The Oklahoma Daily

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VOL. 94, NO. 109 FREE — Additional Copies 25¢

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009 © 2009 OU Publications Board

OU Medical Center patient diseased with no diagnosis • Nursing student sells bracelets to raise money RENEÉ SELANDERS The Oklahoma Daily

Photo provided.

Billy Anderson is seen in the hospital with his daughter on Nov. 11, 2008.

CAMPUS BRIEFS OHLAP funding could expand Oklahoma House Bill 2249, designed to increase the number of students who qualify for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program, passed on a 96-3 vote Wednesday.

The bill, proposed by State Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, will increase the number of families eligible for the program. The current nontaxable income cutoff is $50,000, but if Terrill’s bill passes the Oklahoma State Senate, requirements would change to include children from a family of four with a gross annual income of $57,000, or children from a family of six making $64,000.

“We know that many middle-class parents, particularly those with several children at home, will struggle to pay for their children’s education,” Terrill said in a press release. “They make too much money to qualify for most financial aid programs, but not enough to cover the cost for several children to go to college.

This bill will help children from those hardworking families.”

In order for students to receive aid from OHLAP, they must meet the income requirements, complete a core college curriculum, maintain a 2.5 grade-point average and exhibit good behavior during their high school careers.

Fourteen months ago, 29-yearold bartender Billy Anderson weighed 240 pounds, a proportionate weight to his 6-foot frame.

On Monday, he weighed in at 134 pounds at OU Medical Center and doctors don’t know why.

Fourteen months ago, the former Tulsa resident was a picture of good health, with only one previous hospital visit his entire life.

Since Jan. 6, 2008, he has lived in four different hospitals and suffered from ulcers, chronic diarrhea, frequent vomiting, constant hiccupping and general malaise.

He was transferred to OU

Medical Center in August after three stays at Missouri hospitals.

The last 14 months have been a devastating experience, said Nikki Peterson, Anderson’s wife. Her husband’s transformation from a healthy man to a chronically ill and frail hospital patient has turned her world upside down, but one of the most overwhelming aspects of her husband’s condition is that no doctor has been able to diagnose his illness.

Peterson said the majority of Anderson’s problems stem from immune system and abdominal ailments, but without a definite diagnosis, finding effective treatments for her husband is difficult.

“It’s devastating and it’s been catastrophic,” she said. “You know, first and foremost, to watch him suffer and there’s nothing you can do and nobody can tell you anything is just unbearable.”

Anderson first was admitted to an ICU at a hospital in Joplin, Mo. last January after doctors

discovered that a crucial immune system cell production process in Anderson’s body had stopped.

In February 2008, he was moved to the University of Missouri Medical Center in Columbia, and in April, he transferred to BarnesJewish Hospital in St. Louis.

Peterson said after a series of failed diagnoses and a brief threeday discharge from Barnes-Jewish Hospital to the family’s home in Kansas, he returned to the Joplin hospital in July.

Peterson said after reviewing Anderson’s options for treatment, she decided OU Medical Center was the best option for her family because of its proximity to Tulsa.

Anderson has spent the last six months at OU Medical Center.

Peterson said one of the most distressing aspects of her husband’s illness is the effect it has on their two daughters. Peterson’s 5-year-old stepdaughter and 3-year-

PATIENT Continues on page 2A

From battlefield to playing field • Veteran brings Marine intensity to lacrosse team CLAIRE BRANDON The Oklahoma Daily Lacrosse goalie Conner Zwinggi has had to protect more than just the goal in his 22 years.

Dressed from head to toe in college athletic apparel, he might appear as an ordinary lacrosse player, but this sophom o r e ’ s unique past distinguishes him from the rest.

Before attending OU as a lacrosse player and construction science major, Zwinggi served in Iraq and was honored with the Purple Heart award.

“I just really wanted to do something different, adventurous,” Zwinggi said.

— KATE CUNNINGHAM/THE DAILY

LIFE & ARTS What’s happening in your neck of the woods? Check out the Weekend Update to find out! Page 1B.

Arlington prior to enlisting in the military.

Following boot camp, Zwinggi spent the next year and a half stationed in Hawaii.

He spent three months in the Marine Corps Infantry in Haditha, Iraq, performing combat patrols and operations.

“We would drive around the city pretty much just waiting to get shot at,” Zwinggi said.

“We were constantly aware of situations, and if anything did come up, we would react accordingly.”

With two sons in the military, Zwinggi’s father, Chris Zwinggi, said he has mixed emotions about his sons’ enlistments. Zwinggi’s older brother, Tyler Zwinggi, is on active duty in the Army and has served in Iraq twice.

“Obviously you’re very proud they chose to serve our country,” Chris Zwinggi said. “At the same time, given the circumstances, it’s somewhat nerve-racking knowing they can be sent over there at any time. But I’m extra proud.”

The Purple Heart

Chris Zwinggi often feared he would receive a phone call After graduating from informing him of one of his Coppell High School in 2004, Zwinggi spent a semester at FIELD Continues on page 2A the University of Texas at

Life as a Marine

The former director of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art will be taking over the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, TX. Check out his story on page 2B.

SPORTS The women’s basketball team played their final home game last night and seniors Courtney and Ashley Paris got sent off in the right way, winning 61-49. For details, see page 3B. Men’s basketball was at Missouri last night for a battle of two of the Big 12’s elite teams.

The Sooners were unable to win on the Tigers’ home court, losing 64-73.Page 3 Above: Zach Butler/The Daily; Right: Photo Provided

TODAY’S INDEX Campus Notes 5A Classifieds 4B 4B Crossword Horoscope 5B L&A 1B, 2B

News 3A, 5A, 6A Opinion 4A Police Reports 5A Sports 3B, 5B Sudoku 4B

Construction science sophomore Conner Zwinggi earned a purple heart from injuries he sustained while serving with the Marines in Iraq (right). Zwinggi never expected to play lacrosse again after the injuries, but is now the goalie for the OU lacrosse team.

Lebanese, Jewish students unite to defuse mines, tensions

TODAY

• Hillel and Lebanese Student Association co-sponsor event for first time

FRIDAY

LAUREN STALFORD The Oklahoma Daily

WEATHER FORECAST

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LOW 61° HIGH 78° Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

Photo provided

Conner Zwinggi in 2006, serving in Iraq

Dozens of Jewish and Lebanese students came together Wednesday to overcome animosity between their peoples and aid war-torn Lebanon.

The Hillel Jewish Student Organization and the Lebanese Student Association

“It’s very difficult to undo hatred, but we have to start somewhere ... War may be contagious, but so is peace.”

co-sponsored the event at the Oklahoma Memorial Union to eat and raise money for land mine removal in southern Lebanon.

Unlike many events pertaining to the Middle East, “A Night of Peace: Open Mines” was designed to provide a solution rather than prove a political point said Daniel Reches, international business junior and Hillel member.

While the land mine crisis is a huge problem, it has escaped the attention of the OU community, Reches said.

The problem extends back to the 1975Yonathan Reches, Hillel 1990 Lebanese Civil War and the Israel occupation of Lebanon which ended in 2000. mines bring continuous suffering to War is not just fighting on a battle the Lebanese people, Alajaji said. ground, said Ephraim Alajaji, political sciCivil engineering junior Yonathan ence junior and member of the LSA. The Reches, who spearheaded the event,

called the land mines an impediment to peace.

“Peace can never flourish where there is reminisce of death,” he said.

Marc Breidy, civil engineering senior and LSA president, said Wednesday’s event was the first time Hillel and the LSA had partnered.

Jewish organization supporting the removal of Israeli mines from Lebanon makes a powerful statement, psychology senior Amy Hamilton said.

Yonathan Reches said his idea raised debate among Hillel members. Some worried sponsoring the event would imply Israel was responsible for the situation.

“It’s very difficult to undo hatred, but we have to start somewhere,” he said.

“War may be contagious, but so is peace.”

EVEN

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News

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Field

Patient

Continued from page 1A

Continued from page 1A Zwinggi said.

The scar on his knee is eight inches long on the outside and six inches on the inside.

“It’s really a good bar story,” Zwinggi said.

OU lacrosse

Amy Frost/The Daily

Above: Conner Zwinggi, goalie for the OU club lacrosse team and recipient of a Purple Heart, practices with the team.

Wednesday. Zwinggi is a construction science major and served with the Marines in Iraq.

Below: Zwinggi shows the purple heart he received for injuries sustained while serving in Iraq.

sons’ death.

“You always expect that any phone call can be a phone call that you don’t ever want to get,” Chris Zwinggi said.

One Friday in September 2006, the Zwinggi house in Coppell, Texas, received a different phone call from Iraq, when Zwinggi informed his family he had been injured.

Insurgents had detonated two bombs on his base. The first sent

him and five other Marines about six feet in the air. The second sent a large piece of metal through his left knee and underneath his kneecap before emerging out of the opposite side.

His friend wrapped the tourniquet, a rope with a stick on one end, around his leg.

“If he hadn’t, I would have bled [to death] in about 30 to 45 seconds,” Zwinggi said.

He spent the next month and a

half hospitalized in Iraq, Germany and Washington D.C. Initially, doctors predicted Zwinggi would need amputation, but Zwinggi underwent surgery.

The surgery had been performed twice before, but had never been successful and resulted in amputation both times. His case was the surgery’s first success, Zwinggi said.

After a total of five surgeries, Zwinggi’s knee was reconstructed with synthetic ligaments.

Re-adjusting to civilian life after being released from the hospital took time for Zwinggi. Driving home from the airport, he was paranoid, Chris Zwinggi said. He reacted differently to sounds and looked suspiciously at his surroundings.

“Some wounds heal and I think Conner has healed a lot emotionally just as he has physically,” Chris Zwinggi said.

In October 2007, Zwinggi was awarded the Purple Heart.

“For me, it was just like being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it was a huge honor for me,”

EVEN

Zwinggi came to OU in fall 2007, partially because he had heard OU had a lacrosse team. This is Zwinggi’s 10th year playing the sport, but in high school he didn’t presume he would play in college.

“I thought as soon as my high school days were over my playing days were over,” Zwinggi said.

On the field, Zwinggi is able to apply skills learned from the Marine Corps, including high endurance, teamwork and communication skills.

“Over there, good communication is not only essential, it’s lifesaving,” Zwinggi said. “It doesn’t translate over to lacrosse 100 percent, but it does help a great deal.”

A high tolerance for pain is another skill Zwinggi attained in Iraq, where his bullet-proof body armor weighed him down nearly 80 pounds.

Last season, Zwinggi broke both his thumbs, one at practice and one at a game, but taped them up and continued playing.

“The military teaches you teamwork, sacrifice and commitment,” Lacrosse head coach Max Dugan said. “He has a commitment to playing when he’s hurt.”

When first playing lacrosse at OU, Zwinggi landed on his previously injured knee causing it to roll the wrong way. After recovering for two weeks, he was back in the game again and hasn’t had any serious problems since.

“He comes out and attacks you,” freshman defender Ryan Beauchamp said. “He’s not afraid.”

Zwinggi knows as the goalie the team depends on him, Dugan said.

“He has learned really well he can focus on the task at hand, and as a goalie that’s very important,” Dugan said. “He’s the last defense before the ball goes into the net.”

Now, about two-and-one-half years since his injury, Zwinggi said he’s likely to be asked to return to Iraq and would go in a heartbeat.

old daughter Londyn have had a difficult time adjusting, she said.

“To hear your children cry because they want their daddy at night when you’re putting them to bed, it’s pretty heartwrenching,” Peterson said.

Peterson said she splits her time between OU Medical Center and Tulsa, where her mother and Londyn live.

Though her family’s experience throughout the ordeal has been emotionally draining, Peterson said she and her family have a sure way of coping with her husband’s sickness.

“We spend a lot of time in prayer first and foremost,” she said. “We are a faithful family, and we pray a lot.”

Peterson has been able to form a support base at OU Medical Center with secondsemester nursing student Aaron Leddy, who took a special interest in Anderson’s case while participating in his first set of patient rounds last semester.

“All the patients had an answer, and Billy didn’t,” Leddy said. “That bothered me.”

Leddy shared Anderson’s story with OU students Wednesday on the Norman campus by passing out fliers, giving away “Pray for Billy” bracelets and collecting donations to help support Anderson, who does not qualify for Medicare yet based on his disability status.

“The least I could do is what we’re doing today,” Leddy said of his awareness effort Wednesday.

Peterson said Leddy’s kindness and support adds to the encouragement she receives from those who have become

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY The Daily has a long-standing commitment to serve readers by providing accurate coverage and analysis. Errors are corrected as they

Amy Frost/The Daily

Nikki Peterson, Billy Anderson’s wife, stands Wednesday outside of Bizzell Memorial Library to raise awareness and donations in support of her husband. part of her husband’s support network through a Web site, prayforbilly.com.

Dominica Anderson, Billy’s sister, helps manage technical aspects of the Web site, while Peterson writes daily updates on her husband’s medical condition.

“I never imagined that this would happen to my little brother,” she said.

By building a community of support for her husband’s condition, Peterson said she hopes to attract attention from doctors who may be able to help diagnose her husband.

“In general we’ve had a really strong support system of strangers and people online,” Peterson said. “I just got a phone call from a lady in Texas. She was just calling to tell me she’s praying ... It’s pretty amazing.”

are identified. Readers should bring errors to the attention of the editorial board for further investigation.

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

Campus News

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Thursday, March 5, 2009

Cafeteria worker serves laughs, along with cuisine • Sophomore promoted to customer service specialist JARED RADER The Oklahoma Daily Renovations at Couch Restaurants give students new options to satisfy their appetites, but one behindthe-counter employee ranks as the cafeteria’s staple personality.

History sophomore Jimmy Brown, who is usually seen working at the Casa del Sol restaurant, has earned himself a wide fan base in the cafeteria for his catch phrases like “prepare to be tortillafied” and “tortillalicious, chickalicious.”

“It catches some people off guard,” Brown said.

“But I think it’s a good icebreaker.”

These catchphrases have become popular with students who eat often in the cafeteria.

“He has a slogan for everyday,” said Geoffrey Blair, University College freshman. “On Monday, he’ll ask you if you’re having a ‘Marvelous Monday.’”

Brown, who has worked in the cafeteria since his freshman year, said students have the best dining experience when they know who is serving them.

“I love him. He defines this cafeteria,” said Katusha

Mercer, University College freshman.

After almost two years with the cafeteria, Brown was promoted to customer service specialist and is responsible for greeting customers and ensuring dayto-day operations run smoothly.

“If we’re running out of certain products, I’ll let the chefs know. If lines get busy, I can jump in and help quicken the process. Basically, I get things done,” Brown said.

Couch Restaurants general manager Arthur Drain said that when the position opened, Brown’s outgoing and friendly personality made him an easy choice for the job.

“When customers are dining and their salt-andpepper shakers are empty, or they don’t know where to find something, it can be annoying,” Drain said. “We needed someone who was outgoing and friendly who could help customers with these issues.”

Drain said the cafeteria will need more customer service specialists after the areas closed for renovation reopen next fall.

Brown said his outgoing mantra is just part of his unique personality. He said his optimistic attitude carries him through all of his classes and other commitments.

“I think it’s important to be high on life,” Brown said.

“A man who has no sense of humor sure seems a sore loser. It’s a philosophy I live my life by.”

Merrill Jones/The Daily

Jimmy Brown, history sophomore, shakes a student’s hand Monday afternoon at Couch Cafeteria. Popular with students, Brown was promoted to customer service specialist.

Law students head to California for national competition • Graduate students confident they have been prepared well ASHLEIGH WOODALL The Oklahoma Daily A few OU law students will spend spring break in California — although most of the time will be in a courtroom instead of a beach.

For the fifth consecutive year, members of the school’s moot court and mock trial teams will spend part of the break competing in the Frederick Douglass Moot Court and the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial National Competitions in Irvine.

The competitions are held by the National Black Law Schools Association and will take place March 18-22. OU stu-

dents will compete against 18 to 24 teams in the preliminary round.

Preparing for the competition requires students to read rules of evidence and criminal procedure, court case decisions and to study the facts, testimonies and evidence from the competition packet, said third-year law student Doug Bragg.

“Naturally, I feel nervous and anxious,” said Joanne Lafontant, second-year law student. “However, my partner and I have been practicing and preparing, and although we feel pretty confident, we will find out after the competition.”

Students have asked OU law professors to act as judges to help the students prepare their oral arguments, she said.

Bragg said he thinks the team will fare well this year.

“I feel very good about our team going to nationals,” he said. “We put a lot of time and care into doing this, and doing it right.

We give our best every time out and try to walk away from the courtroom with no

regrets.”

Judges will score individuals based on different criteria and how well the team acts as either the counsel or defense for the prosecution.

The team with the highest combined score will win.

Bragg said the group hopes to give the university a good showing.

“We appreciate all of the support we have received from our friends, classmates, faculty and administration,” Bragg said. “We hope that we can make the school proud.”

Law students Gary Davis (front), Chuck Battle, Jeremy L. Brown and Leon Bragg Jr. (left to right) form the OU law team that will be sent to the national Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition through the Black Law Student Association. The team has already won a regional competition.

Liz Brooks/The Daily

THIS WEEKEND AT YOUR UNIVERSITY T hursday, Mar. 5

Student Success Series: What’s Your Learning Style? | 5 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245. Presented by University College.

Comedy Fight Night Auditions | 6-8 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Come and see just how funny you are and compete for a chance to win a cash prize at Comedy Fight Night on March 27.

Astronomy Lecture Series: “Suited for Space” | 7 p.m. at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. Lecture presented by Lindsay Aitchison, NASA, JSFC. The International Year of Astronomy lecture series is sponsored by The University of Oklahoma’s Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman Public Schools, OKC Astronomy Club Odyssey Astronomy Club and Ten Acre Observatory.

University Theatre Presents Oklahoma Festival Ballet | 8 p.m. at the Rupel Jones Theatre. For tickets call the OU Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

OU Opera Theatre Presents: “The Marriage of Figaro” | 8 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15 for adults; $12 for faculty, staff and seniors; and $10 for students. For tickets or accommodations on the basis of disability, please call the Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

FREE Late Night Snacks | 9:30 p.m. in Meacham Auditorium Lobby. Get some snacks courtesy of the Union Programming Board before the 10 p.m. showing of “Milk.” Who Loves You, OU?

Saturday, Mar. 7

University Theatre Presents Oklahoma Festival Ballet | 8 p.m. at the Rupel Jones Theatre. Inspired by the legendary companies that carried the name Ballets Russes, Oklahoma Festival Ballet presents a not-tobe-missed production with Miguel Terekhov’s dramatically beautiful Firebird as its centerpiece. From the enchanted garden in which the magical Firebird darts and dances, to the breath taking pageantry of the final scene, Terekhov’s powerful choreography and Stravinsky’s celebrated score will transport audiences to the very heart of the world of ballet. For tickets call the OU Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

OU Baseball vs. UCLA | noon at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Free Schedule Posters for all fans – the team will sign autographs following the game. Students admitted FREE. Visit http://soonersports.com for ticket information.

Masala Concert Series: Alma Latina - Music of Latin America | 8 p.m. in the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center. Adult admission $8, student, faculty/staff and senior admission $5. Please call F.A.C.T.S. Fine Arts Tickets Service at (405) 325-4101 for more information.

University Theatre Presents Oklahoma Festival Ballet | 8 p.m. at the Rupel Jones Theatre. For tickets call the OU Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

OU Opera Theatre Presents: “The Marriage of Figaro” | 8 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center. The University of Oklahoma Opera Theatre presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro). Amid infidelity and class warfare, this brilliant comedy is always shaded with sadness and irony. Tickets are $15 for adults; $12 for faculty, staff and seniors; and $10 for students.

For tickets or accommodations on the basis of disability, please call the Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

Intramural Update | Basketball bracket placement meeting tonight at 8:30 p.m. in room 130 Huston Huffman Center. Also, softball entries today! For more information visit recservices.ou.edu or call Gary Armstrong, (405) 325-3053.

Friday., Mar. 6 OU Baseball vs. UCLA | 3 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. First 250 fans get an OU Baseball Schedule Magnet. Students admitted FREE. Visit http://soonersports.com for ticket information.

FREE Film: “Milk” | 4, 7, 10 p.m. & 12:30 a.m. in Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union.

Presented by the Union Programming Board and Campus Activities Council Film Series.

Comedy Fight Night Auditions | 6-8 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Come and see just how funny you are and compete for a chance to win a cash prize at Comedy Fight Night on March 27.

OU Men’s Basketball vs. OSU | 2:30 p.m. at the Lloyd Noble Center. Visit http://soonersports.com for ticket information.

OU Opera Theatre Presents: “The Marriage of Figaro” | 8 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15 for adults; $12 for faculty, staff and seniors; and $10 for students. For tickets or accommodations on the basis of disability, please call the Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

Touch the Sky: Prairie Photographs by Jim Brandenburg | Photography exhibit on display at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History through April 12, 2009. This exhibit features the breathtaking prairie photographs of National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg. The photos capture the beauty and drama of the prairie ecosystem - its landscape, plants, animals and weather.

Sunday, Mar. 8 OU Baseball vs. UCLA | 1 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. First 250 fans get an OU Stocking Cap. Students admitted FREE. Visit http://soonersports.com for ticket information.

University Theatre Presents Oklahoma Festival Ballet | 3 p.m. at the Rupel Jones Theatre. For tickets call the OU Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

OU Opera Theatre Presents: “The Marriage of Figaro” | 3 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15 for adults; $12 for faculty, staff and seniors; and $10 for students. For tickets or accommodations on the basis of disability, please call the Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

Bosendorfer Celebration: Piano Student Recital in Honor of Mr. James M. Doran | 6 p.m. in the Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall, Catlett Music Cenyter.

This University in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid and educational services. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact the sponsoring department of any program or event.

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Opinion

Thursday, March 5, 2009

OUR VIEW

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

Ian Jehn - civil engineering junior

STAFF CARTOON

Republican Party needs to retreat from Rush History has shown Limbaugh is loose with facts.

Rush Limbaugh spouted off again last week, claiming he wants “Barack Obama to fail” as leader He often unleashes sound bytes that are controversial enough to attract legions of listeners who want of the free world.

While some claim Limbaugh is the new face of to know just how crazy Rush can get.

But he fails to offer intelligent critiques the Republican Party, which has been soul searching since its loss in the November OUR VIEW of the Obama administration — only abrasive insults. Legitimate discussion of the presidential election, some Democrats is an editorial selected and debated new president’s ideas and policies are welare trying to make Republicans choose by the editorial board comed, Limbaugh’s loud antics are not. sides and either endorse or denounce and written after a Limbaugh’s constant verbal crushing of Limbaugh. majority opinion is anyone who doesn’t closely align with his Comments like Limbaugh’s on Saturday formed and approved by the editor. Our View narrow definition of a fair-minded politi— and it wasn’t the first time he had is The Daily’s official cian is the opposite of what America and made it — are divisive and unhelpful. opinion.

Americans need in a time of economic Republicans in Congress should steer peril and nationwide worry, or any time. clear of this uncompromising mindset.

What America needs is someone who puts party If the Republican Party is to return to power, either in the legislative or executive branches, anytime politics aside to get things accomplished. Limbaugh soon, endorsing someone as polemical as Limbaugh apparently condemns this behavior, and Republicans should condemn his. is not the way to do it.

Want more opinions?

Converse with columnists at the new opinion blog!

HTTP://OUDAILY.COM/WEBLOGS/OPINION-DESK-BLOG/

STAFF COLUMN

T H E

In an essay on “The Pleasures of Eating,” he posits that much of the pleasure we enjoy in the act of eating is based upon an ignorance of our connection to places around us. Instead, he suggests a more holistic understanding of gourmet pleasure that includes an appreciation for the gardens, fields and pastures from which our food comes — and even the places and names of our farmers.

“The pleasure of eating,” Berry writes, “may be the best available standard of our health.”

Another emphasis of Berry’s thought is a regard for local places over whitewashed nationalism or the nearly meaningless notion of a “global community.”

As Berry writes, “You cannot love an entire planet,” you can only love places.

“You can only think in detail.

‘Global thinking’ is a distraction from thinking,” he said in an interview.

And it is a lack of an appreciation for our connection to local KYLE places that Berry calls a “disease WILLIAMS of the modern character,” which allows us to neglect ecosystems and communities without a second thought.

On the other hand, to be rooted in a place is to be concerned for its welfare over the course of a lifetime.

For college students considering how we might plan our lives, Berry has more food for thought. In his 2007 commencement address at Bellarmine University, Berry concluded his remarks with the following: “So you must refuse to accept the common delusion that a career is an adequate context for a life. The logic of success insinuates that selfenlargement is your only responsibility, and that any job, any career, will be satisfying if you succeed in it. But I can tell you that a lot of people highly successful by that logic are painfully dissatisfied… To give satisfaction, your life will have to be lived in a family, a neighborhood, a community, an ecosystem, a watershed, a place, meeting your responsibilities to all those things to which you belong.”

On these subjects and many others, Berry’s life stands against the trends of our time. His life backs up his talk. In 1964, he left behind a successful career as an academic in the Northeast to move back to his home in northern Kentucky, where he has farmed ever since.

Wendell Berry stands on the margins of American society, but the margins have always been a home to prophetic voices.

I N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T

V O I C E

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

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

Campus green efforts don’t focus on actual problems It was with bemused interest that I read Tuesday’s article entitled “OU Goes Green.” The article talked about modifying exit signs, reducing the volume of water used when a toilet is flushed, etc.

Recently, the supposed green revolution occurring on campus has been a favorite Public Relations stunt for President David Boren and his cronies. However, as with most of the rhetoric spewing forth from the school’s administration, it addresses mere superficialities without really focusing on the underlying problem.

One needs to look no further than Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where thousands of kilowatts of power are wasted lighting an empty field several times a month.

One can head a little further south and witness the same

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

Senior Online Editor Multimedia Editor Sports Editor Life & Arts Editor Editorial Adviser Advertising Manager

occurrence at the baseball field. Visit the various administrative offices on campus, where a television runs 24 hours per day displaying still photos of campus life. Take a stroll down Lindsey Street and watch the dome of the newly constructed Gaylord Hall illuminate in a plethora of color.

I’m not condemning the university for trying to conserve energy, but until we have a genuine dialogue about the ethic of conservation, let’s not congratulate ourselves on how “green” we are. Unfortunately, the need for a candid conversation about these issues has largely been ignored.

It’s much easier for Boren to change a few light bulbs and talk about how great we are than to actually promote a meaningful change in our communal and individual behavior.

- BRIAN HOWARD, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SENIOR

COMMENTS OF THE DAY In response to Elise Johnston’s Wednesday column about the OU IT department’s shortcomings

As an OU IT Intern, I completely agree with these comments — students have no idea what IT deals with on a daily basis and what a good job they do!

- POSTED BY SOONERTEXAN88 AT OUDAILY.COM

For what it’s worth, IT has considered implementing formal training for instructors. They have come to the conclusion that it is not necessary. If an instructor has any questions or problems, he or she can call the help desk literally any time and get answers. The problem is between the chair and the keyboard.

- POSTED BY RAINMAKER06 AT OUDAILY.COM

COMING FRIDAY

God delusion or Dawkins’ delusion?

Former Oxford zoologist Richard Dawkins visits campus on Friday.

Staff columnists Travis Grogan and Jon Malone will discuss whether or not Dawkins’ claims about the existence of God are legitimate

Kyle Williams is a history and classics sophomore.

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Monday was a snowy day in Washington, D.C., where about 12,000 protestors staged America’s first mass civil disobedience against global warming outside the Capitol’s coal-fired power plant.

One unlikely member of the protest was the farmer-poet Wendell Berry.

I say unlikely because the man isn’t much of a bandwagoner. Often labeled a Luddite (as if it were a bad thing), Berry has stood by his 1987 essay “Why I am not going to buy a computer” — a pen or a pencil works just fine, he says — and in another essay, “In Distrust of Movements,” he explains his refusal to join campaigns concerned with only one issue.

After 40 years of protesting mountaintop removal in his home state, Berry has made an exception to his rule about movements in a rare public appearance supporting a national cause.

Berry’s appearance on Monday is a good example of how his reluctance to be a figurehead and his antipathy toward movements has relegated him to the sidelines of public discourse.

But now, more than ever, that ought to change.

The time is ripe for the work of the 74-year-old Berry to influence the American ethos. As fears of economic depression are deflating the triumphant myth of American exceptionalism, when many are beginning to question the fundamental assumptions of our consumer economy, we would do well to turn to someone like Wendell Berry.

Thus far, it has been hard to consider what an American life might be like in the absence of cheap and unlimited energy or without the benefit of unlimited financial debt.

What would it look like to live decently within our means? One obstacle is our failure to imagine a different way of living. It is in this endeavor of imagining that Berry helps.

He has much to tell us in his many essays, poems, short stories and novels. He writes about stewardship of the Earth, fidelity to local communities and about how the two shouldn’t be separated.

He has written often about local economies, self-sufficiency and sustainable agriculture. His writing is marked by deference to living humbly within our natural limits — even embracing human limits with joy.

At the heart of Berry’s thinking is an embracing of agrarianism — a philosophy that stresses the importance of the traditional farming lifestyle for society. That is not to say Berry believes everyone should be a farmer. Rather, we ought to cultivate in our minds and habits an appreciation for the intimate connection between our human lives and the life of the natural world.

The recurring event that causes human beings and nature to interact most intimately is in the “agricultural act” of eating, which is a prevalent topic in much of Berry’s work.

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T H E The Fine Print

Wendell Berry offers insight worth following

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Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.

News CAMPUS NOTES TODAY CAREER SERVICES Career Services will hold a presentation on attending graduate school versus finding a job at 1 p.m. and a presentation on second-level interviewing at 3 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

INSTITUTE FOR U.S.-CHINA ISSUES The Institute for U.S.-China Issues at OU will host a ceremony for the Newman Prize at 3 p.m. in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. ASIAN-AMERICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION The Asian-American Student Association will host a meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Henderson Tolson Multicultural Center.

AMERICAN INDIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION The American Indian Student Association will host a meeting at 7 p.m. in the Jim Thorpe Multicultural Center.

SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT The sociology department will host a discussion about gender and family in youth sports at 7:30 p.m. in the National Weather Center.

OU SCHOOL OF MUSIC The OU School of Music will host a section of the Masala World Concert Series at 8 p.m. in Catlett Music Center.

OPERA THEATRE The Opera Theatre will present “The Marriage of Figaro” at 8 p.m. in Reynolds Performing Arts Center.

AMERICAN INDIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION The American Indian Student Association will host an information session about Mr. and Miss Indian OU at 8 p.m. in the Jim Thorpe Multicultural Center.

DRAMA LAB THEATRE The OU Drama Lab Theatre will present “How I Learned to Drive” at 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center.

FRIDAY GEOLOGY DEPARTMENT The Geology Department will host a discussion with Richard Dawkins at 5:30 p.m. in McCasland Field House.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

5A

NJ insurance workers win $216M lottery WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — Robert Space got into work at the Chubb Insurance company at 6:30 a.m.

Wednesday, realized the lottery ticket he was holding matched the winning numbers, and fired off a one-line e-mail to his nine co-workers who had pitched in to buy it.

“We won the big one,” it read.

The replies came back instantly: “Hahahaha” wrote one. “GREAT. Where do I pick up the cash?” joked another. Then they saw the ticket for themselves.

Space and his colleagues hit the second-largest singleticket jackpot in New Jersey history, winning $216 million in the Mega Millions jackpot.

“I feel incredibly blessed. I can’t even absorb it,” Space said, surrounded by stunned colleagues and clutching the winning ticket during a news conference at their office in the central New Jersey town of Whitehouse Station.

Space, with $5 from each colleague, said he bought 50 quick-pick tickets Monday afternoon at the Singin Oil gas station in the shore town of Toms River.

Space stopped by the gas station again Wednesday morning to get a printout of the winning numbers to check the tickets.

“I jokingly asked him (the attendant) if anyone had won and if it was sold here, but he didn’t know,” Space said. So he stuffed the list in his pocket.

It wasn’t until an hour or so later that Space had time to review the numbers, scanning each row and growing increasingly shocked as first one, then two, then three — then six numbers matched. He called his wife to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating, then sent out the e-mail.

“It takes a lot of stress out of life,” Space said of the winnings. The 10 will split a $216 million annuity or a onetime payout of about $140 million.

Lottery officials say no one has officially come forward to claim the prize yet. The 10 have not discussed when they will claim the prize but have a year to do so.

Taner Cetintas of Jackson, the owner of Singin Oil, will collect $10,000 for selling the ticket. Cetintas, a Turkish immigrant who worked for decades as a gas station manager before saving up enough to buy Singin Oil in January, said he was happy for his customer, and his own bonus would help pay bills.

The six men and four women who won said they’ve worked in Chubb’s IT division from seven to 30 years and had been buying tickets together for years.

Their usual ticket buyer, Alan Mooney, always stops by colleagues’ desks to collect ticket money, asking “Are ya in?” Mooney, who was among the winners, was in Florida on business. Space said Mooney was hurrying back to New Jersey, “upgrading to first class,” he joked.

Space said there were some colleagues who had opted out of this ticket buy.

One regular buyer, Oscar Oviedo, had asked Space to count him in and promised $5 for his share. Space rushed over to him early Wednesday morning and demanded the money.

STATE BRIEFS Bill to ditch grocery tax advances OKLAHOMA CITY — A bill to phase out the state sales tax on groceries over five years sailed to Senate approval on Wednesday, despite charges that lawmakers are playing politics in a grim budget year.

Mike Derer/ AP Photo

Bob Space, 60, of Toms River, N.J., talks during a news conference Wednesday at Chubb Insurance Company in Whitehouse Station, N.J., about buying the winning $216 million Mega Millions lottery ticket. Space and nine co-workers at Chubb will share the jackpot.

“I thought: ‘How rude!’” Oviedo said with a laugh, recalling how he handed over $5, unsure why Space was being so insistent. “Then he said, ‘OK, thanks — you’re a millionaire.’”

The winning numbers were: 26, 32, 35, 43, 52 and the Mega Ball was 10.

In addition to Space, of Manchester Township; Mooney,

of Budd Lake; and Oviedo, of Stewartsville, the other winners are: Gerard Solas, of Hillsborough; Anne LaFontaine, of Summit; Linda Harrington, of Bay Head; Melanie Jacob, of Alexandria Township; Joanne Roth, of Basking Ridge; Bill Bollwage, of Bridgewater; and Todd Ellis, of Maplewood.

—AP

Okla. unemployment benefits up Bill passed to make tort changes

Senate approves education audit

TULSA — The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission has begun providing an additional $25 per week in compensation to the unemployed as the result of expected federal stimulus.

Some states will not participate in the program for the unemployed, because of additional requirements that come with use of the money.

OKLAHOMA CITY — A Republican-sponsored plan to conduct an outside performance audit of the state Department of Education won approval in the Oklahoma Senate on Wednesday over Democratic objections.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House Wednesday passed legislation that makes sweeping changes to the state’s civil justice system which supporters said will help stop frivolous lawsuits and lower the price companies and doctors pay for liability insurance.

—AP

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

OPERA THEATRE The Opera Theatre will present “The Marriage of Figaro” at 8 p.m. in Reynolds Performing Arts Center.

DRAMA LAB THEATRE The OU Drama Lab Theatre will present “How I Learned to Drive” at 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center.

experience tradition with the history of the OU community!

POLICE REPORTS Names are compiled from the Norman Police Department and OUPD. The reports serve as a record of arrests, not convictions. Those listed are innocent until proven guilty.

AGGRAVATED DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Thomas Kyle Bivens, 22, 566 Sinclair Drive, Monday, also county warrant Phillip Dewayne McRae, 51, 12th Avenue NE, Tuesday

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Brian C. Butler, 48, 4400 W Main St., Tuesday, also no valid driver’s license, assault and battery with a deadly weapon and attempting to elude a police officer

COUNTY WARRANT Betty J. Daniels, 48, 206 Collier Drive, Tuesday

PUBLIC INTOXICATION Lisa Marie Ellis, 30, 406 Ramsey St., Tuesday Albert Nole Leonard, 32, 3205 W Robinson St., Tuesday Ricky Lynn Liberto, 53, North Porter Avenue, Tuesday

PETTY LARCENY Cody Daniel Hawkins, 25, 601 12th Ave. NE, Tuesday

DISTURBING THE PEACE Arielle Ellis Poindexter, 18, 1100 Oak Tree Ave., Monday

DRIVING WHILE IMPAIRED Jerry Gale Puckett, 61, 48th Avenue SE, Monday

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Housing and Food Services is a division in the department of Student Affairs. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

6A

World

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Sudan expels aid groups after arrest warrant

BY EDITH M. LEDERER The Associated Press UNITED NATIONS — Sudan ordered at least 10 humanitarian groups expelled from Darfur on Wednesday after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the country’s president.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the action “represents a serious setback to lifesaving operations in Darfur” and urged Sudan to reverse its decision, U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.

Aid groups protested, saying they had no connection to the court and that their absence could lead to a crisis for more than 2 million of war-weary Sudanese who need such basics as shelter, food and clean water.

“It is absurd that we as an independent organization are caught up in a political and judicial process,” the operational director of Medecins Sans Frontieres Holland, Arjan Hehenkamp, said in a statement expressing outrage that more than 200,000 of its patients will be left without essential medical care.

Sudan’s order was announced after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha confirmed that 10 “associations” were asked to stop operating “because they violated laws and regulations.”

“Whenever an organization takes humanitarian aid as a cover to achieve a political agenda that affects the security of the county and its stability, measures are to be taken by law to protect the country

Frank Franklin II/The Associated Press

Protestors clash in New York while holding opposing rallies, Wednesday, March 4, near the United Nations in reaction to the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of masterminding genocide in Darfur. and its interests,” he said.

The non-governmental aid groups ordered out were Oxfam, CARE, MSFHolland, Mercy Corps, Save the Children, the Norweigan Refugee Council, the International Rescue Committee, Action Contre la Faim, Solidarites and CHF International.

The Sudan Media Center said two Sudanese organizations, the Khartoum Centre for Human Rights and Environmental Development and the Khartoum Amal Center for the Rehabilitation of the Victims

of Violence, were also expelled, saying they cooperated with the court.

U.N. officials said about 76 international groups had been operating in Darfur, but the 10 aid groups ordered to leave did most of the work.

Okabe said the groups were informed by the Sudanese government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission that their legal registrations have been revoked, were given a list of assets for seizure and told they must leave north Sudan, which includes Darfur, “with immediate effect.”

“Affected NGOs are the main providers of lifesaving humanitarian services, such as water, food, health and sanitation” in the region, she said.

The war in Darfur began in 2003 when rebel groups took up arms against the government, complaining of discrimination and neglect. U.N. officials say up to 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million have fled their homes. Many live in camps which NGOs help run.

“If Oxfam’s registration is revoked, it will affect more than 600,000 Sudanese people whom we provide with vital humanitarian and development aid, including clean water and sanitation on a daily basis,” Penny Lawrence, Oxfam’s international director, said in London. Oxfam said it is appealing the order to leave.

Save the Children UK said it is helping about 50,000 children affected by the Darfur conflict.

“We don’t know what the outcome of these developments will be, but we do know that if we are forced to stop our work, the lives of thousands of children could be at risk,” said Ken Caldwell, the charity’s director of international operations.

CARE, which has operated in Sudan for 28 years and has more than 650 staff in the country, said in a statement that it was providing 1.5 million people with food, water, sanitation, livelihood and health assistance.

Vanessa Van Schoor, Sudan operations manager for MSF Holland, said the group was told several days ago “to pull out of our field projects.”

The expulsion only applies to the Dutch section of MSF, which had 27 international staff and around 520 national staff in Sudan, Van Schoor said.

Clinton accuses Iran of seeking to intimidate

BY ROBERT BURNS The Associated Press BRUSSELS — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton swiped hard at Iran on Wednesday, accusing its hardline leaders of fomenting divisions in the Arab world, promoting terrorism, posing threats to Israel and Europe, and seeking to “intimidate as far as they think their voice can reach.”

Her remarks, at the conclusion of two days of talks in Egypt, Israel and the West Bank, were notable for coming from an Obama administration that has raised the prospect of diplomatic engagement with Iran as part of a new direction in U.S. foreign policy.

In remarks to reporters aboard her plane en route from Ramallah to Brussels, Belgium, Clinton said that in her talks with Arab foreign ministers and other leaders, she

heard “over and over and over again” a deep-seated worry about threats posed by the Iranians.

“It is clear that Iran intends to interfere with the internal affairs of all of these people and try to continue their efforts to fund terrorism, whether it’s Hezbollah or Hamas or other proxies,” she said.

The sharp objections to Iranian behavior that Clinton enumerated are the same as those underlined by the Bush administration during its dealings with Tehran. The difference is that the Obama administration says it sees merit in pressing the Iranians to discuss the problems, even if talks fail or the Iranians refuse to engage.

In Tehran on Wednesday, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accused President Barack Obama of following the same mistaken path as the Bush administration with his “unconditional” support of Israel.

Khamenei also called Israel a “cancerous tumor” that is

on the verge of collapse. He said Israeli leaders should be put on trial for its military offensive in Gaza, which ended with a shaky cease-fire in mid-January.

In the in-flight interview, Clinton reiterated that Obama stands ready to engage in talks with Iran, with whom Washington severed diplomatic relations after Iran’s Islamic revolution three decades ago. “But we want to make sure it’s constructive,” she said.

The main source of friction is Iran’s nuclear program, which the United States and many in the international community believe is intended to produce weapons. The Iranians insist their program is designed solely for civilian energy production. The U.S. also is critical of Iran’s efforts to spread its influence across the greater Middle East by supporting the militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. The U.S. also has been critical of Iran’s support of Shiite extremists in Iraq.

WORLD BRIEFS Afghans: Country not safe enough for early vote KABUL — The Afghan election commission rejected President Hamid Karzai’s request to move the presidential elections to the spring, saying the country won’t be safe enough or have enough money by then to hold a vote.

The commission’s decision came Wednesday as a car bomb exploded outside the main U.S. base at Bagram, underscoring the shaky security situation the country faces as a resurgent Taliban militia increases its attacks.

Karzai had asked the commission to move the elections from Aug. 20 to spring, but the commission said it could not because of bad spring weather, lack of funds, security issues and logistical problems like the distribution of ballots.

Japan PM’s reading flubs spark study spree TOKYO — Reading Japanese isn’t easy — even for the Japanese.

Take Prime Minister Taro Aso. He’s made so many public blunders that an opposition lawmaker tried to give him a reading test during a televised session of parliament.

The Japanese leader bungled the word for “frequent,” calling Japan-China exchanges “cumbersome” instead.

Another time, he misread the word “toshu” (follow), saying “fushu” — or stench — and sounded as if he were saying government policy “stinks.”

While the media and Aso’s political rivals have been quick to heap ridicule, many Japanese have seen a bit more of themselves in Aso’s goofs than they would like to admit.

Since his missteps, books designed to improve reading ability have become all the rage.

Literacy-boosting books are selling briskly. One titled, “Chinese Characters that Look Readable but are Easily Misread,” released a year ago, has sold more than 800,000 copies — most of them since Aso’s mistakes first got national attention in November, said Yukiko Sakita, a spokeswoman for Futami Shobo Publishing Co. — The Associated Press

Luke Atkinson, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu phone: 325-5189, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

Life & Arts

Thursday, March 5, 2009

1B

WEEKEND UPDATE ▼

▼ figaro! figaro! figaro!

purposedriven life?

‘Le Nozze Di Figaro Opera’ will be performed at 8 p.m. today at the Reynolds Performing Arts Center. For tickets, call 405325-4101.

Richard Dawkins, author of “The Purpose of Purpose,” will visit campus at 7 p.m. Friday in McCasland Field House.

▼

milkin’ it

Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk in “Milk.” The film will play at 4, 7, 10 p.m. and 12:30 a.m Friday in Meacham Auditorium.

▼

a little bit country

Randy Travis will perform at 8 p.m. Friday at Riverwind Casino.

▼

fantastic four(tet)

late night munchies also on saturday: Dylan Hammett and Larry Hammett perform at 6:30 p.m. at Othello’s.

▼

The Jonbear Fourtet will play at 9 p.m. Saturday at The Opolis. Tickets are $7.

Hungry? Free late night snacks will be served at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday in the Meacham Auditorium lobby.

CHECK OUT OUDAILY.COM FOR MORE L&A! OU STUDENTS YOU ARE INVITED! Chinese author Mo Yan, 2009 Newman Prize laureate, to read and discuss his writings with an international panel of literary experts

The OU Sociology and Economics Departments Present a Presidential Dream Course Lecture: “It’s All for the Kids: Gender, Families and Youth Sports” Michael Messner

Thursday March 5, 2009 7:30 p.m.

Weather Center Auditorium

Accommodations on the basis of disability are available by contacting Susan McPherson at (405) 325-1751 by lecture date.

Funding provided by the Office of the President. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

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2B

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Life & Arts L&A BRIEFS Mariska Hargitay hospitalized Emmy winner Mariska Hargitay is in the hospital.

The star of NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit” was hospitalized on Wednesday after feeling discomfort from a partially collapsed lung. She is currently undergoing tests.

Hargitay has been ailing since at least mid-January, when producers announced that she had a partially collapsed lung. Her spokeswoman, Leslie Sloane, said the actress “expects to be feeling better soon” and that production of the show will not be affected.

Hargitay, 45, won an Emmy last year for her role as Detective Olivia Benson on “Law & Order: SVU.”

King of Pop to make comeback

photo by Tony Walsh

Eric McCauley Lee stands with paintings by Gainesborough and Turner in a collection of the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati. Lee was the director of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art for nearly ten years.

One man’s dream job • Former director of OU art museum finds niche at Kimbell Art Museum ADAM KOHUT The Oklahoma Daily Eric McCauley Lee knows art – and he should.

The former director of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art has a doctorate in art history from Yale University. He has served as the director of the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati since January 2007. On March 23, he will assume directorship of Fort Worth’s Kimbell Art Museum.

During his nearly decade-long tenure at the Jones Museum, Lee was a key figure in the acquisition of the Weitzenhoffer Bequest, a collection of 33 French Impressionist paintings which included works from Monet, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and Renoir, in 2000. He also headed the museum’s 2005 expansion – the 34,000 square foot Lester Wing designed by Hugh Newell Jacobson, who was a student of Louis Kahn, the architect who designed the Kimbell. According to Lee, the Jones

is a physical “descendent” of the Kimbell.

“The Kimbell has been a dream job of mine since I was in graduate school,” Lee said. “I love the architecture of Louis Kahn. The Kimbell is arguably Kahn’s greatest building -- I think it’s certainly his greatest museum building.”

The museum’s permanent collection is small, Lee said, but the quality of its artwork is exemplary. The collection consists of less than 350 pieces, but includes works by Picasso, Monet, El Greco and Rembrandt.

“Every work in the collection is of major significance,” he said. “The combination [of the Kimbell’s architecture and exhibitions] … is just magical.”

The museum has a track record of excellent exhibitions and acquisitions, Lee said. There are several exhibitions planned for the museum this year. “Art and Love in Renaissance Italy,” an exhibition of Italian art celebrating love and marriage, was showcased at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and opens at the Kimbell on March 15.

Beginning in July, filmmaker Philip Haas (1995’s Oscar-nominated “Angels and Insects”) will debut his series of cinematic interpretations of pieces in the museum’s permanent collection in an exhibi-

tion titled “Butchers, Dragons, Gods and Skeletons: An Exhibition of Film Installations by Philip Haas Inspired by Works in the Collection.” The first installation will focus on Annibale Carracci’s 16th century painting, “The Butcher’s Shop.”

The museum’s exterior will also change during his occupancy as director, Lee said. A building designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano will begin construction in 2010, with a scheduled completion date of 2012. The building will house special exhibitions and space for education, which is a major focus of the museum, Lee said.

When he takes over, Lee will become the Kimbell’s fourth director. He will succeed Timothy Potts, who left the museum in 2007 for a directorial position at the Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambrige in England.

Lee has an “understanding for the Kimbell,” he said. That, coupled with his knowledge of art history and the Southwest will help tremendously in the transition from Ohio to Texas.

“I think my years in Oklahoma will serve me very well when I’m in Fort Worth,” he said. “I’m very much looking forward to coming back to that part of the country. I love the light and the optimism of that part of the Southwest. It will seem like coming home.”

Michael Jackson is making his first live appearance in years, but will it still be a “Thriller?”

The King of Pop is due to meet the press at a London concert arena this week to announce the mother of all comebacks — a string of concerts that organizers hope will net the financially troubled star millions.

But after years of erratic behavior, health fears, child-abuse allegations and money woes, is the oncegolden Jackson brand tarnished beyond repair?

Jackson, 50, flew into London by private jet Tuesday ahead of a “special announcement” Thursday afternoon at the city’s O2 Arena. It is widely expected he will announce a string of up to 30 dates at the domed arena beside the Thames River which holds up to 20,000 people.

One of the best-selling artists of all time, Jackson has sold more than 750 million albums and won 13 Grammy awards. “Thriller,” released in 1982, is still the best-selling album of all time.

Playwright Horton Foote dies at 92 Playwright and screenwriter Horton Foote, who movingly portrayed the broken dreams of common people in “The Trip to Bountiful,”‘’Tender Mercies” and his Oscar-winning screen adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” died Wednesday in Connecticut, Paul Marte, a spokesman for Hartford Stage, said. He was 92.

Foote died in his apartment in Hartford where he was preparing work on “The Orphans’ Home Cycle,” a collection of nine plays, for next fall at the nonprofit theater, Marte said.

Foote earned him two Academy Awards (“To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Tender Mercies”) and a 1995 Pulitzer Prize for “The Young Man From Atlanta.”

Graduation

GEAR-UP

Everything you need to make the transition from student to graduate 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

TODAY! Beaird Lounge Second floor, Oklahoma Memorial Union ou.edu/commencement The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

–AP

Sports

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

Women’s Basketball

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Men’s Basketball

3B

OU falls on road to Missouri, 73-64 • Tigers stay undefeated at home R.B. FALL STORM Associated Press

Merrill Jones/The Daily

Senior Courtney Paris (3) cuts off a piece of the basketball net Wednesday after winning the final home game against Texas Tech. The Sooners won the game, 61-49. It was the last home game for Paris, senior forward Ashley Paris and senior forward Carolyn Winchester.

Sooners win Big 12 title on Paris’ Senior Night • OU bests Tech, 61-49 in final game for Paris twins, Winchester ANNELISE RUSSELL The Oklahoma Daily It’s hard for OU women’s basketball fans to believe the Paris era is almost over, but after a 61-49 win over Texas Tech Wednesday

Chelsea Garza/The Daily

Senior center Courtney Paris (3) puts up a shot against Texas Tech Wednesday night at Lloyd Noble Center.

night, the Sooner seniors ended their career at Lloyd Noble Center with a bang.

“It’s hard to put into words . . . but this is what seniors dream about,” head coach Sherri Coale said. “They’re kind of going out in a story book way.”

Senior center Courtney Paris started the game off for the Sooners by scoring a quick two points, just as she has the past four years at OU. Her sister, senior forward Ashley Paris seemed to fly under the radar for most of the game, but halfway through the sec- Head coach ond half, she surged and put up a total of 15 points and 10 rebounds.

“She just needed something good to happen,” Coale said.

This is how it has been all season for the Paris twins.

Just like Wednesday night’s game, Courtney Paris jumped out of the gate from the beginning of her career, impressing her teammates and fans with a natural ability under the basket.

During her freshman year, she averaged 21.9 points and 15 rebounds per game. She was a consensus All-American and Big 12 Freshman Player of the Year.

By her sophomore year, she was the AP Player of the Year and the accolades just kept coming every year.

After her junior season, she was Big 12 Player of the Year for the second straight season and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Courtney Paris is now poised to go down in history as one of the most prolific players in women’s college basketball.

“If I’m going to battle and if I got to take

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someone with me, I’m taking her,” Coale said.

Coale is not shy to admit the strong presence the Paris twins have had on women’s college basketball by setting records and dominating games.

“Obviously statistical categories have been completely shattered and changed as a result of their presence here,” Coale said.

Ashley Paris took a little more time to warm up than her sister. She was always compared to Sherri Coale Courtney Paris’ success and her talent many times was outshined.

“When I first came here, to be honest, I didn’t even have the confidence to wear earrings,” Ashley Paris said.

Things changed once Ashley Paris reached her senior year with a new level of confidence.

She snuck up on everyone and now is second on the team in scoring at 13 points per game and also puts up 9.6 rebounds per game.

The twins are part of a magical Sooner squad this year who clinched the Big 12 regular season title in the win over Texas Tech.

Sooner fans for years will be celebrating this team and the Paris twins are a big reason why. Although Courtney Paris has been the star for quite some time, both players have left a mark on the program.

“I think mom would agree we have been partners in crime since the womb,” Ashley Paris said.

The Sooners’ final regular season game is against Texas at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday in Austin, Texas.

“If I’m going to battle and if I got to take someone with me, I’m taking [Courtney].”

COLUMBIA, Mo. — DeMarre Carroll had 15 points and 10 rebounds, helping No. 15 Missouri wind up a perfect season at home and grab a share of second place in the Big 12 with a 73-64 victory over No. 4 Oklahoma on Wednesday night.

Leo Lyons added 15 points and J.T. Tiller had 13 for Missouri (25-5, 12-3), which went 18-0 at home after regaining its footing from a 25-point spanking at Kansas three days earlier. Missouri fans typically find their seats after the school’s first basket, but most in a raucous sellout crowd of 15,061 on senior night remained on its feet throughout.

Blake Griffin had 16 points and 21 rebounds, his nationleading 24th double-double of the season, for Oklahoma (264, 12-3), which has lost three of four. Taylor Griffin added 14 points and eight rebounds, while the rest of the Sooners were a combined 12-for-40.

Missouri, which has won eight of nine overall, closes the regular season at Texas A&M on Saturday.

Oklahoma, which has lost six of seven to Missouri, finish-

es at home on Saturday against Oklahoma State.

Griffin, who missed 1½ games with a concussion, hurt the Sooners’ chances for a comeback with three straight missed free throws in the second half. He finished 2-for-7 from the line and Oklahoma was 5-for-13 from there in the last 20 minutes.

The Sooners committed 22 turnovers, one off their season worst, and their point total was a season low.

Missouri beat its first top five team since defeating the Sooners 67-52 on Feb. 26, 2003, at the old Hearnes Center.

Missouri led by as many as 15 points in the second half, and protected a lead that had been whittled to seven in the final 3 minutes.

Blake Griffin nearly had a double-double by halftime with 11 points and nine rebounds, but Missouri had a 39-28 lead behind a balanced attack and 6-for-14 3-point shooting.

Carroll had nine points and seven rebounds and Missouri got an unexpected contribution from reserve Justin Safford, who hit his first two 3-pointers and had six points, doubling his scoring total from the previous five games.

Missouri’s start was a big switch from three days earlier when they came out tight, blew several layups and were down 45-19 and out of it by halftime at Kansas.

— AP

SPORTS BRIEFS Women’s tennis upsets No. 34 Tulsa, 4-3 Wednesday The women’s tennis team took down No. 32 Tulsa Wednesday, 4-3.

The win snapped OU’s threematch losing streak and the Golden Hurricane’s nine-match winning streak.

The win is OU’s first over a ranked opponent this year.

“I am so proud of the way the team competed today, we gave ourselves a chance at every single position,” OU head coach David Mullins said. “This team has worked incredibly hard since August and truly deserves a win like this.”

The Sooners earned a 1-point

lead by taking an early doubles point when sophomores Ana-Maria Constantinescu and Maria Kalashnikova took down Tulsa’s Thalia Diaz-Barriga and Marta Marcinkowska, 8-1.

In single’s play, Constantinescu lost her first singles match of the season in three sets, 2-6, 7-5 and 7-6.

The Sooners rallied to win, despite Constaninescu’s loss.

The Sooners are in action next on Sunday for their first match in Norman, a double-header that begins at 5 p.m.

— DAILY STAFF

4B

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AVAILABLE IN MAY A short walk to OU, 1-5 blks west of OU, nice brick homes, wood floors, CH/A, w/d, disposal, good parking.

3 Bdrm $750-$1500 2 Bdrm $600-$800 1 Bdrm $420-$460 MISTER ROBERT FURNITURE 9-4 pm, Mon-Sat, 321-1818 FOR RENT 915 W Lindsey, NEAR OU, 1/2 bd, 1 ba, NO PETS, $500 per mo.

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7 4 9 1

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4

8 9 7 5 7

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1 3 2 8

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8 2 3 4 1 6 5 7 9

7 9 6 3 8 5 4 2 1

9 6 5 7 4 3 1 8 2

3 8 2 5 9 1 7 4 6

1 7 4 8 6 2 9 3 5

7 5 5 6

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.

True Sooners Don’t Haze.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker March 05, 2009

Report Hazing.

ACROSS 1 George Burns film of 1977 6 Shed tears 10 Cash caches 14 Cup of tea, so to speak 15 “I cannot tell ___” 16 Intermittent trickle 17 “___ Tear Fall in the River” 18 Neighbor of Ark. 19 “___ happy returns” 20 When one must account for oneself 23 Roman passageway 24 Brand makers 25 Beads on blades 28 Least trustworthy 30 Western time 33 Appropriate for kids K-12 35 Artful dodge 36 Certain evergreen 38 John Updike novel 42 Bonkers 43 Operated 44 “___ uncertain terms” 45 Recipe abbr.

46 Wyoming city 50 Brick measurement

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9 Pavarotti and Domingo, e.g.

10 FDA component 11 Noted Barnard undertaking 12 Valuable vase type

13 007, for one 21 Empire, to Germans 22 Out to lunch 25 Distributed, as cards 26 Some Sesame Street dolls 27 Commotion or frenzy of activity 29 Prefix with “red” or “structure” 31 Issue a verbal refusal 32 Iron Mike of boxing 34 Roadhouse 37 Reagan’s Star Wars proj.

39 Mary-Moore connector 40 “I agree!”

41 Join forces 47 Oven emanations

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Previous Answers

48 Sanctuary 49 Dines at home 52 Rembrandt’s workstation 54 Lavin or Ronstadt 55 Himalayan mystery creature 56 Leader opposed by the Bolsheviks 57 Says, in teenspeak 58 Part of QED 59 Depend 60 Web address ending

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Sports

5B

Thursday, March 5, 2009

STAFF COLUMN

Softball

Several NBA teams looking for their shot at Blake Griffin

Sooners down Tulsa, 5-3

t’s a safe bet to say that sophomore forward Blake Griffin will be named college basketball’s player of the year. It’s also safe to say that Griffin will be taking the next step and entering the NBA draft after this season, where he will most certainly be the first pick. The JAMES questions now ROTH are who will get Griffin? And which team is the best fit for the 6-foot-10-inch, 250 pounder?

If you’re unsure how the draft works, the 14 teams that miss the playoffs are entered in a lottery, and the team with the most losses has the most ping pong balls in the drawing, giving them a greater chance to secure the top pick.

With that in mind, here are a few teams with a good chance of getting Griffin.

I

Sacramento Kings: The Kings are the frontrunner for now, as they have the NBA’s worst record at 13-48. They just traded their former All-Star Brad Miller to the Bulls for nobody significant in return, and lack someone that can lead that team. If Griffin were to go there, he would be Chicago’s franchise player and the Bulls would build the team around him. As good as Griffin is, Sacramento would be a rough way to start an NBA career because the Kings are going to be bad for a while.

off experience could be a dynastytype team.

In Los Angeles, Griffin would be playing with Baron Davis, who when healthy, is arguably the best scoring point guard in the league.

Griffin and Davis together could be a two-man game similar to the Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire.

In Memphis, Griffin would be with former college standout O.J. Mayo and up-and-coming guard Rudy Gay. Just like with OKC, give that team a few years to gel and progress, and it is a championship-quality team.

New York Knicks: A long shot to get Griffin, but just picture this: the Knicks draft Griffin this season, and the next season they sign free agent LeBron James. With King James and “Prince Blake” running New York, I don’t think the question is if they win a championship, but how many.

Washington Wizards: Personally, I feel this is the best fit for Griffin and they have a solid shot at getting him. The Wizards are 14-46; however, this has been due to many injuries to their main players.

All-Stars Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison have missed significant time this season due to injury. However, if this team is healthy by next season and it gets Griffin, it immediately becomes an elite team in the Eastern Conference.

With Griffin and Jamison in the front court, and Arenas and Butler in the back court, Washington would have one of the best starting lineups in the league.

These are the teams I feel have a solid chance at getting Griffin when the NBA draft comes along.

It might be one of these teams, might not. Who will win the lottery and hit the jackpot by getting Griffin? Only time will tell.

With King James and “Prince Blake” running New York, I don’t think the question is if they win a championship, but how many.

Oklahoma City Thunder/Los Angeles Clippers/Memphis Grizzlies: All of these teams currently have 15 wins on the year and have solid chances to get Griffin. All are young but talented, and Griffin could help them immediately. In OKC, Griffin would be teamed with Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook.

That is a big four who with a few years of seasoning and some play-

NEED MORE SPORTS?

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JAMES ROTH

SENIOR.

IS

A

JOURNALISM

• Vandever knocks in three runs as OU gets season sweep over TU AARON COLEN The Oklahoma Daily The Sooners needed to use all their skills on both offense and defense Wednesday night to pull out a close 5-3 victory over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

“We always have to be really focused with Tulsa,” junior Lindsey Vandever said. “And they do always bring their ‘A’ game with us.”

OU went deep twice in the game, first with Vandever hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, and again when sophomore utility player Wendy Trott hit a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth inning.

“Getting good pitches to hit is probably my biggest thing right now,” Vandever said. “Me and coach [Tripp] McKay have been working a lot on my swing.”

The Sooners also displayed strong base-running with several steals in the game. In the fifth inning, sophomore outfielder Krystle Huey pinch ran for freshman catcher Katie Norris, who had just singled with two outs.

With Vandever on third, Huey stole second base, and Vandever scored OU’s fifth and final run of the game, putting a cap on an explosive offensive performance.

“Coach kind of set it up,” Vandever said. “[The batter] did a little fake bunt so the second baseman would go to cover first and then she wouldn’t have a shortcut. I just took off right when the catcher threw it.”

Freshman Allee Allen pitched a complete game for the Sooners.

Allen struggled early on, allowing two runs in the first inning, but recovered to get the win by striking out eight batters and only allowing one more run for the rest of the game.

“One thing I was proud about with Allee is that she did start off a little rough, but she was able to settle in,” assistant head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “She had some smooth innings and then she had some innings where she was able to get herself out of a jam.”

OU played a clean game defensively, recording no errors.

Now the Sooners must prepare for The Preview presented by Worth, where they face off against the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers

Elizabeth Nalewajk/The Daily

Junior infielder Amber Flores (4) lunges for first base while Tulsa first baseman Vanessa Vice reachers for the ball during Wednesday’s matchup against Tulsa. The Sooners won, 5-3, giving OU a season sweep of the Golden Hurricane. and No. 16 Northwestern in a double round-robin tournament that runs Friday through Sunday.

“We’re pumped,” Vandever said. “It’s awesome to bring two big teams in here, we hardly ever get to unless it’s like Regionals or something.”

The tournament begins Friday with the first game in Norman, before moving to Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City for the remainder of the weekend.

SPORTS BRIEFS

SEASONAL HELP WANTED APRIL 1 - OCTOBER 31

Legendre named National Gymnast of the Week

THE CITY OF OKLAHOMA CITY PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT Now Hiring Temporary Employees

Sophomore gymnast Steven Legendre was named the College Gymnastics Association National Gymnast of the Week on Wednesday.

Legendre earned the honor after he earned a school-record 16.500 on vault last week against No. 9 Nebraska Saturday night. The Sooners won the match by a score of 358.300342.400.

He also set season-high marks

for the Sooners, scoring a 15.150 on rings and a15.800 on floor to give OU the win on both events.

Legendre won the all-around by scoring 90.750 and won four events.

The score was the highest in men’s NCAA gymnastics this season.

He was also named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week as well.

— DAILY STAFF

GROUNDS MANAGEMENT DIVISION Litter Crews: Start at $7.45/hr. • Line Trimmers: Start at $8.60/hr.

Mowing Crews: Start at $11.00/hr.

Apply at: OKC Parks and Recreation 420 West Main, Suite 210, OKC, OK 73102 For info, call (405) 297-2341 TDD/Hearing Impaired: (405) 297-2549

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Thursday, March 5, 2009 PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -Don’t be stupid about attempting a task that is far too strenuous to handle alone, because you’ll risk getting hurt. If there isn’t anyone around to assist you, wait until there is.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Handle your fair share of the responsibilities, and you won’t get in any trouble. When you attempt to dump your duties on others, they’ll merely gang up on you and really pile it on.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Do not try to impose your presence in places where you’re not wanted. The moment you sense the atmosphere to be unfriendly, you’ll be happier if you find an excuse to make a quick exit.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- If you’re invited to participate in an activity where there is a good chance someone will be in attendance you don’t like, either pass up the invitation or be prepared to smile through your displeasure.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Although you’re known for not making a scene, the real reason is that you can’t tolerate anything crude or rude. It’s best to be a loner, because a lot of little things will bug you.

• Sports blog

• Video from sophomore Conner Zwinggi, the OU lacrosse player that served in Iraq

• Video from Tuesday’s press conference with Bob Stoops on spring football

• On Friday, weekend previews for Sooner sports home and away Head to OUDaily.com for that and more from L&A, News and Opinion as well.

EOE

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Walking around with a chip on your shoulder is a sign of wanting someone to knock it off.

If you’re spoiling for a fight, take on a good cause that’ll actually turn out to be a good thing.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Be careful not to be judged as taking advantage of another by asking more of someone than you should. Your tactics may be disguised, but it’ll still boil down to you being a user.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- People’s dispositions are fragile, and that includes yours.

Be particularly mindful of your behavior in front of others, because when you make a scene, it’s usually a lulu.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Don’t look for a receptive audience if you start to expound on a subject that is a big bore to everyone else -- like talking about yourself. Keep your conversations light, fun and about them.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- If you’re too rigid in your thinking, there is a strong probability that you will find yourself backed up against a brick wall. It’s better to yield than LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Rushing to get crushed. a job simply to get it out of your hair is likely to prolong the work AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) and cause more trouble when -- Major difficulties are likely to details are missed and mistakes develop if you insist that others are made. Do the assignment do everything strictly your way. properly in the first place.

Instead of accommodating you, they are likely to leave you standing alone.

6B

Thursday, March 5, 2009

small step no. 34

FETCH THIS PAPER YOURSELF TAKE A SMALL STEP TO GET HEALTHY www.smallstep.gov