W E E K E N D E D I T I O N | O C T O B E R 18 - 2 1, 2 0 18 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M
OU DAILY
School of Visual Arts Professor Emeritus Victor Youritzin in front of Copeland Hall. Youritzin is in his 46th year at the University of Oklahoma.
PETER REILLY/THE DAILY
THE ART OF TEACHING Retired art history professor continues to share his passion with OU students after 46 years HALEY HARVEY • @HALEYHARVEY_
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nstead of standing at the front of the room, he sits among students. In front of him is a paper cup of water, cough drops strewn about and a bulky, oldschool projector filled with individual film slots of the paintings he discusses. He doesn’t bother with the modern overhead projector or a PowerPoint presentation. Victor Youritzin’s passion for art, which at the University of Oklahoma has spanned for 46 years, is clear during his lectures in the Thurman J. White Forum Building. During a class where he spoke about American paintings of the 19th century, he went through the images and paid attention to the details in every painting, frequently using words such as “marvelous,” “dazzling” and “magnificent” as he pointed his green laser at different areas of the works. He spoke quickly and precisely, noting the shapes, shadows and lighting, overflowing with insight as if it were a secret he just couldn’t keep. “He gave us more information than we could ever absorb in the hour of class time,” said Gloria Groom, a former student of Youritzin’s. “He would speak about the paintings with such love and understanding of the techniques of the time, how and why they were done. He is just a born teacher.” ••• Throughout his life, Youritzin has carried an admiration for art — from his childhood, to his time as a student and eventually to the classrooms at OU, where he has been teaching since 1972. After officially retiring in 2016, he continues to teach part-time on campus and spread his love of art to anyone willing to listen. Groom, a Tulsa native, went on to the Art Institute of Chicago, where she is the chair of the European Painting and Sculpture department. She said it was Youritzin’s class on paintings of the 19th century that inspired her career. Donna Merkt, another former student, is the curator of education and marketing at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She said Youritzin had a genius way of
helping students see what made art important and relevant. “The experience of examining art with Victor has continued with me always. I find myself asking, ‘What would happen to this artwork if this brushstroke were missing?’” Merkt said, noting one of her old professor’s often-used lines. “He made art very accessible, explaining how the artist’s choices contributed to the viewer’s experience.” Youritzin’s lifelong passion for teaching traces not to a gallery, but back to when he coached his younger brother in football at a park near their home in New York. “I love coaching,” he said. “Any time I see somebody playing some sport, whatever it was, I’d go and try to help them out. I just love trying to help people do better with whatever they’re doing.” ••• Growing up in the artistic Greenwich Village during the 1940s, Youritzin was surrounded by creative influence. His family possessed various talents in the realm of fine arts. Youritzin’s father was a gifted photographer and worked as an aeronautical engineer, and his mother was a pianist, writer and talented ballerina. At 12 years old, she danced at Radio City Music Hall and toured with Michel Fokine, a famous Russian dancer and choreographer. “I wanted to show you this,” You r i t z i n s a i d , r u m mag i ng through his brown leather bag, revealing an orange envelope. He pulled out a printed copy of the program from Fokine’s 1928 performance in Cleveland, Ohio. He pointed to the top, which read “Le Reve De La Marquise: Michel Fokine, Vera Fokine, Tania Koshkina.” Koshkina would later become Youritzin’s mother. Despite Youritzin’s artistic neighborhood and family, he didn’t always know he wanted to pursue art. An extremely bright student, Youritzin attended Trinity School, a top college preparatory school on the Upper West Side of New York City, where he graduated as valedictorian. He spent his years as an undergraduate studying architecture
at Williams College, which produced highly trained students in the arts and museum field. He refers to the “Williams Art Mafia,” a term used to describe a group of well-trained alumni who run many of the top modern art museums and galleries in America, to exemplify the skilled individuals who were products of the institution. He went on to Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture; however, he said he didn’t like the Ivy League school at the time. “It was a very great school, but the critics would disagree with each other all the time,” Youritzin said. He said he began to consider transitioning his studies away from architecture and toward the arts, having always had an affinity for identifying quality artistic skill. Youritzin traces his criticism of art back to his childhood when he, his mother and younger brother stayed up late at night, listening to music with the help of his mother’s infallible musical taste. They would analyze it thoroughly, asking, “Is this the right pianist touch? Is this the right phrasing? Tempo?” “I was always interested in quality,” Youritzin said. “Music, choreography, all of the arts — what constitutes the best? I think all the principles of art and what constitutes good art are the same, whether literature, music or whatever it is.” ••• To those who don’t share the same interest in the world of fine arts, it may seem as if artistic studies have lost their luster amid the growth of the digital world. With many students studying medicine, law and business, the empirical studies of art seem lost in the world of more practical majors. Art history may be seen to some as just that — history. Youritzin possesses an appreciation of art and has the desire to bring awareness to it. Appreciative of its influence, he decided to dedicate his life to sharing that with his students. During his time at Columbia, Youritzin received an invitation from a friend to attend a lecture
by a famous German art historian who introduced him to the New York University Institute of Fine Arts. It was there, in a mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City, that he decided to leave his architecture studies behind for good and study art history. “I thought, ‘This is very nice. I think I’ll transfer here and get out of Columbia,’” Youritzin said with a chuckle, having been accustomed to walking home from his classes in a more dangerous part of the city. He said he spoke with the dean of admissions and, given his academic record at Williams and Columbia, was accepted on the spot. The thought of teaching didn’t occur to him, however, until he went to a party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with some friends from NYU, where he learned of an open position at Vanderbilt University. A New York native, he was hesitant about moving out of the Northeast, having never been south of Staten Island. He jokingly refers to the “View of the World from 9th Avenue” map, featured on the cover of the New Yorker in 1967, as a visual representation of his reservations. It illustrates the rest of the United States as far, barren and irrelevant in comparison to the Empire State. Youritzin doubted not only the new location, but also his own ability. He recalls having nightmares the whole summer before. “I thought, ‘Can I do it? Am I going to be up for the job?’ The minute I walked into class to my desk I felt totally comfortable, and I knew right there. Teaching is my life,” Youritzin said. “And I never looked back.” ••• After spending a year at Vanderbilt from 1968 to 1969, Youritzin taught at Tulane, where he met his first wife, Glenda Green. The couple moved to Oklahoma to be closer to family, and Youritzin came to Norman as an assistant professor at OU in 1972 and stayed ever since. Ten years after his divorce from Green, Youritzin married Cynthia Kerfoot, to whom he was married for a year and a half. They
divorced but remain a couple — they have been companions for 33 years and have no children. Youritzin has received many awards and recognitions throughout his career. In 1997, he was a recipient of OU’s highest teaching honor, the David Ross Boyd Professorship, as well as the 200102 Most Inspiring Faculty Award from OU’s scholar-athletes. “He knows so much about art and art history. He’s highly educated and has been an international expert for the better part of three decades,” said Chris Elliott, director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at OU, who works in the Forum building where Youritzin currently teaches. The institute is dedicated to providing lifelong learning and personal growth to adults over 50. “He does such a good job of explaining what you’re looking at and why it’s important. How to actually look at a painting, even down to the minute points of how your brain – how your eyes actually scan a painting. Nobody else can do it like him,” Elliott said. Teaching may be his job, but he learns from others, as well. When some football players were struggling in his class, he recalls inviting them to his home to help and giving them an exam, which they passed. The roles then reversed, and he asked them for their help with a certain request. “‘Well, now I’ve taught you something, maybe you can teach me something,’” Youritzin said. “I can kick a 35-yard drop kick field goal, but I never learned how to kick a spiral because I was a running back, not a kicker. They were so happy to teach me how to kick a spiral. It was a big deal for them.” Youritzin said he feels privileged to have taught numerous art courses at the university and to have helped contribute to the success of his students through art appreciation. “There’s an art to teaching,” Youritzin said. “It’s an art form. A way of sharing good things with other people.” When asked where his favorite place on campus is, his answer was simple. “Wherever students are.” Haley Harvey
haley.d.harvey-1@ou.edu
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• October 18-21, 2018
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
Siandhara Bonnet, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/life&arts • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
Local haunt brings fear, laughs
Norman attraction features variety of spooky delights DEVIN HIETT @Devinhiett
There are good screams, and there are bad screams. A seasoned haunted house worker can usually differentiate between the two — or at least that’s what one of the workers of Newcastle Nightmare said. Jarrod Mizell has spent the last seven haunt seasons working at Newcastle Nightmare, a spooky attraction west of Norman that features a haunted trail and graveyard, zombie hunt and dark maze. When the actors at Newcastle Nightmare hear what sounds like an especially fearful scream, they stop scaring the guests and enter into what they call a “comedy round.” “You can request a comedy round, and then everybody will just be silly,” said Whitney Willis, who plays Jack the Pumpkin King at Newcastle Nightmare. “Instead of jumping out and scaring, we’ll just be out in the open and interact with the guests.” Sometimes these comedy rounds don’t go quite as planned, Mizell said. Mizell plays a large snake who pops out from behind a fence in the haunted trail. When he hears children on the trail who sound too scared, Mizell will announce his presence to them and show them that the arm-length rubber snake puppet he wears is
totally harmless. “I think it dispels that it was anything that could ever harm them because it’s just a rubber floppy thing, but some children don’t even want to see it,” Mizell said. “I’ve accidentally showed my arm (with the snake), and they just freak out because they were not ready for anything like it.” Mizell’s character, like many others at Newcastle Nightmare, is inspired by a common phobia. In addition to snakes, the park also employs clowns, giant spiders and a masked chainsaw killer to play on people’s greatest fears. The owner of Newcastle Nightmare, Daniel Schuldt, stumbled upon the snake puppet Mizell now wears at a horror convention. To make the snake more realistic and frightening, Schuldt had the puppet customized to look like a type of viper native to Oklahoma. Schuldt has loved Halloween and all things scary for as long as he can remember. He and his father Terry, who used to run a paintball center in Norman, toyed with the idea of opening a haunted attraction for years. In 2011, the pair finally brought their dream to life after attending an educational convention on haunting. Participants at the convention learn skills vital to running a successful haunted attraction such as actor training, making and building scenes, painting, audio and lighting techniques. The Schuldt duo is constantly tr ying to update their attraction by creating
innovative elements that will set them apart from a typical haunted house, Schuldt said. Each year, they add another hand-painted, custom headstone to the park’s graveyard that boasts more than 200 headstones. Schuldt and his father have designed, built and painted each headstone themselves. Terr y Schuldt ’s background in the paintball industry helped inspire one of Newcastle Nightmare’s most unique attractions — the zombie hunt. During the hunt, guests are brought aboard a trailer and equipped with paintball guns used to shoot “zombies” and various structures lurking in the woods. Creating scar y scenes and characters is one of the few items workers have total control over, Schuldt said. Many aspects of running and working a haunted attraction are unpredictable, especially if they are outdoors like Newcastle Nightmare. One night of rainy Oklahoma weather can shut the park down for an entire weekend. Luckily, the weather sometimes works in the actors’ favor, Willis said. In her three seasons working at Newcastle Nightmare, Willis’ all-time favorite moment was made possible thanks to a lucky strike of lightning. On one particularly eerie night, Willis recalls bold strikes of lightning overhead that created a spooky ambiance throughout the park. Her character, Jack the Pumpkin King, was hidden inside a pumpkin patch
VIA NEWCASTLENIGHTMARE.NET
The haunted graveyard at Newcastle Nightmare. The Halloween attraction is open every Friday and Saturday night during the month of October from 7:30 p.m. to midnight.
filled with creepy, glowing pumpkins. When guests walked by the patch, Willis jumped out to scare them. On this frightful night, she scared them much more than usual. As Willis jump e d out from her pumpkin patch to scare the group, a menacing crack of lightning lit up the sky and a thunderous roar erupted all at once. “I don’t know what they were more scared of — the lightning, how loud it was or the fact that I jumped out at them, but the timing was just so perfect. It was my favorite scare ever,” Willis said. Finding innovative methods to scare and surprise guests is the most gratifying element of working in the scare industry, Mizell said. When he first began work at Newcastle Nightmare, Mizell played the infamous chainsaw massacre murderer. If a group didn’t seem quite scared enough, Mizell
would work up a witty banter with them as they traveled along the haunted trail. Mizell would sometimes mock the group’s screams or tease them until guests became so deterred thinking about how to respond that they forgot all about the next actor lurking in the shadows. Mizell became known by many guests as “mystery voice.” Sometimes when Mizell really wants to mess with people, he will interact with them for the first half of the trail and then turn completely silent. “They’ll say, ‘Hey, is the mystery voice still there?’ And I’ll say something either slightly insulting or slightly scary back at them, and that is my absolute No. 1 favorite thing to do,” Mizell said. In the future, Schuldt and his team hope to expand Newcastle Nightmare by offering new attractions that are available during various times of the year. Eventually,
Schuldt hopes to leave his job at a law firm and turn Newcastle Nightmare into his full-time gig. He hopes to open an addition to the haunted trail so guests have options on which trail they want to embark on and create more large buildings that will enable both indoor and outdoor attractions. More information about Newcastle Nightmare is available on its website. Tickets for the haunted trail and graveyard are $10, tickets for the zombie hunt are $20 and combination tickets for both attractions are $25. Newcastle Nightmare is open every Friday and Saturday night during the month of October from 7:30 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are available online or at the ticket booth. It is located at 900 N. Portland Ave. in Newcastle. Devin Hiett
hiettdevin@gmail.com
Thrifting offers budget-friendly gift options Find one-of-a-kind presents at local consignment shops DEVIN HIETT @Devinhiett
As the holiday season draws near, it can be difficult to find the perfect present for friends and family when shopping on a college student’s budget. Shuffling through the sale racks of major retail stores only to settle on a scarf or candle feels tiresome and impersonal. To step up the gift-giving game this year and find one-of-a-kind gifts, thrift stores are the way to go. Here are three of the best thrift stores in the Norman area to check out this holiday season: DONATE A MIRACLE THRIFT STORE & BOUTIQUE Topping the list for the best thrift store in the Norman area is Donate a Miracle Thrift Store & Boutique. Located
on the corner of Alameda and Porter, Donate a Miracle is only eight minutes from campus and offers the most unique thrifting experience in Norman. The two-story thrift store offers a wide selection of furniture, clothes, books, movies, kitchenware and more. Store owner Lyz Farrar describes Donate a Miracle as “a thrift store, but more set up like a boutique.” • All students and faculty can show their university ID for 10 percent off the entire purchase. • The store has two “25 cent rooms” where everything is only 25 cents. • All clothes sell for the set price of $2, except for formal wear and jeans, which are all $4. • All paperback books, DVDs and records are 25 cents, and all hardback books are $1. • The store is large enough that each room is devoted to one category, such as the children’s room, making it less stressful to find items in a timely manner.
Donate a Miracle Thrift featured tag color of the day Store & Boutique is locat- is always 50 percent off. ed at 315 Alameda St. It is • The store has separate secopen from noon to 7 p.m. on tions for vintage clothing Monday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and newer name brand Tuesday through Saturday clothes, so it’s easy to find a desired style. and is closed Sunday. Outreach Thrift Store is located at 621 12th Ave. NE, OUTREACH THRIFT Suite 130 in the strip center STORE Outreach, a locally owned in front of Walmart. It is open and operated thrift store, part- from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday ners with roughly 20 agen- through Saturday and noon to cies and churches around 6 p.m. on Sunday. Norman to provide clothing THRIFT NATION for those in need. The clients Three years ago, Lynda and from these partnerships “get to come in and shop com- Dallas Spann founded Thrift pletely for free,” said Jessica Nation, a local thrift store that Dupler, an employee at mostly sells furniture and anOutreach. “They don’t have to tiques. The couple are estate pay for any goods — that way, liquidators who donate weekthey can have their needs ly to local Christian congregations so they “know where the met.” • Outreach recycles all of the money goes and can keep it in items donated to them that the local community,” Dallas are not sellable rather than Spann said. “(Local churchsimply throwing them away. es) do good work, and we re• On Thursdays, customers ally concentrate on smaller can fill an entire shopping churches because they need more help.” bag for $1. • Clothing is tagged with • The couple’s niche is finding different colors, and the and selling one-of-a-kind
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Clothing racks at Donate a Miracle Thrift Store and Boutique.
antiques, collectables, keepsakes and vintage furniture. • Thrift Nation offers 50 percent off clothing purchases every Wednesday. • Thrift Nation has special instore daily deals. • Thrift Nation has donated to more than 25 local churches and strives to help the Norman community. Thrift Nation is located at 516 W. Main St. It moved from its former Lindsey Street location at the end of September. Thrift Nation’s hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed on Sunday. Other great local thrift
stores worth checking out include: Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity ReStore, at 1100 W. Main St., Suite 100 Robinson’s Repurposed an Eclectic Market Place, at 325 E. Main St. The Salvation Army Family Store & Donation Center, at 1742 W. Lindsey St. Nu-N-Nuf, at 602 N. Findlay Ave. Goodwill Store and Attended Donation Center, at 151 SE 12th Ave. Devin Hiett
hiettdevin@gmail.com
OU Botany Club to host annual fall plant sale Students can get in touch with nature for cheap prices ABBEY CHILDRESS @abbey_childress
The OU Botany Club will have its annual fall plant sale to encourage students to get in touch with nature and explore different kinds of plant life Oct. 19. The OU Botany Club, or OU Botanical Society, is a student organization that unites plant lovers and plant biology majors. The club holds various events on campus to excite OU students about plant life. “The OU Botany Club is a great way to see the vibrant community of plant
biologists at OU, but we’re not just for botany majors. Even if you just have an eye for plant life, you can stop by,” said John Unterschuetz, OU Botany Club co-president and plant biology junior. Even novice plant owners can still take care of their new plant. “After people buy their plants, they can join our GroupMe, and we can answer any questions they have,” said Mary LaPorte, OU Botany Club co-president and plant biology senior. The fall plant sale will be the club’s first event of the semester, but the OU Botany Club’s plant sales have been ongoing, regular events. The spring sale was a long-running tradition, and due to high demand, the club
started doing a pumpkin sale in the fall of 2015. This sale will be their biggest to date, LaPorte said. Despite there being no pumpkins at the sale this year, there will be plenty of other plants for the fall season including: ghost plant succulents, kalanchoe, sensitive plant, citronella, arrowhead plants, spider plants, barrel cactus, golden pothos, coleus,tangerine gem marigolds and many more. The event will be affordable for students who are on a budget, LaPorte said. Each plant will cost anywhere ranging from $2 to $12. The average price of a plant will be $5 or less, she said. Price will depend on the size and rarity of the plant. The club will accept cash and
card as forms of payment, but will not take Venmo. The proceeds of the sale will go toward funding the greenhouse and increasing the university’s collection of plant life, plant biology junior Reid Selby said. The supplementary funds will allow the club to support club activities, as well as to collect more rare and exotic plants like Corpse Flowers, an exotic Indonesian Plant known for its strong aroma, Unterschuetz said. The plant sale will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 19 at the OU greenhouses across from the football stadium. Abbey Childress
abbeychildress@ou.edu
FIELD PARSONS/THE DAILY
The OU Botany Club sold plants, including Gerraniums, at its fall plant sale Oct. 20, 2017. The club will hold this year’s sale Friday, Oct. 19.
October 18-21, 2018 •
NEWS
Anna Bauman, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Friends give surprise gift Student receives new car thanks to nearly 100 people JERICKA HANDIE @JerickaHandie
An OU student was on the receiving end of an act of kindness when he was surprised with a new car on his birthday. A video posted on Facebook shows broadcast journalism junior, Cristian Medina, receiving the car in a parking lot next to the north side of campus. Medina said his mother, who is a single parent, has been dealing with health issues in the past year, which has been extremely difficult financially. “She has been unable to
work since the spring of 2017,” Medina said. “Being without employment and not being able to support me has added a lot of pressure to support myself throughout college.” Medina said conversations about how to improve his family’s situation have been a consistent topic. “This will take a lot of stress off of her and will be something to be really thankful for in terms of what we have been blessed with,” Medina said. A group of OU students were behind the surprise and worked together to fundraise for Medina’s new vehicle. The group raised more than $4,600 on a GoFundMe page — nearly 100 people donated, and the total included one donation of $500. Drew Hill, accounting and finance sophomore and
FRANCESCA MARINONI @FrancescaGMarin
An OU student received a scholarship to fund a study on improving the relationship between fungi and rice. Plant biology senior Daniel Hayden received the Udall Scholarship, a national scholarship awarded to 50 people across the U.S. It is awarded to students who are interested in the environment and natural resources, Native American health care and Native American tribal policy, Hayden said.
Hayden conducts his own research in the lab of Laura Bartley, an OU associate professor in the department of microbiology and plant biology. During the orientation for the scholarship recipients, Hayden met with the other award recipients. Also present were members of the Udall family, for whom the scholarship is named, including Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico. “They have been very influential in environmental policies and Native American policies,” Hayden said. “Getting to meet all these people, including (Udall), was an amazing experience and opportunity.” Hayden applied for the environmental aspect of the scholarship because the work
JORDAN MILLER @jordanrmillerr
The Undergraduate Student Congress passed a resolution addressing sexual harassment concerns at OU during its Tuesday meeting. The resolution outlines the current process of handling sexual harassment at the university and urges OU to improve the process. Representative Elaina Fees, author of the bill, said she hoped those who received the resolution would “take it seriously.” Fees said the main impetus for the resolution was
sexual harassment allegations against arts donor John Scamehorn and drama professor Tom Orr. “It’s a widespread enough problem that when I brought this to my committee, when I talk to my friends, when I talk to other people in congress about this, they were like, ‘Oh, I’ve experienced this,’ or ‘Oh, I know someone that did experience this,’” Fees said. “It was brought upon specifically by recent events, but ... sexual harassment, misconduct and discrimination have always been here, and they’re not going to go away unless we do something.” The resolution suggests a specific protocol for “thoroughly investigating allegations of sexual misconduct, discrimination or harassment by members of the
Search committee applications open Selected student will help group fill administrative role JORDAN MILLER @jordanrmillerr
The Student Government Association sent an application for the position of student representative on the search committee to find a permanent associate vice president of University Community in a mass email Oct. 16. The search committee will be composed of the student representative and representatives from every major body of the community, according to SGA President Yaseen Shurbaji. Applications for the position will close at noon Friday. Jabar Shumate, the former associate vice president for University Community, resigned in July amid controversy surrounding his personal
use of OU fleet vehicles. Since Aug. 15, Jane Irungu has served as the interim associate vice president for University Community. Shurbaji said he may select people to interview depending on time and will recommend two students to OU President James Gallogly for him to make the final selection for the committee. Shurbaji said he does not know what the process will look like once the representative is appointed to the committee, but that work will begin on the committee in “two or three weeks, tentatively.” Shurbaji also said the search committee will be “much quicker than search committees typically take.” Applications can be found on the OrgSync website. Jordan Miller
Jordan.R.Miller-1@ou.edu
Anna Bauman News Managing Editor Julia Weinhoffer Engagement Editor
Siandhara Bonnet A&E Editor Will Conover Enterprise Editor Caitlyn Epes Visual Editor VIA CRISTIAN MEDINA ON FACEBOOK
Broadcast journalism junior Cristian Medina (fifth from left) stands with his friends in front of the car they bought him. The group of friends raised more than $4,600 for the new vehicle.
Medina’s roommate, was among the group of students who helped plan the surprise. “I think it was a Norman and OU community thing,” Hill said of the doners. “It was a large group of diverse students supporting an OU student who had a need, and by all working together, we were able to accomplish something that not one person or even a group of 25 people
could have solved as college students.” Aviation sophomore Matt Gense said it was special to be a part of the surprise. “It seems big, but it is such a small thing giving back to him, (given) the sacrifices he makes for people and the way he loves people,” Gense said. “It was really special just showing him how much we care about him and his
he does is looking at beneficial fungi in the roots of rice, he said. “(Hayden) was working on localizing a particular cell wall sugar that changes in response to the development of a lateral root inside the main root of a rice plant,” said David Thomas, a third-year doctoral student. “He was using this technique called immunolocalization — that is the method of using antibodies to target a specific molecule. In this case, it’s the cell wall sugar.” Essentially, Hayden studies the interaction between plants and fungi. In particular, he is studying a beneficial interaction between cereal crops such as rice and a fungus called mycorrhizal fungus, Bartley said.
“This interaction is a symbiotic interaction where plants give carbon to the fungus and, in return, the fungus helps the plant get water and nutrients, in particular phosphate,” Bartley said. “Improving this interaction would be a way to improve agricultural sustainability by increasing water use efficiency and reducing use of fertilizers.” This research is also important because of how this could improve the use of biofuels, Thomas said. Thomas said a big focus of studying plants for biofuel use is trying to make plants that are more easily degraded and break apart to release the sugar from the cell wall, which can be synthesized into fuel. “What (Hayden) worked
university community with elevated or protected status,” which Fees said she believes does not exist in the Title IX or Institutional Equity offices. The resolution also recommends that OU “more fully enforce its existing policy to investigate and respond to employees and university officials who suppress or dismiss reports of sexual misconduct, discrimination and harassment.” For an example of administrators mishandling allegations, Fees pointed to Judith Pender, former interim director of the School of Drama, who sent an email that
accused The Daily of running a smear campaign for reporting allegations of sexual harassment against Orr. “Those actions contribute to a greater culture on campus that reinforces fear within survivors of these kind of situations to not come and speak up,” Fees said. Although a resolution does not mandate any changes, it does state the opinion of the student congress since it passed unanimously with consent. Copies of the resolution were sent to OU President James Gallogly and Title IX Coordinator Bobby Mason,
NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine will come to OU on Oct. 31 to discuss the future of space science and review an OU atmospheric research program. Bridenstine, who formerly served as a U.S. representative from Oklahoma’s 1st District, will speak at 10:30 a.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Meacham Auditorium for a public discussion titled, “The Future of NASA in Earth and Space Sciences.” The discussion will involve a Q&A session with the audience, said Berrien Moore, dean of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences. Moore also said he and OU President James Gallogly will host a luncheon for Bridenstine with guests including Provost Kyle Harper, Vice President for Research Randall Hewes, a senior vice president from Lockheed Martin Corp. and multiple
students. Bridenstine will also be involved in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for OU’s GeoCarb office. GeoCarb is an OU research team funded by NASA to create a satellite observatory for gathering data on greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Moore, the principal investigator on the GeoCarb team, said the program is part of the reason why Bridenstine is coming to OU. The GeoCarb observatory will be brought to space as a “hosted payload” on a private commercial satellite headed to orbit for other reasons. Moore said Bridenstine is looking to the GeoCarb team as an example of hosted payload missions. “I think that one of the reasons he’s coming out here is that we’re doing something that he saw as a possibility when he was a congressman,” Moore said. “I think actually he may have further insights and further connections in this telecom business to give us advice and to give us counsel. Because we’re pathfinding on (hosted payload missions), he’s on the path with us.” During his visit to OU, Bridenstine will view a lifesize replica of the instrument Moore and his team intend to
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on showed that there is this change in a structural cell wall,” Thomas said. “The part that he was working on helped support the story that the plant is degrading itself during this natural process, so it’s a case in which the plant is doing something that we want to be able to do at a larger scale.” According to Hayden, his research experience has taught him a lot outside of the classroom setting. “Doing stuff like research gives you a lot of responsibilities,” Hayden said. “These lessons that you don’t learn when you are in a classroom.” Francesca Marinoni
francescag.marinoni@ou.edu
among others in the university administration. Every college dean was also sent a copy of the legislation, according to the bill. “I hope (Gallogly) follows up on that promise to listen to us,” Fees said. “I hope that — just by sending it to all these people — that hopefully they’re not just going to put it in their recycle bin and move on. I hope this is taken seriously because it is a serious issue that is affecting so many students across campus.”
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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 dailyeditor@ou.edu. Our View is the voice of the Editorial Board, which consists of eight student editors. The board meets at 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday in Copeland Hall, Room 160. Board meetings are open to the public. Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are their own and not necessarily the views or opinions of The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board. To advertise in The Oklahoma Daily, contact the advertising manager 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 at 405325-2522.
Jordan Miller
Jordan.R.Miller-1@ou.edu
NASA speaker to visit OU Administrator to cut ribbon on OU research project
Emily McPherson Copy Manager
family.” Medina said the surprise will leave a lasting impact. “The timing of this deed really could not have come at a better time because this will have a huge impact on the rest of my college career as a low-income college student,” Medina said.
SGA talks sexual misconduct at OU Resolution advises improvement in handling of cases
Kayla Branch Editor in Chief
George Stoia Sports Editor
Student wins research scholarship Senior will study fungi, rice with funds for project
3
send up to space to conduct the GeoCarb mission. Moore said Gallogly’s appointment as president has been helpful in his team’s efforts because of Gallogly’s connections to the private sector and his focus on research work. “That’s one thing the president has encouraged is that kind of industrial partnership and research and graduate education,” Moore said. “So this fits that bill, as it’s a significant research grant: $170.8 million.” Moore said though Bridenstine, who was nominated for his position by President Donald Trump, is the first NASA administrator to be selected with a political background, he admires the direction he has taken the administration. “He’s a very knowledgeable person, and he has extremely good technical staff,” Moore said. “I think he’s done a marvelous job, I’ll be very frank, and I’m very excited to have him here.” Those intending to attend Bridenstine’s discussion must RSVP online before the event. Nick Hazelrigg
nickhazelrigg@ou.edu
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VOL.103, NO. 59
© 2018 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢
4
NEWS
• October 18-21, 2018
OU awards water activism prize Ethiopian winner dedicated to water, waste management FRANCESCA MARINONI @FrancescaGMarin
A water activist from Ethiopia has been awarded the 2019 International Wa t e r P r i z e f ro m O U ’s WaTER, or Water Technologies for Emerging Regions, Center. Martha Gebeyehu, coordinator for Ethiopia’s Water E xper tise and Training Center, received this year’s prize because of her commitment to training people to manage their own water and sanitation, according to a news release. The prize is given to someone who has made significant water and sanitation improvements to help people in developing countries, said David Sabatini, director of the WaTER Center. “(Gebeyehu) has been very active in doing so in Ethiopia, which is a country (that) has dire need for safe drinking water and sanitation,� Sabatini said. “She has worked together
w ith p e ople to provide water and sanitation to communities and villages, and she has done this in a very effective way of leveraging the collective action of people to make a bigger impact.� According to the release, Gebeyehu became the first water quality analyst for the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church Development Commission, implementing safe testing practices and procedures. She developed a laborator y and star te d the first water quality workshops. Now, as the coordinator of Ethiopia’s Water Expertise and Training Center, she guides projects of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, or WASH. “ I b e ca m e i nte re ste d i n w o rk i n g w i t h WA S H through a strong understanding of the technical aspects of water quality and a drive to share my knowledge with others,� Gebeyehu said in the press release. “Ultimately, I am dedicated to serving those in need so that they can reach their full potential and well-being.� According to the release,
VIA NEWS RELEASE
Coordinator for Ethiopia’s Water Expertise and Training Center Martha Gebeyehu. Gebeyehu has been awarded the 2019 International Water Prize from OU’s WaTER, or Water Technologies for Emerging Regions, Center.
the prize is one of the f i rst a n d la rg e st p r i ze s dedicated s olely to the field of water supply and
sanitation in remote areas process, according to the of emerging regions. The release. award-winner is select“According to the United ed through a nomination Nations, there are upwards
of 2 billion people that lack access to safe, reliable, drinking water supply, and upwards of 4 billion people in the world that lack adequate sanitation,� Sabatini said. “This prize is meant to recognize and celebrate someone who has made significant contributions to addressing these challenges. We hope that it serves as an example and an inspiration to our students to take on this challenge as well.� The award will be formally given to Gebeyehu during a 2019 OU International WaTER Conference in September 2019. The conference will also include local and international speakers, breakout s essions, and poster and paper sessions in the fields of social entrepreneurship, behavior change, water technologies, climate change and hydro-philanthropy in the developing world, according to the release. Francesca Marinoni francescag.marinoni@ ou.edu
OU receives research, development grant Oklahoma project team to focus on geothermal energy BAILEY LEWIS @BaileyLewis75
O U ’s M e w b o u r n e School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering was one of several programs awarde d a grant for geothermal energy research and development by the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Department of Energy gave a total of $11.4 million to seven projects around the country, and the projects will focus on accelerating the research and development of innovative geothermal energy technologies in America, according to a blog post on the petroleum and geological engineering school’s website.
T h e p ro j e c t t e a m i n cludes three people from OU’s petroleum and geological engineering program: Saeed Salehi, project principal investigator; Catalin Teodoriu, project co-pr incipal investiga tor; and Ramadan Ahmed, project co-principal investigator, according to the post. “Geothermal energy is pushing the drilling envelope beyond conventional limits and therefore will require a ‘think different’ attitude,� said Salehi and Teodoriu in an email to The Daily. “With this grant, our team will be able to explore unconditionally the new frontiers that the geothermal downhole are challenging new materials and new concepts.� The team will develop and test smart lost circulation materials that “use shape memory polymers activated by geothermal
temperature to prevent the loss of fluid into fractured rock next to the drilled wellbore,� according to the blog post. Lost circulation is extremely common in geothermal wells because of the fractured nature in a geothermal field or lost circulation during cement operation, Salehi and Teodoriu said. The smar t lost circulation materials expand within the fractures “to reduce non-drilling time and strengthen the wellbore in high-temperature geothermal drilling operations,� according to the post. “Although Oklahoma is not a (strong) ‘Geothermal S t a t e ,’ w e b e l i e v e t h a t our team will be able to demonstrate our commitment towards the development of renewable energy, especially in the area of drilling,� said Salehi and Teodoriu in the email. “OU
AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY
The Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy Oct. 17. The School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering, located inside the college, was awarded a grant for geothermal energy research.
has one of the strongest drilling teams among U.S. universities, with three experienced faculty and a research group of about 20 students. A grant like this will allow us to demonstrate our expertise (and) create new values, but also will show the geothermal
Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker October 18, 2018
my friend’s got mental illness
To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increases their chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information. Mental Illness – What a difference a friend makes.
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.
ACROSS 1 Jog 5 Church feature 9 Tanker spill 14 “Thy,� now 15 Describe via drawing 16 English port town 17 State something differently 20 Utah city 21 Guys with kids with kids 22 Held back some change 25 Member of an NFL line 26 Some plums 28 Place for an inbox 32 Abdicate 37 Like creepy settings 38 “Could be anything� 41 Synthetic material 42 Leopard’s spots, i.e. 43 Feline in boots 44 Harsh, as an instructor 46 “Neither a borrower, ___ ...� 47 Cronkite, for one 53 Like toxic food 58 Stupefyingly silly 59 Rematchseeker’s lament? 10/18
62 Dele reversals 63 Layabout? No, U-turn 64 “___ and out!� 65 Not tomorrow 66 Site of the first basketball game 67 Indiana city or South American country DOWN 1 Mee and yuo, e.g. 2 Like some sandpaper 3 Perform better than 4 Any judge, at times 5 Menu phrase for a king? 6 Bowling item 7 Urban pollution 8 Lobster or steak, notably 9 Throw cash around 10 Prayer recipient 11 Midwest state 12 Fully dressed 13 Ebony and ivory together 18 Explosion producer 19 Author Christian Andersen 23 Teamwork destroyers
24 When roosters get loud 27 Garden figure 28 Ham and cheese place 29 Activist Brockovich 30 Warble 31 Beer containers 32 Cut it out 33 Informal word after “drive� 34 Snakelike fishes 35 Not amateurs 36 Man cave, perhaps 37 Antlered creature 39 Mountain pool 40 Bird in “never needed�?
44 Some offspring 45 Hip 46 Raucous 48 Provide a defeat 49 Be a detective 50 Purple? A bit lighter 51 Rage 52 Indira Gandhi’s dad 53 Fence supporter 54 Words after “glom� 55 How some like their tea 56 Words with “precedent� 57 Bad thing to expect 60 PI kin 61 Cold War, historically
PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER
community that we can.� The other selected proje c t s a re f ro m A r g o n n e National Laborator y, General Electric Company and GE Global Research, Oklahoma State University, Sandia National Laboratories, which has two projects, and
NOT THINKING By Timothy E. Parker
Bailey Lewis
bailey.n.lewis-1@ou.edu
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Make change count. Think matters through and take the initiative to turn your plans into reality. Show responsibility and a desire to work to get the results you want. An unlikely partnership will develop and will encourage you to be open to new endeavors. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- An enthusiastic attitude will help you accomplish your goals. You are best off listening carefully when dealing with youngsters or a loved one. A difference of opinion could cause setbacks. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -Problems will develop at home or work if you change the way you do things without approval, or if someone else does the same. Communication will be important if you want things to run smoothly.
10/17 Š 2018 Andrews McMeel Universal 10/15 Š 2018 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com
Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, a c c o r d i n g t o t h e U. S . Department of Energy’s website.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- If you discuss your intentions, you’ll find out who is and isn’t likely to stand beside you to help. The support you receive will fortify your plans. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -Look for alternative methods when it comes to taking care of your chores or responsibilities. Getting things done on time and without a hitch will lead to an unusual but interesting offer. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Do what’s best for you, not what someone is pressuring you to do. Change must be to your benefit and not made just to appease someone looking out for his or her own interest.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- If you share your ideas, you’ll open up a discussion that will help you make worthwhile tweaks before you actually launch your plans. A contract or partnership is favored. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Learn from someone with more experience and use the information you are given to help you assist others. Your beliefs and actions will enhance how others view you. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Don’t expect everyone to adhere to what you want to do. To avoid interference, you are best off perfecting your plans before presenting them. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Don’t trust someone to tell you the truth or do a job you’ve been given. Take care of your responsibilities and take credit for the job you do. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Use your intuition to decipher who is and isn’t honest. Doing something unique will give you a different perspective on who you want to collaborate with. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Take the time to explain how you feel or what you want to see happen. Being up-front will give you a chance to weigh what you want to do next against the response you receive. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- A chance to hang out with someone new and exciting may entice you, but consider including the people who have stood by you in the past as well.
October 18-21, 2018 •
SPORTS
5
George Stoia, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
Redshirt senior linebacker Curtis Bolton runs to tackle the Texas quarterback during the Red River Showdown Oct. 6. Bolton ended rumors about a locker room fight during OU-Texas.
Bolton addresses fight rumors Linebacker did not argue with Stoops in locker room GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia
Oklahoma redshirt senior linebacker Curtis Bolton addressed the media for the first time since rumors surfaced that he had been involved in a locker room fight during halftime of the OU-Texas game. And Bolton had plenty to say. “It kind of blows my mind that someone — at the end of the day, reporters aren’t going to report something if they don’t trust their source. So the fact that that story got out and that reporter obviously felt like it
was somebody close to the locker room or in the locker room that would drop a story like that. This is an intense sport and obviously things were heightened in Texas week, but for someone to drop that there was this big fist fight in the locker room. Just blows my mind, not even from my end, just this team — it makes the team look bad.” Bolton left the locker room during halftime to get some more air, after becoming frustrated with the Sooners’ performance in the first half. Following the game, rumors floated around accusing Bolton of getting in a fight with then-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. Bolton put all those rumors to rest Tuesday. “I could care less if people think I fought my coach,”
he said. “My coaching staff knows what happened, my teammates know what happened. At the end of the day, there was no huge argument, there was no huge fist fight. I was a little frustrated with how we were playing. I was a little frustrated I didn’t play in the second quarter. We got in the locker room, and I got my checks through my coaches and things got heated in there, just like they always do. That’s how it goes. And a guy like me, sometimes I just need my space. I was getting a little too riled up in there. The crazy thing about it is me and coach Stoops didn’t personally exchange a word in the locker room, so it’s crazy to me that someone would drop that.” Bolton has been a key component in the Sooners’ defens e. He’s recorded
69 tackles — second only to sophomore linebacker Kenneth Murray — and 2.5 sacks. He wasn’t expected to be the starter, battling with junior Caleb Kelly in the offseason. But Stoops put his faith in the fifth-year senior, and Bolton understood why he was frustrated with the team during halftime of the Red River Showdown. “Coach Stoops was pissed off at how we were playing, and it’s his every right to. He was the D-coordinator at the time, and we weren’t playing good, we weren’t playing up to his standard. That’s not the problem I had,” Bolton said. “My problems were more internally. I didn’t have a problem with coach Stoops at half time. I just needed to get some air, and next thing, people see me walking out of the locker
room pissed off and all this ‘I quit on my team’ this and that. I just wanted to nip that in the butt where it stood because I care about this team. I love this team, I love my teammates. I care about my coaches, I trust my coaches. I’m not going to walk out on them. I needed some air, that’s all that was. I needed some air to lock in, and I mean, I think I came out in the second half and played pretty good, personally — we have a lot to work on defensively. But that was more for me just to get locked back in.” Bolton knew he made a mistake and owned up to it. He’s ready to move on from the conversation and the question of him quitting on his teammates. “I love this team. I’m not going to quit on it. I didn’t spend four years on
the bench to work my tail off and get a starting spot my senior year and walk out in a Texas game where some things get heated. No. I’m a leader of this team. I feel like I’m a leader of this team,” Bolton said. “I could’ve handled it better of course. I gotta handle situations like that better. It’s not about me anymore. I’m a senior. I make a lot of plays for this defense. I gotta set an example for this team. I can handle that better. But at the end of the day, this story where me and Coach Mike are in a fist fight in the locker room is completely untrue. The fact that it was out there kind of pissed me off.” George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu
Defense finds new energy during bye week Upcoming game could be turning point for Sooners ABBY BITTERMAN @abby_bitterman
After its performance in the first half of the season, the Sooners’ defense needed to find a new energy during the bye week. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said one of the reasons behind the defensive staff changes he made last week was the need for a spark on the defensive side of the ball. Ahead of the TCU game, the defense is showing signs of being revived already, with players saying the energy of the team has shifted. “Just being out there, I feel like the defense overall kind of was more relaxed and kind of just playing to their own,” sophomore corner Tre Norwood said. “I feel like players are out there playing and just having fun with it. I feel like it was more energetic and more relaxed and not kind of uptight about it.”
While continuing to have fun at practice is important, redshirt senior Curtis Bolton said things have also been more serious lately. “At the end of the day, it’s business more so than the first six weeks,” Bolton said. While the team has started to settle in with interim defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, the Sooners have also been putting in work to quickly improve their lacking defense. The Sooners’ No. 97-rated defense got a lot of practice in against Oklahoma’s No. 9-ranked offense during the bye week. “This past week, this bye week, was one of our most competitive practices of the year since camp,” redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray said. One of the biggest issues the defense has had so far this season is poor tackling. The Sooners have struggled to find consistency with their tackling, and during practice they have implemented different drills to try to improve this skill. There are multiple factors that go into tackling, s o p h o m o re l i n e b a c k e r Kenneth Murray said, and
it is a team effort. “At the end of the day, it’s not going to be a perfect game — people aren’t going to go out there and just not miss any tackles. You gotta be realistic,” Kenneth Murray said. “Working on the technique and working on the effort is essential to having great tackling.” Now, the Sooners will prepare for their first test as a defense since parting ways with Mike Stoops and making McNeill defensive coordinator when they travel to Fort Worth to take on TCU on Saturday. Oklahoma’s defense received a lot of criticism after the Texas loss, and this game could be an important turning point for a d e f e n s e t hat ha s l o s t steam since the start of the season. “I’m interested in how we’re going to play this w eekend,” Bolton said. “It’s either going to go really good or really bad, and I’m leaning toward really good.” Abby Bitterman abbybitt@ou.edu
JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
Sophomore linebacker Kenneth Murray makes a tackle during the Red River Showdown on Oct. 6. The Sooners’ defense is looking to find new energy for the second half of the season.
6
SPORTS
• October 18-21, 2018
Young defensive end brings OU new hope Ronnie Perkins’ progress excites teammates, coaches CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21
No. 9 Oklahoma is halfway through the season, and its defense has been raising eyebrows for the wrong reason. After allowing 501 total yards in a 48-45 loss to thenNo. 19 Texas, the Sooners’ defense has been on the hot seat, as shown by the replacement of former defensive coordinator Mike Stoops with Ruffin McNeill. The Sooners have yet to come to terms with their physicality. Tackling has been the recurring problem for the squad, as opposing players seem to gain big yardage on missed tackles week after week. In the two games before the Red River Showdown, the Sooners allowed 872 yards and 54 points against Army and Baylor. But after a bye week, head coach Lincoln Riley stepped up to the podium Monday
and said, “We can see the light at the end of the tunnel.” And in the Sooners’ sixgame tunnel of struggling defense, a light — although not a starter — has been shining bright. McNeill calls him “Perk.” Freshman defensive end Ronnie Perkins has been an obvious glimmer of hope for Oklahoma’s defense. With his limited playing time, Perkins has accumulated 14 tackles and is tied for the team high with three sacks, two of them coming from Oklahoma’s 66-33 win against Baylor. “He’s a real great athlete,” sophomore linebacker Kenneth Murray said. “Real smart on the edge. He’s one of the young guys who can get out there and rush the passer ... I really like what I see from him so far.” Proven to be a difference maker, seniority still rules over his part. He plays behind older defensive ends juniors Amani Bledsoe and Mark Jackson Jr. But Murray said he knows his role and will be ready when his time for more minutes comes. “He knows that he doesn’t have to do too much right
now,” Murray said. “He knows that all he has to do is pretty much go out there and ball. He doesn’t have to overthink stuff right now. I really like the direction he’s headed in right now. I think as far as getting after the passer that’s something he does really good.” And according to McNeill, Perkins has been adjusting quickly since coming from his home in St. Louis, Missouri, in the spring. “The speed of the game at the college level is a real difficult adjustment from high school to college,” McNeill said. “Perks (came) in during the spring and it was very fast for him, and he was even more prepared this fall, so that’s why you see the playing time.” From this playing time, McNeill — along with Murray — likes what he sees. “I’m really proud of Perk,” McNeill said. “He’s got a great mentality ... Perk has done a great job of preparing himself.” “He’s a special player.” Caleb McCourry
caleb.a.mccourry@ou.edu
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Freshman defensive end Ronnie Perkins fights a defender in the game against UCLA on Sept. 8. Perkins has accumulated 14 tackles and is tied for the team high with three sacks.
Wide receiver prestige in Hollywood’s blood Marquise Brown gets advice from cousin, NFL vet GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia
It runs in the family. Known for their speed and flashy style of play, Marquise and Antonio Brown are considered two of the best wide receivers in their respective leagues. Marquise has become one of Oklahoma’s top offensive weapons, being considered by many the fastest player in college football. Antonio is widely considered one of, if not the best, receiver in the NFL in his ninth season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two also share similarities off the field, both having a sense of fashion and style (see Marquise’s gold grill for just one example). So, of course the two are related — cousins, to be exact. “It’s very nice, I learn a lot from him,” Marquise said. “He just keeps me motivated every time I see him out there on the field.” Marquise said he and Antonio talk every day, with Antonio sharing advice and giving pointers to the young receiver. Marquise even mentioned Antonio is hoping to make an appearance at one of Oklahoma’s upcoming games — the Steelers’ bye week just so happens to be this week. Marquise has been working out with Antonio since a young age and continued to do so throughout his high school and junior college
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Junior wide receiver Marquise Brown smiles for the camera before the game against Iowa State on Sept. 15. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is Marquise’s cousin.
careers. Even this past summer, he and redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray t r a i n e d w i t h A n t o n i o. Marquise’s biggest takeaway from those training sessions with Antionio was simple. “ J u s t w o r k e t h i c ,” Marquise said. “He plays with an edge. He doesn’t have anything not figured out, and that’s why he’s the best in the game, in my opinion. He has an attitude that makes him great.” Marquise’s hard work in the offseason has definitely shown this season for the Sooners, catching 33 passes for 675 yards and seven touchdowns — which is already tied for how many touchdowns he caught all last season. He’s also receiving national attention, being considered one of the front
runners for the Biletnikoff award and quickly moving up NFL draft boards. “I don’t get excited, but I do take it as a blessing,” Marquise said about receiving recognition. “It’s always a blessing to be recognized, but the main goal is still ahead.” Marquise isn’t worried about the outside noise, and he really doesn’t care much for talking about his cousin, either. So while he may have royal wide receiver blood, he still wants to make a name for himself at Oklahoma. “I’m with Oklahoma right now,” Marquise said. “That’s all I’m focused on.” George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu