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GIBBS WINS SGA
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Presidential and vice-presidential candidates Adran Gibbs and Prince Ohene-Nyako win with 84.1 percent of the vote, defeating Otto Wimer and Donald Duechting. For more coverage, visit oudaily.com.
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Comic books are displayed inside Speeding Bullet comic book store Oct. 26. The store hosts events like comic book signings, movie nights and concerts.
COMIC CORNERSTONES Local comic, gaming stores become Norman staples, see rise in readership as genre gains more traction
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n an age when comic heroes have moved from paper to the big screen, local comic book stores have continued to grow and thrive as new customers are drawn into the worlds found among the pages. Norman has two local shops dedicated to selling comics : Speeding Bullet Comics, a traditional comic store w ith a large selection of both new and old comics, located on Porter Avenue; and Wizard’s Asylum, a combined comic and gaming store located on West Main Street. Both stores rely on the continuous growth of the comic book industry to draw in customers. Dan Nash, store manager at Speeding Bullet Comics, has worked in the store for 15 years. Nash said he started reading comics as a kid and never stopped. He said there are various genres of comics, not just ones about superheroes. There are science-fiction comics, satirical graphic novels and more. “It’s real-life adventures. It’s fantasy,” Nash said. “There’s something out there can interest just about anybody.” Nash said Speeding Bullet Comics recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in July. “We’ve enjoyed being a staple here in town for quite a while,” Nash said. The store also hosts community events to draw new customers to the store, Nash said. The store is always trying something new, from comic book signings to movie nights and concerts. The store also attends local conventions and sells comics to promote the store and reading in general. “Our main focus is to spread literacy and hopefully bring in a new generation of comic book readers,” Nash said. According to Nash, the store has not experienced any financial hardship in recent years. He said the store has a dedicated
SAM TONKINS • @SAMANTHATONKINS group of customers but also gains new customers e ver y month. Nash said the increase in comic-based superhero movies has had a positive impact on the store. “I have quite a few customers come in with their children, and they say that they saw the movie and that they want to read up on the characters,” Nash said. Additionally, the comic industry has grown significantly over the years, Nash said.
“It’s real-life adventures. It’s fantasy. There’s something out there can interest just about anybody.” DAN NASH, STORE MANAGER AT SPEEDING BULLET COMICS
“When I was a kid, both the big companies — Marvel and DC — they both had in the range of 20 to 30 comics that came out each month, and it has only quadrupled,” Nash said. According to Comichron, a website that tracks comic sales, the comic book industry has continuously made over $1 billion in profit annually each of the last three years. In January 2018 alone, the site documents the release of more than 500 different comic titles, compared to 48 documented in 1960. James Zeigler, OU associate professor of English, teaches a class on graphic novels at OU. He said comic book classes are becoming the norm at universities. “Every English department at a flagship school like OU in the country has got a regular comic book class, and that’s been true for 10 or more years,” Zeigler
said. He said OU’s class approaches comics as a piece of literature, just like any other English class. The syllabus is full of a variety of different comics and shows the complex nature of the genre. “There are a lot of really smart, difficult, impressive, challenging graphic novels that have been published,” Zeigler said. Zeigler said the comic book industry is still growing and adapting. “The genre called the graphic novel is really a contemporary concern, so to be teaching that and studying that, it’s kind of like we are watching a literary form come into its own, come into its maturity. It’s happening now,” Zeigler said. “It’s as if we are watching the form develop resources in the same way that stage plays came into their own in Shakespeare’s day.” Bryan Alcorn, owner of Wizard’s Asylum, opened the doors to his store in 1999, and said it has continued to grow and develop since then. Alcorn said he discovered his love of comic books at a young age. “When I was a kid, they were in 7-Elevens and stuff,” Alcorn said. “One day, I just bought an ‘X-Men’ book that the cover stood out to me. I just bought it and read it and started buying them every minute after that.” After Alcorn graduated from OU in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in meteorology, he decided to try to turn his passion into a living. “I graduated when I was like 21,” Alcorn said. “I figured that I would try this and see if it’ll work, and if it doesn’t, I’m young enough. I can go get a real job. But it’s worked out.” Alcorn said when the store first opened, it relied heavily on the Pokémon craze of the early 2000s in order to stay open. Now, the store features a variety of products and has had no
financial trouble in recent years. In addition to selling comics, Wizard’s Asylum sells a variety of role-playing games, including “Magic: The Gathering” and “Dungeons and Dragons.” The store also hosts several weekly tournaments where people in the community can come together and play these games. Alcorn said comics and gaming go together, and that many people who like comics also like gaming. He said that both activities focus on the imagination. “I really like fantasy and stories and stuff like that,” Alcorn said. “It’s what drew me to D&D, and the same with the comics — just the worlds they create and stuff, it’s something that I like to delve into.” Joe Laufersweiler has been a full-time employee at Wizard’s Asylum for the past three years, but before that, he was a regular customer. He said he is more interested in the gaming side of the store, and many of his friends are store regulars. “A lot of my off nights I’ll
spend up here anyway, playing the games that I sell to people,” Laufersweiler said. He said both comics and gaming are often a social activity, particularly gaming. “ It ’s re a l l y e a s y t o i n t ro duce yourself to new people,” Laufersweiler said. “It’s like, well, we have two people here for a game and we need two more, so let’s ask some people we don’t know.” With two comic book stores in town, it seems that the competition would be fierce. However, Alcorn said this is not really the case, and that they often send customers to each other. “We both sell comics, so obviously there’s some competition there, but (with Speeding Bullet Comics, it’s) a different type,” Alcorn said. “They are more of the old-school with lots of back issues. We do a lot of the gaming. We really do our own things.” Sam Tonkins
samantha.tonkins@ou.edu
AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY
A row of comic books are displayed inside Speeding Bullet comic book store Oct. 26. The store celebrated its 20th anniversary in July.
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• November 1-4, 2018
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
Siandhara Bonnet, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/life&arts • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
Friends book concerts at OU Son, grandson of famous musicians co-founded NXN SIANDHARA BONNET @SiandharaB
Music is everything to Yezikiel “Zeke” Benoit and Stelen Covel. For the founders of Nostalgic Nights, a concert booking company, music has been integral to them lives, teaching them about life and the music industry for the past 21 years. Best friends since sixth grade, Benoit and Covel’s love of music evolved into a need to share music, and their passion, with large groups of people. “You can listen to a song and it can make you cry, it can make you laugh, it can make you happy. It just gives you all kinds of emotions,” Covel said. “It embodies everything of what you want to be. If you want something, you can listen to a song and it’ll make you feel a certain way.” Covel, an entrepreneurship senior, is the son of country music artist Toby Keith and has witnessed the music industry firsthand. Covel watched as shows and music were produced behind the scenes. “I’ve seen it all up close and personal for my entire life,” Covel said. “I’ve seen from agencies, to backstage, to production, to production of an actual song, to actual performance.” With this knowledge and their families’ ties to the music industry, Covel and Benoit decided to start a business together. “It’s time for us to take over what we know how to
do and kind of be our own company,” Covel said. Benoit grew up in Oklahoma and said his father and mother weren’t major figures in his life, so he relied on his grandfather. However, his grandfather was a busy man, and although he was a role model and influence, he relied heavily on music to teach him. “I felt like at times, music taught me some stepping stones,” Benoit said. “(Rappers and artists) taught me lessons in life that I might … have learned the hard way as opposed to not learning the hard way.” Benoit ’s grandfather, Howard Pollack, helped start the Zoo Amphitheatre in Oklahoma City in the late 1970s. Pollack began as a high-profile rock music photographer in New York. He is now known for large venue rock and popular music concerts, according to his bio page on Zoo Amp. After an EF5 tornado devastated Moore in 2013, Benoit’s grandfather put together a tornado relief concert at the Gaylord FamilyOklahoma Memorial Stadium. Covel’s father, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks and many other Oklahoma artists performed. This was the first sign for Benoit and Covel that they could handle the demands of putting on concerts. “It was massive. … That was the first time we actually thought about (joining the industry),” Covel said. “We felt like inherently it was our show.” Covel started college at Arizona State University and later decided to transfer to OU his sophomore year. Benoit, however, began at
OU, but left in 2017. Instead, he went all in for Nostalgic Nights, or NXN. “I trust in the plan of life, I believe everything was written in advance. All I can do is just follow my footsteps and be the best person I can be tomorrow,” Benoit said.“Right now I feel confident going full into my business — our business — and growing this into something huge.” Benoit eventually pitched NXN to his best friend, and the two have been co-founders ever since. “ I l o o ke d ove r i t a n d thought it was a really good business opportunity and something I’m really passionate about,” Covel said. “I know Zeke is really passionate about it, so it was a perfect fit.” In 2017, Nostalgic Nights launched its first public concert at OU’s Bid Day, greek life’s celebration of new members. The two brought artists Metro Boomin and Juicy J to campus. They said about 3,300 people attended the concert. “When we locked up university bid day, our grandfathers didn’t make any calls, (Covel’s) dad didn’t make any calls,” Benoit said. “(The organizations) came to us knowing what our positions were, where our families are in life, and they came to us and said, ‘do you think you can throw a better show than what was thrown last year?’ We said, ‘Yeah, we feel very confident we can do so,’ and we did that year.” The company booked six concerts just for OU and Greek life after that and was booked again for Bid Day 2018. OU’s chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha, or PIKE, had its first
Famous Dex performs at a fraternity bid day Aug. 24.
fall rush this year. For Bid Day, they paired with some of the bigger names on campus in order to get their name in front of the incoming students. However, the performer for the concert canceled their show. PIKE then partnered with Kappa Sigma and a few other fraternities for a concert put on by Nostalgic Nights. When that artist canceled their appearance the night before the show, NXN found a new artist, set and opener, and paid out of their own pocket, said Cael Staton, new member educator and treasurer for PIKE. “They were very generous, worked very hard, tirelessly, for about 24 hours to make sure that they can get the new artist, get their team flown in, put them in hotel rooms (and) make sure
they’re comfortable here,” Staton said. “They did a really great job and made us very proud and happy to work with them, for all the work and adjusting that they had to do.” However, NXN’s audience expands past Oklahoma’s borders — it hosted a show at the University of Arkansas, which featured artist Slander, and in Las Vegas. NXN hosts a combination of public and private events and hopes to expand more into the public sphere. However, both Benoit and Covel said the company isn’t about making a profit. “We’ve actually gone in the red on multiple occasions just for these shows for these kids,” Covel said. “ It ’s j u s t g re a t t o h av e the joy of music bringing
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people together. That’s kind of what we’re about, that’s our mantra.” Benoit and Covel said they’re in it for the long haul and understand the business is an investment, but they think it’s worth it, especially if it’s in the name of music. “It’s all about the experience,” Benoit said. “We were never in it just for the money. We want a great show, a great experience, a nostalgic night, hence the name.” NXN will host Trippie Redd, in conjunction with Unruly Citizens, Nov. 2 at The Criterion in Oklahoma City. Tickets are still available for the show and range between $35 and $125. Siandhara Bonnet arahdnais@ou.edu
Devon Ice Rink makes return for holidays Oklahoma City favorite to host annual festivities KALI GIBSON @kgibson_07
KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY
Cirque du Soleil performers practice during a dress rehearsal on Oct. 31.
Cirque du Soleil combines ice, fun Performers debut winter show this weekend in OKC ALMA CIENSKI @almacienski
The world-renowned Cirque du Soleil will grace the stage at Oklahoma City’s Cox Convention Center this winter, but, for the first time, the stage will be made of ice. “Crystal,” a new ice show from the Canadian acrobatic phenomenon, will glide through Oklahoma City from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4. Fusing acrobatics and ice dancing, this show follows the story of Crystal, a dancer who navigates through a surreal world of her own imagination. “Each show at Cirque du Soleil brings their own storyline and concept, and ‘Crystal’ is no different,” said Julie Desmarais, touring publicist for Cirque du Soleil. “Audiences can expect to see gravity-defying acrobatics such as swinging trapeze, hand-to-hand and aerial straps combined with
the motion and the speed of ice skating.” This spectacle on ice portrays four acts of Crystal’s journey — “Reflection,” “Playground,” “Ballroom” and “Tempête,” which is French for “storm.” In “Reflection,” Crystal sees her reflection dancing above her on the ceiling and then performs in a duet with her reflection. “Playground” portrays the creation of Crystal’s imagination, when a hockey game develops into a thrilling skater show, with highspeed tricks that transform the floor into a giant pinball machine, according to Cirque du Soleil’s website. “Ballroom” blends ice and air in a graceful duet. An aerial performer suspended by straps will lower near an ice dancer, and the two will combine their strengths as they perform together. “Tempête” features the most familiar movements from Cirque du Soleil, as performers engage in tosses, flips and spins, all while gliding on ice. Because this show
combines the challenging acts of acrobatics and ice skating, many of the artists had to learn an unfamiliar skill, like the swinging trapeze act performed with ice skates, Desmarais said. Similarly, many of the ice skaters cast for “Crystal” had to learn acrobatic tricks, Desmarais said. “‘Crystal’ invites our audience to suspend reality and glide into a world that springs to colorful life with astounding visual projections and a soundtrack that seamlessly blends popular music with the signature sound of Cirque du Soleil,” Desmarais said. “Crystal,” an acrobatic spectacular on ice, will open Oct. 31 and run through Nov. 4 at the Cox Convention Center. Ti c k e t s a r e n o w o n sale, ranging from $58 to $160, although prices and availability are subject to change. Tickets are available online or at the Cox Convention Center box office. Cirque du Soleil will also perform “Crystal” Nov. 7-11 in Tulsa’s Bank of Oklahoma Center.
As the holiday season approaches, downtown Oklahoma City gets ready to host its annual festivities. Devon Ice Rink will officially reopen for the 201819 season in the Myriad B o t a n i c a l Ga rd e n s o n Nov. 9 as part of Oklahoma C i t y ’s D o w n t o w n i n December, a string of holiday events. The event includes light festivals, popup shops and outdoor ice skating. The rink will be open from Nov. 9 to Jan. 27 and
will offer events for all ages throughout the holiday season. “It’s a lot of fun and good family time,” said Terri Alleman, rink manager. “We get all different types of people and skaters from all over the country.” Every Friday in December, the rink will offer an event called Rock N’ Skate from 7 to 9 p.m. During this event, a DJ will play live music while people skate. The rink also offers curling classes to people of all ages. Curling is a game that involves two teams attempting to slide a flat stone toward a target on the ice. Curling class admission is $20 for Myriad Garden members and $25 for
Alma Cienski
aacienski@ou.edu
The Devon Ice Rink will reopen Nov. 9 for the holiday season.
non-members. Classes will be available from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Nov. 17, Dec. 1 and 15,and Jan. 5 and 19. Alleman said the rink is unique because “you don’t find many outdoor ice rinks in Oklahoma,” and it appeals to all age. Devon Ice Rink tickets for non-Myriad Garden members cost $13 per person or $9 per person in a group of 10 or more. The rink will be open from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday -Thursday, 3-11 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9 through Jan. 27. Kali Gibson
kali.n.gibson-1@ou.edu
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November 1-4, 2018 •
NEWS
Anna Bauman, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
LGBTQ people fight policy OU student will hold protest to support trans rights
SCOTT KIRKER @scott_kirker
An OU student is holding a protest this weekend in support of transgender rights following reports last week that the Trump administration intends to change the legal definition of the word “gender” to reflect the sex assigned at birth. Sawyer Stephenson, LGBTQ studies junior, said they’re holding the protest on the south plaza of the state Capitol from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3. Stephenson said an Oct. 21 New York Times article spoke of a Trump administration memo that would change the way gender is recognized so people could only be classified at birth as male or female. This change would be dangerous for transgender and intersex people, Stephenson said, since it would encourage gender surgeries on intersex people — those who are born without physical characteristics that fit into the male or female category — and it could open up transgender people
VIA WE WILL NOT BE ERASED FACEBOOK EVENT
A protest in support of transgender rights will be hosted this weekend at the Oklahoma Capitol by Sawyer Stephenson, an OU student.
to increased discrimination. “That’s really dangerous for transgender people because it is kind of open season for discrimination in the workplace, in housing and in healthcare,” Stephenson said. Because of the importance of this cause to Stephenson, they set up a Facebook event for a protest that Stephenson said they expected “would be just me and a couple buddies going to the Capitol on the 27th and just standing outside with signs.” But the event quickly gained traction. “ Wi t h i n a f e w h o u r s,
several hundred people had RSVP’d or shown that they were interested. Then a bunch of organizers started reaching out to me from the ACLU and Freedom Oklahoma,” Stephenson said. The event will include numerous talks from keynote speakers and community members, Stephenson said. “We have a few keynotes, one of which is Alyssa Bryant, who is a transgender lawyer from Tulsa who specializes in Title XII and Title IX protections,” Stephenson said. “We’ll have speakers for the first hour and a half.
attending, and more than 1,400 people are interested. Stephenson, who is transgender, said this cause is especially important to them. “I’m pretty early on in my transition,” Stephenson said. “I didn’t come out publicly to everyone until January of this year. I haven’t started hormone therapy or had any surgeries yet.” Stephenson said they have experienced gender-based violence due to being transgender, and this change would add numerous difficulties for them moving forward. “This is going to make it a lot harder to get my license changed from female to male,” Stephenson said. “It’s going to make it harder to get top surgery and for my insurance to pay for it. It’s going to make it a lot harder to get equal treatment in health care, equal treatment in housing — which I’ve already had an issue with — and fair treatment in the workplace.”
They’re going to be community members, allies, parents of transgender students.” Stephenson said the protest will also include resource tables for organizations such as Trans Lifeline and The Trevor Project, two resources for transgender people and LGBTQIA individuals in general. As of noon on Wednesday, Sawyer Stephenson is a a GoFundMe Stephenson former OU Daily employee. created to raise money for costs of the protest has received $1,350 from 40 doScott Kirker nors since its creation on scott.t.kirker-1@ou.edu Oct. 21. More than 350 people have marked on the Facebook event that they are
OU group says email ‘violates rights’ Republicans think university can’t monitor costumes ANNA BAUMAN @annabauman2
The OU College Republicans expressed concern via Facebook about the university “violating” students’ freedom of expression in response to an Office of University Community memo reminding
students to wear respectful Halloween costumes. The letter from the Office of University Community, an office committed to enhancing the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion, is addressed to the OU community and reminds people to design their Halloween costumes respectfully because cultural appropriation of identities can be offensive. “Please select your costumes and depictions in a way that does not demean,
dehumanize or diminish anyone’s identity or culture,” the memo reads. The memo provides three online resources to help individuals decide if their costume is OK. These include an article titled, “What is cultural appropriation?,” a Vox article called, “Don’t get what’s wrong with black face? Here’s why it’s so offensive” and another article titled, “When free expression becomes microaggression.” The OU College
Republicans posted a photo of the memo in a Monday Facebook post, which was later taken down, saying: “It is not the university’s prerogative to monitor people’s Halloween costumes.” “It may have good intentions, but sending an email like this one is getting dangerously close to violating faculty and students’ First Amendment right to freedom of expression,” the OU College Republicans post says. “OU should be a place where students and
faculty are free to express themselves. To clarify, we are NOT — under ANY circumstances — advocating for blackface or racism. However, students should be able to choose their Halloween costumes independently of ‘cultural appropriation’ warnings from liberal OU, especially if they are conducting themselves in a respectful manner.” Anna Bauman
Anna.M.Bauman-1@ou.edu
Bookstore moves to Campus Corner Shop transitions to new online vendor, different location SCOTT KIRKER @scott_kirker
The company currently contracted as OU’s official bookstore seller will soon move to Campus Corner, but OU will offer book services from an online vendor, rather than a brick-and-mortar store. According to a spring announcement on the provost’s website, the university is in the process of transitioning from Follett, the company that has and will continue to run the OU Bookstore through the end of the fall semester, to Akademos, a rising online book vendor that provides services to more than 20 universities across the country. A detailed Q&A section provides additional information about the transition to Akademos on the provost’s website. Erin Yarbrough, interim vice president for OU Public Affairs, said in an email to The Daily she served on the university bookstore committee which was charged with evaluating potential book providers. She shared more information about the process in that capacity, rather than from her role within OU Public Affairs. Yarbrough said in the email that the committee,
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considering both the textbook provider and fan shop, which are both currently maintained by Follett, determined the new provider based on a competitive bidding process. The committee that delved into the issue was composed of representatives from the provost’s office, administration and finance, information technology and athletics. Tom Kline, a spokesperson for Follett, said the company is not convinced that its services are no longer needed. “We really believe that a campus store, given the complexity of the campus book process, dealing with all the publishers, the various faculty needs,” Kline said. “Our position is that an online solution for a university the size of OU is a big challenge.” Kline said this concern led Follett to the decision to move to the location formerly occupied by CVS on Campus Corner. “We’re moving, and we’re going to maintain the very same set of services that we’ve maintained all along,” Kline said. “Because the service requirements, it’s so important to be local and part of the campus life and process.” Ac c o rd i n g t o t h e a n nouncement on the provost’s website, Akademos will allow students to purchase new and used textbooks, e-books or choose
ZHENG QU/THE DAILY
The future location of the OU Bookstore on Campus Corner Oct. 26. OU is switching to an online textbook vendor.
low-cost rental options. Akademos also offers an online marketplace that allows students to buy and sell directly from individuals or third parties according to the announcement. The announcement says free shipping options would be available to students, but it is unclear how long it would take for books that are purchased with free shipping to arrive or how this shipping would be able to compete with outside free shipping options for textbooks. The Daily had scheduled an interview with Raj Kaji, the company’s CEO, to gain more knowledge of Akademos and its services when representatives of the company were on campus in September for staff trainings, but Kaji was asked to cancel the interview by a representative of the university. A large number of the
universities that Akademos services have student bodies of fewer than 5,000 students, but Yarbrough said in an email Akademos works with City University of New York, a network of colleges that has about 120,000 students. “Akademos employs a third party logistics company to ensure they are able to stock and ship materials quickly,” Yarbrough said in the email. “Additionally, they’ll be able to source materials from around the country to ensure there’s enough stock available.” Yarbrough added that OU is working with other clients of Akademos to ensure a smooth transition. “Akademos has also already hired an account manager that will be on site at OU, and this person is already working to ensure there is a strong customer service element to the transition for
faculty,” Yarbrough said. The shift could mean increased competition among book sellers that service Norman. Akademos will join Follett’s relocated OU Bookstore and local book sellers such as Ratcliffe’s, in competition with other online book sellers such as Amazon. Yarbrough said in the email that Akademos will price-match against online retailers and local brick-andmortar stores. “A large majority of students purchase textbooks off campus currently, and we hope that with this new partnership we are able to give students an easier and less-expensive way to purchase textbooks without having to hunt around for the best deal,” Yarbrough said in the email. Kline said that he maintains that an on-campus presence is vital to business success. “We feel that we have a competitive advantage of not only offering everything that online providers can provide,” Kline said, “but we also have that local connection and understanding of not only what the campus is about, but what students are really looking for and what they need.” Scott Kirker
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NEWS
• November 1-4, 2018
Shurbaji declines nomination SGA president chosen for search committee, refuses NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg
After being chosen to serve on an executive search committee over student candidates nominated through an application process, OU’s Student Government Association president asked the OU administration to remove his name. SGA President Yaseen Shurbaji, Vice President Hannah Hardin and Undergraduate Student Congress Chair Tom Cassidy put together an application process to pick student representatives to serve on a search committee to fill the position of vice president of Student Affairs. They reviewed applications and selected four candidates from within and outside SGA for Gallogly’s administration to ultimately select two candidates. Shurbaji’s name was not one of the candidates put forth for Gallogly to consider, but on Oct. 22, Gallogly’s administration picked Shurbaji to serve on the committee anyway. A f te r b e i ng s e l e c te d , Shurbaji asked OU Human Resources to remove his name from the committee since his selection was not in line with the process student leaders agreed upon. Shurbaji said he thinks the Gallogly administration
picked him because of the close relationship between the SGA president and vice president for Student Affairs. “The Student Government Association president shares a very close relationship with the dean of students,� Shurbaji said. “The logic of President Gallogly and the Board of Regents was to make sure that my name was at least one of the two names. Their reasoning behind that wasn’t personal.� However, the logic Shurbaji refers to went against the SGA process, and Cassidy said the administration’s decision to not choose from the selected candidates was “frustrating.� “SGA leaders from multiple branches all agreed on a process,� Cassidy said. “We agreed on nominees, and for the administration to ignore that process that went on internally in the SGA, which is a process we have full autonomy for under the regents’ policy manual — it was frustrating.� The OU Board of Regents’ Policy Manual does specify students will be represented on vice presidential search committees and specifies it’s up to SGA to decide how to recommend students to those committees. The Daily reached out to OU Public Affairs and asked specifically why the administration ignored the SGA’s candidates and instead chose Shurbaji, which interim Vice President for Public Affairs Erin Yarbrough did not specifically address in her response.
Election turnout expected to rise Cleveland County anticipates high numbers of voters CHARLEY LANZIERI @charlanzieri
eight years to be considered inactive and then purged, explained Singer. Management information systems junior Andy Ta will vote in the upcoming election on Nov. 6. “I was partially inspired by the 2016 election to be more politically active,� Ta said when asked why he was voting this year. “It’s because of my frustration with the current government. I think a lot of college students just don’t care, they don’t think their vote matters, or they don’t understand how it works, so they just don’t care about it.� Journalism sophomore Ra’Shaud Buie said he will not be voting in the midterms. “I’m too busy to go get re-registered, and I just haven’t looked into how to get registered in Norman,� Buie said The election board is still entering eligible voters who got their registration mailed or delivered by Friday, Oct. 12, so the number of registered voters will increase, according to Singer. “We’re the third largest county as far as registered voters, with the total registration over 150,000 county-wide,� Singer said.
Midterm election turnout on OU’s campus is expected to be higher than usual when compared to other counties. This upcoming midterm election, the registration at the polling place nearest to campus, University Lutheran Church, is significantly higher than it was previous years. There are more than a thousand people already registered to vote at this precinct, according to Cleveland County Election Board Assistant Secretary Kathy Singer. Comparatively, the voter registration at the Stillwater campus polling place is 95 voters, according to Payne County Secretary Alyson Dawson. “Our registration is up 3,000 percent from where it was two years ago,� Singer said. “That takes into consideration that since then, we’ve done a purge.� A purge is when a voter has been inactive, meaning they have not voted or updated or confirmed their information for two general elections, Charley Lanzieri and then their registration is charlton.r.lazieri-1@ou.edu removed. It takes about six to
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.
JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
SGA President Yaseen Shurbaji speaks to a reporter in the SGA offices Aug. 21.
Yarbrough said the reason for Shurabji’s selection is because of the close relationship between the SGA president and vice president for Public Affairs, but explained Shurbaji is working to choose a replacement. “Shurbaji has chosen to decline the nomination for the
committee,� Yarbrough said. “He is working with interim Vice President for Human Resources Marcy Fleming to place another student on the committee as soon as possible from among those put forward through the recent student nomination process.� Shurbaji and Cassidy both
said they were not informed that OU’s administration intended to choose a candidate SGA had not chosen until Shurbaji got the email stating he was on the committee. “This is whole process was something that within SGA I was really pushing because I believe it’s important we have
open applications,� Cassidy said. “I feel like that is an integral part of the process of having a fair and open consideration that’s accessible to the entire student body, not just SGA insiders or leaders.� Nick Hazelrigg
nickhazelrigg@ou.edu
OU fails on real food promise Resolution suggests rethinking of purchasing policy DREW HUTCHINSON @drethegirl
O U ha s pu l l e d away from a Boren-era commitment to purchase 20 percent “real food� by 2020, O U Pu b l i c A f f a i r s ha s confirmed. Former OU President David Boren, signed the Real Food Challenge in the spring of 2015. Through this national program, the university pledged to attempt to purchase 20 percent “real food� by 2020. “Real food� is local/community-based, fair, ecologically sound and/or humane, according to the OU Housing and Food website. Gina Werdel is a member of Uprooted and Rising, a campus group that strives to end university affiliation with big food corporations. Werdel said she advocated for the Real Food Challenge last spring but was alerted this semester by David Annis, OU Housing and Food Services director, that the Real Food Challenge
had ended at OU. Despite OU’s movement away from the challenge, it will still strive to uphold real food purchasing in its smaller operations, Annis said in an Oct. 30 statement through OU Public Affairs. He said many local vendors are going out of business, which makes achieving the original 20 percent goal difficult. “While Food Ser vices strives for the highest level
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
The OU Housing and Food office located on the bottom floor of Walker Tower.
Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker November 1, 2018
ACROSS 1 Wonderland VIP 6 Abound 10 Spain’s El ___ 13 Mr., in Tijuana 14 “Come ___ the light� 15 River of Ireland 16 Mr., Mr. and Mrs.? 19 Common English assignment 20 Emulates Rory McIlroy 21 Hockey legend Bobby 23 Knitting term 26 Quavering effect in music 27 Adjust one’s shoelace 30 TV’s Zahn 32 On the ___ (sneakily) 33 Scarab 35 Tow truck’s target 37 Who Lucy’s building was? 41 Date night option 42 Embark, as on a journey 44 Org. with many specialists
11/1
47 Kidneyrelated 49 Seals the fate of 50 Marshmallowy drink 52 Skin-cream additive 54 Offering of appeasement 55 All gunked up 57 Faux pas 60 Whose Shakespeare tale was tragic? 65 Product box listings 66 Poet Angelou 67 Christie and Karenina 68 Hallow part? 69 Flower supporter 70 Pie part DOWN 1 Silvery-gray shade 2 Romanian coin 3 Newspaper employee 4 Some picnic leftovers 5 Timeline divisions 6 Get ready for company 7 Nine penny’s four 8 Traveling guesstimate 9 ___ Blanc 10 Dire situation
of ‘real food’ and most affordable (food) for students system-wide, the number of producers available and the current costs prevent the University from achieving the Real Food Challenge system-wide,� Annis said in the statement. Werdel said she underst o o d O U Hou s i ng a n d Food’s reasons for pulling away from the challenge but said she wants to raise student awareness of the issue.
11 How some pay balances 12 Profoundly 15 Large pitcher 17 20 winks 18 Set apart 21 Sun or globe, e.g. 22 Coral ___ 24 Injustice inducer 25 Fly on a hook 28 Part of a checklist 29 Bygone Cadillac 31 Restricts? No, U-turn 34 Thing on the house 36 2018 diet type 38 Jazz legend Simone 39 Unresolved thing
40 Super large wrestler 43 Fl. oz.’s 6 44 Earn, as interest 45 Oozing gloom 46 Astuteness 48 Backup 51 Poems of tribute 53 Mer fill 56 Thanksgiving sides 58 Diamond problem 59 Like a tough-tosee line 61 “King� Cole 62 Color changer 63 Kids game cry 64 NNW turnabout
PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER
10/31 Š 2018 Andrews McMeel Universal 10/29 Š 2018 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com
COUPLES WITH? By Timothy E. Parker
“I do not feel as though (the) administration is purposefully doing anything wrong, but we want to show them — and show Gallogly — that students do, in fact, care about ‘real’ food when they become aware of the problems that exist in our food system,� Werdel said. Uprooted and Rising had planned a Nov. 5 protest march in response to the issue but decided to cancel it indefinitely to give the OU administration more time to respond, said Emma DeAngeli, Undergraduate Student Congress sustainability chair and Uprooted and Rising member. DeAngeli wrote a resolution urging the university to form a “food systems working group� that includes OU students, faculty, staff, food services managers and workers, and local stakeholders, according to the document. The resolution passed with unanimous consent at student congress’ Oct. 30 meeting, DeAngeli said. Drew Hutchinson
drew.hutchinson@ou.edu
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Pitch in and help out. Your loyalty and dedication will be impressive, and when you least expect it, rewards Stay focused and moving. Don’t will come your way. Romance is on let the little things get you down. Emotional matters are best handled the rise. with kindness and understanding, not with shouting or vengeful acts. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Keep your life simple and your expenses Look forward to the growth that down. Learn from the way others comes with experience. Choose to be positive and move forward with react to you and protect yourself against anyone trying to talk you confidence. out of something that belongs to you. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- If you fail to stand by your word, someone will notice. An interesting GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Make changes at home that will encourturn of events will develop if you age stress relief. Comfort and make a personal change. Update convenience should be priorities. A your look, image or status. physical improvement will lift your spirits. Fitness and proper diet will SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) lead to better health. -- You’ll want to be on the move. Traveling, learning and meeting people from different walks of life CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Moodiness and overreaction will will be informative and will spark your imagination. It’s time to make lead to isolation. Before you decide to make a fuss, find out exactly a change! what happened. Acting on an assumption will lead to regret. Offer CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Spend less money, regardless of peace and love, not discord. what other people want you to do. Charity begins at home, and mak- LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Too much of anything will not end well. Meling sure you have your expenses and loved ones covered should be low out and relax instead of trying to be in control of everything and your priority. everyone. It’s your turn to take the back seat. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Stick to your plans. Last-minute VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Silence changes will leave you at a loss. is golden. Let your actions speak Don’t worry about the actions or for you to make a difference in a choices of others; stay on course situation involving someone you and don’t go over budget. hold dear. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Spice People are likely to talk behind things up a bit. Love is on the rise, your back. Make a point to avoid and participating in entertaining gossip or people who are fishing and mentally stimulating activities for personal information that you will lead to an interesting encounter shouldn’t share. with someone unique. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last
November 1-4, 2018 •
SPORTS
5
George Stoia, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
Coale confident before season Women unfazed by young players, UConn game CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21
Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale walked up to the podium with a smile on her face for Oklahoma women’s basketball media day Monday evening. Having just come from practice, that smile didn’t leave Coale’s face the whole time as she expressed her excitement for the upcoming season. “We’re having fun right now,” Coale said. “You got us right at the end of practice ... Our team is learning and growing, and it’s the most fun I have all day.” F ro m Bi g 1 2 p h e n o m Shaina Pellington’s growth to playing against UConn, Coale and her team gave the media a preview of w hat ’s t o e x p e c t o f t h e season.
OU women’s basketball head coach Sherri Coale discusses the upcoming season at the Sooners’ media day Oct. 29.
YO U N G T E A M LEARNING FROM THE VETERANS The Sooners have seven freshmen this year. The rest of the team includes three sophomores, a senior and a redshirt senior. This young squad is in contrast to last year’s, when the majority were upperclassmen. A transition in between seasons such as this one can prove to be difficult. Coale sees it as a learning experience. “I love coaching kids who want to learn, and these seven guys really want to learn,” Coale said. “It has been so much fun being in the gym with them. They’re curious, they’re not afraid to be exposed to try something and fail miserably at it and even laugh at themselves a little bit. Then we come back and we fix it.
That’s a process that really helps us grow.” The two oldest players are senior Ijeoma Odimgbe and redshirt senior Gileysa Penzo. They’ve taken on roles as leaders. “I’ve had a lot of them come to me for questions about basketball-related things and non-basketball related things,” Odimgbe said. “I’m always more than happy to help. I love for them to ask me questions or to come to me when they are uneasy about something, and I’m always open to them and letting them know that, ‘Hey, if you need anything I’m always here for you.’” Coale likes how Odimgbe and Penzo have responded to the new faces on the team, she said. “ I c ou l d n o t b e m o re pleased with their
adherence to, and support of, standards as a program,” Coale said. “When you’ve got seven new guys coming in, there’s a lot to learn about how we do business. About how we do life on a daily basis. “They have been great stewards of our standards and great teacher to those young guys.” MADI WILLIAMS’ DEVELOPMENT The freshman guard/ forward is one of the seven freshmen on Coale’s squad. The Fort Worth native is a four-star recruit, according to ESPN, and scored a team high of 13 points in the McDonald’s All-American Game. Coale said she sees big things coming from her. “Madi’s a special player,” Coale said. “She’s a special athlete. She’s strong,
physically as prepared for college basketball as many as any freshman I’ve ever had.” “When challenged, she is really good.” P E L L I N GTO N A N D LLANUSA CHEMISTRY Shaina Pellington proved to be a great addition to the Sooners in their 2017-18 season when she averaged 13.1 points per game in 20 starts, eventually winning Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Pellington connected well with fellow sophomore guard Ana Llanusa, who averaged 12.6 points per game the year before as both players were still freshman. “With every day of experience and with every possession of experience (their chemistry) gets just a little bit better,” Coale said. “I
think there is a mutual respect between the two of them and that has made their chemistry grow, and it’s made their relationship grow both on and off the court.” “At the end of the day, we know that we’re making each other better, and that ’s all that matters,” Pellington said. PLAYING UCONN Arguably the Sooners’ biggest challenge comes before conference play when UConn visits the Lloyd Noble Center Dec. 19. The 2016 national champions had a 36-1 record the year before, making it all the way to the national championship before losing to Notre Dame 61-58. The Huskies are a team the Sooners are excited to play.
AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY
“They’re supposed to be one of the best. I like playing the best,” Pellington said. “I don’t see the point in playing if you’re not playing against the best. We’re all super excited about that and just getting the chance to prove yourself.” “There’s nobody to better measure yourself against than them, so I’m excited about the opportunity. I’m glad we’ve got a few games before that,” Coale said with a smile. “But I’m excited about the opportunity.” The Sooners start their season with an exhibition game against Northeastern State on Monday at 7 p.m. The regular season starts against Western Kentucky on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. Caleb McCourry
caleb.a.mccourry@ou.edu
Kruger’s veterans ready for final season Men’s basketball prepares to take the court this year
o n d i f f e re nt ro l e s t ha n what they’ve had last year,” Kruger said. “We’ve got six seniors. Everyone has got to do a little bit different from what they’ve done CALEB MCCOURRY last year.” @CalebMac21 Kruger and the team gave a preview of what they The Sooners are the oldneed to do for the season. est team in the Big 12. Wi t h s i x s e n i o r s, t w o CALIXTE AND graduate student transfers R E Y N O L D S TA K I N G and just one freshman, YOUNG’S PLACE head coach Lon Kruger has Young was one of college one of the oldest teams he’s basketball’s best players in ever had. To him, it’s an the 2017-18 season, averadvantage. aging 27.4 points per game “If you’ve been through that many years and those and leading the Sooners to games in the Big 12, that a spot in the NCAA March experience is always a Madness tournament. great benefit,” said Kruger, Now that he’s gone, gradusitting at the podium for ate student transfers Miles OU men’s basketball media Reynolds from Pacific and day Wednesday afternoon. Aaron Calixte from Maine “ Wi t h w hat l i e s a h e a d , are poised to take his place. “(Reynolds and Calixte) they know how tough it is are skilled guys,” Kruger and how hard we have to said. “Both bring good enprepare.” ergy and good athleticism Three of these seniors — and are both really good Jamuni McNeace, Rashard people that are good teamOdomes and Christian mates. You combine all of James — have s e en the that together and it makes March Madness tournament twice while playing for a good fit. There are so alongside college basket- many grad transfers you ball stars Trae Young and have to kind of select and see what fits you best.” Buddy Hield. Reynolds and Calixte “I look up to those guys,” have been connecting ever f r e s h m a n g u a r d Ja m a l s i n c e a r r i v i ng o n ca m Bieniemy said when asked pus, which is something about the amount of upReynolds says has helped p e rc l a s s m e n . “ T h e y ’v e him greatly. taught me to be better “The first week we were e ver y day. The y’re just here, I just reached out pushing me to be better.” to Aaron,” Reynolds said. Kruger and his squad of “We just talked for about a seasoned upperclassmen couple hours. We just have have spent the offseason some of the same goals. not just improving, but adI knew that I’m going to justing the roles of specific do everything I can do for players, as well. “The biggest challenge him, and I know he’ll do is we’ve got guys taking the same for me both in
basketball and in life.” Calixte averaged 16.9 p o i nt s p e r ga m e i n h i s redshirt junior season at Maine. Reynolds averaged 13.3 points the same year. Although these aren’t Trae Young numbers, the graduates’ experience is a step in the right direction for replacing the fifth pick in the NBA Draft. “It’s not like they’re coming in as freshman. They’ve been through the college atmosphere and college games. They know a know a little more of what to expect.” K R I S T I A N D O O L I T T L E ’ S REDEMPTION Junior forward Kristian Doolittle sat out the fall semester of his sophomore year after being suspended for not having his grades match the standard of OU athletics. Doolittle said he’s past that now. “I just want to show my teammates that I’ve l e a r n e d m y l e s s o n ,” Doolittle said. “I’m here to play as hard as I can. I’m going to do anything to help us win.” Doolittle had an efficient freshman season with the S o o n e r s, av e ra g i n g 9 . 1 points and 6.2 rebounds p e r g a m e w h i l e s h o o ting 39.5 percent from beyond the three-point line. Kruger says he’s seen improvement over the offseason, and expects to have his role expand. “Kristian Doolittle continues to be more aggressive ever y day,” Kr uger said. “That’s the biggest thing for him is just being
KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY
OU men’s basketball coach Lon Kruger speaks during the Griffin Family Performance Center dedication Aug. 25. The regular season starts Nov. 9.
aggressive. We got to have him get up more shots and be more aggressive on the boards. And he’s doing that.” BRADY MANEK’S GROWING ROLE Young wasn’t the only freshman making an i m p a c t l a s t y e a r. Now sophomore forward Brady Manek asserted himself as a threat outside of the arc along with Young as he averaged 10.2 points per game while shooting more than 38 percent beyond the
arc. “Brady had a good freshman year. He wanted to do all of that and more,” Kruger said. “He’s putting the ball on the floor a little bit more. He’s posting a little bit more. Obviously his game is about how he’s such a good shooter ... But he’s working hard on expanding that to other areas as well.”
Pittsburg State for an exhibition game Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. The regular season starts on the road at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Friday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m. while conference play kicks off Jan. 2 at Kansas. Kruger’s starting line up for Pittsburg State will be Aaron Calixte, Christian James, Kristian Doolittle, Brady Manek and Jamuni W H A T T O K N O W McNeace. FOR THE START OF THE SEASON Caleb McCourry T h e S o o n e r s h o s t caleb.a.mccourry@ou.edu
6
SPORTS
• November 1-4, 2018
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
OU defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill before the game against TCU Oct. 20. McNeill spent 10 seasons coaching at Texas Tech.
McNeill to face former school
OU defensive head was coordinator at Texas Tech ABBY BITTERMAN @abby_bitterman
Ruffin McNeill has spent a lot of time in Lubbock. The Sooners’ interim defensive coordinator spent 10 seasons with the Red Ra i d e r s c o a c h i ng l i n e backers, special teams, defensive tackles and finally taking over as the defensive coordinator. That’s
the longest time he and his wife Erlene have spent in one place. McNeill’s favorite part of coaching at Texas Tech was the same as his favorite part of coaching at any school — the players. “I got really good at PlayStation, Madden, while I was there,” McNeill said. At Texas Tech, McNeill t o o k ov e r a s d e f e n s i v e coordinator in 2007 and helped the Red Raiders improve defensively, so much so that he earned the starting job for the next two seasons. What McNeill did
at Texas Tech is one of the reasons Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley felt comfortable in naming him interim defensive coordinator this season. Relationships are the most important part of a coaching job for McNeill, who said he met lifelong friends while coaching at Tech, like Riley, outside receivers coach Dennis Simmons and co-offensive coordinator and off e n s i v e l i n e c o a c h Bi l l Bedenbaugh. “C o a c h Ru f f t e l l s m e all the time how Coach
Lincoln’s one of his best friends and stuff like that and just how much he adm i re s h ow h e o p e rat e s things,” sophomore linebacker Kenneth Murray said. “So coach Ruff tells me stuff like about that all the time, and coach Lincoln tells me stuff about how Ruff is one of his best friends too.” “Those guys, they have a great relationship, and it’s fun playing football for both of them.” Riley said their relationship was more like father and son when they were at
Texas Tech — or grandfather-grandson, as he likes to joke with McNeill. The connection between the two is part of what brought McNeill to Oklahoma after Riley took over as head coach, and it has also led to Riley entrusting McNeill with improving the defense in the second half of the season. T h a t re l a t i o n s h i p a l l started at Texas Tech and Jones AT&T Stadium. “It’s just a relationship built on trust, a long history, having gone through a lot of ups, a couple tough
moments together too,” Riley said. Saturday night will be McNeill’s first time back in Lubbock since 2009, and he only had one thing to say about what the atmosphere will be like. “It’ll be live,” McNeill said with a grin. “You better have your big boy pants on and big boy clothes. The crowd will be very excited and electric, and that’s just how it is there.” Abby Bitterman abbybitt@ou.edu
Kyler focuses on November, not Heisman Murray wants to push through challenging month GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia
Ky l e r M u r r a y l o v e s football. Shocking, right? The redshirt junior quarterback made that an emphasis during his media availability Monday night. He’s not worried about the statistics or the awards, but instead, just playing the game he loves. “It’s not done, the job is not finished,” Murray said. “But yes, to answer your question, it has been fun. I hadn’t gotten to play football in a while, so for me, yes, it’s been extremely fun. But like I said, the job is not done.” Murray has been spectacular through eight games this season. He’s thrown for 2,329 yards and 28 touchdowns, while also running
for 474 yards and six touchdowns. He’s second in the country in both completion percentage (.73) and passing efficiency (227.3). The Texas A&M transfer is also one of the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy, along with Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. And if Murray were to win the Heisman, Oklahoma would become the fourth school to have back-to-back winners that weren’t the same person (after USC, Army and Yale). But Murray says he’s not worried about any of that. He just wants to play. “I don’t know the stats on the back of my hand,” Murray said. “Me sitting the past two years has helped me a lot. Obviously sitting behind Bake and just being with coach Riley more and more has done wonders for me. “I just try to go out there and play, honestly. I try to do what God blessed me to do, trust the game plan going in and just trust my guys. That’s
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray warms up before the game against Kansas State Oct. 27. Murray is one of the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy, but he says he is not worried about awards and is focused on “Championchip November”.
really it.” Murray’s opponent this week is a familiar foe: Texas Te c h’s K l i f f Ki ng sbu r y . Murray said Monday he almost went to Texas Tech
because of Kingsbury’s style of coaching. “I actually almost went to Lubbock,” Murray said. “Me and coach Kingsbury are pretty close. I was always a
fan of him and what he can do. I know it’s going to be a hostile environment ... I know what to expect. I think it’ll be fun.” The Red Raiders are just
the first test in a month filled with tough games for Oklahoma. The Sooners still have to face in-state r ival O klahoma State a Kansas team that just upset TCU, and make a trip to Morgantown to face Will Grier and West Virginia. But this is nothing new for Murray and Oklahoma. It’s just “Championship November.” “Just because its happened in the past, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen now,” Murray said. “We know the urgency of ‘Championship November’ and what it takes to push through this month. We also have the goals of winning a Big 12 Championship and making the playoff. That’s the standard around here.” George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu
Lincoln talks NFL, Texas Tech, November Three takeaways from head coach’s media conference GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia
No. 7 Oklahoma will be put to the test once again this week, facing Texas Tech on the road. But the Red Raiders weren’t the only thing coach Lincoln Riley talked about at his weekly press conference: RILEY PUTS NFL TALKS TO REST
With the firing of Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson Monday morning, Riley was asked if he’d be interested in coaching in the NFL one day. Riley said “not right now.” “I knew that was coming,” Riley said. “No, not right now. You sit here and answer these questions, and I always want to be truthful, the truth is for me is that I love Oklahoma. I love coaching here, I love college football. I certainly don’t have that itch right now. I don’t know if I ever will. I’m never going to be a guy to stand up here and say ‘No way, no how’
ranking No. 7 in total offense in the country. Riley knows his defense is in for a big challenge. “We’re going to have to be able to adjust to the tempo these guys play with,” Riley said. “They’ve moved the ball on anybody and everyTEXAS TECH’S OFFENSE body. With a mind like Kliff’s P R E S E N T S T O U G H (Kingsbury) and the rest of their staff, you’re going to CHALLENGE get challenged all the way Oklahoma will face anoth- around.” er tough offense this week, maybe the best its faced all C H A M P I O N S H I P NOVEMBER season. Texas Tech has been one The Sooners haven’t lost of the most lethal offenses in the country this season, in the month of November on if any of these things will ever happen — I don’t know that. But I know right now, I could(n’t) care less about the NFL. We’re trying to win this game and make a run that we all think we have in us right now.”
since 2014 when they fell to Baylor 48-14 on Nov. 8. In the coming month, Oklahoma will face its toughest opponents of the season, taking on Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Riley said he credits his team’s ability to win in November to its ability to continue to improve at the end of the season. “We’ve had a lot of tough games in November, and had to play in a lot of tough venues, like we’re getting ready for this week,” Riley said. “We’ve continued to get better. Our practices probably throughout the last several years have been at their best,
our players have been at their best, our mentality has been at its best at this time of year. A lot of other people are getting tired of it, getting tired of the grind, the process, tired of all the little things these guys have got to do day in and day out, and our players have embraced it and worked hard and continued to improve and take it one game at a time. That will be our challenge again this year.” George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu