W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | N O V E M B E R 12 -14 , 2 0 18 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M
OU DAILY
PHOTO COLLAGE BY CAITLYN EPES AND JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
Clockwise from left to right: Head coach Lincoln Riley and redshirt freshman Kennedy Brooks; redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray; junior wide receiver Marquise Brown; and sophomore running back Trey Sermon during the Bedlam game Nov. 10. The Sooners pulled off a 48-47 win against Oklahoma State.
Sooners keep playoff hopes alive after winning nerve-wracking Bedlam game by one point
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sigh of relief. That was Lincoln Riley’s reaction as the clock hit zero at O klahoma Memorial Stadium Saturday. He hugged his wife, picked up his daughter and walked off Owen Field victorious. But the Sooners’ 48-47 win over Oklahoma State didn’t feel like a win. Sooner Nation once again left Saturday’s game feeling lucky — lucky to still have its College Football Playoff hopes alive. For the second straight week, Oklahoma was favored by more than two touchdowns, but it yet again raised every Sooner fan’s heart rate with a lackluster performance. The defense helped Oklahoma State quarterback Taylor Cornelius look like Tom Brady in throwing for 501 yards and the offense — which entered Saturday’s game ranked No. 2 in total offense — couldn’t score to put the game away several times. But a win is a win, especially in Championship November. “Gutsy win,” Riley said in his postgame press conference for second straight week. “It’s still a little surreal, doing all that at this place on this field, winning a historic game in the fashion that we did, getting to do this job
GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGESTOIA I get to do every day and then celebrating with my family. It’s as good as it gets. I love it. “It’ll be fun for this team to continue to go forward. We’ve got some big goals in front of us, big games in front of us, but I think we still like what we have in that room without a doubt.” Riley is confident in his team, even if few others are. While Oklahoma sits at No. 6 in the country, its national perception is not that of a College Football Playoff team. National media and fans have concerns about the Sooner ’s defense, which entered Saturday ranked 65th in the nation and gave up 640 yards to Oklahoma State. OU’s offense is clearly at a national title level, but with a defense that continues to show multiple areas of vulnerability, Oklahoma’s playoffs hopes continue to take a hit. Oklahoma’s path to the playoff isn’t going to be easy, either. The Sooners are likely to blow by Kansas next week, but a trip to Morgantown looks ominous. And Oklahoma will need some help from others. With Alabama and Clemson more than likely to win out, the Sooners have to h o p e e i t h e r No t re Da m e or Michigan slip up along the
way. And then it comes down to the committee’s perception of Oklahoma. But Riley continues to praise
“It’ll be fun for this team to continue to go forward. We’ve got some big goals in front of us, big games in front of us, but I think we still like what we have in that room without a doubt.” LINCOLN RILEY, HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
his team, as he typically does. All he cares about is walking away with a “W.” “I just don’t listen to (the noise),” Riley said. “You just have to win. It’s about winning. It’s not about this team playing that team, this and that, it’s about your matchup on the field each and every Saturday, and at the end of the game you either win or you lose.”
Oklahoma’s defensive issues are not fixable overnight — just ask former defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. But it can improve and make easy fixes, and so far, it has. The glaring issues are still there: They can’t defend the deep ball and rarely get pressure on the quarterback. But when they’re needed most, they’ve come up with the biggest of plays — an interception against Army, a two-point conversion returned the distance against Texas Tech, and a fumble and two-point stop against Oklahoma State. “I don’t think we’re playing good enough defense (to make the playoff ) now,” redshirt senior linebacker Curtis Bolton said. “Do I think it’s gonna keep us out of the playoffs? No. I think we control our destiny ... We’ve just gotta play more consistent. I think there are certain stretches of the games that we play really well, but there are just too many times where we get lulled to sleep and it’s a big play over the top. The big plays are killing us on defense. Once we get that figured out, it’s gonna look a whole lot different.” That seems to be the story with the Sooner’s defense weekin and week-out — “Once we get
that figured out.” When will they figure it out? Maybe soon, maybe never. But as long as Oklahoma stays in the win column, coaches and players are confident the season will work itself out. “And November, what I’ve learned is you’ve just got to scrap,” interim defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said. “And I know the last two weeks have been scraps and fights. Having been in it for a little while, I don’t ever take that lightly.” So Riley and his team, looking relieved to leave Saturday with a win, continue to survive and advance. “I feel great about them. That’s the team we’ve got. I think we know what they’re capable of, and so it’s looking at the whole team,” Riley said. “And I think the whole team, this team’s proven it can separate from some people, it’s proven that we can win tough games, it’s proven that we can handle adversity. Those are all things we have to do here at the end of the season.”
George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu
Campus landscapers ‘blindsided’ by layoffs Employees shocked by job terminations without warning DREW HUTCHINSON @drethegirl
Editor’s note: The two landscapers quoted in this stor y spoke to The Daily on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. OU landscaping employees were “blindsided” by layoffs from the OU administration earlier this month, raising questions about the future of campus beautification. Twenty-five people in the landscaping department were laid
off Nov. 1 as part of OU President James Gallogly’s reduction in workforce, according to a statement from OU Public Affairs. Gallogly laid off approximately 50 employees during this time, including workers from three research offices and the One University store. Two OU landscapers, one current and one former, said the department had no idea the layoffs were coming. “It was just unexpected,” said a landscaper who lost his job as part of the layoffs. “Three folks came into the shop and called us into the back room and sat us down and basically said, ‘Today is your last day of work’ ... Like I said, we were just blindsided.”
The former landscaper said he and the other terminated workers will be paid until Dec. 31, but he said he worries about feeding his four kids in the current job market after his severance pay ends. “We’re all parents,” the former worker said. “We all have families. We live here in Norman. We have bills to pay and things like that, and they (could) have ... gave us some kind of notice this would happen. We could have started looking for other jobs or something.” A current landscaper, who said he believes his 20 years of service to OU helped him keep his job, told The Daily that things around the landscaping department weren’t going well, but that it was
too early to calculate the longterm consequences. He said the situation was worrisome, especially because the workers were caught off-guard with the news. “Nobody knew that they were getting laid off,” the landscaper said. “It’s just, they showed up to work and had to go back home ... It’s terrible when people lose their job, especially some of them who needed them.” In 2015, College Values Online ranked OU as the 10th most impressive historic college campus in the nation, an honor heavily based on green space and flora, according to an OU press release. Entertainment and travel website Thrillist also put OU in the top 25 most beautiful campuses
nationwide in 2014. The former landscaper said he believes Gallogly running OU “like a corporation” will have negative consequences, such as a decline in the university’s noted beauty. “With landscape, OU was one of the top 10 universities in the country, considered a beautiful campus,” the former employee said. “And (Gallogly is) firing all of the landscapers. They are cutting people without realizing the implications they’ll have later on.” The laid-off worker also said he was told OU had plans to privatize its landscaping by bringing in private contractors to do the work of See LANDSCAPING page 5
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• November 12-14, 2018
SPORTS
George Stoia, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
Defense struggles in Bedlam Sooners just barely hold on against Oklahoma State ABBY BITTERMAN @abby_bitterman
Forget it and drive on. It’s something that just about every player on Oklahoma’s defense has said in every post-game interview since Ruffin McNeill took over as the Sooners’ d e f e n s i v e c o o rd i nat o r. Saturday against Oklahoma State, they needed that mentality more than ever. The defense was up and down all afternoon in No. 6 Oklahoma’s (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) 48-47 win over the Cowboys (5-5, 2-5 Big 12). At the beginning of the game, the unit couldn’t get a stop, but late in the second quarter and for all of the third quarter, the defense was standing up to Oklahoma State and forcing punts. Then things started to fall apart. Oklahoma’s defense gave up big plays and struggled to get stops on third down, allowing the Cowboys to convert 10 of 16. “We know that at the end of the day there’s going to be some adversity,” sophomore linebacker Kenneth Murray said. “Nothing always goes your way, so when stuff doesn’t go your way, what you gonna do? You gonna fold? Or you gonna roll up and cry? At the end of the day this defense, we gonna get up and we gonna fight. That’s what we gonna do every day.” Oklahoma’s defensive performance was the second worst of the Lincoln Riley era in terms of total yards
given up (640), coming behind only last year’s Bedlam. McNeill said he looks at himself when the Sooners take a step back defensively like they did Saturday. “‘How could I be better?’ Not the kids,” McNeill said. “What could I have done better to help them? ... But as far as the kids, the most impressive thing is their fight.” The Sooners had an especially difficult time stopping Oklahoma State’s passing attack. Redshirt senior quarterback Taylor Cornelius was allowed to set an Oklahoma State record for passing yards in a Bedlam game, throwing for 501. “Being in this league, there’s going to be some good games and there’s going to be some bad games,” sophomore corner Tre Brown said. “You just can’t be discouraged. You’ve got to do your job.” After scoring a 24-yard touchdown pass to bring Oklahoma State within 1 point, instead of tying the game with an extra point, the Cowboys decided to go for two and the lead. Brown broke up the pass, denying the two-point conversion attempt, and he and junior corner Parnell Motley went running down the field in celebration. “We’ve both had our ups and downs this year,” Brown said of himself and Motley. “There’s times when we’ve both been discouraged at times. There’s a time where we’ve thought it was the end of the world ... After I made that play, we just had that special moment like, ‘Wow, this is what we talked about.’” The defense still has work
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Sophomore linebacker Kenneth Murray celebrates with the Sooners after a fumble recovery in the Bedlam game Nov. 10. The Sooners gave up 640 yards against Oklahoma State, the second most durinng Lincoln Riley’s career as head coach.
to do to improve to where it needs to be, and the players admit this freely, but there are some areas where they are improving. Physically, the defense is still missing tackles and giving up big plays that will continue to hurt it, but Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley sees improvements in other areas.
Playoff hopes hang on offense’s performance Sermon, Brooks carry load as OU’s key running backs PARKER PRIMROSE @parker_primrose
With the game on the line, the Oklahoma offense was in desperate need of a big play. The season hung i n t h e ba la n c e, p layo f f hopes hinged on one drive, and head coach Lincoln Riley decided to turn to two players: redshirt freshman Kennedy Brooks and sophomore Trey Sermon. On the drive that ended up giving the Sooners the lead for the final time, Oklahoma ran the ball five straight times, gaining 53 yards and scoring the winning touchdown. The moment served as an exclamation point on what had been a fantastic night for the Sooners’ rushing attack, as the unit accounted for 353 yards and five touchdowns. “(The ground attack) is the reason that we won the game,” Riley said. “Really proud of the two running backs. They were awesome. The offensive line was awesome. If we continue to run it like that, we’re going to be tough to beat.” The Sooners were without freshman running back T.J. Pledger, so Brooks and Sermon were the only active running backs. Brooks ran for 165 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 11 yards per carry and gaining 49 yards on the game-winning drive. The performance added to what has been a standout season for the running back, who now has 665 total yards and nine touchdowns on the year. “We go out there and we try to dominate,” Brooks said. “Me and Trey, the offensive line, the wide
receivers going down to block for us, and of course the coaches giving us the opportunity to succeed and give us the ball. We just go out there and dominate. We love it.” Serving as the yin to B r o o k s’ y a n g , S e r m o n rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner. Sermon now has 1,025 total yards on the season and eight touchdowns, including 498 rushing yards in the last month alone. “Trey helped me a lot,” Brooks said. “We just fed off each other. It was a good combination. I’m proud of him. I’m proud of the offensive line, we couldn’t have done it without them.” The rise of the running back duo has been a boon to the Sooner offense, as the loss of redshirt junior running back Rodney Anderson earlier in the season was thought to potentially ruin any chance of a playoff bid for Oklahoma. “(Trey and I) just kept working (after Rodney went
down),” Brooks said. “We knew that it was going to rely on us, so we just kept working hard to improve our game and push each other to be the best we can.” As the team prepares for the final two weeks of the regular season and a matchup against No. 7 West Virginia in Morgantown, Riley said Brooks and Anderson are going to only become more important to the Sooners’ quest for another Big 12 Championship. “(The running game has) had a big hand in us winning the last three Big 12 (championships), and if we’re going to do it again, it’s going to be critical,” Riley said. “I think you have to be able to run the ball to win, and to win games in this month here at the end of the season. Right now, we feel like we can do both and we feel like we can do both against anybody.” Parker Primrose
parker.m.primrose-1@ ou.edu
JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
Redshirt freshman running back Kennedy Brooks runs with the ball during the Bedlam game Nov. 10. Sooner running backs accounted for 353 yards and five touchdowns against Oklahoma State.
“I do think we have improved in some areas,” Riley said. “There’s no question. I really do. The way we run to the football, our mentality — I do think there’s absolute growth.” A d e f e n s i v e p e r f o rmance like this would have been even more damaging to Oklahoma against
a better quarterback, as Cornelius only went 34-of53, and when the Sooners head to Morgantown, they could find themselves in trouble if they don’t make adjustments. For now, though, a win is a win for Oklahoma. “It wasn’t pretty, in some standards, but for me it was
because we won,” McNeill said. “I really put that over a lot. Maybe that’s not the answer everybody wants to hear. I just like to win because I’ve been on the other side of that when we didn’t win.” Abby Bitterman abbybitt@ou.edu
SPORTS
November 12-14, 2018 •
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OU coach Lincoln Riley smiles on the sidelines in the Bedlam game Nov. 10. After the game against Oklahoma State Riley said he feels great about the Sooners’ goals for November, despite some calling the game one of Riley’s worst.
Playcalling confuses fans Conservative plays uncharacteristic of Lincoln Riley GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia
Lincoln Riley often leaves opposing teams scratching their heads. B u t S a t u r d a y , i n N o. 6 O k l a h o ma’s ( 9 - 1 , 6 - 1 Bi g 1 2 ) 4 8 - 4 7 w i n ov e r Oklahoma State (5-5, 2-5 Big 12), Riley left Sooner Nation scratching its head with some of his uncharacteristically conservative playcalling. On three different occasions, Riley opted to run the ball on third-and-long, which is very uncharacteristic for the gutsy 35-yearold offensive guru, who continues to garner NFL
coaching talk. And on a critical fourth-and-12 in the third quarter, instead of pinning the Cowboys deep down 35-34, Riley gambled with OU’s playoff hopes on the line. It didn’t pay off. It wa s n ’ t R i l e y ’s b e s t game. Some may even consider it one of his worst. “That’s why they call it Bedlam,” Riley said to open his postgame press conference. “Tremendous game. Very different game — it was very explosive offensively on both sides in the first half. I thought we really controlled things offensively other than a couple drives in the first half when we got down to the red zone but didn’t get touchdowns, so that was certainly the most disappointing part. “And then it kind flipped in the third quarter. Started to see some stops, game
slowed down ... Particularly frustrating on our part that we had some opportunities to get it to a double-digit score game a couple times and just couldn’t come up with the play.” It’s crazy to think the Sooner offense played “badly” after putting up 702 total yards and 48 points. But Oklahoma’s inability to put teams away two weeks in a row because the offense suddenly became inept is not something OU can afford to do if it wants to make back-to-back appearances in the College Football Playoff. But here they are, their defense somehow coming up with two stops — a fumble and two-point conversion stop — giving them a chance to win the game. Who would have thought? And that’s when Riley’s
offense is at its best: When Oklahoma absolutely needs a score. “We knew, when the defense got that stop, it was time to go win the game,” redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray said. ‘Go win the game’ — that was the mindset. I think we did that when we needed to.” Thanks to Murray’s arm, his weapons at wide receiver and two workhorses in running backs Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma’s offense can easily bail itself out whenever it needs to. And that’s not to mention the offensive line, which continues to look like one of the best in the country. The best example of this came in the third quarter on a third-and-11 from the Sooners’ own 26 yard line. Murray passed short to
Marquise Brown, who split two defenders to pick up the first down. Oklahoma scored four plays later. Riley said he told Murray, who was frustrated at the time, to trust his teammates and that he “can’t win it by himself.” And that’s what makes Riley’s system go. Even when his playcalling may sometimes leaves fans scratching their head; he’s one of the best in all of football. Saturday was just an example that Riley isn’t always perfect, but he sure is confident. “I don’t watch a lot of o t h e r t e a m’s o f f e n s e s,” Riley said. “I’m not taking anybody over ours, though. I can promise you that.” George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu
Offense, special teams carry Sooners OU defense earns low grade due to poor performance PARKER PRIMROSE @parker_primrose
Murray’s main outlet in the passing game, as Brown caught eight passes for 142 yards and one touchdown. The star of the Oklahoma offense was the rushing attack, as the Sooners racked up 353 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Leading the charge was a dynamic combination of redshirt freshman Kennedy Brooks and sophomore Trey Sermon, as Brooks ran for 165 yards and three touchdowns while Sermon ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) emerged victorious against Oklahoma State (5-5, 2-5 Big 12) 48-47 in what amounted to an offensive slugfest, as the teams combined for 1,342 yards and nearly 100 points. Here’s how the Sooners stacked up in week 11: DEFENSE: CQuality defensive play OFFENSE: Awas hard to come by, as The Oklahoma offense lit Oklahoma State racked up up the stat sheet, garnering 640 total yards against the 702 total yards and win- Sooners. Oklahoma strugning the time of possession gled particularly on key by more than seven min- downs, as they allowed the utes. However, the Sooners Pokes to convert on a comw e n t t h ro u g h b o u t s o f bined 11 of 17 third and stagnation, including a fourth-down attempts. stretch in the third quarThe Sooner defense conter where a turnover on tinued to have issues dedowns was followed up by fending the passing game, a three-and-out. as Oklahoma State torched Redshirt junior quar- the Oklahoma secondary terback Kyler Murray con- for 501 passing yards and tinued to play at an All- three passing touchdowns. American level, accounting The Pokes seemed to find for 437 total yards and one success downfield at will, touchdown. Murray’s elu- as three different receivers sive play in the pocket was had a reception for 20 yards a necessity, as Oklahoma or more. Especially potent State’s league-leading pass was sophomore wide rerush continually brought ceiver Tylan Wallace, who pressure on its way to three finished with 220 receiving sacks. Junior wide receiv- yards and two touchdowns. er Marquise Brown was Oklahoma’s defense did
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The offense lines up during the Bedlam game Nov. 10. Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State 48-47, with as the teams combining for 1,342 yards and nearly 100 points.
deliver two of the game’s biggest plays, though, as they forced a fumble late in the fourth quarter to set up the game-winning score and then broke up O k l a h o m a St a t e’s t w o point conversion attempt to win the game. On the whole, however, it was not a pretty performance and the Sooners absolutely need to improve in the secondary if they want to stand a chance against West Virginia in two weeks.
SPECIAL TEAMS: AIn a game where every p o i nt mat t e re d , s e n i o r kicker Austin Seibert was perfect, making both of his field goal attempts and all six of his extra point attempts. Seibert’s punting wasn’t great, as his three punts only averaged 36.7 yards, but it was an overall solid day for the Big 12’s alltime leading scorer. Sophomore CeeDee Lamb provided a spark for the Sooners in the return
game, as he returned a punt for 65 yards early in the second quarter to set up a S eiber t field goal. C o nv e r s e l y , O k l a h o m a limited the Pokes to just 21 total return yards, including negative two yards on their singular punt return. Parker Primrose
parker.m.primrose-1@ou.edu
@theoklahomadaily @theoudaily
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VOL.103, NO. 66
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• November 12-14, 2018
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
Siandhara Bonnet, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/life&arts • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
Food truck serves dough to OKC Former NYC chef sells edible cookie dough on the go SAM TONKINS
@samanthatonkins
A n O k l a h o m a C i t y food truck now sells edible cookie dough, which allows community members to enjoy a new kind of dessert. Cookie Dough To G o, opened by Kary Goolsby, is a food truck that sells edible cookie dough in a variety of flavors, such as chocolate chip, sugar cookie and salted caramel. The
truck is frequently located at The Bleu Garten, a food truck park in OKC. I n O c t o b e r, C o o k i e D ough To G o opene d a store in the Quail Springs Mall in OKC, giving the business a permanent location. Goolsby, owner of Cookie Dough To Go, was a chef in New York City for 15 years at Upstate Craft Beer & Oyster Bar and Shaffer City Oyster Bar & Grill before returning home to Oklahoma. With help from his dad, Goolsby built the business’ Cookie Dough Bus and started selling edible cookie dough a little
Girls’ dance team finds its rhythm OU Elite Dance Team grows with upcoming shows ALMA CIENSKI @almacienski
The 27 members of the OU Elite Dance Team will step into the spotlight for the first time this semester during an OU volleyball game against Iowa State on Wednesday. The OU Elite Dance Team auditions aspiring dancers, freshmen through seniors, each September and January to give them a chance to dance at sporting events and other campus activities. The team performs pom, hip-hop and jazz dance. “There were a few girls who wanted to create an avenue
for girls to be able to dance on campus that weren’t a part of OU Pom or OU Cheer,� said Rebecca Bertholf, president of the OU Elite Dance Team. “They wanted to have an organization where girls could perform because it was a passion.� Passion can land dancers a spot on the team, but it requires a lot of rehearsals, fundraising and creativity to keep them going. Since its creation in 2005, the OU Elite Dance Team has faced many challenges, like undergoing a name change from Sooner Dance Company this past year due to OU rules and regulations. Another challenge the dance team has faced is raising money for costumes, a space for rehearsals and more. They have held benefit
more than a year ago. Goolsby said the business was inspired by similar edible cookie shops in New York City and that he hopes his edible cookie dough adds a new dessert option in his customers’ lives. “I hope people are expanding their little world of food and looking outside the box and not just having to have the same old thing t h e y ’ve b e c o m e a c cu stomed to,� Goolsby said. Goolsby said the business’s mobility allows him to meet new people and make connections in the community. He also said nights and fundraisers, and they have even started a GoFundMe. “We are a student-led organization, so all of our funding comes from either fundraisers or comes from us girls,� Bertholf said. “Costumes, team parties, all of that money is coming from us, so it’s been really challenging raising money and fundraising without breaking the girls’ banks. We’ve really had to get creative.� The team has performed at volleyball games, tennis matches, gymnastics meets and Soonerthon. Bertholf said she hopes to have the team perform at basketball games and at Soonerthon again this school year. Th e O U E l i t e Da n c e Team will perform at the OU volleyball game at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the McCasland Field House. Alma Cienski
aacienski@ou.edu
VIA OU ELITE DANCE TEAM FACEBOOK
The 2018 OU Elite Dance Team. The team will perform for the first time this semester at the OU volleyball game against Iowa State Wednesday.
he likes the joy his food brings to people. “Seeing someone’s smili ng f a c e w h e n t h e y g e t to eat raw cookie dough doesn’t hurt,� Goolsby said. “It’s like being a kid again.� Cookie Dough to Go’s location in the mall is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Sam Tonkins
samantha.tonkins@ou.edu VIA FACEBOOK
A food truck called Cookie Dough To Go is selling edible cookie dough in OKC in a variety of flavors.
Ensemble to perform Elizabethan era music OU’s Collegium Musicum to play in concert series MARY TODD ANTHONY @always_mt_
Students from the OU School of Music will perform Elizabethan era music Nov. 18. O U ’s C o l l e g i u m Musicum, an ensemble that consists of community members, faculty, students and staff, will perform “Musica Transalpina: The Italian Influence on Elizabethan Music,� as part of the Sutton Concert Series. T h i s g ro u p p l a n s t o showcase a selection of music from the Elizabethan period at this performance, said Eugene Enrico, professor of musicology and music director of the OU Collegium Musicum. The ensemble will be joined by the OU Recorder Consort, the OU String Consort and guest artist Larry Hammett. The concert will show different interpretations by early English composers of Italian music. This includes music that ranges from dance-sounding and high energy, like the baletos, to more elegant
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2018 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Communication will help you stick to facts and make wise choices. Stepping outside your comfort zone will encourage you to assess new possibilities. Explore and participate in functions that will broaden your outlook and awareness. Physical fitness will ease stress.
my friend’s got mental illness
To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increases their chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information. Mental Illness – What a difference a friend makes.
Previous Solution
Monday - Very Easy Tuesday - Easy Wednesday - Easy Thursday - Medium Friday - Hard
Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.
you, so walk the straight path. A personal change should entail a healthier lifestyle. Romance is highlighted. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Use your knowledge, experience and expertise to get ahead. A business partnership is favored, but be sure to draw up a contract that specifies who is responsible for what.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Stick to what and who you know. Anger will set you back, so try to avoid it. Patience will be required when dealing with personal health, financial and emotional matters.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Change begins within. Consider how you feel about what you do for a living and with whom you spend your time. Make adjustments that will ease stress.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Keep everything in perspective. If you overreact or make too many promises, you will end up facing questions you may not want to answer. Stick to the truth and live within your means.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Take a serious look at your relationships with others. Consider how to best improve situations that have been tense. Offer suggestions and be receptive to compromise. A change will lead to better days ahead.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -Push forward until you reach your goal. A unique approach will help you attract attention, but don’t take credit for someone else’s idea. Give credit where credit is due.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Speak up and get things done. Investments, real estate, home improvements and contracts are favored. Reveal your intentions and make a commitment to a loved one. Personal gains are heading your way.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- A change to the way you earn your living or how you handle your money will lead to greater security. Put your energy where it counts. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Don’t share personal information with someone who has trouble keeping a secret. Be discreet and helpful to those who have been there for you in the past. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Don’t leave anything unfinished. Others will be watching and judging
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Don’t overspend. Concentrate on networking and sharing your ideas. Refuse to let your personal life interfere with your work responsibilities. Someone close to you will withhold or offer false information. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -Consider your needs and make alterations that will improve your health. Diet and exercise along with laughter and having fun with friends are encouraged.
sounds, like wedding music, Enrico said. The audience can expect an interesting array of instruments including harpsichords, guitars, violins, violas, cello, bass and recorders that will create a feel for the Elizabethan period of music, Enrico said. The Italian term “Musica Transalpina,� translates to “music across the Alps,� or Italian music. Enrico said this name originated from the Elizabethan Period when songs known as Italian madrigals were sung at festive events, which became published with English translations. One of the first of these translations were “Musica Transalpina,� Enrico said. He said the performance is divided into four parts: Italian and English madrigals, Italian baletto and English ballet, Italian aria and English lute song, and music for royal weddings in Italy and England. Audience members can expect to experience a different aspect of Elizabethan culture by listening to each of the forms of music, Enrico said. The performance will consist of 10 vocal performers, including graduate and undergraduate students, he said.
“These are some of the finest singers,� Enrico said. Most of the singers will be graduate students with voice majors or in some cases they are conductors, he said. Enrico will host a talk about the cultural context of the performance, the different groups performing and reflections about the concert at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in Room 131 of the Catlett Music Center. “I think it is an opportunity for students to come to hear music that they don’t normally hear,� Enrico said. “There are lots of opportunities throughout the year to hear choral music, orchestral music, but to hear early music, in this case, Elizabethan or early English music — that’s really rare.� “Musica Transalpina� will be at 3 p.m. Nov. 18 in Kerr Gothic Hall of the Catlett Music Center. Tickets can be purchased in advance until 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at $9 for adults and $5 for students with ID and they will cost $10 at the door. Tickets can be bought by calling 405-325-4101 or by visiting the Fine Arts Box Office ticket booth. Mary Todd Anthony marilyn.t.anthony-1@ ou.edu
Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker November 12, 2018
ACROSS 1 Dissolved bloc (abbr.) 5 Part of a 45 10 City near the Ganges 14 Fall tool 15 Violin bow rub-on 16 Activist Brockovich 17 They’re experimental 19 Junkbegets-junk acronym 20 Some leaders 21 Ed McMahon, for one 23 Not use entirely 26 “Pants on fire� fellow 27 Special event 30 Nonet kin 33 Old German leader Helmut 34 Cipher, as a message 36 “Who ___ you, the pope?� 37 Clusters of fish eggs 38 “The Raven� monogram and this theme 39 Blueprint detail, in short 40 Alias, briefly 41 Airport section 44 Get all tattered 11/12
45 Two less than 30-Across 47 In a suitable way 49 Emulate a falcon 50 Emporium 51 Therapist’s smear? 54 “C’mon, move on!� 58 “Bye bye� or “Later� 59 Cake or pizza toppings 62 Not tricked by 63 Like yore? 64 “The Pearl� Monroe of hoops 65 Extinct Nair rival 66 Get things going 67 BBs and pellets, e.g. DOWN 1 Advocate earnestly 2 Dude from Tarsus 3 Grip the road? You wish 4 Some library transactions 5 Two-wood on the links, old-style 6 Dunk in gravy 7 “It ___� (formal “Who’s there?� reply) 8 Likes like a hippie
9 Like saved farm grain 10 Sea of Crete 11 Death personified 12 Capital near the Baltic 13 With author unknown 18 Historical periods 22 Frequent Spago’s 24 Copier cartridge 25 Sites the RV 27 Vegetables for gumbo 28 Sam the soulful singer 29 Pennypinching ray? 31 “He’s ___ nowhere man ‌â€? 32 Strongly denounce 35 Eyeballbending work
39 Fragrant climbing flower 41 Ducky shade 42 Threadcutting Fate 43 Antifreeze, e.g. 46 Additionally 48 Get ready for, for short 51 Mouse clickee 52 30-Across’ number 53 Knight combat event 55 Close loudly 56 Microbe 57 Christiania, today 60 Document to keep co. secrets 61 Bard’s “always�
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NEVERMORE By Timothy E. Parker
November 12-14, 2018 •
NEWS
5
Anna Bauman, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Representative stays paws-itive Emotional support dog brings comfort to SGA members JORDAN MILLER @jordanrmillerr
Congresswoman Luna is not your typical student government representative. She attends almost every SGA meeting and has office hours in the Conoco Student Leadership Center, but one thing makes her stand out from the others: She’s a dog. Luna, a 6-year-old mutt, is SGA representative Gabi Thompson’s emotional support dog, and she accompanies Thompson through her SGA duties. Thompson said Luna has been at her side as an emotional support animal since the fall of 2017, helping her to stay on track with her mental health. Thompson said she got Lu n a w h e n s h e w a s 1 6 years old. Her family had adopted a pregnant dog from a shelter so she would not be euthanized, and when the mother dog gave birth, Luna was “instantly” Thompson’s. “I’ve had her with me all the time ever since,” Thompson said. Ho w e v e r, w h e n Thompson initially came to OU, she moved to an apartment that was not pet-friendly — meaning she had to leave Luna behind. “ C o l l e g e i s h a r d ,” Thompson said. “There’s definitely some anxiety and depression and stuff that kind of comes with it.” After her first semester, she talked to one of her doctors, who gave her a note saying an emotional support dog would help her, giving Thompson permission to bring Luna to OU. Thompson said her first fall at OU was difficult for her, and that semester Luna came to all of her classes,
staying under her desk and accompanying her throughout the day. Thompson emailed her professors ahead of time to ask if it was okay to bring Luna to class as an emotional support dog, and they all said it was fine. “I would go introduce her to the professor at the end of class and they were always like, ‘Oh, I didn’t even realize you had brought her today,’” Thompson said. “She’s a good dog.” Although Thompson said having her emotional support animal around has been fairly easy, there are some limits, since Luna is not a service animal. Thompson said sometimes when they are working late in the Union, security will tell her she cannot have Luna there, so she explains that she is an emotional support dog and they typically leave her alone. However, Luna isn’t necessarily allowed everywhere. “That’s the hardest part about having an emotional support animal ... because they don’t technically have to be allowed everywhere because they’re not service animals,” Thompson said. “People don’t want to negatively impact people who have legitimate service animals by having a rowdy emotional support animal. So I think training is really the key.” L u n a’s n e e d s h e l p Thompson to not fall into depressive habits, and she said just the act of walking Luna helps her not “fall into that depression routine.” “It is very easy to fall into like a, ‘Oh, I’m going to sleep through this first class ... I’m going to just stay in my apartment all day, I’m not going to leave,’” Thompson said. “Having her … you’re responsible for something other than yourself.” Mackenzie Cordova, vice chair of the Undergraduate Student Congress, said Luna is very attentive to
Luna begs for a treat in the Conoco Student Leadership office Nov. 6.
Gabi’s emotions and stress level. “She can just kind of tell when Gabi’s upset,” Cordova said. “She just is there to comfort her, she knows better than some of us even when Gabi’s upset, and she just runs up and gives her kisses on the face and usually that makes it better — Gabi smiles, or she’ll hug Luna, it’s really cute.” Thompson said now she usually just brings Luna on Tuesdays and Thursdays when she has SGA meetings and office hours. “Things are a lot better now,” Thompson said. “I don’t really have to take her everywhere with me, but she does come with me to congress, she comes with me when I just work.” Thompson said although Luna is very well-trained, emotional support animals do not necessarily provide a service — they’re more like companions. “She helps because she’s very bonded to me,” Thompson said. “She is very social, so she’s got a lot of friends in congress, so it’s easy to meet new people
and talk to people because everyone loves a good dog.” Thompson said she thinks having Luna around has been a positive influence, with “only good things,” coming from having her around. “I think that having a dog around helps build relationships with people,” Thompson said. “I think that OU could be a more dog-friendly campus, and that’s something I’m trying to do in congress is to research other schools and how they become more dog-friendly.” Thompson said Luna has become a mascot for SGA, “pretty instantly” getting the title “Congresswoman Luna.” Luna even has her own Twitter account — @IsLunaInSGA — that Thompson tweets from whenever they are in the SGA office. “I was the Problems and Projects chair of congress at the time, and so I would give my committee reports holding her,” Thompson said. “Everyone was pretty instantly so excited to see her — she would just kind of get passed around the
room, and she was happy to be in whoever’s lap she was in.” Cordova said Luna also helps to comfort almost anyone she runs into in the SGA office or during meetings. “She’s definitely kind of like all of our emotional support dog,” Cordova said. “She loves everyone, so she will just give you kisses no matter who you are. She’s super excited to play with you no matter who you are.” C h a i r o f t h e Undergraduate Student Congress Tom Cassidy has gotten to know Thompson and Luna over the past year, and his favorite memory with them is when they came to a congress meeting on Halloween last year dressed up together — with Thompson as Ariel and Luna as Sebastian. “The times I’ve interacted with Luna around campus, over whelmingly people have been understanding of the fact that she’s there to help Gabi,” Cassidy said. “We can be in the SGA offices in the Union, we can walk certain places on campus, and people are (respectful)
JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
of that.” Thompson said Luna also inspired an SGA campaign called “Problems, Projects and Puppies.” The campaign, which was aimed to get people to interact with the congress more, had the Bella Foundation SPC A bring service and support animals to campus while congress members talked to constituents. “I noticed pretty quickly that (Luna) is something that gives almost anyone a big grin on their face,” Thompson said. “I was like, ‘Well, almost anyone will come talk to me when I have a dog.’” Cordova said she thinks Lu na a n d Gab i s ha re a unique bond. “ They’re a cute pair,” Cordova said. “Luna loves Gabi and it’s pretty obvious, and Gabi really connects with Luna. I think it’s a special relationship when your animal can see when you need things and then you can do the same thing for them.” Jordan Miller
Jordan.R.Miller-1@ou.edu
JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
Luna and her owner, Gabi Thompson, in the Conoco Student Leadership office Nov. 6.
JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
Luna in the Conoco Student Leadership office Nov. 6.
LANDSCAPING: Continued from page 1
of those laid off — an approach he said he thinks will lower the quality of service at the university. “If somebody needs a tree branch cut because it’s falling down, they’ll not be able to pick up the phone and call somebody and say, ‘Hey take care of this,’” the former landscaper said. “They’ll have to put in a request and wait a week until the contractor comes and does it. The university
is paying itself for its own services, and they are not going to get a cheaper rate from a private contractor.” OU Public Affairs did not respond to questions about landscaping privatization, but said the landscaping layoffs were necessary because “new construction on campus is slowing and l a n d s c a p i n g n e e d s a re changing.” “ We a r e k e e p i n g t h e nu m b e r o f s k i l l e d p e rsonnel on staff necessary to continue keeping our campus beautiful,” said Kathleen Kesler, Public Affairs spokesperson, in
JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
Luna in the Conoco Student Leadership office Nov. 6.
the statement. The former landscaper said people with his job are often “invisible” employees who go unrecognized as they try to make campus look nice. “I’m just pretty upset,” the former landscaper said. “I was a dedicated employee of the university and had an excellent work record. On reviews I got ‘excellent,’ and this happens. And you get cut.” Drew Hutchinson
drew.hutchinson@ou.edu
JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
Landscapers work on the South Oval on March 28. Twenty-five people from the landscaping department were let go as part of OU President James Gallogly’s Nov. 1 layoffs.
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NEWS
• November 12-14, 2018
OU students investigate paranormal activity Ghost-hunting group dedicated to spooky stories BAILEY LEWIS @BaileyLewis75
Paranormal investigations are mostly seen in movies. However, an OU student organization and its adviser are dedicated to searching for ghosts. The Sooner Paranormal S o c i e t y w a s s t a r t e d by Spencer Gill two years ago, and its purpose is to teach members the proper techn i q u e s a n d e q u i p m e nt used during paranormal investigations, according to its website. Gill, a first-year law student, started the club based on his childhood interest in the paranormal. “I have been fascinated with the idea of the paranormal since a very young age,” Gill said. “Growing up, I always enjoyed watching television shows and movies featuring the paranormal and getting to converse with people who have paranormal stories of their own. It wasn’t until high school that I began performing paranormal investigations.” The members of the organization are also invited to apply what they learn in the club’s paranormal investigations, which take place at allegedly haunted locations across the state, according to its website. Gill said the group does not have regularly scheduled meetings, but does p er for m investigations throughout the year. Paranormal expert Jeff Provine is the adviser of the organization and has written multiple books about local ghosts. Provine has been leading ghost tours on OU’s campus since 2009. The investigation of Ellison Hall was the organization’s most popular,
Provine said. However, the investigation was done during bad weather, so it was hard to differentiate between the weather and paranormal activity. “We performed an investigation at Ellison Hall in the fall of 2017,” Gill said. “We had both OU students and faculty take part in that investigation, and while we had a great time and learned a lot about paranormal research procedure, we did not have any paranormal findings.” Ellison Hall has a rich paranormal history, and many paranormal investigations have taken place there. The building used to serve as the infirmary for OU’s campus, and legend has it there is a little boy who roller skates on the second and third floors, according to OU’s College of Arts and Sciences website. The legend says a young boy was roller skating on Elm Avenue when he was either hit by a car or suffered an asthma attack. He was then carried to Ellison Hal,l where he died. Since then, people allegedly can hear the sound of his skates throughout the hallways of the second and third floors, according to the website. “Some of the paranormal investigators that have investigated there say he’s just kind of waiting for his parents to come pick him up,” Provine said. “One lady got the impression that she was pretty sure his name was Robert because he introduced himself as Bobby and then paused himself and said, ‘No, my name is Robert.’ ” Provine saidthe technology used in the group’s paranormal investigations is much less complex than it used to be. “It is revolutionary from where it was even just a few decades ago,” Provine said. “Because when we watch movies from the ‘70s or set in the ‘70s, we see them
PETER REILLY/THE DAILY
Paranormal expert Jeff Provine in Wagner Hall on Nov. 1. Provine is the adviser of the Sooner Paranormal Society.
using all of this giant equipment. But now, you can just have your smartphone and use apps that basically do the same things, and there are several ghost apps that you can look at and experiment with.” Provine said the iPhone voice memo app is ver y sensitive, and can even capture Electronic Voice Phenomena. EVP is where voices or sounds are picked u p o n v o i c e re c o rd e r s, but are only heard when the recordings are played back, according to Ghost Research’s website. Provine said they also use electromagnetic detectors. “The idea is that the spirits are somehow able to interact with the electromagnetic fields, but only very slightly,” Provine said.
“What it does is it reads the flux on electromagnetic, so if you mess with it in certain ways then you can get it to correlate with a big list of words that tie in. The idea is that the ghost is testing it and can repeat these words.” Provine said he experienced the use of electromagnetic detecting when he used to work with the O k l a h o m a Pa ra n o r m a l Association. “We did an investigation at one of the warehouse basements in Guthrie next to the train station, and things kept saying stuff like ‘attack’ or ‘mad’ or ‘angry,’ and then this guy just passed out,” Provine said. “One of the ladies who runs it, Toni McCoy, is a nurse, so she was caring
for him, and when the EMT showed up she explained what happened and that they had captured a video of it for the investigation, and the EMT was like, ‘Hey, what’s that thing behind him?’ and as he was falling, there was this shadow figure forming behind him.” However, Provine said nothing as terrifying has happened to him while conducting paranormal investigations at OU. P rov i n e s a i d t hat h i s scariest paranormal investigation at OU took place when he was working with OU’s Webcomm. They were doing a few recordings for Halloween of snippets for stories while in the basement of Cate Cafeteria, where a student was beheaded in 1986.
A student was messing around with a dumbwaiter, and it started moving up when he wasn’t all the way in and the dumbwaiter beheaded him, Provine said. “We were down in the basement of Cate Cafeteria, and the guy doing film said he never heard anything, but I heard, and the lady doing sound heard it, and it was this voice that said, ‘I meant to catch it,’” Provine said. “So, we kind of wrapped that one up real quick.” Bailey Lewis
bailey.n.lewis-1@ou.edu
Making miracles OU official says budget changes with donations will benefit future research Randall Hewes released statement about closures SCOTT KIRKER @scott_kirker
VIA SOONERTHON INSTAGRAM
Soonerthon raised $163,594 during Day of Miracles on Nov. 7. Last year’s Day of Miracles raised more than $120,000.
Student generosity breaks Soonerthon fundraising record JANA ALLEN @jana_allen21
A campus organization dedicated to raising funds for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals raised a record amount of money in 24 hours Nov. 7. Soonerthon raised $163,594 during its Day of Miracles, said Soonerthon executive chair Colt Bennett. Bennett said this is a historic amount for Soonerthon’s 24-hour fall fundraiser, exceeding last year’s Day of Miracles, which raised more than $120,000. Bennett, a junior who has been involved with Soonerthon since his freshman year, said Day of Miracles is dependent on student participation, with around 1,500 students in total involved in Soonerthon. He said he’s not sure exactly how many participants raised funds this year. “On days like (Nov. 7), it
takes the entire campus and the executive committee as well,” Bennett said. “Everybody played a role.” This March, Soonerthon raised more than $1 million, another historic amount for the organization. Though Day of Miracles is the last big push for this semester, Bennett said he and his team have big goals for this year’s Soonerthon. “One goal myself and my team are united on is making sure that we really do activate campus this year and make students feel as much a part of our event as we can, so they can really see the difference that they’re making,” Bennett said. With these goals in mind, Bennett said Soonerthon members can’t do it alone. “We are very appreciative of everybody’s help during the day, and our continued success would not be possible without the entire student body,” Bennett said. Jana Allen
jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu
Randall Hewes, OU interim vice president for research, released a statement Nov. 6 in an attempt to ease concerns about research in the wake of Nov. 1 layoffs and the termination of three research-related offices. The offices that were eliminated were the Center for Research Program Development and Enrichment, the Center for Applied Research Development and the Office of Undergraduate Research. Students involved in research expressed concerns about whether the remaining resources available would meet students’ needs. In the statement, Hewes said the cuts come from a shift in funding, which he said are intended to boost research progress overall. Hewes said in the statement that research has remained flat in recent years despite large increases in personnel costs. Additionally, Hew es said in the statement that he is making changes to the department’s budget, which has $18 million in debt, according to his statement. “Some of this debt is simply IOUs to the central administration (part of a dysfunctional budget system), and the rest is true
PHOTO PROVIDED BY OU PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Randall Hewes, OU interim vice president of research. Hewes released a statement Nov. 6 in an attempt to ease concerns about research in the wake of Nov. 1 layoffs.
debt (bonds) that should be held centrally,” Hewes said in the statement. These elements of the budget are being changed for the fiscal year 2020, according to the statement. Hewes said these changes will make the office much stronger when they are completed. Hewes stressed in the statement that opportunities remain available for research and for research funding through programs such as the Undergraduate
Research Opportunities Program and the FirstYear Research Experience (FYRE) program. “While the cuts to the offices last week were undeniably painful and will result in some temporary disruptions, the needed functions performed by those offices can and will be shifted to existing staff in the Office of Research Services and elsewhere on campus,” Hewes said in the statement. He expressed hope that
the changes will be a positive move for research in the statement. “We must be responsible stewards of OU’s resources,” Hewes said in the statement,“and these changes will enable us to make more impactful future investments in graduate education and research.” Scott Kirker
scott.t.kirker-1@ou.edu