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� e University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

Campus: Number of students studying abroad have increased by 39 percent since the 2009-2010 academic year. (Page 3)

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INSIDE TODAYCampus......................2

Classi f ieds................4

L i fe&Ar ts... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Opinion.....................4

Spor ts........................6

L&A: Make this simple granola recipe in you dorm microwave. (Page 5)

Sports: Top-ranked team to face No. 2 Florida this week in Gainesville. (Page 6)

EDUCATION

Professors to integrate video in classroom

ALEX NIBLETTAssistant Campus Editor@alex_niblett

OU students may be watching more videos in class lectures and for homework assignments this spring be-cause of a digital video system OU is trying called Films on Demand.

The educational video system offers students and facul-ty 24/7 access to over 9,000 educational videos including,

Films on Demand, an educational video database, undergoes trials at OU

BIOLOGY

New research to focus on protein

ETHAN KOCHCampus Reporter@sportsmaestroOU

A new program researching the role of proteins in the body will start on the OU Research Campus, pending approv-al from the OU Board of Regents at their next meeting.

OU and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University will cre-ate the first anaerobic structural biology program in the U.S., OU President David Boren said Wednesday at the Regents meeting. This will establish the Institute of Structural Biology at the Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center on OU’s Research Campus.

“We are always looking for ways we can be a national leader and in the

Program depends on go-ahead from OU Regents

JESSICA WOODS/THE DAILYN

OU President David Boren and Board of Regents Chairman Richard Dunning join the discussion over the new dining experience that is slated to open in the Union this summer at Wednesday afternoon’s Board of Regents meeting. The board also discussed and commended the aca-demic achievements of OU student athletes this past fall semester. SEE TRIAL PAGE 2

WORKING ABROAD

You can’t get this experience at home

MATT WOODSCampus Reporter@matopher

While the six-person huddle deliberated in the mid-day heat, the last tro-tro — a rusty, 15-pas-senger minibus — idly rumbled, poised to shut-

tle the travelers into the thickly forested heart of Bui National Park.

If the group decided to board, there would be no exiting the park until morning. One

woman pulled on the straps of her back-pack, containing nothing but a water bottle and raincoat.

“Guys, let’s just stay. This is an ad-venture; we paid money to get out here. We wanted to see the hippos — I’m not

leaving until we do,” the woman said.Soon, Kala Sellers — then an OU study

abroad student — found herself cutting across the park’s man-made floodwaters in

a fishing boat and hiked until sunset. Stalked by swarms of dragonflies, she crested a ridge to find

the impulsive excursion’s highlight: an African sunset burst-ing with unquenchable brilliance “The Lion King” can only capture in well-meaning satire, she said.

One student awaits her departure for a 27-month tour with the Peace Corps

PHOTO PROVIDED

Kala Sellers hangs

out with a monkey at a monkey sanctuary during her study abroad

trip to Ghana. Sellers said her experience abroad

was the kind that forces you to think wider

and deeper.

SEE PRICELESS EXPERIENCE PAGE 3

POLITICS

Viability of Electoral College to be discussed tonight in Gaylord

MICHELLE JOHNSTONCampus Reporter @alohamichelleee

Electoral College or popular vote? That’s what will be debated at 7 p.m. Thursday in Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Auditorium.

The debate will address public opinion

polls that indicate a majority of Americans don’t like the Electoral College and would support the idea of electing the president by popular vote, according to the event flier.

The debate addresses a timely topic be-cause of the upcoming presidential elec-tion in 2016 and the public dissatisfac-tion about the process from current polls, said Mayor Cindy Rosenthal, director and curator of the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center.

As of now, each state’s electors in the Electoral College are selected by

popular vote, with the exception of Maine and Nebraska. Those states use the con-gressional district method — when one elector within each congressional district is elected by popular vote, and the remain-ing two electors are selected by a statewide popular vote.

The number of electors each state has depends on population.

Andrew Spiropoulus, director for the Center for the Study of State Constitutional Law and Government at Oklahoma City University, and Patrick Rosenstiel, senior

counsel for the National Popular Vote, will debate the Electoral College at the event.

Students, staff, faculty and members of the community are welcome to attend the debate co-sponsored by the Carl Albert Center and the Institute for American Constitutional Heritage.

Michelle Johnstonmichelle.johnston-1@ou.edu

The college of journalism will host speakers tonight at 7 p.m.

SEE RESEARCH PAGE 2

Jan. 30 - Feb. 4

This University in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment,

fi nancial aid and educational services. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact the sponsoring department of any program or event.

Friday, Jan. 31

Women’s Tennis vs Iowa | 2 p.m. at Indoor Tennis Facility. The Sooner Women’s take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in an early afternoon match.

Treat Yo’ Self | 7 – 9 p.m. Will Rogers Food Court, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Come join UPB for a night of free hair trims, massages, food, and much more! We will be giving away great prizes and there will be live music! You do not want to miss this great event! There’s ALWAYS SOMETHING at the Union! Presented by the Union Programming Board, upb.ou.edu.

FREE Movie: ‘Captain Phillips’ | 7 & 10 p.m. Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Tom Hanks stars in the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama. Watch the FREE screenings at 7 & 10 p.m. before this movie is available on Blu-Ray/DVD. Presented by Campus Activities Council and The Union Programming Board.

Thursday, Jan. 30

Intramural Update: 4v4 Volleyball Entries | 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Huston Huffman Center Front Desk. $30/team, FREE if all participants live in university housing. Event date is February 7-9. Contact Jonathan Dewhirst, (405) 325-6755, for more information.

Wrestling vs Missouri | 7 p.m. at McCasland Field House. Come watch a top 10 duel against former Big 12 foe Missouri as the Sooners host their last regular season duel of the year! FREE for students.

ming CampBoardB

Sunday, Feb. 2

Tennis vs Indiana/Memphis | 12 p.m. at Indoor Tennis Center. Come watch the your Top 10 ranked men’s tennis play Indiana starting at noon, followed by the women playing Memphis beginning at 1:30pm.

OU Arts District presents: Jonathan Shames and Stephanie Shames, Piano Duo| 3 p.m. Sharp Concert Hall. Tickets for this Sutton Artist concert will be $9 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, please contact Fine Arts Box Office, sbent@ou.edu 405-325-4101.

s

ThursT Saturday, Feb. 1

Women’s Basketball vs Oklahoma State | 2 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center. The Top 10 ranked OSU Cowgirls come to Norman and we need a loud crowd to defend home court in what will be a tough Bedlam Battle!

Men’s Gymnastics vs Iowa | 5 p.m. at McCasland Field House. The Top Ranked Sooners Men’s Gymnastics team welcomes a top 10 foe in Iowa and looks to get their 24th straight home meet victory!

Dr. Seuss Party | 7 p.m. in Cate Social Lounge. This event will feature green eggs and ham, citrus punch, ice cream sundaes, a funny sock contest, and a tongue twister contest. This event is FREE for OU students. For more information, please contact Glenn at glenncube616@ou.edu. Presented by OU Residence Life.

FREE Movie: ‘Captain Phillips’ | 7 & 10 p.m. Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union. Tom Hanks stars in the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama. Watch the FREE screenings at 7 & 10 p.m. before this movie is available on Blu-Ray/DVD. Presented by Campus Activities Council and The Union Programming Board.

Paighten Harkins, campus editor Alex Niblett, assistant editor

dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily

2 • Thursday, January 30, 2014

CAmPus

but not limited to, documen-taries, curriculum-focused videos, broadcast journal-ism features and archival primary source material.

Because faculty and stu-dents have expressed a de-sire to use video in classes, OU will hold trials for the platform this semester so members of the OU com-munity can experiment with it in their spring classes, said Karen Rupp-Serrano, d i r e c t o r o f C o l l e c t i o n Management and Scholarly Communication University Libraries.

The video system is bet-ter than a DVD, which can only be used by one class at a time, because multiples professors can stream vid-eos to classes simultaneous-ly, Rupp-Serrano said.

As more professors are trying a flipped classroom approach — in which much of their lecture material is given outside of class open-ing up the class time for discussion — the service is allow professors to embed video clips into D2L for stu-dents to watch outside of class, Rupp-Serrano said.

OU Libraries began trials for Films On Demand on Nov. 18 and will continue until the trial ends April 30. During that time, the videos will be accessible to all cur-rent OU students, faculty and staff.

W h i l e n o t e v e r y o n e ha s e x p l o re d Fi l m s O n Demand’s database, some OU faculty members who have used it like what they see.

Associate photography professor Todd Stewart said he could envision his

department using this sys-tem frequently.

“I would love to have the resource on a permanent basis,” Stewart said. “The se-lections for art and art histo-ry are quite extensive.”

Films On Demand pro-vides users with a plethora of films geared toward near-ly every subject on campus,

and the company claims it adds hundreds of videos to its collection every month.

Michael Haslip, early childhood education as-sociate professor, believes once faculty members use the service a few times, they will continue to do so.

“I think the initial adop-tion is key,” Haslip said. “I

hope it takes off.”The majority of responses

and feedback regarding the video source have been pos-itive thus far, Rupp-Serrano said.

Videos are not only help-ful for faculty, but can be useful for students to learn from too.

“I learn more with a video

if there is a worksheet that we have to complete as the video goes along, or if ques-tions from the video will be on the test,” radiology junior Kierra Neale said. “I pay at-tention more because I’m trying to get the answers to the worksheet, therefore I am actually learning some-thing from the video.”

The program’s initiative is to enhance teaching perfor-mance and learning practic-es on and off campus, as OU becomes more technologi-cal savvy.

Films On Demand cur-rently has over 241,00 video clips available. To access the videos, go to http://tinyurl.com/knokv4a during the trial period.

OU Libraries will make a decision regarding renew-al of the program based on feedback from students, fac-ulty and staff.

To s u b m i t f e e d b a c k , email Rupp-Serrano at Krs@ou.edu.

forefront. For us to partner with Einstein and on what is a very important medical research field is just a great opportunity,” Boren said.

T h e P r i c e F a m i l y Foundation gave a $3 mil-lion donation Tuesday on top of a $9.7 million grant given by the National Institutes of Health CoBRE grant to start the program, according to the press release.

The new program will target some of the world’s deadly diseases and create new and improved cures for these diseases, accord-ing to the press release.

Boren said both OU and the Einstein College will share the grant to form this partnership, something al-ready in the works.

“They are already actu-ally cooperating with each other. This just gives them more money for which they can pull their funds and cooperate,” Boren said.

T h e r e s e a r c h t e a m will consist of Professor A n n W e s t , w h o w i l l d i r e c t t h e i n s t i t u t e , Professor George Richter-Addo, chairman of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Elizabeth Karr, an as-s i s t a n t p r o f e s s o r i n t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f Microbiology and Plant Biology.

The new program will start in the Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center.

research: Diseases targetedContinued from page 1

trial: D2L to host new material for students outside classContinued from page 1

I pay attention more because I’m trying to get the answers to the worksheet,

therefore I am actually learning

something from the video.”

Kierra Neale radiology juNior

‘‘

ScreenShot

The videos from Films on demand will be hosted on d2l under databases and e-reference materials.

Of course, a boat reeking of dead fish, displaced wildlife from the nearby hydroelectric dam construction and the less than amenable guesthouse she lodged in that night ensured the spontaneous fling was a mess. But Sellers’ study abroad experience in Ghana was a wonderful, addictive mess — the kind that forces you to think wider and deeper.

That’s why Sellers will put her Sooner education to work over the next 27 months in western Asia to help clean up deep-rooted community “messes” as a Peace Corps volunteer. Sellers will craft employability skills with local youth, teach English as a second language and hammer out office paperwork to support individual and organizational development.

After making the jump to the country of Georgia, she’ll train with the Peace Corps for about three months before fully engaging in her two years of service.

“I told [the Peace Corps], ‘I will legitimately go anywhere,’” she said. “I’m fully expecting to meet people that I’m going to get to love on.”

The Peace Corps’ three main goals are to provide technical assistance, help the people of the world learn about U.S. cul-ture and help Americans learn about culture abroad, said Kye LeBoeuf, Peace Corps Alumnus and OU’s Comprehensive Alcohol Program coordinator.

The humanitarian organization traces its roots to 1960, when John F. Kennedy, then a senator, challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve its country by living and working in developing countries. In the 52 years since its in-ception, more than 215,000 Peace Corps volunteers have an-swered Kennedy’s challenge, traveling to 139 countries, ac-cording to the Peace Corps website.

LeBoeuf played a key role in Sellers’ international experi-ences as her study abroad adviser for her 2012 study abroad trip to Ghana.

Christians on

Campus

Bible studies at The Union! 7pm Tuesday (Crimson Room)

Noon Thursday (Boomer Room)

College Fellowship @ 6:30pm Thursdays!

704 W. Lindsey

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo

UNIVERSITY THEATREHELMERICH SCHOOL OF DRAMA

8 pm Feb. 5-83 pm Feb. 9

Weitzenhoffer Theatre, Rated RFine Arts Box Office (405) 325-4101

CLYBOURNEPA K

by

Bruce Norris

2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy

R

campus Thursday, January 30, 2014 • 3

3 years, 11 percentage points: OU comes closer to goal

PRICELEss ExPERIEnCE: Seller will train for Peace Corps in Georgia Continued from page 1 LeBoeuf is no stranger to either international travel or

humanitarian work, having spent five years abroad in Madagascar, France and West Africa.

His Peace Corps stint in Africa had the most pronounced effect, as he invested his life in the community through en-vironmental education and, unexpectedly, health education.

Helping youth understand how their bodies work to avoid HIV and unplanned pregnancies turned out to be a bigger need in the village and instilled in him a passion for helping oth-ers, something LeBoeuf carried into his current role in OU’s alcohol program.

“I saw an immediate, positive outcome through health work,” LeBoeuf said. “I loved working outdoors — getting my hands dirty. That’s exactly what I got. I got sent to a village with no running water, no electricity, but it was just fantastic.”

Like LeBoeuf, most Peace Corps volun-teers are sent to Africa, according to the official Peace Corps website. But LeBoeuf

reassured that not every destination is as rural as the rural vil-lage he requested.

In contrast to his rugged experience in Africa, some volun-teers are stationed in sprawling cities with running water, re-frigerators and Internet access. Although locations can look completely different, every location seeks to advance the three Peace Corps goals, LeBoeuf said.

Despite wildly different landscapes, both Sellers and

LeBoeuf revel at the way meeting average people in a devel-oping country provides a unique, transformative education.

LeBoeuf’s experiences abroad gave him a shock of educa-tional synergy, teaching him about how human relationships and politics play out in the world among average people shar-ing this grand, borderless experience: life.

“It’s an education you cannot get until you’re actually out and about — not superficially traveling, but living with peo-ple, working with people,” LeBoeuf said. “That cultural ex-change only happens when you’re with [local people] in these intimate settings of work and family life.”

The weighty commitment of the Peace Corps isn’t for ev-eryone, but Sellers’ message to OU students on the fence about studying abroad is clear: go.

Every day studying abroad contributed to the mountain-top experience of Sellers’ Sooner career. She’s hopeful her impending mission in Georgia will usher in a fresh exhibition of fantastic messes, along with lasting community-based solutions.

“I’m kind of just expectant for one 27-month adventure,” Sellers said.

“It’s an education you cannot get until you’re

actually out and about — not superficially traveling,

but living with people, working with people.”

kye leboeuf, Peace corPs alumnus and ou’s

comPrehensive alcohol Program coordinator

Shaida Tabrizi campus reporter @shaidabee

After three years, OU is 11 percentage points away from reaching its four-year goal to increase the number of students studying abroad by 50 percent.

In the 2009-2010 academ-ic year, OU President David Boren set a goal for the uni-versity to increase the num-ber of students studying abroad by 50 percent from 2009-2010 to 2013-2014, ac-cording to Daily archives.

Throughout those three years, the number of partic-ipants has been on a steady rise.

The number of partici-pants has increased by 39 percent, putting it 11 per-centage points away from the four-year goal with one year remaining, according to the 2012-2013 College of International Studies’ edu-cation abroad profile.

Since 2008, the number of OU students studying abroad has increased by 49 percent, from 640 to 954, according to the profile.

The biggest spike was between the 2009-2010 academic year and the 2010-2011 aca-demic year, after Boren set the study abroad goal. The number of students studying abroad increased by 18 percent between those years.

The program has had a steady increase in students, and the college will increase study abroad opportunities, said Suzette Grillot, College of International Studies dean.

According to the 2012-2013 profile, the university plans to keep numbers rising by:

· Strengthening partnerships with uni-versities abroad

· Encouraging the continued growth and support of OU faculty-led programs

· Dedicating efforts to enhance credit trans-fer and course equivalency procedures

· Increasing scholarship opportunities to offset the fi-nancial cost of traveling and living abroad

Karen Elmore, interna-tional programs coordina-tor, encourages all students — no matter their economic situation, major or any other factor — to study abroad.

“The question is not ‘Can you study abroad?’ but rath-er ‘When will you study abroad?’” Elmore said.

After seeing a poster in Gittinger Hall, religious studies senior Alexandra Eggleston decided to try

studying abroad and took two courses in France over the summer.

“I never would’ve been able to spend a month in France without the opportunity to go and get credit,” Eggleston said.

In addition to building lasting friendships and learning to explore on her own, the ex-perience has encouraged her to continue traveling after graduation, Eggleston said.

Eggleston is interested in working in Australia or Europe and has been searching the global job postings provided by OU.

“It definitely sparked a desire to go back,” Eggleston said.

President Boren’s ambition of 50 percent of students studying abroad nearly complete

I never would’ve been able to

spend a month in France without the opportunity to go and get credit.”alexandra eggleston,

religious studies senior

‘‘

illustration by taylor bolton/the Daily

Caleb smutzer/the Daily

Kaitlyn Underwood, opinion editorRachel Montgomery, assistant editor

dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666oudaily.com/opinion • Twitter: @OUDailyOpinionOPINION

4 • Thursday, January 30, 2014

The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication.

Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 250 words, typed and signed by the author(s). Letters will be edited for accuracy, space and style. Students must list their major and classification. To submit letters, email dailyopinion@ou.edu.

Our View is the voice of the Editorial Board, which consists of eight student editors. The board meets at 5 p.m. Sunday to Thursday in 160 Copeland Hall. Board meetings are open to the public.

Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion.

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Kyle Margerum Editor in ChiefBlayklee Buchanan Managing EditorPaighten Harkins Campus EditorArianna Pickard Continuous News EditorKaitlyn Underwood Opinion EditorTony Beaulieu Life & Arts Editor

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Our View: The Norman water supply might cause cancer, but check all the facts before buying into an old study.

Warning: All Norman residents should stop drinking tap water immediately! At least, that’s what a PBS article that has recently been shared all over Facebook would lead you to believe.

First of all, who among us actually drinks Norman tap water? It’s not exactly the tastiest H20 on the planet. Facebook, now overcrowded with worried moms, seems to be great at drumming up drama about, well, nothing.

The March 31, 2013 PBS article details the results of a 2010 study by the Environmental Working group investigating the amount of chromium-6 in US city water supplies. Essentially, the article includes a big scary chart that shows Norman having by far the highest amount of chromium-6, 12.9 parts per bil-lion, of the 35 cities studied.

That’s right, this apocalyptic water study includ-ed a whopping 35 US cities. Not exactly conclusive when you consider there are 50 states and thou-sands of cities. A nearly year-old article covering an over three year old study is also not exactly news. We all know Norman water is gross, but this study misleads readers in suggesting that anyone who raises a glass of Norman water to their lips risks get-ting cancer.

The article’s recent explosion on Facebook is a lot of recycled hype about a less-than-groundbreaking study. Chromium-6, the element under scrutiny, has been found by the California Environmental Protection Agency to be a likely carcinogen in drinking water, according to the article. Yet, the

federal EPA maintains its 1991 standard that drink-ing water should contain no more than 100 parts per billion of chromium.

The federal EPA is reviewing the human health effects of chromium and will change the allowable amount of the element if necessary, according to the EPA’s website.

That puts into context the graphic associated with the article that makes Norman look like a warehouse of chromium. Norman contains a pal-try 12.9 parts per billion of chromium, well within the legal limit. It doesn’t fall under the California public health goal that drinking water contain .02 parts per billion of chromium, but we set our stan-dards according to federal recommendations, not California’s.

What the PBS article truly demonstrates is not that we’re all going to die from drinking Norman water, but rather that as readers we must actively criticize all texts, including info-graphics. If you read the brief explanation to the side of the graphic and the actual amounts of chromium before look-ing at the giant descending triangle of doom, you too would be asking, what’s the big deal?

Just because something pops up on Facebook does not mean it’s current, relevant information.

In fact, if chromium scares you, consider the fact that the EPA also allows trace amounts of chlorine, cyanide and asbestos in drinking water. At least chromium is a naturally occurring element.

So, instead of having a panic attack and sharing all of the shocking articles that pop up on social media, take the time to evaluate the information and stop the misleading sensationalism whenever possible.

Comment on this at OUDaily.com

This year’s National Football Conference

championship game on Jan. 19 lived up to every bit of its hype. In what is highly regarded as the league’s fiercest rivalry, the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks played a game that will be talked about for years to come. Though the game was highly competitive, one could argue that many people will remember what hap-pened after the game more than the actual game itself.

Immediately after the game, all-pro cornerback Richard Sherman set the social media world on fire with his post-game interview. In his interview Sherman said, “I’m the best corner in the game,” and, “When you try me with a sorry receiver like (Michael) Crabtree, that’s the result you’re gonna get. Don’t you ever talk about me.”

Sherman’s statements caused many people on social media sites to chime in and give their opinion on what he said. As expected, many Seattle Seahawks fans took the side of Sherman, saying that he was in the heat of the moment and that they had no problem with it. Others, however, were not so nice about it.

Many people began to use racism and negative stereo-types to describe Richard Sherman, a black man. Many, like me, called him classless, immature and unprofes-sional. Former NFL players, coaches and sports analysts also felt that he should not have said what he said. As a 49ers fan, I was already upset about my favorite team losing the game but then became more upset at the way Richard Sherman carried himself after the game. But, I am glad that he did it.

What many people do not realize is that Richard Sherman is a graduate of Stanford University. Stanford is considered one of the most prestigious universities in the world. And, I think many would agree that it takes a high level of academic intelligence to graduate from a university like Stanford. In other words, you can’t gradu-ate from this school easily.

While I was looking at the many insults thrown at Richard Sherman via social media, I noticed several in-stances of people calling him dumb, uneducated and unintelligent. These individuals must not have realized that he attended Stanford. But, what about those who know he went to Stanford?

What I didn’t mention earlier was that Richard Sherman has a degree in communications. Many people look at this degree as easy or not very challenging. There is a negative stereotype that is branded on black athletes who major in communications.

It is said that many black athletes major in commu-nications in order to stay academically eligible and not because they have an interest in it. It is also said that it is rare to see a black athlete majoring in programs that peo-ple consider challenging. People who know of Richard Sherman’s academic credentials seem to disregard his degree, claiming that it is not a challenging academic program.

I don’t believe that it is fair to call Richard Sherman unintelligent. To be a college graduate, and a Stanford graduate at that, is definitely a great accomplishment. It is also unfair to say that somebody with a degree in com-munications is not worthy of credit because their course of study was not as strenuous as somebody else’s.

In fact, if you watch the clip of Sherman after the game, it’s clear he knew what he was doing and used his com-munication skills: he never cursed or used offensive lan-guage, and although he was yelling, he was looking into the camera the entire time. It was an orchestrated display of emotion, not a crazy person ranting.

Quite a few notable people have degrees in commu-nications: CEO of C-SPAN Brian Lamb, award winning journalist Dan Rather and Academy Award-nominated director, producer, writer and actor Spike Lee. Those are just a few people who have earned degrees in communi-cations and have gone on to be successful.

I personally think it is sad that some individuals be-lieve that if you have a degree in communications, you are not a credible college graduate. It is a real accom-plishment to be able to attend a school of higher educa-tion, let alone one of the most prestigious in the world. It is also an accomplishment to be able to complete the courses required of you in order to obtain a degree.

Richard Sherman has accomplished this. So, we may not like what he said or his antics, but we have to remem-ber that he is a college graduate and world-class athlete. Though people may argue about respecting him as the best cornerback in the game, I do believe that, from a personal standpoint and from what he has achieved in life, he deserves our respect. This is all coming from a 49ers fan!

Stephen Cooper is a political science junior.

Voting.Many

Americans consid-er it the centerpiece of de-mocracy and rightly so.

The relationship be-tween the American public and its democratic govern-ment is one of the greatest social contracts ever con-structed, and unfortunately the electoral system is be-coming increasingly biased and broken.

Most Americans agree this is the case, and that is gen-erally where the discussion ends. Rather than offering viable solutions to the problem, we instead flush con-structive conversation and possible courses of action down the drain in mutual frus-tration. I will offer a solution, but first allow me to discuss the prob-lem in greater detail.

The voting system current-ly used in the United States is called “plurality voting,” which legally permits eligible voters to cast a single vote for a single candidate.

Such a system caus-es several problems, the first of which is polarization.

Plurality voting not only forces voters to pick a side and throw in with the least unacceptable candidate, but it demands that each of the candi-dates engage in pandering to vari-ous groups. Between the primary and general elections, a candidate is forced to change his views to appeal to a larger base.

Americans see the dishonesty in this, but they place most of the responsibility on the candidates rather than the electoral system itself. If a candidate wants to get elected, then he has to play the game — a game everyone considers to be corrupt and broken. Why not change it?

Perhaps a more serious problem is that plurality vot-ing allows for the distinct possibility that the candidate who is the least acceptable or qualified in the minds of the electorate may be elected. This is often the case when two similar candidates split the majority vote and allow a more polarized candidate to take the election with what would have been the minority of votes.

When this happens with three distinct parties, the minor party’s candidate is often labeled as a “spoil-er,” which can often be mathematically disproven.

Additionally, such a label creates a stigma about the via-bility of third parties, perpetuating the broken two-party system for which compromise is an increasingly foreign concept.

Now a solution, one which demands respect for the popular vote and rejects the frivolously formidable Electoral College, would be approval voting.

Approval voting allows voters to vote for as many can-didates as they deem acceptable. A moderate or inde-pendent voter can vote for both a desired minor-party candidate and a more electable major-party candidate without fear that their vote will be wasted if they vote honestly — as in voting for a candidate instead of against his opponent.

Plurality voting permits strategic voting, in which a voter may insincerely vote for a candidate of a different party to give his preferred candidate an edge.

By not requiring voters to vote A or B, perhaps even arbitrarily, there is a strong likelihood

of increased voter turnout, which will quash the rampant disproportionate

representation of extremely polar views.

By allowing multiple votes on a single ballot, approval

voting permits minor-par-ties to gain a much more accurate sense of their support both in terms of numbers and geographic distribution. As this infor-mation becomes available,

individuals will recognize the viability of minor-parties,

and our political system will begin to move out of gridlock

as these minor-party candidates begin winning elections and forcing

real compromise.For those who think the prospect of

adopting this system is just a pipe dream, re-member that our first four presidential elections were de-cided using approval voting.

Fortunately, each state legislature has the power to pass an enabling act affecting election reform. State-level success will provide the credibility required to adopt ap-proval voting nationwide. Election reform is paramount in resuscitating our struggling democracy. What state wouldn’t want to spearhead such an effort?

Scott Bennett is a music composition senior.

EDiTOriAL

Norman water is not the issue

The Our View is the majority opinion of The Daily’s eight-member editorial board

COLUMN

Sherman sets off debate on social media

Stephen cooperstephen.d.cooper-1@ou.edu

OPiNiON COLUMNiST

Scott Bennetts.bennett@ou.edu

OPiNiON COLUMNiST

A new solution to the voting problemCOLUMN

PhOtO PrOVided

Lines of cars and people stand outside a Tulsa polling location for the 2008 presidential election.

Let the granola cool down. Lay it out on a napkin or other flat surface to quick-en the process. As it cools, the granola will harden up into a crunchy, delicious, all-natural goodness.

Pour out a reasonable amount of oats. (“Reasonable” is completely subjective.) Add nuts, dried fruit and cinnamon.

Experience

Personality

Personality doesn’t get jobs.

Experience does.

studentmedia.ou.eduGet your experience. Apply now.

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LIFE&ARTSThursday, January 30, 2014 • 5

Tony Beaulieu, life & arts editorLuke Reynolds, assistant editor

dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666oudaily.com/life&arts • Twitter: @OUDailyArts

Crunchy granola in less than 5 minutes. No ovens involved, no measuring spoons, and as few as two ingredients. You might not believe in magic or

Santa or the country-genre status of Taylor Swift, but you should believe in this granola.

Now, one of my biggest pet peeves is the whole idea of “granola is good for you if it comes in a fancy recycled brown-bag package.” It really is one of the biggest food myths of our generation.

Think about it: If your order of a half-pound cheeseburg-er and greasy fries comes in a brown paper bag, doesn’t it just feel local, somewhat organic, almost hipster? No, but that’s not going to stop me from eating it. And that, my

friends, is basically the business model behind Five Guys.This granola is really 100 percent natural, though, made

with the goodness of honey and oats and an optional dash of nuts and berries. No brown-bag tricks involved: It’s ef-fortlessly gluten-free, all-natural and delicious.

Before you begin your granola adventure, however, I must warn you that the microwave is somewhat proud and overly enthusiastic about its job; it has a penchant for trying out the elegant but slightly mysterious process you learned that one time in chemistry class, also known as “combustion.” Apparently my microwave has always as-pired to be a chemist. Or a pyromaniac. Sometimes lines are blurred.

Cooking with CiCi

Deceptively simple homemade granolaIngredients:• Old-fashioned oats• Honey

Heat in microwave on full power for 1-2 minutes. Like snowflakes, microwaves are all different; watch closely and heat the granola until the oats are aromatic and slightly golden on the edges. Stir once or twice.

Cici Zhoucici.zhou@ou.edu

life & arts columnist

Add enough honey so the oats are com-pletely coated. Each 1/4-cup of granola ingre-dients will take about 2 table-spoons of honey.

2.1.

Optional:• Almonds, pistachios, or

other nuts• Dried cranberries• Cinnamon

3. 4.

Column

Spring time is concert time for music lovers

Cici Zhou mixes up a gra-nola treat.

Warm granola after Cici mi-crowaves and combines the ingredients.

Tony Ragle CiCi Zhou

OUDaily.com ››Watch Cici Zhou host a cooking segment, where she makes her homemade granola.

Keaton Bellkildebell@ou.edu

life & arts columnist With another semester gearing up often comes with it another barrage of work, stress and anx-iety. Which is what makes it more important

than ever to appreciate the little things in life. Like a good concert. And lucky for OU students, this spring is full of shows in the metro area for fans of all genres and styles.

OPOLIS

113 N Crawford,Old Downtown

Band: Frankie Rose (Feb. 13)Price: $10 advance, $12 day of showFor Fans Of: Blood Orange + My Bloody Valentine + Dum Dum GirlsKey Songs: “Know Me,” “Night Swim” and “Sorrow” An original member of the Dum Dum Girls, Frankie Rose has had her music featured on various televi-sion programs, commercials and more. With a dis-tinctive voice and lyrics that hook you, Frankie Rose is more than just a pretty face.

Cain’s Ballroom

423 N Main St, Tulsa, OK

Band: St. Vincent (Mar. 15)Price: $20-$35For Fans Of: Animal Collective + Cults + Dum Dum Girls Key Songs: “Cruel,” “Birth In Reverse” and “Cheerleader”St. Vincent is what Lady Gaga could be: artistic and eclectic without being campy. With a wide array of instruments and complex arrangements, St. Vincent is hard to corner into a single genre. With songs that dabble in jazz, pop and indie rock, St. Vincent’s live performances are a work of art themselves.

BOK Center

200 S Denver Ave, Tulsa, OK

Band: Imagine Dragons (Feb. 22)Price: $25-$45For Fans Of: Neon Trees + American Authors + BastilleKey Songs: “Demons,” “Radioactive” and “On Top of the World”Imagine Dragons have been the best thing to come to rock music in a long time. From their rip-roaring “Radioactive” to the peppy “On Top of the World,” they manage to cross genres yet retain their dis-tinctive sound. And did you see their set at the Grammy’s? If that does not make you want to see them live, then I just feel sorry for you.

1111

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Do the behind-the-scenes work for many of ourpublications: creating page layouts, transmittingpublications to the printer and assisting with Student Media’s IT needs. Paid position. Some night and day shifts. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite andattention to detail preferred.

Student Media Production alums are prepared for a variety of media jobs, and some of our graduates have worked with National Geographic and The Wall Street Journal.

Get your experience. Apply now. studentmedia.ou.edu

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Instructions:Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Previous Solution

Monday- Very EasyTuesday-EasyWednesday- EasyThursday- MediumFriday - Hard

ACROSS 1 Collapsed 5 Beyond large 9 Big hit 14 Touched the

tarmac 15 Long time

period 16 Tunable

drum 17 Ark builder 18 Woes 19 Cookies in

a box lunch, perhaps

20 Classic bouquet tosser

22 Snow White and the dwarfs, e.g.

23 Punch-drunk 24 Near 26 Profit’s

other side 29 Go over

old ground 33 Certain

Buddhist 37 “The Gift

of the ___” 39 “The Night

of the Hunter” screenwriter

40 Chicago business area

41 Roadies travel on them

42 CD-___ (computer inserts)

43 Ill-mannered type

44 Leering look 45 Breastplate

of Zeus or Athena

46 Maintain as true

48 Cotton on a stick

50 Wolf of Mexico

52 Dick Tracy’s topper

57 Sternward 60 Vessel of

the Pilgrims 63 Word

before Puffs or Krispies

64 Lightbulb in toons

65 Stick for spreading

66 Clairvoyant’s deck

67 South American monkey

68 National League team

69 Inscribed pillar

70 Move, emotionally

71 Unsightly eyelid problem

DOWN 1 Jamaican

marijuana 2 So one

can hear 3 Tasty dish 4 Lucy’s best

friend 5 Afro or fade 6 Wrinkly

tangelo 7 Neuter 8 Big Bertha’s

birthplace 9 Moe or Larry 10 “Alice in

Wonderland” character

11 Whistle when a cop comes

12 Gin flavor 13 “... why

___ thou forsaken me?”

21 Martial arts award

25 Eye part with color

27 Dirty air 28 Bellow and

Steinberg 30 Highly

excited 31 It’s good

for the long haul

32 Oil giant 33 Goya subject

Duchess of ___

34 House topper

35 Deer foot 36 Prank victim

once a year 38 Increased

41 Grant has a famous one

45 First homicide victim

47 Take for a spin?

49 Cause of many a split

51 Leaves out 53 Morrison’s

band 54 Little hooter 55 Like an

oboe’s sound

56 Levitated 57 Recites

lines 58 Vessel

with rows? 59 “God’s

Little ___” 61 Mine

opening 62 Himalayan

mystery creature

Universal CrosswordEdited by Timothy E. Parker January 30, 2014

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

© 2014 Universal Uclickwww.upuzzles.com

SPRING FORWARD By Corey Bowers1/30

1/29

HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2012, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Concentration will be the key if you want to meet your goals this year. You must not allow yourself to be distracted by other people or personal problems. Think carefully about your motivations and make pragmatic decisions that will lead to the highest rewards. It’s time to start putting yourself fi rst instead of catering to the demands of everybody else.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- You may feel depressed today if you allow unpleasant memories to keep you brooding. Don’t place limitations upon yourself by refusing to get involved in something new.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- You can earn some extra money if you make intelligent use of your creative talents. Explore the possibility of a small business venture and consider looking for a partner.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- You stand to make signifi cant gains through a female contact. Traveling for business will be fruitful. You will communicate comfortably and effectively. Be ready to help children with any problems they might experience.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Estrangement from your lover is a strong possibility. Avoid involvement in secret affairs that may damage your reputation. Read personal papers carefully at this time.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Your ability to communicate with charm will help you attract the partner of your choice. This is a good time to formulate and complete contracts and agreements.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- A romance can develop through work-related functions or business trips. Be wary, as this connection may damage your reputation and set you back professionally.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Socializing and travel should be on your agenda. You will make a great impression if you turn on the charm and reveal your outgoing nature. Gambling for entertainment will be fun for you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Real estate will turn out to be lucrative. You can make changes to your home that will increase its value. Take time to investigate an issue that may be causing anxiety in an older relative.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Catch up on email today. Discuss any personal problems that are bothering you with your relatives. Get involved in humanitarian groups that are important to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Professional advancement is on the horizon. Your consistent ability to fi nish work on time will enable you to set a good example, and you will receive recognition.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- It’s a good time to ask for favors. You should join a group with a humanitarian cause. Your reputation will grow based on the company you choose to keep.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Put some extra time, effort and money into beautifying your home environment. Investments can be lucrative if you make careful choices. Don’t allow family members to upset you.

Andy WolfsonWomen’s Gymnastics Beat Reporter

Oklahoma, the top-ranked wom-en’s gymnastics team in the country, prepares to face the second-best team in the nation, the Florida Gators, this week in Gainesville, Fla. The two teams square off on Friday, at 6:00 p.m.

The Sooners, led by coach K.J. Kindler, has some of the highest-ranked gymnasts in all of women’s college gymnastics. Taylor Spears, who scored a 9.95 on the balance beam last week at Arizona, looks to continue her success this week.

In addition to the 9.95 on the beam, Spears also scored a 9.85 on the floor exercise, and a 9.925 on the uneven bars against the Wildcats.

“We are excited to compete against them again. It’s a rematch from nation-als last year. I think our hard work will pay off this time,” Spears said.

The Sooners lost the national title meet to the Gators last year, by a score 197.575 – 197.375. This year, the rank-ings are reversed, and now Oklahoma

is the top dog.Meanwhile, Florida comes to this

meet as the second-best team in the land, trailing only OU. The Gators, coached by Rhonda Faehn, are also looking to continue their winning ways.

McKenzie Wofford said that she is fired up for this rematch against Florida. She expects that it will be a hard competition.

“This weekend, I’m excited to go to Florida, since they are ranked No. 2. I hope that we can fight to the finish and stay No. 1,” Wofford said.

Floor will be the event to watch this weekend. For the Gators, Kytra Hunter

and Bridget Sloan are both coming off perfect 10s last week on this event — a rarity in gymnastics. For OU, keep an eye on Lara Albright, who scored a 9.9 on floor at the Arizona meet.

Kindler, who is in her eighth sea-son as head coach of the Sooners, said that she has no major concerns going into the meet against the Gators. She did say that she hopes the team will show up and fight to the finish on Friday. She also men-tioned that one of Oklahoma’s great-est strengths this year is depth.

OU has a lot of athletes for all of the events. Even the team’s performance on vault, which has been one of the Sooners’ weakest events in recent years, has improved.

In talking about how OU is pre-paring for this meet, Kindler said that she gave the team 30 minutes to enjoy the win over Arizona, and then they got back to work preparing for the challenge ahead.

“We’re headed into Florida’s ter-ritory. I expect this meet to be epic, with over 10,000 fans in attendance,” said Kindler.

6 • Thursday, January 30, 2014

SPORTS

astrud reed/the daily

Junior Taylor Spears performs an aerial back walkover during last season’s meet against the University of Denver. Spears won the beam, tied for first in the vault, and had the highest all around score in Oklahoma’s win.

women’s gymnastics

oklahoma, Florida compete for no. 1 spot in rankings

“We are excited to compete against them again. It’s a rematch from

nationals last year. I think our hard

work will pay off this time.”

TaylOR SpeaRS, OU GymnaST

No. 1 and No. 2 women’s gymnastics programs to face off in ultimate test

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See them inside The Oklahoma Daily on February 12!

Julia Nelson, sports editorJoe Mussatto, assistant editor

dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySportsSPORTS

Andrew ClArkWomen’s Tennis Beat Reporter @a_clark_oudaily

Coming off a decisive win over Ole Miss and a crushing loss against Alabama, the Sooners are looking to rebound this week as they take on Iowa and Memphis on Friday and Sunday. Even though there is an “L” on the schedule next to Alabama, the team was not upset by its perfor-mance. Senior Mia Lancaster said the match did not even feel like a loss.

“There were a lot of great matches on Sunday,” she said. “We forced a lot of super-tiebreakers in singles that just didn’t go our way.”

Five super-tiebreakers were played out of the six sin-gles matches this past weekend against Alabama. Senior Whitney Ritchie was the only player on the team who did not play a third set. Ritchie has been on a tear the past few matches upsetting the No. 90 player in the country — Ole Miss’ Julia Jones — and the No. 76 player in the country — Alabama’s Danielle Spielmann. Ritchie feels confident about her play so far this season.

“I’ve been playing very well,” she said. “The hard work is finally paying off and to see the results is exciting.”

The team was not able to get a flight out of Tuscaloosa on Sunday, so the Sooners returned to Norman on Monday. They were not able to practice that day, so their schedule is a day off this week. But it’s no trouble, said coach David Mullins, because this light week will just focus on staying focused.

“We’re going to be really light this week just to make sure we stay sharp for Friday and Sunday.”

Coach Mullins also talked about how the team played this weekend, and even though they lost to Alabama, he was very impressed with their play.

“There was no letup from the first point against Ole Miss to the last point against Alabama,” he said. “I’ve never seen as complete of a weekend for this team as this past weekend. They played phenomenally.”

In fact, the Sooners played so well that they moved up six spots in the national rankings to No. 28. The Sooners are 2-1 now on the year, and face Iowa at 2 p.m. on Friday and Memphis at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Both matches will be at the Wadley Tennis Pavilion in Norman.

wrestling

sooners wrestling team to take on Mizzou, honor seniors tonight

woMen’s tennis

OU prepares to ground Hawkeyes, tackle Tigers

No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners will dual No. 10 Missouri Tigers in Norman Sooners hope to bounce back after a 1-1

weekend, continue winning streak

ricardo patino/the daily

Kendirck Hall lifts his Iowa State opponent scoring a successful takedown on Friday, January 20, 2012. Hall scored four successful takedowns for the bout and clinched the victory for OU.

SpenSer dAviSWrestling Beat Reporter

The Oklahoma wrestling team will host the Missouri Tigers on Thursday, as the Sooners seek their ninth win this season. Oklahoma (8-1) comes into the dual-ranked sixth nationally and first in the Big 12, while the Tigers (5-1) sit 10th nationally and second in the MAC. Northern Iowa (7-0) has handed both teams their only loss.

The Sooners come into the dual off an impressive 20-18 victory at Oregon State, though they had to persevere to pull it off. Oklahoma fell behind 9-0 after the first match and spent a good portion of the evening clawing back.

Senior Kendric Maple put the Sooners in front for the first time by a score of 10-9, but the Beavers were not finished. The next few matches saw the score go back and forth before senior Travis Rutt clinched a road victory for the Sooners.

The Tigers had two duals last week, which they split with a pair of Midwestern teams. After falling to Northern Iowa on the road, they traveled to an inferior Northern Illinois team and shut them out 31-0.

While both programs are among the best in the country

this season, the Sooners and Tigers have very different roster components. Oklahoma has five highly-touted seniors, per-haps giving them the edge over a much younger Missouri squad. The Tigers start five freshmen who will be forced to grow up quickly in Norman.

Oklahoma will hold its senior night prior to the match, honoring five members of the team: Jarrod Patterson, Nick Lester, Andrew Howe, Maple and Rutt. Maple and Howe have both won NCAA titles in their careers.

Though this will be the last home dual of the season for the Sooners, Oklahoma is slated to host the Big 12 Championship for the third time in school history. The last time Oklahoma won a conference championship was in Norman, at the end of the 2002 season.

The national championship will be held in Oklahoma City, but the Sooners still have several weeks to prepare for the postseason. After hosting Missouri, Oklahoma will trav-el to Morgantown to face off against West Virginia before re-newing the Bedlam series with Oklahoma State on Feb. 9.

The Sooners will take on the Tigers at 7 p.m. at McCasland Field House.

Spencer davis davis.spencer@yahoo.com

Thursday, January 30, 2014 • 7

8 • Thursday, January 30, 2014 Advertisement