Underwater Basket Weaving

            Underwater basket weaving is an craft that seems like it could almost be make-believe but is actually a reality, and is done on the University of Oklahoma campus.

            In Mrs. Armour’s Cherokee class, the students took a break from the normal grudge of learning the language and homework assignments to learn how to make the baskets.

            One of her students and OU junior Brad Balke didn’t know what to think when the class was told they would be underwater basket weaving.

            “When I first heard Mrs. Armour tell us that we would be weaving baskets in water I thought that she had to be joking around with us,” Balke said.

            The name for the craft is almost deceiving. While you do have to get the string wet in order to weave the baskets, you are not actually under water while making them.

            You begin making the baskets by cutting the right amount of string. Once you do that you are supposed to soak the string until it is more flexible so it’s easier to weave without breaking. That’s how the craft got it’s odd name. The weaving pattern is almost so simple that an elementary school kid could master the craft.

            “I definitely enjoyed weaving the baskets in class and it definitely gave me a more hands on opportunity to learn more about the Cherokee culture,” Balke said. “It was an easy thing for me to remember how to do and I would definitely rather weave the baskets than write a paper.”

Live Music in the Union Provides Relaxing Atmosphere

Live music being played in the Union

If you’re sitting in the Union close to the food court on most Tuesdays and Thursdays, there’s a good chance that you will be serenaded with live music.

            The Union Programming board sets up different artists to come play music in the Union during lunch hours two days a week as a treat to students either studying or eating in the Union. It was originally President David Boren’s idea to start the live performances because he wanted to make the Union a friendlier place, and it would be an incentive to get people involved.

            University of Oklahoma Senior, Stephen Pittman performs in the Union at least two times a month.

            “I definitely enjoy being able to have a chance to perform in front of a large group of people and it’s a fun easy way to make some cash,” Pittman said.

            Artists are able to play any type of music that they would like, but it must be edited and be appropriate. It’s also a good chance for some artists to play some of the music that they wrote and get their name out.

            “I play some John Mayer and Ben Rector songs and they seem to be really popular,” Pittman said. “But I really enjoy being able to play some things that I have spent my own time writing.”

            Some students that are in the Union during the day really appreciate the free music, especially while eating lunch. University of Oklahoma junior Jake Smith is one of those people.

            “I think it’s a pretty big stress relief when I’m able to eat lunch while listening to relaxing music when I’m in between classes,” Smith said.

            If you’re interested in listening to the live music then go to the Union around noon on most Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Relay for Life: Cancer Never Sleeps

On Saturday April 21 the University of Oklahoma will hold an event to help fight pancreatic cancer called Relay for Life. This relay will earn money that will go towards cancer research and awareness.

Along with earning money, the relay will celebrate the lives of people that have survived cancer and also remember those who have perished because of the terrible disease. The relay will have many teams with numerous people on each team. The goal is to keep at least one person from each team on the track walking around the entire time to show that cancer never sleeps.

Before the race begins there is a survival lap where cancer survivors walk around and show the victories they have achieved over cancer. In most Relays’ for Life there is a Luminaria Ceremony, which happens after dark where they honor people who have died from cancer.

University of Oklahoma freshman, Logan Eller is participating in Relay for Life this year.

“I decided to do relay for life because one of my sorority sisters was very involved in it. She was not personally affected by pancreatic cancer but 3 of her family members have passed away because of it. More importantly she lost her mom this year to pancreatic cancer,” Eller said.

Eller also thinks that it will be something that she will continue to be involved with in throughout her life.

“I think I will continue to participate in Relay for Life because the money goes to a good cause and so many people are affected by this disease but not many people are aware of what it is,” Eller said.

Logan Eller
Relay for Life Participant

The Big Event for a Big Heart

            On Saturday April 21, the University of Oklahoma will put on the Big Event; a campus wide community service event that any student can participate in. But for OU sophomore Cale Curtain, Big Event means so much more.

            Curtain is on the Big Event executive community and is in charge of recruitment for the well-known event. This event isn’t the first time Curtain has been involved with big time community service. In the fall, he was co-philanthropy chair for a 5K-diabetes run that was put on by the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

             “I was in charge of putting up flyers all around Norman, getting volunteers, putting out ads on the sports animal and just letting anyone and everyone know about the event we were putting on,” Curtain said.

            Big Event and the 5K are two of the bigger philanthropy events that are held at the University of Oklahoma and Curtain had a big hand in both of them. Curtain’s co chair for the diabetes run, Zane Simmons had a lot of good things to say about Curtain.

            “Cale is a very caring guy that is genuine about wanting to see peoples lives get better by helping them,” Simmons said.

            Curtain has been involved with community service since high school and plans on continuing to help other people for the rest of his life.

            “I had an interest in leadership in high school and kind of found my niche in community service,” Curtain said. “I found out that I was good at organizing events and organizing people and what made it better is that I was helping out people.”