The Oklahoma Daily by OU Daily

LIFe & Arts • PAGE 7

sPOrts • PAGE 5

summer festivals offer variety

sooners to close out regular season

Kanye West (shown left) and other musicians headline music festivals across the country this summer. Read The Daily’s festival preview.

Keilani Ricketts (shown right) and the OU softball team will end regular-season play when they host the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday and Sunday in Norman.

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Friday, May 6, 2011

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Ou to cut retirement benefits university tries to improve ﬁnances after receiving low credit rating NICHOLAS HARRISON The Oklahoma Daily

OU administrators plan to cut faculty and staff retirement benefits in an attempt to improve the university’s financial condition, according to a report from a credit-rating company. Fitch Ratings assigned OU an “AA” credit rating

with a negative outlook — citing “diminished financial flexibility, a high debt burden and constrained liquidity relative to debt and expenses” as the reasons for its evaluation. Credit-rating agencies like Fitch provide investors with independent assessments of the risks of default on bonds and other financial instruments issued by private companies and government

university debt Current debt: $697.6 million Annual interest: $58.6 million budget used for interest: 8% new debt planned in 2011: $75 million Additional annual cost: $4.9 million

SEE CUTS PAGE 2

Summer school schedule changed university switches to block scheduling, ﬁnds new funding options for summer programs JARED RADER RENEÉ SELANDERS

eNGINeers sHOW OFF PrOJects

The Oklahoma Daily

A 17-percent decrease in summer enrollment numbers since 2007 has prompted university officials to redesign the way the term is funded and scheduled in order to boost student registration in summer 2011. In an attempt to improve enrollment, Nick Hathaway, OU executive vice president and Administration and Finance vice president, and Nancy Mergler, senior vice president and provost, established the Summer Session Steering Committee, which is tasked with creating new strategies to increase summer enrollment. The committee’s members are Hathaway, Mergler, Matt SEE SUMMER PAGE 3

niCholas harrison/the Daily

Mechanical engineering junior Mark Garcia rides a bicycle Thursday in front of Felgar Hall. Garcia and a team of engineering students designed the bicycle for their capstone project. The engineering fair was an opportunity for seniors and juniors taking the capstone class to show off their projects.

brief

Faculty senate to appoint new leaders at final spring meeting the ou Faculty senate will appoint new leadership and propose a resolution to increase ou employees’ health and wellness at its end-of-semester meeting. economics professor georgia kosmopoulou will become the new chairwoman, and members will elect at-large members, a secretary and chair-elect for next year, according to the meeting agenda. the faculty also will ask ou to commit more time to improving employee health because of increasing costs and proven benefits, according to the resolution. specifically, senate members want an annual wellness report, a smoke-free campus, incentives for healthy eating and more healthful foods on campus. other items on the agenda include a recognition of departing senators, announcements about Bike to work Day and a summary of the year’s work by the Faculty senate speakers service. — Daily staff reports

Cash offered for unwanted books campus, Norman locations take donations for six organizations, buying books back for cash HILLARY MCLAIN

The Oklahoma Daily

Students stuck with unwanted textbooks have a variety of options, including donating them to raise money for AIDS victims and selling them back to local textbook retailers. Austin Conwell, multidisciplinary studies junior, will be taking textbook and cash donations for the CARE for AIDS organization. Conwell will have tables set up taking donations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during finals week on the South Oval and the Walker-Adams Mall. If students donate three books they will receive an American Apparel T-shirt. Conwell said he will donate all money raised from the event to help Kenyans with the disease.

Better World Books also has donation centers set up in the Honors Library, Hester Hall’s international and area studies office and in the residence halls. Donations made to this organization will be distubuted among five major partners: Books for Africa, Invisible Children, Room to Read, Worldfund and the National Center for Family Literacy. For students who want cash for their textbooks, booksellers around Norman are opening up their highest payback amounts this week through finals week. Ratcliffe’s Textbooks, Boomer Book Co., and Sooner Textbooks all opened up for buybacks on Monday. Ratcliffe’s supervisor Jason Hale said they will try to buy back anything. “This week we will be paying more for certain titles we know will be used again next year,” Hale SEE BOOKS PAGE 3

Dale Hall Tower staff to relocate construction to displace personnel up to 15 months KATHLEEN EVANS The Oklahoma Daily

Faculty and staff in Dale Hall Tower will have to relocate on campus for 15 months because of construction, OU officials said. Departments within the tower include history, philosophy, psychology, anthropology and political science. Some departments will move to the South Base buildings on Constitution Street near the golf course, Facilities Management

A LOOk At WHAt’s ON Visit the news section to read about a memorial fellowship established in memory of a College of Law professor

Director Brian Ellis said. Professors have known about the move since fall, but moving a department is an endeavor, history chairman Robertt Griswold said. “My colleagues have been packing up their offices, some of which have been in them for 30 years now,” Griswold said. Others, such as psychology professors, will take up spaces left behind in the old chemistry building and the Physical Sciences Center when the chemistry department moved out, psychology chairman Jorge Mendoza said. OU has been helpful throughout

the process and will have personnel do the physical moving, Griswold said. Officials have been quick with answering questions and coordinating everything, Mendoza said. However, logistics are somewhat uncertain, especially since some of the rooms still have furniture and things left behind, Mendoza said. “It’s not going to be fun for anybody, but, you know, we’re trying to keep a good attitude and hope for the best,” philosophy chairwoman Susan Vehik said. “We want to make it the best for the students.”

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UOSA offers freshmen internship program Ou Freshman council will help introduce new sooners to uOsA, member says SARAH MARTIN

The Oklahoma Daily

A new UOSA initiative will give University College freshmen leadership opportunities and offer them lower level experience in student government. The OU Freshman Council is a new program under all branches of UOSA that will introduce freshmen to UOSA, teach freshmen leadership skills and give them a mentor, said Rainey Sewell, communication sophomore and UOSA member. University College freshman Ranya Forgotson was selected by UOSA president Hannah Morris as nominee chair of the council, a selection which must be confirmed by UOSA’s legislative branch when it resumes in the fall. Forgotson has been developing the freshman council throughout the semester with Sewell and political science senior Jason Robison. Forgotson has established that members of the council will intern for one semester with a member of the executive branch and one semester with a member of Undergraduate Student Congress, Forgotson said. Undergraduate Student Congress vice chair and secretary and executive branch directors are among those who will have interns, Forgotson said. “I think that it will make our student government more efficient … if we start our freshmen SEE UOSA PAGE 3

tODAY’s WeAtHer

86°| 66° Tomorrow: mostly sunny, high of 90 degrees

2 • Friday, May 6, 2011

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CAMPUS

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

cuts: OU’s rating similar to peer institutions Continued from page 1

Today around campus » Final day of spring classes. » 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, 7, 10 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. in the Union’s Meacham Auditorium. » OU baseball will play Kansas at 6:30 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. » 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.

Thursday, May 12 » The New Horizons Band will perform a free concert from 8 to 10 p.m. in Catlett Music Center’s Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall.

issuer’s financial condition and profit potential. Bond ratings start at AAA (being the highest investment quality) and usually end at D (in payment default),” Kuwitzky said. “The university’s bonds carry a high quality AA rating that, along with AAA-rated bonds, are considered investment grade.”

entities. Each firm examines factors like amount of debt and cash flow to determine how easy it will be for an institution to meet its obligations. After this evaluation process, credit-rating agencies assign credit ratings to The University’s Response institutions. Failure by university administrators to “implement At its March 24 meeting, the OU Board of Regents apsubstantial and recurring expense reductions related to personnel and other post-employment retirement ben- proved the creation of a Retirement Plans Management efits” could result in a reduction of the university’s credit Committee. Initially, there was no representation on the committee. rating, according to an April 28 Fitch Ratings report. However, LeRoy Blank, OU’s Faculty Senate chairman, However, the administration already was working on said that the Faculty Senate had concerns the changes suggested in the report, said about the makeup of the committee. Chris Kuwitzky, OU associate vice presi“Initial concerns, occurring in the dent and chief financial officer. [Human resources] 2010-11 academic year, led to the ap“OU’s administration is in the process has recently begun pointment of Dr. [Kanthasamy K .] of sharing possible plan design changes discussing possible Muraleetharan as a faculty representative with its employee benefit groups that, future changes to to the [Retirement Plans Management when implemented, will strengthen OU’s operating margin and bond ratretiree medical benefits Committee],” Blank said. “We raised the issue again more recently with the presiing,” Kuwitzky said. and contribution dent and, separately, with members of The credit ratings issued by comparequirements with the the [committee].” nies like Fitch impact the ability of orEmployee Benefits The administration had agreed to apganizations to secure financing at faCommittee and the point at least three faculty members to vorable interest rates. With its current credit rating, Kuwitzky said that it costs Norman Faculty Senate the committee on staggered three-year terms, Blank said. OU about $65,000 in interest each year Welfare Committee.” Faculty members also had been asfor every $1 million borrowed. sured the university would have discus“The university is seeking to refund — Chris Shilling, sions with current and former univeran existing $73.1 million bond-anticiuniversity spokesman sity employees before any changes were pation note,” Kuwitzky said. “Doing so made, Blank said. will provide favorable long-term rates, University spokesman Chris Shilling also confirmed but will not otherwise increase the university’s bonds input from faculty and staff would be included in the outstanding.” In the recent Fitch report, the university was notified process. “[Human resources] has recently begun discussing that “continued issuance of new debt without a definitive increase in resources necessary for its repayment” possible future changes to retiree medical benefits and could result in a downgrade of the university’s credit contribution requirements with the Employee Benefits Committee and the Norman Faculty Senate Welfare rating. OU currently has $697.6 million in outstanding debts Committee,” Shilling said. “Feedback and suggestions with maximum annual payments estimated at $58.6 mil- are being solicited from these standing committees in advance of developing a proposal to be shared with faculty, lion, according to Fitch’s report. This sum accounts for 8 percent of the university’s op- staff and retirees.” The Staff Senate didn’t have any details regarding the erating revenues. University administrators plan to issue another $75 proposed cuts, university Staff Senate Chairman David Houck said. million in bonds in 2011, according to the Fitch report. Senate members were aware the administration was “The university has not reached the limits of its borrowing power, and it is not on the verge of a credit down- putting together proposals to cut retirement benefits, but they were still waiting on further information, Houck grade,” Kuwitzky said. OU administrators had expected Fitch’s rating, and said. The Staff Senate had been told all members of the it was comparable to the ratings of peer institutions, Retirement Plans Management Committee would be Kuwitzky said. “A bond rating is an evaluation of the possibility of de- appointed by Boren, but he was not aware of any staff fault by a bond issuer. It is based on an analysis of the members who had been appointed yet.

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summer: Some courses will be self funded Continued from page 1 Hamilton, registrar and Enrollment vice president, Kelly Damphouse, College of Arts and Sciences associate dean, Robin Stroud, assistant to the executive vice president for Administration and Finance, Joyce Allman, associate provost, Paul Bell, College of Arts and Sciences dean, Chris Kuwitzky, associate vice president and chief financial officer and Gregg Garn, director of the K20 Center for Educational and Community Renewal and associate dean for school and community partnerships. The two biggest changes are the implementation of summer block scheduling and a combination of funding summer programs through education and general funding and shared tuition funding.

New summer funding To f u n d d e p a r t m e n t budgets, the university will fund some courses using the shared tuition model, Mergler said in emails. Under this model, instructional costs will be funded by 50 percent of tuition revenue generated by students enrolled in the course. The other 50 percent will go to the central administration. This funding model makes courses more dependent on the number of students enrolled. If not enough students enroll in a course, tuition revenue won’t cover the cost of instruction, and the course could be canceled. However, colleges have the option to keep under-enrolled courses open if these courses are essential for students to graduate on time, Mergler said in an email. Some colleges, like the College of Architecture and the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, plan to use both their education and

general budget allocations as well as the shared tuition model to fund courses. Not every college has this option, however. For example, the program costs of the College of International Studies have grown so much during the past few years that education and general budget money allocated is insufficient, said Suzette Grillot, College of International Studies assistant dean. The $15,000 allocated to the College of International Studies is still inadequate to cover the school’s summer requirements, Grillot said, and the college would have to use its own funds if it relied on the education and general budget. The shared tuition model is a better deal for the college because it has the best potential for helping the college break even given enrollment and course expenses, Grillot said. “It all, of course, depends on enrollment,” she said. The school used to have another option called “OneTime Instructional Support” to fund courses, Grillot said. Under this funding model, school administrators would request funds from the provost to cover the instructional costs of general-education courses during the summer. The department would request $6,000 to $8,000 to fund instructional costs, and the tuition revenue would go toward central administration. Grillot said the School of International and Area Studies always used the OneTime Instructional Support model because the central administration would make more off of the tuition revenue and courses didn’t depend on enrollment. “It was easier for us to just submit the [One-Time Instructional Support] request and get the instructor’s salary covered through that and not have to worry about what kind of enrollment are we going to reach,”

Grillot said. Now that the department doesn’t have this option to fund courses, professors have to hope enrollment will generate enough tuition to cover costs, she said. If the course doesn’t have enough students to generate tuition, then the school would have to decide whether to cover the cost or cut the class. Grillot said she didn’t understand the reason for moving the School of International and Area Studies funding model to the shared tuition model. “I think that in the push for the summer session, in all of [the provost’s office’s] crunching of the numbers, they’ve determined that the shared tuition model is perhaps a better deal for colleges and departments,” Grillot said. “I don’t know that that’s really the case for us.” However, Grillot said it might be that officials in the provost’s office want the school to focus on boosting enrollment numbers. “It just depends on whether you’re looking at it from the provost’s perspective or the college’s perspective or the departmental perspective,” Grillot said. Because of the decreased education and general funding, some colleges have cut summer programs and courses. For example, the College of Architecture will not offer study abroad courses this summer as a result of decreased funding. “In our fields this is an important educational component that students need, but we are reducing these in deference to other priorities,” said Charles Graham, College of Architecture dean. Graham said the college would offer courses this summer that help students stay on track toward graduation in place of study-abroad programs. Other departments, such as the College

of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, are able to offer more courses than last summer and do not plan to implement the shared tuition model this summer. Some college’s general funding decreased while o t h e r s’ i n c re a s e d . T h e College of Arts and Sciences and College of International and Area Studies received the largest increases compared to last year — $8,089 and $8,954 respectively. The Price College of Business and Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication were cut deepest — $14,471 and $16,206 respectively.

New schedule blocks The new block scheduling allows colleges to offer classes on four-week, six-week or eight-week time frames, and offers classes that begin May 16 at the start of intersession and end Aug. 5. The previous summer schedule began in June and ended in August. The objective of the new block scheduling is to offer more classes that fit students’ summer work, internship or study abroad schedules and thus increase enrollment by making classes fit in with students’ summer plans, Mergler said.

Friday, May 6, 2011 • 3

books: Highest prices offered this week Continued from page 1 said. “We find out which ones with information from the university.” Boomer Book Co. general manager Devon Poland said they will probably pay 50 to 55 percent of the full price on the main titles they want back. “Our highest prices started on Monday, but the price will work it’s way down closer to finals,” Poland said. “The last day of finals will probably be the last day for the higher rates.” The books that will draw the most payback are likely to be general education and freshman-level texts, Poland said. Both retailers said they do have limits on the amount of books they can buy back, and are less likely to buy back custom textbooks. They also will not take damage books. Although the highest prices will no longer be offered after the last day of finals, textbooks are bought back year-round. Prices vary depending on the time of year and the need for the book. The university bookstore began its buyback at offsite locations Thursday. They will be present today and throughout finals week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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UOSA: Council modeled after OSU Continued from page 1

information on its freshman council and she attended its Freshman Representative Council service trip. While many ideas for OU’s council came off by educating them about the UOSA system and how it works instead of just from OSU, the OU Freshman Council will thrusting them into positions within it,” not be a clone, Sewell said. “Ours is going to be so Forgotson said. much different from OSU’s In addition to interning, I think that it will because their student-govForgotson said the freshmake our student ernment association is set man council would perup entirely different from form a service project and government more a public relations project efficient … if we start UOSA,” Sewell said. Because of these conpromoting knowledge of our freshmen off nections, UOSA was able UOSA. Specific details of by educating them to collaborate with OSU the freshman council will about the UOSA on higher education day be established over the events and the executive system and how it summer, Forgotson said. The freshman council works instead of just branch will have a retreat with the OSU executive will be advertised during thrusting them into branch, Sewell said. Camp Crimson, and the positions within it.” The development of the plan is to gather 40 to 50 OU freshman council has members, Forgotson said. — Ranya Forgotson, developed greater conApplications and interOU Freshman Council nections with OSU student views will happen during chairwoman government, Sewell said. the first weeks of the fall “It is bigger than just semester. OU’s council was modeled after those at creating a freshman [council] at OU. It has Oklahoma State University and Texas Tech also been about building a better friendUniversity, Sewell said. UOSA has known ship with the OSU student government,” about these councils for a while but de- Sewell said. Forgotson and Robison said they recided to create one after meeting student leaders at the Big 12 student-government searched other universities’ freshman councils online. conference, Robison said. Kelbie Kenney, student congress vice“Going back to the Big 12 [student-government] conference this fall kind of rekin- chairwoman, said she is excited about having an intern. dled that excitement for it,” Robison said. “I would like my intern to take away a At the conference, Forgotson, Sewell and Robison met the coordinator of the working knowledge of how to get things accomplished as well as find out what isOSU Freshman Representative Council. Sewell said her class schedule allowed sues they are most passionate about,” her to visit OSU several times to gather Kennedy said.

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4 • Friday, May 6, 2011

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

OPINION

THUMBS DOWN ›› Dale Hall Tower renovations cause faculty to relocate (see page 1)

OUR VIEW

OU budget deficit extends its grasp On Wednesday, President David Boren announced tuition increases are inevitable and the exact figure is dependent on the university’s allocation from the state. Boren said tuition increases will help balance OU’s budget. Today’s story “OU to cut retirement benefits” outline’s the administration’s plan to balance the budget and decreasing the university’s debt by cutting faculty and staff retirement benefits. Students are no longer alone in being financially responsible for OU’s deficit. The burden of OU’s budget deficit is now shared by students, faculty and staff. We understand why tuition increases are necessary, but question whether it is necessary to put faculty and staff in a situation where they must reevaluate their future savings. Student debt is a huge problem when we leave OU, but we have the rest of our lives to set up payment plans in order to pay these loans. Before coming to college many of us planned how and when we are going to pay for these debts. We are expected to deal with them once we leave college. But for faculty and staff, this is their job. We doubt cuts to retirement benefits was something they thought about. Dealing with a budget deficit should be the responsibility of administrators, not it’s employees. It is unfortunate that we are receiving a

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

CARTOON

Dead week exhaustion

tuition increase, but at this point there is not much we can do about it. We had our chance to speak out, now let’s focus our efforts on helping OU’s faculty and staff. These budget cuts are not just going to affect faculty and staff. The article says that our credit rating may also be affected by these cuts. By having a bad credit rating our investments will suffer, our financial power will decrease and OU’s ability to apply for loans will be diminished. According to the story, Fitch Ratings analyzed “the risks of default on bonds and other financial instruments issued by private companies and government entities.” These reports examine such factors as debt, cash flow and an establishment’s ability to meet its financial responsibilities and then assigns a credit rating. We understand the administration is attempting to eliminate extra spending, but cutting benefits from staff and faculty is not the way to do it. We want Boren and the rest of the administration to look for other ways to balance our budget besides cutting benefits. Perhaps we could find a new revenue stream, or liquidate other assets — like we did our power plants. But do not hold the faculty and staff responsible for OU’s financial deficit.

CARLOS CHANG/THE DAILY

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COLUMN

Look outside the abortion, ideological bubble My brilliant colleague and friend Trevor Clark penned an article in Thursday’s issue of The Daily about the importance of getting outside of one’s ideological bubble. While the first half of the article was hard to make out due to the rambling incoherencey of it, the last half of the column was a bit more clear: Clark wants us to consider the apparently novel idea of abolishing human abortion. In his signature incomprehensible style, Clark urges us to open our mind and listen to the arguments of the hip, new anti-abortion group Abolish Human Abortion. He then derides people who ridicule the group on its website. Clark, of course, is being somewhat tongue-in-cheek about this whole ridicule thing. For those not aware, the Abolish Human Abortion group was created as a spoof of the Abolish Horse Abortion group that has been challenging people to contemplate the moral evil of terminating horse pregnancies. They have a blog easily accessible online where they lay out various arguments against

horse abortion, challengChristopher Reeve’s paralying others to step outside sis was the result of a horse STAFF COLUMN their ideological bubble acting out against the prevaand consider this moral lence of horse abortion. Matt Bruenig harm. I cannot go into their entire I am personally on the abolitionist doctrine here, but fence about their position right now, but they suffice to say, it is a genuine effort to bring atdo make compelling arguments. The website tention to a moral issue overlooked in our is loaded with quotes from The Good Book time. that — speaking as a layman here — appear However, instead of engaging in the to indicate God’s dislike for horse abortion. very serious arguments of Abolish Horse For those out there Abortion, Clark and his who are not keen on relifriends decided to mock the However, instead of gion and The Truth, they abolitionists by starting their engaging with the very own group and blog called have secular arguments as well. Abolish Human Abortion. serious arguments of One in particular I The satirists created a Abolish Horse Abortion, found persuasive was blog with an identically ugly Clark and his friends the argument that staltheme and styled arguments. decided to mock the lions become upset when They took the logo and abolitionists by starting branding of Abolish Horse mares are allowed to have abortions, and they end Abortion and reappropriattheir own group.” up taking their anger out ed it for their own ends. on them. For instance, Abolish Horse Abortion creFor instance, the horse abortion aboli- ated a campaign where they took a snaztionists hold that beloved Hollywood actor zy stylized AHA icon and it slapped it on

pictures of the founding fathers with their horses. At the bottom of each of the pictures, the horse abortion opponents placed the word “Abolitionist” in LOLCAT lettering. Abolish Human Abortion then took the very same AHA icon and word “Abolitionist,” but placed it on pictures of obnoxious white hipsters with looks as vacuous and empty as themselves. All of this is done to mock those trying to bring attention to the overlooked issue of human abortion. I am not here to tell people how to feel about horse abortion, or even human abortion for that matter. I do want to point out that Abolish Human Abortion is being very disingenuous when it asks people to step outside their ideological bubble. If they were serious about dialogue they would not take to mocking horse abortion opponents like they do on their website. — Matt Bruenig, philosophy senior

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COLUMN

Classy, crass Americans react to bin Laden’s death When I was on Twitter Sunday night scrolling through updates, a couple Tweets appeared, mentioning the death of Osama bin Laden. At first I thought it was a running joke among the famous politicians on Twitter, but then I realized it was true. An hour after finding out, President Obama was speaking on America’s behalf. Having heard bin Laden’s name for half my life after Sept. 11, I was happy to hear of his death. If I had control of his corpse, it would have been dragged down the streets of New York City, especially around Ground Zero. All dark humor aside, wrapping bin Laden’s body in cloth and tossing it into the ocean in accordance with Islamic law speaks more about our class than it does about our crass. But not everyone agrees. “If you ask me, he didn’t even deserve to be washed or wrapped [in accordance with Islamic law]. I hope they dropped him in shark-infested waters,” Sal Gjonbalaj, whose family is from Albania, told the Daily News. Gjonbalaj’s father was killed in the Sept. 11 attacks. S.E. Cupp, columnist for the Daily News, said, “As much as it makes my skin crawl to give Osama bin Laden, dead or alive, any sign

Meredith Moriak Chase Cook Chris Miller Tim French James Corley

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

of respect, it was the right that we killed him.” thing to do. And it proves Meteorology junior Isaac that even when we are face to Pato said, “I got a text from a STAFF COLUMN face with one of the most vifriend Saturday night saying Sage Mauldin cious and vile mass murderthat Osama had been killed. ers the world has ever seen, I think that bin Laden deAmerica is decent, honorserved what he got and that able and a force for good.” the operation to get him was On Wednesday and Thursday, I asked a well executed. I think that justice was done. couple OU students what their thoughts were However, I can’t see his death making the regarding the death of bin Laden, as well as world more or less safe.” where they were when they learned of bin Meteorology junior Kevin Rolfs said, “That Laden’s death. kind of reaction to the death “I found out around 10 of a person brings us down p.m. at my apartment on to the level of those who celWrapping bin Laden’s Sunday night and my rein the streets when body in cloth and tossing ebrate action was kinda neutral, an American dies.” it into the ocean in I guess,” said meteorol“Death is never someaccordance to Islamic ogy junior Colt Forney. thing to be celebrated, but “I mean, I’m glad that he the fact that Osama canlaw speaks more about is out of the picture, but it not hurt innocent people our class than it does doesn’t seem like he has anymore is something to about our crass.” been much of a threat be celebrated,” Rolfs said. for years, and there is so “Also, his death does not much else happening in the world today that mean the end of terrorism. Who knows how this seems miniscule, comparatively. I think terrorist activity will be affected because of it was ridiculous how so many people react- his death? You never know how killing such a ed by throwing big parties and all for that fact massive symbol will affect the future of those

Autumn Huffman Ashley West Chris Lusk Michael Lloyd Judy Gibbs Robinson

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left behind.” Over all, killing Osama bin Laden is merely cutting off the head of an extremely long snake. Though he is dead, the threat has not been completely erased, because the jihadists and the al-Qaeda remain. Our reaction to his death was in celebration. And celebrate we did. There was nothing wrong with how America reacted to the death of the world’s most dangerous terrorist. Some believe because of the death of bin Laden, we should expect retaliation from the Middle East. We have nothing to worry about. They should be the ones running scared, not us. Even though I hold reservations about President Obama’s foreign policy, his handling of the terrorist threat and his ominous relationship with religious America, he showed the world America leads by example. — Sage Mauldin, psychology junior

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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.

Friday, May 6, 2011 • 5

The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com

SPORTS

MONDAY ›› The Daily lays out its year-end review of Oklahoma sports

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

Closing regular season strong at home

Oklahoma shuts down North Texas Sooners to play

final Big 12 series

Team extends all-time record over Mean Green to 20-0 with 9-1 win

Sooners headed for pitchers’ battle of Iowa State’s Zabriskie, OU’s Ricketts in regular-season finale

TOBI NEIDY

The Oklahoma Daily

The Oklahoma softball team (36-16, 8-8 Big 12) compiled a seven-run lead in the first two innings against North Texas and earned necessary runs in the fourth to secure a 9-1 run-rule win Thursday at Marita Hynes Field in Norman. The OU offense showed its strength, an aspect of the Sooners’ game that had been absent most of their conference schedule. “Our swings are coming back,” OU coach Patty Gasso said. “We’re sharing the wealth, and you’re not seeing it from one person.” Leading the pack was senior Chana’e Jones, who finished the night 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Jones, who was voted captain of this year’s team, has been instrumental in leading her team by example. After playing in the outfield and at second base, Jones has played much of the season at first base. Even with all the changes in defensive positions, this senior still maintains a level head every time she takes to the field. “I’m really not thinking about myself,” Jones said. “I just want to help get my team back to the World Series.” And that goal was evident in her performance at the plate against the Mean Green on Thursday. Jones’ single to left center in the bottom of the second

TOBI NEIDY

The Oklahoma Daily

If you go

COLLIN SIMS/THE DAILY

Sophomore pitcher Keilani Ricketts prepares to throw against Oklahoma State on April 13 in Norman. Ricketts hit a three-run home run in OU’s 9-1 win over North Texas on Thursday. inning allowed sophomore Brianna Turang and freshman Destinee Martinez to plate the fourth and fifth Sooner runs of the game. Freshman Brittany Williams doubled to score the additional two runs of the inning. OU starter pitcher Keilani Ricketts did not pitch the entire game, but she hit her 10th homer of the year to score all three runs in the first

inning and get the Sooner offense pointed in the right direction. Senior third baseman Dani Dobbs hit the gamewinning RBI in the fourth, plating Ricketts on a single through the left side of the field. When the dust settled on Thursday, eight Sooners had hits while Williams, Ricketts and Jones all collected multiple RBIs.

9 1

Also this weekend in Oklahoma sports BASEBALL

» Sooners host Kansas for three-game series — 6:30 tonight — 2 p.m. Saturday — noon Sunday

WOMEN’S GOLF

» Oklahoma competes in NCAA Regional action through Saturday

WOMEN’S ROWING

» OU heads to Seattle to compete in Windermere Cup Regatta on Saturday

REINA LYONS/THE DAILY

Freshman pitcher Ryan Gibson Have a Twitter account? Follow The Daily sports desk at

@OUDailySports News, information and updates about Sooner sports

Being

NUMBER ONE is nothing to celebrate.

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The OU softball team (36-16, 8-8 Big 12) needs all hands on deck for its regular-season finale series this weekend in Norman. The Sooners face Iowa State (21-22, 3-9) for a pair of contests beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday before finishing up conference action at noon Sunday. “We’re just going to keep sticking to that game plan of continuing the streak,” OU coach Patty Gasso said. “Finish strong and send a message to the rest of the country that we’re a team that is starting to peak again.” OU will have to keep its hitting rhythm against ISU’s lone senior, righthanded pitcher Rachel Zabriskie (14-14), in the circle this weekend. WHAT: OU vs. Iowa State The Austin native is 10th all-time in the Big 12 with WHEN: 2 p.m. Saturday, 799 strikeouts, and she noon Sunday holds Cyclone career records in complete games WHERE: Marita Hynes (85), innings pitched Field, Norman (860.1) and wins (66). This season is no different for the senior, who has thrown for a 3.80 ERA with 185 strikeouts and 16 complete games. Zabriskie is a good pitcher, but her numbers flay in comparison to the prolific results of OU sophomore Keilani Ricketts. Last weekend against Texas, Ricketts became the program’s single-season strikeout leader by collecting her 367th career strikeout. Ricketts (22-12) leads the Big 12 in that category, as well as innings pitched (223.2), appearances (40), games started (32) and complete games (27). This season, she has been dominant on the mound, maintaining a 1.53 ERA. She’s completed 27 of her 32 starts this year and has thrown eight shutout games. And she’s doing it with less than two years of collegiate action under her belt, something Gasso said is building Ricketts’ confidence in herself. “Keilani will never admit to you that anyone’s intimidated by her,” Gasso said. “But when you see her walk out to the mound and in the box, you automatically feel her power. And I think she’s starting to realize that.”

That hit production was exactly what this Oklahoma team needed to get after falling short several times against conference opponents this year, Gasso said. “You’re starting to see a lot more confidence in the swings, and they’re a lot lighter out there,” Gasso said. “We have all parts of the game working now.” The Sooners are back in action for the regular season finale against Iowa State this weekend in Norman.

6 â&#x20AC;˘ Friday, May 6, 2011

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