W E E K LY E D I T I O N | F E B R U A R Y 16 - 2 2 , 2 0 2 1 | O U D A I LY. C O M
NEWS
OUDAILY
2
President Biden sparks hope in OU community
OU’s independent student voice since before the 1918 pandemic
OU community sees struggle in varying learning methods Professors, students contend with obstacles of virtual, in-person classes amid challenges presented by COVID-19 pandemic
SAM TONKINS
@samanthatonkins
As OU students begin their day in Norman, Konstantinos Karathanasis ends his half a world away, sitting in his rented apartment in Athens, Greece. Karathanasis is a professor of music technology and composition in the OU School of Music. During the 2019-20 academic year, Karathanasis went on sabbatical and traveled to Athens, Greece, to work on his research project, which involved combining the aulos — an ancient Greek double-reed instrument — with live electronics. In spring 2020, Karathanasis was teaching a class at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens when the pandemic began and travel restrictions were imposed. As his wife is at high risk for developing serious COVID-19 complications, Karathanasis stayed in Greece, offering online classes. Luckily, Karathanasis said he has plenty of his own equipment with him. “When I packed materials for my sabbatical, I got some mobile, semi-professional equipment to do my own research, and that has proved invaluable in this situation,” Karathanasis said. “I never imagined that I would use it for classes and everything.” OU professors and students alike have adapted to COVID-19 restrictions, finding new ways to teach and learn during the pandemic as classes move online. In the fall, Karathanasis offered an asynchronous music appreciation class, which he had never done before. The class proved to be a learning experience as he converted all of the materials to assignments that would work online. This semester, Karathanasis is teaching two online lab classes. These classes, which usually take place in the MIDI lab in the School of Music, require specific equipment and programs. However, his sound design class requires students to purchase a MIDI keyboard, which costs around $100. While the cost of the equipment is an extra burden for students, Karathanasis said the technology is very useful for students interested in music and sound design and that around half of his class already had the equipment. Karathanasis said the keyboard can be used for multiple classes and personal projects, making it an investment. “Unlike a textbook … this is stuff they can use into the future,” Karathanasis said. Time zones were an additional difficulty, Karathanasis said. Athens is in the Eastern European Time Zone, which is eight hours ahead of Central Standard Time. He said initially, his classes were scheduled for late evening in Norman — the middle of the night for Athens. Karathanasis said the administration at OU’s School of Music helped arrange his classes into more convenient times for both him and his students. His earliest class now starts at 8:30 p.m. Eastern European Time, which is 12:30 p.m. for students on campus. Despite additional expenses
Stalling’s China Today class watches as Stalling teaches in David Burr Park.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CAROL JARRETT
OU vocal performance sophomore Carol Jarrett practices in her bedroom.
and scheduling conflicts, the online format also has some benefits, Karathanasis said. Because they are not in the MIDI lab, which only has eight workstations, his classes are able to have more students, going beyond the physical limitations. “I really love having lots of students in the class, sharing my knowledge, helping people in their careers,” Karathanasis said. CHOIR AMID COVID In addition to online classes, several OU professors are teaching hybrid classes, where part of the instruction is online and part is in person following COVID-19 guidelines. Most of vocal performance sophomore Carol Jarrett’s classes are online, with the exception of choir rehearsals and voice lessons. Choir has become a hybrid class, with a large, socially distanced rehearsal in Sharp Hall on Mondays and sectional rehearsals either in person or online throughout the week. Singing in masks can be difficult, Jarrett said, and the mask’s material affects her sound. In a regular mask, Jarrett said she can hear her sound better, but the mask causes her to spread her sound, giving her singing a brighter and more soloistic tone. Jarrett said members of the choir have special resonance masks that allow a performer to sing without spreading their sound, but it becomes harder to hear her own voice and the voices of those around her. “You can have that depth, but the only downside is you can’t really hear yourself sing, so you never know if you’re pitchy or not,” Jarrett
PHOTO BY TRAVIS CAPERTON
PHOTO PROVIDED BY KONSTANTINOS KARATHANASIS
Karathanasis teaches his Zoom class from his apartment in Athens, Greece.
said. For online rehearsals, Jarrett said the choir uses the program Rehearsal Live Share, which allows the choir to sing together without the sound disconnection that occurs with Zoom. Since most of her classes are online, Jarrett said she has done a lot of practicing from home, which has allowed her to get to know her voice better and practice more often. “I have more time in my day to actually sit down and practice in between my classes, maybe like, run a little motif in a Handel piece, or even just do some quick warmups to get me through the day,” Jarrett said. Jarrett did warn her roommates that there would be “weird sounds” coming from her room as she practiced different techniques, but she said they don’t seem to mind. “Since I am a vocalist, it’s a lot more, ‘Oh, screeching? All right let’s try that. Oh, cackling like a witch? Yeah, let’s get that bright forwardness,’” Jarrett said. As she practices on her own, Jarrett said there are more online resources for her to utilize. “A lot of the companies are putting out these free operas to get the public in and have them watch these classical performances, which is really beneficial to the students to see what they’re going into and to kind of learn and surround themselves in that environment,” Jarrett said. Jarrett said her online classes are helping her prepare for a career in music during the digital age. “All of these Zoom classes, all of these choir rehearsals going online, we have to learn as musicians to quickly adapt to what the industry is
going to throw at us,” Jarrett said. ‘NOW THERE’S MORE TO CARE ABOUT’ In-person classes are also adapting to meet the challenges raised by the pandemic. In the fall, Jonathan Stalling’s China Today class met weekly by the gazebo in David Burr Park, across from Couch Tower. Stalling, a professor of international and area studies at the OU College of International Studies who has been at OU since 2006, said he liked to teach some of his classes outside even before COVID-19. From creative writing classes to classes on Chinese poetic forms, Stalling incorporated nature into his lessons, drawing inspiration from OU’s campus. “We have a beautiful campus, frankly, and the campus is more beautiful than the classroom,” Stalling said. Being outdoors allows his classes to have the ability to move around, and Stalling said he often uses physical interaction to teach more abstract concepts, such as the idea of showing how power varies culturally. “If you want to explain the cultural difference around power, the West will think of pushing as a demonstration of power whereas in traditional Chinese culture, power is more understood in terms of yielding,” Stalling said. “To resiliently yield is to control, to conserve energy and maximize or optimize energy output.” To demonstrate this idea, Stalling said he teaches martial arts to his students. In the fall, the class used
6-foot bamboo poles, keeping the exercises distanced. “By doing so, we would be able to not sacrifice certain social and physical ways of conveying or teaching information, while not violating the social distancing policy, and that was really successful,” Stalling said. Stalling’s class was also a hybrid class, combining the best elements of a socially distanced, in-person class with online teaching, he said. Students were able to meet safely in person but got to know each other through Zoom. “Actually, Zoom ends up being better for a sense of intimacy with facial expressions and seeing how people react to and engage one another in conversation,” Stalling said. Stalling said teaching virtually turned out to be “less problematic” than he was expecting. Initially, he was worried that being online would not allow for a sense of community in his classes, but as he gained familiarity with the technology over the course of the fall semester, Stalling said that was not the case. “I would have thought that in order to create community, I needed to be physically around people,” Stalling said. “But I actually think that the masks were a real hindrance to the transmission of social clues and cues that really undergird a big percentage of human communication. Without being able to see and react with people, masks make it difficult.” Despite being online, Stalling said that students are still gaining experiences that they can take with them into future careers. Zoom classes are enabling students to learn online etiquette and how to interact professionally online, something Stalling said will be an important part of the job market after the pandemic. “Even though your generation may be digital natives, that doesn’t mean that people necessarily have performed at a high level in a virtual community before,” Stalling said. As for Karathanasis, he plans to return to Norman at the end of the summer, provided vaccination efforts succeed in both the U.S. and Greece. He said while he is glad he is able to teach from abroad, he misses the atmosphere of OU’s campus. “It’s one thing to work from your living room in an apartment and it’s a totally different thing … to be a part of a physical community, in a campus where you see people going in, going out — the bustling, the energy, the feeling that something good is happening, something good is brewing,” Karathanasis said. Karathanasis said the biggest takeaway from his experience is “how fragile our world is” and the necessity to work together across political and financial boundaries to make a better world. “Before the pandemic, that’s something that I would never think about,” Karathanasis said. “I was so drawn into being creative, being productive, being a good teacher, being a good provider for my family, a good parent, a good spouse, and I continue to want to be all of that, but now there’s more to care about.”
Sam Tonkins
samantha.tonkins@ou.edu
Essential outings rule ‘defeats the purpose’ Students frustrated with university quarantine policies MARIEN LOPEZ-MEDINA @Ailime_Neiram
Several OU students are delivering meals to their peers in quarantine to circumvent a policy they
say “defeats the purpose” of the university COVID-19 protocol. After being exposed to COVID19 on Feb. 4, OU meteorology freshman Robby Frost has been quarantining on the fifth floor of Walker Tower since Feb. 6, as instructed by OU Health Services. Although he is allowed to leave his room for “essential” activities, including getting food from the
university dining halls, he said he feels uncomfortable doing so. “I know that I have a heightened risk of carrying COVID-19,” Frost said. “Even though I’m double-masked, it just feels weird being around people knowing that I could be spreading it to them (while) asking for food.” Frost said his first time breaking quarantine to get food in Couch
Restaurants — before he tested negative for COVID-19 — was “pretty stressful” on top of the uncertainty he was already facing. He said he tried “not to talk that much” to reduce the risk of infecting others when student employees were serving his food and started pointing out what he wanted. The possibility of spreading the virus to someone else was
always in the back of his mind. “I could definitely see the possibility (of quarantined students) eating and (not worrying) about it,” Frost said. “I don’t think (OU Housing and Food) exclusively said that I can’t eat there and I wasn’t given a limit to how many times I can leave per day.” see MEALS page 2
2
NEWS
• Feb. 16- 22, 2021
Biden’s start brings ‘new mood’ Faculty, students express hope with new administration JONATHAN KYNCL @jdkyn
U.S. President Joe Biden took his oath of office in Washington D.C., Jan. 20, leaving OU students, faculty and staff looking toward the future to see how their new president’s administration will impact campus. Scott Fritzen, dean of the College of International Studies, said Biden’s election provided hope to international students who faced marginalization during the previous administration. He said they will now have the opportunity to feel at home again. Fritzen said this summer, the Trump administration issued a worrying framework for international student visas during the pandemic, barring them from receiving visas if they were only enrolled in online classes. “I think it’s fair to say that the previous administration put in place a complex and largely anxiety-provoking regulatory framework for international student visa issues,” Fritzen said. “I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet. I mean, we’re obviously facing really complicated, even dark times, in terms of the pandemic. Certainly, the next few months are going to be very difficult.” Laura Bertran de la Torre, an economics senior from Cuba, said the regulations the Trump administration put into place targeted international students in a nerve-wracking way. “It felt very targeted because it was basically if you’re international, and your university decides to go online, you have to go back home, which is not possible for everyone,” Bertran de la Torre said. “It was a pretty nerve-wracking process, it kind of drew a lot of attention over ICE and how bad of an institution it is. So I know there’s a lot of hope on Biden making things better, or taking some power away from (ICE).” The Biden administration is planning on taking more control over ICE to limit deportations and arrests, according to a Washington Post article. Biden also plans on issuing new training for ICE officials and holding some accountable for “inhumane treatment,” according to Biden’s campaign site. Bertran de la Torre said the Trump administration closed the U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba, limiting visitors and
MEALS: continued from page 1
on campus if it wasn’t safe to attend classes and stay with his roommate. OU political science freshman Mariah Powers, OU psychology freshman Cassidy Middlebrook and OU biology junior Logan Pesina offered their help to Frost. “I decided to volunteer to help deliver Robby’s food because I can’t imagine what it must be like to fear you have COVID-19 and not want to expose anyone, yet you have to just to get food,” Powers wrote in an email to The Daily. “The fact (that) they don’t provide adequate resources to deliver food to the students who are potentially COVID positive is irresponsible and extremely unsafe.” Pesina wrote in an email to The Daily she had the capabilities to help someone in need since “OU isn’t doing enough, nor the administration.” “I would go to the caf, DM him the options of the day, pick up his choices and then deliver to his quarantine location. I would probably leave
President Joe Biden speaks to a crowd ahead of the Iowa Caucuses on Jan. 27, 2020
making the journey to the U.S. much more difficult. “(Trump) basically said, ‘Well, we can’t bring down the Cuban government if we actually support the Cuban people, or if we let people visit and spend their US dollars in the island,’” Bertran de la Torre said. “The US embassy in Havana has been closed for like four years, which is basically Trump’s presidency and that makes it very hard for people to visit there or for anyone who wants to live there... For me to interview and get a visa to get into the US, I could not do it through the embassy in Havana because it’s been shut down. So I had to get a visa to go to Colombia and then get a visa in Colombia to go to the US.” Fritzen said some international students were surprised by the divisiveness in the U.S. leading up to and during the 2020 election cycle. “I believe international students will be a little bit puzzled by how divided the U.S. is — I guess that’s not new. Polarization in the U.S. has been trending towards extremes for a while now,” Fritzen said. “They basically are still studying in a country where a former president is impeached (and) where there doesn’t seem to be a common approach to basically anything. It’s still a time of some anxiety and just coming to grips with what is the new America. This may be an image of America that, for some students, doesn’t match the image from afar as they
the food outside his door and make sure he’d receive it.” Pesina wrote. “Hopefully the caf staff would allow me to request a larger portion per meal, so that he could have some food left over to put in the fridge as a quarantine snack.” According to an email from OU Housing and Food’s director of Marketing and Communications Amy Buchanan, “asymptomatic quarantined on-campus students, those who have not tested positive for COVID-19, are instructed to restrict their movement for 10 days, unless it is for an essential need, such as food, medical care or medicine and other vital activities,” based on the guidance of Chief COVID Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “No prolonged outings are permitted,” Buchanan wrote in the email. “Students are encouraged to use curbside pickup for any crucial outings and wear a mask and socially distance anytime they leave quarantine for essential items.” Asymptomatic students living in the residence halls will remain in their “permanent
contemplate coming to the U.S. to study.” Alisa Fryar, OU’s director of programs in public administration, nonprofit organizations and policy, agreed with Fritzen regarding the impact the new administration will have on international students. “I feel like international students (were) disproportionately affected by the Trump administration,” Fryar said. “As the changes that the Trump administration made start to come back to what we experienced before the Trump administration assuming that’s the case. ... So my guess is that international students will probably be one of the groups whose experiences are very clearly different than they were before.” Since the beginning of the new administration, there has been a “different feeling” within the College of International Studies faculty, and he is more hopeful that the U.S. will re-enter global engagements, Fritzen said. “People have a variety of political viewpoints, but everybody is astonished at how disruptive and unstable the world seemed to be for some hours earlier in January,” Fritzen said. “So is there a new mood? Yeah, I think so. I think there’s generally a feeling that this is an opportunity for the US to reestablish some of its global engagements and commitments.” President Biden has signed a total of 50 executive actions since entering office, as of Feb. 5, which included a mask
mandate for people on federal property and a reverse of Trump’s “Muslim Ban” that barred passport holders from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. John Woods, the executive director of government affairs at OU, said the first executive orders haven’t had a direct impact on college students’ daily life, but the way the Biden administration will respond to issues like COVID19 will have a direct impact. Woods said he thinks the administration’s response to COVID-19 will have far-reaching implications on OU. The Biden administration issued a plan to administer 100 million vaccines within the first 100 days of the administration, dramatically speeding up vaccine rollout, according to a Wall Street Journal article. Biden also announced Feb. 11 that the U.S. will have over 600 million vaccine doses, enough to vaccine all Americans, by the summer. “The administration’s approach in the coming weeks and months is really going to be critical for a lot of institutions out there, not just higher education,” Woods said. “For us, it absolutely is critical and important, both for implementation of vaccine distribution and for a COVID19 relief package that recognizes the financial impact on higher ed and helps us get through that financial side at the same time, that we’re getting through the health impact side of COVID-19 as a disease.”
Walker Tower on October 21, 2019.
housing assignment” if they don’t have a roommate and don’t use a community bathroom. Otherwise, they will be moved to a “quarantine space in the Residential Colleges or the Towers.” Students living in Traditions can “quarantine in their apartment or move to another unit depending on the situation,” Buchanan wrote. Symptomatic students are moved “into an isolation housing space at Traditions” determined by OU Health Services, which is responsible for the movement and placement of individuals in quarantine housing or isolation housing. Pesina wrote she feels OU
ALLYSSA ARENS/THE DAILY
administration is looking at people in quarantine “as data, in a sense, instead of as people.” She said administrators should do better providing “measures and general human decency” for OU students and faculty. “I certainly have complained to and with faculty, but I don’t see any change coming from the administration after all of this,” Pesina wrote. “I feel like we’re stuck with a bad situation made with the best financial decision in mind.” Besides OU students’ critique of OU quarantine policies, Middlebrook and Frost’s biggest concern is that OU students are not taking
JORDAN MILLER/GAYLORD NEWS
Woods also said OU is in a position to be a vehicle for the Biden administration’s vaccine plan. “I think there’s pretty strong signals that the Biden administration wants to try to do everything within their power to push out higher dosage or higher quantities of the vaccine and be able to distribute that in a quicker way than probably what we were originally forecasting just a month or two ago,” Woods said. “If that’s the case, I think you’ll see OU is more than prepared to be a delivery mechanism for those vaccines for our students, our faculty and our staff.” Keith Gaddie, a President’s Associates Presidential professor and former political science professor, said another way the Biden administration plan to combat COVID-19 is through an additional federal relief package. Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief package passed in the House on Feb. 5. The package includes $1,400 stimulus checks for a majority of Americans, money vaccines and upgrades to hospitals and schools. Gaddie said the money in this package could have a large impact on at-risk students. “You’ve got this broadbased $1.9 trillion COVID relief package proposal and there’s going to be money in there for higher education,” Gaddie said. “The formula has traditionally provided that this money must be directed at services that support at-risk
COVID-19 seriously. “I often see large groups gathered without masks and, as a worker at the Canes on campus, people come in without masks a lot, and I also found it strange that the testing at Cate was removed,” Middlebrook wrote in the email. “The number of people being tested has gone down significantly because of that.” When asked what changes they would make to the current OU quarantine policies, Powers wrote in the email that she would “require students who have been exposed or are experiencing symptoms” to not leave their room. “The students in quarantine should be delivered three meals a day, dropped off at their door,” Powers wrote. “Ideally, students who are experiencing symptoms or have been exposed should be moved to quarantine housing immediately — not once they test positive days after getting tested.” Pesina wrote she would make cleaning essential to improve the living conditions in OU quarantine housing, which she considered not the best “even for campus housing.” Powers and Pesina wrote
students (with) students financial pressures needs arising from the pandemic. So you’d expect to see those kinds of preconditions going forward.” Gaddie also said some of the policy changes that will impact students won’t be specifically for them — but will be made through public policy targeted at food scarcity. According to a White House press release, there are currently 29 million people, with anywhere from 8-11 million children, within the U.S. facing food insecurity. Students on campus are also facing this problem due to the financial side of COVID-19. “The No. 1 challenge we have on most campuses has to do with food scarcity, we’ve got a significant number of students who are making conscious choices between rent, food and books. That’s part of a more general problem in the United States,” Gaddie said. “A lot of the consequential actions by the (Biden) administration that impact students are going to be a function of general public policy that’s designed to impact the public.” Fryar said another possible policy change that could impact college students is a loan forgiveness bill. The Biden administration promised during its campaign to forgive $10,000 of student loans for all borrowers, but the bill has received pushback from Republican lawmakers who believe it to be dangerous, according to a POLITICO article. According to educationdata.org, 30 percent of undergraduates in the U.S. receive federal student loans and leave college owing an average of $36,510. While 42 percent of undergraduates at OU receive federal student loans, owing anywhere from $12,000 to $30,000 after graduation, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard. “There are clear calls to do student loan forgiveness,” Fryar said. “We also want to make sure you fix the problem. If we wipe out all the student loan debt today, what do we do for the students that are currently in the system that will be dealing with their own debt and for years now? That’s not a reason to not do loan debt forgiveness. But, it seems to be that the (Biden) administration is thoughtful about the nuances and complexities related to student loans.” Jonathan Kyncl jkyncl@ou.edu
they believe the OU community could feel “safer” on campus regarding COVID19 exposure if “changes were enforced.” “The university has a ton of policies regarding COVID-19, but they don’t actually implement them. I have never seen a student not correctly wearing a mask be reprimanded, whether that be in on campus food facilities, residence halls or even in classrooms while the professor is teaching,” Powers wrote. “I also think we should be notified if a student in one of our classes tests positive, so we can adequately monitor for symptoms or get tested.” Frost is waiting on repeating his COVID-19 test and is expecting to be out of quarantine Feb. 15, as OU Health Services instructed him. Meanwhile, he reflects on doing “all the right things” for the good of the community. “The main reason to be mindful (about COVID-19 exposure) is to care about other people here — for all the faculty that are older and higher risk, but also for the community as a whole,” Frost said. Marien Lopez-Medina AilimeLMarien@ou.edu
NEWS
Feb. 16-22, 2021 •
3
OU continues vaccine rollout University plans for large-scale vaccine clinics KATIE HALLUM @tsutlivv
The OU COVID-19 dashboard reported 19 positive COVID-19 cases from Feb. 8-11. According to the dashboard, nine positive tests w e re re p o r t e d Feb. 8 , three Feb. 9, seven Feb. 10 and none Feb. 11, with 159 total tests administered. All data is indicative of test results from OU Health Services, which includes tests conducted at Goddard Health Services on the Norman Campus. There are 274 campus community members in self-isolation or quarantine as of Feb. 11, according to the dashboard. Of the isolated or quarantined individuals, 27 displayed symptoms, 110
Display of OU mask
had self-reported positive tests, 98 had household exposure and 39 were exposed by other means. Since the beginning of
the university’s vaccine ro l l ou t, 9 5 1 f i r s t d o s e s and 662 second doses have been provided to eligible campus community
vaccine dashboard read. Vaccinations are curr e n t l y b e i n g c o n d u c ted on a first-come, firsts e r v e b a s i s, a c c o rd i n g to OU Director of Media Relations Kesha Keith. She said in an email the university does not currently plan to release its available number of doses. According to a Friday afternoon university vaccine update, the OU College of Pharmacy, the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing and the College of Medicine will supply a group of students trained to administer vaccines at Goddard Health Center. Once Goddard receives “regular, large” vaccine quantities, OU Health PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN FOISY Services will host larges ca l e va c c i nat i o n cl i n ics, and information will m e m b e r s — i n c l u d i n g dashboard. The univer- b e e m a i l e d t o e l i g i b l e first responders, medical sity is currently focusing populations. personnel, and faculty, on administering second staff and students aged 65 doses to eligible popuKatie Hallum or older, according to the l a t i o n s, t h e u n i v e r s i t y katiehallum@ou.edu
Open Meetings Act temporarily amended ‘I wish they would have addressed it sooner’ JONATHAN KYNCL @jdkyn
Though Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill February 10th reinstating Open Meetings Act amendments, Norman Mayor Breea Clark said waiting for the approval has caused issues in the city government’s workings. SB 1031 allows public bodies, including city councils, to hold virtual meetings as vlong as material is posted online for the public to participate in the meetings. Stitt said in a release the decision to move forward on the bill came from Oklahoma residents’ requests. “I want to thank (Senator) Pro Tem Treat, Speaker McCall and the Legislature for getting this across the finish line to my desk,” Stitt said in the release. “We’ve all heard from constituents, state agencies, local school boards and other public bodies requesting this, and
Jordan Miller Editor in Chief Blake Douglas News Editor Mason Young Sports Editor Trey Young Visual Editor Makenna Buckskin Engagement Editor Justin Jayne Video Editor
Beth Wallis Abby Tow Francisco Gutierrez Megan Foisy Seth Prince
405-325-3666
The OU Daily is a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication.
email:
dailynews@ou.edu
Corrections: The Daily is committed to accuracy in its publications. If you find an error in a story, email dailynews@ou.edu or visit oudaily.com/site/corrections. html to submit a correction form.
To advertise in The Daily, contact the advertising manager by calling 405-325-2521 or emailing dailyads@ou.edu.
Enterprise Editor Culture Editor Copy Chief Art Director Staff Adviser
One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by contacting The Daily business office at 405-325-2521.
The Editorial Board, which consists of student editors, meets Monday to Thursday in Copeland Hall, Room 160. The newsroom is open to the public.
I’m pleased we were able to deliver so quickly.” Clark said in an interview she appreciates the state legislature moving quickly on the bill, but she believes the issue should have been addressed sooner. “It’s just embarrassing that they’re patting themselves
phone:
contact us
VOL. 106, NO. 5 Copyright 2021 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25 cents
TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY
Norman Mayor Breea Clark on June 9.
Previous Solution
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.
on the back right now for a job well done when, as I said earlier, (it’s) ‘too little too late’ and could have been addressed much, much sooner, to allow the crucial business of cities (to) continue to move forward in a pandemic,” Clark said. “I wish they would have addressed
it sooner. … It just shows how little respect they have for what we do at the local level.” Emily Virgin, state house minority leader, called for a special session to extend the bill to allow virtual meetings during a Nov. 10 press conference. “All of this is why the
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2020, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Make adjustments that encourage a better home life. An organized household will help you reach your long-term goals. Negotiate with finesse when dealing with someone who can affect your prospects. Stick to your plans, regardless of what others decide to do. Strive for stability and security; you’ll attain peace of mind. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Spend more time taking care of personal matters. How you handle domestic responsibilities will affect the way others treat you. Be willing to compromise when faced with a dilemma. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Keep your secrets to yourself. An emotional incident can affect your reputation and your chance to advance. Look inward, then make the necessary adjustments. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Keep your eyes on your objective. It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing; what does matter is that you take care of your responsibilities and forge ahead relentlessly. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Update a license, contract or personal identification. Don’t take an unnecessary risk that may leave you in a precarious position at work or with an organization or group. Control your temper. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You stand to get ahead if you share your ideas and follow through with your plans. Be aware that someone will be eager to take credit for what you do; be prepared to stick up for yourself.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Put your creative imagination to the test at work, and you’ll come up with a great idea that leads to a transformation. Education and preparation will help you take on a profitable challenge. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Do what’s best for you. Help yourself instead of putting your time and effort into something that benefits someone else. Pledge to do your own thing and to work alongside people who have as much to offer as you. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Open your mind to change. Look for ways you can use your skills and knowledge to open a conversation that can lead to an exciting position. Don’t sell yourself short. Have your resume ready to go. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Be creative without overspending. You can find a way to overcome any obstacle. Laziness and relying on others will be your downfalls. Pick up the slack by doing the work yourself. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Use your charm to avoid getting into an argument. Listen attentively, and go about your business. The less fuss you make, the easier it will be to get things done your way. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- You’ll spin heads with your outgoing, spirited nature. Others will take notice of what you bring to the table. A romantic encounter will encourage you to nurture a meaningful relationship. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You will be tempted to make a change. Take precautions before you spend money. Refuse to buy into someone’s plans. Don’t settle for anything less than what you want.
House Democrats are calling for a special session to extend this provision of the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act,” Virgin said in the conference. “There’s no reason that we should force public bodies and the citizens participating in these meetings to revert back to physical meetings when this provision has served everyone very well during the time of COVID-19.” Clark said the state legislature not allowing fully virtual meetings slowed down city productivity. “We stopped all meetings that were not time-sensitive,” Clark said. We’ve canceled study sessions, we’ve canceled boards and commissions, because I can’t ask residents who are volunteering their time to risk their health. So it definitely has slowed us down in moving (forward) on any issue that’s not time critical, or COVID19 related, which is really unfortunate.” Clark also said Norman City Council meetings have been affected recently by members testing positive for COVID-19.
“We’ve had major delays and moving issues forward because we haven’t been able to meet safely. … Just yesterday, we were struggling with attendance, because of COVID-19 related reasons,” Clark said. “Even if someone is COVID-19 positive or quarantining, they can now participate. Because last night, there were two wards that weren’t represented that should have been and could have been if the legislature would have acted sooner.” Stitt said the use of virtual meetings will help more Oklahomans engage with local leaders. “We’ve seen how virtual meetings have led to more Oklahomans engaging with the people who represent them,” Stitt said in a release. “We always want to attract the best people to serve in state government, and I believe we can innovate and make it more appealing to serve on state boards and commissions regardless (of) where you live in Oklahoma.” Jonathan Kyncl jkyncl@ou.edu
Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg February 16, 2021 ACROSS 1 Comfy shoes, informally 5 Site code 9 Prefix meaning “milk” 14 Jacob’s twin 15 Where Davenport is 16 Detest 17 Slaps a honeycomb, perhaps? 19 Shifts course suddenly 20 Jousting weapons 21 Queen of the Greek gods 23 Biz bigwig 24 Ireland’s best-selling solo artist 26 Creator of a toy cube 28 Runway departures 32 Stand-up person 35 Peeled covering 36 Outrage 37 Russian villa 38 “Much ___ About Nothing” 39 Potheads 42 In high demand 43 Wooden duck 45 Big name in acne care 46 “Try one!” 47 NYC’s only mayor in the ’80s 49 Animals that may invade henhouses 51 Shoulder wrap
2/16
53 Not keep or donate, say 54 “Mork & Mindy” planet (hidden in “doorknob”) 56 “Stay out of this,” for short 58 Speed trap devices 62 Sound heard twice in “solo” 64 Ruins the dinosaur in “Toy Story”? 66 Love, in Paris 67 In ___ of 68 Treats, as a sprain 69 ’90s-style rush order 70 Site for reviewing doggy daycares, aptly 71 Warning letters before a link DOWN 1 Kitten cry 2 Workplace safety org. 3 “Elf” co-star James 4 Go far in life 5 Major tantrum 6 Pull from behind 7 Air kiss sound 8 Not as rigid 9 Certain Hawaiian expanses 10 Prez on a five
11 Inspects a square cereal at a factory? 12 Came apart at the seams 13 “Ish” 18 Casino game with balls 22 Liquor in a daiquiri 25 Natural hairstyle 27 Message ___ bottle 28 Swap 29 Gave a hand 30 Bad-mouths a Kentucky fort? 31 Mister, in Madrid 33 To-do list task 34 Detests 39 Large maple 40 People you may unfollow on Instagram 41 Biennial golf event
44 “That looks pretty!” 46 Represses, as feelings 48 Major rte. 50 Harsh criticism 52 Menial 54 Evil count in Lemony Snicket books 55 Tomato that didn’t originate in Italy, oddly 57 “Captain Marvel” star Larson 59 Circle segments 60 Great Barrier ___ 61 Annual festival in Austin, briefly 63 What gets stuck under a desk 65 Slender fish
PREVIOUS ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
2/15 2/9
© 2021 Andrews McMeel Universal © 2021www.upuzzles.com Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com
Say Again? by Samuel A. Donaldson
4
SPORTS
• Feb. 16- 22, 2021
OU softball opens undefeated
TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY
Then-sophomore infielder Grace Lyons during the game against Wichita State on Mar. 4, 2020.
Sooners dominate Miner Invitational in season starter PRESS JOHNSON @pressjohnson2
BRADEN GIESECKE @BradenGiesecke
No. 4 Oklahoma (4-0) demolished its competition while opening the 2021 season at the Miner Invitational in El Paso last week. Here’s a look at the results and highlights from each game.
THURSDAY, FEB. 11 OU 29, UTEP 0 The Sooners couldn’t have had a better start, plating 13 runs in the first inning off 11 hits. The scoring all started with freshman Tiare Jennings who, in her first collegiate at-bat, drilled a home run to right field to put the Sooners up 2-0. OU kept
the offense rolling with two home runs from sophomore Kinzie Hansen and senior Jocelyn Alo, making it threestraight home runs for the Sooners. Oklahoma didn’t stop there, adding home runs from senior Nicole Mendes and junior Grace Lyons to continue the scoring streak. OU ended up bringing 13 batters to the plate before recording an out. The Sooners set the NCAA record for home runs in a game, tallying 13 over the five-inning matchup ended early by run rule. They also broke the OU program record of nine home runs in a single game. Jennings launched three home runs in her Sooner debut, while Lyons also contributed three. Mendes and Hansen each finished with two home runs apiece, while Alo, freshman Jayda Coleman and sophomore Mackenzie Donihoo each drove a home run of their own.
Redshirt senior Giselle “G” Juarez got the start in the circle for the Sooners and did not disappoint, tossing three innings with six strikeouts. She struck out the side in the bottom of the first and finished her afternoon perfect, facing nine batters and recording nine outs. Sophomore Olivia Rains then finished the game, going the final two innings and recording three strikeouts. In all, it was a complete game shutout for the Sooners’ pitching staff, which surrendered only two hits. OU 9, ABILENE CHRISTIAN 0 Freshman Nicole May got the start in the circle for the Sooners and was dominant in her first collegiate appearance. She went four innings, allowing no hits and just one walk to the 13 batters she faced. Sophomore Macy McAdoo came on in
relief of May to finish the job, pitching the fifth inning and notching two strikeouts in her first outing of the season. The Sooners’ bats picked up right where they left off against UTEP earlier in the day, loading the bases in the first inning with a pair of singles and two walks. Lyons promptly unloaded them, crushing a grand slam and her fourth home run of the day to put OU out in front, 5-0. Additionally, Jennings a n d A l o b o t h h o m e re d once again for their fourth and s e cond of the day, respectively.
FRIDAY, FEB. 12 OU 11, ABILENE CHRISTIAN 0 Juarez got the start in the circle for the Sooners and was just as sharp as she was on Thursday. She pitched three innings, not allowing a single hit against the 10 batters she faced while recording five
strikeouts. McAdoo pitched the fourth inning, not allowing a hit against three batters. Sophomore Alanna Thiede pitched the fifth and final inning, giving up one hit and earning one strikeout against four batters. The offense for the Sooners showed no signs of slowing down, as they registered four more home runs against the Wildcats. Senior infielder Jana Johns notched two in the top of the third and fifth innings, while Lyons and Jennings each added another home run. Jennings and Lyons both had five home runs through their first three games and OU had 20 as a team in that span.
and Lyons both recorded a home run each, increasing their totals to three and six, respectively. May got the start in the circle for the Sooners and had another strong performance. She pitched three innings, recording three strikeouts and allowing three hits for two runs against 13 batters. Redshirt sophomore Brooke Vestal pitched the fourth inning, earning one strikeout and allowing two hits against five batters. Rains pitched the fifth and final inning, allowing only one hit against four batters. Next, OU will travel to Huntsville, Texas to take on OU 21, UTEP 2 UTSA in the Bearkat Classic at The Sooners’ offense con- 11 a.m. CT on Friday, Feb. 19. tinued its dominance, addPress Johnson ing four more home runs to its total of 24 through its preston.l.johnson-1@ou.edu first four games. Hansen hit Braden Giesecke two in the top of the first and fourth innings, while Alo braden.giesecke@ou.edu
Reaves seals double-overtime road victory Sooners claw out of 14-point deficit to West Virginia AUSTIN CURTRIGHT
@AustinCurtright
The Sooners were down 90-89 with 30 seconds left in double-overtime, running out of time to sweep the season series against No. 14 West Virginia. OU needed someone to come up with a big shot. The answer was none other than senior guard and leading scorer Austin Reaves, the player the team leans on in tough road games. Fighting double teams down the stretch, Reaves found himself with the ball and drove left before hitting a behind-the-back dribble move near the free throw line. The move created separation for the eventual game-winning floater with 26 seconds remaining. Reaves ended West Virginia’s five-game conference winning streak and converted his second game-winner as a Sooner. “Austin’s a big time competitor,” OU coach Lon Kruger said after the game. “He wants the ball in late-game situations (and) doesn’t shy away from anything. That’s just a huge bucket there to put us up one in that second overtime. He was terrific throughout the half, with big time plays in overtime as well.” In a game that featured 15 lead changes between two gritty teams vying for sole
Senior guard Austin Reaves during the game at No. 14 West Virginia on Feb. 13.
possession of second place in the Big 12 standings, Reaves stepped up in typical fashion on the road. “Every team has got a guy they look to for security,” Kruger said. “And kind of reinforcing confidence throughout the squad, and Austin certainly does that for our guys. … Absolutely, he’s been fantastic.” Reaves finished with 28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while playing 47
minutes in No. 12 Oklahoma’s (13-5, 8-4 Big 12) 91-90 win over the Mountaineers (14-6, 7-4) on Saturday afternoon in Morgantown. The senior guard led OU in points, rebounds and assists, and leads the team in those categories on a per-game basis this season. Twenty-two of Reaves’ points came after halftime. “He’s a great player,” said senior forward Brady Manek, who finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, and
entered the top 5 in OU history in 3-pointers made during the first half. “I’d give him the ball every time If I could.” Reaves is continuing his role as the offensive leader in road games. He’s scored at least 19 points in each of his last four road games and each of those games were against top 15 teams at the time. The Newark, Arkansas native is doing everything he can for a surging team as March nears. The Sooners went 6-5
PHOTO VIA WVU ATHLETICS
in February last season, 5-8 in 2019 and 1-7 in 2018, proving this year’s team has taken steps toward staying strong down the stretch. “That’s what we need from him,” Manek said. “Knock down free throws, (shoot) 50 percent from the field. He’s still doing everything we need. (He had) seven assists (and was) finding everybody. We need him to get the ball there late and find something.” D espite w inning, the
Sooners blew a nine-point lead with under seven minutes remaining in the second half. Junior guard Umoja Gibson — 21 points on five 3-pointers — made a layup to put the game in overtime with 21 seconds left in regulation. OU also struggled on the glass, with West Virginia out-rebounding it 47-42 behind forward Derek Culver’s dominating play inside. He had a career-high 29 points and 14 rebounds, while being guarded mostly by Manek. However, OU still prevailed in the end despite its mishaps, earning a nation-leading five top-15 wins this season. With each player on OU’s team playing their role, the Sooners could be a force going into tournament play behind the offensive catalyst in Reaves. Although there was time remaining after Reaves’ big shot, senior forward Kur Kuath, who’s seen reduced playing time in favor of Manek as of late, knew his role. Kuath came off the bench and delivered a clutch block against Culver with seven seconds remaining after Reaves asked him to go get a block during the timeout before the play. “It’s really big to win games like this,” Reaves said. “It gives you confidence that you can pull out close games. It gives us confidence in those types of situations to go make plays and do the right thing to help us get a win.” Austin Curtright
austincurtright@ou.edu