As a numbing north wind rolled along the Oklahoma Memorial Union, runners approached the starting line and braced them-selves against the wind’s icy grasp.
Dispersed among a sea of hood-ies and beanies, members of the group outside the Union also were wearing tutus, Mario and snow-men costumes.
In the cruel temperatures be-fore the Doubles Dash 5K, noses were running long before the race began.
Over the weekend, 98 students and Norman residents braved the below-freezing temperatures and participated in the inaugu-ral event, hosted by the Campus Activity Council and benefiting the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Oklahoma.
Through registration fees gathered before event, approxi-mately $3,000 will be donated through Dance Marathon, and
the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Foundation will match every dol-lar of the donation. The dona-tion will help fund research and support families that can’t afford treatment.
Nick Aguilera , programming di-rector for CAC Dance Marathon, said the initial goal for the fund-raising event was to break even, but registration for the event unex-pectedly soared.
“The real reason we wanted to do the 5K is to lay a foundation to become better and better in the following years,” Aguilera said.
The race also was meant to raise awareness for the upcom-ing Dance Marathon on March 3, Aguilera said.
“We were thinking of a unique event that could help us reach the greater Norman community and raise proper awareness for CAC Dance Marathon,” Aguilera said.
W W W . O U D A I L Y . C O M 2 0 1 1 G O L D C R O W N F I N A L I S TM O N D A Y , F E B R U A R Y 1 3 , 2 0 1 2
Th e University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
Sooner hoops to ‘Pack the Place Pink’ for No. 3 UConn (page 3)
OPiniOnOkla. House to consider pro-transparency bills the bills would make it easier for the public to access state information — and ou needs to do the same. (Page 4)
Life & arts‘the Vow’ could be good or bad depending on youtwo columnists debate whether ‘the Vow’ is up to par with other romantic comedies and worth seeing. (Page 7)
OU Paintball club headed to nationalsthe club, founded in April by ou students, beat Baylor, 3-1, at a tournament Saturday in San Antonio. (campus)
Students do the macarena at the pink and Black Ball on Saturday at the Sam Noble museum of Natural history. it was the eighth annual fundraiser, sponsored by the ou Women’s outreach center. (Page 6)
Wednesday
Wednesday
friday
spending records for UOsa, campus activities council, graduate student senate and student congress for the past three academic years —to monitor purchases and allocations made by four branches of uoSA.
cleveland county Health Department inspection reports of private food service groups that serve the 22 OU greek houses — to ensure private food service contractors are complying with state food service codes.
current contracts between OU and all food franchises on campus — to learn more about the terms and conditions of those contracts.
The Daily’s open record requestsRequested document and purpose Date requested
LectUre
impact of Darwin’s theory examined
ARIANNA PICKARDcampus Reporter
Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection and what evolution has to say about
the nature of humans was the focus of an OU profes-sor’s lecture Sunday night in the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History’s Kerr Auditorium.
N e a r l y 2 0 0 p e o p l e squeezed into the audito-rium to listen to Piers Hale, history of modern science
professor, celebrate Darwin’s 203rd birthday with a lec-ture entitled “Reconsidering Darwinian Ethics : From the ‘Origin of Species’ to the ‘Descent of Man.’”
The lecture was a part of Darwin Day, an event held to commemorate Darwin’s insight and contributions to
natural history, Hale said.Hale said many people
have debated how Darwin’s theory of natural selection applies to human morality. Some people say if natural se-lection works to preserve the human race, then humans are essentially self-interested and selfish, he said.
People have said these traits make natural selection something that shouldn’t be taught to children because it can lead to competitive indi-vidualism, Hale said.
But he disagrees.In his book, “Descent of
Man,” this was not Darwin’s interpretation — he wrote
that natural selection encour-ages the obligation to help and serve others, Hale said.
Hale was the recipient of the 2010 General Education Award from OU and was re-cently elected as a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, the world’s oldest active biological society.
arcHaeOLOgy
Bones found near riverMammoth tooth, jaw discovered on Oklahoma land
PAIGHTEN HARKINScampus Reporter
An OU archaeologi-cal team is working with a Carnegie, Okla., land owner to locate and iden-tify extinct mammoth remains.
After the man locat-ed mammoth bones in a gravel bar near a river on his property, he con-tacted several agencies before eventually get-ting into contact with the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey and archaeologist Leland Bement.
The property owner had discovered a partial mammoth jaw and tooth, Bement said.
Bement probed the site to check for more remains, but none were found.
Incomplete findings aren’t uncommon, said Nicholas Czaplewski, cu-rator of vertebrate pale-ontology at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.
“You don’t find the en-tire skeleton or something like that — you usually get a piece,” he said.
Partial findings are es-pecially common in and around river systems be-cause the water is con-stantly moving and chang-ing directions, Czaplewski said.
“They meander back and forth … They kind of scatter [the bones],” he said.
The survey responds to about 10 to 12 calls per month to assist the public by identifying bones and other artifacts, Bement said.
Most of the survey’s calls for assistance come during rainy seasons, when r ivers and high streams wash the remains from their banks, he said.
fUnDraiser
meLodie LettKemAn/tHe dAiLy
Jordan Voth, left, eyes Boomer as evan troka jumps in the air near the finish line of the dance marathon doubles dash 5k on Saturday. Voth and troka, wearing their chiquita Banana costumes from halloween, won second place in the costume contest, judged by a family affiliated with children’s miracle Network.
Costumed race collects money for children$3,000 in funds raised by Doubles Dash to be donated to research
meLodie LettKemAn/tHe dAiLy
harmony hughes, left, and Sarah Romans skip across the finish line at the dance marathon doubles dash 5k benefiting children’s miracle Network on Saturday on elm Street. hughes and Romans won first place in the costume contest.
Although the Doubles Dash is a 5-kilometer race, it added an aes-thetic element by encouraging participants to pair up and dress in accordance with a theme, Aguilera said.
“We feel like we’re adding a fun twist to the usual 5K, and we hope it adds a lot more participation and excitement,” Aguilera said. “We’re also having a costume contest to
an incentive to encourage people to participate.”
Sporting the characteristic blue hair and red attire of Thing One and Thing Two from the world of Dr. Seuss, University College fresh-men Harmony Hughes and Sarah Romans said they quickly assem-bled their costumes in less than 10
see ENERGY pAGe 2see ARTIFACTS pAGe 2
At A glANceDoubles Dash 5K• 98 participants• More than $3,000 raised for the oklahoma children’s hospital foundation
Source: Nick Aguilera
Professor defends natural selection’s connection to ethics
Chris Miller, assistant campus [email protected] • phone: 405-325-3666
2 • Monday, February 13, 2012
CaMpus
CorreCtionsThe Oklahoma Daily has a commitment to serve readers with accurate coverage and analysis. Readers should bring errors to The Daily’s attention by emailing [email protected].
A page 3 story in thursday’s edition misidentified the number of awards oU broadcast students won at a conference. students won one-quarter of the awards.
A page 3 story jumped from page 1 in thursday’s edition misspelled oU professor Katerina tsetsura’s name.
An opinion column in Friday’s edition misspelled syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s name.
todAy AroUnd CAmpUsStudent Success Series will hold a presentation by donald Asher called “Finding your major” from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in oklahoma memorial Union’s meacham Auditorium. A separate presentation, “Finding a Job With Any major,” will take place from 2:30 to 4 p.m.
A class covering the history of the oU documents Collection and teaching how to access government information will be taught from 2 to 3 p.m. in Bizzell memorial Library, room 149d.
energy: Cold weather did not hurt enthusiasmContinued from page 1
minutes.“We just put it together, but
we are wearing three pairs of pants underneath,” Hughes said.
Romans, who had never run a race before Saturday morning, said she considered finishing the Doubles Dash to be her New Year’s resolution.
“I think our energy level is high enough to compensate for the fact that it’s freezing outside,” Romans said. “We want to entertain other peo-ple, too.”
Hughes concurred, saying the event’s cause was worth putting up with the inconve-nience of the cold.
“It’s for the kids, and that’s why we’re acting like it,” Hughes added.
When the race began and
participants began the dash, Romans and Hughes weren’t the only runners wearing costumes.
Mario and Peach, a pair of Chiquita bananas and a Hershey’s chocolate and Kraft marshmallow couple sandwiched between two runners dressed as card-board graham crackers all forged ahead against the 18-mile-per-hour north wind.
After 30 minutes, Romans and Hughes’ blue beanies could be spotted on the north end of the street. Hand in hand, they playfully skipped
across the finish line.“It was tough, but [Romans]
kept me going,” Hughes said between labored breaths.
Having earlier met a child named Kaycie with spina bi-fida, a developmental con-genital disorder, Romans and Hughes said they found a reason to keep running.
“Just seeing him... kept me going the whole time,” Hughes said. “We kept say-ing, ‘Who do we run for? Kaycie!’”
Following the end of the 5K, the costume contest, judged by a group of children,
commenced. In the end, Hughes and
Romans took first place.“We feel awesome,” Hughes
said. “It makes us happy that the kids liked our costume.”
A gu i l e ra a n d Ma d d i e Willis, another race coordi-nator, said many of the run-ners thoroughly enjoyed the course and the event went flawlessly.
“This was for community outreach, and we definitely got community runners,” Aguilera said. “Still, we can... build upon what we’ve done this year.”
The event wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of Willis and Jake Krysiak, one of the Doubles D a s h D a n c e Ma r a t h o n chairs, Aguilera said.
“I think it’s going to be a good tradition from now on,” Aguilera said.
The survey helps identify a number of different objects, including bison remains, ar-rowheads, ancient tools and occasionally mammoths, Bement said.
Though these are the most-noticed items, there were many types of now-extinct animals roaming Oklahoma’s landscape thou-sands of years ago, Bement said.
“ T h e re w e re a w h o l e m e n a g e r i e o f t h i n g s ,” Czaplewski said.
Big predators such as sa-ber-toothed cats, giant short-faced bears and dire wolves, a larger version of the grey
wolf, were common to the area, Bement said. Horses, camels and different ele-phant-like animals such as the mammoth and the mast-odon also were Oklahoma natives at one time.
After the survey identifies the artifacts or remains, it is
up to the person who found it to decide what they do with them, Bement said.
S o m e d e c i d e t o k e e p them, but others donate them to a museum or to the survey so others can learn from the remains.
The man who found the
remains plans to donate them to the Kiowa Tribal M u s e u m i n C a r n e g i e , Bement said.
The Daily contacted the museum, but the landown-er could not be contacted about the remains as of press time.
artifacts: Remains to be donated to museumContinued from page 1
“We were thinking of a unique event that could help us reach the greater Norman community and raise proper awareness for CAC Dance
Marathon.”Nick AguileRA,
pRogRAmmiNg diRectoR foR cAc dANce mARAthoN
This year, more than172,000 people will be diagnosed with lungcancer, and more than163,000 will die—making it America’sNUMBER ONEcancer killer.
But new treatmentsoffer hope.
Join Lung CancerAlliance in the fightagainst this disease.
lungcanceralliance.org
is nothing to celebrate.
NUMBERONE
Being
Handcrafted for your special occasions
1100 E. Constitution, Suite 120Norman, OK 73072 405-579-8856
ucshops.com
Don’t forget TOMORROWis
Valentine’sDay!
ON CAMPUS CORNER 730 Asp Ave. Suite 210 Norman, OK 73069
If you think you might have ADD or ADHD call now for an appointment (405) 310-4477
available all timesexcept M/W/F6:30-9:30 due toleagues
550 24th Avenue N.W. 405-360-3634 soonerbowl.com
KEDRIC KITCHENS Assistant Sports Editor
The Sooners will try to carry on some momentum from a hard-fought victory Saturday when they host the No. 3 Connecticut Huskies at 8 tonight.
The OU-UConn matchup has become a bit of an an-nual tradition for the two squads since tonight’s game is the fourth-consecutive regular-season scuffle be-tween the schools.
O k l a h o m a h a s y e t t o notch a victory in the short-lived series, losing last year’s contest, 86-45, in Hartford, Conn.
The Sooners’ three lead-ing scorers this season — sophomore Aaryn Ellenberg (15.6 ppg), junior Whitney H a n d ( 1 2 . 6 p p g ) a n d sophomore Morgan Hook (10.6 ppg) — all played in last year’s game with the Huskies and were held to just 16 points in a combined 79 minutes.
The 23-2 Huskies have been a prolific power in the sport since coach Geno Auriemma took over the program 27 years ago, and this year is no different.
U C o n n i s c o m i n g o f f a slaughtering of No. 14
Georgetown. The Huskies held the Hoyas to just 38 points while scoring 80 of their own.
The Huskies, similar to OU, have a guard-heavy starting five with three start-ers averaging double digits. They are led in scoring by senior guard Tiffany Hayes, who averages 15.6 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Scoring has been at a premium for opponents of Auriemma’s squad this year, a trap the Sooners cannot afford to fall into.
OU coach Sherri Coale is aware of the dangerous nature of the Huskies, but does not shy away from the challenge.
“Our RPI and our strength of schedule is already float-ing to the top of the bucket, and it’s not going to go any-where but up on Monday night,” Coale said. “Those
[email protected] • phone: 405-325-3666SPORTSOUDaily.com ››The No. 19 OU men’s tennis team knocked off No. 25 Indiana, 6-1, Sunday in Norman.
Monday, February 13, 2012 • 3
Women’s basketball
oU to host no. 3 Connecticutsoftball
Sooners move to perfect 5-0 start
Chelsea lott/the daily
Junior guard Whitney Hand blocks the passing lane in OU’s Feb. 11 victory over Missouri. The Sooners beat the Tigers 64-60 and will be looking for their second-straight win Monday against No. 3 UConn.
Sooners winless against Huskies in three contests
KEY OPPONENTtiffany HayesYear: Senior Position: Guard Hometown:Lakeland, Fla.Season stats: Hayes is averaging 15.6 points and 5.9 boards per game for the Huskies.
are situations that you put yourself in to grow.”
Coale is trying to instill the same mindset into her team. The Sooners are aware of UConn’s ranking and prestige. A certain amount of respect is demanded when dealing with a team of UConn’s caliber.
However, Oklahoma’s players are focusing on going into the game ready to take anything the Huskies can throw at them in stride .
“I just want us to lose our-selves in the game,” Hand said. “I want it to be just a story of us fighting really hard together and having fun
and not playing scared. I re-ally want it to be a dogfight. I want our team to show up and be tough enough to take it and give it back.”
To n i g h t ’s g a m e w i t h the Huskies also will be Oklahoma’s annual Pack the Place Pink night to benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
TobI NEIDySports Reporter
The No. 5 Oklahoma softball team opened its season with a perfect 5-0 record at the Sportco Kick-off Classic over the week-end in Las Vegas, outscor-ing its opponents 40-3.
Pitching played the big-gest role in this weekend’s success, including a re-cord-setting performance on Friday by junior ace Keilani Ricketts.
After OU won its sea-son opener 6-0, Ricketts got the starting nod for the second game of Friday’s doubleheader.
The left paw got the 5-0 w i n a n d OU’s career s t r i k e o u t record with 16 Ks in the game.
OU con-tinued its d o m i n a t-ing perfor-mances in Saturday’s doubleheader, posting a 12-2 run-rule victor y against Weber State.
Junior pitcher Michelle Gascoigne earned the win and improved to 2-0 after pitching during the season opener. In four in-nings pitched, Gascoigne allowed two earned runs and one walk while strik-ing out six.
OU got the bats going i n Sat u rd ay ’s s e c o n d game, posting six runs on 12 hits. The Sooners bat-tered Weber State 6-0 with Ricketts allowing just two hits and one walk.
But i t was Sunday’s come-from-behind vic-tory that really showed OU’s versatility. Kent State pulled ahead in the first inning, but the Sooners rallied in the final two to take the lopsided 11-1 vic-tory and move to 5-0.
OU begins season with success
keilani RiCketts
WRestling
Wrestlers fall in regional semifinalOklahoma loses to No. 7 Illinois at National Duals
melodie lettkeman/the daily
Junior Ben Bridell prepares to shoot in for a takedown against his opponent during the Sooners’ Jan. 27 dual against Virginia Tech at Lloyd Noble Center.
GREG FEwEllSports Editor
The No. 12-ranked Sooners wrestled their way into the regional semifinals at the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s National Duals at Cornell University in New York on Sunday before los-ing to No. 7 Illinois.
I n t h e f i r s t r o u n d o f National Duals, OU made short work of first-year coach Mark Cody’s previous team, American University, win-ning eight of ten bouts en route to a 35-12 victory.
OU’s ninth-ranked ju-nior Jarrod Patterson put his team on top early, pinning his opponent in 2:34 in the 125-pound bout. Then, 133-pound senior Jordan Keller
put the Sooners up 11-0 with his technical fall over AU’s Corey Borshoff.
No. 3 - ra n k e d s o p h o -more Kendric Maple and
sophomore Nick Lester re-corded decisions in OU’s favor in the 141- and 149-pound bouts to push the Sooner lead to 17-0.
A m e r i c a n ’s o n l y t w o wins of the day came in the 157- and 285-pound match-e s w h e re t h i r d - r a n k e d Ganbayar Sanjaa and top-ranked Ryan Flores earned falls over OU’s sophomore Matt Lester and freshman Kyle Colling, respectively.
OU carried plenty of mo-m e n t u m i n t o S u n d a y ’s regional semifinal dual. U n f o r t u n a t e l y f o r t h e Sooners, though, Illinois h a d p l e n t y o f i t s o w n momentum.
The Illini won the first two matches of Sunday’s region-al semifinal dual to jump out to a 9-0 lead. The Sooners re-sponded, though.
Kendric Maple took care of business at the 141-pound spot, recording a 13-5 major decision to put OU on the board.
Then, No. 13-ranked Nick Lester and No. 15-ranked
Matt Lester held on for close victories at the 149- and 157-pound spots, giving Oklahoma its first lead of the dual at 11-9.
The 165-pound match proved to be a turning point. OU junior Bubby Graham trailed IU’s twelfth-ranked Conrad Polz by one and needed just one takedown t o s e c u re O U ’s f o u r t h -straight victory in the match. However, he was unable to get it. Polz held on to win 3-2 and regain Illinois’ lead.
Illinois then closed out the dual by winning three of the final four matches, moving to 13-2 this season. The loss puts OU’s record at 13-4.
Next up for OU is a re-match with No. 1-ranked O k l a h o m a S t a t e . T h e Sooners get their chance at the nation’s top-ranked team at 7 p.m. Thursday at McCasland Field House.
See more onlineVisit oUdaily.com
to read the full story
oudaily.com/sports
129 N.W. Ave.360-4422
127 N. Porter360-4247
1215 W. Lindsey364-1325
116 S. Main, Noble872-1661
1100 E. Constitution579-1202
20% discount
with OU ID or this coupon!
Manicure$11.99
$6 Bang Trim
The Works$16.99
Shampoo/ Cut/Blowdry
HIGHLIGHTING OR COLOR
Non-Requested Stylist Only
NOW ONLINE!!! THEMANEMAN.NET
Nancy’s CupcakeryNEW LOCATION AT
Cookies ‘n’ Cards115 12th Ave. SE
Suite 100Norman, OK 73071
(405) 364-2760The place to come for unique gifts and jewelry
Come celebratewith us in our romantic atmosphere!
405.579.5600580 Ed Noble Parkwaymisalofindia.comAcross from Barnes & Noble
The Earth
746 Asp Campus Corner573-5933
breakfastdinnerjuice bar
lunchespressosmoothies
patio seating
Student Special
2205 W. Main St.|(405) 360-3287
Try our Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake Shake
this month!
10% off with OU IDStop in Shrove Tuesday for a Traditional Paczki.
Small shake with combo for a limited time.
Best Mexican Food
1000 East Alameda 579-1221
Monday is OU Day50% off with OU ID!
105 12th avenue se east 12th & alameda 405.701.8899 www.oasianfusion.com
THANK Y U,
$1.75 Bud/Bud Light$3.50 select rolls
1/2 off select appetizers
2PM TO 5PM & 1 HOUR BEFORE CLOSE
10% off for OU students and staff with ID (excludes happy hour)
sushi stir fry steaks cocktails fi ne sake and wine
FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!
HAPPY HOUR
The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication.
Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 250 words, typed and signed by the author(s). Letters will be edited for accuracy, space and style. Students must list their major and classi� cation. To submit letters, email [email protected].
Our View is the voice of the Editorial Board, which consists of nine student editors. The board meets at 5 p.m. Sunday to Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall. Board meetings are open to the public.
Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion.
Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are their own and not necessarily the views or opinions of The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board.
To advertise in The Oklahoma Daily, contact advertising manager Kristen Milburn by calling 405-325-8964 or emailing [email protected].
One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by contacting The Daily business of� ce at 405-325-2522.
Chris Lusk Editor in ChiefChase Cook Managing EditorJames Corley Night EditorLaney Ellisor Campus EditorGreg Fewell Sports EditorLindsey Ruta Life & Arts Editor
Our View: OU should follow the state’s example with measures to increase transparency.
Two bills approved by Oklahoma’s House Government Modernization Committee on Thursday would greatly increase the transparency of the state government and make it easier for citi-zens to be informed and active.
We hope the legislature adopts these measures quickly — and when they do, OU should follow in those footsteps.
The two bills would create openrecords.ok.gov and checkbook.ok.gov, web pages that would in-crease public access to government information. The former would streamline the Open Records process, by which citizens can request access to public documents, by funneling the requests through one online form and making the request-ed documents digitally available.
The latter would collect all the information about state debt, bonds, the debt repayment schedule, higher-education master lease agree-ments and historical debt data in one easy-to-access database.
As we’ve mentioned before, it can be dif-ficult and confusing for private citizens to access this important information.
Open Records requests require one to know what kinds of records exist and which might hold the desired information. Documents related to debt and bonds are current-ly scattered and difficult to locate.
With these two new pages, citizens will have powerful tools to help themselves stay informed about what the state government is doing.
An informed populace makes more effec-tive voters, and it’s the responsibility of all Oklahomans to hold their government account-able for its actions — especially where money is involved.
But the state isn’t the only entity that goes into debt, passes bond measures and deals with public documents. OU should set up similar resources to help the campus community stay up to date on
what the university is doing and how it’s spending money.
The website could even go further than the state’s proposed one, offering detailed informa-tion about the university budget, how tuition money is spent and other financial issues impor-tant to the institution.
This information already must exist on a docu-ment of some kind, so it could be as simple as col-lecting and posting these documents in one place — if OU doesn’t have the resources or manpower
to hand-gather the information and rep-resent it in the most comprehensible form.
This would not only increase transpar-ency considerably — and maybe even get more Sooners interested in what the school is doing — but it would greatly re-duce the work load of OU’s Open Records
Office. By posting the requested documents online,
the office could reduce the number of documents that must be supplied multiple times to multiple requestors.
And by filing and filling the requests online, OU could cut down on the resources needed and the impact on the environment.
We applaud the state’s efforts to increase trans-parency and support freedom of information, and we’re hopeful that we’ll see more such efforts in the future — from Oklahoma and OU.
Comment on this at OUDaily.com
EDITORIAL
OU needs open records online
GUEST COLUMN
Americans are free to speak up
I am glad to be an American citizen. When I compare my quality of life to others around the world, I rec-ognize how lucky I am to live in the U.S. I did noth-
ing to earn such a privilege, since all rights of citizenship were bestowed upon me at birth.
Nonetheless, I admit to feeling a surge of pride every time I meet someone who expresses envy of my coun-try, for I agree it is beautiful in its vastness and rich in its history.
Therefore, I consider it my civic responsibility to take a stand against all those who carry their devotion to coun-try too far, warping their perspectives to the point they either are no longer capable of recognizing reality or are choosing to ignore it.
In their fervor, they adopt a “my country, right or wrong” philosophy and insist that anyone who dares to disagree with the U.S. government and its policies is traitorous.
This rampant nationalism turns citizens against one another and makes enemies of neighbors. It closes both mouths and minds because it leaves no room for debate. At best, it is nothing more than conformity disguised as patriotism.
It is an unjustifiable position born out of a false sense of entitlement and rooted in ignorance. It is a self-inflicted wound that is destructive to our society because it either ignores our history or believes we should not be held ac-countable for it.
It breeds colonialism, imperialism, nativism, racism, sexism and censorship. It leads us down dark paths to places we already have been; where we should never want to be again. American history is littered with examples of our fallibility.
It would be an unpardonable offense for us — in the name of national loyalty — to minimize the impact of our mistakes, including slavery, child labor, Comstock laws , the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act , eugenics, the American Protective Association, the Immigration Restriction League, the Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1917 and 1918 , Jim Crow laws, the Red Scare, Palmer Raids, black-lists, Japanese internment camps, the Platt Amendment , the Bay of Pigs , government-sponsored biomedical ex-perimentation on blacks, soldiers, prisoners and the mentally ill, or the massacres at Sand Creek, Wounded Knee and My Lai .
We justified our use of weapons of mass destruction during World War II by claiming it was the only way to combat the ferocity and tenacity of Japanese nationalism.
We were astonished and horrified to witness how German nationalism resulted in the Holocaust .
In the wake of all of these events, do we really want “Amerika Über Alles ” to be our rallying cry today?
Some of the greatest moments in our country’s history are due to those who fought against the established rule of law. Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to patriots who were once labeled rabble-rousers: muckrakers, suffrag-ists, grass-roots activists , student protesters, feminists and civil rights marchers.
OU is integrated today because people like Ada Lois , Sipuel Fisher and George W. McLaurin were willing to challenge Oklahoma’s “separate but equal” laws.
We have them to thank for the fact that OU students are no longer denied admittance because of their race, or forced to sit alone at the back of a lecture hall behind a sign marked “colored.”
True patriots are not chained to the idea that allegiance to one’s country requires indiscriminate acceptance of unjust policies or laws.
I recently returned to college to pursue a second de-gree, and I notice many of the bright, young undergradu-ates in my classes are often reluctant to speak or express an opinion. If you are one of those students, I hope you will find your voice. I hope you will not be intimidated by those who would silence you by questioning your patriotism.
In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. wrote that one of the greatest barriers to civil liberty was not the Ku Klux Klan or the Council of Conservative Citizens , but rather the white moderate “more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a posi-tive peace which is the presence of justice.”
History is not limited to the actions of others who are now long dead. It is created by what we do today.
The ultimate health of our nation will depend upon those who find the strength to question what seems wrong and to stand up for what seems right.
Our country was founded by brave men and women whose primary aim was to “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” They, and others like them, risked everything they possessed to transform America into the place it is today: a wonderful work in progress.
Their legacy belongs to every American student on the OU campus today. You have a voice; you can make this nation stronger and better; you are an American.
You are free.
Julie Overmier is a University College senior.
Flags wave with admiration; the walkway is silent in anticipation. Hearts are heavy; a crowd waits impatiently around the opening of the tunnel.
Suddenly, cheers erupt as loved ones reunite and em-brace. People come from all around to welcome these pa-triots they have never met home from war.
Patriotism is a devotion to one’s country, but does ev-eryone have the same devotion to their country? I feel this country is lacking in pride for itself. There are too many people who are “fair-weather fans” when it comes to their pride for the U.S.
These are the people who are only fans of our country when the going is good — but as soon as circumstances begin to go south, these fans throw up their hands and want nothing to do with the government.
Whenever the going gets tough, the economy gets rough or the president makes a decision they do not agree with, they turn their backs on the U.S. People are too quick to point fingers at their country rather than defend it.
How can we all have the same amount of patriotism if we do not have the same pride for our country? The one thing people of different political views should agree on is their love of country. Democrats and Republicans may have opposing views, but hopefully they agree with each other on why America is such a great country.
Not everyone is going to be content with the president in office. It seems there is never a 100 percent approval rate in politics. They will criticize him for the decisions he makes and how it may or may not affect the economy or benefit the poor.
Republicans and Democrats have opposing stances on most major arguments. Their solutions are usually not the same for most problems, either. It is not always as easy to fix the problems of our country as we would like to believe.
I am not saying that having different opinions is bad, but I am saying that we need to be more aware of the fact that our problems don’t always have easy solutions. The country, as a whole, is too quick to jump on the back of the man who holds the power when, in fact, we are the ones who put him in office. We voted for him.
Voting is a way to show patriotism. It displays a person’s affection for their country and concern for its future. It is our duty as citizens to voice our opinions.
Those who do not take their vote and use it have no room to complain about the officials elected to office. They are not taking full advantage of the rights they are given for living in this country.
Non-voters not only are doing a disservice to them-selves, but they also are hurting other citizens around them. When this country stops caring about the officials they put into office, the voice of the people will no longer exist. I also see people complaining about the U.S. en-tering into wars. But where would we be if our country didn’t defend itself? I’m not saying that going to war is the answer for everything, but when our country is under personal attack, the country wants to retaliate against per-sonal attacks against us.
This is seen in both the terrorist attack of 9/11 and in Pearl Harbor. The country had fallen under attack and cit-izens were pressing for the government to do something about it. The president was given the power to protect our country by any means necessary, and both times found it necessary to counterattack to show the U.S. will not toler-ate personal attacks. Where would we be right now if we would have done nothing about those attacks?
It is very possible that there would have been many more attacks on American soil if we hadn’t shown the world not to mess with us.
When I hear the word patriotism, my mind instantly flashes to this image of an American colonist running across a battlefield with a flag in his hand. I think of the same picture whenever I think of any soldiers or war.
These men and women are my perfect example of pa-triotic people: selfless human beings laying down their lives for their country. Patriotism is not black and white, rather a varying depth of pride for country.
So why are we wasting our time complaining about all we do not agree with regarding politics when there are men and women dying every day for us.
It seems a little disrespectful to me that American’s aren’t showing the patriots the gratitude they deserve.
Anna Ritter is a University College freshman.
The Our View is the majority opinion of The Daily’s nine-member editorial board
?If the university hosted more financial data online, would you read it?
OPINIONReader comment on OUDaily.com ››“I don’t think a university or anybody else should support a policy where people can choose to harm themselves.” (LL Bean, RE: ‘EDITORIAL: Gov. Mary Fallin overstepped with order to ban tobacco use’)
GUEST COLUMN
United States should unite under patriotism
Stay connected with the opinion desk on Twitter
@OUDailyOpinionwww.twitter.com/OUDailyOpinion
What’s new: Oklahoma’s House Government Modernization Committee passed two bills, HB 2379 and HB 2857, that will increase the transparency of the state government. The former will make it easier to request open records, and the
former will create a database for information about state debt.
What’s next: The bills will go to the House � oor for debate. If it passes, it will then head to the Senate for consideration.
Line Ad ..................................................................................3 days priorPlace line ad by 9:00 a.m. 3 business days prior to publication.
Display Ad ............................................................................3 days priorClassifi ed Display or Classifi ed Card AdPlace your display, classifi ed display or classifi ed card ads by 5:00 p.m. 3 business days prior to publication.
The Oklahoma Daily is responsible for one day’s incorrect advertising. If your ad appears incorrectly, or if you wish to cancel your ad call 325-2521, before the deadline for cancellation in the next issue. Errors not the fault of the advertiser will be adjusted. Refunds will not be issued for late cancellations.
The Oklahoma Daily will not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religious preference, national origin or sexual orientation. Violations of this policy should be reported to The Oklahoma Daily Business Offi ce at325-2521. Help Wanted ads in The Oklahoma Daily are not to separate as to gender. Advertisers may not discriminate in employment ads based on race, color, religion or gender unless such qualifying factors are essential to a given position. All ads are subject to acceptance by The Oklahoma Daily. Ad acceptance may be re-evaluated at any time.
DEADLINES
PAYMENT
RATES
POLICY
TransportationC
AUTO INSURANCE
Auto InsuranceQuotations AnytimeForeign Students Welcomed
JIM HOLMES INSURANCE, 321-4664
Services
MISC. SERVICESPAB Storage
Indoor, security monitored, pickup & deliv-ery available. Spaces as low as $50/mo. For more info, contact Jeff at 651-9484.
HELP WANTEDThe Cleveland County Family YMCA is seeking Lifeguards & Swim Instructors! Apply in person at 1350 Lexington Ave. EOE
Bartending! Up to $300/day. No exp nec. Training available. 800-965-6520, x133
Research volunteers needed! Re-searchers at OU Health Sciences Center need healthy volunteers ages 18 to 30 who have a parent with or without a histo-ry of an alcohol or drug problem. Qualified participants will be compensated for their time. Call (405) 456-4303 to learn more about the study and to see if you qualify. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.
STUDENTPAYOUTS.COMPaid survey takers needed in Norman100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys.
Have the summer of your life at a pres-tigous coed sleepaway camp in the beau-tiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, 2 1/2 hours from NYC. We’re seeking counselors who can teach any Team & Individual Sports, Tennis, Gymnastics, Horseback Riding, Mt Biking, Theatre, Tech Theatre, Circus, Magic, Arts & Crafts, Pioneering, Climbing Tower, Water Sports, Music, Dance or Science. Great salaries and perks. Plenty of free time. Internships available for many majors. ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS ON 2/22. Apply online at www.islandlake.com. Call 800-869-6083 on weekdays for more in-formation. [email protected]
Housing RentalsJ
APTS. UNFURNISHED$99 DEPOSIT! / 1/2 OFF 1ST MONTH*
Free Steel Gym-Tan for 6 Months1 Beds starting at $429.002 Beds starting at $550.00
Pets Welcome! Large Floor Plans!Models open 8a-8p Everyday!360-6624 or www.elite2900.com
1 bd, close to campus, smoke-free, no pets, $395 + bills, $395/dep. 360-3850.
ROOMMATES WANTEDTake over 5/mo lease on lg rm & bath in lg hse near OU. 727-452-1333 or 550-1567.
A drunk driver ruined somethingprecious. Amber Apodaca.
Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.
Phot
o by
Mic
hael
Maz
zeo
Sell Your Carin the CLASSIFIEDS
2 column x 3”-Black and White $452 column x 3”-1 Spot Color $80
Congrats Lil Sis!
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT FOR DETAILS325-2521
CONGRATULATIONS,ANNIE!
Happy Birthday, Joe!
Give your friend or loved one a gift they will never forget.
Celebrate with the rest of campus in The Oklahoma Daily!
Celebration Ads
*Ask for Process Color pricing
my friend’s got mental illness
To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increasestheir chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information.Mental Illness – What a difference a friend makes.
lungcanceralliance.org
NO MORE EXCUSES.NO MORE LUNG CANCER.
It’s the NUMBER ONEcancer killer.
[email protected] • phone: 405-325-2521ClassifiedsMonday, February 13, 2012 • 5
$445$515
$440$510$700
Spring Specials
ACROSS 1 Bowl-shaped
roof 5 They prey
every night 9 Turkish title 14 Not quite
round 15 ___ En-lai
(Chinese premier)
16 Lowest female voices
17 Bit of unusual weather
19 Poet William Butler
20 It may be brushed off by a barber
21 Cushiness 23 Not, to a Scot 24 Musketeer
motto word 26 Source of
after-hours cash
28 Cracker with a hole in the middle
30 ___ and bounds
32 Site for stained-glass windows
34 “___ and the Real Girl”
35 Long, slender cigar
37 Target of many a shot
39 Bad weather for those behind the wheel?
42 Good hole card
43 State of adversity
46 Old-time oath 49 Practically
touching 51 Color similar
to mouse gray
52 Well-to-do 54 Tierra ___
Fuego 56 Word with
“luxury” or “excise”
57 Help a market cashier
58 Do news-paper work
60 Bartlett or bosc
62 “Hi” or “bye” on Lanai
64 Strong current of air
68 Coins of Turkey
69 Task list heading
70 “We don’t know who said it” abbr.
71 Had a pur-pose in mind
72 Florist’s cutting
73 Method of meditation and exercise
DOWN 1 Homer
Simpson’s shout
2 Biological eggs
3 California et al, to Hawaiians
4 “___ En-chanted” (2004 fantasy film)
5 Band of eight 6 “Which
person?” 7 Wisdom
passed along 8 Some
poisonous
shrubs 9 Check
recipient 10 Hearty quaff 11 Poem
division 12 Balloon filler 13 Left side of
the balance sheet
18 Afflicted with muscle tremors
22 Clips, as sheep
24 High peak 25 Grazing land
for sheep 27 African
republic 29 City near
Binghamton, N.Y.
31 Macy’s event 33 Cuddly
bamboo-muncher
36 Tied, as the score
38 Playpen toys 40 Encircle or
bind
41 Elementary particle with no charge
44 Place with curative waters
45 Questionnaire category
46 Prepare for mummifica-tion
47 Net minder 48 Mohair-
coated goat 50 Authoritative
decrees 53 Baker’s buy 55 Certain salt
source 59 Homer-
hitter’s pace 61 “And ___ we
go!” 63 Solo in a
space flick 65 Exalting
poem 66 Eggy sea-
sonal drink 67 Watson and
Crick’s lab material
Universal CrosswordEdited by Timothy E. Parker February 13, 2012
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.
Previous Solution
Monday- Very EasyTuesday-EasyWednesday- EasyThursday- MediumFriday - Hard
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2012
Even though socially you’ll express your individualism in as many ways as conditions permit in the year ahead, when it comes to your workaday world, you might need to Past experiences, both bitter and sweet, will aid you more than you ever imagined in the year ahead. Even though some of the lessons may have been harsh, they now will prove to be of immense help to you in handling some ticklish problems.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Go out of your way to fi nd some time to be with an old friend, because it’ll give you a lift in a big way. Seeing him or her will be just what you need.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Successful end results can be achieved through persistence and tenacity. Any early setbacks that you might experience can be transformed into victories.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Regardless of what you’re working on, even if it is something new, results should be pleasant and copious. If you should need some advice along the line, it will be there.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- It may have taken more time than it should have, but that acknowledgement and compensation you deserve for something that had to be done the hard way will fi nally be there.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Because you won’t be intimidated or taken for granted, you’ll manage to be practical about how you handle things. Seeing your job for what it is will really be a big help to you.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- If you’re in need of someone to confi de in, be sure to seek out a practically minded recipient whom you can open up to without fear of reprisal.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Because you’re willing to be cooperative and to make some hard concessions, you’ll set the example for those you’re dealing with. They’ll follow whatever script you write.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- A singleness of purpose and total dedication to your objectives will be the reason for your success. You’re likely to accomplish things that others fi nd impossible to do.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- You’re not likely to feel comfortable or effective when around individuals whose philosophy or standards don’t match yours. When you have parity in your party, anything is possible.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- A longstanding personal matter that has been hanging around your neck for far too long may fi nally be put to rest. It’ll be concluded in your favor, but with a big lesson attached.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Go ahead and ask for that much-needed advice, but be prepared to receive some bittersweet counsel. Heed it, because the medicine will make you well.
APRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Although there won’t be any free rides offered, that doesn’t mean your powers of acquisition will be totally impotent. Hard work is your ticket to success.
HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol
Copyright 2012, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
MONDAY FEBRUARY 13
No Valentine’s Day weekend would be complete without
a big-budget, star-studded romantic comedy.
It happens every year, and whether you’re single or taken, you’ll probably go out to see it. As far as I’m con-cerned, this trend isn’t nec-essarily a bad thing.
Movies like “27 Dresses“ (Anne Fletcher, 2008) and “No Strings Attached” (Ivan Reitman, 2011) came out around this time and accom-plished the humor and ro-mance needed while being a pretty entertaining, well-written, well-made films.
On the other hand, we’ve also seen plenty of misses over the years. So as I pre-pared to see “The Vow” (Michael Sucsy) on Saturday night, my question was, which will this be?
In case you’ve been liv-ing under a rock, “The Vow” is a romantic comedy star-ring Rachel McAdams (“The Notebook”) and Channing Tatum (“Dear John”).
The story follows Paige (McAdams) after she is in-volved in a car accident and loses all of her recent memo-ries, including her husband Leo (Tatum), who attempts to persuade her to fall in love with him again and return to
their life together.I have to admit I was not
enthusiastic about seeing this movie in the first place. I tend to be skeptical of all romantic comedies, and I’ve yet to see Channing Tatum be anything but pathetic in his performances.
Still, I figured I needed to see the movie before I could complain about it, so I shelled out the $7.50 and gave up two hours of my Saturday to pack into the near-full theater to see it.
Truthfully, this movie was not as bad as I thought it would be. It was — incred-ibly — worse. I spent the eve-ning smacking my forehead in frustration, shaking my head in disbelief and sitting in shock of how awful this movie is.
I’ve already mentioned I dislike Tatum’s acting. His acting style basically consists of standing there, looking pretty, and delivering sappy lines with no feeling behind them whatsoever.
Now don’t get me wrong, I appreciate looking at Tatum, but I have yet to see any of his characters as more than an attractive guy seemingly reading his lines off a cue card. His performance in “The Vow” is no different.
He is not believable in any
of his motives, whether it is his character’s passion for music or his love for his wife, which this movie is meant to center around. McAdams, on the other hand, has more than proven her ability as a great performer, both co-medically and romantically, which is why I was confused and somewhat surprised to see her in the previews for this movie that looked so unpromising.
I had hoped she might be able to pull the film on her own, but even she couldn’t save this train wreck. Her character, who is the only one who actually experi-ences an emotional change, is surprisingly unlikable for a majority of the film.
McAdams plays her as snippy and immature, and rather than relating to her struggle to regain her memory and do what she thinks is right, we find our-selves turned off by her and wondering why Leo is even in love with her in the first place, besides the fact that she is incredibly beautiful.
This movie claims to be based on a true story, but it obviously has been heavily adapted. It is set in the cur-rent day and the real couple’s experience happened at least 15 years ago.
It is hard to determine if the unbelievable and un-derdeveloped characters would have been more effective had they been acted well, but I personally don’t think that even the most skilled actors could have saved them.
Despite how many things were wrong with this movie, the most shocking part of the eve-ning for me was how many people in the enormous theater absolutely loved it. There were tears, and not just from one or two peo-ple, but from about five I could distinctly identify from those sitting around me, and I’m sure many more around the theater.
Walking out, girls were raving about how emo-tional and romantic it had been, and even the boyfriends who had been dragged there were com-menting that it “wasn’t that bad.”
I would never recom-mend anyone see it, es-pecially with all the qual-ity options for romantic comedies on DVD this Valentine’s Day.
Erin Wilson is a University College freshman.
Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum star in
“The Vow,” a film inspired by a true story about young love and a moment of impact that changes everything.
Overall, I enjoyed “The Vow.” It won’t go down in history as one of the greatest love stories like “Titanic,” “A Walk to Remember” or even “The Notebook,” but it was a great movie.
The previews make it ap-pear as though the focus of the movie would be on Leo, played by Tatum, trying to make his wife, played by McAdams, fall in love with him again after she suffers from amnesia.
However, the major-ity of the movie is Paige (McAdams) trying to re-member why she made all the decisions she had in life, including marrying Leo.
This movie is definitely gripping and sad, but not enough to make you cry.
The ending was too abrupt and didn’t answer all the audience’s questions. When the young couple fi-nally did reunite and begin to find love again, the cred-its started rolling.
The audience spends so
much of the movie want-ing Paige to remember her life with Leo that, when the movie started to turn around, we wanted more time to see them in love again.
The acting was good, but the actors’ stereotypes are hard to break.
Rachel McAdams forever will be remembered for “The Notebook,” and any love story she is in will sub-consciously be compared it, and time and time again fall short.
“The Vow” is definitely a great movie to watch if you’re in the mood for a “chick flick.”
It probably won’t make you cry if you’re looking for a good ‘box of tissues’ kind of movie, but it’s not a waste of your time.
Dusti Gasparovic is a University College freshman.
Lindsey Ruta, life & arts editorMariah Webb, assistant life & arts editor
Life&aRtsTomorrow ››are you ready for the big day? if you need last-minute gift and date ideas, the life & arts staff has some Valentine’s Day suggestions for you.
Sooners dance for a causeLeft: Veronica Hassink, University College freshman, and Katie Skonezny, Oklahoma State student, cover strawberries and marshmallow at the chocolate fountain Saturday at the Pink and Black Ball benefit-ing Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Bottom: John Gramlich, broadcast and electronic media sophomore, dips Lyndsee Mummey, public relations sopho-more, at the Pink and Black Ball on Saturday. This year, the Women’s Outreach Center moved the ball to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History because the Oklahoma Memorial Union is under construction.
Dusti GasparovicLife & Arts Reporter
Sooners danced the night away and raised money for a cause at an annual on-cam-pus ball.
The eighth annual Pink and Black Ball took place Saturday evening in the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History. There were over 500 pre-sale tickets, not to men-tion many more sold at the door, event coordinator K.C. Moore said. Overall the event raised more than $10,000, which will be donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, Moore said.
This was Moore’s first year to plan the ball, which was called “The Pink Flamingo” this year, and it was a chal-lenging time commitment, she said.
Fellow coordinator Jennifer Lobaugh said the event takes months to plan.
“We started planning the event in September,” Lobaugh said.
The annual fundraiser is hosted by the Women’s Outreach Center and is al-ways a success, Moore said. The 2012 Pink and Black Ball was no different, she said.
Traditionally, the ball was held in the Molly Shi Boren Ballroom in the Oklahoma Memorial Union. This year, however, the event was moved to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History due to construction.
The l ighting was eye-catching from the street, and completely set the mood for the evening. Michael Giesecke, Union Programing Board graduate assistant and a team of about five volun-teers worked to create the thematic pink lighting for the museum.
University College fresh-man Adam Honore was one of the volunteers who helped design the lighting. Honore called it the prom lights he never had.
“I like to make you feel
Students attend Pink and Black Ball for cancer awareness
like you’re in another place,” Honore said. “I don’t want guests to feel as though they are in a museum, I want them to feel as though they are at a party.”
The atmosphere was invit-ing and cozy. Couples were swing dancing in the hallways to the live jazz band during the early part of the evening, and breaking it down on the dance floor to the disc jockey later that night.
Classy best describes this year’s Pink and Black Ball. From the minute you walked through the door there were greeters, a place to check in
your coat, raffles and endless buffets.
There were three buffet-style food tables with a choc-olate fountain and fruits, marshmallows, and sweets in the center. The food was as delicious as the atmosphere was energetic.
T h e w h o l e event seemed to run effortless-ly, and student feedback added to its success.
“I had an ex-tremely excellent time at the Pink and Black Ball,” University College freshman Tandy Hollingsworth said.
She said it was her first time to attend the ball and the ex-perience was memorable.
University College fresh-man Reilly Bennett echoed
Hollingsworth’s sentiments.“I had a great time at the
ball,” Bennett said.The freshmen weren’t
the only ones enjoying themselves.
The crowd on the dance floor was never sparse and the evening was filled with l a u g h t e r t h a t echoed through the museum.
For those who w e r e n ’ t i n t o dancing, there w a s a p h o t o booth with a tub of fun props such as boas, masks
and hats to create some fun photos.
The event was started eight years ago by the Women’s Outreach Center in an effort to raise funds for breast can-cer awareness.
Photos by MiriaM Mezzetti/the Daily
coLumn
‘Watchmen’ prequel insult to creator, comic fans alike
Imagine the reaction from Christians if someone commis-
sioned a sequel to the Bible. Now double that, and you’ll have the reaction of comic book fans when DC Comics announced it would publish a prequel series to the classic graphic novel, “Watchmen,” by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
It’s difficult to overstate the importance of “Watchmen”
to the comic book industry. Not only did it pioneer many storytelling techniques now used frequently in comics, but it garnered high praise from critics outside the com-ics bubble, proving to many people that graphic novels could be referred to as “art.”
Less important is the fact that “Watchmen” has made a ton of money, but now I get the impression DC Comics would beg to differ.
Why else would the com-pany publish the new series of issues known as “Before Watchmen?”
Fans do not approve. More importantly, God — by whom I mean Moore — does not approve. Speaking to the New York Times, the writer called the project “com-pletely shameless” and said it confirms that DC Comics is “dependent on ideas that [he] had 25 years ago.”
Ignoring whatever hypoc-risy might have hung over his comments— Moore once wrote a series that brought together Captain Nemo and Dr. Jekyll, old characters who I’m pretty sure he didn’t think up — I have to agree with him. DC’s revival of the classic comic series is a bad idea for several reasons.
Of course, among these reasons is the possibility that the new issues might suck, but that’s actually less of a concern for me than one might think. In fact, if one could temporarily forget the holiness of the legend being handled, they might actually be excited to see the names
of accomplished writers like Brian Azzarello and Darwyn Cooke among those working on the project.
So, no, I’m not worried “Before Watchmen” will be poorly written. I’m sure it’ll have a decent plot. My big-gest problem is that it will be a prequel.
It goes without saying Moore isn’t on board with this project, and if it was a sequel, that wouldn’t bother me so much either. It’s cer-tainly not unusual in comics for one writer to continue an-other’s work—that’s how se-ries like Batman and X-Men are still alive today.
But this is different. The characters in “Watchmen” belong to Moore, maybe not legally, but to the extent that he dreamt up their person-alities and fine-tuned them to a brilliant degree. Being a prequel, “Before Watchmen” will interpret each one.
money: Series only created to gain profitContinued from page 1
Moore will have almost no say in his own characters’ back-story.
That’s wrong.At least DC could have
made a sequel. It would have taken Moore’s characters and sent them in a new direction, and it would’ve respected that everything leading up to the events of the original “Watchmen” was Moore’s jurisdiction. That DC Comics would take Moore’s charac-ters, mess with their pasts and risk crippling them is a huge insult to him and fans of his work.
Perhaps worse, the new books being prequels will de-stroy theories fans had about each character’s beginnings and their ability to speculate about the events leading up to “Watchmen.”
While the new issues will likely be good, it can hardly be said they will match up with fans’ expectations or surpass what could have been if Moore had been involved.
I’m not opposed to DC publishing additional chap-ters in the “Watchmen” saga. Really, I’m not; I un-derstand this is how comic books work. That being said, what they’ve done by making the new series a prequel is overstepping boundaries.
If anyone wants to know why comic books frequently aren’t considered art, it’s be-cause of unnecessary, mon-ey-grabbing business moves like this.
Steven Zoeller is a journalism sophomore.
see money Page 7
OUDaily.comVisit oUDaily.com to see a photo gallery from saturday’s Pink and black ball.
oudaily.com/life&arts“i don’t want
guests to feel as though they are in a museum, i
want them to feel as though they are at a party.”
AdAM HONORe, UNiVeRSiTy COLLeGe
fReSHMAN
‘The Vow’ shouldn’t be compared to films in its genre but still enjoyable
Movie’s acting disappointing, plot predictable
FundraiSer
MAJORSMINORSthe
FAIRTODAYpresentations by Donald Asher
Find your major 12:30 Find a job with 2:30any major
UNION-MEACHUM AUDITORIUMfree and open to all students!
WEDNESDAY, FEB 1511:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
THE ARMORYFREE PIZZA, COKES, & GIVEAWAYS!WIN A $500 SCHOLARSHIP
The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For accomodations on the basis of disability, please call 405.325.3521.
No Valentine’s Day weekend would be complete without
a big-budget, star-studded romantic comedy.
It happens every year, and whether you’re single or taken, you’ll probably go out to see it. As far as I’m con-cerned, this trend isn’t nec-essarily a bad thing.
Movies like “27 Dresses“ (Anne Fletcher, 2008) and “No Strings Attached” (Ivan Reitman, 2011) came out around this time and accom-plished the humor and ro-mance needed while being a pretty entertaining, well-written, well-made films.
On the other hand, we’ve also seen plenty of misses over the years. So as I pre-pared to see “The Vow” (Michael Sucsy) on Saturday night, my question was, which will this be?
In case you’ve been liv-ing under a rock, “The Vow” is a romantic comedy star-ring Rachel McAdams (“The Notebook”) and Channing Tatum (“Dear John”).
The story follows Paige (McAdams) after she is in-volved in a car accident and loses all of her recent memo-ries, including her husband Leo (Tatum), who attempts to persuade her to fall in love with him again and return to
their life together.I have to admit I was not
enthusiastic about seeing this movie in the first place. I tend to be skeptical of all romantic comedies, and I’ve yet to see Channing Tatum be anything but pathetic in his performances.
Still, I figured I needed to see the movie before I could complain about it, so I shelled out the $7.50 and gave up two hours of my Saturday to pack into the near-full theater to see it.
Truthfully, this movie was not as bad as I thought it would be. It was — incred-ibly — worse. I spent the eve-ning smacking my forehead in frustration, shaking my head in disbelief and sitting in shock of how awful this movie is.
I’ve already mentioned I dislike Tatum’s acting. His acting style basically consists of standing there, looking pretty, and delivering sappy lines with no feeling behind them whatsoever.
Now don’t get me wrong, I appreciate looking at Tatum, but I have yet to see any of his characters as more than an attractive guy seemingly reading his lines off a cue card. His performance in “The Vow” is no different.
He is not believable in any
of his motives, whether it is his character’s passion for music or his love for his wife, which this movie is meant to center around. McAdams, on the other hand, has more than proven her ability as a great performer, both co-medically and romantically, which is why I was confused and somewhat surprised to see her in the previews for this movie that looked so unpromising.
I had hoped she might be able to pull the film on her own, but even she couldn’t save this train wreck. Her character, who is the only one who actually experi-ences an emotional change, is surprisingly unlikable for a majority of the film.
McAdams plays her as snippy and immature, and rather than relating to her struggle to regain her memory and do what she thinks is right, we find our-selves turned off by her and wondering why Leo is even in love with her in the first place, besides the fact that she is incredibly beautiful.
This movie claims to be based on a true story, but it obviously has been heavily adapted. It is set in the cur-rent day and the real couple’s experience happened at least 15 years ago.
It is hard to determine if the unbelievable and un-derdeveloped characters would have been more effective had they been acted well, but I personally don’t think that even the most skilled actors could have saved them.
Despite how many things were wrong with this movie, the most shocking part of the eve-ning for me was how many people in the enormous theater absolutely loved it. There were tears, and not just from one or two peo-ple, but from about five I could distinctly identify from those sitting around me, and I’m sure many more around the theater.
Walking out, girls were raving about how emo-tional and romantic it had been, and even the boyfriends who had been dragged there were com-menting that it “wasn’t that bad.”
I would never recom-mend anyone see it, es-pecially with all the qual-ity options for romantic comedies on DVD this Valentine’s Day.
Erin Wilson is a University College freshman.
Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum star in
“The Vow,” a film inspired by a true story about young love and a moment of impact that changes everything.
Overall, I enjoyed “The Vow.” It won’t go down in history as one of the greatest love stories like “Titanic,” “A Walk to Remember” or even “The Notebook,” but it was a great movie.
The previews make it ap-pear as though the focus of the movie would be on Leo, played by Tatum, trying to make his wife, played by McAdams, fall in love with him again after she suffers from amnesia.
However, the major-ity of the movie is Paige (McAdams) trying to re-member why she made all the decisions she had in life, including marrying Leo.
This movie is definitely gripping and sad, but not enough to make you cry.
The ending was too abrupt and didn’t answer all the audience’s questions. When the young couple fi-nally did reunite and begin to find love again, the cred-its started rolling.
The audience spends so
much of the movie want-ing Paige to remember her life with Leo that, when the movie started to turn around, we wanted more time to see them in love again.
The acting was good, but the actors’ stereotypes are hard to break.
Rachel McAdams forever will be remembered for “The Notebook,” and any love story she is in will sub-consciously be compared it, and time and time again fall short.
“The Vow” is definitely a great movie to watch if you’re in the mood for a “chick flick.”
It probably won’t make you cry if you’re looking for a good ‘box of tissues’ kind of movie, but it’s not a waste of your time.
Dusti Gasparovic is a University College freshman.
Lindsey Ruta, life & arts editorMariah Webb, assistant life & arts editor
Life&aRtsTomorrow ››are you ready for the big day? if you need last-minute gift and date ideas, the life & arts staff has some Valentine’s Day suggestions for you.
Sooners dance for a causeLeft: Veronica Hassink, University College freshman, and Katie Skonezny, Oklahoma State student, cover strawberries and marshmallow at the chocolate fountain Saturday at the Pink and Black Ball benefit-ing Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Bottom: John Gramlich, broadcast and electronic media sophomore, dips Lyndsee Mummey, public relations sopho-more, at the Pink and Black Ball on Saturday. This year, the Women’s Outreach Center moved the ball to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History because the Oklahoma Memorial Union is under construction.
Dusti GasparovicLife & Arts Reporter
Sooners danced the night away and raised money for a cause at an annual on-cam-pus ball.
The eighth annual Pink and Black Ball took place Saturday evening in the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History. There were over 500 pre-sale tickets, not to men-tion many more sold at the door, event coordinator K.C. Moore said. Overall the event raised more than $10,000, which will be donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, Moore said.
This was Moore’s first year to plan the ball, which was called “The Pink Flamingo” this year, and it was a chal-lenging time commitment, she said.
Fellow coordinator Jennifer Lobaugh said the event takes months to plan.
“We started planning the event in September,” Lobaugh said.
The annual fundraiser is hosted by the Women’s Outreach Center and is al-ways a success, Moore said. The 2012 Pink and Black Ball was no different, she said.
Traditionally, the ball was held in the Molly Shi Boren Ballroom in the Oklahoma Memorial Union. This year, however, the event was moved to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History due to construction.
The l ighting was eye-catching from the street, and completely set the mood for the evening. Michael Giesecke, Union Programing Board graduate assistant and a team of about five volun-teers worked to create the thematic pink lighting for the museum.
University College fresh-man Adam Honore was one of the volunteers who helped design the lighting. Honore called it the prom lights he never had.
“I like to make you feel
Students attend Pink Flamingo Ball for cancer awareness
like you’re in another place,” Honore said. “I don’t want guests to feel as though they are in a museum, I want them to feel as though they are at a party.”
The atmosphere was invit-ing and cozy. Couples were swing dancing in the hallways to the live jazz band during the early part of the evening, and breaking it down on the dance floor to the disc jockey later that night.
Classy best describes this year’s Pink and Black Ball. From the minute you walked through the door there were greeters, a place to check in
your coat, raffles and endless buffets.
There were three buffet-style food tables with a choc-olate fountain and fruits, marshmallows, and sweets in the center. The food was as delicious as the atmosphere was energetic.
T h e w h o l e event seemed to run effortless-ly, and student feedback added to its success.
“I had an ex-tremely excellent time at the Pink and Black Ball,” University College freshman Tandy Hollingsworth said.
She said it was her first time to attend the ball and the ex-perience was memorable.
University College fresh-man Reilly Bennett echoed
Hollingsworth’s sentiments.“I had a great time at the
ball,” Bennett said.The freshmen weren’t
the only ones enjoying themselves.
The crowd on the dance floor was never sparse and the evening was filled with l a u g h t e r t h a t echoed through the museum.
For those who w e r e n ’ t i n t o dancing, there w a s a p h o t o booth with a tub of fun props such as boas, masks
and hats to create some fun photos.
The event was started eight years ago by the Women’s Outreach Center in an effort to raise funds for breast can-cer awareness.
Photos by MiriaM Mezzetti/the Daily
coLumn
‘Watchmen’ prequel insult to creator, comic fans alike
Imagine the reaction from Christians if someone commis-
sioned a sequel to the Bible. Now double that, and you’ll have the reaction of comic book fans when DC Comics announced it would publish a prequel series to the classic graphic novel, “Watchmen,” by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
It’s difficult to overstate the importance of “Watchmen”
to the comic book industry. Not only did it pioneer many storytelling techniques now used frequently in comics, but it garnered high praise from critics outside the com-ics bubble, proving to many people that graphic novels could be referred to as “art.”
Less important is the fact that “Watchmen” has made a ton of money, but now I get the impression DC Comics would beg to differ.
Why else would the com-pany publish the new series of issues known as “Before Watchmen?”
Fans do not approve. More importantly, God — by whom I mean Moore — does not approve. Speaking to the New York Times, the writer called the project “com-pletely shameless” and said it confirms that DC Comics is “dependent on ideas that [he] had 25 years ago.”
Ignoring whatever hypoc-risy might have hung over his comments— Moore once wrote a series that brought together Captain Nemo and Dr. Jekyll, old characters who I’m pretty sure he didn’t think up — I have to agree with him. DC’s revival of the classic comic series is a bad idea for several reasons.
Of course, among these reasons is the possibility that the new issues might suck, but that’s actually less of a concern for me than one might think. In fact, if one could temporarily forget the holiness of the legend being handled, they might actually be excited to see the names
of accomplished writers like Brian Azzarello and Darwyn Cooke among those working on the project.
So, no, I’m not worried “Before Watchmen” will be poorly written. I’m sure it’ll have a decent plot. My big-gest problem is that it will be a prequel.
It goes without saying Moore isn’t on board with this project, and if it was a sequel, that wouldn’t bother me so much either. It’s cer-tainly not unusual in comics for one writer to continue an-other’s work—that’s how se-ries like Batman and X-Men are still alive today.
But this is different. The characters in “Watchmen” belong to Moore, maybe not legally, but to the extent that he dreamt up their person-alities and fine-tuned them to a brilliant degree. Being a prequel, “Before Watchmen” will interpret each one.
money: Series only created to gain profitContinued from page 1
Moore will have almost no say in his own characters’ back-story.
That’s wrong.At least DC could have
made a sequel. It would have taken Moore’s characters and sent them in a new direction, and it would’ve respected that everything leading up to the events of the original “Watchmen” was Moore’s jurisdiction. That DC Comics would take Moore’s charac-ters, mess with their pasts and risk crippling them is a huge insult to him and fans of his work.
Perhaps worse, the new books being prequels will de-stroy theories fans had about each character’s beginnings and their ability to speculate about the events leading up to “Watchmen.”
While the new issues will likely be good, it can hardly be said they will match up with fans’ expectations or surpass what could have been if Moore had been involved.
I’m not opposed to DC publishing additional chap-ters in the “Watchmen” saga. Really, I’m not; I un-derstand this is how comic books work. That being said, what they’ve done by making the new series a prequel is overstepping boundaries.
If anyone wants to know why comic books frequently aren’t considered art, it’s be-cause of unnecessary, mon-ey-grabbing business moves like this.
Steven Zoeller is a journalism sophomore.
see money Page 7
OUDaily.comVisit oUDaily.com to see a photo gallery from saturday’s Pink and black ball.
oudaily.com/life&arts“i don’t want
guests to feel as though they are in a museum, i
want them to feel as though they are at a party.”
AdAM HONORe, UNiVeRSiTy COLLeGe
fReSHMAN
‘The Vow’ shouldn’t be compared to films in its genre but still enjoyable
Movie’s acting disappointing, plot predictable
FundraiSer
MAJORSMINORSthe
FAIRTODAYpresentations by Donald Asher
Find your major 12:30 Find a job with 2:30any major
UNION-MEACHUM AUDITORIUMfree and open to all students!
WEDNESDAY, FEB 1511:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
THE ARMORYFREE PIZZA, COKES, & GIVEAWAYS!WIN A $500 SCHOLARSHIP
The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For accomodations on the basis of disability, please call 405.325.3521.
