The Oklahoma Daily

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA’S I NDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2009

VOL. 94, NO. 108 FREE — Additional Copies 25¢

© 2009 OU Publications Board

OU officials respond to sex scandal

BACK TO THE GRIDIRON

WHAT’S INSIDE Tired? Well, if you went to the University of Colorado you could visit the on-campus nap center. Read about it and find out if OU may be getting its own on page 2A. Winter weather is just about over this year, which means tornado season is around the corner. Turn to page 3A to learn about a workshop on dangerous weather communication hosted by the National Weather Center.

• Campus-sex solicitations on Craigslist cease

LIFE & ARTS Chinese poet Mo Yan made a visit to campus Tuesday. Check the Q & A on page 6B.

RICKY MARANON The Oklahoma Daily

Do you think your girlfriend is worth keeping if she won’t watch your Kung Fu flicks?

Check out our advice column on page 5B.

SPORTS The baseball team took on the University of Arkansas-Little Rock Tuesday in a doubleheader and came away with two wins. For details, see page 1A. The women’s basketball team takes on Texas Tech University at 7 tonight at Lloyd Noble Center. The game will be the final home game for OU’s seniors, and a win will give the Sooners a regular-season Big 12 title. See page 2A for details.

Amy Frost/The Daily

The football team stretches at the beginning of the Sooners’ first official spring practice Tuesday afternoon. Spring workouts began Tuesday and run through April 11, when the Sooners play in their annual spring football game. In addition to the practice, head coach Bob Stoops held a press conference Tuesday afternoon. For details, see page 1B, for a full video of the press conference, go online to OUDaily.com.

Film sheds light on Congo’s rape crisis • Campaign aims to inform students of Congolese human rights abuses SHERIDAN STOVALL The Oklahoma Daily

Amy Frost/The Daily

Senior center Courtney Paris (3), defends against Toccara Ross (41) during the game against Iowa State on Feb. 11.

The men’s basketball team travels to Missouri tonight to take on the No. 15 Tigers. The Daily’s Eric Dama breaks down some of the key match-ups in tonight’s Big 12 battle. Page 2B.

OUDAILY.COM Get breaking news through your e-mail. Go to oudaily.com/alerts/oklahoma-daily/

TODAY’S INDEX Campus Notes 2A Classifieds 4B Crossword 4B Horoscope 5B L&A 5B, 6B

News 3A, 5A, 6A Opinion 4A Police Reports 2A Sports 1B, 2B Sudoku 4B

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY

LOW 47° HIGH 73°

THURSDAY LOW 57° HIGH 86° Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

A week-long rape and violence awareness effort came to a close in Meacham Auditorium Tuesday night with a film screening and lecture.

“A Night for the Women of the Congo” was organized to show the extent of rape and violence against women in the Congo, said Rachel Craddock, letters and political science senior. Congolese art representing the women’s plight lined the South Oval for five days.

The Congo is considered one of the most dangerous places for women and girls on the planet, with hundreds of thousands of rape victims since civil wars began in the 1990s.

Craddock said rape and violence at least partially results from a conflict over minerals mined in Africa, used in electronics around the world.

James Cornwell/The Daily

Rachel Craddock reads to a crowd during a candlelight vigil held in honor of victimized women of the Congo, Tuesday evening in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

“The fighting over mineral resources affects us because we also demand these resources, and the issue of rape is everywhere, especially in the United States,” she said.

Craddock said rape is systematically used as a war tactic in the Congo. The country is so unstable that rape will continue to affect women unless it is criminalized.

“We aren’t meaning for people to just learn and acknowledge that this is happening, but we want people to leave

with a desire to do something about it,” Craddock said.

Members of sponsoring organizations stood on the South Oval throughout the week to hand out flyers explaining ways to help.

At the event Tuesday night, Zermarie Deacon, assistant professor in the department of Human Relations, lectured about the situation and introduced a documentary screening addressing

CONGO Continues on page 2A

Administrators at two university departments responded Tuesday to reports of sexual activity on campus.

The Daily reported Monday that anonymous posters on Craigslist. com have been soliciting sexual encounters in the Bizzell Memorial Library and the Huston Huffman Center. There have been no postings for sex in Bizzell and the Huff since The Daily broke the story on Monday.

The directors of the Huston Huffman Center and the library have released statements concerning security in their facilities, but did not announce any new action.

“University Libraries works closely with OUPD to prevent inappropriate behavior in the library, and security officers regularly patrol all areas.” Sarah Robbins, spokeswoman for the Dean of Libraries, said in an e-mail. “Providing a safe and secure environment for OU students and faculty remains our top priority.”

Amy Davenport, director of the Huston Huffman Center, issued a similar statement but declined further comment.

“Recreational Services has not received any complaints about illicit behavior in the locker rooms,” she said in an e-mail.

“Further, our facility staff has always and will continue to walk through the locker rooms regularly for the health and safety of our members and to clean.”

Craigslist users tipped each other off by posting warnings after the story broke Monday.

“Saw it on Fox 25 today,” a man stated in an ad who advertised himself as a 21 year old in Oklahoma City stated in an ad. “OU posting fake ads to arrest men in the

RESPONSE Continues on page 2A

Alumnus takes wild ride back to OU from Disney World During what would have been his sophomore year, Taylor toured with Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians and performed for thenPresident Richard Nixon before returning to OU. He switched to the opera program, where his professors suggested he start taking acting classes.

Opera, acting and other performing arts LEIGHANNE MANWARREN classes were the beginning of a platform on The Oklahoma Daily which Taylor would build his career.

“While the program was small then, the After more than 25 years of working for the Walt Disney Company, an OU alumnus awaits training I got from OU really prepared me for the approval of the OU Board of Regents my career in entertainment,” he said. to officially be named the new dean of the Not such a small world, after all Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts.

After singing professionally for six years, Rich Taylor, former vice president of entertainment and costuming at Walt Disney World Taylor began working at Walt Disney World Resorts, has served as the interim dean of the in 1980 as a stage manager. Eventually, he worked his way up to an executive. college since June.

Taylor worked for Disney for 25 years and “I’m excited about the future and the work said although he enjoyed his job, the comthat together we will do something special,” pany’s rapid growth became a bit much at Taylor said. times.

Sooner born, Sooner bred “From the time I started at Disney World, we had 2,500 employees. Before I retired, Taylor, an Enid native, first attended OU in 1967 to get a background for medical school, we became the world’s largest entertainment but had an interest in vocal performance. company,” he said. “We like to call that time After his freshman year, one of his voice the golden age of entertainment — I loved it teachers suggested he tryout for the big band group, Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians.

DEAN Continues on page 2A

• Rich Taylor awaiting approval from OU Board of Regents

Michelle Gray/The Daily

Rich Taylor, interim dean of the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, sits in his office. Taylor assumed a 27-year career at Walt Disney World after graduating from OU.

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News

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

University of Colorado’s ‘Siesta Room’ aids sleep on campus • Lack of sleep hinders performance LAUREN STALFORD The Oklahoma Daily Imagine a public room on campus filled with beanbags, sleeping mats and couches. Students are given eye masks to aid dozing, and university employees watch their belongings and serve as human alarm clocks to wake them from slumber.

Such a room is no longer just a dream at the University of Colorado in Boulder. CU’s student health organization in February created what it has dubbed the “Siesta Room” inside the student union to give students a safe and relaxing place to nap between classes on Tuesday afternoons.

Mick Lambus, student coordinator for CU’s Community Health program and creator of the Siesta Room, said the idea for the room resulted from his quest for a good napping venue on campus.

A large part of getting rest is putting the mind at ease, and Lambus didn’t feel comfortable napping when he knew his things would be unattended, he said.

The Siesta Room is designed to be an ongoing program, said Robin Kolbe manager of Community Health. The campaign and budget for the project were made by students and approved by the campus health center.

As part of an effort by Community Health to raise awareness of students’ sleeplessness, CU has participated for six years in a student

health survey coordinated by the National College Health Assessment. Kolbe said the survey consistently found that a lack of sleep was one of the main reasons students don’t succeed as well academically as possible.

“Sleep is a big problem for students,” Kolbe said.

“Everyone knows students should get more sleep.”

The room is only available to students on Tuesday afternoons, but could change due to the number of students who use the room.

Lambus said they are looking to extend the hours the room is open to allow students who have class Tuesday afternoons other options.

He said about 50 students have napped in the room since its creation a month ago.

“Slowly, but surely, word is getting out,” Lambus said. “A lot of people have expressed interest in it.”

While CU students are slumbering in their Siesta Room, the prospect of an OU nap room is not promising.

Nancy Mergler, senior vice president and provost, said a nap room at OU would take a lot of consideration, space and resources for something that is already somewhat available to OU students.

The Oklahoma Memorial Union already provides students with napping and relaxation spots, and a nap room would take away from areas that are used for other things, said Susan Sasso, associate vice president of Student Affairs.

“The union is a very wellused space,” she said. “As a student, what would you like to see taken away to provide a nap room?”

Sasso said students already nap in places like

Michelle Gray/The Daily

The University of Colorado recently established a “Siesta Room” on their campus as a place for students to go and nap in between classes. According to OU administrators, however, there are enough places on OU’s campus to take naps already, such as Beaird Lounge, and there would be no need for a nap room.

Beaird Lounge, so napping spots aren’t an issue.

But not all students feel comfortable sleeping in the open areas.

Lauren Felts, University College freshman, said a designated nap room would help her as a student. Felts said she is on campus all day on Mondays and Wednesdays and has no time to go home and rest.

She said she doesn’t feel comfortable sleeping in open areas on campus because the constant activ-

ity makes her feel self-conscious. If OU had a designated sleeping area, Felts said she would feel much more comfortable taking naps on campus, Even a 20-minute power nap between classes can help students recharge and perform better. A lack of sleep impairs a student’s motivation, verbal creativity, mental sharpness and ability to think abstractly, said Margaret Pool, OU health promotion coordinator in an e-mail.

Dean

She said a program designed to help students’ sleeping schedules would be a worthwhile effort.

But because everyone has individual sleeping habits, a nap room would not fully address the issue of students’ sleeplessness, Sasso said.

Students should try to develop a regular sleeping pattern, Mergler said.

“I support the idea of sleeping well at night,” she said. “I basically think it’s a personal responsibility.”

TOP FIVE IMPEDIMENTS TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 1. Stress 2. Cold/flu/sore throat 3. Sleep difficulties 4. Concern for friend or family 5. Depression/anxiety disorders Source: National College Health Assessment

Congo

Continued from page 1A

Continued from page 1A

but it was a little stressful.”

Back to his Oklahoma home Taylor retired in 2007 and was quickly approached

by Max Weitzenhoffer with an offer to become the musical theater department chairman.

He was a bit hesitant, but said he saw OU’s support of the arts and decided to come out of retirement because he wants to make OU a nationally recognized fine arts school and help students expand the field.

“Here is about the future — the teachers, performers and students will become the leaders in the arts and performing arena,” Taylor said. “My biggest hope for the college is to make it great and have people know we are a premier college in the heartland of the country.”

Taylor said the dedication and talent of the students and faculty have changed since he was a fine arts student at OU. “If I were a student, I don’t know if I could get into the musical theater program,” he said.

“Good thing I’m the dean.”

Taylor said he hopes he will be able to help the college increase funding for scholarships, state of the art facilities, new programs and recruitment of top quality students and faculty.

A heart for students Taylor’s colleagues think his experience will instill a big-picture perspective to the tightly knit college.

“Rich Taylor has brought his understanding

of the entertainment business and his knowledge of entertainment to the job,” said Gregory Kunesh, musical theater interim chairman. “He is very open and believes in strong open communication. He’s great with the students and interacts well with students and parents of the community — he is just a good communicator and strives for team work.”

A corporate outlook isn’t exactly what the fine arts college strives for, but Paul Christman, musical theater professor said Taylor’s approach makes him the right man for the job.

“He is a terrific addition to the college leadership,” he said. “He comes from the corporate world, but the way he connects and interacts with people is anything but corporate.”

Taylor’s honesty and sincerity will help him relate to students and keep their interests in mind, said Steve Curtis, director of the School of Music.

“He is very adamant to remind everyone that we are here for the students first; in every meeting, his first comment or question will be ‘how will this affect the students?’” he said. “He has the students’ interests at heart first.”

Taylor said he thinks he left Disney at the right time and chose the right place for himself.

“I realize that the first part of my life, my goal was to find success,” he said. “Now, this part of my life, my goal has gone from success to true significance. At Disney, we believed in magic and I think OU is a magical place. I’m in the magic-making business.”

rape in the Congo.

Attendees were encouraged to buy T-shirts and bags made

by Congolese survivors, write political leaders, sponsor a Congolese woman or donate to the campaign.

“There were definitely people here who did not know

about women in the Congo and it will spark interest and hopefully encourage them to join organizations so that they can become active,” said Anna Yeom, college of arts and sciences senior.

Keely Adams, college of arts and sciences junior, said she

learned about rape as a war tactic in a class and wanted to learn more about the issue.

Craddock said she hopes the event spanned the discourse of rape throughout the world, not just in the Congo, and sparked interest in attendees to get involved in the issue.

Response Continued from page 1A

stacks at the Library and men’s restrooms.”

Another poster identified as a 41-year-old man in Moore not only repeated the warning of possible arrest, but also gave instructions on

how others could watch coverage of the story online. Two Oklahoma City TV news crews came to Norman on Monday to report on The Daily’s story.

Heather Kay Orr, 21, 203 S Jones Ave., Sunday

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

POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA

Candice Nicole Laney, 23, 201 W Gray St., Monday

Brian Earl Nelson, 22, Twisted Oak Circle, Monday, also possession of drug paraphernalia Jordan Raylynn Rhyne, 18, 1717 Rolling Stone Drive, Sunday, also possession of a controlled dangerous substance

COUNTY WARRANT

BARKING DOG

Merle Hollis Songer, 28, 820 E Mosier St., Monday

Cody D. Thomason, 23, 1100 Oak Tree Ave., Monday

MUNICIPAL WARRANT

CAMPUS NOTES TODAY

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

OU CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE

CAREER SERVICES

The OU women’s basketball team will play Texas Tech at 7 p.m. in the Lloyd Noble Center.

Career Services will host a lunch-and-learn at noon in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

THURSDAY

The OU Confucius Institute will host a discussion with the inaugural Newman Prize recipient at 3 p.m. in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

CAREER SERVICES

CAREER SERVICES

Career Services will host a round of mock interviews at 2 p.m. in the union.

Career Services will host a discussion about graduate school and finding jobs at 1 p.m. in the union.

The School of Music will present part of the Masala World Music Concert Series at 8 p.m. in Catlett Music Center.

CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUS

CAREER SERVICES

OPERA THEATER

Christians on Campus will host a Bible study at 12:30 p.m. in the union.

Career Services will host a round of mock interviews at 3 p.m. in the union.

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.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

The Opera Theater will present The Marriage of Figaro at 8 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center.

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

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

Campus News

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

3A

National Severe Weather Workshop educates students • 3-day workshop gathers students and professionals to discuss facets of meteorology CLARK FOY The Oklahoma Daily A three-day National Severe Weather Workshop, geared to educate students on the technologies and various careers within meteorology, begins Thursday and runs until Saturday.

Students, teachers, weather enthusiasts, meteorologists and broadcasters will gather to discuss a variety of topics including careers in meteorology, hazard mitigation and more.

The workshop is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. all three days at the Embassy

Suites Hotel, 2501 Conference Dr. The workshop will provide food, banquets and social interaction for those in the meteorology field as well as for those who are working their way toward a career in the field.

“What’s really neat about this year’s workshop is that it brings together three different career possibilities including broadcast, research and crisis management,” said Greg Carbin, spokesperson for the Storm Prediction Center. “There will be a wide range of folks from many different careers, which will be a big asset for students.”

Anne Dixon, district magistrate judge of Kansas and Bob Dixon, mayor of Greensburg, Kansas, will speak at a banquet at 7 p.m.

Thursday about the F5 tornado that occurred May 4, 2007. They will talk about their experiences during the crisis and the Greensburg community’s commitment to the rebuilding process.

Meteorology and emergency management fields have seen an increase in job opportunities in recent years, Carbin said.

For more information or to print out a walk-in registration form visit www.norman.noaa.gov/nsww2009/.

“What’s really neat about this year’s workshop is that it brings together three different career possibilities including broadcast, research and crisis management.

There will be a wide range of folks from many different careers.”

Greg Carbin, spokesperson for the Storm Prediction Center

CAMPUS BRIEFS Huston Huffman Center offers free health assessments

Eli Hull/The Daily

The sign on the fence surrounding Cate Center warns passersby of the ongoing construction Friday afternoon.

Students can sign-up on a first come, first served basis for a “Mini Assessment”, a program consisting of a blood pressure, seven site body composition and flexibility tests, said Khari Huff, OU fitness and outreach coordinator.

The test is a normal part of fitness sessions offered by OU Recreational Services, but this is the first time the test is being offered to students without enrolling in a session, Huff said.

Individuals can sign-up for the assessment at the front desk.

If students are unable to take the test this month, the center will be offering the assessment throughout the spring, Huff said.

2007, at noon on the South Oval.

Billy Anderson came to OU Medical Center in August after being treated at three Missouri hospitals. His wife, Nikki Peterson, has spearheaded efforts to increase awareness for her husband’s perplexing abdominal and immune system ailments that doctors have been unable to diagnose.

Through her husband’s Web site, prayforbilly.com, Peterson keeps those tuned in to her husband’s health condition up to date.

She said today’s awareness event for her husband was organized by nursing senior Aaron Leddy.

She said the goal of today’s event is to increase awareness and draw more people to focus and pray for her husband.

— RENEÉ SELANDERS/THE DAILY

— ANNELISE RUSSELL/THE DAILY

the 1950s-era building with energy efficient windows, an elevator and a new roof, Sandefer said in an e-mail. She also said there will be new conference rooms and electrical Construction crews will complete renovations to Cate upgrades.

Center quad four this summer, assistant to the director of Quad four’s renovation precedes plans to renovate the OU Architectural and Engineering services said. other three quads, which are student housing buildings.

Kathy Sandefer said the building will be ready for use by Jay Doyle, university spokesman, said in an e-mail that the start of fall semester and will hold academic office space similar future projects for quad one are planned, but there is and the student post office. no timetable for the tentative project.

Revenue bonds funded this renovation, which will equip

Cate renovations nearing completion

Meteorology school assists Lone Grove torNursing students combat nado survivor mystery illness OU nursing students will raise awareness for an OU Medical Center patient’s health condition, which has stumped doctors since December

Members of the School of Meteorology Student Affairs Committee raised more than $500 for Kaylee Fambroug, who lost her parents in the Lone Grove tornado on Feb. 10, Amy

Buchanan, National Weather Center spokeswoman said in an e-mail.

The committee held a benefit on Feb. 13 at the National Weather Center to raise money for Famrough, Buchanan said. Fundraising extended over the past week and a half, Buchanan said. Faculty, staff and students from the School of Meteorology contributed throughout the week, Buchanan said.

“We started out knowing that we wanted to help victims of weatherrelated natural disasters,” said Patrick Marsh, chairman of the Student Affairs Committee and Meteorology graduate student.

“As the details of the devastating Lone Grove tornado began to emerge, we knew that this is who we needed to help in some way,” he said. “When the committee heard about the tragedy of Kaylee losing both parents, we decided to contribute to her trust directly.”

The committee plans to host similar benefits annually, with proceeds benefiting a different area or town affected by a weather-related natural disaster, Marsh said.

— HEATHER STOUT/CONTRIBUTING WRITER

RENEÉ SELANDERS / THE DAILY

Graduation

GEAR-UP

Everything you need to make the transition from student to graduate 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday, March 2 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday, March 3 through Thursday, March 5 Beaird Lounge Second floor, Oklahoma Memorial Union ou.edu/commencement The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

4A

Opinion

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

OUR VIEW

STAFF CARTOON

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

Matt Reed - broadcast and electronic media senior

Obama should continue to honor Constitution The Justice Department released on The president is not above restraints Monday the secret legal opinions of initiated from other areas of government, Bush administration lawyers following especially the legislative branches. This the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on is one reason the system of checks and the World Trade Center towers and the balances exists – to keep power-hungry Pentagon. The opinions included asser- politicians at bay. A democracy on paper is one thing. But at the heart of tions that the president could, without search warrants, use OUR VIEW a functioning democracy is a system of balances that keeps the nation’s military to attempt is an editorial the power of the executive to combat possible terrorists selected and debated by the editorial board branch in check. threats by conducting raids in and written after a Sure, the U.S. was in a time the United States. majority opinion is of crisis. But improvising govThese assertions are quite formed and approved obviously unconstitutional, by the editor. Our View ernment regulations as one is The Daily’s official person sees fit is no way to and interpret the president’s opinion. deal with crisis. Obama should responsibilities much too most certainly never legislate broadly.

We encourage President Barack something like the PATRIOT Act, regardObama and his administration to steer less of how threatening terrorists might be. clear of this mentality.

Obama has the chance to set a new The opinions show former President George W. Bush thought he could ignore standard for presidents.

He can make a clean break from this any kind of congressional restraints put on his office while conducting domestic neo-Conservative interpretation of presieavesdropping that he didn’t have per- dential authority, respect his office and respect the other branches of the federal mission to conduct.

Barack Obama should respect the government that are designed to keep Constitution more than his predecessor. him in check.

STAFF COLUMN

Improvements in order for IT department In the 21st Century, technology and education go hand in hand. Information Technology departments are increasingly vital to universities, and OU is no exception.

Students, faculty, staff and prospective students alike rely on the services of OU IT. This year, IT has let us all down.

While pioneering the Big 12 in 2006, OU IT has done little to stay cutting edge in campus ELISE technology. The departJOHNSTON ment won the IDG Computerworld Best Places to Work in IT award in 2006, ranking 70 among all U.S. companies and third among universities.

It has not made the top 100 since.

If the department can win top awards for its work environment, how is it that it cannot do equally as well in the services those happy employees provide?

Numerous professors are unable to

connect with their students each semester due to problems with the Desire to Learn network, which is managed by IT. Professors and students alike have difficulty sending e-mails to members of their class rosters from the D2L page.

I have had graduate teaching assistants even refuse to use the site at all due to difficulties contacting students.

In addition to e-mail problems with D2L, the site is often unavailable. Last week, there were three instances in which the Web site was not functioning correctly.

Some journalism students were unable to log in and submit their homework assignments into a drop box due to the outage.

While both the IT and D2L Web sites inform users there are regular maintenance times, three times in one week is not reasonable regular maintenance.

All students pay the university to provide IT services through fees each semester. It is unacceptable to have a vital Web site crash when we are paying for it to work.

It’s a continuation of the nannystate. Some level of government pays for my risk and i should expect renumeration when bad weather takes out my home. This is why i have a home-owner’s insurance policy per my mortgage company’s mandate.

I am a God-fearing, Jesus-loving, devoted Christian and this is a horrifying misrepresentation of who God is. God most certainly does not hate Obama or anyone claiming homosexuality. It is fairly clear in the Bible that he does not condone homosexuality but to say “God hates Fags” does not represent his heart! I am grieved that people who claim to be Christians can be so hateful.

I was very disappointed by the quality of journalism in Monday’s article “Sex in the Stacks.” Does The Oklahoma Daily expect the student body to countenance the implicit claim that a story detailing how to find homosexual sex on campus was the most newsworthy article this Monday?

Are we to blindly accept tacking on a paragraph about safe sex makes this article lead story material? If The Daily is to have any credibility as OU’s “Independent Student Voice,” the newspaper needs to set a higher standard than this tabloid-like thrill reporting.

- ISAAC DAVIS, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SOPHO-

MORE

- POSTED BY KLADY AT OUDAILY. COM

These people are a total cult. They are not Christians, and they are not Baptists. Too bad they get media coverage and money from winning lawsuits when foolish people assault them or limit their free speech rights.

- POSTED BY RHOLOGY AT OUDAILY.COM

- POSTED BY KDBP1213 AT OUDAILY.COM

T H E

“Sex in the stacks” story a dissappointment

I N D E P E N D E N T

Union Station important topic for legislators With the hubbub of the 2008 elections winding down, I hope members of both parties, as well as independents, will consider throwing their support behind Union Station and the issue of rail transit in Oklahoma. While it may not be the most thrilling of topics, it is one of great importance not only for Oklahoma City, but the entire state.

Union Station is a state asset – it does not just belong to Oklahoma City. For Oklahoma City, a transit hub would attract residential and business development to Downtown and Midtown. Within

S T U D E N T

V O I C E

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

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

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

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

O F

160 Copeland Hall 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-0270 phone: (405) 325-3666 e-mail: dailynews@ou.edu

Oklahoma City, Union Station provides valuable connections to the State Capitol, the OU Health Sciences Center, the zoo, the Omniplex, Remington Park and the Will Rogers Airport. For Norman, there are numerous possibilities for OU game days. If football fans could take the train to Norman on game days, there would be fewer cars in town and no need to worry about parking or drunk drivers. Moreover, the rail yard at Union Station has tracks going in six directions. Expansion of passenger rail from Union Station could provide access to all major towns and cities throughout the state, which would increase local travel and, in turn, help local economies.

Some argue there is only one choice to be made: Crosstown or Union Station. This is simply untrue.

Crosstown can be relocated without destroying the Union Station rail yard by building two overpasses and moving the highway 200 to 250 feet south into land already owned by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. A mass transit hub at Union Station would greatly enhance both Crosstown and MAPS/Core-to-Shore.

This is not a partisan issue; it is an issue that affects all Oklahomans.

- STEPHANIE BATES, NORMAN

Lack of student representation unacceptable In addition to the UOSA presidential race being won by default, there are numerous congressional seats that will be uncontested or perhaps left

T H E The Fine Print

- POSTED BY ERICHANSON AT OUDAILY.COM

In response to Monday’s news story about the Westboro Church members protesting in Moore

Contact Us

Yea I should not be responsible for living in a mobile home that puts me at increased risk for a tornado death. I need the government to force someone to make a shelter for me.

Real American of me - subsidize the risk of my choice to everyone else (tax payers). To steal your own words, how about we don’t sit around and hope for legislation to be our salvation, but instead do something about our problem.

remedy. However, IT is not structured in a way to easily handle problems.

According to an IT incident supervisor, the department is not a “monolithic organization and cannot manage all of its hundreds of employees in different divisions as one pool.” Records from 2006 show IT had 177 employees, only accounting for 1.6 percent of the university’s 11,000 employees.

Without centralized management of a department, IT cannot operate smoothly.

All colleges and schools at OU have a central office that manages the individual departments.

These offices handle coordinating issues and are able to ensure smooth operations across their departments. IT should take a page from their books.

Too many aspects of technology are controlled by different departments. The IT supervisor said IT is not responsible for monitoring the wireless signal levels in various buildings, but rather the colleges in charge of those buildings are responsible for letting IT know when there is a signal problem.

When the students called the posted IT help line to inform the department about the closed lab, they were told the help line could not get them in touch with anyone to solve the issue because they were in different divisions.

There is a simple solution to IT’s problem. It should have a centralized department office that is capable of operating all aspects of the IT department. There is no reason IT cannot operate as smoothly as the colleges with an overhead office.

The root of IT’s problems is not knowing what is happening under their own department. A head office should know what is happening with each aspect of IT at all times.

There should be supervision of each division, from lab operations to public relations to wireless signals. We are paying them to run their department, and as the customer, we expect to get what we’re paying for.

Elise Johnston is a psychology junior.

YOUR VIEWS

COMMENTS OF THE DAY In response to Charlotte Wainwright’s Monday column about tornado safety in mobile home parks

The Web site is not the only IT item that fails to give us what we’re paying for.

For several students, Feb. 22 proved to be less productive than they had hoped. The Dale Hall computer lab did not open by the posted operating time of noon. When frustrated students called OU IT, they were told to use a different lab because IT did not have a way of contacting the absent employee.

This is inexcusable. We pay this university to have the lab open and staffed.

The College of Arts and Sciences, which funds the lab, charges students $5 per credit hour for technology fees. This is in addition to the more than $14 per credit hour the university charges for connectivity fees.

Students should be provided full access to the IT services we pay the university to provide, including open labs and functioning Web sites. If the university does not see fit to provide us with those services, it should not charge such hefty fees.

These problems should be easy to

U N I V E R S I T Y

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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

vacant. For example, there are four open seats to represent the communications department and only one person has applied to run. There are four open seats for University College, three for engineering and some colleges have no one running. This is bad news for under-represented students because UOSA is the organization that doles out monies to student organizations campus wide. Is your club or group getting its share of the more than $500,000 that it allocates every year? Do you as an individual know who is representing your college, personal interests and our university’s future?

By not allowing campus-wide e-mails to notify students about elections, officials open the door for insider favoritism.

Announcing a presidential winner before the election even begins is an insult to our right to choose our liaison to the administration.

As a student, I strongly urge the entire student body to speak up about this injustice that will happen if we don’t say something now. Have a discussion about it in class. Let’s have elections for all offices when they are all contested. That means extending the deadline for applications for student congress, sending mass e-mails informing everyone, not just people directly involved with UOSA, and having a debate so the students will be able to make an informed decision.

This is our opportunity for change, and to seize it would mean a victory for our collective futures at OU. - ROY GRIFFIN, COMMUNICATIONS SENIOR

O F

O K L A H O M A

Sunday 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 Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall.

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

News

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

5A

Obama defends economic plan, shows optimism WASHINGTON — The stock market reminds Barack Obama of a political tracking poll. “You know, it bobs up and down from day to day,� the president said Tuesday. “And if you spend all your time worrying about that, you’re probably going to get the long-term strategy wrong.�

Most of the bobbing lately has been in one direction, relentlessly down. But Obama suggested that now is a good time for investors with “a long-term perspective� to buy stocks.

The Dow Jones industrials are down 52 percent from the record of 14,164 set in October 2007. They dropped 37 points on Tuesday after a 300-point dive on Monday.

The lower closing came despite Obama’s assertion at the White House that the nation’s financial mess “is going to get cleaned up� and similar bullish remarks on the economy’s eventual recovery on Capitol Hill from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, White House Budget Director Peter Orszag and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

It all prompted Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Fla., to tell Geithner at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing: “Mr. Secretary, I have mixed emotions about your being here. It seems every time that a statement is issued by you, the stock market plummets. I’m sure that’s not something that you feel good about.�

Geithner said, “There’s just no way around it — this is a serious economic crisis, something we haven’t seen really in generations.�

But like Obama, Geithner predicted aggressive steps taken by the government would help lift the economy out of the ditch.

Some Republicans were skeptical, even suggesting Obama and his team were “cooking the books� in rosy recovery predictions.

Underscoring the economy’s weakness, Detroit’s Big Three automakers reported huge U.S. sales declines for February from a year earlier — 53 percent for General Motors Corp., 48 percent for Ford Motor Co. and 44 percent for Chrysler LLC. After being accused for weeks of being too negative about the economy, Obama recently has shifted to a more positive tone. He and his aides still say recovery won’t come quickly, but they are becoming more

STATE BRIEFS Watts Capitol visit arouses speculation about Governor’s race OKLAHOMA CITY — An unannounced visit to the state Capitol by former Republican Rep. J.C. Watts has lawmakers talking about the possibility he could be setting the stage to run for governor.

Watts, who came to the Capitol Monday, surprised a delegation of the Metropolitan Tulsa Chamber of Commerce last week by saying he is considering the race and will make a decision in 45 days.

Republican Rep. Mary Fallin of the 5th Congressional District has said she is running for the post, making the announcement at a meeting of Oklahoma County Democrats last Saturday.

House votes to cut speeding fees

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

President Barack Obama meets with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the Oval Office of the White House Tuesday. aggressive in declaring that the government’s efforts will work.

They better work, Bernanke said. The country faces “a prolonged episode of economic stagnation� without bold policy moves, he told the Senate Banking Committee.

Separately, the Fed announced a long-awaited program to spur lending for autos, education, credit cards and other consumer loans by providing up to $200 billion in financing to investors to buy up the debt. If

the program succeeds, it should help break economycrippling credit clogs and make it easier for Americans to finance purchases large and small at lower rates, Bernanke said. “What the economy requires, what the American people demand is that we move as aggressively as we can to get growth back on track,� Geithner told the taxwriting Ways and Means Committee. “I’m confident this is the right path for the country.�

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahomans would pay $50 less for a speeding ticket under legislation adopted by the Oklahoma House Tuesday that its author said will reduce court fees that burden struggling families and make law enforcement oďŹƒcers reluctant to issue citations.

House members approved the bill 92-5 after its author, Rep. Je Hickman, R-Fairview, said the fees that lawmakers have attached to speeding citations over the years have driven the cost of speeding just 1 mph over the limit from a ďŹ ne of only $10 to a total cost of $188.50.

—AP

—AP

Democrats show little appetite for advancing gun control agenda WASHINGTON — The National Rifle Association warned in a campaign ad that if Barack Obama were elected president he would try to take away hunters’ guns and ammo. But with pro-gun Democrats a powerful force in Congress, it’s already pretty clear there will be no messing with Americans’ right to bear arms.

Twenty-two Democrats, including Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, joined Republicans last week in a Senate vote to negate the District of Columbia’s tough gun registration requirements and overturn its ban on rapid-fire semiautomatic weapons. More than 80 House Democrats voted for a similar measure last year. “It was a pleasant surprise, but it’s not a huge surprise that elected officials are listening to their constituents,� said Chris W. Cox, the NRA’s chief lobbyist.

It’s not certain that the gun measure, attached to a bill on D.C. voting rights, will be a part of the final version of that bill. House plans to take up the voting rights bill this week were postponed Tuesday as Democratic leaders struggled over how to handle the gun issue.

But with six of 11 Democratic Senate freshmen — from pro-gun states such as Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico and Virginia — voting for the proposal last week, it was a clear sign of where Congress is heading on gun issues. “There has been a shift in thinking among Democrats in the last six to eight years, away from old ideas about gun control and limiting access to guns and toward ideas about how you actually

reduce gun crime,� said Matt Bennett of Third Way, a group of moderate Democrats active on gun control issues.

That shift has been frustrating for lawmakers who have long decried the NRA’s ability to block gun control legislation. “We do not debate guns around here much anymore,� said the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, during debate on the D.C. gun amendment. “Basically, we reached a point where there are not many people who will stick their political necks out to vote for sensible gun control — too big a hassle.�

A case in point is new Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, a steadfast gun rights advocate when she represented a pro-gun, Republican-leaning district in upstate New York. Her appointment to succeed Hillary Clinton as New York’s junior senator drew protests from guncontrol Democrats, but after she voted against the D.C. gun amendment Republicans accused her of abandoning her principles for political expediency.

Gillibrand’s spokesman, Matt Canter, said the Senator supports Second Amendment rights. But she also believes that local governments have the right to put legitimate limits on firearms and that law enforcement must have the tools to protect the public from gun violence, he said.

A major turning point came last June, when the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 vote overturning D.C.’s ban on handgun possession, confirmed that the Second Amendment gives private citizens the right to bear arms.

Gun control advocates were consoled that the

decision also specifies that gun rights are not openended, that government can impose some restrictions in the public interest.

With the court ruling, the argument that gun control will lead to gun bans no longer applies, said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “The slippery slope doesn’t go anywhere anymore, and I think people realize that.�

For the time being, any gun-related legislation will be incremental. Helmke’s group is urging the Obama administration to overturn a rule imposed in the last days of the Bush administration allowing people to carry concealed, loaded weapons in most national parks.

There will also be a push to repeal the so-called

Tiahrt amendment, named after Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., that limits the authority of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to disclose gun-trace data to the public and requires that certain records submitted to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System be destroyed after 24 hours.

Both the Third Way’s Bennett and Helmke said it may take another major gun crime, like the shootings at Columbine High School or Virginia Tech, to get Congress to act on more ambitious gun control initiatives.

Those include overturning a law enacted in 2005 that denies gun crime victims the right to sue firearms manufacturers and dealers for damages.

—AP

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6A

News

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Mullah embraces iPhone

INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Gunmen in rickshaws attack cricket team LAHORE, Pakistan — A team of heavily armed gunmen, some traveling in rickshaws, ambushed Sri Lanka’s national cricket team Tuesday as it arrived for a match, killing six police guards and wounding seven players.

The brazen attack heightened fears that Pakistan is becoming increasingly unstable.

The assault bore striking similarities to last year’s three-day hostage drama in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai.

Working in pairs, the attackers in Lahore carried walkie-talkies and backpacks stuffed with water, dried fruit and other high-energy food — a sign they anticipated a protracted siege and may have been planning to take the players hostage.

Obama sending diplomats to Syria in peace probe JERUSALEM — The United States will dispatch two emissaries to Syria for “preliminary conversations” aimed at warming relations with an Arab adversary accused of supporting terrorism, seeking weapons of mass destruction, facilitating the insurgency in neighboring Iraq and balking at talking peace with Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday.

The Syria move is one element in a complex set of diplomatic maneuvers the Obama administration is juggling as it attempts to steer a new course toward a broad Middle East peace that includes long-term stability in Iraq and a squelching of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Prosecutor: Strong case against Sudanese leader THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The International Criminal Court announces Wednesday whether it will issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of masterminding genocide in Darfur — a move that could provoke a violent backlash.

The chief prosecutor says dozens of witnesses will testify that al-Bashir controlled a genocidal campaign aimed at wiping out three ethnic African tribes in the vast nation south of Egypt.

“We have strong evidence against Mr. Bashir,” prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo said Tuesday. “More than 30 witnesses will (testify) how he managed to control everything and we have strong evidence of his intention. I never present a case without strong evidence.”

Analysis: Obama’s big stride on Moscow ‘reboot’ WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s push to reset U.S.-Russian relations took a huge stride when he signaled the Kremlin he might forgo an anti-missile system in Eastern Europe if Moscow uses its clout with a troublesome Iran and its nuclear ambitions.

The back-channel diplomatic gambit was one of the few tools Obama had for unknotting the stalemated relationship — one that suffered under former Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin.

Details of the Obama proposal, a letter responding to one from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, have not been disclosed, but the U.S. president has clearly enticed the Kremlin into a dialogue that could pay significant benefits to both sides.

—AP

KABUL — Mullah Abdul Salaam Zaeef is a former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan. He spent almost four years in Guantanamo. He wears a black turban, has a thick beard — and is never without his Apple iPhone.

The ultra-conservative Taliban banned modern technology like the Internet and TV during its harsh 1996-2001 rule, but those items have boomed in Afghanistan since the regime’s 2001 ouster, helping to bring the country into the 21st century.

Zaeef, who reconciled with the Afghan government after being released from U.S. custody, says he uses his iPhone to surf the Internet and find difficult locations, employing the built-in GPS. He even checks his bank account balance online.

“It’s easy and modern and I love it,” Zaeef said as he pinched and pulled his fingers across the iPhone’s touch screen last week.

“This is necessary in the world today. People want to progress.”

Beyond making life easier, some say the country’s embrace of technology could help break the cycle of 30 years of relentless warfare. It puts at the tip of a finger many things that were strictly outlawed by Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar — music, movies, pictures of people and games like chess.

Young Afghans see the world differently from older Afghans because of their use of the Internet and mobile phones, and their participation in sports, said Shukria Barakzai, a female lawmaker and former newspaper editor.

Afghanistan’s youth are not caught up in “the old circle of war,” she said. “They are engaging with the rest of the world. That’s why technology is so important for Afghanistan.”

As an example she uses the popular television show Afghan Star, a version of the American Idol-style singing contest, which draws millions of viewers each week, both young and old. Viewers vote for a winner by text messaging, helping to promote democratic practices, she said.

Eight years ago Afghanistan had only a few hundred cell phone users, mostly members of the Taliban government. Today it has more than 8 million, meaning roughly one in four Afghans use a mobile phone, according to government figures.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in a speech

AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

Mullah Abdul Salaam Zaeef, a former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan ,looks at his iPhone during an interview with Associated Press at his residence in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday. Zaeef spent almost four years in Guantanamo. earlier this year that Afghanistan was “in the Middle Ages” when the Taliban was toppled. Today, he said, half the country is at peace and access to education and health care are up 10-fold.

“When I saw an Afghan fellow pull out his Apple iPhone in Kabul, while I was talking on my 5-yearold NATO mobile, I saw another symbol of progress,” he said of a recent trip to Afghanistan.

The Afghan capital has one gleaming mall, with glass elevators and escalators and a rare Europeanstyle coffee shop. Electronic stores stocked with GPS units, Sony PlayStations, flat screen TVs and iPods fill the shopping center.

Faridullah, the owner of an electronics store who like many Afghans goes by one name, said he sells about four iPhones a month to wealthy Afghans. The price in Kabul has dropped from $1,100 one month ago to about $800 today, he said.

“The country is really progressing now. Nine years ago the country

As recession saps demand, oil companies stash crude NEW YORK — Supertankers that once raced around the world to satisfy an unquenchable thirst for oil are now parked offshore, fully loaded, anchors down, their crews killing time. In Cushing, Okla., and elsewhere in the United States, vast storage farms for oil are almost out of room.

As demand for crude has plummeted, the world suddenly finds itself awash in oil that has nowhere to go.

It’s been less than a year since oil prices hit record highs. But now producers and traders are struggling with the new reality: The world wants less oil, not more. And turning off the spigot is about as easy as turning around one of those tankers.

So oil companies and investors are stashing crude, waiting for demand to rise and the bear market to end so they can turn a profit later.

Meanwhile, oil-producing countries such as Iran have pumped millions of barrels of their own crude into idle tankers, effectively taking crude off the market to halt declining prices that are devastating their economies.

Traders have always played a game of store and sell, bringing oil to market when it can fetch the best price. They say this time is different because of how fast the bottom fell out of the oil market.

“Nobody expected this,” said Antoine Halff, an analyst with Newedge. “The majority of people out there thought the market would keep rising to $200, even $250, a barrel. They were tripping over each other to pick a higher forecast.”

Now the strategy is storage. Anyone who can buy cheap oil and store it might be able to sell it at a premium later, when the global economy ramps up again.

The oil tanks that surrounded Cushing, Okla., in a sprawling network that holds 10 percent of the nation’s oil, have been swelling for months. Exactly how close they are to full is a closely guarded secret, but analysts who cover the industry say Cushing is approaching capacity.

It’s the same scene at the four other massive storage sites in the U.S., complexes on the East Coast, Gulf Coast, West Coast and near the Rocky Mountains.

Some oil is ending up in giant ships and staying there. On these supertankers, rented by oil companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, there is little for crews to do but paint and repaint the decks to pass time.

More than 30 tankers, each with the ability to

move 2 million barrels of oil from port to port, now serve as little more than floating storage tanks.

They are moored across the globe, from the Texas coast to the calm waters off Europe and Nigeria.

“It gets expensive to do this,” said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. “If you’re sitting on a bunch of oil and you’re stuck paying storage and insurance, and you can’t find a buyer, you may have to sell it at a discount just to get rid of it.”

On the other hand, as storage units on land have filled up, the companies that own the tankers have profited. Tanker companies charge an average of $75,000 a day, three times as much as last summer, to hold crude, said Douglas Mavrinac, an analyst with Jefferies & Co. Demand for oil began to increase steadily in the early 1980s, and it went into overdrive in recent years as the Chinese economy surged. That changed when recession gripped the globe, and frozen credit markets made things worse. Inventories swelled.

Refineries in the U.S. have cut way back on production of gas as the economy weakens and millions of Americans, many of them laid off, keep their cars in the garage.

The latest government records show U.S. inventories are bloated with a virtual sea of surplus crude, enough to fuel 15 million cars for a year.

Inventories have grown by 26 million barrels since the beginning of the year alone. Oil from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria is finding few takers, even though much of it is used to make gasoline in the United States.

There are so many players in the international oil market that no one has enough control to sway prices. OPEC slashed production by more than 4 million barrels a day, and still the price of a barrel of crude languishes near $40. At its peak, it traded at $147 a barrel.

Experts aren’t sure what will happen when all that oil finally comes ashore.

One fear is that with oil prices so low, companies will slash drilling and production, setting the world up for an energy crunch that would send prices soaring. The number of oil and gas rigs operating in the United States has fallen a staggering 39 percent since August.

Others say prices would plummet if companies forced millions of barrels onto the market at once.

“If everyone’s running for the exits at the same time, they’ll engineer a price collapse,” Flynn said.

—AP

didn’t know about mobile phones.

We can’t compare today to nine years ago,” he said. “It’s like a custom now in Afghanistan that even if someone doesn’t have enough money to eat he’ll still carry an expensive cell phone.”

The nation’s leading mobile phone company, Roshan, added 1 million customers between June and early February, when it surpassed 3 million users. Roshan offers mobile banking services so users can send money to others through their phones, and it began offering Blackberry service in August, the first company in Afghanistan to do so.

Still, the average annual income in Afghanistan is just $800, so shop owners must target the ultra-wealthy and foreigners. Most Afghans never have heard of an iPhone, and Roshan reaches only 56 percent of the population.

“It’s still pretty expensive,” Jawid, the owner of another electronics store, said of iPhones and other modern gadgets. “The prob-

lem is the economy, otherwise people are very interested in the new technologies.”

Many shops in Kabul sell a Chinese-made iPhone copy that shop owners say can do most things a real iPhone can. The fake sells for $300. “People use the Internet on it and it goes for a reasonable price,” Orash said.

Zaeef, the former Taliban official, said he has always been interested in technology despite his militant links. He used a laptop and satellite phone to access the Internet in the late 1990s, and now he surfs the Web an hour a day, he said.

Zaeef said he tried to persuade top Taliban officials to let Afghans have more access to modern electronics in the late 1990s, and he noted that the Taliban itself now embraces technology. Militants use remote control devices to set off roadside bombs, and they produce high-quality videos of attacks that they post on militant Web sites.

—AP

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

Football

Sports

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

1B

Sooners start first official spring practices JONO GRECO The Oklahoma Daily It’s that time of year when Sooner fans’ nostrils flare up in anticipation as

the scent of the first day of spring football fills the air.

Head coach Bob Stoops held a prespring practice press conference Tuesday and said the players and staff are looking

forward to getting back on the practice op,” Stoops said. “I think it’s important field. with Sam to continue to make improve“We’re excited to get going again,” ment as well, and he will.”

Stoops said. “It seems like it’s fairly early, Sophomore running back DeMarco but in the end I like starting it early. I Murray and junior defensive end Auston like getting a good number of practices English won’t participate in spring team in before we take spring break and then activities as they’ll be recovering from stretching it out and finishing April 11.” injuries they suffered during the 2008 Stoops said the coaching staff feels season. positive about the state of the team and With the loss of four starters on the the work done by players during winter offensive line, the younger players have practices and workouts. had to quickly adapt.

“Coach [Jerry] Schmidt was really But Stoops said their progression is a pleased with the overall work of our little behind and they need to pick things players, which is always a big indica- up before the start of the season. tor of what kind “[The offensive of team we have line] hasn’t had the a chance to have,” winter everybody Stoops said. “He else has had,” he was really, overall, said. “They’re right very pleased with now the weak link the progress of of the team and most all of our posiwe’ll see if they can tions.” respond and have One of the bigany kind of spring gest standouts and summer to help heading into spring us to be a team that practice has been can contend for a the wide-receiving Big 12 championHead coach Bob Stoops corps that lost its ship. They’ve been top three receivers very inconsistent in to graduation. how they work and “They’ve really had a good winter,” their toughness and discipline, so that’ll Stoops said. “So that really tells you their be something that we’ll just see as time maturity or their want-to in recognizing goes [on].” that ‘Hey, maybe we’re a little inexperiProbably the biggest Achilles’ heel enced. Here’s some hard work and we for the Sooners last season was special can make it up.’” teams. The coverage team allowed four Even though players have not been a kick returns for four touchdowns and part of any contact drills since the fall, the kickers totaled two touchbacks and Stoops is going to limit the amount of missed five of 13 field goals. hits many of his veterans will take during “I do feel overall those positions [on the spring. special teams] will be improved for us,” Players such as Heisman Trophy- Stoops said. “That’ll be a big plus.” winning sophomore quarterback Sam From what he’s seen during the winter Bradford — who never takes hits in prac- workouts, Stoops feels the players are tice — junior running back Chris Brown anxious and ready to put on the pads for and junior tight end Jermaine Gresham the spring. are among the veterans who will be “I’ve never ever been disappointed in limited in the contact drills to avoid any how our guys approach practice,” Stoops potential injury. said. “They’re always very competitive, “Whether Sam is in there or not, he’s and they may say they’re not looking not going to be hit, but we do want to see forward to it but their actions show that the other young guys continue to devel- they are.”

“[The receivers] had a good winter. So that really tells you their maturity or their want-to.”

Amy Frost/The Daily

Sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford (14) throws during spring practice Tuesday afternoon.

After wining the Heisman Trophy, Bradford decided to return for his redshirt junior season.

The Sooners started spring practice on Tuesday and will practice until April 11.

Baseball

Sooners sweep double-header on Tuesday • OU takes two from Trojans, 11-7 and 16-6 JARROD YOST The Oklahoma Daily The Sooners swept the University of Arkansas-Little Rock Tuesday in a doubleheader, running their record to 9-3.

In game one, the No. 16 Sooners got out to a five-run lead through two innings, and held on late for an 11-7 win.

The Trojans made the game interesting for the home James Cornwell/The Daily crowd, scoring three runs in University of Arkansas-Little Rock’s Anthony Gower (12) dives back into first base while OU’s Aaron Baker waits for the the eighth to get within two, but OU answered in the home- throw from the pitcher during OU’s first game against the Trojans on Tuesday. OU won the game 11-7. The Sooners went on half of the inning with two runs to sweep the double-header with a 16-6 win the second game. of its own to put the game out of reach.

Meanwhile, the Sooners are was cruising early in the game The Sooners got a nice out- but surrendered two home runs knocking the cover off the ball ing from sophomore pitcher in the fifth, allowing five runs to to start the season, as all nine The Sooners next game is Michael Rocha, who pitched cross the plate. starters in the second game seven innings, allowing four against UCLA at 3 p.m. Friday at L. have a batting average .300 or Junior pitcher Kaleb Herren earned runs on seven hits. higher. Casey Johnson said the came in to relieve Blue and was Dale Mitchell Park.

Sophomore outfielder Casey able to get out of the inning after solid hitting thus far could be Johnson was hot at the plate, allowing one inherited runner attributed to the club’s patience going 3-for-5 and driving in four to score. Herren pitched two a towering shot to right-center at the plate early in the game. runs.

OU will face its first real and two-thirds innings of one-hit field and went 2-for-3 before receiving part of the evening test at home this weekend as In game two, the Sooners baseball to get the win. dominated, winning 16-6 in eight it battles UCLA in a three-game The Sooners broke the game off.

Casey Johnson remained hot set starting Friday in Norman. innings. open in the sixth inning, plating OU staked claim to a 10-0 four runs to extend their lead in the nightcap, going 2-for-4 Casey Johnson said the Bruins while knocking his second home bring a good squad, with power lead through four innings, only to 14-6.

Junior outfielder Jamie run of the season and driving in arms. That series starts at 3 p.m. to see half of it eliminated in the Friday. fifth. Senior pitcher C.J. Blue Johnson led off the game with three runs.

UP NEXT

FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK Offensive line a focus in spring The loss of four starting offensive linemen has left junior Trent Williams as the only returning starter on what Stoops calls “the weak link of the team.”

“We’ll see if they can respond and have any kind of spring and summer to help us be a team that can contend for a Big 12 Championship,” Stoops said.

Several key players out for spring Sophomore running back DeMarco Murray, junior linebacker Ryan Reynolds, junior defensive end Auston English, redshirt freshman linebacker Austin Box and junior defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger will not participate in the Sooners’ spring workouts while they recover from injuries. As a precaution, junior running back Chris Brown and junior tight end Brody Eldridge also will have limited participation.

“Fortunately, the ones that may be out, other than Austin [Box], have played a lot of football and are very experienced players,” Stoops said. “I don’t think it’s anything that will hold them back.”

Newest Sooners impressive so far Five of OU’s 2009 recruits graduated early from high school and will participate in spring workouts.

Head coach Bob Stoops said quarterback Drew Allen, defensive back Javon Harris and linebackers Jaydan Bird, Ronnell Lewis and Tom Wort had productive winter training.

“It shouldn’t be expected coming right out of high school to handle the levels that our guys work at and the tempo we go at,” Stoops said. “These guys really fought through it and were fabulous and really handled it well.”

— CLAIRE BRANDON/THE DAILY

SPORTS BRIEFS Both tennis teams play on the road today

Capel one of 10 finalists for Henry Iba Award

While one tennis team continues to thrive, the other struggles.

The men’s tennis team has won two matches in a row, while the women have dropped three straight matches.

Both teams will be in action today. For the men’s team it will be the first Big 12 match as they face Baylor in Waco, Texas. The men, who are 6-3 on the year, look to increase their winning streak to three.

The women’s team has been struggling as of late. The Sooners lost their first match in Big 12 play against Missouri 5-2 on Sunday. The Sooners have now lost three straight games and have only won one of their last five.

The women will look to get back on the winning track as they will be on the road when they face Tulsa at 1 p.m. this afternoon.

On Tuesday the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced finalists for the 2009 Henry Iba Award, which is presented to the national coach of the year.

OU head basketball coach Jeff Capel is one of ten finalists for the award. Two other Big 12 coaches are also nominated, Missouri’s Mike Anderson and Kansas’ Bill Self.

The award is voted on by all members of the association, which includes about 800 journalists.

The winner of the award is guaranteed to be a first-time winner, as none of the finalists have been given the honor before.

The presentation of the award will be April 3 at the USBWA’s award breakfast in Detroit. At the breakfast, the Oscar Robertson Trophy will be awarded to the association’s player of the year.

— JAMES ROTH/THE DAILY

— DAILY STAFF

2B

Sports

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Women’s Basketball

Winchester, Paris twins play final home game tonight “I admire her perseverance and I appreciate her willingness to become what we needed her to become, which probably wasn’t exactly what she wanted to be at the outset,” Coale said.

Despite the setbacks, Winchester said one of the great experiences for her during her career was not the minutes on the court or seeing her name on the stat sheet, but rather the people she met.

ANNELISE RUSSELL “The experiences have been amazing,” Winchester The Oklahoma Daily said. “Getting to travel and the games have been Senior centers Courtney and Ashley Paris and really good . . . , but the people that I have had a senior forward Carolyn Winchester will run out of chance to meet through all this — my team memthe tunnel and play their final home game tonight bers, athletic staff, the department and everybody — that is probably the most special thing.” against Texas Tech.

During games, Winchester can often be seen on While the Sooners’ focus is on beating the Lady Raiders, it’s hard not to focus on the legacies leaving the sidelines looking anxious, but the moment an OU shot goes down she is often the first with a fist in the OU basketball program this season.

The senior class is one of the most dominant in the air. Whenever there is a timeout, she is quick off the country and most people could summarize why the bench to give her teammates encouragement.

This is the type of player in one word: Paris.

Coale said Winchester has The Paris twins are two become: the strong support of the most prolific players behind the Sooner squad. ever to walk through the “She’s the quiet, behindhalls of Lloyd Noble Center. the-scenes leader, kind of But the excellence from this like the rudder of the ship year’s seniors also lies in a that keeps everything in line courageous woman whose but you don’t see it,” Coale dedication to her team said. doesn’t always show in the Winchester, while it might box scores. not be evident in minutes Winchester has never had played, also sees herself it easy at OU. She walked on as an integral part of the as a freshman and has been Sooner squad. fighting adversity since.

“This year, I really think During her junior year, Winchester suffered a stress Head coach Sherri Coale my role has been kind of the glue, off the court and fracture in her right foot, [on] the court,” Winchester one of many setbacks she said. “Whether it was helping faced.

“Had it not been for the people here that I have them with something basketball-wise ... or if it was around me, I think it would have been really dif- off the court stuff if somebody was struggling.”

During the past four years, Winchester and the ficult,” she said. “But they embraced me and they Sooners have had some great moments, including helped me find a role, even despite injuries.”

Head coach Sherri Coale said Winchester’s per- going undefeated in the Big 12 in the 2005-2006 sistence and response to adversity is something she season. While Winchester’s role was still to cheer on her team from the sidelines for most of conference admires about the graduating senior.

• Unsung senior forward experiences wild ride in four years as a Sooner

“[Winchester is] the quiet, behind-thescenes leader, kind of like the rudder of the ship that keeps everything in line but you don’t see it.”

James Cornwell/ The Daily

Senior forward Carolyn Winchester (15) blocks out Missouri’s Bailey Gee (2) on Jan. 31 at the Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners routed the Tigers 78-56. It was the only home game Winchester played this season. play, she said one of her best memories was during that conference run.

“My freshman year when we first started playing, we had decent attendance but nothing like it is now,” Winchester said. ”We kind of started to have more people show up as we were going through the Big 12 because we were undefeated.”

Winchester said on a Saturday night during an ice storm, OU had a game they expected few fans to attend.

“We thought there is no way anybody is going to be here, [and] let’s get ready to come out to an empty gym,” Winchester said. “We thought it was going to be my parents — that’s it, because they live right down the road, but we ran out the tunnel to a packed house. I remember thinking at that time this is for real, this is big time.”

Those are the type of moments that define this season’s senior class.

During the past four seasons, the women have brought in bigger crowds and more fan support and garnered more awards and academic accolades than most programs in the country.

“In the whole class you get a little bit of everything,” Coale said. “You get the all-time leading everything in Courtney, you get the perseverent, disciplined, change-your-body Ashley who changes her career and you just see the metamorphosis of her, and then you get Carolyn, the steady behind the scenes. So it has a little bit of everything, and I think that makes it unique.”

For the last time, these seniors will lead their team onto the court for tip-off at 7 tonight at Lloyd Noble Center.

Men’s Basketball

No. 4 Sooners head to Columbia to face off against No. 15 Missouri • The Daily’s Eric Dama breaks down some key matchups A little more than a week ago, this looked like the most important game on the Big 12 schedule. But with the Sooners’ misfortunes against Texas and Kansas, and Missouri’s blowout loss to the KU, neither team has much of a shot at knocking the Jayhawks off their perch. Still, with second-place on the line, here’s a look at tonight’s matchup:

Tyler Metcalfe/The Daily

Sophomore forward Blake Griffin goes up for a shot attempt against a Texas Tech defender on Feb. 14 at Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners won 95-74.

Both players are the leading scorers and rebounders for their team. Sophomore forward Blake Griffin (21.9 points per game, 13.9 rebounds per game) and Carroll (17.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg) will both be trying to impose their style of play upon the other. Carroll prefers to run and score in transition, and while Griffin is more than capable of

X Factors: Austin Johnson and J.T. Tiller.

ERIC DAMA IS A JOURNALISM JUNIOR.

The Sooners defeated Tulsa 7-3 at Tulsa last Wednesday.

Senior first baseman Samantha Ricketts hit a grand slam and had five RBIs in the game. Ricketts has been one of the most dangerous hitters in the OU lineup this season, batting .350 with three home runs and 22 RBIs. Following this afternoon’s game, OU will host Tennessee at 6 p.m. Friday at the OU Softball Complex in the first game of The Preview before the tournament moves to Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

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ERIC DAMA

Missouri’s ability to pressure the Sooners is going to be key. One thing that has plagued OU during the season is turnovers. Senior guard Austin Johnson leads the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio. He will need to distribute the ball effectively while limiting turnovers if the Sooners want to avoid caving to Mizzou’s pressure.

Tiller leads the team in assists, and with the Tigers “Fastest 40 minutes in college basketball” offense, he’ll need to get his teammates plenty of touches if they want to score enough to keep up with the Sooners.

Sooner softball hosts Tulsa this afternoon The softball team comes into today’s 5 p.m. game against Tulsa riding a four-game winning streak after two victories in the weather-shortened OU/Sooner Legends Invitational this past weekend.

OU has succeeded this season while relying on freshmen pitchers, as evidenced when they went 2-0 over the weekend without senior D.J. Mathis throwing a single pitch.

The team now must avoid looking past this matchup to The Preview presented by Worth, a tournament in which they will face No. 10 Tennessee and No. 18 Northwestern.

Head coach Jeff Capel on Missouri: “They’re a really good team. They try to impose their will on you. They get after you, especially at home, because they feed off the energy of the crowd. We know it’s going to be a tough challenge.”

— AARON COLEN/THE DAILY

Sophomore forward Blake Griffin on his team’s focus: “Our main goal at the end of the season is to win championships — Big 12, national championships, whatever. I don’t think we’ve lost sight at all. We might not have played as well in a few games here and there, but overall we’ll be fine.”

Freshman guard Willie Warren on his only playing 12 minutes Saturday: “It was kind of tough. I just kept cheering. When the game got close, I would have liked to be in there, but we got the win and so I was happy for my team.”

Merrill Jones/The Daily

Key Matchup: Blake Griffin vs Missouri’s DeMarre Carroll

HE SAID IT

keeping up in the fast break, he knows he’ll have the overwhelming advantage on the block.

Whichever player can get in his comfort zone first will play a major role in determining the tempo of the game.

Capel on the importance of tonight’s game: “We understand what’s at stake. We can possibly still share the Big 12 regular season championship. It’s a long shot, but it’s still there. Also seeding for the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. [The games] are all the same to me.

They’re all high stakes.”

Head coach Jeff Capel

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Keep Up the Good Work!

Volunteer u Programs leadandvolunteer.ou.edu Strengthening Our Traditions through Service to State and Society The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, call 325-2340

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

3B

4B

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

PLACE AN AD Phone 405.325.2521

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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.

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Classifieds For Sale

Employment HELP WANTED

PETS 2 YORKIE PUPPIES Male & female need rehoming.

For more info, paul_white2009@yahoo.com.

C Transportation AUTO INSURANCE

Auto Insurance Quotations Anytime Foreign Students Welcomed Jim Holmes Insurance, 321-4664

University College is seeking current students to work with the Summer Enrollment Program for entering freshman. Positions are FT temporary, May 18-July 31, $8/hr with weekends and holidays off. Apply online at uc.ou.edu, for questions contact Brian Nossaman at bnoss@ou.edu or 325-3521.

$5,000-$45,000 PAID. EGG DONORS for up to 9 donations, + Exps, non-smokers, Ages 19-29, SAT>1100/ACT>24/GPA>3.00 Contact: info@eggdonorcenter.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES We solve DUI problems affordably.

Call O’Quinn & Nelson Law Office, 290-1441

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

Here is your chance!

Blu Fine Wine and Food is now accepting applications for waitstaff and experienced cooks.

Must be 21. Apply in person between 2-4 pm M-F, at 201 S Crawford. 360-4258.

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Instructor/Lifeguards $8.50-$9.50 per hr Lifeguards (Water Slide) $7.25-$8.25 per hr Pool Maintenance Workers $7.25-$8.25 per hr Pool Cashier (AM or PM) $7.25-$9.50 per hr Baseball Supervisor $8.50-$9.50 per hr Little League Umpires $10.00-$15.00 per game If you are interested in any of these positions, please call our job line or access our website to find out the minimum qualifications. Selected applicant must pass physical exam, drug screen, and background investigation.

Obtain application at: 201-C W Gray, Human Resources Department CITY OF NORMAN (405) 366-5482 JOB LINE (405) 366-5321 Web: cityofnorman.com EOE/AA BILL’S RESTAURANT Now hiring part time kitchen positions. Apply in person. 1101 Elm St. 364-2530.

THE MONT Now accepting applications for the following positions: SERVERS-must be available for day shifts beginning at 10:30 am, experience preferred HOSTESS must be available nights and weekends. Apply in person M-F, 2pm to 4pm, 1300 Classen

J Housing Rentals

CONDOS UNFURNISHED Summer Rent Slashed in 1/2!

Leasing 1-4 bdrms, amenities galore, The Edge Call Iris, 303-550-5554

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Clean 3bd/1bth near campus, big yard, fireplace, basement, $800/mo. 447-8313.

Childcare provider need for a 7 & 9 year old Central Norman. Hours vary with some overnights.

360-9996.

FOR RENT

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

915 W Lindsey, NEAR OU, 1/2 bd, 1 ba, NO PETS, $500 per mo.

1104 Grover Ln, NEAR OU, 2 bd, car garage, CHA, W/D, stove, refrigerator, microwave, compactor, NO PETS, $800 per mo.

Contact: 329-1933 or 550-7069

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

Telemarketer. P/T. Norman Co. $8 + bonuses. resume to yumi@newlookmedia.com or 202-8745

J Housing Rentals 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.

ROOMS FURNISHED NEAR OU, privacy, $260, bills paid includes cable, neat, clean, parking. Prefer male student.

Call 329-0143.

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APTS. UNFURNISHED

$99 1st MONTH/$99 DEPOSIT* Immediate Move-Ins Only Prices Reduced / 1&2 beds Available!

Pets Welcome! Large Floor Plans!

Models open 8a-8p Everyday!

Elite Properties 360-6624 or www.elite2900.com www.3MonthsFreeRent.info Brand New Apartments. Limited Availability.

1 BLK FROM OU, very nice 4 room apt, 800 sf, wood floors, 1016 S College, Apt 1, $295/mo.

Call 360-2873 or 306-1970.

(located just below the puzzle)

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Edited by Timothy E. Parker March 04, 2009

ACROSS 1 Beau Brummells 5 “___ just kidding!”

9 Tennessee footballer 14 Russian city 15 Cape Canaveral org.

16 Sidestep 17 451, in old Rome 18 ___ empty stomach 19 Gloom’s opposite 20 Table condiments 23 Perjury offense 24 “Once Upon a Mattress” legume 25 Hoity-toity 28 Meal highlight 30 “The Bridge of San Luis ___” 32 Like a fiddle 33 In shock 35 Book backbone 37 Little girls’ ingredients?

40 Chambermaid’s supply 41 Sri Lanka’s former name 42 Onassis, familiarly 43 I Like ___ (presidential slogan) 44 “… nothing to fear but fear ___” 48 Knocked to

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the canvas 51 Letters on letters to GIs 52 New prefix 53 Quick salad dressing 57 Waitress with Sam and Coach 59 Knock off 60 Weathercock 61 “Are too” response 62 “Amas” follower in a Latin line 63 They may be crushed or swollen 64 Old hat 65 Lotto’s cousin 66 Mortgage alternative DOWN 1 Bo’s’n’s quarters 2 Make a father of 3 Air rifle projectile 4 Alluring dress feature 5 Start for “and out the other” 6 Jamie Lee Curtis’ 1988 fish 7 Quickly, quickly 8 All there, mentally 9 Where Rays and rays play 10 Like Harvard’s walls 11 “Super!”

12 Van Gogh’s forte 13 Maximum degree 21 Tarzan’s moniker 22 Wood thickness 26 Have lobster 27 Had lobster 29 In thing 30 Actress Zellweger 31 Whirling water 34 Richard’s “An Officer and a Gentleman” role 35 Exact, in British slang 36 Safety and bobby 37 Royal honorific 38 Mythical horned beasts 39 Put on, as pajamas

40 Young boy 43 Actress Lupino 45 Mesh, as gears 46 Use as a crutch 47 Wooded area 49 Dealers’ quantities, sometimes 50 Thrill 51 Birdlike 54 Fargo location, briefly 55 Rotunda feature 56 At any time 57 Upper limit 58 Surgeons’ org.

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

© 2009 Universal Press Syndicate www.upuzzles.com

“TWO IN THE KITCHEN” by Oliver Klamp

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Previous Answers

1 7 4 6 9 5 3 2 8

Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard

Universal Crossword

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7

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.

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

To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increases their chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information.

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

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Services

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Life & Arts

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

5B

Q&A WITH PAUL RUDD AND JASON SEGEL

‘Bromance’ on the silver screen “I Love You, Man,” starring Paul Rudd (“Role Models”) and Jason Segel (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), is a “bromantic” comedy that centers on Peter’s (Rudd) quest to find a best man for his wedding by going on a series of “man-dates.”

The Daily’s Dusty Somers participated in a conference call with Rudd and Segel. “I Love You, Man” opens everywhere March 20.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Every Wednesday, The Daily publishes readers’ questions in our advice column. To ask a question, join our Facebook page, OU Daily Advice.

Since you both have done screenwriting, do you think it affects your performances?

Q: Is a girl worth keeping around if she won't watch my Jackie Chan Kung Fu flicks?

Paul Rudd: I think it enhanced my performance because I think I understand the character better.

Because I write, it makes me understand a character’s motivations and all that other actor crap more.

Jason Segel: And I agree with Paul – it is very easy given that you know every character. You know why your character was doing everything it did because you made those decisions.

Brittany: Yes, as long as she respects your interests and hobbies. But if she ever tells you to stop watching them, reconsider her as a girlfriend.

photo provided

Jason Segel and Paul Rudd star in the movie, “I Love You, Man.” The film opens everywhere March 20.

Do you think this new “bromance” genre is the new chick flick for guys?

JS: Yeah. It’s the first [film] that I can think of [that explores] platonic male friendships in a long time.

PR: It’s a long time coming. And I think that the idea of guys who wear their hearts on their sleeves is actually truer to most of the male friendships that I have. What about you Jason?

JS: Yeah, oh absolutely. I’m like the least masculine guy around.

What’s your idea of the perfect man date?

PR: A perfect man date would be an early dinner… maybe like some Brazilian food. I’d like to have a pitcher of sangria. And then I would like to go back to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel where I have rented a suite and slip into a bathtub of linseed oil.

And then I would like a massage – an ice cream massage. And then finally settle down with a little SpectroVision and then maybe catch “Defiance” — the film with Daniel Craig.

JS: Yeah. I’d like to have some Argentinean food — real casual Argentinean dinner. Maybe a pitcher of

red sangria. And then I would head back to a suite at the Four Seasons that I have rented and give the guy who I am having a man date with a — just a bath in like salted butter. Then we would settle in to watch a movie on DVD — maybe something like the first “James Bond” without Daniel Craig.

PR: Absolutely. Jason we are so close in our man dates — our perfect man dates — we should really revise it.

DUSTY SOMERS IS A JOURNALISM JUNIOR.

Tyler: Well, do you really want her to like Kung Fu movies as much as you?

Do you really think it’s sexy when she turns to you and says, “Woah, dude, that was a sweet kill-shot, don’t you think, babe?” Sometimes it’s best to leave the man-stuff to the men.

Q: I’m having trouble with my parents because they don’t treat me much like an adult. What should I do?

Brittany: Act like an adult if you want to be treated like one. This may mean getting a job, supporting yourself and paying for school on your own, but if you want real adulthood, you have to be willing to take it.

Don’t be afraid to put your foot down with your folks; you’ve come further in life than they could ever really understand.

Tyler: My real answer to your question is another question. Do you really want to be treated like an adult? To be held accountable for your own actions? To pay for your own food, bills, gas or underwear? I don’t. That sounds horrible. You may give up a little bit of dignity in the process, but here’s a little secret: your parents never really liked you anyway.

Q: How many dates does it take before we’re “in a relationship?”

Tyler: It’s only official if it’s on Facebook, no questions asked.

Brittany: I agree with Tyler, Facebook tells the world, tells the girl and tells the truth. It’s only official if it’s on Facebook.

TYLER BRANSON AND BRITTANY BURDEN ARE ENGLISH SENIORS.

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

WOLVERINE VS. HULK #3 After a three-year break, the Marvel Classic “Hulk vs. Wolverine” is back. The issue was delayed because writer Damon Lindelof was too busy working on a little TV show I’m not sure anyone has heard of. (LOST, anyone?)

Since the first two issues — the lead-in and post battle — were told in flashback, this issue promises to be an all out brawl between our two favorite Marvel pugilists.

The artwork by Leinil Yu is a treat, as he’s already proven himself worthy of the re-imagining of a classic with his run on the “Superman: Birthright” and “New Avengers” series.

I feel that it’s too early to judge Damon Lindelof’s writing, since there have only been two issues, but judging by his work on LOST, I think the series is going to be a classic on its own.

Need more L&A?

True Sooners Don’t Haze.

Report Hazing.

Check out our blogs at OUDaily.com

325-5000 All calls are anonymous.

The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

DEADPOOL # 8 In this “Dark Reign” storyline, Deadpool, the most famous mercenary in the Marvel Universe, takes on Norman Osborn’s Thunderbolts by launching a full-scale attack on The Avenger’s headquarters.

“Deadpool” comics aren’t meant to be taken seriously – they are mostly for fun.

Writer Daniel Way’s treatment of the Deadpool stays true to the character’s psychotic and whimsical nature, keeping readers entertained with his witty dialogue and the odd situations in whch the hero finds himself.

The only concern I have with the series is Paco Medina’s artwork. It’s not terrible, but there just isn’t anything special about it.

Even though the artwork is a tad disappointing, check out this series for an entertaining read.

OSIZIMETE AKEN’OVA IS A FILM AND VIDEO STUDIES JUNIOR.

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

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

Weather Center Auditorium

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

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

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PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Should opportunities come too easily, you might not utilize them as well as you can. If you can’t define the difference between constructiveness and wastefulness, you’ll lose.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Be sure that you don’t get so wound up in a project that you fail to express gratitude to those around you who pitched in and helped accomplish your aims. If you don’t, you’ll be labeled a taker.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Don’t lose heart if your progress hasn’t been as rapid as you had projected with regard to a new endeavor that you thought would succeed. A sudden change is in the making.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -Even though you know you are generally fortunate, you’re smart enough not to push your luck beyond its limits. You’ll sense that, if you do so, you’ll lose what you’ve already gained.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -An ambitious objective is achievable, but you might have to earn your laurels the hard way. If you don’t expect things to be handed on a silver platter, you won’t lose heart.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -Wishful thinking can overwhelm your practicality and induce you to spend way beyond your practical limits. Put a cap on it the minute you sense you’re getting out of line.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Before committing yourself to a major decision about your work-related affairs, consider all the circumstances, such as the long-range effects, and not just the immediate ones.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- If good intentions were graded, you’d be the star of the class. Unfortunately, they count for nothing, and unless you actively take charge of your affairs, you’ll fail on all counts.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Don’t fall for the ploys of a shrewd manipulator who might try to make you feel obligated to do his or her bidding. You’re not, so stand your ground regardless of what occurs.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Conditions in general are favorable concerning your financial affairs, but it is still up to you to take advantage of your opportunities and turn them into moneymakers.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- The only way a bargaining arrangement can work is if no one expects to get more than his or her share. One person who believes otherwise can upset the union. Weed him or her out.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -Distinguish between being abrasively aggressive and judiciously assertive, and you cannot lose. If you cannot define the difference, however, you could have a fight on your hands.

6B

Life & Arts

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Brittany Burden/The Daily

Chinese author Mo Yan (center) poses with Liu Hongtao (left), professor at Beijing Normal University, and Jonathon Stalling (right), English professor, on Tuesday. Mo traveled from China to discuss the translation of Chinese literature to western ideas.

Celebrated Chinese author visits campus • Author travels to discuss translation of Chinese literature BRITTANY BURDEN The Oklahoma Daily Chinese author Mo Yan visited campus with Beijing professor Liu Hongtao to participate in a question and answer session with students and faculty Tuesday.

Mo Yan has authored many modernist short stories, poetry and novels including “Red Sorghum,” “The Garlic Ballads,” and “Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out.” He is the current

winner of the 2009 Newman Prize for Literature.

Liu Hongtao is the professor of comparative literature and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Beijing Normal University.

Both came to OU to discuss English and Chinese translations of their works, aspects of their literatures and their views on East/West cultural exchanges.

Q: Do you believe in the phrase, “lost in translation”?

MO YAN: I believe that the process of translation is the process of loss.

Certainly fiction is better than poetry, in poetry much is lost.

The most important thing is for the

MORE ON MO “Mo Yan,” meaning “don’t speak” in Chinese, is a pen name. His real name is Guan Moye. In a speech delivered in Hong Kong, he said this pen name was chosen after he wrote his first novel.

He said he chose this pen name to remind himself not to speak too much.

Source: Wikipedia

translator to try to interpret the language of the fiction, not just the words.

For example, it is important to know something about the setting, if a short story is set in a small Chinese town with certain set backgrounds and traditions,

it is the obligation of the translator to try to convey these traditions in the language of the fiction, not simply translate the words.

Q: Your latest novel, “Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out,” used more than 500,000 characters using a traditional calligraQ: Are you writing solely for a phy brush. Why did you choose Chinese audience? to write it this way?

MY: No. When I write I write for me.

For example, in 1991, my daughter was born and later could not understand certain works because they were past her generation.

In my time, we barely had clothes or food. She has plenty of clothes and food, but says that her life is harder because she has many examinations.

My writing is the same. I write for me, for the here and now.

MY: Really, it took me 43 years to write the book in 43 days. The book has always been in my mind over time.

I like to write and write continuously locked up inside a room. I used calligraphy as not to disturb my inspiration.

Many people criticize how I can write so much in a few days, but I can write very good words in a few days and a lot of classical Chinese works were written in a very short time.

The University of Oklahoma

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