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TUESDAY MARCH 23, 2010

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LAWMAKER SAYS HATE CRIMES BILL CONTAINS ERROR Legislation would take away gay, lesbian rights but threatens religious, racial rights RICKY MARANON Assignment Editor

OKLAHOMA CITY — A bill intended to remove hate crime protections from gays and lesbians actually takes away rights from everyone else because of a “legislative error,” according to one lawmaker.

Oklahoma State Senate Minority Leader Andrew Rice, D-Oklahoma City, said when the Senate passed Senate Bill 1965 on March 10, it eliminated hate crime protections

for race and religion.

The bill states local law enforcement agencies should not enforce any sections of federal law under hate crimes statutes listed under Title 18 U.S. Code Section 245 unless they are in correlation with Oklahoma’s hate crimes laws.

But the protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes, which passed Congress last year, are not listed under Section 245, but Section 249 “The bill in its current form doesn’t take away rights from gays and lesbians,” Rice said. “It takes away rights for religion and race.”

Rice said the error occurred

during the creation of the bill.

“This is most likely a legislative error or at least a typo,” Rice said.

When The Daily asked bill author Sen. Steve Russell, R-Oklahoma City, for a comment on the typo, his legislative assistant declined the interview and referred The Daily to Monday’s edition of The Tulsa World for an official statement on the error.

“Before it gets to the House floor, it will be much amended,” Russell said about the bill in The Tulsa World’s Monday issue.

Gay rights groups were initially outraged by the bill’s passage.

“Not only does the state hate crimes law exclude sexual orientation

ANDREW RICE

STEVE RUSSELL

and gender identity, but SB 1965 also prevents law enforcement officials from asking for federal assistance in enforcing the LGBT-inclusive federal hate crimes law,” Laura Belmonte, vice president of The Equality Network, ERROR CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

NEIL MCGLOHON/THE DAILY

The City of Norman plans to replace the street lamps on the Elm Street with LED bulbs. The new lights will replace the old high pressure sodium lights, pictured in orange.

Norman to replace street lights with LED lights New technology will last longer, reduce energy, maintenance costs DANIEL PUMA Contributing Writer

The city of Norman will receive a facelift as the city begins replacing old street lights with more efficient and durable technology.

LED lights will be used to replace the old highpressure sodium street lights. A PowerPoint presentation shown to City Council said all of the lamps on Main Street from West of Merkle drive to University Boulevard will be upgraded to LED lights.

Shawn O’Leary, director of Public Works, said the lights will provide energy savings and last much longer. The savings in energy costs and maintenance will be between $20,000 and $25,000 per year, O’Leary said.

The LED lights are known for their energy efficiency while also improving brightness and

visibility.

“LED street lights appear to be up to five times more efficient than the current high pressure sodium street lights,” O’Leary said.

The city and Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. (OG&E) are coordinating on the project.

Norman’s capital cost share is approximately $50,000. O’Leary said the project will pay for itself in approximately two years.

The presentation said the project will consist of replacing 75 high pressure sodium lamps and fixtures with the new LED lights and fixtures. It will also consist of replacing 45 poles that have been damaged or run the course of their life.

The total project cost for the new LED lights and lamp poles will be $575,000.

O’Leary said the project is hopefully the first of many.

“We hope to add more LED street lights to the Norman system in the future,” O’Leary said.

“However, the capital costs of doing so are very high, and we are dependent upon the power

companies including OG&E and OEC (Oklahoma Electric Cooperative) to provide and maintain street lights.”

Norman has been switching to LED lights over the years, including the traffic lights across the city. O’Leary said Norman has been converting the traffic lights for almost 10 years.

“Norman was one of the first cities in Oklahoma to do so,” he said. “By 2011, we hope to have all 130 traffic signals in Norman converted to LED.” Other cities have had problems with LED traffic lights because the lights do not generate enough heat to melt ice in bad winter weather. O’Leary said that problem is very limited in Oklahoma due to typical weather climates for the state.

The Main Street Project should be completed by spring of 2011.

City Council member Tom Kovach said City Council has been extremely supportive of the project. He said this is a win-win situation for the city of Norman. The lights will provide energy savings and longer life, with little cost to the tax payer.

Oklahoma looks to join lawsuit against health care State leaders worry new federal regulations could endanger current Oklahoma health care programs RICKY MARANON Daily Staff Writer

State Republican lawmakers are asking Attorney General Drew Edmondson to join with more than 10 other states in suing the federal government over the constitutionality of recently passed health care reform.

The bill passed Sunday night in the U.S. House of Representatives without a single Republican vote, and Oklahoma Republicans are joining with other GOP leaders across the country to legally challenge the bill against the U.S. Constitution.

“We are dealing with a government that wants to be all things to all people,” said Oklahoma House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. “We are dealing with a government with no boundaries that wants to create a utopian

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society.”

Benge said he is concerned the new federal regulations could endanger Oklahoma’s current program that partners private and public partnership to help Oklahomans without insurance receive health insurance coverage.

“We are calling on the attorney general to file suit against provisions of this health care bill that hurt our efforts to provide health care to our citizens,” Benge said.

Benge said the state of Oklahoma has the right to sue the federal government because of the problems he said Oklahoma would face under the new reforms.

“Just because Congress passes a law, doesn’t make it constitutional,” Benge said. “We have every right as a state to challenge the constitutionality of this bill.”

State Senate President Pro-Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, called the bill the “Democrat Job Elimination Bill of 2010.”

HEALTH CARE CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

© 2009 OU PUBLICATIONS BOARD

Presidential candidate defends referendum Nicholas Harrison takes fight for equal time to UOSA Superior Court TROY WEATHERFORD Daily Staff Writer

A UOSA presidential candidate is battling in UOSA Superior Court to allow his argument equal time at a forum to defend a referendum he coauthored.

In September 2009, Nicholas Harrison, law and business graduate student, coauthored a referendum that would create a fifth branch of UOSA made up of representatives from various student organizations if passed.

A UOSA-sponsored forum to discuss the referendums in the upcoming election was scheduled for Sunday night immediately following the Graduate Student Senate meeting.

Harrison contended, and the UOSA Superior Court and the election chair agreed, that UOSA would be offering an opinion on a referendum if it did not allow both sides equal time to speak at the forum.

The UOSA Constitution currently prohibits UOSA and UOSA officers from offering their opinion on referendums while acting in their official capacity.

Meanwhile, a bill is circulating GSS and Undergraduate Student Congress that would remove this restriction.

After the court ordered an injunction, the organizer of the UOSA forum organized a similar forum that she said was not affiliated with UOSA. EQUAL TIME This particular dispute arose March 7 when Harrison responded to an e-mail sent

by Lindsey Harvell, the organizer of a UOSA forum to discuss referendums.

Harvell’s e-mail contained a flier describing a forum Sunday that would have immediately followed the GSS meeting. The schedule for the forum allowed Harrison 10 minutes of speaking time to explain the referendum; Matthew Gress, vice chairman of Undergraduate Student Senate, 10 minutes to explain undergraduate impact; and Michael Upkong 10 minutes to explain graduate student impact.

Harrison said both Gress and Upkong have come out publicly against the referendum and he expected them both to oppose the referendum at the forum.

“Equal time is basically an issue of fairness,” Harrison said. “If you’re going to give one side 20 minutes you should give the other side 20 minutes. If one side has two speakers, the other side should have two speakers.”

Harrison asked that Matthew Bruenig, co-author of the referendum and philosophy junior, also be allowed time to speak.

Harvell replied that Bruenig could speak at the forum but must share Harrison’s allotted time.

This response left Harrison UOSA CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

VOL. 95, NO. 118

2A Tuesday, March 23, 2010 Caitlin Harrison, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051

OUDAILY.COM » GO ONLINE TO CATCH A VIDEO ABOUT WHAT AUTHOR DAPHNE OZ HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE DORM ROOM DIET.

Error Continues from page 1 said in a press release.

Rice said other groups should be more outraged if not just as upset.

“Gay and lesbian citizens should be upset because someone tried to take their rights away, but minority groups should be concerned that their rights have already been voted to be taken away by the Senate,” Rice said. “People who consider themselves Jewish, black, even Christians should be outraged.”

Rice said he is hopeful the bill will either be vetoed by Gov. Brad Henry or be killed in the House.

“There are many things this bill has to go through before it is final and hopefully it will be killed in the process,” Rice said.

Paul Sund, spokesman for Henry, said the governor is watching the bill and its changes but has not made a decision on whether he will veto or sign the bill.

“Because bills can change dramatically as they move

through the legislative process, it is the policy of the governor’s office not to pass judgment on any proposal until we see the final language in the final version of the legislation,” Sund said by e-mail.

When Russell was asked about the bill in November, he said he believed new additions to hate crime protections for sexual orientation and gender identity overstepped the boundaries of the federal government.

“The federal government should not be creating a special class of people, and that is just what they did when they passed and signed this bill,” Russell said in November. “All crimes against another person have some level of hate in them, and people can be assured that our laws that protect people against crimes such as murder are sufficient to protect everyone.”

Rice said the way the bill passed the Senate could have led to some confusion among lawmakers as to what they were voting on.

“This bill went through the Senate so fast, it wouldn’t surprise me if members either didn’t read the bill or thought they were voting on the original education bill,” Rice said.

Russell’s bill originally died in the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year, according to the Oklahoma State Senate’s Web site.

However, Russell was able to replace the language of an education bill with the language of his then dead bill Feb. 25, the Web site stated.

The Senate Common Education Committee, of which Russell is a member, passed the new bill and moved it to the Senate floor where it was approved by a vote if 39-6.

The bill is currently up for consideration in the House Judiciary Committee.

The bill listed Rep. Wes Hilliard, D-Sulphur, as the House co-sponsor, but according to Hilliard’s legislative assistant, Hilliard dropped his name from the bill once it changed from an education bill to a hate crimes bill. His assistant also said

UOSA

Health care

Continues from page 1

Continues from page 1

unsatisfied and he sought a ruling from Jeff Riles, the UOSA election chair.

Riles issued a formal ruling March 12 stating that “the Graduate Student Senate, or any UOSA organization, needs to exercise all due diligence to allow equal and adequate opportunity for all view points regarding any candidate or referendum be heard.”

When Harvell responded to the ruling by refusing to change the format of the forum, Harrison issued a complaint to the UOSA General Counsel.

The complaint alleged that members of the GSS and the Ad Hoc Marketing Committee were in violation of state law and the UOSA constitution.

The court responded by issuing an injunction “to prevent an imminent violation” of the UOSA constitution.

The order for injuction states: “holding a forum in which the deck is stacked against one side of the public debate over the referendum is a de facto violation of the requirement that UOSA offer no opinion on referendums unless a concurring resolution so agrees.”

On Saturday, Mike Davis, UOSA General Counsel, submitted a motion asking the court to reconsider the ruling and allow UOSA to hold the forum as planned.

UOSA Superior Court Chief Justice Kyle Eastwood responded by upholding the injunction and ordering that if the forum was held, it must comply with the UOSA Constitution.

“Simply because this event has been labeled a ‘forum’ by its organizers does not mean the event, based on the selection of speakers, is not a poorly veiled attempt at advocacy against the amendments,” Eastwood said by e-mail.

Coffee said the era of big government had returned to America, and would be a disaster for the state of Oklahoma.

Edmondson said Monday he’s directed his attorneys to research several constitutional concerns raised about the federal bill, including unfunded mandates on states, mandatory participation in private insurance and possible violations of the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution.

“There may be others,” said Edmondson, who is running for governor. “We will continue to research and weigh our options.”

Two months ago, Edmondson joined 14 other attorneys general in urging congressional leaders to strike a provision from the health care reform bill they argued included an unconstitutional political deal for the state of Nebraska.

But Edmondson said Monday he’s not clear about whether that provision and several others will be repealed under a companion measure also passed in the U.S. House that makes a series of changes to the original health care bill.

“Until the Senate acts on the reconciliation bill and the president either signs it or doesn’t, we don’t know what the law says,” Edmondson said.

Health care reform passed the U.S. House by a vote of 219-210 victory. The U.S. Senate is set to take up a reconciliation bill in the near future. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Sunday he has a majority vote to pass reconciliation in his chamber.

—The Associated Press Contributed to this report

A DIFFERENT FORUM Harvell and Susan Adams-Johnson, GSS chairwoman, are members of a recently formed student organization, Graduate Students for a Better Tomorrow.

The organization hosted a forum discussing upcoming referendums following the GSS meeting Sunday night.

The forum was not affiliated with UOSA, but it followed the same structure and occupied the same time slot as the event planned by UOSA, Adams-Johnson said.

Harvell organized both the UOSA forum and the Graduate Students for a Better Tomorrow forum.

Adams-Johnson said the forum that received an injunction was not supposed to be sponsored by UOSA, but was originally planned to be hosted by Graduate Students for a Better Tomorrow.

“From day one this was supposed to be Graduate Students for a Better Tomorrow who hosted the event,” Adams-Johnson said.

She said neither she nor Harvell realized their mistake until after the forum was already sponsored by UOSA. Harrison said he was not invited to the forum and was surprised that it was held, considering the injunction.

He called the forum a “flagrant violation of the law” because “there will probably be issues with UOSA officers clocking in and using office computers and UOSA funding to publicize the event.”

Adams-Johnson said that no UOSA funding or office computers were used in the organization of the Sunday forum.

Harrison said he would most likely file a complaint to UOSA superior court about the forum.

A THREATENING BILL A section of the UOSA constitution prohibiting members of UOSA from offering opinions on referendums while acting in an official capacity is currently under attack from a bill circulating GSS and the Undergraduate Student Congress.

On March 9, UOSA Undergraduate Student Congress heard a bill requiring “any entity campaigning for or against a campus-wide referendum must also register their cause and abide by regulations in the same manner outlined for candidates.” The bill also set a $1,000 spending limit on campaigns.

Before passing the Undergraduate Student Congress, the bill was amended to also remove restrictions preventing UOSA and elected members of UOSA from offering opinions on referendums while acting in an official capacity.

The bill was heard by GSS on Sunday and passed after being amended to remove the requirement that those campaigning against referendums must register their cause.

Undergraduate Student Congress Secretary Brett Stidham authored the original bill and spoke in favor of it at Sunday’s GSS meeting He said the bill would be heard by undergraduate student congress at their meeting today and would probably pass.

If the amended bill passes congress, the bill will not take effect, until UOSA President Katie Fox signs it.

Fox said at Sunday’s GSS meeting that she would not sign the legislation until after spring elections have taken place.

Members of GSS and Undergraduate Student Congress threatened Fox with blockage of an unrelated space allocation bill if she did not agree to sign the bill, according to Fox. Fox said she was pressured by Adams-Johnson and Gress to sign the bill, but declined to comment whether they were the representatives who threatened her with blockage of her bill.

Adams-Johnson said Fox agreed to sign the bill, though Fox maintains that she never agreed to sign the bill before the election.

She said she supports the intent of the bill but does not want to change the election rules during the election process.

“I’m not against the bill, I just can’t sign it in the middle of an election season,” Fox said.

The space allocation bill authored by Fox passed GSS on Sunday night, and will be heard

by UOSA Undergraduate Student Congress at its meeting at 7 p.m. tonight in Adams Hall, room 150.

To read a copy of the e-mail correspondence and the court’s injunction and Harrison’s complaint, visit OUDaily.com.

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CAMPAIGN SIGNS DISAPPEAR FROM CAMPUS UOSA presidential candidate Nicholas Harrison has to replace about 400 missing campaign signs CASEY WILSON Daily Staff Writer

About 400 campaign signs for one UOSA presidential candidate were taken from campus locations before spring break, according to OUPD police reports filed March 12.

Replacement signs will cost UOSA presidential candidate and law and business graduate student Nicholas Harrison an estimated $474.32.

When he noticed his signs were missing, Harrison contacted the Election Chair and Student Affairs. Student Affairs then contacted the landscaping department and the Physical Plant, and informed Harrison neither department’s personnel removed the signs, Harrison said by e-mail.

Harrison said he filed a police report and was told OU could check its security cameras.

However, Harrison e-mailed President Boren’s office, stating he had yet to receive any updates on the investigation and did not know if anyone has checked the security cameras.

“I am writing to ask for your office’s help in getting the investigation moving, as I am still concerned about losses,” he said by e-mail.

Harrison said he planned to replace the signs on campus, though he is still concerned those signs also might disappear overnight.

Harrison said if his signs were stolen again he would not be able to replace them, and he would be left with little or no publicity on campus.

“And I will feel like I have wasted a lot of time, energy and personal expense trying to improve OU, just to see someone else prevail by using underhanded means,” he said.

MARCIN RUTKOWSKI / THE DAILY

Nicholas Harrison, UOSA presidential candidate, has filed a police report claiming that $400 in campaign signs was stolen from around campus a few days before spring break. OU Police is investigating.

Number of Alzheimer’s victims rising in state Baby boomers, advances in medicine contribute to increase in Oklahomans with the disease COURTNEY SILVA Contributing Writer

The number of people with Alzheimer’s disease in Oklahoma has increased 19 percent since 2000, according to a new study conducted by the Alzheimer’s Association.

There are 74,000 people in Oklahoma with the disease. The 2010 study predicts by 2025, there will be 96,000 people living with the disease.

The main reason for the increase in the number of people

with the disease is the baby boomers’ longevity, said Keili McEwen, Alzheimer’s Association regional director.

“There have been so many advances in the medical field that are allowing people to live longer,” McEwen said. “If people live longer, they are more prone to developing memory loss. The number of senior citizens is increasing more rapidly than ever, so it is only natural that the number of people with the disease should increase.”

Shaye Tipton, chief operating officer of Arbor House, an assisted living facility, said there has been a significant increase in the number of patients with Alzheimer’s disease living in the facility.

“We have definitely seen an increased enrollment in our

memory care programs,” Tipton said. “There is no cure for the disease. The only thing we can do is hope that it has been detected soon enough to where the patient can sort out their care plan for the future.”

According to the study, 40 percent of the 37,668 nursing home residents in Oklahoma have a severe to moderate level of cognitive impairment.

McEwen said the Alzheimer’s Association spends $265 million each year on research to find a cure for the disease.

“As of now, there is nothing that can be done about the increasing rates of diagnosis,” McEwen said. “The only thing we can do is keep researching until a cure is found.”

Students learn from renowned, international journalists Workshop at OU focuses on improving storytelling techniques in reporting CANDACE CINDELL Contributing Reporter

Video journalists from across the world met in Norman this past week to improve their storytelling techniques at the National Press Photographers Association’s NewsVideo Workshop.

This year, 66 people spent more than 12

hours a day learning from the biggest names in the industry at the Oklahoma College of Continuing Education.

“This is the safest place to learn,” said Andrew Tanielian, Illinoisan backpack journalist. “The faculty, learning together and the contacts make this more than networking, more like making friends.”

Tanielian returned to the workshop to learn from the nine-time Emmy winner Mike Schuh.

“When debating on whether or not to

SAILING TEAM ADVISER RESIGNS UNEXPECTEDLY The OU Sailing Team faculty adviser resigned last week, leaving the sailing team without an active adviser.

Former adviser Kevin Smith sent an e-mail to the sailing team president that said he had too much on his plate and could not effectively advise the team.

Smith wrote that he would certify the new adviser once the team finds one and still would certify new sailors for the next 30 days.

All paper work and release forms will need to be given to Glede Holman, intercollegiate director at the Oklahoma City Boat Club, Smith

wrote.

Allison Moorhead, team vice president and international business and marketing sophomore, said his resignation was unexpected.

“This is happening all before we go to the conference championship down in Austin, Texas,” Moorhead said.

Though the team is without an adviser, they can still participate in sailing events. Moorhead said she hopes this doesn’t break the team morale.

—Elliot Jones/Contributing Writer

DISTURBING THE PEACE Eric John Booher, 35, 1017 E. Arkansas St., Sunday POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES Jennifer Marie Hall, 27, 100 NW 24th Ave., Sunday POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA Steven Michael Laurent, 20, East Constitution Street, Saturday, also possession of controlled dangerous substances

Shelby Nicole Saylors, 19, 2556 Classen Blvd., Sunday, also possession of drug paraphernalia Olufunmilayo Olounjune Sakote, 18, 400 W. Boyd St., Sunday, also possession of drug paraphernalia and public intoxication UNLAWFUL USE OF A DRIVER’S LICENSE Fabian Martinez Trinidad, 23, North Flood Avenue, Saturday POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA James Eric Porter, 29, 2119 Melrose Drive, Sunday MUNICIPAL WARRANT Jason Bryan Ritchie, 29, 1600 W. Main St., Sunday, also possession of controlled dangerous substances

In mentoring his interns, Kristiansen’s main concern is mixing storytelling with the TV world tools and hard news.

“It’s about the craft,” Kristiansen said. “It takes a couple of times to absorb all the new information.”

Any level of experience of video is welcome to attend the workshop.

Those interested in learning more about video storytelling and information on next years’ workshop may e-mail Sharon Levy Freed, director, at slevyfreed@msn.com.

CAMPUS EVENTS TODAY BIBLE STUDY Christians on Campus will host a Bible study from noon to 12:45 p.m. in the Traditions Room in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

CAREER SERVICES Career Services will host a seminar entitled “Preparing for the Federal Government Job Search” at noon in the Heritage Room of the union.

CAREER SERVICES Career Services will host an Interviewing 101 workshop at 1:30 p.m. in the Crimson Room of the union.

POLICE REPORTS The following is a list of arrests and citations, not convictions.

The information given is compiled from the Norman and OU Police Departments. At times, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department and the Oklahoma City FBI will contribute to these reports. All those listed are innocent until proven guilty.

return for a second year, Mike tipped the scale for me,” Tanielian said of the two-time Associated Press Award winner.

Torben Kristiansen, six-time workshop returnee from Denmark, said he also was excited for his interns to hear from his favorite speaker: Schuh.

Kristiansen returned to the workshop for the sixth time with his interns to learn from the faculty of more than 20 nationally- and internationally-recognized, award-winning journalists.

WARRANT Jerome Wendell Williams, 36, 302 N. Interstate Drive, Sunday COUNTY WARRANT Teresa L. Young, 31, West Main Street, Sunday DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Zachary D. Dyson, 24, 300 W. Boyd St., Saturday Jared Stewart Valouch, 22, Elm Avenue, Saturday Meredith Tia Wares, 18, 400 W. Boyd St., Sunday, also possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and transporting an open container DRIVING UNDER SUSPENSION Tiffany Ann Taylor, 22, Asp Avenue, Saturday

STUDENT SUCCESS SERIES A “Writing for International Students” workshop will take place 3:30 p.m. in Wagner Hall, room 245.

STUDENT OKLAHOMA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION A guest speaker will inform students of grants and other opportunities during an SOEA meeting at 7:30 p.m. in South Campus Building 4, room 119.

WEDNESDAY CAREER SERVICES Career Services will host a seminar entitled “Careers in the Non-Profit Industry,” noon to 1 p.m. at the Career Services lobby of the union.

BIBLE STUDY Christians on Campus will host a Bible study from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. in the Traditions Room of the union.

STUDENT SUCCESS SERIES The next workshop in the Student Success Series, “Tips for Talking to Your Professor” is at 3:30 p.m. in Wagner Hall, room 245.

INTERNATIONAL AREA STUDIES As part of the School of International Area Studies Asia Symposium, Sangita Gopal will lecture, entitled “The Bollywood Song-Sequence and its Afterlives” and screen the film “Dil Se.” Lecture at 4:30 p.m. and screening at 7 p.m. in Meacham Auditorium of the union.

HAITI RELIEF A free Haiti relief concert featuring Dante and the Hawks, Dave Barnes and the Katie Tracy Band will be at 7 p.m. in the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall at the Catlett Music Center. All donations go to the Red Cross International Response Fund.

CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST Campus Crusade for Christ will hold its next meeting at 9 p.m. in the Santee Lounge of the Football Stadium.

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

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

COMMENT OF THE DAY »

In response to Reches’ column on tax-free whole wheat bread.

“Why not go the other way and put an additional tax on white bread?

“Whole wheat” is a pretty vague term, anyway, and most breads that claim to be “whole wheat” or contain “whole grains” are just advertised cleverly and are actually just as bad as processed white bread.

If something like this were to actually happen, the FDA would have to implement some sort of regulation about the phrasing that would be allowed on packaging of bread according to the ingredients.

- ston9794

OUR VIEW

Education an important step of activism Oklahoma residents, including several OU students, slept outside Sen. Tom Coburn’s office building in Oklahoma City demanding he change his stance and support the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. Coburn, R-Oklahoma, changed his official statement and announced his support for this legislation March 9, after protesters slept in the street for 11 days.

People protested, showed their determination for a single, well-defined goal and worked for exactly that. Unfortunately, if this bill was to pass and President Barack Obama was to sign this legislation, no significant change would occur.

The bill is aimed at stopping the LRA under the leadership of Joseph Kony. This army has been on a murderous campaign of child abductions through southern Sudan before moving to Uganda and, more recently, into the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.

The LRA became well known in the United States largely due to the documentary “Invisible Children,” which showed its effects on a community in Uganda.

However, this bill’s methods are questionable. The bill claims to use “political, economic, military and intelligence” resources to rout the LRA and rebuild the destruction caused by the militant group. But this bill doesn’t appropriate

BREAD WEEK, DAY 2

Save some dough by raising some Even on the day-old shelf one is unlikely to find any bread for less than $1 per pound, which is considerably more per calorie than most other staples like rice, beans or potatoes. The most basic flour, on the other hand, is one of the cheapest foods available at closer to 35 cents per pound in some places, and then requires a fair amount of water, lowering the price of your own bread even further.

And should you wish to use better ingredients, even the most overpriced, specialty products like rye flour may be found, with a bit of searching, for less than the price of the cheapest loaf of that water-soluble insulation, while genuine bread, bread with weight and substance, the kind of bread Russians make fermented beverages from, is simply unaffordable for daily consumption.

One will likely object to this on the grounds that yeast costs about 50 cents for a tiny packet that can only make one loaf. In that case, you should be aware this ghastly swindle may be avoided quite easily by getting that very longlasting product by the pound for less than $5 at certain Asian grocery stores.

There remains, nevertheless, the problem of the time required. Now, it is true that it GERARD can take some time to make, KEISER but one may reduce it simply by baking larger batches, as there is practically no difference between making one and three loaves. Then there is the matter of the bread maker, which, though typically overpriced, can always be found used for cheap, and, while perhaps not ideal, is extremely convenient and makes a decent product. In addition, someone has recently begun popularizing a sort of bread, rumored to be quite good, that requires no kneading at all and much less yeast, made by mixing a dough, waiting about a day and baking it.

Finally, there is a strange myth that baking is somehow a fantastically precise and difficult art, a strenuous trial of skill and training to be undergone only by those who are lords of all things culinary. But while it is true certain things take much practice to make properly, a simple loaf of bread is not one of them. All sorts of helpful instructions have been written over the centuries, so if one just follows the directions it ought to work. Anyway, you need to learn to follow a recipe someday, unless you plan on spending a prodigious amount of your money eating out, getting expensive, frozen boxes of those things that pretend to be meals (perhaps a column on that abomination some other time) or marrying someone who can.

So if you ever have some time, make bread.

Besides the satisfaction of making something yourself and escaping Big Baking, it will most assuredly be better, fresher and cheaper than bleached fuzz, and if you want, still hot, which is the ideal way to eat bread. And if you bake the right kind, you can even make a fermented beverage out of it.

Gerard Keiser is a classical languages sophomore.

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adequate resources to the cause; the greatest expense is $40 million to the Air Force and no other branches of the military.

Consider the options for regional support: southern Sudan, which is occupied with the genocidal northern Sudan; Democratic Republic of the Congo with its near dozen ongoing civil wars (or regional disputes); Central African Republic which is 178th out of 179 on the UN’s Human Development Index and Burundi with its scant 40,000 standing army, which is currently occupied preventing the Hutu-Tutsi conflicts from escalating. It would be morally reprehensible to demand these nations realign these noble priorities.

That leaves Rwanda and Uganda, two nations already working together without Obama stepping in. Rwanda recently agreed to share information with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has stepped up its border guards in response to the potential threat of the LRA. With the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s permission, Uganda has crossed the border and attacked the LRA denying them sanctuary. There is little we could do beyond advocate status quo, which makes this legislation little more than a cheap attempt to take credit for something that is already happening.

One thing this bill does that isn’t already happening is give Obama $10 million to aid civilians harmed by the LRA, but

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GUEST COLUMN

Standing on the wrong side of the hill “Waterboard congress,” the sign read and the anxious cluster shouted. This is Washington, D.C., on the wrong side of the hill. While on an engaging spring break trip with SIAS Washington D.C. International Experience headed by Zach Messitte, I decided to steal away and do some sightseeing. As I neared the Capitol, I saw it swarming with people. The closer I got, the louder the roar. “NOBAMA,” one man yelled as I walked by. I instantly knew what it was: A Tea Party protest.

This was Saturday, the day Obama addressed the democratic caucus before L. NICOLE they voted on health care reform. This BISBY was his opposition: a crowd of silverhaired Americans with homemade signs and pitchforks. I was so excited — my first real protest!

However, being in favor of the health care bill I felt a little afraid they might sniff me out as one of those “damn socialists,” so I walked quickly. I worked my way to the center of the pulsing mob.

I found myself next to a woman holding a picture of the president with a turban and a beard drawn on with sharpie.

She brought a cooler, a lawn chair and her little dog to the protest. She kept screaming “kill the bill,” with an emphasis on “kill.” A pair of sun-burnt arms holding a sign that read, “waterboard congress” grabbed my attention.

I had to move closer; how could I resist? It was a red-faced, overweight American with a megaphone and a posse. She was angry. The gang numbered about 10 and they marched behind their leader as she made her way through the crowd yelling “There is nothing worse than a pissed-off American!”

PHOTO PROVIDED

A crowd of people protest against health care reform Saturday outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

I tried to video this with my little pocket camera but I started to get too nervous.

By now the mob had worked itself into an all-out frenzy.

I panicked a little and thought, “You’re too obvious; yell something.” So I yelled, “Yeah !” and proceeded to follow this rebel in action.

Realizing the pissed-off posse may soon turn on me I made my exit and crossed over to the anti-war protest on the other side of the hill.

L. Nicole Bisby is an international and area studies senior.

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STAFF COLUMN

Professors should be compensated for independent study Professors at OU aren’t compensated for the independent study courses they offer. This, apparently, includes courses such as honors research and directed readings.

When I found this out toward the end of last semester, it came as quite a surprise to me. I’ve taken a number of independent study courses throughout my undergraduate career, and I certainly got charged for all of them. So I assumed some of that money made its way to the professors who had taken the time to meet with me in an above-their-basesalary sort of way.

And, as I’ve been letting this little piece of information sink in over the past several months, it’s really started to bother me. The policy puts CHRIS both students and faculty in an awkward position DEARNER vis-à-vis independent study courses. Students have to worry about imposing on professors, and professors have to decide between doing extra work for no extra money and turning down a student who is clearly motivated and interested.

This is particularly bothering because the independent study courses I’ve taken (and the one I am currently taking) have been some of my most interesting and rewarding experiences at OU. In no other context have I better been able to explore areas of my choosing with the help of someone who knows vastly more about the subject matter than I do. They have played a pivotal role in shaping my academic goals and my areas of interest. I doubt I am alone in this.

Independent study courses also can be useful for students

T=: O@A6=DB6 D6>AN Jamie Hughes Caitlin Harrison Ricky Maranon Lisa Phan Max Avery Michelle Gray Marcin Rutkowski

it doesn’t say how. The bill’s authors — Sens. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, and Sam Brownback, R-Kansas — obviously can’t figure it out; if they could they would have indicated methods in the bill. So they’re dumping it on Obama.

But what’s even more upsetting is they only allocated $10 million to help more than 2 million Ugandans, tens of thousands Central African Republic citizens and more than 160 thousand Democratic Republic of the Congo civilians displaced by this conflict, to rehabilitate 66,000 child soldiers and the families of those killed. Offering less than $5 a person is nice, but it’s little more than pretending to solve the problem.

This bill designates an additional $10 million to create a body to study the history of the conflict, study the conflict itself and attempt to gain as much knowledge as possible.

It would be wrongheaded to fault the protesters for not understanding this impotent legislation. But protesting in favor of legislation you don’t understand — or legislation that won’t do anything to solve the problem — is a mistake.

If a bill is to be supported or opposed, make sure it’s going to effect actual change. Don’t just support a senator’s legislation because it’s on a topic you care about. Make sure it does something rather than glad-hand your support.

Renee Selanders, Amanda Turner News Editors James Lovett Online Editor Mark Potts Multimedia Editor Aaron Colen Sports Editor Joshua Boydston Life & Arts Editor Judy Gibbs Robinson Editorial Adviser Thad Baker Advertising Manager

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who have to work. Several years ago, I was stuck between a job I couldn’t quit and a course I had to take, an experience I suspect many of us have had. If I hadn’t been able to complete the course as an independent study, I would’ve had to wait another year for it to come around again — and all of the courses that depended on it would’ve been pushed back by a year as well, delaying my graduation.

Despite the benefits of independent study, the situation at OU all but actively dissuades professors from offering them. Because professors don’t get any remuneration for independent study courses, which can mean quite a bit of extra work, they’re understandably wary about taking them on. Some professors, I have been told, simply refuse to do it — and others agree only under certain conditions. And what should they do? None of us work for free, and running a course takes time, even if it is one-on-one. Professors are under pressure (especially in departments with up-or-out policies) from the university to research and publish — and independent studies cut into the time they would use for that.

This is exactly the opposite of what we want, and this situation is counter not only to the interests of both students and professors, but the academic goals of the institution as a whole. The broad fix seems laughably simple: Divert some of the tuition students pay for independent study hours as extra pay to the faculty members who do the teaching.

Chris Dearner is an English and linguistics senior.

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

5A

OPPONENTS TAKE LAST STAND AGAINST HEALTH CARE BILL In a defiant last stand against a newly passed health care overhaul, opponents are trying everything they can to stop it from becoming the law of the land.

Republicans in the Senate are planning parliamentary maneuvers to keep a companion bill from reaching the president’s desk. And lawmakers in at least 30 states are working to prevent what they say is an unconstitutional mandate forcing Americans to have health insurance.

Experts say none of it is likely to work, but it will keep the issue, and the outrage, alive until Election Day. “I am surprised by the mobilization of the states. It does strike me as a kind of civil disobedience, a declaration that we’re not going to follow the law of the land,” said Mark Hall, a professor of law and public health at Wake Forest University.

“It doesn’t make sense. The federal Constitution couldn’t be any clearer that federal law is supreme,” Hall added.

The House passed the plan late Sunday, sparking a variety of protests and threats less than a day later.

By Monday, at least 10 state attorneys general had promised to file suit against the federal government when President Barack Obama signs the bill.

The states were Alabama, Colorado, Florida, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Michigan, Nebraska, Washington. Officials in North Dakota were weighing whether to join the case.

AP PHOTO Virginia and Idaho have passed legislation aimed at blocking the bill’s insurance requirement from tak- Activists, legislators and community leaders gather outside Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., Monday.. They launched a petition drive to put a measure on the Michigan ballot asking voters whether they want to exempt the state from the federal health care overhaul. ing effect in their states.

In Michigan, a petition drive was launched to put “We will fight in the courts, and we will fight in the rallies Dave Roland, a lawyer and policy analyst at the Show-Me a measure on the ballot asking voters if they want to exempt and the tea parties and the town hall meetings. And we will Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in St. Louis, said the state the state from the overhaul. fight in the ballot booth, and we will prevail. And we will de- constitutional amendments, which focus on creating new In Arizona, lawmakers approved a constitutional amendfeat this because the United States of America and Arizona rights for individuals, could make a plausible court challenge ment that will be put on the ballot in November. And in can’t afford this,” McCain said. to the federal health care mandates.

Colorado, a citizens’ group was preparing to collect signaIn Alabama, four bills to block some provisions have been “I think there is a very distinct possibility that the Supreme tures to put a comparable amendment on the ballot. introduced in the Legislature. The Democratic House leader, Court might say that where you have a freedom secured by For the states, it’s a question of individual rights. Many say Rep. Ken Guin, said he will start studying the proposals but a state constitution that it might warrant protection, even Congress does not have the authority to require citizens to was doubtful they could move forward with only 10 days left against a federal statute,” Roland said. buy goods or services they may not want. in the legislative session. He said he wants to study the bill States challenging the federal bill say they will also argue “Just by virtue of being a resident of the United States, never Congress passed before he takes a position. that the Constitution’s commerce clause — which was inbefore in history have we been required to purchase someThe state proposals would establish a state right for citi- tended to allow the free flow of goods among the states — thing,” said Brian Gottstein, a spokesman for Republican zens to pay medical services out of their own pockets and is not broad enough to allow Congress to require citizens to Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli II. would prohibit penalties against those who refuse to buy purchase goods or services they may not want, such as health In Washington, Obama’s health care overhaul isn’t comhealth insurance. insurance. pletely finished. Although the main bill has passed both Many constitutional scholars say the so-called “health care “I suspect that we will see a tsunami of litigation,” said Clint houses of Congress, a series of changes sought by House freedom” laws and amendments do not have any chance of Bolick, litigation director for the conservative Goldwater Democrats was headed to the Senate, where debate is exsucceeding for one simple reason: The Constitution estab- Institute in Phoenix, which helped draft a constitutional pected to begin as early as Tuesday. lishes that national laws take precedence over state laws. amendment in Arizona that will be on this November’s Senate Democrats hope to approve the revisions and “They can sue, but I can’t imagine a scenario in which a ballot. send the complete bill directly to Obama, but Republicans judge would enjoin the implementation of the federal health Because the individual mandate does not take effect are determined to drag out the process by offering scores of care bill,” said Lawrence Friedman, a law professor who until 2014, the states challenging that have time to work on amendments. teaches constitutional law at the New England School of Law legislation.

Republican Sen. John McCain told KTVK in Phoenix that in Boston. the Senate maneuvering is only the first line in the battle “Federal law is supreme. There’s really no room for doubt —AP against a measure passed in an “unsavory, sausage-making, that federal law controls,” he said.

Chicago-style process.”

But others say it is not that simple.

Okla. to get more disaster aid More Oklahoma counties are getting federal aid to recover costs from the Christmas Eve blizzard and an ice storm on Jan. 28.

Gov. Brad Henry said Monday the disaster assistance will help local governments repair roads, bridges and public facilities and remove debris. Preliminary damage estimates exceed $100 million from the two winter storms.

Counties receiving aid for the December storm are: Alfalfa, Beckham, Bryan, Caddo, Carter, Cherokee, Creek, Dewey, Greer, Harmon, Haskell, Kiowa, LeFlore, Logan, Mayes, McCurtain, McIntosh, Osage,

Pawnee, Pittsburg, Roger Mills, Seminole, Wagoner, Washington and Washita. Twentynine other counties already were approved.

Counties getting help for the January storm are: Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Canadian, Cherokee, Craig, Creek, Custer, Garvin, Grant, Lincoln, Logan, Major, Mayes, Murray, Nowata, Okfuskee, Ottawa, Pawnee, Rogers, Sequoyah, Texas, Wagoner and Washington.

Twenty-five counties previously were approved for assistance.

—AP

OKC high school evacuated due to gas odor Oklahoma City public school officials say classes will resume as normal at a high school that was evacuated because of a natural gas odor.

Officials announced Monday afternoon that Oklahoma Natural Gas had fixed the problem at Star Spencer High School.

Spokeswoman Tierney Cook says she wasn’t able to find out what caused the smell.

Officials said students, teachers and staff members were evacuated from the school

after the odor was detected about 9 a.m.

Monday. Spokeswoman Kathleen Kennedy says everyone was taken to nearby Rogers Middle School in northeast Oklahoma City.

Kennedy said parents would be notified of any updates through the district’s phone message system.

—AP

3 earthquakes recorded in central Oklahoma The U.S. Geological Survey reports recording three earthquakes in central Oklahoma in a span of less than seven hours.

A 3.7 magnitude quake was recorded near Prague in Lincoln County about 9:35 p.m.

Sunday. That was followed by a 2.7 magnitude quake in the same area about 3:20 a.m.

Monday and a 2.8 magnitude quake in the

9

number

crisis line

[help is just a phone call away]

325-6963 (NYNE)

OU Number Nyne Crisis Line 8 p.m.-4 a.m. every day except OU holidays and breaks

area just after 4:15 Monday morning.

No injuries or damage are reported. The survey says people as far away as Tulsa and Claremore reported feeling the 3.7 quake.

Quakes of magnitude 2.5 to 3 are generally the smallest felt by people.

—AP

6A

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

TENS OF THOUSANDS RALLY FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM WASHINGTON — Frustrated with the lack of action to overhaul the country’s immigration system, tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied on the National Mall and marched through the streets of the capital Sunday, waving American flags and holding homemade signs in English and Spanish.

Supporters traveled from around the country in hopes the rally would re-energize Congress to take up the volatile issue.

Some lawmakers oppose any attempt to help an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants become U.S. citizens while others insist on stronger border controls first.

President Barack Obama, who promised to make overhauling the immigration system a top priority in his first year, sought to reassure those at the rally with a video message presented on giant screens at the National Mall. The president said he was committed to working with Congress this year on a comprehensive bill to fix a “broken immigration system.”

Obama said problems include families being torn apart, employers gaming the system and police officers struggling to keep communities safe.

The president, whose comments were released as he worked to get last-minute votes on a health care overhaul, said he would do everything in his power to forge a bipartisan consensus on immigration reform. The House was expected to vote on the landmark health care legislation late Sunday.

Some demonstrators were disappointed there hasn’t been more action a year into Obama’s term.

“I understand it may not all be his (Obama’s) fault,” said Manuel Bettran, a 21-year-old college student from Chicago.

“I am frustrated. I really wish not just him, but everybody, would take it more seriously. “ Bettran arrived in Washington on Sunday morning after a 13-hour bus ride. Like many, he had a personal connection to the issue. His parents were once illegal immigrants but were able to take advantage of an amnesty in the 1980s.

“Fortunately, they were able to become citizens during the last amnesty, but I know many people that weren’t that lucky,” said the American-born Bettran, adding that his brother was never able to gain legal status and had to leave the U.S. Lawmakers failed to agree in 2006 and 2007 when they last tried to overhaul the immigration system, and the political climate is even tougher now.

Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., released an outline of a bill last week that calls for illegal immigrants who want to get on the path to legal status to admit they broke the law by entering the U.S., pay fines and back taxes, and perform community service. They also would be required to pass background checks and be proficient in English before working toward legal residency, required before becoming a citizen.

Ben Jealous, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and a speaker at the rally, said the activists no doubt got the attention of lawmakers by converging on the mall “on the one Sunday Congress was in session.”

“I think you’ll see a response in the following weeks,” he said.

Authorities in D.C. don’t provide crowd estimates, but the mall was full of people for three blocks.

People held signs with slogans such as, “You need us as much as we need you,” and “No Human Being is Illegal.”

Many waved American flags, and a few also carried the banners of their countries of origin.

One group from Queens, N.Y., displayed a giant papier-mache family — a mother and two crying children. The creation, meant to symbolize the way immigration problems have split up families, was the work of teenagers in an after-school proAP PHOTO gram, said Natalia Aristizabal, arts and media educator for As seen from the Washington Monument, people fill the National the group, Make the Road New York.

Mall next to the Smithsonian Castle while attending a rally for

—AP

immigration reform, Sunday in Washington.

US urges Israel, Palestinians to exercise restraint

AP PHOTO

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, shakes hands with U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell, left, during their meeting Monday.

AMMAN, Jordan — The Obama administration is seeking to establish conditions for the stalled Israel-Palestinian talks to resume, U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell said Monday, urging the two sides to exercise restraint.

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, meanwhile, said the Palestinians wanted to give “a chance” to indirect talks with Israel mediated by the United States.

Mitchell and Erekat spoke in Amman, the Jordanian capital, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu headed to Washington. His trip there comes as U.S. and Israeli officials try to ease one of their worst-ever crises that erupted when Israel announced plans to build 1,600 new apartments in east Jerusalem, the part of the city that the Palestinians want as capital of their future state.

ACORN disbanding due to scandal CHICAGO — The once mighty community activist group ACORN announced Monday it is folding amid falling revenues — six months after video footage emerged showing some of its workers giving tax tips to conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute.

“It’s really declining revenue in the face of a series of attacks from partisan operatives and right-wing activists that have taken away our ability to raise the resources we need,” ACORN spokesman Kevin Whelan said.

Several of its largest affiliates, including ACORN New York and ACORN California, broke away this year and changed their names in a bid to ditch the tarnished image of their parent organization and restore revenue that ran dry in the wake of the video scandal.

ACORN’s financial situation and reputation went into free fall within days of the videos’ release in September. Congress reacted by yanking ACORN’s federal funding, private donors held back cash and scores of ACORN offices closed.

Earlier this month, a U.S. judge reiterated an earlier ruling that the federal law blacklisting ACORN and groups allied with it was unconstitutional because it singled them out.

But that didn’t mean any money would be automatically be restored.

Bertha Lewis, the CEO of ACORN, which

stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, alluded to financial hardships in a weekend statement as the group’s board prepared to deliberate by phone.

“ACORN has faced a series of well-orchestrated, relentless, well-funded right wing attacks that are unprecedented since the McCarthy era,” she said. “The videos were a manufactured, sensational story that led to rush to judgment and an unconstitutional act by Congress.”

ACORN’s board decided to close remaining state affiliates and field offices by April 1 because of falling revenues, with some national operations will continue operating for at least several weeks before shutting for good, Whelan said Monday.

For years, ACORN could draw on 400,000 members to lobby for liberal causes, such as raising the minimum wage or adopting universal health care. ACORN was arguably most successful at registering hundreds of thousands of low-income voters, though that mission was dogged by fraud allegations, including that some workers submitted forms signed by ‘Mickey Mouse’ or other cartoon characters.

—AP

Humboldt County worries about life after legal pot EUREKA, Calif. — Marijuana growing has long been a way of life in Humboldt County, especially in recent years as timber and fishing jobs have disappeared along California’s North Coast.

Now some residents worry that their way of life is being threatened — not by law enforcement, but by efforts to legalize marijuana in the state.

Community members are gathering Tuesday night to consider the consequences. They worry about the ripple effect that a drop in marijuana prices could have on the county as a whole if legalization undermines the black market.

“We have to recognize that if we have something that is this big a piece of our economy that is subsidized by being illegal, that this is an unsustainable situation,” Humboldt County Supervisor Mark Lovelace.

In recent years, anti-drug agents have seized hundreds of thousands of marijuana plants in the county, mostly from massive gardens in remote mountain forests that have earned the region the nickname Emerald Triangle. Law enforcement estimates put the street value of the crop in the billions of dollars.

The eradication efforts have not halted marijuana growing in Humboldt, but the number of plants seized does give a sense of the scale of the industry.

Meeting organizer Anna Hamilton of Shelter Cove said she believes legalization could be “devastating” to the region and that Humboldt County should plan ahead by capitalizing on its name recognition as a marijuana destination.

“We have to embrace marijuana tourism, marijuana products and services — and marijuana has to become a part of the Humboldt County brand,” said Hamilton, who describes herself as “intimately involved” with the marijuana industry.

Supporters of a ballot measure to legalize marijuana in limited quantities are still waiting for official word that they’ve submitted enough signatures to qualify for the November statewide ballot.

—AP

The announcement, made during a visit

by Vice President Joe Biden, threw U.S.sponsored peace talks into doubt and helped set off Palestinian protests in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

On Monday, Mitchell told reporters that the U.S. will continue talking to Israel and the Palestinians as “we seek to establish the conditions which will make possible the early commencement of proximity talks.”

He did not elaborate, but added: “We urge all sides to exercise restraint...What is needed now is a period of calm, quiet in which we can go forward in the effort in which we are engaged.”

The U.S. wants to “enter proximity talks at the earliest possible time in a manner in which we hope will lead to direct negotiations and ultimately to an agreement that leads to a comprehensive peace in the

Middle East,” Mitchell said.

The American later met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, a strong U.S. ally and the leader of only two Arab nations that signed peace treaties with Israel.

A palace statement quoted Abdullah as telling Mitchell that Israel “must stop all unilateral measures in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially provocative moves aimed at changing Jerusalem’s identity and threaten its holy sites.”

Separately, Erekat condemned Israel’s “settlement activities” in east Jerusalem and added: “We need to give the proximity talks the chance they deserve, but we want to make sure that the decisions of the Israeli government to construct 1,600 housing units in east Jerusalem and more to come is really stopped.”

—AP

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Joshua Boydston, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 325-5189 • fax: 325-6051

1B

« ONLINE

Read a blog on the life and struggle of Roger Ebert on yOU at OUDaily.com.

Ripping thriller takes itself too seriously Given the current political climate, the blood-soaked “Repo Men” is arguably cinema’s most powerful case for universal health care. One can imagine the public option looking pretty damn good to the unfortunate citizens who occupy this story. Where is a feisty Michael Moore when you need him?

Politics aside, horror buffs and action junkies alike are sure to savor every gory ounce of director Miguel Sapochnik’s flawed but gripping sci-fi thriller.

In a time when organ donors are shamefully hard to come by, the characters who inhabit Sapochnik’s futuristic world could not be LARON more privileged. Thanks to CHAPMAN a lucrative biotech company known as “The Union,” patients are supplied with costly state-of-theart mechanical organs to ease their troubles.

Patients apprehensive about their ability to keep up with the hefty payments are immediately informed by the money-hungry chief executive Frank (Liev Schreiber); “You owe it to yourself and your family.”

With an argument like that, how can they resist? Nobody can say their decision was not noble. A little bad credit never hurt anybody, right? Wrong. As patients fall drastically behind on payments, they get a less than friendly visit from The Union’s repo men who proceed to reclaim the company’s property in the tradition of a brutal “Saw” movie.

The repo men, Remy and Jake (Jude Law and Forest Whitaker), take immense pride in their work, relishing every gruesome scalpel operation they engage in. However, when Remy’s savage demeanor takes an inevitable toll on his marriage, he decides that his malicious acts must cease if he is to salvage what little humanity he still holds.

Unfortunately, Remy’s better judgment emerged too late as his promised last job turns tragic, landing him in intensive care with one of the company’s artificial organs.

With little support from his once faithful employers and colleagues, Remy is forced to seek refuge amongst the patients he once so

PHOTO PROVIDED

“Repo Men” leading men Jude Law and Forest Whitaker posing in a still from the movie that opened Friday.

mercilessly pursued.

While in hiding, Remy builds instinctive empathy and becomes romantically involved with a beautiful nightclub singer named Beth (Alice Braga) whose body is currently housing nearly a dozen of The Union’s valuable commodities. Fed up with being cast as feeble prey, Remy and Beth embark on a perilous journey to the heavily guarded Union headquarters building in attempt to eradicate the company’s unethical practices.

As a kinetic action-thriller, “Repo Men” is stylish and visually arresting. As a heavyhanded message picture, the film is not always convincing. While this is not exactly original material, it is not by coincidence that the film was released during our nation’s current health care debate.

Rather than embracing its goofiness in attempt to provide the audience with some much needed campy fun, the film tries too hard to bring about a more profound significance. It also suffers from a colossal miscalculation of tone, combining elements of grisly violence, earnest drama and satire in a less than cohesive manner.

Flaws aside, the film does have an intriguing premise, some astonishing visuals and is consistently entertaining. While not for the squeamish, the film is mostly a thrilling experience.

Laron Chapman is a film and video studies sophomore.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Clockwise from bottom left: Deerpeople, Octopus Project and Colourmusic.

NORMAN MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES OPOLIS STAGE LINEUP JOSHUA BOYDSTON Daily Staff Writer

FULL OPOLIS STAGE SCHEDULE

Quentin Bombgardner, Norman Music Festival organizer, announced the full two day lineup for the Opolis stage on 105.3 The Spy Monday evening.

The stage will mostly feature local groups, but also will showcase Austin’s Octopus Project.

The band will perform Saturday night with Colourmusic — who played with Octopus Project on the main stage at the first Norman Music Festival — while Deerpeople will headline Sunday afternoon.

Other Oklahoma favorites playing the stage include veterans Debris, reunited Euclid Crash, rockers Hush Hush Commotion and Junebug Spade and the grungy Depth And Current.

More stage lineups are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Norman Music Festival takes place April 24 and 25 in downtown Norman and is free to the public.

Saturday night: 6 - Kite Flying Robot 7 - Junebug Spade 8 - Locust Avenue 9 - Depth And Current 10 - Hush Hush Commotion 11 - Colourmusic 12 - Octopus Project Sunday afternoon: 12:30 - Brother Gruesome 1:30 - Euclid Crash 2:30 - Debris 3:30 - Toothman 4:30 - Ghost of Monkshood 5:30 - Deerpeople

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UNINTERESTING ROM-COM COMES UP EMPTY HANDED When some distant civilization discovers cultural artifacts from this decade, we can only hope they don’t find “The Bounty Hunter.” Trust me, it doesn’t reflect well on any of us.

Ill-conceived at every turn, “The Bounty Hunter” has a hokey detective thriller bumping uglies with the most excruciating of romcom conventions, all in a sprawling package that pushes the limits of a two-hour running time. Self-indulgence, meet blistering incompetence.

Gerard Butler stars as Milo, a former cop DUSTY who’s now paying the SOMERS rent as a bail bond enforcer. His ex Nicole (Jennifer Aniston) is due in court for a traffic offense that’s minor enough to not really matter, but still somehow rePHOTO PROVIDED quires a $50,000 bail.

Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler star in “The And never the twain shall meet. If Bounty Hunter,” which opened Friday. only.

Crack reporter Nicole is too caught up edited, it wouldn’t matter if they were. in getting a key interview for her story For their parts, Butler and Aniston on a mysterious suicide to show up to make for a tenuously convincing oncourt, and when Milo sees the chance to screen couple, as they both have the deliver his former wife to jail for a nice haggard look of careers headed in the payday, he jumps. same downward trajectory.

“The Bounty Hunter” could’ve wasted Aniston’s been traveling that long audiences’ time several different ways, descent into self-parody ever since and it opts for all of them. The roman- “Friends” ended, but Butler, who looked tic character arcs are as obvious as they to be a potential big star after “300,” has come, and the hazy police corruption nosedived much quicker with offal like investigation Nicole is pursuing doesn’t “P.S. I Love You,” “Gamer” and now even make sense in movie-land. this.

Comedic scenes (golf cart into pond, “The Bounty Hunter” heads toward taser-fried neck, lots of being hand- its inevitable conclusion where all anicuffed to objects) and action scenes mosity evaporates and former lovers (rote car chases and gunplay) both elic- return to each other, passions renewed. it stony-faced silence. These ideas just You’ll wish they never met. If only. aren’t interesting, and the scenes are Dusty Somers is a journalism senior. so poorly paced and indiscriminately

2B

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

» GORILLAZ

“Plastic Beach” 8.9/10.0 Key Tracks: “Rhinestone Eyes,” “Superfast Jellyfish” “Plastic Beach” — the long awaited to sequel to 2005’s “Demon Days” — is yet another piece of animated gold.

But while its predecessors were much more straightforward pop albums, Gorillaz’s latest leans toward an experimental blend of neo-soul and radio-friendly grooves.

Instead of racing from single to single, “Plastic Beach” opts to interlace party-starters with orchestral stitches and melancholic melodies, bringing along a bevy of guests stars — including Mos Def, Lou Reed, Snoop Dogg and more — to steer the ship.

No song is half as catchy as “Feel Good Inc.” (or even “Clint Eastwood”), but there are many moments that are just as interesting or exciting.

Driven by pure pop instincts and taste for things exotic, the trip dips from sand cruising pulses (“Stylo,” “Superfast Jellyfish”) to a beachcombing looseness (“Some Kind of Nature,” “Sweepstakes”), all practically dripping with beads of cool.

Kinder, introspective moments like “Rhinestone Eyes” and “Empire Ants” shiver beneath the moonlight and truly steal the show: a testament to Damon Albarn’s gripping vocals.

There’s rarely a dull moment; either Albarn is ripping at your heart and ears with another lovely melody or a new guest spot brings a smile to your face. It’s a full product, and the gushing interludes tie the whole package together.

The end of the album melts away into just another sunset — pretty, if unremarkable — though this hardly mars yet another beautiful day at the beach.

LOCKSLEY

“Be In Love” 7.7/10.0 Key Tracks: “Darling It’s True,” “The Whip” It’s been a brief two years since the release of Locksley’s debut album, “Don’t Make Me Wait.” But it has grown in leaps and bounds in no time.

While the debut showed a lot of promise, “Be In Love” fleshes it all out. There’s nothing overly innovative or unique here, just a load of damn catchy tunes.

Locksley favors a brand of vintage guitar pop that has rarely popped up so brightly since the seventies. It’s a wholesome, lighthearted sound full of “oohs,” “lahs” and “doo wops,” but with “Be In Love” the group has brought in an energetic flavor of rowdy garage rock for the new millennium.

Fans of Rooney, The Hives and local favorite The Pretty Black Chains will all find something to love here.

Locksley is just as radio friendly as raucous as it whips and hollers with “One More Minute” and “On Fire.” Then it does its best Buddy Holly impersonation in “Darling, It’s True” and “Away From Here.”

“The Whip” probably captures it all the best; it’s a surefire hit if people give it a chance.

And the band really never falters. There’s no misstep, never a dull moment.

If the band suffers from anything, it’s the aforementioned lack of innovation. A bit anonymous at times, “Be In Love” could use a signature touch that might just come with time.

And hell, if it only took Locksley two years to get this far along, it is probably already halfway there.

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB

“Beat The Devil’s Tattoo” 4.8/10.0 Key Tracks: “Beat The Devil’s Tattoo,” “Conscience Killer” Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is quite the enigma.

Most bands can’t claim half the talent BRMC has, nor even compare to the authentic rock ‘n’ roll edge these guys effortlessly sneer.

But if there has ever been a band who has wasted more talent, I couldn’t tell you who that would be.

It came on the forefront of the garage rock revival in the early ’00s but has long since been left underneath the wheels of The White Stripes and The Strokes.

Sadly enough, if you take two or three songs from each of BRMC’s five full-length albums you’ve probably got a masterpiece; instead we’ve got one good album (“B.R.M.C.”) and four mixed bags.

The latest effort follows suit. “Beat The Devil’s Tattoo” starts with a steady bang; the self-titled track and “Conscience Killer” seem to indicate a departure from the trend, and vintage groover “Bad Blood” is interesting enough. But then the slow fall into the big empty begins.

Nothing here is overtly offensive, just painfully boring.

The band does manage to snake its way into being somewhat entertaining in the later half and receives a much needed jolt from the thumping “Mama Taught Me Better” (though it may only feel electric in contrast to the slow dirges surrounding it).

But mostly it just drags along, and it tires easily.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will release one hell of a greatest hits collection, but if the band doesn’t step it up before then, it appears destined to be belting those hits

Check out tomorrow’s edition for one writer’s solution to getting more bands tocome to Norman.

This week The Daily looks at a handful of albums that run the full gamut in genre, popularity and quality.

out from a crusty, old biker bar instead of the stadiums it seemed to promise.

Joshua Boydston is a psychology junior.

KIDZ IN THE HALL

“Land of Make Believe” 8.0/10.0 Key Tracks: “Fresh Academy,” “Out To Lunch” Kidz in the Hall’s new addition to an already pretty respectable discography is probably one of the better hip-hop albums this year so far. No offense Luda and Weezy, but the Kidz are way more fresh.

The duo, consisting of producer Double-O and rapper Naledge, show their talent and love for the game on Land of Make Believe. They also receive contributions from a long list of artists, some better known than others.

The album’s supporting cast includes veteran rapper MC Lyte, singers Marsha Ambrosius, Colin Munroe, Tim William, Amanda Diva and Russoul, along with up-and-coming rappers Donnis, Chip Tha Ripper and The Kid Daytona. These artists as a collective make for quite a listening experience, highlighted by laid back instrumentals and fresh lyricism from Naledge and Co. The songs are mostly about the lifestyle and experiences of the group, with lyrics that are far from revolutionary, but that doesn’t appear to be what they’re going for. For the Kidz it seems to be all about having fun, and the album fits that mission perfectly.

With tracks like “Out To Lunch” and “Fresh Academy,” you’ll be able to recognize the swagger of the Kidz. “Out to Lunch” features The Kid Daytona, while “Fresh Academy” includes Donnis and Chip Tha Ripper, and both tracks highlight the life the rappers lead, a life of freshness, as they would describe it.

While most of the album is geared toward having a good time, there are a few thought provoking, issue-driven songs like “Running” with Tim William and “Do It All Again”, a song in which Naledge speaks on his own personal problems.

The album probably isn’t the best bet for getting a party started, but it’s perfect if you just want to kick back and listen to some good hip-hop.

It probably won’t top the charts and certainly won’t get as many spins as the mainstream acts, but it is more than deserving of a listen.

So if you’re looking for some worthwhile hip-hop with some lyrical depth, add this album to your list.

Ryan Querbach is a journalism sophomore.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

“The Big To-Do” Rating: 8.1/10.0 Key tracks: “This F***ing Job,” “The Wig He Made Her Wear” Southern rock sure sounds like a rollicking good time when “Gimme Three Steps” or “Flirtin’ with Disaster” pump from the neon jukebox in the corner of the bar. The soaring guitar solos and good-timey vibes are enough to relax listeners from worrying about their crystal meth-cooking cousins and the matrimonial homicide a few miles down the road from where they grew up, the things with which Drive-By Truckers singer and songwriter Patterson Hood is topically concerned.

Bare-faced and unflinching, the Drive-By Truckers are as southern as mud flaps and frank as a preacher’s funeral.

A familial band—guitarist Jason Isbell and bassist Shonna Tucker were once married—from Georgia with a threeheaded guitar attack is all one needs to dump the Truckers onto the rack with the Lynyrd Skynyrds, .38 Specials, and Marshall Tucker Bands of the world, though that would be a tragic understatement.

It’s unfair to typify their music as merely southern rock because the band’s albums are works of the southern gothic, setting to music the darkest stuff of Flannery O’Connor, Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner. Each song plays out like a short story, a sentiment Hood recently affirmed in an interview on the Irish music blog Swear I’m not Paul.

“I do love myths and legends,” he said. “Folklore, storytelling, etc. All of these things are a big part of what we do and things we apply to our music. It’s a grand old tradition that isn’t done as much nowadays as in days past. We are all very much into the idea of keeping that old tradition alive as best we

can.” “ T h e B i g To Do” is an acceptable, shorter follow-up to 2008’s underrated and — dare I say — perfect “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark”, a 19-track rock and roll masterpiece tackling questions of salvation, aggression and the illusion of normalcy, all integral to the southern identity. The two records exemplify the band’s songwriting dynamic. Hood shares singing and songwriting duties with guitarist Mike Cooley and bassist (and secret weapon) Shonna Tucker, whose voice lends beauty and surprise (“You Got Another”) in the unsettling wake left by Hood’s more straightforward songs. Cooley typically focuses closely on characters though his presence is diminished here; “The Big To-Do” suffers from a smaller ensemble. Aside from an apathetic hooker (“Birthday Boy”) and the deranged couple in Hood’s account of the murder of a preacher near his childhood home (“The Wig He Made Her Wear”), the storytelling seems tame in comparison to “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark”.

Don’t worry motorcycle and corndog enthusiasts, Hood and company don’t dilute their traditional rock and roll fuzz with all this literary nonsense. “Daddy Learned to Fly,” “The Fourth Night of My Drinking” and “This F***ing Job” all deliver with mud-crunching guitar riffs and solos strong enough to revive Ronnie Van Zandt.

Anyone looking for hot singles in this album will be disappointed. The Drive-By Truckers are hardworking, bluecollar recordsmiths who play marathon-like concerts and leave the pop charts to younger musicians, though “(It’s Gonna Be) I Told You So” is about as close as they’ll ever come to country-pop, thanks to Tucker’s rich singing.

Squeezed into the middle of an album loaded with southern identity and shy on filler, “The Big To-Do” ought to be remembered as the band’s “Houses of the Holy,” an excellent follow-up to an exemplary record.

Matt Carney is a professional writing junior.

Tuesday, March 23,2010

3B

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

BASEBALL Check out the baseball podcast st on OUDAILY.COM

«

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Sooners look to clinch trip to Sweet Sixteen No. 3 seed OU can move on to the round of 16 if they defeat Arkansas-Little Rock at home ANNELISE RUSSELL Daily Staff Writer

MARCIN RUTKOWSKI/THE DAILY

Joanna McFarland, freshman center, goes for a shot Sunday evening during the OU women’s basketball game against South Dakota in the Lloyd Noble Center. OU won 68-57.

Does OU women’s basketball have a sweet tooth?

They will find out tonight when OU battles Arkansas –Little Rock for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.

The Sooners are coming off a 68-57 victory over South Dakota State, but the close game against the 11th seed proved how tight competition is this year.

OU faces an 11th ULAR team who knocked off sixth seeded Georgia Tech on Sunday. This 11th seed could give the Sooners all they can handle.

For the Trojans, senior guard Kim Sitzman posted a careerhigh 21 points against Georgia Tech.

She could pose a threat for OU as the team’s second leading scorer, but the real threat is junior forward Chastity Reed.

Reed leads the Trojans in scoring and boards with 24.9 points and 7.9 rebounds. She also is the team leader in blocks.

She could be a definitive presence in the post, but OU has strong hands in the paint to counter the Trojan offensive.

Senior forward Amanda Thompson averages 10.7 rebounds per game and senior center Abi Olajuwon is adding 10.3 points per game.

The key to the Sooner success may be the ability to spread the floor, with senior guard Nyeshia Stevenson drawing defenders with shots from beyond the arc.

OU has numerous players capable of propelling them into the Sweet Sixteen, but the Trojans will probably have something to say about that.

The Big Dance continues at 8:30 tonight in Lloyd Noble Center.

«

SOFTBALL

OU softball team prepares for back-to-back road games TOBI NEIDY Daily Staff Writer

Vandever. Arizona tied up the game in the bottom of the fifth and score the winning run in the bottom of the seventh after OU softball will travel to take on the two sacrifice bunts and an infield single Tulsa Golden Hurricane(15-12) for the brought in Baillie Kirker who was hit by a second time this season at 6 p.m. today in pitch to start the inning. Ricketts registered the Donna J. Hardesty sports complex. The the loss after giving up four runs on seven Sooners are 25-6 for the season. hits.

OU shut out Tulsa during the teams’ OU also fell 5-4 to San Jose State after a first meeting March 3 in Norman. The late Sooner rally came up short. San Jose Sooners scored three State jumped out to an early runs in both the first lead in the first and second OU VS. TULSA HISTORY and second innings beinnings by scoring all of its fore adding the game's five runs in the combined OU is 25-7 against Tulsa under final run in the bottom innings against sophomore head coach Patty Gasso. The of the sixth. Freshman pitcher Allee Allen. The Sooners are 8-4 on the road pitcher Keilani Ricketts Sooners responded in the against TU during that same struck out eight batters top of the third with a three span. during her first home run home run by freshman start and gave up just Earlier this season, OU defeated catcher Jessica Shults. The three hits and one walk Tulsa 7-0 in Norman. home run was Shults' ninth for the contest. The win for the season. Senior secwas also Ricketts' fifth ond baseman Amber Flores shutout for the season. scored off a wild pitch in the The Sooners return with a 3-2 record top of the fifth, but the rally wasn’t enough over the weekend from the Judi Garman to top the Spartans.

Classic in California. The classic featured The Sooners ended the tournament several of softball's top-ranked teams with a 2-0 shut out victory over the Virginia including No. 1 Washington and No. 2 Cavaliers. Junior Dani Dobbs led the Arizona.

Sooners in scoring with her two-RBI sevOU shut out Utah 3-0 on Thursday in enth inning. Ricketts relieved sophomore the first game of the Classic before outscor- pitcher Kirsten Allen to finish the game ing Arizona State 5-4 in the second game. in the final two innings and earn the win.

Ricketts allowed one earned run on six hits Ricketts moved to 15-5 for the season. against the Sun Devils to gain her 14th win OU will travel to Fayetteville to take for the season . on the Arkansas Razorbacks at 4 p.m.

The Sooners fell 4-3 to No. 2 Arizona Wednesday before returning home to open Friday morning after a late rally by the conference action. The Sooners will open Wildcats. The Sooners scored three runs Big 12 play during the next home game in the top of third third with a two-RBI against the No. 3 Missouri Tigers at 2 p.m. single from senior third baseman Lindsey Saturday.

NEIL MCGLOHON/THE DAILY

Haley Nix, junior outfielder, hits the ball March 10 during the OU softball game against North Texas on March 10 at the OU Softball Complex. The Sooners won 6-4.

4B Tuesday, March 23, 2010 Thad Baker, advertising manager classifieds@ou.edu • phone: 325-2521 • fax: 325-7517

Announcements

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

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Needs students for all types of jobs, kitchen, dining room, housekeeping, stores, maintenance, horse wrangler, office and other. Salary, room & board/bonus. For information and application write to: Student Personnel Director 6315 Westover Drive Granbury TX 76049 or Call 1-800-548-1684 or email: rafain@sbcglobal.net Bartending! Up to $300/day. No exp nec.

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SITUATIONS WANTED Research volunteers needed! Researchers at OU Health Sciences Center need healthy volunteers ages 18 to 30 who have a parent with or without a history of an alcohol or drug problem. Qualified participants will be compensated for their time. Call 456-4303 to learn more about the study and to see if you qualify.

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5 7 9 1 2 4 3 6 8

2 5 1 7 4 3 8 9 6

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

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 ARIES (March 21-April 19) - This might start out to be a somewhat difficult day, with everything going against you, but if you take the concentration off yourself and start doing nice things for others, you’ll start smiling again.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Should you have to deal with someone today who did something you didn’t like, you could end up being miserable and a very unhappy person. Let it go, and you’ll be much happier.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - You had better hide all your credit cards and put very little money in your wallet, because there’s a strong chance that you won’t be able to help yourself today when it comes to wasteful spending.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) - Problems you’ll experience today are likely to be of your own making if you constantly do things that go against your better judgment on an impulse.

Be more disciplined.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) - Instead of trying to see things from another person’s perspective today, chances are you’ll choose to be blind to their needs or wants.

You’ll be your own worst enemy if you’re too set in your ways.

Previous Answers

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) - It might seem like everybody is trying to impose upon you today, but in reality it will be your own desire for reclusiveness that makes them seem so intrusive on your time. Go with the flow.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) - Be careful to whom you go for advice today, because inept advisers will lead you far astray from where you want to go.

Don’t seek counsel from those whose lives are in disarray.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) - Should you decide to attempt a do-it-yourself project you’ve never tried before, make certain you know what the hazards are before you begin. You could bite off far more than you can chew.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) - Loaning something to another that is not yours, or is something you can’t afford to lose, could cause big trouble for you if things go wrong. Be extremely discerning about doing so today.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - Vacillation could be your worst enemy today, depriving you of success. Make careful considerations, and once you’re committed to them, don’t make changes midstream.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) - You might give a few minor chores a lick and a promise today, but when it comes to accomplishing anything meaningful, you’re likely to have more excuses than ambition.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) There’s a good chance that when it comes to your finances today, you could be quite undisciplined.

If you go shopping or out on the town, know what you can comfortably spend and don’t go beyond it.

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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.

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Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker March 23, 2010

ACROSS 1 Is inquisitive 5 Chick’s pronouncement 9 White-flag waver’s desire 14 City with a high divorce rate?

15 The “A” in A.D. 16 From the boondocks 17 Bedouin bigwig (Var.) 18 Defeat narrowly 19 Madagascar primate 20 “Hush!”

23 Use a whetstone on 24 Faux finish?

25 Fictional works 28 Old Chinese money 30 Green target 33 Vertically, in nautical talk 34 “It Must Be Him” singer Vikki 35 River in Donegal 36 “Don’t be rude!”

39 Genesis grandchild 40 VIP section?

41 Give access to 42 J.F.K. or F.D.R., partywise 43 ___ listening (radio format) 44 Moves stealthily

45 Title for Walter Scott 46 Caesar’s sidekick 47 “Cool it!”

54 Capital of India?

55 Bent joint for a proposer 56 Dermatological concern 57 Kind of ego 58 When the Feast of Esther is observed 59 Asta’s owner 60 Former times 61 Pairing device on the farm 62 Flashy trinket DOWN 1 Graceful equine 2 Conductor’s opening?

3 Make bootees, e.g.

4 Poor losers 5 Metrical feet 6 Provide, as with a quality 7 Bridge bldr.

8 Coffeehouse attraction, maybe 9 Having three parts 10 Ladder components 11 Language in Pakistan 12 Have concern 13 One of the NFL

Mannings 21 Like some tempera paints 22 “Tosca” or “Thais,” e.g.

25 Dubbed 26 Make one’s views known 27 Gila monster’s delivery 28 Dawdle 29 It holds a lot of companies 30 ___ brulee (custard with a crust) 31 Tear open, as seams 32 Rats, gnats, etc.

34 “The Hustler” props 35 Lovable 37 Eggproducing organ 38 Prefix

43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54

meaning “drug-related” Downproducing ducks Cling Frozen downpour Sound of old floorboards Dance with a story Elects (to) “Sure, why not?”

Reverse an action Greek colonnade Eggshell shade Fish of the herring family Will Smith’s music

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

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HAVE IT YOUR WAY by Arnold Theo

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

5B

A VIEWER’S GUIDE TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT American media rarely produces content more thrilling and compelling than an overtime buzzer-beater that topples a Goliath and preserves the tournament dreams of a Cinderella school. Few, if any, televised events rival the NCAA Tournament for sheer entertainment value and the major networks (correctly) don’t bother trying to contest CBS whenever March rolls around.

Year in and year out, March Madness has proven as forceful and shaping to our culture as any monumental film or album release could possibly be. And since many of us once had athletic lives, and still—contrary to popular belief—appreciate televised sports, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to help those among our readership who…don’t so much. That said, here’s a guide to complement your viewing, complete with a few insights, some history and terminology to make it sound like you’ve been at it all season.

WATCHING TIP #1: STARTING AT THE TOP Each year, the top four teams in the country are rewarded with a No. 1 seed, theoretically the easiest road to the championship game. A No. 1 seed has never lost in the first round of the 64-team, single-elimination tournament and this year’s field preserved that record, as Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Syracuse all rolled over the No. 16 seeds and into the second round with confidence.

Most experts favored Kansas (with 31 victories and only two losses on the season) to win its second championship in three years, fueled by consistent play from experienced upperclassmen, but they were stopped short Friday afternoon by red-hot upstarts Northern Iowa.

Insightful observation: “With Kansas out of the picture, all the other one seeds must like their chances a little better, but they’re still going to have to watch out for the big upset, with guys like Ali Farokhmanesh trolling around.”

WATCHING TIP #2: UPSETS, UPSETS, UPSETS The tournament’s great allure (especially in the early rounds) is the plentiful potential for the upset. Its structure produces much-loved underdogs each year by guaranteeing spots to teams successful in smaller conferences, typically matching them against larger or pedigreed programs. No. 14 seed Ohio pulled the biggest first-round upset this year, upending a Georgetown team that limped into a three seed. Robert Morris University nearly became the fifth No. 15 seed in history to move to the second round, pushing two seed Villanova into overtime. However, it’s rare that a one seed fails to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, so the big prize this year belongs to Northern Iowa.

Predicting such upsets is a mixture of art and science—statistical analysis and risky, gut instinct are both requisite—but it can be done. Good factors to look for are key injuries, win/ loss streaks (Georgetown dropped five of 10 games before getting embarrassed by Ohio, who’d won seven of their previous eight) and general team discipline, as hard-running, well-

coached teams often prevail against more talented opponents with entitlement complexes.

Insightful observation: “Everybody saw Cornell over Temple coming because of how consistent Cornell has been for the last three years, while Temple fluffed their ranking with a bunch of wins against weaker competition.”

WATCHING TIP #3: EVERY GAME IS WORTH WATCHING…ALL 63 OF THEM Though there are 32 first-round games, many are just as compelling as the Championship game, the two Final Four matchups…and the rest of them. Why’s that? Because a single loss means you’re headed back to class, regardless of where you are in the tournament. It’s not the regular season anymore; players run like each game is their last because it very well could be.

History also factors in there. Georgia Tech out-muscled Oklahoma State on Friday night, a game that shared an outcome with 2004’s Final Four pairing that eliminated a very talented squad from Stillwater. Cornell’s win over Temple was the first tournament win by an Ivy League team in over a decade. Jimmer Fredette led Brigham Young to their first tournament win since 1993. Heck, some teams have to wait decades just to make it into the tournament— Arkansas Pine Bluff made its first appearance this year, only to get routed by Duke in the first round.

Insightful observation: “That 2006 National Championship game between Florida and UCLA was totally epic and produced a ton of pro talent, but people often forget that 11 seed George Mason’s unexpected trip to the Final Four was easily the story of that year’s tournament.”

WATCHING TIP #4: THE BIG STAGE Stars are born under the bright lights. Some players endear themselves to a national audience by delivering in the clutch (Christian Laettner’s perfect 30-point performance, capped by the game-winning shot in the 1992 east regional final). Others do so by athletic feats (see Blake Griffin’s prolific Elevate-So-High-That-I-Scrape-My-Head-Against-The-Side-Of-TheBackboard-And-Still-Dunk-It dunk last season against Syracuse) or by shattering records.

These are the players to watch, the ones who excel with all eyes and hopes on them.

So far this tournament, it’s tough to top Ali Farokhmanesh, who buried a clutch three to send the Jayhawks empty-handed back to Lawrence. Keep an eye out for perimeter shooters since there aren’t a whole bunch of great inside players in the college game this year. Denis Clemente of Kansas State and Eric Bledsoe of Kentucky both have ice in their veins and know how to work from beyond the arc—they’re great bets.

Insightful observation: “Those are the guys that NBA teams are looking for. Players who aren’t afraid to step up and finish a game when their number gets called.”

Matt Carney is a professional writing junior.

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