The Oklahoma Daily

THURSDAY DECEMBER 10, 2009

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Friday’s Weather

news Read how donating textbooks can help “Invisible Children.”

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Find out what The Daily’s Joshua Boydston thinks are the best albums of the decade.

PAGE 11

The Sooners took on the Gents Wednesday night. Find the recap inside.

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BURSAR TO APPLY CREDIT CARD FEES FOR SOME CHARGES Cost cutting prompts fee for credit card requirements MEREDITH MORIAK Managing Editor

Beginning Jan. 4, students who pay their bursar bill with a credit or debit card will be charged a 2.75 percent convenience fee.

This will take money out of students’ pockets, but keep more than $500,000 in OU’s pocket each year.

For more than 20 years, OU has been accepting credit card payments and absorbing convenience fees without passing fees onto students, said Bursar Max Hawkins.

The fees were absorbed by OU and paid for

by the general fund.

“Anyone who accepts credit cards has to accept lost profits or has to adjust their prices,” said Matt Hamilton, registrar and associate vice president for enrollment and student financial services.

After discussing the situation for more than two years, a decision was made Friday to transfer the fees to the student, Hamilton said.

“We can’t [absorb fees] any longer because of belt tightening,” Hamilton said.

The 2.75 percent fee will be applied to all credit card payments through the bursar’s office including tuition, fees, housing payments, athletic tickets and recreation fees,

JEREMY DICKIE/THE DAILY

Students who pay their bursar bills with credit cards will accrue 2.75 percent convenience fee beginning Jan. 4. Credit card payments will only be accepted online through the oZONE portal.

FEE CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

‘Nutcracker’ tradition sends students home

MEREDITH MORIAK/THE DAILYY

Ali Prochaska and Brittany Church, ballet performance sophomores, practice Wednesday afternoon in the studio. Both dancers have performed various roles in the ballet “The Nutcracker” with their home companies and are looking forward to the OU School of Dance's production in 2011.

Dancers say it isn’t the holiday season without the ballet MEREDITH MORIAK Managing Editor

After 16 years of listening to the same music, learning different roles and performing in a ballet with her family each December, Emily Chapman was surprised to learn the OU School of Dance doesn’t perform “The Nutcracker” ballet every year.

Today, Chapman, a ballet performance

sophomore, will fly home to Midland, Texas, where she will meet her dance partner and learn the role of Arabian before performing with the Midland Festival Ballet Saturday.

“It never really seems like the holiday season until ‘The Nutcracker’ hits,” Chapman said.

The Oklahoma Festival Ballet, OU’s ballet company, only performs one ballet a year and will dance “Sleeping Beauty” in the spring, said Mary Margaret Holt, School of Dance director. “‘The Nutcracker’ is one of the few romantic ballets most students have performed

when they come to the School of Dance,” Holt said. “If we did it every year, that would be the only ballet our students would perform.”

Chapman is one of many students in the School of Dance who are finding companies outside the Oklahoma Festival Ballet to perform “The Nutcracker” with this season.

Austin Lintner, University College freshman, has performed “The Nutcracker” with his studio in north Texas for 13 years and will return home to dance in the studio’s 25th anniversary “Nutcracker” performance later this month.

“December isn’t Christmas season, it’s

Nutcracker season,” Lintner said.

With more than 20 other students from OU, ballet performance sophomore Brittany Church danced in Classen School of Advanced Studies’ “Nutcracker” show last weekend. The School of Dance was invited to perform principal roles in the Oklahoma City high school’s ballet.

“It gave our students another opportunity to be on stage and perform,” Holt said. “It was great for our students to perform principal roles and be role models for the Classen NUTCRACKER CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

Mysteries, cosmology to be discussed tonight Campus group receives Professor to explain research on dark energy NATASHA GOODELL Daily Staff Writer

As the universe continues to expand, astronomers are working to discover how it is happening. One OU professor will explain her most up-todate findings on the topic at a public lecture tonight.

“I work on dark energy because this problem is the biggest mystery, and I find it exciting to work on a big puzzle,” said Yun Wang, physics and astronomy professor.

Wang will give her lecture, “The Dark Side of the Universe,” at 7 tonight at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. “[The lecture] is really about what we don’t know about the universe,” Wang said.

Wang said she will discuss two main components, including dark energy and dark matter , which makes up most of the matter in the universe.

“What astronomers have discovered

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is that the expansion of the universe is accelerating,” Wang said.

She said dark energy is the opposite of gravity and it makes the universe expand faster.

The expansion rate of the universe is affected by dark energy, according to a study in Physics Today magazine titled “Supernovae, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Universe.”

“We must hunt for the fingerprints of dark energy in the fine details of the history of cosmic expansion,” the study’s author Saul Perlmutter stated in the article.

Wang said this will be the first lecture she has given covering this combination of material.

“I would say one thing someone can get out of this lecture is what cosmology is about. The few cosmology jargon I use, I would explain,” Wang said.

“This is geared toward people who don’t know much about it.”

Wang said the lecture should be informative and interesting.

“We may be insignificant, but we have the wonderful gift of perception and it’s our responsibility to use it,” astrophysics senior William Solow said.

Solow said he attends Wang’s class every Wednesday and Friday and plans to go to the lecture to find out more about dark matter.

“One thing I do know about [dark matter] is that it’s a relevant topic in astronomy,” Solow said. “So I thought I could learn a thing or two by going.”

Solow said he knows there is scientific proof that a great deal of unaccounted mass exists in the universe and most astronomers believe this to be dark matter.

“Astronomy is important, not only for the reason that science has always been important because it gives us an understanding of the universe we live in, but [because] the future of industry and life as we know it lies in space and we are laying the foundation for it right now,” Solow said.

Solow said space is the frontier of the modern era, and other resources are available for people to colonize in space.

“I think the most important thing about science is to help us understand our place and our role in the universe,” MYSTERIES CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

© 2009 OU PUBLICATIONS BOARD

grant for tomato research Analysis focuses on plant genome sequence MATTHEW MOZEK Daily Staff Writer

An OU plant genomics group recently received a $7.5 million grant from a national foundation that will fund a major genomics project.

The National Science Foundation awarded the grant to the OU Advanced Center for Genome Technology to support its tomato genome sequencing project, which is part of an international effort to determine the order of chemical units in the genome of Heinz 1703, a variety of Heinz tomato grown around the world that is the basis for all plant genomic studies, according to a university press release.

Understanding the chemical makeup of a tomato is very similar to understanding the chemical makeup of human beings, Bruce Roe, project leader and OU professor, stated in the release. He said gaining a better understanding of the tomato would lead to its improvement as well as the potential to grow and harvest crops that thrive in diverse climates and benefit growers and consumers alike.

“The tomato has tremendous agriculture importance, so improving the tomato and crop yields will improve quality of life,” Roe said.

Roe said gaining a better understanding of the chemical TOMATO CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

VOL. 95, NO. 77

2 Thursday, December 10, 2009 Meredith Moriak, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

Fee Continued from page 1 Hawkins said.

The charge will not be applied to credit card purchases at restaurants and stores on campus, which have previously adjusted their prices to account for the credit card fees, Hamilton said.

Another change will prevent students from paying their bursar bills with a Visa credit card.

“Visa association rules prohibit the use of a percentage convenience fee,” Hawkins said.

This is significant because 10 percent of the revenue received this semester came from Visa credit cards, Hamilton said.

OU will accept MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card payments online through oZONE, Hamilton said.

Additionally, the implementation of fees will require all payments to be made online.

Credit card payments will not be accepted in person at the Office of the Bursar, Hawkins said.

Nutcracker

Tomato

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

students.”

Church said dancing with Classen reminded her of being in high school and how hectic things became during “Nutcracker” season. “‘The Nutcracker’ is a consistent tradition for dancers. We can count on it …

Everyone is going to get sick, everyone is going to stay up all night … that time is priceless and you love it,” Church said.

At age 10, when Ali Prochaska began dancing “The Nutcracker” with the Tulsa Ballet, she fulfilled her childhood dream.

“I always wanted to [dance “The Nutcracker”] ... It’s every little kid’s dream,” said Prochaska, ballet performance sophomore. “I wanted to have people up on the stage clapping for me one day.”

Chapman said she is looking forward to OU’s next production of “The Nutcracker,” which will happen during her senior year in December 2011.

“Being a senior doesn’t guarantee you a lead role,” Prochaska said. “It’s based on skill level.”

Because Prochaska performed with the Tulsa Ballet, a professional company, she was never cast in a principal or large role, but is looking forward to the OU production where she may be cast in a principal or large role, she said.

Church said “The Nutcracker” ballet is whimsical and an absolute fantasy.

“It’s a dream … it’s an escape from reality … it’s charming and heartwarming, and the music is beautiful,” she said.

makeup of human beings allows doctors to diagnose a variety of different diseases early on. It also enhances the ability to trace evolutionary history, he said.

“The knowledge gained in these projects will serve as the basic foundation that will ultimately enable plant biologists and breeders to develop crop plants that are higher-yielding and better able to adapt to a changing environment,” said James Collins, former assistant director for biological sciences at the National Science Foundation.

The tomato sequencing project falls under a larger plant genomics effort called the International Solanaceae Genome Initiative.

The initiative is investigating the genetics and genomics of the tomato in addition to cotton, rice, soybean, wheat, corn and switch grass, according to the initiative’s Web site.

The initiative is also one of the largest plant genomics projects awarded by the National Science Foundation, according to the site.

Finance professor Jim Uskert said students should look for other alternatives to pay their bills.

“The answer is don’t pay your tuition by credit card,” Uskert said.

Electronic checks, cash and money orders can all be used to pay a student’s bursar bill without accruing convenience fees, Hawkins said.

This change in credit card payments has nothing do to with the oZONE conversion, Hamilton said.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. Starting Jan. 4, students who pay their bursar bill with a credit or debit card will be charged a 2.75 percent convenience fee.

2. The change will save OU $500,000 a year.

3. Visa credit cards will no longer be accepted for payment to the bursar’s office.

4. Credit card payments for the bursar bills can only be made online through oZONE.

Mysteries Continued from page 1 Solow said.

Solow said he is a fan of Wang as an instructor, and believes many of his classmates will also attend the lecture.

“Yun Wang is a good example for how teachers should teach,” Solow said. “She teaches with respect to the ultimate goal, which is to understand the role that the information plays as a whole.”

LAUREN HARNED/THE DAILY

Check out tomorrow’s paper to read a story about Jewish holidays.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

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Student organization uses textbooks to help end war Funds from sales go toward trying to end Ugandan Civil War CASEY PARVIN Daily Staff Writer

A student activist organization is collaborating with an online bookseller to host a book drive supporting the Invisible Children organization.

Facilitating African Rehabilitation, a campus activist group that works with Invisible Children, is encouraging students to donate their textbooks so Better World Books can resell them.

Better World Books collects and sells books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide.

The bookseller will donate 30 percent of the profits to Invisible Children, said Matt Mead, president of Facilitating Afr ican Rehabilitation. Invisible Children is a social justice organization that fights to end the use of child soldiers in the Ugandan Civil War that has lasted 23 years, Mead said.

These children are abducted from their homes and forced to be child soldiers.

“The main thing is we are not really competing with people trying to get money back, but if they can’t sell (their textbooks), they shouldn’t throw them away,” said

MARCIN RUTKOWSKI/THE DAILY

A donation box is currently located in the Oklahoma Memorial Union for book donations for Invisible Children. Facilitating African Rehabilitation and OUr Earth held the drive.

Mead, pre-nursing sophomore. donate, that’s even better.”

“Instead they should help fund This is the book drive’s second education. But if they just want to year, Mead said.

“Last year was a success, so we decided to continue it this year,” Mead said.

Beat the Bookstore, a Norman retailer that buys and sells textbooks, is contributing to the book drive by donating half the books it buys back from students it could not resell.

Better World Books has donated more than $101,000 to Invisible Children, according to its Web site.

Mead said donated textbooks will be put to good use even if Better World Books can’t resell them.

“Better World Books will sell all the donated books they are able to, but the books they cannot make a profit from will be donated to nonprofit literacy organizations such as Books for Africa and Room to Read,” Mead said.

All donated books the organization cannot resell or reuse elsewhere will be recycled, Mead said.

A donation box is located on the first floor lobby of the Oklahoma Memorial Union by the OU radio and promotional tables, according to Facilitating African Rehabilitation’s Facebook group.

Alex Antonio, mechanical engineering sophomore, said he would consider donating his textbooks.

“I usually keep all my textbooks,” Antonio said. “My dad pays for my

CAMPUS NOTES

TODAY CAREER SERVICES Career Serivces will host walk-ins for quick questions about topics such as resumes, cover letters and job search strategies at 1:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

THE SCHOOL OF MUSICAL THEATRE CLASS OF 2010 The School of Musical Theatre Class of 2010 will present its “We Sing III” benefit recital in support of the ALS Foundation, which supports Lou Gherig’s disease research, at 7:30 p.m. in Catlett Music Center’s Pitman Recital Hall. Admission is free but donations are appreciated. All donations will support the ALS Foundation.

FRIDAY BIKE SALE The OU Physical Plant will host a bike sale at the corner of Constitution Street and Jenkins Avenue, on South Campus Building # 130, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cash or checks only. books, but if there was ever a book that I didn’t need later on, I would consider donating it.”

POLICE REPORTS The following is a list of arrests and citations, not convictions. The information given is compiled from the Norman Police Department and the OU Police Department. On occasion, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department will contribute to these reports. All those listed are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Adrienne Bell Hansel, 19, 3499 W. Main St., Monday Albert Hemphill, 50, 3499 W. Main St., Monday Chelsie Raeanne Hollis, 25, 3499 W. Main St., Monday Conner Ian Terry, 18, 3499 W. Main St., Monday

OUTRAGING PUBLIC DECENCY Joshua Caleb Carlton, 21, 3001 Pheasant Run Road, Monday Zachary T. Eason, 21, 3001 Pheasant Run Road, Monday

ABANDONMENT OF CATS AND DOGS Major Marcus Heitz, 18, 3428 Jenkins Ave., Monday

UNREGISTERED ALARM Ariel Renee Delgado, 31, 765 Asp Ave., Tuesday PETTY LARCENY

MUNICIPAL WARRANT Amber Lynn Scott, 30, 612 Jean Marie Drive, Tuesday COUNTY WARRANT Pamela Summer Stephens,

30, Unknown, Tuesday Byron Deandre Stewart, 29, 750 Asp Ave., Monday, also municipal warrants DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Enrico Fabian Taylor, 35, Elmwood Drive, Tuesday, also operating a motor vehicle with improper licensing David Cowan Price, 19, 400 E. Boyd St., Monday Katherine Marie Schober, 21, Brooks St. and Jenkins Avenue, Monday, also possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia OKLAHOMA CITY WARRANT Vanessa Katherine Ybarra, 39, 2132 W. Main St., Tuesday

THIS WEEKEND AT YOUR UNIVERSITY Thursday, Dec. 10 Sooners in the Land of Enchantment: Oklahoma Artist and New Mexico | Exhibition on display now through January 3, 2010 in the Sandy Bell Gallery, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. The Creative Eye | Exhibition featuring Selections from the Carol Beesley Collection of photographs, in honor of Michael Hennagin. On Display now through January 3, 2010 in the Elaine and Gene Edwards Gallery, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Sooner Strings Solo Concert | 5 p.m. in the Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall, Catlett Music Center. Admission is free.

“We Sing III” Musical Theater Showcase | 7:30 p.m. in the Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall, Catlett Music Center.

Admission is free.

University Theatre: “Contemporary Dance Oklahoma” | 8 p.m. in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $22 for adults, $18 for seniors and OU faculty/staff and $14 for OU students. Call the Fine Arts Box Office for more information, (405) 325-4101.

Friday, Dec. 11 Jacobson House Holiday Art Market | 10 a.m.-9 p.m. at the Jacobson House, 609 Chautauqua Avenue. Sale features native and Scandinavian arts, crafts, holiday décor, ornaments, food and gifts.

Free Movie: “Gamer” | free screenings at 4, 7, 10 p.m. & midnight in Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Presented by the Union Programming Board and Campus Activities Council Film Series. ALWAYS SOMETHING at the union!

Art “à la CART” | 6-9 p.m. at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Enjoy hands-on art activities, live music, independent film and refreshments with Art à la CART!. Visit www.ou.edu/fjjma for more information.

University Theatre: “Contemporary Dance Oklahoma” | 8 p.m. in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $22 for adults, $18 for seniors and OU faculty/staff and $14 for OU students. Call the Fine Arts Box Office for more information, (405) 325-4101.

Sutton Concert Series: John Schwandt, Organ – Holiday Pipes | 8 p.m. in the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students, faculty/ staff and senior adults. Please call the Box Office at (405) 325-4101 for more information.

Late Night Snacks | 9:30 p.m. in Meacham Auditorium Lobby, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Get some free snacks before the 10 p.m. showing of “Gamer,” courtesy of the Union Programming Board. There’s ALWAYS SOMETHING at the union.

Saturday, Dec. 12 Jacobson House Holiday Art Market | 10 a.m.-9 p.m. at the Jacobson House, 609 Chautauqua Avenue.

University Theatre: “Contemporary Dance Oklahoma” | 8 p.m. in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $22 for adults, $18 for seniors and OU faculty/staff and $14 for OU students. Call the Fine Arts Box Office for more information, (405) 325-4101.

Sunday, Dec. 13 University Theatre: “Contemporary Dance Oklahoma” | 3 p.m. in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $22 for adults, $18 for seniors and OU faculty/staff and $14 for OU students. Call the Fine Arts Box Office for more information, (405) 325-4101.

This University in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid and educational services. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact the sponsoring department of any program or event.

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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Will Holland, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051

COMMENT OF THE DAY »

In response to Wednesday’s Our View, “Patriot Act must end now” YOU CAN COMMENT AT OUDAILY.COM

OUR VIEW

“‘We cannot defend freedom abroad by desserting it at home.’

–Edward Murrow Well said editorial staff. For once, you actually make sense.”

–Cambrian

STAFF COLUMN

The Oklahoman MAPS memo sets poor example As is The Daily’s policy, all employees are to be and appear as unbiased as possible. During training each semester, we stress student journalists are not to put political stickers on their cars, join political Facebook groups or wear T-shirts with political messages on them.

With this, we are attempting to ensure, you, the reader, we are providing as unbiased and fair reporting as possible.

We believe this is crucial for you to trust our coverage.

But we will be the first to admit that we are not perfect, as commenters on OUDaily.com often let us know. We, as students, are still learning to be journalists.

And because of this, we are prone to make mistakes more regularly than a professional newspaper might, no matter how hard we strive to avoid them, and we look to professional newspapers for examples of how we should conduct ourselves.

But Oklahoma’s largest daily paper, The Oklahoman, disappointed us this week when, according to the Oklahoma Gazette, an internal memo was e-mailed to all of the paper’s employees saying they could campaign for the MAPS 3 project’s approval and still get paid for the day’s work, as

part of an already-existing volunteer program within the company.

Shortly after the e-mail was sent, Kelly Dyer Fry, the vice president of News and Information, sent an e-mail saying the paper’s News and Information Center should not participate, the Gazette’s story said.

We applaud Fry’s quick response, but it doesn’t change the facts that the original memo was sent, proving that paper bigwigs were in favor of the proposal’s passage, and that it was leaked, which makes all of the paper’s MAPS 3 coverage appear biased, whether it actually was or not.

If we were against the MAPS proposal, we would be incredibly angry with The Oklahoman. How could we trust the paper’s coverage of the proposal was unbiased? We couldn’t, and that would make us lose trust in all of the news stories in the paper.

As we said in a previous Our View, we were in favor of the proposal and are happy it passed. But that’s not the point.

The point is Oklahoma’s largest newspaper, which claims it’s “the state’s most trusted news,” failed us and failed the state when this memo was written.

STAFF COLUMN

Prayer is a form of academic misconduct Using prayer to help with your finals is cheating.

Prayer is widespread amongst the student body; it’s an ethics crisis on campus. Asking God to help you with your finals is technically “soliciting outside assistance” on your test and thus you are requesting “improper collaboration.”

Thus, by praying, you are comMAX mitting academic AVERY misconduct.

According to the Provost’s Web site, “academic misconduct” includes using unauthorized outside sources on tests and “improper collaboration.”

That means, unless your teacher has given permission for the class to collaborate with a particular god on the final, by soliciting said god’s aid, you are in fact cheating and should be punished for academic misconduct.

The penalty for this academic misconduct is censure or expulsion from OU. Many who believe in God will pray seeking aid on finals. On several occasions I’ve heard students and pastors openly advocate this form of academic misconduct.

Solicitation of this type of supernatural assistance on tests is terribly ironic because most common religions prohibit cheating and support fair play.

So if you pray for divine aid, you’re not only are you cheating on your tests, but you’re breaking God’s law, sinning.

Consider the administration’s

perspective; is God an acceptable resource for students to utilize on their tests?

Should professors allow this socially acceptable form of cheating?

By giving each student an equal opportunity to solicit his or her god’s aid, the professor should be open to the different variations in which students would solicit their gods’ aid.

Consider the pantheist, who believes God is in everything; should this student be denied the opportunity to consult the aspect of God who resides in a textbook, while a Christian consults a God who resides somewhere in the sky or wherever the Christian God lives?

This is a very difficult topic students and faculty appear to not be taking seriously. If the administration of OU does not prosecute pray-ers (who pray without the permission of their instructors) for academic misconduct they are not enforcing their academic rules; if they are not going to enforce this rule, then none of their rules should be enforced.

I know most “believers” are going to be praying to which ever brand of God they subscribe.

It’s ironic that so many of these “believers” will be sinning as a result of soliciting their God’s aid. And strictly speaking, your paper or test should not be accepted by your professor if you prayed over it.

Academic misconduct is serious business.

One could argue that God is a resource that students may use; after all, God’s aid is “free” to use and available to all who believe and live as God would have them live (there’s always a

catch).

However, this argument fails to address the problem of God being used as an outside influence. There are many Web sites with pre-written essays readily available to every student, yet this resource is considered academic misconduct despite being available to all.

Another question is the intelligence of God. Do you remember when former President George W. Bush said God had told him going to Iraq was the right choice; clearly his God has major cognitive failings.

As a political science and history major, I do not want that God helping me with any tests or papers; if I chose to cheat, I’d prefer a more wise and loving God’s assistance.

Prayer is a gateway to greater moral relativism.

That’s certainly true with football, the god of OU. Many prayers have been said for whoever’s carrying, throwing, kicking or catching that hunk of leather.

Oh, regarding that oft cried prayer, “Please dear God, help OU beat Texas this year.” Not only are you soliciting outside influence to aid OU on the field (cheating again, but at least it’s not academically), but you’re also advocating that God show favoritism of one team over another.

Your God may be an omnipotent, omnipresence, omniscient God for us here at OU, but certainly not for Texas.

All joking aside, if you honestly believe in God, why would prayer not be cheating?

Max Avery is a political science and history senior.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR OU ACHIEVES COUP, GAINS LARGE NATIVE ART COLLECTION

in terms of contemporary paintings.

I have known James Bialac for many years. He has been a lawyer based in Arizona, and he judged at Indian Market in Santa Fe for 30 years. Some pieces that are now at OU came from my gallery in Santa Fe, New Millennium Fine Art. The wonderful thing about it going to OU is that Oklahoma is the home of so many dispossessed Indians. It makes me happy that this collection may show a little justice in terms of those central themes of genocide and relocations.

Bialac dedicated 50 years to collecting the best art he could get, and OU students will study the whole collection. Norman’s gain is Santa Fe’s loss.

Hats off to President Boren for bringing this about. Someday, I would like to curate a show of my favorite important pieces from the Bialac OU collection. OU trustees: Spend some money building it its own museum. It will come back many times over.

The new acquisition of the James T. Bialac collection of Native American paintings is fabulous news for OU, and it was engineered by OU President David Boren. This is a stunning cultural coup for OU, and it could mean a lot for the future of the university.

I tried to get the governor of New Mexico to get into the same kind of high gear that President Boren used to win the collection, but OU and Boren soundly beat New Mexico to the punch. The collection consists of more than 2,500 original contemporary Native American paintings, mostly from the past 50 years.

Scholars in native art will come to OU to study this collection, and many great books and classes could come from it, as well. If more than 5 percent of it is exhibited at a time, there should be Stephen Fox 20 such exhibitions.

Founder, New Millennium Fine Art It is, in short, the best Native American collection in the world Santa Fe, New Mexico

T=: O@A6=DB6 D6>AN Jamie Hughes Editor-in-Chief Meredith Moriak Managing Editor Charles Ward Assistant Managing Editor Ricky Ly Night Editor Will Holland Opinion Editor Michelle Gray, Merrill Jones Photo Editors

CONTACT US

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e-mail: dailynews@ou.edu

Pres. Obama should not be above criticism There are certain things in the world I just can’t stand.

I can’t stand exaggerated stories; I can’t stand callousness; I can’t stand cockiness; I can’t stand it when people make race the central issue.

But at the moment, the thing I honestly can’t stand the most is the fact that President Barack Obama has created such a visible aura that it’s considered offensive and unpatriotic to even think about vocally criticizing the president.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m about as much of a left-wing, liberal-leaning Democrat as you can find.

I voted for Obama in the 2008 U.S. RICKY Presidential Election because I felt he was the better candidate over Republican LY nominee Sen. John McCain.

Hell, lock me in a room with Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly or Sean Hannity and watch the chaos, arguments, violence and bloodshed ensue.

But let it be known that had I been of legal age to vote in the Oklahoma Democratic Primary in February 2008, my vote would not have been cast for Obama but in favor of Sen. Hillary Clinton instead.

My problem doesn’t lie completely on the public’s unwillingness to challenge the president, but also on Obama’s apparent inability to focus on more than one issue at a time.

Although I would agree the economy and a national health care plan are important issues to tackle in the nation currently, I find it absurd to think about the minimal steps Obama has taken to even address “important” issues that he railed on during his campaign, such as alternative energy, education or gay rights.

The fact that these issues have been relatively ignored by the president doesn’t sit well with me. And the perpetuation of the theory that he’ll eventually get around to them after he covers more important matters doesn’t do a thing to calm my nerves or my frustrations.

It’s been over a year now. Maybe it’s about time to get around to them.

Frankly, just to get it off my chest, Obama’s stand on promoting “clean coal” is about as helpful as the stance of “keep drilling for oil.”

Do some research and it’s easy enough to read about the dirty secrets of this so-called energy alternative. There is no such thing as clean coal because the natural resource is in fact a huge contributor to ground-level pollution and global warming.

Just ask the residents of Harriman, Tenn., about the toxic ash and conditions left over from a clean coal spill last year.

But beyond the president’s political platform, my disappointment is with the lack of criticism and objection directed toward Obama, unless you happen to be a Fox News commentator or host.

Everything Obama does is seemingly “unprecedented,” as stated repeatedly by his press secretary, publicists and in the thousands of articles written about the president since he entered the national political scene after being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004.

It feels like a public love affair exists with Obama, and I’m one of the few not smitten with a crush.

The awe of Obama seems especially evident in two of the areas that I principally consider myself a part of: the 18-24 age voting group and the news media outlets.

I can’t even begin to explain how extremely disheartened it is to know that my generation, my friends and my co-workers are inherently unwilling to make their concerns known simply because Obama is allegedly considered a step-up from former President George W. Bush.

During Bush’s time in the White House, particularly his second term, there was no hesitation by anyone on whether it was inappropriate or acceptable to criticize the president.

The act seemed like an unquestioned given.

Whether it be the war in Iraq, the public blunders or the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, attacks and wheels-off comments were expected from every angle.

I’m certainly not defending the actions and steps taken

by Bush during his presidency, but wondering where that same apprehensiveness and assessment has gone now that Obama is in charge.

But since we’ve finally moved on from the goofiness and missteps of the Bush administration, we can cut Obama some slack because, you know what, at least he’s not as embarrassing as our previous president.

I don’t believe that though. I’m sick and tired of people assuming that if you disagree with the president or his policies that you’re somehow unpatriotic.

As Americans and the leaders of tomorrow, we have the right and the duty to say the shit that is on our minds.

Maybe at some point, more people will come to the realization that it can never be wrong to scrutinize Obama’s policies and stances.

I just hope that point comes sooner rather than later.

Ricky Ly is a biochemistry sophomore and The Daily’s night editor.

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

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 cut to fit. Students must list their major and classification. OU staff and faculty must list their title. All letters must include a daytime phone number. Authors submitting letters in person must present photo identification.

Submit letters Sunday through Thursday, in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters can also be submitted via e-mail to dailyopinion@ ou.edu.

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The board meets Sunday through Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in 160 Copeland Hall.

Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

5

Ohio killings suspect waives right to speedy trial CLEVELAND — A registered sex offender charged with killing 11 women and hiding their remains in and around his home agreed Wednesday to let police fence off the house with barbed wire to preserve evidence.

Anthony Sowell, who pleaded not guilty last week by reason of insanity, appeared in handcuffs and dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit at the pretrial hearing.

He responded with few words to the judge’s questions, waiving his right to a speedy trial to accommodate his new defense team. The waiver pushes back any trial until mid-2010.

Cuyahoga County assistant prosecutor Richard Bombik said the state hasn’t ruled out asking the court to allow the trial jury to visit the Cleveland house. Health considerations would be a factor in any decision about a jury walkthrough, he said. He did not elaborate.

During the hearing, both sides agreed to let the city halt the 24-hour police guard outside the home and fence it off. Bombik said the security arrangements would allow the defense to make its own check of the house.

Police have said they have completed their

search of the premises.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Timothy McGinty approved defense requests to provide money to hire a private investigator and mental-health consultant.

But the judge stopped short of issuing a defense-requested gag order that would have barred attorneys and police in the case from publicly commenting.

Authorities say Sowell, 50, lured women to his home and attacked them. The remains of 10 women and a skull were found in the residence or buried in the yard.

Sowell faces 85 counts including murder, rape, assault and corpse abuse in the slayings and in the attacks on three women who survived. He could get the death penalty if convicted of any of the killings.

Also Wednesday, Mayor Frank Jackson appointed a commission to review police policies for handling sexual assault and missing-person reports, but it will not look into the Sowell case. Some relatives of victims complained about police handling of missing-person reports. Police say some victims were never reported missing.

—AP

AP PHOTO

Anthony Sowell, right, appears in court with his attorney John Parker Wednesday in Cleveland.

Sowell, charged with killing 11 women and hiding their remains in and around his home, agreed to let police fence off the house with barbed wire to preserve evidence. Last week Sowell pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

CAMPUS BRIEFS MAIN ST. ALLEY SET TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE MONDAY The alley south of Main Street between Crawford Avenue and Peters Avenue will be closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.

OG&E’s Contractor, Hixon Construction Company, will close the alley to install a new electric service, stated City of Norman spokeswoman Carole Coles. Traffic control will be posted to direct the traveling public.

-Daily staff reports

UNIVERSITY RECEIVES GRANT TOWARDS HIGH TECH RESEARCH The University of Oklahoma has received a $90,000 grant to support collaborative projects and research programs for several different colleges.

OU’s Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, College of Atmospheric Pressure and Geographic Sciences, Price College of Business and the College of Architecture will all benefit from the grant provided by the Science Application International Corp.

SAIC is a company that brings high-technology solutions to help solve problems that plague the nation, said J.T. Grumski, SAIC senior vice president. The grant is part of SAIC’s University Relations Initiative, which aims to strengthen the company’s science and tech-

nology core.

“Universities are wellsprings of innovation into which the company can tap,” Grumski said. “We are deeply committed to our relationship with the University of Oklahoma, and to the pursuit of joint research and educational initiatives that will help us meet future challenges in business and technology.”

The SAIC-sponsored projects will include a campus lecture series on climate change and the establishment of the College of Architecture’s Center for Sustainable Urban Design. The grant also will fund other collaborative projects and research programs, such as carbon sequestration research and the development of an integrated oil and gas optimization toolset.

This grant follows SAIC’s $150,000 contribution in 2008 to support OU’s Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy in the advancement of fossil and alternative fuel technologies.

-Clark Foy/The Daily

OU DRAMA PROFESSOR RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL AWARD A University of Oklahoma associate professor of drama has been named the 2009 Irene and Julian J. Rothbaum Presidential Professor of Excellence in Arts at OU. Rena Cook, associate professor of voice, speech and dialects, received the yearly award that has been given since 1995.

“Rena is a master teacher and caring mentor,” said Rich Taylor,

dean of the OU Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts. “She is polished and professional and she makes a positive impact each and every day in the lives and education of our students.”

-Clark Foy/The Daily

EXHIBIT IN FRED JONES ART CENTER SET TO FEATURE VISITING ARTISTS Visiting artists Armin Mühsam and Andrew Havenhand will be on hand for a reception Friday as part of the Norman Gallery Association’s Second Friday Circuit of Art. The free reception runs from 6-9 p.m. in the Lightwell Gallery of the Fred Jones Art Center, 520 Parrington Oval. Work from both artists will be on exhibit.

Mühsam’s “Clear New Worlds” feature paintings with contemporary interpretations of landscape, and Havenhand’s “Recent Paintings” is a collection of art that examines the relationship between fine art and craft.

The Second Friday Circuit of Art is a monthly celebration of Norman’s arts community. It is coordinated with the Norman Gallery Association, CART, OU Arts District and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. For more information, call 360-1162 or e-mail nac@normanarts. com.

-Nicole Hill/The Daily

6

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Virginia student’s rifle jammed after 2 shots WOODBRIDGE, Va. — A Kravchuk, 58, an assistant professor who community college student teaches natural science and mathematics, was upset about his grades could not be reached for comment. She rewhen he walked into a classceived her Ph.D. from the Altai Polytechnic room and fired two shots at Institute in Russia, according to the college’s his professor before his new Web site. rifle jammed, police said The large house where Hamilton lives Wednesday. with his parents is in a new development in JASON MICHAEL Jason M. Hamilton, 20, HAMILTON Prince William County, an outer suburb of was unable to continue Washington, and appeared empty Wednesday. shooting at mathematics An Audi sedan sat in the driveway, and whimprofessor Tatyana Kravchuk, who ducked be- sical holiday decorations, including a reindeer hind a desk and was not hit, Prince William and a penguin, dotted the lawn.

County police Maj. Ray Colgan said. No one Jarrod Zong, a former classmate of was injured.

Hamilton’s at C.D. Hylton High School in “Probably what prevented a further tragedy Woodbridge, rang the bell and left a poinsetwas that the gun jammed,” Colgan said. tia for the family on the front stoop. Zong, 19, Colgan noted that a more experienced gun- said he was on the cross-country team with man might have been able to overcome the Hamilton, and that Hamilton appeared to jam. Hamilton bought the Marlin .30-06 bolt- have few friends apart from the team. action rifle Monday at a Dick’s Sporting Goods “He was definitely one of the nicest peostore near the campus, police said. ple,” Zong said. “Other than the cross-country Hamilton was arraigned Wednesday on team, a lot of people didn’t talk to him. The charges of attempted murder and discharg- team was like his family.” ing a firearm in a school zone.

Zong said he hadn’t been in He was being held without “Probably what touch with Hamilton since they bond, and an arraignment was prevented a further graduated. scheduled for Jan. 10.

No classes were held D a v i d R . D a u g h e r t y , tragedy was that the Wednesday at the Woodbridge Hamilton’s attorney, declined gun jammed.” campus, but students and staff to comment on the charges were allowed to retrieve their and said his client’s family is MAJ. RAY COLGAN belongings. People who were asking for privacy. in the building at the time of “He has two parents that the shooting described the love him, and obviously they’re going through panic that ensued when shots were heard and a tremendous ordeal,” said Daugherty, who said they thought of the 2007 Virginia Tech was hired by the family. massacre.

Tuesday afternoon’s shooting caused stuCesar Ochoa, 18, said he was in an adjacent dents and professors to scramble for cover classroom. He and several other students barriat Northern Virginia Community College’s caded the door with tables, turned off the lights Woodbridge campus, about 25 miles south and huddled at the back of the room for about of Washington. No one was injured in the 25 minutes until police came, Ochoa said. attack.

Dipak Roy, 58, an adjunct economics inAccording to police, Hamilton walked into structor, said he didn’t realize what had hapthe classroom, pulled the rifle out of a bag and pened until he went to the cafeteria and found pointed it at Kravchuk. He missed with the it empty. A person in the hallway told him pofirst shot, at which point she dropped behind lice had arrested a gunman but were still looka desk and told students to leave the room, ing for others.

Colgan said.

Wary of being mistaken for a shooter, Roy Hamilton fired again and missed again, said he made his way back to his office and sat then dropped the gun on the floor after it behind a desk with the lights off. Police evenjammed, Colgan said. He left the room, sat in tually confronted him with assault weapons, a chair and waited for police. When officers and he slowly put his hands up. arrived, he surrendered peacefully and conRoy said he was wary of disgruntled fessed to the shooting, Colgan said. students.

Colgan praised the quick response of cam“We were joking about it with other faculty pus police, who had participated in a training members: Maybe all the students deserve an exercise Sunday on how to deal with a school A,” he said.

—AP shooter.

Inhofe opposes emission standards OKLAHOMA CITY — Sen. Jim Inhofe said Wednesday he plans to travel to a 192-nation climate conference in Europe next week to tell participants that a U.S. government proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020 has little support in the Senate.

“My presentation will be the unique one,” said Inhofe, R-Okla., a climate change skeptic who is investigating allegations that some scientists manipulated data to provide proof of global warming.

“They’re not even close on votes in the United States Senate.”

Inhofe, the senior Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, also said he plans to ask for an independent investigation into e-mails leaked from climate scientists that Inhofe said provide evidence that some researchers suppressed data and stifled dissent on global warming.

“They’re cooking the science,” Inhofe said. “The same things that came out on these e-mails is what I said four years ago.”

The Environmental Protection Agenc y said Monday that scientific evidence shows greenhouse gases threaten public health

and that the pollutants should be reduced. The announcement coincided with the opening of an international conference on climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark, sponsored by the United Nations.

Inhofe said he plans to travel to the conference next week and inform participants that an overwhelming number of U.S. senators are opposed to new emission standards proposed by the EPA. Complying with the standards would cost billions of dollars and would lead to higher utility costs and job losses, he said.

“No consensus will come out of Copenhagen,” Inhofe said. Inhofe believes emissions, mainly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels, have little effect on the climate and that any gradual change is the result of natural climate

cycles.

Inhofe will be accompanied by a self-described “truth squad” of other conservative Republicans senators who reject climate change science including John Barrasso of Wyoming and Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, spokesman Matt Dempsey said. They will be at the conference at about the same time President Barack Obama plans to attend, Dempsey said.

He said it is the second time Inhofe has attended a global climate conference sponsored by the U.N. His first was in 2003 in Milan, Italy.

Inhofe said the leaked e-mails provide evidence that science blaming global warming on human activity is flawed and should be reexamined.

—AP

Okla. high court affirms OSU eminent domain case OKL AHOMA CIT Y — The state for more than $89,000.

Supreme Court says Oklahoma State “OSU wants to pay less,” Hentges said.

University was authorized to use eminent The brothers purchased the property domain to obtain the final piece of prop- for about $25,000 in September 2005, erty needed for an athletic village in a case about the same time OSU began expresswhere the university battled two brothers ing interest in the property for an athletic over the future of their tiny ranch house. village. OSU’s regents filed a petition to In an 8-1 decision handed down acquire the property through eminent Tuesday, the state’s highest court af- domain in August 2006 after negotiations firmed Payne County Judge Donald broke down.

Worthington’s July 2007 ruling that authoIn its 27-page ruling, the Supreme Court rized OSU to take title to the house a half- rejected the McCloskeys’ claims that the block from the school’s Stillwater campus, regents’ actions were invalid because a a decision appealed by property owners majority are not farmers as required by Kevin and Joel McCloskey. the state Constitution. Justices ruled they But the Supreme Court remanded the were legally authorized to launch eminent case back to Worthington for a jury trial on domain proceedings because they were how much the univerappointed by the goversity must pay for the 631- “The troubling thing is nor and approved by the square-foot property. that your property can Senate.

The brothers, who They also rejected acoperate a small busi- be taken by people who cusations that the regents ness called McCloskey don’t hold their offices did not act in good faith Brothers, Inc., chaland that the McCloskeys’ lenged OSU’s use of lawfully.” property was not taken eminent domain — the for a valid public purpose taking of private land for HARLAN HENTGES, ATTORNEY under eminent domain a public use — for the guidelines. $316 million athletic complex. They also Under state law, “the regents are authoclaimed the university’s Board of Regents rized to take land for the construction of, was unconstitutional because it did not among other things, field houses, stadiabide by a requirement that at least five of ums and other revenue-producing buildits eight members be farmers. ings,” the ruling says. “The proposed athThe McCloskeys’ attorney, Harlan letic village fits squarely within this stated Hentges of Edmond, said they are consid- purpose.” ering asking the Supreme Court to rehear Although the home was bulldozed in the case. late 2007, Hentges said the athletic com“The troubling thing is that your prop- plex has not yet been built. erty can be taken by people who don’t “It’s just a vacant lot,” he said. hold their offices lawfully,” Hentges said.

Plans for the athletic complex include “You can say that law’s not important if you an indoor practice complex, outdoor want. But who gets to decide what laws we practice fields and a baseball stadium. It is abide by and what ones we don’t?” due in large part to a $165 million gift from The McCloskeys have maintained their oilman alumnus T. Boone Pickens, the home was worth more than OSU’s offers biggest donation ever made to an NCAA of $50,000, $54,000, $59,000 and $62,000 sports program. because of its proximity to campus and OSU wants to eventually install outdoor the task of finding a similar property to re- practice fields where the home stood. place it. Their final counter to OSU asked —AP

STATE BRIEFS FATHER CHARGED WITH MURDER IN DEATH OF SON

woman is a native of the Idabel area but may have recently moved there.

PAULS VALLEY — A Paoli man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 2-month-old son.

Garvin County prosecutors filed the charge Monday against 28-year-old Johnny Ray Speerbrecher. He was ordered jailed without bond following arraignment Tuesday.

Court documents show no attorney for Speerbrecher and he has not yet entered a plea.

Authorities say Speerbrecher was caring for his son — Brody Speerbrecher — on March 9 when the child suffered blunt force head trauma that led to his death.

Police say the child’s mother returned home about 10:30 a.m. to find the baby not breathing. The infant died later at a Pauls Valley hospital.

MAN FOUND DEAD FOLLOWING CUSHING FIRE

WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN COMMUNITY CENTER BATHROOM IDABEL — Authorities are trying to identify the body of a woman who was found dead in the bathroom of the Booker T. Washington Community Center in Idabel.

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jessica Brown says the body was found Monday afternoon. A suspected cause of death has not been released.

The woman is black, 5-feet-6-inches tall and about 155 pounds and appears to have been in her late teens to mid-20s.

Brown says investigators don’t believe the

CUSHING — Firefighters in Cushing say a man was found dead inside an apartment that was attached to a local business.

Deputy Fire Chief Chris Pixler says the adult man was found when firefighters responded to a fire at the building about 2:40 a.m. Tuesday.

The studio apartment was attached to the Red Barn Western Store.

The body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office for identification. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

WOMAN JUSTIFIED IN KILLING HOME INTRUDER CHANDLER — The Lincoln County prosecutor says a woman was justified when she shot and killed a man who broke into her home near Cushing.

Donna Jackson shot Billy Dean Riley about 12:40 a.m. Friday after Riley threw a patio table through a glass door.

District Attorney Richard Smothermon said Tuesday that the shooting is justified under the state’s “stand-your-ground” law and that Jackson was clearly within her rights to shoot.

Authorities have said they don’t know why Riley broke into the home. His pickup truck was found stuck nearby with his sister passed out in the seat.

—AP

Thursday, December 10, 2009

7

Anti-gay rhetoric rises in race for Houston mayor HOUSTON — Annise Parker’s conservative political action commayoral campaign Web site bio mittee that sent out an anti-gay reads like a catalog of campaign mailer earlier this month urging catch phrases : She has been voters not to pick Parker because Houston’s city controller and a she was endorsed by the “gay and member of City Council. She’s for lesbian political caucus.” Campaign job creation, against irresponsible finance reports show Ned Holmes, spending and tough on crime. finance chairman of Locke’s camUntil the last line: “Annise paign, and James Dannenbaum, a Parker and her life partner, Kathy member of the campaign’s finance Hubbard, have been together since committee, each gave $20,000.

1990. They have two children.”

“Gene is disappointed and Parker, 53, has never made a wishes that Ned Holmes had not secret or an issue of being a les- made that contribution. Gene has bian. Not during her bid to be been very clear with his supporters Houston’s next mayor nor in previ- to not participate in divisive camous campaigns. paigning,” Kim Devlin, a senior But others have. If Parker wins Locke adviser said in a statement the Dec. 12 runoff Tuesday. “Gene election, Houston “The simple fact is: I Locke has fought would become against bigotr y what’s believed to am the most qualified his entire life and be the largest U.S. candidate in this race knows that there city ever to have an is no place for it in openly gay mayor and I intend to be the this campaign and — and that has next mayor of Houston this city.” catapulted Parker’s Parker’s camsexual orientation and I’m in the best paign said she did into the center of position to lead our not want to be inthe race. terviewed by The Anti-gay activists city.”

Associated Press and conservative on the issue. religious groups ANNISE PARKER, CANDIDATE The dynamics of have endorsed her the mayoral runoff opponent, former city attorney echo California’s Proposition 8 vote Gene Locke, and sent out mailers in 2008, where black voters formed condemning Parker’s “homosexu- an unusual alliance with conseral behavior.” vatives to approve a measure that Meanwhile, gay and lesbian po- banned same-sex marriage, said litical organizations nationwide Richard Murray, a University of have endorsed Parker, raised money Houston political scientist. for her and plan to run phone banks “You don’t have many cases rallying her supporters. where you have an older straight, The controversy has put Locke black male supported by conservain a precarious political position. tives matched up against a youngWith the election expected to be er white female who happens tight, the 61-year-old has been try- to be gay, and is backed by noning to distance himself from anti- establishment sources,” Murray gay attacks while courting conser- said. “Normally, you see progresvative voters who could tip the race sive whites allied with Africanin his favor. If Locke wins, he would Americans. This is exposing the be Houston’s second black mayor. same fault line we saw nationally Two of Locke’s key support- in Prop 8.” ers contr ibuted money to a Parker and Locke, both Democrats

AP PHOTO

Houston City Controller and mayoral candidate Annise Parker, center, embraces her family, from left, Daniela Parker, daughter, Kathy Hubbard, partner, Jovon Tyler, son, Marquitta Parker, daughter, and Kay Parker, mother, after she thanked her supporters during an election watch party at the Hilton Americas in Houston. in the nonpartisan race, made it to the runoff after garnering more votes than two other candidates Nov. 3.

They are vying to replace Bill White, who is term-limited after serving six years and is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.

There are several other openly gay mayors, including in Portland, Ore., Providence, R.I. and Cambridge, Mass. But Houston, which is largely Democratic, is the nation’s fourth largest city. It has about 60,000 residents who identify as gay or lesbian.

Though Parker’s sexual orientation initially was not an issue in the campaign, that’s changed.

Dave Wilson, a longtime antigay activist who once led a successful campaign to prohibit benefits for the domestic partners of city employees, sent out 34,000 mailers

opposing Parker.

The flier shows a picture of Parker being sworn in as controller with her partner by her side. The headline asks: “Is this the image Houston wants to portray?”

Another vocal anti-gay activist, Steven Hotze, has endorsed Locke, saying Parker’s “lifestyle choices” was one of several reasons, his spokesman Allen Blakemore said.

Hotze, whose group received the contributions from Holmes and Dannenbaum, sent out a mailer against Parker and candidates in other municipal races because they were supported by a gay and lesbian political action committee, Blakemore said.

The Houston Area Pa stor Council also discouraged voters from choosing Parker, saying she is an “open advocate of a gay agenda.”

The pastors worry Parker will try to re-establish domestic partner benefits for city workers, even though she has said she has no plans to.

Locke has condemned the divisive rhetoric, but accepted the endorsements from anti-gay activists. Locke has said he would “accept endorsements from those people who believe I am the best candidate.”

Parker, who has not responded directly to the attacks, keeps her campaign focused on her record.

“I know there are folks ascribing a lot of different things to this campaign,” she said in November.

“The simple fact is: I am the most qualified candidate in this race and I intend to be the next mayor of Houston and I’m in the best position to lead our city.”

—AP

Ohio cops: Man in Santa Neo-Nazi in murder trial garb tried to kidnap girl gets makeover for trial PARMA, Ohio — Police near Cleveland say a man dressed as Santa Claus tried to kidnap a 12-yearold girl walking to school.

A nt h o n y Ru s s o was later arrested wearing the Santa suit, complete with pillow and beard, and carrying a sack, a large box of candy canes and a unicycle with Christmas decorations.

Parma Police Capt.

Robert DeSimone says the 46-year-old Russo, of Brook Park, i s ja i l e d p e n d i n g charges expected to be filed Thursday.

D e Si m o n e s ay s Russo was hiding in bushes Wednesday in costume and jumped out at the girl. He says Russo tried to get the girl into the bushes, but she walked away.

DeSimone says the man followed the girl and grabbed her arm before she entered a store and reported the encounter to a worker.

—AP

AP PHOTO

Police in suburban Cleveland say the man dressed as Santa Claus and carrying a sack of candy canes tried to kidnap a 12-year-old girl as she walked to school. Police say Russo was later arrested on a Cleveland bus wearing a Santa suit, with pillow and beard, and carrying the sack, a large box of candy canes and a unicycle adorned with Christmas decorations.

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — John Allen Ditullio is a walking billboard for the neoNazi movement: a large 6-inch swastika tattooed under his right ear, barbed wire inked down the right side of his face, and an extreme and very personal vulgarity scrawled on one side of his neck.

Jurors will never see any of it. A judge has ruled that the state must pay a cosmetologist up to $150 a day during Ditullio’s trial on murder and attempted murder charges and apply makeup to cover up the black ink.

Judge Michael Andrews, acting on a request by Ditullio’s lawyer, ruled that the tattoos are potentially offensive and could influence a jury’s opinion in the state’s death penalty case against the 23-year-old accused of donning a gas mask, breaking into a neighbor’s home and stabbing two people, killing one of them.

Since his arrest in connection with the March 26, 2006, crime in this suburban county just north of Tampa, the selfdescribed neo-Nazi has added tattoos to his body that are prominently displayed and not easily concealed. Ditullio doesn’t have the money to pay to have the tattoos covered up, said his public defender, Bjorn Brunvand, who was worried that a jury might be biased against his client on the basis of the tattoos alone.

“Whenever someone is facing the death penalty, they should get a fair trial,” Brunvand said. “The jury can judge this

case on the facts and the law and not base their decision on being offended.”

Any tattoos Ditullio had before his arrest won’t be covered, such as a small cross under his right eye. Earlier this week, he wore a neatly pressed blue shirt and gray slacks yet several tattoos on his hands and wrists were still visible.

As is common with defendants on trial, Ditullio’s appearance had been scrubbed clean: his hair was trimmed, and his unruly beard was cut into a neat goatee.

The trial began Tuesday with opening statements. Proceedings are expected to stretch into next week.

Prosecutors allege that Ditullio broke into his neighbor’s home and stabbed two people — injuring 44-year-old Patricia Wells, the home’s owner, and killing Kristofer King, a 17-year-old visitor and friend of Wells’ son.

Wells lived next door to a mobile home that was commonly known as “the Nazi compound,” which had large swastika flags flying on the property, authorities said.

Ditullio was arrested at the mobile home after a SWAT standoff.

Authorities called the stabbings a hate crime, and Wells agreed, previously telling local media that she believed Ditullio attacked her because she had a black friend — and because her own son was gay and Ditullio may have mistaken King for her son.

—AP

8

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Annelise Russell, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051

« «BASKETBALL SSee what’s coming up for the women’s u bbasketball team in FFriday’s Daily

BASKETBALL

CROCKER DOMINATES IN SOONER WIN CLARK FOY Daily Staff Writer

OU took the hardwood for the last time this the semester Wednesday night with a 86-62 rout of Centenary College, which featured a dominating performance by a veteran Sooner.

As expected, the Sooners came out leading early, however the way it came about was out of the ordinary.

Senior guard Tony Crocker scored the team’s first 16 points while shooting 6-7 and 4-5 from behind the arc. Freshman forward Tiny Gallon would eventually break the 16point “Tony Crocker Show” with an easy basket in the paint.

Crocker’s performance put the Sooners up 34-12 with 7:30 to go in the half, but he wasn’t finished yet. The Sooners ended the half up 47-25, and Crocker finished with 29 points while shooting 10-13 from the field and 7-10 from three point range. He also added 10 boards, two blocks and one steal.

“My teammates got me the ball in spots where I could make shots,” Crocker said. “It felt good, I’m not going to say it didn’t. It just worked out good.”

Head Coach Jeff Capel went one step further than the modest response of his senior guard.

“That was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen live,” Capel said. “He was really in the zone.”

Crocker played 19 minutes in the first half, which Capel said could not be avoided.

“I told him in an early timeout that I wasn’t going to take him out,” Capel said.

“I had to keep him in, he was the only one scoring. He was our offense, especially for the first 10 minutes.”

The Sooners looked more lethargic as a team in the second half, allowing the Gents to score 37 points. Halfway through the second half, the Sooners were up 61-40.

Freshman guard Tommy Mason-Griffin opened up the half shooting 3-3 from the field and seven points after a 0-5 first half effort.

Sophomore guard Willie Warren was very quiet in the first half with only two points, three assists and two steals. He would pick it up a bit and score seven points before going to the bench with four fouls.

Crocker remained silent until just over five minutes remaining, hitting a two-point runner across the lane. He finished the game with a career-high 33 points and 13 rebounds.

Gallon was also a key contributor in the second half and ended the game with 16 points and 15 rebounds.

The Sooners ended the game on a sixpoint fast break frenzy, with two baskets coming from senior forward Beau Gerber.

Capel said despite the dominating win, he was unimpressed with his team’s play .

“I was very disappointed in us in the second half,” Capel said. “I thought we didn’t compete; it looked like we were just going through the motions. I thought we had matured more than that but obviously we have some work to do.”

Capel said he could tell by the players’ body motions that nobody was taking the second half seriously. He also noted the team was not executing, screening or hustling .

“You can’t expect anything if you play like that,” Capel said, summing up the lackluster half.

“We didn’t come out in the second half,” Crocker said. “We did some good things, but we’ve got a lot to work on, we’ve got to get better.”

There was urgency in Capel’s words, as the Sooners take the road this Saturday against a 4-4 Utah team that is traditionally very good at home.

“I am curious to see it, but again we haven’t been good on the road at all,” Capel said. “We’ve gotten a little bit better here the last few days.

“They’re a good team, and they’re good at MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY home. It will be a tough challenge for us.”

Senior guard Tony Crocker drives to the goal during the Sooners’ game against Centenary Saturday’s game against the Utes is sched- Wednesday at Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners defeated Centenary 86-62. uled to tip-off at 3:00 p.m. CT.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

9

BASKETBALL

COLUMN

OU DOWNS MARIST

Tebow’s NFL future doomed based on previous example

JAMES ROTH Daily Staff Writer

In their second straight overtime game, the OU women’s basketball team extended their winning streak to three games.

The Sooners defeated Marist College by a score of 80-71.

This was the first game of a back-toback for the Sooners; the team is currently on the road in New York and will take on Army tonight.

It was a close game throughout the entire night. The Sooners largest lead of the game was only nine and there were eight lead changes throughout the course of the game.

The Sooners were once again led by senior guard Nyeshia Stevenson who broke her previous career high in points which she set early this season against University of Texas-Arlington.

Stevenson finished with 32 points along with seven rebounds and four assists.

The Sooners also received solid contributions from their bench last night.

Sophomore guard Jasmine Hartman and freshman center Joanna McFarland both scored eight points off the bench.

The Sooners once again shot well from behind the three point line.

The Sooners hit 13 threes in last night’s victory, nine of which came from the hot hand of Stevenson.

Since the loss of sophomore guard Whitney Hand to injury, Stevenson has averaged 16.2 points for the Sooners.

Stevenson took the game late in the second half and willed the Sooners to another overtime victory.

With 17 seconds left in the game Stevenson hit a three to tie the game at 68 which sent the game into overtime.

In the overtime period, Stevenson hit two more three pointers that gave the Sooners a five point lead and never looked back.

Stevenson and the Sooners will now try to make it four wins in a row as they travel to West Point, New York to take on Army.

Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

DOMINIQUE FRANKS TO RETURN FOR SENIOR SEASON Junior corner back Dominique Franks said he will be returning for his senior season in 2010.

“I’m coming back,” Franks said. “There’s still just a lot of things I need to work on, and I want to finish this year with a win.”

The Tulsa native has recorded 91 tackles and has six interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, during his OU career.

“Once you make a decision you’ve just got to roll with it,” Franks said. “You can’t worry about ‘hey if I come back I’ve got a chance of getting hurt.’ You just got to trust the decision you’ve made and just go all out.”

-Jono Greco/The Daily

Transferring college stardom to NFL success can be difficult, and the brightest stars in college football are often lost in the cracks because they fail to fit the professional mold.

Then there are the players who are highly over rated in college and go on to be terribly unsuccessful in the NFL. Such will be the case for Tim Tebow.

We know everyone’s favorite crybaby is a projected NFL draft JAMES pick at quarterback beCORLEY cause ESPN chronicles every waking second of the man’s career, but can we know how he’ll fare in the big leagues?

I say we can.

Someone has already paved the career path for Tim Tebow. Someone’s been there and done that just like Timmy. Someone is already in the league and can paint a picture of Tebow’s future.

The player I’m talking about came out of a perennial SEC powerhouse, like Tebow.

This quarterback was a little big for the position, built more like a tight end, like Tebow.

This quarterback liked to run but didn’t have an arm to write home about, like Tebow.

This quarterback was surrounded by a fantastic supporting cast in college that produced his success through little credit of his own, like Tebow. (Let’s be honest here: Even I probably could have won a national championship with guys like Percy Harvin lined up on my side.)

This quarterback has also been arguably the biggest colossal failure in the NFL since the famed Ryan Leaf, like Tebow will be.

Quarterback JaMarcus Russell of the

Oakland Raiders has walked the path Tebow is headed down. Russell was a powerful player in college but failed to translate his success to the NFL. Russell provides us a glimpse at what is in store for Tim Tebow.

Here’s my point: Few college players that don’t fit the exact mold of an ideal NFL quarterback go on to succeed in the pros.

The NFL wants smart pocket passers, like Sam Bradford or even Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen. They don’t want a player with a different playing style, no matter how successful it was in college.

A clear example is former Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch. In 2000 and 2001, he had Huskers in the national title hunt as the last Nebraska quarterback with the ability to really run the ball.

In coach Frank Solich’s option/West Coast hybrid offense, Crouch broke NCAA records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns as a quarterback on his way to winning the 2001 Heisman trophy.

Crouch was a true college star. But where is his NFL career? Crouch would never have fit into NFL systems like fellow draft class member and current Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard eventually did.

Russell and Tebow are also non-traditional quarterbacks.

Tebow will never be able to sit in the pocket and pick apart defenses like other quarterbacks because his arm and his wit don’t fit the bill. He’ll never find a system that allows him to run because he’s not as quick as Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young is.

If he is drafted, he’ll be stuck in a failing program that will try to force him into their system like a square into a circular hole. And like JaMarcus Russell, he’ll fail.

James Corley is a journalism senior

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10 Thursday, December 10, 2009 Thad Baker, advertising manager classifieds@ou.edu • phone: 325-2521 • fax: 325-7517

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

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

DEADLINES

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Lost & Found

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PAYMENT s r

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TM

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RATES Line Ad

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(Cost = Days x # lines x $/line) 1 day ..................$4.25/line 2 days ................$2.50/line 3-4 days.............$2.00/line 5-9 days.............$1.50/line

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Classified Display, Classified Card Ad or Game Sponsorship

Contact an Acct Executive for details at 325-2521.

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

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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.

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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.

Employment HELP WANTED As part of our expansion program, our company is looking for part time work from home Account Manager and sales representatives. Pays 10% of what the client sends you monthly plus beneďŹ ts and takes only a little of your time.

Please contact us for more details. Requirements - should be computer literate.

2-3 hours access to the internet weekly.

Must be over 20 yrs of age. Must be EfďŹ cient and Dedicated. If you are interested and need more information, contact Patrick Jordan (ptrckjrdn100@gmail.com) Survey takers needed! Make $5-$25 per survey! www.getpaidtothink.com Now Hiring for the Spring Semester Community After School Program is now hiring part-time staff to work in our schoolage childcare programs in Norman Public Schools. Hours: M-F 2:20pm - 6:00pm.

Begin working Jan 4th. Closed for all Norman Public School holidays and professional days. Competitive wages starting at $7.25/hour. Higher pay for students with qualifying coursework in education, early childhood, recreation and related ďŹ elds. Complete application in person at 1023 N Flood Avenue or online at www. caspinc.org.

BEST ENERGY DRINK! AND INCOME FOR LIFE! GO TO: www.myandfriendsfuture.com MISAL OF INDIA BISTRO Now accepting applications for waitstaff.

Apply in person at 580 Ed Noble Pkwy, across from Barnes & Noble, 579-5600.

$5,000-$45,000 PAID EGG DONORS up to 9 donations, + Exps, non-smokers, Ages 19-29, SAT>1100/ACT>24/GPA>3.00 Contact: info@eggdonorcenter.com The Cleveland County Family YMCA is seeking AM Lifeguard and PM Swim Instructors. Apply in person at 1350 Lexington Ave. EOE. Bartending! Up to $300/day. No exp nec.

Training provided. 1-800-965-6520 x133.

Employment HELP WANTED Have the summer of your life at a prestigous coed sleepaway camp in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, 2 1/2 hours from NYC. We’re seeking counselors who can teach any Team & Individual Sports, Tennis, Gymnastics, Horseback Riding, Mt Biking, Theatre, Tech Theatre, Circus, Magic, Arts & Crafts, Pioneering, Climbing Tower, Water Sports, Music, Dance or Science.

Great salaries and perks. Plenty of free time. Internships available for many majors. On-campus interviews on 1/21.

Apply online at www.islandlake.com. Call 800-869-6083 on weekdays for more information. info@islandlake.com Panhandle Opportunities: working with individuals with developmental disabilities.

7.50/hr to start, paid training. Flexible hrs, beneďŹ ts. Positive environment, Norman area. 942-4822 or fax resume 942-4993.

J Housing Rentals APTS. FURNISHED Large bedrm for sub lease in 3 bd ground oor apt - furnished, pvt bath - 2 mi from campus. $459/mo, util incl. 918-916-4294 Student studying abroad for Spring 10 looking for F to rent apt from Jan 1 - May 31. The Edge - $425/mo, no pets. 6005335 or 613-3060

J Housing Rentals HOUSES UNFURNISHED

Walk to class, 3/2/2, ďŹ replace, patio, CH/ A, 801 Elmwood. 329-4119.

Very safe and clean, tenant pays all bills, smoke free, no pets. For one person - call 360-3850 and tell a little about yourself.

1700 Briarcreek Dr - 4bd/2ba, CH/A, FP, Appls, W/D Hkups, Fenc/Yd, 2 car, Mins to OU - $1200/mo +$600 dep. No Pets or Smoking! Call 405-740-7574

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!!!

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ROOMMATES WANTED Female Roommate Wanted Spring Semester in The Cottages of Norman - 3 bdrm, 2 story cottage w/great roommates - FULLY furnished, bills incl. with rent. 5 minutes from Campus. Call Jen for pricing: 817-821-5090

PLACE AN AD

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3 4 1 6 7

CONDOS UNFURNISHED THE EDGE-1 room avail in 4 bd condo, full ba, walk-in closet, appl, full kitchen, $425 incld internet, cable & util. 4733957

HOUSES UNFURNISHED 4 BDRM, 2 Bath, walking distance to campus, kitchen appl incld, w/d, pets OK. Avail Jan 1 - Call 826-1335.

4

1

6

2 9 8 9

4 7

5 8 9 7 5

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

Previous Solution

2 6 9 8 4

1 3 6 4 1

9 1 5 8 7 6 3 2 4

3 2 7 4 5 9 6 1 8

6 4 8 1 3 2 5 9 7

8 3 4 5 9 1 2 7 6

5 9 6 7 2 4 8 3 1

1 7 2 6 8 3 4 5 9

2 8 3 9 6 7 1 4 5

7 5 1 2 4 8 9 6 3

4 6 9 3 1 5 7 8 2

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 number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker December 10, 2009

ACROSS 1 Tobacco shop offering 6 Cleaner’s challenge 9 Earthy pigment 14 Siren, according to myth 15 “Aye!� sayer 16 “Of all the ___!�

17 Kwanzaa principle 18 Note from someone shy?

19 Unarmed, in slang 20 Lessee’s subsidy 23 Tooth-puller’s org.

24 Had more points than 25 Swimming apparatus 27 Mug tightening 32 “Bejabbers!�

33 “The StarSpangled Banner� syllable 34 Gruesome 36 Drumroll drum 39 Ahmadinejad’s country 41 Espionage infiltrators 43 “Well, what do you ___?�

44 Certain ecole 46 Office notices 48 Breaking need?

49 Go-___ (racing

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) - Set your mind on an objective you desire to achieve and act on it, regardless of the circumstances that have been getting in your way. You will not be deterred today.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - Focus only on teaming up with those associates who are pertinent to your immediate plans, and your probabilities for success will be greatly enhanced.

Don’t let detractors get in the way.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) - Do not reduce or modify your material aspirations. By concentrating on things you hope to acquire, you will make good things happen.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Anything to which you put your mind should work out quite well for you. Conditions in general are on track for you, so there isn’t any reason why you can’t accomplish what you want.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Once you’ve settled on a plan of action, you’re not likely to waste any time belaboring your decision. You’ll act on it and let the chips fall where they may.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) - You’re in a brief cycle where change of any kind isn’t likely to disrupt your immediate plans.

Now is the time to take advantage of a new opportunity that has just crossed your path.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - There will be a competent ally who possesses information you don’t to assist you should you need it. She/he can help accomplish an important aim of yours.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) - Because of your positive mindset, those ambitious objectives of yours can be gratified.

It’s important, however, that you not allow any negative thinking penetrate your head.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) - Now is the time to take stock of all those many projects that you’ve considered doing but never got off the drawing board. You’re highly motivated, and one or more of your projects could be real winners.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) One or more financial situations you’re in could rake in some serious cheddar, so take the time to check them over and see which ones are worth pursuing.

12 Slip past 13 Having to do with the kidneys 21 Strong animosity 22 Ace’s value, at times 26 Admiral, e.g.

27 Metal wrap 28 Lofty abode (Var.) 29 Marksmen 30 Word with “hand to mouth� or “time to time�

31 Bathroom floor worker 35 Wannabe recording star’s tape 37 Bounder 38 Washing-up pitcher 40 Like organized desks 42 Covers with coal dust

Previous Answers

45 Gradual deterioration 47 Made tea 50 Tell a better joke than, e.g.

52 Changed into 53 Swedish city near Copenhagen 54 Start of a gossipy remark 55 Actor Kinski 59 Very much a fan of 60 Joined two loose ends 61 Bo Derek film before “10�

62 At no time, to poets 63 Squirrel’s nest 65 ___classical (Stravinsky’s style)

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Š 2009 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com

TEAR IT UP by Pannie Elder

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Whether you succeed or fail at anything is determined in you own mind. Today the aspects are working in your favor, so see yourself as a winner and you will be.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) - This is one of your better days for being able to apply extra effort toward achieving a meaningful goal you have.

Get on board and don’t let any frivolous endeavor or person sidetrack you.

vehicle) 51 Kind of float 53 Identified wrongly 56 Caddie’s offering 57 “That feels good!�

58 Kind of timing 64 “Jurassic Park III� star Tea 66 Folk singer DiFranco 67 Apple gadget 68 San ___, Calif.

69 Certain Beehive State college athlete 70 “And now ...� sayer 71 “War of the Worlds� narrator Welles 72 The Auld ___ (Ireland) 73 Sweetie DOWN 1 Become fuzzy 2 “Clair de ___ � (Debussy) 3 Activist Brockovich 4 Annoy 5 Battery type 6 Casual car ride 7 Track race 8 Letter sign-off 9 Does a plumber’s job 10 Vic’s “Alice� role 11 Make one’s head spin on the floor?

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Cassie Rhea Little, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 325-5189 • fax: 325-6051

11

« LISTEN

OUDAILY.COM

Listen to music featured in Albums of the 2000s online.

THE DECADE’S BEST » Albums of the 2000s EDITOR’S NOTE: The Best of the 2000s is a four-part feature in The Oklahoma Daily. The articles are based on the writer’s opinion.

8.) THE WHITE STRIPES- “WHITE BLOOD CELLS” It only takes two to create some of the best rock of the decade. The world was introduced to Jack and Meg White with “White Blood Cells,” while “Fell In Love With A Girl” and “We’re Going to be Friends” let us know we’d be getting to know them for a long, long time.

15.) VAMPIRE WEEKEND- “VAMPIRE WEEKEND” Vampire Weekend fought the hype machine and won. Its self-titled debut has no noticeable flaw, and I’m sure it’s the only album to ever reference Lil’ Jon and grammar rules in a 5-minute span. It’s Ivy League meets Afro-Pop, a studious combination that never gives way to distractions.

7.) SPOON- “GA GA GA GA GA”

14.) BLOC PARTY- “SILENT ALARM”

6.) ARCTIC MONKEYS- “WHATEVER PEOPLE SAY I AM, THAT’S WHAT I’M NOT”

Probably my personal favorite, a barrage of extraordinary openers (“Like Eating Glass,” “Helicopter,” “Positive JOSHUA Tension” and “Banquet”) led to an BOYDSTON equally exceptional album that felt strikingly modern and current, with a wild, loose nature at heart.

13.) TV ON THE RADIO- “DEAR SCIENCE,” No band caught the mood of 2008 quite like TV On The Radio did with “Dear Science,” an album that was obviously much more accessible than equally great early efforts and balanced exotic (“DLZ”) with poppy (“Golden Age”) wonderfully.

12.) OUTKAST- “STANKONIA” Interludes be damned, “Stankonia” was still a rap/ pop album that stood head and tail above the rest.

Give me an album with a trio of singles as great as “Ms. Jackson,” “B.O.B.” and “So Fresh, So Clean.” It’s not going to happen.

11.) INTERPOL- “TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS” An obvious admiration of New Order and Joy Division was apparent, but while fellow groups merely emulated their heroes, Interpol wrote an album that was, dare I say, not too far off the plane of those bands it idolized. “Untitled” and “Obstacle 1” were haunting and thrillingly fresh.

10.) KANYE WEST- “THE COLLEGE DROPOUT” He’d been a beat-making, humble workhorse for years before striking out on his own.

People wonder why he is so cocky, but when your first effort is this good, no great, the success is bound to get to your head. He flaunted technique (“Get ‘Em High”) and mass appeal (“All Falls Down”) equally in this head-turning debut.

9 . ) K I N G S O F L E O N - “A H A S H A K E HEARTBREAK” “Aha Shake Heartbreak” feels like Kings of Leon at its most liberated, as though it is just pouring its soul onto record. It is heavy on sweet Southern charm and wears it like a crown. There is almost something distinctly Oklahoman about the album in fact, and “King of the Rodeo” seems to capture that feeling best.

Britt Daniel may be the best songwriter America has to offer, and he flexes his creative muscle with “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.” Terribly named but also terribly good, the album works around simple rhythms and has hooks so catchy, you feel as though you could sing-along with the first listen to “The Underdog” or “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb.”

BEST

of the

2000s

It’s the fastest selling debut album in the UK, it’s gone quadruple platinum and it’s the winner of the 2006 Mercury prize, all for good reason. Alex Turner instantly became the songsmith of a generation with his honest, brash lyrics that melded over the polished garage sound of his supporting primates.

5.) ANIMAL COLLECTIVE- “MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION” It’s an acquired taste — a bittersweet one at that — but just a taste is all you will need to be completely hooked. It’s a textured, vivid, colorful explosion of guitar cascades and dizzying synthesizers that not only gets in your head, but takes your whole body away to another place.

4.) THE STROKES- “IS THIS IT?” It made garage rock cool again, and also proved impossible to top. The effortless cool of “Last Nite” and flawless fashion of “Barely Legal” made for a full, complete album that never took a breath in its rush of faultless, polished jaunts that gave rock music the kick it needed.

3.) PHOENIX- “IT’S NEVER BEEN LIKE THAT” Finally reaching commercial success with this year’s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” the band had already crafted a thing of Europop wonderment in “It’s Never Been Like That.” Brimming with catchy ditties like “Long Distance Call” and “Rally,” even the supporting songs were better than most of the singles of their contemporaries.

2.) RADIOHEAD- “KID A” Right out the gate, “Kid A” set a high standard for the rest of the decade. It has Radiohead at its creative peak, and “Kid A” marked a completely new musical horizon, one many would replicate but never come close to. It became Radiohead’s vision of the future, and despite the lonesomeness of “Everything In Its Right Place” and futuristic thump “Idioteque,” “Optimistic” hints at everything being just fine.

1.) ARCADE FIRE- “FUNERAL” “Funeral” is the single most triumphant, invigorating listen in recent memory. Never has a band managed to stay so cohesive, yet sound fresh and original with every song. Each of the “Neighborhoods” is its own little journey, before you plunge over the cliff with “Wake Up” and drown in “Rebellion (Lies).” It’s a glimpse at the human spirit; you’ll never want to look away.

Joshua Boydston is a psychology sophomore.

12

Thursday, December 10, 2009

WEEKEND UPDATE » ▲

FREE MOVIE

The Daily’s Life & Arts staff put together a list of things happening this weekend.

The Union Programming Board will show “Gamer” at 4, 7 and 10 p.m. Friday in Meacham Auditorium in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, 900 Asp Ave.

▲

CONCERT

▲

The Rural Alberta Advantage will perform with The Shaky Hands at 8 tonight at the Conservatory, 8911 N. Western in Oklahoma City.

CONCERT

Kevin Welch will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Cobblestone Creek, 1350 Cobblestone Creek Drive.