OU librarians are helping students in the

dorms with research projects. Page 2A.

A Stanford sociology professor will speak

Thursday about changing gender equality.

Page 3A.

Batman is dead? Who will take over his

crime-fi ghting job? Check out “This Week In

Comics” on page 5B.

Love is in the air and our readers want to

know how to score a date this season. Check

out The Daily’s “Shake for Advice” on page 5B.

The Sooner baseball team fi nished off its

eight-game homestand Tuesday with a double

header against Houston Baptist. The Sooners

won both games and stayed undefeated at

home. Page 1B.

The Big 12 men’s basketball tournament

starts today and the Sooners’ fi rst game is

tomorrow. The Daily’s Eric Dama predicts the

winners of all 12 games. Page 2B.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009© 2009 OU Publications Board

FREE — Additional Copies 25¢

VOL. 94, NO. 113

DAWKINS Continues on page 2A

SOCIETIES Continues on page 2A

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE

Campus Notes 3AClassifi eds 4BCrossword 4BHoroscope 5BL&A 3B, 5B

News 3A, 5A, 6AOpinion 4APolice Reports 2ASports 1B, 2BSudoku 4B

SPORTS

LIFE & ARTS

WHAT’S INSIDE

TODAY

THURSDAY

LOW 32°

LOW 35°

HIGH 48°

HIGH 45°Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY’S INDEX

20%

30%

• Thomsen: Dawkins does not represent Oklahomans

CADIE THOMPSON

The Oklahoma Daily

OU students and faculty are busy celebrating the anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the publishing of his book “On the Origin of Species,” but one Oklahoma lawmaker is not too happy about the party.

House Resolutions 1014 and 1015, introduced by Rep. Todd Thomsen, R-Ada, assert that OU’s recent evolution-related discussions, part of the “Darwin 2009” project, have been unfair and biased because proponents of creationism and intelligent design have not been represented equally alongside evolutionary biologists.

“I am trying to promote free think-ing,” Thomsen said. “I strongly oppose the Department of Zoology for their unwillingness to lead our state in this discussion and not have opposing views in this matter.”

Although Thomsen’s resolu-tions would not enforce any government action if passed, his efforts still have been met with opposition.

“It’s breathtakingly stupid,” said Rob Boston, a spokesman for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. “Rep. Thomsen might as well be complaining students are being indoctrinated with the theory of gravity.”

Boston said he thinks Thomsen’s resolu-tions promote creationism and are a step toward implementing creationism instruction in schools.

AUSCS is working with the Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education to make sure creationism is kept out of the classroom, he said.

HR 1014 claims that the OU Department of Zoology has “been framing the Darwinian theory of evolution as doctrinal dogmatism rather than a hypothetical construction within the disciplines of sciences.”

But the word “theory” means something dif-ferent in science than it does in colloquial language, according to Rosemary Knapp, direc-

tor of graduate studies in the Department of Zoology.

“It’s as close to law as can be,” she said of the theory of evolution. “It’s the equivalent to gravity.”

Still, Thomsen said OU should encourage students to think independently about the issue by inviting speakers well-

versed in creationism and intelligent design. But creationism and intelligent design theo-

ries do not hold ground when compared to evolutionary biology, Knapp said.

“What’s really unfortunate is that people that are opposed to the fact that we don’t discuss things like intelligent design have a hard time recognizing intelligent design is not a scientific theory,” Knapp said. “It’s not on equal stand-ing.”

The majority of Oklahomans hold views dif-fer opposed to the teachings of evolutionary biology and the philosophy of author Richard Dawkins, who spoke on the Norman campus Friday night, Thomsen said.

“I don’t believe it was a good idea for Dawkins

State representative disapproves of Darwin 2009 Project

• Legitimate societies are active on campus

JAMIE BIRDWELL

The Oklahoma Daily

Students with good grades usually receive invitations to join prestigious honor societies, but some invites are nothing more than a ploy to get money from unsuspecting students.

Honor societies are academic groups with the purpose of recognizing and promoting scholarship, leadership and research, said Dorothy Mitstifer, execu-tive director for the Association of College Honor Societies.

Students are offered admission to honor societies based on their grade-point averages and amount of credit hours earned, said Alice Lanning, direc-tor of freshman programs.

The “recognition” society Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities was once thought of as a respected honor society, but now its standards are too low to be considered legitimate, Lanning said.

“Basically all you have to have [for Who’s Who] is a 2.0 and be able to breathe,” Lanning said.

Mitstifer said Who’s Who isn’t out to harm students, but its standards are not high enough to make it a legitimate soci-ety that will reflect well upon students.

Other illegitimate societies are sim-ply there to take money from students, Mitstifer said. Some schools sell lists of students’ contact information, but there are many ways to steal the informa-tion from schools’ Web sites, she said. Information also can be stolen from Facebook and MySpace.

“Anyone who can phish could find a list of students, e-mails or addresses,” Lanning said. “It’s kind of like identity theft.”

Many students receive invitations

Fake honor societies scam students

Zach Butler/The Daily

Wide receiver Quentin Chaney leans toward the final cone of the 20-yard shuttle Tuesday morning in the Everest Training Center. Chaney

posted times of 4.36 and 4.49 seconds. Representatives from 27 different NFL franchises came to Norman to watch former Sooners work out.

The event was a chance for players who didn’t perform as well as they liked or weren’t invited to the NFL Combine to showcase their skills.

See the full story in Sports, page 1B.

James Cornwell/ The Daily

An unidentified man causes a disturbance during the lecture given by Richard

Dawkins in McCaslin Fieldhouse Friday night. The man claimed Dawkins was a

fraud and was escorted out of the building by security.

NFL hopefuls showcasetheir skills on OU Pro Day

Photo Illustration by Chelsea Garza/The Daily

A fake honor society invitation solicits new members through the mail asking an OU student

to join their prestigious group. Students are bombarded by offers from false honor societies

and it may be hard to tell which are legitimate.

Amy Frost/ The Daily

Blake Griffin (23), sophomore forward,

goes for a lay-up against Oklahoma State

Saturday. The Sooners beat the Cowboys

82-78 for their fifth straight Bedlam win.

“Basically all you have to have [for Who’s Who] is a 2.0 and be able to breathe.”

Alice Lanning, director of freshman programs

See the both ‘Dawkins’ House bills online.

• Policy cannot be reviewed again until 2014

CADIE THOMPSON

The Oklahoma Daily

There will be no reforms to Dead Week until at least 2014, despite the fact that more than 93 percent of the student body voted for some type of policy change.

Faculty Senate voted 19-12 not to amend Dead Week regulations Monday afternoon, Student Congress representative Frank Wood said at the Student Congress meeting Tuesday night.

Wood, zoology senior, said as soon as the vote ended, a motion was made to take the current policy and amend it so it could not be reviewed again until 2014.

Wood has worked on reforming the policy with the faculty senate for more than a year and has attended all its meetings, he said. He voiced his frustration toward the Faculty Senate’s lack of attention to the students’ voices during Tuesday’s meeting.

“It would have been OK if they would have failed it and allowed us the opportunity to go talk to those who voted against it, and amend it to allow them to put it in, to figure out the problem they had with it and try to change that,” he said. “But no, within 10 seconds it was made again so that it cannot be reviewed again for five years.”

Although the proposal was denied, a sig-nificant number of faculty members worked to get the bill passed, Wood said in an e-mail.

Student Congress representatives soon fol-lowed Wood’s lead and began to express their concerns about the Faculty Senate’s decision not to amend the policy and implement a freeze on any further changes to the Dead Week policy.

Matt Gress, Student Congress representa-tive, said the Faculty Senate’s decision will have much larger implications.

“Dead Week reform is now dead, no pun intended — that’s the bare bones of the mat-ter,” Gress said. “When they voted 12 to 19, they effectively silenced 8,000 students who voted for the proposal, 8,000 people last year who clamored for reform.”

Gress said the Faculty Senate vote was a sobering indicator of how Student Congress and OU students’ voices are perceived on campus and by the faculty. He said the cur-rent lack of involvement in Student Congress is an indication that things need to change.

“I hope this is a wake-up call for Congress, for students, for UOSA, that we need to chart this organization, the way we do business, our ideas in a new direction that insists upon students being heard,” Wood said. “I think that we are going to have that. I think that new members are ready to go forward with new ideas, loud ideas and I’m very confident about that.”

The current Dead Week policy, as out-lined in the OU Faculty Handbook, prohibits instructors from assigning projects during Dead Week, and any assignments due that week must be equal to or less than 10 percent of the class’s total grade.

No change to Dead Week policy

ODDEVEN

EVEN ODD

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

• Economy is the biggest concern for candidates

RICKY MARANON

The Oklahoma Daily

With term limits bringing Gov. Brad Henry’s tenure to a close in 2010, the race to become the next governor is heating up. Three prominent figures have already made plans to run for the state’s top position.

Democrats Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Attorney General Drew Edmondson have shown inten-tions to run. Republican U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin has thrown her name in the ring.

The Democrats each sat down with The Daily for a first look at the 2010 election.

The candidates said they chose to run so they could stay in Oklahoma rather than run-ning for national office.

“I’ve never had any interest in running for office in DC.” Askins said. “I can do more here at home.”

“If I were to go to Washington, I would have to shift my focus to getting a prominent and power-ful position in the Senate first,” Edmondson said. “The people of Oklahoma would be left until later. I want to focus on their problems right now.”

Both candidates are personal-ly conservative members of the left-leaning Democratic Party.

Edmondson said he stands

with the values of his party, but is still true to his morals and believes his time in office proves his conservative stance.

“The Democrats have suf-fered because Republicans were successful at twisting the label of Democrat to mean something bad,” he said.

“Oklahoma Democrats are not like other Democrats,” Askins said. “Oklahomans have always elected the individual, not a party. When people get to know me, then they will realize where my heart is.”

Both candidates agreed that the economic downturn should be the next governor’s priority, but they disagreed on how the situation should be handled.

Askins emphasized the feder-al stimulus package had poten-tial to help the economy, but should be reviewed.

“We should balance the state budget, and the money from the stimulus bill should be spent on projects,” Askins said.

She said the money from government spending would go to state projects and employ-ees. When these employees buy things and pay their bills, that money will end up back into businesses and jump start the economy.

Edmondson said Oklahoma should be cautious about the stimulus package and focus on building permanent jobs in the private sector. He said he is con-cerned the jobs created in the stimulus package will be tempo-rary and will disappear once the stimulus money is spent, leaving more people out of work.

“We need to learn how to do more with less.” he said. “Oklahoma should get the big-gest bang for its buck.”

Worried about being labeled tax-and-spend liberals, both candidates said raising taxes is not an option, especially in this economy.

Both candidates said text-

book prices were a top concern, and wanted to find a way for students to get a better buy-back rate on used books.

Edmondson said during his 16 years as attorney general, he has investigated textbook price complaints.

Askins said she understands how students and parents feel

about the cost of education, and wanted to look into expanding the reach of state financial aid programs.

“It has always been hard for me to see my constituents strug-gle on the area of higher educa-tion,” she said.

Fallin was unavailable for an interview before press time.

Gov. hopefuls tentatively set campaign agendasNewsWednesday, March 11, 20092A

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY

The Daily has a long-standing com-mitment to serve readers by providing accurate coverage and analysis. Errors are corrected as they are identifi ed. Readers should bring errors to the at-tention of the editorial board for further investigation.

ERROR SUBMISSIONS

e-mail: dailynews@ou.eduphone: 325-3666

Continued from page 1A

DawkinsContinued from page 1A

Societiesthrough mail or e-mail from fake honor societies that trick students into paying annual fees, Lanning said. Some students don’t know the honor society is illegitimate until they have their resume checked over by an adviser, she said.

“It’s a good way for [scam-mers] to make money,” Lanning said. “Collect what you can, and then run away with the money.”

Most illegitimate societies present themselves as legitimate through letters and e-mails, but there are some ways to tell the real from the fake.

Lanning said if a society requires annual dues or doesn’t require a high class ranking, it’s probably a scam.

Most legitimate honor societ-ies require a one-time-only fee for lifetime membership, Lanning said. Most also require students to be in the top 20-35 percent of their class, Mitstifer said. This policy helps even the playing field among students from large and small schools.

Legitimate societies are also recognizable on campus.

An honor society also needs to have a campus chapter associat-

ed with it and the charter permis-sion from upper administrative members, Mitstifer said.

Societies should be active on campus and should participate in events, Lanning said. Most soci-eties’ local chapters have student officers and faculty advisers. If neither is present, students should be wary about paying dues, she said.

For more on honor societies, read The Daily’s editorial on Page 4A.

POLICE REPORTSNames are compiled from the Norman Police Department and OUPD. The reports serve as a record of arrests, not convic-tions. Those listed are innocent until proven guilty.

PUBLIC INTOXICATIONLisa Marie Bray, 47, S Berry Road, MondayAdan Garcia-Delgado, 38, 1120 N Berry Rd., Monday, also petty larcenyValerie Kathryn McCall, 45, River Oaks Dr., Sunday, also assault and battery

MUNICIPAL WARRANTDana Paul Chitwood, 44, 6726 E Alameda St., MondayGeorge William Claude Graves, 20, 3289 Ridgecrest Ct., MondayRichard Dewayne Hall, 28, 1910 Fillmore Ave., MondayMelvin Shy-Travis Johnson, 38, 1910 Fillmore Ave., MondayAlly Elizabeth Sharp, 19, 201 W Gray St., Monday

GRAND LARCENYJennie Lynn Dodson, 22, 3499 W Main St., Monday

POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCECherie E. King, 50, W Lindsey Street, Sunday, also possession of drug para-phernaliaLaura A. Rodriguez, 26, W Lindsey Street, Monday

ASSAULT AND BATTERYCody Austin Miller, 21, 1111 Oak Tree Ave., Sunday

BARKING DOGHeidi Leigh Puckett, 28, 2705 Northern Hills Rd., March 2nd

to speak and I don’t think he repre-sents anything of scientific value or anything Oklahoma represents,” he said.

According to HR 1015, Dawkins’ “published theories about evolu-tion and opinion about those who do not believe in the theory are contrary and offensive to the views and opinions of most citizens of Oklahoma.”

Thomsen did not point to any surveys to verify his statements regarding the opinions held by the majority of Oklahomans.

But even if the major-ity of Oklahomans do agree with Thomsen, it is still the responsibil-ity of OU to educate citizens about evolutionary biology, Boston said.

“The underlining problem with

these resolutions is they foster and promote ignorance,” Boston said. “Part of the reason public universi-ties exist is to expose students to different ways of thinking.”

TODAY

CAREER SERVICESCareer Services will host an informational session about how to break into pharmaceutical sales at noon in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUSChristians on Campus will host a Bible study at 12:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

THURSDAY

SCHOOL OF MUSICAL THEATREThe School of Musical Theatre will perform at 5:30 p.m. in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center.

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGYThe Department of Sociology will host Paula England at 7:30 p.m. in the National Weather Center.

SCHOOL OF MUSICThe University Vocal Chamber Ensemble will perform at 8 p.m. in Catlett Music Center.

CAMPUS NOTES

Ricky Maranon/The Daily

Democrats Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Attorney General Drew Edmondson may run for Oklahoma governor in 2010.

LEGITIMATE HONOR

SOCIETIESAlpha Lambda Delta

Nat’l Society of Collegiate Scholars

Phi Beta Kappa

Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society

Phi Theta Kappa

Source: Alice Lanning, director of freshman

programs at OU

This story is part of ongoing coverage of the 2010 Oklahoma gubernatorial election.

See the full list of real honor societies online.

During theRegular Meeting Of

The University of Oklahoma PUBLICATIONS BOARD

2:00-3:00 p.m. FRIDAYCopeland Hall, Room 146

Students, staff, faculty and others in the community are invited to express their views

concerning The Oklahoma Daily orSooner yearbook to the Publications Board.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC ACCESS

364-2100 • 722 Asp Ave. CAMPUS CORNER

CHINESE RESTAURANT

Daily Lunch Buff etAll You Can Eat

$4.88 • 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. • Sunday-Friday

(AND SHOW THEM THAT YOU MADE IT.)BE A PART OF OU HISTORY.

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SENIOR PORTRAIT

Call (405) 325-3668

Sooner yearbook is a publication of OU Student Media in the division of Student Affairs. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

100TH

SOONERyearbook

Today- FridayOr walk in: Crimson Room/Union

Nijim Dabbour, managing editordailynews@ou.eduphone: 325-3666fax: 325-6051For more, go to oudaily.com. NewsNews Wednesday, March 11, 2009 3A

• More women moving into executive roles

ASHLEY BODY

The Oklahoma Daily

A Stanford University sociology professor will lead a discus-sion Thursday about what has and hasn’t changed for gender equality.

Paula England will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the National Weather Center Auditorium about American subgroups’ challenges in equality.

She said in the past 40 years, women’s roles have shifted from

homemaker to provider. Men are still dominant in the workforce and hold more executive positions, but women are starting to move into those positions as more women earn higher degrees, England said.

England said she became interested in gender equality issues because she was anxious to see the transformation of women’s roles, and was curious to see if gender equality would progress through her generation’s efforts.

Those efforts might have paid off, but there are still gender equality issues, she said.

There has been a substantial move toward gender equality, especially between women and men who are equally educated, she said, but the movement has slowed in the past 10 to 15 years.

Inequality is morally wrong,

and doesn’t make much sense, England said. Inequality for women doesn’t do men any good, she said.

Aparna Mitra, economics professor, said the discussion with England will be stimulating for students and encourages everyone in the OU community to attend. She said it will be a good oppor-tunity for people from all walks of life to learn more about gender issues and implications of gender policies.

The discussion “Gender Inequality: What’s Changing? What’s Not?” is part of the sociology department’s Presidential Dream Course Series and is a comprehensive summary of England’s research in gender inequality in labor markets, families and romantic and sexual relationships.

She has also written many books on the subject.

Stanford University professor to lead discussion on gender equality

• Tragic killing spree leaves locals shockedSAMSON, Ala. — A gunman went on a shooting spree in two neighboring south Alabama towns Tuesday, killing nine people before he shot him-self at a metals plant, authorities said.

Police are investigating at least four separate shootings, all believed to be done by one gun-man, whose name was not released, said the Alabama Department of Safety in a statement.

The shootings began late in the afternoon in Samson. The shooter killed five people in one home and one each in two other homes.

The gunman also shot at a state trooper’s car, striking the vehicle seven times and wounding the trooper with broken glass.

He then killed someone at a Samson supply store and another person at a service station.

Samson contractor Greg McCullough said he was pumping gas at the station when the gun-man opened fire, killing a woman coming out of the service station and wounding McCullough in the shoulder and arm with bullet fragments that struck his truck and the pump.

“I first thought it was somebody playing,” he said. He said the gunman roared into the park-ing lot and slammed on his brakes. Then he saw the rifle.

He said the gunman fired and the rifle appeared to jam, then he “went back to firing.” Then he drove off.

McCullough, a father of two, said he tried to help the woman who was shot and yelled for someone to call an ambulance.

“I’m just in awe that something like this

could take place. That someone could do such a thing. It’s just shocking,” McCullough told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Police pursued the gunman Reliable Metal Products just north of Geneva, about a dozen miles southeast of Samson, where he fired an

estimated 30 rounds, the safety department said. One of the bullets hit Geneva Police Chief Frankie Lindsey, who was saved by his bullet proof vest.

The statement says the gunman then went in the plant and shot himself. His name was not released.

The gunman had worked at Reliable Metal, said state Rep. Warren Beck, a Republican whose district includes Geneva.

“My secretary heard gunfire everywhere,” he said. “This is one of the most tragic events ever in Geneva County.”

State Sen. Harri Anne Smith, R-Slocomb, said some of those killed in Samson were sitting outside.

“He was just driving down the street shoot-ing at people sitting on their porches,” she said. “A family was just sitting on the porch and they were shot.”

The department of safety said state fire mar-shals are investigating the scene of a burned house in Coffee County where one body was found. The scene is believed to be involved in this series of incidents.

Reliable Metal Products makes grills and vents for heating and AC systems, mainly for hotels. A call to a person who answered the phone at the plant said no one could talk about the shooting.

The towns of Geneva and Samson are roughly 30 miles south of Fort Rucker, near the Florida border in southeast Alabama. Geneva’s popula-tion is about 4,400 and Samson, 2,000.

Smith and Beck were at the Statehouse when state troopers came to get them and took them to Geneva County. Smith said the governor’s office is sending resources and state troopers are set-ting up a command post.

— AP

10 shot, killed in Alabama, including shooter

AP Photo/The Dothan Eagle, Jay Hare

An unidentified man is reflected in a storefront window that was shot during the shooting spree in Samson, Ala. on

Tuesday. A gunman went on a shooting spree in two south Alabama towns Tuesday, killing nine people before he shot

himself at a metals plant, authorities said.

Wednesday, March 115-7 p.m.

845 Chautauqua

“A chance to share our home with you!”

The women of Kappa Alpha Theta invite all OU International Students to:

There is a political storm brewing in the halls of the state Legislature. While many claim the issue of secession was settled as a result of the American Civil War, the battle for states’ rights is alive and well in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed on Feb. 18 a joint resolution by a margin of 83 to 13 in favor of declaring the state of Oklahoma sovereign of the federal government.

House Joint Resolution 1003, authored by Rep. Charles Key, R-Oklahoma City, seeks to reclaim state sovereignty under the Ninth and 10th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, the resolution declares that today the states themselves are no longer considered sovereign powers (as they were at the end of the American Revolution), but are in fact “demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government.”

This resolution seeks to serve notice to the fed-eral government that the individual states, while not always exercising the right, have always retained powers separate from the federal government.

The Oklahoma State Senate version, Senate Joint Resolution 10, sponsored by Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, was introduced Monday.

It is difficult to determine whether these actions constitute mere sabre-rattling or if they represent a genuine effort by the state Legislature to limit the power of the federal government, but one thing is certain: It is about time our legislators stood their ground and defended the rights of Oklahomans against the encroachment of federal power.

For those of you unfamiliar with the text of the

U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section VIII, expressly enumerates and delineates the 18 powers reserved to Congress.

Contrary to the beliefs of many loose construc-tionists who take an unrestrained view of the Constitution and under-stand it to be a malleable docu-ment, our founding fathers wrote the U.S. Constitution under the positive grant principle.

They argued then, as many strict constructionists such as Key and Brogdon do now, that the federal government is authorized to exer-cise only the powers explicitly — positively — granted it by the Constitution.

Those not explicitly granted to the federal government are reserved to the individual states, and to the people themselves.

History lessonsIn McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), Supreme Court

Chief Justice John Marshall argued that while the Articles of Confederation expressly granted only those powers explicitly mentioned, the Constitution contained no such language.

This is clearly not the case. The U.S. Constitution is a contract between the people of the U.S. and the federal government that expressly delineates the powers granted it.

As the 10th Amendment to the Constitution clear-ly states, “The powers not delegated to the United

States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

This could not be clearer — the states themselves are sovereign entities with real power.

In fact, during the Constitutional Convention, James Madison, the revered “Father of the Constitution” proposed legislation that would grant the federal government veto power over the laws of the individual states, and this proposal was soundly defeated.

Anti-Federalists and others opposed to the Constitution believed the document gave too much power to the federal government.

Patrick Henry argued that the necessary and proper clause and the supremacy clause of the Constitution allowed for an abuse of power by the federal government and provided a means for an erosion of civil liberty.

To placate the objectors, the Ninth and 10th Amendments were included in the Constitution.

The Ninth Amendment states, “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”

Arguing in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg opined that even though the right to privacy is not explicitly granted to the people by the Constitution, it is a right that they are neither denied.

Goldberg argued then that the Constitution meant to limit the powers of the federal government, and that those not expressly granted to the government

were reserved to the people.In City of New York v. Miln (1837), Supreme Court

Justice Philip Barbour argued the individual states retained undeniable jurisdiction over all persons and things within its borders, excepting those powers explicitly reserved to the federal Congress.

Time to take back sovereigntyKey and Brogdon argue that the federal govern-

ment has overstepped its authority through uncon-stitutional mandates such as No Child Left Behind, Real ID, education, the PATRIOT Act and social welfare programs.

Oklahoma and the 20 other states with sover-eignty resolutions feel compelled and coerced into implementing federal legislation and unconstitution-al mandates largely because the federal government threatens to withhold federal funding otherwise.

Both resolutions argue that the power exercised by the federal government greatly exceeds its consti-tutional mandate.

Loose constructionists argue that the Constitution is a “living” document, and these resolutions resound-ingly dispute this theory.

A living Constitution is a powerless Constitution, since its openness to interpretation renders it help-less against an abusive government.

Oklahoma HJR 1003 and SJR 10 lay the ground-work to kill the idea of federal encroachment once and for all.

It is time we took back our sovereignty.

Joe Hunt is a history and economics senior.

It seems honor societies aren’t so honorable.

There are numerous organiza-tions that have turned recognizing academic achievement into a rack-et that has people charging students for the so-called “honor” of being included on certain lists or in certain societies — for a price. See Page 1 for details.

These organizations prey on students’ desire to increase their chances of post-graduate success, implying or sometimes outright stating that members of their orga-nizations will be highly sought-after by employers.

But many of these organizations require not much more than a pre-sentable GPA and a credit card number to join.

Students shouldn’t strive to be members of academic groups that charge for recognition or base acceptance solely on GPA. And they shouldn’t be gullible enough to think that potential employers are all that concerned about their mem-

bership in such organizations. Any award that requires a mone-

tary contribution is questionable, at best. Genuinely important awards are bestowed on the basis of merit, not money.

Future employees can find out a student’s GPA with a glance at a resume. Random Greek letters under the “Organization” head-ing on a resume simply aren’t that impressive.

Of course, that isn’t to say that students might gain valuable experi-ence in the honor societ-

ies that actually have functioning chapters on campus, whose mem-bers meet regularly and participate in service or other projects.

But the sham organizations that never ask for anything other than a membership “application” and a check shouldn’t be supported in any way by OU. That means stu-dents shouldn’t join and university personnel shouldn’t promote honor societies that aren’t very honor-able.

Americans find atheists a particularly repugnant minority. According to Gallup, they are more disliked than any other major religious group, with the exception of Scientologists.

Research by Gallup also indicates the majority of Americans would not vote for a well-qualified atheistic presidential candidate. Even a gay candidate, the data suggest, would face less formidable dis-crimination.

But what is it about atheists that makes the American public revile them so intense-ly?

To illustrate anecdot-ally, in 2007, a Sunday-school teacher asked a class of fifth and sixth graders to draw a Christian and a non-Christian. One student drew his Christian as a cheerful-looking man holding a cross and declaring, “I LOVE GOD!!”

His non-Christian was unkempt, tat-tooed, covered in piercings, holding a bottle of “drugs” in one hand and display-ing angry eyebrows. His speech balloon read, “Cussing! God isn’t real!”

This is, to my observation, actually a

pretty accurate depiction of the popularly perceived dichotomy between theistic and atheistic character. The atheist is beheld as a hopeless individual roaming a world which, devoid of gods, is without purpose or potential for the morality that would ward him away from swilling down bottles of “drugs.”

The prevalence of this sort of stereo-typing, particularly in highly conservative areas like Oklahoma, is unfortunate.

The reality is that an atheist is not some-one who is morally rudderless, who wants to eradicate all religion, who is “angry at God,” who worships Richard Dawkins or who is even certain of the nonexistence of a god.

Major minoritySignificant statistical data on atheists

is actually fairly scant. According to a 2004 study by the American Psychiatric Association, depressed theists are less likely to attempt suicide than depressed atheists. A study released in 2008 by scien-tists working at the Universities of Ulster and Aarhus implies a correlation between atheism and elevated intelligence.

Studies like the former are frequently cited by people wishing to demonstrate the bitter nihilism of atheists. But would it be sane to make strong, sweeping judg-ments on the basis of either of these stud-

ies or others like them? Would we con-sider it acceptable to use statistics like this to justify stereotyping racial minorities? In fact, is there any evidence at all that justi-fies making strong generalizations about the character of atheists?

Not that I’m aware.The only characteristic we can attri-

bute to atheists with justified certainty is definitional: They do not believe in a god or gods.

To my experience, atheists generally do not hate religion or wish to see it forcibly extinguished. I would characterize my own feelings toward religion as a mix-ture of disgust and irritation, though God knows I’m not above enjoying the apoca-lyptic artwork of William Blake, Martin Scorsese’s film “The Last Temptation of Christ” or the Catholicism-centric britcom “Father Ted.”

Nor am I incontrovertibly certain of the nonexistence of a god or gods. If evidence emerged suggesting the existence of a god, I would readily adjust the certainty of my atheism.

However, anecdotes about people inex-plicably being cured of cancer don’t count as evidence.

The Bible doesn’t count as evidence until independent confirmation is unearthed of its supernatural claims. These sorts of things aren’t discounted because of

a commitment to disbelief in gods, but because they’re legitimately worthless as evidence.

From Darwin to DawkinsAnother semi-popular misconception

is that atheists hold science as a kind of surrogate religion and worship scientific figures, particularly Charles Darwin or Richard Dawkins.

Funnily, I’ve found that Richard Dawkins is associated much more closely with atheism by those outside the atheist community than by those within it. While I’d say the majority of atheists I know like Dawkins, a significant minority find him pompous and overrated.

The only atheists I’ve ever known to actually worship Dawkins are girls who find his sophistication and general Britishness sexy.

So far as Darwin goes, while most of the atheists I know appreciate his contri-butions to science and are aware of him as a likeable sort of guy, I doubt most of them could provide more than a very loose description of his life or of his personality, things one would expect a person’s wor-shippers to know intimately.

Despite my intense aggravation with the way religion facilitates human rights abuses, particularly in contemporary Muslim nations like Saudi Arabia, I would

never support a law banning religiosity. Every atheist I’ve ever spoken with on the topic concurs.

Theism, delusional though it may be by our estimation, should not be restricted except in those instances in which it leads to rights infringements.

I never attempt to sugar my dislike of religion, and I hope the thinking theists in my readership will see that although I dif-fer with them on important points, I have no desire to do them harm and am more than a dead-eyed atheist stereotype.

Similarly, it doesn’t bother me that the Bible says Christians should shun me (2 Corinthians 6:14) and appreciate the many Christians who have chosen to ignore this command.

However, it does bother me when unwarranted stereotyping is used as a jus-tification for intolerance toward atheists.

It bothers me that coming out as an atheist would be suicide for politicians in most parts of the country.

It bothers me that my sister was mocked and harassed in high school for her own lack of belief.

It bothers me that, throughout America, people are being intimidated into silence about the very simple and unthreatening fact that they don’t believe in a god.

Zac Smith is an English junior.

Ray Martin, opinion editordailyopinion@ou.edu

phone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051For more, go to oudaily.com.OpinionOpinion

OUR VIEW is an editorial selected and debated by the editorial board and written after a majority opinion is formed and approved by the editor. Our View is Th e Daily’s offi cial opinion.

STAFF CARTOON

ZACSMITH

OUR VIEW

STAFF COLUMN

STAFF COLUMN

YOUR VIEWS

Matt Reed - broadcast and electronic media senior

T H E I N D E P E N D E N T S T U D E N T V O I C E O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F O K L A H O M A

Meredith Simons Editor-in-ChiefNijim Dabbour Managing EditorJamie Hughes Assistant Managing EditorMack Burke Night EditorRay Martin Opinion EditorZach Butler Photo Editor

Dane Beavers Senior Online EditorWhitney Bryen Multimedia EditorSteven Jones Sports EditorLuke Atkinson Life & Arts EditorJudy Gibbs Robinson Editorial AdviserR.T. Conwell Advertising Manager

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 cut to fit. Students must list their major and classification. OU staff and faculty must list their title. All letters must include a daytime phone number. Authors submitting letters in person must present photo identification. Submit letters

Sunday through Thursday, in 160 Copeland Hall. Letters can also be submitted via e-mail to dailyopinion@ou.edu.Guest columns are accepted at editor’s discretion.’Our View’ is the voice of The Oklahoma Daily. Editorial Board members are The Daily’s editorial staff. The board meets Sunday through Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Daily Editorial Board.T

he

Fin

e P

rin

t160 Copeland Hall860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-0270 phone:(405) 325-3666e-mail:dailynews@ou.edu

NEWSROOM DIRECTORY

Co

nta

ct U

s

JOEHUNT

Wednesday, March 11, 20094A

Honor societiesnot all honorable

Anti-atheist prejudice widespread in America

Fight against the encroachment of the federal government

Check out physics professor Mike Strauss’ contro-versial letter to the editor, a student letter and

the opinion blog, all at oudaily.com

Nation Wednesday, March 11, 2009 5A

• Somali community is confused why some want to return homeMINNEAPOLIS — Members of the Twin Cities’ thriving Somali community say they are being questioned by the FBI as it investigates wheth-er some young men are being “radicalized” in Minnesota and recruited to fight with terror groups in their homeland.

The immigrants are a success story in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where the state’s tradi-tion of welcoming refugees has helped attract one of the nation’s largest Somali populations. Why some would want to leave, especially to return to a lawless country, has confused many Somalis.

“Like most of the community, I had difficulty believing that anybody would go to Somalia after their own families left because of wars,” said Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed, a Minneapolis physician. “It stunned most of us, I think, when we heard a name of someone who went and died.”

The Senate’s Homeland Security Committee plans a hearing Wednesday on possible terror

recruitment in the United States, and witnesses from Minnesota are expected to testify.

Some local Somalis say the young men might have thought they would be seen as patriots.

Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991, when warlords overthrew a socialist dictator and then turned on each other, causing anarchy in the African nation of 7 million.

In 2006, Somalia’s weak government called in Ethiopian troops — with U.N. support — to oust an Islamic group controlling Mogadishu and southern Somalia.

Many Somalis saw the troops as an invading and abusive force. There were countless reports of civilians being raped, beaten or having their homes looted. Islamic militants in the capital city fought back in battles that killed thousands of civilians over two years and displaced more than a million people.

“The majority of Somalis here were opposed to the (Ethiopian) occupation,” said Abdi Samatar, a University of Minnesota geography professor. “The Somali people did not ask for it, and the bru-tality was incredible. Anybody who’s human-rights oriented and has a patriotic sentiment would be incredibly enraged.”

Then in October, a Minneapolis man carried out a suicide bombing in Somalia. FBI Director Robert

Mueller said last month that the bomber had prob-ably been “radicalized” in the Twin Cities.

Now many Somalis say FBI agents have ques-tioned them about recent travels abroad and asked which mosques they attended.

Sharmarke Jama, a 26-year-old businessman, was questioned after traveling to Canada. He said the Ethiopian invasion was a topic of discussion among immigrants, so he was not surprised to hear that some young men might have gone to fight.

But, he said, the suicide bombing was different: “It really shook the foundation of the community ... as soon as the suicide bombing came into the equation, it was a whole new ball game.”

The Oct. 29 bombing by Shirwa Ahmed was part of a series of coordinated attacks that tar-geted a U.N. compound, the Ethiopian consulate and the presidential palace in Hargeisa, capital of the Somaliland region.

U.S. counterterrorism officials have raised con-cerns that an extremist group called al-Shabab is recruiting young men in Minnesota and elsewhere. It isn’t clear if Ahmed was part of the group. Al-Shabab, a name meaning “The Youth,” controls much of Somalia and wants to establish an Islamic state there.

—AP

Somali community in Minneapolis arouses FBI suspicion

• Soldiers fear medication will only cause them to oversleep FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Staff Sgt. Jason Jonas says when he goes to bed at night, he is terrified his medication will cause him to oversleep and miss morning roll call again.

His commanders are fully aware the paratrooper wounded in Afghanistan has been diagnosed with a sleep dis-order, because he is one of about 10,000 soldiers assigned to the Army’s Warrior Transition units, created for troops recovering from injuries.

Instead of gingerly nursing them back to health, however, commanders at Fort Bragg’s transition unit read-ily acknowledge holding them to the same standards as able-bodied sol-diers in combat units, often assign-ing chores as punishment for minor infractions.

In fact, the unit has a discipline rate three times as high as Fort Bragg’s main tenant, the 82nd Airborne Division, and transition units at two

other bases punish their soldiers even more frequently than the one at Fort Bragg, according to an Associated Press review of records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

“In my 10 years of service I have often seen soldiers mistreated, abused

or left hanging, but never have I seen an entire unit collectively mentally and physically break down its mem-bers,” said Jonas, a 28-year-old from Tempe, Ariz.

Jonas is one of 11 current or for-mer soldiers who have spent time in Fort Bragg’s transition unit and say

that its officers are either indifferent to their medical needs or trying to drive injured men and women from the military. Some complain they are being punished for the very injuries that landed them in the unit.

“It is the military’s way of dealing with it: ‘You’re a fake. You need to go back to work,’” said Pfc. Roman Serpik, 25, who enlisted in Duluth, Ga. He said he injured his head and back in a practice parachute jump last April.

Jonas suffered a concussion on a jump in 1999 at Fort Bragg, and military doctors determined that that led him to develop narcolepsy, a dis-order that causes people to fall asleep abruptly, he said. He provided copies of his medical profile to the AP to confirm he has the disorder.

He said medication for his condi-tion made him miss formation five times, resulting in a demotion that cost him $400 a month.

Officers in the transition battal-ion at Fort Bragg’s Womack Army Medical Center would not discuss individual soldiers’ medical or disci-plinary records, citing privacy laws. Speaking generally, they said the way to get soldiers back on their feet is discipline, not accepting excuses.

—AP

Some wounded soldiers likely to be punishedState revenue collections plunge

OKLAHOMA CITY — State revenue collections in February

plunged 21.6 percent over the same month a year ago and

were 30.4 percent lower than the offi cial estimate upon which

the current budget for state agencies is based.

Collections were $65.4 million below the prior year and

$103.9 million below the estimate, led by an 80.6 percent drop

in net personal and corporate income tax collections.

State Treasurer Scott Meacham said the fi gures show Okla-

homa is falling deeper into the grip of the national recession,

but the big decline in income tax collections is partly due to

faster fi ling for tax refunds.

Bill deregulates public schools

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Senate has passed a bill

to allow 20 percent of public schools to operate as charter

schools, free of many current state mandates.

Sen. John Ford’s School District Empowerment program

now goes to the House for consideration.

Ford, R-Bartlesville, said his bill seeks to restore local con-

trol to Oklahoma schools. Schools would be deregulated over

fi ve years, beginning next year in districts where schools have

been identifi ed by the Board of Education as being in need of

improvement.

Obama backs teacher merit pay

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama called for tying

teachers’ pay to students’ performance and expanding in-

novative charter schools Tuesday, embracing ideas that have

provoked hostility from members of teachers unions.He also suggested longer school days — and years — to help

America’s children compete in the world.In his fi rst big speech on education, Obama said the United

States must drastically improve student achievement to regain lost

international standing.

Gold prices sink as Wall Street stages rally

NEW YORK — Gold prices tumbled Tuesday, closing below

$900 an ounce for the fi rst time in a month, as investors re-

turned to Wall Street in force on news that troubled Citigroup

Inc. has been operating at a profi t.

Oil prices fell on a government report forecasting weak de-

mand, while grain prices rose in tandem with gains in equities.

Demand for gold, which is often seen as a safe-haven

investment, suff ered amid an increase in risk appetite as

investors scooped up beaten down stocks. The equities market

made its fi rst big advance in weeks on word that Citi is having

its best quarter since the last time it recorded a profi t for a full

period in 2007.—AP

NATION BRIEFS

AP Photo/Gerry Broome

Staff Sgt. Jason Jonas is seen at his home in Hope Mills, N.C. A paratrooper wounded

in Afghanistan, Army doctors have diagnosed him with service-related narcolepsy, a

condition that causes him to oversleep and has led him to miss formation four times,

resulting in a demotion.

TOP NOTCH LIVINGROCK BOTTOM PRICES

2900 OAK TREE AVE | 405.292.4044

NORMANSTUDENTHOUSING.COM

1111 OAK TREE AVE | 405.321.8877

COMMONSONOAKTREE.COM

INDIVIDUAL LEASES • PRIVATE BEDROOMS & PRIVATE BATHROOMS AVAILABLE FITNESS CENTER • TANNING BEDS • RESORT-STYLE SWIMMING POOL • GAME ROOM

AM

ENIT

IES

SUBJ

ECT

TO C

HA

NNG

E |

SEE

OFF

ICE

FOR

DET

AIL

S

SAVE

$175WHEN YOU

SIGN A LEASE TODAY

World NewsWednesday, March 11, 20096A

• Desperate cartels resort to other criminal enterprisesMEXICO CITY — Headless bod-ies in Tijuana, kidnapped children in Phoenix and shootouts on the streets of Vancouver: These are the unwanted byproducts of progress in the Mexican drug war.

While the headline-grabbing chaos creates the appearance of a drug trade escalating out of control, evidence suggests Mexico’s cartels are increasingly desperate due to a cross-border crackdown and a shift in the cocaine market from the U.S. to Europe.

Those pressures are forcing Mexico’s criminal networks, once accustomed to shipping drugs qui-etly and with impunity, to wage ever

more violent battles over scraps and to diversify into other crimi-nal enterprises, including extortion and kidnapping for ransom on both sides of the U.S. border.

“This is not reflecting the power of these groups,” Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora told The Associated Press in an interview. “This is reflecting how they are melting down in terms of capabili-ties, how they are losing the ability to produce income.”

As evidence of that pressure, the U.S. government says the amount of cocaine seized on U.S. soil dropped by 41 percent between early 2007 and mid-2008. Reduced supply is said to have raised street prices by nearly a third to about $125 a gram in the U.S. and lowered purity by more than 15 percent. Both the U.S. and Canadian governments are see-ing prolonged shortages of cocaine.

“The reason you see the esca-lation in violence is because U.S. and Mexican law enforce-ment are winning,” said Garrison Courtney, spokesperson for the

Drug Enforcement Administration, Tuesday. “You are going to see the drug traffickers push back because we are breaking their back. It’s rea-

sonable to assume they are going to try to fight to stay relevant.”

Mexican cartels are being cut out of the U.S. methamphetamine mar-

ket as well, the U.S. and Mexican governments say, though smug-gling of marijuana from Mexico has increased steadily since 2005 as demand increases.

The trouble for Mexico’s illicit trade began on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorist attacks in the U.S. prompt-ed heightened security at the border. President Felipe Calderon upped the ante by directly confronting the cartels on his first day in office two years ago, sending 45,000 soldiers and federal police to battle the car-tels across the country.

Improved cooperation with the U.S. since then led to the recent arrests of 755 Sinaloa cartel sus-pects in U.S. cities and towns as small as Stowe, Iowa. Mexican authorities, meanwhile, rooted out more than two dozen high-level gov-ernment security officials, including Mexico’s former drug czar, who was allegedly paid to protect the same gang, Mexico’s most powerful.

The U.S. Embassy reported a record 85 extraditions from Mexico to the U.S. in 2008, contributing to

a power vacuum that sparked an all-out war among the cartels as they battle for routes to the U.S. and control of Mexico’s growing domes-tic drug market.

These successes, however, come with a brutal cost: skyrocketing vio-lence in Mexico, with twice as many deaths last year and more than 1,000 people killed in the first eight weeks of this year; more than 560 kidnap-pings in Phoenix in 2007 and the first half of 2008, and more than two dozen shootings so far this year in Vancouver, British Columbia, where a shortage of cocaine from Mexico has pushed prices up from $23,300 to almost $39,000 a kilo.

The Mexican government esti-mates that 90 percent of those killed are linked to the drug trade, and many kidnappings in the U.S. are also drug related.

Mexico was just a token play-er in the cocaine trade some two decades ago, when the U.S. cracked down on the Caribbean routes for Colombian cocaine.

—AP

Mexico’s drug war is drenched in blood

• China denounces “harsh” message of Dalai LamaDHARMSALA, India — Somber prayers and hymns remem-bered the dead. Monks in ornate yellow headdresses blew giant conches and long brass trum-pets to announce the coming of the Dalai Lama. A band playing drums, cymbals and bagpipes added to the din.

Then, the soft-spoken man of peace delivered an unusually harsh message — a systematic indictment of the Chinese gov-ernment that forced him to flee Tibet into exile during a failed uprising in 1959.

“These 50 years have brought untold suffering to the land and people of Tibet,” the 73-year-old Buddhist spiritual leader told some 2,000 Tibetan exiles gathered Tuesday to commem-orate the rebellion.

The Nobel Peace laureate, who accused the Chinese gov-ernment of treating his people “like criminals deserving to be put to death,” highlighted the widening gulf between the two sides since last year when vio-lence engulfed the region and talks broke down.

Beijing, which accuses the Dalai Lama of trying to split Tibet from China and fomenting the recent violence, denounced his speech as “lies” and under-lined the development it had brought to the vast Himalayan plateau.

The Dalai Lama’s 30-min-ute speech in Dharmsala, the two-street town perched

in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas where he set up his headquarters in exile, warned that Tibet’s unique religion, cul-ture and language are “nearing extinction.”

Decades of China’s com-munist experiments, particu-larly the violent xenophobic

Cultural Revolution, “thrust Tibetans into such depths of suffering and hardship that they literally experienced hell on earth,” he said, adding that these campaigns led to the deaths of hundreds of thou-sands of Tibetans.

—AP

Dalai Lama: Tibetans ‘suffering’ under China • U.S. forces teach

effective military tactics to Afghan policeTAGAB VALLEY, Afghanistan — As a teenager is released to village elders, a U.S. commander warns him to stay away from the Taliban fighters with whom he was arrested. Then the American orders him to thank the district police chief for his freedom.

“Listen to me: he’s your hero, not Taliban,” the commander tells the bearded young man.

Police Col. Zelawar Zahed wasn’t involved in the arrest and didn’t have the power to release the youth on his own. But the nod to his authority indi-cates one key way in which NATO and the U.S. are seeking to rescue their fal-tering efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.

The international community has spent several years and hundreds of

millions of dollars training Afghanistan’s army and police.

Afghan forces will play a vital role in securing presidential elections expected in July. Ultimately, they are supposed to reach a strength that allows the foreign troops to go home.

But they have often failed to prevent insurgents from filtering back into areas cleared in sweeps led by international forces, endangering civilians who may have sided with the government — and forcing the troops to start all over again.

In Kapisa Province’s Tagab district, just 30 miles from Kabul, NATO forces are trying to use a hard-won peace to instill the authority of their firepower in the police, who are often seen as the weakest force in Afghanistan’s violent areas.

U.S. forces teach the police comman-do-style military tactics and work to make men like Zahed the public face of the effort to rout out militants. The idea is to encourage communities to turn to police to settle personal feuds, rather than to Taliban or other militants.

—AP

Afghan hot spot gets policing

Guillermo Arias/AP Photo

Federal police officers take a suspect into custody in connection with a shooting

in Tijuana, Mexico, Monday. Mexico’s cartels are losing their grip on the prized

U.S. drug market, largely because of a cross-border crackdown and a regional

shift in worldwide cocaine consumption.

Ashwini Bhatia/AP Photo

The Dalai Lama, right, greets his followers at the Tsuglakhang temple in

Dharmsala, India, Tuesday, March 10, 2009. China has overseen a “brutal

crackdown” in Tibet since protests shook the Himalayan region last year,

part of decades of Chinese oppression that have driven Tibetan culture to

the verge of extinction, the Dalai Lama said Tuesday in a speech to mark

the 50th anniversary of the failed uprising that sent him into exile.

Name: OU General Housing-1375108; Width: 69p9; Depth: 10.5 in; Color: Process color; File Name: -; Ad Number: 18772; Pickup: New

The University of Oklahoma

experience savingswith the OU Academic Success Rebate Program.

reserve your 2009-2010 spot in OU Traditions Square or upperclass residence hall communities now!

Housing and Food Services is a department in OU’s division of Student Affairs. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

h&f

live the legend. live on campus. housing.ou.edu

make�

move.

your

Cate Center: Monday- Friday ,10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Couch Center: Monday- Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Adams Center: Tuesday and Wednesday, 8-10 p.m.

Walker Center: Monday- Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

OU Traditions Square: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Sign-up March 9-13 in one of the following locations:

upperclass residents OU cumulative GPA 3.25 or above earn up to $400 each semester

Steven Jones, sports editordailysports@ou.eduphone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051For more, go to oudaily.com. SportsSports 1BWednesday, March 11, 2009

Football

Zach Butler/The Daily

Former Sooner safety Lendy Holmes runs in the three cone drill Tuesday in the Everest Center in Norman. Holmes recorded a time of 7.26 in the event, which was good

for fifth best among participants. Holmes, OU’s starting safety last season, was one of 19 former Sooners who worked out for NFL scouts on Tuesday.

Former Sooners work out at Pro DayCLAIRE BRANDON

The Oklahoma Daily

Scouts from 27 NFL teams attended OU’s 2009 Pro Day at the Everest Training Center on Tuesday.

Top results included wide receiver Quentin Chaney’s 4.59 40-yard dash and safety Lendy Holmes’ 4.06 shuttle.

To prepare for the NFL Combine and Pro Day workout, former Sooner center Jon Cooper has been working on gaining weight.

Weighing in at 290 pounds, he has gained roughly 40 pounds since the end of the sea-son. He plans to gain five to 10 more pounds before possibly playing in the NFL.

“I had to push the calories quite a bit because the combine was only three or four weeks after the [East-West Shrine Game], “ Cooper said. “But nothing too extreme.”

Running the 40-yard dash at 5.10 and 5.09, he said he thinks he ran pretty well but admits it wasn’t his fastest time. Gaining weight so quickly might have slowed him down a little, Cooper said, but not signifi-cantly.

“I worry about it a little bit, but I’d run at that weight for two years,” Cooper said.

Since the season ended in January, he said his skills have slightly improved, how-ever, it’s a different course than he’s used to.

“It’s a little different training, getting ready for the Combine and Pro Day,” Cooper said. “It’s not really like football training, like you

do everyday during the season.” The 2009 NFL Draft is April 25-26, and

Cooper, a three-year starter at OU, said he thinks he will get his shot in the league.

“I get a lot of good feedback,” Cooper said. “Coaches telling me they like what I’m doing, they like how I move, they like my leverage, everything like that. My size was a big thing at first, and then I said, ‘Well I’m going to put the weight back on.’”

Cooper said NFL scouts are looking at his blocking skills and techniques on the path to the draft.

“That’s where I excel is my technique and my leverage,” Cooper said.

Wide receivers Juaquin Iglesias and

Manuel Johnson did not run the 40-yard dash on Tuesday.

Iglesias said he is pleased with his time of 4.51 at the combine and didn’t think he would dramatically improve his time at Pro Day.

“I just wanted to put down a good num-ber at the combine and I felt like I did that,” Iglesias said.

Iglesias empathized with Johnson, who hurt his hamstring at the combine and didn’t work out at all.

“That’s like my brother,” Iglesias said. “I want to see him do well and I want to see him out here working out with me. I know he’s going to fight through this and he’s going to get in the NFL and he’s going to do great.”

Although Iglesias has spoken to most of the 32 NFL teams, one franchise stands out as his favorite: the Dallas Cowboys.

“They were my favorite team as a kid,” Iglesias said. “I’m a Texas kid. They’re still my favorite team.”

Regardless of position in draft, Iglesias said he would be happy to be a part of any NFL team.

“I want to be on a team I like but I also want to be the first pick,” Iglesias said. “So it doesn’t really matter to me. Wherever I get chosen, I’m blessed to be on an NFL team.”

Iglesias said he has heard rumors about his drafting, but it’s too early for anyone to know certainly.

“I’m just trying to make the most of my opportunity when I get there,” he said.

TOP TIMESA total of 19 former Sooners worked out for

representatives from 27 NFL teams on Tuesday

in Norman for OU’s Pro Day.

Here’s a look at some of the top times:

Vertical jump: Lendy Holmes, 35 inches

Broad jump: Darien Williams, 10 feet., one

inch

40-yard dash: Quentin Chaney, 4.59 seconds

20-yard shuttle: Lendy Holmes, 4.06 seconds

Three-cone drill: Nic Harris, 7.00 seconds

60-yard shuttle: Nic Harris, 11.44 seconds

For a full list of times, go to OUDaily.com.

Tennell confident about wide receiver position

Wide receiver Adron Tennell was

injured for a good part of last season,

but the junior said he is more confi -

dent in himself and ready to step up.

“I feel like back in high school like

I’m unstoppable, like nobody out

there can touch me right now,” Ten-

nell said. “I’m just on cloud nine.”

The Sooners lost three receivers

to graduation, but Tennell said this

year’s corps is working to get better.

“We are getting better each and

every day,” Tennell said.

Sooners putting bowl losses behind them

Ending the 2008 season with

a loss is not what OU planned on

in 2008, but sophomore defensive

tackle Gerald McCoy said OU is mov-

ing forward as a team.

“Going into this new season, we’re

putting all this bowl stuff behind us

and getting ready for the upcoming

season,” McCoy said.

Part of moving forward is having a

good attitude and a strong chemistry

to build upon, he said.

“This group we have now has a lot

of chemistry and that’s why I think

that our team last year was so good,

because of team chemistry,” McCoy

said. “We have a lot of that still

because we’ve had to grow closer.”

Freshman safety getting early start on season

OU lost both starting safeties last

season and the Sooners might be

looking to early-enrolled freshman

Javon Harris to fi ll that role.

“It’s a big challenge for anybody

that hadn’t been here very long, and

it’s especially a challenge for a high

school player that just graduated,”

secondary coach Bobby Jack Wright

said.

Coming into a new system can be

tough and takes time for freshmen.

“Javon’s a heck of a good high

school football player, and now he’s

having to learn a whole new philoso-

phy and whole new terminology,”

Wright said.

— ANNELISE RUSSELL/THE DAILY

FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Baseball

OU sweeps Huskies, finishes homestand 8-0

JONO GRECO

The Oklahoma Daily

The No. 15 baseball team swept the winless Houston Baptist Huskies Tuesday 10-1 and 6-0 in its day-night double-header at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

The sweep completed a homestand where the Sooners (15-3) went 8-0 and extended their home record to 12-0.

Senior pitcher C.J. Blue (2-0) bested the Huskies (0-13) with his first career complete-game shutout, allowing six hits while striking out three.

Five OU hitters ended the sec-ond game with two hits each, including a solo blast by senior catcher J.T. Wise.

In game one, sophomore pitcher Michael Rocha (2-1)

threw his second career com-plete game and allowed one run on five hits while striking out three. He set career highs by throwing 113 pitches, and seven strikeouts.

Wise, junior right fielder Kaleb Herren and freshman third baseman Garrett Buechele led the offensive charge for 10

runs after falling behind 1-0 after four innings.

Wise went 2-3 with a two-run homer and a dou-ble while driving in 3. Herren was perfect at the plate by going 3-3 with a double and one RBI. Buechele hit 3-4 with a double,

triple and drove in two runs.The Sooners head out to the

USF Bulls Baseball Classic in Tampa, Fla., Friday, on a hot streak as they have won 10 of their last 11 games.

MORE ONLINEFor more sports coverage,

including coverage of the Big 12

tournament, go to OUDaily.com.

SOFTBALL ONLINE

The Sooner softball

team won two games on

Tuesday. For coverage, go

to OUDaily.com.

SMU will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. SMU’s commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

214.768.9032 or www.smu.edu/resolution

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity employer.

Sources: OU Physical Plant, recyclemania.com and National Recycling Council, http://www.boxesdelivered.com/recycling-tips.html

You can make a difference.

��������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������������

�������������������������� ������������������������������������!�����������������"##�������

��$%���������������� ���������������������������������&������'����������������������� �������������������������������� ���� ������

��(���������������)�$%��������������!�*������

Now you know!

Did you know?

Do your part.

SportsWednesday, March 11, 20092B

2009 Big 12 tournament predictionsMen’s Basketball

8

9

5

12

7

10

6

11

4

3

2

1

The Wildcats, currently on the

NCAA tournament bubble, will be

playing for their tournament life

Thursday. They need at least one —

maybe two — wins this week to

feel confi dent on Selection Sunday.

Kansas State already beat the

Longhorns in Austin this year. Why

can’t they do it in OKC?

People say it’s harder to beat a

team when you play it back-to-back,

and that it’s nearly impossible to

beat a team three times in one sea-

son. I say, if you’ve already beaten

a team twice this year, what makes

anyone think you won’t do it again?

It wouldn’t truly be March without

the upsets, and this is mine. The Tigers

have already played A&M once this

year — and the Aggies won by double

digits. Missouri has been very hot and

cold lately, and the coin fl ip says it

comes up short on Thursday.

You can expect the Wildcats to

be psyched for this because an ap-

pearance in the championship game

would do much to impress the selec-

tion committee. Bill Self’s Jayhawks

will be too much for Kansas State,

however, as Sherron Collins & Co.

will soundly cruise past the Wildcats,

whose two losses to Kansas this year

were by a combined 27 points.

The Aggies virtually locked up an

NCAA tournament appearance after

beating Missouri, but a shot at the

championship would only improve

their seeding. OU coach Jeff Capel

wants to get the Sooners on track

after losing three of fi ve to end the

season. With a chance at the champi-

onship on the line, OU will be more

than ready.

Last time these two teams

met, Kansas won because Cole

Aldrich was grabbing every

off ensive rebound in sight and

Sherron Collins was hitting

3-pointers from what seemed

like the parking lot. This time,

Blake Griffi n will be around to

patrol the paint, and even if Col-

lins goes berserk again, Griffi n’s

added production and limit on

Aldrich will make a big enough

diff erence to push the Sooners

to the title.

• With the Big 12 tournament kicking off today, The Daily’s Eric Dama predicts who ultimately will win in Oklahoma City

OU Summer in ChinaIn one summer, travel 6,800 miles to experience

5,000 years of history.

Journey to ChinaMay 24 through June 26

During this five week study abroad program, students will travel to four

different Chinese universities:

Xi’an International Studies University, Xian

Yunnan Normal University, Kunming

Peiking University, Beijing

Fudan University, Shanghai

For more information, contact Alice Kloker at kloker@ou.edu.

•

•

•

•

Summer Session in ChinaJune 29 through July 24

During this four week session at Yunnan University in Kunming,

students will attend two classes taught in English by OU faculty

members Karl Rambo and Gus Palmer. Students enroll as part of the

summer session at enroll.ou.edu, beginning April 6, and pay tuition

through the OU Bursar’s Office.

Classes offered are:

ANTH 2613 - Native Peoples of North America,

Non-Western CivilizationANTH 4623 - Approaches to Cross-culture Human Problems,

Non-Western Civilization upper division general education

For more information, contact Karl Rambo at krambo@ou.edu or visit

china.ou.edu.

Intensive Chinese Language ProgramMay 31 through July 25

Designed for learners at all levels, the eight week Intensive Chinese

Language Program will focus on the Chinese language also known as

Mandarin. The course work will be at Yunnan University in Kunming,

China and will be transferable to OU as foreign language credit. The

OU course equivalents will be established by the Chinese language

faculty at OU based on the level of language proficiency acquired.

For more information, contact Ming Chao Gui at mgui@ou.edu or visit

china.ou.edu.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 3B

Way To Go!

Adopt - An - AreaArea Ratings For This Week

Delta Tau Delta

Delta Upsilon

Gamma Phi Beta

Engineers Without Borders

Hispanic American Student Association

Iota Phi Theta

Kappa Alpha

Kappa Alpha Psi

Kappa Alpha Theta

Kappa Delta Chi

Kappa Kappa Gamma

Kappa Kappa Psi

Kappa Sigma

Lambda Chi Alpha

Non-Traditional Student Assoc.

Okla. Student Volunteers

Omega Delta Phi

Omega Psi Phi

Our Earth

Phi Beta Sigma

Phi Delta Theta

Phi Gamma Delta

Phi Kappa Psi

Phi Kappa Sigma

Phi Mu

Pi Beta Phi

Pi Kappa Alpha

RUF/NEK Lil Sis

Sigma Alpha Epsilon

Sigma Gamma Rho

Sigma Lambda Gamma

Sigma Nu

Sigma Phi Epsilon

Zeta Phi Beta

Adams

Cate

Couch

Sooner

Walker

Keep Up the Good Work!

ALFA Flight

Air Force R.O.T.C.

Alpha Chi Omega

Alpha Gamma Delta

Alpha Kappa Alpha

Alpha Kappa Delta Phi

Alpha Omicron Pi

Alpha Phi Alpha

Alpha Phi Omega

Alpha Tau Omega

Beta Theta Pi

Catholic Student Assoc.

Chi Omega

Delta Chi

Delta Delta Delta

Delta Epsilon Psi

Delta Gamma

Delta Phi Omega

Delta Sigma Theta

The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, call 325-2340

Volunteer�ProgramsStrengthening Our Traditions through Service to State and Societyleadandvolunteer.ou.edu

129 N.W. Ave.360-4422

127 N. Porter360-4247

1215 W. Lindsey364-1325

HIGHLIGHTING OR COLOR

WITH HAIRCUT • $49.99WEAVE OR FOIL ADD $10.00

HAIRCUT • $10.99Non-Requested Stylist Only

The Works$15.99

Shampoo/ Cut/Blowdry

116 S. Main, Noble872-1661

Open 7Days A Week!

Must present this coupon

LIVENATION.COMTHE BOX OFFICE | WWW.BOKCENTER.COMTICKETS.COM OUTLETS | 866-7-BOK-CTRA service charge is added to each ticket price. All dates, acts and ticket pricesare subject to change without notice.

Life & ArtsLuke Atkinson, L&A editordailyent@ou.eduphone: 325-5189, fax: 325-6051For more, go to oudaily.com.

Seeing Blitzen Trapper play at The Opolis Monday night was the best possible way to spend ten dollars in Norman.

Receiving acclaim from music powerhous-es Rolling Stone, Spin and Pitchfork, Blitzen Trapper is continually touted for their pasto-ral, varied blend of rock music.

University College freshman Spencer Fulton said he was excited to see them per-form.

“This is my third time to see them,” he said. “You can choose any genre and they’ve probably played a really good song in it.”

Formed in 2000, the Portland-based sextet recently released their fourth studio album, “Furr,” on Seattle’s famous Sub Pop Records, home to fellow rockers The Shins.

That night, the band exhibited an active and excited stage presence, much of it due to their talented song writing and proficiency in almost any music genre.

They kicked off the show with their new song, “Sleepytime in the Western World,” a bouncy, fun track heavy on the church organ. Lead singer/guitarist Eric Earley and backup singer/guitarist Marty Marquis stood side-by-side on stage, physical antitheses

of one another. Earley is a pipsqueak with curly black hair and clean-shaven face, like a grown-up mouse. Sporting coke-bottle glasses, Marquis looks like a white, red-haired, 6-foot-5 version of Kyp Malone from TV on the Radio. Brian Koch drums and sings in the back when a high register or impres-sive beard is required. The rest of the band seems an odd crew of misfits. The bassist could be Kirk Hammett’s younger brother, the third guitar player looks like he belongs in a punkier outfit, and if I didn’t know better, I’d swear I’ve seen the keyboardist busing tables at Café Plaid.

Microphone troubles nearly marred the opener, prompting Marquis to petition the crown for “lots of good energy in here—think positive thoughts.” They followed up with three songs that really proved their artistic range. “Saturday Nite” was an equally bouncy number featuring some jazz scat, and kazoos. “God and Suicide” followed with its heavy metal guitar riff and a cappella chorus. Then they shifted gears and for three minutes, became the strangest-looking country band on earth, playing the gorgeous twinkling slide guitar “Stolen Shoes and a Rifle”. It

was a wonderful down-South interlude, with drawling lyrics like “I love her, she’s got brothers down in Natch-ez…”.

The middle of the set featured a headlong dive into the back catalogue. Earley led the band through a prog rock, jam-style break-down on “Murder Babe,” prompting whispers of the words “Pink Floyd” throughout the Opolis.

The closing set started with the dark, slow, ethereal “Love U,” followed by the raucous animal sound-party “Wild Mountain Nation,” and the thrashing, jumpy “Devil’s a-Go-Go”. The ending was hilarious—half the band lay on the floor shaking tambourines and smack-ing a cowbell. A well-timed beer bottle cracked on the ground percussively. After a loud, earnest encore chant, Earley returned, grabbed his acoustic, faced the crowd, and checked off “folk” the extensive list of genres that his band played Monday night.

23 songs in a handful of different fashions by the same awesome band in just over an hour and a half? Consider that 10 dollars earned, Blitzen Trapper.

MATT CARNEY IS A JOURNALISM SOPHOMORE.

Q&A WITH THE BANDEDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily’s Matt Carney snuck around

the Opolis to find the three singing members of Blitzen Trapper, guitarists/singers Eric Earley and Marty Marquis, and drummer Brian Koch backstage. Here’s what they said.

How’s the recent increase of critical apprecia-tion and publicity helped you guys out?Brian Koch: Well, they’re just opinions—I really don’t read them that often—but we’ve been able to book more gigs in better venues, and we’ve also been sought more for sum-mer festivals. We’ll be playing Coachella ’09, actually.

Eric Earley: The publicity has definitely helped us out. Every date on our tour this year has been sold out except for maybe two or three. Radio coverage has been huge, too. We’ve been able to hire a booking agent.

Marty Marquis: Yeah, you know, people gotta listen to Blitzen Trapper on their way to work (laughs).

Can you explain your songwriting process?BK: Eric’s always writing songs. We usually have to tell him to stop so we can go in and record. Sometimes for him the process is really short, like he just comes in one day with lyrics, but sometimes it takes a lot longer.

MM: Yeah, Eric wrote “Black River Killer” and “Furr” both really, really quick, and those are two of our most popular live songs. They recorded really quickly too, cause they’re both really simple musically. I’ve always thought “Black River Killer” sounds a lot like a Queen song.

EE: Yeah, I think “BRK” took about an hour and a half or two hours to write.

What is an average day like on tour for Blitzen Trapper?EE: It’s pretty chill. Drive anywhere from 2-7 hours, hang out, do interviews or radio appearances. I’m usually our D.D. since everybody else has a bit too much to drink each night.

Is it noticeably different playing in college towns like Norman?MM: I’d say so. Usually there are more kids singing along with us—actually in Norman last year there were folks singing the words to songs that hadn’t even been released yet, which is crazy.

BK: Yeah, college towns always tended to sell out more before we were as popular.

MATT CARNEY IS A JOURNALISM SOPHOMORE.

GET MORE

ONLINE!

photo provided

Blitzen Trapper plays at the Sub Pop Festival in 2008. The band recently played at The Opolis and will play at this year’s Coachella Festival in July.

It’s a ballroom ‘blitzen’CONCERT REVIEW

NEED MORE L&A? CHECK OUT OUR BLOGS!

R.T. Conwell, advertising managerclassifi eds@ou.edu

phone: 325-2521, fax: 325-7517For more, go to oudaily.com.ClassifiedsClassifiedsWednesday, March 11, 20094B

PLACE AN ADPhone

405.325.2521

E-Mailclassifi eds@ou.edu

Fax405.325.7517

Offi ceCopeland Hall 149A

MailThe Oklahoma Daily

860 Van Vleet Oval, 149A

Norman OK 73019-2052

The Oklahoma Daily is

responsible for one day’s

incorrect advertising. If your

ad appears incorrectly, or if

you wish to cancel your ad,

call 405.325.2521 before the

deadline for cancellation in the

next issue. Refunds will not be

issued for early cancellation.

Errors not the fault of the

advertiser will be adjusted.

The Oklahoma Daily will

not knowingly accept

advertisements that

discriminate on the basis of

race, color, gender, religious

preference, national origin or

sexual orientation. Violations of

this policy should be reported to

The Oklahoma Daily Business

Offi ce.

Help Wanted ads in The Oklahoma Daily are not

classifi ed as to gender.

Advertisers understand that

they may not discriminate in

employment on the basis of

race, color, religion or gender

unless such qualifying factors

are essential to a given position.

All ads are subject to

acceptance by The Oklahoma Daily. Ad acceptance may be

re-evaluated at any time.

1 day ............. $4.25/line

2 days ........... $2.50/line

3-4 days........ $2.00/line

5-9 days........ $1.50/line

10-14 days.... $1.15/line

15-19 days.... $1.00/line

20-29 days.... $ .90/line

30+ days ..... $ .85/line

Line Ad. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 a.m.Place your classifi ed line ad by 9 a.m., Monday-Friday to run in the next issue.

Display Ad. . . . .3 days priorClassifi ed Display or Classifi ed

Card Ad are due 3 days prior to

publication date.

DEADLINES

RATESLine AdsRates are determined by the

price per line, per day. There

is a two line minimum charge;

approximately 40 characters

per line, including spaces and

punctuation.

Classifi ed Display AdsRates are $16.00 per column

inch, per day with a minimum of

2 column inches.

Classifi ed Card AdsClassifi ed Card Ads are $170 per

column inch with a minimum

of 2 column inchs and run 20

consecutive issues. Ad copy

may change every fi ve issues.

Game SponsorshipsClassifi ed Display Ads located

directly above the following

games/puzzles. Limited spaces

available – only one space per

game.

2 col (3.792 in) x 2 inches

Sudoku ...........$760/month

Boggle............$760/month

Jumble ...........$760/month

Horoscope .....$760/month

1 col (1.833 in) x 2.25 inches

Crossword .....$515/month(located just below the puzzle)

PaymentPayment is required at the

time the ad is placed. Visa,

MasterCard, Discover and

American Express; cash,

money orders or local checks

accepted.

Credit AccountsBusinesses may be eligible for

credit in a limited, local billing

area. Please inquire with

Business Offi ce at 405.325.2521.

rrs TM

PAYMENT

POLICY

TransportationC

AUTO INSURANCE

Auto InsuranceQuotations Anytime

Foreign Students WelcomedJim Holmes Insurance, 321-4664

Services

PROFESSIONAL SERVICESWe solve DUI problems affordably.

Call O’Quinn & Nelson Law Offi ce, 290-1441

Employment

HELP WANTEDTHE MONT

Now accepting applications for the following positions:

SERVERS-must be available for day shifts beginning at 10:30 am, experience preferred HOSTESS must be available nights and week-ends. Apply in person M-F, 2pm to 4pm, 1300 Classen

Here is your chance!Blu Fine Wine and Food is now accepting ap-plications for waitstaff and experienced cooks. Must be 21. Apply in person between 2-4 pm

M-F, at 201 S Crawford. 360-4258.

Make up to $75 per online survey, student opin-ions needed www.cashtospend.com.

$5,000-$45,000PAID. EGG DONORS for up to 9 donations,

+ Exps, non-smokers, Ages 19-29,SAT>1100/ACT>24/GPA>3.00

Contact: info@eggdonorcenter.com

Bartending! Up to $250/day. No exp nec. Train-ing provided. 1-800-965-6520, x133.

Now hiring lifeguard, swim instructors, and AM pool managers. Apply at the Cleveland County Family YMCA, 1350 Lexington Ave. EOE.

STUDENTPAYOUTS.COMPaid survey takers needed in Norman100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys.

Housing RentalsJ

APTS. FURNISHED$400, bills paid, effi ciency LOFT apartments, downtown over Mister Robert Furniture, 109 E Main, fi re sprinkler, no pets, smoke-free. Inquire store offi ce.

APTS. UNFURNISHEDwww.3MonthsFreeRent.info

Brand New Apartments. Limited Availability.

P/L Now for Summer & Fall!$99 Deposit! No Application Fee!Models open 8a-8p Everyday!

7 Locations to Choose from!Elite Properties 360-6624or www.elite2900.com

$99 1st MONTH/$99 DEPOSIT*Immediate Move-Ins Only

Prices Reduced / 2 beds Available!Pets Welcome! Large Floor Plans!

Models open 8a-8p Everyday!Elite Properties 360-6624 or

www.elite2900.com

1 BLK FROM OU, very nice 4 room apt, 800 sf, wood fl oors, 1016 S College, Apt 1, $295/mo. Call 360-2873 or 306-1970.

CONDOS UNFURNISHED1 bedroom Nottingham Condo for rent, newly updated. 417-861-9439 or 408-6864.

Summer Rent Slashed in 1/2! Leasing 1-4 bdrms, amenities galore, The Edge

Call Iris, 303-550-5554

DUPLEXES UNFURNISHEDNEAR OU, nice 2 bd, 1 bth Duplex, new paint/carpet, CH/A, w/d hkup, $425/mo, $300/dep, no pets. Ref req. 329-5568 or 496-3993, lv msg.

HOUSES UNFURNISHED817 Birch - Short walk to campus! 3bd/2ba 2 car garage. Remodeled kitchen & master bath. W/D & lawn service included. $1200 mo. Call Steve Gray 214-455-4508.

322 S Lahoma, 2/3 bdrms, 1 bth, CH/A, w/d, dw, no pets, $700/mo + security dep. 573-2944.

FOR RENT

915 W Lindsey, NEAR OU, 1/2 bd, 1 ba, NO PETS, $500 per mo.1104 Grover Ln, NEAR OU, 2 bd, car garage, CHA, W/D, stove, refrigerator, microwave, com-pactor, NO PETS, $800 per mo.Contact: 329-1933 or 550-7069

AVAILABLE IN MAYA short walk to OU, 1-5 blks west of OU, nice brick homes, wood fl oors, CH/A, w/d, disposal, good parking. 3 Bdrm $750-$1500 2 Bdrm $600-$800 1 Bdrm $420-$460

MISTER ROBERT FURNITURE9-4 pm, Mon-Sat, 321-1818

TOWNHOUSES UNFURNISHEDTaylor Ridge Townhomes

2 Bdrm, 2.5 Bath, Fully RenovatedTownhomes near OU!

Pets Welcome! • Call for current ratesand Move-in Specials!!!Taylor Ridge Townhomes

(405) 310-6599

ROOMS FURNISHED

NEAR OU, privacy, $250, bills paid includes cable, neat, clean, parking. Prefer male student. Call 329-0143.

Housing SalesJ

CONDOSEdge Condo, 4 bd/ 4 bath, $126,900 - 1st time homebuyers: $8000 tax rebateCall Carol Lindley 401-0246 - Dillard Group

Housing RentalsJ Housing RentalsJ

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

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

my friend’s got mental illness

To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increasestheir chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information.Mental Illness – What a difference a friend makes.

True SoonersDon’t Haze.

Report Hazing.

325-5000All calls are anonymous.

The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

Previous Answers

6 8 4 53 9 2 7

17 1 8 4 3 6

5 39 3 1 6 5 2

51 5 7 82 3 5 4Instructions: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

5 3 2 9 8 4 6 1 76 8 9 3 1 7 5 2 41 4 7 5 2 6 3 9 89 1 3 4 6 8 7 5 27 5 8 1 9 2 4 3 64 2 6 7 5 3 1 8 92 7 4 8 3 1 9 6 58 9 1 6 7 5 2 4 33 6 5 2 4 9 8 7 1

Universal Crossword

“GREEN THUMB” by Lannie Hoover

ACROSS 1 Still up for

grabs 6 FBI agt. 10 Portly

president 14 Cathedral

city near Florence

15 Declaim wildly

16 Dilly-dallying 17 “That’ll teach

you!” look 18 “Pretty Maids

all in ___” 19 Timely

benefit 20 “Curse you,

___ Baron!” 21 Stop at the

outset 24 Elevator

innovator Otis

26 Old West tales

27 Kind of saw or tire

29 Colonial insect

30 Love deity 31 Very light tan 34 Operat-

ing room substance, once

39 Make a bust? 41 Van Gogh’s

loss 42 It’s full of

holes 43 Lugs around 44 First word in

many letters 46 Biblical

utopia 47 Orangutan,

e.g. 49 Displaced

person

51 Historic Harlem theater

55 “Seinfeld” friend

57 Celeste Holm musical

59 Woman, objectively

62 Smoky mist 63 Glossary entry 64 Semi-

conductor device

66 Command for silence, in court (Var.)

67 Brainstorm result

68 Basketball Hall-of-Famer Baylor

69 Units of 100 ergs per gram

70 Sleepover beds, maybe

71 Bowler’s button

DOWN 1 Nation in

Dec. 1991 news

2 Unbeatable baccarat hand

3 Removed unwanted elements

4 Snake eye? 5 Land

chronicled by C.S. Lewis

6 Economics textbook feature

7 “West Side Story” song

8 Shake-speare’s river

9 “Danke

Schoen” singer Wayne

10 “Seven Years in ___”

11 Baked brick building

12 Bakery staple 13 Works the

garden 22 ___ of Wight 23 Finds

intolerable 25 Tough cotton

thread 27 Take a

breather 28 With the bow,

in music 29 Surrounding

glow 32 Formally

hand over 33 Canadian

Arctic explorer John

35 Promotional link

36 Creatures with sharp bristles

37 Lasting

beginning? 38 It’s put

before Descartes

40 Sacred song 45 Do some

mothering 48 Kind of

justice 50 Weather

forecast word

51 More than dislike

52 ___ Del Rey 53 Flowed

slowly 54 Rich soil

deposit 55 Bittern

relative 56 Succotash

beans 58 Change the

decor of 60 Entertaining

Adams 61 Lessor

amount 65 ___-de-France

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Edited by Timothy E. Parker March 11, 2009

© 2009 Universal Press Syndicatewww.upuzzles.com

Millions of Americans expose themselvesto noise levels above 85 decibels for hours ata time – the level audiologists identify as thedanger zone. Lawn mowers, sporting events,live or recorded music, power tools, eventraffic and crowded restaurants can sustainthese levels. If you’re around noises likethese for prolonged periods, you’re riskingpermanent hearing loss. For more on the 85dB threshold, and ways to protect yourhearing health, visit ASHA.org.

1-800-638-8255

Sell yourSell yourstuff.stuff.

classifieds@ou.educlassifieds@ou.edu

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 5B

What can I do to make a girl take an interest in me?Tyler: Girls like it when you are a complete douche-bag. It sounds crazy, it really does. But the more poorly you treat her, the less you are perceived to care about her, and the more nonchalantly you tell her you "might call her back," the greater the likelihood she will become interested in you. Conversely, the more you show her you like her, the more actively you pursue her, the more you show genuine interest, the more "creeped out" she'll be at your hopeless romanticism. Unless you get really, really lucky.

Brittany: The right girl will like you no matter what, and for your-self, not someone you pretend to be. Sure, you can come off mean to get the girl, or nice to woo the girl, but in the end the truth will come out regardless. Eventually you will slip up and she'll see the real you and probably like you better for it. As for her taking inter-est, if she's the right girl, she'll notice you. It will just come naturally to you both.

What can I do to get this guy in class to like me?Tyler: Show him how smart you are. Haha, just kidding. The best way to really intrigue a guy is to sit next to him. Other than that, your job is pretty much done. Just let his eyes wander, as they usually will, in your direction. His brain will follow. Maybe a quick glance once in class, combined with a smile, and maybe one more as you saunter out after class. He'll very quickly be asking your name – or he may end up staring at you the rest of the semester. It's the luck of the draw, really.

Brittany: I’m going to have to agree with Tyler on this one. Men today are looking for more assertive women. If you want him, don't be afraid to go after him!

BRITTANY BURDEN AND TYLER BRANSON ARE ENGLISH SENIORS.

Life & Arts

NEED MORE L&A? CHECK OUT MORE ONLINE AT OUDAILY.COM

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- People could fi nd you diffi cult to please or understand because of your reluctance to be as sociable and outgoing as you usually are. Having a personal pity party never solves anything.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- It’s to your benefi t to avoid getting too closely involved with someone who is always stirring up trouble. What transpires could end up identifying you with this individual for a long time to come.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Don’t let others pressure you into altering your goals, because that leaves far too much to chance. You need to identify what you truly want and make realistic plans about how to achieve it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Today’s events may make you realize that if you fail to control your destiny, other factors beyond your control will do so for you. Take charge of your life.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Although you’re the type of person who is always helpful to others, just because you don’t feel like it at this time, you’re apt to pretend to be unavailable to a friend who truly needs your help.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You’re likely to get a second chance to handle some friction occurring between you and a friend in a better manner than you have in the past. The question is, will you do so?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Your natural ability for practicality may be absent when you go shopping. Unless you take control, you could load up those credit cards more than you’re going to like.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Any disagreement between you and your mate must be handled in private, away from relatives or kibitzers. The input of outsiders is likely to be more destructive than constructive.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Be exceptionally careful with regard to what you say about others, especially anything that could be construed as negative. It will be repeated in a way that will be destructive to your reputation.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Actions on your part that are motivated out of spite or a desire to get even with someone will backfi re. Sadly, the situation will end up making you the one who is totally to blame.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Upon occasion, your good judg-ment totally deserts you. Today could be one of those times, so be careful when dealing with others, such as siding with some-one who is dragging you down.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- There is a strong possibility that you could spend all your valuable time on a worthless goal that will bring you nothing. Make sure that you understand what’s in it for you or anyone else.

HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

��������������������������� ������������������������������������� ������� �

!�""�#�""����$�%����� �&%�

��� ������������ ������'�"�'(��������)�"'����

*%�+,-� �+��������"��'���� �����

*%�+&-� �% �������"��'��� �����

*%�+&-� �.�"/�"0���123��� �����

*+�+&-� ��''��)�����"��'��� �����

��� �!""#$�

%��&����&�'��(���)'��%��&����&�'��(��*)������&����&�'+�(��'')*�����&����&�'+�(��'�)+��

IN A HURRY?Our Rigid Frame

Express Buildings can be ready in 2 weeks!

� ��������� ����

� �������� � ���

� �������� ������

� ��������� ������

���� ���������

���������

��������������

�������

������������������

��������

�����������

����������

���� ���� ��

�����������

� !"��

���� ���� ��

� ����������

� !"��

��� ���� ��

CARPORTS:�����������#������������#������������

EX MACHINA SPECIAL # 4After the last storyline in this Eisner winning series,

Mayor Hundred must solve the energy crises in New York, and has to deal with a super-villian from his past alone, as the world’s only superhero. Although usual artist Tony Harris didn’t illustrate this issue, he is substituted by an equally competent John Paul Leon whose art in the book “Scalped” is up to par with Harris’ work.

Frankly, anything Brian K. Vaughn writes is worth read-ing. He is one of the best writers in comic books right now which has been proven with books like “Y: The Last Man” and “The Pride of Baghdad.”

Like Alan Moore, author of the recently screen-adapted “Watchmen,” Vaughn is able to transcend the medium and demolish stereotypes about superheroes. He proves this comic is not only a superhero book, but one about political administration in New York City. I suggest you pick up this issue.

If you haven’t read this series, you should get the first volume too, which is also available in stores.

OSIZIMETE AKEN’OVA IS A FILM AND VIDEO STUDIES JUNIOR.

BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL #1

After the death of Batman at the hands of the Black Glove in the “R.I.P” series and Darkseid in the “Final Crisis” series, Gotham sinks into crime as the rest of its heroes try to handle the death of Batman.

As the title suggests, there is a battle to see who will replace the Dark Knight and based on the buzz surrounding this comic, every hero and villain wants to don his cowl.

This three-part series puts an end to the “Nightwing”, “Birds of Prey” and “Robin” comics, which I feel is a good idea because following the “Last Rites” story arc through the different series was both expensive and annoying.

Tony Daniel, who also worked on “R.I.P,” is both writing and penciling the series. Little is known about his writing, but his artwork in “R.I.P” was one of the better illustrations seen in Batman last year. Plus, his interpretation of the Joker is one of the creepiest I’ve ever seen.

This should be an interesting series to read and it’s only three issues long, so it should be light on your wallet.

REEEEEENEE

Rapper Coolio charged with cocaine possession, battery

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors in Los Angeles say Coolio has been charged with

cocaine possession.

The 45-year-old rapper, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey, was also

charged Tuesday with battery stemming from his Friday arrest at the Los

Angeles International Airport. Authorities say he grabbed a screener’s arm to

prevent a luggage search that turned up the drugs.

Ivey was charged with one felony count of possession and one misdemean-

or count, each of battery and possession of paraphernalia. He was released on

$10,000 bail and is scheduled for arraignment on April 3.

A message left for manager Susan Haber was not immediately returned

Tuesday. Ivey faces up to three years in prison if convicted.

The rapper gained fame for his 1995 single “Gangsta’s Paradise.”

Stephen Colbert asks fans to vote for his name on space station

WASHINGTON — Earth to Space Station Colbert: The cosmic joke may be on

NASA.

Comedian Stephen Colbert, who couldn’t get his mock presidential

campaign off the ground, is polling better by aiming higher. He’s convinced

his many fans to write in his name in NASA’s online public vote to name a new

room to be added to the international space station.

Instead of NASA’s suggested choices — Serenity, Legacy, Earthrise or

Venture — the space station’s new addition may wind up with the name

“Colbert.”

The count by mid-Tuesday had votes for the comedian just shy of 115,000

and Serenity trailing at 98,641. More than 451,000 people have voted.

Real-life ‘Cheers’ bartender laid offBOSTON — Eddie Doyle was the guy who really did know everybody’s name,

at least when he started working at the tavern that inspired the television

show “Cheers.”

To the tens of thousands of tourists that later passed through, Doyle

remained behind the bar to off er a smile, a beer and tips about where to fi nd

the Boston that wasn’t shown on TV.

Now Doyle is out of a job, laid off from “Cheers” after 35 years. The bar’s

owner has said a tough economy and sagging business forced the move,

which was one of several layoff s.

Doyle said he’s not bitter, just surprised and a little sad.

“This bar, for me ... it was not just another job,” Doyle said. “It was the

perfect job.”

Longtime friend and lifelong bartender Tommy Leonard called Doyle’s exit

“the end of an era” and said Doyle is one of the most giving men he knows.

Doyle, who was laid off in February, has spent the past few weeks cleaning

out his offi ce and refl ecting on what he considered a great run.

-AP

L&A BRIEFLY

Wednesday, March 11, 20096B

Dollar draws during Dollar draws during ALLALL NCAA Tournament GamesNCAA Tournament Games

$4.50$4.50 Appetizer Special

Campus Corner584 Buchanan

Norman, OK 73069364-FOOD (3663)

Check us out on the web at Check us out on the web at justinsbistroandbar.com

small step no. 34

TAKE A SMALL STEP TO GET HEALTHY

www.smallstep.gov

FETCH THIS PAPER YOURSELF