Feb. 15-17, 2016

W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | F E B R U A R Y 15 -17, 2 0 16 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M

OUDAILY

For 100 years, the student voice of the University of Oklahoma

special edition: focus on finance

DEBT BUT NO DEGREE CAROLINE CORLEY/THE DAILY

J

Steep costs, rocky finances force some out of school

ulius Janes was halfway through earning a mechanical engineering degree from OU when he hit a life changing road block.

Today, he still gets calls about the money he owes to the school that kicked him out.

As a sophomore in the fall of 2011, Janes owed OU roughly $10,000. As a full-time student and part-time worker, he found himself in a bind.

He was withdrawn from classes for failing to make payments.

“It kind of threw me for a loop,” Janes said. “At 19, you don’t know what to do.”

Janes had moved to Norman from Houston after falling in love with OU during a high school road trip. He planned to get his bachelor’s degree, work a couple of internships and start a life in Oklahoma.

But with no resources and no options, Janes had to put school on hold after his balance grew too high.

“Moving back home isn’t an option,” Janes said, adding that his family is unable to help financially.

The 22-year-old still lives in Norman, working two jobs just to make a living. But this has barely made a dent in his debt to OU,

PARIS BURRIS • @PARISBURRIS

still totaling about $8,000.

Between his full-time job at Wagner Dining Hall on OU’s campus and a part-time job at Best Buy, Janes makes roughly $1,500 each month.

This doesn’t leave much room for debt repayment.

“That plus bills, blase blase, it’s not realistic,” Janes said, adding that rent for his two-bedroom apartment is $600 a month.

“You can’t enjoy your money because it’s all somebody else’s,” he said.

While Janes realizes he could possibly cut back in other areas to make room for small loan payments, he said the sacrifice would be too great.

“I’m not going to give you my money to be homeless,” Janes said.

It is rare for students to be withdrawn from classes for failing to meet financial requirements, and it is usually a last resort, said Matt Hamilton, vice president for Enrollment and Student Financial Services.

“Basically, the student has proven time and time again that they cannot meet financial arrangements or cannot follow through on things that they say they’re going to do,” Hamilton said.

Before withdrawal happens, however, the bursar’s office attempts to help students by offering them counseling sessions, Hamilton said, adding that enrollment holds are typically the first action taken.

“College isn’t for everybody, but I do encourage college education.”

JULIUS JANES, FORMER OU STUDENT Hamilton was unable to provide specific details about Janes’ situation.

However, it is representative of issues across the nation: rising college costs and a lack of resources to get past such road blocks.

Ne a r l y 4 1 p e rc e nt o f stu dents who start college will not graduate, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

While 65 percent of students who leave school plan to return, only about 38 percent do, according to a recent survey.

A survey of students who left college revealed 54 percent of students said they needed to work to support themselves or their families and could not balance both work and classes. Another 31 percent say they could not afford college.

While college costs vary widely, OU’s in-state tuition and fees are $7,695. Out-of-state tuition and fees are $20,469, according to the OU Fact Book. Additionally, room and board is $9,126. The four-year graduation rate at OU is 37 percent.

While college enrollment has increased in the U.S., graduation rates have stayed stagnant.

About 68 percent of Americans don’t have a bachelor’s degree or higher and 62 percent don’t have an associate degree, according to a U.S. Census Bureau study.

Janes’ situation is met with a hint of irony, since money and job security were some of his motivations for pursuing engineering.

“I heard about all the money t h e y c a n m a k e ,” h e s a i d .

“Engineers graduate with a job.”

However, if Janes were to go back to college, which he cannot do until he pays off his debt, he would probably major in business or marketing, he said.

“I’m a people person,” Janes said. “Thermodynamics and differential equations are not what I do ... It’s not in the cards for me.”

Janes suggests “ridiculous” out of state tuition is a huge problem at OU. “I see so many Texas license plates here and so many people from Texas,” Janes said. “I feel like out of state tuition should at least be lowered.”

Even though Janes’ experience has been less than ideal, he still sees the value of a college education.

“College isn’t for everybody, but I do encourage college education,” Janes said.

His advice for anyone pursuing college?

“Know what you’re getting into.”

Paris Burris

parisburris@ou.edu

Professor weighs in on OU tuition increase Faculty member explains college prices JESSICA JAMES @jessjames43

Throughout the United States the cost of higher education is climbing, and OU is not exempt.

The bursar’s office and OU’s records show annual resident tuition increased by 50 percent and nonresident tuition increased by 64 percent from 2005 to 2015. What is behind this increase? According to OU economics professor Alexander Holmes, three things are to blame.

First, he notes that a university is a service industry and, as such, its costs are impacted more by inflation. The average yearly inflation

over the past decade was 2.2 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor. To maintain its purchasing power the faculty must be paid slightly more each year; if they are paid the same amount while prices go up, they will have effectively taken a pay cut.

“If you want to be competitive with other people, other universities, you’re going to be facing inflationary costs,” Holmes said. “It’s more dramatic in a service industry than it is in say, the manufacturing industry, because a service industry’s primary input is people.”

OU records show the 2015 average instructional faculty salary was $93,267, up from $70,840 in 2005.

“Overwhelmingly, the largest part of our budget is personnel costs,” OU President David Boren said at the last Board of Regents

meeting.

The second cause of increasing tuition is the increase in the amount of students at OU. This year’s incoming class is the largest in OU history with more than 4,175 students. Holmes said these students cannot be accommodated without an increase in spending.

“It’s a fixed production process,” he said. “If we fix the size of our classrooms in terms of how many students are in it, then you’re going to end up with pressure.”

This pressure is relieved by raising the price or lowering the perunit cost by decreasing the quality of the service provided. Holmes gave larger class sizes, more group projects and less experienced instructors as examples of the latter, all of which he said have been implemented.

SUPRIYA SRIDHAR/THE DAILY

The third cause of tuition increase is reduced state funding. OU records state in 2005 state appropriations were $145,151,221, adjusted for inflation. In 2015 they were $137,111,445. Per student, state appropriations during the same period decreased from $7,182 to $6,773.

Most recently, the state’s revenue shortfall resulted in a $20 million cut to OU’s budget, which OU has decided to absorb through a retirement incentive plan and other personnel cost reductions. Boren see TUITION page 2

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• February 15-17, 2016

NEWS Page Jones News Managing Editor Dana Branham Engagement Managing Editor Brady Vardeman Sports Editor Jessica Barber A&E Editor Supriya Sridhar Special Projects Editor Siandhara Bonnet Visual Editor Mia Chism Copy Manager

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VOL. 101, NO. 071

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How valuable is a degree?

For OU students, answer varies by major, skills gained MARY SMITH @marysmitty21

Father of four, a Marine, current chief technology director and general manager of a regional company that provides Internet to two-thirds of southeastern Oklahoma and former owner of an electronic communications company, David Wright attended OU but never got his degree.

After high s c h o o l , Wright went straight to the military where he joined the Marine Corps for eight years. During DAVID that time he WRIGHT was exposed to innovative radio technologies and realized he had a passion for technology and electrical engineering, a passion that carried over when he transitioned from the Marines to OU in 1994, he said.

He pursued an electrical engineering degree through OU’s engineering school and interned with one of his professors. However, he found that what he was achieving through his degree was for the sake of completing tasks, and he was not truly enjoying what he was doing, he said. During his time at OU, he also discovered that he was going to be a father. This, coupled with knowing that he wasn’t in love with what he was doing, pushed him to pursue another path that would guarantee more financial stability for his future daughter, Wright said.

“You’ve heard your whole life to find something you really love, and make that your career and you’ll always be happy,” Wright said. “That was the channel that got me moving in one direction.”

Wright left OU in 1997 with 16 hours left to complete his degree, he said.

The fear of not being able to provide a good life for his daughter and his desire to do what he loved motivated him to explore the fields of electronic technologies, he said. This led him to create his own company that

TUITION: Continued from Page One

claimed a tuition increase was not needed to deal with the crisis because of this plan.

However, the fiscal year isn’t over yet. Another cut may necessitate a tuition increase.

“If the revenues don’t come in as projected, and there’s some likelihood of that, then the state constitution mandates an across-the-board cut by whatever the percentage is in the amount of revenue that doesn’t come in,” Holmes said.

One way to increase revenue would be through a tax increase, which requires a supermajority in the House and Senate and the approval of the governor to implement, as per Oklahoma’s constitution.

“The probability that you could get a supermajority in both houses and the governor for a tax increase given the state of politics right now and the fact that it’s a presidential election year, which means that the turnout in November will be massive, is slim,” Holmes said.

Although another budget cut is possible, students have historically been able to cope.

Matt Hamilton, registrar and

SUPRIYA SRIDHAR/THE DAILY SUPRIYA SRIDHAR/THE DAILY

Those who have a professional writing degree actually make closer to around $35,000 because graduates have started to work more at places like law firms and public relation firms, Odom said.

While the degree may not bring in the most cash, the skills acquired earning the degree have become more and more needed in today’s society, he said.

“Professional writing is a really strong major in today’s society because it’s all about storytelling … I think we’re getting to the era where we’re

needed everywhere,” Odom said. “These kids have had no problem finding jobs.”

While professional writing majors are traditionally known for writing novels, students are actually trained to work wherever a writer is needed. For example, Odom heard back from students who work at a bank writing customer letters and at a YMCA working social media, he said. The professional writing professors are even working on creating classes geared toward teaching students about trans-media storytelling for projects like the podcast “Serial,” he said.

Along with writing skills, they teach students how to think creatively and develop as both writers and as intellectuals, Odom said.

“Does it have value? Yes, hands down. My kids ... are going to be employable across the spectrum more than a lot of other majors.

Professional writing teaches kids to develop intellectual properties,” Odom said.

On the other hand, OU’s degree with the highest yearly income according to the OU Career Services’ 20132014 Bachelor’s Full-Time Salary Report is computer engineering at $102,000.

Other lucrative degrees were energy management at $71,869 and mechanical engineering at $81,500, according to the report.

STEM degrees have had an increase in enrollment in the past few years because of the rapid developments in technology and the high demand for engineers, said Rodney Keele, electrical and computer engineering

administrator.

“The reason why it’s so lucrative is that there’s obviously not enough, so whether it is less valuable or not depends on the nature (of the degree) itself; there’s no way to predict that,” Keele said.

A reason for the growth in the number of students could be that it’s time for the next technological innovations, he said. “I think that one reason people are experiencing growth is because people are working on the next level of technology,” Keele said.

The college does its best to give students a good background and foundation in order to hold their own in the job field, Keele said. However, electrical and computer engineering is on the more difficult side of the engineering spectrum, making it a challenging major, he said.

“People who are ver y bright and very talented tend to migrate into electrical and computer engineering,” Keele said. “Some people are naturally motivated because of the changes they see in everyday life.”

At the end of the day it comes back to Wright’s philosophy: if one is driven and loves what they do, then they will be successful.

“A degree is only worth as much as you’re willing to put into it,” Odom said.

s t u d e n t e m p l o y m e n t ,” Hamilton added.

Despite this, the Institute for College Access & Success reported in 2014 that 49 percent of OU students graduated with debt, and the average amount was $23,151. But in the long run, Holmes believes this is inconsequential.

“So what? You got a whole

college education for the price of a car,” he said, adding that the interest rates are ridiculously low.

Ultimately, Holmes encourages students to weigh the benefits of a college education at a healthy university, one that doesn’t have to eliminate departments due to funding shortfalls, against

increasing costs.

“So you pay a little bit more for your tuition. That sucks.

Is it worth it? Yeah. It’s worth it in ways you can’t measure and in ways you can measure,” he said.

allowed teachers to use video conferencing in classrooms. The technology was deemed a technologically advanced curriculum by Bill Gates in his book “The Speed of Thought,” Wright said.

Over the next 20 years Wright’s business eventually merged with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.

He later grew a small rural telephone company to the regional provider it is today and became the chief technology director and general manager.

To k e e p u p w i t h t h e changing technology, he was always devoted to learning the standards and protocols of technology and has been committed to learning more even after college, he said.

Several times during his career, he wished that he had gotten his degree. However, he said not having one has not disadvantaged him.

Instead, he’s found that the more experience you have in the technology field the better, because the people who come right out of college with no experience have a huge learning curve, he said.

“I think if you move further up in the company, education gets more important. But the path to get there, one’s not dramatically hindered, I don’t think, more than the other. And one can always go back (to college),” Wright said.

Wright’s philosophy of doing what one loves and being driven and motivated enough to pursue it corresponds with what Mel Odom III, a professional writing professor, believes.

Professional writing

classes teach students how to write a narrative that people will want to hear, Odom said. It shows them how to write on all different platforms and in various styles that can prepare students for nearly any kind of job that uses a narrative, he said.

However, according to OU Career Services’ 2013-2014 Bachelor’s Full-Time Salary Report, those who major in professional writing make the least of OU’s degrees at around $26,000. A communication degree’s yearly income average is $27,000 and a social work degree earned about $30,000 a year, according to the 2013-2014 Salary Report.

vice president for enrollment and student financial services, points to two things that demonstrate students’ ability to deal with additional costs.

“First, our most recent fall 2014 to fall 2015 retention rate is the highest in history at 86.1 percent. Second, in recent years, OU students, in general have paid their bursar bills in a manner such that less than 1 percent of all charges remain challenging to collect,” he said.

Hamilton also pointed out that as tuition increases, so does the availability of tui-

“So you pay a little bit more for your tuition.

That sucks. Is it worth it? Yeah. It’s worth it in ways you can’t measure and in ways you can measure.”

ALEXANDER HOLMES, ECONOMICS PROFESSOR

tion waivers and other forms of aid.

“History demonstrates that tuition waivers have increased over the years, and I don’t expect that to reverse,” he said. The waivers, combined with scholarships, grants, loans, and work study funds, provide $250 million, and there are “several more million dollars in on-campus

“A degree is only worth as much as you’re willing to put into it.”

MEL ODOM, PROFESSIONAL WRITING PROFESSOR

Mary Smith

mcsooner19@gmail.com

Jessica James j.james@ou.edu

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA UNIVERSITY THEATRE AND HELMERICH SCHOOL OF DRAMA

TROJAN WOMEN

THE

Joe Mussatto Editor in Chief

Page Jones, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily

Greek playwright, Euripides Susan Shaughnessy, director

8 p.m. Feb. 12, 13, 18-20 3 p.m. Feb. 14, 21

Weitzenhoffer Theatre, 563 Elm Ave., Rupel Jones Fine Arts Center

For tickets, call (405) 325-4101. Online tickets theatre.ou.edu Advance Purchase: $10 student, $25 adult, $20 senior adult, OU employee Tickets at the door: $15 student, $35 adult. No discounts, cash/check only.

For accommodations on the basis of disability call (405) 325-4101.

NEWS

February 15-17, 2016 •

3

Helping students find funding Administrator tries to provide aid with advising, seminars LAUREN MASSING @LaurenMassing

Behind a large desk in a well-lit, private office on the third floor of Buchanan Hall sits a large window through which you can catch a peek of OU’s clocktower, now cast in a warm, soft glow from the late afternoon sun. Bookshelves filled with various trinkets, picture frames and finance books sit on either side of the office, now covered in streaks of sunlight from the setting sun.

“Let me show you one of the most exciting parts of this job,” Brad Burnett says, leaning down to open a desk drawer.

He emerges holding a green file folder, bursting at the seams with its contents. “ I d o n ’ t s h ow t h i s t o many people,” he says as he places the overstuffed mystery folder in front of me. A few of its contents spill out onto the glossy, oak desk, unable to stay confined in their cardstock home any longer.

He opens the folder, revealing numerous cards and letters. Papers of all colors, shapes, and sizes, all handwritten and (at one point) sealed in an envelope.

“These are all thank you cards I’ve gotten from students.” He smiles, thumbing through the endless mountain of stationery.

“Isn’t that something?”

Burnett is the associate vice president for enrollment and student financial services at OU, and the letters in that file folder are all heartwarming thank yous and shining success stories from students who are beyond grateful for the help Burnett was able to offer them. Without it, they would not have been able to make it through college.

Bu r n e tt ’s j o b, a m o ng other responsibilities, is to help students find ways to pay for college who otherwise would not be able to afford it. He works with students one-on-one to help them come up with a detailed plan for how they will pay for their tuition down

to the last penny.

Burnett started working in financial aid during his time as a graduate student at Pittsburgh State University. At the time he was pursuing his master’s degree in Public Relations, but he said working in financial aid made him realize he enjoyed helping people and had a knack for financial advice. Burnett said he could relate to students who had no idea how to pay for college because he had once been in their shoes. Coming from a family of divorced parents, he had no parental support when it came time for him to pay his tuition.

“I was very naive as far as financial aid was concerned. I had heard of student loans, but I hadn’t ever really heard of grants, so I didn’t even fill out the paperwork, which I still regret. I just didn’t know what to do,” Burnett said.

Part of his passion for his career comes from wanting to teach students how not to make the same financial mistakes he did. During his time as financial aid director, he was asked to teach a class about money and finances. His lecture series received such positive feedback that it was turned into a course offered through University College, now called “9 Things About Money & College.”

The course incorporates a l l t h e l e s s o n s Bu r n e tt learned about finances in college and focuses on the nine things he wished someone had told him about money. Burnett said

why this course is so instrumental. It really teache s stu d e nt s h ow t o n o t only manage their money, but make smart financial decisions.”

Savannah Hurst, a journalism junior, took the course as a sophomore.

She said it helped her understand the world of finance, and that it was one of the most useful electives she has taken.

“I actually kept all of my notes from that class, and I still refer back to them from time to time,” Hurst said.

Another aspect of Burnett’s job is financial coaching. He described financial coaching differently from financial counseling in that financial coaching is proactive, while financial counseling is passive. OU currently has six financial counselors, and all students are assigned to one based on their last names. While financial counselors wait to be sought out by the student, financial coaches reach out to those who are at risk for leaving the university due to unpaid bursar bills. As a financial coach, Burnett seeks to work with these students one on one to exhaust every resource and come up with a step-bystep plan for paying their college tuition.

During this process, he helps put together a package for the student containing different ways they will pay for any outstanding costs not already covered by their current financial aid. This will be different for every student, but this

“The rule is, before anybody drops out for money reasons, they have to talk to me. I’m here to help and make sure we have explored every option, because we don’t want any student to leave college because they can’t pay.”

BRAD BURNETT, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT AND STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES

he is excited about seeing the course grow and gain a larger audience.

“You can give students all the money they’re eligible for, but at the end of the day if they don’t know how to manage it properly, you’re not really helping them,” Burnett said. “That’s

plan is often a combination of scholarships, work study, federal grants, FAFSA and possibly student or federal loans. Burnett works hard to make sure they have exhausted every resource available to help the student pay their bursar bill.

He even goes so far as to

NOOR EEMAAN/THE DAILY

Brad Burnett, associate vice president for enrollment and student financial services, looks through the thank you notes he has received throughout the years from students. Burnett paved the way for the course “9 Things to Know about Money & College.”

give students his personal cell phone number.

“The rule is, before anybody drops out for money reasons, they have to talk to me,” Burnett said. “I’m here to help and make sure we have explored ever y option, because we don’t want any student to leave college because they can’t pay.”

M’Kaylah Starchman, a junior pre-nursing major, said Burnett met with her this summer and helped her find a way to continue to pay for OU so she did not have to transfer to a different school. “ H e ’ s a l i f e s a v e r ,” Starchman said. “He single-handedly changed the course of me going to OU.” Starchman said Burnett w a s i n c re d i b l y h e l p f u l by pointing out different scholarships she should apply for and little things

Financial aid: by the numbers WHAT IS FINANCIAL AID?

lmassing@ou.edu

Statistically, a student who graduates from high school will make an average of $25,000 a year.

A student who graduates from college with a fouryear bachelor degree will make an average of $50,000 a year.

That’s a $25,000 a year difference.

Multiply that over a 40 year working period, and that’s a million dollars.

Source: Brad Burnett’s class “9 Things About Money & College” syllabus

THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS Monday

6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Pitman Recital Hall, Catlett Music Center BoomerBuzz Resume Builder

Grants and scholarships are considered “free money” and do not require repayment.

Learn how to build an outstanding resume to impress potential employers.

6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Bizzell Memorial Library, Collaborative Learning Center

Work-study allows eligible students to earn money by working on campus or with local private or public nonprofit agencies.

Tuesday

Reducing the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone: How Integrated Water Quality Modeling Can Help Design Cost Effective Solutions

Student loans do require repayment, typically after the student is no longer enrolled at least half time.

10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

National Weather Center, Room 1350 Latin Americanist Lunches: “Mexico’s Economic Challenges: An Agenda for Studying Our Closest Commercial Partner” by Viridiana Rios

Source: Financial Aid Services

In the 2014-2015 academic year: OU’s Centralized Academic Scholarship Hub enables continuing students (not incoming freshmen) to apply for all OU scholarships in one place, according to the OU Scholarship Office’s website.

Lauren Massing

THE VALUE OF GRADUATION

School of Music: Saxophone Studio Recital

A combination of grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans.

WHAT IS CASH?

she hadn’t noticed before, like scholarship applications on Ozone she hadn’t filled out yet.

“He’s incredibly personable,” Starchman said. “He has such a passion for students and wants to help them succeed.”

Hurst, who has also been coached by Burnett since she came to the university, said he has been instrumental in helping her find ways to pay for college.

“He’s an incredible guy,” Hurst said. “He bends over backwards to help people, and he always finds time for his students.”

23,341

students received loans, totaling $127,723,943

3,407

students received work-study, totaling $49,715,966

Where: Hester Hall, Room 145

Wednesday

students received some sort of financial aid, totaling $304,749,769

10,629

When: Noon to 1 p.m.

8,690

students received scholarships, totaling $38,897,702 Source: OU Factbook

College of Arts & Sciences Student Networking Reception Practice your networking skills with hiring interviewers at this come-and-go reception. Bring your resume and dress professionally. Register online at cas.ou.edu.

When: 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Oklahoma Memorial Union, David L. Boren Lounge & Presidents Room

4

NEWS

• February 15-17, 2016

Findings of SAE report released Former OU chapter first to hear racist chant since 2012

release stated. “In addition, we cannot confirm that Sigma Alpha Epsilon originated the chant. The fraternity headquarters continues to work with our Director of Diversity & Inclusion to ensure proactive education and awareness for our members.�

The Daily originally learned of the video through an anonymous email. Once the video went viral, demonstrations and protests broke out across campus. The chapter was disbanded and two of its members, Parker Rice and Levi Pettit, were also expelled following an investigation by the university.

The university also created an office of University Community and implemented mandatory diversity training for incoming freshmen following the incident.

Former Oklahoma Sen. Jabar Shumate was hired March 31, 2015, to lead that office as the vice president for the University Community.

ANDREW CLARK @Clarky_Tweets

The national chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon released findings from its investigation into an incident that occurred at OU last March in which members were video recorded singing a racist chant on a date party bus.

The fraternity said Friday in a release on its website that five chapters across the nation acknowledged hearing the chant within the past five years. However, none of those chapters said they heard it since 2012, with the exception of OU. “We provided additional education to those particular chapters on diversity and inclusion to make sure their culture has not deviated from our values and mission,� the

OU President David Boren released the following statement responding to the findings. “ I a m hap py t hat t h e National SAE chapter is taking action to try to insure that an incident like the one, which occurred on this campus will never happen again,� he said.

Additionally, the fraternity hired Ashlee Canty in July 2015 as its director of diversity and inclusion. She is responsible for overseeing the development, promotion and implementation of strategies that lead to enhanced diversity within the fraternity, according to the release on the website.

New members of the fraternity across the nation must also complete diversity and inclusion training before being initiated into the fraternity.

Andrew Clark

andrewclark@ou.edu

DAISY CREAGER/THE DAILY

A worker removes the letters from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house March 9, 2015.

According to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon website, five chapters nationwide acknowledged hearing the chant within the past five years.

OU launches app in China CLASSIFIEDS Software is designed to help improve English

which is essential in software development.

This year, the duties of the team are different because instead of building the software from scratch, the team is modifying the existing code and possibly making a version 2.0.

CCEW is an economic development organization within Price College of Business that works to enhance the entire economic ecosystem of Oklahoma, said Sue Ringus, CCEW director.

CCEW stresses professional development and offers internships to undergraduate and graduate students from all majors and backgrounds, Ringus said.

Moore decided to join the CCEW team because it was a very unique organization in higher education that set a standard of what student-based consulting organizations could be. CCEW works on real-world questions that are big and meaningful, Moore said.

Ringus said many of the people and organizations that CCEW works with tend to be connected to Oklahoma. She also said the projects typically have a big question that an organization hasn’t made a lot of decisions on, which makes s t u d e n t re c o m m e n d a tions more valuable for the organization.

CCEW’s short-term goal is to have great output for its projects, Moore said. He said projects should be able to lead to economic development within the community.

The long-term goal of CCEW is to continue to have a significant impact on the state of Oklahoma from both the startups the center has interacted with and from the long-term development of the students who have been through the CCEW program, Moore said.

SHAYLIN DAJI @ShaylinDaji

An OU business organization in collaboration with a Price College professor is launching an application in China to help students improve their English speaking skills.

The Software Business Accelerator project has been in the works for over a year and a half and is now at the point of being launched in China, said Jeff Moore, executive director for the Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth. The project focuses on a software developed by an OU professor that teaches English-speaking Chinese students how to improve their pronunciation skills, Moore said.

Patrick Richardson, a computer science senior, is the team leader for the Software Business Accelerator project.

Richardson’s team is working on the iPhone application and a website for the software. He said they are finalizing for the launch of the app in China in the next few days.

Richardson facilitates communication between the multiple teams that are working on the project and works with the inventor, the software development interns and the CCEW business team.

He said he gathers the work that every team member has been working on independently to make the entire project move forward.

Jake Manning, a computer science sophomore, is one of the interns on the project.

Manning said he came to CCEW because it would be able to give him experience with both software and business development.

He said CCEW has given him valuable experiences in working with a team,

Shaylin Daji

shaylin.k.daji-1@ou.edu

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.

J Housing Rentals

Services Software Overview: • Teaches English-speaking Chinese students how to improve their pronunciation skills • A website and iPhone application for the language software are in production, and the software is being finalized for the app to launch in China in the next few days.

Charles Graham passes away after 15 plus years as architecture dean

The dean of the OU College of Architecture died of heart complications Friday morning, OU President David Boren announced Friday.

According to the college’s website, Graham became dean in August 2008.

The email Boren sent to the faculty and staff of the College of Architecture announcing the death is below.

Dear College of Architecture Family, I am so sorry to report that we lost our beloved Dean Charles Graham this morning. He will be greatly missed by all of us and we will never forget his true love for the College and the many contributions he made to it. As soon as we know more about memorials to him we will let you know.

Please remember M’Liss and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely, David Boren Jesse Pound, @jesserpound

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker February 15, 2016

ACROSS 1 Certain term of respect 5 Caliph’s faith 10 Dishonestly acquired booty 14 “The Princess Diaries� star Hathaway 15 Diving gear 16 Succulent plant 17 Picnic item, sometimes 20 Wound from a boxer?

21 Elbow conspiratorially 22 Short, straight punch 23 Homer’s “Heck!�

24 “Caught in the act!�

26 Ophthalmologist’s concern 28 Schooner’s cargo, often 29 Shopping outlet 31 Little laugh 32 “Dog Barking at the Moon� painter Joan 34 “Christ the Redeemer� city 35 That lass 36 Picnic items, sometimes 41 Sound of pleasure 42 Big Band or Victorian

2/15

43 “Listen!� old-style 45 Hollywood’s Eastwood 48 Lancelot and others 50 Wing-tip tip 51 Stumbling blocks 54 Busy pro in Apr. 55 Give a pink slip to 56 Possessive pronoun 57 Satisfy, as a debt 59 Enjoy a mystery 61 Picnic items, sometimes 65 Look ___ (explore) 66 Syllables sung while skipping 67 City near Lake Tahoe 68 Too inquisitive 69 Sprinkle all about 70 Former Soviet inits.

DOWN 1 “Gaping� gullet 2 Like some steroids 3 Unlikely protagonist 4 High school sports event 5 Suffix for “Marx� or “capital�

6 Screenwriter’s creation 7 Humdinger 8 Home

9 Rundown and filthy 10 Close friend 11 Wood of Hollywood 12 Vicinity 13 Debilitated 18 Photocopier tray filler, perhaps 19 Be hot under the collar 23 Hoover construction 25 Draconian 27 Tree with edible nuts 30 Firms up, as muscles 33 Ape of Borneo 35 Mentally acute 37 Word with “second� or “laws of�

38 First wheels, for many 39 Scones

40 Widens 44 Baseball’s Griffey 45 Pay one’s share 46 Spanglish speaker, often 47 Map parts 49 Kolkata dress 52 Creatures with six or more legs, typically 53 Baseball or tennis 58 At some distance 60 Stocking shade 62 Flirtatious 63 Bit of hesitation?

64 Word in the Postal Service creed

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

2/14

2/11

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Application deadline: Open Recruitment. A complete job announcement and application are available on our website at www.normanok.gov/hr/hr-job-postings or call (405) 366-5482, or visit us at 201-C West Gray, Human Resources Dept., City of Norman.

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HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- If you accept whatĘźs going on around you, you will have a better sense of what you should do next. DonĘźt give in to someoneĘźs demands or ignore whatĘźs best for you.

Timing will be important this year.

Pace yourself and show more discipline when working toward your goals. A lack of moderation will be cause for alarm. Organization and preparation will spare you LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- DonĘźt from making mistakes. Make love falter due to the uncertainty surrounding you. Size up whatever a priority and kindness a reality. situation you face and make arrangements that will suit your AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- DonĘźt concern yourself with what needs. Your choices will lead to good fortune. others think. Take a pass when it comes to negative people and situations. What counts is how you VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- High feel about your actions. Be true to energy coupled with a sound and practical approach to life will help yourself. you bypass people who are unable to make a decision. Trust and PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) believe in yourself.

-- Observe everything and study your opponentĘźs every move. Being prepared to win will help you make LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- If you good decisions and carry out your execute your ideas with precision, you will attract interest in what you plans with dignity. are trying to accomplish. Change ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- If you can be good if you go about it the right way. help someone in need, you will affect the outcome of a life-altering situation. You can bring about big SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Take a creative route to reach your change. destination. Venture outside the TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Keep normal parameters in order to your thoughts to yourself. Unwisely find a clear passage to reach your established goal. Progressive action sharing information could upset will pay off. your plans and lead to loss and arguments. Focus on love, benevolence and what you can do to keep SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Collaborations look promising if moving forward peacefully. you set guidelines and strive for equality. DonĘźt be afraid to make GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- A professional opportunity is appar- a last-minute change. You will persuade others to think your way. ent. Consider what you can do to turn one of your ideas into a going CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Put concern. There is money to be more effort into the way you look made if you act fast. and what you have to offer. A chance to increase your awareness while expanding your interests will open a window of opportunity.

February 15-17, 2016 •

SPORTS

5

Brady Vardeman, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports

A student plays paper football with money. OU athletics spent more than $4 million on football recruiting between 2010-15.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTOPHER MICHIE/THE DAILY

Recruiting comes with costs Program sustains itself, contributes funds elsewhere JOE MUSSATTO @joe_mussatto

From California to North Carolina, high school standouts inked their intent to join the OU football program on National Signing Day. Hat on head and pen in hand, the signature was simple, yet far from free.

Ever y scribble on the x-marked lines came at a cost. The Oklahoma athletics department devoted more than $4 million to secure its football signees between the 2010-15 fiscal years, according to NC AA membership financial reports obtained by the The Daily and the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Coach Bob Stoops’ program secured 153 commitments over those six years — an average of $27,231 spent per signature.

These expenses include l o d g i n g , m e a l s, p h o n e charges, postage and transportation, as the reports indicate.

Oklahoma’s football recruiting expenses averaged $427,511 per year between 2010 and 2012, but the budget ballooned in recent years.

The average spent per year from 2013-15 was $961,277 — more than doubling the average annual expenditures from the three previous years.

OU Athletics Director Joe Castiglione said the drastic increase in recruiting expenses stemmed from a different method of reporting. Schools self-report expense numbers to the NCAA, and beginning in 2013, the department became more transparent in what it was actually spending on the recruiting trail.

Previously, these expenses had been accounted for in more general budgets, Castiglione said.

“It’s to more accurately — to more specifically — report what monies or funds that we allocate to the recruiting process,” Castiglione said.

“What I’m trying to explain is a context. We might have been spending more money than what some specific data selection requested as part of that survey.”

Rivals Texas and Oklahoma State didn’t come close to matching the Sooners’ recruiting resources between 2013-14. Oklahoma spent more than $880,500 on football recruiting in 2014 alone.

Texas checked in at $594,100 while Oklahoma State spent less than one-fourth of what its Bedlam rival did — $203,600. It’s possible the discrepancy could be lower or higher given the flexibility schools are granted when filing their reports.

While OU notched 19 wins during that two-year span, Oklahoma State had 17 and Texas had 14. The Cowboys came by their wins more efficiently than the Sooners in the war of recruiting with $29,667 spent per win compared to OU’s $90,256.

But as Oklahoma is committed to recruiting on a national level, Oklahoma State and Texas aren’t its only rivals.

Alabama, king of contemporary college football, outspent Oklahoma by more than $2 million over a fiveyear stretch from 2010-14.

Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide tallied 58 wins and two national titles during that period while Stoops’ Sooners won 51 times but were never fitted for rings.

The gift of giving While OU is racking up recruiting expenses, Castiglione’s department is generating all of its money in-house. Oklahoma is one of six Division I institutions with a self-sustaining athletics department, according to 2010-14 data from 234 public universities obtained

Mexican Food

“We’re judged by championships.

Other people aren’t in this league” MIKE STOOPS, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

supports itself with its own revenues, including ticket sales to football games, television contracts and payments from the Big 12 Conference back to OU,” OU President David Boren said in a statement. “In fact, the Athletics Department has contributed $25 million to the university for faculty, library and academic support.”

Texas, LSU, Nebraska, Ohio State and Purdue are the others that have departments that free their schools from transferring money from academics to athletics. Instead of asking the institution for funds, Castiglione’s department does the reverse.

Five dollars of every home football ticket sold is placed into OU’s academic enhancement fund — a substantial gift considering the program’s string of 104 consecutive sellouts.

“We’re able to provide value to the campus community without accompanying revenue to underwrite it,” Castiglione said. “While we fully understand people might question large facility projects, coaches’ salaries, things of that nature — the revenue necessary to fund those aspects of our budget are generated externally and would not be available if not for the success of our program.”

Maintaining self-sufficiency is crucial, as the university is being plagued b y O k l a h o m a’s s t a t e

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budget crisis, Castiglione said. Oklahoma’s Board of Regents recently approved a $20 million budget reduction — half of which will be fueled by an incentivized retirement program for faculty and staff.

Oklahoma athletics’ role in helping to alleviate the deficit? Fielding a successful football program every year, according to its athletics director.

“There’s no edict that we get to remain status quo.

There’s no metric out there that you can guarantee,” Castiglione said. “There’s no right, no entitlement to reach a certain level and then stay at that level without constantly reviewing what we’re doing and investing in our future.

If we start to be complacent and just expect that success is going to happen without any further commitment, we’ve made a fatal error. That’s the concern people should have — that our program would start to significantly decline.”

Turning dollars into Ws Such was the case during OU football’s forgettable stretch in the mid-to-late 1990s.

“We were trying to dig our way out of crude operating debt and perception of the program was obviously on the other end of the spectrum from where it is today,” Castiglione, who arrived in the summer of 1998, said. “Who do you think was funding the debt? It was the university.”

In simple terms, Oklahoma’s athletics department benefits the broader university by investing in football. An investment in football means doling dollars into recruiting top athletes across the country.

Recruiting, as Castiglione defined: “the lifeblood of a program.”

Cale Gundy, OU’s recruiting coordinator, was surprised to hear of the drastic jump in recruiting expenses when asked by The Daily.

He and his staff have the luxury of not worrying about making the numbers work.

“We’ve never had a problem when it comes to recruiting,” said Gundy, a 17year OU assistant. “We try to stay within the limits of what we’ve got to do. Travel-wise, the ability to be fortunate enough to get private planes to take us places when we’re crunched on time or can’t get to certain areas — the university’s always done a good job taking care of us as far as I know.”

The staff has access to donor planes when it’s in a pinch, but Gundy said flying commercial and driving are the most common modes to reach recruits.

Recruit, win and repeat Travel contributes to a bulk of the expenses, Castiglione said. And while he and the coaching staff maintain OU has always had a national recruiting scope, the Sooners strayed farther from home this offseason than any other year in Stoops’ tenure — securing just three players from Texas, a perpetual OU recruiting hotspot.

Oklahoma secured 12 Texan commits in 2015, eight in 2014 and 13 in 2013.

In 2016, however, the Sooners signed more commits from Pennsylvania than the Lone Star State.

Texas A&M’s conference switch in 2012 increased the SEC’s claim to Texas’ fertile recruiting grounds. That, combined with TCU and Baylor notching their best classes in school history in 2016, has scoured the state’s talent pool.

“The competition in the

state of Texas has increased significantly since realignment,” Castiglione said.

“There’s been schools all over the U.S. recruiting in Texas since forever, but the dynamics have changed.”

The Sooners may have missed on prospects who, in the past, could have been destined for Norman. Castiglione said the staff recruited Texas as hard, if not harder, this year than it ever has.

Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops stood surrounded by towers of trophies during his National Signing Day press conference. A window 15 yards to his left offered a look down at Oklahoma’s massive stadium renovation project.

Just as Norman’s most revered structure is set to revise the cityscape, Stoops echoed the same line his brother had said minutes before, not about the stadium, but about recruiting — “the landscape has changed.”

“Where does that leave you after everyone picks around (Texas)? We’re one of the few teams that can go to different places and recruit the players you can win at the highest level with.

“We’re judged by championships,” Stoops said. “Other people aren’t in this league.”

Staying in that league starts with landing the next class of recruits. Each signature is not only a five-figure investment in a teenager with as many as five stars attached to his name, but also a university’s annual gamble that the end justifies the means.

That end hasn’t changed for Castiglione and company: winning.

2010

2011

2012

Total: $452, 601 (31 Commits)

Total: $356, 414 (18 Commits)

Total: $473,520 (24 Commits)

Top three recruits: • Tony Jefferson • Brennan Clay • Blake Bell

Top three recruits: • Brandon BRANDON Williams • Trey WILLIAMS Metoyer • Jordan Phillips

Top three recruits: • Alex Ross • Durron Neal • Sterling Shepard

2013

2014

2015

Total: $834,326 (24 Commits)

Total: $880,541 (28 Commits)

Total: $1,168,965 (28 Commits)

Top three recruits: • Keith Ford • Cody Thomas • D.J. Ward

Top three recruits: • Joe JOE Mixon MIXON • Michiah Quick • Steven Parker

Top three recruits: • Neville NEVILLE Gallimore GALLIMORE • Ricky DeBerry • PJ Mbanasor

TONY JEFFERSON

KEITH FORD

Joe Mussatto

jmussatto@ou.edu

ALEX ROSS

6

• February 15-17, 2016

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Jessica Barber, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a-and-e • Twitter: @OUDailyArts

Students enrolled for love of art

Majors say studies enrich their lives, regardless of pay CHLOE MOORES @chloemoores13

The investment in a fine arts degree may pale in comparison to an artist’s yearly salary after college, but going to college isn’t about money. It’s about a better quality of life.

For fine arts students entering OU in 2015, the annual cost of in-state tuition and fees amounted to approximately $11,236 while out-of-state tuition and fees cost around $24,622, according to the bursar’s office. At this rate, a fouryear degree for in-state students would cost $44,944 and $98,488 for out-of-state students.

Tuition and fees may easily be returned after a year in the professional world for engineering and business majors. However, paying back the tuition on a fine arts degree is a tall order.

The average weekly salary of an equity actor working in a small professional theater, with a contract from June 2015 to June 2017, is about $424.

The average weekly salary of an equity actor who worked on a Broadway or national tour, with a contract from September 2011 to September 2015, was $1,861, according to the Actors’ Equity Association.

The equity wages mentioned depend on various factors such as the role an actor receives (principal or chorus), which region of the country the tour or

theater is located in, how many seats are in a selected theater and how many weeks the show runs.

Judith Pender, an acting professor at OU, said when she told her father she was going to pursue a career in acting he said, “well, we will be supporting you for the rest of your life.”

“People in theater, don’t think about the education for a means to a job,” Pender said. “They think about it as a way they are going to live their lives and continue to live their lives, and the training never ends.”

It is difficult to make a living strictly in theater, so most get alternative work on the side, Pender said.

“Professor McDaniel, our new voice teacher, knew someone who moved to New York, and he started a cookie company to pay the rent,” Pender said. “People do stuff like that to support themselves.”

Pender said it is not uncommon for acting students to go to law school or take on a business degree as well.

“People like to hire theater majors because they talk to people, they solve problems, and they understand human beings, and they are curious in the world,” Pender said. “I think those things make theater majors attractive employees.”

Emily Oliver, who graduated from OU with a modern dance degree last May, said dancing in a professional company may not require a degree, but college helps shorten the maturity gap. “(Ages) 18-22 is a big bridge,” she said. “The four

SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY

Students in Integrated Studio evaluate a photograph in their afternoon class Feb. 5. Out-of-state fine arts students pay roughly $98,488 for their bachelor’s degree while in-state students pay $44,944.

years I was in college, I grew into being a good and intelligent dancer, and there is a difference in a good and intelligent dancer.”

Oliver is currently working at a dance studio in O k l a h o ma C i t y t o s av e up money to achieve her dreams of dancing with a professional dance company outside of Oklahoma, she said.

The annual salary of a dancer is $44,910, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

However, Oliver said she dances because it is something she is passionate about, not because it is a high paying job.

“Dance feeds me and my inner self, and I can’t go a day without it,” she said.

“I can’t imagine my life without it, and that’s why I went to school for it, even though I will hardly make money at all.”

Chloe Moores

margaret.c.moores-1@ou.edu

FINE ARTS FINANCES • Fine arts students entering OU in 2015 pay an annual cost of approxiamtely $11,236 for in-state tuition and fees, and $24,622 for out-of-state tuition and fees, according to the bursar’s office.

• The average weekly salary of an equity actor working in a small professional theater, with a contract from June 2015 to June 2017, is about $424, according to the Actors’ Equity Association.

• The average weekly salary of an equity actor who worked on a Broadway or national tour, with a contract from September 2011 to September 2015, was $1,861, according to the Actors’ Equity Association.