The Oklahoma Daily

TUESDAY APRIL 14, 2009

ANYTIME OUDaily

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE

com

Tomorrow’s Weather

news Want to go green but don’t know how? Check out The Daily’s How-to-Tuesday. PAGE 2

The baseballll team looks for a qualityy win as they host TCU tonight at 7 PAGE 5.

42°/73°

Local musician Dorian Small is working on a new album and everything else under the sun.

Read more about it on PAGE 8.

OUDAILY.COM » GO TO THE DAILY’S MULTIMEDIA PAGE ONLINE TO GET ALL OF OUR SLIDE SHOWS AND VIDEOS, INCLUDING A NEW VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH DORIAN SMALL.

Students team up to fight prejudice Film festival hopes to promote peaceful coexistence, awareness JARED RADER

The Oklahoma Daily

ELIZABETH NALEWAJK/THE DAILY

Fareed Zakaria (right), international political analyst and host of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” discusses political change and the future of the United States as OU President David Boren watches on Tuesday evening in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Zakaria visited OU in 2004 and returned for the informal discussion with students at the invitation of Boren.

Living in a different world Distinguished journalist Fareed Zakaria claims America is losing its superpower status LEIGHANNE MANWARREN

The Oklahoma Daily

Americans are living in a different world today than they are used to. They are no longer the sole superpower in the world.

New York Times best-selling author and CNN international political analyst Fareed Zakaria spoke to more than a hundred members of the OU community about his opinions on the United States’ future on both the domestic and international stages Monday evening at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. In h i s l at e s t b o o k , “ Th e Po s tAmerican World,” Zakaria discussed what must be done by the new administration and he said he thinks President Barack Obama’s first actions in office are steps in the right direction.

“It is difficult to remember a president who has had as much ambition and energy and to have been able to achieve as much as he has done in his first 100 days,” he said. “He has introduced a huge economic plan that is, broadly speaking, one that economists of all persuasions are comfortable with in terms of size and speed.”

Zakaria said the troubled economy is one of the biggest issues facing the country and attributes some of the fault to the past 25 years of over-spending.

“At a time when interest rates are zero and the consumers not buying anything, there is no one that believes that government has no role in this,” he said.

He said American capitalism is highly adaptable and with the help of other economies such as China and India, the United States will be sustained by their partnerships.

“We exist in this larger world ... where [China’s and India’s] economies are continuing to grow at a slower rate but are growing nonetheless and the money has to go somewhere,” Zakaria said.

“The world is not coming to an end.”

While Obama has not been in office for 100 days, Zakaria said he is optimistic about the economic stimulus plan’s future.

“We are living in a different world ... and with good leadership ... we are going to be in a much better place six months from now,” he said. “Now, I may be wrong about this, and if I am, I’m sure the Republican Party will be delighted.”

While America is dealing with the economic crisis, Zakaria said another problem the United States will face is the lop-sided political system.

He said in a Pew Foundation report, 24 percent of people classify themselves as Republicans, the lowest it has been in 40 years.

“The Republican Party is no longer a national party but rather a regional party with a base that is highly energized,” he said. “The broader problem we face in society is that we can not have a healthy political system with a one and a half party system.”

The U.S. government can only function properly when there are two competitive parties, like there were when the country was established, Zakaria said. “ It w a s n o t h e a l t h y w h e n t h e Democratic Party shriveled and became a regional party and it is not healthy for the Republican Party to be

“We are one society, we have to educate as one people, we have to realize we are in a new world competing against the Chinese, the Indians, the Europeans, the Singaporeans and, as Americans, means that we need to come together in broader sense.”

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST in that position,” Zakaria said. “We need a responsible Republican Party; we need someone providing an alternative view.”

As a result of the weakened Republican Party, the country is developing a lopsided political system and media culture, he said. Minimizing the polarization in both parties would help break the partisanship.

OU President David Boren said in the past, the country could rely on a group of intellectuals that engaged the public.

“They weren’t just journalists ... they were people who really engaged us, the public, in thinking deeply in issues that mattered and they used various forms to do it,” Boren said. “In my mind, Fareed Zakaria is one of those people who is doing that in our day.”

Zakaria said he hopes during this difficult time, Americans will not allow themselves to be polarized, considering Americans are no longer the “dictators of the world.”

“We are one society, we have to educate as one people, we have to realize we are in a new world competing against the Chinese, the Indians, the Europeans, the Singaporeans and, as Americans, means that we need to come together in broader sense,” he said.

Students will come together tonight to battle prejudices and encourage peaceful coexistence among people of all backgrounds.

Student organizations representing different minorities will show short films in hopes of helping other students break stereotypes at 6:30 tonight at the Muslim Student Association’s “Peace Not Prejudice” film festival in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Molly Shi Boren Ballroom.

The idea for the festival came from a national MSA event. MSA leaders at OU decided to expand the event to include all campus groups.

“The main purpose of this event is to unite the campus,” said Saira Ali, MSA public relations manager and international and area studies and political science senior. “It’s also an opportunity for the different organizations to connect with and understand one another.”

Some participants hope the screening will make members of the OU community more aware of how what some view as a joke really can be a hurtful comment.

Nabeel Khan, political science sophomore, said it’s important for students to understand though people often make racial jokes, it’s sometimes hard to distinguish where the line should be drawn. He said his South Asian fraternity, Beta Chi Theta, and sister sorority, Delta Phi Omega, hope to send this message through the film they made about individuals of South Asian ethnicity.

But racial minorities won’t be the only participants in the festival. An OU sexual minority organization will show their film to help members of the community better understand their group.

Jessie St. Amand, English sophomore, said Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and Friends hopes to dispel the stereotype that those with other sexual orientations are promiscuous and incapable of maintaining happy, monogamous relationships.

Amand, president of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and Friends, said OU still has a long way to go in creating a comfortable environment for individuals of various sexual orientations.

“In light of the recent election, we’ve seen some sympathy from people who think this minority needs protection,” she said. “Our video will show students who we really are.”

“Peace Not Prejudice” will also feature groups trying to break stereotypes about non-profit organizations.

Facilitating African Rehabilitation will show a video focusing on the work it does with non-profit organizations in Africa, and what other groups are doing to help, too, said Mark Nehrenz, journalism senior. Nehrenz is coordinating the group’s video for the event.

“If there’s a stereotype we’re trying to break, it’s the idea that America is the only one trying to solve all of Africa’s problems,” said Nehrenz, former Daily columnist. “We just want to focus on the non-profits already working hard there.”

The American Indian, American Asian and Black Student Associations, Hillel Jewish Student Organization and Campus Crusade for Christ will show their films also.

A panel of OU professors and faculty will judge the films, and give prizes to the top three videos.

Anum Syed, MSA president, said MSA has high hopes to turn the festival into an annual event, but that would depend on student turnout.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Syed, zoology and psychology junior. “The films are entertaining and creative, and it’s the one time out of the year all these organizations are united together, breaking down stereotypes and connecting with each other.”

Proposal could allow classes to meet during unscheduled closings “Alternate” classes among potential solutions discussed for campus closing JACQUELINE CLEWS

Contributing Writer

In the future, some classes may continue even if the campus closes due to unscheduled closings.

A proposed addition to the Faculty Handbook would allow pro-

FREE — ADDITIONAL COPIES 25¢

fessors to use available Web technology to hold an “alternate format” class during the regularly scheduled time as long as it is available to the majority of students.

The proposal was drafted after Faculty Senate members expressed frustration about how campus closings are handled at the Feb. 9 meeting. It was discussed at the meeting. but no action was taken.

Kim Milton, physics and astronomy professor, said the policy was long overdue.

“Isn’t it common sense?” Milton said.

Journalism Professor Ken Fischer said he thinks the plan sounds like a mixed bag.

“I think it’s problematic because the nature of some projects, such as speeches and presentations due, but generally it is probably doable,” Fischer said.

Fischer also said the addition could become problematic if technical difficulties get in the way.

“If the power went out where I live, I wouldn’t be able to send or receive things,” Fischer said. “Same with students. It works both ways.”

Faculty Senate Chair Cecilia

© 2009 OU PUBLICATIONS BOARD

Brown acknowledged those problems, but said she encourages professors to work with their students.

Another option the addition would grant professors would be to schedule a make-up class at a time convenient for most students.

Advertising junior Emily Haynes said one of her teachers announced Monday her class will have to come ten minutes early for the next two weeks to make up for the snow days when school was cancelled in January.

“I don’t really have an opinion,” Haynes said. “I guess I’m kind of for

it because it shows my professor cares and wants us to learn.”

The addition does not say whether make-up days would be mandatory, but Brown said that is not the committee’s intention. Proponents also expressed the desire to have assignments due during campus closings.

“That’s not the spirit of it,” Brown said. “It’s not to penalize the students. It’s more to help the faculty and give them guidelines.”

The faculty senate will vote on the addition at their next meeting, May 11.

VOL. 94, NO. 132

2

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

HOW-TO-TUESDAY

HOW TO GO GREEN WITHOUT GOING BROKE The Oklahoma Daily

From politics to billboards and college campuses, the phrase “going green� seems to be popping up everywhere. Living a “greener� lifestyle — recycling, reducing carbon emissions and conserving — is becoming easier than some may think and being more environmentally friendly is getting easier and less expensive every day.

CONSERVE WATER

While most know it’s beneficial to the environment not to drive a car, there are some ways to make driving “greener� for those who can’t avoid it. A good way to make your car more efficient is to clean out the trunk. The less weight the car has to carry, the less gas it takes to move it.

Making sure your car is up to date on oil changes and the tires are always aired up is another good way to improve gas mileage, which means using less fossil fuels.

There are several new and interesting ways to conserve water that cost little to nothing. An aerating faucet or showerhead, which mixes air with the water stream and spreads a large stream into several droplets, can save up to 50 percent on water consumption. Another trick to saving water is filling a plastic bottle with water and screwing on the cap and setting it in the toilet tank. The toilet is essentially being tricked into thinking it’s more full than it really is and uses less water.

TURN THAT DIAL

Âť

JAMIE BIRDWELL

“GREEN� YOUR RIDE

Âť

Simple fixes can make an ecological impact

RECYCLING OLD ELECTRONICS

The best way to go green is to simply turn down the thermostat, even if it’s just slightly. This will not only help curb consumption of energy but help save you money. Each degree the air or heat is turned down saves 4 to 5 percent on

GET UNPLUGGED

Âť

The same goes for any appliance. Smart surge protectors are also available in stores, which can cue DVD players or printers to shut off when a TV or laptop is manually turned off. In the long run, these surge protectors help save money on energy bills.

Used electronics are full of toxic and nonbiodegradable substances that should not be tossed into landfills. Recycle old cell phones, empty ink cartridges, worn out appliances and obsolete laptops. Many companies have begun

PHOTOS BY LIZZY BROOKS AND AMY FROST/THE DAILY

such programs and will take their used products back to be disassembled and reused. Other similar services can be found online, and some will even compensate you for recycling.

SOURCE: JOHN ULLMAN, OUREARTH.ORG PRESIDENT

AMENITIES SUBJECT TO CHANGE | SEE OFFICE FOR DETAILS

Another great way to decrease carbon emissions is to unplug unused appliances. When you grab your phone from the charger in the morning, it’s a good idea to go ahead and unplug it.

Even though the phone may not be plugged into it, the charger is still using electricity.

energy bills. In addition to turning down the thermostat, it’s also more green and cost effective to use fans during the summer, which can make rooms seem six degrees cooler using a fraction of the energy.

COMMONS ON OAK TREE: NEW TANNING BED • NEW MEDIA ROOM NEWLY UPGRADED CLUBHOUSE • RESORT-STYLE SWIMMING POOL UNIVERSITY GREENS: UPGRADED CLUBHOUSE • NEW POOL FURNITURE

UPGRADED FITNESS CENTER • UPGRADED BASKETBALL COURT

RATES STARTING AT

PLUS, PAY ZERO DOWN WHEN YOU SIGN A LEASE TODAY

405.321.8877 • COMMONSONOAKTREE.COM 405.292.4044 • NORMANSTUDENTHOUSING.COM TEXT ‘COMMONSOAK’ OR ‘GREENS’ TO 47464

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

POLICE REPORTS Names are compiled from the Norman Police Department and OUPD. The reports serve as a record of arrests and citations, not convictions.

Those listed are innocent until proven guilty.

3

Wife: Ship captain calls US military ‘real heroes’

MUNICIPAL WARRANT Seth Ryan Brown, 20, 2301 W. Main St., Sunday, also county warrant COUNTY WARRANT Maryhelen Rose Price, 44, 1232 Caddelll Lane, Sunday PUBLIC INTOXICATION Michael A. Figueroa, 51, East Himes Street, Saturday DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Jason Darrnell Nolan, 22, 1150 E. Alameda St., Sunday, also carrying firearms Brett Ashley Saunders, 23, East Rock Creek Road, Sunday POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA Allan Tyler Sykes, 20, 1923 Twisted Oak Drive, Saturday

NEWS BRIEFS TOBY TALBOT/AP PHOTO

THAI PROTESTORS MET WITH GUNFIRE BANGKOK — Thai soldiers sprayed automatic-weapons fire and threw tear gas to clear anti-government protesters from a major intersection in the capital in the predawn darkness Monday, with at least 70 people reported injured. Demonstrators responded by hurling at least one gasoline bomb at a line of troops.

US EASES RESTRAINT ON TRAVEL TO CUBA WASHINGTON — In a measured break with a halfcentury of U.S. policy toward communist Cuba, the Obama administration lifted restrictions Monday on CubanAmericans who want to travel and send money to their island homeland.

In a further gesture of openness, U.S. telecommunications firms were freed to seek business there, too.

But the broader U.S. trade embargo remained in place.

Andrea Phillips, the wife of Capt. Richard Phillips, center, talks during a news conference Monday in South Burlington, Vt.. At right is her daughter, Mariah, and at left is her son, Daniel.

Family of hostage capt. thanks his rescuers BURLINGTON, Vt. — The wife of Sea Captain Richard Phillips says her husband considers the U.S. military the “real heroes” of his ordeal.

Hoarse from laryngitis and making her first public appearance since Phillips’ dramatic rescue at sea, Andrea Phillips, 51, thanked the militar y, supporters and President Barack Obama, who approved the sniper operation that killed three pirates.

“You have no idea, but with Richard saved, you all just gave me the best Easter ever,” she said in a statement read by the family’s spokeswoman.

Mrs. Phillips was flanked by her 19-year-old daughter, Mariah; 20-year-old son, Daniel; and the

captain’s mother, Ginny Phillips.

With Andrea Phillips’ voice cracking, Alison McColl, a representative of the captain’s employer, read the statement as Phillips held hands with her daughter.

McColl said Phillips had spoken to her husband earlier in the day.

She quoted him as saying: “I am just a small part of this. The real heroes of the story are the U.S. military. They are the most dedicated, professional and capable group around. We should all reach out and thank them.”

Phillips said the “constant outpouring of support, prayers and yellow ribbons” gave the family strength.

“These past five days were extremely difficult,” she said. “We did not know what Richard was enduring while being held hostage on the lifeboat, and that was really

will get a chance to tell their story together,” Phillips’ statement said.

When her husband does return, it’ll be cause for celebration in Underhill, a community of about 3,100 residents that’s part bedroom community and part farming area.

But don’t look for a ticker-tape parade.

“Maybe, being Underhill, we could have a barbecue or a pig roast — when it warms up a little bit,” said Wells Corner Market owner Cedric Wells, 53.

“A ticker-tape parade? I don’t know about that,” said Rev. Charles Danielson, pastor of St. Thomas Church, where the Phillips family goes to church. “This being Vermont ... there’s a real desire to let people be and to respect people’s privacy.”

—AP

CAMPUS BRIEFS HEARING SET TO CLEAR CAC ELECTION CONFUSION

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s pro-U.S. president signed a regulation late Monday to put a northwestern district under Islamic law as part of a peace deal with the Taliban, going along after coming under intense pressure from members of his own party and other lawmakers.

Asif Ali Zardari’s signature was a boon for Islamic militants who have brutalized the Swat Valley for nearly two years in demanding a new justice system.

The UOSA superior court announced Monday new plans to hear arguments regarding the deadlock in choosing the new CAC chairman.

Candidate Tyler Nunley has decided to appeal the UOSA Election Board’s ruling to disqualify him for violating campaign spending limits. His petition was combined with a previous complaint of unfair election practices filed against him by his opponent Kely Van Eaton.

In the announcement, the court identified three issues to be resolved: • Whether failure to open one of five polling places prevented the “true will of the voting public” from being reflected • Whether an endorsement e-mail sent by an OU staffer from an OU list-serv qualifies as “gross fraud” or “irregularities in conduct” that would put the results in doubt • Whether the UOSA Election Board’s disqualification of Nunley was proper Parties are to submit written arguments by the end of the week, and oral arguments are set for 6 p.m. Monday at the Bell Courtroom of the OU College of Law.

—AP

— Staff Reports

PAKISTAN MAKES TALIBAN PEACE DEAL

the hardest part — the wondering.

My family and closest friends held onto our faith knowing that Richard would come home.

“At times, we smiled when we thought of Richard would tell the story, with his trademark sense of humor,” she said.

Richard Phillips was rescued Sunday when U.S. Navy snipers shot and killed the three Somali pirates who were holding him at gunpoint. He escaped unharmed.

A fourth pirate surrendered earlier Sunday and could face life in a U.S. prison.

It’s still unknown when or how Phillips will return home. The family and McColl took no questions and rushed from the hotel ballroom where they appeared for the media.

“We’re all looking forward to Richard’s return, when the family

OU MOVES CLOSER TO NEW BIKE PATHS ON CAMPUS The Faculty Senate voted Monday in favor of the OU Draft Campus Bicycle Plan.

The resolution will serve as a call to action to improve the bike infrastructure on campus, according to the draft.

“It’s really kind of scary riding around,” Faculty Senate Chairwoman Cecilia Brown said. “Not so much the pedestrian bike traffic, I think we handle that pretty well on campus, but when you’re driving on the streets it’s really scary. Especially people who [drive while] on their cell phones and not paying attention.”

Suggestions in the plan include widening bike lanes, increasing bicycle parking and adding more traffic control signs to protect bicyclists.

— Jacqueline Clews/Contributing Writer

UOSA PRESIDENT SWORN IN EARLY The new UOSA president and vice president have taken the oath of office in preparation for the next school year.

Katie Fox and Dewey Barlett were sworn in Monday evening in the Conoco Leadership wing of the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

“It’s a little bit unbelievable,” said Fox, international and area studies junior. “I got my business cards today and I was like ‘I guess it’s true.’”

Fox said she and Dewey, petroleum engineering senior, are already at work on their campaign initiatives and some have already started to take shape.

Applications for Cabinet members, advocacy positions, parking appeals board and the new position, director of international affairs, created in the executive Cabinet, are available in the Conoco Wing and online.

Fox said previous UOSA President Amanda Holloway has been assisting her in the transition to power.

Inauguration celebrations will be held April 27.

— Ricky Maranon/The Daily

4

COMMENT OF THE DAY »

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

In response to Monday’s Our View about a reporter whose tape was confiscated at a public speech on Friday.

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

YOU CAN COMMENT AT OUDAILY.COM

“What a horrible example to the students! I don’t care if the staff member was trying to accommodate HARPO or anyone else, they should have known what they were doing was not right. They work for a school of journalism, maybe it would help if they knew a thing or two about free speech and

right to information. Students, don’t listen to people just because they are older than you and pressuring you to do something you know is not right! Stand up!.”

- LIVI0293

OUR VIEW

UOSA, OPEN RECORDS NEED NEW STRUCTURE Student Affairs commanded UOSA officials to make media file open records requests to obtain court documents about CAC chair Tyler Nunley’s disqualification last week.

As a result, we think more than just an attitude change among student government and higher administrative officials is warranted.

We think a structural change could prevent future attempts at censorship.

UOSA and student government associations should establish their own open records office, with their own open records officer and their own open records standards.

This move would effectively prevent the OU administration from further intrusion into the open records affairs of student government.

It would allow UOSA to think and act for itself, and to take on some much-needed responsibility and decision-making power.

They would decide which documents the

FIGHTING FIRE

media and others have direct access to, and which they would make difficult to obtain. If they act in favor of the student body, more often than not, they would choose the former.

The Barack Obama administration recently reversed a Bush-administration policy that presumed all files and public documents are closed.

Now, they are all presumed to be open.

UOSA and the new open records office we are proposing should follow this philosophy and allow access to the public in most circumstances.

Most important is that UOSA must make a clean break from its current puppet masters.

The governing officials and representatives of this student body should be just that, representative of students – not representatives of the views of Student Affairs and the other powers that be.

CADIE THOMPSON/THE DAILY

This destroyed pickup truck sits in the driveway of a home that was burned down by the fires that hit Midwest City and Choctaw Thursday night. The fires reportedly burned more than 2,000 acres and 100 homes in Midwest City.

Opinion columnist Elise Johnston blogged about the experience. Share your thoughts and stories about the fire online at the opinion blog.

STAFF COLUMN

Obama deserves credit, criticism This past Sunday, as Christians around the world rejoiced in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Obama family continued White House Easter traditions by attendi n g S t . J o h n ’s Episcopal Church and hosting the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn.

That same day, President Barack Obama was contacted at his resiTREVOR dence and told CLARK that a five-day standoff between Somali pirates and the U.S. Navy was over – Navy snipers killed the three pirates that had taken U.S. Captain Richard Phillips captive.

This was after Obama gave permission two times to use force in securing the captain.

Obama’s recent actions, from the Easter Egg Roll to adopting a family dog, from responding to North

Korea’s rocket launch to overseeing the conflict with Somali pirates, reveal the nature of Obama’s presidency.

That nature is something I think merits credit in certain areas and criticism in others.

Obama displayed a subtle, confident handling of the pirate/hostage situation, which I think deserves respect.

It’s his job to make tough decisions that sometimes involve much pressure. In this case, he handled it well.

Obama’s mettle was also tested after a recent North Korean rocket launch. Obama called for a “strong international response” against Kim Jong Il’s defiant action.

“Words must mean something,” Obama said in reference to the multitude of sanctions and resolutions concerning North Korea.

However, Financial Times writer Andrei Lankov and many other experts said that more sanctions against North Korea will have no

effect.

If Obama is going to guide the U.S. through an era of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, his policies must be bolstered by something other than rhetoric.

That may be an area where Obama – like past presidents – won’t meet par if he doesn’t change the current landscape.

Look to the Middle East.

Even if American troops do withdraw from the major cities of Iraq by June 30, the date set by the Obama administration, it’s not clear that Obama’s pledge “to support our Iraqi partners” will be the result of that withdrawal.

The New York Times reported on April 12 that recent attacks may foreshadow an increase of violence if troops withdraw from the country as planned.

There are also qualms concerning Obama’s economic policies and the current recession, which he and others are calling the worst since the Great Depression.

I am not qualified to be certain that Obama’s response to the economic crisis is what it should or shouldn’t be.

I recognize, though, that many leaders at the recent G-20 summit were not confident in Obama’s spending-money-to-make-money policies.

The president told the nation recently that he saw “glimmers of hope across the economy.”

He will be discussing challenges to the American economy and explaining his glimmers of hope comment today in what his staff is calling a “major speech on the economy” at 10:30 a.m. at Georgetown University.

Perhaps his speech will shed some light on the matter.

Divisions over social issues such as abortion and stem cell research are longstanding and stark, and whoever is president will face opposition.

That’s unavoidable. However, I think that Obama needs to make

his decisions carefully.

Overturning a last-minute “conscience clause” approved by the Bush administration (which reportedly permits doctors to abstain from even providing information about abortion) may seem perfectly reasonable, especially in light of the rashness in which the clause was approved.

But Obama will be setting a precedent concerning abortion, and that precedent will affect doctors who don’t want to endorse what they consider to be murder.

It will also make unspoken declarations about when life actually begins.

As he moves through his 12th week as president, Obama has a lot of big issues on his plate. Most of these are extremely difficult decisions that will assuredly draw criticism from somewhere. Some of the current criticism is not warranted.

Some, I’d wager, is needed.

Trevor Clark is a University College freshman

GUEST COLUMN

Optimism key when graduating into an economic recession As the national economy continues its slow descent into deep recession and jobs become scarcer, careers for prospective college graduates look bleak or limited at best.

I would know. I am one.

It’s not comforting to read about all the job cuts in most professions, especially as I begin my search for something outside of the university bubble.

Neither is it comforting to know I will be competing for jobs against those who have been recently laid off and are generally more qualified and knowledgeable than I. As I began my job search this year, I sent my resume to just about everything I found, either in classified ads, networking connec- TYLER tions or on whims.

BRANSON I received word back from one application within 30 minutes, notifying me of how carefully they have reviewed my application, and how unfortunate it was that they could not offer me a position.

A lot of people, myself included, have flocked to the graduate schools to beef up their credentials and ride out the economic crisis.

But this, too, is problematic.

The influx of applicants means a reduction

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

contact us

in acceptance rates as well as financial aid packages.

It’s too early to tell just how many people have applied to graduate school this year, as the numbers are still coming in and varying slightly, but the Boston Globe reports that many universities saw applications jump as much as 20 percent over last year.

Public service institutions like Peace Corp and Teach for America applications are also on the rise. According to pbs.com, Teach for America saw a 42 percent increase since last year.

Anecdotally, I can say that the general theory of high applicant rates translating to low acceptance rates holds true.

A friend of mine at Yale was accepted to only one graduate school out of the eight to which he applied.

He reports that peers of his are having similar problems getting accepted to graduate institutions as well.

Another friend of mine has been rejected by the Peace Corp, and yet another, with a Master’s degree, is having much difficulty getting accepted to a Ph.D. program.

I was accepted to only one graduate institution out of five, and their financial aid packages are limited and extremely competitive.

Times are indeed tough, and the rising number of applications to graduate institutions and public service organizations to avoid finding a job in the reeling recession

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

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

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

phone: (405) 325-3666

isn’t very encouraging considering the grim alternatives in the professional world.

Optimism is the best antidote for the ills of hard times, however.

Visions of bartering bags of turnips for toothpaste is hyperbolic and unrealistic, despite how many people may be telling you to lose hope.

There is hope, but you have to search and work harder for it, this time around.

One of the best suggestions is to be creative with your degree.

The New York Times reports that careers in finance are in steep decline, and government and public sector job applications are on the rise.

People with unlikely degrees in finance are turning to government jobs and public relations to utilize their skills.

Tactics like this are helpful in obtaining a job after graduating into a poor economy.

Careers and the degrees to which they generally corresponded are shifting. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

One must be proactive in getting a job, and more creative than previous generations in landing something long lasting.

One must step outside of generally accepted ideas of what field you belong in.

Diversify your resume with volunteer, writing, computer and real-world experience.

Internships are a great way to get a foot in the door, and OU’s Career Services offers

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

e-mail: dailynews@ou.edu

numerous services to students, and is much underutilized.

It comes down to drive.

As college graduates, we can run from the poor economy and hide out in bomb shelters clutching our canned goods, or we can face it head-on.

Creativity, diversification and considering previously unconsidered alternatives are tools to surviving the recession postgraduation.

So is optimism.

Listening to the world around you, being receptive to good ideas and opening windows when doors are shutting are all things that can be the difference between a job and a career after college.

While my future after college appears to be a career in research, there’s no limit to where it may lead, as long as I am open to it.

Sam Litzinger, broadcast journalist for CBS News and WAMU radio, got his graduate degree in philosophy. Sarah Vowell, author, humorist and contributor to NPR’s “This American Life,” received her M.A. in Fine Arts.

And our former president, George Bush, received his Bachelor’s degree in history.

Proof enough that the world literally awaits us.

Tyler Branson is an English senior.

The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum and OU’s independent student voice.

The opinion page is produced by a staff of columnists and cartoonists who are independent of The Daily’s news staff.

Letters to the editor are welcomed.

Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and should be fewer than 250 words, typed and signed. Letters may be cut to fit. Students must list their major and classification. OU staff and faculty must list their title. All letters must include a daytime phone number. Submit letters to dailyopinion@ou.edu or in person Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall.

Guest columns are encouraged. They can be submitted to the opinion editor via e-mail at dailyopinion@ou.edu.

Comments left on OUDaily.com may be reprinted on the opinion page. ’Our View’ is the opinion of majority of the members of The Oklahoma Daily’s editorial board.

Editorial Board members are The Daily’s editorial staff. The board meets Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall.

Columnists’ and cartoonists’ work is representative of their own opinions, not those of the members of The Daily’s Editorial Board.

«

COMING UP

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

5

Steven Jones, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 325-7630 • fax: 325-6051

Wednesday: Softball vs.

Oklahoma State, 7 p.m.

Men’s tennis vs. Wichita State, 2 p.m.

OUDAILY.COM

BASEBALL

STAFF COLUMN

SOONERS HOST TCU AT 7

Bradford has earned celebrity status

JONO GRECO

The Oklahoma Daily

For the first time this season the baseball team snagged a top-10 spot in the rankings Monday as the Sooners claimed the No. 10 slot, just one spot back from the ninth-ranked Texas Longhorns.

The Sooners’ (28-8, 8-4) reward for cracking the top-10 is arguably the toughest two-week stretch of the season as they square off against the No. 16 Texas Christian Horned Frogs starting at 7 p.m. today at L. Dale Mitchell Park before heading out on the road against the No. 9 Longhorns and the No. 7 Baylor Bears.

The last time OU and TCU (22-10) met was in an 8-7 affair on March 17 in Fort Worth, Texas that led to an OU win.

The Sooners scored four runs in the top of the ninth to steal a victory away from the Horned Frogs.

Since that game, OU has posted a 10-4 record and separated itself from TCU in the standings – TCU and OU were ranked 14th and 13th at the time – while the Horned Frogs have gone 9-5.

Junior pitcher Garrett Richards (4-1) will be getting the nod for the Sooners as he’ll make his seventh start and eighth appearance of the season.

He has a 6.67 ERA in 28 1/3 innings of work and has struck out 29 batters while walking 16.

In Richards’ last start against Wichita State he threw four scoreless innings while allowing three base runners – one reached on a base hit and two were walked – en route to a 15-0 victory. He also struck out seven of the 14 batters he faced.

In OU’s victory against TCU earlier this season, five Sooner hitters had at least two hits and the team out-hit the Horned Frogs 16-14.

The game can be heard on KOKC 1520 AM or followed on the game tracker program on soonersports. com.

H

AMY FROST/THE DAILY

Junior pitcher J.R. Robinson pitches during the game against Nebraska March 29.

The Sooners defeated the Huskers in the first game of their doubleheader 12-9.

PLAYER TO WATCH JUNIOR FIRST BASEMAN AARON BAKER • .306 Batting Average • 11 doubles, nine homers (tied for second on the team) • 38 RBIs (second on the team) • .629 slugging percentage (tied for second among OU starters)

In OU’s first game against TCU he went 2-4 with one RBI at the plate and in his most recent game against Texas Tech had three of the Sooners’ four hits, including a ninth-inning double. His 3-4 day Saturday got him back over .300 on the sea- AARON son after dropping his average BAKER to .282 earlier in the series.

ow many times have you been to a sporting event where it’s louder during postgame than it is during the game itself?

This was the case Saturday at the annual Red-White spring football game when Sooner fans acknowledged the celebrity that Heisman Trophy winner sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford has become in his two short seasons as OU’s main man.

The chant “We want Sam, we want Sam” echoed through Gaylord Memorial Stadium as fans of all ages were seeking an autograph from the quarterback who could possibly be playing in his final season as a Sooner.

For some of those fans, this could be the only chance they get to see Bradford in action before he cashes in the big check and goes to the National Football League. And based on how established the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys are at the quarterback position – the two closest NFL markets to Norman — it could be their only time to see him as the home team quarterback in person.

JONO It didn’t matter that he was on the field GRECO for only three series – he completed 11 of 13 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in his limited action – all that mattered was that No. 14 was close enough to the fans to be in clear sight.

At times the fans got so loud their cheers drowned out the voices of the various coaches and players giving interviews on the field. It was amazing being a third party on the field watching boys and girls, men and women go insane when Bradford stopped in front of their section to sign autographs for a good 30 minutes.

While talking to defensive coordinator Brent Venables, the interview just about stopped as both the numerous reporters and Venables had to laugh and joke around about how much attention Bradford was getting.

“Hey, that is overrated,” Venables jokingly repeated when a deafening roar filled the stadium.

Even some of his teammates got into it as sophomore defensive back Dominique Franks and sophomore defensive tackle Gerald McCoy yelled Bradford’s name while they were signing autographs just twenty or thirty yards away from the quarterback in his practice blue jersey.

He didn’t become a “celebrity” or “hero” by having to turn into the ultimate cheerleader or assume the persona that makes people believe he can walk on swampy waters.

No, all he did was remain his humble self and let his playing do all of the talking.

Jono Greco is a journalism sophomore.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

TENNIS BRIEF

MMA event coming to Lloyd Noble Center Friday evening

AVDEYEV NAMED MEN’S TENNIS BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Oklahoma native Jared Hess to participate in fight

Senior Sergey Avdeyev was named the Big 12 Player of the Week Monday, making it the first Player of the Week honor for the men’s tennis team this season.

Last week, Avdeyev beat Oklahoma State’s Nathan Byrnes in three sets.

Avdeyev fell in his first set against Byrnes, but came back, winning the second and third sets, 6-1, 6-4 to win the match.

In doubles play, Avdeyev and Ionut Beleleu were SERGEY able to upset OSU’s No. AVDEYEV 16 doubles team of Byrnes and Oleksandr Nedovyesov, 8-7.

The Sooners will be back in action on Wednesday as OU hosts Wichita State at 2 p.m.

The match will be senior day, and Avdeyev will be honored as the Sooners’ only senior.

JAMES ROTH

The Oklahoma Daily

With UFC 93 coming up this weekend, many students around campus will be looking forward to the numerous fights offered and will be looking for a place to watch the it.

What students might not know is that there is a mixed martial arts event being held in Norman this Friday.

The Bellator Fighting Championships will be coming to the Lloyd Noble Center Friday.

Bellator III is the third of the 12-week tournament series being aired on ESPN Deportes every Saturday night. There will be will be a total of eleven fights throughout the night.

Five will be tournament bouts, four in the middleweight division and one in the welterweight division. The winners will continue on in the tournament for a chance to

win $175,000.

Tournament bouts are like the NCAA basketball tournament, single elimination, win or go home.

Headlining the tournament bout is Oklahoma native Jared Hess. Hess is in the middleweight division and is 6-0-1 in his MMA career. He will take on one of Spain’s greatest middleweights Daniel Tabera.

“I know for a fact that Tabera cannot wrestle the way I can,” Hess said, “I have wrestled at a college level and I don’t think he is ready for that.”

Hess is a multiple-time Oklahoma state wrestling champion; he graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2007 and has been training and participating in MMA ever since. Hess has fought in local fights around Oklahoma City and once in Austin, Texas. This will be his debut fight with Bellator.

“I am excited to go in there in front of the hometown crowd,” Hess said, “It’s going to be a good fight but I am up to the challenge.”

Midterms may be over, but finals are coming.

Use these tools: • Visit one of the

24 hour monitored study areas*

Located in Couch Center 12 southwest wing, Walker Center 12 northeast wing and Adams Center Johnson Tower first floor lounge.

• Get free tutoring at the

Housing Learning Center

Call (405) 325-2452 to set up an appointment.

The HLC is located in Adams Center, Muldrow Tower, Rm. 105.

• Make use of the

24 hour monitored computer labs

Located in Couch Center, first floor and Walker Center, first floor. * Students not living in the residence halls must be accompanied by a residence hall student to use the study areas.

Housing and Food Services is a department in OU’s Student Affairs.The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution

h&f

Hess is hoping that fighting in Bellator will be his chance to make fighting his full-time job. Currently he has many obligations in his life other than being a fighter.

He is balancing his job as a concrete worker to pay the bills, training whenever he can and being a father to his daughter, Jaidyn.

“I’m just making money to pay the bills and doing everything I can to train full time,” the All-American wrestler said, “Plus fighting for Bellator will help me be able to transfer to fighting full time because the payout is so good.”

If Hess is able to win his fight against Tabera he will be one step closer to fulfilling his dream at becoming a full-time fighter and one step closer to winning $175,000.

“It is going to be an exciting show,” Hess said, “This is the biggest fight for me so far and I am going to do whatever I have to do to get my hand raised in the end.”

Ticket prices range from $18 to $98 and can be purchased at TicketMaster.com. The event begins at 8 p.m. Friday.

— Daily Staff

6

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

PLACE AN AD

C Transportation

Phone: 325-2521

AUTO INSURANCE E-Mail: classifieds@ou.edu Fax: 405-325-7517

A UTO INSURANCE Quotations Anytime Foreign Students Welcomed Jim Holmes Insurance, 321-4664

Campus Address: COH 149A

DEADLINES Line Ad ..................2 days prior Place your line ad no later than 9:00 a.m. 2 days prior to publication date.

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

PAYMENT s r

r

Employment HELP WANTED Senior Accounting Clerk Looking for dependable, sharp, detail oriented individual with an accounting background or degree. Automotive accounting experience is preferred but not necessary. Please email your resume to jryan@normannobody.com.

Riverwind and Newcastle COCKTAIL SERVERS are the ambassadors of hospitality. They are both men and women, carefully selected via extensive interviews. They are part model, part beverage server, part charming host and hostess. Interested applicants must exude confidence, poise, style and professionalism. Great earning potential.

Flexible availability. Must be at least 21.

Apply in person at Traditions Spirits corporate office: 2813 SE 44th, Norman.

Take highway 9 West past Riverwind, travel 2 1/2 miles, turn right on Penn, take an immediate left. 405-392-4550.

TM

Payment is required at the time the ad is placed. Credit cards, cash, money orders or local checks accepted.

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

RATES Line Ads There is a 2 line minimum charge; approximately 45 characters per line, including spaces and punctuation.

1 day ............. $4.25/line 2 days ........... $2.50/line 3-4 days........ $2.00/line 5-9 days........ $1.50/line 10-14 days.... $1.15/line 15-19 days.... $1.00/line 20-29 days.... $ .90/line 30+ days.......$ .85/line

Looking for leasing agent at Clarendon Apts. Call 364-8815 for application. $7.50-8.00 / hr, flexible hours. F/T during breaks.

Actors wanted TV sketch comedy show, $10/hr, filming May 9 in OKC, call Joel 405-743-9693.

STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM Paid survey takers needed in Norman 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys.

Bartending! Up to $250/day. No exp nec.

Training provided. 1-800-965-6520, x133.

MetroShoe Warehouse now hiring energetic persons for FT/PT sales and mgmt trainees. Hrly + comm. Apply at 1732 24th Ave NW, Norman.

Positions working with individuals with developmental disabilities. 7.50/hr to start, paid training. Call Panhandle Opportunities 942-4822 or fax resume 942-4993.

Make up to $75 per online survey, student opinions needed www.cashtospend.com.

Employment HELP WANTED Patient needed for dental hygiene exam.

Pays $250. Call 817-714-3236 for details.

$5,000- $45,000

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

J Housing Rentals CONDOS FURNISHED 4 Bed/4 Bath Condo for Rent Norman - The Edge Less than 1 mile from Campus. Furnished Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, W/D, Hi-speed internet. $350/Mo + utilities - pdawson. pd@verizon.net

HOUSES UNFURNISHED

Now hiring lifeguard, swim instructors, and AM pool managers. Apply at the Cleveland County Family YMCA, 1350 Lexington Ave. EOE.

NEAR OU, 915 W Lindsey - 1 or 2 bd, 1 ba, $500.

NEAR OU, 707 Juniper - 3 bd, 2 ba, CH/ A, W/D, carport, garage, $975.

NEAR OU, 1415 McKinley - 2 bd, 1 ba, garage, W/D, stove, ref, CH/A, $675.

911 Nebraska - 2 bd, CH/A, W/D, ref, stove, $650

J Housing Rentals

NO PETS, References Required.

Contact: 329-1933 or 550-7069

APTS. FURNISHED 1 bedroom near campus, $400/mo plus electic, $200/dep, no pets. Call 8866709. $400, bills paid, efficiency LOFT apartments, downtown over Mister Robert Furniture, 109 E Main, fire sprinkler, no pets, smoke-free. Inquire store office.

APTS. UNFURNISHED FREE RENT or up to $300 off First Mo! Student and Military Discounts Models open 8:30-5:30 M-F; 10-4 Sat 1-2 bedroom apts/townhomes with washer/dryer hookups in 2 bedrooms.

Pets Welcome! Free Tanning! Immediate Move-in!

Two locations: Apple Creek and Hillcrest Estates Call us at 329-2438 or 360-2048 or look us up online, apartmentguide. com Post Oak Apartments 1-2 bed apts available! Newly renovated. Visit postoakliving.com - 364-3039, 705 Ridgecrest Ct. P/L Now for Summer & Fall! *Free Membership at Steel Fitness! $99 Deposit! No Application Fee! Models open 8a-8p Everyday!

Elite Properties 360-6624 or www.elite2900.com 1 BLK FROM OU, very nice 4 room apt, 800 sf, wood floors, 1016 S College, Apt 1, $295/mo. Call 360-2873 or 306-1970.

(located just below the puzzle)

POLICY

Help Wanted ads in The Oklahoma Daily are not to separate as to gender. Advertisers may not discriminate in employment ads based on race, color, religion or gender unless such qualifying factors are essential to a given position.

All ads are subject to acceptance by The Oklahoma Daily. Ad acceptance may be reevaluated at any time.

SHORT WALK TO OU 1-5 blks west, nice brick homes, wood floors, CH/A, w/d, disposal, good parking.

4 Bdrm $1,800-$2,000 3 Bdrm $750-$1,500 2 Bdrm $600-$800 1 Bdrm $420-$460 Bob, MISTER ROBERT FURNITURE Mon-Sat, 321-1818 Clean 3 bdrm, 1 bath near campus, big yard, fireplace, basement, $800/mo. 4478313.

JUNE RENTAL 850 S Flood - $475+bills. 212 S Flood - $600+bills. Smoke-free, no pets, 1 year lease, security dep. 360-3850

8

7

2

Taylor Ridge Townhomes 2 Bdrm, 2.5 Bath, Fully Renovated Townhomes near OU! Pets Welcome! • Call for current rates and Move-in Specials!!!

Taylor Ridge Townhomes (405) 310-6599

ROOMS FURNISHED NEAR OU, privacy, $250, bills paid includes cable, neat, clean, parking. Prefer male student. Call 329-0143.

1

8 9 5

TOWNHOUSES UNFURNISHED

3 1 8 9

4 6 5 3

6

4

3 2 7 1 6 9 1 9 2 3 7 3 5 8 7

Previous Solution 3 5 7 1 4 6 2 9 8

8 9 6 2 3 5 7 1 4

4 1 2 7 8 9 5 6 3

6 3 1 5 7 8 4 2 9

2 4 8 3 9 1 6 5 7

9 7 5 6 2 4 8 3 1

1 6 9 4 5 7 3 8 2

5 2 4 8 1 3 9 7 6

7 8 3 9 6 2 1 4 5

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.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker April 14, 2009

ACROSS 1 On ___ (without a contract) 5 Clicker target, perhaps 9 Conversation piece 14 Barleyshaped pasta 15 Quaker State port 16 Do a landscaper’s job 17 One watching for traffic?

18 You can bet on them 20 Tricks 22 Quick gait 23 Max’s opposite 24 Haunted house sound 27 Chamberlain epithet 30 Snake oil police, briefly 33 Habitations at high altitudes 35 Anger 36 Work out the wrinkles?

37 Tricks 40 Thirdgeneration Genesis figure 41 Uglify 42 Buddhist enlightenment 43 Bear’s abode 44 Largest Afri-

Save a Life.

Call the Hotline at

325-5000

to report hazing, illegal or unsafe drinking.

All calls are anonymous.

The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

The Oklahoma Daily is responsible for one day’s incorrect advertising. If your ad appears incorrectly, or if you wish to cancel your ad call 325-2521, before the deadline for cancellation in the next issue. Errors not the fault of the advertiser will be adjusted. Refunds will not be issued for late cancellations.

The Oklahoma Daily will not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religious preference, national origin or sexual orientation. Violations of this policy should be reported to The Oklahoma Daily Business Office at 325-2521.

216 S. Lahoma 2 bd, 1 bath, all new inside with w/d included, no pets, $750/mo. 405-208-3303, Southwest Properties.

Contact an Acct Executive for details at 325-2521.

1 col (1.833 in) x 2.25 inches Crossword .....$515/month

Rental Home Lovely 3 bdrm+garage+hardwood floors (beneficial for allergies). IDEAL FOR GRADUATE STUDENT $675 +utilities+yard care. Near Brooks & Berry. hfamagi@sbcglobal.net

Classified Display, Classified Card Ads or Game Sponsorship

2 col (3.792 in) x 2 inches Sudoku ...........$760/month Boggle ............$760/month Horoscope .....$760/month

can nation 46 Taste or touch, e.g.

47 Sloppy guy?

48 Doing business 50 Tricks 56 What some speculate in 57 Worshipped thing 59 Make a change 60 Wee thing 61 Prometheus stole it 62 Some stingers 63 Telescope part 64 Sasquatch’s kin DOWN 1 You might give him the business 2 Fall preceder?

3 Old Testament book before Nehemiah 4 Mai tai and mimosa, e.g.

5 Left-handed page 6 Arts companion 7 Little Caesar, originally 8 Visionary sort 9 Number in black 10 Everglades wader 11 ___ buco (veal shanks) 12 December song

13 They get the last wd.

19 Small villages 21 Bald eagle’s cousins 24 Had a big mouth?

25 Celebrate alumni day 26 Sweater material 28 Glittering topper 29 It’s taxing 30 Fridge gas 31 Portals 32 She sang to Sandy 34 Clemens and Gompers 36 Grow stronger 38 It’s all the rage 39 Desert sanctuaries 44 Detoxifies (with “up�)

45 Carney’s

be as visible as the appearance of new wrinkles. An eye doctor can spot the early warning signs of vision problems like glaucoma and macular degeneration, as well as other serious health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Early detection is key.

For men and women over 40, it might be wise to look into your eyes. For more information, visit checkyearly.com.

A public service message from Vision Council of America and AARP.

Previous Answers

50 51 52 53 54

55 56 58

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Š 2009 Universal Press Syndicate www.upuzzles.com

“HOW’S TRICKS?� by Carl Cranby

The onset of eye disease may not

47 49

“Honeymooners� role Mint ___ Hallmark employee’s output Cremecreme center Nosebag filler Bibliographer’s abbr.

Oscar winner Blanchett “The Sopranos� actress Falco Copier setting Like the fish in sashimi Lanai necklace

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

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

7

« MUSIC REVIEWS OUDAILY.COM Check out reviews of Death Cab for Cutie’s new EP and The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s latest CD online.

LL&A &A BRIEF BRIEF SPIKE SEALS DEAL FOR SHOW ON NAVY PIRATE HUNTERS

PHOTO PROVIDED

The Absolute, an alternative rock band from California, will perform at the Norman Music Festival on April 25.

GETTING TO KNOW THE ABSOLUTE Local guitarist makes his way back to Oklahoma for Norman Music Festival CLAIRE DOUTHITT

The Oklahoma Daily

Norman Music Festival will be welcoming California band The Absolute on the main stage at 12:30 p.m.Saturday, April 25.

Wi t h t h e f i na l m e m ber, guitarist Adam Keller, added only a few months ago, this will be the first music festival for The Absolute as well as their first show out-of-state.

The band, Phil Ross, vocals; Adam Keller, guitar; Winthrop Ellsworth, bass; and drummer Anthony Geronimo is named after the Eastern metaphysic a l p h i l o s o p hy o f “ t h e absolute”, the belief in an unconditional and ultimate reality beyond everyday existence. It’s a big name for a band with a big sound: completely raw alternative rock with a little bit of everything thrown in; at times they remind me of U2 with more of an edge.

Lead guitarist and Oklahoma native Keller discussed the upcoming six song EP this past weekend.

“We’re building upon our sound, just layering lots of harmonies, multiple guitar parts, string arrangements,” he said. “We want to create this huge, beautiful wall of sound.”

The wall of sound nails the description of the

songs posted on MySpace.

Keller adds that the EP will include already recorded songs like “#1 #2”, which he says is “by far the most representative of our sound”.

Keller, when discussing the songwriting process, insists it is a group effort.

“Most of the songs are Phil’s, but we all bring our talents to the table.”

Having already developed a steady following in the Los Angeles area, as well as working on their first EP, The Absolute seems to be in a pretty solid place and is poised to create even more of a buzz if the momentum around them keeps building.

“We’re a new band, and we’re influenced by things every day and evolving everyday,” said Keller. “We’re so lucky to have great fans

who come to every show.

It’s overwhelming”.

Most of the songs I listened to on their MySpace page were layered, guitar heavy rock anthems, a page right out of Pearl Jam’s book. Phil Ross has a powerful, imposing voice that demands to be noticed; it’s clear The Absolute wants to be heard. As a young band, they are still developing and focusing their sound, but give them a little more time and the band certainly has the potential to make a dent in the indie rock scene.

“Mean Machines” almost sounds like Arcade Fire could have written it, and Ross’ vocals sound alarmingly like Win Butler’s on the chorus. “Luck Be My Savior” has an electric, Flaming Lips circa Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot feel, and it’s songs like “Good

News” that will be a big hit with festival goers on April 25.

More than anything, The Absolute manages to communicate their undeniable passion for what they are doing, which is refreshing in an age where the bands of hipster, pseudo-intellectual kids seem to be taking over the universe. While they do need to focus their s o n g w r i t i n g s o m e, t h e Absolute presents an authentic sound that is heavily influenced by classic and alternative rock, but is still original. I’m looking forward to seeing them live next Saturday, and for those who like what they hear I’ve been told a free three-song sampler will be available at the festival.

“The past four months have been a whirlwind, but I’m just so excited,” said Keller.

NEW YORK — Barely a day after the daring rescue of an American sea captain, cable TV’s Spike announced a deal Monday to produce a show about U.S. Navy pirate hunters.

Two crews for 44 Blue Productions hope to be on board Navy vessels patrolling in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Africa within two weeks. The company is aiming to have a series ready to put on the air by September, said Rasha Drachkovitch, 44 Blue’s president and founder.

He’d been talking to the Navy about the idea for three months, but it was finished late last week while the standoff with pirates who had taken Capt. Richard Phillips hostage was going on.

“We had no idea if last week’s events would actually kill the deal or seal the deal,” said Sharon Levy, Spike’s senior vice president for original series.

Drachkovitch said he thought the Navy would put the project on hold, yet instead the Phillips incident seemed to accelerate things. Commander Robert K. Anderson, Navy spokesman on the deal, said the agreement had essentially been made before the U.S. ship was attacked.

Spike has been looking for a companion piece to one of its most popular series, “DEA,” which follows federal drug enforcers making their rounds. 44 Blue, which makes action-oriented series like “Lockup” for MSNBC and “LA Gang Unit” for A&E, was the first of several producers who had contacted the Navy as reports of piracy began to surface.

Following the work of Navy personnel on this mission is the sort of action Spike craves, Levy said. The cable channel targets young male viewers aged 18 to 34, potentially making “Pirate Hunters: USN” a strong recruiting tool for the Navy.

– AP

Now Open!

Call for an appointment!

Walk-in’s always appreciated!

405.310.4455 12th Ave S.E. & Lindsey • East Village Plaza

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- There are opportunities from which you could profit, but you may choose to ignore them and waste your time on frivolous interests instead. You may never know what you lost.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- An associate who should know where the opportunities lie may want to help you at this time.

However, take ample time to check things out. It might be wrong for you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Owing to a lack of resolve, you’ll accomplish only a small percentage of what you had hoped to do. Playtime might mean more to you than work time.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Since you are able to submerge your pride and ego, you have the ability to win or lose with grace. Friends will observe your behavior, and they will judge whether you used this gift or not.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Even though you know what is best for you, a negative attitude might not let you follow through on your convictions. You can’t live by knowledge alone; it must be purposeful.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You and your mate might be at odds with one another at times. Whether or not this is a good day will depend on whether you’re together on the important things.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- You know how to recognize and make a good deal businesswise; your problem will be that you won’t know what to do with the proposition once you’ve got it in hand.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- If you are insensitive to the feelings of family members, there is a good chance you could make members of the clan feel that you’re more concerned about outsiders.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Because your level of competency may be a notch or two higher than your co-workers’, it could create problems with the production line. If you can’t bring them to your level, unite with theirs.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You might be slow and a bit out of sorts, but this doesn’t mean that you should hold back just because you’re getting a late start. You still could be effective and productive.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- There will be plenty of material opportunities around, but you likely won’t fully appreciate the fact that time is of the essence in order to take full advantage of what you can gain.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- There might be a lesson to be learned about not pretending to be something you’re not.

Let the real you emerge, and you’ll win the respect of others without any game playing.

8

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

MIXING IDEAS AND ULTIMATUMS Local musician takes new approach in creating upcoming album

VIDEO Check out video of Dorian Small online.

OUDAILY.COM TYLER BRANSON

The Oklahoma Daily

Dorian Small is a busy man.

Part time gardener, carpenter, glassblower, landlord, musician and recently a full-time dad, Small has built for himself an opportunity to spend every waking hour of the day doing something. He’ll be even busier April 25 when he headlines the Dreamer Concepts stage at the Norman Music Festival.

And he couldn’t be happier.

As I walked through his house in Norman, I could tell Small had many interests. In the backroom where he is currently mixing his new album “Dorian Small gives you an Ultimatum,” many different projects are strewn about the large, open space where he’s knocked down some walls and renovated the area.

Through large panel windows a prenatal garden lies tilled in rows, next to a colorful metal spaceship Small built for a video that never materialized.

“I stay way too busy, or just busy enough I guess,” Small said.

Staying busy is part of his creative process, he said, and a new approach to life as well as his music.

Since the birth of his son last year, Small now devotes a majority of his time providing for his new family, or as he called it “grown-up things,” as opposed to meticulous and obsessive devotion to music. “[On my earlier albums], “Contradictions” (2006) and “Newlyweds” (2008), I put so much time into them, it was just stupid,” Small said. “I’m such a perfectionist, to an unnecessary degree, so like, I’d do 20 versions of one song if something wasn’t right.”

But on “Ultimatum,” due out within the next few months, Small decided to take a different approach—the biggest of which, he said, was an effort to spare his sanity.

“I wanted to take a different approach and just kind of let go of some control,” Small said. “So I decided to have someone else record it and I’d mix it [at home].”

Small also wanted to capture something he didn’t feel like he could with the earlier albums: something more stripped

down, less refined—something that could be authentically recreated with a live band.

Small said though his earlier albums, recorded at a home studio, still retained somewhat of a live-band sound, he still sat, psychotically obsessing over them for hours. But now, with time and mental health as motivating factors, Small and company recorded “Ultimatum” in just six days, and some songs they recorded in just one take.

By letting go of control, Small said a lot of interesting things have happened: songs were written faster, ideas and images came a lot more fluidly, and through this cathartic process, he said the songs now feel a lot less confined.

“The songs now [sound] a lot more like a “song,” Small said. “On ‘Newlyweds,’ it almost sounds like there’s 10 songs stacked up. With [Ultimatum] I kind of just got an idea in my head and I was either sitting at the piano or playing my guitar, and then I’d just write the whole song [in one sitting].”

To explain the difference, Small and I sat down at his computer, and he played a handful of his songs from “Ultimatum” for me, to juxtapose his earlier sound with the new, live-band sound he had been striving for.

He animatedly described the story behind each song before he played them, as if to correct any presuppositions I may have had.

“I’ve never played these songs for anybody,” he said admittedly.

And as we listened to the new songs, Small sat glowingly as he showed off his new stuff, but still with an element of vulnerability, explaining at one point that this song is missing a keyboard part, or this part still needs some work, still viewing his music with the perfectionists’ ear of the earlier albums.

But the tracks were exactly what he had described. They sounded less refined and electronic as the earlier albums. It gave an aura of a rock band that loved keyboards, instead of the guy-with-a-computer style of old.

Small described a new song called

KATIE J. PARKER/ THE DAILY

Dorian Small plays his guitar in an unfinished spaceship. He will perform at The Deli Saturday.

KATIE J. PARKER/ THE DAILY

Dorian Small sits at his computer, mixing songs for his album. Small’s home also functions as his studio. His next album, “Dorian Small Gives You an Ultimatum,” is expected to release this summer.

“Ultrasound Dance Party,” which he wrote about the joy of seeing his son for the first time.

“After we went to the first ultrasound for my son,” he said, “walking out of the place I had this feeling of just, pure excitement , pure happiness, and I wrote this song, and I wanted to capture that somehow. So the beginning of this song is just this big scream.”

Small then let out a high-pitched, imitative shout, as the keyboard lick erupted with the drums and bass grooves.

Small played another song called “If You Leave Me, I’ll Go Back to the Drugs,” a catchy, tongue and cheek warning to a lover. The chorus threatens “If you leave me I’ll go back to the drugs / And if the drugs don’t work I’ll have to join the church / So please don’t ever leave me.”

“It’s romantic,” Small said. “It’s kind of like a threat but you know, in a joking way. It’s rockin’ too.”

As we listened to the new album, which sounded like a rocking, synthy mixture of Weezer and Of Montreal, with soft, warm vocals reminiscent of Iron and Wine but with more range and keyboards—it became obvious that Dorian Small is a man of many talents.

The most amazing of which, is the positive attitude he continually holds, which fuels the drive to keep going, keep innovating his music.

“If you leave me, I’ll go back to the drugs. And if the drugs don’t work, I’ll have to join the church. So please, don’t ever leave me.”

EXCERPT FROM DORIAN SMALL’S SONG, “IF YOU EVER LEAVE ME, I’LL GO BACK TO DRUGS” “I think my lyrics are always, most of the time positive, and romantic,” Small said. “So in that sense, maybe I’m in a way trying to lift myself up when I write a song, as well as other people.”

And it’s this positive attitude that keeps him going. And going. His chandelier business (he sells high-end chandeliers to restaurants and houses), the new gardening and home improvement projects, mixing the new album, and overall, raising his new son—all keep him busy, and surprisingly happy.

“I want to make the best use of every free hour that I have,” he said. “S o I’m not freaking out about perfecting everything.”

By extension, this attitude crept into “Ultimatum,” and Small produced something truly unique this time around.

And what is the ultimatum?

“It’s an ultimatum to do something, create something, you know, be a part of something, Small said. “To get off your ass and do something.”