OPEN HOUSE
October 25th | 10AM–6PM | ENTER TO WIN A $1,000 GIFT CARD W E E K E N D E D I T I O N | O C T O B E R 13 -16 , 2 0 16 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M
OUDAILY
For 100 years, the student voice of the University of Oklahoma
DAILY CENTENNIAL INSERT INSIDE
RAISING VOICES Protesters walk toward Evans Hall from the Unity Garden Tuesday. A meeting was scheduled with OU President David Boren for Wednesday.
CALEB JOURDEN/THE DAILY
Students protest rape culture on campus
F
or more than a week, a number of students have been upset about remarks made by OU President David Boren they say contribute to rape culture. After a protest Tuesday and a meeting between Boren and protesters the next day, Boren said he would not apologize for his remarks, saying the protesters misinterpreted the words. In an Oct. 3 story in The Daily, Boren said sexual assault cannot be eradicated “any more than we can eradicate human nature.” Boren said he would not apologize for his statement in an interview after the meeting with the protesters. “I can’t say that I can apologize for what I said when I didn’t say something,” he said. “I have never in my life said the victim of a sexual assault should be blamed. It’s contrary 100 percent to everything I believe, my core beliefs
DAISY CREAGER • @DAISYCREAGER
and my integrity as a person.” Shortly after the article’s release, sociology sophomore Kelsey Morris planned the protest on Facebook. Students gathered at the Unity Garden on the South Oval for the protest, where Morris presented a list of demands for Boren, including a “sincere and public apology” that contained the phrases “I believe you,” “It’s not your fault,” and “I’m sorry.” The other demands were a written commitment from Boren to fight rape culture at OU, the renaming of the One Sooner program to remove the word ‘Sooner,’ a seminar-style class about sexual assault for freshmen, a mandatory online sexual assault class for non-freshmen and implementing a strike system for fraternities whose members commit sexual assault. Morris said at the protest that she wanted Boren to resign if he
OCT. 3
Boren’s remarks published in The Daily’s story
did not comply with the demands. During the protest, students walked to Evans Hall, where they were met by administrators and faculty, including Jabar Shumate, the Vice President for the University Community, and Kathy Fahl, the director of the Gender + Equality Center.
“We all need to understand that we are fighting a culture that all too often puts the blame on victims of sexual violence instead of the perpetrator.” DAVID BOREN, OU PRESIDENT
The administrators distributed a letter from Boren, who was not on campus at the time. In the
OCT. 11
letter, Boren apologized for being out of the office, recognized the seriousness of the situation surrounding campus sexual assault and highlighted his efforts to help. He also acknowledged that there is more to do to combat the issue. The present administrators set up the meeting between Boren and the protesters for 10 a.m. Wednesday in Evans Hall. It was not open to the media. Both Boren and students who attended the meeting told The Daily that they thought it was productive. “I think we’ve sort of opened his eyes to a few angles he hadn’t thought about,” Morris said. In a written statement released after the meeting, Boren said he will work with the Gender + Equality Center, the Title IX Office and Student Affairs to implement the constructive suggestions made by the students. “We all need to understand that
Students protest Boren’s remarks
we are fighting a culture that all too often puts the blame on victims of sexual violence instead of the perpetrator,” Boren said in the written statement. “We must all work together to bring the right kind of culture change to our campus.” Morris said important steps were made in the meeting. “He agrees that victims are never to blame, which is a lot of what we wanted from him,” Morris said. “He’s agreed that we’re going to start looking at sexual assault as a cultural issue and a learned behavior rather than just an aspect of human nature, which is, I think, a really big step.” Andrew Clark contributed to this story. Daisy Creager
Daisy.C.Creager-1@ou.edu
OCT. 12
Boren meets with protesters
Concussions devastate players Short-term impacts from head injuries affect players of all ages SPENSER DAVIS @Davis_Spenser
Bodies collide, helmets crack and heads clang on every play from scrimmage in a football game, and at OU, players are beginning to pay the price at alarming rates.
Since Oklahoma’s 37-17 loss to Clemson in the 2015 Orange Bowl, at least eight Sooners have suffered a concussion: Running back Daniel Brooks, offensive lineman Jamal Danley, linebacker Tay Evans, quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Joe Mixon, defensive tackle Matt Romar, safety Ahmad Thomas and defensive end Charles Walker. Three of those eight — Brooks, Danley and Evans — have retired this season. For at least three others — Mayfield, Romar and Walker
— their most recent concussion wasn’t their first. According to Aljazeera America, only 12 players were forced to retire due to concussions across all FBS programs in 2015. In 2014, the number was nine. But for all the head injuries going on at Oklahoma this season, this isn’t an OU-specific problem. The Sooners aren’t the only ones adversely affected by bone-crushing hits to the head. Football’s concussion problem isn’t going away. Media coverage
on the crisis ranges from scientific studies and panels to a Will Smith movie. Those outlets cover the longterm impact of concussions. But what about the short term or in the intermediate? What are the challenges Romar — who missed nearly all of fall camp after suffering a non-contact concussion — faces on a dayto-day basis? “It was tough, especially knowing that everyone was counting on me and me not being able to be
out there,” said Romar, who had trouble keeping up with classwork because of a depleted memory. It took him two weeks of rest before he could even study film because his sensitivity to light was unbearable. As Romar continues his playing career, he could be dealing with more consequences — even extreme ones that have plagued one OU sophomore for the last five years. see CONCUSSIONS page 5
2
• October 13-16, 2016
NEWS
Andrew Clark, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
SGA proposal to lessen dead week workload passes in Faculty Senate
MATT WESLING/THE DAILY
OU’s OUr Earth group urges OU to go fossil free in a rally Feb 13, 2015. State Question 777, the Right To Farm bill, will be on the November ballot.
Groups dispute farm bill amid pollution concerns Clubs worry that initiative will only help big businesses ANNA BAUMAN @Honestly_Anna
Students from sustainability clubs at OU have voiced opposition to Oklahoma’s proposed Right To Farm bill, citing environmental concerns as the main reason to check “No” on the ballot Nov. 8. “When you see ‘Right To Farm,’ you think ‘OK, that’s going to be really beneficial,’ when actually there are a lot of hidden implications,” said Allyson Wiley, environmental sustainability junior. The initiative, entitled State Question Number 777, is a state constitutional amendment looking to protect farmers by permanently impeding the state’s ability to interfere with farming and ranching practices, unless there is “compelling state interest” to impose regulations. As president of student environmental group OUr Earth, Wiley said her organization is concerned about the potential environmental threats deregulation of the industry could pose, such as water contamination and overuse of natural resources. “It’s more of a human rights issue than it is a political issue,” Wiley said. “As humans, w e have a right to clean water. This
(amendment) can completely derail that because you get factory farms, and if they don’t have regulation on how they can pollute through runoff and stuff, you’re going to start polluting our water even more.” In addition to the environment, Wiley said OUr Earth is opposed to the proposed amendment because large industrial farms could hurt family-owned farms, which make up the vast majority of the agriculture industry in Oklahoma. “This amendment is completely going to destroy family farms because these corporations are not going to be regulated,” Wiley said. “They can undercut prices, undercut these family farms and force them into a contract because they won’t have any business. Once they’re forced into a contract, they have to work the way that these corporations want them to work. And that means if the corporations want them to treat their animals horribly, then they’re going to do that.” Because of its status as a proposed constitutional amendment, State Question 777 also gives rise to legal concerns and voting rights issues, Wiley said. “If this gets passed, Oklahomans won’t be able to vote on agricultural regulation anymore, since it’s an amendment,” Wiley said. “All that you’ll be able to do is take these corporations to court and try to sue them.” Alexis Miller, environmental sustainability
senior and vice president of OUr Earth, said she thinks small farms would not have a chance in court against large corporations. “If you think about the city of Norman suing Monsanto, well, Monsanto is a huge corporation that could drag out the court for years and years until the town goes bankrupt,” Miller said. “So it’s not even a smallfarmer thing. It’s a small town thing, as well. Just protecting community.”
“This amendment is completely going to destroy family farms because these corporations are not going to be regulated.” ALLYSON WILEY, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY JUNIOR
On the other hand, State Question 777 also has many supporters. Professor Emeritus Drew Kershen said he is in favor of the amendment because it allows Oklahomans to farm in a way that is both economically and environmentally sustainable. “Farming itself has significant environmental impacts,” Kershen said. “So the question is how do you do that in a way which does the least amount of environmental damage, that reduces the footprint of agriculture on the environAnna Bauman ment? The supporters of anna.m.bauman-1@ou.edu
9\ghl % 9f % 9j]Y 9j]Y jYlaf_k ^gj l`ak o]]c 9aj >gj[] JGL; 9dh`Y ;`a Ge]_Y 9dh`Y ?YeeY <]dlY 9dh`Y CYhhY 9dh`Y 9dh`Y CYhhY <]dlY H`a 9dh`Y Gea[jgf Ha 9dh`Y H`a 9dh`Y H`a 9dh`Y 9dh`Y H`a Ge]_Y 9dh`Y Ka_eY CYhhY 9dh`Y LYm Ge]_Y :]lY L`]lY Ha ;Yl`gda[ Klm\]fl 9kkg[aYlagf ;`a Ge]_Y <]dlY <]dlY <]dlY <]dlY =hkadgf Hka <]dlY ?YeeY <]dlY H`a Ge]_Y <]dlY Ka_eY L`]lY
<]dlY LYm <]dlY <]dlY Mhkadgf ?YeeY H`a :]lY @akhYfa[ 9e]ja[Yf Klm\]fl 9kkg[aYlagf Afl]jfYlagfYd D]Y\]jk`ah ;dYkk AglY H`a L`]lY CYhhY 9dh`Y CYhhY 9dh`Y Hka CYhhY 9dh`Y L`]lY CYhhY <]dlY ;`a CYhhY CYhhY ?YeeY CYhhY CYhhY Hka DYeZ\Y ;`a 9dh`Y FYlagfYd Kg[a]lq g^ ;gdd]_aYl] K[`gdYjk Ge]_Y <]dlY H`a Ge]_Y Hka H`a Gmj =Yjl` H`a :]lY Ka_eY H`a <]dlY 9dh`Y H`a <]dlY L`]lY
777, that is, the farmers, say the way to do that with the least impact on the environment and the least harm to the environment is to allow us the freedom to have access to and to use modern technologies.” Ke r s h e n sa i d t h e b i l l w a s i n t ro d u c e d b y t h e Oklahoma Farm Bureau in response to pressures from antagonist groups who are trying to impose restrictions on farmers based on ideological grounds. Kershen said the amendment allows for regulations if there is sufficient evidence of valid concerns. “I would say, ‘Show me there’s any environmental harm or damage from what you’re talking about,’” Kershen said. “If there is, and if you can establish the evidence on that, then it’s going to meet the standard, and it can be regulated. That’s what this state question does—it says you can regulate if you have the proof, if you can show there is harm, but you can’t just do it because ‘I don’t like X.’” Considering the controversy of the bill, Wiley and Miller said they are attempting to educate OU students about its significance by hosting tabling events and a protest march Friday. “If we get them fired up enough, there’s a chance that people will start caring,” Miller said.
H`a ?YeeY <]dlY H`a CYhhY Hka H`a CYhhY Ka_eY Ha :]lY H`a Ha CYhhY H`a Hj]ka\]fl k ;geemfalq K[`gdYjk Hj]ka\]fl k D]Y\]jk`ah ;dYkk JglYjY[l JM>'F=C Dad Kak Ka_eY ;`a Ka_eY ?YeeY J`g Ka_eY DYeZ\Y ?YeeY Ka_eY Fm Ka_eY H`a =hkadgf R]lY H`a :]lY 9\Yek ;]fl]j ;Yl] ;]fl]j ;gm[` ;]fl]j OYdc]j ;]fl]j
OYq lg _g C]]h mh l`] _gg\ ogjc
The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, call 325-7869.
A proposal to reduce student workloads during dead week passed in the Faculty Senate Monday by a vote of 19-6. The proposal originally called for a total ban on exams and quizzes during dead week, but was amended. Now, quizzes worth no more than 3 percent or assignments worth no more than 10 percent of a student’s total class grade may be assigned during that time. Additionally, no exams will be permitted during dead week. Lab classes, classes that meet one night a week, classes with no university scheduled final exam date and graduate classes are not covered by the policy. “I was shocked it passed at all, to be honest,” Student Government Association Timothy Crisp said. “I don’t want to sound cynical, but I didn’t feel like it was going to pass.” SGA President Daniel Pae said he was also surprised at the margin by which the proposal passed. “This is not a new issue; it’s been dealt with by past SGA’s for over a decade now,” Pae said. “As someone pointed out to me, they said, ‘I’ve seen this crash and burn several times.’” Pae said students have complained to him about the stress of dead week, and that they often find themselves learning new material for classes when their finals are just around the corner. “Ultimately, the goal is for every student to learn and grow in knowledge, and oftentimes students feel they’re cramming, more so than learning,” Pae said. “We wanted to break away from that mentality and really focus on making the pre-finals week more accessible and less burdensome for students, which I think these new reforms will accomplish.” No dead week changes will be seen this fall, as the proposal still needs approval from Provost Kyle Harper and OU President David Boren. Pae said the changes will take effect in the next spring semester. Mitchell Willetts, @MitchBWilletts
OU save thousands in past year by using service for inbound shipping OU saved $55,000 this last year in inbound shipping costs by avoiding price markups from suppliers. Byron Burr Millsap, associate vice president of administration and finance, said suppliers tend to mark up shipping and handling prices above what they are actually paying to FedEx or UPS to make a profit. “This has been sort of a hard nut to crack — when you’re talking about a university and trying to figure out how we are leaking money in shipping and handling,” Millsap said. To avoid paying these extra shipping and handling costs, Millsap said OU has been working with Vantage Point Logistics, a management service company. “We tell the supplier not to charge shipping and handling, but that whatever FedEx charges them needs to be charged to (Vantage Point Logistics),” Millsap said. “So (Vantage Point Logistics) pays FedEx, and we have an electronic accounting system where we get a file from the company, and we can get those charges back to the department.” This saves money because those shipping and handling costs are less than what OU would otherwise pay. Millsap said OU started working with Vantage Point Logistics in July 2015. According to the Vantage Point Logistics’ website, they also work with universities such as the University of California, the University of Texas system, Emory University and the University of Virginia. Hannah Pike
Goddard Health Center physician dies peacefully after years of service Martin Tippie, a longtime physician at OU’s Goddard Health Center, died Oct. 8, according to an email statement from Vice President for Public Affairs Catherine Bishop on behalf of OU President David Boren. According to Tippie’s obituary, he died peacefully in his home. He was chief of staff at Goddard and previously served as an athletic physician at the university for 31 years. Tippie is survived by his wife Gayle, daughter Michelle and other family members. A memorial will be held for Tippie at 3 p.m. on Wednesday at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in the Sandy Bell Gallery. His obituary says in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the The Ken Rawlinson Fund through the OU Foundation, according to Tippie’s obituary. Staff Reports
October 13-16, 2016 •
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Dana Branham Editor in Chief Andrew Clark News Managing Editor Supriya Sridhar Engagement Managing Editor
3
Chloe Moores, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a_&_e • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
Film studies alumnus cuts teeth on The Flaming Lips
Spenser Davis Sports Editor Chloe Moores A&E Editor Audra Brulc Opinion Editor Siandhara Bonnet Visual Editor Mia Chism Copy Manager Mandy Boccio Print Editor
contact us 160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-2052
phone:
405-325-3666
email:
160 Copeland Hall, 860 dailynews@ou.edu
The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication. 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 nine student editors. The board meets at 4:30 p.m. Monday through 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 advertising manager Brianica Steenbock by calling 405-325-8964 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 contacting The Daily business office atDaily 405- is Corrections: The 325-2522. Corrections: The Daily is committed committed to to accuracy accuracy in its its publications. publications. If If in you you fi find nd an an error error in in a a story, story, email email dailynews@ dailynews@ ou.edu or visit oudaily. ou.edu or visit oudaily. com/site/corrections .html to submit a correction form.
stay connected /oudaily
/oudaily @oudaily
PROVIDED BY BRADLEY BEESLEY
Bradley Beesley, left, is a OU 1994 graduate noted for filming The Flaming Lips music videos. Beesley currently lives in Austin and is working on pieces for the South by Southwest festival.
Graduate turns his craft to career after starting with band CHANDLER KIDD @chanannkidd
OU film and media studies graduate Bradley Beesley jump-started his career by filming The Flaming Lips music videos in the School of Art’s basement. Beesley graduated from OU in 1994, and his relationship with The Flaming Lips is based off geographical convenience and a tight-knit music community, he said. “I met (The Flaming Lips) because my brother was a filmmaker, and they ran around in the same circle. Since Norman is a small town, you just kind of know everybody in the scene,” Beesley said over the phone. The Flaming Lips are an Oklahoma-based band noted as one of the first newwave psychedelic bands of the century. They entered the Norman music scene in 1983 and characterized themselves as a punk band. A l t h o u g h t h e b a n d ’s members have changed consistently over the years, the band is currently comprised of Wayne Coyne, lead singer, Michael Ivins, bassist, Steven Drozd, songwriter, Derek Brown, guitarist and keyboardist and Jake Ingalls, g u i t a r a n d s y nt h e s i z e r
player. The Flaming Lips began as a way to pass time but transformed into something bigger, Beesley said. After meeting Beesley, The Flaming Lips found he had access to cameras through the School of Art and could film the band’s music videos. “Wayne just asked me to come out and shoot a music video, and over the course of the next 10 years, we probably shot two or three music videos a year together,” said Beesley. The videos Beesley shot on campus include “She Don’t Use Jelly.” “Some of these videos would serve as an art project. Sometimes I would show a Flaming Lips video in my film-making class as one of my final pieces,” he said. “We would shoot video, photographs and edit in the basement. Sometimes we would even shoot around campus.” As Beesley’s videos and The Flaming Lips began to gain recognition, the show “Beavis and Butt-head” picked up on the trend and played the band’s music video “Turn It On” in one of their episodes. “The music video he (Beesley) shot in a laundromat was shown on “Beavis and Butt-head,” and that truly launched his career,” said Br ian Bale, one of Beesley’s childhood friends. The laundromat in which “Turn It On” was filmed was located on the corner of
Flood and Main. The business is no longer there, Beesley said. “The mat was open all night, so in the true renegade style of The Flaming Lips we didn’t ask permission. We just went in and shot the video for ‘Turn It On,’” Beesley said. The Flaming Lips gave Beesley a sense of purpose and a foundation to take his work a step further, Beesley said.
“Coming out of a place like Oklahoma that is so religious, they really shook some ground. Who else is like them? You rarely see something as vibrant as The Flaming Lips.” ALEXA ACE, UCO MUSIC AND BUSINESS JUNIOR
“ Wo rki ng w i t h Th e Flaming Lips more than anything informed my filmmaking. Because of the frequency, it gave me a sense of purpose to document what they were doing,” Beesley said. Beesley took his career a step further when he created a documentary about the band in 2005 entitled “The Fearless Freaks.” This documentary is special to Beesley and the band due to how intimate the setting is.
The documentary is meant to show fans of The Flaming Lips how Coyne’s upbringing influenced his work as an artist and songwriter. “Wayne grew up in Oklahoma with brothers who had this backyard football team called The Fearless Freaks. He began to make merch and shoot their games and practices in his own backyard,” he said. “It really shows that Wayne has been doing this for his entire life.” Creating the film was an accident, Beesley said. “I didn’t realize I was making a catalog for a documentary with the outtakes I did for ‘Clouds Taste Metallic’ to make a feature film,” Beesley said. The Flaming Lips have a strong impact on many Oklahomans. Their work, along with Beesley’s, has impacted many fans including a student at The University of Central Oklahoma. Alexa Ace, UCO music and business junior, took pictures of Coyne during a Christmas party at Womb, a gallery in Oklahoma City. Oklahomans should care about Beesley’s and The Flaming Lips’ work because it is different from anything else offered in the state’s music scene, Ace said. “Coming out of a place like Oklahoma that is so religious, they really shook some ground. Who else is like them? You rarely see
@theoklahomadaily
@theoudaily oudaily
oudaily oudaily.com
oudaily.com
VOL. 102, NO. 15
© 2016 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢
Chandler Kidd
chandlerkidd@ou.edu
Fine artists will fire up this Friday Public can put pots in kilns, purchase works at free event KAELAN DEESE
@oudaily
something as vibrant as The Flaming Lips,” she said. Beesley is often recognized as a filmmaker who documents subcultures within oddball America. His work has an Oklahoma focus, and he has also documented Oklahoma noodling and a prison rodeo. Beesley said he documents these subcultures in Oklahoma because it is what he knows. “When people think of me, they think of Oklahoma. Hopefully my work is a human interest story where you don’t have to be a fan of The Flaming Lips or know anything about my other work to empathize with the characters,” he said. Beesley’s work is relatable because he doesn’t judge anyone he meets, Bale said. “When Bradley met The Flaming Lips, he just saw them like everybody else. He is such a nice guy and has no preconceived notions of anybody, and that allows him to look at things in an open light,” Bale said. Beesley currently resides in Austin, Texas, and films movies and some of his work there. He is currently working on pieces for South by Southwest, an arts and music festival in Austin in March. For more information on his work visit his website: www.bradleybeesley.com.
@RedNPinkFish
This Friday, the ceramics program within OU’s School of Visual Arts will be hosting their 11th annual Fuego Friday, continuing the tradition of educating the community about ceramics and entertaining the public with fiery kilns. Fuego Friday is from 6 to 9 p.m. at the OU School of Visual Arts’ Ceramics Facility at 401 E. Congress St. The event is sponsored by OU’s ceramics program, the Red Clay Faction and the Student Government Association, according to a press release. Ho m e m a d e p o t s a n d
NOOR EEMAAN/THE DAILY
Pottery by beginning ceramics students for Fuego Friday Oct. 16, 2015. The 11th annual Fuego Friday will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 14.
o t h e r c e ra m i c s w i l l b e available for the public to purchase. “Guests will be able to fire their pottery and take it home that same
night,” said Regan Schreier, the School of Visual Arts’ public relations and event coordinator. “We invite members of
the OU community and the general public to the Fuego Friday kiln-firing event to visit the ceramics facility and witness the amazing
spectacle of controlled pyromania,” Stuart Asprey, OU ceramics assistant professor, said in a press release. All money spent on ceramic items or donated throughout the night will benefit student travel and visiting artist programs. Admission is free, but ind i v i d u a l s i nte re ste d i n purchasing a pre-made ceramic pot should contact Asprey at stuart@ou.edu before Oct. 14, as supplies are limited. Ceramic pots range in cost from $15 to $30 each. For more information about this week’s upcoming tradition and more arts events, visit the School of Visual Arts’ website. Kaelan Deese
kaelan.a.deese-1@ou.edu
4
â&#x20AC;˘ October 13 - 16, 2016
OPINION
Audra Brulc, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu â&#x20AC;˘ phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/opinion â&#x20AC;˘ Twitter: @OUDailyOpinion
CLASSIFIEDS J Housing Rentals
Financial BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Tired of your day job? Email: oushopper@ gmail.com to discuss another option that has changed the lives of thousands of people!!
APTS. FURNISHED Eff APARTMENTS FURNISHED downtown over Mister Robert Furn. 109 E Main. $550-$750 bills PAID, No pets, Smoke Free Environment, Inquire store office
DUPLEXES UNFURNISHED
$550/mo! Walk to OU! 2bd, 2 blocks from Sarkeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Energy Center. Carpet, blinds, NEW CH/A, appliances, W/D: Call 2033493
PLACE A PAID AD Phone: 405-325-2521 E-mail: classifieds@ou.edu
Fax: 405-325-7517 Campus Address: COH 149A
DEADLINES Line Ad .................................................................................. 3 days prior Place line ad by 9:00 a.m. 3 business days prior to publication.
Display Ad ............................................................................3 days prior Classified Display or Classified Card Ad Place your display, classified display or classified card ads by 5:00 p.m. 3 business days prior to publication.
PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP PHOTO
Presidential nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton speak during the second presidential debate Oct. 9, 2016 at Washington University in St. Louis. Election day is Nov. 8.
Y O U are responsible
Voting crucial this election Katelyn Howard khoward@ou.edu @katelynAHoward
When asked the question, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who are you going to vote for in the 2016 presidential election?â&#x20AC;?, you would expect opinionated students â&#x20AC;&#x201D; many who will be given the chance to vote for the first time â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to respond passionately, in favor of their partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s candidate. Instead, a reply and excuse I have heard all too often is, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the point of voting in this election anyway, since both of the candidates are awful?â&#x20AC;? This election has marked a turning point in studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attitudes toward voting. Making the choice not to vote is now viewed as a valid standpoint, when in reality, it is a decision to become voiceless. The problem of free riding is alive and well, especially in this election, since students fall under the impression that their contribution wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t significantly affect the outcome. Every time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve encountered a student with a similar attitude, my go-to counter point is always to acknowledge the fact that, if you chose not
to vote, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the right to complain. Even if your candidate didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win, you can be content with the fact that it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t because of you. Students take for granted every day their right to vote. Specifically, the significance that voting holds in giving each individual the power to shape our countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. While discussing this topic with a friend in the midst of our current election, he brought up an interaction he had with his roommate that highlighted the importance of voting. His roommate mentioned he was not going to vote in the election, â&#x20AC;&#x153;validatingâ&#x20AC;? his decision with the phrase, â&#x20AC;&#x153;No vote is a vote.â&#x20AC;? My friend countered his statement by replying with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you go tell that to someone who lives in a country where citizens arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t given the right to vote?â&#x20AC;? As you can expect, h i s ro o m m a t e w a s l e f t speechless. At the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) stated it best when he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not voting is not a protest. It is a surrender.â&#x20AC;? There are millions of people across the world who would sacrifice anything to have the privilege to vote and to have the freedom that comes along with having their opinion accounted for a freedom
AT&E DĘŚÉ&#x201D; SÉhoÉźÉ&#x2014;
2ɡOÉŞKĘ?PÉ&#x2C6;Â&#x203A;ÉĄ 2OČŤHVɢ Ę&#x2039;QÉ? 0RVɢ (ĘŠČźĘ&#x2018;ʢȲĘ&#x2018;QČŞHÉ?
NORMAN
10-Hour ADSAC~Fee: $150
94-DRIVE
Oct. 7, 8 & 9 and 21, 22 & 23
Fri. 5:30pm-8:45pm Sat./Sun. 9am-12:30pm Location: 550 24th Ave NW, Ste H (N. side Sooner Bowl) Assessments~Fee: $160-$175 By Appt Only 24-Hour ADSAC~Fee $360 Payment Plan Availl Every T/Th 6pm-8pm and S/S 2pm-4pm
Previous Solution
Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard
Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not voting is not a protest. It is a surrender.â&#x20AC;? KEITH ELLISON, REP. (D-MN)
that we take for granted every day. When we put it in this perspective, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just viewed as an insignificant decision anymore. Many times, students forget to take into account the broad picture that comes along with voting, since we tend to only focus on the presidential aspect of the ballot. But, in reality, there are numerous other agendas, such as the state questions, to take into account. These are laws that will affect us directly as a state and could alter the rest of our experience at OU (and, yes, even if you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a resident of Oklahoma). So, even if you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fond of either of the presidential candidates, show up to the polls for this reason alone. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not using this column to tell you who to vote for. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just urging you to
HOW TO VOTE To vote in the Nov. 8 election in Oklahoma, you must be registered by Oct. 14. To download a voter registration form or request an absentee ballot online, visit oudaily.com/govote
By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn. 9JA=K EYj[` *)%9hjad )1! %% A^ qgm mk] qgmj egf]q oak]dq$ qgm oadd kggf `Yn] egj] g^ al& 9f afn]kle]fl gj [gfljY[l f]_glaYlagf oadd lmjf af qgmj ^Yngj& <g l`af_k \a^^]j]fldq& Qgmj mfaim]f]kk oadd hYq g^^ af l`] ]f\&
Klgh Ă&#x161; _`laf_ Y dgkaf_ ZYlld] Yf\ klYjl `]Y\af_ \gof l`] hYl` g^ d]Ykl j]kaklYf[]& 9hhjgY[` ]n]jql`af_ oal` qgmj gof mfaim] klqd]& L`] dgf_]j qgm _g oal` l`] Ă&#x203A; go$ l`] ]Yka]j al oadd Z] lg L9MJMK 9hjad *(%EYq *(! %% HYjlf]j% Y[`a]n] `Yhhaf]kk Yf\ kYlak^Y[lagf& 9ae k`ahk oadd eYc] Y \a^^]j]f[] lg l`] oYq lg egn] ^gjoYj\ afkl]Y\ g^ `gn]jaf_ af qgm egn] ^gjoYj\& =eZjY[] f]o a\]Yk gf] hgkalagf& Yf\ Ă&#x161; f\ oYqk lg [gfljaZml] lg hjgb][lk oal` h]ghd] o`g `Yn] kaeadYj _gYdk& DA:J9 K]hl& *+%G[l& *+! %% A^ qgm mk] JgeYf[] ak af l`] klYjk& qgmj aeY_afYlagf$ qgm oadd [ge] mh oal` Yf a\]Y l`Yl oadd d]Y\ qgm lg ?=EAFA EYq *)%Bmf] *(! %% Ghhgjlmfa% km[[]kk& H]jkgfYd [`Yf_]k l`Yl `]dh la]k oadd Z] j]Y\adq YnYadYZd] a^ qgm Yj] qgm ha[c mh f]o kcaddk$ af^gjeYlagf Yf\ YZd] lg Ă&#x161; _mj] gml l`] _]fmaf] Yjla[d]k ]ph]ja]f[] oadd hYq g^^& ^jge l`] ^Yc]jk& 9kc im]klagfk lg \]l]jeaf] o`Yl ak Yf\ akf l hgkkaZd]& K;GJHAG G[l& *,%Fgn& **! %% LYc] lae] lg dakl]f lg o`Yl gl`]jk `Yn] lg kYq$ ;9F;=J Bmf] *)%Bmdq **! %% Dggcaf_ Yf\ mk] l`] af^gjeYlagf qgm _Yl`]j lg aflg Y bgZ ghhgjlmfalq gj lYcaf_ hYjl aehjgn] qgmj da^]klqd] Yf\ kmjjgmf\af_ af Yf af\mkljq ]n]fl oadd Yddgo qgm lg [geemfalq& EYc] Y \a^^]j]f[]& hjgegl] o`Yl qgm \g Z]kl& HjgZd]ek Yl `ge] emkl fgl Z] Yddgo]\ lg afl]j^]j] K9?ALL9JAMK Fgn& *+%<][& *)! %% Kla[c af qgmj hjg\m[lanalq& lg l`] ljml` Yf\ oYdc YoYq ^jge h]ghd] o`g ljq lg ha[c Y Ă&#x161; _`l& 9 [`Yf_] Yl D=G Bmdq *+%9m_& **! %% <gf l _]l `ge] oadd ]f\ mh Z]af_ Z]f]Ă&#x161; [aYd& LYc] Yf_jq o`]f qgm k`gmd\ _]l egnaf_& [Yj] g^ qgmj j]khgfkaZadala]k& Qgmj \ak[ahdaf]$ cfgod]\_]$ ]ph]jlak] Yf\ kcaddk oadd `]dh qgm eYc] hgkalan] ;9HJA;GJF <][& **%BYf& )1! %% L`] [`Yf_]k lg qgmj klYf\Yj\ g^ danaf_& hYkl oadd Z] qgmj _ma\] lg l`] ^mlmj]& Egf]q oadd [ge] ^jge Yf mfmkmYd J]e]eZ]jaf_ []jlYaf ]ph]ja]f[]k oadd kgmj[]& `]dh qgm Ynga\ eak_anaf_k& ?]llaf_ lg_]l`]j oal` gd\ ^ja]f\k oadd Zggkl NAJ?G 9m_& *+%K]hl& **! %% <g egj] qgmj ]_g& Yf\ kYq d]kk& Al k `go qgm hdYq l`] _Ye] l`Yl oadd eYc] l`] \a^^]j]f[]& A^ 9IM9JAMK BYf& *(%>]Z& )1! %% >g[mk qgm oYfl kge]l`af_$ hmjkm] al o`gd]% egj] gf d]Yjfaf_$ ljYn]daf_ gj \]n]dgh% `]Yjl]\dq& JgeYf[] ak ]f[gmjY_]\& af_ Y [j]Ylan] a\]Y& <]Ydaf_ oal` [`ad\j]f oadd eYc] qgm YoYj] g^ l`af_k qgm eYq fgl `Yn] fgla[]\& 9f afn]kl% e]fl oadd hYq g^^& HAK;=K >]Z& *(%EYj[` *(! %% Dggc Yl l`] Za_ ha[lmj] o`]f al [ge]k lg qgmj `]Ydl`$ Ă&#x161; fYf[]k Yf\ [gfljY[lk& A^ qgm oYfl kge]l`af_$ _g Y^l]j al& ?an] Ydd qgmj hjgb][lk qgmj h]jkgfYd lgm[`&
take care of it
vote. Many times, students hesitate to register to vote, since it can be viewed as a daunting or time consuming, task. I myself fell under this misconception, and was pleasantly surprised to discover how simple the process was: printing out a single form, filling it out and mailing it. While youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at it, print some forms out for your friends as well, and gather a group together to go vote in November. Before you decide to sit this election out, just remember that not having a say does not equate to an outcome that wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t still affect you.
HOROSCOPE L@MJK<9Q$ G;LG:=J )+$ *().
for the world you live in...
www.wildcareoklahoma.org Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker October 13, 2016
ACROSS 1 Gold coin of old 6 Quite excited 10 Give a free pass to 14 Historical period 15 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Long liveâ&#x20AC;? 16 23-Across solo 17 CFOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job 20 Corporation name-ending abbr. 21 Tumblersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; surfaces 22 Make known 23 Buffoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s place 25 Large tooth 26 Cowboy boot attachment 28 Baby rockers 32 Activist Silkwood 34 Wedding cake level 35 Ballerinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hairdo, often 38 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Conductâ&#x20AC;? penalized in football 42 Noshed 43 It may be stolen in a park 44 Able to walk the line? 45 Go by rapidly, as time 48 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not to mention ...â&#x20AC;? 49 Reduce, as expenses 10/13
51 Writer Tom or Thomas 53 Least straightforward (var.) 55 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buona ___â&#x20AC;? (Italian phrase) 56 Car grille accessory 59 Assume responsibility for 62 Court attentiongetter 63 Borodinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Prince ___â&#x20AC;? 64 Sesame seed and honey confection 65 Be on the way out 66 Thick, eggy drinks 67 Computer keyboard key DOWN 1 Prefix meaning â&#x20AC;&#x153;halfâ&#x20AC;? 2 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once ___ a time ...â&#x20AC;? 3 Way to prison? 4 High or low card 5 Certain herb 6 Online game personification 7 Beefeater products 8 Egg cells 9 Plum variety 10 College y setting
11 Popular cookies 12 Belarusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; capital 13 Fancy spread 18 Artist Chagall 19 Non-resident doctors 24 Kind of school 26 Gull-like bird 27 Breathe hard 29 Baffled while yachting? 30 Barely lit 31 Pasture 33 Most aristocratic 35 Area of many believers 36 Hawaiian instruments, briefly 37 Claudiusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; successor 39 Sunlight unit
40 Cooking meas. 41 Hang around lazily 45 Restraining order? 46 Uses indelicate language 47 Conflicted 49 Costa del Sol feature 50 Clay of â&#x20AC;&#x153;American Idolâ&#x20AC;? fame 52 Carpenterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spinning machine 53 Put away in a hold 54 Slender 55 Dirty air 57 Amble 58 Nowhere near? 60 Anima counterpart 61 PC linkup
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
10/12
10/10
Š 2016 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com Š 2016 Universal Uclick
MAN OF LETTERS By Timothy E. Parker
October 13-16, 2016 •
SPORTS
5
Spenser Davis, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
ILLUSTRATION BY ABBIE SEARS
CONCUSSIONS: Continued from Page One
The reality Tim Strickman thought he was fine. For days after he suffered a devastating concussion that would change the course of his entire life and render his memory inaccessible, Strickman did not notice a difference. Strickman, now a sophomore at OU, suffered a concussion playing high school football as a freshman nearly five years ago. An outside linebacker at Houston Christian High School in Texas, he endured helmet-to-helmet contact that launched him into the air only to crash down on his head. Eventually, the symptoms set in — while Strickman was in biology class. “All of the sudden I just got really confused,” Strickman said. “I was laughing, and I didn’t really understand where I was. I had to be escorted down to the nurse’s office. I laid down and it became very hard to move, to walk and to use my motor skills. I laid there while they called my mom. My mom picked me up and we went to the hospital.” He suffered the traditional symptoms : persistent headaches, sensitivity to light, nausea. And then, it got worse. After doctors struggled to figure out what was wrong — at first they suspected West Nile — Strickman returned to school after about a week and a half of hospitalization. The week following Thanksgiving in 2011, Strickman experienced his first seizure in his school’s nurse’s office. “I was still dealing with headaches and confusion and all of those symptoms, but I really needed to go to school, so I tried to go back,” he said. “On top of the stress and the headaches and the missing school and memory loss and difficulty understanding and recognizing
things, my nervous system being not the same … all that combined had created this immense stress that resulted in my body filtering that stress by convulsing and by having seizures.” He had another seizure the following Saturday on the stairs in his home, and then another one on the way to the hospital. Then over the course of the next five days, he had more than 60 seizures resulting from stress caused by the concussion, Strickman said. The physical symptoms of concussions are wellknown, but their impact on daily life is often waning — as time passes and medicine improves, physical symptoms subside. What sticks, though, is the mental carnage left in the concussion’s wake. “I lost myself because I wasn’t myself,” Strickman said. “I was not the same Tim. I didn’t remember a lot of things, I didn’t think the same, I didn’t feel the same. I felt really sad because it happened to me and I didn’t really understand why. It’s not even, ‘Why did it happen to me?’ I just didn’t really understand the whole situation because it felt so unreal.” Strickman was robbed of his identity. His purpose. His desire. “By the end of my sophomore year, I had begun to get over it. It took me a really long time. I thought about it all the time, I moped about it all the time. I let it kick my ass is really what happened. I completely let it kick my ass, and I never should have let it do that because it really altered my life for forever.” Five years later, Strickman still is not the same person he was before the injury. Far from it. He said he can only remember 20-40 percent of his life before his first concussion. Family events, milestones and other pieces of life’s details disappeared from his memory. That, more than anything else, is the lasting impact of that fateful Thursday night.
“ That was s omething that I remember the most for that whole ordeal — the feeling of not being able to remember something is absolutely crazy,” he said. “Everybody has their imagination and their ability to think of the past and make connections and stuff, and I couldn’t do that. “Not only if you don’t know who you are, but if you’re physically confused as to what’s going on and
his story holds less weight. Football is a game that, at all levels, presents a tremendous risk. But when you are playing at Oklahoma, lucrative rewards may be just around the corner. “The rewards for playing this sport are high,” said OU offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, who says he suffered multiple concussions in his playing days. “These guys can go on and make millions of dollars.
“Not only if you don’t know who you are, but if you’re physically confused as to what’s going on and who you are, then it takes the joy of being alive completely away.” TIM STRICKMAN, SOPHOMORE
who you are, then it takes the joy of being alive completely away.” He gets lucky sometimes and will be gifted a scent or a sound that brings him back to old memories, bringing thoughts and events previously buried by swelling and trauma back to life. Strickman has since put that chapter of his life behind him. He still sees some impact today — his arms will still shake slightly if he extends them, and his ability to process information and be organized is slower than it once was — but he’s moved on. He no longer experiences headaches, which he attributes to his positive thinking. Struggling to remember things from his past does not bother him as much as it once did. In some ways, he is better off that it happened. “Before, I was so ignorant, and then afterward I was very, not only eye-opened, but I just didn’t live in such a bubble,” he said. “In middle school you’re a kid and you kind of feel invincible. You don’t really think big. And I think after that, it really opened my eyes to thinking a lot bigger.”
These guys can make contacts, name recognition, things like that that they’ll have for the rest of their life. “Obviously the risk is high, too. That, to me, goes back to that individual’s decision. And if you make it that you want to do it, then let’s make it as safe as possible. But also, you know what, it’s still a game. I think we’ve got to balance that as best we can.” In the past, players have been insistent on not worrying about head injuries. While they are not ignorant to the effects or the longterm hazards at play, they are keeping their eyes on the prize. “ You definitely don’t worry about injury when you’re out there playing,” former OU cornerback and 2015 fifth-round pick Zack Sanchez said last season. “Obviously it’s a part of the game. It’s a violent and physical sport.” For Sanchez, he had others in his life to worry about his well-being — but even then, the potential benefits were too great. “My mom worries about everything,” he said. “Her stomach tosses and turns every game. But she knows how much I love this game Plan ‘B’ and what it’s done for me Strickman’s case is rare, in my life so I don’t think but that does not mean it’s anything that she would
ever want me to stop doing.” Sanchez never had to consider a plan ‘B.’ But with at least eight Sooners going down with concussions since December, the attitude on long-term mental health has begun to change. “Most guys come here and their No. 1 focus is football,” senior linebacker Jordan Evans said. “My dad has even talked to me about my plan ‘B,’ and I got uncomfortable talking about it because I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’ You never know, your next snap could be your last snap. You see (Tay Evans’ case) and it’s scary, but at the same time, it’s reality. You always gotta be ready, you always have to have a plan ‘B.’ I’m sure guys are seeing that now.” Jordans’ dad, Scott, would know. He played defensive tackle for Oklahoma from 1976-1980, the dark ages for how concussions were treated in football. Things have improved since then at the amateur level. A 1976 rule that outlawed spearing has significantly decreased fatalities due to head and neck injuries. According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injur y Research, there were 35 deaths of that nature from 2006-2015. Before the rule change, there were more than 10 deaths per year on average due to the same cause dating back to 1931. There have been other f o r m s o f p ro g re ss, to o. D e f e n s i v e c o o rd i n a t o r Mike Stoops says he endured multiple concussions in his playing career, but they were often treated differently. “Back then they just gave you some smelling salts and threw you back in,” Stoops said. “It’s a different world we live in. Collisions, the speed is different. They seem like the people have a pretty good beat on what they need to do to protect these types of injuries.” P r o g r e s s i n p r o t e c ting and educating players cannot stop here, though. Football is a violent sport
played by men who, over time, will only get more dangerous. “I don’t know how you gauge this, but guys are bigger, faster, stronger than they were and because of that, you have harder, more violent collisions,” Riley added. “That’s just part of it. And that’s going to continue because guys aren’t going to get smaller and slower.” Fo r s o m e, t h e r i s k i s worth it. Sanchez made his NFL Debut on Monday Night Football this week, recording two tackles in a 17-14 loss. Z a c k S a n c h e z e n j oy s a six-figure salary that is paltry by NFL standards but fruitful by most other benchmarks. If he stays with the Carolina Panthers through the remainder of his four year contract, his earnings could top $2.6 million. F o r o t h e r s , l i k e Ti m Strickman, life goes on. Strickman’s football career effectively ended in the fall of his freshman season. He attempted to return to his first love, lacrosse, but another minor head injury two years later pushed him away for good. Jamal Danley, Tay Evans and Daniel Brooks w ill move on, too. Evans has accepted a student-teaching role with the Sooners, and Brooks is expected to do the same. The jury is still out on whether or not the risk is worth the reward for players like Charles Walker, Mat t h e w Ro ma r, Ba ke r Mayfield and others. For now, they — and so many others around the country — will continue to play the game they love. “These guys have got to make decisions based on what they want to do afterwards,” Riley added. “It’s their life. There’s some r i s k- r e w a r d w i t h i t , o f course. It’s a risky game. It’s a risky game to play, it’s a risky game to coach. That’s the name of the game.” Spenser Davis
davis.spenser@ou.edu
6
SPORTS
• October 13-16, 2016
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
Junior running back Samaje Perine makes a run for the endzone in the fourth quarter of the game against University of Texas Oct. 8. The Sooners will kick off against the Kansas State Wildcats at 11 a.m. Oct. 15.
Sooners brace for change of pace Kansas State runs at slower pace than previous opponents JESSE POUND @jesserpound
After facing some of the most high-flying offenses in college football to open the season, No. 19 Oklahoma will have a different challenge on Saturday. Kansas State comes to No r ma n t h i s w e e ke n d , bringing with it a slower,
more methodical offense than the likes of Texas, TCU and Houston. The Wildcats are averaging just 62 plays a game, a far cry from the up-tempo offenses popular in the rest of the Big 12. “It gets chaotic, just the speed of the game and the amount of snaps,” defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. The Sooners have allowed 131 points in their last three contests, so Saturday will be quite the change of pace. “They’re not a big-time
tempo team,” senior linebacker Jordan Evans said. “But they’re still very physical, like to run the ball, they’ve good playmakers on the edges and in the backfield and a good offensive line. The only thing that might be different is they might not be as fast as other teams we face, but they’re still very capable.” The Wildcats have actually been held under 20 points twice this season, in losses to West Virginia and Stanford. But that doesn’t mean their offense is inept — it scored
30 points last week against Texas Tech which, when combined with touchdowns by the defense and special teams, powered a 44-38 win. The slower Kansas State offense allows the Sooners to be creative defensively instead of scrambling just to line up correctly. “They give you a lot of different looks to defend, and you’ve got to mix things up with them, keep them off balance,” Stoops said. “That’s always been our thing when we play them and not get
too predictable to try to give them different looks.” The Sooners had no problem with the Wildcats last year, blanking them 55-0 in Manhattan. That Kansas State team was banged up by injury, but it’s Oklahoma that is nursing numerous injuries this season. With Kansas State improving and Oklahoma working with inexperienced players at multiple positions, the Sooners don’t expect this year to be as easy. “It’s a very complete team,”
Stoops said. “This is a much better team than the one we played a year ago. They have great skill, they have more consistency quarterback, they’re young in the offensive line, but they’re coming together, and (running back Charles Jones) has been there for three years. This will be a much different team than we faced a year ago.” Jesse Pound
jesserpound@gmail.com
12th Ave.
HERE Lindsey St.
Classen Blvd.
We Got Your Gamedays Covered.
Phone: 405. 573. 1977 | 1215 E Lindsey Street
The first issue of the Oklahoma Daily was published in the fall of 1916, making this the paper’s centennial year. Come celebrate with us with birthday cake on the South Oval!
Thursday, October 13th Serving 10 am until gone on the South Oval by the Bizzell statue
C E N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N | O C T O B E R 13 -16 , 2 0 16 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M
OUDAILY
For 100 years, the student voice of the University of Oklahoma
We’re celebrating 100 years of student journalism. On Sept. 18, 1916, The Oklahoma Daily was born. One hundred years later, here we are. The Daily looks a little different than it did in its earliest years, but the heart of what we do has always been the same. Through redesigns, through the advent of the internet, through countless teams of student journalists — The Daily is and has always been here to serve the OU community. For 100 years now, we’ve written the first draft of OU history. We’ve told your stories. Here are a few of ours.
2
CENTENNIAL EDITION
• October 13-16, 2016
HALL OF FAME The Daily honors notable alumni through the years To celebrate 100 years of student journalism, The Oklahoma Daily has invited alumni back to Norman for a centennial banquet and tailgate. At the banquet, nine alumni will be honored as the inaugural class of The Oklahoma Daily Hall of Fame. They were selected by the centennial planning committee for their substantial role at The Daily during their time as a student, their use of skills they gained at The Daily since graduating and their status as a role model to current and future students.
JENNIFER J. HICKS • Wall Street Journal The Oklahoma Daily, 2002 Jennifer J. Hicks is a deputy managing editor at The Wall Street Journal, where she oversees digital products and innovation and works with other top editors to establish digital strategy and newsroom operations. Her team shapes everything from the WSJ’s website and apps to its off-platform initiatives and editorial tools. Previously, Jennifer served as the Journal’s deputy editor of real-time news. In this role, she executed breaking-news coverage
across digital platforms and oversaw the WSJ.com homepage team. She joined the Journal in 2004 and has held a number of editing roles, including a three-year assignment in London leading WSJ.com’s European edition. She played a key role in digital coverage for numerous U.S. elections, the euro-zone debt crisis, the Arab Spring, two Olympic Games, the royal wedding and more. She also is co-editor of the WSJ stylebook. Before joining the Journal, she briefly
served as assistant night editor of The Muskogee Phoenix. Jennifer graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2002 with degrees in journalism and political science. She was editor-in-chief of The Oklahoma Daily from 2001-2002, having previously served as online editor, night editor and managing editor. As an OU student, she interned for The Daily Oklahoman’s Washington bureau and spent two summers as a copy editor for The
Boston Globe. Jennifer earned a master’s in journalism from Columbia University in New York in 2003. She has taught graduate journalism courses at Columbia and the City University of New York and recently joined OU’s Gaylord College Board of Visitors. Jennifer grew up in Norman, Oklahoma. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, Anthony.
HANNAH ALLAM • McClatchy Company The Oklahoma Daily, 1999 Hannah Allam, an intrepid reporter known for her work on extremism and conflict, covers the State Department and national security for the McClatchy Company in Washington, D.C. She was part of the team that won a 2012 George Polk Award for reporting on the complexities of the Syrian civil war. Previously, Hannah went to Baghdad in 2003, became bureau chief for Knight Ridder Newspapers and stayed until 2006 when she opened a Cairo-based
Middle East bureau. In 200809, she studied sectarianism in Islam as a Nieman Fellow at Harvard before returning to Egypt to cover the Arab Spring rebellions in 201011. In 2004, she was named NABJ’s journalist of the year. In 2015, she chaired the Pulitzer Prize international reporting jury. Hannah graduated f ro m t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Oklahoma in 1999, serving as editor-in-chief of The Oklahoma Daily her senior year, after working as
a reporter and opinion editor and completing internships at The Wichita Eagle, Minneapolis Star Tribune and The Washington Post. In addition to leading her staff to a Pacemaker, she prioritized making its coverage better reflect the diversity of campus. “When I became bureau chief in Baghdad, the only management experience I had was being editor of The Daily…,” recalls Allam, who grew up between Oklahoma City and the Middle East and
now lives in Washington with her son, Bilal. “Working at The Daily was the foundation of my career. It’s where I wrote my first news story, first earned a paycheck for reporting, first felt the thrill of a scoop, first got to manage a newsroom. More than anything, I fell in love with the fun of it all, especially working with such talented colleagues who’ve gone on to do groundbreaking journalism in Oklahoma and elsewhere.”
DAVID FALLIS • Washington Post The Oklahoma Daily, 1988 David Fallis is the deputy editor for The Washington Post’s Investigations Unit. In 2015, he helped lead and edit a Washington Post team of journalists that identified and analyzed nearly 1,000 fatal shootings by police nationwide. For that yearlong work, The Post was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, the Polk Award for National Rep or ting and a Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service. In his 17 years at The Post, Fallis has worked
on a wide range of investigations, both as a reporter, and for the past two years, as an editor. In 2012, he was part of a reporting team that investigated how the personal finances of federal lawmakers overlap or intersect with their legislative activities. The coverage won a Sigma Delta Chi Award from SPJ and a Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting. In 2010, his work investigating the sources of crime guns was awarded an Investigative Reporters
and Editors Freedom of Information medal and an Emmy. His stories about the deplorable conditions in Virginia’s assisted-living facilities won the Heywood Broun Award in 2004. And in 2002, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the Goldsmith Award for an investigation of questionable shootings and in-custody deaths involving Prince George’s County police. He g re w u p i n Tu l s a, Oklahoma, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in
Journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma, where he wrote for The Oklahoma Daily. He worked as a police reporter at the Tulsa Tribune until the paper folded in 1992 and then wrote and edited for the Tulsa World. He has taught journalism courses at the University of Tulsa and at George Washington University. He is an avid cyclist and loves hiking with his wife Debbie, and their tw o children, Ale c and Genevieve.
ELLEN KNICKMEYER • Associated Press The Oklahoma Daily, 1985 International journalist Ellen Knickmeyer ran into Baghdad during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq alongside the first Marine platoon to reach the Iraqi capital. She covered the final weeks of Saddam Hussein’s government and Saddam’s later trial. From bases in Italy, West Africa and the Middle East, she also spent nights stargazing with nomads on the Sahara’s edge, slogging through mud in the Congo and getting expelled from Yemen for her reporting. After her first post abroad
in Rome, Ellen was placed in charge of a 23-country bureau for The Associated Press in West Africa. Later, she served as Washington Post bureau chief in Baghdad and Cairo, and chief Gulf correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. Ellen obtained a master’s degree from the John F. K e n n e d y S c h o o l o f Government at Harvard University in 2010, then returned to the Middle East with a grant from the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting to tell the story of
the frustrated young generation at the heart of the Arab world’s unrest. Her Arab Spring datelines included Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. Ellen began work as a journalist at 19 as a copy clerk for the Tulsa World but really fell in love with the craft of reporting while working at The Oklahoma Daily from 1983 to 1985 during the time of editorial adviser Chuck House. House often cited the adage of journalists should a f f l i c t t h e c o m f o r t ab l e and comfort the afflicted,
and Knickmeyer found it a sound guiding principle for coverage around the world. She was The Daily’s editor-in-chief in fall 1985. Knickmeyer spent her first years in Ada, where her late mother and father, Naomi Knickmeyer and W.L. Knickmeyer, worked as reporters and editors for the Ada Evening News and helped run a local book-review page. She currently works for the AP in San Francisco, covering environmental issues.
Each of our Hall of Fame inductees has one thing in common: They started here. Want to get involved with Student Media? Get started at studentmedia.ou.edu.
CENTENNIAL EDITION
October 13-16, 2016 •
3
The Daily welcomes its inaugural Hall of Fame class LAURIE ASSÉO • Bloomberg News The Oklahoma Daily, 1977 Laurie Asséo’s work on The Oklahoma Daily from 1974 to 1977 provided preparation for a career in news reporting and editing that has covered 39 years and taken her to New York, Arizona and Washington D.C. Laurie was born in Oklahoma City and graduated from OKC’s Southeast High School in 1973. She started working at the The Oklahoma Daily as a copy editor and general-assignment reporter, moving up to other positions, including minority affairs editor,
managing editor and editor for the spring 1977 semester. She was a proud member of the Outlaw Journalists’ Caucus and worked summers at the Capitol Hill Beacon and the Oklahoma City Times. After graduation in 1977, United Press International t o o k L au r i e t o A l b a n y , N.Y., and within a year she was assigned to the state capitol. She became capitol bureau chief in 1984 during Gov. Mario Cuomo’s administration. Laurie joined The
Associated Press in Arizona in late 1984 and covered the state capitol, including the election, impeachment removal, and criminal trial of Gov. Evan Mecham. She transferred with AP to Washington in 1988 and began nine years of U.S. Supreme Court coverage in 1992, reporting on major cases including Clinton v. Jones, Paula Jones’ sexual harassment suit against President Bill Clinton, and Bush v. Gore, which decided the 2000 presidential election in favor of George W.
Bush. She moved to Bloomberg News in 2001 to cover the Su p re m e C ou r t f o r a n other year, then served as a legal editor. Laurie became U.S. Congress editor for Bloomberg in 2008. She now edits reporters covering Congress and the Supreme Court, where Bloomberg has devel- oped a reputation for “being first with word” on the court’s most important rulings amid the news business’ ever-increasing need for speed.
former colleagues at Ted Turner’s fledgling Cable News Network, in Atlanta, Georgia. There, he served as executive vice president for most of his career. Despite overwhelming industry predictions of failure, the two Turners made CNN an overwhelming success, garnering Peabodys and Emmys, as well as the Alfred I. DuPont Award. CNN’s reorganization in 1997 sent him back to Washington. He left CNN a year later to become a fellow
at the Freedom Forum, a media-oriented foundation. He died of cancer in 2002. Ed never forgot OU or Oklahoma. His hires at CNN were replete with OU journalism graduates and other news broadcasters with Oklahoma ties — Mike Boettcher, ’78; Pam Olson, ’72; Bella Shaw, ’76; Charles Hoff, ’67; Tony Clark, ’71; Neal Jones, ’62; and many others.
four years before leaving to manage the family furniture store. His political career began in 1938 with his election to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served six terms. In 1950, he won a seat in the U.S. Senate, where remained until he lost a re-election bid in 1968. Monroney had one of the longest and most accomplished careers of any Oklahoma statesman, and today he is probably best remembered as having introduced the bill that
created the Federal Aviation Administration in 1958. Another bill passed that year resulted in the informational stickers that are now required in the windows of cars for sale, which are to this day called “Monroney stickers.” Monroney died in 1980, age 77. Some of his ashes are interred at the FAA training center in Oklahoma City that bears his name.
WILLIAM WHITWORTH • Atlantic Monthly The Oklahoma Daily, 1960 When Bill Whitworth sat down at his desk for the first time at The New York Herald Tribune in 1963, he had no idea that that by the end of the day he’d be “working the phones” on one of the biggest news stories in American History — the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It would turn out to be just another day in an illustrious career that had its start in newsrooms in Arkansas and at The Oklahoma Daily. Over the last 50 years,
William Whitworth’s talent as a writer and editor has graced the pages of The Arkansas Democrat, The Arkansas Gazette, The New York Herald Tribune, The New Yorker and The Atlantic. He has edited dozens of books and even been talked about on Bravo TV’s “The Real Housewives Of New York City” reality television series. Not bad for a boy from Little Rock, Arkansas. At The Daily, he covered President Harry Truman’s visit to OU.
After graduation, he wrote about the aftermath of the desegregation of schools for his hometown paper — the place where the desegregation battle first erupted. His words informed citizens about the devastating Harlem riots in the mid-’60s, and revealed the Students for a Democratic Society and the anti-war movement. He spent time in Berkeley, California, covering the Free Speech Movement of that same era. Mr. Whitworth’s stories on the Beatles’ first
two trips to the U.S., including their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” marked his journey writing about another love of his life — music. The man frequently told readers about other musical icons such as Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Today, Bill is a sought-after editor, cleaning and sprucing up the copy of a number of authors from his office in his Arkansas home.
ED TURNER • CNN
The Oklahoma Daily, 1957 Eddie Sims Turner, better known as Ed Turner, was a Bartlesville native who came to OU in 1953 as a drama major, then a broadcast/ speech major, and finally, at the urging of his fraternity brother and best friend, John Campbell, a journalism/ broadcast major. Too late to climb the editorial ladder at The Daily, he nonetheless joined the staff as a junior and when Campbell became editor their senior year, he persuaded his friend to give him his own column. His
unparalleled wit and “wisdom” quickly made him a campus celebrity. Graduating in 1957, he j o i n e d KW T V, Cha n n e l 9, in Oklahoma City as a news reporter, then went to the Metromedia station in Washington, D.C., where he developed ground-breaking newscasts. A succession of jobs, including as producer of the “CBS Morning News,” led him back to Channel 9 as news director. Then, in 1979, came the call from a couple of
RALPH SEWELL • Oklahoma Press Association The Oklahoma Daily, 1933 Ralph Sewell was the first Oklahoman to serve as national president of Sigma Delta Chi, now known as the Society of Professsional Journalists. He covered Oklahoma politics well into his 90s for the Oklahoma Press Association’s Capitol News Bureau, which he co-founded. Sewell was born in Cardiff, Wales, and emigrated to the United States at the age of 13, his family settling in Oklahoma. As an OU student, he started out planning
to earn a degree in engineering. But when he was asked to manage The Oklahoma Daily’s annual engineering edition, the journalism bug bit him. “I got the smell of printer’s ink and forgot about engineering,” Sewell once said. He would eventually serve as co-editor of The Daily in the summer of 1933. After graduating, Sewell w e n t t o w o r k c ov e r i n g the oil industr y for The Oklahoman. He eventually would become city editor, then city editor for the
Oklahoma City Times, then assistant managing editor of both newspapers. In 1965, he became president of Sigma Delta Chi. In 1973, with four decades of experience under his belt, Sewell joined the faculty of the OU School of Journalism as a visting professor. Sewell created the Legislative Reporting class, in which OU students cover the Oklahoma Legislature for newspapers across the state. He taught it for 11 years. He also launched a tradition that continues to
this day of taking OU journalism students to cover the national presidential nominating conventions. Upon his retirement from journalism in 2002, the Oklahoma House of Representatives honored Sewell with a resolution making note of “the accuracy, fairness, and appreciation for detail Ralph Sewell has brought to the journalism profession.” Sewell died in 2005, age 96.
SEN. MIKE MONRONEY The Oklahoma Daily, 1922 The first big campaign run by Almer Stillwell “Mike” Monroney? His historic bid in 1922 to be editor of The Oklahoma Daily. In those days, the student body elected the Daily editor. And never had the students elected a sophomore to the post. That didn’t stop Monroney. In his platform he pledged “a lively newspaper, with no favoritism or propaganda for personal reasons.” Monroney won the race, by what The Daily reported to be a “comfortable
majority.” It was just the first of many election victories. Mike Monroney had journalism experience before he even graduated high school, having worked as reporter for the Oklahoma City High School newspaper and parttime at the Oklahoma News and The Daily Oklahoman b e f o re h e a d i n g t o O U, where he earned a degree in economics with a minor in journalism. Monroney went back to work for the News after graduation, covering crime and politics for
CENTENNIAL EDITION
October 13-16, 2016 • 4
OUR TIMELINE
A WALK THROUGH OU HISTORY SINCE THE DAILY BEGAN
1916
The Oklahoma Daily was established on Sept. 18, 1916, as OU’s third newspaper. The first was the University Umpire, which lasted 16 years. The University Umpire was replaced with The University Oklahoman. Three years later The Oklahoma Daily, OU’s independent student newspaper was born.
1923
Chemistry professor Edwin DeBarr was forced to leave OU for his KKK ties
1925
New president William Bennett Bizzell is inaugurated as the sixth president of OU OU football kicks off in first version of stadium
1926
Bennie Owen retires from position as head football coach
1929
Oklahoma Memorial Union opens
1936
OU Chant written
Bizzell Memorial Library opens
Wrestling is first national championship in any sport at OU
1947
Bud Wilkinson becomes head coach of OU football team
1948
McLaurin vs. Oklahoma State Board of Regents
1949
After a three-year struggle Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher is the first African-American undergraduate to be admitted to OU Law School. Along with her, six other African-American students were admitted in June 1949.
1950
OU football wins first national championship
1952
Billy Vessels wins Heisman Trophy
1956
Prentice Gautt is the first African-American football player at OU
1966
Head football coach Jim Mackenzie dies of a heart attack
CENTENNIAL EDITION
October 13-16, 2016 •
OUR TIMELINE
5
A WALK THROUGH OU HISTORY SINCE THE DAILY BEGAN
1967
OU’s residence halls are built
1971
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art opens
1973
Lloyd Noble Center is completed — men’s and women’s basketball compete there
1978
William S. Banowsky is OU’s 10th president
Reknowned professor George Henderson first comes to OU
Paul F. Sharp is ninth president of OU
Barry Switzer becomes head coach of OU football team
1980
The Sooner Schooner is named OU’s offical mascot
1989
Barry Switzer resigns as head coach after players are charged with drug, gun and sexual assault crimes
1994
OU President Richard Van Horn resigns after audits and investigations caused a scandal in 1993 Current OU president David Boren begins his term. On July 19, 1994, OU Board of Regents allow him to bring his key staff members, making an exception to the university’s affirmative action hiring policy.
1995
The Alfred Murrah Federal Building in OKC is bombed on April 19, 1995. Later known as an act of domestic terrorism, the bombing killed more than 150 people and injured hundreds more.
1996
OU’s orientation camp, Camp Crimson, has its first sessions
2000
Bob Stoops becomes head coach of OU’s football team
2004
Gaylord Hall becomes home to Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication
2008 2014 2015
Blake Griffin named Player of the Year
The Daily announces it will join a lawsuit against the university to sue for parking ticket records
OU campus gets national spotlight after Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity members are filmed singing a racist chant on a bus
6
CENTENNIAL EDITION
• October 13-16, 2016
From the editor: Thank you for paving the way
Dana Branham editor-in-chief I’m writing this from the fourth floor of the library — it’s past midnight, and for hours I’ve been scrolling through rolls and rolls of microfilm, little spools holding hundreds of pages of newsprint negatives. When I walked through the doors of The Oklahoma Daily newsroom freshman year (a little too eager to be a real reporter), I knew I was about to be part of something special. Now, it’s my third year at The Daily — and maybe it’s because I’ve been looking at newspaper negatives for too long — but what we do feels so much bigger to me than it did when I first joined staff. I’m so grateful and humbled to be The Daily’s editor this year, in our hundredth year of recording the first draft of OU’s history. Looking back on where we’ve been, I notice type changes, longer print editions, funny ads and stories that just wouldn’t quite work in the age of social media (like “Girl trapped in building overnight”). It’s easy to see how much The Daily changes each year. But there are common themes — lots of regents meetings and SGA meetings covered, and we’ve always written a lot about football. But one thing I saw stuck out to me: in a paper from the 1920s, The Daily conducted a survey of its readers, asking if they were writing stories that their readers found essential. Fifty-two students returned the surveys — one reader commented that they
“didn’t like the look of the editor,” which couldn’t be remedied — and almost all said that the news they found in The Daily was what they wanted. Even though we’ve only had an engagement desk at The Daily for a little ore than a year, a staff almost a hundred years ago was doing just what we do — they weren’t tweeting polls or soliciting columns on social media, but they were making sure they told stories the OU community wanted and needed. The OU community is at the heart of what we do. We’re here to serve the community with information and inspiration, and we always have been, I’ve learned. So thank you to all the reporters, photojournalists, designers and editors who’ve come before me. Thank you for paving the way for us to improve year after year, day after day. I am so lucky and so grateful to be part of a news organization with such a rich history of thoughtful, impactful journalism. I haven’t met so many of the Daily alumni who have created these paths for my staff and me, but I’ve learned from them — I’ve learned from the culture of this newsroom that’s existed long before I was alive, much less at OU. I hear stories of how staffs before this one have covered pivotal moments in OU history, and I’ve learn from those too. To everyone who’s worked at The Daily or even just read one of our thousands of stories over the last 100 years: thank you. This place is my home at OU, and I couldn’t be more thankful to be a part of this place. Thank
CELEBRATE WITH US 10 a.m. Thursday Join us on the South Oval for birthday cake. The first 500 students who show up will receive a free slice. 6 p.m. Friday Alumni are invited to attend our centennial banquet at the Sam Noble Museum. The inaugural nine Hall of Fame members will be honored during the ceremony. 11 a.m. Saturday Watch the OU-Kansas State football game with students, alumni, friends and family.
KEN WOOTEN/THE DAILY
(From left) Steve Walden, Marilyn Duck, Michael Carrier, Denise Gamino and Jack Rix gather in front of a burning building on OU’s North Base after a Daily party in October 1976.
100 YEARS
OF MEMORIES JACK WILLIS
Former adviser to The Oklahoma Daily
T
he sun shone brightly that spring morning, a roll-the-car-windows-down, turn-up-theradio, school’s-almost-out kind of morning. I pulled up at Copeland, grabbed a newspaper on the way inside and unlocked the newsroom. I began my ritual of red-marking The Daily. I glanced at the calendar and reminded myself that I’d survived a second year as editorial adviser. It was April 19, 1995. Breaking news on T V jolted me out of my office. Joy Mathis, the M.E., was glued to the set, watching something about a gas explosion in Oklahoma City. As she and I watched, mesmerized, it soon became apparent this was no gas explosion. “What are you going to
do?” I asked, breaking the spell. “Oh!” she said. And she jumped to the task, calling in reporters, photographers and editors, and barking orders. Michelle Sutherlin, fresh out of the shower, was the first of 25 staffers sent to the Alfred P. Murrah building, or what was left of it. Their work that day far exceeded my expectations. With the paper finally put to bed, ever ybody celebrated a job well done. Tan Ly, a designer, sidled up to me: “Jack, is it OK that we cheered?” His empathy for those people killed and injured in the bombing and the fact that some of our reporters helped the Red Cross as they worked at journalism was as inspirational to me as anything I experienced in my 35-year
career. I have a thousand more memories of Daily staffers: —The time night editor Margot Habiby called me at home: “I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news: we got out on time (they’d had trouble meeting deadlines). The bad news: we’ve got a sniper outside.” —The time students formed “Team Jack,” supporting a breast cancer survivor at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life on campus. I had feared what they might think of me as I battled the disease and chemotherapy. They humbled me with their compassion. —T h e t i m e i n Ne w Orleans as they chanted “Pacemaker!” and ate Cajun cuisine. —The time editor-in-chief Amy McFall refused to meet
with President Boren as he requested. “I know what it’s about,” she said. “Our editorial.” “Don’t you think you should at least talk to him?” “No! He doesn’t control The Daily.” They finally met. The editorial never came up. —The Sunday afternoon editor-in-chief Nick Jungman didn’t show up for work. He phoned in about 4 p.m. Said he’d just started driving. He’d be back Monday. He was in Colorado Springs. — And on and on. To this day, I live vicariously all over again when I hear of former students reporting on the Panama Papers or the Mideast or editing a Pulitzer winner or just doing what journalists do. I’m so proud of them.
ANDY RIEGER
Former editor and adviser, The Oklahoma Daily
M
y first venture into The Oklahoma Daily newsroom was probably as a pimp l e - f a c e d , l o n g - ha i re d sophomore in the summer of 1976. My assignment was covering student government and the goings-on inside Ellison Hall. My anxiety was soon overcome when I witnessed a senior, a returning war veteran, let an OU administrator know that he couldn’t control what was in the newspaper any more than Nixon could control The Washington Post and that if he didn’t leave the newsroom he would be physically ejected. Granted, we were all still basking in Watergate’s afterglow. The atmosphere was defiant. Journalism was again an honorable major. We lived and breathed The Daily and looked forward to every issue and adviser Chuck House’s daily public critique. Later, as Chuck’s successor, I tried to follow his lead and give the students as much support as they wanted but back off and let them publish the newspaper. Like the newspaper business itself, every day teaching and advising in Copeland Hall was different. One day, we sent tall, lanky reporter
FILE
Daily staffers gather in the old Copeland Hall newsroom in 1976, flanked by editorial adviser Chuck House (far right with cigarette). House came to OU in 1973 and served as adviser until 1988.
Omer Gillham to an OU Board of Regents steak-dinner meeting. I told him it would be unethical for him to eat with the board and he should just observe and take notes. They continually offered him a plate and he grew hungrier as each course was served. Finally, he could take no more. The president’s office called the next day to complain that Omer had disrupted the meeting by ordering a pizza that was delivered. “Ding, dong,” went the president’s home door bell. “Did someone order a pizza?” In the summer of 1988, Ralph Sewell and I took Daily staff members to
the national political conventions as credentialed correspondents for state daily newspapers. Half of the students went to the Democrat’s big party in Atlanta and the other half went to New Orleans for the Republican convention. One of our Student Media Hall of Fame honorees, Dave Fallis, was among the Atlanta group. To save a night’s lodging, we always checked out of our hotel on the last day, filed our stories, and headed home in the OU van assigned to us. About 4 a.m. we stopped at the Shoney’s in Tupelo, Mississippi, birthplace of Elvis Presley. The students
were running on coffee-fueled adrenaline. No one had slept and the food and additional coffee lifted their filters. As expected the Shoney’s had every kind of Elvis poster, doll, trinket, hat or clothing item ever made and our waitress was trying to make a sale. “No thanks,” Fallis told her. “But can you tell us where we can go to get some really tacky Elvis stuff. Your stuff is just too good.” We laughed all the way to Arkansas.