Saturday, September 18, 2010

BOOM TOWN







Every fall thousands converge on Norman to form a makeshift boom town. The multitude all arrive for a single purpose on these special weekends. These loyal fans are here one reason and one reason only, Oklahoma football. This boom town is evidence that sports provides a sense of camaraderie amongst diverse people that is hard to find in this day and time.


(Photos from top to bottom: Tailgaters within the "boom town"; Entrance into the "boom town"; RVs parked in Lloyd Nobel Center parking lot that form the "boom town")

*All photos by Tyler Thomas


Sunday, September 12, 2010

A Show of Complete Disrespect

This past Saturday was the showdown between two storied football programs but, most importantly it was the 9 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorists attacks. It was a day to show reverence to those who perished in the attacks.

The University of Oklahoma held a special moment of silence to honor these fallen Americans. The majority of the fans in the stadium respected the moment and acknowledged the victims. However, there was a select group of fans seated in the south endzone of the stadium that shouted the "Boomer Sooner" chant during the entire moment of silence. It was a complete act of disrespect to the meaning of the day and to the victims and their families. The act of disrespect left many fans flabbergasted and astonished by the lack of class the fans possessed.

Many of the students were astonished and angry at the lack of class of the fans. "I was left completely speechless by those who participated in the chant during the moment of silence," said sociology senior Kyndle Taylor, "It showed an act of classlessness and was an embarrassment to the university." These comments echo the feelings of the majority of fans in the stadium.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks marked a turning point in American history and is a very dark era in American history. A football game is just that, a game. It is nothing more than a contest. While what happened on that September day is real life and affected millions of people in a serious way. It is our duty as American citizens to show reverence and honor those that perished in those horrific attacks.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Contruction Causes Headache with Parking



Students arrive to campus to realize the simple task of finding a parking spot is now a ridiculous chore. University construction on the north side of the Huston Huffman Center is taking up the majority of what was a multi-purpose parking lot. Many of the students who have purchased a parking permit for campus parking are now having to take their permit to the free parking at Lloyd Nobel Center.





University officials attempted to implement a new parking regulation that would require a valid parking permit, except a select area that would still be considered a free parking area. The university officials had to retract and double the initial size of the free parking area after a number of complaints from students who used the free parking at Lloyd Nobel.



"I have used the free parking at Lloyd Nobel for the past two years. It is a nice alternative to the high price of parking permits," pre-dental senior Cobey Clemshire said. "The new parking rules would have been unfair to the students who used Lloyd Nobel as an alternative and also to the ones who would have to park in the area after they purchased the permit."

It is not clear when the construction will be complete or how much of the old parking lot will be taken up by the new addition. The relaxation on the new parking rules will help ease the unhappiness about the parking situation at campus for now.

For students like Clemshire, they will be able to use the parking at Lloyd Nobel for the time being while not worrying about being ticketed or having to purchase a parking permit. This comes as a relief on the mind and wallet with rising costs in tuition.