It’s rare in life that you get a clean slate to make new traditions, develop communities and decide the future. In fall 2017, students at The University of Oklahoma will do just that in Headington and Dunham colleges.
The Book Stall, the last used bookstore in Norman, is closing in July after 44 years because of declining sales. While its closing date is undecided, owner Susan Townly and manager Rick Hall said they will be shutting the doors after they liquidate their remaining inventory.
Incoming freshmen and students transferring to The University of Oklahoma are required to attend a three-hour special training program – the result of a video lasting less than a minute showing members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity singing a racially derogatory song in March 2015. “You have to be sensible, you have to be respectful to those around you because the world is changing. We are coming out more diverse, and we are becoming more aware. There is a lot less tolerance for intolerance.” said J.D. Baker, president of the OU Student Government Association.
The Hefner family is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. For six years, Bridgett and Mari Hefner, their three children and three grandchildren ranging in age from 2 to 23, will travel the world learning languages and analyzing people’s dreams. The journey was sparked by Bridgett Hefner’s fascination with dreams. The 46-year-old from McComb wants to know how place and culture influence dreams. She wants to talk to dreamers of all cultures and walks of life.
Related: Students Struggle to pay for housing With new on- and off-campus living options for students – such as The University of Oklahoma’s new residential colleges Dunham and Headington, as well as the construction of Callaway House Apartments – the rental market in Norman is becoming more competitive. The newest additions are all slated to open their doors just in time for the 2017-2018 school year.
Related: Norman apartment complexes become more competitive Along with the 5-percent tuition increase at The University of Oklahoma for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year, the cost of living on campus is also growing more expensive. The Oklahoma Daily reported June 20 that on-campus living rates such as “standard residence halls, apartments and meal plans” will undergo a 3-percent increase. With these new rates, some students are starting to seek ways to earn and save more money.
Members of the Muslim Student Association are worried about the impact of President Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from specific countries in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold parts of the president’s order. Chemical engineering junior Saad Ahmed and biochemistry junior Rehan Zefar are both officers in the Muslim Student Association. Ahmed serves as the association’s president while Zefar is its community outreach chairman.
Wright’s Family Market, a locally owned grocery store, has been a part of the Norman community for the past 42 years. At one time, Wright’s had four locations scattered throughout Norman. Currently, however, Wright’s Family Market is preparing to close permanently facing its final hours, preparing to close permanently.
OKLAHOMA CITY – More than a thousand spectators and revelers lined the streets of Northwest Oklahoma City on June 25 for the city’s 30th annual Pride Parade and celebration of the LGBTQ community. Part celebration of progress and part commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall uprising that kicked off the U.S. gay rights movement, Pride 2017 offered an opportunity for some locals to reflect on the evolution of the LGBTQ movement.
Doing unto others is the Sooner way, and serving locally is not the only form that one OU group takes. For 23 years the President’s Community Scholars, or PCS, has been helping the surrounding community. Four years ago, the program grew internationally.