baby steps for baby feet

Photo by: Ana Valentine

Pro-Life Ambassadors fight to save the lives of unborn children at risk of being aborted.

Students are faced with choice each day, they have the option of standing up for what they believe in or taking a step back, a year ago a group of students decided to take a stand against something they were passionate about. Pro-Life.

Last fall Jared Clary with the help of students from Pursuit College Ministry decided to make and start the Pro-Life ambassadors.

The group is dedicating to educating Oklahoma Students on the issues of abortion and also reaching out to students in a crisis pregnancy situation.

“We hold organizational meetings to discuss plans and become better educated on the abortion issue. We also engage in campus activism events like booths in the Union and displays on campus,” President Jared Haines said.

The issue of abortion is a controversial subject and one that many students steer clear of, but last November the Pro-Life ambassadors made it hard avoid by putting graphic diagrams along the South Oval.

Like many times in life there are always people who will not agree with you.

“Some pro-choice people here at OU aren't willing to have a civil conversation where they admit flaws in their arguments,” Haines said.

The group is open to new members or people wanting to help out.

Member Casey Merick said they try and bring people to speak at the meetings who have more knowledge over the Pro-Life position in order to help members learn to better argue their position.

For more information on the group and their upcoming activities you can visit askaboutbabyfeet.com

Bright Lights... Big City...

Photo by: Ana Valentine

As the year progresses and students becomes more involved on campus they begin to reek the benefits of being active in The University of Oklahoma’s wide range of student organizations.

Four days after leaving for New York City the Magazine Interest group returns home to Norman Oklahoma with a new experience under their belt and information to help them further their careers in the magazine industry.

The group visited Parents, People, Glamour and New York Times magazine while in the Big Apple. They met with some of the top editors in the business and were able to tour the magazine to get a feel for the ways things were run.

“New York City gave me the opportunity to meet influential people in the Public Relations side of the magazine industry and helped me branch out and make connections,” Senior Kim Jones said.

Not only did the students visit four magazines they also had a free day to explore the city and see a different style of living.

“When I walked into the sculpture room at the met I actually cried,” Senior Kristi McMullen said. “I was so overwhelmed, it was incredible.”

Out side of Oklahoma and campus life is a completely other world and trips to other places gives students the opportunity to see what else is out there.

“Students need to go beyond the borders of Oklahoma because life is so much bigger than your home state and lets students find out where they want to work or where they don’t,” Advisor Kathryn Jenson White said.

The Magazine Interest Group will be hosting other events this year such as magazine swaps, resume writing and resume critiques.

“It feels great because all the hard work put in has proven to be a success because everyone gained so much from it,” Vice President Chinh Doan said.

Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting...

Photo by: Ana Valentine

Students join the Alpha Delta Kappa Phi sorority in a self-defense class led by the Student Martial Arts Association.

Discipline, passion and athleticism are some of the things a martial artist needs to succeed in the sport, or for the Student Martial Arts Association just pure interest will do the trick.

Started last year the SMAA has kicked things into high gear and has opened the organization to any one who has an interest in martial arts, whether it’s the lifestyle, the culture or the desire to learn some new moves.

Armed with a President who has 15 years of martial arts experience the organization has started to branch out to get involved on campus.

President Kevin Windham said the group participates in service projects, OU’s Big Event, UFC watch parties, the science of fighting lectures, and even self-defense seminars.

“Self-defense is a martial artists quick and dirty way of introducing broad concepts to people in order for them to defend themselves in a violent conflict setting, and essentially how to get away as quickly as possible to safety,” Windham said.

Last week the SMAA reached out to other organizations and lent a helping hand to a sorority on campus.



In honor of their lost sister, the sorority and the SMAA hosted a self-defense class.

“We do workshops so we can help others use the lessons that martial arts can teach us, to help take care of ourselves,” Pledge Class President, Yen Le said.

“I think self-defense saves lives, and encourages women in particular to have a sense of confidence in themselves and know that they are by no means defenseless when an aggressor comes to them.” Windham said.

The group will meet again next Sunday from 7-9pm. For more information you can visit their website http://ou.edu/ousmaa.