The Oklahoma Daily

LIFE & ARTS • PAGE 5

SPORTS • PAGE 7

Students to stage 4 ballets at OU

Sooners eye Bedlam victory

Jammie Walker (shown left) and the cast of “Camouflage” will begin a string of performances as part of the Oklahoma Festival Ballet on Friday.

Keilani Ricketts (shown right) and the OU softball team close this season’s Bedlam season tonight in Stillwater.

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

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Course-evaluation period opens Students who complete all evaluations before May 5 could win prizes

students will have until 11:59 p.m. on May 5 to complete them.

Students do not have to complete all of their evaluations at one time.

The evaluations will be distributed to faculty after final grades have been recorded.

Students who complete all their evaluations at one time will be automatically entered into a drawing to win one of three Apple iPad 2 tablets.

DAILY STAFF REPORTS The Oklahoma Daily

Students can now evaluate their spring 2011 courses using eValuate, OU’s online evaluation system.

The evaluation period began Tuesday and

To complete evaluations 1. Visit eval.ou.edu 2. Log in using your 4x4 and password 3. Click “Evaluate Now” 4. Click “Submit Evaluation” to save the form — Source: eval.ou.edu

Congress reflects on year’s work Student government also passes bill to compensate groups for spring polling sites SARAH MARTIN

SPEAKER CHALLENGES ISRAELI POLICIES

The Oklahoma Daily

Student congressmembers reflected on their work and accomplishments this year during their last meeting of the spring semester Tuesday in Adams Hall Congress worked well together this year, Congress chairwoman Alyssa Loveless said.

“We were very close and had a very strong base for next year, so we are going to have a great team,” Loveless said.

Some of Congress’ accomplishments this semester were putting in new bike racks and making improvements to the student government constitution, said Kelbie Kennedy, Student Congress vice chairwoman.

“I think that we did OK this year, and there are things we can definitely improve on, and I look

SEE CONGRESS PAGE 2

JARED RADER/THE DAILY

Norman Finkelstein, author and prominent critic of Israeli policies, speaks to an audience Tuesday in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Meacham Auditorium. Finkelstein spoke about Israeli war crimes against Palestinians and advocated a peaceful two-state solution to the Middle East conflict.

Critic refutes Palestinian war crimes Gaza conflict was one-sided massacre, former DePaul professor says JARED RADER The Oklahoma Daily

Israel committed war crimes during its 2008-09 assault on the Gaza Strip in Palestine, including targeting civilians, a prominent Israeli policy critic told an audience Tuesday in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Meacham Auditorium.

Norman Finkelstein, author of several books on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and former DePaul University professor, spoke about the conflict in light of recent retractions made by the leader of a UN fact-finding mission April 1, which cleared Israel of targeting civilians.

Roughly 1,400 Palestinians were killed during the 22-day assault, most of whom were civilians, according to various reports.

On the Israeli side, 13 were killed, three of whom were civilians and 10 were combatants. Finkelstein said four of the 10 combatants were killed from friendly fire.

Independent investigations by human rights organizations contradicted the Israeli

government’s claim that the majority of deaths were civilians because Palestinian militants used them as human shields, he said.

“For every 100 Palestinians killed, one Israeli was killed. For every 400 Palestinian civilians killed, one Israeli civilian was killed,” Finkelstein said. “Does that sound like a war, or does that sound like a massacre?”

Finkelstein also disputed the claim a war had occurred because he said only one side was fighting. He cited public statements by Israeli ground soldiers who described their operations as boring because they didn’t encounter any militant ground forces. The soldiers didn’t encounter any ground forces because they said Israel had used an “insane” amount of force during air bombings, Finkelstein said.

In addition to the Gaza assault, Finkelstein challenged the Israeli government’s version of events regarding the Israeli Defense Force’s raid of a flotilla carrying aid to the Gaza Strip on May 31 that resulted in the deaths of nine passengers. The Israeli government produced a long report maintaining Israeli soldiers acted only in self-defense. Finkelstein said this was questionable because the Israeli

For every hundred Palestinians killed, one Israeli was killed. For every 400 Palestinian civilians killed, one Israeli civilian was killed. Does that sound like a war or does that sound like a massacre?”

— NORMAN FINKELSTEIN government confiscated all images and videos of the incident and released records that only served its purposes.

Sooners for Peace in Palestine, a student organization committed to fostering understanding of the Middle East conflict, brought Finkelstein to OU. Dalia Bayaa, vice president of Sooners for Peace in Palestine said students could benefit from hearing Finkelstein because he presents views about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that aren’t covered in mainstream media.

“I think [the conflict] needs to be more equally shown from both sides where people can judge based on both sides of the conflict,” Bayaa said.

Search for new Sooner mascots begins Friday Members of the OU mascot team will conduct open tryouts to find four students who are willing to don a horse costume for their team.

Tryouts for the team will be 5 p.m.

Friday on the south side of Lloyd Noble Center.

Head mascot coach Erik Gransberg, the original Sooner mascot, said he will help in the search for additional students to add to the team. There are about eight students on the mascot team in a given year, Gransberg said.

The team must have multiple Boomers and Sooners because the mascots attend nearly 500 appearances, Gransberg said.

These events include both sporting and charity functions, Gransberg said.

“It is a little bit of a thankless job,” Gransberg said.

Members of the team conducting the tryouts are looking for people who are athletic, can dance, are willing to work hard and can entertain crowds, Gransberg said.

The tryouts will consist of an interview, a physical fitness test, some tumbling exercises and a dance-off.

“We are looking for people willing to make at least a yearlong commitment to the team,” he said.

— Carmen Forman/ The Daily

Music festival, May Fair both scheduled for weekend Two events will be held within walking distance of one another, organizers say CARMEN FORMAN The Oklahoma Daily

The Norman May Fair Arts Festival chairwoman said she is not concerned the Norman Music Festival will draw people away from May Fair when both events take place this weekend.

The music festival is usually held a week earlier in the year, but was moved this year due to Easter, fair chairwoman Judy Travis said.

The fact that the two events occur on the same weekend this year is purely coincidence, Norman Music Festival spokeswoman Holly Jones said.

“There’s a lot of great events happening this last weekend in April — not just in Norman, but all over the state,” Jones said.

“It’s just a great way for people who want to come down from outside of the state to see what all is happening here in Oklahoma.”

No r ma n w i l l h o s t No r ma n Mu s i c Festival, May Fair, the 89er Day Parade and a carnival in the parking lot of Coach’s Bar and Grill this weekend, Jones said.

“We thought it would be a great idea for

A LOOK AT WHAT’S ON The Oklahoma Senate is seeking interns for the Senate Communications Divisions.

Positions are available for credit.

Norman to be a destination for that weekend, festival chairman Robert Ruiz said.

“There will be something for everyone in Norman that weekend.”

Ruiz said he does not expect Norman Music Festival to draw people away from May Fair. Having multiple events on the same weekend in Norman will simply draw more people to the city, Ruiz said.

The May Fair starts earlier than the music festival on Friday so there will be some time where there is no overlap, Ruiz said.

May Fair also will occur on Sunday, when the music festival is over, Travis said.

On a weekend with good weather, May

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Fair usually draws somewhere between 50 and 60,000 people, Travis said. Travis said she has high hopes that the music festival will draw more people to the fair because they take place within walking distance from one another.

The festival takes place on Main Street and May Fair takes place at Andrews Park.

“Maybe someone hasn’t heard of May Fair or maybe they haven’t been able to check it out because there are too many events going on on different weekends,” Jones said of Norman Music Festival.

“I think it will get more people toward there.”

TODAY’S WEATHER

67°| 58° Tomorrow: Sunny, high of 77 degrees

2 • Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

CAMPUS

Chase Cook, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

Candidates race to collect votes Candidates for Ward 7 go door to door to improve voter turnout before the runoff election May 10 ALEX EWALD The Oklahoma Daily

Today around campus  Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies will share research on masculinity, human trafficking, sweatshops, women and politics, Disney and gender roles from 12:30 to 1:20 p.m. on the South Oval.  University College’s Mark Walvoord will present final exam tips as a part of the Student Success Series from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Adams Center’s Housing Learning Center.  Delta Gamma will host DeeGee Diner from 5 to 7 p.m. in the sorority house’s parking lot at 744 Elm Ave. They will serve ’50s diner food and have a classic car show. Tickets are $4 in advance and $5 at the door.  Eva Kor, a Holocaust survivor will speak from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. After her speech, there will be hors d’oeuvres and a book signing following her speech.  The OU Civic Orchestra will perform from 8 to 10 p.m. in Catlett Music Center’s Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Thursday, April 28 ÂŤ OU Hillel will present an Israel Block Party including food and hookah from 1 to 3 p.m. on the South Oval. Âť University College’s Holley Brewer will present “Gearing up for Final Examsâ€? from 3 to 4 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245. Âť Stuart Thomason will speak about “Glaciation as a destructive and constructive control on mountain building: an example from the Patagonia Andesâ€? at 3:30 p.m. in Sarkey Energy Center, Room A235. The lecture is free and is part of the Shell Colloquium Series. Âť Wellesley College’s Filomina Steady, African studies professor, will present “Women, the Environment and Climate Change in Africaâ€? at 4 p.m. in Dale Hall, Room 112. Steady is a past president of the Women’s World Summit Foundation (Geneva) and is a founding member of the Association of African Women for Research and Development.

Âť Corrections The Oklahoma Daily has a commitment to serve readers by providing accurate coverage and analysis.

Errors are corrected as they are identified. Readers should bring errors to The Daily’s attention for further investigation by emailing dailynews@ou.edu.  In a page 1 story about a law student group’s funding in Monday’s issue, the individuals who Ways and Means chairman Sean Bender discusses studentgroup funding with was misrepresented. Bender said he speaks about budget issues with the student organization members.

With two weeks remaining until the May 10 Norman City Council Ward 7 runoff election, both candidates are campaigning to improve turnout after the end of the voter-registration period.

A total of 44 Norman residents have registered to vote in Ward 7 since the initial March 1 election, according to the Cleveland County Election Board’s voter mailing list. The list also includes 34 residents who changed their address information to another ward district.

At least 18 Ward 7 residents who met the April 15 registration deadline are OU students, according to the list.

Candidate Stephen Tyler Holman said he helped some of those students

Zombies to sing for dead week Students are invited to sing their brains out in an Undead Karaoke event intended to kick off dead week.

OU’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer student group will present the event 7 to 9 p.m. Friday in the Cate Main Social Lounge.

The LGBTQ Advisory Board and the Housing Center Student Association are co-hosting the event.

Students are encouraged to dress up like the undead for the event, LGBTQ student affairs intern Bobby Mace said.

The idea for the event came from Mace’s own love of karaoke events, he said. The festivities will combine many students’ love of zombie culture and the need to have fun before dead week, Mace said.

Volunteers for sidewalk chalking and after-event cleanup can email lgbtq@ ou.edu.

Sidewalk chalking will take place at 3 p.m. today, according to a press release.

register for the first time, including students he and opponent Linda Lockett met at Student Congress’ City Council Candidate Forum on April 6 in Couch Center.

Holman, a local music-event organizer who grew up in Norman, organized voter registration drives to raise awareness of both his campaign and the runoff.

Holman, along with campaign volunteers, knocked on as many doors as they could to encourage voter turnout, he said.

Holman said his biggest challenge would be getting voters to the polls. “Every vote cast matters,� Holman said.

Out of the 7,293 registered Ward 7 voters, 342, or 4.7 percent, voted in the City Council election on March 1. Of this 4.7 percent, no candidate received a majority, forcing a runoff election.

Lockett received 164 votes, while Holman and former candidate Brande

ONLINE AT OUDAILY.COM Âť Link: View the City of Norman ward maps

Kauffman both received 89 votes.

Lockett needed eight more votes to receive a majority in the election. “I think the big thing is to turn [voters] out,� Lockett said. “I’m not worried. I feel very comfortable, and I’ve done what I can. I think I’ve worked very, very hard and that’s the main thing to do.�

Lockett, a longtime Norman businesswoman, has focused her campaign on knocking on doors to give the public a sense of who she is.

Lockett and Holman both say motivating voters to show up is especially difficult because their election is the only item on the ballot.

Holman and Lockett are both former OU students whose ward includes all of OU’s Norman campus.

CONGRESS: Group hopes to start ambassador program next fall Continued from page 1 forward to seeing them improved upon,�

Kennedy said.

Kennedy said she hopes to start an ambassador program in the fall in which congressmembers attend student organization meetings. The goal of the program would be to facilitate Congress’ ability to reach out to students and build greater connections with organizations, Kennedy said. “Its really about reaching out to the students and making sure we know what the students want first,� Kennedy said.

Kennedy said she hopes student organization members could get to know congressmembers on a personal level, making

them more accessible.

At the meeting Delta Phi Omega and Alpha Phi Omega were compensated for working poll places during the spring general election.

A bill was passed to pay each student organization $225 for their work. “The purpose of this bill is just to compensate the student organizations who helped us operate our polling sites this semester,� said Natalie Jester, international and area studies junior and author of the bill.

Congress paid poll operators a total of $450 this semester compared to $750 last semester, Jester said. This decrease is due to the fact that there was only one polling site this semester compared to five sites last semester, Jester said.

— Hillary McLain/The Daily

Stay connected with The Daily on Twitter for campus, sports and entertainment news

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STATE

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

House pass tax-credit program for children to attend school OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House has passed a scholarship tax-credit program to help children of lowincome families attend private schools.

The House voted 64-33 for the measure Tuesday and sent it to the Senate for further consideration.

The bill would allow a tax credit equal to 50 percent of the amount contributed to a scholarship-granting organization up to $1,000 per person, $2,000 per couple and up to $100,000 per business.

The scholarships would pay up to 80 percent of the average per-pupil expenditure in the school district where the student lives.

Police investigate death of man whose body was found in river JENKS — Authorities are looking into the death of a man whose body was found near the Arkansas River.

Police say a fossil hunter discovered the body of an adult male on the west side of the river in a dry area of the riverbed, south of the Creek Turnpike bridge on Sunday. The man’s body has been taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Tulsa to determine a cause and manner of death.

— AP

Wednesday, April 27, 2011 • 3

Storms tear across tornado alley Succession of storms on one place unusual, meteorologist says OKLAHOMA CITY — Even in Tornado Alley in springtime, it’s unusual to get two storm systems as powerful as the one that spawned a deadly tornado in Arkansas and another that was working its way through Oklahoma and North Texas on Tuesday, a meteorologist said Tuesday.

At their simplest, storms occur when masses of cold air and warm air collide — and they occur pretty often in the central United States.

But what gives Tornado Alley its name is the complicated mix of humid air off the Gulf of Mexico; cooler, dry air from the north; and jet streams that scream across the continent from east to west.

The combination contributed to storms Monday that killed nine in Arkansas, and was in place again Tuesday — setting up areas from Texas to Tennessee for tornadoes, hail, high winds and flooding rains.

Even by Tornado Alley standards the succession of bad weather is unusual.

“What’s kind of interesting, it’s basically in the same place for two days in a row. That doesn’t happen very often,” said Greg Carbin, the warning coordination meteorologist for the Storm Prediction Center in Norman. “Such rapid succession doesn’t give any time for a break.”

The Storm Prediction Center, part of the National Weather Service, provides long- and short-term forecasts that emergency managers nationwide use to gauge the threat of troubling weather.

It predicted a moderate risk of severe weather for Monday, and by the end of the day Arkansas had suffered through tornadoes and the Mid-South saw flooding rains. Nine

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Venita Lee inspects her home Sunday in Askewville, N.C., after a tornado moved through the area Saturday. Rescue crews searched for survivors Sunday in North Carolina, the state hardest hit by a storm system that spawned dozens of tornadoes from Oklahoma to Virginia and left dozens dead.

It’s that transition from winter to spring that provides ingredients for severe storms.”

— GREG CARBIN, STORM PREDICTION CENTER METEOROLOGIST Arkansans died.

For Tuesday, forecasters said there was a high risk of severe weather in an area from Dallas to Memphis, with a moderate risk from southern Oklahoma and central Texas into western Kentucky — predicting weather a lot like Monday’s, but in a broader area.

Weather patterns have to line up just so to designate a high risk area.

“As we get closer to the event, the confidence

builds that this is really the threat area,” Carbin said.

Storms two weeks ago killed 45 in a stretch from Oklahoma to North Carolina, starting with two people killed in Tushka on April 14. The weather has been largely unsettled over the Southern Plains and the South since.

April and May are historically the most active months, Carbin said.

“The reason is that we get the combination of

very strong winds in the jet stream and the contrast between warm springtime air masses and cooler, drier air masses,” he said. “It’s that transition from winter to spring that provides ingredients for severe storms.”

He said the jet stream comes in from the Pacific Northwest, dives southeast to the Four Corners region, arcs around the Southern Plains and Red River Valley before heading north to the Mississippi Valley.

Within the jet stream are disturbances that are crucial for the development of severe storms.

“You really do add fuel to the fires,” he said.

— AP

4 • Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

OPINION

THUMBS DOWN ›› Norman Music Festival, May Fair take place during the same weekend (see page 1)

Tim French, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666

OUR VIEW

You get what you pay for Norman Music Festival 4 will rock Norman with a multiBy adding ticket sales to the festival, organizers would tude of acts Thursday through Saturday. need to come up with a system to distinguish weekend The festival will feature local and national acts playing at passes from individual day passes. We propose officials use 19 locations and serves as one of the last opportunities for color-coordinated wrist bands to classify each attendee. students to unwind before dead week and finals arrive.

• Green for a Thursday one-day pass While we plan to attend and enjoy the event, we have a • Blue for a Friday one-day pass couple suggestions for festival organizers to enhance the • Yellow for a Saturday one-day pass concert experience for fans, the bands and venue owners.

• Crimson for a weekend pass Although a free festival is appealing — especially for colSince the City of Norman will close Main Street on lege students — we think an entrance fee would improve Saturday, some establishments have decided to shut their the event. doors during the festival. We understand Many students will cringe at the the impact this event can have on some thought of paying for something they stores’ business, but we believe the ownMany students will cringe once received for free; however, we think ers and the festival organizers must find at the thought of paying this would increase the level of talent a way to satisfy both parties’ interests. for something they once performing at the festival.

We want to see Norman Music Festival received for free; however, remain in downtown Norman, so we enThe editorial board suggests the festival sells $25 weekend passes. Students courage event officials to provide Main we think this would generally operate on tight budgets, but increase the level of talent Street businesses with a booth and sup$25 is a small price to pay for three days to give the owners an opportunity performing at the festival.” plies of entertainment. to promote their businesses.

For people who don’t want to pay $25 Business owners should take advanor attend each day, the festival should offer $10 day pass- tage of the foot traffic in front of their store, even if they can’t es. Judging by the amount of acts festival organizers have realistically conduct sales. These stores should use this opcrammed into one day, we believe this is affordable and portunity to advertise upcoming sales or product releases. reasonable.

Establishing these ties between the festival and the local We believe selling tickets would increase the quality of businesses will create an environment where Norman performers at the festival. Revenues from ticket sales would Music Festival can continue to thrive. allow organizers to book more recognizable and expenWe hope the festival can stay rooted in downtown sive acts. Certainly the festival wouldn’t host Phish or Foo Norman and continue to generate tourism revenue for the Fighters any time soon, but it wouldn’t be unrealistic to see city. We also understand the switch from a free festival to a Grizzly Bear, Garfunkel and Oates or Animal Collective in paid one may be a hard pill to swallow for festival attendees; future Norman Music Festival lineups. however, the increase in quality acts would more than make We want to maintain the local emphasis of the festival, up for the additional costs to fans. but at the same time, we think it is time to take the next step In order for Norman Music Festival to flourish, festival toward becoming a destination for bigger acts. organizers must ensure quality acts grace Main Street each The festival has grown as large as it can on Main Street, April. and festival organizers should now focus on quality rather than quantity.

Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

CARTOON

Connecting with society’s future

CARLOS CHANG/THE DAILY

COLUMN

Public criticism necessary for a healthy OU In the last two years especially, there has been a surge of campus activism that has turned its eye on local campus issues.

Instead of trying to fight back against genocide or going door-to-door for national politicians, groups like Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Friends, Women’s and Gender Studies Student Association and Students for a Democratic Society have worked on fixing campus problems.

To the dismay of some, part of fixing campus problems requires identifying them, and criticizing those who are responsible for them. Especially when the administration has a tendency of taking its time when not confronted publicly about an issue, very visible criticism and pressure is often an indispensable necessity.

However, this seems to rub some people the wrong way. Some are annoyed because they incorrectly believe public condemnations and media pressure is inferior to passive procedural mechanisms, which almost always get stonewalled.

These people are wrong about effective tactics, but they are at least tolerable STAFF COLUMN MN because they seem interested in trying to change Matt Bruenig nig things.

The other class of people who do not like the protests, critical articles and other tactics of registering disapproval seem to think it is not the place of students to even tell the administration to make changes.

They call upon the old love-or-leave-it logic, telling those of us itching for changes that our power to mold our university experience should exist purely in our power to choose which university to attend.

If we do not like the way OU is run — these people argue — then we should have never chosen to attend this university. Although the logic of consumer freedom might work in some limited contexts, people should remember OU is a public institution.

This is not a private university, nor is it a brand of toothpaste. It is an institution of

learning owned by the people of Oklahoma. The administration and the Board of Regents do not own OU they are charged with the duty to run it.

This puts them in the position to determine what kind of policies and programs they will implement, not as absolute owners of the institution, but as caretakers of it for the people of the state.

One of the main functions of the university, and part of the job of its caretakers, is to provide the best learning environment for the students who attend.

The administrators certainly have some sense of what that means. But despite their titles and expertise, they cannot possibly know it all.

There are things — like gender-neutral housing or the sexual-assault policy — they may just completely overlook or be initially unwilling to do anything about.

In these cases, only students advocating for themselves will ever be able to force the

necessary changes.

Thus, the only way we can properly ensure the caretakers of OU are doing their job correctly is to make sure all of the problems students identify are sufficiently remedied.

If we do not make sure this happens, we are facilitating the administration’s failure to uphold its duty to the people of the state.

Lastly, let’s not forget students are residents of this state, even if only for a few years. As members of the public, this institution belongs to the students just as much as it belongs to the administration, and every other resident of the state for that matter.

To apply consumerist logic to OU, and condemn those of us trying to make it better, misses the basic point that we are the public, and this is our university.

— Matt Bruenig, philosophy senior

Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Christ offers standards, goals for our daily lives I will graduate in a few days. I will walk at commencement with amazing people whom I will count as friends for the rest of my life. I have job opportunities with industry giants and I have been admitted to Tier 1 law schools. Yet over the past semester as I have neared the pinnacle of my undergraduate achievement, I have come to the conclusion all these accomplishments are unfulfilling and without ultimate worth in the scope of life.

What is the value of working for 40 years in a good job, having a family— even helping others — only to retire when my body and mind are declining, and ultimately to die? Don’t misunderstand me — I find incredible joy in my life every day, but my goals alone are unfulfilling.

This is not speculation it is a very tangible realization from where I now stand having accomplished everything I set out to do in college. If you are facing life after graduation, I suspect you too have felt this nagging dissatisfaction.

I concur with Solomon, who wrote in Ecclesiastes, “Meaningless! Meaningless! … What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?”

Like Solomon, I understand wisdom and enjoying life are better than ignorance and

Meredith Moriak Chase Cook Chris Miller Tim French James Corley

contact us

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor

pain, but I must acknowledge that withI am flawed and surely do not have the out a greater purpose, each path still ends authority. “Society” is truly no better a meaninglessly — in death. judge, since the world’s societies seem I have always been a Christian — as the only capable of producing problems. term is commonly used — but as I have If I am to find happiness, contentment begun to see the uselessness of my own and true purpose in life, it must consist goals I began to realize my reliance on reli- of a standard outside of religion, my own gion also is worthless. Religion as it is prac- wants, my own desire for power and my ticed both by extremown attempts to control ists and most normal the world.

“Christians” is merely Christ and the Bible Christ and the Bible are a social or political the only guides for life that are the only guides for tool that people mold life that reject religion reject religion and power, to their own goals and and power, yet still offer yet still offer a purpose inclinations. a purpose and standard and standard above my This kind of religion above my own unsatis truly, as Marx put it, isfying goals. The Bible own unsatisfying goals.” “the opiate of the massrecords Christ came to es” or as Freud put it earth specifically to be “an attempt to get control over the sensory trampled by authority. world” and as Nietzsche described it as ulChrist was perhaps the biggest critic of timately a power grab on the part of each religion in the history of mankind. Well person who uses religion to justify his own before Nietzsche, Christ condemned the desires. power hungry religious, “who devour widThese startling facts lead many to con- ows’ houses, and for a pretense make long clude each person can only define truth prayers: these shall receive great punishfor himself. Unfortunately, this conclusion ment.” Christ alone and his word — the is also extremely unsatisfying, since the Bible — have the credibility to dictate how human soul recognizes inherent good and my life should be lived. evil in the world.

The Bible offers to every living person

Autumn Huffman Ashley West Chris Lusk Michael Lloyd Judy Gibbs Robinson

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a purpose in life that rises above the stale religion we are guilty of manipulating to fit our own goals and desires. This purpose is stated multiple times in the Bible.

The solution to my religion and my unfulfilling desires is complete and utter dedication to glorifying a good, loving, just and perfect God, Jesus Christ. This surrender is perhaps the most difficult step of “faith.” It must be a step taken without reservation or condition.

This surrender must involve a reformation of motives in the observant but selfrighteous “Christian,” as well as a reformation of action in those who attempt to dismiss the clear standards of the Bible as cultural anomalies or historically obsolete.

This purpose gives me an exhilarating confidence in my decision to put off law school or an engineering career and teach English in China after I graduate.

This newfound satisfaction is not because teaching English is inherently better than a career in law or engineering. I have peace and satisfaction because my motivation is no longer a fear of the meaninglessness of life, but a joy in the purpose of Christ.

— Isaac Davis, chemical engineering senior

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

Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion.

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 edited for space. Students must list their major and classification. Submit letters Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters also can be emailed to dailyopinion@ou.edu.

Our View is the voice of The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board, which consists of the editorial staff. The board meets at 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall.

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

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

Wednesday, April 27, 2011 • 5

LIFE&ARTS

OUDAILY.COM ›› With the cancellation of two ABC soap operas, TV will be further inundated with reality shows

Autumn Huffman, life & arts editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-5189

PERFORMING ARTS

Students to perform 4 ballets at showcase Performances were chosen according to dancer experience, director says

dancers to have the opportunity to perform ballets of international repertoire, Holt said.

“Fandango” is famed British choreogEMILY HOPKINS The Oklahoma Daily rapher Antony Tudor’s early 1960s ballet telling the story of five Spanish women he OU University Theatre will in a battle of competing and diverse present its annual production personalities. of Oklahoma Festival Ballet on Veteran dancers John Gardner and Friday to Sunday and May 5 to Amanda McKerrow, both formerly of the 8 in the Rupel J. Jones American Ballet Theatre, Theatre. Performances staged “Fandango” and We had a wonderful will begin at 8 p.m. Friday coached the OU dance time assembling the and Saturday with matistudents. nees at 3 p.m. Sunday. program for this year and The husband-andThe event will feawife team, now retired we are excited by the ture four separate balfrom dancing, worked variety it brings to our l e t s, ra n g i n g i n s t y l e with Tudor up students’ and audience’s closely from contemporary and until his death in 1987. theatrical and artistic abstract to classical and “He had something experiences.” narrative. different to say than Both the dancers’ expemost people did at the rience and the audience’s time he was choreo— MARY MARGARET HOLT, potential enjoyment is g r a p h i n g ,” G a r d n e r SCHOOL OF DANCE DIRECTOR taken into consideration said. “It really is a pleawhen choosing pieces for sure carrying it on and the ballet, OU School of Dance Director we feel like we’re doing something really Mary Margaret Holt said. important with our lives.”

“We had a wonderful time assembling Modern dance performance junior the program for this year and we are excit- Terra Easter plays Esmeralda, the most ed by the variety it brings to our students’ aggressive of the five women. and audience’s theatrical and artistic ex“I really love the fact that in this piece periences,” Holt said. you can really live in the moment,” Easter The opening ballet, “Foxes,” is contem- said. “Amanda would often refer to secporary tribute to the foxhunts of the early tions as conversations, and it really is like 20th century. Choreographed by faculty that in that you are constantly reacting to member Jeremy Lindberg, the piece is what is happening around you. It definitecomposed of 10 men and ly is a conversation that 10 women and uses movebuilds into quite an upments that allude to jumproarious conclusion.” ing fences and riding on The final performance horseback. and another re-staging is » Tickets for the production B e n S t e v e n s o n ’s “Graduation Ball.” David may be purchased at the “Camouflage,” performed Lichine created the ballet Catlett Music Center’s Fine by an all-male cast, comes in 1940 in Australia durArts Box office or by calling next. It depicts the lives of ing the 1939-40 tour of the 405-325-4101. soldiers in the Vietnam Original Ballet Russe.

War and the ensuing emoThe comedic piece, ripe » The box office is open tions they must face. with lively and eccentric 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

“It is a timeless contemcharacters, centers on Monday through Friday. porary ballet about human the graduation ball at a emotion that spans all deViennese girls’ school. cades and all wars and “It is a delightful finale it was sensitively staged by [SOD faculty for our production and is being performed member] Steve Brule,” Holt said.

PHOTO PROVIDED as a tribute to founders [Miguel] Terekhov “Fandango,” the third ballet in the and Yvonne Chouteau, who arrived at OU Amelia Appen from “Fandango” — the Oklahoma Festival Ballet’s third ballet in the program — program, was specifically included for 50 years ago this year,” Holt said. stands on pointe for a promotional photo. Appen will perform Friday to Sunday and May 5 to 8.

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The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

Wednesday, April 27, 2011 • 7

SPORTS

OUDAILY.COM ›› No. 10 OU baseball team sweeps season series with TCU with a 7-4 win Tuesday night

SOFTBALL

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

WOMEN’S GOLF

Sooners looking to sweep OSU OU to face Cowgirls for third installment of Bedlam rivalry this year TOBI NEIDY The Oklahoma Daily

The Oklahoma softball team isn’t taking anything for granted during its first trip this season to Stillwater.

OU (34-14, 7-6 Big 12) hasn’t had a problem handling its Bedlam foe, Oklahoma State, this season — a rarity considering the Sooners stole the close series lead, 70-69, with two wins this year.

But two wins don’t guarantee a third at 7 tonight.

“It’s hard to get three wins over any team,” junior Katie Norris said. “We have to get our bats going. [Bedlam] is always a big deal.”

Norris made a big difference at the plate last weekend against Texas A&M, hitting a game-winning home run in the seventh inning to give the Sooners a 2-0 victory.

“Katie is just a team player that wants to find a way to win,” coach Patty Gasso said.

Norris, a Stillwater native, also knows Bedlam wins aren’t easy to come by, even in front of a familiar crowd.

“The crowd is awesome,” Norris said. “My friends and family always get to come watch, which is fun.”

The Cowgirls have all the motivation to make OU pay if the Sooners fail to produce on offense, especially after Oklahoma limited the Cowgirls to just one run in 12 innings of action.

During the nonconference matchup March 5, the Sooners stunned the Cowgirls, 7-0, in The Preview in Oklahoma City.

OU earns NCAA Championship berth The OU women’s golf team will make the program’s ninth appearance in the NCAA tournament next month, the league announced Monday night.

The 25th-ranked Sooners received an at-large bid for the West Regional, which will take place at the Washington National Golf Course on May 5-7 in Auburn, Wash.

It is one of three regionals serving as a preliminary round for the NCAA Championship.

“We are honored by the NCAA’s invitation,” OU coach Veronique Drouin said. “We look forward to being in the Seattle area and to compete in this prestigious event. As excited as we are, we still have a lot of work to do this week in preparation for the tournament.”

OU joins 23 teams in the regional, including top-ranked USC and seven top-25 teams. The Sooners are seeded 10th.

Iowa State and Texas A&M also will represent the Big 12 Conference in the region.

— Daily staff reports

Norman Music Festival COLLIN SIMS/THE DAILY

Sophomore outfielder Brianna Turang gets ready to bunt during OU’s 5-1 win over Oklahoma State on April 13 in Norman. The Sooners will face the Cowgirls at 7 tonight in Stillwater.

will have your tunes.

The Daily will have the scoop.

If you go WHAT: OU softball vs.

Oklahoma State WHEN: 7 tonight WHERE: Cowgirl Softball Stadium, Stillwater OU could do no wrong at the plate, including a fiveRBI stint from sophomore catcher Jessica Shults and a 13-strikeout performance by sophomore pitcher Keilani Ricketts.

OU turned around to take a 5-1 win April 13 in Norman

that boasted a gala of home runs. Ricketts and freshman Brittany Williams hit two-run homers, and Shults knocked a solo homer in the fifth to move within one of tying OU’s single-season record (20).

The Cowgirls aren’t to be underestimated at the plate.

OSU is the fourth-best hitting team (.308) in the Big 12, behind swinging giants Texas Tech, Texas and Nebraska.

The Cowgirls’ Alysia Hamilton sits in second place on the individual batting list with a .406 average, including 58 hits, five homers and 20 walks. In her 143 at-bats, Hamilton has struck

Stay connected with The Daily sports desk for news and updates about Sooner sports

@OUDailySports www.twitter.com/OUDailySports

The Faculty of the History Department Congratulates the Following Undergraduate Students Who Presented Their Original Research at the Annual Statewide Phi Alpha Theta Meeting held this Spring Semester at Cameron University.

Brian Koss, “William Charles: A Liz Braden, “Catholicism in Brief History of the War of 1812 Elizabethan England” through Caricature” Timothy Roehrs, “Heinrich Kaitlyn Willit, “The Ordination of Bullinger: Moderation and Women in the Catholic Church” Predestination” Meghan Riley, “Between Two Anti- Tom Phenicie, “Sex Smells: The Christs: Luther, the Ottoman Threat, Change in the Perception of Sexuality during the Early Cold War” and the Struggle for Secular Kaitlin West, “Marriage on Trial” Government” Robert Plummer, “By Ruin and the Sam Tran, “The Assimilation of Jews in Western and Eastern Europe” Fury: A Nascent Feminism in the Ryan Makipour, “The Victory Oresteia of Aeschylus” Katherine Wiarda, “Roles of Aztec Garden: How the Federal Government and the Media Affected National Women” War-Time Goals on a Community Meagan Morton McGuire, “John Level” Trumbull: Artist, Soldier and Founding Father of the Legacy of the Josie Wagoner, “Dezvergonzado” Erin Thoes, “The Importance of Revolutionary War” Kayla Pittman, “Thomas Jefferson: Sugar: From Luxury to Necessity” Lauren Duhon, “Weather in Divine, Devil, or Simply Human” Colonial America” Nick Watts, “Kennan and the Meaning of Containment” Special Congratulations to the award winners: Robert Plummer’s essay was awarded first place among all research presented in fields outside United States history.

Kaitlyn Willit’s essay received a second place award among essays presented on topics related to United States history.

Kaitlin West received a third place award among essays presented on topics related to United States history.

out only 18 times, making her hard for pitchers to take down.

But against Ricketts, one of the most dominating pitchers in the country, Hamilton and the Cowgirls haven’t produced.

Ricketts continues to lead the Big 12 in appearances (37), strikeouts (339), complete games (25) and innings pitched (207.1).

“When this team gets on that field, they feel like there’s too much at stake, and they don’t let their guard down,” Gasso said. “When this team lets out their personality, you will enjoy watching them play.”

Check the April 28 edition of The Oklahoma Daily for all the bands, stages and need-to-know info you need to get ready for

NMF.

SPORTS

8 • Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

COLUMN

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Ruling was good first step

Fans don’t typify AL

Players cannot lock themSTAFF COLUMN UMN selves out — only the owners can do that. The NFL owners RJ Youngg were the catalyst for this current disaster, and they should remember that from now until, well, forever — and forever is a long time.

It’s fortunate there is someone among us looking out for fans and the league’s future. Judge Susan Richard Nelson ruled Monday to end the lockout, meaning for the first time since the beginning of March, things are on the up and up — and the owners look like a bunch of jackasses.

The owners requested their dispute with the players be decided in a court room, and that’s what they got. Now, they’re running around asking each other what they should do.

But there is still no collective bargaining agreement between the players and owners, and with the lockout lifted, all hell has broken loose.

Monday night, the owners filed a stay of action in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to hold Nelson’s order, which would only serve to complicate things.

Because there is no agreement, there are no rules for how each team’s players, owners and coaches should conduct themselves until there is an agreement.

This is especially problematic for the NFL this week as all 32 teams and at least 25 top NFL prospects participate in the draft Thursday night.

The owners have told coaches not to interact with players, but the NFL Players Association is telling the players and coaches the exact opposite.

The rub: Both parties are right.

I agree with most of what Luke had to say. Sports — especially here in the deep South — have grown to an unhealthy obsession, causing grown men to act like idiots. The actions of Harvey Updyke and those like him will ultimately destroy what makes collegiate sports fun and unique, and that is sad.

Having said that, I think Luke might be painting the state of Alabama with too broad a brush. He bases his opinion on the actions of one crazy fan.

After Updyke’s actions, Alabama and Auburn held several press conferences calling for a healthy rivalry and respect for both universities.

To show their respect and compassion, the Alabama fan base created Tide for Toomers, a foundation that raised over $50,000 to aid in the efforts to save the Toomer’s Oaks that Updyke poisoned.

Luke, if you get a chance, come visit Auburn, Ala. Go see the Tiger Walk. Stop in at a tailgate party — doesn’t matter which one — and you’ll be received as an invited guest. Get in the stadium early enough to see the eagle circle the field and hear 87,000 chant “War Eagle,” then sit back and enjoy the game.

I can’t speak for Alabama, but I promise after one visit to our town and campus, you will leave with a totally different opinion of the folks of the Auburn family.

The NFLPA is encouraging players to show up at their respective training facilities and engage in what would be regularly scheduled offseason workouts.

Because of Nelson’s ruling, owners cannot turn those players away, but until the mess in the 8th Circuit Court is sorted, teams have refused to let players participate in “football activities,” such as workouts.

Some players, like New York Jets lineman D’Brickshaw Ferguson, have workout bonuses in their contracts — bonuses that cannot be paid if the players aren’t allowed to work out.

So Ferguson stands to lose $750,000, and the owners are telling coaches not to talk with players. It’s like high school all over again, only the cool kids just happen to wear suits and build monstrosities like Cowboy Stadium.

Ultimately, what Nelson’s ruling means is there will be no trades, no free-agent signings and organized workouts are so 2010. If the players want to work out, they’ll have to find somewhere other than the state-of-the-art facilities the owners have built for them to do it.

Still, the owners should be wary of what they let players do and not do — it’s up to Nelson to decide whether the owners take her ruling seriously or deserve a stay of her decision.

But like it or not, Nelson’s ruling is good for everyone involved. Though the owners and NFLPA are not scheduled to meet again, if Nelson’s ruling holds, both parties will have to speed up the process and get something done.

We might even have pro football in September.

Editor’s note: This letter is in response to Luke McConnell’s column, “Heated rivalry threatens what’s good about sports,” in Tuesday’s edition of The Daily.

— Will Cabaniss, Auburn University, Class of 2001

— RJ Young, professional writing graduate student

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