Sept. 29, 2020

W E E K LY E D I T I O N | S E P T E M B E R 2 9 - O C T O B E R 5 , 2 0 2 0 | O U D A I LY. C O M

OUDAILY OU’s independent student voice since before the 1918 pandemic

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International students deal with conflict abroad daily

Grinch takes blame for defensive blunder OU’s lack of turnovers in second half lead to costly conference loss CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21

After the then No. 3 Sooners’ disastrous 38-35 loss to Kansas State, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch had to be asked two important questions: Why aren’t the Sooners able to close out games in the second half, and why is there a lack of takeaways from the defense?

Oklahoma finished the game with 517 total yards of offense to Kansas State’s 400, 387 passing yards to Kansas State’s 334 and 28 first downs to Kansas State’s 10. In the first half, OU’s defense, energized and looking better than ever, held the Wildcats to just 98 total yards of offense.

Yet, the Sooners — who were much healthier than an un ranked Kansas State team who reportedly struggled with health due to COVID-19 — crumbled in the second half. Ever since Grinch arrived in Norman in January 2019, his biggest goal has

been takeaways.

And when asked the obvious question of why he’s not seeing his team force turnovers, Grinch took the blame. “ I w i s h I ha d t h e a n sw e r,” Grinch said. “Obviously if I did, they’d get done. At this point, we’ve been together for over a year. There’s no one else to blame but me for that.

“I’ve got to go back to the drawing board and say, ‘Why are we not able to do it? Why do we continue to look at plays being made?’ A fourth quarter game feels awfully, awfully long to us

to play at some sort of standard for 64 minutes. I bring that up because I think takeaways are obviously a huge element to that.”

Grinch saw what he’s wanted since becoming a Sooner being executed by Kansas State instead.

The Wildcats’ defense forced the Sooners to turn the ball over four times: three Spencer Rattler interceptions — two of those in the first half — and a turnover on downs to start a disastrous second half for OU. Up 21–7 at the half, the Sooner defense allowed Kansas State to put up 302 yards of offense and

multiple crucial, big-yardage plays in important possessions when Oklahoma needed a stop the most.

Two big plays from Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson due to blown coverage in the third quarter showed how OU was losing control of the game: a 77-yard pass to Deuce Vaughn and a 78-yard pass to Justin Gardner on back-to-back Kansas State drives. Both plays set up easy touchdowns for the Wildcats. see BLUNDER page 6

Fine arts adjust amid COVID-19

Students find silver lining, opportunities despite challenges ABBY TOW @abby_tow

JILLIAN TAYLOR @jilliantaylor_

At night, the Jenkins Avenue parking garage is lifeless, the only break of silence being the sound of a passing car. But in recent days, the shuffling of musical theater freshman Hunter Yocom’s feet fill the quiet air as he dances alone on the concrete.

Practice facilities on campus are closed after hours due to COVID-19, forcing fine arts students like Yocom to find artistic solace in the unconventional and allowing musical theater senior Taylor Ratliff to delve deeper into his art form.

“I’ve had a lot of life happen in the past year and being isolated away from the craft (gave me) the opportunity to step out of the performative aspect,” Ratliff said. “Living life, being human and collecting a multitude of experiences makes my personal art form deeper and more rich and more rewarding.”

A campus made empty by COVID19 left students majoring in the performing arts hopeful for the fall as they awaited their return. Their arrival, however, requires an adaptation to modified classroom procedures, personal protective equipment and working remotely with their quarantined peers — all amid the looming uncertainty within the professional performance world.

Students like Yocom signed up for a heavy fine arts course load — taking ballet, music theory, acting and stagecraft classes alongside gen-eds, private voice lessons and an optional yoga workout session. He said finding a balance while also managing COVID-19 measures in his in-person classes has been anything but conventional.

Yocom’s acting class, for example, has decreased its capacity from 14 to seven students who are required to sit six feet apart at labeled desks.

Masks are required, but the usage of a face shield instead is permitted so classes can make better use of their facial expressions as they act.

Professors, he said, have differing principles regarding the types of university-approved PPE they allow students to use. He said each form of PPE, whether it be a face shield or surgical mask, present challenges of its own.

“With masks, we’re kind of muffled, but then with face shields there’s a lot of glare from the lights, so then you can’t see people’s faces,” Yocom said. “Luckily (face shields) are anti-fog, so they don’t cloud up when we’re singing or speaking — but either way our art form is different.”

Yocom said intensive and physically demanding classes like ballet have proved to be far more difficult when it comes to performing.

In the studio, socially distanced X’s on the Clorox-cleaned floors mark where students stand as they stretch and rehearse dances. Yocom said his professor has had to adjust the way she teaches as she cannot approach students to fix their technique.

“Especially in ballet, teachers will usually go up and touch you and make corrections,” Yocom said.

RAY BAHNER/THE DAILY

Sophomore modern dance major Randi Tucker poses Sept. 25.

“Obviously, that can’t happen, so my professor has this long six-foot pole she goes around and whacks feet and hands with.”

Contactless dance has proved to be extremely inconvenient, musical theater junior Garrett Morris said, and the method has forced even the most seasoned professors to adapt.

“One of our professors, Lyn Cramer, is definitely having a hard time not being around us,” Morris said. “She always walks around the perimeter of the room and squats down to see different angles because she really can’t be next to you (or) hold your arm.”

Randi Tucker, a modern dance performance sophomore, said she has danced both inside and in socially distanced practice spaces outside of Holmberg Hall with her peers.

Tucker said she is just happy to be dancing again, even though beginning-of-fall temperatures are warmer than ideal dancing weather.

Students from OU’s School of Dance are currently preparing for a small performance scheduled at the end of October, which currently includes about 10 dancers.

Tucker said she is trying to be optimistic in her approach to this performance as she maintains the mindset that it will remain on schedule. The most difficult part of the process, she said, is not being able to do partnering work and dance in close contact.

“I didn’t realize until five months ago how much I relied on the person standing next to me (for) motivation,” Tucker said. “You learn from the students just as much as you learn from the teacher … (but) I guess I’ve kind of accepted that partner work is not going to happen anytime soon. It is such a huge part of dance to forget about for the foreseeable future — so hopefully we can get back to that.”

For the fine arts to continue, Ratliff said sacrifices are being made — especially by seniors who are preparing to enter the real world.

“A lot of people are upset because

it’s (their) senior or junior year … that are essential to learning about fine arts and the real world,” Ratliff said.

“Not having that kind of sucks.”

Tim Carroll, a music senior and Pride of Oklahoma percussionist, postponed his graduation until the fall of 2021 for one recording techniques class. The class is not offered this semester because the shared recording equipment cannot be used while social distancing.

Carroll has also given up opportunities to learn, rehearse and perform music in large groups. Ensembles of 15–20 percussionists could meet together and rehearse prior to COVID19, he said. Music selections have recently changed to smaller chamber pieces that require only a few students to play.

“We want to be playing the big pieces all together because it’s fun, and it’s cool, and it’s why we’re here at OU,” Carroll said. “But the good news is we get a chance to work on repertoire we don’t normally get to do.”

All of Carroll’s classes that don’t require students to have access to their instruments, like music theory, are online, he said, but his in-person lessons and practice with other percussionists has changed.

“We play things like marimba, vibraphone, timpani, which are huge instruments. You can’t really pack that up and take it home,” Carroll said. “And they also cost, like, tens of thousands of dollars. So it’s not like you can expect the students to have their own.”

The students are expected to sanitize everything they touch in the practice rooms and allow 15 minutes after they leave for the room to air out before another student uses it, Carroll said.

Carroll is also a member of the Pride, which resumed activities in late August following a brief suspension due to a member testing positive for COVID-19.

COVID-19 precautions within

the Pride include slip masks, which open and close when needed, allowing wind players to wear face coverings while playing. Socially distanced field formations and bell covers preventing air droplets from leaving the instrument have also been implemented.

“It’s all necessary for the fact that we can still be out there (and) we can still be doing what we love,” Carroll said. “We’re all willing to make those sacrifices.”

The pandemic has required fine arts students to consider their priorities and dedication to their craft.

Ratliff said he has had to grow up and is more than willing to take advantage of COVID-19 procedures if he can continue performing.

“We were essentially forced to choose how committed we wanted to be to the art,” Ratliff said. “So it’s really forced us all to … realize if we want to do this and do it seriously moving forward, considering we don’t know what the future holds with the virus and with New York City … to come to terms with the legitimacy of our devotion to musical theater.”

Uncertainty regarding Ratliff’s last few months at OU and his future career is something he said comes with fear.

“I’m scared that (Broadway’s) closed right now, and I’m scared that we’re in college and we are wanting to jump straight back into things,” Ratliff said. “But it’s almost exciting, because we feel like we’re on the brink of a new discovery of musical theater and a new discovery of art we haven’t done yet.”

Although Broadway is closed through Jan. 3, 2021, it is in a unique position, Ratliff said. He explained Broadaway is a necessity — both as a moneymaker and an art form — so instead of worrying about its return, he has used time away from the theater as the perfect opportunity to grow artistically.

“Artists have the opportunity to take a step back during this time and

refocus on the future … or even refocus on ourselves in our performance and acting skills or growing our instruments,” Ratliff said. “So, in my mind, there is no question of whether (Broadway) comes back — it’s just when, and how and how aggressively it can come back.”

Logistically, Ratliff has had to significantly revise his dreams by considering film acting alongside his Broadway aspirations. His hope is that New York City is a viable option

by May, but the possibility of prolonged closures has forced him to pursue other job options.

“I’m starting to very seriously consider grinding my gears in the film world, which is always something I’ve been fascinated by,” Ratliff said.

“So it’s broadening my approach to the craft, which I’m actually really grateful for. I would say hindsight is 20/20, but I think we should get rid of that phrase because 2020 has just been so bad.”

Morris said each big event in history has sparked a new fire within theater communities, and he thinks COVID-19 will be no different. He said the post-pandemic era will be just another section of how the fine arts will live.

“The thing that keeps me sane … is that theater was invented by the ancient Greeks and it made it through the (1918 Pandemic), the Bubonic Plague, the Black Plague, World War I, World War II, Polio and the Great Depression,” Ratliff said. “So I think the name of the game is patience, keeping our heads down, staying motivated and focusing on how to prepare for the next chapter.”

Abby Tow

abby.tow1@ou.edu

Jillian Taylor

jillian.g.taylor-2@ou.edu

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NEWS

• Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2020

Concerns of crises hinder study Students describe impact of living in conflict zones MARIEN LÓPEZ-MEDINA @Ailime_Neiram

Editor’s note: This story contains quotes from a student who wished to remain anonymous for fear of political repercussions. Their identity is known to The Daily.

Javier Chavez returns to his dorm after a long day.

Despite feeling exhausted, he is thankful — today, he didn’t encounter an unexpected trigger from his past which sometimes makes him cry out of nowhere.

Still, the loneliness of being far from home does not go away. He finally gets to sit down in his silent room after working 20 hours this week on top of his classes, 12 in an internship that brings hope for his future career and eight hours in the dining hall to get more money.

It’s payday once again, and unlike most students, Chavez will send most of his paycheck to his family back in Caracas, Venezuela, where an ongoing economic crisis wracks the nation.

In the OU international student community, students who come from conflict zones said their college experiences are highly impacted by the social, political and economic circumstances of their native countries, despite currently living thousands of miles from home.

VENEZUELA A junior civil engineering student at OU, Chavez said a common struggle OU international students from conflict zones face is the financial burden, which is compounded by worrying for their families at home.

“I think the biggest challenge (for an international student coming from a conflict zone), in addition to the emotional challenge, is the financial part,” Chavez said. “I’m saving money all the time in case something happens to my family in Venezuela. I live in frugality — living with what I need.”

Chavez left Venezuela in 2016 to study the International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic College in the United Kingdom — a 2-year degree program at one of the 18 United World Colleges around the world — not imagining “a big change” in Venezuela. Now, he describes the current situation of his country as “hopeless.”

“After I left, there was a drop in the price of oil and the entire economy went terrible,” Chavez said. “When I went back in 2017, there was

From left to right: Finances and MIS senior Ali Al Khayer, civil engineering junior Javier Chavez and economics senior Laura Bertran

a lot of civil unrest. Young citizens protesting in Caracas were taken by the National Army (of Venezuela).”

Venezuela is currently experiencing a large-scale socioeconomic and political crisis under the socialist government of Nicolás Maduro, the successor to long-time dictator Hugo Chávez. Since his election in 2013, the country has experienced a decline in their economy, suppression of political dissidents and extensive violations of human rights, which have resulted in massive emigration.

SYRIA AND IRAN In 2015, Ali Al Khayer found himself standing at the airport in Damascus, Syria, certain that his life was about to change forever. He knew it was best for him to accept the scholarship to attend Pearson College UWC in Canada, but said he is still remorseful today for leaving his family behind. He turned back to take a look at his father and his brother, wondering if that was the last time.

Since 2016, Al Khayer has not seen his family in person. Now, he’s an OU senior double majoring in finances and management and information systems. Despite the changes in his life, the ongoing Syrian Civil War is still threatening the lives of his family daily.

Al Khayer said knowing his family is not living as safely as he is at OU often leaves him feeling responsible.

“Back home, we don’t have anything but to laugh at our misery, so that’s just the way I feel my emotions,”

Al Khayer said. “I left Syria, but there is the survivor’s guilt. Even if I made it (out of Syria), I still feel guilty of living a good life.”

Even during his last trip home, Al Khayer said some in his native country began to view him differently after leaving.

“People back home viewed me as a foreigner just for living abroad for a year, so it wasn’t the normal ‘going home,’” Al Khayer said. “It was so different.”

Another OU student from Iran also spoke about their financial struggles after continuous sanctions from the U.S. on Iranian oil, which has resulted in a deep economic recession in Iran. Although both of their parents have high levels of education, the student said they don’t even make up to $200 per month.

“Sanctions on medicine and inflation hurt people,” the student said. “People (thought sanctions) were for safety, (but) it wasn’t hurting people in power (who) would still have the same privileges. It was hurting us.”

Both students said because they are from Iran and Syria, they had issues when first trying to open a Chase bank account in the U.S. For Al Khayer, it was “petrifying” when he was told he needed a green card or permanent residence to open an account, since it is not the case for other international students. He kept his bank account with MidFirst only.

“I’m just trying to put my money with you,” Al Khayer said he recalled thinking during the experience. “It just seems like institutional discrimination for me.”

When looking for

academic opportunities at OU, students who come from conflict zones need to take into consideration not only their financial situation, but the legal circumstances between their countries and the U.S. For seniors, future job applications might be limited too, Al Khayer said.

“I was given multiple scholarships to go study abroad in different countries but I rejected them (because) I cannot come back to the U.S. (If I leave),” Al Khayer said. “There are opportunities, but I also know I can’t reach them.”

CUBA After three years of applying, Laura Bertran finally arrived in Bogotá, Colombia for her U.S. student visa interview in 2018. Although the U.S. reopened its embassy in Havana — Cuba’s capital — in 2015, its staff has since remained severely limited and the embassy is no longer processing visas.

When her U.S. student visa was approved, Bertran was nervous. She could only think about everything she was leaving behind — her 50-cent trips to the beach in Havana, helping her mom cook dinner with the $20 their family made per month.

The economics senior said although she left behind the “political tension” and “very little choices” of Cuba when she arrived at OU, she still dreams of “giving the whole world” to her family back home, a far-distant desire for the island nation which has been in a trade-embargo with the U.S. since 1962.

In general, “loneliness”

was the word all OU students used when speaking about the emotional impact of coming from conflict zones. Bertran said she feels the weight of being an immigrant every day, including the “moral obligation” to succeed she feels she owes to her family who brought her to the U.S. Bertran said for her, the consequences of every decision she makes can have ramifications beyond simply what might happen to herself.

“What makes me worry is usually never about schoolwork, it’s always about choices. When making a decision, what are the repercussions on my family and the next generations?” Bertran said.

“It’s like a paradox of living here. I (first) think about my family, friends and people who cannot afford to get their piece of bread, have a nice shower or sleep with electricity.”

Bertran said she would love to be part of the economic change of Cuba one day — move back to Havana and use her study in economics for the development of her own country.

While there is a “long way to go,” she said, she wishes to get over “the imposter syndrome” of an immigrant of “not being able to enjoy things that you earn.”

‘I FEEL LIKE A SURVIVOR’ Despite the difficulties they face, OU international students from conflict zones have found emotional and financial support while at university through several student associations, including the Association

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Friends of Venezuela, the Iranian Student Association and others.

Bertran also said she was thankful she got to know the UWC community at OU. “Meeting other international students who are struggling with the same things has been the biggest life changer here,” Bertran said.

Chavez said although students from different conflict zones can relate to each other more than others, the nuances involved in different regional issues — and to what extent different students have felt the brunt of their respective conflicts or crises — is still widely varied.

“I would maybe understand better than other people, but there are so many details missing,” Chavez said. “It’s like if they have an injury in a different part of their body. I can relate to feeling pain too but I don’t know how bad their injury is.”

Although Al Khayer is convinced he won’t go back to Syria again, he hopes his family could be together one day. Chavez, who shares the same conviction, said he is waiting for freedom to come like “a miracle.”

Chavez said the hardships he has faced have forced him to learn quickly and adapt to changing circumstances.

“I feel like a surviv o r,” C h av e z s a i d . “ My Venezuelan identity has made me stronger and has forced me to learn a lot of things that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise.

Marien López-Medina ailimelmarien@ou.edu

Student petitions for shift in grading system Reverting to pass / no pass remains unlikely for fall BLAKE DOUGLAS @Blake_Doug918

A n O U s t u d e nt s t a r ted a petition to transition grades to a pass/fail format for the fall semester Wednesday afternoon.

The petition was started by entrepreneurship senior Jamie Archambeault, who said she decided to organize the effort after it became apparent through word of mouth and personal experience that students were not being given a good opportunity to succeed through online and hybrid education. “ It k i n d o f wa s ju st a problem that I was hearing a lot of students also talking about,” Archambeault said.

“I know it was invoked last semester that we moved to

this format when we used pass or fail (grading), and I honestly didn’t get using it (last semester) because at the start of the semester you had a good base because you were in person, and then at the end of the semester you were really just taking your finals and rounding out the semester.”

Despite the petition, an OU spokesperson said the university has no intention to switch to an alternative grading method this semester.

“The university does not have any plans to implement changes to the Norman campus grading policy,” Director of Media Relations Kesha Keith wrote in an email to The Daily.

Since its launch, the petition has amassed over 2,400 signatures. Laura Gibbs, an online instructor in the College of Arts and

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

An OU flag in front of the Bizzell Memorial Library July 8.

Sciences and advocate for the pass/no pass grading system, said she feels the g ra d i n g s c h e m e w o u l d lead to a more successful and less stressful semester overall. “ ( Pa s s / n o p a s s g ra d ing) removed all the weird stress and intention about letter grades,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs also said the difficulty of running a course online for the first time and

using letter grades to accurately gauge a student’s performance in the course is high, especially for ins t r u c t o r s w h o m ay n o t have taught online before.

“Before we’ve switched to online, we have really no idea of how g o o d these courses are going to be when they go online,’’ Gibbs said.

OU offered pass/fail grading for the spring 2020

semester after deciding to go fully virtual after spring break, when the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to spread into the United States.

Archambeault said this semester’s circumstances warrant more leniency in grading than the last, however.

“This semester, we started (partially) online and it is that much harder to get a good base of material because you’re not in person,” Archambeault said, “and so that ultimately kind of frustrated me because we were given this opportunity last semester when circumstances are far worse this semester and we’re not given the same opportunity.”

There was discussion on a potential shift to pass/ fail grading early in the semester — Aug. 26 — when Gibbs shared a story from the University of North

Carolina-Chapel Hill’s student paper announcing UNC would allow pass/ fail grading for the fall semester.

Vice Provost for Instruction and Student Success Mark Morvant responded to the tweet several times, noting at the time there was “no (discussion) to override the current (pass/no pass) grading policies for this fall” and that “there was a good deal of opposition” to the policy change last spring. “(Pass/no pass) grades were helpful in a dramatic shift in instruction method in the spring,” Morvant wrote in the Aug. 26 tweet.

“A s a l o n g - t e r m p o l i c y change, it needs more discussion and agreement.

The students are aware of their course format this fall.”

Blake Douglas

bdoug99@ou.edu

NEWS

Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2020 •

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Council updates mask mandate Ward 2 seat remains empty, SRO grant moves to public vote BETH WALLIS @walliswrites

NOAH MACK @thenoahmack

In Tuesday, Sept. 22’s evening Norman City Council meeting, members voted to pass an ordinance penalizing lack of masking at gatherings of 25 or more and accepted a federal grant for school resource officers, among other items.

In light of Norman Public Schools’ students moving online due to spikes in COVID-19 cases and OU students returning to campus, the masking ordinance aims to curb college parties in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19.

However, some Normanites and councilmembers voiced concerns about the ordinance and other agenda items.

Representatives of Unite Norman were also at city hall to advocate against the mask ordinance, for SRO funding and to support approving Sean Boyd’s appointment to the open Ward 2 seat following the death of former councilmember David Perry.

Ward 3 councilmember Alison Petrone urged the council, OU and Norman Public Schools to form a “united front.” She said her ward has concerns on getting students back to school in-person, which is why she would vote to pass the ordinance.

However, Petrone moved to amend the ordinance by removing the enforcement of masks in the party setting.

Petrone addressed a loophole in the ordinance that an individual cannot wear a mask while drinking at a party and said it would be more useful to better enforce the existing party rules because partiers can easily skirt the mask requirement if they are holding a cup. The amendment failed to pass.

Ward 4 councilmember

Members of the Norman City Council discuss the new Norman flag during their June 9 meeting.

Lee Hall asked Norman Police Deputy Chief Officer Ricky Jackson if the ordinance would prove to be a useful tool for the police department in ensuring mask use in large social gatherings.

Jackson said it would be useful when enforcing it in public settings outside people’s private property.

However, he said police would not be going into people’s homes or fenced backyards and checking for masks unless a nuisance party was reported.

“It’s not just the student house parties. It’s pool parties, it is weddings, it is churches, and you’re delusional if you don’t think that,” Mayor Breea Clark said. “I think this is a step in the right direction.”

After the final reading, the ordinance passed.

The council also discussed whether to accept a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and Community Oriented Policing Services to be put toward hiring four more student

resource officers to elementary schools. The grant must be matched with appropriations from the Special Grant Fund balance.

“It’s hard to accept a grant when it’s not just a grant, it’s a match grant,” Clark said. “It sounds great, like free money, but it’s not and we are in a bit of a precarious situation right now.”

Steve Ellis of Ward 4, a philosophy professor at OU, advocated to reject the grant on the basis that the SRO program is detrimental to Black and Indigenous students in Norman Public Schools.

Based on data given by NPD, Ellis said of the encounters that students of color have with SROs, the majority are negative, involving either their arrest or voluntary detainment.

“That happens at three times the rate for Black students in Norman than for white students,” Ellis said.

“That’s a reason why we need to really forgo the SRO

problem, but at least not add more.”

Several of the Norman resident public comments advocated for the SRO grant with the rationale that they want their children to be safe in schools, and they felt SROs can ensure that.

Ward 7 resident Denise Sober said the issue of accepting the grant is mainly a budget decision, and that the city has spent money on other areas she felt weren’t as necessary, such as buses and art installations. She also said as a Norman teacher, she’s seen teachers injured by students, and they often end up calling the police department anyway in schools where there aren’t SROs. “Why don’t we put a cop in these schools to build these relationships so that maybe we don’t escalate to that point?”

Sober asked the council. “If we want the world to change and we want to come back to unity, where we’re not all against each other, we’ve got to build

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

relationships now, and that can start in our elementary schools.”

The council moved to pass the grant on the condition that it was to be voted on by Norman residents. The vote passed 7-1 against Hall.

The city council also voted not to approve Sean Boyd’s appointment for Ward 2 councilmember. Boyd, the executive director of marketing and business development for the Chickasaw Nation, was selected following the death of councilmember David Perry.

According to Hall, there were many Ward 2 residents that notified her of their lack of support for Boyd. Two members of the Ward 2 selection committee withdrew their support for Boyd, as well.

A c c o rd i n g t o Wa rd 6 councilmember Elizabeth Foreman, Boyd’s lack of civic engagement was reflected by his lack of voting history.

“If he is a good guy and I’m wrong, well then his feelings get hurt a little bit and I feel

bad,” Ward 5 councilmember Michael Nash said. “If he’s a bad guy and I vote for him, Ward 2 has to suffer.”

Boyd said his history on social media of sharing opinions like masking “(takes) away our freedoms” — a position he later reversed as the science became “clear” — had “caught up” to him.

C o u n c i l m e m b e r s e xpressed concern that the more “progressive” policy ideals of Perry wouldn’t be reflected in Boyd’s tenure as councilmember, and that Ward 2 voters should be able to have a representative that more closely aligns with the values they voted for.

Several other council members brought up concerns regarding the process in which Boyd was appointed after Perry’s death. When Boyd was explaining that this is the process that is in place to handle this kind of situation, Unite Norman supporters interrupted the livestream from city hall, chanting “respect the process.”

Clark and Ward 8 councilmember Matthew Peacock were the only members who voted for Boyd’s appointment.

“As I walk away, likely in defeat, I will smile the whole way,” Boyd said. “I stand by who I am.”

Concerns were also raised regarding section 17 of the consent docket. Section 17 would accept a Homeland Security grant of $43,691.52 toward a portable x-ray machine for the police department.

Councilmembers raised questions of what the x-ray would be used for and if there were any cheaper alternatives.

The consent docket passed unanimously.

The council also accepted proclamations to recognize October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, LGBTQ+ History Month and Bullying Prevention Month in Norman.

Beth Wallis

bethwallis@ou.edu

Noah Mack

noah.d.mack-1@ou.edu

OU postpones New community COVID-19 case data, OU testing rates ACT, SAT requirement OU to continue holistic approach to admissions ALEXIA ASTON @alexiaaston

OU will no longer require standardized tests for admission for the next five years, becoming the first public university in Oklahoma to utilize a “multi-year test-optional undergraduate admissions policy.”

According to a press release from OU News, the university based its decision on “guidance issued in July by the State Regents that lifted the testing requirement for students applying to enter OU in the spring and fall 2021 semesters.” The guidance cites the “impact of COVID-19” on prospective students and their ability to obtain access to tests formerly required upon admission.

OU Admissions will continue to use its holistic admissions process, which recognizes “academic rigor and performance, activities and engagement, personal essay and letter(s) of recommendation,” but the university will no longer judge a student’s potential success at OU on test scores, according to the release.

“Test scores can be a helpful tool in determining readiness, but they are not the only measure that projects that,” Jeff Blahnik, senior associate vice president for OU’s Division of Enrollment Management and executive director for

the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, said in the release. “Through our holistic admissions process, we are looking for proven academic excellence and for students who demonstrate grit, perseverance and a passion to make a positive impact on the world.”

University President Joseph Harroz and the OU administration plan to make OU more affordable, which will not stem from increasing tuition and fees, interim Provost Jill Irvine said during a Monday webinar detailing the different “pillars” of OU’s strategic plan.

During the webinar, Harroz said the university plans to increase enrollment in order to “grow its revenue.”

The plan to make OU more affordable requires “millions of dollars in investments to hire new faculty and to provide funding for necessary research tools and the expansion of Ph.D. programs,” according to the strategic plan.

“You either grow as a research university and in excellence, or you fall behind. And at that point, not only can you not command the kinds of tuition and fees that were being charged before, but you begin to wither,” Harroz said in the webinar. “That decreases the faculty and staff that you have, and decreases the experience for the students and their outcomes.”

Alexia Aston

alexiaaston@ou.edu

4

CULTURE

• Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2020

Fred Jones features Okie artists Local artists return from California in ‘OK/LA’ exhibit JACINDA HEMEON @jacindarae4

Donald, party of eight, your table is now ready at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Donald, party of eight.

Norman is no stranger to political tension — e.g., recall petitions— and artists rarely shy away from political commentary. Visual artist Paul Ruscha has served his take on America’s current political situation on a silver platter.

Paul’s “Dinner for Donald� is currently on display in “OK/LA,� Fred Jones’ newest exhibit.

The work features a pristine dinner table set with proper cutlery and adorned with a floral centerpiece. Each of the eight place cards, inscribed with other prominent politician’s names, is accompanied by a porcelain throne. “OK/LA� features work from six former Oklahoma artists. Patrick Blackwell, Joe Goode, Jerry McMillan, Mason Williams, and brothers Ed and Paul Ruscha, all grew up together in Oklahoma before they decided to take their careers to the west coast.

All six artists managed to make it big in Los Angeles and are now paying homage to their red dirt roots with “OK/LA� — a juxtaposition of Oklahoma and California’s politics, atmospheres and landscapes.

The Fred Jones Chief Preparator and Exhibition Designer Brad Stevens said the exhibit is designed to guide the audience through the lives and careers of the artists. “These are homegrown artists that have gone off and made really big names for themselves. It’s kind of interesting, specifically for people in Oklahoma,� Stevens said. “I think that should be a call for people to come and see some of their own people and see their work.�

Stevens said designing the exhibit was a painstaking process. The exhibition staff wanted to make sure everything was absolutely perfect because, prior to COVID-19, the previous opening date was set months earlier.

PHOTO PROVIDED FROM PRESS RELEASE

Patrick Blackwood’s “Joe Goode, Jerry McMillan, Ed Ruscha, and Patrick Blackwell in their shared studio� includes several of the artists featured in the “OK/LA� exhibition at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

“We’ve had time to overthink some things, but I think we’ve come out with a really good, solid-looking show, and I’m really proud of that,�

Stevens said.

After agonizing over the details of the exhibit, Stevens and his team settled on six different thematic sections.

Stevens said the show illustrates the artists’ journey from Oklahoma to California and leads up to the largest piece — Paul’s “Dinner for Donald.� “My big thing would be to say, with that piece specifically, is don’t make snap

judgments on what you’re looking at,� Stevens said. “Try to understand it first before you start to react to it.�

In contrast to the political work of Paul, much of painter Joe Goode’s work takes a more pastoral approach.

Many of Goode’s paintings illustrate the weather of Oklahoma. Stevens, an Oklahoma resident of 15 years, said Goode’s work resonates with him because the weather and atmosphere are quite distinctive of Oklahoma. “(Goode has) a couple of works that are dealing with

tornadoes. And I think those are striking in the art space,�

Stevens said.

OU English professor Susan Kates specializes in the history of Oklahoma art. Kates said art from and about Oklahoma is often overlooked because outsiders don’t realize the artistic potential of the state.

Kates said a common theme she’s observed among Oklahoma art pieces is the depiction of the “harsh beauty� of the land. “I think photographers, filmmakers and painters really try to capture that red hue of

HOROSCOPE Jordan Miller Blake Douglas Caleb McCourry Trey Young Will Conover

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Previous Solution

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2020, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Take pride in what you do.

You will be judged by what you LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Don’t complete and what you leave argue over something you unfinished. Put a plan in place cannot change. If you consider that will ensure you take care of every angle, you will recognize business. Romance is favored. how to outmaneuver someone who is trying to take advantage TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- A change of mind will turn out of you. Romance is on the rise. well. Follow your gut feeling SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -when dealing with work-related Bring about changes that make situations. Refuse to put your you happy. Let go of situations health at risk. Stand up for your that are holding you back or rights and set a good example. making you miserable. Create a plan to help you attain personal GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Align yourself with like-minded growth and inner peace. people. There is safety and SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. strength in numbers. If you want 21) -- Think twice before you to bring about change, you must share personal information. fight for what you want. Don’t Someone will be searching for a let a smooth-talking outsider way to make you look bad. An take advantage of you or your emotional situation will escalate loved ones. if you act on an assumption or CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Use get involved in gossip. your creative skills to get ahead.

A partnership will change the CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- It’s OK to do things differently. way you view life. Don’t settle Use your skills and knowledge to for less when a slight adjustment can make your experience boost your income. A domestic better. change will push you to make adjustments that will bring you LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Keep a peace of mind. close watch over your possessions, finances and domestic AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Evaluate your lifestyle, relation- situation. Aim to please, but not ships and fitness routines. Putting at the expense of your health or position. Anger will not help you romance back in your life will get your way, but preparation bring you closer to a loved one. and organization will. Romance is encouraged.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Use your imagination, strive to VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Difbe unique and don’t be afraid to ferent directions will entice you. share your thoughts and insights. Listen to what others say to get A change will improve how a sense of what will work in your you handle money, health and favor. Plan carefully and think contractual matters. systematically.

the dirt,� Kates said. “That’s a very Western, beautiful quality about Oklahoma.�

Kates said the building of the famous Route 66 was a pivotal point in Oklahoma history and culture. During his journey to California, Ed Ruscha took a photograph of a gas station on the famous highway.

Ruscha later turned that photograph into a screen print which has become one of his most famous art pieces to date — “Standard Station, Amarillo, Texas.� “OK/LA� features four prints based on

this piece. “(Ed focused) a lot on the gas stations of Route 66, almost like they’re the cathedral to exploring America,� Kates said. “It plays into that stark beauty theme.�

Byron Price, Wylodean and Bill Saxon interim director at Fred Jones said “OK/LA� differs from artists’ showcases of the past because it looks at the relationships between the artists and the growth of their friendship.

Price said the “OK/LA� is likely to pique the interest of art museum novices and veterans alike. “It’s a show that’s very rich in objects and artworks,� Price said. “There’s something really for everybody.

Price finds the exhibit particularly inspiring because the six artists were able to emerge from their small town and create art that has impacted American culture, he said “(The exhibit) is a great opportunity to see half a dozen really important American artists from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s,� Price said. “These are people who are still producing art and have been recognized as the trendsetters of their era.�

In respect to the ongoing pandemic, Fred Jones Director of Communication Kaylee Kain said the museum is requiring visitors to wear a mask and social distance. To make social distancing easier, the museum has also reduced its visitor capacity.

Kain said the museum is a fun and easy place for people to come and have a socially distanced day out while enjoying the new artwork. She said the staff has been working tirelessly by frequently cleaning the space to keep the exhibit open for people to experience.

The “OK/LA� exhibit will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. until March 7, 2021 at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. “This is a really important exhibition for OU, and also for Oklahoma because these are artists from the Oklahoma City metro,� Kain said. “The fact that we get to put this show together here in Norman is a really big deal and we’re excited to do it.�

Jacinda Hemeon

jacinda.r.hemeon@ou.edu

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg September 29, 2020 ACROSS 1 Common Portland forecast 5 Rover’s cry 8 “Around the Horn� channel 12 Up the ___ (risk more) 13 Dangly lobe 15 Greiner of “Shark Tank�

16 *Where to record a phone call? (see letters 5 to 8) 18 Linseed oil source 19 Decorator’s sample 20 Grandson of Eve 22 Altar words 23 Vegas wager 24 *Ask to be excused?

(2 to 5) 26 Toddler’s “I’ve finished eating!�

29 ___ A Sketch 30 *Color similar to avocado (1 to 4) 32 “Here comes trouble!�

36 “___ the season ...�

37 Aussie gems 40 Audiologist’s study 41 Fully fill 43 *Losing it (5 to 8) 46 Tool holder 50 “Yep, unfortunately�

51 *Person who’s usually blamed (3 to 6)

9/29

55 One may end with .org 56 Pooch with wrinkles 57 Spiritual song 58 Kudos 61 Online auction site 63 Read you can’t put down, and a hint to the starred answers’ indicated letters 65 Give in 66 Oscar winner Swinton 67 Sub seller 68 Had the facts 69 Tennis court need 70 Capri or Wight DOWN 1 Team at California’s SoFi Stadium 2 From the beginning 3 “So much fun!�

4 Golden years fund 5 NYC’s Park, e.g.

6 Currency in Kolkata 7 Projecting rim on a pipe 8 Pointy-eared being 9 3D shape 10 Home for many Goyas 11 Emmy winner Cynthia who had a gubernatorial campaign 13 Cry of revulsion

14 Take in, as a pet 17 Chadwick Boseman was one 21 Anatomical pouch 24 (Honk!)

25 P, to Plato 26 Rental units: Abbr.

27 Princess in “Star Wars�

28 “The Matrix� role 31 Pester persistently 33 Attention grabbers in newspapers 34 Snoozes 35 Layered cookie 38 Gallery locale, perhaps 39 Address for a certain general 42 Clairvoyant’s “ability,� for short

44 Thirdsmallest country 45 Phillies manager Joe 47 Chuckle sound 48 Good country to run a pyramid scheme in?

49 Realm 51 Mote 52 Havana resident 53 Tequila source 54 A 54-degree one is acute 58 School support grp.

59 “Buy low, ___ high�

60 The “E� of HOMES 62 Tree whose name sounds like a vowel 64 Summer hrs. on Cape Cod

PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER

9/28 9/22

Š 2020 Andrews McMeel Universal Š 2020 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com

Flip-Book by Debbie Ellerin

SPORTS

Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2020 •

5

Student-athletes lead Unity Walk Community unites in march to fight social injustices CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21

Two-sport athlete Ashlynn Dunbar stood in front of Ev a n s Ha l l We d n e s d ay afternoon with a megaphone and a message after leading over 400 of her fellow studentathletes around campus. Her message was a call for the community to join her in her fight against racial injustice.

“Today as student-athletes, a community and a family march united in support of the fight against social injustice,” Dunbar said, “we are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all voices are heard and respected. Today isn’t just a moment, it is one small step of a movement that we must continue to be catalysts in.

“Black lives matter, and I appreciate all you guys coming out today and showing your support.”

Starting at the Prentice Gautt Academic Center, the majority of the OU studentathlete body marched south on Jenkins Avenue, west on Lindsey Street and made a circle around campus for OU’s Unity March, promoting awareness of social injustice and sp e cifically p olice brutality against minorities.

Dressed in black, studentathletes walked side by side and chanted “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace,” all led by Dunbar’s megaphone.

“The first thing that was obviously evident was the enormous turnout,” said OU Athletics Director Joe Castiglione, who was present in the walk. “It really showed a lot that the student-athletes came out for each other, primarily, but also for their fellow students.

“To hear the way that our student-athletes are engaging with each other, the greater understanding that is taking place ... it’s not only being a part of activities like this, but taking it another step. Many of them are now engaging with aspects of the community or areas of our society where they can be part of a change,

EDWARD REALI/THE DAILY

OU athletes walk up the South Oval during the Unity Walk Sept. 23.

whatever that might be. It might be something around civic engagement, it might be something around education, it might be something around social responsibility or social intelligence. It could be really something that touches (our) lives in one way, shape or form.”

At h l e t e s a l l ov e r t h e country have started using their platform after the deaths of George Floyd — a Black man who was killed by Minneapolis law enforcement for a nonviolent crime — Breonna Taylor and many others who have suffered because of American law enforcement. Multiple Sooners were moved to action after these events.

The walk was led by Dunbar, who has been one of OU’s loudest voices when advocating for social justice.

While also being vocal on social media, Dunbar made an appearance as a guest

speaker in the public webinar “The Voice of the Black Student-Athlete,” where she spoke on her experiences of being a Black student-athlete at OU. Among the marching student-athletes was Sooner defensive back Chans e Sylvie, who’s been another key activist for the Black Lives Matter movement in the Norman. In an interview with The Daily in June, Sylvie spoke about creating a coalition and teaming up with like-minded individuals for creating positive change and provoking police reform, a decision inspired by Floyd’s death.

“I feel pleased just to see ever yone’s dreams and fruitions come true,” Sylvie said, “we can just work for a better community, the OU community. And us as athletes, and just gathering together and just making change, just seeing that today,

that was a good thing to see.”

Sylvie has been successful, as he’s held meetings with Norman mayor Breea Clark and Oklahoma House Rep. Emily Virgin in his efforts.

Dunbar and Sylvie are just two of many other Sooners who have spoken out against racial injustice in America since June.

“It was a good thing to see an idea that our studentathletes put together come to fruition,” said Brenton Sumler, OU’s director of studentathlete wellbeing. “A lot of times, people don’t see the student-athlete as something outside of their sport, and this is something dear to both of them in regards to life.

(Dunbar), as you know, has been at the forefront of a lot of these movements, even when this started early this summer, and she’s kept her foot on the pedal to bring awareness and she’s bringing knowledge to some of the injustices that’s

going on in the United States.

“And (Sylvie) is the same way. It pins back to when he wrote the op-ed about what’s next. That’s the biggest thing for our student-athletes, they want to do what’s next.”

Since the beginning of the fall semester, OU Athletics has listened to its student-athletes when it comes to promoting social change. On Aug. 28, the OU football team walked out on campus and held a Unity March in the South Oval, led

by Sylvie, head coach Lincoln Riley and center Creed Humphrey. In OU football’s season-opening win over Missouri State Sept. 12, the team wore patches above the Big 12 logo that read “Black Lives Matter” and “Sooners For Humanity,” created by the Sooners themselves after the Big 12 announced social justice patches can be worn this season.

These demonstrations will continue throughout the

year. In an interview after Tuesday’s walk, Castiglione said each sport will have its own “Unity Game” where players can use their platform during the game to promote social justice. The patches worn by the football team Sept. 12 will be worn by the athletes in other sports as well.

“They’re all trying to take a moment where the ideas that get talked about actually turn into an actionable step,” Castiglione said.

“That’s probably the biggest takeaway.

“Seeking first to understand and getting people to have those conversations, sometimes they aren’t easy ones to start, but they’re the right ones to continue.”

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry-1@ou.edu

Football attendees urge peer accountability OU student section compliance sees slight improvement MASON YOUNG @Mason_Young_0

Senior human relations m a j o r Je s s i e Wo o d s a t hunched over, surrounded by red and white flags within Section 27 at Gaylord FamilyOklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday morning.

As he rested his hands on his knees prior to the start of an atrocious 38-35 OU upset loss to Kansas State, he wasn’t thinking about the ugly defeat his beloved Sooners were about to be dealt.

He was just hoping Saturday wouldn’t be his last game in the stands in 2020.

Wood was admittedly disappointed when some fellow student ticket-holders ignored the OU Athletics Department’s mask mandate and social distancing guidelines during the Sooners’ season opener against Missouri State Sept. 12.

After the contest, Oklahoma Athletics Director Joe Castiglione threatened the university would have to “do something different” in regards to allowing fans to attend future home games if defiance of authority continued.

Saturday, Wood sat in his newly marked seating pod with his mask pulled up high, as he enjoyed his season ticket ownership for the fifth-straight year. While he sat alone, he spoke for more people than

just himself.

“I feel like it’s just a privilege just to be here at all, so we should just be proud to be here,” Wood said. “The public is watching the game and it’s on national television, and it would look really bad if people weren’t wearing masks, so it’s just something you have to do.”

Wo o d ’s s e n t i m e n t was nearly consensus among students The Daily interviewed before kickoff Saturday as they called their peers to be more accountable in following COVID-19 safety regulations.

OU athletics certainly set its patrons up for better success Saturday than it did on Sept.

12. The department added flagged ropes that cordoned off seating pods for 2–10 fans, while 25 ushers were responsible for enforcing masking law within the student section.

The amped up precautions left freshman student and usher Tanner Clark optimistic that classmates would comply with policies.

“I think that they’re smart enough that if they want to keep the student section, they’ll just do what they’re supposed to,” Clark said.

“We’ve been told to call our supervisors and they’ll take care of it from there if they don’t.”

Another usher who preferred to remain anonymous said his supervisors hoped conflict wouldn’t escalate to that point, and reported after the game that no one had been removed

The student section watches the Sooners’ game against Kansas State Sept. 26.

for failed compliance.

But that doesn’t mean students obeyed or that ushers enforced rules flawlessly.

Pods overflowed into other pods. Fans stood stagnant on the concourse to watch the contest, blocking the flow of traffic to seating areas. Masks were pulled down or removed repeatedly and frequently with little pushback from OU employees and much to the dismay of optimists like political science sophomore

Sophia Fultz.

“We’ve had to wear masks for so long at this point, people should just be used to it,” Fultz said. “It’s like, ‘Wear a mask or don’t go to the game,’ and I would like to go to the games.

They’ll ruin it for everyone else.”

Even below the seats, social distancing was a problem, as attendees chose not to take advantage of the SoonerSports2Go app’s mobile food ordering that

filtered into nearly empty rapid pickup lines. Instead, hungry Sooner fans preferred their usual wall-to-wall trainlength lines of the pre-COVID era.

B a c k o n t o p, u s h e r s conversed with unmasked students freely, even pulling down their own masks at times to make themselves better heard.

While the same usher who reported no student ejections said they felt compliance was

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

considerably better than at OU’s last game, the need for more accountability from fans and athletic department staff was obvious.

“I just feel like they’re being really irresponsible,” Wood said. “I feel like they’re taking it for granted that they’re even able to come to the game.

They just view it like they can do whatever they want.”

Mason Young

mason.e.young-1@ou.edu

6

SPORTS

• Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2020

Rattler loses cool in crunchtime

Head coach Riley remains confident despite QB flaws CHANDLER ENGELBRECHT @ctengelbrecht

Gasps took the air out of a socially distanced Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium as KSU defensive back Jahron McPherson came down with a game-sealing interception in the final seconds of the Sooners’ 38-35 loss to Kansas State on Saturday.

As the crowd began to shuffle out, and as Wildcats quarterback Skylar Thompson led his offense to victory formation for the second year in a row against OU, one thought likely became evident in the minds of the Sooner faithful.

Spencer Rattler is human.

The redshirt freshman — who received an almost overwhelming amount of hype from experts and Oklahoma fans alike during the offseason — came up short in the first Big 12 conference game of his career. In addition to the interception thrown in the last few seconds, Rattler also tossed two critical picks in the first half that kept the Sooners from building an insurmountable lead early on. “(This game will) definitely be a learning experience for him,” Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley said. “I didn’t think he was very comfortable there the entire day.

(He) moved around, missed

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Redshirt freshman Spencer Rattler throws the ball during the Sooners’ game against Kansas State Sept. 26.

a few things, missed a couple throws, made a lot of big plays, (but) had several big plays taken back by penalties.

“There’s going to be several decisions that we’re going to want back. That’s kind of the nature of playing that position.”

Rattler finished with 387 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions on 30-of41 passing attempts.

Now with a less-than -appealing game under his belt, questions will undoubtedly start to surround the former five-star prospect. Was the moment too big? Was the hype too overwhelming? Was the job of replacing threestraight Heisman finalists too much pressure?

Only time will tell. However, before Sooner fans begin to write him off, it’s important to

remember Oklahoma’s loss doesn’t solely fall on Rattler’s shoulders.

After holding Kansas State to just seven points and 98 yards of offense in the first half, Oklahoma’s defense slowly fell apart. Missed tackles and blown coverages led to the Wildcats scoring 31 points and picking up 302 yards of offense in the third and fourth quarter combined.

“We need to do a better job with the consistency element,” Oklahoma Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch said. “(And) playing at a certain intensity for a certain amount of time. … What we need to be able to do is execute. We have to make sure that we’re doing a better job as coaches and making sure guys understand where their help is at times. So, there are a lot of things to fix

over the course of the game.”

Yet, OU’s offense doesn’t want to hear about what the defense could have done better. As redshirt junior center Creed Humphrey explained, their loss was on everyone. “ We ju s t q u i t at t a cking (and) playing hard,” Humphrey said. “We can’t let that happen. They took advantage of the mistakes we made. Took advantage of the penalties (and) turnovers we had.”

The Sooners’ offensive line took a big hit once Humphrey momentarily left the game in the third quarter. The unit surrendered three sacks on the day. On top of that, Oklahoma’s running back room only managed 130 rushing yards. Freshman running back Seth McGowan also had one fumble, bringing the Sooners’ total turnover count to four.

But despite all of the things that went wrong on Saturday for the Sooners, Rattler will still be pointed to as one of the main reasons why Kansas State walked out of Norman victorious. Nonetheless, Riley is still confident Oklahoma is in good hands with Rattler as QB1. “(Still), he did a lot of good things,” Riley said. “I mean, it’s a young guy (in his) second start. We’re going to continue to build on it, he’ll continue to build and get better. And (he’ll) get coached better as well.”

Chandler Engelbrecht

chandler.engelbrecht@ou.edu

Sooners drop second straight match to Texas Head coach sees possible progress despite losses BRADEN GIESECKE @BradenGiesecke

The Sooners fell to Texas (20), 3-1 Friday night, making their record 0-2 on the season.

The Longhorns won sets one, two and four — 25-14, 25-20 and 25-13, respectively — while OU took the third set with a 29-27 score. Texas outkilled the Sooners 69-43 while garnering a .390 hitting percentage and keeping OU’s hitting percentage down to .152.

OU had a sluggish start to the match, allowing Texas to take a 15-5 lead at the beginning of the first set. However, head coach Lindsey GrayWalton gave the Sooners a speech that sparked the team to have much better starts to the rest of the sets.

“We were out-passing them.

We were doing the deal from the service line like we had asked them to,” Gray-Walton said. “We needed them to be better servers and we needed to put our setter in rhythm more than we were, so it was a challenge to the attackers. I think it motivated them a little bit but it takes one point to change the momentum and I

think that’s what we saw in the second (set).”

Although OU took its second straight loss of the season, Gray-Walton said she saw improvements in the second match.

“Definitely a smile under this mask after tonight only because you don’t like the pity set win, but that’s not what it was because we did show more of our identity in the second, third and even at times in the fourth set.” Gray-Walton said. “As a whole, defensively, we did a better job at making their attackers feel us at the net and behind. That was something that we wanted to make an adjustment on and still something that’s going to be a focus as we go into the rest of the season.”

The younger players for the Sooners showed flashes of excellence as freshman outside hitter Guewe Diouf led the team in kills for the second-straight match with 18, including eight in the third set.

Diouf also averaged a .184 hitting percentage and had five digs.

Sophomore setter Grace Talpash also had back-to-back team highs in assists with 34 along with getting seven digs and five kills.

“We knew from the start that whether it was injury or just because of how good and

Freshman outside hitter Guewe Diouf spikes the ball during the match against Texas Sept. 24.

competitive our freshmen were that we were going to see them out there at some point.”

Gray-Walton said. “How often, how many of them—I don’t know that we expected all of them at this time and then carrying the loads that they are, their hearts have to

be racing out there, and so it’s nice to see them get some time and experience and some successes, and that’s going to help them build confidence and keep going.”

The Sooners will have time to correct their mistakes as they have a bye week before

BLUNDER: continued from page 1

The Wildcats’ defense forced freshman Oklahoma running back Seth McGowan to fumble in the next OU possession and continued to make the Sooners pay for it.

Kansas State’s special teams blocked a punt in OU territory, prompting the Wildcats to tie the game at 35–35, and their momentum continued until the final score of the game: Blake Lynch’s 50-yard field goal to put the Wildcats up 38–35.

Before the Wildcats took the lead late in the fourth quarter, those two plays allowed Kansas State to cut the Sooners’ comfortable lead to 35–21 going into the fourth quarter. They were mistakes that Grinch has preached make blue-blood

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

Junior safety Pat Fields stops a Kansas State player from making a touchdown during the Sooners’ game against Kansas State Sept. 26.

programs lose games.

“Momentum is everything in football,” junior safety and team captain Patrick Fields said. “And then we can talk about

things at halftime. We were dominating at halftime.

The message was, ‘Don’t get tired of making simple plays,’ and that’s exactly what we failed to do. And

then whenever you give up a couple explosive plays on offense, they were struggling a little bit, but we failed to get turnovers.

“It’s like you find yourself

EDWARD REALI/THE DAILY

they head to Waco, Texas, to take on Baylor at 6 p.m. Oct. 8.

“I like that we get the bye week so that we can have time to review our film and work on ourselves,” Gray-Walton said.

“You’re always working on a scouting report, so that’s kind of nice that we can see the film,

work on our fine-tune details and just become more crisp, whether it’s pass, whether it’s that rhythm attack. And I think that comes with spending more time out there together.”

with no momentum and your back against the wall.”

Whatever Grinch and his defense figure out is the problem, they have to realize they can find an answer in how Kansas State performed on Saturday. For the second year in a row, Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman has coached his team to simply outplay a highly ranked Sooner squad. Being down at the half, the Wildcats excelled at all three aspects of the game and used that momentum to suffocate OU into blowing a once-comfortable lead.

OU goes on its first road trip to Ames, Iowa, for a match against Iowa State (1-1, 1-0 Big 12), an in-conference foe that usually doesn’t give the Sooners too many problems. Saturday’s loss shows how that might not be the case for future games.

“I think it’s obvious. It’s

glaring. You emphasize it, you talk about it, you make the guys aware of it,” Grinch said. “You try to create those situations, obviously, in practice. You don’t hope for better results in the future and say, ‘Well, we just didn’t get it done.’ It’s something we gotta continue to evaluate and gotta do a better job of.

“Why does 60 minutes feel so long to us? Why do we perform at a certain level for stretches? Elite teams and good defenses, which clearly we’re not, are able to have a resolve, don’t let one play beat you, don’t let one play turn into two, and have an energy regardless of what’s going on, can create their own emotion, create their own energy, and again, it all comes back down to coaching.”

Braden Giesecke

braden.giesecke@ou.edu

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry-1@ou.edu