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.