Student involvement, organizational transparency key issues for election
DAILY STAFF REPORTSThe Oklahoma Daily
During Monday’s “Evening with UOSA” candidates for CAC chair and two UOSA presidential tickets were ques-
tioned about a smoking ban on campus, their most important platform issue and why they’re qualified to lead the student body.
When asked which platform issue is most im-portant and how the candidates would implement
them if elected, presidential candidate Forrest Bennett said he wants to get students involved in UOSA so the administration realizes what a pow-erful unit it is.
“We can’t do [anything] unless we all stand to-gether,” Bennett said. “We want the administra-tion to notice we are a power.”
To increase involvement, presidential candi-date Hannah Morris said her ticket will work to connect with student groups and hear their con-cerns. They will also encourage co-programming
Students for a Democratic Society requests meeting with College of Arts and Sciences dean
LANEY ELLISORThe Oklahoma Daily
The potential loss of majors and the possible shift to online courses spurred a student organization to create a campaign intended to raise public awareness and open a dialogue with the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Students for a Democratic Society launched its Save the Arts and Sciences campaign this spring due to concern over pro-posed budget cuts to the college, said society member Lauren Brentnell.
The organization plans to send a letter to the College of Arts and Sciences dean Wednesday regarding proposed cuts.
“We are concerned because the national trend has included such things as cutting entire majors and shifting a lot of classes
Gender-neutral housing proponents hope initiative will gather steam
HILLARY MCLAINThe Oklahoma Daily
Students for a Democratic Society members attempted to interrupt a prospective student tour Monday to spread awareness for their gender-neutral housing campaign.
The tour guide would not let the prospective students stop to listen to members of Students for a Democratic Society, but the society’s members did present the prospective stu-dents with fliers regarding campaign information.
Philosophy senior and Daily colum-nist Matt Bruenig participated in the event and said he feels it is important to reach out to prospective students.
“These are the students who are going to be in here next year. They are the ones who are going to need to be mobilized,” Bruenig said. “This, I think, is the best approach we have.”
Creating change for gender-neutral housing lies with prospective students because they will be the ones facing the issue, said Elizabeth Rucker, inter-national studies and interdisciplinary studies on the environment junior.
“People in the dorms are moving out, so the housing and the administration doesn’t really have to deal with them,” Rucker said. “The prospective students coming in, they are the ones who are going to be encountering the problem.”
Arielle Foldoe, OU employee and philosophy and anthropology auditor, interrupted the first student tour in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
Foldoe said she made an impromptu speech to the students about gender-
neutral housing to make them aware of the fact it’s not offered at OU.
The lack of gender-neutral housing could be blamed not only on the uni-versity, but also Oklahoma’s political climate, Bruenig said.
“Well, basically this is a state-funded university and people in Oklahoma don’t like gays and they don’t want to look like they are being proponents of the gay agenda or something like that,” Bruenig said.
Bruenig, Foldoe, and Rucker all agreed they don’t expect gender-neu-tral housing changes to occur by the end of this year, but they are hopeful the movement will pick up steam in the next few years.
More tour crashes will hopefully take place in the future, Rucker said.
The directors of prospective student services could not be reached for com-ment by The Daily as of press time.
It’s one week until polls open for UOSA elections. Visit OUDaily.com for a recap of the candidates and their main platform issues.
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Films should play carefully with 3-DMovie studios have begun switching 2-D movies to 3-D,
like “Toy Story 3” (shown right) to make a quick buck. This reduces quality, The Daily’s Laron Chapman says.
Robinson hits career benchmark Senior guard Danielle Robinson (shown left became the third women’s basketball player to notch 2,000 points, 700 assists and 300 steals.
LIFE & ARTS • PAGE 5SPORTS • PAGE 8
www.OUDaily.com Tuesday, March 22, 2011 Free — additional copies 25¢
The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
Gates to address spring grads Japan quake delays studyabroad
President David Boren asks longtime friend to deliver spring graduation speech
HILLARY MCLAINThe Oklahoma Daily
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will deliver the 2011 spring graduation commencement speech, the university announced today.
Gates, former CIA Director and Texas A&M University president, will appear at the ceremony at 7 p.m. May 13 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, according to a press release.
Gates’ appearance was likely made possible because of a long history with President David Boren, university
spokesman Chris Shilling said.“President Boren and Gates are really good friends,
they’ve served together in a variety of forms,” Shilling said. “They go back a long time.”
After joining the CIA in 1966 at an entry-level position, Gates spent 27 years in the institution, rising to the posi-tion of director from 1991 to 1993.
He was named assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser under President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1991.
Gates was made the 22nd Secretary of Defense on Dec. 18, 2006, under President George W. Bush. He is the only
Education Abroad Offi ce puts students’ travel plans on hold due to crisis
KATHLEEN EVANSThe Oklahoma Daily
The OU Education Abroad Office postponed students’ study abroad plans to Japan last week as a response to the earthquake, tsunami and re-s u l t i n g n u c l e a r r a d i a t i o n leaks, according to university officials.
The Japanese spring semes-ter begins in April, but OU stu-dents planning on studying abroad have had their plans postponed to later in the year because of the crisis.
“As a result of concerns re-lated to the initial earthquake and the continuing crisis, we have pulled students back from Japan for the spring semester,” OU Education Abroad Director Jack Hobson said. “We had about eight students planning on studying abroad ... It was tragic what happened, but we were lucky to have a swift and safe departure of students.”
The office is in the process of trying to find other options for the students based on their specific situation, Hobson said.
“ We a r e i n t h e p r o c e s s of sorting out their needs,” Hobson said. “Some have al-ready studied abroad and this would be the second time. Some haven’t yet. Some can only do a summer program. We are trying to figure everything out for them.”
Hobson said the disaster will not affect any future study a b ro a d re l at i o n s w i t h t h e country.
Norman’s sister city in Japan, Seika, is located in the south-western region of the country, was not near the earthquake and should not be heavily af-fected, Norman Mayor Cindy
SEE SPEAKER PAGE 2
SEE FORUM PAGE 3 SEE ABROAD PAGE 2
SEE CUTS PAGE 2
Candidates answer student questions
UOSA, CAC CANDIDATES EXPLAIN CAMPAIGN PLATFORMS
JALL COWASJI/THE DAILY
UOSA candidates Forrest Bennett, Katherine Borgerding, Hannah Morris and Campus Activities Council candidate Bridgitte Castorino listen as a fellow candidate discusses platform issues during Monday night’s “Evening with UOSA” in Walker Center. More than 120 students attended the candidate forum.
Campus Activities Council chair» Bridgitte Castorino» Greg Emde» Melissa Mock
Proposed budget cuts prompt protest
Student group crashes campus tour
Robert Gates
online, which we believe is a short-term solution to budget problems and will only harm the college in the long run,” Brentnell said.
The idea to compose a letter originated at a meeting after the organization contacted Bell and received no response, said Brentnell, an English, psychology and political science se-nior. The letter requests a meeting with the College of Arts and Sciences deans to discuss their plans to handle cuts.
“We chose this approach because we … want to voice our concerns directly to the people in power,” said Elizabeth Rucker, campaign spokeswoman and international studies and interdisciplinary perspectives on the environment junior.
The letter was a collaborative effort writ-ten by many of the organization’s members and will be sent through email so there is no cost to anyone, Rucker said.
President David Boren told colleges to prepare for 5 per-cent budget cuts Nov. 8 at a Faculty Senate meeting, according to Daily archives. This would mean a $1.7 million cut to the College of Arts and Sciences in the 2012 fiscal year.
College of Arts and Sciences Dean Paul Bell said resulting
changes might include increased class sizes and more online and hybrid courses, particularly language courses, according to Daily archives.
Although budget cuts affect the entire university, most members of the student organization are in the College of Arts
and Sciences, so they decided to begin there, Brentnell said.
“The potential cuts to Arts and Sciences are especially important when you consider that we’re hiking tuition and fees while en-rolling ever-larger freshman classes,” Rucker said. “If you increase class size, hybridize courses and decrease the number of full pro-fessors, you end up paying more for a diluted education.”
Bell said spring enrollment numbers could determine which programs will be removed, according to Daily archives. If the deans agree to the meeting, the cam-paign will ask how those numbers will effect
change, Brentnell said.If the campaign receives no reply to the letter, it will contin-
ue trying to meet with the deans, Brentnell and Rucker said.In addition, Rucker said the campaign will work to raise
public awareness through panel discussions, working with other student organizations and word of mouth.
Dean Bell wasn’t available for comment.
Rosenthal said. “I have sent messages to the mayor of Seika, Japan,”
Rosenthal said. “It’s on the south and western part of the country, so it is far removed from the im-mediate earthquake. The whole country is obviously affected though.”
Though she has not heard back from Seika yet, Rosenthal said she under-stands it is not a high priority for the city’s mayor right now.
The Norman City Council will vote on a resolution this evening expressing sympathy for the country and asking residents to keep the country in their thoughts and prayers, Rosenthal said.
Currently, the OU Japanese Student Association is part of a statewide group called the Oklahoma Earthquake Support Group that is creating a relief program in Oklahoma, association president Russell Kabir said.
The Japanese clubs at OU — the Japanese Student Association, the OU Japanese Club, the Japanese Animation and Manga Society and the Arashi Taiko drummers — are planning fundraising events, Kabir said.
“We found out about the earthquake right after our Japan culture night,” Kabir said. “We were all so high off of that and then saw news online and statuses about the earthquake. It was a weird feeling.”
Plans are not concrete yet, but Kabir s a i d h e p l a n s t o m e e t w i t h U O S A President Franz Zenteno this week to create an event similar to those for Haiti last spring, he said.
“We are thinking about doing some-thing in the South Oval with drummers and dancers to get attention and do more fundraising,” Kabir said. “A lot of
things are in the idea stage right now and will be planned soon.”
Visit OUDaily.com for more information as events are planned.
Secretary of Defense asked to stay in his position after a new president — Barack Obama — entered office.
“It is a great honor for our university for him to be with us,” Boren said. “He is one of the leading American states-men of the 20th and 21st centuries, having served in critical positions under eight presidents of both political parties.”
Gates’ position allows him to share the perspective of someone who has helped shape the U.S., Shilling said.
“What he brings to stu-dents, faculty and staff is a strong sense of where we are as a country and where we are headed,” Shilling said.
Gates is a timely choice given today’s global society, Shilling said.
“As the secretary of de-fense, he is playing a key role in dealing with America’s most pressing national se-curity challenges around the world,” Boren said.
2 • Tuesday, March 22, 2011 The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com
CAMPUS
Today around campus» The Women’s Outreach Center will be tabling and selling tickets for Climb for Komen in the lobby of the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Tickets are $10 and include a T-shirt, instructional rock climbing, information on breast cancer and food.
» OU Law students, Federal Clerkship Perspective from former Judge and Career Clerks will be speaking on “How to start your legal careers” from at noon in Sneed Lounge.
» Christians on Campus will host a Bible study at noon in the Union’s Traditions Room.
» The OU School of Music will present a free tuba and euphonium concert at noon in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.
» The Virtues of Academic Success will be presented by John Dell of University College from 3 to 4 p.m. in Wagner Hall, Room 245.
» Dr. Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert will give a talk titled, “Promoting Academic Achievement among Native Students: Integration of Western Science with Traditional Knowledge (Ways of Knowing)”. The event will be held in the National Weather Center Auditorium from 6 to 7 p.m.
» Tibetan Buddhist Monks will visit OU at 7 p.m. in the Union’s Meacham Auditorium for “The Inside Story: Images of Tibetan Monastic Life.”
» This day in OU history
March 22, 1975OU fieldhouse saved its best moment for last
The OU fieldhouse, home of OU basketball, hosted its last game with an 84-79 win against Iowa State University.
The fieldhouse, which had been part of the OU campus for 48 years, was replaced by Lloyd Noble Center that year.
No set policy in drug casesA student was arrested in the dorms for possession
of marijuana and was taken to felony court. Previously, students charged with drug possession
on campus were tried in a student court, but the OUPD police chief was re-examining that policy.
Although there was no specific policy outlined, OUPD said it planned to choose which court based on the seriousness of the offense, including the type of drug and amount of drug.
— Source: The Oklahoma Daily archives
Wednesday, March 23» The Writing Center will give free waffles to students working on their papers 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Writing Center.
» The seminar series of “Bringing fuels for the future” will speak on the topic of solar power from 10:30 a.m. to noon in Sarkeys Energy Center, Room M-204.
» An OU School of Music professor, Sarah Reichardt, will speak about “The Musical Depiction of Modernity in Karl Freund’s Mad Love” from 5 to 6 p.m. in Catlett Music Center, Room 131.
» The Women’s Outreach Center will host Climb for Komen from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Huston Huffman Fitness Center. The event costs $10 and includes a T-shirt, instructional rock climbing, information on breast cancer and food.
SPEAKER: Gates has global insight, perspectiveContinued from page 1
ABROAD: Association to raise money for JapanContinued from page 1
The Oklahoma Daily has a commitment to serve readers by providing accurate coverage and analysis. Errors are corrected as they are identified. Readers should bring errors to The Daily’s attention for further investigation by emailing [email protected].
» The time and location of the constitutional studies symposium were incorrectly reported in Monday’s Daily. The symposium will begin at 10 a.m. Friday in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Scholars Room.
» Corrections
How to donate
Make a $10 donation by texting:» “QUAKE” or “JAPAN” to 80888 for the Salvation Army» “REDCROSS” to 90999 for the Red Cross» “JAPAN” or “TSUNAMI” to 20222 for Save the Children
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BUDGET: Enrollment could determine class cutsContinued from page 1
If you increase class size, hybridize courses and decrease the number of full professors, you end up paying more for a diluted education.”
— ELIZABETH RUCKER, CAMPAIGN SPOKESWOMAN
Student newspaper wins Gold Crown Award for fall 2009, spring 2010 editions
RENEÉ SELANDERSThe Oklahoma Daily
The Oklahoma Daily was one of two college newspa-pers in the U.S. to receive two of the four Gold Crown Awards given at this year’s College Media Convention on March 13 in New York City.
The fall 2009 and spring 2010 editions of The Daily each received a Gold Crown. Indiana University’s Indiana Daily Student took home the other two awards.
T h e C o l u m b i a S c h o l a s t i c P r e s s Association presents Gold Crown and Silver Crown distinctions to college news-papers based on quality of design, layout and content.
The Daily’s website, OUDaily.com, was awarded a Silver Crown. Sooner Yearbook also won a Silver Crown.
The Daily’s achievement is the result of a group ef-fort by last years’ staffs and editorial boards, 2009-2010
Editor-in-Chief Jamie Hughes said.“I’m really proud of everyone’s achievements,” said
Hughes, political science senior. “I don’t think it’s my achievement by any means. I think it’s everyone’s.”
Gaylord College broadcast students also earned three awards during spring break at the National Broadcasting Society conference in Los Angeles.
Students who attended the conference won first place for a story produced at the conference. They also accepted two first-place awards on behalf of students who produced work at OUTV and KGOU-FM.
Ken Fischer, broadcast journalism pro-fessor, also won the society’s Professional Member of the Year award.
Journalism junior Chinh Doan attended the conference and was one of four stu-dents who produced the award-winning on-site news package.
She said Fischer’s commitment to his students and the experience he brings to OU make him a deserving recipient of the award.
“He works above and beyond to make sure we under-stand something and learn from it,” Doan said.
Gold Crowns
» The highest honor from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association» The awards are discretionary and number varies each year
— Source: cspa.columbia.edu
FORUM: Candidates participate in meet and greetContinued from page 1
Candidate quotes:“Our ticket is a challenge. A vote for us is a challenge to yourself to step up and be responsible. We want you to know that you are UOSA and to be effective we all have to work together. We want the administration to
know UOSA is a power and we have a voice.”
FORREST BENNETT, UOSA PRESIDENT CANDIDATE
“Suggestive power can go a long way. The Martin Luther King Jr. campaign, their whole thing was suggestive power. They rallied behind an idea and he changed the world. Laura and I don’t seek to change the world in a
year by any means, but we do seek to change what we can on OU’s campus.”
HANNAH MORRIS, UOSA PRESIDENT CANDIDATE
“The most important thing we can do is
figure out the needs of the student body and communicate back to
them what our plan is. We really hope to increase visibility of
not only UOSA but the student groups. ...We
hope to go out and speak with students and figure out their needs.”
LAURA BOCK, UOSA VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATE
The executive branch has a lot of potential to do a lot for students, but things aren’t being talked about. First, our main issue is to increase involvement and then would be to increase transparency on what we are doing,
to do what the students have asked us to do.”
KATHERINE BORGERDING, UOSA VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATE
“CAC kinda has a stereotype of a certain group of people being
involved and I definitely think we need to reach out. Right now, there’s
kind of a stigma that there’s only a certain type of people, so if I
were elected CAC chair I really want to branch out and involve everyone.”
BRIDGITTE CASTORINO, CAC CHAIR CANDIDATE
“When I was in high school I slept. That’s what I did. I slept and I went to class. ...I’m a little bit of a changed man by now. I learned all of that through CAC. The accumulation of leadership skills, communication skills,
programming, sponsorship, how to program an event and how to lead has been my greatest accomplishment on campus.”
GREG EMDE, CAC CHAIR CANDIDATE
“I think CAC is the community builder on
campus. I think a lot of people have great
memories of where they met a lot of friends
and had fun and got leadership experience through CAC, so I think
it’s important to expand that and offer it to every student because a
lot of people don’t know what CAC is.”
MELISSA MOCK, CAC CHAIR CANDIDATE
e v e nt s a n d c re at i n g a n environment where stu-d e n t g r o u p s c a n b u i l d relationships.
“We want to make every effort possible to reach out to students, to be as trans-parent as possible, and by building those relation-ships and connecting with [students]… we can create things together on campus,” Morris said.
Morris’ running mate and vice presidential candidate Laura Bock said her cam-paign hopes to increase the visibility of UOSA and stu-dent groups. They also want to speak with students and figure out their needs.
The Bennett campaign is centered on two main ideas — increasing student involvement in UOSA and improving communica-tion with the student body, vice presidential candidate Katherine Borgerding said.
If elected, they would cre-ate a South Oval Office for Bennett where he would meet with students and hear their concerns, Borgerding said.
They would also create an online forum where stu-dents could voice concerns and read about what UOSA is doing.
CAC candidates Bridgitte Castorino, Greg Emde and Melissa Mock also fielded questions.
All three expressed an in-terest in expanding existing programs like CAC Crew, fundraising workshops and co-programming efforts as
ways to strengthen CAC.“[CAC] is utilizing your
activit ies fees for you,” Castorino said to the audi-ence. “We want to help you out and create these events for you.”
Both Bennett and Morris seemed to agree the issue of a smoking ban will take cooperation from more than just the student body. Bennett cited resistance from faculty members as a key reason why progress hasn’t been made.
Both candidates said they would work on the issue if
students voiced a large con-cern but neither indicated it was a major issue.
University college fresh-man Tyler Campbell said he already knew which candi-date would get his vote for CAC chair, and that he has been campaigning for said candidate.
“I came because I want-ed to get to know the can-didates more, listen to their platforms and have an idea of what they want to do next year if they win,” Campbell said.
T h e d i s c u s s i o n w a s held in Walker Center and hosted by Walker Center Faculty-in-Residence and Center Middle Eastern Studies director Joshua Landis.
Landis asked candidates questions that had been s u b m i t t e d p r i o r t o t h e event.
Psychology sophomore Kelsey Kuehn wasn’t sure who she was going to vote for when she came to the forum.
“I think it gave me some direction. I’ll probably have to check out their cam-paign websites and read all of their points,” Kuehn said. “I think just being able to hear their campaign plat-forms helped a lot.”
— Carmen Forman con-tributed to this report
READ MORE AT OUDAILY.COM
JALL COWASJI/THE DAILY
UOSA Undergraduate Student Congress representatives and forum attendees applaud during Monday’s “Evening with UOSA” in Walker Center. The event was held to allow students to meet student government candidates and ask questions before the March 29 and 30 elections.
The Daily wins top collegiate prizes
ONLINE AT OUDAILY.COM» Chat: Read a summary of Monday’s “Evening with UOSA”
» Video: Watch the forum
After watching weeks of Charlie Sheen, I’ve noticed he has become quite the atten-tion whore on CNN, CNBC, Fox News, The View, CBS and even in his own web-show, “Sheen’s Korner,” where only a select few of his diehard fans are winners.
In 1988, Sheen was a neophyte — though surprisingly efficacious — in the world of Hollywood. He was on Larry King Live, speaking outwardly about his future as an actor. He expressed to King during the interview, “To me, it’s not about being bigger; it’s about get-ting better, it’s about focusing on the work. You know, staying true to myself—not abusing the body, and just trying to put across performances that people are entertained by.”
Since the interview, his ethos has changed substantially, landing him a seat within the unemployment circle. What changed him? The fame and fortune did, of course.
Today, Sheen has taken a polar opposite mentality with stark captivation. He’s different than he was on Larry King Live two decades ago. He’s no lon-ger the fledgling who lives a sensible, healthy, well-balanced life as an edu-cated, well-minded actor; he’s become a blatantly maniacal thespian of “real-ity” with a drug and alcohol addiction to prove it.
Completely naive of the effects of his wrongdoings, he has lost all sense of morality and has become torporific with dark circles around his eyes. The old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind,” doesn’t apply to Sheen — he needs to always be in the media for his own safety, this means monitoring him to the far corners of the earth.
If this isn’t considered offbeat, let me extrapolate. Sheen has referred to himself as the “Malibu Messiah” and is de-claring “a holy war upon CBS.” Sheen has become a self-pro-claimed prodigy who doesn’t plan on backing down any time without a fight.
In an interview, he unapologetically named Chuck Lorre — the writer, producer and director of Two and a Half Men, Grace Under Fire, Cybill, Dharma & Greg— a “silly clown” and a “worm hiding in a hole.” Lorre wasn’t too keen on the bashings he received, but Sheen was unashamed and supercilious.
Those disparaging comments inevitably caused a per-sonal upheaval for Lorre. He wasn’t too fond of Sheen’s non-farouche remarks; therefore, it was no coincidence the show would be cancelled. The same man who was bank-ing $2 million from each episode is now jobless. Within the coming months, I hope Sheen takes a turn for the better and
sincerely apologizes to Lorre for being foolish and unprofessional.
Bill O’Reilly, from Fox News, wrote a quixotic column about Charlie Sheen’s recent behavior. His missive was, “Charlie Sheen might be better suited for the E! Network, but that is not where the money and prestige is. Today in America, the cable news primetime people can become
stars. That is something Sheen embraces, telling the Today Show, ‘I’m tired of pretending I’m not a total bitchin’ rock star from Mars. And people can’t figure me out; they can’t process me. I don’t expect them to. You can’t process me with a normal brain.’”
If O’Reilly believes hiring this madman to save his network is commonsense, he’s in for a surprise. And I wouldn’t be surprised if O’Reilly is equally as crazy as Sheen. But, really, O’Reilly doesn’t want to risk being called a troll, someone who doesn’t espouse his endeavors, for saying he’s a screw-up. Sheen already said the normal person is inept in under-
standing him, and it’s true: we can’t, and we probably never will.
Not to sound ridiculous or pretentious, but I’ve done my fair share of research on Sheen and the media; he doesn’t have what it takes to be a talk show host. He needs to completely reevaluate his life if he is to gain respect from people like myself who have watched Fox News for years. If Sheen
is to work for the cable network as a shoo-in, thanks to Bill O’Reilly, he will be a mockery to the many news-anchors who have earned their positions with years of laborious work.
A couple days ago, Sheen posted a picture of himself dressed as a tiger. He was holding a stuffed tiger by the tail in his left hand, wearing a tiger glove on his right hand, and wore a T-shirt that read, “losing” in a prohibition symbol. He also wore a bloody tiger mask. The picture was enough to prompt any psychiatrist or clinical psychologist to grab their diagnostic manual for a quick diagnosis.
Frankly, his instincts are all wrong. He needs psychologi-cal help. Nothing he does is impressive. His children need a father they can respect, not a father who lives an immature, horrific, life-threatening double life. Sheen needs to break away from the party scene to grasp the responsibility of being a parent and adult. As a troll, I stand firmly behind my opin-ion as the “winner’.”
— Sage Mauldin,
psychology junior
Comment on this column at OUDaily.com
In addition to inherit-ing the financial misery of the past administration, President Barack Obama also faces the paranoia and skepticism left by failed op-erations in the Middle East. Hopefully, by now, Obama has realized the latter is healthy and the former is not.
The depths of this paranoia are no better exemplified than in the unjustly cold opposition to the intervention in Libya to protect civilians. Politicians calling themselves re-alists have roundly criticized Obama’s recent action in the country, calling it imperialist and reminiscent of former President George W. Bush’s foreign policy.
For realists, they are quite prone to exaggeration, and they’ve yet to realize Libya is the humanitarian fight Bush never fought. A few months from now, we’ll be proud of our involvement, and rightfully so.
Weeks prior to the establishment of a no-fly zone, the two main objections to intervention were reminiscent of what haunted efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq: no interven-tion was broadly approved by the international communi-ty, and it would further entangle us in a region resentful of American meddling.
Since last week, both objections have crumbled. The League of Arab Nations, which is comprised of 21 predomi-nantly Muslim nations, was the first to condemn Muammar Gaddafi for his treatment of protesters. Then followed a resolution by the U.N. Security Council, which authorized “all necessary measures” to protect civilians from Gaddafi’s planned massacre.
Now that a no-fly zone has been created, the opposition has gotten louder even as its arguments have grown pale. It
claims that prolonged entan-glement is inevitable since current military operations are not enough to control the crisis.
To further put the realists at ease, the U.S. is just one na-tion in the coalition against Gaddafi, and it’s not officially committed to anything more than civilian protection.
In justifying military ac-tion, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed repeatedly it’s a “broad internation-al effort,” and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has said the U.S. will turn over control of the mission to the coalition “in a matter of days.” Obama has even taken criticism from Republicans, like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), for “taking a back-seat rather than a leadership role.”
Where extensive military action might be concerned, Obama has not, at the time of this writing, said explicitly that he means to do anything but enforce the U.N. resolu-tion. Complimentary to this, Admiral Mike Mullen report-ed on Sunday, initial operations had a “significant effect” on reducing Gaddafi’s forces and military operations were limited to protecting civilians and enabling humanitarian relief efforts.
Of course, it’s a separate question whether Obama can be trusted to abide by this restrictive policy or keep U.S. in-volvement minimal. It seems likely Obama won’t fall into the same trap as his predecessor because his reelection campaign has essentially already begun. He knows another drawn out Middle East conflict would be unpopular, so it makes sense he’d avoid one.
The idea of Libya being another Iraq or Afghanistan is currently incorrect. Now, skeptical and paranoid citizens should want to know what the intervention has going for it.
Preventing Gaddafi murdering his own subjects is a moral response, an act of humanitarian concern. Prior to the resolution, Ibrahim Dabbashi, the defected Libyan am-bassador to the U.N., warned a “real genocide” would occur if the international community didn’t take action.
After withdrawing from the rebel-controlled city of Benghazi, a Red Cross spokesman added to the chorus of anxiety, claiming the Red Cross was “extremely concerned about what will happen to civilians, the sick and wounded, detainees and others who are entitled to protection in times of conflict.”
The last part is important. The people of Libya are en-titled to protection and the world powers are obligated to protect them. What makes this different than other human-itarian catastrophes the U.S. ignores?
For one, the Libyan crisis has yet to reach a deadly cre-scendo and public awareness of the situation is currently high. If Obama was looking for a humanitarian itch to scratch, Libya naturally seemed to be the ripest of them.
So pay no attention to Michael Moore’s flock of parrots; the president isn’t an imperialist, and our intervention in Libya isn’t something to be ashamed of.
— Steven Zoeller,
University College freshman
Comment on this column at OUDaily.com
OUR VIEW
4 • Tuesday, March 22, 2011 The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com
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.
Sheen needs psychological helpCOLUMN
COLUMN
Sage Mauldin
STAFF COLUMN
din
UMN
Steven Zoeller
STAFF COLUMN
er
The old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind” doesn’t apply to Sheen — he needs to always be in the media for his own safety ... ”
The two main objections to intervention were reminiscent of what haunted efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq: no intervention was broadly approved by the international community, and that it would further entangle us in a region resentful of American meddling.”
Humanitarian efforts in Libya far cry from Iran
A press release from the OU office of public affairs an-nounced current U.S. Secretary of Defense and former pres-ident of Texas A&M, Robert Gates, will give this year’s com-mencement speech.
When President Barack Obama was inaugurated, he asked Gates to remain in office — making Gates the first secretary of defense to retain his or her position under a new admin-istration. This means Gates has had the opportunity to see both sides of the political spectrum.
Although Gates does not have the name recognition of Barack Obama or George W. Bush, he is a key decision maker for the government and aware of the growing conflict in Libya. He can offer students insight and provides a per-spective few others have.
No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, Gates has plenty of topics to talk about to cater both to con-servatives and liberals. Even if you haven’t heard of Robert Gates until reading this column, you will be able to find something he has done during his illustrious career to align yourself with.
Students who side with the Democratic Party will appreci-ate that Obama tasked Gates with putting an end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and for organizing the United States’ strat-egy for withdrawal from Iraq.
More Republican leaning students can appreciate Gates’ work under the Bush administration implementing Operation Iraqi Freedom and how the Defense Department handled protecting post 9/11 America under Bush.
For students who are stressing about searching for jobs post-graduation perhaps Gates can regale us with stories about his climb from an entry-level position in the CIA to becoming the director. Gates is the only career officer in CIA history to achieve this feat.
OU President David Boren said OU is lucky to have Gates coming because he has a packed schedule and multiple responsibilities.
However, Boren and Gates have a history, which goes back to well before most freshmen were born. Their friend-ship might provide some insight into how OU obtained such a prestigious speaker.
Prior to Gates’ nomination as CIA director, Boren wrote an op-ed in the Sept. 16, 1991, issue of the New York Times detailing the positive traits Gates would bring to the orga-nization. Many senators had a problem with how Gates
Boren’s commencement connection a good grab
Robert Gates
handled information gathered during the Iran-Contra affair and Boren stepped up to defend him.
In his column, Boren wrote, “I am not among those who have rushed to a negative judgment about Mr. Gates. He would clearly bring valuable experience to the position.”
Furthermore, in a U.S. News & World Report article from Oct. 21,1991, Boren reportedly burned a few bridges amongst his fellow Democratic Party members.
Boren and Gates have a long friendship that appears to be mutually beneficial. Because of Boren’s many connections OU has been able to secure prominent speakers on campus in the past.
We’re glad to have such a prominent political figure com-ing to address the student body.
With graduation fast approaching, hopefully we will have a better understanding of how involved the U.S. hopes to be in libya and what Gates’ role will be in assisting international efforts in Libya.
Robert Gates’ commencement speech will take place at 7 p.m. May 13 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Comment on this column at OUDaily.com
LUPE FIASCO“Lasers”
(Atlantic)
Rating: 1/2
Lupe Fiasco fans have been awaiting “Lasers” for some time now, and despite what some critics have said, it was worth the wait.
There’s been a lot of hub-bub about the album sound-ing too commercial — and to a certain extent it may be true. Lupe had to compro-mise with the label to re-lease the album, which is the reason for it sounding as it does.
Some of the songs do sound commercial , but even those exhibit Lupe’s outstanding lyrical ability. Combine that ability with powerful political messages, and you’ve got “Lasers.”
No, it is not better than his previous two albums, but it is no doubt a solid and worth-while effort.— Ryan Querbach/The Daily
TRAVIS BARKER“Give the Drummer Some”
(Interscope Records)
Rating:
Travis Barker is no doubt a very talented drummer, and his crossover to hip-hop is interesting to say the least.
Barker got about every-one you can think of for the album, including Lil’ Wayne, RZA, Lupe Fiasco and even his Transplants partners.
It is refreshing to hear real drums on a hip-hop album, as opposed to computerized percussion.
The instrumentation al-most makes it seem as if each rapper is the front man to some superband when they rhyme. Some embrace that role, others just don’t quite fit in.
The ef for t isn’t ter r i-ble, although it’s also not
necessarily all that good. Overall, the album is worth a listen for hip-hop fans.
If you’re more a fan of Barker’s traditional music, you probably won’t buy into this one. Either way, don’t expect to be wowed. It’s cer-tainly something different, and some may enjoy it more than others.— Ryan Querbach/The Daily
NOAH AND THE WHALE“Last Night On Earth”
(Island Mercury)
Rating:
It’s clear that indie-rock band Noah And The Whale were aiming for the big leagues with its third studio album, “Last Night On Earth,” and this new mindset has made the band’s music al-most unrecognizable from its previous albums.
The band has traded in its mandolins and folksy sensi-bilities for shining pop syn-thesizers, cheery choirs for backing vocals and a singular desire to rewrite “Livin’ On A Prayer” 10 times over the course of an album.
There are good songs amongst the pack (“Give It All Back” and “Just Me Before We Met” are two highlights) but the best material on the album is brought down by the uninspired stuff around it.— Conor O’Brien/The Daily
Have any music news? An album suggestion for our writers? Questions? Email us at [email protected].
Tuesday, March 22, 2011 • 5The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com
LIFE&ARTS
From cassette tapes to iPods, PCs to Macbooks, DVDs to Blu-ray discs, tech-nology seems to evolve as frequently as Lady Gaga changes her wardrobe.
Our tech-savvy American culture has a powerful attachment to the products and innovations that emerge as our collective mind seeks to discover more efficient ways of living and experiencing.
This could explain the resurgence of the 3-D film in multiplexes around the globe.
The prospect of having an enhanced viewing experi-ence screams dollar signs. When films of this nature are made as proficiently as James Cameron’s “Avatar,” the advancement seems necessary.
However, with the new wave of lackluster 3-D films re-leased over the last few years, this added feature appears to be an overt marketing ploy for studios looking to cash in on the current craze.
The difference is a film like “Avatar” was designed for 3-D. It demonstrated with vivid artistry and meticulous detail the illusion of depth.
These qualities allowed audiences to be drawn in and enveloped by the space on screen. Whereas, the film’s recent successors— “Megamind,” “The Green Hornet,” “Clash of the Titans,” etc. — cheapen this effect due to the studio’s decision to quickly convert the films to 3-D in post production.
Take the insufferable “The Last Airbender.” Here’s a film that attempted with disastrous results to use 3-D as a diversion from its terrible direction. The film was
barely tolerable in 2-D, and the addition-al dimension only magnified its lack of cohesion.
Similarly, the latest installment in the “Saw” franchise used 3-D as a marketing tool by suggesting that the severed limbs of the victims on screen would be thrown
at audience members. This modification directed view-ers’ attention away from the screen rather than allowing them to have a connection with the images on it.
Many of the films converted to 3-D in post production are perfectly adequate in their original format. The result is often a film with changes that are too subtle or barely visible.
When the changes are apparent, the hurried altera-tions often dim colors that were once rich and vivid and make the visual focus of each film ambiguous. Such was the case with “Toy Story 3,” a great film on its own terms, undermined in exchange for a surcharge on viewers’ movie tickets.
It seems the studios are less focused on quality and more concerned with profit. This is not to suggest that 3-D films are some kind of bad fad. In fact, many of them are made efficiently. However, when studios dish out inferior products in the name of a buck, it ultimately diminishes the appeal.
Just as not every novel needs to be adapted into a feature film, not every film needs to inherit an extra dimension.
—Laron Chapman,
film and video studies junior
REVIEWS, PREVIEWS AND MORE
THE DAILY’S
NEW MUSICTUESDAY
Read more at OUDaily.com
3-D movies must be done right
PHOTO PROVIDED
Pictured is a movie still from “Toy Story 3.” Studio efforts to adapt films such as this into 3-D take away from moviegoers’ viewing experiences and cheapen the effect, The Daily’s Laron Chapman writes.
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ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Because you are likely to use your insights far more effectively than usual, substantial gains can be realized, especially concerning your commercial affairs.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- A staunch and forceful ally is likely to become an excellent spokesperson on your behalf, clarifying your position to all the right people.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Certain tasks that proved to be too tough for you yesterday can suddenly be handled with relative ease. In fact, challenges will only spur you to a more inspired performance.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Interactions with members of the opposite gender are likely to work out quite well for you. One encounter in particular could prove to be extremely interesting and signifi cant.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Give more priority time than usual to the needs of someone for whom you are responsible. Showing that you care will be its own reward.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Fortunately, your vision, focus and expectations will be synchronized, because there will be some complex mental chores that require your entire attention.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- The possibilities for adding more to your resources are very encourag-ing. Of course, you must apply yourself to the task at hand in order to bring home the Bac-os.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- For some strange reason, you are likely to be more closely scrutinized than usual, so it behooves you to be on your best behavior and make a good impression.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Associates will be more coopera-tive and willing to help you achieve your objectives if they think your ideas are their own. Let them take the credit; it’ll come back later.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- A couple of friends might depend on you a bit more than usual, but try to help them willingly. If you can to lighten their load now, they’ll do so for you down the line.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Don’t get in a dither if you suddenly fi nd yourself being drawn into a competitive situation. You’ll run a swifter race if you remain calm and loose.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- A vivid imagination and strong willpower can work wonders. You’ll be able to take advantage of your opportunities if you picture yourself in positive circumstances.
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.
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011 • 7The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.com
SPORTS OUDAILY.COM ›› Whitney Hand (shown right) and the Sooners to face Miami (Fla.) in the 2nd round of the NCAAA tournament
RJ Young who writes for the OU daily obviously doesn’t like the football team that much. Great article today buddy. #pausenotMarch 1
Hey, @RJ_Young, at least we know @KSTiLLS4 reads the @OUDaily now... #silverlining?March 1
@RJ_Young @jamesfcorley glad my man got to see that. Everyones entitled to there opinion but why not write about the positive things.March 1
@KSTiLLS4 I can send you some links to some stuff he wrote last semester, if you’d like. I promise we’re not just out to get you guys.March 1
@jamesfcorley oh it’s no big deal I was just giving my thoughts. You gotta write what people wanna read. I’m not really into reading butMarch 1
@jamesfcorley when I do I like to read positive, encouraging, enlightening info. Not degrading someone especially my teammatesMarch 1
Whoever wrote that paper is stupid i have no juvi record RT @KSTiLLS4: #besfriend in the paper @tonyjefferson1March 3
@tonyjefferson1 they just been ragging on the team latelyMarch 3
@KSTiLLS4 Didn’t write that to rag on you guys. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders and just need to use it.March 3
@KSTiLLS4 @lukemcconnell1 but that ended up jus being a ticket for me . and its not even on my record anymore thats why im confusedMarch 3
@KSTiLLS4Kenny StillsFreshman wide receiver
@jamesfcorleyJames CorleySports editor, The Daily
@tonyjefferson1Tony JeffersonFreshman defensive back
@lukemcconnell1Luke McConnellColumnist, The Daily
KEY
COLUMN
REINA LYONS/THE DAILY
Freshman wide receiver Kenny Stills (4) walks off the field during a spring-practice scrimmage Monday. Players who are active on social media, like Stills, currently have no usage guidelines.
Football needs social-media policy
If the media and college football student-athletes had a relationship status on Facebook, it would be “it’s complicated.”
Any interactions between the two are closely watched by the athletic department and coaching staff.
Any interactions except on social media, like Twitter.
As of Monday afternoon at OU’s spring practice press c o n f e re n c e, c o a c h B o b Stoops said the team does not have a social-media policy for its players but said he’s going to make one.
“Guys that don’t know what they’re doing need to have it taken away,” Stoops said. “Some of the just re-ally foolish things that are thrown at me that so-and-so had this on their Twitter is hard to believe. It’s hard to believe they don’t get it. They still think they’re at East Handkerchief High School, where no one cares. And that’s not the case.”
Earlier this month, we at The Daily experienced first-hand the lack of rules for players with social media.
A pair of Twitter-savy freshmen voiced issues with two columns published by The Daily on March 1 and 3.
The first, a column about junior defensive back Jamell Fleming being suspended from school for academic misconduct, was met with a mild response.
The second, a column about Sports Illustrated’s
STAFF COLUMN
James Corley
LUMN
orley
investigation into top-tier football players with crimi-nal records, received a more poignant response.
The Daily is used to criti-cism; it comes with the job. However, if the university wants to protect these play-ers’ images and reputations, OU needs to draw up a so-cial-media policy.
But the players aren’t just lobbing barbs at the paper. A few have turned criti-cal of their fellow student-athletes.
Junior tight end Trent Ratterree posted this tweet March 1: “The lady gym-nasts emailing everyone in their classes begging for fans. @OUProblems”
The Oklahoma women’s
gymnast ics program is ranked fifth in the country and finished the regular sea-son undefeated with a bid to the NCAA tournament.
After Tommy Mason-Griffin’s very poor gram-matical Facebook status announcing his intentions to enter the NBA draft last spring and former football player Jaz Reynolds getting kicked off the team for a tweet about the University of Texas shootings, OU should have put social-me-dia guidelines in place.
Fortunately, Stoops said one’s coming, just not soon enough.
— James Corley,
journalism senior
d
Daily staff columnist RJ Young wrote a column about junior defensive back Jamell Fleming’s suspension because of academic misconduct. Read the column, “Fleming repeats past mistakes,” on OUDaily.com.
Daily staff columnist Luke McConnell wrote a column about Sports Illustrated’s investigation into players with criminal records. Read the column, “OU 7th in investigation of players with criminal records,” on OUDaily.com.
Sooners earn No. 1 seed in Norman Regional of postseason tournament
The fifth-ranked OU women’s gymnastics program earned a regional top seed for the NCAA tournament, the association announced Monday.
The Sooners host opening-round action at 4 p.m. April 2 at Lloyd Noble Center, where the team will face off against No. 7 Utah, No. 17 Washington, New Hampshire, Missouri and North Carolina.
“We are honored to welcome this extremely strong field to Norman for the first round of the championships,” OU coach K.J. Kindler said. “The fans can expect to see some of the best gymnastics in the country.”
Norman joins Ann Arbor, Mich., Athens, Ga., Corvallis, Ore., Denver and Tuscaloosa, Ala., as one of the six regional sites.
“I am looking forward to filling the stands in the Lloyd Noble Center,” Kindler said. “We are aiming for a record crowd of over 3,000 people. The fan support will play a role in this championship, and we certainly want to have that advantage.”
The top two teams from each regional advance to the NCAA Championships on April 15-17 in Cleveland, Ohio.
— Daily staff reports
8 • Tuesday, March 22, 2011 The Oklahoma Daily | OUDaily.comSPORTS
COLUMN
Senior joins elite company
MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY
Senior guard Danielle Robinson drives against Baylor in OU’s 82-81 loss to the Bears on Feb. 27 in Norman.
With a stat line of 19 points, seven assists and one steal in OU’s Big 12 semifinal loss to Texas A&M, senior guard Danielle Robinson became only the third player in the history of women’s college basketball to score at least 2,000 points, distribute 700 assists and commit 300 acts of on-court grand larceny in her career.
After four years, it isn’t a fluke. After four years, Robinson didn’t just get lucky. After four years, it is simply an indisputable fact.
It’s no longer up for de-bate, and no rebuttal will be heard.
Robinson is one of the greatest women’s basketball players of all time.
After OU’s NCAA tourna-ment opening-round win over James Madison on Sunday, Oklahoma’s cap-tain and leading scorer has amassed a total of 2,104 points, 710 assists and 302 steals.
But if Vegas was taking bets on which collegiate women’s basketball player would be the first to ascend into the same company as basketball legends Nancy L i e b e r m a n a n d D a w n Staley, even money would have likely been the line on Robinson.
Robinson was a name ma n y p e o p l e k n e w b e -f o re s h e c o m m i t t e d t o Oklahoma. As a prep senior, she was a McDonald’s All-American finalist and Parade All-American fourth-team member.
She came to Norman at the end of a truly amazing four-year period in OU basketball history; a period in which the Paris twins, Courtney
and Ashley, rewrote records and forced the NCAA wom-en’s basketball spotlight on a small town some 20 miles outside of Oklahoma City.
As a Sooner, Robinson has been able to find out just how athletically and men-tally gifted she is. She has amassed nearly 20 national
honors as a college basket-ball player to date — one of which bears the name of Lieberman.
Despite hearing about the elite company Robinson has joined with the career benchmark, a friend of mine still didn’t get it.
“Okay, but how great is she?” he asked.
He wasn’t wrong for ask-ing a question — he was simply asking the wrong question.
What’s more important than how great Robinson has been is how she will later redefine that greatness.
— RJ Young,
professional writing grad
student
Up next
WHAT: OU vs. Miami (Fla.)
WHEN: 6 tonight
WHERE: Charlottesville, Va.
WATCH: ESPN2 and ESPN3.com
Nancy Lieberman was the first woman ever to reach the benchmark.
She helped lead Old Dominion to two national championships. She also led Team USA to gold in the 1975 Pan-American Games and silver in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
Lieberman is the only female professional basketball coach in the world who coaches men, and she also is the only female to both play and coach men’s professional basketball. She currently coaches the Texas Legends, an NBA minor league franchise in Frisco, Texas.
Lieberman wasn’t given the job as a publicity stunt nor because she was hard up for work; the Brooklyn, N.Y., native was hired because over the course of her 30-year career in professional and international basketball, she proved she knows the game.
Dawn Staley hit the benchmark 16 years ago at the University of Virginia. Staley was a member of Team USA from 1996-2004 and helped lead the U.S. to three consecutive gold medals in the Atlanta, Sydney and Athens summer Olympics. Staley also played eight seasons in the WNBA (1996-2004).
In 2000, Staley began coaching Temple, where she helped the Owls advance to the postseason in seven of her eight years as coach. She’s now the coach of South Carolina, starting in 2008.
— RJ Young/The Daily
More on the other two career benchmark earners
NANCY LIEBERMANOLD DOMINION (1976-80)
DAWN STALEYVIRGINIA (1991-95)
PHOTO PROVIDED
PHOTO PROVIDED
STAFF COLUMN
RJ Young
UMN
Other speakers in this series: Other speakers in this series:Steven Semken 4/21 Other speakers in this series:Steven Semken 4/Steven Semken 4/2121
James Rattling Leaf 4/28 Steven Semken 4/21
James Rattling Leaf mes Rattling Leaf 4/24/288
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Native Science Speaker Series GEOL/METR 1034: Native Science and Earth Systems of North America
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Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert “Promoting Academic Achievement among Native Students: Integration
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