W E E K E N D E D I T I O N | M AY 3 - 6 , 2 0 18 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M
A Ferris wheel at Disneyland Resort.
PROVIDED BY JOSHUA MORAN
OU DAILY PROVIDED BY GRACIE ROE
English education junior Gracie Roe holds ice cream at the Walt Disney World Resort.
PROVIDED BY JOSHUA MORAN
Theater design junior Joshua Moran (right) with his parents at the Walt Disney World Resort.
DREAMS COME TRUE
Two OU students will take on internships in Orlando theme park, gain experience through Disney College Program HEATH KUYKENDALL • @HEATHKUYKENDAL1
W
ith finals approaching and stress mounting, students might be expected to look a little down in the dumps. But for students like Joshua Moran and Gracie Roe, the end of the year brings with it the promise of adventure: they’re headed to Florida as new members of the Disney College Program. The Disney College Program is held at both Walt Disney World Resort and at Disneyland, and it gives students the chance to work at a summer or semester-long internship as a member of the Disney staff. Pa r t i c i p a n t s s p e n d t h e i r weekdays working as servers at concession stands, greeters at park entrances or assistants on rides and attractions. Weekends are spent exploring and enjoying the park, which is free to student-interns. However, one of the most beneficial parts of the program starts after work ends. Nig ht s a re o f t e n s p e nt i n classrooms, learning skills such as marketing and engineering. Many of these classes count as college credit and are transferable. All internships are also paid. Through the Disney College P ro g ra m, O U s t u d e n t s l i k e Moran and Roe are able to explore new avenues of work at one of America’s most prominent companies. Moran, a theater design junior, said he first heard about the Disney College Program when he was 12 and has wanted to work with the company ever since. Moran said he believes the program will bring him one step closer to accomplishing this goal.
“I would like to be a production designer or producer for Walt Disney Imagineering,” Moran said. “They’re in charge of ever ything you see in the parks, resorts and shops. What I want to do is transport people to places and stories I got to experience as a kid. I think going to Disney and experiencing those things is a rite in your childhood.” Because of his aspirations to design and build theme park attractions, Moran recently transferred from architecture to theater design. He said he hopes learning about set construction will prepare him to work as an Imagineer. He will be gone from Aug. 20 to Jan. 3, but he plans to return to OU once his stint in the program is finished. Once he completes his internship, Moran plans to spend his time working in the scene shop in OU’s Fine Arts Center. “I think with my background in architecture, and now, going to Disney, getting an inside view on how things there work — especially since that’s what I want to do — and now having my toes in the water here in the drama department,” Moran said, “I think it’s going to propel me into being able to tell the stories I want to tell, to take people where I want to take them.” Moran will spend the 2018 fall semester in Florida at Walt Disney World Resort, where he plans to take courses with current Imagineers to learn more about how rides at the park are constructed. U n l i k e f i r s t- t i m e a t t e n d ees like Moran, alumni of the Disney College Program are
offered the chance to work at the parks during the summer as tour guides and receptionists. Gracie Roe, an English education junior, is one such alumna who will return for a second internship.
“You get handson experience for whatever you’re looking for. Disney is a well-known name, and the great thing about their opportunities is that they have so many different areas in which they are hiring students, whether it be on the business side or on the artistic side.” ROBIN HUSTON, DIRECTOR OF OU CAREER SERVICES
Roe said she has been a Disney fan since she was little and has had aspirations o f w o rk i n g t h e re f o r y e a r s. After taking part in the Disney College Program last semester, Roe decided she wanted to eventually work for Disney full time as either a recruiter for the Disney College Program or as a VIP tour guide. With that in mind, she will return to the park this summer to further learn about the responsibilities of these roles and gain training in human relations. Like Moran, Roe sees this internship as a way to get her foot in the door. Roe said even though she is
majoring in education, putting the Disney name on her resume will be a major selling point as she works toward a permanent position at the park. Roe said the internship demands hard work, dedication and a love for other people that makes most employers excited to hire on former participants. Unlike a lot of college juniors, Roe is very certain of where she wants to go in the future. “I want to be either in Orlando, recruiting people for our program, or in the Magic Kingdom, giving tours to guests every single day,” Roe said. “I really want to tell people about the history of the parks and help them get to the best food or attractions as I can. I want to make magic for new people every single day.” Moran and Roe are unique among the OU community as only two of the current students to be headed for Disney internships. Robin Huston, director of OU Career Services, hopes to change that. Over the past several years, Huston has begun to get in contact with Disney recruiters to alert them to the number of qualified students at OU just waiting for an internship. She wants to rebuild OU’s relationship with the company due to how impactful the Disney College Program can be on a student’s life. “ You get hands-on experience for whatever you’re looking for,” Huston said. “Disney is a well-known name, and the great thing about their opportunities is that they have so many different areas in which they are hiring students, whether it be on
the business side or on the artistic side.” Huston said so long as someone has the resources and the dedication to take on an internship like those at Disney, any student with the means to apply should do so. OU Career Services strives to help students build portfolios and skills that will aid them in finding opportunities like those at Disney. “Whether they find something through our job board or through an on-campus interview, we get them as prepared as they can be,” Huston said. “I think the value of using our services for any student, no matter their major, is in the preparation for the next step they’re going to take.” Hu s t o n h o p e s O U Ca re e r Services will see a growth in Disney internships over the next few years as more students begin using the office. As he prepares to travel to Florida next semester, Moran is looking forward to building new friendships and learning all he can about Disney. “What I want to get out of this is connections,” Moran said. “That way I can go back and build relationships in my specialized role. I’m going to be living in a six-person apartment, and I already have five new best friends. I want this experience to be long term. I think this is a great first step in my story with Disney.” Heath Kuykendall
kuykendallheath@ou.edu
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• May 3-6, 2018
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Kelli Stacy Editor in Chief Emma Keith News Managing Editor Emily Farris Engagement Editor George Stoia Sports Editor Allison Weintraub A&E Editor
Stores offer free comic books Norman shops’ deals will include Avengers, Pokemon SAMANTHA TONKINS @samanthatonkins
Kayla Branch Enterprise Editor Paxson Haws Visual Editor Daniella Peters Copy Manager Savannah Saing Print Editor
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S e v e r a l l o c a l c o m i c shops will offer special deals to the Norman commu n i t y f o r F re e C o m i c Book Day. Free Comic Book Day is a national celebration that will be held on May 5 this year. For the event, comic book companies choose certain comics to be given out for free. A list of the comics can be found on the Free Comic Book Day website and includes titles from franchises like Doctor Who, Pokemon and Avengers. Speeding Bullet Comics will host an event from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Several sketch artists will be there to do sketches for people and to autograph their work. Also, someone cosplaying as
TONY RAGLE/THE DAILY
Speeding Bullet Comics special projects manager Dan Nash and owner Matthew Price prepare for Free Comic Book Day in 2014. The event is used to get people who otherwise wouldn’t be interested in comic books to check out what they have to offer.
Black Panther will be at the shop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to take pictures with attendees and sign autographs. Dan Nash, the store manager at Speeding Bullet Comics, said the event is the shop’s busiest day.
“It’s a real big turnout. We enjoy seeing people of all ages come in,” Nash said. Nash said the event is a way to instill an appreciation for reading in general. “It’s good to see people excited about reading and
comics, especially comics,” Nash said. “If we can turn even one kid into a fan, that’s made my day.” Wi z a rd’s A sy l u m w i l l also hold an event for Free Comic Book Day, according to the store manager, Bryan
Alcorn. Free comics will be given out and certain back issue comics will be sold for $1. Wizard’s Asylum will also have sketch artists. Samantha Tonkins
samantha.tonkins@ou.edu
Norman nonprofit to host art festival May Fair’s events will raise money for local charity ABIGAIL HALL @heartofabigail
The Assistance League of Norman will host the 45th annual May Fair Arts Festival, providing food, fun and a 5K to raise money for a
local charity. The Assistance League of Norman is a local nonprofit organization that aims to serve the Norman community through various philanthropic events. The May Fair Arts Festival begins with a 5K at 8:30 a.m. May 5 in Andrews Park. Following the 5K, the festival will host a student art show with submissions from
students in local elementary and high schools. The Norman Arts Council will also offer free art lessons to children at the festival. The event will also consist of pony rides, a petting zoo, pet adoptions, a bungee trampoline and live entertainment. Events such as the May Fair Arts Festival aim to raise money for Operation School B ell, an op eration that
works to clothe more than 1,700 children in Cleveland County, May Fair chair Kim Koop said. Operation School Bell has been active in Cleveland County since 1978. “We’re very excited about the many different artists this year,” Koop said in an email. “Lots of fun for the whole family.” Ko op first j oine d the
Assistance League in 2012 with a desire to help raise money for children in her community. May Fair Arts Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 5 and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 6 at Andrews Park, 201 W. Daws in Norman. Abigail Hall ahall@ou.edu
OU award ceremony honors artists Two students receive recognition for creative pieces HEATH KUYKENDALL @HeathKuykendal1
The 104th Annual OU School of Visual Arts Student Exhibition opened on April 26 with an awards ceremony to honor this year’s two best student pieces. Hosted at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art featuring guest juror Douglas Shaw Elder, the director of Firehouse Art Center Norman, the exhibit showcases artwork created by students throughout the college of fine arts. Each year, judges present the Oscar B. Jacobson Award and the T.G. Mays Purchase Award to two students for exemplary work on their exhibition pieces, according to a press release. The T.G. Mays Purchase Award, the highest award
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Artwork is displayed in the OU School of Visual Arts lobby during the Vibrant and Vogue festival Nov. 14. The School of Visual Arts opened the 104th annual student exhibition April 26.
given out at the exhibition, went to Yue Fang, a senior in the college, for the animation titled “make sense,” according to the release. The piece discusses how the five senses inform reality and how impressions of reality are not
always right. According to the release, Courtney Segrest, a sculpture junior, was awarded the Oscar B. Jacobson Award for her piece “Thoughts Untouched for a Time.” The piece uses wire and thread
to create a set of patterns that weave together. Segrest said the piece ended up becoming a story as she shaped the thread into characters. “I wanted the thread to become like letters in a book,” Segrest said. “I left it and the
pages open to tell a story. I had these metal frames and I wanted to thread each one to make it look individual. It eventually turned into this almost towering column.” Segrest said the award comes with praise and a $1,000 prize. The T.G. Mays Purchase Award comes with a cash prize as well, and a spot for Fang’s winning piece in the museum’s permanent collection. Segrest said she had not expected to receive recognition for her work, but was incredibly proud and thankful she had. “It helps me feel that I’m finally becoming an artist,” Segrest said. “I want to update the piece now. I’m thinking about taking the frames and spreading them out like a gallery. I’m just so excited. I really feel like I am officially an artist.” Heath Kuykendall
kuykendallheath@ou.edu
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Emma Keith, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Students win competitive grant Critical Language Scholarship funds international study
apprehensive about studying in India during the monsoon season, but is excited for the cultural enrichment and visiting the Taj Mahal, which is near Jaipur.
KATE PERKINS @Kate_perkins6
For the first time since 2008, four OU students have been awarded the Critical Language Scholarship by the U.S. Department of State to study abroad for summer 2018. The Critical Language Scholarship is awarded to students by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to study abroad for 10 weeks in the summer, according to the four OU students selected. The students selected must be dedicated to mastering foreign languages that are important to U.S. security and economic prosperity, according to the scholarship program’s website. These languages include Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Hindi and Persian. The scholarship program requires that each student signs a contract in which they swear they will only speak the language they are studying while abroad. The OU students who were granted this competitive award, which has an acceptance rate of less than 10 percent, are Hennessey Chism, Sophie Richardson, Ella Parsons and David Louden. All four will study in different countries. HENNESSEY CHISM Hennessey Chism is a sophomore majoring in Arabic, and she will travel to Ibri, Oman — an Arab country on the southeastern coast of Western Asia. Chism started out as an
PHOTOS BY CAITLYN EPES AND KATE PERKINS/THE DAILY
Clockwise from left to right: junior Sophie Richardson, sophomore Hennessey Chism, junior Ella Parsons and junior David Louden.
Arabic minor but quickly realized her passion for the language and culture, changing it to her major. The refugee crisis in the Middle East originally sparked her interest in learning the language in hopes that she can make a difference, she said. “I saw it on TV in high school ... and just imagining how frustrating and scary it would be, to be in your country and have to go somewhere else and they don’t speak your language,” Chism said. “I’m hoping to go into immigration law and work in either America or Europe, translating and helping people get their documents in order and stuff like that so they can stay where they are and not have to go back to where there’s war and famine.” Chism w ill live in an
apartment with other Arabic students. After her summer in Oman, she will study abroad in Jordan in fall 2018. SOPHIE RICHARDSON Sophie Richardson is a junior majoring in chemical biosciences and minoring in Arabic and Spanish. She will study Arabic in Jordan. Richardson’s grandparents are from Egypt, and she grew up with Arabic decor around her house, she said. Her interest in the language was sparked when she wanted to learn how to write her name in Arabic. Richardson said what made her stand out among the other applicants was her specificity in what she wants to do with the language. “I think I won because I know exactly what I want to do with Arabic ... I want to
A TRIBUTE TO THE
be an OB-GYN,” Richardson said. “I want to go and learn about women’s health in the Middle East because there’s a lot of cultural difference as well, besides just translation.” Richardson will stay with a host family in Jordan, and she said she is most excited for the food and meeting the locals. ELLA PARSONS Ella Parsons is a junior double-majoring in anthropology and microbiology and minoring in both chemistry and math. She will study Hindi in Jaipur, in northern India. Parsons is no stranger to traveling, as she was born in France, grew up in Colorado, lived in Switzerland in middle school and attended high school in Norman. The Critical Language
Scholarship does not require prior education in Hindi, as very few American universities offer classes in the language. Parsons will take beginning classes in Hindi, as well as cultural enrichment classes like cooking and dancing, she said. After college, Parsons is interested in going into public health in India because it is a developing country. “Public health is a weird field. With medicine you look more on treating the individual patient, but public health asks the question, ‘What can we change so that people don’t need to be treated in the first place or don’t get as sick?’” Parsons said. “It’s kind of all the preventative measures that are in place to keep people healthy and to keep them from getting sick.” Parsons said she is
DAVID LOUDEN David Louden is a junior majoring in Russian and minoring in international area studies. He has been studying Russian for five years and will study in Tbilisi, Georgia — a Russian-speaking country south of Russia. Although Louden was originally slated to study in Russia, the scheduled university suddenly pulled out of the program, and Louden was moved to Georgia. Both Georgian and Russian are spoken in Tbilisi, so Louden will have to learn a little Georgian as well, he said. L o u d e n ’s i n t e r e s t i n Russian was first sparked when he heard a Russian line in the Regina Spektor song, “Après Moi.” “I just loved the way it sounded and thought it was really pretty,” Louden said. “I have always loved grammar and language in general, so I looked up the grammar and found the grammar is really complicated and has all these different rules and stuff, which I really liked.” Louden said he hopes to work for a nonprofit for Russian LGBTQ refugees. Louden studied abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the fall of 2016, which helped him overcome his fear of speaking Russian in public, he said. Kate Perkins
mperkins5@ou.edu
FACULTY
the following University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center members who were honored April 23 at an awards ceremony. CONGRATULATIONS! tofaculty
Bagley
Johnson
Barrett
Li
Callegan
Bradford
Moreau
O’Neal
REGENTS’ AWARDS FOR SUPERIOR TEACHING Michael Ihnat, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy Annie Moreau, M.D. Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine REGENTS’ AWARD FOR SUPERIOR PROFESSIONAL AND UNIVERSITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC OUTREACH Eric Howard, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Cell Biology, College of Medicine REGENTS’ PROFESSORSHIPS Douglas Drevets, M.D. Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine Courtney Houchen, M.D. Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine DAVID L. BOREN PROFESSORSHIP H. Anne Pereira, Ph.D. Dean of Graduate College Professor and Associate Dean of Research, College of Pharmacy DAVID ROSS BOYD PROFESSORSHIP Nancy Halliday, Ph.D. Professor of Cell Biology, College of Medicine GEORGE LYNN CROSS RESEARCH PROFESSORSHIPS Michelle C. Callegan, Ph.D. Professor of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine Leonidas Tsiokas, Ph.D. Professor of Cell Biology, College of Medicine PRESIDENTIAL PROFESSORSHIPS James Barrett, M.D. Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professorship Cynthia A. Bradford, M.D. Professor of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine Presbyterian Health Foundation Presidential Professorship Dora Denise DiGiacinto, M.Ed Professor of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences College of Allied Health President’s Associates Presidential Professorship Jennifer L. Holter-Chakrabarty, M.D. Associate Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine Presbyterian Health Foundation Presidential Professorship Aaron Mark Wendelboe, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology College of Public Health Williams Companies Foundation Presidential Professorship
DiGiacinto
Pereira
Drevets
Pioszak
Halliday
Smith
HolterChakrabarty
Splinter
Howard
Houchen
Tsiokas
Wendelboe
Ihnat
Wislon
You
Jane Endsley Wilson, Ph.D. Associate Dean for Student Affairs Associate Professor of Pharmacy Clinical and Administrative Sciences College of Pharmacy Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professorship
*Jian-Xing Ma, M.D., Ph.D. George Lynn Cross Research Professor and Chair of Physiology, College of Medicine
Youngjae You, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy Presbyterian Health Foundation Presidential Professorship
*Lawrence I. Rothblum, Ph.D. Professor and Chair of Cell Biology, College of Medicine
PROVOST’S RESEARCH AWARD FOR JUNIOR FACULTY Augen Pioszak, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology College of Medicine PROVOST’S RESEARCH AWARD FOR SENIOR FACULTY Min Li, Ph.D. Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine PROVOST’S TEACHING AWARD FOR EARLY CAREER FACULTY Katherine S. O’Neal, Pharm.D. Associate Professor of Pharmacy Clinical and Administrative Sciences College of Pharmacy PROVOST’S TEACHING AWARD FOR SEASONED FACULTY Peter N. Johnson, Pharm.D. Associate Professor of Pharmacy Clinical and Administrative Sciences College of Pharmacy GOOD TEACHING AWARD Jennifer E. Bagley, M.P.H. Associate Professor of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, College of Allied Health HSC STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION ROBERT A. MAGARIAN FACULTY AWARD Nancy Halliday, Ph.D. Professor of Cell Biology, College of Medicine DAVID L. BOREN FACULTY GOVERNANCE AWARD Patsy Smith, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Nursing, College of Nursing Michele Y. Splinter, Pharm.D. Associate Professor of Pharmacy Clinical and Administrative Sciences College of Pharmacy PATENT AWARDS *Paul L. DeAngelis, Ph.D. Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
*Ying Chen, Ph.D. Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine
Youngjae You, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy *Moses Bio, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy *Gregory Nkepang, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Fellow Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy Courtney Houchen, M.D. Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine *Dongfeng Qu, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Research, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine *Sripathi M. Sureban, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine *Patrick A. McKee, M.D. George Lynn Cross Research Professor Warren Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine *Kenneth W. Jackson, M.D. Associate Professor of Research Warren Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine *Victoria J. Christiansen, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Research Warren Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine H. Anne Pereira, Ph.D. Dean of Graduate College Professor and Associate Dean of Research, College of Pharmacy *Anne Kasus-Jacobi, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy *Sunny Po, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine *P. Madeleine W. Cunningham, Ph.D. George Lynn Cross Research Professor of Medicine College of Medicine Augen Pioszak, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology College of Medicine * not pictured
4
NEWS
• May 3-6, 2018
Freshmen scholars play with FYRE Honors students get rare firsthand research experience JANA ALLEN
@janaabananaax
Every afternoon, Alexis McCalla puts on her lab coat and protective glasses and begins work in a room full of test tubes and petri dishes. Those thinking of students doing research may typically think of graduate students working on their master’s or doctorate degrees, not freshmen students like McCalla. However, OU’s Honors FourYear Research Engagement program makes research possible for undergraduate freshmen. The biochemistry freshman entered the program this semester and said the experience has showed her how much she loves doing research. “I knew I had at least wanted to tr y doing research in my undergrad, but I definitely want to continue doing research, at least during the next four years if not after,� McCalla said. The FYRE program pairs freshmen students interested in research with a faculty mentor and allows them to start doing research in their chosen field of study, said Rama Kothapalli, director of the program. There are 15 departments involved in the program, including the new additions of health and exercise science, civil engineering and environmental sustainability, she said. Kothapalli said some departments, like chemistry and biochemistry, place students in actual laboratories
while others, like mathematics, involve the student and mentor meeting once a week to do research outside of a lab. McCalla works in the lab of Ann West, a chemistry and biochemistry faculty member, to study a bacteria known as C. diff, which can cause severe issues like diarrhea and colitis. It is difficult to treat because it is resistant to antibiotics due to certain mechanisms within it, including its ability to create spores that are completely antibiotic resistant, she said. McCalla has spent the semester studying response regulator 1586, a protein that she explained is essentially part of the bacteria’s nervous system. The goal is to figure out how it contributes to the bacteria’s sporulation process and learn more about its overall structure, McCalla said. Though some of McCalla’s research attempts have not been completely successful, she has enjoyed her experience and looks forward to many more years of researching. She also said she has enjoyed the more tailored learning found in a lab more than just the “blanket� of knowledge she would be getting in the classroom. “I have gotten to learn just one very specific area and how that applies very specifically, which has been really cool,� McCalla said. McCalla has been working closely with a senior researcher in her lab to learn biochemical techniques, West said. The lab consists of about five students and meets together weekly with West to present and discuss their progress. West said she has been
AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY
Biochemistry freshman and FYRE student Alexis McCalla works in her lab April 25.
part of the FYRE program since it began in 2011. West said it is an excellent opportunity for students because it starts their lab training early on and ensures they are prepared for any professional school they may pursue after their undergraduate years. “I can affirm, based on my experience, it’s been a really, really positive and unique program, and I think that the students in the end are the ones who benefit and that’s the goal,� West said. Biology freshman Elizabeth Jordan said she has had a positive experience through the FYRE program. Jordan has been working in an ecology lab this semester studying the difference between techniques that can be used to test for carbon dioxide and
nitrogen in plants. Jordan said even though the research she’s doing isn’t what she wants to research in the future, the experience has given her new skills to add to her “mental tool belt.� Jordan said she has also learned how to get past the small, dreaded parts of a lab that can sometimes prevent students from doing research. “It’s all these little things that you have to do, so I feel like it’s a good thing to get into a lab and realize, ‘Okay I don’t love this,’ or ‘I can do this for the rest of my life,’� Jordan said. “For me, I feel like it’s been affirming.� Jordan has also learned how to communicate better with the people she works with, she said. Her confidence in asking for what
she needs from others has grown since being in the lab, and she had to overcome some personal barriers to get to that point, she said. Jordan said being in the lab has helped her “(get) over that mental block that I’m being bossy by asking for the next thing, not waiting for someone else to tell me what I should be doing.� Evan Mettenbrink, biomedical engineering freshman FYRE student, has been in a biochemistry lab for the semester. Mettenbrink’s lab has been looking at what various treatments do to cells, and their research can be applied to making drugs to treat cancer cells, he said. Like Jordan, Mettenbrink said when he first got into the lab, there were obstacles he had to overcome. Part of
being a newcomer is learning the ropes and sometimes messing up, he said. “It’s definitely a learning curve,� Mettenbrink said. “I messed some stuff up, which is kind of embarrassing and you’re kind of like ‘Oh no,’ but they’re really welcoming in thinking a beginner wouldn’t know everything.� The work all of the FYRE students have been doing this semester will culminate in a poster presentation on May 2, Kothapalli said. They will present their findings at this event to be judged by different professors. Awards will be given out, including best poster, best project and outstanding student, she said. After the students participate in a semester of research, they can enroll in a series of seminar classes that present information on professional development, the impact of scientific research on society and how to better communicate their research to others. Kothapalli also said the program is opening up a summer session for the first time for any non-Honors students who are interested in research. Kothapalli encourages all students who are interested in research to join the program or try to get any research experience they can. “As an undergrad, I never had the chance to do research,� Kothapalli said. “The first time I experienced research, when I became a master’s student, and I realized that I had missed out on a lot of opportunity to advance myself further.� Jana Allen
jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu
SGA Twitter compromised CLASSIFIEDS Fake letter released with former chair’s forged signature NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg
The official twitter account of the Undergraduate Student Congress, the legislative branch of OU’s Student Government Association, tweeted a fake letter signed by Kaylee Rains-Saucedo, an OU political science senior
who served as chair of the group previously. Rains-Saucedo said the SGA believes someone who previously had access to the Twitter account is behind the breach. Rains-Saucedo said this individual has locked other SGA members out of the account. The content of the letter claimed the newly elected chair of the body, Tom Cassidy, is opportunistic and changes his political stances to fit his needs. Though the letter is signed
“Kaylee Rains-Saucedo,� Rains-Saucedo said the letter is forged. Cassidy said he has received nothing but support from Rains-Saucedo in his new role and asks that if any members of the SGA take issue with him, that they would speak to him directly. “It’s not true,� Cassidy said. “Kaylee and I have been very close friends and
she’s told me nothing in the letter is something she would say. I don’t really know who would post this.� Both Cassidy and RainsSaucedo said the SGA is taking steps to regain control of the account and discover who is responsible. Nick Hazelrigg
hazelriggn@gmail.com
Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker May 3, 2018
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Former SGA Undergraduate Student Congress Chairwoman Kaylee Rains-Saucedo speaks at the State of the SGA event on April 24, 2017. A fake letter was posted to Twitter May 2 using Rains-Saucedo’s name Wednesday.
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Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.
ACROSS 1 “Come� or “take� starter 5 Greek cheese 9 Berth type 14 Proofreader’s mark 15 Elevator VIP 16 Saw parts 17 “___ be a while� 18 Litter’s littlest 19 Explorer Polo 20 Reason for a tall fence 23 Big palooka 24 Large flightless birds 25 Maximizing suffix 28 More glossy 32 Newspaper feature 34 Scam verb-ally? 35 Calf meat 37 Remorseful one 38 She motivated during WWII 43 Sciences go-with 44 Game rollers 45 Madonna role 46 Stocky burrowing rodents 5/3
50 Starting points 52 Moo ___ shrimp 53 Long Russian river 55 ___ generis (unique) 56 Romantic placement 62 Tub it up 64 Pennsylvania port 65 H or F attachment 66 Bubbling in a pot 67 Ceremony 68 Sicilian lava spewer 69 Pacific starch sources 70 Bagpipe player 71 Straggles DOWN 1 Frigg’s husband 2 Reject “power� 3 Sharpangled letters 4 Put trust in 5 Quadruped’s front two 6 Notions case 7 Slight shade 8 Breathing problem 9 Of the greatest extent
10 Bartlett fruit 11 Causes to suffer 12 Listcompleting abbr. 13 Greek consonant 21 Childlike 22 Prickly seed case (var.) 26 Record jacket 27 Latin lands 28 Gets outta there! 29 Generic cheer 30 Teacher 31 Another generic cheer 33 Fury 36 Outpaced the pack 39 Suffix with “real�
40 Fix, as a match 41 Arctic floater 42 Place of action 47 Some blackbirds 48 Put forth effort 49 Cavalry weapons 51 Famous tower 54 Thing to sing 57 Buckeye’s locale 58 Jackson 5 guitarist 59 A wee bit 60 Ladder part 61 Historic times 62 Do this to get a hit 63 Old NBA rival
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HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn. FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Making an adjustment to your expenses is a good place to start if you want to make your cash flow a little smoother. Stop talking and start taking action. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Don’t feel obligated to say yes to everyone who asks you for something. Draw the line if you don’t want someone to take advantage of you. Know your limitations and boundaries. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- By assisting others, you will help yourself. Giving back and sharing what you know with the people around you will help you gain support and give you greater self-confidence.
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OH SEE ME RHYME By Timothy E. Parker
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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Do something different or get involved in a group that offers insight into new ways to use old skills. Expand your awareness by listening more and talking less. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Taking part in an event will bring you in touch with someone whom you can benefit or learn from. Explore all possibilities and question anything that isn’t clear. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Use your intuitive intelligence when dealing with domestic issues, partners or anyone who needs your help. Understanding what’s going on will help you find a workable solution. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -How you go about getting things
done will make a difference. Make use of your physical abilities and get the grunt work out of the way to avoid complaints. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Home, family and happiness should be your priorities. Don’t let the little things get to you. Offer love and help to the people who mean the most to you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You may feel like talking and discussing your personal business, but be careful whom you open up to. Sharing information can change the way someone views you, causing an unfair response. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Finish what you start. A positive change regarding how you make or handle your money is apparent. Home or personal improvements, along with romance and family fun are favored. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -Keep your story straight. Emotions can bring out the best and the worst in you and in others. Stick to the truth and offer compassion and understanding. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Do the best you can and avoid negative people. It’s important to gravitate toward people who share your vision and spark your imagination. Romance will improve your life.
May 3-6, 2018 •
SPORTS
5
George Stoia, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
Transfer to make instant impact Sooners fill critical need at point guard after departures KEGAN RENEAU @keganreneau
After Trae Young departed for the NBA and Jordan Shepherd transferred, Oklahoma was left with a hole at point guard — a gaping one. Across the country, at a university with a third of the enrollment of the University of Oklahoma, the desire to win and the need for a point guard crossed paths. Aaron Calixte, a 5-foot-11 point guard from the University of Maine, is coming off a season averaging 16.9 points and 3.2 rebounds. He decided to use his fifth-year via the grad transfer route for a chance to win and make the NCAA Tournament. Maine, the flagship university of the Pine Tree State, was home to a basketball program that won 24 games in Calixte’s four years. He was a top five-scorer in the America East conference last season, but Maine only won six games. In Norman, 1,644 miles away from Maine’s campus, Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger lost his only two scholarship point guards with Young and Shepherd. A point guard is essential to a team’s success, and after Young and Shepherd moved on to their future endeavors, it was Oklahoma’s first mission to find one. “When you look at our roster, pretty much everything else was in place
for this year,” Kruger said. “ Wi t h o u t q u e s t i o n , w e needed to get a point guard.” In comes Aaron Calixte — a hard-working, teamfirst, scoring point guard who made his transition to Oklahoma official on April 17, just two days after his official visit to the Sooners. Calixte is seen as an exciting addition for what he can do on and off the court. “(He’s) very competitive, has really good quickness, slides his feet well defensively, moves the ball offensively,” Kruger said. “A scoring point guard that also makes play for others. But more importantly than that, when you talk to the coaches that have been around him, they’re just very positive about his attitude, work ethic, a good teammate — all the things that you’re looking for.” It is a sentiment not only felt by his coaches, but by the people who covered him. “He is an incredibly high-character kid that is a gym rat, and he is always in there,” said Jon Alba, the sports director of ABC 7 and Fox 22 in Bangor, Maine. “He shoots after games, and I never heard of an issue that teammates had with him … I do know that people think of him very highly in that sense. I think the intangibles in that department certainly help him and give him merit.” As the successor to Young, Calixte’s role will be under a magnifying glass. Young broke defenders down with a Steph Curry-esque range and flair that marveled the entire country. He pushed
OU coach Lon Kruger talks to his team during a timeout of the Baylor game Jan. 30.
Oklahoma to a No. 4 ranking after a 2016-2017 season to forget. The former Maine point guard is not the same player as Young, but he is a piece to a puzzle Kruger is trying to finish. “That’s a much better role for him where he can fit in and fill a piece, rather than be a star because at (the Big 12 level), it would be much harder for him to be a star,” Alba said. “I think if Oklahoma can find ways to utilize him in that role, where he can distribute the ball and he is not relied on
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necessarily to run the entire offense, but he can be a part of it and using those intangibles that will maximize what he is capable of.” The graduate transfer route has turned into a recruiting season of its own. From 2011 to 2016, the number of graduate transfers increased from 15 to 86, and they can be an instant boost for teams that need it the most. The Sooners have yet to land a player from the grad transfer market under Kruger, but like Tashawn Thomas’ impact for Kruger
as an immediately eligible transfer in 2014, Calixte’s impact will be focused on helping Oklahoma continue what Lon Kruger has built his program around. “I expect him to have a n i mp a c t o n a ny t h i ng Oklahoma needs him to do related to winning. That’s what he does,” said Bob Walsh, Calixte’s coach at Maine. “I think he can be an elite scorer, he’s proven that. But if that’s not what the team needs on a given night and he needs to be a great defender — he needs to make his teammates better
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
and get them open shots on the ball or off the ball — he can do that. I expect him to have a significant impact on whatever areas coach Kruger needs him to impact to win.” Kruger was in immediate need for a point guard, and Calixte was in search for a new home. His desire to win and make the NCAA Tournament brought him to Norman, and he left a Sooner. Kegan Reneau
keganreneau@ou.edu
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