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LIP LOCKED Why some students won’t make out before they’re married THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA’S I NDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE

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WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12, 2008 © 2008 OU Publications Board

Technology simplifies campus voting • OU IT installs new polling locations for campus elections WILL HOLLAND Daily Staff Writer

Chelsea Garza/The Daily

Huy Le, University College freshman, sits at a UOSA voting table in the Lloyd Noble Center parking lot Tuesday afternoon. UOSA voting ends today, and students can vote online while waiting in line for the bus.

Students waiting in line for the bus at the Lloyd Noble Center can vote for this week’s UOSA election online.

OU Information and Technology has installed a new wireless access point at the center’s bus stop, said OU IT spokesman Nicholas Key. The access point, which was set up using equipment already owned by IT and OU Physical Plant, makes voting for the election easier for students, Key said.

“That’s a good example of how we’re using new technology to make voting more accessible and more convenient for students,” he said.

A directional antenna was set up on the roof of the Lloyd Noble Center, and a receiver was placed at the stop to make the area more accessible to OU’s wireless

signal.

UOSA provided laptops for the location, said George Thomas, business analyst for IT, who helped develop the new technology.

Log on to OUDaily.com to Thomas said he thinks the new voting location could see election results tonight. raise voter turnout because it targets commuter students who might not have voted before.

In the past, Thomas said voting locations for students were available when students got off the bus. But he said after most students departed, they walked to class without stopping to vote.

Thomas said there are four additional voting locations set up on campus. They are all covered by the OU WiFi network.

Key said IT, UOSA and Student Congress also have worked to revamp the voting system so it is streamlined for students.

VOTING Continues on page 2

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Author: More going hungry as food gap widens • Both hunger, obesity on the rise CAITLIN HARRISON Daily Staff Writer The U.S. may be the wealthiest nation on Earth, but that does not mean it is immune to poverty and hunger — in fact, the food gap is widening faster than ever.

Organic food and farmers’ markets are gaining popularity and crops are abundant, yet a large sector of America’s population is considered hungry, which contributes to the food gap, food activist Mark Winne said in a lecture on his book, “Closing the Gap — Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty,” Tuesday night.

“One group is getting the best food possible, while the other group is being forced to shop at the bottom of the barrel,” he said.

The lecture, hosted by the Joe C. and Carole Kerr McClendon Honors College as part of the college’s fall 2008 lecture series, was held in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Beaird Lounge.

Cody Nichols, University College freshman, said he sees the significance of the nation’s growing hunger problem.

“It’s unacceptable that anyone should go hungry,” he said.

Winne, who has studied America’s food struggles and worked in non-profit organizations in an attempt to reform food insecurity in America, said the food gap starts with hunger. “[Hunger] is not something that exists on its own,” he said. “It is part of an expression of poverty.”

Winne said ever-rising food costs are also to blame for hunger in America, which is due to the economy’s downturn.

While studying hunger in the 1970s in Hartford, Conn., then one of the poorest cities in the U.S., Winne said he realized obesity was another important aspect of the nation’s food gap. He said more than 16 percent of the nation’s population is considered obese, which costs the country billions of additional dollars in health care every year.

Americans are too concerned about their food, but not enough about other people’s hunger, honors college professor Julia Ehrardt said.

“A lot of times when we discuss the issue, people are left behind. Food insecurity is a big problem in this country,” she said. “[Winne] is trying to merge the local organic food movement with food activism to make sure everyone gets fed.”

Winne described another aspect of the food gap as “food deserts,” which are places where at least half the population has to drive 10 miles or more for access to a supermarket. He said it is unacceptable that supermarkets are not present in these areas. “[Supermarkets] walked away from the substantial part of our country,” he said. “They were chasing the money that was moving to our suburbs. Then we began to see the influx of whole foods and other higher quality food stores.”

Winne said although there are many food

FOOD Continues on page 2

The Daily reviews “Gears of War 2” for the Xbox 360 in A&E. Also, visit OUDaily.com for our take on “Tom Clancy’s EndWar.” Page 6.

SPORTS

90TH VETERANS DAY

Coming off two consecutive losses on the road, the volleyball team will be looking to turn things around tonight when it hosts Kansas at 7 p.m. Page 5.

ENGRAVED with HONOR

CAMPUS BRIEFS Free flu shots today

• All five US military branches recognized with new monument

Free flu shots for students with a valid OU ID are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Goddard Health Center. No appointment is necessary. For more information about flu shots, visit OUDaily.com.

BLAIR TOMLINSON Contributing Writer

Langston student in fair condition after shooting

he Army National Guard 45th Division band played patriotic tunes while helicopters flew overhead Tuesday at a ceremony to unveil the Cleveland County Veterans Memorial at Reaves Park in Norman.

The Norman Fire Department opened the Veterans Day ceremony by ringing a bell at precisely 11 a.m.

The new memorial represents all five branches of the armed forces, the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard, with a five-sided black granite obelisk standing in the center of the memorial. On each face of the obelisk is a bronze plaque stating the history of each branch service.

Atop the obelisk sits an 850-pound bronze sculpture of an eagle clasping a U.S. flag. The eagle was sculpted by local artist Shan Gray, whose other works include the statue of James Garner in downtown Norman and the statues of the state’s Miss Americas on Oklahoma City University’s campus.

“This memorial is for everyone,” Gray said.

T

Langston University police say a student was shot in the shoulder Tuesday afternoon at an on-campus apartment complex.

Police Officer Neal Galbraith said the unidentified student’s wounds were not life-threatening and that paramedics took the student to a Guthrie hospital in fair condition.

Galbraith said police have a suspect and have questioned others. He says officers are trying to determine if the shooting was accidental or intentional.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation also is looking into the incident, but spokeswoman Jessica Brown deferred comment to university authorities.

Galbraith said the campus, in rural Logan County south of Stillwater, was not locked down after the shooting and is operating as usual.

MEMORIAL Continues on page 2

TODAY’S INDEX A&E 6, 10 Campus Notes 9 Classifieds 8 8 Crossword Horoscope 9

News Opinion Police Reports Sports Sudoku

7 4 9 5 8

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY LOW 48° HIGH 60°

THURSDAY LOW 48° HIGH 60° Saul Martinez/The Daily

Onlookers admire the new Cleveland County Veterans Memorial Tuesday at Reaves Park. The memorial contains the names of more than 1,000 veterans from the county.

Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

2

News

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008

Medical school demo offers students hands-on learning • Event puts human brains on display MEREDITH MORIAK Daily Staff Writer Melissa Willitzer can already picture herself in a white lab coat and stethoscope. She’s only a zoology junior, but she already has an idea of what medical school will be like.

A “Mini Medical School” was hosted Tuesday evening by the Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, a branch of the OU Health Sciences Center, for high school and undergraduate students interested in medical school to experience what the classes are like.

“We want to give high school and undergraduate students an opportunity to find out about medical and graduate school, with the focus on the brain,” said Beverley Greenwood-Van Meerveld, the neuroscience department director.

Willitzer said she is interested in neuroscience and attended the event to learn more about the field and its research.

“I’m pumped about medical school and hoping I can get in,”

Willitzer said. “I’ve wanted to be a doctor forever.”

The event hosted more than 240 participants, mostly high school and undergraduate students from eight higher-education institutions across the state, said event coordinator Theresa Rush.

“This year we focused on the rural schools of Oklahoma, whereas before, it was mostly focused on the surrounding suburban areas,” GreenwoodVan Meerveld said.

Three lectures on the brain and its interpretation of language and pheromones, a scentbased communication used by animals, were presented. The students also took a 15-question quiz that contained current questions on medical school tests.

“It is meant to give attendees an idea of what a quiz in medical school might be like,” said Robert Blair, physiology professor.

A hands-on session allowed students to see, touch and examine real human brain specimens.

Whitney Lohmann, Norman High School senior, held a brain for the first time.

“It was special, like holding a heart,” Lohmann said.

Floyd Adlaon, Tishomingo High School junior, attended

Log on to OUDaily.com for photos from Tuesday’s “Mini Medical School” the event to earn extra credit in his anatomy and physiology class.

“I want to learn more about medical school,” Adlaon said.

“Right now I’m about 50 percent sure I’m going into medicine.”

Kacy Krehbiel, a first-year medical student, was one of the 30 medical students who volunteered during the event.

Dressed in white lab coats, the volunteers spoke with participants about their experiences with the program during a break between lectures.

“When I was looking at going to medical school, I knew nothing, and it made me feel better to talk with students,” said Krehbiel, who attended an event like this prior to entering medical school. “It can be scary, and I decided to return the favor to other students looking into medical school.”

Continued from page 1 “Kids can come over from the park and get to see the memorial — it’s not just for veterans.”

During the service five veterans raised flags representing each of the five U.S. military branches, and a sixth flag representing prisoners of war and those missing in action was raised by Suzanne Bussey.

Bussey honored her father, who survived the Bataan Death March in 1942 in the Philippines, where thousands of U.S. and Filipino soldiers were killed.

Her father, Hez Bussey, was a former Cleveland County attorney and a federal judge in Oklahoma City.

Retired Army Ranger Charles E. Norris, a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient, brought many of those in attendance to tears when he recited a piece he had written named “The Voice of Memorial Day.” Norris stoically read his poem, but he and many others began to tear up when he spoke about one particular night in Vietnam when his friend ran a gauntlet of North Vietnamese machine gun fire to bring ammunition to Norris and his radio operator.

His friend was shot and killed, but posthumously was awarded the Army Silver Star.

“I would like to take a minute more to especially remember a very dear friend who saved my life in Vietnam one rainy night in the Ia Drang Valley, and gave his life in doing so,” Norris said. “Had it not been for his actions, two of us would have died.”

Six years after the memorial was proposed, it now stands to give respect to local women and men who served in the armed forces.

“Seven years ago I had a dream, and here it is, folks,” said Don Schulenberg of the Veterans Memorial Committee.

The memorial measures 150 feet in diameter. Along the edges are black granite tablets, similar to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C., and engraved with the names of Cleveland County veterans. To be recognized on the memorial, a veteran must have been born, lived or served in Cleveland County.

“So far we have about 1,000 names engraved,” said Bob Goins, Veterans Memorial Committee member.

Voting

Food

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1 assistance programs in the U.S., most of them are inadequate.

“They don’t seem to meet the need,” he said.

One study found that the average family of four receiving benefits gets $540 per month in food stamps, yet feeding the family for a month would actually cost more than $800, Winne said.

Winne said food banks also need reform because much of the food they serve is unhealthy and may actually be contributing to obesity.

“Too often, the food [banks] are serving people, whose diets are already challenged,” he said.

“I think we need to see food banks taking charge

Memorial

of these larger issues. They have a very powerful voice.”

Winne said the end of food insecurity, while not a simple solution, is up to people holding the government more accountable, as well as non-profit groups working together to make a change.

Individuals also need to look for new solutions, he said.

“Think about what’s going on. Realize we have a fight on our hands,” he said. “Don’t say what we have now is the way it’s always been and the way it will always be.”

Thomas said the new online system, which was first used during OU Homecoming 2007, enhances reliability and efficiency.

“We also rewrote it with usability in mind,” Thomas said.

He said the new online system lets student candidates upload their photographs and biographies.

Thomas said the main focus of the new technology is making it easier for students to vote.

“I wish they had been around when I was a student,” Thomas said of the technological features.

OU honors veterans with ceremony OU kicked off Veterans Day early Tuesday morning with a ceremony that urged students to remember the men and women who have given their lives for the United States.

The short ceremony at the Oklahoma Memorial Union combined all four units of ROTC in singing of the national anthem and a prayer.

“Even though we’re all from different units, we can all come together,” said Nick Vallera, history junior and member of the Air Force ROTC. He said Veterans Day gives everyone a chance to honor and appreciate the service of all veterans, whether they fought in combat or not.

Students need to be aware of the sacrifices veterans have made, said Jacquelin Sandel, nursing junior and an MS-4 in Army ROTC. “It’s important for the ceremony to be held somewhere that’s accessible to students,” she said.

University College freshman Breanna Young said the ceremony offered an opportunity to show support for the troops, and to thank those who have fought in the past.

Young, a Navy ROTC midshipman, said she comes from a family of Marines, and was present to pay respect to “our veterans and fallen soldiers.”

Sandel said veterans have made a difference for American lives, and most people fail to realize that.

— PAIGE LAWLER/DAILY STAFF WRITER

CORRECTIONS • Due to an editor’s error, international and area studies professors Mark Frazier and Mitchell Smith were misidentified in a photo on the front page of Tuesday’s Daily. Mitchell Smith was in the center and Mark Frazier was on the right.

• Due to an editor’s error, the date of the Pearl Harbor attacks was stated incorrectly in a caption on the front page of Tuesday’s Daily. The harbor was bombed in 1941, not 1943.

• Due to an editor’s error, the word “recession” was used in a headline and story on the front page of Tuesday’s Daily. It was intended to mean a general economic slowdown, not a recession as defined by economists.

Technically, the United States is not in a recession, which is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The U.S. has experienced one quarter of negative growth, so whether the nation is in a recession or not will not be known until the next quarter’s growth numbers are released.

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

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

Campus News

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008

3

Some save lips for marriage CAITLIN HARRISON Daily Staff Writer Laura Abington and her fiancé, Jon Malone, are like any other engaged couple, except for one thing: they have never kissed each other.

Malone, English education graduate student, said he chose to wait to kiss Abington, math education senior, because he thinks a relationship before marriage should not be primarily physical.

“I think this time is for other things, particularly since our convictions are from the Bible, as far as its views on the nature of sex before marriage,” he said.

Malone said keeping the physical aspect out of the relationship has promoted better communication and allowed them to cultivate the mental and spiritual aspects of their relationship. It has also eliminated any temptation to go beyond kissing, he said.

“I really love Laura and I care for her, but I care for her enough that I don’t want to think of her in a purely physical way at this point because that would be my tendency,” Malone said.

Malone said he and Abington will probably kiss before their wedding date in June, if they think the time is right.

“It’s more my conviction than hers,” he said.

Although Malone and Abington’s wedding day kiss may not be their first, University College freshman Hannah Cooney’s will be.

Even though she has not met her husband yet, she is saving her first kiss for him. Like Malone and Abington, Cooney said religion played a pivotal role in her decision.

Cooney said she thinks she would become attached to anyone she kissed and wants to be attached in such a way only to her future husband.

“It’s like a piece of my heart that I’m giving away to someone else that I can’t ever fully get back,” she said. “If I don’t kiss anyone until I get married, then I still have all of myself for [my husband].”

Cooney hopes saving her first kiss for her husband will make their bond stronger.

“If I draw the line here, that means that, entering into marriage, my memory

of my first kiss will definitely be with him,” she said.

No one pressured Cooney into her decision not to kiss before marriage.

While she grew up in a Christian home, she said the choice was her own.

Malone said he also made his own decision, but advice from older married couples influenced his choice.

“They said to allow your relationship to develop,” he said. “One thing they regretted was they went too fast physically.”

Abington said she is glad she and Malone have waited to kiss.

“We don’t have to be constantly thinking about that or worry about that part of the relationship,” she said. “I think that’s really sweet and good.”

Waiting to kiss is something Cooney said she knows she will not regret. Even though her first kiss will be in public, she does not mind waiting.

“I’m hoping that my husband can see that decision I’ve made and say, ‘This girl is really quality,’” she said. “It would encourage him to be faithful to me, the way that I’ve been faithful to him before I even knew who he was.”

Photo illustration by Lindsey Allgood/The Daily

Local charities face financial woes in economic downturn • Charities look for other options while donations decrease RYAN BRYANT Daily Staff Writer

Saul Martinez/The Daily

Lynn Haynes, executive director of the Meals on Wheels of Norman, answers the phone Tuesday.

Haynes said Meals on Wheels still has volunteers showing up, despite the current financial crisis.

As the holiday season closes in, Lisa Sorrells is nervous.

Sorrells, the executive director of the Food and Shelter for Friends program in Norman, said donations have slumped.

“I’m just trying to stay optimistic,” she said.

Many charities throughout Norman have felt the pinch of the economic downturn, forcing them to change the way they provide aid to the city’s less fortunate.

The program, which provides temporary food and shelter for needy families and individuals, saw monetary donations drop 18 percent since this time last year, she said.

“If we can’t meet our fundraising goals by the end of the year, then we may have to cut some programs,” she said. “We’ve definitely got some contingency plans.”

The organization has already cut a gas voucher program that was in high demand, and may be forced to cut a long-distance travel program, which helps individuals stranded in Norman get to their desired locations across the country.

“We want people to definitely have a place to go when their economic situation becomes dire,” she said.

Diane Caribardi, the development director of Oklahoma’s chapter of the American Red Cross, said the slowing of the economy has created a decline in volunteers.

“It seems like people just aren’t as enthusiastic to volunteer,” she said. “There’s definitely something in the air.”

The American Red Cross saw several declines over the year, including donations from federal and state employees, which are down 16 percent and interest income from investments, which has dropped more than 75 percent.

“We’re definitely watching our dollars as

a result of the downturn,” Caribardi said.

Lynn Haynes, the executive director of Meals on Wheels of Norman, said her organization also has experienced some financial struggles as a result of the sagging economy.

“This is kind of a scary time for us,” she said. “Meal prices are expected to rise 10 percent, and higher fuel costs have really been affecting us.”

Haynes said donations have dropped by several thousand dollars since last year. She said she expects donations to slow even further, even as the need for them rises.

“Certainly, people won’t donate as often due to the unstable economy,” she said.

“Regardless, we still anticipate that we’ll be able to help people at the same rate. We’re preparing for hard times, and I expect that our job will get a little tougher.”

Haynes said despite financial difficulties, Meals on Wheels is trying to deliver food to those in need, but the program’s success depends on the how high food costs rise.

“We’re not looking to start waiting lists for people who need our program,” Haynes said. “Not yet.”

VOTE TODAY YOU ARE INVITED! Public Master Class IN THE UOSA ELECTION Marilyn Horne The IFC president and 15 seats in the undergraduate student congress are up for election.

Former Star of the Metropolitan Opera, praised by critics as having “the greatest voice of the 20th Century”

Polling sites have been set up from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at:

• Dale Hall • Bizzell Library • Student union • Cate Main • Lloyd Noble CART You can also vote online. To vote:

.

7 p.m.

Friday, November 14 Pitman Recital Hall

4

Opinion

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008

OUR VIEW

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

Daniel Deering— advertising senior

STAFF CARTOON

Generosity doesn’t always require money We know money’s tight.

Gas prices may be on the way down, but tuition’s up, a gallon of milk is still way too much and every economic forecast out there is predicting a nationwide slowdown that will prevent anyone in the class of 2009 who isn’t a petroleum engineering major from getting a job.

But the economic crisis has hit some people much harder than it has hit college students.

For those of us still in school, student loans, part-time jobs and the free food passed out at every group meeting help cushion the blow of economic instability.

Other people don’t have a similar safety net. People who are unemployed don’t enjoy any of the benefits that “poor college students” do. Many of them rely on charitable organizations for necessities like food, clothing and even shelter.

However, nonprofit is an editorial organizaselected and debated tions are by the editorial board reeling from and written after a majority opinion is the economformed and approved ic crisis just by the editor. Our View like everyis The Daily’s official one else. opinion.

(See page 1 for details.)

The charities that used to benefit from Americans’ generosity are finding their donor pools evaporating just as the number of people who need help expands.

College students need to do what they can to help mitigate the impact of the economic crisis on people who are already suffering.

Donating money may not be an option for most cash-strapped students.

However, nonprofit organizations need more than just money.

OUR VIEW

They need time and skills.

College students have free time during the middle of the day, when younger students and working adults are in school or at work.

Students are often well-versed in technology that nonprofits haven’t fully embraced yet.

Their experience with on-campus activities has given many of them fundraising and communication skills that are invaluable for charities desperate to increase their income.

They may not be rolling in the dough, but college students are rich in other assets — time, abilities, used clothing — that are valuable to charities.

As an economic crisis that is unprecedented for this generation makes itself felt at all levels of society, college students should be grateful for what they have and generous with what they can give.

STAFF COLUMN

Porn is taking over Nothing concerns me more than the state of moral values in our country.

It seems our collective decency is on the run, and it is important that we ask ourselves why and, more importantly, what we can do about it.

I’m no idiot. Sex sells.

Big businesses have no problem abusing that fact as long as they are profiting from it.

Consumers seem to have no problem with it either, considering they are the ones who keep buying into it.

We should have turned a blind eye like previous generations and stopped shopping at stores or purJORDAN chasing products that use excesROGERS sive sexuality as a marketing tool.

Instead, we have completely caved in and allowed the influence of idolized sexuality to smother us.

Fifty years ago, people used to be more conscious of the things they were buying and who they were buying them from.

People supported businesses considered to be whole, well-rounded and American. Wal Mart changed all that by making cost consumers’ primary concern. Nothing matters now, as long as purchases are cheap.

I fear we have become a country of mindless consumers who buy, buy, buy, never once considering what kind of people, ethics or businesses we are supporting.

Businesses take advantage of the reality that people aren’t judging business principles when shopping anymore.

Companies have been preying on the easily-influenced American mind for years now, but things have gone overboard recently.

I could talk for days about outsourcing or not paying Americans enough money while CEO’s make millions, but what I am most concerned about is sexuality in business.

Take Victoria’s Secret, for example. Victoria’s Secret was created in the 1970s by a man who felt uncomfortable buying lingerie for his wife. It was supposed to be a welcoming environment for men, built with large wooden walls so no one could see inside.

It was, essentially, a sex shop.

Now, as the biggest lingerie store in America, it sells clothing to women of all ages. Unfortunately, the clothes haven’t changed that much.

Victoria’s Secret, along with pop icons like Britney Spears and crude rap videos, popularized the thong

among women, especially young women.

But before the thong was sold in sex shops or to Britney, it was worn by strippers and prostitutes — and it wasn’t to hide their panty lines.

Who and what are influencing our clothes and ads?

The sex industry.

Now the thong is a popular female underwear product, and Abercrombie & Fitch has produced a line of them for 10-year-olds.

We need to think about what this means for us, for our children and for society.

People might say, “times are changing.”

Yes, times are changing — for the worse.

Divorce, corruption, younger people having sex, general unhappiness, depression, suicide: these things are just as prevalent as they ever have been, and they may be increasing. This is because we as a culture are submitting to a shallow, sex-focused lifestyle.

Look at what else is increasing: The porn industry is thriving, making $10 billion a year in the U.S. alone.

Pornography addiction is exponentially increasing and taking marriages out with it. Porn Web sites are constantly viewed on the Internet.

We need to realize that what we are doing by submitting to changing times is allowing the pornography industry, surely the most loathed industry in the world, to take over.

You can’t walk 10 feet in a commercial area without being bombarded by an advertisement that uses sex to sell. Women’s clothing advertisements in particular are ludicrous nowadays.

The newest Guitar Hero commercial has nothing but Heidi Klum playing the game in her underwear.

Fifty years ago, these kinds of ads or clothes would have been banned, not because they were illegal, but because people simply didn’t approve of them, and spent their money accordingly.

Now they flood our eyesight.

Is it any wonder 15-year-olds are posting nude pictures of themselves on the Internet, 12-year-olds are having sex, and 7-year-olds are wearing thongs?

This is what we are teaching them is appropriate.

Everyone should take a step back and pay attention to the ads they watch and they things they buy.

Think about whether you approve of companies’ means of advertising or the content of television shows.

If not, try to resist giving those companies your money.

We can change society if we want to. We just have to think about what we are buying.

YOUR VIEWS Top Daug diatribe baseless While I respect Eric Combs’ right to express his opinion regarding the reinstatement of Top Daug [see Tuesday’s Daily] and believe the university should be a marketplace of ideas, there were a few inconsistencies in Tuesday’s column.

First, he mentions that he believes there was a conspiracy to kill Top Daug. This is understandable, given that humans seek order and patterns and will come up with any crazy explanation for something that doesn’t fit their world view.

But a few paragraphs later, Combs acknowledges that the creation of Boomer and Sooner was part of a “student-led initiative.” It should be noted that this student-led initiative happened because interest in Top Daug was fading. While Billy Tubbs may have been a big man on campus, he has since been eclipsed by OU alumnus and mascot coach Erik Gransberg.

Also, Combs mentioned how he came to love Top Daug as a child going to basketball games.

As a former “Sooner” mascot, I spent countless hours brainwashing children to do my bidding by attending school assemblies and birthday parties.

To reintroduce a mascot they have no concept of would simply perplex these future OU drones, throwing them into an existential crisis and undoing all my hard work.

EDITOR’S NOTE: the following comment was posted on OUDaily.com in response to Kayle Barnes’ Tuesday column on racial issues that surfaced at Baylor University after the presidential election.

Baylor characterized unfairly I must say, there is no need to project the acts of an extremely small minority on the rest of the campus. That seems political and foolish.

The writer sharply narrows President Garland’s e-mail by saying intolerance is not the key, but then ironically titles the article with the same wording.

I agree, intolerance in and of itself cannot be an end, but a means by which we pursue more restrictive measures.

However, the portrayal of the Baylor student body in this article as consistently struggling with racist undertones is unfair, especially when the espoused contrast is OU, portrayed as a picturesque university where “public displays of racial hatred are not present.”

Altogether, the article presented addresses a fundamental and pivotal issue at universities nationwide, not just Baylor; however, the argument is unfortunately biased and misstated.

John Daxon Broadcast and electronic media senior, former OU mascot

“BU2009” Comment on OUDaily.com

WANT YOUR VIEWS IN THE DAILY?

CHECK OUT OUDAILY.COM AND COMMENT ON EDITORIALS, BLOGS, COLUMNS AND CARTOONS.

Jordan Rogers is an industrial engineering junior.

His column appears every other Wednesday.

STAFF COLUMN

Religious persecution should concern people of every religion

I N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T

of the Baha’i faith, let us examine the persecution faced by Baha’is in one of the most religiously conservative states in the world: Iran.

The persecution of Baha’is in Iran stands out because it was in Persia that Baha’u’llah founded the Baha’i faith.

In Iran, there are about 300,000 Baha’is – the second largest total in the world in terms of concentration, second only to India’s approximately 2 million. (There are about 150,000 in the United States.)

The idea that all manifestations of God are equal does not sit well with most of the major world religions, but it seems particularly threatening to Islam.

Baha’is they recognize that Mohammad is a prophet and important with regards to religious progress, but they deny that he is superior to any other prophet or that he was the final prophet. It is because of this belief that Baha’is are seen as apostates and a threat to Islam in general.

Following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Zoroastrians, Christians and Jews were granted limited civil rights as protected minorities in Iran, but Baha’is were excluded entirely.

Revolution leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini believed the Baha’i faith was not a religion, but a political faction.

V O I C E

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

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

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T H E The Fine Print:

T H E

or how serious the persecution of Baha’is around the world is.

Baha’u’llah founded the Baha’i faith in 1863 on the principle of the oneness of humankind.

Baha’is believe that humanity has progressed through periods of turbulence and is finally reaching a stage of maturity where a just and moral society can be established.

Baha’is are monotheistic and believe that JOE one God created the HUNT entire world.

Core tenets of their faith include avoiding alcohol, drugs and gambling. Baha’is also adhere to traditional definitions of marriage and eschew homosexual activity.

It is not the practice of these beliefs that cause Baha’is to be ostracized and persecuted against, but rather their unique perspective on prophets.

Central to the Baha’i faith is the belief that all manifestations of God, whether they be Jesus Christ, Moses or Mohammad, are equal to one another.

With this rudimentary understanding

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Being American citizens, we assume that the government and the nation are dedicated to preserving our individual freedoms.

Many of us feel that it is the only reason for government to exist at all.

The American system rests upon the idea that individual freedoms extend to everybody – including those whose beliefs differ from our own.

Unfortunately, it is not the same in every corner of the world. America is an anomaly because, while we may disagree with our neighbors over religion and politics, those disagreements are not sufficient cause to infringe upon another’s rights.

One international cause that has not received enough attention is the persecution of those who practice the Baha’i faith.

My initial guess as to why the discrimination against Baha’is has gone unnoticed in the West is that it has not attained the celebrity cult status afforded the genocide in Darfur.

Apparently, discrimination against a religious minority loses to mass murder of a racial minority in the hierarchy of worthy international causes.

It seems that Americans don’t care about the Baha’is. The reason is, most Americans don’t know what the Baha’i faith stands for

Khomeini proclaimed in an interview with Professor James Cockroft in 1979 that Baha’is represented a dangerous political faction and that they would have no rights in the new Iran.

Baha’i leaders in Iran were directly targeted following the Islamic Revolution, and they were routinely arrested, tortured and executed. In 1980, directly following the revolution, the National Spiritual Assembly, the body of Baha’is that governed the faith within Iran, was disbanded, and its seven leaders were arrested and executed without a trial.

In response, the Baha’is in Iran elected a new body, which also was arrested and executed.

In 1991, a memo circulated throughout Iran that was signed by the current supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. It stated that new silent forms of harassment and persecution would follow, including kicking Baha’is out of higher education, denying them employment and arresting them arbitrarily.

Today, the situation in Iran is not much different. Under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, attacks and persecution against Baha’is have grown worse. Baha’i shrines are desecrated, people are arrested without cause and people who practice

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the Baha’i faith are monitored by the state police. Their property is confiscated and people are still executed.

Perhaps one of the reasons the persecution of the Baha’is goes unnoticed is because of its relative impact.

Followers of Baha’i maintain that there are approximately 300,000 Baha’is in Iran, but Amnesty International proclaims that only 202 Baha’is have been executed since the Islamic Revolution.

Regardless of numbers, the persecution of Baha’is is important.

The idea that a country would persecute a people based on their religious beliefs is ludicrous.

It may not be a “sexy” humanitarian cause like the genocide in Darfur, but the Baha’i crisis in Iran demands our attention as well.

Ignorance is not a valid excuse. I’m a Catholic, and I recognize that the persecution of Baha’is is unwarranted, unjustified and immoral.

We must stand up for the Baha’i and the faith of all those oppressed around the world.

Joe Hunt is a history and economics senior. His column appears every other Wednesday.

O K L A H O M A

through Thursday, in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters can also be submitted via e-mail to dailyopinion@ou.edu.

Guest columns are accepted at editor’s discretion. ’Our View’ is the voice of The Oklahoma Daily.

Editorial Board members are The Daily’s editorial staff.

The board meets 1 p.m. Sundays in 160 Copeland Hall.

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

Sports

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

STAFF COLUMN

Don’t get excited yet, Sooner fans ince the upsetting loss against Texas last month, the main focus for OU has been to win out and hope that everything falls accordingly so they can still represent the Big 12 in the national championship game.

The chances weren’t looking good for a while.

Following the loss, three teams in the South division were above OU in the conference rankings.

Texas then ripped through Missouri and pulled out a nail-biter against Oklahoma State, cementing the Longhorns’ spot as the No. 1 team in the nation.

Their Big 12 dominance seemed virtually MJ assured.

CASIANO But then Texas Tech created chaos when it beat Texas on a last-second touchdown between two Heisman candidates — quarterback Graham Harrell and wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

Then last week, Sooner fans again cheered for Texas Tech against OSU, so there would be a top-five matchup in Norman next weekend.

The Red Raiders absolutely demolished OSU, only extending Harrell’s chances of winning the Heisman.

If the Sooners can beat the No. 2 Red Raiders in Norman next weekend, there will be a three-way tie, which can lead to everything working out just fine for OU. So now it seems like the road to the championship is back on track, but don’t be confident quite yet.

Let’s look back to the OU and Texas Tech games this past weekend. First, OSU has a much better offense than Texas A&M. In fact, OSU has the No. 6 (42.8 ppg) scoring offense in the nation, while Texas A&M is No. 51 (27.0 ppg).

As I recall, the Aggies scored 28 points against an OU defense that is supposed to be better than Texas Tech’s, but the Red Raiders only gave up 20 against an outstanding offense.

The point that I’m trying to make is that OU is the thirdbest team in the Big 12, and hasn’t proven itself worthy of representing the conference in the national championship.

The game between OU and Texas Tech is basically for all the marbles, with two of the best offenses in the nation playing for a possible bid into the national championship.

I understand everything looks great right now, but don’t forget that OU still has to beat OSU on the road, and Bedlam is never easy.

Let’s just hold off on celebrating until after we know the results.

S

— MJ CASIANO IS A BROADCAST AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA SOPHOMORE.

5

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008

Volleyball returns to Norman Texas Tech, who is winless in conference play.

Since defeating Texas Tech, the Jayhawks dropped their next four road outings and have proven to be unpredictable when away from Lawrence, Kan. In those four road losses, Kansas was out-hit by each of its opponents and gave up a hitMATT WELCH ting clip of over .250 in all but Daily Staff Writer one of those losses. Head coach Santiago Restrepo said dictating If there was ever a time for the pace of the match will be the OU volleyball team to string crucial. together a winning streak, that “They’re a good team and time is now. they’re very fast,” Restrepo said.

Coming off a pair of road loss- “They’ve been through a lot, so es to two of the Big 12’s more we just need to match their accomplished defenses in No. efforts and play our game.”

14 Kansas State and Missouri, Despite Kansas’ sub-.500 conthe Sooners open a three-match ference record, the Jayhawks home stand tonight when they bested the Sooners in four sets host Kansas. in Lawrence on Oct. 18.

First serve is set for 7 p.m.

While the Sooners out-hit, from McCasland Field House, out-blocked and committed 10 and the first 250 fans in atten- fewer attack errors than Kansas, dance will receive an OU mouse the Jayhawk defense rose to the pad. occasion, recording 74 digs to With only one road match OU’s 59, and Laplante said the remaining — the Nov. 26 sea- Sooners will need to return to son finale at Colorado — the favor tonight.

Sooners (10-14, 6-10 Big 12) have “They put up a big block a prime opportunity to close and they have really powerful out the 2008 hitters,” season on Laplante a high note said. “Our and junior defense is outside hitgoing to be ter Bridget really key, Laplante is as well as excited to our serve finally be receive.” back home.

T h e “I feel — Junior Bridget Laplante J a y h a w k s we’ve had are comquite a few ing off their games on the road recently,” first pair of consecutive sweeps Laplante said. “It’s always good this season, with defeats of to play in front of your home Texas Tech and Colorado last crowd, so we’re excited.” week. The victories notched Playing outside of Norman sophomore outside hitter Karina has been a daunting task for OU Garlington and freshman setter this season, who has only man- Nicole Tate conference honors aged two road victories in Big as the Big 12 Offensive Player 12 play. and Rookie of the Week, respecTo the Sooner’s advantage, tively. the same can be said for the Garlington, whose 3.77 kills Jayhawks (12-12, 6-9 Big 12), per set rank fourth in the Big who have notched only one 12, managed 17 kills against the road victory during their conference schedule — a 3-1 defeat of

• Sooners hope to break twomatch losing streak

“It’s always good to play in front of your home crowd, so we’re excited.”

Amy Frost/The Daily

Sophomore middle blocker Francie Ekwerekwu spikes the ball during OU’s Oct. 15 match against Colorado. Since then, the Sooners have played three of their last five matches on the road, but return to Norman tonight to play Kansas.

Sooners in their previous meeting and while the Sooner defense will be pivotal, the offense will need to match Garlington’s firepower.

In OU’s losses to No. 14 Kansas State and Missouri, only one Sooner – Laplante – broke the double-digit mark for kills, recording 14 against Kansas State, and she said the Sooners need to stick to the basics if they plan on breaking their cur-

rent offensive slump.

“We’ve been playing against great defenses,” Laplante said.

“The other team is obviously going to make our stats lower, but we just need to keep being aggressive and keep working hard and things will eventually fall our way.”

Following Kansas, the home stand continues on Wednesday, Nov. 19, when the Sooners host Texas A&M at 7 p.m.

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Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008

Arts & Entertainment

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

A&E BRIEFLY Sources: Laura Bush looking into book deal potential to be dark and gritty, as it will also feature villains the Joker and serial-killer Victor Zsasz. Although Smith has left comic runs unfinished in the past to work on film projects, his stories have been consistently entertaining, combining solid plots and action with his trademark post-modern humor. This issue will likely be worth picking up regardless of its future.

• The Daily’s Tim Bennett looks at this week’s comic releases.

TIM BENNETT

‘JSA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL SUPERMAN #1’ Alex Ross and Geoff Johns have done well in Johns’ “Justice Society of America” series by blending Ross’ “Kingdom Come” world with the regular DC Universe. This story, however, is written entirely by Alex Ross, who, although established in the medium as a legendary artist, has never been as recognized for his writing skills. Why, then, is the “Kingdom Come Special” sure to be one of the top issues of the week? Ross is pulling double-duty on the issue as both writer and interior artist, a first in his career. Johns and Ross have already done the difficult writing work of mashing the two worlds together, and the Justice Society’s characters are a perfect fit for Ross’s majestic depiction of superheroes.

‘Leave It to Beaver’ actor to show at the Louvre

Photo provided

‘DETECTIVE COMICS #850’

Photo provided

‘BATMAN CACOPHONY #1’ Writer and director of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” and the classic “Clerks” Kevin Smith returns to comic writing with his first story to star the world’s greatest detective. This issue is the first of a three-part miniseries, which features Onomatopoeia, one of Smith’s villain creations from his respected run on “Green Arrow.”

Despite Smith’s tendency toward the lighthearted, the story has the

NEW YORK — Laura Bush wants to write a memoir and will be meeting with several publishers, according to three publishing executives with knowledge of the proceedings.

They asked not to be identified, saying discussions are in the early stages and highly confidential.

An object of fascination even among those who didn’t vote for her husband, the first lady has said little about her private life or her White House years. She’s known as a passionate reader, and a book contract could rival Hillary Rodham Clinton’s $8 million deal for 2003’s “Living History.”

While publishers have urged President Bush to hold off on shopping a proposal, citing his poor approval ratings, they have expressed great enthusiasm about his wife.

Sally McDonough, Mrs. Bush’s spokeswoman, said Tuesday that the first lady “has expressed interest in writing a book after she leaves” the White House, and is pursuing the prospect. But she would not discuss or confirm whether the first lady’s private schedule has included any meetings with publishers.

“I’m sure when there is a book deal, there will be an announcement,” McDonough said.

Grant Morrison’s “Batman R.I.P.” storyline is making headlines as Morrison keeps readers wondering if Bruce Wayne will continue to be Batman.

“Detective Comics” writer Paul Dini, however, has been telling a different, but equally compelling, storyline. “Detective” has been following the return of a recent fan-favorite villain, Hush, a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne’s whose twisted mind has left him determined to kill Batman at any cost. Pick up Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s “Batman: Hush” trades to see Batman’s first encounter with the villain and learn his backstory. Dini has done an excellent job expanding the characterization of Hush while keeping the action moving the story.

LOS ANGELES — Eat your heart out, Eddie Haskell.

Tony Dow, best known as the actor who portrayed The Beav’s big brother, Wally, in the ‘50s TV series “Leave It to Beaver,” will have one of his abstract sculptures on display at the Louvre. Several sculptors from the Karen Lynne Gallery — including Dow — will have their works shown at the historic art museum in Paris as part of the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts exhibition.

“Having something shown at the Louvre is about as good as you can get,” said Dow, who lives in Los Angeles, “especially when it’s a juried show like this where there’s a panel of judges who pick the pieces to be in the exhibition. I’m a little humbled by the whole thing but grateful nonetheless.”

Dow, who has also worked as a director and visual effects producer on several TV shows, has been painting and sculpting since he was a teenager.

The 63-year-old artist’s sculpture that will be shown at the Louvre from Dec. 11 to Dec. 14 is titled “Unarmed Warrior” and is a bronze figure of a woman holding a shield.

“Of course, I’m really proud of ‘Leave It to Beaver’ and my directing career in television,” said Dow. “Those are great accomplishments. I’m really proud of them, but this is interesting because I don’t think they know anything about that at the Louvre.”

Bruce Springsteen appears in food bank ad HILLSIDE, N.J. — Bruce Springsteen wants to make sure one bank remains solvent: the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.

The singer will appear in a newspaper ad for the state’s largest food bank that says: “We Can’t Let This Bank Fail!”

Springsteen has been a supporter of the food bank for 23 years, often donating proceeds from concerts or encouraging fans to bring food donations to his shows. This is the first time he’s lent his image to the anti-hunger campaign.

— AP Photo provided

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News Briefs NATIONAL NEWS Poll shows confidence that Obama’s economic plan can fix faltering system

tory on Jan. 20? Good luck finding a room.

You might be able to ante up $40,000 for a four-night stay at a fancy hotel, or you can crash on someone’s couch or floor.

Anything in between is just about gone for Barack Obama’s Inauguration.

With hotels nearly booked up, lots of out-of-towners are suddenly deciding it’s time to pay a visit to friends or relatives here. Others are more imaginative.

“Your apartment in Washington DC for a week ... for my apartment in Beverly Hills, CA,” says one ad. “It’s nothing large, just a smallish 1 bedroom, but it’s smack dab in 90210!”

“With this being such a historical event, people are truly making the most out of it,” said Doug Camp, marketing director at the sold-out Hay-Adams Hotel on Lafayette Square across from the White House. “It’s almost like another Millennium experience.”

WASHINGTON — In one of the economy’s darkest hours in decades, it looks as if people are taking Barack Obama up on his exhortations for hope and change.

Seventy-two percent voice confidence the president-elect will make the changes needed to revive the stalling economy, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll released Tuesday.

Underscoring how widely the public is counting on its new leader, 44 percent of Republicans joined nearly all Democrats and most independents in expressing that belief.

The poll shows trust in Obama’s ability to succeed is even broader, at least for now. Sixty-eight percent said they think when he takes office in January, the new president will be able to enact the policies he pushed during his presidential WORLD NEWS campaign.

“I don’t think one person, the president or otherwise, can Taiwan president arrested; complains of fix the problems,” said Ryan Anderson, 31, a Democrat from Bloomington, Minn. “But I have strong faith that he’ll assemble mistreatment between hearings the right group of individuals to address the problems. I think TAIPEI, Taiwan — A Taiwanese court ordered former President that’s going to be a benchmark of Obama’s presidency.”

Chen Shui-bian held on corruption charges Wednesday, an ignominious decision for a man who won acclaim for standing Government launches new mortgage aid up to China with pro-independence policies.

The ruling came at the end of a marathon 21-hour court effort; some say it’s not enough hearing that began with lengthy interrogation Tuesday but WASHINGTON — Once again, the government has offered a was interrupted by a trip to the hospital and didn’t conclude plan to help troubled homeowners. Once again, critics say it until dawn Wednesday. doesn’t go far enough.

Chen, who has denied any wrongdoing, was ordered under The plan announced Tuesday by federal officials and mortan order that does not constitute an indictment. He can be held gage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac sounds sweeping in for four months before being formally charged. its approach: Borrowers would get reduced interest rates or As prosecutors prepare their case, Chen is expected to be longer loan terms to make their payments more affordable. held in the same jail in suburban Taipei where, as a dissident But there’s a catch. The plan focuses on loans Fannie and leader 21 years ago, he served eight months for defaming an Freddie own or guarantee. They are the dominant players in official of the ruling Nationalist Party during the waning days the U.S. mortgage market but represent only 20 percent of of Taiwan’s infamous martial law regime. delinquent loans.

The hearing was interrupted for several hours after the Sheila Bair, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., former leader complained that he had been injured while besaid the plan “falls short of what is needed to achieve wideing transported from a prosecutors’ office to the nearby court scale modifications of distressed mortgages.” building. He was returned to the court after doctors found he With the government spending billions to aid distressed had sustained only a minor muscle tear, said court spokesman banks, “we must also devote some of that money to fixing the Huang Chun-ming. front-end problem: too many unaffordable home loans,” Bair said in a statement.

Egypt unveils discovery of 4,300-year-old pyramid south of famous Giza pyramids

Hotel rooms vanishing quickly for Inauguration day in D.C. WASHINGTON — Heading to the capital city to be part of his-

SAQQARA, Egypt — Archaeologists have discovered a new pyramid under the sands of Saqqara, an ancient burial site that has yielded a string of unearthed pyramids in recent years but

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remains largely unexplored.

The 4,300-year-old monument most likely belonged to the queen mother of the founder of Egypt’s 6th Dynasty and was built several hundred years after the famed Great Pyramids of Giza, antiquities chief Zahi Hawass told reporters in announcing the find Tuesday.

The discovery is part of the sprawling necropolis and burial site of the rulers of ancient Memphis, the capital of Egypt’s Old Kingdom, about 12 miles south of Giza.

All that remains of the pyramid is a 16-foot-tall structure that had been buried under 65 feet of sand.

“There was so much sand dumped here that no one had any idea there was something buried underneath,” said Hawass.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008

7

military offensives and U.S. missile strikes.

Some 60 masked militants blocked the route at several points before overpowering the convoy, said Fazal Mahmood, a government official in the Khyber tribal region. He identified the attackers as members of Pakistan’s Taliban movement.

Security forces traded fire with the gunmen but were forced to retreat, he said. The militants took about 13 trucks along with the drivers, who were believed to be Pakistani.

Pakistan: Militants seize convoy for US-led forces in frontier province PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Suspected Taliban fighters hijacked trucks carrying Humvees and other supplies for U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan, authorities said Tuesday after a brazen attack near the Khyber Pass that underscored the militants’ grip across key mountain strongholds.

The assault highlighted the vulnerability of a vital supply route for the 65,000 U.S. and NATO forces battling a resurgent Taliban in landlocked Afghanistan. A significant amount of supplies for the Western forces go through Pakistan.

Attacks on convoys carrying food, fuel and other supplies are common on the road. But Monday’s raid was especially Local Pakistani tribal people stand near an armored large and well-organized. It also could further strain U.S.Pakistani relations over rooting out Taliban and al-Qaida car reportedly hijacked by militants Monday, 34 miles militants along the border, which remain entrenched despite northwest of Peshawar, Pakistan.

AP Photo

8

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Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008

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

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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 Traditions Spirits has a few rare openings for COCKTAIL SERVERS at Riverwind Casino. Must be 21 and have open availability. Apply in person at 2815 SE 44th, Norman. 2 1/2 miles west of Riverwind Casino on Highway 9 service road. For info 405-392-4550.

Attention Student Work $15 Base/Appt Flex sched, scholarships possible, customer sales/service, no exp nec, all ages 17+, conditions apply. Norman/OKC/Moore Call Now, 405-307-0979 Daylight Donuts now how hiring part time cashier.

Starting pay $7.50/hour. Early morning shifts.

Flexible hours. Contact Jung at 405-366-7730

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.

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

PRE-LEASE FOR JANUARY $99 Deposit/ NO app fee!

1/2 off first months rent!

Models open 8a-8p Everyday!

7 locations to choose from!

Elite Properties 360-6624 or www.elite2900.com Brookhollow & The Cedars, 1-2-3 bed apt homes, approx 1 mi from OU. Great prices & service.

Your home away from home! 405-329-6652

HOUSES UNFURNISHED Near OU, 3 bed, 1.5 bth, ch/a, garage, no pets, 504 Inwood Dr, $750/mo., deposit required. Call 996-6592 or 329-1933 Westside Norman, 2 bd, 2.5 bth, wash/dryer, wet bar, 1 car gar., $700/mo, flex lease. 590-2256.

NOW LEASING FOR MAY 2009, nice 3 bed brick house 1 & 2 blks west of OU on College or Chautauqua Ave. call BOB Mister Robert Furniture 109 E. Main 321-1818, or stop by to apply for other sizes.

Nice, large 3-4 bd, 826 Jona Kay, 3/2/2/2 living, fp, 2000sf, $950/mo; 2326 Lindenwood, 4/2.5/2/3 living, 2400sf, $995/mo. 360-2873 or 306-1970.

!

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TAKE A SMALL STEP TO GET HEALTHY

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www.smallstep.gov

Blueberries and red beans are powerful remedies against cancer. Research shows that fruits, vegetables, and other low-fat vegetarian foods may help prevent cancer and improve survival rates. A plantbased diet can also help lower cholesterol.

For a free nutrition booklet with cancer fighting recipes, call tollfree 1-866-906-WELL or visit www.CancerProject.org

Being

NUMBER ONE is nothing to celebrate.

This year, more than 163,000 people will die from lung cancer—making it America’s

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Join Lung Cancer Alliance in the fight against this disease. lungcanceralliance.org

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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.

Winter Specials Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker November 12, 2008

Classified Display Ads

ACROSS 1 Phone button below 7 5 Scrubs for surgery 10 Auction utterance 14 Crest holder 15 Usher’s territory 16 Declare confidently 17 “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay� singer Redding 18 Map feature 19 Box-office backup 20 Trying to look important 23 Blast furnace input 24 Ten below?

25 Sports palace 28 Word of possibility 30 Get a grin out of 34 Tom, Dick and Harry 35 Abe’s role in “The Godfather�

36 They are current 37 Brilliant idea 41 As a result of this 42 Prefix with “classic� or “natal�

43 Words with “shoestring� or “roll�

44 Counterpart of substance

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

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

POLICY The Oklahoma Daily is responsible for one day’s incorrect advertising. If your ad appears incorrectly, or if you wish to cancel your ad, call 405.325.2521 before the deadline for cancellation in the next issue. Refunds will not be issued for early cancellation.

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45 Whodunit hero Archer 46 Sneeze need 48 Balmy getaway 50 Taro output 51 Make a person crazy 59 Calcutta queen 60 Where to find the world in two dimensions 61 ___ fixe (obsessive thought) 62 Big name in cosmetics 63 Wooded valleys 64 Ardor 65 Museum extension 66 Moccasin without laces 67 Twisted rope?

DOWN 1 What you should do when you see red 2 Tarlatan garment 3 “Isn’t that ___ much?�

4 Be content (with “one’s laurels�)

5 “Common Sense� guy 6 Symbol of troth 7 Exxon predecessor, in the U.S. 8 More than sufficient 9 Altercation

10 Certain vendors 11 Love poet 12 Lanternjawed Jay 13 Vestige 21 “Of Thee I Sing� lyricist Gershwin 22 ___-ho 25 Indian maids 26 Roll back to zero 27 It may require a fee 28 Actress Busch of many Laurel and Hardy films 29 In isolation 31 It’s divided into chapters 32 Was atrocious 33 Calvin Trillin piece 35 Firmament 36 Something to stroke

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

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“THINKING GREEN� by Ken Swalls

The onset of eye disease may not be as visible as the appearance of new wrinkles. An eye doctor can spot the early warning signs of vision problems like glaucoma and macular degeneration, as well as other serious health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Early detection is key.

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

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

Previous Answers

38 Experiencing again 39 Beyond zaftig 40 Sprinkling 45 Of the pre-Easter season 46 Mortar trough 47 Better ventilated 49 Prepares a cannon 50 Deputized group 51 Take a card 52 Musician Shankar 53 Look ___ (visit briefly) 54 First name in scat 55 Kind of radio 56 Between gigs 57 Minimumrange tide 58 Vegas game

National News & Details

Anti-abortion groups jolted by defeats

Names are compiled from the Norman Police Department or the OU Department of Public Safety. The report serves as a public record of arrests or citations, not convictions.

The people here are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION Joseph Earl Babb, 33, 3400 block W. Main Street, Monday, also petty larceny

DAVID CRARY Associated Press

NEW YORK — Despite election setbacks on many fronts, anti-abortion leaders sound more defiant than deflated as they brace for a future with fewer friends in high places.

With Democrats soon to be in full control in Washington, tactics for anti-abortion groups are likely to refocus on street protests, grass-roots activism and state legislation. One major three-day protest is scheduled to start in the nation’s capital on Jan. 21, a day after Barack Obama’s inauguration as president.

“The election forces the prolife movement to go back to what we do best — local grass-roots organizing,” said the Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition. “We will not go silently into the night.”

At almost every level, last week’s election was a stinging defeat for the anti-abortion movement, starting with Obama’s presidential victory. Priests for Life said voters “made a grave mistake,” while Mahoney’s group, in a refrain shared by many conservatives, contended that Obama will be “the most radical pro-abortion president” in U.S. history.

In Congress, supporters of abortion rights now hold 17 more seats in the House and at least four more in the Senate, according to NARAL Pro-Choice America. And at the state level, voters in Colorado, South Dakota and California defeated ballot measures that would have banned or restricted abortions.

Obama’s election also dashed hopes within the anti-abortion movement for possible Supreme Court vacancies over the next four years to be filled by judges who might support reversal of Roe v.

Wade, the 1973 decision establishing a right to abortion.

The overall outcome “brings about feelings of great disappointment, of anger,” said the Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life. “But that disappointment and anger are forms of energy. ... I believe a lot of people on the sidelines for last eight years will now get engaged.”

Pavone predicted that activists would stage more mass demonstrations and abortion-clinic vigils.

He also said the election results shed light on the movement’s weak points, and would prompt new efforts to register anti-abortion voters and mobilize clergy to be more outspoken in future campaigns.

Another outlet for activism is the ever-growing network of local pregnancy centers run by anti-abor-

POLICE REPORTS

COUNTY WARRANT Douglas Steven Murray, 32, E. State Highway 9, Monday Brandon Blake Booker, 25, 1400 block Asp Avenue, Friday

MUNICIPAL WARRANT Shari Catlin Brady, 39, 200 block W. Gray Street, Monday

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008

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

AGGRAVATED DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE John Edwin Easterbrook, 46, 1300 block Cedar Creek Street, Sunday Roderick Donta Henderson, 34, 1800 block N. Flood Avenue, Monday, also county warrant

THURSDAY STUDENT MEDIA Free portraits will be available at 10 a.m. at the Union.

UPB

TODAY ASIAN-AMERICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION “Asian Oklahoma Night,” the annual showcase highlighting different Asian cultures, will be at 6:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Molly Shi Boren Ballroom.

STUDENT MEDIA Free portraits will be available at 9 a.m. at the Union.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Damon Wade Kornele, 31, 200 block E. Brooks Street, Sunday Jeremy Keith Bread, 19, 300 block W. First Street, Saturday Toby Tramaine Jordan, 32, Boyd Street, Saturday Jeremy Asa Gordon, 21, Boyd Street, Friday

9

CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUS A bible study will be at 12:30 p.m. in the Union’s Heritage Room.

UPB A seminar on time management will be at 3 p.m. in Carnegie Building, room 200.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

• Holiday cards will be available to make at 11:30 a.m. at the Union’s lobby.

• A health seminar will be at 3 p.m. in the Carnegie Building, room 200.

FRED FILMS A film will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. CIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL “JAM for Service” will be at 7 p.m. in the Union’s Molly Shi Boren Ballroom.

AMERICAN INDIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION A general meeting will be at 7 p.m. at the Jim Thorpe Multicultural Center.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC As part of the Sutton Faculty Concert Series, a percussion performance will be at 8 p.m. at the Sharp Concert Hall.

The team will play the University of Kansas at 7 p.m. at Howard McCasland Field House.

CARRYING A CONCEALED WEAPON Tavosky Keayon Foreman, 23, E. State Highway 9, Monday, also possession of firearm after conviction of felony AP Photo

Samantha Scarlata and her son, Kade, cheer for the cameras at the Vote Yes for Life election celebration on Election Day in Sioux Falls, S.D.. With Democrats now in full control in Washington, tactics for anti-abortion groups are likely to refocus on street protests, grass-roots activism and state legislation.

UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF PARAPHERNALIA Steven Michael Laurent, 19, 200 block Woodcrest Drive, Monday, also possession of marijuana

tion staffers who seek to persuade young women with unintended pregnancies to choose adoption or single motherhood over abortion.

“While legislative efforts to protect the unborn and women from abortion may be limited in future years, the work of pregnancy centers is advancing stronger than ever,” said Melinda Delahoyde, president of Care Net. Her network supports 1,100 centers, and is concentrating expansion efforts in black and Hispanic inner-city areas.

Delahoyde said she hoped Obama would live up to his campaign rhetoric and reach out to groups with different views, including the anti-abortion movement.

HOROSCOPE

By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008 You’re likely to be much more of a free spirit in the year ahead, opening up many new avenues with the potential to expand your horizons. A number of happy developments could occur as a result.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Because your perceptiveness is particularly keen, it will enable you to absorb useful information at a remarkable speed. Perk up your ears when among those who are in the know.

SOONERS at O-TRIPLE- C

Save a Life.

Call the Hotline at

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- You could be far more skillful than usual at this time when managing the affairs of others. Don’t hesitate to use your abilities in ways that’ll prove beneficial to your family, co-workers or friends.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Restraints that are keeping you from being all that you can be will begin to loosen up. It might be due, in part, to new associates.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Take time to determine whether a current project has great potential to take you where you want to go. It might actually have more potential than you thought.

325-5000

to report hazing, illegal or unsafe drinking.

All calls are anonymous.

The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- A number of business problems can be resolved if you do so in a convivial environment that puts everyone at ease. Make arrangements ahead of time to meet at just such a place.

7777 S. 7777 S Ma May AAve., May ve., OOkl ve Oklahoma klah ahom hom omaa City City Cit Ci ty

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -You might be surprised when you

discover that someone you didn’t expect to like turns out to be a terrific person. In fact, he or she could become a staunch ally.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Your views are likely to be sought after by those with whom you mingle on a friendly plane, because they’ll sense you have something extraordinary going for you at this time -- foresight.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Think big, especially in a situation that involves another participant. There are strong possibilities that you could greatly expand this involvement into something valuable.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- When it comes to analyzing factors that could affect relationships, trust them and act on them. Your judgment is keener than usual, and your conclusions will be right on target.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Although you like new things, don’t hesitate to transform what is obsolete into something functional and useful when you think it’s possible. It may be your greatest asset.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Friends are apt to be exceptionally supportive of you at this time for reasons known only to them. If you need their help or advice, don’t hesitate to call.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Be praiseworthy of co-workers or those who are performing some kind of service for you. Acknowledgement of their abilities could be the fuel that encourages them to do a better job.

10

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008

Arts & Entertainment

Game review: ‘Gears of War 2’ Rating: M Epic Games Platforms: Xbox 360 Rarely is a video game produced that absolutely astounds the masses. It’s nice to say that “Gears of War 2,” the sequel to the fastest-selling video game of 2006, does just that.

Continuing where the last game left off, the humans on the planet Sera are still waging a war against the unstoppable force of the Locust Horde. An attack on the subterranean Locust lair in the first game failed and provoked the full force of their maniacal army. Human cities around their world have now been sunken into abysmal pits created by the underground foe, and the last bit of humanity worth fighting for is nearly lost. Now that there is nothing left to defend, humanity has turned to a new tactic: attack.

Players once again assume the role of Marcus Fenix, a hardened soldier with a sketchy past who carries the weight of the war on his shoulders. You lead the Delta Squad, accompanied by some returning characters as well as a couple of fresh faces.

After a quick run of training, you’re thrust into the offensive and geared up for one of gaming’s greatest thrill rides. It truly feels like you are playing a summer blockbuster action film.

It’s easy to see that the story plays a Photo provided larger role in the sequel than the original, where plot took a backseat to gut-wrenching, gore-tastic, shoot-em-up fun. The writing has improved as well. Characters crack better jokes and actually give emotion-evoking performances. You’ll particularly fancy Dom’s arc if you like a good story. Aside from this improvement in script, you’ll still hear a few cheesy lines similar to those that characterized much of the first game.

The graphics have vastly improved over the two year span, leaving some gamers wandering around the maps simply taking in detail. The vast, cavernous home of the Locust Horde as well as the sunken cities of Sera provide great landscapes for gamers to realize just how much visual work was put into the game.

Not only have these technical aspects of the game improved, but

Photo provided

“Gears of War 2” puts players in the role of Marcus Fenix, a soldier who leads a squad that combats the Locust Horde. the fun factor has been renovated, too. “GoW2” is still the fast-paced, third-person shooter that brings enjoyment to obliterating massive quantities of adversaries with inventive weapons, but this time around there are cooler weapons with even squishier bad guys to use them on. Flamethrowers, turrets and mortars are but a few of the new stock for players to equip.

The multiplayer mode makes a triumphant comeback and promises to be exciting as well.

According to Xbox Live, the original game was the most played multiplayer of 2007. With the new improvements, the sequel seems like a shoo-in for this title again.

It’s safe to bet that “Gears of War 2” will be one of the greatest releases on the Xbox 360 this holiday season. With a new, reloaded solo mode and an awesome multiplayer mode, you will be spending a lot of hours on this one. Just make sure you go to finals, OK?

Photo provided

Flamethrowers, turrets and mortars are among the new weapons in “Gears of War 2.”

— LUKE ATKINSON/THE DAILY

WANT MORE VIDEO GAME REVIEWS? Visit oudaily.com for The Daily’s review of “Tom Clancy’s EndWar,” out now for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Photo provided

Photo provided

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Call:

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Walk in today Union, Traditions room 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

We offer sessions in the spring, but appointments fill quickly.

Sooner yearbook is a publication of OU Student Media in the division of Student Affairs.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.