The Oklahoma Daily by OU Daily

LIFE & ARTS • PAGE 8

NEWS • PAGE 3

Classic farce a crowd-pleaser University Theatre’s production of “The Man Who Came to Dinner” features brisk comedy from drama senior Curry Whitmire (shown left)

Muggles tackle Quidditch Read a first-person account of Saturday’s first Quidditch tournament at OU, where two teams advanced to regional play

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Monday, December 6, 2010

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Obama renominates prof to science board Research vice president promotes scientific development on National Science Board

ONLINE AT OUDAILY.COM » Link: Press release announcing President Barack Obama’s intention to renominate OU research vice president to the National Science Board.

RENEÉ SELANDERS The Oklahoma Daily

Kelvin Droegemeier

President Barack Obama announced his intention to renominate OU’s research vice president to the National Science Board in a presidential press release Friday. Research vice president and meteorology professor Kelvin Droegemeier completed his first sixyear term as a member of the board in May. The National Science Board is the governing board of the National Science Foundation, which is a government agency that promotes non-medical

scientific research in the United States and advises the president and Congress on research and science issues. The National Science Foundation supplies approximately one third of the research funding on OU’s Norman campus, Droegemeier said. In his first term, Droegemeier co-chaired the Committee on Hurricane Research after

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and chaired the Committee on Programs and Plans, which reviews major grants from the National Science Foundation and works to promote research that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math advancements. Droegemeier said the opportunity to identify research and education that promote technological improvements in the U.S. has been a fulfilling experience, one that he hopes to pursue in a second term. The National Science Board works to competitively improve America’s scientific and SEE BOARD PAGE 2

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

SOONERS KICK OFF FIESTA IN TEXAS

Senate wraps up semester’s business UOSA Webmaster Act creates a position in charge of updating all UOSA websites DANNY HATCH The Oklahoma Daily

was proud of the results. “We are very fortunate and proud of the contributions by OU,” Gollahalli said. L a s t y e a r, O U ’s g o a l w a s $210,000, and the campaign ra i s e d $ 2 2 0 , 0 0 0 . E a c h y e a r, OU sets a goal that anticipates the need of the community, Gollahalli said. “We set aspirational goals,” Gollahalli said. While OU didn’t meet these goals before the victory celebration, Jed Dembowski, United Way of Norman vice president of marketing and communications, said OU is still the biggest

Sunday’s Graduate Student Senate meeting wrapped up the fall semester’s business, confirming the UOSA Webmaster Act of 2010. This act will instate a ONLINE AT single person OUDAILY.COM to be respon- » Link: GSS sible for up- meeting agenda dating UOSA’s websites. The position will be a student clerk position, and the webmaster will report to Student Affairs. The act passed by unanimous consent. Five other bills were presented, all of which passed. Four passed by unanimous consent. The Undergraduate Student Congress passed the bills earlier in the semester. They will now go into effect. The other bills passed included the Budgetary Procedures Reform Act of 2010, OU Constitutional Amendments Resolution to the Board of Regents, Emergency Allocation No. 5 of 2010 and two acts to compensate those who worked for congress’ recent elections. The Budgetary Procedures Reform Act of 2010, which was sent to the Ways and Means Committee Nov. 14 for review, passed by a placard vote. The author of the bill, chemistry sophomore Sean Bender, will now set all budget-related deadlines at his discretion. Bender is the Undergraduate Student Congress’ Budgetary Committee chairman. The OU Constitutional Amendments Resolution to the Board of Regents passed by unanimous consent. The bill involved sending an updated constitution to the Board of Regents for review. The Fall Election Compensation Act of 2010 also passed by unanimous consent. The election board, who organized congress’ recent elections, will be compensated for their duties. Election Chairwoman and international and area studies

SEE GOAL PAGE 2

SEE GSS PAGE 2

MATT CARNEY/THE DAILY

The football team celebrates its 23-20 victory over Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Sooners defeated the Cornhuskers to win their seventh Big 12 title and bring their series lead to 45-38-3. The No. 7 Sooners will play the unranked Connecticut Huskies in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Jan. 1 in Glendale, Ariz. For full coverage of the game and a look at the BCS bowl, see page 7.

United Way reaches goal despite OU falling short OU will continue to accept donations for the 2010 United Way campaign until Dec. 10 CHASE COOK The Oklahoma Daily

Cheers erupted and guests stood up out of their seats in the Embassy Suites University Ballroom as the red donation meter burst through the top. OU’s United Way campaign didn’t reach their goal, but that didn’t keep the United Way of Norman from announcing they surpassed $1.9 million at Friday’s luncheon. Their final total was $1,967,597. Jeff Bryant, who co-chaired this year’s campaign with his

wife, announced OU’s $205,173 total Friday. He didn’t mention OU’s campaign not meeting their goal of $215,000 but did say their deadline had been extended to Friday. “We are so thankful for the leadership and support of our wonderful university,” Bryant said. While OU didn’t meet their goal before the United Way’s victory luncheon, Anil Gollahalli, law professor and co-chair of OU’s campaign, said some of the recent donations haven’t been counted. Gollahalli attributed the poor economic climate as the main factor keeping them from

A LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW AT Visit the multimedia section for a recap of the Union Programming Board’s Holiday Craft Factory on Friday night.

reaching their goal, but said OU offers multiple ways for staff, faculty and students to donate. Besides fundraisers and straight donations, staff and faculty can sign up for payroll deductions, Gollahalli said. T h e f o r m i s ava i l a b l e o n line and spreads larger donations throughout an employee’s paycheck, according to OU’s website. E m p l o y e e s d o n ’ t h av e t o choose United Way; they can select any program, donate directly to the Sooner Heritage Scholarship or give the university the freedom to send the money where it is needed. Gollahalli volunteered for the his co-chair position and said he

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

TODAY’S WEATHER 52°| 30° Tuesday: Partly cloudy, high of 52 degrees Visit the Oklahoma Weather Lab at owl.ou.edu

2 • Monday, December 6, 2010

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CAMPUS

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

BOARD: U.S. Congress must approve selection Continued from page 1

Today around campus » Baptist Student Union’s Conversation Club will meet 8 to 9:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Alma Wilson Room. » Student Success Series will present “Eat Right for Success” from 1 to 2 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245.

Tuesday, Dec. 7 » Christians on Campus will host a Bible study noon to 1 p.m. in the Union’s Traditions Room. » Union Programming Board’s Mid-Day Music will feature Thomas Glenn from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Union’s Will Rogers Room. » Student Success Series will hold “Managing Stress” from 4 to 5 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245.

Thursday, Dec. 9 » Union Programming Board Mid-Day Music will feature Anthony Nagid from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Union’s Will Rogers Room. » Women’s Mentoring, hosted by Student Affairs, will take place 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Union’s Sooner Room.

Friday, Dec. 10 » Union Programming Board will screen “The Town” at 4, 7, 10 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. in the Union’s Meacham Auditorium. » African Christian Fellowship will meet 7 to 10 p.m. in the Union’s Heritage Room. » Holiday Dance Club will meet from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. in the Union’s Molly Shi Boren Ballroom.

Saturday, Dec. 1 » University Theater will be performing “The Man Who Came to Dinner” at 3 p.m. in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center.

» This day in OU history

Dec. 6, 1985 Officials consider prosecution for test theft OU considered filing charges against a group of students accused of harassing another student who reported the theft of a final test in spring 1985. Because of the harassment she received for reporting the incident, the student left OU. Students had stolen the test from a file drawer in associate professor Alexander Holmes’s locked office by bribing a janitor to let them into the room. Punishments were dealt to all those involved. Low fan turnout baffles coach The women’s basketball team had not lost a single game, but fan attendance had nearly bottomed out. Only 94 to 109 fans attended the game where the OU women’s basketball team stomped Creighton 94 to 76. “Well I’ve always won since I’ve been here,” said Maura McHugh, OU’s women’s basketball coach. “And people still aren’t coming to the games.” The Sooners were 17th, the highest ranking they had ever received at that point. *Source: The Oklahoma Daily archives

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technological advances, work that Droegemeier said is important to the nation’s global standing. “You never know what basic research will lead to,” he said. Experience on the National Science Board allows Droegemeier to bring cross-departmental knowledge and information to OU classrooms. He said his work on the National Science Board helps him advise his meteorology students about future research opportunities and potential funding. Droegemeier has also lectured political science students on public policy based on his experience testifying before Congress on matters of scientific research. “I try my best to bring [the experience] back to campus

and the state of Oklahoma,” he said. As other countries, such as China and India, invest heavily in scientific research, the U.S. is being challenged in its pursuits to advance in technological developments, especially in an economic recession when funding is limited and less accessible, Droegemeier said. “The challenge is going to be at the budget level for agencies like [the National Science Foundation],” he said. Droegemeier said he looks forward to a second term on the National Science Board to confront the challenges that austere budgeting poses to scientific research. Once Droegemeier is officially nominated by Obama, he must then be approved by the U.S. Senate, appointed by the president and sworn in to the National Science Board to be granted a second term of membership. — Sydney McFerron contributed to this report.

GSS: Also approves budget policy changes Continued from page 1 junior Natalie Jester will be compensated $200, while all election board members will be compensated $40. Alpha Phi Omega, OU Cycling and the Asian American Student Association also will be compensated for operating the polls. Also passed by unanimous consent was Emergency Allocation for 2010 No. 5, which compensated the OU Pre-Med Professionals Club.

Susan Adams-Johnson was elected the SouthCentral Regional chair for the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students. Adams-Johnson and GSS Secretary Esther White recently attended the 2010 National Association of Graduate-Professional Students conference where Adams-Johnson was elected. GSS meetings will resume JALL COWASJI/THE DAILY next semester at 7 p.m. Jan. Graduate Student Senate members vote on the Budgetary 30 in Sarkeys Energy Center, Procedures Reform Act at Sunday’s meeting. The vote passed. Room A-235.

GOAL: OU still campaign’s biggest contributor Continued from page 1 single contributor in the campaign. “ It w a s n i c e t o m e e t our goal for the first time i n a c o u p l e o f y e a r s ,” Dembowski said. “It will

help us help other people in the community.” The United Way raised $ 1 . 9 m i l l i o n l a s t y e a r, but also set a higher goal with $2.15 million, The Oklahoma Daily reported in 2009. Dembowski said the

United Way of Norman made an extra effort this year to reach out to new contributors and split up duties between employees. “We can’t just do it and hope money comes in,” Dembowski said.

OU’s United Way campaign will accept donations past its Friday deadline. While any donations received after Friday won’t count toward the United Wa y ’s 2 0 1 0 c a m p a i g n , e v e r y d o n a t i o n h e l p s, Gollahalli said.

NEWS

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

Monday, December 6, 2010 • 3

BY RYAN GERBOSI | THE OKLAHOMA DAILY

NEIL MCGLOHON/THE DAILY

Top: Communication sophomore Jordan Volino acts as the golden snitch during a match Saturday afternoon during the Quidditch tournament in the Pride practice field north of Kraettli Apartments. Left: Whomping Willows chaser and Daily writer Ryan Gerbosi, left, prepares to throw the quaffle at one of the goal hoops during the final match.

Teams earn spot to play in regional competition Editor’s note: This is a continuation of news reporter Ryan Gerbosi’s first-person account of his experience joining Hogwarts on Campus and competing in OU’s first Quidditch tournament. woke up Saturday with a sense of anxiety I hadn’t felt in years. I was ready to compete in a contact sport for the first time since I was a high school freshman. My anxiousness was combined with the uncertainty of this new game that few had heard of and even fewer had played. I rode over to the Quidditch pitch with members of my team, The Whomping Willows, as we scouted out our competition. We felt from the beginning that we had a shot to win. Our first match was supposed to be against Team Incendio, but they did not show, leaving us to play the Fawkes

Fighters, a team built around speed. We ran onto the field and into position. Maggie Rogers, international studies and film and media sophomore and head of Gryffindor, explained the rules a final time. She had us return to our side, take a knee and wait for the golden snitch to be released. In the Harry Potter series, the golden snitch is a magical ball that flies through the air. When the seeker catches the snitch, the game ends and the seeker’s team is awarded bonus points. For muggles, or non-magical players, the snitch is a runner dressed in yellow with a ball taped to his back. To end the game, the seeker must grab the ball off the runner’s back. We closed our eyes as the snitch was released and waited for the signal to start the match. “Brooms up!” Rogers yelled.

I ran to the middle of the field to seeker. grab the quaffle, the ball used to score. “I could’ve gotten it either stapled or Unfortunately, a Fawkes Fighter who glued,” Levy said. “But if I had it glued, I was much bigger than me was there too. couldn’t play, so I had it stapled.” His shoulder went into my chest as he Levy received a standing ovation from knocked me to the ground. the few fans that braved the windy weathI finally started to get the hang of the er as he walked gingerly to our team. game when I heard a whistle. I turned We lined up again, ready for a rematch and saw a Fawkes Fighter holding the against the only team that had defeated snitch. We had lost 60-0. us. The snitch was released and the It was disappointing, challenging and match began. physical. But most of all, it was fun. We fought hard with the Fawkes We waited for our next Fighters as we now had turn on the sidelines, the experience to keep trying to keep warm. up with them. Both Luckily, we got to play teams struggled to score, “I turned to see Levy with again soon, as not every but the Fighters took a the snitch in his hand. team could show up. 20-0 lead after scoring We also were short on two quick goals. The game was over. We players, so we took in reThen, the snitch aphad won 30-20. We placements from other peared. Levy raced began celebrating on teams. alongside his opponent The games throughas he chased it down. I the field as the first OU out the day got extremecontinued playing until I Quidditch champions.” ly physical as people heard a whistle. started to understand I turned to see Levy the game better and felt with the snitch in his more comfortable on hand. The game was the field. over. We had won 30-20. University College freshman Jeff Levy We began celebrating on the field as was even taken to the hospital after a bro- the first OU Quidditch champions. ken broom gave him a gash in his left leg. Both teams shook hands and Rogers By the end of the day, we were down to announced that the top two teams, The six players as we dealt with the cold and Whomping Willows and Fawkes Fighters, fatigue. We had fought our way back and would be representing OU at future interended up in the championship game with collegiate Quidditch tournaments. Those the mighty Fawkes Fighters. tournaments have yet to be determined. We were not too sure how we could The experience of playing the magical play with only six players when our savsport was, well, magical. I was sore and ing grace came. tired by the time I got back to my dorm After receiving staples to the gash in room, but I wouldn’t trade the opportuhis leg, Levy returned to play for us as our nity to play for anything.

4 • Monday, December 6, 2010

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

OPINION

THUMBS UP ›› United Way hits its December goal (see page 1)

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

OUR VIEW

Don’t talk about WikiLeaks, Big Brother says It appears we’re inching closer to a brave new world. In the wake of WikiLeaks’s latest release of thousands of cable records from multiple U.S. embassies, the government is revealing just how little it thinks of the First Amendment. S t u d e n t s a t C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y ’s S c h o o l o f International and Public Affairs were warned by an alumnus now working for the State Department that posting documents leaked by WikiLeaks, even talking about them, could threaten their prospects for serving in the federal government. In an e-mail sent to students, Columbia University’s Office of Career Services said this: “[The official] recommends that you DO NOT post links to these documents nor make comments on social media sites such as Facebook or through Twitter. Engaging in these activities would call into question your ability to MARTIAL TREZZINI/AP deal with confidential information, which is part of most Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaks during a news conference positions with the federal government.” Basically, even though this information is out, and the Nov. 4 at the Geneva press club in Geneva, Switzerland. Assange media have already published it, you had better keep your is a former computer hacker who has embarrassed the U.S. mouth shut. No public discussion allowed. No free flow of government and foreign leaders with his online release of a huge ideas. No dissent. No calling into question the actions of trove of secret American diplomatic cables. the government. Just stick your head in the sand and trust them, obey them. While an official statement from the State Department a much more proactive approach in shutting dissent denied that the federal government was involved in di- down. After an aide of Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., recting officials to send these messages along to students, contacted Amazon.com, which provided services to deit seems other universities might be sending out similar fend the site against hackers, Amazon pulled its support. messages. In a comment on the news story at The Arabist Amazon denied that political pressure was involved in its decision. website, a user stated that students at Lieberman, a known war hawk, Georgetown University had received Basically, even though this praised the company’s actions and a similar e-mail. Additionally, the information is out and the media has introduced legislation to make State Department has forbidden its own employees from accessing the have already published it, you had it a federal crime to publish the name of a U.S. intelligence source. WikiLeaks site. better keep your mouth shut. No Yet again, more power for the govIt seems the government can’t public discussion allowed.” ernment to keep its secrets and get quite make up its mind about this away with murder. whole situation. All at once, offiWe hope this disease against free speech doesn’t spread cials have condemned the leak, saying that lives could be harmed in the process, while at the same time scoffing to OU. With OU’s growing international and area studies prothat the leaks being made public won’t change anything and admitting that they can’t prove anyone has actually gram and our own President David Boren having served as head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, we can been harmed by the leaks. One thing is clear though, the government is taking imagine this topic has come up quite a bit among staff

and that Boren is well aware of the WikiLeaks situation. If Boren were encouraged to pass a similar message to OU students, we certainly hope he would reject it on the grounds of our basic civil rights. Even more, we hope Boren lets his old friends and contacts in the government know just how damaging their efforts are to the prospects of a free and democratic society. As a member of President Barack Obama’s Intelligence Advisory Board, he ought to recommend the administration scale back its iron-fisted efforts to censor discussion. This can all be done without endorsing the actions of WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange. We recognize the need for confidentiality in certain aspects of our government’s dealings with other nations. But after several years of war, declining world stability and increasing loss of life in Afghanistan and Iraq, you can’t blame people for wanting answers. If this is how it happens, then it happens. Don’t punish the students for having an opinion. Do not punish them for their desire to understand our government’s crucial role in global security. Who’s to say that students who read the material and comment on it aren’t fit to serve in the State Department? As Hugh Sansom, a master’s student from New York, said in an article in The Huffington Post about this issue: “They seem to be unable to make the distinction between having an opinion and having a contractual obligation to keep a secret.” After reading some of the leaked documents and discussing them, some students may be inspired to work in such a civil service job to inject some humanity back into the system. If the State Department finds comments about WikiLeaks material on someone’s old Facebook or Twitter posts, it would be foolish to assume that it means they would intentionally leak government documents. Students need to band together and make it clear they will not stand for the government’s reactionary efforts to stop discussion about its role in international affairs. As American revolutionary Thomas Paine said, “It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government.” Let’s hope we’re not blacklisted for this editorial.

Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

COLUMN LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A nude awakening — TSA and privacy In the furor surrounding the Transportation Security Administration’s new preflight screening procedures, some have argued that the body scans and pat downs are invasive, but that they could be worse. In my experience with debate, I have found that any position whose primary justification is “it could be worse” is almost certainly wrong. The defense of the TSA procedures rests on the false assumption that these new procedures are actually effective in mitigating the risk of terrorism, which they aren’t and that one’s security risk is higher in an airport than it is anywhere else, which it isn’t. They prescribe a remedy that is far worse than the disease. Benjamin Franklin had a pithy rebuttal: “those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Here’s mine: There’s little evidence to suggest that the newest TSA procedures will be effective at reducing terrorism. Terrorism is innovative while TSA policy is reactive. TSA modifies its protocol on the basis of terrorist plots that have already happened, while an intelligent terrorist knows not to duplicate the failed efforts of past terrorists. Indeed, security expert Bruce Schneier said that there is nothing that can conceivably be done to stop a well-financed al-Qaedalike plot from materializing — they’re too innovative and TSA is always playing catchup. Schneier also noted that international terrorists have

Meredith Moriak Reneé Selanders LeighAnne Manwarren Jared Rader James Corley

STAFF COLUMN UMN

Evan DeFilippis is

already started smuggling weapons through body cavities, which can’t be detected through either X-rays or patdowns, which means that any terrorist using that technique would instantly render both of our new procedures useless. It’s nonsense to believe that this technology will save us from terrorism, yet we’re sacrificing our privacy in the name of securing something that isn’t achievable: perfect safety. And in the search for perfect safety we have ended up debasing the very life such procedures were intended to protect. If preserving security and protecting human life are worthwhile endeavors, then, statistically speaking, TSA resources are woefully misdirected. The odds of dying on an airplane as a result of a terrorist hijacking are less than 1 in 25 million — which, for all intents and purposes, is effectively zero — according to Paul Campos, a law professor from the University of Colorado at Boulder. By comparison, the odds of dying in a normal airplane crash, according to the OAG Aviation Database, are 1 in 9.2 million. This means that, on average, pilots are responsible for more deaths than terrorists. In the same vein, the average American is 87 times more likely to drown than die in a terrorist attack, 50 times

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

more likely to die in a lightning strike, and eight times more likely to be killed by a police officer, according to the National Safety Council’s 2004 estimates. I can go on, but the point is this: the risk of a terrorist attack is so infinitesimal and its impact so relatively insignificant that it doesn’t make rational sense to accept the suspension of liberty for the sake of avoiding a statistical anomaly. The $338 million spent so far on body scanners by the TSA could have instantly had larger social benefit had it been invested in almost anything else.

Department of Homeland Security listed those places as “top terrorist targets.” And if we were to use the same logic forwarded by TSA proponents, we would say that because people aren’t required to go to these places, it’s OK to coerce them into abridging their rights. It’s their choice, after all. Ye t , w e o b v i o u s l y wouldn’t accept such a system if it were implemented, so why do we accept the same system at airports? The inconsistency of our outrage is instructive — it shows that our perceptions of safety and security are not reflective of reality but are instead dictated to us externally by It’s nonsense to believe that this demagogic politicians technology will save us from who have a vested interest in our fear. terrorism, yet we’re sacrificing We are a passive auour privacy in the name of dience trapped in a securing something that isn’t theater of the absurd achievable: perfect safety.” — apparently too absorbed in brilliantly orchestrated drama to It’s as if our collective realize it’s just a play. memory has been reconEver y time we constructed around the fulcrum vince ourselves that things of Sept. 11, such that terror- “aren’t that bad” and thus ism is now defined by that not in need of change, we event, and not by the myriad are training ourselves to be other ways in which terror- docile in the face of injusism has historically been tice, and we are weakening executed. our capacity to challenge If we can justify the im- those forces most in need position of force and the of change. volitional sacrifice of rights It could always be worse, based upon a single histori- but that doesn’t mean we cal aberration, where do we should surrender the opdraw the line the next time portunity to make it better. a terrorist attack happens? Would it be appropriate for — Evan DeFilippis, the TSA to populate public political science and parks, restaurants, casinos, economics junior zoos and public transit, all in the name of security? Comment on this After all, in 2006 the column at OUDaily.com

Dusty Somers Mark Potts Chris Lusk Judy Gibbs Robinson Bobby Jones

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OU’s Big 12 win underwhelming As an alumni watching the Big 12 championship game from out of state, I must somewhat plagiarize a popular series of TV commercials to describe my opinion of the Nebraska-OU game and the entire 2010 OU football season: 1 for 16 third-down conversions: $1. Calling the same play in a row when it didn’t work the first time, game after game: $10. Passing unsuccessfully on 3rd and 5 behind your own ten yard line, when it didn’t work the previous time: $100. Not calling plays that could run down the clock when you’re up in score and there are only minutes left, game after game after game: $10,000. Getting rid of certain coaching staff who don’t understand common sense, and game after game repeat the same mistakes: Priceless. — Scott Franke, mechanical engineering alumnus

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The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

Monday, December 6, 2010 • 5

LIFE&ARTS

OUDAILY.COM ›› Check out the OU Daily Fashion Blog for 17 essentiall pairs of shoes, including the sensible black pump

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

THEATER REVIEW

Classic comedy invites audiences to laugh If one entered Holmberg Hall and, being taken aback by the lush, detailed scener y, assumed that “ The Man Who Came to Dinner” would be some sort of starkly realistic per iod drama, one would be sorely mistaken. A m e re g l a n c e at t h e formally dressed penguin presenting a martini on the program is enough to make it clear that the next two hours and 45 minutes will be filled with whimsy, laughter and yes, penguins. “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart and directed by guest artist Russ Treyz, is a fun-filled farce that hardly misses a beat as the audience is dragged into the madcap world of worldfamous radio speaker Sheridan Whiteside. Drama senior Curr y Whitmire winningly plays Whiteside — a character for whom over-the-top is an understatement. Whitmire milks the role to its full potential, channeling a few Hollywood divas from the 21st Century as he air-kisses his famous friends and spits

STAFF COLUMN UMN

If you go

Sydney Allen en

WHAT: “The Man Who Came to Dinner”

insults at those who dare to get a word in edgewise. Whiteside, who is stranded in small-town Ohio due to a hip injury, seems to have only one concern throughout the play: the potential loss of his loyal secretary, Maggie Cutler (drama freshman Victoria Hines) to her true love, writer Bert Jefferson (Brad Brockman, drama sophomore). Hines, making her University Theatre debut, seemed comfortable in the realm of college theater, successfully portraying both the well-worn assistant and the iconic woman swept off her feet. Concerned that Cutler will leave him for good if married off, Whiteside calls in an old friend, actress and seductress Lorraine Sh e l d o n (d ra ma s e n i o r Kristina Doelling), to throw Jefferson off Maggie’s scent. Doelling cunningly acts the role of the woman we love to hate.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday WHERE: Holmberg Hall inside Reynolds Performing Arts Center, 560 Parrington Oval COST: $14 students, $17 faculty/seniors, $22 adult INFO: For tickets, call 405-325-4101

PHOTO PROVIDED

Curry Whitmire stars as Sheridan Whiteside, Celia Ross stars as Miss Preen and Kevin Percival stars as Banjo in the University Theatre production of “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” Charmingly hilarious supporting roles played by Kevin Percival, Addie Work and Celia Ross round out what is an all-around good time at the theater. While there were a few stumbles to be had on opening night — a jar of jelly broke open on the stage and the antique telephone took a tumble — the actors smoothed over the errors and kept

the audience engaged in the main action, which was usually attention-grabbing enough. “ The Man Who Came to Dinner” is a three-act show, leaving many chances for the play to drag, but, for the most part, the length is masked by constant entertainment. Minor problems such as muddy articulation and comedic

moments that were too choreographed are easily overlooked throughout this classic comedy. Technical elements by lighting designer Curtis Marxen and scenic designer Paige Hathaway, whose cozy yet somehow open design brought life and a clear distinction of era to the piece, leave those in the audience amazed that this

is not professional theater. If you have a strong hatred for laugh-out-loud comedy or an irrational fear of penguins, stay away from Holmberg Hall for the next two weekends; “The Man Who Came to Dinner” is sure to please all others. — Sydney Allen, University College freshman

COLUMN

All I want for Christmas is a GPS and a zombie-killing bat STAFF COLUMN MN

Caitlin Turner

What do you want for Christmas? Various members of your family are already asking you this question and you never really have the right answer. Dec. 25 is going to roll around and three Starbucks gift cards and two “As Seen On TV” items later, you’ll really wish you had come up with something when they asked. Two holiday seasons ago, I finally had an incredibly inspired gift need — a GPS. You see, I was born with that one disease where you get in your car, pull out of your driveway and look up and see you are at the state line and can’t really explain why. Gifts should be something

you would never spend money on but desperately want and that was exactly what the GPS was for me. We spent one and a half beautiful years together and then my car was broken into by some punk-ass kids, who will one day receive their punishment in a dark alley with a grease Dumpster in it. Last weekend I was forced to embark on a road trip sans TomTom the GPS. I was making my way to Stillwater to see the 6A football state championship game because I just love young boys and organized sports. Somewhere around Guthrie, the Google Maps application on my phone told me to take a right turn onto a highway, which I am pretty sure was labeled 666. About 15 minutes down the road, I was violently aware that I was in the middle of nowhere — and it felt nothing like that Hanson album.

The only things I could see were abandoned trailer homes and little green signs with arrows pointing to cemeteries. I was running low on gas and my phone “could not activate data.” Obviously this is when my car breaks down and the flesh-hungry zombies descend upon my innocent young body. I switched on Girl Talk so if the undead did attack, it would be more “Zombieland” and less “28 Days Later.” Using my mature, calm voice, I called my father for help. “Hi Daddy, I was just calling to tell you I love you because I am going to die on a deserted highway from zombies!” Insert me hyperventilating and crying mascara-filled tears. After my father sorted through every obscenity trying to decide which one accurately described the situation, he told me he couldn’t

help is just a phone call away

number

crisis line

325-6963 (NYNE)

OU Number Nyne Crisis Line

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

except OU holidays and breaks

Best Mexican Food

Monday is OU Day 50% off with OU ID! 12 D inners appl y. N ot v alid on Lunc h or Supper Spec ials. Daily Super Specials Everyday!

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really help me. I pulled over in a driveway, performed a sobbing, self-loathing monologue and waited for a withered zombie paw to knock on my window. In the end, the walking

dead never came and it turns out I was going the correct direction the whole time. I was just on a route that averaged more covered wagons than cars thanks to my archaic version of Google Maps. So what do I want for

Christmas? Another GPS please! And if you can find one that dispenses anti-anxiety medication that would be great. — Caitlin Turner, letters senior

6 • Monday, December 6, 2010

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

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Take over this lease at The Reserve on Stinson! Avail Jan thru May 2011 $624/mo. Furnished, all bills paid! Email rachel.a.taylor-1@ou.edu

Furnished apt near campus, water and WiFi paid, $450/mo, lease. Call 3214449.

Room for rent, near OU, $395/mo, all bill pd, $400/dep, avail 12/15. 512-909-9774.

AVAILABLE IN MAY A short walk to OU, 1-5 blks west of OU, nice brick homes, wood floors, CH/A, W/D, disposal, good parking. 3 bdrm $990-$1,500 2 bdrm $700-$900 1 bdrm $420-$500 Bob, MISTER ROBERT FURNITURE 321-1818 2 bd, 1 ba, nice cond, close to campus, no smoking, no pets, W/D incld, $600/mo, $550/dep. 503-0758

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Traditions Spirits has immediate job openings for BEVERAGE SERVERS at Riverwind Casino. Please apply in person at Traditions Spirits Corporate Office. Directions: follow Highway 9 West past Riverwind Casino, travel 2 miles, turn right on Pennsylvania, take an immediate left onto the service road 2813 SE 44th Norman, OK 405-392-4550, or online at www.traditionsspirits.com

GREAT FOR STUDENTS! Needed: 2 grounds/pool maintenance, 23 days/week, 20-25 hrs. $7.50/hr. Please call 360-7744 or apply at 333 E Brooks.

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Contact an Acct Executive for details at 325-2521. 2 col (3.25 in) x 2.25 inches

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Available in December $99 dep / 6 mos. Free Gym 1 bedroom $399 - $524 2 bedrooms $525 Pets Welcome! Large Floor Plans! Models Open 8a-8p Everyday! 360-6624 or www.elite2900.com

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

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MOST CONSUMERS DON’T JUST READ THE PAPER. THEY TAKE ACTION WITH IT.

The Oklahoma Daily will not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religious preference, national origin or sexual orientation. Violations of this policy should be reported to The Oklahoma Daily Business Office at 325-2521. 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. All ads are subject to acceptance by The Oklahoma Daily. Ad acceptance may be re-evaluated at any time. Over 100 million adults read a newspaper each day. But they do more than just read. They are moved to take action by the advertising in it. So if you want response to your advertising, place it where it will be seen, where it will be used, where it will move readers to act on what they read.

92% 80% 82% 60% 41% 70 Million took some action in the past three months: checking ads, clipping coupons, or checking entertainment listings.

report looking at advertising when reading the paper.

used a preprinted insert in past 30 days.

prefer to receive inserts in the newspaper.

say newspapers are the medium used most to check out ads – more than radio, TV, internet, magazines and catalogs combined.

people visited a newspaper website in past 30 days.

NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING. GET IN ON THE ACTION.

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ALLIED ADVERTISING PUBLICITY PROMOTIONS ALLIED-CREATIVE.COM

Newspaper Association of America 4401 Wilson Blvd., Suite 900, Arlington, VA 22203 571.366.1000 newspapermedia.com

Sources: MORI Research; Scarborough Research, Nielsen Online.

By Bernice Bede Osol

Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) - Prospects that want to purchase what you’re selling might slip away if you don’t stay on top of things and close the deal. Start writing up the order with the first nod of approval. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - See things for what they are and not for what you fear they might be. Thinking in negative terms is unconstructive and will lead you down the road to Chumpville. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) - You love things that are different, but it behooves you to steer clear of shops that offer novel merchandise. You’re likely to purchase something that is totally impractical.

3 7 1 8 2 5 8 7 2 6 9 4 5 6 8 9 1 3 4 7

5 2 8

9 4 5

9 3 1 7

Previous Solution 4 6 7 5 8 2 1 3 9

8 3 9 6 4 1 7 2 5

5 2 1 9 3 7 4 6 8

3 9 6 4 2 8 5 7 1

1 5 4 7 9 6 2 8 3

2 7 8 3 1 5 9 4 6

9 4 5 2 6 3 8 1 7

7 8 3 1 5 4 6 9 2

6 1 2 8 7 9 3 5 4

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.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) - Take care that you don’t snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by making totally unnecessary changes with something that is presently running smoothly. Leave well enough alone. ARIES (March 21-April 19) - If you refuse to listen to the truth, believing only what you want to hear, chances are you will make the wrong call on something that is important to you. Don’t ask for trouble. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) - The worst thing you could do is rush an important assignment and risk messing up an entire project. Do things one step at a time, making sure each one is correct before moving on.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - In order for a team effort to work successfully, each person must do his/her part correctly and at the right time. Even a nominal change of plans could upset the applecart, leaving you with a lot of road apples. CANCER (June 21-July 22) - Be tolerant of those in your group who simply aren’t as quick as you to grasp some of the ideas or facts you’re dealing with. It won’t kill you to have to repeat a few bits of information. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) - Live within your means or, better yet, within what’s in your wallet. Don’t borrow money from friends to gratify a momentary, pleasurable folly. You might end up being in agony trying to pay them back. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) - If you can’t make up your mind as to whether or not you should buy a certain item, walk away from it for the time being. Reconsider only if you find yourself continually thinking about it. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) - You’re apt to try to get by through giving your job a lick and a promise if you’re simply not in the mood to do your best. However, consider the consequences of slacking. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) - An excellent opportunity for profitable developments could slip through your fingers if you take on an “easy come, easy go” attitude. Don’t treat important matters indifferently,

ACROSS 1 Inattentive error 6 Winged stinger 10 Mention 14 Astrological ram 15 Protected from the wind, in sailing 16 Dull discomfort 17 Musical eightsome 18 Muddy, as water 19 First-time driver, often 20 Show disagreement, in a way 23 Male or female, e.g. 24 Antony of antiquity 25 Where overachievers go? 28 Catchall category (Abbr.) 31 Verbs and people have them 34 Is in debt 36 Periods of light 38 Microscope sample 40 Injury from a venomous reptile 43 Orderly arrangement 44 Translate by hand? 45 CAT procedure 46 Anatomical backs

48 Cafeteria worker 50 Maze goal 51 Box office hit, slangily 53 Place above place 55 Combined 61 Writer’s block breakthrough 63 Parade rtes., sometimes 64 Test for fit 65 Fly high, as an eagle 66 “Iron Chef” output 67 Revise editorially 68 Pinochle declaration 69 White-tailed bird of prey 70 Nose openings DOWN 1 Country on the Mekong 2 Roman aqueduct feature 3 Gyro bread 4 Tries to obtain 5 Hold in high regard 6 Issue a caveat to 7 Soothing lotion ingredient 8 Earthquake 9 “The Taking of ___ One Two Three” 10 Underground burial places 11 Secured, as a victory

12 It’s usually disregarded when alphabetizing 13 Poet’s early night 21 Rust, e.g 22 Jagged, as a leaf’s edge 25 “___ minute there, I thought ...” 26 Judgment payout 27 Nostalgically fashionable 29 Reason for a parental reprimand 30 Hard one to convince 32 Clear for takeoff, in a way 33 Chief of the fallen angels 35 Right on the ocean 37 Starch derived from

palms 39 Rip roughly 41 Disinfectant brand 42 Widely recognized 47 Filled with passion 49 Frisky pet 52 Peggy Lee jazz standard 54 Sally Field movie, “___ Rae” 55 True-to-life 56 College bigwig 57 Castaway’s confines 58 ___ and terminer (criminal court) 59 Fewer than few 60 Lowers the curtain on 61 Suffix with “manner” or “mystic” 62 Fawn nurser

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

ROCK OUT by Beth Copperstone

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

HOROSCOPE

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker December 06, 2010

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

SPORTS

Monday, December 6, 2010 • 7

OUDAILY.COM ›› The OU women’s basketball team fell to No. 6 Ohio State, 95-84

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

Oklahoma

Nebraska

7th Big 12 title sends OU to desert With win over Nebraska, Sooners set to play UConn Jan. 1 in Glendale, Ariz.

Sooners confirm that defense wins championships

JAMES CORLEY The Oklahoma Daily

The OU football team will be headed to Glendale, Ariz., for a New Year’s Day game against the unranked Big East champion Connecticut Huskies in the Fiesta Bowl. The Sooners clinched a berth in the BCS game after beating Nebraska 23-20 on Saturday in Arlington, Texas. The win also gave the Sooners their seventh Big 12 title in 11 years, the 43rd overall conference title. The Sooners fought back from a 17-0 first-half deficit. OU did not allow the Huskers to score in the second half and made two field goals in the third and fourth quarters to win the game. “I’m proud of our players how we stepped up and made plays,” OU coach Bob Stoops. “I told the guys at halftime we just needed to stick with it.” True freshman wide receiver Kenny Stills led all receivers with 83 yards from just three catches, one for a touchdown. Junior linebacker Travis Lewis also had a big game for the Sooners, intercepting Nebraska freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez in the end zone and collecting two fumble recoveries, including the first of his career. “We wanted this bad,” Lewis said. “This has been a long season. We have been tested in so many ways. We have been with our backs against the wall. We came out here and defense totally dominated.” The Sooners’ bowl opponent, Connecticut (8-4, 5-2 Big East), is the lone unranked team in the BCS bowls, announced Sunday. The Huskies emerged as the Big East champions with a win Saturday over South Florida. UConn started its season 3-4, capped off by a 26-0 shutout loss on the road to Louisville. Despite having a passing attack ranked 112th in the country, the Huskies won five straight games to finish the season, carried by running back Jordan Todman. The junior has amassed 1,574 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, accounting for nearly all of UConn’s offense. In the Sooners’ last three

By the numbers

709

Career receiving yards for Kenny Stills, breaking Ryan Broyles’ record for receiving yards in a season by a freshman

342

Passing yards in Saturday’s game for Landry Jones, the most allowed by Nebraska’s defense this season

Passes broken up by OU’s defense this season, a team-high since 110 in 2000

Conference titles for OU after the Sooners won their seventh Big 12 title on Saturday

Touchdown passes this season for Jones, tying Jason White (2004) with his 49-yard touchdown pass to Stills

Career interceptions for linebacker Travis Lewis, tying Sam Allen (1951-52) for the program record *Source: OU Athletic Department

Team bests battle of defenses in Saturday’s Big 12 conference title game to earn trip to Fiesta Bowl AARON COLEN The Oklahoma Daily

ARLINGTON, Texas — With their backs against the wall and one half to save their Big 12 title hopes, the Sooners’ defensive players took it upon themselves to make sure OU got the win Saturday night against Nebraska. The No. 9 OU football team shut out the Cornhuskers in the second half and came back from a 17-point deficit to win the last Big 12 Championship game 23-20. A field goal by senior kicker Alex Henery with six seconds to go in the first half marked the last time Nebraska scored as a member of the Big 12, as the Cornhuskers managed only 80 yards in the entire second half. It took a team effort to shut down freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez and the rest of the Nebraska offense, but two individuals who stood out for OU were senior linebacker Travis Lewis and senior defensive end Pryce Macon. Lewis, one of the usual leaders for the OU defense, had a stellar game even by his lofty standards. The linebacker, who almost attended Nebraska out of high school, finished with two fumble recoveries and one PRYCE interception. MACON “These hands ain’t what » Year: Senior they used to be,” Lewis said. » Position: “But God gave me the gift Defensive end and I caught it, so it was a » Hometown: huge play.” Corpus Cristi, Texas Lewis’ interception came » Game stats: 5 tackles for loss, in the end zone with the 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles Sooners down 17-7 and Nebraska threatening to go up by three scores again. His fumble recoveries helped prevent the Huskers from getting into a rhythm offensively, and both led to points for OU. “This is my third Big 12 Championship, and it’s definitely the sweetest,” Lewis said. “They say ‘defense wins championships,’ and I felt like we got rattled early, but we never panicked and we shut down a pretty great offense.” Macon was the unexpected hero of the game, however. The fifth-year senior finished the game with five tackles for loss, including three of the team’s seven sacks in the game. Macon took the long road to getting on the field in his career, and going into the 2010 season, he only had eight career tackles and didn’t even play in 2009. But the defensive end said the win over Nebraska made it all worth it. “I’m not going to say it’s been easy,” Macon said. “But I just kept grinding, and God had a plan for me. I’m just glad I stayed and stuck it out because I couldn’t see this going any better.” Defensive coordinator Brent Venables rolled the dice and used the “50” defense again, the same small defensive scheme the Sooners ran against Oklahoma State’s spread offense last weekend. “I didn’t know how it would hold up, to be honest,” Venables said. “This week was a lot more physical of an opposing challenge, but we felt like it would give us the best opportunity to win.” Venables said the win was right in line with how the entire season has been for the Sooners. “It’s very symbolic of what this season has been,” Venables said. “The deck was stacked against us, a lot of it because of our own doing. So coming away with the last Big 12 Championship in a historic year is something you can’t take away, and it’s pretty special.”

Impact player

MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY

Freshman defensive back Tony Jefferson (1) and junior linebacker Austin Box (12) celebrate after Jefferson sacked Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez in Saturday’s Big 12 Championship. OU won 23-20.

games — road wins against Baylor, Oklahoma State and Nebraska — the team has done everything but totally discount its struggles in the first part of the season. Stills, senior receiver Cameron Kenney and junior tight end James Hanna stepped into key roles for OU in the last two games as Biletnikoff finalist Ryan Broyles has seen stiffer coverage from defenses. In the fourth quarter, Kenney — working against senior cornerback Prince Amukamara — caught three straight passes from sophomore quarterback Landry Jones for two first downs to set up the game-winning field goal. After overcoming so much already this season to get where they are, the Sooners will have to conquer one last hurdle: w inning in Glendale. “We realize the last two times out there we’ve not been successful, so it’s motivation,” Stoops said.

Big 12 Championship individual game leaders PASSING Oklahoma

Comp

Att

Yds

Pct

Int

Landry Jones

342

.560

Nebraska

Comp

Att

Yds

Pct

Int

143

.500

Rush

Yds

Avg

Lng

FumL

4.0

Nebraska

Rush

Yds

Avg

Lng

FumL

Roy Helu Jr.

8.3

Oklahoma

Rec

Yds

Avg

Lng

FumL

Kenny Stills

27.7

Nebraska

Rec

Yds

Avg

Lng

FumL

15.8

Taylor Martinez

RUSHING Oklahoma DeMarco Murray

RECEIVING

Mike McNeill

SPORTS

8 • Monday, December 6, 2010

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

VOLLEYBALL

Opening-round wins send OU to Sweet 16 After four-set tie, Sooners defeat Tulsa in fifth set to advance in NCAA tourney

Sooners avenge first season loss against Shockers

GREG FEWELL The Oklahoma Daily

The Sooners will return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2006 after taking down the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 3-2 on Saturday at McCasland Field House. Paced by assist after assist from junior setter Brianne Barker, who recorded the first triple-double in OU history Saturday, the Sooners jumped out to a lead early. Junior hitter Suzy Boulavsky and freshman middle blocker Sallie McLaurin capitalized with consecutive kills to force a Tulsa timeout. The Sooners dominated the first set 25-13 to take control of the match. It was as solid a start as the team has had all year, and it helped the Sooners set the pace, particularly in the first two sets. “I think [the Sooners] did a great job of digging balls and continually applying pressure, particularly early in the match,” Tulsa coach Ed Allen said. “The first two sets, we didn’t have an opportunity to apply pressure on our end because we were consistently trying to settle in and dig balls and chase balls.” After Tulsa took a lead to begin the second set, Barker recorded her third kill of the match to tie things at 3. McLaurin got back-toback kills, and the Sooners w e re s u d d e n l y b a c k i n command. The Golden Hurricane charged back within two at 23-21, but two plays later, the set was over. Ju n i o r h i t t e r C a i t l i n Higgins recorded her

SUE OGROCKI/AP

The Sooners celebrate after beating Tulsa 3-2 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2006. OU hosted the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament last weekend, and the Sooners won the sub-regional with wins over Wichita State and Tulsa.

What’s next » OU will play the winner of the Virginia Tech-Penn State match at 6 p.m. Friday in University Park, Pa., and the winner advances to the Elite 8. second kill in a row, and Barker finished things off on the next play to take a 2-0 lead into intermission. OU had the lead and all of the momentum entering the third set, but Tulsa showed just how quickly a scrappy team can turn things around.

Tulsa actually held a three to four-point lead for most of the set, but OU came back in crunch time to tie the score at 24. The comeback fell just short, though, as Tulsa won the set 28-26 to stay alive. “Volleyball is a game of momentum, and everybody goes through it,” OU coach Santiago Restrepo said. “They have had plenty of games go to four or five games in their conference and non-conference. They are battle-tested. I knew it was going to be extremely difficult, and it showed.” In a complete role reversal, Tulsa jumped out to a

MEN’S BASKETBALL

OU winless on road in 2010 After fifth straight loss this season, Sooners failed to win as visitor JORDAN MARKS The Oklahoma Daily

The OU men’s basketball team failed to win on the road again, falling to the Arizona Wildcats 83-60. The loss drops OU to 3-5, continuing its five-game losing streak. It also was the Sooners’ last chance to win a road game in this calendar year after going winless in the second part of last season earlier this year. OU was never able to gain a lead against Arizona, trailing from the very beginning. Much of this was due in part to major turnovers, which OU committed 16 times. Sophomore Andrew Fitzgerald led the Sooners with a game-high 22 points and five rebounds. Junior transfer Nick Thompson also chipped in a career-high 15 points. Overall, the Sooners struggled again on the road, failing to play a complete game against a decent Wildcat squad. OU returns home to face MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY mid-major Gardner-Webb Freshman guard Calvin Newell Jr. dribbles in the OU-North at 7 p.m. Thursday in Lloyd Carolina Central game Nov. 15. OU won 71-63 in overtime. Noble Center.

Are you on Twitter? Stay connected with The Daily’s sports desk for scores, news and updates about Sooner sports

@OUDailySports www.twitter.com/OUDailySports

lead and never gave it up. Thanks mainly to defense that simply would not allow OU to get the ball down, Tulsa controlled the set and won 25-20 to force the decisive fifth set. Emotions were high going into the final set, and OU seemed to have lost all of the momentum. But the team regained its composure and finished the match strong. “We had a lot of confidence going into the fifth set because we were 5-0 going into, and now we are 6-0 in the fifth set,” Barker said. “So we had a lot of confidence. We just

decided to stay calm, have faith in each other and come out strong, get a big lead going. We felt that was how we were going to beat them, and we did that.” The Sooners scored the first four points of the final set, and sophomore hitter Morgan Reynolds recorded two quick kills and a block assist with senior middle blocker Sarah Freudenrich to give the team the spark it needed. After that, Tulsa never had room to breathe. The Sooners responded to every threat and won the set 15-9 to advance to the Sweet 16.

After being swept 3-0 by Wichita State in the very first match of the season, OU returned the favor Friday by sweeping the Shockers to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Even though the team had one of the best regular seasons in years, OU entered the contest with somewhat of a chip on its shoulder, largely due to the fact that the Shockers had beat the Sooners five straight times entering Friday’s matchup. The teams fought to a 25-25 tie in the opening set, and the Sooners won 29-27. “The first set is a key set,” junior setter Brianne Barker said. “That’s the set that establishes what you’re about and what you’re going to do, so that was really big for us to go out there and take the first set like we did.” The Sooner defense forced multiple errors by the Shockers to win the second set 25-21 and go into intermission with a 2-0 lead. OU coach Santiago Restrepo said this was a sign of his team being tired of being pushed around. “When a team beats you in the mouth like they have, you’re eventually going to get tired of it,” Restrepo said. “Our girls came out ready to play tonight, and I think that really showed.” OU dominated the final set and won 25-14 to advance to the second round against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. — Greg Fewell/The Daily