**Joe Paterno supporters look to rename Beaver Stadium**

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY – Penn State fans are pushing to have Joe Paterno’s name crown the stadium in which so many of his 409 career victories were won.

Alumni trustee candidate Col. Vincent Tedesco Jr. said that if he were elected to the Penn State Board of Trustees in the upcoming spring election, he would introduce a resolution to rename Beaver Stadium in honor of the former head football coach who died Sunday morning.

“It would be the best way to memorialize Joe on campus,” Tedesco said.

University spokeswoman Lisa Powers said the university is considering a number of ways to honor Paterno, and administrators are aware of the name-changing initiative.

“There are discussions that will be ongoing, but at this particular juncture, just one day from (Paterno’s) passing, we are focused on assisting the family with the plans for a memorial service,” Powers said. “There will be future discussions about a variety of ideas.”

—The Daily Collegian
By Stephen Shiflett

**Forum looks to shrink gap between athletes and universities**

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS – The Ecumenical Campus Ministries sponsored two discussions on the divide between intercollegiate athletics and academics on Tuesday.

The events featured Amy Perko, Knight Commission Executive Director and were meant to foster discussion on the financial divide between college sports and their academic institutions. The goal of the Knight Commission is to ensure intercollegiate athletic programs work within their college’s academic mission.

“Athletics must be considered part of universities, not apart from them,” Perko said during the Q&A-style forum Tuesday evening.

The Rev. Thad Holcombe of ECM said he became aware of the “isolation” of athletes during his time at the University of Oklahoma and found the same culture of separation here. Holcombe said that after recent athletic scandals, including the one at Pennsylvania State University and the ticket scandal at the university, he decided to hold a community forum.

“My concern as far as student athletes is how can we enrich their experience with education and integrate with other students in a more viable way,” Holcombe said.

The question was raised during the forum as to whether or not the National Collegiate Athletic Association as it is now would still exist in the coming years. Perko said she could not speculate on what a change to the NCAA would look like, but did say that there is a definite separation between the top 70 teams with big football programs and the rest of the NCAA schools.

—The Daily Kansan
By Lucas Ranker

**Regents Snuff Out Tobacco Use At OU**

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA – The days of unrestricted tobacco use on OU’s Norman campus are officially numbered after the OU Board of Regents voted unanimously Tuesday to implement a ban this summer.

The campus wide Tobacco-Free Policy was approved as an addition to the Regents’ Policy Manual and designated two areas on campus as acceptable smoking areas while enacting fines for repeat offenders.

The policy is set to take effect July 1.

OU President David Boren proposed the ban to the regents in the Robert M. Bird Library Auditorium on the OU Health Sciences Center campus in Oklahoma City, and during an address before the vote, he said university administrators felt morally obligated to enact it.

During his remarks, Boren invited Gary Raskob, College of Public Health Dean and chairman of an advisory tobacco committee who helped Boren formulate the policy, to address the regents as well.

“The proposal strikes a balance between protecting people from secondhand smoke while acknowledging the difficulty of quitting,” Raskob said.

Boren is optimistic the policy will overcome difficulties encountered when enforcing a statewide ban already in place, restricting smoking within 25 feet of building entrances, he said.

—The Oklahoma Daily
By Chris Miller