April 13-19, 2021 by OU Daily

W E E K LY E D I T I O N | A P R I L 13 -19, 2 0 2 1 | O U D A I LY. C O M

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Faculty fear ‘adjunctification’ OU professors, instructors criticize lack of union representation, Board of Regents amid policy changes to cap ranked renewable term faculty

BLAKE DOUGLAS & JONATHAN KYNCL @Blake_Doug918; @jdkyn

Tenured faculty and instructors at OU say a recent decision by the OU Board of Regents contributes to the “adjunctification” of higher education teaching positions. OU first implemented the policy preventing the number of ranked renewable term faculty from exceeding 10 percent of the total tenure-track and tenured faculty at the Norman c a m p u s i n Ja n u a r y 2 0 0 4 . Ranked renewable term faculty, as defined in the January 2021 Board of Regents minutes, were implemented to “provide a path to promotion and opportunity to participate in faculty governance” to nontenure-track and non-tenured faculty, meet undergraduate teaching needs and enhance recruitment of instructional faculty. The change has been criticized by instructors and professors at OU who feel the move negatively impacts the perceived value of instructional tenure-track faculty, replacing these jobs with renewable term instructional positions with less job security. OU Faculty Senate Chair Amy Bradshaw wrote in an email to The Daily the change wa s f i r s t p ro p o s e d i n t h e 2018-19 academic year, when then-Provost Kyle Harper approached the Faculty Senate Executive Committee about their willingness to renegotiate the cap “for some compelling reasons.” “We had already exceeded the maximum number, RRT faculty positions are a way to accommodate dual-career

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faculty hires, (and) RRT hiring is a way to provide some teaching-intensive positions that allow for more research-leave,” Bradshaw wrote. According to an email from OU Director of Media Relations Kesha Keith, the university considers tenured and tenure-track faculty “regular faculty” alongside ranked renewable term faculty. Other primarily instruction-based positions excluded from the tenure track are renewable term faculty, temporary one-year instructors and lecturers, and by-the-course faculty, OU’s equivalent to adjunct faculty. Laura Gibbs, an online oneyear instructor in the college of arts and sciences who has been in the position for 20 years, said the move being part of the university’s effort to double its research output by freeing tenure track faculty from instruction duties makes sense, but it still

diminishes the perceived value of tenure-track teaching jobs. “ They’re looking at how we can find ways to have the teaching burden of the university shift so that we’re able to have people who will focus on teaching, and then we can let the researchers do more research and grant raising, grant fundraising and writing,” Gibbs said. “That would be great … (if we) have tenured teaching positions.” OU has made expanding its research impact a high priority for the past several years, spanning the brief tenure of former OU President James Gallogly and continuing into current President Joe Harroz’s administration as the first pillar of the university’s strategic plan. Although tenure-track teaching positions without research requirements do exist at OU, Gibbs said, there is a “tension” between these rare

instructional positions and research-focused faculty as OU pursues an expanded research impact. “Most of the institutional evaluations are focused on the quality of faculty research. Most of the institutional rewards are based on awards for research — for research grants that you bring in,” Gibbs said. “We have a whole division of the university with a vice president for research and all of his associate vice presidents ... because OU really wants to change its position as a research university and to boost that position.” According to the online staff directory, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships contains eight senior associate or associate vice president positions. Since renewable-term faculty work on short-term contracts, Gibbs said, their job

security can be tenuous. As teachers are required to adjust to completely new classroom dynamics year-to-year, and often class-to-class, Gibbs said short-term employment guarantees can distract renewable-term instructors from pursuing the professional development they may be able to with a more secure position. Other faculty members have even more unclear prospects, however, including Gibbs herself. “(OU doesn’t) even use the term ‘temporary’ to describe these people who are actually on short-term, temporary contracts that can be renewed, but necessarily get renewed, exactly like me,” Gibbs said. “We’re on one-year contracts that we don’t even get told if we’re not renewed. There’s this non-notification clause, and it’s right there in that regents document that says, ‘You will not necessarily be notified if we don’t want you back the next year.’” In the January 2020 Board of Regents agenda under the heading “Tenure-Track, Te n u r e d , C o n s e c u t i v e Te r m a n d Te m p o r a r y Appointments,” it is stated “No notice of non-reappointment is required for temporary appointees.” Full-time temporary appointments are also limited to seven years, barring a waiver from the senior vice president and provost. Although the university said the move was partially to provide a “path to promotion” for renewable-term faculty, Gibbs said additional titles and ranks for renewable faculty don’t adequately address their job security concerns. see FACULTY page 2

Breea Clark announces reelection bid Kelly Lynn unseats Ward 3 incumbent Alison Petrone ALEXIA ASTON @alexiaaston

The Norman City Council saw two major developments last week after Ward 3 incumbent Alison Petrone was unseated by Unite-Norman-endorsed candidate Kelly Lynn and Mayor Breea Clark launched her reelection campaign for February 2022. Clark said in a video posted on her Twitter account April 7 that Norman “has been through a lot,” and she highlighted the changes made in Norman before 2020. “We made great efforts to invest in our future. From supporting public transportation to investing in public health, we look to the future and imagine what our community could become and the services that could provide for residents,” Clark said in the video. “We cut ribbons on long-awaited Norman Forward projects and took great strides on our mission to live out our city’s motto — building an inclusive community — and we worked hard to build relationships with friends and neighbors, both here and abroad.” In the video, Clark said 2020 was a “historically challenging year” for Norman as COVID-19 began to affect the town. Clark has also faced personal challenges over the past year, such as receiving death threats and being targeted as a result of Norman’s COVID-19

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PHOTO PROVIDED

Norman Mayor Breea Clark announced her reelection campaign in a YouTube video.

Unite Norman candidate Kelly Lynn won the Norman City Council Ward 3 election.

response. According to an article from The Oklahoman, local female politicians from Norman and Oklahoma City, including Clark, have reported a rise in sexism and bullying as a result of their leadership. Nearing the end of her first term, Clark said she’s the best positioned candidate to “keep Norman moving in the right direction.” Citing the past “rough year,” she said Norman needs consistency. “In my three-year term, I lost a whole year to damage control,” Clark said. “A lot of the initiatives that I wanted to accomplish as mayor, I just haven’t had the opportunity or time to do.” Restrained by a single term and a global pandemic, Clark said she’d like to focus on environmental sustainability within Norman. She said Norman is the only city in Oklahoma to enter the Sierra Club’s Ready for

election with 52 percent of the vote. On election night, he commented only “scoreboard” when contacted for a statement to constituents. On April 9, he provided a fuller statement to constituents. “First and foremost, I thank God. He laid it on my heart to take on this challenge, then delivered the energy and support to accomplish it,” Lynn wrote in the text. “It has been the most humbling experience of my life. I also give endless praise to my family, my amazing campaign team, all the volunteers, every single person that endorsed me … from celebrity to elected officials to everyday citizens and including (Unite Norman) and the Norman (Fraternal Order of Police) … any that made a contribution, and all that showed up to vote.” Lynn wrote in the text that his victory had nothing to do with him, but it had everything to do

100 Campaign — a campaign advocating for “equitable and affordable energy powered by 100 percent renewable energy” by 2050. Clark said she’d also like to tackle issues such as increasing equity in Norman and economic vitality. “I think you should have a great chance to be happy and have a great job regardless of what side of town you live on, regardless of what you look like (and) regardless if you have one parent or two parents,” Clark said. “I’m hoping to get some pretty cool ideas to help break the cycle of poverty.” If her reelection bid is successful, Clark will be tasked with working alongside two candidates backed by Unite Norman, the group which attempted to remove her from office. Lynn became the second Unite Norman candidate elected after winning the Ward 3

with “we” and “us.” “I am but a vessel for those that have felt their voices being neglected and their entire value systems under attack,” Lynn wrote in the text. “In this world of chaos and political turmoil, WE needed a win!” Lynn thanked Alison Petrone for her “graceful concession” and wrote Norman “needs elected officials that will lead with courage and have integrity to deliver the promises they made to get elected.” He wrote he will be “unwavering” and “a champion to represent OUR values.” “I conclude by praying for your peace and joy, knowing that there will be more victories to come … scoreboard,” Lynn wrote. Lynn’s term will run until the next Ward 3 election in February of 2023. alexiaaston@ou.edu

NEWS

• April 13-19, 2021

Oklahoma Senator James Lankford speaks at an OU College Republicans event in the Thurman J. White Forum Building on April 8.

EDWARD REALI/THE DAILY

Sen. Lankford attends OU Q&A

Oklahoma senator recounts Jan. 6 riot at Capitol building JONATHAN KYNCL @jdkyn

OU College Republicans hosted Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford in a socially distanced conference room at the Thurman J. White Forum building Thursday afternoon. T h e h o u r- l o n g e v e n t served as a Q&A for the roughly 30 students in attendance to discuss multiple issues looming in the U.S. and for the Republican Party, including the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Joseph Howard, international studies junior and OU

FACULTY: continued from page 1

“That’s just a title. That doesn’t change anything about the totally temporary, totally contingent kind of job you have,” Gibbs said. Workload and compensation for such instructors is also an impactful issue according to Dr. Martha Venn, vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University System of Georgia. “You have some states where adjuncts can teach upwards of four and five classes at that same amount of money, and (they’re) getting like $15,000,” Venn said. “I think that is a huge issue that higher ed has to face. … That is really difficult for our lecturers and our instructors.” A c c o rd i n g t o t h e O U College of Arts and Sciences, renewable faculty professors are expected to teach four classes a semester, or eight per year. Maria Maisto, the president of the New Faculty Major it y: The National Coalition for Adjunct and Contingent Equity, said some adjunct or by-thecourse faculty nationwide are having to teach at multiple institutions just to earn enough money for them to live on. “That decreases the amount of time that they have for each class — for each student — and it really affects the quality of education,” Maisto said. “The advantages are there in theory, but they have really disappeared in practice because the model is not being used the way that it was originally designed.” The idea of adjunct faculty originated in the 1960s, Maisto said, based on having experts who work in the industry teach courses for “honorarium.” “The original idea of having adjunct faculty was that you hire someone who is not a regular faculty member, generally, someone

College Republicans chairman, said he wanted to begin the Q&A with a question about the Jan. 6 riot since Lankford was the last person to speak in the senate chamber before the mob entered the capitol. Lankford was one of multiple GOP lawmakers opposing the certification of the election results before the rioters entered the building. Lankford later voted to certify the election results. “I thought it was extremely important, and that’s why I pretty much insisted on asking it right off the bat,” Howard said. “I thought it was an egregious act of mob violence, absolutely unbecoming of a democracy, unbecoming of a republic, and Sen. Lankford was there in

the room where all this was happening.” When reflecting on his experience at the Capitol, Lankford said the first image he saw of the destruction during the riot were rioters inside the senate chamber. “One of the first images we see is viking-hat boy sitting in the Capitol, sitting inside the United States Senate Chamber, and I just can’t tell you how awful that was and how sad it is to be able to see that,” Lankford said. After Capitol Police cleared the senate chamber, Lankford said it was challenging to be the one to restart the debate. “We got back into the chamber, and we finished the debate and I have the difficult position of being the one that was interrupted to have to

restart the debate,” Lankford said. “I started with, ‘Who in God’s name thought it was a good idea to smash through the doors and windows of the capital saying we proved we are right by doing this.’ It doesn’t bring anyone to your aid, or bring anyone to your side. … That’s not how we solve things.” Lankford said he believed President Trump’s speech on Twitter in response to the attack was a good message, a sentiment Howard did not agree with. “The Republican Party contributed pretty poorly to that issue that came about to the mob. The president stirred that mob up and sent them there, and his response afterwards was absolutely egregious,” Howard said. “I’ll

disagree with the senator — (I think) that President Trump had a terrible response about it. He said, ‘We love you, just go home,’ and things like that. That is bad, it is very bad. I feel like it’s extremely important to never forget that day and to keep talking about it.” Lankford also highlighted his views on other issues like abortion, admonishing Democrats for “taking the lives of children.” “When I think about a child in the womb, that’s not a woman’s issue to me. That’s the creation of God, value and worth,” Lankford said. “Science will tell me that the tissue in the womb has different DNA than the mom’s tissue, different DNA than the dad’s tissue. That tissue is different than every other bit of

tissue in that woman’s body. I want to completely honor her right to her body, but there’s a second body.” When asked about OU’s new semester-long diversity course set to launch in fall 2021, “Gateway to Belonging,” Lankford said he hopes the curriculum will not alienate certain sets of students for their identities. “That class doesn’t bother me as a title, but I don’t know what the curriculum is, and (which) concepts are being taught,” Lankford said. “That’s going to matter a lot. If it’s imposing on people ‘You’re evil and everyone else is good,’ that’s a problem.”

who is an expert in their field, a professional in the community, who can come in and share their expertise with the students,” Maisto said. “It’s someone who has another job, they’re doing this partly out of a sense of community service, partly because they’re interested in teaching. So the fact that the adjunct positions were not well paid, was sort of OK. It was almost more of an honorarium than a salary.” This led to universities using more adjuncts to save money amid federal budget cuts for public universities, Maisto said. Lance Fusarelli, professor and director of graduate programs at North Carolina State University, said the budget cuts are continually used by universities to justify firing renewable adjuncts. “All you have to do is not renew it and in some places, (in) some states, you don’t have to get a reason or they’ll usually say something like ‘the program can’t support it,’ or the ‘university budget’s been cut’ and so it’s last one hired, first one fired,” Fusarelli said. Adrianna Kezar, dean’s professor of leadership at the University of Southern California and director of the Delphi Project on changing faculty and student success, sent the findings of the project’s research to The Daily. According to a study within the Delphi Project, full-time non-tenure professors make 26 percent less per hour than fulltime tenured professors, and part-time non-tenure professors make 60 percent less per hour when using a standardized measurement to reflect three-credit-hour courses. Maisto said the conditions of work alongside the class load leads to lowering students’ learning conditions. “It’s a pretty exhausting existence. … They’re constantly going from one place to another trying to teach all of these different classes,” Maisto said. “Using adjunct

faculty affects student faculty working conditions (and) student learning conditions. It’s not the faculty themselves that are the problem, it’s the conditions that they’re working in that are problematic.” According to the Delphi Project, 51 percent of non-tenured faculty receive any type of benefits. The Delphi Project also con-

positions, and hire people at adjunct and temporary sorts of bases,” Givel said. “Ordinarily, that means less wages, security in their job and benefits.” The OUAAUP wrote in a press release the changes made “(erode) the protection to academic freedom by tenure … without making any changes to renewable term lecturers’ job security

retirement for age.” Givel and Gibbs agreed the unionization of higher education faculty could help alleviate the negative impact such moves can have and solve general issues with adjunct faculty overall — particularly benefits, pay and workload. “The issue here is that … in Oklahoma, it is illegal for higher education employees to form a union and to go into contract negotiations with management, which in this case, is the OU administration,” Givel said. U n d e r O k l a h o m a’s unionization laws, public employees that have legally recognized unions are the Fraternal Order of Police, firefighters, mun i c i p a l e m p l oy e e s a n d public school teachers. The Oklahoma Public Employees Association provides non-union representation for higher education employees. “Legally speaking, no state agency — above and beyond higher education — has to recognize them or will recognize them as a union, in which case they have to come to the bargaining table, bargain in good faith and come to a contract,” Givel said. The lack of unionization hurts not only the continued employment status and security for adjuncts, Givel said, but it also negatively impacted the process through which OU’s change was made. The negotiations that took place before the change was accepted were conducted between the Faculty Senate Executive Committee members and a task force from the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, which was formed in February 2020, according to the January 2021 regents meeting agenda. Though Givel criticized the process as “pretty quiet” and said the Faculty Senate was “not frankly legitimate” as a decision-making body for the change, Bradshaw wrote in an email to The

Daily the change was discussed in several faculty senate meetings over the past two academic years. “In discussing faculty sentiments with the provost, we indicated we were willing to negotiate, but emphasized concerns about the status of our (ranked renewable, renewable, temporary and by-the-course) faculty here,” Bradshaw wrote. “We pressed that (renewable) faculty needed a path to promotion and raises, and we wanted assurances that the general number of (tenure track) faculty would not decrease over time.” Bradshaw wrote the issue and status of negotiations was addressed in several of the Faculty Senate’s public meetings, dating back to the February, March and April 2019 meetings and most recently in the November 2020 meeting. Though the meetings and minutes are public, Givel said his concern was not enough renewable faculty or instructors were made aware such a change was occurring to be able to provide meaningful input. “This is what unions do, the union bargaining team goes when there is a proposal for some sort of significant change like this, they then go back to the rankand-file members — that would be instructors and faculty of any rank — for a meeting and a vote,” Givel said. “In a union situation, this would have never happened.” Givel said he is supportive of adding more adjunct positions as the “backbone of teaching” but said their pay and benefit situations remain an issue outside the presence of a union — which he has little hope for. “Given the current political atmosphere in Oklahoma City, I would think that (changing unionization laws) would be a very, very, very long term project,” Givel said.

OU INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY RANKINGS Regular Faculty Tenure / Tenure Track Faculty Ranked Renewable Term Faculty

Non-Regular Faculty Research Faculty (Unranked) Renewable Term Faculty Temporary 1-year-Instructors / Lecturers By-the-course Faculty

ducted a study on the negative impacts part-time faculty teaching can have on student learning. Limited opportunities for faculty-student interaction and for curriculum design lead to a negative impact on student learning, according to the study. The move was also criticized by the OU chapter of the American Association of University Professors and its president, Michael Givel. Givel, a political science professor and researcher, said OU’s adjustments are part of a trend in higher education that has led to fewer secure positions at universities for teaching-oriented employees. “This falls in with the t re n d a l l ov e r A m e r i c a that’s been going on for years — reduce tenure track

or salary adjustments.” In the OU faculty handbook, the university wrote the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic F r e e d o m a n d Te n u r e with 1970 Interpretative Comments from the AAUP provides “valuable and authoritative guidelines” for policy and practice regarding academic freedom. In the press release, the OUAAUP wrote the university is straying from these guidelines with its recent move — the 1940 statement itself, under the “Academic Tenure” heading, reads “teachers or investigators should have permanent or continuous tenure” following the end of their temporary service, “and their service should be terminated only for adequate cause, except in the case of

jkyncl@ou.edu

bdoug99@ou.edu jkyncl@ou.edu

CULTURE

April 13-19, 2021 •

Opolis to close for renovations Restaurant set to make ‘pandemicfriendly’ updates JAZZ WOLFE @jazzmwolfe

Opolis, a local vegan restaurant, micro music venue and Norman staple, will be closed until early summer for renovations. Andy Nuñez, owner and operator of Opolis with his family, said the renovations are all focused around social distancing, improved ventilation and general COVID-19 safety. The venue first closed April 4. “I think (the pandemic) is gonna trip for a while, so we have to learn how to live

with it,” Nuñez said. The original layout of Opolis did not allow for any social distancing, Nuñez said. There had been an issue with “bottlenecking” near the bar and the front of the stage before the pandemic began. The rise of social distancing measures just made those issues more prominent, he said. “Our whole business model is about people being close to each other,” Nuñez said. “It’s completely not pandemic-friendly.” Among the alterations, the business will be adding a takeout window for curbside food pickup and moving the bar to the opposite side of the building for better access. “Since the pandemic

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Opolis on April 23, 2020.

began, the food side of business is busier than it’s ever been,” Nuñez said. Nuñez and his fami ly have been preparing to start renovations for a

few months, he said. After watching how other businesses have been opening, Nuñez knew he wanted to do it differently. “I see how these

businesses on Campus Corner are opening up,” Nuñez said. “I can’t believe the city is letting them get away with this.” Nuñez said the renovations are partially funded by grants given to small businesses across Norman and surrounding areas. “The grants have kept us going,” Nuñez said. The current plan is to reopen in the early summer months, but the business is keeping the schedule loose in case new challenges pop up, Nuñez said. “ E v e r y o n e ’s b e e n (thrown) for a loop,” Nuñez said. “We’re in unknown territory. We have all these hoops to jump through, but we’re going to go as fast as we can.”

Opolis already has some tentative band lineups, most likely local or small touring groups, for the fall with more being planned each day, Nuñez said. “We’re only going to bring in stuff that we really like a lot,” Nuñez said. “Stuff that we think the community will really like.” The family running Opolis hopes that as Oklahoma continues to vaccinate more communities, it will be safer to open up, Nuñez said. “I’m ready for us to move on,” Nuñez said. “I’m hoping people will start feeling some kind of hesitant normalcy.” jazzwolfe@ou.edu

Okie Baking Company moves to new location Founder finds new home for business in ‘cookie cottage’ MYA TSU @myajtsu

Shannon Hanchett — Norman native, OU graduate and mom of two — turned her passion for Oklahoma histor y and baking cookies into a delicious business that satisfies the Norman community in all its cookie needs. Hanchett worked at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for about 11 years before she was diagnosed with lupus in 2018. She decided to leave her career in behavioral health and pursue her passions, creating Okie Baking Company in February 2018. “I wanted something that would make people feel that nostalgia associated with cookies. Not too fancy, just something you would walk into your grandma’s house and get,” Hanchett said. Hanchett said she began baking in her later high school years and while she pursued her undergraduate degree. It was just a hobby then, but her

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passion for baking grew after she had her first son in 2009. Hanchett said her lifelong love for homemade cookies and the emotion they can invoke is the reason she decided to specialize in homestyle cookies. Okie Baking Company b e g a n i n H a n c h e t t ’s home, then moved to a shared space with Yellow Dog Coffee Company in November 2019. After a year of being with Yellow D o g C o f f e e C o m p a ny , Hanchett felt it was time to expand her business into a space of her own. Hanchett then began talks with property owner Joey M. Wishnuck, who owns the historic cottage on Main Street, and in January 2020, Norman City Council approved the renovation plans for the cottage, Hanchett said. Okie Baking Company is scheduled to move into the “new” building on the corner of Webster and Main Street in June 2021, Hanchett said. According to a Facebook post, Hanchett envisions a bakery with 1930s-1950s style and with historical photos lining the walls. She said she wants to honor every business that made her cookie cottage

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its home before her. As an O klahoma native, Hanchett said she ha s a l way s ha d a p a ssion for Oklahoma history. Through her job at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, she traveled to all 77 counties of Oklahoma and researched what the small towns she visited were known for. Hanchett said she uses that history to create her treats, and she’s motivated to incite interest in small Oklahoma towns with her business. “From the time I started the company, that has always been a part of it — tying the stories back to the places or people who inspired the cookies,” Hanchett said. Okie Baking Company sells almost 50 var ieties of homestyle cookies. Hanchett said the most popular is the Stilwell strawber r y cake cookie, but her two favorites are the Collinsville coffee-glazed oatmeal and the Ruth Ann’s chocolate chip. Former coworker and friend Jennifer Dell said H a n c h e t t ’s p a s s i o n s have been evident in everything she does. Dell a n d Ha n c h e t t w o r k e d

together at the Oklahoma Depar tment of Mental Hea l t h a n d Su b st a n c e Abuse Services for 8 years. Dell is an instructor and undergraduate coordinator for the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work. “I’ve been able to see her passion for things that are important to her. Her passion for people and her passion for Oklahoma really shine through in so many of the different adventures that I’ve seen her take on over the last decade,” Dell said. Dell affectionately refers to Hanchett as the “Cookie Queen” and said Hanchett was supplying her friends and coworkers with cookies long before it was her business. “She has a huge passion for people, and I think her love for baking is an extension of that,” Dell said. “Through her baked goods, she really gets to bring a smile to people’s face.” Hanchett’s caring nature extends past her friends and into her community. Okie Baking Company has partnered w i t h B i g B ro t h e r s B i g Sisters of Okahoma, Acts of Kindness and other organizations, and has supported local small bakeries

HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last

TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Stay focused and be receptive to possibilities. When one door closes, another will open. Learn to go with the flow, and you will find it easy to get ahead. A steady pace forward will make a lasting impression on people who can help you advance. Don’t be afraid to say no. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- A situation will not be what it appears. Don’t jump to conclusions or lose sight of your goal. Do your own thing, and focus on success, peace of mind and happiness. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Impulse is the enemy. Plan your actions and dedicate time to reaching your objective. Put your energy where it counts, and your income will increase. Don’t let an outsider take charge. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Gather information before you make a move or spend money unnecessarily. Expect someone who has ulterior motives to mislead you. Think for yourself and take action based on facts. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You’ll get the help you want, but before you accept it, consider what you may owe in return. Don’t put yourself in a precarious position, regardless of the temptation. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Stop fretting over what others are doing. Consider what you want and figure out a way to follow a path that satisfies your needs. Discipline will bring opportunity and help you excel. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Learn from experience, then proceed with confidence. Knowing what you want will make it easier for you to put whatever stands in your way

aside so that you can excel. Don’t lose faith. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Pay more attention to what’s going on around you. Seek out information that will help you decipher who and what’s best for you. An equitable partnership looks promising. Romance is in the stars. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 23) -- Emotions will surface if someone rejects your ideas or opinions. Look at every angle of a tricky situation. An innovative approach will help things turn in your favor. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Tidy up loose ends. Focus on your surroundings and do what’s necessary to make your space user-friendly. Use what you already have to initiate positive domestic or professional changes. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -Listen to your friends and relatives, but do what’s best for you. Taking care of your responsibilities will help put your mind at ease and deter others from interfering. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Refuse to let your emotions wreak havoc with your financial well-being. Unnecessary spending will not make you feel better. Use your intelligence and make sensible improvements. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- An unexpected change will turn out to be what’s best for you. Don’t get discouraged. Be an entrepreneur, and you will flourish.

and other businesses since its creation, according to the Okie Baking Company Facebook page. “Sh e’s g re at w h e n i t comes to really supporting her community,” Dell said. “She cares about where she lives, and I think that makes a difference.” Okie Baking Company grew during the COVID19 pandemic. She cons t r u c t e d “ M a k e Yo u r Own Cookie” kits for holidays and special events. Hanchett includes all the ingredients made from scratch and themed with the upcoming season so families can enjoy staying home and safe. “What I do is essentially comfort food. ... People were staying home a lot, and they were stressed o u t ,” H a n c h e t t s a i d . “Especially last year when we had the stay-at-home order, (the cookie kits) were pretty popular because it was something that was fun and fairly inexpensive that families could do with their children.” Community member Pa i g e Ga l l ow s a i d h e r need for cookies is what led to her friendship with Hanchett. Gallow said as she continued returning for more

cookies, her friendship with Hanchett grew. “She just has that kind of personality where she can talk to people and make them feel welcome,” Gallow said, “Even if she only spends a short amount of time with them, they don’t feel like they’ve been slighted.” Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hanchett does her best to cater to all her customers’ needs. For Gallow’s birthday this year, Hanchett personally delivered cookies and specially made pineapple upside-down c u p c a k e s t o G a l l o w ’s home. Until renovations on the cookie cottage are complete, Okie Baking Company will return to being a home bakery in preparation for the big move, but Hanchett said she’s looking forward to moving into the almost100-year-old cottage in June. “It’s always been the plan to get my own location. … I want to encourage people to visit me in the cookie cottage when it opens in June!” . mjtsu@ou.edu

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg April 13, 2021 ACROSS 1 “Dear old” person 4 Keys in a chain? 9 Cashless deal 13 Obstacle to teamwork 14 CNN host Chris 15 Harsh sound 16 Magnificent, or an antonym of the word formed by letters 1, 2, 5, 7, 8 and 9 18 Threadbare 19 One may dawn on you 20 Secret, or an antonym of the word formed by letters 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 21 ___ scale, on which diamond is a 10 24 Corporate computer whizzes 27 “Winnie-thePooh” baby 28 Goes with the flow 30 Mauna ___ 31 Negative position in a debate 32 Singer Reese 33 Ewes’ mates 34 Engine part 35 Lie, or an antonym of the word formed by letters 1, 2, 6 and 8

38 Deposit, as an egg 39 Peters who plays Quicksilver 40 Hammer’s partner 43 Open __ night 44 After expenses 45 Invite on a date 46 “___ du lieber!” 47 Scattered all over 49 Roadside hotels 50 Has a big meal, or an antonym of the word formed by letters 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 52 Like a yellow lemon 54 Concave belly button 55 Hostile feeling, or an antonym of the word formed by letters 1, 4, 7, 8 and 9 60 Music rights org. 61 International papers? 62 Anonymous John 63 “So it would ___” 64 In a fitting way 65 Decide DOWN 1 Drops on blades? 2 In days gone by 3 Put on 4 Decorated, as a cake

5 “No doubt about it!” 6 Relative of “lite” 7 Bird that can run 31 mph 8 Costa del ___ 9 Czech or Serb 10 High-pressure fire hose 11 Where students wet their palettes 12 “___ Place” (’60s TV show) 15 Frat dudes 17 Show on a screen 20 Bike effortlessly 21 “Spy vs. Spy” magazine 22 Glorifying poem 23 Slim opportunity 25 Make less angry 26 Type type

29 Bar bill 33 Rafting destination 34 Gingersnaps and others 36 Doesn’t own 37 The “I” in TGIF 38 Liquorserving permit 41 Word after “glue” or “staple” 42 John, Paul and George: Abbr. 43 Crime families 45 Beast 47 Increase, with “up” 48 Joint that’s flicked 51 Thailand, once 53 Small bunch of flowers 55 Director DuVernay 56 Puppy’s bite 57 Altar words 58 Apex 59 Even so

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• April 13-19, 2021

Eric Gray finds home at OU Recent Tennessee transfer confident with new team CHANDLER ENGELBRECHT @ctengelbrecht

Norman is starting to feel like home for Eric Gray. After transferring to Oklahoma from Tennessee on Jan. 27, the 5-foot-10 running back officially arrived on OU’s campus in February. Since then, he’s acclimated himself with Norman’s streets and restaurants. Because of that, Gray feels he’s settling in, but to more than just his new city. Gray enters a position group featuring Kennedy Brooks, Seth McGowan, Marcus Major and former H-back Mikey Henderson. Just as he’s studied Norman, Gray has spent the last few months learning the Sooners’ offense and how he can factor into it, and he’s made quite the impression. OU’s career touchdown leader and second-year running backs coach DeMarco Murray, who spent seven seasons in the NFL, said Gray looks like a true professional on and off the field. “The first word that comes to mind about Eric Gray is a pro,” Murray said Wednesday. “He’s a guy that shows up early, stays late— extremely

PHOTO PROVIDED/OU ATHLETICS

Junior running back Eric Gray during practice March 24.

smart. The transition for him offensively, scheme-wise, has been very, honestly, easy for him. And our offense is extremely complicated. I’m still obviously learning every day. “He’s a heck of a player, great person (and) great young man. So, we’re fortunate to have him here.” Gray’s best performance at Tennessee came in the

Volunteers’ regular season finale in 2019, where he had 246 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 25 attempts against Vanderbilt. He rushed for 772 yards and four touchdowns with the Volunteers in 2020. As soon as he made the decision to transfer, Gray said Oklahoma was his first choice. He was drawn by its

track record of offensive success, along with the opportunity to play under Murray and head coach Lincoln Riley. “I’m learning to be patient in his offense,” Gray said. “In the SEC, everything moves so fast … so (I’m) just learning to slow down. You don’t have to hit the hole so fast. You can be patient, set up your blocks. Different things like that have

beforehand. Even so, Gray’s transition to OU has been made easier because of Morris and Lawrence, he said. That smooth adjustment has allowed Gray to focus more on his role in the Sooners’ offense, and specifically Murray’s teachings. “He’s been to the highest level,” Gray said of Murray, who spent four years playing at OU before his NFL career. “He succeeded well at it, so learning from him you just learn what it takes to succeed and what it takes to be good at it. He teaches you how to get those touchdowns, how to get those extra yards just to be ultimately the best player you can be.” As the Sooners’ running back room looks to replace Rhamondre Stevenson, who declared for the NFL Draft after rushing for 665 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in six games last season, Gray believes his talents will keep the group’s production high. “I am a third down back that can do it all,” Gray said. “I can get the hard yards on third and one, but I can also take it to the house and make someone miss. ... I’ve learned the ropes through my past seasons of just being able to train myself. … You’ve always got something to get better at.”

been the things I’ve worked on since I’ve been here.” The Memphis, Tennessee, native was also one of three former Volunteers to transfer to OU this offseason, joining offensive lineman Wanya Morris and defensive back Keyshawn Lawrence. Gray said the trio’s decisions were all coincidental, and the three didn’t even discuss it chandler.engelbrecht@ou.edu

Sophomore receiver duo returns to field Haselwood, Bridges look ahead, beyond rocky 2020 season AUSTIN CURTRIGHT @AustinCurtright

For the first time since 2019, former five-star receivers Jadon Haselwood and Trejan Bridges are having a normal spring. The two redshirt sophomores were early enrollees as freshmen and participated in spring practices, but they didn’t get a spring camp due to the COVID-19 pandemic as sophomores. The duo missed the majority of the 2020 season — Haselwood with a knee injury and Bridges with a drug suspension. Now, Haselwood said he’s

healthy and Bridges will be available all season after returning for the 2020 Big 12 Championship Game and the Cotton Bowl after missing the previous 10 games. Haselwood missed the first six games of the 2020 season and made just four catches in limited action before opting out of the Cotton Bowl due to personal reasons. “We both are playmakers, of course, and we knew we could help on offense,” Haselwood said Thursday of the receiving duo missing time last season. “It wasn’t easy for both of us because he made a mistake and I got hurt, but mentally we still gotta be there. We can’t just be cowards and just turn our backs on our team.”

BRIDGES

Bridges called his mom. That’s the first thing the redshirt sophomore receiver did when granted eligibility to play in Oklahoma’s Big 12 Championship win over Iowa State on Dec. 19. After missing the first nine games of his sophomore season due to his suspension, Bridges felt like everything was “back on track” once he saw his mom smile. Week to week, not knowing if he’d be deemed eligible to play, Bridges still prepared for each game. He was originally set for a five-game suspension — the same as former Sooners Rhamondre Stevenson and Ronnie Perkins, who were also suspended prior to the 2019 Peach Bowl — but missed

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Then-freshman wide receiver Trejan Bridges after the game against Baylor in Waco, Texas, on Nov. 16, 2019.

the entire regular season for reasons that are unclear. “It was a relief off of my shoulders,” Bridges said on Thursday. “It was a long time coming. I didn’t stop working. I kept it going. I kept helping the team and doing what we had to do to get to the Big 12 championship stage.” Being back at spring practices has Bridges excited to wake up in the morning, although he previously never liked waking up for early morning workouts. “I’m back out there doing the thing I want to do,” Bridges said. “It just feels good. It’s a relief of all the stuff I went through last year.”

ranked national prospect by Rivals out of high school, Haselwood has just 337 receiving yards and one touchdown in his college career. As a freshman, he played behind first-round pick CeeDee Lamb and now Miami receiver Charleston Rambo. Expected to jump in production along with Bridges and fellow former five-star Theo Wease in year two, Haselwood suffered his injury in May, forcing him to make his debut Nov. 7 against Kansas. A l t h o u g h Ha s e l w o o d missed time, he said it helped him learn the playbook. He said he can play all three receiver spots on the Sooners’ offense. HASELWOOD “ I t w a s n ’ t e a s y ,” Haselwood said of overcomDespite being the No. 3 ing last season. “It was more

mental than anything. It was just me locking it in, becoming more of a student of the game and learning, getting mental reps, every practice getting up, getting my work in before practice. ... It was definitely tough. There were days I didn’t want to do it, but I knew I had to. It’s for me and my team.” Haselwood declined to comment on his decision to opt out of the Cotton Bowl, but he said he put in a lot of work at his home in Ellenwood, Georgia, to get ready for spring practice. Haselwood is practicing with a chip on his shoulder this spring, ready to live up to his former five-star status. austincurtright@ou.edu

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Sophomore wide receiver Jadon Haselwood celebrates after securing a catch during the Big 12 Championship Game against No. 6 Iowa State at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 19.