349 OU DONATIONS OF 1,000
349 DONATIONS 446 DONATIONS 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
T H U R S D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 14
FURRY FRIENDS
POLITICS
SGA inducts new campus leaders after fall elections President, vice president plan SafeRide reforms and platform for student issues MIKE BRESTOVANSKY Assistant News Editor @Brestovansky_M
Student Government Association officially inaugurated its new president and vice president Wednesday in a ceremony at Oklahoma Memorial Union. Juniors Kunal Naik and Alex Byron were the uncontested candidates elected to become the new president and vice president, respectively, during the fall semester’s general election. The two will serve during the first full-length presidential term under new term conditions, which were approved in April 2012. These conditions shifted the presidential term from beginning in April and ending the next April to beginning in November and ending the next November. About 5.3 percent of the student population voted in this year’s presidential elections, an improvement from last spring’s uncontested election’s 2 percent voter turnout, according to Daily archives. Naik and Byron succeeded Matt Epting and Sarah Campbell, who served a shorter term to accommodate the new term changes. Naik, a petroleum engineering major, said he is excited to hit the ground running next semester. Naik is planning a number of new projects next semester, including widespread reforms to the SafeRide program and an online platform called Engage OU where students can voice concerns about the university with campus administrators. Byron, an international studies and economics major, said it is important to make sure students can clearly communicate their problems to people in authority. Former president Epting said he plans to relax now that he is no longer president. Although he held the office for a shorter term than normal, he and Campbell saw that as a challenge to work harder and faster, rather than a handicap, he said. Naik said people like Epting instilled him with the drive to serve the community, and he enjoys providing such service and changing administration for the better. Mike Brestovansky mcbrestov@gmail.com
MIKE BRESTOVANKY/THE DAILY
New SGA president Kunal Naik and vice president Alex Byron smile on their inaguration day.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Victor Hutchison feeds squirrels on the South Oval. The retired Oklahoma zoology chair takes time to care for the furry critters on campus.
Man cares for campus squirrels Pecan-loving creatures flock to OU scientist HANK TOBOLKA Sports Reporter @hanklebreaker
Vic Hutchison is a lively, distinguished member of the OU community, but is better known on campus for his unique hobby: he’s a squirrel feeder. Students on the South Oval are baffled by the man who, unmoved by the rush of pedestrians, feeds and plays with squirrels. Hutchison was the Oklahoma zoology chair from 1970 to 1980 before retiring in 2002. Over the course of his career, he published over 150 scientific papers and book chapters and won several awards and grants for distinguished service and excellence for the advancement of science education, he said. Although there is no doubt Hutchison has a devoted passion for science and education, what caused his passion for campus squirrels? “It all started when I saw a trolley driver on campus feeding the squirrels,” Hutchison said. “They would run into the trolley, get a pecan and run out.” The squirrels’ love for pecans sparked his intrigue enough to start feeding the squirrels himself, Hutchison said. He never had any scientific intentions in feeding the squirrels. He just did it because he enjoyed it. “One thing just led to another,” Hutchison said. Now, four years later, he is notorious for feeding squirrels on campus. Even though he has no great cause or scientific goal in feeding the squirrels, he has still taken an enormous interest in them and gleaned a great deal of
knowledge about the animals. The squirrels on campus are fox squirrels native to Oklahoma and are typically a brown color, Hutchison said, adding that he can recognize and even determine the age of several squirrels on campus. “It’s incredible that they recognize him now and come running when they see him,” biology professor Richard Broughton said. “It’s interesting that someone still so busy takes time out of their day to feed the squirrels.” Despite the strangeness of his hobby, Hutchison’s dedication to his squirrels reflects the kind of person he is, Broughton said. “He has great attention to detail. He sees the little things that can be very important,” Broughton said. Hutchison typically feeds the squirrels about three times a day. The first feeding of the day is in the morning on the trip between his car and his office. The second stop is on his way to and from lunch, and the final stop is on his way back to his car at the end of the day. The number of squirrels he feeds varies from day to day, but many have grown accustomed to Hutchison’s feedings and have learned to expect him. “The squirrels have been coming up for food a lot lately,” Hutchison said. “I assume it is because they are getting ready for winter and need to stock up.” Even though the squirrels on campus are more accustomed to being around people, they still scurry up a tree if a student or other visitors to the university come into close contact with one. SEE SQUIRRELS PAGE 2
CULTURE
Diwali night festivities to feature love stories, feasting Indian Student Association to host event with full-course traditional Indian meal KATE BERGUM
Assistant News Editor @kateclaire_b
A student organization is bringing sights and tastes of India to campus Friday night. The India Student Association will celebrate Diwali Night, with dance performances at 7 p.m. Friday in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center and dinner at 9 p.m. in the Sam Noble Museum, according to the organization’s Facebook page. The theme for this year’s Diwali Night is Fables of an Indian Love Story, according to the Facebook page. WEATHER Partly cloudy today with a high of 57, low of 41. Follow @AndrewGortonWX on Twitter for weather updates.
engineering graduate student. Additionally, through their dance performances, students will give their audience an idea of traditional Indian festivals that typically take place across the country over a complete When: Dances start 7 p.m. Friday, dinner at 9 p.m. year, said Alisha Shaikh, a computer science graduate student involved with the event. Each performing group, clad in Where: Reynolds Performing Arts Center bright colors, will represent a particular festival, Shaikh said. Price: $7 in advance, $10 at the door for students, “We’re putting up a great show, with stunning dance pertickets can be purchased online formances, ranging from soft, graceful Eid to high-energy Garba,” Govindu said in an email. Following the performances, attendees will be able to eat Performers will illustrate the story of two lovers separat- a full-course meal with traditional Indian food, Shaikh said. The event will allow students to see a variety of classic culed by fate, said Abhishek Govindu, the organization’s president, in an email. Using song and dance, the performances tural elements of India while staying on campus, Shaikh said. will illustrate good can defeat evil, said Govindu, a petroleum SEE INDIA PAGE 2
GO AND DO Diwali Night
CONTACT US
INDEX
@OUDaily
News......................2 Classifieds................4 Life&Ar ts..................4 Opinion.....................5 Spor ts........................3
theoklahomadaily
OUDaily
VOL. 100, NO. 66 © 2014 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢