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FRIDAY RIDAY MAY 8, 2009

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With the regular season Big 1 12 title already in their possession, the Sooner Soon softball team looks look for a Big 12 tournament win this tourn weekend. week PAGE PAG 5

Get ready to ggo where no before. movie has gone g Check out ou The Daily’s review of “Star Trek.” PAGE 8

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OUDAILY.COM » CHECK OUT AN INTERNATIONAL MAP OF SWINE FLU CASES, AS WELL AS FACTS AND LINKS TO SWINE FLU STORIES ONLINE AT OUDAILY.COM/SWINEFLU

OU moves with caution as swine flu hits the state CONFIRMED SWINE FLU CASES

Two cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Cleveland County

OKLAHOMA COUNTY CITY OF NORMAN

CLEVELAND COUNTY

DANE BEAVERS The Oklahoma Daily

2 PONTOTOC COUNTY

GRAPHIC BY AMANDA TURNER

State Regents accused of censorship Student advisory board says changes to minutes are in violation of state law LEIGHANNE MANWARREN The Oklahoma Daily

A student-run advisory board has accused the staff of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education of attempting to censor their annual report and violating Oklahoma’s Open Meeting Act. Rosie Lynch, University of Tulsa sociology senior and advisory board chairwoman, along with three other board members and the president of the Oklahoma Student Government Association, signed a letter to the regents’ chancellor and stated the situation was “completely unacceptable.” The letter’s authors accused Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Kermit McMurry of altering the minutes, records and actions taken during the April 19 Student Advisory Board meeting without students’ knowledge. Lynch said McMurry omitted approximately one page of the original report and said she was told McMurry made the changes to make the students look better. Calls to McMurry were not immediately returned. State regents spokesman Ben Hardcastle said the changes were made to a draft, not the final report, and that it is normal to pass drafts back and forth with changes. Lynch said the advisory board did not intend to attack McMurry’s character but they felt his actions concerning the report were wrong. “I appreciate [McMurry’s] years of work with other students but we felt it was not right that he removed passages from the report without telling us,” she said. In the letter, the advisory board accused McMurry of being disruptive during meetings and sometimes sleeping through them. The letter stated, “If our idea was deemed controversial, the vice chancellor would talk down to us in a similar condescending manner, reminding us not to go off ‘half-cocked’ and ‘without real research.’” The authors of the letter accused McMurry of questioning the board members’ intelligence and research, said Nicholas Harrison, OU graduate student and advisory board vice chairman. Hardcastle said it is unfair of the REGENTS CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

DOCUMENT Read the letter sent to the State Regents online.

OUDAILY.COM FREE — ADDITIONAL COPIES 25¢

Cleveland County officials announced the first cases of swine flu Thursday, and OU officials say they are monitoring the situation but are not yet changing plans for commencement ceremonies or future study abroad programs. OU press secretary Jay Doyle stated in an e-mail “we continue to monitor and evaluate the situation,” after the news that two cases of swine flu had been confirmed in the county was

broken on OUDaily.com Thursday afternoon. Shari Kinney, administrator of the Cleveland County Health Department, said Thursday that officials believe the exposure of the two residents to the rest of the county’s population has been limited. “One [female with swine flu] is a high school student and one is an adult female and both of them, when they became ill, stayed home. They saw their physician and they have both recovered,” Kinney said. Kinney said she expects to see more cases of the virus confirmed in Cleveland County, and there have been more cases of seasonal flu this year than in previous years. FLU CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

PROFESSOR STRIVES FOR NEW BREAST CANCER TREATMENT Proteins used to find, kill cancerous cells CADIE THOMPSON The Oklahoma Daily

An OU professor is building biochemical treatments for breast cancer that would speed up the process of targeting only cancerous cells and increase the efficiency of treatment. Roger Harrison, chemical engineering professor, has studied for more than 10 years how to use proteins to treat cancer, and has recently developed two different forms of therapy that find and target only cancerous cells throughout the body. His treatments are designed to not only find and kill tumor cells, but also to prevent the cancer from spreading. “With current treatments, you have a cancer drug and that cancer drug goes all throughout your whole body, so it has toxic effects on normal cells,” Harrison said. “But this therapy won’t go in the normal part of your body; it will just bind to the tumor. The idea is to have it be locally where it’s needed in the tumor.” Harrison’s research still is in the preclinical stage, though. Dr. Shubham Pant, a hematology-oncology specialist with OU Physicians, also is involved in targeted cancer treatment and said he has seen a positive response from patients who have used targeted therapy for breast cancer. He said in trials, women who received targeted treatment with chemotherapy lived longer than women who did not. Targeted cancer therapy research currently is more focused on treating breast cancer patients because of the cancer’s prevalence, Pant said.

AMY FROST/ THE DAILY

Roger Harrison, chemical engineering professor, sits in the lab inside of Sarkey’s Energy Center Thursday. According to the American drug therapy and the other in- well, but in this treatment the enCancer Society in 2009, an esti- volves nanotubes and photody- zyme is attached to nanotubes. mated 27 percent of the 713,220 namic therapy. Nanotubes are simple rod-like cancer cases in women are cases The targeted enzyme in both structures made up of carbon of breast cancer. That is over treatments is Annexin, which only molecules and bonds, and are 192,500 cases of breast cancer in attaches to cancer cells. used to transmit heat from infrathe United States. In the treatment that involves red light to the cancer cells. The “Women have been the driv- pro-drug therapy, where a drug heat kills the cancer cells, and ing force behind breast cancer is put into the body but remains causes blood to clot, which cuts research,” said Pant. “They have a ineffective until it is triggered off the tumors’ blood supply, killgreat voice in the community. It’s by an enzyme, Annexin is fused ing the tumors. the women who take control of with another enzyme called Although targeted cancer treattheir disease and it really helps us Methioninase to form one pro- ment is a growing medical trend, out in a big way.” tein. Methioninase is the enzyme the enzyme and pro-drug therapy Although Harrison specifically that triggers the pro-drug and Harrison is working on could offer is focused on using his research to converts it to a toxic cancer treat- a more efficient, speedier treattreat breast cancer, he said in the ing agent. Methioninase also ment of cancer cells. future his research could be used works to kill the tumor by cutting One of the problems with using to treat other cancers. off its access to essential amino pro-drug therapy to treat cancer is Both of Harrison’s treatments acids. how the drugs are delivered. involve using targeted enzymes, The other treatment requires but one treatment requires pro- the targeted enzyme Annexin as CANCER CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

State trying to decide direction of transportation funds Choice lies between highway or railway expansion CLARK FOY The Oklahoma Daily

The transportation stimulus package recently issued by President Barack Obama is fueling a debate over wether Oklahoma should invest in highway infrastructure or high-speed railways. Oklahoma received $465 million as part of the federal stimulus package for transportation projects. Of that money, $357 million is being put towards the state highway system. Obama’s new stimulus has allotted about $8.1 billion to spend on the high-speed rail

and mass transit systems, but states still are waiting on the guidelines to apply for the funding, according to Gary Ridley, director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Ridley said the state will not make a decision on whether to apply until the guidelines are released, which he hopes will be in June. “I think that as time goes on and population density increases, you will see more movement for mass transit of some kind,” Ridley said. “Everyone needs to understand with mass transit, it has to be convenient, dependable, affordable and subsidized.” Despite a growing population density, construction the new I-40 cross-town continues, an expressway that may replace a portion of the unused Union Station in Oklahoma City.

This, according to Tom Elmore, executive director of the North American Transport Institute, is a step in the wrong direction. “Here’s the reality: No state is, at this moment, more “shovel ready” than Oklahoma for advanced rail development,” Elmore said in an e-mail. “State government here owns nearly 900 miles of railway, mostly radiating out from the last grand urban rail passenger center in the West remaining unused today with all its original yard space intact.” This potential, Elmore said, can be tapped to boost the economy. A new high-speed rail transit through Oklahoma would create more jobs, lower highway maintenance costs and FUNDS CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

VOL. 94, NO. 150

Friday, May 8, 2009

Flu Continues from page 1 “I would say at the rate that people are being tested that we will probably see more cases that are confirmed,” she said. “But just to put it in perspective, we don’t test every person who has flu-like symptoms, so we would expect to maybe have some cases confirmed.” Oklahoma health officials confirmed another case of swine flu Thursday. A Deer Creek High School student in Edmond — 45 miles from Norman — was diagnosed with swine flu, bringing the total number of cases in Oklahoma to four. The first case was confirmed Tuesday in a Pontotoc County woman who did not require hospitalization and has since recovered.

OU’S PLANS Goddard Health Center has not seen any suspected cases of the swine flu virus, said Maggie Pool, OU Health Services

spokeswoman. Doyle said Thursday the swine flu situation is “evolving” and officials will monitor it. “As of today, campus activities are proceeding as normal,” Doyle stated in an e-mail. “Discussing potential responses to hypothetical situations serves no purpose,” he said Tuesday. Doyle said the university has a plan if the swine flu worsens, but declined to release details of the plan. “If the situation warrants, we can activate our plan,” he said.

STUDY ABROAD Mexico closed its schools and universities last week because of the outbreak, but most reopened Thursday. However, all of the OU students studying abroad at the six partner universities in Mexico had already returned home by the time the schools reopened, according to Jack Hobson, assistant director of program development in the study abroad office. Hobson said credits for the students will be assessed on an individual basis because most

Funds Continues from page 1 increase downtown traffic. The project would be expensive, estimated at about $2 billion. Plans have the line running from Tulsa to OKC to Dallas. Some plans have the railway expanding in the future as far north as Kansas City, Missouri, and as far south

Regents students to make accusations against McMurry’s professionalism. The state regents will be presented the advisor y board’s original

GRADUATION PLANS Oklahoma State University officials announced Wednesday that they would forgo traditional handshakes for graduates at this year’s commencement ceremonies because of

as Houston. Ridley said ODOT has no intention of destroying the Union Station, but the construction of the I-40 cross-town would require demolition of a small portion of the station. This small portion, according to Rep. Wallace Collins, D-Norman, would make a huge difference. “When [ODOT] says they won’t destroy it, they really mean they won’t destroy the whole thing,” Collins said. “They’ll leave a track or two and 1000 feet of rail siding. That’s really not very much.”

annual report at their May 29 meeting, Hardcastle said. “We are happy to see that the original report that we spent over three hours voting on is what is going to be presented to the state regents,” Harrison said. Lynch said she hopes to see better

Continues from page 1

students studying in Mexico didn’t finish their semesters abroad. He said study abroad officials are still encouraging students to apply to study abroad in the future and that Mexico is still on the list of safe places to travel in the future. He said study abroad officials will monitor the World Health Organization’s recommendations in relation to travel to Mexico. “We are assessing it internally and we will make a decision in the next couple of weeks,” Hobson said. Millie Audas, director of OU’s study abroad program, sent an e-mail last week to all students studying abroad, encouraging students to follow guidelines issued by the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and to keep in contact with both their partner institutions and the OU study abroad office.

communication between the state regents and the advisory board in the future. “We are not being rebellious students, we just felt the whole situation was not right,” she said. “I hope in the future they will communicate with us .”

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY The Daily has a long-standing commitment to serve readers by providing accurate coverage and analysis. Errors are corrected as they are identified. Readers should bring errors to the attention of the editorial board for further investigation.

CORRECTIONS In Thursday’s ‘Weekend Update,’ The Daily incorrectly stated the price of a student ticket to the University Theatre’s produc-

tion of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. A ticket costs $12 with a student ID. In Thursday’s edition, The Daily erroneously reported the Faculty Senate would vote on a measure to change the policy for making-up classes. Faculty Senate Chairwoman Cecilia Brown said, “The policy is still very much in flux and will not be voted on during Monday’s meeting.”

A TRIBUTE TO THE CONGRATULATIONS!

Anant

Akins

McCaffree

Baker

Myers

health concerns related to the swine flu. Other universities around the country are doing the same. Graduation Office director Becky Heeney said there are no plans to modify OU’s commencement ceremonies as of now. “At this time, the plan is to move forward as we always have,” Heeney said. “We’re not doing anything differently than we have in the past.” She said officials will continue to evaluate the situation. “I think it goes without saying that, first and foremost, the safety of our graduates and guests is very important to us,” she said. “We’re certainly going to take all the information under consideration.” Heeney said no deans or faculty members have expressed reservations about shaking hands at commencement ceremonies. Kinney said she is not recommending that OU officials or graduates refrain from shaking hands, but that they should make sure to wash their hands and take other sensible health precautions.

Cancer Continues from page 1 In pro-drug therapy, cancer fighting agents usually are directly applied to the tumor, but because tumor cells are hard to reach, it can take a while for the drugs to treat the cancer, Harrison said. But the pro-drug therapy Harrison is working on would start treating the tumor cells immediately because the protein that triggers the pro-drug attaches directly to the cancer cells and also begins to break down the barriers surrounding the tumor cells. “The pro-drug has got to go across multiple barriers, but ours circumvent all that,” Harrison said. “All it’s got to do is just bind to the protein that is attached to the cancer cell and it starts to work. It’s a new way of delivery is what it is. A more rapid way of delivery for cancer treatment.” But even with advancements like Harrison’s, it’s unlikely chemotherapy completely will be out of the picture in the future, Pant said. He said chemotherapy combined with the progress of targeted therapy will help treat the

individual needs of breast cancer patients. “Chemotherapy plays a very good role, not all chemotherapy is toxic,” Pant said. “Maybe it can’t completely replace chemotherapy, but what I think will happen is we will find subgroups of women who do not benefit from chemotherapy, but only targeted treatment and some that won’t benefit from targeted treatment but only chemotherapy.” Pant said he praises the work of researchers like Harrison who use basic science knowledge to engineer therapies that can be brought to the clinic to treat patients. But even then, a researcher’s job isn’t finished because cancer reacts differently in everyone, so data goes back to the researcher and they work to figure out new solutions, he said. “The cancer cell is a very smart person; it’s like a moving target,” Pant said. “You have to constantly keep learning, it’s hard to kill one type of cancer and then it comes back a completely different kind of cancer. But it’s an exciting time; it’s a time when people are pulling up their sleeves and fighting this, but there is still so much to do.”

FACULTY to the following University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center faculty members who were honored April 27 at an awards ceremony.

Beebe

Naash

PRESIDENTIAL PROFESSORSHIPS Darrin Akins, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine President’s Associates Presidential Professor Laura Ann Beebe, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health President’s Associates Presidential Professor Thomas Hennebry, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine Robert Glenn Rapp Foundation Presidential Professor Dean Myers, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine President’s Associates Presidential Professor Muna Naash, Department of Cell Biology, College of Medicine Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor GEORGE LYNN CROSS RESEARCH PROFESSORSHIP Joan Walker, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine DAVID ROSS BOYD PROFESSORSHIP Mary Zoe Baker, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine REGENTS’ PROFESSORSHIP Robert McCaffree, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine REGENTS’ AWARD FOR SUPERIOR RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY Chinthalapally Rao, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine

Dunn

Rao

Haney

Thompson

Loving

Hennebry

Walker

Zhang

REGENTS’ AWARDS FOR SUPERIOR TEACHING Gary L. Loving, College of Nursing David M. Thompson, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health REGENTS’ AWARD FOR SUPERIOR PROFESSIONAL AND UNIVERSITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC OUTREACH S. Terence Dunn, Department of Pathology, College of Medicine PROVOST’S RESEARCH AWARD FOR SENIOR FACULTY Shrikant Anant, Department of Mediciney, College of Medicine PROVOST’S RESEARCH AWARD FOR JUNIOR FACULTY Xin Zhang, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine FACULTY GOVERNANCE AWARD Kevin Haney, Developmental Dentistry, College of Dentistry PATENTS Paul L. DeAngelis, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine Wei-Qun Ding, Department of Pathology, College of Medicine Richard F. Harty, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine William H. Hildebrand, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine Hsueh-Kung Lin, Department of Urology, College of Medicine Bradley P. Kropp, Department of Urology, College of Medicine James F. McGinnis, Department of Opthalmology, College of Medicine Anne Pereira, Department of Pathology, College of Medicine Paul Weigel, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

Friday, May 8, 2009

HOUSE PASSES TEN COMMANDMENTS BILL Religious monument may violate church-state principle TIM TALLEY Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House voted overwhelmingly Thursday t o p l a c e a m o n u m e n t o f t h e Te n Commandments on the grounds of the State Capitol, setting aside concerns that it may violate constitutional principles that require government to stay neutral on religious belief. Without debate, House members voted 83-2 for the bill on the National Day of Prayer in which televangelist and Oklahoma native Oral Roberts addressed the state Senate. A public prayer service was conducted a short distance from the state Supreme Court chamber, and religious-themed displays and kiosks were set up in the Capitol rotunda. “It wasn’t planned,” said Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, author of the Ten Commandments bill. “I think it’s divine, really.” The measure authorizes installation of a 3-by-6-foot monument on the Capitol grounds that would be identical to a granite monument of the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol in Austin. Ritze, a physician, said his family will pay the estimated $10,000 cost of the project and that no state funds will be used. “It’s privately funded,” he said. The Texas monument was the focus of a landmark 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision that found it did not violate the First Amendment’s prohibition against establishing a state religion. The court said the key to whether a display is constitutional hinges on whether there is a religious purpose behind it. The ruling was seen as validation of thousands of Ten Commandments displays outside county courthouses and other public buildings around the nation if their primary purpose is to honor the nation’s legal, rather than religious, traditions and if they do not promote one religious sect over another. R i t z e ’s m e a s u r e s a y s t h e Te n Commandments display will be placed near other monuments on the Capitol grounds and that it does not signify the state “favors any particular religion or denomination thereof over others.”

Ritze said there is historical precedent for erecting displays of the Ten Commandments. “The Ten Commandments basically goes back 3,500 years,” he said. “We need to have something to remind us everyday of where we get our history and our law.” If the monument is challenged legally, the Attorney General’s Office or the Liberty Legal Institute, a nonprofit group based in Texas that advocates religious freedoms and First Amendment rights, will defend the display, according to the bill. Ritze said he does not know if the monument will be the subject of a court challenge. “Who knows,” he said. “I understand their concern about it being unconstitutional.” But the Supreme Court already has ruled on the issue, he said.

ENGINEERS SHOW OFF CAPSTONE PROJECTS Aerospace and mechanical engineering seniors had the chance to put their skills on display at the Engineering Capstone Design fair Thursday afternoon outside Felgar Hall. Representatives from area companies attended to judge projects and meet the soonto-be graduates. “This gives our students the opportunity to make connections with the corporate community and future employers,” said Megan Denney, aerospace and mechanical engineering spokeswoman.

Companies represented included Halliburton, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Tinker Air Force Base and Schlumberger Limited. Projects ranged from human powered cars and homemade weather radars to aircraft components and oil drilling equipment. The fair was not only to allow seniors to be recognized by corporations and make job connections, but also to grade projects as part of their capstone classes. — Ricky Maranon/The Daily

NATION BRIEFS ANALYSIS: SLOW RECOVERY NO HELP FOR OBAMA’S PLANS WASHINGTON — Barack Obama’s budget, unveiled with fanfare on Thursday, fails to deal with his biggest money problems. A molasses-slow economic recovery will make it hard to find the huge sums he’ll need to reach his biggest goals — fixing health care, confronting climate change and overhauling the tax system — without much deeper cuts than he’s proposing in other programs.

GM DRAWS CLOSER TO BANKRUPTCY IN FIRST QUARTER DETROIT — General Motors drew closer to bankruptcy Thursday, acknowledging that its revenue fell by nearly half as car buyers worldwide steered away from showrooms for fear that the auto giant would not be around to honor its warranties. The company lost $6 billion in the first three months of the year. The results were bad enough to bring a warning from Chief Financial Officer Ray Young, who acknowledged the difficulty of climbing out of a steep decline even if the company cuts costs. —AP

PHOTO COURTESY OF AME DEPARTMENT/MEGAN DENNEY

Members of the Sooner Racing Team discuss their year-long project with industry professionals during the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Senior Capstone Design Fair in front of Felgar Hall Thursday. Fourteen capstone groups presented their projects to industry professionals for judging.

POLICE REPORTS Names are compiled from the Norman Police Department and OUPD. The reports serve as a record of arrests and citations, not convictions. Those listed are innocent until proven guilty. POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE Jesse Gregory Caruso, 33, 2500 W. Main St., Wednesday POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL Benton Mathias Heinzelmann, 19, 2657 Classen Blvd., Wednesday MUNICIPAL WARRANT Chantelle Laree Lindsay, 19, 2404

Hunting Horse Terrace, Wednesday Bradley Shayne Walden, 22, 100 36th Ave., Wednesday COUNTY WARRANT Blake E. Luscan, 38, W. Lindsey Street, Wednesday OTHER WARRANT Kenneth Edward Mauldin, 23, 100 24th Ave. SW, Wednesday PUBLIC INTOXICATION Cory James Truby, 24, 4339 Willowisp Drive, Wednesday, also molesting property

COMMENTS OF THE DAY »

Friday, May 8, 2009

In response to a Thursday news story about a measure that could make classes more difficult to cancel.

Ray Martin, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051

YOU CAN COMMENT AT OUDAILY.COM

OUR VIEW

Don’t let swine flu kill commencement The swine flu hysteria has reached Cleveland County – The Daily reported two cases here on Thursday. We d o n ’ t t h i n k t h i s should cause administrators to make silly rules forbidding hand shakes, and we certainly don’t think it should cause them to cancel commencement. Oklahoma State University announced the former rule for its commencement ceremonies. If we were unfortunate enough to live in Stillwater, maybe it would make sense for administrators to do the same. But we aren’t, and OU shouldn’t fall victim to the same paranoia that has afflicted the Cowboys. If the administration is concerned, it should hire workers or recruit volunteers to hand out hand sanitizer as students enter the ceremonies. Disinfectant hand wipes would do the trick, too. So far, every case of swine flu in the Sooner State has

“First, not all students have computers, so making the classes online would not be fully effective. Secondly, scheduling make-up classes is ridiculous. Finding a time where even the majority of the class could make up would be impossible. Most professors are able to cram sufficiently in the next actual class period to

make up for the lost classes. I don’t see the need to change in this situation.” - DELAYED

STAFF CARTOON A.J. Stafford - Psychology junior

been kept at bay. People who have contracted the virus have stayed at home and recovered on their own. And only two cases in the U.S. have resulted in fatalities. One of those was a young child who had the disease when he came here from Mexico. Those numbers don’t warrant orders that forbid students from touching each other at the ceremony they’ve anticipated for four years or more. We don’t necessarily want students who have flu-like symptoms to show up, cough all over everyone, shake hands and spread their virus to the entire graduating class. These people should use discernment in how they conduct themselves. But so should the administration. It shouldn’t deprive students of the most important event of the semester because of a virus that’s infected four out of three million Oklahomans.

STAFF COLUMN

Reflections from the top of the bike If you are unfamiliar with tallbikes, I’ll give you a brief overview. Take two (or more) bike frames, weld one on top of the other, and run an extra long chain from the sprocket of the top one to the hub of the bottom one. They’re great for a highelevation ride to class or the occasional joust. If you see a tallbike on campus (including mine), it’s likely the work of my friend Sam Martin. Riding a tallbike on camJOSHUA pus provides several advan- WADLIN tages over the traditional plebeian walking or recumbent cycling. Of course, the air is better up there. Bemused pedestrians are more likely to get out of your way, and you’re sure to win the admiration of children. Tallbikes are also great for killing conversations. The dialogue ends as the participants

stop to gaze wide-eyed at the tacked-together bike frames. I’m sure however they resume the talk, it will never be the same as it was. I wonder how many conversations have been the casualty of my tallbike. Despite the benefits, I guess the increased risk of a fatal crash is enough to deter most from engaging in this form of transportation. Nonetheless, a tallbike grants its rider a type of extrasensory perception, permitting snap judgments of another’s character and psychological assessment of the humanity passing by. The physical and vocal reactions of the people five feet below reveal the most basic part of their being. Caught off guard, they reveal themselves without the usual pretenses and social inhibitions. A typical reaction I get is “I love your bike” and other similar compliments. Clearly these good-natured individuals

are only on campus to take a break between being a Big Brother and working at the food shelter. We need more of these well-intentioned people around, and I do my best to emulate them. Another reaction I get is the disdainful “why would you do that?” or “what’s the point?” With these snarky comments, I can only gather that these people are utilitarians who see no usefulness in any activity outside the most strictly pragmatic. These social Darwinists are what’s wrong with America: They’re heartless and devoid of any creativity. Even less reputable characters get outright offensive. They’ll encourage their “broseph” to do physical harm to me. Some even make threatening gestures. While their purpose is to intimidate me, they are more likely to receive a kick to their conveniently placed heads if they are ever

STAFF COLUMN

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Remove ‘should’ from vocabulary

CAC OMISSION UNFORTUNATE

I believe the word “should” must be excommunicated from all dictionaries. It’s the devil in language form. I don’t despise the word itself, because those letters arranged in this particular order did nothing to hurt me. But the meaning we’ve projected onto this semantic construction, I detest. In fact, I feel sorry for the word itself; it got a bad rap. LINDSEY It could just as easily ALLGOOD mean something cool like snorkeling or soda pop, but no. I’ve come to conjecture that the word “should” fuels the contemporary American Dream. We’re a land of guilt. Like the Little Engine that Could (“Should Should Should Should Should Should Should,”), it just trucks along, goes to work, takes coffee breaks, goes back to work. All because it should. Think about how many times a day you say or hear that word, and what effect it takes on your thoughts and actions. Who’s telling you that you should?

Meredith Simons Nijim Dabbour Jamie Hughes Mack Burke Ray Martin Zach Butler

Why? I want to know where this whole notion came from — I should do this, or that. I think it goes back to institutionalized religion. But, at the end of a school year, when everyone should be studying, that point would be useless to make. It’s amazing how a simple change in your diction can affect your mood, especially during stressful times like finals week. I’ve been trying to replace should phrases with possibility phrases. For example, instead of “I should be doing this,” I say, “I could do this or that.” It just makes life a little sunnier and hopeful. At this period for many graduates, this could be key to emotional survival. You should not do anything. You can do something, whether it’s this, that or anything between. So, you could try putting should on your bad word list for a trial run for the last week of school. I’m not saying you should, but you could. Lindsey Allgood is a professional writing senior.

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Assistant Managing Editor Night Editor Opinion Editor Photo Editor

Dane Beavers Whitney Bryen Steven Jones Luke Atkinson Judy Gibbs Robinson R.T. Conwell

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

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e-mail: dailynews@ou.edu

I want to congratulate and thank Mr. Jared Rader for a very thorough and well-written article about CIA Veteran Michael Scheuer that appeared on the front page of The Oklahoma Daily on May 4, 2009. The article went into great detail on Scheuer’s comments and his background. However, I was very disheartened to find absolutely no mention of either CAC (Campus Activities Council) or Speakers Bureau. The article makes it appear that Scheuer’s visit to campus simply happened automatically; this was certainly not the case. CAC Speakers Bureau was the organization that brought Scheuer to campus and planned the entirety of the event. I hate to sound bitter over such an omission, but the members of Speakers Bureau worked extremely hard to make this event happen, and are deserving of at least a mention - particularly when the article went into such detail describing Scheuer’s viewpoints and lecture. Without CAC Speakers Bureau, there

brave enough to make good on their threats. These tough guys are clearly covering up for their own personal insecurity. They take the mere presence of such a fantastic piece of amateur engineering as an affront to their own egos. The benefit of all of this is that I know just who to avoid whenever I dismount. I also know who is a potential friend. Instead of the usual slow and cumbersome process of talking to and actually getting to know someone, I can make decisions about a person’s personality in the few seconds we are near each other. If you’re not into tallbiking but you still want some of the perks, just choose any other activity that grabs people’s attention, preferably one that increases your elevation—perhaps walking on stilts to class or welding a car on top of another. Tallcars anyone? Joshua Wadlin is an entrepreneurship senior.

would not have been an event about which to write. The omission of CAC Speakers Bureau seems even more glaring given that the other prominent article on that day’s front page. The article discussed a weekend educational conference, and duly credited the Oklahoma Educational Studies Education as the force behind the conference. It would be unfair to accuse Speakers Bureau of not publicizing its connection to the event, as every publicity method we employed (including a press release sent in advance to The Oklahoma Daily) mentioned our organization. An earlier “Campus Brief ” about this event in the paper credited our organization. However, for some reason, the article contained no such thing. Speakers Bureau is very glad that our event was so well received, but we are a little dismayed that our own university newspaper did not think it fitting to give due credit to the organization that made the entire event happen. Matthew Cox, Speakers Bureau incoming chairman

The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum and OU’s independent student voice. The opinion page is produced by a staff of columnists and cartoonists who are independent of The Daily’s news staff. Letters to the editor are welcomed. Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and should be fewer than 250 words, typed and signed. Letters may be cut to fit. Students must list their major and classification. OU staff and faculty must list their title. All letters must include a daytime phone number. Submit letters to dailyopinion@ou.edu or in person Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall.

Guest columns are encouraged. They can be submitted to the opinion editor via e-mail at dailyopinion@ou.edu. Comments left on OUDaily.com may be reprinted on the opinion page. ’Our View’ is the opinion of majority of the members of The Oklahoma Daily’s editorial board. Editorial Board members are The Daily’s editorial staff. The board meets Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ work is representative of their own opinions, not those of the members of The Daily’s Editorial Board.

OUDAILY.COM

Friday, May 8, 2009

Steven Jones, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051 ELIZABETH NALEWAJK/THE DAILY

BASEBALL » Bedlam baseball is going on this weekend in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. SOFTBALL

SPORTS BRIEFS FLORES A FINALIST FOR POY Junior second baseman Amber Flores has been named one of ten finalists for softball’s national player of the year award. Flores tops the team in batting average at .417. She also boasts 53 RBIs and 55 runs scored in the season. Flores has drawn 44 walks and been hit by 17 pitches this season and her on-base percentage is .595. Flores’ slugging percent- AMBER age is sitting at .864 on the FLORES year. Flores is the only Big 12 player to be named a finalist. Five different conferences are represented on the list.

DYE IN 30TH PLACE AFTER DAY ONE OF REGIONAL COMPETITION Senior golfer Kendall Dye shot a first round 76 (+4) at the NCAA Central Regional tournament in Columbus, Ohio Thursday afternoon. The score was good for 30th place in the contest. However, she is three strokes out of the top ten and just one stroke from KENDALL being in the top 25. DYE During Dye’s round, she had back-to-back birdies and was one-under-par after four holes and was at even par after ten. — Daily Staff

MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY

Senior pitcher D.J. Mathis prepares to release a pitch against Texas A&M April 19 in Norman. The Sooners won the game, 3-1. The Sooners won the Big 12 regular season title, and will compete this weekend in the Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City.

SOONERS READY FOR BIG 12 TOURNAMENT AARON COLEN The Oklahoma Daily

The 10th ranked softball team already has claimed the regular season Big 12 title. Now the team is preparing for the postseason tournament this weekend in Oklahoma City. The Sooners (38-13, 14-4) are winners of their last seven games, six of those being Big 12 contests. Their last loss was a 4-2 defeat on April 11 against the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, Ks. OU could potentially face the Jayhawks in the Sooners’ first game of the tournament, as they await the winner of Friday’s game between Iowa State and Kansas. OU swept Iowa State in a two-game series in late March, outscoring the Cyclones 20-7 in the series, which was played in Norman. Senior first baseman Samantha Ricketts said the team has some preferences for their weekend opponents. “In the first game maybe Kansas but we’ll take either one because Iowa State has been playing really well too,” Ricketts said. “And we definitely want Texas in the second game. We have a little grudge there.” For Ricketts and senior pitcher D.J. Mathis, this postseason marks their last chance to make it to the College World Series and make a run at a national championship. “It’s all or nothing, being a senior, and as close as we’ve come to the World Series we have the mindset this year of ‘we’re getting in no matter what.’” Mathis said. Mathis said she is feeling fine heading into the postseason after pitching several complete games recently. Head Coach Patty Gasso said for Mathis it has been her mental toughness that has kept her going this season. “It’s up and down; one day she will be

feeling fine then the next she might not even be able to lift her arm,” Gasso said. “But she is really taking mind over matter right now.” Gasso emphasized that the freshmen pitchers would have to step up and support Mathis this postseason. “This is their learning year, and that shows in some of their numbers,” Gasso said. “But there are signs of greatness as well as signs of not-so-greatness. We’re definitely going to need them.” Ricketts believes the success of the pitching staff recently has taken a lot of pressure off the hitters, and allowed them to perform better. “It just gives you a lot of confidence to know that you don’t have to score eight runs to win a game,” Ricketts said. “It’s also a lot more fun to be out there playing behind a pitcher who is pitching the way they know how, so the atmosphere is more relaxing.” The Sooners will be facing the pressure of being the top seed in a single-elimination tournament where bad game could send them home early. Ricketts said the team has to be careful not to come out flat. “It’s something you have to watch out for. It happened last year with us coming out and losing that first game,” Ricketts said. “It’s up to us to keep going hard in practice to get ready.” Gasso said the team has to keep its momentum from the current winning streak if they want to succeed in Oklahoma City. “I think what we reiterate the most is getting that rhythm back,” Gasso said. “We took our time off and now it’s back to work.” OU will play its first game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. Should the Sooners win, they will play again at 7:30 p.m. that same day.

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PLACE AN AD Phone: 325-2521 E-Mail: classifieds@ou.edu Fax: 405-325-7517 Campus Address: COH 149A

DEADLINES Line Ad ..................2 days prior Place your line ad no later than 9:00 a.m. 2 days prior to publication date. Display Ad ............2 days prior Classified Display or Classified Card Ad Place your display, classified display or classified card ads no later than 5:00 p.m. 2 days prior to publication date.

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Businesses may be eligible to apply for credit in a limited, local billing area. Please inquire with Business Office at 325-2521.

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POLICY The Oklahoma Daily is responsible for one dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incorrect advertising. If your ad appears incorrectly, or if you wish to cancel your ad call 325-2521, before the deadline for cancellation in the next issue. Errors not the fault of the advertiser will be adjusted. Refunds will not be issued for late cancellations. The Oklahoma Daily will not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religious preference, national origin or sexual orientation. Violations of this policy should be reported to The Oklahoma Daily Business Office at 325-2521. Help Wanted ads in The Oklahoma Daily are not to separate as to gender. Advertisers may not discriminate in employment ads based on race, color, religion or gender unless such qualifying factors are essential to a given position. All ads are subject to acceptance by The Oklahoma Daily. Ad acceptance may be reevaluated at any time.

3 bd $820/mo. & 4 bd $870/mo. Less than 1 mile from OU, CART, w/d, pool, 24hr maintenance. www.oig.biz or call 364-5622 Post Oak Apartments 1-2 bed apts available! Newly renovated. Visit postoakliving.com - 364-3039, 705 Ridgecrest Ct. 1 BLK FROM OU, very nice 4 room apt, 800 sf, wood ďŹ&#x201A;oors, 1016 S College, Apt 1, $295/mo. Call 360-2873 or 306-1970. Summer Special! 1 BLK FROM OU, very nice 4 room apt, 800 sf, wood ďŹ&#x201A;oors, 1018 S College, Apt 8, $275/mo. Call 360-2873 or 306-1970.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Try to keep your ego out of the picture if a less-than-clever friend has something good going for him or her. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll look bad trying to take the spotlight off your pal GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Should you find yourself involved in something rather frustrating, it will be better to walk away until you pull yourself together. If not, you could lose all that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to accomplish. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Although you are usually selfconfident about who you are and what you can do, you can still be intimidated by anyone you deem to be greater than you. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re especially vulnerable at this time.

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Previous Answers

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Because you might be a bit headstrong, avoid people who are extremely forceful and assertive. Should two willful powers clash, what transpires will not be a pretty scene. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve hired someone to do a complicated job, it might be wise to keep a close eye on the work. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a chance this personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interpretation of what you want is not the same as yours. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be so stupid as to get drawn into a sticky situation thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taking place between two friends. It wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter who is right or wrong; youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be in trouble regardless of whose side you take.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -Endowing others with qualities they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have or abilities they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t possess gives them power over you. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect to make any intelligent moves when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in that frame of mind.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Your attainments will be governed by the price youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re willing to pay for success in your endeavors. However, even if you give maximum effort to your projects, the cost might be too steep.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Keep in mind that even if the boss isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always right, he or she is still in charge. Being unduly resentful of the directives from this individual will only harm you and your work, not undermine him or her.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- No matter how tempted you are, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make impulsive revisions in long-standing plans. Impromptu thinking isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t likely to hold a candle to that which youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve thoroughly thought through.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- If you are driven by purely material motivation, you might get what you want. However, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re likely to ask yourself if it was worth it. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do anything you are not proud to have your name on.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Having faith in yourself to achieve what you want is essential. Unless you shake off the butterflies in your stomach, this could turn out to be a wasted day.

Friday, May 8, 2009

FRIDAY FACE-OFF

Who has the best shot at a title next season? MEN’S GYMNASTICS

ith OU having one of the premier athletic programs in the country, many of the school’s sports are capable of competing for a national championship year in and year out. The football team earned a spot in last season’s national championship game in Miami, where it was defeated by Florida. Jeff Capel’s basketball squad, which lost to North Carolina in the Elite Eight of this year’s NCAA tournament, was only two wins away from playing for a national title. So which Sooner sports team has the best chance to win a national championship next season? That would be the men’s gymnastics team. For starters, we know they are capable of winning it all. They’ve done it before. And in quite convincing fashion. Head coach Mark Williams’ men have won five of the last eight national

AMY FROST/THE DAILY

Sophomore Steven Legendre chalks up the bars before he competes on the parallel bars during the meet against Texas on Jan. 31 in Norman.

FOOTBALL

championships, the most recent coming two seasons ago in 2008. It’s become essentially a foregone conclusion every year that the men’s gymnastics team is going to compete for the top spot. Has anything changed to make you believe they won’t be in the same position next season? The Sooners finished third at the national title meet two weeks ago behind champion Stanford and runner-up Michigan. Sophomore Steven Legendre, widely considered one of the best gym- ERIC nasts in the country, will DAMA be back for another year. In fact, many people believe Legendre is as good as, and may even be better than, former Sooner Jonathan Horton, who represented the United States in last summer’s Olympics. While the team is losing six seniors this year, its track record of national championships and top-five finishes proves that Williams is bringing in new talent just as quickly as he is graduating it. As for the football team, having made it to the national championship game this past January gives a person good reason to believe next year’s team is going to pretty successful. But judging by the players from this year that won’t be returning next season, you have to think there is going to a bit of a dropoff. Of course, OU will still be one of the favorites to be playing in the last game in January, but the question is which team has the best chance to win the national title next year, and just getting there is not the same as winning it. Recently, Stoops’ squads haven’t been able to do that. The men’s gymnastics team has. Five times. Eric Dama is a journalism sophomore.

s this even debatable? Every ounce of my body is leaning toward football on this topic. OU has a great overall athletic program with many dominant teams. Obviously, the basketball teams — both men’s and women’s — were competitors for the national championship this year. But after losing Blake Griffin and the Paris sisters, respectively, it seems like a long shot for either to challenge for the gold. The baseball team is a top-20 team but is not exactly considered a heavy favorite to win the big game. Softball, however, may have the talent to do so, but still is incomparable to the football chances. And of course, you can’t forget the always dominant ZACH BUTLER/THE DAILY gymnastic squads. Sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford hands the ball off to However, football will sophomore running back DeMarco Murray in the team’s 45-31 be the most dominant of win Oct. 18 in Norman. the campus athletics this McCoy are the country’s only real remaining tests. upcoming season. And with the big game They have arguably the best players on offense and basically already set as top team defense, respectively. After a somewhat difficult Florida versus Big 12 winin the nation with non-conference schedule, ner, OU has a clear tunnel t a l e n t they start a Big 12 slate that ahead and control their from top includes the only team that destiny. Thus, whether they lose to bottom. can really challenge OU this S o m e season: Texas. It’s arguably one game to Texas or fina na l y s t s the two best teams in the ish the season undefeated, hav e a l - nation on a neutral field. the national championship r e a d y Win this game and it’s basi- chances are looking great MJ g o n e a s cally clear sailing to the title for the football team. CASIANO Certainly the greatest far to say game. At Kansas, at Nebraska, chance on this campus. that quarterback Sam Bradford and a n d a t h o m e a g a i n s t MJ Casiano is a broadcast and defensive tackle Gerald Oklahoma State are OU’s electronic media sophomore.

HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol

Friday, May 8, 2009

Hazing?

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Not on our campus. Report incidents at:

325-5000

All calls are anonymous. The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Try to keep your ego out of the picture if a less-than-clever friend has something good going for him or her. You’ll look bad trying to take the spotlight off your pal GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Should you find yourself involved in something rather frustrating, it will be better to walk away until you pull yourself together. If not, you could lose all that you’re trying to accomplish. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Although you are usually selfconfident about who you are and what you can do, you can still be intimidated by anyone you deem to be greater than you. You’re especially vulnerable at this time.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Because you might be a bit headstrong, avoid people who are extremely forceful and assertive. Should two willful powers clash, what transpires will not be a pretty scene. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- If you’ve hired someone to do a complicated job, it might be wise to keep a close eye on the work. There’s a chance this person’s interpretation of what you want is not the same as yours. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Don’t be so stupid as to get drawn into a sticky situation that’s taking place between two friends. It won’t matter who is right or wrong; you’ll be in trouble regardless of whose side you take.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -Endowing others with qualities they don’t have or abilities they don’t possess gives them power over you. Don’t expect to make any intelligent moves when you’re in that frame of mind.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Your attainments will be governed by the price you’re willing to pay for success in your endeavors. However, even if you give maximum effort to your projects, the cost might be too steep.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Keep in mind that even if the boss isn’t always right, he or she is still in charge. Being unduly resentful of the directives from this individual will only harm you and your work, not undermine him or her.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- No matter how tempted you are, don’t make impulsive revisions in long-standing plans. Impromptu thinking isn’t likely to hold a candle to that which you’ve thoroughly thought through.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- If you are driven by purely material motivation, you might get what you want. However, you’re likely to ask yourself if it was worth it. Don’t do anything you are not proud to have your name on.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Having faith in yourself to achieve what you want is essential. Unless you shake off the butterflies in your stomach, this could turn out to be a wasted day.

Friday, May 8, 2009

« BEAM ME UP

Luke Atkinson, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 325-5189 • fax: 325-6051

OUDAILY.COM

Need to satisfy your inner Trekkie? Check out a Q&A with director J.J. Abrams online at OUDaily.com.

FORMER CELEB STYLISTS OPEN SHOP IN NORMAN LAURA PEDEN The Oklahoma Daily

Norman is making its way up to Vegas style. Who knew? The Scott Risk Hair Studio was originally based in Las Vegas, Nev., but due to the state of the economy, the salon decided to relocate to Norman. "Las Vegas is currently the most vacant city,” said salon manager Marilee Latham. “Before the economy went downhill, everything was good in Las Vegas. I have family in Norman, and I decided it would be a great opportunity to move the business where the economy hasn't really hit yet." Scott Risk Hair Studio has been in Las Vegas since 2002. The salon remained until the recent move, and it opened in Norman the day after Thanksgiving. The salon, located on 1636 24th Avenue N.W., offers cutting services for both men and women, blow outs, hair extensions, hair treatments, hair straightening, hair color and makeup application. The hair studio has made a number of changes from the salon in Las Vegas to the new salon in Norman. "We have all brand new, state of the art equipment. Our blow dryers hang from the ceiling to avoid tendonitis in the hair stylists. We also have new infrared hair dryers," Latham said. The salon features two main product lines, Milbon and B the Product. Brandon Martinez is the designer of the B the Product line. He has been in television shows like Blow Out, Salon Diaries, Split Ends, L.A. Ink and the Biggest Loser.

For those that are environmentally friendly, Scott Risk Hair Studio uses Kadus hair color, which is made in the Black Forest in Germany. "We're green; we have the least amount of ammonia than any hair color in the world," Latham said. The salon prices are very reasonable considering the fact that the salon has styled a number of different celebrities including the Pussycat Dolls, Paris Hilton and several Victoria Secret models. The salon expects a clientele consisting of celebrities as well as non-celebrities in Norman. "We have goals of styling Reba McEntire – since she is from Oklahoma – but we have a lot of University of Oklahoma students come into the salon as well," Latham said. "Not only do we have customers from around the area, we also have people coming from Dallas, Texas, Kansas and Missouri, too." Scott Risk Hair Studio has great expectations for its new salon location. "We have plans of doing a Scott Risk hair line and a Scott Risk Hair Academy,” Latham said. “We also plan on opening other salons in surrounding cities, including Dallas." Their stylists for the new location come from all over the United States, including Georgia, Oklahoma, California and Michigan. Not only is the Scott Risk Hair Studio here to style the Norman area, they also are here to donate. "Scott is really into philanthropy,” Latham said. “We've donated to United

MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY

Scott Risk cuts a client’s hair Thursday at Scott Risk Hair Studio on 24th Avenue. Risk has designed hair for several celebrities, and recently opened up a salon in Norman. Way, YMCA, Southwest Publishers and Norman schools. We like to do a lot of giving since we feel like we get back so much from the community. When asked what she will miss most about the Las Vegas location, Latham jokingly answers with, "not the traffic." The salon is pleased with the decision they have made to relocate. "With the way Vegas' economy is, we're really happy to be here. It was meant to be," she says. Those looking for a new salon may want to stop by the new location on 24th

Avenue N.W. If one is unsure about the salon and wants to check out the atmosphere beforehand, there is a perfect opportunity available. On May 20, at 7:00 P.M., there will be a party at the salon launching Brandon Martinez's B the Product. Martinez will be at the salon along with Cane from Project Runway. As for styling, hair cut prices range from $45-$75 for women and $35-$45 for men while hair color services range from $65-$95 for all over color and $100-$150 for highlights.

STAFF COLUMN

Neo-counter culture is here

PHOTO PROVIDED

A young Captain Kirk watches the U.S.S. Enterprise be constructed in J.J. Abram’s “Star Trek”. The film is in theaters now.

FILM REVIEW

‘Boldly go’ to see summer blockbuster It doesn’t exactly go where no man has gone before, but the new “Star Trek” film certainly has the “boldly” part down, resulting in a massively entertaining kick-off to the summer movie season. (Wolverine who?) The cerebral quality of the original series almost has wholly been jettisoned here in favor of sweeping galactic battle scenes, but it works more often than not, with director J.J. Abrams’s (TV’s “Lost”) vision tending toward the extra-large scale. “Star Trek” is both a reboot and an oriDUSTY gins story – sort of. We’re introduced to Kirk SOMERS (Chris Pine, “Smokin’ Aces”) and Spock (Zachary Quinto, TV’s “Heroes”) before they join Starfleet; Kirk’s a brash Iowa farm boy and Spock’s a Vulcan pariah, thanks to his half-human composition. We watch as they make their respective ways up the ranks, eventually ending up on the Starship Enterprise together, but this isn’t exactly the beginning of the same old “Star Trek” story. Instead it’s a revisionist history, thanks to a plot that leans heavily on time travel elements, and actually ends up serving the film rather well, although it’s hard not to be skeptical at first. Despite the alternate universe in which the film operates, the whole gang still is around, including Dr. Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban, “Pathfinder”), Sulu (John Cho, “Harold and Kumar”), Scotty (Simon Pegg, “Hot Fuzz”) and Uhura (Zoe

Saldana, “Vantage Point.”) The crew’s mission deals with defeating a rogue Romulan spaceship, captained by the evil Nero (Eric Bana, “Munich”), that’s hell-bent on destroying entire planets by virtue of a massive device that creates a black hole at the planet’s core. Bana plays a flat villain at best, and despite it being central to the plot, the conflict with the Romulans is easily the film’s dullest aspect. Fortunately, there are plenty of other exciting elements, as both Kirk and Spock struggle to find their place, and often clash, and each of the crewmembers is looking to establish him- or herself. The film gets a nostalgic shot in the arm thanks to the inclusion of the wonderful Leonard Nimoy, playing Spock from the future, in what’s much more than an extended cameo. Fans will love seeing Nimoy don the pointy ears for the first time in almost 20 years, but his vital role in the film gives it a soul that might’ve been lost amidst Abrams’s admittedly impressive CG-fest elsewhere. “Star Trek” opens up a realm of new possibilities for the franchise, with an enthusiastic cast – Pine and Quinto seem to have a good handle on the Kirk/Spock relationship and Pegg and Cho inject some very welcome humor – and a seemingly even more enthusiastic director in Abrams. This installment ought to satisfy fans and the uninitiated alike. It’s a visual feast with a capable story, and it’s one of the most purely entertaining summer blockbusters of recent memory. Dusty Somers is a journalism junior.

I sat at The Mont one cliché. Sunday afternoon, strugWomen who seek to look gling against the nausea to eclectic come off as being keep down a meal I just ate either color blind or posand a beer that I currently sessing a closet that’s a mixwas drinking. The source of ture of mismatched clothing the acute stomach problem ensembles combined from could be found just a table their mother and grandma’s away as a group of yuppie wardrobes. parents, obviously upper The constant health insanclass, just past the age of baby ity of our generation has bore boomers, sat living a the fruit of jogging cliché of a biker gang. shorts which are At that moment a paraded around in realization hit and every size, shape and stopped me dead in color on a daily basis. my tracks. This makes it harder Our current living than ever to distinstatus has become guish blond A from a disgustingly grueblond B and C. Men some caricature of can’t do much betBRAND some of the most ter. Already seemimportant, original RACKLEY ingly dressed for and authentic times their mid-life crisis, in our history. Rather young men assume than conform to bourgeois the uniform that can only be types, a majority of our gen- born from a yuppie father or eration now buys thrift store a distorted mental view of clothing costing just as much, what a respected college boy if not more than Ed Hardy or should appear like. Our camLacoste will ever rob you for. pus mirrors the fashion rivalIn the past, the difference ry portrayed in The Outsiders, or originality in a person to a much less epic, but more was measure more by their vomit inducing scale. All one can do is either thoughts and action than drink the images away, which their clothing. People simply consume could just make you part of good movies, music, ideas the problem, or strive to be and philosophies of the past unaffected, unchanged, unand half-heartedly regurgitate altered from this waste strewn them back up into something across the cultural urban that is so bastardized that it battleground, and hope you creates a stylized state of idi- can either form or be part ocracy where people say, do of an independent counter and create things that appear culture to oppose the existoriginal but have no meaning, ing counter culture that has and are simply original for the become nothing but a necessary required antithesis to the sake of being original. Hippies no longer are mainstream, and in doing so people who stand for any- has become the mainstream thing. They’re merely people itself. And so, I sat there at The who just really want to smoke weed and live in some mor- Mont, knocking back drink bid honor of the past. And, in- after drink, hoping that the stead of actually organizing, alcohol would soon tune out grouping together, making a the high-pitched laughter statement or even attempting of leather clad housewives, to get anything done, they’re when it then became comeither too lazy, apathetic or pletely and utterly clear. The day for the Neothey fall back on what they conceive is their rightful place Counter Culture has arrived. in the history of hippidom Brand Rackley is a journalism which they’ve turned into a senior.