Monday, Nov. 23, 2015

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I felt cheated.

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M O N DAY, N OV E M B E R 2 3 , 2 015

An OU student sought resources on campus to receive help for her clinical depression. The university wasn’t able to give her the help she needed. She and others believe OU doesn’t have the tools necessary to help those with mental health problems. Editor’s Note: The name Stacy Marks is a pseudonym used to preserve the students anonymity. Trigger warning: This story contains content regarding suicide.

DAISY CREAGER • NEWS EDITOR @DAISYCREAGER

W

hen English and women and gender studies sophomore Stacy Marks came to OU, she thought she would be OK. A National Merit Scholar, Marks did well academically in high school and was captain of the cheerleading team. When she was offered the scholarship, she realized she would be far away from her support system in Iowa, but she saw it as a new start. When she ran out of her depression medication her first month at OU, things became complicated. Marks had not found a new counselor since moving, and without her medicine, thoughts of sadness overwhelmed her, making her feel worthless. She had trouble motivating herself to do things, feeling defeated when she did not accomplish them. “The depression just kind of sucks out all my energy,” Marks said. “It’s not the content that I struggle with, it’s just getting to class and being there when things are due. I want to go, the logical reasoning part of me understands that I need to go to class, but my body and the depression part of me just controls me. It takes over. Especially because it keeps you from sleeping, I don’t have the energy to go. It just zaps your energy.” Marks went to a pharmacy in Norman, but it could not refill her prescription because of laws across state lines. She could not afford to spend school days and money going home to see her doctor, so she visited Goddard Health Services on campus. Ta k i n g h e r p re s c r i p tion bottle with her, Marks

went to Goddard, but was told the psychiatrist who could prescribe her medicine was booked until the school break in December. However, Goddard said she may be able to see a counselor. “I remember crying in the counseling center of Goddard and saying, ‘Please help me. I need to see someone who can write me a new prescription’,” Marks said. “It was just very cold and not understanding.” Eventually, Marks went to a doctor in the community who fit her in, but she was discouraged. She was switching medicines to find the right fit, each with its own myriad of symptoms. She fell behind in classes and realized the extent of the affect of her depression on her grades when a professor emailed her saying she had missed too much class and could not redeem her grade. Her lowest grade in high school was a “B”. This was not a new struggle for Marks. Depression runs in her family, and she first sought help her junior year of high school. At first she thought she was just having a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, but when she found herself on the suicide hotline, she realized it was more than that. *** Marks is not the first student to express frustration with the availability of mental health resources at OU. Members of OUr Mental Health, an organization started on campus in October, have raised concerns at the organization’s meetings about their desire for more resources and better education about mental health on campus.

SEE RESOURCES PAGE 2

Editor’s note: The Mental Health Issue Today and tomorrow, we’re dedicating our coverage to mental health awareness. We know OU students struggle with mental illness. We know that mental illness is prevalent on college campuses, and that our campus could be better equipped to handle students’ difficulties. We also know that students struggling with mental illness often keep it to themselves, for fear of being dismissed or misunderstood. With this issue and tomorrow’s, we hope to shed light on mental health issues at OU and beyond and

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to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness. Keep the conversation on mental health going: tweet using the hashtag #yOUrmentalhealth to share your experiences with mental illness or to show support for those suffering with mental health issues.

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Illnesses come with myths A LOOK AT COLLEGE MENTAL HEALTH

44%

of college students reported feeling symptoms of depression

80%

of students say they frequently or sometimes experience daily stress

40%

of female college students report have eating disorders

13%

have been diagnosed with a mental health condition

For all our coverage visit bitly.com/yOUrmental health

FIND US ONLINE

Source: Walden Center and Anxiety and Depression Association of America

Students feel the effects of unseen mental illnesses BRIANNA SIMS News Reporter @briannana18

Mental illness affects college students more often than those who are not students, interfering with their schoolwork, social life and overall self-esteem. In a work-study conducted at the University of Texas at Austin, it was determined that about 20-22 percent of college students on campus have had some significant issues with depression or anxiety, Harry Wright, clinical psychologist and OU adjunct professor, said.

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“I went to speak with the people at G oddard and asked them anecdotally if that was true here, and they said it was pretty accurate,” Wright said. One in four adults will have a significant psychiatric incident ranging from acute depression to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, Wright said. “The college campus is not immune,” Wright said. “I suspect that one of the dangers is the whole issue of potential suicide and danger to one’s self. That can be a potentially significant outcome to any type of mental health issue.” There are many myths and stigmas to the topic of mental disorders. Wright said that one of these myths is that people aren’t open to

talking to anyone. “O n e o f t h e c o m m o n myths is that people don’t talk about it. Well, they do. They give signs. These may be small and they may be big, but there will be signs,” Wright said. The most popular disorders recorded on college campuses are depression, anxiety, eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder, Wright said. SEE HEALTH PAGE 4

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• Monday, November 23, 2015

NEWS RESOURCES: Continued from Page One

G o d d a rd C o u n s e l i n g Center has eight full-time staff including one psychiatrist, five post-doctorate interns and three practicum students in the last year of their doctoral program, according to Scott Miller, director of the University Counseling Center. Students, faculty and staff in severe need of help are assigned to permanent staff members, but the rest are assigned to any of the 12 counselors. Patients also have the right to request to see a permanent staff member. At the beginning of the semester it’s easy to get appointments, and it progressively gets harder as the semester goes on, Scott Miller said. He said every year the psychiatrist is booked earlier. JD Baker, co-founder of OUr Mental Health, said more should be done. He has a meeting planned with Jabar Shumate and Clarke Stroud of the University Community office in December to talk about it. “For a campus of 20,000 students, we definitely need more,” Baker said. “Mental illness is a disability. It is something they cannot control all the time, and they need that help. That’s the only way students will be able to succeed academically, if they are mentally healthy.” The problem is that the need for counseling appointments exceeds the number of counselors, not just at OU but in society at large and that the counseling center is doing the best they can, Miller said. “I don’t think we have enough mental health professionals for folks. It’s not an OU problem, it’s a bigger issue,” Scott Miller said. “But we try to get students in as quick as we can because we’re well aware that you can’t lose time in a 15-16 week semester. If you have a couple of weeks where you’re not functioning well, that’s going to impact school, and we try to get folks in as quick as we can to make sure that we don’t have them skip a beat with their school.” Jeff Dismukes, public information officer for the O klahoma D epar tment of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said many counseling practices in the community book up quickly, so the problem is not unique to OU. Dismukes attributed the disconnect between resources and need to a lack of professionals who treat mental illness, insurance covering mental health appointments and medication to a social stigma against mental illness and treatment. “Behavioral health is a little different than other health issues in the way the system is set up when you compare it to the way we treat physical or other illnesses. There’s a discrimination that exists,” Dismukes said. However, Dismukes and Scott Miller both said things are getting better. Goddard Counseling Center now offers walk-in counseling appointments if students, faculty and staff members call early enough in the day.

Page Jones, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily

Additionally, Miller said the by tabling on the South Oval counseling center tries to do and hosting lectures and work with freshmen to make panel discussions. “If the university does that them aware of Goddard’s part, we’ll do the other part,” resources. Baker said. “We’ll push more *** The next blow for Stacy awareness, we’ll advocate. Marks came during the sum- We want to be a support promer when she received an gram for what the university email from the OU National has. We love OU. We love our Scholar’s office. Her GPA classmates and the faculty had fallen below that re- and the staff. We wouldn’t be quired of students receiving doing this if we didn’t love it. the scholarship, and she lost But in that love, we’re also it. She appealed on medical going to be putting some pressure on and use tough grounds but was denied. Wi t h ou t h e r s c h o l a r- love. This is for all of us.” Baker said he would love ship, Marks could not afford school. It was too late to to hold a campaign simitransfer to a smaller school lar to the ‘My costume is closer to home, so she de- not my consent’ campaign cided to try to make it work. hosted by the OU Woman’s She emailed the National Outreach Center in October. “We’re not trying to take Scholar’s office explaining her difficulties, but she did over their brains and brainwash them. We’re trying to not hear back. “If I’m not in their sys- knock on their door and ask tem anymore, I’ve already them to explain their mind admitted defeat, so I guess and how they think about they don’t see a reason to mental illness,” Baker said. *** help me anymore,” Marks Dismukes said because of said. “I felt cheated. They got me here. They got me to be the lack of education, peoone of their National Merit ple suffering from mental illScholars and to commit to nesses often do not fully unOU, and now that I’m going derstand what they are going to be gone, they don’t see a through. He said many peoreason to put resources into ple have the wrong picture of what treatment looks like, me anymore.” Marks said her friends and so when they finally seek it they are exfamily have a been support“I don’t think we periencing crisis. ive and helpful, have enough He said but when she people also tries to speak mental health expect treatabout her deprofessionals for m e n t t o pression openly, she does not folks. It’s not an work quickly, when it feel they take OU problem, it’s a often takes her seriously. time. “One thing bigger issue.” “It can I hear from SCOTT MILLER, take some people a lot is DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY time to find that happiness COUNSELING CENTER exactly what is a choice — w o r k s ,” that I need to change my outlook and just Dismukes said. “Often it be happy,” Marks said. “If I takes a long time to get sick, had the flu, you wouldn’t tell and we’re very ill when we me to just not throw up. It’s finally seek services. We an illness, and people don’t shouldn’t expect to just be see it that way; they see it as a able to take a pill and be well frame of mind, and that’s an overnight.” Dismukes said people, inaccurate way to view it.” especially college students, *** Schelle Miller, a psy- who experience mental illchologist with a practice in ness, often do not know Norman, said the social stig- where to go to seek help if ma against mental health is- the resources at the universues is better than it used to sity level are unavailable. He said an important step be but is still a problem. “It’s heartbreaking be- in getting help is having an cause what mental illnesses open dialogue with family are is physical illness, but the and friends about problems organ that has the dysfunc- and how to get help. Scott Miller said another tion is the brain,” Schelle Miller said. “The difficulties important step is focusing are neurological instead of on diet, exercise and sleep. with blood sugar or with While none of these can fix a your kidney or some other mental illness, they can help internal organ. So people get offset some symptoms. “Think about legs of a blamed for having a mental health condition rather than chair. Those are things that supported and they feel also have to be there, too. shame about getting ser- Sometimes if you focus on those, it’s amazing how vices at times.” Scott Miller said OU’s en- much things feel better,” vironment and acceptance Scott Miller said. Dismukes said anyone of mental health problems is not where it should be but is having problems should keep a crisis number on improving. “I don’t think we’re there hand but reach out to counyet, but I think we’re all get- seling services around the ting better at being aware of community if Goddard is it, building resources, kind full. “When you get the right of living out what President Boren has talked about ... services, they absolutely being a family,” Scott Miller work. If you stay engaged said. “I think we’re doing in treatment and you learn a better job at putting it on about your illness and bethe agenda and making sure come very involved in your there are enough support re- wellness process, it really resources for students. I think ally works,” Dismukes said. that students are doing a *** better job of speaking up On Sunday, Nov. 8, Stacy and asking for help, so I Marks was hospitalized for think we’re getting a lot clos- suicidal plans. er to where we need to be.” Her roommate had alBaker said a large part of ready taken the antifreeze changing this stigma at OU out of her car, so she needis increased awareness of ed to find another way. The what mental health is and stress of keeping up with what resources are available. classes, staying motivated He said OUr Mental Health and figuring out how to pay aims to promote awareness for school had built up, and

one night, sitting on a close friend’s bed, she decided it was too much. “I just started crying. He asked what was wrong, and I said everything. I told him I’ve got a list on my computer of people I have to say goodbye to before I kill myself. I have plans. I have to do this, I can’t handle life anymore,” Marks said. At 11 p.m. Marks’ friend ca l l e d h e r d a d a n d e xplained the situation. He did not let her leave his room, for fear he would not see her again. Her dad’s directions were simple: ‘Get her to the emergency room. I’m on my way.’ As he started the eighthour drive from Iowa to Norman, Marks went to a local hospital, where she was later admitted to the behavioral unit. By Wednesday, a doctor determined it not to be in Marks’s best interest to stay in school and advised her to withdraw. “Honestly, I was so relieved. I knew that I was really struggling this semester and finally, someone was validating my need to get out of here,” Marks said. Marks’ dad visited campus, filling out paperwork for her to withdraw. He was underwhelmed with the lack of help offered by the National Scholars office. Currently, Marks is at home and taking a much needed break. She plans to enroll in a couple of classes in a community college next semester and hopes to attend a university near home in fall of 2016. Now that she is home, Marks said she does not regret attending OU, but she thinks a key character was missing from her experience: an advocate for students with mental health problems. She still feels as though she was brought to OU with a promise she would be taken care of and did not have an advocate looking out for her success. “The big thing advertised when I was touring was that OU had this National Scholar’s office that was just going to do all they could to take care of National Merit Scholars. I don’t think that’s something they should promise because they don’t follow through with it,” Marks said. “It was like they put so much of their resources into recruitment that they are not paying attention to how the rest of us are doing.” LeeAnn Burns, director of the National Scholars Program, declined to comment on Marks’s situation, but said in an email that it would be inappropriate for the National Scholar’s office to assume the role of a mental health counselor. “As an office, the National Scholars Program has an open-door policy and is committed to students and their needs from the time they enter the university and throughout their time on campus,” she said in the email. Burns also stated in the email that the National Scholars office offers a ‘FirstYear Experience Group’ which helps freshmen adjust to life at OU, and if students express concerns to them about mental health,

Editor’s Note: The name Stacy Marks is a pseudonym used to preserve the student’s anonymity.

According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness... 1 in 5 adults experience a mental illness

In 2012

NAMI performed a study titled College Students Speak: A Survey Report on Mental Health in which they surveyed college students diagnosed with a mental health condition to gauge their experience attending college with their condition and what services helped them the most through their experience.

Depression

was the most represented mental health condition in the study, but anxiety, bipolar disorder and others were taken into account.

64%

of students who dropped out of their university in the past five years left due to problems related to their mental illness

45%

of these students did not receive accommodation from the school for their condition but many of them expressed they were unaware of resources or feared a stigma against treatment.

50%

of the respondents of the survey said they did not disclose their condition to the university, and that disclosure is required for accommodation from the school. A major reason for not disclosing conditions was fear of how they would be perceived if they did so. Source: National Alliance of Mental Illness

The Do’s and Don’ts of Discussing Mental Illness The Do’s • Be available to listen • Acknowledge how they are feeling • Ask what you can do to help • Choose a good time and place to talk, when you are both relaxed • Be sensitive, positive and encouraging. Keep the conversation relaxed and open • Talk about other topics too • Don’t let a mental health issue become the center of your relationship • Be informed: read quality, evidence-based information and become familiar with the signs and symptoms of their mental health issue. • Start slowly: try small actions first such as going for a walk or visiting a friend. • Encourage them to get enough sleep, eat healthy food and exercise. • Discourage them from self medicating with alcohol or drugs. • Invite them out, and encourage other people in your lives to do so too. • Offer practical support, such as doing their shopping or cooking meals. • Encourage them to seek help immediately if they are at

The Don’ts • Make unhelpful or dismissive comments like ‘snap out of it’, ‘cheer up’, ‘forget about it’, ‘pull yourself together’, or ‘I’m sure it will pass’. These comments can make a person feel worse. • Say you know how they feel if you don’t, as it invalidates their experience. • Point out that others are worse off; this is dismissive. • Blame your friend or loved one for changes in their behaviour, even if you feel tired and frustrated. • Avoid the person. • Make fun of their mental illness.

CRISIS HELP LINES Crisis Text Line: 741-741, 24/7 emotional support from rigorously trained volunteers Oklahoma National Alliance on Mental Illness Help Line: 800-583-1264; This service is 9 a.m. to

5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and helps callers identify symptoms and find counseling and resources National Hopeline Network and Suicide Hotline: 800784-2433; 24/7 Suicide prevention, awareness and education

Bed Rock Behavioral Crisis Unit: 405-307-4800, The clinic provides emergency stabilization for psychiatric and substance abuse services Oklahoma Department of Mental Health: 800-5229054, 24/7 crisis help line

Heartline: 405-848-2273, 24/7 crisis help line

• Pressure them if they don’t want to go out, or discuss their issues with you. • Think of mental illness as a personal weakness or failing. • Avoid discussing suicide and self-harm -- usually when people talk about suicide, they are looking for help. • Define your friend or loved one by their mental illness. • Use words that stigmatise, like ‘psycho’ or ‘crazy’. • Get frustrated or angry. Feel guilty if you didn’t know your friend or someone you love has a mental health issue.

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Monday, November 23, 2015 •

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4

NEWS

• Monday, November 23, 2015

HEALTH:

Mental illness in college students in the U.S.

Continued from Page One

DEPRESSION “A lot of this, I think, is connected to stress. When you get underneath it, you see many students have experienced a type of trauma. That can contribute to depression,” Wright said. According the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, depressive disorders include the presence of sad, empty or irritable moods that is accompanied by alterations in the parts of the brain that affect movement and thinking. This affects the individual’s capacity to function. What varies between each patient is the duration, timing and the causation. “Other symptoms include anhedonia, which is the loss of pleasure in one’s life,” Wright said. “Also, patients experience a sense of low motivation and low energy mixed with thoughts of hopelessness and a lack of purpose in life (and) thinking and feeling like life is overwhelming.” “Patients will often withdraw from society and fail to take care of themselves. They will experience sleep interruption and appetite disruption whether they eat or sleep too much or too little,” Wright said. Elementary education and Spanish freshman Samantha Mills was diagnosed with clinical depression in high school, and she said she suffered from sleepiness, weight loss and moodiness. She said the stress of the schoolwork in high school was primarily the cause of the depression, and she sought help through a psychiatrist and was prescribed antidepressants. “Depression is a lifelong disease, so every once in a while, I’ll notice symptoms coming back. I think overall, it’s pretty well-handled,” Mills said.

“Depression is a lifelong disease, so every once in a while, I’ll notice symptoms coming back. I think overall, it’s pretty wellhandled.”

A look at the prevalence of mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders in college students across the U.S.

Four most common mental illnesses experienced by college students Depression

44 Anxiety

percent of men

reported feeling so depressed that it was difficult to function

80

40 million U.S. adults suffer from an anxiety disorder, and 75 percent of them experience their first episode of anxiety by age 22

percent say they frequently or sometimes experience daily stress

Eating disorders

40

percent of female college students have eating disorders

ANXIETY

“Before I beat it, I felt like I was swimming, trying to cross the pool without breathing, but once you get to that point where you’re struggling to breathe but you have to get to the other side of the pool. You want to be able to breathe, but you can’t go for it.”

percent of women

percent of college students reported feeling symptoms of depression

SAMANTHA MILLS, ELEMENTARY EDUCATION AND SPANISH FRESHMAN

“Anxiety is when you have feelings of apprehension. It slows one down. A certain amount of anxiety is good because it can be a motivator, but too much anxiety can immobilize someone,” Wright said. “So it’s like we need to have anxiety to do well in our classes, but if the anxiety is stopping you from what you have to do, then it is getting in the way.” Environmental sustainability junior Carol Mayen suffers from anxiety, comparing it to swimming underwater for extended periods of time. “Before I beat it, I felt like I was swimming, trying to cross the pool without breathing, but once you get to that point where you’re struggling to breathe but you have to get to the other side of the pool. You want to be able to breathe, but you can’t go for it,” Mayen said. Mayen said she suffered from anxiety and depression, the combination being difficult to manage. “I had no self-worth. I just wanted to stay in bed and not do anything, but at the same time, I had to do something,” Mayen said. “You get really jittery, and you can’t not do anything because that will make the anxiety worse.” Mayen said she would wake up and feel so low that she would question her purpose and ask herself why she’s still alive. “You’re constantly worrying and worrying. It’s so much more than just worrying about school; it’s worrying about school and the way you look and ‘becoming one’ with society. Instead of paying attention in class, you’re worrying about why you can’t understand something,” Mayen said. Mayen said she found solace and salvation in the word of God, and becoming more involved with the religious communities around campus chased her demons away. “I started doing Young Life. I had this leader, and she helped me so much. She would tell me and show me things in the bible. She taught me that it didn’t matter what other people thought of me but what Jesus thought of me and how I viewed myself,” Mayen said. Mayen encourages anyone struggling with depression or anxiety to talk to someone. “Try to find something healthy that you can do to overcome it. Just know that there’s so much more. If you give up now, you’re giving up on the opportunity to find out who you truly are,” Mayen said.

45 36

While recent information is not available, experts say the incidence of eating disorders among college students who are males is also increasing.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

6 to 17

Most common traumas resulting in PTSD for college students: Life threatening illness and expected/unexpected death of a loved one

percent: the rate of PTSD in college students, higher than the general population

Sources: waldencenter.org adaa.org mirecc.va.gov

“Eating disorders mostly affect females, but they can also affect males. It’s certainly a serious one and can be a deadly one.” HARRY WRIGHT, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND OU ADJUNCT PROFESSOR

EATING DISORDER “Eating disorders mostly affect females, but they can also affect males. It’s certainly a serious one and can be a deadly one,” Wright said. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, anorexia nervosa is the restriction of food that leads to a significant loss in weight in context to body type, age and sex. This could be linked to the intense fear of gaining weight or persistent behavior of that interferes with weight gain. There are two sub-types of anorexia nervosa. Restricting type: This is the most common form of anorexia. It involves an individual severely reducing their food intake.This presents a significant loss in weight. Binge-eating/purging type: This eating disorder is linked to several episodes of binge eating and purging while restricting their food intake. Mills said her parents feared she had an eating disorder after they noticed her weight loss, but the psychiatrist said it was just a symptom of her clinical depression.

“” CAROL MAYEN, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY JUNIOR

“If a person notices their friend experiencing some type of mental illness, they should seek help.”

-HARRY WRIGHT, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND OU ADJUNCT PROFESSOR

PTSD “It’s estimated that 20-25 percent of people who have been deployed have the potential to develop some kind of acute stress disorder, which has the possibility to morph into long-term post-traumatic stress,” Wright said. There are various symptoms to post traumatic stress disorder, including apprehension, flashbacks, heightened startle reflex and a hypersensitivity to reminders of the trauma in the environment, Wright said. “You take something from the past (and) you put it onto the present. If you had a deep relationship with someone and it ended, because it didn’t go well, you have heightened memory of that pain. If you meet someone new, you will put the face of the past onto the present,” Wright said. With the rise of sexual assault, there are more women that suffer from PTSD than men throughout the total population, Wright said. This isn’t including the military. “This is something that’s hard to tell on a college campus because we don’t know if there was a trauma before the student got on campus,” Wright said.

“You take something from the past, you put it onto the present. If you had a deep relationship with someone and it ended, because it didn’t go well, you have heightened memory of that pain.” HARRY WRIGHT, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND OU ADJUNCT PROFESSOR

MENTAL ILLNESS IN GENERAL Mental illness is a common trend among college students. About 44 percent of all college students suffer from depression, and about 15 percent of severely depressed patients act out suicidal behavior, Wright said. He said, the college campus isn’t immune to mental illness, and people should be aware of the signs of issues a peer might be experiencing. “If a person notices their friend experiencing some type of mental illness, they should seek help. Sometimes they’re scared of getting their friend in trouble, but you need to involve someone. If their friend is mad at them, so be it. Better to be mad at them while they’re alive rather than when they’re dead,” Wright said. Brianna Sims Brianna.M.Sims-1@ou.edu

Monday, November 23, 2015 •

SPORTS

5

Dillon Hollingsworth, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports

Concern for concussions varies Sooners weigh in on dangers of their sport SPENSER DAVIS football reporter @Davis_Spenser

The National Football League has come under fire in recent years for its handling of head injuries over the past several decades. As a result of the long term impact on the mental health of ex-players, more research has been done on the detrimental effects of concussions. Lawsuits have been filed. Rules have been changed. Lives, far too young, have been lost. And that’s just in the NFL. But what about at the amateur level? Collegiate players are undoubtedly more informed of the potential consequences of repeated head injuries — OU established a sports psychology department in 2004 — than they were several decades ago. “I think a lot of people I talk to say ‘football is dangerous,’” offensive lineman Nila Kasitati said. “But it’s one of those things that’s not for everybody. Some people can do it, some people can’t.” While that’s one positive improvement that’s happened over time, it’s not the whole battle. Players who haven’t sustained a concussion in their career — like OU linebacker Eric Striker — are less likely to be scared off by them. “A concussion has never crossed my mind,” Striker said. “I’ve never had one so I never think about that.” In some ways, that approach will never change. In the heat of the moment, players aren’t thinking about staying away from concussions or any other injury. TYLER WOODWARD/THE DAILY “ You definitely don’t Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield celebrates after a touchdown against TCU on Saturday. Mayfield threw worry about injury when for 127 yards before he was taken out of the game after admitting he had a headache. you’re out there playing,”

cornerback Zack Sanchez said. “It’s a part of the game. It’s a violent and physical sport. But it’s not something that guys worry about on a day-to-day basis.” So, the game has adapted. The NCAA implemented “targeting” rules, which bans players from launching themselves to make helmet-to-helmet contact with an opposing player. The NCAA also revamped its concussion guidelines in January of 2014. That meant a new protocol for student-athletes attempting to return after suffering a concussion. That policy manifested itself as Oklahoma went to the locker room against No. 18 TCU on Saturday night. In the second quarter, quarterback Baker Mayfield took a hard hit to the head from TCU linebacker Ty Summers. Summers was eventually ejected for targeting, but Mayfield remained in the game for the rest of the half. Coach Bob Stoops said Mayfield admitted to having a headache at half time. At that point, the training staff decided to pull Mayfield for the remainder of the game. And while that’s good news for family and friends o f s t u d e n t- a t h l e t e s , i t doesn’t alleviate all concerns from fr iends and family. “My mom worries about everything,” Sanchez said. “Her stomach tosses and turns every game. “But she knows how much I love this game and what it’s done for me in my life, so I don’t think it’s anything that she would ever want me to stop doing. But obviously as

a mom, you worry.” Sanchez wasn’t an outlier in that regard. “Your family members near and dear to you really care about your health,” Striker said. “Not even about just concussions but just getting injured, because it’s a contact sport. But yeah, they do care.” As far as getting players to be more aware on the field, that might be impossible. Most players are acting on instinct and don’t think about concussion safety before or during a play. “If you’re thinking about that type of stuff, I don’t think you’ll be on the field much longer,” Sanchez said. “I think you’ve got to be mentally tough to play this sport.” But as time passes and more people begin to be impacted — both on and off the field — by concussions, more players will start to consider their long-term future beyond the gridiron. “You definitely want to keep it in mind,” senior receiver Durron Neal said. “I know it’s the competitive nature in those players to shake it off, but it’s also good to let trainers know because (concussions) can somewhat impact you in a way if it gets too bad and you don’t tell anybody.” And at least one Sooner thinks he has the key to preventing concussions. “I’d like to say my hair helps,” Kasitati joked. “It’s concussion proof — knock on wood.” Spenser Davis davis.spenser@ou.edu

“It’s part of the game. It’s a violent and physical sport. But it’s not something that guys worry about on a day-to-day basis.” DURRON NEAL, SENIOR RECEIVER

Mayfield handled head scare as best he could SPORTS EDITOR

Dillon Hollingsworth dillon.j.hollingsworth-1@ou.edu @DillonJames94

Football is a violent sport. Nobody questions that fact. It was an all-too-familiar sight Saturday night when, in the second quarter of OU’s 30-29 win over TCU in Norman, Oklahoma’s stud quarterback Baker Mayfield took a shot to the head as he slid to the ground after a scramble, then he spent the next few moments shaking his head like a bug was buzzing by his ear. The man who delivered the hit, linebacker Ty Summers, was ejected immediately for as egregious an example of targeting as we’ve seen since the rule was implemented. Mayfield, whose stats indicate a possible trip to the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, stayed in the game and looked mostly like himself. He passed several concussion protocols on the sideline. He even threw a 36-yard touchdown pass before halftime. It was after halftime though, when Mayfield returned looking dejected and without a helmet, and it was clear he wouldn’t take another snap. We learned after the game that

TYLER WOODWARD/THE DAILY

Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) watches Saturday’s game against TCU from the sidelines. Mayfield was taken out of the game after admitting during halftime that he had a headache.

Mayfield admitted to the training staff in the locker room that he had a headache — a telltale concussion symptom — and the team pulled the plug on his game. It couldn’t have been easy for Mayfield, who has built his reputation on his ultra-competitive nature, to admit that he wasn’t feeling quite right and let backup Trevor Knight take over. It also couldn’t have been easy for Mayfield to stand on the sidelines in the

second half and watch his offense stall over the final two quarters, allowing the Horned Frogs to claw their way back into the game and eventually set up the allor-nothing two-point conversion attempt that ended the game. He had shown at the end of the first half that he could still make that Sooners’ attack hum. This was no cupcake game. This was OU-TCU — a top-25 battle between one-loss teams and a potential spot in the playoffs

hung in the balance for OU. Both squads were scratching for every competitive advantage they could get. In that setting, Mayfield — who has walked on and earned the starting job at two FBS programs, who talks often of the massive chip on his shoulder, who had just one Division I offer out of high school and fought his way to a place among college football’s elite — once again set an example for the kids watching at home. He put safety

ahead of football. “Baker admitted to having a headache, and that’s when our doctors said we’re not going to have him play any more,” coach Bob Stoops said after the game. “I’m sure there was more to it than that. I’m not part of the whole testing situation and everything they do. I know our doctors are incredibly thorough and always err on the safe side, and once we did find a symptom, that’s when they made sure he was pulled.”

Mayfield has done a lot of things right on the field this season, and when given the opportunity this weekend, he did the right thing in the locker room too — even though it couldn’t have been easy. Dillon Hollingsworth is a journalism senior.

6

• Monday, November 23, 2015

SPORTS

SWAT TEAM

Dillon Hollingsworth, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports

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DEADLINES Line Ad ..................................................................................3 days prior TYLER WOODWARD/THE DAILY

Safety Steven Parker celebrates with his teammates after swatting away TCU’s two-point conversion attempt at the end of Saturday’s game. The Sooner secondary has come up big in conference play.

Sooner secondary spoils TCU attempt JOE BUETTNER

assistant sports editor @Joe_Buettner

Framed by a freezing November night in Norman, the result of the clash bet w e e n No. 8 O k l a h o ma and No. 17 TCU fell on the shoulders of unfamiliar faces and unlikely heroes. It wasn’t Trevone Boykin. It wasn’t Baker Mayfield. It was TCU quarterback Bram Kohlhausen with the ball, and the Oklahoma secondary clawing for one last home win. The clock was frozen with a two-point conversion separating the Horned Frogs from derailing OU’s season a second consecutive year. But the gutsy call didn’t shock sophomore Steven Parker. Kohlhausen took a few steps back, escaped the pocket, scrambled to his right and waiting for him in crimson grass was Shaun Nixon. The TCU quarterback took his final shot at the end zone. Parker went vertical, however, and knocked

“It was a key decision. It was either let him run it in and they get the two point conversion, or basically I have to take a chance. And I took my chance, and I’m glad I did.� STEVEN PARKER, CORNERBACK

down the Frogs’ upset bid and charged up 85,821 fans. “It was a key decision,� Parker said. “It was either let him run it in and they get the two point conversion, or basically I have to take a chance. And I took my chance, and I’m glad I did.� The game saving play sent Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in to a frenzy. Junior cornerback Zack Sanchez found himself on his hands and knees — thankful for God and thankful for Parker’s heroics — as his teammates celebrated. O k l a h o m a av o i d e d a crushing loss with a 30-29 victory. The Sooners are in position to win a Big 12 title, but Sanchez wasn’t satisfied with Saturday’s performance. “ ( T h e re’s a ) b i g c h i p on our shoulder,� he said. “We’re definitely not satisfied with tonight defensively, I know. We’re not pleased with the way we played. I’m not pleased with the way I played at the end of the game. It’s something we got to go back to work on Monday.� The defense allowed three passing touchdowns of 37, 86 and 14 yards Saturday night. Oklahoma squandered a 17-point lead in the second half, but fended off a feisty rally from the NCAA’s No. 4 scoring offense. The secondary, in particular, removed itself even further from its abysmal 2014 season. The man to thank? Firstyear defensive backs coach Kerry Cooks. “He’s been a tremendous help to this program,� Parker said. “This is a guy that turned one of the worst pass defenses in to one of the best pass defenses just in a year. He’s been great

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.

to us, and we listen to him. And we’re just going to keep moving on.� Cooks joined Oklahoma’s staff in early February. It’s taken him less than a year, however, to gain the trust of Oklahoma’s corners and safeties. “We love him. Just as players, we can trust him to coach and not create a sense of deconstructive criticism,� sophomore Jordan Thomas said. “Just having him here, he understands we play a certain way. He respects that. He just tries to coach within the confines of our abilities and I love that.� And for Thomas, those abilities have expanded — as seen in the development of himself, Sanchez, Parker and a guy like junior Ahmad Thomas, who’s been pivotal for Oklahoma these past two weeks. The secondary has one final test before the postseason. The Sooners face a one-loss Oklahoma State team in Stillwater, Oklahoma, next Saturday.

The game is set for a third consecutive 7 p.m. kickoff on ABC and OU can clinch its first Big 12 title since 2012 with a win over its Bedlam rival. The secondary will try to spoil Oklahoma State’s final home game as the Cowboys did last season to the Sooners. OU is much different from its 2014 incarnation, however. And Cooks’ coaching has helped put them in a place to be successful. “We had to come together first to be how we are now,� Ahmad Thomas said. “At first, we were in different meeting rooms and that wasn’t really working out — miscommunication all the time. “Now w e’re together, and we’re more of a family. We’re not only playing for the win, we’re playing for each other. It’s about us.� Joe Buettner joebuet@ou.edu

HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Money matters will be unsettling. Avoid The more you interact with others, lending and borrowing. Call in the more success you will have loans and pay off as many debts getting your projects off the ground. as you can to avoid being left in a Discipline and organization will be compromising position. necessary, but with help you can achieve everything you set out to GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Your do this year. Personal relationships innovative concepts will provide you must not be ignored. with a new direction. Focus your efforts on what you enjoy doing most SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) in order to end up with a lucrative -- Keep your plans to yourself if sideline or full-time career. you donĘźt want someone else to end up taking credit for your hard CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- DonĘźt work. Someone you trust will let be content with just getting by. you down. Educate yourself about topics that are relevant to your profession. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Stay Your chance for advancement will in the background where you can increase as you become more get a better view of whatĘźs going proficient. on around you. Careful timing will ensure that your work will reach a LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- In order to wide and receptive audience. stay ahead of the game, you must be aware of what your competiAQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Love tion is doing. Be observant. ItĘźs is in the stars. You may feel like apparent that someone is trying to splurging, but resist the urge to undermine your credibility. overspend or you will fall short when your monthly bills arrive. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- UnanticiThink ahead and set new trends. pated changes within the family will cause emotional distress. Do your PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Show- best to avoid finding fault or placing case your ideas to anyone who can blame on others. Outside help may help you move forward profession- be required to reach a compromise. ally. Trying to do everything on your own will be disheartening. DonĘźt be LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- DonĘźt shy; ask for assistance. make promises you canĘźt keep. Be honest about your feelings and ARIES (March 21-April 19) -intentions. The time and effort you Financial gain is apparent. Assert put into your personal relationships your needs and wants without being will be proof of your devotion. overbearing. Tact and diplomacy will enable you to charm people and SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Put groups into granting you favors. your plans in motion. This is an opportune time to show others what you have to offer. Make the best of any opportunity you get to enhance your self-esteem.

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Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker November 23, 2015

ACROSS 1 Emits amplified light 6 Grain husks 11 “You’re it!� 14 Merino’s sound 15 Diameter halves 16 Needing medical care 17 Some office workers 19 Pigeon sound 20 Not tardy 21 Baloney 23 Inept 26 Cuts up in the office? 27 Red in the face 28 Expel from a country, e.g. 30 Catch fly balls 31 Bird that builds a hanging nest 32 “Fast cash� site 35 A couple thousand pounds 36 Cufflinks’ mate, often 38 “Aw� follower 39 Before, in poesy 40 Cleans up text 41 Lucy van ___ of “Peanuts� 42 Opportune

44 World Cup country 46 Lines of cliffs 48 Member of a college for presidents? 49 Process in a blender 50 Wild and fierce 52 “Aladdin� character 53 Intimidating bluff 58 “Brain� of a PC 59 Detroit pro 60 Jeb’s in-law 61 Candied treat 62 Freshmouthed 63 Artist Max DOWN 1 Abbreviated wts. 2 Stein serving 3 “Hold on a ___!� 4 Sound barrier 5 Cordwood units 6 Packs tightly 7 Angel’s instrument 8 Miner’s way out 9 Expression of disapproval 10 Tackle box item 11 One helping you get a seat?

12 A way to pray 13 Snatches, in slang 18 “Nonsense!� 22 Legendary Bruin Bobby 23 It makes waste, it’s said 24 Dislike, and then some 25 Starlit dome 26 Blueprint detail, in short 28 Cheerful little jingle 29 Chapters of history 31 Part of a bride’s get-up 33 Communications business, shortly 34 Thing to park in front of

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Š 2015 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com Š 2015 Universal Uclick

WE’LL BE LANDING IN... By Tom Cobb

SPORTS

Monday, November 23, 2015 •

7

Offense sputters but Perine shines Sooners struggle to move the ball after Mayfield’s injury SPENSER DAVIS football reporter @Davis_Spenser

Midway through the third quarter Samaje Perine received a hand off on a zone re a d f ro m q u a r t e r b a ck Trevor Knight, just as he did so many times a season ago. He made one cut toward the middle of the field. He ran past a pair of TCU defenders. And then he ran over another. Oklahoma’s newest 1,000yard rusher then regained his balance and surged up field, traveling 72 yards to the end zone on a bum ankle. Austin Seibert’s extra point gave OU its 30th and final point of the night. And with 8:45 remaining in the third quarter, that’s all the Sooners would need. The first half of No. 7 Oklahoma’s 30-29 victory over No. 18 TCU was like any other Sooners effort since losing to Texas on Oct. 10. Baker Mayfield wasn’t efficient — he completed just six of his first 14 passes — but he was effective. He threw for two touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over. One of those touchdowns came after the play that eventually ended his night. Mayfield was on the wrong end of a targeting call with TCU linebacker Ty Summers delivering the hit.

TYLER WOODWARD/THE DAILY

Sophomore running back Samaje Perine fends off a TCU defender Saturday night at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Perine shouldered the load on offense after quarterback Baker Mayfield sat out the second half.

After finishing the half, Mayfield admitted to the training staff he had a headache. Finally exhibiting signs of a concussion that OU feared, his day was done. Trevor Knight relieved Mayfield, but the offense was not the same. With Knight on the field, the Sooners managed just six plays of more than six yards. “We had to try to find a way to get a first down and we didn’t end up doing that as much as we wanted to,”

“Work horses. That’s why (Perine and Sterling Shepard) are out there on the field. Big time players do make big time plays in big time moments and they did.” TREVOR KNIGHT, QUARTERBACK

Knight said. OU struggled to move the ball, but it was able to keep it away from the Horned Frogs. The Sooners won the time-of-possession battle by more than five minutes in the second half, running the ball 27 times. And even though Sterling Shepard didn’t find the end zone in the second half, he made two long catches that extended drives for Oklahoma. He also caught four of Knight’s five completions in the second half. Those plays, coupled with Perine’s enormous run, gave the Sooners a chance to hold on. “Work horses,” Knight said. “That’s why (Perine and Sterling Shepard) are out there on the field. Big

time players do make big time plays in big time moments and they did.” Still, it’s hard to ignore how abysmal the Sooners were in the second half offensively. Removing Perine’s big gain, Oklahoma averaged just 3.4 yards per play after Mayfield left the game. “We weren’t aggressive enough,” offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley said. “We got away from who we are offensively and that’s my fault. That can’t happen.” Riley was limited by Knight’s poor play. He completed just five of 16 passes for 76 yards and an interception. Still, he came to Knight’s defense after the game. “There’s not anything in this offense that he can’t do,”

Riley said. “This is a guy that came as close as it could be to going into the season as the starter and has won a lot of major games. I had full confidence in him. “I wouldn’t say any position group didn’t play well in the second half. We were just OK. We had some things there that kind of just went the other way.” If Mayfield isn’t able to go on Saturday against Oklahoma State, the Sooners w ill once again look to Perine and Shepard to carry the offense. But this time, it could be with a playoff spot on the line. Spenser Davis davis.spenser@ou.edu

2ND HALF OU OFFENSIVE STATS • 2/11 on 3rd down conversions • 17:34 time of possesion • Average field position was at its own 23 yard line • Six punts • One touchdown • One interception, one missed field goal and one turnover on downs

Source: soonersports.com

You Are Invited! Students, Faculty and Staff of All Beliefs and Perspectives Are Invited to

OU’s Annual Holiday Lights 5 p.m. Tuesday, December 1 DAVID A. BURR PARK

South of the S.J. Sarkeys Complex and East of Couch Center

Seasonal Remarks By OU President David L. Boren Enjoy Holiday Music, Hot Chocolate, Hot Apple Cider, Santa and Elves! Oh, and Lots of Lights! For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact the office of Special Events at 325-3784. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo

8

NEWS

• Monday, November 23, 2015

Student veterans lack support Number of college students suffering from PTSD rising

Operations Iraqi Freedom or Op eration Endur ing Freedom have P TSD in a given year, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans TANNER OSBORNE news reporter Affairs website. @tannerosbear A separate veterans affairs government website statAs United States soldiers ed, “In 2013, over 1,000,000 return from the long wars student veterans are using in Iraq and Afghanistan, their GI benefits to pursue student veterans across advanced educational opthe country are suffering portunities.” The site also from post-traumatic stress estimates this number to indisorder. crease by 20 percent in the Student veteran Drew following years. Hendricks said he believes Hendricks said there is a the primary problem for stereotype about soldiers reveteran students at OU is turning home from service the lack of support offered with PTSD that makes them and the fact that the school out to be somehow broken doesn’t provide them with — a word he was hesitant to a space where they can even say. continue to ser ve their “There’s nothing worse community. you can tell a veteran than During his time in the to sit down,” Hendricks said. military, Hendricks served He said that soldiers are 11 years as a combat corre- never finished serving. spondent, or S h a d military pub- “For us, it helps Satterthwaite, lic relations an OU Student just being able V e t e r a n s o f f i c e r, a n d he learned a to be a resource A s s o c i a t i o n whole arsemember, said to anyone on nal of skills he current services thinks should provided to stucampus who be applicable dent veterans says, ‘Hey to his educainclude free or man, I have tion and the discounted tuOU communithis problem...” ition and acty as a whole, cess to medical We can help, he said. assistance and Hendr icks support groups we have the said for veton the campus. experience.” erans dealing Satterthwaite with post-trausaid a lot of the DREW HENDRICKS, matic stress funding for STUDENT VETERAN d i s o r d e r, i t GI bills — GI can be hard to meaning milcome forward or talk about itary personnel — comes these issues. As proof of that, from a combination of state no veteran who suffers from and national government PTSD volunteered to tell his funding as well as private or her story or their opinion funding. on the matter. The Pat Tillman About 11-20 out of every Foundation, an organization 100 veterans who served in that has recently partnered

PTSD BY THE NUMBERS

11-20

out of 100 veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom have PTSD

1

million student veterans are using GI benefits to pursue advanced education oportunities Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

with OU, provides funds for veterans services and scholarships. Satterthwaite said the foundation is a form of private funding. He said groups such a s S t u d e n t Ve t e r a n s Association or the Veteran Support Alliance help provide a sense of comaraderie for veterans returning to civilian life. The type and extent of service a veteran receives can depend on the branch of the military which they served because different GI bills have different requirements and extents to which they assist veterans, according to Satterthwaite. He also said that certain groups on campus work with organizations such as the National Veterans Association to get veterans on OU’s campus help or support that OU may be unable to provide. “For soldiers coming back from service, it’s a whole different world,” Satterthwaite said. He said veterans who return from service and are suffering from PTSD can access support from Goddard Health Center. However, this

SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY

Drew Hendricks is a student veteran who served 11 years as a combat correspondent. Hendricks believes the main problem for veteran students at OU is the lack of support offered.

is one of those examples of a time when an OU group may help facilitate further help from outside organizations such as the Veterans Association, Satterthwaite said. Hendricks said he and the other veterans in his group appreciate the support they receive from the university and students, and he believes the university is doing the best job that it can. “I don’t want to slam the college,” Hendricks said, ”The college — most colleges — just aren’t prepared for this issue.” However, Hendricks does not think veterans are represented or utilized enough on campus. He argued that veterans, young or old, have been taking care of themselves for years. They learned to cook, lead, balance a checkbook and be an adult during their time in service, he said. “ Fo r u s, i t h e l p s ju s t being able to be a resource to anyone on campus who

says ‘Hey man, I have this problem,’” Hendricks said. “We can help, we have the experience.” He said veterans are often times natural born leaders or are trained to become leaders. At the very least, Hendricks said, soldiers are trained to be excellent followers, which is a skill he believes could help teach students on campus. “I have led Marines into serious situations in order to solve serious problems,” Hendricks said. “We aren’t just learning to lead — we’ve done it.” “We are the best resource for students who have questions, and yet we are still your peers. I’m still a student. I’ve got deadlines like you do. I’ve got tests like you do. I’m going through the same things as you,” said Hendricks. It is this similarity yet difference in experience that Hendricks thinks veterans really need. Hendricks spoke of a general named

James Mattis, who Hendricks called the example of everything awesome and good about being a Marine. Mattis believed in something he called ‘post traumatic growth, which Hendricks summarized as “the idea that there are a lot of people who face trauma every day and triumph because of it.” That is the attitude Hendricks thinks makes military veterans such good and capable leaders. Hendricks admitted that he cannot speak for all of them, but for him, the best support veterans can receive is the kind that gives them the chance to continue serving their community, which is what he believes will help them heal best. No official could be rea ch e d f ro m G o d da rd Health Center in response to questions about services it provides for veterans. Tanner Osborne Tannerosborne84@yahoo.com

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Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.