January 29-31, 2018

W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | J A N U A R Y 2 9 - 3 1, 2 0 18 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M

OU DAILY

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Gary Davis, assistant professor of American Sign Language, tells a story in sign language while sitting at his desk Jan. 23. Davis is OU's first full-time instructor of American Sign Language.

SIGNING SUCCESS

OU professor Gary Davis shares deaf culture, language with students through American Sign Language classes

G

ary Davis spent most of his adolescence searching for a language.

Born deaf in the 1960s, he tried to find a means of communication and had little success in the beginning. While bouncing around to numerous schools and struggling in classes among students who could hear, Davis realized that, more than a language, he needed a culture.

Now, years later, Davis once again finds himself in a classroom filled with hearing students — but this time, they’re learning from him.

Davis is OU’s first full-time instructor of American Sign Language after having served as an adjunct professor in fall 2017.

Davis said he aims to do more than teach a new language; he hopes to link the hearing and deaf communities at OU. Sitting in his new office in Collings Hall, Davis recounted how he arrived where he is today. He communicates comfortably through an interpreter — instead of words, he uses a myriad of facial expressions and gestures to punctuate the memories and tell his story.

“When I’m teaching hearing students, I want them to recognize that sign language is a part of a culture,” Davis said.

“Cultures have language and traditions, storytelling that gets passed down, socialization and

NICK HAZELRIGG • @NICKHAZELRIGG how to meet people.”

Though American Sign Language classes only started for the first time last semester, Davis has big plans to raise awareness of deaf culture at OU. Philip Johnson, an academic adviser for elementary and special education who worked to bring American Sign Language classes to campus, said Davis already incorporates his culture in his teaching.

“We hoped we could create, with Gary’s help, a culture here at OU surrounding this language in the same way the Spanish major has clubs for its language,” Johnson said. “That was something he was particularly interested in as not only a deaf man but also a deaf instructor.”

“THAT’S MY CULTURE” Dav i s f a i l e d t h e f i r s t t w o American Sign Language classes he ever took and thought his time in academia was done.

“I had no identity at this point — I had no culture, I had no understanding,” Davis said. “So I quit, and I worked for about 10 years, and I felt isolated and I felt that there was no future — there was no life, essentially.”

While waiting for an entry-level job interview in 1988, he visited friends at Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf and hard of hearing.

It was at Gallaudet that Davis found what he had been missing

in his attempts to master sign language: the culture surrounding the deaf community and American Sign Language itself.

“That’s when I started to understand and realize — that’s my world. That’s my culture. They have language, and they have culture, and we’re all the same,” Davis said. “And so I finally felt open to who I was. I feel like I missed all of that growing up.

That moment changed my life. I completely forgot about the job interview, I didn’t even show up.”

Davis returned to Oklahoma, where he received a degree in deaf studies at East Central University, and later found his way to the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, where he received a master’s degree in deaf services. He then became an instructor at Oklahoma State University-O klahoma City, where he fell in love with teaching.

Now, Davis is still in touch with the community he fell in love with in 1988 — he attends “deaf chats” for members of the deaf community around the Oklahoma City area at various coffee shops and is well known for his activism within the community. Last December, Davis dressed as Santa Claus and went to Northpark Mall so deaf children could interact with a version of Father Christmas who spoke their language and

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Assistant professor Gary Davis teaches an American Sign Language class in Collings Hall Nov. 7.

understood their culture.

LEARNING THROUGH LAUGHTER Biology and Spanish sophomore Katherine Stroh has never once had the desire to skip Davis’ class, despite the fact it meets for two hours twice a week at 7:15 p.m.

“I’ve always been really interested in sign language and also its culture that a lot of people don’t know about,” Stroh said.

“But I didn’t fall in love with the language until I was in Gary’s class.”

Stroh, vice president of OU’s American Sign Language Club, said she has a lot of fun in Davis’ class, where his humor brings the only sound to the silent class through laughter. Usually Davis’ dynamic facial expressions get a laugh from the students, but his biggest hits are when he pokes fun at a student’s poor use of a sign.

“I think the biggest thing is that American Sign Language is such an expressive language with your face,” Stroh said. “There’s no way to sign with someone without getting that infusion of personality in every conversation that you have, so it’s so easy to see his personality and for him to see our personality.”

His students learn an important lesson from the humor conveyed through his signing — not to be stiff, and to build confidence in their abilities to communicate by not taking themselves too seriously. Kaki Simmons, president and founder of OU’s American Sign Language Club, said the laid-back environment in class helps her learn.

Simmons said she finds this the most comfortable environment to learn in.

“I don’t think we get through a vocab session without laughing at least six times,” Simmons said.

“It makes the class so much more enjoyable, and he loves making us all feel comfortable there.”

For special education sophomore Sarah Yandell, Davis’ efforts to increase confidence among his students have been impactful in life outside of class.

“I’ve always been a very shy, very reserved person,” Yandell said. “After attending these classes and learning this really

expressive language, you’re kind of not allowed to be shy anymore because you’re always having to express yourself in a basic conversation. Gary has been this huge part of opening myself up and opening up my self-confidence.”

CARVING OUT A FUTURE Davis said he was thinking about retirement while he was still teaching at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City, but now he gets to help spearhead an entirely new program — an opportunity he was excited to take.

“It’s all new, it’s still a process.

The people around here are extremely nice, and they are caring people,” Davis said. “It’s really exciting, though.”

Johnson said he and Davis will be working very closely to continue to expand the incredibly popular and still fledgling American Sign Language program. Johnson said his college hopes to introduce more sections of American Sign Language, as the class fills up almost immediately after it opens and has long waiting lists.

Johnson also said he and Davis hope to one day create classes focused entirely on deaf culture as opposed to just basic mechanics of sign language.

“I think having Gary take as much energy, time and focus to this endeavor speaks volumes about him as a member of the deaf community but also as a professor who wants to transfor m the lives of students,” Johnson said.

Davis said he is considering writing a book about his experiences, in which he hopes to include some of the funny stories he doesn’t have time to tell in class. But for now, he is content right where he is — teaching the language and culture that gave him his identity.

“Hearing people often don’t see the deaf community, and they don’t understand unless they’ve been taught,” Davis said.

“My job is to help other people understand the deaf and their struggles and their experiences — and I love my job.”

Nick Hazelrigg

hazelriggn@gmail.com

2

• January 29-31, 2018

NEWS

Emma Keith, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily

Locals protest wastewater well City council delays vote on proposed project near lake SIERRA RAINS @sierrarains

Norman residents gathered at a municipal meeting to raise concerns about a proposed wastewater injection well that would be drilled near Lake Thunderbird, Norman’s primary water source.

Because the planned well site is within 300 feet of a stream corridor, Arrowhead Energy, the oil and gas company proposing the project, will either have to apply for a variance or move the well 300 feet back. Norman’s Board of Adjustment discussed the project at a Jan. 24 meeting, choosing to postpone its decision until Feb. 28.

Several members of the Norman community and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe attended the meeting to express their concerns about the project. Ashley McCray, an OU history of science, technology and medicine graduate assistant and a member of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, said she found the board’s choice to postpone the decision encouraging.

“That means we are posing a threat to them, and they had to buy more time to make their argument more sound because they know that we have legitimate concerns,” McCray said.

The board also discussed two other requests from oil and gas companies at the meeting. Both asked that the Board of Adjustment approve a variance from the requirement to have an insurance policy of no less than $2 million to cover possible property damage.

After listening to several testimonies from the applicants and members of the

SIERRA RAINS/THE DAILY

A member of the Norman community speaks before the city's Board of Adjustment at a Jan. 24 meeting. Residents are concerned that a proposed wastewater injection well near Lake Thunderbird could contaminate drinking water.

community, the board decided to deny both requests.

McCray said she saw this decision as a victory for those against the proposed drilling site near Lake Thunderbird.

“I think the city of Norman showed that they do have a commitment to actually standing up for the health and well-being of the people, the land and the water and future generations that will be here in Norman,” McCray said.

Emily Remmel, an OU environmental studies professor, said she believes there may be some cause for concern if the well is drilled anywhere near the lake, which

is the source of Norman’s drinking water.

There is no definitive link between wastewater injection and ground water contamination, Remmel said, but there is a possibility of methane leaking through fissures or cracks in the shale and contaminating drinking water.

“There has been some cause for concern as to whether that can migrate up into a ground water source,” Remmel said. “It would really have to travel a great distance, but it would depend on where or how the well breaks or anything like that.”

The other risk to

groundwater, Remmel said, is the recipe of synthetic chemicals used in the process of fracking.

“It’s protected under the law, so they don’t have to tell folks what kind of synthetic chemicals they’re adding to this mix,” Remmel said. “So if there were some sort of failure, there is cause for concern over these synthetic chemicals — that could potentially be carcinogenic — entering your drinking water.”

The area surrounding Lake Thunderbird has also long been inhabited by members of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, McCray said. McCray said she fears the potential

detrimental effects a wastewater injection well could have on her tribe.

“These communities will be the hardest hit and most impacted,” McCray said. “If we continue to allow big oil to run rampant, the land will be torn apart, the water will be completely poisoned, and the air will be unbreathable.”

Because the tribe uses the land to farm crops used for ceremonial purposes, McCray said any type of spill from the well could prevent her tribe’s cultural practices.

“We rely on specific and traditional crops for certain ceremonies,” McCray said. “If the water is poisoned by the

burn off from these fracking sites and oil wells, and when they eventually spill, that will affect the crops that we need.”

Until the Board of Adjustment reaches a solution, McCray said she and others will continue to protest against the drilling site near Lake Thunderbird and any others that may come about.

“We will fight every single project we learn about and stand with every single community who asks us for help in the fight against big oil,” McCray said.

Sierra Rains

sierra.m.rains@gmail.com

Former parking lot to house student center Baptist group buys OU land near Greek life, residence halls SIERRA RAINS @sierrarains

A parking lot located between OU’s Greek life and the residence halls will soon become the new site of the Baptist Collegiate Ministries’ student center.

The Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma acquired the parking lot at 1203 Elm Ave. through a “land trade” with OU that had been in the works for

several years, OU press secretary Matt Epting said in an email.

The trade also involved OU ’s 2014 $1.6 million purchase of the Baptist Collegiate Ministries’ student center property at 435 W. Boyd St., according to a press release from the convention. The property is currently home to OU student parking and green spaces, Epting said in the email.

A s p a r t o f t h e t r a d e, the convention acquired only two-thirds of the Elm Avenue property and is leasing the other third from the university.

Epting said other privately-operated student ministry facilities have existed adjacent to OU’s campus for decades, and the new Baptist Collegiate Ministries’ building will be no different.

B r i a n Ho b b s, Bap t i st G eneral Convention of Oklahoma communications director, said the former Baptist Collegiate Ministries’ building had become unusable, and leaders within the ministry had begun praying for a chance to move locations when the opportunity arrived.

“Having a large meeting space that’s a first-class

facility really will be vital to the mission and purpose of the group, and we could not have hoped for or dreamed of or prayed for a better location,” Hobbs said.

The new location of the building is ideal, Hobbs said, because it places the ministry right in the center of student housing, allowing it to reach an estimated group of more than 6,000 students.

“The purpose of our ministry is to connect with students and build community,” Hobbs said. “There are a lot of students that will be in proximity to where this building will be.”

Bronson Baker, Baptist Collegiate Ministries staff member, said the building will offer students several new spots to study and will contain a bookstore, coffee shop and large areas for group meetings and ministry services.

“We’ll have a lot of space that we’ll want to be able to use for us but also to open up for students,” Baker said.

“I graduated from OU before I went on staff, and there are some times when it’s impossible to find places to study.”

The construction crew began work on the lot Jan. 25, Baker said, and the goal

is to have the building finished by the fall of 2018.

Hobbs said the Baptist Collegiate Ministries has had a presence on OU’s campus since the 1920s and that he and others involved with the ministry are excited to be moving to a location where they can reach more people.

“A lot of people have suppor ted this and prayed about it for years, and to see it coming together is just very exciting,” Hobbs said.

Sierra Rains

sierra.m.rains@gmail.com

Shurbaji administration assumes office SGA president, vice president seek cabinet members TORRE MULRONEY @torre_mulroney

Despite delays in the confirmation process, Student Government Association President Yaseen Shurbaji and Vice President Hannah Hardin have assumed office and are accepting cabinet position applications.

While the Shurbaji and Hardin administration is officially underway, Shurbaji said they are still deciding on whether to have a swearing-in ceremony. Legal challenges to Shurbaji’s campaign within the SGA have delayed both his inauguration and his cabinet selection process.

“It has come at a disservice to the students now that

we are having to start a lot later than we could have,” Shurbaji said. “We are going to work hard to account for that delay.”

“The most important thing to us is tangibility, showing that you value action over words and that you value results.”

YASEEN SHURBAJI, STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

Shurbaji said he is encouraging those interested in applying for his cabinet to work hard on the application and focus on “not just the why but the how.”

“The most important thing to us is tangibility, showing that you value action over

words and that you value results,” Shurbaji said.

Applications will be open until 5 p.m. Jan. 30, and students can apply on Orgsync.

Shurbaji said there is no bias in the cabinet selection process and he encourages anyone interested to apply.

“It is more pertinent for me to understand how someone can help facilitate the idea, rather than why they are necessarily passionate about it,” Shurbaji said. “It is good to be passionate about things because passion will drive that work ethic, but at the end of the day you have to have a tangible plan as to how you are going to accomplish something or else you are not going to accomplish it.”

Torre Mulroney

torre.d.mulroney@ou.edu

PROVIDED BY KEVIN DUONG

Student Government Association President Yaseen Shurbaji and Vice President Hannah Hardin pose for a picture. The Shurbaji administration is now accepting cabinet applications.

NEWS

January 29-31, 2018 •

3

TEDxOU speakers share insight

Students, faculty, professionals take part in conference EMMA KEITH @shakeitha_97

Bathed in the multicolored lights in Meacham Auditorium, 11 students, professors and professionals took the stage Friday to share their expertise and experiences with dozens of audience members.

2018’s TedxOU event, themed “ROOTS,” saw these speakers draw on the idea of origin and beginnings to present stories, advice, insight and art over the course of the Jan. 26 event.

The event was punctuated with music from OU alumnus Barron Ryan, who used an onstage piano to play his takes on classic songs like “I Want You Back.” Ryan’s talk emphasized the beauty in creating something new with a cover song.

Nick Williams, a thirdyear law student, used his talk to speak to the unifying power of music and its ability to give “voice to different cultures all across the world” as he sang before the audience.

“You’re only able to understand the substance of your beliefs when you put them alongside others, and music allows for that,” Williams said.

The day also showcased artwork from several OU students like Jane Hsi, a fine arts, biochemistry and letters senior, who created an art piece that invited students to write statements from several prompts on a makeshift wall.

“The inspiration from this came partially from my childhood of not being

KYLA GILLETTE/THE DAILY

2018’s TEDxOU theme was “ROOTS.” The conference consisted of speakers, sponsors and interactive events and took place Jan. 26 in Meacham Auditorium at the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

allowed to write on the walls,” Hsi said. “And thinking it’d be great if we’re all allowed to write on the walls, and just my interest in what people have to say about society, themselves and just anything. I think it came from just wanting to understand others and this being sort of a playful way to mitigate that.”

Many of the day’s speakers shared visions for coming generations in their areas of research and work, some drawing on the past to imagine a better future.

Microbiology professor Lee Krumholz used his talk about methane to share the practical applications for the gas, including use in the energy industry. OU alumna and entrepreneur Carey Fl a ck , w h o s e c o m p a ny Bloom works toward indigenous language revitalization, noted the health and communal benefits of using traditional indigenous languages, sharing that society’s “collective future” lies in the power of language.

Audience members als o re ceive d practical

application tips and habits moving out of the day.

Geology senior Will Shelden spoke on his research in water sustainability, sharing the environmental, economic and societal implications of water crises and encouraging audience members to take personal action to conserve and work for equal water rights.

“We can change our individual relationships with water ... by making more sustainable lifestyle choices on a large scale as a population, we can drastically

sustain our existing water supply,” Shelden said.

Rena Cook, professor emerita in the Peggy Dow Helmerich School of Drama, emphasized the importance of authentic communication and offered attendees advice on adjusting their mannerisms, speech and posture to make themselves more available to others.

“It seems right now that we are so divided, and that authentic communication is not happening anywhere,” Cook said.

Ta l k s l i k e C o o k ’s

resonated with students like civil engineering junior Armando Orozco-Pelayo, who said he found Cook’s session useful.

“I thought that was very helpful for me because I ’ m a n e x t re m e l y aw kward person, and I often feel like I’m not communicating well,” OrozcoPelayo said. “So just that fact that she said relax and be yourself really helped.”

Emma Keith

emmakeith97@ou.edu

Tax law to affect charity National change to potentially reduce donations to OU JANA ALLEN

@janaabananaax

JULIA HARTH/THE DAILY

A crowd gathers outside of the Oklahoma Capitol March 4. A new national tax law will bring changes for OU alumni and donors.

OU students start legal clinic College of Law’s new program to offer free advice THOMAS GAO @tgao1018

OU’s College of Law is teaming up with the Tom L ove Innovation Hub to start a new free legal clinic aimed at helping Oklahomans navigate the legal side of starting a new business.

The college already has a civic clinic and a criminal defense clinic, but this new clinic will be the first client counseling-based clinic.

Brian McCall, the associate dean of Academic Affairs at the College of Law, said this clinic will open up a new path for law students

to gain legal experience.

“We want to have opportunities for our students can see all the different choices they may have as lawyers,” McCall said.

“The university has put a lot of resources and energy behind the Innovation Hub to provide lots of opportunities for the wider community, so we wanted to support the main university initiative and try to be a part of that as well to serve the local metro community.”

The new clinic will provide Oklahomans services like company registration, contract review and advisement on business laws.

McCall said he believes the state will benefit significantly from the clinic.

“The establishment and growth of small businesses

are incredibly important to the local economy,” McCall said. “People starting a business often don’t have enough money to get advice from a lawyer in the beginning. If we can provide that piece and encourage businesses to stay in Norman rather than going to another state, because of the Innovation Hub’s resources and the legal clinic, that’ll help the continued development of the metro and Oklahoma economy.”

The clinic is currently on a pilot basis through May, and appointments can be scheduled by calling the Innovation Hub at 405-325-2728.

Thomas Gao jgao3@ou.edu

The new national tax law will mean numerous changes for OU alumni and donors in their giving, including fewer incentives for charitable giving to the university.

The OU Foundation said in a newsletter that the changes from the new tax law include increasing the standard deduction, increasing the estate tax exemption, eliminating the deduction for contributions for university athletic seating rights, eliminating the deduction for entertainment expenses and more.

According to the newsletter, increasing the standard deduction from $6,350 to $12,000 for individuals and

from $12,700 to $24,000 for married couples will lower itemizers from 30 percent of taxpayers to 5 percent, “thus eliminating for many taxpayers the tax benefit for charitable giving,” the newsletter said.

Guy Patton, president and CEO of the OU Foundation, said the foundation receives an average of $125 million a year in donations to the university.

“Most people don’t think about their taxes until the end of the year, right? Our guess would be that it’ll take a couple years to know the consequences from a private giving perspective,” Patton said of the impact on contributions. “Outside of athletics, our guess is that will be relatively small.”

When it comes to the 14,000 Sooner Club members paying for priority athletic seats, they will no longer be able to deduct this from their taxes for contributions made after 2017.

The newsletter said the foundation predicts that athletic ticket sales in general will also be impacted, with businesses no longer able to collect a business deduction for buying tickets to anything considered entertainment.

OU has received more than $3 billion in private donations since President David Boren took office in 1994, and the university has used the gifts to fund scholarships and faculty endowments.

“I don’t think anybody really knows — and there’s no way to know is a better way to put it — exactly what the impact of the changes on the tax law will be to charitable giving,” Patton said. “Most of our donors, we believe, give because they care a lot about the university.”

Jana Allen

jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA® UNIVERSITY THEATRE AND WEITZENHOFFER SCHOOL OF MUSICAL THEATRE

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL COMEDY Music and Lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin Book by Joe DiPietro Directed by Ly Cramer Choreography by Karen Boyd Bethel

8 p.m. Feb. 9, 10, 16, 17 3 p.m. Feb. 11, 18

Elsie C. Brackett Theatre 563 Elm Ave., Norman

This production is suitable for all audiences.

For tickets call (405) 325-4101. Online tickets theatre.ou.edu

Advance Purchase: $10 student, $30 adult, $25 senior adult, OU employee Tickets at the door: $15 student, $40 adult. No discounts, cash/check only.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. For accommodations, please call (405) 325-4101.

4

• January 29-31, 2018

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Allison Weintraub, A&E editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/life&arts • Twitter: @OUDailyArts

OU to present spring musical Show to include large student cast, run for two weeks TIM HATTON @nottahmit

show.

O U s t u d e n t s Ta t u m Ludlam and Thomas Cromer are the show’s two leads, but Cramer says “Nice Work If You Can Get It� showcases more actors than most other musicals.

Th e We i t ze n h o f f e r School of Musical Theatre “We picked it will present its spring mubecause it has great sical, “Nice Work If You music and many Can Get It,� next month. It will run for two weeks. featured roles.

The musical is set in the Anything that gives 1920s and features origiour students the nal music from George and Ira Gershwin, including opportunity to speak the songs “Let’s Call the and be featured — Whole Thing Off � and “‘S that’s the way to go.�

Wonderful.�

Lyn Cramer, dance proLYN CRAMER, f e s s o r at t h e S c h o o l o f DANCE PROFESSOR AT THE Musical Theatre, will di- SCHOOL OF MUSICAL THEATRE rect the show. Conductor “We picked it because it Gerald Steichen, who is visiting OU from New York has great music and many City, will serve as the guest featured roles,� Cramer musical director for the said. “Anything that gives

our students the opportunity to speak and be featured — that’s the way to go.�

Advance tickets for the show are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $10 for OU students and faculty. They are available at Catlett Music Center or online.

Tickets at the door will be $40 for adults and $15 for students.

Performances of “Nice Work If You Can Get It� are scheduled for 8 p.m. on Feb. 9, 10, 16 and 17. The company will also present matinees of the show at 3 p.m. on Feb. 11 and 18. All shows will be in the Elsie C . B ra cke tt Th e at re o n 563 Elm Ave. in Norman.

Tim Hatton

hamlin@ou.edu

VIA WIKIMEDIA

The Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre will present its spring musical, called “Nice Work If You Can Get It,� next month. The show will run for two weeks.

Elton John bids farewell Award-winning singer will visit Tulsa on final tour SIANDHARA BONNET

CORRECTION A photo on p. 6 of The Daily on Jan. 25 misidentified the source of a photo of Fall Out Boy. The credit was given to Noor Eemaan of The Daily, but credit should have been given to Wikimedia.

@SiandharaB

CLASSIFIEDS J Housing Rentals $570/mo! Walk to OU! 2bd, 2 blocks from Sarkey’s Energy Center. Carpet, blinds, NEW CH/A, appliances, W/D DW: Call 203-3493

PROVIDED BY SPOTIFY

Elton John’s cover of his new album, “Wonderful Crazy Night.� Elton John recently announced that he would be going on a farewell tour, which will stop in Tulsa in February 2019.

throughout North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and “Australasia.�

John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road� tour will stop at

the Bank of Oklahoma Center Bank of Oklahoma Center’s in Tulsa as part of the center’s website. “10 for 10� concert series.

Tickets can be bought online Siandhara Bonnet at John’s website or from the arahdnais@ou.edu

Stay connected with The Daily

Follow @OUDaily for breaking news and campus info

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker January 29, 2018

ALLISON WEINTRAUB @AllisonWntrb

though McEntire is the first woman to take on the role.

Reba teased her new role with a photo on Twitter. The picture shows McEntire sitting in front of a vanity with a photo of Colonel Sanders on the side.

McEntire will follow in the footsteps of those who have played Colonel Sanders before her, including George Hamilton, Rob Riggle, Jim Gaffigan and Billy Zane. McEntire’s first advertisement is for KFC’s Smoky Mountain BBQ flavor.

R e b a M c E n t i r e w i l l be the new face of KFC after debuting as Colonel Sanders in a new advertisement.

McEntire, who was born in 1955 in McAlester, Oklahoma, took over the role of the chicken chain’s mascot in a new ad, released on Jan. 25. In the ad, Allison Weintraub McEntire sings about being the same old colonel, even allison.weintraub@ou.edu

Friends

Don ’t Let Friends

Drive Drunk.

DUPLEXES UNFURNISHED

Reba McEntire to play KFC colonel Oklahoma native will be first woman to portray Sanders

A drunk driver ruined something precious. Amber Apodaca.

Previous Solution

Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

ACROSS 1 Marble unit 5 Graph holder 10 Kevin James’ network 13 “To Sir With Love� warbler 14 Photographer’s command 15 Word to a too-fast horse 16 Ice finishers 19 What “104� means 20 Place for grapes 21 The “Friendly Islands�

22 Makes lights romantic 23 “I’m ___ for words�

25 “El ___�

(John Wayne film) 28 Mirror’s output 29 Familiar with 30 Cronelike 31 Like Yeller 34 Ice finishers 38 Deer relative 39 Dozen on a cube 40 Albacore, for one 41 Love, to the French 42 Like some photos 1/29

44 Hymn tunes 47 ’07 class member, e.g.

48 Preparing sniper 49 A bad way to run 50 Brazilian hotspot 53 Ice finishers 57 Gams 58 Where albs are stored 59 Unpleasant smell 60 “Big Band,� for one 61 Stately horse 62 “... in ___-horse open ...�

DOWN 1 Vanquish a vampire 2 Alpine sled 3 Some beers 4 “Borrow,� as a cig 5 Pie in the freezer 6 Prayer finales 7 “Your Majesty�

8 Reindeer handler?

9 Gift with an “Aloha�

10 Trousers material 11 Bell sounds 12 Way-long tales 15 Not in pieces 17 Like an obsessive fan

18 Homefor-sale decorator 22 Like moist basements 23 Awry or fishy 24 Mohs scale starter 25 Con victim 26 Fiery Aussie gem 27 Make an ax squeal 28 Printing press part 30 “Black� breed of cattle 31 Masterful composition 32 Camera necessity 33 Low horse cart 35 Comment 36 Adored one 37 Molecule part

41 Vicinities 42 Balled into a sphere 43 One of the Gospels 44 Programming provider 45 HR department, at times 46 Other end from alpha 47 Make giggle 49 Facial breakout 50 Perform over 51 Bar material 52 Beastly creature 54 Common duo?

55 Despised rodent 56 Suffocating snake

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Fax: 405-325-7517 Campus Address: COH 149A

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HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2017, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

FOR RELEASE: MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Personal changes will boost your morale but also create stress if you don’t stick to a set budget.

Attention to detail, moderation and structure will help you stay out of trouble.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Express your feelings with compassion and thoughtfulness. Sharing your views with younger and older people in your life will be informative. Develop your talents. Turn one of your skills into a profitable endeavor.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Take some time to do something that makes you happy. Indulging in a shopping spree or relaxing with a good book will give you a different perspective on personal situations that have been bothering you.

1/28 2018 Andrews McMeel Syndication 1/25 ŠŠ2018 Andrews McMeel Syndication www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com

Photo by Michael Mazzeo

Sir Elton John will grace the stage for the final time in Tulsa in February 2019.

He announced Jan. 24 in an exclusive VR180 Live Stream on YouTube that it was time to say farewell.

The multiple Grammywinning superstar has 38 gold and 31 platinum or multi-platinum albums. He has also sold more than 300 million records worldwide.

With almost half a century of performances under his belt, John has had 56 top 40 singles in the U.S. and seven No. 1 albums between 1972 and 1975.

The farewell tour will begin this year in September in the U.S. and end in 2021, according to his website. The tour will have more than 300 stops

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Share your knowledge and experience with people you are close to, but don’t divulge secret information to outsiders trying to take advantage of you. Choose your friends and allies carefully.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Put in the time and take control of your current situation to come out a winner. Personal improvements will be praised by others and will boost your morale.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- A boost of energy will help you get started on something you’ve wanted to do for some time. Let your creative imagination flow and see what happens. You’ll gain recognition.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Investing

in property, fixing up your surroundings and making a promise to a loved one are all favored, as long as you are realistic and financially savvy moving forward.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- A vivid imagination and a detailed, precise mindset will lead to all sorts of interesting ideas. If you collaborate with people you find interesting, a window of opportunity will open up.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Protect your home, family and reputation.

Emotional mistakes will be made if you act in haste. Concentrate on growing personally and implementing a healthy lifestyle. Romance is highlighted.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Look for opportunities and make a point to take advantage of what’s going on around you. Short trips, business meetings and information-sharing are all favored.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Limit your spending and avoid being caught short. A joint venture will tempt you, but the results will not live up to your expectations.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Weigh the pros and cons and make smart choices based on what works best for you. Take care of your responsibilities early on and encourage others to do the same.

January 29-31, 2018 •

SPORTS

George Stoia, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports

Kelli Stacy Editor in Chief Emma Keith News Managing Editor Emily Farris Engagement Editor George Stoia Sports Editor Allison Weintraub A&E Editor Kayla Branch Enterprise Editor Paxson Haws Visual Editor Daniella Peters Copy Manager Savannah Saing Print Editor

contact us 160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-2052

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PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

Freshman guard Trae Young dribbles around his opponent during the game against Kansas on Jan. 23. The Sooners defeated Kansas, 85-80.

Sooners lose to Alabama Oklahoma falls after poor shooting performance

80-73, after a poor shooting performance.

The Sooners struggled against the Tide early, falling behind by as many as 13 in the first half. Oklahoma GEORGE STOIA was able to cut the lead to @georgestoia as close as 2 points, but still N o . 1 2 O k l a h o m a trailed 41-35 at the half.

Oklahoma found its (15-5, 5-3 Big 12) lost to Alabama (14-7, 5-3 SEC), rhythm in the second half

behind freshman Trae Young ’s 12 second-half points. The Sooners took a 5-point lead at one point, but Alabama came storming back late in the second half to win, 80-73.

Young would finish with just 17 points, eight assists and three rebounds. Senior forward Khadeem Lattin

would lead the Sooners in scoring with 18, and junior guard Rashard Odomes would contribute 15 points.

Freshman forward Brady Manek continued his struggles on the road, 1-of-7 from 3-point range, but still added 12 points.

Alabama shot 53.3 percent from beyond the arc,

while Oklahoma shot just 28 percent. The Sooners did out-rebound the Tide, though, 38-37.

The Sooners will look to get back on track Tuesday night, Jan. 30, when they face Baylor.

George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

OU drops into bottom half of Big 12 Sooners fall short to TCU for first time in four seasons ERICKSON DEMBOWSKI @EDubya42

Oklahoma (10-11, 5-5 Big 12) lost to No. 24 TCU (15-5, 6-3 Big 12) for the first time in four seasons Saturday, 62-58.

Neither team shined offensively, but the Sooners’ 3-point slump and lack of bench scoring ultimately made the difference.

Oklahoma went 4-of-17 from deep, compared to TCU’s 7-of-18 from 3-point range.

The Horned Frogs’ bench outscored Oklahoma, 36-0, while TCU made 17 turnovers.

Although the Sooners outshot TCU from the field, Oklahoma went 14-of-22 from the foul line, with freshman guard Shaina

Pellington missing four of her nine attempts.

Pellington led the Sooners in scoring with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, but the conference freshman of the week also tallied nine turnovers.

Senior center Vionise Pierre-Louis anchored the Oklahoma defense, pulling down 14 rebounds, recording two steals and blocking five shots.

Saturday’s loss drops the Sooners into the bottom half of the Big 12 standings. Oklahoma is now 1-8 against ranked opponents for the season.

The Sooners return home for an early morning matchup against Kansas State (11-9, 3-6 Big 12) Wednesday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is set for 10:30 a.m. CT. Erickson Dembowski

erickson.w.dembowski-1@ou.edu

ABBY BITTERMAN @Abby_Bitterman

Norman North senior wide receiver Isaac Stoops, son of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, will stay home and continue his football career and education at Oklahoma.

Stoops announced his intention to stay home and go to Oklahoma as a preferred walk-on in a tweet Saturday, Jan. 27.

“It’s already written, I’m just turning the pages,” Stoops tweeted of his announcement.

Stoops joins his brother

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Freshman guard Shaina Pellington drives baseline in a game against Kansas Jan. 20. The Sooners beat the Jayhawks, 97-64.

Stoops’ sons to stay loyal to Sooners Former coach’s twins commit to Oklahoma

5

interceptions and 34 total tackles in his high school career.

A thre e-star w ide receiver, Drake Stoops committed to Oklahoma as a preferred walk-on earlier this month. He is the No. 20 ranked player in the state of Oklahoma, and in his senior season he recorded 66 receptions for a total of 1,093 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Isaac Stoops also had offers from Drake, Army and Youngstow n State, while his brother had ofPAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY fers from schools including Former head coach Bob Stoops walks into the Ohio State game on Sept 9. Isaac and Drake Iowa, Ohio, Air Force and Stoops, Bob Stoops’ sons, have both decided to continue their football careers at OU. Arkansas State, according Drake, also a senior wide a two-star recruit, only 11 touchdowns. He has to 247Sports. receiver for Norman North, played wide receiver in his also played on the defenAbby Bitterman i n ch o o si ng to wa l k o n senior season, recording 45 sive side of the ball at corabbybitt@ou.edu for the Sooners. Stoops, catches for 916 yards and nerback and recorded four

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VOL. 103, NO. 6

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6

SPORTS

• January 29-31, 2018

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

An OU football helmet is held up during a pregame huddle Dec. 2. A 10th assistant coach and a new strength and conditioning coach have been added to the OU football coaching staff.

Q&A with Sooners’ new assistant coach

Q&A with Sooners’ new strength coach

GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGESTOIA

ABBY BITTERMAN • @ABBY_BITTERMAN

Oklahoma assistant head coach for the offense, and former Georgia coach Shane Beamer spoke with the media for the first time Friday, Jan. 26.

Here’s what he had to say:

The Sooners’ new strength and conditioning coach Bennie Wylie replaces longtime coach Jerry Schmidt, who left Oklahoma for Texas A&M. Here’s what he had to say about his new job:

Q: WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF SOMEONE TOLD YOU THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN ON NEW YEAR’S DAY? A: Yeah, there’s no question. That was obviously a great game, particularly from the Georgia end. You never know how things happen, and I certainly walked off that field and knew we had a pretty big game a week later that I had to get ready for, but no, I would have never expected that. To lose a heartbreaker in the national championship like we did and then to hear from coach Riley and kind of start this process off, it’s kind of crazy how things work. We’re excited to get going.

Q: WHAT WAS IT LIKE GETTING THE CALL FROM COACH LINCOLN RILEY? A: We’ve talked over the years, and all the opportunities he’s had come up, he’s always kind of given me a call and said, “Hey, this may be coming up.” So not totally surprised, just honored, humbled, because he could have chosen anybody in the world, anybody in the country because this job is the pinnacle and anyone would have come here. So honored and humbled to have gotten the call.

Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR ROLE AND ASSIGNMENTS YOU HAVE AT OKLAHOMA? A: I’m excited, personally, from a selfish standpoint, to learn from coach Riley and his offense. Obviously there are a lot of coaches that get into this profession, and they want to be a head coach, and I do, and I felt like the opportunity to be around coach Riley and his program and his offense, and to learn from him, is something I couldn’t turn down. Then, to still have a role in special teams — because I love special teams, I really enjoyed coaching tight ends at Georgia. I’m excited about it for sure.

Q: WHAT KIND OF INFLUENCE HAS YOUR DAD HAD IN YOUR CAREER? WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU HEAR ‘BEAMER BALL’?

A: When I think of ‘Beamer ball,’ all I think of is the ability to score at any time, whether it be offense, defense, special teams — and that was kind of his niche coming up, the special teams aspect of it. Hopefully I’ve taken a lot from him from a football standpoint and Xs and Os, special teams, but more than anything with him, it’s just I hope the one quality I took from him was how he treated people along the way. I’m biased obviously, being his son, but seeing the way he treats people whether it was in 1992 when he won two games and almost got fired at Virginia Tech or his last year when they played for the national championship, he never changed.

Q: WAS IT SURPRISING TO YOU WHEN YOU FIRST GOT THE CALL THAT LINCOLN WAS INTERESTED IN YOU? A: Yeah, a little bit, just because Oklahoma’s a place that Lincoln Riley can pick up the phone and call any coach in the country and that coach is probably going to have an interest in coming to Oklahoma. It’s one of those places. I knew that from afar and have learned that pretty quickly in my two days here why that is. It’s a special place, so I was humbled, more than anything, that he reached out to me and had an interest in talking to me about a position here. Extremely humbled and very thankful for sure. As the process went on, the more and more I found out about Oklahoma, the more and more I found out and learned about coach Riley and the rest of the staff, it just only solidified the decision — as tough as it was leaving Georgia — made the decision clearer to me that it was

Q: WHAT IS THE APPEAL OF WORKING FOR LINCOLN? A: Oklahoma. I mean that’s the appeal — is that you come to one of the best programs in the country. You come for longevity. There’s only been four strength coaches in the history of our football program, and so to be No. 5, that’s pretty good odds of being here for a while. So just longevity, just being a part of winning and just the high level, just the pressure of winning — how high that expectation is at — like we will win, we’ll win often, and so just to be a part of that group and just to be a part of coach Riley again has been awesome.

Q: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GET TO WORK IN BRANDNEW FACILITIES? A: We’re blessed and fortunate to have the very best.

I’ve been in a lot of great facilities over the last few years — there’s not any better — but here we’re still humble. We still work hard. So we still use Everest. We still use Roy Williams. We’re humble. We’re going to grow.

We’re going to work. We’re going to use every inch, every square foot that we have here. So I love our new facilities, and there is nothing better. All of our timing systems, force plates, every bell and whistle that you can even imagine. We used it actually this morning and to have all 96 guys in there at one time was incredible. So much energy, so much juice, so much passion, so much sweat, a little bit of vomit — that’s all right. But it’s great to have such great facilities, which means you have great support, but again I’m kind of old-school. I still like the old hot box across the street, so we’ll still use that one as well.

Q: DOES IT FEEL LIKE YOU’RE STEPPING INTO BIG SHOES AND IS THAT INTIMIDATING AT ALL? A: There are absolutely big shoes to fill, and it is intimidating, but that’s why you come to a place like this. You come to fall right into that. You come to be better. You don’t want to stay the same. You want to grow. You want to be better. You want to be the best. And so, if you want to be the best, you come to Oklahoma.