The Oklahoma Daily

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VOL. 93, NO. 31 FREE — Additional Copies 25¢

THURSDAY, OCT. 2, 2008 © 2008 OU Publications Board

CAMPUS BRIEFS

ECONOMIC CRISIS: SENATE PASSES BUSH BAILOUT, PAGE 7A

Oklahoma universities register more than 5,000 voters This week Langston University, Rose State College and OU won a 2008 Voter Registration Contest held by Oklahoma Campus Compact.

Sixteen colleges in Oklahoma registered 5,331 new student voters, beating the previous record of 3,910 in 2004.

Oklahoma Campus Compact was established in 2000. Its mission is to increase student civic engagement on Oklahoma college campuses.

“Campus Compact is a valuable asset for the public and private institutions in our state, providing programs that encourage students to learn civic responsibility,” Chancellor Glen D. Johnson of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education said in a press release.

This is the sixth year Oklahoma Campus Connect has sponsored the contest as a part of the 2008 Campus Vote Initiative. Officials are encouraging campuses to continue efforts by providing opportunities for voter education and assistance for students to vote.

Students meet with UOSA President Holloway A small group of OU students attended a discussion with UOSA President Amanda Holloway Wednesday afternoon.

At the meeting she discussed her goals for the year and ways to get students more involved in student government.

Page 2A.

AMANDA HOLLOWAY

SOONER STATE America’s Drive-in in trouble?

Sonic Drive-In is one of several national restaurant chains dealing with sluggish sales at the same time as labor, ingredient and energy costs are on the rise. Page 6A.

SOONER SPORTS McCoy honored by Allstate For the third year in a row, an OU football player has been selected as a member of the Allstate Good Works Team, which honors athletes for work in the community.

This year’s honoree: sophomore defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. Page 2B.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Daily does karaoke Warm up those windpipes and get ready to sing, everybody. Check out A&E for our feature on karaoke night in Norman. Page 4B.

$700,000,000,000

QUESTION What you need to know: The facts on the bailout

A

s confusion swirls around the economic bailout the Senate approved Wednesday and that the House of Representatives will vote on Friday, The Daily answers some common questions about the economic crisis.

eventually declared bankruptcy.

Did anyone see it coming?

In 2004, several books were published that predicted a crisis as a result of the proliferation of mortgage-backed What caused this mess? securities. Congress debated regulating the industry more Years ago, mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac closely and tightening restrictions on Fannie Mae and Fredbegan offering sub-prime loans to low-income borrowers. die Mac, but the initiative was killed.

Those high-risk loans were packaged together and sold What’s being done about it now? to various financial firms as mortgage-backed securities.

Lawmakers in Washington, D.C. have negotiated a $700 When people began defaulting on their homes, many firms billion bailout package. The plan would allow the governfound themselves with securities that were worth less than they thought they were, forcing them to revise their ment to buy risky mortgage-backed securities from finanestimates of how much they had in assets. Lehman Bros., for example, had to write down $4 billion in assets and FACTS Continues on page 2A

Boren, Oklahoma leaders urge Congress to act to fix economy MEREDITH SIMONS Editor-in-Chief he leaders of 16 major Oklahoma employers, including OU President David L. Boren, are calling on Congress to immediately address the nation’s economic meltdown.

The group, which includes university presidents and corporate CEOs, released a joint statement Wednesday which called the events of the past weeks “the worst U.S. financial crisis since the Great Depression,” and demanded that Oklahoma’s congressional delegation demonstrate leadership by passing a proposed $700 billion bailout plan.

The statement praised Representatives Dan Boren, D-Muskogee and Tom Cole, R-Moore, for voting in favor of the bailout Monday and “respectfully request[ed]” that Representatives Mary Fallin, R-Oklahoma City, Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, and John Sullivan, R-Tulsa, who

T

voted against the bailout, reconsider their votes.

“Leadership matters and it is time to lead,” the statement said. “This is no time to play the blame game. We urgently need non-partisan political leadership.”

Signees believe a failure to act quickly on the economic crisis “will result in real and potentially dangerous economic consequences for every Oklahoman,” the statement said.

The statement said signees are proponents of free enterprise and are usually in favor of letting the market work with only limited government intervention, but the economic crisis is an “extraordinary situation” that necessitates “extraordinary action.”

The statement expressed concern that continued turmoil in the financial markets could drive the value of the dollar down and reduce the amount of credit available domestically, hurting businesses and homeowners.

LEADERS Continues on page 2A

AP Photo

Trader Bradley Silverman watches the numbers Wedn Wednesday as he works on the New York Stock Excha Exchange floor.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Credit crunch could hurt students RYAN BRYANT Daily Staff Writer Amidst the latest financial woes, students are concerned about how the turmoil on Wall Street will affect their ability to secure student loans and jobs after the smoke clears and chaos subsides.

Benjamin Keen, economics professor, said the job market will be particularly volatile in the coming years, especially for college students who are entering the job market for the first time.

“In good economic times, you’re usually just competing for entry level jobs with other college students,” he said. “When economic times take a downturn, you’re often competing with people who have experience.”

Despite the difficulty students may have nailing down a job, Keen said the banks and economies of Oklahoma and Texas are relatively stable compared

CREDIT Continues on page 2A

STUDENT HEALTH

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WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY LOW 53° HIGH 82°

FRIDAY LOW 57° HIGH 80° Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

Cold and flu season sneaks up on students • Doctors recommend flu shots, multivitamins JESSICA JERNIGAN AND JAMIE BIRDWELL Daily Staff Writers The dropping temperature and falling leaves mean winter — and the cold and flu season — is right around the corner, but doctors say taking precautions can limit illness.

Norman physician Dr. Shelley A. Bohn said students should consider getting immunized as flu season nears.

Flu season lasts between November and March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Every college student should receive a flu shot because they are in such close proximity with one another,” Bohn said.

The required immunizations for college students are for diphtheria and tetanus, as well as one for meningitis.

OU Health Services provides these immunizations, as

FLU Continues on page 2A

Photo illustration by Emily Ganus/The Daily

2A

News

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

UOSA discussion yields poor turnout LEIGHANNE MANWARREN Daily Staff Writer Fewer than 20 students showed up to talk with UOSA President Amanda Holloway about her goals and what she can do to help students in the next year.

An e-mail was sent to all Joe C. and Carole Kerr McClendon Honors College students, but only a few decided to attend the discussion, which was held in the Nancy Mergler Library in the Honors College Wednesday afternoon “We wanted to recognize Amanda. She’s a Honors College student and we are proud of her. But it was also to facilitate communication between students and their student government leaders,” said Andrea Fowler, Honors Students Association President and communications junior.

About half of the students participated in the discussion. Holloway answered questions about herself,

her job and what her goal was for the upcoming scholastic year.

“My biggest goal for this next year is to facilitate communication between students. I plan to work with as many departments and students as possible, to help facilitate change and accomplish their goals and get students involved,” Holloway said.

AMANDA Students at the discussion got HOLLOWAY the opportunity to learn more about Holloway.

“She’s my peer-mentor at the Honors College and I wanted to learn more about her and see what she does,” Kayla Bowden, University College freshman, said.

While some students wanted to learn more about Holloway and OU’s student government, others simply came for free snacks.

“I was interested in what the president does and

the reception with free cookies and water sounded like a good way to spend my late afternoon,” Nicholas Flynn, chemical engineering sophomore, said.

Also at the discussion were four student congress members, Vice Chair of Student Congress John Jennings, Budgetary Chair Brent Stidham, Public Relations Chair Samuel Shreder and Green Week Chair Claire Peterson, who answered questions about the Student Congress and its duties.

Even though only a few students attended the discussion, Honors College Dean Robert Con DavisUndiano said he hopes the school will continue to host student-led events and provide more forums for student feedback in the future.

“In the last few years, we have raised activity in the Honors College from the administrative standpoint, but over the years more students are getting involved and leading events like this,” Davis-Undiano said. “The best events are the ones being led by the students where students let things happen for other students, establishing a learning community.”

“The best events are the ones being led by the students where students let things happen for other students, establishing a learning community.”

Honors College Dean Robert Con Davis-Undiano

Boren: No bailout is ‘Russian Roulette’

Leaders Continued from page 1A The statement’s authors warned that if credit becomes unavailable, it could affect job growth and therefore revenue in Oklahoma, limiting the funds available for education, health and safety programs.

“In the face of this danger, continued inaction by our Federal Government is not an option in our view,” the statement said. “While [the bailout plan] may not be perfect, we believe that failing to pass it is a risk too great for Oklahomans and for all Americans to take.”

The group of men who signed the statement include Boren, Burns Hargis, president of Oklahoma State University; Clay Bennett, chairman of the Oklahoma City Thunder; Pete Delaney, president and CEO of OGE Energy Corp. and Cliff Hudson, chairman and CEO of Sonic Corp.

The statement said the men “adhere to different political philosophies,” but are united by the belief that a failure to act to resolve the financial crisis will have devastating consequences.

Boren, who personally e-mailed Fallin, Lucas and Sullivan after they voted against the bailout on Monday, said he felt morally obligated to make a public statement.

“The university doesn’t have a stance on this, just like the election, but I think I’m setting a poor example for students if I don’t speak out as a citizen,” said Boren, who was a member of the Senate Finance Committee during his time as a U.S. senator.

JAMIE HUGHES Daily Staff Writer In the wake of financial turmoil on Wall Street and Capitol Hill, OU President David L. Boren decided to speak up and urge legislators to support a $700 billion bailout bill making its way through Congress.

Boren joined 15 other Oklahoma leaders in support of the bill Wednesday and sent a personal e-mail to three Oklahoma representatives who voted against the bill. Boren said he supports the bill because it could stabilize the economy and keep the U.S. from slipping into a depression.

Boren could get what he wants by the end of the week.

“If I had to guess, I’d guess both [houses will] pass the bill by the end of the week,” he said. The U.S. Senate passed the bailout bill Wednesday by a vote of 74 to 25. The bill will come before the House of Representatives for a second time Friday.

Boren said he hopes representatives don’t just sit on their hands and refuse to pass the bailout package.

“Doing nothing is Russian Roulette,” he said.

Oklahoma representatives Mary

Fallin, R-Oklahoma City, Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne and John Sullivan, R-Tulsa, voted against Monday’s version of the bill. They said constituent feedback compelled them to vote “no” for the plan President George W. Bush had urged representatives to pass quickly.

“I am concerned about the current state of our financial system,” Lucas said in a press release.

“However, the constituents of the Third Congressional District spoke loud and clear over the last week in opposition to the proposed rescue plan, and I am here to represent their voice in Congress.”

Sullivan also said he was most worried about his constituents’ views.

In a press release Tuesday, he said he understands the importance of the situation and hopes for bipartisanship, but voting against the measure was the only way to register the concerns of his constituents.

“I am willing to support government intervention so long as the interests of the taxpayers are completely protected,” Sullivan said.

Boren said the representatives’ constituents shouldn’t let anger at investment bankers keep them from

“I’m angry too, ultimately those people need to be held accountable,” Boren said. But, “It isn’t about them [those on Wall Street], and if we lash out, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot.”

OU President David L. Boren supporting the bailout.

“I’m angry too, ultimately those people need to be held accountable,” Boren said. But, “It isn’t about them [those on Wall Street], and if we lash out, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot.”

A punishment for Wall Street would be a punishment for Main Street, Boren said. Middle-class Americans could face a rising unemployment rate and continued recession.

Boren hopes legislators will come to a bipartisan solution to the crisis.

“It’s awful to see parties pointing fingers of blame,” he said. He acknowledged that the bailout is less than ideal but said that shouldn’t stop Congress from taking action.

“In 28 years in elected office, I never saw a perfect bill,” Boren said.

Boren thinks the United States is facing its most serious economic situation since the Great Depression but believes the nation can recover.

“I don’t think we should panic,” he said. “Just act intelligently. There’s still time.”

Credit Continued from page 1A to those in other areas of the country. He attributes the strength to the presence of energy companies and the lack of a price appreciation buildup in housing.

“The financial instruments which are causing some of the problems are less prevalent here; our banks have dealt less with them,” Keen said.

That doesn’t mean OU students won’t be affected by the economic turmoil. Many lenders, including Bank of America and the College Loan Corporation, have stopped issuing private loans, making student loans more difficult to obtain than they have been in the past, according to financial aid organizations.

Although money may be difficult to extract frm banks in the form of loans in the near future, Keen said money already in banks is secure for most people.

“There is FDIC insurance for the first

$100,000,” he said. “This is not a big problem for households, but businesses do get above that amount.”

The Senate’s version of the federal bailout bill would increase the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s insurance limit to $250,000.

Catherine Mooney, conomics professor, said that raising the FDIC limit is a step in the right direction.

“They haven’t adjusted that $100,000 limit for inflation in years, so it makes a lot of sense,” she said.

Mooney also said that it’s not going to be as easy for students to buy houses after they graduate. She said lenders are skittish about handing out loans to people with shaky credit.

“You’re not going to be able to buy a house with a terrible credit score anymore,” she said.

“Protecting your credit is always great advice, but it’s obviously a lot more important now.”

Keen echoed Mooney’s assertion that maintaining good credit is a vital aspect in creating a positive and stable financial future.

“Great credit is a necessity,” Keen said.

“College students need to do things in college to build their credit. That includes paying their bills on time and paying their rent on time.

You have to demonstrate that you can handle credit.”

Keen said the main thing students can do to help ride the current economic struggle is to work to enhance their credit score. Otherwise, he said, getting a loan of any kind will not be likely.

“Credit scores are critically important and high credit scores are required,” he said. “I don’t know whether anyone will accept less.”

Facts Continued from page 1A

cial institutions and replace them with virtually risk-free U.S. treasury bills. The government would then own large amounts of risky assets.

If those assets turn out to be worth more than was originally thought, the government will make money, but if they are worth less, the government will lose the money.

What will the bailout do?

The bailout’s architects believe that if firms are left with mortgage-backed securities on their hands, they will be forced to extend less credit to people and businesses that need to borrow money. A credit freeze could send the economy into a recession. Thus, a bailout that replaces risky assets with treasury bills will allow firms to continue extending credit and prevent a recession.

Is the bailout a good idea?

It depends on who you ask. Some economists argue that firms that engage in risky behavior should be allowed to fail. If the government bails out these firms, they say, it will encourage similar behavior in the future. Others argue that the risks associated with recession are too great to allow firms to fail.

Flu Continued from page 1A well as flu shots, allergy injections and travel immunizations.

Many students visit a doctor only when they fell sick, but doctors recommend at least two regular checkups per year, said Maggie Pool, RN and Health Promotion Coordinator for OU Health Services.

“A physical examination for an adult consists of routine blood work, checking for anemia, as well as immunizations,” Bohn said.

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

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

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

Doctors also recommend students get their cholesterol levels checked twice a year, and get a blood pressure screening once a year, Pool said.

Appointments for checkups and physicals can be scheduled 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Walk-ins are also welcome.

“I decided to go to Goddard because there was no wait, and I could set up an appointment,”

University College freshman Alex Sherman said.

Pool said students should not neglect their bodies or their teeth, and recommends students visit both the doctor and the dentist.

“One or two cleanings and checkups are needed a year,” she said.

Bohn also said vitamins can be taken daily to prevent sickness and to build up the immune system.

She recommends daily vitamins with folic acid for females.

If all else fails and a student ends up feeling ill, Pool recommends they treat their symptoms with over-the-counter medication. She also recommends people cover their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing and stay at home from work or school to avoid spreading the illness.

— MEREDITH SIMONS/THE DAILY Source: Mike Garrison, OU Ph.D student in economics

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

Campus News

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

Daily writer gets inside look at Norman Police Dept.

• Officers’ early morning hours, responsibilities earn appreciation WILL HOLLAND Daily Staff Writer I found a new respect for police officers, or at least for how early they wake up, as I grumpily rolled out of bed at 6:15 a.m. Sunday morning. I was scheduled to arrive at the Norman Police Department at 6:45 a.m. for an early morning ride in a cop car.

I arrived at the department on time with my running shoes tied tightly in anticipation that I would have to sprint after or away from an armed suspect.

I met the man who I would be riding with, Officer Jason Simpson.

He was nice and talkative, which was not surprising. I figured the department would set me up with somebody who would not mind me tagging along.

Simpson, who graduated from OU with a degree in ethics and religion in 1994, led me out to a parking lot crowded with police cars. Some of the cars were old Fords, but I was happy when Simpson directed me to his 2007 Dodge Charger.

Simpson could tell I was impressed by the Charger, and he said he liked the car too.

“I think these are real good police cars,” Simpson said of the Charger.

The department began buying Chargers in 2006 but is no longer buying them, Simpson said.

I slipped into the car and started checking the equipment, which included a touch

Photos provided by sxc.hu

I slipped into the car and started checking the equipment, which included a touch screen laptop and a colorful arrangement of switches and knobs. screen laptop and a colorful arrangement of switches and knobs.

We left the department at about 7:30 a.m., and Simpson gave me a tour of his patrol area.

The streets were quiet, not unusual for a Sunday morning. Simpson, who works the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift five days a week, said Sundays are not very busy.

We drove around for 30 minutes, before receiving a call that a house alarm was ringing. As we drove toward the house, Simpson told me the perks of being a police officer.

He said he enjoys the freedom and variety of work, but he said the department, in his opinion, is understaffed.

He said when whe he began working workin at the depart department in 2000 more officers were scheduled for duty than now.

Simpson said he blame blames the lack of wo workers on departm department’s inability to compete for recruits with cities like Moore and Oklahoma City. A public safety sales tax p passed earlier this year will allow the department to h hire 41 additional police officers, Simpson sai said.

Another o officer was already at a the house when we arrived. As we walked to toward the house, I rraised

my arm to shield my head from any stray bullets that I om the anticipated would fly from windows. The officers determined the house was secure so we left. ped me off Then Simpson dropped ecause he was at the police station because al reasons. called home for personal ce briefing room for another I waited in the police officer to pick me up. ed in and asked if I was the A bald officer walked rider. I said I was. cond officer, Rob Ridner, in a “Let’s go,” said the second ned to his Charger. gruff voice as he motioned est on Lindsey Street, when We were driving west k a sharp p turn. Soon we were all of a sudden we took racing down the streett and tailing a speeding d to the t side of the car. The car pulled owed. d Before road and we followed. braking, Ridner threw off enly, we his seat belt. Suddenly, were stopped and Ridner r, talkwas out of the car, ing to the driver of the other car. d the Ridner allowed driver, who was going er hour about 15 miles per mit, to over the speed limit, ng. leave with a warning.

Our next stop was an actual crime scene. Another d Ridner officer had called to the scene, a vandalized vestigate. building, to help investigate. d at the When we arrived scene, the officerr who had called Ridnerr was using a brush that resemush to bled a make-up brush ts. dust for finger prints.

I felt like I was a charan. acter in CSI: Norman. alf way At 11 a.m., half through his shift, Ridner dropped me off at the police department. I immediately drove homee to take a nap. n the expeLooking back on rience, I realize I did not get to wear a bullet prooff vest and I was r, but at least I got a never in any danger, behind the scenes look at the daily routine n uniform. of Norman’s men in

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Opinion

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

OUR VIEW

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

Mark Potts — broadcast and electronic media graduate student

STAFF CARTOON

Figure it out After an informal poll in The Daily’s editorial meeting Wednesday, we realized none of us knew enough about the proposed $700 billion federal economic bailout to make a solid deciOUR VIEW sion about is an editorial whether or selected and debated not we supby the editorial board port it. and written after a We are majority opinion is formed and approved pretty sure by the editor. Our View we’re not is The Daily’s official alone. opinion.

Many students haven’t even heard of the bailout. (See page 16 for details.)

The lack of knowledge among young people is frightening.

Congress’s decision at the end of this week will have an enormous impact on young people’s future, whether or not it passes.

If the bailout is approved, today’s young people are the ones who could wind up with the $700 billion bill.

If it fails, young people are the ones who will have to find ways to keep the economy from going bust for decades to come — much longer than the people who are currently voting on the bailout.

If the credit market contracts, it

will be harder for students to find college loans.

Mortgages will be harder to come by as students graduate from college and start looking for houses.

Recession will make postgraduate jobs harder to come by.

Inexperienced students will have to compete for entry-level jobs with professionals who have been forced lower on the corporate food chain by recession.

It’s time for the people who are going to be impacted the most to educate themselves about what the bailout is and how it will affect them.

To that end, we published information about the bailout on page 1, including the opinions of economics professors, economics students, university presidents and Oklahoma business leaders.

We hope readers will use that information to learn about what the House of Representatives will be voting on Friday and form their judgments based on information, not political affiliation.

Then, we hope readers will get in touch with their representatives and communicate their thoughts about the bailout and the economic decisions they will be living with for the next 50 years.

STAFF COLUMN

Juicycampus.com’s personal posts nothing but pointless banter Who do you want to have sex with?

If you don’t feel comfortable telling me face-to-face, you are in luck. You can post your comments about your potential partner on the wonderfully witty, intellectually-charged, community-building website that is juicycampus.com.

I hope you can read through the sarcasm.

Juicycampus, a blogsite that began last year, allows college students to anonymously post anything. Absolutely anything.

However, the most predominate topics revolve around one thing: sex.

The top-viewed posted topics on OU’s portion of the site are, “I want to have sex with..,” “Sluttiest Freshman at OU,” “Top 10 Bitches,” “Hottest Gays,” “Who are the hottest girls/guys on campus?,” and “Biggest MANwhore on campus.”

This kind of banter is just plain rude.

It reminds me of the middle school days when kids would send each other notes in class asking a prospective girlfriend/boyfriend to circle “yes,” “no”or”maybe.”

The kind of information on the site shouldn’t matter. But to some students, especially those ROSIE who are listed on the website, the information SONTHEIMER listed does matter.

Students’ reputations are being put on the line for anyone to read.

Some students have attempted to take their cases to court, saying what is written on the site is libel.

It reminds me of the middle school days when kids would send each other notes in class asking a prospective girlfriend/boyfriend to circle ‘yes,’ ‘no’ or ‘maybe.’

However, due to the First Amendment’s “freedom of the press” clause, the posts on the site are safe from suits.

But when does this freedom get out of hand?

Juicycampus officials go so far as saying in their FAQ section that, if someone posts your contact information, they’ll consider deleting it if you notify them, but they may or may not respond to your notification.

Contact information? On a website that uses autonomy and promotes scandal and gossip?

Clearly, the makers of this Web site do not have the interests of anyone but themselves and their profit in mind.

Yes, this sort of frivolous and mean-spirited banter sells advertisements, but at what cost to society? At what cost to ourselves?

It is this kind of attitude and this kind of Web site that results in a lack of trust and lack of privacy, which have become two of society’s most valuable commodities.

It is this kind of Web site that promotes discrimination and complete sexual degradation.

The fact that the site even brings up such sexually-based top-

STAFF COLUMN

Discrimination against homosexuals unconstitutional

I N D E P E N D E N T

ness by free men.”

The sexual orientation of a person should have no effect on that person’s right to marry.

According to the U.S. Constitution, the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment requires that all rights are afforded to every citizen equally and that all citizens are to be treated equally under the law. Simply denying a couple the right to marry because they are gay is clearly a violation of this amendment.

Despite this, 26 states, including Oklahoma, have laws prohibiting same-sex marriages.

Federally, there is the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). While the DOMA does not prohibit samesex marriages, it defines marriage as being between “one man and one woman as husband and wife,” which in effect denies same-sex marriage on a federal level.

The DOMA also states that no state is required to recognize “any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state… respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage.”

However, Article 4, Sec. 1 of the Constitution states, “Full faith

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and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.”

While I’m no constitutional scholar, it’s pretty clear that the DOMA is unconstitutional.

Some people like to say that, even if a gay couple isn’t officially married, they can live out their life as if they were, which is not true.

There are so many privileges that are fundamental to marriage that are denied to same-sex couples.

These include hospital visitation rights, time off from work following a partner’s death, the ability to make medical decisions for a partner, ability to make funeral arrangements and joint tax filing.

America is making progress, slowly but surely. More and more states are enacting laws that allow for same-sex marriage and creating anti-discrimination laws based on sexuality.

Hopefully, it won’t be too long before people are no longer denied certain rights because they are gay.

R OSIE S ONTHEIMER IS A JOURNALISM SOPHOMORE. HER COLUMN APPEARS EVERY OTHER THURSDAY.

YOUR VIEWS Editorial correct about Shack-A-Thon’s ineffectiveness; students should do more I applaud the Oklahoma Daily’s editorial board for the Our View titled “Stop shacking up.”

Day after day I read many opinions in The Daily that I strongly disagree with, and vice versa, but rarely am I so strongly in agreement or opposition that I would want to write a letter to the editor.

Tuesday’s Our View was right on point.

I understand that students are trying to bring about awareness for others and to experience homelessness for a night, but they miss the point with gaudy displays and fun and games in the South Oval.

I would like to see a stronger effort to try to recreate what the homeless have to endure.

Perhaps students could fast for an evening or eat a meal in a soup kitchen or shelter.

Instead of hitting up college students, perhaps those participating in Shack-A-Thon could get a permit and stand on a street corner or an interstate exit and panhandle.

They could take the money they earned and donate it. That way, they would get a feeling for what somebody begging for change has to experience.

I like the idea of the Shack-A-Thon. I just think it can be tweaked a little.

Again, good job, Daily staff. As for the Shack-a-thon organizers and volunteers, great idea, but temper it with a taste of reality.

MATTHEW BAKER ENGLISH LIT JUNIOR

MICHAEL AMAN IS A PETROLEUM ENGINEERING SENIOR. HIS COLUMN USUALLY APPEARS EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY.

O F

160 Copeland Hall 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, Okla.

73019-0270 phone: (405) 325-3666 e-mail: dailynews@ou.edu

T H E The Fine Print:

T H E

Why Gov. Brad Henry or Republican leaders didn’t call for her resignation following such bigoted and hateful statement is beyond me. In fact, more people showed up to support Kern after these remarks than to protest her.

Had she said the same thing about African Americans, I doubt she would still be in office. There are almost no federal laws outlawing discrimination on the basis of homosexuality though there are laws outlawing discrimination on the basis of race, religion, etc.

The most frustrating gay rights issue to me it the fact that homosexals have had such a hard time getting marriage rights.

Those who oppose gay marriage think it is a threat to family life and the moral fiber of America. These are the same arguments that were used to justify segregation and bans on interracial marriage.

Marriage is a fundamental right belonging to all people.

The Supreme Court concluded in its decision on Loving v. Virginia (1967) that “the freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happi-

Contact Us:

I like to think our country has made great strides in civil rights this century, but there remains one issue that has yet to be resolved: gay rights.

In our society, words like “gay,” “queer” and “homo” have a more belittling meaning than they do descriptive.

Spend even a small amount of time around a group of guys on campus, and you’ll probably hear those words and worse thrown around as insults, even in public.

You’d never find a group of MICHAEL people tossing AMAN around racial slurs that way.

Even public figures openly condemn homosexuals, and more people should be angry about it than homosexuals themselves.

Oklahoma’s own Rep. Sally Kern said earlier this year that homosexuality “is deadly, and it’s spreading, and it will destroy our young people. It will destroy this nation.”

ics says something about the makers of the site and about the students who use to site to belittle their peers.

JuicyCampus could have been used in a positive way, though I highly doubtit was created with a beneficial purpose.

It could have been used as a forum for debate about politics or beliefs, conversation about college life and job opportunities.

It might have featured advice on how to pass a class or where to get a good cup of coffee.

Instead, it is used for gossip about extremely personal matters while at the same time dropping the f-bomb every couple of words.

This site does nothing more then bring out the worst in people.

If you haven’t visited it before, don’t.

And if you have, stop.

You will only encourage the negativity and degradation that encompass this Web site.

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

O F

O K L A H O M A

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.

Nation & World

5A

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

Palin, Biden debate gives her chance to come back BETH FOUHY Associated Press NEW YORK — Sarah Palin is heading into her debate with Joe Biden, easily the most-anticipated vice presidential faceoff ever, weighed down by fresh evidence that voters are developing serious doubts about her readiness for the job.

A new AP poll released Wednesday found that just 25 percent of likely voters believe Palin has the right experience to be president. That’s down from 41 percent just after the GOP convention, when the Alaska governor made her well-received debut on the national stage.

There’s a potential bright side: Thursday night’s debate in St. Louis gives her a chance to overcome the doubts in a 90-minute showcase, the first time most Americans outside Alaska will see her in a lengthy give-and-take session.

The downside: A poor performance debating Biden, the Delaware senator, former presidential candidate and longtime foreign policy expert, could cement a negative image for the rest of the campaign.

Palin has been preparing at Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s retreat in Sedona, Ariz.

Biden was doing his own intensive preparation near his home in Wilmington, Del., though he was going to Washington for Wednesday night’s vote on the economic rescue package.

As for Palin’s prospects, “the expectations are set so low for her, she could fake everyone out,” said Scott Reed, who managed the presidential campaign of Republican Bob Dole in 1996.

“Palin needs to clear the bar and reframe the debate around Barack Obama and his tax and spend record,” he said. “She has got to show a grasp on the issues and she’s got to talk about Obama. Most importantly, she’s a reformer. She’s got to get back to that.”

Democrats, meanwhile, were doing what they could to dispel the notion that Palin is a subpar debater. The Democratic National Committee e-mailed news stories to reporters describing her able performances in debates in 2006 when she was

“[Gov. Palin] has got to show a grasp on the issues and she’s got to talk about Obama. Most importantly, she’s a reformer. She’s got to get back to that.”

Scott Reed, manager of the presidential campaign of Republican Bob Dole in 1996 running for Alaska governor.

And Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, one of Obama’s most prominent surrogates, tried to lower expectations for Biden on a conference call with reporters.

“My friend Joe Biden has a tendency to talk forever and sometimes say stuff that’s kind of stupid,” McCaskill said.

Asked to clarify her remarks, McCaskill said she meant them “affectionately.”

In an emotional twist, Biden’s son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, was to deploy this week for Iraq, where he’ll serve a year as a member of the state’s Army National Guard.

In the new poll, the declining sentiment for Palin was noticeable even among Republican likely voters: Just 47 percent now believe she has the right experience to be president, down from 75 percent in the previous survey. Initially, Palin’s selection was widely praised by Republicans and especially conservative voters who have been wary of McCain.

The poll of 808 likely voters was conducted Saturday through Tuesday and had a sampling error

New tests find melamine in 31 Chinese milk batches

AP photo

Christopher Sontheimer works on finishing touches Wednesday for the vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. Democrat Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware and Republican Sarah Palin, Alaska’s governor, square off Thursday in St. Louis. of 3.4 percentage points.

A series of interviews with CBS News anchor Katie Couric recently raised questions about how well-informed she is on a range of issues the next president will face.

In a segment that aired Tuesday, Palin declined to cite a newspaper or magazine when asked what she had read regularly before McCain picked her as his running mate, saying only that she had read “most of them.”

Pressed for an example, Palin told Couric: “I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news, too. Alaska isn’t a foreign country, where it’s kind of suggested, ‘Wow, how could you keep in touch with what the rest of Washington,

D.C., may be thinking when you live up there in Alaska?’ Believe me, Alaska is like a microcosm of America.”

In an interview Wednesday with NPR, McCain said he had turned to his running mate for advice many times. And in a testy exchange with the Des Moines Register editorial board Tuesday, amid questions about Palin’s credentials, McCain replied, “If there’s a Georgetown cocktail party person who, quote, calls himself a conservative who doesn’t like her, good luck.” Palin has echoed the anti-Washington sentiment, telling Couric the tough coverage she’s received is attributable to “media elite, the Washington elite” not knowing who she is, rather than her gender.

RARE GERMAN BOOKS ON DISPLAY

CHRISTOPHER BODEEN Associated Press BEIJING — An additional 31 batches of Chinese milk powder were found contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, China’s government said Wednesday, further broadening a scandal affecting products ranging from baby formula to chocolate.

The contamination has been blamed for the deaths of four children and kidney ailments among 54,000 others. More than 13,000 children have been hospitalized and 27 people arrested in connection with the tainting.

The new figure, seen on the food safety administration’s Web site, brings to at least 100 the number of tested batches of milk powder found to contain melamine. A previous round of testing, results of which were posted on Sept. 16, found melamine in 69 milk powder batches.

Dozens of brands sold by more than a score of dairy firms, including some of China’s biggest names, have been among those tested.

Tests have also found melamine in 24 batches of liquid milk produced by three of the country’s best known dairy firms.

It was a national holiday in China and product safety officials could not be reached for comment.

The Web site quoted the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine as saying it had tested 265 batches produced by 154 different companies prior to Sept. 14. China has a total of 290 companies making powdered milk, the administration said.

In the most recent tests, nine of the batches containing melamine were produced by the company at the center of the scandal, Sanlu, a 43 percent stake of which is owned by New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra. No date for the testing was given.

Melamine, which is high in nitrogen, is used to make plastics and fertilizers and experts say some amount of the chemical may be transferred from the environment during food processing. But in China’s case, suppliers trying to boost output are believed to have diluted their milk, adding melamine because its nitrogen content can fool tests aimed at verifying protein content.

Melamine can cause kidney stones, leading to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable.

AP photo

Chief restorer Matthias Hageboeck holds a hand book cover made of gilded red leather and dated from 1822 during the exhibition ‘Art of the book cover’ Wednesday in the historical Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar, Germany. The exhibition started Sept. 3, and will run until Aug. 2, 2009.

The famous 300-year-old library in Weimar, where a fire broke out in Sept. 2004 threatening a collection of some 850,000 most precious books, is an UNESCO world heritage site.

6A

State

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

Rice criticizes Inhofe camp’s TV spots JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS Associated Press TULSA — Democratic Senate candidate Andrew Rice on Wednesday accused his opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe, of using a “negative stream of advertising” in an attempt to distort his record to voters.

But a spokesman for Inhofe said Rice was uncomfortable defending his record in the state Senate and as a community activist.

“As a father of two young children and a husband, to insinuate that I don’t care about protecting Oklahomans from violent criminals is offensive to me,” Rice said in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press. “I just feel Sen. Inhofe is hiding behind these ads, he’s not campaigning, he won’t come debate me, he’s hiding there in Washington.”

Rice referenced Inhofe’s two most recent ads being carried on Oklahoma television stations.

In the first, a spot called “Six Strikes,” the Inhofe campaign accuses Rice of being “one of only four state Senators to vote against making criminals with six or more felony convictions serve at least 85 percent of their time.”

It features ominous-looking mug shots of criminals as a narrator asks, “Murderers?

Rapists? Thieves? On Oklahoma streets? So, what was Andrew Rice thinking?”

But the ad appears to be misleading in that murderers, rapists and thieves already have to serve 85 percent of their time. The bill, which never made it out of the House, would have

“I just feel Sen. Inhofe is hiding behind these ads, he’s not campaigning, he won’t come debate me, he’s hiding there in Washington.”

Andrew Rice, Democratic Senate candidate added a new category of offenders found guilty of six or more lesser felonies, such as people who cheated on their taxes, Rice said.

In the second Inhofe ad, called “Amber Alert,” the campaign accuses Rice of being among “only five state Senators to twice vote against making false Amber Alerts a felony.”

The narrator in that ad scolds, “Protecting Oklahoma children is important, Andrew.”

Wednesday, Rice called the legislation among the “re-election bills some politicians run so they can go out to their districts and say they’re tough on crime.”

The bill became law last year.

Rice said Inhofe is “on his fourth attack on me in almost 21 days,” and suggested the veteran lawmaker was “spooked by something.”

An earlier ad against Rice by Inhofe’s campaign contained anti-gay overtones, showing a wedding cake topped by two plastic grooms and a photo of Rice as a young man, curly haired and wearing a leather jacket.

“Politicians don’t act the way he’s acting if they’re confident about re-election,” Rice said.

“He’s trying to divide the people of Oklahoma with fear, and that’s pretty obvious.”

Inhofe spokesman Josh Kivett said Wednesday that the facts of Rice’s record were “indisputable.”

“Andrew Rice voted seven times for higher taxes, seven times for taxpayer funded abortions, twice against making reporting a false amber alert a felony, and against requiring sixtime felons to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence,” Kivett said in a statement. “The only distortion in this campaign would be if Rice tried to claim he shared most Oklahomans’ values.”

Geri Prado, Rice’s campaign manager, said it was “disappointing how much Jim Inhofe underestimates Oklahomans.”

“His negative attacks are nothing more than a distraction,” Prado said in a statement. “He can try to rerun his 1994 campaign, but it’s 2008, and Oklahoma is facing the real consequences of 22 years of Jim Inhofe’s failures in Washington.”

Inhofe and Rice are scheduled to debate for the first time Tuesday in Tulsa.

Oklahoma-based Sonic faces rough weather • Restaurant franchise affected by recent hurricanes, slow sales SEAN MURPHY Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY — Country music superstar Carrie Underwood references a Sonic drive-in as a favorite spot along the main drag in her single-stoplight hometown of Checotah in her hit song, “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore.”

The eateries, where customers park their cars and have their orders brought to them by carhops, some even on roller skates, are a staple in small towns across Oklahoma, Texas and many southern states.

But the Oklahoma City-based company has faced some rough weather in recent weeks, including the temporary closure of hundreds of stores in the Gulf Coast area as a result of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Last week, the company reported more bad news — sluggish sales at its partner drive-ins, which are restaurants in which the company owns a majority interest. That prompted several analysts to trim their fourthquarter profit estimates for the company.

Even this week, presidential candidate John McCain pointed to Sonic as an example of businesses feeling the pinch of the tightening credit market, although the company was quick to point out that the story was inaccurate.

When the company announced its fiscal outlook last week, its Chairman and Chief Executive Officers Cliff Hudson said the company was facing challenges as it transitioned from a regional to a national brand and that it planned to refranchise underperforming partner driveins and slow the growth of partner drive-ins.

But the refranchising plan could face difficulties as cautious lenders have made it more difficult for some restaurant companies to sell company-owned stores.

With costs for ingredients, labor and energy all rising in the past year, several other restaurant chains are finding lenders taking a closer look at the loans it makes to franchisees.

Not surprisingly, Hudson was among more than a dozen CEOs of Oklahoma-based companies who issued a joint statement Wednesday urging Congress to approve a federal bailout of the country’s financial industry.

“As it stands now, businesses of all types and sizes will be severely impacted because short-term and long-term credit has and will continue to evaporate,” the statement read.

INDIAN AFFAIRS Tribe sues government officials TULSA — A lawsuit filed by an Oklahoma-based Indian tribe asks that the planned transfer of an Indian hospital to another Oklahoma tribe be blocked.

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians filed a lawsuit Tuesday against several top government officials, alleging they violated federal law by turning over the W.W. Hastings Indian Hospital to the Cherokee Nation.

The Cherokee Nation is scheduled to assume control of the Tahlequah hospital Wednesday morning. The suit asks for an injunction to stop the Cherokee Nation from having operational control of the facility.

The W.W. Hastings hospital had been operated by Indian Health Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Muskogee, names Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt, Director of Indian Health Services Robert McSwain and IHS’s Director of Office of Self Governance Hankie Ortiz as plaintiffs.

The UKB’s lawsuit states that government officials violated federal law by not consulting the UKB tribe before entering into the contract with the Cherokee Nation.

“At no point has the tribe issued a tribal resolution approving a contract between the [Cherokee Nation] and IHS related to the providing of health care to the members of either tribe at Hastings or any other medical facility,” said UKB Chief George Wickliffe.

Financing troubles may delay museum OKLAHOMA CITY — Efforts to obtain interim financing to keep construction going at the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum has failed, but officials said work at the Oklahoma City site could still continue.

“Our goal is to continue seamlessly through construction,” said Gena Timberman, executive director of the Native American Cultural and Education Authority, which is overseeing the project.

“It’s our desire to keep everyone engaged and on board and just moving forward on construction.”

Earlier this year, state lawmakers approved $25 million in bonds for the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum. But just before the bond deal was set to close last month, financial advisers heard that the legislative measure authorizing the bond sale might be challenged in court, said Jim Joseph, the state’s bond adviser.

Joseph said he found out a couple of days later that no legal action was being planned. But the delay made it impractical to go ahead with the interim financing, he said.

The state has invested about $63 million into the museum and cultural center, situated on the south shore of the Oklahoma River at Interstate 40 and Interstate 35. The project is estimated to cost about $150 million. Private donors will be sought to furnish the museum.

The new center that will tell the story of all the federally recognized tribes in Oklahoma. Last month, members of the Muscogee Creek Nation performed a song and said a prayer in their native tongue in honor of the Central Promontory Mound — 1.7 billion pounds of red earth piled 90 feet high at its peak encircling part of the museum site.

The towering hill also represents the completion of the first major phase of construction of the museum, a 125,000 square foot facility that will include the stories and experiences of people from 39 tribes.

Concrete slabs and walls stretch across the east side of the site and a visitors center is nearing completion.

— AP

THIS WEEKEND AT YOUR UNIVERSITY T hursday, Oct. 2 • Mid-Day Music: John Abney | 11:15 a.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union Food Court. Presented by the Union Programming Board.

• Student Success Series: Make Studying Work For You | 3 p.m. in Carnegie Building, Room 200. Presented by University College.

• How to Become an RA | 5-6 p.m. in Cate Main Social Lounge. Come get information about how to become a Resident Adviser. Applications will be available.

• Dream Course: Russian Arts in the 20th Century | 4-6:30 p.m. in the Mary Eddy and Fred Jones Auditorium, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. “RAPM and the Transition to the Soviet State,” presented by Michael Lee, Musicology & “Soviet Art: Constructivism and Social Realism,” presented by Susan Caldwell, Art History. For more information call (405) 325-4938.

How to Become a Resident Advisor | 5 p.m. in Cate Main Social Lounge.

Come get information about how to become a Resident Adviser.

Applications will be available.

• Fred Films: “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers” | 7 p.m. in the Mary Eddy and Fred Jones Auditorium, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Fred Films Presents “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers” (1946/ dir. by Lewis Milestone) 116 minutes. Free admission to students with a valid OU ID. For more information call (405) 325-4938.

Friday., Oct. 3 • Oil, Gas and Power: Russia and the United States | 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Mary and Eddy Fred Jones Auditorium, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. A symposium of two panels: “The State of US-Russia Relations,” & “Energy Superpowers of the 21st Century: Russia and Oklahoma.” For more information call (405) 325-4938.

• Guess The Score | 11:30 a.m. in the union food court. Think you know Sooner Football? Prove it at the Union Programming Board’s pre-game predictions for a chance to win great prizes. Play every Friday during football season to earn points and increase your chances of winning. Who Loves You, OU? • FREE Film: “Hancock” | 4, 7, 10 p.m. and midnight in Meacham Auditorium. Presented by the Union Programming Board and CAC Film Series.

• Soccer: OU vs. Oregon | 7 p.m. at John Crain Field. Come watch the OU women’s soccer team take on Oregon. Visit soonersports.com for ticket information.

• Rock Band & Guitar Hero | 8 p.m. in Crossroads Lounge, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Rock out with the Union Programming Board on Rock Band for Nintendo Wii and Guitar Hero III for PS2 and get some FREE snacks!.

• Late Night Snacks | 9:30 p.m. in Meacham Auditorium Lobby, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Enjoy some free snacks courtesy of the Union Programming Board and then see the 10 p.m. showing of “Hancock.” Who Loves You, OU?

Saturday, Oct. 4 • OU @ Baylor Watch Party | 11:30 a.m. in Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Don’t have tickets? Come and see the game for FREE on the big screen in Meacham. Presented by the Union Programming Board.

• American Artists from the Russian Empire Opening Reception 7-9 p.m. in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Nancy Johnston Records Gallery. Comprised of over ninety works by artists such as Nicolai Fechin, Leon Gaspard, Jacques Lipchitz, Mark Rothko, Ben Shahn, Pavel Tchelitchew, and Max Weber, this exhibition examines the impact of American culture on Russian artists living in the United States during the first half of the twentieth century as well as the lasting influence these same artists had on the development of American art. Exhibition will be on display through January 4, 2009. For more information call (405) 325-4938.

Sunday, Oct. 5 • Sutton Artist Series: Accademia Filharmonica | 3 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.

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.

Nation

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

7A

SENATE PASSES BAILOUT BILL 7425 JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS AND CHARLES BABINGTON Associated Press WASHINGTON — After one spectacular failure, the $700 billion financial industry bailout found a second life Wednesday, winning lopsided passage in the Senate and gaining ground in the House, where Republicans opposition softened.

Senators loaded the economic rescue bill with tax breaks and other sweeteners before passing it by a wide margin, 74-25, a month before the presidential and congressional elections.

In the House, leaders were working feverishly to convert enough opponents of the bill to push it through by Friday, just days after lawmakers there stunningly rejected an earlier version and sent markets plunging around the globe.

The measure didn’t cause the same uproar in the Senate, where both parties’ presidential candidates, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, made rare appearances to cast “aye” votes.

In the final vote, 40 Democrats, 33 Republicans and independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut voted “yes.”

Nine Democrats, 15 Republicans and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont voted “no.”

The rescue package lets the government spend billions of dollars to buy bad mortgage-related securities and other devalued assets held by troubled financial institutions. If successful,

advocates say, it would allow frozen credit to begin flowing again and prevent a deep recession.

Even as the Senate voted, House leaders were hunting for the 12 votes they would need to turn around Monday’s 228-205 defeat. They were especially targeting the 133 Republicans who voted “no.”

Their opposition appeared to be easing after the Senate added $110 billion in tax breaks for businesses and the middle class, plus a provision to raise, from $100,000 to $250,000, the cap on federal deposit insurance.

They were also cheering a decision Tuesday by the Securities and Exchange Commission to ease rules that force companies to devalue assets on their balance sheets to reflect the price they can get on the market.

There were worries, though, that the tax breaks would cause some conservative-leaning Democrats who voted for the rescue Monday to abandon it because it would swell the federal deficit.

“I’m concerned about that,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the majority leader.

As revised by the Senate, the package extends several tax breaks popular with businesses. It would keep the alternative minimum tax from hitting 20 million middle-income Americans and provide $8 billion in tax relief for those hit by natural disasters in the Midwest, Texas and Louisiana.

It doesn’t designate a way to pay for

AP photo

This undated photo provided by Cass County Jail shows Kelsey Peterson, the former Lexington teacher accused of having sex with a 13-year-old male student and fleeing with him to Mexico. Peterson was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court on Omaha. She pleaded guilty in July.

AP photo

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., center, with Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., right and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., left, Sen. Max Baucus, R-Mont., second from left, and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., on Capitol Hill Wednesday in Washington. Senators loaded the economic rescue bill with tax breaks and other sweeteners before passing it by a wide margin, 74-25, a month before the presidential and congressional elections. many of the tax cuts, though, angering the House’s band of conservative “Blue Dog” Democrats.

Leaders in both parties, as well as private economic chiefs everywhere, said Congress must quickly approve some version of the bailout measure to start loans flowing and stave off a potential national economic disaster.

“This is what we need to do right now to prevent the possibility of a crisis turning into a catastrophe,” Obama said on the Senate floor. In Missouri, before flying to Washington to vote, McCain

said, “If we fail to act, the gears of our economy will grind to a halt.”

Critics on the right and left assailed the rescue plan, which has been panned by their constituents as a giveaway for Wall Street, and has little obvious direct benefit for ordinary Americans.

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., a leading conservative, said the step was “leading us into the pit of socialism.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who’s a self-described socialist, said the rescue was fundamentally unfair.

Ex-teacher says middle schooler was a man to her

Biden spins a helicopter tale Train engineer texted 22 seconds before L.A. crash

CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press WASHINGTON — When Joe Biden tells voters he understands the threat posed by Afghan extremists, he dramatically illustrates one reason why: His helicopter was “forced down” on “the superhighway of terror.”

Actually, snow, not the enemy, persuaded the helicopter pilot to land and wait out a storm.

Biden has made a number of questionable statements recently that, viewed in isolation, might not amount to much. But this is a man whose first presidential campaign collapsed 20 years ago after he told a story about coal miners in his family that he lifted without credit from a British politician.

In a recent speech in Virginia coal country, Biden seemed to embellish his background once again. He declared, “I am a hard coal miner,” which he’s not and never has been. His spokesman, David Wade, said Biden was joking.

DAISY NGUYEN Associated Press

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— AP

“FUNNY, TWISTEDNeilAND IMMENSELY ENTERTAINING.” Miller, FILMSCHOOLREJECTS.COM “POSTMODERN”

In February, Biden and fellow senators John Kerry and Chuck Hagel were flying in a helicopter over Afghanistan in a fact-finding trip when a snowstorm closed in.

“It went pretty blind, pretty fast and we were around some pretty dangerous ridges,” Kerry told The Associated Press afterward. “So the pilot exercised his

judgment that we were better off putting down there, and we all agreed.”

He said the group waited for about three hours until a convoy with U.S. troops took them to Bagram Air Base.

“We sat up there and traded stories,” Kerry joked.

“We were going to send Biden out to fight the Taliban with snowballs, but we didn’t have to do it.”

He added: “Other than getting a little cold, it was fine.”

The area was reported as not being under Taliban control. But Wade noted “it’s the wild west out there” and the senators were transported under guard and with air cover from an F-16.

James Greenberg, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

The Facts

AP photo

Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., speaks at a rally in front of the Detroit Public Library Sunday in Detroit, Mich.

“FUNNY”

In a Baltimore speech last week, Biden said: “If you want to know where al-Qaida lives, you want to know where [Osama] bin Laden is, come back to Afghanistan with me. Come back to the area where my helicopter was forced down with a three-star general and three senators at 10,500 feet in the middle of those mountains. I can tell you where they are.”

Two days later, in Cincinnati, he said al-Qaida has re-established a safe haven and it’s not in Baghdad. “It’s in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said, “where my helicopter was recently forced down.”

At a Sept. 9, fundraiser, Biden addressed his national security credentials by talking about “the superhighway of terror between Pakistan and Afghanistan where my helicopter was forced down. John McCain wants to know where bin Ladin and the gates of Hell are? I can tell him where. That’s where al-Qaida is. That’s where bin Ladin is.”

Scott Weinberg, FEARNET.COM

The Tale

LOS ANGELES — A Metrolink engineer sent a cell phone text message 22 seconds before his commuter train crashed head-on into a freight train last month, killing 25 people, federal investigators said Wednesday.

Cell phone records of engineer Robert Sanchez, who was among the dead, show he sent a message after receiving one about a minute and 20 seconds before the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a press release.

Investigators are looking into why Sanchez ran through a red signal and collided with a Union Pacific train Sept.

12 in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. It was the nation’s deadliest rail crash since 1993.

Sanchez sent his last text message at 4:22:01 p.m.

According to the freight train’s onboard recorder, the accident occurred at 4:22:23 p.m.

Records obtained from Sanchez’s cell phone provider also showed that he sent 24 text messages and received 21 messages over a two-hour period during his morning shift.

During his afternoon shift, he received seven and sent five messages.

NTSB investigators were continuing to correlate times from Sanchez’s cell phone, the train recorders and data from the railroad signal system.

“I am pleased with the progress of this major investigation to date,” acting NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said in a statement. “We are continuing to pursue many avenues of inquiry to find what caused this accident and what can be done to prevent such a tragedy in the future.”

NTSB spokesman Terry Williams declined to release information about who was exchanging text messages with Sanchez.

OMAHA, Neb. — A former math teacher sentenced to federal prison for a sex crime with a minor says the age of the 13-year-old schoolboy she fled with to Mexico didn’t matter to her.

“We didn’t see age anymore... In my mind he quit being a teenage boy... to me, he was a man,” Kelsey Peterson said in a taped interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” aired Wednesday.

Peterson, 26, was sentenced Monday to six years in federal prison and five years of supervised release. She also must register as a sex offender. She pleaded guilty in July to transporting a minor across state lines to have sex.

Peterson was the boy’s sixth-grade math teacher at Lexington Middle School in south-central Nebraska during the 2005-06 school year and started having sex with him in November 2006, according to court documents.

The pair disappeared in October, soon after the district’s superintendent confronted Peterson about allegations of an inappropriate relationship with the boy.

She was arrested a week later in Mexicali, Mexico, after the boy made a cell phone call to his family.

Peterson still faces state charges that include kidnapping, felony child abuse and first-degree sexual assault. Dawson County Attorney Elizabeth Waterman said Monday that her staff will work to get custody of Peterson so she can face those charges.

Peterson said in the ABC interview that she was drawn to the boy, then 12, and thought to herself, “I can change this guy.” She said her actions were wildly out of line with her upbringing in a Christian household.

She had expected to grow up and get married, she said, then have children and live in a house with a picket fence.

“I made choice after choice after choice that didn’t allow that,” Peterson said.

In a separate interview, her attorney, James Martin Davis, blamed the boy. Davis has publicly questioned the boy’s age, saying he was likely at least 16, despite Mexican documents and statements from the boy’s family.

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World

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

Most Asian markets sink after bailout rejection

U.S. Air Force medical staff are on hand to receive patients arriving by helicopter at the Air Force Theater Hospital in Balad, 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008. The Air Force Theater Hospital is best known for saving countless U.S. soldiers with catastrophic battle injuries. But dozens of Iraqi patients also come through its doors each month — many with shredded limbs, penetrating shrapnel fragments and devastating internal bleeding.

TOMOKO A. HOSAKA Associated Press TOKYO — Most Asian stock markets fell Tuesday in stunned dismay over U.S. lawmakers’ rejection of a $700 billion bank rescue plan aimed at stabilizing the U.S. financial system. European markets opened mixed.

Markets across Asia opened sharply lower amid fears that the setback could lead to a broader global financial crisis. But as trading progressed, many indices erased losses and Hong Kong’s market staged a dramatic turnaround to close slightly higher as investors scooped up beaten-down shares.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei stock 225 index slumped 4.12 percent to close at 11,259.86 — the lowest level since June 9, 2005. In Australia, the S&P/ASX-200 index fell 4.3 percent after falling as much as 5.3 percent.

The initial bailout rejection dealt a “severe blow to Asia markets right after the Lehman shock,” said Mitsushige Akino, fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management in Tokyo, referring to the collapse earlier this month of the U.S. investment bank.

The bailout is seen as the beginnning of long, arduous process at cleaning up the bad debt mess.

“Many investors grew even more cautious because of the latest development over the [bailout] bill, and they only see passage of the bill as a minor improvement to the crisis,” Akino said.

A couple markets bounced back in signs that some investors thought shares were oversold. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 0.76 percent to close at 18,016.21 after earlier plunging more than 5 percent. India’s Sensex was up 2.4 percent in afternoon trading.

AP photo

European Union monitors are seen Wednesday in the village of Duisi, some 25 miles northwest of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. European Union monitors began patrolling Georgian territory Wednesday and Russian troops allowed some of them into a buffer zone around the breakaway region of South Ossetia despite earlier warnings from Moscow they would be blocked.

EU monitors begin patrols in Georgian territory

AP photo

US combat hospital saving more wounded Iraqis ANNA JOHNSON Associated Press BALAD, Iraq — The U.S. military’s main combat hospital in Iraq has increasingly switched to helping Iraqis. As the numbers of wounded American soldiers have fallen, the hospital is now saving the lives of a remarkable 93 percent of Iraqis who come with devastating injuries.

It’s another sign of the radical improvements in health care made at combat trauma care units in war time — especially because unlike U.S. soldiers, most Iraqi patients at the Air Force Theater Hospital don’t wear body armor and helmets or drive in vehicles designed to withstand roadside bombs.

“There are people with injuries that are brought here, and I say this with confidence, if they went anywhere else in the world, they would not survive,” said Col. Mark Mavity, the commander of the hospital.

On one recent day, 5-year-old Sajad Lafta lay in his bed crying for his father while his older half brother, Abdul Wahid, tried to comfort him by holding up a picture of a puppy that Sajad colored while recovering at the hospital.

The boy didn’t know yet that

Wahid, 25, came to visit him because his father was attending the funerals for two of his other young sons. They were killed by a car bomb that blew off Sajad’s lower left leg and left tiny pieces of metal scattered over his body.

“Thank God, we are positive he is going to live,” said Wahid, who planned to bring the puppy picture home to their mother as proof that Sajad was alive.

Over the years, the hospital on Balad Air Base has become synonymous with combat trauma care. It is best known for saving countless U.S. soldiers with catastrophic battle injuries — more than 96 percent on average over the six-month period ending in August.

But even more astonishing: during that same time, about 93 percent of Iraqis left the hospital alive — up from an average of 89.7 percent during the previous six months.

Their injuries are devastating — shredded limbs, penetrating shrapnel fragments, massive internal bleeding and gaping head wounds.

The car bomb that wounded Sajad exploded during the evening of Sept. 12 in the town of Dujail, killing at least 32 people including his 7- and 6-year-old brothers as

the three walked home after buying a few pieces of candy.

When Sajad’s father heard the explosion, he raced over to his sons. Sajad was the only one still breathing. After the local hospital

General wants help in Afghanistan now WASHINGTON — The top American military commander in Afghanistan said Wednesday that he needs more troops and other aid “as quickly as possible” in a counterinsurgency battle that could get worse before it gets better.

Gen. David McKiernan said it’s not just a question of troops — but more economic aid and more political aid as well.

Speaking to Pentagon reporters, the head of NATO forces in Afghanistan said there has been a significant increase in foreign fighters coming in from neighboring Pakistan this year — including Chechens, Uzbeks, Saudis and Europeans.

“The additional military capabilities that have been asked for are needed as quickly as possible,” he said.

turned the boy away because his wounds were too severe, Sajad was taken on a U.S. helicopter to the military hospital on Balad Air Base, about 50 miles north of Baghdad.

He said he was encouraged by recent Pakistani military operations against insurgents waging crossborder attacks into Afghanistan, but also said that it is too soon to tell how effective they have been.

Officials have said that violence in Afghanistan is up about 30 percent this year compared with 2007. The Taliban and associated militant groups like the terrorist network al-Qaida have steadily stepped up attacks in the last several years and more U.S. soldiers have died in Afghanistan already this year than in any year since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.

“We’re in a very tough fight,” McKiernan said. “The idea that it might get worse before it gets better is certainly a possibility.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week that he may be able to send thousands more combat troops to Afghanistan starting next spring.

— AP

MATT SIEGEL Associated Press KARALETI, Georgia — European Union monitors in white shirts and bright blue berets began patrolling a buffer zone Wednesday outside the breakaway region of South Ossetia that has been controlled by Russian troops and separatists since an August war in Georgia.

The deployment paves the way for a promised Russian pullback of its remaining troops from areas they occupied outside South Ossetia and another separatist region in Georgia.

Georgians in villages beyond Russian checkpoints welcomed the Western observers, who are to monitor the cease-fire and the withdrawal of Russian troops. Some frightened residents of villages damaged by arson and looting they blame on South Ossetians said the EU came too late.

Russian troops had said Tuesday that none of the EU observers would immediately be permitted in the buffer zone outside South Ossetia, raising concerns that Moscow was backtracking on its commitments.

But EU monitors — whose job is to observe the cease-fire and the Russian pullback — arrived on schedule. They were quickly allowed to pass through Russian checkpoints near two Georgian villages on the perimeter of the so-called security zone.

“The situation is very calm,” said Ivan Kukushkin, a Russian officer in charge of the checkpoint near the Georgian village of Kvenatkotsa.

Russia still plans to keep around 7,600 troops in South Ossetia and the other breakaway region of Abkhazia, which the EU and U.S. consider to be violations of its cease-fire commitments.

Moscow has refused to allow the EU monitors inside the regions themselves.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said there are no ideological grounds for a new Cold War or any other kind of conflict with the United States, a staunch supporter of Georgia’s pro-Western government.

“We do not have such ideological differences around which a new cold or any other kind of war could start,” Medvedev said at a news conference after meeting Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero outside St. Petersburg, Russia.

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• How To Become An RA, Cate Main Social Lounge, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

• Society of Asia- Pacific Engineer’s Study and Tea, Presidents Room 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3 •”Oil, Gas and Power: Russia and the United States” Conference, Fred Jones Art Museum, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (free) • Guitar Hero Night, Crossroads lounge, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• OU Soccer vs. Oregon, John Crain Field, 7 p.m.

• OU Hockey vs. ND St Blazers Ice Center , 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 • Walk With The WOC for Race For The Cure, Bricktown Ballpark, OKC, 7:45 a.m. to noon ($25) • Croos Country, Stillwater, OK, 8 a.m.

• American Artists from the Russian Empire (Opening Reception) Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• OU Hockey vs. ND St Blazers Ice Center , 6:30 p.m.

•Obviously Unrehearsed Imporv! Auditions, Heritage Room, OMU, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5 •UWA’s Incredible Beginning, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ($25) •Accademia Filarmonica Opens The Season, Catlett Music Center, 8 p.m. ($5-$8)

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Sports

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

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

1B

STAFF COLUMN

It’s time to gaze into the crystal ball

I

don’t often take time out of my day to make predictions about how the college football season will end. Last season proved that such an activity is futile, and last weekend confirmed it.

But after such a hectic weekend — which saw nine ranked teams lose, six of them to unranked opponents — now might be a good time to ask, “What if?”

What if this season throws the BCS system into the most disarray it’s ever witnessed? The ingredients are there.

Obviously, USC, Florida and Georgia aren’t going undefeated. USC is still in the top 10, and Florida and Georgia are hovering close behind, but all three of them will have to work their butts off — and get some luck — if they are going to make it to the national championship.

So what if OU and Missouri are the only two COREY BCS conference schools left undefeated when DEMOSS the regular season ends? They would undoubtedly be ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation if that were the case, essentially making the Big 12 Championship a smaller version of the national title game.

What if the game goes right down to the wire and one of the teams only wins by a few points? Would fans clamor to see a rematch? If not, who would the winner face?

Might there be another undefeated team at the top of the rankings? Here’s where the wrench could really be thrown into the BCS system.

The most likely team to be sitting undefeated at the end of the season: the BYU Cougars.

That’s right. This year has the best chance to have a non-BCS school storm into the national championship.

There’s one of these teams every year. Utah, Boise State, Hawaii ... they’ve all gone undefeated and attempted to shake up the BCS. Utah and Boise State actually won their BCS bowls (Sooner fans remember Boise State’s triumph quite well).

All three of those teams qualified for a BCS bowl, and all three loudly proclaimed they should be qualified for the national championship.

But Utah didn’t break into the top 10 until the eighth week of the season, Boise State didn’t cross that threshold until week 12 and Hawaii couldn’t make the top 10 until the last week of the regular season.

But this season — in just the fifth week — BYU is No. 8. Since beating Washington on a blocked extra point, the Cougars have outscored opponents 103-0. The only teams on their schedule that could pose a legitimate threat to them are TCU and Utah.

So if BYU finishes undefeated, would it go to the national championship? Could the Sooners take on a team half the nation knows nothing about?

If it happens, might this be the year that convinces the misers of the BCS to institute at least a partial playoff system?

— COREY DEMOSS IS THE SPORTS EDITOR AND A JOURNALISM SENIOR.

Amy Frost/The Daily

OU forward Lauren Alkek gets up after falling in the Sooners’ Aug. 31 game against Ball State. The Sooners won that game 2-1, but have yet to win since — a stretch of seven games. They will attempt to get back on their feet this weekend against Oregon and conference foe Texas A&M.

Soccer team aims to get back on track • OU faces two hot teams this weekend JONO GRECO Daily Staff Writer Coming off a winless September, the OU soccer team will be looking to start October on the right foot this weekend when it takes on Oregon and Texas A&M. The Sooners (1-9, 0-2) went 0-7 last month, with their most recent loss a 2-1 heartbreaker in double overtime against Texas Tech.

During the current seven-game losing streak, the Sooners have been outscored 20-4 and lost two games in overtime.

The Sooners’ weekend series begins at 7 p.m. Friday when they host Oregon (6-2-1) at John Crain Field.

September treated the Ducks remarkably better, as they went undefeated and have not lost since Aug. 31 — the same day the Sooners last won.

During their unbeaten streak, the Ducks have outscored opponents 15-7 and have also had two games go into overtime — one of which ended in a tie.

During practice this week, the defense has been working on a different approach to help prevent goals.

“We’ve been trying to man-mark more rather than play zone along the box because that’s caused us a lot of goals,” defender Katie Corbitt said.

On the other side of the ball, OU head coach Nicole Nelson has been focusing her offense on finishing their opportunities.

“We need to score goals,” forward Lauren Alkek said. “We need to start finishing all of our opportunities.

We’ve worked a lot on that this week and I think we’ll be able to capitalize on that.”

Oregon won the only meeting against — Forward the Sooners in 1996, 4-0. Nelson said last weekend was one of the toughest road schedules in the Big 12 and playing at home this weekend against the Ducks is going to be good for the team.

“Playing at home during conference is always nice, even though it is not a conference opponent,” Nelson said. “Being at

home allows us to be in our own beds, on our own field with our own fans, and it’s just better all the way around.”

The Sooners will hit the road quickly afterward to take on Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The No. 7 Aggies (8-1-1, 1-0-1) have been dominant this season, outscoring opponents 26-9 in their ten games, including 4 shutouts.

They’re only loss of the season came at the hands of No. 2 North Carolina, while their lone tie came against No. 9 Texas.

In the Sooners’ last meeting with A&M, the Aggies came out the victors in a 1-0 battle during the 2007 season.

250 peoLauren Alkek pleTheto first Friday’s game against Oregon will receive a free drink in a Sooner Soccer Stadium cup. The game will also celebrate Hispanic Heritage Night and will include PA announcements in English and Spanish and former OU running back Jacob Gutierrez will make an appearance prior to game time.

“We need to start finishing all of our opportunities.”

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Sports

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

McCoy named to Allstate AFCA Good Works Team • Lineman becomes third Sooner in as many years to receive honor OU defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has been named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. It marks the third consecutive year that an Oklahoma player has been named to the prestigious squad.

Jacob Gutierrez was on the team in 2006 and Nic Harris received the honor in 2007.

“We’re proud of the players who have represented us on the Good Works Team, and certainly Gerald is extremely deserving,” said head coach Bob Stoops. “The fact that he was voted a captain as a sophomore speaks to the respect Gerald has earned in our program. Others have noticed Gerald’s selfless actions and integrity, and we are pleased that he also is receiving that recognition on the national level.”

McCoy is currently serving as President of OU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. In that position, he has made a number of speaking appearances at area elementary schools, a facility for underprivileged children and area high schools.

He also has worked on a home building project with the ABC show Extreme Makeover in Lawton, Okla., a project that re-built a home for a Ft. Sill soldier, who had been injured in Iraq, and his family after a series of misfortunes left the family facing unexpected challenges and mobility issues for the father and a young son.

McCoy served as the Freshman Liaison for OU’s Bridge Builders, an organization that serves as an African-American Student-Athlete Network. In that position, he volunteered for Meals on Wheels.

He also helped collect and distribute toys, gifts and food for underprivileged families in the Norman area.

He volunteered for two years with the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. He was a volunteer runner with the children in the completion of their run on race day and has helped at water stations out on the course.

AP Photo

Sophomore defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (93) chases down TCU quarterback Andy Dalton (14) in the Sooners’ last game. McCoy was selected by teammates as a defensive captain earlier this year, and now has been selected to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his charitable work in the community.

The Oklahoma City native has been an active participant in the White Ribbon Campaign on the Norman campus. The program that denounces violence toward women and girls.

He has been a guest speaker for area Red Cross fund-raising and community service events and worked on a Habitat for Humanity home build with the Sooner football team. He has been a popular visitor to Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City, spending time with the patients and signing autographs.

Through an award McCoy was nominated for in high school, he has had the oppor-

tunity to speak at teen summits in the Los Angeles area. Presented by the National Alliance of African American Athletes, the Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Trophy Award is the nation’s first and only award to recognize outstanding achievement in athletics, scholarship, and community service by African-American male high school seniors.

The 22 college football players awarded this prestigious honor were selected by a committee from the 71 nominations submitted by sports information directors on behalf of their teams.

The two 11-member teams — one com-

posed of players competing in Division I-A and a combined team representing the Divisions I-AA, II, III and the NAIA — honor players that embody the true spirit of “teamwork” and “giving back” through selfless contributions.

This is the 17th consecutive season the Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams have been selected, and the first that Allstate has partnered with the AFCA. “Allstate is proud to partner with the AFCA to highlight the extraordinary efforts of these student athletes,” said Lisa Cochrane, vice president of marketing for Allstate. “Giving back to our com-

munities is a value Allstate holds dear, and having the opportunity to recognize these young men for the service they’ve provided off the field is an honor for us.”

“These 22 student-athletes represent thousands of college football players who make a difference in their communities through volunteer service on campus and in their hometowns,” said AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff. “We’re proud to join Allstate in recognizing these young people who are dedicated to improving the world in which we live.”

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Sports

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

3B

China’s 2008 gymnastics gold medalists of age The investigation was expanded after questions were raised about the 2000 team.

“We did not have another choice,” Gueisbuhler said last week. “If we want to remain credible, then we have to look into things.”

Underage gymnasts have been a problem since the 1980s, when the minimum age was raised from 14 to 15 to protect young athletes from serious injuNANCY ARMOUR ries. The minimum age was raised to its current 16 Associated Press in 1997.

North Korea was barred from the 1993 world China’s gold medal gymnasts were old enough to championships after FIG officials discovered Kim compete in the Beijing Olympics, the International Gwang Suk, the 1991 gold medalist on uneven bars, Gymnastics Federation said Wednesday, though it was listed as 15 for three years in a row. Romania still had questions about the team that competed at admitted in 2002 that several gymnasts’ ages had been falsified, including Olympic medalists Gina the 2000 Sydney Games.

Two members of that squad — Dong Fangxiao Gogean and Alexandra Marinescu.

“We applaud the serious efforts of the International and Yang Yun — remain under scrutiny.

The FIG said in a statement that it “does not con- Gymnastics Federation and International Olympic sider the explanations and evidence provided to date Committee to conduct an investigation given the level of speculation that existed,” said Steve Penny, in regards to these athletes as satisfactory.”

Dong got a Beijing Olympics credential with president of USA Gymnastics. “We believe the condocuments that suggest she was only 14 in 2000, tinuing investigation regarding the evidence from said Andre Gueisbuhler, secretary general of the the Olympic Games in Sydney underscores the FIG. Her blog also indicates she was underage in importance of maintaining a fair field of play and Sydney, when China won the bronze medal in the identifying methods to prevent questions of this nature in the future.” team competition.

While it continues to investigate the ages of Dong Yang, who also won a bronze medal on the uneven bars in 2000, said in a June 2007 interview that aired and Yang, the FIG also is exploring its legal options on state broadcaster China Central Television that and what sanctions might be available.

The FIG’s statute of limitations in disciplinary she was 14 in Sydney. Gymnasts must turn 16 during matters is five years, and 10 years for criminal cases, the Olympic year to compete.

“I would hope that the whole world in sport real- and the international federation is trying to deterizes that the FIG is serious about these rules and the mine whether Australia or Switzerland would have jurisdiction. ethics and moral questions,” Gueisbuhler said.

If cause is found, the punishment could be as Calls to Yang and Dong’s mobile phones rang unanswered Wednesday, a national holiday, as did severe as stripping the medals.

“In our statutes, our code of discipline, we have phone calls to the Chinese gymnastics team’s media a range of sanctions. It can be from a suspension, officers. it can be taking med“We are satisfied with als away, it can be takthe information provided ing the rankings away,”

by FIG, and we now conGueisbuhler said. “Are sider the (2008) matter we entitled to take closed,” said Emmanuelle action for medals or Moreau, spokeswoman for rankings at the Olympic the International Olympic Games? Or does this Committee. fall strictly under the “Clearly they feel that IOC authority? We are there is more to be looked looking at this moment at for Sydney,” Moreau at these questions.” added. “We encourage them But the medals to pursue their inquiry and aren’t really the issue, shed some light on these cases. We now rely on them — Andre Gueisbuhler, said Dominique Dawes, member of the U.S. to get to the bottom of that secretary general of the FIG ateam that finished and get back to us.” fourth in Sydney.

Doubts about the ages “The important issue of China’s current gymnasts swirled for months before the Beijing Olympics, with is them righting a wrong and hopefully prohibiting media reports and online records suggesting some future Olympians from being underage,” Dawes said. girls could be as young as 14. Three days before the “It’s really about making sure every athlete is doing games ended, the IOC asked the FIG to look into the things the right way.”

Gueisbuhler said the documents Dong used for matter one last time.

• Officials rule medals won legally; 2000 team still under investigation

“I would hope that the whole world in sport realizes that the FIG is serious about these rules and the ethics and moral questions.”

AP Photo

In this Aug. 18, 2008 file photo, China’s gymnast gold medal winner He Kexin, left, and China’s bronze medalist Yang Yilin are shown during the medal ceremony for the uneven bars apparatus finals at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

International officials have cleared China’s Olympic gold medal gymnasts of lying about their age. her Beijing credential list her birthdate as Jan. 23, 1986, which would have made her 14 — and too young — for the Sydney Games. Dong was a national technical official in Beijing, working as the secretary on vault. She was not part of any judging panel.

“If that document is the correct one, that would suggest she was 14 years old at the Sydney Olympic Games,” Gueisbuhler said.

Dong’s birthdate in the FIG database is listed as Jan. 20, 1983.

Dong’s blog also says she was born in the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac, which dated from Feb. 20, 1985, to Feb. 8, 1986. Dong has not denied that, but she refused to answer any questions about her age, telling the AP last week, “I’ve left the gymnastics team.”

“If the FIG wants to investigate this matter,” she added, “I will provide every form of documentation.”

The FIG also has a copy of Yang’s 2007 interview, in which she seems to contradict her official birthdate. Yang’s birthdate is listed as Dec. 2, 1984.

“At the time I was only 14,” she said in the CCTV interview, done in Chinese. “I thought that if I failed this time, I’ll do it again next time. There’s still hope.”

But Yang, who is engaged to Beijing men’s allaround champion Yang Wei, told the AP last week that she had misspoken, declining further comment.

“Everyone has misspoken before. On television shows, there are always slips of the tongue,” she said, declining to comment further.

The FIG’s announcement that it was closing the investigation on the 2008 team was hardly a surprise.

China had insisted — heatedly and repeatedly — that all the girls were old enough to compete, and that it had the documents to prove it.

China provided the original passports, ID cards and family registers for He Kexin, Yang Yilin, Jiang Yuyuan, Deng Linlin and Li Shanshan, all showing the girls were 16 or would turn 16 this year.

“For the FIG, the age of the Chinese team is well documented and proven,” Gueisbuhler said.

In August, the AP found registration lists previously posted on the Web site of the General Administration of Sport of China that showed He and Yang were too young to compete. And a Nov. 3 story by the Chinese government’s news agency, Xinhua, suggested He was only 14.

“My family and I are pleased with the level of scrutiny the FIG and IOC undertook with this very serious issue,” said Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin, who finished second to He on uneven bars on a tiebreak.

“When the questions arose originally in the press, all anyone in the gymnastics and Olympic communities wanted was closure, which we now have.”

Younger gymnasts are considered to have an advantage because they are more flexible and are likely to have an easier time doing the tough skills the sport requires. They also aren’t as likely to have a history of injuries or fear of failure.

China blamed the discrepancies on Web sites and paperwork errors.

Public Lectures on

A Sustainable Energy Future In the Presidential Dream Course Program sponsored by the University of Oklahoma and The School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering

Thursday, October 2, Reception at 3:15, presentation at 3:45 PM , Regents’ Room, 3rd Floor, Oklahoma Memorial Union

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4B

Arts & Entertainment

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

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

SING KARAOKE Mr Bill’s Restaurant Etc. 1101 Elm Ave. 364-2530 When: Wednesdays, 10 p.m.

How much: free Ages: 21 and up

O’Connell’s Irish Pub and Grille 120 E. Lindsey St. 364-8454 When: Thursdays, 10 p.m.

How much: free Ages: all ages

Blues Too Karaoke Bar 946 N. Flood Ave. 292-7464 Lisa Meehan/ The Daily

LEFT: Jason Rice, pre-dentistry senior, and Chris George, human relations senior, sing to a crowd in O’Connell’s Irish Pub and Grille Wednesday on karaoke night. The two say they go to karaoke night every week. RIGHT: Molly Winkler, public relations junior, and Rachael Fenlon, aerospace engineering junior, sing “Love Shack� at O’Connell’s karaoke night on Wednesday.

When: Saturdays, 9 p.m.

How much: free Ages: 21 and up

Grab a drink and pick a song — it’s karaoke night TYLER BRANSON Daily Staff Writer

• Sooner students grab mics and belt out their favorite tunes at karaoke nights around Norman Amidst the familiar sounds of a bar — clinking glasses or the boisterous sea of intermingling voices — two Norman pubs exude some not so familiar sounds every Wednesday and Thursday night, like the Backstreet Boys, Sir Mix-a-lot and even Garth Brooks.

At O’Connell’s Irish Pub and Grille, 120 E. Lindsey St., on Wednesday nights, and Mr. Bill’s Restaurant Etc., 1101 Elm Ave., on Thursday nights, people go not only to take advantage of drink specials and socialization, but also to be entertained by the voices of some of their more audacious peers.

From a microphone plugged into a PA system, many bar-hoppers belt out their favorite songs to the entire crowd, for better or worse.

It’s karaoke night, an offbeat tradition in which amateur singers sign up in hoards to sing — or in some cases, scream — an eclectic playlist of music in front of other imbibing patrons. No genre of music is off limits.

Both locations have a surprising amount of karaoke supporters

sign up, keeping the waiting lists long and songs diverse.

Amanda Bliss, journalism senior and employee at O’Connell’s, said she enjoys the clamorous nature of karaoke night. “Karaoke night is a fun night to work because the entire bar is animated all night long,� she said. “The entire bar sings along every time [Queen’s] ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ comes on. Pop songs are always a favorite as well.�

A celebration of mediocrity and a fascination with public awkwardness adds to the appeal and diversity of karaoke night, Bliss said. “It’s funny to see your friends get on stage and make fools of themselves. You also see people ranging from tiny girls with amazing voices to drunk frat guys singing Backstreet Boys.�

Yuson Kim, international business senior, agreed with Bliss. “I love drunk people; it’s hilarious when they’re bad singers,� he said.

For those who get on stage, karaoke offers a sense of power they didn’t have before.

Cody Tidwell, chemical engineering senior, said he enjoys the authority garnered by the karaoke microphone. “The best thing about karaoke is that it doesn’t matter what song is on, all that matters is that you have a microphone in your hand. Screw the rest of them,� he said. “If you want to make a shout out for your friend’s 22nd birthday, it’s all you. Who cares if nobody sings along to the ‘Ghostbusters’ theme song? Who they gonna call? Who the hell cares?�

Bliss, on the other hand, said that spontaneity is the important part of karaoke’s allure.

AP photo

Trey Anastasio, left center, Mike Gordon, right, and Jon Fishman play their first set at the Phish Festival Aug. 14, 2004 in Coventry, Vt.

Phish announces three shows Wednesday.

After a more than 20-year run that saw its audience build from a few people in Burlington, Vt., bars to a Grateful Dead-like cult following, Phish called it quits in 2004. Though their fans continued to pack stadiums around the country that year, it was clear that fatigue and personal problems began to subtly erode the band’s intricate and demanding live sound.

But in recent months, its members began to muse about a renewed appetite for the music, causing their well-connected fans to buzz that the reunion was all but a done deal. “Sometimes you hear bands say ‘We’re breaking up’ and a year or two later, they come back,� said Jammy Awards co-founder Peter Shapiro.

Associated Press MONTPELIER, Vt. — Those reunion rumors weren’t just cut bait: Four years after disbanding, the time seems right to Phish.

The Vermont-bred foursome on Wednesday announced three concert dates next March in Hampton, Va., a longtime favorite venue for the band and its fiercely loyal fans. Other 2009 dates will be announced later, according to a notice posted on the band’s Web site.

Ambrosia Healy, a spokeswoman for the band, confirmed in a news release the dates of March 6, March 7 and March 8, 2009, at the Hampton Coliseum. She said band members weren’t available for interviews

October 4 ~ 5

405-563-1826

Saturday 11:00-6:30 pm Street Dance 6:30-9:30 pm Sunday Noon-6:00 pm

Music Food Wine Beer Fun & Demonstrations!

Historic Downtown Guthrie

Sponsored by Oklahoma Arts Councel - OG & E - Oklahoma Avenue Assoc.

“If you want to make a shout out for your friend’s 22nd birthday, it’s all you. Who cares if nobody sings along to the ‘Ghostbusters’ theme song? Who they gonna call? Who the hell cares?� — Cody Tidwell, chemical engineering senior “People love singing karaoke because it is a thrill,� she said. “There are new people on stage every week. Everyone likes to drink a little and belt their blues when they have the opportunity.�

However, choosing a venue for karaoke night is like choosing a favorite child for some.

Kim said he enjoys the more rambunctious of the two bars. “I like O’Connell’s more,� he said. “It’s rowdy.�

Tidwell, however, said Mr. Bill’s is the place to go for karaoke. “I once saw a riveting performance of Abba’s ‘Dancing Queen’ at Mr. Bill’s, sung in a thick Indian accent and complete with dance moves,� he said. “It was crazy.�

Arts & Entertainment

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

5B

Thursday throwdown: Sing it loud, sing it proud • This week’s Thursday Throwdown: best karaoke song. Hope you’ve been practicing, because we’re all ears.

Photo provided

Billy Joel performs live in this undated photo. Joel’s song, “Piano Man,” is one choice for this week’s Thursday Throwdown.

Photo provided

Photo provided

Former Journey frontman Steve Perry performs live in this undated photo.

Journey’s song, “Don’t Stop Believing” is a good choice for karaoke.

Neil Diamond performs live in this undated photo. Diamond’s song, “Sweet Caroline,” can get the crowd going on karaoke night.

‘PIANO MAN’ BILLY JOEL

‘DON’T STOP BELIEVING’ JOURNEY

‘SWEET CAROLINE’ NEIL DIAMOND

illy Joel’s “Piano Man” is the greatest karaoke song of all time, or my name is not Hailey Renée Branson the First.

If you and the pals have a “karaoke night” without at least one person singing “Piano Man,” none of you have souls. Shut your mouths, put the microphones down, get off the stage and go hang your heads in shame.

The song you chose was inferior. And nobody loves HAILEY you. In fact, your birth was an accident.

BRANSON “Piano Man” is the ultimate karaoke song because it is about a guy with his piano and a bar full of people he’s trying to entertain. Isn’t that what karaoke’s all about?

As Joel entertains, he tells the story of the regular Joes in front of him.

There’s John at the bar, who gets Joel his drinks for free. There’s the old man sitting next to Joel, who’s “makin’ love to his tonic and gin.” There’s the waitress “practicin’ politics.”

The song’s characters know Joel understands them and respond by saying over and over, “Sing us a song, you’re the piano man. Sing us a song tonight.”

Those are lines you will not hear if you choose any other song when you take the stage.

“Piano Man” contains portraits of real people, not creepy lines like “Hands ... touching me, touching you,” as heard in “Sweet Caroline.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want Mr. Creeper McCreeperson’s hands on me. I want to connect to a karaoke song, not to the weirdo singing it off-key.

As the entertainer, Joel sees into the souls of the people he sings to and about. “Piano Man” is a hit because it tells a story, not because the songwriter thinks of one good line and repeats it over and over and over and over again.

I mean, come on, when you think of “Don’t Stop Believing,” you’re thinking of one line: “Don’t stop believin’.” Why aren’t you singing the rest of the words? Because they don’t matter.

They are going to fly by on the karaoke projector faster than you can say “piano man.” Which you should be saying anyway.

The rest of the words are trashy. The song is about a guy and a girl meeting on a train and hooking up. Seriously, Journey? That’s shallow.

And besides, who rides the train anymore? This is not 1910.

The words to “Piano Man” tell the audience that the singer is awesome. The last line of the song, shouted by the audience in its lyrics, is “We’re all in the mood for a melody, and you’ve got us feeling alright.”

That means the singer is successful.

The last line of “Don’t Stop Believing” is “street light people.” What the heck are street light people? I would be too confused to leave a karaoke performance of that song to enjoy it.

If you want to have any success at all on the karaoke stage, if you want to hear people cheer with the first chords of awesomeness and if you want to have any worth to your life at all, you will choose to sing “Piano Man.” The song says, “He knows it’s me they’ve been comin’ to see to forget about life for awhile.”

If you don’t sing “Piano Man,” they’ll forget about you.

want you to close your eyes for a second.

Imagine yourself sitting in an uncomfortable booth, surrounded by the stench of smoke and stale beer.

Not feeling too good? Now imagine the dulcet tones of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” hitting your ears.

Did your mood just change? If you actually closed your eyes and let your imaginaCOREY tion go, you’d be hard pressed not to start DEMOSS swaying with the music.

It’s that reaction that makes “Don’t Stop Believing” the best karaoke song ever written.

The best part of any karaoke environment occurs when everyone in attendance can sing along, and that’s what this song offers.

Now, obviously, very few people are going to actually be able to sing this song well. You have to have some serious pipes to pull off the range of Steve Perry.

But that’s half the point of a good karaoke song. It’s not supposed to sound perfect. Everyone knows the lyrics of this song, which covers up the vocal shortcomings of whoever is singing.

The same cannot be said for Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” It’s a beautiful song, but is easily ruined if someone sings it terribly.

It seems to me that most people only actually know small bits and pieces of that song, and when only the person on the mic is singing, people start to lose interest.

The point of a karaoke song is to keep people involved from beginning to end. “Piano Man” really only gets people involved during the chorus, and the only exciting section of “Sweet Caroline” is the “bum, bum, bum” part.

“Don’t Stop Believing,” on the other hand, grabs you early and never lets go. In fact, I’d go as far as saying “Just a smalltown girl, living in a lonely world” is one of the most famous and recognizable first lines of any song ever made.

Music database Allmusic.com said the song has “one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock.”

It’s pretty hard to argue that point.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with Billy Joel’s or Neil Diamond’s classic tunes. They’re very good, they just can’t stack up to Journey. If you want some evidence, just go to karaoke night.

When “Piano Man” or “Sweet Caroline” play, you’ll see plenty of approving nods. But when “Don’t Stop Believing” comes on, you’ll hear a slew of people simultaneously screaming “I love this song!”

Want more evidence of this song’s greatness and widespread appeal? “Don’t Stop Believing” was the most downloaded song of the 20th century in the iTunes Music Store.

Game. Set. Match.

magine, if you will, you’re at a bar and it’s karaoke night. In Japanese, karaoke means “empty orchestra,” and the bar is seeming a little like an empty orchestra as well.

But you’ve been waiting for this night for so long, anxiously awaiting the call from your friends to go and hit the bar scene.

You’ve been practicing all week on your AMY own karaoke machine, even going so far as FROST to watch your sweet dance moves in your mirror.

So do you call it a loss and say you’ll just make your performance next week?

Never!

You continue on, my friend. Take some initiative for the betterment of the bar and all mankind. Step up to the plate (or stage, in this case), open the book of choices for your karaoke rendition and choose wisely.

“I need a song to get this place really going,” you think to yourself.

The people sitting around the bar are getting toasty and you can just tell that they’re waiting for you to save them from this karaoke misery.

The natural choice is, of course, “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond.

Not only is Neil Diamond a total babe and still active in the music scene, but the song is a classic that is sure to save any floundering karaoke night.

Sure, the song starts off slow, low and melodious. People just start to hear you softly singing, “Where it began, I can’t begin to know when...” and then the girls start to shimmy their shoulders and the guys start tapping their feet with the words, “Hands, touching hands, reaching out...” along with the accompanying gestures of hands touching hands.

By the time you hit the notes of “touching me, touching you” the crowd is really warming up and getting excited by the physical contact and the build-up of the song.

It’s then that the whole bar joins you with “Sweet Caroline [bum bum bumm] good times never seem so good [So good!

So good! So good!]” and the atmosphere of karaoke night has been saved.

People are now fully swaying and singing along to your incredible or not-so-incredible voice because hey, it doesn’t matter, the song is awesome.

With each repetition of the chorus everyone gets more interactive with the words to which they’re singing along and joining in with the audience participation. Fists are pumping in the air with every “So good! So good! So good!”

By the end of the song the entire bar stands up and gives you a standing ovation because their karaoke night has gone from awful and disappointing to “So good! So good!

So good!”

B

— HAILEY BRANSON IS THE OPINION EDITOR AND A JOURNALISM JUNIOR.

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE Visit oudaily.com to vote for your pick of the winner of this week’s Thursday Throwdown. Also, be sure to listen to the Thursday Throwdown podcast .

I

— COREY DEMOSS IS THE SPORTS EDITOR AND A JOURNALISM SENIOR.

I

— AMY FROST IS THE PHOTO EDITOR AND A PROFESSIONAL WRITING SENIOR.

Oklahoma vs.

North dakota state 7:30 pm Friday, Oct. 3* 6:30 pm Saturday, Oct. 4* *Students get in free with valid OU ID

Oklahoma Sooners Hockey Blazers Ice Centre 8000 S. I-35 Oklahoma City, OK

For Tickets Call (405) 631-3307

ouhockey.com

6B

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

PLACE AN AD Phone 405.325.2521

E-Mail classifieds@ou.edu

Fax 405.325.7517

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Foreign Students Welcomed Jim Holmes Insurance, 321-4664

HELP WANTED

Bartending! Up to $250/day. No exp nec. Training provided. 1-800-965-6520, x133.

Room for rent with 3 other guys at the Commons $299.00/mo. all bills paid, FIRST MONTHS RENT FREE. Contact Amy at 366-7517

DJs and asst. needed, fun work & good pay, wknd mobile DJ work, will train. Leave message 321-8699.

MetroShoe Warehouse Now Hiring, must work some weekday mornings. Apply in person at 1732 24th Ave, just north of Super Target.

Community After School Program is seeking staff to work at our school-age childcare programs. Apply now and interview to begin working immediately. Work schedule is M-F 2:20-6 p.m. Competitive wages, higher salaries for college students with education or related class work. Complete an application at 1023 N. Flood Ave. or online at www.caspinc.org and email to info@caspinc.org. Please submit your fall class schedule and current transcript when applying.

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!

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

Start $8.25/hr Flex sched, eves & wknds, FUN PLACE to work.

Mr. Shortstop Convenience Stores Locations all around Norman Go to Mr. SS located at 920 24th Ave SW TODAY! or send resume to rhenderson6@cox.net Hiring for all locations Needed energetic individuals for stockroom & gift wrapping. Apply in person at Cayman’s, 2001 W Main.

Part time evening dispatcher for Yellow Cab Call 329-3333.

$5,000-$45,000 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

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$99 1st Month/$99 Deposit *some restrictions may apply. Plus $25 Off Your Monthly Rent! Pets Welcome! Large Floor plans!

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DUPLEXES UNFURNISHED $400.00 duplex, 2 large bedrooms, 1 bath, incl. washer and dryer, W. Lindsey and McGee, no pets, 323-1412.

HOUSES UNFURNISHED Near OU, 3 bed, 1.5 bth, ch/a, garage, no pets, 504 Inwood Dr, $750/mo., deposit required. Call 996-6592 or 329-1933 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.

Female looking for female roommate to share 2 bdrm, 2 bath apartment, 2 miles from OU, $380/ month + 1/2 utilities. Call Joy, 702-205-0421.

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Housing Sales

CONDOS Newer Edge condo, 4 Bd, 4 Bth, move in ready, Reduced, $124,000. Call Carol Lindley, Dillard Group 401-0246.

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HOUSES Move in Ready 3 bd, 2 bth, 2 living, 1800 sq ft.

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Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker October 02, 2008

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16 One of the musical Three B’s 17 “Awaiting your reply�

18 Nigerian currency 19 Winglike structures 20 November 2008 wear 23 Baptism and bris, for two 24 Change for a nickel 25 Big step 28 Numbered rds.

30 Pool hall selections 31 Be extremely expectant 33 My ___, Vietnam 36 They’re cast over the ocean?

40 Hit-and-run participant?

41 Makes smooth, in a way 42 Mount near the Gulf of Catania 43 Pre-Easter purchases 44 They slow mustangs 46 Avoid ignorance

49 Some company execs 51 Sought-after group 57 Turns to the right 58 Attila’s crew 59 Considerable winnings, informally 60 Times to write about 61 “Rock Around the Clock,� e.g.

62 Between shores, maybe 63 ___-poly 64 Ballet bends 65 Something to feather DOWN 1 Political alliance 2 “Long live ‌â€?

3 Judge 4 Word yelled at some parties 5 Subject to limitations 6 “A stitch in time saves nine,� e.g.

7 Guide lines?

8 Energysupplying compound, for short 9 Twin in a perennial bestseller 10 Diminishes in intensity 11 Aquiline weapon 12 Defeatist’s declaration 13 It involves

21 22 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 37 38

one’s quest for a mate Facilitate Immune system component What kids are taught not to pick Oktoberfest horn Use a hammock Takes from Peter?

Done-turn connection Poker game locales, often Shortestnamed spectrum hue A bunch “___ added expenseâ€? “A miss ___ good ‌â€?

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39 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 52 53 54 55 56

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PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Š 2008 Universal Press Syndicate www.upuzzles.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;TAKE YOUR PICKâ&#x20AC;? by Morgan Luck

Details

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

CAMPUS NOTES

7B

GUN PLAY

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

TODAY STUDENT SUCCESS SERIES A seminar on how to “Make Studying Work for You” will be at 3 p.m. in Carnegie Building, room 200.

HOUSING AND FOOD SERVICES A meeting on how to become a resident adviser will be at 5 p.m. in Cate Center.

AISA HAYRIDE Meet at 6 p.m. at Jim Thorpe Multi-Cultural Center for carpool to Lake Thunderbird. Free for all ages.

SOCIETY OF ASIA-PACIFIC ENGINEERS A general meeting with tea and cookies will be at 7 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Presidents Room.

AMERICAN INDIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION A meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the Union’s Traditions Room.

CIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL A meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the Union’s Traditional Room.

OU VOTES The vice presidential debate watch party will be at 7:30 p.m. at Traditions Square East Clubhouse.

FRIDAY WORLDFEST The festival will be at 9 a.m. at the Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center in downtown Oklahoma City. Activities include the sale of several thousand handmade fair trade items from all over the world including Asia, Africa and Latin America. WorldFest also includes international music, dance, food and a global learning village.

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS Special conference “Oil, Gas and Power: Russia and the United States” with a discussion about U.S. and Russian relations at 9 a.m. and another discussion about energy superpowers at 11 a.m. at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. UPB Students can play Guitar Hero at 6 p.m. at the Union’s Crossroads.

AP Photo

An Iraqi girl displays her toy weapon to a group of Iraqi police officers as Iraqi Sunnis celebrate Eid Al-Fitr on Wednesday in the Dora district of Baghdad, Iraq.

Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, is the most important holiday in the Muslim calendar.

OU SOCCER The team will play the University of Oregon at 7 p.m. at John Crain Field.

OU HOCKEY The No. 6 ranked hockey team takes the ice against North Dakota State at 7:30 p.m at the Blazers Ice Center in Oklahoma City.

HOROSCOPE

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.

SATURDAY

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

AMERICAN ARTISTS FROM THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE Opening public reception for the exhibit will be 6 to 8 p.m. at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

PETTY LARCENY William Michael Belanger, 20, 300 block North Interstate Drive east, Sunday Janae Evonne Lanford, 19, 300 block North Interstate Drive east, Sunday Bailey Wilson Moyer, 19, 300 block North Interstate Drive east, Sunday

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- You don’t always manage your resources in the most practical manner, but you usually try not to go overboard. Today, though, all caution is apt to fly out the window, and you could end up broke.

LARCENY (AUTO, AIRCRAFT OR OTHER MOTOR VEHICLE) Daniel Ray Dodson, 28, 800 block North Berry Road, Sunday, also attempt to elude police

DISTURBING THE PEACE Lauren D’Anne Hale, 20, 700 block Stinson Street, Monday

MUNICIPAL WARRANT Robert Lee Jackson, 27, 900 block West Main Street, Monday Monique Brianne Koassechony, 22, 300 block North Carter Avenue, Monday

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Be realistic about the demands you suddenly want to place on others. They might not be able to drop everything and rush off to do your bidding. Stand on your own two feet.

POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL Clark Kellem McCaskill, 18, 700 block Stinson Street, Monday

COUNTY WARRANT Jacob Lyon Messer, 29, 300 block East Gray Street, Monday

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Sincere compliments are always an effective tool to make a person feel good. However, if you’re merely attempting to flatter someone to take advantage of him or her, it won’t work.

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9 9 5 5 7 4 8 6 4 5 7 8 6 1 3 4 2 8 3 6 7 6 Previous Answers

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Continue to be optimistic about your financial affairs, but not to the point of being unrealistic.

Be sure that you have the funds in the bank before you charge anything; don’t spend what you don’t have.

Previous Solution 9 5 3 7 2 8 6 1 4

6 1 8 4 3 5 9 7 2

2 7 4 9 1 6 5 3 8

4 6 1 2 8 9 3 5 7

3 2 7 6 5 4 1 8 9

5 8 9 1 7 3 4 2 6

8 9 5 3 6 2 7 4 1

1 3 6 8 4 7 2 9 5

7 4 2 5 9 1 8 6 3

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.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- If you hope to succeed, you must be exacting about what you anticipate. Unless your goals are properly defined, little or nothing of significance is apt to be accomplished.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -It’s always important not to take anything for granted, but you may have to be especially careful at this time. You could easily get lulled into a false sense of security and suffer a loss.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Should someone offer you a deal too good to be true, question why and search for ulterior motives.

People, in general, do not make offers that give something for nothing.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- If yours and your mate’s aims are not in harmony, don’t make matters worse by knowingly thwarting the other’s efforts.

Expend your energy by developing your own interests.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Don’t offer help or instructions on something for which you’re not an expert. You could make matters worse for the individual if you are not as knowledgeable as you think you are.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Be particularly careful about making any kind of investment transaction. Financial trends are not moving in your direction, so don’t take any flyers.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Be careful to whom you go for advice. There is a better-thanaverage chance that you will pick the wrong person who is only too happy to share his or her ignorance with you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Don’t let minor disturbances disrupt your work, because what you set aside will be exceptionally difficult to make up. You may think someone will pick up the slack, but that’s a pipedream.

8B

Sampler

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

“I think it’s too late. Now, they need to make adjustments to [the bill].”

Kara Boyd, business management senior

Sooners discuss $700 billion bailout plan JERRY WOFFORD Daily Staff Writer

“I don’t think it’s good, but I don’t think we have another option.”

Mitchell Crow, finance and accounting senior

“It was a really great plan and then it went under. I definitely had confidence in it.”

The House of Representatives is set to vote Friday on a massive plan to aid companies that are failing because of a decade of poor investments and bad credit.

While the turmoil on Wall Street may seem far away, students could be greatly affected by the decisions made in Washington and New York.

The Daily wanted to know what students thought about the proposed economic rescue package.

Several students were hesitant to give businesses the money, and others had never heard of the $700 billion plan. Those students declined to participate in this Sooner Sampler.

Mary Haney, fine arts senior

“They got themselves in this trouble, they don’t need that much money. I’m not a big fan [of the bailout plan].”

Ben Roan, University College freshman.

“America depended a lot on credit and loans. This is a result of that. We should learn from our mistakes.”

Sarah McWhorter, OU alumna

“This will affect everyone,including students trying to get loans.

Something has to be done.”

Madison Kerner, sociology junior

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