she is a capable scorer coming off the bench. In OU’s first regular-season game, she scored 13 points — including 3 of 7 three-point attempts — in 28 minutes. EVEN: VOLLEYBALL’S DEFENSE Morgan Hook The Sooners showcased some of the best defense they have played all year against Colorado, then used the same stellar defense to take down No. 14 Iowa State on Saturday. OU recorded an amazing 84 digs in its win over the Cyclones. FALLING: FOOTBALL’S CONFIDENCE By greatly reducing the media’s access to players this week, the coaches, in essence, admitted to being unable to keep their players mentally prepared for road games with the media asking questions and calling for solutions. — James Corley/The Daily

sooner 201 1 your year. your book. Mention this ad when ordering and receive

$5 off your yearbook Today - Nov. 19 Like us on facebook. Follow us on twitter @sooneryb Read us at

oudaily.com/news/features

Sooner yearbook is a publication of OU Student Media, a department in the division of Student Affairs. Call (405) 325-3668 for accomodations on the basis of disability.

order now! 124 Copeland Hall (405) 325-3668 www.studentmedia.ou.edu

;$'. %1 ( .

ENTER TO WIN AN iPAD WAIVE THE $174 MOVE-IN FEE* 12 MONTH LEASES THROUGH NOVEMBER

RATES FROM $399

LIVE LIKE A CHAMPION crimsonpark.com 405.253.8000 | 2657 Classen Boulevard