(Page 3)
and OU (Page 6) The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
W W W.O U DA I LY.C O M
2 013 PA C E M A K E R F I N A L I S T
T H U R S D A Y , S E P T E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 14
EDUCATION
Alcohol ed sessions shortened Program will bring shorter courses to the residence halls for trainings REGENNIA JOHNSON Daily Contributor
Next week is the sixth and final week for students to take mandatory alcohol education this semester, but this year’s sessions will take less time and will be closer to home than in previous years. OU’s Comprehensive Alcohol Program, which requires all incoming students to attend an in-person peer educational alcohol session, is shortening sessions to 20 to 30 minutes and bringing them to residence halls, said Kyle LeBoeuf, coordinator of the Comprehensive Alcohol Program. The program’s staff and volunteers hope the changes will
cause more students to complete the training within the first six weeks of school, as required, LeBoeuf said. Incoming students are required to complete a total of two trainings for the university, one online and one in-person training, LeBoeuf said. Additionally, students in sororities or fraternities are required to complete a third training. LeBoeuf said one of the reasons for the shortened sessions, which used to be between 35 and 40 minutes, is so the in-person sessions will not repeat what is covered in the online or Greek sessions. The lack of repetition hopefully will keep students more interested in the topics discussed, LeBoeuf said. “We realize sometimes you can say more with less,” LeBoeuf said. The program’s organizers hope that bringing the sessions to residence halls will make attending the sessions easier for students and resident advisers, LeBoeuf said. “It’s … their territory, so they feel more comfortable,”
LeBoeuf said. The alcohol sessions were previously hosted in classrooms in the Health and Exercise Science building, LeBoeuf said. “It was literally a classroom, so it was hard to have them not feel like they were being lectured or preached to,” LeBoeuf said. Now that the sessions will take place near students’ rooms in residence hall lounges, LeBoeuf said he hopes the sessions will be more informal and elicit dialogue. LeBoeuf said that so far, the changes to the sessions have generated positive results. By the fourth week of classes, LeBoeuf said about 2,800 students had completed evaluations for the sessions, far more than in years past. Regennia Johnson rjohnson1@ou.edu
OU football player makes high scores on the field and in the classroom JOE MUSSATTO SPORTS EDITOR @JOE_MUSSATTO
TONY RAGLE/THE DAILY
OU football cornerback Jordan Thomas reviews a chemistry assignment with his tutor Wednesday evening. Thomas keeps himself busy with football and his mechanical engineering program.
Some students choose OU because of its esteemed engineering school, while others come to play for the school’s storied football program. Jordan Thomas is an exception that fits into both categories. The freshman cornerback and mechanical engineering major has chemistry and calculus books sitting alongside his defensive playbook. “Everyone’s dream is to go the NFL but we all know football is going to end eventually,” he said. “It’s a great degree to have and a great fall back.” The “CB” next to his name on Oklahoma’s roster signifies his position but in high school it was all about AP — as in advanced placement courses. AP world history, U.S. history, calculus and physics comprised his curriculum. While Thomas couldn’t remember what he scored on the ACT, he knows it wasn’t half-bad. “I took it once and it was good enough to get me into Northwestern,” he said. SEE ACADEMIC PAGE 5
MEETING
Board of Regents to discuss library, storm shelters today Voting agenda includes construction projects, acquisition of new properties PAGE JONES News Reporter @pageousm
The OU Board of Regents will vote on several renovation and construction proposals, among other items, on the agenda 3:30 p.m. today at the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Bizzell Memorial Library
The first item on the agenda is the approval of the maximum cost to renovate the fifth floor of the library. The WEATHER Partly cloudy today with a high of 87, low of 68. Follow @AndrewGortonWX on Twitter for weather updates.
project to renovate this portion of the library was part of Estimated start date: Fall 2014 the larger Campus Master Plan of Capital Improvement Estimated completion date: Summer 2015 Projects, according to the agenda for today’s meeting. Estimated cost: $2.5 million Storm-hardened shelters for on-campus Estimated start date: Oct. 2014 residents Estimated completion date: Summer 2015 In May, Boren proposed a two-part project to build storm shelters to protect students living in on-campus residences, Research Campus Infrastructure project — according to the agenda. The first part of the project will build three shelters: one sidewalk reconstruction Boren will present a maximum amount to spend on for Traditions Square-East, one for Traditions Square-West the reconstruction of sidewalks, crosswalks and other en- and one for Kraettli Apartments. The second part of the hancements to the research campus as a part of the Campus project will build shelters for the residence halls, according Master Plan of Capital Improvement Projects, according to to the agenda. the agenda. Proposed maximum cost: $6 million (for project 1) Proposed cost: $963,000 SEE REGENTS PAGE 2
CONTACT US
INDEX
@OUDaily
News......................2 Classifieds................4 Life&Ar ts..................6 Opinion.....................4 Spor ts........................5
theoklahomadaily
OUDaily
VOL. 100, NO. 23 © 2014 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢
Collaborative Learning Center
NOW OPEN
(Bizzell Memorial Library, Lower Level 1) Renovated Bookmark Cafe
Group study rooms
Digital recording studio
and more. . .