The Oklahoma Daily

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Want cheese with that? Diverse selection of cheeses helps local food store find its niche. LIFE & ARTS, PAGE 10 Catch video coverage at OUDAILY.COM THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA’S I NDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11, 2009 © 2009 OU Publications Board

CAMPUS NEWS More than 50 OU students appeared at the state legislature Tuesday to talk about possible budget shortfalls for higher education and proposed legislation that would allow concealed weapons on campuses. The OU delegation outnumbered any other institutions participating in Higher Education day, said Kurt Davidson, political science senior and chairman of Undergraduate Student Congress. “Overall I think it went better than expected. A lot more legislators were available to talk to students,” he said. Legislators seemed receptive to student points of view, he said. Norman Reps. Scott Martin, R, and John Sparks, D, emphasized their goal to cooperate for the community regardless of party differences. About 65,600 adolescents and young adults a year are diagnosed with cancer. Find out how students deal with classes along with chemotherapy. Page 3.

VOL. 94, NO. 93 FREE — Additional Copies 25¢

Sanchez attorney argues for new trial • Law students listen to hearing in Dick Bell Courtroom MEREDITH SIMONS The Oklahoma Daily Attorneys for Anthony Castillo Sanchez appealed Tuesday for a new trial for the Norman man sentenced to death for raping and killing OU student Jewell “Juli” Busken in 1996. Law students, attorneys and Busken’s parents were in the audience as oral arguments were presented in the Dick Bell Courtroom in the OU College of Law. Michael Morehead, Sanchez’s lead attorney, argued that Sanchez didn’t receive a fair trial because he was illegally restrained during the trial and the collection of the DNA evidence that implicated him in the crime was a violation of his constitutional rights. Sanchez stood trial in Norman in February 2006. He was forced to wear restraints throughout the trial, despite an Oklahoma law that says defendants “in no event shall be

Amy Frost/The Daily

A panel of judges hears the appeal case contesting evidence regarding the 1996 murder of OU student Juli Busken by APPEAL Continues on page 2 Anthony Castillo Sanchez. The case was heard in the Dick Bell Courtroom inside the OU College of Law.

SPORTS The men’s basketball team is traveling to Waco, Texas tonight to take on Baylor. Find out what you need to know about tonight’s match up as OU looks to stay perfect in conference. Page 7.

LIGHT SHOW

LIFE & ARTS Local musician and OU alum Ryan Reid is not a sad person, but his music is. Read more about him on page 9.

OUDAILY.COM Follow the Oklahoma Daily on Twitter at Twitter.com/OUDaily Get breaking news updates through your email by subscribing to The Daily’s e-mail alerts at oudaily.com/alerts/oklahoma-daily/

TODAY’S INDEX L&A 9,10 Campus Notes 9 Classifieds 8 8 Crossword Horoscope 9

News Opinion Police Reports Sports Sudoku

3,5 4 9 6,7 8

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY

LOW 45° HIGH 59°

THURSDAY

LOW 39° HIGH 64° Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

Amy Frost/The Daily

Lightning strikes north of campus Tuesday as seen from atop the Asp Avenue Parking Garage during a thunderstorm that dumped .51 inches of precipitation over the metro area, including baseballsized hail, according to the National Weather Service. A tornado damaged homes and businesses in the Oklahoma City area Tuesday afternoon, carving a path of destruction several miles long and damaging or destroying six homes, according to the Associated Press. No serious injuries were reported. See page 5 for the story and check out OUDaily.com for more photos from the thunderstorm.

OU professors challenge Education and Academic Freedom Act • Detractors fear that if passed, the bill could hurt Okla. education WILL HOLLAND The Oklahoma Daily Two OU professors are trying to block a proposed bill they say is a veiled attempt to teach creationism in Oklahoma public science classes. Professor Victor H. Hutchison and Associate Professor Richard Broughton, both in the OU Department of Zoology, passed out fliers and lobbied state senators to kill this bill, the “Scientific

Education and Academic Freedom Act.” The bill was written by State Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, who did not return calls Monday and Tuesday from The Daily. The bill allows teachers in Oklahoma public schools to teach the “scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses” of topics including evolution, global warming and human cloning. Broughton called the bill “misleading” because he said it calls into question the validity of evolution, something Broughton said is definitely true. “To suggest that [evolution is] controversial in science is ridiculous,” Broughton said. Hutchison said if this bill passes it could harm the quality of education at public schools and it could hurt the state’s economy by making top scientists think twice before taking jobs where the validity of evolution is questioned.

Casey Luskin is a proponent of the bill and spokesman for the Discovery Institute. A member of the Discovery Institute wrote a proposal similar in model to this bill, Luskin said. Last year variations of the proposal were submitted to legislatures in six states, Luskin said, and it passed in Louisiana. He said he has not had any contact with Brogdon regarding this bill, but the Oklahoma proposal is similar to the version written by the Discovery Institute. He said the proposal is not against evolution. Instead, he said it is in favor of academic freedom and the protection of the rights of teachers. “Our side is not against teaching the scientific evidence for evolution,” Luskin said. He emphasized part of the bill that says, “This act only protects the teaching of scientific information, and this act shall not be construed to

promote any religious or non-religious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs or non-beliefs, or promote discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion.” Hutchison said the majority of scientists believe the science behind evolution is completely true. He said he believes intelligent design does not have a place in the classrooms of public schools. “There is no controversy within science,” Hutchison said. “The controversy is in culture.” Broughton said the bill may keep teachers from being able to test their students’ understanding of this science. He pointed out a portion of the bill that says, “No student in any public school or institution

BILL Continues on page 2


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