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Health care bill strips student loans from private lenders New legislation will increase funding for Pell Grants, put student loans solely under government control MATTHEW MOZAK Daily Staff Writer
President Barack Obama approved changes to the U.S. student loan program Tuesday as part of the new health-care reform bill. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said the House and the Senate have approved legislation — the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 — that will overhaul the student loan industry and government financial aid programs. Duncan said this legislation will eliminate a $61-billion program that supports private banking companies that make
federally-backed student loans, which offer the lowest interest rates because the government assumes the risk if students fail to meet their financial obligations. Students will now solely go through the federal government to get their student loans. However, students will continue to work with their school’s financial aid offices to request student loans, he said. Duncan described the legislation as a rare opportunity to invest billions of dollars in students, which will allow millions of hardworking families to afford college. The government will use $36 billion of the $61 billion it saves over 10 years to increase Pell Grant scholarships — need-based financial aid that doesn’t need to be repaid — making college more affordable for millions of middle-class Americans, according to the Congressional Budget Office report.
This legislation will increase the maximum annual Pell Grant scholarship to $5,350 in 2010 and to $5,975 by 2017. Starting in 2013, the scholarship will increase as the cost of living increases. The rest of the savings will be used to make student loans more manageable for borrowers and strengthen community colleges, the report stated. Caryn Pacheco, OU Financial Aid Services director, said 3,927 OU students received $12,658,516 in Pell Grant scholarships for the 2008-2009 school year. “It is anticipated with the increase in the value of the Pell Grant, more funds will be available,” Pacheco said. According to the Department of Education Web site, more students with unemployed and underemployed parents have been qualifying for need-based financial aid. This legislation will invest $13.5 billion of the $36 billion allocated for the
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Mr, Miss Asian OU crowned Tuesday Asian American Student Association pageant judged contestants on traditional wear, talent, question and answer session CASSI TONEY Daily Staff Writer
NEIL MCGLOHON/THE DAILY
Miss Asian OU 2009 Luanne Vo crows Tram Anh Lai with the title for 2010. The ceremony took place in Tuesday night at Meachan Auditorium.
The Asian American Student Association named Bijan Azimi Mr. Asian OU and Tram Anh Lai Miss Asian OU at its annual pageant Tuesday night in Meacham Auditorium. There were four male and four female contestants competing in the pageant, held under the theme “Evening of Elegance.” Azimi, Andrew M. Nguyen, Donald Phan, and Ronny Tran competed for Mr. Asian OU, while Grace Hsu, Lai, Tammy Le and Priya Patel competed for Miss Asian OU. “This is the biggest and only event in the spring [for the association], ” said Chris Nguyen, freshman representative for the association and University College freshman. “We’ve been working on it for two months.” The crowd demonstrated enthusiasm with their loud cheers and handmade signs. Associate Director of Student Life Quy Nguyen and OU alumna Diana Ngo-Le acted as the Master and Mistress of Ceremonies for the approximately 300 guests. The competition included three parts: traditional wear, talent, and question and answer. Each contestant also was required to sell 250 raffle tickets. The contestant who sold the most raffle tickets received extra points. Before the event, five judges interviewed the contestants. The judges were either involved with OU or have pageant experience, such as Samantha Vu who held the titles of Miss Vietnam USA and Miss Asia America. “The judges pick who they think will be best at representing Asian culture to community,” Nguyen said. After winning, Mr. and Miss Asian OU each receive a $400 scholarship and are required to organize a community service, represent the Asian community and help organize next year’s pageant. “I think it’s a pretty friendly competition this year,” said Lai, microbiology junior. Lai said she initially joined for fun and then realized she could really benefit OU. “I’ve never done any sort of pageant [before], actually,” Lai said. PAGEANT CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
STUDENT CONGRESS SALUTES GRADUATING MEMBERS TROY WEATHERFORD Daily Staff Writer
The Undergraduate Student Congress passed 26 resolutions Tuesday evening honoring those who served UOSA in the past year. This was the last Student Congress meeting before new representatives take office. UOSA presidential candidates Nicholas Harrison and Ally Glavas addressed the congress before the meeting. Harrison said the creation of a University Community Council was the most important issue of his platform. “When all of the university stakeholders work together on this council ... the students simply say what they need and
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the council does it,” Harrison said. Harrison’s running mate, John Surles, spoke about issues important to veterans. He said nontraditional students were under-represented in student congress. “I serve — that’s what I do for a living and that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Surles said. Glavas focused on the four core issues of her campaign: Advising, Cleveland Area Rapid Transit system, oZONE and dead-week policy. “We really need to focus on what it is that works well for students,” Glavas said. She said the international area studies department had CONGRESS CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
MARCIN RUTKOWSKI / THE DAILY
Undergraduate Student Congress Vice Chairman Matt Gress speaks Monday at forum on ballot initiatives. Gress said Tuesday that he is proud of the work Student Congress has done this semester and last semester despite what he saw as setbacks and roodblocks to UOSA’s agenda. © 2009 OU PUBLICATIONS BOARD
Housing blocks students from exchanging beds Campus-housing mattresses must remain in their designated rooms, Housing spokeswoman says GREGORY MAUS Daily Staff Writer
Some students want to swap the mattresses provided by campus housing with their own, but university officials cite rules preventing any replacement. The beds are uncomfortable even after adding padding, said Joshua Majed, business management sophomore. So, Majed tried to replace the mattress with his own. However, he said, Housing and Food Services representatives told him that would leave him with two mattresses. “If I wanted to bring down a mattress or my own chair, then they won’t pick up my own mattress or the chair that they provided me with,” Majed said. “The rules are that all the furniture that is there cannot leave.” Students are permitted to bring limited furniture items to the residence halls and on-campus apartments, but only students paying for single rooms in the residence halls may have furniture removed from their rooms, Housing and Food Services Spokeswoman Lauren Royston said by e-mail. “Furniture in OU Traditions Square apartments may be rearranged, but should not be removed from the original room location,” Royston said. Majed said OU Housing and Food Services representatives suggested he stack the mattresses on top of each other. “I wouldn’t want to do that because if you stack it, your bed is going to end up three or four feet off the ground and you would have to jump onto it,” he said. “And you can’t hide a mattress in a bedroom, there’s nowhere to put it.” Majed said he wished Housing officials would take the mattresses, but he understands storage would be an issue. He said the office should give students the choice to bring their own mattresses before they check in. Caitlin Mannix, University College freshman who resides in Walker Tower, said she uses two mattress pads and agreed the beds are not comfortable without them. Dakota Wilkinson, David L. Boren Hall resident, said the overall furniture situation was nice. “The lounge on our floor has some pretty comfortable arm chairs and I like the couch,” said Wilkinson, University College freshman. “[The beds] squeak, but that’s expected — it’s a dorm bed.”
VOL. 95, NO. 124
2 Wednesday, March 31, 2010 Caitlin Harrison, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 325-3666 • fax: 325-6051
Congress Continues from page 1 very good advising. “We need to do more of what [international and area studies] does in other colleges,” Glavas said. Glavas’ running mate, Zac McCullock, could not attend the meeting. During the vice chairman report, Matthew Gress thanked members of Student Congress for their service to UOSA and criticized Oklahoma Students for a Democratic Society and The Daily. “It’s pretty clear that this has been one of the best congresses we’ve had since I’ve been
OUDAILY.COM » GO ONLINE TO CATCH A VIDEO ABOUT HOW STUDENTS FEEL ABOUT THE UOSA ELECTIONS.
here ... and not just because I’m vice chair,” Gress said. Gress said The Daily editorialized meeting coverage this semester, instead of reporting what he thought were the real actions that occurred on the floor of Student Congress. Gress said Oklahoma Students for a Democratic Society caused Student Congress to direct its focus away from things that were important to the student body. Spencer Pittman. congressional director of public relations, said he was thankful for the experience that serving on Student Congress has given him. “I see everything that’s been going on between SDS, congress and the executive branch as a learning experience,” Pittman said. Pittman thanked UOSA members and
Students for a Democratic Society for strengthening UOSA and the student body. ELECTION UPDATE As of Tuesday evening, 2,863 votes were cast in the UOSA election. The last general election had a total of 3,447 votes cast, said Jeff Riles, UOSA election chairman. He said there were no problems at the polls, but international and area studies students had a problem voting on the Web site. International and area studies students were not able to vote for their district representative, Riles said. They will vote again Thursday and Friday for their district representatives, between Shayna Daitch and Scott Mauldin. They should still be able to vote for UOSA president and vice president and CAC chairman,
as well as propositions in the general election, Riles said. Students can vote at elections.ou.edu until 9 p.m. today. STUDENT CONGRESSMAN GOES TO U.S. CONGRESS Student Congress Secretary Brett Stidham gave a short presentation detailing a trip he recently took to Washington, D.C., as a UOSA delegate to Big 12 on Capitol Hill. While there, he lobbied for two bills that would help students, Stidham said. One of the bills would provide tax deductions for higher-education expenses and interest on certain student loans. The other would provide grants for free virtual textbooks for students, Stidham said.
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Lai said she wants to create a collaborative event with all the university pageant winners, including Miss OU, Miss Black OU and Miss Hispanic OU. Tran, economics junior, said he wanted to participate last year but could not. “I always look forward to trying to experience new things and this is one thing I wanted to try,” Tran said. He said the dancing was one of the most fun parts of the competition. He said the contestants practiced dancing 18 hours this month. “It took a lot more work than I actually thought it would,” Tran said. Patel, psychology and pre-ultrasound sophomore, said she wanted to participate to spread Asian culture and understanding around campus. “Not that many non-Asians consider India to be in Asia, and that shocks me,” Patel said.
OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY The Daily has a long-standing commitment to serve readers by providing accurate coverage and analysis. Errors are corrected as they are identified. Readers should bring errors to the attention of the editorial board for further investigation by e-mailing dailynews@ou.edu. In a page one story about Korean Night in Tuesday’s edition of The Daily, Cole Frazier’s name was misspelled.
NEIL MCGLOHON/THE DAILY
Energy management junior, Bijan Azimi was awarded the title of Mr. Asian OU Tuesday night.
Pell Grant scholarship program to meet the increased demand. Without this investment, 8 million students nationwide could see their Pell Grant scholarships cut by 60 percent next year and 600,000 students nationwide could lose their Pell Grant scholarships completely, the Web site stated. U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said this legislation would negatively affect students who use financial aid to pay for college. C o l e, w h o re p re sents Oklahoma’s 4th district, said the government took money out of the $61-billion program and used it to pay for health care. As a
result, he said students are going to pay higher interest rates on their student loans to help finance the health care bill. “The student loan p rov i s i o n i s o n e o f many aspects of the health bill that will have a negative effect on the economy,” Cole said. “New regulations will take lending authority out of the private sector and put it under government control — forcing 30,000 people out of work and throwing millions of college students into administrative limbo. Like most regulations in the new law, it will probably be years before the full consequences are understood.”
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Wednesday, March 31, 2010
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MEDICAL PROFESSORS STRESS ETHICS, EMOTIONAL AWARENESS Presentation to students focuses on physician-patient relationships, virtues all doctors should strive toward DANIELA MCCORMICK Daily Staff Writer
Two OU medical professors addressed pre-medical students Tuesday evening on the importance of ethics and emotional awareness in the field. Dr. Ronald Schleifer and Dr. Jerry Vannata presented parts of their co-authored DVD called “Medicine and Humanistic Understanding” to several dozen students in the Henderson Tolson building. The DVD features ideas about physician-patient relationships and the obligation of doctors to be educated about how to treat patients when they gather information about patients’ medical histories and diagnose them. “We focus on ethics—how to help people behave in everyday life,” Schleifer said. Schleifer and Vannata said “Medicine and Humanistic Understanding” stresses the virtues all doctors should strive for: decency, discernment, conscientiousness, trustworthiness, compassion and competence. It also notes that student physicians should learn to be aware of the patient’s emotional well-being. During the discussion afterwards, students spoke with Schleifer and Vannata about the difficulty of having these kinds of virtues. “One of the doctor’s jobs is to become narratively competent so he or she can recognize what is not being said,”
Vannata said. Vannata said that it’s tough to be physician emotionally. He said defense mechanisms include telling jokes. “It’s comic relief to deal with their [patients’] stories,” Vannata said. “On the other hand, it’s not right.” Allen Wang, multidisciplinary junior in medical humanities, took a Medicine and Humanistic Understanding class taught by the professors, which uses the roles and ethics found in literature and has the future physicians apply them to their daily lives. He agrees that ethics and understanding are vital for physicians. Schleifer and Vannata have been teaching the class for 10 years. “It allows us to see a lot of different personality and relationship dynamics between the patient and physician,” Wang said. Wang said he shadowed an internal medicine doctor and witnessed him disregarding a patient’s feelings in revealing a diagnosis of diabetes. Wang said that instead of easing the patient into the diagnosis, the doctor just walked into the room and told the patient without warning. “It made me feel uncomfortable for the patient just to know they are having a life-changing experience,” Wang said. Schleifer said he believes his course is valuable to students EREMY DICKIE/THE DAILY because they can learn to understand the positions they are in that give them a chance to be ethical and contain virtues Dr. Venetta, former Dean of Medicine at OU and current practicing physician, discusses his research in Henderson Hall Tuesday. that will allow them to be better doctors.
CAMPUS EVENTS
POLICE REPORTS
TODAY
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.
ISLAM IN AMERICA A panel of Muslim speakers will talk about its views of Islam in America at 6:30 p.m. in Meacham Auditorium. BOOB-A-PALOOZA Students can learn about common myths of breast cancer at 11:30 a.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union. WOMEN’S OUTREACH CENTER Students can learn rock climbing methods and support breast cancer awareness at Climb for Komen at 6:30 p.m. in the Houston Huffman Center. Entry is $10 and directly benefits the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. STUDENT SUCCESS SERIES University College will host a Student Success Series lecture at 3 p.m. and at 4 p.m. in Wagner Hall, room 245. PUBLIC LECTURE Jennifer Holmes will speak about violence in Colombia at 4 p.m. in Gittinger Hall.
SELF-DEFENSE CLASS Women can attend a free self-defense class at 7 p.m. in the AdamsTarman basement. E-mail woc@ou.edu for pre-registration. POTLUCK The Impact Movement will host a potluck and Bible study at 9 p.m. in the Adams-Tarman basement.
TOMORROW FILM AND VIDEO STUDIES Film and Video Studies will host American Cinema As A Force of Social Change to Be Presented at noon in Beatrice Carr Wallace Old Science Hall.
MUNICIPAL WARRANT Stacy Marie Burks, 29, 201 W. Gray St., Monday Dalena Michell Fulford, 37, 705 Ridgecrest Circuit, Monday
SIGMA TAU DELTA/ENGLISH CLUB MEETING Sigma Tau Delta/English Club Meeting and Elections Gittinger, room 109 (Lounge) , 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. (Free)
COUNTY WARRANT Christopher L. Pierson, 20, Porter Avenue, Monday
SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE Climb for Komen will host a rock climbing seminar at 6:30p.m. in the Houston Huffman Center.
ANIMAL CONTROL VIOLATION Debbie Lynn Thayer, 51, 2600 Duke Drive, Thursday
CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST Campus Crusade for Christ will meet at 9 p.m. in the Santee Lounge on the fifth floor of the Football Stadium.
YOU ARE INVITED! Public Master Classes
Marilyn Horne Former Star of the Metropolitan Opera, praised by critics as having “the greatest voice of the 20th Century”
Imhoff Road, Sunday PETTY LARCENY Genie Jane Hawkins, 21, 333 N. Interstate Drive, Sunday DISTURBING THE PEACE Hannah Marie Wright, 19, Wylie Road, Monday POSSESSION OF WEAPONS Lauren Briann Coleman, 19, Wylie Road, Monday POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA Marcus Jarrod Dowdy, 33, Oakhurst Avenue, Sunday, also possession of drug paraphernalia POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA Halston Eugene Ford, 19, South Pickard Avenue, Monday
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Kristen Beth Stehr, 34, West
Courses for Fall 2010 in the Institute for the American Constitutional Heritage (IACH): CL C 3403 Law and Justice (Dr. Harper). Explores the theory and practice of justice in Greek and Roman law and asks whether there were human rights in the ancient world. Approved for upperdivision gen-ed credit. LTRS 3510 Law and Life in American Culture, 1776-2000 (Dr. Butterfield). Covers the history of jurisprudence and legal practice in the broad sweep of American history. LTRS 3510 Secret Societies in American Culture (Dr. Butterfield). Explores secretive associations (from Freemasons to Skull and Bones) as a lens on broader trends in American history.
7 p.m. Tuesday, April 6 and Friday, April 9 Pitman Recital Hall Catlett Music Center OU Arts District Free and Open to the Public For more information, go to http://music.ou.edu/
The IACH aims to promote knowledge of constitutionalism - its ancient roots, its philosophical foundations, and its role in the American experience. For information about the IACH and its programs, visit http://www.ou.edu/cas/classics/iach/ or contact Dr. J. Kyle Harper, Director of the IACH, at 325-4063 or kyleharper@ou.edu
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Wednesday, March 31, 2010
COMMENT OF THE DAY »
Max Avery, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051
In response to Reches’ column on dramatically reforming the U.S. Senate.
“Did you want a weaker Senate when Bush and Cheney were in charge? Now that you’ve seen how strongly the Senate can waylay an agenda, wouldn’t it be nice if another Cheney came into power to have some checks on him?
There’s a good reason we have checks and balances. It does lead to pork, but a better solution needs to be found than stripping out a check on the President and the House. - TheJeff
STAFF COLUMN
OUR VIEW
We should have more diverse commencement speakers It was announced Monday that Doris Kearns Goodwin will speak at commencement. This will be two years in a row in which we’ve had Pulitzer Prize-winning historians of the American presidency giving the commencement speech. We understand the value of having an academic who presents history in a popular and readable manner, someone who will inspire us to continue our education after leaving this educational institution. Inspiring people to aim high is admirable, but there are other issues in the history department, much less in other departments, that should be represented at the universitywide commencement. In the future, we should bring people who study other topics of American history, or history in general. Or perhaps, if we were feeling really risqué, we
could invite people who don’t even study history, but who represent one of the other departments at this esteemed educational institution. We should make an effort to have our commencement speaker be the biggest name of the semester. It is unfortunate more people know about various speakers throughout the semester than know who is speaking at commencement. However, that’s more likely a challenge to the student body’s literacy than to the speakers’ popularity. We are not saying Goodwin is a poor choice; she’s an excellent choice, and we should be happy to have her. But it’s the timing we must call into question.
COMMENT ON THIS COLUMN AT OUDAILY.COM
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Isn’t the Medieval Fair hosted by OU in cooperation with the city? This Op-Ed piece makes it sound like Norman is trying to host this great event and OU is getting in the way. I don’t believe it is like that. I think the Medieval Fair is organized through College of Continuing Education with a very small staff. Also a different perspective for the op-ed could’ve been thanking OU for hosting another great fair and commending them for coming up with creative ways to create extra revenue in a year where the
university budget was drastically cut. I know paying for parking isn’t the best, but it’s a creative revenue source that allowed the fair to continue without admission fees and without drastically increasing the rental fee for booth space. All and all, that sounds pretty good to me. Thanks! -Marcy Fleming Communications and Project Management Coordinator
STAFF CARTOON
Sam Scharff is a zoology, biomedical sciences and letters senior.
STAFF COLUMN
Cosmo is more about sex than freedom Cosmopolitan is the best-selling magazine of its kind. And for good reason. It’s doubtless a product of the ’60s era of rebellion and lovin’. Feminism went from rallying for equal rights to encompassing the rejection of women’s role as the “moral agent.” Premarital sex was shaking off its status as taboo, and the women of the ’60s were spearheading the initiative. Cosmopolitan.com’s “About Us” section offers a little historical insight into the role Cosmopolitan had in American women’s lives. It was a magazine that encouraged women to take advantage of their new position in society as employees and as sexually liberated people. Thus Cosmo lauds women for being independent and “fearless” — as it likes to define its readership. It is a magazine that claims to adhere to feministic qualities, saying it “acknowledges that while work is important, men are too. The Cosmo girl absolutely loves men!” What may have started out BROOKE as a magazine aiming to cata- MYERS lyze social change, is today just an agent that perpetuates the emotionally dependent female stereotype. Cosmo, in almost all its articles, reminds women that sex is the ticket to happiness. Not only that, but by being worthy of sex (and you can become worthy by reading the tips and articles Cosmo offers), you are given value as a woman. While rooting for sexual freedom is fine by many standards, Cosmo crosses the threshold into anti-feminism when sexual freedom and sexuality define femininity. All the articles in Cosmo are not necessarily geared toward women in the workforce. In fact, according to Cosmopolitan.com, only 51.3 percent of its readership is employed full time. Cosmo is a magazine specifically directed to white, middle-class women ranging from 18 to 34 and 34 to 39, according to Cosmopolitan.com. With articles whose subjects consistently address sex, men, female health and beauty, readers can’t help but think what is feminine is those very things. Because Cosmo’s main theme is men and sex, and because the magazine is directed at women, the magazine establishes a radically anti-feministic definition of women. Their value is merited solely by men, because all their efforts — looking beautiful, being healthy and being a sex goddess — are geared toward pleasing their male counterparts. With a title as the No. 1 one magazine among females 18 and older,
Cosmo is doing a great job and reaching, and preaching to, women. Cosmo’s underlying principle is to support sexual freedom, but in fact, it limits women to that particular aspect of their lives. First, it limits them by defining them as sex objects, things that can find all their worth in the level of their sexpertise. Second, Cosmo tells a female reader that if she is not good at sex, if she is not aesthetically pleasing and if she is not on the hunt for, or allowing herself to be hunted by, men, then there is nothing left of her worth noting in this No. 1 magazine. She is excluded, on Cosmo’s terms, from the realm of femininity. Another limitation is Cosmo’s negligence of minorities. Its targeted population is clearly — and almost explicitly — white, middle class females. Ad v e r t i s e m e nt s w i t h i n the magazine do an even worse job at accounting for minorities. If groups — black, Asian, Hispanic, lesbian, etc. — are left out of the magazine that aims to provide a definition of femininity, they are being denied acceptance by such a prominent magazine into the feminine realm. The skewed representation of white women reflects Cosmo’s almost explicitly stated view that womanhood is left to white females as opposed to all females. Nonetheless, Cosmo does a great job at nabbing large audiences. And that’s great. Couples’ sex lives are probably greatly enhanced by the sexual advice given to readers of Cosmo. But this sexual freedom that women have now, and which Cosmo lauds in nearly 200 pages of content monthly, has created great responsibility, which Cosmo largely ignores. Cosmopolitan’s “About Me” asserts that it “is feminist in that we [they at Cosmopolitan] believe women are just as smart and capable as men and can achieve anything men can.” But when they have a magazine unyieldingly devoted to sex, both genders are reduced to mere pawns in the game of sexual hook-ups. Humanity becomes devalued as a whole. This is not to say that women shouldn’t read and enjoy Cosmopolitan. Women should read it knowing Cosmo’s purpose. And then they shouldn’t take it too seriously. Brook Myers is a University College freshman.
COMMENT ON THIS COLUMN AT OUDAILY.COM
We must do more to welcome international students OU is home to more than 2,000 international students America is to remain competitive in the global marketplace. who come from more than 100 different countries, ac- It is imperative that we simplify the process for foreign stucording to the International Student Service’s Web site. dents to obtain student visas and make it easier for them to They come seeking bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and find employment after they graduate. Doctorates in fields such as engineering, law and medicine. The reason why international students are such valuThese students represent the best of the best. In able assets is simple. The world is becoming inorder to study here, they must pass the TOEFL exam, creasingly technical, and the number of jobs that earn top grades and exhibit a masterful command require scientific training is increasing. We need of the English language. They are among the most more students to major in science and engineerintelligent, most talented and hardest working stuing, and foreign students fit the bill, since they dents from their home countries. tend to study these fields at a higher rate than We should do more to bring them here and make American students. According to the National them stay. Science Foundation, 30 percent of science and The presence of foreign-born students in the engineering doctorate holders are foreign-born. United States provides numerous benefits to this MICHAEL In addition, global interconnectedness is incountry. These students bring in millions of dol- PILCHER creasing. Economies are becoming progressivelars to our higher education system, contribute to ly more integrated, the world is getting smaller research and innovation in science and engineerand communication has never been more open. ing and are exposed to American values and ideals which Drawing international students to study and work in this they can take with them to their home countries after they country is essential to maintaining our preeminence in the graduate. fields of science and engineering. The allure of an American Recently, however, the number of international stu- education has historically brought many talented students, dents studying in America has dropped off. This is due to but we will lose their talents to other countries if we don’t restrictive policies that make it harder for people outside reverse these stringent visa polices currently in place. the United States to obtain student visas. The ones that do Supporters of these restrictive policies claim they were manage to get a visa often don’t stay here after they gradu- put in place to ensure America’s border security and protect ate, because most companies don’t want to go to the trouble our country from foreign threats in the wake of the Sept. 11 of complying with the long list of federal regulations that terrorist attacks. However, these policies can more accumakes hiring a noncitizen a veritable headache. rately be characterized as a political front for protectionism. These problems need to be addressed immediately if It is politically convenient to make it harder for noncitizens
T=: O@A6=DB6 D6>AN Jamie Hughes Caitlin Harrison Ricky Maranon Lisa Phan Max Avery Michelle Gray Marcin Rutkowski
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to work in this country, but it has potentially deleterious long-term effects. In fact, it was America’s traditional policy of open access that facilitated its rise as world leader in innovation and an economic superpower. Regardless, when dealing with terrorism, there are certainly more viable solutions than breaking with tradition and closing ourselves off from the rest of the world. Making it more difficult to obtain student visas does not eliminate or even marginally disrupt the problem of terrorism. Only one out of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers got into this country with a student visa. In short, we must promote a policy of open access for international students. Here at OU, we are on the right track. OU’s international community has grown almost 5 percent according to the Institutional Research and Reporting Web site, and we have reciprocal exchange programs with dozens of universities in 40 different countries. However, this is certainly not the norm, but rather the exception. Other universities need to work as hard as OU to attract international students, and the federal government should make it easier for them to get here. It is vital if we are to remain a competitive force in the global economy. We must encourage international students to come to this country and stay here after they graduate; otherwise we will lose our place as a leader in science and technology and fall behind the rest of the world. Michael Pilcher is a University College freshman.
COMMENT ON THIS COLUMN AT OUDAILY.COM
The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum and OU’s independent student voice. Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and should be fewer than 250 words, typed, double spaced and signed by the author(s). Letters will be cut to fit. Students must list their major and classification. OU staff and faculty must list their title. All letters must include a daytime phone number. Authors submitting letters in person must present photo identification. Submit letters Sunday through Thursday, in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters can also be submitted via e-mail to dailyopinion@ ou.edu.
Guest columns are accepted at editor’s discretion. ’Our View’ is the voice of The Oklahoma Daily. Editorial Board members are The Daily’s editorial staff. The board meets Sunday through Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in 160 Copeland Hall. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
ÂŤ BASEBALL The Sooners played Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday
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Aaron Colen, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051
OUDAILY.COM
ÂŤ
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Sooners soar to Final Four OU defeats Kentucky by double-digit margin to punch ticket for second-consecutive Final Four berth ANNELISE RUSSELL Daily Staff Writer
No Paris. No Hand. No problem. The women’s basketball team is headed to the Final Four for the second year in a row after senior guard Nyeshia Stevenson scored 31 points to propel OU to an 88-68 win against Kentucky. Despite the strong Sooner finish, Tuesday’s game did not begin smoothly. Kentucky scored on the first possession of the game and took advantage of a steal on the defensive end for two points. Kentucky went on a quick 8-0 run to stifle the OU offense early. OU finally appeared on the scoreboard with two free throws by Stevenson, but those were the only points the Sooners would score before the first timeout. The team has been plagued by turnovers this season, and that was a serious problem for OU at the beginning of the game. The team had seven turnovers six minutes into the game. The first field goal for OU did not come until 13:44, with Kentucky ahead 15-4. While the Wildcats continued to consistently make baskets, OU closed the lead to 19-13 eight minutes into the contest. Midway through the half, the Sooners cut the lead to four and then junior guard Danielle Robinson cut the Kentucky edge to two with a drive to the basket. At 8:02, the Sooners dug themselves of the hole by tying the Wildcats. OU continued to improve by minimizing turnovers and contesting Kentucky’s looks at the basket. The Sooners used this to build a five-point lead, 32-27, with six minutes left in the half. Kentucky tied the game again at 32, but the Sooners managed to extend the lead to 41-34 with SOONERS RETURN TO a 9-2 run. THE FINAL FOUR Many of the Sooners’ points came from a firsthalf spurt from Stevenson, who had 17 points in With the win, OU advances the half. to play Standford for a As the clock wound down, the Wildcats closed spot in the national chamthe lead to 41-39, but a layup by Robinson sent pionship game. Kentucky into the half down 43-39. Coming out of the locker room, OU kicked What: OU vs Standford things off with a turnover on the first possession and repeated that on the ensuing possession. When: April 4 But the sloppy play did not last. OU scored its first points on a layup off of a Where: San Antonio turnover to pull ahead 45-40 two minutes into the half. Stevenson, who went off in the first half, made key shots in the second half as well, knocking down a 3-pointer to put OU ahead 52-44. OU continued to extend the lead to 13, 58-45 after eight minutes. Robinson picked up her fourth foul in the second half and gave OU scare with its starting point guard on the bench, but the Sooners pressed on. The Sooners maintained a lead throughout the half and with just over seven minutes remaining the lead ballooned to 16. Kentucky continued to struggle to shoot from the field, only shooting 19 percent at one point. The OU dominance continued over the Wildcats with a 21-point lead less than five minutes to go, and Kentucky had no answers for the Sooners. Robinson fouled out for OU with about two minutes left, but the Sooner lead was so significant it did not matter. The Sooner victory was clinched as a 20-point win by walk-on freshman guard Kodi Morrison, who put up the 3-point shot. Along with Stevenson’s 31 points, OU had multiple players contributing on the offensive end. Senior forward Amanda Thompson continued her Sooner career with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Despite foul trouble, Robinson added 16 points to the Sooner win. Kentucky’s only offense came with 31 points from the SEC Player of the Year, Victoria Dunlap.
AP PHOTO
Danielle Robinson, junior guard, yells in front of Kentucky guard A’dia Mathies during the first half of the NCAA Kansas City Regional college basketball final Tuesday night in Kansas City, Mo.
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4 7 3
Previous Solution
9 8 7 6
3 2 8 7 4 9 3 7
1 2 7 5 8 5 6 3 2 1 4 5 8 1 5
6 4 1 3 7 5 9 8 2
7 8 2 4 9 6 3 5 1
5 3 9 8 1 2 6 4 7
8 1 5 9 2 4 7 6 3
3 2 7 6 8 1 4 9 5
4 9 6 5 3 7 1 2 8
2 6 3 1 5 9 8 7 4
9 7 8 2 4 3 5 1 6
1 5 4 7 6 8 2 3 9
Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard
Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.
HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol
Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 ARIES (March 21-April 19) -You can never go wrong trying to do the greatest good for the greatest number. Today, you will have you do just that, and your unselfishness will result in larger rewards than usual for yourself. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- A big dream of yours might have a chance of becoming a reality today. If it doesn’t happen now, you’ll at least get some kind of indication as to when it might come about for you. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- One of the things you’ll do best today is use your powers of observation in ways that will serve your personal interests. You’ll learn something valuable from observing a successful person. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -You’re aware of the fact that if you want something to happen, the motivation must come from within you. Your strong desire to succeed today can bring you that success right now. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Working alone or working with another is equally profitable for you. Today you’ll realize that there is greater strength in union than in going it alone, so you’ll team up with the right person of your choice.
Previous Answers
9
number
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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -There’s a good chance someone will want to hire you for your talents or services today, but don’t underestimate what you’re worth. Make sure that you dictate the terms.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -Synchronize your efforts with another on a one-on-one basis to better handle that big project you have going. You don’t need a big team, just one good competent ally to work with. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Because you instinctively know how to inflate others’ egos today, you’ll be a delightful companion to have around. By making folks feel good about themselves, you’ll help yourself be accepted. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- The major reason you’ll have such a strong influence over your peers today is the trustworthiness you project in yourself. Continue to offer this security. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Your financial aspects are exceptionally good at this point in time, but where your greatest increases seem to occur is when you’re trying to provide more for those you love the most. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Because you’ll be able to utter your words in ways that none can find offensive, telling it like it is will win you the respect of others today. People will appreciate that you’re being honest. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Both your reasoning and intuitive faculties can help advance your personal interests today. When you blend the two together, you develop a persona loaded with huge advantages and pluses.
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Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker March 31, 2010
ACROSS 1 Buddy of the Clintons, e.g. 4 Belch 9 “___ the night before Christmas� 13 “Knit one, ___ two� 14 Kind of eclipse 15 LP-playing system 16 Flute or saxophone variety 17 Amounts by which something increases 19 Deli counter order 21 “Rumor ___ it ...� 22 Ticked off 23 Fail suddenly, as a laptop 27 Ancient calculator 29 Desdemona’s husband 31 Assembly of church leaders 32 Immature newt 33 Drain cleaner component 34 Cause of a big splash 39 Tire-pressure meas. 42 Ambulancechaser’s exhortation 43 Compel to accept 47 Wins, at an auction 50 Bad smell 51 ___ up
(stopped being a fool) 52 Figurative use of a word 55 “Murder, ___ Wrote� 56 It was first tested in 1952 59 Having incalculable worth 62 Skin moisturizer ingredient 63 Thanksgiving tradition 64 Penned up 65 Waggle dance performers 66 Booty 67 Minds, as a bar 68 Palm Sunday mount DOWN 1 Soothing song for baby 2 Cabinetmaker, e.g. 3 Congressional Black Caucus, e.g. 4 Passes over in pronouncing 5 Littlest litter mates 6 At the original length 7 Transport to a new location 8 Long hike 9 “And ___ off!� 10 When repeated, advantageous to both sides 11 Away from
the bow 12 Bro’s foe, at times 13 Turkish titles, once 18 Field for an engr. 20 Pianist’s exercise 24 More than most 25 “You ___ dog, you!� 26 Soil loosener 28 Male swan 30 Final amt. 32 Cataract site 35 It’s dropped before tripping 36 Purify ceremonially 37 More than occasionally 38 “A Descent Into the Maelstrom� author 39 Captive soldier 40 ___ generis
(unique) 41 “___ De-Lovely� 44 Foot comforters 45 Average dudes 46 Ancient Nile city 48 On ___ of (as a proxy for) 49 Short, descriptive poem (Var.) 50 Puts the pedal to the metal 53 Bruce Wayne’s ward 54 Checked out a hottie 57 Bunnies under the bed 58 Rum-laced cake 59 Tiny terror 60 Born, to Bardot 61 Kilmer of “Top Gun�
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
Š 2010 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com
FAILURE IS AN OPTION by Oscar Lyndley
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Joshua Boydston, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 325-5189 • fax: 325-6051
7
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You can catch more “This Week in Comics� at OUDaily.com.
IT’S A LIVE STORY
IN
DEFENSE of
KANYE WEST
Country teen queen to break out her cowboy boots at tonight’s concert in Oklahoma City ALEX EWALD Daily Staff Writer
PHOTO PROVIDED
Armed with curly blonde locks, honest lyrics and a silver guitar — and with no Kanye in sight — country-pop star Taylor Swift will take the stage for her Fearless Tour tonight at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. Swift’s Oklahoma City stop is one of 37 North American dates that were SWIFT IN OKC added to her tour following the success of its first two legs. When: 7 tonight Since her debut single “Tim Where: Ford Center, McGraw� and self-titled first album 100 W. Reno Avenue, were released in 2006, SingerOklahoma City songwriter Taylor Swift has taken the music world by force, having broken Cost: $25, $49.50, countless records in the industry. $59.50 The “You Belong With Me� singer’s second album, “Fearless,� was the top-selling album of 2009 and the first album to win the American Music Award, Country Music Association Award, Academy of Country Music Award and Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Swift’s two albums have sold more than 10 million copies in the United States alone, According to the Recording Industry Association of America. The starlet also has sold more than 24.3 million digital singles, and all 13 of the original and the five re-release songs from “Fearless� have charted on the Billboard Hot 100. All of this, and Swift just celebrated her 20th birthday in December. “She’s young, talented and beautiful,� said Chris Larberg, University College freshman, whose favorite Swift song is “Love Story.� “I’m not a country fan, but she takes country and makes it awesome.� Elementary education sophomore Laura Tucker said she
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likes to listen to Swift’s music while driving. “I think [her music is] fun to listen to and sing along to,� said Tucker, who said she downloads songs she likes. “It’s easy listening.� Much of Swift’s crossover appeal and success has been attributed to her autobiographical lyrics, which are often said to be relatable and yet extremely personal. “I feel like a lot of people can relate to her, and when it comes down to music that’s what people look for,� Larberg said.
“New Moon.â€? Robertt Pattinson’s attractiveness was like an n oasis of beauty in the desert of crap that is “Twilight.â€? And in “New Moonâ€? you gett to listen to Grizzly Bear and Bon Iver while le you watch Edward cripple Bella with even n more vampire love. Also, I like mute the sound ound when Taylor Lautner talks and focus us all of my attention on his ‌ face. Right now I am in n “New Moonâ€? limbo. I can’t find it in n me to send the DVD back to Netflix, but I also can’t find it me to go buy it. Sure, ure, it has caused me to miss a few classes es and wear particularly vampire-esque ue clothes but in these days of never ending papers, tests, work shifts and existential life questioning moments I needed a little escape. Just momentt to watch a girl with limited acting skills ls fall in love with a boy, with a perfect jaw w line, and forget a while that I have one semester left until I graduate with no hopes pes of finding a job in this economy and even ven fewer hopes of every getting a boyfriend. nd. Especially after writing this article. -Caitlin lin Turner, letters junior.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Netflix sent me the notification of delivery e-mail Tuesday. But it was more of a love letter than a notification e-mail. It squeezed my little hand and whispered in my ear. “It’s coming on or around Wednesday.� In about 24 hours “New Moon� would be waiting for me in my mailbox. I made a promise to myself that if it came before class then I would skip class to watch it. Please, I beg of you don’t stop reading this article now. I want to be clear. I wasn’t always this way and I have plenty of excuses for becoming obsessed with The Twilight Saga. Just a few weeks ago I hated this whole world. I thought that the books were abstinence-only sex education propaganda and enforced false ideals of romantic love. I never liked Kristen Stewart, the way she pretentiously huffs and puffs her way around the screen. Plus, it is in my nature to hate the things that most people love and later deny that anyone, except my own general good taste, contributed to my acceptance of the trend. I am just friendly and agreeable like that. But during spring break I got really sick when I went home to visit my family. It is not too much of a stretch to say that I was on my deathbed. There I was clinging to what could possibly be my last moments of life and there was “Twilight,� so free, so ready to save me from watching “Couples Retreat.� Maybe in desperate circumstances people would choose to watch some sort of cinematic masterpiece, but I just wasn’t feeling it. My little brother, being the 17-year-old Casanova that he is, had taken about four girls to see it in theaters so he knew what he was getting in to when he sat down to watch it with me. I, however, did not. So I watched “Twilight� and all it really did was make me want to watch “ROBSESSED: Inside the Life of Robert Pattinson, All Access Granted.� Naturally, the next step was for me to go see “Remember Me� in theaters. Don’t see it. Wait, no, do see it, don’t watch anything Emilie de Ravin does and then leave 10 minutes before it ends and you will be thoroughly satisfied. Step No. 2 was moving “New Moon� up to the top of my Netflix queue. It bypassed “Volver,� “Adaptation,� “Death at a Funeral� and “The September Issue� to reach the No. 1 spot. It was like electing the village idiot as the mayor of Netflixville, and I had no regrets. Fast forward to five days later. I have watched it five times: two times Wednesday, once Thursday, once Friday and once Sunday. I don’t know what real life is any more. I haven’t felt this way since the summer after sixth grade when I went to see Pearl Harbor three times in theaters and cried, audibly, every time. Let’s get real though; “Twilight� blows so hard compared
PHOTO PROVIDED
Taylor Swift performs with Gloriana and Kellie Pickler at 7 tonight at the Ford Center, 100 W. Reno Avenue.
When the name Kanye West comes to mind, everyone remembers that infamous day in September when he interrupted-or “Kanyedâ€?- Miss Taylor Swift, thereby cementing his status as the most hated celebrity in America. The next day, the incident was everywhere: the news, radio and was quickly becoming an Internet meme. This wasn’t the first time Mr. West had been an interuptupus, he’d done during a Hurricane Katrina telethon in 2005 and at another MTV award ceremony in Europe the following year. To say it was bad is an understatement — even President Obama called him a “jackass.â€? All Kanye could do was apologize, apologize and apologize. Yet he is still considered a jerk. Despite Kanye problems with his ego, we shouldn’t judge him based solely on that character flaw but take the man both with the good and the bad parts but remember that the good unquestionably outweighs the bad. Just think of all the other issues plaguing his peers in the music industry, hmm‌ let’s see; Amy Winehouse has a dreadfully big drug problem, Lil’ Wayne is currently serving time in prison for an illegal gun possession charge and Gucci Mane is also serving time for violating parole on an arrest that was based on assault. The only thing Kanye’s been arrested for is breaking a nosey photographers camera, but in comparison to all the others he’s a choirboy. I haven’t even started mentioning what he’s done for hiphop music in general. When his debut album, “The College Dropout,â€? came onto the scene in 2004, his production style wasn’t original. Dr. Dre, The RZA and Pete Rock had been sampling classic soul, jazz and R&B songs through out the ’90s, but the technique was considered limited to the underground. That is, until Kanye dragged it up and presented it to mainstream audiences coupled with the depth of his words. Black poets from the civil rights era influenced his flow and content of his lyrics, and one could easily tell. Don’t forget that at this time gangsta rap dominated the airwaves with violent misogynistic lyrics and everyone was interested in getting crunk. Kanye’s focus was on “softâ€? subjects like his feelings of insecurity, racism, dropping out of college and, of course, religion. Despite it’s vulgarity, “Jesus Walksâ€? — in my humble opinion — is the most passionate and genuine hip-hop song about Christianity ever made. With his honest and soulful sound, Mr. West was able to take hip-hop from the gangsters and pave the way for a more sentimental group of artists in hip-hop (ahem‌Kid Cudi). Kanye West’s statements are not only limited to interrupting people — or screams as his all caps blog announcements imply — but he’s spoken for a serious ongoing issue that is plaguing the hip-hop community; homophobia. In an industry where homosexuality is seen a form of weakness and saying “no homoâ€? to remove fears of being gay is the norm, Kanye has brought the issue to the limelight. He’s been vocal about his own struggles with homophobia and has advised artists to be accepting of everyone despite their sexuality. Kanye West might not be the best award show guest, and really needs to learn to keep his mouth shut, but remember, he’s not as bad as the others out there. -Osi Aken’Ova, film and video studies senior.
8
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Norman elite lend hands to bodies of art for charity COURTNEY SILVA Daily Staff Writer
Prominent members of the Norman community will let their creative side shine through for an exhibit at The Performing Arts Studio Thursday evening. The exhibit, entitled “Body of Art,” will feature different mannequin body parts that guest artists are allowed to decorate in any way that they wish. Whether it’s feathers, rhinestones, fabric or paint, anything is fair game. There are 15 guest artists participating in the event. Those in the diverse group of artists include OU President David Boren, former “Project Runway” contestant Kayne Gillaspie, Mayor Cindy Rosenthal and Kathryn Jenson White, assistant professor of journalism in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Debra Levy Martinelli, executive director of The Performing Arts Studio, said they purposely wanted to get as many non-professional artists as possible to participate. “We have such a diverse group of people participating,” Martinelli said. “We wanted to have all parts of the Norman community represented.” The artists were allowed to choose any body part they wanted including a torso, arm, feet and hands. White, an avid quilter for more than 20 years, chose to decorate a pair of feet by incorporating a handmade quilt into the design. “My immediate thought was to ask for a pair of feet and then
hang a quilt on the wall so that the feet stick out as if there were someone underneath it,” White said. “I wanted the piece to have two uses; the first, a very graphic piece of fiber art that could hang on a wall in any setting, and the second to serve as a functional bed cover.” Although some of the artists were hesitant at first about participating, they became more enthusiastic as the creation of their art progressed, Martinelli said. “What will stand out to people about this exhibit is the enormous amount of creativity that each artist has,” she said. “Several of the artists have said to me that they weren’t sure if they could do it. By the end of it, they were having fun and glad they decided to participate.” The exhibit also will act as a fundraiser for The Performing Arts Studio with an auction that will take place April 17. Tickets for the auction are on sale for $50. Money raised during the auction will go toward arts programs sponsored by The Performing Arts Studio. “Norman is small, yet intensely creative” White said. “There is not enough money to support all of the artistic endeavors in the community, so it’s important to give money so that Norman can continue to have the rich cultural environment in which we live.” “Body of Art” will begin with an opening reception 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at The Performing Arts Studio, 200 S. Jones PHOTO PROVIDED Ave. in Norman. The event is free and open to the public. Kanye Gillaspie (“Project Runway”) decorates the torso of For a full list of guest artists, visit www.thepas.org. a female mannequin. “Body of Art” opens Thursday at The
Performing Arts Studio.
Norman band to release charged EP BLACKEST NIGHT #8
The last issue of DC’s mega crossover comes to a heart-stopping finale today after the last issues inconceivable turn of events. It’s really hard to discuss “Blackest Night” without giving anything away, but with each book, the story grabs the reader’s throat and never lets go. Geoff Johns not only relies on his vast knowledge of the DC universe to incorporate previous storylines with the new ones, but his creative use of ongoing story threads in other DC books make this gold. Rather than exclude new readers with the use of classic and somewhat obscure Green Lantern stories, Johns writes “Blackest Night” in such a way that the overall storyline remains dominant while leaving readers curious enough to look into past stories. It’s a little too late to buy #8 if you’re interested, but you can probably find the “Prelude to Blackest” at any good comic book shop free of charge. Osi Aken’Ova is a film and video studies and communication senior.
Editor’s Note: Electric City guitarist/vocalist Mack Burke is a former night and copy editor for The Daily. COLE PRIDDY Daily Staff Writer
Members of Electric City understand that music is constantly evolving. The group itself came out of a previous project (Galapagos) and is eager to make some new noise. Blending together a collaboration of rock with jazzed out back tones, Electric City is looking to make a creative impact. Making most of their music in a homemade studio shows how they are dedicated to this new band. This is all to go towards its April release of its EP “Famous Enough to Pay the Bills,” which they will be giving away for free — a manner popularized by Radiohead’s pay-what-you-want release of “In Rainbows.” Lead Singer and guitarist, Mack Burke described the new EP as “a lot more orchestrated PHOTO PROVIDED than we were.” With influences such as Phish, Ben Electric City keyboardist Adam McFarlane Folds and many other greats, Electric City is look- performing at a recent gig. ing to push the boundaries of their music but “still fall under the umbrella of rocking out.” These funk rockers will play a few upcoming shows in Norman, including the EP release show April 1 at The Deli and April 23 at New York Pizza.