The Oklahoma Daily

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA’S I NDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE

VOL. 93, NO. 34 FREE — Additional Copies 25¢

TUESDAY, OCT. 7, 2008 © 2008 OU Publications Board

UOSA proposes increase in faculty advisers • Proposal advocates mandatory in-person advising, discourages online advising CAITLIN HARRISON Daily Staff Writer If a UOSA proposal is approved, students may have more one-on-one meetings with advisers and receive less online advising.

Matt Deeg, UOSA director of academics, is creating a four-part proposal to improve the quality and availability of advising in all of OU’s colleges.

Different colleges have different procedures for advising, but Deeg, social sciences and organizational studies

senior, said his proposal would help ensure that advising in all colleges meets a certain standard.

The proposal calls on the university to decrease the number of students each adviser is responsible for, move away from e-mail-based advising, requires students in the Price College of Business to be advised in person and promotes the use of faculty advisers.

In most colleges, advisers are responsible for an average of 228 students per semester, Deeg said.

One goal of the proposal is to hire more advisers, which would most benefit University College, the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Price College of Business, he said. Advisers in these colleges are typically responsible for 300 to 400 students.

“If every student goes to see that adviser, that’s four weeks of nonstop advisement,” Deeg said. “That’s just overwhelming.”

The UOSA proposal will also discourage colleges from treating online or e-mail based advisement as a

Tara Gragg/The Daily

ADVISERS Continues on page 2 University College freshman Kiera Hines discusses her schedule for spring semester with adviser Brett Burkhart Monday.

OU Votes 2008 campaign closes with concert

RED RIVER RIVALRY

4 DAYS TO GO UNTIL OU-TEXAS

TROY WEATHERFORD Daily Staff Writer Despite low turnout, poor weather and an extended sound check, artists rocked out on Monday night in Meacham Auditorium for the Rock the Vote concert.

Rock the Vote was held in conjunction with the OU Votes: 2008 in 2008 voter registration drive. The goal of Rock the Vote is to increase political awareness amongst young people and help them achieve progress and change, according to RockTheVote.com.

Outside the auditorium, the OU Young Democrats and College Republicans set up voter registration booths and supporters of candidates campaigned, including Democrat Blake Cummings, who is running to represent Oklahoma’s fourth district.

“This is the most important election for voters under 30,” Cummings said. “Not only because of the age difference in the candidates but because we’re almost back to a war versus no war situation.”

Turnout for the event was low, with fewer than 100 people in attendance, and by the time headliner Graham Colton began playing, only 12 people had registered to vote. Despite the low turnout, Colton said he believed the concert was important.

“These concerts have the ultimate importance, most especially, getting young people out to vote,” Colton said.

Before the concert began, former Oklahoma Senator Cal Hobson hosted a competition between the parties. Three teams of three people, Republicans, Democrats and Independents, competed in a trivia game lifted from the New York Times. Questions centered on quotes

VOTES Continues on page 2

Countdown to the Cotton Bowl The most anticipated football game of the season is just four days away. The Daily presents the history of the rivalry, as well as the results of the teams’ last five meetings. Page 6.

CAMPUS BRIEFS Debate watch party 7 p.m.

Michelle Gray/The Daily

Katherine Webb, Justin Eake and Kelly Peirce stand in front of their apartment with Peirce and Eake’s daughter, Brighton. Formerly homeless, the four recently moved into the apartment after the three friends became drug-free. Peirce said the three decided to get clean for the baby and for themselves. “She had a lot to do with it,” Peirce said of Brighton.

Back on their feet • Local groups work to aid city’s homeless JAMIE HUGHES Daily Staff Writer or two years, Kelly Peirce floated from couch to couch.

“I was a couch surfer,” said Peirce, a 27-year-old mother of three whose drug addiction forced her to forfeit her three-bedroom brick home.

With no place to call home, she walked the streets of Norman and battled the weather.

In the winter, she covered her face with a stocking cap to keep warm, and in the summer, third-degree burns covered her body.

Now after two years of homelessness, Peirce has moved out of transitional housing and into a permanent place.

According to a community survey, there are 1,455 homeless people in Cleveland County, said Elaine Hunter, a homeless consultant for the City of Norman.

The number of people in Norman who have been homeless for over a year, or chronically homeless, is decreasing, Hunter said. In 2007, she

F

Clark McCaskill/The Daily

Oklahoma City musician Graham Colton performs at Rock The Vote on Monday night at Meacham Auditorium inside Oklahoma Memorial Union.

DEFINING HOMELESS Literally Homeless: Those who do not have a permanent, stable place to live. This includes persons who are unsheltered or staying in shelters, motels or transitional housing or on the waiting list for a shelter and who are living in temporary, precarious housing arrangements.

Permanently Supported Homeless: Those who are in permanent supportive housing and at risk of becoming literally homeless again without needed supportive services due to extreme poverty or serious mental and/or physical disabilities.

Couch Surfers: Those who do not have a permanent, stable place to live and are doubled up with relatives or friends for a night or two, here and there.

Source: Point in Time Survey

said there were 70 chronically homeless people in Norman. She said these numbers include people who don’t have a permanent address, sleep on other people’s couches and live in motels. The count decreased by 10 for 2008, Hunter said.

Hunter said the count is decreasing because the city is focusing on finding permanent housing for homeless people.

Otis Sample, 51, was staying at the Salvation Army’s emergency shelter facility Wednesday evening. He said he went there after leaving an addiction treatment center in Ada. “[The Salvation Army] tries to help out as much as they can,” he said. “But they need another place. People are still out on the street, and it seems like

there’s nowhere people can stay.”

He said people are allowed to stay in the shelter for only five nights.

Lisa Krieg, grants planner for the City of Norman, said the city has a 10-year plan to fight homelessness that began in 2005, but she said the plan needs tweaking and is currently under revision.

Addictions like Peirce’s are one of the most common reasons people become homeless, said Natalie Gardner, homeless services coordinator for Food and Shelter for Friends, an organization that aims to feed the hungry and provide shelter.

Other factors, she said, include people falling behind on rent and physical

HOMELESS Continues on page 2

The second presidential debate watch party will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Adams Center faculty-in-residence apartment.

The debate between Barack Obama and John McCain will be at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. and will be moderated by NBC’s Tom Brokaw. The debate will be set up like a town hall meeting, and candidates will take questions from the audience.

The watch party is sponsored by OU Votes: 2008 in 2008, a coalition focused on promoting student involvement in the political process.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Oklahoma City-based band The Uglysuit will perform Friday at the Opolis in Norman.

Catch our Q&A with the guys in A&E. It’s New Music Tuesday! We’ve got reviews of the latest releases from the Pussycat Dolls, Robin Thicke and more. Page 10.

OUDAILY.COM Interested in what the rest of the U.S. is saying about OU-Texas? Log onto OUDaily.com/ weblogs/sports-desk-blog to fnd out.

TODAY’S INDEX A&E Campus Notes Classifieds Crossword Horoscope

10 9 8 8 9

National News 5 Opinion 4 Police Reports 9 Sports 5-6 Sudoku 9

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY LOW 55° HIGH 71°

WEDNESDAY LOW 50° HIGH 74° Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

2

News

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008

Photos.com

HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER

OU researchers look to retina to halt blindness • New genetic model will aid research MEREDITH MORIAK Daily Staff Writer Researchers at OU Health Sciences Center are using a newly created research model for retina receptors that could reveal ways to delay or prevent blindness.

This genetic research model examines a microscopic part of the eye that, when missing, causes blindness.

The team is led by OU scientists at Dean McGee Eye Institute and includes researchers from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Raju Rajala, ophthalmology professor, is the principle investigator of the project.

Rajala’s research group is studying how the eye is affected by insulin receptors and diabetes, which can lead to blindness.

They are specifically targeting patients with diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in American adults.

In 2005, 3.2 million adults with diabetes reported visual impairment, which is an increase from 2.7 million in 1997, according to the American Foundation for the Blind.

Insulin receptors in diabetics malfunction, and scientists haven’t figured out why.

Key characteristics of retinal degeneration are blindness and visual impairment, Rajala said.

For scientists to learn how the receptors work and how insulin functions, they need to test their ideas on a research model.

Scientists think this model will aid them in finding ways to delay or prevent blindness.

The American Foundation for the Blind estimates there are 21.2 million Americans with vision loss.

The most common pathological outcome of retinal degeneration results in cell death, she said. Research is geared to detect and understand the biochemical mechanism underlying the process of cell death, Rajala said.

“During this pursuit, we identified [an] insulin receptor as one of the target protein’s blocks of cell death,” Rajala said.

Rajala said this research demonstrates that activation of insulin receptors protects dying retinal neurons.

The retina is a structure of the eye sensitive to light. It is made up of seven layers of cells, which serve a special purpose while processing the image formed in the retina.

“We made a novel finding that light activates the insulin receptor,” Rajala said.

Researches are hypothesizing that signaling by the insulin receptor is vital to the photoreceptor’s normal functions and also protects the photoreceptor from cell death, Rajala said.

Rajala said that defective insulin receptor signaling is a contributing factor for Type 2 diabetes, which is insulin resistant.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Type 2 diabetics either cannot produce enough insulin or their cells ignore the insulin, which is necessary for the body to breakdown glucose for energy.

“The induction of cell death is a highly regulated process and can be suppressed by a variety or extracellular growth factors,” Rajala said.

295-2222

Advisers

Homeless

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

preferred method of advising.

The Gaylord College, the College of Earth and Energy and the College of Liberal Studies all do most of their advising online, but Deeg thinks students would be more successful if face-to-face contact with advisers was always part of the advising process.

Diane Mayes, director of academic advising for University College, said one-on-one conversations between students and advisers allows advisers to understand students’ issues and makes students’ choices less stressful.

But online advising is sometimes the most convenient method, said Jessica Shadid, advertising junior.

“I think it’s a good thing for some students,” she said. “Personally, I like the face-to-face [advising], and I always have a lot of questions.”

UOSA also wants to make advisement a requirement in every college.

The business college does not currently require it, he said.

Danny Wieland, marketing and management senior, said he has always been able to enroll in the business college without getting advised. He said he thinks an advising requirement would be a good idea. “[Advising] is always good if you have questions,” he said. “It’s their job to be experts.”

The proposal will also encourage the university to use more faculty members as advisers. Deeg said faculty members know more about relevant degrees, classes and careers than some professional advisers, giving students who have faculty advisers the benefit of their professors’ expertise.

“Academic advising is probably one of the most important things, because it’s going to determine your career path,” Deeg said. “A good advisement will help you graduate in your four years.”

Faculty advisement also decreases the burden on professional advisers, Deeg said.

Deeg began working on the proposal at the request of OU President David L. Boren and Provost Nancy Mergler, who asked UOSA to propose a new standard because of recent complaints that advising is more substantial in some colleges than others, Deeg said.

The proposal will be reviewed by UOSA President Amanda Holloway and Vice President Vince Winston and then submitted to Mergler within the next few weeks. Deeg said Boren will decide when, or if, the new standards will take effect.

and mental disabilities.

Peirce said most of the people she met on the streets suffered from addictions like hers.

“It was everybody I knew,” she said. “If someone wasn’t homeless when I met them, they were when I was done.”

The rocky economy plays its part in losing it all too, Gardner said.

“We call them the working poor, they are slipping,” she said.

Food and Shelter for Friends helps people with mortgages and rent when they can, but it is a small agency and can’t help when people slip hundreds of dollars behind, Gardner said.

“We are fortunate to have an active nonprofit sector which is working on these issues and the city,” Mayor Cindy Rosenthal said in an e-mail.

Rosenthal said the city tries to help these agents with grants from the Social and Voluntary Services Commission.

The Mayor’s Committee to End Chronic Homelessness looks at gaps in services and needs of the community, Rosenthal said. The most critical need, she said, is emergency shelter beds.

The city provides some funding to organizations like East Main Place

(405) 919-3480 or (405) 210-3323

3750 W. Main Ste. 4A Just West of Bank of America

Homeless shelters and resources in Norman East Main Place: Transitional housing for homeless individuals and families.

1100 E Main St. 447-4663 Food and Shelter for Friends: Transitional and emergency housing for homeless families. 104 W Comanche St. 360-4954 Bridges: Housing assistance and support services for high school and college students. 1670 Stubbeman Ave. 579-9280 Salvation Army: Emergency housing for homeless individuals and families.

1670 Stubbeman Ave. 579-9280 and Food and Shelter for Friends. This year, Food and Shelter for Friends received $75,000 in emergency shelter grants.

Finding a job isn’t so easy for some homeless people, Gardener said. Most employers require an address and telephone number, which most homeless people don’t have so the shelter lets people use the facility’s address and phone number for potential jobs.

“They aren’t all lazy bums looking for a handout,” she said. “Mental illness or substance abuse isn’t something they choose or want.”

Votes Continued from page 1 made during the campaign.

Cash prizes of $50, $30 and $20 were supposed to be given to the first, second and third place team, but due to a three-way tie the parties split the money equally, giving $10 to the judge of the competition.

Colton is a 26-year-old singer songwriter from Oklahoma City. He said that he is not trying to influence people’s political choices with his performance, but he feels compelled to use his celebrity status to get people involved.

“I don’t choose to share my views on stage … Most of my songs are about girls and high school and college, so politics doesn’t really come into play, but if I can use my songs to get people involved and educated, then I’m doing what I want to,” Colton said.

University College freshman Jed Copley agreed with Colton’s ideals, and said he hopes peoples’ opinions would not be swayed by the music alone.

“I would hope that artists music wouldn’t be a motivator for [politics],”

Copley said.

Colton said that he’s been involved with events like “Rock the Vote” for years, and has voted in the past two presidential elections. He was even invited to the Democratic National Convention in September.

“This is the most important election in this country’s history,” Colton said.

“With the economic problems and the ongoing wars, it’s more important now than ever that our generation gets out and votes.”

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

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

3 Campus News Victoria’s Secret to visit campus OU-TX Web site earns • Students can buy donate tuition money for students merchandise, to women’s outreach Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008

• Long-time friends capitalize on Red River Rivalry MEREDITH MORIAK Daily Staff Writer

Two friends, divided by the Red River Rivalry, are supporting their schools and stirring competition to help pay for their college education.

The Web site, ouortexas.com, allows anyone to log on and vote for either OU or the University of Texas, by donating to a PayPal account.

Sooner fans donate to Ben Lancaster, University College freshman and creator of the site. Jonathan Johnston, biology sophomore at the University of Texas receives money from the UT votes. The two have been friends since they went to high school together near Dallas.

The site is meant to promote the rivalry and prove which school’s fans are more loyal by targeting alumni to contribute to current students.

The idea was sparked by Lancaster after listening to a professor talk about the rise of social networking and the influence of the Internet.

Lancaster began discussing this concept with his father, Ken Lancaster, and within a few days, the idea of ouortexas.com was born.

When creating the site, the Lancasters realized that in the next 20 years, most millionaires would make their money online.

“I thought, ‘What can I do now?’ Bill Gates made his money while he was in college,” Lancaster said.

Ken Lancaster said the site only took a few days to construct, and it launched on Sept. 28. Ken Lancaster owns his own advertising agency and was able to have employees build the site.

“I’m rooting for them,” Ken Lancaster said. “I hope for their sake it takes off.”

Photo provided

Old friends Ben Lancaster, University College freshman, and Jonathan Johnston, a University of Texas student, posted their student ID cards on a Web site where the students are competing to raise the most donations to help with the cost of tuition.

The site raised over $300 in the first week and with publicity, it could possibly yield a semester of tuition for both boys, Ken Lancaster said.

The site needs to go viral and people need to forward it on to friends, Ken Lancaster said.

“It could really get out of hand if it gets forwarded to more and more people,” Ken Lancaster said. “This is the week.”

The money goes directly toward tuition and will not be used for general spending, Ben Lancaster said.

“My dad wouldn’t let me con people,” Ben Lancaster said.

A percentage of all funds will be given to a philanthropic organization.

The pair will base the philanthropy and percentage off the amount of

funds raised.

Johnston said he thinks a majority of the money will come from TexasExes and OU Alumni, who have established jobs and want to root for their team while donating to a good cause.

Johnston said the site draws generations together by allowing alumni to support their school and fund new generations of Sooners and Longhorns.

“We know students aren’t going to be donating a lot because they have costs too,” Johnston said.

While the boys were unaware if the site would yield any profit, they did not see any potential drawbacks.

“It’s an easy, fun thing to do. Why not try it? It’s free money,” Johnston said.

“It’s kind of supporting rivalries,” she said.

Additionally, Victoria’s Secret’s “Recycle Your Sweats” initiative, which began last week, is a competition between several other universities to collect men’s and women’s used clothing. It will be donated to the Women’s CAITLIN HARRISON Resource Center in Norman, Baugh Daily Staff Writer said.

“The ‘Recycle Your Sweats’ program Students won’t have to leave campus today if they want to buy a new pair of is kind of misleading,” she said. “We’re takingg all types of donations, men’s underwear. or wome women’s clothing, bags or pursVictoria’s Secret will bee hostes.” ing a “pop up shop” sale from The collection bin, which is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front off Phi in front of the Phi Kappa e. In Kappa Psi., 720 Elm Ave. Psi fraternity house, has addition to an ongoing already collected close clothing drive, the shop to 700 items, said Britan is one of two efforts Mills, campus repreto promote the compasentative for Victoria’s ny on campus and give Secret and public relaback to the communitions sophomore. ty, said Chelsie Baugh, “I think we all have Victoria’s Secret camclothes in the back of pus representative. our closet we’ve been i She said the company is hanging on to for no reason,” hosting sales at 15 universishe said. “There’s really no ties across the U.S. to probet better time to donate than ate mote the Pink Collegiate no now.” arCollection to 18- to 22-yearEmily Smith, dental arold females, the store’s tarhy hygiene sophomore, said get market. sh has donated over 350 she re “It’s essentially a store it items alone. Her family st on campus with the newest m members helped contribet gear from Victoria’s Secret u many of the donations, ute ic Pink,” said Baugh, public s said. she t’s relations sophomore. “It’s “I sometimes feel selfse kind of a big deal they chose i ish that I have so much Oklahoma.” s stuff that I don’t wear,” ure The sale will feature s she said. “Why should I cret OU-themed Victoria’s Secret k keep it when I’m going to udgear not yet in stores, includw wear it two more times and weat ing jackets, tote bags, sweat someone else who would pants and T-shirts, Baugh wou wear it every day?” love it would said.

Mills said she thinks the “Being the week of clot clothing drive is a great OU-Texas, it’s fun to be able w to support the comway es to buy really cute clothes m munity. that show pride in your “It’s just really great school,” she said. for students to have Victoria’s Secret will one more outlet to help also be hosting a “pop out and give back,” she up shop” outside the said. stadium at OU-Texas Victoria’s Secret is aFriday and Saturday feaa accepting donations until as turing both OU and Texas D 10, Baugh said.

Dec. gear, Baugh said.

Opinion

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008 4 OUR VIEW

Online advisement beneficial We are glad to see UOSA turning its attention to the effectiveness and equality of advising (see page 1 for details), but it is misguided in its focus on discouraging online advisement.

UOSA should recognize that online advisement is an ideal method of adviseOUR VIEW ment for some students.

Yes, there is value in face is an editorial selected and debated to face meetings. It is good to by the editorial board know the person whose advice and written after a can shape your college career. majority opinion is In-person meetings also presformed and approved by the editor. Our View ent more opportunity for is The Daily’s official questions and in-depth degreeopinion. planning discussions.

We think face to face advisement is absolutely necessary for University College freshmen who are just learning how to function in college. But, eventually, students should be able to enroll independently.

It can be counterproductive to ask busy students to clear time from their schedule to be told what they already know from their degree sheets.

While advisers are there to provide guidance, students should take the responsibility upon themselves to ask for help when they need it.

It is a waste of advisers’ time to meet with students who do not need or want to hear what they have to say. When advisers do not have to rush

through sessions so they can meet with everybody, they have more time to answer students’ in-depth questions and be sure they’re on track to graduate.

Online advisement is specific and efficient.

Adviser e-mails that have suggested courses as well as a list of courses remaining in a degree plan are a convenient alternative to face to face meetings.

We are not in the Middle Ages. To discourage the use of technology that can make everyone’s lives easier seems backwards.

The university prides itself on keeping up with the latest technology, including widespread wi-fi and state-of-the-art computer labs. Why should it shun the use of the Internet in advising?

The university needs to have enough advisers available that everyone who wants to meet with an adviser can.

To that end, the university needs to hire more advisers, especially in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Price College of Business and University College. Advisers in these colleges are responsible for 300 to 400 students per semester, while those in other colleges are responsible for an average of 228 students.

Advisement, while important, should not place an unnecessary burden on those advisers by seeking to reduce or eliminate the use of online advising, which serves to keep advising efficient and convenient for students and advisers alike.

YOUR VIEWS Column against abortion condemnation flawed In his Friday column titled “Bible not a viable source for condemnation of abortion,” Zach Holder wanted to prove that Christians can’t use the Bible to oppose abortion, but his mistakes, generalizations and ignorant claims ensued instead.

Holder used a double standard by demanding from Christians an explicit prohibition of abortion from the Biblical texts, but in supporting his position, he used the ambiguous example of God breathing life into Adam and suggested that life begins at birth.

His interpretation of Exodus 21:22 is simply incorrect; perhaps using a different translation and a scholarly commentary would have helped. The King James Bible refers to a man hurting a woman “so that her fruit depart…yet no mischief follow,” meaning she gives birth but the child is unhurt.

This text is not referencing a miscar-

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

riage but rather induced labor. It could be said to support the pro-life position: “If any mischief follow,” meaning the child dies, “then thou shalt give life for life.”

Holder implies that Christians who oppose abortion for religious reasons are following the ignorant lectures of priests, pastors or “colorful evangelicals.”

But the ethical teaching of the Christian church has historically opposed abortion, from the Didache (c. 70) and the Letter of Barnabas (c. 130), to the writings of Augustine (354-430CE).

Perhaps a better understanding of the relevant issues is in order before accusing Christians of “looking ignorant.”

KYLE WILLIAMS HISTORY SOPHOMORE

Column’s claims about New Atheists’ advocation false Jelani Sims’ Friday column titled “When tolerance isn’t tolerance” bears false witness against the New Athe-

ists, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris.

Nowhere in their writings do any of them advocate that religion should be “eradicated” by any government action.

On the contrary, they are all supporters of freedom of conscience and the separation of church and state.

They do, indeed, argue that religions generally are both false and harmful, and should not receive any special respect; they hope that people generally, acting as individuals exercising their freedom of conscience, will decide to leave religion behind.

Religious tolerance, does not mean any belief should be off-limits to criticism or even off-limits to mockery and derision.

It means that holding any belief shall not be penalized by the law, and individuals advocating unpopular beliefs shall be protected from assault or other violence from those who disagree.

JOHN B. HODGES READER, BLACKSBURG, VA.

Who would be the better vice president?

STAFF COLUMN

STAFF COLUMN

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.

AP Photo

Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., speaks during a vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 2. choice of Palin.

In case you didn’t know, Palin is a woman. She has kids. Five of them. With interesting names.

While I couldn’t care less about these facts, McCain the Maverick did. He seemed to think that his choice of Palin would woo over those discontented supporters of Hillary.

But there were plenty of other people McCain could have selected as his running mate.

If he was really the maverick he claims to be, he could have still been logical and chosen his buddy, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., or former opponent and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. He could have even chosen another woman, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, a Republican from the great state of Texas.

McCain’s actual pick was a shameless, brazen attempt to win over disaffected Hillary supporters.

It’s true that there are Hillary supporters who were disappointed in their candidate’s failure to win the nomination, but is McCain’s opinion of these individuals so low that he thinks any person with the same sex will do the job?

I’m sure Palin didn’t get the pick solely because she is a woman, but it probably didn’t hurt. It was a patronizing choice that many women see past.

“Sheltering” her from the big bad media is also patronizing.

Palin is an adult who chose to accept the spotlight and, as a result, chose to be scrutinized, fairly of course, about her qualifications for the job.

She chose to interview with Katie Couric and chose to not answer questions effectively.

For me it comes down to this: McCain is a legitimate hero who served our country with dignity and honor, and nothing can take away from that, but this choice was irresponsible and a shameful stunt.

President Abraham Lincoln is rumored to have said, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”

I pray that Honest Abe was right.

I hope Americans won’t be fooled by Palin’s fascinating story, funny one-liners or Tina Fey glasses.

I hope they instead will critically analyze both tickets and the individuals who comprise them so we won’t be fooled for another four to eight years.

KAYLE BARNES IS A PROFESSIONAL WRITING SENIOR. HER COLUMN USUALLY APPEARS EVERY OTHER TUESDAY.

I N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T

V O I C E

NEWSROOM DIRECTORY Meredith Simons Ellis Goodwin Nanette Light Amanda Turner Nijim Dabbour Hailey Branson Amy Frost

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

Dane Beavers Kevin Hahn Corey DeMoss Adam Kohut Judy Gibbs Robinson R.T. Conwell

Senior Online Editor Multimedia Editor Sports Editor A&E Editor Editorial Adviser Advertising Manager

Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin during a rally in Carson, Calif., Oct. 4.

I was forced to watch the vice presidential debate Thursday, and all it did was confirm that I am making the right choice in not voting for the presidency this year.

Are you kidding me?

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin are the best choices for vice president?

There were no better choices anywhere in America?

I don’t buy that for a second.

Given the “severity” and “importance” many in the press and in Washington have bestowed on this election, I don’t understand Sen. Barack Obama’s choice in picking Biden as his running mate.

Sure, Biden’s 36 years in the Senate give the Democratic ticket experience, but Biden is not the JOE best choice for vice president.

HUNT Biden’s propensity for sound bite gaffes makes him a particularly dangerous running mate.

Don’t get me wrong, I like that Biden has no qualms about speaking his mind. But his ability to say the stupidest things at the most inconceivably bad time is amazing.

He makes Americans everywhere remember Dan Quayle and not in a good way.

Biden is a racist. There, I said it.

The fact that he openly verbalizes his racist opinions raises questions for me as to why he’s on the ticket with possibly the first black president.

In a January, 2007 interview with the New York Observer, Biden referenced Obama, D-Ill., as, “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”

You have got to be kidding me. Sen. Obama, is this the kind of man you want representing you?

Seriously?

Biden continued his racist antics in October, 2007 in an interview with the Washington Post.

When asked why schools in Iowa performed better than schools in Washington DC, Biden said, “There’s less than 1 percent of the population of Iowa that is African American. There is probably less than 4 or 5 percent that are minorities. What is in Washington? So look, it goes back to what you start off with.”

I know I haven’t hitched a ride on the politically correct train, but I’m pretty sure comments like that should get you thrown off, tied to the track and run over.

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

AP Photo

Contact Us:

When I heard Gov. Sarah Palin was Sen. John McCain’s running mate, I seriously thought I was being punked.

I had never heard of this lady, and I, like many people, was looking forward to a McCain-Lieberman ticket or a McCain-Ridge ticket.

But no, McCain, R-Ariz., went maverick on us and chose Palin, the 44-year-old one-term governor of the 47th least populous state.

The smirk, the sarcasm and the snarky lines are annoying, but Palin as vice president worries me.

I respect McCain for his military service in the past, and I respect Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for his plans for the future. But I worry about Palin every single day.

Age is a legitimate factor in this election, not just because many young voters are being mobilized for the first time, but also because there is such an age disparity between the two presidential candidates.

McCain made it more of an issue than it already was when he chose Palin.

Think about it: You have a reasonably healthy Obama (except for that smoking thing) at 47 and resilient cancer survivor McCain at 72.

Heaven forbid anything should happen to either of those fine men, but as reported by Politico.com actuarial tables from 2004 by the Social Security Administration and 2001 mortality statistics gathered by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, there is a one in three chance that a 72-year-old man won’t reach 80.

The NAIC tables even factor in Obama’s smoking history and figure that non-smoker McCain’s age still makes him six times more likely to die than Obama in the next four years.

McCain, the hero, owed it to the American public to choose a running mate with the experience he has criticized Obama for KAYLE lacking.

BARNES By choosing a woman he had only met briefly for 15 minutes before her final interview, he belied the importance of experience and betrayed the trust many people had in him to be above mere party politics.

McCain is too old to make such a poor decision and possibly leave our country at this precarious state in the hands of a novice.

Say what you will about Obama, but he chose well with Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., despite all his flaws.

We cannot afford for the vice-presidency to be a learn-on-the-job position. We need a president and vice president who are ready on day one to get to the business of repairing our nation and the world.

We need someone who is ready to deal with the enormous issues and challenges we face.

With the destabilization of Afghanistan, a dodgy Putin and countries like Iran and North Korea wanting to join the nuclear ranks, we need someone with a clear understanding of international affairs and America’s roll in those affairs.

Palin’s state’s proximity to Russia has done nothing to keep a resurgent Russia in check.

Palin made clear her international knowledge deficit Tuesday, Sept. 23, when she met with world leaders for the first time.

Her lack of international knowledge does not make her a bad person, just an inexperienced one.

Judging from interviews I’ve seen, Palin is great at delivering sassy remarks, but her understanding of concepts such as court cases is absurd.

Besides being incredulous at the pick, I was disappointed in the underlying message of McCain’s

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin Now, I understand the fact that Biden has experience. I would hope that after 36 years in the Senate he would have political experience.

But one thing it seems Biden hasn’t learned is how to tell the truth. I guess that’s part of the “experience” of being a career politician.

I kept a list of lies and half-truths Biden made during the debate last week, and I came up with seven.

I’m sure there were more, but my hand was cramping from writing too much.

Biden said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., voted with Obama to increase taxes on Americans making $42,000 a year, which is not true.

Biden also proclaimed his support for off-shore drilling, but a cursory inspection of his voting record shows quite the opposite.

Biden said he supports clean coal, which means he flip-flopped quicker than Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., because just two weeks ago Biden “adamantly” opposed the clean coal initiative.

Biden falsely said McCain would raise taxes on individual health insurance — not exactly a lie, but not the whole truth either because he forgot to mention McCain’s offsetting tax credit.

Biden falsely accused Palin of supporting a windfall profits tax for oil companies in Alaska.

He accused McCain of voting for further deregulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – the exact opposite of what McCain actually voted for.

Finally, Biden falsely proclaimed that, under the Obama-Biden tax plan, Americans who earn less than $250,000 a year will not see a tax increase.

That’s not exactly true since Obama has proposed raising taxes on all Americans who make more than $200,000.

I could go on much longer about why Biden is a poor choice for vice president, but I want to focus briefly on why Palin would make a better veep.

First, Palin won the debate.

She was able to express her ideas and the Republican platform much better than Biden did with the Democratic platform, and she appeared much more relaxed.

And, unlike Biden or Obama, I could relate to her.

Secondly, her experience (I know, pause for laughter) makes her a better candidate for vice president.

She is not an elitist Washington insider and doesn’t have loads of political experience.

If anything, she’s much more representative of the average American than any of the other candidates.

How much experience does a vice president really need?

If you examine the U.S. Constitution, you’ll find the Vice President to be virtually powerless.

All of the talk by pundits that Palin doesn’t have enough experience to be president is true, so it’s a good thing she’s not running for that position.

To be fair, Palin flubbed her way through parts of the debate and many of her answers made me feel more qualified to be McCain’s running mate. But, unlike Biden, she didn’t have anything to lose.

Personally, I don’t care for either Biden or Palin, but since this great country we live in allows just two “choices” for political office, I’m forced to play the “choose the lesser of two evils” game.

Unfortunately, Sarah Palin wins that game.

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

JOE HUNT IS AN ECONOMICS AND HISTORY SENIOR. HIS COLUMN USUALLY APPEARS EVERY OTHER THURSDAY.

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.

National News

In economic slump, power cutoffs soar COHOES, N.Y. — The number of Americans whose electricity or gas has been shut off for nonpayment of their bills is up sharply in many parts of the country as people struggle to cope with higher prices and a shaky economy.

Shut-offs have been running 17 percent higher than last year among customers of New York state’s major utilities, and 22 percent higher in economically hard-hit Michigan. They are up in all or part of dozens of other states, including Pennsylvania, Florida and California, according to an Associated Press check of regulators and energy companies.

Despite stepped-up efforts by state and federal governments, utilities and private groups to help people avoid shut-offs this winter, some worry the problem will only get worse in the coming months, particularly with the downturn on Wall Street.

“I just didn’t have the money to pay,” said Marie Williams, a single mother raising four daughters in Cohoes, N.Y., a former mill city on the Hudson River. “Rent had to be paid, and food for the girls.”

Williams’ power was cut off this summer for about a week, forcing her girls to do homework by candlelight. She became one of more than 230,000 residential customers of New York’s 10 major utilities to have their service shut off for nonpayment through August of this year.

— AP

Congress opens hearings on financial meltdown JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS Associated Press WASHINGTON — The now-bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers arranged millions in bonuses for fired executives as it pleaded for a federal lifeline, lawmakers learned Monday, as Congress began investigating what went so wrong on Wall Street to prompt a $700 billion government bailout.

The first in a series of congressional hearings on the roots of the financial meltdown yielded few major revelations about Lehman’s collapse, and none about why government officials, as they scrambled to avert economic catastrophe, declined to rescue the flagging company while injecting tens of billions of dollars into others.

But it allowed lawmakers still smarting from a politically painful vote Friday for the largest federal market rescue in history to put a face on their outrage at corporate chieftains who took home hundreds of millions of dollars while betting on risky mortgage-backed investments that ultimately brought the financial system to its knees.

That face was Richard S. Fuld Jr., the Lehman chief executive who sat for a two-hour-plus grilling before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as the panel combed through

AP Photo

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. chief executive Richard S. Fuld Jr., wearing tie, is heckled by protesters as he leaves Capitol Hill after testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Monday, on the collapse of Lehman Brothers. his pay history, management practices and financial strategies.

“You made all this money by taking risks with other people’s money,” Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the panel’s chairman, said. “The system worked for you, but it didn’t seem to work for the rest of the country and the taxpayers,

who now have to pay $700 billion to bail out our economy.”

A subdued Fuld opened his testimony declaring, “I take full responsibility for the decisions that I made and for the actions that I took,” but he conceded no errors or misjudgments in the chaotic period that led to the firm’s bankruptcy.

Debate stakes higher for McCain; insults mount LIZ SIDOTI Associated Press WASHINGTON — Running short on time, John McCain has the most riding on the second presidential debate, though Barack Obama will be out of his scripted comfort zone in the town hall-style confrontation.

It could be ugly if Monday’s tussling is any indication.

Tuesday night’s debate comes exactly AP Photo four weeks before Election Day with a lot Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John going on both inside and outside the campaign: Polling shows Obama approaching McCain, R-Ariz., participates in a rally, Monday, the 270 Electoral College votes needed in Albuquerque, N.M.. McCain is scheduled to for victory, Wall Street is tumbling even further and both candidates are escalating debate Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama character attacks.

Tuesday in the second presidential debate.

Their target audience in the debate: the roughly 10 percent of the electorate who

are undecided and an additional quarter who say they might still change their minds before Nov. 4.

The debate, at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., is supposed to be divided equally between the economy and foreign policy, but given the global financial turmoil, economic questions may well dominate. As markets were plunging in Europe and Asia as well as the U.S. on Monday, the candidates were going after each other.

In Florida, GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin raised Obama’s ties to 1960s-era radical William Ayers and to the Democrat’s former pastor, the incendiary Rev. Jeremiah Wright. In New Mexico, McCain, himself asked, “Who is the real Sen. Obama,” referred to him critically as a “Chicago politician” and argued that the Democrat says one thing and does

5

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008

another.

Obama, in turn, asserted in North Carolina that McCain was engaging “in the usual political shenanigans and smear tactics” to distract from economic issues, even as his own aides in Chicago assailed the Republican nominee for “an angry tirade” and went after him for his role in the 1980s Keating Five savings and loan scandal.

McCain, a four-term Arizona senator, is trailing in polls and facing dwindling options to thwart Democrat Obama in an enormously troublesome political landscape for Republicans. Obama, the firstterm Illinois senator, wants to solidify his lead and avoid any major debate misstep that could set him back in his quest to become the country’s first black president.

Dow finishes below 10,000 for first time since 2004 NEW YORK — Wall Street joined in a worldwide cascade of despair Monday over the financial crisis, driving the Dow Jones industrials to their biggest loss ever during a trading day. Even a big afternoon rally failed to keep the Dow from its first close below 10,000 since 2004.

The sell-off came despite the $700 billion U.S. government bailout package, which was signed into law Friday after two weeks in which traders had appeared to count on the rescue as their only hope to avoid a market meltdown.

At its worst point, the Dow was down more than 800 points, an intraday record.

The stock market rallied during the final 90 minutes of the trading day, and the Dow finished down about 370 points at 9,955.50.

The average is down almost 30 percent from its all-time high of 14,164.53, set a year ago Thursday.

Speculation among traders late in the session that the market’s pullback had been severe enough to force the Federal Reserve into taking other steps to soothe the markets helped stocks rebound from their lows.

“If you can’t say that we’re oversold now I don’t know what you say. You’re at least due for a bounce if nothing else,” said Bill Stone, chief investment strategist for PNC Wealth Management.

The global plunge in stocks was under way well before Wall Street ever woke up. In Japan, the Nikkei average lost more than 4 percent. And then the losses spread across Europe — nearly 6 percent for the FTSE-100 in Britain, 7 percent for the German DAX and more than 9 percent for France’s CAC-40.

In the United States, President Bush twice made unscheduled remarks on the economy, saying in Cincinnati that the economy would be “just fine” but that the bailout package needed time to work.

The troubles that started with an overheated housing market in the U.S. have infected financial markets around the world, making banks fearful of lending to other banks, let alone to businesses and consumers. That has led to worries that economies around the world might not only sputter but slide into reverse.

— AP

sale

Find more deals at our new location...

LINDSEY JENKINS

...1305 South Jenkins.

FOOTBALL STADIUM

your favorite four-letter WORD.

OU IT STORE

80GB 8 0 Zune CircuitCity.com: C i $249

1.83 GHz Mac Mini

$200

Apple.com: $599

$500

MacBook Pro 2.5 GHz 4GB RAM/3 years of AppleCare

Apple.com: $3,098

$2400 8GB iPod nano (3G) CircuitCity.com: $149

$100 Black MacBook 2.4 GHz 4GB RAM/3 years of AppleCare

Apple.com: $1,948

$1500

Dell Latitude XT Tablet Dell.com: $2,954

$1500 Prices valid until October 31, 2008 or while supplies last. Limited quantities on some items.

6

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008

Sports

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

Dallas showdown could make or break Sooners’ season • Heated rivalry reaches boiling point with two teams ranked in top five STEVEN JONES Daily Staff Writer Editor’s Note: This is the first in a three-part series focused on the OU-Texas rivalry The OU football team has already played five games this football season, but there’s a reason many Sooner fans have had Oct. 11 — when OU travels to the Cotton Bowl to face Texas — circled on their calendar since the end of last season.

The Red River Rivalry is usually a good measure of how successful both teams will be for the rest of the season. In fact, since 1999, the winner of the game has represented the Big 12 South in the conference championship game seven times.

With both teams undefeated and ranked in the top five, both OU and Texas have their eyes set on a BCS title this season.

A team clearly has to win the Big 12 before moving on to the national title game, and history says winning the Big 12 starts with winning this game.

So with the game just days away, here’s a look at how the last five OU-Texas contests have finished.

Aaron Cooke/The Daily

2007: No. 10 OU: 28; No. 19 UT: 21 With both teams coming off disappointing losses, the OU defense stepped up when it was necessary to give the Sooners a 7-point victory.

On offense, redshirt freshmen DeMarco Murray and Sam Bradford stood out as Murray gained 128 yards on just seven carries while Bradford threw for three scores.

The Sooner defense held Texas to 61 rushing yards and linebacker Curtis Lofton’s strip of UT tailback Jamaal Charles at the 1-yard line helped seal the victory for OU. 2006: No. 7 UT: 28; No. 13 OU: 10 In a game where OU out-gained the Longhorns by over 100 yards, Sooner mistakes helped the Longhorns to a 15-point win.

The Sooners had 11 penalties for 72 yards while the Texas had just three for 30 yards and the Sooners turned the ball over five times to UT’s 0.

Adrian Peterson ran for 109 yards and a score but fumbled once in the Sooners’ lone Big 12 loss of 2006.

2005: No. 2 UT: 45; OU: 12 In a year when the Sooners were rebuilding, Texas crushed the Sooners en route to a National Championship.

UT’s Vince Young gained a total of 286 yards and three touchdowns as the Longhorns racked up 444 total yards of offense.

OU was led in rushing by Donta Hickson who gained 22 yards on five carries, while freshman quarterback Rhett Bomar completed well under

Wigs

OU running back DeMarco Murray makes a cut during last season’s Red River Rivalry. Murray broke the tackles of both Longhorns on the play, and finished the game with 128 yards on seven carries. The Sooners won 28-21, but Texas still leads the overall series 57-40-5.

40 percent of his passes while throwing for 94 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

2004: No. 2 OU: 12; No. 5 UT: 0 Freshman tailback Adrian Peterson showed he could shine on the big stage against Texas in 2004 as he rushed for 225 yards in the Sooners 12-point victory.

In a game where both teams struggled to find the endzone, the Sooners were able to force two fumbles by UT quarterback Vince Young and one by tailback Cedric Benson to secure the win for OU. Sooner kicker Trey DiCarlo hit two field goals and tailback Kejuan Jones scored a fourth-quarter touchdown for the Sooners.

2003: No. 1 OU 65; No. 13 UT: 13 In the most one-sided victory in the series history, the Sooners rolled past Texas using offensive firepower.

The Sooners gained 552 yards of total offense and forced six turnovers as Vince Young had two interceptions and one fumble.

On offense, the Sooners were led by quarterback Jason White, who went 17-for-21 in the game while throwing for 290 yards and four touchdowns.

On the ground, the tandem of Renaldo Works and Kejuan Jones combined for 193 yards and three rushing touchdowns.

THE HISTORY OF THE RED RIVER RIVALRY • Overall series: Texas leads 57–40–5 (the five ties came in 1903, 1937, 1976, 1984 and 1995) • Current coaches: Bob Stoops is 6-3 against Texas; Mack Brown is 4-6 against OU • Largest margin of victory: 52 points; in OU’s 65-13 victory in 2003 • By winning percentage, Texas is No. 3 all-time at 825-316-33 (.717) and Oklahoma is No. 4 at 784295-53 (.710). Oklahoma has the most wins since 2000 with 95. Texas is No. 3 with 90.

• OU and Texas first played each other in 1900, while the OU campus was part of the Oklahoma Territory. Oklahoma did not become a state until 1907. The teams played each other 10 times during that eight-year span, during which Texas went 8-1-1.

• This is the eighth time the Sooners have entered the game ranked No. 1. They have only lost one of the previous seven games.

• This is the 58th time one of the teams has been ranked and the 34th time they are both ranked.

• There have been 10 games in the series in which both teams entered the game ranked in the nation’s top five. In those 10 games, OU is 6–3-1 and has won each of the last three.

• OU and Texas have both been shut out 10 times in the series.

— DAILY STAFF

Costum es

Weapons

Black Lights Hats

• The game has been played in Austin 10 times, Norman three times, Oklahoma City twice, Houston once and Dallas 86 times.

Largest Selection, Lowest Prices

Masks

Fog Machines 2270 W. Main • (405) 447-1008

Sports

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008

7

STAFF COLUMN

Clayton named Player of the Week

This year, OU-Texas is how it should be

• Linebacker thrives after switching positions in the offseason

he stage is set, and the records and rankings are right where they should be for next weekend’s showdown between No. 1 OU and No. 5 Texas.

These two teams have this rivalry game circled on the calendar every year, but there is a definite excitement surrounding 2008’s edition of the Red River Rivalry that simply wasn’t present in years past.

For starters, that cool breeze everyone has felt over the past couple of days? That’s from the collective sigh of relief breathed by every OU and Texas fan on Saturday after both teams proved they weren’t going to get caught looking ahead. Not this year.

Not like last year when both teams lost to unranked opponents the weekend before their annual meeting.

ERIC For anyone who wasn’t keeping up last season, OU saw its national title aspirations DAMA take a big hit when it was upset by Colorado, and Colt McCoy’s sophomore slump was seemingly in full swing as Kansas State knocked off the Longhorns.

As a result, a lot of the wind was let out of the sails of the Dallas-bound ship.

Both schools still had the sour taste of defeat in their mouths, even as the masses descended upon the Cotton Bowl.

This year, however, the famous Texas State Fair corn dogs won’t taste so bitter. In fact, everything seems a little bit sweeter.

Naturally, the hot topic last week was whether or not both teams would fall into the same trap this year, especially since Texas was playing Colorado.

OU had answered that question by the first quarter of its game against Baylor, when the Sooners led 28-0 en route to a 49-17 victory.

Texas made sure its reply was heard loud and clear, too, as the Longhorns improved to 5-0 with a 38-14 dismantling of Colorado.

So now the fun starts.

Both teams enter Saturday’s contest boasting a top-five ranking and a top-five Heisman trophy candidate under center.

The winner will undoubtedly be in the driver’s seat in the chase for the Big 12 South title, and will also have the resumé to claim itself as the top team in the Big 12.

Last year, a cloud of confusion hung over Dallas. With both schools coming off a loss, nobody really knew where — if at all — OU or Texas fit into the national championship picture.

This year, it’s clear what is on the line for both teams.

As the saying goes, “To the victor go the spoils.” For this year’s OU-Texas, nothing could be more true.

T

— ERIC DAMA IS A JOURNALISM SOPHOMORE.

JOEY HELMER Daily Staff Writer Coming into this season, OU’s linebacker corps was considered to be one of the team’s biggest weaknesses. But with performances like Keenan Clayton’s against Baylor, that weakness has become a strength.

Clayton recorded 11 solo tackles — the most on the team — and 14 total tackles.

He also had two tackles behind the line of scrimmage — including a nine-yard sack in the fourth quarter — and forced a fumble.

ESPN.com analyst Tim Griffin selected Clayton as one of five players in the Big 12 worthy of helmet stickers for the sixth week of college football, along with Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant, Missouri running back Derrick Washington and Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing.

And now the Big 12 conference has presented him with the honor of co-defensive player of the week, sharing the honor with Texas defensive tackle Roy Miller.

“He’s been playing really good, [like] we felt that he would,” said head coach Bob Stoops. “He’s a talented guy that’s really getting comfortable in his position.”

Originally, in 2006 after redshirting a year, Clayton started two games at strong safety before becoming a reserve. He fulfilled that role the rest of the 2006 season and through 2007.

Meanwhile, he was a major force on the special teams unit, recording 12 special teams tackles, tied for the most on the team.

He recorded 11 of those in kickoff coverage.

This year, he has moved into the linebacker role, helping fill a group many thought was a concern after the losses of Lewis Baker

and Curtis Lofton.

“I think [Clayton is] still getting comfortable,” Stoops said. “I really believe he’s only going to get better. He’s going to continue to get better the more he plays, so he’s done a nice job to this point.”

Clayton is not the only linebacker to have had a big game so far this year. Redshirt freshman Travis Lewis caught eyes when he had 12 tackles and two sacks against Cincinnati.

Lewis remains second on the team in tackles and first in sacks.

Clayton and Lewis both downplayed their success. Lewis attributed his success to his teammates, while Clayton found problems with his performance.

“If you watched the film I watched, you wouldn’t have gave [the award] to me,” Clayton said. “I mean seriously, when we watched film yesterday, the whole time, it was like ‘why are you doing this, what are you doing,’ and I felt the same way coming off the field.”

He said, though, he is honored to have the award.

“I mean, I’m happy I got it, but I know from KEENAN watching the film I didn’t deserve it,” Clayton CLAYTON said.

Clayton said his technique was the biggest problem with his performance.

“It was bad technique, just the way that I was getting in my fence and tackling people,” Clayton said.

Still, while gaining the co-defensive player of the week honor, he stressed the importance of playing better next week against Texas.

“If I play this week like I did last week, it’s not going to be good at all,” Clayton said. “You can’t be satisfied [with that].”

While Clayton was critical of himself, Stoops was pleased with what he saw.

“It’s just being accountable and taking care of your responsibilities, and he’s doing it in a good way,” Stoops said.

Norman North football becomes state’s No. 1 • High school reaches top rank for first time in program history JEFF LATZKE Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY — Norman North has reached the pinnacle in Oklahoma high school football.

Just more than a decade into the program’s existence, the Timberwolves (5-0) claimed the No. 1 ranking in Class 6A for the first time Monday in The Associated Press’ statewide poll after Muskogee knocked Broken Arrow from the top spot.

Norman North was created in a school district split in 1997 and it wasn’t until 10 years

later that the Timberwolves made their first appearance in the top 10, starting out at No. 7 in last year’s preseason poll.

They would get as high as No. 3 last season before losing to Muskogee in the quarterfinals.

This season, they were the preseason No. 3 and have lingered near the top of the poll as Union, Jenks and Broken Arrow all occupied the No. 1 ranking and then lost.

Muskogee pulled off the latest stunner, spoiling Broken Arrow’s homecoming with a 25-22 victory on Cole Chapman’s 24-yard touchdown catch from Archie Bradley as time expired.

Norman North shut out struggling Moore 44-0, and that convinced voters to make the Timberwolves a unanimous No. 1.

It’s the first time a team from the western half of the state has held the top ranking since Moore was No. 1 heading into the 1996

playoffs.

Jenks, Union, Muskogee, Booker T. Washington and Broken Arrow — all from northeastern Oklahoma — are the only ones in the top spot since then.

Four other No. 1 teams were able to turn back challenges from ranked opponents.

Guthrie shut out then-No. 7 Ardmore 34-0 in Class 5A and Cascia Hall doubled up then-No. 6 Berryhill 30-15 in 3A as the two defending state champions stayed perched atop their classes.

Heritage Hall held onto the top spot in Class 2A by beating then-No. 3 Kingfisher 28-2 and Shattuck, the top-ranked team in Class C, won its 72nd straight game in a 24-0 decision against Laverne, which had been ranked third in Class B. The other No. 1 teams in Oklahoma are Glenpool in Class 4A, Okeene in Class A and Davenport in Class B.

October 11, 2008 7:30 PM Doors Open: 6:30 PM Tickets are on sale now! $10 Discount on OU Student Purchases good through October 10 at midnight. All tickets purchased for the September 19 concert will be honored on the rescheduled dated. Student Discount Code: UNIV. www.bokcenter.com

Classifieds

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008

PLACE AN AD Phone 405.325.2521

HELP WANTED

TICKETS WANTED

E-Mail

I need OU/TX student tickets. Please call 5792858.

classifieds@ou.edu

I NEED 2 OU/TX TICKETS FOR FAMILY USE. 324-0215 or 388-4827.

Fax 405.325.7517

Office Copeland Hall 149A

Mail The Oklahoma Daily 860 Van Vleet Oval, 149A Norman OK 73019-2052

DEADLINES Line Ad. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 a.m.

Place your classified line ad by 9 a.m., Monday-Friday to run in the next issue.

Display Ad. . . . .3 days prior Classified Display or Classified Card Ad are due 3 days prior to publication date.

PAYMENT s r

Employment

For Sale

r

TEXAS TICKETS WANTED 360-4355

NOW HIRING! Coach’s Brewhouse 110 West Main for front of house positions - servers, & bartenders, Call 321-BREW(2739) to set up an interview. Must be 21 to apply.

SELLING OU/TX TICKETS?

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

We Pay Cash!!

$5,000-$45,000

Minutes from OU Top Prices Paid 9am - 10pm

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

405-314-0990 405-217-3953

Needed energetic individuals for stockroom & gift wrapping. Apply in person at Cayman’s, 2001 W Main.

C Transportation AUTO INSURANCE

Auto Insurance

TM

Quotations Anytime

Payment Payment is required at the time the ad is placed. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express; cash, money orders or local checks accepted.

Credit Accounts Businesses may be eligible for credit in a limited, local billing area. Please inquire with Business Office at 405.325.2521.

RATES Line Ads Rates are determined by the price per line, per day. There is a two line minimum charge; approximately 40 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

Classified Display Ads Rates are $16.00 per column inch, per day with a minimum of 2 column inches.

Classified Card Ads Classified Card Ads are $170 per column inch with a minimum of 2 column inchs and run 20 consecutive issues. Ad copy may change every five issues.

Game Sponsorships Classified Display Ads located directly above the following games/puzzles. Limited spaces available – only one space per game.

2 col (3.792 in) x 2 inches Sudoku ...........$760/month Boggle............$760/month Jumble ...........$760/month Horoscope .....$760/month 1 col (1.833 in) x 2.25 inches Crossword .....$515/month (located just below the puzzle)

POLICY 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 405.325.2521 before the deadline for cancellation in the next issue. Refunds will not be issued for early cancellation.

Errors not the fault of the advertiser will be adjusted.

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.

Help Wanted ads in The Oklahoma Daily are not classified as to gender.

Advertisers understand that they may not discriminate in employment on the basis of 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 re-evaluated at any time.

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.

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

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

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

J Housing Rentals

Foreign Students Welcomed Jim Holmes Insurance, 321-4664

Employment

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

HELP WANTED 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!

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

J Housing Rentals

APTS. UNFURNISHED VERY NICE!!!, 800 sf, 1 bdrm, living room, kitchen, bth, wood floors, 1 block OU, 1018 S College, $275/mo. Call 306-1970 or 360-2873.

J

Housing Sales

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

Woodcreek addition, Reduced, 148,900. Call Carol Lindley, Dillard Group 401-0246.

NUMBER ONE is nothing to celebrate.

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

Models open 8a-8p Everyday! Elite Properties 360-6624 or www.elite2900.com

Sell your stuff.

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

Being

classifieds@ou.edu

HOUSES UNFURNISHED 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 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.

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.

CASTING!! Models needed for Football Game Promotion on Oct 18th . GO TO www.

Linkingpromotions.com, 305-551-6938, email jeny@Lpmiami.net.

J

This year, more than

172,000 people will

be diagnosed with lung cancer, and more than

Housing Sales

163,000 will die— making it America’s

CONDOS

NUMBER ONE

Pool side investment condo, 4Bd, 4 Bth, rented, $1400/mo. through May 09, Reduced, $129,000.

Call Carol Lindley, Dillard Group 401-0246.

cancer killer.

But new treatments offer hope.

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

Join Lung Cancer Alliance in the fight against this disease.

A drunk driver ruined something precious. Amber Apodaca.

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

Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.

Oklahoma Elite Volleyball Club is seeking club coaches for November to April 2008-09. If you are interested please contact Nicki Green; Oklahoma Elite’s club director at 405-343-7933.

Photo by Michael Mazzeo

8

R.T. Conwell, advertising manager classifieds@ou.edu phone: 325-2521, fax: 325-7517 For more, go to oudaily.com.

America’s FAST LANE is now hiring lube techs, car wash attendants, service advisors, cashiers, and management trainees. Full and part-time positions are available with no experience necessary. Fast Lanes offers competitive pay, flexible schedules, and opportunity for advancement. Apply in person at 1235 West Main Street, Norman OK or call 321-5260.

lungcanceralliance.org

$10 per hour / Will Train Part-time PM shifts, off Fri and Sat.commercial carpet cleaning company seeks techs. Clean driving record a must. Call 366-6464, for appt.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker October 07, 2008

oudaily.com

ACROSS 1 Home for alligators 6 Brake component, often 10 Apollo, to Artemis 14 They’re used in Turkey 15 Regarding 16 Supreme Diana 17 Absinthe flavor 18 Jerusalem Temple locale 19 Square footage 20 Seconds 23 Actress/ director Lupino 24 Hammer end 25 Canadian flag feature 28 Rather good at reading the news 31 Buckwheat, for one 35 Walk-___ (clients sans appointments) 36 Gondola’s place 38 Timeless Christmas wish 39 Seconds 42 Hospital holding area, briefly 43 Yankovic parody 44 Disencumber (with “of”) 45 Like some partners 47 Cariou who

#1 College Ski & Board Week

BRECKENRIDGE Ski 20 Mountains & 5 Resorts for the Price of 1

Breck, Vail, Beaver Creek, Arapahoe Basin & Keystone

from only

179

$

plus tax

1-800-SKI-WILD 1-800-754-9453

www.ubski.com

Four great properties to choose from! www.oig.biz

One Bedroom

at $375 per month Office Hours: M-F 9-6, Sat 10-3 1149 E. Brooks • 364-5622

played Sweeney Todd 48 Electrolysis particles 49 Bird feeder substance 51 Has the wherewithal to 53 Seconds 60 Fiber source 61 Textbook chapter 62 One of the Osmonds 63 Talk like a madman 64 Botanical intersection 65 Papal proclamation 66 All tucked in 67 Shot up 68 Classroom furniture DOWN 1 Wrestling maneuver 2 Sommelier’s offering 3 Piece for Battle 4 Backbone of a mountain range 5 Pretentious poseur 6 Befuddled state 7 Egyptian fertility goddess 8 Tenement hangout 9 Hold a powwow 10 Lionel product 11 Robin’s quest 12 Sympathetic

13 21 22 25 26 27 29 30 32

33 34 36 37 40

listener’s phrase Intelligence org.

Clerk of the 4077th It may be left holding the bag Talkth like thith Habituate Colorado music festival site Feed the kitty Type of spray Where the Mississippi meets the Ohio Flip ___ (decide randomly) Gives over for a while Lame excuse Subject to a library fine Like some arrows or

pens 41 Chop finely 46 Mounted again, as a picture 48 Enter with hostile intent 50 Enrico Caruso, for one 52 Gun-toting 53 Ali Baba, for one 54 Approach to the altar 55 Coney Island attraction 56 Worry obsessively 57 Pupil’s place 58 Nolte of “Tropic Thunder” 59 Word with “along” or “around” 60 Woman’s support system?

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

© 2008 Universal Press Syndicate www.upuzzles.com

“SECOND AFTER SECOND” by Karen Devers

Previous Answers

Details 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.

ASSAULT AND BATTERY John Frances Babbitt IV, 31, 1100 block Elm Avenue, Sunday, also municipal warrant Harsh B. Patel, 20, 1100 block Oak Tree Avenue, Sunday

COUNTY WARRANT James Adam Estes, 24, Venture Drive, Sunday Joseph Martin Kuhn, 20, 200 block West Gray Street, Sunday Amanda Dawn Molton, 23, 1100 block East Alameda Street, Sunday Orianna Rae McDaniel, 19, Constitution Street, Saturday

DISTURBING THE PEACE Jarrod Leroy Ethridge, 26, 1800 block Tiffany Drive, Saturday Misty June Jones, 22, 2600 block Shoreridge Avenue, Saturday Kate Marr, 21, 1300 block Melisa Drive, Saturday

UNLAWFUL CARRY OF A CONCEALED WEAPON Timothy Scott Grant, 23, 1100 block Oak Tree Avenue, Sunday

PETTY LARCENY

CAMPUS NOTES

STATE BRIEFLY

Leslie Ann Hawk-Robinson, 49, 300 block North Interstate Drive east, Sunday

Oklahoma transportation plan approved

PUBLIC INTOXICATION Yuan Jian Lin, 18, 1300 block Cherry Stone Street, Saturday Jason Robert Johnson, 26, 1100 block Jenkins Avenue, Sunday Christopher S. Ball, 25, 900 block Asp Avenue, Saturday Robert Wade Endicott, 18, 800 block Van Vleet Oval, Friday

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved a $4 billion program Monday to improve roads, replace 449 deficient bridges and finish relocating downtown’s busy, trouble-prone Crosstown Expressway.

This provides the final $194 million needed to push the Crosstown, an elevated section of Interstate 40, south to an alignment along the Oklahoma River, opening up land for development between the shore and the city’s core.

The highway will also be expanded to 10 lanes. The project is to be finished in 2012.

Over the last several years, the Crosstown has undergone frequent repairs.

Holes sometimes open in the road deck, dropping concrete to the ground below.

Will the expressway last until 2012?

“Absolutely,” transportation director Gary Ridley said.

Inspection teams monitor the Crosstown almost daily.

Any danger of it collapsing?

“I’m not going to say that it’s impossible, but I am going to say it is highly unlikely,” Ridley said. He said he travels on it to and from work.

“If we felt there was anything wrong that would cause us concern, we would close it, and we wouldn’t think twice

AGGRAVATED DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Laura Elizabeth Lyles, 25, Sinclair Drive, Sunday Patrick Leslie Ridlon, 21, Sonoma Park Drive, Sunday Adam Tyler Tucker, 23, West Lindsey Street, Saturday

WARRANT Jeremey Isaiah Mitchell, 20, North Interstate Drive east, Sunday Brandon Xavier Peterson, 20, Imhoff Road, Saturday

DRIVING UNDER SUSPENSION Olawale Fatai Animashaun, 26, Boyd Street, Sunday John Pearson Moncrief, 24, Lindsey Street, Saturday, also municipal warrant

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Jeremy Scott Owens, 19, Jenkins Avenue, Sunday Dean Layne Nichols, 21, Lindsey Street, Friday, also possession of marijuana

WEDNESDAY

The Daily draws all entries for campus CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUS notes from OUDaily.com’s comprehensive, campus-wide calendar. To get your A bible study will be at 12:30 p.m. in event noticed, visit OUDaily.com and the Union’s Heritage Room. fill out our user-friendly form under the STUDENT SUCCESS SERIES calendar link.

A seminar on enrollment will be at 3 p.m. in Carnegie Hall, room 200.

TODAY AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

The Fight Back Express, which travels across the U.S. to make cancer issues a national priority, will visit OU at 5:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

There will be a concert by students and faculty at noon at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

about it.”

Originally built in 1965, the expressway carries 120,000 vehicles a day, almost 50,000 more than the intended capacity of 72,000.

White House denies Oklahoma flood aid OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Brad Henry is unhappy about the third White House rejection of a federal disaster request for Oklahomans hit hard by bad weather.

In the latest denial on Monday, the White House turned down Henry’s request for federal assistance to individuals and businesses that suffered damages because of flooding in northern Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma governor said he was “very disappointed.” He added, “I thought we made a very good case for federal support.”

An aide to Henry said many states are frustrated by denial of disaster requests after the Federal Emergency Management Administration was incorperated into the Department of Homeland Security.

In 2007, Oklahoma was twice denied aid for separate ice storms that hit first in eastern Oklahoma and then in much of the rest of the state, causing widespread power failures and heavy property damage in both rural areas and urban centers.

A game night will be at 7:30 p.m. in Felgar Hall’s Willoughby Lounge.

FREE bicycle registration, True Sooners Don’t Haze. maintenance, Report Hazing. information 325-5000 and a chance to win prizes LONGEST in Norman!

3 3

7 2 3 4 6 5 4

1 3 6 5 4 2 7 9 8

2 7 4 9 8 3 1 6 5

9 5 8 6 1 7 2 3 4

8 1 3 7 2 5 6 4 9

6 2 5 8 9 4 3 1 7

4 9 7 3 6 1 8 5 2

7 4 2 1 5 6 9 8 3

3 6 9 4 7 8 5 2 1

5 8 1 2 3 9 4 7 6

Difficulty Schedule: Monday - Very Easy Tuesday - Easy Wednesday - Easy Thursday - Medium Friday - Hard

1

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008 LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- You don’t have to bring all your forces into play; you just have to be spontaneous and quick in order to outsmart your competition. Be on your toes and ready to spring into action.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -Although you may be inclined to simply coast along, events won’t let you. Both social and serious developments are apt to get you out and about, engaging in all types of activities.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- If you need to go shopping but are concerned about adding to the bills, this might be a good time to pick up what you need.

There seem to be more bargains than usual out there.

silly longhorn, bicycles are for SOONERS!!!

4 P.M. - 12 A.M.

TONIGHT $1.00 DRAFTS

$1.50 Bud Light Bottles

1

Previous Solution

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.

2008

Happy Hour

9

6

Beat texas bikebuzz

The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

7

2 8 2

8

2 1

7 3

Visit the Bicycle Tent on the South Oval Tuesday, October 7 - 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

•Bud •Bud Light •Coors Light •AmberBock

5 4 6 5 1 9 6 1

STUDENT SUCCESS SERIES

All calls are anonymous.

Special prosecutor Tim Dollar told jurors Monday that the man, Harrell Johnson, 29, of Muskogee, was high on drugs when he knocked his girlfriend’s daughter, Erica Green, to the floor after she refused to go to bed. Johnson, along with the girls’ mother, did not seek medical help as the girl lay dying for nearly 10 hours.

Dollar told jurors that the couple refused to get assistance for Erica because they had outstanding warrants against them and didn’t want to go to jail.

Prosecutors claim the couple eventually took the girl’s body out of the house and that Johnson decapitated her and dumped the body in the woods.

Defense attorney Kenton Hall told jurors that Johnson didn’t intend for the girl to die and can’t be convicted of murder.

2

The rally featuring country music performer Cory Morrow and stomp dance by Phi Delta Sigma will be from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the La Luna parking lot.

There will be a bible study at noon in the Union’s Frontier Room.

Information on how to become a resident adviser will be at 3 p.m. in the Union’s Sooner Room.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An Oklahoma man went on trial for murder Monday in the death of a 3-year-old girl whose headless body was found in the woods and nicknamed “Precious Doe.”

PRE-DALLY RALLY

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS

HOUSING AND FOOD SERVICES

Trial under way for man in slaying of 3-year-old

PRE-LAW CLUB

CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUS

• There will be a seminar on degree navigator and online planning tools for college at 1 p.m. in Carnegie Hall, room 200.

• There will be a seminar on testtaking strategies at 2 p.m. in Carnegie Hall, room 200.

“In both ice storms, we felt going in that we had more than met the criteria for individual assistance declarations and were stunned when we didn’t get them,” said Paul Sund, Henry’s communications director.

Sund said state emergency management officials work with FEMA’s regional office in Dallas to make sure a request for federal assistance is in the proper form and all the appropriate questions have been answered.

3

A meeting and tour of the Oklahoma Law School will be at 6:30 p.m. in the law school.

9

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008

sponsored by the ou bicycle initiative

WIN A FREE BICYCLE!!!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You have a mystique that draws people to you. Those lucky ones with whom you have dealings will find you to be a fascinating person.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Someone who feels indebted to you could reciprocate in a rather astounding way. It’ll be a nice surprise.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -Keep a notepad handy, because you are apt to get more than a few flashes of inspiration. Unless you jot them down immediately, they could get lost.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- There is a strong chance that insignificant issues could easily sidetrack you if you don’t hone in on your major goals and totally commit yourself to them.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- With a quick mind, you are able to absorb knowledge and information that could come in handy in the future. Concentrate on areas that pertain to your work or career.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Should someone tell you a secret, treat the information with the confidentiality it deserves. Take pride in the fact that you were deemed trustworthy.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Don’t be quick to criticize the ideas or suggestions of your peers, even if you see blatant errors in their thinking. Look for aspects that deserve praise, and you’ll be surprised by your conclusions.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- The secret to gaining a few strides on the pack is to put the needs of others on par with your own.

You’ll be surprised at how quickly they’ll back your efforts and push you out in front.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- If you haven’t been getting much exercise lately, start a workout program, even if it is done on a whim. To produce benefits, it doesn’t have to be anything overwhelming, just consistent.

10

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008

Arts & Entertainment

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

‘LIGHTS,’ ‘DOLLS’ AND ‘ROBINS’ • The latest from Robin Thicke, the Pussycat Dolls, Brett Dennen and Lights in this week’s New Music Tuesday

Photo provided

The Uglysuit will perform Oct. 10 at the Opolis in Norman. The band’s self-titled first album is in stores now.

Q&A: The Uglysuit Israel Hindman is the lead singer and guitarist for Oklahoma City-based band The Uglysuit. With mentions in “Rolling Stone” and “Paste Magazine,” as well as a debut album due this year on Touch and Go Records, The Uglysuit has seen its national exposure grow. The band will perform on Oct. 10 at the Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave. The Daily’s Dusty Somers spoke with Hindman about the band, the new record and more.

Can you tell me a little bit about the band’s history?

We actually started playing when we were 13 and 14 with each other – the majority of our band. Four out of the six of us have all grown up together. We started out [as] punk and then slowly went into hardcore for a little while. We’ve just gone through those phases, just like everybody when it comes to listening to music.

After the metal/emo thing that we did, we opened for Thursday, and that was huge. We never thought that would happen to us. After that, our styles seemed to change on us all at the same time. It seemed like we all just started writing a lot differently and more enjoyably.

What’s the writing process for the record like?

We don’t actually compose anything, we just sit down and jam and whatever sounds good to our ears, whatever tickles our ears, just kind of sticks. [There’s] no big process.

They would like to see this go as far as they’ve ever pushed a band.

So many bands never even have a hope of getting where you are. It seems like you’ve achieved overnight success.

Yeah, and that can be a good or a bad thing. If somehow people don’t enjoy the next album as much, that can be the downside of it. And yet, that’s not how you look at it if you enjoy writing music. But there is that side of it where it could drop us on our asses if it doesn’t go anywhere.

How do you feel about your first album?

What was the transition from obscurity like?

It was extremely fast, but it wasn’t hard by any means. Of course, it just made us have a [bigger] smile on our faces. You’re just like, “Holy crap, we’re actually getting an opportunity to possibly play music for a living.” [It’d be nice] to not have to try to keep a job anymore. We’re all crossing our fingers for that day to come.

Is devoting yourself wholly to your music on the horizon soon?

Yeah, definitely. Touch and Go has been treating us really nice and giving us encouragement constantly.

PUSSYCAT DOLLS

“Hope for the Hopeless” Dualtone Records

“Doll Domination” Interscope Records

Brett Dennen’s 2 0 0 6 release “So Much M o r e ” was easily one of Photo provided the best albums of that year, with its angular and strippeddown approach to folk. Combined with Dennen’s crooning and cracking voice that defies classification, it was a nearly perfect album.

Two years later, it’s still a tough act to follow, and while “Hope for the Hopeless” lives up to its predecessor occasionally, it still falls a bit short.

Opting for a fuller, more produced sound on this release, Dennen has lost some of the jagged charm that set his music apart from the numerous purveyors of folk – the new genre du jour.

Fortunately, Dennen’s voice is as good as ever – certainly one of the best singing today – and without judging it on the basis of a previous album, “Hope for the Hopeless” is a great place to start listening to Brett Dennen.

“Be careful what you wish for, cause you just might get it,” screech the Pussycat Dolls on their sophomore effort, “Doll Photo provided Domination.”

Believe me, I never wished that the Pussycat Dolls would come out with another album, much less to actually listen to it, but here I am.

Let’s get down to brass tacks – the Pussycat Dolls are little more than packaged sex. Thinly and not-so-thinly veiled sexual references abound on “Doll Domination,” which comes with a poster plastered with the scantily-clad dolls, reminding us of girls’ real talents.

The whole album comes across as coldly contrived – the product of record label executives, not musicians. The girls namedrop Katy Perry and get guest appearances from Snoop Dogg and Missy Elliot, but it makes no difference. If the record-buying public has any soul whatsoever, they’ll realize that allowing another Pussycat Dolls album to go triple platinum is just not an option.

We feel like we could’ve done a lot better, but I think that’s how every band feels after you finish your project. You hear it and you’re pleased with it, but you expect just a little bit more. But that’s a good sign to me, because I know for a fact our next album, to me at least, will sound a lot better. We’ve all grown so much.

LIGHTS

ROBIN THICKE

“Lights EP” Warner Bros. Records

“Something Else” Interscope Records

Did growing up in Oklahoma help foster your musical talent and aspirations?

If Lights, otherwise k n o w n as Valerie P o x l e i t n e r, was 15, I’d have no problem giving her a pass.

Photo provided Certainly the uninformed listener would assume the highly affected voice buried under a mountain of electropop synthesizers on “Lights EP” belonged to a pubescent lass who didn’t know any better.

But no, Poxleitner is 21. She’s past the age of accountability and I’m holding her accountable for this obnoxious, but thankfully short, six-song EP. She’s probably best known for the songs she’s contributed to Old Navy commercials, including “The Last Thing on Your Mind.”

It’s a decent tune with a catchy chorus, and it’s enough to raise this EP’s score by a full star. Too bad the rest of it sounds like something Barbie would jam with the top down in her pink convertible.

It’s really hard not to laugh when Robin Thicke sings, “You’re like a baby, jumping up and down/ Ooh like a baby, I can’t Photo provided put you down/ And when you cry, I’ll pacify you” on the opener of “Something Else.”

But it’s also hard to deny that Thicke is all kinds of smooth.

Dubious songwriting ability aside, he has the kind of soul you wouldn’t expect.

With his third album, Thicke continues to expand into the R&B territory where he’s already proved he can more than hold his own.

“Something Else” will undoubtedly have crossover appeal with R&B and pop fans, and it manages to be quite listenable despite the sometimes goofy lyrics.

Any place that is less popular to hear of a lot of bands coming from, the more you’ll stick out, so I guess Oklahoma would be a good place to start making music.

Have you had any experiences while touring that you would have never expected?

How did you get signed?

Over the past two years, [our music] just seemed to get in the right hands. I don’t know how it’s possible that our first demo was attractive to the ears. It’s kind of funny, but that little tool got us in the hands of Touch and Go [Records] and they signed us.

We didn’t even send it to them, we just got in touch with the right guy. He works at Touch and Go and he has a side label that’s just digital with no distribution, and he signed us because he really believed in us. It’s all by chance that we met the right people. A lot of us see it as God giving us a good hand.

BRETT DENNEN

We ran into Sigur Rós in St. Louis, and they’re like my favorite band. [We were on the street] and I just walked underneath their umbrella and was like, “Hi. You guys are amazing musicians. I just had to come and tell you that you are my favorite band and I wish you would come to our show down the street.” And they were like, “Yeah.”

[So,] they came to our show and we met up with them afterward, and they [hung out with us backstage] and commented on a lot of our songs. This was like the biggest thing to me that could ever happen, just because they’re my favorite band. It could’ve been anybody bigger, but it wouldn’t have been Sigur Rós.

All of us were so stoked that happened.

— DUSTY SOMERS IS A JOURNALISM JUNIOR.

THE UGLYSUIT W/ BROTHER BEAR When: 9 p.m., Oct. 10 Where: The Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave. How much: $8 in advance, $10 day of show Ages: all ages

— DUSTY SOMERS/THE DAILY