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CONFRONTING
HISTORY
The intersection of DeBarr Avenue and Boyd Street. DeBarr Avenue is named for Edwin DeBarr, a former OU professor and KKK leader.
DANA BRANHAM/THE DAILY
Normanites clash over street named for KKK leader, OU professor
A
seem Nevrekar is tired of writing his address. Nevrekar, a chemical engineering doctoral student, has lived on DeBarr Avenue for six years. On a campus ghost tour, he learned of his street’s namesake: Edwin DeBarr, a prominent national Ku Klux Klan leader of his time and one of OU’s first four professors. Nevrekar is one of many in Norman who thinks it’s time for the street name to go. Ne a r l y 3 0 y e a r s a g o, DeBarr’s name was removed from “DeBarr Hall” — the building that’s now simply the “Chemistry Building” on the North Oval between Holmberg Hall and Old Science Hall. Three blocks away, however, his name remains. Disaster struck Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12 when a woman was killed at a rally of neo-Nazis and white supremacists who wanted to prevent the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. The tragedy spurred conversation around the country about removing monuments of Confederate leaders. Communities large and small are grappling with the same question: Whom do we choose to honor, and what do they say about us? While Norman doesn’t have Confederate monuments, some members of the community have decided to focus on the closest thing to it here: DeBarr Avenue.
A RENEWED RENAMING EFFORT
Breea Clark pulls out a folded piece of paper from within a stack of folders and papers covering her desk. It’s a petition urging property owners on DeBarr Avenue — a small stretch between Boyd Street and Duffy Street — to give their blessing to rename the street. Instead of a signature, there’s just one word scrawled across the page. “NEVER.” Clark, a Norman City Council member who works
DANA BRANHAM • @DANABRANHAM in OU’s Academic Integrity department, decided to push for the street’s renaming. She kept the rejected petition form as a “souvenir.” “I kept it as a reminder that some people are just irrational when it comes to things like this,” Clark said. In March she began circulating a petition calling for the renaming of DeBarr Avenue, hoping to gain public momentum on the issue. After the tragedy in Charlottesville, the petition saw a resurgence. “People are now aligning neo-Nazis, the Confederacy and the KKK all as one, and I agree with that,” Clark said. “It’s all things that we were in our past that we don’t want to be anymore.” Despite nearly 1,400 signatures on Clark’s petition, it’s not the general public who gets to decide on whether the name goes or stays. If 75 percent of the people who own property on and adjacent to DeBarr support a name change, it can happen, according to a 2008 policy adopted by the city. There are 25 unique property owners on the street, so 19 of them would have to sign the petition, according to Norman director of public works Shawn O’Leary. Clark said she’s hit a dead end for now, with only around 50 percent of property owners in support of a name change. Alternatively, the policy says a street name shall not be changed once it’s established, unless, after investigation by the city, it’s found to be “inappropriate,” though there’s no written procedure for determining that inappropriateness. OU student government leaders have called for the city to change the name through a resolution passed by the Undergraduate Student Congress and Graduate Student Senate. Both the resolution and Clark’s petition call for the street to be renamed Henderson Street in honor of OU professor George Henderson. Henderson, one of OU’s
first black professors and the pioneer of its human relations program, said he didn’t seek the honor, but the removal of DeBarr’s name could signal progress for Norman. “If by chance, a street is named after me, it conceivably could connote reconciliation in the area of race and ethnicity. It might imply that this is a community of not only cultural diversity, but also inclusion,” Henderson said. “If the name could do that, have those associations, then I would be honored. I would be privileged. I would be grateful.” D e Ba r r d i e d i n 1 9 5 0 . Henderson set foot on OU’s campus for the first time in 1967. He first learned of DeBarr from another professor. “I don’t know who the professor was, but he was knowledgeable about university history,” Henderson recalled. “Just in passing conversation, he said, ‘You know if DeBarr was still involved in the university, you wouldn’t be here.’ “So I say, ‘Rest in peace, DeBarr.’”
WHO WAS DEBARR?
On Aug. 29, 1892, Edwin DeBarr arrived in Norman. It was a busy first day: He wrote in his diary that he got into town at 3 a.m., went to bed at 4 a.m. and met with then-OU President David Ross Boyd at 9 a.m. He built OU’s chemistry and pharmacy schools from the ground up, and he taught dozens of classes — from biology to German. DeBarr is a key figure in professor emeritus David Levy’s “University of Oklahoma: A History,” which chronicles OU’s beginnings. “Among the four members of the first faculty, one was a strident racist,” a page of the book reads. The book includes an excerpt from a 1935 interview, where DeBarr spoke candidly of his irrational fear of black people — the first black person he ever saw, he said, “scared him into
‘convulsions.’” Still, he was revered by his students. The 1921 Sooner yearbook is dedicated to him: “In the classroom, on the campus, or in his fraternal activities around the state, ‘Daddy DeBarr’ is respected and esteemed.” His involvement in “fraternal activities” were extensive: he was the grand dragon of Oklahoma in the KKK until 1923, according to a “Chronicles of Oklahoma” magazine article by Levy about DeBarr. From there, he became the KKK’s national chaplain. “The Klan in Oklahoma did the things that the Klan did anywhere else, but perhaps more of them,” Levy writes in the article. “By one estimate, in fact, Oklahoma’s KKK outdid all other state Klans in outright ferocity.” At the same time, DeBarr’s involvement at OU was extensive. He was promoted to vice president of the university in 1909 — a symbolic title, mostly, but he would occasionally stand in as acting president. He was the longest-serving professor at OU at the time. In September of 1917, DeBarr Hall opened for use
— a state-of-the-art chemistry facility with an auditorium, labs, classrooms and storage facilities. Concerns had been raised about DeBarr’s KKK ties before, but he was not pushed out of the university until 1923. The final straw was not his views toward African Americans, but rather his anti-Catholic commencement speech at a high school. Still, he was allowed to keep his lab at the university, and he went on to be the city’s “health officer.” He didn’t seem to live in “isolation and disgrace,” Levy’s article notes. The university even invited him back in 1950 as the homecoming parade marshall. He died in December 1950 of a heart attack while recovering from being beaten with a tire iron by his granddaughter’s husband that October.
REMOVING DEBARR
Twice in the 1980s, students led efforts to have DeBarr’s name removed from the chemistry building. The second, in 1988, was successful. David Slemmons, a student leader of the charge
to remove DeBarr’s name from the chemistry building in 1988, learned about DeBarr from a professor. He pored over newspaper clippings and records from the Southern Poverty Law Center that showed DeBarr’s KKK involvement. “The problem before is that they really didn’t know much about DeBarr. I started looking, and there was very little to be found,” Slemmons said. “So we had to do it on our own, from scratch.” Slemmons described a huge demonstration on the South Oval in April of that year — hundreds of students gathered, a Confederate flag was burned and they marched to DeBarr Hall, past the president’s office. Students hung a hood over DeBarr’s portrait in the chemistry building. With a background in student g overnment from his previous schooling, Slemmons and other Students for a Democratic Society members took the issue up through the channels of student government, eventually making it to the Board of Regents. see DEBARR page 2
DANA BRANHAM/THE DAILY
The 1921 Sooner yearbook dedication to Edwin DeBarr. Its last line reads: “In the classroom, on the campus, or in his fraternal activities around the state, ‘Daddy DeBarr’ is respected and esteemed.”
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• September 14-17, 2017
NEWS DEBARR: Continued from Page 1
That July, the regents voted 6-1 to remove the name from the building. Sam Noble, an OU regent at the time, was the only dissenter, calling the debate “a tempest in a teapot.” Across the street from campus, DeBarr’s name was still there as it is today. “At that point, 90 percent of the people were against (changing it), so there was no point in even bringing it up,” Slemmons said. “We did not even address it.”
CONFRONTING HISTORY
To Clark, the answer is obvious, given DeBarr’s history. “If we were open with it and everyone was cool with it as part of our history, fine. But we’re not! We don’t talk about it — we practically hide it — and when it comes up, it divides our community,” Clark said. “We need to be done with it.” But the answer isn’t so obvious to everyone, including people who live on the street. Clark said property owners have raised concerns about not getting their mail or business owners having to change brochures and websites. Others around the community have pondered if the name change would be “erasing history” — one of the same arguments against re m ov i n g C o n f e d e r a t e monuments. Levy, who has researched DeBarr’s life through his work as OU’s historian, said the question of removing DeBarr’s name and removing Confederate monuments requires the same type of judgment. “How horrendous, how
Kelli Stacy, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
serious, how despicable was the offense? And how meritorious, how worthy and how honorable was the contribution which led to the awarding of the honor in the first place?” Levy said. “Then those two things have to be a balance.” Still, it’s not cut and dry, he said. “People aren’t perfect. They do bad things and they do good things, and if you’re waiting to name something for someone who has never done a bad thing, you’re going to wait a long time,” Levy said. “I can show you quotations from Abraham Lincoln, how blacks should not marry with whites and how whites are superior, and it would be a crime, I think, to remove Lincoln’s name from everything.” Where do we draw the line, then? “You’re drawing it when y o u c h a n g e t h e s t re e t . Don’t worry about it. We always change the lines,” Henderson said. “Good gracious, if that’s all that we have to worry about, when I put it within my bag of concerns, it’s minor. What’s next? Who knows? Let’s get past this one.” For Henderson, arguments of “erasing history” simply can’t be reasoned — especially when many students don’t even know DeBarr’s history, he said. “There’s nothing logical or rational about hatred. And there’s nothing logical or rational about bigotry,” he said. “There simply isn’t.” For Nevrekar, the chemical engineering doctoral student from India who’s lived on DeBarr for six years, changing the name is a question of respect. “(The name) reminds you of the horrors that the KKK and some other organizations created for people of
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SGA encourages renaming of street honoring KKK member
DANA BRANHAM/THE DAILY
Sophomore Lourya Winn stands outside the chemistry building on the North Oval. Winn lived on DeBarr Avenue for about a year.
color not very long ago,” he said. “It basically says, ‘Hey, you know what? You’re not welcome here. We don’t respect you enough or your history enough to change the name.’” The street gives no suggestion of its controversy — it looks and feels like any other street near campus. Walking north, the sounds of bustling Campus Corner grow softer. On a warm September evening, the street is calm, punctuated by two sets of two friends, one set at each end of the street. Both pairs chat, tossing a football back and forth. Someone’s grilling in their backyard, and the smell wafts through the air. The street is home to families who’ve lived there for decades and to students who’ll only stay a few months.
Lourya Winn, an undecided sophomore, lived on DeBarr Avenue for about a year. When she moved there, she had no idea whom her street was named for. A reporter stopped her one day while she was walking her dog and explained the street’s history. “I do look at it from a different point of view because I’m African-American,” Winn said. “What I took from that was mixed emotions. “When you’re looking at the surface, he doesn’t seem like a bad person. He’s done so much for the university,” she said. “But then, you look behind the curtain and you see what else he was doing.”
The OU Undergraduate Student Congress passed a resolution requesting DeBarr Avenue be renamed Henderson Street during its Sept. 12 meeting, among other things. The resolution urges the Norman City Council to vote to rename the street, originally named after former OU professor and Ku Klux Klan member Edwin DeBarr, who taught at the university in the early 1900s, to Henderson Street in honor of local civil rights leaders George and Barbara Henderson. The legislation passed 29-0, with one person abstaining. Dan Williams, a congress member who co-authored the bill, has spoken to members of the city council and said there is “resounding support” for the name change. “DeBarr’s name will always be in our history books, no matter what he’s done,” Williams said. “But our street names are meant to honor people. Dr. Henderson is an honorable man.” Williams said he spoke with SGA President J.D. Baker, who planned to sign the bill. Baker said he was overwhelmed with emotion when the bill passed the Graduate Student Senate and congress. “I’m touched both bodies decided to pass this,” Baker said. “George Henderson is one of my personal heroes.” SGA Representative Joseph Hedgcorth, the only member in attendance to not vote in favor of the resolution, said he decided to abstain because he was unable to add an amendment that would express support for people of varying personal beliefs. “I agree completely that DeBarr Street needs to be renamed,” Hedgcorth said. “But I wanted to add an amendment assuring the SGA remains committed to representing all OU students regardless of either political beliefs or any other aspects of their identity.” The members also voted to confirm Baker’s nominee for Election Board Chair, political science senior Corey Abernathy. Abernathy answered questions regarding his experience with campaigns and elections and was confirmed to his position in a 34-0 vote. The body voted unanimously to allocate a total of $6,425 in funding to various student organizations. Congress also passed two pieces of legislation clarifying SGA rules and dates in regard to upcoming elections. Nick Hazelrigg, @nickhazelrigg
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September 14-17, 2017 •
NEWS
Emma Keith, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Experts talk history, ideology OU panel discusses statues honoring Confederate leaders
Jesse Pound Editor in Chief Emma Keith News Managing Editor Siandhara Bonnet Engagement Editor Kelli Stacy Sports Editor Supriya Sridhar A&E Editor
HANNAH PIKE @h_pike_
OU professors gathered Tuesday evening to lend their expertise to a topic of recent national controversy: the significance of Confederate monuments and Robert E. Lee. O U ’s d e p a r t m e n t s o f Histor y and Jewish and Israel Studies hosted the Sept. 12 panel, which brought awareness to the history and impact of monuments as symbols. The panel came a month after fatal violence, protests and a white nationalist rally in response to a plan to remove a statue of Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia. Daniel Snell, a professor who teaches about the history of slavery, moderated the panel, which consisted of Rachel Shelden, a history of Civil War professor, Karlos Hill, an African and African American studies professor, and Janet Ward, a history of collective memory professor. Shelden began with an explanation of lost cause ideology, which holds that the Confederacy fought for southern values and states’ rights rather than for slavery. “Lee became the ideal of the lost cause ideology... Lee became someone you could come to to get away from the idea of slavery,” Shelden said. Shelden said this ideology is often accepted and even taught in some schools despite being inaccurate. “O u r c u r r e n t u n d e rstanding of Robert E. Lee is really shaped in large part by ex-Confederates, people who, after the Civil War, wanted to openly and conscientiously shape the memory of what the war was about,” Shelden said. “All of these points are easily disprovable now with
Dana Branham Enterprise Editor Caitlyn Epes Visual Editor Emily McPherson Copy Manager Audra Brulc Opinion Editor Mandy Boccio Print Editor
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OU professors discuss their expertise on the significance of Confederate monuments and Robert E. Lee during a Sept. 12 panel.
our history, but they were things people said repeatedly in the years after the war.” Hill then spoke about the impact of Confederate statues. He asked a series of questions including, “Why now?” “It took violence for us to recognize these statues are emblems of a legacy of white supremacy,” Hill said, “and we heard the altright and ... the neo-Nazis, not the voices of AfricanAmerican leaders.” Hill said removing statues like these is the easiest
way to do something about white supremacy, but the deeper problem is systematic racial oppression.
event because he was interested in learning more about a topic that is current and relevant.
“It took violence for us to recognize these statues are emblems of a legacy of white supremecy and we heard the alt-right and the neo-Nazis, not the voices of AfricanAmerican leaders.” KARLOS HILL, AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES PROFESSOR
Oliver Luckett, a wom“I’ve heard a lot of people en’s and gender studies ju- talking about it, but most nior, said he attended the of the talking has been on
social media or the media giving their opinions, and I thought it would be very interesting and beneficial to hear from people who are actually studying things similar to this, who actually have a lot of background information on these things,” Luckett said. OU students, faculty and other members of the public attended the event and asked questions after the panelists finished speaking. Hannah Pike
hmaepike@gmail.com
Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 250 words, typed and signed by the author(s). Letters will be edited for accuracy, space and style. Students must list their major and classification. To submit letters, email dailyopinion@ou.edu. Our View is the voice of the Editorial Board, which consists of ten student editors. The board meets at 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday in Copeland Hall, Room 160. Board meetings are open to the public. Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are their own and not necessarily the views or opinions of The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board. To advertise in The Oklahoma Daily, contact the advertising manager Brianica Steenbock by calling 405-325-2521 or emailing dailyads@ ou.edu. One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by contactingThe TheDaily Dailyis Corrections: business offitoceaccuracy at 405committed Corrections: The Daily is committed to accuracy in its publications. If in itsfipublications. you nd an error inIfa you find an error in a story, email dailynews@ story, email dailynews@ ou.edu or visit oudaily. ou.edu or visit oudaily. com/site/corrections .html to submit a correction form.
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma logo.
Student makes history on ACLU First elected to serve on ACLU Board of Directors IPEK DUMAN @ipek_duman1
Seth Bryant was at his summer job mowing lawns when he got an email aski ng h i m t o b e c o m e t h e first colle g e student in Oklahoma to be on a board defending people’s civil liberties. Bryant, a political science junior, immediately accepted the offer to be on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma American
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Civil Liberties Union. The offer came just a few months after Bryant’s previous campaign to be on the board failed in April 2017. “When I ran in April as a 20-year-old college student, I didn’t just sweep the vote,” Bryant said. “I lost the election, but apparently I impressed the people who were there. Afterwards, the president, Mike Redman, told me he would like to keep my resume on file in case any opportunities come out.” Bryant was a part-time member of the ACLU before being appointed to the
Board of Directors, and he said his interest in public service fueled his involvement in the Oklahoma ACLU. Bryant said as a board member, he will help decide how the ACLU spends its money, as opposed to figuring out how to fundraise. He said after the Nov. 2016 election, he found several individual donations were made for organizations like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood from individuals who felt compelled to donate by recent events. “The ACLU seems to be an organization that does a
lot of good in the world and has what should be a fairly (non-objectionable) mission, which is just to protect people’s civil liberties,” Bryant said. “I consider myself very passionate about the same issues. Thes e things impact American citizens’ lives and their ability to love the lives they should be leading.” While the transition has occurred and he is officially on the board, Bryant said his involvement on the board w ill increase after he returns from Italy, where he is currently studying abroad. Bryant said he wants to encourage other
students to be aware of the issues around them, in Oklahoma and abroad, and that spreading awareness and being active is incredibly important. “Inaction doesn’t gain you anything … you can’t affect the world if you only complain to your friends,” he said. “You need to get out there and get involved with organizations that do good. Get involved in your local political groups to try and affect the change you want to see in the world.” Ipek Duman
ipek.duman-1@ou.edu
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VOL. 102, NO. 77
© 2017 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢
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September 14-17, 2017
NEWS
Emma Keith, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
NPD launches new race training Department shifts focus to emphasize emotional control SIERRA RAINS @sierrarains
The Norman Police Department is implementing a new training program for all officers aimed at improving emotional control and bettering racial relations with the community. The Racial Intelligence Training and Engagement program, or RITE, uses a set of techniques and tools to help officers gauge their emotions in crucial moments. The department began training for the program in late January and is requiring that all officers participate in one class session. Prior to the department’s adoption of the RITE training, officers would assess the situation based on the potential danger at the time, but now an emotional aspect is being added to that assessment, said Blake Green, Norman Police Department captain and RITE training course instructor. “It gives us situational awareness of what’s going on,� Green said. “In the past we’ve looked at ‘does this person have the potential to have a weapon? Are there factors going on where there could be a crime committed?’ This goes a step beyond that to say ‘do I have my emotions in check?� Green said a key tool in the training is an emotional ladder. At the top of the ladder are positive emotions such as love, joy and gratitude and at the bottom are negative emotions like jealousy, guilt and fear. Officers are instructed to mentally picture the ladder before going into a dangerous situation, Green said. In order to remind themselves of the positive emotions at the top of the ladder, officers complete a cellphone exercise where they look at their home screen and think about how it makes them feel. “This training, does have a racial component that explains how to be better with
racial intelligence, but at the heart of the training, it talks about how to deal with your emotions as a person,� Green said. “It helps you focus on that first and then it helps you focus with your interaction with other people and see how their emotions are going.� John Carl, OU criminology and sociology professor, said the Norman Police Department has been trying to have a community-oriented approach to policing for some time now because of national policing incidents such as the shootings of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Alton Sterling and many more. “Policing starts with this idea that police only get their credibility from the public, so I think it’s a great idea that the Norman police are trying to figure out how to make sure their interactions with the public are as non-hostile as they can be,� Carl said. The emotional aspect of the training, Carl said, will certainly be beneficial to the officers because they can sometimes find themselves in adversarial relationships where it is hard to think clearly without the proper
OU earns spot on list of top public, private universities in the country
OU has been ranked among the top 100 universities in the country for the ďŹ rst time by a U.S. News and World Report. In the report’s 2018 Best Colleges rankings, OU is ranked No. 97 overall among public and private schools and No. 44 among public universities. Its overall ranking is up from No. 111 in 2017. OU is tied for No. 97 with ďŹ ve other schools, including the Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Vermont, according to the rankings. OU’s petroleum engineering program is ranked in the top 3 among specialties at engineering schools whose highest degree is a doctorate, and OU’s Michael F. Price College of Business is ranked among the top 43 business programs at a public institution. The rankings are determined by several factors, including graduation and retention rates, assessment of excellence, faculty resources, ďŹ nancial resources, graduation rate performance and alumni giving, according to a press release. Staff Reports
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
A Norman Police Department vehicle outside the Norman Police Department office Sept. 13.
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training. “I think all of those things make policing in the United States particularly challenging because officers really don’t know who is or (is) not armed, and they want to go home just like everybody else,� Carl said. “It’s usually not this big drama stuff you see on television, but when it does become that, it’s hard to control your emotions in the midst of all that.� Ali Jaffer y, a Norman Police Department officer who has participated in the class, said the training helped him better know his own self and improve both his career and home life. “Racial intelligence, to me, means knowing about yourself as well as your citizens,� Jaffery said. “When I was able to identify where I was emotionally, I could understand the situations at home better.� Green said he has been encouraged by the amount of engagement he has seen from his classes and believes they will use the tools they learn during training when they are out in the field. “I was very impressed with the class that we taught so far.� Green said “There were
very honest discussions that I think illustrate — because they’re asking those good hard questions of me and of themselves — that this will definitely apply as they move forward.� Due to the success he has experienced with the program and to being a part of one of the first agencies in Oklahoma to adopt the RITE program, Jaffery said he hopes to see other agencies follow the NPD’s lead. “I think agencies should implement a training like this or similar because they can be beneficial to the officers as well as other community members,� Jaffrey said. “If an officer is having issues personally or professionally, it is best to be able to identify those issues and resolve them accordingly.� Green also said he thinks other agencies should adopt a similar training program because of how departments operate in the 21st century. The Norman Police Department’s recent adoption of body cameras in 2016 makes policing more available to the public eye, Green said, and national policing incidents have given police departments more of a
Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker September 14, 2017
ACROSS 1 Infamous biblical king 6 NASCAR units 10 Salon globs 14 Stradivari’s teacher 15 Skip past 16 Eurasian range 17 Light, watery sprays 18 Mission control org. 19 Puerto ___ 20 “Powerful� 1992 film 23 Going price 24 Conclusion for “puppet� or “profit� 25 ___ Wednesday (religious observance) 26 Front of a ship 29 Prefix meaning “to the left� 31 Slight amount of goop 33 Eye part 35 Thick paste of Japanese cooking 37 Menu fowl, sometimes 41 “Incredible� sci-fi film of 1966 44 Noah conquered it 45 Himalayan cryptid 46 King Arthur’s address 9/14
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reason to need programs like RITE. “That’s the thing we’re trying to prevent is having that bad day being captured, and then it gives the officer a black eye, the department a black eye, the profession a
black eye,� Green said. “ Do we or other agencies need it? Yes, we do, and this is going to be a great tool to help us understand that.� Sierra Rains
sierra.m.rains@gmail.com
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last It’s OK to dream and use your imagination to help you move in a direction that makes you happy. Working toward something that brings you joy will make your life and job easier. Don’t go against the grain when you should be doing what you do best.
whatever job you take on. Being unique will help you draw attention to whatever you do. Try something new and live in the moment. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- An agreement or partnership can be formed if you make suggestions that will even out the playing field. Equality will be important if you want to avoid dissatisfaction.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Set your sights on doing something that brings you joy. Turn your passion into a moneymaking endeavor. Trust and believe in your talent, and strive to reach your goals.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Pressure will intensify if someone wants you to spend too much or isn’t willing to contribute enough around the house or to a joint venture. Look for alternative options.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Stick to the truth and use common sense when dealing with emotional matters at home or work. Situations will escalate quickly if you aren’t cognizant of other people’s feelings and expectations.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Taking a day trip, going for an interview or signing up for a course will all result in positive gains. Socializing will encourage new friendships and joint endeavors.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Let your creative ability take the reins. No matter what you are pursuing, take a unique approach and do things your way. You have plenty to gain if you rely on your instincts. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Don’t fold under pressure. If someone is being persuasive or demanding, back away, consider your options and focus on taking care of your objectives. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- If you share your thoughts, you will receive interesting feedback that will encourage you to make certain changes. Examine the way you deal with partners and how you handle legal, financial and medical matters. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Put more thought and creativity into
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Attending a reunion or reconnecting with an old friend will rejuvenate old dreams. If you share your ideas, a unique partnership will develop. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Compassion and understanding will speak volumes about the type of person you are. Your advice will be sought after and your popularity will grow. Address situations concerning friends and relatives. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- An opportunity to use your skills, knowledge and experience in a unique way should be looked at in detail. Negotiate on your behalf to get what you want.
September 14-17, 2017 •
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
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Supriya Sridhar, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a_and_e • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
COLLEGE COUTURE W I T H
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R O B Y N
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ROBYN CRAIG • @ROBYNCRAIG21
B
ack in the good old d ay s o f 2 0 0 4 , I s aw nothing wrong with pairing my floral denim jacket with my favorite pair of denim jeans. Back then, denim fashion was not viewed as tacky. From Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears to Destiny’s Child, it was clear there was no limit to denim potential. Fast forward to 2017, and denim fashion is making a major comeback. Here are two denim looks that will help you channel 2004 pop culture. 1. DENIM OVERALLS ARE NOW CHIC, NOT COUNTRY.
ROBYN CRAIG/THE DAILY
Robyn shows how to revive denim styles.
After hunting for either a nice denim skir t or a pair of denim overalls one weekend, I ran into a mix of both, a mini denim overall dress. The light denim shade was the perfect addition to my collection, and the price tag was completely affordable. When it comes to styling the
dress, I love to wear either a graphic T-shirt or short s l e e ve c ro p t o p u n d e rneath. Sometimes to add a bit of flare, I will only fasten half of the top, which is great when I wear a graphic T-shirt with it. 2. DENIM ON ... DENIM? One of my favorite pieces of clothing in my closet is my oversized denim jacket. Straight from the 1980s and a gift from my best friend’s grandmother, I think the jacket is the perfect addition to any outfit. Last fall, I began to experiment with pairing the jacket with other denim bases. Whenever I decide to wear the jacket w ith jeans, I wear high-waisted light blue jeans. The two shades are at different ends of the spectrum, which prevents them from clashing. As for the top, I wear a simple white crop top and complete the look with a pair of sneakers.
Editor ’s Note: Next week’s column will focus on how to style all of those free T-shirts you may have received during the first few weeks of the semester. Robyn Craig
robyn.craig04@gmail.com
COLLEGE COUTURE SERIES This article is a part of a series. Visit us at OUDaily.com/ a_and_e to read more articles about College Couture with Robyn. Previously, Robyn has covered dressing professionally, how to prepare for a last-minute party and how to look your best when going to class.
More than a dozen NYC rappers to perform in Tulsa show this October
On Oct. 16, A$AP Mob will perform with Playboi Carti, Key! and Cozy Boys at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with tickets beginning at $45. The rap group is PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA based out of NYC and is composed of 16 members in total. Besides their musical influence, A$AP Mob has made influences on art, film and fashion. A$AP Ant, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Nast and A$AP Twelvyy will be performing at the show in Tulsa. In August, A$AP Twelvyy debuted his album “12,” A$AP Ferg released his album “Still Striving” and the Mob followed up with an album “Cozy Tapes Vol. 2: Too Cozy.” General tickets are on sale now and can also be bought the day of with a $5 upcharge. Meet-andgreet tickets can be purchased for $195 online. Chandler Kidd, @chanannkidd
LAUREN MASSING/THE DAILY
The Coolgreens sign hangs outside on Campus Corner March 2, 2016. The restaurant offers fresh food options for students.
Health-conscious students find options in fast food-filled town Norman business owners notice change in habits ROBYN CRAIG @robyncraig21
No one can deny that Oklahoma is known for its fast-food options. Having the option to choose between which of the seven Sonics to visit in Norman alone shows the prominence of fast food in our culture. However, change is approaching — something Angelo Cipollone, the district manager and executive chef of the h e a l t hy - e a t i n g re s t a u rant, Coolgreens, has noticed during his 10 years in Oklahoma. “I would say it has changed drastically from the day I got here ten years ago,” Cipollone said. St u d e nt s l i k e L e t i c i a Luviano, environmental studies senior, figured this out as well when she decided to enter a vegetarian and partial vegan lifestyle regarding her health. “I was diagnosed with a neural system disorder when I was 15. And a few years back, I just stopped eating meat little by little,
but what I noticed (was) the less meat and less processed foods I ate, the less episodes I have,” Luviano said. Epis odes for Luviano consisted of half of her body going numb, but after giving up meat, she said that she noticed she went from having episodes every other day to now having episodes months apart.
“Let’s face it: Kids are definitely different than when I was a kid years ago. They’re more bodyconscious, which is smart, very smart.” ANGELO CIPOLLONE, COOLGREENS DISTRICT MANAGER AND EXECUTIVE CHEF
Although Luviano faced some challenges when it came to eating in Norman and still finds herself traveling to Oklahoma City for some restaurants and farmer’s markets, she has noticed a major change from when she first cut out meat in her diet during these past two years. “One of the main issues when I first stopped eating meat, when I would go
out with my boyfriend, he would always complain, ‘Oh we can’t go here because you won’t eat this, we can’t go somewhere else because you can’t eat that,’ and it’s honestly just knowing or doing your own research to know where to go,” Luviano said. One of the places she enjoys g o i n g t o i n No r ma n i s Earth Natural Foods, which she describes as “freaking delicious.” Earth Natural Foods is a neighborhood natural foods market that has been i n No r ma n s i n c e 1 9 6 9 , co-owner Richard Haas said. “We are a small neighb o r h o o d nat u ra l f o o d s market with an organic juice bar, smoothie bar, cafe,” Haas said. “Our cuisine is veggie-Americana with a focus on organics.” Haa s sa i d h e n o t i c e d the healthy eating lifestyle has become “more mainstream” since he arrived to Norman in 1997. He also credits easier access to organic stores to help this change occur. Cipollone agrees and has seen the healthy-eating culture develop since Coolgreens joined Campus Corner in 2016. “Let’s face it : Kids are
definitely different than when I was a kid years ago,” Cipollone said. “They’re more body-conscious, which is smart, very smart.” Robyn Craig
robyn.craig04@gmail.com
Norman Firehouse to display adult student’s artwork in annual show
The Norman Firehouse Art Center will host its annual Talent Exhibition and Reception on Friday. The exhibition showcases the artwork of adult students who have taken classes at the Firehouse Art Center in the last year. Instructors nominated students with outstanding talent and creativity. The art displayed will showcase a variety of mediums such as jewelry, drawing, fused glass, sculpture, ceramics, photography and painting. The work will be displayed through Oct. 21. The exhibition reception is from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15 at Norman Firehouse Art Center, located at 444 S. Flood Ave. More information is available on the Norman Firehouse Art Center’s Facebook page. Allison Weintraub, @AllieFrances12
Adopt - An - Area Area ratings for this week Air Force ROTC Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Delta Phi Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society Alpha Omicron Pi Alpha Phi Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Sigma Kappa Alpha Tau Omega Beta Theta Pi Catholic Student Association Chi Omega Delta Delta Delta Delta Epsilon Psi Delta Gamma Delta Phi Omega Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Tau Delta Delta Upsilon Gamma Phi Beta Hispanic American Student Association International Leadership Class Iota Phi Theta Kappa Alpha Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Theta Kappa Delta Chi Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Kappa Psi Lambda Chi Alpha National Society of Collegiate Scholars Omega Delta Phi Omega Psi Phi Our Earth Phi Beta Sigma Phi Delta Alpha Phi Delta Theta
Phi Gamma Delta Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Sigma Pi Beta Phi Pi Kappa Phi Hj]ka\]fl k ;geemfalq K[`gdYjk Hj]ka\]fl k D]Y\]jk`ah ;dYkk Rotaract JM>'F=CK Dad Kak Sigma Chi Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Lambda Gamma Sigma Nu Sigma Phi Epsilon Sooner Jump Start Program Zeta Phi Beta Adams Center Cate Center Couch Center Walker Center
Way to go! Keep up the good work!
The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, call 325-7869.
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ADVERTISEMENT
• September 14-17, 2017
of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
You Are Invited! to a Public Lecture
“What Is a Constitutional Crisis? And Are We In One?� Presented By
Stephen Vladeck University of Texas School of Law
4 p.m., Monday, Sept. 18 Meacham Auditorium Oklahoma Memorial Union in honor of Constitution Day
Celebrate the U.S. Constitution signed by our founding fathers on Sept. 17, 1787, in Philadelphia.
University of Oklahoma Activities for Constitution Day • A display titled “Our Changing Constitutionâ€? will be on exhibit in the Donald E. Pray Law Library at the OU College of Law through Sept. 30. • First-Year Law Students received a copy of the Constitution at their Owl Ceremony and Academic Convocation. • Pick up a pocket-sized Constitution and enjoy a slice of apple pie from noon to 1 p.m., :HGQHVGD\ 6HSW RQ WKH ÂżUVW Ă€RRU RI WKH 'DYLG / %RUHQ 6WXGHQW 8QLRQ DW WKH 28 +HDOWK 6FLHQFHV &HQWHU FRPSOLPHQWV RI 28 +HDOWK 6FLHQFHV &HQWHU 6WXGHQW $ŕľľDLUV ‡ 7KH 28 +HDOWK 6FLHQFHV &HQWHU ZLOO EH HQFRXUDJLQJ LQGLYLGXDOV WR UHJLVWHU WR YRWH DV SDUW RI the Constitution Day celebration. ‡ 28 7XOVD ZLOO FHOHEUDWH &RQVWLWXWLRQ 'D\ LQ WKH 28 7XOVD 6FKXVWHUPDQ &HQWHU URRP + at noon, Friday, Sept. 15, with a discussion led by Professor Rodger Randle, “America in the Time of the Constitution.â€? ‡ 7KH 8QLRQ 3URJUDPPLQJ %RDUG ZLOO EH GLVWULEXWLQJ SRFNHW VL]HG &RQVWLWXWLRQV EHJLQQLQJ DW noon, Friday, Sept. 15, in the Oklahoma Memorial Union lobby. For additional information, please visit the following websites: libraries.ou.edu
www.constitutionday.com
www.constitutioncenter.org
www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/charters_of_freedom_6.html
www.billofrightsinstitute.org
tulsagrad.ou.edu/csdc/constitution.html
The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
September 14-17, 2017•
SPORTS
7
Kelli Stacy, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
Sophomore cornerback Parnell Motley raises his hands after a tackle during the game against Ohio State Sept. 9. OU beat the Buckeyes 31-16.
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
OU solidifies cornerback spot Sophomore played pivotal role in victory against Ohio State GEORGE STOIA @georgestoia
No. 2 Oklahoma’s defense has improved significantly since last season, due in part to sophomore cornerback Parnell Motley solidifying the corner position. Motley played in 11 games last year for the Sooners, but has taken on a larger role this season, becoming the starting corner opposite of senior Jordan Thomas. Last season, the position was Oklahoma’s biggest area of uncertainty with three different players seeing time in it. This season, however, that hasn’t been the case with Motley
solidifying the position. “I just play my game, man,� Motley said. “I don’t try to feed into the other stuff — just play how I play and just feed off that.� Receiving praise from coaches and teammates all offseason, Motley proved on Saturday he’s the “ball hawk� everyone calls him. Against then-No. 2 Ohio State, Motley intercepted quarterback J.T. Barrett’s pass early in the fourth q u a r t e r, h e l p i ng s e a l a 31-16 victory. Motley’s counterpart, Thomas, expected nothing less. “It all came into fruition this Saturday,� Thomas said. “You saw it, he made a big-time play in a bigtime game, and that just kind of separates you from everyone else and things like that.� Motley has been working
hard this offseason for an opportunity like Saturday, and it finally paid off. “It means a lot, especially from doing everything at practice just to get that awesome feeling in the game,� Motley said. “Get the momentum, and my confidence up every time. It was just a great, awesome feeling.� In the game, Motley was the Sooners’ second leading tackler with eight tackles and one interception. Following the game, defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said Motley was one of the biggest reasons they were able to come away with a win. “Parnell Motley was the difference,� Stoops said. “We’re relatively young in a lot of places, but the difference was our ability to cover.� Motley has burst onto
the scene for Oklahoma, and his teammates said he has no intentions of slowing down any time soon. “He’s always ramping it up,� senior safety Steven Parker said. “(Motley) has done a great job and he’s going to keep on improving — he’s that guy. He’s playing the best as anybody in the secondary in my opinion.�
Motley and the Sooners will face their next test on Saturday, Sept. 16 when they face Tulane at Oklahoma Memorial stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. George Stoia
george.s.stoia-1@ou.edu
OU VS. TULANE When: 5 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2017 Where: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium How to watch: Payper-view
Flu Shots Available Goddard Health Center Sept. 19th - 21st (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
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Sophomore cornerback Parnell Motley prepares to tackle an Ohio State player Sept. 9.
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A drunk driver ruined something precious. Amber Apodaca. Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.
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SPORTS
• September 14-17, 2017
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
Then-sophomore offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr. raises his hand after the win against Oklahoma State, celebrating the Sooners’ Big 12 Championship win Dec. 3.
Big man, bigger personality Orlando Brown keeps it ‘fresh’ on football field GEORGE STOIA @georgestoia
Si x- f o o t- e ig ht, 3 4 5 pound Oklahoma left tackle Orlando Brown changed into his street clothes after a 5 6 - 7 w i n o v e r U T E P, wearing a white button down shirt with pink polka dots, lace-free shoes, RayBan glasses, a gold chain and a foxtail hanging out of his right denim pocket. “It’s a whole lot of swag,” Brown said about his outfit. “I just looked at my closet, and I was like ‘it’s a fox-tail kind of day.’” A fashion enthusiast and a projected 2018 firstround draft pick, Brown has more to him than meets the eye — a story larger than his almost 7-foot wingspan. The son of a former NFL offensive lineman, Brown has flourished in the crimson and cream, becoming one of the top left tackles in the country. But his route to the top of the college football world wasn’t easy or expected. From nearly not graduating high school to the loss of a parent, Brown’s overcome the toughest of obstacles. Now a team captain in his junior season at Oklahoma, he’s gone much further than many believed he could. “It’s a blessing,” Brown said. “Just to come in here and to start where I started and to get to this point now at this university — it’s a blessing.” Brown is not your average offensive lineman, he wants to one day be the face of “Big and Tall” clothing according to Jammal Brown, his personal life coach. But he did take on the personality and size of his almost 10-year NFL veteran dad. Orlando Brown Sr., also known as “Zeus,” was labeled as a scrappy player, going undrafted out of South Carolina State, and at one point being suspended by the NFL for shoving a referee. This is something Brown has grown into — being voted the biggest trash talker in the Big 12 and having the tendency to receive penalties for his aggressive play. Nevertheless,
Brown has created a charisma not even his dad could relate to. In September of 2011, Zeus died of diabetic ketoacidosis — a serious diabetes complication — leaving a 15-year-old Brown without a father. Brow n found hims elf searching for someone to point him in the right direction. His family had moved from his hometown of Hyattsville, Maryland, to Duluth, Georgia, giving him and his siblings a fresh start. In January of 2012, just months after his father’s death, Brown knocked on the office door of then-head football coach of Peachtree Ridge High School, Mark Fleetwood. “I hadn’t seen a kid like this,” Fleetwood said. “He walks in my door and I put him on the scales, and this is no lie, he was 415 (pounds). He was 6’7”, 415. But he had a plan — all he wanted was a chance.” D e s p i t e b e i n g o v e rweight, Fleetwood gave him that chance. Brown started his junior season — his first season after his father’s death — wearing a white bandana that he still sports today, honoring Zeus. Brown was on a mission not to follow in his dad’s footsteps, but to make his own. He was on a mission to play Division I football and be a firstround draft pick. Then his senior season came around, Brown had dropped to 340 pounds and was ranked as one of the top offensive linemen in the country. He verbally committed to Tennessee, but with his GPA bordering the eligibility line, the Vols backed out just days before signing day. Brown, abandoned by the Volunteers, was faced with a choice. He could forget his plan of playing Division I football and go to a junior college, or he could hope that a school would take a shot on him. Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops took a shot. “That boy couldn’t stand the idea of going to junior college,” Fleetwood said. “He didn’t want that word in his vocabulary. He didn’t want to talk to them. He wouldn’t talk to them. I said, ‘Orlando you better have a plan.’ He said, ‘Coach I don’t need a plan.
Junior offensive lineman Orlando Brown looks onto the field before the spring game April 8.
My plan is I’m going with Oklahoma. I’m going to make it.’ And he did.” Brown never forgot that, and when Stoops retired this past June, Brown took to Twitter to thank the man who believed in him. “You took a chance on a 380 pound kid with a 1.9 GPA on signing day. For that I am thankful for you and the opportunity. Love you Coach” he tweeted on June 7.
day we’re watching film or working on something in the weight room or whatever it may be. He’s very hard on me. He’s really hard on me about fundamentals and all things that we preach. We learn every day.” But off the field, the former New Orleans Saint has become Orlando Brown’s life coach, personal stylist and occasional wingman. “ He u n d e r s t a n d s t h e
“It comes down to not only being a good football player, but having fashion, knowing how to talk to women, having good character. Things like that can go a long way.” JAMMAL BROWN FORMER OU AND NFL OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
Brown arrived in Norman wide-eyed, seeking another mentor. He quickly found that mentor in Jammal, a former OU and NFL offensive lineman, and a familiar face from his childhood who helped at Zeus’ football camps. Jammal immediately took the younger Brown under his wing, helping him grow as a football player. “I’m around him all the time,” Brown said. “Every
overall concept to what we’re trying to do,” Jammal said. “It comes down to not only being a football player, but having fashion, knowing how to talk to women, having g oo d character. Things like that can go a long way.” Brown and Jammal will talk for hours about things other than football — anything from how to handle financial issues to choosing which deodorant to use.
T h e i r f av o r i t e t o p i c ? Fashion. “I’m fresh all the time,” Brown said at a recent press conference. “If I didn’t have to wear OU stuff up here, I wouldn’t.” Brown has become obsessed with his style, texting Jammal pictures of his outfit the Friday before each game. The foxtail has become his signature, wearing it with just about every outfit. Brown has become engrossed in fashion, making Jammal believe he has a future in front of a camera, not just on a football field. But Jammal keeps him focused, preaching that fashion always takes a backseat to football. Jammal emphasizes to Brown the importance of laying a foundation that will eventually help him achieve his goals. This foundation is one of character, attitude and the drive to perform each day like it was his last. Jammal has taught Brown lessons he would have never learned himself. Their relationship has grown strong over the years, but Jammal’s purpose isn’t to be a father figure to Brown. “I always tell him, ‘I’m
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
not here to take the place of your dad,’” Jammal said. “I’m here so you can be better than what your dad was.” Brown wants to surpass his father’s football legacy, and he wants to do it his own way. His foxtail separates him from all the other great left tackles that have come and gone in college football, and his ambition will get him where he wants to go. “(He’s) ambitious. Very ambitious. He needs to take his ambition and find the right recipe and course,” Jammal said. “He wants it. He just needs to understand how to make it come the best way. He knows what he wants and he’s going to get it.” George Stoia
george.s.stoia-1@ou.edu
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