National Merit Scholars gathered in the Great Reading Room in Bizzell Memorial Library in October for OU’s new nationally televised commercial. Fifty more National Merit Scholar high school
students already have applied to OU compared to the same time in the spring 2008 semester.
Elizabeth Nalewajk/The Daily
John Zogby (right), founder and CEO of Zogby International, addresses students during an informal
discussion held Monday evening at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. OU President David Boren invited
Zogby to discuss the future of America and how students, ages 18-29 years old, affect global changes each
day.
• Scholarship package among factors that make OU more enticing
RENEÉ SELANDERS
The Oklahoma Daily
OU has long been known for its National Merit Scholars, but the cur-rent economic climate might bring in even more this fall.
About 50 more National Merit Scholar high school students have
applied to OU than at this same time last spring, LeeAnn Victery, OU National Scholars Office director said in an e-mail.
In addition to the increase in appli-cants, the office is recruiting 100 more National Merit seniors than last year, Victery said.
Ranking in the top 20 of all pub-lic universities for the number of National Merit Scholars enrolled, OU has consistently recruited these schol-ars for the past 25 years. A scholar-ship package that provides resident tuition waivers, partial non-resident tuition waivers and allowances for laptops and study abroad brings many National Merit Scholars to OU, Victery
said.“I think that they’re looking for a
top school where they can excel aca-demically and OU definitely provides that,” Victery said.
The increase in applicants is ben-eficial for OU but it’s hard to pinpoint the cause, she said. Tough competi-tion for prestigious private schools can make high school seniors, espe-cially National Merit Scholars, apply to more schools to cover all their bases.
National Merit Scholars do apply to private universities but the entic-ing scholarship is a reason for OU’s high numbers, said Brittany Stidham, National Scholars Program student
assistant.“Basically the conversation gener-
ally turns to, ‘You know this is such a great scholarship that we have to give it a shot,’” said Stidham, public rela-tions sophomore.
The recession is affecting many families’ finances and high school stu-dents are keeping that in mind when they visit OU and make their final selections, she said.
“The economy definitely comes up a lot of times whenever I’ve been talk-ing to them about the scholarship,” Stidham said. “That tends to be a con-sideration when they’re looking at the scholarship and looking at the other
More National Merit Scholars may flock to OU
EDUCATION Continues on page 2
SCHOLARS Continues on page 2
POLLSTER Continues on page 2
• Nation’s 18-29 year olds ‘first global’ generation
SANDRA KUNZWEILER AND LEIGHANNE MANWARREN
The Oklahoma Daily
Today’s college generation is leading the nation into a world without borders.
John Zogby, internationally noted pollster, told students they are the first of their kind in a speech Monday evening at Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.
“You are America’s first global citizens,” he said.Today’s generation is not apathetic like some believe,
Zogby said. He said he feels optimistic toward what he called the generation of the “first globals.”
Members of a generations are determined by two age cohorts: where they are in their life cycle and what historic event dominates their lives, he said. Events for past genera-
tions have been Pearl Harbor and the Cold War. Today it is the speed of technology.“You are growing up in an age of globalization, which
defines you more than anyone else,” Zogby said.The generation of the “first globals,” ages 18-29, have more
ready access to information, which leads to a world of net-work opportunities.
“When we ask who are your friends ... friends used to be immediate and personal ... friends today are your network,” Zogby said. “‘I have a friend in Thailand,’ I’ll hear. You are global in every way, shape and form.”
But not all members of the “first globals” have the same perception of theirs and other countries.
Zogby said because some countries are rising again, mem-bers of the “first globals” generation in the United States are more likely to be “citizens of the Earth.”
“A global citizen in China or Russia is decidedly different from a global citizen here, because nationalism and ultra-nationalism and the appeal to national greatness
Famous pollster praises youthful zeal, uniqueness of college generation
A new scholarship for education majors could help education students face the struggling econ-omy, if they are willing to commit to four years of teaching in Oklahoma’s poorest neighborhoods.
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant program will be available for the first time this semester. The grant will give education majors $4,000 per year under a few conditions.
Students who receive the grant must agree
New grant aims to recruit teachers to help low-income areasAmy Frost / The Daily
Sara Brown, anthropology and Russian senior, said the National Merit scholarship was the big-gest factor in her decision to come to OU as a freshman.
“I think a lot of people can say that,” she said. “It’s probably the best deal you’re going to get.”
But the scholarship’s link to the economy isn’t certain, Victery said.
“While these are both good indicators that OU would see an increased enrollment of National Merit Scholars this fall, it is impossible to make predictions at this point because of so many other factors involved,” she said.
• Governor targets disability discrimination
CADIE THOMPSON
The Oklahoma Daily
Gov. Brad Henry is taking action to end offensive language toward people with disabilities.
The governor declared today “Spread the Word to End the ‘R’ Word Day” to raise awareness about how the word “retard” or “retarded” negatively impacts people with disabilities and their families.
The day is nationally recognized and promoted by the Special Olympics, but Wanda and Rick Felty of Norman petitioned the governor to make it officially observed in Oklahoma.
The Feltys, who have a daughter with multiple dis-abilities, started a grassroots campaign in April 2007 to raise awareness about the disrespectful nature of the words.
“Our whole effort is to encourage and empower fami-
lies, and let them know it’s OK to speak out against the word itself and against the attitude,” Wanda Felty said.
Felty said she and her husband have always felt passionately about fighting negative attitudes toward people with mental retardation. But a specific incident spurred the couple to start speaking out against such discrimination.
While shopping at a grocery store, she heard another customer comment, “I don’t know why they let people like that live,” in reference to the Felty’s daughter.
“That was the first I had ever seen the effects of the prejudice,” Wanda said. “We looked into it further and realized people don’t take people with disabilities seri-ously, and it starts a whole cycle.”
According to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau, there are 604,245 people in Oklahoma with disabilities and about 50,000 people in the state have developmental disabilities.
Jenny Hughes, a special education teacher in the Enid Public School District, said she has not noticed people using the word “retarded,” but said she knows negative attitudes toward people with disabilities exist.
Hughes, a 30-year veteran of special education, said
she realizes the word can be offensive, but said she is not sure establishing a day is the best resolution. The day could draw unwanted negative attention to people with disabilities, she said.
“Instead of End the ‘R’ Word Day, it should be Learn the ‘R’ Word Day and it should be ‘respect,’” Hughes said.
State takes steps to stamp out ‘R word’
Student receives top honor, grant
An OU student has received a presti-
gious national award based on leader-
ship, academics and the “likelihood of
making a diff erence” in the world.
Political science and history junior
Matthew Gress was the only Oklahoma
student named a Truman Scholar.
Recipients of the honor must be com-
mitted to careers in government or
non-profi t areas and are given $30,000
for graduate study.
“The university is extremely proud
of Matthew Gress for his academic
record and his leadership abilities,” OU
President David Boren said. “Above all,
we are proud of his commitment to give
back to the broader community and to
serving others.”
Gress was raised in Cyrill and
currently holds a 3.96 GPA. He lists
Stanford as his fi rst choice for graduate
studies in both the law school and
school of education program in policy,
organization and leadership studies.
Gress is active in many student or-
ganizations and won several leadership
positions at OU.
He has been part of Oklahoma
Intercollegiate Legislature since his
freshman year and is running for gov-
ernor of the organization after serving
as representative, senator and attorney
general. Gress was also a member of the
President’s Leadership Class, Oklahoma
Student Government Association, OU
Political Science Club and student
advisory council for the Political Science
Department.
Gress also has participated in UOSA
since 2007 after serving as external
aff airs chair last semester.
Gress will intern this summer with
Congressman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., in
Washington.
— CLARK FOY/THE DAILY
to teach in low-income areas for four academic years after they graduate. The four years of teaching must be com-pleted within eight years after the grant student receives their degree.
The scholarship is available to educa-tion majors who agree to work in “high need areas,” said Gregg Garn, associ-ate dean of the College of Education. Education majors focusing in math, sci-ence, special education, foreign language and reading education are in the highest demand.
“It is a great opportunity and is also very timely,” Garn said. “[TEACH] will help out lots of kids who are in need of money because of the economy.”
“I think it is a really great thing,” said Claire Schroepfer, language arts educa-tion sophomore. “I know a lot of people who want to go teach in low-income schools and raise their test scores, so this is great for them because it is sup-porting their passion.”
Schroepfer said she would not be interested in the grant, however.
“I know that a lot of other people have that passion. It just isn’t mine,” Schroepfer said. “Also, I would be ner-vous to plan out the next 4-8 years of my life after college because you just never know what could happen.”
If students who receive the grant back out after graduating or do not complete their four-year commitment within eight years of graduating, the grant will be converted into a Stafford loan that must be paid back with interest.
Garn said he is still optimistic about the program because it gives new incen-tives to teach students in low-income areas.
“It is a really good program that will get the best teachers into areas where they are most needed,” Garn said. “I am very excited for it.”
“We looked into it further and realized people don’t take people with disabilities seriously, and it starts a whole cycle.”
Wanda Felty, Norman resident and mother of disabled daughter
in this new world is something very much on the minds of people in China and Russia,” he said. “They are apt in emerging or re-emerging as global powers [and they] are making young people, at the same time, more global and more national than here at the states.”
Zogby used polls that show baby-boomers couldn’t locate Vietnam on a map as an example of the “first globals’” knowledge of the world
around them. “They may not know where Darfur
is on a map, but what makes these 20-somethings so different today than previous cohorts of 20-somethings is that they know there is a Darfur on the map,” he said.
Another difference between this generation and prior generations is how it assesses cultural issues.
“One of the things that I’m proud-est of the first globals is the position on things like abortion,” Zogby said. “First globals tilt pro-choice but by and large what they tell us in a poll is ‘Give me the situation and let’s evaluate the situation and I will tell you whether it
is legitimate.’ Why didn’t we think of that?”
Many students approached Zogby to thank him for refuting the precon-ceived notions of their generation, he said.
“I think that the hope he gave our generation is appealing,” said Chris Shilling, psychology senior.
OU President David Boren said he, like Zogby, is optimistic about the future of this generation of students.
“I think it is fascinating to look at the attitudes of this generation, and to think about how they are likely to change America and make America what it will be 20 years from now,”
Boren said. “I hope to be around to see that.”
Zogby said he appreciates the diver-sity, fearlessness and level of intel-ligence he sees in the students who attend his lectures nationwide.
“Universities really have become places where a lot people think, and I am appreciating that more and more,” he said. “I think just the very fact that it is different for people to be with people of different cultures, and to be in a world of ideals to have so much to worry about with the world at large, compared to the previous generation that went to college [who] were clue-less.”
Continued from page 1
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Call (405) 325-3668Final round begins April 6
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Nijim Dabbour, managing [email protected]: 325-3666fax: 325-6051For more, go to oudaily.com. Campus NewsCampus News Tuesday, March 31, 2009
• Curb your cravings and save some money
RICKY MARANON
The Oklahoma Daily
With tobacco taxes going up once again, quitting smoking looks like a quick way to save a dollar.
Cigarettes are the most popular form of tobacco in America, and also are the most popular tobacco product to tax.
On Wednesday, taxes on people who roll their own cigarettes will increase from $1.10 per pound of tobacco to $24.78 per pound.
Even when untaxed, cigarette smokers are still are faced with ris-ing costs. This month the price of a pack of cigarettes rose 75 cents because of increased production cost.
All smoking-cessation aids are focused on one ingredient in ciga-rettes: nicotine. Nicotine is a high-ly addictive substance in tobacco products and helps users feel calm and satisfied while being awake and focused.
There are many options to help you quit smoking. Some respond
to certain treatments better than others, so if one doesn’t work, don’t give up.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Gum, patch, lozengeThere are three types of prod-
ucts that can work independently or together to give smokers a small dose of nicotine to temporarily sat-isfy cravings.
None of these remedies should be used as the “cure all” to kick-ing the habit. The gum is intended to be a saving grace when sudden cravings attack. It comes in boxes of 110 to 170 pieces.
The patch is placed on the upper arm and is intended to be the main means to quit smoking by allowing nicotine to be absorbed through the skin.
Lozenges are another option when trying to fight the nicotine craving. It is a candy-like tablet that comes in many flavors.
No matter what product you choose, each one is supposed to deliver enough nicotine to beat cravings.
Source: CVS pharmacist
PillsThere are three pills on the mar-
ket that claim to help users stop smoking. Zyban and Chantix are two prescriptions that help many stop smoking, and are approved by the FDA. Chantix was proven in six clinical studies to help people lose the urge to smoke.
A third remedy is Smoke Away. It is an all-natural herbal supplement that has received mixed reviews. Smoke Away is not FDA approved, but it is sold on some late-night infomercials.
Source: Food and Drug Administration
Support groupsBoth federal and state govern-
ments have taken steps to set up support lines to assist those who want to kick the habit. In addition to the “Tobacco Stops with Me” campaign, the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline is set up in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help smokers of all ages. The number will put you in contact with a trained counselor.
Some support groups offer free nicotine replacement treatments such as those previously men-tioned.
To reach the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
Source: Center for Disease Control: Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline
Kick the habit: quitting smoking3
HOWTuesday
Elizabeth Nalewajk/The Daily
With an increase in taxes, smokers must decide whether to kick the habit or pay more to satisfy their cravings.
Vietnite returns to campusAfter a three-year hiatus, the Society of
Vietnamese Students is bringing back Vietnite
to OU Tuesday in the Union’s Molly Shi Boren
Ballroom.
The sixth Vietnite, an evening of events
celebrating Vietnamese culture, is returning
to OU after low membership in the Society of
Vietnamese Students left the group without
enough manpower to put on the function
since 2005, said Lena Phan, president of the
organization.
Phan said this year’s event, “Impressive
Vietnam,” will be divided into three primary
portions: a cultural dance, a fashion show
featuring traditional Vietnamese dress and a
dinner of authentic Vietnamese cuisine.
The purpose of Vietnite 2009 is not only to
display Vietnamese culture, but also to intro-
duce a new side of a country that has a very
politicized reputation in the U.S., Phan said.
“We just want to introduce the feeling of
Vietnam and how it has changed during the last
30 years,” Phan said. “I just think people would
be interested in knowing a new Vietnam.”
The event begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
Dinner tickets are $4 and can be purchased at
the door.
Union evacuated brieflyThe Oklahoma Memorial Union was
evacuated completely Monday afternoon due
to a small bag of overcooked popcorn, OUPD
Sergeant Tim Tucker said.
Fire alarms sounded shortly before 4 p.m.
and the building immediately was evacuated.
“We heard the fi re alarm, smelled the smoke
and then just left,” said Kari Dawkins, volunteer
coordinator in the Student Leadership Develop-
ment Offi ce.
Members of the OU community were al-
lowed to re-enter the building around 4 p.m.
I-35 construction continuesMotorists will be aff ected by two off -ramp
Two years ago, Mexican President Felipe Calderón declared his intention to shut down Mexico’s drug cartels.
The only significant effect this new effort seems to have had is to trigger an eruption of violence.
The University of San Diego Trans-Border Institute estimates 7,337 lives have been lost in Mexico’s drug war, including
more than 1,500 deaths in 2009 alone.
Compare that to, for instance, the 4,260 U.S. casualties of the Iraq War.
This slaughter is not driven primarily by cocaine, methamphet-amine or even heroin.
Marijuana, accord-ing to the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration, is the “cash crop” of Mexican drug cartels. Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said up to 70 per-cent of Mexican violence is fueled by the marijuana trade.
The majority of marijuana exported from Mexico goes to the U.S., a country whose own war on drugs, though having gone on for much longer than two years, shows a similar lack of progress.
Since its declaration by President Richard Nixon in 1971, the U.S. War on Drugs has absorbed greater and greater amounts of money.
Government figures for 2009 predict
the spending of at least $22.1 billion.That’s about $700 per second, assum-
ing no unexpected costs of any kind are incurred. And, if the trend of the past 37 years continues, next year this figure will be higher.
And what are these billions of tax dol-lars buying?
Marijuana continues to be grown in significant quantities in every state, and is available cheaply and conveniently almost everywhere.
With such plentiful resources avail-able, why is it the War on Drugs seems incapable of even denting marijuana commerce and usage?
Truth or D.A.R.E.?My own experience with socially
focused antidrug programs has led me to conclude that while they are well-equipped in material terms, they are usually coordinated with ineptitude and naivete.
Take the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program.
D.A.R.E. consumes more than $1 bil-lion per year, some of which is contrib-uted by the government.
It’s fabulously popular with teachers and parents, having been implemented in 75 percent of U.S. school districts with the help of more than 7,800 law enforce-ment officers.
D.A.R.E. assemblies, as I remember them, were a mixture of smarmy inspi-rationalism and scare tactics. When we
weren’t learning about positivity and teamwork as taught by “Daren,” the anthropomorphic, sunglasses-wearing lion, we were hearing grim tales of flam-ing death in marijuana-fueled road acci-dents.
Needless to say, the whole exercise seemed fishy.
After all, I knew many students who used marijuana, and none of them had been consumed by fireballs.
A little homework revealed that while marijuana is carcinogenic and impairs short-term memory, the odds of it leading one to shrieking, fiery doom are pretty remote.
Research suggests that many other stu-dents have shared my skeptical reaction to D.A.R.E.’s theatrical techniques. Indiana University, the University of Maryland, the Research Triangle Institute and the American Psychological Association have all published studies demonstrat-ing that D.A.R.E. is useless in changing youth behavior, and may unintentionally encourage drug use.
And all this is in spite of its immense funding and support.
But, then, how could D.A.R.E. and other sub-efforts of the War on Drugs better discourage people from substance abuse?
It’s my observation that factual knowl-edge provides a better reference for deal-ing with reality than even the most metic-ulously constructed fiction.
If antidrug programs relied less on
Byzantine propaganda techniques and focused more on educating people of all relevant facts, no matter how inconve-nient to their agenda, they might actually start working.
I know that I don’t want to do heroin, not because of the horror stories or gross-out photographs shown to me by D.A.R.E. people, but because of scientific data and the unembellished accounts of heroin usage provided by authors like William Burroughs and Hubert Selby, Jr.
The disappointing truth is that mari-juana, while harmful, isn’t particularly terrifying.
By distorting the negative effects of marijuana, antidrug programs squander the credibility that could be used to steer people away from more deservedly con-trolled substances.
Alcohol policy inconsistentSpeaking of, one might wonder why
the government would spend billions and arrest millions in a clearly futile attempt to eradicate the usage of a substance that is much less hazardous than many legal drugs, such as alcohol, which kills 6.5 times more youth than all other drugs combined.
Honestly, I don’t know for certain what has led the government and the public to become so phobic of marijuana and so cozy with alcohol. However, it’s clear the data doesn’t justify this attitude. It is irrational.
Prohibition of alcohol was repealed
because it was practically unenforceable, because it promoted organized crime and because, as a legal drug, alcohol can be taxed for funds that go toward repairing the damage it causes.
Marijuana is, in these terms, funda-mentally similar to alcohol.
If marijuana were decriminalized, we could take the billions being inciner-ated in ineffectual attempts to control it and inject them into our desiccated economy.
We could arrest 800,000 fewer people per year. We could put more effort into controlling genuinely dangerous drugs. And we could instantaneously gut the Mexican cartels, which are murdering thousands.
It is the irrational attitudes of American policymakers that provide these cartels with an incentive to murder.
No informed person would argue that we’re lowering the net number of deaths by keeping marijuana “controlled,” and yet we continue.
As long as our government persists in this fashion, every murder committed by Mexican drug cartels is done with U.S. complicity.
Therefore, I ask the public to try engag-ing in a rational and evidence-based dia-logue on the legal status of marijuana.
Or, at very least, I would ask the U.S. government to try to fail on a budget of less than $700 per second.
Zac Smith is an English junior.
I’ve talked about the need for civil dis-cussion on campus before, and religion was included under that umbrella, but I think recent events indicate a need to discuss reli-gion specifically.
Charles Collins’ article about President Obama’s faith is one of these instances, as well as the multitude of vehement comments in response to that article. Kyle Williams’ prediction of American Christianity’s collapse is another.
If you search for “religion” on The Daily’s Web site, you should find nearly 30 results for the past two months alone. Richard Dawkins’ visit to OU, Islam Awareness Week and the United Nations’ recent efforts to ban “reli-gious defamation” are all reminders that religion is an integral part of society.
Religion is a big deal.It can unite people, divide them and encour-
age them to do a number of acts. What people believe is a foundational part of their world-view, and it is through this lens that people interpret and decide how to respond to their surroundings.
What would it be like if religious adherence not only defined some of our choices in the world, but if religion could correctly define the world we live in, its problems, pleasures and how to react to these?
Religion would be a really big deal.If suffering is the fundamental splinter
in humanity’s side that could be removed through the Noble Eightfold Path as Buddhism teaches, then that has major ramifications for how I live my life.
If I am born into a world plagued by sin-caused death and there is a God who redeems people from sin through a man hung on a cross then raised again to life, then I would want to believe that. People are going to discuss these things regardless of what is written here.
This week’s Islam Awareness Week and a myriad of other religious happenings, will open the door for such discussions.
The reason I wrote this column is to impress on readers the importance of those conversa-tions that are bound to happen. These talks affect what we do and (if the words are true) they foreshadow our futures to the point of eternity.
Many religious conversations should be religious dialogues: people talking with each other, not just at each other. There is definitely a time to be “spoken at,” but the intimate set-
ting of a lunch table doesn’t always reflect that time.
Also, I think religious conversations like these are not fruitless. Many people typify reli-gious dialogue as a bunch of blind men touch-ing an elephant: Each is somewhat mistaken and all are individually convinced.
I disagree with this wholeheartedly. This metaphor assumes the elephant itself cannot trumpet out, which is a tremendous presup-position to make.
I think conversations should be aimed at discovering truth, and that they should not begin with a presupposition that truth cannot be discovered. After all, assuming religious truths cannot be discovered is saying that it is true that these truths cannot be discovered – that is a self-refuting statement.
Author C.S. Lewis believed our conversa-tions could direct us toward true and reason-able conclusions. I’ll leave you with the final stanza of his poem “The Birth of Language,” which I think encapsulates that belief:
“So dim below these symbols show,Bony and abstract every one.Yet if true verse but lift the curse,They feel in dreams their native Sun.”
phone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051For more, go to oudaily.com.OpinionOpinion
OUR VIEW is an editorial selected and debated by the editorial board and written after a majority opinion is formed and approved by the editor. Our View is Th e Daily’s offi cial opinion.
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Tuesday, March 31, 20094
Legalize marijuana, save more lives
Don’t dismiss religious dialogue
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner, Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli, Ford CEO Alan Mulally, testify at a Senate Banking, Housing
and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Nov. 18. Wagoner resigned Sunday at the request of the Obama administration.
Discuss his exit and more at OUDaily.com at the opinion page blog.
New education grant a stepin right direction for Okla.
Oklahoma needs an education in good educa-tion.
Right now, the education system in the Sooner State is struggling. According to the Oklahoma Department of Education, our state ranks 46th in per-pupil spending at more than $2,300 below the national average. It also ranks 42nd in average teacher sal-ary at about $9,000 below the national average.
That’s unacceptable. But a new grant program for educa-
tion students could be a step in the right direction. The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education grant gives education majors $4,000 per year if they will teach in Oklahoma for four years after they graduate.
See Page 1 for more details.
This program would keep teachers who might otherwise leave for higher salaries in Kansas or Texas in the state for at least four years.
It’s a good investment for Oklahoma: $16,000 in exchange for at least four more years of service. There’s a good chance that after teaching for four years, which the grant recipients have eight years to do before the grant turns into a loan, the teachers will stay in Oklahoma long term. They are likely to have lives established and much more than four years invested by the time their four years is up.
While the grant is a step in the right direction, it’s also not enough. Salary
increases and dollars per student need to ulti-mately increase if Oklahoma is to be more than a national education embarrassment. In the mean-time, the TEACH grant will do.
In response to Monday’s Our View about ice storm paranoia in Oklahoma
As a meteorology major, I know that winter weather is diffi cult to
forecast. Every meteorologist I saw was saying that the possibility of snow
forecasted could change as the storm progresses and patterns are made
clearer. The reason the forecast was blown: an unexpected dry slot formed
taking out the moisture. Had that dry slot not formed I’m almost certain
that the system would have precipitated several inches of snow upon us.
- POSTED BY KCREASEY AT OUDAILY.COM
Good article. We get all hyped up anytime the weather turns sour here.
It gives this place an excuse to be excited about something. But, hell, I
never minded getting a break from school or anything else.
- POSTED BY JFREEZY AT OUDAILY.COM
In response to Mary Stanfield’s Monday column about voting for an anti-discrimination policy
I’m almost surprised this is even an issue that needs to be voted on.
As students of the 21st century, we are a progressive generation with a
bright, open-minded future full of social acceptance and human and civil
rights awareness. It should be almost a given that this type of language
be included in the non-discrimination policy of a large public university.
Why isn’t this already a part of the code? And why has it taken us this
long to take measures to amend it?
I applaud the eff orts Nicholas Harrison and other campus leaders who
are fi nally bringing light to this issue.
- POSTED BY ACSOONER AT OUDAILY.COM
News Tuesday, March 31, 2009 5
• OU is one of three universities participating in pilot program
LAUREN STALFORD
The Oklahoma Daily
The OU College of Dentistry is reaching out to the state’s rural communities to provide dental educa-tion and care to areas that have long needed dental professionals.
The College of Dentistry is participating in a five-year pilot program created by the American Dental Association to train students in health care centers across the nation in areas that lack access to dental care, said Dunn Cumby, chairman of the Division of Community Dentistry.
The Community Dental Health Coordinator pro-gram will add a new classification of dental care providers, said Karen Hart, director of the Council on Dental Education and Licensure. A community dental health coordinator will be any health worker who undergoes some basic dental training, Hart said.
OU, the University of California in Los Angeles and Temple University in Philadelphia are the first to adopt the pilot program, Cumby said. Within five years, programs will be established in rural Oklahoma communities, Native American communities in California and urban communities in Pennsylvania, Cumby said.
OU’s program is currently training six students who should be ready to begin seeing patients in 18 months.
The students will spend the first year in online course-work, and will intern at local, rural health care centers during the last six months.
All six students live in the rural Oklahoma towns the program seeks to help, like Clayton, Baptist and Tishomingo.
Once their training is complete, the students will go into the community and provide dental education and basic dental examinations, Hart said.
“The big thing is patient education and prevention. What we can do is educate the population and have an effect on the future,” Cumby said.
The program is aimed at bringing communities dental health care by training people within their community, Cumby said.
“It’s a distribution problem; We don’t have people going to areas where they are really needed,” said Cumby.
The community dental coordinators will be trained to handle basic dental care like cleaning, examinations and basic repairs, Hart said. They will also encourage and motivate people to set up appointments with den-tists at these health centers, Cumby said.
“The idea is to expand the treatment capability of these centers,” Cumby said.
Community dental coordinators are different from dental hygienists because they have less training and responsibility, and will focus on areas that are usually underserved by dental hygienists, Hart said.
The cost of seeing the community dental coordi-nator will vary depending on the health center, Hart said.
“We believe it’s important to get people to change habits,” said Hart, “I have heard dentists say, ‘We can’t drill and fill our way out of this problem.’”
College of Dentistry reaches out to rural areasPOLICE REPORTSNames are compiled from the Norman Police Department and OUPD. The reports serve as a record of arrests and citations, not convictions. Those listed are innocent until proven guilty.
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCEEric Jonothan-Paul Siverston, 23, Boyd and Elm Street, SaturdayMilton William Washington, 23, Boyd and University, FridayLoren Larae Felts, 19, Boyd and University, Friday
CONCEALING STOLEN PROPERTYEvan James Avant, 21, 200 N. Jones Ave., Sunday
MUNICIPAL WARRANTNicholas Zackery Bates, 31, 2556 Classen Blvd., SundayMalcolm Rashad Lewis, 22, McGee Drive, Sunday, also driving under suspension
PETTY LARCENYLogan Cash Potter Brooks, 22, 1400 24th Ave. NW, SaturdayLeo Scruggs, 55, 3499 W. Main St., Saturday
POSSESSION OF ALCOHOLMeredith Eileen Foerster, 19, 529 Buchanan Ave., Saturday
PUBLIC INTOXICATIONSteven Loyd Gregory, 33, 760 Asp Ave., Sunday
CAMPUS NOTES
TODAY
CAREER SERVICESCareer Services will host a resume critiquing session at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUSChristians on Campus will host a Bible study at noon in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
SOCIETY OF VIETNAMESE STUDENTSThe Society of Vietnamese Students will host the VietNite Festival at 7 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
WEDNESDAY
CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUSChristians on Campus will host a Bible study at noon in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
Agency awards stimulus road projects fundingOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The
Oklahoma Transportation Commission
Monday awarded $228 million in road
and bridge repair contracts funded
by the federal economic stimulus
program as part of the largest amount
of transportation dollars spent at one
time in the agency’s history.
The commission awarded $270
million in construction work including
42 road and bridge projects paid for by
federal stimulus funds that the director
of the state Department of Transpor-
tation said will transform some of
Oklahoma’s most traveled roadways
from “poor and terrible to great.”
“These are really good projects,”
Director Gary Ridley said. “We have
some major defi ciencies in our roads
and bridges. We have a huge backlog.”
Ridley estimated the value of
backlogged road and bridge work in
the state at $11 billion.
He said the money will not only
improve highways but will revive
road builders and related industries
whose business has slowed with the
downturn in the economy.
“We have been actively hiring
people,” Lemon said. He said the com-
pany has hired 10 new workers and is
looking for 15 more.
“There are many companies like
ourselves,” Lemon said. “We’re looking
forward to the challenge.”
Transportation commissioners au-
thorized the road work while rejecting
calls from state Sen. Randy Brogdon,
R-Owasso, to vote against spending
federal money that comes with strings
attached until the Legislature has a
chance to vote on whether to accept
the money.
Bill to place monument at Capitol advancesOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A bill to
allow the Ten Commandments to be
placed on the Capitol grounds has won
approval in a Senate committee.
The vote was 5-3 for the measure,
which opponents argue is unconsti-
tutional.
Sen. Jim Wilson, a Tahlequah Demo-
crat, argued it was a religious display
prohibited by the state Constitution.
But Sen. Randy Brogdon, an Owasso
Republican, said the monument recog-
nized the historical importance of the
Ten Commandments and had “nothing
to do with religious viewpoints.”
The bill, which already has passed
the House, will be considered next by
the full Senate.
Formerly conjoined twins improving OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Twin girls
who were born conjoined at the
chest are doing well 10 weeks after
successful surgery that separated
them, pediatric surgeons at Children’s
Hospital said Monday.
“So far, the girls have exceeded
expectations,” said Dr. David Tuggle,
the chief surgeon for twins Preslee
Faith Wells and Kylee Hope Wells.
“Their wounds are 99 percent healed
and they are gaining weight.”
Their mother, 20-year-old Stevie
Stewart of Calumet, said Kylee now
weighs 15 pounds and Preslee weighs
14 pounds.
“They’re pretty good size,” Tuggle
said. “So far, they’ve done very well.”
Preslee and Kylee had been joined
at the chest since their birth on Oct. 25.
They were separated on Jan. 19 during
a 6-hour procedure that Tuggle said at
the time went smoothly.
Tuggle said the girls will need
additional surgery to reconstruct their
chests but it is unknown when that
will occur. They have been removed
from a respirator, but Tuggle said the
surgery will not be scheduled until the
girls no longer need periodic use of a
ventilator to help them breathe.
STATE BRIEFS
Photo Illustration by Lilly Chapa/The Daily
The College of Dentistry is reaching out to rural areas that lack access to dental care.
“What we can do is educate the population and have an effect on the future,” says
Dunn Cumby, chairman of the Division of Community Dentistry.
phone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051For more, go to oudaily.com.SportsSports6 Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Women’s BasketballSTAFF COLUMN
MLB needs to fix immigration issueBaseball is becoming the
Jerry Springer of the sports world.
Since the Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa home run chase, no other topic has been talked about as much as ste-roids.
We’ve seen superstars become demoralized, their statistical records in question, and their respect in jeopardy.
Now, as if we need more, there are other issues arising in baseball: immigration.
Earlier this week ESPN reported that commissioner Bud Selig “has given Major League Baseball’s security division an open checkbook in an attempt to clean up off-field scandals in the Dominican Republic and other foreign countries”.
The FBI has teamed with officers in the Dominican Republic to solve incidents involving the White Sox and Washington Nationals.
Apparently, they falsified birth certificates, kept bonus cash targeted at teenage pros-pects and smuggled perfor-mance enhancing drugs into the country.
Seventy players are being detained from the Dominican Republic and other countries, including ‘some big name pros-pects’ that weren’t listed.
“It’s no different from any other immigration situation when it comes to American jobs,” one general manager said.
What’s the deal? A high majority of Major League Baseball players are interna-tional players. It has been that way for a long time.
Now, all of a sudden, the league is hav-ing problems with inaccu-rate birth cer-tificates?
Give me a break.
It’s under-s t a n d a b l e : teams want these interna-tional players because it’s a way they can sign players with a high skill set before they are 20 years old.
I get that. But maybe if there was as
much time and money invested in American children learning baseball from professionals at early ages, there wouldn’t be a problem with illegal immi-gration. Maybe there would be younger, better American players.
Illegal immigration laws are set, and with reason, so break-ing them is not an option. Everyone has to abide by them, even if it means shrink-ing the talent added by inter-national players, whether the MLB like it or not.
It all comes down to the commissioner, and Selig needs to take accountability for the mishaps happening during his time as commissioner.
He is of the highest pow-ers in baseball, and I know he wouldn’t let someone else take the credit if it was posi-tive.
The young players are not to blame; it’s the scouts, coaches, agents and position holders that are the victims of money hunger.
MJ CASIANO IS A BROADCAST AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA SOPHOMORE.
Everyone has to abide by [immigration laws], even if it means shrinking the talent added by international players, whether the MLB like it or not.
MJCASIANO
Sooners prepare for Purdue• Boilermakers, OU fight for Final Four
ANNELISE RUSSELL
The Oklahoma Daily
It has been seven years since the OU wom-en’s basketball team last participated in the Final Four, and the Sooners will look to make their much-anticipated return tonight.
OU earned the right to play in the regional championship against Purdue after Sunday night’s 70-59 defeat of fourth-seeded Pitt.
The game against the Panthers was one of the Sooners’ best, and guard play was as strong as ever.
Freshman guard Whitney Hand led the Sooners with 22 points in the matchup.
The last roadblock the Sooners must face on the way to the Final Four is sixth-seeded Purdue.
“This is incredible. It’s an incredible feat,” Hand said. “There are eight teams left and we’re one of the lucky few that get to practice another day.”
Purdue also played Sunday and claimed its spot after finishing off seventh-ranked Rutgers 67-61.
The Boilermakers may only be a six seed, but they have played well enough to knock off third-seeded North Carolina.
Purdue could present problems for the Sooners as the Boilermakers have ripped
through higher-seeded opponents with ease.The Boilermakers do not usually average
multiple players in double figures, normally one or two if they are lucky, but Purdue has five players averaging more than 10 points per game in the tournament.
They do not also have a single player rebounding in double figures, and this might be an area the Sooners can exploit with senior center Courtney Paris down low.
The Boilermakers are a team that looks vul-nerable on paper, but they have been playing with a high level of confidence.
Head coach Sherri Coale said OU should be ready for a tough matchup.
“I think maturity level is the first thing that I come to, and that you have to be able to imme-diately switch gears and fine-tune your focus and look exactly at your opponent and what you need to do to win,” she said. “At this stage in the game everybody is good.”
OU also should be playing with some con-fidence, especially after the way the Sooner guards have come up big this tournament.
In years past, the game plan was to force it
in to Paris who would then take the shot down low, but with Hand knocking down 3s, there is no need to make the pass to Paris.
Hand played some of her best basketball in the previous two games, and it is not all about the points on the stat sheet. Hand was always in the mix of a scuffle, diving for loose balls and coming up with the steal. She did not shy away from girls bigger than her.
This confidence, along with the poise of sophomore guard Danielle Robinson are the tools the Sooners will need to bring down a strong team as of late in Purdue.
Junior guard Nyeshia Stevenson said she is looking forward to playing in front of Sooner fans in Oklahoma City one more time this season.
“Our fans are awesome, and for them to be here with us fighting the fight with us, knowing that we have one more game just to get to the Final Four, it’s awesome,” Stevenson said. “We really do appreciate our fans and we love them as much as they love us.”
OU and Purdue tip-off at 8 p.m. in the Ford Center.
Amy Frost/The Daily
Senior forward Ashley Paris (5) faces a double team of Pitt defenders Shayla Scott (25) and Xenia Stewart (33) during Sunday’s Sweet 16 victory. Paris scored 12
points and had 12 rebounds in OU’s 70-59 win. The Sooners now face the Purdue Boilermakers at 8 tonight at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City.
“It’s an incredible feat. There are eight teams left and we’re one of the lucky few that get to practice another day.”
Freshman guard Whitney Hand
MORE ONLINETo stay up to date on the
Sooners’ march through the NCAA
tournament, stay online at
OUDaily.com.
For immediate results following tonight’s game, go to OUDaily.com.
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Sports Tuesday, March 31, 2009 7
Griffin named first-team All-AmericanBlake Griffi n and Tyler Hansbrough spent a lot of time
together on the court last weekend and were back together
Monday as the top vote-getters on The Associated Press’
All-America team.
Griffi n, the sophomore forward from Oklahoma who led
the nation in rebounding, was the only unanimous selec-
tion for the team. Hansbrough, the consensus player of the
year last season as a junior, repeated as a fi rst-teamer the
day after his Tar Heels beat the Sooners 72-60 to advance to
the Final Four.
Joining them on the team were players from schools
with little All-America history, sophomores DeJuan Blair
of Pittsburgh, James Harden of Arizona State and junior
Stephen Curry of Davidson.
Griffi n, who averaged 21 points and 14.3 rebounds while
shooting 63.5 percent from the fi eld, became college bas-
ketball’s image for toughness when
he returned from a concussion only to
drive headlong onto the scorer’s table.
He received 71 fi rst-team votes and
335 points from the same national
media panel that selects the weekly
Top 25. Balloting was done before the
NCAA tournament.
Hansbrough, a unanimous pick
last season along with Kansas State’s
Michael Beasley, got 50 fi rst-team
votes and 304 points. This is the fourth
straight season the 6-foot-9 forward received All-America
recognition. He was a third-team pick as a freshman and
was on the second team after his sophomore season.
Blair is Pittsburgh’s second fi rst-teamer, joining Don
Hennon in 1958. Curry, who led the nation in scoring, is
Davidson’s second as well. Harden is Arizona State’s fi rst AP
All-America.
Griffi n, the Big 12 player of the year, is the third Okla-
homa player to be selected and the fi rst since Stacey King
in 1989. Wayman Tisdale of the Sooners was a three-time
All-American from 1983-85.
“When Coach (Jeff ) Capel started recruiting me, he
talked to me a lot about changing the culture of this
program and getting it back to a place where guys like
Wayman Tisdale and Stacey King and those guys came to
play,” said Griffi n, a native of Oklahoma City. “It’s defi nitely
an honor.”
Hansbrough, who is in his second straight Final Four
with the Tar Heels, is the third North Carolina player to
repeat.
“Those are some of my favorite Carolina players. To be
up there with them — that’s special,” Hansbrough said. “I
never dreamed of that when I came here.”
Blair, who was third in the voting, averaged 15.6 points
and 12.2 rebounds, was the only postseason All-America
player not to be on the preseason team.
“That’s pretty big. That’s total,” the 6-7, 265-pound
sophomore said when told he made the team. “I worked
hard, and the hard work paid off . It’s pretty cool just to be
up there with those guys and to be talked about.”
Harden was the Pac-10 player of the year after a
sophomore season that saw him average 20.8 points, 5.5
rebounds and 4.4 assists in 35.8 minutes.
“There have been a lot of great players in this program
and to be the fi rst to get this is quite an accomplishment,”
Harden said, adding it’s all part of making the Sun Devils a
national program. “That’s the reason I came here, to help
get the respect and hopefully we can keep it up.”
Curry became an overnight star in Davidson’s run to the
round of eight last season, and he backed it up with a junior
season that saw him lead the country in scoring.
He averaged 28.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists as
the Wildcats won the Southern Conference regular season
title but didn’t make the NCAA fi eld.
“It was diffi cult to go from being a scoring threat to
someone who creates for others, but my teammates helped
me in my transition and made my job easier,” said Curry,
who received 288 points. “It was a tough challenge, but I
met it head on and worked hard to be the best point guard
I could be.”
Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet led the second
team with 238 points and was joined by three other juniors,
Ty Lawson of North Carolina, Luke Harangody of Notre
Dame and Jodie Meeks of Kentucky, along with senior Jerel
McNeal of Marquette.
The third team had seniors Terrence Williams of
Louisville, Toney Douglas of Florida State and Sam Young of
Pittsburgh, along with juniors Sherron Collins of Kansas and
Gerald Henderson of Duke.
— JIM O’CONNELL/AP
Ricketts named CLASS Award finalistSenior fi rst baseman Samantha Ricketts was named
one of ten fi nalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS award for
softball. The award is presented annually to honor a top
student-athlete.
The award is intended to reward
the athlete both performing on the
fi eld and showing loyalty to the school
by staying all four years.
The winner of the award will be
announced during the 2009 Women’s
College World Series from May 28 -
June 3 in Oklahoma City.
Ricketts is the team’s captain for
the 2009 season. She was named a
2008 Academic All-Big 12 fi rst team
member and is on track to graduate in May 2010 with a
degree in Sociology.
The other fi nalists for the award are Whitney Haller from
Georgia Tech, Lillian Hammond from Tennessee, Jenae Leles
from Arizona, Jessica Mapes from Arizona State, Stacey Nel-
son from Florida, Amber Patton from DePaul, Missy Penna
from Stanford, Brittany Rogers from Alabama and Tammy
Williams from Northwestern.
— DAILY STAFF
Baseball
Sooners power their way to win over Nebraska
BLAKEGRIFFIN
SAMANTHARICKETTS
• OU hits seven homers in run-rule victory Monday
JONO GRECO
The Oklahoma Daily
The No. 12 baseball team defined the phrase “boom goes the dynamite” Monday as OU blasted seven home runs out of L. Dale Mitchell Park en route to a 16-6 run-rule victory against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
OU (23-6, 4-2) won its first home Big 12 series of the season 2-1 and improved to 15-1 at home. In the three-game series, the Crimson and Cream outscored Nebraska 37-26.
“We pride ourselves in being a really good ballclub at home,” head coach Sunny Golloway said. “We had a very disappointing loss last night and we let one get away, so it was real important for us to come back and play the way we performed today.”
The series is the first time OU has beaten Nebraska in a three-game home set and won back-to-back Big 12 series to start a season since 1997.
The Sooners’ seven homers improved their season total run 54, which ties last season’s total. Also, OU has 27 long balls during Big 12 play, which is the highest season total since the 2002 season where it hit 30.
“No one tries to hit home runs, not in college,” Golloway said. “[Home runs] just end up being a product of really doing a good job of staying down [through the ball]. It’s nice to know that we have power and that we can rely on it sometimes. We want to be a fundamen-tally sound team that can manufacture runs.”
Baker got the Sooners on the scoreboard in the first with a two-run homer that cleared the batter’s eye in center field. The homer brought in junior shortstop Bryant Hernandez.
Hernandez’s hit extends his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games. The last game he did not hit safely in was on March 10 against Houston Baptist.
OU added one more run in the first inning after back-to-back two-out walks and a wild pitch that
allowed freshman third baseman Garrett Buechele to single in a run.
Buechele’s first-inning RBI-single stretched his hit-ting streak to nine games, a career high.
After a leadoff double and a fielding error by Baker, Nebraska (16-10-1, 4-5) platted a run on a wild pitch by OU junior pitcher J.R. Robinson (3-1) to cut the Sooners’ lead to 3-1.
In the third inning, Baker made up for the error with his second two-run blast of the game that brought Hernandez home. Monday’s game marked Baker’s second two-homer game of his career with the last one coming against Arizona State on May 31.
Baker went 2-4 on the day with two homers while bringing in five runs. His five RBIs is a new career high.
Buechele added another RBI in the third with a solo-blast of his own to take an early 6-1 lead.
Nebraska narrowed the gap to 6-2 in the top of the fourth before the Sooners launched three bombs out in the bottom half of the frame for five runs. Senior second baseman Matt Harughty and Hernandez led off the inning with back-to-back solo-jacks to deep left center and sophomore left fielder added a three-run shot for good measure.
“It’s always nice when you have run support,” Robinson said. “You can work ahead and if a few guys get hits, you don’t have to worry about having them not score. You can afford to make a couple of
mistakes and you can pitch more aggressive.”
Hernandez went 3-5 with a homer and two RBIs in the series finale and upped his team-leading batting average to .443.
OU added three more runs in the fifth on a field-er’s choice by Baker and a two-run shot to left by senior catcher J.T. Wise. Wise’s homer was his third of the series and extended the score to 14-2.
Robinson had a solid day on the mound as he went six and one-third innings while giving up five runs on 10 hits. He also struck out five batters and induced three double plays.
“[Robinson was] ter-rific,” Golloway said. “He
did a great job. When you consider [the wind blowing out to left field] and the job J.R. did, it’s nothing short of terrific.”
Nebraska rallied to avoid a seven inning run-rule by sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four runs in the seventh to narrow the score to 14-6.
The Sooner bullpen went one and two-third innings allowing one run on two hits while OU’s offense scored two runs in the eighth to finish the game.
The Sooners have homered 29 times in their past six games and are averaging 1.86 homers per game over 29 games this season.
At this pace, OU is projected to hit 104 homers on the season which is 10 short of the program’s record.
Despite showing flashes of power all season, Golloway said the coaching staff is going to work on making sure hitters can produce runs by getting base hits rather than the long ball.
“Wednesday when we come out to practice, we’re
going to be yelling at our guys about not hitting the ball in the air,” Golloway said. “The last thing you need to do is to think you’re Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle and try to hit home runs. If you think you have to hit home runs to win the game, then you’re going to lose the game. Our guys understand that.”
Baker said that Monday’s win was big for the team heading into the rest of its Big 12 schedule.
“To come in and play Nebraska, a great ballclub, at our park where we feel we should win every game feels good to come out and win the series,” Baker said.
The Sooners return to action at 6:30 p.m. Friday against Missouri in Columbia,.
Amy Frost / The Daily
Junior J.R. Robinson pitches for OU during the game against Nebraska Sunday. The Sooners defeated the Huskers in the
first game of their double header 12-9. The Sooners dropped the second game of the double-header, but won the series
finale Monday, 16-6 to win the series 2-1.
“The last thing you need to do is to think you’re Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle and try to hit home runs. If you think you have to hit home runs to win the game then you’re going to lose the game.”
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Tuesday, March 31, 2009Life & ArtsLuke Atkinson, L&A [email protected]: 325-5189, fax: 325-6051For more, go to oudaily.com. 9
Austin, Texas rockers, Black Angels, known for their psychedelic sound and incessant drones, will make their way to Main Street in Norman April 25 as part of the 2nd annual Norman Music Festival.
Psychedelic rock has its hits and misses, and the Black Angels are no different. Following closely to the rules set up by their very genre, they succeed at creat-ing some intense, dark and inexorable grooves, but occasionally blend their songs into one-another, and on their 2008 release “Directions to See a Ghost,” you aren’t sure if you’re on the 16-minute closer or the 5-minute halfway point of the album—which may be the intended, if not the entire point of psychedelic rock. If you don’t like that kind of music you prob-ably won’t like the band, but like
anything in life, they deserve a chance because you may end up liking them, or at the very least, in the desert somewhere, unsure how you got there.
On the liner notes of their 2006 album “Passover,” The Black Angels quoted famous painter of “The Scream” Edvard Munch: “Illness, insanity, and death,” he said, “are the black angels that kept watch over my cradle and accompanied me all my life.”
Taking Munch’s morbid perspective and the reins of musical predecessors, The Velvet Underground and Spaceman 3, the Black Angels lift off with “Directions.” The group applies the dark ideology of Munch to their not-so-unique blend of psychedelic rock, with five, six, or even 15 minute songs, chanting vocals and long, ominous solos accompanied by strange effects and slow-tempo sludge. They sound like how the painting “The Scream” looks.
Pitchfork Media wrote that “Directions” contains trite homages to other, more influential stoner/psychedelic bands of the 1960s and fails miserably, because where successful stoner bands “make you feel like you're high, or at least able to empathize with the notion of feeling high,” Pitchfork writes, the Black Angels make you feel like “you're actually stuck in a room with someone else who's high while you're sober.”
Pitchfork, however, perhaps caught up in their own pretentiousness, assumes the role of the curious Mormon missionary who attends the Burning Man Festival. Of course the Black Angels are going to sound
weird, disingenuous or trite to him: especially if nobody offers him any drugs, or if his entire motivation is to debunk and convert others to your own blend of musical dogmatism.
The formula for the Black Angels is apparent from the get-go. A one to two-chord rhythm, usually with heavily distorted guitars, organs, sitars or a combination of all three, combined with the reverbed vocals of Alex Maas, whose voice sounds like a séance or a Monk-like incantation. Solos and effects proliferate each song, but not too overbearingly, with
huge buildups and crescendos, all backed by unswerving, hypnotic beats. It’s not necessarily a bad thing.
For example, the crescendo at the tail end of “Science Killer” is thunderous, hypnotic and cap-tivating. The beat drones onward, the soupy bass relentlessly pounding with little variation, and the wailing, slow solos and distortion-induced rhythm yields involuntary head-bobbing and compulsory eye-closing. “You in Color” has a similarly intense crescendo, with heavy drum-work and a simple, yet funky rhythm. All the songs kind of sound the same, but again, given the genre of music we’re dealing with, I won’t write them off entirely for that.
While drawing on influences from the more sordid 60s psychadelia, the Black Angels still manage to find a sweet spot and they stick with it. They aren’t reinventing the wheel, but unlike other formulaic bands, the van in which they’re riding isn’t broken. It may have stupid tie-dye colors and marijuana leafs painted on the side, but it’s still a reliable vehicle, though aged over
40 years.Moreover, the lyrics, as suggested by the Munch quote, aren’t exact-
ly reminiscent of the lets-all-love-one-another 60s euphoria. The song “Vikings” calls upon images of Viking warships, German war-planes, and finally a desert, likely tying in the war in Iraq. Maas sings with heavy reverb, “In and out / We're gonna run through the desert / We got big boots to fill / We’re just gone to seek cheap thrills / Imported wisdom / Incredible cry / Unfortunate lie.”
Pretty poignant for a bunch of stoners.
TYLER BRANSON IS AN ENGLISH SENIOR.
MUSIC REVIEWS
TYLER BRANSON
Getting to know Black Angels before NMF
‘Directions’The Black Angels
“Lady Luck” - Maria TaylorAt its best moments, “LadyLuck,” the third solo
eff ort from singer-songwriter Maria Taylor, is a
dreamy blend of folk and pop, accentuated by lush
strings and delicate harmonies. There are shades of
alt-country and electronica sprinkled throughout,
and the more the songs stay away from typical sparse
folk conventions, the better they work.
Taylor, a former member of indie bands Azure Ray and Now It’s Overhead,
and a frequent collaborator with Bright Eyes, has a silky smooth vocal delivery
that hints at mischief below the surface.
Her songwriting is poetic (“Passed country lines and interstate signs / We
were here to sing / To shadow an endless dream”) but not terribly striking or
memorable. Most of it contributes to a pervading melancholia that is fi tting to
the genre, but becoming less interesting as the years go on.
But a fresh approach can be found on the album’s fi nal and best track, “Car-
toons and Forever Plans.” Featuring backing vocals from R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe
and Taylor’s former bandmate, Andy LeMaster, the song is a sunny pop gem not
buried under a mountain of schmaltz, like so many songs of its type.
Taylor has the subdued downheartedness down pat; exploring the sun-
nier side of her abilities might be the next jumping off point for this gifted
performer.
“Out of My Hands” - Green River Ordinance
Halfway through “Out of My Hands,” I could’ve sworn I’d accidentally bumped the repeat button, inadver-tently subjecting myself to another go-round of bland
pop-rock, but I was still on track six, ironically titled “Diff erent (Anything at All).”I vainly searched for anything diff erent at all on the major label debut from
this Fort Worth-based fi ve-piece, but only came up with the recycled melodies of the modern rock bands that were all the rage around the turn of the century.
One of the songs has a city in its title (“Goodbye L.A.”), another has a month (“Last October”) and one has a body part (the title track, “Out of My Hands”). That’s about the biggest diff erence among any of these selections.
What these guys are lacking in originality, they try to make up for with ear-nestness, though, and it helps make the album suitable for causal listening. Lead singer Josh Jenkins’s voice is nothing if not pleasant, and for those who prefer their tunes airwave-friendly, you could do a lot worse than Green River Ordinance.
Still, it just goes to show that major labels can’t be feeling the eff ects of the economic downturn too severely if they can aff ord to keep pumping out product virtually indistinguishable from the fare they put out last week, last month and last year.
You might enjoy “Out of My Hands,” but you’ve probably already got a couple CDs just like it.
DUSTY SOMERS IS A JOURNALISM JUNIOR.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Important or signifi cant matters should be accomplished as early as possible. If you concentrate only on enjoyable things, thinking you’ll get to the necessities later, you’ll end up in trouble.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Even though your organizational skills might be superior to others, you’ll have a hard time convincing them of this. Unfortunately, they might discredit everything you do, regardless of the facts.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Whatever you do, don’t bank on things that you merely hope will happen, especially when it comes to business concerns. If a situation doesn’t exist, wishful thinking won’t make it happen.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Don’t listen to what you know is bad advice, just because it comes from someone who holds a high position. Conversely, if you think that the facts don’t add up, be open-minded.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Some-one who is indebted to you might try to put the bite on you again. Don’t think this person won’t use you just because you are friends. He or she might not be worthy of your trust and friendship.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You’re not likely to cave in under the weight of events. However, this should not be interpreted as an excuse to treat a situation lightly; it needs to be taken seriously.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Although you may feel you are treating others in a fair manner, you may be placed in a position where the more you give the more they seem to think they deserve. Be smart enough to trust yourself.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Unfortunately, companions could have a stronger infl uence on you than they should. If you hang out with those who waste their time and resources, chances are you’ll do the same.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Be prepared to produce what you want yourself instead of thinking life owes you a living. If you don’t look for easy outs or shortcuts, you stand a good chance of personal achievement.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- It’s up to you to treat frustrating situations philosophically if you hope to manage things in a manner that won’t disrupt your sanity. Hang loose, and keep your cool.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Should you fi nd yourself relegated to a minor role in a joint endeavor, stand above it all and keep your wits. If you speak out in anger, it might justify your being remanded to a trivial position.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- If possible, avoid any arrangements with friends or associates where you have to either borrow or lend something of value. An unavoidable mishap could occur.
HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol
Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
Life & ArtsTuesday, March 31, 200910
Fiddles were smoking, spoons were clacking and one fascist-killing machine was furiously playing the songs of Woody Guthrie Saturday night at Lyric Theatre’s production of “Woody Sez.”
It’s the latest in a long series of tributes to Guthrie, the folk musician born in Okemah, whose protest songs and ballads swept the nation, and whose guitar was often emblazoned with a label that proclaimed
“This Machine Kills Fascists.”Originally conceived by David M. Lutken and Lyric
Theatre’s new artistic director, Nick Corley, “Woody Sez” premiered in 2007 in Edinburgh before embarking on a European tour.
Now, the show has come to Guthrie’s home state starring the original cast – Lutken as Guthrie, with Darcie Deaville, Helen J. Russell and Andy Teirstein playing a variety of roles. This ensemble succeeds both as an overview of Guthrie’s life and a barn-burning journey through
his music.Nearly 30 songs – mostly Guthrie’s with a few
traditionals thrown in – make an appearance in the 90-minute production, which starts slowly, but builds up to an immensely enjoyable show.
An austere stage was adorned simply with wooden crates and a variety of instruments, including guitars, fiddles, a double bass, banjo and an Autoharp. Hidden in the performers’ pockets were harmonicas, spoons and a jaw harp.
Despite its rather brief running time, the show achieves a nice bal-ance between recreating the events of Guthrie’s life and performing his songs, without having to sacrifice a substantial portion of either.
Life-landmark hits include Guthrie’s tragic childhood that was punc-tuated by a number of fatal house fires and the institutionalization of his mother, who suffered from Huntington’s disease, in an insane asylum.
Later in childhood, Guthrie became musically proficient, which would lead to a life of traveling and playing songs informed by the circumstances that defined those early years – poverty, the Great Depression and the Oklahoma Dust Bowl.
The strains of “This Land is Your Land,” “This Train is Bound for Glory,” “Riding in my Car” and a number of other influ-ential Guthrie works keep the atmosphere upbeat, despite the personal hardship that seemed to follow Guthrie.
“Woody Sez” doesn’t shy away from these facts, but more than anything, it’s a celebration of his music and the unique “hillbilly perspective” he was always willing to share, whether he was in New York City, California or his home state.
The cast effortlessly shifted between short sketch-es, sparse harmonizing melodies and big ensemble numbers. The casual approach to the production invited plenty of singing along from the enthusiastic crowd, and the show’s tendency toward simplicity seems quite appropriate for the man to whom it pays
tribute.Guthrie died in 1967, himself a victim of the hereditary Huntington’s,
but the influence of his compositions has spread far and wide across the folk genre and beyond. Lyric’s production of “Woody Sez” is a con-sistently entertaining way to take a trip back in time to visit the man and his music.
DUSTY SOMERS IS A JOURNALISM JUNIOR.
“WOODY SEZ”
When: April 2-11
Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Fridays, 8 p.m.
Saturdays, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Where: Lyric Theatre
1727 NW 16th St.
Oklahoma City, OK
For tickets, call 524-9312.
photo provided
Cast members of the Lyric Theatre’s production, “Woody Sez,” perform a tribute to Woody Guthrie’s folk songs. The play runs until April 11.
Uncovering an Oklahoma legend
DUSTYSOMERS
THEATRE REVIEWS
• Production hit and miss
The backdrop of Carpenter Square Theatre’s latest produc-tion, “The Left Hand Singing”, is significant and rather enormous – the civil rights movement of the ‘60s – but its execution and purpose are much more mod-est.
Three college students in upstate New York decide to join in the cause of black voter reg-istration in rural Mississippi in 1964, in what was known as “Freedom Summer,” but their mysterious disappearance throws the lives of their respec-tive parents into a tumult.
Wes Partridge (Collin Andrulonis) is the idealistic white student spearheading the cause. He enlists his secret crush, Linda Winnick (Heather Boothby, OU drama sophomore), who’s Jewish, but they have trouble convincing her black roommate, Honey Johnson (Kaicee Mayo), to join their ranks.
The story is based on the real-life murders of three young men who participated in the Freedom Summer of 1964 in Mississippi.
Directed by Carpenter Square veteran Terry Veal, “The Left Hand Singing” is effectively mov-ing much of the time, thanks to overall solid performances, but the structure is often scattered, which lessens the impact.
In the play, time is divided in half, as is the stage. In one sec-tion, we’re in a dorm room in 1964, with the three students dis-cussing their plans. In the other, we travel across 30 years in the lives of their parents, John and Claire Partridge (Rob May, Lana Henson), Bea Winnick (Misti Pryor) and Maddy Johnson (Tyree Donato).
The circumstances surround-
ing the students’ disappearance might be murky, but the eventual outcome never really is, ensur-ing that “The Left Hand Singing” doesn’t attempt a suspenseful tale, but a character study that looks at idealism, young love, grief and loss.
The nonlinear time structure probably worked better on paper – in theory, it’s a good idea, but it prevents the play from attain-ing any sort of dramatic rhythm. Still, there are individual scenes that are outstanding.
Particularly, a scene where the parents have been informed of their children’s disappear-ance, and meet each other in a police station. May, Prior and Donato each express the ten-sion between hope and fear in that pivotal movement in their own way, and the dialogue is a piercing example of the lengths we go to fool ourselves that our present situation isn’t as bad as it appears.
Also moving is a monologue by Henson that is a heartbreak-ing look at the consequences of stifling emotions.
The scenes with the younger set of actors tend not to work as well, thanks to some unimagina-tive blocking, but their perfor-mances capture the idealism of the era nicely. The knowledge of what will end up happening to them as a result of their good intentions casts a grim pallor over all their interactions, but it also reinforces the importance for what civil rights activists fought for.
“The Left Hand Singing” drags a bit at the end, when it feels like it’s already said what needs to be said, but Carpenter Square’s production overcomes it flaws to be an interesting and involv-ing study of emotion.
DUSTY SOMERS IS A JOURNALISM JUNIOR.
‘The Left Hand’ misses rhythm
You Are Invited!Picnic: Noon
Wednesday, April 1, 2009David A. Burr Park
In the event of inclement weather, the picnic will be held in Couch Cafeteria.For accommodations on the basis of disability, please call the Office of Special Events at (405) 325-3784.
The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.
Bring your blankets and join us for a free picnic lunch celebrating the 2009 OU Arbor Day. The picnic is free and open to the public.
Tree planting immediately following in the housing area to the west of David A. Burr Park.
To volunteer for the tree planting, please contact Volunteer Programs at 325-2340.
Arbor Day 2009
President David L. Boren will speak about the importance of Arbor Week.
Honoring students, faculty and staff who have helped with the campus
