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Lindsey Street may get makeover • Plans include widening, landscaping JAMIE HUGHES Daily Staff Writer The City of Norman held a public meeting Thursday night to discuss the possible expansion of Lindsey Street. Widening a section of Lindsey has been in the works since 2005 and will be completed by December of 2011, said Shawn O’Leary, director of public works for the City of Norman. “[The] reason is to address existing traffic issues, storm drainage and to make it more aesthetically pleasing,” he said. The expansion would take place from east of Jenkins Avenue and extend to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks west of Classen Boulevard. Lonnie Ferguson, director for the project, said the project would make Lindsey Street safer, but there will be an impact during construction. “We’re not going to close Lindsey for a long period of time,” he said. “Maybe one or two

days.” The project is in early stages and the meeting was held to hear comments from the public and fulfill environmental requirements for the federal government. The project was on a ballot three years ago and the voters decided for the $6 million project. “They gave us the green light so there is very little to keep us from finishing [this project],” O’Leary said. The plans will include a raised, landscaped center median and two biking/hiking lanes, which will extend 10 feet on either side of the street. OU will partner with the City of Norman to plant the landscaping. “[The plans] fit nicely into the priorities of campus,” O’Leary said. Football traffic was also a concern for the public works department. O’Leary said the department understands the importance of Lindsey Street as a way to and from football games and tried to schedule the project according to the OU football season. “We don’t want to impose on the football season in any negative way,” he said.

O’Leary said construction conducted during football season will not impede traffic. Outside of football season, traffic could become more congested, Ferguson said. Brandt Park, located on the north side of Lindsey Street, will lose some of its area due to the widening, which has caused alarm among some citizens. The project will take some land from the park, but O’Leary said the park and the Duck Pond should not be highly affected. “The duck pond is a sensitive area of campus, but I think our plan fits nicely,” he said. Norman resident Madge Amspacher said she doesn’t think the project would be an improvement. “I don’t like the idea of having to drive three blocks [to a stoplight on George Avenue] to wind up almost where I started,” she said. Amspacher’s neighbor, Mary McCracken, said she attended the meeting because she wasn’t positive on her feelings toward the project. Both Braden Dempster/The Daily Amspacher and McCracken live on McKinley Avenue, across from Brandt Park and the Duck Lonnie Ferguson, the project engineer for the City of Norman, speaks about the Pond. proposed construction plan for Lindsey Street on Thursday night at the city’s “It’ll look nice,” McCracken said. “The light on public meeting held at the municipal court building. George will be an improvement.”

OU Career Services use skyrockets

STUDENT SEXUAL HEALTH

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Read our movie reviews of “Max Payne” and “The Secret Life of Bees” in A&E. Page 12. The Lightwell Gallery in Norman’s current exhibition, titled “One Million Every Four Days,” represents the 1 million people who are born every four days. Page 11.

• Free services cause increase

SPORTS The college football season has been full of stunners, but which two teams have been the most surprising? The Daily debates in this week’s Friday Face-oﬀ. Page 7. While all eyes will be on the OU vs. Kansas football game this weekend, the Sooner volleyball team also will be taking on the Jayhawks Saturday. Page 6.

PAIGE LAWLER Daily Staff Writer

CAMPUS BRIEFS MOOT Court Competition at OU Members of the OU College of Law will compete in the 2008 Calverta Intra-School Moot Court Competition starting Monday. In the ﬁve-day competition, 44 second- and third-year law students from OU will argue a case that is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The two best teams will meet for a ﬁnal round of oral arguments Oct. 24 at noon in the Bell Courtroom in Coats Hall. The event is open to the public.

TODAY’S INDEX A&E 11, 12 Campus Notes 9 Classiﬁeds 10 10 Crossword Horoscope 10

News 8 Opinion 4 Police Reports 9 Sports 5, 6 Sudoku 11

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY LOW 48° HIGH 67°

SATURDAY LOW 51° HIGH 68°

Photo Illustration by Photos.com

Safe sex for Sooners?

CAREER Continues on page 2

• Free condoms available for students at Health and Exercise Sciences Center

LOW 52° HIGH 68° Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

CAMPUS CORNER

Studio gets ‘second wind’ as coffee shop

PAIGE LAWLER & MEREDITH MORIAK Daily Staff Writers A recent study shows that OU’s health services are not up to par with those of other major universities. Trojan brand condoms commissioned a study three years ago to measure how sexually healthy American colleges universities are. This year, 139 schools were surveyed, and OU was ranked below the bottom half of schools at No. 92. Bert Sperling, coordinator of the survey and president of Sperling’s Best Places, which analyzes data about people and places, said the study measures the amount of information and services that on-campus health facilities provide students. More than 9,000 students responded to the online survey stating how likely they were to use campus health services. “I think it’s a great resource for health centers to compare their services with others across the United States,” Sperling said.

Goddard on safe sex

SUNDAY

Since OU Career Services began offering its services for free, the number of students who use the program has skyrocketed. Director of Career Services Bette Scott said they have seen a record turnout of students attend various workshops and interviews since they stopped charging $25 for service in August, and the office has been busy trying to accommodate everyone. Scott said as of Tuesday, 3,960 students have opened an account with career services in one-half semester, and that number could soon surpass last year’s total of 4,486 students served. Chemical engineering senior Matt Byford has used career services for two years, and said he

Maggie Pool, health promotion coordinator for Goddard Health Center who declined to be interviewed, said in an e-mail that abstinence is the only completely effective protection when asked about some of the most effective contraceptive methods. She said condoms provide some protection. Pool said the decision to use birth control is completely individualized and based on a patient’s specific circumstances. “It is important to remember that some methods of birth control

Photo Illustration by Amy Frost/The Daily

do not provide protection from sexually transmitted diseases,” Pool said in the e-mail.

Cut-rate contraceptives Some cheap contraceptives are available on campus. As part of Planned Parenthood’s “Protection Connection,” an initiative to give free condoms to anyone interested, condoms are available daily in the Health and Exercise Sciences Center. The bucket of free condoms was placed a few years ago, after Dennison spoke at classes about safe sex and handed out free condoms. “I just left the extra ones on a table, and they disappeared right away,” Dennison said. “Then I started getting calls and people were asking me for more free condoms.” Dennison, who teaches as an adjunct for a human sexuality class, fills up the bucket once or twice. It was an informal decision to have the bucket, and he thinks some people come into the building specifically for the condoms.

SAFE Continues on page 2

KATE CUNNINGHAM Daily Staff Writer When the members of one student ministry program wanted to find a way to go beyond recruiting people, they found their solution in coffee beans. Second Wind, a Campus Corner coffee house owned by the First Presbyterian Church, opens Friday at 6 p.m. But despite its owner, the shop is a place for students to gather regardless of their religious affiliations, said special education senior Julia Ross, the project’s coordinator. “Our purpose is to encourage community among students, to promote high-quality, fairly-traded coffee drinks, and to support

COFFEE Continues on page 2

News

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

Safe Continued from page 1 “Research shows, if you charge money for condoms, condom use goes down,” Dennison said. “When condoms are free and easy to get, they are more likely to be used.” Dennison said Planned Parenthood had distributed more than 1 million condoms, excluding the ones given to other student organizations through grants. “The consequences of unprotected sex can be so high, and we believe that it is important to offer [condoms],” he said. The organization prescribed birth control pills to about 2,050 patients in western and central Oklahoma last year and more than 8,000 patients came in just for contraceptives, said Terry Dennison, director of education services for Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood clinics also offer two types of tests for women looking to stay sexually healthy, said medical assistant Lupe Stumblingbear. The first type, a Pap smear test, costs $150 without a screening for human papilloma virus, which is strongly connected with cervical cancer, Stumblingbear said. The HOPE test is another type and costs $60 for an office visit, pregnancy test and consultation. For an additional $15 a birth control prescription is included, Stumblingbear said. Other local stores, such as the Wal Mart pharmacy, offer generic birth control prescriptions for $9 a package or a 28-day prescription for $27, said Cassidy Doctorman, a pharmacy technician at the Wal Mart on Interstate Drive. Dennison said the effectiveness of birth control depends on the patient’s ability to follow directions. “If they can’t remember to take a pill, then it probably isn’t the best form of control,”

“Research shows, if you charge money for condoms, condom use goes down. When condoms are free and easy to get, they are more likely to be used.” Terry Dennison, director of education services for Planned Parenthood in Norman and adjunct teacher of a human sexuality class at OU Dennison said.

Why people use contraceptives People who either aren’t ready for parenthood or want space in between their children use contraceptives, Dennison said. He believes his organization’s program is preventing abortions by helping patients plan for the birth of their children. “Contraceptives give them the opportunity to focus on what they’re doing without the additional responsibility of having a child,” he said.

Career Continued from page 1 noticed an increase in students attending interviews from last year to this year. He said the free services made a major difference, and will continue to make a difference in the long run. Byford said many students would not use Career Services if it continued to charge a fee. Nursing sophomore Rachel Jones said she would not have used Career Services if the fee were still required, she thinks the program has been useful in

Braden Dempster/The Daily

A church is converting the former dance studio at 564 Buchanan Ave. to a coffee shop called Second Wind.

finding and applying for jobs. Scott said each student takes advantage of the program in a different way. “[It’s] different for each group of students, depending on what their goals are,” Scott said. In the past, students were required to pay $25 to register with the office, but did not have to pay for career fairs or activities, Scott said. She said many students thought they needed to pay every time, and did not utilize

the opportunities. She said making the services free has helped more students understand how Career Services works. “I think that eliminated that area of confusion,” she said. Chemical engineering senior Darren Hacker has used Career Services for four years. He said, regardless of the fee or not, the program is worth using to find companies and make connections to earn paid internships. “In a way, the [$25] paid for itself,” Hacker said.

Coffee Continued from page 1 the local music scene,” Ross said. Ross said the shop is a place for students to hang out, study, talk and build relationships. Second Wind will also have a concert every Friday night during the school year, two open-mic nights and a bible study on Tuesday nights. The organizers found the location in a space that used to be a Jazzercize studio already called “Second Wind.” They decided to keep the name. Now, after construction delays and installing a sound system, they have what they deemed an “intimate atmosphere,” complete with couches, armchairs and board games. Because it is run completely by volunteers, Second Wind is only open for business during its Friday night concerts, which run from 9 p.m. to midnight, and during Tuesday night Bible studies at 9 p.m. Coordinators said they are working to increase

their hours in the future. “Most college students would really enjoy hanging out at a place like Second Wind,” said broadcasting and electronic media sophomore Josh Hammell, the project’s music coordinator intern. “We are hoping to expand our hours of operation so more people can come more frequently.” Second Wind is in the process of obtaining official legal non-profit status, but for now it is still operating as a non-profit organization. The baristas are all volunteers, and part of the money made from the $5 cover charge goes to pay the band’s fee. The remaining money from the cover charge goes to a local charity determined by Second Wind and the band performing that night. Proceeds from coffee sales now go toward operating costs, but Ross said the organizers want to donate the money to charities in the future.

CORRECTION

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY

In Thursday’s edition of The Daily it was printed that $300 was raised at the OU United Way’s chili cook-oﬀ. When the winner was announced $300 had been raised, but by the end of the event $1,200 had been raised.

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.

In a story about the Sexual Assault Response Team in Thursday’s edition of The Daily there were two errors. • The program was not started last spring, but was started more than 10 years ago. • The response team is made up of staﬀ volunteers from within Student Aﬀairs, not just the Women’s Outreach Center.

ERROR SUBMISSIONS e-mail: dailynews@ou.edu phone: 325-3666

FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE October 16-17 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Goddard Health Center FREE for Students w/Valid Student ID • Aetna Filed for Employees • $20 for All Others No Appointment Necessary This clinic is for individuals age 9 and above.

Health Services ®

healthservices.ou.edu

620 Elm Avenue

M-F, 8-6

A department of Student Affairs

(405) 325-4611

For accommodations on the basis of disability, please call (405) 325-4611. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

The University of Oklahoma Campus p Activities Council Homecomingg 2008

Once Upon a Time in

Come celebrate Homecoming at the Pep Rally & Parade

Pep Rally brough to you by GEICO Insurance :

Begins at 8 a.m.

Friday, Oct. 17th, 7:00 p.m. - McCasland Field House Following Pep Rally- FREE CAC Concert Series & UPB Benefit Concert on the Union East Lawn featuring The Rocket Summer, Phantom Planet, The Secret Handshake,The Morning Light.

Parade: Saturday, October 18th at 11:30 a.m. - 3 hours prior to kick off on Boyd Street Includes over a dozen floats, motorcycles, The Pride of Oklahoma, Sooner Spirit Squad, OU Ruf Neks & more! The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. Accommodations on the basis of disability are available by calling 405.325.3163

Printing funded by UOSA.

Make Plans to Attend Today! A $25 gift card to the University of Oklahoma Bookstore will be given to the first 25 people who register.

To register online: outreach.ou.edu/cia Breakfast and lunch will be served. For more information, call (405) 325-2379 or 1-800-522-0772, extension 2379.

Ellis Goodwin, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu phone: 325-3666 fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

Campus News

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

‘Soonerland’ welcomes alumni for 88th edition of Homecoming • OU spirit soars in storybook tales JESSICA JERNIGAN Daily Staff Writer Tens of thousands of screaming fans gathered to cheer on Oklahoma football players as they beat a team from the north at the end of a week of celebrations of Sooner spirit. Sound familiar? That isn’t a reference to last year’s Homecoming weekend, when OU played Missouri, or a prediction about Saturday’s game against Kansas. It was what The Daily wrote about Homecoming in 1958, when 57,000 fans watched the Sooners shut out Missouri 39-0. The weather was a factor during Homecoming week 50 years ago, just as it was this year. “Despite wind, rain and milling crowds of people the float construction went on…in order to have floats ready for judging,” The Daily reported on Nov. 18, 1958. Rain didn’t dampen spirits this week, either, although it forced a postponement of the sidewalk chalk competition from Wednesday to Thursday. Competitions have become a bigger part of Homecoming week festivities. Once, there were just three events: a pep rally, a parade and the game, but now the week is filled with competitions in events like banner-painting, sidewalk-chalking and dancing. As the number of competitions has

Schedule change gives organizers more time, more energy Homecoming organizers say they expect ﬂoats with running water, foot-stomping dance performances and lifelike sidewalk chalk paintings because student groups got an extra week to prepare this year. Organizations typically have three weeks to get ready for Homecoming, but they were given four this year because of the timing of the OU-Texas game. Every minute of that time has been used, ac-

Clark McCaskill/The Daily

Todd Adler, University College freshman, walks Iris the puppy outside of Second Chance on NW 24th Avenue on Wednesday. The no-kill animal shelter lets students take dogs out for the day.

Lindsey Allgood/The Daily

Sooner yearbooks published 60 years apart, in 2008 (left) and 1948 (right), show Homecoming traditions at OU. Many generations crowd campus to enjoy Homecoming events each fall. increased, the nature of them has changed too. In 1958, one of the highlights of Homecoming Week was the Big Turtle Race, which had different student groups racing live turtles on campus. Homecoming began in 1920, and in 1956 the Campus Activities Council took control of the planning, Kristen Partridge, Director of Student Life, said in an e-mail. It has evolved into a large week-long event with elaborate themes. In the past, individual groups chose their own themes, despite a

cording to Ericka Burey, Campus Activities Council Homecoming chairwoman. She said that in years past, some groups didn’t choose to use all of the allotted time to prepare for Homecoming, but this year, groups started working as soon as their themes were assigned. “The Homecoming executive committee did a good job of getting everyone ﬁred up about it,” said Brittany Seymore, Kappa Kappa Gamma Homecoming chairwoman and early childhood education junior. Despite the earlier-than-usual start, group leaders said one thing that will not change is the

university-wide theme. The Daily reported on Nov. 15, 1958 that the Chi Omega Sorority chose a theme of “Tramp Missouri” while the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority chose “We Sphinx We Will Win,” for its Homecoming decorations. The campuswide theme was “Wide Wide World” in honor of OU alumni. Today participating groups agree on a central theme. This year’s theme is “Once Upon a Time in Soonerland,” drawing from the tales in storybooks.

traditional all-night pomping session on Friday. People will stay up until sunrise working on their ﬂoats before the Saturday morning parade. “It is really funny because everyone is so delirious, but they try so hard to accomplish everything,” Seymore said. Fans will be getting ﬁred up at the McCasland Field House Friday night at the pep rally. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the pep really begins at 7 p.m. Sooner supporters can also show their spirit Saturday morning at the parade on Boyd Street. The parade begins at 11:30 a.m. — JAMIE JONES/DAILY CONTRIBUTOR

Students make four-legged friends with Doggy Day Out TIFFANY HAENDEL Daily Staff Writer Andrea Golden, letters junior, has a plethora of pets. Her list includes five dogs, four cats, eight rats, four horses, two parakeets, one white rabbit and a leopard gecko. But that hasn’t stopped her from adopting a dog for a day through Second Chance Animal Sanctuary’s Doggy Day Out program, which offers students the opportunity to play with a dog for a day before returning it to the shelter for the night. “It helps to relax students from being around people constantly and to get them more involved in the community,” Golden said. Shelter office manager Paula Poole said Doggy Day Out is mutually beneficial. “It helps us because [the dogs] get out, and they get more exercise being in the public than being in a cage,” she said. Poole said the organization also attracts potential owners though this program. Since the dogs wear Second

Chance tags, people who stop to pet the dogs while walking by learn about the shelter. “It’s basically getting our animals out there, promoting that we do have healthy dogs and that they’re up for adoption,” Poole said. Second Chance does not offer a Kitty Day Out program for student cat-lovers. “Cats need stability,” Poole said. Besides these opportunities for young adults to interact with pets, a handful of universities across the nation are designating some dorms as “pet friendly,” which allow students to bring their pets to college. OU does not have any plans to allocate dorms as “pet friendly” because the structure of the rooms would not be ideal for pets, said Lauren Royston, marketing and public relations specialist for OU Housing and Food Services. She said pets could damage property and leave behind waste, which would be a health and safety concern.

You Are Invited! Class of 2009 Ring Ceremony

Honorees Regent Jon Stuart and Dee Dee Stuart Donors of the challenge grant to restore the campus after the 2007 ice storm

4 p.m.

TODAY Class of 1950 Plaza and Oklahoma Memorial Union Courtyard In case of rain, the ceremony will be moved to Beaird Lounge. For additional information or for accommodations on the basis of disability, please call (405) 325-3784. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

- THE IMPACT OF EXCELLENCE

Opinion

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

OUR VIEW

Hailey Branson, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu phone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

STAFF COLUMN

Condoms OK, even Despite everything, Americans lucky for conservatives Students shouldn’t have to explore campus too much to track down contraceptives. There are only a handful of places to get free or cheap birth control on a campus of over 30,000 students. (See page 1 for details.) Even worse, reliable information is hard to come by. When asked by a Daily reporter what OU stud e n t s OUR VIEW should do is an editorial to prevent selected and debated STDs and by the editorial board how much and written after a majority opinion is birth conformed and approved trol costs by the editor. Our View at Goddard is The Daily’s oﬃcial Health opinion. Center, a spokeswoman merely stated that “abstinence is the only complete effective protection,” though birth control options provide “some protection.” This lack of information is especially concerning for students unfortunate enough to come from federally-funded high schools — which cannot teach anything but abstinence-only sex education — or conservative homes where preventing pregnancy and STDs was never discussed. This reluctance to talk about birth control is baffling to us because contraceptives aren’t antithetical to conservatism. They’re antithetical to pregnancies and STDs. Even people who disagree about who should be having sex ought to be able to agree that those who are having sex should do so as safely as possible.

Those who think sex should be saved for marriage aren’t doing anyone any favors when they turn a blind eye to the fact that many people do not adhere to this rule. Studies show that abstinenceonly education does not prevent students from having sex. It does prevent them from knowing how to do so safely. OU should do a better job of educating its students about the risks and responsibilities associated with sex. The university has gone out of its way to warn freshmen about the dangers of alcohol consumption, even though it is illegal for most of them to drink. Why can’t it provide similar information about sex? OU sponsors SafeRide, which helps people who could be arrested for public intoxication get home safely. Why not sponsor SafeSex, a program that would put information about preventing STDs on Goddard’s Web site and condoms in the dorms? The easy objection is that it’s not the university’s place to encourage its students to have sex, but that’s a disingenous objection. Does anyone really think making contraceptives more available is going to make sex among college students more common? It’s difficult for us to imagine that condoms in XCetera are going to inspire anyone who would otherwise remain abstinent to hop in bed with the next available co-ed. But it is easy for us to imagine that condoms in XCetera might inspire someone who was going to have sex anyway to use protection and reduce the chances of an unplanned pregnancy or an STD.

YOUR VIEWS Our View about lawsuit against abortion law biased I fully realize there is no such thing as “unbiased reporting,” and there’s always going to be a little bit of left or right sway. But by supporting the Center for Reproductive Rights’ lawsuit against an Oklahoma law in Wednesday’s Our View, the Oklahoma Daily has crossed that fine line from “slightly or subtly left” to “overtly left.” And this is not the first time this has happened. As a concerned OU student, part of whose fees go to support the operation of the Daily, I will hold the Daily to high standards and expect that it will give balanced accounts when it comes to highly-controversial issues and and refrain from actively supporting causes that many people would deem to be disgraceful. I do not think the editorial board fully understands who and what they are supporting by siding with the CRR. If it does, it is an even more detestably rigged reporting agency than I thought. The Daily made a poor decision in officially supporting the actions of an organization that is just stirring up dust to promote the feminist pro-abortion agenda. By supporting the CRR’s actions, whether you intend to or not, you are supporting the cause of the CRR, and their views; and I do find it absolutely appalling that the Daily would actively stand up for this. I am not expecting the Daily to officially promote pro-life views or be in favor of the new Oklahoma law; but the caveat to that is that it is disgraceful for for this news agency to promote what what would be seen by many as an extremist left organization’s attempts to promote their agenda through any means possible. BRYAN TRACHIER METEOROLOGY JUNIOR

To kick off the final presidential debate, both candidates mentioned the fact that Americans are upset. I found this more than appropriate, as it seems that every day, more and more people have started complaining. In light of widespread critique of recent events, including the economic crisis and the upcoming elections, I think it would be beneficial to take a step back and appreciate what it means to be American. The problem I see almost every day is that most people can’t even begin to understand how well-off they are for living in this country. I was in the third grade when I moved to the veritable hell-hole that is Lagos, Nigeria, and no amount of description I can give will ever do justice to that experiZACH ence. Nigeria HOLDER is a country choked with political corruption and stunted by the exploitation of big oil companies. There were two military takeovers of the country while I was living there, and I will never forget being holed up in my house with automatic gunfire and homemade bombs going off blocks from us. Our school was protected by armed guards and barbed wire-topped concrete walls. Driving anywhere, you are immediately assailed by living conditions even the poorest in America cannot begin to fathom. Beggars are everywhere, mostly disabled, some because of natural causes, some because their parents have mutilated them in the hope that people will have more pity on them. I have seen children and babies whom families cannot afford left abandoned on the side of the road. People in Nigeria imagine all Americans are rich, which is actually partly true. Almost all Americans are richer than many Nigerians ever will be. Even the homeless in America have a better life than those in Nigeria. At least we provide soup kitchens and shelters to help out all we can. The majority of the population cannot read. The poverty level is astronomic, as 92 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. Roughly 45 percent of the

Photos.com

population has access to sanitation and water services, and even those are questionable. There is no reliable source of power in the country, and it is not unusual for the electricity to be out for days at a time. Living in a place like this for three years had a huge impact on my life. After Nigeria, I moved to the opposite end of the spectrum. Windsor, England is a small town outside of London and the weekend home of the

HIV/AIDS is reaching epidemic proportions there. The South African government is rapidly descending into corruption with the upcoming election of Jacob Zuma. Those experiences tend to throw things into perspective. Trust me when I say that Americans live better than anyone else in the world, and most of us don’t acknowledge it. Don’t get me wrong, I know that many of us are fiercely patriotic; it takes only a quick drive around Norman, keeping

The problem I see almost every single day is that most people can’t even begin to understand how well off they are for living in this country. queen. England is a country where it seems only the middle to upper classes can survive. Gas was already more than $6 per gallon, pre-9/11. The average price of a meal in a restaurant is around $35. A movie ticket? About $17. Average price of a house? $686,753.85. Needless to say, prices may be and on the rise here, but we should all count ourselves lucky it isn’t worse. I also spent a few years living in South Africa, which is a blending of Nigerian poverty in the masses, along with the high-class living of London. I spent many days in the townships trying to help as much as I could, but I was faced with the simple fact that my actions were not enough to make a huge difference.

an eye out for the multitudes of flags and nationalistic slogans, to demonstrate that. But more and more people whine about the U.S. every day. People complain about tap water and refusing to drink anything that doesn’t come from a bottle. People grumble in doctors’ offices about the wait, or the cost, when many people in the world have never even seen a doctor. People gripe about the recent football loss to Texas as if it were the most important event in the world. People go on and on about the rising gas prices and how they will affect their ability to buy that really nice new pair of shoes. My favorite complaints are

those concerning academia, which usually can be simplified into one of two core problems. Either the class is too hard, or the teacher is not good enough to teach. For those who complain about those things, at least you are in college. At least you have the good fortune to be in America, where you have the opportunity to go to college. If it really is too hard for you, then leave and let someone else have your spot. I am not naïve enough to think this country is perfect. In fact, I agree wholeheartedly with many of the people who have issues with the country in general. I also don’t think complaining is a bad thing. If we did not have the ability to voice our opinions, then we might as well be living in a fascist nation. Thanks to the Constitution and the foresight of those who wrote it, we have every right to complain about whatever it is that concerns us. However, we all should at least try to understand the difference between complaining and whining. Complaints are, hopefully, logical, factual and reasonable. Complaints should also have some sort of evidence to back them up. Complaints should be relevant to more than just one person. If for some reason not being able to buy that pair of shoes is going to affect your whole community, then, by all means, complain till you are blue in the face. Otherwise, you are just whining. ZACH HOLDER IS A LETTERS SOPHOMORE. HIS COLUMN APPEARS EVERY OTHER FRIDAY.

STAFF COLUMN

Lil Wayne may have all airspace, but is not greatest rapper alive

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T H E

The songs from this album are the ones being played every 30 minutes on the radio, causing fans to hail him as the best of the best. Lil Wayne seems to believe this himself, which he demonstrated by the way he walked off stage during the MTV awards, rapping all the way to his tour bus, where he climbed aboard, mic still in hand, and drove off. Amid all this hype, it is important to keep a level head and realize that anyone calling Lil Wayne the best rapper alive is smoking more weed than he does. A case could be made for why Lil Wayne, also affectionately known as Weezy, could be the best in the game right now. His songs are all over the radio, and he “graces” every other popular artist’s songs with his raspy voice. His rhymes are catchy and stay with you after you hear them. He is an excellent freestyler and comes up with some pretty clever metaphors that some other rappers out there could never think of. All this puts him in a league with the best lyricists in the rap game right now, but it does not make him the best. In his song “A Milli,” Lil Wayne compares himself to Andre 3000, one half of the hip-hop group Outkast. I beg to differ. Andre 3000 is a much more skilled lyricist than Wayne and has much more longevity. Several of the albums Andre has released with fellow group member Big Boi, such as ATLiens and Aquemini, have become classic, must-have albums, while none of

There is a problem that needs to be addressed: Hip-hop and R&B radio stations are playing a ridiculous amount of Lil Wayne’s songs. It must stop. More than once, I have turned on the radio and heard several of his songs in a row. Now, don’t get me wrong. I like listening to Lil Wayne sometimes, just not all the time. It is well known that the practice of paying radio stations to play a certain artist’s songs is quite common. It is frowned upon, but it still happens. I believe someone in Lil Wayne’s camp is doing this and doing it well. As his music and freestyles are constantly cirJELANI culated and drilled into consumers’ heads, people SIMS and even TIME magazine are beginning to say he is the best rapper alive. If you have yet to hear about this Louisiana rapper, that is an amazing feat, but if you are still in the dark about him, I will debrief you. Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was born in New Orleans in 1982. At the age of 14, he dropped out of school and began rapping with a group called Hot Boys. He has released six solo albums, and his latest album, The Carter III, has launched him to superstardom.

Lil Wayne’s work has yet to reach this status. A gifted young painter, even if he has exceptional skills, cannot say his work is comparable to the Mona Lisa. That artist’s paintings does not yet have the longevity or acclaim classic art has. The same could be said in comparing Lil Wayne to Andre 3000. You just can’t do it. And for that matter, you can’t compare Lil Wayne to Jay-Z, Mos Def, or any of the hip-hop greats who are still alive. Furthermore, because Lil Wayne is being allowed to take over the mainstream market, other rappers who are frankly better than him, such as Lupe Fiasco, do not get the airplay they deserve. Let me reiterate that I do believe Lil Wayne has skills and talent that have rightly earned him a spot at the forefront of hiphop. But his music should not be overplayed at the expense of other artists who are just as good as him if not better. I encourage music listeners everywhere to expand their horizons. Lil Wayne is great, but there are some even greater lyricists out there. Determining who is best in the game should have more criteria than simply who can flood the airwaves. JELANI SIMS IS A PROFESSIONAL WRITING SOPHOMORE. HIS COLUMN APPEARS EVERY OTHER FRIDAY.

U N I V E R S I T Y

The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum and OU’s independent student voice. Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and should be fewer than 250 words, typed, double spaced and signed by the author(s). Letters will be 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. Authors submitting letters in person must present photo identification. Submit letters Sunday

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through Thursday, in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters can also be submitted via e-mail to dailyopinion@ou.edu. Guest columns are accepted at editor’s discretion. ’Our View’ is the voice of The Oklahoma Daily. Editorial Board members are The Daily’s editorial staff. The board meets 1 p.m. Sundays in 160 Copeland Hall. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

OU Salutes Two Outstanding Educators

Homecoming Parade Marshals Alexander Kondonassis and Charles Mankin

lexander Kondonassis was an outstanding teacher and accomplished and productive scholar who dedicated a record 50 years to the University of Oklahoma. He joined the OU faculty in 1958 as an assistant professor of economics. The recipient of numerous teaching awards, he was named a David Ross Boyd Professor of Economics in 1970 and a Regents’ Professor of Economics in 1993.

harles Mankin dedicated 49 years of his professional life to the University. He was hired in 1959 and held numerous geology and geophysics leadership positions at the University of Oklahoma, including director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey. He was known as the “dean of state geologists” among his peers. At the time of his retirement, he was believed to be the longest serving director of any state geological survey in the country.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

- The Impact of Excellence

Sports

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

Corey DeMoss, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu phone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

OU ready to host Kansas in critical Big 12 matchup JOEY HELMER Daily Staff Writer The Sooners will face their second tough test in a row this weekend when they host No. 16 Kansas — the first-place team in the Big 12 North. The Jayhawks are fresh off a 30-14 victory at home against the Colorado Buffaloes. Prior to that they survived a scare at Iowa State when they came back from a 20-0 halftime deficit, rallying behind the second-half heroics of junior quarterback Todd Reesing. “[Reesing] does a great job,” said head coach Bob Stoops. “He makes a ton of plays. He makes something out of nothing running around, and he gets after it when he throws the ball. When he throws the ball, he throws on the run really well.”

Reesing anchors an offense that aver- team of the season to Norman. “We’ve got to come to play this week,” ages just less than 456 yards per game, said junior outside linewhich ranks 14th in the backer Keenan Clayton. “If nation. “We’ve got to not, we are going to be in Kansas is also efficient the losing seat again. But on third down, converting come to play this I don’t think that anybody 53.8 percent of the time, week. If not, we on this team has let this which ranks 3rd nationare going to be loss to Texas get us down. ally. I think it’s more of a motiIn addition, the Jayhawks have a solid defense. In in the losing seat vation.” After last weekend’s almost every category, again. loss to Texas, OU is now Kansas ranks second defensively in the Big 12 Keenan Clayton, junior ranked No. 4 and is the only top-five team other Conference — including in rushing, passing efficiency, outside linebacker than Texas to play a team ranked in the top 20 this total defense and scoring week. defense. The difficulty of the Big The Sooners realize they have their work cut for them, but are 12 should help the Sooners stay near the ready to welcome the second ranked top of the rankings if they can continue

winning, making a national title still possible. “As a whole team, we all know that all our goals are still there to be reached, and that we have got to come to play,” Clayton said. Against Kansas, history is on OU’s side. The Sooners have never lost a game immediately after the Red River Rivalry — win or loss — in the Bob Stoops era. They are 9-0 in that span and have won by an average margin of 23.4 points. Ironically, the last time the Sooners and Jayhawks met — in a game played at Arrowhead Stadium in 2005 — OU had just come off a loss against the Longhorns and defeated Kansas 19-3. This weekend’s matchup with Kansas will be the 100th meeting between the two teams. The Sooners lead the series 66-27-6.

Volleyball team set to travel to Lawrence • Sooners aim to build on Wednesday’s win with victory against the Jayhawks MATT WELCH Daily Staff Writer

Amy Frost/The Daily

Freshman Suzy Boulavsky spikes the ball during OU’s match Wednesday against Colorado. The Sooners swept that match.

Fresh off its most impressive outing in conference play this season, the OU volleyball team will aim to carry the momentum over to a road showdown on Saturday against the Kansas Jayhawks. The Sooners snapped a four-match losing skid last Wednesday with a 3-0 sweep of Colorado. While OU’s only losses at home have come at the hands of squads currently ranked in the nation’s top 25, the Sooners are winless on the road in conference play. Fortunately for OU, the Jayhawks have a 1-3 home record in Big 12 play thus far. With a home match against Nebraska on the horizon, the Sooners are in prime position to steal a match against a Kansas squad that has

dropped five of its last six matches. “[Kansas] will be a tough match at KU,” senior libero Lacy Barnes said. “They always have a good crowd and it’s a tough place to play, but it’s a completely winnable game.” Despite Kansas’ failure to post a winning record since 2004, the Jayhawks upset thenNo. 18 OU in five sets last season and have taken five of the last eight matches between the two schools. After closing out non-conference play with a mark of 6-3 this season, Kansas has struggled to find it’s footings in the ever-competitive Big 12, only managing victories over Texas Tech and Iowa State this season. The Jayhawks return five starters from 2007, with sophomore outside Karina Garlington emerging as a standout in 2008. Alongside the veteran efforts of senior middle blocker and preseason All-Big 12 selection Natalie Uhart, Garlington’s 3.88 kills per set rank fourth in the Big 12. While the Jayhawks fail to stand out as a team in any one particular category, OU head coach Santiago Restrepo isn’t letting his team take any match for granted, especially with a home outing against No. 2 Nebraska on the horizon. “We’re looking forward to hosting

Nebraska,” Restrepo said. “But really, what we do here is go one match at a time and right now, all we’re preparing for is Kansas.” The Sooners got back in the win column in a big way last Wednesday, besting Colorado in three sets (25-15, 25-21, 25-15). OU only surrendered the lead twice during the match and bested the Buffaloes in nearly every statistical category. Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Freudenrich excelled in her second stint in the starting lineup, leading the offense with 10 kills and posting a match-high eight blocks. Redshirt sophomore Francie Ekwerekwu added nine kills, while junior outside hitter Bridget Laplante tallied a match-high 13 digs. “It’s great to build some momentum,” Restrepo said, following the victory. “We’re going to Kansas and they’re very tough and it’s important to get some momentum. Now I know exactly what kind of lineup I’m going to go with.” First serve from the Horejsi Center in Lawrence, Kan., is set for 7 p.m. Following the match, OU will return to action on Oct. 25 for a 7 p.m. home contest against No. 2 Nebraska.

Sports

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

THE OKLAHOMA DAILY

Sports Staff Picks

The Daily Consensus Corey DeMoss (33-15)

Joey Helmer (32-16)

Kyle Burnett (36-12)

Steven Jones (26-22)

MJ Casiano (31-17)

Eric Dama (29-19)

Annelise Russell (33-15)

Consensus

(16) Kansas at (4) OU

(11) Missouri at (1) Texas

Missouri

Texas

Missouri

Texas

Missouri

(22) Vanderbilt at (10) Georgia

Goergia

Georgia

Vanderbilt

Georgia

Ohio State

(25) California at Arizona

Georgia Ohio State Arizona

California

Michigan State California

Ohio State Arizona

Michigan State California

Ohio State California

(17) Virginia Tech at Boston College

Virginia Tech

Boston College

Virginia Tech

Boston College

Georgia Tech at Clemson

Georgia Tech

Clemson

Georgia Tech

Kansas State at Colorado

Colorado

Kansas State

Colorado

Kansas State

Colorado

(12) Ohio State at (20) Michigan State

FRIDAY FACEOFF

What is the nation’s most surprising team? Vanderbilt ith half of the 2008 college football season officially in the books, many teams that were considered the also-rans of their conference (see: North Carolina), or were just flat out written off before the season started (see: Minnesota), have emerged as legitimate contenders. Where to begin? No. 24 Ball State is 7-0 and nationally ranked for the first time in history. Alabama, which wasn’t expected to be a contender until next year, knocked off preseason No. 1 Georgia several weeks ago and currently lays claim to the No. 2 spot in the AP Poll. Under second-year head coach Mark Brewster, Minnesota is already bowl eligible with a 6-1 record, something almost nobody expected, considering the Golden Gophers posted a 1-11 record just last season. However, despite all the teams this season that have seemingly come out of the woodwork and into the national rankings, none is more surprising than Vanderbilt. Granted, my case for the Commodores would be a lot stronger had they not lost last weekend to lowly Mississippi State, but the ‘Dores still remain tied for the top spot in the SEC East with Florida, and thus are right in the thick of things heading into the season’s second half. I have many reasons for buying a ticket onto Vanderbilt’s bandwagon, so let’s start with how the team started. Coming off a lackluster 2007 campaign — in which the squad finished 5-7 (2-6 SEC) — Vanderbilt opened 2008 with a 5-0 record, the first time the school has done so since Franklin D. Roosevelt called the White House home. That was in 1941.

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In 2008, two of the Commodores’ five wins have come against ranked opponents — then-No. 24 South Carolina and then-No. 13 Auburn. The ‘Dores will get the opportunity this weekend to put a third head on the wall when they visit No. 10 Georgia. For the record, I’m taking Vandy (see staff picks above). The job turned in by head coach Bobby Johnson is among the best in the country. Considering what Johnson has had to overcome, Vanderbilt’s season thus far is nothing short of a surprise. ERIC All five starters from last year’s offensive DAMA line are gone, including first-round draft pick Chris Williams. On top of that, the majority of the defensive front seven are first-year starters, filling the holes left by last season’s defensive exodus. One would think the offensive unit missed the bus for the last few games considering how nonexistent it has been. But Johnson has compensated for his team’s scoring woes with a defense that forces turnovers and a special teams unit that can make plays of its own. Johnson this week has made the decision to start second-string quarterback — Tulsa Union product Mackenzi Adams — over two-year starter Chris Nickson. If things go well against Georgia, Johnson will only look more like the Albert Einstein of college football. And for Vanderbilt, a school filled with miniEinsteins, the Commodores are starting to show they can have a great football team as well as great SAT scores. — ERIC DAMA IS A JOURNALISM SOPHOMORE.

Oklahoma State hen most people around the nation hear sional team that can defend and score. The team “OSU,” thy either think of Ohio State or ranks No. 4 in the nation for rushing offense, higher the guy Justin Timberlake spoofed at than any other top-10 team. The Cowboys have also scored twice as the ESPY’s because he proclaimed to the many points as they have given up. world he was a man and he was 40 years The defense is still a work in progress, old. but it held Missouri’s Heisman hopeful This year, though, the Cowboys have a Chase Daniel to only one passing touchreason to catch people’s interest with what down, while intercepting three passes. It they are doing on the gridiron. was by far Daniel’s worst outing of the Despite how unpopular that idea might season. be for many Sooner fans, Oklahoma State OSU is not the same team that in the has absolutely been the biggest surprise of past has gone down to Texas and blown the college football season. ANNELISE huge first-half leads. The Cowboys were not on anybody’s RUSSELL In the game against Missouri, OSU was list to compete in such a tough Big 12, but able to overcome some big turnovers and after last week’s victory over then-No. 3 still take down a major national championMissouri they proved they are a real conship contender. tender and not just a fluke. OSU plays Baylor this weekend, and although For years, OSU has hovered in the middle of the pack in the Big 12 South, but with OU’s loss and the Baylor is no powerhouse, it is still a chance for the potential for other heavyweights to drop a game, Cowboys to again prove themselves. If OSU can continue to improve under Mike the Cowboys’ season so far looks like it will be one Gundy this season, he will have proved his team is to remember. Some might say Alabama is the most surprising not just a holdover from Les Miles. Despite Gundy’s oh-so-eloquent outburst, there because of their undefeated status, but frankly, no one should be surprised the Tide is rolling through is actually some substance to his coaching style and the people he has on staff. the SEC. And remember, he is 41 years old now. Apparently And in the SEC, chances are Alabama will hit a roadblock against one of their conference’s other the last year has brought him some wisdom. bowl contenders. — ANNELISE RUSSELL IS A POLITICAL SCIENCE OSU has finally pulled together a multi-dimenAND JOURNALISM SOPHOMORE

State & National News

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

‘Joe the Plumber’ becomes unlikely media star JOHN SEEWER Associated Press HOLLAND, Ohio — Joe the Plumber’s story sprang a few leaks Thursday. Turns out that the man who was held up by John McCain as the typical, hardworking American taxpayer isn’t really a licensed plumber. And court documents show he owes nearly $1,200 in back taxes. “Joe,” whose name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, was cited repeatedly in Wednesday night’s final presidential debate by McCain for questioning Barack Obama’s tax policy. Wurzelbacher instantly became a media celebrity, fielding calls during the debate and facing reporters outside his home near Toledo on Thursday morning for an impromptu nationally televised news conference. The burly, bald man acknowledged he doesn’t have a plumber’s license, but said he didn’t need one because he works for someone else at a company that does residential work. But Wurzelbacher still would need to be a licensed apprentice or journeyman to work in Toledo, and he’s not, said David Golis, manager and residential building official for the Toledo Division of Building Inspection. State and local records show Wurzelbacher has no license, although his employer does. Golis said there are no records of inspectors citing Wurzelbacher for unlicensed work in Toledo. And then there was the matter of his taxes. Wurzelbacher owes the state of Ohio $1,182.98 in personal income tax, according to Lucas County Court of Common Pleas records. In January 2007, Ohio’s Department of Taxation filed a claim on his property until he pays the debt, according to the records. The lien remains active. At the debate, McCain cited Wurzelbacher as an example of someone who wants to buy a plumbing business but would be hurt by Obama’s tax plans. Wurzelbacher, a self-described conservative, had spoken to Obama at a rally Sunday near his home and asked him whether his tax plan would keep him from buying the business that currently employs him, which earns more than

AP Photo

Samule J. Wurzelbacher walks to a neighbor’s home followed by reporters Thursday in Holland, Ohio. Wurzelbacher is better known as “Joe the Plumber,” the nickname Republican John McCain bestowed on him during Wednesday’s presidential debate with Democrat Barack Obama. $250,000 a year. “Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn’t it?” Wurzelbacher asked. Obama said that under his proposal taxes on any revenue from $250,000 on down would stay the same, but that amounts above that level would be subject to a 39 percent tax, instead of the current 36 percent rate. McCain said Obama’s plan would stop entrepreneurs such as Wurzelbacher from investing in new small businesses and keep existing ones from growing. The McCain campaign posted a Web ad featuring the exchange between Wurzelbacher and Obama.

During an afternoon taping of “Late Show with David Letterman,” McCain said he had not yet spoken to Wurzelbacher, and apologized for the press attention he had received. “Joe, if you’re watching, I’m sorry,” McCain said. Wurzelbacher had to deal with a clog of two dozen reporters outside his home on a narrow street lined with ranch- and splitlevel homes Thursday morning. No detail about the divorced father of a 13-year-old boy was too small: Was he a registered voter? Did he have a plumbing license? Whom will he vote for? Leaning against his black Dodge

Durango SUV, Wurzelbacher at first was amused by it all, then overwhelmed and finally a little annoyed. “I don’t have a lot of pull. It’s not like I’m Matt Damon,” he said “I just hope I’m not making too much of a fool of myself.” He indicated he was a fan of the military and McCain but wouldn’t say who will get his vote. He is registered as a Republican, the county elections board said, because he voted in the GOP primary in March. Wurzelbacher said a McCain campaign official contacted him several days before the debate to ask him to appear with the

Obama ads in Okla. surprise local backers RON JENKINS Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY — State Democratic officials say they are a bit puzzled that television commercials in support of their party’s presidential nominee, Barack Obama, have been popping up on Oklahoma television stations. Despite his lead in national polls and in battleground states, Obama has little chance of defeating Republican nominee John McCain in Oklahoma, which makes expenditures on television advertising in the state surprising even to some Democrats. Polls have generally given McCain a 2-1 advantage over the Illinois senator in

Oklahoma, a conservative state that hasn’t voted for a Democratic nominee for president since 1964. State Democratic Party Chairman Ivan Holmes said he was surprised to see two television spots Wednesday on Oklahoma City television stations. Holmes said the Obama campaign has “not spent a penny” for yard signs to help the party drum up support for the nominee and his fellow Democrats. “We appealed to them two or three times just to help us out with yard signs to help our down ticket candidates,” he said. Jed Green, Obama’s state campaign director, said he assumed it was part of a 50-state strategy to increase Obama’s popular vote

and “hopefully provide a mandate from the populace.” He said he had no inside information, however, on the strategy behind the television ads. The Obama campaign in Chicago did not immediately reply to an e-mail request for comment. State Republican chairman Gary Jones suggested that since Obama was not coming to the state before the Nov. 4 general election, buying TV ads could be a way of appeasing Democrats who feel neglected by the Obama campaign. Also, Jones said, Obama is flush with cash. “He has so much money he doesn’t know how to spend it.”

Business groups try to block illegal immigration law TULSA — Federal law doesn’t allow for states to regulate the employment of illegal immigrants, but Oklahoma’s anti-illegal immigration law seeks to do just that, some Oklahoma business groups have argued. The groups want the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court ruling that bars state officials from enforcing employment provisions of House Bill 1804. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Tulsa Metro and Oklahoma State chambers of commerce are among the groups

arguing that the measure will harm their members in hiring. “Federal law expressly preempts state and local laws (such as HB 1804) that impose civil or criminal sanctions on employers of illegal aliens,” the groups contend in 71 pages of arguments. Oklahoma officials presented their arguments in a brief filed six weeks supporting the law, according to a story in the Tulsa World. In it, they wrote that they can’t protect the state’s legal workers from having to compete with illegal immigrants as long as the June 4 ruling by U.S.

District Judge Robin Cauthron in Oklahoma City remains in effect. HB 1804 would, among other things, make it a felony to knowingly transport illegal immigrants; require proof of citizenship to receive certain government benefits and require employers to verify a worker’s eligibility for employment in the United States before the employer could be eligible for state contracts. The law also would create a new tax-withholding category aimed at illegal immigrants and

allow the sanctioning of employers who fire workers who are in the U.S. legally and give those jobs to illegal immigrants. Cauthron’s ruling blocked enforcement of the employment portions of the law. The business groups contend that the federal 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act pre-empts the employment sections of HB 1804. The Denver-based appeals court is expected to decide the case in 2009.

candidate at a Toledo rally scheduled for Sunday. He told reporters he’s unsure if he’ll attend, since he’s now scheduled to be in New York for TV interviews. On Thursday in New Hampshire, Obama said McCain was misleading voters by proposing tax plans that favor the rich while criticizing an Obama tax plan that would raise taxes only on people making more than $250,000 a year, just 5 percent of all taxpayers. “He’s trying to suggest that a plumber is the guy he’s fighting for,” Obama said. “How many plumbers you know that are making a quarter-million dollars a year?”

State runs out of drivers manuals OKLAHOMA CITY — The state Department of Public Safety has run out of driver’s instruction manuals, prompting an outcry from tag agents and driving schools that provide them to the public. DPS officials say they are exploring ways to find funds that could be used to print more manuals, but the project is still in limbo. “We did run out of manuals several months back,” said Karen Gentry, head of the DPS driver’s license division. “We decided since the manual is online and there’s a budget crunch, we would hold off on reproducing them.” Demand for manuals increases each year. In May 2007, DPS had 100,000 manuals printed by a CareerTech center in Stillwater at a cost of about 53 cents a copy. Tag agents started reporting they were out of the manuals during the summer, Gentry said.

DPS spokesman Capt. Chris West said administrators are trying to locate federal dollars to print more manuals because there is not enough money left in the current budget. In the meantime, the agency is suggesting people go online to print out the 103-page manual. “Parents come in wanting manuals for their teenage kids, but we don’t have them,” said Cindy Rylander, auditor for the Barnes Tag Agency in Tulsa. “Who wants to print out color copies of the drivers manual?” Robert Cole, owner of the Oklahoma Driving School in Tulsa, said: “It doesn’t make much sense to me that they budget these things, then run out.” Cole said he thinks it creates a bad image to the public, especially new drivers who may be having their first contact with state government.

— AP

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National News & Details CAMPUS NOTES The Daily draws all entries for campus notes from OUDaily. com’s comprehensive, campuswide calendar. To get your event noticed, visit OUDaily. com and fill out our user-friendly form under the calendar link.

TODAY OU LIBRARIES There will be a book sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the south side of the Neustadt Wing of Bizzell Memorial Library. SCHOOL OF ART AND ART HISTORY Rie Hachiyanagi will give a lecture from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. UPB The CAC Concert Series will present a benefit show free featuring The Rocket Summer, Phantom Planet, The Secret Handshake and The Morning Light from 8:30 to 11:55 p.m. at Walker-Adams Mall.

SATURDAY SCHOOL OF MUSIC Richard Taruskin will present Issues of Russian Music in the 20th Century at 10 a.m. in the Mary Eddy and Fred Jones Auditorium at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. SUSAN G. KOMEN The foundation for breast cancer research will host a tailgating event beginning at 11:30 a.m. on the South Oval. OU FOOTBALL The Sooners will play the University of Kansas Jayhawks at 2:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

SUNDAY OU CONCRETE CANOE CAR WASH The OU Concrete Canoe team has had seven appearances in the last eight years at the national competition. To support this year’s trip, get your car washed from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Homeland’s parking lot at Robinson and W. 24th. SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS SPJ welcomes guest speaker John Owen, professor of international journalism at City University in London, at 5 p.m. in The Daily newsroom in Copeland Hall, room160. Free and open to all. ‘GLEN OR GLENDA’ SCREENING The Other Film Club presents a free screening of “Glen or Glenda” — a cult hit by the “worst director in the world” Ed Wood. 5 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Meacham Auditorium. MEN’S TENNIS AT ITA The men’s tennis team plays the ITA Central Regional Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.

POLICE REPORTS Names are compiled from the Norman Police Department or the OU Department of Public Safety. The report serves as a public record of arrests or citations, not convictions. The people here are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION Todd Allen Berg, 40, 600 block 24th Avenue Southwest, Wednesday

COUNTY WARRANT Tronn Ablaza Camua, 22, 200 block West Gray Street, Wednesday

PETTY LARCENY Stacie Marie Chambers, 20, 1400 block 24th Avenue Northwest, Wednesday Jessica Nicole Greff, 19, 1400 block 24th Avenue Northwest, Tuesday

POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA Kramer Bret Faul, 18, 2500 block Jenkins Avenue, Wednesday, also possession of drug paraphernalia Ryan Lewis Yeager, 20, 2500 block Jenkins Avenue, Wednesday, also possession of drug paraphernalia

MUNICIPAL WARRANT Jasmine Michelle Stubblefield, 20, North Porter Avenue, Wednesday

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

Dow jumps to 401 after dip ELLEN SIMON Associated Press NEW YORK — A stock market as difficult to fathom as it is volatile pulled off another stunning U-turn on Thursday, transforming a 380-point loss for the Dow Jones industrials into a 401-point gain. Was it the government’s bailout beginning to have an effect? The credit markets finally beginning to loosen up? Investors looking for a bottom in stocks? Wall Street seemed sure of this much: The whipsawing will continue. So buckle up. “You’re not going to see 50-point ranges, you’re going to see two-threefour hundred point ranges,” said Woody Dorsey, president of Market Semiotics, a financial forecasting firm in Castleton, Vt. At any other time in the history of the stock markets, a day like Thursday would be enough to draw a double take. But in these extraordinary times, it was the second-calmest day of the week. The Dow set a record on Monday with a 936-point gain. After a 77-point loss on Tuesday, a relative breather, sellers stampeded on Wednesday and drove the Dow back down 733. On Thursday, heavy selling in the morning took the Dow close to 8,200, but stocks rallied into the lunch hour and picked up steam in the afternoon. The average finished at 8,979.26. The gain of 401 points marked the 21st trading session out of the past 24 in which the Dow has finished with a tripledigit gain or loss, an unprecedented run of volatility. Thanks to a massive cash infusion by European central banks and the U.S. Treasury, interest rates on overnight, oneweek and two-week debt began to shrink, and lending loosened up just a bit. “It’s a start, but we’ve still got a long way to go,” said Kim Rupert, fixed income analyst at research firm Action

WASHINGTON — Drink a milkshake and the pleasure center in your brain gets a hit of happy — unless you’re overweight. It sounds counterintuitive. But scientists who watched young women savor milkshakes inside a brain scanner concluded that when the brain doesn’t sense enough gratification from food, people may overeat to compensate. The small but first-of-a-kind study even could predict who would pile on pounds during the next year: Those who harbored a gene that made their brain’s yum factor even more sluggish. “The more blunted your response to the milkshake taste, the more likely you are to gain weight,” said Dr. Eric Stice, a senior scientist at the Oregon Research Institute who led the work, published in Friday’s edition of the journal Science. A healthy diet and plenty of exercise are the main factors in whether someone is overweight. But scientists have long known that genetics also play a major role in obesity — and one big culprit is thought to be dopamine, the brain chemical that’s key to sensing pleasure. Eating can temporarily boost dopamine levels. Previous brain scans have suggested that the obese have fewer dopamine receptors in their brains than lean

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Social Security checks grow as stocks shrink MARTIN CRUTSINGER Associated Press

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Trader Robert Corley smiles as he works Thursday on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The Dow Jones industrials ended up more than 400 points, after falling 380 in the opening minutes of the session. Economics LLC. Loan auctions by the European Central Bank, the Bank of England and the Swiss National Bank, as well as the Federal Reserve’s plan to buy about $250 billion in bank stocks, seemed to restore some confidence to credit markets. “Credit markets are thawing,” said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank. “The fear I had that

our capital market system would grind to a halt — I don’t have that concern. I can sleep all night now.” The economic picture did not look much rosier. Prices stayed flat overall in September, the government reported — meaning inflation is in check, at least for now. Gas, clothes and new cars got cheaper, and food, medical care and other items got more expensive.

Study may unlock secret to food urges LAURAN NEERGAARD Associated Press

people. And a particular gene version, called Taq1A1, is linked to fewer dopamine receptors. “This paper takes it one step farther,” said Dr. Nora Volkow of the National Institutes of Health, a dopamine specialist who has long studied the obesity link. “It takes the gene associated with greater vulnerability for obesity and asks the question why. What is it doing to the way the brain is functioning that would make a person more vulnerable to compulsively eat food and become obese?” It’s “very elegant work,” she added. First, Stice’s team had to figure out how to study the brain’s immediate reactions to food. Moving inside an MRI machine skews its measurements, which ruled out letting the women slurp up the milkshakes. Yale University neuroscientist Dana Small solved that problem, with a special syringe that would squirt a small amount of milkshake or, for comparison, a tasteless solution into the mouth without study participants moving. They were told when to swallow, so researchers could coordinate the scans with that small motion. Then they recruited volunteers, 43 female college students ages 18 to 22 and 33 teenagers, ages 14 to 18. Body mass index calculations showed the young women spanned the range from very skinny to obese.

Brain scanning showed that a key region called the dorsal striatum — a dopamine-rich pleasure center — became active when they tasted the milkshake, but not when they tasted the comparison liquid that just mimicked saliva. Yet that brain region was far less active in overweight people than in lean people, and in those who carry that A1 gene variant, the researchers reported. Moreover, women with that gene version were more likely to gain weight over the coming year. It’s a small study with few gene carriers, and thus must be verified, Volkow stressed. Still, it could have important implications. Volkow, who heads NIH’s National Institute of Drug Abuse, notes that “dopamine is not just about pleasure.” It also plays a role in conditioning — dopamine levels affect drug addiction — and the ability to control impulses. She wonders if instead of overeating to compensate for the lack of pleasure — Stice’s conclusion — the study really might show that these people with malfunctioning dopamine in fact eat because they’re impulsive. Regardless, most people’s tongues find a milkshake quite tasty; the brain reaction is subconscious.

WASHINGTON — Social Security checks are going up $63 a month for the typical retiree — the largest increase in more than a quarter century but likely to seem puny to the millions who have been watching in horror as Wall Street lays waste to their retirement nest eggs. Every little bit helps, but the boost is coming after a year when people living on fixed incomes have been pounded by surging energy prices and higher food costs — and lately have been seen their lifetime savings shrivel along with the stock market. The yearly adjustment in Social Security checks is linked to government inflation figures, but advocacy groups for seniors say it’s far short of what the typical retiree needs to keep up with rising living costs. The Senior Citizens League said it did a study that indicated people 65 and over have lost 51 percent of their buying power since 2000, with the price of home heating oil and gasoline more than doubling since the beginning of the decade and such food staples as eggs and potatoes showing big increases as well. “Although the word crisis gets thrown around a lot in our national dialogue, there’s no other word to describe it. Millions of our nation’s seniors are facing an economic crisis,” says Daniel O’Connell, the league’s chairman. Adds Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com: “Most households will take any cash they can get in these very difficult times when seniors have been panicked watching the fall in stock prices and what is happening to banks where many of them have their CDs.” The 5.8 percent increase announced Thursday by the Social Security Administration will go to the 50 million Americans receiving benefits. It is the biggest jump since the 7.4 percent of 1982. The $63 typical monthly increase compares to the $24 advance that retirees saw in this year’s benefit checks, an increase of just 2.3 percent and the smallest in four years. The typical retiree’s monthly check will go from $1,090 to $1,153. The upcoming help for the retirees should help the faltering economy as well, assuming they spend much or all of the additional money. “It gives people a little extra spending power that they can take to the shopping mall,” said David Wyss, chief economist at Moody’s Economy. com. Retirees will also be getting help from falling gasoline prices, which had surged earlier in the year but now are falling sharply. In another break for most retirees, the cost of living increase will not be eaten up by higher monthly premiums for the part of Medicare that pays for physician services. Because of gains in the Medicare Part B trust fund, that premium will hold steady at $96.40 a month, although higher-income people including couples making more than $170,000 annually will see their premiums increase. In some unwelcome news for millions of people who have not yet retired, the government also announced Thursday that the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax will increase next year to $106,800, from $102,000 this year. Of the 164 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2009, about 11 million will pay higher taxes as a result of this increase. The newly announced cost-of-living benefit will go to more than 55 million Americans. More than 50 million receive Social Security benefits, while the rest get Supplemental Security Income payments for the poor. For an average couple, with both getting Social Security benefits, monthly checks will go up by $103 a month, to $1,876.

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Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

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ENTERTAINMENT FEMALE SINGER NEEDED Local Recording/Publishing/Production Company seeking fresh, sound to develop into possible solo/collaborative projects. Song writing and live performance skills important. Please call 405945-1959 or e-mail us studio115norman@yahoo. com.

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PETS Adorable French bull dogs, Yorkshire terriers, and English bulldogs, male and females available for sale, full breed, AKC reg. Health guarantee, 8 wks old, $700.00. Contact Jessica for more info at jessy_jefferson@hotmail.com.

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CASTING!! Models Needed for Football Game Promo October 18 GO TO www.Linkingpromotions. com 305-551-6938 email jeny@Lpmiami.net Attention Student Work $15 Base/Appt Flex sched, scholarships possible, customer sales/service, no exp nec, all ages 17+, conditions apply. Norman/OKC/Moore Call Now, 405-307-0979 Bilingual/Bicultural Spanish/English Translators Wanted (PT) Seeking research assistant to conduct interviews w/ Hispanic youth in central OK FA08-SP09, $10/hour + expenses, days and hours will vary; applicants must be flexible, and must provide 2 professional references. Call 605-677-9303 for more info! America’s FAST LANE is now hiring lube techs, car wash attendants, service advisors, cashiers, and management trainees. Full and part-time positions are available with no experience necessary. Fast Lanes offers competitive pay, flexible schedules, and opportunity for advancement. Apply in person at 1235 West Main Street, Norman OK or call 321-5260.

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HELP WANTED Norman, OK Commercial Janitorial service, immediate openings for someone with cleaning experience, early riser and hard worker, M-F 2 hours a day between 6am-10am. Call or text 642-1326. Looking to make a difference? Positions available PT/FT, paid training, needed male/female, starting at $7.50 and up. Working with individuals with developmental disabilities. Must be 18+. Call Panhandle Opportunities at 942-4822. SOONERSNEEDJOBS.COM Paid survey takers needed in Norman 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys. Bartending! Up to $250/day. No exp nec. Training provided. 1-800-965-6520, x133.

PAID. EGG DONORS for up to 9 donations, + Exps, non-smokers, Ages 19-29, SAT>1100/ACT>24/GPA>3.00 Contact: info@eggdonorcenter.com

J Housing Rentals APTS. FURNISHED $400, bills paid, efficiency LOFT apartments, downtown over Mister Robert Furniture, 109 E Main, fire sprinkler, no pets, smoke-free. Inquire store office.

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Brookhollow & The Cedars, 1-2-3 bed apt homes, approx 1 mi from OU. Great prices & service. Your home away from home! 405-329-6652 VERY NICE!!!, 800 sf, 1 bdrm, living room, kitchen, bth, wood floors, 1 block OU, 1018 S College, $275/mo. Call 306-1970 or 360-2873.

$99 1st Month/$99 Deposit *some restrictions may apply. Plus $25 Off Your Monthly Rent! Pets Welcome! Large Floor plans! Models open 8a-8p Everyday! Elite Properties 360-6624 or www.elite2900.com

DUPLEXES UNFURNISHED 1/2 Mo Free-Walk To OU Save On Utilities w/Energy Efficient Windows Prefer quiet OU students, no pets, 2 bdrms, carpet, blinds, CH/A, appliances plus big w/d, $440/ mo. 203-3493 or 321-4404.

HOUSES UNFURNISHED 3 bd, 2 ba, 2 cr, $950+dep, ADT security, near OU, remodeled, pets ok, lg yard. 405-819-7218. Near OU 1111 Louise Ln, 3/2/2, $750/mo; 826 Jona Kay, 3/2/2/2 living, $950/mo; 1301 Keystone 3/1/1, $625/mo; 910 Quanah Parker 2/1/1 $600/mo.360-2873 or 306-1970.

ROOMMATES WANTED 1 bdrm of 3 bdrm house for rent, female only to join other 2 female students. No pets/smokers, very close to OU, all bills paid, but elec has 1/3 cap., $325/mo. Call 909-238-2941.

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First Bank & Trust Co. has an immediate opening for Part Time Tellers. Previous banking experience is preferred or background in retail. Strong customer service skills required. Apply in person at First Bank & Trust Co., 2330 36th Ave NW Norman or send resume’ to Human Resources, P.O. Box 580, Duncan, OK 73534. EOE, M/F/D/V Earn...$$$$, Looking for a Web Development/Script Program-er to build an Interactive Website. Experience a must! Only serious inquiries apply. Email interest and resumes to donovandeanw@yahoo.com. MetroShoe Warehouse Now Hiring, must work some weekday mornings. Apply in person at 1732 24th Ave, just north of Super Target. Nanny needed for 1 child, 30+ hours in Norman. Must have own transportation, clean background and driving record required. Call 412-7795.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -There are indications that you are likely to be in the thoughts of more than a few of friends, so don’t be surprised if your cell phone is ringing and your e-mail is filling up.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -You have a talent for making people feel as if they are important to you and others. This appreciation brings out the best they have to offer.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- If you’re interested in teaming up in a joint endeavor, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding some key people who can collectively help make it a success.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You’ll realize that eliminating unnecessary elements or cutting corners can become a savings equivalent to earnings. Spend a little time doing so, and you’ll give yourself a raise.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Strive to be as good a listener as you are a talker. Knowledge and growth comes from sharing bits of information, while nothing more is gained from listening to your own voice.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Your communicative skills will play a key role in establishing helpful social contacts and make at least two new friendships in the process. One could become a close friend.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Small factors could take on more significance than usual, and one reason is that your awareness for detail is highly accentuated. It’s amazing what is hidden among the chatter.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Ask some thought-provoking questions about information that you need, and it can be uncovered with little effort. You’ll quickly discover that others are eager to share what they know.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- It’s natural to feel more at ease with those whose politics and philosophies are in lockstep with your own. Give yourself a rest, and stay clear of people who always make you defend your positions.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- It’s usually the little things that seem to matter the most. Make sure that you have kind words and thoughtful gestures to offer everyone you meet, and you’ll make a good and lasting impression.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Think about ways to get more mileage out of your budget. You’re quite clever at this time and could come up with a gem of an idea to better utilize what you have to work with.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Although you are more astute than most concerning financial matters, you won’t use this edge to take advantage of anyone in any way.

ACROSS 1 Starch source, informally 5 Spend the night 9 Eagle’s descent 14 Five-star 15 True north spot 16 Eyelashes 17 Is all motion with no progress 20 Voodoo doctor’s doing 21 Actions on heartstrings 22 Cast iron and bronze 23 Source of low pitches? 24 Like champion racehorses 25 Take, as a position 28 Result of a peen to the bean 29 Anita Brookner’s “Hotel du ___” 32 Happy sound 33 Mantra assigner 34 Kibbutz dance 35 Creates a sale, in a way 38 Light blue ghost in Pac-Man 39 Be fond of 40 Related on the mother’s side 41 “L.A. Law” co-star 42 Size-

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Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

Edited by Timothy E. Parker October 17, 2008

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challenged and then some 43 Ed or Ed Jr. of Tinseltown 44 Drinking bouts 45 Went headlong 46 Waylay 49 Sunblock container 50 Culinary general? 53 Emphatically refuses, in a way 56 Cause rhapsody 57 Abbr. in a library catalog 58 Sloping type (Abbr.) 59 Finish in the top three, in the Olympics 60 Creative inspiration 61 Deprive of DOWN 1 French door component 2 Bishop of Rome 3 Alternative to Windows 4 Code for the Mile High City’s airport 5 Other half, so to speak 6 Hot dog picker-upper 7 They’re served in pint-sized glasses 8 Intercom response 9 Carry with effort 10 Brandish

11 Breakfast smear 12 Unctuous 13 React to a weak hand 18 Pen pal’s purchase 19 Pre-exercise exercise 23 Strapping 24 TV detective played by Gene Barry 25 Sharp on the tongue 26 Excelled 27 Lustrous or satinlike 28 Like a rabbit’s foot, supposedly 29 Indigenous 30 Ridge produced by glaciation 31 Celebrated engineer Jones 33 Items in a stock record, hopefully 34 Depend (on)

36 Orchard problem 37 Bullock’s co-star in “Speed” 42 Hanging ornament 43 Not field cleanly 44 Undemocratic government 45 Creator of the count of Monte Cristo 46 “Up and ___!” 47 Drug carrier 48 Slender fastener 49 Tarlatan garment 50 Board at the track 51 Pen that swims 52 Word before a discounted price, perhaps 54 Haw partner 55 Accomplished

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Arts & Entertainment

Adam Kohut, A&E editor dailyent@ou.edu phone: 325-5189, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

Merrill Jones/The Daily

Rie Hachiyanagi’s piece features infant figures suspended by string and sculpture. The art focuses on the increasing growth rate of the population and is featured in the Lightwell Gallery of OU’s School of Art and Art History.

Sculpture brings birth to Lightwell Gallery CHRISTY SHULER Daily Staff Writer A large scale installation created by Japanese artist Rie Hachiyanagi with the help of more than 500 volunteers is now on display at the Lightwell Gallery in the OU School of Art and Art History, 520 Parrington Oval. The exhibit, titled “One Million Every Four Days,” opened Oct. 5 and runs until Nov. 21. “The impact of this figure is difficult to comprehend. One thousand baby dolls in this installation merely represent one thousandth of that reality,” Hachiyanagi said. The installation is made of thousands of pieces of plexiglass, and hangs freely from the ceiling of the 54,000 cubic foot gallery. Within the work are the tiny

baby figurines, which were hung by the volunteers. “This installation is inspired by our ever more complex relationship to birth and the precarious balance of our life,” Hachiyanagi said. The piece represents the 1 million people born every four days and addresses the issue of overpopulation as well as the volunteers’ perceptions about birth in general. “[Hachiyanagi] had students connect them while thinking about birth and the issue of overpopulation” Jordan Strickland, studio art senior and a volunteer who helped construct the piece, said. Strickland said the volunteers were each asked to write a comment on a piece of paper regarding their feelings about birth. The comments surround the structure on all four walls of the gallery. Some have left messages pushing

contraception, while others are highly personal. In one comment, a student reveals, “I’m afraid humans will destroy this planet.” Hachiyanagi said the importance of the comments is that one can “read each other’s words while you visually experience embodied thoughts through baby doll arrangements.” Tes Barton, studio art senior, said her favorite part of the experience was the interaction with the community and getting to hear people converse about the project. “This community effort or participatory type of art allows for a sense of ownership by the people who worked on the art so closely,” said professor Jonathan Hils, graduate liaison for the OU School of Art and Art History, said. Hils was involved in the initiation of Lightwell

Projects, which he said was “aimed at bringing contemporary artists to the school to realize large-scale projects.” “I’ve received feedback from students that this was the most significant thing they’ve done as a student here — they felt like they were a part of a real project that wasn’t an exercise for class,” he said. Barton said she believes the exhibit will have just as large of an impact on others as it has had on volunteers. “I think it’s a powerful piece” she said. “I don’t think you can go away unaffected.” Hachiyanagi will speak at 6 p.m. today in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave. She will discuss her past work with installations and performance art, as well as her current piece. The lecture is free and open to the public.

WANT MORE A&E? Can’t get enough Arts & Entertainment? Visit oudaily.com for more A&E content, including this week’s edition of Fashion Friday and a feature on Rawhide, a local western culture boutique.

5 9

Previous Solution

2 6 8 8 4

7 3 2

9 1

5 1

6 3 8 4

4 7 5

7 9

7 5 9 3 6 8 1 4 2

8 1 2 4 7 9 6 5 3

3 6 4 2 1 5 9 8 7

4 7 8 6 2 1 3 9 5

5 3 1 7 9 4 8 2 6

2 9 6 5 8 3 7 1 4

6 8 7 9 5 2 4 3 1

9 4 5 1 3 7 2 6 8

1 2 3 8 4 6 5 7 9

Difficulty Schedule: 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.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact (405)325-3163

Arts & Entertainment

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008

Bullets and ‘bees’: the weekend in film ‘MAX PAYNE’ ost films adapted from video games have a pesky habit of achieving the entertainment value of watching someone else play that game for about two hours. Fortunately, “Max Payne” eschews the monotonous first-person shooter mentality that has driven most video game movies, and focuses on actually developing a story. Unfortunately, it finds plenty of other ways to be boring. For a film that’s as big and loud as this one, it sure has a hard time keeping your attention. The clean-cut Mark Wahlberg is woefully miscast as the titular antihero – Max Payne is a gritty, mean and pissed off dude. The most Wahlberg manages to do to communicate that is not smile. He’s supposed to be hell-bent on revenge after the unsolved murders of his wife and child, but it’s never convincing. Max is joined in his quest for the truth by the mysterious Mona Sax (Mila Kunis) after the unsolved murder of her sister. Mona roams the streets with her badass posse, but it’s never clear what her significance is in the grand scheme of things. “You know what I am,” she tells Max, but the audience sure doesn’t. All we know is that she wears a lot of eyeliner. Director John Moore (“Behind Enemy Lines”) either fails or refuses to imbue his characters and their situations with any substance. No one expects a film like “Max Payne” to focus on character development, but as more and more random people come into the story and either die or kill someone else, it starts to matter less and less. The supporting cast is mostly interchangeable (although I enjoyed a few unintentional laughs at the appearance of washed-up actors Chris O’Donnell and Beau Bridges,) and most of the middle of the film is expendable. You could cut out a random scene here or there, and no one would notice. It’s all bluster and filler. What Moore does manage to achieve is a nice sense of style, constantly shrouding his version of New York City in shadow and a perpetual snowfall that never seems to touch the ground.

‘THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES’ akota Fanning must be stopped. I’m serious. The scenery-chewing 14-yearold has engaged in her fair share of histrionics in films up to this point, but never has it been so overwrought and obnoxious as in “The Secret Life of Bees,” a racial tension drama based on the bestselling novel by Sue Monk Kidd. Fanning plays Lily, a girl whose mother died tragically and whose father has an anger problem he deals with by forcing her to kneel on a pile of grits on the kitchen floor, shredding her knees. Lily has plenty of reason to be troubled, but subtlety has never been on Fanning’s radar, and she plays it with a typically overacted series of emotional breakdowns. The film is set in racially charged South Carolina during the 1960s, and follows Lily as she runs away from home with her caretaker Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson) after Rosaleen is nearly beaten to death by several white men. Desperate for shelter, they come across the home of the Boatwright sisters, August, June and May (Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo). Originally women in their 60s in the book, their ages have been cut in half for the film for obvious reasons. It may be a lazy metaphor, but the entire screenplay is coated with the same kind of sweet, sticky honey that the Boatwright sisters produce. On the saccharine scale, this one falls somewhere around the sweetness-induced coma level. If having your heartstrings yanked on for nearly two hours is your thing, “The Secret Life of Bees” is your kind of film. This is a movie that makes no pretense about its goal to emotionally manipulate the audience, and I can respect that. In this regard, Fanning was the perfect casting choice – her acting and the guidance she’s been given by many directors has been nothing but an exercise in manipulation. Fortunately, the older actors give their characters a little more nuance, even if the screenplay doesn’t offer much. Latifah anchors the film with a solid performance, even though her character description probably said little more than “a kindly black woman” and Keys is good as the bitchy sister, but

Photo provided

Moore owes a lot visually to the noir heritage, and films like “Sin City” and “The Matrix,” which means his film tends to feel a bit derivative at times. Mostly though, it’s a solid visual spectacle, other than a hokey subplot that features utterly ridiculous-looking winged creatures. Still, “Max Payne” has a big problem – its audience has no reason to feel invested in what happens. Even the die-hard action fan requires a reason to care, and although the film serves as passable entertainment if you’re willing to shut off your brain, Wahlberg fails to create any connection between his character and the audience. His plight in the film may be dramatic, but five minutes after you’re out of the theater, who cares? — D USTY S OMERS IS A JOURNALISM JUNIOR.

Photo provided

it’s Okonedo who really stands out in an emotionally-driven performance that thankfully shows some restraint. Jennifer Hudson, who hasn’t landed a decent role since her Oscar-winning debut in “Dreamgirls,” kind of gets pushed to the side though, and finds herself without much to do. “The Secret Life of Bees” knows exactly what its target demographic is, and I’m sure those that fall within it will see it in droves. It’s the kind of movie that has a built-in audience who will give it nothing but glowing reports as long as it strives to be inspirational and leaves its audience with a happy feeling. “The Secret Life of Bees” holds up its end of the bargain. Just be prepared for that inevitable stomachache that comes as the result of too many sweets. — DUSTY SOMERS/THE DAILY

OU STUDENTS YOU ARE INVITED! Panel Discussions on

U.S.-China Relations Monday, Oct. 20, 2008

Panel I: “30 Years of U.S.-China Relations, 1979-2009” 10 a.m. - Mary Eddy and Fred Jones Auditorium, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art

Panel II: “The Future of U.S.-China Relations” 2 p.m. - Beaird Lounge, Oklahoma Memorial Union

featuring J. Stapleton Roy, former U.S. Ambassador to China Zhou Wenzhong, Ambassador of China to the U.S. Richard C. Bush, former managing director, the American Institute in Taiwan David Gries, former senior CIA ofﬁcer, U.S. Embassy, Beijing Wu Xinbo, Professor, Fudan University, China

For accommodations on the basis of disability, call the Ofﬁce of Special Events at (405) 325-3784. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.