4 members of ORU family die in plane crash, 1 other injured

Three ORU seniors who graduated one week ago today and a former ORU marketing professor died late Friday afternoon in a plane crash in rural Kansas while en route to an Acquire the Fire Christian youth event in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

One ORU student survived the crash, the daughter of ORU Board of Trustees member Ron Luce, who founded Acquire the Fire conferences and Teen Mania ministries.

Cussen named head coach of ORU Lady Golden Eagles

Oral Roberts University introduced Misti Cussen as the new head coach of the women’s basketball program April 27, one day after her mentor, Jerry Finkbeiner, left that job for Utah State University.

Cussen, who becomes ORU’s 10th head coach, had served as Finkbeiner’s top assistant for 16 years after playing for Finkbeiner’s squad at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Okla. When Finkbeiner took over the ORU coaching staff in 1996, Cussen was right by his side and became an integral part of building the history and success of the program from the ground up.

Their efforts led ORU to five NCAA Tournament appearances, as well as posting six seasons with 20 or more wins.

Sleeper cells found in fields of dreams

Billy Burke I love baseball.

Anybody who knows me or has talked to me during April through October knows I cannot get enough of America’s pastime.

But I don’t just like to watch, talk and scream (sometimes unmentionable things) until my lungs bleed baseball, I love crunching the stats.

So when I was introduced to a game called Fantasy Baseball, I thanked God for it.

Now I know the season is as green as the ivy walls at Wrigley, but some predictions do stick.

Those sleepers can lead to that waiver wire stud who might just win you that shiny imaginary trophy.

Summer movies rife with aliens, sci-fi action

With the school year coming to a close, summer will be upon us in just a few short weeks.

While many students have missions trips, vacations, summer jobs and internships planned for the summer, making time to see a good movie has become an essential part of summer fun and entertainment in our culture.

Summer 2012’s movie options, as usual, will have something for everyone.

Richard Roberts pleads guilty to DUI, gets probation

A judge ruled Tuesday that former ORU President Richard Roberts must pay $1,532 in court fines, perform 56 hours of community service, attend DUI classes, and submit to drug and alcohol tests after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and speeding in January.

Roberts will not spend any time in jail under a plea agreement reached with Tulsa District Special Judge Sarah Smith, who placed Roberts on 18 months of probation. She withheld a finding of guilt and deferred sentencing until October 2013. If Roberts completes his probation without violating the terms and avoids further incidents, he will not have a conviction on his record.

Summer is here! What now for you two?

Christian Aranza So the summer is here and you’re excited to head home, but most of you will be heading in opposite directions of the boyfriend or girlfriend you’ve made here.

So what does this mean for the status of your relationship? Will you do the long-distance relationship for a few months, call it quits or leave it at friends?

As a guy who has successfully accomplished years of long-distance dating, here’s my advice and some pointers to last you the summer. If your relationship is a solid one and you feel like this could be the person you desire to spend the rest of your life with, then for you, this is a great test to find out!

ORU Women’s Tennis wins Summit League title

With a 4-0 victory over Southern Utah last Saturday, the ORU women’s tennis team clinched their first undisputed Summit League regular season championship since 2008. ORU finished the regular season at 11-5, with an 8-0 Summit League mark. The Golden Eagles will hold the top seed at the 2012 Summit League Championship tournament, which begins next week. The semifinals of the 2012 Summit League Championship will be held on Friday, April 27, in Kansas City, with the final match a day later.