The Oklahoma Daily by OU Daily

LIFE & ARTS • PAGE 5

SPORTS • PAGE 8

10 study-friendly tunes to hear

Kruger sits down with The Daily

Daily columnists put together a list of music students should listen to help keep them focused and their mind on track during finals week.

Men’s basketball coach Lon Kruger (shown right) talks about developing a better relationship between students and the program.

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

www.OUDaily.com

Free — additional copies 25¢

Boren invites students to discuss possible tuition increase with him President asks to receive opinions, concerns before making decision CARMEN FORMAN The Oklahoma Daily

David Boren

OU President David Boren will host an informal discussion with students today to explore potential tuition increases for the next academic year. Boren wants to hear student concerns before

making the choice to raise tuition, university spokesman Chris Shilling said. Students will be able to ask Boren questions about tuition and fees, Shilling said. “The environment will be very informal, and Boren will give his outlook about next year’s tuition,” Shilling said. Boren is likely to discuss how much students will have to pay if SEE TUITION PAGE 2

If you go WHAT: Open discussion WHEN: 3 p.m. today WHERE: Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Beaird Lounge

Fair extends sign-up deadline More student organizations have registered for fair compared to last year ALEX EWALD

The Oklahoma Daily

The registration deadline for Howdy Week’s Involvement Fair has been extended until the end of the summer, and student organizations have responded by increasing their participation in the event. The deadline was extended indefinitely because the original Friday deadline coincided with student preparation for final exams, said Joe Sangirardi, fair coordinator and letters sophomore. Fair administrators wanted

AVOIDING THE FINALS-WEEK CRASH

SEE FAIR PAGE 2

Music festival collects no profit Norman Music Festival 4 saw more attendees, fewer profits PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY REINA LYONS/THE DAILY

Students should avoid excessive caffeine use and practice effective study habits this week, said Heather Kirkes, Huston Huffman Center spokeswoman.

How to survive end of semester Students should avoid quick Campus energy-boosters, expert says to cater to Healthy diet, sleep and exercise more beneficial means of staying focused KATHLEEN EVANS The Oklahoma Daily

affeine and other energy-boosting drugs are not as beneficial as they may seem for students looking to keep up with end-of-semester demands, OU health professionals said. Although caffeine may provide a quick energy boost, in time it will cause a crash that is not beneficial to students’ energy levels or ability to study, said Heather Kirkes, Huston Huffman Center fitness and outreach coordinator. “You don’t feel rested or get a good sleep after drinking caffeine,” Kirkes said. “It makes you feel drained afterwards.” Instead, students should focus on eating a balanced diet throughout the day, and drink plenty of water to feel regenerated, Kirkes said. Tea is also a healthier alternative to coffee and contains reduced amounts of caffeine, Kirkes said. Other stimulants, such as the prescription drug Adderall, may also appear to be beneficial in boosting energy but can cause feelings of panic, blurred vision, sleep problems and seizures when used long-term or in high doses, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information website.

A LOOK AT WHAT’S ON Visit the news section to read about the OU Society of Portuguese Speakers night of dances, cuisine and music Saturday

The brain needs fuel to concentrate and focus, preferably in the form of blood sugars, OU Health Services dietitian Patti Landers said. However, this does not include junk food or foods full of processed sugars. Students should complement sugars with proteins and healthy fats such as milk, eggs, cheese, fish, peanut butter, olive oil and nuts, Landers said. “Do not go longer than four or five hours during the day without eating,” Landers said. “Signs of physical hunger include stomach growling, feeling weak or dizzy and inattention or inability to concentrate.” Exercise breaks are also one of the best things for students hoping to boost their energy during finals, Kirkes said. “Exercise keeps your metabolism strong and steady,” Kirkes said. “Students should try to stay active on a daily basis. Plus, exercise can be good for stress relief.” Even if students do not want to take the time to go to the gym, something as quick as a short walk around the house or some stretches can be beneficial, OU Health Services spokeswoman Maggie Pool said. “This will help increase energy levels and will also give your eyes a rest from staring at a book or computer for long periods of time,” Pool said. Finally, students should get plenty of good rest, which caffeine will inhibit, Pool said. Lack of sleep and energy affects concentration and focus.

finals needs Multiple locations, organizations on campus alter hours, offer special events at end of semester CARMEN FORMAN The Oklahoma Daily

Students in need of a final push before the end of the semester can take advantage of special events and increased hours of operation in certain campus buildings during finals week. Bizzell Memorial Library will be open 24/7 during dead and finals weeks, and students can also reserve group study rooms, library spokeswoman Sarah Robbins said. A number of locations on campus, including the library, the Oklahoma Memorial Union and Wagner Hall are good areas to study, depending on the comfort level of the student, Robbins said. “We do try to maintain an environment conducive to studying, especially during finals week,” Robbins said regarding the library’s finals week policies. “The second and third floors are designated quiet floors, so we probably police those a little heavier than SEE FINALS PAGE 2

WHAT’S INSIDE Campus ................. Classifieds ............. Life & Arts .............. Opinion ................. Sports ...................

2 6 5 4 7

CARMEN FORMAN The Oklahoma Daily

Norman Music Festival administrators received fewer donations from attendees and sold less merchandise than in previous years, however, after all forms of revenue are counted the event will likely break even. Festival administrators had hoped to set aside money earned from the fourth-annual festival for next year, but that may not end up being the case, festival chairman Robert Ruiz said. “The decrease in donations was probably because in the past we had people collecting donations at every entrance, while this year the people collecting donations were roaming around,” Ruiz said. Roughly 50,000 people attended this year’s festival in contrast to about 38,000 last year, Ruiz said. There were 3,500 people in attendance Thursday, and that number grew to 10,000 and 35,000 Friday and Saturday, respectively, Ruiz said. The festival’s administrative committee hired a crew to clean up the mess created by the festival, Ruiz said. The crew worked after events came to a close each night and throughout the day on Friday and Saturday, Ruiz said. “We wanted people to come down Main Street the next day and not be able to tell a music festival happened,” Ruiz said. After the festival concluded Saturday, the administrative committee performed a quality-control sweep of the festival grounds Sunday to ensure they were clean, Ruiz said. “I see no reason we would condense the festival when it went so well this year,” Ruiz said.

TODAY’S WEATHER

75°| 53° Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, high of 77 degrees

2 • Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

CAMPUS

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

TUITION: Evaluation of OU’s credit reports an increase may be likely Continued from page 1

Today around campus » Students will be able to make free stress balls from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s first floor lobby. The event is part of the Union Programming Board’s Dead Week De-Stress. » University College Action Staff will give tips on test management for final exams from 2 to 3 p.m. in Adams Center’s Muldrow Tower, Room 105. » Director Beth Sievers will present the Sooner Strings Project from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Catlett Music Center’s Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall.

Thursday, May 5 » There will be a Mark Allen Everett poetry talk from 10 to 11 a.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 280. Professionals will also come to talk to aspiring writers about the poetry business. » A Nintendo Wii will be provided from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Union’s first floor lobby as part of the Union Programming Board’s Dead Week De-Stress. » OU softball will play North Texas at 6 p.m. at Marita Hynes Field. » The Oklahoma Festival Ballet will present a variety of dance numbers from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Rupel J. Jones Theatre. Tickets are $14 for students, $18 for OU faculty and staff and $22 for adults. » Free breakfast will be served for dinner from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Union’s food court. The event is part of the Union Programming Board’s Dead Week De-Stress.

tuition is increased, Shilling said. In January, Fitch Ratings — one of the top-three credit-rating agencies in the country — reported a possible tuition increase after evaluating OU’s credit, according to Daily archives. A 4.5-percent increase was specified by OU officials. Boren doesn’t know if there will be a tuition hike for next year, Shilling said. Much of his decision rests on the amount of appropriations OU is given by the state, and that hasn’t yet been decided, Shilling said. This is the same stance Boren took when The Daily asked in March if the 4.5percent increase was going to occur. Texas native and multidisciplinary studies junior Will Perry said paying out-of-state tuition to attend OU already takes its toll financially. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great school, and I love it here,” Perry said. “But it’s not cheap.”

» The Oklahoma Festival Ballet will present a variety of dance numbers from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Rupel J. Jones Theatre. Tickets are $14 for students, $18 for OU faculty and staff and $22 for adults. » The New Horizons Chamber Ensemble will perform a free rehearsal from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Catlett Music Center’s Pitman Recital Hall.

Monday, May 9 » Spring final examinations begin.

» This day in OU history

May 4, 1982 OUPD promotes bicycle safety American Bike Month, sponsored by the university’s Police Department, promoted bicycle safety and maintenance. The OUPD coordinated activities such as bike registration, and they were giving out information on bike laws, as well as bike-safety tips. Most people don’t realize they are required to obey traffic laws such as stopping at red lights and yielding for pedestrians, OUPD said. A lot of accidents occur with cyclists because motorists don’t see them, OU Police Chief William Jones said. Student group members suspended for fighting Members of the Islamic Student Organization were suspended for one year after Iranian groups were involved in a skirmish inside Dale Hall. The student organization was charged $497.35 for damages incurred in Dale Hall after the skirmish. — Source: The Oklahoma Daily archives

Cost of 12 credit hours » Current: $1,471.20 » Proposed: $1,537.40 This information is based on a potential 4.5-percent tuition increase reported by The Daily.

Continued from page 1

Library information the other floors.” Students living in the dorms have lots of options to help them gear up for finals, said Paige Abernathy, Cate Resident Student Association president and letters sophomore. “We had a finals study night in the Cate Lounge to help students study and to give out free finals supplies like Scantrons and Blue Books.” Students can also receive help studying for finals by going to UC Action tutoring, sponsored by OU University College, said Mark Walvoord, interim director of the Student Learning Center. UC Action will have its regular hours during dead week and special hours set up during the week of finals, Walvoord said. “If you have to cram, make sure you aren’t looking over stuff you already know — use condensed study guides or notes. Get a good night’s sleep, and don’t use too much caffeine so you can focus,” he said. The usual tips of eating nutritious food, getting enough sleep and exercising are

» Final day of spring classes.

» OU baseball will play Kansas at 6:30 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Tution per credit hour » Current: $122.60 » Proposed: $128.12

FINALS: Study help available

Friday, May 6 » Free screenings of the film “I am Number Four” will be provided by the Oklahoma Union Programming Board and Campus Activities Council. Screenings will take place at 4 p.m., 7 p.m., 10 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the Union’s Meacham Auditorium.

How increase would impact fall tuition

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

@OUDaily @OUDailySports @OUDailyArts Twitter.com/OUDaily Twitter.com/OUDailySports Twitter.com/OUDailyArts

help is just a phone call away

number

crisis line

325-6963 (NYNE)

OU Number Nyne Crisis Line

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

except OU holidays and breaks

NOW HIRING

$9/hr. plus tips

Apply in Person @ 201 N. Porter Ave. Norman, OK 73071

To reserve a Bizzell Memorial Library group study room: » Visit the Bizzell circulation desk or call 405-325-3341 Group Study Room policies: » Rooms may be reserved for two hours with one two-hour renewal permitted » Reservations may be made up to seven days in advance — Source: OU Libraries website

necessary to keep students from stressing out, Walvoord said. “Since it is finals, it is hard to start up new study habits now, but hopefully there are good notes to study from that are organized,” Walvoord said. If students don’t understand material they should go see their professors during office hours, even if the students have never been before, Walvoord said.

FAIR: More groups will join in summer Continued from page 1 to get more organizations involved as well because finding as many different groups as possible to participate will provide the best results, Sangirardi said. Fifty-four student orga n i z at i o n s have re g istered for the fair as of Tuesday evening — an increase from the 20 to 30 that participated in last year’s event, said Claire Henson, fair coordinator and University College freshman. “I feel like last year’s fair must’ve gone well if we’re getting such a huge response this year,” Henson said. That number will increase as more student organizations apply during the summer, Sangirardi said. The fair is an opportunity for student organizations to assemble on the South Oval in a large group and recruit new students during Howdy Week, according to the event’s registration application. Howdy Week, which takes place the first week of each fall semester, will take place from Aug. 22 to 26. The fair will take place Tuesday, Aug. 23 on the South Oval in front of Bizzell Memorial Library.

WORLD/NATION

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

2 1

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 • 3

Obama will be in New York City for 9/11 anniversary, Mayor says White House officials will not confirm Bloomberg’s remarks

WORLD NEWS BRIEFS 1. Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast armed forces fight pockets of resistant loyalists A commander in Ivory Coast’s new army says forces are battling pockets of resistance in the commercial capital created by fighters loyal to the ousted strongman. Ousmane Coulibaly says forces are clashing with fighters loyal to Laurent Gbagbo in the Yopougon suburb of Abidjan. He said Tuesday he thinks the area can be pacified within 48 hours. Gbagbo’s refusal to cede power after losing a November election plunged the country into four months of chaos and violence in which human rights groups say thousands were killed. Gbagbo was arrested April 11 by forces loyal to democratically elected President Alassane Ouattara.

2. San Juan De Sabinas, Mexico

14 miners trapped after mine explosion Tuesday in Mexico A gas explosion Tuesday in a coal mine in northern Mexico trapped 14 miners and injured another, Mexican officials said. The injured miner, a teenager, was taken to a hospital in serious condition, said Jesus Espinoza, a spokesman for mining company BIMSA. There are no confirmed deaths and as of Tuesday afternoon rescue crews had yet to reach the trapped miners, said Luis Martinez, mayor of the town of San Juan de Sabinas, Coahuila, where the mine is located.

3. Jakarta, Indonesia

Indonesian army kills 4 pirates, frees 20 hostages after gunfight Indonesian forces killed four Somali pirates in a gunfight after a ship and 20 Indonesian hostages held nearly two months were freed, the military said Tuesday. About 35 pirates left the MV Sinar Kudus in groups Sunday after they received a requested ransom, Rear Adm. Iskandar Sitompul said. A special joint military squad made sure no more pirates were still on the ship and then pursued the groups, catching up with and killing four pirates in an exchange of gunfire. He refused to discuss the ransom, which media reported was between $3 million and $4.5 million.

NEW YORK — President Barack Obama will mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11 in New York City at the formal opening of the national memorial to the nearly 3,000 people who died in the terrorist attacks, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday. “I certainly think it’s terribly important for him to come on 9/11/11. And he will be there. At least the staff has told me that he will come,” Bloomberg said at an unrelated City Hall news conference. “It’s a ver y emotional moment in the country now. And I think it’s perfectly appropriate for him to come.” A spokesman for the White House wouldn’t confirm the mayor’s remarks Tuesday. Obama is set to travel to the city Thursday to visit ground zero and meet with family members of victims of the attacks in the wake

CAROLYN KASTER/AP

President Barack Obama speaks during a dinner for a group of bipartisan Congressional leaders and ranking members and their spouses Monday at the White House in Washington. of the death of Osama bin Laden, 15 years after the alQaida head declared war on the United States. Bin Laden was shot and killed Sunday when U.S. commandos stormed his Pakistani hideout.

The Democratic president visite d the World Trade Center site along with Republican Sen. John McCain on the seventh anniversary of the attacks, when both men were vying for office.

Since then, Obama has marked the anniversary each year at the Pentagon, while Vice President Joe Biden has attended ceremonies at ground zero. — AP

Inmate put to death with new drug combo Texas uses chemical mixture recently used in Oklahoma HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A man convicted of raping and strangling a woman in 2001 was executed Tuesday in Texas, becoming the state’s first inmate put to death using a new threedrug cocktail. Cary Kerr, 46, expressed love and thanks to friends and relatives, then insisted he wasn’t responsible for the crime outside Fort Worth. “To the state of Texas, I am an innocent man,” Kerr said. “Never trust a court-appointed attorney.”

Kerr’s reaction to the chemicals was similar to most of the 466 inmates executed in Texas since 1982 under the previous drug combination. “Here we go,” he said after a deep breath. He took two more deep breaths, then uttered “Lord Jesus, Jesus,” the final words slurred. He was pronounced dead at 6:19 p.m. CDT, nine minutes after the drugs began flowing into his arms. A late appeal rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court did not challenge the drug switch in the nation’s most active capital punishment state. Instead, it focused on a claim that

one of his lawyers earlier had failed him during appeals of his conviction and death sentence. The three-drug chemical cocktail in his lethal injection used the sedative pentobarbital instead of sodium thiopental. Texas recently switched from sodium thiopental, a drug it used since 1982, because it is no longer available. Pentobarbital already had been used for recent executions in Oklahoma and Ohio and survived legal challenges there. — AP

TRADITIONS � SQUARE

East & West

Your on-campus apartment community.

— AP

WWW.NOBLEOK.ORG of

presents

��

SPONSORED BY

Walking distance to class, CART bus stop,

it doesn’t get more convenient. housing&food

��

Contracts for 2011-2012 are available!

traditions.ou.edu

Seeking: Adults, ages 18 - 45, in good health. Looking for adults in good health between the ages of 18 - 45 to provide blood to �� Financial compensation provided. For more information contact: 1001 North Lincoln Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405-297-5783

4 • Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

OPINION

THUMBS UP ›› Howdy Week deadline extended to end of the summer (see page 1)

OUR VIEW

COLUMN

Tuition is no small matter

President David Boren is scheduled to meet with stuBoren is unaware if there will be tuition increases, but we dents at 3 p.m. today in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s are highly skeptical, university spokesman Chris Schilling Beaird Lounge to discuss the potential tuition increases. said. Why would someone hold a meeting to discuss “poIt is our hope students will pack the lounge ready to tential” tuition increases if they weren’t coming? We would ask questions such as how much our tuition will increase be naive to believe tuition increases aren’t inevitable. to how these increases will be spent. So we would like to So what can we do to prepare for this news? We must ask issue a challenge to students. We need to be prepared to all the hard questions, and in return we demand honest leask Boren all the hard questions about tugitimate answers. We need to know: ition increases. • Why are tuition necessary? We believe the reason We believe the reason Boren is holding • How much are these increases? such an event is to break the bad news that • Where is the extra money going? Boren is holding such tuition increases are coming. Whether • Why does the university need the extra an event is to try and it is in the next six months or in the next money after taking 5 percent budget cuts. ease the bad news six years, tuition increases are coming to • How will the administration prevent futhat tuition increases ture increases? OU. It would be foolish to think otherwise. are coming.” Increases are inevitable. We hope if students and attendees To further our belief tuition increases choose not to ask these questions then are bound to happen, earlier this semester The Daily re- Boren will take it upon himself to respond to them. ported Governor Mary Fallin proposed a 2 to 3 percent Remember, these increases not only affect us, but they will budget cut. If these cuts do end up happening it will affect affect future generations of Sooners. OU. When discussing changes to OU, tuition is probably one In 1988, OU received 27.4 percent of the state fund al- of the most important issues. Lets prove our level of comlocations. This number has slowly decreased ever since. mitment to OU — not just how it is now, but in the future In 2007 — the last year the provost’s office has recorded as well — and not take tuition increases lying down. on their fact book — OU received 23.9 percent of the state allocation fund. A potential budget cut would affect how Comment on this column at OUDaily.com much of a decrease we get next year.

COLUMN

No place for religious debate Once, The Daily — the newspaper you are reading right now — was lovSTAFF COLUMN ingly referred to by its opinion writers as “The Abortion/God Rag.” Jerod Coker I am witnessing it return to this former state of absurdity, and will attempt to halt it before it is too late. In the past several days there has been a slew of religious “debate,” with article titles ranging from “Atheists need stronger arguments” to “Religion unnecessary in all lives” and “Christ offers standards, goals for our daily lives.” As interesting and provocative as religious discussions can be, The Daily opinion section is not the place to have them. No one will be convinced by inflammatory rhetoric published in the newspaper, and everyone who cares about the issue has heard the same tired arguments on both sides. I am truly tired of reading this absurd back-and-forth between believers and nonbelievers, as are many other

readers of The Daily. Let us return to the era of discussing important, contemporary issues. I’m not trying to say religion isn’t important to many people, but it is largely inflammatory and unconvincing, pushing out more tangible and agreeable issues like the recent U.S. killing of Osama bin Laden. To our readers: please stop sending us letters arguing about how Christians or atheists are stupid and/or closedminded. To our editors and writers: please stop publishing and writing articles doing the same thing. The Daily is simply not the place. — Jerod Coker, journalism senior

Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Celebrating our enemies’ death The question swirling around public discourse as well as in the media is: is celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden morally OK? The answer is people have differing sets of morals than their friends and/or neighbors. Celebration can be had over the fact the symbol of global and American-directed terrorism is no more or that justice has been done. Depending on one’s religion you can either love thy neighbor as you love thyself or struggle against justice and oppression. While I cannot fully comment on the nature of human morality, I can offer an interesting insight into human nature: the natural reaction to death of a fellow human, especially when positive feelings are felt toward the deceased, is a sense or state of mourning. So we must look at the opposite. The deceased is detested and abhorred by many, so the only human reaction would be a sense of jubilation. I myself started to clap loudly — and quite obnoxiously — around 9:46 p.m. when I first learned about it while studying

in the third floor of Bizzell Memorial Library — ironically near the section where the books on terrorism are. I explained what was happening and unfolding to my fellow bewildered students: jubilation erupted in the small bat-cave-like corner of the library, and six or so of us were huddled around my laptop watching President Barack Obama’s live announcement. Now to offer some perspective. Admittedly, I am sensitive about the topic of death — both of my grandparents on my dad’s side have passed away within the last year. Of course I, like any human, have enemies but I do not wish death or even harm on them. I do enjoy the violent “Call of Duty” video games but could never convince myself to serve in the military.

Read the rest of the letter at OUDaily.com — Nolan Kraszkiewicz, religious studies and political science sophomore

Letter misconstrues legal facts I am writing this letter in response to a letter written by Dr. Samuel Lee to the editor April 19. Dr. Lee failed to mention in the letter he had lied under oath to Judge Steve Stice April 15, 2011, and Stice called him out for lying several times in the courtroom during his testimony. Lee told the judge three lies, two of which were discounted by witness Mary King and the report from the Norman Police Department. The first lie was that he never entered the property on March 19, and Mary’s testimony disproved that. The second lie he told was he didn’t assault Robert Grizzle. Mary’s testimony and the police report disproved that. The third lie is he never authorized and offered to finance repairs made by me, and since it was not in writing he got away with that one. I did receive stern comments from the judge, but Lee received more than I did for lying under oath. The judge did say he had questions about some of my documentation. The judge stated he didn’t necessarily believe everything I had presented was accurate though I assured him it was, but unlike Lee he never called me a liar. The judge did however have very harsh words for Lee and told him he had lied more than one time under oath, and Lee

New act is the proper step in abortion debate Abortion is just one of America’s many polarizSTAFF COLUMN ing issues, but it’s the only one—to my knowledge— Steven Zoeller that can get you in trouble for just attempting to find middle ground. Every time someone asks whether I’m “pro-choice,” or “prolife,” I receive an incredulous look when I respond with “neither.” They look at me as if I’m wasting their time. But perhaps I’m wasting my own. I’ve spent enough time with abortion activists to know it’s a two-party issue. The continuity of human development in the womb makes it difficult to draw the line without resorting to some manner of absolute. This is why so many anti-abortion activists insist life begins at conception and why some people in the proabortion crowd still lament the ban on partial-birth abortions—it’s about consistency. Both positions seem ludicrous out of context but not in the continuity. This is unfortunate for the people in the middle. For them, the only game in town is drawing a line at a certain point in fetal development, effectively putting an expiration date on abortion rights after so-and-so months of pregnancy. Neither side will have any part in this, though—least of all politicians looking to please their whole constituency. Whenever it’s sugI think most gested, said expiration date is alpeople would ways decried as “arbitrary.” agree life, as B u t t w o w e e k s a g o, t h e we know it, is Oklahoma government reached best described a rare moment of nuance in the abortion debate—it passed the by appealing Pain-Capable Unborn Child Act, to our ability which prohibits a fetus older than to think and 20 weeks from being aborted. As feel. And this the unwieldy name suggests, the is where I think law is based on scientific evidence showing a fetus is capawe ought to draw the line.” ble of experiencing pain after 20 weeks of development. Is this law arbitrary? Scientific research has shed light on human development, so it’s now unusual to hear “pro-choicers” say the fetus isn’t human. Not even during last year’s Justice For All controversy did I hear someone refer to it as “just a clump of cells.” Now the debate rages over the nebulous label of “personhood,” which is open to many interpretations. I think most people would agree life, as we know it, is best described by appealing to our ability to think and feel. And this is where I think we ought to draw the line: At the onset of sentience. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Act is significant for approaching what might be a relevant, non-arbitrary point in fetal development when abortion rights can expire. Conservatives probably see it as just another step towards the total abolition of abortion, but the topic of sentience provides plenty of room for a compromise. The fetus is human, no question, but at the point when it lacks the capacity to think and feel, can we really ascribe personhood to it? Life is qualified by more than a heartbeat and the ability to breathe. Parents and guardians in some states are clear to pull the plug if one of their children is comatose, and this actually isn’t so different. It’s impossible to imagine what it’d be like to be unable to think or perceive our environment—not even sleep comes close. To the best of our knowledge, this is what death is like. If anyone else wants to see compromise in the abortion debate, sentience is probably the best indicator of when a fetus is truly alive, not purely in a biological sense, but a philosophical one. The new legislation isn’t perfect, but it’s valuable for its consideration of the fetus’s development. — Steven Zoeller, University College freshman

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Meredith Moriak Chase Cook Chris Miller Tim French James Corley

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

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

knew he should never have rented a property in such bad condition. Judge Stice also expressed he was very concerned with how many times he had seen Lee in court, as well as the number of properties in Norman Lee owns and deals with in this manner. Further, I did receive my deposit and rent back — both of these were a part of my counter claim. Dr. Lee received free repairs to his uninhabitable property out of my pocket merely because I didn’t know I couldn’t trust him to keep his word, and I didn’t know there is a requirement that a written request be made 14 days prior to my moving out. If I had been able to afford an attorney like Dr. Lee I’m sure many of the issues with my case wouldn’t have been present, and I would have been more likely to receive a more fair judgment. The point here is Lee made me out to look dishonest in his letter to the editor, when he is actually the one who was called a liar by the judge.

Autumn Huffman Ashley West Chris Lusk Michael Lloyd Judy Gibbs Robinson

160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, Okla. 73019-0270

phone: 405-325-3666

— Charlina Frazier, OU alumna

Life & Arts Editor Photo Editor Online Editor Multimedia Editor Editorial Adviser

email: dailynews@ou.edu

Comment on this column at OUDaily.com

Do you have opinions you would like to share?

The Oklahoma Daily is now accepting columnists for the fall and summer. To apply, email

dailyopinion@ou.edu

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.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 • 5

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

Life&Arts

oudaily.coM ›› Read a column listing 10 ways you can distract yourself during the final days of class

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

Music to get you through finals week I

t’s the beginning of dead week and you’re already on edge. You have a throbbing pain radiating through your skull from the massive combo of caffeine and stress. You grab the nearest gargantuan textbook and flip it open, your eyes glazing over the second you see that first chemistry equation or Shakespearean sonnet. You wonder how you are going to make it through this week

1 2 3 4 5

of hell. All you can think about is basking in the sun, free from school — every ounce of concentration has vacated your brain. The easiest way to get your mind back on track (other than a good night’s sleep … yeah, right) is to make a study playlist, that perfect blend of songs to pump you up and keep you focused. Here’s a few to get you going — happy studying!

“Your Hand In Mine” by Explosions in The Sky

A few purely instrumental tracks are basically required in a great study playlist, and this one is eight minutes and 17 seconds of pure bliss. It starts out slow, allowing you to get your head in the zone of whatever you’re studying. Then, just as you start to drool from boredom, Explosions hits you with an array of pounding drums and driving guitars to jolt you back to reality.

“Lemonade” by Braids

The first 30 seconds of “Lemonade” take you to the peaceful tranquility of nature. A soft mountain stream gurgles and birds gently whistle from pine trees way off in the distance. Then, a guitar bubbles in, followed by easy drums and Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s ethereal voice. You’re in a state of delirious serenity — not even a horrific calculus equation can break you from your spell.

6 7 8 9 10

“Vietcaterpillar“ by Black Moth Super Rainbow

Black Moth Super Rainbow is the epitome of chill-out music — turn this electronica on and you’ll instantly want to be laying somewhere in the grass with your eyes closed. It has just enough beat to keep you going, but isn’t too overwhelming to be distracting.

“Basic Space” by the xx

This is great for late-night studying. The xx in general is incredibly soothing, and “Basic Space,” one of the group’s top songs, is like the lo-fi, toneddown version of a dance-club song. There’s an underlying beat, but one that seems to help you drift off into la-la-land (a la-la-land involving studying, of course).

“Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed

Lou Reed is without a doubt the essence of chill. “Walk on the Wild Side” follows a steady rhythm for the entirety of its four minute-length, keeping you in the zone as you concentrate on whatever hellish subject you happen to be studying at the moment. Be prepared to feel insanely relaxed.

“Another Sunny Day” by Belle & Sebastian

“Rill Rill” by Sleigh Bells

This is the perfect fit for the middle of your study playlist, picking you up when you’ve hit that mid-afternoon slump. It’s just peppy enough to keep your spirits high, yet it’s also just mellow enough to keep you from starting a rave in the library. Press play and float off into a world of snapping beats and “oh ah oh” harmonies.

“Julius” by Starf***er

Another study playlist staple is an electronica track with sparse and generally unrecognizable lyrics — “Julius” definitely meets all requirements. The synthesizer easily pounds you into deep concentration and keeps you there throughout the remainder of the track. It’s the ideal background song for that super difficult problem set you’ve been working on for an hour.

“Rusholme Ruffians” by The Smiths

No study playlist is complete without a healthy dose of The Smiths. The consistent driving beat of “Rusholme Ruffians” combines blissfully with Morrissey’s angsty British accent, leading you happily to the end of your studying trail. Your sanity has returned! — And you finally realize you’ve been scratching someone’s name in your arm with a fountain pen (check the lyrics).

Belle & Sebastian’s cheery Glasgow pop is the perfect addition to any study playlist, bringing a little dose of happiness to your otherwise gloomy study session. Listen to “Another Sunny Day” and you’ll actually find yourself bobbing your head as you finish up that monster essay — for real, just wait and see.

“Young Blood” by The Naked and Famous

You would get bored without a super-upbeat song here and there that makes you want to get up and dance with your textbook (OK, maybe not that extreme). “Young Blood” definitely has you covered in this department. All of a sudden you’ll feel rejuvenated and somehow more optimistic about getting a good grade in that class you currently have a C in.

Visit OUDaily.com to listen to these songs — AJ Lansdale, professional writing senior — Emily Hopkins, University College freshman

column

Free means stress free I’m at Norman Music Festival 4 and have finished watching a band called Kite Flying Robot in the alleyway behind The Red Room. The festival has met all my expectations because I didn’t have any about this free event. My friends and I just tried climbing up to a couple of high places that we were apparently not supposed to be, and authority figures promptly prevented our vertical revolution. It’s OK though, because I’m in a great mood. I can’t get this dumb smile off of my face. As we wander back toward the bars so we can refill our sodas, we can hear three bands, their music colliding and clashing in midair. I’m smiling, and everyone else around me is smiling, too. Why shouldn’t we be smiling? We are at a free three-day musical festival in the town we go to college in and it’s sweet. I’ve never heard of any of the bands I’ve seen thus far, but that doesn’t matter. The music has been cool, I’ve had a fun time and I’ve certainly gotten my money’s worth. Last summer, I went to Lollapalooza with some friends, and that was pretty mindblowing. For three days, I ran around Grant Park in Chicago seeing some of my favorite bands, one after another. It was easily one of the coolest experiences of my life, but in an odd way it was extremely stressful.

I paid more than $200 to get in the front gates, and the process of figuring out how I was going to make the most of that money freaked me out. I was dashing from one side of the park to the other. I felt like if I didn’t see enough bands I couldn’t justify the ridiculous amount of money I had spent. As we stroll up and down Main Street, I don’t care what we do next. I’m calm and collected, hence the smile. I appreciate the fact that this opportunity has been handed to me, free of charge. I have been freed of the burden of efficiency. For a couple of minutes, my friends and I laugh at Peelander-Z. We don’t know what to make of them. We’re not sure if they’re making the sounds that we’re hearing or not, but they look like Power Rangers, so we are temporarily entertained. In the back of my mind I know that I couldn’t have afforded the time to sit and laugh at a self-described “Japanese Action Comic Punk” band at Lolla last year. I’m glad I can right now. I’m glad I have some time to kill. Rock on, Norman Music Festival.

— Conor O’Brien, University College freshman

Great careers are closer than you think. In fact, they’re right in Oklahoma City! As you prepare to graduate, now is a great time to join Farmers Insurance®. We’re looking for talented, motivated college grads to provide customer support at our Oklahoma City Service Center. This is a great entry-level opportunity with lots of potential for growth. We offer paid training, comprehensive benefits and a positive, team-based workplace. If you’re looking for opportunity, you’ll find it at Farmers.

Great training, bonus potential, structured career paths and competitive compensation – you’ll find it all at Farmers! Farmers – we’re a smart choice for your future!

www.farmers.com/careers

EOE

6 â&#x20AC;˘ Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

classifieds Fax: 405-325-7517 Campus Address: COH 149A

HELP WANTED

AUTO FOR SALE 2005 GMC Yukon Denali, 1 owner, white, AWD/NAV, leather, sunroof, entertain pkg. 56K mi, exc cond $20,850. 405-5701649.

DEADLINES Line Ad ..................................................................................3 days prior

AUTO INSURANCE

Place line ad by 9:00 a.m. 3 business days prior to publication.

Auto Insurance

Display Ad ............................................................................3 days prior Classified Display or Classified Card Ad

Quotations anytime

Foreign students welcomed JIM HOLMES INSURANCE, 321-4664

Place your display, classified display or classified card ads by 5:00 p.m. 3 business days prior to publication.

PAYMENT r

HELP WANTED Now Taking Applications for Fall Semester Community After School Program is now taking applications for part-time staff to work in our school-age childcare programs in Norman Public Schools. Hours: M-F 2:20pm to 6:00pm. Begin working in August. Closed for all Norman Public School holidays and professional days. Competitive wages staring at $7.25/hour. Higher pay for students with qualifying coursework in education, early childhood, recreation and related fields. Complete application online at www.caspinc.org.

Payment is required at the time the ad is placed. Credit cards, cash, money orders or local checks accepted.

RATES Line Ad

There is a 2 line minimum charge; approximately 42 characters per line, including spaces and punctuation. (Cost = Days x # lines x $/line) 10-14 days.........$1.15/line 15-19 days.........$1.00/line 20-29 days........$ .90/line 30+ days ........ $ .85/line

1 day ..................$4.25/line 2 days ................$2.50/line 3-4 days.............$2.00/line 5-9 days.............$1.50/line

Bartending! Up to $300/day. No exp nec. Training provided. 1-800-965-6520 x133. STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM Paid survey takers needed in Norman 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys.

Classified Display, Classified Card Ad or Game Sponsorship

Animal Emergency Center of Norman Veterinary Assistant, Animal Care Taker, & Office Coordinator positions open. Work nights, weekends, holidays FT or PT Apply in person: 2121 McKown Drive, Norman OK - 360-7828

Contact an Acct Executive for details at 325-2521. 2 col (3.25 in) x 2 inches Sudoku ..............$760/month Boggle ...............$760/month Horoscope ........$760/month

Country Leisure Pools & Spas in Moore is hiring seasonal Retail Associates. Position involves cashiering, water testing and customer service. Please apply in person at 3001 N Service Rd, Moore.

2 col (3.25 in) x 2.25 inches

Door to door canvasers needed for Norman, OKC and surrounding areas, $10-12 hour + wkly bonus. Call 872-8426.

Crossword ........$515/month

Research volunteers needed! Researchers at OU Health Sciences Center need healthy volunteers ages 18 to 30 who have a parent with or without a history of an alcohol or drug problem. Full participation involves 5 appointments. Qualified participants will be compensated for their time. Call 456-4303 to learn more about the study and to see if you qualify. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

POLICY The Oklahoma Daily is responsible for one dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incorrect advertising. If your ad appears incorrectly, or if you wish to cancel your ad call 3252521, before the deadline for cancellation in the next issue. Errors not the fault of the advertiser will be adjusted. Refunds will not be issued for late cancellations.

HAVE FUN! MAKE LOTS OF $$$! We need 2 people to add to our Promotions Team. No selling or telemarketing. Mon-Fri, 4pm to 9pm Call Mike 321-7503

The Oklahoma Daily will not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religious preference, national origin or sexual orientation. Violations of this policy should be reported to The Oklahoma Daily Business Office at 325-2521.

to celebrate.

Housing Sales

HOUSES 602 S Ponca - Norman, OK Listed @ $249,900 2400 sq ft 3bd/1.5ba on corner lot. Completely remodeled. Michelle Davis, Metro Brokers J&T Realty 834-7792

$5,000-$7,000 PAID EGG DONORS up to 6 donations,

NUMBER ONE is nothing

Taylor Ridge Townhomes 2 Bdrm, 2.5 Bath, Fully Renovated Townhomes near OU! Pets Welcome! â&#x20AC;˘ Call for current rates and Move-in Specials!!! Taylor Ridge Townhomes (405) 310-6599

Orient Express, 722 Asp, 364-2100 P/T dishwasher, waitstaff and delivery person needed.

The Cleveland County Family YMCA is seeking Lifeguards, Swim Instructors, Member Services & Birthday Party Attendants! Apply in person at 1350 Lexington Ave. EOE

Being

TOWNHOUSES UNFURNISHED

+ Exps, non-smokers, Ages 18-29, SAT>1100/ACT>24/GPA>3.00 Contact: info@eggdonorcenter.com

J Housing Rentals APTS. UNFURNISHED RENT NOW!! $99 DEPOSIT! NO APP FEE! 2 Bedrooms Available! Pets Welcome! Alarm Systems! Models open 8a-8p Everyday! Elite Properties 360-6624 or www.elite2900.com 2 STORY, 3 BDRM HOUSE, basement, perfect for small family, CH/A, hardwood floors, 4 blocks to OU, built in 1924, restored old faculty house, large yard kept by owner, good neighbors, old neighborhood, available now, smoke-free, no pets of any kind, appointment only, 3 yr lease, $1500 + all bills, 1 months rent for security deposit. 1 BDRM APT, 5 blocks to OU, restored apt house, second floor, very cute end apt, window air, gas furnace, $425 + all bills, 1 months rent for deposit, one person, smoke-free, no pets of any kind. Available June 1, appointment only. 2 BDRM APT, bills paid, smoke-free, no pets of any kind. Application & application fee required. Call Bob, 360-3850.

CONDOS UNFURNISHED Available June 1, 2011! 2 bd/2 ba, The Edge Condominiums. $425/mo per bedroom. Pool, BB Ct, Volley Ct, Wt Rm - 212-6061

TOWNHOUSES FURNISHED Large T/H for rent, 12th & Boyd St! 2 bd, 1.5 ba, patio, pool! $599. Call 290-8664.

A drunk driver ruined something precious. Amber Apodaca.

This year, more than

172,000 people will

Friends Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Let Friends Drive Drunk.

be diagnosed with lung cancer, and more than

163,000 will dieâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Photo by Michael Mazzeo

s r

J Housing Rentals

C Transportation

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

Cameron Jones, advertising manager classifieds@ou.edu â&#x20AC;˘ phone: 405-325-2521

making it Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

NUMBER ONE cancer killer.

But new treatments offer hope.

Help Wanted ads in The Oklahoma Daily are not to separate as to gender. Advertisers may not discriminate in employment ads based on race, color, religion or gender unless such qualifying factors are essential to a given position.

Join Lung Cancer Alliance in the fight against this disease.

All ads are subject to acceptance by The Oklahoma Daily. Ad acceptance may be re-evaluated at any time.

lungcanceralliance.org

HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to be recognized by certain people whom others admire, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be flattered by excessive attention. Subdue temptations to take any flirtation seriously. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You should avoid mistakenly thinking of one friend as being more important than your other pals. It could cause you to seriously slight the feelings of someone who really matters. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Be extremely careful how you treat someone whose material circumstances are far less fortunate than yours or most of your friends. It could make this very nice person feel inferior.

Previous Solution

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.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Do not make light of things that you were supposed to take care of, but didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make up for your slacking, when the final score is tallied, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be the loser, not others. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Amid the small talk with friends there are likely to be some very valuable morsels of information being dispersed. Be on your toes in order to discern between fact and gossip. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- If it is to be a success, a new endeavor in which youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re involved must get off to a very strong start. Should the launch fail, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to start all over again.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Even though certain promises made to you sound sincere, you might not be able to depend upon a commitment if the person involved is a bit scatterbrained or unreliable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -Do not be condescending with those whom are not as financially blessed or lack your formal education. Neither makes you superior; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character that counts.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Even though youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re likely to be a capable manager of your resources, not everyone is. Someone with whom youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re affiliated might disappoint you with his or her lack of responsibility.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- There is nothing wrong with your capacity for earning, but how you spend your dollars might be a different story. Beware needlessly throwing money away.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- This can be a productive day for you, provided you team up with someone who is equally responsible. Your industriousness will be dulled if your motivations differ considerably from a partnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Usually youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pretty good around people, but under certain conditions you can harbor some introverted thoughts that could cage your charisma.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker May 4, 2011 ACROSS 1 Bistro 5 Bacteria culture medium 9 Kindergarten stickum 14 Hawaiian dance 15 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Monday Night Footballâ&#x20AC;? feature 16 Composition for eight 17 Pupil surrounder 18 Tennis star Steffi 19 Pick up at school? 20 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Peter Panâ&#x20AC;? pirate 23 Uplifting undergarment 24 Spelling competition 25 Jungle sound 27 Buckwheat porridge 31 Us vs. ___ 33 Vile anagram? 37 Basementsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; opposites 39 Means of Cleopatraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demise 40 Cornmeal bread 41 Speaks candidly 44 Troubles and misfortunes 45 Woman in Eden 46 Tilerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gap-filler 47 Make a break for it 48 South-ofthe-border simoleon

5/4

50 Some court hearings 51 Cowboy boot feature 53 Snow Whiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bespectacled friend 55 U.K. business name ender 58 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spoil the childâ&#x20AC;? front 64 Susan Lucciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role on â&#x20AC;&#x153;All My Childrenâ&#x20AC;? 66 In need of a map 67 Worked on a loom 68 Like some ships 69 Shake, as a tail? 70 Vigorous style 71 Excessive flattery 72 Movie reviewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unit 73 Depend (on) DOWN 1 Fashionably smart 2 Subtle quality 3 Toss, as a coin 4 Ninety degrees right of north 5 Texas A&M athlete 6 Deep-red gem 7 Asian nanny 8 Plant trees again 9 Oktoberfest dance 10 Winning service in tennis 11 Wild guess

12 Guam, for one (Abbr.) 13 Volcano in Italy 21 Old-style calculators 22 Weightlifting sounds 26 Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often in slo-mo 27 Religious leader of a Muslim state (Var.) 28 In any way 29 Mode 30 Sounds from a snake pit 32 Michael Jordanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s underwear brand 34 ___-over (narratorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job) 35 Word with â&#x20AC;&#x153;cityâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;circleâ&#x20AC;? 36 Sidelong glances 38 Increase, as production

42 Jed Clampettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wear 43 Noteworthy period of history 49 West Texas oil town 52 One of a Biblical 150 54 Water-loving mammal 55 Telephoto or contact 56 Transport on rails 57 Temperamental performer 59 Underground plant part 60 Still-life subject 61 Eli, for Denzel 62 White House office shape 63 Say it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so 65 Turnpike traveler

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

5/3

ÂŠ 2011 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com

REEL â&#x20AC;&#x2122;EM IN By Dennis Mooney

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 • 7

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

Meet

SPORTS

oudaily.coM ›› Watch video of The Daily’s interview with men’s basketball coach Lon Kruger

Lon Kruger

the

Coach

Basketball coach hopes to rekindle bond between program and its fan base James Corley

The Oklahoma Daily

Lon Kruger was hired March 14 to fill the OU men’s basketball coach vacancy. Since arriving on campus, Kruger has been hard at work filling out his coaching staff, recruiting to meet team needs and reaching out to OU students and fans. Kruger sat down with The Daily on Tuesday afternoon to talk about the transition and his hopes for next season. From Day 1 on campus, Q: you’ve been all about reengaging with students and fans. What have you done to get that process started? The fans have been great, and the students have been great. I met with some presidents of different organizations on campus. They’ve been very receptive and enthusiastic about creating an atmosphere in Lloyd Noble that everyone can feel good about and hopefully create a home-court advantage. I’ve also met with other groups around town and around the community that have been equally receptive. It’s been fun to meet a lot of new people.

You opened a line of communication with fans through your personal email account. How would you describe the reception it received? It’s been great — a lot of good suggestions. Sometimes you can’t do everything that you’d like to do, but certainly we can discuss everything and mull it over and see what we can do to make this

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

men’s basketball

as warm and inviting to fans as possible. It’s most important to have everyone take ownership in the program and create that atmosphere that everyone feels good about and hopefully has good memories from. At your formal introducQ: tion, you said you have plans to hold open practices next

season. Is that still a goal? Whenever we get to the point where the rules allow it, we’ll encourage people to come and get to know the players a little bit and kind of make that connection. That’s a good part of it. I think if fans get to meet and greet and get a little bit more familiar, they’re more apt to come and cheer and take ownership of it all.

Why was it important for Q: you to bring a few assistants who were with you at UNLV

here to Oklahoma? Our staff has been together for quite a while. A couple of guys have been together for 25 years, so it goes back quite a ways. One of them played for us at Kansas State back in the late ‘80s. Another two have been on our staff at UNLV for the last seven years, so keeping everyone together,kind of getting everyone familiar with each other and knowing what to expect makes for good continuity.

James Corley/The Daily

OU men’s basketball coach Lon Kruger addresses a crowd during his official welcome April 4. In a one-on-one interview with The Daily on Tuesday, Kruger said he hopes Sooner fans take ownership of OU basketball. needed someone to come in and help Andrew Fitzgerald on the inside. Andrew played a lot inside last year, and hopefully we get a lot of big guys in here to help him out. M’Baye we’d played against for two years at Wyoming, so we knew how good of a player he was.

You played at Kansas State What effect do you think Q: back in the Big Eight days, Q: having the Oklahoma City so you already have some familiari- Thunder just up the street has had ty with Big 12 teams. Is it comforting or a little scary that your transition period here at Oklahoma coincides with a big change in the makeup of the conference? The Big 12 is a really good league, so it’s always scary from that standpoint, but healthy in terms of a really high standard. You want to play against the best that you possibly can, and to do that, we have to recruit good players, and we know there’s no shortcut to that. The teams that we’re playing against will have really good players, and we like the group that we’ve got, but we’ve got to keep adding good players to that.

has the recruiting prothe offense going to A: Q: How cess gone for you so far? Q: What’s look like next year? We signed two junior colWe’ll play a style that hopeA: lege guys — Sam Grooms, A: fully will dictate on both a point guard from Chapola ends of the floor — push the ball of(College) in Florida; and Casey Arent, a big guy from Sierra College near Sacramento — and took one transfer, Amath M’Baye, from the University of Wyoming. When you get here and see that we don’t have much size, the need is obviously there. We

fensively, attack in transition, look for quick-shot opportunities and if it’s not there, hopefully get a good shot each possession. Defensively, get out and pressure the ball and try to create some offense with defense from turnovers and long rebounds.

on OU basketball? I think, if anything, they’ve raised bar in a healthy way. The more we can do to create an atmosphere like people enjoy with the Thunder and like people enjoyed here in the past is good, and it’s healthy. It just makes us work harder to do a better job.

you’d like to Q: Anything add? The students are at the corA: nerstone of everything that we want to do in terms of getting

people and getting the atmosphere in the Lloyd Noble Center, and we appreciate whatever we can do to get the students out.

6 Hours Trying to Get to the Next Level... ...or 6 Hours Closer to Your College Degree? Enroll Now for Summer Classes at Central! OKC metro area Sooners! Spend your summer at home (at least part of it!) wisely! One class in each of our two summer blocks will put you 6 hours closer to your degree. Most credits transfer to your university! Enrollment deadline for the first block is June 3! Visit www.uco.edu/summerschool or call 974-2727 to enroll today!

Live Central

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA Edmond, OK U (405) 974-2000 U www.uco.edu TM

SPORTS

8 • Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

COLUMN

BASEBALL

Athletes not role models

OU to have 2nd chance at UALR

STAFF COLUMN

Oklahoma has opportunity tonight to get revenge on team that handed Sooners first loss this season

Luke McConnell

RYAN GERBOSI

It’s sad to watch athletes self-destruct and change from upstanding individuals into egotistical thugs with no other agenda than seeing their own pleasures and wants met. Whenever athletes perform acts of service in the community or kindness toward others, the media lauds it as if it’s something they’ve never seen before. When kindness from an athlete becomes a big news story merely because it is not the norm, there’s a major problem. ESPN.com’s Rick Reilly recently wrote a column about the New Orleans Hornets’ Chris Paul and the point guard’s attitude toward several teenagers who beat his grandfather to death for his wallet. Paul said he has forgiven the men — most of whom are serving life sentences — for the act they committed almost nine years ago. He said he hates that they’re still in prison and wishes they could have a second chance. “This kid floors me,” Reilly wrote. “Not just with the way he can dominate an NBA playoff game at 6-feet tall in elevator sneakers ... No, what floors me about Chris Paul is his humanity.” I’m sure Chris Paul is a wonderful person — and Reilly’s column illustrates that — but I’d like to believe there are plenty of other stories out there that are unknown. If those other stories were told, I don’t think Reilly would be as befuddled by Paul’s loving attitude toward his grandfather’s murderers.

The Oklahoma Daily

GERALD HERBERT/AP

New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul questions an official during Game 6 of the HornetsLos Angeles Lakers series Thursday in New Orleans. Unfortunately, actions like Paul’s are not the norm. Despite that, athletes are usually pegged as role models for kids to idolize. It’s a bit unfair, in my opinion. Just because athletes are public figures doesn’t mean they have to be role models. It would be nice if they did because of the daily exposure they garner in the spotlight, but the truth is “role model” is far from part of the job description.

his choice. It makes him look horribly immoral and shallow, but if he wants to be perceived that way, who am I to say otherwise? He can wow me with his athletic prowess, but as soon as he leaves the course, he’s nothing more than another man who has lost himself in lustful desires. Too many people criticize athletes for not fitting a mold of what they think an athlete should act like.

I want my son to know that great athletes are meant to be appreciated, not emulated.” — BILL SIMMONS, ESPN.COM COLUMNIST What an athlete wants to do with his life is his business. It shouldn’t be up to us to tell him how to live. If Tiger Woods wants to sleep with every single woman in the country, that’s

It’s almost like those people are depending on athletes to show children how to live. Here’s an idea: How about the parents, older brothers and older sisters set the

example? That doesn’t seem like a hard thing to me. T h e Sp o r t s G u y , Bi l l Simmons, wrote about Woods as an athlete versus a role model after The Masters last month. “I want my son to know that great athletes are meant to be appreciated, not emulated,” Simmons wrote. “If my son needs a role model, and he will, that person should be me. I don’t need Tiger to teach my child how to behave.” So everyone, stop trying to make athletes more than they really are. They’re entertainers, and they make us appreciate athletic ability and the sport they play. But outside of the game, they’re people just like us. We get to choose who we model our lives after, and we don’t have to choose an athlete.

The No. 10 OU baseball team will play its last midweek game of the season at 7 tonight on the road against Arkansas-Little Rock. The Sooners will have a chance to avenge their first loss of the season, a 7-0 shutout against the Trojans that marked the end of OU’s 16-0 start. Over the weekend, the Sooners struggled to consistently produce runs, losing two-of-three against No. 4 Texas. In the final game, OU received strong pitching from freshman Dillon Overton, who threw 4.2 innings and gave up no runs from two hits in a 5-2 Sooner win. The performance — with his pitching against TCU on April 26 — earned the lefty Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors. Oklahoma will have to continue that momentum against a Trojan team that has gone 16-26. Arkansas-Little Rock has had little to celebrate this season, earning no trademark win outside of its early-season victory in Norman. Jason Houston is the leading hitter for UALR’s offense. The senior second baseman is hitting .327 with two homers, 17 RBIs and 32 runs scored while playing in every game this season. Senior designated hitter Jake Rowell has been the Trojans’ top run-producer, driving in 34 and hitting .297. For a chance to win, OU will need runs from the middle of its lineup, meaning junior third baseman Garrett Buechele needs to return to his old form. Buechele leads the Big 12 with 69 hits and 51 RBIs, but he was 1-for-13 in the Texas series with no RBIs and no walks. OU hosts the Kansas Jayhawks this weekend in its final Big 12 home series.

— Luke McConnell, journalism junior

President David Boren

Invites All Students

To an open discussion of the University’s budget, including possible impacts related to tuition and fees for the next school year.

3 p.m. TODAY Beaird Lounge Oklahoma Memorial Union For accommodations on the basis of disability, please call the Office of Special Events at (405) 325-3784. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.