Scholarship bill reaches to make higher education a reality for more students
NICHOLAS HARRISONThe Oklahoma Daily
State Sen. Jim Wilson has introduced a bill to expand the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program and provide greater opportunity for low-income students to at-tend college.
Senate Bill 415, or the “Second Century
Promise Act,” would provide scholarships to high school students from families with a income of less than $80,000 annually who have a 2.0 GPA and score at least 19 on the ACT. The bill also would open the program to university students who complete 30 credit hours at a two- or four-year institu-tion and have a 2.5 GPA.
The scholarship program is available to families with an income of less than $50,000 per year, and students must register in eighth, ninth or 10th grade. The scholarship
is not given to nontraditional students or those who miss the high school window to enroll in the program.
The program has helped more than 39,000 students since its 1992 inception, according to the Oklahoma State Regents. Compared to a statewide average of 49 per-cent, 61 percent of recipients go on to com-plete college.
“Oklahoma is lagging in the number of college graduates compared to surround-ing states. Providing these scholarships will
help make our state more competitive eco-nomically,” Wilson said.
Wilson estimated the program would cost $14 million in the first year and $25 million in the second, which he said could be cov-ered through a beverage container recycling deposit.
Wilson said he wrote the bill because he thought students were being priced out of a
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The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
61 international students from 17 countries start spring semester at OU
BROOKE MYERSThe Oklahoma Daily
Sixty-one students from across the world recently arrived in Norman,
and International Student Services and the International Programs Center hosted an orientation Monday for the new students.
The 61 international students represent 17 nations and are studying at OU as semes-ter-long reciprocal exchange students, year-long students or as students in specialized short-term programs that last about four weeks, said Tina Henderson, OU exchange student adviser.
OU has hosted international students for more than 50 years, according to the International Student Services’ website.
Last year, a record-high 690,923 students came to the U.S. to study abroad, according to the Institute of International Education.
Monday’s transfer student orientation fo-cused on information specifically for trans-fer students, including work visa and immigra-tion policies, said Brooke Hammer, international programming advis-er at the International Programs Center.
“It’s important that we help them with any questions they may have,” Hammer said.
Monayem Mazumder, graduate research assis-tant and Ph.D. student of aerospace and mechanical engineering at OU from Bangladesh, said his dream is to be a professor.
As a step toward that goal, he is a teaching assistant for two professors at the university this semester.
“I like it, because in the future, if I’d like to be a faculty member, I need to teach,”
Mazumder said. “Because I’d like to stay in America, right? So I like to teach American
students.”Mazumder called his home
nation a land with limited en-gineering opportunities.
“It’s a very small country and opportunity is not too much as a mechanical engi-neer,” he said. “Because we are not industrial-based — we are agriculture-based.”
Schools in Bangladesh are not equipped with the tech-nology to teach engineers what they need to know be-
cause of the expense, Mazumder said. Students in his country also cannot obtain a doctorate, he said.
Mazumder said his future goal is to bring his parents here, away from the instability in
Researchers working to curb growth of pancreatic cancer to test early treatment
KATHLEEN EVANSThe Oklahoma Daily
A n O U H e a l t h S c i e n c e s Center research team hopes to test a new method of controlling the development of pancreatic cancer on humans by the year’s end.
The American Cancer Society estimates about 43,140 U.S. citi-zens were diagnosed with pan-creatic cancer in 2010, resulting in an estimated 36,800 deaths.
Dr. C.V. Rao of the Peggy and Charles Stephenson Oklahoma Cancer Center is working to de-crease the mortality rate of pan-creatic cancer by using the drug Gefitinib early in a patient’s treatment, he said.
Usually the drug is adminis-tered in the latter stages of treat-ment, but it has shown results when used earlier in clinical trials performed on mice, Rao said.
Gefitinib is a pill that works by inhibiting receptors that signal cells to grow and reproduce, ac-cording to the National Institutes of Health.
R a o a n d h i s t e a m u s e d Gefitinib because it targets a mutated gene present in about 95 percent of pancreatic can-cers. He said the drug helped de-activate the processes within the body that led to the uncontrolled growth and spread of cancer.
“Pancreatic cancer is a poor-ly understood cancer, and the focus has been on treatment in the end stages,” Rao said. “But we found if you start early, there will be a much greater benefit. This is the best chance at beat-ing the disease.”
Rao said pancreatic cancers often go undiagnosed until the late stages of the disease’s de-velopment, when survival rates are very low.
Research is helping to improve early detection, offering greater opportunities for the early use of Gefitinib, Rao said.
A California team has begun using these results for clinical trials on human subjects, ac-cording to a press release. The Health Sciences Center and other treatment centers hope to begin their own trials within the year.
“We are in the process of meeting with other centers, in-cluding M.D. Anderson [Cancer Center],” Rao said. “Our goal is to begin a trial in about 18 months.”
OU team to begin clinical trials
RESEARCH
President Obama plans to revise limitations on religious groups, study abroad programs
ALYSSA DUDEKThe Oklahoma Daily
OU students cannot study abroad in Cuba, however recent-ly proposed changes in travel re-strictions to the country mean it may soon be possible.
President Barack Obama in-tends to change current travel and remittance policies regarding
Cuba, marking an effort to reach out to the Cuban people, accord-ing to a White House press release dated Jan. 14.
The first aspect of the presi-dent’s plans are to put in place new, less-constrictive limitations on travel to the country. The White House release said travel will now be open to religious groups jour-neying to Cuba for religious pur-poses. Students will also be able to study abroad in Cuba with prop-er licensing and accreditation. Exchange programs not involving
the pursuit of a degree will also be granted specific licensing, accord-ing to the release.
The OU Education Abroad Office does not offer the oppor-tunity to travel to Cuba, but OU study abroad adviser Alice Kloker said her office is keeping tabs on the policy changes and is interest-ed to see what develops. Kloker said while this is the only infor-mation available now, the study abroad office will continue to up-date the OU community on any changes.
Students and religious congre-gations are not the only groups being granted travel access. The White House release stated that certain licensed institutions can sponsor conferences, seminars and workshops for students, staff and faculty.
Maria Ruiz, OU professor emer-itus of Spanish, is a Cuban native exiled over 40 years ago. She said she is skeptical regarding whether
Cuban travel restrictions expected to ease
SEE ABROAD PAGE 2
SEE EXCHANGE PAGE 2
SEE BILL PAGE 2
STUDY ABROAD
Senator aims to boost scholarship funds
OU welcomes exchange students
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ARRIVE IN NORMAN
They told me you really love your culture here, and if you really want to see the culture part of America, you have to come in the South.”
—MARTINA ZUCCA, ITALIAN EXCHANGE STUDENT
college education.According to reports compiled by the State Regents in
fiscal years 2003 and 2010, total Oklahoma resident under-graduate tuition and mandatory fees per credit hour at OU have increased from $97.62 in 2003 to $226.13 in 2011. The Legislature removed specific statutory caps in 2004, allow-ing the State Regents to set tuition and mandatory fees with-in a range set by peer institutions.
Ben Hardcastle, director of communications for the Oklahoma State Regents, said OU and Oklahoma State University’s tuition and fees are among the lowest in the Big 12, and the State Regents work to keep them that way.
The State Regents did not take a position when the bill was introduced, Hardcastle said. He said that the State Regents would continue to monitor the bill as it made its way through the legislative process.
“The State Regents are really all about getting more stu-dents in college and more students graduating college,” Hardcastle said.
Today around campus» Tickets for the Pink and Black Ball are on sale 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s main lobby.
» Latin Americanist Lunch will be noon to 1:30 p.m. in Hester Hall, Room 160.
» Christians On Campus will hold a free Bible study 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. in the Union’s Traditions Room.
» Women’s basketball will play Texas A&M at 7 p.m. in Lloyd Noble Center.
» The athletics department will offer a seminar entitled “Setting and Achieving Your Goals” from 4 to 5 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245.
» The OU Animal Volunteer Alliance will host its first meeting of the semester 7 to 8 p.m. in the Union’s Presidents Room.
» This day in OU history
Jan. 26, 1971Hillel, OU student group host Israel Week
The Hillel Foundation and the OU Jewish Student Center hosted Israel Week as a way of educating students on the turbulence in Israel. Israel Week also was put on as a way of combating anti-Israeli sentiment. Events of the week included a free public lecture, “Prospects for Peace in the Middle East,” by Benjamin Bonney, Consul General of Israel. On Friday, the Hillel hosted special Sabbath services in honor of Israel.
Student association makes plans for women’s eventsThe Women’s Recreational Association began the
semester with a representative council meeting in the Women’s Building. Plans were made for a fencing tournament and a swim meet to be held later in the semester. The association also had begun tryouts for the undergraduate basketball team.
— Source: The Oklahoma Daily archives
Thursday, Jan. 27» Young Choreographers’ Showcase will begin at 8 p.m. in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center.
» Tickets for the Pink and Black Ball will be on sale 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Union’s main lobby.
» The “Welcome Back to Science and Engineering” meeting will be 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Union’s Beaird Lounge. The event will inform students about Alpha Sigma Kappa, Women in Technical Studies and the Triangle Fraternity.
» A research librarian will be available to help students with research questions 1 to 3 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 280.
» Gail Christenson, from the University of Texas, will give a lecture titled “The Chicxulub Structure: What an Impact!” from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Sarkeys Energy Center, Room A235.
» The Society of Portuguese Speakers will host its first meeting of the semester 6 to 7 p.m. in the Union’s Crimson Room.
Friday, Jan. 28» Final day to change courses from audit to credit.
» Young Choreographers’ Showcase will begin at 8 p.m. in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center.
» The Union Programming Board will present Zen Night from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Union.
» The UPB will show the movie “Morning Glory” for free at 4, 7 and 10 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. in the Union’s Meacham Auditorium.
Saturday, Jan. 29» Official grant announcement will begin. Grant applications will then be available for download.
» Susan Contreras art exhibition will open to the public until Feb. 20. Her art will be displayed in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art and is free to OU students with ID.
» The UPB will show the movie “Morning Glory” for free at 9 p.m. in the Union’s Meacham Auditorium.
2 • Wednesday, January 26, 2011 The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com
CAMPUSBILL: Senator, program hopes to increase gradsContinued from page 1
ABROAD: Cubans unable to visit with touristsContinued from page 1
EXCHANGE: Students come for culture, studiesContinued from page 1
Bangladesh.Students from abroad
say they come to the U.S. for varying reasons and experiences.
Martina Zucca, an ex-change student from Italy who arrived Jan. 13, is study-ing English and Spanish while helping a professor translate a book into Italian.
Though her arrival was slowed by several setbacks including security, a can-celed flight and a broken
phone, she said everyone she met was “really, really nice.”
Unlike Mazumder, who hopes to live in the U.S. per-manently, Zucca is staying in Oklahoma for four months, and is on a quest for culture.
“I want to see; I want to travel a bit. I wish to go to New Orleans, New York, Grand Canyon,” Zucca said.
Zucca said she chose OU because she wanted to live in a smaller place.
“They told me you really love your culture here, and if you really want to see the
culture part of America, you have to come in the South,” she said.
Zucca said she is making an effort to get involved by joining clubs and going to events.
“ I t h i n k i f y o u s t u d y abroad, you are different from the others,” Zucca said. “You know how to behave with other people — not only with your friends, from your country, your culture, your language. … It’s an ex-change … It’s a great oppor-tunity, and I won’t ever have it again. So I just enjoy it.”
Exchange students by the numbers
61 New spring 2011 exchange students
189 Active exchange students from
fall 2010 to spring 2011
24 Countries represented
the recent changes in travel restrictions will improve the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba.
“In some ways it’s good, but I have mixed feelings,” Ruiz said. “I think it will help the [Cuban] government more than the people.”
Cuban citizens are not al-lowed to interact with tour-ists; they cannot freely visit beaches and they cannot visit any of the stores, ho-tels or hospitals that tourists visit, Ruiz said.
Ruiz said students study-ing in Cuba may face differ-ent struggles besides travel, citing the experience of a friend who traveled to the country with students.
“Each of the classes were
monitored by the govern-ment,” Ruiz said. “One can-not speak freely in class and students who visit may get the wrong idea about Cuba because informa-tion reaching them is being controlled.”
The president’s plans also provide for a restruc-turing of the regulations on U.S. airports’ ability to offer flights to Cuba.
Airports seeking qualifi-cation must have adequate customs and immigration
capabilities and a licensed service provider which has expressed an interest in providing service to and from Cuba, according to the White House press release.
Tassie Hirschfeld, OU an-thropology professor, said she has spent considerable time in Cuba conducting research. She feels there are valid reasons for students to both visit and avoid Cuba.
“Cuba is unique because there’s been a trade em-bargo there since the 1960s,
meaning no McDonald’s or any of the other American businesses U.S. students are used to seeing. Cuba also has a wonderful cul-ture, natural beauty and great, hospitable people,” Hirschfeld said. “However, Cuba is a dynastic, dicta-torial regime with grave human rights abuses and if students go they won’t see that. The government keeps tabs on the Cuban-foreigner boundary in invisible ways you can’t see.”
Regents to discuss fees, new college
The OU Board of Regents will meet at 3:30 p.m. today in the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City to discuss creating the College of International Studies and the consideration of a new Academic Integrity Code.
The board also is scheduled to vote on fees, including the creation of new consolidated course and fees ranging from $8 to $26 per credit hour.
Other fees to be considered are increases to technology service fees for eight colleges, an increase in the graduate business program fee and the establishment of a new academic excellence fee at the law school.
— Nicholas Harrison/The Daily
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BRANDE KAUFFMANNorman attorney Brande Kauffman, 37, said she believes City Council needs to
re-prioritize, and the council is not taking citizens’ interests seriously.There are many short and long-term problems facing the city, including changes
to water use and a lack of small-business ownership, Kauffman said.“We are Norman: It’s the small-businessmen, it’s the students, it’s the reverend,
it’s the mom and kid who [go] to soccer camp,” she said. “We just need to make sure the people and their livelihood are a priority over everything else.”
Kauffman graduated from OU in 1995 with a letters degree and in 1998 from the OU College of Law. Kauffman now runs her own general litigation firm, where she
practices primarily family and criminal law. Contact the campaign at [email protected] or 405-579-0142.
ROGER GALLAGHERRetired commercial pilot Roger Gallagher, 69, is running for Ward 1 as a
Norman citizen who has attended City Council meetings for three years.As a frequent council meeting attendee and member of Citizens for Financial
Responsibility, Gallagher said he thinks more citizen participation in City Council is essential. Gallagher moved to Norman in 1976.
“I think citizens who are interested in this city should sometimes step up and try to do something to improve the city the way they visualize it,” he said.
Norman City Council candidate previewEight Norman residents will vie for the four seats on Norman’s City Council that
are up for grabs in the March 1 municipal election.Norman is divided into seven wards, each of which elects its own council mem-
ber to the Norman City Council. Wards 1, 3, 5 and 7 will elect their members in March’s election, for which the last filing day was Jan. 12.
OU’s campus is within Ward 7, which has three candidates in the election.
— Alex Ewald/The Daily
HAL EZZELLIncumbent Ward 3 Councilman Hal Ezzell, a Norman businessman, is running
unopposed for re-election. Ezzell, who runs a private law practice, was first elected to his Ward 3 seat in
2007, and has since served on the Council Finance Committee. Ezzell wants to serve and represent the people of his ward again because the
city’s budget needs more attention.“The city is in a very challenging time,” Ezzell said. “The budget is the
mechanics … it’s the tool you use to measure and predict for the future.”As the only council member running for re-election this year, Ezzell hopes his
future peers see that he tries to keep an open mind on every issue affecting the community. “The City of Norman’s issues aren’t partisan by nature,” he said. “So I hope that people would observe
that I was independent and thoughtful [in making decisions].”Contact the campaign at [email protected] or 405-579-0142.
HOWARD SAXIONHoward Saxion said he is running for the Ward 5 seat with professional
expertise on issues important to Norman. Saxion, 58, announced his candidacy Jan. 8 after Rachel Butler decided not to seek re-election.
“I want to be an advocate for people who live in the ward to be sure they are being well served in the city,” said Saxion, who moved to Norman 13 years ago.
During his time in Norman, Saxion has served on several city boards such as the Environmental Control Advisory Board and the Board of Adjustment.
CHRIS LEWISNorman City Planning Commissioner Chris Lewis, 47, said he feels it is
important for him to come into office with a global perspective rather than a political agenda.
Lewis has been one of nine city planning commissioners since June 2009. “If you go in with an agenda, then what you’re doing is… like putting
blinders on a horse, so that means you’re going to exclude an enormous number of people and their opinions,” Lewis said.
He was a Norman reapportionment commissioner from 2006 to 2009. Lewis has lived in Norman since 1987 and is a graduate student in the
advanced programs department. Contact the campaign at [email protected].
Ward 1
Ward 5
DAVE SPAULDINGSmall-business owner Dave Spaulding is running for the Ward 5 seat with
plans to make the government less intrusive.The Norman native, 36, announced his intentions to run Jan. 10 because he
wants to work with his future consitutents instead of against them.“I’m a conservative voice. I want to be a conservative voice for the people,”
Spaulding said. “I think the government is more intrusive than they should be.”Spaulding has owned his landscape business, A-Deal Lawn Service, for more
than 10 years. Contact the campaign at [email protected] or 405-361-5380.
Ward 7
LINDA LOCKETTLongtime Norman businesswoman Linda Lockett, who was elected the first
female Norman Business Assocation president in 1987, is running for the Norman City Council’s Ward 7 seat on her lifetime of experience in business.
Lockett, 72, said she wants the City Council to be more fiscally responsible.“I’ve been in business all my life, and I just want to see the city spend its money
wisely and to not depend on raising money for everything,” she said. Lockett, who graduated from OU with a business degree in 1960, was also
awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the NBA in 1990. Contact the campaign at [email protected] or 405-922-0557.
Ward 3
STEPHEN TYLER HOLMANFormer OU student Stephen Tyler Holman, 26, decided to run for City Council
after regularly attending city meetings for several years. He said water use and fiscal responsibility are important him.
Living in Ward 7 is challenging because a lot of students may not feel as involved in the city because they are here for only a couple years, Holman said.
“I imagine there may be some students that could spend a couple years in Norman and hardly leave the campus,” he said.
Holman works at Hideaway Pizza and The Deli to pay his way through school at OU. Holman also runs a non-profit music-booking business, Universe City, because
of which he is not enrolled in classes this semester. Contact the campaign at [email protected] or 405-535-1491.
“Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.” This is the prem-ise of a book by Michael Pollan called “In Defense of Food.” I bought it recently because during the past few months, I’ve been thinking more and more about what kinds of substanc-es I’m putting into my body. And that got me thinking: Why don’t we talk about this?
We love talking about politics, economics and social is-sues, but we rarely talk about something that is at least as important: food.
It all started when People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals vice president Bruce Friedrich came to OU for a de-bate called “Is Eating Meat Ethical?” Whatever one thinks of PETA, or Friedrich for that matter, is beside the point. What I got out of the debate was a different view toward food.
I started watching documentaries like “Food, Inc.” and “The Future of Food.” I started read-ing the nutrition facts on the cans and packages of the food I bought, and I started cooking my own meals.
The point of this article is not to con-vince you to eat one particular diet or another. Whether you’re a raw-food vegan, a cooked-food vegan, a veg-etarian, an omnivore, a pescatarian or whatever, my point is that we should think about what we eat before we eat it. This is something I had never really done before a few months ago.
For instance, if you go to meat.org, you can watch Paul McCartney (a personal hero of mine) narrate all of the atroc-ities that factory farms commit against the animals they raise. This led me to stop eating any meat that wasn’t ethi-cally raised.
Or if you spend some time on Google looking for infor-mation about what they feed these animals, you’ll see that factory farms feed them disgusting diets, pump them full of hormones, force them to grow abnormally quickly, etc. This led me to only eat meat and eggs that have been certified as organic by the USDA.
Some more time clicking around will show you the advantages of organically produced vegetables and fruits over regular commer-cially produced ones. The lack of pesticides, the fact that they are not genetically modified organisms, the soil conditions they are raised in, even when they are harvested, have led me to try and purchase only organic fruits and veg-etables as well.
I don’t have time to go into all of the details of what I’ve learned so far in my perusing of food facts, but I would en-courage anyone who, like me, hadn’t thought much about the food they eat before now to do some research.
Some questions to consider: Does al-cohol lower testosterone levels? What do factory farms do to the animals they raise? How many calories, sodium, fat, sugar and more is in the food at restaurants I go to? What about the food I buy? What the hell is high fructose corn syrup, and why is it in everything? What is mono-cropping?
Other questions will arise as you re-search what you’re putting in your body, and you may be disgusted at times. But that’s OK. Find out what exactly you’re eat-ing, and come to your own conclusions.
My conclusions have been to follow Pollan’s advice from the beginning. I mainly eat plants, with some occasional chick-en and fish (I stay away from mammals altogether).
I don’t know why we don’t talk about this important topic more often, but hopefully this column will serve as a spring-board for thought, research and discussion. Happy eating!
— Jerod Coker,
journalism senior
Comment on this column at OUDaily.com
OUR VIEW
Study in Cuba could help
4 • Wednesday, January 26, 2011 The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com
OPINION Jared Rader, opinion [email protected] • phone: 405-325-3666
THUMBS UP ›› Oklahoma senator sponsors bill to helplow-income students get into college (see page 1)
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contact us 160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet OvalNorman, Okla. 73019-0270
The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum and OU’s independent student voice.
Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and should be fewer than 250 words, typed, double spaced and signed by the author(s). Letters will be edited for space. Students must list their major and classifi cation. Submit letters Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters also can be e-mailed to [email protected].
Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion.
Our View is the voice of The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board, which consists of the editorial staff. The board meets at 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall.
Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.
Jerod Coker
STAFF COLUMN
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GUEST COLUMN
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Editor’s note: Brett Stidham is an incoming 2011 Teach for America Corps member for the Washington, D.C., region
Have you ever thought about how our nation can solve some of the biggest challenges facing America: reducing the need for more prisons, increasing economic development in our communities and enhancing the spirit of innovation and creativity for the future?
Believe it or not, all of these factors are influenced by the education of students in classrooms across our nation. State and local governments use the reading proficiency of third graders to forecast the future population of their correc-tional facilities, and sadly, they are highly effective in their assessments.
In Oklahoma, employers seek other options in terms of lo-cation because the perspective employee pool is by and large not prepared in key math and science areas to address the challenges of jobs available.
Competing in the future means competing in a knowl-edge-based economy; this requires us to revive the essence of being American — creativity and innovation. Progress toward achieving these goals begins on day one in the classroom.
Teach for America facilitates this process by placing lead-ers in the classroom to inspire and foster an environment of creativity and growth in academic disciplines.
Welcoming students of all majors, Teach for America pro-vides a pathway to certification through state and district programs across the country from Boston to Los Angeles. Although teaching for the first time can be challenging, Teach for America and the school districts provide training and support to ensure corps members have the resources to rise to the occasion.
Inspiring students in the classroom and motivating them toward success enables students to achieve their full poten-tial in core subjects and, upon graduation, provide for being both career and college ready.
Teach for America begins its work to bridge the gap in edu-cation equality where it begins — the classroom. Teaching students to be lifelong learners and develop proficiency in core subjects will effectively stem the tide of the negative out-comes of education inequality — increased incarceration rates, limited economic opportunity and stifled innovation.
Visit www.teachforamerica.org for more information about joining the corps and enhancing the lives of students in the classroom. Applications are due Feb. 4.
— Brett Stidham,
human resources management senior
Comment on this column at OUDaily.com
Teach for America inspires
Saturday marked the 38th anniversary of the passage of Roe v. Wade, the historic Supreme Court decision that reaf-firmed women’s right to privacy as a part of due process of law.
Since this date, states have been forbidden to prohib-it abortion for women before a fetus is viable, a calcula-tion that shows respect for the value of a grown person’s life over the pipe dreams of “possible lives” of unborn people.
The landmark Roe v. Wade decision continues to come under violent and verbal attack from a wide spectrum of activists, people who are determined to make other peo-ple’s life choices.
The latest assault on this constitutional right came to Congress on Thursday in the form of H.R. 3, or the “No Taxpayer Funds for Abortion Act.” This resolution would actually prohibit a taxpayer from receiving new tax dis-counts on insurance (meant to make private, for-profit in-surance more affordable — a part of the Affordable Health Care Act) if the insurance plan in question provides cov-erage for abortions.
H.R. 3, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith, R-NJ, also prohibits federal health care providers from perform-ing the procedures, and applies all the above prohibitions to the District of Columbia. This bill and the surround-ing discussions equalize “abortion” and “reproductive freedom” in the minds of the American public, perhaps deliberately.
Reproductive freedom categorically includes emergen-cy contraception such as medical abortion and the use of the abortion pill RU 486, but the concept of reproductive freedom is not limited to highly politically charged scape-goats like emergency contraception.
Reproductive freedom should include all factual in-formation and access to resources that allow women and men to plan their families, rather than have the realities of parenthood thrust upon them for lack of education, access to contraception and impartial medical care.
Oklahoma’s new Legislature also is continuing efforts to undermine federal security of this right for women by bringing up laws that try to limit access to legal abortion. These limits include the April 2010 law, which requires any woman seeking termination to undergo an unnecessary ultrasound procedure, in hopes that she will change her mind under psychologi-cal duress.
Oklahoma’s Republican-dominated congress has promised to introduce more restrictions on access to safe, legal abortion. Oklahoma is one of a minority of states that have a “trigger law,” which would prohibit abortion and other reproductive services straight away should Roe v. Wade be overturned.
Regardless of whatever quasi-moral, anti-eugenicist ar-guments against specific instances of abortion exist (the vast majority of these being logically flawed, originating from a very specific ideological view and perpetuated by men), Roe v. Wade was the correct decision for the Supreme Court to make, and the right of women to autonomy over their own bodies is rightly secured by the Constitution ac-cording to the court’s interpretation.
The point of Roe v. Wade was not to make a moral judg-ment on the practice of abortion. The decision stands as a demonstration of the equal rights of all people to autonomy over their own bodies. A person has the right to make in-formed decisions about her own future, based on factual information and what she deems best at the time — espe-cially the decision about when to start a family.
In our society, the responsibility wrongly falls entirely on women’s heads. The “abortion debate” could be just as accurately described as “whether or not to restrict the life-changing choices of other people based on our own specific ideas about morality debate”. This kind of “debate” is inevi-tably ethnocentric and grounded in a worthless screaming match about whose subjective ideas about life are correct.
The bottom line is women have the inalienable right to determine their lives, including choices of reproduction. Anti-choice protest and action on the issue of abortion dis-tract us from conversations that we should be having about reproductive freedom.
Other more important issues, such as more effective and freely chosen parenting, disease prevention and repair-ing childhood (and community) inequality experienced by the poor and minorities, have been sidelined by this ideologically motivated debate about reproductive rights that were secured almost 40 years ago.
— Sarah Garrett,
anthropology senior
Comment on this column at OUDaily.com
Sarah Garrett
STAFF COLUMN
arrett
OLUMN
The point of Roe v. Wade was not to make a moral judgment on the practice of abortion. The decision stands as a demonstration of the equal rights of all persons to autonomy over their own bodies.”
Other questions will arise as you research what you’re putting in your body, and you may be disgusted at times. But that’s OK. Find out what exactly you’re eating, and come to your own conclusions.”
Embark upon a food journey
I n a w e l c o m e m o v e, President Barack Obama’s administration plans to relax travel restrictions to Cuba for religious groups and students interested in studying there.
This has great potential to improve relations between the U.S. and the small com-munist island — and stu-dents should seize the op-portunity to study there. It’s possible these travel exemp-tions could be taken away in light of even slight tension with the country.
While OU doesn’t have a study-abroad program in place with Cuba, universities such as American University, Duke University and Florida International do.
Visit ing Cuba should help students gain a greater
understanding of a country that has experienced a U.S. embargo for the last 50 years.
The embargo is considered a failure by many, but U.S. of-ficials continue extending it. Instead of forcing Fidel Castro and the communist party to release their stranglehold on democracy in Cuba, the em-bargo has arguably empow-ered these figures, allowing them to blame the U.S. for all of Cuba’s problems.
Even Daniel Griswold of the Libertarian Cato Institute think-tank in Washington, D.C., has criticized U.S. policy toward Cuba.
“The embargo has made the Cuban people a bit more impoverished, without mak-ing them one bit more free. At the same time, it has deprived
Americans of their freedom to travel and has cost U.S. farmers and other producers billions of dollars of poten-tial exports,” Griswold said in a June 2009 editorial in The Guardian.
Some lawmakers have rec-ognized the futility of sanc-tions against the country, but little progress has been made because of enduring disdain for the socialist country.
The chances of the embar-go being lifted against Cuba will increase if more students gain a greater understanding of the country.
Granted, Cuban officials will likely do their best to control exactly what students see in the country, there should be little worry that students will be swayed by
their tactics. It’s a safe bet that most Americans are aware of the Cuban government’s on-going human rights abuses.
Allowing people to travel to and businesses to invest in Cuba will only help the coun-try get on course for demo-cratic change.
A similar situation is hap-pening in China. While the government is still an author-itarian regime, normalized U.S. relations with the coun-try have helped it open up in ways that were unimaginable 40 years ago.
Let’s hope this light im-provement on travel restric-tions to Cuba will lead to a similar reality.
France’s government on Tuesday signed an agreement to sell four assault warships to Russia, finalizing a deal that has raised concerns in the United States.
French Defense Minister Alain Juppe and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin signed the deal in Saint Nazaire. French President Nicolas Sarkozy also was present.
The ships will be able to carry helicopters and armored vehicles. Sarkozy said two ships will be built in France and two others in Russia.
___
2. Maiduguri, Nigeria
Radical sect kills 2 soldiers, injures 1 in northeast Nigeria
An army general says suspected members of a radical Muslim sect shot two soldiers to death and injured another manning a checkpoint in northeast Nigeria.
Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Ndaliman said the shooting happened Sunday in the rural village of Biu. Ndaliman said two members of the Boko Haram sect opened fire from a motorcycle.
Boko Haram, which means “Western education is sacrilege” in the local Hausa language, has attacked churches and engineered a massive prison break in recent months.
— AP
NASSER NASSER/AP
A wounded protester is helped away after clashes with riot police at a demonstration Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt. Thousands of anti-government protesters, some hurling rocks and climbing atop an armored police truck, clashed with riot police in the center of Cairo in a Tunisia-inspired demonstration to demand the end of Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30 years in power.
Similar political unrest in Tunisia inspires riots against government
CAIRO — Thousands of anti-government protesters clashed with police Tuesday in the center of Cairo in a demonstration to demand the end of Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30 years in power.
Police responded with blasts from water cannons and set upon crowds with batons and tear gas to clear demonstrators demand-ing an end to Egypt’s grind-ing poverty, corruption, unemployment and police abuses.
Tuesday’s demonstration, the largest Egypt has seen for years, began peaceful-ly, with police showing re-straint in what appeared to be a strategy by the govern-ment to avoid further sully-ing the image of a security apparatus criticized as cor-rupt and violent.
With discontent growing over economic woes, and the toppling of Tunisia’s presi-dent still resonating in the region, Egypt’s government — which normally responds with swift retribution to any dissent — needed to tread
Egyptians clash with police
carefully.But as crowds filled down-
town Cairo’s Tahrir Square — waving Egyptian and Tunisian flags and adopt-ing the same protest chants that rang out in the streets of Tunis — security personnel changed tactics and the pro-test turned violent. Around
10,000 protesters packed the vast square, the Interior Ministry said.
The sight of officers beat-ing demonstrators had par-ticular resonance because Tuesday was also a national holiday honoring the much-feared police.
In Egypt, discontent with
life in the autocratic, po-lice state has simmered under the surface for years. It is the example of Tunisia, though, that appeared to be enough to push many young Egyptians into the streets for the first time.
— AP
Airport security is weak, country plans to look to United States as example, president says
MOSCOW — Stung by another terror attack, President Dmitri Medvedev on Tuesday ordered security services to step up efforts to dismantle extremist networks and criti-cized the management of Moscow’s biggest airport.
A day after a suicide bombing killed 35 people waiting for international passengers arriving at Domodedovo airport, there still was no claim of responsibility. But suspicion fell on Islamic militant groups from the Caucasus region who have been blamed for previous attacks, and Russian officials said they were searching for three Chechen men.
“It is obvious there are system errors in ensuring people’s safety, and in managing this transportation facility,” he said.
“The existing information demonstrates that there was simply anarchy,” he added. People “would come in from anywhere, and the movement control at best was partial — and didn’t apply to those who were meeting passengers.”
One survivor of the attack said although the airport had
metal detectors installed at its entrances, he saw no one being required to pass through them.
In 2004, two suicide bombers were able to buy tickets il-legally from Domodedovo staff and detonated bombs aboard a pair of planes, killing 90 people. The last major at-tack in Moscow was in March, when two bombers attacked the metro system, killing about 40 people. Officials said they traced those bombers back to the Caucasus region of Dagestan.
With Russia preparing to host major international events including the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Medvedev said Russian officials must learn from how airport security is conducted in countries such as Israel and the United States: “The examination of both passengers and luggage is most thorough. They will take out your entire soul.”
Airport officials declined to comment on the criticism. Medvedev’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said no immediate personnel changes were planned.
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HELP WANTED
Charleston Apartments: Grounds & Pool person needed, 2073 W Lindsey. $7.50 start. PT during semester, FT dur-ing breaks. Call 364-3603, ask for Jamie.
Bartending! Up to $300/day. No exp nec. Training provided. 1-800-965-6520 x133.
TUTORS WANTED!!!Available positions in the OU Athletics
Department!!! Junior, Senior, Graduate, and Post-graduate applicants only!!!
MATH - Statistics!!! Hiring for Spring 2011. Call 325-0554 for more info!!!
Light housekeeping in Norman, 2x/month, fee negotiable. Must have transportation. Please provide ref. Call 321-1294 be-tween 4-8pm.
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6 • Wednesday, January 26, 2011 The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com
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Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) - If your way of doing something confl icts with that of a co-worker’s, both parties must be prepared to make some adjustments. Problems will result if you are unyielding or too stubborn.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) - Keep your opinions to yourself regarding problems or decisions that don’t directly involve you, even if it does affect a friend who won’t fi ght back. You could make things worse.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) - Someone who is jealous of you, but who doesn’t operate openly, might attempt to put some obstacles on your path. However, because you’re up to his/her shenanigans, they won’t affect you.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) - Take care that you don’t ignore your better judgment and yield to the wishes of a clever manipulator. If you are on guard, this person’s tactics will prove fruitless.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - Don’t take merchandise or equipment that needs repair back to the place that did a lousy job previously, even if you originally bought it from them. Find someplace new.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) - Complications will result if you are far too possessive of someone with whom you’re emotionally involved. This type of action always ends up in causing the person to fl ee.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) - Strive to appreciate your mate’s point of view, especially if it involves a family issue. If you can’t meet him/her halfway, it will encourage conditions for lingering warfare.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) - Do not partake in gossip pertaining to someone who isn’t present to defend him/herself. Anything negative you say will be repeated to the object of your attention.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) - Avoid all types of risky enterprises, especially those that are of a fi nan-cial nature. Lust for action could override your common sense and objectivity, causing you to make a poor choice.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) - Courtesy and rationality are both essential requirements for dealing with people. When it comes to your involvements with others, treat everyone with the respect you want from them.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) - Don’t seethe in silence if an arrogant person directs some derogatory remarks at you. Let this person know up front that you’re not a candidate for putdowns.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - If you and a close friend fi nd yourselves in a confl icting position regarding an issue about which you both feel strongly, don’t let it get out of hand. Agree to disagree.
HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol
Copyright 2010, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
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
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 • 7The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com
LIFE&ARTS TOMORROW ›› Read a feature about Thursday’s Young Choreographers Showcase
‘King’s Speech’ leads with 12 nominations; higher ed documentary left in the cold
JAKE COYLEThe Associated Press
NEW YORK — In handing out 120 nominations, the Oscars in-evitably spurn others. “Snub” is the word of choice for these over-sights, and Christopher Nolan is well acquainted with its meaning.
Two years after seeing his “The Dark Knight” earn neither a best picture nomination nor a direct-ing nod, Nolan was passed over for directing “Inception,” another film both acclaimed and popular at the box office.
This time, at least, “Inception” was included among the best pic-ture nominees, which now include 10 films — a change made last year partly because of the outcry over the rebuff of “The Dark Knight.”
“Inception” still counted eight nominations, including a best original screenplay mention for Nolan, yet nothing for Lee Smith’s bravo editing.
Though many of the nomina-tions announced Tuesday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were as expected, the most glaring omission was that of “Waiting for ‘Superman’” in the best documentary category.
One of the most talked about documentaries of the year and a widely expected Oscar favorite, the education system examina-tion was left out, perhaps because some experts deemed it an inac-curate exaggeration of charter schools.
Other surprises from this year’s batch of Oscar nominees include:
Best Picture:
» “Black Swan”» “The Fighter”» “Inception”» “The Kids Are All Right”» “The King’s Speech”» “127 Hours”» “The Social Network”» “Toy Story 3”» “True Grit”» “Winter’s Bone”
Best Actor:
» Javier Bardem, “Biutiful”» Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”» Jesse Eisenberg, “The Social Network”» Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech”» James Franco, “127 Hours”
Best Actress:
» Annette Bening, “The Kids Are All Right”» Nicole Kidman, “Rabbit Hole”» Jennifer Lawrence, “Winter’s Bone”» Natalie Portman, “Black Swan”» Michelle Williams, “Blue Valentine”
BARDEM DISPLACES DUVALLEarning an acting nomination for a performance in anoth-
er language is never easy, but Javier Bardem managed to get into the best actor field with a nomination for the Spanish-
language “Biutiful.” Bardem’s third nomination (he won for “No Country For Old Men” in 2008) likely took the spot pegged for Robert Duvall’s bearded hermit in “Get Low.”
A KING’S DOZEN“The King’s Speech” was a heavy favorite going into
Tuesday’s announcement, but its leading 12 nominations is still a surprisingly high total. Though a performance-based
film, it still earned nods for cinematography and sound edit-ing. (With 10 nominations, “True Grit” also proved especially strong, further highlighting the Golden Globes’ questionable
judgment in snubbing it altogether.)
THIS YEAR’S INDIE DARLINGThe Ozark Mountains drama “Winter’s Bone” had long
been a cause celebre for those who root for the smaller mov-ies. Rather than sneak into the awards, it garnered a com-
manding four nominations, including best picture and best supporting actor for John Hawkes. Its star, the 20-year-old
Jennifer Lawrence, is the fifth youngest best actress nominee.
GOSLING, MANVILLE MISSINGMany would say the two best performances of 2010 were
Ryan Gosling in “Blue Valentine” and Lesley Manville in “Another Year.” Both were left out, though Gosling’s co-star,
Michelle Williams, was nominated for best actress. Some questioned why Manville wasn’t pushed in the supporting-
actress category.
NEVER IN THE CONVERSATIONThe Oscar race often arrives at favorites in a curious,
buzz-reliant way. There were many who never caught on with the academy, but nevertheless are among the snubbed:
Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island,” Tilda Swinton in “I Am Love,” Pierce Brosnan in “The Ghost Writer,” Greta Gerwig in “Greenberg,” Rebecca Hall in “Please Give” and surely many
others.
PHOTOS PROVIDED
Top: Colin Firth portrays King George VI in “The King’s Speech.” The film was nominated Tuesday morning for an Academy Award for best film.
Left: Jennifer Lawrence is shown in a scene from best-picture nominee “Winter’s Bone.” The 20-year-old Lawrence is the fifth-youngest best actress nominee.
Oscar snubs and surprises
The Fred Harris Lecture Series will present a
Free Public Lectureto be held
Wednesday, January 26th at 7:30 p.m.in the Meacham Auditorium at the
University of Oklahoma Memorial Student UnionThe speaker will be the
2008 National Book Awardee2009 Pulitzer Prize Winner
2010 MacArthur Fellow
Annette Gordon-ReedProfessor of law and history at Harvard University and
The Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radclife Institute for Advanced Study.
As part of the Fred Harris Lecture Series Professor Gordon-Reed
will present the free public lecture on “The Hemingses of Monticello: Writing the Life of
an Enslaved Family.”
For disability or special accommodations contact the History Department at the University of Oklahoma at 405-325-6002.
8 • Wednesday, January 26, 2011 The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com
SPORTS OUDAILY.COM ›› Madison Mooring (shown left) earns newcomer of the week honors after Sunday performance
Stay connected with
The Daily sports desk
for news and updates
about Sooner sports
@OUDailySportswww.twitter.com/OUDailySports
In 2008-09, Oklahoma be-came the first school to have both the Heisman Trophy winner for football (Dec. ‘08) and the Naismith Award winner for men’s basketball (March ‘09) in the same aca-demic year.
Blake Griffin and Sam Bradford are accomplish-ing things no pair from one school has ever accom-plished in sports history.
After winning the Naismith and Heisman awards, they became the first duo from the same school to be se-lected No. 1 overall in their respective drafts.
Griffin and Bradford have since taken their talents to the NBA and NFL respec-tively, and both continue to perform at a very high level.
Now, Griffin and Bradford stand poised to be the first players from the same school to win Rookie of the Year in their respective sports in the same season.
Bradford set several NFL rookie records this season as the quarterback of the St. Louis Rams, including pass attempts (590) and comple-tions (354). He also set the rookie record for consecu-tive passes without an inter-ception (169) and became the first rookie to pass for 300 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in a 36-33 road win at Denver.
Lastly, he was the first rookie QB to win back-to-back Offensive Rookie of the Month awards.
The NFL will announce its Rookie of the Year, for which Bradford is a finalist, on Feb. 3.
Griffin has been equally impressive in the NBA.
COLUMN
Sooners continue to shine
As of Tuesday night, he is averaging 22.8 points per game and 12.9 rebounds a game. He recorded 27 consecutive double-dou-bles until that streak was snapped Jan. 19.
It’s as if he is back at OU, terrorizing helpless oppo-nents that are neither as big nor as athletic as he is.
Griffin’s fixture on ESPN SportsCenter’s “Top Plays,”
because of his rim-rattling dunks, has made him a human highlight reel.
The NBA will announce its Rookie of the Year, for which Griffin is considered a front-runner, during the playoffs in June.
So these former Sooners are having great success at the next level. But it’s really a lot more than that.
The thing about college is once you advance to the next level, you become a de facto ambassador for your school. The things you do and the things you say are both reflections on your
school. Bradford and Griffin are
ambassadors in the highest sense because they are pub-lic figures who are constant-ly scrutinized, both for their play and for their character off the field and court.
In a world where athletes are constantly being caught in illegal activities, hav-ing affairs or taking perfor-mance-enhancing drugs, it’s great to see two of OU’s own excelling both on and off the field.
—Luke McConnell,
journalism junior
Sooner team again listed in national top 25, along with four conference foes
TOBI NEIDYThe Oklahoma Daily
One week after the OU softball team was credited as the Big 12 Conference’s No. 1 team in the Coaches Poll, the Sooners received top-10 rankings in both col-legiate national polls.
OU begins the 2011 sea-son ranked No. 9 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Poll and No. 6 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll.
D e f e n d i n g n a t i o n a l champion UCLA sits atop the NFCA poll after beating Arizona 6-5 and 15-9 in the championship series last season during the Women’s
College World Series in Oklahoma City. Arizona commands the top spot in the ESPN poll after post-ing a slightly better overall point total (488-462) than the Bruins.
OU isn’t the only repre-sentative from the Big 12 in the polls. Missouri is ranked No. 7 in the NFCA and No. 9 in the ESPN.
Last season, the Missouri Tigers made it to the WCWS t h ro u g h t h e C o l u m b i a R e g i o n a l a n d S u p e r Regional before dropping their first game to Hawaii, 3-2, and then being ousted by Florida, 5-0.
Texas (15/15), Texas A&M (21/19) and Oklahoma State (23/22) also received preseason top-25 rankings.
Past Sooner rankings/finishes
Preseason rankingYear (NFCA/ESPN) NCAA postseason result2011 9/6 ?2010 11/10 Super Regional2009 10/7 Regionals2008 5/5 Super Regional2007 16/16 Super Regional2006 12/13 Regionals
SOFTBALL
OU nets top-10 ranking
ALEX GALLARDO/AP
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) drives against Indiana Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough on Jan. 17. Griffin is considered a front-runner for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Sooners to host Texas A&M, formidable center Adams in battle of unbeatens in conference play
ANNELISE RUSSELLThe Oklahoma Daily
“Block out, block out, block out.”That’s the name of the game, according to sophomore
center Lyndsey Cloman, when the No. 13 Sooners host No. 6 Texas A&M at 7 tonight at Lloyd Noble Center.
Both teams are vying to remain undefeated in Big 12 play, but one major roadblock for the Sooners will be Texas A&M’s Danielle Adams. The senior center averages 22.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
“We’ve got to contest, keep her off the block and keep her off the boards,” Cloman said.
Senior forward Carlee Roethlisberger also might be tasked to post Adams at the five spot. And despite Adams’ size, Roethlisberger said she likes her own chances on the offensive side because of her speed and 3-point shot ability.
Despite being a wide body, Adams is only listed as 6-foot-1-inch, so using Adams’ lack of height against her and get-ting hands up in the post will be critical, Cloman said.
Although Adams may take up space in the paint, senior guard Danielle Robinson said it won’t change her game.
“I’m still going to be aggressive, and that’s not my style to be passive at all, even if there is a dominant post player,” Robinson said. “You just got to make plays.”
This Texas A&M squad is known for its defense. Robinson said the Sooners are going to have to respond on offense by being confident and relying on one another.
“We just know that we can’t turn it over because they’re going to take advantage of it,” Robinson said. “We have to be strong with the ball and know that somebody’s going to come when we need help.”
The Aggies lead the nation in forced turnovers per game (25), but the Sooners have slowly begun to develop their own identity on the defensive end.
“I think now that we throw that defense in the mix ... you can really play a full, rounded game,” Roethlisberger said.
And the Sooners are going to need a full-force effort against an Aggie team that has beaten OU four of the last five outings. Luckily for the Sooners, the first meeting this season is in Norman, where OU is 16-2 against Texas A&M.
All signs point to a defensive battle tonight, and which-ever team can outlast the other will remain unscathed in conference play.
“It’s gonna be a great game. It might be a really low-scor-ing game, but its going to be a battle,” Cloman said.
