The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
T H U R S DAY, AUG U S T 2 3 , 2 012
W W W.O U DA I LY.C O M
oPinion: EDITOR IN CHIEF RESPONDS TO CONTROVERSY (Page 4)
2 011 S I LV E R C R O W N W I N N E R
sports: Transfers bring experience (Page 6)
sooner Hockey
HeaLTH Care
Birth control covered by university Student health plan covers most preventive services LINDSEY RUTA Campus Editor
University-provided student health insurance will now cover birth control and other preventative health care measures at no cost to students, according to
Human Resources officials. “The OU student health plan is covering most preventive services and increasing maximum available benefits on surgery, pharmacy and mental health services,” said Nick Kelly, vice-president of Human Resources, in an email. These new measures are mandated by the federal Affordable Care Act, which
was upheld by the Supreme Court on June 28. Although all private insurers are required to implement the health care reform, selfinsured institutions are exempt from the changes, according to the government health care website. OU is one of seven universities in the Big 12 that is self-insured and therefore not required by law
to cover preventative health care such as birth control. Although not mandatory, Kelly said the decision to implement preventative health care coverage was made in an effort to remain competitive with other universities. “Our ongoing review indicates that the changes made at OU are seen commonly see HEALTH paGe 3
aT a GlaNCE Big 12 Health Insurance university of oklahoma: self insured oklahoma state university: self insured university of texas: self insured
privately insured Baylor university: self insured iowa state university: self insured Source: Big 12 universities
university of Kansas:
fUnDs
Sooners still love Boris Yeltsin
$9.7 M given to OU for research Instruments to be updated with new funds BY SAM HIGGINS Campus Reporter
KinGsLey BuRns/tHe daiLy
John Cardwell sings during the “someone still Loves You Boris Yeltsin” concert on Wednesday outside the Oklahoma Memorial Union. read more in Life & arts (page 11) and on OUDaily.com
enrOLLMenT
Transfer rate expected to increase nd co-adviser for the Transfer enrollment up 5.9 percent aOklahoma Association of Transfer Students, said the from fall 2010 to fall 2011 MELODIE LETTKEMAN Campus Reporter
After a three-year decline in new transfers to OU, officials expect recent enrollment increases to continue and that may increase demand for transfer-student specific services. New transfer enrollment went up 5.9 percent between fall 2010 and fall 2011, according to a document from associate provost Cheryl Jorgenson. Final numbers for Fall 2012 will be available Sept. 10, after the add/drop deadline. “We traditionally enroll a lot of students [the first] two weeks,” Jorgenson said in an email. Kyle Butcher, Couch center coordinator
increase is welcome because it creates more potential members. Butcher hopes the new group can ease the transition between schools. “Social and cultural adjustments, academic workloads and the overall adaptation to a new environment can be difficult for any student,” he said. The executive team is currently working out events and will tailor informational meetings for transfers around student feedback. Current planned topics include student involvement, study abroad, academic integrity and campus resources, Butcher said.
The National Institutes of Health has awarded a $9.7 million grant funding University of Oklahoma’s research in molecular biology. Oklahoma Center of Biomedical Res earch Excellence, or COBRE, grants are given to institutions doing biomedical research in order to strengthen their infrastructure, according to the website. Ann West, a professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry and the project director for the grant, said many opportunities are now open because of the money. “One of the things these funds will allow us to do is upgrade some very sophisticated instrumentation in our core facility,” West said. “Our current [X-ray machine in Stephenson Life Science’s see GRANT paGe 3
Welcome to the world of comic books Life & Arts: comic books aren’t just for children and superheroes anymore, everyone can be a fan. (Page 11)
Kyven ZHao/tHe daiLy
Camp Crimson Leaders demonstrate activities during Camp Crimson on the 8th floor of Couch Tower on June 21.
see TRANSFER paGe 2
YOUR VIEWS: Letters to the editor sent by students, alumni Opinion: ou community expresses thoughts on cooke article. (Page 5)
SPEECH
OU professor to speak to Sooners about Syrian revolution on Wednesday, aug. 29, ou professor Joshua Landis will speak in front of ou students, staff and faculty and public as part of a president’s associates dinner. Landis, who is the director of the center for middle east studies, will discuss the current revolution in syria with his presentation, daiLy FiLe pHoto “syria at the crossroads,” Joshua Landis stands with a photo of a mosque outside his office. in the molly shi Boren Landis is the director of the Center for Middle east studies Ballroom in the oklahoma
oud-2012-8-23-a-001,002.indd 1
memorial union. “He will discuss the current situation in syria and factors which have led to it,” president Boren said in a press release. Landis is a well-renown middle-eastern scholar often cited by other news outlets such as npR and the Wall street Journal. “president Boren loves having speakers,” said press secretary michael nash. “He is very excited,
and we are all really happy and lucky to have dr. Landis on the staff at the university of oklahoma.” the reception is at 6 p.m. with dinner and the lecture following at 6:30 p.m. seating is limited so those interested in reserving a spot can call the ou office of special events at 405325-3784. Lindsay Bodman Campus reporter
VOL. 98, NO. 7 © 2012 oU Publications Board FREE — additional copies 25¢
INSIDE ToDaY campus......................2 clas sif ie ds................ 8 Life& ar ts..................10 o p inio n.....................4 spor ts........................6
see XXXXXX paGe XX
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• Thursday, August 23, 2012
Campus
Lindsey Ruta, campus editor Chase Cook and Jake Morgan, assistant editors dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Transfer: First Camp Crimson session offered Continued from page 1 Ac c o m m o d at i o n s f o r new transfers were made by Camp Crimson in spring 2012, when it was announced that the camp would offer a transfer session. The camp brought 58 students up to speed on Sooner traditions during the July 21-23 session. The sometimes-difficult transition between schools can include changes to costs, especially for students transferring from community colleges. Four scholarships exist for transfer students only, offering awards for tuition and housing. The Transfer Student Ad v i s o r y B o a rd , w h i c h meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. in Oklahoma Memorial Union, provides support for current transfer students and assists with transfer recruitment. The board publishes a monthly newsletter, available on their website, which announces events for transfer students to come together, helps them navigate OU technology and provides financial aid information. Transfer students, using the general scholarship application, can also be considered for the Transfer Leadership Class their first
Today around campus Library orientation sessions will be held at 9:30 a.m. and noon at Bizzell Memorial Library. Commuter lunch Free Papa John’s pizza will be offered for commuters at the Lloyd Noble Center bus stop at 11:30 a.m. Super hero test the Union Programming Board will host a booth where students can determine which Avenger they are and take a picture as a super hero on the first floor lobby of the Oklahoma Memorial Union from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tee party bring a blank t-shirt to the School of Art and Art History to have it printed with a design for free from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Free pizza and soda will be provided. Night at the Huff basketball, volleyball and dodgeball tournaments will be held from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Huston Huffman Center.
Sooner ally
Women’s Outreach looking for recruits
Record requests
An OU program dedicated to helping LGBT students succeed in college is recruiting students, faculty and staff members for this
The Oklahoma Daily regularly asks for access to public information from OU officials. Here is a list of the most-recent requests our reporters have submitted to the university. Requested document and purpose
Kyven Zhao/The daily
Camp Crimson Leaders demonstrate activities during Camp Crimson on the 8th floor of Couch Tower Thursday, June 21, 2012. Camp Crimson usually hosts more than 2,000 students each summer, and students are divided to smaller groups during the event.
year at OU. The organization, “gives members the opportunity to build relationships with incoming and former transfers, faculty members, staff, campus resources and community organizations,” according to their website. Melodie Lettkeman mlettkeman@ou.edu
year. Sooner Ally, a four yearold program run through OU’s Women Outreach Center, focuses on training people to act as human resources for LGBT students and spread awareness about LGBT prejudice and issues. The organization hopes
BY THE NUMBERS Transfer student enrollment
1,327
New Transfer students attended OU in 2007. After this year the number of transfer students enrolling began decreasing each year.
1,195
New transfer students attended OU in 2011. Officials expect this number to increase. Source: OU Enrollment Statistics
the training sessions will recruit more people to serve as allies, said Kathy Moxley, director of OU Women’s Outreach Center. Sooner Ally will also offer a refresher course for people who have been trained as allies, but it’s been a couple years since they were active, Moxley
said. Jake Morgan
Assistant Campus Editor
See more online Visit OUDaily.com for the complete story oudaily.com/news
Date requested
Drug test results — The results of drug tests for OU football players from Jan. 1, 2009 to Aug. 9 2012
Aug. 9
CARTgps.com
Visit OUDaily.com/openrecords for a full list of requests
takes the guesswork out of bus arrival times
Corrections The Oklahoma Daily is committed to serving readers with accurate coverage and welcomes your comments about information that may require correction or clarification. To contact us with corrections, email us at dailynews@ou.edu. Visit OUDaily.com/corrections for an archive of our corrections
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You can access real-time bus arrival predictions at any Norman stop in the transit system. Access this information by computer or cell-phone browser, or call CART’s automated phone service at (405) 217-3463. Or, send a text message to 41411 with “CART” and the stop number in the message to get a text reply with estimated arrival time.
All CART stops in Norman have a CARTgps.com sign listing the website address, the phone number, and the number for that stop to assist customers in retrieving information.
Follow your bus in real time at www.CARTgps.com Cleveland Area Rapid Transit (CART) 510 E. Chesapeake, Norman, OK 73019 (405) 325-CART (2278)
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8/22/12 11:21:24 PM
NEWS
Thursday, August 23, 2012 •
HeaLTH: OU models health care program after Kansas
GranT: Funds go to junior researchers
Continued from page 1 at other major universities, whether the plans are self or fully insured,“ he said. After reviewing information provided by the federal government this summer, Kelly said the decision to adopt the changes was finalized this month and went into effect Aug. 12. “ If they’re actually going to do it, that is excellent,” said graduate student Amanda Fehlbaum. “I am happy.” Fehlbaum, who is 27, is one of 2,938 students currently insured under OU’s student health care plan. She reached out to Human Resources at the end of July to see if OU’s health insurance would now cover her birth control per the Affordable Care Act, but was told it would not, she said. Kelly said the decision had not yet been made to adopt preventative coverage at the time of Fehlbaum’s call. Fehlbaum said she is relieved to hear the student insurance plan will now cover her birth control. She is looking forward to using the money she is saving on other necessary living expenses, she said. Of the students insured through the university, 1169 of them are women, meaning if they do use birth control, they can now get their prescription at the Goddard Health Center without paying a co-pay. This will save the average, insured 25-year-old woman over $8,000 in their lifetime, according a cost calculator provided my Mother Jones — a nonprofit organization that specializes in investigative, political and social justice reporting.
Continued from page 1
aaRon FaviLa/tHe associated pRess
a filipino salesgirl holds different contraceptives that are being sold at a drugstore in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines, aug. 5. The United nations has expressed support for a proposed law that would provide government funding for contraceptives that popular Philippine President Benigno aquino III backs and the dominant roman Catholic church opposes.
OU has been a self-insured institution for 14 years, Kelly said. The difference in selfinsured plans, as opposed to those provided by private companies, is that the selfinsured group assumes the financial risk for providing its participants benefits, he said. “In practical terms, a selfinsured plan sponsor pays for all covered benefits, and the cost to administer the plan, instead of paying a fixed premium to an insurance company for a fully insured plan,” Kelly said. This type of coverage helps keep students’ cost as
“If they’re actually going to do it, that is excellent. I am happy.” aMaNDa FEHlBaUM, GRaDUaTE STUDENT
low as possible, he said. However, the university may be looking to change its health care coverage. Diana Malott, who is the associate director of student health services at the University of Kansas, said OU officials contacted her recently interested about the program through which
they insure their students. Kansas is not a self-insured institution and offers student health insurance through a multi-state compact between universities, called Midwest Higher Education compact — she said. Malott said she does not see the benefit of universities self-insuring. “At this time the only benefit that I can see is that they are not covered by the Affordable Care Act if they are self-insured, but I don’t see that as a benefit to the students or the university because the students don’t get the additional
benefits that come with [the Affordable Care Act] and the university as I’ve seen and worked with some universities that are self-funded can be out a huge amount of money paying for claims.” Kelly said there are not any current plans in place to change the university’s health care coverage, but they are continually evaluating health insurance options to ensure the best coverage possible for students.
Lindsey Ruta lruta@ou.edu
RESEaRCH
oUTREaCH
Researchers find way to weaken pneumonia-causing bacterium
OU Women’s Outreach Center to host voter drive
ou researchers at the college of medicine have discovered a way to debilitate a pneumonia-causing bacterium by targeting an essential toxin, according to a press release. streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common bacterium responsible for pneumonia cases, and 800,000 children under the age of fi ve lose their lives each year because of the microbe, according to the press release. Rodney tweten, ou college of medicine professor, and his colleagues focused on this aspect of the bacterium and developed a form of the toxin that fails to bind to cholesterol and allows the body’s immune system to appropriately respond, according to the press release a new vaccine effective
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against many strains of the pathogen could emerge from the discovery, according to the press release. “this would make a much less expensive, but much more effective vaccine in terms of broad coverage,” tweten said in the press release. the technology was recently licensed to an international non-profi t called patH, which is working to accelerate the development of such vaccines, according to the press release. chair of pediatrics terrance stull said the approach could help to improve the health of children across the globe, according to the press release. Jake Morgan Assistant Campus Editor
the Women’s outreach center will be hosting a voter registration drive in honor of women’s equality. students can register for voting from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. august 27 and 28 on the south oval in honor of Women’s equality day — a national holiday celebrating women’s achievements and the united states’ commitment to gender equality, according to the White House website. the holiday, which was established last year by president Barack obama is actually aug. 26, but since that day falls on a sunday, the Women’s outreach
center is hosting the event monday and tuesday when students will be on campus, said Kathy moxley, director of ou Women’s outreach. “For the women who fought for [the right to vote], voting was not the end of the journey for equality, but the beginning of a new era in the advancement of our union,” obama said in his proclamation, according the website. “it’s important to recognize that women haven’t always had the right to vote in this country and we need to celebrate that by executing our voting rights,” moxley said.
all students — male and female — are encouraged to vote, but women who participate will be given a button encouraging sooner women to vote, moxley said. the Women’s outreach center is currently in need of volunteers to work at the registration tables. Because it is a nonpartisan event, volunteers are asked to not wear any political attire, according to the press release.
Research Center] is about 12 years old now.” There are plans to build another facility, West said. West’s research focuses on molecular structures of macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. The research then can be applied to developing new drugs, treatments and better understanding of diseases such as cancer. “We’re interested in what is the shape of those molecules, what are their three-dimensional structures, because then we ca n g l e a n s o m e t h i n g about how they function,” she said. Project funds also will go to junior investigators who are just getting started in their career and need funding to get their projects off the ground. Dr. Blaine Mooers, who works in the Department of Biochemistry and Mo l e c u l a r Bi o l o g y at the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, is someone who is benefiting from the grant. The grant will allow Mooers and his team to create more copies of RNA, and he will benefit from the access to the new X-ray machine in Norman, thanks to funds going to West’s team. “What we have will be newer and more reliable and help us out a lot,” Mooers said. These grants aren’t easy to get. Many institutions apply for this grant, but only about 10-15 percent of the applicants are granted funding in the end, West said. The applications for NIH COBRA grants are peer reviewed and considered on the merits of significance, researchers, innovation, approach and environment, according to the website. Sam Higgins samuel.b.higgins-1@ou.edu
Emma Hamblen Campus Reporter
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8/22/12 11:21:26 PM
4
Reader comment on OUDaily.com ››
• Thursday, August 23, 2012
“Just because you have the fact does not mean you have to publish them for the world to see. Do you even understand how many people your article has hurt? Her younger brother is still a student here.” (OUstudent1991, RE: ‘Casey Cooke autopsy report says she had been drinking when she died’)
OPINION
Mary Stanfield, opinion editor Kayley Gillespie, assistant editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/opinion • Twitter: @OUDailyOpinion
QUOTABLE: “ The question is where is the respect and sensitivity for our community and Casey’s loved ones?,” said senior Nicole Jenkins about the Casey Cooke story. (Page 5)
EDITORIAL
Autopsy reports must be open, despite our mistake Our View: Don’t let our mistake cloud your
judgement on the accessibility of autopsy reports.
AT A GLANCE Autopsy-based reporting
The Daily reported Tuesday that OU student Casey Cooke was drunk at the time of her June 3 death, according to the autopsy report. The story included a link to the full autopsy report, which also was included in a tweet about the breaking news. When a public outcry arose against the inclusion of the document, the editorial board had a long discussion about the ethical and moral concerns involved in the decision. Autopsy reports are considered public records by many states, including Oklahoma, which gives the public access to them. This access is essential because of the important and often unexpected role these reports can play in investigations. However, in this case, after listening to the concerns of the community, we have determined that the graphic details in Cooke’s autopsy report do not serve that purpose or any other practical purpose. They only served to cause pain and discomfort to the OU community, which was not our intention. We decided to remove the autopsy report from our website and, in the future, we will consider the value of such reports against the damage they might cause to ensure such a misjudgment does not happen again. But do not let our mistake convince you that there is no value in public access to autopsy reports. Important investigations would not be possible without access to them. Autopsy reports have helped The Our View journalists uncover medical errors is the majority and expose doctors with histories opinion of of deadly mistakes or bad pracThe Daily’s tices. If these errors had remained nine-member editorial board hidden, families would have been denied compensation, and unethical doctors would be allowed to put unknowing patients at risk. These reports also have been used by journalists to track health care epidemics, such as the staph infection epidemic that has gained increasing exposure in recent years. Such reporting enables patients to protect themselves from these diseases and keep an eye out for common symptoms so they can get immediate treatment. Some such epidemics are discovered by medical organizations, but others are not noticed until someone finds the connecting thread in the records. They are useful outside the medical realm as well. Many investigations have utilized autopsy
• Michael Berens and Ken Armstrong at The Seattle Times reported high rates of MRSA infections. After the report, a law passed requiring hospitals to screen high-risk patients for the disease. • Detroit Free Press reporter Robin Erb
uncovered suspicious deaths of patients in several nursing homes. • Several public figures have died of surgery complications. Access to their death records could put to rest the suspicion that their deaths cold have been avoided.
reports to point to ineffective criminal justice policies or mistakes made by law enforcement. Journalists have discovered suspicious deaths in jail and during arrests, revealed failed law enforcement responses and overturned the supposed justification for a shooting at the hands of police. If these situations had gone undiscovered, law enforcement agencies might never have been forced to change ineffective, harmful policies or punish wrongdoings within their ranks. Autopsy reports even have been used to protect some of the population’s most vulnerable members by uncovering abuses by nursing home staff that led to the deaths of elderly patients. Nearly half the states in the U.S. severely restrict the public’s access to these valuable documents, and recent cases in South Carolina and Pennsylvania have further questioned the legality of such access. Nearly 40 percent of autopsies yield at least one unexpected finding that contributed to a patient’s death, according to a 2008 analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology. This information may not always be relevant, but on many occasions it can lead to important knowledge — and even, eventually, needed change. Even details that may not seem initially relevant may end up being relevant to the case in the future as law enforcement and journalists follow up. Some details may end up being important for other cases that have nothing to do with the original crime but may reveal broader abuses or systematic problems (as in the examples above). So, while all autopsies reveal graphic and disturbing details about the individual, sometimes those details make the difference between a buried secret and a public cry for justice. For all those reports that could eventually lead to one or more saved lives, autopsy findings must remain accessible to the public.
Comment on this on OUDaily.com
LETTER
Cooke article re-opened fresh wounds My name is Cameron Ghafil, I am currently a mechaniThe grieving process is far from over for those who cal engineering pre-med senior. This letter is in regards knew Casey. With the beginning of a new semester, came to the online article and recent tweets posted by the OU the reality that life is moving on without her. As is the case Daily, which discuss the details of Casey Cooke’s death. for several of her friends, her younger brother and I still While the OU Daily depicts itself as an attend class on this campus. Believe me independent student voice, I cannot help when I say there isn’t an easy day; passing “Believe me when by Evans Hall is a constant reminder of but question the integrity of the people involved with these posts. I say there isn’t an Casey’s loss. There should be a line between what blatant act of insensitivity by the easy day; passing OUThis you have the right to publish and what Daily only adds to these challenges. by Evans Hall is a you think is ethically correct to pubAnyone that felt the need to view the lish. Evidently, this was not taken into constant reminder autopsy report in its entirety could’ve consideration. done so themselves. Therefore, if there of Casey’s loss.” As Casey’s boyfriend, I had the pleasure was a purpose behind posting the report of getting to know her and her family very for everyone to see, we would greatly apwell over the past two years. Casey was preciate an explanation. known to be shy and only discussed private issues with On the other hand, if this was done for publicity purthe people closest to her. poses, I can only hope you realize the pain you have For this reason and many others, I am truly saddened caused. After all, if you had lost a loved one, would you by the handling of information surrounding Casey’s cause want a similar report to be on public display? of death by the OU Daily. Or more importantly, do you think Casey would have The decision to include a link to the full autopsy report wanted this information shared with everyone? Without with extremely personal details was both disrespectful any doubt, the answer is no. and unnecessary. I can assure you that this decision has upset her family, friends and several of your readers. Cameron Ghafil, mechanical engineering senior
?
» Poll question of the day Should OU insurance be providing free birth control and other preventative measures?
To cast your vote, log on to LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Cooke autopsy decision failed to place needs of community first
A
EDITOR IN CHIEF little before 8 p.m. Tuesday, in the middle of designing Wednesday’s front page, I received notification that OU student Casey Cooke was drunk when she died Laney Ellisor June 3, according to the laney@ou.edu autopsy report. Within the following hour, we sent a tweet from the OUDaily account linking to the report. That never should have happened. In our haste to cover the breaking news, and because I was busy with my normal production duties and failed to review the tweet, we sent out information without carefully thinking through our actions or their repercussions. If we had taken time to consider the sensitive nature of the story instead of treating it like any other news, we would have recognized that while there is value in reporting the context of Cooke’s death, there was no need to provide the autopsy report because its facts went beyond what was relevant to the story. One of our most important roles as journalists is to ensure the public has access to documents kept by the government or government agencies. Oftentimes we take that duty further by providing links to those documents in an effort to facilitate easy access for our readers. We had those tenets in mind when we put the autopsy report on OUDaily.com, but we failed to weigh them against another journalistic responsibility: minimizing harm to the community we serve. You, our readers, voiced your strong opinions that this particular document added no value to the story. We heard you. My editors and I gath“In our haste to ered in the newsroom concover the breaking ference room today to disnews ... we sent cuss how to move forward, out information keeping at the forefront of without carefully the conversation the response from our audience. thinking through Ultimately, we decided our actions or their that, in this case, the value repercussions.” of facilitating public access to a public document did not outweigh the negative effect on the OU community. We took down the report. In the future, we will continue to promote transparency in government through open meetings and records, as well as to host those records on OUDaily.com. However, in the case of personal records, we will take time to consider the pertinence of the information contained therein, reviewing each story on a case-by-case basis. We also have established a hierarchical process to ensure breaking news is not put on social media without the approval of the editor in chief or managing editor. Those safeguards were put in place because of your feedback, which we value and welcome. You reminded us that we are public servants who should consider the wants and needs of the public we serve first. We failed in that regard last night, and in doing so, we failed each of you. I apologize on behalf of The Oklahoma Daily and the editorial board for our hasty decision-making. And I, as editor in chief and, more importantly, as a fellow human being, am sorry for the hurt those decisions caused Casey Cooke’s friends and family. Laney Ellisor is editor in chief of The Daily.
The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication.
Laney Ellisor Jared Rader Lindsey Ruta Kedric Kitchens Carmen Forman Mary Stanfield
Editor in Chief Managing Editor Campus Editor Sports Editor Life & Arts Editor Opinion Editor
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Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 250 words, typed and signed by the author(s). Letters will be edited for accuracy, space and style. Students must list their major and classification. To submit letters, email dailyopinion@ou.edu. Our View is the voice of the Editorial Board, which consists of nine student editors. The board meets at 5 p.m. Sunday to Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall. Board meetings are open to the public.
Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are their own and not necessarily the views or opinions of The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board. To advertise in The Oklahoma Daily, contact advertising manager Kearsten Howard by calling 405-325-8964 or emailing dailyads@ou.edu. One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by contacting The Daily business office at 405-325-2522.
8/22/12 10:02:39 PM
OPINION
Thursday, August 23, 2012 •
5
Letters to the Editor
I
was shocked and deeply disappointed by the way in which The OU Daily reported on the release of the autopsy report in the tragic death of Casey Cooke. The decision to provide a link to the entire autopsy report with its graphic language was completely insensitive. It demonstrated a lack of concern for her memory and a lack of kindness for her family and friends.
The right of free speech and freedom of the press is essential to the maintenance of a free society. The OU Daily is an independent student newspaper. Censorship is dangerous because the power to suppress even irresponsible expression is subject to abuse. The right of free expression should be exercised with a strong sense of responsibility. In this case I firmly
believe that it was not. Instead of turning to censorship we should use our own right of free speech to express our disapproval and to voice support for our own values. My hope is for the university to be a community with a true sense of family where we treat each other with kindness and mutual respect. I have already heard from many
members of the OU community who are joining me in expressing strong disapproval of the insensitivity and irresponsibility of The Daily in this instance. Let us use this inexcusable lapse of judgment by the newspaper as a learning experience for the entire university community. OU President David Boren
Open but not ethical to post
Report should be kept private
I am a 2008 graduate of OU in political science and a 2011 graduate of the OU College of Law. I’m writing to file a complaint with you regarding The Oklahoma Daily’s decision to post a link to Casey Cooke’s full autopsy results with your August 21 story. For purposes of full disclosure, I did not know Casey, but I do know members of her family and many of her friends. I have not spoken to any of them regarding your story, your link to her autopsy results or this email. Although the autopsy report is certainly available to anyone in the public who would like to view it, I do not believe providing a link was necessary to convey to your readers the pertinent information surrounding Casey’s death. Simply because an action is legal does not mean that it is ethical, moral or necessary. During my
What is and what is not appropriate to feature in a news article? MerriamWebster suggests that news is both “a report of recent events” and that such news is “previously unknown information.” When I stumbled across the Casey Cooke article in Wednesday’s OU Daily, I learned “new information” about relatively “recent events.” The article by itself, which has been a topic of much controversy on various social media sites, is not so terrible. The event was tragic, and considering the location of the accident, it seems
seven years as a student at OU, I remember there being several student deaths, none more tragic than any other. I may be incorrect, but I do not ever remember The Oklahoma Daily publishing the full autopsy results of any deceased student, under any circumstances. If I am mistaken, then please consider this email a complaint regarding the entire practice of publishing deceased student autopsy results, rather than solely in this instance with Casey Cooke. I’m aware that you all have received dozens of comments over social media and on the story itself, and I’m sure that you are receiving calls and emails throughout the day regarding your decision to post this autopsy report. I, along with what I would guess to be most people, have no problem with the
article itself. This story is certainly newsworthy to the readership of The Oklahoma Daily. However, posting the autopsy results does nothing but inflame the sensibilities of your readership without providing any substance to the story itself. The next time you are dealing with such sensitive subject matter, I would hope that The Oklahoma Daily makes the decision to report the facts, and all the facts, in the most respectful way possible. Publishing the irrelevant autopsy results of a private student, in my opinion, shows a complete lack of social awareness, integrity, empathy and, most importantly, respect for the family and friends left behind. The Oklahoma Daily can, and should, be better. Jake Krattiger, OU alumnus
More respect, sensitivity needed While the autopsy report of Casey Cooke is a matter of public record, the need to make the report the subject of a tweet directed to over 5,000 followers crossed the line of journalism ethics. Many students and friends of Casey still struggle with this unspeakable loss, including myself. This could have happened to anyone. I do not believe that
publishing such a document provides any gain to the university. However, it opened healing wounds for many in the Sooner community. The question is not if publishing a public document is ethical. The question is where is the respect and sensitivity for our community and Casey’s loved ones? While I recognize that not all will agree with my opinion,
I would still ask all fellow Sooners to respect Casey’s legacy to our university by not reading her autopsy report. Thank you for consideration of my proposal and may Casey always be remembered for the person she was.
nearly appropriate that the university’s newspaper report the facts. What was neither necessary nor appropriate, however, was the publishing and hosting of a copy of the full autopsy report by The OU Daily. Certainly, there is a fine line that must be walked when deciding what information should be publicized and what — for the protection of the dignity of the victim and for respect to their family and friends — should be kept private. While autopsy information is public knowledge, there is good reason as to why this information is not
publicized by the medical examiner directly. It is, instead, given only by request. It is my hope, and the hope of many others at this university, that our peers who write these articles would step back and put serious thought into what they’re publishing. I am pleased to see that The Daily removed the autopsy report, but perhaps in the future this is a step that can be taken during editing — not following a post-print public outcry. Mitchell West, chemistry senior
Huge misstep cannot be undone I a m w r i t i n g i n re sponse to the Casey Cooke story and its subsequent updates, tweets and Facebook posts from The OU Daily. I appreciate your staff’s dedication to keeping the OU community informed about this case. Understandably, the fact that she was drunk when she died makes it hard for many people to take the story as anything but insensitive, but the
facts remain. That being said, I think posting links to her autopsy was a huge misstep. Those files may be readily available to your organization, but the OU population does not need this at their disposal. That type of information is personal and sensitive. It is not “hard-hitting journalism,” it is simply offensive copy/paste of a link for a graphic document on a late OU student who still
has friends and family that read this. Of course, what is done is done, and you will not be able to remove that link fully from the internet. Personally, I believe an apology should be printed expressing remorse about the lapse in judgment for posting that link and thinking it was a wise journalistic decision. Alex Rivera, vocal music education senior
Nicole Jenkins, elementary education senior
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oud-2012-8-23-a-005.indd 1
8/22/12 10:58:08 PM
6
• Thursday, August 23, 2012
SPORTS
Kedric Kitchens, sports editor Dillon Phillips, assistant editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
hockey
Recruits may be difference in new year 4 transfers bring NCAA experience to hockey club Carter Baum Sports Reporter
OU teams make national championship runs all the time, and the OU hockey team is no exception. The Sooners lost a heartbreaker in the national tournament a year ago, and with 12 new recruits, they look to be even better in 2012. Of the 12 new recruits, four transfers come from NCAA teams. Forwards sophomore Stan Smrke, junior Mark Jackson and junior Chad Liley are all moving to Norman from NC AA Division III programs to play club hockey, while sophomore forward Brandon Dennis comes from a NCAA Division II program. Coach Peter Arvanitis worked hard on his first recruiting class after taking the coaching position late last summer. “We’re going to have a strong team in this league,” Dennis said. “I think this is [Arvanitis’] first real year with his team, where he’s picking his team, and he got to recruit.” Dennis was named to the Northeast-10 Conference All-Rookie team last season after leading Franklin Pierce in scoring. The economics major from Williamsport, Md., said OU was the whole package. “I can get a better education, still play a high level of hockey and go to school where I want to go,” he said. Jackson, a native of Bixby,
oud-2012-8-23-a-006.indd 1
Okla., transferred from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota for several reasons. “I’ve never heard anything but good things about OU hockey,” Jackson said. “OU has a better petroleum geology program, and it’s way more affordable and closer to home, so my parents can come watch me play.” Jackson scored four goals and tallied four assists in eight games at Gustavus Adolphus last season. Jackson isn’t the only transfer moving closer to home. Smrke grew up in Ajax, Ontario, but his mom now lives in Tulsa. He transferred from Oswego State in New York without playing any games for the Lakers, coming off a knee injury that kept him off the ice for a year and a half. “I was away from my mom for quite a bit,” Smrke said. “I just wanted to be closer to her, so I moved back here to play so she could come watch me.” Liley transferred because h e wa nt e d a c ha ng e o f scenery. “I wanted to go to a bigger school with a little bit more opportunity,” Liley said. “When I came down for a visit, I just fell in love with the campus and the people here. Everyone’s so nice.” In 24 games last season with Northland College in Wisconsin, Liley had nine goals, four of which were power play goals, and 13 assists. Most D-II and D-III schools are much smaller than the highly populated OU campus. All four transfers said the biggest change
kingsley burns/the daily
From left to right: Sophomores Darrell Boldon, Brandon Dennis and Stan Smrke and junior Mark Jackson stand in Blazers Ice Centre after a team scrimmage Wednesday. Dennis, Smrke and Jackson all transfered from D-II and D-III schools to join the Sooners this season. The walk-on tryouts for the team started Tuesday and will conclude later today.
AT A GLANCE 2011 Season OU finished the year ranked No. 7 in Division I of the ACHA — the highest level of club hockey — with a record of 26-13-2.
would be in the size of their new school. “I’m a little overwhelmed right now,” Liley said. Another big adjustment will be moving from the
NCAA level to a club-level team. “It’ll be quite the culture change for me, coming from Minnesota where you’re the big sport on campus,” Jackson said. The talent level between NC AA and club hockey teams will not be an issue for the new players. “Every guy on the [OU] team is more than capable of playing at the NCAA level,” Jackson said. Some even believe the talent level could be better. “We’ve got players here that could’ve went and
played D-I,” Liley said. “A lot of good players these days want to go to school and enjoy the real college experience, and I think that’s why this league keeps getting better and better.” With the four NCAA transfer players, as well as the rest of the recruiting class, the Sooners said they hope to have their best season yet. “I’m just excited to play some hockey and win some games,” Jackson said. The ultimate goal is to return to the national championship tournament for the eighth consecutive season
and maybe bring home the first national championship in program history. “I’m just hoping with myself and some of the other recruits coming in that we can add a little bit more to the foundation that we already have to try and win a national championship,” Smrke said. The Sooners will begin regular season play against Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Blazers Ice Centre in Oklahoma City. Carter Baum carterbaum@ou.edu
8/22/12 10:26:10 PM
sports
Thursday, August 23, 2012 •
7
Football
OU fullback is anomaly in college game Millard brings versatility to Sooners offense
AT A GLANCE Millard at OU Millard has 48 rushes for 243 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. He also has caught 29 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns.
Dillon Phillips
Assistant Sports Reporter
With the rise of high-flying spread offenses, the fullback position has become a rarity in modern college football. Elite fullbacks are few and far between, and even at a storied college-football power like Oklahoma, the list of great fullbacks is a short one. Sure, the Sooners had the likes of Lydell Carr, Jermaine Fazande, J.D. Runnels and the father-son duo of Jim and Seth Littrell. But those are only a handful of players plucked from more than a century of OU football. Trey H o w e v e r, Millard this season, the Sooners just might have another fullback to add to that short list: Junior Trey Millard. “[Millard’s] as good a football player as I’ve ever been around,” offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said. “We expect him to have a huge year for us.” The fullback position has changed drastically since Switzer’s wishbone days — when it was more of a handin-the-dirt, lineman-in-thebackfield position. No w a d a y s, t h e p o s i tion requires tremendous versatility. Fullbacks must be well versed in catching passes out of the backfield and carrying the ball in the open field, as well as possessing the toughness to knock some heads in the trenches. Millard is to fullbacks what
Source: SoonerSports.com
Kingsley Burns/the daily
Trey Millard (left) lifted by Trent Ratteree (right) in celebration after Millard’s touchdown during a game on Oct. 22, 2011, in Norman.
“[Millard’s] as good a football player as I’ve ever been around. We expect him to have a huge year for us.” Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel
Dippin’ Dots is to ice cream. He’s the crimson’n’cream fullback of the future. “[Millard] does a little bit of everything for us,” coach Bob Stoops said at Big 12 Media Day. “I truly believe he is absolutely one of our
best players on either side of the ball. So between catching the ball, running with it, [he should get the ball] 12, 14, 15 times a game.” When attempting to explain how unique of a football player Millard is, look no further than his early sports career. It wasn’t until eighth grade that Millard first strapped on football pads. His sport of choice before football? Soccer. “I played on a competitive soccer team, and we played forever together,” Millard said. “I was a year younger than a lot of those guys, so a
lot of those guys, when they were freshmen, they went to play with the high school team. So then, I didn’t have a fall sport. “At that point, my stepdad really was behind me in trying to play football. From there it’s history, I guess.” Millard said he still plays soccer with some of his OU teammates — or at least pretends to. “When we joke around (at practice) we kick the ball around,” Millard said. “You can tell some guys have definitely never played soccer before, and they’re out there struggling. It’s fun.”
During summer camp, Millard was featured on SoonerSports.com’s “Mic’d Up” series. A camera crew outfitted Millard with a microphone and followed him around practice to get an inside look at the action. “It was definitely a fun experience out there just practicing,” Millard said. “I try to have as much fun as possible at practice.” The experience didn’t c ha n g e t h e w ay h e a p proached practice that day, Millard said, but with the cameras fixed on him during practice, he had to be weary of what he said.
FREE Commuter Student Lunch | 11:30 a.m. at the Lloyd Noble Center bus stop. FREE Papa John’s Pizza for commuter students. Presented by CAC Howdy Week. Group Fitness Sale | 1-5 p.m. at the Huston Huffman Fitness Center front desk. Enjoy all group fitness classes for only $35 for the entire semester (regularly $50) during this special sale. Visit www.ou/edu/far for more information. FREE Coke Floats | 2-4 p.m. in the Student Life Office, third floor of the student union above Crossroads restaurant. Presented by the Student Life Office.
Dillon Phillips dphillips85@ou.edu
Aug. 23-26
Thursday, August 23
FREE Breakfast | 9 a.m. on the South Oval. FREE Sonic breakfast burritos and coffee and Crimson and Whipped Cream baked goods. Presented by CAC Howdy Week.
“It’s just interesting to know that someone’s always watching you while you’re practicing,” Millard said. “I think I definitely tried to chill out on the language. That’s something I’m always trying to do, though, so that helped me with that.” After Monday evening’s practice, Millard was named a team captain, along with four other Sooners — senior quarterback Landry Jones, junior offensive lineman Gabe Ikard, senior defensive lineman David King and senior punter Tress Way. “[Millard] had so many votes, special teams and offense, that he was between the two of them,” Stoops said. “ It ’s a g re at f e e l i n g ,” Millard said. “That was one of my goals in the offseason, to become a captain. It’s a goal that I set and accomplished, and I’m thankful that my teammates recognize some of the effort I’ve been putting in.” But with the title of team captain comes a wealth of responsibility. “I got to be the guy that comes prepared every day to sell out for the team,” Millard said. “Doing that, I have to hold everyone else accountable to that standard, and I’ve got to set that standard.”
Friday Continued
OU Women’s Soccer: OU vs. Nicholis State | 7 p.m. at John Crain Field. Admission is FREE to students with a valid OU ID. Visit soonersports.com for more information. OU Women’s Volleyball: OU Vs. Missouri State | 7 p.m. at the McCasland Field House. Admission is FREE to students with a valid OU. Visit soonersports.com for more information. Night at the Huff | 8-11 p.m. at the Huston Huffman Center. Bring your friends to the huff and enjoy basketball, volleyball and dodgeball tournaments. Presented by Fitness and Rec Services.
Night at the Huff | 8-11 p.m. at the Huston Huffman Center. Bring your friends to the huff and enjoy basketball, volleyball and dodgeball tournaments. Presented by Fitness and Rec Services.
Avengers Assemble | 8 p.m. in Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Come and enjoy free food, trivia and prizes before the 9 p.m. screening of “The Avengers”! Presented by the Union Programming Board. There’s ALWAYS SOMETHING at the union, www.upb.ou.edu.
Friday, August 24
Saturday, August 25
Group Fitness Sale | 7-11 a.m. at the Huston Huffman Fitness Center front desk. Enjoy all group fitness classes for only $35 for the entire semester (regularly $50) during this special sale. Visit www.ou/edu/far for more information. FREE Breakfast | 9 a.m. on the South Oval. FREE Crimson and Whipped Cream baked goods. Presented by CAC Howdy Week.
OU Women’s Volleyball: OU Vs. Western Michigan | noon p.m. at the McCasland Field House. Admission is FREE to students with a valid OU. Visit soonersports.com for more information. OU Women’s Volleyball: OU Vs. Tulsa | 7 p.m. at the McCasland Field House. Admission is FREE to students with a valid OU. Visit soonersports.com for more information.
FREE Lunch | 11:30 a.m. on the South Oval. FREE Raising Cane’s Chicken, Papa John’s Pizza and Jamba Juice while supplies last! Presented by CAC Howdy Week.
FREE Movie: “The Avengers” | 8 p.m. in Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Presented by the Union Programming Board and Campus Activities Council.
FREE Movie: “The Avengers” | 6, 9 p.m. and midnight in Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Come and see the summer’s biggest movie before its available on DVD! Presented by the Union Programming Board and Campus Activities Council.
Sunday, August 26
Art After Hours: Oblique Strategies | 6-7 p.m. in the Dee Dee and Jon R. Stuart Classroom, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Get acquainted with works from the museum’s permanent collection in these 45-minute discussions featuring 20th century art. Visit http://www.ou.edu/fjjma for more information.
OU Women’s Soccer: OU vs. Vanderbilt | 1 p.m. at John Crain Field. Admission is FREE to students with a valid OU ID. Visit soonersports.com for more information. Family Days: A Century of Magic | 1-4 p.m. at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Explore A Century of Magic: The Animation of the Walt Disney Studios and enjoy a variety of hands-on art activities for the entire family. Admission to the museum is free on Family Days. Visit http://www.ou.edu/fjjma for more information.
This University in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid and educational services. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact the sponsoring department of any program or event.
oud-2012-8-23-a-007.indd 1
8/22/12 10:45:56 PM
8
• Thursday, August 23, 2012
CLASSIFIEDS Announcements
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Great GE REFRIGERATOR, like new, white, icemaker, 29� x 64�. $295 cash. 329-3625
Chimy’s hiring all positions! Open Sun, Closed Mon. 310-6240. 529 Buchanan Ave, Norman
For Sale: Tailgate Bus. Invested $25,000. Asking $5,000 OBO. Call 568-9675.
Bartending! Up to $300/day. No exp nec. Training available. 800-965-6520, x133
MAYTAG Bravos ed. Washer/Dryer, matching white set. 2 yrs. old, excellent working condition, physically pristine, bought new from Home Depot. Washer: top loader, Dryer: front loader. Units are fantastic and dream for any owner. Moving, can’t take them. $900 cash only. 832259-2500, separdue@gmail.com.
Now Taking Applications for Fall 2012. Community After School Program now taking part-time applications to work in school-age childcare programs in Norman Public Schools. Hrs: M-F 2:30 - 6 p.m. Begin work August 17. Closed for all NPS holidays and professional days. Competitive wages start at $7.25/hr. Higher pay for students with qualifying coursework in education, early childhood, recreation and related fields. Complete application online at www.caspinc.org. Part-time non-smoker nanny needed for one toddler. Must have transportation & references. 10-20 hrs/wk. 208-9336.
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Gymnastics Instructors for pre-school girls and boys classes, tumbling, P/T, flex sched. Bart Conner Gymnastics, 4477500. FINANCE/ACCOUNTING INTERN The City of Newcastle is now taking applications for a part-time, paid finance/ accounting internship. Pays from $10/hr - ??/hr, depending on college credits. The position will report to the City Manager. Requires minimum two years of college with 12 hours accounting. Candidate must be seeking an accounting degree. The intent of this position is to provide training for a permanent position with the City of Newcastle. The City is willing to work with school schedules to facilitate the position. Valid driver’s license, drug screen and satisfactory background check required. Applications may be obtained at City Hall, 422 S. Main, or online at www.cityofnewcastleok.com. Please return completed applications to our office or mail to City of Newcastle, Attn: Human Resources, PO Box 179, Newcastle, OK 73065. EOE. Note Takers Wanted! Avail. positions in the OU Athletics Department! Junior, Senior, Graduate and Post-graduate applicants only! Hiring for Fall 2012. Call 325-4828 for more info! TUTORS WANTED! Avail. positions in the OU Athletics Department!! Junior, Senior, Graduate and Post-graduate applicants only! ACCT, ANTH, ASTR, COMM, ECON, ENGL, GEOG, GEOL, HES, METR, PSY, SOC, BIOL, MATH! Hiring for Fall 2012. Call 325-0554 for more info!
Convenient location! 4/bd, 2.5ba, fireplace, 2/car w/openers. Large fenced, patio, all appliances. 364-1633, 210-5633 1518 Sunset Dr, 3 bd/1 bth/1 car, centrally located, quiet, CH/A, large back yard, wood floors, ceiling fans. Available now, $800/mo. Call (580) 763-4278. 502 Fleetwood: 4bd/2ba, CH/A, wood floors, all appliances, lawncare incl. $1350/mo, $1000 dep. No pets. CALL 550-7069 BILLS PAID, 1bd & 2bd - 360-3850
MOBILE HOMES UNFURNISHED 1999 Clayton Single Wide Mobile Home FOR SALE OR RENT TO OWN. 3bd/1ba, Goldsby. 580-491-2119
ROOMS FURNISHED NEAR OU, privacy, $250, bills paid, neat, clean, parking. WiFi available. Prefer male student. Call 405-410-4407.
ROOMS UNFURNISHED Aug12-Jun13 for responsible student. Norman, easy access to OU. $500, bills paid, incl. util & laundry room. 203-8354
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This year, more than
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A drunk driver ruined something precious. Amber Apodaca.
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Fall Specials
Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker August 23, 2012
$445 $515 $440 $510 $700
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.
oud-2012-8-23-a-008.indd 1
ACROSS 1 Kind of salts 6 Faculty title (Abbr.) 10 Cheese lovers 14 Wavelike fabric pattern 15 Change the decor 16 Ones, in Madrid 17 Keeper or leaker of confidential information 20 “Told you!� 21 Hoods’ guns 22 Bruce Wayne’s butler 23 Underlying idea 25 “No ___, no glory� 26 Fluid parts of blood 28 Draw into an argument 32 Sitter in a eucalyptus tree 34 Mathematician/ philosopher Descartes 35 Shock jock’s overseer, for short 38 Acceptable for the masses, say 42 Seek an answer 43 Without much slack 44 Burn slightly 45 Forage crop 48 Estate of a feudal lord
8/23
49 Gave a whirl 51 Residences for cardinals 53 Ideal place 55 Heart of the matter 56 Polloi preceder 59 Prey for some big corporations 62 State firmly 63 Port between Buffalo and Cleveland 64 It lasts 30 days 65 Basil or sage 66 Fax or FedEx 67 Outlaw hunters DOWN 1 Grounded big birds 2 Cornmeal bread 3 Distract from the main subject 4 Vein material 5 On-ramp sign 6 For the time being 7 Races, as an engine 8 Dedicatory poem 9 Thrown ___ loop 10 Coffee amount, perhaps 11 Chemically nonreactive 12 Cottoncandy holders 13 Cornerstone abbr. 18 Answered a
summons 19 Casbah setting 24 Saintly ring 26 Antarctic bird 27 Years and years and years 29 Slurpable soup 30 A pastor, perhaps (Abbr.) 31 ___-in-amillion 33 The merchant of Venice 35 Some cement workers 36 Hamster home 37 Music symbol 39 Subject of a cigarette rating 40 One may be slangily overhead
41 45 46 47 49 50 52 53 54 55 57 58 60 61
or literally underfoot Strain, as flour Exceptionally good Delta competitor Flatland ___ off (forestall) Hand-raising activity? Subway dangler Home to five national parks Parade rtes., sometimes Toothy look He gave us a lift Key in the water Stanza writer’s “before� U.S. federal documents producer
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
8/22
Š 2012 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com
OVER AND OVER AND OVER By Rob Lee
HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol
Copyright 2012, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012
grind to a halt.
When you take on responsibilities that others avoid, your chances for advancement become much greater. Even if these chores should test your mettle, you’ll still do a good job.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- This is an excellent day to take on projects that require a creative touch and a dash of imagination. Light up the room if you’ve got a bright idea.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Your powers of observation are especially sharp, which is well and good, provided you don’t start nitpicking to others about things you think they’re doing incorrectly.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Being inflexible almost always works against you, especially if you happen to be involved in a joint endeavor. Be as intellectually mobile as possible.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Possibilities for gain look better than usual for you. In fact, when it comes to a group involvement, you will likely be the one who guides things to a financially successful conclusion. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Taking pride in what you do is an admirable thing. However, being proud purely for vanity’s sake is something else again. Be able to distinguish between the two. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- To operate more effectively, you should do your best not to call attention to yourself or your activities. If you allow outside influences to get involved, you’ll get thrown off course. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -Although you might think that you’d enjoy a little solitude, you’d be much happier engaging in a group activity. Being a loner isn’t apt to pay off, spiritually or financially.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- When it comes to matters where you allow your feelings to color your judgment, you’ll suffer. Do your best to keep emotions out of your decision-making and to view things logically. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- An immense feeling of gratification is likely to come from being of service to another. Don’t be reluctant to put yourself out for someone. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Your organizational abilities are apt to be a shade or two sharper than usual, so don’t hesitate to use them to your advantage. Start with tackling a big project or two. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- It will be up to you to guide an important endeavor to a successful conclusion. Take things one step at a time, and make sure you don’t leave anything up to chance.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- An important objective can be achieved if you give it your full dedication. If you start questioning your convictions, however, things are likely to
8/22/12 8:00:21 PM
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Thursday, August 23, 2012 •
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OU STUDENTS YOU ARE INVITED! Dinner and Talk “Syria at the Crossroads” Featuring Joshua Landis
One of the Leading Scholars Internationally on Syrian Studies and Director of OU’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Joshua Landis is regarded by many as one
of the world’s leading experts on Syria and its surrounding countries. He is most notable for his “Syria Comment,” a daily blog on Syrian politics that attracts some 50,000 readers monthly, ��������������������������������������������� Syria. He has lived over 14 years in the Middle ���������������������������������������������� award-winning teacher and the recipient of three Fulbright grants, Landis has lived four years in Syria, most recently spending 2005 in Damascus as a Senior Fulbright Research Fellow and has returned most summers until the revolution began.
6 p.m. - Reception 6:30 p.m. - Dinner and Talk Wednesday, August 29 Molly Shi Boren Ballroom Oklahoma Memorial Union ����������������������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������
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• Thursday, August 23, 2012
LIFE&ARTS
Carmen Forman, life & arts editor Westlee Parsons, assistant editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/life&arts • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
Dance
local business
Native Roots to close doors Local organic market to move to Oklahoma City
Winter ballet auditions begin Saturday Dancers and actors needed for November production of ‘Oklahoma Nutcracker’ Shannon Borden
Megan Deaton
Life & Arts Reporter
Life & Arts Reporter
Empty shelves hide in the back of Native Roots Market, and no customers were seen walking down the local business’ aisles. Due to pressure from larger competing organic food companies, Native Roots Market is relocating to Oklahoma City. The store will close by the end of August, although the decision to move was not made completely by choice, manager Joel Blackmon said. “Since Natural Grocers opened, we’ve done nothing but lose money, and they’ve taken a lot of our customers because they are a corporate chain, and they can do things cheaper,” Blackmon said. Other natural food stores will be opening in the area in the near future, such as Sunflower Farmers Market, making business hard for the non-corporate store, Blackmon said. “We don’t want to have our business in a tow n where they over-saturate the market,” Blackmon said. Loyal customers of Native Roots have taken the news with disappointment. “The past few weeks we’ve been telling people, and we’ve had so many different reactions,” Blackmon said. “We’ve had people cry. We’ve had people get angry at us for moving.” Na t i v e R o o t s Ma r k e t employee Sérgio Cantú
Evin Morrison/The Daily
Sérgio Cantú, 2008 OU alumnus, arranges tomatoes Tuesday in Native Roots Market on Main Street. The local grocery store announced it will close this month, citing increased competition from Natural Grocers. The store will open a new location in Oklahoma City later this fall.
had worked there since November after leaving his mortgage company job to work for a business that supports his passion for locally grown food. “With the ecology of the food industry, it doesn’t make sense to bring food from other places when we can develop our own food industry and support our local economy,” Cantú said. Both Blackmon and Cantú expressed their hope that former Native Roots customers will continue to
support their local economy at stores, such as The Earth Caféw and Deli and Dodson’s Health Foods and Vitamins. Jamie Hanley has worked at The Earth for about a year and sees Native Roots’ departure as part of a larger trend. “We’re saddened to see them go,” Hanley said. “We have a friendship with them, and it’s disheartening to see the trajectory and the way this country is going by losing small businesses.”
Blackmon is p ositive Native Roots will not be dropping any of the local suppliers they use, even after the move. Loyal customers willing to travel a farther distance to frequent their favorite store will find Native Roots Market on NE 2nd Street and Walnut in Oklahoma City, although the store will not open until the middle of September. Megan Deaton, meggiejennie@ou.edu
The Norman Ballet Company will be holding AT A GLANCE auditions for the Nov. 25 production of “The Auditions for Oklahoma Nutcracker.” “The Oklahoma The auditions will be Nutcracker” held Saturday at the Marjorie Kovich School To set up an audition: of Ballet. Dancers are required Call Norman Ballet to contact the Norman Company Ballet Company ahead (405) 364-1818 of time to make an audition reservation. confirm audition by There will be a $10 emailing admin@ audition fee for each normanballetcompany dancer or actor, according to a press release. Marjorie Kovich School of Ballet All positions in the pro1312 S. Berry Road duction are unpaid. The company is looking for dancers, company members and apprentices. Dancers from various parts of Oklahoma are welcome, and children as young as 7 years old can audition for roles in the production, according to a press release. Participating in the production can be very rewarding, as performing “The Nutcracker” is “a right of passage for ballet dancers,” artistic director Marjorie Kovich said. Actors and stage performers with dance skills are needed for roles as the “Nutcracker” prince, parents in the party scene and other roles in the first act. If chosen, company dancers will be required to attend a minimum of three ballet classes per week. For auditions, female dancers are to wear black leotards, pink tights, pink ballet shoes and pointe shoes if applicable. Male dancers are to wear white T-shirts, shorts or black tights and ballet shoes or heavy socks. The performance will be at 3 p.m. Nov. 25 at the Nancy O’Brien Center for the Performing Arts. Shannon Borden shannonborden@ou.edu
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LIFE&ARTS
Thursday, August 23, 2012 •
11
COLUMN
Welcome to the world of comic books TONY BEAULIEU
Life & Arts Reporter
T
he influence of comic books can been seen everywhere in our culture: From Hollywood blockbusters like “The Avengers” and “The Dark Knight Rises,” to the clothing we wear. Yet, readership for comic books is shrinking annually, making what was already a niche marketplace even smaller. For all of their influence in other forms of media, comics themselves largely have been ignored and stigmatized in mainstream culture. People who regularly read comic books are used to being part of the nerd stigma. In actuality, graphic literature is one of the purest and most effective
storytelling mediums. There are a few misconceptions many people have about comic books that need to be dispelled.
Contemporary comics aren’t for kids First and foremost, contemporary comics are not for kids. This was true in the ’60s and ’70s and even into some of the ’80s. The kids who read comics during those decades grew up and matured, so the medium matured with them. The ’80s brought transformative creators and books, such as Frank Miller’s “Dark Knight Returns” and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ “Watchmen,” which kickstarted a shift in the industry to titles with more mature themes and subject
matter. There are a handful of small publishers who still produce comics specifically targeted at a younger readership, but a majority of the medium belongs to adults now.
Comics aren’t just for superheros Sequential art is capable of facilitating any type of story, in any genre, following any narrative format. Today it is mainly the big two — Marvel and DC Comics — that publish the bulk of superhero comics. Countless smaller publishers like Dark Horse, Image and IDW release comics in genres ranging from historical fiction to autobiography to gonzo journalism. “Comics are just words and pictures,” said Harvey
Pekar, author of the autobiographical comic “American Splendor.” “You can do anything with words and pictures.” There is a comic out there for every taste, whether its Art Spiegelman’s dramatic and heartbreaking “Maus,” or the postmodern horror of Charles Burns’ “Black Hole.”
Getting started in comics For people considering getting into comics, they should not necessarily start with the first issue of a series. Sure, it’s always great to get in on the ground floor, however all monthly comic book series either start new storylines every few issues or undergo creative team changes somewhere along their run. These events serve as
great jumping on points for new readers. Publishers are aware of this and try to make jumping on points as accessible to newcomers as possible. But perhaps the idea of waiting a month between issues doesn’t suit you; you’d rather get the entire story all at once. Lucky for you, most comic book companies now collect individual comics in a series and turn them into graphic novels. A graphic novel can be several issues of a regular comic book put together in one paperback or hardback book. The most successful graphic novel is largely considered to be the aforementioned “Watchmen.” In order to get comics now, you don’t have to go to a comic book store. Most
publishers now offer their comics digitally through their websites or through the Comixology app for Android and Apple devices. Comixology is free to download and includes a digital store and comic book reader. Additionally, many major publishers now publish digital comics the same day as their print counterparts. The medium of comics offers a lot to explore, as well as many ways to explore it. And comics remain one of the cheapest forms of entertainment around, so there’s really no reason not to give comics a read. Tony Beaulieu is a film and media studies junior.
KINGSLEY BURNS/THE DAILY
Phil Dickey (left) and John Cardwell of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin perform during the Howdy Week concert Wednesday outside the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
CONCERT REVIEW
Howdy Week concert set an indie-pop tone for evening LIFE AND ARTS COLUMNIST East Lawn of the Oklahoma energy of the crowd on the
Parke Metzer parkemetzer@ou.edu
warm night. The danceable rhythms and relatable lyrics merged, keeping the crowd moving to the music into the night. Parke Metzer is a film and media studies sophomore
OU Student Media is a department within OU’s division of Student Affairs. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact 405.325.2521. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.
The Howdy Week concert kicked off Wednesday with a local band and a spectrum of lights illuminating the
Memorial Union. Swift beats, catchy lyrics and synthesizers set the indie-pop mood for the evening. The audience was just as upbeat as the music. More than 100 people stood at attention waiting for the headliner, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, to go on stage. Someone Still Loves You sounded like a lovechild of The Shins and The Beach Boys as they fed off the
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• Thursday, August 23, 2012
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SAVE UP
TO 90%
ON USED
TEXTBOOKS
AND 30%
ON NEW TEXTBOOKS
BEING OF FASHIONISTA MIND but of thrift store means, I will hereby spend less for my textbooks in order to save money for that must-have pair of skinny jeans.
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