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A statue of Oklahoma’s highest-ranking politician, former Speaker of the House Carl Albert, stands above tulips outside the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Albert represented a time when Oklahoma’s politics were largely Democratic.
Oklahoma’s political history has been defined by one-party control, but the climate could become more evenly matched
S
NICK HAZELRIGG • @NICKHAZELRIGG
tanding above a small cluster of red tulips on the north side of OU’s campus, the highest-ranking politician Oklahoma voters ever sent to Washington is immortalized in bronze. The statue of former Oklahoma Representative and Speaker of the House Carl Albert, a famous and powerful Democrat, now stands in a state as deep red as the tulips surrounding him. As Oklahoma’s congressional delegation consists entirely of Republicans, it’s hard for most Oklahomans to remember a time when the Democratic Party was a vast and unstoppable majority in the state that wielded control over the Republicans. H o w e v e r, t h e c o n c e p t o f one-party control of the state government is something Oklahomans are familiar with. Oklahoma went from being a state controlled by Democrats for decades to being a state deeply in support of Republicans following changes in national trends during the ‘80s and ‘90s. Among the politicians and political operatives who lived through this previous shift, though, there is a recognition that the tides have a chance of turning again, perhaps sooner rather than later. Deep blue: Democratic control in the ‘60s and ‘70s “Solidly Democrat.” There wasn’t a question in Joe Foote’s mind about what the
political landscape looked like in Oklahoma when he left for Washington, D.C., in 1972. Foote was a political reporter for KSEO radio and also served as press secretary for Albert years before becoming dean of OU’s Gaylord College, a position he held for a decade. The state his boss represented during the 1960s and 1970s looked very different from the one Foote lives in now. “There were five Democrats and one Republican representative — Oklahoma had six congressmen at that time and also had two Democratic senators,” Foote said of 1972’s political environment. “And today, no Democrats in the Oklahoma delegation, so that’s quite a change.” Foote sees Oklahoma’s ties to the Democratic Party as linked to the political climate the state was born into in 1907: a time when populist politicians ruled farm country like Oklahoma. “Back in the 1930s, a very strong populist movement, one of the most vigorous in the United States, came out of Oklahoma,” Foote said. “It was more of a left-wing populism, an agrarian-based populism, so those strings have been here since the beginning of the state.” Foote said since the rise of the New Deal Coalition started by Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s, the Democrats’ hold on rural states became impeccably strong. But that didn’t stop Foote from recognizing the deeply conservative side of Oklahomans waiting just below
ABBY BITTERMAN • @ABBY_BITTERMAN
the surface, as evidenced by the general acceptance of segregationist presidential candidate George Wallace in the late ‘60s. “It was the time George Wallace ran for president. And he had developed a real following in southeastern Oklahoma with his populist agenda,” Foote said. “Carl Albert in (an) interview got really upset with me for even bringing this up — you could tell it was a sore point that, even then, you could see the underbelly of the state was heavily Democratic in a sense but very Republican in another sense.” But this period was not impossible for Republicans — successful GOP candidates thrived as the environment became more competitive. One such politician, Dewey Bartlett, was elected governor and senator of Oklahoma during the ‘60s and ‘70s. His son, Dewey Bartlett Jr., who saw electoral success of his own as a seven-year mayor of Tulsa, said his father had to garner significant Democratic support to win — something current statewide Republican candidates need not worry about. “When my father was elected, I think Republican registration in the state was about 30 to 35 percent of the registered voters, and so it took a lot of Democrats to support and vote for him that normally would not. And he won, he won in a big way for governor, and when he ran for re-election he lost, but when he ran for U.S. Senate he won as well, and it was because of a lot
of Democrats, really.” Bartlett said it was especially difficult for Republicans during the ‘60s and ‘70s trying to find a place in a state controlled by the opposing party, and as he looks at his own party today, he can’t help but warn of hubris. Bartlett himself lost a 2016 re-election campaign for Tulsa mayor in 2016. “Back in those days, they would vote for anything as long as there was a Democrat involved with it, even if it was a bad idea, the party politics would take a priority,” Bartlett said. “I think we’re seeing some of that going on right now, and I think eventually, unless the Republicans do change, we are going to see a real change in the numbers that are elected Republicans in the legislature.” Purple: Rise of the state’s Republican political machine in the ‘80s and ‘90s “Extraordinarily difficult.” That’s how Tom Cole described his career as a Republican campaign operative in the ‘70s and ‘80s living under Democratic rule. And he wanted things to change. In 1986, in what was a bad year for Republicans in national elections but a good year for Oklahoma Republicans, Cole saw his chance. “Inside the counties we won, the voter groups that we mobilized, against well-funded and talented Democrats in what was a bad year for Republicans, I said, ‘Gosh, if we can do this, we can become the actual governing majority,’” Cole said.
“We just needed more candidates to compete in more places.” For present-day Oklahoma Democrats, the strategy of finding better candidates to compete in places they haven’t typically won is a familiar one, and between 1986 and 1994 that strategy won the Republicans power they hadn’t known for nearly half a century. In 1994, two prominent Democrats in Oklahoma’s congressional delegation retired: Glenn English, a representative, and current OU President David Boren, a senator. Cole said Boren’s departure marked a new era for Oklahoma Republicans, making the ‘90s a competitive time for both parties in the legislature and statewide. “Oklahomans slowly felt increasingly abandoned by national Democrats, and that was particularly true when (English and Boren) retired, that was the same year the congressional delegation flipped to become Republican,” Cole said. “Their departure denied the Democrats a lot of infrastructure and, frankly, a lot of credibility. People used to say ‘I’m a Boren Democrat’ to distinguish themselves from the national Democratic party.” The “Boren Democrats” represent, in Cole’s eyes, the old order of conservative Democrats that ruled Oklahoma for so long, and
see POLITICS on Page 3
OU celebrates Boren as tenure nears end President’s birthday weekend sees statue unveiling, concert KELLI STACY @AstacyKelli
The standing ovation lasted nearly two minutes. Roughly 1,700 people clapped as OU President David Boren walked into the Embassy Suites Conference ballroom Friday night. Boren, a day before his 77th birthday, slowly made his way to his table at the front of the enormous ballroom as those who came to pay tribute to him showed their support.
A little over an hour later, Boren stepped behind the podium. He began to speak, and the atmosphere inside the room immediately changed. Usually a man of such joy, Boren was emotional as he addressed the attendees of the dinner that celebrated not only his birthday but also his legacy. “I can’t begin to tell you how you’ve rubbed off on my life,” Boren said, addressing OU students past and present. “You’ve made me a perpetual optimist, an idealist, filled with energy. I’ve taken from your energy and drawn from it and drawn inspiration from you every single day.” With about two months
remaining before his retirement, the events surrounding Boren’s birthday weekend were all the more significant to OU’s second-longest-standing president. The threeday tribute, which involved a dinner, a statue unveiling and a concert, drew luminaries like Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough to a “who’s who” of Oklahomans, from former football coach Bob Stoops to former regent Max Weitzenhoffer to Boren’s successor as president, James Gallogly. It was the first public appearance Boren had made since suffering a mild stroke just a week earlier and being hospitalized for four days. However, the anxiety that had
permeated campus in the wake of his health scare was nowhere to be found over the weekend. Instead, gratitude took its place. The proceedings felt like the beginning of a long goodbye — to a president who transformed a campus, raised its ambitions and, in doing so, breathed life into its national reputation. But the weekend was also, perhaps, the closing of a golden era in OU history. “Imagine what it has been like to realize your dreams,” Boren said as his eyes began to shine toward the end of his speech. “It fills my heart with gratitude that I simply cannot express.”
A LASTING LEGACY Just six days earlier, OU athletic director Joe Castiglione knew something was wrong. As he stood at the podium preparing to give the cue for the cover to be pulled off Stoops’ statue on April 14, Castiglione made eye contact with Boren as two paramedics approached the president’s seat. “I’m locked in on his eyes, and he’s talking, and he even says at one moment, ‘I’m fine,’” Castiglione said. “Then I noticed the body language of everybody around him changed.” see BOREN on Page 3
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• April 23-25, 2018
NEWS Kelli Stacy Editor in Chief Emma Keith News Managing Editor Emily Farris Engagement Editor George Stoia Sports Editor Allison Weintraub A&E Editor Kayla Branch Enterprise Editor Paxson Haws Visual Editor Daniella Peters Copy Manager Savannah Saing Print Editor
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Students to teach in-state Education majors plan to remain after graduation SIERRA RAINS @sierrarains
Following the end of statewide teacher walkouts, many OU education majors plan to stay in Oklahoma after they graduate to continue fighting for better funding and resources. On April 2, thousands of educators from across the state took to the Capitol to demand better funding for education. By the end of the historic 10-day walkout on April 13, teachers had secured $479 million in education funding and a $6,000 pay raise — a small win in the eyes of OU education majors, as the amount received is still a long way from fixing issues they are likely to face in their future careers. Melissa Molsberry, graduate student in adult and higher education, said she took part in the walkout on the second week and was inspired by the movement, but she agrees that educators deserve to receive more funding than they did. “It was amazing — the support, the encouragement and the energy that people had. It’s clear that people are
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Graduate student Melissa Molsberry talks in Gaylord Hall on April 18. Molsberry is part of the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education and said the recent teacher walkouts inspired her.
doing this for the right reasons,” Molsberry said. “I definitely think that more needs to be accomplished in order to really serve the students or even be able to start serving the students because, right now, it’s just about surviving, and that’s not what students deserve.” The ongoing need for funding and education reform is what Molsberry said is keeping her in Oklahoma after she graduates. “It definitely has created that desire for me. There are opportunities across the country, but it’s something that I definitely take to heart
because it’s something that children can’t advocate for themselves in,” Molsberry said. “There is a clear need for people who are willing to advocate for education on a political level, and so I look forward to that opportunity.” Caroline Smith, music education senior, said she also wishes to stay in Oklahoma after graduation after seeing the stark differences in quality of education when comparing her home state of Texas to Oklahoma. “I come from a really good public school district in the Houston area, and I didn’t know when I came to
Oklahoma to be a music education major, kind of what the current state of things was,” Smith said. “They didn’t have nearly the same resources or (Advanced Placement) classes or incredible teachers, across the board, that I was able to have — there are a lot of amazing teachers in Oklahoma, but we’re not able to keep as many.” As the walkout has concluded, Smith and Molsberry said they have placed their hope for a better future for education in the hands of Oklahoma citizens as they prepare to vote in the upcoming state elections.
With many educators encouraged to file, this year’s election has had the highest number of candidates file within at least 18 years and will include positions for federal, state and legislative offices like governor, U.S. representative, state representative and state senator. “Now that public education is at the forefront of the public eye I’m hoping that in the elections that it will be a more discussed issue, and I think that no matter their political parties, people should come together and support education in the way they vote,” Smith said. Molsberry said she thinks people need to pay close attention to the candidates this year in order to elect a board that can rebuild education in the state and create the change that she and other education students wish to see and build upon. “Until someone really creates change, then it’s not going to happen,” Molsberry said. “It’s citizens who determine who wins, and if you aren’t making that a concern and asking those questions before they’re elected, they have no reason to pay attention after they’re elected.” Sierra Rains
Sierra.m.rains@gmail.com
Number of adjunct professors rises Full professorships decrease at OU amid budget crisis KATE PERKINS @Kate_perkins6
With Oklahoma’s suffering education budget, OU is hiring more adjunct faculty to save money as qualified teachers are forced to take part-time positions to make ends meet. Adjunct professors, who often have doctoral degrees, are individuals who either have a full-time job beyond teaching or teach part time without the title or benefits of an official professorship. In recent years, the number of adjuncts at OU has increased due to the university’s tight budget, said David Craig, associate dean for academic affairs at Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The number of adjunct faculty at OU has increased by 22 in the last five years, totaling 154 in fall 2017, and adjuncts now make up 16 percent of OU faculty, said P. Simin Pulat, vice provost for faculty development, in an email. Although the number of adjuncts is increasing at the university, OU does not rely as heavily on them as other universities do, Pulat said. Andrew Russo is an adjunct teacher in the department of philosophy at OU and at the University of Central Oklahoma. He obtained his doctoral degree in philosophy from OU in 2013 and has worked part time at several universities since to support himself. “Adjuncts are not paid very much, and they work as much as full-time faculty do ... at least with respect to teaching. I don’t have the duties outside of just teaching,” Russo said. “But if I was just at one university and not lucky enough to have two adjunct appointments, it would be very, very hard to make ends meet.” Although Russo and other adjuncts do not receive benefits like health care and retirement, they accept the jobs anyway because teaching jobs with high pay are scarce in Oklahoma, Russo
said. “A l l t h e p e o p l e w i t h Ph.D.s who aren’t getting hired are dying for teaching work, so, sure, they’ll accept very low wages, no benefits, no retirement, no healthcare ... just so they can pay rent, buy food,” Russo said. The education budget in Oklahoma is very low, Russo said, and often times full professorship positions are dissolved into adjunct positions to save money. The average pay for adjuncts teaching a 3-credit course is $4,000, Pulat said in an email. Adjuncts sometimes hold full-time jobs outside in the professional world and teach classes relating to their jobs. “Adjuncts s ometimes bring real-world experience from the workplace to the classroom,” Pulat said. “At OU, we rely as well on full-time researchers and postdocs, who bring cutting-edge research to the classroom as adjuncts.” For example, adjuncts in the Gaylord College are often employed in advertising and public relations agencies and teach introductory-level classes. “I think we feel really good about what our adjuncts contribute ... because when we put them into particular classes, we do that based on their professional knowledge base,” Craig said. Many adjuncts are well-qualified to teach and provide real world experience, but they can often be distracted when juggling several jobs, Russo said. “I don’t have as much time available to students because I teach so much and because I’m at two different places,” Russo said. “So in that respect, adjuncts who are spread thin have less time to give to their students ... It affects the amount of time you have to give to your students, and it affects your effectiveness in the classroom, without a doubt.” In the wake of the teacher walkouts in Oklahoma, Russo said that higher education is affected by budgetary restraints and needs change in that area as well. “ We’v e g o t t o g e t i n volved in our democracy,” Russo said. “We have
to elect officials that care about education and are going to say, ‘We’re going to tax the corporations so we have enough money
in our budget to fund our solution in a democracy, it high schools and our mid- starts with the people.” dle schools and our universities.’ I think that’s where Kate Perkins the solution starts. Like any mperkins5@ou.edu
par ty ..
1
/ parde- /
1. a social gathering of invited guests, typically involving eating, drinking, and entertainment.
•Usage: “We’re going to party with the class of 2018!”
Join us for Sooner Send-Off for the Class of 2018. Friday, May 11 | 3 - 6 pm Just South of Heisman Park Along Jenkins My So Called Band | Food Trucks Commemorative Class of 2018 Stein Drinks (yeah, DRINKS. It’s a party. You’re about to graduate!) Visit ou.edu/alumni/sooner-send-off
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NEWS
April 23-25, 2018 •
POLITICS: Continued from Page 1
they were being left behind by the national party as it moved further left on the political spectrum in the ‘60s and ‘70s. T h o u g h C o l e i s c u rrently a nearly eight-term congressman representing Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District, he was known in the ‘80s and ‘90s for his political campaign abilities. Cole was the person to call if you were a Republican who wanted to get elected in Oklahoma. That same year, as some longtime Democrats were on their way out, Cole led former U.S. Attorney Frank Keating to the governor’s mansion, and even further success in the state legislature gave Republicans something they hadn’t seen in generations: the ability for a Republican governor to veto legislation without being overridden by Democrats. Keating would go on to veto 302 bills during his time in office. “You began really to see Republican governance take
BOREN: Continued from Page 1
Castiglione, who has been at Boren’s side for nearly 20 years as partners in transforming OU and its athletic programs, was in shock. As fans waited, Castiglione paused the proceedings until Boren was loaded into the ambulance and driven away. He asked the crowd to say a prayer for the president, then directed the statue be revealed without the extra fanfare that had been planned. During the spring game that followed, one question was on everyone’s mind: “How is Boren?” The concern of the OU community that day was similar to the feeling it had roughly seven months ago when Boren announced his impending retirement, effective June 30. The sense of uncertainty and loss of such a long-standing president was felt across the state. After 51 years of public service, a new reality was becoming clear: Boren increasingly appeared to show every bit of his years — aging, weakening, mortal. In nearly 24 years of service at OU, Boren has become one of the university’s most consequential presidents, and he will leave a legacy that only three others could match — David Ross Boyd, who founded it; William Bizzell, who steered it through the Great Depression; and George Lynn Cross, who transformed it in the wake of World War II. Boren pushed OU into a new era academically, athletically and aesthetically — from boasting the most National Merit Scholars to implementing the study
shape — what would it look like, what would it do and what would be different? In a lot of ways, it was fundamentally different. It was frankly much less corrupt and much more energetic,” Cole said. But Keating’s campaign and his subsequent administration meant a lot more for Oklahoma Republicans than just executive control; it was a hotbed for Republican talent that would go on to shape state politics. Cole and current Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin would serve in Keating’s administration. Current Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter and current gubernatorial candidate Todd Lamb also worked with Keating during this time. “When I first got elected, several people said the real governor was Tom Cole. And I said, ‘Well, I’m the real governor, but Tom is an indispensable partner in everything we’re doing.’ But I was not offended by that,” Keating said of his gubernatorial staff. “A lot of political leaders want to be the smartest guy in the room — not me. I want to be listening to the smartest people in the room.” But Keating, one of the
ver itable godfathers of p re s e nt- d ay O k l a h o ma Republican politics, recognizes no majority lasts forever, and Republicans must be adaptive to remain in control. “Heraclitus, I think, said when you dip your foot in a stream, the water is always different. In politics, and in life, that’s absolutely right,” Keating said. “Republicans have been successful in the recent past, and if they don’t address the problems facing the state, they will lose. People are not naturally Republicans or naturally Democrats.”
abroad program in 80 countries to establishing an Honors College, from increased support and elevation of the arts programs and multiple other colleges to the physical appearance of the university. The changes he has made are lasting, as are the connections. Statues of those three presidents, and now Boren, stand sentinel across campus. Boren thanked those who have stood with him over the years after his statue was unveiled, joking that he remembers running for governor in 1974 and spending half his campaign money on a poll. When the poll came back, it showed he was only polling at 2 percent, he said. Fortyfour years later, he was happy to look out into the crowd and see many of the people who had been with him since that moment. “ Yo u b e l i e v e d i n m y cause,” Boren said. “You believed in me before I believed in myself, and you helped me believe in myself.”
statue unveiling ceremony inside. It was held in the Will Rogers Room of the Oklahoma Memorial Union, which is wrapped with a mural depicting the history of the university, ending appropriately with a final scene of Boren and his wife, Molly Shi, surrounded by students. “It is not only entirely appropriate that we should do this, but unthinkable that we would not,” said university historian and Professor Emeritus David Levy during his speech. “(The statue) will serve as a fine reminder of what David Boren, together with his wife, Molly, has accomplished over the quarter century that he has led this place.” The Borens stood from their seats near the podium and pulled the black cover off a poster while the cover was pulled off the actual statue outside, revealing a 10-foottall depiction of Boren in academic regalia. A quote from Boren is inscribed on the statue’s base, as well as a relief of Molly Shi. “Never underestimate the power of kindness,” the inscription reads. “How we treat each other will help determine the future of our society.” Boren exemplified this quote Saturday, thanking all who attended and helped him transform OU and crediting Molly Shi for being his constant adviser over the years. Much like every event he attends, he stopped to take photos with anyone who asked before joining the attendees in the food court for lunch. A little over an hour after the unveiling, Boren stood in the rain north of Monnet Hall facing the monument that will forever remain a symbol of the legacy he left at OU. Sculptor Paul Moore captured a younger version
THE BITTERSWEET END Boren stood on the North Oval looking out into a crowd of onlookers clutching umbrellas on Sept. 16, 1994. It was a rainy day, much wetter than the “heavy mist” Boren said the weatherman predicted. Not one for writing his speeches beforehand, he decided to break from tradition so that his inaugural address could be archived for generations to come. As the rain persisted, Boren’s speech became smudged and tattered, something he would joke about while delivering one of his final speeches as president of OU, the Oklahoma weather making itself a character once again. Twenty-three years, seven months and six days later, rain slickened the sidewalks Saturday and pushed the
Deep red: Present-day Oklahoma and hope for Democrats “It’s majority rule.” When Joe Dorman, the 2014 Democratic nominee for governor, was in the state legislature, he faced a dominant and unwavering Republican majority. Dorman said the Democrats in the legislature are at the whim of the Republicans and have been for years. “When you’re in power and office, you have to appeal to your own caucus to maintain control. Sometimes the members
of your caucus don’t like it if you reach out to the other side of the caucus too much,” Dorman said. “That makes it difficult for the leadership in the majority, and that makes it difficult in turn for the minority, because oftentimes when they speak up on issues they’re going to alienate members of the majority, and it’s going to be harder to pass legislation.” Oklahoma is back to being a one-party state, with Republican control of all three branches of government and an unstoppable majority in the state legislature. Republicans have also controlled the congressional delegation since David Boren’s son Dan Boren, a conservative Democrat, chose not to run again in 2012, and the last blue corner of Oklahoma turned red. H o w e v e r, C i n d y Rosenthal, director of OU’s Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center, said longtime control doesn’t always work out very well for the party in power. “What happens oftentimes when you get large party majorities — whether they be Democrat or Republican — when you
get large party majorities that institute an agenda that causes, suddenly, people to say, ‘Whoa wait a minute, you’ve gone too far.’ Then there is a backlash or some sort of swing to the other party,” Rosenthal said. There’s some evidence to show 2018 will bode well for the Democrats, after a year of successful special elections in 2017, and a climate ripe for change in the state legislature following statewide teacher walkouts and public disapproval over state education policy. Though Cole said he believes Oklahomans will always be conservatives, he said he had to admit the environment looks good for Democrats in 2018. “I think there’s a lot of energy on the Democratic side, but I expect a good Democratic year. They have a real chance of winning the governor’s race, but I don’t think they’ll win much else,” Cole said. “I don’t think any of the federal seats are endangered, but it could be a comeback year.” Rosenthal said the state government could benefit from a more evenly divided legislature, as evidenced by the teacher walkouts.
“What I think is interesting about this teacher walkout is it’s a movement that really advanced, for a lot of people, that we’ve gone too far and we need to swing back,” Rosenthal said. “The pendulum needs to swing back to the middle. States that don’t have these lopsided majorities and have more competitive parties oftentimes are forced by the nature of that close competition to find more common ground, to pave a more moderate path forward.” With record numbers of Oklahomans filing to run for office in the 2018 elections, the Oklahoma winds may blow in a new direction as competitive party politics could be on the horizon once again. “The polling numbers are really showing the campaign for governor is a real horse race right now,” Dorman said. “In Oklahoma, certainly anything is possible.”
of Boren, showing an attention to detail that left the president with just one word — “surreal.” The care put into his statue was the same care put into the entire weekend, so it was only fitting that the president’s concert on Sunday included a piece from one of Boren’s favorite composers, Aaron Copland. The Borens beamed as the conductor took the stage, and then they became composed listening to Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” — a song with notes like delicate valleys that go on to rise to climactic peaks. A fitting tribute to Boren’s career, the piece was also sung at his
inauguration as Oklahoma’s governor, and it left the audience with a feeling of hope. In the last of the weekend’s events, Boren was at his most composed. He listened intently, holding tightly to his gold program and leaning over to occasionally whisper to Molly Shi. When the last note was played, the president stood and showed his gratitude for the performance, but it was then that the conductor turned and the orchestra began clapping for Boren. The honoree smiled and pointed to the orchestra, as if to say, “No, thank you.” When the clapping subsided, Boren remained standing
in front of his chair as he was surrounded by fellow concertgoers. He smiled, shaking hands with everyone who walked past before making his way backstage to thank the orchestra. Boren was ushered through the lobby, but he paused to acknowledge as many people as possible before making his way to his car. As the silver Lexus began to pull away, Boren looked back and waved goodbye — the first of many farewells he will face in the next two months.
Nick Hazelrigg
hazelriggn@gmail.com
Abby Bitterman abbybitt@ou.edu
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• April 23-25, 2018
SPORTS
George Stoia, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
OU snags 4th consecutive title Two seniors go undefeated as team sticks the landing MITCHELL BARNES @mitchell_e_ou
Time, effort and hard work are what led the Sooners to the NCAA national championship finals Saturday night. In a packed UIC Pavilion full of fans from across the nation, the Sooners got the job done, and it was “All4One.� It took everything the Sooners had in one of the season’s most spectacular performances. The Sooners made it clear they were there to compete with a big start to the night on floor. Junior Yul Moldauer came out and gave one of his best performances of the season, scoring a 15.166 amid the season’s highest pressure with several stuck landings. Junior Levi Anderson followed his success with a 14.100. Even with the Sooners achieving a very impressive 69.798 on floor, they came
CALEB WELLER/THE DAILY
Junior Genki Suzuki celebrates after the high bar Feb. 24. The men’s gymnastics team brought home its fourth consecutive national title.
out of the first rotation behind. The Sooners showed no nerves, though, as Anderson danced his way over to the pommel horse and scored a 13.100 to get the Sooner crowd screaming. Head coach Mark Williams didn’t flinch. S o o n a f t e r, i t w a s Moldauer’s turn. He walked up to the pommel horse, staring it down, and he left it with his fists in the air as he scored
a phenomenal 14.553. He wasn’t the only one like this, though — every Sooner was finishing off events with such flashy celebrations, you may have thought it was the WWE. After scoring a 68.556, the Sooners remained in second place (138.364) behind Stanford (139.431) on their way to still rings, where senior Reese Rickett would anchor in the final performance of his career.
Before Rickett’s final performance, the Sooners continued to deliver outstanding performances — among them, another high score for Moldauer as he flipped and tossed his way to a 14.433. In what was an emotional moment, Rickett’s final performance didn’t mirror his successful career at the University of Oklahoma. On a rough landing, Rickett came away with a 12.800.
The Sooners totaled up a 67.565 on still rings, keeping them in second on the way to the fastest event of the evening: vault. The entire lineup scored 14 or over, with the highlight being sophomore Tanner Justus hitting a 14.800, followed by Moldauer with a 14.900 and Hunter Justus anchoring the event with a 14.776. The Sooners scored a whopping 72.665, moving them into the lead for the first time in the meet. Oklahoma (278.495) was closely followed by Illinois (277.826), though, on the way to parallel bars, where Hunter Justus would top off his career by anchoring on parallel bars. Vault put a noticeable spring in the step of the Sooners as their success carried on through parallel bars. Most notably, junior Peter Daggett made his season debut Friday night after recovering from injury, and Saturday night he scored a 14.066 on parallel bars, followed by another outstanding performance from
Moldauer, scoring a 14.773. Even more notably, Hunter Justus performed for the last time of his career, sticking the landing on parallel bars and going out strong with a 13.700, giving the Sooners a 69.832 on the event and keeping them in the lead, with one rotation between the Sooners and a fourth consecutive national title. The final rotation, high bar, was the Sooners’ opportunity to take the crown, and it was kept close until Moldauer came through. Scoring a 13.533 with a stuck landing, Moldauer helped the Sooners gain the momentum for Anderson to put up a 13.933. The Sooners finally drew the dagger with a final stuck landing from junior Genki Suzuki to send them home with their fourth consecutive national title. Seniors Hunter Justus and Reese Rickett are now undefeated in their collegiate careers and will go home as four-time champions. Mitchell Barnes
mitchell.e.barnes-1@ou.edu
Women’s gymnastics team suffers defeat OU falls short of clinching third national title JADYN WATSON-FISHER @jwatsonfisher
The Sooners were unab l e t o s e c u re a t h i rd straight national title Saturday night, with UCLA
beating Oklahoma, 198.0750198.0375, in St. Louis. Oklahoma started on balance beam, where it put up 49.425 to take the top spot after round one. Four routines received a score of 9.850 or higher, with freshman Anastasia Webb and sophomore Maggie Nichols putting up a 9.9125 in the fifth and sixth spots.
Despite senior A.J. Jackson not having the final performance she would have hoped, the Sooners still pulled off a 49.5875 behind three 9.925-plus performances. Sophomore Maggie Nichols anchored the team with a 9.9625 to put Oklahoma back on top in three rotations. In the fourth rotation, the
Sooners moved onto vault, where they put up a 49.4875 to stay on top. Oklahoma didn’t have a score less than 9.8375, with Nichols and junior Brenna Dowell recording a 9.9375 apiece. The Sooners went to the uneven bars for their final rotation of the season, recording a 49.5375 behind three 9.9s. Sophomore Brehanna
Men’s tennis takes down Cowboys Two freshmen help Sooners make comeback win CHANDLER WILSON @chandlergwilson
In the final match of the regular season, the No. 17 Sooners clawed back from behind to defeat the No. 14 Cowboys, 4-3, in a Bedlam showdown. Oklahoma has now won its last eleven matches against Oklahoma State. The Pokes took the doubles point in a series of tiebreaker battles. The No. 57 duo of junior Aleksandre Bakshi and freshman Jake Van Emburgh fought hard but fell 7-6 (4) from the one spot. Junior Ferran Calvo and freshman Max Stewart also fell 7-6 (1) from the two line, giving the Cowboys the 1-0 lead. Heading into singles action, the Sooners fell behind. Sophomore Adrian
Oetzbach lost 6-2, 6-4, on court three, before Stewart fell 7-6 (1), 6-3 on court five, giving the Cowboys the 3-0 lead. No. 59 Calvo struck first for the Sooners, winning 6-4, 7-5 from the No. 4 line. Shortly after, No. 35 Bakshi came in clutch for Oklahoma in a three-set takedown on court one, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Freshman Stefano Tsorotiotis tied the match for the Sooners, taking court six, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4). The match came down to No. 117 Van Emburgh on court two, where the freshman clinched the victory with a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-2. He improved to 14-2 on the season and extended his winning streak to six. Saturday’s win improves the Sooners to 18-4 on the season, and they finish Big 12 play at 3-2. Chandler Wilson cgwilson@ou.edu
Previous Solution
Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard
Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.
Showers had a career-high 9.900, followed by a 9.9125 from Brenna Dowell and Maggie Nichols’ 9.9625 in the anchor spot. The Sooners’ score on bars put them at the 198.0375, the 10th score of 198 or higher this season, but it wasn’t
enough to get the job done. Despite the loss, Nichols was crowned the all-around national champion the night before. Jadyn Watson-Fisher jlfwf96@gmail.com
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Sophomore Maggie Nichols strikes a pose during her beam routine Feb. 23. The women’s gymnastics team took second place at the national championship.
Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker April 23, 2018
ACROSS 1 Begin 6 “Trooper� prefix 10 “I claim it!� 14 Debate 15 Legend 16 Dublin’s setting 17 Speech part verbatim 20 What members pay 21 Not indoors 22 Lisbon-toBarcelona dir. 23 Fruit producer 24 From Mom’s side 28 Evict first-row crashers 30 They get a leg up 32 Successful escape 35 Tear fully 36 Clipped via 40 ___ favor (please) 41 EST part 42 Captivates 45 Royal spheres 49 To this juncture 50 Not first 52 Bard’s night 53 Like a ballerina 56 Shrek, for one 4/23
57 John 3:16, for one 61 Besides 62 Try to persuade 63 Hem, perhaps 64 Helps 65 Heroic doing 66 Some college students DOWN 1 More melancholy 2 Three-inone 3 Shakes on it 4 Regrets 5 Sleuth kin 6 Provoke resentfully 7 Like sharp pain 8 Aussie bounders 9 Negative prefix 10 Gear catch 11 Three, on some clocks 12 Dude 13 Certain pol 18 Sadist at work 19 Mideast gulf 23 Fairy story 25 Prefix with “space� 26 Touch-up up top
27 Paranormal letters 29 Kneecap center? 30 Sonneteer 31 Below the ocean 33 Relaxing resorts 34 That thing’s 36 Billions of years 37 In-sightful photo? 38 Worry 39 Genetic stuff 40 Spherical veggie 43 Wild fights 44 “Narc� attachment 46 Official emissary 47 Joined, as companies
48 Vicious smiles 50 Ski building 51 Hyped (with “up�) 54 Type of poker 55 Very dry 56 Norway city 57 Vast fishing spot 58 Peyton Manning’s bro 59 Hallucinogenic drug 60 Productive fly
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HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn. FOR RELEASE: MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Don’t let a sensitive issue slow you down. Stay focused on what’s expected of you and do your best to avoid excessive situations or someone who is overreacting. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Group endeavors are favored. Host an event that will bring you closer to the people you love or those you have a common interest with. Share your vision. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Don’t take what others do or say personally. Look for your own way to make a difference, and partner with people who are in sync with your way of thinking.
4/22 2018 Andrews McMeel Syndication 4/19 ŠŠ2018 Andrews McMeel Syndication www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com
OUT SOURCED By Timothy E. Parker
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Ask questions and make changes based on facts and what you know is possible. Disregard anyone offering a pie-in-the-sky plan that could end up costing you. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- If you contribute to a conversation with intelligence, facts and confidence, you will draw interest and make a good impression. Moderation will be noted, so avoid indulgent behavior. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- You’ll receive more help from outsiders than you will from those close to you. Take a break from family and spend time with someone who shares your interests. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- An emotional incident is best dismissed without a fuss. You’ll
tend to overreact or make a mistake if you act before you have time to think matters through. Don’t make assumptions. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Question your motives and consider how your plans will affect others. Don’t present your ideas until you are fully prepared to defend your decision. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Dealing with friends or relatives will be difficult, and trying to please everyone will be impossible. Do your best, but don’t make unrealistic promises. Concentrate on personal improvements instead of trying to meet unreasonable demands. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Don’t let your emotions get you into trouble. Getting involved with something for the wrong reason or joining forces with someone who’s a bad influence will distress a friend or loved one. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -Don’t fritter away precious time. Get down to business and finish what’s expected of you. Taking your responsibilities seriously will help you avoid criticism. Work first so you can play later. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Don’t let the actions of others slow you down. Use your wit and intelligence to help others and you will gain support and ward off those who would like to sabotage you.
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April 23-25, 2018 •
For all their years of dedication, Housing and Food Services would like to thank and congratulate the following-
Retiree
Dennis Clark Brenda Jefferson Diana Johnson Billy Marshall Susan Morrison Ellen Vestle
35 years
Shawn Henry
30 years
Cathleen McLaughlin
25 years
Karen Buntin Victoria Sullivan
20 years
Blake Mahlman Kevin Smith
15 years
Amanda Brocato Walter Simpson Robert Weaver
10 years
Sean Bacon Amy Buchanan Kyle Butcher Rachel Davis Jonathan Dickerson Windeon McDowell Joshua Parris Lauren Royston Erin Simpson Nancy Turcotte
housing&food
Housing and Food Services is a department in OU’s division of Student Affairs. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
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• April 23-25, 2018
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
Allison Weintraub, A&E editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a_and_e • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
Feminist brand grows in OKC GRL GNG business empowers local female community ABIGAIL HALL @heartofabigail
An Oklahoma City-based feminist apparel company aims to promote female empowerment and encourage the local female community through pop-up shops in local festivals. GRL GNG is an online store created by Kenzi Lockwood, a University of Central Oklahoma graduate student, with her two close friends, Peyton Gose and Mikayla Glover, in summer 2017. Gose and Glover grew up together in Bethel, Oklahoma, and they brought Lockwood into their friend group when they met at an Oklahoma City-based camp where they were counselors in 2016. As the trio became close, their friendship became a small community for mutual female empowerment. The group of friends were all interested in fashion, with Glover studying fashion merchandise at Rose State College. When the trio went shopping or saw clothing items they were drawn to, they began thinking about altering them with feminist logos, Lockwood said. According to Lockwood, after entertaining ideas of simply wanting to design clothes for themselves, the three developed an idea to start their own feminist apparel line, hoping to encourage local women to build their female communities.
“There are a lot of women who don’t have other women that they feel like they can talk to about their hopes and dreams and goals,” Lockwood said. “(We) wanted to take what we had and share it with other people to help people really foster those relationships with other women in the community.” For Lockwood, female community and feminism became deeply important when she dealt with the aftermath of her divorce. “I didn’t have very many female friends when I was going through that,” Lockwood said. “I really just have stolen women to become my friends since then, just kind of acquired them. I just didn’t realize how important it was to have other women in my life until things started falling apart.” Through friendship with Gose and Glover, as well as the foundation of GRL GNG, Lockwood found a deep sense of community and now hopes to spread that community and female positivity to other women through the company. The women began reaching out to friends they knew who had experience with screen printing, found a wholesale shirt company and built a website to display their designs of T-shirts, hats, stickers and pins. In August 2017, GRL GNG appeared at its first event, AMP Fest, a female empowerment art and music festival in downtown Oklahoma City. AMP Fest created buzz around GRL GNG and earned the company positive feedback from patrons. OU women’s and gender
PROVIDED BY KENZI LOCKWOOD
GRL GNG is staffed by Kenzi Lockwood, Madison Daugherty, Emily Madden and Theresa Bodman. The women work together to maintain the feminist clothing company.
studies professors JoAnna Wall and Lisa Funnell were some of these patrons. Wall had never been to AMP Fest, but she saw the event on Facebook and said it sounded like fun. She said she loved seeing the GRL GNG display and bought one of their T-shirts with the GRL GNG logo. “It’s nice to see someone so young doing that — the entrepreneurial spirit, but also embracing feminism,” Wall said. “It’s really important to support any local entrepreneur, especially young women trying to make a difference for their gender in a time where we’re still experiencing a lot of gender inequality. It’s great
to have that camaraderie.” Although Gose and Glover left the GRL GNG corporation earlier this year for personal reasons, Lockwood is still maintaining the company with help from her own local girl gang. A few women individually reached out to Lockwood about wanting to help her with photography, retail and other business needs, forming a GRL GNG 2.0. “It’s really just grown into just a much bigger thing than I thought it would, which is really great and cool,” Lockwood said. Lockwood’s childhood friend, Emily Madden, is one of the women who joined
Lockwood in helping to run the company. Madden joined Lockwood in December 2017 by attending GRL GNG events with Lockwood and helping run pop-up booths. “I think it’s very important to support each other as humans,” Madden said. “What Kenzi is doing is connecting people to each other, but then connecting people to something so much bigger than ourselves.” GRL GNG will next appear at Steamroller Print Fest in the Deep Deuce District of Oklahoma City on April 28. Lockwood said more child-sized apparel will be available. GRL GNG will also have a
pop-up at “Wanderlust Pop Up Shops,” an outdoor market exhibiting local artists and businesses, on June 10 in southwest Oklahoma City. Lockwood said new merchandise designs would be available at this pop-up. “I want GRL GNG to become this giant community of women who are constantly trying to empower each other,” Lockwood said. “And reaching out to women who don’t feel like they have that kind of community, just like ours now.” Abigail Hall ahall@ou.edu
As we celebrate Staff Week, we’d like to thank University faculty and staff, from the Norman, HSC and Tulsa campuses, who are members of the OU Alumni Association
Ernest Abrogar Sharon Alexander Dr. Helen Allen Dr. Karen Allen Ally Audas JP Audas Mark Austin Steven Austin Dr. John Bell Dr. Marcia Bennett Stacy Berglan Jana Bingman Roger Blackwood Katrina Boggs Dr. Shelley Bohn Lori Bowman Dr. Edmund Braly Morgan Brammer Dr. Janet Braun Bliss Brown David Brown Don Burgess Susy Calonkey Cheryl Carney Col. Kenneth Carson Danielle Ciccaglione Carol Clure
Sherri Coale Andrew Coats Cameron Collins Dr. Michael Cookson Debbie Copp Dr. Sherry Cox Sarah Crichley Blake Rambo Kari Dawkins Michael T Dean Sharon Dean Jennifer Dooley Danielle Dupuy Eddie Edwards Shelby Elliott Kevin Esadooah Shaista Fenwick Dr. Mark Fergeson Barry Feuerborn Glenn Flansburg Dr. Arlen Foulks Dr. Margaret Freede Owens Kylie Frisby Dr. Robert Garrett John Gaudet Dr. James George Dr. Daniel Glatzhofer
Kristapher Glenn Dr. Gary Gress Michelle Grunsted Hunter Guarnera Dr. Ralph Guild Steven Gullberg David Hail Tripp Hall Matthew Hamilton Dr. Hope Harder Marissa Henderson Kathryne Hile Keisha Holback Dean Mary Margaret Holt Hannah Homburg Chelsea Hudson Patrick Hyland Sherri Isbell Julia Jones Dr. Young Jung Nicholas Jungman Dr. Donald Kastens Phyllis Kelley Laura Kent Ashley Killgore Tiffany King Joan Kirungi
Chan Klingensmith Alexandra Klingler Dr. Marilyn Korhonen Karen Kozik Chelsey Kraft Dr. Greg Krempl Dr. Charles Lawrence Kristen Lazalier Dr. Glenn Leshner William Logan Melyssa Lombardi Steve Long Lawana Martin Rachel McCombs Johnnie M. McConnell Dr. Tammy McCuen Dr. Patrick McKee Andrea Melvin Eveleyn Middleton Samantha Milburn Bill Moakley Caitlin Montgomery Matt Montgomery Shannon Moomey Paul Moore Dr. Annie Moreau Alan Moring
Kimberly Morris Daniel Moses Stephanie Mudd Eszter Nagykaldi Jonathan Nichols Dr. Edgar O’Rear Judy Ogans, DNP Guy Patton Carol Peek Terri Pinkston Dick Pryer, Jr. Dr. Chris Purcell Regent Leslie Rainbolt-Forbes Dr. Christopher Ramseyer Dr. Courtney Ranallo Gabriel Ratcliff Emily Reed Jennifer Reeder Karen Renfroe Lee Reynolds Dr. Robert Rhodes Cindy Rieger Shelly Rolland Kari Roop Mary Rychner Dr. Terry Schuur Jessica Schwager
Dr. Susan Settle Dr. Nanay Shadid Dr. Marcus Shook Dr. David Sparling Angela Startz Dr. Michelle Staudt Bob Stoops Miranda Thomas Johnson Truong Dr. Keith Underhill Christie Upchurch LCDR Timothy Vavricka Dr. Mark Verity Billie Wages Adisha Waghmarae Alexis Walker Corbin Wallace Yoana Walschap Mary Walsh Philip Wesley Adam Whitworth Buddy Wiedemann Melanie Wilderman Dr. Hillary Woodford-Lawrence Erin Yarbrough
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
April 23-25, 2018 •
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JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
Film and media studies sophomore Peter Farrell and psychology junior Alexis Rae warm up before dancing April 20. Farrell spearheaded the creation of an OU dance group for non-majors.
Student creates dance group OU undergraduate starts organization open to all majors MORGAN MISSEL @tomahawkmissel
A n e w s t u d e n t d a n c e g ro u p, C r i m s o n Choreography, has been formed for non-dance majors as a creative outlet that provides a chance to perform. Coming to college is a time for students to learn not only about their selected subject areas but also about new activities and opportunities. This organization allows students to have these
experiences while still being able to study their chosen majors. Peter Farrell, a film and media studies sophomore, spearheaded the group’s creation. Although he did n o t have mu c h e x p e r i ence before coming to OU, he fell in love with dance after taking a few modern dance classes. He wanted the chance to perform and, seeing no opportunities for non-major students, took matters into his own hands. Farrell decided to create his own dance troupe. “I’d like some of us to be able to shine and show our creativity and our art,” Farrell said. “Especially since many
of us have engineering majors and math majors, and we don’t get to do many creative things.” Luke Miller, a professional writing freshman, learned about the organization in the Oklahoma Memorial Union after receiving a flyer from Farrell. He was excited to attend the first meeting and get involved in the organization. “I just don’t have the time or really the interest to do (dance) as a major,” Miller said. “So when I found out there was an outlet for it that gave me access to do that as a hobby and as an extracurricular, I was just so excited.” Miller said he has some
dance experience, as he danced at an art institute near his home when he was younger. Miller said he always wanted to perform and compete, so he is excited to have the chance to do that at OU while still pursuing his professional writing degree. “I think that’s why this outlet is right up my alley,” Miller said. “I never got to do ‘Dance Moms’ like Abby Lee Miller — take it to a competition and compete ... I think my background fits well with this club.” The organization’s adviser is Roxanne Lyst, an assistant professor of modern dance. She said Farrell approached
her after taking a modern dance class and presented the idea. She said she thought a club like this was needed. “It’s really a place for (students) to continue their love of dance while they’re pursuing other majors,” Lyst said. Farrell said he hopes to create an environment that will not only foster a continued love of dance but also introduce people to the world of dance. Miller is equally excited to teach people a new passion. “I really love sharing my passion (for) dance with other people,” Miller said. “The feedback I get from
them is really rewarding, so I like that even better than rewarding myself.” Farrell said he hopes to have people of all levels of dance experience join the organization, even those with no experience. “It is a completely free organization, and it (provides) the opportunity to not take life so seriously,” Farrell said. “To have some fun and forget about studying, to feel good about yourself and your body, to learn something new and to be proud of something you performed and you created.” Morgan Missel
morgan.missel@yahoo.com
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The Annual OU Cousins End-of-Year Barbecue and Western Party Thursday, April 26, 2018 5:30 p.m. | Whinery Ranch Transportation will be provided. Buses depart from the following locations from 4:45 until 5:30 pm: The Northeast Corner of Lloyd Noble Center & In front of Couch Cafeteria
! e u c e b r a B e e Fr ! c i s u M y r t n Live Cou ! s n o s s e L e c n Square Da All are welcome to come, even if you are not in OU cousins. For additional information or for accommodations, please e-mail ou Cousins at oucousins@ou.edu. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
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