Sunday, September 20, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Saturday May 2, at the corner of Lindsey St. and College Ave., J.J.'s Pizza Stop set forth its first annual boxing tournament to raise funds for the Children's Miracle Network.
The benefit was scheduled as an all day with center-ring boxing matches, courtesy of Conan's Gym, scheduled throughout. However with the heavy overcast and cool winds, the crowds were not all too forth coming.
"Honestly, we put this all together to get the word out about J.J.'s. Originally we were going to donate all of the proceeds to the Bob Stoops Foundation, but because of the boxing ring, Stoops did not want to be involved. All of the proceeds ended up going to the Children's Miracle Network," said Joshua Hinkle, event coordinator.
The Children’s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization that raises funds for more than 170 children’s hospitals around the world. According to their website, donations to Children’s Miracle Network from events such as this fund the medical care, research and education that saves and improves the lives of 17 million children each year.
The heavy misting and 50 degree temperatures were the most obvious causes of the near empty donation buckets, but talks of continuing the event in future years was talked about optimistically by Hinkle.
The event featured Norman-local bands Resident Funk and The Gunship. Also, the National Guard had promised to set up a rock climbing wall and human gyro.
"[The National Guard] never showed up because of the rain," Hinkle said, “It would have been too much of a liability and hastle.”
Along with the festivities, there were drink specials, pizza, burgers, gyros, hot wings and t-shirts for sale, provided by J.J.'s Pizza Stop.
"I have been friends with Jim Brooks (the owner of J.J.'s) for several years. I worked there during my freshman and sophomore year of college, and whenever he has a big event, like game days or boxing bashes he asks me to come and help out. I always do too, because it is fun and a great way to make some extra cash," Hinkle said.
Scott Allen, a J.J.'s Pizza employee took care of contacting the city and filing for the permit. The city of Norman supplied all of the roadblocks, as well as scheduled the Cleveland County Sheriff to make a stop by to make sure all activities were legal and safe.
"If I could change anything about the Boxing Bash it would be the weather, but I would also like to use a different company for the boxing ring. They were very unprofessional, and late. The ring was supposed to be assembled by noon, and it was not completed until 3:30 p.m.," Hinkle said.
As the event was scheduled to at noon, and the boxing ring had yet to set up at that time, Hinkle had to rely on quick thinking to find a solution. With help of the some of the neighboring Lambda Chi Alphas and a few other visitors, the ring was picked up and assembled without a hitch.
"I was offered community service hours by one of my pledge brothers, and free beer if I helped out," said Michael Peery, meteorology sophomore, “I had to go pick up the boxing ring, load it up, bring it to JJ's, and then put it all together. It was more difficult and took longer to do than I thought it would. I would definitely help out again next year though because the profits really do go to a good cause."
Admission into the boxing tournament was the highest source of donations, at $25 per entry. However, each contestant received a free mudguard.
“As soon as I signed up I ran home an found one of my old athletic cups and put it on,” Owen Hartley, economics junior.
Below: Here is Owen Hartley's personal account of his match during the first annual JJ's Jam and Boxing Benefit.
In total there were five matches, consisting of three, three-minute rounds. While Hinkle says that he would have liked more matches, he admits that for a first annual event, this Boxing Bash was a hit.
"The last fight that I stayed for were two of my friends from the army. They were both drunk; during their match, one was wearing cowboy boots and the other wasn't wearing any shoes," said John Green, military studies junior.
Aside from the drink specials that allowed for some rambunctious matches, the event overall proved to provide great time for the some 100 visitors.
"I had a really good time there. It wasn't too crowded, but there were enough people that it didn't seem lame. The band was obnoxiously loud, but the pizza was [really] awesome," Green said.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Super Six
The group is a merger of several different fraternities and sororities including Phi Gamma Delta, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Beta Phi.
The Greek bodies originally were teaming up as one group to enter homecoming where they boycott building a float and using the money that would be spent on the float to host a philanthropy.
"It is nothing against CAC or anything like that," said Dan McCarthy, president of Phi Delta Theta. "We just want to use the money to benefit people rather than building a float that you just throw away the next day after months of work."
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Above: A member of IFC reads the new proposal to amend the current scholarship section of the IFC constitution.
Friday, March 27, 2009
ATĪ© to lease out Kappa Sigma house
This past Wednesday it was announced at the IFC president’s meeting that the Kappa Sigma fraternity would be leasing out its currently vacant house.
Since then the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity has announced that it will be taking over that lease, and thus taking a spot among the rest of South Greek.
Even with the news of the house being leased released to the public, the current Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) president, James Benson has kept fairly quiet on the matter.
"Obviously, the chapter's very excited about it and they are happy to be back with a physical presence on campus," said Michael Carter, Alpha Tau Omega Housing Corporation President.
While the contracts have yet to be signed and made official, the ATO's Housing Corporation is confident in the transaction.
In past years the ATOs have held their rush out of sorority houses, such as the Delta Gamma house as recently as this last spring rush.
With the addition of living in a substantial building, (even if it only for a limited time) ATO could see a big jump in the number men they sign this coming fall. Overall, this could potentially fortify ATO as a chapter among the rest of the Greek community, and as an organization at the University of Oklahoma.
“I’m excited for them. I’m friends with one in my Spanish class, and they seem like a bunch of really nice guys,” said Courtney Marino, university college freshman.
The fortune that the ATOs are finding however has been at the expense of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Although, Kappa Sigma’s departure from the OU campus was a decision made by Kappa Sigma’s national headquarters, and neither the university nor IFC had any influence in the matter.
"I've been house mother for the Kappa Sigs for five years now, and I've really enjoyed it. It was really a surprise, and it was really hard on a lot of the guys," said Brenda Garde, Kappa Sigma house mother.
NewsOK reports that reason from the pulled charter was because “a computer used to make fake Texas driver’s licenses was seized in October 2005 from a member’s room at the Kappa Sigma house, 1100 College Ave. Thirty-six people turned over their fake IDs during an amnesty period.”
By whatever means it happened, this negative event has become a very positive event for the ATOs. Even the Garde thinks that though this is a sad time for the Kappa Sigma house, she knows that there are many positive aspects of this transaction.
"I met about 20 of [the ATOs] when they came and had a tour of the place. They reminded me a lot of the Kappa Sigs, but then fraternity guys are a lot alike I think. But they seem like really great guys," said Garde.
Once the ATOs already called South Greek home, in what is now the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority house, at 1411 Elm Avenue. For whatever reason that Kappa Sigma is now off campus, ATO is certainly benefiting. However, it is a wonder why ATO has not gone on ahead and built their own house.
“Some time last semester I read a story in the Daily that said that Norman passed a law that prevented any more Greek houses from being built,” said Nikkole Zwolenik, public relations sophomore.
According to the city of Norman zoning ordinance, there is some legitimacy to this claim of housing regulation. There is a restriction that has been part of the zoning ordinance since 1954 that was issued to deal with complaints generally revolving around traffic, noise, and parking.
Under the “three unrelated person ordinance,” no more than three people of varying last names can reside in a single-family dwelling. This includes three unrelated persons living together in a quasi-unit quarter.
“I asked my friend who’s a FIJI if that would effect anything with them because they’re rebuilding their house, but apparently it doesn’t. I thought that was why ATO hadn’t built their own house yet,” said Zwolenik.
The city of Norman defines a quasi-unit quarter as a unit of dwelling space that shares common living and kitchen facilities (similar to a fraternity house). However, this specifically excludes sorority or fraternity houses. Fraternity and sorority houses are classified as R-3 residential units, which are exempt from this ordinance.
Whether or not the ATOs build their own house or not, for the next two to five years they will have a secure spot amid the rest of the quickly growing Greek community.
The ATOs will take over the full lease June 1 and will move in at the beginning of the next fall semester.