The Oklahoma Daily

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Campus elections begin today Visit elections.ou.edu to vote Voting ends Wednesday

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

Election Day — Tuesday, March 29, 2011

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Couple donates $20M to HSC Money will fund diabetes research at OU, university spokesman says KATHLEEN EVANS The Oklahoma Daily

With its most recent gift to the OU Health Sciences Center, an Oklahoma couple has now donated more than $30 million to improve the university’s diabetes research.

Harold and Sue Ann Hamm donated $20 million, the largest single gift to the HSC, to the Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center on March 13 to create more research opportunities and improve diabetes care throughout Oklahoma, OU spokesman Chris Shilling said. In 2007, the couple donated $10.5 million, which was used to create faculty positions, build a facility and support research, according

to a press release from the Hamm Center. “Added to their previous support, Harold and Sue Ann Hamm have provided more than $30 million to help us create an internationally top-ranked, university-based center for diabetes research and clinical care,” OU President David Boren said in a statement. SEE GIFT PAGE 2

STUDENTS SPRUCE UP CAMPUS FOR ARBOR DAY

BRIEFS

UOSA polling location moved due to weather concerns The physical polling location for the UOSA spring elections has been moved from the South Oval to the Oklahoma Memorial Union due to the high chance of rain Tuesday, the election board chairwoman said. The new location will be in the union’s food court, directly across from Quiznos, election board chairwoman Natalie Jester said. Because laptops will be used in online voting, the location needed to be moved indoors, Jester said. On Wednesday, the physical polling location will move to the originally planned location in front of Bizzell Memorial Library on the South Oval. Voting times at the physical polling location will remain from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days despite the move to the union. Online voting begins at 8 a.m. Tuesday at elections. ou.edu and will end 8 p.m. Wednesday. Visit OUDaily.com for more student-government election coverage. — Hillary McLain/The Daily

MARCIN RUTKOWSKI/THE DAILY

Bridgitte Castrino, public relations junior, observes as Rachel Gallant, human relations senior; Ty McCarthy, regional and city planning graduate student; and Brian Spikes, criminology senior, plant a tree Monday afternoon by Kraettli Apartments.

Sooners plant roots for the future

Students plant trees on campus in spite of inconvenient weather KATHLEEN EVANS The Oklahoma Daily

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hilly weather and cloudy skies could not prevent students, faculty and staff from continuing the 15-year tradition of planting trees during Arbor Day. National Arbor Day is April 29, but OU celebrated the holiday on Monday. The celebration included a lunch inside Couch Cafeteria — the picnic was moved due to cold weather — and the organized planting of trees at Kraettli Apartments. Since the first Arbor Day at OU in 1997,

students, faculty and staff have planted trees each year on the three OU campuses, OU President David Boren said at a picnic Monday. The average is a thousand a year, or 15,000 trees, Boren said. “Campus is ... a much more pleasant and beautiful place to be,” Boren said. The Arbor Day tradition has never been more necessary than when it helped restore campus after the 2007 ice storm that killed many trees and branches on campus, Boren said. “After the horrible ice storm, the students pitched in, and $2 million was raised to add another 1,100 trees back,” SEE ARBOR PAGE 2

Crossroads to open ice cream shop in April New creamery looking for student suggestions for menu, spokeswoman says GARRETT DUTY The Oklahoma Daily

The fare offered at Crossroads Restaurant in the Oklahoma Memorial Union will become more diverse next month with the addition of an ice cream shop. Crossroads Creamery is tentatively scheduled to open April 7 in place of the restaurant’s smoothie shop, Housing and Food Services spokeswoman Lauren Royston said.

A LOOK AT WHAT’S ON Visit The Daily’s 2011 election section to read coverage and profiles of each student-government candidate

Ice cream by the scoop, sundaes and ice cream floats will be on the creamery’s menu, Royston said. The creamery is intended to have the feel of a classic ice cream and soda bar, Royston said. “It’s kind of a step back when you think of the union’s old soda fountain and the memories that were made in that respect, so to be able to offer that to this group of current Sooners is a really nice opportunity,” Royston said. Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream will be available, and one or two specialty flavors will be placed in rotation every few weeks,

THE OKLAHOMA DAILY VOL. 96, NO. 120 © 2011 OU Publications Board www.OUDaily.com www.facebook.com/OUDaily www.twitter.com/OUDaily

Royston said. Eventually, the shop will provide sherbet as well, Royston said. Housing and Food Services employees are looking for suggestions from students about Crossroads Creamery’s full menu, Royston said. “We welcome the feedback of the students, and we’re ready to look over that and take those suggestions into consideration,” Royston said. “We’re always on the hunt for ways to make our restaurants more appetizing to our customers, and this is a logical opportunity for us to do so.”

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Volunteers for Big Event must complete registration Thursday Volunteers for Saturday’s Big Event must register, pick up T-shirts and sign a release waiver by 7 p.m. Thursday. Volunteers are required to turn in a liability waiver and a talent release form to participate, according to an email from the Big Event Executive Committee. Waivers can be filled out at registration locations or printed out beforehand from bigevent.ou.edu. A student ID is required to complete registration. Students who register by Tuesday will be entered in a raffle for a $250 gift card to the University Bookstore, according to the volunteer email. OU and some local businesses are offering special deals to students who participate in Big Event, according to the email. Those who wear a Big Event T-shirt to the OU baseball game Saturday evening will receive a free soda and popcorn. Raising Cane’s at 1130 Alameda St. will give participants a free drink with any purchase. Visit OUDaily.com for a list of registration sites. — Kathleen Evans/The Daily

TODAY’S WEATHER

47°| 37° Tomorrow: Partly cloudy, high of 54 degrees


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