Medeival Fair fries more than food

Crowds flocked to the Medieval Fair this weekend, enjoying sword fights, costumes and fair food; forgetting to pay attention to the blazing sun that left many participants beet-red at the end of the day.

Spring has arrived, and safety officials urge students to apply sunscreen to
protect their skin from hazardous ultra-violet rays.

Skin cancer has risen dramatically within the last decade, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Simple preventative action, such as applying sunscreen, could put a stop to potential sun damage, the foundation says.

Former OU student Talia Magrill did not apply any sunscreen before she attended the fair on Saturday.

"My back hasn't seen sunlight since 2008," Magrill said. "I was only out in the sun for a couple hours, and now I'll have tan lines until June," she said.

Students can purchase sunscreen at most retail locations. Dermatologists suggest applying an SPF 15 or greater, according to the American Melanoma Foundation.

Violence against women in Oklahoma

Violence against women in Oklahoma is significantly higher than other states, and represents negative cultural norms that exist because of it, a panel said Thurs night.

“1 domestic violence killing occurs ever 36 hours,” Linda Terrell said, panel member and executive director of Center for Children and Families, Inc.

5 female panel members, sponsored by The Xenia Institute and the OU Women’s Studies Program, gathered a large crowd to openly discuss female abuse that occurs within our state.

“This topic is such an important issue because it affects so many lives,” Terrell said. Many women afflicted with physical abuse suffer psychologically, as well as physically, and often times turn to alcohol and drugs, which could lead to prison, she said.

“Oklahoma incarcerates more women per capita than any other state in the U.S.,” said Sandy Ingram, panel member and attorney and social policy consultant.

The panelists urged students to take action in their community and engaged in open dialogue with the crowd during the second half of the event, which was devoted to group discussion in smaller, audience based groups.

“We need to change culture, change beliefs and pay attention to Okla legislature and politicians, making sure they adhere to our cultures and beliefs,” Ingram said.

A college student's best friend

College students find great joy in owning a pet, yet do not foresee many of the responsibilities involved in taking care of one.

“I’ve had my dog for over two years, but I’m moving this August and will have to live by myself. A one-bedroom house with a backyard large enough for him to explore might not be feasible,” electrical engineering senior Tommy Hosman said.

Many students looking for new living situations after their rent expires may have trouble finding a suitable location that allows pets.

“Not only do I have to find a house, but I have to save money to pay the expensive pet deposits, as well,” Hosman said. Pet deposits can range from $100 - $500, depending on the location, according to several local rental property owners.

Students hoping to keep their pets in the family must plan ahead in finding a new home.

Bus to the Ballpark

The OU vs. Nebraska baseball game on Sat will be more affordable for fans that ride the bus to the event.

Cleveland Area Rapid Transit begins Bus to the Ballpark this Sat (March 28), a partnership with the OU athletics department. The initiative exchanges a 50 cent bus ride for a free ticket to an OU baseball or softball game.

Fans who utilize the bus’s Apartment Loop in the South Oval can ask for a voucher on the bus and present the voucher at the ticket office for any of the select games.

“The effort will be a homerun for both bus riders and sports fans as those who utilize the Apartment Loop to go to selected OU baseball and softball games will get free tickets to watch the Sooners!” Kris Glenn said, public relations and marketing director for CART.

The Apartment Loop stops in the South Oval at 14 minutes after every hour on Saturdays. Fans are encouraged to park in the Asp Avenue parking facility and walk to the South Oval to catch a ride, Glenn said.

For a list of the select OU baseball and softball games visit CART’s Web site at www.ridecart.com.

Gender Inequality: What's Changing? What's Not?

Gender inequality still exists within American society despite social change and can be seen largely in America’s work place.

Paula England, sociology professor from Stanford University, spoke Thursday night at the National Weather Center about the prevalence of gender inequality in college majors.

Women have entered the male job domain more than men have entered women’s, England said. England argued that this has occurred because women’s roles are regarded less favorably than men’s.

“The desegregation of college fields has occurred because women have enrolled more in typical male fields,” England said. Female enrollment in business, accounting and marketing has spiked, while male enrollment in English and elementary education has remained flat.

England urged college students to dispel thoughts stereotyping gender inequality as only occurring in lower class levels and within lower education levels.

OU Transportation Operations Center's Grand Opening

Environmentalists celebrated the opening of the OU transportation center that houses eco-friendly buses and provides students with a cleaner mode of transportation.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony began at 1:30 p.m. today (March 10) and commemorated the opening of the new OU Transportation Operations Center located on 510 Chesapeake St. The new center combines OU Fleet Services and CART into one location, according to a press release Thursday.

The Federal Transit Administration dispensed $1.8 million to CART this year, allowing them to purchase four compressed natural gas buses, Kris Glenn said, marketing and public relations director for CART. CART currently has three CNG buses in its fleet, combining the total number of CNG buses to seven.

The new center includes four fast-fuel pumps and eight compressed natural gas lines that will allow overnight refueling for the buses.

“The compressed natural gas buses were chosen because they have much cleaner burning fuel and because of CART’s commitment to be good stewards of the environment,” Glenn said.

The center’s new station will also use E-85 and bio-diesel, both of which are cleaner-burning fuels than diesel or gasoline. The fast-fuel pumps are available to City of Norman vehicles as well as CART vehicles.

May graduation is not too far away

The close of Graduation Gear-up today ended the week long program that provided soon-to-be graduates with information regarding commencement proceedings and additional student preparation involved in receiving a diploma.

Graduation Gear-up provided pamphlets and one-on-one discussion regarding graduation procedures. The event also provided several uniquely senior opportunities, such as purchasing a class ring or ordering a cap and gown.

Sooner yearbook took pictures for this year’s yearbook. Announcements and customized diploma frames were also sold at the event.

Graduating senior John Hildebrand is excited about graduation. “I’m proud of my accomplishments,” he said. Hildebrand studied International Area Studies and applied to the Japan Exchange and Teaching program, where, if he is accepted, he will teach English as a second language to Japanese students.

Graduation necessities were not limited in availability to this week, and students can visit commencement@ou.edu for additional information and pricing.

Congolese culture has turned into a society of rape

The Women’s Studies department aired an HBO documentary and provided an Educate and Activate lecture Tuesday that shed light on the serious rape situation in Congo.

In 2008, about 200,000 Congolese women were raped, leaving many of them fearful, physically scarred and alone. The Women’s Studies department wants to make those women's voices heard by educating students about what they can do to help.

Dr. Zermarie Deacon, professor in Human Relations, discussed the evolution of Congo and described the events that transcribed the negative cultural cycle that is present in Congo in her Educate and Activate lecture.

“The Congo is the most dangerous place to be a woman in the entire world,” said Deacon. “Efforts to protect women and girls are failing spectacularly,” she said.

Deacon urged those present to demand increased protection for these women by writing to political leaders and raising awareness.

Students who wish to take part in this action can sponsor Congolese women through donations and purchases of handmade Congolese items, and by looking online at Run for Congo Women’s Web site for future sponsored events.

FreeBirds expands draft beer selection

College students wishing to indulge their late night burrito cravings can purchase a made to order burrito and one of the new beers FreeBirds World Burritos on Campus Corner has added to their menu.

FreeBirds has expanded their draft selection to include Blue Moon and Michelob Ultra. Also on draft are Bud Light and Coors Light.

Happy hour prices start at 5 p.m. and are $1 per pint. Before 5 p.m., pints are $2.99.

“I think it’s definitely making business grow, we are seeing a lot more night life in the store because of the expanded beer selection,” said Meghan Riley, FreeBirds manager.

FreeBirds hours of operation are Monday – Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Women celebrate the vagina in all aspects of life

Crowds gathered in Meacham Auditorium on Monday and Tuesday to celebrate vaginas.

The Vagina Monologues began at 7 p.m., yet sponsors attracted an array of students and visitors an hour before the show.

For students looking to expand their library of contraceptives, Planned Parenthood provided condoms, lubricant and latex dental dams. Another sponsor, the Women’s Resource Center, offered chocolate vagina pops for a $2 donation.

The Vagina Monologues are comprised of various monologues performed by women relishing in their female form. The accounts tell the tale of the vagina through sex, love, rape, menstruation, mutilation, masturbation and birth.

Theater senior Jacey Little attended the event with her roommate. “It was better than I expected, actually,” said Little.

The monologues sponsors’ information is available Online and in the Women’s Studies department located in the Physical Sciences Building.

Spring is in the air

Students wondering what the terrible smell in the South Oval is can blame the compost used by Landscape and Grounds for the flowers they plant every spring.

Landscaping technicians spend over five hundred hours collectively each spring preparing and planting plants all over campus said Carl Weinecke, Landscape and Grounds technician.

The foul smelling compost is used because it is very beneficial for plant growth and structure, according to Virginia Tech's Web site.

“Compost is a very sensitive product in that one has to be careful while handling it. You can’t just stick your bare hand into it and dust it off afterward. The compost has manure in it, so cleaning your hands and using extra protection is key,” Weinecke said.

Students can expect a more pleasant smelling campus this week.

History of Journalism professor excites students with costume and dance

One OU professor takes great lengths to keep students amused during class lectures by expanding traditional lecture styles and including entertainment.

History of Journalism professor Ray Chavez is one of those professors. During his lecture on Tuesday he adorned a cape, belt, mask and fencing sword to impress upon students the importance of the social history behind the story of Zorro.

Chavez said he loves lecturing students about the history of the press while adding his own personal flair. “I just wanted to have fun and allow some extra enjoyment for the students,” Chavez said, regarding his costumed appearance during the class.

For many students, conventional lectures do not enhance learning. Polly Debron, journalism senior, said “I’m just really tired of PowerPoint presentations, when Chavez danced around the room to Hispanic music he really got the class’s attention. I paid much more attention to his lecture after that.”

Chavez has taught numerous courses within the Gaylord College, including history of journalism, advanced reporting and honors research. Chavez will be teaching similar courses during the fall semester.

Motorcycle Parking

The number of students riding motorcycles to campus this year has increased from 2007-2009, but campus parking officials say they expected more given the higher-than-average gas price.

This year, parking and transportation services sold 345 motorcycle permits and an exorbitant 11,082 parking permits. The previous year, 320 motorcycle permits were sold.

“As you can see we have a slight increase [of motorcycle permits], but not as much as I anticipated with the price of gas,” said Richard Adamo, parking manager of operations.

Students can purchase motorcycle permits for $22.20 this week and for $19 after Friday.

Adamo said parking services usually sell five to ten additional motorcycle permits between now and Aug. 15 when they expire.

Luncheon hosted Journalist Mike Boettcher

Students met today in Gaylord for a luncheon that hosted a former CNN reporter who taught an IAS/JMC class last semester via teleconference in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Journalist Mike Boettcher embedded himself for ten months with the US Army and lectured in a class titled War in the Media, which was composed of half IAS students and half JMC students.

IAS Professor Zach Messitte co-taught the class with the Dean of Journalism, Joe Foote. Within the next ten years, the university’s curriculum will look very similar to this courses curriculum, Messitte said.

“This was a ground-breaking class, it was one of the first to use technology in a way to bring the entire subject home,” Messitte said.

Boetcher, who arrived back in the US last week said, “It’s pretty bleak in terms of what we need to know about how we are going to deal with these two wars. I feel like I’m swinging against a huge tide.”

New Parking Meters Installed

New parking meters were installed in the parking lot across from the Huston Huffman Center.
The new parking meters will provide parking for students without parking permits who want to use the lot for last minute errands or need a place to park while on campus.
The meters have a two hour time limit with rates of three minutes for a nickel, six minutes for a dime and 15 minutes for a quarter. These rates are standard throughout campus, according to parking and transportation.
Robert Chase, UOSA director of off-campus living, said the meters were installed as a result of a questionnaire published last semester assessing student’s attitude towards parking and transportation.
“Over 3000 students took the survey and every response was read,” said Roberts.
The new parking additions will not affect the price of parking permits, according to parking and transportation.
“I’m glad they have new parking meters because now they have new facilities for commuters which will allow them to avoid a potential parking fine,” said Holly Smith, chemistry senior.

WaTER Alpha Time

Alpha Time will be holding a meeting at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in South Campus’s Bravo Room entitled Water, Development, and Peace in Emerging Regions: Bringing Water and Sanitation to Remote Villages.
The educational meeting will encourage students to participate in WaTER Center’s groundbreaking water initiatives.
WaTER Center focuses on providing suitable water resources and exploring new sanitation technology for different regions around the globe, according to their flier. Engineer students are encouraged to participate through OU's Engineers without Borders chapter, which develops water lines in remote countries, said Robert Knox, civil engineer and environmental science academic director.
“This is an exciting time to pull together people in this nationally recognized event where water sanitation is the common interest,” said David Sabatini, civil engineer and environmental science professor.
To RSVP to this event, contact Erin Ford by noon today.
The 2009 OU International WaTER Conference will be on October 26-27, 2009 at OU’s Norman campus. The event will encourage student participants to help develop the new line of study as well as provide further information on water sanitation development.